*** Official 12th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge 2011 *** (1 Viewer)

[TravisR]

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) - Grade: C Wrapped up this year with my first viewing of the original TCM. Unfortunately, it's another film that doesn't quite live up to its legend.

I saw that movie when I was way too young and it's the very rare movie that can still creep me out. I don't know if it makes any sense but it's like I can smell the people and places onscreen and that adds to the uncomfortable feeling that the movie creates for me. I only try to watch it during these marathons because if I watch it anymore than that, I think that uncomfortable feeling will disappear.

 

[Radioman970]

^ yeah, that grittiness...stickiness...right from the opening. Still creepy as hell. and what really got me is all the grizzly subject matter, some "regular" people driving into the middle of this mess in a van (could be me, friends, cousins, etc).. plus, the sound! Incredibly sound scape (if that's the right words) in this film. to this day, I've never heard anything like it in a film. The remakes simply tried to copy it...but it was only a fraction of the effectiveness. TCM was the only film I ever walked out of. I simply couldn't take the terror that was going on. took me years to give it another go and now it's among my most favorites of all time. I think we need to look to independent filmmakers to make stuff even close to it. Hollywood can't do it.

 

[Ockeghem]

This was a fairly successful Official Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge for me this year. I watched more films and more television episodes than before. I believe that I'm fairly close to having reached my limit on what I can watch per month. I plan on watching several more Halloween-related films and television episodes throughout November. Final totals: Films: 58 (6 new) Television episodes: 50 (28 new) Grand total: 108 November 1 Total: Films: 01. The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) 02. Halloweentown (1998) 03. Atomic Rulers Of the World (1964) 04. The Alpha Incident (1977) 05. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour (2007) 06. The Fly (1958) 07. The Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954) 08. Mostly Ghostly: Who Let the Ghosts Out? (2008) 09. Return Of the Fly (1959) 10. The Wasp Woman (1959) 11. The Giant Gila Monster (1959) 12. Them! (1954) 13. Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge (2001) 14. The Haunted Mansion (2003) 15. Night Of the Living Dead (1968) 16. Terror Creatures From the Grave (1965) 17. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) 18. I Bury the Living (1958) 19. Curse Of the Fly (1965) 20. Revenge Of the Creature (1955) 21. The Monster That Challenged the World (1957) 22. The Hand (1960) 23. The Giant Leeches (1959) 24. Tower Of Terror (1997) 25. House On Haunted Hill (1959) 26. Return Of the Fly (1959) 27. The Blob (1958) 28. The Screaming Skull (1958) 29. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) 30. Curse Of the Fly (1965) 31. Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972) 32. The Creature Walks Among Us (1956) 33. Halloweentown High (2004) 34. The Shining (1980) 35. The Changeling (1980) 36. Games (1967) 37. Return To Halloweentown (2006) 38. Burnt Offerings (1976) 39. The Bad Seed (1956) 40. Scooby Doo (2002) 41. Tales Of Terror (1962) 42. Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004) 43. Scooby Doo: The Mystery Begins (2009) 44. Bloody Pit Of Horror (1965) 45. City Of Missing Girls (1941) 46. Ghost Rider (2007) 47. Trilogy Of Terror (1975) 48. Madhouse (1974) 49. The Boy Who Cried Werewolf (2010) 50. It! The Terror From Beyond Space (1958) 51. Signs (2002) 52. The Pit and the Pendulum (1961) 53. The Three Stooges ("We Want Our Mummy") (1939) 54. The Three Stooges ("Spook Louder") (1943) 55. Prince Of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010) 56. The Exorcist (1973) 57. Edgar Allan Poe's Witchfinder General (1968) 58. Escape To Witch Mountain (1975) Television episodes: 01. Dark Shadows (Original series) (episodes nos. 476-478) (1968) 02. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("The Dead Body") (2010) 03. Charmed ("Trial By Magic") (2002) 04. Charmed ("Lost and Bound") (2002) 05. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("The Perfect Brother") (2011) 06. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("Wrong Number") (2011) 07. House of Anubis ("House of Secrets"; "House of Attitude"; "House of the Black Bird"; "House of Dares"; "House of Lies") (2010) 08. Wizards Of Waverly Place ("My Two Harpers") (2011) 09. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("Lights Out") (2011) 10. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("Best Friend Forever") (2011) 11. Star Trek ("Catspaw") (1967) 12. Charmed ("Charmed and Dangerous") (2002) 13. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("Ghostly Stare") (2011) 14. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("Catching Cold") (2011) 15. 7th Heaven ("Halloween") (1996) 16. Charmed ("The Three Faces of Phoebe") (2002) 17. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("Nightmare Inn") (2011) 18. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("Walls") (2011) 19. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("Scary Mary") (pt. 1) (2011) 20. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("Scary Mary") (pt. 2) (2011) 21. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("Pool Shark") (2011) 22. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("My Sister the Witch") (2011) 23. Charmed ("All Halliwell's Eve") (2000) 24. Wizards Of Waverly Place ("Wizards Of Apartment 13B") (2011) 25. A.N.T. Farm ("MutANT Farm") (2011) 26. Charmed ("Marry-Go-Round") (2000) 27. Good Luck Charlie ("Scary Had A Little Lamb") (2011) 28. Shake It Up ("Beam It Up") (2011) 29. Strawberry Shortcake ("Moonlight Mysteries") (2005) 30. Charmed ("The Fifth Halliwell") (2002) 31. The Avengers ("Castle De'ath") (1965) 32. Wizards Of Waverly Place ("Ghost Roommate") (2011) 33. The Brady Bunch ("Fright Night") (1972) 34. Charmed ("Saving Private Leo") (2002) 35. Charmed ("Bite Me") (2002) 36. Wizards Of Waverly Place ("Get Along, Little Zombie") (2011) 37. Dark Shadows (Original series) (episodes nos. 479-480) (1968) 38. Charmed ("We're Off To See the Wizard") (2002) 39. Goosebumps ("Be Careful What You Wish For") (1996) 40. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("Swarmin Norman") (2011) 41. Kickin' It ("Boo Gi Nights") (2011) 42. Wizards Of Waverly Place ("Wizards Against Everything") (2011) 43. Dark Shadows (Original series) (episodes nos. 481-482) (1968) 44. The Big Rush ("The Big Halloween") (2010) 45. Charmed ("Womb Raider") (2002) 46. Goosebumps ("The Headless Ghost") (1996) 47. R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour: The Series ("Flight") (2011) 48. Charmed ("Witch Way Now?") (2002) 49. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966) 50. Hawaii Five-O ("Ka Iwi Kapu") (2011)

 

[PatW]

Them (1954) :star::star::star::star::half: One of the better creature features about giant mutated ants found in a desert in New Mexico. This one has an excellent cast including James Arness, Edmund Gwenn, James Whitmore and yes even Leonard Nimoy in a very brief (blink your eyes and he's not there) role. The little girls reaction and the great sound effects are quite memorable and always seem to give me the chills. Vampires: Los Muertos (2002) :star::half: Jon Bon Jovi now really? Certainly better than expected but it's hard to take it seriously. Repulsion (1965) :star::star::star::star::half: Left alone in an apartment while her sister is on vacation, this is a brilliant protrait of a young womans decent into madness. One of the best by director Roman Polanski and his first English language film. Catherine Deneuve is excellent in the lead as the sexually repressed, withdrawn woman. Her growing insanity is certainly terrifying to watch. Halloween (1978) :star::star::star::star: Thought I'd finish up the challenge with the John Carpenter classic. Though there has been sequels and re-makes this one is the best. TV X-files S5: Bad Blood :star::star::star::star: The scene opens with a young man being chased through the woods by a trench coat wearing tall man. He is caught, thrown to the ground and a stake is hammered through his heart. The young female agent reaches up to the victims mouth and slips out a pair of false fangs. Our trench coat wearing man utters the immortal words " Oh, Sh..." God I love the X-files and I love Mulder. One of a few lighthearted episodes of this fantastic series. Totals 01 The Hitcher (2007) 2.5/5 * 02 Curse of the Living Corpse (1964) 2.5/5 * 03 House of the Living Dead (1976) 2/5 * 04 The Omen (2006) 3/5 * 05 The Last Exorcism (2010) 3.5/5 * 06 The Mothman Prophecies (2002) 4/5 07 The Haunted Palace (1963) 4/5 * 08 Sorority Row (2009) 2/5 * 09 The Lost City (1935) 4/5 * 10 The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) 4.5/5 * 11 The Mistress of Atlantis (1932) 2/5 * 12 Suck (2009) 3/5 * 13 Prom Night (1980) 3/5 14 House of Wax (1953) 4/5 15 Dawn of the Dead (2004) 4/5 16 Scarecrows (1988) 3/5 * 17 Alien (1979) 5/5 18 Mimic (1997) 3/5 * 19 Reign of Fire (2002) 3.5/5 20 1408 (2007) 4/5 21 Heartstopper (2006) no stars * 22 Desparate Souls (2005) no stars * 23 Snowbeast (1977) 3/5 * 24 Stigmata (1999) 2/5 25 Jaws (1975) 5/5 26 Joyride (2001) 4/5 27 Psycho (1960) 4.5/5 28 Blood Tide (1982) 2/5 29 Cujo (1983) 3.5/5 30 Black Christmas (1974) 4/5 * 31 Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (1995) 1.5/5 * 32 13 th Warrior (1999) 4.5/5 33 The Rite (2011) 3.5/5 * 34 The Covenant (2006) 2.5/5 * 35 From Dusk to Dawn 2 (1999) 2/5 * 36 From Dusk to Dawn 3 (2000) 2.5/5 * 37 Insidious (2010) 3.5/5 * 38 From Within (2008) 3.5/5 39 Alien vs Predator (2007) 0.5/5 * 40 Red: Werewolf Hunter (2010) 3/5 * 41 Van Helsing (2004) 3.5/5 42 Ring Two (2005) 2/5 * 43 The Exorcist (1973) 5/5 44 How Awful About Alan (1970) 3/5 * 45 Panic (1982) 1.5/5 * 46 Season of the Witch (2011) 2.5/5 * 47 Dead Men Walk (1943) 2/5 * 48 The Other (1972) 4/5 * 49 Zombie Apocalypse (2011) 1/5 * 50 Bedlam (1946) 4/5 * 51 The Seventh Victim (1943) 3.5/5 * 52 The Uninvited (2009) 3.5/5 * 53 Them (1954) 4.5/5 54 Vampires: Los Muertos (2002) 1.5/5 * 55 Repulsion (1965) 4.5/5 * 56 Halloween (1978) 4.5 TV 01 Supernatural S2: Houses of the Holy 4.5/5 * 02 Supernatural S2: Born Under a Bad Sign 4/5 * 03 Supernatural S2: Tall Tales 3/5 * 04 Supernatural S2: Roadkill 4/5 * 05 Supernatural S2: Heart 4/5 * 06 Supernatural S2: Hollywood Babylon 2/5 * 07 Supernatural S2: Folsom Prison Blues 4/5 * 08 Supernatural S2: What is and What Should Never Be 4/5 * 09 Supernatural S2: All Hell Breaks Loose pt. 1 5/5 * 10 Supernatural S2: All Hell Breaks Loose pt. 2 5/5 * 11 Buffy the Vampire Slayer S4: A New Man 4.5/5 12 Buffy the Vampire Slayer S4: The I in Team 3.5/5 13 Buffy the Vampire Slayer S4: Goodbye Iowa 3.5/5 14 Buffy the Vampire Slayer S4: This Year's Girl 4.5/5 15 Fringe S4: One Night in October 4/5 * 16 Fringe S4: Alone in the World 4.5/5 * 17 Sanctuary S4: Tempus 4/5 * 18 Supernatural S3: The Magnificent Seven 4.5/5 * 19 Supernatural S3: The Kids are Alright 4/5 * 20 Supernatural S3: Bad Day at Black Rock 4/5 * 21 Supernatural S3: Sin City 4/5 * 22 Supernatural S3: Bedtime Stories 4/5 * 23 Supernatural S3: Red Sky at Morning 4/5 * 24 Supernatural S3: Fresh Blood 4.5/5 * 25 Fringe S4: Subject 9 4.5/5 * 26 Sanctuary S4: Uprising 4.5/5 * 27 The Walking Dead S1: TS-19 4.5/5 * 28 The Walking Dead S2: What Lies Ahead 3.5/5 * 29 Sanctuary Season 4: Untouchable 4/5 * 30 Supernatural Season 7: Shut Up Dr. Phil 4/5 * 31 The Walking Dead S 2: Bloodletting 4/5 * 32 Supernatural Season 6: And Then There Were None 2.5/5 * 33 Secret Circle S1: Masked 4/5 * 34 Sanctuary S4: Monsoon 3.5/5 * 35 Grimm S1: Pilot ep. 4/5 * 36 Supernatural Season 7: Slash Fiction 4/5 * 37 The Walking Dead S2: Save the Last One 4/5 * 38 X-files S5: Bad Blood 4/5

 

[PatW]

Oct Re-cap Total Movies watched = 56 New watches = 38 Total 1 hour series watched = 38 New watches = 33 Favourite = Exorcist Least fav = Heartstopper My total for this month combining tv series is 75

 

[Bob McLaughlin]

33. 7eventy 5ive (aka Dead Tone) (2007) (first (and last) time viewing) Ugh. The marathon ends on a crappy note with easily the worst movie of the month. College kids at a party play a crank-call game called "75" (the number of seconds you have to keep the victim on the line before they get wise to the prank) only to call the wrong guy and end up becoming victims themselves. This could have been an interesting setup but this movie is populated with characters that are not just unlikeable, not just annoying, but actually LOATHESOME. Not a single sympathetic character to be found, I hated spending 100 minutes with these douchebags. In one scene they are pulled over by the cops and the kids were mouthing off to them, and I was praying the cops would just mow them all down, but no dice. Even Rutger Hauer (looking especially tired and craggy) was wasted in this movie as a detective researching a cold case, and I noticed he was never around the college kids. He probably would have ripped their heads off. Bob's A-Z 2011 Horror Movie Marathon FINAL List FTV means First-time Viewing 1. Antichrist (FTV) 2. Burning Bright (FTV) 3. The Crimson Cult (aka The Curse of the Crimson Altar) (FTV) 4. Dead of Night (FTV) 5. Evil Dead 2 6. Frontier(s) (FTV) 7. The Ghoul (FTV) 8. Hidden (2009) (FTV) 9. I Can See You 10. The Janitor (FTV) 11. Kill Theory (FTV) 12. The Last Exorcism (FTV) 13. Midnight Meat Train (FTV) 14. Night of the Living Dead 15. The Old Dark House 16. Popcorn (FTV) 17. Queen of Blood (FTV) 18. Rabid (FTV) 19. Stake Land (FTV) 20. Tales that Witness Madness (FTV) 21. The Unborn (FTV) 22. The Valley of Gwangi (FTV) 23. The Wolfman (2010) (FTV) 24. X: The Unknown (FTV) 25. YellowBrickRoad (FTV) 26. Zoo (FTV) 27. 4 Flies on Grey Velvet (FTV) 28. 5ive Girls (FTV) 29. The Thing (2011) (FTV) 30. The Descent 31. Sleepaway Camp 32. 2001 Maniacs (FTV) 33. 7eventy 5ive (aka Dead Tone) (FTV)

 

[TravisR]

X-files S5: Bad Blood :star::star::star::star: The scene opens with a young man being chased through the woods by a trench coat wearing tall man. He is caught, thrown to the ground and a stake is hammered through his heart. The young female agent reaches up to the victims mouth and slips out a pair of false fangs. Our trench coat wearing man utters the immortal words " Oh, Sh..." God I love the X-files and I love Mulder. One of a few lighthearted episodes of this fantastic series.

Yeah, that's the best XF comedy episode (not counting Darin Morgan's brilliant eps) and was inspired by an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show.

 

[Malcolm R]

I saw that movie when I was way too young and it's the very rare movie that can still creep me out. I don't know if it makes any sense but it's like I can smell the people and places onscreen and that adds to the uncomfortable feeling that the movie creates for me. I only try to watch it during these marathons because if I watch it anymore than that, I think that uncomfortable feeling will disappear.

^ yeah, that grittiness...stickiness...right from the opening. Still creepy as hell. and what really got me is all the grizzly subject matter, some "regular" people driving into the middle of this mess in a van (could be me, friends, cousins, etc).. plus, the sound! Incredibly sound scape (if that's the right words) in this film. to this day, I've never heard anything like it in a film. The remakes simply tried to copy it...but it was only a fraction of the effectiveness. TCM was the only film I ever walked out of. I simply couldn't take the terror that was going on. took me years to give it another go and now it's among my most favorites of all time. I think we need to look to independent filmmakers to make stuff even close to it. Hollywood can't do it.

Interesting to read that Hooper was allegedly (if trivia at IMDB can be believed) aiming for a "PG" rating with TCM. He kept most of the hard violence off screen, but apparently the sets and atmosphere (including the sound) were such that the ratings board couldn't be persuaded and there was no way to edit around that. It was kind of creepy, but after watching many modern horror films I think I'm just jaded and desensitized. I think if I had watched it when I was younger, I would have had more of a reaction, much the same as James and Travis. My final tally for 2011: 27 Movies (18 new views) = 27 points Seven TV Episodes = 3.5 points Total = 30.5 points I think my best new "horror" film was Bereavement, though I did grade Paranormal Activity 2 and Little Shop of Horrors higher. Worst new film honors are shared by two entries in the Halloween series: The Curse of Michael Myers and Zombie's last sequel. I did not grade any films with an "F" this year. Either I'm getting soft in my old(er) age, or just picked better films. I think I make this whine every year to justify my anemic totals, but this is a tough challenge for football fans. Since it falls right into the heart of both NFL and College seasons, those of us who watch the games pretty much lose every weekend and all Monday nights. I think we need to move Halloween to March.

 

[Ruz-El]

I puttered out of the challenge last night by watching some Casper Cartoons which I'm not going to bother to count. They looked horrible, off that new Shout Factory Complete Casper DVD. Terrible quality by todays standard, but in colour which is still a step up from the B&W ones I remember from a public domain cassette I had as a kid. Terribly morbid too, with Casper wanting to kill himself and then having an animal friend suffer in some way in the first three one. Crazy.


My final total is:


56 Films Watched, 45 First timers.


Which is a personal low for me! I once "won" one of these things! I can't say I watched quality over quantity either, a bunch of those video nasties were awful. I have about 30 more to watch next challenge ha ha.

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[Mario Gauci]

Double Post.

 

[Mario Gauci]

10/29/11: GRAVEYARD DISTURBANCE (TV) (Lamberto Bava, 1987) ** Given the macabre subject matter (accompanied by a heavy-metal soundtrack), I knew I would be less enthused about watching this Bava effort. Still, the opening is not too bad, with even an effective empty coach ride shot in slow-motion and set against a misty backdrop that actually evokes the director’s father’s BLACK SUNDAY (1960; which Lamberto would himself remake 30 years later!). However, the teen protagonists of the film under review do not exactly set the screen on fire: after robbing a grocery store just for kicks, they head for a weekend of mindless fun but lose their way and end up smack in the middle of a cemetery! After abandoning the van in a river, they have to continue on foot – occasionally, a shady figure that is clearly observing them makes itself felt. Anyway, they find a spot where to spend the night but one of the kids decides he cannot sleep in such a morbid atmosphere and, wandering about, stumbles on an inn! He wakes his pals and they go in, where the one-eyed and incessantly cackling bartender proves to be the same man we had seen spying the group. After they unwisely attempt a wise-cracking approach a` la AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON (1981; which they even refer to!), the teenagers notice a pot full of money and, asking about it, are told that those are the as-yet-uncollected funds of a wager coming to anybody making it though the night spent in the maze of catacombs underneath the inn. More out of sheer greed than a sense of adventure, the group accept to undertake this proposition. From here on in, the tone is necessarily claustrophobic, heavy-handed (involving some flat EVIL DEAD-style attempts at gallows humor) and repetitive (since the characters often find themselves in a room already ‘visited’). In the end, when the time is almost up (and after having encountered a variety of ghouls), one girl suggests that they follow their instincts rather than logic. The latter makes for a nice surreal touch but it arrives too late to save the film – especially when it transpires to not even have the courage of its convictions (interestingly, albeit unoriginally, the plot seems to be leading to a revelation in which the whole journey proves to be an acceptance of their own death by the protagonists – since we are shown their van being unaccountably found overturned by the Police – but, when the group finally emerge from the inn with their pockets filled with the bounty they had just won, these are taken by the oblivious law enforcers as merely additional loot, to the initial and long-forgotten petty crime, they will need to account for! Ultimately, for a much more artistically valid look at "A Night At The Cemetery" (the film's original Italian title), I would recommend Jean Rollin's THE IRON ROSE (1973)... 10/30/11: SEVERANCE (Christopher Smith, 2006) **1/2 This is the first film I am watching from this British genre director who was one of the interviewees in the recently-viewed documentary VIDEO NASTIES: MORAL PANIC, CENSORSHIP AND VIDEOTAPE (2010); it was preceded by CREEP (2004) and followed by TRIANGLE (2009) and BLACK DEATH (2010) and, given my fairly positive experience with the film under review, I would not mind checking out now. I knew next to nothing about this film going in except that it was going to be a comedic horror piece about a team building exercise gone awry but, rather than the expected BATTLE ROYALE (2000)-type scenario, I ended up with yet another ride through DELIVERANCE (1972) territory with the added dollops of pseudo-socio-political commentary thrown in for good measure; even though my experience was nowhere near this catastrophic, it did bring back memories of a positively traumatic team building exercise that me and my colleagues went through a year-and-a-half back! While I still have at least 2 DELIVERANCE imitations to go through from around that same period – SHOOT (1976) and RITUALS (1977) – the “smart-ass-city-dwellers-at-the-mercy-of-backwards-country-folk” plot has been done to death in horror fare from all over the world particularly throughout the last decade. This group of 7 British colleagues – employed by a weapons manufacturing company – seemed too small to warrant this kind of activity, which is generally aimed at larger groups in order that they get to know each other better; also the fact they are flown off to a supposedly luxury hotel in a remote part of Hungary comes off as far-fetched, especially since the CEO is waiting for them there! At any rate, we have the standard collection of stereotypical characters set to bond or clash at the very first opportunity: the hated supervisor, the sarcastic handsome salesman, the nerdy, eager-to-please fat guy, the sensitive woman, the hot blonde girl everybody lusts after, the colored underling and the horny, dopey wastrel. Half the film is spent on establishing the relationships within the group, all the while making use of some agreeably surreal touches to do so: the supervisor dreams of the hot blonde inviting him into her bed but, upon turning to face him, he finds the contemptuous salesman in drag; the pot-headed man sees multiple versions of himself (and meets a talking deer in a deleted scene), etc. While the events are unnecessarily narrated in flashback, needless to say, very few opportunities for blood flowing or gallows humor are missed (the fate of the fat guy and the salesman are particularly notable in this respect) and the fact that the two local call-girls (hired by the wastrel) eventually save the day is a clever touch – as is the inclusion on the soundtrack of The Small Faces’ “Itchycoo Park” and the unfortunately-covered Vera Lynn’s “We’ll Meet Again” (over the opening and closing credits respectively). The downside of all this, however, is that once the villains’ identity (a band of mentally unbalanced Hungarian war veterans) is revealed, we see way too much of them making for a far less menacing presence then they had seemed initially! 10/30/11: COUNT YORGA, VAMPIRE (Bob Kelljan, 1970) *** Not owning the rights to the Bram Stoker creation, AIP decided to invent their own vampire myth: the result is Dracula-in-all-but-name, being suave (sporting gracefully graying hair), cunning (even when caught off-guard, he manages to assert himself and turn the tables on interlopers), psychic (amusingly, he doubles as a medium at private séances!) and feral (his creepy dashes for prospective victims, seemingly out of nowhere, with blood-red eyes and arms outstretched actually gave me a jolt on a couple of occasions!). As played by Robert Quarry, he is quite creditable and effectively gave Christopher Lee (Hammer Film’s Dracula incarnate) a run for his money. Incidentally, he anticipated the other Count’s transition to modern times by 2 years and actually managed it a whole lot better (with, thankfully, little resort to Camp). That said, in the attempt to look at the phenomenon with a contemporary mindset, we get a contradiction – people repeatedly scoff at the idea of vampirism in our age, claiming it is a fabrication of literature and cinema, which rather suggests that they are aware of what it entails…and, yet, they are still surprised at what should be its predictable outcome and are required besides to pore over ancient tomes in search of a way to fight it! Though the film was given the alternate title of THE LOVES OF COUNT IORGA, VAMPIRE {sic}, which is actually borne by the copy I watched (for the record, this had been shown on local TV in my childhood but I first caught it years later on British Cable TV), it does not overstress the romantic angle. Indeed, one girl is shown quenching her unnatural thirst for blood by literally draining the life out of a kitten! The presence of a sinister (that is to say, hulking and deformed) acolyte is, admittedly, a bit of a cliché – but Yorga himself seems to have moved with the times (in spite of his traditional attire), since he is shown jadedly presiding over a lesbian vampire show in his living-room! The stylish film was produced by Michael Macready (who also assumes the requisite heroic persona on-screen, though the doctor-turned-vampire-hunter played by Roger Perry actually has an even more central role!), son of distinguished character actor George Macready (who generously supplies the portentous narration here and which, at the start, erroneously refers to vampires as “The Living Dead”{!}: indeed, the whole film – scripted by Kelljan himself – aspires to a certain literariness but often merely results in being verbose…which, however, it often works around by having characters conversing about the unusual events in which they had been thrust presented as voiceover laid on exterior crowd scenes!). The climax is a downbeat one: while Yorga is almost comically disposed of by being pierced (typically, through the heart) with a splintered broomstick, the lone-survivor hero sustains a vampiric attack from his own girlfriend (herself newly-inducted into the ranks of the Undead)! AIP presumably turned a fast profit with this one, seeing how they immediately commissioned a sequel (and whose own viewing followed that of the original in the current “Halloween Challenge”). However, they would soon come up with yet another (and even more outrageous) variation on vampire lore with the cult Blaxploitation offering BLACULA (1972) – which, in turn, led to the as-yet-unwatched SCREAM BLACULA SCREAM! (1973; helmed by Kelljan himself!)… 10/30/11: THE RETURN OF COUNT YORGA (Bob Kelljan, 1971) **1/2 Unlike the original, this was not so easily accessible to me, so I only got to it now (though I had actually owned the film for some time). As often happens, albeit quite serviceable taken on its own merits, the sequel emerges to be a pale shadow of its prototype. Similarly, the script does not bother to explain the titular figure’s revivification, his recruitment of a horde of female disciples, or the change in location of his abode (here situated near an orphanage). The movie actually starts off with a mass rise from the graves (usually a prerogative of the zombies – but, as I wrote in my review of the first film, the two often get confused – yet undeniably effective nonetheless), which also sees a young boy being made a pawn of the Count. This one, then, has an in-jokey feel to it: not only does Yorga attend a costume party at the orphanage where he meets a dopey Count Dracula, but he is shown watching Hammer’s first “Carmilla” adaptation THE VAMPIRE LOVERS (1970; co-produced with AIP who were behind the YORGA diptych) on TV (albeit dubbed in Spanish)! While the first entry was commendably self-contained, this incorporates an ample cast of characters which include a priest (the head of the orphanage), a deaf-and-dumb assistant who works there (Yorga amazes everyone by seemingly discerning her condition instantly and being able to communicate with her at the drop of a hat), a couple of bumbling Police officers (especially amusing when having to fend off an entire household of female vampires: by the way, one of them is a young Craig T. Nelson, later co-star of the “Poltergeist” horror franchise), and even a couple of mumbo-jumbo-spouting sorcerers (one advising Yorga himself{!} and the other played – his last role – by George Macready, father of the two films’ producer and who had actually lent his services to the original as well, albeit merely vocal in its case)! Indeed, Quarry takes rather a back-seat here (even if his demise is actually more spectacular here), though he is typically imposing at what he has to do (which includes the trademark deranged run towards the camera – albeit repeating it 4 times smacks of overkill to me; with this in mind, the film does tend to reprise elements such as this which seemed to work first time round, others being the long shot boasting expository voiceover and the twist ending where, presumably in the hope of a second follow-up but which was not to be, hero and heroine ultimately succumb themselves to the ‘affliction’!). Quarry’s leading lady in this case is Mariette Hartley, who actually witnesses her family being attacked by the afore-mentioned vampire women (another definite highlight), but Yorga ostensibly erases her memory of the tragedy and, abducting her, leaves a note to the priest saying the whole family had to leave urgently on a private matter. On the other hand, Roger Perry – the doctor from the first film – graduates to male lead here, but his contribution is otherwise inferior to the original’s. The various subplots provide longueurs (most detrimentally, perhaps, the ‘possessed’ boy and the mute Hispanic maid’s butting heads in front of the Police over what really happened to Hartley and her relatives) more readily than the expected added thrills – but the end result is still a worthy horror/vampire effort, not to mention vehicle for Quarry (whose later life was marked by personal misfortune): in fact, on the strength of both YORGA movies, I acquired yet another vampire flick in which he starred i.e. THE DEATHMASTER (1972) but which I did not manage to include in the “Halloween Challenge” for 2011…

 

[Radioman970]

Interesting to read that Hooper was allegedly (if trivia at IMDB can be believed) aiming for a "PG" rating with TCM. He kept most of the hard violence off screen, but apparently the sets and atmosphere (including the sound) were such that the ratings board couldn't be persuaded and there was no way to edit around that. It was kind of creepy, but after watching many modern horror films I think I'm just jaded and desensitized. I think if I had watched it when I was younger, I would have had more of a reaction, much the same as James and Travis....

that's wild. PG! When I walked out, it was around the part with that girl in the room with the chickens, weird furniture, Leatherface is about to get her, meathook... I'm becoming super sissy and telling my friend I must go out. It was early 80s and I think I was 15 or 16. My friend was about 15 but looked much older and bought our tickets. I wish I could have stay with it. But I think by the time the scene with the girl sitting and waiting near the opened door at the BBQ place I would have been out of there. No way would I make it to the famous dinner scene. And that would have freaked me out. It's a shame that there really aren't too many genuinely scary movies anymore. Sometimes they appear... Hollywood needs to figure out how to do it. Remakes of this and that just isn't it.

 

[Film]

Didn't feel like watching anything yesterday so I failed to reach 13. Oh, well. Next year I'll start at the beginning of the month in order to reach 13 and not get burned out by Halloween. Wanted to watch The Shining. I really Kubrick so I'll get around to it eventually. Previously viewed Sleepy Hollow The Ghost and Mr. Chicken The Mummy First viewing Red Dragon Don't Be Afraid of the Dark Creature from the Black Lagoon Attack of the Giant Leeches The Black Cat American Psycho Halloween The Old Dark House Winners Halloween - enjoyed this one...hopefully there's at least one other Halloween film in the endless number of sequels that comes close to this one American Psycho Creature from the Black Lagoon The Black Cat The Old Dark House Stinkers Attack of the Giant Leeches.... . . . Don't Be Afraid of the Dark Red Dragon Total 1. Red Dragon 2. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark 3. Creature from the Black Lagoon 4. Attack of the Giant Leeches 5. The Black Cat 6. American Psycho 7. Halloween 8. The Old Dark House 9. Sleepy Hollow 10. The Ghost and Mr. Chicken 11. The Mummy TV A Night at the Movies: The Horrors of Stephen King Treehouse of Horror (The Simpsons, 1990)

 

[Film]

Is everyone satisfied this year or is there something you feel you missed or want to focus next year?(older films, newer films) Having viewed very few horror films, next year I'll need to make sure to get in a few more recent horror films. And by recent I mean around 1975 or later.

 

[BobO'Link]

I finished with 159 films (no TV). My co-workers think I'm nuts to watch so many films, much less horror, in one month. My wife *knows* I'm nuts... Basic stats: 1 film streamed 1 film on VCR 157 films on DVD 109 first time viewings 6 Languages (English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Italian) Not enough sleep... ☼ - First time viewing ▲▲▲▲▲ - Rating on a 1 to 5 scale October 1st 1. The Blood Beast Terror (1968) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 2. The Mummy's Shroud (1967) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 3. The Innocents (1961) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 4. The Plague of the Zombies (1966) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 5. Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) ▲▲▲▲▲ 6. How to Make a Monster (1958) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 7. Blood of Dracula (1957) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 8. The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962) ▲▲▲▲▲ 9. Nightmare Castle (1965) ▲▲▲▲▲ 10. Creature from the Haunted Sea (1961) ▲▲▲▲▲ October 2nd 11. Carnival of Souls (1962) ▲▲▲▲▲ 12. Atom Age Vampire (1960) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 13. Black Dragons (1942) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 14. Invisible Ghost (1941) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 15. One Body Too Many (1944) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 16. White Zombie (1932) ▲▲▲▲▲ 17. The Last Man on Earth (1964) ▲▲▲▲▲ 18. Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 19. The Screaming Skull (1958) ▲▲▲▲▲ 20. The Beast of Yucca Flats (1961) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ October 3rd 21. Dead Men Walk (1943) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 22. The Mad Monster (1942) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 23. Up From the Depths (1979) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ October 4th 24. Maniac (1934) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 25. Frogs (1972) ▲▲▲▲▲ 26. The Vampire Bat (1933) ▲▲▲▲▲ 27. The Monster Maker (1944) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 28. The Ape (1940) ▲▲▲▲▲ October 5th 29. King of the Zombies (1941) ▲▲▲▲▲ 30. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1956) ▲▲▲▲▲ October 6th 31. Bluebeard (1944) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 32. The Evil Dead (1981) ▲▲▲▲▲ 33. The Corpse Vanishes (1942) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ October 7th 34. Swamp Women (1956) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 35. The Devil Rides Out (1968) ▲▲▲▲▲ 36. Hardware (1990) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ October 8th 37. Tormented (1960) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 38. Dracula (1931) ▲▲▲▲▲ 39. Drácula [Spanish] (1931) ▲▲▲▲▲ 40. Alien (1979) ▲▲▲▲▲ 41. Aliens (1986) ▲▲▲▲▲ 42. Alien³ (1992) ▲▲▲▲▲ 43. Alien: Resurrection (1997) ▲▲▲▲▲ 44. The Phantom of the Opera (1962) ▲▲▲▲▲ 45. Friday the 13th (1980) ▲▲▲▲▲ 46. The Road to Dracula (1999) ▲▲▲▲▲ October 9th 47. Dracula's Daughter (1936) ▲▲▲▲▲ 48. Monster from a Prehistoric Planet (aka Daikyojû Gappa) (1967) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 49. The Monster Walks (1932) ▲▲▲▲▲ 50. Matango (1963) ▲▲▲▲▲ 51. Nosferatu (1922) ▲▲▲▲▲ 52. The Gorilla (1939) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 53. Son of Dracula (1943) ▲▲▲▲▲ October 10th 54. Bloodlust! (1961) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 55. The Grapes Of Death (1978) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 56. The Amazing Mr. X (1948) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 57. The Bat (1959) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 58. Dementia 13 (1963) ▲▲▲▲▲ October 11th 59. The Wolfman (2010) ▲▲▲▲▲ 60. Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (1979) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 61. The Corpse (aka Crucible of Horror) (1971) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ October 12th 62. The Dungeon of Harrow (1962) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 63. Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 64. Double Exposure (1983) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ October 13th 65. Horror Rises from the Tomb (1973) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 66. Cloverfield (2008) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 67. Rasputin: The Mad Monk (1966) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ October 14th 68. Black Sunday (1960) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 69. The Quatermass Xperiment (1955) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 70. The Werewolf of Washington (1973) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ October 15th 71. Quatermass II: Enemy from Space (1957) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 72. They Saved Hitler's Brain (aka The Madmen of Mandoras) (1963) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 73. The Thirsty Dead (1974) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 74. The Amazing Transparent Man (1960) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 75. Scars of Dracula (1970) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 76. Lust for a Vampire (1971) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 77. Eating Raoul (1982) ▲▲▲▲▲ 78. Poltergeist (1982) ▲▲▲▲▲ 79. The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 80. Elvira's Movie Macabre - Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks (1974/198?) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ October 16th 81. The Manster (1959) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 82. Blood Sabbath (1972) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 83. The Devil's Nightmare (aka La plus longue nuit du diable) (1971) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 84. I Vampiri (aka Lust of the Vampire) (1956) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 85. Kill Baby, Kill (1966) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 86. The Return of the Vampire (1944) ▲▲▲▲▲ 87. Galaxy of Terror (1981) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ October 17th 88. Terror-Creatures from the Grave (1965) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 89. Black Sabbath (1963) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 90. Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933) ▲▲▲▲▲ October 18th 91. The House That Screamed (1969) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 92. Keep My Grave Open (1976) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 93. To the Devil a Daughter (1976) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 94. Psycho (1960) ▲▲▲▲▲ 95. Frankenstein 80 (1972) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ October 19th 96. The House by the Cemetery (1981) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 97. Death Warmed Over (1984) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 98. The Girl who Knew too Much (1963) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 99. The Embalmer (1965) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ October 20th 100. Night Fright (1967) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 101. Count Dracula’s Great Love (1974) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 102. Attack of the Puppet People (1958) ▲▲▲▲▲ 103. Earth vs. The Spider (2001) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ October 21st 104. The Night Evelyn Came out of the Grave (1971) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 105. My Mom's a Werewolf (1989) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 106. Night of the Living Dead (1968) ▲▲▲▲▲ 107. Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959) [rating for RiffTrax] ▲▲▲▲▲ October 22nd 108. Point of Terror (1971) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 109. Satan's Slave (1976) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 110. The Vampires' Night Orgy (1974) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 111. Grave of the Vampire (1974) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 112. Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) ▲▲▲▲▲ 113. Vampires (1998) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 114. Dawn of the Dead (1978) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 115. The Green Slime (1968) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 116. Night Shadows (aka Mutant) (1984) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ October 23rd 117. The Tell-Tale Heart (1960) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 118. Devil's Possessed (1974) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 119. Snow White: A Tale of Terror (1997) ▲▲▲▲▲ 120. Cry of the Werewolf (1944) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 121. Bride of the Monster (1955) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 122. The City of the Dead (1960) ▲▲▲▲▲ 123. The Awful Dr. Orloff (1961) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 124. Twins of Evil (1971) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ October 24th 125. Curse of Bigfoot (wrap-around for Teenagers Battle the Thing) (1958/1978) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 126. Dr. Jekyll and the Werewolf (1972) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 127. The Fly (1986) ▲▲▲▲▲ October 25th 128. El espejo de la bruja (The Witche's Mirror) (1962) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 129. The Tingler (1959) ▲▲▲▲▲ 130. The Black Cat (1981) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ October 26th 130. The Eerie Midnight Horror Show (1974) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 131. Monstroid (1980) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 132. Blade: Trinity (2004) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 133. Guru, The Mad Monk (1972) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ October 27th 134. Don't Answer the Phone! (1980) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 135. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) ▲▲▲▲▲ 136. The Oval Portrait (1972) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 137. The Undertaker and His Pals (1966) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ October 28th 138. Night of Bloody Horror (1969) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 139. The Skull (1965) ▲▲▲▲▲ 140. The Deadly Bees (1967) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ October 29th 141. Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 142. Fangs of the Living Dead (1969) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 143. The Flesh and the Fiends [U.K. ver.] (1960) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 144. Demon of Paradise (1987) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 145. Jess Franco's Count Dracula (1970) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 146. The House That Dripped Blood (1971) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 147. Burn, Witch, Burn (1962) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 148. Asylum (1972) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ October 30th 149. The Abominable Snowman (1957) ▲▲▲▲▲ 150. The Queen of Spades (1949) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 151. Shadow of the Vampire (2000) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 152. Constantine (2005) ▲▲▲▲▲ 153. Bloody Pit of Horror (1965) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ October 31st 154. Scared to Death (1947) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 155. Ernest Scared Stupid (1991) ▲▲▲▲▲ 156. It Happened at Nightmare Inn (1973) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 157. Horrors of the Black Museum (1959) ☼ ▲▲▲▲▲ 158. Phantom of the Opera (1943) ▲▲▲▲▲ 159. Little Shop of Horrors (1986) ▲▲▲▲▲

 

[TravisR]

Is everyone satisfied this year or is there something you feel you missed or want to focus next year?(older films, newer films)

Most years I end up wishing I watched more of the Universal monster movies and more of the lesser movies from guys like Wes Craven and George Romero. This year is no different.

 

[BobO'Link]

Is everyone satisfied this year or is there something you feel you missed or want to focus next year?(older films, newer films) Having viewed very few horror films, next year I'll need to make sure to get in a few more recent horror films. And by recent I mean around 1975 or later.

I'd planned to watch the Universal Horror films in release sequence and follow that with the Hammer Horror films. However, I screwed up and picked up a couple of Mill Creek 50 film sets and felt the need to watch them first. Those, along with another 15 or so purchases, pushed the plans into the background. I believe I only watched 2 or 3 Uni titles. I *did* watch a half dozen or so Hammer titles I'd never seen before so that was good. Next year I plan to *not* purchase anything new but simply focus on what I already own. At that point it'll be 3+ years since I've watched many of those Uni horror titles. It's time they get the attention they deserve.

 

[Michael Elliott]

Totals: 87 (21 repeats) :star::star::star::star: (1) :star::star::star::half: (5) :star::star::star: (21) :star::star::half: (13) :star::star: (23) :star::half: (11) :star: (7) :half: (5) BOMB (1) Top 5 New Viewings: 1. This Island Earth 2. The Inside Story series 3. Red State 4. Human Centipede II, The 5. Dead of Night Bottom 5 New Viewings 1. Student Bodies 2. Spirit is Willing, The 3. Claws 4. Visiting Hours 5. Puppet Master: The Legacy I didn't get to several films including BURN, WITCH BURN and DRACULA (1979). I had also planned on a couple Carpenter movies (VILLAGE, MOUTH, INVISIBLE MAN) that I didn't get to. The biggest WTF is the lack of any "major" players like Karloff, Lugosi, Cushing, Price and both Chaney's. I think this is the first month in probably a decade where I didn't watch more "classic" movies over newer ones. Next year: Witchcraft series (if I can track them all down in the next year), Amityville Horror series, Stephen King movies (I put many of these off this year to just lump them together next)

 

[Ockeghem]

"Is everyone satisfied this year or is there something you feel you missed or want to focus next year?(older films, newer films)" I would have liked to have watched more first-time viewing films, but sometimes it's just safer to re-watch several films that my children like/love rather than to take the time to preview new films (due mostly to time contraints) in lieu of the ones that they really want to watch. I plan to watch several more horror-related films (mostly ones I have never seen) in November. I am amazed that some HTF members can watch as many films as they did this year. The total I achieved equals about as many films and television episodes that I am able to view in one month's time. It was quite an experience.

 

[TravisR]

Next year: Witchcraft series (if I can track them all down in the next year)...

The third and fourth ones are currently on the Troma section of On Demand.