Winston T. Boogie
Senior HTF Member
So, this thread has more than one purpose, first with all the talk of the 35th Anniversary Edition of John Carpenter's Halloween (could there be a horror film that has had more attention lavished upon it than this one?) I wanted to ask what people's favorite horror films on blu-ray are and which films you'd like to see on blu-ray. Seems to me that horror fans are some of the most rabid collectors of films on blu-ray or DVD and so it seems to make sense to release just about every film in the genre because the marketplace seems to support them.
This month I am watching a minimum of one horror film per day and I wanted to ask if anybody else has a slate of horror films lined up for this most spooky month of the year.
October 1 - Kicked things off with, of course, the new 35th Anniversary Edition of Halloween. Actually watched the film twice, the second time with the Carpenter/Curtis commentary. Funny to me that people talk so much about the "color" of the leaves in certain shots but rarely mention the fact that there are palm trees in the film...which sort of leans toward it not actually taking place in a town in Illinois in the fall. Regardless of leaf colors and palm trees I always enjoy this film and I'm always drawn in by the story and characters so I never focus on leaves or trees. I did see it in a theater when I was a kid (some friends and I snuck into a showing) and though I have to admit I don't recall exactly how the film looked back then I do recall my friend that loved to point out mistakes in movies talking about how the trees were green and it did not look like fall...and I'm pretty sure he mentioned the palm trees. I enjoyed listening to Carpenter and Curtis discuss the film and loved that Carpenter mentioned that he never intended for there to be any sequels to Halloween nor did he have any idea his low budget horror film would inspire decades of sequels. Curtis sort of dominates the commentary but she seems to be having a lot of fun recalling working on the film and both Carpenter and Curtis claim Halloween was the best experience they ever had working on a film.
October 2- Dracula: Prince of Darkness on blu-ray. I was a huge fan of Hammer horror films when I was a boy. My brother and I never missed showings of them on television in the 1970s. So, I always have an urge to revisit Hammer films during the month of October. So far I've picked up every classic Hammer blu-ray released domestically here in the US and it's pretty likely they all will make it into an evening viewing this month. Chose this one to begin the deluge of Hammer films because it is the most recent addition to Hammer on blu in the US.
October 3- Tonight's film is A Field in England which I wanted to save to watch for the first time this month but could not help but throw it into the blu-ray player when it arrived last month. This will be my first time watching it with a group of people though and I'm curious to see what their reactions to the film will be. Shot in black and white with a small cast and basically all in one location this is fairly close to being a stage play. This one keeps you wondering what exactly is going on because much of what goes on seems likely to be occurring in the characters heads particularly as the film progresses. Not one for gore hounds but if you like head trip films where ambiguity is a large part of the picture you will likely enjoy this.
http://www.film4.com/special-features/interviews/ben-wheatley-on-a-field-in-england
October 4- Sergio Martino's Torso tonight the film that sort of defines the "slasher" film. Loaded with gore, naked sex obsessed college girls and leering male suspects. The blu-ray offers two versions of the film and we'll be going with the Italian version known as I Corpi Presentano Tracce di Violenza Carnale.
This month I am watching a minimum of one horror film per day and I wanted to ask if anybody else has a slate of horror films lined up for this most spooky month of the year.
October 1 - Kicked things off with, of course, the new 35th Anniversary Edition of Halloween. Actually watched the film twice, the second time with the Carpenter/Curtis commentary. Funny to me that people talk so much about the "color" of the leaves in certain shots but rarely mention the fact that there are palm trees in the film...which sort of leans toward it not actually taking place in a town in Illinois in the fall. Regardless of leaf colors and palm trees I always enjoy this film and I'm always drawn in by the story and characters so I never focus on leaves or trees. I did see it in a theater when I was a kid (some friends and I snuck into a showing) and though I have to admit I don't recall exactly how the film looked back then I do recall my friend that loved to point out mistakes in movies talking about how the trees were green and it did not look like fall...and I'm pretty sure he mentioned the palm trees. I enjoyed listening to Carpenter and Curtis discuss the film and loved that Carpenter mentioned that he never intended for there to be any sequels to Halloween nor did he have any idea his low budget horror film would inspire decades of sequels. Curtis sort of dominates the commentary but she seems to be having a lot of fun recalling working on the film and both Carpenter and Curtis claim Halloween was the best experience they ever had working on a film.
October 2- Dracula: Prince of Darkness on blu-ray. I was a huge fan of Hammer horror films when I was a boy. My brother and I never missed showings of them on television in the 1970s. So, I always have an urge to revisit Hammer films during the month of October. So far I've picked up every classic Hammer blu-ray released domestically here in the US and it's pretty likely they all will make it into an evening viewing this month. Chose this one to begin the deluge of Hammer films because it is the most recent addition to Hammer on blu in the US.
October 3- Tonight's film is A Field in England which I wanted to save to watch for the first time this month but could not help but throw it into the blu-ray player when it arrived last month. This will be my first time watching it with a group of people though and I'm curious to see what their reactions to the film will be. Shot in black and white with a small cast and basically all in one location this is fairly close to being a stage play. This one keeps you wondering what exactly is going on because much of what goes on seems likely to be occurring in the characters heads particularly as the film progresses. Not one for gore hounds but if you like head trip films where ambiguity is a large part of the picture you will likely enjoy this.
http://www.film4.com/special-features/interviews/ben-wheatley-on-a-field-in-england
October 4- Sergio Martino's Torso tonight the film that sort of defines the "slasher" film. Loaded with gore, naked sex obsessed college girls and leering male suspects. The blu-ray offers two versions of the film and we'll be going with the Italian version known as I Corpi Presentano Tracce di Violenza Carnale.
