Comments, Suggestions & Feedback for the 2008 "October Horror Movie Challenge"...
08-17-08, 07:34 PM
#152
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You can. Those are just suggestions for the list of movies for people to share in that's completely optional.
08-17-08, 07:45 PM
#153
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For me, part of the fun of the challenges is deciding what I feel like watching each day, so I know I'm not likely to stick to a list of films that I have to watch on predetermined days. But I'm interested to see a list of "essentials." I used the previous challenges as an excuse to watch unwatched DVDs, but I realized recently that I haven't watched a lot of my favorite horror films in several years. So this year I thought I'd spend the last week or so in October watching those. The list might remind me to rewatch something I'd forgotten about.
My suggestions for the list: The Abominable Dr. Phibes and/or The Pit and the Pendulum.
My suggestions for the list: The Abominable Dr. Phibes and/or The Pit and the Pendulum.
08-17-08, 08:09 PM
#155
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Before I forget...
For the early birds that prefer to plan your lists in advance and include TCM programming in them, I've compiled the list of eligible titles from their October schedule:
Unfortunately it's a bit of a let down because there will A) be no Friday horror marathons
like last year and B) things don't really kick off until the second half of the month. At least the last two days don't disappoint.
Obviously this will be placed in the main thread as well.
Unfortunately it's a bit of a let down because there will A) be no Friday horror marathons
like last year and B) things don't really kick off until the second half of the month. At least the last two days don't disappoint. Obviously this will be placed in the main thread as well.
Last edited by Chad; 08-17-08 at 08:16 PM.
08-17-08, 08:19 PM
#158
DVD Talk Gold Edition
I'm not suggesting any changes, but it seems like there should be someway that "Tales from the Crypt" could count for more than just wildcards.
I would also suggest that people consider "Cube" as a title to watch in October. There are only a handful of horror movies that really had me on edge while watching it, and this was one of them.
I would also suggest that people consider "Cube" as a title to watch in October. There are only a handful of horror movies that really had me on edge while watching it, and this was one of them.
08-17-08, 08:22 PM
#159
DVD Talk Legend
Code:
Turner Classic Movies --> October 2008 Schedule of Qualifying Titles: October 22 1:45 AM - Cat People (1942) 3:00 AM - I Walked With A Zombie (1943)[/list]
08-17-08, 09:40 PM
#162
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This is one of my favorite guilty pleasures from the 80's - still very entertaining and perfect for watching around Halloween. I'll definitly be giving my dvd a spin come October
Last edited by Mountain Biker; 08-17-08 at 09:43 PM.
08-17-08, 10:56 PM
#163
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08-18-08, 01:00 AM
#164
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
For me, part of the fun of the challenges is deciding what I feel like watching each day, so I know I'm not likely to stick to a list of films that I have to watch on predetermined days. But I'm interested to see a list of "essentials." I used the previous challenges as an excuse to watch unwatched DVDs, but I realized recently that I haven't watched a lot of my favorite horror films in several years. So this year I thought I'd spend the last week or so in October watching those. The list might remind me to rewatch something I'd forgotten about.
My suggestions for the list: The Abominable Dr. Phibes and/or The Pit and the Pendulum.
My suggestions for the list: The Abominable Dr. Phibes and/or The Pit and the Pendulum.
08-18-08, 01:45 AM
#165
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Originally Posted by Numes
I'm not suggesting any changes, but it seems like there should be someway that "Tales from the Crypt" could count for more than just wildcards.
08-18-08, 06:22 AM
#166
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Like I said, I'm not suggesting any changes, but it seems like should count... but the way the challenge is structured and the history of the challenge, I am definitely not offering it as a change. I was just looking at my collection and completely forgot about that series...and it reminded me of how I felt about the series when I watched them as a kid.
Last edited by Numes; 08-18-08 at 06:58 AM.
08-18-08, 07:26 AM
#167
Challenge Guru & Comic Nerd
The lists I ignored in the Holiday Challenge, were long lists packed with short items (like tv shows) that I felt were inconsequential; lists that seemed to me to more driven by quantity than quality. Again, this is a personal judgement, not so much against the members compiling the lists as by me knowing that I only had a limited amount of time to devote to the challenge, so I chose to seek out new and obscure stuff that I hadn't seen before. I found that I wound up missing many of my traditional favorites (something I plan not to happen this year). As such I paid more attention to members who seemed to have goals like mine. This is not a value judgement against those who had long lists. I just approached the challenge with a different mindset.
Just because some people had more time to watch some stuff you are not interested in, does not mean that their goals were off from yours, or that they didn't watch the same films you would most be interested in discussing.
It looks great so far. If we're going more the traditional "essentials" route then we'd be remiss to exclude Re-Animator from consideration. And you simply cannot have a horror list without including Bava's Black Sunday. To add some Eastern flavor to the mix Audition is a definite contender ...and if not that particular one at least another Asian horror film for the sake of variety. Then there's a couple of Italian ones that I always include: Suspiria and Zombie (Zombi 2).
Looks like I'll need to have my DVR completely empty by the 30th, just to even have a small chance to keep up with all that content.
08-18-08, 07:58 AM
#168
Challenge Guru & Comic Nerd
I'd like to suggest something that is somewhat of a major change.
One pretty big problem with the list thread, imo, is that many people will miss many of the updates. Once everyone signs up to the list thread, there are few updates/email notifications.
I'm pretty committed to the group participation of these challenges, and I tried to go back and scan all pages of the list thread periodically to see people's updates. But even me, with my OCD and constant checking, probably missed a lot of cool comments. For example, last year the list only hit five pages, less than 200 posts (I imagine all of you are on the 40 post per page setting). How many people took the time to go back and look at all the changes on the early pages? I would imagine that many people just looked at the last page.
If everyone posted a weekly list instead of just one long list, there would be more updates to that thread, and more chance of people seeing everyone's comments. People have complained about reading long lists. Wouldn't it be easier to read four or so shorts lists than one huge list? And the shorter lists would be constantly coming as as new email notifications and bumps to the thread, rather than expecting everyone to constantly go thru the entire thread looking at lists trying to figure out what it new and what they have already read multiple times.
I don't think it would make the list thread too unwieldy. We had what, 130 lists last year? Some of us had to break it into multiple posts for space reasons, but even if everyone did four, or even seven, list posts, they all still fit in one thread.
I think I've failed in communicating this idea clearly, but it makes perfect sense in my head.
One pretty big problem with the list thread, imo, is that many people will miss many of the updates. Once everyone signs up to the list thread, there are few updates/email notifications.
I'm pretty committed to the group participation of these challenges, and I tried to go back and scan all pages of the list thread periodically to see people's updates. But even me, with my OCD and constant checking, probably missed a lot of cool comments. For example, last year the list only hit five pages, less than 200 posts (I imagine all of you are on the 40 post per page setting). How many people took the time to go back and look at all the changes on the early pages? I would imagine that many people just looked at the last page.
If everyone posted a weekly list instead of just one long list, there would be more updates to that thread, and more chance of people seeing everyone's comments. People have complained about reading long lists. Wouldn't it be easier to read four or so shorts lists than one huge list? And the shorter lists would be constantly coming as as new email notifications and bumps to the thread, rather than expecting everyone to constantly go thru the entire thread looking at lists trying to figure out what it new and what they have already read multiple times.
I don't think it would make the list thread too unwieldy. We had what, 130 lists last year? Some of us had to break it into multiple posts for space reasons, but even if everyone did four, or even seven, list posts, they all still fit in one thread.
I think I've failed in communicating this idea clearly, but it makes perfect sense in my head.
08-18-08, 08:45 AM
#170
If everyone posted a weekly list instead of just one long list, there would be more updates to that thread, and more chance of people seeing everyone's comments. People have complained about reading long lists. Wouldn't it be easier to read four or so shorts lists than one huge list? And the shorter lists would be constantly coming as as new email notifications and bumps to the thread, rather than expecting everyone to constantly go thru the entire thread looking at lists trying to figure out what it new and what they have already read multiple times.
I don't think it would make the list thread too unwieldy. We had what, 130 lists last year? Some of us had to break it into multiple posts for space reasons, but even if everyone did four, or even seven, list posts, they all still fit in one thread.
08-18-08, 09:09 AM
#171
DVD Talk Gold Edition
To Trevor's comments:
1. I don't think the post length bug is there anymore. Take a look at my Sci-Fi challenge list. I kept anticipating that I would run into the bug, but it never happened. I even did a test and added about 10,000 characters to get an idea of when I would have to start my new list and it never gave be the bug. With the vBulletin update, though, who knows?
2. I can't speak for everyone, but for the last 3 challenges (Sci-Fi, Academy Award, and Holiday) if I reviewed the lists, it was all or nothing. I would do it at least once every few days and kind of just scan the edit dates for all the posts (or just re-scan everyone's lists.) I know that I may be in the minority, but that's how I would do it. Personally, I would rather have each individual's list in a single post.
1. I don't think the post length bug is there anymore. Take a look at my Sci-Fi challenge list. I kept anticipating that I would run into the bug, but it never happened. I even did a test and added about 10,000 characters to get an idea of when I would have to start my new list and it never gave be the bug. With the vBulletin update, though, who knows?
2. I can't speak for everyone, but for the last 3 challenges (Sci-Fi, Academy Award, and Holiday) if I reviewed the lists, it was all or nothing. I would do it at least once every few days and kind of just scan the edit dates for all the posts (or just re-scan everyone's lists.) I know that I may be in the minority, but that's how I would do it. Personally, I would rather have each individual's list in a single post.
08-18-08, 02:34 PM
#172
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
I also used to scan the entire list thread periodically after my updates. I'd also like to remind more people to put a link to their list in their signature when the challenge starts. I recall it being a bone of contention one year when some people made new posts with every update. It made for a very cluttered thread.
08-18-08, 03:05 PM
#173
Challenge Guru & Comic Nerd
I guess I'm in the minority, or even solo on that idea, won't be the first time.
I just thought I was in the very small minority of people that would actually take the time to go back and scan all the old posts, when only a few of them were getting regular updates.
With weekly posts, once we read a page, we'd be done with that page and never have to look at it again. All the updates would come in new posts.
Ah well, just trying to be lazy maybe, to leave more time for watching. My goal is only to do maybe 100 this year, mainly just to keep up with our possible daily mini-challenge, and to compete the checklist of course.
I just thought I was in the very small minority of people that would actually take the time to go back and scan all the old posts, when only a few of them were getting regular updates.
With weekly posts, once we read a page, we'd be done with that page and never have to look at it again. All the updates would come in new posts.
Ah well, just trying to be lazy maybe, to leave more time for watching. My goal is only to do maybe 100 this year, mainly just to keep up with our possible daily mini-challenge, and to compete the checklist of course.
08-18-08, 06:59 PM
#174
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
I don't remember if this was in the checklist last year, but I think we should add "watched a movie with a title that begins "Return of the" and "Attack of the"".
08-18-08, 09:28 PM
#175
DVD Talk Gold Edition
If we going to have a list of essentials, we must have at least one of the Vincent Price pictures (I recommend PIT AND THE PENDULUM) and one Hammer film (maybe HORROR OF DRACULA)
