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100 Movies. 31 Days. The 4th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (Oct 1-31) Pt 2

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100 Movies. 31 Days. The 4th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (Oct 1-31) Pt 2

Old 10-23-08, 02:25 PM
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Originally Posted by edwardnortonfan
My problem with "The Beyond," as stupid as this sounds, is that it's a bunch of images strewn together with no plot. I know everyone says all of Fulci's movies are like that, but it's not true. The first ones I saw of his were "City of the Living Dead," "Zombie," and "House by the Cemetery," and those might not have the most COHERENT plot in the world, but they're all trying to tell a story that advances as the movie goes on, so when I watched "The Beyond" and it was like a big acid trip and not much else, I was really irritated because of what I expected from my experiences with the other three movies. Some of the images are really cool in "The Beyond" but other than that it doesn't make a lick of sense. That bothered me about "Suspiria" at first too, because my first experience with Argento was "The Bird with the Crystal Plumage" so seeing a movie like "Suspiria" with much more style than plot grated on my nerves. After awhile "Suspiria" grew on me and I enjoy it now, but I still can't get into "The Beyond." I'm pleased that "Don't Torture a Duckling" was another Fulci movie with a discernible story to go with its haunting images.

So you're saying House By The Cemetery made perfect sense to you? What about the ending and that crazy quote at the end that says something to the effect of "No one knows for certain whether children are monsters or monsters are children." I'm sorry, but I think that flick is pretty trippy in its own right. Sure The Beyond is trippy. I think all Fulci's zombie movies are. It doesn't hurt that he really took a lot from the style of Suspiria with this one. However, I understood the plot more to this one, though simplistic it may be. Basically There's one of the 7 doors to hell that happens to be located in these folks' basement. I think the old U.S. video title was 7 Doors of Death or something like that. This dude back in the old days tried to open it, and the people from the village killed him for it. At least that's how I remember it...it's been several years since I watched it. They accidentally open the door which brings death (a.k.a. zombies) to reign terror on the world. Thus, the dead rise, and things start getting pretty sucky for the rest of the people.
Old 10-23-08, 05:13 PM
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Originally Posted by Dick Laurent
When is the cut-off for editing our posts? If we're going to be allowed to watch until dawn Halloween night, how much time do we have to update our list?
For the past 2 challenges I've had the results thread posted on November 9, so you can expect it up around the same time this year. I'd appreciate if everyone could have their lists completed within a week at the very least. And if for some reason you can't get it finalized by that time, I may go ahead and post the thread with what you have listed up to that point, but I will go back and edit accordingly once you let me know it's completed.

Originally Posted by Dick Laurent
Just today I'm behind adding about four movies right now. I'll definately need some time to finalize.
You and me both. As of this post, I'm currently behind adding around 15 movies. Thankfully I've taken the time to write them all down on the back of a Psychology Today renewal envelope.
Old 10-23-08, 05:30 PM
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I watched Xtro last night. Boy was that a doozy! Women giving birth to fully grown men, killer life-size G.I. Joes, random panthers, and a nude D'Abo sister. An entertaining if unintelligible 82 minutes. From a Whisper to a Scream, unfortunately, was far less watchable. An anthology film with Vincent Price in one of his final roles, as well as phoned-in cameo from Lawrence Tierney, this was a crashing bore, with idiotic stories and atrocious performances. For those who have had the misfortune of sitting through it, could you please explain the first story to me?
Spoiler:
What the fuck was that mutant baby at the end? Was that the mongoloid child of his possible incestuous relationship with his sister, or was it an utterly random way to simply end the segment?
Also, Frogs sucked. The pacing is glacial, the line readings of the seemingly amateur cast (save a robotic, wheelchair-bound Ray Milland) laughable, and the titular frogs don't even kill anyone, they simply hop around pointlessly. The novelty of watching a young, stashe-less Sam Elliot amble amicably wears off rather quicky.

Last edited by NoirFan; 10-23-08 at 05:34 PM.
Old 10-23-08, 07:18 PM
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Like, watching Bats today. I only watched it on FX as I saw Lou Diamond Phillips was in it, so thought it would be good but watching it was like eh.
Old 10-23-08, 08:45 PM
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Originally Posted by Chad
For the past 2 challenges I've had the results thread posted on November 9, so you can expect it up around the same time this year. I'd appreciate if everyone could have their lists completed within a week at the very least. And if for some reason you can't get it finalized by that time, I may go ahead and post the thread with what you have listed up to that point, but I will go back and edit accordingly once you let me know it's completed.
Thanks, I plan to be done that weekend. First part of the week at the latest.


Originally Posted by Chad
...Thankfully I've taken the time to write them all down on the back of a Psychology Today renewal envelope.
That's kind of heavy reading (the magazine, not the envelope) for a horror-movie marathon, don't you think? But I bet it complements the Friday and Texas Massacre films quite well. Norman Bates, too. Okay, maybe not heavy reading, how about appropriate reading!
Old 10-23-08, 08:49 PM
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Originally Posted by NoirFan
Also, Frogs sucked. The pacing is glacial, the line readings of the seemingly amateur cast (save a robotic, wheelchair-bound Ray Milland) laughable, and the titular frogs don't even kill anyone, they simply hop around pointlessly. The novelty of watching a young, stashe-less Sam Elliot amble amicably wears off rather quicky.
In my comment on the film, I mentioned that a more appropriate title for it would be, “a lot of people die by being clumsy, and frogs are nearby when it happens.”

That was The Happening of it's time. I fell for it twice.
Old 10-23-08, 09:05 PM
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I loved Frogs as a kid... it freaked me out.
Old 10-23-08, 10:02 PM
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Watching frogs would be more exciting than watching Frogs. I'm sure that Death Bed: The Bed That Eats will be riveting in comparison.
Old 10-24-08, 12:28 AM
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Originally Posted by NoirFan
I watched Xtro last night. Boy was that a doozy! Women giving birth to fully grown men
I love that. I remember watching Miike's "Gozu" and saying "wow, did he just steal that from Xtro?".
Old 10-24-08, 06:00 AM
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Originally Posted by stonecountry
So you're saying House By The Cemetery made perfect sense to you? What about the ending and that crazy quote at the end that says something to the effect of "No one knows for certain whether children are monsters or monsters are children." I'm sorry, but I think that flick is pretty trippy in its own right. Sure The Beyond is trippy. I think all Fulci's zombie movies are. It doesn't hurt that he really took a lot from the style of Suspiria with this one. However, I understood the plot more to this one, though simplistic it may be. Basically There's one of the 7 doors to hell that happens to be located in these folks' basement. I think the old U.S. video title was 7 Doors of Death or something like that. This dude back in the old days tried to open it, and the people from the village killed him for it. At least that's how I remember it...it's been several years since I watched it. They accidentally open the door which brings death (a.k.a. zombies) to reign terror on the world. Thus, the dead rise, and things start getting pretty sucky for the rest of the people.
I never said it made perfect sense. In my original post, I said of the three movies I listed: "those might not have the most COHERENT plot in the world, but they're all trying to tell a story that advances as the movie goes on."

General information about the plots of "The Beyond" and "House by the Cemetery" below, this warning is for people reading email notifications, here there be spoilers.

Spoiler:
With "The Beyond," I got that there was a door to hell and it was opened somehow though no one can explain how, but then it must have been opened since zombies are all over now killing a blind girl who wanders around and narrates nonsensically until she's killed and then they keep killing people until suddenly the male and female lead discover they're in love after knowing each other for two seconds and then they try to fight the evil for five minutes until they end up in a painting.

To me, "House by the Cemetery" has the weakest plot of the three movies I listed, but a guy trying to be immortal who turns himself and his guinea pigs into zombies until he's killed in the end makes a heck of a lot more sense than "Hey, let's fight zombies! Hey, we're in a painting. The end." I always considered the little girl in "House by the Cemetery" to be a ghost trying to help the family, so I figured the quote at the end was referring to her, but even though that doesn't make total sense, in my opinion, it's still more intelligible than the painting thing from "The Beyond."


So, in my opinion, the story of "House by the Cemetery" advances to an ending that makes a lot more sense than the ending of "The Beyond," so it leaves me with the impression that the movie makes more sense than "The Beyond."

Last edited by edwardnortonfan; 10-24-08 at 06:11 AM.
Old 10-24-08, 06:05 AM
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Originally Posted by NoirFan
Also, Frogs sucked. The pacing is glacial, the line readings of the seemingly amateur cast (save a robotic, wheelchair-bound Ray Milland) laughable, and the titular frogs don't even kill anyone, they simply hop around pointlessly. The novelty of watching a young, stashe-less Sam Elliot amble amicably wears off rather quicky.
I'm sorry that you watched "Frogs." You have my condolences. The only reason I enjoyed it was because my friends and I mocked it mercilessly while we watched it.
Old 10-24-08, 08:01 AM
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I had forgotten how much I love the Phantasm movies notably the first and fourth films, saw part III for the first time, waiting for my import copy of Part II - I simply can't wait for V which is supposedly in the works.
Old 10-24-08, 04:38 PM
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Only in the unique, twisted world of Phantasm could a balding, pony-tailed ice-cream truck driver be presented as viable leading man material.
Old 10-24-08, 05:10 PM
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Originally Posted by Giles
I had forgotten how much I love the Phantasm movies notably the first and fourth films, saw part III for the first time, waiting for my import copy of Part II - I simply can't wait for V which is supposedly in the works.
Despite the IMDB's listing, I think the writer's strike may put a stop to any such plans:

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HQ4_7CE6I_s&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HQ4_7CE6I_s&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Then again, Reggie went on to say "there's always a possibility."

Whatever the case, it better happen soon because Angus Scrimm isn't getting any younger.
Old 10-24-08, 09:01 PM
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I've been trying to finish out the Mirror Mirror boxset for this challenge and it's been....a challenge. Watched Part 3 the other night, absolutely horrid. Pretty obvious they shoehorned the Mirror into it after they had already made a normal film. And what are people thinking when they cast Billy Drago as a lead???
Old 10-24-08, 11:31 PM
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The best thing that I love about doing the challenge every year is that I get to watch those movies that I had put away for a few years. Comming back to them after not viewing them for a long time is almost like watching a whole new movie.
Old 10-25-08, 12:26 AM
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Originally Posted by edwardnortonfan
I never said it made perfect sense. In my original post, I said of the three movies I listed: "those might not have the most COHERENT plot in the world, but they're all trying to tell a story that advances as the movie goes on."

So, in my opinion, the story of "House by the Cemetery" advances to an ending that makes a lot more sense than the ending of "The Beyond," so it leaves me with the impression that the movie makes more sense than "The Beyond."
I see your point when you put it like that. Personally, I think most all Fulci's films are a little surreal with open ended meanings that perhaps only he knows. That's pretty par for the course with European horror of that era though, especially zombie flicks. Without spoiling anything for those who haven't seen it, the ending of Cemetery Man, another European zombie flick, reminds me a great deal of the ending of The Beyond. It's different but similar.



On another note, I just finally watched Diary of the Dead for the first time, and I really don't get the overall hate for this movie. I mean, the social commentary is definitely poured on in globs, but one could argue that in the times we live in, it's never been more pertinent, especially to the kind of overall purpose of Romero's zombie flicks. I think if George released this one back in 2005 instead of Land of the Dead, people may think differently of it.

Speaking of Diary of the Dead, did Simon Pegg have a cameo in it? He's thanked in the credits, and I heard he had a cameo, but I for the life of me didn't see him. Any help here?

Last edited by stonecountry; 10-25-08 at 12:30 AM.
Old 10-25-08, 07:05 AM
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Originally Posted by stonecountry
Speaking of Diary of the Dead, did Simon Pegg have a cameo in it? He's thanked in the credits, and I heard he had a cameo, but I for the life of me didn't see him. Any help here?
simon pegg, stephen king, wes craven, quentin tarantino and guillermo del toro all played "newsreaders" so they all did the voiceover stuff you hear from the radios.
Old 10-25-08, 07:20 AM
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Originally Posted by stonecountry
I see your point when you put it like that. Personally, I think most all Fulci's films are a little surreal with open ended meanings that perhaps only he knows. That's pretty par for the course with European horror of that era though, especially zombie flicks. Without spoiling anything for those who haven't seen it, the ending of Cemetery Man, another European zombie flick, reminds me a great deal of the ending of The Beyond. It's different but similar.



On another note, I just finally watched Diary of the Dead for the first time, and I really don't get the overall hate for this movie. I mean, the social commentary is definitely poured on in globs, but one could argue that in the times we live in, it's never been more pertinent, especially to the kind of overall purpose of Romero's zombie flicks. I think if George released this one back in 2005 instead of Land of the Dead, people may think differently of it.
Sometimes I think Fulci was putting us all on and the endings didn't really mean anything. :-P

I, too, really liked "Diary of the Dead" and didn't get why so many people hated this movie. I don't think it has any more social commentary than Dawn or Day or Land (especially Day) but people seemed to bash it a lot more. You're onto something when you mention that if it were released earlier it might have garnered a different reaction. I think there's already so much social commentary about the negative side of our society these days that people might be sick of hearing it. Perhaps if Diary were released earlier people would have seen it as ahead of its time in raising these issues and now people see it as more of the same depressing reflection of what's wrong with our society.
Old 10-25-08, 08:30 AM
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Originally Posted by edwardnortonfan
Sometimes I think Fulci was putting us all on and the endings didn't really mean anything. :-P

I think there's already so much social commentary about the negative side of our society these days that people might be sick of hearing it. Perhaps if Diary were released earlier people would have seen it as ahead of its time in raising these issues and now people see it as more of the same depressing reflection of what's wrong with our society.

I think you hit the nail on the head right there on both accounts.
Old 10-25-08, 01:45 PM
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A Mini Tribute to Bob...

Originally Posted by edwardnortonfan
House by the Cemetery

The Many Faces of Bob












Who's Bob?

http://monsterhunter.coldfusionvideo...eCemetery.html

Along with Norm, the Boyles consist of a drug-dependent wife and a little blonde kid with gigantic lips named Bob. The movie was dubbed and once again, somehow they manage to find voices that sound nothing like a real human being. Whoever dubbed Bob's part is the worst offender. It's high pitched and sounds like a very effeminate man. This adds to the creepiness of the whole affair because, everytime I hear Bob squeal, "Mommy! Mommy! There's something in the basement!" I imagine that it's a drag queen saying these things. Bobby is one of those Italian-horror-movie-kids that sees strange things, hears voices and plays with children who have been dead a century.


What's Bob up to these days?

http://www.myspace.com/therealgiovannifrezza

I am happily married and have three wonderful children. I live in Italy at the moment and work as a marketing manager for a multinational company. I am a black belt in Kung Fu and have a degree in Physics.
Old 10-25-08, 02:46 PM
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Originally Posted by Chad
The Many Faces of Bob
That's very interesting. Thanks for the research, Chad.
Old 10-25-08, 02:57 PM
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Who would believe that Lifetime Movie network would provide material usable for the Horror Movie Challenge? But I found out this morning it did help as I watched both Carrie and The Rage: Carrie 2 on there today. I also see AMC is finally kicking it into high gear with their fear fest.
Old 10-25-08, 04:52 PM
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And here I had erased Bob from my memory...
Old 10-25-08, 05:53 PM
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I guess you can find just about anybody on myspace...LOL.

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