***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

I never seemed to get my rhythm going for this year's Challenge. Real life seemed to keep interfering, and I became more interested in the fall TV season than I anticipated, all of which conspired to keep my total down from even last year's modest list (compared to most of you). I also didn't watch as much classic horror as I'd hoped.

SAW III

The cast is smaller, the traps are nastier, but Saw III still delivers some decent tension despite the rather spare plot upon which the gore is hung. Not up to the level of the first two films, but it still makes me want to see Saw IV and remains better than many of Hollywood's attempts within the genre.

HOUSE OF WAX (1953)

Vincent Price's disfigured artist loses the use of his hands to make his intricate waxwork figures, so he begins using real corpses instead to fill his historic tableaus and "chamber of horrors". Pretty tame by today's standards, but it must have been a hoot at the time, especially when seen in 3D. It was also fun to see some actors in their early roles who later became much more famous (Carolyn Jones and Charles Bronson).

SUMMARY
Highest rating =
First-Time Viewed Titles in RED

1. THE MUMMY (1932)
2. THE MUMMY'S HAND (1940)
3. AMERICAN PSYCHO
4. THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN
5. TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA!
6. POLTERGEIST
7. EIGHT-LEGGED FREAKS
8. POLTERGEIST II
9. POLTERGEIST III
10. ABOMINABLE
11. CRITTERS 2
12. BELOW
13. CANDYMAN
14. THE BIRDS
15. CANDYMAN: FAREWELL TO THE FLESH
16. THE GRAVEDANCERS
17. CURSED
18. TFTC: DEMON KNIGHT
19. TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING
20. DARKNESS FALLS
21. ROSEMARY'S BABY
22. BLACK CHRISTMAS (2006)
23. SAW II
24. SAW III
25. HOUSE OF WAX (1953)

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

As always, it's been fun. My goal was to get at least one more than last year (31) and I made it. Yay me. All told, 29 first viewings.

Final List

1. Freeze Frame C
2. The Lost Boys B
3. Bubba Ho-Tep A-
4. The Messengers F
5. Cannibal Holocaust C
6. When a Stranger Calls (2006) D
7. The Covenant C-
8. Bug A-
9. Tokyo Zombie B
10. Black Sheep C-
11. Vacancy C
12. Hot Wax Zombies on Wheels C-
13. Night of the Comet C
14. Return to Halloweentown D
15. Chaos C-
16. Mustang Sally's Horror House C
17. The Hills Have Eyes II D
18. The Thing From Another World A
19. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon B+
20. Dead and Breakfast C
21. Planet Terror B+
22. Slither A-
23. Family B-
24. Pelts B
25. Nailed B
26. The Number 23 C
27. Turistas C-
28. Battleground B-
29. Crouch End D
30. Umney's Last Case B
31. Hostel II B
32. Zombie Campout C
33. 28 Weeks Later B
34. Pro-Life B
35. Special Dead C

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

Enlighten us all and tell us how many you would have had if you cheated.

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

I thought we were allowed to cheat no? that reminds me:

119 BABES IN ARMS
120 SOMETHING WEIRD (with commentary)
121 BOXING (awesome gore)
122 A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES (technically a book, but fuck was it annoying and horrible.)
123 MEDAL OF HONOR AIRBORN : I kept getting killed, yet could continue. Sounds like a zombie to me!

XD

Just kidding. It wouldn't be a scary movie challenge without panties getting in a bunch.

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

Sorry I don't have time this year to do any reviews, but I did manage a fair amount of movies!

1.Halloween (1978) **** out of ****
2.Halloween 2 **
3.Wes Craven’s New Nightmare ***
4.Love Object ***
5.Poltergeist ****
6.Prophecy ***
7.The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) **
8.The Relic ***
9.Re-Animator ****
10.Dead Zone ****
11.The Thing From Another World ****
12.Cult of the Cobra **
13.Dr. Cyclops **
14.Land of Unknown **
15.The Leech Woman **
16.The Deadly Mantis **
17.Afraid of the Dark ***
18.Spider Baby *** I
19.From Beyond **
20.Planet Terror ****
21.Demons 2 **
22.April Fool’s Day **
23.Friday the 13th Part VI Jason Lives *
24.Friday the 13th Part VIII Jason Takes Manhattan *
25.Jigoku ***
26.Audrey Rose ***
27.Stephen King’s Graveyard Shift **
28.The Mothman Prophecies ***
29.Christine ***
30.Critters ***
31.Land of the Dead ****
32.Ju-On ***
33.Infection ***
34.Prime Evil *
35.Don’t Answer the Phone **
36.The Haunting (1963) ****
37.Seven Days To Live *
38.The Zodiac Killer (1971) ****
39.The Sex Killer *
40.Zero In and Scream *

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

"Cheated" is a strong word, and it's yours, not mine!

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

I think there should be a breakdown of who watched the most new titles (maybe by percentage). No doubt, I'd get my ass kicked that way since I'm happy in my horror rut.

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

Chirstopher B is my hero for ending the challenge with the Something Weird Video triple bill. XD. I watched it last challenge, The Zodiac Killer is interesting, sex killer not bad and the zero in best not mentioned.

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

no way! I think I might sneak a win that way and I don't want the responsibility of starting this next year!

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

I managed to squeeze in 31 horror films. I just couldn’t countenance a horror only month though.

I didn’t really comment on the films I was watching, so I’ll note that I had two goals (both met) during this challenge. Firstly I wanted to watch an entire horror franchise from start to finish in chronological order. In this case, it was the Nightmare on Elm Street series. I know that I’ve watched some of these films in the past, but for the life of me, couldn’t remember any other than the first. This is apt I suppose, because there isn’t much to distinguish parts 2 through 6. I’ll agree with the critical consensus, in that the first and last (Wes Craven’s New Nightmare) films are the real standouts and the only entries with significant rewatchability. Although each of the inferior films has something to recommend it, it seems that they exist more like a series of gory vignettes than cohesive, whole films. Freddy, descends to asinine caricature in the sequels and it is Craven’s canny depiction of him as Hollywood creation cum symbol of all that is nightmarish that distinguishes the final film from the others. I don’t know if I’d want to watch most of the films again, but at least that colossal box set no longer feels like a waste of money. I haven’t gotten to the bonus disc yet, but I intend to do so shortly.

My second goal was to focus on a particular theme within the genre, a sub-genre if you will. I decided to explore three gems that might be included under the rubric of dystopian futures. Namely, I watched Delicatessen, Brazil, and Blade Runner. None were first time viewings, but seeing these three superb films in short order gave me a newfound appreciation for their brilliance. Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Delicatessen and Terry Gilliam’s Brazil offer at turns hilarious and harrowing accounts of what the future might hold. Their most marked departure comes in the ways they conclude, presenting disparate visions, which are consistent with the worldview and cinematic ethos of each director. Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner offers a more sobering tone than the other two films. Despite being limited to the technology of the early 1980’s, it is as (if not more) visually arresting as anything made 20+ years later with the benefit of CGI. This time around I was most struck by Rutger Hauer’s chilling portrayal of the replicant Roy Batty. He spends relatively little time on screen (compared to Deckard) but leaves us with some of the films most indelible images, particularly during the rainy rooftop sequence. I eagerly await the release of the Blade Runner mega-set.

All told I watched 25 films for the first time, considering my disclaimer about the NoES films, so I consider this to be a successful challenge.

Below is the complete list of films, with first time viewings in bold.

1. 10/1: April Fool's Day 1/2
2. 10/1: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
3. 10/2: Scream
4. 10/3: Scream 2
5. 10/4: Scream 3
6. 10/4: My Bloddy Valentine 1/2
7. 10/5: Homicidal
8. 10/6: Delicatessen 1/2
9. 10/6: Plan 9 From Outer Space
10. 10/9: Night of the Ghouls
11. 10/10: I Bury the Living 1/2
12. 10/10: The Stuff
13. 10/11: Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 1/2
14. 10/12: A Nightmare on Elm Street
15. 10/13: Prom Night
16. 10/15: A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy'd Revenge
17. 10/16: Carnival of Souls
18. 10/18: A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
19. 10/18: Pan's Labyrinth
20. 10/20: Shaun of the Dead 1/2
21. 10/20: The Tomb of Ligea
22. 10/21: The Little Shop of Horrors (1960) 1/2
23. 10/23: The Wasp Woman 1/2
24. 10/23: The Abominable Dr. Phibes
25. 10/25: The Devil's Rejects
26. 10/25: Brazil
27. 10/26: A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master 1/2
28. 10/27: Blade Runner (DC) 1/2
29. 10/28: A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child
30. 10/29: Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare 1/2
31. 10/30: Wes Craven's New Nightmare

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

I mean more like an alternate breakdown type of list. Like I said, I'm happy in my rut but I give a thumbs up to the more adventurous viewer.

Hell, I consider you the winner since you apparently have a regular job (I work freelance) and you still managed to watch as many movies as you did.

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

ha ha, thanks. I can't believe I broke 100 titles. I really did watch nothing but horror though, just that one Mickey Rooney flick. A good bought of insomnia helped.

If I didn't spend last Saturday playing video games, I might of snuck it from you. .

In all seriousness though, this one has been a blast. Great discussion on titles both familiar and unfamiliar, everyone seems to have watched more then they planned, mostly anyways.

Did anyone have babies? there was talk of potential Halloween babies at the start.

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

No but you've thrown a fit and mentioned what others were watching at least four times now and you also posted a mock list of titles, which once again was aiming at what people were watching. If you feel someone counting something is wrong or against the rules then please speak up and not just throw hints or make mock lists. I'm going to start adding up everything and ranking them so if you feel as if people cheated or whatever your word would be then let us know before things get added up. No one else has mentioned anything but perhaps if you let your side show then others will agree.

In case you missed it, this challenge is for fun and fun only. There aren't any prizes given out, which is why I'm still not sure why you are so worried with what others were watching or adding to their lists. It appears everyone had fun but I'm not certain if you did or if you're just busting balls.

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

As soon as Joe lets his feelings out then I'll start counting everything up.

Either way, I'm going to make a total number of movies watched and then in the () I'll show how many were new titles. Perhaps also post the most impressive day where the most movies were watched. This is a good call on your part since there are rules that say you have to watch a certain amount of new titles (2 or 13 depending on which challenge you're going for). I believe Matt started this last year or the year before.

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

My tally...

33 Viewed, 19 new viewings. If Joe wants to throw a fit, you can remove one from each tally for the Broncos/Chargers game. Notice I didn't include any World Series games.

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

Hey Guys,

I feel like a complete jerk. While I was able to actually watch more movies than last year - I simply did not have time to participate with a review. A real shame. I always like the back and forth discussions, but between having a baby on the way (2 weeks left!) and my insane workload, I'm actually surprised I got in a many flicks as I did.

So here's my total for this year. If you don't want to mention me in the list of splatterheads, that's totally cool since I didn't participate in the discussion. In total I screened 58 flicks. 48 were new for me. Last year's total was 54, as was the year before, so I bested myself by 4! That won't be the case next year for obvious reasons. So I'm glad I could squeeze in as many as I did this year.

Hope everyone had a fun time with it!

1. Curse of the Werewolf (1961)
2. The Mummy (1932)
3. The Changeling (1980)
4. Cemetery Man (1996)
5. Pumpkinhead (1989)
6. Shaun of the Dead – Commentary Track1 (2004)
7. Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
8. The Leopard Man (1943)
9. Severance (2006)
10. Return of the Vampire (1944)
11. Shaun of the Dead - Commentary Track2 (2004)
12. Hellraiser (1987)
13. Return of Dracula (1958)
14. Hellraiser - Commentary Track (1987)
15. Madhouse (1974)
16. The Elephant Man (1980)
17. SSSSSSS (1973)
18. Angel Heart (1987)
19. American Werewolf in London – Commentary Track (1981)
20. House of 1000 Corpses – Commentary Track (2002)
21. Night of the Living Dead – Commentary Track (1968)
22. Horror of Dracula (1958)
23. Sleepy Hollow – Commentary Track (1999)
24. 100 Years of Horror (1996)
25. Innocent Blood (1992)
26. The Fall of the House of Usher – Commentary Track (1960)
27. The Burning (1981)
28. Ghostbusters – Commentary Track (1984)
29. 28 Weeks Later (2007)
30. Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
31. Flesh and Blood The Horror of Hammer (1994)
32. The Burning – Commentary Track (1981)
33. The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
34. Hostel 2 (2007)
35. The Lost Boys (1987)
36. The Pit and the Pendulum – Commentary Track (1961)
37. To the Devil… A Daughter (1976)
38. Foet – short (2001)
39. Criticized – short (2006)
40. Far Out – short (2007)
41. Halfway – short (2007)
42. Hostel Director’s Cut (2005)
43. Saw 4 (2007)
44. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
45. Zombies on Broadway (1945)
46. Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
47. The Listening Dead – short (2006)
48. Strip Nude For Your Killer (1975)
49. Revenge of Frankenstein (1958)
50. Ginger Snaps (2000)
51. Night Creatures (1962)
52. The Evil of Frankenstein (1964)
53. The Devil’s Rejects (2005)
54. Your Vice is a Locker Room and Only I Have the Key (1972)
55. Cabinet of Caligari (1962)
56. Monster Squad (1987)
57. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919)
58. Frogs (1973)

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

Dude, you watched 58 movies, I think you qualify

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

I didn't "throw a fit" any more than you did when you constantly made references to what people were watching and saying "if X counts, then so does Y". In fact, I followed your lead on occasion.

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

I think my list of mock titles was funny!
Also, I have not "thrown a fit" (another wild exaggeration). In fact, I think your belaboring this here now is making way more out of my few comments that I posted on occasion.


I'm just making observations here and there and commenting, just like John Rice has here and there. It's all in fun, but please don't tell me "no one else has mentioned anything".


There aren't actual prizes, of course, but there is notoriety (or as Matt says in his rules at the beginning, "bragging rights"). I know for instance, how proud you are of your royal standing in watching many different things all year long. For all my observations - as I always say, I never expect to "come in first" (please shoot me if I ever do) because I've got way too much else going on besides just watching movies. I have no personal stake in this -- if I did, then I'd include all kinds of things... shorts, cartoons, TV shows which were filmed, even movies I've seen twice in the same month of October (which happened with CRY OF THE WEREWOLF) or films where I'd fallen asleep, didn't finish, or been otherwise engaged in typing online at the same time, or doing two or three things at the same time.


Well, Matt's rules at the start do not say 13. He only says 2, though he recommends more than 2 (I know where you're going with this). If you want to go by "rules" (as you brought up) then this has to go for everything - like coming here and talking about the films, or whatever else. I'm just saying, since you mentioned rules. As I have said on occasion, I view October as the chance for me to watch many of my tried and true routine Universal favorites each year, and I know last time I told Matt I'd gladly bow out of the challenge if this didn't count. If you'd like to throw my list out because of watching some repeats of last year, that's also perfectly fine with me. But Matt does say:

3. If you were part of the challenge last year, no more than two of the same films can be RE-watched. I'll grant a couple since some movies (ie. Halloween, Rocky Horror) are simply tradition and I'm willing to give credit for these. (Revision: This only applies to those going for the 13 movie challenge)

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

And the reeeeal battle begins!

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

Joe, no one ever said anything about repeat viewings and I believe this was thrown out last year. The problem here is that I just copied and paste the rules from last year before they were fixed half way through the challenge last year. And you aren't being thrown off for not watching enough new viewings. But you do need to let everyone know how many shorts you watched since these have always been included. If you watched fifty shorts this year then I don't want you being left out. The bragging rights, I"m sure, are a joke but you seem to take them serious so I don't want you being left out. Just let us know all the shorts and cartoons you watched this month and we'll include them. I just wasn't aware you had watched so many because you didn't add them to your "Track" list like you do the rest of the year (unless I missed them).


Any once again you imply someone is cheating with this. There are no rules about how someone should watch a movie. Heck, my girlfriend likes to watch movies as she cleans up the house. This would drive me nuts but that's what she likes. We agree about the falling asleep or typing thing but it's an honesty thing we're dealing with here so we trust whatever people put on their list. True, someone could always lie and say they watched five movies on day when they might have just watched one but we're not CSI here and this is all for fun so I'd hope no one would make up titles. Most people seem to hit around the same numbers every year so it would be hard to call anyone out.

The other point are TV shows. Yes, I personally wouldn't include them but I have no problem with someone doing it. I don't mind any type of movie being included and I've no problems if it doesn't really fall into the "horror" genre. This is a Scary Movie Challenge so according to Time Magazine someone could include BAMBI if they wanted.

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

oh shit! Half of my movies on my list where watched while typing online and falling asleep!

Travis wins big time now! XD

It's all presonal right? I was going to watch that Roger Corman boxset, as it fits with Drivein movies, which kinda work with the scray genre. But after 10 minutes of "Gas-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s--s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-ss-", I jsut couldn't in good concious put it on the list, so I watched the 2 sure fires (pit and the pendulum, or whatever the poe one was and "X: The Man With X-Ray Eyes" ) from the set and well watch the rest this weekend.

Based on the rules, I could of included them, but like the Godzillas (which oddly enough just seem really Sci-Fi to me, despite me including all types of giant monster movies) it didn't seem right. Same with the one episode of the "Nightmare & Dreamscapes" that was a crime story.

So I think Joe should include all the shorts and stuff. Maybe not the home movies...

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

oh, as far as tv shows. I included single story anthologies (60 minute length). An actual series (like all the buffy the v's I watched in the 2006) I would feel wrong including. but thats me.

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

I got the list done so if anyone hasn't posted their final list then please do so. A lot of interesting numbers including all the first time viewings, which is why this thread is so good. You can read reviews of movies you haven't seen and then go watch them the following year.

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

I managed to get two more viewings in on Halloween while I was gorging myself on chocolate. I was determined not to let the month end without seeing these two.

First time viewings in red.

16. King Kong (1933). What more can be said about this film? As it is now approaching its 75th anniversary, King Kong remains the giant monster film. Although The Lost World preceded it, and the decades to come would bring a whole zoo of giant lizards, insects, sea creatures, etc., Kong has one thing the others were missing – an immediately recognizable personality which elicits empathy from the viewer. And to think it was all accomplished with primitive, but still impressive, special effects. I would loved to been in a theater in 1933, just to experience an audience’s amazement at what they were seeing on the screen.

17. The Innocents (1961). In memoriam Deborah Kerr. I’m not sure if a modern viewer would persevere with a film like this. It uses atmosphere, subtlety and suggestion to keep you guessing about whether the ghosts of Quint and Miss Jessel are real, or if Miss Giddens is slowly losing her mind. Psychological horror at its best, this is a wonderfully made movie that demonstrates that, whatever his deficiencies as a director, Freddie Francis was one of the finest cinematographers of his generation.


Now that it's all over, I'm disappointed that I was only able to watch half as many films as I did last year. I still have a stack of DVDs that I wasn't able to get around to this time. Well, there's always next year.

I'm going to propose something. There's been talk about trying to do these challenges for different genres over the course of the year. I've had an idea for a film noir/crime/detective/gangster challenge in January, something of a post-holiday palate cleanser. Any interest out there?

My tally.

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

I laughed.

I left a few rolling while I quickly got dinner together. Usually I paused for bathroom breaks or something like that. If I couldn't see the TV then I paused it.

Congrads Travis. Did you off my 16 year old dog so you could win?

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

I'd be interested in a Sci-Fi Challenge as well as a Film Noir/Gangster Challenge since I've got dozens of titles in each group that I need to watch. Even if we can't get enough interest we could always do it in one of the other threads. The Noir/Gangster thing might get more people interested that take part in the "Track" threads since a lot of those people watch these films.

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

I agree with Russell in that it is all personal.

I considered not putting the Something Weird Triple Feature on my list since they are more of a crime drama/thriller/exploitation type of thing. But IMDB included the word horror in the genre so I figured I would include them.

I personally would not include shorts or TV shows, but it doesn't bother me that people do. I watched a few episodes of One Step Beyond, and Tales from the Crypt but I look at it as those aren't movies and this is the scary movie challenge. That is why I didn't include them on my list.

Since I personally would not include that kind of stuff, I thought Joe's list of mock titles was kinda funny. I didn't take it as him saying anyone was cheating, but just having a little fun since he would not count those types of things either.

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

2007 Scary Movie Challenge First Viewing Award Show!
Best Silent movie: The Call Of Cthulhu Granted, its easy to win a category that almost no one competes in anymore.

Best Talking Movie: The Changeling The Changeling is now my gold standard for non-Japanese style haunted house movies.

Halloween Hottie Award: Fairuza Balk Whether she's practicing witchcraft in Catholic schoolgirl attire, a belly dancing cat-person, or turning two rival serial killers against each other Fairuza is sure to add some eye candy to your next horror movie.

Halloween Un-Hottie Award: Vincent Price From the time between Bela Lugosi's death and Tim Burton's career exploding Vincent Price was the Halloween king. Sadly he looked like your dad and sounded like your grandpa, and therefor wasn't really bankable outside the genre of "horror movies your dad could star in".

Re: ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***

The Something Weird titles were brought up on page one or two. Those types of exploitation movies are fine since they would only fit a challenge like this. Even the sexploitation, naziploitation or nunsploitation are fine. Heck, I wouldn't mind people including drugploitation.

As for shorts, they are movies but people seem to throw a fit because, well, their running time. I've said this for the past two years but if we really wanted to be fair on who wins then it would come down to running time and not the total number of movies. I mean, if you only watch movies from the 30s and 40s then the average running time is going to be 60-70 minutes. If you only watch recent stuff then the running time will be 90-100 minutes. With that in mind, I could watch THE APE MAN and RETURN OF THE APE MAN in the same amount of time that it would take someone to watch something like SCREAM. You could watch THE UNKNOWN, FRANKENSTEIN (1910), THE UNDYING MONSTER and another title while in that time span someone else could only get THE SHINING watched.

It would be hard to keep up with a total amount of running times so the number of movies is what sticks out. I think everyone is watching what they want to watch and stuff like THE SEALED ROOM or FRANKENSTEIN can be viewed by everyone, if they want to watch it. With that in mind, everyone is on the same playing field and everyone can watch the same movies. I believe there are six or seven lists with shorts on them and even if they took them off, it wouldn't change the final rankings they are in. Others can debate adding The Twlight Zone or Buffy but I've always felt we judged movies on their quality and not on running times.

Travis is the clear winner this year so he will be taking over the rules with next years challenge so if we want to rewrite them we can discuss the new rules now and he can make any calls that he wants. The original rules are from several years ago and to be honest, the challenge is a lot bigger now with more people and more movies being watched. Perhaps new rules can go up now but I'll throw that one to Travis since he'll be doing the work next year.

It's all about having fun so I doubt many people are too upset with anything that has happened this year. A few shots have been fired but I'm sure Joe, in my case, could say that my viewing habits in this thing are no different than any other month. As I said earlier, everything viewed is available to everyone so no one has been left out or given a disadvantage.