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

[hagios]

9/23

Cup of tea theatre

[oilers73]

Originally Posted by theEXORCIST

I remember thinking the same thing. A few F-bombs thats it. No terrifying images at all just a lot of people getting pushed and pulled around by some demonic force lol

If the f-word is used more than once, 99.9% of the time it will get an "R" rating from the MPAA. The last movie I watched where it was said twice but was rated "PG-13" was Necessary Roughness.

[Monterey Jack]

First-time viewings marked with an *

[Show spoiler]9/06/18: The Little Stranger * (2018):
9/07/18: The Nun * (2018):
9/10/18: Predator (1987):
9/11/18: Predator 2 (1990):
9/12/18: Predators (2010):
9/14/18:The Predator * (2018):
9/21/18: Fade To Black * (1980):

9/23/18:

-The Hidden (1987):



Clever crossbreeding of hardcore 80’s buddy cop action thriller and sci-fi/horror features Michael Nouri as Los Angeles detective Thomas Beck, who finds himself baffled by a rash of extremely violent murder and crime sprees being enacted by an unassuming succession of L.A. citizens with no previous records of criminal activity…until an “FBI Agent”, Lloyd Gallagher (a pre-Twin Peaks Kyle MacLachlan), arrives and gradually reveals that all of these perpetrators are merely “vehicles” for a repulsive, slug-like alien being who gets off on conspicuous consumption, and that he is a different breed of alien committed to bringing him to justice. Written by Stakeout screenwriter Jim Kouf (under the pen name “Bob Hunt”) and confidently directed by Jack Sholder (A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: The Gay One), The Hidden is brisk, brutal (especially a terrific opening car chase with glimmers of William Friedkin sadism), wryly amusing in MacLachlan’s deadpan, Spock-esque reactions to common human interactions like dinner with Nouri’s family and even ends on a modestly affecting note. A B-movie with class. Look fast for a young Danny Trejo as a prisoner.

[cgpublic]

”Professor, there's a big lizard back there and he's heading this way. Now get aboard!"

The Valley of Gwangi [1969; First Watch (2018 Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray)]



Rating: 

Analysis: After screening JW:FK, there was no resisting the genius of Harryhausen, especially the promise of a new 1080p HD remaster, which I picked up at the last WAC four for $44 sale. A wildly entertaining mix of cowboys & monsters set in Mexico (and filmed in Spain), Gwangi was Harryhausen’s final big dinosaur film, and as shared in the ‘Back to the Valley’ extra, perhaps the singular greatest influence on the Jurassic franchise.

[cgpublic]

"I barely survived the bombing of Nagasaki. And now this!"

Gojira (Godzilla [1954; Re-watch (2012 Criterion Blu-ray)]



Rating: 

Analysis: Once again, after screening a film, in this case The Valley of Gwangi, I felt compelled to select a specific film as the next one up in my march to Halloween. There was no resisting Gojira, not only a personal favorite, but also a tremendous cinematic achievement. Its message about nuclear proliferation from a country still reeling from the horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki still resonates to this day. That roar, that score…

[u2popmofo]

9/23

Zombie - 1979. 15 awesome minutes at the end, plus a few other awesome "underwater" minutes, mixed with over an hour of not so awesome minutes.

The Baby Sitter - Quite entertaining Netflix exclusive. Between this and Mayhem, I'm liking Samara Weaving as an actress.

The Trouble With Harry - Not horror, but it has an awesome fall setting. Still entertaining despite the "comedy" being super outdated.

Carrie - 1976 original. My first time seeing it "unedited". Still holds up 40+ years later.

[theEXORCIST]

Urban legend 2 final cut - 4 skulls. I liked this better than Scream 2.
Scream 4 - 4 1/2 skulls. I liked this better than Urban legend 2 final cut

[assydingo]

9/23 From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money (1999)

Texas Blood Money is promising in its first half, with a greater focus on the vampires in their bat form that delivers entertaining if cheesy moments, and an atmosphere that does a decent job of aping Tarantino. In the later portion though bad story decisions swoop in and take a bloody bite out of the film's energy. What pulse remains is sustained by the amusements of carnage.

[oilers73]

Hellbound: Hellraiser II This movie makes absolutely no sense. The story is illogical, the dialogue is corny, and the acting is soap opera-level. On the plus side, the Cenobites are truly scary. I also love Christopher Young's score.

[AKORIS]

#2

Stunning photography and visuals complemented by a gorgeous Criterion blu ray! Like much of the director's resume-- a movie with strong emotion and beauty combined with ugly violence and heartbreak.

[oilers73]

Ravenous I attended an advance screening of this back in early 1999. As promotional items, they gave away packages of beef jerky. I still have some, and I'm sure it tastes great!

[Rich65]

The Last Drive In with Joe Bob Briggs: Pieces
Fun entry in the marathon. The movie is bat $hit crazy and Joe Bob's on target with his stories and comments about the movie.

[assydingo]

9/24 From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter (2000)

The Rodriguez cousins, Robert and Alvaro, wrote this prequel that (wisely) takes us back to the infamous vampire feeding ground, showing us new parts of it, and expands the lore. The Hangman's Daughter feels closer to the spirit of the original and has a better story than Texas Blood Money.

[Monterey Jack]

First-time viewings marked with an *

[Show spoiler]9/06/18: The Little Stranger * (2018):
9/07/18: The Nun * (2018):
9/10/18: Predator (1987):
9/11/18: Predator 2 (1990):
9/12/18: Predators (2010):
9/14/18:The Predator * (2018):
9/21/18: Fade To Black * (1980):
9/23/18: The Hidden (1987):

9/24/18:

Pick up every stitch…

-Season Of The Witch * (1972):



Early effort from director George A. Romero (in that post-Night Of The Living Dead/pre-Dawn Of The Dead period) is hard to categorize. In fact, it barely qualifies as a “horror” movie in the traditional sense, playing out as more of a domesticated drama about an unhappy, middle-aged housewife (Jan White), who – plagued by vivid nightmares about growing old and unneeded and of a mysterious, masked intruder forcing his way into her home and violently assaulting her – is driven to not only an affair with a much-younger man (Raymond Laine), but also a keen interest in Witchcraft. Anyone expecting the director’s trademark mixture of social satire and gruesome gore will likely be left wanting by this experimental film (which was also released under the titles Hungry Wives!, in an attempt to make it look like a porno movie!), which is well-acted and visually stylish but also slow-moving and very dated to the “Women’s Lib” era. Worth a view for fans of the director, but I’m glad I watched it before October kicked off my Halloween horror marathon in earnest. Adjust your expectations, and it has its rewards for followers of the late and gifted Romero.

[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
splinter 3.75/5
among the living - 3.5/5
body melt - 3/5
magic - 4.5/5

in New York City this week for the argento series at the metrograph. even though giallo is not horror, some of his work feels a great mixture of both. lots of prints!!!!

opera - 5/5
I know some people will argue that this were the quality of argento's work started to declined. but I've never understood that. saw an italian dubbed 35mm print and this is movie might be one of the more underrated argento. this is top tier. the camerawork is just amazing. the simonetti score is one of his more subtle. I had initially questioned the heavy metal music, but it actually makes perfect sense in the terms of the story. I hadn't seen this in probably twelve years. but this is a fantastic genre movie, and still would be one of the best that came out that year.

inferno - 5/5
I have become more of a fan of this over the last couple years. they had a gorgeous 35mm print that just blew my mind. I never, ever thought this movie could look that good. there's a shot at the end that really blows my mind. I can not believe how great it looks. doesn't use goblin, and instead goes with emerson for the score. I don't know that I would make the case, but I think you could argue that this is his best work.

the stendhal syndrome - 5/5
this is the last great argento. was only a dcp. but that morricone score is just amazing. it's a beautiful, seductive, enchanting melody that draws you in. similar to the opening of suspiria. argento's work does have a very dreamlike quality. this one pushes it into nightmare territory. I hadn't seen this in a long time, but this is one that has always stuck with me as the best of his post opera work.

suspiria - 5/5
a slightly faded Italian dubbed print. I saw the synapse dcp last year, and that was revelatory and clean. this print was kind of noisy. but man... that goblin score through the stereos was LOUD and I loved every second of this. suspiria will always be his most famous work. it's a really magical. and it's kind of mindblowing to think that he makes this and inferno right after. (and tenebre).

assassination nation - 4/5????
I want to say that I personally did not enjoy most of this movie. i don't think I've ever felt so old and out of touch watching a movie. but, this is a dark and disturbing movie. it's horror in the sense that something like the twilight zone was horror. i felt and weird and uncomfortable with this movie, but that's the point. sometimes you hear about a movie, and it feels like you should love it because it checks a lot of boxes for what you like or hits a lot of your sweet spots. but it's ultimately underwhelming and disappointing. and that's how I feel about this. so really, my high score is for being so super ballsy and nihilistic and so much the opposite of any movie that comes out and gets a fairly big release. worth checking out once. but most likely I would never have the desire to watch it again.

[oilers73]

Sinister A horror film that is actually scary. This one gets under my skin each time I watch it. Very highly recommended, but avoid the sequel.

[samlop10]

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

10. Detention

11. The Predator

12. Mandy

13. Christine

14. The Exorcist III

15. Assassination Nation



Current:

16. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)



This is one of best remakes in the history of horror. It is indeed very similar to the original and not much of the plot is changed. However, while it uses the same setting and a similar atmosphere, it pushes them several notches up to amplify the intensity of the terror, and the result is one of the scariest slashers ever made.

Where the film really excels at is with its portrayal of horror and the despair of a group of friends finding themselves in the home of insane serial killers. It really sets the terror of what is to come with the shocking outcome of the hitchhiker who they pick up in the beginning. From then on it is pretty much a decent into hell on earth, unforgivingly showing the grimy house and decayed mental, and moral, state of Leatherface's family. And not only with those, but also with the suffering and deaths of the victims. Each one of them is shocking and emotionally resonant in their own way. Not necessarily because they get much character development, but because their interactions as friendly young adults is enough so that we sympathize with them. None of them are perfect, but at the same time we know they don't deserve what happens to them.

Even then, as horrifying as the film gets, it never really crosses the line with its violence on display. In terms of pure gore and violence shown on the screen, if this were to be compared with one of the latter sequels from Saw, this would seem tame by comparison. The reason why this has such considerably more impact is thanks to the successfully portrayed interactions between the friends and the realization of the place and situation in which they find themselves in.

Arguably, the film is too much. I have seem comments and reviews which say that the horror and despair on display is simply too much for the film to be enjoyable. While I can understand that, for me it just means that the film accomplishes what it was trying to do; and, I'd argue that as dark as the film gets, it never really extinguishes all hope, putting our leading lady through hell but never quite pushing her to the breaking point of giving up. As horrifying and dark as it is, she keeps pushing through the darkness, making her

[Show spoiler]one of the best final girls

in the history of horror cinema.

In that regard, Jessica Biel is great as Erin in the leading role. She really gives it her all. Easily and believably jumping from scared and emotionally broken to being brave and a fighter. It really seems like a tough performance to pull off, not just because of the drastic dramatic changes her character goes through in response to what happens to her and around her, but also because of the conditions of shooting the film and the hot and unforgiving location during a hot Texas summer. Everyone else is also very good. Even Eric Balfour, who gets the shorter screen time out of the group of friends, gives a great performance so that when Erin sees Leatherface's new mask, it is not only shocking and horrifying but also emotionally impactful.

So, while the film is definitely not everyone, not even for all people who like genuinely scary movies, it does reward its viewers who can make it to the very end without emotionally giving up:

[Show spoiler]Not only does Erin survive from Leatherface and his insane family, she also kills the evil Sheriff, chops off Leatherface's arm, and rescues the baby that was kidnapped.

It is an emotionally and mentally exhausting film, but for viewers who can stomach the horror and darkness on display, it is ultimately an intense ride with an earned bittersweet ending, making

[Show spoiler]Erin one of the strongest and bravest final girls

.


PQ: 3.5 / 5
Unfortunately, the picture for this transfer has not aged well. The biggest culprit here are black levels. While, thankfully, nothing seems crushed in terms of shadow detail (at least nothing after the source; i.e. a very early DI), black levels range from mostly very milky and grey to a few scenes in which they are actually pretty good. Grain seems moderate to minimal with some light edge enhancement on display. Since it is not clear what is from the source and what is a fault of the transfer, it is hard to judge the transfer itself. The picture is still watchable, however. The color palette intentionally leans towards a more monochromatic tone, and the blu-ray renders this pretty well. Even with the given limited color range, stuff like skin tones still look mostly neutral and well preserved. Fine detail is also very good. While not all of the grain was preserved, the light use of edge enhancement does help ameliorate whatever mild-to-moderate digital filtering it went through so that it still looks somewhat sharp with minimal EE artifacts. While definitely not eye candy, even from the source, the film could definitely use a new transfer with less digital tinkering.

AQ: 4.5 / 5
Thankfully, the audio does hold up pretty well. The track is loud and very dynamic. It sounds terrific both in loud scenes, such as the many chainsaw attacks, as well as during quieter sequences like when Erin is hiding inside a locker. The track stays very clear throughout, including the midrange with the dialogue staying intelligible amid the loudness of other elements. The surrounds are also pretty active throughout. Both panning effects like a gunshot traveling from front to back, or more discrete ones like when Leatherface goes after his victims. The track isn't always as crystal clear with some of its louder elements as more recent releases, but it's nothing that actually makes it sound bad, it just keeps it from getting a perfect score. Directionality across the front stage is also pretty good, with some effects traveling to the rears with realistic movement. The low end is pretty active for the whole running time. The mix is overall quite aggressive without going overboard. Active and dynamic enough around the whole soundstage without sounding forced.

[evilive]

Originally Posted by oilers73

Ravenous I attended an advance screening of this back in early 1999. As promotional items, they gave away packages of beef jerky. I still have some, and I'm sure it tastes great!

Ravenous is such a fun, quirky, and great film. Love the soundtrack for it too.

[charlieray1]

SEPTEMBER WARM-UP

Blue = blu-ray, * = first time viewing

Previously Watched 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!
Repulsion (1965) 1/2 This movie takes its time -- there's a lot of mundane details of our main character's life. But there's also a growing sense of unease, the sense that things are not right. By the final third of the movie, she has left all reality behind and what happens is all the more shocking because the first half of the film is so restrained. Maybe not a "fun" movie -- but a disturbing and effective portrait of mental illness. Very chilling.
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) I've seen this many times, but I still have such mixed emotions about it! It's fun to watch, and as eye-candy it's an easy 5 skulls, but as an adaptation of Dracula ... well, it's far more concerned with over-the-top style than substance. It's fun (and occasionally very good, when it calms down a bit) but I wish more of the talent and money had been aimed at the story instead of the flash. (Although it's fun to watch Keanu's hair constantly change color!)
The Fly (1986) 1/2 Watching this last night, I was really admiring it -- it has a literate, witty script, great performances and incredible make-up. I always forget how good it really is. Then the final act hits and pulls me out of the movie. All the sympathy the film has built for the characters is forgotten under a ton of (incredibly well-done) gore. It's still fun in a "Ewww! Look at that!" way, but it's so much more than that before the ick hits the fan. A 5 skull movie that loses 1 and 1/2 under the glop. (Fun fact: I never noticed before that Jeff G says "Help Me, please help me" to Geena D -- that must be a nod to the original film.)
A Quiet Place (2018) 1/2 Who would have thought that a PG-13 film with no profanity, no gore, and no nudity would become such a big hit -- and be so intense? When this came out last spring it was a real breath of fresh air, and it plays just as well at home. Incredibly fun old-school monster movie with an amazing sound design. Yeah, it's got a few plot holes ... but who cares? The most fun I've had at a monster movie in ages.

Psycho (1960) Not a lot to say about this movie, except that it still holds up. Big time. It doesn't matter that everyone knows the reveal -- the acting, the cinematography, the tight construction all really work. Why on earth didn't Tony Perkins get nominated for an Oscar? A classic that I admire more every time I see it.



*Psycho IV (1990) A first time watch, and a disappointing one. The worst of the sequels by a long shot, and surprisingly, where it fails most is the writing. Joseph Stefano, who did the original Psycho script, also wrote this, but it has some truly cringe-worthy dialogue. ("That's all that thing of yours is for, making wee-wee!") Sadly there were a few decent ideas here, and even a moment or two with some potential, but it never takes off. It's always good to see Anthony Perkins as Norman, and it's worth owning just for that, but Tony AND Norman both deserved a far better farewell.

[Punishment1o1]

(*) - Indicates First Time Viewing

9/24/18



Dreamcatcher:

There's a big part of me that wants to like this movie, but can't. I like that it isn't your average alien movie and the characters are all pretty likable. I also like how the movie utilizes and projects Jonesy's memory bank. However, I just can't get past some of the stupid stuff. First and foremost, the

[Show spoiler]aliens that comes out of people's butts

. Then there was a part where one of the characters was talking telepathically on a gun. I also didn't like how the movie switched between the group of friends and the military. I wish they had chosen one or the other.




Hereditary*:

Heard so many good things about this one, but I absolutely hated it. The pacing is just awful. I understand wanting to have a slow-burn horror movie, but I was bored most of the movie. Not only that, but I would have been ok with the slow pace had the movie gone anywhere with it. It never did and the ending was just as bad as the rest of the movie. I wasn't scared or frightened through any part of the movie.


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
A Quiet Place*: 1/2
As Above, So Below: 1/2
It (2017): 1/2
Thriller:
The House With a Clock in Its Walls*: