*** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge - Page 8

Re: *** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge

Joe & Michael, at this point you guys should just go ahead and have the sex change and be done with it. You're already practically women - you can't let anything go, you love to resurrect the same argument you've been having for years and always have to have the last word

Oh, and thanks for spoiling American Werewolf in London guys. There are still a few people like me who've never seen it.

I'm a couple of pages behind in reading this thread as I've been sick all weekend, but wanted to go ahead and post before I get too far behind:

The Crazies (1973)
Early George Romero work about the accidental release of a bio weapon that has the citizens of a small Pennsylvania town going berzerk. Feels a little repetitive as this might as well be a zombie movie and the actors aren't very good, but it has enough of Romero's biting cynicism to make the affair entertaining. Once again, humanity is its own worst enemy. - B

The Invisible Man (1933)
James Whale's sci-fi/horror stars Claude Rains as the titular invisible man in this take on H.G. Wells' cautionary tale. Spectacular effects for the time, a powerfully mad performance by Rains, and Whale's odd directorial touches (Una O' Conner's ever-present blood-curdling screams, the so flat to be virtually dead/stilted delivery of throwaway lines by background actors), make up this consistently pleasurable thriller. - B+

Diary of the Dead (2007)
George Romero takes his dead franchise back in time to near the beginning of the outbreak with this story about a group of student filmmakers caught up in the chaos of the dead returning to life. While the conceit that what we're watching is a film made by these students and then uploaded to YouTube isn't exactly fresh, I still thought this was a well done entry in the zombie genre. The effects are top-notch, the editing and pacing are well done, and George's social criticisms are as cynically accurate as ever. Recommended - B+

Inside (À l'intérieur) (2007)
A day removed from seeing this French film, I'm still struggling to comprehend what I saw. I can in no way recommend this film, but I also can't condemn it. This is a horror film in a way that perhaps virtually no other film we discuss in this thread is a horror film. Because what is seen in this film is truly horrific. There's a famous line from a film I haven't seen 8MM along the lines of You'll see things you can't unsee. That is Inside. I have seen things I can't unsee.

A pregnant woman is in a terrible car accident. Her husband/baby-daddy (I don't recall if it's ever stated if they were married or not, not that it matters) is killed. 4 months later it is the day before the baby is to be delivered. The woman is clearly still damaged and withdrawn due to the accident. She pushes away the concern of her mother and the help of her editor (she's a photojournalist) wanting to be left alone. At night and alone, a face appears out of the darkness, a face that knows her name and details about her life. And so the terror begins....

Parts of Inside are masterful suspense film making of the first order. The technical details are superb. Parts of Inside take torture genre, Saw, High Tension etc a step beyond in the realm of grisly realism, dragging the viewer through a terrible, seemingly unending muck of blood, viscera, and death. And part of Inside is a bit disappointing in sticking to conventions of giving the viewer more and more even if it means inserting a bit of over-the-top cheese into what had been a frighteningly realistic experience.

I'm not even sure how to rate this film. I don't know if I'd want to know anyone that says they love this film and yet, I could probably find 5-star reviews that has many points I would agree with. Equally I could probably find zero-star reviews that had elements I would agree with. I'm as jaded as they come with regards to film violence and what I saw in this film genuinely disturbed me. Is what this film made me feel a positive or a negative...I don't have an answer, I just know I've seen things I can't unsee so I'm going with my default "good movie" rating - B

1. The Invisible Man - B+
2. Diary of the Dead - B+
3. Inside - B
4. War of the Gargantuas - B
5. The Crazies - B
6. The Lost Boys: The Tribe - C+

Re: *** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge

Perhaps you can recommend the doctor who did your sex change? Because in the past you've certainly done the same sort of thing with your friend George. Also, you've admitted in the past that you actually enjoy the squabbles which Mike and I engage in every now and then, so I guess you enjoy "gossip", like any good lady.


I agree with you there, but I just went with the flow on that one. It wasn't I who brought that ending up.


Well, that's a lot of revealed information too, y'know...

Re: *** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge

Hitch, The (2004) Drew Rist

A serial killer is stalking Texas but a driver (Bryan Massey) goes ahead and picks up a hitch-hiker (Luisa McDaniel). This film won the Palm D'Gore in Fangoria so I thought I'd give it a view and it was certainly worth it. The film written and directed by Drew Rist was highly entertaining and contained everything a good horror film should and that's atmosphere, suspense, gore and a nice twist. The suspense comes from not knowing if the driver or the hitch-hiker is the killer. The atmosphere comes from some very good cinematography and lighting. The gore is certainly there with some rather graphic violence. The twist at the end is a clever one and works very nicely. Both Massey and McDaniel deliver fine performances as well.

Blood Feast 2 (2002) Herschell Gordon Lewis

Thirty-nine years after the original film comes this sequel that has the grandson (J.P. Delahoussaye) of the famous killer moving back into the small town to butcher more women and serve them as food at a wedding. Even though I'm a fan of the director and the original film I held off watching this one expecting something really horrible. I mean, Lewis hadnt made a film in thirty-years so how in the world would he come back with anything good? Well, he did somehow but I'm sure those expecting something like his older films are going to be disappointed because this is a very polished and rather good looking film unlike previous ones, which were usually low budget and ugly. There's no doubt that this film has a sense of humor, which really comes across with the two detectives played by John McConnell and Mark McLachlan. These two men do a great job together and their comic timing with one another really makes for some great laughs. There's an entire running joke about McConnell constantly eating, which works very well. Delahoussaye is also very good in his role as the maniac. We've also got several hot girls getting naked, which is something the early Lewis films couldn't show. John Waters even shows up as a pedophile priest. Then there's the gore, which is certainly over the top but the one thing people will be coming for. Lewis gets credit for bringing gore to movies but all of his previous movie's gore put together can't top one single sequence here. We have eyes being ripped out, guts pull out, scalpings and various other things including one woman having her face ripped off while she is alive. If you're a gore hound then there's plenty of stuff on hand here. The one negative is that the film runs 99-minutes, which is way too long as some more editing would have helped the film.

Blood Shack (1971) Ray Dennis Steckler

Set in a small Texas town, a woman inherits an old ranch with an even older house, which apparently is "protected" by a murderer named The Chooper". Whenever someone comes close to the house this killer will jump out to kill them. This is the type of film that would get fourth or fifth billing at an all-night drive in but I must say that the film kept me somewhat entertained because of how silly it actually was. The budget couldn't have been more than a few hundred dollars and the screenplay really offers up nothing in terms of scares, shocks or even a twist ending. The movie really plays out like an adult version of Scooby Doo but I'm sure the cartoon had a lot tougher cases to crack. The film doesn't have much violence, no nudity and not too much else going for it but I guess that's part of the charm because clearly Steckler was going for something but what exactly is anyone's guess. This film is beyond strange and somewhat plays out like a dream. One of those dreams that seem real but you're still not really sure if you're dreaming or just in some strange world. If that doesn't make sense then neither does this movie so just go after it.

Prowler, The (1981) Joseph Zito

A graduation dance is the setting for this slasher that features a masked killer wearing WW2 fatigues. This was one of the first Friday the 13th rips and also features the work of Tom Savini, which is certainly the highlight. As for the film, it really doesn't work too well because the mystery is easy to spot within the first ten minutes. I'm really not sure why the screenwriter and director had to show the killer so much early on because it makes it very easy to tell who is going to be doing it. Another problem I had with the film is that the characters are either boring or annoying. I think in order for this type of film to work you need to enjoy the characters but I didn't hear. What does work is the look of the killer, which is fairly creepy. The old time fatigues are very attraction and the hidden weapons is another nice touch. Also worth mentioning are Savini's effects, which are excellent and at this point in his career I'd say they were his best. We get several nasty throat slashings and even a nice attack in the shower. The effects here are incredibly realistic and director Zito doesn't take them too easy as he makes them quite violent and mean spirited. Zito's direction throughout is rather nice but even with all this good stuff you can't fix a poor screenplay.



1. Frankenstein (1910)
2. Teenage Zombies (1959)
3. Spooks Run Wild (1941)
4. She-Wolf of London (1946)
5. We Want Our Mummy (1939)
6. Ape Man, The (1943)
7. Ape, The (1940)
8. Night to Dismember, A (1983)
9 Voodoo Man (1944)
10. Condemned to Live (1935)
11. One for the Fire (2008)
12. Monster Maker, The (1944)
13. Maniac (1934)
14. Tell-Tale Heart, The (1953)
15. Just Before Dawn (1981)
16. Seven Notes in Black (1977)
17. Cannibal Apocalypse (1980)
18. Barbed Wire Dolls (1975)
19. Deadly Bees, The (1967)
20. Terrible Giant of the Snow, The (1962)
21. Hitch, The (2004)
22. Blood Feast 2 (2002)
23. Blood Shack (1971)
24. Prowler, The (1981)

Re: *** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge

(playing "catch up")

DAY TWO -- Thursday, October 2, 2008

5. Silent Hill. (2006) *** this film is new to me ****

Where's the zombie of Robert Palmer? o/ you might as well face it you're addicted to luuuuuvv... o/

My very limited history with this: played the PC demo for the game Silent Hill II ages, thought the atmosphere was pretty good and the creatures you encounter strange and creative. The movie? Atmosphere is good and the creatures you encounter were strange and creative, however it's too much like a video game you don't get to play. Waves of creatures and ending boss. Blah! I'd rather play the movie. Resident Evil was similar but much more fun to watch thanks to Mila and Michelle. But even it got old and I hate it's first sequel (never bothered with the 2nd sequel). I'm suspecting a repeat viewing is in order for this, though. Maybe I can connect with the characters better next time, but it just wasn't happening. I was looking for something deeper out of this. But at least I only paid about $4 for a used copy.

Horrorthon success level of film (1-10): 5

6. What's the Matter with Helen? (1971)

Answer: She's Shelly Winters.

That question is easy to answer if you have the theme to Loony Tunes on you iPod. Actually, she just seems a little confused throughout the film. The makers of this were trying to make a cheapie to repeat the success of What ever Happened to Baby Jane? In that film Bette Davis played it crazy for the entire run but here we get a confused Shelly Winters who doesn't go over the top enough. Davis was obviously ready for her fitting of a straitjacket night gown and rubber room aprtment from her first appearance. With Helen, we get way too much filler, in the form of dance numbers...dance numbers with little children (yes, dance numbers with children) which should have been cut down a bit. Debbie Reynolds is pretty good though, dealing with her weird friend. It's actually entertaining to watch these 2 ladies act in a movie together and I like the late 60s early 70s feel. But the other film in this MGM Double feature DVD set is a lot more entertaining than this...featuring Winters in an excellent performance. More on it later.

Horrorthon success level of film: 6

7. I Bury the Living. (1958)

I don't think he read the instructions correctly.

If someone told you this was a Twilight Zone you'd have no reason to doubt it was the truth. It feels just like one, complete with twisty story, stirring score and familiar faces in the cast. Only thing to reveal the stinking lie would be the absence of Rod Serling puffing on a Lucky Strike. But everything else is there. Good stuff! Can't recommend enough!

Horrorthon success level of film: 9

Re: *** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge

Touche, Joe.

As for the summary of Inside, that information occurs in the first 20m of the movie. If I said less, there'd really be no reason to even include an intro to the story. Some movies like The Invisible Man don't really require a story intro, but for most people to brave subtitles, I feel like I need to say a little more about what the film is about. The description of the movie at Netflix reveals a lot more than I did.

Re: *** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge

Cube: Signature Series
Six ordinary strangers awaken to find themselves in a seemingly endless maze of interlocking cubical chambers armed with lethal booby traps. Without food or water, they have only a few days to live. None of them knows how or why they've been imprisoned, but soon discover that each possesses a skill that could contribute to their escape. As they work together to extricate themselves from their claustrophobic cell, one thing becomes painfully clear -- unless they learn to cooperate to solve the secrets of this deadly trap, none of them has very long to live.

My Thoughts:
Cube is a long time favorite of mine. Every since I originally saw it on Sci-Fi Channel years ago. I ordered it immediately when I found out it was released on DVD. This was before the Signature Series came out... But it didn't take me long to upgrade it. And for some strange reason... I was never able to part with the original release of this movie.. Cube movie definitely has it's share of gore in it... but it has much more then that... shows what people are capable of in the name of survival. And you better believe... some of it is not pretty. Another thing I really enjoyed in this movie... it was my first introduction to Nicole DeBoer... an actress I quickly became a fan of.

Month Long Stats:
NOTE: Titles in BOLD are ones I viewed for the very first time.

Movies:

Oct. 1st:
1. Shadow Zone: The Undead Express
2. Embrace of the Vampire
3. Fright Night
4. The Breed
5. Crazy Eights
6. The Invasion

Oct. 2nd:
7. The Others
8. Lake Dead
9. The Willies
10. Silver Bullet

Oct. 3rd:
11. Psycho
12. The Tingler
13. Psycho II

Oct.4th:
14. 976-EVIL
15. Pulse (1988)
16. Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge
17. Psycho III
18. Psycho IV: The Beginning

Oct. 5th:
19. Dementia 13
20. White Zombie
21. Skeleton Man

Oct. 6th:
22. Cube


TV Episodes:

Oct. 1st:
1. Masters of Horror: The V Word
2. Tales from the Crypt: The Reluctant Vampire
3. Friday the 13th: The Series: Season 1: The Inheritance

Oct.4th:
4. Friday the 13th: The Series: Season 1: The Poison Pen

Oct. 5th:
5. Friday the 13th: The Series: Season 1 - Cupid's Quiver
6. Friday the 13th: The Series: Season 1 - A Cup of Time

Re: *** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge

Michael,

When I first read the title of this film, I assumed it had to do with music somehow (either related in some way to the five black notes of a keyboard, or perhaps a play on 'blues' notes, etc.). As far as you can tell, did the mystery have anything to do with music?

You wrote "Most giallos ...". Is that a film genre term? I've not heard that before this post.

Re: *** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge

While you guys were twisting your panties into knots (kidding ), I watched a STAGGERING amount of movies! BOW BEFORE YOUR MASTER!!

10/03 006 MIDNIGHT BLUNDERS (1936) 1.5/5 - Creaky old Ted Kennedy comedy with a mad scientist creating a monster. That's about it really, hi jinks ensue and none of it is as funny as a Three Stooges short since it feels like old vaudeville routines.

10/03 007 CREATURE WITH THE ATOM BRAIN (1955) 4/5 - I really liked this one. Atom powered zombies terrorizing a city, Nazi mad scientists.... had everything you need in a sci-horror 50's flick.

10/03 008 THE GIANT CLAW (1957) 2/5 - not just a giant claw, but a huge Kong sized bird, and the fuckers PISSED! Pretty crap, even by cheap giant monster standards. This one is pretty special since the bird is just awful in design and you can see the strings in nearly every shot. then again, if it looked any better, it probably wouldn't of been as entertaining to watch.

10/03 009 TARANTULA (1955) 4/5 - Really well done giant spider movie. Great make ups on the people, the matte work on the spider are decent enough, the plot is pretty standard, then Clint Eastwood shows up.

10/04 010 THE MOLE PEOPLE (1956) 3.5/5 - What starts out to be a neat monster film with creatures turns into an entire lost civilization kind of thing. There's a bit of a corn with the romance stuff, but on the whole, it's very well done.

10/04 011 THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN (1957) 5/5 - Never fails to impress. The effects are still really good, and it has some great thrilling sequences. The real treat is how far they are able to take the concept philosophically. I wont even get into any of the potential metaphors.... highly recommended.

10/05 012 THE MONOLITH MONSTERS (1957) 3.5/5 - You know, Jack Arnold just "gets" the whole "Giant Menace" genre. I wasn't expecting much. How good could a movie about giant crystals be? Ends up it's pretty damned good, and you actually get a good sense of threat and menace from a non-sentient thing from space doing what it's genetically supposed to be doing without any moral influence. This goes so opposite to what he explored spiritually in "THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN", being a more Darwin approach. Or I'm reading to much into it.....

10/05 013 MONSTER ON THE CAMPUS (1958) 2/5 - Decent enough play on a Jeckyl & Hyde thing. It's brought down but having the worlds most moronic, unsafe scientist in the lead. I mean really, he's far to much of an idiot to miss just how obvious everything is.

10/05 014 CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST 2: THE CATHERINE MILLES STORY (FORREST SLAVE) 1985 1.5/5 HAs nothing to do with CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST, and nothing to really offer as far as a horror movie. Some okay gore, and a lot of simple nonsense really.

10/05 015 CRY OF THE BANSHEE (1970) 2.5/5 - Vincent Price and Terry Gilliam titles... not quite enough to totally save this one. It's good enough, Price playing a witch finder of sorts who fucks with the wrong coven. Just never grabbed me.

10/05 016 ISLAND OF LOST SOULS (1932) 5/5 - It's a bit creaky, but man, when this one rev's up, it still kicks ass. Bela is outstanding in this one. Really, considering how much Bela is taken as a joke, he was a phenomenal screen presence and one hell of an actor.

10/05 017 SCREAM BLACULA SCREAM (1973) 2/5 - Not as good as the last one, but the last 10 minutes or so kicked serious ass so worth a look.

My tally is found as this link

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/...ml#post3439470

Re: *** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge

The mystery didn't have anything to do with music but now that I'm thinking about it I'm not sure what the title had to do with the film. THE PSYCHIC fits the film better (the American title).

As far as giallo is concerned (from Wikipedia):

Giallo (pronounced IPA: ['ʤallo], plural gialli) is an Italian 20th century genre of literature and film, which in Italian indicates crime fiction and mystery. In the English language, however, it is used in a broader meaning that is closer to the French fantastique genre, including elements of horror fiction and eroticism. The word giallo is Italian for "yellow" (see Wiktionary: giallo) and stems from the origin of the genre as a series of cheap paperback novels with trademark yellow covers.


If you're interested in the genre then Mario Bava, Umberto Lenzi, Dario Argento and Fulci are some of the better known directors. TENEBRE, TWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE, DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING and DEEP RED are probably my top picks out of the genre. I'm sure others here will have even more as quite a few have been released on DVD over the past seven years.


Interesting thoughts Russell. I actually hated THE MOLE PEOPLE when I watched it a year or two ago but I really liked MONSTER ON THE CAMPUS. I thought the film was pretty damn violent considering the year it was released.

Re: *** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge

15. The Blob: Hadn't seen it in years. Enjoyed just as much as I remember. As most will tell you - Steve McQueen steals the show with a heck of a lot of charm. Of course the giant mound of Jello attacking and eating people isn't going to really terrify anyone today, and heck, I don't know if it scared anyone even when it was released, but it's a good, fun time just the same.

Incidentally - I'm beginning to get burnout already! Never happened before. I'm actually looking forward to the 6 day break when I go to Paris on Friday! I'm gonna need a vacation from watching all these flicks!

Cheers,

Jason

Re: *** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge

First time I saw MOLE PEOPLE, I feel asleep. Re-watching it, I think I conked out about 10 minutes in all those years ago, I was tempted to count it as a first time viewing. My only real problem with MONSTER ON CAMPUS is how terribly fucking stupid the main scientist is. I mean really, it's incredibly obvious what happened, then he continued to make even more lazy lab mistakes. I did though, love that he called Dr. Moreau to find out if he did anything to the sealicant before shipping it. Nice touch that was. IT is more graphic, I was a bit shocked at the site of the woman hanging. Maybe I was a bit rough on it. Just seemed a step down after the brainier INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN and MONOLITH MONSTERS.

Re: *** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge

[Ockeghem finishes his bow. ]

Russell,

Those are some excellent films IMO. I loved The Monolith Monsters when I first saw it. I also appreciated Tarantula and The Mole People. I don't own them yet, however. These are probably 'musts' for my collection. If you've got some DVD recommendations for these three, please post. Thanks.

Re: *** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge

Michael,

Thanks for the information and the directors/recommendations. I used the IPA when studying the pronunciation of texts for certain vocal musics while in school.

Re: *** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge

I got these in this pack.


Amazon.com: Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection 1 & 2 (Tarantula/Mole People/Incredible Shrinking Man/Monolith Monsters/Monster on the Campus/Dr. Cyclops/Cult of the Cobra/Land Unknown/Deadly Mantis/Leech Woman): Faith Domergue, Richard Long, Marshall

They all look pretty good (other then INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN which looked a bit rough). I haven't watched Vol. 2s films yet, probably start on those this week. I think there were some framing issues with some of them, but I got the set on sale.

Speaking of AMAZON, they have a huge horror sale going on. I'm going to pick up some titles.
Amazon.com: The Halloween Movies & TV Sale: Over 950 DVDs and Blu-ray at Up to 59% Off: Movies & TV

Re: *** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge

Oct. 6:

The Screaming Skull (1958). This is another film included in the Drive-In Classics collection. This is just a really fun film for the entire family, IMO. We loved seeing the skull every time it showed up (whether in water or -- LOL -- 'knocking' at the front door). It probably would have been more fun watching it at night than in the morning, but with work schedules, one must make sacrifices.

I paid closer attention to the music score this time through. Besides the awesome use of the theramin and various arrangements of the famous Dies Irae (used also in The Shining and in the original Jason and the Argonauts during the skeleton fighting scene), the score had in my estimation a Night Of the Living Dead (1968) feel to it in parts, while the film in general had a House On Haunted Hill (1959) feel to it in parts. I'll have to watch it again for the specific segments I'm referring to, but there were times I thought I was hearing very similar music in parts, at least as far as orchestral colors (if not melodic contours) were concerned.

Speaking of the Dies Irae: When the bride is woken up during the fairly lengthy segment without any dialogue -- the plainchant (on brass) is presented in augmentation, which really draws out the ominous and macabre atmosphere all the more as she waits in terror to see who or what it is that is knocking at the door. And when she opens the door, and eventually looks down, yowza--very nicely done! The skull rolling toward her was also chilling. The Dies Irae is also presented in augmentation during the burning of the painting scene out on the lawn, as the husband and wife move away from the fire and the birds fly off of the tree. And the theme is transposed (very nice!) later in the film during the scene where the bride and groom are putting out the fire, and both see the skull in the ashes. I love these types of films.

Okay, maybe Mickey (and a few others) didn't win any Academy Awards for their acting in this film, but the charm and simplicity(?) of it are for me quite entertaining. Incidentally, I can't be the only one who suspected Mickey when we first see him, right?

The scene where the new bride is dreaming, and the overlay of various characters is shown with each speaking in her dream, was very effective. The 'sounds' made by the skull are a bit odd in parts, but the shape and appearance of the main prop itself I thought was quite convincing.

Updated list:

Films:

1. House On Haunted Hill (1959)
2. The Fly (1958)
3. The Giant Gila Monster (1959)
4. Halloweentown (1998)
5. Return Of the Fly (1959)
6. The Blob (1958)
7. The Screaming Skull (1958)

Television episodes:

1. Dark Shadows (Original series) (episodes nos. 19 and 20) (1966)
2. One Step Beyond ("The Dead Part Of the House") (1959)
3. Charmed ("All Halliwell's Eve") (2000)
4. Star Trek ("Catspaw") (1967)

Re: *** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge

Russell,

Wow, what a nice collection! Thanks. I should have ordered that as well when I placed my most recent order. (I picked up 13-14 films via Amazon.com yesterday.) It's now on my list.

Re: *** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge

Salem's Lot
With 'Salem’s Lot', a blood-curdling shocker based on the novel by Stephen King, director Tobe Hooper ('Poltergeist') sends the time-honored vampire legend soaring on bat wings into the modern era.

Sinister events bring together a writer (David Soul) fascinated with an old hilltop house, a suave antiques dealer (James Mason) whose expertise goes beyond bric-a-brac and the dealer’s mysterious, pale-skinned "partner" (Reggie Nalder).
The solid supporting cast of vampire victims and fighters includes Bonnie Bedelia, Lew Ayres, Elisha Cook, Ed Flanders, George Dzundza, Lance Kerwin, Geoffrey Lewis and Marie Windsor.
It’s hard to keep the undead down. And so easy to be scared in 'Salem’s Lot'.

My Thoughts:
I have loved this one since the first time I saw it back in my teen years. Of course this is an adaptation from the book that Stephen King wrote. Who of course is my favorite horror writer. This is one of the few movies that scared me as a kid. A couple of my favorite spooky parts in this movie is ..

1. The kid vampire scratching at his friends window.... pleading with him to let him is.
2. The grave digger rocking in the rocking chair... looks over at you and hisses at you with his eyes glowing

Of course this movie does not scare me any longer... but then again... I haven't seen any horror movie that has scared me in a very long time. Not to say the movie is any more or less scary... it just don't have the same effect it once did. Needless to say... this is one I would always highly recommend to any horror fan... and an absolute must see for any fan of vampire movies. Now... please lets see a DVD release of Return to Salem's Lot! It has been so long since I seen the sequel I can't remember anything other then it's existence.

Month Long Stats:
NOTE: Titles in BOLD are ones I viewed for the very first time.

Movies:

Oct. 1st:
1. Shadow Zone: The Undead Express
2. Embrace of the Vampire
3. Fright Night
4. The Breed
5. Crazy Eights
6. The Invasion

Oct. 2nd:
7. The Others
8. Lake Dead
9. The Willies
10. Silver Bullet

Oct. 3rd:
11. Psycho
12. The Tingler
13. Psycho II

Oct.4th:
14. 976-EVIL
15. Pulse (1988)
16. Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge
17. Psycho III
18. Psycho IV: The Beginning

Oct. 5th:
19. Dementia 13
20. White Zombie
21. Skeleton Man

Oct. 6th:
22. Cube
23. Salem's Lot


TV Episodes:

Oct. 1st:
1. Masters of Horror: The V Word
2. Tales from the Crypt: The Reluctant Vampire
3. Friday the 13th: The Series: Season 1: The Inheritance

Oct.4th:
4. Friday the 13th: The Series: Season 1: The Poison Pen

Oct. 5th:
5. Friday the 13th: The Series: Season 1 - Cupid's Quiver
6. Friday the 13th: The Series: Season 1 - A Cup of Time

Re: *** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge

DAY THREE -- Friday, October 3, 2008

Talk about surreal! I went to the local clinic for something routine and ended up being rushed to the hospital. My blood pressure dropped. It took all day in the emergency room connected to a bunch of shiit to get back in a movie watching mood. Those IV needles hurt going in! But it was tasty stuff. But it was a hell of a way to get a day off work!!

When I got home 13 hours after leaving, my dog Scooter had torn open a bag of Goldie's nasty bandages and sorted them out. She ate at least one since she threw it up later. Funniest thing is her mannerism told me she expected a few taps with a rolled up paper but I was too damn tired. Goldie's bandages were off and her wound just looked horrifying. But she was so happy to see me. Felt good to come home to my buddies, even if they made the place look like a crime scene!!

8. Friday the 13th Part 2. (1982)

Sometimes it takes a little extra effort to get Jason to pitch in and help get the chores done.

Lets see....middle aged lady in sweater? Well...scary a little bit. Big hulking madman with an elephant man style bag over his head? Brown trousers time*! I love this one! Just what I needed. The hospital sent me home with a list of instructions. Nowhere on there did it say "don't eat pizza and watch a heart pumping horror movie". That's what I did. I had a good time. But I was too tired to satisfy my urge to watch a few more. that sucked since Friday should have been a 5 movie day. But for a one off day, F13P2 fit the bill. If a horror fan doesn't like this one then perhaps the whole series should be avoided. Like the original, this scared the crap out of me at a younger age. All that darkness out in the woods waiting for something to happen...takes it's toll. I hope that remake is at least as good as Part 2.

Horrorthon success level of film (1-10): 10

* Red Dwarf reference.


DAY FOUR -- Saturday, October 4, 2008

9. Dead Birds. (2004) ***this one is new to me***

Well, that ain't nothing the 7 secret spices can't fix!

I had high hopes for this. But as soon as they showed one of "them" I knew this wasn't going to butter my popcorn efficiently. A western setting of a sort of Night of the Living Dead/Dog Soldiers bit of claustrophobic storytelling should have been a real nail bitter...but I was a little bored. The effects just weren't handled very well. Old school effect methods should certainly be encouraged...but they still have to do them right. things were well designed but ultimately unimpressive because they showed too much detail early on...leaving no surprises in the least. And the ending was 6th grade writing level. To it's credit, the sound was good'n-spooky, but they did this sort of thing better in The Others. Feast looked better but I bought this instead. Maybe I should have just watched Dog Soldiers instead.

Horrorthon success level of film (1-10): 6

10. Asylum. (1972) ***this one is mostly new to me...although I did see the first segment on youtube once****

Is it just me or could Britt Eklund (left) effortlessly talk you into trading your mother to a voodoo cult in exchange for restaurant coupons?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO BRITT EKLUND, BTW. BY GOD IF YOU ARE NOT THE HOT HOTTEST HOTTIE OF ALL THE HOTTIE HOTS!!

The House that Dripped Blood was well done, nutty good fun...but this one lacked the creative stories. That said, it was still nutty good fun too! I'm not kidding!! I loved the hell out of this. That last story has to be seen to be believed...sorry to have to avoid spoilers since I've love to talk about those little fellers!! Hahhahaha!! You might just giggle yourself into an aneurysm by the time this is done. Like House that Dripped..., they don't make em like this anymore! Further, these are 100% what I've wanted to watch during my Horror-thons for years. So glad I've bought most of the films available on DVD from this studio. These are really taking me back. I firmly believe Amicus Studiso will be my savior throughout the Horror-thon. The next one in line I've seen many times and can't wait for another viewing.

Horrorthon success level of film: 10

11. Dahmer. (2002)

He hated chocolate. So right away you know there is something wrong....

I'm drawn to this biopic for some reason. Serial killers have always fascinated me. It's the "why do they do it" and not a sick fascination on my part, I assure you. This film upset the victim's families since it apparently wants to explore why a seemingly normal kid (indeed, search the net for pictures and you'll find a sweet one of a young Jeffrey hugging, not strangling, a dog) became a complete Hershey Bar with extra nuts! There are a few scenes that want us to believe Jeff has remorseful and the victim's families are seeing that as sympathic to the killer himself. I actually felt it was all handled pretty well. Nobody would jump from "hugger of dogs" to wanting to kill them and stick their heads on sticks. There's adjustment to be done. Dahmer had a strong, twisted desire to control his victims so he could live out some very sick fantasies, much like what Ed Gein was doing with his toy box of body parts. The film could have chopped off (uhm, bad choice of words, sorry) certain bit here and maybe included more of Dahmer's younger life...and tacked on court and prison scenes on the end, and perhaps even the victim's families would have approved. But as it is, I find this thing amazing. Very well acted, very well filmed...it's just a freaky ride, not unlike Henry: Portait of a Serial Killer. Highly recommended! Note: this comes in a 4 movie set called "Masters of Murder Collection". Yeah, that should Pissoff the families as well. Masters indeed! Anyway, I've never seen other other 3 and simple CAN'T WAIT TO WATCH ONE!!

Horrorthon success level of film: 10

12. Throw Mama from the Train. (1987)

A killer you don't see coming...well, cause he's a little short.

Inspired comedy set to the Hitchcock classic Strangers on a Train. Billy Crystal plays a teacher of creative writing and Danny Devito serves as one of his students, as well as director of this film. Anne Ramsey is the "Mama" from the title. Everything works. Devito proves to be a first rate director! He also plays the childlike Owen to good effect (gotta love that "coin collection" :*) ). It's all very inspired and I think Hitchcock himself would have been impressed. It's hilarious...just one of those funny ones I refuse to miss in October. I replaced my own VHS with a DVD late last year and MGM did an awesome job with it.

Horrorthon success level of film: 9

13. Flightplan. (2005) ***this one is new to me***

With all the action in the confined space up to this point, I was sure a car chase was about to begin!

Took me way too long to move from Panic Room to seeing Foster in this. This one had me guessing throughout...although one of my first guesses was the right one...but not totally right. Nice little thriller! I even liked the ending that many seem to whine about. Foster handles this kind of material with amazing skill. Me liked!

Horrorthon success level of film: 8

I am totally out of time and will have to do Sunday tomorrow. Monday soon...

Re: *** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge

I agree with what Russell G. has said about The sci-fi ultimate collection. There is a good variety of movies on the collection and to my great surprise some of them are anamorphic WS. I've only seen one so far and it's a fairly clean copy and anamorphic to boot.

10/6 11 The Land Unknown (1957)

This was a fairly enjoyable movie similar to others of this type. The acting was reasonably good with a well-written script. One thing that bugs me though. Why do people have to stand around watching two dinosaurs fight when it's obvious that the winner will come after them? I'd be out of there so fast..... After admiring the dino creations in Jurassic Park, the T-Rex is quite laughable. Still this was quite a good movie. No extras on the dvd but it did have a trailer.

Re: *** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Blonde, bouncy Buffy (KRISTY SWANSON) is your typical high school cheerleader - her goal is to "marry Christian Slater and die" and nothing gets in her way when it's time to shop. But all that changes when a strange man (DONALD SUTHERLAND) informs her she's been chosen by fate to kill vampires. With the help of a romantic rebel (LUKE PERRY), Buffy is soon spending school nights protecting L.A. from Lothos, the Vampire King (RUTGER HAUER), his sidekick, Lefty (PAUL REUBENS), and their determined gang of bloodsuckers. It's everything you'd expect from a teen queen in the Valley.

My Thoughts:
Thought it was about time for me to slip in a Comedy-Horror. I enjoy a good comedy horror now and then. I know a lot of people that prefer the TV Series to this movie... and I agree... I do enjoy the series more... but I do still enjoy the movie as well. The thing is... with this one... I do definitely enjoy it and find myself coming back to it multiple times. But I have no idea why I enjoy watching this movie as much as I do. It isn't particularly that funny... but all the same I still really get a kick out of it.

Month Long Stats:
NOTE: Titles in BOLD are ones I viewed for the very first time.

Movies:

Oct. 1st:
1. Shadow Zone: The Undead Express
2. Embrace of the Vampire
3. Fright Night
4. The Breed
5. Crazy Eights
6. The Invasion

Oct. 2nd:
7. The Others
8. Lake Dead
9. The Willies
10. Silver Bullet

Oct. 3rd:
11. Psycho
12. The Tingler
13. Psycho II

Oct.4th:
14. 976-EVIL
15. Pulse (1988)
16. Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge
17. Psycho III
18. Psycho IV: The Beginning

Oct. 5th:
19. Dementia 13
20. White Zombie
21. Skeleton Man

Oct. 6th:
22. Cube
23. Salem's Lot
24. Buffy the Vampire Slayer


TV Episodes:

Oct. 1st:
1. Masters of Horror: The V Word
2. Tales from the Crypt: The Reluctant Vampire
3. Friday the 13th: The Series: Season 1: The Inheritance

Oct.4th:
4. Friday the 13th: The Series: Season 1: The Poison Pen

Oct. 5th:
5. Friday the 13th: The Series: Season 1 - Cupid's Quiver
6. Friday the 13th: The Series: Season 1 - A Cup of Time

Re: *** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge

011) 10/03/08 The Innocents (1961)

Governess thinks ghosts may be trying to possess her new charges. Or is it all in her mind? Effective thriller boasts lovely widescreen photography by Freddie Francis and some chilling moments. Denouement is quite a surprise.

012) 10/03/08 Carnival of Souls (1962)

Woman seemingly survives an auto accident but finds herself pursued by ghostly figures. Alternately creepy and meandering, this is ultimately a memorable low-budget shocker.

013) 10/03/08 Death Ship (1980)

A haunted Nazi torture ship roams the seas to cause accidents, and then pick up any survivors and torture them. The last third of the film builds some effective sequences, but lousy direction and an obnoxious music score sink this one.

014) 10/03/08 Curtains (1982) 1/2

Actress and her director have her committed to an asylum to research a role. Then he leaves her there and auditions others for the part. She escapes and then the murders start. Not a bad idea for a horror-thriller, but the movie is dull, the murder scenes uninspired, and the script lacks any surprises.

015) 10/04/08 The Thing (1982) 1/2

Twelve men are trapped in the Antartic with an other-worldly being that can imitate other life forms - including man. Absolutely fantastic, tense horror film with great cast, many jump-out-of-your-seat moments, and a perfect ending. Along with Halloween, this is director John Carpenter's best film. Not really a remake of the 1951 film.

016) 10/04/08 The Shining (1980) 1/2

Jack Nicholson gives a tour-de-force (or delightfully over-the-top, if you prefer) performance as a man who starts to lose his hold on reality when he and his family agree to watch over a deserted resort during the winter. Thoroughly engrossing film is alternately funny and scary, and features a trio of strong performances from the leads. Danny Lloyd is especially impressive as the young psychic boy who senses the danger.

017) 10/05/08 Circus of Horrors (1960) 1/2

Disgraced plastic surgeon utilizes a circus as cover so he can continue his experiments. But if the people he helps want to leave, they meet with mysterious accidents. Colorful film is enjoyable to a point, but becomes repetitive. Anton Diffring is appropriately sinister in the lead.

018) 10/05/08 Black Sunday (1960)

Atmospheric gothic chiller about a witch's attempt to possess the body and soul of a descendent, both played by Barbara Steele. Mario Bava's official directing debut has enough mood to spare and is never less than engrossing. Only the one-note characters detract from this Italian classic.

019) 10/05/08 Black Sabbath (1963)

Three tales of terror from Mario Bava, featuring a menacing phone-caller, a vampire-like creature stalking his family, and vengeful ghost. While the first story is no great shakes, the other two are hypnotic chillers thanks to the stylish Bava. Last story, about a woman who steals a ring from a corpse, is one of the scariest ghost stories put on film.

020) 10/05/08 The Tripper (2006) 1/2

Hippies gather for a Woodstock-like concert to make-out and do drugs, while a psychopath wearing a Ronald Reagan mask stalks the nearby woods and axes anyone who gets in his way. Co-writer/co-producer/director David Arquette infuses this comedy-thriller with political jabs aimed mostly at the Republican party and fanatic environmentalists, so people sensitive to such things should stay away. But this film has plenty of laughs and gory set-pieces to please fans of mad slasher films.

Re: *** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge

Children of the Corn
When a young couple find themselves stranded in the isolated community of Gatlin, Nebraska, they discover that all of the town's adults have been slaughtered by a religious cult of twisted children who worship a mysterious cornfield deity. Can these adults escape the fanatical wrath of these adolescent zealots, or will they become the next blood sacrifices to 'He Who Walks Behind The Rows?'

My Thoughts:
This is one of my favorite '80s horror. Of course I am a big fan of Stephen King anyway. I found the all kids cult to be an interesting storyline... and some of the killings, especially in the beginning was done well. Over-all a really enjoyable movie... even if some of the acting could have been better.

Month Long Stats:
NOTE: Titles in BOLD are ones I viewed for the very first time.

Movies:

Oct. 1st:
1. Shadow Zone: The Undead Express
2. Embrace of the Vampire
3. Fright Night
4. The Breed
5. Crazy Eights
6. The Invasion

Oct. 2nd:
7. The Others
8. Lake Dead
9. The Willies
10. Silver Bullet

Oct. 3rd:
11. Psycho
12. The Tingler
13. Psycho II

Oct.4th:
14. 976-EVIL
15. Pulse (1988)
16. Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge
17. Psycho III
18. Psycho IV: The Beginning

Oct. 5th:
19. Dementia 13
20. White Zombie
21. Skeleton Man

Oct. 6th:
22. Cube
23. Salem's Lot
24. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
25. Children of the Corn

TV Episodes:

Oct. 1st:
1. Masters of Horror: The V Word
2. Tales from the Crypt: The Reluctant Vampire
3. Friday the 13th: The Series: Season 1: The Inheritance

Oct.4th:
4. Friday the 13th: The Series: Season 1: The Poison Pen

Oct. 5th:
5. Friday the 13th: The Series: Season 1 - Cupid's Quiver
6. Friday the 13th: The Series: Season 1 - A Cup of Time

Re: *** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge

Mummy's Tomb, The (1942) Harold Young

Sequel to The Mummy's Hand has a high priest restoring Kharis (Lon Chaney, Jr.) and brings him to America to destroy those who broke into Princess Ananka's tomb (in the previous film). This is a very entertaining sequel and I might even call it the best mummy film from Universal. The film runs a very fast paced 62-minutes with at least eight of those being flashbacks of the previous film. While there isn't too much plot going on there is plenty of action with Chaney stepping into the role of the mummy. Unlike say the Karloff version, this film has the mummy in plenty of action and Chaney handles it quite well, although some have objected to his big size. The supporting cast includes Wallace Ford, George Zucco and Dick Foran turning in fine performances. The best thing about the film is that it contains some great atmosphere and that includes the wonderful first attack by the mummy, which also has some nice tension. With the nice music score (recycled from previous films) and tight ending this ranks as one of the better films from Universal, although it certainly doesn't match their true classics.

Mummy's Ghost, The (1944) Reginald Le Borg

A high priest (John Carradine) travels from Egypt to America to locate the bodies of Kharis (Lon Chaney, Jr.) and Princess Ananka. Once in America the priest seems to think that the princess has had her spirit lifted into another body so Kharis must get to her and kill anyone who stands in his way.
To me this is the least entertaining of the five Universal/Mummy movies because in reality not too much happens. I find this entire film to be rather slow even at 61-minutes because for the most part we just see Chaney stumbling around from one place to the next while everyone else just sits around talking about him. The film is even more of a disappointment after following the previous two entries, which were fast and fun. I also didn't care too much for the make up used on Chaney this time around. The make up on his head is what really bothered me throughout the film as it looked like someone just dropped pancake mix on his head. I also didn't think his performance was as good as the previous film. Carradine certainly steals the show as the priest and we also have George Zucco back for a brief bit. This is certainly far from a bad movie but there's better stuff out there from the studio.

Mummy's Curse, The (1944) Leslie Goodwins

Twenty-five years after the events of the previous film, the swampy locations of Louisiana are about to be drained, which doesn't sit well with some locals who know that Kharis (Lon Chaney, Jr.) is resting there. This doesn't stop anything so the swamp is drained and soon the mummy is set loose. Once again we're treated to a 61-minute movie that goes by pretty fast but the story is rather weak, which is to be expected. I'm not sure what new things they could have tried with the series but the locations of Louisiana do make for some interesting moments. The bodies being revealed in the swamp are certainly a highlight as is the ending that manages to pack a small punch. The supporting cast this time out is rather weak with no one really sticking out or catching ones eye. Chaney is back in his third and final film in the series and manages a good performance but he isn't given too much to do.


1. Frankenstein (1910)
2. Teenage Zombies (1959)
3. Spooks Run Wild (1941)
4. She-Wolf of London (1946)
5. We Want Our Mummy (1939)
6. Ape Man, The (1943)
7. Ape, The (1940)
8. Night to Dismember, A (1983)
9 Voodoo Man (1944)
10. Condemned to Live (1935)
11. One for the Fire (2008)
12. Monster Maker, The (1944)
13. Maniac (1934)
14. Tell-Tale Heart, The (1953)
15. Just Before Dawn (1981)
16. Seven Notes in Black (1977)
17. Cannibal Apocalypse (1980)
18. Barbed Wire Dolls (1975)
19. Deadly Bees, The (1967)
20. Terrible Giant of the Snow, The (1962)
21. Hitch, The (2004)
22. Blood Feast 2 (2002)
23. Blood Shack (1971)
24. Prowler, The (1981)
25. Mummy's Tomb, The (1942)
26. Mummy's Ghost, The (1944)
27. Mummy's Curse, The (1944)

Re: *** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge

10/6 12 The Vampire Bat (1933)

A police inspector in a small German town investigates a series of deaths who the townfolk believe was committed by a vampire. They suspect a simple-minded fellow who loves bats, of committing these murders. This movie did start out promising but quickly became something else. Still I recommend it for the fine acting.

Re: *** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge

The main music theme of the film (which Tarantino used in Kill Bill) is 7 notes repeated over and over but I cannot remember whether Jennifer O'Neill's character actually hears that music as part of her visions. Anyone familiar with gialli knows that the title was there to attract attention - any sense it makes is optional

I prefer Fulci's gialli over his gore films and I really like this Fulci effort because of the twists and turns in the plot.

Re: *** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge

Out of

Die Screaming Marianne 1/2
Pete Walker made a string of British horror films in the 70s and has a small cult following. However the two films of his I have seen so far have not really impressed me. Nevertheless I bought Shriek Show's Pete Walker quadruple set really cheap and plan on watching them this month. This first film is just boring and isn't really a horror film even though there are many nasty characters behaving badly to Susan George who is the only good thing in the movie. I hope the others are better.

Virgin of Nuremberg
Antonio Margheriti's Gothic horror includes some colorful atmosphere, excellent shocks, torture, a Nazi subplot and Christoper Lee. A must-see for fans of Italian 60s Gothic cinema.

Murders at the Zoo
I have wanted to see this Universal movie (still not on DVD) for a long time because of its notorious grisly nature. The opening scene is a shocker and certainly grabbed by 12 year old daughter's attention when she wandered in. Lionel Atwill plays an insanely jealous husband who goes to absurd lengths to avenge himself on those who show affection for his wife. There's a zoo fundraiser right in front of the animal cages, people are despatched via alligators and poisonous snakes and a memorable death scene for Atwill. And all in 62 minutes.

Re: *** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge

Thanks. Now that you mention it I do remember the (great) music being lifted by Tarantino in KILL BILL. From my brain, I don't think the music had anything to do with her visions though. The mirror was the big key for what she "saw". My problem is that during the movie there weren't any twists in regards to the killings. For me it seemed like the screenplay focused on one person and just followed that until the twist at the end. The twist was brilliantly done but I think that the first 90 minutes needed more mystery to keep me into it.

I use to love Fulci's gore films but they've really gone downhill with me. I do plan on getting a couple on later in the month but to me DON'T TOTURE A DUCKLING is his best movie. I got two more of his giallo's sitting here so I might get them on later.

I love MURDERS IN THE ZOO just because of evil and shocking it is. Much better than ISLAND OF LOST SOULS in my opinion.