Home Theater Forum › Home Theater Forum › Entertainment › Movies (Theatrical) › ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge*** - Page 15

post #421 of 639
10/22/07 at 9:30am

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

052) 10/19/07 Theater of Blood (1973)

Perhaps my all-time favorite Vincent Price film. Price plays a thought-to-be-dead Shakespearian stage actor who murders the critics who trashed him. The murders are inspired by some of William Shakespeare's most gruesome crimes. Price and a game cast help pull this off. But the witty script manages the seemingly impossible task of making Price's Edward Lionheart a sympathetic character in spite of his viciousness.

053) 10/19/07 Madhouse (1974)

The team of Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, and Robert Quarry make this recommended viewing. Horror actor Paul Toombs (Price) gets out of the asylum and relaunches his most famous villain, Dr. Death. But murders plague the production. Is Toombs guilty? Enjoyable film if not a great one.

054) 10/19/07 Witchfinder General (1968) 1/2

Vincent Price is the title character, Matthew Hopkins, who executes a priest and finds himself being hunted. Intense, serious thriller features one of Price's best performances and has convincing period atmosphere and an excellent supporting cast.

055) 10/20/07 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Often imitated and sequalized (and remade), but never equalled, director Tobe Hooper's tale of a mad Texas family of cannibals still manages to horrify. A group of young people visit a dilapidated family home and run afoul the Sawyer clan, including Leatherface. Frightening black comedy hasn't lost its power to shock.

056) 10/20/07 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) 1/2

Pretty good sequel has relative of some of the first film's victims go in search of the murderous Sawyer clan. Alternately scary, funny, and tasteless, Tobe Hooper's bizarre revisit boasts great production design and lively performances. Recommended for Leatherface fans.

057) 10/20/07 Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)

Poor imitation of the previous Massacre films has some more people getting tortured and murdered. Has some show-stopping moments and Ken Foree in the cast. But it doesn't really fit well with the series and doesn't offer anything new.

058) 10/21/07 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1994)

Really bad Massacre film. Another deranged family terrorizes innocent travelers. Acting ranges from the bad to the over-the-top, with some truly awful dialogue and characters that make no sense whatsoever.

059) 10/21/07 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006) 1/2

Good production values and R. Lee Emery as the cannibalistic "Sheriff" help this prequel to the remake of Hooper's classic worth catching. In 1969, two brothers and their significant others take a road trip to say goodbye as one brother plans to back to Vietnam while the other (secretely) plans to flee to Mexico. But circumstances lead them into the clutches of Leatherface and his family. Very intense entry in the Massacre series doesn't really break any new ground but his very watchable. My wife's review: "The stuff of nightmares."
Reply
post #422 of 639
10/22/07 at 4:20pm

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

As always, I'm not a critic- I just know what I like but I'm not very good at articulating it.

10/22/07
84. The Evil Dead
The straightest of The Evil Dead movies and my favorite of the three because of that. The best thing is seeing Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell starting to find their styles.

85. Evil Dead II
More or less a remake of the original but still very good. If you like Bruce Campbell, this is bound to be one of your Bruce favorites since he's at his Three Stooges-esque best.

86. Cabin Fever
A great throwback to 1970's style horror movies with nods to Last House On The Left, Night Of The Living Dead and The Evil Dead. Lots of blood and lots of black humor. The characters that are jerks are either funny or are terrified to the point that they turn on each other and it makes sense that they treat each other bad. I wasn't crazy about Hostel (but the second one was a step up) but I think Eli Roth is a talented guy who is going to do some good horror and non-horror movies in the years to come.

My full list is in post #389.
Reply
post #423 of 639
10/22/07 at 5:17pm

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

#12 13 Ghosts: I usually like William Castle's movies, but this one was pretty awful. A lousy gimmick, horrendous acting and a really lame storyline... .5/5

#13 Masters of Horror: Jenifer: One of the better MoH entries I've seen (only about 5-6 so far). I am glad they mentioned the source material by Bruce Jones/Berni Wrightson (an absolute artistic genius IMHO) but wish they had been more specific. I am about 99% sure it appeared in Creepy magazine but I would love to track it down to see how well they adapted the original story. Any help on this one guys? 3.5/5

#14 The Deadly Mantis: One of my favorite of the "big bug" movies of the 1950's. OK, the flying shots aren't that great, but otherwise the SFX are above-average for this type of film. Still great fun, if a bit silly in spots. 3/5

#15 The Mummy's Hand: "Sequel" to "The Mummy", but pretty much in name only. I remember seeing this as a kid on WGN's "Creature Features" and loving it, but the "comedy" team of Steve and Babe didn't hold up so well. And I never liked the eye effects they used on the Mummy. 2/5
Reply
post #424 of 639
10/22/07 at 6:33pm
Thread Starter 

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

Sister Lulu (2001)

British horror short, which proves that nunsploitation is alive and well. A young woman goes to a convent to become a nun but the head nun has other ideas involving murder and sex. This B&W short is very well made and features some nice looking ladies naked so that there should be enough of a reason to watch this film.

Chambre Jaune (2002)

Horror short from Belgium deals with two women living together and one of them is about to be brutally murdered. This film is clearly influenced by Dario Argento due to the lighting and the killer wearing a black glove and on a technical level this thing is pretty impressive. The use of blue and red lighting really gives the film some nice atmosphere and the editing also stands out. The story itself is pretty weak and even at 8-minutes the film drags a bit too much.

Miss Greeny (1997)

Japanese horror/comedy runs under a minute but makes for an interesting and funny short. I really can't say what the film is about without ruining the effect but lets just say a son goes to wake up his grandmother with bad side effects.

Tea Break (2004)

British short has a man starting a new factory job but in this factory it's bodies that go down the line and the worker must cut their heads off. When it comes time for a tea break the worker takes one but something happens when it's time to go back to work. If you're a fan of gore then you should love this film as it features plenty of the red stuff as heads keep coming off at each stop in the line. The twist at the end works well.

Bad Moon (1996)

I've been wanting to check this film out since it was first released but for some odd reason I'm just now getting around to watching it and I really wish I had watched it sooner. A single mother (Mariel Hemingway) and her young son (Mason Gamble) are happy when her brother (Michael Pare) comes to stay with them. However, the pet German Shepard isn't so thrilled because he knows the brother is a werewolf. I was really surprised to see myself so caught up in the film but it actually works on many levels. For starters, the film is a throwback to the old days and thankfully the running time is under 80-minutes so there's nothing here that drags down the action and story. The performances are all very good with Pare giving the best performance of the humans. The real star of the film is the dog who turns in one of the greatest performances from an animal that I've seen. The CGI werewolf transformation is pretty bad but I really enjoyed everything else. You've got some violent death scenes with a nice amount of gore as well. Director Eric Red previously wrote the screenplays for The Hitcher, Near Dark and Body Parts.

Zombie Island Massacre (1984)

Incredibly poor ultra low budget flick about a group on vacation who head to an island with voodoo rituals and of course they start getting knocked off one by one. The film features a Playboy Playmate who kindly gets naked three times during the opening moments and this here is clearly the highlight. The violence is obviously fake and the gore is kept very small and what we do see looks fake as well. The film borrows heavily from the 'Ten Little Indians' storyline but none of it ever makes too much sense. The score is from Harry Manfredini who also did the score for Friday the 13th. The score here rips that one off so you F13 nuts might want to check the film out to see how the two compare. The rest stay away.

Cannibal Campout (1988)

Shot on a camcorder horror film is actually fairly well made even though the budget couldn't have been over a couple thousand dollars. Four teens go into the woods for a camping trip when three cannibal rednecks attack them. The first forty-minutes this film actually works as an interesting low-budget film. Yes, the acting is horrid but the director appears to be smart enough to fill the film with violence, nudity and he also writes some interesting villains. The film eventually looses all gas and runs on empty for the final half of the film. Having a movie like this run nearly 90-minutes is a problem when twenty-minutes could have been hacked off. The film also features a simple, low key music score, which isn't too bad and the gore effects, while cheap, also manage to be entertaining.

Watch the Skies (2005)

Another TCM produced documentary with this one taking a look at the science fiction films of the 1950s. Features interviews with Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Ridley Scott and James Cameron. The one hour running time was a bit too short and they didn’t discuss any of the smaller films of the decade but it was great hearing these major Hollywood players looking back at these small, overlooked films.

Unknown, The (1927)

Tod Browning's masterpiece set inside a circus where an armless man's (Lon Chaney) love for a woman (Joan Crawford) afraid of men with arms turns deadly. This is an extremely bizarre and twisted little film that ranks as one of the all time great silent pictures in my opinion. The film has a relentless evilness running throughout that hasn't been topped in too many pictures. Crawford and Norman Kerry are great in their roles but it's Chaney who steals the picture with his terrific performance. His breakdown scene is probably one of the most famous moments in the film and the way he displays anguish, pain and outright shock is something to really marvel at.


2007 Scary Movie Totals:

1. Frankenstein (1910)
2. Dr. Chopper (2005)
3. Beast of Yucca Flats, The (1961)
4. Grizzly Rage (2007)
5. Earth Dies Screaming, The (1962)
6. Raven, The (1935)
7. Evil Breed: The Legend of Samhain (2003)
8. Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
9. Tomb, The (2003)
10. Sealed Room, The (1909)
11. Land of Death (2003)
12. Borderline Cult (2007)
13. Invisible Ghost (1941)
14. Corpse Vanishes, The (1942)
15. Giant Gila Monster, The (1959)
16. Man Made Monster (1941)
17. Maniac (1980)
18. Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)
19. Ghost Wanted (1940)
20. Earth vs. the Spider (2001)
21. Murder By Numbers (2002)
22. My Son the Vampire (1952)
23. Return of the Vampire, The (1943)
24. Scooby-Doo and the Legend of the Vampire (2003)
25. Scooby-Doo and the Loch Ness Monster (2004)
26. All Work and No Play (1942)
27. Spook to Me (1945)
28. One Spooky Night (1955)
29. Pardon My Nightshirt (1956)
30. Ghost of Slumber Mountain, The (1917)
31. Scooby-Doo: Where's My Mummy (2005)
32. Adoration (1987)
33. Hollywood Babylon (2000)
34. Le Poeme (1986)
35. Maneater (2007)
36. Strangler of the Swamp (1946)
37. Tomb, The (2007)
38. Blue Demon (2004)
39. Corruption (1968)
40. House on Bare Mountain (1962)
41. Kiss Me Quick! (1964)
42. Vampyros Lesbos (1970)
43. Venom (2005)
44. Body Snatcher, The (1945)
45. She Creature (2001)
46. Vampire, The (1957)
47. Maniac (1934)
48. Zodiac Killer (2005)
49. Curse of the Zodiac (2007)
50. London After Midnight (1927)
51. Teenage Monster (1958)
52. Lycantropus (1996)
53. Sister Lulu (2001)
54. Chambre Jaune (2002)
55. Miss Greeny (1997)
56. Tea Break (2004)
57. Bad Moon (1996)
58. Zombie Island Massacre (1984)
59. Cannibal Campout (1988)
60. Watch the Skies (2005)
61. Unknown, The (1927)
Reply
post #425 of 639
10/22/07 at 7:22pm

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

Quote:
Originally Posted by EricSchulz
#13 Masters of Horror: Jenifer:...I am about 99% sure it appeared in Creepy magazine but I would love to track it down to see how well they adapted the original story. Any help on this one guys?
It's from Creepy 63 published in 1974.

Lest anyone think I have some encyclopedic knowledge of 1970's comic books, I found that info on the IMDB.
Reply
post #426 of 639
10/22/07 at 7:32pm

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

Out of

The Vampire
Interesting low-budget attempt to make an original vampire film rooted in science. Even though the premise is extremely unlikely (one pill turns you into a vampire - yeah right!) the film is understated and entertaining.

Scream of Fear
I have wanted to see this Hammer film for ages and was happy to see it turn up on TCM last week. It's one of Hammer's first forays into black and white, horror thrillers with a modern day setting. The script is inspired in equal parts by Psycho and Les Diaboliques and is quite convoluted (one of the twists actually surprised me). The scare scenes are very well-done with superb use of light and shadow and the whole effect is enhanced by an understated approach to the material.

Freaks
Tod Browning's classic may not be the smoothest piece of cinema but the overall message and humanity comes through clearly.

Broken
Curious entry in the "torture porn" cycle has its share of cringe-inducing scenes but also seems to be trying to wrestle (unsuccessfully) with some important themes. Unfortunately it just comes off as simplistic and ultimately pointless with the ending being particularly gratuitous and unnecessary. I would be interested to hear other views on this film.

Return of Dracula
From the same director as The Vampire, this is not as successful. Dracula seems really out of place in the 1950s universe and the low budget look hampers the film.

Monster Squad
Charming, entertaining and amusing mixture of 1980s kids movie and Universal horror nostalgia. My kids really enjoyed this one.
Reply
post #427 of 639
10/22/07 at 8:04pm

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

Scale: 1=awful 2=bad 3=average 4=good 5=excellent. 1st viewings in red.

Unrest (2006) Good plot, fairly original, but no real talent on either side of the camera (except for Derrick O'Connor).

The Gravedancers (2006) This movie is so goddamned stupid I deleted every other 'After Dark Horrorfest: 8 Films To Die For' off my netflix queue. I'm not going to have a rehash of last year and burn-out on this godawful shit again. I hope Penny Dreadful is OK since thats already here.

the butcher's bill...
1. Monster Squad
2. Call of the Cthulhu
3. Mimic
4. The Omen
5. The Descent
6. Manos: The Hands Of Fate
7. Isolation
8. Insatiable
9. The Changeling
10. Perfect Creature
11. The Ninth Gate
12. The Nightmare Before Christmas
13. Nekromantik
14. Nekromantik 2
15. Bride Of The Monster
16. Saw 3
17. Plan 9 From Outer Space
18. Primeval
19. Slither
20. Bug
21. 28 Weeks Later
22. Fright Night
23. Feast
24. Dead Silence
25. C.H.U.D.
26. The Abandoned
27. Unrest
28. The Gravedancers
Reply
post #428 of 639
10/22/07 at 10:19pm

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

10/22/07 - The Tripper (2007) - David Arquette's first feature film as a director was a well attended screening at Toronto After Dark tonight. It wasn't terrible, but I think most of those people should have come instead to the previous feature - a rousing martial arts story from Vietnam (the most expensive picture ever from that country apparently) called The Rebel. Well, except for the guy behind me who clapped loudly and hooted at each decapitation and severed body part. Hey, I'm all for audience participation, but those scenes just weren't that exciting...The movie is set at an outdoor music concert that attracts hippies into the deep woods. A killer wearing a Ronald Reagan mask is on the loose and many drug-addled youngsters get chopped up. It does attempt to be different in several ways - Reagan actually has more to do with the story then just the mask, there are some nice shots and though there are some political barbs tossed towards the current government, Arquette also makes fun of the radical left activists as well. Unfortunately the characters (except for Thomas Jane's sheriff) are mostly unlikeable. I was happy to see both the good ol' boys and the hippies get "dispatched". As well, any scares were generated by the sudden loud music as opposed to anything really terrifying. Something a little different and reasonably entertaining.



2007 Scary Movie Challenge:

1. 10/01/07 - Suspiria (1977 - Dario Argento)
2. 10/01/07 - Tales Of Terror (1962 - Roger Corman)
3. 10/02/07 - All The Colors Of The Dark (1972 - Sergio Martino)
4. 10/03/07 - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974 - Tobe Hooper)
5. 10/03/07 - Trilogy Of Terror (1974 - Dan Curtis)
6. 10/04/07 - Witchfinder General (1968 - Michael Reeves)
7. 10/05/07 - Kill, Baby...Kill (1966 - Mario Bava)
8. 10/07/07 - Bangkok Haunted (2001 - Oxide Pang Chun, Pisut Praesangeam)
9. 10/07/07 - Shivers (1975 - David Cronenberg)
10. 10/08/07 - Creepshow (1982 - George A. Romero)
11. 10/09/07 - Hellraiser (1987 - Clive Barker)
12. 10/10/07 - The Maid (2005 - Kelvin Tong)
13. 10/11/07 - The Legend Of Hell House (1973 - John Hough)
14. 10/13/07 - Slither (2006 - James Gunn)
15. 10/13/07 - A Nightmare On Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985 - Jack Sholder)
16. 10/14/07 - Anatomy (2000 - Stefan Ruzowitzky)
17. 10/14/07 - Jeepers Creepers (2001 - Victor Salva)
18. 10/15/07 - Lizard In A Woman's Skin (1971 - Lucio Fulci)
19. 10/16/07 - At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul (1964 - Jose Mojica Marins)
20. 10/17/07 - Circus Of Horrors (1960 - Sidney Hayers)
21. 10/18/07 - Return Of The Living Dead (1985 - Dan O'Bannon)
22. 10/19/07 - Pulse (2001 - Kiyoshi Kurosawa)
23. 10/19/07 - Torso (1973 - Sergio Martino)
24. 10/20/07 - Blood Car (2007 - Alex Orr)
25. 10/21/07 - Automaton Transfusion (2007 - Steven C. Miller)
26. 10/21/07 - Poultrygeist: Night Of The Chicken Dead (2006 - Lloyd Kaufman)
27. 10/22/07 - The Tripper (2007 - David Arquette)
Reply
post #429 of 639
10/22/07 at 10:24pm

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

Quote:
From Russell

THE LOST SKELETON OF CADAVRA 0.5/5 : An attempt to satirize the clunky B-Movies of the 50's, pretty much fails in every regard. One of those affairs where they try to be camp for the humor of it. Shit acting (not all of it on purpose, it's hard to pretend to act bad convincingly on purpose), shit script, shit jokes = shit movie.

Let me begin my defense of this picture by stating I viewed it with my old pal Mikey (perhaps in an abnormal state of mind) while in the mood for fun. I loved it. I admit it really runs out of steam by the last third, but the setup and middle had me laughing my ass off. I have it coming for a refresher(hopefully in time for this challenge) and it will be interesting if it holds up.

"I'm super hungry after a hard day of doing science."
(paraphrasing from memory....but still makes me laugh)
Reply
post #430 of 639
10/23/07 at 3:17am

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

UPDATE:


SCARY MOVIE CHALLENGE 2007
01) The Phantom of the Opera (1925) ***
02) The Black Cat (1941) **1/2
03) Horror Island (1941) *1/2
04) Man Made Monster (1941) ***
05) Dracula (1931) ***
06) The Monster and the Girl (1941) *
07) The Lodger (1944) ***1/2
08) Hangover Square (1945) ***
09) The Undying Monster (1942) **1/2
10) Cat People (1942) ***
11) Cry of the Werewolf (1944) **
12) Night Monster (1942) **1/2
13) Captive Wild Woman (1943) **1/2
14) The Invisible Man Returns (1940) ***
15) The Invisible Man's Revenge (1944) **1/2
16) The Return of the Vampire (1943) ***
17) The Werewolf (1956) **1/2
18) Creature with the Atom Brain (1955) **1/2
19) The Giant Claw (1957) **
20) The Mummy (1932) **1/2
21) The Mummy's Hand (1940) ***
22) The Mummy's Tomb (1942) **1/2
23) The Mummy's Ghost (1944) ***
24) The Mummy's Curse (1944) **
25) Count Dracula (BBC 1977) ***
26) Frankenstein (1931) ****
Reply
post #431 of 639
10/23/07 at 6:26am

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

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Kissinger
"I'm super hungry after a hard day of doing science."
(paraphrasing from memory....but still makes me laugh)

"Fold yourself in the middle!"

"Do you know what this could mean to the scientific community? It could be very valuable.... for science."

"I have known this with my skeleton brain!"
Reply
post #432 of 639
10/23/07 at 6:31am

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

Friday, October 19th
69. Near Dark. This was very good. It’s been too long since I’d seen LOST BOYS so it’s too hard to compare them like most people do. I’d say I probably liked aspects of this one better than LOST BOYS and aspects of LOST BOYS better than this one. A couple of great modern day vampire stories that work well whereas so many similar in the past haven’t. 8/10.

70. The Gate. Regular viewing. I always enjoy it as high level nostalgia. On VHS the effects look surperb. I’d love to see how well they hold up with an updated widescreen transfer. 7/10 with nostlagia 10/10.

71. Sleepaway Camp. Pretty funky if it catches you in the right mood. Pretty much just follows the slasher kill after kill storyline with some true oddities thrown in. That ending is bizarre and you’ll think about it later. But don’t reveal it to anybody. It’s the best part of the move by far. I don’t know how to rate it. It’s sparatically good. Sometimes 4/10 sometimes 9/10. There’s some nastalgia too since it reminds me of when slashers were so huge at the cinemas.

72. Gothic. More than you wanted to know about Mary Shelley and company. I love the energetic style of the production. Unless you’ve seen it before you can’t possibly guess what’ll happen next. It’s almost a childlike fantasy for adults. Some of the acting is suspect, but the material comes through. Me likes! 7.5/10


Saturday, October 20th

73. Witches. Another yearly viewing. Jim Henson’s final project (I believe). It’s likeable for the kid at heart. Another VHS I’d like to compare with a quality DVD release. I’d pay heartily for the prevaliage to do that. 7.5/10 Nostlagia 8.5/10

74. Blair Witch Project. Yearly viewing. I like the woods a great deal. This film is a relaxing walk. There’s some nice scary stuff thrown in as well. Never fails to leave me in a Halloweenish mood. 8/10

75. The Grudge. An okay film that takes some time to get going. There’s some very nice uneasiness throughout, although many moments don’t quite effect me as designed. (my own made up line) Hey, get out from under there! This is a single bed and you’re not welcome!! Heh, heh, that scene. Still, not half bad. I’ll check out the orignal version someday. I’m almost positive it’ll be better. 7/10

76. Taste the Blood of Dracula. I’m missing a couple from this Hammer Dracula series on DVD. So I jumped my VHSs to this one. I like it a lot! Not my favorite but it’s a really great time. Feels like a perfect Saturday afternoon watch even when it isn’t October. I’ll complete my Hammer collection someday. These are just great films to watch whenever the mood strikes. 7.5/10

77. Halloween.
78. Halloween 2. I decided to watch these 2 together to wrap up the day. I’ll most likely watch these as a double feature from now on. They work really good together. The sequel is definitely the weakest of the 2. I’d compare it with Rocky 2. It’s a good sequel with some extra things to offer and doesn’t feel totally samey. Rated as a double feature 9/10.


Sunday, October 21st

79. Halloween III. A bit slow. But I’m one of the few who liked the departure of the series into a weird trick or treat story. Sure, Michael Myers is missed but I still have no problem going with this. It does get highly rediculous, but then that means laughs too. I still remember when the trailer scared me a bit. When I finally watched it I embarrassed myself. Heh! But it’s a fun halloweenie movie. 6/10 Nostalgia 7.5/10

80. Sleepaway Camp 2. I hated this the first time because it’s really different from the original. This time I liked it a lot. I think it’s the fact that I was missing the Friday the 13th series. As a sequel it isn’t so bad. It doesn’t take itself seriously like the first seemed to so it has that going for it. With me, it gets no nostalgia boost at all. Hard to rate too. It’s a bad movie but has it’s moments. Lots of laugh-at-it moments. 5/10 with upgrade for extra laughter 7.5/10

81. Suspira. I was happy to buy this one this year. I have fond memories of renting it in the past. It’s a great looking film with terrific use of color, images and sound. It took all afternoon to get it watched because my dog Bear was clearly not doing well. (her pup Goldie is the dog in my sig) I spent a lot of time petting her and trying to get her to eat. She had a horrifying seizure so I called the vet. He told me in a word or two that perhaps it’d be best to keep Bear at home for now and if she had another seizure I should bring her in for emergency care. Bear was very tired but she began to move around a little, not very steady though. She went outside on her own power to pee. She even seemed like she wanted to head down the driveway for a walk. I found that encouraging but felt a walk would have to wait. I wish I’d taken her to the vet Friday but I couldn’t have know she’d have a seizure. I got the movie watched and feel it’s a great horror film. I’m sure it’s a 8.5/10. It’ll mean more to me in the future.

82. They Live. I was going to stay up all night with Bear and watch movies. I made arrangements to be out a half day at work on Monday. Bear continued to move around on her own but had no interest in food or water. She threw up a couple of times too. Usually throwing up is good but I know now that in her case it wasn’t good. It was worrisome, but I felt she’d do okay for a few hours until I could get her to the vet as soon as they opened at 8am. I really enjoyed seeing the movie They Live again. The concept was very well done. One of Carpenter’s best films. After it was over at about 11pm I felt we could all move to the bedroom and I’d watch Bear from there. She laid down on her blanket as normal and I felt she was going to do okay. She moved around a few times and seemed like she was just having problems getting comfortable. I fell asleep and woke up a short time later about 1:22 just in time to see that she had just had another seizure. I tried my best to comfort her. But it was clear her heart had given out. I felt it was time to let her go. It didn’t take long and she was gone. I checked her and then moved her into her regular sleeping position on her side. She looked like she was asleep. I sat with her for a while and petted my other 2 dogs. Then I went to Walmart and bought a shovel and flashlight. I buried her that morning after I was sure she was gone. Most painful thing I’ve had to do in a long time. My dogs Goldie and Scooter sort of helped dig the grave. I buried Bear in a hole they’d dug, I just dug it deeper and more square for Bear. I’ll never get over the loss. She was special. Yesterday I was standing next to her grave feeling devistated and sad. I suddenly got a very strong whiff of a sweet flowery or perfumy odor. Bear always loved perfume and if a perfumed lady happened to pass her she’d start smelling up into the air and follow along and not leave her alone. These last 2 films will remind me of that old dog forever. I can’t wait for the day when my grief will be replaced by the good memories of the times we’d had.

I have some carefully selected films for the remainder of the Horrorthon. I won’t get any more volume days. I’m going to take my time and spend it with my other 2 dogs. I think we all need to get out and walk.
Reply
post #433 of 639
10/23/07 at 7:15am

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

060) 10/22/07 The House With Laughing Windows (1976) 1/2

In a small Italian village, an artist is restoring a painting fresco in a church when his friend is murdered. Investigating the death, the visitor learns disturbing facts about the painter whose work he is trying to salvage. Genuinely frightening mix of horror and giallo creates a sense of unease, even during the daylight scenes, and builds to a shattering climax. Kudos to director Pupi Avati.
Reply
post #434 of 639
10/23/07 at 7:38am

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

I'm sure "Lost Skeleton" has it's fans. that type of humor has never appealed to me, in any format. Just too obvious.

KARLA 2/3 : movie about the infamous accused killer caused a hell of shit storm here in Canada. Too bad it plays like lame TV movie. It's too sleazy to be the drama it wants to be, but not sleazy enough to be enjoyable as an exploitation. As it is, it's just dull.

HALLOWEEN 6 - THE PRODUCERS CUT 3/5 : I'm not familiar enough with the original release to tell you how much this is improved or not. As it's own film, it's alright. I forgot about the witch craft mumbo jumbo they attributed to the Shape, or maybe that was the new stuff. As far as the sequels go, like I said, it's alright and one of the better ones.

Tally:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/...70&postcount=7
Reply
post #435 of 639
10/23/07 at 12:24pm

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

Night of the Zombies (1981)

Viewed 10/22/2007

Don't ask me why I revisited this low grade Nazi zombie flick. (The things I do for the ZMA thread!) A U.S. secret agent searches for a strange chemical used in a WWII battle that took place in a remote alpine region of Germany. But little does he know that thanks to that chemical the soldiers who died in that fight are still hanging out as flesh-eating zombies! Porn star Jamie Gillis makes like a poor man's Elliot Gould in the lead and the chintzy production values are mostly laughable. Mein Gott!

"Must I be subjected to this insipid drivel? I'm a scientist!"

out of


Zombie Nightmare (1987)

Viewed 10/22/2007 (first viewing)

Good-natured jock is run over and killed by a gang of teens headed by a sadistic jerk. Jock's mom calls in her voodoo priestess friend who raises jock from the grave. Baseball bat-wielding zombie jock goes on a revenge spree. Batman, I mean Adam West, shows up just long enough to get dragged down to Hell. Cheapo time-killer.

out of


Dawn of the Dead (1978 - European version)

Viewed 10/22/2007

Revisited Dario Argento's cut of George Romero's horrific masterpiece. Still a good film, but the least of the three major versions. The changes here seem rather arbitrary: dramatic scenes (mostly from the mall sequence) have been cut, with others added, there's a bit more gore and so on. Much choppier than the other two editions.

out of
Reply
post #436 of 639
10/23/07 at 6:32pm

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

I've had no time to write any comments on the movies I've watched over the past week or so. Instead, I'll just list them with my rating and update my overall list.

10/14 - Curse of the Fly (1965) - 1/2
10/14 - Weird Woman (1944) - 1/2
10/15 - Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959) -
10/15 - The Projected Man (1967) - 1/2
10/16 - The Lodger (1944) - 1/2
10/17 - Witchcraft (1964) -
10/17 - The Beast of Yucca Flats (1961) - 1/2
10/18 - X: The Unknown (1956) -
10/19 - Devils of Darkness (1965) -
10/20 - Zombies of Mora Tau (1957) -
10/22 - The Amazing Transparent Man (1960) - 1/2


Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge Totals

1. Cult of the Cobra (1955)
2. Hillbillys in a Haunted House (1967)
3. The She-Creature (1956)
4. The Black Cat (1941)
5. Horror Island (1941)
6. The Slime People (1963)
7. Captive Wild Woman (1943)
8. Night Monster (1943)
9. Earth vs. the Spider (1958)
10. Bride of the Monster (1955)
11. Man Mad Monster (1941)
12. The Vampire (1957)
13. She Demons (1958)
14. I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957)
15. The Woman Who Came Back (1945)
16. Beginning of the End (1957)
17. Son of Dracula (1943)
18. One Body Too Many (1944)
19. Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955)
20. The Earth Dies Screaming (1965)
21. The Mad Monster (1942)
22. The Undying Monster (1942)
23. How to Make a Monster (1958)
24. Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1953)
25. The Screaming Skull (1958)
26. The Fly (1958)
27. Return of the Fly (1959)
28. Curse of the Fly (1965)
29. Weird Woman (1944)
30. Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959)
31. The Projected Man (1967)
32. The Lodger
33. Witchcraft (1964)
34. The Beast of Yucca Flats (1961)
35. X: The Unknown (1956)
36. Devils of Darkness (1965)
37. Zombies of Mora Tau (1957)
38. The Amazing Transparent Man (1960)


Total - 38
Total 1st Time Viewings - 23
Reply
post #437 of 639
10/23/07 at 7:37pm

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

Scale: 1=awful 2=bad 3=average 4=good 5=excellent. 1st viewings in red.

The Hamiltons (2006)
"What a tweest!"

The Tripper (2007) Fairly standard big-budget slasher. Some good chuckles from Jane.

the butcher's bill...
1. Monster Squad
2. Call of the Cthulhu
3. Mimic
4. The Omen
5. The Descent
6. Manos: The Hands Of Fate
7. Isolation
8. Insatiable
9. The Changeling
10. Perfect Creature
11. The Ninth Gate
12. The Nightmare Before Christmas
13. Nekromantik
14. Nekromantik 2
15. Bride Of The Monster
16. Saw 3
17. Plan 9 From Outer Space
18. Primeval
19. Slither
20. Bug
21. 28 Weeks Later
22. Fright Night
23. Feast
24. Dead Silence
25. C.H.U.D.
26. The Abandoned
27. Unrest
28. The Gravedancers
29. The Hamiltons
30. The Tripper


Number of times Jason Mewes has died this year: 2
Reply
post #438 of 639
10/23/07 at 7:43pm
Thread Starter 

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

Masters of Horror: Pick Me Up (2006)

Disappointing installment from Larry Cohen about a bus breaking down and one passenger (Fairuza Balk) who decides to walk to a nearby motel. The young woman eventually gets caught between two serial killers who have different ideas on how to murder. One (Warren Kole) kills those who pick him up while the other (Michael Moriarty) kills whoever he picks up. The first fifteen minutes of this film are very fast paced with some suspenseful moments but things go downhill once we hit the motel. The pace slows down and nothing too exciting happens, which one must blame the screenplay for. Moriarty steals the show with his sly humor.

Demons of Lust (1999)

Joe D'Amato once again mixes hardcore with horror in this tale of a female Satan who lures men to hell with various sexual positions. It's no secret that D'Amato got a second wind as director by making porn movies and he actually got to be the most known name amongst all the foreign filmmakers but that doesn't mean the movies are any good. The director has a big budget to work with here but in the end we're still left with a mindless porn movie.

Return of Dracula, The (1958)

I'm pretty sure I've seen this one before but a lot of the scenes I didn't remember so I'm counting it as a new viewing. Dracula takes the identity of another man and moves in with his family hoping to invite the beautiful young cousin to the land of the undead. This low rent retelling of the classic story really doesn't have anything new to offer and in the end it comes off pretty bland and boring. I guess you could call this the Dracula version of Shadow of a Doubt since this film borrows pretty heavily from the Hitchcock film. I never really cared for Francis Lederer as Dracula and the supporting cast is equally dry. The film does have a few good moments but there aren't enough to keep this thing moving.

Purei (2005)

Japanese horror film has an interesting set up but half way through the film hits a wall and never recovers. Two drug dealers in desperate need of cash decide to kidnap a young girl and ask for a ransom. When the dealers call the girls parents they learn that the girl died a year earlier. I had really high hopes for this ghost film and things started off well but went straight downhill pretty quickly. The storyline is very interesting and should have made for a creepy film but the director never really builds any atmosphere and the screenplay is full of annoying characters that it becomes hard to really care what happens. The first twenty-minutes contain a few creepy scenes but after this the film relies on flashbacks and a side story with the girls parents, which move at a snails pace.

To Heir Is Human (1944)

Silent film legend Harry Langdon stars in this short as a man who inherits some money but before he can collect it he must fight his way through a creepy dark house. Una Merkel co-stars in this Columbia short, which has some pretty good laughs including a very funny bit involving an electrical bed. This is the first time I've seen Langdon, although I've got three of his silents sitting here. He was pretty impressive here but I'm expecting more from his silents.

Raven, The (2006)

Ulli Lommel strikes back yet again with yet another direct to DVD feature. This time he rapes Poe but to what effect is something I'm not sure of. The film has something to do with Poe but also flashes to some serial killer, a strange little girl and another woman. What all these images are meant to do or say is beyond me. The opening sequence with Poe reading The Raven poem is actually very well shot and looks pretty damn good, which makes this segment the best thing Lommel has done since his 1980 classic the Boogey Man but everything else is pretty much stupid and makes no sense. There's quite a bit of nudity and blood but this here can't keep the film moving.


2007 Scary Movie Totals:

1. Frankenstein (1910)
2. Dr. Chopper (2005)
3. Beast of Yucca Flats, The (1961)
4. Grizzly Rage (2007)
5. Earth Dies Screaming, The (1962)
6. Raven, The (1935)
7. Evil Breed: The Legend of Samhain (2003)
8. Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
9. Tomb, The (2003)
10. Sealed Room, The (1909)
11. Land of Death (2003)
12. Borderline Cult (2007)
13. Invisible Ghost (1941)
14. Corpse Vanishes, The (1942)
15. Giant Gila Monster, The (1959)
16. Man Made Monster (1941)
17. Maniac (1980)
18. Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)
19. Ghost Wanted (1940)
20. Earth vs. the Spider (2001)
21. Murder By Numbers (2002)
22. My Son the Vampire (1952)
23. Return of the Vampire, The (1943)
24. Scooby-Doo and the Legend of the Vampire (2003)
25. Scooby-Doo and the Loch Ness Monster (2004)
26. All Work and No Play (1942)
27. Spook to Me (1945)
28. One Spooky Night (1955)
29. Pardon My Nightshirt (1956)
30. Ghost of Slumber Mountain, The (1917)
31. Scooby-Doo: Where's My Mummy (2005)
32. Adoration (1987)
33. Hollywood Babylon (2000)
34. Le Poeme (1986)
35. Maneater (2007)
36. Strangler of the Swamp (1946)
37. Tomb, The (2007)
38. Blue Demon (2004)
39. Corruption (1968)
40. House on Bare Mountain (1962)
41. Kiss Me Quick! (1964)
42. Vampyros Lesbos (1970)
43. Venom (2005)
44. Body Snatcher, The (1945)
45. She Creature (2001)
46. Vampire, The (1957)
47. Maniac (1934)
48. Zodiac Killer (2005)
49. Curse of the Zodiac (2007)
50. London After Midnight (1927)
51. Teenage Monster (1958)
52. Lycantropus (1996)
53. Sister Lulu (2001)
54. Chambre Jaune (2002)
55. Miss Greeny (1997)
56. Tea Break (2004)
57. Bad Moon (1996)
58. Zombie Island Massacre (1984)
59. Cannibal Campout (1988)
60. Watch the Skies (2005)
61. Unknown, The (1927)
62. Masters of Horror: Pick Me Up (2006)
63. Demons of Lust (1999)
64. Return of Dracula, The (1958)
65. Purei (2005)
66. To Heir is Human (1944)
67. Raven, The (2006)
Reply
post #439 of 639
10/23/07 at 8:17pm

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

As always, I'm not a critic- I just know what I like but I'm not very good at articulating it.

10/23/07
87. Hostel (Director's Cut)
I realize that the characters in this movie are supposed to be ugly American stereotypes but they're too unlikable so I just end up hoping that they die. Lots of black humor, gore and nudity though. This is the first time that I've seen the director's cut which is the same as the unrated version of the movie but it has a different ending where Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)
instead of Jay Hernandez's character killing the guy in the bathroom at the end of the movie, he kidnaps the man's young daughter (who has come to meet him at the train station) and takes her away on a train and the man stands there screaming for his daughter. While it's fitting that the man suffers such a punishment, it's too harsh to have that happen to a little kid.


88. Hostel Part II (Unrated)
In my mind, this movie is much better than the original. You like the characters this time around and you get to meet the maniacs doing the killing and both of those things make a much better movie. This is the first time seeing the unrated version of the movie and some of the most violent scenes are even more violent (especially the 'incident' that's a cross between the most excruitating parts of Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)
I Spit On Your Grave and Desperate Living)
and some very, very funny black humor.

My full list is in post #389.
Reply
post #440 of 639
10/24/07 at 5:54am

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

Quote:
Originally Posted by TravisR
It's from Creepy 63 published in 1974.

Lest anyone think I have some encyclopedic knowledge of 1970's comic books, I found that info on the IMDB.


TravisR: Thanks for the info! I want to track it down now...
Reply
post #441 of 639
10/24/07 at 7:30am

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

THE GORE GORE GIRLS 3.5 /5 : The rating seems high, but this was pretty good. A maniac is killing strippers, and mutilating there faces. This is a Hershel Gorden Lewis film, so you see all the gore. It also has a guy doing a poor mans William Powell impression, so it feels like a bizarro "Thin Man" film, not to mention Henny Youngman showing up.

A TASTE OF BLOOD 1/5 : Hershel Gorden Lewis does Dracula, and holy fuck is it boring. Not even Lewis himself doing the greatest cockney accent seen on film can hold provide entertainment. The plot is a not bad idea of a fellow being unknowingly related to Dracula and getting duped into becoming a vampire, but it's just piss poorly done. No good gore either.

NIGHTMARE AT ELM MANOR 2.5/3 : A short film on the "A TASTE OF BLOOD" DVD. This one feature a woman who doesn't like wearing clothes in a haunted house, or is it all in her mind? A cheap b/w silent nudie cutie that actually does a pretty good job of highlighting the nubile form of the star, and providing some neat scare imagery. It was better then A TASTE OF BLOOD anyways....

Tally:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/...70&postcount=7
Reply
post #442 of 639
10/24/07 at 8:45am

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

Planet Terror (2007)
Robert Rodriguez

Easily the better half of Grindhouse, this is a good old fashioned fun time. Sure, it's pretty over-the-top, but in a good way.


Slither (2006)
James Gunn

Not much to say that hasn't been said. Fun little movie.


Family (2006)
John Landis

After Deer Woman, I had to check out the John Landis entry for season 2 from Masters of Horror. Family is a decent enough story, but basically it's an hour long homage to Psycho. There are some funny moments, but the "horror" is a tad lacking. I'd be lying if I didn't say it was a bit of a disappointment.



Pelts (2006)
Dario Argento

This is dubbed the "wet" episode from season 2 in the Masters of Horror series. And wet it is. The gore is pretty good, the nudity is pretty good, and we get good old John Saxon. Meatloaf plays our lead here, and my second biggest criticism would be how he plays that lead. We can never decipher if Meatloaf is a "tough" boss, a confused/lonely misunderstood sympathetic, or just a plain asshole. Ellen Ewusie is great as Shana, but her motivations and actions (even though they may be grounded in reality) leave her as someone we can't really root for. So when the mayhem breaks loose, I think the story went the only place it could for a "pay-off." All in all, a pretty decent little "wet" entry.

So what is my biggest criticism, you ask? Well it's two-fold. The story behind these "pelts" seems to be a little loose. However, I could be very mistaken and all the answers I'm looking for could be happily displayed during a scene with Meatloaf and Mother Mayter.....but I wouldn't know it because the audio during that scene is rather hard for me to pick up. And this being an Ancor Bay release, there are no subtitles. They can put 17 damn special features on the disc, but no subtitles. Fuck You Very Much Ancor Bay.


Nailed (2006)
Adrian O'Connell

Often, I put movies in my queue for one reason or another and they will languish in there for quite some time. Then I forget what they were or why I put them in there. This is the case with Nailed. All I could remember was that it was a horror movie. So I moved it up for October. As I was watching it, I couldn't help but think I'd made a mistake. A good 30 minutes or better is spent on two dudes making/messing-up a drug deal and the corresponding police shoot-out. Only when these two fellers break into an old boarded up house (to seek a hideout from the police) does the film begin pick up.

There seems to be a lot of filler/redundant scenes that slow the pace, but it's countered with a few genuinely creepy scenes. The ending (even though you see it coming early on) is well executed. The acting isn't bad either, especially for a low budgeter. I think this might have played better for something like Masters of Horror where some of the "fat" could have been trimmed, but all in all it wasn't too bad.


Running Tally

1. Freeze Frame
2. The Lost Boys
3. Bubba Ho-Tep
4. The Messengers this film is a turd
5. Cannibal Holocaust
6. When a Stranger Calls (2006)
7. The Covenant
8. Bug **Best New Discovery**
9. Tokyo Zombie
10. Black Sheep
11. Vacancy
12. Hot Wax Zombies on Wheels
13. Night of the Comet
14. Return to Halloweentown
15. Chaos
16. Mustang Sally's Horror House
17. The Hills Have Eyes II
18. The Thing From Another World
19. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
20. Dead and Breakfast
21. Planet Terror
22. Slither
23. Family
24. Pelts
25. Nailed
Reply
post #443 of 639
10/24/07 at 10:08am

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

I've decided to stop this year at 82. The loss of my beloved dog Bear has taken the desire away. But good luck to everyone else in the final week. I was having a lot of fun until real life butted in.

My 82 is for my Big Bear (a.k.a., Poo Poo Head and The Crazy Old Bag Lady). I miss her badly. As does Scooter on the left below and Goldie the dog in my sig. Now it's just me and "The Golden Girls".

Reply
post #444 of 639
10/24/07 at 10:24am

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

Sorry to hear about your loss, losing a pet like a good dog can be devastating.
Reply
post #445 of 639
10/24/07 at 10:51am

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

CURSED
Dir: Wes Craven

Attempt by Craven and writer Kevin Williamson to craft a contemporary spoof on the werewolf film. My spoof-meter must have been on the blink, as I didn't recognize it as much more than a mediocre werewolf film populated with whatever hot tween stars were available when they decided they had to reshoot most of the film. The wolf effects were also pretty bad with a mix of cheap CGI and some physical FX with a guy in a suit. They claim this film had a budget of $35 million but it certainly didn't look like it.

Brother and sister, trying to move past the tragedy of losing their parents, are involved in a car crash and attacked by a "large animal." Both begin to go through odd changes and, through lots of book reading, decide they need to track down and dispatch the alpha wolf to break the curse before they become full-fledged werewolves themselves.

SUMMARY
Highest rating =
First-Time Viewed Titles in RED

THE MUMMY (1932)
THE MUMMY'S HAND (1940)
AMERICAN PSYCHO
THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN
TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA!
POLTERGEIST
EIGHT-LEGGED FREAKS
POLTERGEIST II
POLTERGEIST III
ABOMINABLE
CRITTERS 2
BELOW
CANDYMAN
THE BIRDS
CANDYMAN: FAREWELL TO THE FLESH
THE GRAVEDANCERS
CURSED
Reply
post #446 of 639
10/24/07 at 12:36pm

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

Sorry to hear about that, James.
Reply
post #447 of 639
10/24/07 at 1:23pm

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

Thank you. The coping has been difficult. Even on her old weakened legs she was supporting me though some tough times. She died at about 15 or 16. Her breed usually doesn't live passed 12. I was lucky to have her that long.
Reply
post #448 of 639
10/24/07 at 7:30pm

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

Scale: 1=awful 2=bad 3=average 4=good 5=excellent. 1st viewings in red.

Penny Dreadful (2006) Your very simple 'hitchhiker is a crazy murderer' scenario. The movie works very well for most of its runtime on nothing but claustrophobia & suspense (this had the least amount of blood & gore of the '8 horror films to die for' that I'vbe watched).

Rachel Miner (the titular Penny) suprised me with her performance in this, going above & beyond what I've seen from these After Dark titles so far. But the rushed climactic final 10 minutes just didn't approach the first hour of the film. This movie could have been a solid 4 star film if the ending was a little more polished.

the butcher's bill...
1. Monster Squad
2. Call of the Cthulhu
3. Mimic
4. The Omen
5. The Descent
6. Manos: The Hands Of Fate
7. Isolation
8. Insatiable
9. The Changeling
10. Perfect Creature
11. The Ninth Gate
12. The Nightmare Before Christmas
13. Nekromantik
14. Nekromantik 2
15. Bride Of The Monster
16. Saw 3
17. Plan 9 From Outer Space
18. Primeval
19. Slither
20. Bug
21. 28 Weeks Later
22. Fright Night
23. Feast
24. Dead Silence
25. C.H.U.D.
26. The Abandoned
27. Unrest
28. The Gravedancers
29. The Hamiltons
30. The Tripper
31. Penny Dreadful
Reply
post #449 of 639
10/24/07 at 7:45pm
Thread Starter 

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

Wolf Man, The (1941)

This is without question one of the greatest horror films ever made but at the same time it also contains some of the biggest plot flaws in film history. What makes this film so special is the incredible range of actors that Universal gathered for the film. Lon Chaney, Jr., Claude Rains, Warren William, Ralph Bellamy, Patric Knowles, Maria Ouspenskaya, Evelyn Ankers and Bela Lugosi all fits their roles perfectly and having such a wonderful cast makes you overlook various issues with the film (Rains is Chaney's father????). The key to the film working is the performance by Chaney who makes the character so tragic and the final scenes with Rains are pretty heartbreaking to watch. The make up effects from Pierce are top-notch and remains my favorite looking wolf make up.

Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943)

Sequel to both The Wolf Man and The Ghost of Frankenstein with Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney, Jr.) trying to locate Dr. Frankenstein so that he can die and be rid of his curse but instead he finds the monster (Bela Lugosi) and the two battle it out at the end. This film certainly slips into the "B" movie range and while there are several faults one can't overlook the fact that this is a highly entertaining and campy film. Chaney is very good as usual as is the supporting cast including Patric Knowles and Lionel Atwill. Bela Lugosi, as the monster, on the other hand delivers a very stiff and wooden performance as the monster. His performance is at time laugh making but that just adds to the campy side of things. The final battle at the end might just last over a minute but it's certainly a highlight in the Universal filmography.

Homicidal (1961)

Incredibly disappointing film from director William Castle is more or less a rip of Hitchcock's Psycho. A beautiful blonde (Joan Marshall) kills a man, which starts a lot of secrets to come out of the closet within a weird family. The big plot twist is easy to spot if you've seen the Hitchcock movie so I'm really not sure what Castle was trying here. On one hand, the film doesn't contain too many gimmicks unlike the director's most famous films. This is a problem because since the film's twists are all obvious, I think it would have helped had the director had fun with the crowd. The film plays mostly straight and it's incredibly dull after a pretty good opening twenty-minutes. The "coward break" towards the end wasn't needed in a film that plays itself straight up until that point. The performances are all incredibly dull and the screenplay is rather weak so there's really not too much here to work with. I thought the first murder was very well done and it actually caught me by surprise but nothing else came close to this moment.

Ghosts (1915)

This early feature film was advertised under the tagline: One of the first authentic horror movies! but this plays more as melodrama today and contains very little of what we'd think of horror. Henry B. Walthall plays a rich writer who comes down with syphilis due to his partying ways. This disease eventually kills his wife and slowly begins to take away the writers mind, which leads him to madness. This film was produced by D.W. Griffith but one only wishes that the director actually directed the film but he was off promoting The Birth of a Nation so it's doubtful he spent much time as producer on this either. The main thing worth watching is the performance by Walthall who really was one of the first great actors. He's slow decent into madness comes off very well. The supporting players aren't as impressive but Al W. Filson is also good as the doctor who tries to warn the writer of his ways. Erich von Stroheim did the costumes and also does a cameo but I couldn't spot him.

Savage Man...Savage Beast (1975)

Italian Mondo movie has all that you'd expect from a film like this. This "documentary" shows everything from cannibals to animal killings to hippies cleaning themselves at an outdoor event. If you're an animal lover then it goes without saying that you should skip this film because all sorts of animals are show being killed and slaughtered. Some of these are animal on animal attacks but there's a lot of footage of men hunting down the animals and killing them. The most outrageous scene comes from an African tribe who believe they must have sex with the ground in order to get the grass to grow. Seeing twenty some men drilling holes in the ground and then having sex with it is something I really didn't need to see. This film isn't a well made movie but it's remains slightly interesting just by seeing these different cultures.


2007 Scary Movie Totals:

1. Frankenstein (1910)
2. Dr. Chopper (2005)
3. Beast of Yucca Flats, The (1961)
4. Grizzly Rage (2007)
5. Earth Dies Screaming, The (1962)
6. Raven, The (1935)
7. Evil Breed: The Legend of Samhain (2003)
8. Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
9. Tomb, The (2003)
10. Sealed Room, The (1909)
11. Land of Death (2003)
12. Borderline Cult (2007)
13. Invisible Ghost (1941)
14. Corpse Vanishes, The (1942)
15. Giant Gila Monster, The (1959)
16. Man Made Monster (1941)
17. Maniac (1980)
18. Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)
19. Ghost Wanted (1940)
20. Earth vs. the Spider (2001)
21. Murder By Numbers (2002)
22. My Son the Vampire (1952)
23. Return of the Vampire, The (1943)
24. Scooby-Doo and the Legend of the Vampire (2003)
25. Scooby-Doo and the Loch Ness Monster (2004)
26. All Work and No Play (1942)
27. Spook to Me (1945)
28. One Spooky Night (1955)
29. Pardon My Nightshirt (1956)
30. Ghost of Slumber Mountain, The (1917)
31. Scooby-Doo: Where's My Mummy (2005)
32. Adoration (1987)
33. Hollywood Babylon (2000)
34. Le Poeme (1986)
35. Maneater (2007)
36. Strangler of the Swamp (1946)
37. Tomb, The (2007)
38. Blue Demon (2004)
39. Corruption (1968)
40. House on Bare Mountain (1962)
41. Kiss Me Quick! (1964)
42. Vampyros Lesbos (1970)
43. Venom (2005)
44. Body Snatcher, The (1945)
45. She Creature (2001)
46. Vampire, The (1957)
47. Maniac (1934)
48. Zodiac Killer (2005)
49. Curse of the Zodiac (2007)
50. London After Midnight (1927)
51. Teenage Monster (1958)
52. Lycantropus (1996)
53. Sister Lulu (2001)
54. Chambre Jaune (2002)
55. Miss Greeny (1997)
56. Tea Break (2004)
57. Bad Moon (1996)
58. Zombie Island Massacre (1984)
59. Cannibal Campout (1988)
60. Watch the Skies (2005)
61. Unknown, The (1927)
62. Masters of Horror: Pick Me Up (2006)
63. Demons of Lust (1999)
64. Return of Dracula, The (1958)
65. Purei (2005)
66. To Heir is Human (1944)
67. Raven, The (2006)
68. Wolf Man, The (1941)
69. Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943)
70. Homicidal (1961)
71. Ghosts (1915)
72. Savage Man...Savage Beast (1975)
Reply
post #450 of 639
10/24/07 at 7:47pm
Thread Starter 

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

Quote:
Originally Posted by Russell G
Sorry to hear about your loss, losing a pet like a good dog can be devastating.

I'll second this. Good luck James.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Movies (Theatrical)
Home Theater Forum › Home Theater Forum › Entertainment › Movies (Theatrical) › ***Official 8th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge***