spectrum21

2009:20
2010 Goal: 21

OCT 1
Tried to watch From Beyond...fell asleep.
OCT 2
Tried to watch Daywalkers...fell asleep, I really need to try to start watching earlier.
OCT 3
1. Masters of Horror "Jenifer" - Very sick and twisted short film from Argento. 3/5 stars.
2. Masters of Horror "Cigarette Burns" A good short film, but could have been better if it were a full length movie. 2.5/5 stars.

clckworang

My spot!

Challenge Comparison:

2010 Tally...............2009 Tally...............2008 Tally
17 Blu-rays...............19 Blu-rays...............08 Blu-rays
13 DVDs...................39 DVDs...................59 DVDs
37 DVR.....................37 DVR.....................11 DVR
52 Streaming.............18 Streaming.............20 Streaming
02 Theater................02 Theater................02 HD-DVD
01 Stage...................----------................-----------

Total First-Time Views: 111


Oct. 1

01. ☼ Pontypool - This is a film I read about a long time ago and had been wanting to watch ever since. I thought the concept was fascinating. People are turning into zombies, and it's being transmitted through language. I'm a writer/editor and love zombie films, so I thought this could be perfect. Well, not so much. It had its moments. It certainly wasn't bad, and it was refreshing to see a totally different take on the zombie story, but it just didn't end on a very good note for me. Overall, I don't think the film ever really rose to the concept, but it was interesting to watch nonetheless. DVR

Oct. 2

02. Prince of Darkness - I watched this last year and wanted to give it one more spin this year. Last year, I felt like it all went a bit over my head at times. Then again, I was on movie overload at that point. I know this film is much maligned by many, but I will stand by it. Like Pontypool, I respect that it wasn't content to just be another dumb horror movie. It actually makes you think. That can be rare in this genre. DVR

Oct. 3

03. ☼ The Stepfather (remake) - I wasn't expecting much from this one, and it delivered on that promise. I guess it wasn't as bad as I figured it would be. It doesn't come near the original, though. Like most of the recent remakes, this one is pretty toothless. It could have used a bit more brutality. I think it could have also used someone else in the stepfather role. I like Dylan Walsh; I just didn't see him as the crazy stepfather. DVR

04. ☼ The Shortcut - I was pretty shocked to see that this was produced by Adam Sandler. Huh. Overall, the film was pretty forgettable. The story is straight out of Horror Basics. Don't go down that shortcut because there's an old killer the town talks about who lives there. Pretty predictable stuff, even though it tried for a twist in the end. Yep, that was pretty predictable, too. DVR

05. ☼ Trauma - I was hoping for more with Argento directing. Overall, it was pretty ho-hum, though I did find the decapitations to be pretty unnerving. DVR

06. ☼ The Toxic Avenger - So this is the franchise that built Troma? I can't believe I hadn't seen this one before. It was gory fun. It was pretty bad (this is Troma after all) but in a really fun way. Streaming

07. ☼ Saw V - I know I've expressed this every challenge because every challenge I have watched at least one Saw film, but I'm just not a big fan of the franchise. I love gore and all that but something just has never clicked with me about this franchise. Still, I'm compelled to watch every single one of them. Maybe the 3D entry will be fun to view, but this was another boring entry in the Saw franchise for me. DVR

08. ☼ The House on Sorority Row - I'm pretty disappointed about this one. I'm usually a fan of horror films from this time. That's not to say it was bad; it just didn't do as much for me. It just never felt like this movie got moving. Streaming

Oct. 4

09. ☼ The Wolves of Kromer - Not good at all. There really wasn't much horror in this one. The hook of the film is that the "wolves" in the film are actually gay men. It's a pretty obvious statement on homophobia and discrimination. Blah, blah, blah. Maybe it would have been more effective if they had brought more horror into the movie. I mean, when your wolves are just guys with fur coats with tails on them, you're just not trying too hard. Streaming

10. ☼ The Collector (2009) - This was more like it. I know many people will compare this to Saw, but I enjoyed it a lot more. There was gore galore and some fiendish booby traps. There wasn't much to the plot, but if you just wanted to see some blood and violence, this might be a good call. DVR

11. ☼ The Witches of Eastwick - I don't know how I grew up in the '80s and never saw this film. I remember seeing and hearing so much about it during that time. Well, the film was certainly perfectly cast. Jack Nicholson is a hoot, as are the supporting ladies. It was pretty good and had some funny moments, but I don't see myself revisiting it too often. DVR

12. ☼ The Toxic Avenger Part II - Here we go again ... another entry in the Toxic Avenger series, but Toxie goes to Japan in this one. What can you say? The film is what it is. Unfortunately, it is not nearly as good as the first one. Streaming

13. ☼ October Moon - Another low-budget entry. I think there's a seed of an idea in this one, but the filmmakers -- and certainly the poor actors -- didn't know how to handle it. Two gay college students decide to take revenge on other stuck up college students through murder and abuse. Definitely an uncomfortable movie, but I think that has as much to do with the poor production values and acting than anything else. A word of caution: Netflix is missing about the last 30 minutes of this film. It just ends. Find it elsewhere if you're interested, though I wouldn't recommend it. Streaming

Oct. 5

14. ☼ The Beast of Yucca Flats (MST3K) - How can you go wrong with an MST3K selection? Answer: you can't. The movie was horrible, but the episode was pretty funny. This is a nice break from the regular horror that has been on tap. DVD

15. ☼ Severance - I read a description of this that it was like The Office mashed together with a slasher film. That's a pretty apt description, but the humor is not nearly as sharp. It leaves the film with a very uneven tone. It never quite succeeds as a comedy or as a horror film, although I thought it picked up some pace toward the end. DVR

16. ☼ Red Sands- Every challenge I record a bunch of unknown titles from Showtime and The Movie Channel, and every year I watch a lot of bad movies. This falls into the pretty bad category. It actually reminded me of a Korean film that we watched for the Horror Club here, but the name is escaping me. While this wasn't a remake, the Korean film was much better. DVR

17. ☼ I Sell the Dead - Well, at least this one was better than the usual stuff I record. Dominic Monaghan stars in this one. You might remember him as a hobbit or a junkie on Lost. This actually wasn't too bad. I had a couple of funny moments to it. It's not really scary, but it might be worth a rental for some people. DVR

Oct. 6

18. ☼ Halloween II (2009) - Yes, everything that everyone has said about this movie is true. It really is that bad. I'm NOT a Rob Zombie fan at all. I hated House of 1,000 Corpses and didn't care much for Devil's Rejects, though I do see it as an improvement. The first Halloween he directed I actually thought wasn't THAT bad. I think it might have liked it much better had it not been a Halloween remake and been able to do its own thing a bit more. So, I actually thought this movie could surprise me. Well, it did. I didn't think it could possible be as bad as it turned out to be. At times, it was just downright silly. Other times, it was just ridiculous. DVR

Oct. 7

19. ☼ The Thirst - Here we go with one of those modern takes on the vampire. Don't worry, though this movie has a romantic subplot at its heart, it's no Twilight. There was a lot of blood in this one. Not a completely toothless vampire entry, but it certainly doesn't rise to the top either. DVR

20. ☼ The Haunting of Molly Hartley - Just boring. I didn't expect much, but I thought I would at least be entertained a bit. I just really didn't find much to care about in this movie. DVR

21. ☼ Wrong Turn - Here's another franchise that I had never seen for whatever reason. I remember watching a few minutes of this on HBO or something one night and getting into it. I decided to save it for a time when I could watch the whole thing. Well, the whole wasn't as good as I thought it might be. I'll give it up some credit, though. I liked how intelligent the inbreds in the film were. They really knew how to hunt. Plus, I respected the fact that the movie didn't always go where I thought it might, and I don't even mean plot-wise, which was pretty standard. I guess an example of that for me would be the chase that happens up in the trees. It just seemed a very different set piece for a horror film. Blu-ray

22. ☼ Wrong Turn 2 - One of my biggest surprises so far. I'm not going to sit here and say it's a horror masterpiece or anything like that. It certainly cribs from a lot of other, better movies (Deliverance, Texas Chainsaw). But it was fun and gory. There were some really good kills, and it had Henry fuckin' Rollins. I think I actually preferred this one to the first one. Blu-ray

23. ☼ Wrong Turn 3 - This is certainly a step down from the first and second entries in this film. I didn't care about the characters or the story. There were some good kills, but it's not enough for me to recommend it. Blu-ray

Oct. 8

24. ☼ Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie - This was a big improvement over the second of the series. I liked the anti-corporation satire in the film, even if it was a bit silly. But hey, what do you expect from a Troma film? Streaming

25. ☼ Citizen Toxie: Toxic Avenger Part IV - This might be my second favorite of the series. It certainly felt like they were trying to throw everything out there for this one. The concept puts good Toxie in a bad world and bad Toxie in our world via a dimensional rift. It gets pretty zany and over the top, but that's everything I would expect. Streaming

26. ☼ Pandorum - I thought this film looked interesting from the previews. Well, it wasn't. It was pretty slow going for much of it, and then it was just pretty standard action scenes to fill up the rest of it. Not one I would recommend. I'm happy I recorded it rather than wasting a spot on my Netflix queue. DVR

27. ☼ The Toolbox Murders (1978) - I splurged on the Blu-ray just for this challenge. I guess it lives up to its reputation as a pretty sick film. It didn't really grab me until the last 30 minutes or so. I liked it enough for me to be curious about the remake. Blu-ray

Oct. 9

28. ☼ The Living Dead of Manchester Morgue - I bought this for last year's challenge and had never gotten around to it. A very solid entry in the admittedly crowded zombie genre. I really liked it and look forward to seeing it again after this challenge is over. I do love zombie movies. Blu-ray

29. ☼ Skeleton Crew - I thought this film about a film crew filming a horror movie started out sort of interesting. Then it just started getting too meta and post-modern for my tastes. It wasn't a total waste of time, despite some of the questionable acting, but I wouldn't watch it again. DVR

30. Red Hook - Argh! I wasn't sure if I had seen this one before. Sure enough, about 20 minutes into the film, I realized I had ... and it wasn't very good the first time I saw it. It's just another low-budget horror entry with questionable acting. It attempts the twist ending, but you probably won't care when you get there. DVR

31. ☼ Santa's Slay - I realize by the name and the fact that a pro wrestler was playing Santa that this was supposed to be a comedic horror film. I just didn't anticipate just how over-the-top comedic it was supposed to be. It can be way too slapstick-y for my tastes, but the film, as a whole, wasn't nearly as horrible as I figured it would be. It keep a sense of humor about itself; that can make up for quite a bit. There were actually quite a few recognizable acting faces as well, perhaps because Brett Ratner was a producer. Streaming

32. ☼ The Hunger - I'm usually not a fan of Tony Scott's movies, but I have to admit that I enjoyed this one quite a bit. It's always nice to see a different take on the vampire tale, and this one comes with some pretty choice actors, especially Susan Sarandon and Catherine Deneuve. I had long heard that this was one of the steamier vampire films, and I think it lived up to that billing. Streaming

33. ☼ Creatures from the Pink Lagoon - By the name, you would think this would be a gay spoof on the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Instead, it's a zombie film. I know, pretty misleading title. The film revels in stereotypes. I guess it's fairly innocuous, but that doesn't make it any good. Streaming

34. ☼ The Ruining - I don't know if it was the film style or a poor Netflix connection or a poor transfer, but this movie just looked awful to me. I think that was the point, though. I think this is one of those films that is supposed to look really old and tattered. Patrick Warburton's (Seinfeld's Puddy) part is billed highly, but he really doesn't do much. This was actually a pretty strange movie. I guess it gets points for being so bizarre and trying something different, but I wouldn't recommend it too highly. It was still pretty boring. Streaming

35. ☼ Skull & Bones - Really low budget film here. It's actually pretty amazing how low budget some of the films that are streaming on Netflix are. A gay couple from a community college decide to spice up their lives by torturing and killing college students at an Ivy school. The plot has something. I can see this being a very uncomfortable, potentially disturbing movie. As it's handled here, though, it's uncomfortable for all the wrong reasons. Skip it. Streaming

36. ☼ Bad Biology - Another really strange movie. I'm not quite sure what I think of this film, but I was certainly entertained by it. It's a Frank Henenlotter film, and he's usually good for some strange but entertaining movies. If you think you might be interested in seeing a strange, out there, sexually disturbing film that might make you laugh and wince, this is one of those to watch. Streaming

Oct. 10

37. ☼ The Haunted World of El Superbeasto - I've tried. I really have. I've tried to like Rob Zombie movie, but I just can't bring myself to do so. I really thought this one might be different. I thought the animation could be the bridge I needed to get into his films. Turns out I was wrong. The style of the film reminded me of a Tex Avery film drawn by ultra-horny 14-year-old boys. The same could also be said for the script. It's all boobs and butts -- both visually and in the jokes. Really big waste of time. DVR

38. ☼ Repulsion - I always thought that I had seen this movie before, but it turns out I was wrong. I've always been a big Roman Polanski film, which makes it even more strange that I had never gone back to this one. Needless to say, I really liked it. The Criterion Blu-ray is a real knockout, and Catherine Deneuve delivers a great performance. There's some really spooky images in this one. You can really feel the character's mind unraveling. Blu-ray

39. ☼ Carnival of Souls - I've heard about this film for a long, but for whatever reason, I just had never seen it. While I wouldn't call it in the least scary, it manages to maintain this creepiness throughout the entire film. That's no small achievement. This isn't one of those horror films that's going to slap you on the face, but I would still very much recommend it. Streaming

40. ☼ Shock - I threw myself into Mario Bava films during last year's challenge, so I figured I should try to watch some more this year. While I wouldn't put this one among his absolute best films, it's still really good. You'll probably recognize Daria Nicolodi from other Italian films, like Suspiria. The kid is really freakin' creepy. Where did all these Italian directors find such creepy kids? Streaming

41. ☼ Dexter - episodes "Hello Bandit" and "Practically Perfect" - I love this show. I don't think this season could possibly be as good as last season, but it seems to be developing nicely. We'll see where it goes from here ... DVR

Oct. 11

42. ☼ Orphan - I was completely anticipating watching this and hating it. I really was. It just looked so dumb. I have to admit, though, that I quite enjoyed it. Let's be honest here, it IS pretty dumb, but the film was so nutty that it didn't really matter. There was some surprising gore, and while the story unravels much the way you would expect, there are some surprise twists at the end that you probably didn't see coming. DVR

43. ☼ The Uninvited - This film feels like another one of those junior horror films. You know the type, the ones that are perfect for 12 and 13-year-old girls because it's not too graphic or anything like that. Plus, the lead is a young teen as well. Not sure what I thought about Elizabeth Banks here. I'm usually a fan, but something just didn't feel right. Maybe it was just that it was pretty boring and shamelessly tried to steal from J-horror films. The twist at the end was interesting, though probably a bit too strained. Why does there always have to be a twist? DVR

44. ☼ The Haunted Palace - DVR

45. ☼ Return to Horror High - DVR

Oct. 12

46. ☼ Class of Nuke 'Em High - Streaming

47. ☼ The Devil's Ground - DVR

48. ☼ The Telling - DVR

49. ☼ Flesh Freaks - Streaming

Oct. 13

50. ☼ The Brides of Dracula - DVR

51. ☼ Frankenstein - Streaming

Oct. 14

52. ☼ The Video Dead - Streaming

Oct. 15

53. Poltergeist II - DVR

Oct. 16

54. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari - DVD

Oct. 18

55. ☼ Blood Waters of Dr. Z (MST3K) - DVD

56. ☼ Eaten Alive - DVD

Oct. 19

57. ☼ King Cobra - DVR

58. ☼ Sleepaway Camp 2: Unhappy Campers - DVR

59. ☼ Sleepaway Camp 3: Teenage Wasteland - DVR

60. ☼ Return to Sleepaway Camp - Streaming

61. ☼ Revolt of the Zombies - DVR

62. ☼ Terror Firmer - Streaming

63. ☼ Class of Nuke 'Em High 2 - Streaming

Oct. 20

64. Student Bodies - DVR

65. ☼ Class of Nuke 'Em High 3 - Streaming

66. The Crazies (original) - Blu-ray

67. ☼ The Crazies (remake) - Blu-ray

Oct. 21

68. ☼ Otto; or, Up With Dead People - Streaming

69. Return of the Living Dead - Blu-ray

70. ☼ Dead Snow - Blu-ray

71. ☼ Frozen - Blu-ray

Oct. 22

72. ☼ Event Horizon - Blu-ray

73. ☼ The Exorcism of Emily Rose - DVD

74. ☼ The Crawling Eye (MST3K) - DVD

Oct. 23

75. ☼ The Adult Version of Jekyll & Hide - DVD

76. ☼ Sugar Hill - Streaming

77. ☼ Camp Fear - Streaming

78. ☼ Train - Streaming

79. ☼ Blood and Lace - Streaming

80. ☼ The Gay Bed & Breakfast of Terror - Streaming

Oct. 24

81. ☼ Pervert! - Streaming

82. ☼ Paranormal Activity 2 - Theater

83. Cujo - Blu-ray

84. ☼ Dexter - episodes "Beauty and the Beast" and "First Blood" - DVR

85. The Descent - Blu-ray

86. ☼ Strange Behavior - Streaming

Oct. 25

87. ☼ Mark of the Witch - Streaming

88. ☼ ThanksKilling - Streaming

89. ☼ Gone the Way of Flesh - Streaming

90. ☼ Blood Bath - Streaming

91. ☼ Savage Harvest - Streaming

92. ☼ Slaughter Party - Streaming

93. ☼ Wrestlemaniac - Streaming

94. ☼ The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (2005) - Streaming

95. ☼ New Year's Evil - Streaming

96. ☼ Intruder - Streaming

Oct. 26

97. ☼ The Thing With Two Heads - Streaming

98. ☼ Blacula - Streaming

99. ☼ Staunton Hill - Streaming

100. ☼ City of the Living Dead - Streaming

101. ☼ Saw VI - Streaming

102. ☼ Planet of the Vampires - Streaming

103. ☼ Zombie Nightmare (MST3K) - DVD

Oct. 27

104. Mad Monster (MST3K) - DVD

105. ☼ Halloween TV - It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and episodes of Raising Hope, Modern Family, The Middle

106. Maniac - Blu-ray

107. ☼ The Unearthly (MST3K) - DVD

Oct. 28

108. ☼ The Stink of Flesh - Streaming

109. ☼ House on Haunted Hill (RiffTrax live) - Theater

Oct. 29

110. ☼ Evil Dead: The Musical (wildcard) - Stage

Oct. 30

111. ☼ Pieces - DVD

112. ☼ 100 Tears - DVD

113. ☼ Carnage for the Destroyer - Streaming

114. ☼ American Nightmare - Streaming

Oct. 31!!

115. ☼ Meadowoods - Streaming

116. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (audio commentary) - Blu-ray

117. ☼ The Beyond - DVD

118. ☼ Halloween TV Part 2 - episodes of The Office, Community, Outsourced, Paranormal State

119. ☼ Jason Goes to Hell - Streaming

120. ☼ Halloween TV Part 3 - one episode of Dexter, two episodes of Paranormal State

121. ☼ Halloween TV Part 4 - The Walking Dead, one episode of Paranormal State

122. ☼ Halloween (RiffTrax) - Blu-ray

Edison

Okay, I'm in again. 2006 & 2007 weren't very strong, and I sit out 2008 & 2009 (a second job killed any extra free time). This year though the extra job isn't happening so I will hopefully be able to use that extra time to watch.

This years goal: 31
denotes my first viewing.

October 1st
1. Frozen - Blu-ray Uncomfortable, slow. Probably would not watch again.

October 7th
2. Piranha (2D) - Theater Lot's of nudity, and gore. Made me want to watch the original again.
3. Cabin Fever 2 : Spring Fever - FEARnet TV Gory, and campy. Wasn't a fan of the original, this one didn't do anything to sway my decision.

October 12th
4. Spring Break Shark Attack - Chiller TV Made for TV movie, very little gore/horror lots of bikinis. Surprised it was shown on CBS, I would've bet money on ScFy.''

October 31st
5. The Walking Dead - AMC

danganet

October 1: (Something bad in eco-system.)
1. Cabin Fever (2002) DVD
2. Class Of Nuke 'Em High (1986) Netflix Streaming

October 2: (Alien invasion)
3. Planet 51 (2009) Netflix Streaming

I'm gonna try to do 31 NEW movies in October this year. My spot!

ignition

GOAL: 32 Gah... totally forgot to sign up by 9/30. I'm going for 32 this year, after finally hitting my goal of 31 last year! It'll be tough because work is going to get in the way a lot and I'll be traveling half the weekends but I think I can pull it off.

October 1:
1. Resident Evil (2002)

October 2:
2. Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)
3. Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)

October 3:
4. 30 Days of Night (2007)

October 5:
5. Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

October 6:
6. Re-Animator (1985)

October 7:
7. Devil (2010)

October 8:
8. Dead Snow (2009)
9. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

October 9:
10. Dawn of the Dead (European cut) (1978)

October 10:
11. Day of the Dead (1985)

October 11:
12. Land of the Dead (2005)

October 12:
13. Survival of the Dead (2009)

October 13:
14. Cabin Fever (2002)

October 14:
15. The Brood (1979)

October 16:
16. Pandorum (2009)
17. The Crazies (2010)

October 17:
18. The Mist (2007)

October 18:
19. Thou Shalt Not Kill... Except (1985)

October 19:
20. Children of the Corn (1984)

October 23:
21. The Amityville Horror (1979)
22. Amityville II: The Possession (1982)

October 24:
23. Amityville 3-D (1983)
24. The Amityville Horror (2005)

October 25:
25. The Exorcist (Director's Cut) (1973)

October 26:
26. The Exorcist III (1990)

October 27:
27. The Evil Dead (1981)

October 28:
28. Saw VI (2009)

October 30:
29. Halloween II (2009)
30. Daybreakers (2009)

October 31:
31. Saw 3D (2010)
32. Return of the Living Dead (1985)

rbrown498

Red Title - Denotes first-ever viewing

31 Films Subset - Denotes film is that day's selection in the list of 31 films that will be discussed the day after each one's viewing.

Theme Night - Denotes film is an example of that day's theme, as listed in the Theme Night List of Sub-Genres.

Caution: Spoilers may follow!

Goal: 100, baby!


10/1/2010

1. From Beyond (1986) - (31 Films Subset) - Stuart Gordon's follow-up to Re-Animator just doesn't do it for me. I didn't particularly like it the first time I saw it (on Vestron's VHS tape when it first came out in the mid-80s), and I liked it even less this time around. While the special effects work is effectively icky, the film's lack of a narrative thrust makes it eventually sink under its own weight. The second half of the film reminds me somewhat of shampoo directions: lather, rinse, repeat. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat. Turn on Resonator, see yucky things, get in danger, get out of danger with injuries. Turn on Resonator, see yucky things, get in danger, get out of danger with injuries. And again. And again. Blow up Resonator. Fade to credits. (And, by the way, where'd Barbara Crampton's character get the bomb?)

2. The Deadly Bees (1967) - (Theme Night) - Rather genteel British horror from Amicus that is the terror film equivalent of chicken soup. It's hard to get too excited over it, but it goes down easy and is comfort food for the horror fan's soul. The film starts great, with some perfectly awful/wonderful British pop from the period, but once the action moves to Seagull Island the pace slows down. This isn't a bad thing, really, but Freddie Francis's pedestrian direction never pulls the viewer into the film as much as I would have liked, and any true horror fan can figure out who the villain of the piece is fairly quickly. Still, it's hard to dislike.

3. Satan's Children (1975) - Now THIS one is more like it. A guy (whose stepfather and stepsister make his life awful) leaves home, only to be gang-raped by a biker and his friends and left for dead by the side of the road. As if that weren't bad enough, he's found by a group of Satanists and has the misfortune to fall in love with one of them. Florida-made film is rather astonishing in its own lowbrow way, and serves once again to prove Michael Weldon's assertion in The Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film that Florida is "an unheralded center of grade Z filmmaking." Strangely compelling.

10/2/2010

4. Sisters (1973) - (31 Films Subset) - Brian De Palma's first film to really showcase his Hitchcock fetish is still grand entertainment. In addition to paying homage to Rear Window, Psycho, and Rope, De Palma used Hitchcock's favorite composer, Bernard Herrmann, to connect all the dots. All of the performances are excellent; Charles Durning really stands out as a private detective, and the film reminds us that, before going full goose bozo, Margot Kidder was a pretty charismatic screen presence. As is often the case, De Palma ends the film in a cynical manner that is sure to infuriate those not familiar with his body of work.

5. Dead Alive (1992) - (Theme Night) - The film that finally got Peter Jackson noticed Stateside. Dead Alive still holds the record as the wettest horror film ever made, and it has the most varied assortment of zombie mayhem ever committed to celluloid. My favorite zombie: the light bulb girl. I could have done with a lot less of the zombie baby, but that's nitpicking. A hoot from start to finish.

10/3/2010

6. The Monster of Camp Sunshine (1964) - Seventy-four minutes of my life that I'll never get back. If you must know, it's about a nudist colony gardener who drinks some stream water contaminated with a violence-inducing drug who then, for lack of an appropriate word, terrorizes a few nekkid women. An antivirus serum is then brought by a parachuting doctor while stock footage from various war films is cut in. Most of the cast and crew wisely hide behind pseudonyms (one of which, "Natalie Drest," is pretty funny). Obviously shot without audio, the whole film is poorly post-synched, and it even resorts to using intertitle cards, just like silent movies. At least those were amusing--my favorite said something to the effect of "Alas! He is defeated by the very violence which he engendered." Hope I didn't spoil anything for you, folks! Ugh.

7. The Cat and the Canary (1927) - (31 Films Subset) - The Cat and the Canary is my favorite silent horror film for many reasons, including the genuinely creepy mood set in the first shots of the film and the animated intertitles. I'm also terribly fond of the character of Mammy Pleasant, whose name is diametrically opposed to her demeanor. Too bad director Paul Leni died only two years after making this film, as I'm sure he would have been a major player in the horror boom of the 1930s. As it stands, this is still one of the top early horror films. It's no wonder it's been remade several times.

8. The Food of the Gods (1976) - (Theme Night) - Hilarious hokum from Bert I. Gordon, who had a thing for oversized (and undersized) people and animals. White gunk bubbles up from a rock and causes any immature animal that eats it to grow to ginormous proportions. Marjoe Gortner saves the day...or DOES he? While some of the effects are pretty good, especially considering the budget constraints that Gordon must have been working under, many are risible, particularly the giant rooster in the barn. The British Columbia scenery is awfully nice, however. My favorite bit: Ida Lupino's way of labeling jars of the stuff "F.O.T.G.". I'm going to peel the label off that jar of alfredo sauce in my pantry, relabel it F.O.T.G., and see if anyone notices.

10/4/2010

9. Horror Hotel (1960) - (31 Films Subset) - Interesting witchcraft film, set in New England but made in Olde England. Only some variable American accents give it away, however. Definitely worth watching, with some interesting parallels to 1960's premiere horror film, Psycho.

10. Tales from the Crypt Presents Demon Knight (1995) - (Theme Night) - Fun horror film with religious overtones and a WAAAAAY over-the-top performance by Billy Zane. Astounding cast for such a trifle, directed by Spike Lee's early cameraman of choice Ernest Dickerson. Not a film that's going to leap to the top of your favorite movie list, but a solidly entertaining 92 minutes filled with lively camerawork and some impressive special effects. Worth a look.

10/5/2010

11. Dead Snow (2009) - (31 Films Subset) - I'll admit it--I went into this one with quite a bit of trepidation. The DVD cover art made Dead Snow look like it was a direct-to-video title shot by troglodytes with cameras. I couldn't have been more wrong. Dead Snow is an engaging, gory, and frequently funny Norwegian take on the zombie genre, made by folks well-steeped in the genre. The camerawork is quite exceptional; at times the filmmakers actually out-Raimi Sam Raimi. Although you might be put off by all the drooling the fanboys have done over this film (as I was), this time they're actually pretty close to being right. On a side note, the Netflix streaming of this title looked absolutely great. I really, honestly, couldn't tell the difference between it and a DVD. I'm growing to love the streaming experience more and more.

12. Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals (1977) - (Theme Night) - Also known by its original Italian title of Emanuelle e Gli Ultimi Cannibali and its American grindhouse moniker, Trap Them and Kill Them, this weird hybrid of sex and cannibalism is about as stupid as they come. That doesn't necessarily detract from its entertainment value, however. The dubbing is absolutely atrocious, with the voiceover "artists" (and I use that term VERY loosely) trying to match the mouth movements of the onscreen actors by pausing at inappropriate times. If it were transcribed, it would look something like this: "We've got to...(long pause)...try to follow them and maybe we...(longer pause)...we can save Maggie." The first half of the film is pretty much devoted to softcore sex scenes between Laura Gemser and everybody she comes across. The second half of the film concentrates on the gore. As I think that Laura Gemser is one of the most beautiful women ever to be in front of a camera, I tended to like the first half of the film better than the second. The gore is sporadic, but fairly effective. Featuring a smoking monkey and the least-convincing Irish nun ever.

10/6/2010

13. It's Alive (1974) - (31 Films Subset) (Theme Night) - I'm not a big fan of science fiction and fantasy, and the reason is this: my suspension of disbelief can only go so far. Once you get methane-breathing centaurs into the mix, I can't extend my disbelief any farther. It's too outside my frame of reference for me to be able to relate to it. And that's the feeling I have for It's Alive. Larry Cohen's tale of a mutant killer baby is just too far-fetched for me to be able to hang with it. There were certain themes in the film that I related to, such as a parent's love for his or her child, no matter how handicapped that child may be and how monstrous it may appear, or how all the chemicals and other toxins that have become a part of our diet can cause changes to the fabric of our DNA, but killer babies with fangs and claws and superhuman crawling speed? Nope. Can't go there. Still, I found It's Alive to be watchable, and it seems to be one of those films that would really play well with a large audience, but I can't rightly say that I liked it very much. I really wanted to, as I'm a fan of some of Cohen's other films, but I never was able to turn off my critical faculties long enough to just go with it.

14. Crawlspace (1972) - This made-for-TV movie from 1972 scratched an itch that I didn't realize needed scratching, and that itch was to see a 1970s TV movie. There's something about made-for-TV movies from the early 70s that really resonates with me. It may be the fact that I saw so many of them on their original airdates, and promos for them leading up to the airing really ratcheted up my anticipation for them. Crawlspace is one that I missed way back when, and I've only just now caught up to it. The cast is wonderful, with Arthur Kennedy taking a pretty big step downward from the likes of Lawrence of Arabia and Cheyenne Autumn to slum in a TV movie, but he's pitch-perfect in his part. It's always great to see Teresa Wright in anything, and Eugene Roche as the sheriff has a face familiar to anyone who grew up watching 70s-era television. Well-directed by John Newland (One Step Beyond) and sporting a memorable score by Jerry Goldsmith, Crawlspace definitely has that 70s TV movie vibe. It really hit the spot on this chilly October evening.

10/7/2010

15. Octaman (1971) - (31 Films Subset) - If I had seen this when it was first released (and I was nine years old), this would probably be one of my favorites. As it stands, however, I saw this stinker for the first time tonight. One of the rules for a successful horror movie is that you don't show your monster too soon or too often, as everything that follows that first reveal is anticlimactic. Harry Essex, the writer, producer, and director of Octaman, had apparently not heard of that dictum at the time he shot this film, as the creature is revealed during the main credits. Essex then goes on to keep the monster on the screen in full view for at least half of the film's running time. I can only guess that he either loved the Octaman suit a whole lot, or he wanted to get his money's worth of monster suit up on the screen...or both. No matter his reasons, the Octaman is indeed on display throughout the entire film, and to make REALLY sure that we see the suit, Essex shoots the majority of the monster scenes IN BROAD DAYLIGHT. So, while the nine-year-old still inside me was pleased with the sheer amount of monster footage in the film, the adult in me ached for a little restraint, a little mystery. Two more quick notes: 1) Harry Essex is perhaps best known for writing Universal's duo of 3D genre pictures in the 50s, It Came from Outer Space and The Creature from the Black Lagoon. If you're able to stay awake during Octaman, you may notice that its plot follows that of The Creature from the Black Lagoon fairly closely, but with no harpoons or Julie Adams. 2) Having watched It's Alive only last night, I noticed that the mutant baby in that film and the Octaman both have very similar features (bulging, veiny forehead and big cat eyes). Turns out that Rick Baker designed both monsters. There's definitely a family resemblance going on there.

16. What's the Matter with Helen? (1971) - (Theme Night) - Fun film set in the 1930s about a pair of women who move to Hollywood and open a dancing school for children in order to start afresh after their sons commit a well-publicized murder. Debbie Reynolds and Shelley Winters star as the women, with excellent support work from Dennis Weaver and Agnes Moorehead. The film was written by Henry Farrell (who wrote the novel upon which What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? was based), and Helen is an interesting variation on Baby Jane. The always-fascinating Curtis Harrington directed Shelley Winters twice in a row in similar films (this one and Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?). Well worth seeking out on a slow weekend.

10/8/2010

17. Salvage (2009) - (31 Films Subset) - I wasn't expecting much with this one, but it's one of the best films I've seen in a while. It starts slow, but it kicks in pretty hard after about 10 minutes and doesn't let up after that. If you haven't seen it, it's probably best to come to it as I did, without knowing anything about it. Put it in your Netflix queue. Thanks for picking it, Chad!

18. Calvaire (2004) - (Theme Night) - I've had Calvaire in my collection for a few months now, but this was the first time that I've watched it. After viewing it, I feel that it really could have stayed unwatched for several years and my life would not have been the poorer for it. I'm not saying that it's a particularly bad film; there's much to admire here. But what was the purpose of the whole thing? I didn't come away from the film enlightened, informed, persuaded, or even particularly entertained. It's as if The Texas Chain Saw Massacre had been scripted by Lars von Trier, directed by David Lynch and shot in Belgium. But that makes it sound better than it actually is. While the performances are good, Calvaire just piles strangeness upon strangeness, and after a while it just becomes ridiculous. But maybe that was the point. I don't know.

10/9/2010

19. Rattlers (1976) - Generally speaking, whenever a movie starts with the Boxoffice International logo, I know that I can safely write it off immediately as being sub-par drive-in fodder. Rattlers was released by Boxoffice International, so I was resigned to slogging through a poorly-made nature-on-the-rampage tale. And...I've got to admit that Rattlers wasn't the stinkbomb that I thought it would be. If a film about mass rattlesnake attacks can possibly be called pleasant, then Rattlers is quite pleasant. It's very much a product of its time, with a whole lot of dialogue devoted to discussing equal workplace rights for women, and fashions and set dressings so ugly that they'll probably be in vogue again soon (check out the wallpaper at the nurse's station at the hospital!). Since Rattlers has the feel of a made-for-TV movie, but with no recognizable name actors, it was destined for the drive-ins. That's too bad, because this little film deserves to be better known. It's not perfect, but as far as snake movies go, this one unexpectedly lands at the top of the pile.

20. Black Rainbow (1989) - (31 Films Subset) - Rosanna Arquette stars as a medium who can supposedly see and speak to the dead, Jason Robards plays her alcoholic father/manager, and Tim Hulce is the newspaper reporter who takes an interest in her abilities once she begins foretelling people's deaths. Film starts off confusingly, and there are plot threads that end up going nowhere. The central conceit of the film is interesting, however, and because of this, Black Rainbow only really comes alive when Arquette is onstage doing her medium thing. I tried very hard to like this movie, but the variable performances by the leads, the excrutiatingly awful score, the muddled storyline, and some wonky 11th hour happenings all combined for a mostly unimpressive viewing experience.

21. I Spit on Your Grave (1978) - (Theme Night) - I first saw this when Wizard released it on VHS waaaay back in the day. I didn't much like it then, so I was keen to give it another whirl for the Challenge. Maybe my sensibilities had changed over the last 25+ years and I'd see greatness where I didn't before. After all, I've seen a lot of films in the last few decades, and surely some of them had changed my outlook enough so that I'd see this film through fresh eyes. So I watched it again, and...I'm still not very fond of it. I have the same problems with it now that I had then. First and foremost, while Camille Keaton is certainly a brave actress, "brave" does not, in this case, equate with "good." Secondly, the film's pacing is just wrong. I understand the need for deliberate pacing in a film--I've seen enough European art films to value a measured pace. But, to stretch a sentence construction, "deliberate" should not mean "lethargic." Sure, the film has some vile things happening in it, but that isn't what makes me dislike it. I dislike it because, after all is said and done, it's an amateurish film. On the positive side, I don't dislike it nearly as much as I used to, so I've got that going for me, which is nice.

10/10/2010

22. City of the Living Dead (aka The Gates of Hell) (1980) - (31 Films Subset) (Theme Night) - Lucio Fulci's first horror film after the international success of Zombie (or Zombi 2, if you prefer) continues on the same path, with zombies lurking around the city of Dunwich. Thanks to the suicide of a priest, the doors of Hell have been opened in Dunwich, and it's up to a psychic, a newspaper reporter, and a psychiatrist to get them closed again. Although the film has great atmosphere, it falls pretty short in the logic department...and I have absolutely no idea what the ending of the film means. It's worth a look, especially if you're a fan of Italian gorefests, but Fulci's The Beyond, which elaborates on many of this film's themes, is a much more satisfying film.

23. Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1969) - Hammer's third go-round with Christopher Lee as the Count was easily my favorite Hammer film as a kid, but as I've seen more of Hammer's output in the intervening years, it's slipped a few notches down the pole. It's still a pretty good Dracula film, and Lee has some choice moments (just watch the emotions that run across his face as he's about to attack Veronica Carlson for the first time), but there are inconsistencies with the Dracula mythos that bother me these days. For instance, how did Dracula just walk into Maria's room without being invited? Watching it on DVD for the first time, I was struck by Freddie Francis's overuse of colored filters as well. Everything shot in the basement of the bakery has this oddly-colored filter around the edges of the screen. It's fairly interesting at first, but it's in every single shot there. I also noticed that Dracula was often backlit with bold primary colors, which reminded me a bit of some of the shots in Suspiria. Obviously, Francis was experimenting with color as way to heighten the drama, and he was successful most of the time. The over-the-top ending seriously freaked me out as a kid.

10/11/2010

24. The Blob (1988) - (31 Films Subset) - Chuck Russell's Thing-like take on the moldy oldie is an interesting update, but it's let down in the second half due to the very 80s insistence that the monster is a biological creation of the government and its reliance on action instead of horror. The first half of the film works beautifully, though. I remember seeing it when it first came out and not really liking it (but I didn't really hate it, either). I liked it a little better this time around, but it still doesn't exactly work for me. It certainly makes me miss the pre-CGI days, however. I was surprised to see that Frank Darabont co-scripted; perhaps he named Kevin Dillon's character Flagg after Randall Flagg in The Stand. I also suspect that the cook that gets sucked down the sink drain was inspired by a character in King's "The Raft" that met a similar fate. All in all, The Blob is worth a look on a slow night, but it probably won't land on anyone's top-ten list.

25. The House of the Devil (2009) - (Theme Night) - I've heard nothing but praise for this film that seemed to come out of nowhere, so naturally I approached it warily indeed. Because of this, I was very pleasantly surprised that the film was as good as it is (which is very good indeed). If you were to look up the term "slow buildup" in the dictionary, it should say at the end of the definition "see The House of the Devil." The pleasure in this film is not where you as a viewer end up, but instead it's the journey that you take to get there. The first 75 minutes or so of the film are methodically paced, and instead of boring the viewer, it works to rachet up the tension quite nicely. There's something to be said for horror films that take their time to build to shock scenes instead of throwing blood around willy-nilly. This buildup of tension in The House of the Devil reminded me of other films that take their time to set a mood...The Uninvited, The Woman in Black, Ghostwatch. The retro late 70s/early 80s horror film feel is an added plus. I defy any real fan of exploitation horror cinema not to smile when the title card appears on screen. I'm very much looking forward to Ti West's next film, The Innkeepers.

10/12/2010

26. Sheitan (2006) - (31 Films Subset) (Theme Night) - Wow. Just wow. This film was nothing like I was expecting, and the second time this challenge that I've been completely bowled over by a film. First Dead Snow, and now Sheitan. I can only think of one person that I know that I can recommend this to; if I were to recommend it to ANYONE else they'd probably never trust my judgement again. So be it. As Sheitan is set in the French countryside, it reminded me a (very) little of High Tension--but the films are two very different birds altogether. If you haven't seen this one (and you're up for something completely different, as Monty Python would say), don't read anything about it beforehand. Just get on for a sensationally wonky ride. Loved it, loved it, loved it.

27. Frankenstein (1931) - There's not much to say about this one that hasn't been said before, and better. Creaky in spots (and there's too much of Henry Frankenstein's dad for my taste), but undeniably one of the cornerstones of American horror. The film is so ingrained into our culture that it's impossible for me to watch without thinking of all of the other films that it's inspired. Boris Karloff's performance is still a marvel after almost 80 years. If you haven't seen it in the past few years, pull it out on a cold, rainy night and rediscover it. It's already there on your shelf.

10/13/2010

28. Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988) - (31 Films Subset) (Theme Night) - Pretty useless sequel to Hellraiser is more of the same, but not nearly as much fun. So off we go, back to the land of the Cenobites, for more flesh-ripping and blood-letting. Even with all the blood and gore, pretty much a snooze-fest.

29. The Mummy's Ghost (1944) - I'm pretty sure that I'd never seen this film before, but as I can't really tell one 1940s mummy movie from another, I can't guarantee that this was a first viewing. I'm going to count it as one anyway, as I recalled absolutely no plot details. In some shots, Barton MacLane looks eerily like George W. Bush. Hero Robert Lowery wears pants that come up almost to his armpits. A major plot point has two separate Egyptologists (one of them actually from Egypt) having real trouble figuring out the hieroglyph for the number 9. I don't know...I think that one would be pretty easy to figure out. It's not like a fairly low number like "9" cropped up so rarely that it would confound two eminent scholars of Egyptian history. I mean, it's not like their stumbling block was the hieroglyph for "intestinal parasite." THAT I could see. And what is it that so draws mummies to swamps?

10/14/2010

30. The Children (2008) - (31 Films Subset) (Theme Night) - Okay British horror film takes place at Christmas, when the kids at an extended family get-together come down with what at first appears to be a stomach virus...but it's a stomach virus with a body count. I guess because I spend most of my day around large numbers of children (as a public school district employee), I usually don't find killer kids movies to be too scary. I mean, kids are small, and they don't have sharp fangs or claws like dangerous animals. So even if dozens of children suddenly turned rabid, I don't think that it'd be that difficult to defend yourself against them or escape. In killer kids movies like this one, you usually have an adult who, instead of just running away, backs into a corner and sits. This would be somewhat akin to a victim in a slasher movie taking a marker and drawing dotted lines on his abdomen, showing the killer exactly where to cut. In the end, even though this movie has garnered some praise from certain circles, I found it to be pretty average. It's not bad, but it's nothing special, either.

31. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) - I enjoyed this immensely when it first came out, but this is the first time since then that I've watched it in its entirety. This time around, it felt horribly draggy in the middle third (once Stretch literally drops in on the Sawyer family). It starts out great, and picks back up for the final act, but the middle feels like it's marking time. I was perturbed at some of the odd plot devices as well. I've worked at three different radio stations as an on-air personality, and never ONCE did I have to wait for a caller to hang up before I could end the call. I don't even know how that would work. So Stretch's pleading with the idiots who ended up being the film's first victims to hang up their phone bugs me to no end. Also, I certainly never HAD to record all calls to fulfill some sort of FCC regulations. In fact, the only time I ever recorded phone calls was when I had giveaways, and I only recorded those so that they could be played when I could find a good time to fit them in. We never put live listener calls on the air--there was too much of a chance of the caller using foul language and causing the station to be fined. But I digress--the good outweighs the bad in TCM2. Here are a few things I love about this movie: Bill Moseley's exaltant cry of "Humble Pie!" when raiding the record vault; Jim Siedow's very creative cursing; and, most especially, the scene when Stretch finds L.G. in the Sawyer family's underground lair. To me, that scene DEFINES "over the top." TCM2 turned out to be not quite as good as I remembered it, but it's still pretty unique, with amazing set design and some very choice moments.

10/15/2010

32. Night of the Creeps (1986) - (31 Films Subset) (Theme Night) - Fun film about alien slugs that wreak havoc on Earth by reanimating the dead. Tom Atkins is great, Plan 9 from Outer Space is showing on a television, and there are a zombie cat and dog. This was another film that I didn't particularly care for when it first came out; now, I think that it's a hoot from start to (almost) finish. It really has that 80s vibe in spades. While watching it this time around, I didn't remember the film ending as it did. Turns out that Fred Dekker stuck a new ending on the film! (And I later found the original ending in the special features section, so I didn't get upset or think that I had lost my mind.)

33. The Black Cat (1941) - Fairly disposable film from the Universal fright factory in the 40s stars Basil Rathbone and Bela Lugosi. It features the standard plot about money-grubbing relatives stuck in a creepy old house waiting on a rich family member to die. I really couldn't have cared less about the whodunit angle of the script, but the atmosphere was nice, with an almost constantly raging thunderstorm, hidden passages, and a cat crematorium. Now the bad news, which can be summed up in two words: Hugh Herbert. I don't think that there's ever been a more annoying "comedian" in the history of mankind. Every time he appeared on screen, it was like the rug of enjoyment was yanked from under my feet. The Black Cat is certainly no classic, but if you can tolerate Hugh Herbert, it may provide you with some meager rewards.

10/16/2010

34. Fear No Evil (1981) - (31 Films Subset) - I first saw this film as the top half of a double feature at the drive-in almost 30 years ago. For some reason or another, I've always had the impression that the film was pretty good. That impression vanished pretty quickly, however, as I watched the film today. The film now seems like it's two films that have been poorly grafted together. There's the one film, all about the archangels and their terrestrial battle against Lucifer, which carries some pretty interesting ideas and a great visual style. Then there's the other film, which details how the main character's high school classmates and family relate to him. It's pretty overwrought (especially the scenes involving Andrew's christening and his 18th birthday cake) and looks noticeably grimy. There's also a strange homoerotic subtext running through the movie--if, as someone once pointed out, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddie's Revenge is the gayest horror film ever made, then Fear No Evil runs it a close second. I remember Fangoria reporting that Avco Embassy (the film's distributor--it was a pick-up release) pumped in a pretty hefty chunk of change for all the optical work at the end, and they undoubtedly pumped in more bucks for the new wave soundtrack that they promoted pretty heavily in order to get the kids into the theater seats. It worked for me, and I guess for a lot of other folks as well, as the film went on to do respectably well at the box office. Unfortunately, the film just doesn't hold up, with the ending being, for me, a major disappointment. I really wanted to like this movie (again), but I just couldn't do it.

35. Uzumaki (2000) - (Theme Night) - Utterly bizarre J-horror film details a town's battle with spirals. Yup, spirals. Uzumaki reminded me a bit of Kairo (Pulse), another terminally weird Japanese horror movie that also didn't make a whole lot of sense, but I did end up liking Uzumaki better. It's certainly never boring, and the lead actress is pretty cute, but I doubt that it'll get much replay action at Casa Brown.

36. Evilspeak (1981) - I first caught this film in the early days of home video, and I remember kind of liking it. I enjoyed it a lot this viewing. Clint Howard plays Stanley Coopersmith, a picked-upon cadet at a military school. When he finds a secret room filled with Satanic objects in the basement of the school's chapel, he uses the hidden room to help him exact his revenge on his fellow cadets. The film follows the Carrie formula fairly closely, which may be why it works as well as it does. In one of those weird viewing coincidences, two of the three films I watched today (this one and Fear No Evil) both had life-sized crucifixes raining blood down on people. If you've never seen Evilspeak and don't have a Clint Howard phobia, you could watch far worse films than this one.

10/17/2010

37. My Bloody Valentine (1981) - (31 Films Subset) (Theme Night) - Although I've seen bits and pieces of this film over the years, this was the first time I actually sat and watched the entire thing. It's a good, solid slasher flick, with more atmosphere than most (due to the mine setting). Eviscerated by the ratings board, it's now available with all the gory bits reinstated. I watched the original theatrical version, however, as I wanted to experience what filmgoers would have seen in 1981. I enjoyed it, although the Canadian accents that came out every so often ("about" sounding like "a boat," for example) took me out of the film a little bit. And why did almost every slasher film feel the need to have one character who was an obnoxious joker?

38. The Omen (1976) - Another one that I'd only seen bits and pieces of over the years. What I like about The Omen is that it takes its plot totally seriously and is directed in an admirably straightforward manner. Because of that, it stands as an exemplary entry in the big-budget religious scare films of the 70s, with an outstanding cast and an Oscar-winning score by Jerry Goldsmith. I plan to watch the sequels and the 2006 remake before the month's over.

10/18/2010

39. Tourist Trap (1979) - (31 Films Subset) - Creepy little film from the early days of the Full Moon/Empire empire. A group of young people happen upon Slausen's Lost Oasis, a tourist trap in the middle of nowhere. There they find Chuck Connors and a gazillion mannequins. Film doesn't make a lick of sense, but it has some good atmosphere and a memorable score from the (almost) always reliable Pino Donnagio. While the script has more than its share of problems, Tourist Trap is still evidence that a low budget doesn't have to hamper the imaginations of filmmakers. Most surprising credit: Ron Underwood, director of Tremors and City Slickers, was the assistant director. I've always thought that this would make the perfect film for a sleepover party for 10-year-old girls--it's rated PG (contrary to what the DVD box states), doesn't have a lot of blood, and has those uber-creepy mannequins (who make a truly nightmarish noise). I'll bet that there wouldn't be a lot of sleep at a sleepover after THIS movie.

40. Pit and the Pendulum (1961) - (Theme Night) - Roger Corman's second Poe adaptation (in a long line of Poe adaptations) is still my favorite. Richard Matheson's script only uses the Poe story for the last 10 minutes or so, but what comes before the pendulum is still a doozy. It doesn't have quite enough Barbara Steele for my tastes, but it has plenty of Luana Anders, and that's fine by me, too. Vinnie subdues the hamminess pretty well, and nobody does bullheaded like John Kerr. Plenty of weird lighting and camera effects (including some pre-psychedelic opening and closing titles) add to the disequilibrium. The final shot is absolutely chilling.

10/19/2010

41. Smash Cut (2009) - (31 Films Subset) (Theme Night) - Homage to the films of Herschell Gordon Lewis (and The Gore-Gore Girls in particular) is easily the worst film I've watched so far in the Challenge, and quite possibly the worst film I've seen in several years. In fact, I don't recall hating a film this much since I saw my least favorite film of all time, Rob Zombie's desecration of Halloween. It was such a grueling experience that I had to turn the TV off for the night after viewing it, afraid that the ill will that the film engendered in me would rub off on any film that followed it. That the director was able to coerce H. G. (and Michael Berryman and Ray Sager and David Hess) into being in the film can only speak of the need for money that these thespians so obviously had. By the looks of the film, they couldn't have walked away with very much cash after debasing themselves so badly. At first, Smash Cut elicited in me neither fright nor laughs, but by the end of the film I was feeling a definite sense of anger. It's one of those films that make me think that the filmmakers were having a better time making the film than any audience could ever have watching the final product. I can't come up with any adjectives to accurately describe the film, so these will have to do: stupid and loathsome.

10/20/2010

42. Fright Night (1985) - (31 Films Subset) (Theme Night) - For some reason, I've never really warmed to Fright Night, and I can't really put my finger on why. It hits all the expected notes that a vampire film should, but maybe it just seems too...calculated to me. Watching it this time out, I was really struck by the sheer 80s-ness of the film, especially in the club scene, where Chris Sarandon and Amanda Bearse strut their stuff on the dance floor. Ending leaves room for a sequel, which eventually appeared--although it didn't take the second film in the direction that was hinted at in the first film. Fright Night isn't a bad film, but it's no classic, either.

43. Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959) - Adequate time filler from the Corman factory was obviously influenced in part by Baby Doll, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially when Yvette Vickers is in the Carroll Baker part. Quick running time also helps tremendously, as things don't have time to play out at a leisurely pace. The title creatures are better than average for this sort of film, and the swamp atmosphere is pretty well done. Too bad the Alpha disc that I watched has such a dark first half.

44. Below (2002) - Effective haunted submarine story really leaves it up to the viewer to decide whether the paranormal happenings are real or not. Great cast, good action sequences, incredible set design, and a mystery central to the plot all add up to make a good, solid film. Never as scary as I wanted it to be, Below is still an entertaining ride.

10/21/2010

45. The Seventh Victim (1943) - (31 Films Subset) - Val Lewton's darkest, most pessimistic film is sort of like the cinematic equivalent of Billie Holiday's "Gloomy Sunday," in that it has about it an unrelenting feeling of doom. Even Hugh Beaumont, Ward Cleaver from TV's "Leave It to Beaver," seems weighed down by the oppressive atmosphere. And what a nihlistic ending! Although it's not my favorite Lewton film, it's probably the most effective of the bunch. Not the kind of film you need to watch if you're taking antidepressants.

46. Gallery of Horrors (1966) - (Theme Night) - Possibly the worst horror anthology film ever released, Gallery of Horrors (also known as Dr. Terror's Gallery of Horrors and Return from the Past) can be a lot of fun if you watch it with a bunch of wisecracking friends. Five tales of supposed terror (all featuring "surprise" endings) get funnier and funnier as the film progresses, with the last two in particular being real riots. It certainly doesn't help that the film was shot on about two smallish sets per story and that the camera seldom moves. For a fun drinking game, take a slug of your favorite adult beverage every time a shot from Roger Corman's Fall of the House of Usher is used. If you're not totally blasted by the end of the third story, you've got a cast-iron liver. To the film's credit, I truly didn't see the last "surprise ending" coming, and I actually let out a fairly loud whoop of pure stupid joy when it occurred.

10/22/2010

47. Demons (1985) - (31 Films Subset) (Theme Night) - What happens when Italian filmmakers decide to throw The Evil Dead, The Terminator, and American Ninja into a big pot and stir? Why, this film, of course! There's not an original idea to be seen in Demons (it also takes cues from Black Sunday and Dawn of the Dead), but it's still a rip-roaring good time. Lots of blood and pus are on display as the Italian makeup guys finally learn about latex appliances. The bizarrely eclectic soundtrack features Accept, Motley Crue, and...Go West. Go figure. As the SNL beer parody jingle for Spud says, "Just put your brain on hold" and you'll have an excellent time.

48. Beyond Evil (1980) - I've had a soft spot for this big piece o' hooey ever since I caught it on VHS back in the day. The first time that I saw it, it hit me just right, and I still enjoy it a lot. It's not a very good film by any stretch of the imagination, but John Saxon's earnestness plus some old-fashioned chills still make it a fun watch. From director Herb Freed, who has since renounced filmmaking and become a rabbi.

49. The House of Seven Corpses (1974) - The first time I saw this film was on a local TV station on the Saturday night late movie. I was fairly young and impressionable, and it scared me quite a bit. The very next weekend, the same station showed Horror Express, which also creeped me out. The next week was Unknown World, which bored me into near catatonia. Then they repeated the same three films over the next three weeks. And again. They must have bought the smallest, cheapest movie package available. Still, because of the early TV exposure, I love The House of Seven Corpses (and Horror Express). The House of Seven Corpses is definitely low-budget, and it certainly has its flaws, but it also has an indefinable atmosphere about it that really, really works for me. It's somewhat akin in atmosphere to Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things, which I also love dearly. Of all the films that I'd love to see get a special edition released, this would have to be at the top of the list. I'd love to know more about its inception, its critical reception, and why it went from theaters to TV so quickly. (A lot of people mistakenly believe that this was a made-for-TV film, but I've got an original release one sheet poster that proves them wrong.) It was the only feature directed by Paul Harrison, who spent most of his career writing for television. In fact, most of the cast and crew came from television. If I ever make it to Utah, I'm going to visit the former Governor's Mansion where this was shot. Lastly, I must note that, contrary to the title, Rob Zombie's film is NOT approximately 143 times better than this.

10/23/2010

50. Ginger Snaps (2000) - (31 Films Subset) (Theme Night) - Clever werewolf movie about two oddball sisters, one of whom gets bitten by a werewolf. When I first saw this eight or so years ago, I was rather underwhelmed; however, I now find it to be a fine addition to the werewolf canon. Both leads are superb, the script is witty and poignant, and there are enough twists on the traditional werewolf mythos that I at times felt like I was seeing a werewolf film for the first time. Shares the same theme as The Company of Wolves, but, unlike that film, Ginger Snaps doesn't try to drench everything in symbolism to the point of obtuseness. The only letdowns, and they're minor ones, are that the film feels somewhat overlong and the creature design isn't up to snuff. Other than that, I'd rank it as the best werewolf film of the last twenty-five years.

51. Revenge of the Living Dead Girls (1987) - Wonky French film has three girls drinking milk contaminated with a poison from a local pesticide factory, dying, and coming back from the grave to kill everyone who had anything to do with their deaths (even including those unfortunate enough to be even related to those who were more directly responsible). The makeup jobs on the three vengeful zombies are pretty obviously masks, and the film's narrative is somewhat elliptical, to be kind. However, there's an alternate ending that, while it doesn't make a lot of sense, changes the audience's perceptions of what had gone on before. If you've got an hour and a half to burn and aren't too picky about logic or quality makeup effects, you might find this film interesting.

52. The Omen (2006) - Perfunctory remake of the 1976 film adds nothing of substance to the original. There are a couple of new dream sequences designed solely to jolt the audience awake, the death sequences have been slightly altered, and there's a lot more rain, but other than these minor changes, this film is essentially the same as the first. This remake even includes whole swatches of the original's screenplay with no changes whatsoever, and many of the shots are set up identically between the two films. It's not awful, but there are no real surprises if you've seen the first one. If you haven't seen the first one, I'm sure that you'll like this one just fine. Gregory Peck is sorely missed, but at least the remake sounds great in DTS.

10/24/2010

53. Flowers in the Attic (1987) - (31 Films Subset) - What was up with this?!? Four children get locked in an upstairs room at "the grandmother"'s house after their father (who was also their great-uncle) dies. Their mother has a downstairs room in the house, and she checks in on them for a while, until she realizes that she'd be better off without them. She does, however, show the kids a hidden staircase that leads to the attic, where they spend a lot of time wondering why she never comes to visit them anymore. Strange, strange film that never really builds up to any kind of tension, even when (SPOILER ALERT!!) one of the kids dies from poisoned cookies that "the grandmother" has been leaving for them. Veiled references to incest abound, but they remain veiled due to the film's PG-13 rating. Best line: "Eat the cookie!" High camp value makes this more fun than it has any right to be.

54. Flesh for Frankenstein (aka Andy Warhol's Frankenstein) (1973) - (Theme Night) - Funny, disgusting take on the Frankenstein story starring Udo Kier as the mad doctor. Originally released in 3-D (using Arch Oboler's Space-Vision process), this must have really knocked audiences' socks off with all the bloody innards being thrust directly into the camera lens. Also starring Joe Dallesandro and that creepy little girl from practically every Italian horror movie of the 70s, Nicoletta Elmi.

10/25/2010

55. Gojira (1954) - (31 Films Subset) (Theme Night) - I do love me some Godzilla, but I'm loathe to say that this is the first time I've seen the Japanese version of the original film. I lived in Japan for a year and a half about seven years ago, and I was lucky enough to have found a job in the town where Eiji Tsuburaya was born. Sukagawa is a smallish town about two hours north of Tokyo, and, while it was the hometown of the man who brought life to Godzilla, there wasn't much there to commemorate him. I heard that there used to be a giant fiberglass Godzilla egg in the mountains right outside of town as a kind of tribute, but by the time I lived there it had been taken down due to its attraction to vandals. In fact, the town seemed to be much more proud of Tsuburaya-san for creating Ultraman than for his role in the creation of Godzilla. (There is, however, a pretty nifty 7-foot sculpture of Ultraman that stands at the entrace to City Hall.) Luckily, one of the department stores in town had a pretty good selection of Toho monster toys that I spent a lot of time perusing. This first film is markedly different in tone than the Americanized version, and it does a pretty good job of laying bare the psychic scars that the atomic bombs left on the populace of Japan. It moves at a pretty good pace, and some of the special effects are still pretty impressive. There was a 50th-anniversary museum show that toured Japan in the summer of 2004, and I coerced a friend of mine to go see it with me. I bought a pretty cool T-shirt that features a schematic of the Oxygen Destroyer which I have yet to take out of its protective plastic bag. I also got my friend to talk a local shop owner into giving me the poster advertising the exhibit that had hung in the store window in the weeks leading up to the event. I had it framed, and it now hangs proudly in my living room.

10/26/2010

56. The Devil's Backbone (2001) - (31 Films Subset) - Beautifully-shot ghost story from Guillermo del Toro won me over in its first few shots, when we're introduced to the new kid at the school, Carlos. The actor that plays Carlos has one of those faces that I immediately related to; he didn't seem like a kid acting in a movie, he seemed REAL. I guess because I related to the character so quickly, I was all in from the get-go. For me, the most interesting thing in the movie was how the ghost was shown. I was fascinated by the blood that kept flowing out of his wound into the air around him, but looking like what (I imagine) blood flowing from an underwater wound would look like. It sort of floated out and dispersed into thin air. The film's villain was completely despicable, which made it doubly satisfying when he got his comeuppance. A good, solid film that builds its scares around the living, not the dead.

57. The Orphanage (2007) - (Theme Night) - I enjoyed this one even more than The Devil's Backbone. I knew pretty much nothing about this film going into it, which made its surprises effective. The end came dangerously close to becoming too saccharine for my tastes, but the very last shot of the film redeemed it completely. I jumped several times, and got some SERIOUS gooseflesh twice--and I can't ask for more than that from a horror film. The second game of "Knock on the Wall" almost had me watching through my fingers, something I haven't done since, oh, junior high school. The Orphanage has zoomed onto my "favorite films of the Challenge" list. Loved it, loved it, loved it.

10/27/2010

58. Splinter (2008) - (31 Films Subset) - A surprisingly effective little thriller, Splinter is one of those films that I would never have watched without some prodding. After all, at first glance it looks like every other movie on SyFy and/or Chiller. Luckily, it has a lot more going for it than I had supposed. Like The Devil's Backbone last night, I was immediately hooked by an actor; only in this case, it was by ALL of the cast. And I think that's what sets this film apart from others of its ilk--exceptionally fine acting from everyone involved. I'll be checking this one out again real soon.

59. Race with the Devil (1975) - (Theme Night) - What can I say about a film like this one? It's practically bulletproof, as it really has no other aspiration than to keep the viewer on the edge of his seat, and with all the stuntwork and scary snake stuff, it does just that. And what a archetypical 70s score! While the film is fun in one's living room, I imagine that it really comes alive on the big screen with an appreciative crowd. I missed this one when it came out, but some of my friends saw it and they were MIGHTY impressed. Of course, this is exactly the type of film that WILL impress 13-year-old boys. Fun fact brought up in the commentary track: Executive producer Paul Maslansky directed another 70s fave drive-in movie of mine, Sugar Hill (and her zombie hitmen!).

10/28/2010

60. Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981) - (31 Films Subset) - One of the better made-for-network TV fright films, from the waning days of the cycle. (Think about it...how long has it been since one of the networks aired an original movie? Even theatrical films are obscenely scarce during prime-time on the networks.) Four men murder a mentally-challenged man whom they think has killed a young girl. As it turns out (and as the audience already knows), the man was trying to SAVE the girl, as she was his only friend. After a hearing where they are acquitted of murder, the four start dying in ways that make their deaths look accidental. We, the audience, know that the deaths are not accidental, but what we don't know is who is actually doing the killing. I'll admit that I was surprised (and pleased) to find out who the killer actually was. Perfect fare for this time of year.

61. Whispering Corridors (1998) - (Theme Night) - A lot of people seem to dearly love this film, but (as much as I LOVE Asian horror) it didn't quite resonate with me as I had hoped that it would. It's certainly not a bad film, but it is a little restrained and parts of it are pretty confusing. Still, it has some great atmosphere and an interesting premise. I'll have to watch it again soon to see if I can fill in some gaps in my understanding of the events of the film. Spawned a handful of sequels of which I've only seen one (Wishing Stairs, which I enjoyed more than this one).

10/29/2010

62. The Monster Squad (1987) - (31 Films Subset) (Theme Night) - Fairly fun film is sort of like The Goonies crossed with Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. It's enjoyable, but it's certainly not as good as I had hoped it would be. I don't know why I don't like it more, but the complete lack of depth to the characters may be one reason. I really like how the Wolfman reassembles himself after he's been blown up, however. It's an okay Saturday afternoon kind of film.

63. Blood and Black Lace (1964) - If I had to pick one film as Mario Bava's best (and I'm glad that I don't have to do that), I'd pick this one. The lighting, the cinematography, the score (I'm a sucker for some bongos on a soundtrack; see also Ed Wood), just about everything. Blood and Black Lace is one of those films that I simply HAVE to pull out and watch every few years. Essential viewing for any true film fan.

64. Universal Horror (1998) - This made-for-television documentary detailing Universal's so-called "Golden Age of Horror" was put together by Kevin Brownlow, a personal hero of mine for his reconstruction of Abel Gance's Napoleon and his essential multi-part documentary about silent cinema, Hollywood. Even though it's called Universal Horror, it does a pretty good job of covering MOST horror films of the 20s and 30s. Although he seems like a nice guy, a little David J. Skal goes a long way, and there's more than a little of him in this documentary. But there's also a good many of the actors who were in these classics (Gloria Stuart, Fay Wray, Rose Hobart) on hand, and it's a joy to see them talking about the making of these seminal films.

10/30/2010

65. Child's Play (1988) - Okay, I'll confess...I find this movie to be a lot of fun. So sue me. I didn't use to like it very much, but then I saw Bride of Chucky and...well, something clicked. I don't think that it's a classic or anything, but it's an enjoyable 87 minutes that doesn't feel padded at all.

66. Paranormal Activity 2 (2010) - (31 Films Subset) - So-so sequel to the first film. I didn't get anywhere near the sense of dread from this one that I did from its predecessor, although I did visibly jump at least twice. I found it quite clever in its way of linking up to the first film, however. If you liked the first one, you'll probably like this one at least some; if you didn't find the first one scary, you'll be bored for ninety minutes.

67. It! The Terror from Beyond Space (1958) - (Theme Night) - For a 50s low-budget sci-fi film, this one's pretty decent.

68. The Beast that Killed Women (1965) - (Theme Night) - Pretty dire, but at least not as bad as its co-feature on the DVD, The Monster of Camp Sunshine. For me, the movie achieves new heights of surrealism about 27 minutes in, when the nude square-dancing starts up. It would have been a lot better, though, if all of the non-leads had not had any dialogue.

10/31/2010


The Checklist is here:

dumpty

DUMPTY'S 2010 OCTOBER CHALLENGE LIST

GOAL: Last year I bagged 25 movies. This year I want at least 31.

10/1

1. Carnival of Souls (1962) - ☼ very creepy ultra-low budget film Netflix Instant
2. Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972) - final Hammer Dracula. A bit slow, but Caroline Munro and a glimpse in to the London of 1972 make it interesting Netflix Instant

10/2

3. Art of the Devil II (2005) - ☼ Thai spooky revenge/curse film. Interesting to see another culture's take on this genre. A gore-fest for sure. Netflix Instant
4. Wolf Creek (2005) - ☼ Australian version of Wrong Turn. City folk are scared of country folk, I guess. DVD
5. Barbarella (1968) - Sci-Fi/Horror. Those nastly little dolls with the metal teeth have always disturbed me. DVD

10/3

6. Jurassic Park (1993) - Nature gone wild! Movies usher in the CGI era. DVD
7. The Lost Continent (1968) - The Hammer version. Lots of talking in the first reel, but a giant hermit crab soon loosens things up! You know it's dead when the lights in its eyes go out! DVD

10/9

8. Celebrity Ghost Stories: Season 2, Episode 8 (2009) - ☼ Deborah Gibson, Joey Pantoliano, Kimberly Locke, Willie Garson TV
9. Celebrity Ghost Stories: Season 1, Episode 5 (2010) - ☼ Lisa Rinna, Jeffrey Ross, Vincent Curatola, Illeana Douglas. TV
10. The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) - My favorite Harryhausen film. First Blu-ray viewing!

10/10

11. Jacob's Ladder (1990) - I think this movie is different every time I see it. Intriguing spooky stuff! DVD

10/11

12. The Beyond (1981) - "The Citizen Kane of Neopolitan Horror" If someone leaves you a spooky hotel on the Bayou complete with a book of Eibon, just run! This film contains the classic "spiders and the eyeball" scene. In fact, many eyeballs meet their end in The Beyond. DVD

10/12

13. Jeepers Creepers (2001) - Just a scary little film that works, mostly because of how believable the brother and sister heroes are together. DVD

10/14

14. Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972) - I rarely watch this sequel. I do love the first movie though. I forgot that Robert "Count Yorga" Quarry is in it. DVD

10/15

15. How to Train A Dragon (2010) - ☼ It's animated, but there's dragons! Outdoor Theater
16. Blood For Dracula (1974) - I haven't seen this since college 30 years ago (When it was known as Andy Warhol's Dracula). Slow moving off-beat take on the dracula genre. DVD
17. I Bury The Living (1957) - Not too scary, but a good late night "Fright Night" type of movie. DVD

10/16

18. The Fog (1979) - My second favorite John Carpenter movie. It's creepy and I just love the visuals. Must go up to Inverness where it was shot one day. DVD

10/17

19. Scanners (1980) - One of my favorite Cronenberg films. Still good after all these years! DVD
20. Videodrome (1983) - Really weird Cronenberg film. I still don't quite get it. Comes complete with James Woods and Debby Harry. DVD
21. The Return of the Vampire (1943) - War-time vampire/werewolf story with Bela Lugosi as the vampire (but not Dracula this time!). The werewolf, Andreas, looks more like Benji than a proper werewolf. DVD

10/23

22. Frankenstein (1931) - 75th Anniversary edition + Making Of feature. Nice transfer. Still one of my favorite horror movies of all time. DVD
23. Bride of Frankenstein (1935) - + Making Of feature. Now I have to watch Gods & Monsters again. Quirkly little thing. DVD
24. Son of Frankenstein (1939) - The Inspector really does stick several darts into his wooden arm! DVD

10/24

25. The Resurrected (1991) - Good reteling of Lovecraft's The Strange Case of Charles Dexter Ward. Nexflix Instant
26. Curse of the Swamp Creature (1966) - Deep in the swamp a cranky scientist is experimenting with the evolutionary cycle, throwing anyone he can get his hands on into his dry ice-filled fish tank. Netflix Instant
27.Ghost of Frankenstein (1942) - 4th movie in the cycle. Not worth going any farther. Sure, it's a great idea to put Igor's brain into the monster! DVD
28. House of Wax (2005) - I really like the Dark Castle series. This is the 5th reimagining of a 50's horror movie. The House on Haunted Hill is my favorite. DVD

10/25

29. Young Frankenstein (1974) - my favorite comedy of all-time, and it's also a great horror movie hommage. DVD

10/30

30. The Manster (1962) - cool Japanese setting with a two-headed man induced by chemistry. Great eyeball in the shoulder scene. DVD
31. A Boy and His Dog (1975) - Introducing Don Johnson, this his a nice film treatment of the post-apocalypse vision of Harlan Ellison's novella. I saw this at the 1973 Filmex Sci-Fi marathon. DVD

10/31

32. King of the Zombies (1941) - I remember this scaring the heck out of me as a small child. As an adult, it just makes me laugh! Unfortunately, Mantan Moreland portrays of the most stereotyped characters in film history. I guess this just shows how far we've come since then. DVD
33. Spider Baby (1964) - Another Mantan Moreland film. This is definitely a weird one. Lon Chaney Jr is also in it, but the stars are the three "children" in the insane house. Great theme song! DVD
34. Blair Witch Project (1999) - I can't believe it's been more than 10 years since this came out. Whether you like it or not, it certainly had a lot of influence on several films that came after. I'm in the "I like it" camp. DVD
35. House on Haunted Hill (1999) - One of my favorite remakes ever! Though I love the original, this just works. DVD

Birdies

OCT.1
1. Death Proof Blu
OCT.2
2. Disturbia Blu
3. Rabid dvd
4. Frozen Blu
5. Wrong Turn Blu
OCT.3
6. Seven Blu
7. The Thaw Blu
OCT.4
8. A Perfect Getaway Blu
OCT.5
9. Drag Me To Hell Blu
OCT.6
10.28 Weeks Later Blu
OCT.7
11.The Happening Blu
OCT.8
12.Survival Of The Dead Blu
OCT.9
13.The Shining (1980) Blu
14.The Ruins Blu
15.P2 HD-DVD
OCT.10
16.The Crazies (2010) Blu
17.The Exorcist (Directors) Blu
OCT.11
18.Evil Dead Blu
OCT.12
19.The Dead Zone (1983) dvd
OCT.13
20.The Uninvited (2009) HD On Demand
OCT.14
21.When A Stranger Calls (2006) dvd
OCT.15
22.The Hills Have Eyes (1977) dvd
23.The Final Destination Blu
OCT.16
24.High Tension Blu
25.Secret Window Blu
OCT.17
26.1408 Blu
27.The Night Flier dvd
28.The Hitcher (1986) dvd
OCT.18
29.Shuttle dvd
OCT.19
30.Silence Of The Lambs Blu
OCT.20
31.Vacancy Blu
OCT.21
32.The Devil's Rejects Blu
OCT.22
33.Halloween (2007) Blu
34.Flowers In The Attic dvd
OCT.23
35.Dawn Of The Dead (1978) Blu
36.Snakes On A Plane Blu
37.Blair Witch Project dvd
OCT.24
38.The Descent Blu
39.Witchboard dvd
40.Splice HD On Demand
OCT.25
41.Shutter Island Blu
42.Planet Terror Blu
43.The Strangers Blu
OCT.26
44.The Fly (1986) Blu
OCT.27
45.Friday The 13th (1980) Blu
OCT.28
46.The Fly 2 (1989) HD On Demand
47.Turistas dvd
OCT.29
48.Day Of The Dead (1985) Blu
OCT.30
49.See No Evil (2006) Fearnet HD
50.Night Of The Living Dead (1990) Fearnet HD
51.Intensity Fearnet
52.Friday The 13th Part 2 Blu
OCT.31
53.The Langoliers dvd
54.The Tingler Tcm
55.Halloween (1978) Blu

Goal = 50
2007 = 44
2008 = 50
2009 = 44
2010 = 55

etale@sunflower

*- First Time Viewing

Day 1 (October 1)

1. THE LOST (DVD) Anchor Bay, based on the novel by Jack Ketchem *
1.5. ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS: KING TUT SECRETS REVEALED (DVD), invo;ves a Mummy and the curse is mentioned *
2.5. THE HAUNTING OF MOLLY HARTLEY (DVD) *

October 2- TV Terrors 1
2.75. Twilight Zone-A Game of Pool (DVD)-Jonathan Winters, Jack Klugman
3. Twilight Zone-The Mirror (DVD)-Peter Falk
3.25. Twilight Zone-The Grave (DVD)-Lee Marvin, Lee Van Cleef
3.5. Twilight Zone-It's A Good Life (DVD)
4. Lost Season 1 Disc 5-…In translation (Blu-Ray)-Netflix
4.5. Lost Season 1 Disc 5-Numbers (Blu-Ray)-Netflix

October 3-Baad Robot!

5. Fringe Season 1- Ghost Network (DVD)
5.5. Fringe Season 1- Bad Dreams (DVD)
6. Fringe Season 1-There's More Than One of Everything (DVD)-Season 1 Finale
6.5. Lost Season 1-Deus Ex Machina (Blu-Ray)-Netflix
7. Lost Season 1- Do No Harm (Blu-Ray)-Netflix

October 4-Birthday Potporri
8. KILLING MACHINE (DAEHAKNO-YESEO MAECHOON-HADAKA TOMAKSALHAE DANGHAN YEOGOSAENG AJIK DAEHAKNO-YE ISSDA ) (2000) (DVD)-Korean *
9. KANGCHUI-Korean (DVD) *
FRINGE SEASON 2 (B-DAY PRESENT)
9.5. A NEW DAY IN THE OLD TOWN (BLU-RAY) (2009)
10. NIGHT OF DESIRABLE OBJECTS (BLU-RAY) (2009)
10.5. FRACTURE (BLU-RAY) (2009)


October 5-Asian Horror 1
10.75-Peony Lamp (DVD)-Japanese TV
11. Yamamba (DVD)-Japanese TV
12. Memento Mori (DVD)-Korean*
12.25.Crevices (DVD)-Japanese TV
12.5. Presentiment (DVD)-Japanese TV

October 6-Korean Horror

13.5. Voices (DVD)-ADHF
14.5. Mother (Blu-Ray)-Netflix*


October 7- Asian Horror + Fringe

15.5. Unborn, But Forgotten (DVD)-Korean
16. Fringe-The Plateau (TV)*
17. The Heirloom (DVD)-Taiwan
18. The Last Coffin (DVD)-Japan (DTV)*

October 9-J. Horror Night 1

21. DEAD WAVES (SHIRYÔHA) (2005) (DVD)
22. DOPPELGANGER (DOPPERUGENGÂ) (2003) (DVD)*
22.25. THE SPIDERWOMAN (KUMO-ONNA) (DARK TALES OF JAPAN (SUIYO PUREMIA: SEKAI SAIKYO J HORA SP NIHON NO KOWAI YORU) (DVD) (2004)

October 10-Short Terror

22.5. THE SACRIFICE (YOKAN) (DARK TALES OF JAPAN (SUIYO PUREMIA: SEKAI SAIKYO J HORA SP NIHON NO KOWAI YORU) (DVD) (2004)

23. Lost Season 1 Disc 6: The Greater Good (Blu-Ray)-Netflix
23.5. Lost Season 1 Disc 6: Born to Run (Blu-Ray)-Netflix

October 11-Cursed Electronics & An Event

24.5. One Missed Call 2 (DVD)
25. The Event: A Matter of Life and Death (NBC HD TV)
26. Ringu (DVD)
27. Ringu 2 (DVD)

October 12-J-Horror Direct-To-Video?

27.25. LOST SOULS (J-HORROR ANTHOLOGY: LEGENDS [ INAGAWA JUNJI NO SHINJITSU NO HORROR]) (2003) (DVD)
27.5. SHE BEAR (J-HORROR ANTHOLOGY: LEGENDS [ INAGAWA JUNJI NO SHINJITSU NO HORROR]) (2003) (DVD)
27.75. NURANRINYON (J-HORROR ANTHOLOGY: LEGENDS [ INAGAWA JUNJI NO SHINJITSU NO HORROR]) (2003) (DVD)
28. HEARTBROKEN TRIP (J-HORROR ANTHOLOGY: LEGENDS [ INAGAWA JUNJI NO SHINJITSU NO HORROR]) (2003) (DVD)
29. GHOST GATE (2007) (DVD) [Note: All of these were either done for Japanese TV or done directly to video]

October 13-X-Files/Lost
29.5. X-files: Pilot
30. X-Files: Beyond the Sea
30.5. Lost: Exodus Part 1

October 14-J. Horror + Fringe

31.5. Versus (DVD)
32. Fringe: Do Shapeshifters Dreams of Electric Sheep? (Fox TV)
33. Uzumaki (DVD)

October 15-Takashi Shimizu Night

33.25. BLONDE KAIDAN (KINPATSU KAIDAN) (DARK TALES OF JAPAN (SUIYO PUREMIA: SEKAI SAIKYO J HORA SP NIHON NO KOWAI YORU) (2004) (DVD)
34.25. REINCARNATION (RINNE) (2005) (DVD)-ADHF
35.5. 4444444444 (GAKKÔ NO KAIDAN G)/ IN A CORNER (KATASUMI) (THE GRUDGE UNRATED EXTENDED DIRECTOR’S CUT) (1998) (DVD)
36. 1/2. JU-ON (2000)

October 16-X-Files/Lost 2
37. X-Files: The Host (DVD)
37.5. X-Files: Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose (DVD)
38. Lost: Exodus (Part 2) (Blu-Ray)-Netflix
38.5.. Lost: Exodus (Part 3) (Blu-Ray)-Netflix
39.5. Genesis of Lost (Documentary) (Blu-Ray)-Netflix

October 17-Horror in a Political Climate
40.5. Evilenko (DVD)*-A Masterpiece! Highly Recommended!!!!
41.5. Frontier(s) (DVD)=ADHF

October 18-Latest Event+All the Colors of the Dark (M.Bava DF)
42. The Event: Causalties of War (TV)
43. Lisa and the Devil (DVD)
44. Kill, Baby, Kill (DVD)

October 19-Spanish Orphanages of the Dead
45. The Devil's Backbone (DVD)-Del Toro's prelude to Pan's Labyrinth
46. The Orphanage (DVD)

October 20-Nordic Undead
47. Let the Right One In (DVD)
48. Dead Snow (Blu-Ray)-Netflix*

October 21-Argento's Three Mothers
49. Suspiria (DVD)
50. Inferno (DVD)
51. Mother of Tears (DVD)

October 22-2 Brit Vamps+ A Short
51.25. Alma (YouTube)*
52.25. Vampire Diary (DVD)*
53.25. Horror of Dracula (DVD)

October 23-Neil Marshall Double Feature
54.25. Dog Soldiers (DVD)
55.25. The Descent (DVD)

October 24-I See Dead People (DP)/ A Double Take on the Master Detective (SH)
56.25. The Terror (1963) (DP) (DVD)
57.25. Sherlock: A Study in Pink (SH)* (PBS HD TV)
57.75. Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes: The Three Gables (SH) (PBS HD TV)
58.75. The Sixth Sense (DP) (DVD)-A friend's copy
59.75. Stir of Echoes (DP) (DVD)

October 25- The "E" Night, or It's a Good Day for an Exorcism
60.75. Exorcist: The Beginning (DVD)
61.25. The Event: Loyalty (NBC HD TV)
62.25. The Exorcist: The Version You Never Saw (DVD)- A Friend's Copy (This is the first time I've seen this version. I saw the original version in the theater when it came out)

October 26- *No Theme*
62.75. Fringe Season 2: Momentum Deferred (Blu-Ray)
63. Analysing the Scene: Momentum Deferred (Fringe S2 Blu-Ray)
63.5. Fringe Season 2: Momentum Deferred (Blu-Ray) (Commentary)
64.5. Rosemary's Baby (DVD)-A Friend's copy

October 27-They Who Walk These Halls…
65.5. The Messengers* (Blu-Ray)-Netflix
66.5. The Haunting (1963) (DVD)

October 28-Vamp Night
67. X-Files: Bad Blood (DVD)
68. After Sundown* (DVD)
69. Darkness: The Vampire Version*(DVD)

October 29-Universal '30's Vamps
70. Dracula (1931) (DVD)-Glass Soundtrack
71. Dracula's Daughter (DVD)

October 30-Full Moon Madness
72. Seventh Moon* (Blu-Ray)-Netflix
73. Cursed (DVD)

October 31-Fight for Survival, or Happy Halloween
73.5> Lost Season 2: Man of Science, Man of Faith (Blu-Ray)-Netflix
74. Lost Season 2: Adrift (Blu-Ray)-Netflix
75. The Walking Dead: Days Gone By* (AMC HD TV)

Boba Fett

OCT 1:
The Lost Boys (Theatrical Screening) 3.0/5.0
The Lost Boys (Cort and Fatboy Commentary; local podcast put out an MP3)
Let The Right One In (DVD) 4.5/50

OCT 2:
The Host (DVD) 2.0/5.0

OCT 7:
The Order (Blu-Ray): 1.5/5.0
30 Days of Night (DVD): 2.5/5.0

OCT 15:
Predators (DVD): 2.5/5.0
Salem's Lot [original] (DVD): 2.5/3.0 <x2 entries>

OCT 18:
Lost Boys- The Thirst: 2.0/5.0

OCT 22:
Troll 2: 1.0/5.0

OCT 24:
Troll 2 (w/DVD Verdict "Friday Filibuster" commentary) [Very funny, improv track]

cancer623

October 1

The Horror of Dracula

October 2

Bram Stoker's Dracula

October 3

The Descent
Cat People (1982)

October 4

The Believers

Quake1028

I'll give it a shot this year.

deconte

Watch one film from every decade of film history.
--- 1890 - (insert film title here)
--- 1900 -
--- 1910 -
--- 1920 -
--- 1930 -
--- 1940 -
--- 1950 -
--- 1960 -
--- 1970 -
-X- 1980 -BASKET CASE (DVD)
--- 1990 -
-X- 2000 -DRAG ME TO HELL (Cinemax)
--- 2010 -

Watch a film for each rating:
--- Unrated (pre-MPAA) - (insert film title here)
--- G -
--- PG -
--- PG-13 -
-X- R - SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD (Netflix Stream) ☼
--- NC-17 -
--- X (not porn; several horror films were rated X) -
--- Unrated (post-MPAA) -

Watch films in at least three formats (DVD, BD, HD DVD, Laserdisc, TV, online, UMD, theater, iPod, etc).
--- First format, (insert format), (insert title).
--- Second format, (insert format), (insert title).
--- Third format, (insert format), (insert title).

Watch a film starring:
--- Basil Rathbone -or- Glenn Strange - (insert film title here)
--- John Saxon -or- Danny Trejo -
--- Paul Naschy -or- José "Coffin Joe" Marins -
--- Donald Pleasence -or- John Carradine -
--- Clint Howard -or- Michael Berryman -
--- Bill Moseley -or- Keith David -
--- Dick Miller -or- David Warner -
--- Udo Kier -or- Barbara Steele -
--- Tony Todd -or- Brad Dourif -
--- Linnea Quigley -or- Debbie Rochon -

Watch films in at least two languages other than English.
--- First language, (insert language), (insert title).
--- Second language, (insert language), (insert title).

Watch a film in each of the following subgenres/types:
--- Vampire - (insert film title here)
--- Frankenstein -
--- Werewolf -
--- Mummy -
--- Ghost/haunting -
-x- Witchcraft/satanic/religious -THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE (DVD) ☼
--- Zombie -
--- Slasher/psycho/homicidal maniac -
--- Monster/creature feature/Godzilla -
--- Documentary -
--- Musical -
-X- Spoof/comedy -FIDO (Netflix)☼
--- Revenge -
--- Killer/evil doll -
--- Killer/evil animal -
--- Killer/evil child -
--- Giallo -
--- J horror -
--- MST3K/rifftrax/CT -
--- film and its remake -
--- based on a novel -
--- directed by Fred Olen Ray or Frank Henenlotter or Ti West -
--- won an Academy Award -- any category -
--- silent film -
--- Criterion version film -
--- with commentary -
--- film and at least two of its sequels -
--- anthology film -
--- appears on video nasties list -
--- hosted by Elvira -
--- takes place on a holiday -
--- takes place in space -
--- takes place on or under the sea -
--- animated film -
--- called "Day of ..." -
--- called "Night of ..." -
--- called "Return of ..." -
--- called "Revenge of ..." -
--- called "Attack of ..." -
--- with the words "Living Dead" in the title -Survival of
Spoiler:

wlverinefactor

Forgot to sign up and what not but here I am. Been busy so we'll see how poorly I do this year.

1. House of the Dead (Oct. 3rd) - 3/5
2. Splice (Oct. 3rd) - 4/5
3. Urban Legend (Oct. 4th) - 5/5
4. 30 Days Of Night: Dark Days (Oct. 4th) *- 2/5
5. The Forsaken (Oct. 4th/5th) - 1/5
6. Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D (oct. 5th) *- 4.5/5
7. When a Stranger Calls (Oct. 5th) - 1/5
8. Cabin Fever (Oct. 6th) - 1/5
9. Predators (Oct. 6th) *- 4/5
10. I Still Know What You did Last Summer (Oct. 7th) - 1/5
11. Jeepers Creepers (oct. 10th) - 4/5
12. Jeepers Creepers 2 (oct. 11th) - 2/5
13. My Soul to Take 3D (oct. 12th) *- 4/5
14. Lost Boys 3 (oct. 12th) *- 1/5
15. Scream (oct. 14th) - 5/5
16. Scream 2 (oct. 15th) - 5/5
17. Scream 3 (oct. 15th) - 3/5
18. Monster Squad (oct. 17th) - 5/5
19. Night of the Demons (remake, 2009/10) (oct. 17th) *- 4/5
20. Dead by Dawn (Oct. 19th) *- 3.5/5
21. Saw (oct. 19th) - 2/5
22. Scooby Doo: Curse of the Lake Monster (oct. 19th) *- 2/5
23. Rock Horror Picture Show (oct. 20th) - 5/5
24. Saw 2 (oct. 21st) - 5/5
25. Saw 3 (oct. 22nd) - 4/5
26. Saw 4 (oct. 23rd) - 4/5
27. Paranormal Activity 2 (oct. 23rd) *- 2.5/5
28. Saw 5 (oct. 24th) - 3/5


Watch one film from every decade of film history.
--- 1890 - (insert film title here)
--- 1900 -
--- 1910 -
--- 1920 -
--- 1930 -
--- 1940 -
--- 1950 -
--- 1960 -
--- 1970 -
-X- 1980 - Monster Squad
-X- 1990 - Urban Legend
-X- 2000 - House of the Dead
-X- 2010 - 30 Days Of Night: Dark Days

Watch a film for each rating:
--- Unrated (pre-MPAA) -
--- G -
--- PG -
-X- PG-13 - When a stranger calls
-X- R - House of the Dead
--- NC-17 -
--- X (not porn; several horror films were rated X) -
-X- Unrated (post-MPAA) - Saw 5

Watch films in at least three formats (DVD, BD, HD DVD, Laserdisc, TV, online, UMD, theater, iPod, etc).
-X- First format: DVD - House of the Dead
-X- Second format, (online), (30 Days Of Night: Dark Days).
-X- Third format, (theater), (resident evil afterlife).

Watch a film starring:
--- Basil Rathbone -or- Glenn Strange - (insert film title here)
--- John Saxon -or- Danny Trejo -
--- Paul Naschy -or- José "Coffin Joe" Marins -
--- Donald Pleasence -or- John Carradine -
-X- Clint Howard -or- Michael Berryman - House of the Dead
--- Bill Moseley -or- Keith David -
--- Dick Miller -or- David Warner -
--- Udo Kier -or- Barbara Steele -
--- Tony Todd -or- Brad Dourif -
--- Linnea Quigley -or- Debbie Rochon -

Watch films in at least two languages other than English.
--- First language, (insert language), (insert title).
--- Second language, (insert language), (insert title).

Watch a film in each of the following subgenres/types:
-X- Vampire - 30 Days Of Night: Dark Days
-X- Frankenstein - Monster Squad
-X- Werewolf - Monster Squad
-X- Mummy - Monster Squad
-X- Ghost/haunting - Paranormal Activity 2
-X- Witchcraft/satanic/religious - Night of the Demons
-X- Zombie - House of the Dead
-X- Slasher/psycho/homicidal maniac - Urban Legend
-X- Monster/creature feature/Godzilla - Splice
--- Documentary -
-X- Musical - Rocky Horror Picture Show
--- Spoof/comedy -
--- Revenge -
--- Killer/evil doll -
--- Killer/evil animal -
--- Killer/evil child -
--- Giallo -
--- J horror -
--- MST3K/rifftrax/CT -
--- film and its remake -
-X- based on a novel - 30 Days Of Night: Dark Days
--- directed by Fred Olen Ray or Frank Henenlotter or Ti West -
--- won an Academy Award -- any category -
--- silent film -
--- Criterion version film -
--- with commentary -
-X- film and at least two of its sequels - Scream 1-3
--- anthology film -
--- appears on video nasties list -
--- hosted by Elvira -
-X- takes place on a holiday - Night of the Demons (halloween)
--- takes place in space -
--- takes place on or under the sea -
--- animated film -
--- called "Day of ..." -
-X- called "Night of ..." - Night of the Demons
--- called "Return of ..." -
--- called "Revenge of ..." -
--- called "Attack of ..." -
--- with the words "Living Dead" in the title -

harpo787

...and life gets in the way again! I got into a car accident on Thursday (14th) but am back now. Why must life always interfere?!?

* = first time viewing
1. I Am Legend (2007)
2. Scary Movie (2000)
3. Haute Tension (2003)
4. Dead Snow (2009)*
5. Open Water (2003)*
6. The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009)*
7. Hostel (2005)
8. Tremors (1990)
9. Let Me In (2010)* (in movie theater)
10. Hostel: Part II (2007)
11. Vacancy (2007)
12. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
13. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
14. True Blood
Sn. 2, Ep. 126 "Beyond Here Lies Nothin" *
Sn. 3, Ep. 1: "Pack of Wolves" *
15. His Name was Jason (2009)*
16. Blade (1998)
17. Candyman (1992)
18. Creepshow (1982)
19. Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)*
20. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
21. Laid to Rest (2009)
22. Ju-on: The Grudge (2002)*
23. The Descent (2005)
24. Cabin Fever (2002)
25. Drag Me To Hell (2009)
26. Day of the Dead (1985)
27. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" (1974)
28. House on Haunted Hill (1959)*
29. Death Proof (2007)
30. Saw VI (2009)
31. Saw 3-D(2010) *
32. House of 1000 Corpses
33. Dawn of the Dead(2004)
34. Monster House (2006)
35. Rest Stop (2006) *
36. Planet Terror (2007)
37. Halloween (2007)
38. The Last House on the Left (1972)
39. Gremlins (1984)
40. Gremlins (1984) with Actor Commentary



Damn it! I got derailed on the SciFi/Fantasy contest by life, and now I'm already 3 days behind on this one! Gonna give it a try anyway!

planetaire

List is final.



2005: Bill Paxton's dick in True Lies | 2006: 97 | 2007: 79 | 2008: 57 | 2009: 59

Oct. 4
01. The Virgin of Nuremberg aka Horror Castle (La vergine di Norimberga)¹ (1963) No chance of living up to that title. Murder, jazz interlude. Murder, jazz interlude.
02. Looker¹ (1981) Crichton thriller speaks to advertising's manipulative power, but any interesting horror elements (body dysmorphia, mind control) are jettisoned early.
03. Jack's Back (1988)
Oct. 5
04. Hands of the Ripper (1971)
Oct. 6
05. The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960)
Oct. 7
06. I, Monster (1971)
07. Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965)
08. After Midnight¹ (1989) Amusing enough 80s horror anthology (Marg Helgenberger yum!); the professor in the film teaches a class, "The Psychology of Batshit Crazy".
Oct. 8
09. Meat Is Meat aka The Mad Butcher (Lo strangolatore di Vienna) (1971)
Oct. 9
10. Scream of Fear aka Taste of Fear¹ (1961) A sparse Hammer thriller ultimately saved by the surprising final twenty minutes. Whodunit for a world post-Psycho.
11. Night Creatures aka Captain Clegg (1962)
Oct. 10
12. Ed Wood (1994)
13. Plan 9 from Outer Space (1958)
14. MST3K version of The Beast of Yucca Flats (1961)
Oct. 11
15. MST3K version of Horrors of Spider Island (1960)
Oct. 12
16. MST3K version of The Giant Spider Invasion (1975)
17. Of Unknown Origin¹ (1983) Peter Weller vs. a smart fucking rat. As epic as it sounds. Note to self: never, ever search for an unsprung mouse trap with just my hands.
Oct. 13
18. The Kiss of the Vampire (1963)
19. The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974)
20. Mr. Vampire (Geung si sin sang) (1985)
21. Shadow of the Vampire¹ (2000) A 'what if' breaks out on the set of Nosferatu. Malkovich brings his usual maniacal style, and Dafoe brings his usual maniacal face.
Oct. 14
22. The Return of the Vampire (1944)
23. Vampire Doll (Yûreiyashiki no kyôfu: Chi o suu ningyô)¹ (1970) Toho takes a stab at the western vampire with some unusual results; the atmosphere creeps.
Oct. 15
24. Lake of Dracula (Noroi no yakata: Chi o sû me)¹ (1971) Less remarkable, more on the rails than its predecessor. Japanese Dracula wears a mock turtleneck.
25. Evil of Dracula (Chi o suu bara)¹ (1974) The most violent of the trilogy, but still firmly on automatic pilot. Imagine a so-so Hammer film with Japanese actors.
Oct. 16
26. Vampire Hunter D (Kyûketsuki hantâ D) (1985)
Oct. 17
27. Mr. Vampire II (Jiang shi xian sheng xu ji) (1986)
Oct. 18
28. Mr. Vampire III (Ling huan xian sheng) (1987)
29. Mr. Vampire Saga 4 (Jiang shi shu shu) (1988)
30. Predators¹ (2010) Some missteps, but still a nice service to fans of the original. The Predators should probably change something up though, they're looking fat.
31. 976-EVIL¹ (1988) Boy meets girl, girl finds her panties in boy's pocket, girl leaves boy to his vicious beating. Somebody got an axe to grind and a dialing finger?
Oct. 19
32. Theater of Blood (1973)
33. Madhouse (1974)
34. The Haunted Palace (1963)
Oct. 20 Happy birthday Bela
35. Dracula (1931)
36. Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
37. The Black Cat (1934)
38. The Raven (1935)
39. Bowery at Midnight (1942)
40. The Body Snatcher (1945)
41. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
Oct. 21
42. The Invisible Man (1933)
43. Dracula's Daughter (1936)
44. The Curse of the Werewolf (1961)
45. The Brides of Dracula (1960)
46. Night of the Creeps¹ (1986) Unashamedly bad acting, and creep-size plot holes, but this is a film that stands exploded head and shoulders above the B-movie heap.
47. Dead Snow (Død snø)¹ (2009) A self-knowing Norwegian tribute to all things zombie, but it fails to create its own identity along the way. Still entertaining enough.
Oct. 22
48. The Mummy (1932)
49. Werewolf of London (1935)
50. The Phantom of the Opera (1962)
51. Rasputin: The Mad Monk (1966)
Oct. 23
52. Frankenstein (1931)
53. The Old Dark House (1932)
54. The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
Oct. 24
55. Ganja & Hess¹ (1973) Blacula this ain't. Similar arthouse films crumble, but the lead actors (including Duane Jones in another iconic horror role) carry the picture.
Oct. 25
56. The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958)
57. The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (1964)
58. The Flesh and Blood Show¹ (1972) Young, horny actors travel to a lazy seaside town to rehearse a new show in an abandoned theater. All jiggling flesh, no blood.
Oct. 26
59. Cat People (1942)
60. The Leopard Man (1943)
Oct. 27
61. White Zombie (1932)
62. I Walked with a Zombie (1943)
63. The Plague of the Zombies (1966)
64. The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)
Oct. 28
65. The House That Dripped Blood (1971)
Oct. 29
66. The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)
67. Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972)
68. Spooky Encounters aka Encounter of the Spooky Kind (Gui da gui) (1980)
69. Creepshow (1982)
Oct. 30
70. Freaks (1932)
71. The Wolf Man (1941)
72. House on Haunted Hill (1959)
73. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
74. House (Hausu)¹ (1977) Willy Wonka makes a Japanese horror picture. A tired story, and not very scary, but it is gorgeous, a sumptuous meal for deviant eyes.
Oct. 31. Happy Halloween!
75. Nosferatu (Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens) (1922)
76. The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
77. Carnival of Souls (1962)

¹ means I hadn't seen it before

sirbrady

I hope to get 50 movies this year, but I'm off to a late start.

10/4
1. Grindhouse: Planet Terror Blu

10/6
2. Suspiria DVD

10/7
3. Evil Dead Blu

10/8
4. Saw VI Blu
5. Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1970s Blu

10/9
6. Saw DVD
7. The Thing Blu
8. Phantasm 2 DVD
9. Saw II DVD

10/10
10. Dawn of the Dead 1978 extended cut DVD
11. Pieces DVD

10/11
12. Phantasm 3 DVD
13. Dead Alive DVD

10/12
14. Return Of The Living Dead Blu
15. Dead & Buried DVD
16. Creepshow Blu
17. Friday the 13th Part 4 DVD
18. Galaxy of Terror DVD
19. Day Of The Dead (Romero) Blu

10/13
20. Evil Dead 2 DVD
21. The Blob (80s remake) DVD
22. Texas Chainsaw Massacre Blu
23. John Carpenters Vampires DVD
24. The Crazies 2010 Blu

10/14
25. A Nightmare on Elm Street (orig) DVD
26. The Fly (Goldblum) Encore HD On Demand
27. Zombie DVD
28. Children Shouldnt play with Dead things DVD
29. Leviathan DVD
30. Dawn Of the Dead (2004 remake) Blu

10/15
31. Night Of the Living Dead 1990 HD/DVR from Encore HD
32. Resident Evil Blu

10/23
33. Frankenstein (1931) AMC TV
34. Dracula (1931) AMC TV

10/24
35. Frankenstein Meets the Wolf man (1943) AMC TV
36. Friday the 13th Blu

10/25
37. Saw III DVD

10/27
38. Saw IV DVD

10/29
39. Saw 3D Theatre

10/30
40. The Wolfman (2009) Blu

Crazee4DVDs

Didn't get signed up, early, this year, but always up for a horror challenge! I'll post my list, as often as possible...

cproaps

October 1
1. Humanoids from the Deep (1980) (Blu-ray)

October 2
2. The Prowler (1981) (Netflix Stream)

October 3
3. Cujo (1983) (Blu-ray)
4. Critters (1986) (DVD)

October 4
5. Audrey Rose (1977) (Netflix Stream)
6. Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970) (DVD)
7. Razorback (1984) (DVD)

October 5
8. Horror Hotel (1960) (Internet Stream)
9. Dead Snow (2009) (Netflix Stream)
10. Sisters (1973) (Netflix Stream)
11. The Cat and the Canary (1927) (Netflix Stream)
12. From Beyond (1986) (DVD)
13. The Swarm (1978) (Netflix Stream)

October 6
14. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) (Blu-ray)
15. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) (Blu-ray) (Making of Commentary)
16. Vampire Hunter D (1985) (DVD)

October 7
17. Splice (2010) (Blu-ray)
18. It Waits (2004) (Blu-ray)
19. Piranha (1978) (Blu-ray)

October 8
20. It’s Alive (1974) (Netflix Stream), The Execution of Mary Queen of Scots (1895) (archive.org)
21. Octaman (1971) (Netflix Stream)
22. Supernatural (2005) Ep 0101-0102, “Pilot/Wendigo”
23. Supernatural (2005) Ep 0103-0104, “Dead in the Water/Phantom Traveler”

October 9
24. Supernatural (2005) Ep 0105-0106, “Bloody Mary/Skin”
25. Supernatural (2005) Ep 0107-0108, “Hook Man/Bugs”

October 10
26. Mountain of the Cannibal God (1978) (DVD)
27. Puppet Master (1989) (Netflix Stream)
28. Puppet Master II (1991) (Netflix Stream)
29. Salvage (2009) (DVD)
30. Puppet Master vs. Demonic Toys (2004) (Netflix Stream)
31. The Last House on the Left (1972) (Netflix Stream)

October 11
32. City of the Living Dead (1980) (Netflix Stream)
33. The Blob (1988) (DVD)
34. Friday the 13th (1980) (DVD)
35. Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) (DVD)
36. Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968) (DVD)
37. Saturday the 14th (1981) (VHS), The Monster (1903) (VEOH Stream)

October 12
38. Frankenstein (1931) (Netflix Stream)
39. Queen of Blood (1966) (Netflix Stream)
40. Supernatural (2005) (DVD) Ep 0109-0110, “Home/Asylum”
41. The Omen (1976) (Netflix Stream)
42. Sheitan (2006) (DVD)

October 13
43. The Lost Boys: The Thirst (2010) (Blu-ray)
44. The Monster Squad (1987) (Blu-ray)
45. Dracula (1931) (Netflix Stream)
46. Hellraiser (1987) (Blu-ray)
47. Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988) (DVD)

October 14
48. Nosferatu (1929) (Netflix Stream)
49. Frontier(s) (2007) (Netflix Stream)
50. Scooby-Doo! Camp Scare (2010) (Blu-ray)

October 16
51. The Children (2008) (DVD)
52. Night of the Creeps (1986) (Blu-ray)
53. Fear No Evil (1981) (DVD)

October 17
54. Black Rainbow (1989) (DVD)
55. The Host (2006) (Netflix Stream)
56. The Mummy’s Curse (1944) (Netflix Stream)
57. Tremors (1990) (DVD)
58. Frankenstein (1910) (archive.org)
59. My Bloody Valentine (1981) (Blu-ray) Theatrical
60. My Bloody Valentine (1981) (Blu-ray) Extended

October 18
61. The Astro Zombies (1969) (Netflix Stream)
62. Elvira’s Movie Macabre: Frankenstein’s Castle of Freaks (1974) (Hulu)
63. Tourist Trap (1979) (DVD)
64. Black Sabbath (1963) (Netflix Stream)
65. The Raven (1963) (Netflix Stream)
66. Them! (1954) (DVD)

October 19
67. Ringu (1998) (DVD)
68. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) (Blu-ray)
69. Child’s Play (1988) (Netflix Stream)
70. MST3K: The Killer Shrews (1959/1992) (Netflix Stream)
71. Smash Cut (2009) (DVD)

October 20
72. Fright Night (1985) (DVD)
73. Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) (Blu-ray)
74. Attack of the Puppet People (1958) (Netflix Stream)
75. Night of the Living Dead (1968) (DVD)

October 21
76. The House of the Devil (2009) (Netflix Stream)
77. The Blob (1958) (DVD)
78. The Seventh Victim (1943) (DVD)
79. Creepshow (1982) (Netflix Stream)

October 22
80. Big Bad Wolf (2006) (Netflix Stream)
81. A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) (Blu-ray)
82. Suspiria (1977) (DVD)
83. Poltergeist (1982) (Blu-ray)
84. Supernatural (2005) (The CW) Ep 0604-0605, “Weekend at Bobby’s/Live Free or Twihard”
85. Paranormal Activity (2007) (Blu-ray)
86. Cloverfield (2008) (Blu-ray)

October 23
87. DeepStar Six (1989) (Netflix Stream)
88. The Thing (1982) (Blu-ray)
89. Ginger Snaps (2000) (DVD)
90. Day of the Dead (1985) (DVD)
91. The Return of the Living Dead (1985) (Blu-ray)
92. The Gate (1987) (DVD)
93. Near Dark (1987) (Blu-ray)
94. The Howling (1981) (DVD)
95. The Horror at 37,000 Feet (1973) (YouTube)
96. Children of the Corn (1984) (Blu-ray)

October 24
97. The Lair of the White Worm (1988) (DVD)
98. Flowers in the Attic (1987) (Netflix Stream)
99. Revenge of the Creature (1955) (DVD)
100. Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) (DVD)
101. Friday the 13th Part III (1982) (DVD)
102. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) (DVD)
103. Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986) (DVD)
104. The Night Stalker (1972) (DVD)
105. The Night Strangler (1973) (DVD)
106. Tenebrae (1982) (DVD)

October 25
107. Planet of the Vampires (1965) (DVD)
108. Demons (1985) (DVD)
109. Gojira (1954) (Blu-ray)
110. Godzilla King of the Monsters (1956) (DVD)
111. Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) (DVD)

October 26
112. Jaws: The Sharksploitation Edit (2009) (Other) That was cool!
113. The Devil’s Backbone (2001) (Netflix Stream)
114. Alien (1979) (Blu-ray)
115. Aliens (1986) (Blu-ray)

October 27
116. Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror (1968) (DVD)
117. Blade (1998) (DVD)
118. Blade II (2002) (DVD)
119. Splinter (2008) (Blu-ray)

October 28
120. Pitch Black (2000) (DVD)
121. Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981) (DVD)
122. Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965) (DVD)
123. The Fog (1980) (DVD)
124. The Fog (2005) (DVD)
125. Stir of Echoes (1999) (Blu-ray)

October 29
126. Fright Night 2 (1988) (DVD)
127. Dawn of the Dead (1978) (Blu-ray)
128. Young Frankenstein (1974) (DVD)
129. Love at First Bite (1979) (DVD)
130. Phantasm (1978) (DVD)

October 30
131. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) (DVD)
132. A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985) (DVD)
133. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) (DVD)
134. A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988) (DVD)
135. A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989) (DVD)
136. Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) (DVD)
137. Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998) (DVD)
138. Maximum Overdrive (1986) (DVD)
139. The Keep (1983) (VHS)
140. Paranormal Activity 2 (2010) (Theatrical Release)

October 31
141. Night of the Demons (1988) (DVD)
142. The Fly (1986) (Blu-ray)
143. The Exorcist (1973) (Blu-ray)
144. An American Werewolf in London (1981) (Blu-ray)
145. The Lost Boys (1987) (Blu-ray)
146. Halloween (1978) (Blu-ray)
147. Friday the 13th Part III (3D version) (1982) (Blu-ray)
148. The Evil Dead (1981) (Blu-ray)
149. Army of Darkness (1992) (Blu-ray)
150. Trick ‘r Treat (2007) (Blu-ray)

Blu-ray: 39
DVD: 69
Netflix Stream: 33
Other: 9



Checklist


Subset


Theme Night

Emma311

I watched a total of 6 movies and 14 TV episodes.
* means I've completed the viewing.

DirecTV (DVRed)
(first time viewing)
Grudge 3*-wow, I really did not like this. I used to be a big fan of the 1st remake & the originals. Now, I'm wondering if I would even like those if I rewatched them.
Masters of Horror-Black Cat*-creepy
MOH-Pick Me Up*-thumbs down
MOH-Valerie on the Stairs*-so boring
MOH-Homecoming*-odd, but interesting, I don't really go for thinking zombies though. Cool to see QAF's Thea Gill in it.

(rewatching)
American Psycho*-Still very good but I miss not knowing what Bale was really like. I remember thinking how talented he was when this first came out because I had seen all of his prior films in which he was like the emotional guy and this was such a departure. Now it's seems like he's always hard & emotionless in his newer flicks.
Zombieland*-I was let down when I saw it in theaters because I felt the middle dragged & there weren't enough deaths but on the 2nd viewing I think I enjoyed it more.
Masters of Horror: Cigarette Burns*-This is just so trippy.
Freakylinks*-5 episodes
Hocus Pocus*-tradition

Netflix-DVD
(first time viewing)
True Blood Season 2 Discs 4 and 5=*

(rewatching)
The Mist*-as good as I remembered.

Theater
The Shining-*(seen it before but not on the big screen)

masteroftheclaw

This October I've decided to try and watch all those horror movies I've been meaning to watch for one reason or another. Therefore, most everything on this list should be things I've never watched before. Also, the way I score things is a little atypical. 2 stars is still an "okay" film. 1 is iffy and 0 would be not worth watching, in my opinion. My goal is to reach 100 films, and with the free time I have this should be doable. Everything is in DVD format unless noted otherwise.

* = I've seen it before

October 1st: 184 MINUTES
001. Paranormal Activity [2007]
(86 minutes) This got a ton of buzz when it was out and I don't see that as being very valid. It was a creepy film with fleshed out characters but aside from that there's nothing to it.
002. The Fourth Kind [2009]
(98 minutes) It's an alright alien abduction flick. You can tell they're trying to be smart with it.

October 2nd: 106 MINUTES
003. Signs [2002]
(106 minutes) A much better alien-related film. I still don't understand the bit about people dancing on tv near the end though.

October 3rd: 297 MINUTES
004. Stay Alive [2006]
(100 minutes) So this is actually an okay movie about a video game that transcends reality. The effects are kinda silly though and I don't understand why Elizabeth Bathory is going after not-virgin females.
005. Hellraiser: Hellworld [2005]
(94 minutes) Mostly trash. I would have preferred it without the twists, but to each their own.
006. Death Becomes Her [1992]
(103 minutes) This was hugely entertaining. I'm not sure how much it counts as horror, but it's certainly a black comedy with a horror tinge.

October 4th: 086 MINUTES
007. All the Boys Love Mandy Lane [2008]
(86 minutes) Fabulous film. It takes a lot to get me to start grinning like a madman in my seat but by the climax this film did just that.

October 5th: 361 MINUTES
008. Fright Night [1985]
(102 minutes) It doesn't take itself too seriously and when we're talking about vampires that's always a good thing. The effects are lovely and the 80s music is tops.
009. A Cat in the Brain [1990]
(92 minutes) I love Lucio Fulci's films so this was like a huge call to the fans to see "what's inside Fulci's mind". Fan-freakin'-tastic.
010. Jack Frost [1997]
(85 minutes) This movie is entirely worth it for the creative death scenes. One in particular is a riot. If you've seen it, you know which one I mean.
011. Lesbian Vampire Killers [2009]
(82 minutes) Usually movies with great names such as this end up completely idiotic, and while this was pretty silly, it was entertaining too. Lesbian vampires? Indeed.

October 6th: 317 MINUTES
012. Close Encounters of the Third Kind [1977]
(137 minutes) Decent flick. I kind of never cared about what was going on though.
013. Diary of the Dead [2007]
(91 minutes) The idea behind the movie is neat but the execution is very flawed. The characters themselves don't interest me and the overarching themes are strained.
014. April Fool's Day [1986]
(89 minutes) Surprising film. This one is probably worth a watch with a good group of friends.

October 7th: 199 MINUTES
015. Case 39 [2009]
(109 minutes) You know what, this movie surprised me. However, I found myself wishing that it would have been handled even more ruthlessly near the end.
016. Zombie Strippers [2008]
(90 minutes) You would think by the title this is a complete waste of time. True, it may be a waste of time if you're looking for the next Citizen Kane, but in entertainment value it's more than worth it. Hilarious.

October 8th: 394 MINUTES
017. He Knows You're Alone [1980]
(093 minutes) There are a few scenes that make this film noteworthy, but only watch if you're a big fan of 80's style slashers.
018. Hell Night [1981]
(101 minutes) Eh. It's acceptable if you like films where people are all stuck in a house together and slowly picked off one by one. Nothing new to see here, though.
019. Christine [1983]
(105 minutes) For some reason I really couldn't suspend my disbelief... but it was a fine film and Christine really is an attractive car.
020. Night of the Comet [1984]
(095 minutes) Overall a pretty cute movie. The "zombies" are a little too sentient for my taste, but I guess it makes sense in the realm of the film's storyline.

October 9th: 356 MINUTES
021. A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge [1985]
(081 minutes) I guess I'm happy that they tried something a little different with the sequel but it just didn't jive with me. However, there was a kinda neat transformation-type scene.
022. Chopping Mall [1986]
(076 minutes) Interesting premise with evil robots surveying a mall but aside from one scene where a head blows up there wasn't much to this.
023. Street Trash [1987]
(101 minutes) Definitely worth a watch for the gritty, sick nature of the film and fantastically gross effects.
025. Society [1989]
(098 minutes) This was probably the most compelling film of the day. The effects are fantastic even though they seem a bit dated for when it came out. Very cool, unexpected things happen and it's very worth seeing.

October 10th: 283 MINUTES
026. Cujo [1983]
(093 minutes) Interesting film that makes me desire to read the story it was adapted from. I'm not usually afraid of dogs but damn if this didn't get my heart pumping.
027. Magic [1978]
(106 minutes) It's a movie based around a ventriloquist dummy. Now, I hate these things but this movie made really good use of the dummy as a character. More so than most other dummy flicks, at least.
028. The Poughkeepsie Tapes [2007]
(084 minutes) I didn't expect to like this one but it was pretty okay. It's a mockumentary (although not a comedy as those typically are) and an okay watch.

October 11th: 091 MINUTES
029. The Girl Next Door [2007]
(091 minutes) Surprisingly a decent film. I was also pleased by the slow progression of the film, which is different from most horror films of today which jump right into the action.

October 12th: 093 MINUTES
030. Jack Frost 2 [2000]
(093 minutes) I'm almost willing to say that I enjoyed this more than the original. This film has murderous snowball babies and I think that's all that needs to be said.

October 13th: 370 MINUTES
031. The Last Exorcism [2010]
(078 minutes) Awful, awful, awful. Cool idea to be a documentary style exorcism thing but it ultimately fails.
032. The Descent [2005]
(095 minutes) This was pretty cool and certainly the atypical all-girl slasher fest.
033. Repulsion [1965]
(104 minutes) Great film. Scenes were executed beautifully and I felt such terror. After watching this I had to take a shower.
034. Final Destination [2000]
(093 minutes) Pretty good stuff! I wish the following movies in the series retained this really cool and spooky edge.

October 14th: 260 MINUTES
035. The Stepfather [1987]
(085 minutes) I actually really enjoyed this film. Killers without "OooOoOooo" scariness, magic, or indestructibility are always a favorite.
036. Sorority House Massacre [1986]
(074 minutes) Better than you'd expect by the title, but still not amazing. There's a dress-up montage, for goodness sake.
037. Bug [2006]
(101 minutes) This was really cool until the climax. Then I just couldn't quite handle what the story was trying to push down my throat.

October 15th: 485 MINUTES
038. The Fishermen: Journey into the Mind of a Killer [199X]
(060 minutes) Vaguely interesting but not worth it unless you really care about serial killers.
039. Don't Look Now [1973]
(110 minutes) An okay classic but I'm not sure if I could deal with the climax. Think something akin to Rosemary's Baby unexpected.
040. Slither [2006]
(095 minutes) FUN. It's a b-horror flick that knows what it is. The climax seems to take a page straight from Society.
40B. * The 100 Scariest Movie Moments [2004]
(220 minutes) I like this even if some of the commentors have no clue what they're talking about.

October 16th: 200 MINUTES
041. * Brutal Massacre: A Comedy [2007]
(094 minutes) This is one of my recent favorite horror flicks and I show it to friends whenever humanly possible.
042. Scream [1996]
(106 minutes) Great start to the series and I love the music.

October 17th: 226 MINUTES
043. Scream 2 [1997]
(115 minutes) This was still pretty cool and I like the continuation in this part of the trilogy.
044. Scream 3 [2000]
(111 minutes) I don't like this final part of the trilogy as much because I felt the characters were already "done" by the end of the second film.

October 18th: 410 MINUTES
045. Jennifer's Body [2009]
(102 minutes) This was better than I expected it to be but it's still a "for teens" slasher flick.
046. Picnic at Hanging Rock [1975]
(107 minutes) Interesting. Arty and otherworldly as hell, but I'm not sure how much I actually enjoyed it for the story and not cinematography.
047. Audrey Rose [1977]
(113 minutes) An interesting and overlooked classic. It's okay and a not so shocking tale of possession/rebirth.
048. Night of the Lepus [1972]
(088 minutes) A typical 70s horror flick that takes itself much too seriously given the hilarious subject matter (giant killer bunnies).

October 19th: 000 MINUTES
049. Duel [1972]
(085 minutes).

October 20th: 000 MINUTES
000. MOVIENAME [0000]
(000 minutes).

The Expanded Checklist

MovieMassacre

I MADE IT! This was my 5th year trying and finally I did it! 100 Halloween related titles in 31 days! This year was mostly full of titles I have had sitting in my collection but had yet to watch. However there were many classics thrown in as well. Here is the listing of title watched...

001 - (10/01) Beware! The Blob (1972) [DVD]
002 - (10/01) The Mist (2007) [Blu]
003 - (10/01) This Is Horror: Archive I (1990) [VHS]
004 - (10/02) The House Of The Devil (2009) [DVD]
005 - (10/02) Bud Abbott & Lou Costello Meet The Mummy (1955) [VHS]
006 - (10/02) Ghostbusters (1984) [Blu]
007 - (10/03) Blood: The Last Vampire (2009) [DVD]
008 - (10/03) Zombieland (2009) [Blu]
009 - (10/03) Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie (2005) [DVD]
010 - (10/03) Friday The 13th (2008) [Blu]
011 - (10/04) Frozen (2010) [Blu]
012 - (10/04) Dead Snow (2009) [Blu]
013 - (10/04) Return Of The Living Dead 3 (1993) [VHS]
014 - (10/05) Open Water 2: Adrift (2006) [Blu]
015 - (10/05) Alice, Sweet Alice (1976) [VHS]
016 - (10/05) Psychomania (1973) [VHS]
017 - (10/06) Haunted Histories Collection: Hauntings, Zombies, And Voodoo Rituals (1997-2006) [DVD]
018 - (10/06) Severed (2005) [DVD]
019 - (10/06) Children Of The Corn (1984) [DVD]
020 - (10/06) The Haunting (1963) [DVD]
021 - (10/07) Parasite (1982) [DVD]
022 - (10/07) 28 Days Later (2002) [Blu]
023 - (10/07) 28 Weeks Later (2007) [DVD]
024 - (10/08) The Crazies (2010) [MPEG 4]
025 - (10/08) Friday The 13th (1980) [DVD]
026 - (10/09) Friday The 13th: Part 2 (1981) [DVD]
027 - (10/09) Friday The 13th: Part 3 (1982) [DVD]
028 - (10/09) Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) [DVD]
029 - (10/10) Friday The 13th: Part V - A New Beginning (1985) [DVD]
030 - (10/10) Friday The 13th: Part VI - Jason Lives (1986) [DVD]
031 - (10/10) Friday The 13th: Part VII - The New Blood (1988) [DVD]
032 - (10/10) Friday The 13th: Part VIII - Jason Takes Manhattan (1989) [DVD]
033 - (10/11) Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003) [DVD]
034 - (10/12) Haunted Histories Collection: Deacula, Witches, Voodoo, And Excorcism (1997-2006) [DVD]
035 - (10/12) His Name Was Jason: 30 Years Of Friday The 13th (2009) [DVD]
036 - (10/12) Jason Goes To Hell (1993) [DVD]
037 - (10/12) Halloween: 25 Years Of Terror (2006) [DVD]
038 - (10/12) Freddy Vs. Jason (2003) [Blu]
039 - (10/13) Haunted Histories Collection: Histories Spookiest Phenomena (1997-2006) [DVD]
040 - (10/13) Paranormal Entity (2009) [DVD]
041 - (10/13) Ghostbusters 2 (1989) [DVD]
042 - (10/14) I Sell The Dead (2008) [DVD]
043 - (10/14) Dr. Giggles (1992) [DVD]
044 - (10/15) Haunted Histories Collection: America's Most Haunted Places (1997-2006) [DVD]
045 - (10/15) Trailer Park Of Terror (2008) [DVD]
046 - (10/15) Young Frankenstein (1974) [DVD]
047 - (10/15) Shadow Of The Vampire (2000) [DVD]
048 - (10/16) Halloween III: Season Of The Witch (1982) [DVD]
049 - (10/16) House Of 1000 Corpses (2003) [DVD]
050 - (10/17) The Haunted Mansion (2003) [DVD]
051 - (10/17) Nightbreed (1990) [VHS]
052 - (10/17) Spookies (1988) [VHS]
053 - (10/18) Christine (1983) [VHS]
054 - (10/19) Waxworks (1988) [DVD]
055 - (10/20) Curtains (1983) [DVD]
056 - (10/20) Waxwork II: Lost In Time (1992) [DVD]
057 - (10/21) Wolf (1994) [DVD]
058 - (10/22) The Addams Family: The Complete Third Volume (1965-1966) [DVD]
059 - (10/22) Going To Pieces: The Rise And Fall Of The Slasher Film (2006) [DVD]
060 - (10/22) The Shining (1980) [Blu-ray]
061 - (10/22) Ghost Adventures: Season 2 (2009)
062 - (10/23) The Munsters: The Lost Episode (1991) [VHS]
063 - (10/23) Ghost Hunters: Live From The Stanley Hotel (2006) [DVD]
064 - (10/24) Ghost Hunters: Live From The Waverly Hills Sanatorium (2007) [DVD]
065 - (10/24) The Sci-Fi Boys (2006) [DVD]
066 - (10/24) Lake Placid (1999) [DVD]
067 - (10/24) King Kong Vs. Godzilla (1962) [DVD]
068 - (10/24) From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money (1999) [DVD]
069 - (10/25) Ghost Hunters: The Complete First Season (2004) [DVD]
070 - (10/25) Pandorum (2009) [DVD]
071 - (10/25) From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter (2000)
072 - (10/26) The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy: Season 1 (2001-2002) [DVD]
073 - (10/26) The Blair Witch Project (1999) [DVD]
074 - (10/26) Hoboken Hollow (2005) [DVD]
075 - (10/27) Van Helsing (2004) [DVD]
076 - (10/27) The Brother's Grimm (2005) [DVD]
077 - (10/27) The Addams Family (1991) [DVD]
078 - (10/28) Addams Family Values (1993) [DVD]
079 - (10/28) A Pup Named Scooby-Doo: Complete 1st Season (1988) [DVD]
080 - (10/28) The Mummy (1999) [DVD]
081 - (10/28) The Mummy Returns (2001) [DVD]
082 - (10/28) Mars Attacks! (1996) [DVD]
083 - (10/29) Casper And Wendy's Ghostly Adventures (1951-1959) [DVD]
084 - (10/29) Casper The Friendly Ghost: By The Old Mill Scream (1951-1955) [DVD]
085 - (10/29) Casper The Friendly Ghost: Peek A Boo (1950-1959) [DVD]
086 - (10/29) Casper's Spookiest Tales (1952-1959) [DVD]
087 - (10/29) The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad (1949) [DVD]
088 - (10/29) Sleepy Hollow (1999) [DVD]
089 - (10/29) Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktakular (2003) [DVD]
090 - (10/29) Scary Godmother: The Revenge Of Jimmy (2005) [DVD]
091 - (10/30) The Munsters: Family Portrait (1964) [DVD]
092 - (10/30) Underworld (2003) [DVD]
093 - (10/30) Room 33 (2009) [DVD]
094 - (10/31) The Halloween Tree (1993) [VHS]
095 - (10/31) Winnie The Pooh: Boo To You Too! (1996) [VHS]
096 - (10/31) Winnie The Pooh: Spookable Pooh (2000) [VHS]
097 - (10/31) Gremlins (1984) [Blu-ray]
098 - (10/31) Trick 'R Treat (2008) [Blu-ray]
099 - (10/31) Halloween (1978) [Blu-ray]
100 - (10/31) The Addams Family: In New York (1973) [VHS]

Prons

I'm aiming for 50.


1. Tomie 4
2. Hard Revenge Milly
3. Tomie 6
4. Phone
5. Tetsuo the Iron Man
6. A Tale of Two Sisters
7. The Fourth Kind
8. Jaws 2
9. Buffy the vampire sLayer ep 51-52
10. Buffy the vampire slayer ep 53-54
11.Buffy the vampire slayer ep 55-56
12. Buffy the vampire slayer ep 57-58
13. The Seventh Seal
14. The Uninvited
15. Wargames (not a horror movie but it's hella cult imho)
16. Friday the 13th 3D
17. Friday the 13th the final chapter
18. Friday the 13th V NEw Begging
19. Friday the 13th 6 Jason Lives
20. And now the screaming starts
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.

A-aron

I forgot to put a placeholder earlier, so here we go

1 - Nightmare on Elm St. (original) 10/1
2 - Nightmare on Elm St. (remake) 10/1
3 - An American Werewolf in London 10/1
4 - Hatchet 10/2
5 - Zombi (Argento) 10/2
6 - Trick 'R Treat 10/2
7 - Jennifer's Body 10/3
8 - Deadly Friend 10/4
9 - From Dusk Till Dawn 10/5
10 - Ghost Story 10/6
11 - The Howling 10/7
12 - Cabin Fever 10/8
13 - Wrong Turn 10/8
14 - Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight 10/9
15 - Tales from the Crypt: Bordello of Blood 10/10
16 - Wrong Turn 2 10/10
17 - Friday the 13th (remake) 10/11
18 - Halloween (original) 10/11
19 - The Ice Cream Man 10/12
20 - The Thing 10/13
21 - Night of the Living Dead (60s) 10/14
22 - Return of the Living Dead 2 10/14
23 - Return of the Living Dead 3 10/15
24 - Night of the Creeps 10/16
25 - Candyman 10/17
26 - Candyman 2 10/17
27 - Idle Hands 10/18
28 - The Evil Dead 2 10/19
29 - Waxwork 10/19
30 - Night of the Demons (remake) 10/20
31 - Saw 10/21
32 - Saw 2 10/22
33 - Saw 3 10/22
34 - Saw 4 10/23
35 - Saw 5 10/24
36 - Waxwork 2 10/25
37 - Slither 10/26
38 - John Carpenter's Vampires 10/27
39 - Prince of Darkness 10/28
40 - They Live 10/28
41 - Halloween (R. Zombie) 10/29
42 - Halloween 2 (R. Zombie) 10/29
43 - Planet Terror 10/30
44 - Death Proof 10/30
45 - Halloween 2 (Carpenter) 10/30
46 - Halloween 3 10/30
47 - Halloween 4 10/31
48 - Halloween 5 10/31
49 - Halloween H20 10/31
50 - The Walking Dead (TV) 10/31

SterlingBen

Continued from Part 1

October 8th
24.)
The Devil's Hand (1962) (DVD) *
My Thoughts: This evil supernatural cult pales in comparison to the one in Horror Hotel but it is passable if not a bit tame. Also there is something about the way actors are portraying their parts that makes the film feel more like a horror film from the early 50's / late 40's.
(2.5 out of 5)
25.)
His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday The 13th (2009) (DVD) *
My Thoughts: While this film does seem to pander to the casual viewer at times it is still pandering a material that I thoroughly enjoy. The segway bits are all lame/don't play but I do give them props for shooting additional nudity for a documentary. One other thing, some of the best stories on this disc were not in the main feature but relegated to bonus content? In the end it is still a must for any friday fan.
(3.5 out of 5)
26.)
Tales From The Crypt Season 2: Mute Witness to Murder (1990) (DVD)**
My Thoughts: The premise of this one just seems completely lazy and every character is as dumb as a bag of rocks.
(1.5 out of 5)
My Wife's Thoughts: "Creepy, creepy, creepy.". "Husband is not god, he have to think what happen to Suzie".
(3.5 out of 5)

October 9th
27.)
The Ape Man (1943) (DVD) *
My Thoughts: Bela Lugosi in stage 1 wolfman makeup kills people to extract their spinal fluid with the help of a gorilla. Unfortunately Lugosi does not really pull off the character all that well, the quality of the DVD was abhorred and I liked the story better when Karloff did it in The Ape.
(2 out of 5)
28.)
Thriller: A Cruel Picture (1974) (DVD) *
My Thoughts: One of the best revenge films ever. They do go a bit overboard on the slowmo but I'll give that to them based on the decade.
(4.5 out of 5)
My Wife's Thoughts: "Girl never go out by herself, no public transportation". That soiund effect pretty creepy, almost". "It's almost as good as Spit On The Grave". "I like revenge movie, they deserve it".
(4.5 out of 5)

October 10th
29.)
Revenge Of The Dead (1983) (VHS)
My Thoughts: Apparently this film is the edited version of Zeder. Aside from that and the fact that this cover art is a complete misrepresentation I have to say I had a good time with this one. Will be on the lookout for the uncut DVD now (10+ additional minutes).
(3.5 out of 5)
30.)
Gates Of Hell (aka City Of The Living Dead) (1980) (VHS)
My Thoughts: I unfortunately have the cut version of this film and considering the director those are probably 3 extremely gory minutes . it's hard not to enjoy all these Italian Zombie flicks but the print on this one was just so dark I could barely make out anything and it detracted from the experience quite a bit. Guess it's time to do a BR upgrade.
(3 out of 5)
31.)
Flight Of The Living Dead: Outbreak On A Plane (2007) (DVD) *
My Thoughts: This movie was so bad by the 15 minute mark that I started drinking hard alcohol. Then around the 45 minute mark it may have gotten decent. I started to actually have a good time with this one but it might not have all been on the screen.
(1.5 or a 3 out of 5)

October 11th
32.)
The Blob (1988) (DVD)
My Thoughts: One of my favorites as a child, they just don't do effects movies like this anymore. It also has a young Miss July 1989 which I also had a thing for for years. Cheezy, nostalgic, goodness.
(4 out of 5)
33.)
The Thing From Another World (1951) (DVD) *
My Thoughts: The dialog in this movie is amazingly done, and really the movie it's self is a classic. But having grown up on the 80's version I really didn't feel like the monster was all that ominous in the original. Still I had a great time and would recommend this movie to anyone (preferably to watch before they watch the remake).
(4 out of 5)
34.)
The Rockville Slayer (2004) (DVD) **
My Thoughts: Horrible acting, lackluster story, wasted horror icon cameos, this movie isn't worth anyone's time. Also the audio on the DVD is all over the place and even loses sync with the picture about 20 minutes from the end (and then stays that way the rest of the time).
(1.5 out of 5)
My Wife's Thoughts: "That's good but, ah, just sad I guess." (<--She just liked it because it was soap opera-esk)
(4 out of 5)

October 12th
35.)
Basket Case (1982) (DVD) *
My Thoughts: I have always had a soft spot for this absurd, crazy, creepy lump of celluloid. This actually might have been the movie that started my love affair with B-list films.
(4 out of 5)
My Wife's Thoughts: "Sad ending, they should do better than that ending". "Thats ok movie, I expected a little better but no". "Beginning was fun but monster 3.5, ending 3 going down and down".
(3 out of 5) (Little does she now that I am going to subject her to 2 more of these).
36.)
Chandu On The Magic Island (1935) (DVD) *
My Thoughts: Kind of like Indiana Jones, if it was shot in the 30's staring Bela Lugosi and instead of an archeologist he was a "White Magician". Schlocky but interesting.
(3 out of 5)

October 13th
37.)
Gates Of Hell 2: Dead Awakening (1988) (VHS)
This in name only sequel doesn't even have any zombies! A cheesy 80's occult/demon thriller that I wouldn't recommend seeking out but might be fun if you stumble across it, for a laugh at least.
(2.5 out of 5)
38.)
Fright Night (1985) (VHS)*
My Thoughts: Has to be my favorite vampire movie. This is also where my love of all things Roddy McDowell came from. I must admit though that it does play better to a younger audience and you can see the wire on the dog puppet. But still, classic all the way.
(4.5 out of 5)
My Wife's Thoughts: "Middle..ah..started 3 star become 1.5 then back to 2.5". "Charlie too wimpy". What did you think of the Fearless Vampire Hunter? "It's ok, he reminds me of dog Back To The Future, weirdness is same". (pretty sure she meant Doc, also she got mad at me in the middle which probably explains the 1.5).
(2.5 out of 5)
39.)
Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 (1988) (VHS)
My Thoughts: Not much in the way of buildup or plot. This movie just takes the main idea and does it balls to the wall. The imagery is astounding but a bit repetitive compared to the first film and hell does look like your typical haunted house, from time to time.
(3.5 out of 5)

October 14th
40.)
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920) (Via The Net) *
My Thoughts: Having never read the source material and only having seen 80's and later adaptations, this one was quite different. I am wondering if this is closer to the book than what I have seen, it is certainly more ridiculous and oddly worded at times. Also I know the music is period correct but I find the constant organ music somewhat off putting.
(2 out of 5)
41.)
Ugly Americans Season 1: So, You Want To Be A Vampire (2010) (TV) *
My Thoughts: Apparently an older episode as Twilight spoofs are a bit played out but it is still a decent one, and tons of other vampire movie in-jokes.
(3.5 out of 5)
42.)
Night Of The Zombies (1980) (VHS)
My Thoughts: This passable zombie movie steals ideas, music and even scenes word for word from Dawn of the Dead. Also it is quite liberal in it's use of stock footage, but it does deliver on the gore and the nudity and is cheezily entertaining.
(3 out of 5)

October 15th
43.)
Night Of The Creeps (Audio Commentary) (1986) (DVD) *
My Thoughts: The main characters are a bit annoying but it has a good concept and some great effects. I did enjoy the commentary quite a bit, an excellent cast commentary with lots of great stories.
(4 out of 5)
44.)
Der Golem (1915) (Via The Net) *
My Thoughts: Interesting, I think a plot summery could say more about this movie than my observations. The Emperor exiles the Jews so they use Jewish magic to animate a clay man who saves the emperor from being killed by an apparition of Moses. Then it goes bad and reeks havoc.
(3 out of 5)
45.)
The Ghouls (2003) (DVD) *
My Thoughts: The first 20 minutes of this movie made me want to blow my brains out. It got marginally better at that point but is still a movie that I could have made, and made better.
(1 out of 5)
46.)
The Haunted Curiosity Shop (1901) (Via The Net) *
My Thoughts: Film was relatively new at this time, and this is really all about trying to push the boundary of possible effects. It's a fun little film and the jaunty tune helps a lot (especially after that pile of trash The Ghouls).
(3.5 out of 5)


Continued In Part 3, Part 4 & Part 5