31 Days of Halloween Movies (2018) - Horror Fans Unite!!!!!!

[Foggy]

Only updating in bits and pieces till October comes, but going through some more recent stuff before I do my proper marathon

Red = Theatrical
Blue = Blu-ray
Black = Streaming/TV/Other
* = Rewatch

02/09 - Upgrade (2018, Dir. Leigh Whannell)
10/09 - A Quiet Place (2018, Dir. John Krasinski)
11/09 - Ghost Stories (2018, Dir. Jeremy Dyson & Andy Nyman)
12/09 - Resolution (2012, Dir. Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead)
16/09 - The Endless (2018, Dir. Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead)
17/09 - Under the Shadow (2016, Dir. Babak Anvari)

[cgpublic]

"Susie, do you know anything about... witches?"

Suspiria [1977; First Watch (2018 Synapse Films Blu-ray; Remastered; 4K Restoration)]



Rating: 

Analysis: Count me in the camp who believe Suspiria succeeds less as a traditional horror film and far greater as an idiosyncratic assault on sensibility and the senses. Regardless of which camp one may fall into, two universal truths remain: Jessica Harper’s performance is a gem, keeping the film from flying off the hot rails of hell, and Goblin should be on everyone’s Halloween party playlist. For those who have yet to see Suspiria, it’s a must for any fan of the genre. The good news is that the film has never looked better thanks to a terrific 4K restoration and sounds as intended with the accompanying 4.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix. Go ahead, your horror bucket list awaits the blade.

[prkchopexpress]

first time watches in bold

Originally Posted by prkchopexpress

original post

[Show spoiler]
hannibal tv series complete.
season 1 and 2 - 4.25 of 5 stars
season 3 - 3.75 of 5 stars
perfect blue - 5/5
predator 2 - 3/5
truth or dare 2018 - .25/5
slice - 3/5
the sorority house massacre - 1.75/5
halloween II - 2/5
vampire clay - 4.5/5
mandy 2018 - 5/5
the predator - 2.75/5
mom and dad 4.5/5
it stains the sand red - 4.5/5
the great alligator - 4/5
prom night 3 - the last kiss 1.5/5

prom night 4 - deliver us from evil - .5/5
an obscure deep cut that really isn't worth seeking out. a morbid curiosity that for some reason we has horror fans want to see every film of a franchise sometimes. which really leads us to watch so me garbage. the blond girl is the only thing memorable. but the script and everything about the production is so lackluster.

the house of the devil - 1.5/5
ugh. i don't even know why I'm rating it this high. I love the idea of slow burn and older style, but this is really a movie where nothing happens. the lead actress is not bad. everything about this movie just feels so meh. i just felt bored the whole time and by the time we got to the "payoff", I didn't care.

the autopsy of jane doe - 2/5
this is most frustrating of any recent watches, because the first 45 minute has me so hooked, and the second half suffers from "everything plus the kitchen sink." I know this is one of the surprises of the last few years, but I really didn't enjoy it at all.

necronomicon 3/5
this is an interesting anthology that doesn't entirely work, but is still worth checking out. this is low budget, so the effects aren't mindblowing. but some of these stories are just so weird.

[Punishment1o1]

(*) - Indicates First Time Viewing

9/17/18 (cont.)



A Quiet Place*: 1/2

I wasn't blown away, but it was still a pretty good movie. I liked how almost the whole movie was in silence. It really added to the tension. Not only that, but it was quite scary at times. I just wish the movie had been a little bit longer and explored the monsters a little more.


Oh, the horror so far this year:

[Show spoiler]Drag Me to Hell*:
The Boy*: :
Last Shift*: 1/2
Little Evil*:
The Collection*: 1/2

[Juels Winnfield]

9/17


Predator 1/2

[kingdoxie]

Frank and Wolf1.jpgFrank and Wolf.jpg

Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man

[assydingo]

9/17 Blood Beat (1983)

[hagios]

9/17

Cup of tea theatre



Dracula (1931)



Dracula's Daughter (1936)

[filmbuffTX]

The Nun - IMAX (2018)




The cast and characters are really enjoyable, as is the setting.

September
Fade to Black*
Slaughter High*
Truth or Dare*
The Howling*
Cult of Chucky*
Maximim Overdrive*
Predator 2
My Boyfriend's Back*
The Predator*
The Nun*

*first-time viewing

[samlop10]

Originally Posted by Lacit170

people can watch whatever they want lol...but how the hell is Jurrassic world considered halloween/horror

anyway, almost time! think im gonna start on Friday since i'll be on vacation for a week in October

The second half is pretty horror/gothic/suspense-oriented. It might not be very bloody but it is executed as a horror movie set in

[Show spoiler]a big mansion with a creature on the loose that is killing everyone

(I even mentioned this in my review of it which you partially quoted).

[prkchopexpress]

first time watches in bold

Originally Posted by prkchopexpress

original post

[Show spoiler]
hannibal tv series complete.
season 1 and 2 - 4.25 of 5 stars
season 3 - 3.75 of 5 stars
perfect blue - 5/5
predator 2 - 3/5
truth or dare 2018 - .25/5
slice - 3/5
the sorority house massacre - 1.75/5
halloween II - 2/5
vampire clay - 4.5/5
mandy 2018 - 5/5
the predator - 2.75/5
mom and dad 4.5/5
it stains the sand red - 4.5/5
the great alligator - 4/5
prom night 3 - the last kiss 1.5/5
prom night 4 - deliver us from evil - .5/5
the house of the devil - 1.5/5
the autopsy of jane doe - 2/5
necronomicon - 3/5

the uninvited 5/5
so this is from the 40s. so you have that 40s quick talk. less is more.

splinter 3.75/5
this is a ten year old budget monster flick. not bad, but not spectacular. I wouldn't call it a must see, but might be a fun surprise if you stumble across it.

[samlop10]

So I'm a little behind in posting what I've watched so far but I'm trying to catch up:

Previous:

1. Predator 2

2. Deep Blue Sea

3. Razorback

4. Revenge

5. The Nun

6. Halloween 6: The Curse of Micheal Myers (Producer's Cut)

7. Slither

8. Raising Cain (Director's Cut)

9. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom



Current:

10. Detention



This is one is a weird one.

Even with its lean running time, the film packs a wallop of references and homages to films from different genres. There's probably not a single scene without at least three different sorts of pop-culture references. The film is also intentionally over-stylized. But even with its over-the-top style and abundant references, it does not manage to have much substance. The problem is that it does not give enough time for any of its many different elements (including both characters and plot machinations) to breath and develop so that some depth is achieved. You have one scene which is not even done paying homage to a film when it is already setting up the next one. There is a nice character-arch for the protagonist but that is about it.

Having said that, the film is pretty fun, if you can keep up with its references and plot, that is. It is the fourth time I watch it and I was doing pretty well in catching all of the dialogue and knowing what they were talking about until about a third of the way in. At that point I had to rewind to understand the reference. And even if you can keep up with those homages to pop-culture, you still need to keep up with the plot. It involves teenage problems, a movie-within-a-movie inspired serial killer, a body swap a la Freaky Friday, and a time-traveling alien bear (yes, you read that right, and no, I did not misspell that last part). The plot is pretty complicated in it of itself, and combined that with its abundance of references, it makes repeat viewings of Detention hold up just due to the sheer explosiveness of its script, even if that doesn't really give it much depth. It is a fun film but it is not very audience-friendly, and it does require the outmost attention of its viewers (and quick thinking) to be able to keep up with it. If you get lost the first time around, chances are with repeated viewings you will begin to understand it better (it took me two viewings to understand the plot).

PQ: 4.5 / 5
Excellent transfer for the film. It is very glossy and colorful throughout. It does not look organic (it was shot with digital cameras), but the intended look does come through very convincingly. Fine detail is prominent with sharp lines and revealing textures throughout. Were it not for the exaggerated style of the film which incorporates a wide and very colorful palette, the picture would have looked pretty flat, but thanks to all the colors the image pops. Contrast is pretty stable during the whole film with excellent black levels. Despite the style of the picture, skin tones look very convincing and neutral. I did notice a bit of crush in shadow detail but nothing that would ruin the picture. Plus, most of the film takes place in well-lit settings. Other than the mild clipping in dark areas, I saw no compression artifacts.

AQ: 4.5 / 5
Just like the film itself, the sound mix is replete with different elements from beginning to end. It incorporates everything from a surreal score to pop songs, sci-fi elements, action ones, and slasher effects. Thankfully, the mix balances all of these with aplomb, allowing all of them to sound clear and robust. Dialogue is well prioritized, and if you do not understand something it won't be the sound's fault. Directionality is pretty good, especially in the front stage, but nothing that makes it stand from the rest. Surrounds are pretty active throughout but they are not used as much as what we've come to expect from the best sound mixes. Dynamic range is broad and the low-end stays clear and robust as needed. It is quite a unique sound design and the 5.1 lossless mix replicates extremely well.

[Rich65]

1/2
Not a horror film per se but an affectionate spoof of 50's sci-fi horror films. Some jokes fall flat but the ones that hit are hilarious.

[jeddy3]

9/5 - Alien vs. Predator (2004)
9/7 - Annihilation (2018)
9/10 - Upgrade (2018)
9/11 - A Quiet Place (2018)
Cooties (2014)
9/12 - I Am Legend (2007)
9/13 - Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
Signs (2002)
9/17 - The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Annabelle: Creation (2017)

[blaken123]

The Terror (Season 1, 2018) Holy smokes was this good. I was a huge fan of the book, and this is a fantastic adaptation. As far as great adaptations go, I think it is better than GOT but perhaps bested by Peter Jackson's LOTR. I've never cared about Jared Harris before but he is the REAL beast here! Brilliant! Two minor complaints: the season needed to be EVEN LONGER (I can watch men suffering on the ice forever I think) and of course, as many have said, the

[Show spoiler] monster design is not great. Predators don't have flat faces, plus CGI in general still isn't quite there yet, is it? The creature just wasn't very scary when it was onscreen. My suggestion: if you can't make a creature look realistic, lean into it. Make it look like an incomprehensible storm of white fur and claws. Or since it's a demigod or whatever, just give it no head at all--claws only. But of course many of the problems with the creature are straight from the source material.

Alien: Covenant (2017) "Perfectly Harmless" Well, I didn't think it could get worse than Prometheus, but the lord punishes us for what we cannot imagine (did David say that during the movie, or was it some other cocktail-hour intellectual BS?). I appreciate that they were going for gothic horror here... people wreck their ship on a deserted island and run into Dr. Robotomoreau in his castle (during a storm, natch). Seems like it should be cool, right? A planet stripped of animal life... xenomorphs popping out of people's spines... the craziest crazy android yet. But it's just so boring, and the worst of the series (other than maybe Alien 3... I keep trying to like that one cause you all tell me too, but no dice yet. Love that infected ox, though!). How can you make an Alien movie so boring? How about staging it on a vast planet, filled with alien artifacts and beautiful vistas, and then limit the second act to a couple of featureless hallways? Throw in a a terrible bunch of characters, too. It's not that hard to put decent characters in your Alien movie. Just watch the first one, Ridley (I wonder who directed that one? Perhaps it will come to me): you don't have to have your characters going on and on about their lake house or about how much they love their spouses. That's not how you build character. Nobody cares! The people in Alien 1979 didn't tell us a single damn thing about their private lives cause no one gives a crap. They just did their job in a realistic, believable way, complete with a little bit of seen-it-all thousandyard boredom, *****ing about shares, and arguments about protocol. Michael Fassbender is, of course, the only thing worthwhile here. He seems to understand that this movie is more House on Haunted Hill (or maybe Rocky Horror Picture Show!) than Island of Lost Souls, and so he sets up Camp. Maybe if the rest of the movie had the courage to be outrageous, it might've worked. Instead, the filmmakers tried to tow the line between the Cassavetes in space realism of Alien 1979 and the looniness of something like Re-animator or James Whale's Bride of Frankenstein. An awful movie. Like Prometheus, though, there are a handful of interestingly gross images and beautiful shots. Probably just enough to trick me into watching it again in the future... after all, it's perfectly harmless, I assure you.

[Lacit170]

Originally Posted by samlop10

The second half is pretty horror/gothic/suspense-oriented. It might not be very bloody but it is executed as a horror movie set in

[Show spoiler]a big mansion with a creature on the loose that is killing everyone

(I even mentioned this in my review of it which you partially quoted).

IMDB
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
PG-13 | 2h 8min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi | 22 June 2018 (USA)

BD.com
SCI-FI
ACTION
ADVENTURE
THRILLER

Rotten Tomatoes
Genre: Action & Adventure, Drama, Science Fiction & Fantasy

[charlieray1]

SEPTEMBER WARM-UP

Blue = blu-ray, * = first time viewing

Previous Films:

[Show spoiler]

The Orphanage (2007) A well-made, creepy, slow burn horror film. Very effective, and surprisingly moving at the end. This got our annual MonsterFest off to a great start!
Village Of The Damned (1960) Hadn't seen this in a few years. I forgot how very well-made and effective it is. Terrific movie, and a great looking new blu-ray from Warner Archive.
*The Devil's Daughter (1973) 1/2 (YouTube) My wife and I are old enough to have seen a lot of silly 70's TV movies as kids and we have a soft-spot for them. This is a completely predictable "Rosemary's Baby" rip-off -- campy, and a LOT of nostalgic fun. Decent cast too, with Shelly Winters, Joseph Cotton and a post "Dark Shadows" Jonathon Frid. We liked it ... but if you grew up after the '70's, you'll want to knock a couple of skulls off.
The Dead Zone (1983) Easily my favorite SK adaptation -- great story, great cast. Brooke Adams is beautiful! A favorite. Imported the Australian blu-ray. A little disappointing. Sound is definitely an upgrade, picture is too, but it's subtle.
Ghost Story (1981) 1/2 Another old favorite. I'm a sucker for slow-burn, well-crafted ghost stories ... and this one has those qualities in spades. Cool to see these old-time actors -- the cast is excellent -- along side Alice Krige, who is perfection as Eva/Anna. Loses half a star for over-reliance on shock cuts to gooey dead faces. They get a bit repetitive after a while, and they're not necessary in this movie -- it's strength is "eerie", not shock.
*The Little Stranger (2018) theatrical Gee, I wanted to love this. It looked like the kind of subtle ghost story that's right up my alley, but I guess even subtle can be overdone. EVERYTHING is laid between the lines, to the point that I really didn't understand what happened in the film. Had to read about it afterwards to figure out what I missed. Good premise, well made and well acted ... but it needs at least a LITTLE more overt storytelling. A big disappointment.
*Cronos (1993) :1/2 This didn't do much for me either. Some nice moments early on, but mostly gooey and pointless. *sigh*
*Cat Creature (1973) youtube 1/2 OK, I knew this wasn't going to be good, but I thought it would be entertaining. As I said (see: The Devil's Daughter) I have a fondness for campy 70's TV movie horror. I don't mind if they're silly, over-acted, unbelievable ... but this one was dull. How do you take a plot about a 2,000 year old cat creature stalking Los Angeles and make it boring? Simple: all "cop investigation" and very little cat. Interesting cast though -- Peter Lorre Jr? Who knew? (NOTE: OK, this is weird! Peter Lorre Jr wasn't related to Peter Lorre! Check this out: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0521137/bio)
The Grudge (2004) 1/2 The best of the weekend ... and the only one I had seen before. Not a great movie by any means, but fun and entertaining. (Are you listening, Cat Creature?)
The Fog (1980) A favorite, and IMO, one of JC's best films. However, I might skip this one for the next few years. No fault of the movie, but I've seen it many times and it's become so familiar that it didn't do as much for me this year. Still, it earns it's 4 skulls.
Asylum (1972) Boy, did I enjoy this! Never had the DVD, so I hadn't seen it since the VHS days. I love all the old Amicus anthologies, and although I had forgotten some of it, this is one of the best. The wrap around story is much better than most, and each tale worked quite well. Decent blu-ray too -- some nice extras.
Silence Of The Lambs (1991) What a powerful movie this is. Jody Foster and, especially, Anthony Hopkins are so perfect in their roles. Controlled, understated, underplayed and completely chilling. Also, for a film with such gruesome subject matter, it's surprisingly restrained -- it's dark and oppressive, but most of the violence is off-screen. A smart, well-made, grim thriller. My wife and I tend to stick to lighter, "fun" horror movies, but this one is too good to miss.
*Ghost Stories (2018) 1/2 I can't stop thinking about this movie! Too many jump scares perhaps, but there is a lot more here than shock. This film demands to be watched closely with no distractions, and the closer you watch, the more you'll get out of it. Plus, it's a lot of fun! I hate it when people say "You didn't get it" if you don't like a certain movie. However, in this case, if all you see is what's in plain sight ... you didn't get it. Or at least you missed the best part. A new classic.
Trick Or Treat (2007) 1/2 I love the way this movie looks, and the way the stories intertwine. I like the Sam character, and all the Halloween iconography too. It's a fun film, that loses half a skull for me for being a bit too sleazy in spots. (Really don't enjoy hearing a 10 year old say "butt-f***.") Still, very enjoyable.
The Funhouse (1981) 1/2 This gets off to a really lunk-headed start -- dumb characters, cheesy dialogue -- but once they get inside the funhouse and the main story starts, it really goes! We see the "monster" close enough and long enough to realize that it's an immobile mask, but this works as a fun, simple horror movie. Captures the whole garish carnival atmosphere nicely too. Turn off your brain and go for a ride.
*Unsane (2018) (Amazon streaming) 1/2 This has ... *ahem* ... a few problems. It's impossible to like the main character -- she's obnoxious -- and it's really, really far-fetched. Unless, of course, she imagined the whole thing (which I tend to believe. She's obviously nuts.) I like the ambiguity of the ending, but this was pretty "meh.". The most impressive thing was that the whole movie was shot on an iPhone! Looked pretty good too.

Near Dark (1987) I've always liked this one -- it's a really cool reworking of the whole vampire mythology. Great cast -- Lance Henriksen is amazing. So is Bill Paxton -- first time I've seen it since he died. Funny that neither of the leads, Adrian Pasdar (Caleb) or Jenny Wright (Mae), went on to much movie success. They're both quite good -- and she was gorgeous! A favorite ... even if the whole

[Show spoiler]"vampires are cured by a transfusion" idea

is a little unconvincing!

[mpstjohn]

Previously this month...

[Show spoiler]Marrowbone 1/2
Happy Death Day
It (2017) 1/2 28 Weeks Later
The Fly
Frighteners
Arachnophobia
Darkman
C.H.U.D. 1/2
Exorcist III 1/2
Unfriended 2: Dark Web 1/2
Revenge 1/2
An American Werewolf in London 1/2
All Hallow's Eve
The First Purge

Hereditary

[Show spoiler]There is something beneath the layers of violence and even the literal deconstruction of the family that resonates in a way similar to the likes of Martyrs, a sort of story beneath the story, like Cronenberg's The Fly being a man losing himself to a terminal disease rather than a fly transformation. Its hard for me to review the film without spoiling much of it but to say beyond the simple story there seems to be the undercurrent of a woman's battle against her familial mental illness only to realize the world itself seems to be embracing it. Its unnerving in a way I don't think I'll ever be able to watch it again. The score, the acting, the characters, all add up to something that feels very human and yet unsparingly inhuman in its horror.

Return of the Living Dead

[Show spoiler]After having my soul mangled by the earlier movie I needed a palate cleanser. ROTLD manages to walk that fine line of horror-comedy and exploitation without falling too far on either side. It manages to both act as a follow up of sorts to Night of the Living Dead while establishing its own style and identity separate from Romero's Dead films.

Ouija: Origin of Evil

[Show spoiler]In the world of Blumhouse, prequels have the strange power to improve upon their predecessors when one would think the original films would never merit a follow-up. For a PG-13 and a prequel Ouija 2 does a phenomena job on turning what once was just a cash-in on a board game into an actual story arc. Great casting and some nice touches to the cinematography make this feels like a film from the period its set in.

The Lost Boys

[Show spoiler]I wonder sometimes what made a movie like The Lost Boys stand the test of time better than its doppelganger, Near Dark. Both films have phenomena casts, both films have an engaging premise both have very three-dimensional characters. In retrospect I think its less the quality than the tone and reliability of the two families. Near Dark is a hard watch, Lost Boys is a fun sit. Lost Boys has a fun catchy soundtrack, the two Corey, Keifer as the bad guy and a jokey tone that is actually balanced well with the dark moments. I don't think its the better movie but it is more accessible and like the MCU today, its light-hearted moments hide its flaws in ways Near Dark couldn't afford to.

[samlop10]

Originally Posted by Lacit170

IMDB
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
PG-13 | 2h 8min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi | 22 June 2018 (USA)

BD.com
SCI-FI
ACTION
ADVENTURE
THRILLER

Rotten Tomatoes
Genre: Action & Adventure, Drama, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Lol, are you really using IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes to classify films’ genres? I’m not saying you have to agree with me (and tbh I don’t really care if you do), but IMDB lists A Simple Favor as a Crime, Drama, Mystery, and while it definitely has those, it completely omits the Comedy component which is pretty prominent in the film, definitely more so than Drama. They also list A Quiet Place as a Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi, and completely omit the Suspense/Thriller component which is more prominent than the Horror one. Rotten Tomatoes does the same with A Simple Favor and they list Mandy as an Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense. Mandy is certainly not an Adventure film, is hardly a Mystery, and they completely omit the Horror component. Blu-ray.com completely omits the Mystery component of Wind River and instead they have Action at the top. So... again, not saying you or anyone has to agree with me or with those but going by these websites they definitely seem subjective and certainly not always accurate.

[charlieray1]

Originally Posted by Lacit170

IMDB
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
PG-13 | 2h 8min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi | 22 June 2018 (USA)

BD.com
SCI-FI
ACTION
ADVENTURE
THRILLER

Rotten Tomatoes
Genre: Action & Adventure, Drama, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Geez guys, who cares? Watch whatever fits in with your Halloween viewing -- this is all for fun. I love silents and old 30's horrors that would completely bore an 80's slasher movie fan -- and I would never watch most of those. It doesn't matter. Just enjoy - there's room for everyone.