Official 13th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge 2012 (1 Viewer)

[TravisR]

1. Halloween (1978)
I figured I'd get started with my all-time favorite movie. I doubt anyone needs this one summarized but a maniac returns to his home town to kill on Halloween. Good scares, likable characters and great cinematography. A true classic.
Now on to those new SEs of Halloween II, III, 4 and 5!

 

[Ruz-El]

Nice start Travis, I'm waiting to get the new SEs before watching. I'm being cheap about getting them ha ha.

 

[Ockeghem]

Ockeghem,
Your film list is wherever your film list is at.
Go to the very first post(my post) find your name and click on it.
It will take you to wherever your placeholder is at.

JohnS,
Thank you.

 

[Michael Elliott]

Dolls (1987)
Stuart Gordon's rather strange horror film has six people getting caught up in a bad rain storm so they take shelter in the home of an elderly couple. The old man just happens to be a doll maker, which the young child there likes but soon the dolls come to life to kill the evil adults. DOLLS is pretty good for what it is but after you get done viewing it you notice that you really didn't see too much. There's really not much of a story here and while watching the film you can't help but also realize that nothing you're seeing is really worth watching. I'll give Gordon credit for at least keeping the film interesting as it slowly makes its way to the end but I think a few changes with the screenplay would have really helped things. For starters, I think the entire set-up is rather simple, which a horror film can certainly work with being simple. The problem is that there's really no energy, life or tension anywhere in the film. You basically just sit there watching it without any real emotion or even any connection to any of the characters. The four adults are all rather ugly, stupid or bad stereotypes. The little girl and the other adult, a fan of toys, are too simple and cute to be believed. Even the older couple really don't come to life or show anything for us to like about them. Performances are what you'd expect from a film like this but they were all good enough to fill their roles. The special effects in the film aren't the greatest but considering the budget they get the job done. DOLLS is a rather short film, which certainly helps it but there's just not enough in it to make it fully work.
Film: :star::star::half:
Scares: 1/10
Format: Netflix stream
House at the End of the Street (2012)
Elissa (Jennifer Lawrence) and her mother (Elisabeth Shue) move to a small town where they house they bought turns out to be next to one where a young woman murdered her parents. Elissa befriends the son who survived the ordeal and sure enough other things start to happen. HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET continues a long line of rather bad horror films to be released in 2012 and it's really a shame because there are some good performances here and it's too bad they were wasted. The biggest problem is the story itself because there's just really not too much here to work with. OK, we get the idea that someone died in the house yet 90% of the running time is devoted to human drama like the relationship between the rebel daughter and her mom who might be trying to hard. These more dramatic moments let both actresses really shine as they both do a great job with their roles but at the same time I'm sitting there wondering why they even bothered to turn this into a horror film. In fact, it really did seem like director Mark Tonderai didn't want a horror film so instead he decided to pump up the personal drama to show he could handle something like that and then in the end they turned up the horror because that's what people came to see. The final thirty-minute showdown just drags on and on and on and it finally gets rather boring. There's a big twist that happens towards the end that I liked but sadly it was way too late to try and save the picture. The final twist, however, was rather laughable. Speaking of laughing, there were several moments in the final showdown that had me laughing, which isn't good for a horror film. Again, both Lawrence and Shue are excellent in their roles and I was also impressed with Max Thieriot who plays the brother. Still, at 101-minutes the film runs a good twenty-minutes too long and the horror elements are so weak that they really shouldn't have bothered.
Film: :star::star:
Scares: 2/10
Format: Theater
Lake Placid: The Final Chapter (2012)
Lake Placid still has a croc problem but it's apparently safer now that the government has put up a huge electric fence around the lake. The only problem is that a group of teens are on a field trip and end up behind the fence so a group has to go in after them. Also within the gate is a poacher (Robert Englund) needing some baby croc eggs to sell. LAKE PLACID: THE FINAL CHAPTER is a major improvement over the last two installments and for a SyFy production it's actually very well made. I was really shocked to see the film rebound so well and especially after the previous film, which was just downright horrid on all levels. I thought this film offered up plenty of a fun, a decent story and several characters that you could actually root for, which is rare for this type of film. Horror fans are certainly going to love the kills in this because they're rather graphic and extremely gory for a TV movie. We're given quite a few croc attacks including one poor guy who gets his junk bitten off. Another memorable scene has a young woman hanging upside down and the aftermath isn't all that pretty. The story itself has one major logical problem after another but do we really need to be thinking during a film like this? For the most part I thought we had some pretty good characters to root for with the main focus being on a Sheriff (Elisabeth Rohm) and her teen daughter (Poppy Lee Friar). Both characters are ones you enjoy but both actresses also deliver fine performances. Yancy Butler returns from the previous film and manages to get across a few good jokes and even Englund is good here. The fourth film in the FRIDAY THE 13TH series had "The Final Chapter" added to it and I'm going to make a prediction that this series keeps on moving just like it.
Film: :star::star::half:
Scares: 1/10
Format: SyfyHD

 

[JohnS]

Bob McLaughlin,
You've been added to the list.
Charlie Chan in Egypt (1935) Another movie that is a first for me, including this being my first Charlie Chan movie.
Watched it from a DVR recording on TCM.
Billed as a mystery with a hint of horror. Charlie Chan has to solve a mystery about a theft of a mummy's treasure and death of an archeologist.
Not scary, nor is it really a horror movie.
But by 1935 standards it could be.
Movie had a then unknown sixteen year old Rita Hayworth.
A good mystery with some Egypt tomb backdrops.
Scare factor= none
Michael,
Dolls is on my list this month.
Love reading your remarks. Everyone's actually

 

[TravisR]

House at the End of the Street (2012)
Elissa (Jennifer Lawrence) and her mother (Elisabeth Shue) move to a small town where they house they bought turns out to be next to one where a young woman murdered her parents. Elissa befriends the son who survived the ordeal and sure enough other things start to happen. HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET continues a long line of rather bad horror films to be released in 2012 and it's really a shame because there are some good performances here and it's too bad they were wasted. The biggest problem is the story itself because there's just really not too much here to work with. OK, we get the idea that someone died in the house yet 90% of the running time is devoted to human drama like the relationship between the rebel daughter and her mom who might be trying to hard. These more dramatic moments let both actresses really shine as they both do a great job with their roles but at the same time I'm sitting there wondering why they even bothered to turn this into a horror film. In fact, it really did seem like director Mark Tonderai didn't want a horror film so instead he decided to pump up the personal drama to show he could handle something like that and then in the end they turned up the horror because that's what people came to see. The final thirty-minute showdown just drags on and on and on and it finally gets rather boring. There's a big twist that happens towards the end that I liked but sadly it was way too late to try and save the picture. The final twist, however, was rather laughable. Speaking of laughing, there were several moments in the final showdown that had me laughing, which isn't good for a horror film. Again, both Lawrence and Shue are excellent in their roles and I was also impressed with Max Thieriot who plays the brother. Still, at 101-minutes the film runs a good twenty-minutes too long and the horror elements are so weak that they really shouldn't have bothered.
Film: :star::star:
Scares: 2/10
Format: Theater

I saw this last weekend and that's a pretty accurate review (especially your noting of Lawrence and Shue who deserved better). I can't say that I was all that hopeful for the movie but there were a couple of moments early on that I thought were somewhat creepy so I hoped that maybe it would turn out pretty good. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

 

[Film]

The Shining (1980)
A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where an evil and spiritual presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from the past and of the future.
Decided to start out with this one. Didn't get around to watching it last year.

 

[Ockeghem]

The Shining (1980)
A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where an evil and spiritual presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from the past and of the future.
Decided to start out with this one. Didn't get around to watching it last year.

Nice choice! I am quite a fan of Kubrick. The Shining is such a creepy film. The movement of the camera along the floor, and the wonderful music -- especially the Dies Irae performed on low brass during the opening sequence -- are breathtaking.

 

[JohnS]

Ending my October 1st day since I have to leave for work is the pilot episode of 666 Park Avenue
I liked the pilot. Didn't think it was great. Not scary. But interested to see where the show goes.
Might not stay for entire season, if it lasts that long. But I'll give it a few more episodes.

 

[PatW]

02 Blade: Trinity (2004) :star:
The hybrid vampire hunter Blade is back and this time he finds himself fighting a resurrected Dracula. Having witnessing the death of his mentor, he teams up with a group of well organized vampire hunters who are trying to wipe out the vampires with a virus.
There is some good action but the Blade character seems to be on the sidelines more than I like. Some of the dialogue is eyerolling and the vampire dogs looks like they belong in a Predator film rather than this one. The first movie was decent, the second so-so, and this one, bad.

 

[Michael Elliott]

My most anticipated movie of 2012 is the documentary ROOM 237, the documentary that covers some crazy fans of THE SHINING and various theories about what the film is really about. I doubt it opens anywhere by me but I'd gladly drive a couple hours to see it. I'm thinking about going through the three episodes of the remake as well this month. I love the Kubrick film, although my feelings on it and its story change each time I see it.
It's just too bad no one has found the alternate ending yet (although I'm sure it was destroyed).

 

[Jason Roer]

Started off my challenge with a pair of episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and one episode of The Twilight Zone. I've never watched Buffy before and just began last month. I started season 4 today. Im loving the series. Started off a bit slow for me, but the characters and dialogue are simply sensational. Just a great vibe. I see why it became such a hit.
The episode of The Twilight Zone was a first timer for me too. I've seen most of them, but missed this one over the years. It's a about a man wrongly accused of a crime and sent to another world - a lonely prison where he's the only person. He's given a female robot companion who he eventually starts a relationship with. Soon, he is set free and asked to come back to Earth - but at what price?
Love this time of the year and I love this challenge. About to watch something before bed - though I haven't decided yet. Probably another Buffy.
Cheers!

 

[Jason Roer]

Michael - that doc sounds fantastic. I'm in NYC, so I'll have to see where it's playing. I'm sure it's gotta be here somewhere. I didn't even know about it. Thanks for mentioning it.

 

[TravisR]

2. Halloween II (1981)
Picking up right where the original left off, Michael Myers keeps hunting Laurie. While it follows the Halloween clones in terms of amping up the onscreen violence, this is still an effective movie. The best aspects of it is that the movie looks very much like the original, they have the survivors from the first movie and it legitimately feels like a continuation in the same 'world' (unlike many of the Halloween sequels).
I watched everything but the commentaries on Shout's new Blu-ray tonight and this is an excellent release that I think any fan will be very happy with.

 

[John Stell]

001) 10/01/2012 It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966) http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQoQ2OVKdfIyFVKxt3k65iJmIHQGzjO7RxvT-6dS7nWxr81bYo6AQhttp://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQoQ2OVKdfIyFVKxt3k65iJmIHQGzjO7RxvT-6dS7nWxr81bYo6AQhttp://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQoQ2OVKdfIyFVKxt3k65iJmIHQGzjO7RxvT-6dS7nWxr81bYo6AQhttp://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQoQ2OVKdfIyFVKxt3k65iJmIHQGzjO7RxvT-6dS7nWxr81bYo6AQ

Started the viewing at the stroke of midnight with this all-time classic about Linus' misguided plans for Halloween night. Beautifully animated with a nicely designed "Great Pumpkin" reveal.

002) 10/01/2012 Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQoQ2OVKdfIyFVKxt3k65iJmIHQGzjO7RxvT-6dS7nWxr81bYo6AQhttp://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQoQ2OVKdfIyFVKxt3k65iJmIHQGzjO7RxvT-6dS7nWxr81bYo6AQ1/2

Going from kids enjoying Halloween to kids being the targets, this in-name-only sequel has its moments as crazed warlock plans an unpleasant Halloween surprise for those youngsters who purchased Silver Shamrock masks. Maintains a creepy atmosphere from start to finish but the story is only so-so.

003) 10/01/2012 Halloween (1978) http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQoQ2OVKdfIyFVKxt3k65iJmIHQGzjO7RxvT-6dS7nWxr81bYo6AQhttp://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQoQ2OVKdfIyFVKxt3k65iJmIHQGzjO7RxvT-6dS7nWxr81bYo6AQhttp://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQoQ2OVKdfIyFVKxt3k65iJmIHQGzjO7RxvT-6dS7nWxr81bYo6AQhttp://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQoQ2OVKdfIyFVKxt3k65iJmIHQGzjO7RxvT-6dS7nWxr81bYo6AQ

Dr. Sam Loomis isn't exaggerating when he tries to warn the residents of Haddonfield that an escaped mental patient is coming home to continue his murderous ways which started when he was six years old. Intense, unnerving thriller has style to spare and captures the look and feel of a Halloween night, even though it was shot in the spring!

004) 10/01/2012 Halloween II (1981) http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQoQ2OVKdfIyFVKxt3k65iJmIHQGzjO7RxvT-6dS7nWxr81bYo6AQhttp://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQoQ2OVKdfIyFVKxt3k65iJmIHQGzjO7RxvT-6dS7nWxr81bYo6AQ1/2

Michael Myers gets up after being shot six times by Dr. Loomis and continues hunting Laurie Strode. Great atmosphere and visual style are brought over from the original and keep this watchable. But accent on graphic violence and an unwise plot twist involving Michael and Laurie lessen the film's impact.

 

[Michael Elliott]

Michael - that doc sounds fantastic. I'm in NYC, so I'll have to see where it's playing. I'm sure it's gotta be here somewhere. I didn't even know about it. Thanks for mentioning it.

I think it's playing the New York Film Festival in a couple days. I'm not sure if anyone has picked it up yet but it appears to just being playing the festivals right now. If it can't get a wide release I hope they'll throw it on Amazon or some form of On Demand. God knows I've thought over every aspect of the film so I can't wait to see what other nuts think.
Travis, Re: HOUSE
If someone walked into this thing after the first five minutes they probably wouldn't realize they were watching a horror film until the end. I will say it offered up one of the hottest mother-daughter combos in horror history.
It's been a crappy year for horror titles. THE POSSESSION was good and THE WOMAN IN BLACK was decent but there have been mostly duds. THE DEVIL INSIDE, THE WICKER TREE, SILENT HOUSE, DARK SHADOWS, THE RAVEN, CHERNOBYL DIARIES, THE APPARITION, MOTHER'S DAY, APARTMENT 143, PIRANHA 3DD, DON'T GO IN THE WOODS and [REC] 3 were all bland to horrid. MEETING EVIL was good but I'm not really sure I'd consider this horror. Hopefully the upcoming titles are a tad bit better but at this point I'm glad the big guys are just being re-released.
JohnS, good luck with DOLLS. I remember recording this from Cinemax as a kid but I always turned it off after twenty minutes or so. I enjoyed it somewhat more when I finally went through the entire thing but it's certainly a lot different than what the 80s usually offered. I think MGMHD is showing it tomorrow if you have that station.

 

[Film]

Nice choice! I am quite a fan of Kubrick. The Shining is such a creepy film. The movement of the camera along the floor, and the wonderful music -- especially the Dies Irae performed on low brass during the opening sequence -- are breathtaking.

I agree. It's especially creepy for first time viewers...expecting jump scenes literally every second with that type of music.
One thing I noticed a couple of times at the beginning of the film was the helicopter during the aerial shots. During one part you can see the shadow of the helicopter on the ground. During another shot when the camera shows the Overlook Hotel you can see the blades spinning at the top of the screen. I'm surprised those scenes were included.

 

[JohnS]

JohnS, good luck with DOLLS. I remember recording this from Cinemax as a kid but I always turned it off after twenty minutes or so. I enjoyed it somewhat more when I finally went through the entire thing but it's certainly a lot different than what the 80s usually offered. I think MGMHD is showing it tomorrow if you have that station.

I have to watch Dolls on Netflix streaming. I'll also be watching Dolly Dearest as a double feature. My Dolly Dearest is a download from a VHS copy I'll had for a year now.

 

[Brook K]

It depends what aspect ratio The Shining is being show in as to whether you see the blades or not. One of those movies there's an ongoing, laborious debate about what the correct viewing ratio is.
I watched Dolls for the Challenge last year and liked it.

Don't worry about not seeing AWIL.
I haven't seen Alien, that I feel embarrassed about. (I'm almost 40)

John, I turn 40 this month.
I kicked things off tonight with Cabin in the Woods (2011)
This didn't leave me raving like some of the ecstatic reviews I saw, but I did find it entertaining for the most part. While I found the idea that this is a masterpiece of genre subversion to be overstated, it does have enough traces of Hitchcock and Lovecraft to be thought provoking, while also delivering some horror action and Joss Whedon's entertaining way with dialogue. The action and kills never feel particularly imaginative, and one of the short points for me is that I felt more could have been done with the veritable menagerie of monsters the directors have at their disposal. The ending was also something of a let down. Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford are easily the highlights of the cast as a cynical, comedic duo that runaway with every scene they're in. All-in-all a satisfying start to the month. :star::star::star::half: or B
I have 666 Park Avenue DVR'd but haven't watched it yet. Figured I'd give the show a shot but am much more excited for American Horror Story's 2nd season in a couple of weeks. The Wicker Tree is next in my Netflix queue. I feel I have to see it because of my love for The Wicker Man, even though I've heard it's terrible.
V/H/S is on Wednesday at 10pm and Thursday at midnight and 2am Friday. Thanks for pointing that out Michael. It's opening here Friday, but it's pretty tough for me to get to the theater these days.

 

[Radioman970]

* = New to me
October 1st
* 1. Babysitter Wanted. Wasn't sure what this was going to be but my first guess was wrong. Goes wonky in the final 3rd, but in a good way. Don't expect much and you might be surprised. A good time.
Cried for my mama (scare score): 7/10
Enjoyment of the movie: 7/10
How good I think the thing actually is: 6/10
2. Terror in the Aisles. The reason I bought that Halloween II blu ray. Have loved this doc since it first appeared on HBO. This is where I experienced many of these films for the first time. Overwhelming at times.
Cried for my mama (scare score): 8/10
Enjoyment of the movie: 11/10
How good I think the thing actually is: 7/10
3. Trilogy of Terror: Story 1. I'll rate these separate as I am able to watch them but only number as a single movie. Not impressed with this weak story 1. I sure like Black, but any episode of Tales of the Darkside or Tales from the Crypt hacks this first story to bits. Reminded me of an opening to a Columbo, yet no Columbo shows up after...
Cried for my mama (scare score): 0/10
Enjoyment of the movie: 5/10
How good I think the thing actually is: 4/10