***Official 18th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge 2017*** (1 Viewer)

[Pete Battista]

Orange Text - Theater Viewing
Blue text - Blu Ray Viewing
Black Text - DVD Viewing
Green Text - DVD-R Viewing
Purple Text- Streaming

BOLD - First Time Viewing

My List:
1. Dark Night of the Scarecrow - Rating: 4/5
2. Havenhurst - Rating: 2.5/5
3. Extraordinary Tales - Rating: 2/5
4. The Boy - Rating: 3.5/5
5. Dog Soldiers - Rating: 4/5
6. Get Out - Rating 3.5/5
7. It - 4/5
8. Fright Night (1985) - Rating: 4/5
9. Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse - Rating: 2.5/5
10. It - Rating: 4/5
11. Idle Hands - Rating: 3/5
12. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark - Rating: 3/5
13. The Exorcist III - Rating: 3.5/5
14. Offspring - Rating: 3.5/5
15. Dracula - Rating 4/5
16. Dracula's Daughter - Rating: 3.5/5
17. 13 Ghosts - Rating: 3.5/5
18. Vampire Circus - Rating: 3.5/5
17. Descendents - Rating: 2/5
18. The Fog - Rating: 4.5/5
19. The Visit - Rating: 3/5
20. Cat People - Rating: 4/5
21. The Watcher in the Woods - Rating: 3.5/5
22. The Worst Witch - Rating: 2.5/5
23. Visions - Rating: 3.5/5
24. Silver Bullet - Rating: 4.5/5

My Review:

Stephen King's Silver Bullet: Widescreen Collection (1985/United States)
IMDb |Wikipedia |Trailer |

Paramount Home Video (United States)
Director: Daniel Attias
Writing: Stephen King (1947) (Original Material By), Stephen King (1947) (Screenwriter)
Length: 95 min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Mono, French: Dolby Digital: Mono
Subtitles: English
Stars:
Gary Busey as Uncle Red
Everett McGill as Reverend Lowe
Corey Haim as Marty Coslaw
Megan Follows as Jane Coslaw
Robin Groves as Nan Coslaw

Plot:
Something is killing off townsfolk in Tarker's Mills. Something mysterious. Something ingenious. Something remotely human. But the only person in town with courage to stop this lurking menace is a 13-year-old boy, confined to a wheelchair since birth. Adapted to the screen by suspense master Stephen King from his "Cycle of the Werewolf" novelette, this exhilarating thriller features astounding special effects by three-time Oscar® winner Carlo Rambaldi ("E.T.," "Alien," "King Kong").

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

I have loved it since I first saw it when I was just a teen. I absolutely love the supped up wheel chair... The Silver Bullet! I really enjoyed the scene when he first got it... finding out just how fast it went. I believe Stephen King's take on the werewolf legend is just right on the spot. And I liked who the werewolf turned out to be. While it is not what I would call a gory movie... there is a scene or two that shows it's fair share of blood. There was nothing about this movie that was not just plain enjoyable. It is definitely one of my favorite werewolf movies.If by chance you never seen this film it is one I highly recommend!

Rating:

 

[Ruz-El]

Billy the Kid Vs. Dracula is getting a lot of mileage this challenge. I think you are the fourth person that has watched it so far . I might have to break out my copy and watch it before its all done.

Of all the films to be the break out one of the challenge haha.

I got in five yesterday.
031 10/14 Waxwork (1988) 3.5/5 First time seeing this one since it came out and I know I enjoyed it a lot more than I did before. In my mind most of this era was garbage, but revisiting them I’m enjoying them a bit. There’s nothing really exceptional or scary, they’re just fun little movies. This one uses a wax museum as an excuse to use the exhibits as sketches of other horror tropes. It does it’s job and that's all it needs to do.

032 10/14 Waxwork II: Lost In time (1992) 2.5/5 All the goodwill earned in the first film is lost on this one. Instead of playing with horror tropes, they attempt to spoof other films (In particular the Evil Dead series) and it makes for a terrible sequel to a film that was fun but no masterpiece in the first place. You’re in trouble when you cast Bruce Campbell is a small role in your comedic horror film and it brings no laughs.

033 10/14 Creepshow 2 (1987) 2.5/5 I’ve just never warmed to this one. It’s not terrible, it’s more a case of none of the stories being as interesting as those in the first one on top of what appears to be a significant budget cut so it doesn’t look that good either. First and last segments are fine for what they are, with THE RAFT being the weakest.

034 10/14 Kong Skull Island (2017) 3.5/5 I had a little bit of trepidation going into this one after that last Godzilla movie that never wanted to show the monsters. Thankfully, they don’t mess around with this one and they get to the monster stuff quick. It makes for a fun picture and John C. Reilly is a gift to be treasured.

035 10/14 Dark Dreams (1971) 2.5/5 Young newlyweds get a flat tire and knock on the door of a witches coven in this early hardcore effort. Sadly nothing much happens. It manages to be both ambitious and not very good at the same time.

 

[Bryan^H]

12) Teen Wolf (1985)
This Shout Factory version is the best Teen Wolf has ever looked on home video. I compared it to the older BD, and it so much better. I was going to do a screen capture comparison to show the difference in quality, but don't have the time right now. Sorry about that.

I have seen this movie so many times, and still enjoy it. Fun, and a bit campy but also slightly dramatic coming of age story that holds up. Only in the 80's.
Good stuff.
Grade-A

Sorry, I really like Lori Griffin. Look for her in the 1986 film "Aloha Summer"

 

[AshJW]

Bold = first viewing / rating goes from * to ****

my list:
10/01
001. The Thing From Another World (1951) on DVD --> not as scary as I remember it, but still a great movie ***
002. Night Of The Living Dead (1968) on DVD --> still scary as sh*t ****
003. Day Of The Dead (1985) on DVD --> first half not scary at all, second half made it up for the first half **
10/02
004. The Phantom Of The Opera (1925/1929) on BD --> watched it twice. It's interesting what they changed for the 1929-version, Lon Chaney's make-up is still unbelievable good ***1/2
10/03
005. Marebito (2004) on DVD --> the horror is more in the psychological stage, but I was not intrigued. *
006. Beetlejuice (1988) on DVD --> it's not very scary, but it's still very funny ***
007. Dracula (1931) on BD --> English Version. Well, the performance of Lugosi is outstanding, the rest is mediocre **
008. Frankenstein (1931) on BD --> It has a better pace than Dracula and is more spooky. ***
009. The Mummy (1932) on BD --> The best of these three classics with an frightening Karloff ***1/2
10/04
010. The Invisible Man (1933) on BD --> What a great performance by Claude Raines! ****
011. Bride of Frankenstein (1935) on BD --> Prof. Pretorius, played marvelous by Ernest Thesinger, is the far greater monster! ***
10/06
012. The Wolf Man (1941) on BD --> I've seen this many years ago on TV, it wasn't as good as I remembered, but still enjoyable. **1/2
013. Cat People (1942) on BD --> I only knew the remake from 1982 and liked it, but this one is even better, slightly, but ... ***
014. Phantom of the Opera (1943) on BD --> OK, I really thought this is a horror movie, but it is only in the last ten minutes or so. The rest is a lively and lovely musical and crime story. ***
10/08
015. The Lair of the White Worm (1988) on DVD --> A sexy horror flic from Britain, with a young Hugh Grant. **1/2
10/09
016. The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) on BD --> Great make-up for the monster, I liked especially Peter Cushing's performance. ***
017. Dracula (1958) on BD --> Christopher Lee's performance as Dracula is more powerful than that of Bela Lugosi's - and he was great! Still fantastic is the effect of Dracula's disintegrating. ***1/2
10/13
018. The Mummy (1958) on BD --> The third (and last for me) of the Hammer Horror films. Mr. Lee give a formidable monster, again! ***
019. The Blob (1958) on BD --> That slimy thing can't be killed! I still enjoyed this one. **1/2
020. Vamp (1986) on BD --> Phew, not as bad as I was afraid it would be. It has it's moments. **
10/15
021. Exte: Hair Extensions (Ekusute) (2007) on DVD --> Another weird Japanese Horror. This time the hair of a dead woman begins to live ... **
022. John Carpenter's Christine (1983) on BD --> Never saw this one. I wonder why? It's a very good and spooky film with likeable characters. ****
023. Angel Heart (1987) on BD --> Also a first for me. The horror wasn't obvious, more under the surface. Splendid cast. ***1/2

 

[Neil Middlemiss]

October 15: The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942) – 3 out of 5 - First Time Viewing

Ygor (Bela Lugosi), somehow surviving being shot by one of Dr. Frankenstein’s sons, seeks the help of another of his sons, Ludwig (Cedric Hardwicke), to restore strength to the weakened Frankenstein monster (Lon Chaney, Jr.). Ludwig is quickly seduced by the power of his father’s creation, and decides that the best way forward is to replace the criminal brain inside the monster with that of a more reasoned person. Ygor sees that as an opportunity to rid himself of his decrepit body, and gain the power of the monster. Things go very wrong for everyone.

In trying to make sequels that gave audiences what they wanted (or what Universal thought they wanted), the series starts to wear at the seams. Sure, Bela Lugosi’s crazy, sinister Ygor is fun to watch, but Frankenstein’s monster, despite being portrayed this time by Lon Chaney, Jr. (The Wolf Man), isn’t given any dramatic weight, the kind that allowed Boris Karloff to find tragedy and empathy, and seems more a prop than a character. Cedric Hardwicke does well as the morally corruptible, power-seduced son of the great Dr., and Lionel Atwill shows up again, in a different role, and is once again welcome.

The direction, from Eric C. Kenton is quite good here, and the film retains a great sense of atmosphere, but this is perhaps the weakest of the Frankenstein films that I’ve seen.

 

[TravisR]

All this and I watched the new episode of The Deuce too.


79. This Island Earth

A pair of Earth scientists are taken by the inhabitants of the planet Metaluna in order to save the alien planet from destruction. The rare Universal movie in color and unlike the color horror entries, it actually helps the movie. There are silly elements in this movie but thanks to a decent budget, I think it’s a pretty good movie.


80. Abbott And Costello Meet The Mummy

Abbott and Costello have a medallion that a cult needs to resurrect a mummy. The last of the A&C monster movies is the least. That being said, you can’t really go wrong when you have a movie with Richard Deacon wearing a pith hat.


81. Tarantula

A scientist creates a giant tarantula and when it gets out, it starts killing people in a desert town. Another sci-fi winner from director Jack Arnold. The effects are pretty great when you consider that some of the shots of the giant tarantula still look good more than six decades later.


82. The Creature Walks Among Us

A crazed scientist captures the creature (again) and he’s horribly burned and imprisoned by the scientist. You feel bad for the Creature again since he’s just minding his own business and some scientist comes and kidnaps him but this is easily the weakest of the Creature movies. They made the big mistake of changing the iconic Creature make-up because I guess having the actor wear a rubber mask and Tor Johnson’s clothes was cheaper than a full body creature suit.


83. The Mole People

A group of scientists go into a mountain and find mole people living down there. The mole people costumes are pretty good but the movie isn’t very good. There’s too much stock footage and the movie just feels so long.

 

[dana martin]

Orange Text- Theater Viewing
Blue text - Blu Ray Viewing
Black Text - DVD Viewing
Green Text - DVD-R Viewing
Purple Text- Streaming

Start Time 0001 10/1/2017

Bold - Denotes first ever viewing
with the different variations in presentations, i decided to display the exact copy, that i am viewing

10/7/17- Day Fifteen - 3D

Eleventh Feature: GOG



Got this little gem during the Kino sale, the 3D is really good, and it is a decent SciFi/Horror combo

 

[Sandro]

Recent notable viewings (rated * to ****)

Blair Witch **
This offers nothing new, is poorly written and has choppy scare scenes. A big disappointment.

An Angel For Satan ***
One of the best of the 1960s Italian Gothics has Barbara Steele as a modern lookalike of a cursed statue. Some elements are familiar, some are different and definitely recommended if you like this kind of movie. Bonus for spaghetti western fans – it stars Anthony Steffen and Mario Brega.

Theater of Blood *** ½
Completely enjoyable Vincent Price vehicle with a whole host of British character actors in the story of a vengeful Shakespearean actor returning from the dead to go after his critics.

Tag *** ½
Japanese cult director Sion Sono delivers another unique movie. Starting with a fantastic shock scene he takes us on a whirlwind journey of a young schoolgirl in a gory multiverse trying to make sense of her circumstances. Other viewers may figure out what is happening quicker than I did but the finale is satisfying and even moving and there are multiple crazy scenes along the way. Streaming on Netflix and highly recommended.

Night Watch ** ½
Liz Taylor in a campy silly thriller that has a couple of worthwhile scenes and a cheat of an ending.

It Comes At Night ***
Intense thriller horror about some kind of epidemic and two families that are holed up together in a rural area. Excellent performances and score underline some dramatic scenes. The first 30 minutes or so is outstanding but the movie is betrayed by the director’s desire to make a drama. There are several undercooked ideas/motifs in the film and the ending is not handled that well. Still definitely worth a watch - but beware there is little action.

There seems to be a large plot hole

Spoiler

how did the dog get back into the house?

Any insight would be appreciated.

 

[Ruz-El]

Got five in yesterday. A nice mix, though one was stinker.

036 10/15 C.H.U.D. (1984) (Integral Cut) 3.5/5 First time watching this version, and having only seen the film once before, I couldn’t tell you if it’s an improvement or not. One of the most mocked titles of the 80’s, it’s actually not a bad film when you sit down with it. Homeless people are going missing, could it be cannibalistic humanoid underground dwellers? It’s obviously a low budget monster film, but every cent of that low budget is on the screen and they play it pretty straight as well. I’ve certainly seen worse.

037 10/15 C.H.U.D. II: Bud The C.H.U.D. (1989) 1.5/5 Everything done right in the first film is done wrong in this one. It appears to have a higher budget, but instead of monsters the C.H.U.D.'s are now just lazy make-up zombies played for laughs. It’s closer to a Revenge of the Living Dead sequel, and none of it works. I typically reserve scores less than 2 stars for films that are inept as far as craft, but this one rubbed me so wrong, I docking it half a star.

038 10/15 Wolf Guy (1975) 3.5/5 Sonny Chiba uses his moon driven werewolf powers to try to solve a mysterious crimes where guys are being torn apart by the spirit of a tiger. Sadly, there is no proper werewolf transformations in this one, but it is a blood soaked sleaze-fest of a cypto-crime film. Plus Chiba gets more than a few spots to show off his karate.

039 10/15 Ghostbusters (2016) 3.5/5 Finally got around to this one and really enjoyed it. Rather than basically remake (see Star Wars: The Force Awakens) or mock (see the countless comedy reboots of TV shows) the original, they made a new Ghostbusters movie and it was a lot of fun. I liked the casting, I liked the set pieces, a bunch of jokes worked. It’s all you can ask for from movies like this. The Blu-ray weirded me out though, a bunch of CGI goes outside of the frame mattes. It’s weird and distracting more than neat. Stop doing that.

040 10/15 We Are The Flesh (2016) 4/5 Mexican film that can be best described as “Jodorowsky takes a crack as Salo.” Not a horror film in the traditional sense, there’s a never ending sense of dread and by the end I was thinking the characters had created hell. Gorgeous and explicit, it won't be for everyone. Images from this will be stuck in my brain for a while, and I’m sure being ignorant of Mexican history and culture means I’m missing out on many of the themes tackled.

 

[John Stell]

Rating - Out of a possible 4

043) 10/14/2017 The Mummy's Tomb (1942)

I have a Jekyll/Hyde approach to this one. My Jekyll side loathes this film for three reasons. 1.) This film has to be set in 1970. We are shown in the previous film the document Banning and Solvani signed and it clearly says 1940. So that means the writers had such an "I don't care attitude" that it's insulting to the audience...unless they really thought WWII was going to last 30 years. 2.) It's not really a film: 10 minutes is repeated from The Mummy's Hand meaning this film is barely 50 minutes of new stuff. Talk about cheap-jack. and 3.) The victims are all elderly persons. That's right: let's send the Mummy after defenseless old people since they'd be such a challenge for the all-powerful Kharis. May as well have Kharis stomp on babies next. BUT the Mr. Hyde in me almost admires the offensiveness. The makers of this film just didn't care and thought "Mummy fans will buy their tickets and like it because it's got the mummy in it and that's all we/they care about." Of course at 50 minutes the film moves at high speed with the death toll of a slasher film. Of course Turhan Bey falls in lust with the first woman he sees after setting up shop in America. So I'll split the difference and admit I like the kill scenes and night-for-night shooting and leave it at that.

044) 10/14/2017 Night Monster (1942)

Good horror-mystery hybrid about brutal murders by hideous monster at The Oaks estate. The frogs stop croaking any time the fiend is near. The cast is good too although Lugosi has another one of his thankless roles playing a seemingly sinister butler.

045) 10/14/2017 Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (1943)

Solid Sherlock Holmes entry with Lionel Atwill playing the arch nemesis Moriarity. Holmes searches for kidnapped scientist and components of powerful weapon. Rathbone dons several disguises in this one and it's a treat.

046) 10/14/2017 Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943)

1/2

This film gets off to a good start but then falters in the midsection. Patric Knowles is miscast as the friendly doctor because Knowles (or the script) has to pull a "mad scientist" moment to revive the Monster and it's not convincing at all, leaving a sour taste during the finale. And the Song of the New Wine is annoying: life is short and death is long, no duh. And I wanted to slap that bartender with a crowbar even though he was right to be suspicious. A pretty good film that does have it's great moments.

047) 10/15/2017 Sherlock Holmes in Washington (1943)

Holmes goes to DC to find missing British undercover agent and ultimately a crucial piece of microfilm. Another solid entry with great scenes between Rathbone and George Zucco.

048) 10/15/2017 Captive Wild Woman (1943)

1/2

Lively hour of circus footage and ape woman Paula Dupree. We learn in the next film why they didn't let her talk in this one. John Carradine is good as villainous doctor.

049) 10/15/2017 Phantom of the Opera (1943)

Colorful remake with Claude Rains doing his typically excellent job. There's more opera than Phantom but still a pretty entertaining update.

 

[Bryan^H]

13) Scars of Dracula (1970)
It is a shame that the official Blu-Ray is released later this month in the UK region locked. I would love to see it. This is one of my favorite Hammer films. Story isn't that great, and Dracula is a mute, but IT really makes up for those shortcomings in the extremely attractive cast, and very good atmosphere. The giant friend of Dracula Bat is a plus too.
Grade-A

14) Don't be Afraid of the Dark (1973)
Creepy all around. Only my second time seeing this, and it was more effective this past viewing. Kim Darby is convincing as a terrified housewife that knows small diabolical creatures inhabit her home. Why does she stay?
Grade-B+

 

[Pete Battista]

Orange Text - Theater Viewing
Blue text - Blu Ray Viewing
Black Text - DVD Viewing
Green Text - DVD-R Viewing
Purple Text- Streaming

BOLD - First Time Viewing

My List:
1. Dark Night of the Scarecrow - Rating: 4/5
2. Havenhurst - Rating: 2.5/5
3. Extraordinary Tales - Rating: 2/5
4. The Boy - Rating: 3.5/5
5. Dog Soldiers - Rating: 4/5
6. Get Out - Rating 3.5/5
7. It - 4/5
8. Fright Night (1985) - Rating: 4/5
9. Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse - Rating: 2.5/5
10. It - Rating: 4/5
11. Idle Hands - Rating: 3/5
12. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark - Rating: 3/5
13. The Exorcist III - Rating: 3.5/5
14. Offspring - Rating: 3.5/5
15. Dracula - Rating 4/5
16. Dracula's Daughter - Rating: 3.5/5
17. 13 Ghosts - Rating: 3.5/5
18. Vampire Circus - Rating: 3.5/5
17. Descendents - Rating: 2/5
18. The Fog - Rating: 4.5/5
19. The Visit - Rating: 3/5
20. Cat People - Rating: 4/5
21. The Watcher in the Woods - Rating: 3.5/5
22. The Worst Witch - Rating: 2.5/5
23. Visions - Rating: 3.5/5
24. Silver Bullet - Rating: 4.5/5
25. Warlock: The Armageddon - Rating:4/5

My Review:

Warlock: The Armageddon (1993/United States)
IMDb |Wikipedia |Trailer |

Lions Gate Entertainment, Vestron Video (United States)
Director: Anthony Hickox
Writing: Kevin Rock (Story By), Kevin Rock (Screenwriter), Sam Bernard (Screenwriter), David Twohy [David N. Twohy] (Original Characters By)
Length: 98 min.
Video: Widescreen 1.78:1
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 2-Channel Stereo, English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Stars:
Julian Sands as Warlock
Chris Young (1978) as Kenny Travis
Paula Marshall as Samantha Ellison
Joanna Pacula as Paula Dare
Steve Kahan as Will Travis

Plot:
The Warlock (Julian Sands) returns to try and free his father from the fiery chains that imprison him – and is challenged by two warriors with supernatural powers.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Featurettes
• Gallery
• Interviews

My Thoughts:

This was a good sequel... I really enjoyed it a lot... but I think I prefer the first one a little more. I liked how they had the teenage couple as Druid Warriors... gave the warlock someone to fight that also had powers. Which of course made for an interesting fight.

Rating:

​

 

[Pete Battista]

Orange Text - Theater Viewing
Blue text - Blu Ray Viewing
Black Text - DVD Viewing
Green Text - DVD-R Viewing
Purple Text- Streaming

BOLD - First Time Viewing

My List:
1. Dark Night of the Scarecrow - Rating: 4/5
2. Havenhurst - Rating: 2.5/5
3. Extraordinary Tales - Rating: 2/5
4. The Boy - Rating: 3.5/5
5. Dog Soldiers - Rating: 4/5
6. Get Out - Rating 3.5/5
7. It - 4/5
8. Fright Night (1985) - Rating: 4/5
9. Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse - Rating: 2.5/5
10. It - Rating: 4/5
11. Idle Hands - Rating: 3/5
12. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark - Rating: 3/5
13. The Exorcist III - Rating: 3.5/5
14. Offspring - Rating: 3.5/5
15. Dracula - Rating 4/5
16. Dracula's Daughter - Rating: 3.5/5
17. 13 Ghosts - Rating: 3.5/5
18. Vampire Circus - Rating: 3.5/5
17. Descendents - Rating: 2/5
18. The Fog - Rating: 4.5/5
19. The Visit - Rating: 3/5
20. Cat People - Rating: 4/5
21. The Watcher in the Woods - Rating: 3.5/5
22. The Worst Witch - Rating: 2.5/5
23. Visions - Rating: 3.5/5
24. Silver Bullet - Rating: 4.5/5
25. Warlock: The Armageddon - Rating:4/5
26. Vampires - Rating: 4.5/5

My Review:

John Carpenter's Vampires (1998/United States)
Trailer |Wikipedia |IMDb |

Columbia TriStar Home Video (United States)
Director: John Carpenter (1948)
Writing: John Steakley (Original Material By), Don Jakoby (Screenwriter)
Length: 108 min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1, Pan & Scan 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround
Subtitles: English, French
Stars:
James Woods (1947) as Jack Crow
Daniel Baldwin as Montoya
Sheryl Lee as Katrina
Thomas Ian Griffith as Valek
Maximilian Schell as Cardinal Alba

Plot:
In the blood-chilling tradition of Halloween and Village of the Damned comes John Carpenter's unique vision of the ultimate killing machines, VAMPIRES.

"Forget everything you've ever heard about vampires," warns Jack Crow (James Woods), the leader of Team Crow, a relentless group of mercenary vampire slayers. When Master Vampire Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith) decimates Jack's entire team, Crow and the sole team survivor, Montoya (Daniel Baldwin), set out in pursuit. Breaking all the rules, Crow and Montoya take one of Valek's victims hostage.

The beautiful but unlucky prostitute (Sheryl Lee) is their sole psychic link to Valek, and through her senses they will track down the leader of the undead. As Valek nears the climax of his 600-year search for the Berziers Cross, Jack and the new Team Crow do everything humanly possible to prevent him from possessing the only thing that can grant him and all vampires the omnipotent power to walk in the daylight.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Closed Captioned
• 6-Page Booklet

My Thoughts:

This is another of my favorite Vampire movies. I think James Woods did a great job as a vampire hunter. The story line is great and I really like the way they did the vampires. This one is well worth the time put in to watch it. I would highly recommend it.

Rating:

 

[EricSchulz]

View attachment 41217

13) Scars of Dracula (1970)
It is a shame that the official Blu-Ray is released later this month in the UK region locked. I would love to see it. This is one of my favorite Hammer films. Story isn't that great, and Dracula is a mute, but IT really makes up for those shortcomings in the extremely attractive cast, and very good atmosphere. The giant friend of Dracula Bat is a plus too.
Grade-A

14) Don't be Afraid of the Dark (1973)
Creepy all around. Only my second time seeing this, and it was more effective this past viewing. Kim Darby is convincing as a terrified housewife that knows small diabolical creatures inhabit her home. Why does she stay?
Grade-B+

I'm curious about the two Christopher Lee music videos!

 

[Pete Battista]

Orange Text - Theater Viewing
Blue text - Blu Ray Viewing
Black Text - DVD Viewing
Green Text - DVD-R Viewing
Purple Text- Streaming

BOLD - First Time Viewing

My List:
1. Dark Night of the Scarecrow - Rating: 4/5
2. Havenhurst - Rating: 2.5/5
3. Extraordinary Tales - Rating: 2/5
4. The Boy - Rating: 3.5/5
5. Dog Soldiers - Rating: 4/5
6. Get Out - Rating 3.5/5
7. It - 4/5
8. Fright Night (1985) - Rating: 4/5
9. Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse - Rating: 2.5/5
10. It - Rating: 4/5
11. Idle Hands - Rating: 3/5
12. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark - Rating: 3/5
13. The Exorcist III - Rating: 3.5/5
14. Offspring - Rating: 3.5/5
15. Dracula - Rating 4/5
16. Dracula's Daughter - Rating: 3.5/5
17. 13 Ghosts - Rating: 3.5/5
18. Vampire Circus - Rating: 3.5/5
17. Descendents - Rating: 2/5
18. The Fog - Rating: 4.5/5
19. The Visit - Rating: 3/5
20. Cat People - Rating: 4/5
21. The Watcher in the Woods - Rating: 3.5/5
22. The Worst Witch - Rating: 2.5/5
23. Visions - Rating: 3.5/5
24. Silver Bullet - Rating: 4.5/5
25. Warlock: The Armageddon - Rating:4/5
26. Vampires - Rating: 4.5/5
27. Mirrors 2 - Rating: 3.5/5



My Review:

Mirrors 2: Unrated (2010/United States)

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (United States)
Director: Victor Garcia
Writing: Matt Venne (Screenwriter), Kim Sung Ho (Original Material By)
Length: 90 min.
Video: Widescreen 1.78:1
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 5.1
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
Stars:
Nick Stahl as Max Matheson
Emmanuelle Vaugier [Emmanuelle Vaugiér] as Elizabeth Reigns
Evan Jones (1976) as Henry Schow
Christy Romano as Jenna McCarty
William Katt as Jack Matheson

Plot:
Inside The Mirrors...The Dead Live On...Waiting For Vengeance. When a young woman is brutally murdered in front of a mirror that is a portal to the world of the undead, her spirit goes on a murderous rampage. One by one, she stalks the men and women responsible for her horrific death, exacting bloody revenge by dismembering and eviscerating the guilty. They can't run...they can't hide...they can't look in the mirror!

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Bonus Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Picture-in-picture

My Thoughts:

This one I liked quite a bit. The story was interesting and the effects were good. I do however think I liked the first one better. But this is definitely worth the time put in to watch it.

Rating:

 

[JohnS]

TV Shows:

Charmed 120 "Power of Two"

Ghosted 103 "Whispers"
Slightly better episode with better chemistry time with the two leads.
Hopefully the story with Max's wife plays out interestingly.

Movies:

Bram Stoker's Legend of the Mummy (1998) *NEW* 1/10
Amazon Prime.
I'm doing IMDB ratings, which means no zero star ratings.
If I could give this a zero I would.
Such a horrible mess of a movie.
Looks and plays out like a TV movie.
Some of the worst acting.
Pointless and unnecessary sex scenes.
Horrendous scenes with Richard Karn (Home Improvement) I mean really horrendous!!
The "Surprise ending" was just stupid and was no surprise to no one but the lead character.
Absolutely the worst thing I've seen in this challenge.
This movie will be hard to beat!!

The Innocents (1961) 7/10
TCM channel
I've already seen this, but wanted to watch it again to see if I can get a different opinion on what I thought the ending meant and what was going on.
Everyone has their own opinion and I have mine.
Curious to know what everyone else thinks that have seen this movie.
My thought...

Spoiler

I think the kids were possessed. But only possessed at certain times. Not at all the imagination of Miss Giddens

 

[EricSchulz]

Tonight's double feature: the original King Kong and Them!

IN A THEATER!!!!!

 

[Pete Battista]

Orange Text - Theater Viewing
Blue text - Blu Ray Viewing
Black Text - DVD Viewing
Green Text - DVD-R Viewing
Purple Text- Streaming

BOLD - First Time Viewing

My List:
1. Dark Night of the Scarecrow - Rating: 4/5
2. Havenhurst - Rating: 2.5/5
3. Extraordinary Tales - Rating: 2/5
4. The Boy - Rating: 3.5/5
5. Dog Soldiers - Rating: 4/5
6. Get Out - Rating 3.5/5
7. It - 4/5
8. Fright Night (1985) - Rating: 4/5
9. Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse - Rating: 2.5/5
10. It - Rating: 4/5
11. Idle Hands - Rating: 3/5
12. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark - Rating: 3/5
13. The Exorcist III - Rating: 3.5/5
14. Offspring - Rating: 3.5/5
15. Dracula - Rating 4/5
16. Dracula's Daughter - Rating: 3.5/5
17. 13 Ghosts - Rating: 3.5/5
18. Vampire Circus - Rating: 3.5/5
17. Descendents - Rating: 2/5
18. The Fog - Rating: 4.5/5
19. The Visit - Rating: 3/5
20. Cat People - Rating: 4/5
21. The Watcher in the Woods - Rating: 3.5/5
22. The Worst Witch - Rating: 2.5/5
23. Visions - Rating: 3.5/5
24. Silver Bullet - Rating: 4.5/5
25. Warlock: The Armageddon - Rating:4/5
26. Vampires - Rating: 4.5/5
27. Mirrors 2 - Rating: 3.5/5
28. Monster Squad - Rating: 4/5



My Review:

The Monster Squad: Two-Disc 20th Anniversary Edition (1987/United States)
IMDb |Wikipedia |Trailer |

Lions Gate Entertainment (United States)
Director: Fred Dekker
Writing: Shane Black (Writer), Fred Dekker (Writer)
Length: 82 min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Stars:
André Gower as Sean
Robbie Kiger as Patrick
Stephen Macht as Del
Duncan Regehr as Count Dracula
Tom Noonan (1951) as Frankenstein

Plot:
You know who to call when you have ghosts, but who do you call about monsters? Whether it's a bat in your belfry or a mummy in your microwave, THE MONSTER SQUAD ain't afraid of no ghouls!

Count Dracula has until midnight to retrieve an ancient amulet that will give him final control over the delicate balance between good and evil in the world. To help him, the creepy count calls on some old friends: the weird Wolfman, grotesque Gill-Man, mildewed Mummy and freaky Frankenstein. As the ghoulish group gets closer to the amulet, it's up to THE MONSTER SQUAD, headquartered in the local tree house, to pool its questionable resources and stop the monster mayhem!

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Bonus Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Gallery
• Interviews
• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

I felt like watching something that is just plain fun next. So I pulled out The Monster Squad. This one is an old favorite of mine that I liked to try to fit in every October. Always good for a few laughs... the lines "the Wolfman has nards!" and "Well Steve... but he doesn't count!" gets me laughing every time I watch this movie. I like how they have most all the classic monsters in this movie. They made the story fun and interesting at the same time. This movie would make a good introduction for kids that are curios about horror movies. If by chance you never seen this movie I would definitely recommend it to all.

Rating:

 

[Neil Middlemiss]

October 16: Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943) – 3.5 out of 5 - First Time Viewing

Larry Talbot, the Wolf Man (played again by Lon Chaney, Jr.) is awoken from his death chamber by two hapless grave robbers. He kills the two robbers and is found unconscious in the streets of the nearby town and taken to hospital. When he wakes up he becomes distraught at once again being subjected to the curse of the beast, and finds that no one believes his story. He escapes, finding a kindly Gypsy woman who pledges to help him find the one man that can kill him and put him out of his misery – Dr. Frankenstein. Talbot meets up with Dr. Frankenstein’s daughter, Elsa (played by Ilona Massey) as a means to secure her father’s secret notebook, and the answer to how the Wolf Man can be killed for good. Eventually, Talbot discovers Frankenstein (played this time by Bela Lugosi) frozen in a block of ice. He thaws him out only for another megalomaniacal Dr. (Dr. Mannering, played by Patrick Knowles) to become obsessed with the monster, setting off a series of deadly events and an eventual battle between Frankenstein and the Wolf Man.

Despite Lon Chaney, Jr’s, Larry Talbot forever being a cursed figure unable to find peace, and despairing at his woes – at risk for becoming one-note - his performances are always excellent. He engenders such tragic sympathy that even when he becomes the beast and kills the innocent, you find yourself rooting for the man trapped inside the beast. Bela Lugosi’s performance as Frankenstein isn’t particularly memorable, perhaps due to most of the dialogue his version said in the film being removed. His performance is even more lumbering than normal (again, due to the fact that Frankenstein was blind but those references were removed from the final cut). The finale, with a rogue villager (spoiler alert) blowing up the dam that then floods the castle, is very well done and perhaps more interesting than the more commonly used fire burning something down to kill the monsters.

The presence, and outright focus on Larry Talbot in the Wolf Man is this film’s saving grace, providing a more dramatically compelling character and story to invest in. The rampaging villagers play their part too, and once again, the always excellent Lionel Atwill makes an appearance, this time as the town’s mayor.

 

[Pete Battista]

Orange Text - Theater Viewing
Blue text - Blu Ray Viewing
Black Text - DVD Viewing
Green Text - DVD-R Viewing
Purple Text- Streaming

BOLD - First Time Viewing

My List:
1. Dark Night of the Scarecrow - Rating: 4/5
2. Havenhurst - Rating: 2.5/5
3. Extraordinary Tales - Rating: 2/5
4. The Boy - Rating: 3.5/5
5. Dog Soldiers - Rating: 4/5
6. Get Out - Rating 3.5/5
7. It - 4/5
8. Fright Night (1985) - Rating: 4/5
9. Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse - Rating: 2.5/5
10. It - Rating: 4/5
11. Idle Hands - Rating: 3/5
12. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark - Rating: 3/5
13. The Exorcist III - Rating: 3.5/5
14. Offspring - Rating: 3.5/5
15. Dracula - Rating 4/5
16. Dracula's Daughter - Rating: 3.5/5
17. 13 Ghosts - Rating: 3.5/5
18. Vampire Circus - Rating: 3.5/5
17. Descendents - Rating: 2/5
18. The Fog - Rating: 4.5/5
19. The Visit - Rating: 3/5
20. Cat People - Rating: 4/5
21. The Watcher in the Woods - Rating: 3.5/5
22. The Worst Witch - Rating: 2.5/5
23. Visions - Rating: 3.5/5
24. Silver Bullet - Rating: 4.5/5
25. Warlock: The Armageddon - Rating:4/5
26. Vampires - Rating: 4.5/5
27. Mirrors 2 - Rating: 3.5/5
28. Monster Squad - Rating: 4/5
29. Near Dark - Rating 4.5/5



My Review:

Near Dark (1987/United States)
IMDb |Wikipedia |Trailer |

Lions Gate Films (United States)
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Writing: Eric Red (Writer), Kathryn Bigelow (Writer)
Length: 94 min.
Video: Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 5.1, English: PCM: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Stars:
Adrian Pasdar as Caleb
Jenny Wright as Mae
Lance Henriksen as Jesse
Bill Paxton as Severen
Jenette Goldstein as Diamondback

Plot:
Country boy Caleb Colton (Adrian Pasdar) whittles away the quiet rural nights hunting local girls – but when he falls prey to the mysterious and beautiful Mae (Jenny Wright), Caleb unknowingly becomes the hunted. Mae is no ordinary girl, Caleb soon learns: she is part of an outlaw band of vampires, and their love is about to lure him into a terrifying world of bloodlust, mayhem and absolute horror. Will Caleb pay the ultimate price for love and eternal life – or will he find a way to defeat the evil growing inside him each night NEAR DARK?

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes

My Thoughts:

This is a movie that has seemed to fly in under the radar for most people. I discovered it while I was working at the local video store.... and everyone I ever suggested it to never even heard of it. But yet of the MANY people that took a chance on this movie because of my recommendation... I don't remember ever hearing bad feedback. As far as I remember everyone enjoyed it!

One of the things I like about this movie is that even though while watching it there is no doubt in your mind this is a vampire movie... they never once use the word vampire in the movie... and you never once see a set of fangs. Another thing I like in this movie is the awesome bar fight scene. I have seen a few bar fight scenes in horror movies... and this is one of the best. Then you have the added bonus that one of the stars of this movie is Lance Henrikson.... a great genre actor of the time.

Another thing about it is the simplicity of it all. The portrayal of the vampires... and even the cure for vampirism is so simple that it just makes sense. This is one film that if by chance you have never seen I highly recommend it. Definitely a must see for any vampire fan.

If there is one thing I would change about this blu-ray release (other then give us more extras!... never enough extras!) it would have to be the cover art they used! looking at this cover art and I think films like Twilight. Like they are trying to pique the interest of teen girls in this film. As irritating as that seems... lets face it... that really is of little importance. The most important thing is having the film itself.

Rating: