Oh, man! I thought I had more time, but here comes Halloween again. I've tried to cover a lot of ground here with some funny stuff, some weird stuff, some new stuff, some old stuff, some classics, and some trashy stuff. It is shaking out to be about 2/3 films I'll be watching for the first time, and 1/3 films i'll be seeing for the second time or more.
Ratings:
Abysmal, would never watch again!
Poor excuse for a horror film, but it had one or two moments of horrific joy.
Average hack 'n slash fun.
Greatness is almost achieved, lots of blood/guts/suspense.
The pinnacle of scary movies...it's one of kind. There's nothing like it!
= First time viewed!
Here is a list of what I'll be watching:
First Time Viewing:
Repeat Viewing:
10/01 -
BEYOND THE DOOR: Rating: 
: I knew this is an Exorcist rip-off before even pressing "Play" as the back of the box says so. And since it warranted not only a Code Red release, but also a swanky Arrow LE, I figured there was going to some gold here to discover. The film starts off with a black screen and some voiceover making a thinly veiled reference to the devil and implying that he could be right next to you in the theater. I was watching at home alone, so no risk there. Cut to a woman in white and a naked woman lying spread eagle on a light-up table/altar. So it's going to be
that kind of picture! Except it isn't. What follows is an odd assortment of scenes and dialogue - the music producer husband telling a band they "sound like a bathroom jerk-off session" and a doctor telling the husband our heroine's pregnancy is a "biological absurdity". And let's not forget their foul-mouthed kids who spout profanity like no tomorrow. Since they're both under 10, I can only guess they were there for comic relief. And why must the devil's child be born at home? Why, because there's no money for a hospital set, of course! It comes complete with an ending that is supposed to be twisty and tricky, but it really didn't do much for me - nor did the film as a whole. It's a confusing, slow, and padded affair that commits the cardinal sin of movies of this ilk - it makes the devil boring. No gold here.
10/02 -
SPOOKIES: Rating: : I had heard a very little bit about this movie prior to watching it, but all of it was overwhelmingly positive. Still, I went in with low expectations. What I saw was perhaps the most insane and inexplicable movie I have ever seen. We have a bunch of people heading to a house for a party who look like they have no business being together. A main villian who looks like a poor man's version of Riff Raff from
Rocky Horror. And just so much randomness that one can only imagine the director saying, "Hey, wait, let's throw in the grim reaper. And next, fart monsters. And then..." You get the point. It makes no sense, but it's awesome.
10/03 -
ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS: Rating:: There is something warm and comforting about 1950's vintage horror/sci-fi outings like this one. No matter what terrors await, no matter how many characters perish, no matter if beloved actors meet with senseless ends, films like this one are perfect for a slow afternoon on the couch and bring with them a sense of nostalgia even with their very first viewing. And this one is quite a gem. I'd not seen it before, but it hits all the right notes - pseudo-science lingo, convincing (considering the era and the budget) monsters, a game cast, Roger Corman, and a brisk pace, all unite for truly entertaining monster movie that I'll revisit often. Russel Johnson of
Gilligan's Island fame appearing as one of our intrepid heroes is just a bonus.
10/04 -
LOVE ME DEADLY: Rating:: Mary Wilcox stars as Lindsay Finch, a seriously messed up lady with daddy issues and intimacy issues as well. She and her bizarre proclivities get spotted by the director of the McSweeny funereal home and he invites her to join his merry little band of necrophiles. But, while she is just dabbling and finding her way, he goes and finds people to kill to feed the needs of his group when nature doesn't provide enough "dates" for them on its own. 70's fashion and sensiblities are on full display here, making this film a little extra trippy. But it's low budget and it shows, with continuity errors such as walls in the funereal home that switch between cream and yellow all movie long. It's a bit funny, to be sure, but it does take you out of the movie a bit and screws up the atmosphere it's trying to build as a result. Not to mention the weird score that uses a fair amount of music that would be more at home in a Charlie Brown special of some sort.
Wonder Woman's Lyle Waggoner inexplicably co-stars in this oddball affair that's more creepy than scary and provides one more reason why you should never, ever be a prostitute.
10/05 -
Bloodlust: Rating:: A deaf mute played by Werner Pochath has some deep-seated issues that go all the way back to his childhood. As an adult he collects dolls, works as an accountant of sorts, visits hookers, and mutilates the dead. As he goes from corpse to corpse, he generally signs his work "Mosquito". He progresses to drinking blood, and after his lovely neighbor girl (Birgit Zamulo) dies in a tragic dancing accident, our "hero" becomes unhinged and attacks and murders a young couple in a case of coitus interruptus that would make Jason proud. This crime of passion proves to be his undoing, a master criminal Werner's character is not. As the main character is a deaf mute, long strectches of the film pass with very little or no dialogue, but it nonetheless works as a character study and a document of one man's descent into into madness and ruin. It's a pretty powerful film. My favorite extra is the interview with Zamulo. She talks quite candidly about her career in film and on stage, the complete lack of saftey and her terror in doing the rooftop dance, and her family's heartbreaking reaction to her doing some adult films in the 70s.
Bloodlust is a grim and gritty film, and a tough but ultimately rewarding way to spend a night.
10/06 -
OLD DRACULA: Rating: This was my first time watching the Vinegar Syndrome blu of this crazy title that sees David Niven as everyone's favorite bloodsucker - Dracula. I had previously owned a dvd and the UK blu-ray entitled
Vampira, but the VS disc offers a huge upgrade in every regard. The film has ever looked better. Based on content and dialogue, I'm not sure this film gets made today, at least not without some substantial changes. That said, I'm not sure that any film that features characters protraying Playboy models has ever sported so little nudity and steamy content. But, it is a PG rated flick so I guess that makes sense. Not overly scary, but funny enough,
Old Dracula isn't exaclty family viewing, but is fun viewing.
10/07 -
WEREWOLF IN A GILRS' DORMITORY:Rating: For a film from 1961 this film has some pretty edgy content. At this school for wayward girls, we've got prostitution, blackmail, teacher-student relations and more. Further, we've got plenty of death, a fair amount of gore, and even some very brief nudity. Performances are solid all around, especially from Barbara Lass - she's is pretty convincing and does a great job of being vulnerable and dangerous at the same time. The next time I give this disc a spin, I'll pair it with The Vampire and the Ballerina (1960, Shout blu-ray) which gives off a pretty similar vibe. Image and sound are all pretty darn good, and the soundtrack CD is an excellent bonus!
10/08 -
CRITTERS: Rating:: Not exactly groundbreaking, but seriously fun,
Critters makes the most of its budget by limiting locations and the size of the cast. By watching the film, it's easy to see that that the first priority was the Critters themselves, likely followed by the space sets, and then everything else. Most of the mayhem occurs in and around a farm, and the blood is copius and the gore more than satisfactory for a movie with this rating. It does an outstanding job of creating its world and leaving the viewers
hungry for a sequel.
Star Trek Voyager fans will enjoy spotting Ethan Phillips and it's a hoot seeing Billy Zane in an early role. Whatever happened to that guy? Shout's disc is tip-top and the film looks and sounds great!
10/09 -
CRITTERS 2: Rating : For me,
Critters 2 works better than its predecessor on every level. The acting is improved, the cast is more pleasing, our lead bounty hunter is back with a welcome female addition to the crew, and the ante is upped - with not just a farm at risk, but a whole town! The creature and gore effects are still great. And once again, some really crazy stuff happens at church, with a bloody Easter Bunny crashing through the window during service. He promptly expires and the parishoners are left to survey the Critters' bloody and messy handiwork. Definitely gorier than the first film's crazy church scene, but it does make one wonder if the filmmakers are trying to scare us off from going to church. Ha! This sequel is a real gem!
10/10 -
CRITTERS 3:
RATING:: I'm not normally one for cliche, but I'm going to use two as the basis this review.
1.) Don't judge a book by it's cover. I did with this film, and boy did it lead me astray. I figured I'd see the Critters ripping up a big ol' cityscape. That seemed a logical progression since the first movie was on a farm and the second was in a small town. But no, the cover lied.
2.) Go big or go home. This installment of the Critters franchise is smaller in every way: more limited set, a more limited cast, too much time in the kitchen, Critter fart jokes trying to pass as humor. After the victory that was
Critters 2,
Critters 3 needed to up the ante across the board. Instead, it retreated. And the movie fails as a result. Shout's disc looks and sounds good, though.
10/11 -
CRITTERS 4: RATING:: I have many questions. Where are the Critters? Why are you trying to redo
Aliens with Critters? Why is there so much astroturf and patio furniture on the spaceship? Why are you talking me to death in this film? Why is the limited amount of talent on screen in this movie wasted? Why is Angela Basset (in her minor role) the only good thing about this movie? Why did I watch this? Why didn't I stop after
Critters 2? Why am I even still thinking about this garbage barge of a film? How lucky are we they didn't make
Critters 5?!
10/12 -
THE BEAST MUST DIE: RATING:: An unconventional picture that combines whodunit elements with horror beats and a "guess who's the werewolf" gimmick,
The Beast Must Die might be a lesser-known and less loved Peter Cushing movie, but approached with the right mindset, it's a great way to spend an evening. Aside from Cushing, there are some other names in the production that will be familiar to Hammer and Amicus fans, and it's a treat to see Marlene Clark here just before her turn in
Lord Shango. I bought the DVD back in the day and this Severin release is the third time I've purchased this film on blu-ray (including the first marginal Severin release and the new Indicator/Powerhouse release). So I guess I'm a fan. This presentation is fantastic, and I'll be curious to see what, if any difference (aside from special features), there is between this disc and the Indicator disc.
10/13 -
TALES OF TERROR: RATING:: Anthology films are always a bit uneven, and this one is no exception. That said, the presence of Vincent Price in all three tales do help keep the overall quality very high. But there can be no debate that the second tale, The Black Cat, is the strongest of the bunch. The legendary Peter Lorre excels in his role as Montresor, a worthless drunk inexplicably married to Joyce Jameson who's well out of his league. While not exactly true to the source material, these Corman gems never are, by virtue of both the story and the cast, this one is utterly riveting from beginning to end. That's not to say the other two aren't good or even great, because they are pretty great, it's just that The Black Cat is stratospheric in its awesomeness. Basil Rathbone, Leona Gage, and Debra Paget round out the cast.
10/14 -
THE VIDEO DEAD::
RATING:: The rules may be different regarding intelligence, how to kill them, etc., but
The Video Dead is certainly a zombie movie. It's just its own kind of zombie movie. The whole thing is super low-budget and it shows: small cast, very limited sets, most of the action takes place outside (probably a park, or the acreage of someone that someone in the cast knew), and a bow and arrow is the main weapon likely because squibs would have been too expensive. OK, so it's cheap. But it's also pretty good. Suffice it to say that things didn't play out the way I would have expected and that's enough to make this one a film I'll watch again next Halloween.
10/15 -
JUNGLE HOLOCAUST: RATING::
Jungle Holocaust doesn't waste much time winnowing the cast of outsiders down to one. Once done, Robert (Massimo Foschi), has to endure all sorts of horrors while trying to survive and, ultimately, escape. But it's not all awful. One of the cannibal women played by Me Me Lai is drawn to him and helps him out a bit, but that doesn't stop Robert from being awful to her and abandoning her when she needs him most. There's a surprising little twist near the end as well. Overall, this is a very grim, gritty, and joyless affair, as most cannibal pictures are. Code Red, however, did an excellent job with the presentation here and the film looks and sounds great. Director Deodato is on top of all the typical tropes of this genre and viewers should be warned that there are numerous instances where animal cruelty takes center stage. But then again, viewers should also know better what to expect when approaching Italian cannibal pictures. Me Me Lai excels here, as she did in
Eaten Alive and
Man From Deep River, but fans of hers should also check out the decidedly different
Au Pair Girls as well.
10/16 -
PRIMITIVES: RATING: : Not having sense enough to move onto to different pastures of horror, I waded into this production from the Phillipenes. While they are obviously trying to tap into the rich vein of cash that is the Italian cannibal picture box office take, what we get here is something different, something else. It's equal parts screwy and horrible. By "screwy" I mean overtly trying to be funny. And by "horrible" I mean loaded with the all the animal cruelty stuff one would expect. Seriously though, what with the bad wigs they put on the native tribesmen, the overall level of filth, the leather-looking bikinis the native women are in, and the blatant attempts at humor, it does feel a lot like
Scooby-Doo Meets Cannibal Ferox, if that were ever actually a movie. It's that strange tonal clash that makes this one a little challenging to watch. Nonetheless, our friends at Severin did a fine job with this release, with much of the footage looking like it was shot yesterday.
10/17 -
BLOOD TIDE: RATING: I don't often
see James Earl Jones in movies. Mostly, I
hear him in films like
Star Wars and
The Lion King. Maybe that's a fault in my collection and/or viewing habits. But it's a real treat to see him in a real dastardly villain role here, and he carries it off with aplomb. The movie itself isn't in any particular hurry to get anywhere, instead opting to take its time getting us grounded in the creepy fishing village, with its bizarre inhabitants and creating an atmosphere every bit as unsettling and unbalanced as that found in
Dagon. The interlopers here are the most interesting elements, and it isn't long before the viewer realizes they are all doomed. While the place is civilized, there are some places where outsiders, be they tourists or be they treasure hunters, should never go. We're not sure why, but when the monster finally shows up, it all becomes clear. Other than Jones, the main draws to this Niko Matorakis-written affair are Martin Kove (
Karate Kid) and Debora Shelton (
Dangerous Cargo, Dallas) who are both in fine form here. This is an excellent movie to pair with a bottle of cabernet on cold October night.
10/18 -
FRIDAY THE 13th: RATING: : When the beautiful new boxed set from Shout! arrived in the mail I couldn't resist. While I cannot count the number of times I've seen this movie, I always enjoy revisiting it. I won't go into detail about the film, everyone should know about it by now. What I will say is that the movie has never looked better. Were it not for the fact that Kevin Bacon is so young, you could almost believe it was shot earlier this year and rushed out onto disc. It looks fantastic. It's a huge upgrade over the previous releases, and I cannot wait to dig into the rest of the series!
10/19 -
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: RATING: : After watching
Friday the 13th, I felt the need to revisit another classic, especially since I've got a fair number of "not so classic" films left on my list. The Criterion disc is beautiful, and I'm still somewhat shocked that this movie made it to this label and was given such lavish treatment. It's gorgeous. This movie is a master class in creating atmosphere, delivering shocks, subverting expectations, and how to craft a depressing ending that is still ultimately satisfying and appropriate. This is a disc that hits my screen every few months. Now if only the
Night of the Living Dead edition of
Zombicide would hurry up and get here, watching this movie again has only made me more anxious to get my hands on that game.
10/20 -
SILVER BULLET: RATING:: As a big fan of his books, it is very hard to say no to the movie adaptations of Stephen King's books. But somehow, for whatever reason, I never got around to seeing
Silver Bullet. I read the story on which the movie is based again last Halloween and had every intention of watching the movie then as well, but that's not how that panned out so I'm taking care of business this year. It was an absolute blast seeing Gary Busey both
young and
fully functional, and it's surprising to see how well he does with the role. The werewolf effects are more than satisfactory - especially during the dream sequence near the end. The town is loaded with some very Kingy characters most of whom are flawed to some degree, and as happens frequently a child takes on a very heroic role. Truth be told, however, this is one of the most enjoyable werewolf pictures I have seen and the region-free Umbrella disc does a fine job bringing this film to homes everywhere.
10/21, 10/22, 10/23 -
LEPRECHAUN 1: RATING:: It's been quite some time since I spent any time with this franchise, and I found myself in the mood for something funny and nasty, so here we are. I really enjoy this first movie of the franchise. Warwick Davis does a great job and it's a blast to see Jennifer Aniston in a very un-Jennifer Aniston role. I really appreciate this film's sense of humor, and the practical effects produce the exact right amount of squirm factor. Good things do come in small packages.
LEPRECHAUN 2: RATING:: A new movie brings us some new rules and more world-building. Mayhem ensues when the Leprechaun pursues a bride. The cast, across the board, is committed and seems like they are having a blast. The level of nastiness is increased, but so is the humor so it never feels truly mean-spirited - even when some jerk tries to make out with the business end of a running lawnmower. It's an excellent installment of the franchise!
LEPRECHAUN 3: RATING:: Where do you take a franchise when it's based to some degree on human greed? Why to Las Vegas, of course! For me, this hits all the right notes of a trashy Vegas flick - we've got some gambling, a showgirl, a low-rent version of David Copperfield, and all of the usual casino denizens and personalities. For me, this is a very fun and entertaining movie in a franchise that's really hitting its stride.
10/24 -
GUTTERBALLS: RATING: : This is my third time watching this film, and my reaction to it is mixed leaning toward negative. First, the script comes off as increasingly lazy. Profanity makes up such a large portion of the dialogue if it was excised the script would be less than 1/3 its current length. Seriously, no one in the real world uses as much profanity as these characters do. Second, the two groups of characters mix as poorly as Mentos and Coke. Why would they ever bowl together
repeatedly? You'd think after 30 seconds together, these folks would avoid each other forever, so that hurts the credibility of the set-up and again hits back at issue #1 - they cuss at each other incessantly. Third, we really don't have anyone to root for as every character is more or less a jerk for one reason or another. Fourth, the rape scene that is the impetus for all of the mayhem goes on for an interminably long time. A couple of minutes would be more than enough, but what we get feels like it goes on for 20-30 minutes. And maybe it does, but I'm not about to go back and watch it again with a stopwatch. For gorehounds, though, the film is good enough once the killing starts. There's some inventiveness in the action and the blood flows by the buckets. Maybe if one just starts watching for the film's second fateful night (when the killer is on the hunt) it may be a more enjoyable viewing experience. I'll give this a shot the next time I spin this disc. The audio is fine, but the video is inconsistent and dodgy to put it mildly. There are moments of great clarity, but they are fleeting, with much of the image being largely dull, flat, and lacking in detail. It was ugly in its DVD days, and it really doesn't look much better on blu. It just comes in a small blue case.
10/25 -
THE FLESH AND THE FIENDS: RATING:: Peter Cushing stars in this stylish tale of Burke and Hare, the notorious graverobbers. Directed by Hammer vet John Gilling and co-starring Donald Pleasance this one has all the atmosphere and chills a horror fan can hope for. And since it is based on real-life events, it's all the scarier. I was exposed to this film very early on in my ongoing adventure into the wonderful world of EuroHorror via the Euroshock series DVD release and I had been hoping for an upgrade for years. Finally, back in July of 2020 Kino saved the day with an excellent blu-ray release. This Halloween viewing marks my third viewing of this blu-ray and while it does have some issues, it is definitely the best the film has ever looked and is likely to look. I really don't see this one getting any further polishing and second blu-ray release. Just don't watch the US cut - it cuts out somewhere around 15-20 minutes and has a big (negative) impact on the movie as a result. So fans, go get this disc!
10/26 -
THE UNWANTED: RATING:: William Katt of
The Greatest American Hero fame is probably the biggest name in the cast, and that is likely why this film hasn't drawn as much attention as it should. Inspired by
Carmilla this twisted tale of lesbian vampires is set in the south and as such this film takes its time, with flashbacks and dream sequences weaving in and out of current events to build a complete story. This film does a fine job modernizing vampires and removing much of the "glamor" around them, leaving their existence as grim, gritty and real as everybody else in the picture. The film is limited by its budget and with more cash this could be a very different picture, but we get a decent mystery, some good character evolution, and some solid vampire action all of which add up into a good slow-burn horror/suspense picture. Overall, it's a nice off the beaten path choice for when you need a vampire film.
10/27 -
PATRICK STILL LIVES: RATING: : I have been after this movie to hit blu-ray for quite some time, throwing suggestions and outright begging and pleading in a number of studio threads for the past several years. Finally, whether they were paying any attention to me or not, Severin has released this demented and sleazy little gem. And they really did an admirable job on it. The film has never looked better, and the extras, especially the interview with the film's titular character, Gianni Dei, are fantastic additions. The fact that this film is directed by the same man who gave us
Cry of a Prostitute and
Giallo in Venice should provide those unfamiliar with this title somewhat of a clue about what to expect here. Last but not least, Mariangel Giordano does her usual fantastic job in this movie and I am always happy to see her name on any cast list. Severin, thanks for this great Halloween present!
10/28 -
SHOCK TREATMENT: RATING:: Films set in European health spas that cater to the idle rich always creep me out. Last season I sat down with
A Cure for Wellness, and that was certainly an unsettling and creepy trip. Shock Treatment, delivered to us by our friends at Severin, is just as unsettling - perhaps more so. This time there's not some weird parasitic worm-type-thing. Here, all of the evil is perpetrated by people. I haven't really seen much with the film's star, Annie Girardot, in it, but this film really made me a fan. She is in turn, brave, terrified, confident, shy/reserved, unstoppable, hopeless, and utterly believable every step of the way. It's gripping to watch her pull back the veil of what's going on at this clinic, and the ending, while no real surprise, is exactly what it needed to be. Those who haven't seen this film, should do themselves a favor and grab this disc from Severin now! The disc is terrific and the film is a thing of terrible beauty from beginning to end!
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here to see my 2017 list!
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here to see my 2018 list!
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here to see my 2019 list!
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here to see my 2020 list!
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31 Days of Halloween Movies (2020) - Horror Fans Unite!!!!!!
September
Let the Right One In 
October
The Abominable Snowman 
Zombie 
Let Sleeping Corpses Lie 
One Missed Call 
Two Orphan Vampires 
Linear Mode
