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The 21st Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread***

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Old 10-01-25 | 10:06 PM
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Re: The 21st Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread***

Goal 31
1) Firestarter (1984) 10/01 HBO MAX
2) The Brood (1979) 10/02 HBO MAX
3) Hereditary (2018) 10/02 HBO MAX
4) The Revenant (2009) 10/5 DVD
5) Necronomicon: Book of Dead (1993) 10/06 VHS
6) Deliver Us From Evil (2014) 10/07 Digital
7) 10/31 (2017) 10/09 Sling
8) Dracula Untold (2014) 10/11 Digital
9) Bring Her Back (2025) 10/15 HBO MAX
10) Hobo With A Shotgun (2011) 10/18 DVD
11) The Green Inferno (2013) 10/18 DVD
The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror XXXVI (2025) 10/19 TV
Bob's Burgers: The Twinnening (2025) 10/19 TV
12) The Dead (2010) 10/19 DVD
13) Club Dread : Unrated (2004) 10/25 DVD
14) All the Kind Strangers (1974) 10/25 DVD
15) Anaconda 3: Offspring (2008) 10/27 DVD
16) Black Sheep (2006) 10/30 DVD

Last edited by ross_r; 10-29-25 at 08:50 PM.
Old 10-01-25 | 11:10 PM
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Re: The 21st Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread***

First Time Viewing
Repeat Viewing


01) Him (2025) D: Justin Tipping - I enjoyed the style of the movie and its lurid, violent images, but will admit I didn’t get much of the story. Frankly, as it was a ninety minute movie, it felt like there was a lot of missing stuff that should have been included. 09/30
02) Transylvania 6-500 (1985) D: Rudy De Luca - Impressive cast with nearly a dozen stars, but painfully unfunny. I was surprised the movie ignored a couple of obvious gay jokes, choosing instead to go for even lower hanging fruit. 10/01
03)
Too Scared To Scream(1985) D: Tony Lo Bianco - One of those late 70s-early 80s movies that straddles the line between being classy and sleazy. Early role for Ian McShane. The ending is a complete rip-off of PSYCHO. I feel like the film's alternate title, THE DOORMAN, is kind of a spoiler. 10/02
04)
The Quiet Earth(1985) D: Geoff Murphy - A LAST MAN ON EARTH story, which echoes scenes from movies like THE OMEGA MAN and DAWN OF THE DEAD. A little on the quirky side, but never quite won me over. 10/02
05) Jason And The Argonauts (1963) D: Don Chaffey - Even when the puppets look kind of crummy (the harpies for example), the stop-motion animation is magical. The skeleton fight remains one of the most thrilling sequences I've ever seen. 10/03
06)
Future-Kill (1985) D: Ronald W. Moore - After being tantalized by the poster for years, I finally saw this. Wow. The acting and directing is so terrible, the movie feels like it was shot on VHS for a high school project. Can't imagine I'll see a worse movie than this. 10/03
07) Phantasm (1979) D: Don Coscarelli - Perfectly captures the unease surrounding funerals in the late 70s. One of best horror movie music scores. 10/03
08) Sinister (2012) D: Scott Derrickson - The best of all the Blumhouse supernatural movies. Doesn't over-explain, just leads you to a perfectly satisfying and horrifying ending. 10/04
09) The Bride (1985) D: Franc Roddam - Saw this at the drive-in forty years ago. Re-watching it now, I feel like Sting barely makes a presence in the movie, but this is one of the best adaptations of the Frankenstein monster's story. Impressive. 10/05
10) Friday The 13th: A New Beginning (1985) D: Danny Steinmann - Watched the TV-edit for fun, curious to see how they edited the over-the-top trashy sequences. Surprised both by what was cut and what was left in. Anyway, this version is unwatchable, especially with commercial breaks almost equal to the length of the film. 10/05
11) Return To Oz (1985) D: Walter Murch - The clay-mation effects are outstanding. All the designs are weird and creepy. I kept thinking about comparisons between this and TWIN PEAKS THE RETURN, especially in consideration of the critical reaction in 1985. 10/06
12)
Urban Legend(1998) D: Jamie Blanks - I sorta tuned out of horror in the late 90s/2000s, but I thought this was watchable, and the cast was stacked with lots of familiar faces, including my 10 year old crush Danielle Harris (I was devastated when learned she was 11 and would likely have no interest in a little kid like me). 10/07
13)
Thirteen Ghosts (2001) D: Steve Beck 10/08
14)
Exorcist II: The Heretic(1977) D: John Boorman - Disappointing, as I was expecting a more bizarro movie. Clearly a huge step-down from the original, but parts are very effective. I don't think its a bad movie at all. 10/09
15) The Shining (1980) D: Stanley Kubrick - For me, a perfect movie. 10/10

16) Sugar Hill(1974) D: Paul Maslansky - The alien/bug eyes on the zombies give them a surreal, creepy look. 10/11
17) The Thing (1982) D: John Carpenter - Damn, watching this movie makes me feel so cold. 10/11

18) The Fog (1980) D: John Carpenter - The atmosphere of this movie is unbeatable. It evokes from me the same feeling as listening to creepy radio plays late at night. 10/12
19)
Village Of The Damned(1995) D: John Carpenter - Never saw this before, for good reason. Even the music was pathetic, a reaction I've never had to a Carpenter film before. 10/13
20) Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994) D: Wes Craven 14th
21)
Zombie Strippers(2008) D: Jay Lee 14th
22)
Die! Die! My Darling(1965) D: Silvio Narizzano 15th
23)
Vampire In Brooklyn(1995) D: Wes Craven 15th
24)
The Coffee Table (2022) D: Caye Casas 17th
25) Creepshow (1982) D: George A. Romero 18th
26) The First Power (1990) D: Robert Resnikoff 19th
27)
The Thirteenth Chair (1929) D: Tod Browning 20th
28) Hellraiser (1987) D: Clive Barker 20th
29)
Body Snatchers (1994) D: Abel Ferrara 21st
30) Halloween 4 The Return Of Michael Myers (1988) D: Dwight H. Little 21st
31) Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) D: Francis Ford Coppola 22nd
32) From Hell (2001) D: The Hughes Brothers 23rd
33) Abbot And Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) D: Charles Barton 24th
34) The Silence Of The Lambs (1991) D: Jonathan Demme 25th

36) Halloween II (1981) D: Rick Rosenthal 26th
37)
The Descent (2005) Neil Marshall 27th
38)
A Quiet Place (2018) D: John Krasinski 28th
39) The Hand (1981) D: Oliver Stone 29th
40)
Brightburn (2019) D: David Yarovesky 29th
41)
Host (2020) D: Rob Savage 30th
42)
Blood Quantum (2019) D: Jeff Barnaby 30th
43)
Vampires: Los Muertos (2002) D: Tommy Lee Wallace 30th
44)
Trick ‘R Treat (2007) D: Michael Dougherty 31st
45) I Walked With A Zombie (1943) D: Jacques Tourneur 31st


Also watched various episodes of The Twilight Zone, Welcome To Derry, The Simpsons Treehouse of Horrors

BEST NEW WATCHES: The Quiet Earth, The Coffee Table
WORST NEW WATCHES: Future-Kill, Vampire In Brooklyn, The Thirteenth Chair

Last edited by Crocker Jarmen; 11-01-25 at 01:17 AM.
Old 10-02-25 | 04:52 PM
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Re: The 21st Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread***




Oct. 2
1. Late Night With the Devil (2023) *

Oct. 5
2. The Tooth Fairy (2006) *

Oct. 7
3. Longlegs (2024) *

Oct. 8
4. When Evil Lurks (2023) *

Oct. 9
5. Storm of the Century, Part 1 (1999) *
6. Storm of the Century, Part 2 (1999) *

Oct. 12
7. Storm of the Century, Part 3 (1999) *

Oct. 14
8. The Substance (2024) *
9. Bring Her Back (2025) *
10. Pearl (2022) *

Oct. 15
11. House on Haunted Hill (1959) *

Oct. 18
12. The Nun II (2023) *
13. The Howling (1981) *

Oct. 19
14. Escape Room (2018) *

Oct. 20
15. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) *


* First time viewing

Last edited by Fist of Doom Jr; 10-20-25 at 10:55 PM.
Old 10-02-25 | 09:58 PM
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Re: The 21st Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread***

Brainee's 2025 DVDTalk Horror Movie Challenge List

Previous challenge totals:
2008: 100
2010: 100
2011: 53
2013: 54
2014: 36
2015: 56
2016: 106
2017: 101.25
2018: 70
2019: 121
2020: 71
2021: 110
2022: 56
2023: 60
2024: 64


Goal: 31
Total: 55
First Time Views: 43

= first time viewing

Movies rated out of 5 stars (*****) based solely on my personal enjoyment.

My Viewing List:
October 2nd
1. Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025): It's a little surprising this got such glowing reviews. Maybe having the series go away for a while helped, since this is pretty much the same formula. But it's a fun formula! I'll have to check with my medical friends ... can an MRI machine really do that? ***1/2

October 3rd
2. V/H/S/Halloween (2025): I've seen all the V/H/S movies so I knew what I was getting into: a mixed bag (of candy) of low budget found footage. The worst segments can be awful but the anthology format makes it move pretty quickly. That said, this one seemed even more edgelord than usual at spots. **1/2

3. Together (2025): After the last movie, I was really hoping this wouldn't be a disgusting depressing body horror like I feared. And ... it wasn't! Sure there are couple of icky parts, but this has a different vibe than other recent "body melding" movies like The Substance and The Color Out of Space. The metaphors are obvious and in a weird way it's kind of optimistic. ****

4. The Invisible Raptor (2023): This was fun and silly, and I enjoyed how there would be call-backs to other jokes (like all the Spielberg references and MC Hammer). My biggest criticism is this needed to be streamlined by 20-30 minutes (2 hours was far too long for the content). ***

October 4th
5. Perfect Blue (1997): It's been at least 25 years since I've seen this. While I remember the general style and broad story points I forgot all of the specific twists and turns (of which there are many). Satoshi Kon was great. ****1/2

6. Hide and Go Shriek (1988): With a couple of exceptions, late 80's through mid 90s were a bad period for slashers. This wasn't one of the exceptions. Very cheap and derivative and clearly neutered by the MPAA (as much of the horror of this era was). **

7. The Surrender (2025): Brings to mind A Dark Song in that it really gets into the nuts and bolts of an elaborate spell. Colby Minifie really shows her acting chops. ***1/2

8. The Cat (1992): Goofy fun. The highlight was the extended showdown between "General" cat and Lao Pu the dog. What happened to the guy in the apartment from the very beginning? Did he just "peace out" when shit started getting weird? If so, that makes him one of the smartest characters in a horror movie. ***

October 5th
9. Clown in a Cornfield (2025): I didn't read the book or watch the trailer, so this was able to take me by surprise. Plays it straighter than Tucker and Dale vs Evil although there are still funny parts. While I don't know if it made sense, the "reveal" of the killer wasn't something I saw coming. The scariest part: a girl complains to her dad about playing 80s music, saying it's as old to her as music from the 40s was to someone in the 80s. He says "That can't be right" and she challenges "Do the math!". He thinks for a moment and then just goes "Damn" ***1/2

October 6th
10. Dangerous Animals (2025): I've seen plenty of killer shark movies and serial killer movies. But this is the first that crosses the two! ***1/2

11. The Beast Within (1982): Early 80s may be my favorite period for horror (certainly helped since that's when I started really getting into them). This may not be a good movie, but it's certainly a memorable one (especially once the big transformation scene happens). **1/2

October 9th
12. The Keep (1983): Somehow manages to move too fast and too slow at the same time. It does feel unfair to bash this movie considering how badly the studio butchered the edit. I'm willing to give Micheal Mann the benefit of the doubt that he had something much better originally, especially since there are a number of striking visuals and an effective score (the two work well together to create a dream-like atmosphere) and really good source material. This is something I wouldn't mind seeing someone take another stab at. There's enough meat in the novel for mini-series/short season. Or bring Repairman Jack to life. **1/2

13. Venicephrenia (2021): Another fun movie by Alex de la Inglesia. Although I think it peaked at the opening credits (an awesome animated giallo-inspired masterpiece). Apparently you can get away with murder in broad daylight in Venice by just shouting "Street theater!" and doing a little twirl after the killing. I saw that the killer jester actor got his big break as Rachel's boyfriend Paolo in Friends back in the 90s. He seemed harmless enough, but Ross must have known what he was capable of. ***1/2

October 10th
14. Bring Her Back (2025): Strong follow-up to Talk to Me. Sally Hawkins is great as usual (although playing the villain is something I hadn't seen from her). The child actors are really good as well, especially the blind girl (considering she had never acted in anything bigger than a school play before). ****

15. Werewolves (2024): I thought the concept was cool - a world-wide werewolf apocalypse. But the movie isn't very good, seeming very amateurish. Take a shot every time Frank Grillo's character makes a dog joke and you make not make it to the end! Speaking of Grillo ... damn, he can be that ripped pushing 60, maybe there's hope for me. **

October 11th
16. A Chinese Ghost Story (1987): Gorgeous to look at and listen to, this still holds up very well. Some of the effects looked goofy even in the 80s, but it just adds to charm of the movie. ****1/2

17. A Chinese Ghost Story II (1990): I think I liked this a little better than the first. Less romance, but more zany balls out action horror comedy. The final fight reminded me of a final boss in a JRPG ... just when you think you have it beat, it transforms to another form! ****1/2

18. Prophecy (1979): I haven't seen this in ages. It's actually pretty solid, although the giant mutant bear looks more silly than scary to me. Word is that this had to be forced to a PG rating against the director's wishes ... and I can see that. ***

October 16th
19. House by the River (1950): Kind of a cross between film noir and Southern Gothic. I'm surprised I've never seen this despite being a fan of both of those, and the director Fritz Lang. A simple story but really good and intense. Man, Stephen was such a loathsome character. If anything, I wanted to see him suffer even more by the end. ****

20. Interview with the Vampire (1994): This was discussed on a recent "What Went Wrong" podcast and that had me itching for a rewatch (I don't think I've seen this since the 90s). I didn't like it as much as the podcasters, but it is a gorgeously made movie. Louis is such a wet blanket of a lead, the movie has you wishing he'd take off and leave the movie to more interesting characters like Lestat, Claudia, or Armand. ***1/2

October 17th
21. ☼ Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (2019): S1 E15-18

22. Nazareno Cruz and the Wolf (1975): Very languid and dream-like. Probably too much so for my state at the time. At one point I dozed off while the "love theme" was playing and woke back up to the same theme. Thought I drifted off for a few seconds but nope ... 20 minutes had passed. And when I rewound to see what I missed, it turned out I didn't really miss anything **1/2

23. The Red Queen Kills Seven Times (1972): Solid giallo with good atmosphere, good music, and a cool looking killer. The effectiveness of the movie trying to throw red herrings out as to which woman was the killer was undermined by the fact that all the women kind of looked the same. ***

24. Until Dawn (2025): Without looking it up, I wonder if this movie began development having nothing to do the game (and it just got shoe-horned together at the last minute). Because aside from the title and calling monsters "wendigos" (even though they were completely different from the game), there wasn't much similarity (and there were a couple of Easter eggs that game players would notice). This wasn't bad, although the concept didn't seem well developed. ***

October 18th
25. What You Wish For (2023): I went in blind, which is the best way to watch this movie. Although knowing it's a horror movie, horror fans will probably be able to guess the "twist". Nick Stahl really has the "tortured" look working for him in this. ****

26. Handling the Undead (2024): There's slow burn, and there's "GET ON WITH IT AND DO SOMETHING!!!" This is the latter I should've known something was up when there was an opening shot that took forever just to pan across rooftops. Just slow for the sake of being slow. I remember liking the novel too (by the author of Let the Right One In, who co-wrote this screenplay), and I could've sworn stuff actually happened. There were really effective moments, to be sure, especially in the second half. Just too much "nothing" in the rest of the movie. **

October 19th
27. ☼ Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (2019): S1 E19-22.

28. The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932): I love pre-code Hollywood. Such a short period, but so striking (where it would take Hollywood 30 years to get back to this level of adult content). Needless to say to racism hasn't aged well, including Karloff and Loy's "yellowface" makeup. But the sets and lighting are fantastic, and this just zips along at 68 minutes. I'm not sure about Fu Manchu's plan (of how the mask and sword of Ghengis Khan would help him conquer the world) but he's into it. And I love his lair with entire rooms dedicated to elaborate torture devices. I wonder how many more he had that we didn't see in this movie. Too bad there wasn't another Karloff Fu Manchu movie so we never found it. ****

October 20th
29. The Damned (2024): Almost watched the wrong The Damned. Seems there was another one released in 2024, also with an 89 minute running time, also set in the mid 1800s. Thankfully caught my mistake early Draugr in an icy setting ... I couldn't get the thought "These people need Kratos" out of my head. But seriously, while I've seen a bunch of grim "is it ghosts or is it in their head" horror movies the setting (late 19th century Arctic fishing expedition) made it stand out. ***1/2

30. ☼ Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (2019): S1 E23-26.

October 21st
31. ☼ Wednesday (2025): S2 E1-2.

October 22nd
32. ☼ Wednesday (2025): S2 E3; ☼ Santa Clarita Diet (2017): S1 E1-2.

October 23rd
33. ☼ Wednesday (2025): S2 E4; ☼ Santa Clarita Diet (2017): S1 E3-4.

October 24th
34. Cloud (2024): A new movie by Kiyoshi Kurasawa, one of the leaders in the J-Horror explosion in the 90s! Not much of a horror and I struggle with movies with unlikable protagonists. I do like the idea of a drama/thriller centered around the shady world of online resellers. ***

35. Dead Mail (2024): This did a great job with a minimal budget. Who knew the synthesizer business in the 80s was so dangerous? ***1/2

36. The Balconettes (2024): Why is "Body Swap Comedy" the first listed genre on IMDb? That has nothing to do with this, which is a very good black comedy that has some things of substance to say from the woman's perspective. ****

October 25th
37. ☼ Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (2021): S2 E1-4.

38. Good Boy (2025): Not what I was expecting at all, which was something lighter and more fun. Indy the dog deserves Academy recognition and does seem to be, by all accounts, a very good boy. ***

39. Strange Harvest (2024): Another movie that makes the most of its small budget. I've seen other horror movies in the format of a true crime documentary, and this is one of the better ones. I like the subtle veering into cosmic horror. Especially with the leech imagery this had me thinking of the stories of Laird Barron (who also mixed crime with cosmic horror). ***1/2

40. Get Away (2024): Sometimes a twist makes the movie, and sometimes it derails it. I think this was more a case of the latter. **1/2

41. The Devil's Bath (2024):Another thought-provoking low-key disturbing movie from the directors of Goodnight Mommy and The Lodge. More a grim period piece drama than horror movie, though more disturbing than most horror in that there were hundreds of documented cases like the one in this movie. ****

October 26th
42. ☼ Wednesday (2025): S2 E5;☼ Santa Clarita Diet (2017): S1 E5-6.

October 27th
43. ☼ Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (2021): S2 E5-7; ☼ The Halloween That Almost Wasn't (1979).

October 29th
44. ☼ Santa Clarita Diet (2017): S1 E7-8; ☼ Wednesday (2025): S2 E6.

45. The Raven (1935): The Black Cat is my favorite Karloff/Lugosi movie, but this is one of the better ones. Karloff plays a criminal who tries to strong arm a doctor (Lugosi) into surgery so he won't look ugly anymore. It must have been so insulting for Karloff to see the script and ask what make-up would be done for his pre-surgery appearance ... only to have the producers tell him "No make-up ... you're good for this as is" I guess a consolation was he not only got top billing over Lugosi, the font for his name was much bigger in the credits (despite Lugosi having the bigger role). I heard those types of things really pissed Lugosi off. ***1/2

October 30th
46.Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls (2023): I wasn't familiar with the Onyx character, but his shtick got old really fast. It was nice to see Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton together again (though sadly not in the same scenes). Combs in particular had a great scenery chewing role. **1/2

47.Night Must Fall (1964): A little too reserved for my tastes. I was expecting something with more bite than the classic original considering it's the 60s vs post-code 30s (show what's in the hatbox you cowards! ). Still, Albert Finney is fun to watch. ***

48.You'll Find Out (1940): Despite being a fan of classic horror, I had never seen this only movie to have Karloff, Lugosi, and Peter Lorre! Probably because they were all second fiddle to Kay Kyser, a big radio star of the time. But at least the horror icons had good supporting roles. I don't mind musicals and Kay Kyser isn't bad ... I can see why he was a big star for his time. Although his band is unfortunately named (Kay Kyser's Kollege ). ***1/2

Halloween!
49.Felidae (1994): I had never seen (or even heard of) this before. You don't have to be a film studio genius to predict an animated movie that's a sci-fi slasher detective movie with all cats would bomb at the box office ... but I'm glad the movie got made. I don't think it was supposed to be funny, but the sudden cat sex scene in the middle made me . And just like real cats they both walk away at the end like "Yeah, whatever". ****

50. Chamber of Horrors (1966): Good thing we had the FEAR FLICKER and the HORROR HORN to warn us before scenes where ... the camera cuts away and we don't see a damned thing. **1/2

51.Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1936): Low-budget British horror ham Todd Slaughter as Sweeney Todd ... perfect casting! Too bad the surviving print is so bad (the audio in particular makes it a struggle). Interesting to see the story differences from the musical version that I'm familiar with (like how Todd is after Joanna romantically instead of being her father, and having an extended action sequence in Africa). ***

52.It Feeds (2025): Nothing really new here, but well done. Creepy monster and I'm glad it wasn't as hopeless as the similar Smile movies. ***1/2

53.Never Let Go (2024): Didn't like this as much as I was hoping. The central idea was interesting (a mother and 2 sons isolated in a house in the woods after some demonic apocalyptic event, and they have to stay connected to the house at all by ropes) and the acting was good. It just ping-ponged between "Is it supernatural?" and "Is it all in their heads?" so many times that I got bored with it. And the ending
Spoiler:
is ambiguous and doesn't answer a damned thing

54.Amsterdamned (1988): Cheesy and overlong, with an anticlimactic ending. But still enjoyable. As silly as it was, I loved the speed boat chase. And Amsterdam in the 80s is a cool setting. ***

55. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948): My favorite of the A&C movies. I like that, unlike A&C Meet the Mummy, the monsters are taken seriously and given dignity. Hard to believe this is only the second (and last) time Lugosi plays Dracula. He looks good here, especially considering how badly he falls apart just a few years later. And I love the Invisible Man's cameo! ****

Last edited by brainee; 11-04-25 at 12:11 PM.
Old 10-03-25 | 11:23 AM
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Re: The 21st Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread***

2007 List, 2008 List, 2009 List, 2010 List, 2011 List, 2012 List, 2013 List, 2014 List, 2015 List, 2016 List, 2017 List, 2018 List, 2019 List, 2020 List, 2021 List 2022 List 2023 List 2024 List

10/3
1.
Night of the Living Dead (1990)

10/7
2.
Bride of Frankenstein

10/9
3.
Werewolf of London

10/10
4.
Dracula's Daughter

10/12
5.
Manhunter

10/13
6.
Son of Frankenstein

10/14
7.
Doc of Chucky

10/15
8.
The Invisible Man Returns
9. Birth of the Living Dead

10/17
10.
The Mummy’s Hand

10/19
11.
Dawn of the Dead

10/22
12
. Happy Death Day

10/23
13.
Matinee

10/24
14
. 28 Years Later

10/26
15.
Gretel & Hansel

10/28
16
. Longlegs

10/30
17.
The Invisible Woman
18. Corpse Bride

10/30
19.
The Wolf Man
20. The Nightmare Before Christmas

Last edited by Drop; 11-04-25 at 04:47 PM.
Old 10-03-25 | 10:08 PM
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Re: The 21st Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread***

Back for another year of horror movies! Off to a late start.

10/3
1. Silence of the Lambs
2. The Craft

10/4
3. Heart Eyes NEW
4. Quarantine
5. Fun Size
6. The Descent
7. The Heretic NEW
8. Perfect Getaway

10/5
9. Halloween Baking Championship S11E1 / E2
10. The Thing
11. Tremors
12. Lake Placid
13. Hellboy

10/7
14. The Ruins
15. Final Destination 3

10/8
16. Final Destination 5

10/9
17. Crawl
18. Woman in the Yard NEW
19. Abigail NEW
20. Zombieland

10/10
21. The Ledge NEW
22. Shaun of the Dead
23. Deathproof
24. 47 Meters Down

10/11
25. Freaks
26. Drag Me to Hell
27. Carrie
28. Christine

10/12
29. Aliens
30. Happy Death Day

10/13
30. The Fly
31. Scream

10/14
32. The Birds
33. Truth or Dare

10/15
34. The Faculty
35. Monsters Inc.

10/16
36. I Know What You Did Last Summer NEW
37. Wallace and Grommit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit
38. Stir of Echoes
39. Longlegs NEW

10/17
40. Disturbing Behavior

10/18
41. Happy Death Day 2 U
42. The Crush
43. 30 Days of Night
44. The Blackening NEW

10/19
45. Shape of Water
46. Bring Her Back NEW
47. Fright Night

10/20
48. The Howling
49. American Werewolf in London

10/21
50. Escape Room
51. Devil Doll NEW

10/22
52. Disturbia
53. Slither
54. The Craft: Legacy NEW

10/23
55. Trick r Treat
56. Halloween Ends
57. Alien Covenant

10/24
58. Halloween & Halloween II - watched on broadcast. Missed some of each.
59. It Part 1

10/25
60. Godzilla vs Kong

10/27
61. Scream 3

10/29
62. Weapons NEW
63. Insidious

10/31
64. Coraline
65. Frankenweenie
66. House of Wax

Last edited by beebs; 10-31-25 at 11:43 PM.
Old 10-08-25 | 12:47 PM
  #82  
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
 
Joined: Dec 2007
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From: Houston, TX
Re: The 21st Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread***

Here is a link to my simple list and statistics post.
Here is a link to my first longer form review post for weeks 1-2.


Week Three [45 films]
Spoiler:
October 17 [Mashup Warner/Musical/Trauma/Gateway Theme Night] (7 hours, 56 minutes watched)
129. The Ghost and Mr Chicken (1989, 82 minutes) ★★★★★★½✰✰✰ Don Knotts excels at his type of wholesome nervous humor. The plot has a lot going on with a career confidence plot of a town joke trying to stand his own by testing himself in a haunted house resulting in a legal, emotional, and supernatural standoff. Don Knotts is a likeable oaf and is the reason to see this. It's a film that does cliche well enough it might set standards for mumblecore and haunting tropes. It has a less convincing love story but things like that give the film an element of feeling like we are inside the Knotts' head seeing a wish (or horror) fulfilment that doesn't always seem real but always feels delightfully cartoonish. The second half feels a little formulaic on the nose with stuff like Miracle on 34th St but it's still fun. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme Subset
130. Them! (1954, 93 minutes) ★★★★✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ Budget Godzilla (made the same year) with ants is campy dated fun enough. The ant scenes are a highlight and they are sold by military/science interludes that go a little long. Godzilla is a brilliant metaphor for man made destruction that shows cultural trauma from the atom bombs; Them steals (or maybe somehow happens on) a lot of these tropes but in a less metaphorical pulpy way building off bomb testing at the white sands (a beautiful place but of less cultural significance). The destruction here feels more contained to caverns and desserts which are scenic but lack the punch or urban chaos; Lizard comparisons aside Them is a decent vintage b-movie good time. The ants are less invulnerable so more amusing to see burning or getting shot and leave a more palatable sense of a fair fight. The now dated effects are amusingly cheap by modern standard but I appreciate that physical effects like these have held up better than 'modern' ones and the ants still remain gnarly fun. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme
131. The Black Scorpion (1957, 88 minutes) ★★★★★½✰✰✰✰ A western tinged texmex creature horror with surprisingly hard creature effects. Someone figured out the best fake monster is a real monster; but even the fake effects have a slimey creature-y effectiveness. The first third is a scenic countryside hangout with a little love interest sprinkled in but just when one might give up it gets especially effects driven. I know how the effects were done but they're still fun in part because scorpions are vile evil looking things. The plot itself is a hapless series of strategy discussions and even an unexpected positive turn from within the scorpion brood (plot turns that seem a little cheap). Come for the effects and the moody settings. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme
132. Godzilla Minus One (2023, 124 minutes) ★★★★★★★★½✰ The aquatic scenes here give me chills with ocean ambience. The layered use of time passage is effective at balancing nostalgia and wartime trauma injecting moments of normal in a chaotic topsy turvy time through different timescapes. Godzilla is sparse for a while often showing up in near psychological feeling dreamstates or moments of distress (consistent with his traditional personification of the bomb and it's aftermath). In the beginning Godzilla just sort of shows up with a 'the villagers call it Godzilla' backstory and a message seems to be strike forcefully and early of you'll have to deal with this monster for carnage enough for two hours by movie scale. Even though the effects (and especially sound design) are good here I'm personally still not willing to give obvious computer generated imagery a pass as 'good enough' (but the regeneration stuff was cool and could only be done cgi). Minami Hamabe is effective at presenting barely a man rattled with anxiety and guilt but still being likeable. The sound design is top notch, you can feel Godzilla's stomps rattle your skull. The studied impactful aura of physical and emotional devastation surround Godzilla is beautiful here. I feel like there is justified on brand subtext of Japan being beaten by the atomic bomb and struggling to reclaim it's identity; this seems like an antiquated of it's time commentary but knowingly so giving a slight comedic edge of mimicking the sort of smart film themes that hit in the 1954 original now recycled in a spirit of fun. Still I feel like some of the people's cynicism about government feels more modern. The plot to defeat Godzilla is nicely awkward and the optimism surround it seems infectious - it balances hope well. The kamikazee subplot is a clever revision to some of the themes from history. Bring on Godzilla Minus Two! Format: Digital [UHD] Theme Subset
133. Stage Frigt (2014, 89 minutes) ★★★½✰✰✰✰✰✰ Someone will make a good horror musical; but this had me thinking I should go listen to Rocky Horror (I immediately went and listened to Hot Patootie). The killer songs are m dramatic but takes the worst parts of snarly commercial rock which is at odds with the sing song high school musical antics of the band camp kids. Some of the kills are nicely gory (especially the introduction). Meatloaf (in a mustache) does well as the camp owner / concert producer but for the most part the kids gave the film... a kid bop quality (despite the gore and murder; which was dark but cartoonishly comedic). To be fair this might be better than studio slasher films have been in some time (even if not studio horror it's pandering to a teenage demographic). Tinged with the cult appeal of a dark murder musical some might love it I left a little unsatisfied. There is a character of an arrogant director who exploits those in the play, it's sleazy but an example of how the inhabitants here stink of cartoonish exaggerations ending made more vaporous by the musical numbers which are the reason to see it but also hamper some of it's dramatic horror chops with ironic comedy. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme Subset

October 18 [Video Store or Gorgon Video Theme Night] (12 hours, 20 minutes watched)
134. The Last Video Store (2023, 79 minutes) ★★★★★★½✰✰✰ A spirited knowing homage to video stores and an era of made for rental cheapies starring the owner of a real video store and made by effects and set location folk. It's comedically minded but rich in tone with neon lit ambience and dark corners; it's an atmospheric film. There are a lot clever homage video tapes and references. Aside from the joking fake references the walls are lined with real indie movie posters (heavy on Alamo Drafthouse or Ashton-6 films); and a few film makers show up for cameos. The sci fi horror laced nostalgia for an era of creativity is a high. It goes a little long for the premise and sometimes the acting struggles but it's materializes weirdness enough you never know what to expect. The synch heavy soundtrack is amazing. Beyond any technical merits or details Last Video Store is fun spirited and oozes passion. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme
135. The Uninvited [The Haunting of Patricia Johnson] (1996, 94 minutes) ★★★★★★✰✰✰✰ A captivating of it's time made for tv weekend movie; I really enjoyed it's cheap saccharine themed friendly enough presentation of Poltergesit vibes. A stillbirth leaves domestic queen heartbroken and tense with a feeling "something is watching me in here" torn between reconnecting to the baby and fearing the supernatural. It's basis in emotional toll and trauma gives a uniquely hopeful feel to the haunting elements that are intended to be sinister but often come off as safe enough rainbow light orbs. It's a film as much about mother's love as it is about evil. Beau Bridges is his typical wholesome fellow but a bit unconvincing as the husband (he has grandpa energy) but that's ok because he is mostly at work and seems here for the name recognition until he comes on near the end. Haunting of Patricia Johnson has one of the weirdest renovating the bathroom without telling you jump scares. The climatic scene is filled with movie magic of water everywhere, blue lights, and emotionally drained characters. It may not make you scared of the bath but it will make you chuckle and think for a second before you get in. Format: Digital [Youtube] 1st
136. Massacre at Central High (1976, 87 minutes) ★★★★★½✰✰✰✰ I miss when people in movies could be jerks, now a days even evil killers has some sort of ambiguous feel good backstory that shows they're really good people (which is somewhat the case here bur everyone else is so diabolical). The antihero vibe here is interesting (so much of the conflict is sneaky ambush traps). The soundtrack here is all kinds of wrong laced with triumphant dramatic odes played over high school tomfoolery, following a rape attempt scene comes trumpets. While there are kills and tension M@CH is a film that boldly resists cliche atmosphere. The illustration of power dynamics feels over the top but rich. "So you've finally become man enough... you can still be a hero.". Refusing to show any adults is a clever idea that highlights the misguided search for leadership by force. It's like Animal Farm by way of nude people frolicking and unconvincing death traps. The ending feels a little anticlimatic and the film whimers to an end. I liked it's moral ambiguity and how it starts with bully payback then it tries to do a little more which overall elevated the film even when the extra more complicated commentary isn't always effective. "You're at the crossroads of your life..." Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme Subset
137. Virgin Cheerleaders in Chains (2017, 94 minutes) ★½✰ A creative mera indie film using a b-movie torture horror framework in dramatic segments of creative angst, hangout, and coming of age but eventually wears thin and betrays tension. The knowing ways it does things like pulls the lead out of his drive through job with visions of girls in handcuffs is clever providing some unexpected jolts and since these are expressions of creative process it feels deep. Not to be left out of stupid there is a pothead rasta room mate and it has more than it's share of iffy acting. Shot around Austin TX with some sly recognizable locations for people who have been around the area (Spider House, I Luv Video mural [RIP], etc). "I'll tell you what, you need someone to chain up virgin cheerleaders I'm your man, buddy." I enjoyed the meta mix of movie making documentary, movie within a movie, and other elements but after a while it got a little tiresome. As the film tried to embed more tension towards the end it was hard to tell what to take seriously. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme Subset
138. Deemak [Termite] (2025, 87 minutes) ★★★✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ Deemak is all over the place in frights but mostly centered around an exaggerated civil war between a demanding perfectionism live-in mother-in-law and a bride. Stuff like the husband being randomly cracky is a sound for some tension but it comes across as random. There are some terminate mud tunnels and other imagery used too subtly along with a jinn subplot but in total it's a lot of subthreads to a too weak main plot. It feels like a house haunted by miserable jerks and the wife who won't stand up to too much nagging. There's not much of a plot just a sick elder lady accompanied by ominous music and suspicious side eye. There are a few scary scenes but they seem a bit out of context with effects that seem weak. The restrained pacing and human focus (horror subplot) makes me respect this was better thought out than it was received by me. Sonya Hussyn as the wife gives a more ranged and considerate performance than others who seem to overact here (or seem unlikeable). I appreciated that it's structure was different but revealing the premise most at the end kept us waiting long. We need more better 'quiet horror.' Format: Theater 1st
139. Black Phone 2 (2025, 114 minutes) ★★★★★★✰✰✰✰ A most tradition haunting in an ict atmospheric setting. It makes clever use of film stock changes to give a vintage feel and mark changes between literal reality and a more abstract supernatural one. Constant ambient music keeps a mellow tension. BP2 has a lot going on with too small a cast and sometimes it seems a little too supernatural but it has a more convincing phone and horror framework (the random basement phone in the first seemed odd). Using a toyful dressing of religion without being preachy the weird spirituality here might be the best part. It feels like a twist waiting to land with others are suspicious seeming, too nice or too guarded of a type likely to turn. If there was a power toggle between good and bad it sometimes felt like it tips too much in one direction or another without as much gradual or sweet spot middle ground. Overall it was a smart neat continuation that did some bold ethereal things. Format: Theater 1st Theme Subset
140. The Banker (1989, 92 minutes) ★★★✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ Slow going esoteric frames cop action in orange cotton dress style late 80s 'fashion.' "Nah. I'm just kidding. I'm only a cop." It has police procedural mystery vibes investigating the gnarly killing of women (plays like a more vanilla Miami Vice). The film feels too serious and comes off dry for it. At it's best it has a light hard boiled coo chasing after a muscular painter face serial killer while a cocky news lady is caught in the middle. At it's worse there are long stretches of men in suits. Despite a seemingly lurid premise it's surprisingly less sleazy or gorey than one might expect. It has a classic over the top premise to lure a rental then execution that is awfully safe and by the numbers. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme Subset
141. Ballad in Blood (2016, 93 minutes) ★★★★½✰✰✰✰✰ Horrible actors tank horrible characters in a senselessly crass horror film where everyone is just naked or dying in gorey ways because the plot is three libertine room mates don't remember a 4ths death (like pretentious horror The Hangover). I enjoyed the stupidity of it and there might be something artistic in the sleazy cheap way it presents gaudy decrepit urbanscapes filled with too easy too dumb people. Somehow there is nudity in ever scene and I appreciated the exploitation vibes which felt antiquated in the lack of respect for women. I didnt find myself entertained but I was curious to see what happened next since it's plot felt aimless and it had a mature seeming edge (a film willing to kill). Ruggero Deodato (RIP) was legendary for the provocative Cannibal Holocaust but fails to recapture the magic. The ending I kind of liked in it's weird somewhat cryptic turns; it's a film more about sex filled bloody journey than the destination. Format: Digital [HD] 1st

October 19 [Made for TV / Shudder Theme Night] (13 hours, 5 minutes watched)
142. The AGFA Horror Trailer Show (2020, 80 minutes) ★★★★✰✰✰✰✰✰ Gimmicky trailers with vintage concession advertisements. I've never been one to appreciate trailer compilations but this one seems about as good as they might get. The film's I've seen look even cooler in these advertisements and it was easy to make a list of others to check out. Some of these trailers are surprisingly long; but later others surprisingly short. Still like the Sex Pistols over Fear No Evil are amusingly off. There are a few insanity insurance guarantees. Watching these back to back is a little over the top and since so many trailers use the same sort of tactics it's dull when one after another blacks out scenes 'too shocking.' Reminder to Self: Terror Sexio Y Brujera looks wild. There is a whole plot here that seems vintage but feels beyond any trailer about a guy being hauled out by the police for his insanity - this stuff really goes the extra mile. Format: Digital [HD]
143. The Seed (2021, 91 minutes) ★★★★✰✰✰✰✰✰ A surreal mind bending meteor transformation takes vapid airheads and gets a little weird. It has a strange indie energy not quite polished. Rather ghan having much of a plot it does strange well. The creature is a weird puppet sometimes obvious but done creatively. At it's best it uses a backyard pool as a visual metaphor and does curious unexpected things. At it's worse it's a simple premise stretched. I find this film a little sexually confusing because the characters seem intentionally shallow and somewhat unattractive for it but there are leering fleshy shots of them; maybe it's just me but it has an odd impotent sexiness that I think is intentional. The characters get more shallow and more ugly as they seemed controlled by an unseen force. It has some nudity but in presented in a gorey artsy way that helps it feel provocative while denying sexiness. I feel like it's a metaphor for vacant internet commentary and sexuality that is fake and ultimately controlled by outside forces; but I might be overthinking this and it doesnt seem preachy. Overall it's a unique film with some unpolished elements I had to work a little to engage with when the effects weren't on screen. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme Subset
144. Late Night With the Devil (2023, 93 minutes) ★★★★★★★★✰✰ A fun multilayered pop culture character driven horror. It's a film that uses foreshadowing well; the setup here tips it's hat giving a lot away about about the premise then fades into the background to let us enjoy the moments in front if us. "He kind of wiggles his way inside my head and wiggles his way out." LNwtD is made with Ingrid Torelli as a spooky kid really steals the show during her segment. As good of a job as David Dastmalchian did as the host his side kid, Gus, played by Rhys Auteri is a great proxy for the audience reacting more to things. I love that LNwtD dangles plot suggestions for us that don't necessarily go anywhere in too obvious a way (like the grove or his wife) but feel like they give rich backstory making the main event all the more eerie. What an intense ending that seems simultaneously revealing and cryptic (so it holds up on rewatch). Dreamer here, awake. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme Subset
145. Duel (1971, 90 minutes) ★★★★★★★½✰✰ Creatively shot with lots of car perspective, within car, and rearview mirrors stagings. Speilberg really knows how to frame a shot (says Captain Obvious). Ambient radio chatter provides and road noise provides a sly unsettling song into Dennis Hooper's justified but paranoid unraveling. The lead's car feels important, being nice enough it was a shame for it to get any bings but not seeming so nice we couldnt relate to it. It's amusing how much they see seemed to accomplish wit mostly a good lead actor and director (not to discount efforts of anyone else but Duel seems delightfully small scale). The script gives just enough backstory to suggest the truck is metaphorical related to a guy too easily pushed around when still best enjoyed as a visceral literal road terror. "Oh, My snakes!" Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme Subset
146. Spoonful of Sugar (2022, 94 minutes) ★★★✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ An awkwardly staged tale of a orphan babysitter who somehow takes acid, has way obvious abandonment issues, but relates to an autistic kid in a spacesuit. The vulnerable feeling of loneliness works with some trippy visuals but everyone here is too emo and that is the storyline, emos emo'ing. It's not that the characters are unlikeable, it's that they are barely characters and the plot is mostly how weird and almost inhuman everyone is. The most interesting part of SoS is how the babysitter is the hero but also diminishes traditional family values by allowing the parents to be aloof (ironically since the babysitter is written to be dysfunctional herself); so it feels morally ambiguous and dark. It was methodically paced but never felt especially stylish. I was a little disappointed in Bone Lake, which follows this (unconnected) from writer/director Mercedes Bryce Morgan; her sexually minded approach is curious but needs some refinement. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme
147. Sweet, Sweet Rachel (1971, 71 minutes) ★★★★★✰✰✰✰✰ A gothic supernatural murder mystery that plays as a slow burn psychic feud. Its plot is bonkers enough it makes puzzling out the conclusion seem impenetrable and keeps things interesting. It's well acted which gives the tone a sense of grave inquiry and sells elements that might seem corny otherwise. While it's not a ghost movie the hallways are castle-like and dark often obscured by psychic energy. The reveal, after a few twists, felt disappointing but I enjoyed the weird unusual premise. Format: Digital [Youtube] 1st Theme Subset
148. Monster Island (2024, 83 minutes) ★★★★✰✰✰✰✰✰ An atmospheric period horror rich in human element but slow in horrors for long with a cross culture buddy adventure. Hanging out with World War 2 era prison boat escapees on lush pastoral scenic island is the stuff with a worldless pure cinema feel. It's a film of stalking and waterfall situational awareness. The Creature is my favorite Universal Monster so seeing a sort of update here is fun; but the effects struggle some - simultaneously looking like a rubber suit and computer generated imagery (but the somewhat cheap effects come across as nostalgic and eerily cartoonish maybe better for being unique than frightening). MI wears it's influences proudly and while it might not best those that inspired it (but adding the war context and buddy elements) I enjoyed it. Format: Digital [Shudder] 1st Theme
149. Deadly Messages (1985, 90 minutes) ★★★★½✰✰✰✰✰ Deadly Games starts out as an unconvincing ouija supernatural film but it's hard to pin down with wildly shifting genres. I came for a cheesy supernatural thriller and just when I was about to give up it morphs. You will never guess what sort of committed baked into narrative red herring subplots will pop up next. It's a playful script that doesn't play around and whole heartedly digs into stuff like a mental health subplot used maybe to confuse the ouija, stalked, and other tropes that might be legit or nor. Despite the bonkers scripting it still does (some) things in a contrived way like having a clearly older actress play someone said to be younger or a scene where the boyfriend goes for pizza alone because the girlfriend doesn't want to go in the cold only for her to immediately leave to go watch movies with a neighbor. A pre-NYPD Blue Dennis Franz as a useless cop along with a pre-70s Show Kurtwood Smith accompany some 'before they were famous' style appearances. The production is dated but I enjoyed watching a VHS rip of it. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme Subset
150. Night of the Reaper (2025, 93 minutes) ★★★★★★½✰✰✰ Hooked in by a spot on introductory segment with babysitter Summer Howell dancing to Pat Benatar when an intruder arrives with love notes and a camera. The film slows here and we have to wait for the other characters (Jessica Clemmens is the girl now, and there are some cops) to catch up to there being this killer. It showed a glaring promise with a strong opening then we wait through some false alarm scares but it's artfully true to form for babysitter tropes. Writer/director Brandon Christensen hit a home run with Z (also behind Superhost, Still/Born, & Puppetman) - he feels like someone to watch (and hopefully won't stay imprisoned with Shudder). On the opposite side of the babysitter is a rageful sheriff which balances out the sheepish frightened sitter with a yelling gun toting madman and somewhere in the mix is a too often off screen killer. The horror killer making tapes cleverly offers subtle parallels with fans of horror movies watching the frights without being too meta or on the nose (a few well placed Fangorias, etc). I enjoyed the tone and twist(s) but it feels like there could have been a stronger movie in here with leaner pacing. Overall it really paid off and came together in the end. Format: Digital [Shudder] 1st Theme

October 20 [Vampires Theme Night] (11 hours, 20 minutes watched)
151. Nosferatu [Extended Cut] (2024, 136 minutes) ★★★✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ I was glad to revisit 2024 Nosferatu because it is one of those films I never understood the high ratings and I do try to appreciate things. Eggers hit a home run with The Witch and I enjoyed The Northman (less said about Lighthouse the better). N24 has an artful drab tone that doesn't let up (both good and bad) and it seems to intentionally break vampire tropes as much as slavishly adhere to them. N24 is a set designer's film. I feel like Eggers has a weird sense of humor that infects N24 and it confuses me what is intentionally campy, serious, or weird humor. I like how Eggers' camera is always in motion sweeping over scenes and bodies giving a unique feeling of scope. It is often too obvious principle characters are all in different locations speaking across windows or off scene; too minded towards using pageantry to stretch the narrative. Liilly Rose Depp might be a trendy choice of actress but doesn't seem to have the acting chops to anchor the film; with convulsing more comedic that eerie. The effects here really tank the film and Nosferatu is often too big (even a computer generated penis that might be one of the worst fake phalluses in cinematic history). The giant Nosferatu design reminds me an end boss from a Nintendo game. Naming the film Nosferatu feels like stolen valor given the lineage, Eggers easily set himself up to make the worst of the lot. In 1922 Max Schreck was fearsome as a small white twitchy fellow so the giant size version here really seems puzzling; nevermind the too silly mustache Eggers paints on. This is one of those films the bookends could ignore the bulk of the narrative without much loss. The Transylvania scenes are some of my favorite in this film (before any giant vampires). Orlok often seems more awkward in overacting than scary (lacking the brilliant subtlety of someone like Bela Lugosi; I thought about trying to type this review is awkward grandfather speak but that is tiresome stuff). There is a moment where Orlok is compared to melancholy that has always been with a character and parallels between vampires and metal health seem smart but even as a metaphor Nosferatu doesn't stick. I really can't understand the ending which continues to just seem beyond stupid especially when there is a book suggesting it's just a common enough thing - I think it might only make sense if we see this version of Nosferatu more as a knowing joke the audience is to mock than anything fearsome. Format: Digital [UHD] Theme Subset
152. Vamps (2012, 93 minutes) ★★★★½✰✰✰✰✰ Pleasant enough vampire romantic comedy that's more cute than funny. Krysten Ritter and Alicia Silverstone cast to type do a pleasant enough job as the coleads; overall well cast if you throw in the ever awesome Wallace Shaw (as Van Helsing) along with Richard Lewis along with The whole thing feels stuck in it's 2012 era for better or worse including a joke about how trivial updating mobile technology feels that is still relevant today. The crowd pleasing elements are sweet and fun but it's an easy forgettable enough film from a tike of horror comedy boom. Fortunately this one isn't too stupid (it might not be stupid enough) but lacks much edge, atmosphere, or energy. The production is polished and they might have broke the band on cast but it's curious the score is more simple classic orchestra than pop hits. It has a subtle enough subplot about the passage of time and the vampire people ladies out of time that I liked more than the horror or romance plotting. The romantic beats were awfully superficial dressing to the buddy chemistry and banter. 'Good girls suck,' worst tagline ever. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme
153. Super Hot (2021, 81 minutes) ★★★★★★✰✰✰✰ A surprisingly decent indie horror comedy. "What if the Avengers were cast in the 90s?" asks this slacker self aware vampire cult horror comedy. It's well acted for a budget affair and comes together well. Superhot is the name of a pizza place used as a ruse by the lead to pursue her lesbian love interest. I randomly watched expecting a stupid indie vampire movie but the was a pleasant surprise. The lead, Kandace Kale, is charming and cute and in general everyone manages their roles. The Van Helsing actor isn't as strong an actor but that fits the role. The horror effects aren't really here but that doesn't mean there won't be a body or two blown in half and it doesn't shy away from big ideas in the end. The film is satisfying but ends in a tease I hope will come to be. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme
154. Vampirus (2022, 89 minutes) ★½✰ ???. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme
155. Paranormal Paranoids [Web Series, 13 episodes] (2008, 65 minutes) ★★½✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ While it's not essential for the movie Shelby Oaks is evolved from these uploads from an amateur (fake) paranormal investigation team on YouTube from approximately 2005-2008; PP is an intentionally cheesy meta Youtube found footage premise. The PP videos feel typical but maybe laced with hidden little touches it feels like something is in the corner of vision while what you register is fairly cliche stageshow personalities being afraid or running out of a building. The Mary Talbot and Elementary clips offer a little scare each that might make then worth watching. I do not think PP adds much that is not already recapped on SO but there is a clip in PP where Riley 'talks about Shelby Oaks' that adds a little flavor. Format: Digital [Youtube] 1st
156. Shelby Oaks (2024, 99 minutes) ★★★★★½✰✰✰✰ Shelby Oaks is a horror mystery with some jolts and a willingness to get so wild you'll never guess it. A missing paranormal investigator takes a lot of turns. It builds nicely on Paranormal Paranoids clips to unite different threads into a narrative that sometimes makes smart use it the building blocks (turning some random cliches into keystones) and other times seems to destroy any foundation by going in a different way. For example there is a police subplot used for flavor to mimic national obsession with missing people brilliantly; but really this is a tale of two sisters so it dashes some of that design to do it's own thing. While the plot was clear there was enough irony and unexplained to leave one thinking about the pieces a bit longer (like the initial symbolism). My 13 year old son liked it but my wife didnt like it; she said "it's too far fetched." This might be my least favorite thing Mike Flannigan is associated with but that guy is a legend. I think it veered too much into fantasy but that felt unique. Format: Theater [AMC Scream Unseen] 1st
157. Thirst (1979, 95 minutes) ★★★★★★✰✰✰✰ A queasy macabra experiment in vampire tropes with gorey medical equivalents and weird blood scares. A cult kidnaps our heroine and subjects her to weird blood tricks that aren't convincingly gorey but the medical context gets under my skin. There is a mental control element that feels hard but also a little thin resulting in an unusual film that plays on gimmicks without always making much sense. The lineage subplot doesn't make much sense but references an interesting historical subtext. This is a film with blood everywhere even where blood shouldn't be - like chicken wings. Everyone should experience Thirst at least once. It's surprising Thirst hasn't spawned a nihilistic human cow subgenre or at least more medical instrument styles of terror. Bonkers stuff here but played straight enough to be eerie. Format: UHD Disc [Indicator Limited Release] Theme
158. Requiem for a Vampire [French version] (1972, 87 minutes) ★★★★★★★★✰✰ Jean Rollin (writer/director here) makes surreal films of pure cinema unconcerned much with dialogue or even explanation. I've appreciated his films but usually they have unassuming premises (like vampires on a beach at night) that end up having a hypnotic quality. It's clear his films are sleazy and cheap (Requiem was apparently scribbled out in a night) but what style there is to them. We look up out of the grave where a skimpy dressed girl has hidden to watch as dirt is shoveled on to us. Requiem feels a little more surreal even with it's clown heist subplot and it's weird provocations, of course wll in a castle. When I think about Rollins films sometimes they risk being samey twin like vampires in a castle stuff but... Requiem made me giddy with movie magic. It's a film that opposes whimsical with grim, that's sleazy but artistic, that's the sort of wonderfully weird escapism we need more of. The high music low dialogue mix along with the classic piano tunes give it a silent movie quality that adds to the majesty of the more humble characters here. Requiem has it's share of dangling plot from the least intimidating vampire ever to roaving raping marauders who disappear; but each brings something weird to the parade. I've heard people call Rollin softcore porn but I'd say those people are prudes who shriek away from mature content and that while Requiem has it's share of skin anyone looking for lust is sure to be disappointed by the high minded stylized cerebral fantasy here. Format: UHD Disc [Indicator Limited Release] 1st Theme

October 21 [Jaws Anniversary Aquatic Theme Night] (10 hours, 30 minutes watched)
159. The Dark (1979, 92 minutes) ★★★★½✰✰✰✰✰ This slasher mystery has lasers and clawed hands but that's just the start; it's really a comedy of hapless police and over the top killers as well as a documentary of 70s style. It takes a while to reveal much but oozes 1970s tone with aviator sunglasses, turquoise belt buckles, and purple mascara. The police procedural city in panic elements feel hard boiled and gitty but go long. Little dated details make the film like a cracker jack chugging cop or the reported with a pastel rainbow knit sweater. Despite the bravado it's an atmospheric film of hysteria and night time paranoia. It is amusing that the killer is so fleetingly featured the producers were able to hastily change it to fit commercial instinct (and in a way that makes little sense). The ending has to be seen to be believed. It's a slow but interesting novelty. Format: Blu-ray [Code Red] 1st
160. The Mummy's Tomb (1942, 61 minutes) ★★★✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ I think I randomly chose the worst Universal Mummy film. Using too many clips from The Mummy's Hand to pad a too brief film and to no effect as it is followed by a magical retcon for 45 minutes of new material. There's cheap effective budget minded movie making and then there's shameless recycling. The Mummy is atmospheric and gnarly with a theatrical silver screen timeframe; it does a lot right despite a wonky pacing. After a too long recap it goes to some standard body count revenge; if not so formulaic and handled too casually the mummy killing stuff is rich. "Two are dead and two remain" (that's right the film does a body countdown). Suddenly as if a different film the movie quits killing and goes for a way cliche bride subplot complete with a townsfolk torch mob, this film oozes classic tropes to good effect but thoughtlessly with odd pacing. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme Subset
161. Cruel Jaws (1995, 97 minutes) ★★★½✰✰✰✰✰✰ Dude bros versus sharks who are sometimes dolphins set to stolen footage is a slog but sometimes amusing in it's shamelessness. Bruno Matteo [RIP] films rarely fail to disappoint like Cruel Jaws does (Shocking Dark / Terminator II might be my favorite of his) - the guy was still making wild horror crowd catering stuff even in his 70s. Cruel Jaws, legendary for straight stealing footage and music from Jaws and other films (like the Star Wars theme over a boat sendoff here), is pretty bad by conventional standards… well, any standards. It’s not just that they rip off other films but there is a lot of padding with romance subplots and dance parties. The acting isn’t great but I feel like some of the people involved didn’t realize the shamelessness of things; but budget bleached eyebrow Hulk Hogan has no excuse. A lot of the dialogue is so bad it’s almost quotable. “I’m desperately lonely, I’m free, I’m confused, generous, and above all full of love it’s written in my eyes; why don’t we go someplace else?” Universal sued to prevent the disc release but it seems like they backed off to a point Severin was able to sell it; the legal backstory to this stuff might be more entertaining than the film itself. I can understand ripping off Jaws but doing so 22 years later is an ambitious feat is tone deaf conning; I can’t imagine 1995 was the golden time to strike with a well placed shark film. Under the surface is a beach party movie (with a jiving regatta or dance scene) more willing to be upbeat than we usually see in killer movies, and even with a mobster subplot. Sometimes the marina vibe or aquarium setup feels festive but the scenes are staged so matter of fact largely absence in tension (which makes the sampled footage from other movies a bit more obvious). There are a few moments, like the end, that seem anticlimactic happening off screen (perhaps because there wasn’t stock footage from another film that matched). Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme Subset
162. Thamma (2025, 148 minutes) ★★★★★½✰✰✰✰ Well produced bombastically loud horror slapstick more driven by character than plot with more action chops. A dope falls for a mysterious forest woman. I wish the 'Maddox Horror Comedy Universe' films weren't so hard to come by; I've only seen Stree 1-2 but this one feels less standalone. Here it's a paranormal fish out of water comedy. It's a little too ironic with the obvious. The mysterious lady in red strange elements are done well; Rashmika Mandanna (the 'national crush of India,' good also in Animal) is a legend- it'a fun to watch her vamp out here. Thamma does some clever things with vampires (setting up a civil war over poisonous humans). I'm not too familiar with Indian lore but the Raktabija story is familiar and folk stuff here seemed easy to digest; Thamma vacates a lot of traditional European vampire tropes and might make the betaals a little too likeable (there are red eyes and fangs but they seem maybe too nice). The tone here was a lot moodier and more romance minded (while Stree was more corny comedy). The pre-intermission buildup is searing but after a while it becomes obvious Maddox Universe is on hold for an event film so the character are hanging without much plot to drive them. The second half here eventually turns into a guest star parade which is some fun (especially an epic rooftop fight) but suddenly requires more Maddox Horror Comedy Universe knowledge. Despite some polish effects work here still has a ways to go in being convincing (but fits the comedic tone). I like the dance numbers but it's confusing they bring in guests to dance rather than the characters (suddenly Nora Fatehi is here). A fun time. The Hunt begins... Format: Theater 1st
163. The Raven (1935, 61 minutes) ★★★★½✰✰✰✰✰ Belo Lugosi and Boris Karloff team up for a mad scientist tale that copies off Poe. Using Poe in a more abstract way rather than a literal interpretation is interesting. It's amusing to me that Bela (famous as Dracula) is clearly taller than Boris (famous as the hulking Frankenstein). The Raven is ironically gadget heavy more minded towards Pit & Pendulum than the gothic origins if it's namesake. Overall it's a good film with two masters of silver screen horror cast on type and a few twists that refuses to play by the book. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme Subset
164. Body Count (1986, 87 minutes) ★★★✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ A bland slasher from people who know better. The soundtrack here (by legendary Claudio Simonetti) makes this by the numbers camp slasher a little more worth seeing. Building on the myth of an Indian Shaman has not aged well but is a unique attempt at adding a folk style element that plays well to campfire vibes. I do like director Ruggero Deodato's Cannibal Holocaust which is a unique film that goes hard; meanwhile Body Count is surprisingly vanilla. The killer is a bit different but largely off screen and even the gore is restrained. When murders do happen it's usually quick cut to a scream closeup or some other diversion. (I watched a late career Deodato film Ballad in Blood which was not great but a lot sleazier and gorier). I am curious because this feels like trendsetting Italian director Deodato interpreting Friday the 13th which itself ripped off Italian maestro Mario Bava's Bay of Blood; so while Body Count feels typical and safe it's from people you might expect to be more far out. Sometimes murder films have too many red herrings but this one might not have enough. I appreciated it didnt have too tidy of an ending. Format: Digital [Youtube] 1st
165. Deep Fear (2023, 84 minutes) ★✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ Saw a random shark movie and this is a random shark movie; it has sharks and is on the water and is awfully generic seeming. Some of the photography was pretty but generic. Im a sucker for underwater films but any ambience here is ruined by a computer generated shark. Once I start a movie I can't just stop it; but I really needed this one to be over. It's amazing that people in 2023 even try to make a shark movie like this and botch it so badly when 50 years ago with less technology (and even troublesome effects) Jaws was masterful (maybe less is more). Somewhere under the surface of the shark stuff is a dumb drug trafficking subplot. It wasn't even bad snough to enjoy and just seems a little over serious and joyless. This is just awful and it seems to get worse as it goes along. The effects are insulting, the script is dumb, and I have just... humanity is lost. Format: Digital [Netflix] 1st Theme

October 22 [Global Theme Night] (14 hours, 5 minutes watched)
166. Sumala (2024, 113 minutes) ★★★✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ Indonesian folk horror with a neat story takes an unusual slasher approach but lacks atmosphere and deep dives into melodrama. The horror effects work well and Sumala might be one of the creepier more frightening fiends I've seen in a while when she is on screen. Many of these scenes looks like they blaster stage lights everywhere (then maybe added thunder on top) that atmosphere struggles but the sets are gaudy. This is a dramatic film about the backstory involving a cursed child; curiously rather than stage frights it seems to stage a coming of age in isolation tale that can sometimes feel awkward. There are morality elements calling on issues no one would relate to (like child cruelty). Eventually it minces formulas with slasher moves in a creepy child devil film and that just off enough approach is neat. I had an issue with a disability subplot and hope we make it to a time where characters don't need to be marred by developmental disability to be sympathetic or as an emblem of hardship and isolation, a little more subtlety here would have the drama less hammy. "My master is the devil." Format: Digital [Netflix] 1st Theme
167. Vash Level 2 (2025, 103 minutes) ★★★★★★★½✰✰ Brilliant stuff. The modern twists to supernatural with an elder man controlling girls is emblematic of modern anxieties and Vash 2 gets in a larger more violent scale. An intense opening scene (Suicide Club influence) has teachers arguing who is responsible among the supernatural antics is clever paralleling economic angst under academic pressure (relatable from an American perspective of school shootings and education system struggles). Shaitaan, the Hindu language remake of Vash, was a surprise hit with me (but I couldn't find Vash anywhere to watch; but S as a remake seemed a lot glossier and with a Maa spinoff Im curious where that goes after S2). V2 is a larger and more dramatic film that sometimes requires more than the actors can lift (crying unconvincingly) but the tense music keeps the bubble of suspense from breaking. Hopefully we see more of Vash; the balance between eerie and too far out has been well managed so far but could run thin or feel formulaic. I see people compare this to Weapons but Vash came out two years before Weapons. Format: Digital [Netflix] 1st Theme
168. Inquisition (1977, 90 minutes) ★★★★★★½✰✰✰ Paul Naschy had a formal soapy brand of melodramatic horror that feels like an acquired taste; but here Daniela Giordano steals the show in a ethereal supernatural revenge flick. The pageantry here is top notch with lavish costumes and period settings - never more so that in one of the most amusing 'dream sequences' I've seen in some time. A staple of Naschy films is fleshy beauties and this has plenty of them in chains, bathing, etc (which even seems a little excessive for a period film) - but credit to them for playfully challenging the nude girl stuff with an especially gnarly torture. The staging of the inquisition scenes and a devil covenant play well against one another. It's curious because there is a subtext of behind the scenes conflict with characters who might glare at one another from across the room for most of the film, a slow burn ironic conflict - until it gets firey. This has a plot that we would see surface again (or maybe before) in different settings but it always seems to work. "Girl, what do you think about the devil?" Format: Blu-ray [Mondo Macabro (limited edition red case)] 1st Theme
169. The Loved Ones [Unrated] (2009, 84 minutes) ★½✰ I like dark films but there are a few that make me feel especially sad and Loved Ones is one (The Girl Next Door another). Loved Ones is a wild miserable film but killing the dad in the introduction was a low one. I'd ditch "Holly" for Robin McLeavy any day (psycho status aside; maybe if he had this whole this could have been avoided). John Brumpton really makes the film, it's one thing for there to be a crazed killer but his darkly comedic physical language sells the plot. A film largely set in one room, and a room required to be so many things, has the potential to seem cheap but the direction and set has a convincing feel of space and purpose (you almost forget the same location). Some of the subplots here don't work like the basement or a horribly awkward Mia date at a real prom but it throws enough oddity at us we are on our toes (and it's a good point provides some comedic relief). I appreciate the way Loved Ones incorporates pop music, the lonesome loser jam is a nice foreshadow. Writer/director Sean Bryne is excellent in all he touches but I wish the tone here hadn't been so nihilistic (Devils Candy and especially Dangerous Animals I liked much better). I'm going to be honest and say despite seeing this at least twice some of the nuances escaped me (maybe I went into a misery coma) - I like the idea that Mia is the sister of Robin's past date so distraught and erratic from grief is a smart touch. The script here feels like a tidy one tying together a lot of seemingly separate elements. I need go watch Black Roses or something cheesy upbeat to recover. Format: Digital [HD] Theme Subset
170. Black Roses (1988, 90 minutes) ★★★★★★★✰✰✰ Black Roses is the right kind of dated but it's probably no possible for me to receive it today in 2025 as it was in 1988 (when I was 7)... but it's also not that serious. The music is rebellious and triumphant, 'it's me against the world.' The themes are right out of the moral panic of the 80s. BR takes some time to get going but it's a fun mix of cheesy effects and urban atmosphere. Told from the viewpoint of sympathetic Language Arts teacher allows for some subtlety to where he/we know things are wrong but it slow burns and shows us a cursed record or immoral kid but not the full spectrum until an end you have to see. The effects are excellently bad and contribute greatly to the film. Fun time with a questionable movie. Format: Digital [Youtube]
171. Bulbbul (2020, 94 minutes) ★★★★½✰✰✰✰✰ A moody and slow symbolic horror that feels right minded but exaggerates themes as it minimizes plot. The star crossed angst of a child bride and her maybe friendly brother-in-law is a quiet film of isolated drama and social nuances. A film told in tone and side looks of people feeling the way they might feel and other people seeing what they might see about how these people feel. Maybe I wasn't in the right mood for it but Bulbubba felt more like an overly melodramatic slow social dark comedy of misunderstanding. I appreciated it's restrained paced style and the way it milked gravity out of little moments but maybe the moments were too little or something was lost in my American understanding of the social order. Setting the film in the past allows for some wrong doing that feels a little old fashioned (maybe safer through the lens of nostalgia or even of an older time rather than today) but maybe kept it from railing against today's evils. I feel like it oversimplifies the gender dynamics it then very poetically dissscts. The tone is good and I eventually appreciated it's fantasy leanings. Format: Digital [Netflix] 1st Theme Subset
172. Suspiria (1977, 99 minutes) ★★★★★★★½✰✰ Suspiria is a classic. Relentlessly aggressive background designs over stylized to a point of whimsy at odds with the unique hidden terrors pulling girls through windows. It is a shame all versions were dubbed rather than any native language; I listened to the English dub for the first time and found it good enough. Sweeping first person perspective of the mysterious building that oozes sinister vibes. Jessica Harper is the perfect lead here doe eyed and innocent seeming but with the right inquisitive 'stage presence.' Dario Argento at his most wonderfully far out (which I think is credit to cowriter Daria Nicolodi). With legendary Italian film makers I think I prefer Mario Bava most but of this era Lucio Fulci because his plots tend to be nastier and more supernatural. The score here and the witchy weird premise keep it fresh. Format: UHD Disc [Synapse Films] Theme
173. Rockula (1990, 87 minutes) ★★★✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ Hammy stuff with a vampire cursed to be a virgin who talks to his future self in the mirror about a death curse causing him to meet his love who dies and is reincarnated every 22 years (phew, that's a lot of nothing). As a musical it has some segments but isn't very musical; then there's the eye rolling stupid 'Rapula' segment... but I stuck with it and it got a little better. This guy is using his powers of vampirism to be obnoxious rather than for evil. Rather than having much plot there are just random seeming musical numbers, which are upbeat and jam minded but mediocre. Rockula doesnt take itself too seriously and seems like something casual to throw on. Format: Digital [HD] 1st
174. Evil Dead (1981, 85 minutes) ★★★★★★★★★✰ Evil Dead is classic. Marrying cabin in the woods stuff with demon type zombies. The small group here adds to an intimate sense of dread where the evil isn't just some supernatural fiend but your buddy. The first person perspective haunting elements are neat camera stuff and might mislead us early on this will be more ethereal than visceral (at least before the tree scenes gives it all away). Not happy with atmosphere alone this film gets more gorey than you might expect for a small scale production; even if the effects look cheap they are so over the top it overwhelms any safe distance. I never thought Bruce Campbell (great here and in everything else somehow) had much chemistry with Betsy Baker so maybe ED skimps some on setup (imagine thinking 'this horror movie doesn't have enough dramatic backstory and setup' but there's no winning with me). The best way to describe ED is zany (not in a humorous sense but in an unrelenting creative fantasy of horror); it's creatively evil. You might not expect much for a routine enough setup of 'some friends in the woods' but suddenly there are pipes of blood. Despite the gore and foggy woods there is an infectious spirit of fun; you can tell these people are enjoying the movie making. Join Us! Format: Digital [UHD]




Week Four [68 Films]
Spoiler:

October 23 [Firewarm Weaponry Theme Night] (6 hours, 59 minutes watched)
175. Army of Darkness [Theatrical Cut] (1992, 81 minutes) ★★★★★★★★✰✰ The castle siege stuff here is legendary. I enjoyed revisiting the Evil Dead films but couldn't access Evil Dead 2 (which is my favorite) so jumping from 1 to 3 was whiplash, Evil Dead really reinvents itself each installment. Trading in blood oozing demons for glourious stop motion skeletons works wonderfully and keeps it fresh. The gonzo time travel approach in AoD is so gutsy it's a wonder. Bruce Campbell is a justified legend but the Ash hero worship stuff gets a little brazen; the bravado is part of what makes AoD work but the fan service elements feel like a twist for Ash (whose flustered overwhelmed lack of confidence added to the comedy of the series). With as many cuts of AoD there are it's surprising the theatrical cut is a lean 85 minutes; when there's enough here to the siege horror it might make Peter Jackson blush (curiously Dead Alive came out in 1992 and builds on ED tropes even featuring a similar ending twist as AoD). I never delved much into the making of AoD but with all the endings and different cuts there must have been some drama; I think this was the first time I saw the theatrical rather than director's cut. To the castle! Format: Digital [UHD] Theme Subset
176. Scream of the Wolf (1974, 78 minutes) ★★★★✰✰✰✰✰✰ Talky in the best way with an obvious werewolf offscreen and actors/dialogue that sell the horror the tv film can't show. The film wastes a little time with a changing footprints subplot but sets it up to where any fool could see a werewolf is afoot. Rarely did it feel too slow or fluffy. There are some nocturnal sleuthing murder scenes of a safe tv variety that add atmosphere. Peter Graves gives a serious grandpa energy performance of gravity that helps with the film's impact. I enjoyed a twist at the end which got me before it's somewhat abrupt conclusion. It's a film that builds on expectations and parrots from other movies but to good effect. Format: Digital [Youtube] 1st
177. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985, 87 minutes) ★★★★★★★½✰✰ NoES2 is a guilty pleasure of mine. It's possession approach seems like a smart evolution of the series. Shoe horning in homoerotic themes is rebellious and smart; it gives the film depth and a unique feel. The living setup here feels like a sitcom parody of suburbia nightmarish on it's own complete with sarcastically wholesome pool barbeque. Mark Patton is a bold lead who largely does well but his psychological peril is not well demonstrated. I wish it had gone more feverish with Kreuger and that Patton could have better marked Englund's trademark energy more earlier. Best ever exploding bird. The ending feels a little unsatisfying stealing some notes from the first. Format: Digital [UHD] 1st Theme
178. Demons [International English Cut] (1985, 89 minutes) ★★★★★★★½✰✰ A trashy meta film within a film framework opens a portal to gore, rock, and motor bikes. Heavy metal panic in a crowded theater. Talk about immersive cinema. It drags demons out of the nethers and the past for a modern spin. If anything Demons is too of it's time with people like the polyester suited lothario fellow who seems amusingly stereotyped. Legendary composer Claudio Simonetti is on hand and works some magic but Motley Crue, Billy Idol, and other 80s rock icons keep a weirdly upbeat tone. Occasionally the movie theater looks more staged or prop furniture/doors is more obvious. Claustrophobic and frantic the quiet of a shut down theater magnifies the demons and contrasts well with some punk kids on the outside. Format: UHD Disc [Synapse Films] Theme
179. The Killgrin (2024, 84 minutes) ★★★★½✰✰✰✰✰ The Killgrin feels like a horror film that matters, or some depth. An ambitious but slow moving indie of emotional horror. Unique idea and set pieces some gnarled corpses; wait till you see Killgrin creature with the fun mix of cheap and eerie. In execution it ends up feeling flat with long stretches of the lead going to self help groups or hanging in her circles. Once it finally gets going it's an interesting and effective film with some amusing effects. I appreciate it does things differently. Elements of the film feel thoughtful beyond the film and soft enough in the film that messaging doesn't feel preachy. While it has the skeleton of something resonate I sometimes wish it felt like it delved a bit deeper than it goes. Pain is a powerful thing... Format: Digital [HD] 1st

October 24 [Joe Bob Briggs Theme Night] (14 hours, 15 minutes watched)
180. Amsterdamned (1988, 114 minutes) ★★★★★✰✰✰✰✰ A cool idea that goes nowhere until suddenly there's a cool boat chase and out of nowhere ending. Best enjoyed as a no frills 80s Amsterdam vibe. The supreme tourist atmosphere of Amsterdam turned into a thriller movie. The from the water perspective shots feel creative and unique leading to be a second gimmick in the film, scuba killer; I wish we had gotten more of the giallo style perspective shots. Early on it feels like the city itself is killing people with the locations and perspective. The police investigation subplot goes a bit long but let's the film show off more locations as the guy woos women, chases leads, etc. I wish more people would get murdered but eventually we get a chase sequence for the ages to make up for it. The vintage scenery carries the film further than most of this pacing. On the mystery of things Amsterdamned is a cheat too sneaky with the killer to a point it might not even matter who the killer is). I don't think that figuring out the killer is the point but maybe we've come to expect that to a degree this film feels anticlimatic. It is refreshing Amsterdamned doesn't indulge in too many red herrings early on but that narrows the field before any let down reveal and it swings way too much towards denying mystery. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme Subset
181. In Flames (2023, 96 minutes) ★★★★★★½✰✰✰ A searing dramatic psychological horror film with the right kind of thoughtful moodiness. There is an unassuming beach scene that is the smartly setup and provides a lingering subtly haunting image. IF keeps viewers on the move with a number of subplot; it's more thematically unified but the main plot has a lot of pieces. Part of the horror vomes from how each part is abstracted and put together with a cool horror minded reveal at the end. My least favorite subplot is one about a sleazy uncle. IF does eerie well (rather than being scary or shock) with a dream minded logic providing an unusual and somber communication between mother and daughter. Sometimes when horror is used as a metaphor it can be preachy or imbalanced; IF veers more towards drama but I enjoyed it more for mother/daughter/society elements. It's a smart film that speaks on unusual language, like broken car windows. The themes (something like female empowerment, etc) are important socially conscious ones presented curiously but left me feeling like they were more fun or emotional than deep. I liked that IF has something to say; but it ends up feeling like an echo of conversations we've heard before (presented with a unique flavor) than saying anything too original in subtext. Format: Digital [HD] 1st
182. Nefarious (2019, 78 minutes) ★★✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ An indie film with obvious budget production and acting delivers a familiar plot with a few last minute twists. A police investigation in a dark room frame leads to some layabouts oversleeping in clutter and running afoul of crime. The reverse horror of bungling intruders stumbling on evil has been done better before in Crush the Skull, Dont Breath, etc and Nefarious offers little new to the fore. Aside from modest production values it's biggest crime is being too enslaved to a plot device that doesn't come across as clever now that we have seen it before. The biggest saving grace here is some twists that come in the end and the gore effects are a nice touch. There are some neon drenched stylized shots that I kind of liked and it has an ironically upbeat soundtrack giving a tinge of comedy. It has a 'retard' slow guy subplot that is obnoxious and insulting. Format: Digital [HD] 1st
183. Spirit Riser (2024, 98 minutes) ★★★★★½✰✰✰✰ No budget (no good) with a zany edge more concerned with being weird and something like fun than dramatic or scary; as much a series of indie music videos and skits as it is an Edgar Allen Poe adaptation. It's cleverly made and I enjoyed it but do not think this is meant for general consumption. Enter: Lloyd Kauffman (guest starring). The upbeat indie style soundtrack helps keep a bubble of being fun spirited and stupid but not too stupid from popping sooner - in the middle it gets a little corny (perhaps intentionally) but it eventually hits a sweet spot of casual hallucinatory imagery. An aimless orphan 'spirit riser' does spiritual psychedelic battle with a middle aged lady in a bald cap with aluminum foil backdrop with help of uncles, G-d is in there somewhere, and... it's not about the story it's about the experience. Stuff like the Radioactive Chickenheads, a gang of large paper mache masked folk who show up out of nowhere to be destroyed by a random mesh of drawn on effects leading to a musical solo of 'Don't Give Up on the Feeling' is the stuff. The acting often feels intentionally bad and it's clear SR throws a lot at the audience because it knows it can only win by being energetic and wild. It uses vampires and devils whimsically rather than frightening but has an ethereal otherworldly plot that is supposedly based on an Edgar Allen Poe story but might righteously just not make much sense. It's fun and tiresome in alternating spurts. "Remember that light in your heart, it means you've already won." Format: Digital [HD] 1st
184. Retribution (1987, 107 minutes) ★★★★★★★✰✰ Psychological horror takes a hapless suicidal artist and gets dark. Sometimes loser based horror movies have a tendency to be a little too exaggerated but Dennis Lipscomb has a theatrical presence giving the role humanity (even when the horror beats are stylized and right out of 80s excess). It's a brilliant performance anchoring a film with pink haired ladies and green eyed evils. The plot here is a little derivative but the execution is glorious. There is a mental health subplot that fits with the premise but takes some liberties with real world stuff that might be stigmatizing. It slows a bit in the middle but for decent dramatic balance; and to my surprise that worked well. The artist stuff adds to the slight psychedelic vibe well and overall it's an intoxicating mix of grounded realistic direction/acting in some far out mind messing stuff. There are some creative death scenes (but not enough of them). I'd read the premise but this is a film that really doesnt seem like it's about a possession but about the odd pauses between supernatural events - about hanging out with the girlfriend, a rasta band, or being strangely drawn to a cemetery... little moments based in that plot but that really have nothing much to do with advancing it. The lead is casually immoral smoking pot, taken with hookers, etc but he cares about people and is overall likeable. It gives the film a walk through hades feel. I dont think it's stylized in a general 80s way but the neon lights and yellow walls really add to an usual urban nightmare surrealism. Just when I was ready to dive into anything else by writer/director Guy Madgar (legendary for making this in my opinion) I'm disappointed to find aside from some tv episodes the extent of his other work are duds like Children of the Corn: Revelation or Stepfather 3. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme
185. Born For Hell (1976, 92 minutes) ★★★★★★½✰✰✰ Traumatic film that goes dark and poisons our imagination with dread. Shot with a brooding washed out tone and acted with an intensity set among Irish civil conflict and Vietnam it bleeds trauma before anything of plot based concern happens (and gives some metaphoric heft about the state of the world that seems as relevant in 2025). A low rent fellow loafs about with a leering thoughtful intensity for much of the film, a nuanced performance from Mathieu Carrière (a French actor with few obvious notable English films); in the symbolism of an army jacket. I think it helped to know some of the premise first because BfH spends a lot of time hanging without indulging in anything too horrifying (but in time more than remedies itself). Set in Ireland it has small touches of coastal scenes or background bagpipes; and allows for the lead guy to seem like a man out of his element adding to the psychology hopelessness. This is a nihilistic film about the moody silence between knife swipes and less about the act of it; intentionally denying the audience gore or thrills but rather the penetrating glare. It got under my skin with impossible tension. Format: Digital [HD] 1st
186. In Out Blood (2024, 89 minutes) ★★★½✰✰✰✰✰✰ Small town homeless encampment drug biographic is gritty and mysterious with increasingly strange developments; interesting staging and methodical pacing cover for a meh story. It's an eccentric film with budget motels, rv parks, and thrown together small town cinemas with a happenstance slow burn feel that teases us from the start about the mystery of a key. Some of it's plot devices seem to be small scale directing our attention to said key or an unassuming photo when the world of IhB is stop motional capture worthy magic hour stuff. I went in blind and quickly it tips it's hand on premise but in a subtle way and not outright allowing the viewer to see something is wrong but balancing irony and mystery for much if it's run - but it also feels like the final ending is a bit predictable. The 'social dredges' characters feel relevant and metaphorical. Typical of found footage films it requires it's small group of actors to see horrors that are often offscreen or implied. The key subplot is a clever visual device but awkward as a story detail. It has an ending but leaves it open too which seems criminal considering how slow Pedro Kos is to advance the plot. Format: Theater 1st
187. Queens of the Dead (2025, 99 minutes) ★★★★½✰✰✰✰✰ QotLD feels niche enough I believe it was a personal tribute from Tina Romero to her father, George Romero [RIP]; but with respect it ends up campy and awkward. Unfamiliar with vogue ballroom culture but die hard into horror I ventured into a different world of Queens. Even as a liberal Democrat the hard dive into drag culture took some getting use to; I want to say the characters seem obnoxious but maybe that's just me being deaf to the culture. Inclusion is righteous and necessary but aside from some surface glitter there's not much strut to Queens. It starts as a hangout film around a comedy bar. The zombie effects are cheap seeming; but play to the upbeat comedy vibe of the film. Everyone overacts so hard it destroys any tension that might muster. Jack Haven as Chelsey has some of the best lines, Jaquel Spivey seems likeable as a relutant queen straddling both worlds, and it's fun (but off type in a zombie film) for Margaret Cho to pops up. QotLD's greatest feat is in challenging zombie typicals with a long overdue modern edge. It's sloppy and low budget but optimistic and upbeat. The score by Blitz//Berlin really helps the film. QotLD is a film of people arguing (and dancing) in a room; and some of the best films have been people arguing in a room (but not this one, mispaced). Some of the attention spent on characters needed to spill over to atmosphere or effects. It builds up to a more delightfully up tempo finale and there is some fun to be had. Slow zombies for the win. Format: Theater 1st
188. Curse of Valburga (2019, 82 minutes) ★★★★½✰ A slasher style horror comedy. Some bro dudes in a bar share tales of quick coin by giving tours in the castle of Count Dracula's cousin and it starts off a bit lame but gets better after the awkward foreign tourist guide show. This seems like a low key comedy but it's a disarming ruse for a film that goes harder than it lets on for so long; but the film you get for the first 30ish minutes isn't really the offer. It's a film of shadows and irony with characters who are largely buffoons suddenly getting buzz sawed through the skull by an off scene secret. It's not a good film but it is one I ended up enjoying. Sometimes it feels under developed, like with the too long intro where there is something gold in the mix that needed more structure and to be drawn out more. It was an obvious budget production (cgi gunfire) but they pulled some stuff off. Format: Digital [HD] 1st

October 25 [Poster Art Theme Night] (12 hours, 48 minutes watched)
189. A Feast of Flesh (2007, 77 minutes) ★★★½✰✰✰✰✰✰ An indie vampire hunter's invade the vampire brothel tale. Despite the premise and advertising this isn't the sleazefest we were promised; it is lame from a horror erotica standpoint (still boobs)... but it's got a standard enough storyline poorly acted with enough zest and energy it's fun. There is an introductory scene where some fellow gets his face ripped off; and that was a good calling card for us to take FoF seriously (too bad the effects don't keep that pace but occassionally there is some legit gore). A truce between vampires and town dads is tested (Kurosawa influenced amateur theater). Writer/director/actor Mike Watts has been at indie film making for a few films and goes on for a few more and I think FoF is about as good a film as one might expect with the resources - but his acting and accent are annoying (his wife Amy Lynn Best as head vampire is much more natural). Ultimately it feels like some couple friends (and Debbie Rochon) got together a few weekends and threw together a decent enough campy vampire film. My favorite parts are the cheap seeming but surreal fight montages; it's got questionable editing that brings together a few twists in the end. Braindead fun, excellent for an indie, I enjoyed it. Format: Digital [SD] 1st Theme
190. The Cursed Tapes (2025, 95 minutes) ★★★★½✰✰✰✰✰ Blue hued indie nightmare fuel. Directed with some style the low key production has a made for tv feel (despite some gore). Rather than being about a 'curse' it's about a monster in a basement who haunts kid Sammy and a gruff adult who uncovers a dark family history. Sammy walks the halls with his neon purple moon light to eventually find in the shadows a long clawed thing. It has an expressionistic style to it that feels surreal at times. When the monster is about scenes are green or blue with nocturnal energy but sometimes that can make it feel a bit samey given the limited locations. While it's sometimes more stylized than scary it has a feeling of descent into nightmare - there were times I wished it had been more fearsome or more emotional. Cursed Tapes surprised me and and for a film I got for $2 on a streaming app I consider it a big win. The Crum Brothers don't seem like they've gained much notoriety but I also enjoyed Mold and it seems like they deal in surreal effects heavy budget films. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme
191. Murder Obsession (1981, 92 minutes) ★★★★★★★✰✰✰ Writer/director Riccardo Freda masterfuly ploys horror tropes mincing psychological, gothic, supernatural with stuff like magick, incest, even a bat cult crucifixion, and well... Murder. The estate ambience works here with it's dark corridors and stormy weather, squeezing ambience into every frame. It's a giallo script filmed as a haunted house (complete with fake giant plastic spider). I find I need to be in the right mood for Giallos but MO seems more minded to atmosphere and less slavish to murder mystery tropes. It's nightmarish and hallucinatory; but rather than always scary some of it's effects (like that spider or a paper mache exploding head) gave me a chuckle. Not to be outdone with giallo and haunting tropes it also mixed in a psychological 'maybe I murder people' hook. It's story structure is unusual in that we are not relating to one character seeing theough their eyes; but that rhe lead guy even disappears for a chunk. Featuring a career midpoint Laura Gesmer famous as Emanuelle. Wildly strange ending. "Suddenly the room went dark, a man grabbed me by the hair, and pushed me down. I fought back, but it was useless..." Format: Blu-ray [Raro] Theme
192. Cemetery Man (1994, 103 minutes) ★★★★★★½✰✰✰ A jaded surreal dark comedy. It starts as a macabra love story in a leaf strewn cemetery. It has loser comedy elements the mortuary fellow disillusioned with his work keeping the dead dead alternating between embracing it and seeking a way out while dabbling in love; unexpected elements of fantasy (something like humor) is part of what made CM a cult classic. The effects work here works well especially since the tone so such we're not expecting carnage or gore even when it has come before. Rupurt Everett has a good deadpan line delivery style (the English version uses his native voice; so might be the best version even if it's an Italian film since all languages have some dubbing). CM has a weird enough plot it's likely people could get different reads from it. Perhaps it is a murder horror film with gothic elements, maybe it is a comedy, maybe it is an existential meditation on the nature of indifference. Rubert has a undefined neediness he is denied satisfaction in; wanting love or even credit for his wrongs all cruely denied him for a time - cursed without realizing it. It's maybe too playfully impenetrable (the ending seems love or hate it; I disliked it). I think it's just a fantasy minded exercise in style with random elements like cemetery lights that dont mean anything but for being weird and looking cool; but overall CM leaves us with something to chew on even if all in jest. It seems brilliantly dark but without range outside of gray at best. I'll be curious to listen to the commentary. Nyah! Format: UHD Disc [Severin] Theme
193. The Deliverance (2024, 112 minutes) ★★★✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ Updating stale horror tropes to an urban modern demographic in a film that won't stand out from other Exorcist or Conjuring clones. The scares seem literal without much atmospheric pretense other than family discord. I appreciated the willingness to go hard on family issues but they were muddled with a supernatural subplot that kept it feeling superficial; flavored well with angst and jaded aggression but driven by vacant nonissues. Apparently based on real life events from the Latoya Ammons in Indiana maybe it's unfair to be too hard on the routine script but I expected more impactful subtext from Lee Daniels (even if he didn't write the script). There is an exorcism style scene that just seems so typical and the film doesn't veer much from predictable. Glenn Close is a living legend and her casting brings some racial themes to the surface in smart ways. Kid actor Anthony B Jenkins was also very good (here & in Never Let Go); he seems like someone to watch. For the most part the family misses passion, it does well at depicting an alcoholic mother or her cuss splattered banter but something like chemistry is missing between the family. The hard language distracts from what might be an emotional center and when a stand must be made trying to understand if your b-tch @$- mother loves you or not it's distracting (I didn't like mother actress Andra Day here). Paralleling a protective services subplot might be the most interesting part of the film but it doesn't feel altogether like anything but dressing too fluffy. For now it seems like Jordan Peele is the best hope for gutsy black horror cinema (maybe Nia DaCosta too if both can rebound from Candyman 2021). Format: Digital [Netflix UHD] 1st Theme
194. Tunnels [aka Criminal Act] (1989, 93 minutes) ★★½✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ Scuzzy class warfare type thriller with two ditzy news reporters investigating rats in the sewers. For a moment I thought this would have a cool secret underground sewer chamber plot but I suppose men in business suits are cheaper effects wise than giant rats or other more sensational horrors (but maybe more realistic?). Enter John Saxon here for a paycheck as the comedic relief type A overly serious boss to balance out a super hammy mustache guy. It has a few twists but all the men here are over the top (thankfully the two leading ladies are more natural). To be honest I wanted more far out weirdness in the plot; it feels like a bait and switch premise with the sewers when it ends up being a 'rich people are the true evil' superficial premise. Ultimately it's a forgettable of the time safe thriller. Format: Digital [Youtube SD] 1st
195. Masking Threshold (2021, 92 minutes) ★★★★★★✰✰✰✰ A lunatic descent into weird sensations of an abnormal person. A unique ear ringing sound premise allows for banter. Charmingly staged with voiceover narration to still images and clips musing on different social issues like medical misdiagnosis or the nature of science; it takes a unique voiceover heavy approach that is fun but sometimes tiresome. "Sometimes a .gif says more than a thousand words." It feels like a semi-comedic monologue (suddenly it goes from Pulse nightclub shooting to candy corn). After a while it sounds raving intentional to the plot but a little obnoxious; immersive but not always fun. The film uses ambient nose to let us hear the guys auditory experience; it might be curious to experience the film without the visuals to pick up more on the textured soundscape. It a predictable not especially clever plot narrative but staged in a creative more experiential manner. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme Subset
196. iPossessed (2025, 104 minutes) ★★★✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ It's my own fault for gambling on a film titled iPossessed. A country music toned veteran cowboy horror. Lean on atmosphere with a small group of clean cut 30somethings stumble on an invocation by text message. One lady knows that they're in an Evil Dead ripoff because she took a college class on paranormal. Sometimes indie horror has some gems but this wasnt one of them; but there were times I enjoyed the cheap enough march to likely demise. Well... The evil here really needed to take more victims sooner. Ha, true to type there's an anti-abortion subplot... and not a subtle fleeting subplot it really becomes an odd centerpiece for too long shamelessly so. I appreciated the psychological bend to things sometimes. It'd not a good movie but it has moments of psych out and peril that sometimes seem interesting. I thought it might end with a disclaimer to support veterans. Post credit scene. Format: Digital [UHD] 1st Theme

October 26 [Screenwriter Theme Night] (14 hours, 36 minutes watched)
197. Call Girl of Cthulhu (2014, 92 minutes) ★★★★★½✰✰✰✰ Smutty Lovecraft is silly but best when it's doomy and feels post post-apocalyptic. This is like the opposite of a feel good coming of age comedy. Mostly a parade of delightfully cheap practical effects far out but when it seems they couldnt pull it off (which do sometimes work) they went for comedy (budget Henenlotter vibes). The best part is how the film keeps pushing when maybe it could have ended; it climaxes earlier than people have to deal with the stuff. A desperate loner falls in with a lady destined for the great old one; she may be a lady of the night but he just wants to paint her. The Lovecraft references are plentiful and hammy; including eyes on butts for an octopus tattoo (justified skin; but not as much as you might think). I appreciated that CGoC was less than about ideals and willing to be dramatically wrong (not ironically or for laughs). Writer/director Chris Lamartina is also partially responsible for modern seasonal classic the WNUF Halloween Special. Drop dead. Format: Blu-ray [Camp Motion] Theme
198. The Halfway House (2004, 90 minutes) ★★½✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ I remember Halfway House not being very good but I'm on a 'let's watch a bunch of modern HP Lovecraft reinterpretations' mood. The acting is bad, seemingly just bad rather than comedically bad (but I feel like someone would have corrected it if not intentional). HH is surprisingly smutty (shower scene, lesbian subplots, cultism) but even that is all over the place; and it feels like a bait and switch after we were promised eldritch horrors. Characters like Cherry Pie or Dick Sheen sleuth around in filler for too much of this film. It is good to see cult favorite Mary Woronov show up and aside from the too scarce effects she is the best part. Unfortunately it's not far out enough to be much fun. There's not much suspense since the big baddie is revealed in the introduction and the shoot lacks atmosphere. There is a cool practical effects creature somehow they decided to use for just a very short scenes (and the weirdness doesn't pervade other bits) - like they had 3 minutes of one (good) monster effect and built around that. "You can'y destroy the world for your own selfish reasons." Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme Subset
199. The Dark Half (1993, 121 minutes) ★★★★★★½✰✰✰ Credentials from Stephen King and George Romero make The Dark Half feel more informed as a metaphor for creative process (made by people we would care about their experience of creation). It'a a smart twist to Dr Jekyll / Mr Hyde tropes to parallel creative process and commercial vs artistic interests but not just (given the domestic vibe of Beaumont's household it feels like a more global comment; supposedly written while King was trying to get sober). The flipped narrative is clever in that some of the victims are disposable introduced at the time of their killing and the real threat seems to be to the writer who is himself possibly the killer; it becomes a study in the psychology of impossible explanations (that we believe). A lesser movie might have withheld more and made a twist ending but letting us in in the weirdness works susensefullly, Hoss. I avoided DH for a while because on paper it's premise sounds too obvious or maybe mundane (and at 2 hours too) but it's an impressive film. For a story that broadcasts it's twist well in advance it maintains suspense effectively. The sparrow imagery is a smart atmospheric visual gimmick that makes the film more than a thriller even with Romero's smart commentary but something otherworldly. Timothy Hutton does well in a dual role (ok, he overacts a little especially as Beaumont); and a young Michael Rooker is good as a cop who sells the forensic mystery aspect. The murders are largely shrouded in secret with the deed done off screen is a smart move that ratchets up suspense - it's not too gory and keeps us focused on real spectacle. If we look at it metaphorically there are some elements that are muddled or sacrificed for a sort of plot; but I enjoyed it. "We all have something of a beast inside of us, we can either suppress it or encourage it..." Format: Digital [HD] Theme Subset
200. Hellraiser (1987, 94 minutes) ★★★★★★★½✰✰ Building on haunted house tropes with gnarly effects and a cerebral premise Hellraiser is a macabra fantasy around an unconvincing unconventional romance. Pinhead is the best studio movie monster (maybe other than Tall Man) and Doug Bradley brilliantly brings him to life occasionally when he cameos here. I love the Hellraiser movies (even the mid-series ones). True to source HR is a near cosmic opus of sadomasochistic neediness which like the puzzle box it doesnt always make sense except on a visceral hedonistic level. It deals in abstraction of a pining consuming existential hunger of disappearing into a world beyond the public face of the human condition. HR really counts on Clare Higgins who is not a typical sexpot and her character just seems unconvincingly like a whore (towards Frank); which ends up being a fatal flaw in it's design (but I'd say it's smarter than the random child murdered premise of Nightmare on Elm Street which has a similar otherworld demon trope). Apparently Higgins has never seen the whole movie and cuirously sometimes actors adversed to horror make the best actors in them. The effects work in HR is better than I remember it. With it's emphasis on sex and pleasures and hell wardens this is a world where murder is treated as an afterthought. Thankfully the more bonkers surreal ending comes when the film was starting to lull and keeps at it. A dragon creature at the fire doesn't really make sense but the visuals are great. Format: Digital [UHD] Theme Subset
201. Hellraiser (2022, 121 minutes) ★★★★★½✰✰✰✰ The reboot does a lot of clever things with the franchise expanding on themes; I think it works better intellectually. Odessa A'zion has an effective natural style of acting and after seeing her in Pools and Fresh Kills (both great) I've been amazed; she does well at the lead. The HR remake here is more methodically paced and somewhat puzzling since it's secrets are already on record but it gets more fantastic than scary. I like the slacker heroes and how they contrast with the wealthy Voight to imply issue of human value. The remake makes a little more sense than the original on tricking victims but it still requires an awkward method of accidental happenstance and gives a body count semi-slasher element (which I think fits well if this is a metaphor for addiction but not plotwise). It is unfortunate that the film transplants from 'real world' apartments and playgrounds to a more generic mansion because the domestic house element in the original was part of what worked well. I like the original better but the boldness here is ambitious; it's a shame this wasn't followed by more. Format: Digital [Hulu] Theme
202. Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988, 97 minutes) ★★★★★★★✰✰✰ HR2 offers far out fantasy visuals doing some wild nonsense with the series. I'm not a fan of the 'mad psychiatrist' plotline here - it seems happenstance but I guess builds on the aftermath of the first. The labyrinth is far out and an apt visual for the abstractness of HR altogether (but muddle things some). It's not even trying to make sense. No one here is immune from suffering even an unexpected turn with Doug Bradley. Claire Huggins is back and she has a right theatrical presence this time, before she seemed like second fiddle eyecandy but here she chews scenary. The effects works is the reason to see HR2. The recaps from the first movie just on year before seem excessive and slow the introduction. Supposedly budget cuts and production issues led to a lot of rewrites and cut material; maybe this lends itself to the weird dark abstract quality of HR2 but I feel like Hellraiser as a franchise has a better film in it that never quite materalizes even when each very different installment is fun in different ways. In the past HR2 hasnt been my favorite but it's warmed to me some. Format: Digital [UHD] Theme
203. Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth [Theatrical Cut] (1992, 93 minutes) ★★★★★✰✰✰✰✰ Hellraiser is back on earth literally opening with boots on the ground in a dumber more coherent turn. You can feel the 90s here. Hell on Earth is setup heavy and the pretense doesn't work but I appreciated the return to something like plot structure after the bonkers HR2 (whiplash). HR3 suffers from not having likeable or at least commanding mortal actors and people like Kevin Bernhart as a club owner are too hammy or Terry Farrell as a journalist too meek (even the villain heavy earlier films had theatrically commanding actors). Sundown: Vampire in Retreat is a surprisingly good film from HR3 director Anthony Hickox who also directed Waxworks 1-2; mostly horror comedies. While Hickox gets the darkness right for HR3 it has an elaborate flair of nightmarish set pieces that make the film work as it does. Eventually it feels like HR3 'loses the thread' some more concerned with justifying cenobite gags and less cosmic or sadomasochistic as earlier installments having less reason to exist other than a sort of dark humor. Replacing the monster carnage of stuff like Godzilla with Cenobites with less metaphor or subtext. "Demons aren't real, they're parables and metaphors" it says but doesn't do (early HR and Barker in general is rich in abstraction and subtext). Eventually the more literal sights work ok and define 'Pinhead' most clearly here. This installment feels much more commerical and less artistic right down to the rocking Motorhead theme - cool forgettable flair. Format: Digital [UHD] 1st Theme Subset
204. Hellraiser: Bloodlines [Theatrical Cut] (1996, 86 minutes) ★★★★★½✰✰✰✰ Hellraiser as a scifi sequel and victorian prequel is a brilliantly ambitious project I am here for. It starts off better than it ends up; more atmospheric before running through hallways. Valentina Vargas is magnetic as Angelique giving the cenobites and Pinhead a frenemy for the mix; but her roles seems redundant to Pinhead (crowd and appearance aside). It's a shame the studios messed with the budget for Bloodlines so much forcing cuts and drastic changes. Treating characters as somewhat interchangeable across a bloodline through generation is confusjng nonsense; or the idea they have genetic knowledge of alchemy. Starting in the future somewhat betrays other timeframe subplots (and I understand is not how the workprint cut flows). The plot here is more chatty than it needs to be and less visual (but there are some decent effects). Bruce Ramsay has to do a lot of heavy lifting here. I liked the campiness of the science fiction space stuff and wish that material had hit harder (but I liked the end); I wished the prequel had been a little meatier because that felt most interesting to me. I am glad they kept making Hellraiser films even if this ends the core Clive Barker involved ones (others largely being retooled to be Hellraiser related) - the films are all over the place and seem to reinvent each time. Here is Hellraiser as a pulpy epic of backstory. Format: Digital [UHD] Theme
205. For Sale By Exorcist (2024, 82 minutes) ★★½✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ A cozy light horror one woman show comedy mockumentary. This film looks dumb but husband/wife team 'The LaMartinas' have decent horror bona fides (WNUF Halloween Special, Call Girl of Cthulhu, and a slew of indies; here is Melissa LaMartina's directing debut) and it's produced by Dread Central (which isn't always a sign of quality). After marathoning Hellraiser sequels I wanted something very light so this fit. Melissa LaMartina anchors as the exorcist real estate agent in a mockumentary; hammy southern overacting but with gusto. Writer/director/star Melissa LaMartina gives a spirited performance and it's about what you might expect; heavy on personality but low on supernatural or effects. Soft on plot until after a mid point it mostly coasts by on personality and that works for a time but the little southern sayings and quirks eventually get a little thin. "I'm just going to finish putting on my face..." Cutesy at best but it feels ultimately forgettable, not zany or scary enough and a little obvious. Character acting demonstration ends up a little too safe. Cheese and crackers. Format: Digital [HD] 1st

October 27 [Podcast Recommendations Theme Night] (12 hours, 19 minutes watched)
206. Exhibit #8 (2022, 76 minutes) ★★★★½✰✰✰✰✰ Missing person documentary turns found footage thriller with a smart framework and a chilling hook hidden (sometimes in plain sight) until the end. E8 is willing to dabble in human misery unlike many films and does so with a sense of dark humor. It has an unconvincing documentary frame (too smooth footage, too many varying types, etc) with two leads who have decent chemistry. Lead girl is looking for her missing older brother and retracing her own turbulent path. They are plagued by 'I thought I heard something' and shadows in the window, it's an atmospheric vibe for found footage often of sleuthing in empty offices, or through the woods just off path, etc. It eventually has a creepy real world horror movie feel. There are a few twists that were fun/surprising and make it worth seeking it. E8 has an angry feel to it that seems rooted in political social turmoil but stops short of making anything other than the most general of commentary. Gnarly unexpected stuff. Overall I thought it was well paced with good variety of locations and that the lead actress did well. Format: Digital [HD] 1st
207. Calvaire (2004, 88 minutes) ★★½✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ I think I can see it as something like a descent into madness as etiquette breaks down; but even trying to give Calvarie the benefit of doubt it doesn't do much for me. I really don't understand Calvaire; I knew it has a positive reputation so watched it last year (and again today) but ended up just feeling a bit confused. Maybe it's best to see it as a sort of dark comedy farce about lost dogs, dirty old lady sluts, and the confusion of identity. It's introductory scene of the lead performing an awkward song and dance for old people is amusingly off kilter and maybe telegraphs to us not to take the film too seriously. A pig rape subplot seems key thematically but it so gross it feels like maybe something of the humor gets lost in translation; or the parallels with a lost dog seem superficial to a point of being a little funny but not enough as foundation for a film. The victim seems so effeminate and unwilling to help himself at all it's got to be satirical but there doesn't appear to be any sort of clear commentary (maybe some macho preaching about how men fix their own cars). Maybe they wanted to poke at horror tropes of victims making dumb decisions but having a fellow who doesn't even make any decisions altogether. The villain here is not especially formidable and mostly just comes up with polite excuses to keep the lead around until the guy just flakes under the light pressure of minor inconveniences. I appreciate dark films that are willing to 'go hard' and provocative stuff - but it all seems so poorly staged it's more puzzling than frightening, brutal, or funny. Calvaire does make me feel a little bad just because the film seems so forlorn/hopeless and it's graphic conclusion feels a bit excessive from what comes before. The setting (a house in the woods) is not without atmosphere but the plot seems too intentionally hard to pin down. Format: Digital [HD] Theme Subset
208. The Black Cat (1934, 65 minutes) ★★★★½✰✰✰✰✰ Bela Lugosi seems to be having a lot of fun with this role in a campy mansion of mystery which ends up being a spectacle of near gleeful nonsense - a supremely weird journey into the walls of am unassuming place for a young couple. Boris Karloff seems a more broody on type. The concluding segment pokes fun at some idea any view or reviewer might have in deciding the film is 'too far out' and it's treatment of horror as a sort of comedy is something I didn't expect. I watched The Raven (1935, with Lugosi & Karloff) and enjoyed that one a little more because it did seem a bit smarter with it's tropes but the 'devil may care' abandon of The Black Cat is amusing. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme Subset
209. Tender Dracula (1974, 98 minutes) ★★★✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ A fun spirited poke at horror tropes as a jaded horror stars wants to switch to romances. Come for Peter Crushing, stay for the upbeat 70s charm like a spontaneous nudie musical or the gaudy cheap castle. It has a playful pageantry evoking cliches and approaching them with a humor that is sometimes tiresome. It feels like a dated commentary on the state of horror or the nature of romance. The plot of convincing an elder actor back into horror roles through trickery if necessary doesn't engage well because it's not visceral or intellectual enough so ends up a sort of 'who cares.' Peter Crushing has a few opportunities to grandstand or seem fearsome (like when he barks passionately about the virtue of romance) but he often seems alone in a room without better context and other actors too meek to accompany him - it's not one of Cushing's better roles. There are a few twists that seem clever but only just that and end superficial enough. It's a film that doesn't take itself seriously and gets distracted in jest without much center and it's humor is the sort we've seen before (or done better since). It feels like a series of twists that then get contradicted by another twist. What a weird and abrupt ending. "When you don't understand something you dismiss it and laugh." Format: Digital [HD] 1st
210. There's a Zombie Outside (2024, 75 minutes) ★★★★★½✰✰✰✰ A wild existential psychological thriller about a zombie that is outside everywhere. Randomly turned to it and was really surprised by how unexpectedly smart and good it was. It has a lot of surprises and a level of self aware meta depth that was refreshing (especially since I was expecting some indie zombie movie). It's well paced in something like layers that seem to go in a circle. The film doesnt overstay but might even end too soon sliding out without much resolution; the ending felt a little unsatisfying but left the film echo'ing around my head a bit. Aside from narrative tricks it has a humor beyond the cinematic weirdness with stuff like a bonkers sex scene. The tone is moody rather than playful or funny but that worked for me; it's not the zombie itself that is scary but the fact that there is a zombie so the tone fits that. The lead guy is gay and there's a romance subplot that sets up. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme
211. Invader (2024, 70 minutes) ★★★★★★✰✰✰✰ Michael Keating is the best modern horror director no one has heard of (Pod & Darlin are both good) and Invader continues his trend of cinematically interesting stuff. It's shot in a hand cam found footage style that feels intimate but sometimes distracting (it is not fond footage) with a storyline that just starts and doesn't spoon feed the audience. The mystery here is rich and feels palatable due to atmospheric touches, the shooting style that feels more like we are experiencing the plot, and decent performance from first time actress Vero Maynez. Cinema verite mimicked by horror fiction. At first it's a bit mysterious but by the end it gets pretty tense (while still not revealing all it's surprises). Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme
212. Satan's School for Girls (1973, 78 minutes) ★★★★½✰✰✰✰✰ A moody psychological thriller with a disappointing lack of Satan. The girls school is used literally with abundant atmosphere (it is a scenic formal grounds; not a sleaze trap); pretty even with an awfully silly fake thunderstorm. The setting with lots of dark parking lots, a lake, etc adds a lot to the film. It has some curious ideas about conditioning and reconditioning rats that imply a deeper more insidious plot when it ends up being something like a body count murder film. Some of the overly mysterious heavy atmosphere light on spectacle requires a lot of selling from the actors who mostly seem up to the task but occasionally a head mistress will overact humorously. Fortunately Pamela Franklin and Kate Jackson have an understated performance to their wide eyed uncertainty. Anything like Satan gives the film a unique flare but doesn't alter the story structure much beyond it's proto-slasher elements. Format: Digital [Youtube] 1st Theme
213. Satan's School for Girls (2000, 87 minutes) ★★★✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ After enjoying the original Satan's School for Girls (1973) I had to check out the remake expecting disaster and it delivers a lukewarm typical tv feature; forgettable and inferior but flush with 2000s zeitgeist. This one is clearly made for tv down to some clunky computer generated graphics on the introduction. It'a a Shannen Doherty vehicle (RIP too soon at 53 due to breast cancer) a few years downhill from her star rising on Beverly Hills 90210 and mid-Charmed. This version seems a bit more focused on stuff like sororities or tuition matters at least at first; eventually incorporating more social dynamics as a form of oppression with 'the five' so it's less murder minded and more a social thriller. For a while the scariest thing is some bad one liners at a bar that has free food during happy hour. Occasionally SSfG is has a cheesy 2000s style of emo goth atmosphere but it gets pretty slow in the middle. Here even the adults feel like bratty smucks (where in the original the adults felt more light right adults under pressure). The five this, the five that... this film really wants to emphasize that five framework. Some of the acting here is pretty bad and it's all worse than the original. In the end it delivers a predictable conclusion (but one different from the original). Forgettable, safe, and ok. Format: Digital [Youtube] 1st Theme
214. It Feeds (2025, 102 minutes) ★★★★★★✰✰✰✰ Spiritual medium warfare against a sucking demon with surreal psychological plane elements. The evil here is fearsome enough delivering a gnarly fiend that proves early on anyone is expendable. It's not just this stuff; the film is building on a backstory mid or post event sort of like a sequel where characters who are haunted by the evil are playing roles tertiary to the principles or the horror (I was on Team Randall). The number of parties ensures someone will more ironically in the wrong direction. Ellie O'Brien is good as 'the victim' here and curiously while she was in peril the film seemed to work to ensure she was not disempowered or a damsel in distress subject to rescue from a hero (and if gender was an issue most of the heroes here were female - maybe the demon was too but it was also sexless somehow neither male or female but also both; I will have to rewatch to consider the gender politics of the androgenous demon here). Some of the plot is a little too magical but the fantasy elements work overall and provide unique visuals allowing for an ending you'd have to see to believe. It was good to see a focus on practical effects in a movie as far out as this one; that's craftsmanship. There is a suicide subplot that feels like a bit much, maybe insensitive to people effected by self harm in service to a cheap shock. Writer/Director/Producer Chad Archibald seems like a rising star associated with some gems like Viscious Fun, The Oak Room, The Drownsman, The Heretics, Let Her Out, etc - it's enough to make It Feels look worse by comparison. Format: Digital [UHD] 1st Theme

October 28 [Dark & Stormy Weather Theme Night] (10 hours, 14 minutes watched)
215. Felidae (1994, 82 minutes) ★★★½✰✰✰✰✰✰ Felidae is a triumphant mature animation unlike any other; but also not as much fun as it could be. The visuals on Felidae are amazing; I miss classic hand drawn animation like this (that isn't anime). I wish the storyline had been a little more wild than a cat wondering the neighborhood (sure there was murder and science but it was surprisingly flat; more conversational than visual much of the time). I felt mixed on how mostly 'down to earth' the hand drawn cat horror was (maybe I have been spoiled by stuff like Secret of Nimh; a cavern scene or a nightmare or a flashback were too occasionally more golden). While there is a mystery afoot a lot of the reveals seemed to be more deductive out of the blue to a point it took me a little off guard there weren't more "clues." I appreciated the metaphor Felidae was going for; an ending reveal scene mostly worked but the killer didn't seem plausible out of the options (but what he represented was a brilliant comment paralleling human experience). While it was only periodically especially gory the dead cat visuals (even obviously hand drawn) were upsetting because it's hard for me to unmoor ideas I have about not harming animals. The version I watched (from a digital streaming vendor) had subtitles that seemed way out of synch. "I've made more kitties happy than Henry VIII." Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme Subset
216. Yakuza Apocalypse (2015, 115 minutes) ★½✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ This is a film with some weird ideas that struggle in execution and ultimately doesn't even try to satisfy audiences; it sacrifices intensity for something like dry dark humor best as a sort of prolonged standoff. The fight scenes too often feel subdued (Yayan Ruhian is always great and does any of the heavy lifting on fight stuff along with a masked Masanori Mimoto); but it also feels like a film that takes effort to not go all in on brawling. Takashi Miike has done some legendary films (Audition, 13 Assassins, etc) but he is best when serious or at least when his weird tendencies have an eerie tone rather than the stuff here which feels too intentionally bizarre. I was surprised by how much of an emphasis on social drama Yakuza Apocalypse has about a sidekick who wants to be the boss but must take on fractions including vampire hunters, disgruntled civilians, and outlets for weird humor (ok, there are furries and it’s too cheap to be more than a chuckle). I’ll admit I wanted something like a brooding horror movie; but this film is way too casual with the ‘vampire’ label and just sort of pronounces characters vampires you would never think are vampires except for being told they are vampires (so they might as well not be vampires except for a few seconds of the movie); and this is also true for the yakuza. It ends up feeling like a bunch of people pronouncing they are so yakuza or total vampires while standing around and occasionally throwing fists. Show us Yakuza Vampire, don’t tell us. Fortunately (or not) Miike takes a more visual approach to Mimoto’s character and it’s one that seems so stupid it warrants some surprise but distills a lot of the setup down into a ‘how dumb and out of nowhere was that part.' It’s ending is a total letdown; while we’re not apt to expect anything like a traditional plotline leaving us in the middle of a standoff after we’ve been patient enough for the run time feels disappointing - there is not much yakuza and there is definitely no apocalypse. “Take of my blood and walk the path of a yakuza vampire!” Format: Digital [HD] 1st
217. Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989, 67 minutes) ★★★★★★★★½✰ The right kind of strange cinema with emphasis on out of the norm visuals. It's technophobic themes seem more timely now than every before. I appreciated how they somehow tied in something like sexual and romantic angst which helps keep it from feeling more like an effects spectacle. The use of practical effects with black and white on 16mm camera give it a timeless and out of time feel. With fast forwarding and stop motion nothing feels on a normal rhythm, nevermind the strange visuals. The film is bombastic and only gets more intense but it doesn't overstay. It's a little grim but also kinetic and infused with a comedy that seems knowingly fun; like some kid have a good time experimenting with cinema. On screen it has a bromance for the ages (or perhaps a film that defies platonic relationships or sexuality by being beyond that anyway) and works as a monster movie. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme
218. The Invitation (2015, 100 minutes) ★★★★★½✰✰✰✰ The off social thriller elements work great; it's a dry horror about the people in the room with you. After seeing The Invitation three times now it still holds up but not as much as the first watch. It's artfully shot and that goes a long way and it dolls out shocks but sometimes stretches and slows. Death is so sad and the script builds on loss in impactful but superficial ways. I wish it had found a way to 'say' more about grief but I enjoyed wallowing in it for a time. Overall this is a film about sensationalism with a far out twist and an exaggerated sorrow porn vibe. It feels a little cheap that a stoic jaded Logan Marshall-Green might be the last harbinger of optimism in a topic that should have a more complex spectrum of emotions. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme
219. Creature From the Haunted Sea (1961, 61 minutes) ★½✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ We all know Roger Corman [RIP] makes cheap quick movies and CfHS smells of a gimmick with it's Cuba set spy agent (made the same year as Bay of Pigs). It has an undeniable 1960s vibe that is fun but not enough and splinters into an odd assortment of tropes with political intrigue, heist, satire, and horror - but it seems to latch on to the most obvious dull aspects of each. It's a spoof that mimics it's targets knowingly but the imitation rarely creates much more than a superficial duplication. The creature, as cheap looking as it is, appears infrequently. People defend this as being a parody but that's no excuse for being bland; stuff like maybe the cheesiest love subplot I can recall (if the horrible no funny 'parody' of a monster doesn't leave you cold). Guess who got the gold? Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme
220. Bingo Hell (2021, 85 minutes) ★★★½✰✰✰✰✰✰ An ode to grannies that has a nice ethnic vibe and it's heart in the right place. It's character based to a fault and Lupita doesn't seem interesting enough to carry the film but the 'down the block' atmosphere helps it along. Richard Brake can be a formidable bad guy (and he does well with what he's given here) but he's backgrounded to a sinister seeming bingo hall host who smirks but rarely really interacts with anyone (too much a metaphorical abstraction). The urban fantasy elements are the best part of Bingo Hall but they often feel not enough; it's not quite clear what is wrong or why we should be scared for too long (even then Brake is supposedly positioned as the bad guy but it'a never especially obvious that he should be other than just because he is; if I wanted to be cynical there's an odd reverse racism read on it that I think is just me being jaded). Writer/director Gigi Guerrero seems like someone to watch and her salt of the earth characters show promise; a film for the people rather than set in some yuppie mansion. It's themes seem a too obvious to a point of being superficial. Seeing this is a Blumhouse Anthology film makes sense; it's on brand with a sleek hollow vibe. It's like it's saying bingo is bad but also good as long as it's community based and free of external commercial influence (which is true of everything anyway). Everyone deserves to be a winner. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme
221. Death Becomes Her (1992, 104 minutes) ★★★★★★✰✰✰✰ Once the macabra spectacle of death starts it's a refreshingly black comedy. Until then vanity as a movie with a plastic surgeon and an age battling actress has unlikeable rich people dealing with first world problems; it takes some time to get going. Meryl Streep is one of the finest actresses of our generation; but not as much here where Bruce Willis with hair anchors things and Goldie Hawn holds her own. I never understood DBH's 'reason for being' and it seems to build a potentially cool premise then use it to makes jokes about being a Republican or cosmetics. The throw away campiness feels stupidly ridiculous. Isabella Rossellini's cryptic dark mastermind provides some clever story behind the antics that never really feels well fleshed. It's an ambitious film that's fun but feels dumber down like it could have been more. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme

October 29 [Technology Theme Night] (12 hours, 56 minutes watched)
222. Hardware (1990, 93 minutes) ★★★★★★★✰✰✰ Red hued dystopian radio picture show. Not only, this film is aggressively dystopian littered with garbage yard rubble and refinery montages - shot with a warmed that would read hot on a giger counter. A stylized comment on the double edged sword of fetishizing technology (or perhaps worldly possession rather than those of intellect/spirit like it's bible reading hero; but it's not preachy and just as likely here to buzzsaw for the cool fun of it). I think atmospherically rich films like Hardware have ruined less committed dystopian films for me. The lighting across the scenes is really rich and adds a lot of depth to the smaller apartment setting (lighting is often in motion with fire or alarms, etc); but the way it uses sound design is just as smart. It feels like a music video with nontraditional shots within a screen of different types, lingering slow shots, etc. Hardware really foreshadows it's killer but given the committed artistry it never feels slow. The characters sometimes feel a little impersonal - cool but lacking a vulnerability or humility and as hardened apocalyptic folk they might not make the best victims. Writer/director Richard Stanley feels like someone who never got his due and has been making curiously good movies for decades (most recently Color Out of Space with Nicholas Cage and similar lighting detail). I'm surprised Severin let their disc of Hardware go out of print (seems the rights around this are complicated); I have a copy I got from Hastings and that feels like a sad thing of the past. The amount of musical folk who have small roles or references he adds a lot to the atmosphere. Mark Northover, a midget actor who plays the junk dealer was also good in Willow and I'm surprised he didn't get more roles. We all walk the Wibbly-Wobbly Walk. Format: Blu-ray [Severin] Theme Subset
223. The Lair (2022, 93 minutes) ★★★★✰✰✰✰✰✰ An exotic monster movie action horror with iffy acting and unconvincing military bravado. To get the most out of The Lair go in thinking about rubber suit monster movies (though the monsters aren't that bad) and cheesy budget GI Joe level military action. It starts out as a cheesy war movie, the kind where generic muslim terrorists fire always off cgi gun blasts around a running hero. The Afghanistan setting is not without atmosphere but it's a lot blander than I'm use to from writer/director Neil Marshall (behind classics like Dog Soldier or The Descent; here somewhat combing both). The creatures here are fleshy muscular slimey fearsome things with an pulpy backstory. Thankfully the creatures look better than some of the other effects (often when a gun is fired better they not). For the most part the acting struggles, there are some awfully bad British accents here and it doesn't feel like Marshall trusts his visuals so peppers in a lot of chatty one liners and banter. It reaches moments of kinetic intensity that work bringing the fight to it's cavernous claustrophobic setting. "Smile for the f-cking camera!" Format: Digital [HD] 1st
224. Alone at Night (2022, 89 minutes) ★★★★★✰✰✰✰✰ A surreal nocturnal hangout movie. A teasing soft fake sex cheapie mocking reality tv with Paris Hilton helmed interludes that would seem to be stupid but brought something to the vibe. The 'alone at night' stuff is a not bad mix of paranoia and atmosphere. There is a rotating group of surprise visitors that keep it paced but finding new reasons for a pizza delivery guy or repairman to show up is unintentionally funny. "Wait, are you f-cking the neighbor?" says random sheriff visitor. Anyone considering 'Alone in the Dark' probably understands it is a cheap low budget film but considering that I enjoyed the vibe and that it felt different. Anything like a thriller is reserved till near the end but it still carries an aura of tension where any of the visits seems insidious, unreal, or just a little cryptic (even when entirely legit). The unsettling sense of being unsure what is going on makes the film and it seems playful about it. While there is an online sex subplot it's handled discretely (with for example a client who wants to dance) and never gets sleazy; rather it's another metaphor for something like isolation (dud to COVID or as a society in general). The COVID elements here have not aged well but give rise to the necessary tone of confused isolation. This sense of confused isolation and playful subtle comedy elements ended up being something I really enjoyed. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme
225. Killer Tongue (1996, 98 minutes) ★★★½✰✰✰✰✰✰ Knowingly revising Killer Tongue now after being initially disappointed with it's campy surreal comedy. I enjoy that it does something different and the killer tongue gimmick is pretty wild. It's better acted than I remember and while it's not always funny the actors all seem to give committed nuanced performances (even if as a personified dog or hair piece). KT defies tropes and keeps us on our toes. The dessert setting is a magical environment that makes the offness seem scenic and even mystical. It's body horror stuff is a neat visual of a giant rebellious tongue. It feels like the film is a battle between Melinda Clark and this parasitic appendage that writer/director Alberto Sciamma just added a bunch of unconventional far out stuff to. Rewatching it I didnt find KT as annoying but it still didn't gel with me. I am use to surrealism seeming to be 'about something' but KT just feels weird for the sake of being weird (I mean maybe the tongue is a symbol of Melinda's emancipation from a toxic relationship but implied plot points aren't the artistry I am here for). Format: Digital [HD]
226. Dream Eater (2025, 86 minutes) ★★★★✰✰✰✰✰✰ A found footage sleep horror couples premise take takes it's time to nowhere. I like horror and admire indie film makers so feel bad abough not liking this one more. The characters are a bit annoying especially the male lead (also co-writer and co-director with the female lead too and another person). "Better not have your d-ck in your hands." Setting a horror movie in a snowscape cabin gives it an instant eerie vibe made creepier by incorporating surveillance camera footage into the narrative (but if they have footage everywhere some holes might have seemed filled earlier). Watching camera footage of a dreamer feels like a lot of layers removed from the experience of reality and that gives it an interesting flavor of clinical abstractions (such as with the doctors). DE has a forlorn atmosohere with the nightscapes and snow and two person cast but seems too slow with it's build up (or depends too much on actors to sell us on how scary... sleep in). For a little while now when I inevitably get up during the night and I intentionally say weird things to my wife (maybe I am a jerk) to give the impression I'm altered and this films make me feel that way, "when you're awake you're awake for eternity." This is eerie literal nightmare stuff but sometimes struggles to break the suspension of disbelief because it banks on low key effects we can sometimes see through and the actors a. I love indie horror and that even as a joke himself he is helping smaller films get wider releases but I liked Jimmy & Stiggs better in the 'Eli Roth Presents' series. Format: Theater 1st
227. After the Hunt [Wild Card] (2025, 139 minutes) ★★★★★★★½✰✰ Well staged with a methodical tone it's a clever and modern premise. The ideas here are worth exploring but feel reactive to today mimicking zeitgeist rather than creating anything new out of the ashes or pieces of modern experience. Ayo Edebiri is back with a well deserved second chance after Opus (and Julia Roberts is tackling some uncharacteristically provocative material). The dialogue is punchy but unconvincingly so (like a teacher screaming and cussing at a class; or a therapist with a giant gun Dirty Harry poster as a keen Freudian joke). There is a scene where an upset character loudly plays music from another room over the discussion of the two principles, it's an example of the film being more about background that foreground even as the background is obscured. A lot of the film is Julia Roberts sitting in a room over tense music, and it's puzzling premise legit carries the film far enough (but maybe the film doesn't carry the premise far enough). Rather than evolving much along the way the plot services as a refrain echoing again and again in stasis - which the film comments on using a parallel to the Odyssey; it's a clever textured plot but not always very visceral, fun, or engaging (like a school meeting that prefaces with a review then cuts to the dismissal without any new material). The idea of recognizing new ideas in reiteration is a curious one and the process of AtH is a lot more satisfying than the plot content. At 140 minutes it overstays a bit. Luca Guadagnino is a marvel but the restrained softness of AtH seems surprisingly gentle. Format: Digital [HD] 1st
228. Silent Scream (1979, 87 minutes) ★★★★✰✰✰✰✰✰ This has one elaborate twist but some slow pacing. The beachfront setting is a neat one for a slasher and it is a shame they don't spend more time on the waterfront. However the house setting has some secrets that work. It's a simple classic slasher that gets more wild with motive than kills. The kills as they are are effective but it takes some time to get going and uses the few kills in a way to advance what there is of narrative. Silent Scream is a great name the film ultimately doesn't quite live up to due to taking too long, having too few kills, and trying too hard on the reveal. Room mate horror. "It's the door on the right, the attics on the left." Format: Digital [HD] 1st
229. The Cleansing Hour (2019, 91 minutes) ★★★★★★★✰✰✰ Exorcism films can be formulaic and Cleansing Hour brilliantly uses an unconvincing social media device to keep fresh. It has some twists that keep us on our toes ultimately tucking so many other elements under the cloak of a devil. Kyle Gallagher proves again why be shows up in ever horror movie and Ryan Guzman is good as a scam exorcist but the real star here is Alix Angelis who flips convincingly between demonic intensity and damsel. For a simple enough premise CH loads up on backstory which is the weakest part of the film, it ensures some well paced twists keeping us on our feet but often ones that seem groan worthy than amusing. At it's worse CH leans into torture porn beats or other tropes and leaves behind the better demon theme. Eventually the story here fits neatly into an overall narrative well that builds on a worldly view but also seems to resonant from our plot in a way that builds on and offers comment about social media. Good stuff. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme

October 30 [Devils & Witches Theme Night] (10 hours, 31 minutes watched)
230. Hell House LLC (2015 93 minutes) ★★★★★★✰✰✰✰ HH is a really smart film that meets expectations while working to defy them. Watching a video of a cheesy unconvincing amateur haunted house when things suddenly erupt into chaos - but it's hard to tell what is show, what is real, or anything much at all with the shaking camera. The interview segments are some of the worst in found footage memory with obviously fake actors. It's a great use of location filming a movie on the grounds of a real fright attraction. It's odd how HH introduces a chained up damsel with cut shirt to the attaction; introducing sleaze but not quite going there. Despite the obvious pretense and low quality technical merits something about HH gets under the skin. One thing that helps us that the technology has clear limits of the time (even just a few years ago) or just limited slightly fuzzy surveillance that shows and obscures at the same time. It's a shame the series somewhat abandons it's location and early premise (or rather seeds lots of little ideas that don't flesh out - like a mother and daughter reference); an 'abandoned hotel' feels like a simple classic idea and I like the twisted conclusion. The framework that shows us something like the conclusion first then in more detail at the end. I like that a lot of the environment/victims feels like (and is) extras off the street. Sleep sweet. The series can be frustrating; even after watching the sequels they seem to build off the first rather than add to it. Secondary seeming characters, like Mitchell the off screen film editor, suddenly become 'important.' Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme
231. Reaper (2014, 90 minutes) ★★★★½✰✰✰✰✰ A not bad amateurish horror film that is the right kind of stupid set in a notel with a blonde girl who robs smucks to get by. Until she meets Danny Trejo who nice guys the movie along. The supernatural killer who seems like a traditional reaper but is an electric enhanced escaper serial killer from a botched death row stint. Reaper is a hulking formidable ghost thing that elevates the film beyond it's budget or slasher tropes. "You're a harlot, not a killer." The robbing blonde, another fellow, and Danny Trejo band together to survive. Reaper has an odd morality component (the blonde only robs from sleazeballs, there is a religious nut desk clerk, etc) but at the same time everyone here is running a con. The ending works but a final twist feels a little cheap. Format: Digital [HD] 1st
232. The Guyver (1991, 88 minutes) ★★½✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ An intentionally cheesy meta scifi comedy the belittles itself without ever seeming too funny. It's the sort of experience you need to be in the mood for. Mixing hero and monster tropes might be a good idea but I'm If the first 30 seconds of scrolling text about 'zoalords' doesnt't give you pause, or the fish person costume within the first 4 minutes then you're in for a cheesy far out good time. Effects by the typically good Screaming Mad George are decent but produce rubber suits used without ambience to an effect a little better than the typical Power Rangers (turns out letter the effects guy direct wasn't a good idea). Best as a cheap seeming but far our effects spectacle but it takes a while for Michael Berryman to be a lo fi street person bad guy along with some stereotypical gangs people. David Gale is good as a bad guy corporate scientist fellow. The slapstick humor fighting takes some getting use to. Format: Digital [HD] 1st
233. Viral (2016, 86 minutes) ★★★★✰✰✰✰✰✰ A parasite horror film where the real terrors are quarantine and government control. It's more extreme but this is a different film after COVID than when it was made. (Cowriter) Christopher Landon is less gimmicky here and on brand with likeable kid heros. The squirmy topic is enough to get under the skin if it wasn't so computer generated imagery driven. Worse still army men and quarantine symbols are much more common than the horrors. The economical use of out of the norm "viral" or military tropes lets petty coming of age stuff take center stage. Ultimately it struck me as a little too slow, a little toom fake, and a little too bland. Format: Digital [HD]
234. Death of a Unicorn (2025, 107 minutes) ★★½✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ Rewatching DoaU I enjoyed it a tad more but it's such a baffling failure. Movies like Death of a Unicorn have started to tarnish the once exciting reputation of A24 taking a seemingly fresh idea then shoehorning it in a daft framework. The unicorn is a great idea and DoaU spoils it with heavy handed medical subplot or it's class warfare commentary. It's worse crime is that it never lets the unicorns be majestic or even much fun (at first they're too busy being run over or dissected then of mutating into some sort of generic computer generated horror). The conputer generated effects are distracting. As a metaphor for science versus commerce it holds sime strength; but that's an awful tradeoff giving away magical unicorns for socioeconomic banter. Jenna Ortega can make anything more magical but try as we might she will never be the sort of actual unicorn we wre promsied. A lot of the actors here are favorites known for good work who seem somehow miscast (Paul Rudd was great in Friendship but doesn't have the intensity for horror; same with Sunita Mani). Surprisingly Will Poultner nails his role here. Overall I don't feel DoaU lives up to it's immediately amusing title and is kind of a chore to get through; a surprising failure of an idea that would feel bulletproof. Format: Digital [UHD] Subset
235. Beezle (2024, 82 minutes) ★★★★★★½✰✰✰ Beezel feels like a unique premise handled with a clever story structure. It uses all manner of cinematic tricks to legitimately make the house seem interesting including vintage stock, angles, first person, film within a film, interview, found footage, etc. Telling it's story over several generations is a smart idea and each segments feels like it builds on the last. The film shows us what is going on in an introduction but somehow maintains a sense of mystery through the end. It's conflict is less between the often oblivious characters and staged to where we viewers know and there is a casual comedic irony. I thought the generational device broke the pacing so it felt less slow burn that it was. I also enjoyed Val by married/co-directors/co-writers Aaron and Victoria Fradkin; they seem like people to follow. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme
236. C.A.M. (2021, 85 minutes) ★✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ A poorly made found footage thriller that bets on a twist which seems awkward and nihilistic rather than chilling. The filming is awkwardly marred with illegible sound as proof the makers are willing to destroy their film to convince us of it's legitimacy. The found footage film is not convincing and seems to require red skull inter-titles. I think the idea of parasite horror is a promising one taking something like science to plausible conclusion. At it's best C.A.M. is a low budget forgettable zombie style film; but even if that is your interest there is an entirely dumb 'twist.' Adding a conspiracy minded paranoid to a medical thriller pseudo-zombie film somewhat comes with the territory but this one tanks an already lackluster film. Other reviews are suggesting this is 'anti-vax' but it seemed too far out to be anything other than thriller minded fantasy without much preaching or subtext. I wish it had gotten more far out with the parasite angle. Format: Digital [HD] 1st

October 31 [Halloween Theme Night] (7 hours, 38 minutes watched)
237. Everyone is Going to Die (2023, 82 minutes) ★★★★½✰✰✰✰✰ A home invasion film with iffy acting but works anyway. It's tense, just weird enough, and unpredictable. The lead seems like a self dealing jerk so threats against him aren't unrelatable giving some moral ambiguity but maybe they smear him too much (so having his 16 year old daughter around on her birthday seems like a game balance). Some of the developments feel convenient but in bringing up themes beyond the home invasion these feel like thematic abstractions. The soundtrack is a low key intense one that might be easy to not notice but tense; and the pop songs it incorporated have a somber bar song feel (especially an 'everybody's going to die' introductory song by Church of the Cosmic Skull). Chiara D'Anna does well as a meek morally compromised home invader. Eventually some of the twistedness wears thin especially with an unexpected 'game' but this is also when it slides from a general money robbery to something weird and more personal seeming. This was an enjoyable indie film for people willing to give the production shortcomings some forgiveness. Format: Digital [HD] 1st
238. Be My Cat: A Film for Anne (2015, 87 minutes) ★★★★★★½✰✰✰ Writer/director/star Adrian Tofei does creepy well and infuses the film with a clever dark comedy; it's intentionally grating in content but to good effect. The Anne Hathaway obsession premise is smart but wears thin eventually, which fits well with the creepiness. It's multilayered and unrelenting. Partially improvised in a series of first take it has a natural gritty style which helps the material. It gets a bit too dark sometimes, which is the point, but retains it's meta clever narrative. The layers help where each participant is in an indie method acting film, about a film they expect, and the twisted Anne Hathaway motive. There is a somewhat climatic scene with one of the actresses that highlights a lot of the sly philosophical themes that make BmC more than just another found footage horror. The ending feels a little anticlimatic but shifts the film to a more intellectual abstraction of the methods it takes moving from beyond the camera into the human prinicple of it. "Everybody know that we are making a movie, please don't scream ok." Format: Digital [HD] 1st
239. Bad Candy (2020, 104 minutes) ★★★★★½✰✰✰✰ Fits the bill for atmospheric Halloween merriment. The staging doesn't often look real but they stuff so many well lit jack o lanterns in the screen it oozes ambience. There is a horror radio dj framework, an example of how BC doesn't seem especially original but is fun enough at it. Some of the effects were modest but there were a few times it got a bit more gnarly. My favorite was a silly sleazy short morgue scene but some like a drug dealer segment took too long for too little. I really enjoyed Bad Candy; it was dumb fun and the sort of go for broke seasonal stuff we need more of. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme
240. Tales of Halloween (2015, 97 minutes) ★★★★★½✰✰✰✰ Every year I see to reach to Tales of Halloween. I know it's not great and is pretty inconsistent stuff. Sometimes a pitch perfect Halloween thing (like dueling Halloween neighbors) and otherwise a little crass (like a fun clever slasher homage) or silly (like the pumpkin one). Each year I notice or drawn to different segments, it has something for every mood. It's a good movie for the day featuring some legendary directors (Neil Marshall, Lucky Mcgee, Mike Mendez) and actors (Adrienne Barbeau, Caroline Williams, etc); there's a lot of talent in display. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme
241. Black Cab (2024, 88 minutes) ★★★★✰✰✰✰✰✰ An atmospheric road movie that feels right with folk horror tropes but sometimes Nick Frost and Synnove Karlsen feel like they're alone on the side of the road. Nick Frost can be good but it sometimes seems like he needs to be restrained from a hammy tendency to overdo it. His character ends up feeling a bit one dimension but less eerie than a ghostly vision so he doesn't always work like the film needs him to carry it. Rather than much evolving ideas it feels like a samey drive down the same nocturnal road despite a few twists. Occassional a ghostly visual was more striking. To be honest I watched this late in a horror movie marathon and whole it didn't grab me I may need to revisit it in better context. Format: Digital [HD] 1st

Novembrr 1 [Comedy Crossover Until Dawn Theme Night] (2 hours, 23 minutes watched)
242. Bikini Bloodbath (2006, 72 minutes) ★★★★½✰✰✰✰✰ It's late at night and I'm in the mood for something dumb. Bikini Bloodbath seems like the sort of weird guilty pleasure worth checking out (I know it spawned two sequels so I'll ignore some red flags). It has a shot of video look that probably elevates this sort of cheap silly horror. "Oh yeah! We're having our own sleepover, guys only... wth balloons!" Cue upbeat pop punk music over a grocery montage after a murdering chef - it's magically weird stuff that combines horror, girls party, and comedy. The low key hair metal soundtrack by (apparently real) band White Liger is fun. There is a killer on the lose with a wild professional garb. There are a few chuckles to be had, it's a fun film; totally stupid but willingly so. It wasnt especially funny or sleazy but more cartoonish. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme
243. Bikini Bloodbath: Car Wash (2008, 71 minutes) ★★½✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ A stupider same style followup to Bikini Bloodbath. The closeted lesbian teacher Miss Johnson had some of the best lines. This time they added a few more characters like exchange students or a male teacher than really are more hammy (but not in an awesome way). It was fun to see the ridiculous killer again; but BBC follows too much the same notes as the first it almost feels like a rehash. The ending is amazingly ridiculous but brief. This one felt less original and slightly less fun. Let's go get some waffles... Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme
000. Bikini Bloodbath: Christmas [finished after dusk](2009, 73 minutes) ★✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰ The bikini trilogy finishes up cheesier but more energetic. The Miss Johnson character here is a lot less funnier played by an obvious guy with a horrible accent and humor a little less clever. They added more bathroom humor too. It recycled a lot of jokes that might have been stupidly funny to rehash in the second film but Dos Tacos scene can only be as funny once, dumb to revisit, but by the third time we're getting tiresome. There is a sort of weird referential meta humor revisiting the same general plot and even jokes again and again. RIP Bikini Bloodbath may we never again hear of Dos Tacos, fellatio in the hot tub, or deal with Miss Johnson yet again a fourth time - I was glad to meet you the first time but not sorry to see you go. Format: Digital [HD] 1st Theme

Last edited by Undeadcow; 11-07-25 at 12:58 PM.
Old 10-08-25 | 02:40 PM
  #83  
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DVD Talk Special Edition
 
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Re: The 21st Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***The List Thread***

The 21st Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge"
Blue = First Time View
Red = Rewatch
2025-10-07
1. The Dismembered (1962) tubi
2025-10-14
2. The Mummy And The Monkey’s Hairy Scary Hangout: Teenage Zombies (2025-10-10/1959) YouTube
3. RiffTrax Presents Bridget & Mary Jo: Frankenstein's Daughter (2020/1958) tubi
4. RiffTrax Presents Bridget & Mary Jo: Bride Of The Gorilla (2020/1951) tubi
5. The AGFA Horror Trailer Show (2021) tubi
2025-10-15
6. Nightmare Weekend (1986) tubi
7. The Doll Of Satan (1969) tubi
8. The Naked Witch (1961) tubi
2025-10-19
9. The Vampire's Ghost (1945) YouTube
10. Fangs (1981) YouTube
Note: An Egyptian remake/ripoff of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" with no English subtitles or dubbing.
I couldn’t understand everything but I could see the similarities and differences.
An hour and 22 minutes in a guy puts on a Rocky Horror Picture Show T-Shirt!

2025-10-20
11. House Of The Wolf Man (2009) YouTube
12. How To Make A Monster (1958) YouTube
Note: One of the movies in the Prize Packs!
2025-10-29
14. Creature Feature Friday: Love At First Bite (2025-09-03/1979) YouTube
Note: Unfortunately they played the wrong song…
2025-10-31
15. Disciples Of The Crow (1983) YouTube
16. The Mummy And The Monkey’s Pumpkin Spice Halloween Special 8: Z-ero (2025-10-31/2023) YouTube







Last edited by KaBluie; 10-31-25 at 09:37 PM.

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