The 2013 Annual October Horror Movie Watching Thread!!!

October 29:



The Eye (2008): Showed up today from Zip.ca so I figured I'd give it a chance. It's not horrible. It has some decent moments and the story it's based on is an enjoyable one but my big problems are the updated effects are possibly worse than the 2002 film, and it just felt so unnecessary. I'm not a person that hates the idea of all remakes, I just want them to bring something new to the table. This doesn't.

Stir of Echoes (1999): I used to watch this a lot when it first came out but I probably haven't watched it in 10 years. It holds up for me. Not really scary but a decent mystery to keep me interested all the way through.

The Purge (2013): Some cool moments but a ridiculous plot that takes itself too seriously. Not horrible if you shut off your brain and just enjoy the silliness but really could have been so much more.

Spider Baby (1964): One of my all time favourites!!!!!!!

 

10.29.13
The Plague Of The Zombies DVD
The Curse Of The Werewolf DVD
Hands Of The Ripper Blu-ray

 

10.29.13 (51)

In Honor of the upcoming Blu-ray release I've re-watched



Hellgate (1990) (DVD)

Watchability:
Energy drain:

Where to begin? Three friends in a cabin tell each other urban legend stories and one is about the Hellgate-Hitchhiker: back in the 1950s the beautiful daughter of a man who runs a ghost town/tourist attraction called "Hellgate" is kidnapped and killed by a motorcycle gang. The father resurrects his dead daughter with a magical Krystal that either: A - resurrects dead animals and make them explode and B - turns the living into grotesque beings and make them explode. Either way, the living dead daughter now haunts the roads of Hellgate seducing and killing men. 30 years later her father has turned into a Terminator-like protector of his daughter and townsfolk are now ghostly zombified beings. This is where part 2 of the story picks up - the three friends + another friend who had a run in with the daughter visit Hellgate and all hell breaks loose.
Bad movie extravaganza with odd looking female casting (one looks like she has down syndrome), so-bad-so-good practical f/x, acting, dialogue. The plot is all over the place and there's something hilarious bad happening every minute or so. Certainly not boring! I will gladly buy the Blu-ray once released.
​

 

Oct.29th. The Exorcist. 5/5.
A Nightmare On Elm St. 4.5/5.

 

** = first time viewing
10/01 - Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) 5/10
10/02 - Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989) 6/10
10/03 - The Awful Dr. Orlof (1962) 4/10 **
10/04 - Black Sunday (1960) **
10/05 - World War Z [Unrated] (2013) 6/10 **
10/05 - Stripperland (2011) 4/10 **
10/06 - A Bay of Blood (1971) 8/10 **
10/07 - Female Vampire (1973) 1/10 **
10/08 - Student Bodies (1981) 5/10 **
10/09 - Return to Horror High (1987) 6/10 **
10/10 - Kill Baby, Kill (1966) **
10/11 - Lisa and the Devil (1973) **
10/11 - The Hitchhiker: A Whole New You (1991) 1/10 **
10/12 - The Hitchhiker: True Believer (1986) 4/10 **
10/12 - The Hitchhiker: W.G.O.D. (1985) 5/10 **
10/12 – Doctor Jekyll vs. The Wolfman (1972) 6/10 **
10/13 - Crimson (The Man with the Severed Head) (1973) 1/10 **
10/13 – Berserker: The Nordic Curse (Berserker) (1987) 4/10 **
10/14 – Victims! (1985) 4/10 **
10/15 – Elvira's Movie Macabre: The House That Screamed (1969) 7/10 **
10/16 – Elvira's Movie Macabre: Maneater of Hydra (Island of the Doomed) (1967) 3/10 **
10/17 – Death Ship (1980) 5/10 **
10/18 – Ghost Ship (2002) 6/10
10/18 – Wrong Turn (2003) 6/10 **
10/19 – Wrong Turn 2: Dead End (2007) 6/10 **
10/19 – Wrong Turn 3: Left for Dead (2009) 2/10 **
10/20 – Tombs of the Blind Dead [Spanish Uncut] (1972) 6/10 **
10/21 – The House by the Cemetery (1981) 6/10 **
10/21 – This Is the End (2013) 8/10 **
10/21 – Seeding of a Ghost (Zhong gui) (1983) 7/10 **
10/22 – The Killer Snakes (She sha shou) (1975) 4/10 **
10/22 – The Night of the Sorcerers (La noche de los brujos) (1974) 6/10 **
10/23 – Evil Dead II (1987) 5/10 **
10/23 – Evil Head (2012) **
10/23 – Kiss of the Damned (2012) 9/10 **
10/24 – Babysitter Massacre (2013) 4/10 **
10/24 – Cyrus: Mind of a Serial Killer (Cyrus) (2010) 8/10 **
10/25 – Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings [Unrated] (2011) 7/10 **
10/25 – Wrong Turn 5: Bloodlines (2012) 5/10 **
10/25 - Beverly Hills Vamp (1989) 6/10 **
10/ - Highschool of the Dead (2010) 6/10 **
10/26 – The Evil of Frankenstein (1964) 5/10 **
10/26 - Night Creatures (1962) 7/10 **
10/26 - Masters of Horror S1: Sick Girl (2006) 6/10 **
10/26 - Masters of Horror S1: Deer Woman (2005) 7/10 **
10/26 - Masters of Horror S2: Pelts (2006) 5/10 **
10/27 – Rush Week (1991) 3/10 **
10/27 – Hide and Go Shriek (1988) 4/10 **
10/27 – Shadows Run Black (1986) 4/10 **
10/28 – Scream, Blacula, Scream! (1973) 4/10 **
10/28 – Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde (1976) 6/10 **
10/29 - Elvira's Movie Macabre: The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962) **
10/29 – Elvira's Movie Macabre: The Manster (1959) **





Scream, Blacula, Scream! (1973) 4/10 **
The vampire Mamuwalde (Blacula) is stirred by African voodoo, and is forced to kill again.

William Marshall is the man. When he’s on screen, he’s amazing. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect fit for the role of Blacula. Unfortunately, when he’s not on screen this film is boring as hell. If they were going to keep the urban setting I wish it would have been sleazier. Or if they wanted a PG rating I would have liked to have seen a gothic setting. It’s a shame there weren’t more Blacula’s made.





Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde (1976) 6/10 **
An African-American scientist develops a formula to regenerate dying liver cells, but it has the unfortunate after-effect of turning him into an albino vampire with a mania for killing prostitutes.

Pimps, ho’s and Bernie Casey rampaging through the streets like Frankenstein. This one delivers, sucka. It’s got the darker edge and sleaze that I wish the Blacula films had.

VCI's 35th anniversary DVD is not great. I’d like to see Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde get an HD upgrade.





Elvira's Movie Macabre: The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962) **
A doctor experimenting with transplant techniques keeps his girlfriend's head alive when she is decapitated in a car crash, then goes hunting for a new body.

Dear gawd this film is slow. Scenes that should take 30 seconds go on for minutes. This film should be 20 minutes long. Thankfully Elvira is a hoot on this one.





Elvira's Movie Macabre: The Manster (1959) **
An American reporter in Japan is injected with a serum that gradually transforms him into a hideous, two-headed monster.

Another turd made watchable by Elvira. She really needs to get another project going. She’s too funny to be left on the shelf not creating something.

 

Blaxploitation! Yeah!

I'm with you on this one Crikan. I love the original Blacula and think it's substantially underrated. But this one is pretty dire. How do you add Pam Grier to the Blacula mix and come up with something so dreary? I view this as a real missed opportunity.

Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde has been in the pile of discs I need to watch forever. I may try to get that one in over the next couple days.

 

I wish a distribution company would hire her to do movie macabre features for their films, kinda like how Scorpion releasing does the Katarina Theatre.

 

Oct. 29th [#22]

The Lost Boys (1987) [in the theater!]

Oh man, what a weird, totally 1987 flick.

First, this guy:



Then there's these guys:


Who are they? How long have they been vamps? We never know because all they are is fodder and window dressing for one of the greatest on-screen vampires of ALL TIME (OK, maybe in 1987):



As David, Kiefer is so damn good. He's a smirking badass who hangs out with his mulleted bros all day and all night, eating Chinese food and occasionally murdering carnival folk.

But that's about it. Really, The Lost Boys does a hell of a lot of nothing. We never see the vampires fly, we only see them kill once (the campfire scene), and we never learn anything about them or the Head Vampire. Mostly, this is a film about two brothers hanging around their bedroom.



The cheese is glorious, of course, but I was struck (at this, my seventh or eighth time watching it) with how under-cooked it all is. Seriously, who and what the hell is Laddie?



Were he and Star turned together? How long have they been vamps without feeding? Why does everyone feel the need to say "Michael" 85 times throughout the film?

Eh. I'm probably asking too much of this, but it had plenty of potential to do more--yet it achieved iconic status just fine on its own so what do I know? Vamp on, bros.

 

TV: Tonight: Blacula, Blackenstein, and the Blunchblack of Blotre Blame

Homer: Oooh, funky!

 

Oct.30. The Burbs. 4/5.
A Nightmare On Elm St. Part II. 2.5/5.
Lifeforce. 3/5.

 

October 1st

01. Night Gallery: The Cemetery


October 2nd

02. Night Gallery: Little Black Bag


October 3rd

03. Night Gallery: Finnegan's Flight


October 4th

04. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)


October 5th

05. Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)


October 6th

06. Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)


October 7th

07. Night Gallery: Class of '99


October 8th

08. Night Gallery: The Return of the Sorcerer


October 9th

09. Night Gallery: Aunt Ada


October 10th

10. Night Gallery: A Question of Fear


October 11th

11. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)


October 12th

12. The Shining (1980)


October 13th

13. The Fog (1980)


October 14th

14. Christine (1983)


October 15th

15. They Live (1988)


October 16th

16. The Thing (1982)


October 17th

17. Prince of Darkness (1987)


October 18th

18. In the Mouth of Madness (1994)


October 19th

19. The Mummy's Hand (1940)
20. The Mummy's Tomb (1942)
21. The Mummy's Ghost (1944)
22. The Mummy's Curse (1944)


October 20th Happy Birthday Bela Lugosi! :evil:

23. Dracula (1931)
24. White Zombie (1932)
25. The Black Cat (1934)
26. The Raven (1935)
27. Son of Frankenstein (1939)


October 21st

28. The Seventh Victim (1943)


October 22nd

29. The Mask of Satan (1960)


October 23rd

30. The City of the Dead (1960)


October 24th

31. Night of the Demon (1957)


October 25th

32. I Bury the Living (1958)
33. Night of the Living Dead (1968)


October 26th

34. The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue (1974)
35. Zombie (1979)


October 27th

36. Dawn of the Dead (1978) [Extended Version]
37. Day of the Dead (1985)


October 28th

38. The Return of the Living Dead (1985)


October 29th

39. Creepshow (1982)


October 30th

40. House of Wax (1953)
41. The Haunted Palace (1963)
42. The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
43. The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)

 

October 30th:

 

October 30th
​

73) Dead Before Dawn: I can't think of anything worse than a comedy that tried too hard to be funny. Sure, this is no nearly as obnoxiously unfunny as certain other horror comedies (Night of the Living Dorks, hack!, etc.), but it does have one too many cringe worthy moments. It does help a bit that the cast is energetic and seemly having a good time, but Christopher Lloyd (who was clearly there to pick up what ever paycheck they were willing to throw at him) played it way too serious to a point that it seems like he belongs in another film. It could have been a descent premise for a tongue and cheek version of "Friday the 13th: The Series," but it falls flat across the board. (5/10)

74) Curse Of Chucky: It's a shame that this didn't get a theatrical release because this is way better than the majority of the studio produced horror films of the last few years. This entry i the franchise regresses back to its serious side, which is unfortunate because I like the light hearted/wink-whink humor of the last two films. It does have its fair share of funny Chucky moments, but overall all it has a serious tone. I liked how they connected the new characters to Charles Lee Ray's past and the kills are fun and creative. On the negative side, the visual style is a bit bland, some of the acting is stilted and the CGI is rather cheesy. A good entry overall. (7/10)

75) Frankenstein's Army: I've been egarly awaiting this films release since the teaser trailers, then known as "Worse Case Scenario," were first released years ago. Now that it's finally here I couldn't be more disappointed. What made those teasers so interesting was their nightmarish, colorful visual style. Instead the final product is a lackluster found footage film, which is used souly to jump on what has become a trend in horror. The influece from survival-horror video games is apparent, resembling a mix of Wolfenstein, Resident Evil, and Silent Hill. It's good source material to play off of, but considering the film's noticeably small budget, it suffers big time (all the creature effects are of a B-movie quality). A real waste of what could of been something great. (4/10)

76) I Spit On Your Grave 2: This suffers all the trappings of a bad sequal. It's the same movie but in a different location (the city instead of the country). And it doesn't help that it follows its predecessor plot point by plot point. It does have some strong points early on, the rape and torture scenes are pretty gruesome, but it falls apart quickly by having convoluted plot points, plot conveniences on a number of occasions, Too many throw away characters, and some atrocious acting and dialogue in the final act. (4/10)

77) Detention Of The Dead: If "Dead By Dawn" tried too hard to be funny, then "Detention Of The Dead" doesn't try hard enough. At a minimum, Dead By Dawn attempted to be unique, but this one sticks close to the tired and true zombie formula. Just imagine the Breakfast Club with zombies. It has all the archetypical high school characters (meathead jock, dumb cheerleader, wimpy nerd, angst goth chick, and the comic relief stoner). When it's serious, it comes across forced, when it's funny, the humor is cringe worthy. I appreciate the fact that they focused more on the characters and fleshing them out, but everything else bogs is down. (5/10)

 

October 27:

Maniac (2012)-10/10
Neon Maniacs (1986)-8/10
The Mutilator (1985)-7/10
Pet Sematary (1989)-10/10

October 28:

Evil Ed (1995)-9/10
Eye of Crystal (2004)-7/10

October 29:

White of the Eye (1987)-7/10

 

October 30:

 

Oct 30th -
The Innkeepers (blu)

I really like this slow burner from Ti West - I also love The House of the Devil he directed as well - I need to check some of his other stuff out to see if they are close to these two gems.

 

Maskull, thanks for the reminder of The Woods. I've only seen it once, and I'd like to revisit. Does it hold up?

 

I was hoping it would be a reminder I think I'd only watched it once, maybe twice before when it first came out, and really enjoyed it. Been really meaning to do a re-watch. Personally I thought it held up quite well. I even made a few connections that I didn't get the first time around.

 

I watched The Woods for the second time recently and I actually enjoyed it more the 2nd time. The first time I thought it was just okay but the second time it just seemed better for some reason

 

65. Halloween III
66. Halloween 6 Producer's Cut
67. Halloween H20
68. Halloween Resurrection
69. Rob Zombie's Halloween