*** Official 14th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge 2013 *** (2 Viewers)

[Radioman970]

I'll stand in this "dark shadow" of the thread...

Tuesday, October 1st
Movies:
1. Creepshow 2. "The Raft" and some other stuff. Best thing to say about it is, a sequel to a classic.

TV:
1. Dark Shadows. Episode 60. (oh what, oh what will happen next..?!) "Vicki finally has that dinner she's been talking about for episodes..."

 

[EricSchulz]

I skipped it last year, and had no intention of doing it this year, but I was at the library today and found the Criterion Island of Lost Souls, a 5-film PD assortment and "The Vampire Collection" with Abel Salazar in El Vampiro and El Ataúd Del Vampiro (The Vampire and The Vampire's Coffin) which I'll watch to help me with the Spanish class I'm taking two nights a week! I'm hoping to get Room 237 from the library soon and then I'll hit up Amazon and take advantage of my Prime Membership!

 

[Ockeghem]

My family and I are working our way through VOY. We are currently at the beginning of season seven. Tonight, we are watching Repression, and the first scene after the opening music has Tom and B'Elanna sitting in a movie theater on a date. The film that comes on is the second in the "Creature" trilogy (Revenge Of the Creature). Even though I couldn't make out which film it was right away, the music was unmistakable. I thought the timing (nearing October 1st and the beginning of the Scary Movie Challenge) was quite interesting!

 

[PatW]

The Corridor (2010) 3.5/5One of the strangest movies that I've seen in awhile. A group of friends reunite for a weekend away in the woods. When one of the group discovers an almost invisible corridor in the woods, strange events start to happen. Being inside the corridor has a chilling effect on each member of the group who start to display and engage in violent acts towards each other.What a bizarre little movie this is but I must say it kept my attention to the bitter end. It was obvious that the corridor was some type of alien entity and I just wish it had been explored more. The movie ended with too many unanswered questions but still I enjoyed it and would recommend to most.The Uninvited (2009) 2.5/5I saw this a couple of years ago and I remember not being impressed but I thought I'd give it another try. I don't think I minded it that much this time around except for the last half hour which I thought was a total cop-out. It seems to be a trend. Take an Asian horror masterpiece and turn out a piece of drivel that's only a mere shadow of the original. Still the viewing was more tolerable this time around.

 

[John Stell]

001) 10/01/2013 Someone at the Door (1950)

A struggling journalist (Michael Medwin) and his sister move into a reportedly haunted mansion - the site of three previous murders. Noticing that murder sells newspapers, he gets the idea that if they frame him for his sister's "murder," it would be a great story. Things get complicated when they discover a satchel, containing stolen jewelry, in the hidden room where sis will be hiding during her "death". This funny early Hammer film has a very busy plot and all the requisite haunted house trappings to make its 57 minutes whiz by. Medwin has two hilarious scenes where he verbally attacks his sister in front of witnesses to establish his motive.

002) 10/01/2013 El Hombre Sin Rostro (1950)

1/2

An otherwise well-respected detective is having difficulty solving a series of brutal murders of young women. He becomes plagued by nightmares of a faceless man who taunts him. A police psychiatrist steps in to help sort out these dreams, which may drive the detective mad. A viewer seeing this for the first time in the 21st century will probably figure out rather quickly where this is going. But this may have not been the case back in 1950. Still, the performances are good, the script intelligent, and the style appropriately moody. And the killer emerging through a creaky bedroom door during the climax should raise a few hairs.

 

[Michael Elliott]

Europe and especially Naschy will be the main focus this year.


Twitch of the Death Nerve (1971) ****Mario Bava's landmark film can now be considered one of the very first slashers and of course a major influence on Friday THE 13TH. The film takes place at a lake-side resort where a variety of people are brutally slaughtered by an unknown maniac. Also known as A BAY OF BLOOD and a dozen other titles, this Bava film mixes the giallo with what would become known as the slasher and the end result is certainly something special and ground- breaking. To say the film was a major influence on the genre to come would be an understatement because there's simply so much going on here that other filmmakers would steal from. Obviously there's the graphic violence, which is scattered throughout the film and this is what got the movie its original reputation. The effects are quite ghastly for their time and especially a couple throat slashings, a memorable beheading and of course a sex scene where two victims are offed at the same time (and later stolen in Friday THE 13TH PART 2). The film is also quite sleazy with not only the gore but a fair amount of nudity and sex. This certainly wasn't the first film to use sex and violence but Bava really puts his own spin on it because the movie just feels so dirty. I say that in a good way because the director adds a certain poetry to the death scenes and he also lingers on them for long periods after the victims are stabbed or whatever else their fate is. Instead of cutting to the next scene Bava just keeps the camera on the victims as they take their last few breathes and this here is quite effective and at times ugly. The film is certainly far from flawless as some of the performances aren't all that impressive and the director goes for way too many zoom shots. With that said, there are enough twists in the story for ten movies and it's constantly catching you off guard. No matter what you call the film there's no question about its importance to the genre and it ranks as one of the best in Bava's career.

The Mark of the Wolfman (1968) **Bland but important Spanish horror film is the first to feature Paul Naschy in the Waldemar Daninsky role. In the film, Daninsky (Naschy) is bitten by a werewolf and soon finds himself turning into the creature. With the help of his best friend and girlfriend he's able to locate a German doctor who might be able to help him but Daninsky doesn't realize that the doctor is actually a vampire. THE MARK OF THE WOLFMAN really isn't a very good moment but there's no question that it's an important one considering it started Naschy career as well as kick-started the Spanish horror genre. That alone makes the film worth viewing and there's no question that there are a few memorable moments scattered throughout the picture. The most effective sequence deals with a couple gypsies unlocking a tomb and pulling a stake from a man's heart, which has him come back as a werewolf. This attack sequence is actually quite effective and shot very nicely. There's also some very good atmosphere running throughout the film as it's clear that the low-budget at least allowed for a very good fog machine. Another plus is that the werewolf make-up looks pretty good for the most part, although there's no question that the actual transformation scenes are somewhat laughable. Naschy doesn't give the best performance of his career but I think he's good enough in the role and at least makes you feel sorry for his character. The supporting players are decent at best. There are some major problems with the picture that keeps it from being better. For starters, the pacing is pretty bad throughout the picture. Another issue is that the screenplay pretty much just throws everything into the mix and not all of it sticks. When released in America as FRANKENSTEIN'S BLOODY TERROR the film had an added on sequence trying to attach the events to the Frankenstein legacy but this here was pretty stupid so the Spanish version is the way to go.

The Awful Dr. Orloff (1962) ** 1/2Jess Franco reworks EYES WITHOUT A FACE with Howard Vernon stepping in as Dr. Orloff, a doctor using a deformed man (Richard Valle) to kidnap women so that the doctor can use them to rebuild his daughter's face, which was scarred in a fire. I will say right off the bat that I find it rather impossible that Franco wasn't aware of EYES WITHOUT A FACE when he made this but I guess there's always that slight shot that two people pretty much came up with the same story idea is a short period of time. With that said, there's no doubt that the "other" film is the true classic but this one here manages to be worth watching even through its sometimes silly moments. I think Franco is at his best here whenever there's a murder/kidnapping sequence going on. One could argue that the opening sequence is among the best work Franco has done as we see the deformed Morpho break into an apartment to kidnap a woman while terrified neighbors look on not wanting to help her. Another strong point to the film are the performances with Vernon doing a very nice job as Dr. Orloff. What makes his performance work so well is that he manages to be both sympathetic but also evil in his own way. Valle is also quite memorable in his role. The atmosphere is another major plus with the B&W cinematography adding another dimension to the film. The bad moments are many of the supporting performances and certainly the awful dubbing if you happen to be watching an English track.

Virgin Witch (1972) * 1/2British exploitation has Christine (Ann Michelle) wanting to be a model and she thinks she gets her big great when Sybil Waite (Patricia Haines) invites her out to the country for a weekend photo shoot. Christine's sister Betty (Vicki Michelle) ends up going along and soon it turns out that this country home is actually a coven for witches and they need new members. VIRGIN WITCH is a pretty bad movie from start to finish but it's worth noting that not a single minute goes by without some sort of nudity going on. The viewer must really applaud all the young actresses who were willing to take their clothes off because without the nudity we'd be left with a major dud. There are countless problems with this picture but the biggest is the fact that not much ever happens. We just sit around watching the ladies get naked for various photo shoots and then we get scenes where the characters do nothing but talk. They talk, talk some more and continue to talk about things that really don't matter to anything in the story. Even worse is that the pacing is so slow that the 88-minute running time feels doubt that. There are some campy moments scattered across the film including the various witchcraft scenes, which are just downright funny at times. These scenes allow other actresses to take off their clothes and watching them cross arms and do some sort of strange dance is almost worth sitting through the entire thing for. Both Ann and Vicki Michelle are actually good in their roles as is Haines. VIRGIN WITCH was originally made in 1970 but the BBFC wouldn't allow it to be released until after some cuts. Even with the cuts restored, it's easy to see why they wanted to protect the people from this junk.

Assignment Terror (1969) * 1/2Michael Rennie, in his last film role, plays an alien who comes to Earth when his planet is dying off. He hopes his group can start living on Earth but before that can happen he must bring back several monsters so that they can help kill off all the humans. You have to give it to a film that combines aliens, Dracula, the Frankenstein monster, the mummy and the werewolf in the form of Waldemar Daninsky (Paul Naschy). You'd think that a film that brought all these monsters together would at least either be so bad it's good or a campy fun time. Sadly, the film is neither as the production had all sorts of issues ranging from script changes to simply running out of money. Naschy's screenplay is clearly borrowing or paying homage to HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN and even the opening here with how Dracula is discovered is a complete rip. Sadly, unlike that film, this here doesn't have all that much going for it. The entire thing has an incredibly cheap feel to it and I personally think it's always a bad idea trying to mix Gothic characters with science-fiction elements. Even worse is that the monsters really aren't used as well as they should have been. The Dracula character appears to be drunk throughout the film and his blue-ish skin just doesn't work well. The Frankenstein monster is without question one of the worst looking in the history of cinema has it appears the producer's simply threw on some sort of bad skull cap on the actor. The mummy isn't too bad looking and the werewolf character also looks good but Naschy writes this role simply as a supporting one. The highlight of the film is without question the fight between the mummy and the werewolf but the alternate title, Dracula VS FRANKENSTEIN, is pretty much a lie as those two never fight. I'm going to have to say sadly yet again but this turned out to be Rennie's final film, which is a shame.

The Werewolf versus the Vampire Woman (1971) ** 1/2A couple beautiful women go looking for the tomb of Countess Wandesa (Patty Shepard) who was believed to have been a vampire. They happen to end up staying with werewolf Waldemar Daninsky (Paul Naschy) and sure enough one of the women (Gaby Fuchs) falls for him while the other falls victim to the Countess when she returns to life. The uncut version of this, under the title WEREWOLF SHADOW, features a few extended scenes involving one of the women's boyfriends but I've always found this to be the lesser version. The American one features bad dubbing but overall I've always found it to be more entertaining. There are several reasons why this here was the best Daninsky picture up to this point. One is that there was a bigger budget, which at least allowed the make-up of the werewolf to look terrific. The biggest reason this picture turned out so much better is that director Leon Klimovsky managed to bring some terrific atmosphere to the picture. The Gothic feel of this picture is without question the highlight because the director really makes you feel and sense an evil presence throughout the picture. This is especially true during the scenes involving the werewolf as well as those were the Countess is brought back to life. The screenplay itself is a few notches better thanks in large part to there being some interesting characters but also because it manages to move at a better pace. The werewolf, the vampire woman and the two female characters are all much more interesting than anything in the previous two movies. With that said, there are still some flaws here including the slow pacing. Still, no matter which version you watch, this here remains an entertaining monster mash.

 

[Todd Erwin]

I'm guessing that S would denote streaming (Netflix, Vudu, etc.)?

T - Theater Viewing
B - Blu Ray Viewing
D - DVD Viewing
R - DVD-R Viewing
H - HD DVD Viewing
L - Laserdisc Viewing

Bold - Denotes first ever viewing

Rating - Out of a possible 4

001) 10/01/2013 R Someone at the Door (1950)

002) 10/01/2013 R El Hombre Sin Rostro (1950)

1/2
003)

 

[Sandro]

Rated from * to ****10/01/13 Child's Play ***10/01/13 Child's Play 2 ** 1/210/01/13 God Told Me To *** 1/2

 

[TravisR]

1. Psycho (1960)

I figured I'd kick it off with an all time classic and I'll leave it at that because I'm sure not going to say anything new about this movie. Onward to the new Scream Factory Blu-ray of Psycho II.

 

[Suzanne.S]

Day 1

The Bells (1926) with Lionel Barrymore and Boris Karloff, directed by James Young
This is a tale of a man's conscience driving him insane after committing a crime. Barrymore makes the most of his role and Karloff is appropriately creepy in the small role of a Caligari-like mentalist. The ending is abrupt and fails to really deliver any of the punch that the film has been building up to.

On the same disc was The Crazy Ray (1925?) aka At 3:25 aka Paris Qui Dort directed by René Clair
Although this is usually touted as more science fiction and fantasy, there is an undercurrent of dread as the story unfolds. And after some research, it seems that this is a truncated version of the film, missing the entire last act.

And finally, I'm embarking on re-watching The Addams Family tv series. I watched Episode 1, The Addams Family Goes to School. It introduces the characters nicely and sets up the premise of a family that is out of step with the rest of society, but is supremely happy and oblivious to this fact. My favorite line from the show, when Gomez is confronted by the truant officer about sending Pugsley and Wednesday to school, is "Why have children if you're just going to send them away?" Indeed. I think that sums up their approach to family and I love it.

 

[dana martin]

Game on, placeholder

 

[Radioman970]

I can't edit no more.

 

[Michael Elliott]

We might have to e-mail a mod to see if this entire thread can be unlocked so that everyone can edit posts.

 

[Todd Erwin]

10/1
R - Myth or Fact: The Talbert Terror (2012) ****
There have been reports of strange occurrences within the Talbert Nature Preserve in Costa Mesa, California after a recent earthquake and possible oil leak from some derelict wells. Join host Dr. Noah Tall as he investigates some of these events, with the assistance of eyewitness accounts, and tries to determine if the Talbert Terror is... Myth Or Fact.

B - The Amityville Horror (1979) ***
Watch for my review of the 3-disc set later this week....

 

[Chucky P]

I got in Cat People (1982) today to start off the challenge.

1. Cat People (1982) (4/5)

 

[TravisR]

2. Psycho II

After 22 years, Norman Bates is cured and returns home. I've always been impressed by this movie. It's impossible to beat the original but this movie has a good cast, nice twists and a dark sense of humor. The Blu-ray does the movie justice too.

 

[Malcolm R]

Insidious​

​

Grade: A​

Insidious is one of my favorite thrillers of recent years. A family moves into a new house where strange things start happening. They begin to think the house is haunted...they should be so lucky. As their son slips into a mysterious coma and they move to a new home hoping to leave their supernatural troubles behind, the incidents only escalate and become more threatening. They call upon a family friend, who's also a medium, to try and make sense of it all, only to learn their son has a unique ability that has placed his life in grave danger.

I still find this film quite intense and unsettling, considering it's completely gore-free and accomplished with largely practical effects, makeup, and sound. This was either my third or fourth viewing, and I was still jumping out of my skin and getting shivers down my spine, not only from some of the creepy scenes, but even some of the dialogue. After the older boy, Dalton, has been in a coma for several months, the younger boy, Foster, makes an odd request of his Mom:

Foster: I'm scared, Mom.
Mom: Scared of what?
Foster: Dalton. Can I change rooms?
Mom: Why would you want to change rooms?
Foster: I don't like when he walks around at night.

Yikes!

James Wan and Leigh Whannell have developed a wonderful director/writer partnership that has produced a string of interesting thrillers, starting with Saw. I haven't seen Insidious: Chapter 2 yet, but hope it's able to maintain the same level of unease and suspense.

 

[Radioman970]

I liked Insidious as well. Very well done, and recommendable to family and friends of all ages. I kind of wish they had come up with a different title.

I read the sequel isn't great. I didn't see it for that reason.

 

[John Stell]

003) 10/01/2013 En La Palma de Tu Mano (1950)

1/2

A phony mentalist blackmails a murderess and her lover, both of whom conspired to kill her husband. Things get complicated when he finds himself falling under her spell. Horror meets film noir in this familiar but not uninteresting thriller which features the requisite double crosses, a body dug up during a thunderstorm, and a twist ending.

004) 10/01/2013 The Medium (1951)

1/2

Yet another phony medium - she thinks she feels something touch her during a seance and cannot decide if her mute assistant did it or something from beyond is telling her to change her ways. She spends the rest of the film going bonkers. (It doesn't help that the people she conned refuse to believe she's a charlatan.) This horror-tinged opera is a unique viewing experience with stark black and white photography and thunderstorm-backed finale.

005) 10/01/2013 Bride of the Gorilla (1951)

Years before Perry Mason made him a superstar, Raymond Burr starred in this Lewtonesque jungle thriller as a murderer who, cursed by his victim's servant, may turn into a gorilla and wreak havoc when night falls. The local police chief (Lon Chaney) thinks a legendary creature called the succarath is on the prowl. Curt Siodmak (The Wolf Man) wrote and directed this unremarkable feature, originally intended to be an "is it all in his mind?" tale. The producers nixed that idea. For gorilla film aficionados only.

 

[Bob McLaughlin]

Hey guys, long time no see! I can't miss this annual event!

1. Some Guy Who Kills People (first-time viewing)
Enjoyable if awkward slasher comedy with lots of character and heart. A comic-book artist wannabe fresh out of the looney bin starts offing the guys who bullied him in high school, but things get complicated when his illegitimate daughter (the result of a one-night high school tryst) wants to get back into his life. This didn't really feel like a horror movie, although some of the kills are quite spectacular and bloody. Instead this felt like the kind of movie a father could watch with his teenage daughter (assuming she doesn't mind occasional gore). The bond formed between the father and his estranged daughter feels very real, even if most of the other characters are saying and doing unrealistic (but often quite funny) things. Karen Black (the killer's mother) and Barry Bostwick (the amiable aging sherif who's dating her) are superb and hilarious. The movie's schizophrenic tone is sometimes distracting and it's not really a true horror movie, but I quite enjoyed watching it. 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Bob's October 2013 Horror Movie List
FTV denotes first time viewing
1. Some Guy Who Kills People (FTV)