Okay, picking up where I left off when I posted on Thursday, Oct. 23 (the tile in
blue is a first-time viewing)...
76.
COUNTESS DRACULA (1970-British)
watched 10/23/03 Actually a not-bad, watchable flick, thanks to the performances of Ingrid Pitt & Nigel Green.
77.
THE BEAST FROM TWENTY THOUSAND FATHOMS (1954)
watched 10/24/03 Classic Ray Harryhausen monster-on-the-loose saga, the direct model for GODZILLA, and Lee Van Cleef as an atomic sharp-shooter! Love it.
78.
THE TOMB OF LIGEIA (1965)
watched 10/24/03 The last of Roger Corman's Poe adaptations with Vincent Price and Elizabeth Shepard. Benefits from the outdoor U.K. locations and the British talent both in front of and behind the camera, although it's still pretty much the same shtick as the gothics Corman made in Hollywood. Price gets a more romantic leading man part than usual.
79.
HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD (1961-Italian)
watched 10/24/03 Mario Bava's melding of muscleman and horror genres, better than the typical Hercules flick. Amazing use of color, light and scant resouces. Typical quest story, and the film would be better with more monsters in the Hades portion of the story (we get one rather silly rubber rock man, and lots of lava), although Christopher Lee plays the villain, and some ghouls show up in the final reel. Overall, the film plays better than it probably should, and is good, goofy fun with great atmosphere surrounding almost nothing.
80.
AT MIDNIGHT I WILL TAKE YOUR SOUL (1963-Brazilian)
watched 10/24/03 Perfect flick for Halloween viewing. "Coffin Joe" (director Jose Mojica Marins), the local weird undertaker, terrorizes the locals, maims and murders those close to him, and blasphemes all over the place. Yet, he's kind to children, initially has a loving wife and a rather normal best friend. He disbelieves in God and susperstition, but gravely fears the local gypsy witch who repeatedly warns him of imminent supernatural vengeance. Very low budget, but Marins is a talented guy, and creates many very creepy scenes, especially the climax. The film's opening is terrific, like a William Castle spook-show intro on steroids. Worth checking out, but not for little kids.
81.
LIFEFORCE (1985)
watched 10/24/03
Mathilda May nude...space vampires...Mathilda May nude...good special effects...Mathilda May nude...fine Henry Mancini score...Mathilda May nude...over-ripe dialogue...Mathilda May nude...Steve Railsback over-acting...Mathilda May nude...impressive array of British character actors...Mathilda May nude!
82.
THE FLY (1958)
watched 10/25/03 Fairly lavish (Cinemascope, color, stereo) for a late-1950s science-gone-horribly-wrong tale. Generally good, though Al (later David) Hedison was bland as the doomed scientist. Vincent Price is the sympathetic brother who gets star billing. "help meeee!"
83.
RETURN OF THE FLY (1959)
watched 10/25/03 Okay sequel, done on the cheap, with Vincent Price the only returning cast member. The fly head is different (bigger), and I kind of like it. Also a rather sick scene involving a hamster.
84.
HAND OF DEATH (1962)
watched 10/25/03 Ultra-rare research-gone-awry flick. John Agar makes a mistakenly exposes himself to the new nerve gas he's developing, turning him into a dark, swollen hulk with a touch 'o death. America's least-loved Stooge, Joe Besser, turns up as a doomed service station attendant. Unusual jazzy score backs this brief, watchable bit of nonsense.
85.
CREEPSHOW (1982)
watched 10/26/03 George Romero & Stephen King team-up to make a film valentine to E.C.-style horror comics. 5 tales told, plus a wrap-around. My favorite was "The Crate". Overall, the movie does the job, but could've been better. Some neat stylistic "comic book" touches, but the idea should've been taken further than it was (imagine what Sam Raimi would've done with this). Stephen King gives an embarassing performance as a dumb cracker being engulfed by space weeds. Impressive group of actors... (young) Ed Harris, Ted Danson, Hal Holbrook, Fritz Weaver, E. G. Marshall, Leslie Neilsen, Adrienne Barbeau (having fun playing a shrew), Vivecia Lindfors...
86.
NOSFERATU (1922)
watched 10/26/03 Murnau's classic first movie telling of the Dracula story, with the names changed to avoid lawsuits. Very creepy atmosphere, Max Shrek is still the most horrifying-looking bloodsucker to date, although the story does drag in spots.
87.
HATCHET FOR THE HONEYMOON (1969-Italian/Spanish)
watched 10/26/03
Admitted madman kills women and is haunted by his wife's ghost (is she the real deal, or one of his delusions?). Decent Mario Bava spookiness, not his best work, but rather effective.
88.
CAT GIRL (1957-British)
watched 10/26/03 B-movie mixture of elements of CAT PEOPLE and THE WOLF MAN. No great shakes, but lead actress Barbara Shelley gives a better performance than was required.
89.
ROBERT A. HEINLEIN'S THE PUPPET MASTERS (1994)
watched 10/26/03 Variation on the "Body Snatchers" formula, this was quite good, and unfairly neglected in its theatrical run.
90.
PEEPING TOM (1960-British)
watched 10/27/03 The great Michael Powell's study of a troubled young man obsessed with filming everything, including the murders he commits. Outstanding.
91.
THEATRE OF BLOOD (1973-British)
watched 10/27/03 Hammy actor Vincent Price kills the critics who panned him. Great stuff. Plus Diana Rigg, always worth watching.
92.
MR. VAMPIRE (1985-Hong Kong)
watched 10/28/03 One of my favorite Hong Kong productions from the 1980s. Horror/comedy has very broad slapstick mixed with "hopping vampire" action (plus a ghost thrown in for good measure), but it works for me. Vastly entertaining
93.
THE BLACK SCORPION (1957)
watched 10/28/03 So-so giant bug spectacular, made worthwhile by the fun stop-motion effect work by Willis O'Brien & Pete Peterson.
94.
THE DEVIL & DANIEL WEBSTER (1941)
watched 10/28/03 Classic dark fantasy, with excellent performances, particularly Walter Huston & Edward Arnold in the title parts. Highest recommendation.
95.
INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1956)
watched 10/28/03 Among the very best of the fear-themed sci-fi flicks of the 1950s. Everything in this works. Even the wrap-around, which bothers some, but I like (the look on Richard Deacon's face as Kevin McCarthy concludes his story alone make it worthwhile). Highest recommendation.
96.
CAPTAIN KRONOS: VAMPIRE HUNTER (1972-British)
watched 10/28/03 Cool horror/swashbuckler change-of-pace from Hammer Films, thanks to writer-director Brian ("Mrs. Peel, we're needed") Clemens. Might've been more action-filled than it is, but was somewhat ahead-of-its-time, and could've been a fun series of films, if Hammer wasn't going down the drain at that time.
97.
THE RAVEN (1963)
watched 10/29/03 Fun, but not-really-all-that-funny self-spoof by Roger Corman. Karloff, Price & Lorre together (plus some enjoyable cheap effects work) buoy this, which would otherwise be pretty dreadful.
98.
WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS (1966-Japanese)
watched 10/29/03 Goofy/spooky giant monster action from Toho. Unlike most other giant Japanese monsters, bad Green Gargantua eats people and spits out their clothes. Kipp Hamilton went from co-starring in THE CARPETBAGGERS from Paramount in '65, to popping up here to sing "The worrrrrrds get stuck in my throat...", before being grabbed and dropped by GG. His good brother Brown Gargantua tries to put a stop to this kind of thing, and toyland suffers the consequences. A staple in our household since the early 1970s. How I wish Toho and Classic Media (or Sony, or whoever) would give us a double-sided DVD in region 1, with the subtitled Japanese cut in 2.35:1 widescreen on one side, the dubbed American cut in 2.35: 1 widescreen on the other.
99.
THE COMEDY OF TERRORS (1964)
watched 10/29/03 More successful as a comedy than THE RAVEN, this has a few good laughs, a great cast, and Vincent Price is funnier playing a dastardly type than the good-natured weakling he was in THE RAVEN. Still, A.I.P. wasn't exactly the "house of comedy", even in its 1960s drive-in heyday. For a truly gut-busting Vincent Price comedy, try the non-scary-themed CHAMPAGNE FOR CAESAR (1950).
100.
INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1978)
watched 10/29/03 Good remake of the 1956 classic, but takes a bit longer to get where it's going than necessary, and I still like the original better. That said, this has some great moments and interesting new wrinkles.
101.
STIR OF ECHOES (1999)
watched 10/29/03 Excellent modern supernatural shocker, somewhat in the vein of THE SIXTH SENSE (though based on a 1958 story by Richard Matheson). Well worth seeing. Very spooky.
102.
THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS (1966-British)
watched 10/30/03 Though not hilarious, this is a great (and especially great-looking) horror movie spoof from Roman Polanski. Ill-fated Sharon Tate was lovely, Polanski & Jack MacGoweran make a great inept team, and Ferdy Mayne is well-cast as Count Krolock. Noticed this time that the village idiot plucking the chicken early in the movie was played by Ronald Lacey, who later would play the creepy, Peter Lorre-esque nazi who has the head-piece to the Staff of Ra burnt into his palm in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK.
103.
NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (1955)
watched 10/30/03 Psychotic self-styled preacher Robert Mitchum terrorizes two children in his search for hidden loot. Absolutely terrific in every department. Peter Graves plays Peter Graves at the beginning of this.
104.
WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953)
watched 10/30/03 My favorite alien death-ray fest. Despite its flaws, still a thousand times better than INDEPENDENCE DAY and similar pretenders to the throne. An annual Halloween tradition 'round these parts.
105.
EVIL DEAD 2: DEAD BY DAWN (1987)
watched 10/30/03 "Uh-huh, that's right... WHO'S LAUGHING NOW?". Love it. Essential Halloween viewing.
106.
ARMY OF DARKNESS (1993)
watched 10/30/03 What can I say that hasn't already been said? I watch this every October. Hail to the King, baby!
107.
PSYCHO (1960)
watched 10/30/03 Classic of Hitchcockian horror. Need I say more?
108.
KING KONG (1933)
watched 10/31/03 Perfect monster movie. Can't wait to see Warner's DVD restoration, hopefully in 2004.
109.
NIGHT OF THE DEMON (1957-British)
watched 10/31/03 One of the best horror films ever. I watch this every Halloween.
110.
HORROR OF DRACULA (1958-British)
watched 10/31/03 Still the all-around best Dracula movie, IMHO, another annual favorite of mine.
*****Phase IV of Scary Movie Challenge 2004 completed*****
Final tally:
110 films watched 
--I'd watch a few more, but I'm working an evening shift tonight...it'll be November 1st when I clock out. Yup, I do have a regular job, in addition to this insanity.
I'll be back with a recap tomorrow. Happy Halloween, evvybody!
I also had to revisit with the Terror Takes Shape doco, which I think is one of THE finest DVD features I own. Heck, where else are you gonna see John Carpenter, Rob Bottin, Stan Winston, Kurt Russell and Albert Whitlock in the same place? Needless to say, the flick's a bona-fide grade-A mega-awesome modern classic of the highest order. I love every damn frame of it.
But, my fifth film was appropriately enough, Halloween. 
