*** Official 11th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge 2010 *** (1 Viewer)

[TravisR]

2. He Knows You're Alone


For my first movie of the marathon outside of a theater, I thought I'd go for an old favorite. While I don't have a problem seeing the flaws of the early 1980's slasher movies, they'll always have a fond place in my heart since I grew up watching them. The first 10 minutes of this movie with a girl being stalked in a movie theater are actually pretty good so the rest of the movie can't really live up to the opening. It's still a fun watch if you're a fan of the slasher subgenre.

 

[Radioman970]

Friday, October 1st


Nothing of note happened on this first day. I’m hoping I’ll have some cool stuff happen besides movie moments and can slap it here before the movie list. Only things: I got a little sleepy during the 3rd film, but I thoroughly enjoyed the 1st and felt the 2nd was some really fun 70s “grindhouse” I would have never gotten through when it came out since I was 3 years old. Also, my dogs are gonna have to friggin get used to all the movie watching. I was having to pause left and right so they could go outside and bark at trees and weeds. I wish I had a dog door. Anybody got a sledge hammer? ….. to smash a hole in the door!!!! What are ya’ll thinking?!!


1. Paranormal Activity. (2007) **debut viewing** Jumped once at an unexpected big loud noise. Awwww, I feel like a wussy because of that! Hahaha! That said, the music track was far too telling and weakened what could have been some knee-knocking moments. The filmakers think we’re wussies! The final 2 shots, of course, are superb. Really good and worth watching just for that. But it’s not the Blair-Witch-alike I was hoping for. Glad I only borrowed this, figuring $18 for this blu ray was for rich folks only. Still, this is a first rate low budget effort that slowly unfolds to a satisfying conclusion. I’m intertested in the sequel too. Maybe they’ll do better than Blair Witch 2 did.

Hair Raising Level=3/4ths of an inch. (1 inch and I’m Don King, ya see…) Excellent October choice. Just don’t expect it to be your super dooper dump-in-your-pants scary.


2. I Drink Your Blood. (1970) **debut viewing** I had this gooey blob of movie last year but didn’t get to it. So spatula’d this off the shelf for DAY ONE this year… It’s seriously nasty like spilled catsup in the bottom of the frig mixed with stale bread crumbs, the odd unfortunate fly you didn’t see get in there, old orange juice and milk drippings, and whatever that green stuff was. As far as rabid hippie flicks go this is a groovy mess. I mean that in a good way. The feel of these old grindhouses is exactly the right thing to watch around all the modern torture porns and little girl ghost movies. This ain’t as bad as most that might make you feel dirty and satisfied at the same time. It’s a whole other creepy feeling with these.


Hair Raising Level=half an inch. Not bad.


3. The Amazing Dr. X. (1948) **debut viewing** Needed some old movie to watch that I’d never seen. My dear mother, who I hope to mention many times, bought me the Mill Creek 50 Horror Movie pack for Christmas and I finally got around to spinning one from it. This is the first movie from the list. The transfer is bad but watchable…no surprise there. The big surprise was how it felt kind of like The Haunting. No, not as good by any means. But there’s some nice shots of goregous seaside locales, decent acting for the most part and some still-effective-after-all-these-years humor. It does get weaker in the final third but still fairly satsifying. I’d imagine this efficiently scared our gram-grams, nanas and grannies.

Hair Raising Level=3/8ths of an inch. A fine old movie. A better transfer would be welcome.

Well, there it is. If I hadn’t had some crap come up that I had to do instead I might have gotten in 2 more. Yep. This year could be good if crap will stop coming up.

 

[Radioman970]

Originally Posted by Mario Gauci !

Sorry about grouping all that in that way. I post at work when I can break and it's tough to stay focused on posting. I sincerely know how it is with family and all. I worry about my folks daily. Neither is getting any younger and I've yet to have an immediate family death. That's something I'm not looking forward to.


Much less important:

122 > 90 :p

 

[TravisR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radioman970

1. Paranormal Activity... I’m intertested in the sequel too. Maybe they’ll do better than Blair Witch 2 did.

I know I'll see the Paranormal Activity sequel but based solely on the teaser (so I could be totally wrong), it looks like the same exact movie again. As bad as Blair Witch 2 was, I give them credit for knowing that copying the first movie was a terrible idea.

 

[Bob McLaughlin]

Okay, here we go...I guess I will post a message for each movie as I watch it, and also keep all the reviews together back on my first posting on page one.


1. Severance (first-time viewing)
A group of European corporate misfits (who happen to work for a weapons company) go on a team building exercise in the wilderness in Hungary of all places. Of course everything goes to hell in a handbasket. Quirky, violent, awkward, nerve-wracking, and often very funny! It had a strange sensibility all of its own.


[SIZE= 12px]2010 Horror Movie Marathon List
1. Severance[/SIZE]

 

[Ockeghem]

New viewings are in boldface.


October 1:


Films:

01. The Fly (1958)


I've seen this one a number of times over the years. In tonight's viewing, something I heard piqued my curiosity. During the segment immediately preceding the first time we see Andre after his accident, Philippe is talking to his wife, and as she is describing (as best she can given what she knows) the breakthroughs her husband is making, he lists several things as he tries to guess his brother's accomplishments. He says, "What is it? Flatscreen?" What on earth was he talking about in that instance? After all, it's 1958. Hmmm.

Television episodes:


01. Dark Shadows (Original series) (episodes nos. 349-350) (1967)
02. Wizards of Waverly Place ("Wizards vs. Werewolves" (2010)
03. Wizards of Waverly Place ("Alex Saves Mason") (2010)
04. I Dream Of Jeannie ("Bigger Than A Bread Box and Better Than A Genie") (1966)


The episodes of Dark Shadows are centered around Barnabas' aging to approximately 175 years as his insistance on speeding up Dr. Hoffman's experiment goes awry.


I wouldn't normally consider listing episodes of I Dream Of Jeannie, except that they do contain magic. By some stroke of luck, I saw "Bigger Than A Bread Box and Better Than A Genie" for the very first time ever tonight, and it had to do with a seance, mediums, and spirits! I thought it was quite appropriate. I've seen several years of this series over the years, and I never knew that any of the episodes ever went in this direction.

 

[Sandro]

Ratings out of [/b]1/2

 

[Sandro]

Tarantula [/b]


This is the original Japanese version with subtitles and without the Raymond Burr inserts. While parts of the film are the expected "monster on the rampage" sequences which are actually quite elaborate, this is a surprisingly somber story of a nation trying to come to terms with a man-made disaster. Yes, it's an investigation into the psyche of the Japanese character in light of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which is why the film has such a serious tone. Not only do we have Gojira as a metaphor for nuclear bombing, we get a nation suffering mightily under the attacks with no successul response and a scientist who has discovered a powerful "Oxygen Destroyer" and agonizes over whether to use it to destroy the monster. Very interesting for its historical significance and its tone but certainly not a "fun" creature feature.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

1) THRILLER - ("The Hungry Glass")


And now I'm back to standard annual Halloween viewing stuff. You know, there's only so much I can repeat to say about the same traditional Universal films every year. Bela Lugosi alone makes this one a joy to watch, but it's far from a perfect film due to its slow pace and stagebound filming, which still makes it an effort at times. I will definitely be watching other movies aside from just the Universal Classics this year, but how far I go with these (I was planning on one per day in addition to other types of films) depends on my tolerance level.


[SIZE= 12px]2010 Challenge - MOVIES [/SIZE]

[SIZE= 12px]01) Devil (2010) **1/2[/SIZE]

[SIZE= 12px]02) Dracula (1931) ***[/SIZE]


[SIZE= 12px] [/SIZE]

[SIZE= 12px]2010 Challenge - TELEVISION[/SIZE]

[SIZE= 12px]01) THRILLER ("The Hungry Glass") ***[/SIZE]

 

[Pete Battista]

Title: Pterodactyl
Year: 2005
Director: Mark L. Lester
Rating: NR
Length: 92 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, English: Dolby Digital: 5.1
Subtitles: N/A


Stars:
Cameron Daddo
Coolio
Amy Sloan
George Calil
Ivo Cutzarida
Steve Braun

Plot:
Deep in the heart of the Turkish Forest lies Mt. Ararat, a dormant volcano that holds within itself a deadly and prehistoric secret that has been asleep for millions of years...until now. Not knowing the threat that awaits them, tow separate expeditions make their way into the heart of the forest and closer to the volcano. Captain Bergen (Coolio) leads his military special ops unit on a manhunt for a dangerous terrorist, while Professor Lovecraft (Cameron Daddo) and his team of scientists search for clues to the past when they make a dangerous discovery — hatching Pterodactyl eggs! Faced with the threat of the flesh-eating predators, both groups come to the realization that they must rely on one another if they plan on making out of the forest alive! With non-stop action and explosive graphics, PTERODACTYL will make your fear take flight!

Extras:
Scene Access
Bonus Trailers
Gallery
Production Notes
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:
I wanted to start the day with one I never seen before. When I first saw the trailer for this one it looked cheesy and low budget... yes... but for some reason it also looked like fun to me. Apparently this one originally was shown on the premium channel Showtime. The pterodactyls themselves looked pretty cool. The gore was definitely present in this one as people wore torn apart. Some of the effects here was decent... but other effects were bad... laughable even. Where this one really failed for me was the writing. The dialog desperately needed a re-write... though the basic story was just fine. I did find that the action and effects brought the picture up enough for me to enjoy the movie. So I am surprisingly glad I have this one in my collection... and can definitely see myself watching it again.

My Rating: 3.5/5


Count:
Movie Count: 5
TV Ep. Count: 0
Other Count: 0
Time Started: 5:30am

 

[Pete Battista]

A Haunting: Season 3
New Dominion Picture's A Haunting: Season 3, takes you inside ten real-life horror stories that originally aired on the Discovery Channel. Each eerie one-hour episode features eyewitness accounts and cinematic re-inactments of some of the most spine-tingling, ghostly hauntings ever recorded. Even the most skeptical observer will be shocked and intrigued by these spellbinding tales

Visit the centuries-old pub in northern England, haunted by a gruesome past, the dream house that turns into a nightmare, and the famously creepy haunting in Ireland. This three DVD set of the third season of A Haunting explores these and many other unexplainable, creepy and macabre tales of the paranormal. By the end of each amazing story, you will experience a lingering sense that life and death are much stranger then you could have possibly imagined!

Hidden Terror
Mike Speranza finds the perfect fixer-upper in Corning, NY. After he and his girlfriend Lisa move in, she is plagued by an inconsolable sorrow, uncharacteristic of her. Lisa is unable to pull herself out of the dark depression that has suddenly taken hold of her. At night, Mike hears footsteps running throughout the house and is eventually visited by ghostly figures.

My Thoughts:
I wanted to work a little on my TV episodes as well... so thought I would watch the next episode where I left off last. But it appears I forgot to mark this episode as watched... Because I have seen this one before. But it is a pretty interesting story. I enjoyed watching it.

My Rating: 4/5


Count:
Movie Count: 5
TV Ep. Count: 1
Other Count: 0
Time Started: 8:30am

 

[PatW]

The Woods (2005) 4/5


Creepy horror/thriller about a troubled young girl, Heather, that is sent to an isolated girls boarding school located at the edge of a woods. The headmistress Ms. Traverse is not all that she seems plus the teachers are all suitably creepy. Heather discovers that she has certain "gifts" that the headmistress wants to exploit. Soon some of the students start to disappear during the night with only a carpet of leaves and twigs left behind in their bed.


I was surprised how enjoyable I found this movie. It doesn't proceed at a fast pace but allows time for the story to unfold. Watch for Bruce Campbell in a small but important role as Heather's father. This movie kept me interested from beginning to end.

 

[Frank Ha]

Van Helsing (2004) [COLOR= rgb(48, 48, 48)]

[/COLOR][COLOR= rgb(48, 48, 48)]1/2 - My wife and I watched this last night. It was really bad. It gets an extra half star because my wife said that at least she enjoyed Hugh Jackman with his shirt off. lol. [/COLOR]


The Mummy (1932) [COLOR= rgb(48, 48, 48)]

[/COLOR][COLOR= rgb(48, 48, 48)]

[/COLOR][COLOR= rgb(48, 48, 48)]

[/COLOR] - I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. The last 1/3 of the movie was a little too slow. Otherwise, I'd a given it 3 and a half stars.

 

[Tim Tucker]

I'm in.


First time viewing in [COLOR= #ff0000]red[/COLOR].

Movies:

1. [COLOR= #ff0000]Phantom Ship (The Mystery of the Mary Celeste)[/COLOR] (1935)

2. [COLOR= #ff0000]The Snorkle[/COLOR] (1958)

3. [COLOR= #ff0000]Stop Me Before I Kill! (The Full Treatment)[/COLOR] (1960)

4. The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960)

5. [COLOR= #ff0000]Scream of Fear (Taste of Fear)[/COLOR] (1961)

6. The Curse of the Werewolf (1961)

7. Night Creatures (Captain Clegg) (1962)

8. The Phantom of the Opera (1962)

9. Paranoiac (1963)

10. [COLOR= #ff0000]RiffTrax Live: House on Haunted Hill[/COLOR] (1959/2010)

11. [COLOR= #ff0000]These Are the Damned[/COLOR] (1963)

12. [COLOR= #ff0000]Maniac[/COLOR] (1963)

13. The Kiss of the Vampire (1963)

14. [COLOR= #ff0000]The Old Dark House[/COLOR] (1963)

15. Nightmare (1964)

16. The Evil of Frankenstein (1964)


TV Shows:

1. Dark Shadows: Episode 473 (17 Apr 1968)

2. Dark Shadows: Episode 474 (18 Apr 1968)

3. Dark Shadows: Episode 475 (19 Apr 1968)

 

[Pete Battista]

Title: Webs: Sci Fi Essentials
Year: 2003
Director: David Wu
Rating: R
Length: 87 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1
Audio: English: :
Subtitles: N/A


Stars:
Richard Grieco
Kate Greenhouse
Colin Fox
Richard Yearwood
Jeff Douglas
David Nerman

Plot:
When a group of electrical workers are sent to investigate a bizarre power source in an abandoned Chicago building, they find a deserted laboratory. Inside is what they suspect is a defunct nuclear power core, opening up a portal to a parallel universe.

suddenly they're trapped in a maddening mirror-world where savage, cannibalistic humans with spider appendages stalk and swarm. Here, a dwindling band of survivors fight back with primitive weapons against the growing storm of spider-people and their monstrous queen. These two groups must join forces to defeat the queen and find their way through the portal and away from the terror.

Extras:
Scene Access

My Thoughts:
I must admit I was pretty hesitant about this one what with my arachnophobia. But thankfully there is only 1 spider looking creature in this movie (the queen) and she isn't really seen all that often.Those infected by her looks like a zombie-like mutation. Some reason while watching this movie I couldn't help but to think of the TV Series Sliders... what with the alternate Earth and all. This one has Richard Grieco in it. I know him from 21 Jump Street and his spin off series from it... Booker. I wouldn't go as far as saying this is a terrible movie. It definitely has it's moments. But not one I liked a lot either. But glad I checked it out... and have it in my collection. I can see myself watching it again.

My Rating: 3.5/5


Count:
Movie Count: 6
TV Ep. Count: 1
Other Count: 0
Time Started: 9:45am

 

[Pete Battista]

A Haunting: Season 3
New Dominion Picture's A Haunting: Season 3, takes you inside ten real-life horror stories that originally aired on the Discovery Channel. Each eerie one-hour episode features eyewitness accounts and cinematic re-inactments of some of the most spine-tingling, ghostly hauntings ever recorded. Even the most skeptical observer will be shocked and intrigued by these spellbinding tales

Visit the centuries-old pub in northern England, haunted by a gruesome past, the dream house that turns into a nightmare, and the famously creepy haunting in Ireland. This three DVD set of the third season of A Haunting explores these and many other unexplainable, creepy and macabre tales of the paranormal. By the end of each amazing story, you will experience a lingering sense that life and death are much stranger then you could have possibly imagined!

The Unleashed
Some Native American tribes tell tales of supernatural creatures that haunt the living to protect the dead. When a curious young man explores ancient incarnations, he opens the door to slumbering phantoms who seek to kill him.

My Thoughts:
This episode I found very good. They atmosphere is done well... and the storyline is very interesting. This one is not only the story of a haunting... but of a possession. I now have watched about 2 and a half seasons out of 4... so far this episode ranks up as one of my favorites.

My Rating: 4.5/5


Count:
Movie Count: 6
TV Ep. Count: 2
Other Count: 0
Time Started: 1:00pm

 

[Malcolm R]

Opened the first night of the challenge with Turner Classic Movies and a Hammer Dracula triple-feature:


[SIZE= 16px][COLOR= rgb(255, 0, 0)]Horror of Dracula (1958)[/COLOR][/SIZE]

Grade: B


Christopher Lee first dons the Dracula cape in this very loose adaptation of the classic vampire story. Aside from the character names, not much else remains from the Bram Stoker original. The locations are different, the character relationships are different, and Dracula himself is quite different, here being mostly a mute character who is motivated by revenge rather love. Not a bad film, but also not really worthy of being called "Dracula". Shocking in its day, I suppose, because they actually show blood in some shots, but there are still quite a few scenes were bloody action was implied as the camera fades to black, rather than shown.


[SIZE= 16px][COLOR= rgb(255, 0, 0)]The Brides of Dracula (1960)[/COLOR][/SIZE]

Grade: B-


Pseudo-sequel to Horror of Dracula, but the only appearance of Dracula in this film is in the title (though Lee does appear to make a cameo via some stock footage recycled from the first film). Depending on what you read, Lee feared being typecast as the vampire (like Bela Lugosi) and refused to return to the role, forcing Hammer to make the sequel without the main character, or Hammer did not even ask Lee to reprise the role, fearing he would be too expensive after the success of the first film.

Peter Cushing returns as Van Helsing, though, and tracks down a new vampire menace. On top of the bizarre climax (a shadow....really!?), the film also loses points by violating the very rules established in Horror of Dracula when Van Helsing unequivocally states that vampires cannot turn into bats, wolves, or mist. In Brides, the vamps turn to bats on a regular basis. Still moderately entertaining, but needed better writing.


[SIZE= 16px][COLOR= rgb(255, 0, 0)]Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)[/COLOR][/SIZE]

Grade: B-


In the second sequel, we get Lee back as Dracula (though only for about half the film, and then he has no lines at all...allegedly because the dialogue was so bad as written that Lee refused to speak the lines), but no Peter Cushing. Seems like Hammer would not get them both into another Dracula film until Dracula A.D. 1972, the sixth film in the series. Another moderately entertaining film with another odd ending that really could have used better writing and more plot. A lot of filler in these films is just characters walking very slowly through eerie, empty rooms. Four travelers find themselves at Dracula's castle 10 years after he has been destroyed. Apparently, the Count's manservant, Klove (who was not seen in the first film) has kept the castle up and running all these years in anticipation of visitors. The Count is resurrected and begins preying on the visitors. A couple escape to a nearby monastery and enlist the aid of Father Sandor to destroy Dracula once and for all. Who knew Wicked Witches and Vampires had similar vulnerabilities.

 

[PatW]

Dracula Has Risen From the Grave (1968) 3/5


Another Christopher Lee horror from Hammer studios. Lee plays of course the Prince of Darkness who sets out to seek revenge on the Monsignor who performed an exorcism on his castle by making the priest's niece his bride.


This isn't as enjoyable as some of Hammer's other movies that I've seen but it does have its moments. Lee of course is great as Dracula and the rest of the cast were competent. I found I had difficulty getting into the story maybe because of its languid pace. It was interesting that they had characters so grounded in faith, another character who denied the existence of God and of course Dracula the embodiment of Satan on earth. Interesting story if a bit dull.

 

[Pete Battista]

Title: Quicksilver Highway
Year: 1997
Director: Mick Garris
Rating: NR
Length: 90 Min.
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: N/A


Stars:
Christopher Lloyd
Matt Frewer
Raphael Sbarge
Missy Crider
Silas Weir Mitchell
Bill Nunn

Plot:
He is a collector of rare objects and dark tales, riding the back roads in search of the black heart of America. For him, there is no light without darkness, no life without death. His name is Aaron Quicksilver (Christopher Lloyd) and he has two horrific tales to share...

In "Chattery Teeth" by Stephen King, a traveling salesman (Raphael Sbarge of THE GUARDIAN) picks up both a psychotic hitchhiker and a strange novelty toy for a drive home that leads straight to Hell. In "The Body Politic" by Clive Barker, a plastic surgeon (Matt Frewer of DAWN OF THE DEAD) must fight back when his hands develop a homicidal mind of their own and lead a rebellion of severed extremities. Bill Nunn (SPIDER-MAN) and Veronica Cartwright (ALIEN) co-star in this gruesome double chiller from Mick Garris, the director of the Stephen King miniseries THE STAND, THE SHINING and DESPERATION.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Featurettes
Gallery
DVD-ROM Content
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:
As most of you know... I love anthology horrors. This one unfortunately only had 2 stories within the movie. Other then, of course, the wraparound story. This really isn't the best anthology horror I ever seen... but it isn't that bad either. It is definitely worth seeing. One thing that this one does that I haven't seen on other anthology horrors. There is a different wrap-around story for each of the two main stories. The first story is told to a newlywed woman that is stranded on the highway while waiting for her husband to return with a new tire. The second story is told to a skeptic visitor to Aaron Quicksilver's little tent of horrors. I thought this added to the story more then telling both stories to the same person does. As for which story did I enjoy more? That is a pretty close call. But I would probably say the second one about the hands.

My Rating: 3.5/5


Count:
Movie Count: 7
TV Ep. Count: 2
Other Count: 0
Time Started: 3:00pm

 

[Jason Roer]

First chance to write anything up yet. Been too busy watching movies and stuff!


FIrst up - Mario - good luck to your father. We're having some family health issues ourselves over here and I know how stressful it can be. Also - there is no one with more movie history knowledge than you and I wish you all the best with this exiting film collaboration news. I can't wait to see what you guys come up with. Lastly - I will miss your great reviews this year.


Now - onto the films.


1. The Box, 4/5, first screening: We all know the premise. Strange man shows up offering a family a choice. Press the button on the box and 2 things will happen. 1 - they will receive a tax-free payment of $1 million. 2 - someone in the world that they don't know will die. Richard Kelly impressed the heck out of us with his debut film, Donnie Darko. He created a completely original world with believable characters and entranced us with mystery that kept us fixated on the screen. He's done it again. The Box has a lot of what made Donnie Darko so compelling. A dreamlike atmosphere invades us right from the beginning of the film and the mystery is held close to the chest, unfolding not slowly, but deliberately, as was the case with Darko. I can't say much more without giving anything away. If you haven't seen it - this is well worth the rental. I'll be checking it out again in the future.


2. Hatchet 2, 3/5, first screening: Everyone knows how much I loved Hatchet. I caught it at Fantastic Fest back in 2006. Writer/Director Adam Green delivered his promise of old school american horror with a good natured, funny yet over the top gory love letter to the slasher flicks of the 80s. It was simply put the greatest movie going experience of my life. Everyone was into it and eating it up. Fast forward. Hatchet becomes a cult hit and is rightfully given the sequel that Adam had planned for some time. First of all - Adam is a great guy. End of story. Everyone loves him and his passion for this genre is incomparable. His love for his fellow filmmakers is truly felt. This is a guy you want on your team. Hatchet 2 picks up the second Hatchet ends. And it only gets gorier and gorier from there. Victor Crowley is one serious badass. I got 2 words for you. Belt. Sander. Mary Beth escapes the swamp, but wants to head right back to find her family and destroy Crowley. Along the way she picks up help from Rev. Zombie (played by the incredible Tony Todd). Zombie in turn hires a group of hunters to head into the swamp and take care of Crowley once and for all.


Here's my problem with Hatchet 2. It delivers on its promise. This is one bloody affair. But where the first installment actually had very funny moments that came across as natural, this one's humor fell flat much of the time. It felt very forced. There were some great lines and line deliveries, but it could have been far funnier. But genre fans will have much to cheer for when the film hits the midpoint and Crowley really gets down to business. One highlight is the surprisingly emotional performance by Kane Hodder. Known for his brute strength playing Jason Vorhees and Victor Crowley, he showed early glimpses of real acting ability in the first Hatchet when he also played Crowley's father. He reprises that role here too and really nails it. Very impressive. When it's all said and done Adam has made a film on his terms and has ensured it plays in the theater the way he wants it to. For the first time in 25 years, a film has been released to a major theater chain unrated. That film is Hatchet 2.

3. The Fourth Kind, 2/5, first screening: This was a weird one. Alien abduction flick told as a sort of mocumentary that is based on a real story, but isn't a real story. The "real" part was faked for the film. I have mixed feelings here. I definitely enjoyed watching the film, but thought it came to nothing. It didn't stick with me. I will never watch it again. It wasn't even bad - just simply not memorable.


4. Lizard in a Woman's Skin, 4/5, first screening: Wow. Loved this flick. Giallo master, Lucio Fulci's best film. Story is a simple whodunnit - A woman has some seriously delicious sexual dreams where a woman ends up murdered only to find out the next day that the woman was actually murdered - exactly how it happened in her dream. Like I said - simple whodunnit - but this had some incredible style. It had great music. It just sizzled, baby! Definitely check it out if you haven't had the chance yet.


5. Shock, 4/5, first screening: I'm a sucker for Vincent Price. I'll see anything he's in. I love the guy. He slays it every time. And he did it here too. A woman witnesses a murder from her hotel window and and goes into a coma-like state from the shock. When the doctor at the hotel is called to help - uh oh! It's the murderer, played by Vincent Price. What can I say - this flick was pure fun throughout. I love the 30s and 40s murder mysteries. I love the B+W cinematography. I love how the stories unfold. I love the dialogue. I love the feel. Shock is playing on Netflix Instant. Watch it now.


Cheers,


Jason