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

[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.

[mars396]

Every year, I start earlier and end later. I keep finding more to watch !

Friday, August 24, 2018 - Friday, September 7, 2018 American Horror Story: CULT
I was so happy to see that FX reran this recently, and that my DVR automatically recorded it. Missed it last season, now I’m all caught up for Apocalypse ! This one was my least favorite AHS season. I loved Evan Peters, of course, and Winter the Carrie Fisher daughter was excellent, but the rest was just kinda blah. The first few episodes were engaging, but once the Clowns were revealed, they lost all their impact. Then Kai started killing off random Cult members, and I lost interest. Peters was a hoot as the flashback Cult Leaders, though- That was a highlight. I’d watch an all new HELTER SKELTER miniseries with Evan Peters as Manson!


Monday, August 27, 2018 FEAR the Walking Dead and Talking Dead
Tuesday, September 4, 2018 FEAR the Walking Dead and Talking Dead
Tuesday, September 11, 2018 FEAR the Walking Dead and Talking Dead
My Monday routine (Tuesdays when there is a Monday Holiday). I’m just going through the motions now, Walking Dead has lost my enthusiasm; I still watch, but not excited about it.

Wednesday, September 5, 2018 The Purge episode 1 Yawn……. Hopefully this show picks up and gets interesting

Thursday, September 13, 2018 American Horror Story: Apocalypse
Fun and exciting. Not much HORROR, but the setup was engaging. It’s always fun to see Sarah Paulson as evil. And the triumphant return of Kathy Bates ! ! ! We need Denis O’Hare, and the gang is back together again !

Wednesday, September 12, 2018 - Friday, September 14, 2018 American Horror Story (Murder House)
As Apocalypse is related to Murder House and Coven, I had to rewatch season 1 "Murder House". I planned to rewatch only selected episodes, but this show is so brilliant, I had to rewatch the whole season. One of the best seasons of this series.

[assydingo]

9/13 The Watcher In The Woods (1980)

Disney's adaptation is full of occultic symbolism and ideas and things only get more interesting in its ending. I actually liked watching the slightly more normal version then going to the alternate endings as things get progressively weirder that way. That said, while the characters are likable and the movie kind of makes sense (...kind of) it could have used more time to flesh things out.

[cgpublic]

”There are far worse things awaiting man than death."

Dracula [1931; Re-Watch (2012 Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection Blu-ray; Remastered)]



Rating:

Analysis: The definitive Dracula, Lugosi delivers an iconic turn honed by years of stage performances in the titular role. The 2012 restoration never fails to impress, and for this latest screening, the selection of the 1998 Philip Glass score performed by The Kronos Quartet proved to be a worthy accompaniment. Perhaps I’ll save Drácula, the 1931 Spanish-language version (filmed at night after Dracula was finished filming during the day) for the Día de Muertos (Day of The Dead) celebration after Halloween.

[evilive]

Originally Posted by cgpublic

”There are far worse things awaiting man than death."

Dracula [1931; Re-Watch (2012 Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection Blu-ray; Remastered)]

[Show spoiler]


Rating:

Analysis: The definitive Dracula, Lugosi delivers an iconic turn honed by years of stage performances in the titular role. The 2012 restoration never fails to impress, and for this latest screening, the selection of the 1998 Philip Glass score performed by The Kronos Quartet proved to be a worthy accompaniment. Perhaps I’ll save Drácula, the 1931 Spanish-language version (filmed at night after Dracula was finished filming during the day) for the Día de Muertos (Day of The Dead) celebration after Halloween.

I sometimes enjoy viewing Dracula with the Philip Glass score, but I do wish they would have dialed it back a bit in some scenes.

[cgpublic]

Originally Posted by evilive

I sometimes enjoy viewing Dracula with the Philip Glass score, but I do wish they would have dialed it back a bit in some scenes.

Agreed; once Glass gets going, he's hard to stop.

[hagios]

9/14

Cup of tea theatre

Ghost Stories

[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):



Eccentric entry in the long-running action/sci-fi/horror franchise is rife with the quirky tastes of writer/director Shane Black (who co-wrote with his old 80’s compadre Fred Dekker, and I can’t for the life of me remember the last time I saw his name attached to a movie), which will probably delight his cadre of fans (amongst who I claim happy residence) and confuse the hell out of anyone expecting a straight-up genre piece. While the film is messy and bears obvious scarring from studio-mandated reshoots, there are enough looney touches to please fans of Black, who utilizes his usual bag of narrative fetishes (kids placed in highly-dangerous, bloody situations, off-center, blisteringly profane line readings…all that’s missing is his customary Christmastime setting, this film swapping it out for Halloween). There are several points in the film I found myself barking out spasms of what-the-hell-am-I-watching laughter, but in the best possible sense of the phrase, and the film is filled with nasty bursts of violence butted up against weird, almost Coen-esque dialogue and situations. While the film is certainly not perfect (and ends with one of those Independence Day 2 / Pacific Rim: Uprising-style “call to arms” sequel-baiting closers that’s a real groaner), I’ll happily sit through anything Black makes, and fans of his will probably get more out of this than the average filmgoer.

[filmbuffTX]

My Boyfriend's Back (1993)




Just a fun silly horror comedy featuring a bunch of actors in supporting roles who went to have huge careers like Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Matthew McConaughey, and Matthew Fox.

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

*first-time viewing

[TripleHBK]

Tonight kicks off my 7th Annual 31 Film Horror Movie Madness Marathon. Between now and Halloween 31 specially selected films will round out my viewing experience. Unlike most, my marathon has a few more rules... primarily that movies selected during previous marathons aren't allowed to be screen during any subsequent marathons until every horror movie I own has been viewed as part of a marathon. Seeing as I purchase easily over 75 horror films each year, this will likely never happen so each marathon is guaranteed to be unique. With that said let's let the madness begin...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3VjC3CcdcY

Megan is Missing (2011) (DVD)

Synopsis: Two teenage girls encounter an Internet child predator.

Can a plot be any more simplistic than that? Despite it's simplicity however this tale of what lurks on the other end of the internet serves as a very effective warning to the desensitized youth of today. Shocking in both it's graphic portrayal of not only violent content perpetrated against children, but also in the conduct of these girls themselves, this film serves as a brutal gut punch reminder that what you think you know isn't always truth, and the people on the other end of a screen may not always be what you think they are.

A fairly by the books effort for the first 2/3's of it's run time... the final 22 minutes of this film devolve into gut wrenching horror for the protagonists leaving the audience with nothing to do my squirm and feel helpless as the events unfold.

Megan is Missing isn't a pleasant experience. It's not a "fun" horror film and isn't likely a film you'll want to re-visit often (if at all). Having first viewed this film a year or two ago I suddenly had the urge to watch it again earlier this week and placed an order for the DVD right away. It arrived today and was the lead off entry to this years marathon.

Acting can be a bit rough early on, but as the film progresses and the focus narrows the actresses do a fine job portraying the traumatic events unfolding on screen. This is a found footage style film, made during the height of that sub genre's popularity. It's a testament to what that sub genre has to offer despite some leaps of logic required while viewing. Carefully plotted this film is not, but it doesn't need to be. Teenagers rarely exhibit the kind of logic and foresight that one would expect so despite the plot problems it doesn't take much for the viewer to look past the problems.

Banned in at least a few countries for it's realism, this is one film that has likely flown under your radar but is well worth the time and money to check out. This is the kind of film that leaves an imprint and is likely to leave you thinking about it for days that follow.

[assydingo]

9/14 The Watcher In The Woods (2017)

Melissa Joan Hart directs this remake which fails to cast the same spell as the original. While I don't mind a fresh take, the mythology is changed so drastically that it doesn't even fit one of the story beats anymore. In Disney's version characters maybe weren't that developed but they didn't annoy. Here there is quite a few grating moments with Jan's family. It's not a complete dumpster fire, thanks in part to the lead actress Tallulah Evans, however, the film definitely took a wrong turn in the woods.

[prkchopexpress]

first time watches in bold.

[Show spoiler]

Originally Posted by prkchopexpress

original post

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
I saw this for those one night screenings, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since then. this is very arty. so it's not for everyone. but this is one of the most stylish, beautifully shot movies of the year. the atmosphere and the style is amazing. there are so many great compositions, from a visual and an audio sense. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say it's one of the best movies of the year, because every choice not only works, but is a home run out of the park. I could not give this movie a higher recommendation.

the predator - 2.75/5
this is serviceable like a late friday the 13th. I mean it has the predator and it has some kills, and I guess if that's all you need, then you're set. but it's really kinda of a disappointment, especially since predators was a fun surprise that was made for a little less than half the money.

mom and dad 4.5/5
this is so deliciously bonkers. from one of the guys who made crank. has that crazy hyper kinetic style. lean and mean.

[Juels Winnfield]

9/15


Silence of the Lambs


Ghostbusters

[cgpublic]

”Come, Vitus, are we men or are we children? Of what use are all these melodramatic gestures? You say your soul was killed and that you have been dead all these years. And what of me? Did we not both die here in Marmorus fifteen years ago? Are we any the less victims of the war than those whose bodies were torn asunder? Are we not both the living dead? And now you come to me, playing at being an avenging angel - childishly thirsty for my blood. We understand each other too well. We know too much of life. We shall play a little game, Vitus. A game of death, if you like."

The Black Cat [1934; Re-Watch (2013 Universal Vault Series DVD)]



Rating:

Analysis: Of the horror titles released by Universal in the 1930s, The Black Cat gets my vote as the entry which ventured the furthest beyond pre-code propriety. The first film to pair Karloff and Lugosi, the narrative is anchored by not one but two wartime betrayals, which leads to a deadly game of wits between the two iconic actors. Weaving the horrors and legacy of The Great War, bound by the themes of psychiatric science and Satanism, sprinkled with visual cues of drug addiction, necrophilia, human sacrifice and believe it or not… well, I won’t spoil it for you. I will say this is the one and only time director Ulmer was given the reins of a major studio A release, so draw your own conclusions.

The interplay between Karloff and Lugosi would never again attain the same degree of friction as found within The Black Cat (both actors ranked the film amongst their favorites). Rumored to have been severely edited by the studio, the disjointed film provides as disorienting an effect as the drug dispensed by Lugosi in his role as Dr. Vitus Werdegast. While Bela is terrific in a rare turn as a sympathetic character, it is the singular Karloff as Hjalmar Poelzig, a former architect and officer turned occultist, who stuns the senses and steals the show.

In spite of its status as Universal’s most successful film of 1934, The Black Cat, along with The Raven, another Karloff and Lugosi pairing, mining such topics ultimately proved to be their undoing. A three year hiatus from the horror realm was attributed in part due to the advent of the Hays code.

One would hope with a future restoration and related Blu-ray release, The Black Cat may find a larger audience with an acquired taste for the truly bizarre narrative (not to mention scant relationship to Edgar Allen Poe’s original work), and attain a well-deserved degree of appreciation for showcasing the respective talents of Karloff and Lugosi. If not, it will have to remain a cult pre-code horror favorite.

[Punishment1o1]

(*) - Indicates First Time Viewing

9/15/18



Little Evil*:


Oh, the horror so far this year:

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

[Zero_Cool]

I am really going to try to participate this time around. I usually watch the same 4-5 horror films every year. I am really going to try and watch lots of new stuff this season. Here are a few of the films I have watched over the last few weeks.


9/8 AVP2
9/9 Summer of 84
9/10 Repulsion
9/10 Fright Night (2009)
9/11 The Thing (2011)
9/12 The Thing
9/13 Excision
9/14 Hereditary
9/15 Slither

[Juels Winnfield]

9/15 continued


Diabolique

[hagios]

9/15

Cup of tea theatre

Count Dracula's Great Love

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by hagios

9/15

Cup of tea theatre

Count Dracula's Great Love

just so I'm clear--- "cup of tea" theater... and it rates 1 skull???

[hagios]

Originally Posted by AKORIS

just so I'm clear--- "cup of tea" theater... and it rates 1 skull???

Cup of tea theatre is what I personally call my tv/movie watching area & I do enjoy my cup of tea ... just for the fun of it!

1st time viewing Count Dracula's Great Love (1 skull only for the beautiful women ) & it was a very poor adaptation of the Dracula saga for me, but I hung in there & finished the movie (I usually need to justify that I bought a movie I did not enjoy that much )!