The 5th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) LISTS GO HERE!

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

09-18-09, 09:35 PM

#26

terrycloth

DVD Talk Special Edition

Join Date: Sep 2007

Posts: 1,238

Likes: 0

Received 1 Like on 1 Post

Re: The 5th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***LISTS GO HERE!*

finalized

October 1:
1. The Haunted World Of El SuperBeasto: Im in the rarity here it seems and enjoy rob zombie films so i been waiting to watch this for a week for this challenge. i had its funny moments...worth a watch. the nudity in it is way over board tho.

2. Return of the Living Dead: I cant believe Iv waited so long to watch this movie. but finally did right up there on my favorite zombie list. and lets face it a naked chick dancing in a cemetary is always hot.

3. Return of the Living Dead 2: I was surprised i liked this too. I figured the sequals woulda sucked but imo this one while not as good held its own might have to purchase the others.

4. Phantasm: I love this movie and may finally watch the sequals for the challenge but two things bother me here...the boy/girl character creeps me out and they take things a little too easily. "Oooo you chopped a mans finger off and its still movie...well ok lets go get em"

5. Pelts: I wanted to stay clear of master of horrors, but i put on a dvr'ed ghosthunters episode with meatloaf in. So i had to put in pelts. great episode...meatloaf skinning himself is always priceless

6. Wicked Lake: enjoyable...prolly wont ever watch it again tho. while better imo it just felt like a Craft Knock off...just with more nudity. just couldnt like any of the characters.

7. Children of the Corn: Got this on BD finally checked it out..actually thought it was excellent..too bad the sequals are no where near this one.

October 2:

8. Suspiria: started another midnight go around but was only able to watch one. all time classic. the first death in it is still high on my all time overkill murder list.

9. Ghost Aventures-The Beginning: Ill use this as a wildcard bc i dont know if it counts or not, but i find this stuff creepier then horror movies...watch out for flying bricks!

10. The Frighteners: I dont know why this didnt do well when it was released i been a fan of this since i saw it in theatres with my brother. prolly my first introduction to humor in a genuinely creepy horror movie*for me at the time*

11. Dead Alive: to round out my favorite director theme i got me some lawnmower love from peter jackson.

October 3:

12. The Haunting: Watched this VHS from my packed away box for the theme of the day and remembered how much i hated this movie for the shitty cgi and i wanted to slap the lead chick she reminds me of eli manning always on the verge of crying.

13. Oasis of the Zombie: broke into one of those mill creeks 50 packs iv had for awhile and watched this. other then the shitty quality i actually had alot of fun with this title...but im pretty easy throw a zombie in high school musical and ill enjoy it. best part was the scenes were shot whenever apparently so no matter how light or dark out it was they kept saying if it was nighttime or daylight.

14. Sisters of death: another mill creek gem and again ended up enjoying it and was surprised i stayed awake bc by now it was getting late. the girl with the nicest rack died first which was shitty. lack of zombies was also dissapointed.

15. Zombies Vs. Ninjas: Started watching it got halfway thru before midnight so ill count it for the third. bought it at a convention for ten bucks never got around to it...and while no shaun of the dead by far i actually enjoyed this film. had its funny moments and wasnt done half bad. im gonna try to fit in some other indie stuff i have sitting on my shelfs i blind bought

October 4:
16. The Haunting In Conn: watched this one when i woke up to make up for the Haunting. i know this title got some crap, but overall i enjoyed the film. fairly creepy and wasnt completely run of the mill. for some reason tho the priest creeps me the hell out tho.

17. Ginger Snaps: finally got around to seeing this...im not huge on it. The girl was frikkin annoying in it. eh mayne ill re watch it later on.

18. An American Werewolf in London: went with a sure fire hit and watched this...my favorite werewolf transistion yet.

19. The Beast: with the success of zombies vs. Ninjas i went with another indie convention pick up...no clue what the fuck happened other then was was suppose to be a werewolf.

20. Dog Soldiers: broke in my BD copy which has no features and looks slightly worse then my dvd. still my fav werewolf movie tho

21. The Hills Run Red: Great tits and gore how can you go wrong? having characters you could care less about and no good killers to cheer for..o yeah and a predictable story! either way there was a few kills i thought were fun and overall the movie was short so it held my attention span.

October 5:
22. Grace: enjoyable...was expecting something completely different and disturbing. Knew nothing truly going into it cept for what i thought it might be about and it went a different route. will prolly enjoy it more on a re watch without the hype build up.

23. Fear Itself: New Years Day: blind bought the set. thought the first one was decent enjoyed it till the end's "twist" almost would of prefered a straight ending tho but altogether not bad.

24. Fear Itself: Something with bite: Also injoyed this. if they keep up this level of quality it was well worth the 20$. only problem here is the guy creeped me out in the couple scenes where hes staring blankly.

October 6:

25. The OffSpring: Jack Ketchum is easily my favorite author and all his movies have been solid for me including this one...while it didnt have the lasting effects that GND had it had a few "OOoo" moments. hopefully the rest ofthe ghosthouse releases are good.

26. Trick'rTreat: I was wondering if id find a better gem then return of the living dead for the challenge and found it. This movie i been waiting forever to see and loved every minute of it.

October 7:
damn my job wanting me t do a double..nothing today

October 8:
27. Zombieland: I was definetely a fun ride can already tell ill be watching this movie multiple times. not really a woody fan but loved him in this.

October 9:

28. The Children: slow start, but catches you off guard when it kicks it in gear. god i had kids.

29. Fear Itself: till death do us part: meh was into it until the end. didnt work with the rest of the movie it felt like they added it just to have a twist.

30. Seventh Moon: Im not usually picky on camera work but this movie really bothered me it was all over the place and alot of the movie was too dark it makes avp requim look like it was shot in the daylight. dad a few ok moments and was a pretty fast paced movie that helped...prolly my least fav for ghosthouse underground release

October 10:

31. Blair Witch Project: with all the talk of Paranormal Activity i been hearing i went and picked up a copy of this and forget how awesome it is.

32. Evil Dead 2: i forgot how much i love this movie. i tend to forget about it probally bc this one i dont own on dvd...need to fix that with the 10$ BD.

33. Fear Itself: Community: everybody in the episode was creepy but just bc they were creepy...like little kid creepy not im a good actor andim suppose to creep you out.

October 11:

34. Paranormal Actovity: maybe bc i just watched blair witch which imo is much much better, but i just couldnt get into it. by the time theend came i just didnt care. seems enjoyed by many on here will have to check it out again on dvd.

35. American Zombie: another shockumentary actually wasnt too bad especially in my field i laughed at alot of the references.

36. Bungalow of the Damned: Had a couple funny jokes but most fell short as typical high school penis humor. had a very Chuck Palknuik(sp) ending that made me laugh atleast. btw they had the worlds ugliest chicks.

October 12:
37. Bikini Blood Bath: After the last movie i figured id sleeze up today while i know most would hate this movie but i get a laugh at it. plus the girls look alot better then previous one.

38. Bikini BloodBath Carwash: of course the zombie chef needed a sequal and more of the same...cant wait for the christmas special.

39. Pervert: so glad im not the only one with this on his list had some fun with it. Just too long for its own good. my addiction to celebrity rehab made it all the better.

40. Death Bed the bed that eats: i knew that t was gonna be bad and had very low expectations but i lol was interested the entire way. ordered it on amazon right after my viewing.

41. Porn of the Dead: I bought this as a joke months ago to add to my zombie collection and me and the girl decided to check it out...wowalot more gorier then i figured...i was expecting pervet type horror not zombies biting off...well...

October 13:

42. Night of the Living Dead: Cant really say much other then whats been said prolly 50x already in this thread alone.

43. Night of the Living Dead Remake: I was REALLY surprised at how much i enjoyed the remake especially since i went into it wanting to hate it.

44. Dawn of the Dead: Amazingly this was a first time viewing and saw that it was 2 hrs and was amazed at how fast it went by. possibly my fav zombie movie.

45. Dawn of the Dead Remake: as a stand alone movie i enjoyed it and some nice cameos however i found most of the characters annoying compared to the original.

October 14:

46. The Last House on the Left: kept the remake going strong and i really enjoyed this movie and imo stands up to the original from what i remember might have to revisit it also later this month.

47. Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door: the one movie i voewed to never watch again. it was a lil easier this time knowing what to expect. im still amazed at all the movies iv seen this is what broke me.

48. The Burning: My Favorite Slasher thats in need of a better release and a cover that looks like someone put effort into.

October 15:

49. Nightmare on Elm St:figured id gowith a slasher theme after watching the burning. fav of the series next to new nightmare (minus the ending)

50. Friday The 13th VI: one of my favorite jason movies. this movie OOZES the 80s. i need to update to thenew deluxe versions.

51. Hatchet: this movie gets alot of shit, but im a big fan of any movie with over the top gore and great cameos.

52. Child's Play: My all time fav movie when i was younger unfortunately i just doesnt hold up for me...or thatim just bored with it from watching it so much.

October 16:

53. Zombie 2: Zombiefest begins. another amazing first time viewing and rivals romeros zombiefest. alot of memorable scenes.

54. Zombie Zombie Zombie vs. Strippers: complete nonsense but it has boobs and zombies...so whatever it works.

55. Dead Snow: Zombie Nazis in the snow. Seemed like a masterpiece compared to the last movie.

56. The Dead Next Door: possibly one of my fav endings of a movie. not the greatest but iv seen worth def worth checking out.

October 17:

57. Drag Me to Hell: the return of sam raimi? check, a movie that lives up to the original two evil dead? Check. for some reason i went into this film expecting the worse..possibly my hatred of the spiderman movies, but loved everything about this movie including the "shitty" cgi i heard so much abought.

58. Die You Zombie Bastards: watched on netflix and honestly very forgetable as a few days later and i cant remember much about it.

59. May: the fact this movie held my attention when i had no clue what direction the movie was going in is saying something. really enjoyed the characters and the ending. for some reason i thought this was a werewolf movie.

60. Hellraiser: Deader: maybe bc i was a huge Oz fan and esp O'rielly that this kept me interested. reminded me of inferno of the series compared some other shittier sequals i remembered watching last year.

October 18:

61. Fear Itself: Eater: when will people learn when people are all sweaty and start acting creepy get away. worked better as a one hour show and was enjoyable.

62. Fear Itself: Sacrifice: meh didnt enjoy this one. didnt like any of the characters.

63. Dead of Winter: another meh. i get annoyed when people drink and drive. so i spent the whole movie not caring bout the characters and was waiting for em to die. and an unneeded ending.

64. Black Sheep: after a few stinkers I wanted to go for an old favorite. sheep biting penis....how can one go wrong.

65. Wrong Turn- one of my favs and not sure why as i usually hate these movies. and spawn one of my av sequals.

66. Wront Turn 2- the opening kill was hilarous enough to enjoy the rest of the bad acting movie.

October 19:

67. Near Dark- bought this when they released it with the twilight knockoff cover. really enjoyed this movie which led me to my next choice.

68. Lost Boys: another favorite vampire movie in a genre im not big in. just classic 80s.

69. Lost Boys The Tribe: bought this for 5$ and never watched it as i didnt hear the greatest things. actually enjoyed it. felt a lil syfy tho in parts.

70. Silent Hill: one of my fav based on a videogame title. has atmosphere and a few fun scenes

October 20:

71.Fear Itself: Spirit Box

72.Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight

73. Cannibal Holocaust: this didnt bother me...just kinda bored me i guess this just aint my cup o tea...didnt watch it with the animal scenese tho.

74. The Uninvited: not a bad movie and knew nothing about it till about 20 minutes into it i realized iv seen the damn movie before in...

75. Tale of Two Sisters: seriously didnt realize this was remade and while it wasok enjoyed this version much more.

October 21:

76. Deadgirl: watched it on netflix now from all the positive reviews i read in here. enjoyed it a nice take on a more traditional genre.

77. Sleepaway Camp: One of my all time favs. went to a sleepaway camp reunion and they were all awesome people and enjoyed watching this all the more.

78. Jack Frost 2: other then i got fired from my first job because of this movie I still loveit.

79. 100 Tears: i always get gitty when i find a good clown movie

80. Drive Thru: a cheesy corny poorly acted clown movie i cant help but love for its over the topness

October 22:

81. Dark Ride: one of my fav horror movies from the horrorfests. i think ijust have a mancrush on the kid from son in law and the big green.

82. Zombie Strippers: I really enjoy this movie despite the obvious. has right amount of humor and gore to it to make it work. and englund makes a great sleezeball.

83. Jack Brook's Monster Slayer: my fav find at last years challenge and havent seen it since. just as fun on the second viewing and another fun showing for englund

84. Texas CHainsaw Massacre: finally opened up the bluray and while it looked fine not a big difference drom the dvd, but i mainly got it for the extras as i only had a bare bones version

85. Texas Chainsaw Massacre Remake: while no where near as good as the original its a decent "modern" movie.

October 23:

86. Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2: i have never seen this sequal and rather enjoyed it. and when leatherface comes out of the record room caught me off guar and gave me my first jump of the month.

87. The Gate: Found this gem the first year i participated in the challenge and prolly would of never watched it if i didnt sign up. fun movie glad to finally have it on dvd and can delete it off my dvr

88. Xcross:....started off good but then went to slapstick and wow im done for the night.

October 24:
nothing
October 25:
nothing again man i think X-cross broke me
October 26:
89. Cloverfield: watched one of my favs i know that would get me back into watching movies. really love how BIG this movie feels.

90. Diary of the Dead: another favorite shaky cam and preachy title i love. while not as good as the original 3 much better then land which i hate.

91. Repo The Genetic Opera: has some down points but also has three or four great scenes that make me go back to this title often.

92. Monster Squad: another favorite of mine. pretty sure everyones seen it so not much to type.

October 27:

93. The Fog: I bought this and its been sitting on my shelves for awhile as i hate to admit but i dont like the original Halloween at all. but this movie was great loved the atmosphere. now ill have to netflix the thing *cowards*

94. The Mist: i love watching this film in black and white. i hated it original bc of the shitty cgi but in b&w somehow it works. ending still gets me

95. The Gore Gore Girls: i hate the hgl is in the same spot of the checklist as Uwe whatever his name is. i really enjoy his movies and this is easily my fav.

96. 2001 Maniacs: I enjoy this remake and for some reason i really like all the cheeseball characters in this which is rare for me.

October 28:

97. Leprechuan: i loved this series as a kid and it still holds u as one of my favorites.

98. Gentl?: i got a copy of this and i cant read the title and the boxart was in a different launguage but this is what it looks like. if anyone dont think this should count ill take it down. a lady is starting at an asylum on a day where theres a suicide. great atmosphere and some decent scenes with an ending u can figure out fromthe begining.

99. The House on Haunted Hill: i love the original very creepy i seriously need to get this on dvd instead of watching shitty streams online.

100. Rob Zombie's Halloween: as stated i do not like the original but really enjoy this version and feel it only gets so much shit bc people hold the original so close to there hearts.

October 29:
October 30:
101.Treevenge: wildcard #2 keep seeing people talk about this and finally watched it and found it hilarous

102. Ghost Adventures Live:wildcard #3 I eat this type of stuff up fake or not.
October 31:
103. Shaun of the Dead: great comedy with a perfect mix of gore and humor...speaking of which

104. Evil Dead: watched the original nothing new you can say about this.

105. The outting:watched a lost favorite of a pissed off genie and a group of kids squatting at the musuem of natural history.

106. Late Fee: another anthology that takes place on halloween and while it felt like a rare flix commercial i enjoyed it despite its flaws.

107. 30 Days of Night: another favorite of mine. despite the ending i really enjoy this title.

Favorite Movie So Far: Trick'rTreat
Least Favorite So Far:The Haunting

Spoiler:

Last edited by terrycloth; 11-09-09 at 08:33 AM.

Reply Like

09-18-09, 09:42 PM

#27

dan31655

Senior Member

Join Date: Sep 2003

Location: oak lawn,IL.

Posts: 555

Likes: 0

Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts

Re: The 5th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***LISTS GO HERE!*

* = First Time Viewing
2007 -80
2008 - 103

Oct. 1
1. The Fog (1980)
2. The Wicker Man (1973)
3. Scanners (1981)
4. Deranged (1974)
5. Monster Squad (1987)

Oct. 2
6. Bloodsucking Freaks (1976)*
7. Zombieland (2009)*
8. Horror of Dracula (1958)
9. The Hills Run Red (2009)*

Oct. 3
10. Bubba Ho-tep (2002)
11. The Flesh and the Fiends (1960)*
12. Mad Love (1935)*
13. Squirm (1976)*

Oct. 4
14. Invisible Invaders (1959)*
15. Slaughter Hotel (1971)*
16. Zombi Holocaust (1980)
17. The Wolf Man (1941)

Oct. 5
18. Frankenstein (1931)
19. IT! Terror from Beyond Space (1958)*
20. Slime City (1988)*
21. Peeping Tom (1960)

Oct. 6
22. Valentine (2001)
23. The Wicker Man (2006)* (Shameful watch of the month... CHRIST!!!)
24. Castle of Blood (1964)*
25. Carrie (1976)

Oct. 7
26. Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
27. Alligator (1980)
28. Return of the Living Dead (1985)
29. C.H.U.D. (1984)

Oct. 8
30. The Raven (1963)*
31. The Stuff (1985)
32. Stage Fright (1987)*

Oct. 9
33. Who Can Kill a Child? (1976)
34. Redneck Zombies (1987)*
35. The Thaw (2009)*
36. Alucarda (1978)*

Oct. 10
37. Death Spa (1988)*
38. Aftermath (1994)* (Wild Card #1: Short Film)
39. Near Dark (1987)

Oct. 11
40. Pumpkinhead (1988)
41. Tales from the Crypt (1972)*
42. Screamers (1995)

Oct. 12
43. Isle of the Dead (1945)*
44. The Body Snatcher (1945)*
45. Re-Animator (1985)
46. The Fly (1986)

Oct. 13
47. King of the Zombies (1941)*
48. Asylum (1972)*
49. The Funhouse (1981)

Oct. 14
50. Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
51. The Brood (1979)
52. Trilogy of Terror (1975)

Oct. 15
53. The Monster That Challenged the World (1957)*
54. Psycho (1960)
55. Kingdom of the Spiders (1977)

Oct. 16
56. Night of the Demons (1988)
57. Trick 'r Treat (2008)*
58. Drag Me to Hell (2009)
59. The Fly (1958)*

Oct. 17
60. Return of the Fly (1959)*
61. From Beyond (1986)
62. Swamp Thing (1982)

Oct. 18
63. The Time Machine (1960)
64. Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981)*
65. The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror XX (2009)* (Wild Card #2: TV Show)
66. The Devils (1971)* (Highly Recommended)

Oct. 19
67. Stir of Echoes (1999)
68. In the Year 2889 (1967)*
69. The Giant Claw (1957)

Oct. 20
70. The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
71. Angel Heart (1987)

Oct. 21
72. The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958)*
73. Basket Case (1982)
74. Darkman (1990)

Oct. 22
75. Possession (1981)
76. The Old Dark House (1963)*
77. Cat's Eye (1985)

Oct. 23
78. Phantasm (1979)
79. Hellraiser (1987)
80. Paranormal Activity (2007)*
81. The Gorgon (1964)

Oct. 24
82. From a Whisper to a Scream (1987)
83. House (1986)
84. MOH: Family (2006)

Oct. 25
85. The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
86. Phantasm II (1988)*
87. The Hanging Woman (1973)*

Oct. 26
88. The Evil Dead (1981)
89. Son of Frankenstein (1939)*
90. The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)*

Oct. 27
91. Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943)*
92. An American Werewolf in London (1981)
93. House of Frankenstein (1944)*
94. Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (1979)

Oct. 28
95. The Prowler (1981)
96. Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959)
97. Night of the Creeps (1986)
98. Creepshow (1982)

Oct. 29
99. Suspiria (1977)
100. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
101. The Return of the Evil Dead (1973)*
102. Tourist Trap (1979)

Oct. 30
103. The Blob (1988)
104. My Bloody Valentine (1981)
105. The Omega Man (1971)
106. Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)
107. Orphan (2009)*
108. The She-Creature (1956)*

Oct. 31
109. The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)
110. Dead of Night (1945)*
111. The House of the Devil (2009)*
112. Blacula (1972)
113. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
114. If a Body Meets a Body (1945) (Wild Card #3: 3 Stooges Short)

Spoiler:

Last edited by dan31655; 10-31-09 at 07:30 PM.

Reply Like

09-18-09, 09:57 PM

#28

Trevor

Challenge Guru & Comic Nerd

Join Date: Apr 1999

Location: spiritually, Minnesota

Posts: 36,879

Likes: 2,254

Received 676 Likes on 452 Posts

Re: The 5th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***LISTS GO HERE!*

Spoiler:

Last edited by Trevor; 11-08-09 at 09:42 AM.

Reply Like

09-18-09, 10:02 PM

#29

J. Farley

Senior Member

Join Date: Sep 2006

Location: Cleburne, TX

Posts: 486

Likes: 0

Received 1 Like on 1 Post

Re: The 5th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***LISTS GO HERE!*

J. Farley's 2009 Horror Movie Challenge Watched List

First time viewings are in orange.

October 1st

1: Sole Survivor (1983) [DVD] - decided to start off the challenge with a personal favorite, which is exactly what this film is. A woman is the sole survivor of a plane crash, but along with the luck, she can't shake the more sinister feeling that something is off. What's more, she's continuously being watched by various people, none of whom appear to be very vibrant or full of life. This moody little chiller was directed by Thom Eberhardt, a man better known for the lighter Night of the Comet. While I enjoy that film, I feel that this one is more deserving of the spotlight. One could also say that the first Final Destination owes more than a nod to it. There's a cheesy romantic subplot, but for the most part, the film works quite well. It sets a somber tone from the get-go, the scenes of Denise being watched are suitably creepy and everything comes to a head in a clever climax. I was happy when this was finally released on DVD, though the transfer isn't as good as I'd hoped.

2: The St. Francisville Experiment (2000) [DVD] - a Blair Witch ripoff involving four people who go ghost hunting in a supposedly haunted Louisiana mansion. Unlike the gem it's ripping off, there is nothing frightening here unless you consider bad acting to be scary. This is truly a film where nothing happens. It's a bore. We also get some priceless dialogue like this choice exchange - Character 1: "There's a dead bird." Character 2: "How badly dead is it?" This thing is also notable for having what is probably the most absurd cat jump scare I've ever seen.

3: Baby Blues (2008) [DVD] - a long haul trucker hits the road just as his wife is in the throes of a psychotic break due to post-partum depression. Now left alone with their mother, the oldest son must attempt to protect his three siblings and escape their isolated farmhouse. This is a disturbing film with some intense imagery. The first 30 minutes are especially rattling, as we are treated to an all too realistic portrait of a mental breakdown. One particularly effective scene sees the mother sitting in a daze as she imagines heinous sounds eminating from the baby monitor in place of the baby's actual crying. The film eventually turns more towards a slasher type scenario, only with kids as the victims instead of the typical teenager. Not to say that it gets less disturbing, it actually doesn't. The kills get under your skin, especially the first one we're witness too involving the sharp point of a mirror. Colleen Porch is fantastic as the mother, never taking things over the top, something that easily could have happened. The kids are good too, all perfectly believable as normal kids in a terrible situation. There's a scene where the mother attempts to drown her daughter in the tub, the whole thing made more effective by one of the kid's reactions in the background, something that rang very true to me. Anyway, this isn't a film for everyone, but for what it is, it's exceptionally well done.

October 2nd

4: Paranormal Activity (2007) [AMC 15 Northpark] - Katie and Micah are your typical young couple. Unfortunately for them, Katie has been shadowed by some kind of entity ever since she was very young. Micah decides it would be a good idea to try and catch the presence on camera, so he installs a camera in their bedroom to see what happens when they sleep. It was a real pain in the ass having to drive up to Dallas at midnight to see this, but at least I can say it was worth the effort. For a film I've been following for close to two years, it lived up to all the hype I'd built up in my head. Not an easy task. It is exactly what I've been looking for this past decade. Ten years ago, The Blair Witch Project managed to scare me like no film before it. Since then, I've been waiting for another film to make me feel that way again, and Paranormal Activity is a case of better late than never. Despite some comedic banter in the early half of the film, the feeling of dread and unease is present from the very first frame. It only worsens as the film goes on, the night scenes pushing the tension to the highest levels. The acting is strong, especially on the part of Katie Featherston. The most unnerving part for me was when Katie stands over Micah as he sleeps, just staring at him for hours on end. That really got to me, though it's just one of many chilling moments present here. It is definitely a case of less is more, which is usually the type of horror that I find most effective on a strictly frightening level. The theater was packed, and yet I haven't felt this creeped out while watching a film in years. That feeling also stayed with me long after the screening had ended. As a hardened horror fan, it is incredibly refreshing to find that a film still has the power to scare me. It doesn't happen often. In fact, it is exceedingly rare, but this one got the job done. Potentially horror film of the decade for me.

October 3rd

5: One Missed Call 2 (2005) [Sundance Channel] - I'd seen the original Miike film and the '08 remake, so I figured I should check this out when it came on Sundance earlier. More phone calls from the future lead to more deaths for various characters. I thought the original film was quite generic for a Miike film, and we get more of the same here. That said, Miike did bring more character and some solid set-pieces, like the girl killed on live television, to the table, something that this one doesn't really pull off. The storyline here is also very confused, and in the end, it just doesn't seem to make any sense. You would want to miss one of these calls and you could certainly live with missing this movie.

October 4th

6: The Roost (2005) [Showtime Extreme] - four people are on their way to a wedding when they decide to take a backroad due to traffic. A bat hits their windshield causing them to wreck the car, and now they're stuck in the middle of nowhere. Oh, but there's a farm down the road. Too bad for them the rest of the bats have chosen the farm's barn to roost in. Worse, the people that the bats attack turn into zombies for whatever reason. This film takes a very threadbare plot and does nothing with it. Not that they could really do much with it to begin with I suppose, but this is another boring effort where not much happens. The bat attacks are underwhelming and it's never explained why their victims become zombies. They just do. The character are whiney too, so I couldn't really invest in them. Cult director Larry Fessenden appears very briefly as an ill-fated tow truck driver. The whole film has a faux "Frightmare Theater" wraparound complete with horror host, but it was more annoying than it was effective at creating any type of nostalgia. Weak stuff all around.

7: Zombieland (2009) [Premiere 14 at Burleson Commons] - I was a little hesitant to see this one as I feared it would be another Shaun of the Dead, which was a movie that I really hated. I couldn't resist though and thankfully it was a blast. Unlike that overrated British effort, this was actually funny and the characters won me over from the get-go. I had never seen her in anything else before this, but Emma Stone is flat-out gorgeous. Loved the Amber Heard cameo as well, not to mention another cameo that's better left unspoiled. The finale at the theme park is lots of fun too, and if they were to make a sequel, I would definitely be there to see it.

8: Pandorum (2009) [Premiere 14 at Burleson Commons] - interesting space horror takes a while to get going. Ben Foster and Dennis Quaid are two guys who awaken from cryo-sleep to find themselves stuck on a seemingly empty spaceship. The ship is shutting down so one of them needs to restart the ship's energy source, but he'll face plenty of obstacles along the way, most notably a horde of bizarre creatures running rampant in the shadows. This film is sullied by some rapid editing and dumb scenes, including one where a creature tosses his intended prey a weapon. Why? I guess so it would be a fair fight. There's also two random characters who seem to know a lot about fighting, though one never really knows why they would be so well-versed in it. Still, the film certainly has it's moments and there are some intriguing ideas throughout. I ate up everything involving Tanis and the whole backstory. Reminded me of Solaris in a way, and apocalyptic scenarios are something I am very fond of in cinema.

October 5th

9: Deadgirl (2008) [DVD] - two high school outcasts, J.T. and Ricky, ditch school and decide to waste time at an abandoned mental asylum. While exploring the basement, they come across a girl who is bound and covered with a plastic sheet. While Ricky wants to get out of there and call the cops, J.T. has a more disturbing urge. He wants to have some fun with her first. It isn't long before he realizes that she's undead, and now he has himself a zombie sex slave to keep him company. I saw this last month but figured I'd revisit it for the challenge. If one can get past the questionable character decisions that the story is built around (like the lack of concern for disease, etc.), this is a pretty effective film. The guy playing J.T. was terrific. It's his show through and through. His performance reminded me a great deal of Christian Slater. Aside from all that, this film is quite warped. The very premise of a zombie sex slave, but also taking it further with things like wanting to use oozing bullet wounds for sexual pleasure, putting a magazine pic over the deadgirl's face after she's been beaten to a pulp and the high school stud having the worst bowel movement imaginable. Great use of music too, and the film certainly looks better than it's budget. To cite another fault, a lot of these indie flicks seem to feel the need to add in random quirkiness for some reason. A silly scene in a gas station parking lot doesn't work. Still, this is solid overall, like a more deranged version of River's Edge.

10: Who Can Kill a Child? (1976) [DVD] - while on vacation, a man and his pregnant wife visit an island that the former knows from his past. They arrive to find that the place is not how he remembered. In fact, it appears to be quite deserted aside from several children. It isn't too long before they come across an adult. Pity the kids get to him first, killing him and stringing his body up for use as a human pinata... For my money, this film's a masterpiece of the genre. It makes other killer kid films look like jokes in comparison. Originally seeing it via the Island of the Damned cut, it's a very tense and unsettling film with some interesting socio-political subtext as relates to child violence. The likable main characters really struggle here, both physically and morally, in a picture as bleak as they come. It has such an impeccable mood and atmosphere to it. The closest comparison I can make is to that of Werner Herzog's short documentary, La Soufrière. The isolated, disquieted feel of the island... very predominant. It's unfortunate that director Serrador faded into the land of television after this film. He clearly had a lot to offer the genre.

October 6th

11: Thinner (1996) [DVD] - while being pleasured as he drives, a piggish lawyer runs down the really old daughter of a really old gypsy and gets off scot free thanks to friends in high places. As a result, the gypsy curses the very overweight man with weight loss. More like a blessing than a curse, yeah? It would be if he could stop losing the weight, but that isn't in the cards. It's been a few years since I last watched this, so I figured I'd break it out for the challenge. Count me as one of about five people who actually enjoy this. Aside from Fright Night, this is my favorite film from director Tom Holland. Yes, I like it more than the ever popular Child's Play. Much like the pie in the finale, it really hits the spot. The only difference is that I don't feel bad afterwards. It probably would have been a better idea to double bill it with Drag Me to Hell when I revisit that later in the month, but oh well. Special mention to Kari Wuhrer, who looks extra nice in her gypsy garb.

12: The Initiation (1984) [DVD] - a group of sorority pledges sneak into a mall overnight to pull off a prank that will get them initiated. Someone else is in there with them though, and it isn't long before bloodshed ensues. This is actually one of my favorite slashers, a large reason for that being the creepy atmosphere of the mall at night. It has multiple levels and is unlike any mall I've ever been to. We also get a few instances of characters catching a glimpse of the killer lurking about, something that I'm a sucker for. Getting that eerie look at something out of the corner of your eye, not sure if you really saw anything at all. Daphne Zuniga plays the lead, and I've always found her appealing even if she's far from the greatest actress. Vera Miles and Clu Gulager are also on hand to add some class to the proceedings. As for the kills, they're not the bloodiest, but they do their job. On my initial viewing, I didn't see the ending coming, though I've heard people say they did. There are some blatant clues.

October 7th

13: Trick 'r Treat (2008) [Blu-ray] - much talked about film has four interwoven horror stories taking place on Halloween night. I just finished watching this and I thought it made for a great time. As far as anthologies go, I'd say it's pretty much perfect. The film oozes Halloween spirit. There's some beautiful imagery here, all the more sterling in HD. I also loved how each story took place in the same town on the same night. I appreciate that kind of interconnectivity, sort of like you find in various Stephen King novels. Of the stories themselves, the werewolf one was my favorite, mainly because of the terrific climax. Sam was also a pretty nifty creation. Consider me a fan. While it may not reinvent the wheel, it does nail the anthology. Major props for casting the gorgeous Leslie Bibb and Lauren Lee Smith.

October 8th

14: Door to Silence (1991) [DVD] - a man driving home following a funeral encounters trouble and roadblocks at every turn. Fulci's final film is better than expected. Lots of odd situations on display as the main character struggles to get through the lengthy drive before his sanity cracks. The whole thing has a surreal quality to it, as it should considering the ending. Speaking of which, the ending is very predictable, but it's the journey that's far more interesting than the destination, at least in this case. It's far from the best thing the man ever did, but it was surprisingly entertaining.

October 9th

15: Le spectre rouge (1907) [Youtube] Wildcard #1 - short film about a demonic magician who puts on a bizarre magic show. This is a very creative film with some imaginative visuals. The magician uses what I believe to be the souls of various women in his act, putting them through a number of unpleasant situations. One such sequence has him wrapping them in a black material that resembles a body bag when they're tightly tucked inside. He then levitates and burns them before our eyes. The whole thing is a lot of fun to watch and the effects are quite good, particularly for the time.

16: Killdozer (1974) [Youtube] - an alien lifeforce imprisoned in a meteorite transfers into a bulldozer at a remote island construction site. It then begins picking off the construction workers. Even at a scant 74 minutes, this silly TV movie feels about as slow as the bulldozer. It's also slightly amusing how the dozer is able to sneak up on the characters considering how much noise it makes. One also has to wonder what the thing was hoping to accomplish. It's stuck in a bulldozer and on a remote island at that. That's not exactly a good position to be in. Perhaps that's it. It was angry about it's situation and decided to take it out on the construction crew. I suppose this movie would be an okay time waster if you're really bored.

October 11th

17: Trapped (1982) [DVD] - a small backwoods village is lorded over by the maniacal Henry Chatwill. He has his own demented form of justice, and some college kids (one of whom is a pacifist) have the misfortune to stumble upon him enforcing it. Now he has to shut them up before they can notify the authorities. Deliverance style film from Canadian filmmaker William Fruet. While not original, it has some things going for it, the most notable being Henry Silva's unhinged performance as Chatwill. It's also unpredictable in which characters will and won't die. Of course, the college students could've avoided the whole mess if they weren't so stupid as to go looking for the body rather than leaving. This isn't a great film, but it did keep me entertained. I guess that's saying something since I'm not the biggest fan of the backwoods/hillbilly subgenre.

18: Snuff (1976) [DVD] - notorious cult item that has to do with a Manson-like cult leader and his bevy of lovely women who do his bidding. They kill a bunch of people before finally targeting a pregnant actress and her rich boyfriend. There's also a tacked on ending that was advertised to have been real snuff footage. The gore doesn't even look realistic though, especially the snipping off of a finger. No question about it, this is a bad movie. It's also pretty aimless and there's a really overlong parade scene. There is some fun to be had though, as much of the film is really cheesy, not the least of which is the dubbing. Most will flat-out hate it, and frankly, I can't blame them.

October 13th

19: The Skeptic (2009) [DVD] - a lawyer's aunt dies and he inherits her house, which she believed to be haunted. He decides to stay there while separated from his wife, and why shouldn't he? He's a diehard skeptic after all. I'd say this works more as a mystery than outright horror, though it's all fairly straightforward. While the old house is a nice setting, the film is devoid of scares. Well, I take that back. There is one good scare, but it turns out to be a false one, no threat. The atmosphere of the house is there, it's just that the filmmakers fail to utilize it to any sizable extent. Tim Daly is okay as the "unemotional" lead, but Zoe Saldana steals her scenes as a high strung, yet appealing psychic. I felt that the ending was too abrupt. I don't mind abrupt endings, but this one really pushed it.

October 14th

20: Next of Kin (1982) [VHS] - after her mother's death, a woman returns to the nursing home that she ran. Once there, reading through her mother's diary sets off a series of unsettling memories. Bizarre ocurrences begin taking place as well, like someone is toying with her. I've seen this referenced several times as a slasher film, though I wouldn't neccesarily call it a slasher myself. It's more of a slow-burning mood piece, quite ambiguous at times. It's also effectively creepy, one of my favorite scenes involving a figure watching the heroine just out of her eye range as she roams the woods in search of her boyfriend. Naturally, the filming locations are gorgeous and the cinematography does a fine job of catching them in all their glory. The film is complimented by a unique score and some stylish sequences, such as one terrific slow motion bit where the lead is rushing down a flight of stairs. All said and done, this is one of Australia's best contributions to the genre.

October 15th

21: Beyond the Door III (1989) [MGM HD] - third entry in the series of films that have nothing to do with each other. This one involves a group of teens heading to Yugoslavia. Once there, it is revealed that the virgin of the group, Beverly, is intended to be the bride of the devil. Really bad movie with some truly lousy gore scenes. The deaths themselves are creative enough, but the effects are terrible, several of them using obvious dummy heads. The characters are also an unlikable bunch who treat the lead poorly. They also never seem to much care when something otherworldly happens. One guy kisses his possessed girlfriend and gets a mouth full of maggots in the process. The girl then proceeds to rip her face off and the guy never mentions it as if it didn't happen. We also get some hilarious scenes of a train going off the rails, all done with very bad miniature work. This one's for those who like to laugh at bad movies. Anyone else should avoid.

October 18th

22: Seventh Moon (2009) [DVD] - new film from Eduardo Sanchez, one half of the directorial team behind the masterful Blair Witch. A newly married couple are honeymooning in China so that the bride can meet the groom's family. Their trip coincides with the seventh lunar moon, a time when, according to Chinese myth, the spirits of the dead are free to roam the earth. Thanks to a shady driver, the newlyweds are about to find out that this is more than just a superstition. The mythology on display here is very intriguing and there are some eerie moments. I'd say the music is perfect for the tone of the film. The opening credits sequence, combined with the score, really gives off a foreboding feel. It sort of drags towards the middle, as it's pretty much just a long chase scene at that point. Lots of shaky camera movements too. That's never bothered me, but it's there for those that don't like it. There is a terrific shot towards the end of Amy Smart being chased by a pack of the moon demons. Overall, it's worth seeing but it's the weakest of Sanchez's films thus far. His previous effort, Altered, comes highly recommended by the way.

October 19th

23: The Deadly Spawn (1983) [DVD] - a meteor carrying a bunch of tadpole-like aliens crash lands in the country. The aliens swarm a house and look to have themselves a human buffet. This is a long time favorite from my childhood. It's a real treat for those who enjoy these cheap drive-in delights. The aliens in the film are spectacular creations. For such a low budget project, those are some of the neatest effects I've seen in a horror film. The same thing can be said for all the gore. It's graphic, gruesome and downright nasty. This film is a perfect example of what you can accomplish with a low budget if you're imaginative enough. It's also a welcome change that the film takes place on a really shitty day. It feels like your typical rainy, messy day that we've all experienced. I like the comedic elements as well, like the uncle talking to the younger brother about his fascination with monsters and the attack on a group of old women. Anyway, this is pure horror entertainment at it's most entertaining.

24: Society (1989) [DVD] - Beverly Hills teen Bill Whitney is good at sports and popular at his high school, but he feels alienated from his upper crust family. His parents are indifferent towards him while lavishing favor upon his sister. Sometimes he even feels that they're conspiring against him, but is he just paranoid? This was Brian Yuzna's first film as director, and it's still his best. It works as both a joke on the rich and an allegory about their tendency to leech off of the have-nots. Even though it's pretty clear right from the start that things aren't what they seem, there's a great sense of paranoia here. You wouldn't expect a former Baywatch star to be an alienated sort, but in the context of the film, it works. The dark humor works too for the most part. Some of the more juvenile attempts at humor (the kids on the beach) are admittedly lame, though in a way they add to the film's bizarre tone. I used to see the weirdo mother character as another pointless attempt at low-brow humor, but the more I've thought about it, she's likely the product of some inbreeding mishap through the shunt. Former Playboy centerfold, Devin Devasquez plays her daughter and Bill's love interest. It's refreshing to see a rich beauty portrayed as something other than an evil vixen for a change. The climactic scenes involving the big shunt are really something to behold. Quite perverse and the effects by Screaming Mad George are just spectacular. I also can't go without mentioning the sinister reworking of the "Eton Boat Song" which plays over the opening credits.

October 21st

25: The Hearse (1980) [DVD] - having recently gone through a tough divorce, a middle-aged woman decides to get out of town and spend the summer at her dead aunt's old country house. She finds that the house has a stigma among the locals and they don't welcome her with open arms. It turns out that her aunt may have been involved in the occult and perhaps the sinister hearse that's been lurking about is connected in some way as well. Slow moving picture that certainly takes it's time in getting where it's going. Trish Van Devere is good in the leading role. However, it's unfortunate that she was portrayed as such a good judge of character only to be fooled by the obviously off kilter antagonist. I was happy to see that the subplot of the handyman with a crush on Trish didn't devolve into an attempted rape scenario with his buddies. From the emphasis put on the three, I feared it might go down that typical road. By the way, it was very cool to see Christopher McDonald in an early role as one of the aforementioned friends. The guy is one of the more underrated actors out there.

October 23rd

26: End of the Line (2007) [DVD] - taking place in a subway, the story involves several members of a large religous cult who simultaneously receive notice via pagers that it's Judgment Day. This gives them the go ahead to bring out their special daggers and "save" all the nonbelievers, if you get my drift. The director's previous film was a most cheesy affair. This, on the other hand, is quite serious. It's also highly imaginative and often times unnerving, especially if you find freaky cults to be, well, freaky. There's some spotty acting here and there, but the film rises above it. There's some effective music too... I loved the little ditty over the end credits. Bottom line? This low budget treat deserves to be seen. *More in the subset discussion thread.*

October 25th

27: [●Rec] (2007) [DVD] - a reporter (the luscious Manuela Velasco) and her cameraman are covering the night shift at a fire station. Their relatively boring night gets a little more exciting when a call comes in about a woman trapped in her apartment. They tag along with the firemen, but this call is far more serious than any of them could have imagined. Wow, this thing is unnerving! I've seen it twice since my original viewing back in June '08 and it still rattles me as if I were watching for the first time. The last ten minutes or so in the penthouse are particularly ten of the most chilling minutes you'll ever see on film. Loads of backstory thrown in there too, but you have to piece it all together yourself, which is a plus. The sounds that the infected people made, almost cat-like, really got under my skin. This film has a very effective sound design all the way around. The imagery too, just nightmarish stuff. One scene looking down a stairwell at the screaming infected is like Demons 2 if it were actually scary. The film was all the more unsettling because I cared what happened to the characters. Most of them were good, likable people, while Manuela Velasco in particular has a very infectious personality as Angela Vidal. It's an incredible film laced with tension. French horror gets all the attention these days, but I think this is far superior to anything they've been coming out with.

28: Noroi, the Curse (2005) [Youtube] - Kobayashi is a documentary filmmaker who is fascinated by the paranormal. Always looking for new cases to document, he and his cameraman begin investigating a series of freakish events that are seemingly unconnected, but will prove to be. Rather than Blair Witch, this one reminded me of The Last Broadcast due to all the different footage involved. There's a sinister atmosphere from the start, but the film manages to be quite funny at times through it's use of stupid variety show footage. If you're familiar with these shows, you know how ripe for lampooning they really are. The storyline itself is quite complex, particularly for the hand held subgenre. There are multiple strands and a deep mythology to interpret. It also isn't your typical Asian horror with long-haired ghosts, thank goodness. Instead, we get some legitimate scares through mood and build-up. When we see the flier that says a key character has gone missing, it's enough to give you a chill all on it's own thanks to what we've seen beforehand. There are also a few choice scenes that will stay with you. The two scenes that got the biggest reaction out of me both revolved around Marika, a likable actress who gets caught up in the occurrences through an on location TV shoot. The first involves going back to the tapes and catching something in the frame with her, the second has her losing control in Kobayashi's house as pigeons smash into the window. The mystery at the core is intriguing to watch unfold. At 115 minutes, the film didn't feel too long to me. Big compliment, as handheld horror typically works better when it's short and to the point.

29: The Spell (1977) [Hulu] - middling TV movie about a slightly chubby teen who is teased by her sister and classmates. She begins getting even when she is taught how to be a witch by her gym teacher. This was obviously inspired by Carrie, though this one underdevelops the high school turmoil in favor of the girl's miserable family life. There is nary a likable character present here. In fact, I haven't disliked characters this much since Mario Azzopardi's Deadline, a film where I literally wanted to jump on screen and kill the wife with my bare hands. The girl's father is a dick, plain and simple. I was hoping for his gruesome demise the entire time. Her sister isn't much better. I hated these people so much that I was hoping they'd focus more on the school as opposed to the family. I did like Lelia Goldoni as the gym teacher, but she has about three scenes total. Characters aside, there are a few good moments. The opening with the popular girl pulling off circus style tricks on the gym rope was fun. We also get a bizarre death scene where a woman's skin starts burning and the confrontation between student and teacher is well done. Really though, this film isn't anything special. Along with what's already been mentioned, we also have to deal with one of those horrid TV scores and there's a twist at the end that's pretty weak.

October 26th

30: Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971) [DVD] - Dr. Henry Jekyll is looking for a way to prolong his life, but he instead winds up turning himself into a woman who has her own distinct personality and desires. A unique take on the well-worn Jekyll and Hyde tale, this also mixes in elements of Jack the Ripper and Burke & Hare. Surprisingly enough, all three aspects meld together quite smoothly. The film does a splendid job of recreating the foggy London streets of the time. Acting is strong too. Unlike the film I watched prior to this one, I quite enjoyed all the characters here, especially Lewis Fiander as a smartass neighbor with a thing for Ms. Hyde. Susan Brodrick plays his sister who has a crush on Jekyll. She brings a lot of spunk to the role, and I found myself hoping things would work out between her and the good doctor. Ralph Bates and Martine Beswick are both great as Jekyll and Hyde respectively. They also look very similar to one another. Things do get a little repetitive towards the middle, but it's nothing too bad. Roy Ward Baker is responsible for my favorite Hammer film, Quatermass and the Pit, and this is another winner from the director.

31: 13 Scarier Movie Moments (2009) [Bravo] Wildcard #2 - yet another Bravo program detailing horror movies and opinions from those familiar with the genre. It was a fun watch, but none of these will ever live up to the original 100 Scariest Movie Moments that first aired back in '05. Also, The Descent at number one? Seriously?

October 28th

32: The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960) [DVD] - ostracized by the scientific community, Dr. Jekyll is doing some rather pointless sounding experiments while his wife is cheating on him with his gambler friend. Unhappy with their relationship, he turns his experiments on himself and becomes the suave Mr. Hyde. Another take on the Jekyll and Hyde story, this one has some interesting ideas, but it never does much with them. Ultimately, the film is quite dull. Too much focus is placed on Jekyll's poor marriage and the affair his wife is having. It might not have been so bad if his wife were actually desirable, but she's an annoying shrue. Jekyll should just rid himself of her and consider his life all the better for it. Christopher Lee plays the friend with whom she's having the affair. He's playing against type here and is actually sort of the protagonist, but it's hard feeling sympathy for a philanderer. Paul Massie plays Jekyll and Hyde. He's actually not that great as either. His lines just sound unnatural. There are some interesting twists towards the end, but this isn't one of the better films from Hammer.

33: She Freak (1967) [DVD] - a woman who has dreams of a better life decides she'd have more fun working for a traveling carnival. Weird choice for a better life, but whatever. Once there, it isn't long before she's courting the rich owner of the carnival freak show. After marrying him, she continues an affair with the ferris wheel operator. Everything ends badly for all involved. This is a pretty poor attempt at a remake of Freaks. Instead of actual character development, the film feels content to give us countless scenes via musical montage. The entire courtship between the lead and the freak show guy is a wordless series of scenes set to music. We also have several lengthy scenes of the carnival being set up and then even more of it being taken down. This is sort of fun to see, but it takes up way too much time. The pointless scenes don't stop there, as we also get a cheesy fight midway through. One guy gets a screwdriver through the hand, which would seem pretty serious, but there are no repercussions. Leading lady, Claire Brennen (who unfortunately passed away ten years after this film), was actually quite good in the movie. The ending is decent too as the freaks have their revenge and we see what's become of her. Funny bit of trivia: Claire had a romantic relationship with the actor who played the side show midget that she's so disgusted by in the film.

34: The House of the Devil (2009) [HDNet Movies] - a college student who has just finalized a deal for her own place needs money, so she takes a babysitting job. However, it turns out that the gentleman who hired her lied. She won't be babysitting children, but instead the man's mother... or so he says. She thinks of leaving, but is offered $400 dollars and stays. She'll wish she'd just trusted her instincts. The poster for this thing is a beauty. Truly a throwback to the older posters made for genre films in the 70's and 80's, it alone was enough to interest me in this movie. Alas, it doesn't live up to it's poster, but wasn't that often the case? Things start out well enough, but this is yet another film from the director of The Roost that takes a pretty threadbare plot and does little with it. After the initial setup, the film drags on and on as the lead feels uncomfortable with her surroundings. I'm a fan of slow build as much as the next guy, but there's a difference between that and being plain dull. Once we do get to the action, it's over almost as quickly as it began and it's nothing particularly out of the ordinary. I also feel that the girl would have split pretty quickly, even if the house was in the middle of nowhere. On the upside, Jocelin Donahue is a solid, appealing lead. I'd love to see her in more things. The atmosphere is also pretty thick at times and the thing does feel like an older style horror film. I wanted to like this one more, but Ti West needs to do a better job with pacing in the future.

October 30th

35: Masters of Horror: Dance of the Dead (2005) [DVD] - in a post apocalyptic future some time after World War III, a teen leads a sheltered life thanks to her overprotective mother. She meets Jak, a guy who gathers blood for a sickly MC to use in his shows involving the "Dance of the Dead". Mother is not pleased. Tobe Hooper's episode from a Richard Matheson tale is incredibly underrated. I go back and forth between this one and The Screwfly Solution when it comes to picking the best episode of the entire Masters of Horror series. It's definitely Hooper's best work since The Funhouse. The premise is very intriguing and the episode is full of great imagery. This one also had a rather big budget look to it. Definitely the episode that looked the least like a TV episode. There's a certain editing technique used throughout the episode, one that most people don't care for. Personally, I thought it fit the world the characters were living in. I'm still not sure what the terrorist weapon that ruined the world was exactly, but I guess Matheson's story would better explain that. I need to read it some day.

October 31

36: Zaat (1975) [Turner Classic Movies] - an idiotic scientist decides to turn himself into a walking catfish monster. He also wants to create a new race of fellow walking catfish monsters. This is a horrible movie. It starts off with some laughable narration and an awful folk song. It only gets worse from there. That said, I was cracking up a lot throughout this thing. There's one golden moment shortly after the guy has changed into monster form. He's walking through a basement and clearly trips over something, perhaps the shitty monster costume itself. We're also privy to the long, drawn out process of him getting his machines, pullies and other junk together in preparation for the mutation. This takes up about 20 minutes of screen time all by itself. About halfway through the film, we get more awful singing from a bunch of hippies, followed by a march to the jail. The so-called hero of the picture is a joke. He and his girlfriend wear ridiculous red jumpsuits to boot. They should've just stuck with the college guy and the sheriff, not that doing so would have saved the movie or anything. This is #7 on the IMDB bottom 100 list. I wouldn't rate it that low simply because of the amusement I got out of it, but it's really bad.

37: Prince of Darkness (1987) [DVD] - John Carpenter's masterpiece about a priest enlisting the help of a college professor and his students in preventing the coming of the Anti-God. Yep, I said masterpiece. I consider this to be Carpenter's crowning achievement. In fact, it's my favorite horror film aside from the original Black Christmas. Carpenter really hit gold with the script, as it's both intelligent and thought provoking. The film is slow burning, yet intensely unnerving. The overall mood, the creepy street people, the church itself and the eerie occurences caused by the Anti-God's growing power all make for an unsettling watch. I also must make mention of the recurring dream projections via tachyons. A brilliant idea that adds an even deeper level to the film's frightening nature. The sense of hopeless isolation that Carpenter is able to convey despite the church being in L.A. is yet another impressive accomplishment in a film that never fails to impress. It's a rare case when I have not one bad thing to say about a movie, but this is one of those instances. It all works beautifully for me.

38: The Devonsville Terror (1983) [DVD] - 300 years ago, three women suspected of being witches were executed in the small township of Devonsville. In the present day, the citizens are still fearful of a curse supposedly placed on the town as a result of the executions. When a local grocery merchant murders his barren wife, the curse is seemingly reactivated with three young women arriving in town shortly afterwards. Are they the three witches reincarnated? Ulli Lommel is not a very well respected filmmaker, and with good reason. He has churned out horrible DTV movie after horrible DTV movie. That aside, this is his best film. Not saying much, but I actually like this one quite a bit. The rural town atmosphere is so thick, you can almost smell it. It makes for perfect Halloween viewing. We also get a terrific score and an interesting story. Witch tales are among my favorite genre material, and this one puts some unique characters front and center in the form of the Devonsville residents. Walter Gibbs and the Pendletons are certainly memorable sorts, and we also get Donald Pleasance as a doctor suffering from a family curse that causes worms to eat him from the inside. As the female lead, Suzanna Love is attractive, but her acting is relatively stiff. Not a big deal though, as her character is meant to be a bit of an enigma anyway. The finale, complete with exploding and melting heads, is definitely the highlight of the picture. Love it!

39: Panga (1991) [MGM HD] - an American bride's sister is visiting her and her husband in South Africa. While out one afternoon, the sister disrupts a native tribe's voodoo ceremony in an attempt to keep them from sacrificing a goat. As a result, a witch doctor puts a curse on them. It isn't long before a demon from the sea is stalking the family and anyone else they know. This is also known as Curse III: Blood Sacrifice, but none of the four films in that series have anything to do with each other. While this is far from a great movie, it is a fun watch. The African locations make for nice eye candy and we get Christopher Lee in a secondary role as a doctor who may be involved in the killings. Jenilee Harrison makes for an attractive leading lady, but her character can be rather annoying. No one else in the cast makes much of an impression, but they're all machete fodder anyway. That's right, this demon uses a machete. It's funny to note that the director's last name is Barton, also the last name of the director behind Zaat, which I watched earlier. The fish-like demon on display here reminded me of the creature from that film, only with much better effects work courtesy of Chris Walas. The score for this film is rather odd, but you can't deny that it's catchy. Speaking of odd, there's a neat sequence where a character is burned alive after he's caught spying on the main character's from a reed field. You'd have to see the scene to realize how bizarre it is.

40: Murders in the Zoo (1933) [Turner Classic Movies] - Mr. Gorman hunts down exotic wildlife for a zoo back in the States. He also has an intense jealous streak when it comes to men interacting with his wife. So jealous that he's more than willing to kill any man he deems a threat, and his weapons of choice are the animals that he has access to. This is a solid 30's horror picture with a unique storyline. It's also has a pretty potent mean streak for a film of it's time, one scene involving an alligator pit coming immediately to mind. Lionel Atwill has an effective screen presence as the sinister Gorman. His encounter with a python makes for a memorable scene. My main qualm with the film is a problem that plagues many pictures of the era, that being the style of comic relief that was popular back then. The Peter Yates character is pretty annoying, and we're treated to a particularly absurd scene where he pops a lion on the head. However, this is worth seeing. It's also well paced, clocking in at just a little more than an hour in length.

41: The Blair Witch Project (1999) [DVD] - in 1994, three student filmmakers went into the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland to shoot a documentary about a legendary witch. They were never seen or heard from again, but a year later, their footage was found. This is the film I always watch last on Halloween, the traditional close to my October horror marathon. Ten years after it hit theaters, it's still the scariest film I've ever seen. As I was watching it earlier, my dog bumped into something in the kitchen behind me and I nearly jumped out of my skin. This thing works like a charm every time. I can still remember how I felt sitting in the theater as this thing started. The dread hit me immediately and only intensified when they were preparing to head into the woods. It's hard to explain, but it's a feeling I had never felt before and one that I'll never forget. The ending is usually what's mentioned when discussing the film's most chilling aspect, but I actually feel that the tent scene is the most frightening moment ever captured on film. That said, this thing is terrifying from beginning to end. Even when nothing is happening in the early moments, just the knowledge of what's to come is enough to rattle you to the core. At least it was for me, anyway. Different things scare different people, but I feel that there is no greater fear than that of the unknown. There have been several instances in cinema where certain films have exploited this fear to superb effect, but none have done it as effectively as this little indie. Not The Haunting, not Paranormal Activity... hell, not even my favorite horror film, Black Christmas. Thus, this is the perfect choice for my late night Halloween finale. A great film that gets my imagination working overtime and has me looking over my shoulder, closing the blinds and listening closely to any noises I may hear as I try getting to sleep.

List Finalized

Last edited by J. Farley; 11-07-09 at 10:32 PM.

Reply Like

09-18-09, 10:04 PM

#30

MrStayPuft

Senior Member

Join Date: Nov 2005

Posts: 681

Likes: 0

Received 1 Like on 1 Post

Re: The 5th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***LISTS GO HERE!*

2009 Goal: 100 Movies
Blue = Repeated viewing
Green = 1st Time viewing

Oct 1st
1)Halloween (2007) - Again, decided to start the challenge off with the remake, and then end the challenge with the classic. Watching it for the third or fourth time, the first hour of the movie is beginning to become unbearable. It's so hard not to skip forward to the second half of the movie. I did appreciate the nudity, especially from Ms. Danielle Harris. 4/10
2)The Woods - Seen this one before, but not for a few years. Poor Lucky Mckee, this movie deserves better. For years it was in distribution limbo, and finally it lands on dvd. I liked this movie overall, the story was something fresh, and loved the chilling atmosphere the movie gives off. Also liked the use of colors used, the protagonist's red hair was very vibrant compared to the muted colors elsewhere. Could have used a little more Bruce Campbell screentime, but what movie couldn't? 7/10
3)The Ruins - Only my second viewing of this one, and it seems even more brutal than what I remembered. There is literally not one scene of relief for the main characters, everything goes downhill at an extremely fast pace. Let this be a lesson, that's what happens when you give plants the opportunity to evolve. 6/10
4)Hostel - Thank you Hostel for teaching me a valuable life lesson: if you're gonna use a ball gag, make sure to not leave it on the floor. I can't give this movie a high score because it makes fun of fanny packs, which I think are awesome! Eli Roth is a know-it-all when it comes to the horror genre, but this movie has no originality at all. Anyone could have come up with this idea and directed it. Contrary to belief, there isn't that much gore, but rather more leave it to your imagination type scenes. I never got into the torture porn genre, but I do like Hostel for the gorgeous babes they showcase. 4/10

Oct 2nd
5)Sleepaway Camp - The sheriff who shows up later in the movie has the most ridiculous looking mustache I have ever seen, it doesn't match his hair color and it shines as if it were drawn on with a permanent marker. I've seen this movie several times, but every time I see the ending, I'll sumarize it with this:

7/10
6)Zombi 2 - Everybody likes different styles of zombies, and mine are the Fulci creations seen here. Full of maggots, rotting, slow zombies are my preference. Besides the zombies, this movie is infamous for its zombie vs shark scene, eye through splinter, and the ending. 7/10
7)Child's Play - I was born in '86, so I was afraid of Freddy and Jason, but I was TERRIFIED of Chucky. Still holds up great, love the great animatronic work and I can only hope the remake uses animatronics over cgi. The new dvd has to be the best dvd upgrade in a long time, with cleaned up picture, anamorphic, and hilarious scene commentaries with Chucky. 8/10
8)Cabin Fever - My favorite Eli Roth movie. First of all, it makes me want to invest in a Brita home water purifier. Second, it's almost as if Roth took a class in microbiology, and thought to himself, "wow, this is pretty scary stuff". I still don't understand the deal with the pancake kid. 8/10

Oct 3rd
9)Sleepaway Camp 2 - I like how different it is from the first. Right away the killer is established, no mystery at all. LOTS more nudity, most of it from the same girl repeatedly. Nothing more than your average summer camp slasher. 6/10
10)Child's Play 2 - Also scared me when I was growing up, just as much as the first. Chucky looked a lot better here, more menacing and better animatronic work. Funnier than the original as well, with lines like "You _______ women drivers!" The finale setting is pretty cool, taking place in the Good Guy doll factory. 6/10
11)Nightmare on Elm Street - A classic! Love everything about this one, from the story, creative kills, design of Freddy, and the acting of Englund. 9/10
12)Sleepaway Camp 3 - Favorite part had to be the intro, seeing the topless girl with the words "Milk" and "Shake" tatooed above each breast. Really campy, a few good kills here and there as Angela picks off campers literally one by one. Liked the connection to part 2 with the father of a murdered camper out for revenge. 5/10

Oct 4th
13)Child's Play 3 - Nothing new here, the worst in the series next to Seed of Chucky. Some funny lines from Chucky here and there, but that's about it. 3/10
14)Monster House - pretty entertaining! Been a few years since I last watched it, so decided to count it towards this challenge. The voices were great, animation was superb, and a good storyline. Far from Pixar standards, but I would say it rivals the likes of Shrek. 7/10
15)Bride of Chucky - Continuing my Chucky marathon, but stopping here. Not scary at all, but oh so hilarious! Lots of great lines from Chucky, and love the back and forth bickering between Tiff and Chuck. Just like a real couple! So wierd seeing Katherin Heigl in this, a comparison to Jennifer Aniston's career starting with Leprechaun. 5/10
16)Prom Night (1980) - Underlooked 80's slasher in my opinion. I like how there's a few characters with a movtive to kill, so the mystery is set up pretty nicely. Jamie Lee gives another great horror performance and her disco dance is amazing! My favorite scene has to be the killer neuortically calling his victims on the phone and asking them to "come out to play" while tapping a pencil against a table. Pretty chilling scene! 6/10

Oct 5th
17)Nightmare Before Christmas - Never fails to entertain me. Great revival of stop-animation technique with songs so addicting it's hard to not sing along. I even own the soundtrack! 9/10
18)Dracula - Forget the Twilight crap, this only vampire legend to me. Lugosi was born to play Dracula, the close up of this eyes still give me chills. My 2nd fav. Universal horror movie next to Frankenstein. 9/10

Oct 6th
19)The Blob (1958) - Still holds up well over the years! Gotta love these 50's sci-fi invasion flicks, perfect late night material. Steve McQueen is wonderful and serves as a great start to his career. Easily the jazziest, most addicting theme song ever created. 7/10
20)Night of the Living Dead (1990) - First time seeing this remake. As always, the make up effects looked fabulous done by the best in the business, Tom Savini. Don't know why they changed Barbara's character into a G.I. Jane though. The ending was decent, not as shocking as the original though. 5/10
21)Hatchet - Has a lot in common with The Evil Dead, including looking great despite a low budget and production problems. A perfect homage to the slasher flicks of the 80's with very gory kills, a good amount of T&A, and a disfigured maniac on the loose. Great blend of comedy with horror as well. I can see this becoming a cult classic within a few years. 7/10
22)Haute Tension - Who would have thought a Muse song could be used in a movie like this? Alexandre Aja has to be the most talented horror filmmaker in the business today. This movie is plenty brutal, and it, among many others, prove that America is lacking in original horror movies. Havn't seen a movie chick this tough since Sigourney Weaver in Aliens. 9/10

Oct 7th
23)30 Days of Night - Two things I liked about this movie: the setting and the vampires. The small town in Alaska serves the story perfectly giving it that isolated, chilling feeling. The vampires were great too, menacing and showing no mercy preferring to kill their victims rather than turn them. The human characters were average, don't know why they decided to keep running from place to place. The ending was a huge WTF moment. 5/10
24)The Last Man on Earth (1964) - Easily the best telling of Matheson's story. Vincent Price gives a great performance as usual, it seems as though he doesn't even have to try to act. 8/10
25)Demons - I've heard of haunted houses before, but I ain't never heard of haunted theaters. Gotta love a horror movie with a hard rock soundtrack! The make up and gore effects are top notch, nothing short of Italian horror standards. 7/10
26)Secret Window - Not the best Stephen King adaptation, not the worst, but somewhere in the middle. As usual, Depp gives a great performance, but in my opinion, is outshined by John Turturro. My favorite thing about this movie is the lifestyle Depp's character lives. He sleeps in all day, wears a bathrobe around, lives secluded in the woods, I think it's a lazy man's dream! 6/10

Oct 8th
27)The Blob (1988) - First time seeing this remake. Whoa is it weird seeing Kevin Dillon with that style of hair. The Blob is definately more menacing this time, able to thrust out tentacles to grab nearby victims and with acidic properties to anything it comes into contact with. Some new components added here, including a role by the U.S. Government. I liked it, but I like the classic feel to the original a little more, and I miss that jazzy theme song! 6/10
28)Sexual Parasite: Killer Pussy - Nothing more than your average softcore porno. The director must really have a thing for breast rubbing, cause there's a lot of it here. Everything is cheaply done, the worms are fish bait and you can see strings pulling them. The acting is miserable, especially when they cry in pain. Loved the internal pussy shots of the worm though just for a good laugh. Actually, this whole movie is one good laugh. 2/10

Oct 9th
29)Magic - Love this one. A very good psychological thriller and a very early role from Anthony Hopkins. One scene that really disturbed me the most is when Hopkin's character is making love to a woman with romantic music playing and such, and then BAM! cut to a closeup shot of Fats (the dummy) with creepy harmonica music. Then switching back and forth between the two. Highly recommend this to anyone who hasn't seen it. 8/10
30)Night of the Living Dead (1968) - The one that started it all. A classic, not much else to say about it. If you havn't seen it yet, what the hell are you waiting for?
31)The Burning - Read lots of good reviews for this one, but I guess I was expecting more. There were only a few kills, and this isn't Savini's best work. The full bush nudity was nice though! The highlight had to be seeing a young Jason Alexander. 5/10
32)My Bloody Valentine (1981) - This is one rare instance in which the Unrated version makes a HUGE difference, and bravo to the people behind this dvd. I really liked this one, having only seen it once prior. The unrated kills are pretty graphic, and I could care less if the picture quality suffers during those particular scenes, as long as they're in tact. A horror film talking place in a mine shaft setting sounds great, and it doesn't disappoint! 7/10
33)House of 1000 Corpses - Only good thing about this dvd is the awesome menu hosted by Captain Spaulding. Go on, let it play, it's hilarious! Last time I saw this was before I became a fan of The Office, so it's really wierd seeing Rainn Wilson as "Fishboy". I really can't stand this movie, there are annoying cutscenes throughout the entire movie. I'm ok with a "Texas Chainsaw" type of movie of a wacked out family that kills, but then near the end, there's a whole elaborate underground dungeon of demons that just makes no sense to me. The last twenty minutes ruin the entire movie in my opinion. 2/10

Oct 10th
34)1408 (Director's Cut) - I have the double disc set which includes the theatrical and director's cut versions, but will never watch the theatrical cut. The DC ending is infinately times better than the theatrical ending. I enjoyed the movie overall, shares similarities to The Shining. You have to ask, what's more haunting, his experiences in the room or the past he's lived? "On a shiver scale, I award the movie 1408 seven skulls." 7/10
35)Dawn of the Dead (2004) - I agree with those who think this is easily one of the best horror remakes in recent years. The opening credits are awesome with the Johnny Cash song playing. Loved the Ken Foree and Tom Savini cameos, very easy to spot. Overall this movie is a lot of fun, but I will always prefer the slow zombies to the fast zombies. 8/10
36)Friday the 13th (1980) - Father to all the summer camp slasher flicks. Cool seeing a young Kevin Bacon. I've seen this movie so many times now that I almost have it memorized. 7/10
37)Pervert! - Saw this one on another member's list, thought it seemed interesting enough. Pure sexploitation, but has some comedy thrown in here and there. One moment had me laughing out loud, even louder than most comedies I've seen in recent years. Not worth mentioning anything like the acting or script, because they don't really matter. Plenty of boobs found throughout, Mary Carey is rarely found with her top on. 4/10

Oct 11th
38)Jeepers Creepers - Not much I like about this one, maybe besides the Creeper's overall look. I suppose the chase scene from the beginning is pretty terrifying too, as it would scare me shitless. 3/10

Oct 12th
39)Tremors - Very fun creature flick that never fails to entertain. Hard to believe it's almost 20 years old already. Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward work perfectly together, really had some chemistry between them. Bizarre seeing Reba McEntire in this sort of movie though. The Graboid creature design is great, one of the better sci fi creatures in recent memory. 8/10

Oct 13th
None, spent my free time studying for a really hard exam. Stupid college interfering with my horror challenge.

Oct 14th
None. Again spent my free time studying for an exam, it better pay off!

Oct 15th
40)Evil Dead - Independent filming at its finest and the definition to the words cult classic. The gore is plentiful and the make up effects look great for such a cheap budget. I'm thankful for the Evil Dead for two reasons: the amazing tree rape scene and immortalizing Bruce Campbell. Thank you Sam Raimi! Easily in my top 5 horror movies. 10/10
41)Halloween 4 - I know I'm going out of order, but I save Halloween 1 and 2 for Oct 31st. Been a few years since I've watched this one in its entirety, and I learned a few things. For instance, Michael Meyers is kind of like the Joker in he doesn't like to use guns. Twice he holds a shotgun in his hands in this movie, but never fires a shot. I had a lot of problems with this movie. In one scene, the deputy assigned to guard Jamie's foster parents' house gets in his squad car to leave, backs out of the driveway, when the next second her foster parents come home, driving into the driveway. Wouldn't they wonder why a cop car was leaving their house? Also, the foster parents are never seen again until the very end of the movie. You would think they would be concerned that their two daughters are missing. The saving grace of the movie comes at the end, a semi-shocking finale that brings the series full-circle. Watch out for rednecks on the loose!3/10

Oct 16
42)Halloween 5 - BORING! Nothing remotely good here at all. Why they decided to kill Rachel off, a major character from 4, right away in the beginning I don't know. The ending is stupid, and although I want to see who the man in black is, I know I won't watch Halloween 6 unless I find a copy of the producer's cut. 2/10
43)Teeth - Interesting concept, but doesn't deliver what I was looking for. The faces on the guys after "it" happens is hilarious. Is Dawn an example of mutation, or adaptation? 5/10
44)2001 Maniacs - Liked the Eli Roth cameo, playing the same character that he did in Cabin Fever. The kills were pretty creative, everything from quartering to ingestion of acid. Loved Robert Englund as well. 6/10
45)The Omen (1976) - In my top 10 favorite horror movies easily. Damien is darn right creepy in this. This movie just grabs a hold of you from the first shocking death up until the end. The soundtrack was very fitting for this film as well. 9/10
46)Halloween H20 - A perfect finale to the trilogy(skipping 4 and 5 of course). Loved the "no holds barred" feel to it, both Michael and Laurie will stop at nothing to end their connection. Great job of keeping true to both characters, such as Michael sitting up torso first after falling down. Hilarious hearing LL Cool J reading romance novels though. 7/10

Oct 17th
47)An American Werewolf in London - Best werewolf movie in existence. Perfect blend of comedy and horror, and simply the best creature transformation scene in existence. The gradual decaying makeup effects on Jack were flawless as well. 8/10

Oct 18th
48)Evil Dead 2 - My favorite in the trilogy. Love how they recap the first movie in about six minutes, then pick up right where the last one left off. Sort of feel sorry for Bruce in this one, he's always taking a beating, even from himself! Must have been hard to act like you're in pain when you're hitting yourself. Love everything in this one, from all of Bruce's famouse one-liners ("groovy!") to the added comedy (Farewell to Arms). 10/10

Oct 19th
None tonight, busy studying for yet another midterm.

Oct 20th
49)The Mummy (1932) - My third favorite Universal horror, just behind Frankenstein and Dracula (in that order). Who knew a mummy had so much power? Being able to give a man a heart attack just by muttering a few words seems pretty awesome to me. 8/10
50)Army of Darkness - Brought the word camp to a new level. I would love this movie so much more if Evil Dead 1 and 2 weren't so perfect. Flooded with awesome lines from Bruce, lots of comedy thrown in, and over-the-top finale makes Army a great finale to the series. 9/10
51)Silent Night, Deadly Night - Naughty! Another holiday themed clone based off of the success of Halloween, but it works! I won't have a problem showing my kids horror movies growing up, because I think it's fun to be scared. However, don't think I'll allow them to watch this one for obvious reasons. Really glad they decided to put the cut footage back in, even at the expense of the picture quality, the added gore really adds a lot. 6/10
52)Halloween: 25 Years of Terror - Not a huge fan of documentaries, but this one did a great job covering all the films (besides the ones from Zombie). I feel like I learned a lot about the production of the series overall, and it was great seeing a lot of the cast come back. Really cool seeing the actors behind the mask who played Michael, as well as seeing how big of impact us internet fans have on these types of movies. How about that fan flashing her boobs as well, huh?7/10
53)Critters - Fuzzy little aliens with an insatiable appetite, intergalactic bounty hunters with a morphing ability, and a very young Billy Zane, what's not to love? Maybe next time your town drunk complains about being adducted by aliens or recieving radio transmissions on his teeth, you'll believe him! I'd be pissed off too if some alien critters ruined my bowling tournament.7/10

Oct 21st
54)His Name was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th - Awesome documentary of my favorite horror icon growing up. Not a lot of tales about the production of the films themselves, but more so about the mythology of Jason and recapping the series. Still feel like I learned a lot though, including how the theme came about. I just had to watch the Jason in costume on the Arsenio Hall show on Youtube after seeing a clip here. Some of the interviewees were pretty funny too. Loved Tom Savini being the narrator as well. 7/10
55)Critters 2 - Mick Garris really outdid himself here, a great start to his career. A hamburger factory, great place to trap Critters and fat people. Better than Critters 1 definately, lots of added comedy, and loved seeing a pair of breasts in a PG13 movie. 8/10

Oct 22nd
56)Shaun of the Dead - Bloody brilliant, easily one of the best horror films in the past decade. Everything works perfectly here. 9/10
57)Killer Klowns from Outer Space - My second favorite cult classic after the Evil Dead trilogy. It's comical, but yet still has that drive in sci fi invasion feel to it. The costume and make up effects were great. Love the scene with the klown ransacking the pharmacy store. 9/10
58)Trick 'R Treat - Great anthology flick. Dylan Baker plays a great serial killer, and it's good to see the kid from "Bad Santa" still getting work. Not the masterpiece some are claiming it to be, but groundbreaking compared to the non-original horror thats coming out lately. 7/10

Oct 23rd
59)Candyman - Spooky atmosphere given to an urban legend tale. Tony Todd gives an awesome performance with even minimal dialogue. Loved seeing Virginia Madsen covered in blood while practically naked, very hot!6/10
60)Phantasm - Watched this for the first time last year, and immediately placed it in my top 10 horror movies. The dream sequences are darn-right frightening. Very original plot that never dulls and not full of horror cliches. The themesong is absolutely amazing as well. 9/10

Oct 24th
61)Poltergeist - The only title I watched on tv this year. Fiance was over at the time, and this is one of the very few horror movies she can tolerate. A childhood favorite of mine that still holds up well. Besides the clown at the end, the thunder getting closer and the chair stackings are pretty spooky. 8/10
62)Fright Night - Lots of people listing this, so decided to check it out and buy it. Glad I did! Chris Sarandon makes an excellent vampire, so sophisticated and suave. Loved the twist on the "Van Helsing" character, coming in the form of a vampire slaying tv host. Only negative I have to mention is the character of "Evil". Couldn't stand that little runt, and his voice and acting drove me crazy. 6/10
63)[Rec] - WOW! Havn't had so many scares in a movie since I was little. This movie is beyond phenomenal, deserves every once of credit it's getting. 10/10
64)Gutterballs - From the moment I heard there was a horror movie that takes place in a bowling alley, I knew I had to see this being a huge bowler myself. Don't think the creators know anything about scoring, since everyone's scores either had a X or a /, with no numbers. I know horror movies are supposed to have two-dimensional characters, but this is ridiculous! Are these characters all swingers? Because they hook up with another like it's nothing. The horrible character development is luckily made up by the sheer amount of gore and vast amount of T&A. Just a warning: this movie holds nothing back. Listen closely to the hilarious ball wax machine! 5/10

Oct 25th
65)The Devil's Rejects - Zombie's only redeeming film so far. Not only redeeming, but one of my favorite horror movies in the past decade. Love how he designed in such a way you can root for either the Sheriff to get his revenge, or for the Firefly clan to escape what they deserve. The music was great as well. The ending was phenomenal, a very memorable moment. 9/10

Oct 26th
66)Phantasm 2 - I should invest in one of those silver balls with the laser, both to keep unwanted visitors from entering my house and killing off rodents with that laser. Not a bad followup, but a huge step down from the first. I can understand why it took so long to make, since the first one ended perfectly. Hated the Reggie narration throughout. Got a chuckle at the obvious Sam Raimi reference. 5/10

Oct 27th
67)Frankenstein (1931) - My favorite of the Universal horror monsters. The man conquering nature theme is wonderfully done. And to think without this, Re-Animator probaly never would have been made! 10/10
68)Night of the Creeps - Never seen this one, but had to buy it after watching Monster Squad for the first time last year, and reading so many awesome reviews of it. I agree with most of the reviews I read, but I enjoyed Monster Squad a bit more. I would say Night is a polar opposite to Monster Squad, as Night of the Creeps is definately not as kid-friendly. Great to finally see where James Gunn got his inspiration for Slither! 7/10

Oct 28th
69)Re-Animator - I love Herbert West's character, a personal horror icon of mine. Love how serious he takes his work, and how he's not afraid to question authority. Though it's nothing more than a modern Frankenstein adaptation, there's so much more to offer. Top 5 horror movie. 10/10
70)Bubba Ho-Tep - Bruce Campbell as an aging Elvis is genious in itself. Add an anal soul-sucking mummy and a lot of humor and you got yourself a truely unique horror film. 8/10
71)The Descent - Easily one of the best horror movies from the past decade. The claustrophobic feel is intense. The original UK ending is a million times superior to the US ending. 9/10

Oct 29th
72)Monster Squad - Probably my favorite movie that I discovered out of my 2008 list. Though it's meant for kids, I still love all the adult humor found throughout. Great creature designs by the immortal Stan Winston. 8/10

Oct 30th
73)Dawn of the Dead ('78) - Everytime I think of this movie, I think of Tom Savini pulling out his mustache comb. Easily my favorite zombie film, one that can never be topped. Although there are movies with better looking zombies and blood effects, it doesn't matter since this is the only movie with characters that you care for. 10/10

Oct 31st
74)Texas Chainsaw Massacre ('74) - By far Hooper's masterpiece. The tension during the dinner scene is one that can never be topped. A true genre masterpiece. 9/10
75)Halloween ('78) - Best horror film in existence. From the opening zoom in of the pumpkin to the end credits, every shot of this movie is pure genious. The score is every bit as memorable as the movie itself. 10/10

Last edited by MrStayPuft; 11-01-09 at 09:42 PM.

Reply Like

09-18-09, 10:39 PM

#31

indiephantom

DVD Talk Special Edition

Join Date: Dec 2001

Location: Ghost World

Posts: 1,602

Likes: 0

Received 13 Likes on 12 Posts

Re: The 5th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***LISTS GO HERE!*

Indiephantom's October Horror Movie Challenge 2009

My rating system:
****Most highly recommended
***Highly recommended
**Recommended
*Recommended with strong reservations
*Not recommended
**Avoid this crap!
☼ First time viewing
I indicate which format, online & cable channels that I watched each film on.

October 1
1. 30 Days of Night (David Slade, 2007) ☼ (Blu-ray)
This is one for fans of intense vampire horror. The Alaskan locations serves the story well. The most blood on snow I've seen since Gangs of New York. The CG f/x aren't too distracting and as far as depicting the frozen climate the shots resemble the comic its based on. Really good performances all around. Slade doesn't operated just in close-ups either, and we get a good sense of location and space throughout. Might make a good double bill with either John Carpenter's The Thing or Vampires. This one comes highly recommended and was a good kick-off to my personal horror marathon. ***

2. The Sadist (James Landis, 1963) ☼ (Public Domain Theatre-The Cinema Snob)
This film is like a precursor to films about young couples that terrorize like Badlands and Natural Born Killers. I loved the stark black-and-white look the film had and its careful attention to interesting and dramatic camera shots. Some very clever POV stuff that later directors most likely studied. I seem to recall Scorsese mentioning the film in one of appreciation documentaries. Anyway, I'm glad I finally spent some time with this one. The couple act a bit too dumb at times to get under my skin in a really sinister way. They're really just losers, and they don't have much imagination when it comes to tormenting their victims. Fun little watch. **

3. Fear Itself: Something with Bite (Ernest Dickerson, 2009) ☼ (DVD)
I'm not really a werewolf guru, but I certainly enjoy some of the classics of the subgenre. I don't we're ever going to get a transformation sequence that can compete with David Naughton's in An American Werewolf in London. Here in this mostly fun entry from the "Fear Itself" series we get a veteranarian who is bitten one night at his clinic by a fang-tooth beast that wears a collar ID badge that says "Michael". Yup...the son of John Landis has scripted a contemporary werewolf tale that mixes the kind of humor and uncertainty that his father's classic brought us a couple of decades ago. Too bad this hadn't been conconcted for "Masters of Horror" since the cable network would have allowed for more nudity and violence, although we get a bit of blood at least. I've seen five episodes from this series so far and consider me impressed. Everything I've seen has certainly kept me entertained and this was no exception. While somewhat predictable, I found this episode faithful to the '80s monster films it strives to emulate. Creative camerawork and some decent effects, but the tranformations are the same hokey off-camera types we always seem to get. Werewolf looks great though. I'm eager to hear what others think of this series. I've saved the rest of these for the rest of the month. **

October 2
4. Stepfather 2: Make Room for Daddy (Jeff Burr, 1989) ☼ (DVD)
1989 to me was the year the sequel died. At least for awhile, and particularly in the horror genre. There were lots of sequels that year including Friday the 13th Part 8 and Nightmare on Elm St. 5 and it was clear that these weren't shining moments in those particular franchises. I remember when Stepfather 2 was released, but even though I was a teenager and a fan of the first film, I still managed to avoid it until now...twenty years past. Terr O'Quinn returns to his father-knows-best-or-else routine with relish. After a bizzare escape from prison, he poses as a psychiatrist in a "perfect little town" that he learns about from a TV ad. The story is mostly predictable as O'Quinn finds himself with a much less interesting family this time. I really missed Jill Schoelen (who I had a big crush on) as the daughter in the first one. She knew something was up with this guy. In the sequel, the doubting character is done away with more quickly. Everything is pretty by-the-numbers. There are some great scenes with O'Quinn that find some humor and menace left in his character, but overall this exercursion is more tired. The finale is worth sticking it out for, though. This is the point in genre history where things were about to go into serious decline and, while there are some gems from the period, I'm going to call Stepfather 2 an okay film if you enjoyed the first, but tough to really recommend. Better to check out the original 1987 film or, a similar gem like The Dentist with Corbin Bernsen. *

5. Pandorum (Christian Alvart, 2009) ☼ (South Keys Cinema)
This is a pretty lifeless sci-fi horror excursion. It truly felt like it borrowed heavily from so many films that I began to lose count. Let's just say Event Horizon, Alien and its sequels, and every recent "end of the world picture". I'm a genre fan, so I don't mind that so much. It's just that there is no character or event of real interest here, beyond some decent gore and a creepy outer space setpiece. Unlike Alien and Event Horizon, the director has no patience for building tension. The frantic editing and really loud music and effects--which frequently drown out a cast that has an annoying tendency to speak in grunts and whispers--just gave me a headache. I had the theatre space all to myself. In empty theatre space when you want to scream, no one can hear you. That was a lame attempt to rip off the Alien tagline and I think it worked about as well as this film did for me. Avoid this! **

6. It's Alive 2: It Lives Again (Larry Cohen, 1978) ☼ (DVD)
I've enjoyed everything I've seen from Cohen up to this point. I had some trepidation because the first It's Alive wasn't really one of my favorites. This was more of the same, but also more aimless. There is little time spent on the horror. Much of the film is about suffering through the histrionics of the lead couple. Their arguments and ranting grew tiresome quickly. Add to this an earache of a Bernard Herrmann score and 3 screaching babies...migraine time. Cohen has a unique style and I love the feel of '70s and the fact that the film feels like what Cassavetes might do with a horror script. But having said that, I can't recommend this one. I will probably still give part 3 a go, though, since it's on the same DVD. *

October 3
7. Book of Blood (John Harrison, 2009) ☼ (Blu-ray)
This is a rather slow-paced film based on two of Clive Barker's Books of Blood stories. The film feels like it would have worked better as a short or part of an anthology. Why couldn't we have gotten a Clive Barker anthology movie instead? The piece certainly has some great moments and effects, and I think Barker fans (like my girlfriend) will get some of what they came for. It does sustain a dark tone that is true to the best Barker adaptations, but it feels like a warm-up for director Harrison. Nothing to really complain about...but not much to write home about either. *

8. Wicked Lake (Zach Passero, 2008) ☼ (DVD)
I wanted to see this for awhile because it was co-written by Chris Sivertson and co-stars Marc Senter. If those names mean nothing to you then I recommend checking out the film adaptation of Jack Ketchum's The Lost. I loved that film, but this kind of represents everything I hate about some of the worst indie horror of late. It's technically horrible. I'm not sure what kind of cameras were used, but this looks worse than some of the shitteo stuff from the '80s. The music is atrocious. It starts somewhat promisingly and I thought I was in for a pretty good sleaze revenge tale, but it falls achingly short of that potential. Somed good nudity and gore, but not enough to recommend. *

9. Shocker (Wes Craven, 1989) (DVD)
It's been 20 years since I first saw this in theatres. Talk about a film that has aged well. I don't think I could fully appreciate how deliriously fun and perversely twisted this film is back then. It's like a mash-up of Nightmare on Elm St. and The Hidden jacked up to 13. Horace Pinker (Mitch Pileggi) deserves more respect, and this film could be the most entertaining of Craven's overlooked stuff. It's available in a 3-pack right now at really good prices. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up. So much energy and whacky imaginative stuff...Craven throws everything at the screen, and a few characters right through it! My highest recommendation and God I miss the '80s. ****

October 4
10. Fear Itself: Family Man (Ronny Yu, 2008) ☼ (DVD)
Having now seen almost half of the Fear Itself series I'm more than a little impressed. This entry is a dark body-switching story that finds a serial murderer inhabiting the body of a good church-going "family man". I must applaud the work of actors Clifton Collins Jr. and Colin Ferguson for their out-of-body imitations. You can tell they studied each other's mannerism and facial impulses. It really pays off. The story is briskly told by Ronny Yu with total focus on performances. It's nice to see this kind of thing from a director who's film Freddy vs. Jason was overly reliant on special effectss. One of the best entries in the series for me so far. ***

11. The Hills Run Red (Dave Parker, 2009) ☼ (On Demand)
There's a perversely interesting little story buried somewhere in this mess of a DTV exploitation film. I love the idea of notorious horror films that are "lost" because they went too far. It was the backbone for John Carpenter's mostly impressive Masters of Horror segment "Cigarette Burns" a few years ago. Here, the film celebre is an '80s slasher film that features a character with a ceramic baby's head affixed to his face, which supposedly featured actual murders. The cleverness ends with that concept. As the day progresses, I dislike this film more and more. Nudity and random gore effects are tossed in without any style or real sense. William Sadler is historically wasted as the filmmaker responsible for the film-within-the-film. Really, that films looked terribly boring too. Another opportunity for an interesting slasher missed. *

12. Firestarter (Mark L. Lester, 1984) ☼ (Cable-Movies From Space)
It's taken me a long time to get around to this film. I didn't even realize it was from the director of such favorites as Commando and Class of 1984 until seeing the opening titles. I'm kind of a sucker for films that deal with telekinesis. Drew Barrymore has a convincing approach to her cool burn techniques. "Back off...back off!" It's pretty effective. I love George C. Scott in pretty much anything and he gets some good scene munching moments here. All in all it's just a good matinee kind of film. Make a solid lead-in for Brian DePalma's far more effective The Fury. Still glad to have finally seen it. **

13. American Nightmares (Buddy G, 1984) ☼ (DVD)
This is the director's cut version of Buddy Giovinazzo's Combat Shock. I was very excited to finally see this. Depressing and satisfying in a way only great films can be. This ultra low-budget film achieves a pervasively dark tone and creates an urban setting that is comparable to the early films of Abel Ferrara. Grimy places and grungy people. I don't think anyone smiles in this film, unless during a fit of insanity. This is like reading William Burroughs. The occasional bad acting (some actors glance toward camera) somehow never distracts or provides any solace. I was sucked under. I look forward to watching the better-known theatrical version and listening to the commentary. Not for everyone--but I can't recommend it highly enough for fans of nihilistic cinema. ****

October 5
14. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (John McNaughton, 1989) McNaughton commentary (Blu-ray)
It's amazing to watch this after so many years and with commentary. McNaughton mentioned something very cool in that the use of video camera footage during the murder scenes was something very new back in the '80s. It is everywhere now. The atrocity I watched yesterday--The Hills Run Red appeared to use the technique more in an effor to save money. But seeing how effective its use is in Henry particularly during the home invasion (if you've seen the film, you know what the hell I'm talking about) was impressive. This film still holds power and this well-moderated commentary provides lots of interesting facts about the production and the players onscreen. If you're a fan of true crime depictions, this film is a must-see. It's also really funny at times, and I was glad to hear that fact brought up in the commentary. I love me some films with a sick sense of humor. This is a great double-bill with American Nightmares especially if you think '80s horror was just about slashin' good times. film rating-****. Commentary-***

15. Bloody Moon (Jesus Franco, 1981) ☼ (DVD)
Jesus, Franco, easy on the zoom-lens!! Seriously, this dude zooms in every scene and mucks up some truly beautiful compositions in the process. I love the guy, though. There's a funny-as-shit interview with him on Severin's excellent DVD. The film is Euro-cheese of the finest quality. Lovely women getting offed in very unkind ways. The plot is ridiculously fun and actually holds some surprises. The sleaze is never overindulgent (as in some of Franco's other stuff). It's a bit slow and awkward at the start and it features an actor that resembles a young Stellan Skarsgard with a makeup job on par with what Eric had in Phantom of the Mall (which would be my double-bill pick for this one). It's not going to garner new fans for the notoriously slipshod diretor, but I must say it's one of his more "thoughtful" and entertaining pictures. Did I just write that? Damn, I need sleep tonight! Anyway, if you're a fan of the man behind the lens then this is a solid endorsement, otherwise proceed with extreme caution. *

October 6
16. Darkman (Sam Raimi, 1990) (DVD)
Calleing Sam Raimi talented would be an understatement. It's hard to believe 1990 is nearly twenty years. This is as fresh as it was was, with makeup effects and camerawork more dazzling than most anything I've seen lately. I prefer this period for Raimi and I think everything from Evil Dead II (1987) through to The Quick and the Dead (1995) is his absolute best output with the somewhat forgotten Darkman right in the middle of it. Well-acted by Liam Neeson and Frances McDormand this film manages to combine genuine sentiment with action and horror. Arriving just on the heal of Tim Burton's Batman this work is fresher and more inventive both narratively and visually (I did prefer Danny Elfman's music score in Burton's film, however) A real treat if you've never seen it and for those that have, it is well worth another look. ****

17. Trick 'r Treat (Michael Dougherty, 2009) ☼ (DVD)
Well, after a couple of years of hype I'm glad to have been able to finally sit down and watch this. I'm a sucker for anthology stuff and we just haven't had much by way of features in that genre lately. But sadly, I felt more tricked than treated here. The stories just aren't that strong, scary, or original. The film struggles to find a tone and even at a very short running time (82 minutes) it feels like a bit of a slog. I can understand now Warner's reluctance to release this theatrically. It's just not very good despite some nicely demented scenes and a fun performance by the always reliable Brian Cox. This film doesn't come together in any satisying way. I would urge you to check out more interesting horror anthologies like Campfire Tales or Cat's Eye or, better yet, return to episodes of Fear Itself which I plan to do soon. *

18. Season's Greetings (Michael Dougherty, 1996) ☼ Wild Card #1 (DVD)
This is the animated Halloween short from Trick 'r Treat director Michael Dougherty that appears as a bonus on that DVD. It's an uncomplicated little piece that features the first appearance of a mysterious character from the feature. I understand the need for simplicity in shorts but after hearing about all the work that went into this...it was rather trite. I do love the hand-drawn look of the 2-D animation though. *

October 7
19. Sleepwalkers (Mick Garris, 1992) (DVD)
Stephen King certainly has a passion for Americana. Lots of great classic music on the soundtrack and I love the scene with sexy Madchen Amik dancing by herself. The scene rivals Elishabeth Shues' solo bit at the start of Adventures in Babysitting. This film is from King's original screenplay and one I've not seen since its theatrical run and I'm so glad to have rewatched it. An incestuous relationship is at the core of the evil in this film. Brian Krause and Alice Krige are freakishly perfect as the "Bradys". Not exactly the kind of wholesome family unit we associate with that name. This is a very twisted film and shares a mother/son relatlionship similar to what we see between the young Norman Bates and his mother in Mick Garris' Psycho IV: The Beginning, which I'm also a big fan of. Look for lots of interesting cameos, including some "Masters of Horror". I'm not sure what kind of fanbase this film has, but it's another one from the often dismissed early '90s that may need reevaluation. Also, I'm a cat lover and the felines worked well in this film. Must have been a tough to direct them, though. I hear they can be primadonnas sometimes. ***

20. Spiral (Adam Green-Joel David Moore, 2007) ☼ (DVD)
Joel David Moore is remarkable in this film as Mason, an emotionally unstable man who seems to have a mysteriously disturbing past with the women he sketches. The less said about the plot the better, and boy I'm glad I didn't watch the somewhat deceptive and entirely spoiler-ish trailer for this film. Do yourself a favor and just skip right to the feature. This is co-directed by the man who brought us [I]Hatchet[/B], a film I wasn't too excited about. This is a step in a more psychological direction. I mostly recall Moore from his hilarious bit as video game designer in [I]Grandma's Boy[/B]. He's a talented guy and is the other half of the directing team here. Made with lots of energy and craft this gets a high recommendation from me. ***

21. Gutterballs (Ryan Nicholson, 2008) ☼ (DVD)
A welcome return to true Canuck exploitation with lots of Troma and a little softcore porn tossed in. A sick and fun little slasher that is so politically correct you really must take it into consideration if you're planning this for a group screening. Deeply misogynistic with a graphic rape scene that is basically a hardcore rendering of the pool room scene from The Accused. The black and offensive humor charges the film. If you like your horror hardcore with balls (literally) to the walk, seek it out. More timid horror buffs should certainly proceed with caution. Great makeup effects, which is director Nicholson's primarly forte. **

October 8
22. Beyond the Door (Oliver Hellmann-Robert Barrett, 1974) ☼ (DVD)
This notorious film suffered a costly lawsuit at the hands of the producers of The Exorcist and it's kind of understandable, but in no way is it a carbon copy. Juliet Mills is a mother who becomes possessed by demon. She is mostly confined to her bedroom and certainly exhibits the same behavior familiar to us from William Friedkin's classic film. Her head can do 360 degree turns, she spits green soupy slime, and blasphemes endlessly. In a way, I kind of enjoyed that aspect because why shouldn't this possession look the same? Maybe it strengthens the mythology of demon possession. Don't vampire and werewolf films share the same imagery and designs? I found this entertaining and occasionally quite creepy. Fun-as-hell really. ***

23. Combat Shock (Buddy Giovinazzo, 1986) ☼ Giovinazzo with Jörg Buttgereit commentary (DVD)
I'm glad I watched the theatrical version with this commentary. This is a loaded track with lots of really great information. Giovinazzo cut many corners (and used wedding gift money to finish the film!). The commentary is nearly as uncompromising as the film and if you will get a lot out of it if you enjoy low-budget war stories. Film-****. Commentary-****

24. Fear Itself: The Spirit Box (Rob Schmidt, 2009) ☼ (DVD)
Another fairly entertaining episode of the unfairly maligned series. Wrong Turn director Rob Schmidt keeps this entry atmospheric and well-paced. There are some pretty nice twists along the way and the stalker scenes in and around a high school swimming pool are suspensful. I thought the young leads basically delivered good performances and weren't as cookie cutter as young females tend to be in recent horror. The final scene had me rolling my eyes a bit, but not enough to break it. **

October 9
25. The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror III (Carlos Baeza, 1992) Wild Card #2 (DVD)
I'm not the biggest fan of The Simpsons. It's had a great run but I think that when so many people absorb and assimilate something it loses much of its force. These Halloween specials are among the most overrated episodes in the series. I didn't find the choices for film spoofs particularly inspired ("King Homer" was pretty flat) and there weren't many laughs either. I'm sure there are better ones, but I won't be seeking them out. *

October 10
26. Psycho II (Richard Franklin, 1983) (DVD)
I enjoyed showing this to my girlfriend for her first viewing. It was great to see it through the eyes of someone very familiar with the original film who managed to avoid the sequels for years. This is my favorite horror series and I count it as one of the best sequels ever. It doesn't just rehash the original film and it finds a logical way to continue the story of Norman Bates 22 years later. Great cinematography and performances. I wish Dennis Franz had a bit more screen time because he's so much fun here. Robbert Loggia is another favorite actor, and this is a perfectly understated performance which contrasts his more swaggering work. Meg Tilly has a difficult role and pulls it off well. Love returning to this film whenever I can. I'll gladly buy it again when it hits Blu-ray. Oh, and my girlfriend loved it too.****

October 11
27. Hideaway (Brett Leonard, 1995) (DVD)
I've wanted to return to this film for so long and was able to find a cheap DVD copy so I couldn't resist picking it up and adding it to my marathon picks. Glad I did! This is pretty uncompromising stuff. Released during one of the genre's more neglected periods (and about a year before Scream would resurrect the horror film) it may be time for reconsideration. Jeff Goldblum's character gains the ability to see through a killer's eyes and that killer has been in contact with his daughter. The dilemna this time is that the killer, played creepily by a young Jeremy Siston, can also see through Goldblum's eyes. Once the characters figure this out it provides the cat-and-mouse nature of the film with a fun jolt. It's been done many times now, but here it's mostly quite effective. Brett Leonard doesn't exactly have a light touch with his material (if you've seen the more recent Feed you'll know what I mean) and there are some shocking and upsetting sequences. The ending has a rather silly effects sequence with religious overtones that spoil some of the fun, but I think this is a great little horror film. Watch for a cool additional sequence after the credits! ***

October 12
28. Psycho III (Anthony Perkins, 1986) (DVD)
This one gets better with age. Perkins takes over as director and delivers the sleaziest and most graphic of the Psycho films with Bates visibly interacting with his deceased mother throughout the film. The film opens shockingly. Over black screen we hear a young woman shout: "There is no God!" The film does its best to make that seem true. The Bates Motel is like a delapited last resort for rejects and people on the fringe of society. Bruce Surtees photographs this film in primary colors in a way reminiscent of Dario Argento's classic Suspiria. Perkins reallys want to push the color in this one and to make it as darkly beautiful as Hitchcock's original was in black-and-whilte. Blood in neon. Jeff Fahey is memorably sleazy as a drifter Bates hires to run the Motel. Diana Scarwid is effective as a blacklisted young nun who reminds Norman of Marion Crane. There is a phone booth murder that Bates ends up having to scrub clean...for his mother. Another great entry in the franchise. ****

October 13
29. The Craft (Andrew Fleming, 1996) (Blu-ray)
Why exactly does this film have a Restricted rating? There's little blood and unless I missed something, no nudity. The primary audience for this film is clearly teenage girls, and I see nothing overly objectionable. It's a fantasy piece for young women who may be outsiders at their own schools. A chance to imagine what it might be like to have the powers of witchcraft at your disposal and to use those powers to enact revenge, or get the boy you're crushing on to fall madly for you. The film holds up okay and I wanted to see it again because I've been giving some of the '90s horror a second look. In this case, the film remains nothing too special. The acting is fine and Fairuza Balk relishes her bad girl turn. Director Fleming stages a gruesome final sequence that would scare anyone with a phobia for snakes, worms, and other creepy-crawlers. I wish there were more of that kind of thing, and cetainly something to warrant the R rating. **

October 14
30. Killer Klowns from Outer Space (Stephen Chiodo, 1988) ☼ (DVD)
It's hard to believe it's taken me this many years to check out this film. What a fun little carnivale. The makeup and special effects are inventive and entertaining and there is always a great clown gimmick to be explored. I loved the crawling popcorn, the sniffing baloon dog and--most of all--the cotton candy cocoons! This is Invasion of the Body Snatchers for Circus freaks! I highly recommend this '80s gem of a funhouse ride that most everyone should enjoy except maybe the coulrophobic. Would make a nice double bill with Chuck Russell's remake of [I]The Blob[/B] which came out the same year. ***

31. Children of the Corn (Donald P. Borchers, 2009) ☼ (DVD)
I'm guessing this film sticks closer to the original short story since Stephen King is credited with helping adapt this time. I saw the original for the first time during the summer and thought it was pretty mediocre fare. This one has does improve on some aspects, and certainly has a darker final act. The couple is portrayed much differently. No longer a doctor and his young bride. Here we have a period piece set sometime in the '70s. This interracial couple argues a lot and Vicki's dialogue wasn't doing much to make me care what happened to her. She is constantly berating her husband Burton and makes reference to his possibly raping vietcong grandmothers and other heinous things. Huh? It's pretty over-the-top. His Vietnam experience does add a cool element and I enjoyed seeing him go toe-to-toe with some of the children. The kids flat-out suck this time. Casting them younger has a price in terms of effectiveness and it just didn't work for me. Let's face it, how scared do you expect to be of Cody from Dexter? His dialogue here still sounds like he's reciting dialogue from that elementary school play. *

October 15
32. Rogue (Greg Mclean, 2008) ☼ (Blu-ray)
Mclean's follow-up to Wolf Creek is a beautiful looking film. I watched it on Blu-ray and that turned out to be a perfect choice. There are images of nature here that are on the level of Terrence Malick. The opening scene leading into the title sequence is particularly breathtaking. The film is nothing groundbreaking as far as nature attack films. It's not really as fun as something like Anaconda but I did enjoy it more than Lake Placid. The cast is decent although I felt that after such a long set-up, there was nothing really crucial provided that would further my understanding of these people. The screenplay does little to bring them to life in interesting ways and I feel that we needed more variety in characters to make the relationships more authentic and interesting. The 'gator effects are quite good but I still knew what I was seeing was largely computerized and it takes some of the fun out of it. Definitely worth a look, but I still preferred Alligator. **

October 16
33. Zombieland (Ruben Fleischer, 2009) ☼ (South Keys Cinema)
Certainly there are a few funny moments here and there but the zombie comedy genre can't die quickly enough as far as I'm concerned. Fido and Shaun of the Dead were more interesting, but all of the films suffer from a kind of "one-joke' syndrome. And it's a joke that gets old pretty quickly. The actors appear to be having fun and there are several great location setpieces (the carnival, the Indian souvenir shop, and a certain celebrity's digs). The action slows to a halt too often and the film is never as clever as it thinks it is. If you can't enough of zomedies then you'll probably like it. I'd recommend waiting for cheapie theatres or rental. But it does having the best opening title sequence since Watchmen *

34. The Stepfather (Nelson McCormick, 2009) ☼ (South Keys Cinema)
Once again a remake that doesn't measure up to the original. It's not as perversely funny and is toned down considerably. For a moment while I was sitting in the theatre I envied the young girls around me that were seemingly unaware they were watching a remake, munching loudly on their popcorn between jump scares. There a few of these jolts, including the overused "cat-scare" that genre fans are so familiar with. Still, I was mostly entertained. Dylan Walsh does a dark spin on his troubled Nip/Tuck character and the supporting cast is pretty darn good. The decision to go with a stepson this time works better than expected. But seeing Amber Heard as the young girlfriend interact well with Walsh in one scene made me wonder how it might have played out if she had been cast as the stepdaughter. Oh, well...looks like they're hoping for a sequel. Make room for daddy! **

October 17
35. Paranormal Activity (Oren Peli, 2009) ☼ (World Exchange Cinema)
Only heard about this film yesterday. No hype for me. But easily the worst film I've seen theatrically this year. Scary? Creepy? Just glancing at some of the reviews over at Rotten Tomatoes makes me giggle. Seriously, though...someone let me in on the joke. This thing looks like it was made over a long weekend. Boring couple tape themselves and trivial horror cliche's are caught on tape as they sleep. Bad acting is about all you have to fear in this one. Very surprised I was able to see something this amateur in a major theatre. This had no right being anything but a DTV release. I've had scarier nights in my own apartment when the girlfriend awakes suddenly from night terrors. Now, that's some crazy stuff! I shoud film it! Anyway, I'd recommend avoiding this. **

October 18
36. Fear No Evil (Frank LaLoggia, 1981) ☼ (DVD)
Easily the strangest film I've watched in my marathon so far and among the most entertaining. The antichrist arrives in the form of actor Stefan Arngrim. He's a creepy-looking dude who will unsettle you during the simplest of scenes, much like the little boy in Richard Donner's The Omen. This film isn't content to be just another possessed teen flick, though. It throughs in carnivorous zombies, a jerk who date-rapes with a handgun, a passion play that turns real bloody, a game of gym dodgeball that that turns deadly, and an attack on the antichrist in a men's shower that ends with a fierce homoerotic kiss. It could be argued that the antichrist in this film is possessed by homosexual urges. If William Friedkin's Cruising was attacked it made homosexuality seem like a disease, then this film could be charged with making homosexuality seem devilishly anti-christian. In one amazing scene, the date-rapist suddenly has female breasts, apparently the antichrist attempting to show him his true "urges". The newly endowed victim then stabs himself to death (through the breasts) screaming "Fuck you!" LaLoggia really brings a lot to this little low-budget film and I look forward to hearing the commentary. Lots to enjoy here in this overlooked '80s gem. ***

October 19
37. Diabolique (Jeremiah S. Chechik, 1996) ☼ (DVD)
Whatever happened to Chazz Palminteri? He certainly was on a hot streak in the mid-1990s. Here he plays the head of a boy's school who is married to Isabelle Adjani and seeing Sharon Stone on the side. Now that's just asking for trouble I guess. I haven't seen the original version so I didn't come into this with that kind of bias. It's basically a noir thriller with a touch of gothic horror/mystery. There is a bathtub scene that had me cringing. Drowning at the hand of others looks like a terrible way to go and that sequence it pretty effective. Less effective is Adjani. I'm never sure if this woman has a clue in any film. Here she seems downright stupid most of the time and it was hard to feel sorry for situation. She's literally seems in over her head. Stone is in the bitchy mode that she sustained through most of that decade. Kathy Bates does her best Columbo and was easily the most convincing of the female leads. She was lots of fun and I could have used a bit more of her. This is worth a watch, though. The finale wasn't totally satisfying, but not a bad ride. **

38. Fear Itself: New Years Day (Darren Lynn Bousman, 2008) ☼ (DVD)
Messy entry into the series that features more blood & guts but a less than interesting story. Bousman's intercutting of events from New Year's eve and New Year's day are frustrating and add little to the impact. This is certainly the most graphic of the director's cut versions in the [I]Fear Itself[/B] collection. It reminded me most of Tobe Hooper's ill conceived Dance of the Dead from the first season of Masters of Horror, but unlike that effort, this one doesn't even feature a memorable performance from Robert Englund. Pretty lame. *

October 20
39. Fear Itself: The Sacrifice (Breck Eisner, 2008) ☼ (DVD)
And the second real letdown for me from the Fear Itself collection. It's hard to believe this was the episode that NBC chose to launch the series with. Bad decision. There are some creepy moments and the short does start promisingly. I had little idea of where we were going at first, but once the main characters end up in Amish territory with some very strange young women, things go from bad to worse both for the "heroes" and for the viewer. Pretty boring script from the eternally uneven Mick Garris. He does better when King writes for him. This is more or less a hackjob, but Rachel Miner does well in a supporting role. I hope my last few episodes from this series pack more punch. *

October 23
40. Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (Paul Weitz, 2009) ☼ (Silvercity Gloucester Cinema)
Strange as hell little film. I walked into this because I still had a few hours to kill before Saw VI was starting. I hadn't heard of the boys before and it was somewhat refreshing to see something where I knew nothing...not even a trailer. It will encourage me to do that more often. That's the experience I remember enjoying so much from film festivals--entering into something totally without preconceived notions. This film felt truly felt like '80s material aimed at youngsters. I was reminded of The Goonies and The Monster Squad. I have a confession, though. I was never a big fan of those films. I do admire the look here and the lack of quick cuts. It really has a quite beautiful canvas. It was fun to see Willem Dafoe (and totally unexpected). If you're looking for an offbeat diversion with some clever creatures and something you can watch with the kids, this might be the ticket. I just didn't find myself getting caught up in the story or characters much. *

41. Saw VI (Kevin Greutert, 2009) ☼ (Silvercity Gloucester Cinema)
This is the first Saw I've seen in theatres since #3. I wasn't a fan of that film but earlier this year I decided to rent 4 and 5 and was mostly pleased with what I saw. You have to admire this series for attempting the continuity it does. It seems totally devoted to fans who've seen the films multiple times and it can be a bit confusing if you don't remember certain characters and situations from the earlier films. This film has some of the most original kill scenes of the past couple of years. The "carousel scene" was a standout for me. Graphic, funny, and uncompromising all at once. Naysayers be damned: Saw VI is great genre cinema and among the best horror releases of a rather mediocre year. ***

October 24
42. Wrong Turn 3: Left for Dead (Declan O'Brien, 2009) ☼ (DVD)
After a great opening sequence involving tits and arrows, this film sinks fast into DTV sequel sludge. I'm not a fan of the second film either, but all the copies of Dead Snow were rented and on this occasion to the rental store I didn't want to leave empty-handed. But in a sense, I did anyway. Poor and inept in pretty much every capacity. It might be fun if you've got friends around and are in the mood for mocking bad cinema, but I can't recommend this even to hardcore fans. *

October 25
43. Dexter: The Third Season (Various, 2008) ☼ (Blu-ray)
Ah, Dexter. I decided to watch the entire season this month and just count it as one title. Supporting characters are better developed this season. I really enjoy Jennifer Carpenter's Deb character and her foul-mouthed tomboy nature. She has lots of screen time this season. I also loved Jimmy Smits. What a great character and fun to watch Dexter make "friends". I can't say that this was the best overall season (I think the previous seasons were more satisfying in terms of story) but the memorable performances put this one high on my list of great recent television. I'm hearing amazing things about the new season and I look forward to checking it out. ***

October 26
44. Happy Birthday to Me (J. Lee Thompson, 1981) ☼ (DVD)
Finally got around to this one. I'm a fan of J. Lee Thompson's films with Charles Bronson, particularly the grisly 10 to Midnight. He certainly lays down some impressive atmosphere and there are some great kill scenes that feel more like gialli than American slashers. There also is clearly an influence from Friday the 13th here in terms of the story and the visual approach to those murder-set-pieces. The film takes a few unexpected diversions in ways that recent remakes and retreads seldom dare to. The ending is kind of hilarious, kind of outrageos, and kind of chillling all at once. Great photography and the "restored" music score seal the deal. Expect something a little different here and you will have lots of fun. ***

45. Fear Itself: In Sickness and in Health (John Landis, 2008) ☼ (DVD)
Not one of Landis' better efforts. I'm a big fan of his and hoped this would be on par with his recent Masters of Horror efforts. Not quite. I figured out the twist early on and was hoping I was wrong. A couple of eerie well-edited moments in a church notwithstanding this just isn't a very good entry in the series. The cast is pretty weak, too. Even if you don't see the ending coming a mile away, I think you'll be nonplussed. *

46. Prince of Darkness (John Carpenter, 1987) (Mayfair Theatre)
What a pleasure to witness this on the big screen for the first time. Carpenter's widescreen compositions are best appreciated on the big screen and it's sad that we haven't seen much of him up there recently. This is one of his darkest and overlooked films. Love the setting of the church in the big city. The foreboding tone of the film doesn't let up from the impressive opening titles sequence. Carpenter is great with these claustrophic spaces and there are moments that reminded me of both The Things and Assault on Precint 13. This was part of a lower-budget two picture deal he had with Universal at the time. The other pic was the excellent They Live which would make a perfect double-bill choice. I really want a copy of this orginal music score! ***

October 28
47. Phantasm II (Don Coscarelli, 1988) (DVD)
The most action-packed of the Phantasm films with the best special effects. James LeGros as Mike didn't bother me too much, but it's a bit distracting in the overall series. I loved the use of the spheres this time, but the Tall Man (Angus Schrimm) is a bit less effective and menacing this time. It's less about atmosphere and more about action. Kind of similar to the differences between Alien and Aliens in that way. Still lots of fun and a great sequel. ***

October 29
48. Deadgirl (Marcel Sarmiento-Gadi Harel, 2009) ☼ (DVD)
This film had been getting a lot of discussion on here and I was happy to finally check it out. There has been a recent upsurge in twisted coming-of-age stories. I guess its the zeitgeist version of John Hughes. The scariest thing of all is not what's found in the basement of a creepy old mental institution, but what the characters do with it. Atmospheric, darkly funny, and bold as hell...one of the most original and best acted horror films of the year. You will want to take a bath, though. ****

49. The Lost Boys (Joel Schumacher, 1987) (Bytowne Cinema)
I've seen this film a few times and I was there back in '87 when it premiered. I had read the tie-in movie novel that summer leading up to it. Seeing it on the big screen again was interesting. I liked Jason Patric better than I remember. Dianne Wiest had a scene with him where I felt like I was watching her psychotherapist character from In Treatment. Seeing Corey Feldman as the young Edgar Frog proves that he did do a good job in the lackluster sequel (probably the only reason to see that film). My favorite element of this film has always been the soundtrack, though. So many great musical moments. These bloodsuckers are cooler and nastier than any recent versions, including those on True Blood. But Near Dark remains a superior film. ***

October 31
50. Fear Itself: Spooked (Brad Anderson, 2008) ☼ (DVD) Personal Goal achieved
I've never understood the problem people have with Eric Roberts. Even though his career didn't follow through on the early promise, he remains damn interesting onscreen. He elevates the material here, which is kind of a noir ghost story that felt a bit like Stir of Echoes in its most effective moments. The location is one of the creepier I've seen this month (bested primarily by the church in Prince of Darkness). This falls somewhere in the middle of the series as far as quality. The best entries in Fear Itself are ones I watched before and after October. Check out Skin and Bones by Larry Fessenden and Stuart Gordon's Eater. **

Last edited by indiephantom; 11-11-09 at 01:52 PM.

Reply Like

09-18-09, 10:46 PM

#32

asianxcore

DVD Talk Legend

Join Date: Jan 2004

Location: California

Posts: 20,247

Likes: 355

Received 361 Likes on 304 Posts

Re: The 5th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***LISTS GO HERE!*

asianxcore's "October Horror Movie Challenge" 2009

October 1st:

1. The Funhouse (1981): Tope Hooper sure loves his deranged families. Though his output since TCM has been shoddy at best, I actually enjoyed this film. It's very slow to start, but Hooper is lucky to have such a great set piece (sketchy carnival) to push the film along. Also what a random looking villain.

2. Ebola Syndrome (1996): Anthony Wong rules. Though I have him firmly planted in my head "Supe. Wong" in Infernal Affairs, this was quite a treat for me. Though the film jumps from being a full-blown out Exploitation film to part Horror, it's surprisingly quite funny and disgusting at the same time. Wong's character Kai is completely despicable yet entertaining at many moments of the film. Pretty random (but fun) film.

3. The Evil Dead (1981): Classic. Any self-respecting Horror fan has this in his/her collection. What else needs to be said about this film? It's moody, atmospheric, the effects (though somewhat dated) still hold up and are effective. What amazes me the most about the film is how much Raimi was able to get out of his Actors (especially the female leads). Linda's (Betsy Baker) transformation is still ridiculously creepy years after I first saw it.

4. Demonia (1990): With all due respect to Lucio Fulci, this is one of his worst films. Not worst in that it's completely unwatchable, worst as in it doesn't do anything particularly good nor do anything particularly horrible. Honestly, it's right down the middle of the road. It's the Horror Film equivalent to Vanilla Ice Cream, which we all know Fulci is not. The script is extremely dull and the characters revel in it. Though the film does offer some neat set pieces (the Monastery) and some random bits of solid gore, there isn't much to see other than that.

5. Alucarda (1978): What at times seemed like a run-of-the-mill Religious Horror film, manages to be saved by Director Juan Lopez Moctezuma. His push for the film to get even more extreme as the film goes on, coupled with a gorgeous eye for framing and visual photography helps the film along. Acting isn't anything to write home about but patient viewers will find the finale a tremendous payoff. The pacing is a little slow for a film that only runs 70+ minutes but there is lots to see/experience in that time frame. Blood-filled Coffins, ridiculous amounts of screaming, non-stop Blasphemy, random bits of nudity, and Exploding Bloody Nuns...what more could you want?

October 2nd

6. Anthropophagus: The Grim Reaper (1980): Though I can always commend Joe D'Amato for going over the top with his films, it's always a running joke that he has problem making them more than that. Other than some great death scenes (one being completely ridiculous/hilarious) the film has nothing going for it for most of it's run time. The best parts of the film occur in the last 30 minutes when all but the actual characters in the film have figured out something is wrong on the island. Super schlocky and absurd, but nothing more than that.

7. Raw Meat (1972): I'm usually not for humanizing villains in Horror films, but this is one instance where I thought it sort of worked. I was actually surprised at the amount of scenes devoted to the human qualities of what is obviously physically portrayed as something completely inhuman. I loved both Donald Pleasence and Norman Rossington in this. They both add a splash of humor to scenes that don't involve the ghastly scenes taking place in London's Underground. The film moves along at a very slow pace but the final scene in the Underground with Patricia (Sharon Guerney) was done quite well, though rushed. Neat little film with lots of detective work, darkness and rotting corpses.

8. Torso (1973): Push past the typical Horror/Giallo character archetypes and what you have left is one fun little film. The film is decently paced for it's first hour and then goes for a great change of pace during it's final act. It's both mind-numbingly tense as well as exciting. Though also common to the genre, I loved the numerous red herrings that were thrown into the film. Also worth mentioning is Tina Aumont is gorgeous in this film.

October 3rd

9. The Omen (1976): One of the best Horror films of all-time as well as one of the best Religious Horror films. Gregory Peck does an amazing job playing a father pushed to the brink of madness. What I love about this film is for almost a 2 hour film, the pace is just right. There is always something to observe, learn, or hear during it's run time. The score is fantastic and is perfect for the film. Though the film is rooted in Horror, it bounces back and forth between the genre and Mystery. As the "mystery" unfolds to the characters, it is constantly interesting and engaging. The mood is bleak/depressing from the minute the film starts and never does the film let up. Damien (Harvey Stephens) is one creepy little kid.

10. A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984): This is the Wes Craven I will always miss. Containing one of the best origin stories for any Horror Movie Villain/Icon ever, the film delivers on all fronts. The film does have it's moments for jump scares but Craven pushes the film to be more than that. He constantly blurs the line between reality and dreams, to a point where we as an audience are trying to constantly figure out where we are or if our characters have fallen asleep. There are also some downright brilliant visual shots and cues in this film. From Nancy's (Heather Langenkamp) first dream at school or Glen's (Johnny Depp) infamous scene. There is so much to like about this film for Horror fans that it was an absolute joy to watch this film again.

October 4

11. Them (Ils) (2006): Part of the "New Wave of French Horror", David Moreau and Xavier Palud's film is an extremely fun and tense Horror/Thriller film. When it works, the film is a non-stop sensory overload that will tear into every one of your last nerves. The Cat-and-Mouse nature of the film does work extremely well due to fantastic audio cues and the overall minimalistic nature of most of the film. Unfortunately, the film does dip a bit during it's final act when the mystery is broadly unfolded. Even then, the first 60+ minutes are well worth the price of admission.

12. Mark Of The Devil (1970): Just as much silly as it is over-the-top and vile, this little Horror/Exploitation gem definitely delivers for the patient. Pacing is a little slow but in it's 90+ minute run time, the film throws all the usual pieces of the Horror/Exploitation genres into the mix and then some. Though filmed like a 1970's Fabio, Udo Kier is fantastic as Christian, who fights injustice in the name of the Church. Credit also has to go to Reggie Nalder as the extremely unlikeable and grotesque character Albino. Lots of gore, torture set pieces/devices, random bits of sleaze and other oddballs fill the run time. For a film that does have it's story based in Historical roots, it's a little too silly, but a strong effort nonetheless.

13. Last House On Dead End Street (1977): One of the films from the UK "Video Nasties" list that I completely agree with. Not for the effects (which are slightly dated, but come together well) but for the entire tone of the film. The tone of the film is completely dark, nasty, filthy, bathing in a world where there is no hope for anyone. It goes also without saying the film is completely odd and insane during most of it's run time (last 20 minutes are no exception). Not for the weak of heart but definitely recommended for Horror/Exploitation fans looking for a little kick in the teeth. It's easy to see this film's influence on the Toe Tag Pictures' "August Underground" series.

October 5

14. The Thing (1982): John Carpenter's remake of the 1950's original is easily one of my favorite Sci-Fi/Horror films. The film breezes by and constantly is engaging/interesting. It contains a ridiculous amount of memorable scenes (some of which I absolutely love) and acting is great all around. For a film that is almost 28 years old, it never feels dated at any point. The effects are still fantastic in all of their confusing, awe-inspiring, bloody and goopy glory. The constant feeling of both paranoia and isolation (some of which can be attributed to the setting) is also one of my favorite things about the film.

15. Ginger Snaps (2000): Seeing as the Werewolf sub-genre of Horror doesn't spawn many good films, makes this a surprise entry to the group. The film obviously contains parallels comparing Lycanthropy to Maturation/Female Menstruation. Though the idea sounds silly and extreme on paper, it actually works in this context of the film. I wasn't too fond of the overtly Goth overtones of our two main characters, but both have great chemistry with each other and command their leads. It's interesting to see Ginger (Katherine Isabelle) and Brigitte (Emily Perkins) grow apart (and closer) because of events throughout the film. They are (as the film states), "connected at the wrist" in the begininning, and it's fascinating to see how much they change not only (obviously) physically but emotionally throughout the film.

16. Scream (1996): Part parody/satire, part Horror Film, Wes Craven's collaboration with Kevin Williamson is quite the successful one. The film's characters are obviously self aware of Horror Film rules and many play by them. Not only are there nods to Slasher Films of yore, but also a handful of references to Wes Craven himself (NOES references). This makes for a very fun film for not only general audiences but Horror fans alike. Say what you will about this film (it spawned many clones/modern Slasher films) but it stands very well on it's own. Oddly enough, the film's cast reads like an obituary for many actors whom were predicated to boom but fizzled instead. Regardless, the film is a solid entry in the Slasher sub-genre with it's complete mix of self aware cliches, high energy and random bits of humor. It also contains one of the more iconic Slasher villains in Horror Film history. Though Craven did put out a number of Horror films post-NOES, I still feel this was his first good film since then. The other two films in the Scream Trilogy do nothing but destroy the film's mythos, but the first film will always be good for a nice Halloween Night Romp.

October 6

17. The Mangler (1995): Other than random bits of Splatter and Gore, there isn't much to see here unfortunately. Not much is very scary or horrifying about the film. A possessed Steam Iron? Hmmm...not so much. The actual machine is quite the technical feat and is a great set piece for the film (when the characters are around it), but it offers nothing else. The film plays off more as a Mystery than Horror and is a little more interesting when everything finally unfolds. Robert Englund's performance as Mr. Gartley can't save how extremely boring and long-winded this film is. Ending is also quite laughable.

18. Pandorum (2009): Surprisingly, I enjoyed this film. It certainly offers nothing new to either the Sci-Fi or Horror genres, but I thought it was solid for what it was. Though we sort of get a garbled explanation for the inhabitants of the ship, they are effective throughout the film. The final act (which could have done without one little plot point) was great and I loved the ending. The reveal was actually a lot better than I had imagined it to be. Set pieces in the ship were fantastic, Quaid is underused, and Antje Traue feels like another tacked on Sci-Fi Heroine to me. Overall the film was enjoyable (amongst sometimes dizzying camera work and loud noises) and gets an extra point for having a character who speaks Vietnamese.

19. [REC] (2007): Leave it to Spain to provide the world with one of the best Horror Films to come out in a long time. Just when you thought Horror Films had hit a brick wall, that Zombie films got stale, or that "Reality/Kinetic" cinematography was gimmicky, Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza's [REC] proves you wrong. The film has so many great things going for it (more than I can list here) and is constantly engaging. The setting is perfect. Not only do we purposely get isolated but even the structure of the building (tall/many floors, spiral staircase, narrow) gives a sense of claustrophobia. An immense feeling that there might be no hope, constantly rears it's ugly head. One of my absolute favorite things about [REC] is that all the performances feel very natural and extremely emotional. There is no "cheesy" acting here, only a ridiculous level of panic, anger, confusion and energy. I had read reports that most of the dialogue/actions are improvised, which do no surprise me in the least and takes this film over the top. If you haven't seen this little Spanish gem, run out and see it now!

20. Cheerleader Camp (1987): Leif Garrett in a Slasher Film. Yes, you heard me right. The 80's spawned many themed Slasher Films, some which would go on to influence future films and some which blended into obscurity. Cheerleader Camp is one of the latter. The film never really gains it ground nor does it deliver on basic rewards from a good Slasher Film. As far as themed Slashers go, the film should have been great out the gate. Unfortunately, even with Cheerleaders and random bits of T&A, the film is dull all the way through. Only 2 kills amongst the body count stand-out (most are done off-screen or feel rushed/random), but even then the film drowns itself. It's main problem is that it plays out more like a Teen Sex Comedy first rather than anything Horror related. At least Betsy Russell is around to look at.

October 7

21. Prison (1988): One of my favorite forgotten 80's Horror Films. Renny Harlin's film takes the tried-and-true formula of the "Haunted House" Horror Film and turns it on it's ear. No, it doesn't necessarily re-invent the formula as it makes it about 100 times more fun. Instead of a loving family moving into a house for a new beginning, we have inmates moving into an old abandoned prison because of overpopulation. The antagonist here is still an angry spirit, but instead of household items, this spirit has an entire prison at it's disposal. What does that mean? Makes for great atmosphere (rusty metal, flooded hallways) and inventive kill sequences. Harlin's film features one of my all-time favorite death scenes (in a Horror Film) and does not skimp just there on creative death scenes. The film is fun, gory and knows exactly what it is, never trying anything outside the tried-and-true formula. Might not work for many Horror Films, but it succeeds here.

22. Night Of The Living Dead (1990): Tom Savini directing and George Romero in charge of the screenplay? How could this be bad? The magical duo of Romero/Savini manage to conjure up not only a remake that is worthy of it's fantastic original, but one of the best Horror remakes period. The two leads are great (Tony Todd and Patricia Tallman), as well as Tom Towles as the tremendously unlikable Cooper. Pacing is spot on and the film moves by briskly. FX work (Gore, Makeup) knock one right out of the park. One of my favorite things about the new screenplay is that it toys with your knowledge of the original film (Johnny/Barbara in the Cemetery). My only wish is a future release of the full "Rated X" cut someday, as many of the cut scenes show up as extras on the Deleted Scenes.

October 8

23. Zombieland (2009): Straight-forward and tons of fun. That's really all I wanted from this film and that's exactly what it delivered. Performances were decent all around, though Woody Harrelson and the special "Cameo" stuck out in my mind. The film definitely delivered on the level of laughs and gore. What I appreciated most about the film was how it moved along quickly but also kept the energy high. A film like this would definitely suffer from any down-time and luckily for the audience, there isn't much. Definitely looking forward to seeing this one again. Also it's worth mentioning that I seriously think Jesse Eisenberg is Michael Cera's acting clone.

October 9

24. Demons (1985): Take your standard Zombie film, replace them with Demons, crank up the 80's Metal, throw in some Coke-heads for fun and you have the Ultra Cheese-Fest that is Lamberto Bava's "Demons". The plot is extremely thin (though the film within a film is a neat idea) and it's characters even thinner. So why is it that I enjoy this film so much on multiple viewings? It's simple really. Bava's film is a 90+ minute, Demon-infested, bloody, gory, random green vomit of a good time. FX by Sergio Stivaletti are solid and I love one of the first Demon transformation scenes. The film is constantly gory and early on extremely goopy. The film is just good fun and contains some of the most ridiculous scenes in Horror. If you don't believe me, just watch the final act.

25. Sleepaway Camp (1983): Let's get this out of the way first. This film features one of the most memorable final shots and scenes in all of Horror. It might shock, disturb and confuse you, or it might not do any of the above. Now that we've addressed that, "Sleepaway Camp" is a neat little 80's Slasher. For the most part the film follows closely with the formula laid out by other 80's Slashers. What it does best is where it keeps it interesting throughout. The ending is certainly one of those aspects. But where I find the film the most interesting lies in two other points of the film. First off the cast, which is mostly comprised of younger kids for it's main characters. This changes up the formula a smidge from normal Slashers, as no matter how mean the characters get in this film, you have to keep telling yourself they are just children. The other thing I love about this film is that it's gruesome without bathing in a ridiculous amount of blood and gore. Sure there is a little blood here and there but most of the inventive kills happen either off-screen or away from direct point of contact. It's commendable as many films in this sub-genre revel in buckets of gore. Though the sequels (let's not count "Return To Sleepaway Camp") to this film upped the inventive kills (and level of Cheesiness), neither could hold a flame to this Slasher Classic.

October 12

26. Pumpkinhead (1988): Stan Winston's directorial debut is quite the fun film. An accident which then turns into a continuous series of bad decisions and regret fills the rest of the film. I have to give credit to Winston for making most of his characters human. They realize when they make mistakes and try to make amends for them. My only little qualm about that is some characters in the film have a change of heart a little too quick. What I enjoyed most about the film is the level of not only Folklore/Fairy tales but a splash of a Supernatural element. Finally (and obviously), Winston's FX are great here and Pumpkinhead is quite the sight to look at (when you do get a good view of it). R.I.P Stan Winston

27. The Descent (2005): Neil Marshall's film is easily one of my favorite Horror Films in the past decade. What could have easily spiraled into a completely cheesy Creature Feature, turns out to be a lot more. Sarah (Shauna Macdonald) suffers a tragic accident, leading to her closest friends planning a trip for her back in the States one year later. First off the scenery is gorgeous and is only heightened by tremendous cinematography. Once the group of women are at their destination, the place takes on a character of it's own. That is one of my absolute favorite things about this Horror Film. Long before the guts and splatter show up, the cave itself is a villain fighting against the group as they explore to find their way out. The cinematography also has to be commended here as there are very little lighting opportunities but somehow Sam McCurdy makes it work. There's too much I love about this film to name here. Mostly the amazing choice in scenery, the strong female characters (and their mostly logical decisions), great acting all around, great pacing, the list goes on. Don't let this sleeper hit get by you!

October 13

28. Trick R' Treat (2009): At one point in this time this film became part of the lore it was immitating. Various problems with releasing the film had fans on edge as the film became something of a myth. Would it be released theatrically or not? Hell, there was even a time the full production book for the film was released to bookstores with no film to support it. So I tip my hat to Warner Bros. for at the very least releasing this to DVD/BD, for the public to see. So after waiting what felt like an eternity for this film, did it live up to all my expectations? It definitely did. I loved the multiple story ideas, as it obviously pays homage to much of the anthologies of Horror such as "Tales From The Crypt" and "Tales From The Darkside". What really made me fall in love with the film was not only the overall dark tone (and it goes places I've yet to see other Horror films attempt) but how much of the story telling is what I remember Halloween being like as a kid. From local legends/lore, to stories passed on in the school yard, to frightening stories read out of books like Alvin Schwartz' "Scary Stories" series. The stories and themes are dreadfully dark, but there is still that playful nature about them. I was afraid after hearing all the positive hype about the film I'd be let down after seeing it, but I'm glad to happily add this film to my yearly Halloween viewing.

October 15

29. Toolbox Murders (2003): Though extremely uneven, Tope Hooper's remake of the 78' original manages to be a barely decent run in the Slasher genre. About 98% of the cast are cardboard cut-outs waiting to be disposed of by our mysterious killer. Among the forgettable cast, I found that both Angela Bettis and Brent Roam (who play Newlyweds Nell and Steven) were solid in their roles. They are both interesting enough to make this a small notch above a train wreck. Another thing the film has going for it is it's atmosphere. I cannot fault Hooper on creating a great atmosphere with the old rotting walls of an apartment building going through major renovations. Other than that the film drags itself around for the first half of it's run time. Luckily the second half of the film is a little more entertaining. Sadly, the film was trimmed of most of it's juicy bits (gore) to secure an "R" rating. These scenes are included in the DVD's "Deleted Scenes". Adding the missing gore back into the film wouldn't make it better, but definitely more fun.

30. Paranormal Activity (2009): I have to give Director Oren Peli credit. I had come to the point that I thought Horror Films were unable to generate buzz in today's film market, but here we are with his ghostly tale spreading through word of mouth. The story is simple. Katie and Micah are experiencing some sort of Paranormal phenomena at their home. Slowly but surely the haunting becomes more and more extreme, which tests the limits of their relationship as well as themselves. Does the the film deliver on what it promises? If what it promised was an extremely creepy atmosphere and solid jump scares, then yes. Acting is pretty amateur (and laughable) at some points, but Katie Featherston is fantastic in her role. Micah, not so much. The film is your typical "Haunted House" fare but with the slight twist on how it is filmed. I find that the Cinematography actually makes this film a little more interesting and unnerving. The POV camera that is placed in the couple's bedroom (and carried around) puts you in the moment and is at times a little too close for comfort. This takes all the typical scares and amplifies them 10 times. Again, the film doesn't do anything particularly new (as opposed to combining good ideas) but it's a solid flick and a hell of a good time.

October 18

31. Sick Nurses (2007): Who knew a film with cutesy Nurses, angry spirits and lots of blood could be so boring. Well, that's what this Thai Horror film is a whole lot of. Plot is rather thin in this one. A Thai doctor and his group of well-trusted Nurses are making money off of dead bodies at the hospital. Step in random nurse who threatens to reveal their secret and you have the basis of the film. The film is ridiculously boring for more than it's first half, until it decides to bring in the splatter during it's second half. There are some interesting visuals in this film as well as some hilarious death scenes (baby fetuses'!). That's pretty much where the fun ends. The film runs like a Soft-core Porn film with it's actors running around, being random and waiting around to be offed. Other than the blood-letting, the only other thing I can commend is the ending. I didn't see it coming and it was actually kind of neat (in an odd sort of way). Someone get out a memo to Asia.....enough with the long-haired ghosts already!

32. Shaun Of The Dead (2004): I don't even need to do a write up for this film. It's brilliant. One of many reasons this film works is because it appeals to a broad audience. It's perfect mix of Horror, Romance, Drama and Comedy is often imitated but never topped. My girlfriend and I have seen this film in theaters and at home more times than we care to count. We've never grown tired of it. If you haven't seen this film, I'm wondering who you are and what planet you currently reside on. "We're coming to get you Barbara!"

October 19

33. Diary Of The Dead (2007): It's hard for me to judge Romero's new work because of the love I have for so much of his previous films. All Horror Fans hold Romero's work in a special place in their heart and every fan has their favorite film. How does this film stack up to his older work or even the film before it ("Land Of The Dead")? Whereas "Land Of The Dead" served as a mostly bigger budget Action/Horror/Zombie film, "Diary Of The Dead" brings Romero back to his Indie film making. The film is obviously on a smaller budget than his previous film but doesn't mostly suffer because of it. We still have solid looking Zombies, great looking gore (though uneven at times) and a great opening sequence. Where the film does suffer is everywhere else. After my second viewing of this film, I got accustomed to the POV/Hand-Held Cinematography style and actually thought it worked for the story. Unfortunately the Social Commentary and message that Romero puts in his films is muddled here. Though I can see where he was trying to go with it (Friendster, Myspace, Twitter, YouTube obsessions), it never really hits a home run like his older films. The message is a little forced and is overtly muddled because of the so-so cast of characters. Which is another problem with "Diary Of The Dead". Outside of maybe 1 or 2 characters (Samuel!), the cast is forgettable and unlikable. To even remotely care about a "Diary Of Cruelty" (as Professor Maxwell kindly puts it) we have to be invested in the characters. Why are we watching? Why do we care? Though the answer could lie in Romero's Social Commentary, it never gets there because the survivors are never worth a heartbeat. Though not as horrible as some critics panned it, the word to sum up this entry in the Dead series, is disappointing.

34. Day Of The Dead (1985): I'll be completely honest. This film was one of my favorite Horror rentals on VHS when I was growing up. Fortunately (for me), it holds up rather well in some spots but not so well in others. My favorite parts of the films still shine. Tom Savini's make-up and gore effects are top notch here. Limbs are hacked off and cauterized, faces are torn to shreds, guts spill everywhere, there is enough here to satisfy the most salivating gore hound. I've always enjoyed the extremely campy nature of the film, whether or not that was the original intention. Characters in the film aren't necessarily boring, but they either fall into two categories. They are either on the extreme side of things, yelling and throwing random tantrums or they are just in the middle of the road (Vanilla Ice Cream if you want to say). Weak points are definitely plot and pacing. Though I would guess there isn't much to pull with the plot, with the Zombie Epidemic far into it's stages, but there just seems to be so much missing here. The idea to domesticate Zombies is a fun idea, but the execution here is extremely silly and sometimes laughable. Pacing is solid at some points (especially the final act) but usually crawls through it's scenes. At times it just feels like it's running too long. Though it doesn't compete well against it's previous brothers and sisters (Night and Dawn), "Day Of The Dead" is still a ridiculously campy, gory and fun time for the patient viewer.

October 20

35. Dawn Of The Dead (1978): Yet another Horror Classic that needs no write-up or introduction. Unlike his later films, Dawn's message is clear and concise. The cast is great and Romero gives us essentially four survivors that are all pretty likable (Peter, Roger, Flyboy and Fran). Minus the Blue-Tinted Zombies, FX work is solid and I never get tired seeing all the goopy stuff (especially during the final act). Extremely fun film, great characters, great gore, and a fantastic plot. It's seriously 2 hours that zips by and when it's done, you'll want to revisit as soon as possible.

October 24

36. Deadly Friend (1986): For a film that starts off completely too cute for it's own good, Wes Craven's film surprisingly redeems itself by the end of the film. Overall the film is an interesting take on the Frankenstein mythos, with parts of Short Circuit, an 80's/90's After-School Special and a standard Slasher film thrown into the mix. Wes' NOES fingerprints are all over some of the sequences in the film but never does the film suffer from it. Characters are completely forgettable minus two of the lead characters (Paul and Sam). Death scenes are ridiculously fun (Basketball anyone?) and maybe one of the reasons (if the only reason) why one would watch this film. Craven's film is sort of middle of the road for me. There are many scenes which are a ton of fun (on their own), but none of the parts completely gel as a whole. Also I have to mention that the ending is completely random, lame and unnecessary.

October 26

37. Dawn Of The Dead (2004): There is no reason why Zack Synder's film should work, "re-imagining" or not. What it ends up being is an extremely fun and fast-paced Zombie film. Let's get this out of the way first. There are absolutely no similarities from Romero's original film and Zack Snyder's film, other than the title. Romero's Zombies are slow, Synder's run and change immediately after bitten. Romero's laced Social Commentary in his film, Snyder's is nowhere to be found. Romero's film featured the mall as a character as our characters lived, breathed and eventually became obsessed with it. In Snyder's film the mall is a sanctuary, a rest stop in between places in the film, which is a disappointment but works for the plot of the film. Romero's film also had a limited number of main characters, most of which were fleshed out nicely. Snyder has some great characters here (Anna, Kenneth, Michael, CJ) but the rest are disposable and pretty much Zombie fodder if you ask me. So why does Snyder's film eventually work for me? As I mentioned a handful of solid characters. I enjoyed following Anna (Sarah Polley), Kenneth (Ving Rhames), Michael (Jake Weber) and eventually CJ (Michael Kelly). All characters were more than Zombie food and were always engaging. Another thing I appreciated were some of the brilliant scenes in the film. I thought the scenes with Andy (the Gun Shop Owner) were fantastic (including the "Celebrity Shooting Gallery") and ended up being downright hilarious. The level of blood and gore was quite right for a Zombie film and loved literally seeing brain matter flying everywhere. Snyder did not hold back which I appreciated. I also enjoyed the fast pacing of the film, which worked not only for the plot but the speed of our Zombies. Having a grueling pace with fast Zombies pop up here and there would just feel a little odd (maybe jarring). Also maybe it's just me, but I felt that there was definitely a good amount of focus. We have the film being split into 3 parts. The Infection, the time spent in the Mall and eventually the finale. I liked that our characters were actually working towards something when there was absolutely no hope. Also it's not without saying the opening scene in this film is quite brilliant. Way to not waste time and hit the ground running right? My only gripes with this film are Mekhi Phifer and Inna Korobkina's characters, Andre and Luda. When they were on screen they were doing absolutely nothing, or nothing that another actor couldn't just be cut-and-pasted to doing. Let's be honest they would be the most forgettable characters in the film save for the final scene with their characters, which I also hated. Funny on paper, extremely stupid on screen. Either way, anyone who hasn't seen this, get past the title of the film, think of it as it's own film and enjoy!

Last edited by asianxcore; 10-26-09 at 02:12 PM.

Reply Like

09-18-09, 10:50 PM

#33

Darth Maher

DVD Talk Gold Edition

Join Date: Sep 2006

Location: Haddonfield, Illinois

Posts: 2,476

Likes: 207

Received 87 Likes on 55 Posts

Darth Maher's October Horror Movie Challenge V

NOTE: LIST IS FINALIZED

Contest Goal: None
Personal Goal: Watch at least ONE Halloween or horror related movie/show/etc per day in October. Break my previous record (29).

* = First Time Viewings
• = Halloween related but not eligible for the challenge

October 1st
1. The Midnight Hour (1985, DVD)
I was I was going to kick off the challenge with The Frighteners but I couldn't stay awake last night so I didn't watch anything until the morning/afternoon. I had the kids at home with me so anything really scary/gross was out. I set the kids up with a Spongebob DVD and some toys in the living room and went into the bedroom to fold the 3 baskets of laundry I promised the wife I'd take care of and to watch The Midnight Hour, the TV special from 1985. It was safe enough that when the kids did come in the room for something, it wouldn't scare them for life. They came in more often that not though... It took me over 3 hours to watch this 94 minute movie. On the upside, this is one of my personal favorites. I vaguely remember watching this when it premiered on TV back in the day. It was one of those specials that everybody at school was going to watch, and the next day we all talked about it as if it were the best thing ever. Aside from the silly "Thriller"-esque dance routine in the middle of the movie, it's still pretty effective even if its still a little cheesy.

October 2nd
2. Zombieland* (2009, Theater)
Just a ton of fun. BIG THUMBS UP!! I don't get to the theater much, but I'm glad I was able to catch this one...

Spoiler:

October 3rd
• The World of the Weird Monster Show* (2009, Live Taping)
I spent most of the day at the public access studio taping a horror host show called The World of the Weird Monster Show, a horror host show that airs on Comcast Public Access in the Chicago suburbs and on YouTube. We were shooting our annual Halloween Special. Although it obviously does not count towards the challenge, I'm including it for my personal goal of watching "at least ONE Halloween or horror related movie/show/etc per day in October."

October 4th
• Wings: "The Gift of Life"* (1996, DVR-USA)
3. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: "Mickey's Treat" (2002, DVD)

Kid stuff, but fun.
4. P2* (2007, DVR-StarzEdgeHD)
I don't remember hearing too much about this when it first came out, but I remember wanting to see it. Then I forgot about it until this year, when several people were raving about it. The raving was justified. This was a fun, nail-biter. The thing I liked best (aside from Rachel Nichols) was that it wasn't filled with the heroine doing stupid things that further along the plot (except for the elevator scene). For the most part, she was making a lot of right decisions that were thwarted by Thomas.

October 5th
5. [•REC]* (2007, DVD)
After all the positive reviews from everybody here, I decided to get this from my library and give it a spin.... Great movie. I know that Quarantine isn't very popular with most fans of [•REC], but I think I'm going to watch that next for comparison.

October 6th
6. Halloweentown (1998, DVD)
When the fam is around, I can pretty much assume that I won't get any Halloween/Horror movie watching in. However, my 5 yr old. daughter caught some of Halloweentown on the Disney Channel and I convinced her to watch the whole thing. Harmless enough, these movies are kind of fun and a nice break from the usual horror.

October 7th
7. Quarantine* (2008, DVD)
While I did like [•REC] better, I was impressed with this one as well. Had I seen this first, I probably would have liked it even more.
• Locked In: The Making of Quarantine* (2008, DVD)
Watching this DVD supplement, it seemed that they did a lot more with a lot less in [•REC], but I still enjoyed it.
8. The Uninvited* (1944, DVD dub from VHS)
I've never seen this all the way through... just pieces since I was a kid. I've been trying to watch it for a couple of years now... I finally did. Lots of fun. I liked the mimosa reference in Poltergeist that was obviously an homage to this movie.
9. The Uninvited* (2009, DVD)
I knew that this was not a remake of the 1944 movie with the same title, but I've had this sitting around from a friend for a while and figured that this was a good time to watch it. I liked it.

Spoiler:

October 8th
10. Fuse On Demand: House of Shock* (2009, DirectTV On Demand)

Description: An inside look at Halloween's most extreme attraction, the New Orleans horror show.
• Fuse On Demand: Halloween Playlist* (2009, DirectTV On Demand)
Description: We braved our way through the haunted depths to bring you the spookiest, kookiest videos around! Check out screamers from Every Time I Die, Chris Brown, Murderdolls, and 30 Seconds To Mars-if you dare.
• Travel Channel On Demand: Extreme Halloween 2* (2009, DirectTV On Demand)
Description: A look at Las Vegas' indoor haunted house and amusement park: The Fright Dome.
• Travel Channel On Demand: Extreme Halloween 3* (2009, DirectTV On Demand)
Description: A look inside what is widely regarded as the most extreme haunted house in the world: Netherworld in Atlanta, GA!
• Travel Channel On Demand: Extreme Halloween 4* (2009, DirectTV On Demand)
Description: A look at New York's Headless Horseman Hayride, known by many as America's scariest hay ride.
• Travel Channel On Demand: Queen Mary* (2009, DirectTV On Demand)
Description: Set inside the retired Queen Mary ship, this Halloween attraction serves up generated haunts and real spooks too!

My daughter was sick all day so any Halloween movies were out... even the tame ones. I knew my TV was limited this night so I breezed through these little specials that were on my DVR whenever I had the TV to myself for a few minutes. They were all less than 9 minutes.

October 9th
11. Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge (2001, DVD)
• The Magic of the Halloweentown Movies* (2005, DVD)
Daughter still sick. She was actually pretty excited to watch this though. Hope I have similar luck with the rest of the series.

October 10th
12. Halloweentown High (2004, DVD)
Daughter still sick. Finally after suggesting Halloween-themed kids shows/movies, she finally agreed to watch this one. 38 minutes in, she went to bed. After tucking her in, I finished the movie. I'm now wondering if she'll want to finish this (since she's seen the ending on Disney Channel) or if we can move right on to Return To Halloweentown, the final movie in the series.
13. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006, DVR-TMCHD)
See the 31 Films Thread for my thoughts.

October 11th
14. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966, DVD)

I usually try to watch this when it's on TV... something nostalgic about watching it that way. But we were at my mom's, eating pizza and the kids were helping her and my sister decorate so it seemed like a good time. Mom just kept hitting play when they menu would come up so we ended up watching it at least 3 times. There's not much else to say about this classic except that "it's a classic." Still not thrilled with the WWI flying ace scene. Kinda takes away from the Great Pumpkin storyline. Other than that, I love it.

October 12th
15. Even Stevens: "A Very Scary Story" (1996, DVR-DisneyXD)

• iCarly: "iScream on Halloween"* (2007, Nick On Demand)
• Wizards of Waverly Place: "Franken-Girl"* (2009, DVR-Disney Channel)
• Jonas: "The Tale of the Haunted Firehouse"* (2009, DVR-Disney Channel)
Sick kids home with me again. With the exception of Even Stevens, these are all shows my daughter watches so I thought I'd take advantage of that fact to sneak in some Halloween viewing. Later that evening, I watched about 28 minutes of Cube before giving up to help put the kids to bed. By the time that ordeal was over, I was too spent to continue.

October 13th / October 14th
Spent Tuesday and Wednesday morning/afternoon at home with my sick kids who had no interest in anything Halloween-related. The majority of Tuesday evening was spent in the ER. On Wednesday night, I watched another 30 minutes or so of Cube until I was interrupted by the screams of my daughter as my wife tried to give her the medicine for the evening. I felt obligated to assist. I never got back to the movie after that.

October 15th
16. Cube* (1997, DVD)
17. Cube 2: Hypercube* (2002, DVR-FLIX)
See the 31 Films Thread for my thoughts.

October 16th
18. Hocus Pocus (1993, DVD)
One of the "kids" Halloween movies that I really enjoy. Really captures that Halloween feel.

October 17th
19. Paranormal Activity* (2009, Theater)
Damn creepy. I am hearing mostly good reviews of this movie, but also hearing some negative. I think the trick is allowing yourself to be sucked into the movie. Even with a loud crowd (screaming at all the right parts), I was able to main suspension of disbelief and enjoy the movie. I've seen the original ending and I actually like the theatrical ending better... WAY more effective.

October 18th
Went to the pumpkin patch with the fam. No Halloween related movies or shows today.

October 19th
• Wizards of Waverly Place: "Halloween"* (2009, DVR-Disney Channel)
• Phineas and Ferb: "One Good Scare Ought to Do It!" (2008, DVR-Disney Channel)
Watched these with the kids as we ate dinner.
20. Murder Party* (2007, DVD)
Ok, I don't know who suggested this movie, but for some reason I decided to get this from my library. This movie is brilliant! Hilarious! I had never even heard of it until I requested it from my library (and strangely enough... I don't even recall doing do). The part that hit home with me is that I went to college with so many "artists" that acted so much like the ones in this movie. After having a somewhat crappy day, this movie was just what the doctor ordered. Whoever subliminally stuck this in my head... thanks!

October 20th
• Kid vs. Kat: "Beware The Were-Coop" / "Trick or Threat"* (2009, DVR-DisneyXD)
• There's a Nightmare in My Closet (2005, DVR-DirectTV On Demand)

October 21st
21. The Simpsons: "Treehouse of Horror" (1990, DVD)

22. The Simpsons: "Treehouse of Horror II" (1991, DVD)

By request from my 4-1/2 yr. old daughter... Some of the newer TOH episodes are hit or miss, but the first few were golden, especially the first one. "Quoth the raven, 'eat my shorts.'"
23. Trick 'r Treat* (2008, Blu-ray)
I think asianxcore's review (#28 in his list right above mine) pretty much sums up my thoughts on the movie as well. I just loved how they captured the spirit of Halloween. I wish it had gotten a better release, it would be great to see a movie like this every year (much like John Carpenter attempted to do with Halloween III by not including Michael Myers). I guess we have the Saw movies every October, but I'd rather have a movie that ties in with the Halloween holiday to look forward to. If Warner Bros. had treated Trick 'r Treat better, we might be watching Part 3 this year. But I've seen very little publicity for this so I'm assuming it will end up strictly as a cult hit... which I guess is better than not being released at all.

October 22nd
• The Simpsons: "Treehouse of Horror III" (1992, DVD)
• The Simpsons: "Treehouse of Horror IV" (1993, DVD)
• The Simpsons: "Treehouse of Horror V" (1994, DVD)
• The Simpsons: "Treehouse of Horror VI" (1995, DVD)
Again by request from my daughter. I'm still bummed that I missed this year's TOH (although I guess I can still catch it online), but at least I have the first 9 on DVD to watch and they are showing some of the others in syndication this week.

October 23rd / October 24th / October 25th
At Flashback Weekend Horror Convention all weekend. Saw bits and pieces of all kinds of horror stuff, but not enough of anything one thing to count it.

October 26th
24. Return to Halloweentown* (2006, DVD)
Finally got around to seeing this one. Not bad if you go into it with low expectations. I mean, it's Part 4 of a Disney Channel Movie. It's still harmless, Halloween fun safe enough to let the kids watch.

October 27th / October 28th / October 29th
Nothing. Busy.

October 30th
25. Ernest Scared Stupid* (1991, DVD)
Stupid, scared Ernest. Pretty much what I expected, but needed something kid-friendly.

October 31st
26. Drag Me To Hell* (2009, Blu-ray)
Now, that was fun way to end Halloween! Raimi has still got it...

Spoiler:

SUMMARY:
At the end of September, the challenge was a blank pallet. I couldn't wait to start and there was several times, I had the opportunity to watch something horror, but wanted to wait for 10/1. Then October began, and the challenge had begun... and my dreams were shattered. Basically, I'm disappointed that I didn't get to many of the movies that I had planned to... movies I got from the library, stuff on the DVR... I had fun when I was watching stuff for this challenge, but everybody in our family being sick on and off (yours truly included), money/work problems, and other commitments didn't give me many opportunities to participate. I wasn't even able to get to some of the Halloween TV episodes that I love to watch (Home Improvement, Roseanne, That '70s Show, Happy Days...)

On the "up" side, I got to watch some movies that I really wanted to see:
Zombieland, P2, [•REC], Quarantine, The Uninvited (1944), The Uninvited (2009), Cube, Paranormal Activity, Murder Party, Trick 'r Treat and Drag Me To Hell. Thumbs up on all of those. I also made it to the theater twice this month!

So, I didn't make my goal of 31 and I didn't break any previous goals (29). I guess I'll try again next year.

Last edited by Darth Maher; 12-04-09 at 06:29 PM. Reason: LIST IS FINALIZED.

Reply Like

09-18-09, 11:07 PM

#34

unskilledgymrat

Member

Join Date: Aug 2009

Location: Omaha, NE

Posts: 133

Likes: 0

Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts

Re: The 5th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***LISTS GO HERE!*

(Got a late start this year)

Tues. October 13th 2009

1. Night Of The Living Dead (1968) Source: Youtube

(1 Total This Year (I know..) :s)

Last edited by unskilledgymrat; 11-04-09 at 04:22 PM.

Reply Like

09-18-09, 11:13 PM

#35

Mondo Kane

DVD Talk Legend

Join Date: Jul 2002

Posts: 11,661

Likes: 109

Received 112 Likes on 100 Posts

Re: The 5th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***LISTS GO HERE!*

Challenge '05 list

Challenge '06 list

Challenge '07 list

Challenge '08 list

Challenge '09 list

1st:
1. The Invisible Ghost (1941)
2. [Rec] (2007)
3. The Haunted Strangler (1958)
4. The Naked Witch (1961) (You Put a Spell on Me! - Witches & Warlocks)
5. Death by Dialogue (1988)

17 dead bodies, 4 breasts, 1 cancan dance, 1 showtune, 1 nine-minute illustrated prologue about witches, 1 cheesy 80's track, 1 live hair-band performance, 1 "WTF?" dream sequence
---------------------------------------
2nd:
6. Captivity (2007) (Elisha Cuthbert got thick! And the guy who made Killing Fields and The Mission made this???)
7. Daughters of Satan (1972)
8. Graduation Day (1981)
9. Desert of Blood (2008)
10. Audition (1999) (Pick Your Favorite Director)

29 dead bodies, 16 breasts, 2 dead dogs, 1 reincarnated flashback, 1 never-ending music performance by "Felony", 1 mariachi performance, 1 made-me-kinda-queasy feeling
---------------------------------------
3rd:
11. The Pit (1981)
12. Cathy's Curse (1977) (They're Here! Supernatural/Haunted House)
13. Kemper (2008)
14. Laid to Rest (2009)
15. Beast from Haunted Cave (1959)

44 dead bodies, 9 breasts, 1 dead dog, 2 traumatizing flashbacks, 1 un-cooperative cell phone
---------------------------------------
4th:
16. Miner's Massacre (2002)
17. She-Wolf of London (1946) (Full Moon Mania! - Werewolves (Lycanthropes)
18. Hellgate (1989)
19. Hatchet (2006)
20. Bloody Reunion (2006)

31 dead bodies, 22 breasts, 1 re-animated bat (On a string), 1 naked Horshack, 1 cancan dance, 1 dead aligator, 2 dead racoons, 1 dead seagull, 2 un-cooperative cell phones, 1 big lie
---------------------------------------
5th:
21. The Hideous Sun Demon (1959) (Science Gone Horribly Wrong! - Sci-Fi Horror)
22. Pulse (2001)
23. Haute tension (2003) (Selection of the day) (Challenge '06 repeat)
24. Saw IV (2007)
25. Hellraiser (1987)

27 dead bodies, 5 breasts, 2 dead dogs, 3 dead rats, 2 lounge performances, 1 nightmare sequence
---------------------------------------
6th:
26. Scared to Death (1947)
27. Diary of the Dead (2007)
28. House of Frankenstein (1944) (Universal Monsters)(Challenge '05 repeat)
29. The Death Curse of Tartu (1966)
30. Embrace of the Vampire (1995)
31. Sting of Death (1965)

68 dead bodies, 10 breasts, 1 gypsy dance, 1 orgy, 2 nightmare sequences, 2 60's beach party-type dances
---------------------------------------
7th:
32. Burial Ground: The Nights of Terror (1981)
33. The Haunted World of Edward D. Wood Jr. (1996) (Shockumentary! - Horror Documentaries)
34. Horror of Dracula (1958)
35. Cat in the Brain (1990)
36. Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)
37. Dead & Breakfast (2004)

67 dead bodies, 15 breasts, 9 hallucination deaths, 1 mother-lovin' son, 1 orgy, 1 homage to The Beyond, 1 homage to The Evil Dead,1 dead phone line, 1 country/western greek chorus
---------------------------------------
8th:
38. The Mummy (1932) (Challenge '05 repeat) (Horror Icon-Boris Karloff)
39. The Ruins (2008)
40. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)(Selection of the day)

21 dead bodies, 3 breasts, 2 un-cooperative cell phones, 1 homage each to Halloween,Friday The 13th, and Nightmare on Elm Street
---------------------------------------
9th:
41. August Underground's Mordum (2003) (Torture Porn)
42. The Corpse Grinders (1972)
43. Captain Clegg (AKA Night Creatures) (1962)
44. The Evil of Frankenstein (1964)
45. Carrie (1976)

42 dead bodies, 17 breasts, 6 dead goats, 1 dead cat, 2 scenes of necrophilia, 1 castration, 1 nightmare sequence
---------------------------------------
10th:
46. Horror House (1969)
47. Baby Blues (2008) (Selection of the day)
48. Carver (2008)
49. Ebola Syndrome (1996) (Asian Horror)

46 dead bodies, 12 breasts, 1 dead snake, 3 dead chickens, 1 dead dog, 3 dead pigs, 4 dead frogs, 1 dead mouse, 1 dead phone-line, 1 nightmare sequence, 1 ritual ceremony
---------------------------------------
11th:
50. Blackenstein (1973)
51. The Mist (2007)
52. Cemetary Man (1994) (Selection of the day)
53. Midnight Movie (2008)
54. The Lodger (1927) (Quiet, you! - Silent Cinema)

82 dead bodies, 8 breasts, 4 dead bodies (In a movie-within-a-movie), 1 lounge performance, 1 dead dog, 2 dead phone lines, 1 un-cooperative cell phone
---------------------------------------
12th:
55. Blood and Black Lace (1964) (Euorpean Horror)
56. One-Eyed Monster (2008)

16 dead bodies, 2 breasts, 1 dead rat, 1 un-cooperative cell phone, 1 mean dick
---------------------------------------
13th:
57. The Eye (2008)
58. Black Sabbath (1963) (Anthology)
59. Monsters Crash the Pajama Party (1965) (Wildcard)
60. Quarantine (2008)

25 dead bodies, 1 dead rat, 2 dead dogs, 4 un-cooperative cell phones, 1 made-me-jump moment....0 breasts

---------------------------------------
14th:
61. Voodoo Woman (1957)
62. Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968)
63. Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks (1974)
64. The Prowler (1981) (Slasher)

28 dead bodies, 7 breasts, 1 dead chicken, 2 ritual ceremonies, 2 "Peeping Tom" scenes, 1 1940s graduation dance, 1 1980s graduation dance, 1 nightmare/hallucination sequence
---------------------------------------
15th:
65. Panic Beats (1983)
66. Gojira (1954) ("Godzilla! Godzilla!") (I didn't bother with a bodycount for this one)
67. Bloody New Year (1987)
68. Son of Ingagi (1940)

13 dead bodies, 4 breasts, 1 nightmare sequence, 2 musical performances by "The Toppers"
---------------------------------------
16th:
69. Beware! The Blob (1972)
70. The Screaming Skull (1958)
71. Brutal (2007)
72. Day of the Dead (2008) (From Beyond the Grave! - Zombies)
73. Hallucinations in a Deranged Mind (1978)

102 dead bodies, 27 breasts, 1 dead fly, 1 dead kitten, 1 dead dog, 4 dead chickens, 1 wall-crawling zombie, 4 (Very long) Hallucinations
---------------------------------------
17th:
74. Demons 2 (1986)

Long day. Too tired for totals
---------------------------------------
18th:
75. Queen of the Damned (2002)
76. Nightmares in a Damaged Brain (1981)

27 dead bodies, 4 breasts, 1 rockin' Lestat performance, 1 singing cowboy, 3 mouth-foaming nightmares
---------------------------------------
19th & 20th:

---------------------------------------
21st:
77. The Ape Man (1943)
78. Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)
79. Nightmare (2005)
80. Curse of the Headless Horseman (1974)

29 dead bodies, 8 breasts, 1 dead gorilla, 2 smashing performances by "Stoneground", 1 movie within a movie, 2 bad folk-hippie tracks...And 1 nightmare after another
---------------------------------------
22nd:
81. Carnival of Blood (1970)
82. Don't Go In The Woods (1981) (Inbred Hillbillies from Hell! - Backwoods Horror)
83. Strip Nude For Your Killer (1975)

29 dead bodies, 12 breasts, 2 bad folk-hippie tracks (Again)
---------------------------------------
23rd:
84. MOH-Valerie on the Stairs
85. Asylum (1972) (British Fright Cinema-Amicus)
86. Cat Girl (1957)
87. Daughter of Horror (AKA Dementia) (1955)
88. Crypt of Dark Secrets (1976)

27 dead bodies, 4 breasts, 1 dead canary, 1 dead leopard, 2 nightmare sequences, 1 entire movie with no dialogue, 3 ceremonial dances
---------------------------------------
24th:
89. Frontier(s) (2007)
90. Prince of Darkness (1987) (Selection of the day)
91. The Snake People (1971)
92. Phenomena (1985)
93. Gutterballs (2008) (Ouch! - Rape/Revenge)
94. The Human Monster (AKA The Dark Eyes of London) (1940)

61 dead bodies, 6 breasts, 1 dead pig, 1 chicken sacrifice, 1 goat sacrifice, 1 dead snake, 2 exotic dances, 1 razor-wielding chimp, 1 (Brutal) castration
---------------------------------------
25th:
95. The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967)
96. Cabin Fever (2002)
97. Die, Monster, Die! (1965)
98. The Living Corpse (1967)
99. A Virgin Among the Living Dead (1973)

22 dead bodies, 8 breasts, 2 dead dogs, 3 dead bats, 1 dead chicken, 1 dead rabbit, 1 dead pig, 3 Pakistani musical sequences
---------------------------------------
26th:
100. An American Werewolf in London (1981) (Challenge '05 repeat) (Selection of the day)
101. It's Alive! (1969)
102. Ghost Story (1981)

23 dead bodies, 6 breasts, 1 (Excrutiatingly long) Flashback sequence, 8 nightmare sequences
---------------------------------------
27th:
103. Cannibal Holocaust (1980) (Where's the Beef? - Cannibalism)
104. Hostel: Part II (2007)
105. Black Friday (1940)
106. Village of the Damned (1960)

40 dead bodies, 16 breasts, 1 (Real) dead muskrat, 1 (Real) dead turtle, 1 (Real) dead monkey, 1 (Real) dead pig, 1 nightmare sequence, 1 Slovakian party, 1 lounge performance....And 2 castrations.
---------------------------------------
28th:
107. The Invisible Ray (1936)
108. Naked Massacre (AKA Born for Hell) (1976)
109. Martyrs (2008)

21 dead bodies,10 breasts,2 bleak conclusions
---------------------------------------
29th:
110. The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (1964) (I was surprised at the violence in this!)
111. The Creature Walks Among Us (1956)
112. The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960) (I was surprised to hear Christopher Lee call people "Bitches" in this!)
113. I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957)

20 dead bodies, 1 dead mountain lion, 1 dead dog,1 bellydance, 1 snakedance, 1 50's sock-hop performance....0 breasts

---------------------------------------
30th:
114. The Black Room (1935)
115. The Walking Dead (1936)
116. The Man They Could Not Hang (1939)
117. The Man with Nine Lives (1940)
118. Before I Hang (1940)
119. The Phantom of the Opera (2004) (Timewarp! - Horror Musicals)
---------------------------------------
31st:
120. Night of the Demons (1987)
121. Son of Dr. Jekyll (1951)

Last edited by Mondo Kane; 11-01-09 at 03:34 PM.

Reply Like

09-18-09, 11:20 PM

#36

Chet Desmond

Senior Member

Join Date: Mar 2004

Posts: 281

Likes: 0

Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts

Re: The 5th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***LISTS GO HERE!*

OCTOBER 1
1) BRAIN DAMAGE - Frank Henenlotter's brilliant follow up to "Basket Case" is funny, surreal and horrifying - kinda like actual drug addiction.

2) ANTICHRIST - WTF?! Lars Von Trier's take on the horror flick was a bit like being kicked in the stomach for 105 minutes but this story of a marriage unraveling is compelling as hell. As weird and disturbing as advertised with a couple of the bravest performances in quite a while.

3) THE HOWLING- A much needed psychic palate cleanser after Antichrist.

4) SHAUN OF THE DEAD - Probably the definitive zombie comedy. A screenplay so good it should be on the curriculum of a school somewhere!

5) MAN MADE MONSTER - Fast paced 40's fun with Lon Chaney Jr playing another sympathetic, reluctant monster. Directed by George "The Wolf Man" Waggner.

OCTOBER 2
6) WOLFEN - Definitely the 3rd place finalist in the big wolf movie trifecta of 1981. It plays better as a police procedural than a horror flick and the social commentary comes across as awkward. It almost feels like director Michael Wadleigh was embarassed to be working in the genre.

7) THE CHILD - With a budget that appears to be lower than low, this flick manages to create some genuinely creepy atmosphere.

OCTOBER 3
8) THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL - OK throwback to 70's satanist flicks. Probably a bit too much buildup and the climax seemed rushed. Lead actress (Jocelin Donahue) reminded me a bit of 80's horror ingenue Jill Scholen and it's always great to see Mary Woronov in anything.

9) BURN WITCH BURN! - Similar vibe to "Curse of the Demon" but not nearly as effective.

OCTOBER 4
10) THE THING (1982) - Rob Bottin's effects still dazzle in Carpenter's classic. One thing that always puzzled me...once it's been clearly established that each individual cell of the alien is sentient, why does Kurt Russell keep throwing explosives at it - scattering it all over the camp?

11) THE HILLS HAVE EYES (1977) - I'm not a big Wes Craven fan, but this is a great movie.

OCTOBER 5
12) ZOMBIELAND - This one was a complete suprise. I wasn't expecting much (does the world really need another zombie movie?) but I dug it. The characters are likeable and there was a heart to all the mayhem. Nice gore too.

OCTOBER 6
13) BABY BLUES - Now THIS is a horror movie! Stylishly directed and brilliantly acted, this story of motherly "love" is tense as hell and beyond disturbing. One of the scariest movies I've seen in a long time and one of the best horror flicks in ages. A masterpiece.

OCTOBER 7
14) THE NIGHT STALKER - The classic made for TV movie that introduced the iconic character Carl Kolchak. It'd been so long since I'd seen this I'd forgotten just how good it is.

OCTOBER 8
15) PANDEMONIUM - Made at the height of the early 80's slasher boom, this attempt to blend horror and "Airplane" style comedy is hit or miss. It has enough laughs to make it worthwhile, and it's funnier than the more popular "Student Bodies".

16) HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME - A pretty good slasher that really plays more like a giallo. The bizarre ending adds to fun.

OCTOBER 9
17) PARANORMAL ACTIVITY - I thought the first person camera thing had been played out until I saw this creepy gem. It works on a primal level that really gets under your skin. Truly scary.

18) ASYLUM - Amicus anthologies rule! Gotta love the little gut filled robot.

19) FRIGHT NIGHT - One of the great 80's effects extravaganzas. Chris Sarandon is one of the coolest vampires ever.

OCTOBER 10
20) HALLOWEEN 4: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS - Other than a couple of moody camera angles, nothing else is right in this laughable attempt to bring back the feel of the original Carpenter classic. I have to admit I did have some fun with it in a bad movie way though.

21) LEMORA: A CHILD'S TALE OF THE SUPERNATURAL - One of my favorite horror films of all time. Richard Blackburns' dark fairy tale of innocence lost captures the illogic of a nightmare in a way that Freddy and company never could.

22) GRACE - Not as good as I'd hoped, but still a decent little flick.

OCTOBER 11
23) HALLOWEEN 5 - It's hard to belive Rob Zombie gets so much grief for ruining the franchise when crap like this is part of the canon. Danielle Harris gave a convincing performance, but everything else is a disaster.

OCTOBER 12
24) THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974) - Tobe Hooper's masterpiece is arguably the greatest horror movie of all time. Raw, intense and unforgettable.

OCTOBER 13
25) CAPTIVE WILD WOMAN - Pretty good potboiler hampered by excessive stock footage. The plot is so weird that it keeps you watching, but the endless scenes of animal training are a drag.

OCTOBER 14
26) FAITH HEALER - I'd been wanting to see this David Cronenberg directed episode of "Friday the 13th: The Series" for years and finally caught it on ScyFy. Having never seen the show before, I'm not sure how this rates with the rest of the series but this was pretty good. It's filled with classic Cronenberg imagery. (Wild Card)

OCTOBER 15
27) HALLOWEEN 6: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS - This unnecessary (and stupid) attempt to explain the origin of MM's evil is so far removed from the feel of the original it might as well be in a different genre. The finale of this alternate cut of the movie is so ridiculous it's almost sublime. An epic failure.

OCTOBER 16
28) EYES OF A STRANGER - Vintage early 80's sleaze about a geek stalking, raping and murdering women in Miami. Difficult to defend, but this nasty number is one of my favorites from the era.

29) THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN - What's Halloween without a little Hammer? Peter Cushing rules in his definitive role.

30) TRICK R TREAT - Atmosphere drips from every frame of this loving tribute to Halloween. Fun, old fasioned and creepy.

OCTOBER 17
31) HALLOWEEN: H2O - It's nice to have Jamie Lee Curtis back, but this is proabably the worst of the sequels so far. Without the gonzo plots that fuled 4-5-6 this one is kind of dull. I do love the last scene though.

32) THE HILLS RUN RED - Interesting premise that doesn't quite succeed. Devolves into a routine torture flick with standard shocks.

OCTOBER 18
33) THE REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN - Excelllent sequel finds our hero setting up a private practice under an assumed name and continuing his work. Takes the concept into new areas and not just a rehash of the original. Cushing shines as usual.

34) RE-ANIMATOR - Memorable characters and groovy gore help make this one a classic.

OCTOBER 19
35) HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION - Probably the worst sequel in any of the big horror franchises. Having finally finished all the "Halloween" movies I'd never seen, I think it's the most misguided horror series of them all. It's pretty clear no one involved had any clue as to what made the original so great. A painful, at times embarrassing and insulting series of flicks.

OCTOBER 20
36) THE BROTHERHOOD OF SATAN - Cool 70's satanist flick with a creepy/cheesy vibe. Well done with great use of the widescreen frame. Underrated.

OCTOBER 21
37) THE WICKER MAN (1973) - Masterful psychological horror flick. I love the way the movie lulls you in with its subtle wit and music before taking a darker, more disturbing turn. Not easy to shake.

OCTOBER 22
38) THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN - Sequel to a reimagined "Curse of Frankenstein" is least of the Hammer series. The most interesting thing about it is Cushing's portrayal of the doctor as a heroic figure.

39) THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN - Quintessential drive-in classic about serial killer terrorizing post WWII small town. Despite some uneven comedy and bad acting, the movie comes to life during the suspense sequences and manages to actually unsettle at times.

OCTOBER 23
40) COUNT YORGA, VAMPIRE - Old school vamp on the prowl in 1970's LA. Surprisingly dark.

41) DEAD AND BURIED - A slow burn that plays like a gory "Twilight Zone" episode. Fantastic effects by Stan Winston and a terrific performance by Jack Albertson.

42) THE CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE - Fascinating sequel is more childhood fantasy than horror. Ann Carter gives a charming performance and the black and white photography is stunning in this tale of a little girl and her rich fatasy life (or is it real?).

OCTOBER 24
43) AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON - Rick Baker's effects and John Landis' spot on direction makes this a timeless classic. It never gets old.

OCTOBER 25
44) THE NIGHT STRANGLER - Killer sequel with Kolchak taking up residence in Seattle and investigating another series of weird murders. Filled with great characters and crisp dialogue this is just as good as the original with a cool climax in a decrepit underground city. Several nice cameos too.

45) THE FLY (1986) - One of David Croneneberg's best films. Top notch acting give this one an emotional punch that packs a wallop. A true classic that shows what a well conceived remake can be.

OCTOBER 26
46) THE PROWLER - Typical 1981 slasher flick. Mid section drags a bit, but nice direction from Joseph Zito and Tom Savini at his best make this one above averge.

OCTOBER 27
47) IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN - OK, now it's officially Halloween. (Wild Card)

48) NIGHT OF THE CREEPS - Great to see this one finally get released. The blu ray looks fab and the movie is as good as ever.

OCTOBER 28
49) FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN - The series gets back on track with this intriguing entry. This time, the Baron is concerned with the soul and moves one from body to body. Of course it all ends in murder and tragedy. One of the best of the Hammer Franks.

50) DAY OF THE DEAD (1985) - The challenge is nearly over and no Romero? Sacrilege! Probably the weakest of the Living Dead quartet, but still a damned good movie. Too many repellent characters and some nearly operatic overacting hurt it, but Romero's thoughtful script and Savini's effects save the day.

OCTOBER 29
51) SUSPIRIA - Dario Argento's surreal masterpiece is one of my favorite movies ever. The lighting, the set design, the music - it's like a fever dream on film.

52) THE DEVILS - Wow, I'm still stunned. Ken Russell's trippy and transgressive story of political and religious corruption is an overwhelming assualt on the senses that left me shaken. This uncut version is excessive to be sure, but not without purpose. Thought provoking and nihilistic as hell.

OCTOBER 30
53) FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980) - The seams show a bit on blu ray, but this flick still kicks ass. Characters that aren't annoying, awesome kills and maybe the greatest final chase in slasherdom. The ultimate "Halloween" rip off.

54) PHANTASM - Surreal and nightmarish, Coscarelli's movie truly feels like it came from the subconscious. One of my all time favorite flicks.

55) FRANKENWEENIE - Tim Burton's short is a charming homage to Universal's classic monster movies. (Wild Card)

56) VINCENT - Another Tim Burton short. Beautiful stop motion animation and Vincent Price himself narrates this story of a young boy who wishes he was Mr. P. Flawless. (Wild Card)

57) FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED - Cushing portrays the good doctor as a complete bastard in one of Hammer's best flicks.

58) GALAXY OF TERROR - Endlessly watchable "Alien" knockoff is one of New World Pictures best flicks. With a B movie dream cast, non stop action and cool effects, this is a grindhouse classic.

OCTOBER 31 HALLOWEEN
59) ROSEMARY'S BABY - Polanski's classic is still just as great as ever. Everything works in this tale of modern day witches and their quest to bring the Antichrist into the world. Paranoia and bad haircuts ensue.

60) THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES - Vincent Price doesn't utter a word until 30 minutes in but still rules in this pitch black comedy. Religious plagues have rarely been so much fun.

61) HALLOWEEN (1978) - Holiday horror at its finest in John Carpenter's beloved classic.

62) NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968) - George Romero breaks ground and heads in this masterpiece that changed the genre forever. No Halloween would be complete without it.

63) FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL - The much maligned final Hammer Frankenstein is actually one of my favorites. I love how this is the "hell bottom" of the Baron's work and he's finally gone off the deep end. Bad monster suit, but everything else is top notch.

THE END

Last edited by Chet Desmond; 11-12-09 at 07:36 PM.

Reply Like

09-19-09, 12:27 AM

#37

Cardsfan111

DVD Talk Legend

Join Date: Feb 2007

Location: Indiana

Posts: 18,496

Likes: 0

Received 375 Likes on 235 Posts

Re: The 5th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***LISTS GO HERE!*

My FINALIZED 2009 Horror Movie Challenge List

October 1
1. One Hour Photo - Starting just after midnight with a "tame" selection. I'm not a huge fan of Robin Williams comedy. He plays a disturbed individual here, and does so effectively.
2. Cry Wolf - On the surface, I thought this might be a run-of-the-mill slasher film. I was pleasantly surprised. Enough twists to keep you guessing until the end.
3. The Haunted Mansion - I remember catching this in the $1 theater years ago and being bored to death. Today, I'm thankful that I don't own this movie (checked it out from the library) and that it allowed me to watch something with the kids and keep up the good early pace in the challenge.
4. My Bloody Valentine (1981) - Finally got to watch the special edition with the uncut scenes and I wasn't disappointed. Normally doing the challenge, I don't spend too much time with special features. On this one, I watched the documentary earlier in the week and spent a few moments tonight going through the deleted scenes individually with the commentary. Good stuff!

October 2
5. The Cube - First time ever watching a film from beginning to end online. Worth checking out. I'll throw in my 2 cents in the 31 film review thread.
6. Children of the Corn - Watched with commentary. Interesting, though I had watched the DVD documentary earlier in the week and the best parts of the commentary rehashed some of the same info given there. Surprised to learn that the young man who played Isaac was in his mid-20s when cast for the role. He has some genetic condition which led him to be short and have a youthful appearance. Obviously that helped him land the part.
7. Friday the 13th (1980) - Watched with commentary. This was a good, but strange commentary. The many folks involved didn't comment at all on what was taking place on screen. Instead it was all these pre-recorded comments edited together.
8. Student Bodies - Yes, this movie is dumb. Yet for some reason my brother and I can quote more silly lines from this film than any of the horror classics.

October 3
9. Poltergeist II - I hadn't re-visited the Poltergeist sequels in a long, long time since I recalled them being subpar. At least they were able to have most of the original cast back in this one.

October 4
10. Poltergeist III - This is somewhat painful to watch. For one, the movie is not very good. Secondly, the film centers around the young girl played by Heather O'Rourke. In this movie, you notice that her face is a little "puffy". Her imdb page has some fascinating trivia/info including details on how she became ill while filming this movie (leading to the puffy face) and eventually passed away.

October 5
11. Boogeyman (1980) - There aren't words to describe how bad this movie was...the worst part? I still have a sequel to watch.

October 6
12. Return of the Boogeyman - Ugh! I thought the previous one was bad. I purchased the two Boogeyman films as a double feature. Learned from this one that it's not even the immediate sequel! This movie consisted primarily of flashbacks of the first--and the other(s)--film that followed it.
13. Tales From The Crypt: "The Man Who Was Death" (Wild Card #1 - I'm going to burn through my wild cards today in order to catch up from the last few days. While familiar with TftC series, I had never watched an episode. I've got 6 seasons to go through at some point thanks to Big Lots. This first episode tells me I should like the show.
14. Tales From The Crypt: "All Through the House" (Wild Card #2) - These short stories are fun. This tale of a deranged killer Santa on the loose was entertaining. I did roll my eyes at the little child who couldn't sleep upstairs. Her mother screaming hysterically downstairs didn't wake her up. The front door closing caused her to jump right out of bed a few moments later.
15. Tales From The Crypt: "Dig That Cat...He's Real Gone" (Wild Card #3) - Predictably, this episode had me counting throughout. It led to an ending that was expected but satisfying nonetheless.
16. Tales From The Crypt: "Only Sin Deep" (Wild Card #4) - Lea Thompson was the star of this episode. I like how "name" actors are used in these.
17. Tales From The Crypt: "Lover Come Hack to Me" (Wild Card #5) - This was the most graphic/brutal of the episode thus far. Because of that and I story that was subpar in my opinion, I didn't think this episode was all that great.
18. Tales From The Crypt: "Collection Completed" (Wild Card #6) - I chuckled a bit at the humor in this one, as two older folks adjusted to life after the husband retires. I also enjoyed seeing Audra Lindley (Mrs. Roper) in this one.

October 7
19. Happy Birthday to Me - I'm surprised I hadn't seen this one before. Definitely had the same feel as all other horror movies from the early 80s. It almost seemed as if the movie went a bit overboard in coming up with twist after twist up to the very end.
20. Hack! - Motivated to watch this by noticing that Danica McKellar was in a lead role. I determined later that she was one of the few bright spots in this one.
21. Baby Blues - This was an intense film. Just a few minutes ago, I noticed it's coming up in our 31 Days/Movies Subset, so I'll leave the discussion for that thread. I had no idea it was on that list when I purchased it/watched it.

October 8
22. Harm's Way - Borderline horror/thriller type film. Kathleen Quinlan plays a character that reminded me of Misery's Kathy Bates. In fact, the movie bears some similarities with Misery. It's obviously not on that same level, but I did enjoy it.
23. Friday the 13th, Part 2 - With each F13th movie that is made, I look back on this sequel and remember how good it is. Something about the "woodsy" Jason makes it special.

October 9
24. King Kong (1976) - This film doesn't get much love it seems. I tried to imagine what it would have been like to have watched it when it came out. Surely it must have blown folks away then.
25. Flatliners - Another movie that's been out a long time. Yet somehow one that I've never seen til now.
26. Critters 2 - Not quite up to the original, but still fun. I wonder if anyone complained back in the 80s about the Critters films being ripped off from Gremlins.
27. The Last House on the Left (2009) - I've never seen the original. Since remakes often tend to be mediocre, my expectations weren't high. This was really good.

October 10
28. Hostel: Part II - I believe this is the second time I've seen a sequel before the original (Psycho being the other). Picked this up for $5 at Wal-mart because it had movie money for Zombieland which I'd like to check out. A little difficult to catch on at the beginning as it was obvious the initial character had been in the original film. Not the kind of horror movie I'd normally view--it provided my first "turn away from the screen" moment.
29. Urban Legends: Final Cut - I've been on a roll watching "part 2" films of late. Nothing special here. Surprised early on to recognize one of the characters as being in the movie Supergirl. That movie came out 16 years prior and I haven't seen it in a long, long time.
30. Saw II - Continuing with my unplanned Part 2 Saturday... I enjoy the Saw films, though I haven't seen them all. I like having to think along with the characters on screen. I also appreciate how all of the films connect together. Tobin Bell is perfect as Jigsaw.

October 11
31. Saw III - I remembered seeing this before, but couldn't recall it well enough to know how it ended. This Saw film took a step back from the previous two. I liked the main twist at the end and the story wasn't bad. However, the longer runtime for this film was spent on more gore (brain surgery) and a series of flashbacks, some of which didn't seem all that necessary.

October 12
32. Saw IV - First time watch for me. I think I liked this one a little bit more than the one before it. It is amazing how creative the writers are in bringing/linking these films together. The "parallel" story lines in this one was neat. I didn't see it coming.
33. Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door - Solid film, another tough watch. I'll post more comments in the daily thread when it's posted.

October 13
34. Resident Evil - I enjoy the fast pace of this film. It really pulls you in very quickly. The scene with the lasers going through the corridor is one of my favorites.
35. Toolbox Murders - My most confusing horror challenge experience yet. First, I thought when I bought this movie and stuck it in to play that was from the 70s/80s, and thinking I had seen it before. Instead, it was put out a few years ago (possibly a remake of the one I saw but I'm not sure). Then the movie itself was confusing going from a slasher film, before taking on more of a supernatural feel and finally ending up as more of a monster movie. The ending had significant flaws in my opinion. The heroine's husband is wounded by the bad guy and taken out by paramedics on a stretcher. Wouldn't every wife go with her husband in this case? Not here...instead, she goes to their apartment alone to pack a suitcase full of clothes...and of course giving us one final scene of her being in peril.

October 14
36. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter - I went out of order on my viewing of some of the F13th series, since I just picked up this deluxe edition used and was anxious to check out the features. Watched this with filmmaker commentary. Possibly my favorite in the whole series. If they hadn't made any more F13th films, this would have been a worthy finale. That's not to say it's not without some flaws. For some reason, as I watched this time, I was perplexed at Jason's amazing ability to transport magically from place to place. And don't try to tell me about the underground tunnel concept from the remake...this film wasn't on Jason's home turf.
37. Funny Games - Difficult to say I enjoyed this one. Too many moments that left me scratching my head. After watching, I found a thread here at DVD Talk about this film and the reasons behind some of these moments. Still left me underwhelmed.
38. Bug - While I'd hesitate to say this was a great movie, I was pleasantly surprised. I had a preconceived notion regarding what this movie would be about and how it would go. I was way off base.

October 15
39. Wolf Creek - I knew very little about this one going in. Didn't even catch on to it being based on true events. As a result, I was surprised at the ending along with the potential heroines failure to escape.
40. Vacancy - First time viewing but I felt like I'd seen it before. I had a bunch of free movie passes 2 years ago I checked out a dozen movies or so. The Vacancy trailer played before each one.

October 16
41. Halloween (2007) - Regardless of one's opinion of the movie (and I don't hate it like many), you have to give a

to the 4 1/2 hour documentary/making of feature on the 3-disc set. Spent some time plowing through it...good stuff!

October 17
42. Friday the 13th (2009) - Like the Halloween remake, this film has some flaws. However, it doesn't keep me from enjoying it.

October 18
43. Saw V - I must admit, the writers for this series of films do an amazing job connecting them. It's especially impressive that they manage to keep Tobin Bell "alive" with each sequel. This particular entry was enjoyable though the 5 people trapped seemed to make dumb decisions. It seemed obvious to me early on that they were making things too difficult on themselves.

October 19
44. Hostel - Since I watched part II, I felt an obligation to see the original. Found a cheap used copy. I'm pretty certain these will be just one-time viewings for me.
45. Let the Right One In - This film made me realize how few vampire movies I've seen. I've made more comments in the daily subset thread.

October 20
46. The Strangers - The good--This film delivers the suspense. You're on the edge of your seat from the beginning. Attackers wearing masks which show no expression are always creepy. The bad--I spent the whole movie questioning the actions of everyone. The bad guys, the couple being terrorized, the friend who shows up and even the boys in the end...constanstly scratching my head and saying, "Why?"
47. Silent Hill - Possibly my least favorite film of the challenge to this point. I appreciate horror movies that at least create a small window of thought in which you could see yourself facing a similar situation. This one failed in that respect from the beginning. I looked up info on the movie afterwards. Perhaps it would have helped being familiar with the video game this was based on.
48. The Dark - Well, at least I liked this Sean Bean entry more than the last one. Otherwise, mediocre is the word coming to mind to describe this one.

October 21
49. Dawn of the Dead (1978) - First time viewing. I've commented on how much I've enjoyed this film in the daily subset thread.
50. Copycat - In my opinion, this thriller-horror film from the 90s is very underrated. Lots of solid performances and tension from beginning to end.

October 22
51. Drag Me to Hell - Not sure yet how much I liked this one. I am sure of one thing...the old lady is the scariest horror film character I've seen for this challenge.
52. Hannibal - Had a strange experience. Several months back, I bought Hannibal Rising from a Blockbuster that was closing. I'm pretty sure I looked at the discs (probably inspecting to see if they were scratched). Today, I stick the DVD in and discover I have the movie Hannibal instead of Hannibal Rising.

I go ahead and watch but I was looking forward to seeing something I hadn't seen before and I already own Hannibal.
53. Zombieland - Is there such a thing as a feel-good Zombie movie? This fit the bill. Used my free movie money to catch this and enjoyed it.

October 23
54. Spiker - Had a free Redbox rental, not very many definite horror choices available so I grabbed this one. Get home to find it has a 2.2 score in imdb.com.

After watching, I'd give it a higher rating than that. Not that much higher, mind you...
55. Mirrors - Another Redbox freebie. Better than I thought it would be. Sutherland did well, convincing me that Jack Bauer could actually be afraid of anything.
56. I Am Legend - First time viewing of this 2007 blockbuster. Found it enjoyable, but I've never seen any of the films this remake followed. Did pick up the Vincent Price one recently, I'll have to check it out soon.

October 24
57. Dawn of the Dead (2004) - Solid remake, though outside of having much of the film taking place at a mall, there weren't many similarities.
58. Land of the Dead - I couldn't get into this one. Believe I was just zombie'd out or the lack of sleep was getting to me.

October 25
59. The Amityville Horror (1979) - I thought that I had seen this before, but surely I would have remembered "Lois Lane" (Margot Kidder) in a film like this. I thought this was just ok. Seemed like it dragged along in parts and as a result ran a little long. I have the '05 remake to tackle soon.

October 26
60. The Amityville Horror (2005) - The remake was on par with the original. Of course that means it wasn't bad and it wasn't great. Regarding this challenge specifically, I held out hope a few days ago of still making it to 100. Now, I realize, I have no shot. Oh well, still have a good number of unwatched titles to visit.

October 27
61. Planet Terror - For someone who hadn't watched a lot of zombie movies, I've caught a slew up of 'em in the last week or so. Didn't really care for this one like I thought I might. A little too over-the-top if that makes sense.
62. Identity - Had seen this a few years ago and I remembered liking the performances but not liking the ending. Going in this time, I couldn't even remember the ending specifically and I enjoyed it much more this go around.

October 28
63. See No Evil - Average film at best. The kind of movie I probably wouldn't bother with if it wasn't for the challenge.
64. Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the 13th - These horror parody movies rarely rise above mediocre. And I won't go so far as to say this was in that category. However, for some reason, I was tickled by many of the jokes in this one.

October 29
65. Pulse - Another average entry. The only thing worse than watching these so-so films, is having to write about 'em afterwards.
66. Gothika - I thought Halle Berry was good in this film. Also, movies that involve folks who feel "wrongly imprisoned" often get to me.

October 30
67. Shaun of the Dead - Yet another zombie movie for this zombie rookie. I made a comment or two in the daily subset thread.
68. Trick 'r Treat - Rare is the horror movie that you want to watch again right away. I'll make a comment as well in the daily subset thread.
** It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown - I've already used my wild cards but throwing this on my list. Enjoyed hearing the kids chuckle out loud at the antics on the screen

October 31
69. The Last Man on Earth - This Vincent Price film was solid. All along, it felt as if I was watching a stretched out episode of The Twilight Zone.
70. Friday the 13th, Part 3 - Started to watch this deluxe edition of the DVD with the 3D glasses and gave up after 15 minutes. You have to enjoy a few parts of this sequel, mainly because of the introduction of the hockey mask. However, there's a bunch of flaws in this one...the most significant being they set this movie up as if it took place immediately after Part 2. Yet Jason is a completely different character in his look, mannerisms, etc.
71. House on Haunted Hill - Watched this with Mike Nelson MST3K/Rifftrax Commentary (1st time doing this for anything). I liked it, and I think this would have been good even without the commentary. Decided to end on this note. Would have been nice to have gotten to 75 (my last 2 years I've watched 100 and 50), but ended up watching too much of the World Series this past week.

Last edited by Cardsfan111; 11-02-09 at 09:19 AM.

Reply Like

09-19-09, 02:19 AM

#38

Gobear

DVD Talk Gold Edition

Join Date: Jan 2004

Posts: 2,291

Likes: 509

Received 208 Likes on 130 Posts

Re: The 5th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***LISTS GO HERE!*

*=First-Time Viewing
Link to watch online
Oct. 1
1.Wild Card #1 Frankenstein (1910) (Archive.org)--Interesting creation scene shot by burning a paper image and then running the film backwards so it seems like the creature is rising out of the flames.
2. The House That Dripped Blood (1972) (DVD)---An Amicus horror anthology from the early 70s with a terrific cast: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Ingrid Pitt and the Third Doctor!
3. Children of the Corn (1984) (TV)---The cheesy original that spawned an increasingly inferior raft of sequels. The FX are horribly dated, and the acting generally is terrible; the exception is the actor who plays Isaac, easily one of the creepiest characters in 80s horror.
4. Wild Card #2-(DVD) The Paul Lynde Halloween Special (DVD)---Campier than a field full of Boy Scouts, this gem from the 70s epitomizes all that was right and wrong with TV back then. Florence Henderson and Kiss on the same show!

Oct. 2
5. An American Werewolf in London (DVD)--When I saw it at the theater in 1981, I loved its blend of full-on horror and comedy, and it still works for me today.
6.The Gorgon (Veoh.com) A you-know-what is turning the young people of the vaguely Central European village of Vandorff to stone, and it's up to Peter Cushing to stop it. Back when TV stations created local programming, many markets had a late-night host who dressed up in character to introduce the films. In my pre-SNL childhood (late 60s, early 70s), the host on WSM Channel 4 out of Nashville was Sir Cecil Creape. The Gorgon was one of the mainstays on his show, and is still just a hoot to watch.

Oct. 3
7. The Legend of Hell House-(DVD)--- TLoHH is a finely crafted little horror film which never actually shows you the ghost, which I prefer because the audience's imagination will conjure up far more frightening images than an FX team can. The movie contains a few jump scenes, but it isn't interested in scaring the audience with Boo! moments as much as it is in creating an atmosphere of dread in which anything can happen to anyone at any time. The only flaw in this otherwise-great film is its ending, which gives a ridiculous pretext for the haunting.
8. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark-(DVD)--If you were a kid in the early 70s, you will have this made-for-TV movie etched into your brain. Kim Darby plays a housewife who inadvertently releases demonic goblins from a locked furnace, who in return attempt to kill her and steal her soul. Despite the cheesiness of the era and the creakiness of the effects, this still scares the 10-year-old in me who watched this wide-eyed on a Tuesday night in 1973.
9. Vampire in Brooklyn. TV--A clunky relic from the 90s that wastes the talents of Angela Bassett and Eddie Murphy; Kadeem Hardison easily earns the Stepin Fetchit Modern-Day Stereotype Prize.

Oct. 4
10. The Ruins-(TV)The book's ending was much better

Spoiler:

11. Prince of Darkness. (DVD)I'm a sucker for the modern-science-meets-ancient-evil horror subgenre, and John Carpenter really delivers with this film. from my collection.
12. Trick'r Treat-(DVD)I am always puzzled when studios dump excellent movies, as Dimension did with Below a few years ago. Trick'r Treat proved to be a wonderful Halloween-themed surprise. It's an interwoven anthology film, blending 4 stories together that all have awesomely ghoulish payoffs. Definitely add this to your queue!
13. Killdozer! (YouTube. Another great old ABC Tuesday Night Movie of the Week classic from my childhood, a construction crew on a tropical island is terrorized by a bulldozer that has been possessed by an malevolent alien intelligence. It stars the late Robert Urich and the smokin' hot Clint Walker. (link to Part 1 in title)
14. Wild Card #3-Transylvania 6-5000. (DVD) Not to be confused with the crappy 80s Jeff Goldblum movie, this is a Bugs Bunny Halloween classic, with Bugs trying to escape a vampire's clutches. From my collection.

Oct. 5
15. Masters of Horror: Fair-Haired Child-MOH was an uneven series, but this is one of my favorites. Lori Petty's performance as a literal mother from Hell evokes both the tragedy of a bereaved parent and the unbending evil of someone determined to get her way no matter what.
16. Dracula (1931) . Despite the creakiness of the screenplay and Tod Browning's static direction, Bela Lugosi's iconic performance as the immortal Count still resonates with audiences today. I watched this with the Philip Glass score, which added to the film's eerie ambience.

Oct. 6
17. [*REC]
18. Quarantine Of the two films, [*REC] is far scarier and generally a much better film. The director allows the audience time to get to know the characters, and he paced scenes to heighten the terror, whereas Quarantine comes off much frenzied and confusing because characters appear, get turned, and vanish, and thus Quarantine is less frightening by comparison.

Oct. 7
19. Creepshow: I think one would have had to have read EC comics horror titles, like Tale From The Crypt, Tales of Terror, and Shock SuspenStories as a boy to really appreciate the nostalgic qualities of this George Romero/ Stephen King classic. It works just fine as horror (the Adrienne Barbeau segment being the best), but this is also a salute to a long-lost piece of American pop culture, the horror comic.
20. Murder Party (DVD)Equally funny and gross, Murder Party is an absolute must for any fan of Halloween.

Oct. 8
21. Sssssss.Netflix streaming I'm surprised that a major studio like Universal would release this movie, which has a shoestring-budget, second-half-of-a-drive-in-double-feature feel that would make it more suited for American International or New World Pictures. Still, it's an entertaining minor classic from the early 70s "killer critter" genre.
22. Hell House Netflix streaming). This documentary is more frightening than most horror films, as it shows a fundie Christian youth group putting on a "hell house," a collection of Grand Guignol tableaus depicting the fates awaiting unbelievers.
23. Cannibal: The Musical. Made as a student film by Matt Stone and Trey Parker and despite its many flaws (it's a Troma release, after all), this musical tale of Alferd Packer's frontier carnivory shows the spark of talent that would grow to spawn South Park

Oct. 9
24. Curse of the Demon. (DVD)Despite the lurid title, CotD is not so much about the monster in the title, but in the power of belief vs. rationality.
25. Candyman. (DVD)Continuing the same theme, Candyman stars Virginia Madsen as a sociology grad student researching urban legends who discovers that faith is what legends feed on, and the awesome Tony Todd as the eponymous Candyman, a ghost made flesh by the power of belief.

Oct. 10
26. Lemora: A Child's Tale of the Supernatural. (DVD)I had never heard of this movie until posters here started raving about it as a lost classic. How have I missed such a good movie for s many years? The comparisons to Night of the Hunter are apt because director and star Richard Blackburn really created a Gothic fairy tale of childhood defiled. Eerie and brilliant, Lemora is a new Halloween favorite.

Oct. 11
27. Dead Mary Netflix Streaming--Terrible, boring film that plods through a confusing and poorly thought out script. No scares, little gore, just an awful waste of time.

Oct. 12
28. The Brotherhood of Satan. DVD---One of my all-time favorite horror films. Strother Martin's over-the-top performance elevates the film from the usual drive-in product, and a few tweaks in the script would have made this movie great (eliminating the dream sequence, re-editing the opening scene to make it clear that the giant tank is really a toy, hiring children who can act). Even so, there are some scenes in this film that are as frightening as any in better-known movies.
29. Black Sunday (La Maschera del Demonio). Hulu--Moodily atmospheric and beautifully lit, Mario Bava's first film is a horror masterpiece. Unfortunately, it was acquired for US distribution by schlock studio American-International, which edited the film for the worse and replaced the original soundtrack with one by their house composer. Look for the superior Italian version.
30. Drag Me To Hell. DVD---Holy crap, what a great horror film! Sam Raimi's dalliance with big studio franchise films hasn't dulled his instinct for going for the audience's jugular, blending lowbrow comedy relief with intense horror.
31. Return of the Living Dead DVD---Still one of the most gonzo horror-comedies ever made, this is a true 1980s time capsule.

Oct. 13
32. The House on Skull Mountain. A forgettable tale of voodoo and a family curse made at the tail end of the early 70s blaxpoitation wave. For a low-budget movie, this film boasts some well-known faces from 70s TV--Mike Evans, who was the original Lionel on The Jeffersons, plays an early victim of the voodoo cult, and Victor French, who later became part of the cast of Little House on the Prairie.

Oct. 14
33. Mimic. You just gotta love a killer bug movie, especially when it's directed by Guillermo Del Toro, the Federico Fellini of horror. I have no idea why the FX in Mimic weren't nominated for an Oscar because they are really good and still stand up today

Oct. 15
34. Haxan--I'm not sure why I watch this every year because for a documentary on witchcraft Haxan is actually fairly dull.

Oct. 16
35. Night of the Demons-I didn't see this when it was released, so I don't have the rosy haze of nostalgia to disguise this craptastic waste of time. Horny teens die stupid albeit gory deaths, with intervals of bare boob shots.

Oct. 17
36. Frogs. When I was 10, I saw the ads for this on TV and begged my parents to let me go see it, to no avail. Frankly, it wasn't worth the fuss. Apart from Sam Elliott, who is best knownas thr Narrator in The Big Lebowski, the rest of the cast are so unpleasant that I was rooting for the swamp critters to eat them.
37. Phantom of the Opera. DVD. Terrific film. Claude Rains gives the Phantom a soulful quality that compensates for Susanna Foster's wooden acting.
38. House of Wax. The 1953 Vincent Price classic, not the Paris Hilton POS.

Oct. 18
39. The Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow I don't mind brainless low-budget movies, but they should be at least entertaining. The value of this film is that it's a snapshot of 1950s West Coast teen culture filtered through a movie lens. A bunch of wholesome teens who like to restore and race cars find monsters and 50's proto-surf music in a haunted house.
40. The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini. What a sad end to the careers of Basil Rathbone and Boris Karloff. Fun movie, but far beneath their status as actors. The lead actress was the mistress of James Nicholson, one of the managing partners of AIP, who married her after he divorced the wife he was cheating on.
41. The House of the Laughing Windows (La Casa dalle Finestre Che Ridono). I'm not much on gialli, but this is one giallo that I enjoyed. It was never theatrically released in the US, and I found out about it through Eli Roth's recommendation on Trailers From Hell . The film's plot concerns an artist hired to restore a fresco in a church, and the string of murders that follow.

Oct. 19
42. The Mist I watched the b/w version--deracinated color is not the equivalent of b/w photography. Still, this is easily the best King adaptation on film after Shawshank.
43. The Halloween Tree Cartoon Network used to show this every Halloween. It's a Ray Bradbury paen to small-town Americana, blended with a lesson on the origins of Halloween traditions.

Oct. 20
44. Freaks. Freaks still retains its power to shock after 77 years, despite Tod Browning's indifferent direction and the almost indecipherable accents of the leading actors. I don't love Freaks like I do other 30s horror movies, but it's still an important film.
45. Mr. Sardonicus William Castle may have been a brilliant showman in his day, but his gimmicks just seem stupid and intrusive. He completely kills the movie's climax for me with the "Punishment Poll", although maybe was attempting to ape Brecht in creating an alienating effect which reminds the viewer that he is an observer and make him question the social realities of the narrative.

Nah.

Oct. 21.
46. The Ferryman-New Zealand, the home of Peter "Dead-Alive" Jackson, has become a horror film powerhouse over the past few years. The Ferryman take a well-worn horror theme, the sinister stranger rescued at sea, and given it a wholly frightening "Body Snatchers" twist. Definitely one of my faves.

Oct. 22.
47. The Comedy of Terrors Vincent Price was sadly underestimated as a comic actor. Peter Lorre's delivery was more deadpan, but he also was richly gifted in comedic talent. Nice turns from Boris Karloff and Basil Rathbone, but this is Price's film.
48. Motel Hell. Blending comedy with horror can be tricky. Sometime you'll get a Shaun of the Dead and sometimes you get this. The movie's script is too crude to hit the right notes, so the comedy falls flat and the horror is just gross. Apart from Rory Calhoun, the rest of the actors are just terrible.
49. Paranormal Activity You know how a friend will show you a Youtube video that details something so horrific you are afraid to think it's real? This is like that.

Oct. 23.
50. Dawn of the Dead (2004) DVD---Zach Snyder's re-make of the George Romero classic starts off with a bang--if the rest of the movie were this intense, it would be an instant classic. However, the script has too many characters so it's difficult to care when someone dies, and

Spoiler:

should have been cut entirely. Despite its flaws, this is still one of the best horror films of the past decade.
51. Jekyll + Hyde DVD---Jekyll and Hyde sing! Yeah, Frank Wildhorn may be the poor man's Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Hasselhoff is a ham actor whose voice strains to hit the right notes, but I still enjoy this show.

Oct. 24
52.Wild Card #4 Bugs Bunny's Howl-oween Special (Youtube)[/color] A relic from the 70s, this is a Halloween special cobbled together Frankenstein-style from clips of Warner Brothers animated shorts.
53. Wild Card #5 It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! (Youtube) "I got a rock!"
54. The Asphyx (Youtube) Terrific film that really deserves to be better known. A 19th-century researcher investigates what happens at the moment of death and finds that a spirit he calls an "asphyx" takes the souls of the dying to the afterlife. So he reasons that if he can stop the asphyx in its mission, he can prolong life indefinitely, and then things go very wrong indeed.
55. Poltergeist (TCM). Still entertaining, but not all that scary--Spielberg movies are too much like Disney rides.
56. The Exorcist. DVD. One of the greatest, not just horror films, but one of the greatest films ever made. The Exorcist transcends its genre to be a brilliant Criterion Collection-level piece of world cinema.
57. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978). DVD I love the 1956 original and I am one of the few who thinks the 1993 version is quite good, but this film sets the bench mark for paranoia in a decade famous for conspiracy films. Even at the beginning of the film, it's clear that some that appear human, really aren't. I've never been able to trust garbage trucks ever since I saw this when it came out.

Oct. 25
58.Kingdom of the Spiders (1977)--Even though this was a theatrical release, it has a very "Movie of the week" feel to it. William Shatner made a few of these low-budget horror films after between Star Trek and TJ Hooker.
59.End of the Line--This movie made very little sense to me; although I sympathize with the director's distaste for religious fanaticism, I found this movie to be incoherent.

Oct. 26
60. The Manitou (1978) (YouTube)It's hard to believe that this film came out after The Exorcist and Star Wars because the FX are incredibly lame. The book this was adapted from is actually pretty decent pulp horror, but the movie is a mess. Still, despite its utter craptitude, it's still kinda sorta watchable, if one is in the right mood.
61. The Sentinel (1978) (DVD)--On paper this movie must have sounded good--an all-star cast and a script based on a best-selling horror novel. But, oy, is this a terrible, terrible film! It is so over the top and so ineptly directed that the movie is mostly laughable, except for the end. The grotesque decision to have actual deformed people portray damned souls rising out of the portal to Hell, which for some reason is in a New York brownstone, has to be one of the most repulsive exploitation devices in film history.
62. Repo: The Genetic Opera(2008) (DVD)--The story line is a bit rocky, but I really love this movie. Anthony Stewart Head needs to be in many more movie musicals.
63. The Hunger (1983) (DVD)--More style than substance, but this is really a moody 80s vampire film that reflects the MTV-video editing style that took over movies in that era.

Oct. 27
64. The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966) (DVD) Don Knotts does not get his due as a master comic actor. Although most of his films are crap, he's always good in them. This film, however, is not crap. It's a terrific little comedy that also works well as a horror movie. One of my childhood favorites that still makes me laugh today.
65. The Power (1968) (TCM). Hoo boy, was this a waste of time! The film took an interesting idea--an intellectual mutant endowed with superhuman powers-and does nothing with it.

Oct. 28
66. The Beast Must Die (1975) (YouTube). A werewolf movie with a mystery gimmick--a "Werewolf Break" where the audience is invited to guess which character is the werewolf. I'd heard about this film for years and finally found it on YouTube. Entertaining blend of English drawing room mystery novel and horror film.
67. Wild Card #6 The Devil in a Convent (1899) YouTube. A George Melies short that someone mentioned in the discussion thread.
68. The Fog (1980) (DVD). John Carpenter directed this spooky tale of leprous ghosts bent on revenge right after his first hit, Halloween. Carpenter made a true horror film because The Fog gives me the willies every time I watch it.

Oct. 29
69. Sweeney Todd (1982) (DVD--As much as I enjoyed the Tim Burton film, it can't compare to the original Broadway production. Angela Lansbury owns the role of Mrs. Lovett.
70. Hellraiser (1987) (DVD--When Hellraiser came out in the summer of 1987, I was obsessed with it and could not stop telling people to go see it. It is still one of the greatest horror films ever made.
71. Jigoku (1960) (DVD). A very Buddhist conception of hell, Jigoku, despite its gory climax, is a highly intelligent film on suffering and guilt.
72. Carriers (2009) --Another movie that got dumped, this time because its studio had gone out of business. The movie is a post-apocalyptic tale of a carful of people trying to save themselves from a plague that has wiped out 99% of the world's population, forcing its characters to make some heartless, ugly choices to give themselves hope for survival.

Oct. 30
73. Netherbeasts Incorporated (2007) Netflix streaming. A direct-to-video vampire comedy that just doesn't work. Darrell Hammond needs a better agent.
74. MST3K: Revenge of the Creature (1955) (Google Video). A Mike episode. Very good riffing.
75. Vampyr (1932) It's such a pity that Dreyer made so few films; few directors have his grasp of atmosphere and the use of the camera to create an emotional state in the viewer. Vampyr is a brilliantly creepy film.

Halloween!
76. The Wicker Man (1973)--The good one, not the Nic Cage POS.
77. Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)--Mandatory viewing.
78. Night of the Living Dead (1968)--Also mandatory viewing
79. Carrie (1976)--I was in high school when this was released--I feel soo old.
80. The Car (1977). One last cheez-tastic piece of fun 70s schlock.
And we're done!

Spoiler:

Last edited by Gobear; 10-31-12 at 01:40 AM.

Reply Like

09-19-09, 02:40 AM

#39

Darkgod

DVD Talk Special Edition

Join Date: Feb 2006

Posts: 1,228

Likes: 109

Received 123 Likes on 67 Posts

Re: The 5th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***LISTS GO HERE!*

2007: 61
2008: 62
2009 Goal: Bronze 63 10/16 8am Silver 100 10/24 5am Gold 124
Watched to date: 122

Body Count: 582
Boob Count: 94 pairs

New Views: 82/122
Avg: 67%

denotes new view

October 1st
1. Cube (1997) Streaming 62/100 love this
2. Giallo

(2009) Streaming 35/100 cant believe Argento's name is on this
3. Fritt Vilt 2

(2006) Streaming 68/100 Liked it better then the first
4. The Burning

(1981) Streaming 55/100 Cropsy rules
5. Drag me to Hell (2009) streaming 60/100 could do without the comedy
6. MOH: Incident on and off a Mountain Road

netflix stream48/100 ending saves this
October 2nd
7. Nightmare Castle (1965)

stream 50/100 a little let down, thought it be better
8. Tenebrae (1982)

stream 72/100 thank you Argento for saving me after Giallo, and Saxon is a pimp
9. Perkins 14 (2008)

stream 51/100 um... acting was pretty bad
October 3rd
10. Splinter (2009)

stream 50/100 cool concept, but lacks
11. House (2008)

stream 40/100 nothing in this was good, even Mosely stunk
12. Poltergiest (1982) stream 80/100 how much did Spielberg actually do
13. Trick r' Treat (2007)

stream 82/100 fresh and good, a healthy mix
14. Return to Sleepaway camp (2008)

24/100 they even ruin Felicia Rose for you
15. WC1 Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots
16. WC2 Infernal Boiling Pot
17. WC3 Edison's Frankenstein
18. I walked with a Zombie (1943)

50/100 I think im biased towards old movies because they don't scare me
October 4th
19. The Manitou (1978)

45/100 Midget Indian Medicine Man should be good.... but its not.
20. Night of the Living Dead - Rifftrax version- 45/100 For the riffing not the movie
21. the company of wolves (1984)

48/100 Started good, but got bad quickly
22. Cats Eye (1985) 50/100 cats are smart
23. Ghostbusters (1984) 95/100 One of my alltime favorite movies
24. White Zombie (1932)

55/100 Better then walked, but im still biased
Oct. 5th
25. Frankenstein (1931)

64/100 maybe one day I will def. change my mind on older flicks
26. High Tension (2003) 70/100 Can do without the ending
Oct. 6th
27. The Nanny (1965)

72/100 I actually got chills from this
28. The Wolfman (1941) 80/100 The first Universal Monster movie I have seen
Oct. 7th
29. Vampyre (1932) 30/100 I just couldn't get into this
30. Scream and Scream Again: The History of the Slasher Film (2000)

Not a bad doc. on the history of the slasher, but the basics though.
31. Sorrority House Massacre (1986)

20/100 Doh! I watched this?
32. Sorrority House Massacre (1990)

10/100 Really?
33. Horror of Dracula (1958)

85/100 From Hollywood, to London, to Bollywood, to HK. Is there a bigger pimp then Peter Cushing?
Oct 8th
34. Behind the Mask: Rise of Leslie Vernon(2006)

67/100 Very well done, and like the little homages to horror films past.
35. Dracula, Prince of Darkness (1966)

60/100 Nowhere the level of Horror of Dracula, but Lee is still bad ass.

PART 2
Part 3

Spoiler:

Last edited by Darkgod; 11-03-09 at 05:50 PM.

Reply Like

09-19-09, 07:20 AM

#40

Shack

Senior Member

Join Date: Jun 2005

Posts: 742

Likes: 17

Received 67 Likes on 49 Posts

Re: The 5th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***LISTS GO HERE!*

2005 -- 85
2006 -- 134
2007 -- 128
2008 -- 98
2009 -- The Year of Lowered Expectations. Goal: 31; 50% first time views (*)

Total: 67; 93% first-time views!

Best first-time view: Let the Right One In, Murder Party, Shock
WTF? first-time views: Antichrist, Repo! the Genetic Opera, Killer Klowns from Outer Space

October 1
1. The Thing (1982)
2. True Blood S2 Ep1* --Wildcard #1
October 2
3. Oxygen (1999)
[switching to first-time views]
4. Antichrist (2009)*
October 3
5. True Blood S2 Ep2* -- Wildcard #2
6. Frankenstein Unbound (1990)*
7. Flesh for Frankenstein (1973)*
October 4
8. Blood for Dracula (1974)*
9. Repo! the Genetic Opera (2008)*
10. True Blood S2 Ep3* -- Wildcard #3
October 5
11. True Blood S2 Ep4* -- Wildcard #4
October 6
12. The Crawling Hand - MST3K*
October 7
13. The American Nightmare (2000)*
October 8
14. True Blood S2 Ep5* -- Wildcard #5
October 9
15. Die Die My Darling (1965)*
October 10
16. The Collector (1965)*
October 11
17. I Bury the Living (1958)*
October 12
18. Monkeyshines (1988)*
October 13
19. Fear Itself: Something With Bite*
October 14
20. Fear Itself: Eater*
October 15
21. Trouble Every Day*
22. Fear Itself: Community*
October 16
23. Fear Itself: In Sickness and in Health*
24. Night of the Living Dead (1990)*
25. Fear Itself: Family Man*
October 17
26. Quarantine (2008)*
27. Saw II (2005)*
28. Saw III (2006)*
October 18
29. Fear Itself: New Year's Day*
30. Fear Itself: Chance
31. Sanctimony (2000)*
32. Stoic (2008)*
October 19
33. Fear Itself: Sacrifice*
34. Fear Itself: Skin and Bones*
October 20
35. David Cronenberg: I Have to Make the Word Be Flesh (1999)*
36. Freakshow (2007)*
October 21
37. Shock (1946)*
38. Fear Itself: Spooked*
October 22
39. Shivers (1975)*
40. Bones (2001)*
October 23
41. Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988)*
42. Zombiemania (2008)*
October 24
43. Murder Party (2007)*
44. Let the Right One In (2008)*
October 25
45. Return to Horror High (1987)*
46. Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971)*
47. Shriek If You Know What I Did... (2000)*
48. Deadgirl (2008)*
October 26
49. Phantom of the Paradise (1974)*
50. Baby Blues (2008)*
October 27
51. Flight of the Living Dead: Outbreak on a Plane (2007)*
52. The Burning (1981)*
October 28
53. Scream and Scream Again (2000)*
54. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966) -- Wild Card #6
55. Night Watch (1973)*
October 29
56. The Indestructable Man (1956)*
57. Intruder (1989)*
58. The Atrocity Exhibition (2000)*
October 30
59. The Ghoul (1935)*
60. The Walking Dead (1936)*
61. The Old Dark House (1932)*
62. From Dusk Till Dawn 2 (1999)*
October 31
63. The Whip and the Body (1963)*
64. The Amityville Horror (1979)*
[ending the Challenge with a few favorites]
65. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
66. Halloween (1978)
67. Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)

Last edited by Shack; 11-07-09 at 08:34 AM.

Reply Like

09-19-09, 08:50 AM

#41

dcrw6

Senior Member

Join Date: Jul 2001

Location: Portland, OR

Posts: 562

Likes: 0

Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts

Re: The 5th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***LISTS GO HERE!*

For the last few years, my work and school has worn me out for this, but this year I plan on not letting them drag me down and plowing through as many as I can around them. I've got an easy couple of thousand to pick from and I've been starving myself of horror for about five months now waiting for this. My goal for this year is to get through 60 movies with at least a 50% ratio of previously seen and first time viewing movies.
Color= First time viewing

October 1st:

1. Jaws- Humans vs. Shark. A classic film to start out with. Jaws never gets old and I still can't come up with anything bad to say about it. It's got the right mix of humor, suspense, and adventure to make what is always an entertaining experience. 5 out of 5 chum buckets.
"Anyway, we delivered the bomb."

2. Plague Town- Stupid Americans vs. Irish Defects. An American family goes on a search for their ancestral roots only to find the locals have a problem with their offspring. About as big of a meh as you can get with a horror movie. Not very exciting but not bad enough to turn off The spotty acting really brings down the production value along with a pretty uneventful tone throughout. The spots of unintentional comedy help to liven it up a touch. If you've seen the After Dark Horrorfest movie Wicked Little Things, it's a perfect companion to that, in both quality and story. 1.5 out of 5 googly eyes.
"Better come with me, sweetheart. I'd hate to see you go to waste."

3. The Dead Pit- Nutballs vs. Zombies. A Jane Doe is pulled into an asylum claiming her memories had been stolen from her brain and finds an undead scientist working to harvest brains for his zombie army. One of those so bad they're good movies that only the 80's could have pulled off. The main actress seems to prefer wearing super-small cutoff shirts while the main actor has such a pronounced brow, his eyes seem to disappear at times. I ended up being fixated on that most of the time he popped up. The lighting was cool and the effects were pretty good for such a low budget. A movie that's perfect to recreate your own little MST3K episode. 2.5 out 5 melting zombies.
"For dead people they sure are smart."

4. A Nightmare on Elm Street- Freddy vs. Teens. I loved this growing up, but it seems as though every time I watch it as an adult, it lessens a little bit more. I can see now just how bad of an actress Heather Lagenkamp was and the last twenty minutes just get more and more laughable every time. It's pretty obvious no one knew how to end it and just wanted to wrap it up. But there are still a lot of effective scenes and Freddy definitely still makes an impression. I'd still rate it highly but it does have its flaws. 4 out 5 flamin' Freddys.
"He's been in the John pukin' since he saw it."

5. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2- Freddy vs. Homo-eroticism. Most talk about this movie tends to focus on the homosexual subtext that can be found, but to be honest, I never even noticed it until like the fifteenth viewing. In fact, there's a lot of aspects that hold up better to me than the original, and when you do pay attention to the gay undertones, it just makes it a deeper movie to me. It's creepy and feels dirty when you're watching it, largely thanks to the lighting and film stock. Freddy looks the scariest in this one compared to all of the other films and has even less smart-ass remarks than in the first one, though the series' humor still pops up now and then. I also enjoy Christopher Young's score for this one much more than the original's. Overall, I still really enjoy it. 4 out of 5 exploding homicidal parakeets.
"Help yourself, fucker."

6. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3- Freddy vs. The Superfriends. Growing up, this was my favorite. It had the perfect balance of seriousness and Freddy's humor along with really memorable effects. The worm still holds up really well and along with the puppet and television scenes, this film has a lot of the most memorable imagery in the entire series. Lagenkamp does a little better in this one, but it bothered me that they put her white streak on the wrong part of her head when you compare it to the first and New Nightmare. Freddy's good as always, but you can see the descent to camp starting on. Still really fun. 4 out of 5 Freddy worms.
"I said, 'Where's the fucking bourbon?'"

7. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 4- Freddy vs. Music Video Gloss. This was actually my first exposure to Freddy as a child. I only saw the first half hour or so on tv and that was enough to scare me to bed. It was also one of the first VHS tapes I bought when I first began actually collecting movies. I had always really enjoyed it, but watching it today, I just couldn't get into it. Both my wife and I ended up not really getting that excited for it like we did for the others. It still has some fun scenes, like the cockroach bit, but I feel that it stands as a pretty much forgetful entry in the series, though everytime I work my way through these, my opinions always change so I might enjoy it more next time. This also marks the point where MTV visuals pretty much took over the series, save for New Nightmare. 2.5 out of 5 soul pizzas.
"Well, it ain't Dr. Seuss."

October 2nd:

8. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 5- Freddy vs. Some Weird Eyed Kid. I always watched this back to back with part 4 when I could and I always found the other one more enjoyable, but this time I liked this one much more. Maybe both my wife and I were in a goofy mood and we had a blast with this one. This is probably the first time I actually had real fun with it. The one liners were bad, but that's what made them funny. The effects are topnotch for the late 80's and the visual style was taken to such a slick style that I felt fit right in with the dream themes. The sets were lavish and beautiful, with a tribute to M.C. Esher capping it all off. Good times. 3.5 out of 5 baby Freddys.
"Hi, Alice. Wanna make babies?"

9. Freddy's Dead- Freddy vs. 3D Worms. This was a major movie for me as a kid. We all had to see it, and after we finally rented it, we went outside and would re-enact it for fun. But as I was older, I haven't really enjoyed it too much when I went back to revisit it. When my wife and I put it on tonight, we had a fun ol' time. I think seeing it with someone that didn't really know the movie and has a fondness for the old fashioned 3D reinvigorated it for me. I had more fun with this than I usually do. The humor really worked for me and there wasn't too many dull parts so the fun just kept coming. 3 out of 5 wicked witch Freddys.
"Kung fu THIS, bitch."

10. New Nightmare- Freddy vs. Reality. So Wes Craven comes back to bring a respectful closure to Freddy. Of course he ends up doing the same shit he does in almost every one of his movies and turns it into a goofball fest in the final fifteen minutes on par with the previous few sequels. It stings all the more because the entirety of the movie beforehand is an incredibly well written and staggeringly planned ghost movie that manages a few genuine scares. Freddy in threatening like he hasn't been since Part 2. His fedora and trench-coat compliment his new make-up design and bone claw, making what I feel is the best looking design for Freddy yet. Lagenkamp is much better in this film, though playing herself might make it a bit easier for her. The movie is subtle and eerie until it staggers into the gutter at the very end. As soon as the freeway scene starts, the movie goes out the window to me. If it had been in one of the previous movies, it wouldn't be such a big deal, but it completely undermines the tone and quality carefully set up during the rest of the movie. It never used to bother me that much, but I find it too hard to overlook anymore. 2 out of 5 Rex dolls.
"Pick a pet for the rugrat, bitch."

11. Freddy vs. Jason- uhhh...Freddy vs. Jason Probably the only film that lives up to the expectations placed upon a "versus" movie. Waiting for this movie was like Star Wars nerds waiting for Episode 1. This was the big one. The heavyweight, titan sized match up, and it didn't disappoint. Sure, there's a good amount of flaws in it (the scene where they basically unravel the whole film's plot and solution by just yammering about it is hilarious), but they end up feeling like a tribute to the goofiness of both series' sequels up to that point. Freddy had a great mix of the wise-ass from the later sequels as well as the creepiness of a dirty old man from the first few films. His demon face sent chills up my spine the first time I saw it. When the final showdown starts, it's cheer-worthy. This film never gets old to me. 4 out of 5 hookah-smoking caterpillars.
"Dude, that goalie was pissed about something."

12. Contamination- Americans vs. Exploding Eggs. A pretty fun movie about eggs from space bursting open and causing anyone who gets caught in the gooey aftermath to have their chest explode. The effects are well done and surprisingly tame compared to many other Italian horrors I've seen. The characters have witty dialog that makes the film a breeze to sit through rather than the plodding exposition you would expect to creep in. The score by Goblin was great and the theme song that creeps up whenever the eggs show up really gets under your skin. And the final creature is awesome, in that low-grade B movie way. Recommended. 4 out of 5 avocados of death.
"If you're always in that condition, it's obvious you couldn't get it up, even if you used a crane."

13. Dead Silence- A Wahlberg vs. Haunted Dummies. When I saw this in the theater, I was a bit disappointed with it. It didn't seem to really jive with me and I felt bored for the most part. The only thing I really could say at the time was it looked beautiful. Watching it again, I enjoyed it a lot more a second time. When you take as something not too original or innovative and watch it for what it is, it's a pretty good ride. It's a fun little story with a great design for the puppets as well as great practical effects as well. The make up designs were really distinctive. None of the actors really stand out except for Mary Shaw and Donnie Wahlberg, who seems to just be having fun the whole time. Good times. 3.5 out of 5 dolls' eyes.
Can you help me with a missing persons case? I’m looking for a male. Bout this tall. Sometimes seen with a hand up his ass.

14. Freaks- Friendly Freaks vs. Asshole Normies. This was my second time viewing this and it was just as good as the first time. The movie isn't really set up as a horror movie but would rather function just as well as your typical noir movie. However, the horror comes from the film's decision to use real circus freaks as the stars. The viewer can't help but become a little unhinged watching them, even though they are nice enough people. When it comes time for their revenge, the film contains some of the most unsettling imagery put on the screen. I can only imagine how disturbing it was seventy years ago to an audience that hadn't been exposed to everything we have. A classic. 4.5 out 5 gooble-gobbles.
"They're going to make you one of them, my peacock!"

15. Freakshow- Gunner Hansen vs. Production Values. This was an anthology film where Gunnar Hansen plays a ringmaster for a freakshow who spins four stories based on the various freaks he trots out to a pair of cynical teenagers. While I love anthology films, I really wasn't expecting the film to be this bad. There isn't a single person who can call themselves an "actor", including Hansen. There's probably a reason why the only role he's remembered for had no lines. The effects were so low budget that they were actually kind of disgusting becuase of how cheap they looked, especially in the second story. After a while, I just wanted it to end but it just kept plodding along. 1 out of 5 obese guys who are most likely pedophiles.
"I am the freakmaster."

October 3rd:

16. Freakshow- Freaks vs. Blonde Bimbo. Capping off the night's freakshow mini-marathon was a film by the infamous Asylum company, those of the mockbusters. I'm not really sure who was calling the shots when they greenlit this one, but it actually paid out for once. Instead of aping some current, hot movie, they decided to rip off Browning's '32 Freaks, and actually managed to make a decent movie for once. The story's pretty much stolen from the 30's film, but tweaked enough to avoid a lawsuit as well as having ample opportunities for gore and sex for their core demographic. There's actually a few people that can act, though you have to work to find a character to like in the film. A good use of public domain music helps to create a sense of place and tone for the first time in an Asylum movie. It's relatively light on violence until the very end where it goes pretty over the top. It's still not a great movie, but for The Asylum, it's a homerun. 2.5 out 5 worm girls.
"Where we come from we all drink from the same well, since we do not have a well, this cup would have to do. "

17. Fido- Society vs. Domestic Zombies Finally, a zombie movie that tries for something different. Zombies are domesticated and turned into servants for those that can afford them. When Timmy's family brings one home, he ends up becoming friends with it and causing trouble for the infrastructure of the entire town. The film has a great sense of humor and has a string of laugh out loud moments, along with the cringe inducing darkness that accompanies them. Billy Connolly makes the movie, but every other actor does a great job. Even all of the child actors are great. It's a great mix of satire, horror, and fun that's easily been the most enjoyable new movie so far this month. A must see. 4.5 out of 5 head coffins.
"I'd say I'm a pretty darn good father. My father tried to eat me, I don't remember trying to eat Timmy."

18. Who Can Kill a Child?- Jean Reno's Brother vs. Children A rather disturbing film where children suddenly begin killing the adults. A couple, which I couldn't shake the idea that the main guy looked exactly like a younger Jean Reno with moppy hair, take a vacation to an idyllic Spanish island only to find the young 'uns hunting them down. The film does a good job of building the tension and shows what it needs to, when it needs to, in order to scare you. The children close in on them as they have to ponder the title's question and decide what they have to do to survive. This one really disturbed my wife and left me with my own set of chills. Several of the scenes recall Hitchcock's The Birds, but to a much more disturbing level. A scene with the wife was both somber and frightening in its conclusion. Definitely one to find and watch. 4 out of 5 geriatric pinatas.
"Some sort of madness. I can't understand this.

19. The Howling 6: The Freaks- Werewolf vs. Circus Freaks An Englishman trying to hide the fact that he's a werewolf gets caught by a traveling circus and made to perform in their freakshow. An alright movie where you can tell it was made during the big boom of direct to video horror in the early 90's. A similar lighting and visual style as a lot of other films of the time, which might be why I liked it more than I should have as I really came of age around that time. No one's really bad or good at acting in this, they're all just passable, as is the storyline which is interesting but doesn't manage to gather up enough energy to really draw you in. The werewolf effects look kind of odd, but at least they were trying for something different. Other effects look a bit better but they definitely show their budget. I will say this movie has the most gratuitous appearances of the boom mic I've ever seen in a movie. A decent time, but nothing to write home about. 2.5 out of 5 alligator boys.
"Don't move or I'll shoot your dick into the next county!"

October 4th:

20. Rabid Grannies- Greedy Family vs. Their Grannies. I rented this when I was about six and had to turn it off after about twenty minutes because it was just too much for me at the time. Watching it now, I'm thinking the tape had to have been uncut as there's hardly anything in here that's risque and I know the Troma dvd's supposed to be cut. In a nutshell, the grannies go bad and tear up their family members. It's a fun time in the vein of Night of the Demons with a dark sense of humor. 3 out 5 birthday cakes.
"A bad priest. And we like bad priests."

21. Godzilla Mothra King Ghidorah: All Out Monsters Attack- Godzilla vs. The other Guys. This is the only one of the newer Godzilla movies I hadn't seen and I figured it would be good to watch atleast one giant monster flick for the month. This one was surprisingly darker and mean spirited than probably any other Godzilla movie, save for maybe the original. Godzilla himself was designed to look like much more evil than usual, and the film goes so far as to show numerous people dying at the expense of the monsters, something the other films never really delve into. The girl in the hospital was both funny and a touch disturbing. The fights were great, though the final fight didn't live up to the first one in the film. One of the better of the Millennium 'Zilla films. Definitely better than Megaguiras and Tokyo SOS, but I find Against Mechagodzilla, 2000, and Final Wars to still be better. 3.5 out of 5 Baragon blasts.
"The Americans said it was Godzilla, but all the Japanese scientists denied it."

22. Isolation- Farmers vs. Cow-Thing. This was a great little creature feature that was made in the style of Alien or Carpenter's The Thing. It took itself seriously (for a change) and told a taut little story with a disturbing monster surrounded by good performances by its crew of actors. The monster itself is shown in little bits so you only get hints at what it looks like, which works since the monster is so twisted, any glance at it is enough to unbalance you. A great movie of the likes that we don't see too often anymore. 4 out of 5 pregnant calves.
"I felt it snapping at me."

October 5th:

23. Bloody Pit of Horror- Airheads vs THE CRIMSON EXECUTIONER!!!!!! What a whacked out movie, from start to finish. A bunch of morons stumble in to some guys castle without asking to shoot some photos. The owner lets them stay, only because he's a whackjob and starts bumping them off. he whole movie was hilarious. Whether it was the dialog, sets, deaths, or the overacting, I couldn't stop laughing. The ending dragged just a little too long, but other than that, solid entertainment. 4 out of 5 poison tipped mechanical spiders.
"My perfect body... in the poisonous clutches of The Lover Of Death!"

24. Vincent Wildcard #1- Childhood vs. Reality I wanted to start off my little Vincent Price marathon with this short as it's just a great tribute to the man and how I looked upon him growing up. There's not much to say other than it's great and worth checking out if you haven't seen it yet (which lucky enough, it's at the link below). 5 out of 5 sandworm cameos.
"Vincent is nice when his aunt comes to see him, but imagines dipping her in wax for his wax museum."

25. Tales of Terror- Peter Lorre vs. Vincent Price An anthology of Edgar Allen Poe tales, all with Vincent Price in some sort of role. as well as performing the narration. The opening story is good, but nothing really standout as it's pretty similar to other films. The third is better and is actually a little creepy, though I find every version of that story to send some chills up my spine. The second story is where the movie really shines. Peter Lorre eats up all the scenery as he stumbles about, while Price plays his goofy foil. There isn't a scene where Lorre isn't hilarious, even though he's an evil bastard. It was so good, I actually thought about watching it again after the rest of the movie was over. Definitely the highlight of the film. 3.5 out of 5 drunken slurs.
"Haven't I convinced you of my sincerity yet? I'm genuinely dedicated to your destruction."

October 6th:

26. The Tingler- Price vs. Spine Monster Somehow I had never seen this before, even though I've constantly read and heard about it since I was little. Surprisingly, it was a blast the whole way through. Even though the Tingler itself doesn't show up for most of the film's running time, it never once got boring, which I credit to Price's natural charisma and Castle's skill at making an entertaining picture. Price's freak out is probably one of the greatest scenes captured on film and the color sequences were a bit unnerving. A great film which I believe will be joining my list of older favorites along with House on Haunted Hill. 5 out of 5 film breaks.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please do not panic! But SCREAM! Scream for your lives!"

27. Theater of Blood- Price vs. Shakespeare. This was surprisingly pretty violent, probably more than any other Price film I've seen. He's a whacked out actor who uses bits of Shakespeare's plays to take out the critics who savaged him. The film has some great set pieces and Price seems to have a delirious time hamming it up. There's a streak of black humor that makes the movie a breeze to sit through. Great fun. 4 out of 5 stage wigs.
"It's him all right. Only Lionheart would have the temerity to rewrite Shakespeare!"

28. Poultrygeist- Zombie Chickens vs. Taste I have to say, this just might be Troma's best film. That may not be saying much to some people, but I've always enjoyed their films and this one was a blast. I was almost cringing over what the songs might sound like, but I was surprised that all but one of them were well written, had a good beat, and had a high production value. In fact the whole film looked great. The leads were charismatic enough to actually like them and the gore was inventive and fun. I absolutely loved it and would recommend it to anyone. 5 out of 5 Sloppy Joses.
"The chicken... the chicken has declared jihad on us all."

October 7th:

29. Uninvited- America vs. J-Horror. A Tale of Two Sisters is one of my favorite Asian horror movies. When this remake was announced, I could only groan. Then I saw the trailer, and it looked worse than I imagined. Having actually seen it, it's somehow even worse than that. It's exactly like every other American horror movie for teens, stripping the original's psychological mindfuck away and leaving only an embarrassment of a story. The replication of the dinner scene is a joke and the "twist" is so uneventful and lame that you can only ask yourself "why even bother?." No one's likeable, everything's predictable, and the whole film's a waste of time. The only nice thing I can say is that at least the Blu-ray looked good. 1 out 5 wasted hours.
"I love you... I have a condom."

30. The Changeling- George C. Scott vs. A Wheelchair. This was the first movie of the month that truly scared us. It understands exactly what scares us as viewers and relies on it throughout, eliciting every wrecked nerve it can. The seance scene was frightening enough, but the scene right after is where the true fright creeps in. The first time the wheelchair was used gave me one of the biggest frights I've had in a long time. This was the first time in over a year my wife and I had seen a movie that actually kept us up later that night as we kept scaring each other in bed. One of the true classic ghost stories. 5 out of 5 flaming banisters.
"You goddamn son of a bitch."

31. Ginger Snaps- Werewolves vs. Aunt Flow. I hadn't watched this since it first came out on video and I remember enjoying it a lot more back then. Watching it now, it still holds up as being pretty good, but drags quite a bit in the middle. Bridgette and Ginger are still very interesting lead characters and the film does a good job at making the disintegration of their relationship very affecting. The werewolf effects are great, and the humor works throughout the film, but it seems like the film just plods along in the middle. Overall, not bad, just not as good as I used to view it as. 3 out of 5 mangled Normans.
"If I wasn't here would you eat her?"

32. Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed- Troubled Youths vs. Wolfsbane Addiction. It may have only been because I had never seen it before, but I enjoyed the sequel much more than the original. A good part of it is spent in a locked up hospital ward, which is a typical setting for low-budget horror films, but the interesting characters is what saves it from being boring. The set up is pretty unique and the character of Ghost was always entertaining. The main problem of the film lies in its ending. On one hand, it's kind of twisted and funny, on the other, after following Bridgette for two films, it feels kind of cold after what she's been through. Plus the werewolf effects aren't anywhere near as good as the original. Still, a pretty good movie. 3.5 out of 5 pastiche superheroes.
"Late at night, in secret chambers, he carried out his reign of moral terror."

33. Ginger Snaps: Back to the Beginning- Werewolves vs. Fur Traders. I'm not really sure how this is supposed to tie in with Bridgette and Ginger's tale, but maybe it's not supposed to. I think it's a good idea for an existential "what if?" tale and is actually a much more accomplished movie than the previous two. The setting is beautiful and the whole filmed is shot amazingly, especially coming out of the somewhat flat sequels.All of the characters in the fort are great, and the two main sisters are still fun to watch as they spew out their own brand of cynicism. The effects are similar to the second one's (since they were shot back to back) but I still miss the design from the original. There's not a lot of negatives for the movie. It's interesting the whole way through with a pretty satisfying ending that left me much more content than after watching the other two. This would be the one to check out if you could only catch one of them, which works since it's a prequel set over a 100 years before the others. Actually, it would make a good double feature with Ravenous. A good time. 4 out of 5 werewolf boys.
"I'm sure I'm going to hell for this, but shut your holy fucking mouth."

October 8th:

34. The Convent- Demon Nuns vs A Shotgun. Decided to throw on an easy one before going to bed that night. I've seen this one quite a bit and I still enjoy it a lot. There's nothing terribly original in it, but I get a kick out of the film's sense of humor, as well as its funky black-lit lighting scheme. It's constantly entertaining, and any film where Adrianne Barbeau comes rolling in on a Harley blowing away Satanic nuns with a shotgun can't be bad. 3.5 out of 5 homosexual-rapist-Satanists.
"The time is nigh for you to take your first step into darkness, so why don't you take the Dagger of Dispair, you know and plunge into thine virginal heart?...today?"

35. Shredder- Snowbaorders vs My Patience. A pretty rote slasher, with all of the typical cliches you would expect, with teens being whittled away at an abandoned ski resort. The acting is awful, with the character of Skylar being the worst cinematic being since Jar Jar. Not one character makes any sort of realistic decision and the whole thing wraps up like a bad episode of Scooby Doo. There was a funny bit involving the chair lift but the film dropped that without really mining the potential it had. Overall, a waste of time. 1.5 out of 5 bikini clad bimbos running around in below freezing temperatures.
"I'm sorry that you got more balls than any of us do."

36. Child's Play- Killer Doll vs. Humanity's Inability To Kick The Fucker Out The Window. It's hard to really critique a movie that was such a huge part of your childhood. Whatever it's faults, you can easily overlook them and enjoy it the same way you did when you were younger. Luckily, this first film with Chucky still holds up as a good movie. This was the first and only time Chucky was ever intimidating. He's funny at times, but he's nowhere near the wiseass he is later on. Combine that with how well the movie was shot, and it's still effective today. A yearly classic. 4 out of 5 footprints in the flour.
"Give me the boy, and I'll let you live!"

October 9th:

37. Black Christmas- Billy vs Canadian Coeds. I only saw this movie maybe three or four years ago so I was late to the party on this one, but since then, it's become one of my absolute favorites. It's one of the few movies that completely understands the "less is more" idea in horror and creates some truly horrifying scenes. The phone calls are nerve wracking and the complete ambiguity of Billy leaves you cold long after the movie's over. The film is balanced out by populating it with real, likable, three dimensional characters, the kind that are completely neglected in today's films. These girls aren't just the same slasher bait the 80's fawned over, they're people you actually care about. It also somehow avoids any of the slasher cliches before they were even created. The movie still feels fresh and is one of the undervalued classics. 5 out of 5 "John Saxon's Awesome!"s.
"These broads would hump the Leaning Tower of Pisa if they could get up there."

38. Black Christmas (remake)- The Current Idea Of What A Horror Movie Is vs My Goddamn Sanity. Good God. I've read enough about this remake to know that one should expect the worst when viewing it. With that in mind, I was at least hoping for one of those awful but mean guilty pleasures, along the lines of See No Evil. But that movie's Academy Award Winning when compared to this bastard. Characters might as well not even be there, the story is the absolute needlessly obtuse idea I've ever seen, and the kills are trying so hard that they're just laughable. I know remakes get a bad rap, and I groan with each new announcement as well, but this one only exemplifies how bad horror has become within the studio system. I felt my intelligence personally insulted watching this thing. Stay the hell away from it if you have any sense of self-worth. .5 out 5 skin cookies.
"Oh, fuck no. I'm already starting to see the Sugar Plum Fairies, I don't need to hear the little fuckers too."

39. Offspring- New Englanders vs Captain Caveman's Feral Kids. Jack Ketchum adaptations have been en vogue lately, and while I haven't caught all of them, I can reasonably state this one as the worst. Horrible acting, ugly photography, and an almost pathetic need to shock the viewer equals up to one terrible film. It tries to redeem itself by going over the top with its violence, but it doesn't seem to understand that you actually need to care about the movie or the characters in order for it to matter. I just spent the majority of the time watching the clock tick down until it was over. Avoid. 1 out 5 snarling kids that need to be socked.
"Rawr!"

October 10th: Birthday!

40. The Thaw- Val Kilmer vs Ice Bugs. Val Kilmer collects a two day paycheck in this pretty good killer bug/ paranoia horror film. It apes Carpenter's The Thing and Cabin Fever quite a bit but has enough of its own ideas to make it interesting. If you get grossed out by bugs, then this will make you squirm as it has enough disgusting scenes of the bugs working their way through flesh to send you out the room. A surprisingly decent creature flick that brings up the tension bit by bit. 3.5 out of 5 maggoty mammoths.
"Get the tweezers."

41. Seventh Moon- Newlyweds vs Moon Demons. You can tell pretty easily that this was made by one of the Blair Witch directors. It's a relatively simple story but one made with a full understanding of how to show just enough in order to scare you. It's essentially one long chase but it never loses its tension due to how the demons are shown. The quick glimpses are only enough to scare the hell out of you without the viewer ever getting familiar with the monsters. The film begins to peter out towards the end but the story is changed up enough so that it feels fresh again while the ending's unfolding. One of the few movies to sustain a constant feeling of unease throughout every frame. 4 out 5 demon beatings.
"They took away one of our living each time..."

October 11th:

42. Trailer Park of Terror- Religious Reform Kids vs. Trailer Park Ghosts. I wasn't expecting this one to be as good as it was. Going in, I figured it would be another typical DV hack job. Surprisingly, it was a well crafted film with a main villain that you actually felt empathy for as well as a whole host of engaging characters. The film was filled with great humor that elicited as much gasps as laughs and the soundtrack was loaded with rockin' tunes that already has me looking for some sort of soundtrack. Just one hell of an entertaining movie. 4 out 5 zombie destruction derbies.
"Everything tastes better fried!"

43. The Children- Adults vs. Kids Round 12. I've been looking forward to checking this one out for a while now, and it didn't disappoint. It takes the idea of murderous children completely straight-faced and doesn't hesitate to pull any punches. It's a bit slow in the beginning but after it establishes its characters, the tension just keeps on twisting as it goes on. One of the best horror movies to come out this year and one that will stay with you after its over. 4.5 out of 5 monkey bars.
"No, Daddy's very angry!"

44. Halloween: 25 Years of Terror- Documentarians vs Horror Nerds. Even though I mainly watched it for the checklist, I still had a pretty good time with this one. A fun look back at how the franchise started and how it became more and more convoluted over the years. It manages to find interviews with just about anyone that matters in the series and doesn't sugarcoat the crap that's come out of the movies in the later installments. A much better doc than the one they produced for Friday the 13th and helps to fill the hole left by my decision to avoid the Halloween movies this year. A good time. 4 out of 5 cynical John Carpenter remarks.
"Hrmph."

October 12th:

45. Frailty- Bill Paxton vs. Demons.

46. Whisper- Sawyer vs. A Little Brat.

47. Skinwalkers- The Movie vs. What Genre It Wants To Be.

48. Boy From Hell- Mama vs. Her Demon Kid.

49. Santa's Slay- This Movie vs. My Expectations.

October 13th:

50. Cemetery Gates- Reggie vs. A Wolverine Monster.

51. Bird With Crystal Plummage- An American vs. Giallo Killer.

October 14th:

52. Bones- Snoop Dogg vs. Crack Dealers.

53. Rottweiler- A non-actor vs. Android Guard Dog.

54. Scary Movie 4- Me vs. The Checklist.

October 15th:

55. Dracula (1932)- Bela vs. Dwight.

56. Mausoleum- Bored Housewife vs. Her Demonic Legacy.

57. Blood Song- Frankie Avalon vs. One Last Attempt At A Career.

58. Them (Ills)- Frenchies vs. Home Invasion.

October 16th:

59. Troll- Sonny Bono vs. A Hairy Midget

60. Troll 2- Michael's Bladder vs. The Family Dinner

61. The Blob- Johnny Drama vs. A Gelatinous Nuisance

October 17th:

62. The Stuff- Killer Junk Food vs. Michael Moriarty's Swagger

63. Pick Me Up- Fairuza Balk vs. Traveling Psychos

64. The Host- Dysfunctional Family vs. A Sewer Monster

October 18th:

65. Paranoiac- Oliver Reed vs. The Bottle

66. Dolly Dearest- An American Family vs. The Ugliest Damn Dolls You've Ever Seen

67. The Atomic Brain (MST3K Version)- The Guys vs. 50's Incompetance

68. Return of the Living Dead- Tarman vs. Punk Kids

October 19th:

69. Fright Night- Nerdy Kid vs. His Vampy Neighbor

70. The Descent- Ballsy Ladies vs. Cave Mutants

October 20th:

71. The Cook- Hungarian Killer Cook vs. Lipstick Lesbians

72. Brainscan- John Connor vs. Interactive CD-ROMs

73. Tales From the Crypt ('72)- Stuffy Brits vs. Their Fates

October 21st:

Nothing. Too busy of a day.

October 22nd:

74. Vault of Horror- My Anger vs. This Edited DVD

75. Phantom of the Opera (Hammer Version)- The First 2/3 Of The Movie vs. The Last 1/3 Where Everything Becomes A Sissyfest

76. The Prophecy- Christopher Walken vs. Casey Jones

October 23rd:

77. House of Clocks- Thrill-riding Punks vs. Creepy Old People

October 24th:

78. The People Under the Stairs- Story vs. Wes Craven's Psychosis While Scriptwriting

October 25th:

79. Riding The Bullet- Hitch-hiker vs. David Arquette

80. Hatchet- Joel David Moore vs. 'Roid Raged Hillbilly

81. Trick or Treat- Skippy vs. Heavy Metal

82. Return to Horror High- What's Real vs. What's Not

October 26th:

83. Videodrome- James Woods vs. Killer Television

84. Tales From the Hood- The Title vs. How Good Of A Movie It Really Is

85. Edge of Sanity- Anthony Perkins vs. Mr. Hyde

October 27th:

86. Gnaw: Food of the Gods 2- Tedium vs. Production Values

87. Ghostbusters 2- The Boys vs. A River Of Slime

October 28th:

88. House of 1000 Corpses- Rob Zombie's Only Accomplishment vs. Everything After

89. Spider Baby- Lon Chaney vs. A House of Crazies

October 29th:

90. Resident Evil: Degeneration- My Boredom vs. The Fast Forward Button

91. Ghost Story- Old Farts vs. A Real Ghost

October 30th:

92. MOH: The Black Cat- Jeffrey Combs vs. The Bottle

93. MOH: Pelts- Magical Fur vs. Meatloaf

94. Ghoulies 2- Carnies vs. Ghoulies

October 31st: Wedding Anniversary!

95. Death Factory- Tiffany Shepis vs. Tedium

96. Sleepaway Camp- Foul Mouthed kids vs. A Slasher

97. Sleepaway Camp 2- Springsteen's Sibling vs. Morons

98. Gremlins 2- Gizmo vs. Corporate America

99. Monster Squad- Little Nerds vs. The Classics

100. Satan's Little Helper- One Messed Up Kid vs. Satan

Spoiler:

Last edited by dcrw6; 11-06-09 at 01:44 PM.

Reply Like

09-19-09, 09:41 AM

#42

Dick Laurent

DVD Talk Special Edition

Join Date: Sep 2008

Location: Lost Highway

Posts: 1,125

Likes: 0

Received 1 Like on 1 Post

List is Finished

"Dick Laurent is dead" ...and is participating in...

The 5th Annual October Horror Movie Challenge!

Total Watched = 100

All films USA unless noted otherwise
Shorts 1 Min or less counted as 1 Min
* = First Time Viewing
WC# = Wild Cards 1-6
## = Horror or Halloween related/NOT COUNTED

October: 1
1. Pathogen (DVD – 2006 – 87 Min – Color) IMDB *
"You’re either gonna die… or DIE!"
I wanted to start off this year’s challenge with something unique and really worth the title of “Number One.” So I decided on this independent film, that really puts the DYI into movie making. If you’re not familiar yet with this film’s writer/director/editor, Emily Haggins, you need to be. She was only 12 yrs old when she began filming this feature-length zombie movie. Yes, that’s 12 yrs old… The film itself is a lot of fun. It is evident that she had a lot of support from friends and family to get this going and completed. There are a lot of great reviews online that go into much more detail, and I’ll let their stellar points enlighten you more (see cheezynuggets.com for more info). Of course the movie isn’t perfect, but it was enjoyable and better executed than a lot of direct-to-video releases that I’ve seen. One of the best attributes of what makes a great horror film for me is to think back on memorable images or scenes. The more these images pop up in my mind, the greater and more effective the film. I get a lot of fond memories from this movie. Pathogen is worth a blind-buy, and if you don’t like it, at least you’re contributing to a competent future film-maker.

October: 2
2. The Strange Door (DVD – 1951 – 104 Min – B&W) IMDB *
"I’m in the mood for relaxation – let’s visit the dungeons!"
This was a mildly fun Boris Karloff film that I’ve never heard much of anything about. Though not the best Karloff I’ve seen, the film’s strongest point is that it has great imagery. The sets are very detailed, and I love the creaking sound FX. The water was very effective as well. There’s a part that involves walls closing in together, which really reminded me of Star Wars. Karloff plays a sort of henchman type of character. More of a servant, I suppose, and he doesn’t get much screen time. But the big thing I didn’t like about this film was that I couldn’t really follow the plot very well. I wasn’t entirely sure why everything was happening as it did. Not too big of a deal, as the movie was quite enjoyable weather I knew the story or not; maybe just a result of convoluted editing. And what happened to the cat after it was thrown? The “door” is pretty cool, though.
3. The Uninvited (Blu-ray Disc – 2009 – 87 Min – Color) IMDB *
"Who will I tell my stories to?"
Whoa, this was a great surprise! I was telling my wife I wanted to watch this, but knew nothing about it. I could only tell her that it was the horror movie with the two hot girls in it… I’m sure that didn’t sell it to her, but she agreed that it was a great little gift of a movie. And that’s what makes this so awesome. I went in not expecting anything (but maybe you’re standard teen PG-13 fair) and got a really enjoyable ride. As soon as things start wrapping up in the last quarter of the movie, you really see how genius it is. Not the most original story, but its execution is marvelous. This film was a real joy to watch. I wanted to watch it again as soon as it ended, but I’ll have to wait until November 1st for that… I'm glad I didn't know this was a loose remake of

Spoiler:

Maybe that’s why I enjoyed it so much. I wasn’t expecting it.

October: 3
4. Dead People (iPod Touch – 1973 – 90 Min – Color) IMDB *
"Do you like Wag-ner?"
Here we have a zombie film that is made in the style of 1970’s action flicks, like Death Wish. It’s an all right movie, nothing that really stands out. It’s a shame, because there are some great images and characters here, but nothing too interesting happens. I think the filmmakers were dealing with more talent than the writers could handle. Again, I was a little fuzzy on the plot. Couldn’t really figure out why people were becoming zombies. Biting didn’t seem to be the cause, and I never got if it was an airborne illness or not. Either way, this was at least amusing to watch; if for nothing else there are some memorable images and deaths.
5. Wrong Turn 2: Dead End (TV/SyFy – 2007 – 93 Min – Color) IMDB *
"I never had sex with a pig in my life!"
Well, for me the only thing good about Wrong Turn was Eliza Dushku. And the only good thing about Wrong Turn 2 is Henry Rollins. I’ve followed Henry for many years, and though I prefer him in his punk rock setting, he has a lot of fun here, and it shows in his screen time. He does deliver the most elaborate, confusing survivor/reality show directions I’ve ever heard. I think my biggest problem with this franchise is I’m really not too fond of hillbilly, backwoods killer types as the enemy. Maybe I don’t get it, but it seems like a gimmie for a plot device. A limitless amount of stories can involve a “wrong turn” and meeting up with some unfavorable killers. Seems too easy to me. I guess Texas Chainsaw really set the standard pretty high, and everything afterword doesn’t live up to it. Another problem I have was watching this movie on SyFy. I have finally accepted the new logo, but now I’ve found that I’m really annoyed with the silent swear words. I enjoy the inventive ways that TBS and TNT, etc. use replacement swears. Here there’s really nothing to laugh at. It’s just censorship without any imagination. I say at least see this for Henry, because in the end, punk rock and horror movies really go hand-in-hand.

October: 4
6. Headless Horseman (TV/SyFy – 2007 – 87 Min – Color) IMDB *
"This bridge isn’t safe, Seth. Let’s go back."
So here is “Sci-Fi’s” (production company) re-telling of the legend of the Headless Horseman. Not too bad for what it is. Again we have the backwoods killer types, but with a little bit different approach. My biggest gripe with this is the Horseman character is not very convincing or really very scary. Yeah, he has some creepy hands-moving gags, but when he walks or rides his horse, he seems about as interested in the movie as the Key-Grip must have been. But there are some great decapitations here. I think this is the first time I’ve seen a bear trap and car trunk take off heads (now both in the same film!). There’s also a cool musical part that is very reminiscent of Angelo Badalamenti and Twin Peaks. I like the overall story for this, and I think the “Hell” hole is a pretty cool idea, even though it just comes across as an evil toilet. Not too bad for what it is. And it’s always good when my favorite girl of the bunch survives!
7. Death Tunnel (TV/SyFy – 2005 – 97 Min – Color) IMDB *
"No…I make YOU sick."
More like bored to death tunnel.
8. Automation Transfusion (DVD – 2006 – 75 Min – Color) IMDB *
"I think you’ve had enough to eat for one day."
First of all, did that zombie teen really rip a baby from that girl’s womb and eat it? I think that might be why I love this movie so much. Sure, that scene is pretty disturbing, but the fact it was shown gives it a real gorilla filmmaking type quality. I’ve read many terrible reviews for this movie, and I was apprehensive in actually watching it, but I got to tell you that this was a very enjoyable ride, and for a zombie movie, real good stuff. Now you have to know this isn’t a big-budget horror film, and the zombies don’t lurch around, they run and fight with a super strength they’ve been awarded in their re-animated state. That’s cool with me, I like all types of zombies, as long as they eat people, they can act however they want. Great kills, great energy, great watch. Though I can see why the ending is so controversial.

Spoiler:

9. Dead-Alive AKA Braindead (DVD – 1992 – 97 Min – Color – New Zealand) IMDB *
"You got…the bite!"
I’ve never had a chance to watch this before, but I’ve always been interested in the cover. I didn’t realize that Peter Jackson was so into the demented puppet thing when he made this, ‘cause boy does it show. Not that the puppets are all that bad, they are mostly effective. Tons of gore, but the blood and guts are so ridiculous that it’s hard to take any of the killings serious. This is obviously supposed to be some sort of comedy or spoof of horror. And I think New Zealand has some whack ideas of what’s funny (or maybe that’s Mr. Jackson). Well, my absolute favorite part is the zombie that gets her head stuffed with a lit light-bulb, that continues to glow her hole (pun intended) head orange throughout the second half of the movie. No matter how bad (gory) things got on screen, I had “Light-bulb Head” to look forward to seeing. Other than that, not too sure I really got this one. I think it was worth seeing, but not sure if I can really recommend it; especially that whole ear falling into the custard scene. That was tough to watch (and this coming from the guy who actually liked the baby eating in movie #8). This does have to be seen to be believed.

October: 5
10. Le notti del terrore AKA Burial Ground: The Nights of Terror (DVD – 1981 – 85 Min – Color – Italy) IMDB *
"I loved your breasts so much, Mama…"
Darn you, Chad! I think I’m scarred for life. For some unknown reason I figured your pic of weird kid Michael couldn’t be as disturbing on film as it looked in your post. Yeah, I was pretty far off on that assumption. Anyway…
Other than the “kid,” this is an outstanding zombie movie. My hats off to Rosario Prestoeino and Mauro Gavazzi for some top-notch zombie masks and make-up FX. This is how zombies are supposed to look. That Italian Fulci style really sets the standard, and this carries it well (hence the alternate title of Zombie 3. I think the pacing of this film was pretty well done as well. I was interested the whole time. And for once, a zombie puts a human into a table saw! Way to go undead!
11. Flesh Eater: Revenge of the Living Dead (DVD – 1988 – 88 Min – Color) IMDB *
"Did you hear that? Somethin’s in here."
I had very high hope for this film when it started off. The mood is set with a great fall-season feel featuring a hayride and tons of leaves in the woods. A farmer finds a stone pentagram in the ground, and there’s great 80’s synthesizers peppering the soundtrack. Then it kind of gets difficult to watch with the actors saying their lines like it was for the first time. It gets rather irritating after a bit. The blood FX are pretty good, but the acting is just horrendous. And I don’t mean bad horror-movie acting, I mean just bad acting. Emily Haggins did a better job directing dialogue at the age of 12 than this director did. Oh, but at the 44 minute point we get a bonus: Topless zombie girl! Most of the bad acting is forgiven now. Well, actually, it gets worse…
12. Zombie Holocaust (DVD – 1980 – 84 Min – Color – Italy) IMDB *
"You must have a pretty sick sense of humor to be able to laugh during anatomy class."
Here is another one of those movies where the title doesn’t exactly live up to what I’d expect. It does remind me a lot of another zombie film, by a much more competent director. No zombies show up until the 49 minute point, but there are plenty of cannibals to tide you over until zombie time. The story moves pretty slow, and I wasn’t that interested most the time. Good blood FX and gore, so that’s always a bonus—to include death by boat propeller! There is a part near the last quarter of the film where the blond lead gets some flowers painted on her nude body. That was definitely worth getting to the end for. Maybe I had too many good zombie movies in a row, that this one kind of slowed things down to a crawl. Zombie–crawl, that is…

October: 6
13. House of 1,000 Corpses (DVD – 2003 – 89 Min – B&W, Color) IMDB *
"The boogeyman’s real, and you found him."
This is the most disappointing movie I’ve watched in a very long time. Maybe I should have seen it a little closer to when it came out. There must have been too much time for it to get built up in my head as something great. I appreciate Rob Zombie’s music and his love for all things horror, but this thing is just terrible. I’ll chalk it up to his practice at making a feature length picture. Funny, if you took all the talking out, and cut the film and half, and then put White Zombie over the soundtrack, you’d have a great music video. That’s my biggest problem with how this movie was done: too many MTV style gimmicks. I don’t like being shown screen FX for the sake of screen trickery. If it has no effect on the story, and the characters don’t experience those FX, then there’s no purpose for them to be there except for show. That’s great for a music video. Not so great for a movie. I will say that the Alice in Wonderland homage toward the end was cool. But I never watched the clock as much as I did for this film.
14. The Devil’s Rejects (DVD – 2005 – 109 Min – Color) IMDB *
"Sir, you think we’re gonna die here today?"
Well, I had to give Rob “Z” another chance. Turns out that was a good choice on my part. This film is a 100 times better than Corpses. The directing is more refined, the story more enthralling, and it plays more like a movie than a music video. I also think this stands fine on its own, doesn’t necessarily have to be a sequel. In fact, I may pretend the first film doesn’t exist, and just enjoy this for what it is. I had a lot of fun with this. My only complaint is it feels a tad long. Also, it seems a little too self aware at the end with the copious amounts of extended slow motion scenes.
15. How to Make a Monster (DVD – 2001 – 91 Min – Color) IMDB *
"You wanna make it in this world you gotta be PFD…Programmed For Damage."
This is a fun little entry in the Creature Feature series. The film is light and enjoyable. Nothing terrific to see here, but it was a good, easy break from all of the drama that I’ve been watching. The blood is good, the creature is effective, and the characters are just cheesy enough to be likeable. And there’s nothing like a bunch of geek-speak to make a movie feel like it really knows what it’s talking about. No problems there—just enjoy the ride.
16. Wicked Lake (DVD – 2008 – 95 Min – Color) IMDB *
"You know what happens to little girls who don’t answer when they’re spoken to, don’t you? They go to hell."
There are four reasons to watch this. Five if you count the blue car.

October: 7
17. Wishmaster (DVD – 1997 – 90 Min – Color) IMDB *
"If you can’t beat ‘em, burn ‘em baby."
This film was released the same year I was getting settled with a new job and a new baby, so you can imagine I was a little distracted from what was going on theatrically. When I finally popped this baby in, not knowing anything about it, I about fell to the floor when I saw the names pop-up on screen: KANE HODDER – TONY TODD – ROBERT ENGLUND – Are you kidding me? Well, yeah, actually it was a joke. It turns out everyone but Englund gets about one minute or less of screen time. I didn’t even notice Hodder, I had to research him on IMDB to figure out who he played. Oh well, I figured if all of these men were active in one movie, the world would have skipped an axis spin. I guess it’s good that didn’t happen. Anyway, the film wasn’t so bad. Felt more like a late 80’s piece. The idea is great, but the delivery not so much. The blood and gore is there, just a little boring to get to it. There’s a great part in the beginning where someone gets the “Lando” in carbonite treatment. That was pretty funny. My biggest problem with the plot was the fact that if you’re held responsible for possibly unleashing a hell on Earth, why are you so concerned with how your sister is doing?
18. Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies (DVD – 1999 – 96 Min – Color) IMDB *
"Your soul, and a pack of cigarettes."
Well, Jason went to space, and Freddy invaded video games, why not have Wishmaster in a jail? I actually liked this one better than the first. The main reason is that I really enjoyed Andrew Divoff. He was a lot of fun to watch, and he brought some great one-liners to the Wishmaster universe. There’s nothing ground-breaking here, in fact the plot holes are not even funny to laugh at. By my math, he was still about 600 souls short before he was supposed to start on those critical three wishes. Like before, the idea is decent, but there just wasn’t enough story to work with. Worth a watch for Divoff, for sure.
19. Vampyr – Der Traum des Allan Grey (DVD – 1932 – 77 Min – B&W – France/Germany) IMDB * 31 Films Subset
"The blood!"
I am absolutely in love with this film. The framing is perfectly crafted and executed. Every moment is art, each scene a tapestry of film eye-candy. And we’re talking real sugar in that candy, none of that high-fructose stuff. The “angel” hotel sign really set the mood from the beginning. I also think the lighting was wonderful. Even with the difficulties this film has faced through the years, it is quite evident that great care was taken in the cinema photography. Great shadow play as well, and the backwards shoveling was a real treat. And bravo on the soundtrack! This film is a genuine masterpiece.
20. La lupa mannara AKA Werewolf Woman (DVD – 1976 – 98 Min – Color – Italy) IMDB *
"You were obscene!"
Loved the way this started off, then it turned into something I wasn’t expecting, a real exploitation, revenge type horror story. The werewolf scenes are well done, and I loved the elongated animal nipples. Never saw that detail used before in a female werewolf. Not attractive, but a nice touch, and I suppose more “realistic.” The first blood scene is a great treat, and the rest of the gore delivers pretty effectively. A+ for the ambush/backseat/car killing scene. There’s a headlight, full moon trick that was cool the first time it’s shown, but turns gimmicky with subsequent uses. Good story, worth watching.

October: 8
21. The Reaping (DVD – 2007 – 99 Min – Color) IMDB *
"I’m so lucky."
I think AnnaSophia Robb is a great child actress, so I was really looking forward to seeing what she could bring to a horror movie. Of course it turns out that she has little screen time ‘till the very end, but she does a good job playing the creepy, mystery girl as the story moves along. I enjoyed watching this, but it is evident that the movie makers wanted it to be much more special than it ends up being. There’s an underlying “message” feeling in the subtext, but nothing substantial works itself out. I was kind of expecting a Signs moment, but that didn’t happen. The story is good, the effects are good, and the overall atmosphere and locale make this worth watching. I wish it could have delivered more on the message point. I’m just a sucker for that type of stuff.
22. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (DVD – 2003 – 98 Min – Color) IMDB *
"We did not go to Mexico to buy pot."
I know that I’m in the minority here as being a big fan of remakes. My only caveat is that if it is a remake of an established franchise killer (like Leatherface, for example), than the film makers need to honor that monster, not completely re-in vision him (as I have heard being done of M. Myers by Rob Zombie). But this film does a great job at not only paying respect to Leatherface, but to the original movie vision as well. This version has a great feel to it, and though it is not a frame-by-frame remake, it has some nice elements that remind you of the original. On its own, this stands up well. The film is fun, well made, and really bloody. Who knew that R. Lee Ermey was a great horror actor? I guess that makes sense. Of course I have to mention this movie is maybe most famous for Jessica Biel running around in a white tank-top. No problems there. She also does a fantastic job of showing pure horror and peril—downright ugly at times, if you can believe that.
23. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (DVD – 2006 – 96 Min – Color) IMDB *
"Ladies love a man in uniform."
So, this next film presents a burning question: Can the new TCM series be successful without Jessica Biel? Most assuredly, yes. This movie was a great watch. Though not a remake, there are moments here that are fond reminders of what we love so much about the story. This really caught me off guard. I wasn’t expecting a good film. Not only that, this puppy is brutal. This is a no-holds barred slaughter fest. And all the laughs are saved for our favorite man in uniform, R. Lee Ermey. I know that a problem with this film is the fact that the slaughterhouse is closed, yet is most definitely open (or functioning) in the 2003 film. I’m just going to chalk that up to the time between stories, and maybe something happens for it to open back up. I guess we’ll see, hopefully.

October: 9
24. Flesh For the Beast (DVD – 2003 – 89 Min – Color) IMDB *
"This isn’t the first time I’ve been sucker-punched in the line of duty."
This is one of those movies that you have to know is “bad” going in. I don’t mean that it is technically a bad movie, but it has an apparent limited budget and is very independent oriented. As I’ve stated with previous movies in this challenge, I really get a kick out of these low budget horror-fests. It brings me back to the ground-breaking power and notion of The Ramones, in that you don’t have to have talent to have fun. Do what you want to do, make what you want to make, and be the best at it you can be. That’s the feeling I get with this film. It has obvious flaws, but the story and the FX are solid and fun to watch. One problem I had was the first character that was killed. I liked him a lot. He should have stuck around longer. But I guess he was the strongest, so maybe it was smart for him to go first.
25. Reazione a catena AKA Bay of Blood (DVD – 1971 – 84 Min – Color – Italy) IMDB *
"Gee, they’re good at playing dead, aren’t they?"
It is usually a guarantee when you are watching a film made by the Italian horror “factory,” you’re going to get something great. Mario Bava of course is one of the legendary directors of the land and era, and this effort really shows off his sense of style over substance. This plays as a mystery, but don’t let that fool you. There’s great blood, and the kills are memorable. So memorable, in fact, that I believe Jason Voorhees had this in his “how to be a slasher” video library. I give props to Mario Bava in his successful effort to create and set the standard for slasher movies to follow. This is the original Friday the 13th.
26. Quella villa accanto al cimitero AKA House by the Cemetery (DVD – 1981 – 84 Min – Color – Italy) IMDB *
"Mommy, why does that girl keep telling me I shouldn’t go there?"
I think too many people get wrapped up in the Bob kid for this film, and over-look how awesome it is. This really is my favorite Fulci movie. The story is great, the images are effective and the kills are visceral and well crafted. This is an Italian horror master at the top of his game. My favorite element is the manikin vision, and how it is revisited later in the film. The kids are creepy, but that shouldn’t over-shadow the film itself (though it is the main subject). Very rarely does a film actually give me goose bumps. This one delivers on that unsettling level that really makes me feel uncomfortable. The part where the kids talk to each other across the street, without raising their voices, that was a great effect. This is a classic.
27. Blood and Chocolate (DVD – 2007 – 98 Min – Color – UK/Germany/Romania) IMDB *
"I won’t let you be my fault."
About 5 minutes into this I thought I had made a terrible mistake. I was looking for something a bit like Ginger Snaps, but failed to research this much, other than to confirm its horror status on IMDB. I thought for certain that I was tricked into some young-adult love story. But I stayed with it, and I’m glad I did. I know nothing of the book or the story, but I felt the movie was pretty good. It does play heavy on the forbidden love subject, but I don’t mind that. The script is good and the outcome plays well. I kind of like the myth that was built for these werewolves. There is also some great blood (though not much of it) and good action sequences. It just took forever for me to get interested in it.

October: 10
28. Deadtime Stories (iPod Touch – 1986 – 93 Min – Color) IMDB *
"I have to press the cat and vacuum the ceiling."
This is worth watching to get to the last story, which I enjoyed the most. The others are pretty blah; in fact I don’t even remember them while typing this. Really, this is just a cheesy mid-80’s rip-off of Creepshow style films. It does have the longest opening credit sequence I’ve ever seen. I mean ever seen.
29. The Return (DVD – 2006 – 85 Min – Color) IMDB *
"Sometimes I think if I keep moving forward, nothing can catch me."
Long start to this film. And I mean loooong start. But, in trade, you get fantastic atmosphere and very apt directing. This is a beautiful film to watch, and there is plenty of time to get comfy in the story. This has a great Asian horror feel to it, though it is not a remake. But the suspense is taught, and the story intriguing. I don’t personally subscribe to the belief of how the film ended, but I have no problem with the subject matter being used in the story. Also, a minor point, but the car accidents in the film are very well done, especially the one with Sarah M. Gellar on the bridge.

October: 11
30. Inner Sanctum: Calling Dr. Death (DVD – 1943 – 63 Min – B&W) IMDB *
"Not murder, Doctor. You haven’t the courage."
Great, moody piece for the Inner Sanctum series. It takes it’s time getting anywhere, but that builds the mystery and suspense. Lon Chaney, Jr. is great in carrying the story. I love the outcome of this; I didn’t even see it coming as it did.
31. Inner Sanctum: Weird Woman (DVD – 1944 – 63 Min – B&W) IMDB *
"You got the little silver hand from the car cushions."
Ahh, there’s nothing like some good-old voodoo to set the mood. And throw in a disturbed, young lady of society, and you get a great ride. The ending to this movie has got to be seen. Not that it’s ground-breaking stuff, but it’s perfectly orchestrated and well executed. It’s really the pretty box on top of a well wrapped film.
32. Inner Sanctum: Dead Man’s Eyes (DVD – 1944 – 64 Min – B&W) IMDB *
"So, you’re determined to be the martyr, heh?"
This is probably one of the first of many eye-swap stories to come. Of course, this one is done very well. The idea is great, and the film is good, just nothing real gripping. I did really enjoy the operation montage. And then we get a little taste of Metallica’s “One” video, with the B&W and bandaged eyes. The initial eye injury is also a great scene. Lon Chaney, Jr. is great at showing true horror when needed.
## Veggie Tales: Where’s God When I’m S-Scared? (DVD – 1994 – 30 Min – Animated) IMDB *
This is the first official Veggie Tales video, and it is a lot of fun. “Tales From the Crisper,” what a great segment title. And Frankencelery—how can you not love a character like this? Maybe this is not scary horror, but a lot of fun. Family fun, at that.
33. Dellamorte Dellamore AKA Cemetery Man (DVD – 1994 – 105 Min – Color – Italy/France/Germany) IMDB 31 Films Subset
"This is my business. They pay me for it."
I think this is the 10th or so time I’ve watched this film, and each time is just as enjoyable as before. I think this can be considered as the pinnacle of Michele Soavi’s film career. And I applaud him for stepping (mostly) away from film and concentrating his efforts elsewhere. He could of easily had made a crap-fest after this, but instead looked to other creative ventures. There’s just too much to be said about this film. The images, the writing, the directing, the actors, it’s all wonderful to take in. Some of my personal favorites: The statue wings as they appear behind certain characters; the crow eating out of the statue head; the way a certain female character falls in slow-motion after being shot; the leaves. Also, there are some crazy ideas online of what the underlying meaning of this film is, and what exactly is happening on screen. I just enjoy it for what it is; I don’t need a key to the puzzle. But that’s what’s great about cinema, the freedom to interpret.
## Death Is Beautiful: Michele Soavi Directs Dellamorte Dellamore (DVD – 2006 – 28 Min – Color) IMDB *
A great look into the history of Soavi’s directing career, and how it came to be. I never knew he worked so closely with the Italian horror legends, so this was quite the eye-opener for me. It also provided some great “industry” information. Well worth watching. And though it is spoiler-warned in the opening, I didn’t really find anything to warrant it. Really made me want to watch The Church again.

October: 12
34. Inner Sanctum: The Frozen Ghost (DVD – 1945 – 61 Min – B&W) IMDB *
"It’s all done with mirrors."
This is a great piece with a good, creepy undertone. Lon Chaney, Jr. really plays this character well, and you can tell he is truly horrified by the powers he believed that he has. The museum here reminded me a lot of the wax museum. My attention was held the whole time.
35. Inner Sanctum: Strange Confession (DVD – 1945 – 62 Min – B&W) IMDB *
"My brain was in his head."
There’s nothing too groundbreaking here, but it is an enjoyable story. It kind of goes slasher-style towards the end. The reveal of whose initiating the killings is great. The film is a good, moody offering for Inner Sanctum.
36. Dead Silence (HD DVD – 2007 – 92 Min – Color) IMDB *
"I don’t have a full tank of gas!"
I learned a very important lesson with this movie: Always, I mean ALWAYS, remember to lower your expectations. This film was agonizing to get through. There wasn’t even a cute girl to help me through it. Just bad. However, there was a slight reprieve when I got to the end and was treated to Johnette Napolitano singing Who’s Holding You Now? Oh, well.
37. Inner Sanctum: Pillow of Death (DVD – 1945 – 66 Min – B&W) IMDB *
"By the way, just for the record, what is your real moniker?"
Good lead-in to Death Bed. Only problem here was there wasn’t a pillow possessed by an evil spirit that killed everyone that came to visit it. Other than that, this was a good story. But now that I’m at the end of the Inner Sanctum films, I can’t help but sound like Lon Chaney Jr. narrating inside my head anytime I think to myself.
38. Death Bed: The Bed That Eats (DVD – 1977 – 80 Min – Color) IMDB 31 Films Subset
"Too bad the bed doesn’t fear YOU."
Ahh, my legacy. There’s an endless amount of comments that can be made about this film, but the visuals really stand on its own. Yeah, it is no-budget, student style, and you get the feeling that the director knew this would probably never be seen, but that’s all part of the charm. There is a story here, but adding to the weird plot the SFX and visual trickery is really well done for what it is. And the simple soundtrack really adds to the atmosphere. More of a laugh fest than an Oscar contender, but that’s fine with me. It’s a fun movie to watch, and that’s all that matters.

October: 13
39. The Descent (DVD – 2005 – 100 Min – Color – UK/USA) IMDB * I Lost My Daughter Double-Feature! Pt. 1
"There’s nothing left to be afraid of. I promise."
What a surprise this was! I thoroughly enjoyed this film. This is the first movie that I did a spit-take during. No kidding. Coffee everywhere… Not really a scary moment, but that darn “jump” music gets me every time, and I wasn’t expecting it. I really got into the characters here, and the setting, etc. The ending was just amazing, and the crawling up the bones scene was awesome. Truly artistic vision. My one complaint is I kept getting the girls confused. I’d say there were too many, but victims were needed. Maybe some were just too similar. I can’t wait to watch this again.
40. Silent Hill (DVD – 2006 – 125 Min – Color – Canada/France/Japan/USA) IMDB * I Lost My Daughter Double-Feature! Pt. 2
"Mother is god in the eyes of a child."
Another surprise watch for me. I played the video game a couple times on the original PS, and I think this movie version compliments it well. Eerie, scary story and some intense scenes. I think this is the most successful movie made from a video game, and it works really well. The ending is kind of bleak, but it’s fitting. Good quality, creepy entertainment.
41. The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots (Internet/Archive – 1895 – 1 Min – B&W) IMDB WC #1
". . ."
It still amazes me how effective this short is. There’s not much to it, but it works surprisingly well for the time. I can’t imagine what the viewers thought when this was first seen. I’m sure it really set town gossip ablaze.
42. Chaudron infernal, Le AKA The Infernal Golden Pot (Internet/Archive – 1903 – 1 Min – Color, Hand-tinted – France) IMDB WC #2
". . ."
Words cannot describe how awesome this short is. There’s so much that happens in such a small amount of time. Very impressive. This is a perfect example of imagination and how cinema can really set your mind free. This has the effect of a two-hour epic, all in less than a minute.
43. Frankenstein (Internet/Archive – 1910 – 16 Min, 12 Min Footage – B&W, Tinted) IMDB WC #3
". . ."
One of the best versions of this masterpiece story. The emotion here just overflows, and you get a real sense of dread and human consequence. I commented last year on how realistic the monster transformation is, and I still hold to those comments. This is what I’d expect a monster made from pieces to come out like. Maybe it’s not the body-parts sewn together version, but it’s creepy and effective. Great SFX.

October: 14
44. Tarantula (DVD – 1955 – 80 Min – B&W) IMDB *
"I aint lookin’ for medical advice, Joe. Just company."
What a treat of a monster movie. This plays on a popular fear of arachnids, and boy does it exaggerate it. What I like most of this is the clever use of the real spider as the monster. There was also a good, legitimate plot that actually made sense. I was hooked the entire time. And when the spider is napalmed, that’s just a classic monster scene. Good and creepy.

October: 15
45. Fear Itself: Something With Bite (DVD – 2009 – 44 Min – Color) IMDB *
"If you’re a good man, then you’re a good dog."
This is one of the Fear Itself films I missed during the original airing. This is also one of the ones I enjoyed the most. It’s nice to have a horror film that plays almost as a sitcom, with things working out relatively well in the end. It’s also a cute love story. Wasn’t expecting that with a werewolf theme, but it’s here. And the lead actor, vet, great character. I could have watched him for a full two hours. Just a nice guy to spend time with.

October: 16
46. Fear Itself: The Sacrifice (DVD – 2008 – 44 Min – Color) IMDB
"Get ready for the ride of your life."
The sisters in this installment are nice to look at, and that’s about all. The story plays well, and the locations and shooting are great, but the legitimacy of peril just didn’t hold for me. The reason for the family and settlers sticking around—to protect the world—didn’t really make sense. There were plenty of times when things could have been turned around, plenty of opportunities to end what was happening. But it was kept simple. I wouldn’t call foul on plot holes, just didn’t seem like the writers really cared to address the finer details. Good blood and fun to watch, and time-wise, you’re not really giving up a whole lot.
47. Alligator (DVD – 1980 – 91 Min – Color) IMDB * 31 Films Subset
"You know, if this keeps up, I’m gonna open a spare parts shop."
I can’t believe I hadn’t seen this before. The opening was very familiar, reminded me of Faces of Death. The real gem here was Robert Forster. He is already a well established cop/grit actor, and he plays that type-cast perfectly here. Every detail was perfect, even down to how his apartment was laid out. I loved the alligator itself. It did a good job of looking fake and cheesy, but also passed as a believable monster at the same time. Great close-ups and tracking shots. In the last quarter I kind of lost interest as to who was doing what, but by that time it didn’t really matter. It just turned into a Jaws/seek-and-destroy story. Nothing wrong with that, though.

October: 17
48. Friday the 13th (Blu-ray Disc – 2009 – 106 Min – Color) IMDB *
"What – ‘cause I’m black I can’t listen to Green Day?"
I had high hopes for watching this, as a lot of diehard Friday fans claim this is just as good as a legit sequel. Well, it may be well made, but it’s just too different for me. It doesn’t really capture the magic of Jason the way the countless follow-ups did. Sure, the whole Jason as a body-invading critter from Jason Goes to Hell was ridiculous, but it followed the formula none-the-less, and it felt like a Friday film. This just felt like any modern horror movie, whose killer just happened to have the name Jason. I guess it’s good, but I just can’t accept it yet. Maybe a subsequent viewing is required.

49. The Mole People (DVD – 1956 – 77 Min – Color) IMDB *
"Archaeologists are underpaid publicity agents for deceased royalty."
Really fun Universal monster film. This kind of had the feel of a Star Trek TOS ep, with the exploration plot, but it worked well to hold my attention. I enjoyed the “Mole” creatures, and the notion of slave/abuse is just subtle enough you don’t feel like you’re preached at. Best part for me was the end, I truly didn’t see it coming.
50. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charley Brown (DVD – 1966 – 25 Min – Color) IMDB WC #4
"I thought little girls always believed everything that was told to them."
Classic. Enough said.
## Wizards of Waverly Place – 2.03 – Halloween (HDTV/Disney – 2009 – 22 Min – Color) IMDB *
This show is surprisingly well written for being a Disney-factory product. We watch this as a family, and there’s never any inappropriate content. The adults are actually treated pretty well (and can even act!). This Halloween ep did not disappoint. I cracked up with Selena Gomez’s character wearing an orange shirt with “Costume” sprawled across the front. That’s genius writing right there! This show is a rare treat for young and old, and I highly recommend checking it out. It may not have a Hannah or a Spears, but it’s got heart and a heck of a lot of talent.
## Celebrity Ghost Stories – 1.01 – Carrie Fisher, John Waters (HDTV/Bio – 2009 – 30 Min – Color) BIO
Carrie Fisher recounts a disturbing story about a gay friend of hers dying in her bed (with her sleeping there), leading to more disturbed thoughts than scared ones. However, the one about John Waters is a must-see. His story practically explains the rest of his life as an artist, and he’s a good story-teller as well. I didn’t care much for the rest of the show. Who can compete with John Waters about anything in the first place?
51. Låt den rätte komma in AKA Let the Right One In (DVD – 2008 – 115 Min – Color – Sweden) IMDB * 31 Films Subset
"EN person vem döda barnen är ja skicklig av tagande den gångtunnel två stationen - A person who kills children is certainly capable of taking the subway two stations."
Everything good you’ve ever heard about this, well, it’s true. Most of my impressions I posted in the 31 Films Subset, as it’s kind of hard to go into detail with this without having to spoiler everything. I will say that this is not just a straight-forward vampire tale. It’s a coming of age, growing-up story. This is the plot that takes the forefront of the story. It’s not a bad thing; in fact, the notion of manifesting adolescence into a child-like monster is brilliant. I’ll be watching this a couple more times to really take it all in.

October: 18
52. Zombieland (Alamo Drafthouse Cinema/Movie Theatre – 2009 – 87 Min – Color) IMDB * 31 Films Subset
"You almost knocked over your alcohol with your knife."
This is about what you’d expect from the trailers. All of the male leads were a lot of fun to watch, and did a great job with the characters. That being said, all of the female leads (or maybe all the females) were terrible. It’s like they weren’t even trying, or cared in the first place. The titles and “rules” that kept popping up were annoying as well. Fun watch, I just wasn’t as satisfied as I’d hoped.
53. Premature Burial (DVD – 1962 – 81 Min – Color) IMDB *
"Madness is the only sane answer to my problem."
I was a bit disappointed in this. The story was good, and the acting decent, but it just didn’t grab me. The sets were badly constructed and the over-all film was just boring. I was impressed by the costumes, but that was about it. There’s a sort-of surprise at the end, but didn’t really care by the time I got there. I did enjoy the story, though.
## The Simpsons – 21.04 – Treehouse of Horror XX (HDTV/Fox – 2009 – 22 Min – Color) IMDB *
I believe The Simpsons have been in a bit of a funk as of late, and this Treehouse ep shows that a little bit. But over-all it was fun and mostly fun to watch.
54. Oneechanbara: The Movie (DVD – 2008 – 80 Min – Color – Japan) IMDB *
" 従って、何人かのゾンビを殺したい気がしなさいか。So, feel like killing some zombies?"
Bikini-clad chick with a sword? Looks cool to me. The styles/animations of the film were good, if sometimes distracting. I really like the sword reflections. This was a lot of fun, and short enough that I didn’t get bored with it.

October: 19 -tober!
55. The Edge of Hell AKA Rock ‘n Roll Nightmare (DVD – 1987 – 83 Min – Color – W/ Commentary) IMDB Rock n Roll Triple-Feature! Pt. 1
Commentary: “We shouldn’t talk through the songs."
This movie may explain my obsession with Death Bed. When I first saw this, I was just blown away. It’s a bad movie, but it elevates bad to a level of wonder and humor that has since been unmatched. I love the rubber demons. And Thor will always rock. Great to watch with commentary.
56. Black Roses (DVD – 1988 – 90 Min – Color) IMDB * Rock n Roll Triple-Feature! Pt. 2
"You are the Black Roses – the flowers of evil!"
Not as fun as the previous film, but still cool. More puppet effects, but a little better done. I like how the Black Roses band pulls the ‘ol trick the parents routine. Classic.
57. Trick or Treat (DVD – 1986 – 98 Min – Color) IMDB * Rock n Roll Triple-Feature! Pt. 3
"Rock’s chosen warriors will rule the Apocalypse."
Love it. Fastway rocks.
58. Flight of the Living Dead (DVD – 2007 – 89 Min – Color) IMDB *
"Megan rhymes with vegan."
A simple zombie film, but gets the point across pretty well. Some good gore. I love the shaking of the plane, sounded so realistic. Maybe too realistic.
59. X (DVD – 1963 – 79 Min – Color) IMDB *
"The exact combination of hormones and enzymes is to be determined by analysys."
Kind of disappointed with this, but it was worth a watch. I love the blood eyes, and the ending was fitting.
60. Fear Itself: The Spirit Box (DVD – 2009 – 44 Min – Color) IMDB *
"Turtles ate her eyes."
Standard FI material. This was actually more entertaining than I was expecting. Just proves that evil teen girls really are the scariest thing out there.

October: 20
61. Blood: The Last Vampire (Blu-ray Disc – 2009 – 87 Min – Color – Hong Kong/Japan/France) IMDB *
"Be wolf, or be gone!"
This was cool to watch. Nice to see an Asian-style/based film that was in English.

October: 21
## King of Queens – 4.06 – Ticker Treat (DVD – 2001 – 22 Min – Color) IMDB *
Poor Deacon, trying so hard to accept his kid’s gayness. And of course, poor Arthur.
62. R.L. Stine The Haunting Hour: Don’t Think About It (DVD – 2007 – 87 Min – Color) IMDB *
"For a minute I forgot we were in the middle of a nightmare."
Great to watch with the kids. Way scarier than I was expecting.

October: 22
63. Fear Itself – In Sickness and in Health (DVD – 2008 – 44 Min – Color) IMDB
"No death…no parting."
I didn’t like this the first time I saw it, and I kind of did this time. But I’m still confused about parts. I think it needed a little finer editing to tie up some loose ends.
64. Fear Itself – New Years Day (DVD – 2008 – 44 Min – Color) IMDB
"Did I do something stupid last night? I can’t remember."
This is my fav zombie material. I think it’s a lot of fun, and the lead actress is great to watch.
## Recipe For Fear (DVD – 2008 – 5 Min – Color) IMDB *
Simple making of. Worth a watch.

October: 23
65. From Dusk ‘Till Dawn (Blu-ray Disc – 1996 – 108 Min – Color) IMDB
"I’m a mean mm, mm servant of God."
This is kind of like Grindhouse part one. I love the first half, love the second half, love these guys for producing a fun, entertaining film.
66. The Dark (HDTV/SyFy – 2005 – 93 Min – Color – Germany/UK) IMDB * I Lost My Daughter Double-Feature! Bonus!
"S.O.S. – Save ourselves."
Good watch, surprised I liked it so much. Annoying, but fitting ending, though.

October: 24
67. The Brain Eaters (TV/AMC – 1958 – 60 Min – B&W) IMDB *
"What you’re hearing now is the cause of his death."
This was kinda spooky for the year it was made. Great fun.
68. Return of the Living Dead (TV/AMC – 1985 – 91 Min – Color) IMDB
"Brains… More brains!"
Hilarious!
69. Comedy of Terrors (DVD – 1963 – 84 Min – Color) IMDB *
"I have my heart set on Black."
Wow, this was so boring. I think Roger Corman must have invented fog-porn. It’s almost dumb how much there is in his earlier movies.
70. Friday the 13th Part III: 3-D (DVD – 1982 – 95 Min – Color/3-D) IMDB 3-D Triple-Feature! Pt. 1
"The quiet can fool you. It fooled me."
First time I watched it in 3-D. Not too bad, not too good. Surprisingly, the natural elements stood out the most (like the hay). I’ll go 2-D next watch.
71. Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare(DVD – 1991 – 89 Min – Color/3-D Segments) IMDB 3-D Triple-Feature! Pt. 2
"Every town has an Elm Street!"
At least I got a little break from the two-color glasses.
72. My Bloody Valentine (Blu-ray Disc – 2009 – 101 Min – Color/3-D) IMDB * 3-D Triple-Feature! Pt. 3
"Shoot him and he won’t move!"
Last time I have a 3-D marathon. Is there such a thing as eye-cells? I think I lost some with this movie.

October: 25
73. The Haunted Palace (DVD – 1963 – 87 Min – Color) IMDB *
"Look – the Burning Man. Isn’t that quaint?"
Out of all the Corman films I saw for the challenge, I liked this the most. Took me a while to figure out this had nothing to do with Edgar Allen Poe. I prefer Lovecraft anyway.
74. MST3K: Werewolf (DVD – 1996 – 110 Min – Color) IMDB *
Commentary: "So they put suspected werewolves in the neo-natal ward, huh?"
Thank god for MST3K. This movie was insanely bad.
75. Masters of Horror – Sick Girl (DVD – 2006 – 60 Min – Color) IMDB *
"I thought maybe we could go see a movie later, but I looked in the paper and it’s just all horror and talking monkeys."
Misty Mundae. ‘Nuff said.
## Wizards of Waverly Place – 3.01 – Franken-Girl (HDTV/Disney – 2009 – 22 Min – Color) IMDB *
Cool story. Fun, family affair.

October: 26
76. Final Destination (DVD – 2000 – 98 Min – Color – USA/Canada) IMDB * Mix-Up Monday Pt. 1
"You’re still next!"
I liked the more recent films a little more. But this is still cool to watch.
77. Evil Dead: II (DVD – 1987 – 84 Min – Color) IMDB Mix-Up Monday Pt. 2
"Baby, I ain’t holdin’ your hand."
Funny stuff, big chin, evil never stops laughing.
78. Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence (DVD – 1993 – 85 Min – Color) IMDB * Mix-Up Monday Pt. 3
"I love the smell of fresh plasma before breakfast."
Kind of slow, and not much gore, but a great cameo/part for Robert Forster (of Alligator fame).
79. Land of the Dead ( - of the Dead Pt. 4) (DVD – 2005 – 97 Min – Color – Canada/France/USA) IMDB * Mix-Up Monday Pt. 4
"Put some flowers in the graveyard."
Zombies and Romero. Didn’t disappoint.
80. The Beast Must Die (TV/AMC – 1974 – 93 Min – Color – UK) IMDB *
"One of our guests is a werewolf, and I know it."
Cool story, great Blaxploitation-style horror movie. And the Werewolf break – how awesome.
81. Doctor X (TV/TCM – 1932 – 76 Min – Color (Two-strip Technicolor) IMDB *
"Look at the tube!"
Best surprise of the year for me. I loved this.
## Food Network Challenge: Horror Cakes (HDTV/Food Network – 2009 – 44 Min – Color FOOD *
Bloody cakes… Mmmm…
## Castle – 2.06 – Vampire Weekend (HDTV/ABC – 2009 – 44 Min – Color TV Squad *
The first 2 minutes of this are the best I’ve ever seen on TV. Firefly rules.

October: 27
82. The Midnight Hour (VHS – 1985 – 94 Min – Color) IMDB
"Novocain? No, no, no. It’s over-rated."
Fun to watch every year.
83. Ghost Town (HDTV/SyFy – 2009 – 90 Min – Color) IMDB *
"Do you know how un-horny I feel right now?"
Well, for a SyFy/Sci-fi made film, this was pretty entertaining. I was into it the whole time, and the story was great to follow. I’m opposite of most people. I actually was annoyed by the western part in the beginning, and got more interested with the 80’s style horror theme that we ended up with. Cheesy kids dying are always fun.

October: 28
84. Lake Dead (HDTV/SyFy – 2007 – 90 Min – Color) IMDB *
"You equalize this."
Okay movie. Not much to it, but worth the watch.
## Monsters vs Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space (HDTV/NBC – 2009 – 22 Min – Color) IMDB *
Animated fun for the whole family!
## Halloween Block Party (HDTV/HGTV – 2009 – 44 Min – Color) HGTV *
Make your house scary, or at least cool.

October: 29
85. Fear Itself: The Circle (DVD – 2009 – 44 Min – Color) IMDB *
"Trick or Treat."
Most annoying FI I’ve ever seen.

October: 30
86. Feast (HD DVD – 2007 – 95 Min – Color) IMDB *
"Of all the bars to be stuck in."
I like Henry Rollins. I don’t like Feast. Maybe it’ll grow on me.
87. Fear Itself – Community (DVD – 2008 – 44 Min – Color) IMDB
"It really is a lovely community."
Like a horror version of The Truman Show. But with sexier girls.
88. Fear Itself – Spooked (DVD – 2008 – 44 Min – Color) IMDB
"Why are you so bad?"
Cool cop + horror show. One of the better FI offerings.
89. Fear Itself – Chance (DVD – 2009 – 44 Min – Color) IMDB *
"It’s time for you to take what you deserve."
I was bored with this. Made me miss Freaky Links.
90. Gruesome Twosome (DVD – 1967 – 72 Min – Color) IMDB *
"Apple-dumpling, I’ve been through bloody murder and that’s a fact."
Like Jess Franco, just Beach Boys instead of Jazz.

October: 31
91. Puppet Master (TV/AMC – 1989 – 90 Min – Color – Italy/USA) IMDB
"They’re eating her, then they’re going to eat me!"
Great puppet FX, not the best storyline. Cool film and series, though.
92. Troll 2 (HDTV/MGM – 1990 – 95 Min – Color) IMDB *
"I had no choice but to kill them. It was a small price to pay to live forever."
The Troll movie about Goblins. Okay, then.
93. Halloween (DVD – 1978 – 91 Min – Color) IMDB
"The evil is gone."
What we have here is a classic. Period.
## Halloween Unmasked 2000 (DVD – 2000 – 28 Min – Color) IMDB
Great little DVD doc of the making of Halloween. This is short, but hits all the important facts that you want to know. Jamie Lee; the Shape; the mask; it’s all here. Sure, there are longer, more in-depth specials out there, but this quenches the thirst perfectly fine.
94. Amante del vampiro, L' AKA The Vampire and the Ballerina (8mm - 1960 - 10 Min, CUT from 85 Min feature – B&W – Italy/USA – Short) IMDB WC #5
". . ."
Great, silent show. Just the clack-clack-clack to keep me company.
95. Castle Films: Creature from the Black Lagoon (16mm - 1954 - 8 Min, CUT from 79 Min feature – B&W – Short) IMDB * WC #6
"(glub . . . glub)"
It’s great to watch real film for a change.
96. Fear Itself – Echoes (DVD – 2009 – 46 Min – Color) IMDB *
"Pretty scary for a freakin’ metaphor."
Cool set-up, execution. I liked this one. But were there half-sleeve tats back in the 20’s?
97. Hostel (Blu-ray Disc – 2005 – 94 Min – Color) IMDB
"We can’t rail a girl that’s in a coma."
It took me a couple viewings to accept the lead male characters. They came off a little harsh and annoying the first time. I think they’re perfect now. And they serve the story well. This is one of my favorite series of films, Eli Roth did an awesome job coming up with such a great, crazy story.
98. Hostel II (Blu-ray Disc – 2007 – 93 Min – Color) IMDB
"This is not like going to a whore house – you can’t just bail out."
This sequel is better in some ways than the original. We know what’s going on, so there’s an added layer of action/suspense being able to see behind the scenes of the operation. We get to the killing a little fast here, and that’s good, because there are some very entertaining, if not revolting kills. Argento would be proud. And the final scenes, they all add up to a terrific and very appropriate ending. I just wish that the last male victim would have been shot after the, uh, trim.
99. The Monster Squad (DVD – 1987 – 82 Min – Color) IMDB
"Sean, please don’t die."
Great family Halloween affair. As was mentioned for a bit in the discussion thread, this does not feature a cameo of the Invisible Man. What’s the deal there? I think that’s the only monster not featured here. Anyway, great humor, great fun, and great special FX. The best part of this movie is that it taps into that imagination spark of a kid. And what’s better than when your young imagination actually coming true? You can’t beat that.
100. Scared Stiff (LD – 1987 – 83 Min – Color) IMDB *
"These are called diskettes..."
It’s too hip these days to reserve #100 for something special, so I decided on this golden gem…of crap! This does not offer anything very special, but if you can get through the mindless drivel of boring visions and talking and entirely uninteresting plot, you’ll get to some great make-up FX. Best part is the dude that unzips his head and reveals his brain! What a way to end the challenge. Nothing beats unzipped brains! - ‘till next year!

STATS:

DVD = 70
HD DVD = 2
Blu-ray Disc = 7
VHS = 1
LaserDisc = 1
8mm Film = 1
16mm Film = 1
Cinema/Movie Theatre = 1
TV/HDTV/DTV = 12
Internet = 3
iPod Touch = 2

Total Watched = 100
Total Approx Min Watched = 8399
Total Approx Hrs Watched = 140

I'll get you next year, pesky checklist...

Last edited by Dick Laurent; 11-07-09 at 05:52 PM.

Reply Like

09-19-09, 09:57 AM

#43

BuddhaWake

DVD Talk Gold Edition

Join Date: Nov 2003

Location: currently Philly originally from Puerto Rico

Posts: 2,893

Likes: 0

Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts

Re: The 5th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***LISTS GO HERE!*

List is finalized.

Oct. 3
1. Shaolin Vs Evil Dead (2004)

Oct. 4 (all

)
2. KM 31 (2006)
3. Blood of the Virgins (1967)

Oct. 5 (all

)
4. Frontier(s) (2007)
5. [REC] (2007)
6. Boy Eats Girl (2005)
7. Blood Moon (1971)
8. Shadow Of The Vampire (2000)

Oct. 9
9. Strangers (2008)

Oct. 10 (all

)
10. Diabolical Doctor Z (1966)
11. The Mist (2007) B&W version
12. Dead Set (2008)

13. Face (2004)
14. Trackman (2007)
15. The Red Monks (1988)

Oct. 11
16. Saw (2004)
17. Saw II (2006)

18. Saw III (2007)

19. Saw IV (2008)

20. Zombi 2 (1979)

Oct. 12 (all

)
21. Bells From Hell (1973)
22. Teeth (2007)
23. Gen (2006)

Oct. 14
24. Alucarda (1975)

Oct. 16
25. Re-Animator (1985)

Oct. 17 (all

)
26. Borderland (2007)
27. Satan's Blood (1978)

Oct. 18 (all

)
28. Rojo Sangre (2004)
29. Human Beasts (1985)

Oct. 19
30. Horror Rises From the Tomb (1973)

Oct. 20
31. Vengeance of the Zombies (1973)

Oct. 25
32. Exorcismo (1975)

Oct. 27 (all

)
33. Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll (1973)
34. Inside (2007)
35. Dead & Buried (1981)

= firt time viewing

= wild card

Last edited by BuddhaWake; 11-05-09 at 02:21 PM.

Reply Like

09-19-09, 10:00 AM

#44

NoirFan

DVD Talk Legend

Join Date: Mar 2006

Location: Nightmare Alley

Posts: 17,117

Likes: 0

Received 1 Like on 1 Post

Re: The 5th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***LISTS GO HERE!*

2009 Horror Challenge

10/1:
1. Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970)
2. Mad Love (1935)
3. Cat People (1943)
4. The Unknown (1927)
5. Silent Scream (1980) *
6. Blood Beach (1981) *
7. The Devil Rides Out (1968)
8. Friday the 13th Part III (1982)
10/2:
9. I Walked with a Zombie (1943)
10. The Seventh Victim (1943)
11. April Fool's Day (1986)
12. Nail Gun Massacre (1985) *
13. The People Under the Stairs (1991)
14. The Hands of Orlac (1924) *
15. The Night of the Werewolf (1980) *
10/3:
16. Demonwarp (1980) *
17. Gothic (1986) *
18. The Man from Planet X (1951) *
19. Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers (1988) *
20. Don't Answer the Phone (1980) *
21. Poltergeist (1982)
22. Dracula (1931) with commentary
10/4:
23. A Stranger is Watching (1984) *
24. Prey (1978) *
25. Chandu the Magician (1932)
26. Bad Ronald (1974) *
27. Children of the Corn (1984) *
10/5:
28. Curse of the Cat People (1944)
29. Gnaw: Food of the Gods II (1989) *
30. Friday the 13th Part IV: The Last Chapter (1984) (Fan Edit)
31. Cursed (2005) *
32. Shocker (1989) *
10/6:
33. The Leopard Man (1943)
34. The Nanny (1965) with commentary
35. The Cremator (1969)
10/7:
36. The Ghost Ship (1943)
37. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
38. Dead and Buried (1981) *
39. Two Evil Eyes (1990) *
10/8:
40. Isle of the Dead (1945)
41. Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows (1997) *
10/12:
42. Misery (1990)
43. Day of Wrath (1943)
10/13:
44. Phantom of the Opera (1943)
45. Deadly Friend (1986)
46. The Prowler (1981)
47. Vampyr (1932)
48. Beetlejuice (1988)
49. The Mummy (1931) with commentary
10/14:
50. Witchfinder General (1968)
51. The Ghoul (1933)
52. The Pitfall (1962)
53. Blood on Satan's Claw (1971)
54. Hour of the Wolf (1968)
10/15:
55. Dementia (1955)
56. The Frighteners (1996)
57. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
10/16:
58. Scream (1996)
59. The Burning (1981)
60. New York Ripper (1982) *
10/17:
61. Black Cat (1934)
62. Repulsion (1965) with commentary
10/18:
63. Mother Joan of the Angels (1961) *
64. Kiss of the Vampire (1963) *
65. Wolf (1994) *
66. The Dunwich Horror (1970) *
67. Chopping Mall (1986) *
68. He Knows You're Alone (1980) *
69. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919)
10/19:
70. Carnival of Souls (1962)
71. The Fog (1979)
72. Haunted Castle (1921) *
73. Humanoids from the Deep (1980) *
74. Dark City (1998)
75. Silver Bullet (1985) *
10/20:
76. Night of the Demon (1957)
77. Prince of Darkness (1987)
78. Kwaidan (1965)
79. Eye of the Devil (1967) *
10/21:
80. The Fly (1958)
81. Return of the Living Dead (1985)
82. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994)
83. Vampyr (1932) with commentary #1
10/22:
84. Peeping Tom (1960)
85. Silence of the Lambs (1991)
86. Texas Chainsaw Massacre II (1986)
87. The New Kids (1985) *
10/23:
88. Return of The Fly (1959) *
89. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
90. The Phantom Carriage (1921) *
91. Don't Look Now (1973)
10/24:
92. The Devils (1971) *
93. Onibaba (1964)
94. It! The Curse of the Golem (1966) *
95. Red Eye (2005) *
96. Day of Wrath (1943) with commentary
10/25:
97. The Descent (2006) *
98. The Shining (1980)
99. Nosferatu (1922)
10/26:
100. The Haunting (1963)
101. The Birds (1963)
102. Freaks (1932)
103. Dawn of the Dead (2004) *
104. Kuroneko (1968)
10/27:
105. Christine (1983)
106. Haxan (1922)
107. Nosferatu (1922) with commentary
108. The Innocents (1961)
10/28:
109. Psycho (1960)
110. Pet Sematary (1989)
111. Corridors of Blood (1958)
112. The Bespoke Overcoat (1956) (Wild Card #1)
113. The Creeping Terror (1964) (MST3K Version)
114. The Stendhal Syndrome (1995) *
10/29:
115. Sleepy Hollow (1999)
116. Return of the Living Dead Part II (1987)
117. Peeping Tom (1960) with R2 commentary
118. Dead of Night (1945)
119. Labyrinth (1986)
120. The Bad Seed (1956) *
10/30:
121. King Kong (1933)
122. Halloween II (1981)
10/31:
123. 28 Weeks Later (2007) *
124. The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue (1974) *
125. Halloween (1978)

* First viewing (44)
Blu-ray

Last edited by NoirFan; 10-31-09 at 06:49 PM.

Reply Like

09-19-09, 10:02 AM

#45

cabinboy454

Cool New Member

Join Date: Oct 2005

Posts: 24

Likes: 0

Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts

Re: The 5th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***LISTS GO HERE!*

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
10/01
1-April Fools' Day (2008/The Butcher Brothers/91 mins/USA)
2-Jennifer's Body (2009/Karyn Kusama/102 mins/USA)

10/02
3-Friday the 13th (2009/Marcus Nispel/97 mins/USA)
4-**WILD CARD #1**Little Sheep of Horrors (2007/Christopher Sadler & Richard Goleszowski/7 mins/UK)

10/03
5-Tales from the Darkside: the movie (1990/John Harrison/93 mins/USA)
6-J.D.'s Revenge (1976/Arthur Marks/95 mins/USA)

10/04
7-Squirm (1976/Jeff Lieberman/93 mins/USA)
8-Wrong Turn 2 (2007/Joe Lynch/93 mins/USA)

10/06
9-Night of the Living Dead (1968/George Romero/96 mins/USA)

10/08
10-Christine (1983/John Carpenter/110 mins/USA)
11-The Fog (1980/John Carpenter/89 mins/USA)

10/09
12-Basket Case (1983/Frank Henenlotter/91 mins/USA)
13-Shriek of the Mutilated (1974/Michael Findlay/86 mins/USA)

10/10
14-Murders in the Ruy Morgue (1971/Gordon Hessler/87 mins/USA)

10/11
15-Friday the 13th (1980/Sean S. Cunningham/95 mins/USA)
16-Friday the 13th, part 2 (1981/Steve Miner/87 mins/USA)
17-Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990/Joe Dante/106 mins/USA)

10/12
18-Friday the 13th, part 3 (1982/Steve Miner/95 mins/USA)
19-Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984/Joseph Zito/91 mins/USA)

10/13
20-Friday the 13th, part 5: A New Blood (1985/Danny Steinmann/92 mins/USA)
21-Friday the 13th, part 6: Jason Lives (1986/Tom McLoughlin/86 mins/USA)

10/14
22-Friday the 13th, part VII: The New Blood (1988/John Carl Buechler/90 mins/USA)
23-**WILD CARD #2** Tales from the Crypt: Season 3 Episode 8 Easel Kill Ya (1991/John Harrison/30 mins/USA)

10/15
24-Friday the 13th, part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989/Rob Hedden/100 mins/USA)
25-Piranha (1978/Joe Dante/94 mins/USA)

10/16
26-Tales from the Crypt (1972/Freddie Francis/92 mins/UK)
27-The Vault of Horror (1973/Roy Ward Baker/83 mins/UK)
28-Phantasm (1979/Don Coscarelli/88 mins/USA)

10/17
29-Don't Go in the Woods (1980/James Bryan/82 mins/USA)
30-Re-Animator (1985/Stuart Gordon/86 mins/USA)

10/18
31-Don't Go in the House (1980/Joseph Ellison/82 mins/USA)
32-*WILD CARD #3* America's Scariest Halloween Attractions (2007/Gary Lang/60 mins/USA)
33-Creepshow (1982/George Romero/120 mins/USA)
34-Phantom of the Paradise (1974/Brian De Palma/92 mins/USA)

10/20
35-Suspiria (1977/Dario Argento/98 mins/Italy)
36-Mr. Sardonicus (1961/William Castle/89 mins/USA)
37-The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986/Tobe Hooper/100 mins/USA)

10/21
38-Beetlejuice (1988/Tim Burton/92 mins/USA)

10/22
39-The Old Dark House (1932/James Whale/71 mins/USA)
40-The Old Dark House (1963/William Castle/86 mins/USA)

10/23
41-Yôkai daisensô (2005/Takashi Miike/124 mins/Japan)
42-Salem's Lot (1979/Tobe Hooper/183 mins/USA)
43-L'ultimo treno della notte (1975/Aldo Lado/94 mins/Italy)

10/24
44-Son of Kong (1933/Ernest B. Schoedsack/69 mins/USA)
45-Mil gritos tiene la noche (1982/Juan Piquer Simón/89 mins/Spain)
46-**WILD CARD #4**Goosebumps: Haunted Mask I (1995/Timothy Bond/30 mins/USA)
47-Santo y Blue Demon contra el doctor Frankenstein (1974/Miguel M. Delgado/95 mins/Mexico)

10/29
48-The Last House on the Left (2009/Dennis Iliadis/110 mins/USA)

10/30
49-Deranged (1974/Jeff Gillen & Alan Ormsby/80 mins/Canada)
50-The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976/Charles B. Pierce/90 mins/USA)
51-**WILD CARD #5**Roadkill: The Last Days of John Martin (1994/Jim Van Bebber/15 mins/USA)
52-Isle of the Dead (1945/Mark Robson/72 mins/USA)
53-**WILD CARD #6**The Monkees: season 2 episode 18: Monstrous Monkee Mash (1968/James Frawley/22 mins/USA)

10/31
54-Psycho (1960/Alfred Hitchcock/109 mins/USA)
55-The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971/Robert Fuest/94 mins/UK)
56-Diary of a Madman (1965/Reginald Le Borg/96 mins/USA)
57-Cat People (1942/Jacques Tourneur/73 mins/USA)
58-Cat People (1982/Paul Schrader/118 mins/USA)
59-The Curse of the Cat People (1944/Gunther von Fritsch & Robert Wise/70 mins/USA)
60-Halloween (1978/John Carpenter/91 mins/USA)

Last edited by cabinboy454; 10-31-09 at 11:09 PM.

Reply Like

09-19-09, 10:06 AM

#46

JOE29

DVD Talk Platinum Edition

Join Date: Dec 2001

Location: Millville, New Jersey

Posts: 3,038

Likes: 0

Received 24 Likes on 16 Posts

Re: The 5th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***LISTS GO HERE!*

10/01
(1) Abbot & Costello meet Frankenstein- (1948) Kind of a cheesy start to things as I chose to go with a light comedy. Dracula wants to revive Frankenstein with Costello's brain. Lon Chaney, Bela Lugosi star 7/10
(2) The Hanging Woman-(1973) A man inherits a castle where a scientist is doing experiments on the dead. Not great, but ok for the challenge Paul Naschy 7/10
(3) The Craft- (1996) Neat horror about 4 witches at the local high school. Fairuzza Balk is really freaky, espescially in the final scene 9/10
(4) Cry of the Banshee-(1970) Vincent Price. Witches rule the land as Price is the recipient of a witches curse that kills his family and him. This is one reason why I like this challenge as it forces you to watch movies that you haven't seen in years, which is the case for this one. 7/10

10/02
(5) Dracula AD 1972-(1972) Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing. Dracula meets the hippies and does his usual thing here by increasing his victims as he goes along. 8/10

10/03
(6) Brides of Dracula (1960) Peter Cushing. This is one of my favorites. Typical Hammer Dracula horror movie from the 60's. Although i'm not a fan of the ending it's stupid how he kills the count. 8.5/10
(7) Pitch Black (2000) Vin Desiel A crew crashes on a deserted planet, but they soon find out that it isn't deserted at all. Good Movie. 9/10

10/04
(8) The Oblong Box (1969) Vincent Price. I couldn't get into this one. He goes to Africa and brings back a monster? Or something like that, I was lost through the whole movie. 4/10
(9) Phantasm (1978) Great old time horror movie here about Aliens invading a funeral home 9/10
(10) I Am Legend-(2007) Will Smith. Great Sci-Fi/ Horror about one man left in NYC living among Mutant zombie like virus infected sub-humans. 10/10

10/05
(11) Frankenstein Meets the Werewolf (1943) Lon Chaney, Bela Lugosi. Bela pulls a fast one as he goes from Dracula to Frankenstein in this ok, but not great film. 6/10
(12) Faust Love of the Dammed (2001) A man sells his soul to the devil for the ultimate power. 7/10

10/06
(13) Trick r Treat (2008) I wanted to see this really bad and it was ok, I liked it, but I was a little disapointed in it also. 8/10
(14) Black Sunday (1960) Barbara Steele. Great old fashioned horror from Bava. A witch is put to death with a iron mask imbeded on her face. She returns a few centuries later to try to be rejuvinated. Very Dark. 8/10
(15) The Haunted Palace (1963) Vincent Price, Lon Chaney. Price plays a man who inherits a palace only to be possesed by his warlock ancestor. This is my favorite Price movie. He gets really dark and diabolical here. Kudos to Debra Paget who plays his wife, in this movie she looks beautiful as anyone in Hollywood these days. 10/10

10/07
(16) Outpost- (2007) Ray Stevenson. A team of mercenaries is hired to locate an object from an old WWII German bunker in Europe where the Germans were conducting experiments on humans during the war
and some of them are still there- alive, but not alive, (if you know what I mean). This was a great chilling movie that I stumbled upon over the summer by surprise. 9/10

10/08
(17) Humanoids from the Deep- (1980) Doug McClure. Overgrown sea craetures invade a small fishing community for the pourpose of mating with the women there. 8/10
(18) The Dunwich Horror (1970) Sandra Dee. An outcast from Dunwich performs Satanic rituals using Dee as a sacrifice. 6/10
(19) Lust for a Vampire- (1971) Ralph Bates. Cool Hammer Gothic tale about a female vampire running a muck at a school for girls. This movie has everything, for a 1971 flick that is. 8.5/10

10/09
(20) Interview with a Vampire-(1994) Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise. Tale about a modern day vampire telling his story to a reporter about his vampire life. 9/10
(21) Horror of Dracula- (1958) Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing. This movie is a bit out dated now but it's still a great movie. The first Hammer Dracula film is a gem. (9/10)

10/10
(22) The Black Torment- (1965) Gothic tale about an aristocrat comming back home being acused of grisly murders. Terrible movie, this is so bad i'm going to trade this back in. I'm only giving this a 1 rating because i'm hoping I can trade it in for something better. Bad DVD transfer too. 1/10
(23) Tamara- (2005) Jenna Dawson. Tale about a high school girl involved with magic who gets accidentally killed by her classmates and comes back to life for revenge. 7/10
(24) Underworld- Rise of the Lycans (2009) Gothic film about the beginnings of the Underworld saga.
Vampires vs. Werewolves. Not bad, very dark. 8/10
(25) Masque of the Red Death- (1964) Vincent Price. Cool movie about a prince saving the townspeople from the Red Death. Which eventually overtakes everyone. This is my second favorite movie from Price behind the Haunted Palace. 8/10

10/12
(26) The Crucible-(1996) Daniel Day Lewis, Winona Ryder. Great movie centering on the Salem Witch trials. This movie shows how easy someone could be accused of being a witch, without really being one at all. 9/10
(27) Bram Stokers Dracula-(1992) Winona Ryder, Gary Oldman. Incredible gothic film centering on Stokers legendary book. I haven't seen this for a while, it was great to put this one on the tv, kudos again to the challenge for making me do it. 9/10
(28) The Ninth Gate- (2000) Johnny Depp. A book researcher is hired to authenticate a book of envoking the Devil for a looney businessman. 8/10

10/13
(29) The Night of the Werewolf-(1980) Paul Naschy. A pretty good romp of a werewolf, Countess Bathory, female vampires,and human sacrifice all wraped up into one. Not bad. I espescially liked the female vampires. 8/10
(30) Scars of Dracula- (1970) Christopher Lee. Intresting Hammer movie centering on the typical Hammer Dracula theme. One of the better ones. 8.5/10

10/14
(31) The Horror of Frankenstein- (1970) Ralph Bates. Great Hammer picture about the Baron creating a monster to wreck havoc over the countryside. A lot of great Hammer house cleavage to keep your intrest! 8/10
(32) Resident Evil: Extinction.(2007) Great movie about a virus that takes over the world and turns people into flesh eating zombies which the only survivors have to fight off. 8/10
(33) Sleepy Hollow- (1999) Johnny Depp. Legendary tale about Icabod Crane and the Headless Horseman. Pretty good. 8/10

10/15
(34) Dan Curtis's Dracula- (1974) Jack Palance. I have been looking at this for a few years now waiting to pull the trigger on buying it and I finally did. Boy was I mistaken here. The transfer was a hit and miss. The movie was very slow and boring. Really nothing new to add to the story. It did have a couple of good moments but overall a big downer. The best thing I can say about this is Jack Palance is in it, as I have liked him in other movies ( Arrowhead for one), but not this one. The higher rating is because of him, otherwise it would be a 2 or 3. Now i'm stuck with this DVD, 5/10
(35) Masters of Horror- The V Word-(2007) SyFy Channel. Two kids venture into a funeral home where unknowingly a vampire lurks and turns them both into vampires. 7/10

10/16
(36) The Last Man on Earth-(1964) Vincent Price. Original movie about the I am Legend book. Thanks to the other horror challengers for finding this for me. I enjoyed the movie except I didn't like the ending when he was chased down and killed by the other people 7/10
(37) The Night Stalker- (1972) Darren McGavin. Great made for TV movie about a vampire killing people in Las Vegas and the reporter who covers the story. Great old-time movie. Everytime I watch this movie I can picture myself watching this back in the 70's when it came out. I've seen this thousands of times and everytime it's great.9/10

10/17
(38) Slaughter of the Vampires-(1970) Dark, Gothic film about a Italian vampire and his victims. Dark moody creepy music to enhance the film. 8.5/10
(39) And Now the Screaming Starts-(1973) Peter Cushing. A man brings his fiancee back home to marry but he doesn't tel her she's part of a century old curse. 9/10

10/18
(40) The Pit and the Pendulim-(1961) Vincent Price. Poe tale about a man who thinks he buries his wife alive in a tomb and she comes back to haunt him. 8/10
(41) Wolvesbane-(2009) SyFy movie about modern day vampires vs. Werewolves. Not bad. I was surprised by the amount of blood shown on regular tv. 8/10

10/19
(42) The Omen-(1976) Gregory Peck. Incredible film about the surrounding of the birth of the anti-christ. An incredible classic, as everyone on here already knows. There isn't much more that I can say about this one. 10/10
(43) An American Haunting-(2006) Donald Sutherland, Sissy Spasek. Cool horror about a family being terrorized by a ghost that targets the daughter 9/10
(44) Evil of Frankenstein-(1963) Peter Cushing. Baron Frankenstein discovers his monster frozen in a glacier and revives him 8/10

10/20
(45) The Birds-(1960) Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor. Incredible Hitchcock movie. This has to be the gem of the challenge for me so far. Even though it's not a new movie and i've had this in my collection for years.Thanks also to the challenge for making me watch this again as I haven't seen it for a few years. This is always great to re-visit. I'm still thinking about this movie that I watched last night. 10/10

10/21
(46) Shadow of the Vampire-(2000) Willem Dafoe. Great creature feature about the notion that what if the man who played Nosferatu in the 1921 movie really was a vampire. Excellent. 10/10
(47) The Exorcism of Emily Rose-(2005) Laura Linley. Intresting court room horror tale about Emily who was believed to be posessed. 7/10

10/22
(48) Dracula-(1931) Bela Lugosi. The one that started it all. Have seen it many times and there have been many remakes over this movie. It's the grandaddy of them all. 7/10
(49) The Wolfman-(1941) Lon Chaney. This is my favorite of the Universal titles. Something about the werewolf running through that fog and mist has stayed in my mind all of these years. The best leading lady character of the Universal titles also. 8/10
(50) Frankenstein-(1931) Boris Karloff. I always thought this was worse that what it was for some reason. But I enjoyed watching it today. 8/10
(51) Countess Dracula-(1970) Ingrid Pitt. Film about the Countess Bathory who bathes in the blood of young virgins to keep her youth. 7/10
(52) Vampire Lovers-(1970) Ingrid Pitt. Good tale about female vampires. This is one of my favorites.
8/10

10/23
(53) Carrie-(1976) Sissy Spacek. Movie about a ridiculed high school teenager with a psycho mother who has the power to take revenge over her high school mates. 9/10
(54) Psycho II-(1983) Anthony Perkins. Sequel to the classic Psycho movie. Better than the original I think. 9/10

10/24
(55) Pumpkinhead-(1988) Great film about a man avenging his sons death by neglegent teens. 9/10
(56) Invasion of the Body Snatchers-(1977) Donald Sutherland. Cool sci-fi horror about aliens taking over the lives of other people. 9/10

10/25
(57) MOH:Incident On and Off a Mountain Road-(2005) A woman gets traped by a car accident on a mountain road and is accosted by a mutant mainac. Or so it seems. 8/10

10/26
(58) Subspecies II (1993) Denise Duff. Comcast-OnDemand. I've always liked the Subspecies series.
as proof of this is my only ever pay-perview tv order, which I never do. But I did it for Subspecies. 8/10
(59) The Reaping-(2007) Hillary Swank. Neat film about the Bibles 7 plagues that effect a small Louisana town. This one get's better and better each time I watch it. 8/10

10/27
(60) American Werewolf in London-(1981) David Naughton. Fun film about two friends who get bitten by a werewolf while hiking in England. One man dies and haunts the other man who survives the attack. 8/10
(61) Sweet Sound of Death-This was included on the DVD The Hanging Woman as an extra movie in the special features. It's about a young couple when the woman dies in a plane crash and comes back to life to be with her man 6/10

10/28
(62) Dracula has Risen from the Grave-(1968) Christopher Lee. Dracula takes up shop in a basement in a tavern to cause his usual havoc. 7/10
(63) Witchfinder General-(1968) Vincent Price. Good film about the search for witches in the 17th century England. Great old-time favorite. 8/10

10/30
(64) Dusk Til Dawn 3- (2000) The 3rd installment which covers the beginning of the series. I like this one a lot. Nice Western theme here. 9/10
(65) Ginger Snaps Back-(2004) Good film about the beginning of the Ginger Snaps series. This one takes place at an old 18th century fort. 8/10
(66) Tomb of Ligea-(1965) Vincent Price- Poe film about a man who is haunted by his dead wife. 8/10
(67) Blair Witch 2- Book of Shadows-(2000) About a tour group that goes back to the place of the Blair Witch murders. A lot of prople didn't like this one but I thought it was great. 8/10
(68) Halloween-(1978) Jamie Lee Curits. The all-time Halloween classic. It has to be played on Halloween or the day before. Never looses it's luster. 9/10

10/31
(69) Ghost Story-(1980) Fred Astire. Cool old fashioned ghost story about a group of older men who murder a woman earlier in their lives and she comes back decades later to haunt the men. 9/10
(70) The Mummy-(1931) Boris Karloff. The original Mummy movie, it was ok 7/10

Last edited by JOE29; 11-01-09 at 10:10 AM.

Reply Like

09-19-09, 10:22 AM

#47

MrTerrific

Senior Member

Join Date: Jun 2003

Location: Ga

Posts: 592

Likes: 13

Received 10 Likes on 6 Posts

Re: The 5th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***LISTS GO HERE!*

* = 1st Time Viewing
Blu-Ray

2008 List - 29 Movies
2007 List - 51 Movies

October 1st
1. Cube*

October 2nd
2. Nightmare Castle*
3. The Lost Boys
4. Near Dark
5. From Dusk Til Dawn (with commentary by Rodriguez and Tarantino)

October 3rd
6. Poltergeist
7. April Fool's Day*

October 4th
8. Scream
9. Scream 2
10. Scream 3
11. The Manitou*

October 5th
12. High Tension
13. Night of the Living Dead
14. Dawn of the Dead
15. Day of the Dead
16. Land of the Dead
17. Diary of the Dead
18. Zombieland*

October 6th
19. Night of the Living Dead* (1990 Savini directed remake)
20. Wishmaster
21. Supernatural - Season 5: The End* **WILDCARD #1**

October 7th
22. The Nanny*
23. Dawn of the Dead (2004 Zack Snyder Remake)

October 8th
24. Children of the Corn* (2009 SyFy remake)
25. Baby Blues*
26. Death Bed: The Bed That Eats*

October 9th
27. Shaun of the Dead
28. The Children*

October 10th
Nothing

October 11th
29. Grace*

October 12th
30. Wolf
31. The Evil Dead
32. An American Werewolf in London

October 13th
33. [REC]*

October 14th
34. Ghost Ship*

October 15th
35. Seventh Moon*

October 16th
36. Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door*
37. The Thing
38. Psycho
39. 28 Days Later

October 17th
40. The Shining
41. Evil Dead 2

October 18th
42. Army of Darkness

October 19th
43. 28 Weeks Later

October 20th
44. Psycho 2*
45. Jaws

October 21st
46. Raw Meat*

October 22nd
47. Ginger Snaps

October 23rd
48. Ginger Snaps: Unleashed

October 24th
49. Candyman
50. Drag Me To Hell

October 25th
51. The Descent

October 26th
52. The Touch of Satan* (MST3K Version)

October 27th
53. Hack!*
54. Underworld: Evolution*

October 28th
55. The Guild: Halloween Special* **WILDCARD #2**

October 29th
56. Community: Introduction to Statistics* **WILDCARD #3**
57. Parks and Recreation: Greg Pikitis* **WILDCARD #4**
58. The Office: Koi Pond* **WILDCARD #5**
59. 30 Rock: Stone Mountain* **WILDCARD #6**

October 30th
60. Slither
61. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (original)
62. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (remake)
63. Nightwatch
64. Constantine

October 31st
65. Zombie Nightmare* (MST3K Version)
66. Werewolf* (MST3K Version)
67. Halloween
68. Alien
69. Underworld: Rise of the Lycan*

Spoiler:

Last edited by MrTerrific; 11-01-09 at 09:20 AM.

Reply Like

09-19-09, 10:47 AM

#48

Greg MacGuffin

DVD Talk Platinum Edition

Join Date: Mar 2004

Location: Formerly known as "Jeffy Pop"/Denver

Posts: 3,038

Likes: 0

Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts

Re: The 5th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***LISTS GO HERE!*

October 1
1. Session 9

October 2
2. Zombieland

October 3
3. Four Flies on Grey Velvet
4. Saw V

October 4
5. Dawn of the Dead (2004)

October 5
6. The Card Player

October 6

October 7
7. The American Nightmare

October 8
8. Rifftrax Live - Plan 9 From Outer Space (Encore)

October 9
9. Ghost Rider

October 10
10. The Tenant

October 11
11. Trauma
12. The Psychic

October 12
13. Suspiria

October 13

October 14

October 15
14. Inferno
15. Exte: Hair Extensions

October 16

October 17
16. Torso
17. Gremlins

October 18
18. The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave

October 19

October 20
19. The Red Queen Kills 7 Times
20. Damien: Omen II

October 21

October 22
21. Dog Soldiers
22. Let's Scare Jessica to Death

October 23

October 24
23. Paranormal Activity
24. The Black Belly of the Tarantula

October 25

October 26
25. Don't Look Now

October 27

October 28
26. The Exorcist

October 29

October 30
27. Looney Tunes - "A Haunting We Will Go" (wild card)
28. "Vincent" (short) (wild card)

October 31
29. Let The Right One In
30. Halloween II (2009)
31. The House on Sorority Row
32. It! The Terror From Beyond Space

***LIST FINAL***

Titles in Blue - Blu-Ray
Titles in Bold - Theatrical

Last edited by Greg MacGuffin; 11-08-09 at 10:22 PM.

Reply Like

09-19-09, 11:41 AM

#49

zaphod2467

Member

Join Date: Nov 2001

Posts: 199

Likes: 0

Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts

Re: The 5th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***LISTS GO HERE!*

*first time viewing

October 1
1. Fear Itself: Eater (09)*--Netflix DVD--Not bad but kinda predictable--3/5
2. The Haunting (99)--library DVD--Started off okay but by the end became effects overload--2/5

October 2
3. Something Wicked This Way Comes (83)*--library DVD--Some creepy moments but never really went anywhere for me--3/5

October 3
4. Zombieland (09)*--theater--A lot of fun with some really funny bits--4/5

October 4
5. Island of the Fishmen (79)*--Netflix DVD--"They're men turned inside out! And worse... they're still alive!" promised the 1981 ads for "Screamers" and I wanted to see it so bad. Almost 30 years later, and there's no living inside-out men, but the enjoyable original Italian version does have bad dubbing, tons of erupting volcano footage, voodoo, a mad scientist, and lots of fishmen stealing treasure from the lost city of Atlantis. What's not to love?--4/5
6. Haunting of Winchester House (09)*--Netflix DVD--Inspired (very loosely) by a local tourist attraction, another unscary, been-there-done-that ghost story--2/5
7. Fear Itself: Spooked (09)*--Netflix DVD--Another OK episode--3/5
8. Fear Itself: Community (09)*--Netflix DVD--Very Stepford-y--3/5
9. Fear Itself: The Sacrifice (09)*--Netflix DVD--Interesting take on an old story--4/5

October 5
10. Dolly Dearest (91)*--On Demand--"I am not losing my daughter to a goddamn 900-year-old goat head!" This was a lot more fun than I thought it would be--4/5

October 6
11. Children of the Night (91)--On Demand--Not-too-great vampire flick from Fangoria. I think I saw this at a Fango con years ago--2/5

October 7
12. Offspring (09)*--Netflix DVD--Brutal stuff--3/5

October 8
13. Children of the Corn (09)*--Netflix DVD--I didn't care much for the '84 version, and I liked this remake even less. Way too much bickering between the annoying, unlikable couple, but the cornfield flashback and fertilization scenes were hilarious--2/5
14. Grace (09)*--Netflix DVD--Not what I expected, but OK--3/5

October 9
15. Shaun of the Dead (04)--my DVD--"We're coming to get you, Barbara." This gets better each time I see it--5/5

October 10
16. The Man from Planet X (51)*--DVR'd from TCM--Creepy-looking alien plans invasion from a foggy English moor. Lots of atmosphere--3/5
17. The Children (09)*--Netflix DVD--Wow, what a ride! I really liked this. Once it gets going, it's non-stop thills & chills & blood & guts, that actually made me jump a couple of times--4/5
18. Child's Play (88)--my DVD--Haven't seen this in almost 20 years, and it still works really well--4/5

October 11
19. Halloween III: Season of the Witch (82)--my DVD--"Misfire." Not really. Although not a great movie by any means, this is actually kinda fun if you don't think about it too much and just go with it--4/5

October 12
20. Mad Love (35)*--On Demand--Murderous hands and Peter Lorre at his best--4/5

October 14
21. Drag Me to Hell (09)*--Netflix DVD--Fun old-school horror flick with some good scares and a great Christopher Young score. Knew

Spoiler:

was gonna happen, but still really enjoyed this--4/5

October 15
22. Dark Country (09)*--Netflix DVD--Interesting visual style in this odd tale--4/5
23. Book of Blood (09)*--Netflix DVD--"The dead have highways." Yeah, we know. You keep telling us. An okay haunted house flick that finally delivers the promised blood near the end--3/5

October 16
24. The Unknown (27)*--DVR'd from TCM--Lon Chaney loses his mind (and his arms) over the girl he loves--3/5

October 17
25. Gnaw (08)*--Netflix DVD--More kids. More cannibals. More killing. More of the same--2/5
26. TerrorVision (86)*--DVR'd from TCM--Good to see that TCM's definition of "classic" extends to bad '80s movies--2/5

October 18
27. Mimic (97)--my DVD--Forgot how good this was--4/5
28. Mimic 2 (00)*--my DVD--So-so sequel--3/5

October 19
29. Fear Itself: In Sickness and In Health (09)*--Netflix DVD--I must be tired. I really didn't see that coming--3/5
30. Fear Itself: Family Man (09)*--Netflix DVD--Liked this one a lot. And that "Bumblebee Song" was horrifying--4/5

October 20
31. Fear Itself: Something with Bite (09)*--Netflix DVD--Weird werewolf tale--3/5
32. Fear Itself: New Year's Day (09)*--Netflix DVD--This rocked. Love. Zombies. The end of the world. I liked the before-and-after, and again, didn't see that coming.--4/5

October 21
33. Mimic: Sentinel (03)*--Netflix DVD--"Rear Window" with bugs. Different, and better, than the first sequel--3/5

October 22
34. Infestation (09)*--Netflix DVD--Really enjoyable giant bug horror-comedy. Awesome final scene--4/5

October 23
35. Rise of the Gargoyles (09)*--Netflix DVD--Ze mama gargoyle attacks ze people. Ze heroic professor, ze plucky reporter and ze crazy priest try to stop ze monster by wandering ze catacombs of Paris, er, Canada, while ze cliche Inspector Clouseau-accented policeman continues to not belive zem as ze body parts pile up--3/5
36. The Gate (87)--my DVD--"You got demons." I remember seeing liking this when it came out, but I don't remember it being this good. Likable characters, great stop-motion animation, and some genuinely creepy moments (the "family portrait" on the wall), all add up to one of the gems of the challenge--5/5

October 24
37. Vampyr (32)*--DVR'd from TCM--Almost silent and really slow, with lots of eerie shadows. But I still don't know exactly what was going on--3/5
38. Sisters (73)*--DVR'd from IFC--Finally got around to seeing this, and liked it a lot. De Palma is the king of the split-screen. Classic score by Bernard Herrmann--4/5
39. The Tingler (59)*--DVR'd from TCM--A lot of fun after a very talky first half. This must've been a blast in the theaters--3/5
40. Return of the Living Dead 3 (93)*--On Demand--This was the unrated version. Enjoyable munchfest--4/5

October 25
41. I Know How Many Runs You Scored Last Summer (09)*--Netflix DVD--OK Australian slasher--2/5
42. Burial Ground: The Nights of Terror (90)--my DVD--After all the talk, I decided to rewatch what seems to be the unofficial film of this year's challenge. Yup, still awful. And still entertaining--3/5
43. Lemora: A Child's Tale of the Supernatural (73)--my DVD--Strange, nightmarish fantasy, with a style all its own--3/5
44. Ginger Snaps (01)--my DVD--Funny, scary, touching (the final scene). One of my favorite films, and I never get tired of watching it--5/5
45. Dawn (06)--my DVD--Yes, most of the supporting actors are friends-and-family-of-the-director variety, but Kacie Young is good as the little girl with a secret, and I really liked the relationship between Dawn and her father--4/5

October 26
46. Fear Itself: Skin and Bones (09)*--Netflix DVD--That guy was really scary-looking--3/5
47. Fear Itself: Chance (09)*--Netflix DVD--Didn't really see the point of this one--3/5

October 28
48. Fear Itself: The Spirit Box (09)*--Netflix DVD--Stupid teenagers doing stupid things--3/5
49. Orphan (09)*--Netflix DVD--The spoilers made it sound ridiculous, but this was actually a fun little thriller. And Esther's secret is original, to say the least--3/5

October 29
50. Wildcard #1: Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space (09)*--DVR'd from NBC--Cute holiday followup to the movie, with some good laughs--3/5
51. The Butcher (09)*--Netflix DVD--This sick, faux-snuff film was hard to watch with the constant shaky-cam and the constant torture--3/5
52. Fear Itself: Echoes (09)*--Netflix DVD--Bloody deja vu tale--3/5

October 30
53. Wildcard #2: Flash Forward: Scary Monsters and Super Creeps (09)*--DVR'd from ABC--"That was the best costume I've ever seen," says little Charlie as she watches the mysterious kangaroo bouncing down the street. After a couple of so-so weeks, things are finally starting to come together in this Halloween episode of the series--4/5
54. Invasion of the Bee Girls (73)*--On Demand--Written by Nicholas Meyer, this silliness oozes 1970s. Fun to watch--3/5
55. Breeders (86)*--On Demand--Bad acting. Bad writing. Bad man in a monster suit. Just bad. But entertaining--2/5

October 31
55. Wildcard #3: Medium: Bite Me (09)*--On Demand--"They're not running the one where everyone gets trapped in the mall, are they?" This season has been great so far, and this was a fun episode for horror fans, as Alison dreams herself into "Night of the Living Dead"--4/5
56. Zaat (72)*--DVR'd from TCM--Where are Joel and the 'bots when you need them? Giant catfish-man terrorizes a small Florida town with excessive voice-over and a lame rubber suit possible left over from "Lost in Space." With a bonus bad 70's folk-rock interlude--1/5
57. Sauna (08)*--Netflix DVD--A couple of very creepy moments in this hard-to-follow Finnish ghost story--3/5
58. Wildcard #4: The Troop: The Great Punkin (09)*--On Demand--Discovered this Nick series today. Pretty entertaining kids show--3/5
59. Murders in the Zoo (33)*--DVR'd from TCM--Jealous husband uses animals to kill. Too much comic relief from the PR agent, but a cool ending made this worth a look--3/5

***LIST FINAL***

Spoiler:

Last edited by zaphod2467; 11-03-09 at 10:21 AM.

Reply Like

09-19-09, 12:47 PM

#50

OldBoy

Inane Thread Master, 2018 TOTY

Join Date: Dec 2003

Location: Are any of us really anywhere?

Posts: 49,394

Likes: 1,282

Received 904 Likes on 765 Posts

Re: The 5th Annual "October Horror Movie Challenge" (10/1 - 10/31) ***LISTS GO HERE!*

October 2nd:
1. Zombieland (theatrical) (4.5 stars)

October 3rd:
2. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (3.0 stars)
3. Friday the 13th: Jason Lives (2.5 stars)

October 6th:
4. Howling II...Your Sister is a Werewolf (0 stars)

October 10th:
5. Splinter (4.0 stars)
6. The Substitute (Vikaren) (3.5 stars)
7. Ghost Ship (3.5 stars)
8. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2.5 stars)

October 11th:
9. Friday the 13th: The New Blood (2.5 stars)

October 17th:
10. Night of the Living Dead (1968) (4.0 stars)
11. Halloween: Resurrection (1.0 star)

October 18th:
12. American Psycho (2.5 stars)
13. Dawn of the Dead (1978; theatrical cut) (4.5 stars)

October 23rd:
14. Paranormal Activity (theatrical) (1.5 stars)
15. The Stepfather (1987) (4.0 stars)

October 24th:
16. The Children (4.0 stars)
17. Hardware (3.5 stars)
18. Wrong Turn 3: Left for Dead (1.5 stars)

October 25th:
19. Saw IV (2.5 stars)
20. Friday the 13th: Jason Takes Manhattan (2.5 stars)

October 26th:
21. Saw V (3.5 stars)
22. Diary of the Dead (2.5 stars)

October 27th:
23. King Kong (1976) (3.0 stars)
24. Wolf (3.5 stars)
25. Orphan (1.5 stars)

October 28th - October 31st:
26. Donkey Punch (2.0 stars)
27. House on Haunted Hill (1999) (2.0 stars)
28. House of Wax (2005) (2.5 stars)
29. PontyPool (4.0 stars)
30. Swamp Thing (2.0 stars)
31. Fatal Attraction (3.5 stars)
32. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (2.5 stars)
33. Carrie (3.5 stars)
34. Halloween (2007) (2.0 stars)
35. Trick 'r Treat (3.5 stars)

This List is Final

Last edited by OldBoy; 11-01-09 at 01:37 PM.