*** Official 9th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge - Page 11

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

The "Something Weird DVDs" are similar. Well worth the money spent. I love that movie too, btw. Good one!

I'll bet it holds out for you. I wish I'd seen it as a child because there's so much power in nostalgia during this season. Things like this are just perfect. But so far this is my least favorite anthology. But, that said, I liked it. Just expected more.

It definitely has that Nightstalker feel to it.

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

SOMETHING WEIRD put out some of the best DVDs period. The prints look as good as can be expected for these type of films, and are often packed with extras. some of the commentaries are better then the movies themselves. They're the CRITERION of shit cinema

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

I agree with you on this one. It's a film I want to love, but just can't get into it. I think Zombies other 2, DEVILS REJECTS and HALLOWEEN are fantastic though. I got the new unrated 3 disc set of the latter on it's way to me, can't wait to see the 4.5 hour documentary on it. I plan to count it in the challenge, it's horror theme'd and 4 hours, screw it, it counts!

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

The Mist
FROM LEGENDARY FRIGHTMASTER STEPHEN KING and Academy Award® nominated director Frank Darabont ('The Shawshank Redemption', 'The Green Mile') comes one of the most tense and terrifying films since 'The Shining'. After a mysterious mist envelops a small New England town, a group of locals trapped in a supermarket must battle a siege of otherworldly creatures...and the fears that threaten to tear them apart. Starring Thomas Jane ('The Punisher') and Oscar® winner Marcia Gay Harden ('Mystic River') in one of the year's most talked-about performances, 'The Mist' "is not only one of the best movies of 2007, it's one of the best horror movies ever made. Period." (Maryann Johanson, 'The Flick Filosopher')

My Thoughts:
This was a blind buy for me... but one I wasn't worried about placing in the least since I am such a big fan of Stephen King movies. But I must say... this movie was even better then I was expecting... and my expectations was pretty high! The suspense was great and the effects was well done. I really enjoyed every minute of this movie! I seldomly ever give a full 5 point rating when I review movies.. as I do believe there is always room for improvement... and I stuck by this here... but this is the closest I have gotten to wanting to give a full 5 point rating since I started my marathon!

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

Oct. 7th:
26. A Nightmare on Elm Street
27. Campfire Tales

Oct. 8th:
28. The Lost Boys
29. Lost Boys: The Tribe
30. The Haunting (1963)

Oct. 9th:
31. Reincarnation
32. The Mist

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

Pete Battista]Reincarnation


My Thoughts:
Unfortunately I may not have gotten the best Japanese horror to start out with... as this movie was a bit confusing and on the weird side. But I have to admit... the atmosphere of this movie is remarkable.


Don't worry Pete, if you haven't see n a lot of J-horror, then you got the gist with your comment about it being weird and confusing. They go hand in hand with this particular genre. most of them are nonsensical in the story telling. You just have to go with it. It's also about the atmosphere, like you mentioned.

Get RINGU, ONE MISSED CALL, and JU-ON, for the best in J-horror.

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

Thanks for the suggestions!... I will definitely put them on my list to get

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

Heroes of Horror: A&E Biography - Vincent Price: The Versatile Villain
An aristocratic bearing and a distinctive voice helped Vincent Price cultivate an air of sophistication and mystery. These traits made him a standout performer in 'The Fly', 'The Pit and the Pendulum', 'The Abominable Dr. Phibes' and dozens of other acclaimed films that fueled a career that spanned six decades.

My Thoughts:
This is an interesting documentary on the life of Vincent Price. I have became a huge fan of his work in horror movies... but I had no idea he was involved in so much more then horror! I definitely enjoyed taking a behind the scenes look at my favorite classic horror star.

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

Oct. 7th:
26. A Nightmare on Elm Street
27. Campfire Tales

Oct. 8th:
28. The Lost Boys
29. Lost Boys: The Tribe
30. The Haunting (1963)

Oct. 9th:
31. Reincarnation
32. The Mist

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

Oct. 9th:
7. Heroes of Horror: A&E Biography - Vincent Price: The Versatile Villain

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

That's an interesting way to look at it, Christopher. I never thought of it that way. Maybe it'll help the next time I see the movie, but I guess that for me as a viewer (not one of the direct family members) it seems more uncomfortable seeing all the pod people looking so "emotionless". It doesn't seem like such a bad existence to be duplicated, in the original!

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

Agreed on Devil's Rejects here. Rob does an amazing job of twisting things toward the end so we care for these vile, horrid people and want them to escape.

And I love House of a Thousand Corpses! Yes, it's a bit of a mess from time to time, but the raw energy on screen just blew me away. It was clear Rob had a love and damn near obsession for the 70's grimy horror flicks and that he could convey it so well on his first go was really remarkable.

That being said - I disliked his Halloween quite a bit. This has been discussed at length in the past, but I simply do not find "trailer trash kid with fucked up parents" anywhere near as scary as "middle class, suburban kid from peaceful home and neighborhood goes psycho". The indefinable, all-encompassing evil that Michael Myers was when John Carpenter created him was - in my opinion - a truly terrifying entity. This big ass brawler from a crappy family didn't do it for me.

From Dusk Till Dawn: Changing speed midstream was looked upon as a blunder. Not so, says I. Love this flick. Dripping, salacious badassness oozes from every frame. Effects are a bit shoddy in some spots, but otherwise - there is simply no way to dislike this film. Tarantino script? Rodriguez lighting quick pacing and action? Tits? Vampires? Kietel? This film just rocks!

The Giant Claw: Bob, I would have been drunk in about 15 minutes! Battleship sized bird devastates what appears to be nothing more than a train kit, a model airplane, and a cardboard Empire State building in the best crap movie I've seen in quite some time! Actually a few good lines in there too. Great, great fun. Bird looks worse then something my 10 month old would make in arts and crafts!

And that's about it for me, kiddies! Off to Paris tomorrow. Might get 1 more flick in before, but not counting on it. Probably see 2 or 3 while away depending on whether or not I can sleep on the plane. Hope everyone has a rockin' week. Catch ya when I get back.

Cheers,

Jason

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

I think THE DEVIL'S REJECTS is a masterpiece of its type.

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

I loved this one to. the switch up half way through totally works since the characters are as much "WTF?" as the viewer is when it happens. Great stuff.

I think Zombies Halloween works for me as I can view it as it's own thing. As far as a remake, it's rather un-necessary and Carpenters original is certainly a master piece that no imitator has ever really come close to capturing. But considering how dire most other remakes are, and that this one was probably inevitable, it's a pretty fine horror film on it's own. If Zombie had made it under a different title and changed the names, I think it would of been hailed as an amazing homage to Halloween, instead of mostly despised. In reference to the original, it's still 1000 times better then all the druid bullshit in the sequels, so thats good enough for me.

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

Amityville Dollhouse
A young girl and her parents become the latest victimes of the Amityville curse when they are terrorized by the evil spirits living within her dollhouse in this chilling supernatural thriller.

My Thoughts:
I didn't remember ever seeing this one before... but I remembered a few scenes... so I am sure I seen it. It is unfortunate that I didn't remember as this one really is only fair at best. If I would have remembered it I would have picked a different title. But that is ok... as it is not terrible... just not good either. I can see myself watching it again... just not that often.

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

Oct. 7th:
26. A Nightmare on Elm Street
27. Campfire Tales

Oct. 8th:
28. The Lost Boys
29. Lost Boys: The Tribe
30. The Haunting (1963)

Oct. 9th:
31. Reincarnation
32. The Mist
33. Amityville Dollhouse

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

Oct. 9th:
7. Heroes of Horror: A&E Biography - Vincent Price: The Versatile Villain

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

Friday the 13th: The Series: Season 1 - Hellowe'en
Micki and Ryan throw a Halloween party in order to meet the neighbors, but they end up with a guest they didn't expect - the evil spirit of their Uncle Vendredi.

My Thoughts:
Woohoo! a Halloween episode of Friday the 13th: The Series... I love horror shows and I love Halloween episodes of any show... so this one is a great thing to me! I even get to see it for the very first time on this set as it is one of the many episodes I have never seen. And it was a great episode... I enjoyed every minute of it. Possibly my favorite episode so far!

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

Oct. 7th:
26. A Nightmare on Elm Street
27. Campfire Tales

Oct. 8th:
28. The Lost Boys
29. Lost Boys: The Tribe
30. The Haunting (1963)

Oct. 9th:
31. Reincarnation
32. The Mist
33. Amityville Dollhouse

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

Oct. 9th:
7. Heroes of Horror: A&E Biography - Vincent Price: The Versatile Villain
8. Friday the 13th: The Series: Season 1 - Hellowe'en

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

Rob Zombie has proven to be talented but he really needs to get his head out of Leatherface's ass. I'm sorry but all three of his films borrow too much from Hooper, TCM and so on. The white trash, sleep with your mom stuff can't work with everything.

HALLOWEEN was a complete POS but I did rent the "unrated" version just to see if the director's cut is any better. It's been sitting here since day 1 and I'm having trouble putting it on. I'm really not sure if this version will be any better and I don't really feel like seeing it again if it's just as bad.

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

Ripper, The (1985) Christopher Lewis

This here was one of the first movies to be produced in order to go straight to video with the director's Blood Cult being considered the very first. The film tells the story of a professor (Tom Schreier) who buys the ring of Jack the Ripper and soon afterwards women start turning up with their throats slashed and guts ripped out. This was a very popular and rather infamous rental back in the day but it's pretty much been forgotten since then. I hadn't seen the film in nearly twenty-years and my memories of it were pretty bad but this viewing really didn't come off as bad as I thought it would. There's no question that the film is bad but I was rather shocked to see how well it actually is considering there really wasn't anything for the director to work off of. In other words, I've seen countless direct to VHS (or now DVD) titles that were cheap and poor but it's rather neat seeing such an early example and notice that it's better than a lot of what followed. The biggest problem is that the film runs 104-minutes, which is at least twenty-minutes too long. The actual story is an interesting one and one that could work but not at the long running time. Another problem is that the film spends way too much time with one of the professor's students and his girlfriend. Both of the actors are very bad so why so much time was spent with them is beyond me. Gore master Tom Savini gets top billing but he only appears in one scene playing the spirit of Jack the Ripper.

Blood Cult (1985) Christopher Lewis

This film is best remembered for being the first film produced in order to go straight to VHS, which we all know became a very profitable venue for producers. In the film, sorority girls are being chopped up all over a small town so the sheriff must try and figure out what's going on. After some research he finally realizes that a Satanic cult is behind the murders. Outside the historic claims to the film there's really not too much here, although I must say that the movie, while pretty bad, never got too boring. The low budget (apparently 27-thousand) adds a certain charm to the film but the screenplay is still rather weak and we get some incredibly bad performances that don't help matters. There are several childish death scenes with all sorts of blood and guts but even the special effects aren't that special. After reading a few interviews with the director and producer it's clear that they were interested in making money and I think that's easy to see here. This really comes off as the type of film where people are wanting to make cash and there's no real effort to make anything really good. I will admit that the movie is certainly a lot better than a lot of direct to VHS titles but that's still not saying much.



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)
28. Man with Two Lives (1942)
29. House of Mystery (1934)
30. Little Shop of Horrors, The (1960)
31. Au secours! (1924)
32. Horror of the Blood Monsters (1970)
33. Blood of Ghastly Horror (1972)
34. Ripper, The (1985)
35. Blood Cult (1985)

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

Out of

Crimson Rivers : Angels of the Apocalypse
Some interesting elements in this sequel but ultimately it is too confusing and pointless to be good.

Someone's Watching Me
John Carpenter's dry-run for Halloween is an exercise in suspense but undone by its TV movie origins and Lauren Hutton's annoying performance.

The Flesh and Blood Show
The Pete Walker box set gets a lot better with this, his first real horror film. The giallo genre was influenced by the British detective story so it makes sense that Walker could make a British giallo mixing in his typical bleakness. The dilapidated theater setting is great and although the ending is heavily telegraphed there are some fun scenes playing with the fantasy and reality of acting.

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

10/09 17 The Monster Walks (1932)

A young woman travels to a spooky old mansion for the reading of a will after the death of her scientist father. After the reading, a series of deaths occur and an ape who was part of some experiment is suspected of committing the murders. I thought it was poorly done with mediocre acting. Mercifully it was short.

10/09 18 Tarantula (1955)

I've always had an unreasonable fear of spiders. If there is one in the house, I have to get my husband to kill it or if I'm alone I use a fly swatter. Silly eh but the thought of the body crunching between my fingers makes me shudder. You can imagine how a movie like this or any spider movie impacts on me. This is a well-done movie, well acted with a good looking spider for the 1950's. This movie has a definite high squirm factor for me. Good stuff.

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

Oct. 9:

Films:

The Wasp Woman (1959).

Tonight was the first time I've ever seen this film. I liked some of it, but I didn't think it was one of the strongest offerings on the Drive-In Discs collection. I thought the score (Fred Katz) was okay, but not great. I did like the use of xylophone throughout much of the film. One thing I noticed was that the print was nowhere near as good as The Giant Gila Monster or I Bury the Living. This one had both audio and video issues in a few places.

I must say, the first time I saw the transformed woman (into the wasp), it surprised the heck out of me. I didn't expect it at all. It had a real The Fly look to it in my view. That was a nice treat. For some reason, I thought Mary (the second lead woman in the film) was (in a bizarre twist) going to turn out to be the wasp woman. But as those whom have seen the film know, that wasn't the case.

I also liked seeing the elevator near the end of the film. When it showed 40, then 50, floors, I went "Whoa!" I don't recall having seen that before the climax; it was startling to realize that they weren't in a two- or three-story building.

Television episodes:

The Waltons ("Ghost Story") (1974).

Updated list:

Films:

01. House On Haunted Hill (1959)
02. The Fly (1958)
03. The Giant Gila Monster (1959)
04. Halloweentown (1998)
05. Return Of the Fly (1959)
06. The Blob (1958)
07. The Screaming Skull (1958)
08. Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge (2001)
09. I Bury the Living (1958)
10. The Wasp Woman (1959)

Television episodes:

01. Dark Shadows (Original series) (episodes nos. 19 and 20) (1966)
02. One Step Beyond ("The Dead Part Of the House") (1959)
03. Charmed ("All Halliwell's Eve") (2000)
04. Star Trek ("Catspaw") (1967)
05. The Waltons ("Ghost Story") (1974)

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

Updated:

10/01 (1) Deranged (1974)
10/02 (2) Pet Sematary (1989)
10/03 (3) Empire of the Ants (1977)
10/07 (4) Tentacles (1977)
10/08 (5) The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)
10/09 (6) Alligator (1980)

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

I can't agree there, Russell. I despised Zombie's HALLOWEEN (though the first half was better than the second) and I guess I'm in a minority when I say I liked the story arc of the druids thing in the sequels. Or I should say I really liked the PRODUCER'S CUT version of HALLOWEEN 6, which to me was a fine sequel, as originally intended. I still hope one day we'll get the real deal and see that version of PART 6 released properly.

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

Pete, you may have noticed that I wrote that HELLOWE'EN was an episode I didn't care for personally, but here you've reminded me of a major reason for my dislike which I forgot to mention before. I didn't like that the uncle was "evil" here, because to me I thought that the whole idea of the series originally was supposed to be, after dealing with the devil and selling those cursed antiques, that Vendredi decided to be "straight" again and backed out of the pact that he made with the devil, which is why he was killed and the devil took his soul. I liked the idea that Vendredi had a change of heart, but it was too late for him. Just my opinion.

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

Well -- last night I fell asleep on the movie I was trying to watch so it can't count, but I did manage to watch 4 more episodes of THE MUNSTERS. I just purchased the new COMPLETE MUNSTERS set and am really loving revisiting these shows during 'Halloween Month':

THE MUNSTERS: "Grandpa Leaves Home"
THE MUNSTERS : "Herman's Rival"
THE MUNSTERS: "Grandpa's Call of the Wild"
THE MUNSTERS: "All- Star Munster"

Great stuff!


2008 SCARY MOVIE CHALLENGE
01) Chamber of Horrors (1966) **1/2
02) Indestructible Man (1956) **1/2
03) The Earth Dies Screaming (1964) **
04) Village of the Damned (1960) ***
05) Children of the Damned (1963) **1/2
06) Dr. Renault's Secret (1942) ***
07) I Was a Teenage Frankenstein (1957) **1/2
08) The Mad Monster (1942) *1/2
09) Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) ***
10) Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933) ***


TV EPISODES Watched
THE MUNSTERS - "Munster Masquerade"
THE MUNSTERS - "My Fair Munster"
THE MUNSTERS - "A Walk on the Mild Side"
THE MUNSTERS - "Rock- A- Bye Munster"
THE MUNSTERS - "Pike's Pique"
THE MUNSTERS - "Low-Cal Munster"
THE MUNSTERS - "Tin Can Man"
THE MUNSTERS - "Herman the Great"
THE MUNSTERS - "Knock Wood, Here Comes Charlie"
THE MUNSTERS - "Autumn Croakus"
THE MUNSTERS - "The Midnite Ride of Herman Munster"
THE MUNSTERS - "The Sleeping Cutie"
THE MUNSTERS - "Family Portrait"
THE MUNSTERS - "Grandpa Leaves Home"
THE MUNSTERS - "Herman's Rival"
THE MUNSTERS - "Grandpa's Call of the Wild"
THE MUNSTERS - "All-Star Munster"

FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE SERIES - "The Inheritance"
FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE SERIES - "The Poison Pen"
FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE SERIES - "Cupid's Quiver"
FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE SERIES - "A Cup of Time"
FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE SERIES - "Hellowe'en"

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

Ratings out of

First time viewing in Bloody Red

Calling Mr. Death (1943) ½
The first of the Inner Sanctum B-thrillers starring Lon Chaney Jr. This one features a Doc who thinks he’s killed his wife. Brisk paced and short at little over an hour it was also somewhat forgettable.

Weird Woman (1944)
Second entry in the Inner Sanctum thrillers is probably my favorite of the bunch. This one again stars Lon Chaney Jr. this time as a Professor who marries an Island woman who’s not all that she seems.

Dead Man’s Eyes (1944) ½
Third film in the Inner Sanctum series features Lon Chaney Jr. as a blinded artist who has to wait for a man to die for use of his eyes. Not bad.

The Frozen Ghost (1945)
Fourth entry in the Inner Sanctum series stars Lon Chaney Jr. as a mentalist who thinks he’s killed a man with his mind.

Strange Confession (1945)
Fifth entry in the Inner Sanctum series is more of a Drama than a mystery/thriller/chiller/whatever. This one features Lon as a scientist’s conflict with his unscrupulous boss.

Pillow of Death (1945)
Final Inner Sanctum entry and the series goes out with a whimper. This one features Chaney as a man that’s having an affair who’s wife is found dead.

All in all I’m glad I had a chance to finally watch these but they’re not a set of films I’d really want to watch again.

The Blood of Fu Manchu (1968)
I’ve always wanted to check out some of Christopher Lee’s Fu Manchu films but could never find the earlier ones with the better reputation so I settled for this. Fu’s nefarious plot in this 4th entry is sending women stuffed with poison on “kiss of death” missions. Pretty awful.

The Devil Rides Out (1968) ½
Hammer’s most notable foray into occultism features a wonderful performance by Christopher Lee as the heroic Duc de Richleau as he pits his white magic against Charles Gray's black magic. This one also benefits from Terrence Fisher’s tight direction and Richard Matheson’s screenplay which treats the source material with respect.

Horror Rises from the Tomb (1973) ½
Another of Paul Naschy’s Eurotrash horror films this one again features multiple roles for Naschy – as a Medieval warlock, his brother and the films modern age protagonist. This one doesn’t have a very coherent plot nor is it particularly well acted by the supporting cast, but it does convey some decent atmosphere, nice T&A shots and ome unique violence.

Season of the Witch (1972)
Ultra low budget film by George Romero has a bored housewife taking up witchcraft. All the bad qualities of the average student film and none of the inventiveness of his earlier Living Dead, in other words this was a big steaming pile of shit.

Night of the Demon (1957)
Dana Andrews travels to England to investigate a cult of demon conjuring Satan worshipers lead by Julian Karswell (Niall MacGinnis) a role obviously molded after the real-life warlock Aleister Crowley. One of the all-time greatest Horror films.

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

The two Fu Manchu films directed by Franco are pretty horrid and have very little to do with the earlier films. These are certainly more Franco than Fu Manchu.

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

DAY NINE -- Thursday, October 9, 2008

29. Dark Water. (2002)

They'd been begging the management for an indoor swimming pool for years...so...

I Netflix'd this some time ago and have always wanted a copy of it. Halloween viewing essential: an atmosphere that is a pure kind of eery and creepy you just don't get with similar modern horrors, as most seem to overdo it, with CGI or whatnot, but this one gets it just right. Sooo glad I own it now. A real treasure of a horror film that should be watched in the original Japanese language for full effect. My own history with Japanese shows/movies days back to the late 60s/early 70s with stuff like Ultraman. Anything with that feel gives me a special jolt of nostalgia I can't get anywhere else. Dark Water might put you in mind of Rosemary's Baby since it has a very clever slow build. Although Rosemary ends with a bang, this one sort of creeps to an end, which is not a bad thing. This is one of several Japanese horrors I bought for this years 'thon...and it's cool this is the only one of those I've seen before. The other 2 look outstanding...more about those later...

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

30. Cemetery Man. (1992)

The original title Dellamorte Dellamore is better. I'm always singing the english name to the tune of Neil Diamond's "Solitary Man", one of my favorite songs. o/Huuum humhumhum...Cem-uh-tery MAN! o/

I wanted a comedy next and I've been pining for zombies since the 'thon thing started. I just grabbed the first zombie comedy I could find off the shelf. I have several that are all good. This might be my favorite with Shaun of the Dead close behind. If I had the first 3 Return of the Living Deads onhand, as planned, I would have watched the original. But that didnt' work out. Anyway, the whole look of this film beats out the others handily. Visually impressive from the get-go. The character "Ghnaghi", who looks like Curly from The 3 Stooges, is my favorite, whether he's chasing the leaves, eating a heeping pile of food, smiling at the little paper bag the cemetery's most frequent visitor brings him or waiting patiently for his true love to return...I just love that guy! The actors in the main 2 roles make a great buddy team for a film like this.

Horrorthon success level of film: 9.

31. The Axe. (1977) ***this one is new to me***

If my boss knew how much I was goofing off during my 'thon, the title would have a new meaning for me.

I started another movie but 4 minutes into it I changed to this one. I felt I'd enjoy that other movie more this weekend. I was craving a bad movie and this DVD from "Something Weird Video" looked the part. That said, I was a little disappointed in the main feature The Axe. I've seen 2 other films presented from this company and The Axe doesn't quite measure up to those. This one has a little too many tiny cut scenes that only serve to pad the thing into a feature length film...or the editor just wasn't skilled enough. It's not altogether unsatisfying for bad movie fans. The DVD is certainly worth owning for all you get: 2 films (the other is Electric Chair from the same director...not sure if I'll give it a spin during the 'thon), loads of trash movie preview trailers that had me howling, 2 short features I'll probably watch at lunch today, plus a gallery of trash movie posters with radio spots played in the back ground. Yeah, the movie was a little lacking but the DVD is still worth owning. I love this company!!! All their DVDs are on sale at amazon.com for $4.99. I'm only sorry I cant buy the rest since I'm tapped currently.

Horrorthon success level of film (and the DVD): 9.