*** Official 14th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge 2013 *** (1 Viewer)

[Malcolm R]

But I figured out why I never can do well in the challenge - The Cardinals are going to the WORLD SERIES!!!!!! Again. They really wreak havoc with my schedule in October.

Football always depresses my movie count. I lose the whole day on Sunday, Monday nights, sometimes Thursday nights, and if there's an interesting college match-up, sometimes Saturdays. That said, I did manage two last night:

Friday the 13th: Part II​

Grade: B-​

A group of counselors gather for a retreat at a camp next door to Camp Crystal Lake. Jason picks up his mother's murderous work and goes on a rampage. The film does a pretty good job at generating tension and suspense. Though it's rather quaint to remember what a fight these 80's slasher films had with the MPAA regarding the minimal amount of gore they would allow at the time. They seem to have done a 180-degree turn on content over the past 30 years. Back then, they'd allow boobs and female nudity all over the place, but refused to allow much gore or violence in an R-rated film. Today, heaven forbid you show too much skin, but pretty much anything goes with regard to blood and violence (see any Quentin Tarantino film, the Saw series, the new Evil Dead remake, etc.).

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter​

Grade: B​

After seemingly being killed at the end of Part III, Jason is taken to the local morgue. Naturally, he isn't really dead, just resting (like Monty Python's parrot). After a good nap, he warms up by killing a couple of hospital employees, then returns to Crystal Lake to dispose of another house full of randy teenagers, as well as the Jarvis family living next door.

This is probably my second favorite of the original Friday franchise. My favorite is Part VI: Jason Lives, which I hope to get to before month's end. After the minimal blood of the initial films, they finally were able to include more gore in this film and it gets quite violent in spots while also generating a fair amount of tension. Even though I've seen the film before, it's been long enough that I was still jumping in spots.

With this film, Jason began to display his talent for teleportation. First he's at the morgue, then he's quickly back at Crystal Lake. Then he's killing in the kitchen with a cork screw, then seemingly seconds later he's on the roof pulling a girl out a second story window, then he's quickly back in the kitchen to get a knife to dispatch another teenager. Jason's certainly productive at his job: three kills in what seems like a matter of a couple minutes.

 

[Radioman970]

Saturday, October 19thMOVIES:36. Lemora: A Child's Tale of the Supernatural. (1973) Sort of like Mister Rogers' Neighborhood in the Ghetto. Jim Henson's Cannibal Muppet Holocaust. It's sweet and gross and chilling and stuff. ... seriously, like Black Moon and Return to Oz. Not as good as either, but not really all that bad either. Pretty good atmosphere...just don't expect greatness hinted by the title. 37. Cube Zero. (2004) Third of 3. It's good... but I've hit my limit Cube-wise... how about cylinders instead? Really... they should think about doing a Portal movie instead. Portal is a puzzle video game with a sequel, Portal 2, done by the same gamemakers as Halflife, and it had a story that knocks the socks right on off! TV:40-45. DS. E98-103. David peeps. Housekeeper freaks. Roger Creeps. Vicki sneaks.

 

[Chucky P]

House is an completely original & crazy film! Go see it!
Films
10-1-13
1. Cat People (1982) (4/5)
10-3-13
2. Ministry Of Fear (1944) (4/5)
3. Watership Down (1978) (4.5/5)
10-4-13
4. Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956) (5/5)
10-7-13
5. Island Of Lost Souls (1932) (4/5)
10-10-13
6. The Other (1972) (4.5/5)
10-11-13
7. Dead Of Night (1945) (5/5)
10-12-13
8. Repo Man (1984) (4/5)
10-17-13
9. The Wages Of Fear (1953) (4/5)
10-18-13
10. The Cat And The Canary (1927) (4/5)
10-19-13
11. House (1977) (5/5)
Television Shows
10-3-13
1. The Walking Dead: Made To Suffer
10-11-13
2. Doctor Who: Terror Of The Zygons Part One (Director's Cut)
10-14-13
3. Doctor Who: The Enemy Of The World Episode One
10-15-13
4. Doctor Who: The Enemy Of The World Episode Two

 

[Malcolm R]

Lost Boys: The Thirst​

Grade: C​

Edgar Frog has fallen upon hard times. No one seems to be hiring vampire hunters so he's forced to try and sell some of his comic book collection to raise cash, he's about to be evicted from his trailer, and on top of all that, his brother, Alan, has been turned into a vampire and has gone into seclusion, feeding on animal blood.

Edgar is approached by Gwen, the author of a successful young adult fiction series about moody, romantic vampires, who wants to hire him to rescue her brother, Peter, who has been kidnapped by real, vicious vampires. The vampires, led by DJ X, are organizing rave dance parties around the world where they're distributing a new designer drug called "The Thirst." The only problem is it's not really a drug but vampire blood and they're turning their ravers into vampires.

Edgar teams up with his friend, Zoe, and a reality show host and his cameraman (also hired by Gwen when Edgar hesitates to accept her initial offer) to infiltrate the rave, rescue Gwen's brother, and hopefully defeat the Alpha vampire before he can complete a sacrifice during the upcoming blood moon and unleash the vampire plague worldwide.

This is a decent entry into the Lost Boys franchise and I enjoyed this one more than the prior sequel, The Tribe. However, the dialogue is pretty bad in some scenes, and the growling monotone Feldman affects for his portrayal of Edgar becomes kind of tiresome. Also, these must be some of the easiest vamps to kill as portrayed in any book or movie. Just a couple spritzes of holy water or stabbing them anywhere (not necessarily in the heart) seems to cause their immediate destruction. They're pretty scary, but also fairly easy to dispatch.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

10) Targets (1968) ***1/2

I wanted to show this to my girlfriend and, damn it, if I'm gonna spend time watching a movie it's going to count for the "Scary Horror Challenge"! Well, I can stretch this drama into horror because it's "a new kind of horror right on our streets", with a crazed young sniper going on a rampage and shooting people. In a different story, Boris Karloff meanwhile plays a retiring old horror movie star much like himself, who decides his kind of horror is outdated. Eventually his path crosses with the sniper (nicely played by Tim O' Kelly). This is a very good and unsettling film directed by Peter Bogdanovich.

11) Giant from the Unknown (1958) **

Directed by Richard Cunha (FRANKENSTEIN'S DAUGHTER) this is a much less effective Z-movie about an ancient spanish conquistador who is revived and prowls around "terrorizing" people. I've tried this one before and never thought much of it. Seeing a tall 6' 6" man (Buddy Baer) wearing old armor and having dirt all over his face is not exactly my idea of a "scary monster" (makeup was by old-time Universal Monsters maestro Jack Pierce!). However, in my older age it feels comfortable watching something of this vintage and I don't find it as dull now as I first did.

12) The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973) **1/2

Hammer's followup to their own DRACULA AD 1972, which was the last pairing of Christopher Lee as Dracula and Peter Cushing as Van Helsing. I've always been intrigued with the bizarre way in which Dracula is squeezed into the modern day surroundings in this film. The King of Vampires wants to rule the world by unleashing a chemical plague on Mankind, and there is a cult residing in a mansion where devil worshipping rituals are being held, and some female vampires are kept down in the cellar. These vampire sequences in the cellar alone make satisfying viewing, though much of the talking scenes feel dull. I don't know why, but I manage to still have some fun with this entry - but you can see why Chris Lee left this series for good. It's fun but embarrassing at the same time.

13) Blood Bath (1966) **1/2

This one really worked for me somehow tonight. Maybe the late timing was perfect to affect the mood, I don't know what. I never thought all that much of it the first time I saw it, but now it was seen via a nice DVD-R release from the MGM Archives, in a proper ratio. Anyway, it's about a strange painter whose ancestor was burned at the stake, and who turns into a fanged vampire in a dark hat and raincoat. He paints female models at his studio and then dips them into wax. His new girlfriend is a dead ringer for the woman who disgraced his infamous ancestor. This movie is all over the place, but I really felt taken to another dream-like world this time by its often stylish camera shots and picturesque locations. A lot of us grew up with this movie on TV in a longer edit called TRACK OF THE VAMPIRE... but this one here is the shorter and preferred cut.

 

[PatW]

28 The Seventh Victim (1943) 4/5

A women travels to New York in search of her sister only to discover her involvement with a Satanic cult.
Movie seemed a little uneven but I was still fascinated with the story. Apparently the studio made Val Lewton cut some scenes from the movie that would have been an explanation for certain actions in the film plus the ending was a bit too abrupt. But despite their interference this was an excellent little film. Also noted for the debut performance of Kim Hunter.

29 The Unquiet (2008) 1.5/5

Two teams of ghost hunters enter a supposedly haunted hospital, one to debunk the haunting while the other one tries to find evidence and lay the spirits to rest. Too much exposition and not enough hauntings in this one though I suppose it could have been worse.


TV episodes

Supernatural S7: Repo Man 3.5/5

Four years ago, Sam & Dean exorcised a demon serial killer. Now he's back again.

Supernatural S7: Out with the Old 2.5/5

Sam & Dean track down some cursed objects that make the possessor do unexpected acts. Meanwhile Sam's hallucinations of Lucifer are starting to cause real health problems.

 

[Michael Elliott]

Love Brides of the Blood Mummy (1973) * 1/2

This rather bizarre Spanish horror film received a new title and seemed to cause a stir across the internet but sadly the actual film itself is quite poor. An expert on Egyptian mummies (Frank Brana) is told by a scientist (George Rigaud) how he discovered a mummy and managed to bring it back to life. Bringing this mummy back to life meant that he and his assistant had to kidnap women and "offer" them to the mummy who liked to fondle them and eventually drink their blood. This film has a catchy title but it was originally released as THE SECRET OF THE Egyptian MUMMY and it's easy to see why it was forgotten for nearly forty-years. The film is pretty boring, drawn out and there's simply nothing interesting that happens in it. I think the biggest problem is that it's rather bland looking and there's never an inch of excitement going on. Even worse is that it's quite repetitive because we simply see the same thing happen over and over throughout the running time. We see a woman. We see the assistant chase her. The assistant catches her, ties her up and then the mummy gets her. These scenes are just so boring and watching the same thing over and over simply doesn't help. Even worse is that I watched the Spanish version of the film, which has zero bits of nudity and really not that much blood. Apparently there's an American dubbed version that features more nudity and blood but so far this here hasn't been released. Maybe that version will be a cult favorite but take away the LOVE BRIDES OF THE BLOOD MUMMY title and you really have nothing here. Those expecting a bandaged up mummy will also be disappointed. It's really too bad someone like Jess Franco didn't get a hold of this story.


Dr. Jekyll vs. the Werewolf (1972) *** 1/2

Waldemar Daninsky (Paul Naschy) falls in love with the beautiful Justine (Shirley Corrigan) who convinces him to travel to London to see if Dr. Jekyll (Jack Taylor) can cure his curse of turning into a werewolf. Once in London Jekyll's evil assistant injects Daninsky to where he turns into Mr. Hyde. I've now seen three different versions of this film. The Spanish "clothed" version was a highly entertaining gem. The American "nude" version brought a little added sleaze and T&A to the film. Now, the third version from Germany was just recently found and is making its way through various fan boards and it features extended nudity, which just takes this film to a whole new level and actually makes it even better. Even though this print is in Spanish without any subtitles, I've never enjoyed this film more and I think the added dirty bits really makes this one of the sleazier Spanish films from this era.With this Germany version, the film just contains a very perverted and sinister feel to it that's not in any other version. It really does take the material and gives it a much darker approach, which is very much a positive and especially when we've already gotten some excellent atmosphere from director Leon Klimovsky. Another great benefit is that Naschy is at the top of his game here. No matter which version you watch, the werewolf here is without question one of the best looking in the series and it also features some of the most graphic violence. There's plenty of blood flowing around for fans of that type of thing. The actor also does a marvelous job in the role of Hyde and this is especially more true when you see the darker, more perverted version. Corrigan makes for one of the more memorable leading ladies in the series and it's great fun getting someone like Taylor on board.The film also benefits from some very effective scenes. One includes the scene where the woman is attacked by three hoods. Another includes her looking down from her window at her new love who is in his werewolf form. Then, of course, there's the werewolf hitting the streets of London. Seeing Naschy running around the swinging style of London in the 1970s is just a wonderful sight. DR. JEKYLL AND THE WEREWOLF is a "fun" Gothic film even if you watch the non-nude version. You watch the American version and it's just as much fun with the added nudity. However, to get the full impact one really needs to find the German cut as all the added stuff just makes it so much more fun.

 

[TravisR]

40. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Five young people are preyed upon by a maniac with a chainsaw and his cannibal family. A classic and even after nearly 40 years, it's still a legitimately scary movie. I think what makes this movie as effective as it is its low budget, the production design (I'd believe that a real family of lunatics lives in that house) and that the kids are fairly likeable and totally undeserving of what happens to them so you can't help but feel bad for them.

 

[Bob McLaughlin]

20. Naboer (Next Door) (first-time viewing)
Norwegian thriller where two seductive neighbors start messing with the mind of a man who just broke up with his girlfriend. At a mere 76 minutes this was a short nasty little story, but frankly the plot is so thin it could have been made even shorter. There's a Polanski-like claustrophobia since the majority of the movie takes place in a dim apartment (there's even a wardrobe cabinet blocking a door, a Polanski signature) but the filmmaker doesn't have his talent. The female characters are interesting but the concept is not unique as we question the protagonist's grip on reality, and all but the most naive viewers will see the "twist" coming a mile away. 2.5 out of 5 stars.

21. Carrie (2013) (first-time viewing)
A high school outcast awakens her psychokinetic powers with the onset of puberty, and uses them to avenge a prom prank. It seems pointless for me to recap the story, which everyone is familiar with, and the same could be asked of the filmmakers responsible for this remake. Chloe Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore give good but not incredible performances, and the final scenes of destruction come closer to living up to the novel's originally near-apocalyptic feel, but far too many scenes are more or less directly lifted from the Brian DePalma 1976 film, which is a fine (if a little dated) horror masterpiece. If I had neither read the novel nor seen the original movie, I would have found this to be a decent and watchable revenge-horror film. Such as it is, it's not a bad horror film, but not really required viewing--if you've already seen DePalma's version, you've essentially already seen this movie, and seen it done better. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Bob's October 2013 Horror Movie List
FTV denotes first time viewing
1. Some Guy Who Kills People (FTV)
2. Uzumaki (FTV)
3. The Pact (2011) (FTV)
4. Midnight Son (FTV)
5. Excision (FTV)
6. Absentia (FTV)
7. Sleep Tight (FTV)
8. Lunacy (FTV)
9. Frankenstein's Army (FTV)
10. The Woman in Black (FTV)
11. Color Me Blood Red (FTV)
12. Chained (FTV)
13. Frankenweenie
14. Mum and Dad (FTV)
15. Malevolence (FTV)
16. V/H/S/2 (FTV)
17. Juan of the Dead (FTV)
18. The Awakening (FTV)
19. Blood and Black Lace (FTV)
20. Naboer (Next Door) (FTV)
21. Carrie (2013) (FTV)

 

[TravisR]

41. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2

Leatherface and family menace a radio DJ. An odd movie where they decided to amp up the black comedy rather than try for the straight horror of the original. Given that that was their intent, it's successful but I'd have rather seen a more straight forward hardcore movie.

 

[Sandro]

Rated from * to ****

10/01/13 Child's Play ***
10/01/13 Child's Play 2 ** 1/2
10/01/13 God Told Me To *** 1/2
10/02/13 Selling, The ** 1/2
10/02/13 Night of the Creeps ***
10/03/13 Hangover Square ***
10/04/13 Audrey Rose **
10/05/13 Shining, The *** 1/2
10/06/13 Child's Play 3 **
10/06/13 Resolution ***

10/07/13 Would You Rather **
10/08/13 John Dies at the End ***
10/08/13 Demonia **
10/10/13 Errors of the Human Body ** 1/2
10/10/13 Captivity *
10/12/13 Lords of Salem ***
10/12/13 Bride of Chucky ** 1/2
10/14/13 Dark Waters (1993) ***
10/15/13 Hypnosis/The Hypnotist ***
10/16/13 Seed of Chucky ** 1/2

10/16/13 Scream of Fear ***
10/17/13 Central Park Drifter **
10/18/13 VHS2 ***
10/19/13 Sleep Tight *** 1/2

 

[Radioman970]

Sunday, October 20th38. The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007)(N) Even though there is no illegal activity or blood, and minimal violence and torture, my own home movies with my family are much much worse than these. Pfft! Amateur. ...Serial killer leaves behind a huge stack of VHS tape recordings with his various disturbing activities filmed by himself. Funniest part is maybe where someone tries to explain how the killer has become such a pro at holding the camera while stabbing someone with his free hand and subduing a completely different person for later "fun" in his basement of horrors with his only free hand. lol Seral killer/contortionist. Perfect combo for that sort of hobby! With that said, the most effective portions of this are what's on the tapes. The guys talking about the tapes in documentary style are not totally convincing (it took me looking it up to see that was Ron Harper teaching class, he was in the Planet of the Apes TV series). But if you're looking for something that approaches extreme, and ain't quite call your mother and tell her you love her disturbing, then this might do it. I got it with Long Pigs (film #10 in my list) thinking they'd be crazy extreme, but neither really hit that mark. Kind of happy about that... There were other extreme films I looked at, The Bunny Games & A Serbian Film, but went with these instead. Those others sounded especially depraved. Beyond what I wanted.39. The Bad Seed. (1956)(N) I never read the book. Would like to. I read that this film didn't do that well. But it's seriously fun. Like Dennis the Menace Xtreme. 1950s sitcom in need of Ritalin. I loved it! I probably love all the parts that some might dislike.. like the ending. Fantastic! Outstanding cast! I borrowed this but will have my own blu ray for next time. 40. Yokai Monsters. 100 Monsters. (1968) (N) Most of the monsters didn't show up until the end but by that time I just didn't feel like counting anymore. This is 2 of 3 in this series. This one starts okay, becomes tedious midway, then gets out of control towards the end. There's a time when I'm in the mood for this... but I've wasted the first 2 in this series. They should be my thing, but so far they just make me crave Spectre Man or Sid & Marty Krofft or something else with cheesy puppets or ugly cheap costumes. I'll hold off on the 3rd. There's also live action film directed by Takashi Miike! That will have to be good! We'll see...some time down the road. 46-51. Dark Shadows. E103-108 I had to stop watching to emulate a cliffhanger. Edge of my seat, 108 ended with such a bang!...I felt waiting a day would increase the impact. Btw, I hit the menu button and noticed there was no 109 or 110! Whaaaaa....T? But learned about the pre-emptive numbering system. They'd skip numbers when the show was pre-empted. So the story will continue with 111. One thing to mention, among the many technical problems of the show are weird sounds underneath the show's soundtrack. During "that scene" in 108 were what sounded like children laughing. Kind of like the tent scene in Blair Witch, it was a little unnerving. ...okay a LOT unnerving! I know it's nothing...but... damn. ...watched some of the interview material, it was neat seeing the "Burke" of today. I think going to a DS convention would be very very fun. Still, I plan to hold off on watching the interview material since many many spoilers are there. I hate that, but I'll get to it some day. 52. Bewitched. Season 2. "My Boss, the Teddy Bear". I watched this while flea combing dogs. My dogs are much much nicer to their plush toys than Endora is to that teddy... :*( N=New to me/all Dark Shadows are NMovies:1. Creepshow 2. (1987)2. Seventh Sign. (1988).3. The Willies. (1990) (N)4. Enter Nowhere. (2011) (N)5. Deathdream (or Dead of Night). (1971)6. Red Riding Hood. (2011) (N)7. Dagon. (2001)8. The Oblong Box. (1969)9. Alice, Sweet Alice. (1976) (N)10. Long Pigs. (2006) (N)11. Gremlins. (1984)12. Bloody Pit of Horror. (1965)13. Thale. (2012) (N)14. The Devil Inside. (2012) (N)15. The Mummy. (1959)16. Quarantine. (2008) (N)17. The Children. (2008)(N)18. Blowout. (1981)19. Thirst. (2009) (N)20. Spaced Invaders. (1989)21. Cat's Eye. (1985) 22. Friday the 13th. (1980)23. Christine. (1985)24. Cinematic Titanic Presents The Wasp Woman. (1959/2008) (N)25. Ghostwatch. (1992) (N)26. The Day of the Beast. (1995) (N)27. The Woman in Black. (1989) (N)28. Blood on Satan's Claw. (1971) (N)29. The Possession. (2012) (N)30. Friday the 13th Part 2. (1981)31. Flatliners. (1990)32. Paranoia 1.0. (2004) (N)33. Friday the 13th. Part 3. (1982)34. Duel. (1971)35. Exorcist. The Version You've Never Seen. (1973/2000)36. Lemora: A Child's Tale of the Supernatural. (1973) (N)37. Cube Zero. (2004) (N)38. The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007) (N)39. The Bad Seed. (1956) (N)
40. Yokai Monsters. 100 Monsters. (1968) (N)TV:1-25. Dark Shadows. E60-8426. X-Files. S8. "Empedocles"27-45. Dark Shadows. E85-10246-51. Dark Shadows. E103-10852. Bewitched. Season 2. "My Boss, the Teddy Bear".

 

[PatW]

30 Burn Witch Burn (1962) 4/5

A college professor discovers that his wife has been practicing witchcraft. This is a taut little thriller who's success centres around the acting performance of the lead played by
Peter Wyngarde. Very effective in delivering the scares especially the last 1/3 of the movie.

31 The Believers (1987) 4.5/5

Martin Sheen is very good as the police psychiatrist who unwittingly becomes involved in a voodoo cult. Creepy and scary with unsettling subject matter namely the sacrificing of innocent children.


TV Episodes

28 Supernatural S7: The Born-Again Identity 4/5

Sam ends up in a psychiatric hospital after spending sleepless nights being haunted by Lucifer. Meanwhile Dean seeks help from a healer who just happens to be Castiel. Unfortunately he has no memories of his life as an angel but he agrees to go with Dean to help his brother.

29 Supernatural S7: Party on Garth 2/5

One of my least favourite characters is back this time to help the boys battle a type of ghost that one can see only when drunk.

30 The Walking Dead S4: Infected 4/5

Mayhem breaks out in the prison as the young man infected with the super flu dies, turns and start snacking on several of the residents. Meanwhile a romance is developing between Tyreese and Karen.

 

[Ruz-El]

Sorry for the long post, I didn't get a chance to stay on top of my list over the weekend.

10-18 038 Death Valley (1982) 3/5
Not a bad little thriller featuring the kid from “A Christmas Story” stumbling upon a murderer, the killer then seeks him out. Some nice atmosphere, but it never really ramps up. “The Hitcher” is probably a better film on this theme.
10-18 039 Seconds (1966) 4.5/5
Another film I’ve heard a lot about and never got to see before now. Criterion did a bang up job on this one. A man gets a bizarre second chance. The less you know the better with this thriller that is shot in an unsettling way that many filmmakers would be envious of. Mum didn’t find it scary, but was shocked that Rock Hudson would make a film like this.
10-19 040 Maniac (1980) 4.5/5
Revisited this one and it continues to be a thrilling, top rate slasher. I don’t think there’s ever been a more unappealing lead character in a movie, and Tom Savini really outdoes himself on the effects. Gritty, disturbing exploitation at it’s finest.
10-19 041 Humanoids From The Deep (1980) 3.5/5
I recall hearing about this one from past challenges so when the blu hit a sale I picked it up. A goofy "genetic experiment gone wrong" plot serves up a fun monster fest with icky Humanoids out for women. For a Corman produced film, this one really delivers in ways that his films usually don’t. Great stuff.
10-19 042 Maniac (2012) 4/5
This is how you do a remake. Take a plot point from the original and expand on it to create a new experience. It's as messed up as the original and it really delivers. The hook of having the entire film shot from the POV of the Maniac should be a cheat, but in this case it totally works.
10-20 043 I Spit On Your Grave (1978) 4/5
As gritty, grimey and offensive as people let on it is, it’s still an exhilarating, if not exhausting film. Not something you want to watch all the time, but when you do, it’s tears you up.
10-20 044 I Spit On Your Grave (2010) 2/5
Here’s a good example on how not to remake a horror classic. This one follows the plot of the original without adding anything new except having the kills be weird devices more suitable for a SAW film. So skip this one and let the original punch your guts out instead.
10-20 045 The Nest (1988) 2.5/5
Genetic experiment gone wrong causes people eating cockroaches to attack a town. This one is more typical of a Corman produced film where it’s a bit of a cheat and never really pays off. And having the exterminator do a poor mans "Bill Murray in Caddyshack" impression is pretty desperate.
10-20 046 The Howling (1980) 4/5
I’ve been doing this challenge since 2006, and this is the first time I’ve watched The Howling. Ridiculous! The wait was worth it since it really is pretty great. A tongue in cheek plot done mostly straight, genuine scares and icky werewolfs, what’s not to like? Mum didn’t find it tongue in cheek, she found it scary and gross. Success!
Mum Scare Factor: 4/5
10-20 047 The Living Skeleton (1968) 3.5/5
Another whacked out Japanese film that ditches the monster elements in favour of atmosphere, and totally succeeds. Modern day pirates massacre a boat full of people, and three years later a vengeful spirit returns for some payback. The essay included compares this one to Val Lewton, and it’s a more than fair comparison.

 

[Michael Elliott]

Sorry for the long post, I didn't get a chance to stay on top of my list over the weekend.
10-19 040 Maniac (1980) 4.5/5
Revisited this one and it continues to be a thrilling, top rate slasher. I don’t think there’s ever been a more unappealing lead character in a movie, and Tom Savini really outdoes himself on the effects. Gritty, disturbing exploitation at it’s finest.
10-19 041 Humanoids From The Deep (1980) 3.5/5
I recall hearing about this one from past challenges so when the blu hit a sale I picked it up. A goofy "genetic experiment gone wrong" plot serves up a fun monster fest with icky Humanoids out for women. For a Corman produced film, this one really delivers in ways that his films usually don’t. Great stuff.
10-19 042 Maniac (2012) 4/5
This is how you do a remake. Take a plot point from the original and expand on it to create a new experience. It's as messed up as the original and it really delivers. The hook of having the entire film shot from the POV of the Maniac should be a cheat, but in this case it totally works.
10-20 043 I Spit On Your Grave (1978) 4/5
As gritty, grimey and offensive as people let on it is, it’s still an exhilarating, if not exhausting film. Not something you want to watch all the time, but when you do, it’s tears you up.
10-20 044 I Spit On Your Grave (2010) 2/5
Here’s a good example on how not to remake a horror classic. This one follows the plot of the original without adding anything new except having the kills be weird devices more suitable for a SAW film. So skip this one and let the original punch your guts out instead.
10-20 047 The Living Skeleton (1968) 3.5/5
Another whacked out Japanese film that ditches the monster elements in favour of atmosphere, and totally succeeds. Modern day pirates massacre a boat full of people, and three years later a vengeful spirit returns for some payback. The essay included compares this one to Val Lewton, and it’s a more than fair comparison.

Some great titles in there. HUMANOIDS FROM THE DEEP is one of my favorites. The nudity, gore and violence is just so crazy that I can't help but love the thing. The remake isn't too hot but there are a couple good moments in it. The original MANIAC is another favorite. I watched the remake earlier this year and enjoyed it, although the POV thing somewhat lost me or at least didn't get me emotionally connected to any of the characters. The remake of I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE is one I thought was okay but like you said, the only difference is that they mixed it with SAW. Wait until you check out the sequel. You'll really need to take a shower.

I'm trying to get to THE LIVING SKELETON this month but I'm not sure I will. There's another Japanese movie in my HuluPlus queue that apparently influenced Carpenter's THE FOG in a major way but I can't recall the title as I write this.

 

[Ruz-El]

I'm trying to get to THE LIVING SKELETON this month but I'm not sure I will. There's another Japanese movie in my HuluPlus queue that apparently influenced Carpenter's THE FOG in a major way but I can't recall the title as I write this.

It might be THE LIVING SKELETON! I was thinking The Fog was a rip of it while watching, the basic plot is pretty similar.

 

[Michael Elliott]

Haha. Well there you go. I definitely need to get it on this month then.

 

[Film]

10/20
The Wasp Woman (1959) D
10/21
Carrie (2013) B
A remake and an adaptation from Stephen King's book, this film was decent..not as good as I was hoping it to be, but an ok film nonetheless. I liked a few of the supporting actors. Chloe Moretz and Julianne Moore gave ok performances. I like Moretz as an actor but this may have been a bit of a stretch for her.
I watched the original film for the first time about 2 years ago, maybe a few weeks before I entered the HTF challenge and I thought it was kind of corny but still a nice movie that I can sit down and watch again. I read the book earlier this year and it was great...wish that there could be more great adaptations of King's work. I would love a great adaptation of IT.
First time viewings are in bold

10/01
Halloween II (1981) C
10/02
The Cabin in the Woods (2012) B
10/03
The Creeping Terror (1964) F
Horrors of Spider Island (1960) F
10/05
The Willies (1990) D
10/06
Psycho (1960) A
Horror of the Zombies (1974) F
10/07
Spider Baby (1964) B
The Evil Dead (1981) B
10/09
Gammera the Invincible (1966) C
10/10
Earnest Scared Stupid (1991) A
10/13
Bats (1999) D
10/14
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943) B
10/15
Frankenstein (1910, short film) A
House of Frankenstein (1944) A
10/20
The Wasp Woman (1959) D
10/21
Carrie (2013) B

TV
Tales from the Crypt 1. "And All Through the House"
Tales from the Crypt 2. "Dig That Cat...He's Real Gone"
Tales from the Crypt 3. "Collection Completed"
Tales from the Crypt 4. "Til Death"
Tales from the Crypt 5. "Three's a Crowd"
Tales from the Crypt 6. "Dead Right"
Tales from the Crypt 7. "For Cryin' Out Loud"
Tales from the Crypt 8. "Judy, You're Not Yourself Today"

 

[Radioman970]

Monday, October 21stMOVIES:41. Brides of Dracula. (1960) nail biting. and that's just because it's a disc from the notorious Universal Hammer Collection. My nails are nubs (or is that knumbs?). But it didn't skip on me. ...remembered one thing from seeing this as a kid... that windmill scene. Hammer brilliance. It's up there with Horror of Draculua, the famous scene at the end when Helsing uses the 2 candlesticks... truly awesome moments that give me the goosies every time... Although Mr. Lee is missing here, I thought the cast was spot on perfect. Love the teethy ladies, that gorgeous French actress, the blond guy who looks a bit like Liberace with maddog teeth... ...the amazing architecture of that castle, all the costumes and props... one of my favorites. I'm noting that it ran without a skip so next time I can relax. I watched this on older equipment years back and I don't think it skipped on that either. I know some of these in the set will skip. When that happens I'll probably work on getting another set I can keep trading in until I get a good one. Too much good here to stick with flawed garbage. TV:52-55. Dark Shadows. E111 to 114. Dizzy...too much happening. I was imaginating watching one a day during the week, none on weekends, like they did back then. I couldn't do it in my current state. But...if I passed on before watching the whole thing ...unlikely at this rate...but if I could I'd come back as a ghost, and take my time watching, once a day during the week ....at somebody's house! Probably somebody on the Dark Shadows thread here at HTF. I'd try to pick a time when nobody is in the house. Since I'd be a ghost I would raid the frig or anything. Just leave ghost dust on your home theater. Now, before someone says, why don't you just watch it at your house! I know my family would sell my set to pay funeral costs! so that won't work smarty! :p But there's no way I could slow down to 5 a week while I"m still breathing. That sucks.

 

[TravisR]

42. Cat People (1942)

A man marries a woman who may be changing into a cat. A great low budget movie with genuine suspense. My second favorite Lewton production.


43. The Curse Of The Cat People

The daughter of two characters from the first movie starts seeing Irena, the first movie's villain. They made a pretty bold choice for a sequel in that they didn't even remotely copy the original movie and they had a child more or less be the movie's lead.


44. I Walked With A Zombie

A nurse is hired by a man to look after his wife who is a zombie (the mindless kind, not the flesh eating kind). This isn't Lewton's best production but it is effective thanks to its tropical locale.