25. A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2
This is the best sequel for the series. I like all the characters and Freddy is still scary. I love the intro scene with the bus, it might be my favorite scene in the series. I don't remember looking at this series much since watching it in the 80's on VHS so it was cool to revisit again in HD.
[Show spoiler]
1. HALLOWEEN 3
2+3. PHANTASM 1+2
4. CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON
5. HALLOWEEN
6. DRACULA 1931
7. ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN
8. THE INVISIBLE MAN
9+10. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 5+6
11. ZOMBIELAND
12. ALIEN COVENANT
13. VAN HELSING
14-16. SCREAM 1-3
17. EVENT HORIZON
18. PHANTOM OF THE OPERA 1943
19. THE MUMMY 2017
20. ANNIHILATION
21+22. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 7+8
23. FRANKENSTEIN 1931
24. THE WOLF MAN 1941
SEPTEMBER
1. 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE
2. THE MUMMY 1959
3. SALEM'S LOT
4+5. FRIDAY THE 13TH 1+2
6. THE MUMMY 1932
7. THE THING 1982
8. SHAUN OF THE DEAD
9. FREDDY VS. JASON
10. THE PURGE
11. LAND OF THE DEAD
12. RAMPAGE
13-15. POLTERGEIST 1+2+2015
16. ALIEN VS. PREDATOR
17. THE MEG
18. DAWN OF THE DEAD 2004
19. THE PURGE ANARCHY
20+21. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3+4
22. THE THING 2011
23. PROMETHEUS
24. THE PURGE ELECTION YEAR
25. A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2
This is the best sequel for the series. I like all the characters and Freddy is still scary. I love the intro scene with the bus, it might be my favorite scene in the series. I don't remember looking at this series much since watching it in the 80's on VHS so it was cool to revisit again in HD.
[Show spoiler]
1. HALLOWEEN 3
2+3. PHANTASM 1+2
4. CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON
5. HALLOWEEN
6. DRACULA 1931
7. ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN
8. THE INVISIBLE MAN
9+10. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 5+6
11. ZOMBIELAND
12. ALIEN COVENANT
13. VAN HELSING
14-16. SCREAM 1-3
17. EVENT HORIZON
18. PHANTOM OF THE OPERA 1943
19. THE MUMMY 2017
20. ANNIHILATION
21+22. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 7+8
23. FRANKENSTEIN 1931
24. THE WOLF MAN 1941
SEPTEMBER
1. 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE
2. THE MUMMY 1959
3. SALEM'S LOT
4+5. FRIDAY THE 13TH 1+2
6. THE MUMMY 1932
7. THE THING 1982
8. SHAUN OF THE DEAD
9. FREDDY VS. JASON
10. THE PURGE
11. LAND OF THE DEAD
12. RAMPAGE
13-15. POLTERGEIST 1+2+2015
16. ALIEN VS. PREDATOR
17. THE MEG
18. DAWN OF THE DEAD 2004
19. THE PURGE ANARCHY
20+21. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3+4
22. THE THING 2011
23. PROMETHEUS
24. THE PURGE ELECTION YEAR
I always thought Mark Patton did a good job in a bad film. It's really fun to spot the homosexual subtext in this movie, though.
I always thought Mark Patton did a good job in a bad film. It's really fun to spot the homosexual subtext in this movie, though.
Yea, Mark Patton is very good, I almost like him as the lead more than Heather Langenkamp in the original. Too bad they didn't bring him back in any of the sequels. I definitely notice the sexual references more than I did when I saw this as a 10 year old in the 1980's.
The Orphanage (2007) A well-made, creepy, slow burn Spanish 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. The audio is definitely an upgrade, and the 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/Alma. 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 4 we saw this 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 was potential here, and a few decent ideas, and even a decent moment or two, 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. City Of The Dead (1960) Quick! Name the movie: a 1960 black and white thriller with a pretty blonde that stays in a lonely hotel, and disappears from the movie halfway through after being
[Show spoiler]stabbed to death by the owner.
The second half of the film has her sibling searching for her and finding out the shocking truth about the innkeeper. Psycho, you say? Nope. City Of The Dead! A fun, old school horror movie with fantastic atmosphere, and Christopher Lee to boot. A low-budget, but very effective and eerie little film, with an especially chilling prologue set in the 1700's. A real Halloween treat, and a great blu-ray too! Fade To Black (1980) : (Amazon Prime) I'm tempted to call this a first viewing -- it's been over 30 years, and I didn't remember much of it ... if I had, I wouldn't have watched again. There's actually a very good idea here: a movie obsessed kid, killing his enemies in the style of characters from films. There are several cool movie clips, movie references and memorabilia, plus a few nice shots. And Dennis Christopher is pretty good. But everyone else is awful, and the script is a complete mess. A missed opportunity, but at least it was fun to watch. The House That Dripped Blood (1971) Another old Amicus anthology movie ... but one of the lesser ones. The best story is probably the third, about Christopher Lee and his voo-doo practicing daughter, but none of the four tales have quite the punch of the stories in Asylum, or Tales From The Crypt. Still, a good time ... and a wonderful blu-ray. Great colors on all those cheesy 70's era ascots that everyone wears in this. The Sentinel (1977) 1/2 Geez, what an incoherent mess! Very campy movie (with an amazing cast!) that tries really hard to horrify ... and misses. A few decent moments, but mostly silly. HOWEVER: If you've always wanted to see Beverly D'Angelo as a mute, nude, cymbal-playing, brain-eating lesbian from Hell ... this film gets my highest recommendation. The Undying Monster (1947) The first 15 minutes of this are so good, and so atmospheric and so well shot that it could easily give the best Universal horrors a run for their money. Unfortunately, it settles into a talky mystery film. It perks up near the end, but it never lives up to the promise of those wonderful opening scenes. Black Sabbath (Italian version - 1963) This is absolutely one of the best (and scariest!) anthology films ever made ... and the original Italian version is the way to see it. The American version completely rewrites one of the stories (The Telephone) to remove the lesbian element of the story. They did a clever editing job, but it's not the same story, and not as good. In the original, all three stories are really strong, and surprisingly creepy. The dead witch in A Drop Of Water is still frightening after all these years. Karloff is great as a Wurdalack (Romanian vampire) preying on his family. Sometimes They Come Back (1991) :1/2 Really enjoyable TV movie. Almost gave it 4 skulls because I really like the story and the film works well for me ...but there's enough cheese in it that 3 1/2 is more realistic. A great way to wrap up September!
PREVIOUSLY WATCHED IN OCTOBER
[Show spoiler]
Dark Night Of The Scarecrow (1981) 1/2 Started off October with a fun one. Not exactly a classic, but quite good for a 1981 TV movie. Lots of effective moments and a good story over-all. Surprisingly good blu-ray too. The Fly (1958) Hadn't seen this in a few years -- what a great movie! Watched the remake in September, and I have to admit, I prefer the original. The remake starts off incredibly well, but it gets lost in the gore. This movie, while cheesier, is just fun all the way through, and it really is well-constructed. The mystery framework is well done. I imagine audiences in the 50's did a lot of screaming at the big reveal and at the famous "help me!" scene. Favorite moment: When the cat disappears and you can still hear its "disembodied cat atoms" yowling. Bucket Of Blood (1960) 1/2 Campy, ultra low-budget fun from Roger Corman. This was one of his early quickies (and it shows) but it's quite enjoyable with a strong sense of humor. Dick Miller is great. Spider Baby (1967) 1/2 If ever a film deserved to be called a cult classic, it's Spider Baby. Lon Chaney is actually quite good, as are Jill Banner, Sid Haig and Beverly Washburn. Funny, sleazy, sexy and creepy all at once. No other film is quite like this. * Frankenstein (2004) 1/2 Really interesting TV adaptation of Mary Shelly's novel, supposedly the most faithful version. I've never read the book, so I enjoyed seeing how much it differed from the classic Karloff film. A few weak spots, and the monster is too normal looking for the horrified reactions he gets in the film, but it's a great story. Well worth watching. Straitjacket (1964) I had forgotten how cheesy this is! Fun, though. Over the hill Joan Crawford camping it up for William Castle, with severed heads-a-flyin'. What's not to love? A Game Of Death (1945) 1/2 Really interesting double feature last night -- the original Most Dangerous Game, and this film - it's remake, made 13 years later, by the same studio, even using quite a bit of the same footage! It's a very close remake, with one interesting plot change in the middle. It's was directed by Robert Wise at the beginning of his career. Pretty good! In fact I was going to give it 4 skulls ... until we watched the original afterwards: The Most Dangerous Game (1932) Very, very similar to it's remake ... but just better. More tightly paced, punchier, more style to the direction ... and it has the lovely Fay Wray. I liked the character of the brother better in the remake, but otherwise this version was the clear winner. An all-time classic thriller. Creepshow (1982) 1/2 Fun anthology that really captures that comic book feel. Steven King is very funny in it, and Hal Holbrook and Adrienne Barbeau are amusing too. Their story, The Crate, is the best in the film, although all the tales work well. Not as good a movie as Dead Of Night or Ghost Stories, but it's much more tongue in cheek than those and it's very successful at what it does. One of the better horror anthologies. Masque Of The Red Death (1964) What a great movie! Probably Roger Corman's best film. Price is wonderful, and the sets are fantastic. Great blu-ray too, with fantastic color. Might be a little padded in the middle (I'm talking to you, dream sequence) but it's still too good to get less than 5 skulls. It Follows (2015) 1/2 Whaddya know? An original idea in a horror movie! Very enjoyable - and creepy - film, with some interesting quirks to mull over. For example, when is this set? The kids watch old black and white movies on CRT TV's, phones have cords, and only one cell phone is ever seen but it seems contemporary in other ways. It's got a number of plot holes (like how does the first guy know what's going on when he thinks he "must have gotten it" from a one-night stand, who obviously didn't tell him) but it certainly works. One of the better horrors in recent years. * Magic (1978) (Amazon streaming) I actually saw this back in the 70's(!) when I was in high school, but I didn't remember any of it -- so I'm calling it a first time viewing. Good film! Anthony Hopkins is great. I expected this to be one of those "evil doll is really alive" films, but that's not what it is at all. A terrific, slow-burn suspense thriller. Well worth seeing -- I won't wait another 40 years to watch it again! Tales From The Crypt (1972) One of the best of the old Amicus anthologies. Every story is a winner. Joan Collins was quite the eyeful back in the day! Fun, fun movie -- and an excellent blu-ray! *Horror At 37,000 Feet (1973) (YouTube) Capt Kirk, Jed Clampett, the Rifleman, the Professor from Gilligan's Island and a few other out-of-work TV actors battle some oozing, chanting Druid glop on an airliner that's stuck in mid-air. Quality cheese! I can't help myself with these campy 70's TV horrors. Worth watching just to see the Shat as an alcoholic former priest who finds his faith again just in time to get thrown out of the airplane. * The Spiral Staircase (1945) 1/2 A first viewing, and I bet I will like it even better next time. It has style and atmosphere to spare, and a great gothic mood. Unfortunately, the story wasn't quite as impressive - after a wonderful opening not a lot happens until the end. Still, this was so well done that it was very enjoyable. Great PQ too! BTW - why this called The Spiral Staircase? There is one in the house, but it's certainly not central to the plot. The Vampire's Ghost (1945) 1/2 A fun little obscure B from the 40's. Really different for a vintage vampire movie -- it's set in the wilds of Africa, the vampire wears white, runs a bar and walks around in the daylight wearing sunglasses! Some low-budget shortcomings - mostly the acting from some of the supporting cast - but a good, and very original film. A nice change of pace, and a really beautiful blu-ray. War Of The Worlds (1953) (DVD) A wonderfully well-made film with a smart script, fine performances, great color and fantastic special effects. I don't care that you can see the wires -- the ship design is ultra-cool and the models of Los Angeles are flawless. It's of it's time (especially the main female role -- she's there to be pretty and get rescued) but it's still full of wonder, and miles ahead of the Spielberg remake. I can't imagine how amazing this must have been in 1953. WHERE IS THE BLU-RAY?! * WNUF Halloween Special 1987 (Amazon streaming) (2013) Well, that was different! Probably only deserves 2 skulls as entertainment, but I give it one extra for originality and the convincing look of a small-time 80's TV broadcast. Too long, and the actual "story" ends pretty weak, but it's amazing what can be done by people with no money (supposedly a $1,500 budget!) and a lot of creativity. Love the commercials! Trilogy Of Terror (1975) 1/2 If you grew up in the 70's, that creepy little doll is seared indelibly into your brain. Of course, the third segment is great and why the film is remembered, but it's all enjoyable. The first story is fairly good, the second is pretty obvious. What I had forgotten - and what is surprising for 70's TV - is how sleazy some of it is! Subtle (and some not so subtle) references to date rape, masochism and gang rape. The entire first story makes you squirm in this in these days of Cosby and the #MeToo movement. Angel Heart (1987) (Amazon streaming) 1/2 This is another almost first viewing ... it's been over 30 years and I remembered next to nothing about it. A disappointment. Great cast, wonderful look, but it wears out it's welcome, and it's so convoluted that a character at the end has to make a long speech explaining everything that happened. It certainly had it's moments, but it's less than the sum of its parts ... and it has a sex scene so ridiculously over the top that even Michael Douglas must have rolled his eyes. The Thing From Another World (1951) (DVD) This film often gets put down because "the remake is so much better", but you really can't compare them fairly. They are very different films from completely different eras. The later film is great, but taking this one on it's own, it's extremely well done. Great cast, smart realistic dialogue, terrific story, lots of suspense. For it's era, it's pretty grim -- the idea of the (never shown) dead crew members strung up by their heels, throats slit, to feed to growing plant aliens is creepy. One of the best alien invader film ever made. Burn Witch Burn (1962) 1/2 This movie is somewhat obscure, but it's loaded with dark atmosphere and menace. Fine acting, a good story -- a near classic. The only thing that hurts it is a certain incoherence near the end. Some plot elements get muddled and confusing. It's a shame, because it's a terrific, creepy film otherwise.
* Dead Of Winter (Amazon streaming) 1/2 When I saw the trailer and the cast, this looked like a winner. It's very well made, nicely shot and certainly has its moments ... but it gets more silly and unbelievable as it goes. Hard to accept three woman that look exactly alike, to the point that even one's sister can't tell the difference. Fun, but suspension of disbelief went south for the winter with logic.
* Tourist Trap (1979) (Shudder) This was a first viewing for my wife. I actually saw it in theaters when it was new and I was just 18. As I recall, I liked it. What I didn't recall is that I must have been an idiot at 18. They don't get much dumber that this.
Last edited by charlieray1; 10-21-2018 at 09:45 PM.
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) 18/09 - Ninja III: The Domination (1984, Sam Firstenberg) 19/09 - Thelma (2017, Joachim Trier) 20/09 - The Crow (1994, Alex Proyas 23/09 - Climax (2018, Gaspar Noe) 24/09 - A Cure For Wellness* (2017, Gore Verbinski) 26/09 - mother!* (2017, Darren Aronofsky) 28/09 - Phase IV (1974, Saul Bass) 29/09 - Revenge (2018, Coralie Fargeat) 30/09 - Hold the Dark (2018, Jeremy Saulnier) 30/09 - The Funhouse (1981, Tobe Hooper)
————— 01/10 - Confessions (2010, Tetsuya Nakashima) 01/10 - The Blob (1958, Irvin Yeaworth & Russell Doughten) 02/10 - Dead Ringers (1988, David Cronenberg) 02/10 - Sleepwalker (1984, Saxon Logan) 03/10 - Venom (2018, Ruben Fleischer) 04/10 - Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986, John McNaughton) 06/10 - Creepshow (1982, George A. Romero) 06/10 - Shocker (1989, Wes Craven) 07/10 - The Toxic Avenger (1984, Lloyd Kaufman & Michael Herz) 07/10 - Street Trash (1987, James M. Muro) 08/10 - Kill, Baby...Kill! (1966, Mario Bava) 09/10 - The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1963, Mario Bava) 09/10 - The Cat O’Nine Tails (Dario Argento, 1971) 10/10 - Black Sunday (Mario Bava, 1960) 13/10 - Black Sabbath (Mario Bava, 1963) 14/10 - The Haunting (Robert Wise, 1963) 15/10 - Spider Baby (Jack Hill, 1967) 15/10 - Night of the Demon (Jacques Tourneur, 1957) 16/10 - The Baby (Ted Post, 1973) 16/10 - Quatermass and the Pit (Roy Ward Baker, 1967) 16/10 - The Thing From Another World (Christian Nyby, 1951) 17/10 - Apostle (Gareth Evans, 2018) 18/10 - Maniac Cop (1988, William Lustig) 18/10 - J.D.’s Revenge (1976, Arthur Marks) 19/10 - Halloween* (1978, John Carpenter) 20/10 - Candyman (1992, Bernard Rose) 20/10 - Pet Sematary (1989, Mary Lambert) 20/10 - The Hunger (1983, Tony Scott) 21/10 - Nosferatu (1922, F.W. Murnau) 21/10 - Cure (1997, Kiyoshi Kurosawa) 21/10 - The House of the Devil (2009, Ti West) 21/10 - The Howling (1981, Joe Dante)
These three films are perennial favorites for me and my parents. We quote these all the time and know them pretty intimately. This is my first time viewing them in their latest and most pristine editions (one UHD, one SF, one Arrow--man, these have never looked better).
Christine (4K)
Always liked this story. The car steals the show, obviously, but coupled with Arnie's fall arc it's all quite a sobering experience. Maybe not the greatest Carpenter film, but it's one of the best King stories and the movie does it good justice.
Five short stories in one satisfying package. There's not a stinker in the bunch, imo. My only gripe is that some stories have a pretty long setup. Fortunately, the payoff is perfect across all the tales. The meteor sh*t story and the bug thing always captivated me the most, but the others are decent too. There's a little bit of everything in this movie--every brand of terror you could want (monsters, sociopaths, the supernatural, something from space, body horror). It's all brought to life with a superb cast, a perfect level of camp, and some very vivid lighting and transitional effects.
Holy crap, is that Stephen King's son holding that voodoo doll? I never knew.
Seems like most folks blow off this second one as an inferior, disappointing sequel. Granted it's shorter, my only complaint is that the animated segments are a lot cheaper and the creep dude is way too hammy. What's up with his chin too? I want to kick it for some reason.
Anyway, these tales captivate me just as strongly as the first movie, if not a little more. The Chief Woodenhead one has the longest setup for a short payoff, but it is so worth it. The Raft remains my favorite tale across both films, and the Hitchhiker is probably the one with the most gravitas. These stories seem to have the most horrific deaths (although the crate monster in the first one might be just as sickening), and it brings a lot of punch to the stories. They're all just as campy and fun as the first movie. To me, it's a perfect companion piece.
37 Films, 1 anime OVA, and 2 TV seasons
[Show spoiler]
09/03: Village of the Damned (1960)
09/03: Frankenstein (1931)
* 09/03: Son of Frankenstein
09/22: The Wolf Man (1941)
* 09/22: Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man
* 09/22: House of Frankenstein
* 09/22: House of Dracula
* 09/26: Happy Death Day
09/27: Slaughter High
* 09/30: Hotel Transylvania 3
--------------------------------------------------
10/01: House on Haunted Hill (1999)
* 10/01: Flatliners (2017)
* 10/02: Beyond Re-Animator
* 10/02 - 10/03: Devilman OVA
* 10/03: Incarnate
10/04: Van Helsing
* 10/05: Deep Rising
* 10/05: The Ruins
10/06: The Invisible Man (1933)
* 10/06: The Invisible Man Returns
* 10/06: The Invisible Woman
10/07: Hollow Man
* 10/01 - 10/07: Ash vs Evil Dead Season 1
10/08: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
10/09: Insidious
* 10/10: Insidious Chapter 2
* 10/10: Insidious Chapter 3
* 10/10: Insidious: The Last Key
10/10: A Nightmare on Elm Street
* 10/10: A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge
* 10/11: A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
* 10/11: A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master
* 10/11: A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child
* 10/12: Revenge (2017)
* 10/13: Yongary: Monster from the Deep
* 10/13: The Phantom Carriage
* 10/14: Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare
10/14: Annihilation
* 10/15: New Nightmare
10/15: Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
* 10/08 - 10/16: Ash vs Evil Dead Season 2
* 10/16: Sacrifice!
* 10/17: Wolf Guy
* 10/17: Hereditary
* 10/18: Spider Baby
* 10/19: Idle Hands
10/19: Night of the Living Dead
10/20: Christine
10/21: Creepshow
10/21: Creepshow 2
What can I really say about this classic? One of the most famous and iconic Universal monsters of all time and all because of this one movie! Only 2 sequels followed and generally they are treated with indifference.. so here's a movie made over 60 years ago and still everybody knows who the creature is!!
A real treat no matter how many times you see it
[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: Season Of The Witch * (1972):
9/25/18: Assassination Nation * (2018):
9/27/18: Thriller (1983): The House With A Clock In Its Walls * (2018):
10/01/18: Night School * (1981): Body Bags * (1993): Pumpkinhead * (1988):
10/02/18: Raising Cain (1992): Split (2017):
10/03/18: Eyes Of A Stranger * (1981): Hell Fest * (2018): Someone's Watching Me! (1978):
10/04/18: Misery (1990):
10/05/18: X: The Man With The X-Ray Eyes * (1963): Body Parts * (1991):
10/06/18: Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2011): Island Claws * (1980): The Bride * (1985):
10/07/18: Carrie (1976): The Fury (1978): Jennifer * (1978):
10/08/18: Twice-Told Tales * (1963): All The Boys Love Mandy Lane * (2006): Hideaway * (1995):
10/09/18: Dracula (Spanish version, 1931): Bram Stokers Dracula (1992):
10/10/18: ParaNorman (2012): Dr. Giggles * (1992): The Cabin In The Woods (2012):
10/11/18: The Omen (1976): Damien: Omen II (1978): The Final Conflict: Omen III (1981):
10/12/18: Corpse Bride (2005): Hush (2016): A Quiet Place (2018):
10/13/18: Trick r Treat (2009): Ghost Stories * (2018):
10/14/18: The Mephisto Waltz * (1971): Dark Shadows (2012):
10/15/18: Night Of The Creeps (1986): Slither (2006):
10/16/18: Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954): The Monster Squad (1987):
10/17/18: The Island Of Dr. Moreau * (1977): The Relic (1997): The Lift * (1983):
10/18/18: Magic (1978): The Silence Of The Lambs (1991):
10/19/18: Halloween (1978): Halloween II (1981):
10/20/18: Halloween * (2018): Starry Eyes * (2014): Rabid * (1977):
10/21/18:
If you snatch my body / and you think Im scary / come on baby, let me know !
-Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956):
-Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978):
-Body Snatchers (1994):
Took in a threnody of alien-invasion thrillers today, all sprung from the 1954 novel by Jack Finney (originally serialized in the pages of Colliers Magazine). In 1956s classic Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (tautly directed by Dirty Harrys Don Siegel), the small California town of Santa Mira finds itself overrun with a plague of paranoia as the citizens begin to suspect that loved ones and close acquaintances re no longer who they appear to be. A levelheaded doctor, Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy), is stymied by this inexplicable psychological phenomenon but soon he finds himself face-to-face with a nightmarish scenario where alien spores have drifted down from somewhere out there and have taken seed, sprouting into giant seed pods that replicate human beings down to the last mole and hair follicle, and have begin replacing the towns populace with a wave of emotionless drones. This is a scenario rife with disturbing implications that can be melded into a metaphor for whatever the particular social or political ills of the era are, and while Siegels film can be viewed as a dissection of the Red Scare panic of the 50s its also a cracking science fiction thriller. Set to an appropriately alarming score by Carmen Dragon, and boasting a terrific performance by McCarthy as a rational man driven to madness.
The 1978 remake directed by Philip Kaufman (The Right Stuff) is that rarest of beasts a remake of an established classic that not only manages to live up to those high expectations, but surpass them. A deviously clever updating of the material moves the action to San Francisco, as an unpopular Health Department investigator, Matthew Bennell (Donald Sutherland) gets embroiled in another wave of mass hysteria, with his increasingly rattled co-worker (lovely Brooke Adams), his close friend (a very young, very skinny Jeff Goldblum) and his wife (Veronica Cartwright, a year away from getting terrorized again in Alien) along for the ride as the Pod People start taking over the city one insidiously imperceptible step at a time until the cries of panic recede into the calming bliss of conformity. Scripted by W.D. Richter (The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai, Big Trouble In Little China), the 78 Snatchers takes a bitingly satirical swipe at the Me Generation, with the witty casting of Mr. Spock himself, Leonard Nimoy, as a pop psychiatrist delivering sage advice while those around him get swallowed up by their paranoia a particular highlight. Kaufman, aided by cinematographer Michael Chapman and composer Denny Zeitlin, takes the naturally-skewed San Francisco settings and pushes them even further with disorienting camera angles, stark, film noir lighting and a discordant musical soundscape that suffuses the material with skillfully accelerating dread, which is capped by one of the most ghoulishly memorable finales in genre history. Its the high water mark of Snatcher cinema.
As for 1994s Body Snatchers, this barely-released entry in the series, from the 1978 films producer, Robert H. Solo and directed by grimy B-movie specialist Abel Ferrara (Ms. 45, King Of New York, Bad Lieutenant), its a effective take that relocates the action to a military base in Florida, where an EPA man (Terry Kinney) has arrived with his surly teenage daughter (beautiful Gabrielle Anwar, who danced the tango with Al Pacino in Scent Of A Woman), his second wife (Meg Tilly) and her son from a previous marriage (Reilly Murphy) to check the grounds for potentially hazardous chemical spillages. Once there, it becomes rapidly obvious that the soldiers stationed there arent merely held to a rigid military code, but that theyve sworn allegiance to a far more sinister hive mind mentality, one that originates from the alien pods they harvest lovingly from the nearby swamp. Its an ideal setting for comparing how the aliens wish for a world where everyone is equal and works mindlessly towards the greater good to the militarys conditioning of its soldiers (Its the species thats important, not the individual), and for the first hour or so, its an effectively accelerating nightmare, well-shot and with many quietly disturbing moments. Tilly Pods Out early in the proceedings, and with her doll-like features and glassy stare she makes for an ideal face for the aliens in general (which culminates in a hair-raising homage to the Kaufman film), and there are ooky scenes of the Pods extruding worm-like tentacles that work their way into every available orifice and suck the life essence of their victims out, leaving their dried-out husks to break apart into piles of crumbly dander. That said, the films conclusion is rushed and unsatisfying, with a moment near the end thats intended to be the films big shock thats utterly ruined by one of the worst greenscreen shots in cinema history (a character falling away from the camera literally has no legs just before the shot cuts! ). Its a shame, because with a stronger finale, this could have been a very, very good addition to the Body Snatcher canon. Still, its far better than the clumsy, badly-reshot 2007 film The Invasion (if they make a fifth version, Im sure it will be titled Of The), and the three films form a franchise that will no doubt be revisited for many decades to come in one guise or another. And remember they get you when you sleep.
My wife's pick for the night. I liked the cruise ship setting and there were quite a bit of funny gags. The story did seem to move along a little too quickly and didn't give a whole lot of time of introduction to some of the new characters.
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*: Dreamcatcher: Hereditary*: The Village:1/2 Friday the 13th (1980): Hell Fest*:1/2 Chernobyl Diaries:1/2 Before I Wake*: Fright Night (2011)*: Van Helsing: I Know What You Did Last Summer: I Still Know What You Did Last Summer:1/2 Wishbone: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: Tales of Halloween*:1/2 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning:1/2 Children of the Corn*: The VVitch*: Unfriended: Dark Web*:1/2 Friday the 13th Part 2: Friday the 13th Part III:1/2 Goosebumps:1/2 Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween*: Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter: Slither: Friday the 13th: A New Beginning: Halloweentown: The Thing (1982):1/2 The Thing (2011): Halloween (1978): Evil Dead (2013): Halloween (2018)*: The Crazies (2010):
1 Oct - Happy Birthday to Me (1981) ˝
2 Oct - Brainscan (1994) [First Time Watch] -
3 Oct - Blair Witch (2016) [First Time Watch] - ˝ 4 Oct - Dead Silence [First Time Watch] -˝ 5 Oct - Truth or Dare (2018) [First Time Watch] - 6 Oct - Frozen (2010) [First Time Watch] - ˝ 7 Oct - House of 1000 Corpses [First Time Watch] -˝ 8 Oct - Donkey Punch [First Time Watch] -˝ 9 Oct - FearDotCom - ˝ 10 Oct - The Covenant [First Time Watch] - 11 Oct - The Hitcher [First Time Watch] - 12 Oct - The Haunting [First Time Watch] -˝ 13 Oct - Down a Dark Hall [First Time Watch] - 14 Oct - Unfriended: Dark Web [First Time Watch] - 15 Oct - Blood Fest [First Time Watch] -˝ 16 Oct - Slender Man [First Time Watch] - ˝ 17 Oct - The Belko Experiment [First Time Watch] - 18 Oct - Panic Room -˝ 19 Oct - Tucker & Dale [First Time Watch] - 20 Oct - The Faculty - 20 Oct - I Still Know What You Did Last Summer -
21 Oct - A Nightmare on Elm Street [First Time Watch] -
I was ready to love this but damn it was such a letdown - from the poor CGI infested recreations of iconic scenes to the strange ADR for Freddy's voice and lackluster final act. The cinematography was a nice touch, as was Katie Cassidy (would've rather she played Nancy than Rooney Mara's dull performance)
[Show spoiler]1/10 - John Carpenter's Halloween (1978)
2/10 - Halloween II (1981)
3/10 - April Fool's Day* (1986)
4/10 - Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
5/10 - Ghostbursters* (2016)
6/10 - Rob Zombie's Halloween (Unrated) (2007)
7/10 - Rob Zombie's Halloween II (Unrated) (2009)
8/10 - Copycat* (1995)
9/10 - Fade to Black* (1980)
10/10 - Scream (1996)
11/10 - Scream 2 (1997)
12/10 - Scream 3 (2000)
13/10 - Scream 4 (2011)
14/10 - Hocus Pocus (1993)
15/10 - A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)
16/10 - A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
17/10 - A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: Dream Master (1988)
18/10 - A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)
19/10 - Freddy's Dead: The Final Friday (1991)
20/10 - Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994)
[Show spoiler]1/10 - John Carpenter's Halloween (1978)
2/10 - Halloween II (1981)
3/10 - April Fool's Day* (1986)
4/10 - Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
5/10 - Ghostbursters* (2016)
6/10 - Rob Zombie's Halloween (Unrated) (2007)
7/10 - Rob Zombie's Halloween II (Unrated) (2009)
8/10 - Copycat* (1995)
9/10 - Fade to Black* (1980)
10/10 - Scream (1996)
11/10 - Scream 2 (1997)
12/10 - Scream 3 (2000)
13/10 - Scream 4 (2011)
14/10 - Hocus Pocus (1993)
15/10 - A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)
16/10 - A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
17/10 - A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: Dream Master (1988)
18/10 - A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)
19/10 - Freddy's Dead: The Final Friday (1991)
20/10 - Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994)
All countries
Argentina
Austria
Belgium
Brazil
Bulgaria
Chile
China
Colombia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Estonia
Denmark
Finland
Greece
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel
India
Latvia
Lithuania
Malaysia
New Zealand
Norway
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Singapore
South Africa
South Korea
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Turkey
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
Still, it earns it's 4 skulls.
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.
). Its a shame, because with a stronger finale, this could have been a very, very good addition to the Body Snatcher canon. Still, its far better than the clumsy, badly-reshot 2007 film The Invasion (if they make a fifth version, Im sure it will be titled Of The), and the three films form a franchise that will no doubt be revisited for many decades to come in one guise or another. And remember
they get you when you sleep. 
Linear Mode
