***Official 7th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge*** (1 Viewer)

[Bob Turnbull]

15. Wolf Creek - Terribly unsettling Australian story (apparently based around true events) of 3 young people driving through the Outback. Very slow paced at first, but that just adds to the gut punches near the end. An added bonus is some beautiful cinematography.

16. Cronos - An old man stumbles across a device that will prolong life, but doesn't fully understand the implications. Meanwhile a dying man with the "instructions" is looking to get it from him. Nicely constructed and stylish, but ultimately a bit slow and boring. I didn't expect any jump scares from this, but it didn't build up any lasting tension either. Ron Perlman drags it further down with a really bad performance as the dying man's nephew who does his dirty work.


Running Tally of 2006 Scary Movie Challenge

 

[Michael Elliott]

If you finish one movie behind me then I'll gladly remove it.


Re: THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTED

This single film turned me off Euro horror for a couple years. You certainly have to have a certain taste to enjoy Rollin and I enjoy his films but found this thing here horrid. ZOMBIE LAKE seems like NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD compared to this thing.

 

[Ruz-El]

It looks like everyone is having fun. Am I the only one who feels like they're misisng out when looking at other peoples lists??

SCHLOCK! The Secret history Of American Movies 3.5/5 : A pretty good documentary on the rise a independent sci-fi, horror and sexploitation films. Interviews with David Freidman, Roger Coreman and others, it's well worth checking out.


Masters OF Horror : IMPRINT 4.5/5 : I really enjoyed this one. Miike tells a story that is at first pretty horrific, then keeps taking it down a spiral of uncomfortable and bleakly disturbing paths. Might be my favorite of the series so far (I haven't seen them all, been gettng the DVDs) although "Deer Woman" was pretty genious as well.


Masters OF Horror : Dance Of The Dead 2.5/5 : This one has gotten a lot of positive response but it didn't do to much for me. Maybe it was because of high expectations from Hooper, or because from following "Imprint", but it didn't seem to have a point. It also felt padded, as if the premise couldn't substain the full hour.

Frankenstein (EDISON) 3/5 : This was pretty neat. I loved the monsters make-up and the creation scene was wonderfully done.

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/...99&postcount=3

 

[Tim Tucker]

Look here and search for Frankenstein.

And, actually, the movie on the DVD clocks in at 12:39.

 

[Michael Elliott]

www.creepyclassics.com also has FRANKENSTEIN (1910) for $15. If people want this they had better go on and order because the remaining stock at these places will be it after they sale. The man who owned this print recently died and his family, fighting over his stuff, haven't released any more copies and who knows when they will. The disc also contains NOSFERATU, which is properly windowboxed and features the original title cards with the original names (Dracula, Van Helsing, so on).

You might also want to search Google because a few sites have it online.


I plan on watching this tomorrow with TCM and TCM2 (or CROCODILE). I guess I'm burned out on Hooper. I never thought too much of him as a director and these last few pictures haven't helped either.

 

[TravisR]

It's funny to see a fairly positive response to this one (I enjoyed it as well) because the two cranky film nerds on the commentary don't seem to like it very much. To each his own but I don't get why Anchor Bay didn't get a couple of guys that actually enjoyed the episode to record a commentary.

 

[Ruz-El]

I didn't listen to the commentary, but if they are Miike fans, they might of been dissapointed. the pacing is much closer to "Audition", then "Dead Or Alive" to "Ichi The Killer". I was kind of surprised by it because as I was expecting an editing wham bam, as opposed to what it is. Pleasantly surprised. It was just plain disturbing and bleak, if Miike took out the more gratuitouse horror elements, it would still being a pretty uncomfortable experiance. but he didn't cut anything, so it's just a damn fine horror entry.

 

[Ruz-El]

Blacula 3.5/5 : This one surprised me. I was expecting a trashy blaxploitation, but this one was done pretty straight. The mix of vampire and voodoo mythos really worked. I'll deffinately be watching this one again.

Night Key 2.5/5 : here's a didgy one that I well discount if people dissagree. It plays more like a gangster picture, but since the main thing is a scientist using his invention for revenge is such a horror staple, I'm putitng it down. Karloff is the scientist, and it was refreshing seeing him as a good guy scientist trying to right a wrong. I'm going through the "Boris Karloff Franchise collection" this week, so you can all expect to see what I'm laying down.

But first: The astounding she-monster
My tally:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/...99&postcount=3

 

[TravisR]

10/09/06
Doctor X was on TCM a few nights ago and I finally got a chnace to watch it. It had too much old movie cliche stuff in it for my tastes. Still, I'm going to watch The Return Of Doctor X in a few minutes...

My list so far...
(new titles in bold)
01. Dr. Giggles
02. Halloween II
03. A Nightmare On Elm Street
04. The Funhouse
05. The Woods
06. The Devil Bat
07. Doctor X

 

[SteveGon]

Halloween II - Okay sequel to John Carpenter's classic starts well with some suspenseful moments but soon eschews that in favor of simply building a body count. And what was with all that babble about Druids?

**1/2 out of ****

Battlefield Baseball - Bizarre Japanese ode to the game of baseball plays like a cross between The Bad News Bears and Battle Royale and throws in mallet-wielding mothers, musical numbers, undead opponents and a surprise narrator - and that's just the half of it! Too crazyquilt to be totally successful, but fun in a demented way.

**1/2 out of ****



Well, ya know, it's not technically a zombie film.

After putting him through TNOTH, I wonder how Kissinger is doing with The Reflecting Skin. Bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!!!!


The list so far:

Bolded titles are first viewings:

The Black Castle ***
The Strange Door ***
C.H.U.D. ***
Eaten Alive **1/2
The Thing With Two Heads **
The People Under the Stairs **1/2
Dead Life **1/2
Deathwatch **1/2
Tombs of the Blind Dead ***
Warning Shadows ***
Jigoku ***1/2
Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein ***1/2
Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter **
Return of the Evil Dead ***
Salem's Lot (1979) ***
Reptilicus *1/2
Halloween II **1/2
Battlefield Baseball **1/2

 

[Tim Tucker]

This has been a hectic weekend, so I haven't able to watch as much as I would have liked, but I managed to squeeze in a couple more before the holiday ended.

5. Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922). What more can be said about one of the greatest horror films of all time? I had some trepidation about watching this again, afraid that it would be all too familiar. I was surprised at how much I had forgotten. Still, was there ever a more loathsome vampire than Max Schreck? I'm just wish that this gem would be given a digital spit polishing and reunited with the original Hans Erdmann score.

6. Häxan (1922). a.k.a. Witchcraft Through the Ages.

This one is unlike anything I have ever seen. Part historical essay, part dramatic recreation, part psychological treatise, it's packed with devil worship, sorcery, folk magic, nudity, cannibalism, flagellation, torture, insanity and witch burning. A full-blown Witches' Sabbath. Even a witch giving birth to demonic children. It's also an indictment of superstition, intolerance, hypocrisy and misogyny in the name of religion. No wonder this film caused a scandal when it was released. Still, you have to admire a director who will cast himself as a bare-chested, tongue-waggling Satan, though that may be more of a commentary on directors than on the devil. Plus, one of the costumes looks exactly like Etrigan the Demon. Now I really want to see Benjamin Christensen's Seven Footprints to Satan.

My tally.

 

[JohnRice]

Frankenstein: 1931 - Wonderful, classic Universal horror flick. Enough has been said about it, but I have one major point to add. It has absolutely no understanding or respect for Mary Shelley's brilliant novel and probably began a 75 year bastardization of it. Very few versions since have made the slightest effort to do it right, but the 2004 version with William Hurt does a pretty good job.
4/5

 

[SteveGon]

Where are those torch-wielding villagers when ya need 'em?

 

[Joe Karlosi]

Just jokin' with ya, Mike. Hey, the Edison FRANKENSTEIN is still a feature movie (for its day), so go for it! Personally, I'm not including short subjects, cartoons, TV episodes, or DVD bonus documentaries.

10/9

Munster, Go Home (1966) :star: :star:1/2
What's really cool about this is the chance to see our favorite Munsters characters in bright, glorious COLOR for the first time. But as a feature film based on the popular TV series, it's too much of a good thing and what works as a half hour is a bit much for over 90 minutes. This does have some fun moments and a few laughs, but some problems too -- the love affair for Marilyn gets in the way and slows things down, and John Carradine is wasted in a nothing role as a butler where even though he is playing a distinctive character and seems to be into it, he doesn't have enough to do. Also annoying is that the filmmakers decided to replace Pat Priest as Marilyn with a younger redhead, who adds nothing.

Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter (1974) :star: :star:1/2
Hammer film promises much swashbuckling action, but actually delivers little and is sometimes bogged down a bit by talk. Still, this is very well photographed and offers a new angle on vampirism, as the vampires suck life out of their victims instead of their blood, turning them into elderly corpses. I admired its slick look and different ideas, but felt it could have been more exciting in the "vampire slaying" department.


01) Dracula (1931)
02) Dracula's Daughter (1936)
03) White Zombie (1932)
04) Werewolf of London (1935)
05) The Man They Could Not Hang (1939)
06) Before I Hang (1940)
07) The Boogie Man Will Get you (1942)
08) Life Returns (1935)
09) The Black Room (1935)
10) Munster, Go Home (1966)
11) Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter (1974)

 

[Ruz-El]

I think this is fair. I know we typically count stand alone tv toons like "The Great Pumpkin charlie Brown". I counted the "universal monsters" doc mainly because it's feature length and it also aired originally aas a stand alone on TV. I think we would run into trouble if we started counted single tv episodes it would be a little wrong. Plus I could reallyu boost my numbers from last year with the season of Twilight Zone I watched but didn't count.

Astounding She Monster 1.5/5 : This was terrible. Pretty much completly inept in execution. It would of gotten a 0.5 but the She-Monster was oddly attractive to me.

The Monster that challenged the World 2.5/5 : After watching this, I'm still not sure how the giant snail monsters of the title were challenging the world from a lake in bumblef*ck USA, but the monsters were pretty sweet so it wasn't a total waste of time. It gets a .5 for the lingering shot of a diver in the snails clutches, which is clearly a dummy.

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/...99&postcount=3

 

[Joe Karlosi]

Hey, it's all cool, Russell -- it's all up to the individual. Personally, I decided to eliminate Laurel & Hardy's A-HAUNTING WE WILL GO because there were ZERO horror or sci-fi elements in it and it had a cheat title! :frowning: It's all up to the person doing his own list as to how he likes to work it, and it's no big deal; I just like having fun with Michael.

As you've said, I watched all sorts of TV episodes too. I'm generally trying to get through most of the Munsters TV episodes this month (which were shot on "film" ) . But speaking just for me, I won't count those.

Oh, and I agree with you on THE ASTOUNDING SHE-MONSTER. I just watched it for the first time myself a few months ago. Terrible.

 

[Ruz-El]

If you get through a season, I'd count that as one. I didn't get through the whole twilight zone season so I couldn't/wouldn't count it.

On my list, I'm tempted to take of "Night Key". I'm admittedly really streaching the diffinition of "horror elements" on that one. It's similar to the bait and switch that Laurel and HArdy played on you. the trailer for night Key presents Karloff as evil, even refrencing Frankenstein, which is furthest from the truth when you watch the show.

She-Monster was pretty bad, but I did like the blurry effect they used on the monster. It was a nice touch for a movie that looked like it was made for a buck fifty.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

Nah, keep NIGHT KEY! No need to go too crazy. At least it's got science elements with the doc's invention and so forth.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

edited

 

[JohnRice]

Wait a minute. You guys keep talking about Sci-Fi. I know a lot of SF movies are really just horror in space, but how does that mean that any Sci-Fi is horror. Does that mean I can include Code 46, Gattaca or Silent Running in my list?