An archaeologist desecrates a tomb and people staying in a nearby mansion must pay the price. That's about the beginning and the end of the story for this film. I'd bet a shiny new quarter the screenplay wasn't more than two pages long. The best word I can use to explain this film is: nondescript. Everything we've seen in "Burial Ground" we've seen before in better films. The most glaring example is
[Show spoiler]a zombie pulling a woman's head toward a shard of glass in an attempt to replicate the vastly superior "splinter in the eyeball" scene featured in Lucio Fulci's epic "Zombie" two years earlier.
Don't get me wrong, this film has some really great nudity, particularly on the part of Mariangela Giordano (whom I had a crush on after seeing "Patrick Still Lives" and "Satan's Baby Doll"). The gore is handled fairly well and the adult actor Pietro Barzocchini makes the creepiest freaking "child" you're ever likely to see. Watching him
[Show spoiler]nibble on Giordano's breast after becoming a zombie was the only moment that really surprised me in this film the first time I watched it back in 1989.
By genre standards this is light, mindless entertainment. It's sincerely fun while it lasts but it won't stay with you all that long once the viewing is over.
½
It's been a little over twenty years since I last saw this film. After watching it tonight, I think I know why. It's not a bad movie but it does offer up a new definition of the word "average" for me. Pam Grier and Snoop Dogg himself are the only real stand outs in the cast. Even the normally reliable Katharine Isabelle isn't up to snuff, offering very little as part of the main group responsible for resurrecting the Jimmy Bones character. Bianca Lawson is a very lovely woman and we get some nice views of her in her underwear but no actual nudity. Only Erin Wright (as Snowflake) shows off her breasts in the final third of the movie. "Bones" indulges in a little of that new millennium shifting monochromatic color scheme that was so popular between 1999 and 2004, but at least it's nowhere near as bad as what we saw in "Freddy vs. Jason." There's some gore featured here and there but it looks a little off; not quite the right color, too reliant on painfully early CGI effects. There's one devastatingly horrible effect where a dog's face morphs into Snoop's and proclaims "gangsta of love don't eat no fried chicken." This was such a ridiculously poor effect I laughed until my ribs hurt. "Bones" honestly could have been a top tier revenge-oriented horror film if it had a better screenplay. Snoop was good enough as Jimmy Bones and if the material had risen to his level, maybe it would have been the start of a franchise.
½
This is another first time watch for me and, to be honest, after viewing the trailer I wasn't really sure I was going to get into this one. To help her cancer-riddled brother, Iris accepts an invitation to a mysterious game in which the winner will receive money and opportunities for care from the Lambrick foundation. There are some interesting names attached to this project and I half expected to see some performance egos on display. I was pleasantly surprised to find that all the major players blend well with each other to form a cinematic tableau. Brittany Snow, Jeffrey Combs and Robin Lord Taylor are particularly good but they never really steal scenes from anyone else. The subtle shifts of everyone's personalities as the game progresses is a fascinating masterclass of acting. This wound up being a very tense thriller which I enjoyed more than I thought I would. Iris
[Show spoiler]returning home the victor only to find her brother has committed suicide was a sensational curve ball.
I could see myself watching this one again somewhere down the line.
V/H/S/Beyond 1/2 (First time viewing. I'm going a 3.5 on this first viewing. Was decent enough but the majority of the stories felt like they had a repetitiveness to them)
Late Night with the Devil
Trick 'r Treat (2007) (New Arrow 4K. I thought this looked pretty good overall. I noticed some consistent frozen grain though. Not sure if it's due to the source. The pink hue of the SF release is gone now though thankfully)
Bram Stokers Dracula. Watched this since I just did Last Voyage of the Demeter last week.
Coppolla's film is decent but middling at times. I still enjoy it and watch it yearly but it feels like it misses the mark too. The pacing drags a little and both Reeves & Ryder are a tad out of their league here. Hopkins portrayal as Van Helsing is ramped up a bit too much. But, the film still works and is shot extremely well. I love the various visual techniques used here. The story itself is rather engrossing.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets the Blob in this cheesy and satirical B-movie.
I thought it was just fine. While the story was different than I expected, but it lacked the sauce I wanted. The striking and memorable poster wasn't captured in the actual film.
It had some pretty cool practical effects and some pretty bad computer ones, along with mostly bad acting and strange dialogue.
I can see why it's probably a cult classic for some, but I'm not one of them.
(* notes first time viewing)
And the list so far -
[Show spoiler]9/1 - Pandorum (2009)
Life (2017)
9/2 - Event Horizon (1997)
9/3 - Jason X (2001)
9/4 - Beetlejuice (1988)
9/5 - Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)*
9/6 - The Watchers (2024)*
9/8 - Sisters (1972)*
9/17 - Feast (2005)*
Demonic (2015)*
9/18 - Cuckoo (2024)*
9/19 - Suspiria (2018)*
Saint Maud (2019)*
9/20 - Evil Dead Rise (2023)
9/21 - The Thing (2011)
The Thing (1982)
9/22 - Se7en (1995)
9/23 - Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010)
Starry Eyes (2014)
9/24 - Shaun of the Dead (2004)
9/25 - Revenge (2017)*
9/26 - 1408 (2007)
9/27 - Speak No Evil (2022)
Longlegs (2024)
9/29 - The Dead Don’t Die (2019)
9/30 - What You Wish For (2023)*
10/1 - 30 Days of Night (2007)
The Strangers (2008)
Scream of Fear (1961)*
10/2 - Never Take Candy from A Stranger (1960)*
The Substance (2024)*
The Strangers: Prey at Night (2018)*
10/3 - These Are the Damned (1962)*
The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960)*
The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024)*
10/4 - Salem’s Lot (2024)*
Dracula (1979)*
10/5 - The Simpsons “Treehouse of Horror VIII” (1997)
The Simpsons “Treehouse of Horror XIX” (2008)
Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951)
Abigail (2024)*
10/7 - Renfield (2023)
Pumpkinhead(1988)
One of my personal favorite horror films. Very happy to add it to my collection this year.
Over The Garden Wall: Episode 1-2(2014)1/2
Very enjoyable short animated series, especially around this time of year. I'm hoping for a US bluray release someday
[Show spoiler]9/28 – Toy Story of Terror! – 4/5
9/28 – The Perfectionist – 3/5
9/29 – Halloweentown – 3/5
9/29 – Malevolent – 3/5
10/1 – Tale From The Darkside – 4/5
10/3 – It (1990) – 4/5
10/5 – Salem’s Lot (2024) – 3/5
10/7 - Dead Silence -
Been a while since ive seen this one too. creepy atmosphere, effective us of the "strobe" in several scenes, great score and story.... my only complaint is i was expecting to find out that Mary was
[Show spoiler]unjustly killed by the family members, hence her seeking revenge on the bloodline. however, the family/townspeople that killed her out of suspicion were in fact correct, she did kidnap the boy and kill him. so the revenge story doesnt sit as well vs if she actually didnt kill the boy.
A has-been glam rock band traveling to the Nochella music festival (they aren't cool enough for Coachella), pause for a peyote experience.
* = first time watch
previously:
[Show spoiler]01/09 - It's Alive (2009) *
02/09 - Immaculate (2024)
07/09 - Eraserhead (1977)
13/09 - Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) ½
14/09 - The Brood (1979) ½
21/09 - The Addams Family (1991) ½
21/09 - Addams Family Values (1993) ½
28/09 - Hereditary (2018) ½
29/09 - Happy Death Day (2017)
30/09 - Happy Death Day 2 U (2019) ½
01/10 - Night of the Living Dead (1968)
01/10 - Dawn of the Dead (1978)
02/10 - Day of the Dead (1985)
02/10 - Land of the Dead (2005) *
03/10 - Diary of the Dead (2007)
03/10 - Survival of the Dead (2009) *
04/10 - Wrong Turn 2: Dead End (2007) * ½
04/10 - Wrong Turn 3: Left For Dead (2009) ½
05/10 - Over Your Dead Body (2014) *
05/10 - The Dead Zone (1983)
06/10 - Death Becomes Her (1992) ½
Last edited by Vampire Hotel; 10-08-2024 at 03:42 PM.
8.5/10
First time viewing of this classic. Bela Lugosi is a perfect Dracula, and I really enjoyed Dwight Frye's Renfield as well. Great atmosphere and set design.
8/10
Generous rating here, but I had a lot fun watching this one.
6/10 2024
Really wanted to like this one. Just couldn't get into it. Not a waste of time or anything but no desire to watch it again.
The Evil Dead - 4.5/5 (rewatch, first 4K spin)
Evil Dead 2 - 5/5 (rewatch, first 4K spin)
Army of Darkness - 4.5/5 (rewatch, first 4K spin)
Evil Dead (2013) - 4/5 (rewatch, first 4K spin)
Evil Dead Rise - 4/5 (rewatch, first since theater)
Invaluable: The True Story of an Epic Artist - 3.5/5
Idle Hands - 3.5/5 (rewatch, first spin for the SF CE)
976-EVIL - 3/5 (rewatch, first BD spin)[b]
Demons - 3/5
Demons 2 - 3/5
The Gates of Hell - 3.5/5
MONSTERFEST 2024
Blue = blu-ray, * = first viewing
SEPTEMBER WARM-UP39 Films (17 first-time viewings) and 4 TV episodes
[Show spoiler]
TV EPISODES
ROUTE 66: LIZARD'S LEG & OWLET'S WING (1962) 1/2 This Halloween episode itself isn't great, but it guest stars Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr, and Peter Lorre. Chaney appears as the Hunchback (his dad's old role), the Mummy, and the Wolf Man. Karloff dons his Frankenstein monster make-up one last time. The story is nothing, but it's worth it to see these guys in something close to the make-ups that made them famous. Nostalgic fun. Cool blu-ray, with vintage horror commercials, a clip of Vampira, an episode of Suspense with Bela Lugosi, and two episodes of the Karlff show, The Veil. TWILIGHT ZONE: JESS-BELLE (1962) One of the best of the 1 hour episodes - a tale of witchcraft and a Were-cat. Great script by Earl Hamner, with a strong folk-tale favor. Really good. TWILIGHT ZONE: NIGHTMARE AT 20,000 FEET (1963) What a great Twilight Zone episode. A true TV-horror landmark. Shatner is GREAT in this. According to their titles, this flies 17,000 feet lower than the similarly titled movie above, but don't believe it. This soars miles above the competition. A stone-cold TZ classic, and a really fun capper to our Shatner-On-A-Plane double feature (with the TV movie The Horror At 37,000 Feet.) KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER - THE ZOMBIE The Zombie is one of the creepiest episodes of this series. In this one, Carl is investigating a crime involving voodoo and the reanimation of the dead. The climax, with our intrepid reporter desperately trying to fill the dead man's mouth and salt and sew it closed before it revives is pretty hair-raising. Fun to see this again. I think my wife and I will try to work the entire 1-season series into this year's Monsterfest.
MOVIES
THE SPELL (1977) 1/2 1970's TV movies appeal mainly to those of us that grew up with them. They have limitations on budget, FX, and gore, but to this former 70s kid they're cheesy fun. This one gets dismissed as a Carrie knock-off (though it was actually written before Carrie) but other than a few surface similarities they're not that much alike. The subject is witchcraft, not telekinesis, and the final revelation is far from Carrie's storyline. Over-all rather good for what it is. Well-acted with some effective moments and a fun surprise ending. WARNING: the Scream-Factory blu-ray only contains the extended version. Unfortunately, the additional scenes were obviously not part of the original movie. They add nothing, they're spliced crudely into the film, and the tagged on ending spoils the very satisfying original conclusion, and lowers my rating by 1/2 skull. I wish the added footage wasn't there, or was a bonus to the original film. *HORRORS OF THE BLACK MUSEUM (1959) 1/2 First time viewing this early slasher/gore flick. Not exactly good, but very entertaining! Michael Gough hams it up nicely, and if there are no surprises, there are plenty of smiles at this once-shocking film. Best remembered for those horrible loaded binoculars! LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL[/B] (streaming) (2023) 1/2 Really clever, and very well-done! The recreation of the 70s TV show is totally convincing. It loses me a bit at the ending when the faux-documentary approach is suddenly abandoned. It turns quite dark and, IMO, a bit less fun. Still there's much to like here, and I loved it until the ending. *AFRAID (2024) (Theatrical) This is getting absolutely TERRIBLE reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but my wife and I really enjoyed it. It's a bit silly in parts, but always engrossing, and very well-acted with convincing family relationships. It has a wonderful sense of paranoia, and it doesn't over-stay its welcome. Instead of endless climaxes, it comes to a swift, satisfying, and unsettling conclusion ...and stops. Bravo! Obviously I'm alone on this one, but I found it far more enjoyable than most theatrical horrors I have seen this year. I'm sure I'll add it to the collection when it comes out. *MOON OF THE WOLF (Streaming) 1972 Another of those 70s TV horrors, this time set in the Louisiana bayou and starring David Janssen as a southern sheriff. We had never seen it before, but despite a cool setting, decent story and good acting, it was just too tame. There's more investigation footage than werewolf action, and when the climax did come, it was undercut by weak werewolf make-up. It was fun for our September warm-up, but I doubt we'd watch it again. *THE PSYCHIC (1977) 1/2 First time viewing, and a pretty good film. It's one of those Italian productions where everyone is ridiculously overdressed and badly dubbed. The plot gets a bit murky in spots, but over-all this is quite enjoyable. Very suspenseful as different parts of our heroine's vision come to pass. Well worth watching! THE MUMMY (1932) One of the Founding Fathers of Fear. Moves a bit slower than some, but it's so well shot and edited. Basically an Egyptian-themed re-write of Dracula, with Van Sloan and Manners back in their Van Helsing/Harker roles, the Nubian servant for Renfield, Zita Johann in the Mina role and under the control of the monster. and an amulet replacing the cross. Probably not quite as strong as Frankenstein, but wonderful and still deserving of 5 skulls. DEAD CALM (1988) An impossibly young Nicole Kidman stuck at sea with bonkers Billy Zane, while Sam Neill fights to escape a watery would-be grave. Really quite a good thriller (after a completely unnecessary opening with the death of a child.) Good performances all around. The final moments lapse into been-there-done-that killer clichés, but it's so much fun getting there that it doesn't matter. A minor classic. DEMENTIA 13 (Director's Cut) (1963) I doubt anyone would call this a great film, but Francis Ford Coppola's directorial debut is certainly interesting. This print removes the silly "Dementia 13 test" prologue, and an additional murder added by another director at Roger Corman's insistence to pad the running time. While the story is a bit muddled, it's plain to see the potential of young Coppola. Some great shots and cool scenes. A fun, worthwhile curio. Wonderful print too! *SPEAK NO EVIL (2022) (On Shudder) I hated this film. We watched it in preparation for the remake opening this week, but now I doubt I'll even see it. The premise is fine (though the bombastic score screams "HORROR MOVIE!" before anything sinister even happens.) The behavior of our protagonists gets dumber as it goes, however the film doesn't really derail until the scenes at the end. At that point I was done with it. Why was this made? Not for the poorly developed characters. Not for the plot, which becomes nonsense half-way through when our heroes begin doing thing that NO ONE would ever do. Not for the back-story - there isn't one! No explanation at all for these people and what they do. That just leaves the pointless - and utterly tasteless - cruelty at the end. If watching suffering is all there is, count me out. This isn't entertainment. BAD RONALD (1974) 1/2 This is another of those fun, fondly remembered 70s TV movies, and one of the better ones! Ronald is an outcast kid who lives alone with his sick mother. He gets in trouble with the law, so mom helps hide him in a secret room in the house. Unfortunately mom dies, and Ronald is still hiding in the walls when a new family moves in. Hilarity ensues. If you grew up with these TV films and understand their limitations, make it 4 skulls - it's quite good for what it is. If you're too young to have been there, or have no patience for vintage cheese, you should probably just move along. A really fun film, and a remarkably good looking blu-ray! SOMETIMES THEY COME BACK (1991) This was a 1991 CBS TV movie, and despite a few cheesy elements (the campy "undead" makeup, occasionally cringy dialogue) it's a favorite of mine. It's an engrossing story, mostly well-acted, and ends on a surprisingly bitter-sweet note. I really enjoyed it! Only complaint: why is this in the 2:35 aspect ratio? It was filmed and shown at 4:3. The German Koch Media release blu-ray offers 2 versions - in 1:78 and 2:35. 2:35 it's way too tight, with lots of heads cut off at the top and the chin. Annoying! (NOTE: After writing this, I bit the bullet and bought the German release. MUCH better! The framing looks much more natural at 1:78.) *BURIED ALIVE (1990) 1/2 My wife and I have been on a vintage TV movie kick this month, and this was a fun new discovery! Frank Darabont directed it - it was his very first film - for the USA Network. Tim Matheson gets bumped off (almost!) by his cheating wife, and wakes up to find himself ...wait for it ... Buried Alive. I assumed the movie would be a survival flick about his attempt to escape, but no. He was out fairly quickly and the films heads in a completely unexpected direction. It's becomes a campy, comic book-style story that would have fit in well in Creepshow. The second half may not be very realistic, but it's a lot of fun. Great final scene! A really enjoyable blind buy. Good blu-ray from Kino. TRILOGY OF TERROR (1975) 1/2 This landmark TV horror movie gave school kids the screaming meemies for weeks after it aired. No one who saw it then has every forgotten it. It's made up of three stories, all starring Karen Black, who is quite good throughout. The first story, about date rape(!) is tame, but pretty good with a nice twist at the end. 3.5 skulls. The second, a tale of 2 sisters, is obvious and forgettable and would score a 2 at best. However, it's the final story - about a "Zuni fetish doll" - that this film is remembered for. It starts quietly, but once it gets going it's frantically paced and relentless in it's tale of survival between a woman and the action figure from Hell. Unlike anything ever produced for TV up until that time, and still very effective. A solid 5 skulls. That story alone made this film a must-see. *TRILOGY OF TERROR 2 (1996) I had never seen this sequel before, and never even knew it existed until recently. Producer Dan Curtis (Dark Shadows) is back with 3 more stories, this time all featuring Lysette Anthony ...who proves that she is no Karen Black by ranging from poor to just adequate in her three starring roles.
For me, the first story - a tale of infidelity and grave robbery - is the best. The climax features some very nasty inhabitants of the graveyard, and if they're not exactly realistic looking, they work, and had me squirming in my seat. 4 skulls. The second story, of resurrection from the grave, has the poorest acting of the three and would get a 3 at best. The third was perhaps the biggest disappointment. It's a direct sequel to the original Zuni Fetish Doll story, but it offers nothing new. After an adequate set-up it's basically a remake and even copies the original's suitcase scene note for note. Maybe 3 skulls. A fun film, but other than the first gruesome tale, it's no threat to the original. *SPEAK NO EVIL (2024) 1/2 My wife and I watched the original Danish version a few days ago, and hated it. While the premise was great, the ending was so dark, ugly and pointless that it completely wiped out the fun of the film. After reading that this version ended differently, we gave it a chance. Very different animal! Where the original is more "serious" and dark, this is a popcorn thriller. Unfortunately, like many modern popcorn flicks, it didn't know when to stop and had a silly, over-baked climax, but it was still a good time at the movies. It might not be "art" (though McAvoy is excellent) but it's fun. Many will prefer the more brutal original, but we came out of this one smiling instead of depressed. Mission accomplished. *ANTS (aka IT HAPPENED AT LAKEWOOD MANOR) (1977) 1/2 This is one of those films they always had at Blockbuster (the cover was a close-up of Suzanne Somers' cleavage, covered with ants, remember?) Finally saw it, as part of our Ant Attack double feature. Typical 70s TV eco-horror, and a lot of fun. A quaint lakeside hotel does some reconstruction and unleashes a colony of mutant, poison-injecting ants on the guests. (They're gonna hate their Yelp reviews.) Campy fun, with a lot of effects that were never meant to be seen in high-def. Still, a lot of scenes made me squirm. How did Myrna Loy end up in this, along with all those familiar 70s TV actors? Suzanne Somers is an eyeful! Surprisingly for a Kino release, the picture quality was a bit disappointing - clean, and in a choice of two aspect ratios, but waaay too bright looking. THEM! (1953) All-time 50s Sci-Fi classic. Humorously, the film takes great pains to present all the opening unexplained deaths as a mystery ...despite the movie poster and trailer featuring tons of giant ants carrying screaming people away! Look fast for young Leonard Nimoy in an early role. A terrific, suspenseful film, really well-written and acted, with wonderful footage of mid-50s Los Angeles. Easily the best of the "big bug" movies. *FEAR NO EVIL (1969) This movie was a real surprise! It's early for a TV movie - in fact it was the very first ever NBC "Movie Of The Week". Unlike many TV films from the era, it's not cheesey in the slightest. In fact, it's remarkably serious, and quite good. It's definitely a slow-burn film (and maybe a little talky) but the atmosphere is excellent, the acting is quite good and story is intelligent. It's also subtle - we had to rewatch the ending before we picked up an important detail that expalins the action in the climax. Great performance from Carol O'Conner in a small but important role. This was a blind buy, but it's definitely a film I am looking forward to watching again. COUNT DRACULA (DVD) (1977) Dracula gets the BBC Masterpiece Theatre treatment. A really excellent adaptation! It has it's flaws - it was shot on video tape so the picture quality is poor, and special effects shots consist mainly of garishly colored negative images. But story is everything, and it really shines in that department. It's closer to the book than most versions, and includes many bits that are usually left out. Jordan is used sparingly, but he makes a cold, cruel and intelligent Dracula. Renfield and Van Helsing (Frank Finley) are both excellent. (On the other hand, the English actor playing Quincy has a laugh-out-loud bad "Texas accent.")
It's low-tech and soft looking, but truly chilling and even disturbing in parts. For story and atmosphere, I would rank this among the very best adaptations of Dracula. THE HORROR AT 37,000 FEET (DVD) (1973) 1/2 This is the TV movie where former series stars went to die. William Shatner (Kirk!) Buddy Ebsen (Jed!) Russell Johnson (Professor!) Chuck Connors (The Rifleman!) Roy Thinnes (The Invaders!) and other fading stars are stuck on a plane with an evil Druid whatzit that causes freezing temperatures, oozes green glop and makes the plane stand still in mid-air! Before long the passengers are at each other's throats and arguing about who gets to be tonight's human sacrifice. Only alcoholic, defrocked priest Bill Shatner can save us all! This epic may smell as bad as last weeks fish, but it's so much fun. A one-skull cheese-fest with 5-skull entertainment - I'll call it 3 1/2. A must see! *RITUAL OF EVIL (1970) 1/2 What a difference a year makes! This is the sequel to 1969's Fear No Evil. Both films were pilots to a proposed series called Bedeviled, to star Louis Jordan as a psychiatrist battling the occult. The first film (which we just saw for the first time) is intelligent, subtle and creepy, and it ranks among the best of vintage TV horror films. This sequel is talky, muddled and lackluster. Where the first film slowly built in suspense to a great climax, this one meanders along without ever building to much of anything. Enjoyable enough for one viewing, but a real letdown after the excellent first film. *THE SAVAGE BEES (YouTube) (1976) 1/2 Not bad little 70s TV eco-horror, and not nearly as cheesy as I expected. It turned out to be a decent film with a number of tense scenes, and a memorable climax featuring a bee-covered Volkswagen slowly driving through New Orleans to the Super Dome. Soft and choppy print that may have been missing a few shots, judging by the continuity. We watched it because we have a blu-ray of the sequel, and wanted to see the original film first. *TERROR OUT THE SKY (1977) A "more of the same" sequel with some good moments. It spends way too much time on a "who cares?" romantic triangle, but the bee attacks are good, and the ending was strong, and surpisingly, a little poignant. Still, if Kino was only going to put one of these films on blu-ray, the first film would have been the better choice. DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW (1981) This TV movie came out during the slasher film craze, and while TV standards kept the gore off screen, it's a surprisingly well done entry in the genre. It's also the first (and probably the best) of the few killer scarecrow movies that have been made over the years. The acting is strong, the mood is eerie and the death scenes, while bloodless, are suspenseful and really well ...executed. (Thank you, I'll be here all week!) This film is a little gem among vintage TV horrors, and the VCI blu-ray is really excellent! *NEVER LET GO (Theatrical) (2024) 1/2 This film is kind of a mixed bag for me. On the plus side it's atmospheric, original, and very well acted (the two boys are really excellent.) But it couldn't seem to make up it's mind about the reality of what we see. It's not merely ambiguous, it shows things that contradict each other, as though the filmmakers wanted to have it both ways, and for me, that didn't work. My wife liked it more than I did and gave it the extra half-skull, but we both agreed that with a little shaping this could have really been great. Well worth seeing, but a bit of a missed opportunity, too. FRANKENSTEIN (2004) This is a serious two-part TV adaptation of the original Mary Shelly novel, with a story that's a far cry from the Universal and Hammer versions. A good looking film with a good cast (nice to see Donald Sutherland and William Hurt again) and said to be pretty faithful to the book. It's tragic, poignant and thought-provoking ...but also a bit head-scratching in some parts, like Frankenstein's sudden rejection of his creature. Apparently, so is the novel. One complaint: the monster's look is too tame. He's odd looking at worst, so the horrified reactions of the people that see him are a bit hard to buy.
If you're looking for gruesome horror, move along. But for a look at how the legend began, this is well-worth watching. CARRIE (2002) 1/2 Unpopular Opinion: This is a good film, and in at least one way, it's as good as the 1976 classic.
First the bad: Incredibly, this was a pilot for a Carrie TV series(!?) so it has a silly ending that allows the story to continue. The climax goes on too long, and it is loaded with CGI effects that haven't aged well at all - some are very bad indeed.
The good: Angela Bettis is absolutely excellent in the title role! To her credit, she plays it much differently than Sissy Spacek. Where Sissy inspires sympathy, Angela gives off a dangerous vibe. She's a time bomb, and it's obvious from the start that she's damaged and ready to blow. You feel for her but at the same time you fear her. In it's own way, it's every bit as good a performance as Sissy gave in the original. Many of the other roles (in particular, Tommy Ross, the gym teacher, Carrie's mother, and villain Chis Hargensen) are also very good. The writing and flash-back structure are solid and effective.
Yes, the 1976 version is the best and a horror classic. But this film should be remembered as mostly very good TV horror. And despite it's flaws it should be seen, if only for Angela Bettis' excellent, and sadly overlooked, performance. SCREAM, PRETTY PEGGY (1973) 1/2 Another 70s TV horror cheese-fest. A college student takes a house-keeping job at a creepy old mansion ...where she is warned to stay away from that LOCKED ROOM! (No prize for guessing where she ends up.) Entertaining junk, but the student is so annoying, I quickly found myself wishing the movie was called "Scram, Pushy Peggy!" This movie manages to rip off Jane Eyre, Psycho and House Of Wax without being as good as any of them. It's easy to guess where it's headed, but at least Bette Davis is on hand to look ancient and say rude things. A fun time-waster. DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK (1973) This is one of two 70s TV movies (along with Trilogy Of Terror) that absolutely terrorized kids when they first aired. This one came first. It's a low budget, two-week wonder, directed by John Newland - the host of One Step Beyond. Kim Darby unbolts a forgotten little door in her old house, and accidentally releases the tiny creatures that have been waiting inside. The miniature sets and props used to make the creatures appear small work very well, and no kid that saw it then has ever forgotten the whispering voices echoing through the house. Seeing it as an adult, it's interesting to note the strong theme of women being dismissed as "emotional" and kept in their place by the men in their lives. Surprising social commentary for a cheap monster movie. A really fun, spooky film and an all-time favorite. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (2007) 1/2 My wife and I have only seen this once before, as part of our 2019 MonsterFest. Reading my old review, we were pretty impressed then - 4 1/2 skulls. Somehow, it didn't play the same for me this time. It seemed less unique, and much too long. I still admire how it was done, and the ending moments still pack a wallop, but maybe this type of film - all anticipation, with little actual story - doesn't hold up to repeat viewings. Or maybe there have been too many imitators since then. Or maybe it was just the wrong night for it. GORGO (1961) For nearly 100 years, from The Lost World (1925) to Godzilla Minus One (2023) giant monsters have been trampling the world's cities with alarming regularity. A few of these fearsome creatures stand head and scales above the rest. Unfortunately, Gorgo isn't one of them. He's stuck in the "also ran (amuck)" category. No real characters here, just tons of stock footage and a very familiar plot - but Gorgo does bring a few new things to the table. A different city - no Tokyo for this monster - Technicolor, and his mama! And that's enough. Despite lots of sub-par effects, the miniatures of London are wonderful and there are lots of great, luridly-colored shots of them getting smashed to bits. And who can resist a story of a mother's love? Nothing very original, but we throughly enjoyed all of Gorgo's ferocious adventures. Bless his glowing red eyes and wiggly little ear flaps. *WAKE IN FRIGHT (aka OUTBACK) (1971) (Streaming) We watched this because a friend wanted to see it, and because of its 97% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Never again. Not really a horror film, but the story of an unhappy schoolteacher stuck in the Australian outback who inadvertently spends his Christmas holiday stranded in an even more remote, isolated village. He falls in with some local nut jobs (Donald Pleasance is one of them!) At first appalled by thier lifestyle, he eventually descends to their level of drunken, mindless violence. The whole film has a "what is the point of this?" vibe, but what completely crossed the line was actual (lengthy) footage of an illegal kangaroo hunt where we watch real animals being shot, stabbed and eviscerated in the name of drunken fun. It went from unpleasant to inexcusable at that point. Despite it's glowing reviews, I'm sorry I saw it. *CABIN IN THE WOODS (2011) (Streaming) Original, bizarre horror comedy with five students who spend the night in a remote mountain cabin and encounter every horror cliché known to man - without knowing that they are being observed and manipulated by scientists in an underground bunker. A few good laughs and a very original premise, but it overstays its welcome (despite a fun cameo from Sigourney Weaver) and is just too out-there for my tastes. Worth seeing, but a one-and-done for me. THE RITE (2011) 1/2 Most critics dismissed this film (though Roger Ebert liked it) but I think it's pretty good of it's kind. It has good dialogue, some well-drawn characters, a fine performance from Anthony Hopkins, and it builds slowly with very little in the way of cheap scares along the way. It's no classic, and like many (many!) horror films it over-does it a bit towards the end, but for a slightly lower-voltage possession film I think it's solid - certainly better than many - and well-worth watching. THE BODY SNATCHER (1945) NOW you're talking! This is a terrific, intelligent film that features one of Boris Karloff's very best performances. He is unforgettable as a nineteenth century resurrection man who psychologically tortures the doctor he supplies bodies to. This film marked the last time that Karloff and Bela Lugosi ever appeared together, and though Bela's screen time is brief, his big scene with Boris is great. Wonderful direction by Robert Wise, a fine score and moody cinematography. A chilly 5-skull classic. DIE, DIE MY DARLING (1965) Wild Hammer thriller that's a far cry from their familiar gothic horrors. Stephanie Powers pays a visit to Tallulah Bankhead, the religious fanatic mother of her dead boyfriend, only to be kept prisoner because mom considers her married to her boy for eternity! Lurid, over the top and really fun film in the Grand Guignol style. Tallulah is great in her final role, and Donald Sutherland has one of his first as a half-wit albino handyman. *SALEM'S LOT (2004) (Streaming) Will there ever be a really great version of this? The 1979 one is fondly remembered, but mostly for the boy floating at the window and Mr. Barlow's Nosferatu-style make-up. The rest of it is very mediocre. The continuity is poor and choppy, and whole characters and subplots get dropped half way through. This 2004 version is roughly equal - it doesn't do the floating boy or Mr. Barlow nearly as well, but the over-all production is a little better and the second half is campy fun. However, it's nearly impossible to keep the many characters straight, and despite a good cast (Rob Lowe, Donald Sutherland, Rutger Hauer, James Cromwell) most feel wrong in their parts. Only Cromwell comes off well as the priest. Mostly entertaining, but nothing special. Maybe the version coming out this week will be better. MY BLOODY VALENTINE (3D) (2009) I'm not a slasher fan, but this (and Friday the 13th 3D) are so campy, with so many throw-it-at-the-screen 3D effects that I have to switch off my brain every few years and enjoy them. Really cool opening 3D montage in this, plus it keeps you guessing who the killer is until the last illogical moment. (And for those who keep track, it also has the most gratuitous nude scene in movie history.) A little guilty pleasure junk to end our September warm-up.
OCTOBER: THE MAIN EVENT!
[Show spoiler]
TV EPISODES
KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER - "The Ripper" (1974) We've decided to re-watch the complete 1-season series for our MonsterFest. This is the first episode, and it's quite good. The show gets pretty silly before the end, but this is an entertaining episode with snappy dialogue, good character bits and a fine "monster of the week" - Jack the Ripper is back.
MOVIES
30 DAYS OF NIGHT (2007) What a great premise - vampires invade an Alaska town where the sun won't rise for 30 days. Very well crafted, with strong characters and tons of suspense. Very intense, if a little gruesome in parts. Unexpectedly moving ending, and a great looking blu-ray. A great start to October! THE SHINING (1980) It may not be true to the book (which I haven't read) but despite Stephen King's well-known complaints, this is a great film. We hadn't seen it in 4 or 5 years so it was a treat to watch again. I was struck by how good the child that plays Danny is! It's quite a performance for a boy so young. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have Nicholson a bit more normal in the early scenes so there would be more contrast to his behavior as he deteriorates, but that's a minor complaint. A classic. *SALEM'S LOT (Streaming) (2024) Well, we've watched all three versions of this story now. Each have their strengths and weaknesses, with no version being definitive. This one is no classic - it's one of those hokey B movies where someone dies and immediately someone begins shouting "Vampires!" Lots of familiar horror clichés, some humor, some very cool shots and some very cheesy dialogue. As an adaptation of the book it's probably the weakest of the three, but also the most fun if you're in the mood for campy horror.
All three versions are very flawed, but I say the 1979 version has the most iconic images (like the boy at the window, and head-vampire Mr. Barlow) the 2004 version is the best at telling the story and the new version is the most mindless fun to watch. But will anyone ever made a really great version? BURNT OFFERINGS (1976) Fun haunted house variation from Dan "Dark Shadows" Curtis. Karen Black and husband Oliver Reed rent a mansion for the summer for them, their son and their elderly aunt, Bette Davis. They would have been better off going to Disney World. This is an old-school creepfest with no jumpscares but lots of atmosphere. No prize for guessing the ending, but it's a lot of fun getting there. If you prefer slow-burn eerieness to constant shocks, you'll have a good time. *THE SHINING (1997 mini-series) 1/2 The biggest problem this mini-series has is the existence of the Kubrick movie. Taken on it's own, it's a solid TV movie (although with some poor CGI effects.) But the movie does exist so you can't help but compare them. Kubrick wins, obviously, for acting, mood, cinematography and effects - but the reason to see this version is the story. There is so much more here - Jack's character arc, Wendy's strong personality, and the back-story we're all new to me on this first viewing. If you can accept this as a separate, stand-alone film, it's very enjoyable, with many effective scenes. It's very close to the book, with a screenplay by King himself, but ironically, that made me appreciate the Kubrick film even more. I had no idea that the novel didn't include the hedge maze, the creepy twin girls or the "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" scene, and those have all become iconic in movie history. This film can never do that, but I'm glad I saw it. HOUSE OF WAX (in 3D) (1953) All-time Vincent Price classic, and one of the films (along with The Fly and House On Haunted Hill) that changed his image and established him as a horror star. The 3D is great fun (watch out for that paddle-ball guy!) and sets and atmosphere are wonderful. It's a very old-fashioned feeling film - very melodramatic - and I can't imagine anyone not guessing who the villian is, but that's all part of the appeal. Thoroughly, completely enjoyable from start to finish. DRACULA (1979) 1/2 What a lavish production this is! Beautiful sets and costuming, great John Williams score. Frank Langela makes a suave and sophisticated Count - even if it's a little hard not to snicker at his Saturday Night Fever hair. (Apparently he was buried with his blow dryer and styling comb.) This version features as much romance as horror, but with it's wonderful cast and atmosphere it's a standout among the many, many versions of the story.
ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES (1959) Guilty pleasure time! This movie is so cheap, so trashy and so bad, but I can't help but enjoy it. Yvette Vickers certainly helps - she was a beauty! Then there are the disgusting title monsters. Truthfully, they look like guys in black Hefty bags with suckers added, but they make these revolting slurping noises as they drain their victims. This is one-skull vintage drive-in trash, with five-skull laughs. I'll call it three and hope that next time someone will rescue poor Yvette.
KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER Ep 3: (1974) 1/2 We're working our way through the 70s TV series. In "They have Been, They Are, They Will Be" Carl is on the trial of bone-marrow slurping aliens. Very tongue-in-cheek with lots of funny lines. They cheap out by making the aliens invisible, but a good time is still had by all.
Last edited by charlieray1; 10-08-2024 at 06:33 PM.
Carrie White is a teenage girl who has been repressed by her Bible-thumping fanatic mother and bullied by fellow classmates. However, there are latent psychic powers that start manifesting in her. When she's taken to the prom, and taken to one more brutal prank, she unleashes her power in a brutal rampage.
I never got around to this version. I wasn't necessarily avoiding it, but the reviews were consistently bad and I just never bothered until I found a $1 Blu-Ray at the thrift shop. So I finally popped it in tonight and the movie was...okay. It's not the trainwreck I expected, it's just an unnecessary remake that will always live in the shadow of DePalma's 1976 classic. And considering that Carrie was given a sequel and a miniseries version before, it just feels mundane.
This version has the distinction of ramping up the SFX. Can't say I love it though. It gives the film a slicker, cartoonier veneer that feels unreal. It's unsurprising to read that the director wanted to treat this like a superhero origin story, because the film makes a bigger deal to show the telekinesis as a spectacle. There are tons of smaller changes too, but they're not always great. There is some attempt to stick closer to the original novel, but they also had to update some scenes for the times what with smartphones and such. The production quality looks nice and slick, and the cast is fair--I think Chloë Grace Moretz is an interesting choice for the lead, and it's refreshing to see Julianne Moore in a villainess role.
For all the effort put into this film, it's a blitz with a lot of glitz, because it moves fast and looks good. The best that can be said is that the merits of King's original story carries over just fine, but the original film outclasses this one with its edge, grit, and focus on suspense.
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Breaking Spirits (2016)
DVD
I can't find good screencaps for this junk.
A Chinese exchange student becomes bullied by a bunch of prissy girls, so she befriends an outcast who help her deal with the bullies once and for all.
This film has one of the most misleading covers I've seen. Even though it follows some of the same patterns as Carrie, there's nothing supernatural that actually happens, wtf? There is a twist at the end suggesting
[Show spoiler]that Grace was a ghost the whole time or something, but the film shows her actively torturing and killing the bullies
, so at face value it just seems more mundane than the awesome-looking cover, which shows levitating scissors and such.
But the film is low-budget and lame as f**k. Acting and writing are pretty bad--maybe even laughable in some scenes. Characters are one-dimensional and the story is hackneyed and the ending pulls out some ridiculous twists. Music choices are jarring. Photography and editing are passable at best, but the production quality is cheap. It's every bit the cheap schlock I expected, but I am let down by the lack of actual telekinesis.
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LET THE BODIES HIT THE FLOOR Summon Me When September Ends
[Show spoiler]* 09/01: Kids vs Aliens (2022)
* 09/03: Yokai Monsters: 100 Monsters (1968)
* 09/12: Yokai Monsters: Spook Warfare (1968)
* 09/12: Yokai Monsters: Along With Ghosts (1969)
09/13: Dark Water (2002)
09/13: Silence of the Lambs (1992)
09/14: Hannibal (2001)
09/14: Red Dragon (2005)
Ǒ̴͇c̷͘͜t̸͇͐o̵̢̓b̷̠̊è̷̖r̴̘͗
[Show spoiler]* 10/01: In A Violent Nature (2024)
* 10/01: Barbarian (2022)
* 10/03: Freaks (1932)
* 10/03: The Unknown (1927)
* 10/05: Killer Condom (1996)
* 10/07: The Mystic (1925)
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