5th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge (1 Viewer)

[Jim_K]

The Black Cat (1934) :star: :star: :star: 1/2
By far the best of the Karloff/Lugosi team-ups. This one has Karloff as a devil-worshiping sadist who terrorizes a group of travelers. Lugosi is rather good as Karloff’s heroic arch-nemesis.

Night of the Demon :star: :star: :star: :star:
Tourneur’s atmospheric horror masterpiece as Dana Andrews investigates a demonology cult in Britain.

Black Sunday (1960) a.k.a. The Mask of Satan :star: :star: :star:
Mario Bava’s first feature is rich on atmosphere but after a fantastic opening sequence the plot becomes murky & the pacing drags a little. Worth watching but not my favorite Bava film.

The Masque of Red Death :star: :star: :star: :star:
Roger Corman’s ode to “The Seventh Seal” is perhaps the finest he ever made. The pinnacle of the gothic Poe/Price/Corman films from AIP.

The Devil Rides Out :star: :star: :star: 1/2
Scripted by Richard Matheson, this is one of the best films about the Black Arts. Chris Lee gives a standout performance as the heroic Duc de Richleau.

Rosemary’s Baby :star: :star: :star: :star:
Polanski’s classic is every pregnant mother’s nightmare as Mia Farrow is caught in the web of a devil-worshiping cult.

The Exorcist :star: :star: :star: :star:
This film changed the face of horror forever in this classic about a little girl’s demonic possession.

Suspiria :star: :star: 1/2
Argento’s classic about a school of witches. After one hell of an opening sequence, this one goes on cruise control & finally runs out of steam by the uninspired Roger Corman-like fiery finale.

2004 October Horror film challenge
1.) Curse of Frankenstein :star: :star: :star: 1/2
2.) The Revenge of Frankenstein :star: :star: :star: :star:
3.) Frankenstein Created Woman :star: :star: :star:
4.) Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed :star: :star: :star: 1/2
5.) Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell :star: :star: :star: 1/2
6.) The Thing From Another World :star: :star: :star: :star:
7.) Creature From the Black Lagoon :star: :star: :star: 1/2
8.) Them! :star: :star: :star: :star:
9.) The Fly (1958) :star: :star: :star: 1/2
10.) Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) :star: :star: :star: :star:
11.) Quatermass II; Enemy From Space :star: :star: :star: 1/2
12.) X the Unknown :star: :star: :star:
13.) The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms :star: :star: :star:
14.) Gojira (1954) :star: :star: :star: :star:
15.) The Black Cat (1934) :star: :star: :star: 1/2
16.) Night of the Demon :star: :star: :star: :star:
17.) Black Sunday (1960) a.k.a. The Mask of Satan :star: :star: :star:
18.) The Masque of Red Death :star: :star: :star: :star:
19.) The Devil Rides Out :star: :star: :star: 1/2
20.) Rosemary’s Baby :star: :star: :star: :star:
21.) The Exorcist :star: :star: :star: :star:
22.) Suspiria :star: :star: 1/2

 

[Justin_S]

Having a region free player is grand. I already have Alligator and The Mutilator (as well as several other great flicks) on DVD because of it. For me, a region free player is essential.

I saw Snakehead Terror on Sci-Fi months ago. Pretty bad, with some really poor CGI in it too.

With lame Sony/Columbia in charge of MGM now, I fear that uncut The Burning SE won't see the light of day. I'd love to be wrong, and get a great disc.

Snuff is already on DVD from Blue Underground by the way.

The movie with Marty, the Jester slasher, is Slaughter High. One of the crazier slashers of the 80s, and quite enjoyable. The guy who played Marty actually committed suicide not too long after the film. Anyway, a DVD would be nice.

Well, I've been up all night watching stuff, and intend to update soon. Right now I'm trying to hurry and look at a few things before taking a nap.

 

[Brook K]

Adds to Netflix queue....

Justin, totally agree with everything you said about New York Ripper. Easily one of the best and most underappreciated slasher films. But I thought City of the Living Dead was awful. Much prefer House by the Cememtary, Zombi, and Don't Torture A Duckling.

After delays caused by work late last week I finally got my first viewing under my belt -

Dead & Buried - This film about a sheriff investigating a rash of killings in his small town, grabbed me from the opening scene and impressed the hell out of me. It's exceedingly rare that anything scares me anymore, but this one had me more than once. An inventive story with an intriguing concept that works as both horror and mystery, combined with a quality of cinematography usually not found in American horror films of this sort and Stan Winston effects, give it production values I wasn't expecting. It also has a very good score and makes atmospheric use of big band and jazz classics. Even the acting was better than I expected. The only thing keeping it from an "A" is that the other "horror" scenes can't match the beginning or ending scenes. This is a movie to add to my collection. I only hope I didn't set the bar too high in leading off the challenge with this film - A-


2004 HTF Horror Challenge (BOLD Designates 1st time viewing)

1. Dead & Buried - A-

 

[Martin_T]

Well, over the weekend I managed to catch a couple more movies.

Since the It's Alive series is coming out on DVD soon I decided to rent the VHS versions and decide if I should buy them, instead of buying them blind. Glad that I watched them, since I would have been pretty unhappy with buying the series. I enjoyed the third one in the series somewhat, mostly because I really like Michael Moriarty (who was really fun as the lead). Overall a diappointing series for me.

I also got around to watching Return Of The Living Dead Part 2 (I rented the old VHS), which turned out to be quite a bit better than I remember it being from years back. Enjoyed this one, and might pick up the DVD later if I can find it cheap enough.

Next up was Of Unknown Origin with Peter Weller. Fun little "Man versus Rat" flick. Decent and well paced. Could have used a bit more Shannon Tweed though!


MY SCARY MOVIE CHALLENGE 2004
01. Species 3
02. It's Alive
03. It Lives Again
04. It's Alive 3: Island Of The Alive
05. Return Of The Living Dead Part 2
06. Of Unknown Origin

 

[Bob Turnbull]

Loads of cheese in this one, but I quite liked it...I thought the suspense was handled pretty well and the cinematography was gorgeous. Colour, colour, everywhere...How does Argento's Deep Red compare? I've got that on my list of potentials for the month's challenge.

 

[Michael Elliott]

DAY OF THE ANIMALS and GRIZZLY are available on DVD but I think they are out of print now. PROM NIGHT is out from a Canadian label and can be found at Wal-Mart for $5.50. All three are open matte however.

HOSPITAL MASSACRE is one I really want but sadly this is an MGM title so if they don't release it next year then we might have a very long wait due to Columbia. FREEWAY MANIAC is another neat slasher as is NAILGUN MASSACRE, although I haven't found anyone else who enjoys these.

It's one of the worst films EVER but I can't wait for MGM's THE HOWLING 2 SE, which is supposed to come out next year. I own all the films except for this one. Another awful but entertaining film is Savini in THE RIPPER. Hopefully we can get a SE of TCM2 before MGM goes under.


I never cared too much for SUSPIRIA either. The start of the film was just so great that the rest of the film just had to let the viewer down. TENEBRE is my favorite Argento (come on Blue Underground!!!!).

 

[Joe Karlosi]

I think SUSPIRIA'S a great horror film, through and through.

Regarding those DVDs of DAY OF THE ANIMALS and GRIZZLY - I bought both of them early in the DVD game. The quality's pretty bad, and GRIZZLY really needs to be done properly in its OAR. Right now, it's better than nothing.

 

[Justin_S]

That's good to hear. Its underappreciated indeed, and its nice to see another fan around this forum. As for COTLD, it just really works for me. On another note, if you liked Don't Torture a Duckling, his Lizard in a Woman's Skin is a must see.

Nice to see that you enjoyed Dead and Buried so much too. Its one of the few films to really creep me out, and Jack Albertson gives a damn fine performance as Dobbs. This is one of my favorite movies, and one that's a shoe-in for this year's challenge.

As for Suspiria, I'm with Joe. Outstanding film from start to finish, and my pick for Argento's best work.

Back on the subject of an update, I'll get to that tonight. I have some stuff I need to get to before 8 o'clock.

 

[Rick Spruill]

First Time Viewing in Bold

10/3 - Fog Island (1945) - 3/5
- When you mix George Zucco, Lionel Atwill, a fog shrouded island, an old dark house, murder, secret passages, hidden treasure, boobie traps, a man out for revenge, and a half dozen less than honest people, you get a fairly entertaining way to spend 69 minutes. Not great, but I enjoyed seeing Zucco and Atwill together.

10/4 - The Wicker Man (1973) - 4.5/5
- The story of a devoutly Christain man running into a group of pagans. Edward Woodward gives the performance of a lifetime. The ending is still very powerful even after several viewings.

10/4 - Island of Lost Souls (1933) - 5/5
- Island of Lost Souls is the earliest and easily the superior version of H.G. Wells' Dr. Moreau. This is a beautifully filmed movie that still supplies the creepy moments almost 70 years after being made. Charles Laughton delivers one of the best performances in the history of horror. The ending always reminds me of Freaks with the same savagery on display.


2004 Horror Challenge

1. Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1973) - 4/5
2. The Last Man on Earth (1964) - 4/5
3. Orca (1977) 2/5
4. Pieces (1982) - 2/5
5. Frozen Alive (1966) - 1/5
6. Fog Island (1945) - 3/5
7. The Wicker Man (1973) - 4.5/5
8. Island of Lost Souls (1933) - 5/5

 

[Matt Stone]

Just watched Mute Witness for the first time. Pretty good mix of suspense and comedy. I liked the fish-out-of-water stuff with all the Russians, and the suspense stuff was very Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys. I bought it from the Walmart discount bin earlier this year, and for 5.99, it was a great buy.


2004 Scary Movie List
1. 28 Days Later (4.5/5)
2. Maniac (4.5/5)
3. Stir of Echos (4.5/5)
4. The Stepfather (4/5)
5. Candyman (4/5)
6. Night of the Living Dead (5/5)
7. Raw Meat (4.5/5)
8. C.H.U.D. (4/5)
9. Darkness Falls (1.5/5)
10. Mute Witness (4/5)

 

[Michael Elliott]

I bought nearly EVERY horror title in that bin just for October. I've got around ten I need to watch including MUTE WITNESS as well as classics like PYTHON, PYTHON 2 and SLEEPWALKERS.

Just a heads up but Wal-Mart has THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE in the bin right now and it's a pretty good ghost movie.

 

[Michael Elliott]

10/04/04


A Bucket of Blood (1959) :star::star::star:

Another Roger Corman quickie this time dealing with a sculpture (Dick Miller) who can’t catch a break until he starts using real humans for his work. This is a delightful black comedy about a dork seeking revenge. The performances are all rather good, especially Miller who works wonders. The no budget really adds to the charm of this one. A funny note is that when the film was released it had a campaign telling people they’d get in free if they brought a bucket of blood to the theater. I wonder if anyone did?

Giant Gila Monster, The (1959) :star::star::star:

Another stupid, no budget “nature” attacks film from the 50’s this one dealing with a large gila monster and the teens who try to kill it. If you’re a fan of these types of films then you’ll certainly love this one, which is campy and silly enough for a good time. The effects are very laughable but that just adds to the charm. The same year this director made The Killer Shrews, which makes for a great double feature.

The Black Cat (1934) :star::star::star:1/2

The first teaming of Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi is a very successful and sometimes eerie tale of Satan worshipping and avenging love. The film is a little too talky and not much happens but it’s a great blast seeing the two legends trying to out perform each other. Karloff is very creepy and pushes the evil limit while Lugosi is great at getting sympathy.

The Raven (1935) :star::star::star::star:

This is the second teaming of Karloff and Lugosi and while the film doesn’t have the greatest reputation, I personally love every single second of the movie. Lugosi plays a love sick doctor who will stop at nothing to get the woman he loves and that includes taking the criminal Karloff and turning him into a deformed monster. The film contains one of the greatest performances from Lugosi who is stark raving mad here. Karloff is also wonderful and manages to make us sympathize with his character. The film runs just over 60 minutes and each of those minutes moves very fast and are full of action.

Silent Night Deadly Night (1984) :star::star::star:

This is without a doubt the sickest, most perverted slasher ever made. Young Billy sees his mom and dad slaughtered by Santa and yes later he dresses up as Santa to punish all the naughty people. This is without a doubt a horrible film but I still enjoy it because of how sick, perverted and distasteful it is. I’m not one for censorship but a film like this probably shouldn’t have been made because it’s certainly at the bottom of the barrel. There are some moments so incredibly stupid that you’ve just gotta laugh, especially the scene when Billy first starts working and we get a stupid ballad to show how good he is.

2004 Horror Challenge First time view in bold.

01.Dracula’s Daughter (1936 ***)
02.Son of Dracula (1942 ***)
03.Nosferatu (1922 ****)
04.Santo vs. Frankenstein’s Daughter (1971 *)
05.Monster Walks, The (1932 **)
06.Scared to Death (1947 ** ½)
07.Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter (1966 BOMB)
08.Little Shop of Horrors, The (1960 ***)
09.Halloween (1978 ****)
10.Halloween 2 (1981 ***)
11.Halloween 3 (1982 ***)
12.Dead Men Walk (1943 **)
13.Monster Maker, The (1944 * ½)
14.Phantom Ship (1935 ***)
15.Beast of Yucca Flats, The (1961 BOMB)
16.Man Beast (1956 **)
17.Last Woman on Earth (1960 * ½)
18.Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors (1965 ***)
19.Slumber Party Massacre, The (1982 *** ½)
20.Bucket of Blood, A (1959 ***)
21.Giant Gila Monster, The (1959 ***)
22.Black Cat, The (1934 *** ½)
23.Raven, The (1935 ****)
24.Silent Night Deadly Night (1984 ***)

 

[Angel Pagan]

7) The Mothman Prophecies :star::star::star:

8) Anaconda :star::star:1/2

2004 Scary Movie List
1. Evilspeak ***
2. Fright Night ***
3. An American Werewolf In London ***1/2
4. Children Of The Corn **
5. Christine ***1/2
6. Cabin Fever **1/2
7. The Mothman Prophecies ***
8. Anaconda **1/2
Movies in bold are new discoveries.

 

[Sebastien S]

Ok, this is my first year trying this... I guess I should start posting what I have watched so far...

Movies in "Orange" are movies that I had never seen before.


1. Evil Dead (10/02/04)

3/5

I first heard about this movie when I was 11 (I am 30 now) from a friend of mine who had seen it. I was never able to find it for rent, apparently... The movie had been banned in the province of Quebec for some years, or so I heard? Anyway, I finally saw it the other day! I was expecting very little from the "Special Effects" as the movie was so old, it wasn't that bad though until the end. The movie itself was decent, especially for the time it was made but I was a little dissapointed as I had heard so much about this movie... Still it is way better than the third installment in the series which I saw over ten years ago.


2. Nightmare on Elm Street (10/03/04)

4.5/5

Excellent! It's hard to find something to say about this movie that has not already been said... For me, this is a classic! One of the best in the series if not THE best! I first saw this movie when I was 14 and was visiting my cousin in Toronto. I remember watching the movie, eyes wide opened in excitment as "Freddy" sliced and diced teenagers left and right while my cousin (on the couch next to me) burried her head in a pillow every time a scary scene came up. This was not the first nightmare film I saw though... I was first introduced to the series with the second movie followed by the third (more on that one to come...). Anyway, for some strange reason, this is the first time I have re-visited this movie since I saw it the first time when I was 14. I should not have waited this long to see it again!


3. From Hell (10/04/04)

5/5

I have had this DVD in my collection for over two years but never got around to watching it, I figured this was the perfect time... Amazing movie!!! The acting, the ambiance, the story itself... I was just amazed by this movie and should have watched it a long time ago!


Those are my first 3, I haven't decided if I'm going for 13 or 31 but one way or another, I will be back...


Complete list 2004
Evil Dead 3/5
Nightmare on Elm Street 4.5/5
From Hell 5/5

 

[Matt Stone]

Here's another update...

Ginger Snaps - Good premise, decent execution, but the teen drama stuff was a little too much for me. Overall the gore was great, and the tension was pretty good, but they played up the outcast=werewolf stuff to often. The werewolf makeup was really crummy, IMO. Mimi Rogers was hilarious

Ginger Snaps Unleashed - A great follow-up. They ditched the teen soap opera stuff, and added a nice mental ward. I really liked Tatiana Maslany in the movie. Unsettling stuff. The werewolf makeup was a little better too.

Next up is Ginger Snaps 3, and either Christine or Haute Tension.


2004 Scary Movie List
1. 28 Days Later (4.5/5)
2. Maniac (4.5/5)
3. Stir of Echos (4.5/5)
4. The Stepfather (4/5)
5. Candyman (4/5)
6. Night of the Living Dead (5/5)
7. Raw Meat (4.5/5)
8. C.H.U.D. (4/5)
9. Darkness Falls (1.5/5)
10. Mute Witness (4/5)
11. Ginger Snaps (3.5/5)
12. Ginger Snaps Unleashed (3.5/5)

 

[Ryan Wishton]

Today I saw:

Vampiyaz: Wow, this movie sucked (Pun I guess could be intended. Who cares). I planned on getting it for some laughs as a so bad it's good type of thing. Well, it even disappoints in that category. Steer Clear. This film is a Turkey that had a stake shoved through it's heart. 0 out of 5.

http://www.joblo.com/forums/attachme...postid=1651114

 

[Matt Stone]

Turns out I had a bum copy of Ginger Snaps 3, so I just watched Christine instead. A great film. Not one of Carpenter's upper eschelon films (Halloween, The Thing), but definitely second tier. He's able to make a reletively lame story work with great atmosphere and camera work. I listened to the Carpenter/Gordon commentary, and it was another great one. Carpenter is one of those guys like Peter Jackson that has a real knack for recording commentaries.


2004 Scary Movie List
1. 28 Days Later (4.5/5)
2. Maniac (4.5/5)
3. Stir of Echos (4.5/5)
4. The Stepfather (4/5)
5. Candyman (4/5)
6. Night of the Living Dead (5/5)
7. Raw Meat (4.5/5)
8. C.H.U.D. (4/5)
9. Darkness Falls (1.5/5)
10. Mute Witness (4/5)
11. Ginger Snaps (3.5/5)
12. Ginger Snaps Unleashed (3.5/5)
13. Christine (4/5)

 

[Brook K]

I should revisit COTLD and The Beyond sometime. I was expecting zombie fests and was disappointed when each only had 3-4 zombies. I might view them differently with lowered expectations.

Memento Mori - Korean film set in a high school. When a girl finds the diary of two lesbian students, one of which commits suicide, she finds herself becoming possessed by the spirit of the dead girl.

Like a lot of Asian horror, this is long on atmosphere but short on coherency. I liked the use of mood and sound, but along the way I lost track of what was going on. It has some nice dramatic moments between the characters but much of the effects work and more overt horror moments come off as rather cheezy. B-

2004 HTF Horror Challenge (BOLD Designates 1st time viewing)

1. Dead & Buried - A-
2. Memento Mori - B-

 

[Justin_S]

Night of the Demons- Cool little film with great gore and demon effects. The weathered funeral home is a pretty effective setting as well. There's a few odd scenes that add to the fun. The acting is quite bad though.

Night of the Demons 2- I like this one better than the first. Crazier, gorier, better acted, and just more fun. It has a certain charm to it that the original didn't.

Bats- Rented this since bats go with Halloween well. Bad movie! The bat effects are good, but they're about the only good thing about this turd. I figured maybe it'd be halfway enjoyable, but it was just a ridiculous mess.

Halloween II- Decided to give this one another go after not seeing it for a few years. It is a good movie, but it never stood out for me as anything special. The deserted hospital is creepy, the story picking up right where the first left off is nice, the ending is great, but the sister idea is not something I like, and the movie just isn't a favorite.

Inferno- Gorgeous film from beginning to end, possibly Argento's most visually stunning film to date, though that is disputable. The film is very bizarre, and makes little sense. Still, I do find myself enjoying most of the bizarre sequences. I love this film, but it would be nice if it weren't so all over the place. That fact, and the lame Emerson score are the only things that keep me from ranking this one in Argento's top tier.

Pumpkinhead- Severely overlooked, underappreciated classic. Lance Henriksen gives one of his best performances, and the film manages to be quite saddening, not to mention poetic. Stan Winston's direction is wonderful, and has a definite surreal feel at times. Pumpkinhead himself is easily one of the most spectacular, menacing creatures in film. A wonderful creation. Anyway, truly fantastic film here. Maybe a sweet SE DVD would get it the spotlight it deserves.


2004 Horror Challenge List
1: Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth
2: Christine
3: Alone in the Dark
4: The Fly (Cronenberg's)
5: Zoltan: Hound of Dracula
6: Toolbox Murders (2003)
7: Frogs
8: Ginger Snaps Back
9: New York Ripper
10: Night of the Demons
11: Night of the Demons 2
12: Bats
13: Halloween II
14: Inferno
15: Pumpkinhead

 

[Joe Karlosi]

10/04/04

Son of Ingagi (1940) :star: :star:

Here's a real rarity, an old scary flick featuring an all-black cast. It's not bad, and features an apeman (looking a lot like Anthony Quinn in a cheap caveman's hairpiece and beard) lumbering around and killing people. Just over an hour, it was an easy watch.


SCARY MOVIE CHALLENGE 2004:
01) Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920) **
02) Murders in the Zoo (1933) ***
03) Taking Lives (2004) BOMB
04) Mystery of Edwin Drood (1935) **
05) My Bloody Valentine (1981) **
06) Dracula (The Spanish Version) (1931) ***
07) Son of Ingagi (1940) **