*** Official 10th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge 2009 *** (1 Viewer)

[Radioman970]

DAY EIGHTEEN: OCTOBER 18TH 70. RASPUTIN THE MAD MONK. (around 1960) So, you think you work for a manipulating bastard? Ha! Christopher Lee is the mad monk who gets it if he whats it...and never stops partying like it's 1899 too! I remember this being a real fun day of movie watching and chose this Hammer production to start it off since I'd never seen it before that I remember. The transfer quality is a bit of a disappointment compared to the other Hammers I've bought over the years. I really liked the film but it's far from my favorite Hammer. HORRORTHON SUCCESS LEVEL: 8 71. LET'S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH. (1971) In the late 70s and early 80s this atmospheric, and surrealistic trip like CARNIVAL OF SOULS, used to play all the time on the weekend local movie horror show "Shock Theater" in Augusta, GA where I lived at the time. I distinctly remember walking down the school hallway a Monday after it played and other kids were talking about watching it. It really does get under your skin with all that creepy atmosphere it has to spare. And there's something about that Jessica character... That actress is really good at animating her strange thoughts on her face and looking pretty despirate throughout the thing, looking like a lady who is trying not to looking like she's loony tunes. And the interactions of her group with the strange residents of that town is wildly effective. Looks like they got some real locals and scared them up for this thing. This one leaves me feeling a certain way and, if I make careful choices, enhances the ones I watch just after it. The film looked just fine on my new equipment, which was something I was worried about. HORRORTHON SUCCESS LEVEL: 9 The rest (from 72 to 122) are going to be quickes: 72. TROLL. (mid-80s) This Gremlins-inspired little monsters flick is one of the most fun kid b-movies of the 80s if you ask me. The little blond girl and the small fella who plays her “little friend” make it worth watching. Certainly, silliness to spare with this kind of thing. HORRORTHON SUCCESS LEVEL: 9 73. THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK 2. (1990s) I wanted a big budget monster movie that would look good on my new equipment. I’d watched JP1 earlier in the year so I settled on the sequel. Really looked and sounded spectacular! Very much enjoyed. I remember seeing this at the theater and being slightly disappointed by the storyline of a group of hunters showing up to hunt the dinos. That is rather lame. The must hated 3rd film in the series has a better story if you ask me. HORRORTHON SUCCESS LEVEL: 9 74. GOTHIKA. (2000s) I had no idea what to expect with this one. The DVD case gives nothing away. Hell, within a short period I was rivited! It has some nice twists, I guess one of them but not the other. Great stuff! A highlight to the weekend. HORRORTHON SUCCESS LEVEL: 10 75. BEETLEJUICE. (80s) I got a little preoccupied about how lacking the DVD transfer was. This is one of the films my niece and neph watched 5 or 6 times a week after we bought or recorded them on tape. The others were Batman (Burton), Hook and House. It reminds me of them, both now adults. I love this little film and somehow forget about the Beetlejuice character until near when he’s to appear. Ain’t that weird? Brain damage? HORRORTHON SUCCESS LEVEL: 8 DAY NINETEEN: OCTOBER 19TH 76. ASYLUM. () This was a Monday I believe. After the awesome weekend I had, I decided to take more chances on stuff. I’d started this Amicus anthology in the morning and finished when I got home from work. None of the stories are overly impressive as they are in something like Creepshow, but overall it ain’t too bad. 77. DECOYS. (2000s) Well, somebody has to watch crap like this! I just thought it would go good on a Monday and I was right! Terrible…but it was fun watching them attempt to make a cheap and goofy horror film with cgi and pretty alien girls and such. But I don’t recommend anybody watch this ever ever…unless they have a group of friends who can throw a MST3K party all over this shit. 78. POLTERGEIST. (1981) Among my most favorite films of all time. I got preoccupied on this transfer as well. I’ll be getting the Blu Ray when I start buying those. Also will get Twilight Zone The Movie, since it’s very close to this one as worthy of triple dipping. I really love the film and it never gets old. This was a great viewing...reminds me of my best friend just like Creepshow does. I remember us watching this and then prowling the neighborhood one night looking for trouble. God, those were the days. The ending theme makes me tear up a little. That’s what the film means to me. 79. EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS. (2000s) This was an excellent looking DVD. The transfer is impressive and really shows off the effects. I felt some of the leads didn’t play it over the top enough. That’s a great character who has the ostrich farm but I felt a better actor could have played it more to the hilt. Arquette is also weak. Those roles needed more energy. Still, damn fun homage. Had a great time watching this again. (will continue asap)

 

[Mario Gauci]

10/29/09: OBSCENE DESIRE (Giulio Petroni, 1978)

This is yet another ROSEMARY’S BABY (1968)/THE EXORCIST (1973)/THE OMEN (1976) clone – which I was unfamiliar with until a few months ago – and, again, one in which the possession is really by an ancestor (shades of BLACK SUNDAY [1960]) rather than the Devil himself. We still get the obligatory ‘demonic’ scenes, but these here are perhaps the tamest I have ever seen: the would-be exorcist (a disheveled Lou Castel) gives up immediately after the ‘victim’ (Marisa Mell, past her prime but still looking good in the nude) spits out a host he had just fed her – retreating in a room to pray, where a gust of wind turns a hanging cross upside down, he runs hysterically out into the streets soon after only to be run over by a truck! Similarly, the climax sees the trio of devil-worshippers sent to protect the unborn Devil’s spawn (including an unhinged elderly gardener) struggle with and eventually set fire(!) to Mell’s husband (whom she had earlier spied in an orgy with two of them – or was it just her imagination? – and is even revealed to be a serial killer on a ‘mission’ to cleanse the world of sin)!! Following this, in a typically cynical conclusion, Mell boards a plane bound to spread evil in the U.S. The film, then, is muddled in plot development (as if Spaghetti Western exponent Petroni was wary of the material, or presumably lost interest when the producers insisted on adding softcore scenes – in fact, he subsequently disowned the film!) and typically listless in pace…but it nevertheless remains engrossing throughout, aided immeasurably by Carlo Savina’s moodily romantic score. By the way, this was originally released as LA PROFEZIA i.e. THE PROPHECY.


10/29/09: THE BLUE EYES OF THE BROKEN DOLL (Carlos Aured, 1973)

Paul Naschy’s horror-film career embellished his signature “Waldemar Daninsky” werewolf series with various entries in other subgenres: this, in fact, is a giallo. However, it is not among his better outings: he plays a drifter who finds employment at a house in which live three women (one is wheelchair-bound though her condition is actually psychosomatic, another has a maimed hand she hides in a prosthetic and the youngest a nymphomaniac). Naschy himself keeps a skeleton in his closet, having killed his faithless girlfriend (whom the title references). Of course, his ruggedness attracts – and causes much discord between – the ladies of the house; though he has no qualms about sleeping with the sexiest, he is actually drawn to the more mature second (played by Diana Lorys). Amid all of this, a serial killer is apparently offing girls who may or may not look like Naschy’s former lover – which, having started with his arrival in town, naturally puts the finger of suspicion on him. Also involved are the crippled woman’s blonde nurse (actually a last-minute replacement and who harbors secrets of her own), the woman’s doctor (fixated on his dead daughter), not to mention the vengeance-seeking ex-handyman of the central household! So, we get a real menagerie of neurotics here (keeping one guessing as to the killer’s identity) – resulting in several elements which are essential to this kind of film: a modicum of style, a convoluted (but not especially engrossing) plot, as well as discreet use of nudity and gore.


10/29/09: ITV PLAYHOUSE: CASTING THE RUNES (TV) (Lawrence Gordon Clark, 1979)

NIGHT OF THE DEMON (1957), Jacques Tourneur’s near-perfect adaptation of M.R. James’ classic short story “Casting The Runes”, has become not just one of my favorite horror efforts but also one of my all-time Top 20 films. Consequently, I have always been interested in the two ‘alternate’ versions that were subsequently made of this fascinating tale (which I have read for myself and enjoyed – though I obviously prefer the cinematic counterpart above all). The British-TV rendition from 1968 seems fairly untraceable now but a later adaptation – the title under review – has luckily been released on R2 DVD via the renowned Network label and, as a result, is much easier to get hold of; even so, like the previous TV-movies inspired by James’ work (most from the same director) that I watched earlier this month, I acquired it from ‘other sources’)! Anyway, I love it when a film I adore gets an effective reworking by a comparably gifted director – and this is certainly the case here…even if, as in similar cases from master (and personal favorite film-makers) such as Luis Bunuel, Jean Renoir and Josef von Sternberg, the plotline differs considerably one from the other! In fact, instead of the skeptical male hero (as previously played by Dana Andrews), we have a woman protagonist here (a very good, and quite lovely, Jan Francis: she would go on to play Mina in the maligned 1979 version of DRACULA); instead of an elderly first victim like Maurice Denham, we have a young man of 31; given that this later version is literally half as long as Tourneur’s film, there are no séances, no Mrs. Karswell (though we do get a zombie/ghostly housekeeper!), no investigation of the farming family, nor – perhaps the most missed – the children’s Halloween garden party. The result is still quite chilling, and the updating works remarkably well – highlighted by a strikingly economical first murder (with the demon barely glimpsed, where in Tourneur’s film it was somewhat over-exposed), the ingeniously subliminal dedication/warning mysteriously inserted at the conclusion of a documentary professing to debunk the subject of demonology (recalling a similar incident in HOUSE OF MYSTERY [1961], also viewed during this Halloween challenge) and a similarly subtle (thus overcoming potential hilarity) but creepy ‘fake’ giant spider attack. It is nonetheless marred by the ending, in which Francis resorts to role-playing in order to return the runic symbols to Karswell: it seems improbable that the airport authorities would let her impersonate one of their employees; Karswell’s reaction is disappointingly placid, where MacGinnis was understandably alarmed; not to mention the fact that they had no qualms about sacrificing the other passengers; and, in any case, a shot of the flying demon would not have been amiss. Iain Cuthbertson makes for an imposing enough Karswell, though we don’t really get to know him; consequently, he tends towards overstatement (especially in his one real confrontation with Francis at his house) – whereas MacGinnis underacted superbly (his is possibly my favorite villain in all of cinema!); from the rest of the small cast, Bernard Gallagher is especially notable as Francis’ boss (whose wife had first-hand experience of Karswell’s occult powers).


10/30/09: COUNT DRACULA’S GREAT LOVE (Javier Aguirre, 1972)

Spanish horror icon Paul Naschy’s take on another traditional monster (making for the blood-sucking Count’s beefiest incarnation since Lon Chaney Jr.’s turn in SON OF DRACULA [1943]) results in one of his more enjoyable efforts, albeit given the “Euro-Cult” style’s trademark languid approach and with a few weird touches all its own. This begins with the shot illustrating a man falling down the cellar steps of Dracula’s castle after having his head split open with an axe being repeated ad nauseam all through the credit sequence! As the film opens, Dracula is hiding under the guise of a Dr. Kargos (presumably a play on the meshing of Karloff and Lugosi a` la our very own Joe Karlosi) at an abandoned nearby sanatorium while also assuming the duties of butler at his own castle! Soon, his quest for peace and solitude is interrupted with a vengeance by the arrival of no less than five strangers – one man and four(!) women; the latter ostensibly serve the function of duplicating the count’s three brides featured in Bram Stoker’s original novel (and a handful of its myriad screen incarnations), with the remaining girl filling in the requirements of the title. Anyway, following some bed-hopping antics (the nudity being crudely inserted since the Spanish censor’s repressive hand would only allow such fare to be released in “clothed” versions!), the cast of characters rapidly starts joining the ranks of the undead – leaving only the heroine (gorgeous, doe-eyed Haydee` Politoff whom I was recently impressed by in the obscure but fairly good erotic giallo INTERRABANG [1969]). Also in the cast are Rosanna Yanni (from Jess Franco’s two “Red Lips” films from 1967) and others bearing such dubious names as Vic Winner and Ingrid Garbo (her character is named Marlene to boot)!; on a personal note, it was nice to see character actor Jose` Manuel Martin (who had been one of the beggars in Luis Bunuel’s VIRIDIANA [1961]) as Dracula’ first victim – subsequently ‘residing’ in his house, he notches up victims of his own and is even killed by the master (oddly enough, all vampires here contrive to dispose of one another) for daring to attack his beloved! Other unusual ideas, then, include: the fact that Dracula’s prowlings occur on full-moon nights (as if he expects to turn into a werewolf?!); his having a dead daughter, which he intends to revive by mixing the blood of a virgin (Politoff, who rather than being vampirized has a knife driven through her throat in the manner of a conjuror’s act) and an innocent (a village girl his brides abduct and present before him to be whipped)!; and, perhaps most baffling of all, Politoff’s rejection of Dracula’s offer to live eternally by his side throws him into such a dejected state (apparently, he has fallen hard for her) that not only is he willing to give up on his daughter’s revitalization but actually commits suicide by piercing his own heart with a wooden stake! As I said, the film is certainly among the better of the star’s vehicles that I have come across (though still not adding up to a completely successful work) and, in fact, this viewing inspired me to acquire another Spanish variant on the theme i.e. THE DRACULA SAGA (1972), directed by frequent Naschy collaborator Leon Klimovsky but not involving the redoubtable Jacinto Molina himself…


10/31/09: THE BEAST AND THE MAGIC SWORD (Jacinto Molina, 1983)

This was Paul Naschy’s ninth outing as tragic werewolf Waldemar Daninsky and the eighth I have watched; I’m pretty much fifty-fifty on them, as four proved quite worthwhile but just as many came off as dismal disappointments. This falls in the former category and is probably the one to give the character biggest scope, being mostly set in feudal Japan and running a hefty 110 minutes; that said, at such length, the film eventually outstays its welcome (especially given the frequent concessions to irrelevant swordfights). I have always admired the fact that Naschy would change his werewolf make-up from one film to the next: here, perhaps in keeping with the Oriental theme, its forehead unaccountably sports prominent wrinkles (for lack of a better word) but is otherwise as vicious as ever (incidentally, the first attack is even presented saturated from the monster’s P.O.V. – possibly as a nod to WOLFEN [1981]). The film (bolstered by an appropriately rousing score) starts off in medieval times – as was the case with the previous Daninsky entry, THE CRAVING (1980) – with the hero’s ancestor defeating a feared invader but, as a result, his lineage is cursed by the warrior’s witch acolyte. In the 16th century, Waldemar is forced to flee his country when the sorcerer he consults for a cure is turned upon by the townsfolk but, before expiring, the old man tells him to seek a Japanese practitioner of magic and also to take along and protect his blind female charge. With no fixed address to go to, many a full moon comes along and with it bloody murders by the lycanthrope which strikes terror in the populace; unaware of Naschy’s odyssey, the Oriental mystic becomes interested in the case – even coming face to face with the monster outside a brothel – and follows his tracks to our hero’s shack; though under obligation to report him (especially since his General uncle has staked his honor on the fiend’s capture), he commits himself to help Daninsky…but the eventual concoction, made from extracts of a Tibetan plant, fails to provide the requisite remedy. Meanwhile, Waldemar’s other companion is approached by a sorceress claiming she can release him – but, when they go to her (against the extra-sensitive blind girl’s better judgment), soon reveals her evil designs and enslaves our hirsute hero!; she even brandishes the titular weapon (molded from silver, naturally) and wounds the werewolf. Anyway, after much activity – including the magician helping out at his uncle’s hara kira ritual! – we reach the climactic showdown between monster and mystic; however, it is the latter’s sister (who has conveniently fallen for Naschy) who deals him the coup-de-grace. All in all, an interesting change of pace for both Naschy and Daninsky; actually the samurai/werewolf concept would resurface – indeed be fused – in KIBAKICHI (2004; itself followed by a sequel) which I watched fairly recently…


10/31/09: THE HUNCHBACK OF THE MORGUE (Javier Aguirre, 1973)

This popular Paul Naschy title re-unites him with the director and two cast members (Rosanna Yanni and Vic Winner) of COUNT DRACULA’S GREAT LOVE (1972); unfortunately, it proved rather a let-down – largely because of its mix of unsavory themes (including necrophilia) and extreme gore (which comes across as unintentionally amusing most of the time). As was his fashion, the writer/star tackles the tragic (but not exactly sympathetic) title role: picked on by everybody (be it village children, morgue attendants and hospital staff), he naturally develops a vindictive attitude – eventually going off his rocker when a seriously ill girl he is infatuated with dies. For obscure plot purposes, a mad scientist (Alberto Dalbes) – driven to work underground – promises to revive her for him…except that the latter’s assistants, offended by the ungodly sight and stench of her corpse (having been gnawed at by rats, which Naschy furiously sets on fire in retribution), dump her in the doctor’s convenient vat of sulphuric acid (but have obviously reckoned without the hunchback’s wrath which comes instantaneously)! Yanni plays the heroine, a young new intern, who somehow finds the misshapen Naschy appealing (for no very good reason, though she had displayed similar traits of nymphomania in the afore-mentioned Dracula film) and also on hand is Maria Perschy (like her, Dalbes and Antonio Mayans a Jess Franco alumnus) as the head of the hospital, whose boyfriend (Winner) happens to be the mad scientist’s closest collaborator! Incidentally, what the two are working on – which Dalbes claims will turn all known scientific conceptions on their heads – only becomes evident until the closing reel: the sum total of their labor (to which many a human life has been sacrificed) results in a gigantic slimy creature(?!) not unlike the Swamp Thing of Wes Craven’s eponymous 1982 release. As I said at the beginning, the film is generally too grim and the atmosphere too sordid to be readily enjoyed, what with dissections, beheadings, disembowelments, and even a couple of charred, half-dead characters – tied to one another but somehow still standing and able to walk!


P.S. I still have 3 reviews to complete from the challenge but should get them ready by tomorrow.

 

[Pete York]

Originally Posted by Ockeghem

Don't forget to come back and tell us how much you liked the excellent performances and intelligent story, Scott.

 

[SteveGon]

Wow, I suck. I did manage to watch a few films more than what I have listed here but unfortunately some marital problems (which will hopefully work themselves out) quenched any desire I had to post about 'em. Oh well, I plan on spoiling myself with a bunch of new zombie movie releases....

 

[Ruz-El]

Hey guys, I'm still getting some final tallies posted, so I'll do the wrap up tomorrow night. Sorry for the wait!

 

[Jim_K]

Sorry for the late update..............had friends over so I only got in one horror film on Halloween...........[COLOR= rgb(255, 0, 0)]Orphan (2009) [/b][/COLOR]

 

[Radioman970]

DAY TWENTY: OCTOBER 20TH 80. INSIDE. (2000s) Many many ouches in this film. One near the end had me squirming in my seat and reminded me about the multitude of people I know who wouldn’t mix well with this one. I quite liked the camera ‘inside” idea…it works really well even if you don’t have a wise-cracking Bruce Willis on hand. I’ll say I found this very suspenseful and had no idea what was going to happen from moment to moment. Not quite what I was expecting either. HORRORTHON SUCCESS LEVEL: 9 81. THE EVIL DEAD. (mid 80s) Wanted something with DTS. Oddly, not a whole lot of the horror films I had on hand included the superior DTS. This one did. Hell, I couldn’t really tell the difference! Haha! Enjoyed seeing ED again anyway. There’s something oddly comforting about a film like this where I know what went into making it because of all the extras they did. It always gives me the desire to make a film myself. What they did with minimal was excellence! It always a highlight in these things. But I’m thinking next time I’ll give it a non-October watch. HSL: 9
82. PUMPKINHEAD 3: ASHES TO ASHES. (2000s) Thought I could follow my feel good exeperience with ED with anything and have it be happy good times. You may begin laughing now. This was awful. It was devoid of anything that made the original film so good. I haven’t seen the other sequels and years and don’t really want to. I’ve read where some felt this was better than the other sequels. That wouldn’t surprise me. HSL: 5
DAY TWENTY-ONE: OCTOBER 21ST 83. JEEPERS CREEPERS. (90s) I finally picked up the DVD of this one. I’ve enjoyed it for years. But somehow I got impatient for it to end about halfway in. The first half is the best…then is kind of goes in a direction I don’t like as much. Still a fun watch.
HSL: 6
84. TEXAS CHAINSSAW MASSACRE 2. (mid 80s) this DVD is low resolution just like the Pioneer DVD of the original. Isn’t that interesting. Time for some upgrades of these. Campy fun with this one. Some of the homages of the original were unneeded, like the rediculous updated dinner scene. But much of this is a crazy blast, especially the opening highway bits and everything in the radio station.
HSL: 9
85. RINGU 2. (late 90s) Bored out of my mind. These just aren’t my thang! It cost me an extra movie that day if I remember right. I just got tired of it because of this.
HSL: 4
DAY TWENTY-TWO: OCTOBER 22ND 86. FRIDAY THE 13TH THE NEW BLOOD/PART VII. (80s) I like this entry pretty well. It’s often funny where it shouldn’t be, but the chick with mind powers was a pretty good idea. It’s especially fun seeing Jason wonder what the hell is going on for a change. The series could always use a little of that here and there. At any rate, the F13ths are can’t misses during this. Fun, as usual.
HSL: 8
**EXTRA: FRANKENWEENIE. (80s) Watched this in memory of my 2 best buddies: Bear and Goldie. Bear died October 22, 2007. Goldie died November 14, 2008. I'm such an emotional wreck sometimes I miss them pretty much every day. This is a sweet little short from Tim Burton. I think he understands what it means to kids (and adult alike) to lose the family dog. I shead many tears for mine. I had intended to put pictures of them here. 87. JAWS. (1975) This has DTS as well. Not the best mix in the world but it’ll do. The image quality was often excellent. I really had fun seeing this again. In 75 or 76 Me and my dad saw this at a local theater here where I live right now (it’s closed now) and I remember it scaring me to death. I was 9 or 10. I get the warm fuzzies just thinking about that. He’s never been a movie fan but I think this had stuff in it even he liked. Hard not to once they get out on the ocean in the boat. Pretty much a winner across the board with audiences. A Horrorthon highlight…easy!
HSL: Max'd out!
88. POLTERGEIST 2: THE OTHER SIDE. (80s) Was so excited when this first came out. Then…the let down. I’d say among the biggest let downs I’ve ever had in a sequel. I still don’t care for it too much. The Reverend and “Chief” characters aren’t bad ideas but neither really hits full potential. I especially hate the dad character this time. The actor goes way over the top and becomes unrealistic, whereas in the original he was pretty good. The effects are nicely done but totally uncreative ideas. Runaway braces? Worm in the bottle? Blah! I got really bored with this and have to admit I was doing other things around the house…with the TV still in view so it counts!!! Hahaha! It kind of feels like the actors are doing the same in the movie. Maybe rehearsing other parts for other movies while making this one.
HSL: 6

 

[Brook K]

Miserable performance from me this year. Barely watched any of my usual staples - no Universal horror for the first time in years, no Freaks, I Walked With a Zombie, Deep Red, etc. Nothing really blew me away, though I was surprised to find 2 legitimately good modern horror flicks.

And at the obviously deranged posters above, JASON DOESN'T TAKE PRISONERS. HE KILLS. THAT'S ALL HE DOES. Ergo, the new Friday the 13th, can't be good. Plus as one would expect these days, most of the kill scenes are mishandled by being quick cut to hell and underlit.

1. Drag Me to Hell (2009, Sam Raimi) (DVD Rent) - B+
2. Friday the 13th (2009, Marcus Nispel) (DVD Rent) - D
3. The Last House on the Left (2009, Dennis Iliadis) (DVD Rent) - D
4. The Strangers (2008, Bryan Bertino) (DVD Rent) - B+
5. The Bad Seed (1956, Mervyn LeRoy) (DVD Rent) - C+
6. The Call of Cthulu (2005, Andrew Leman) (DVD Rent) - B
7. The Fly (1958, Kurt Neumann) (DVD Rent) - B
8. Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1971, Dario Argento) (DVD Rent) - B+
9. From Beyond (1986, Stuart Gordon) (DVD Rent) - B-
10. The Fury (1978, Brian De Palma) (DVD Rent) - B+ 11. The Kingdom (1994, Lars Von Trier) (DVD Rent) - B-
12. The Werewolf (1956, Fred F. Sears) (DVD Rent) - B
13. What Have They Done to Solange? (1972, Massimo Dallamano) (DVD Rent) - B+
14. Zombies of Mora Tau (1957, Edward L. Cahn) (DVD Rent) - B
15. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993, Henry Selick) - A-
16. Suspiria (1977, Dario Argento) - A
17. The Wicker Man (1973, Robin Hardy) - A

New Movies: 14 Rewatches: 3

Top 3 1st Time Viewings: Four Flies on Grey Velvet, Drag Me To Hell, The Strangers

Worst 1st Time Viewing: The Last House on the Left '09

 

[Mario Gauci]

10/30/09: BEWARE! THE BLOB (Larry Hagman, 1972)
Whatever one thinks of the movie itself, it cannot be denied that BEYOND THE DOOR (1974) was a highly successful property and when THE OMEN (1976; my own personal favorite of the three major diabolism films of that era) came along, it was almost a given that Ovidio G. Assonitis (aka Oliver Hellman) would contemplate something similar for the Italian market. However, he was anticipated in this by director Alberto De Martino’s HOLOCAUST 2000 aka THE CHOSEN (as it was originally released in the U.S.) and RAIN OF FIRE (under which title it has recently been released on R1 DVD) – whereas Assonitis had, with his own BEYOND THE DOOR (1974), preceded De Martino’s THE ANTICHRIST (1974) virtually by a couple of weeks! Even so, Assonitis went ahead with his project and, not to be outdone, he concocted a truly bizarre but fascinating mélange of horror and sci-fi that also throws in for good measure elements from THE BIRDS (1963), ROSEMARY’S BABY (1968), THE EXORCIST (1973), GOD TOLD ME TO (1976), CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977) and even DAMIEN: OMEN II (1978)! The cherry on the cake, however, was the fact that he somehow managed to rope in a stellar cast of Hollywood notables to give life to his ungodly premise: John Huston (in the enigmatic title role), Glenn Ford (as an ill-fated police detective), Mel Ferrer (as a sinister surgeon and chairman of a mysterious conglomerate), Shelley Winters (thankfully less obnoxious than usual as a maid-protector), Lance Henriksen (as the Faustian father who apparently sells his soul – and wife – merely to become a successful basketball coach!), Sam Peckinpah (remarkably restrained, glimpsed only in profile and in semi-darkness to boot, as an abortionist – but, apparently, he was drunk and cocaine-addled on the set!) and even an uncredited Franco Nero (as, ostensibly, Jesus Christ and a blond one at that)!! Despite his surprisingly brief time on screen, Ford comes off best from among his colleagues and I particularly enjoyed his altercations with the demonic and foul-mouthed child (the excellent Paige Conner – with gleaming eyes and, obviously doubled, turning occasionally into a faceless ‘monster’ – who, going effortlessly from sweet to sinister, undoubtedly delivers one of the best child performances in this type of film); another good turn is given by Joanne Nail as her long-suffering mother who, among other things, is left half-paralyzed and wheelchair-bound after a gunshot wound accidentally fired by her own daughter; is abducted and artificially impregnated by an ‘alien’ bunch inside a truck parked down a darkened tunnel; eventually, her offspring contrives to push the woman straight into a large aquarium in slo-mo (just as Winters has finished assuring her that no harm will come to her while she is around)! It would be virtually impossible to describe the decidedly mystifying plot in a few words, so I will just concentrate on a series of images that remained with me since my viewing of the film: the pre-credits sequence in which a cassock-wearing Huston, seemingly in Heaven or at least another planet, prepares to face up to his enemy; the opening scene set in a basketball court in which the leading player of Henriksen’s opponents (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) is literally ‘exploded’ by Conner’s gaze prior to his netting the winning ball!; Conners showing her deadly ice-skating abilities by sending several leering male kids to their doom; the setting-up of Huston’s rooftop base by an army of bald-headed acolytes; the surreal chasing of Conner by the latter in Peckinpah’s dilapidated clinic; Ford’s eye-gouging by Conner’s pet falcon and subsequent fiery demise; babysitter Huston dueling with his charge-quarry Conner via a now-primitive video-game; later still, her attempt to do the old man in by literally dropping a stairway on top of him (flattening a shop in the process) a` la THE OMEN’s unforgettable falling glass-plate; followed shortly by their showdown inside a hall of mirrors (borrowed, no doubt, from Orson Welles THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI [1948]); the landing of the spaceship in downtown Atlanta; the climactic – and apparently elliptical –‘cleansing’ attack of a flock of pigeons (standing in for the proverbial doves); the epilogue in which the monk-like Huston brings a seemingly reformed bald-headed Conner in Nero’s celestial abode of equally head-shaven children. Strangely enough, it is never explained why the villainous sect need a boy ‘heir’ when Conner is clearly being such a good [sic] ambassador of Evil on Earth (incidentally, obscure director Paradisi walked off the film which was subsequently completed by producer Assonitis) but, luckily, Franco Micalizzi’s alternately funky and eerie score and the occasionally striking visuals smooth over such inconsistencies. In fact, it would be very easy to bash STRIDULUM (whatever that means, it is how THE VISITOR is known – if at all – on its home-ground given that it has never been shown on TV in my neck of the woods) as a desperately derivative and incoherent mess but, frankly, I found it far too enjoyable and weird to be dismissed. For the record, I watched an acceptable (albeit full-frame) VHS-sourced copy of the 90-minute English-language U.S. theatrical version but, since most of the cast is American anyway, this is the right way to watch it; still, apparently, the Italian edition is slightly longer and features an alternate version of the scenes featuring Peckinpah! Although an Italian DVD edition is currently available, as a result of this surprisingly satisfactory first viewing – emulating a similar experience I had in a previous Halloween Challenge with the equally maligned William Castle production, BUG (1975) – I am now looking forward to that long-rumored, fully-loaded R1 DVD from Code Red that promises to offer the longest ever available version (108 minutes) of this unique gem!

 

[Mario Gauci]

Halloween Challenge: Ratings from Zero to – DVD-R [Dubbed In English] {First Viewing} Best Discovery: LADIES IN RETIREMENT Honorable Mentions: A PLACE OF ONE’S OWN; DARK INTRUDER; GHOST STORY FOR CHRISTMAS: A WARNING TO THE CURIOUS (TV) Genuine Surprises: BLACK MOON (1934); THE DEVIL WITH HITLER; THE LADY AND THE MONSTER; THE MAD MAGICIAN; [COLOR= #323d4f]THE MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED THE WORLD;[/COLOR] HOUSE OF MYSTERY (1961); THE MASK (1961); THE TELEPHONE BOX (TV); THE VISITOR (1979); SVENGALI (1983; TV); GHOST STORY FOR CHRISTMAS: NUMBER 13 (TV) Worst Discovery: NARCOTIC Dishonorable Mentions: MANIAC (1934); REVENGE OF THE ZOMBIES; THE CYCLOPS (1957); BEWARE! THE BLOB; DEATH BED: THE BED THAT EATSBest Revisit: DR. CYCLOPS [/b][/b]

 

[Radioman970]

DAY TWENTY-THREE: OCTOBER 23RD





89. EVIL DEAD 2. (1987) Had to work later in the afternoon (way passed my bedtime too, a Horrorthon killer, that…and I had to do it for 3 out of 5 weekends…so the perfect 5-weekend October…fucked. ). I went with something I really really liked to kick if off. That country guy with the truck, the one with the gaps between every single of of his teeth…AND he has the hottest girlfriend. Hahaha! Anyway, I only just caught on to these a few years ago. I’d only known Campbell from XENA/HERCULES, although I remember seeing ARMY OF DARKNESS and somehow not liking it. Geez, what an asshole I was. But I love all this now. This remake actually does a great job with upgrading the material. There’s still something about the original that I like better. But this one is the better make movie. Quite good!



HORRORTHON SUCCESS LEVEL: 9





90. THE AMITYVILLE HORROR. REMAKE. (2000s) I kind of sort of liked this last year. I just felt the effects were too over the top…they just show too much! Little peeks at scary stuff (or, like BLAIR WITCH and THE ENTITY, nothing much at all) works way better to scare you. The Haunted Mansion at Disney World has scarier stuff! But it’s an okay watch. I watched the original earlier this year and had a ball seeing it on DVD for the first time. I think it still stands up all these years later. The idea is pretty hokey anyway, but it’s fun and hokey.



HSL: 7



DAY TWENTY-FOUR: OCTOBER 24TH



91. LADY IN WHITE. (mid 80s) A new purchase this year. The DVD started skipping badly during the final third. Luckily I was able to watch the rest in the other room without a problem. I returned the DVD and I’m waiting on a new one. Lets just say I’ll be watching this often. I was totally captivated by the opening 20 minutes or so. That little kid from WITNESS was wonderfully charming. I liked him a lot in this. I’d gladly adopt him to be my kid! This would be the #1 highlight this year if it wasn’t for the skipping. Certainly among the best Halloween kid movies I’ve ever seen. Only weakness is the cheap look of some of the effects. But I’m not so jaded that I can’t see where they were going with that. I was flying high when this was over.



HSL: 10



92. THE STEPFATHER. (late 80s) This is one I was most looking forward to seeing again. Been awhile! My old VHS was looking long in the tooth so this new DVD was a welcome site. Like THE GATE, it didn’t look as good as I’d hoped. But after I got used to the idea there would be some grain, scratches and spots, I had no trouble enjoying it. It’s really not a bad DVD. The film should be seen at least once by every horror fan. And I promise many will want to buy a copy for future viewing, good repeat viewing on this. I remember watching this with my mom originally. We weren’t sure what it was but we had a great time seeing it. O’Quinn is outstanding.



HSL: 9



93. JURASSIC PARK III. (2000s) I prefer this to the first sequel. It’s really quite fun even though so many people seem to compare it to a pile of Pterodactyl turds. I would have liked the film to be done from the kid’s perspective in the opening. But I guess they wanted extra suspense from not knowing what happened to him while the parents searched. I doubt anybody above the age of 10 thought he was dead. They could have had the parents lost and the kid looking for them on the island. That would have been way better. Maybe even a small group of kids. Maybe that can do that in the 4th installment if they ever get it made.



HSL: 8



94. SQUIRM. (1976-I believe) Strange, but this new DVD purchase ended up being the #1 highlight of the day thanks to the problem with the problem with LADY IN WHITE! Really an awesome b-movie. I saw the movie trailers and posters when I was a kid and they scared the crap out of me. There was no way in hell I would have seen it. Turns out it isn’t much scary at all but it is a hell of a lot of fun. I first saw it when MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 was good enough to feature it in one of their best episodes of the Sci-Fi Channel Years. The title song sang by a kid is cheesy and haunting at the same time. This was filmed a few hours from where I live. Port Wentworth is north of Savannah , GA. But the town looks like any number of towns in this state…lots of antique shops and charming B&Bs and all! Make the Peach State, Georgia, your next destination for vacation. Heh heh! The DVD has commentary which I was itching to watch. But since I was so far behind I had the pass on all commentary this time.



HSL: Max’d out!



95. THE SHINING. (1980) I figured it was time to pull out my most favorite horror movie of all time. Certainly it was a sure thing after such a good day. But somehow I got bored watching it! VEry strange, that never happens. I began to rethink my FAVORITE HORROR MOVIE LIST as well, with THE SHINING as #1. Perhaps I should move this down a bit. I’ve had problems with how it was done ever since reading the book and realising some things were a little off. Kubrick made a goregous epic-looking horror film but he missed the mark on what the book was about. I’m siding with SK on this. Every time I see the scrapbook sitting on the table Jack is typing on it bothers me a little bit more. The scene is preoccupied with Wendy coming in and bugging him. How could Kubrick forget to show where the damn scrapbook came from? Are people just supposed to guess? The scrapbook explains so much...including the totally-scratch-your-head-in-complete-confusion scene with the dude in the bear suit. Why was the background throw out on all of this? Was Kubrick assuming we all read the book first? Maybe that's it.

Anyway, got all that out. Didn't enjoy THE SHINING like I usually do. It's yet another film that reminds me of my best friend. I also remember seeing Nicholson on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. They showed the famous "Here's Johnny!!" bit and Carson loved it. I was real taken with Shelley during that scene, she did so well looking terrified. I felt I'd never in a million years watch it. Hell, I'll be getting the Blu Ray some day. Hahaha!

Baaaad viewing this time. Can't remeber ever having such a bad one. And it disgusted me so much I hit the sack early, certainly costing me a movie at least.



HSL: 6

 

[Joe Karlosi]

This thread was fun and it went on for a long time, with everyone eagerly listing the films they were watching for a whole month, every day. Then the end of October arrives and not many people have weighed in or given their closing thoughts on the experience, and it ended with a whimper rather than a bang. What happened?

 

[Ruz-El]

I failed in wrapping it up, that's what happened. It keeps looking like people are finishing their lists, so I've held off. So the tallies are final as of midnight tonight, and I'm posting the results tomorrow morning since I'm out boozing tonight and finally seeing "Zombieland".

 

[Malcolm R]

I wasn't aware we had to testify.

I managed 32 films this year (I think I only had 25 last year, so it was an improvement), more than half were first-time viewings.

Of the first-timers, the best was The Exorcism of Emily Rose. The worst of the new bunch were the Feast sequels and The Unborn.

I had a lot of additional films stacked up that I wanted to watch, but I just cannot do the marathons like some in this thread. One or two films a day is really my limit.

 

[Ruz-El]

It's here, the creeping terror... the honorable horror... the incredibly late...

​

10TH ANNUAL HTF OCTOBER CHALLENGE WRAP UP

​

My apologies again for being so late with this, let's jump right into the listings. I did my best to figure out the TV stuff, if you have issue, PM me and I'll make an adjustment.

First we have :


ULTIMATE SPLATTER HEADS!They watched 31 or more horror films in 31 days, and lived to tell the tale! We don't know if we should praise or pity them for the accomplishment, we just know they made it!

Mario Gauci - 110
John Stell - 109
Travis R - 100
Radioman 970 - 95
Pat W - 75
Ockeghem - 65
Russell G - 63
Jim K - 60
Tim Tucker - 53
Peter M Fitzgerald - 50
Joe Karlosi - 50
Jason Roer - 50
Sandro - 50
Larry Sutliff - 47
Chucky P - 45
Bob McLaughlin - 33
Malcolm R - 32

Next:

​

CHILLING CHALLENGE COMPLETEST'S!They set out to watch 13 films in October, and survived! Well done and great job!
Lucia Duran - 27
Ben Cheshire - 24
Brook K - 17
Frank Ha - 16
Scott! - 14
Jake Gove - 13

Finally:

​

CAMP CRYSTAL LAKE CASUALTIESIt always happens. We meet them at the start! We like them! We root for them! Then WHAM! Hatched to the Head and they just don't make it to the final credits! Here we tip our hats, bow our heads and mourn the ones who didn't quite complete the challenge.

Mattfini - 10
Steve Christou - 9
Rick R - 7
Pete Batista - 4
Angel Pagan - 4
Greg Black - 3
Michael Elliot - 0 (Self imposed exile!)

So that's it! Another year chalked up! A close race in that top 3 that might be controversial due to my convoluted arithmetic in adding up TV shows. Well done everyone! If I missed you in the list, PM me and I'll fix it.

Till next year!

 

[RickER]

Thanks for putting everything together Russ. I am such a loser, only 7!
But i beat Christou to the bottom! Thats something.

 

[Pete Battista]

Sorry I didn't do much on this. This past month was terribly stressful for me. My mother got ill and ended up in the hospital so between caring for her and visiting her took most of the first half of the month. We found out that in addition to the 2 lung diseases that we already knew about her lung cancer came back with the addition of breast caner. Unfortunately my mother lost her battle. On the 21st of October she passed away. So between her sickness, her passing away, taking care of arrangements and then the depression I found myself in... the marathon was of course the last thing on my mind.

 

[TravisR]

My sincere condolences, Pete.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

Yes, Pete - I'm sorry to hear about your loss. I wish you all the best at this difficult time in your life.

Russell --- a very nice job you did of tallying up the results (I'm sure it was a pain), but I'd like to ask you if you wouldn't mind going back and editing mine; I only watched 36 Movies, (not 50) and while I know you give credit for TV episodes, I just don't feel right in accepting Movie Credit for them. Thanks a lot. (If you want to notate "plus 42 episodes of The Munsters", that's cool with me).

And for what it's worth - Michael Elliott can do what he likes, but really he should list his totals here, not sell himself short, and not be upset by the ribbing. We know he is a big fan of film and actually watches a ton of movies all year round, not just October.

 

[Pete Battista]

Thank you both.