***Official 19th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge 2018*** (1 Viewer)

[TravisR]

76. Maniac (1980)

The title character kills women in New York City. There's no defending this movie but the footage shot on location is a great snapshot of the hell on earth that NYC had become by the end of the 70's. Also, any fan of Tom Savini has to see this to check out some of his best and goriest work.

 

[Malcolm R]

House of Wax 3D (1953) A

Henry Jarrod is a talented sculptor with a gift for gab. He sculpts lifelife wax figures of historical figures and displays them in his museum. His financial partner, Burke, wants him to sculpt more sensational and horrific figures to boost attendance. When Jarrod refuses, Burke burns down the museum in order to collect the insurance money and he leaves Jarrod inside to die. Jarrod somehow escapes with his life, but not his sanity. He opens a new museum, House of Wax, and many of the star attractions bear an uncanny resemblance to a number of locals who have recently passed under odd circumstances.

Vincent Price in a virtuoso performance as Henry Jarrod, the genius sculptor whose quest to immortalize great beauty takes a turn toward the macabre. Also features an early performance from Charles Bronson as the mute assistant, Igor.

The 3D in this really enhances the film. Some of it is kind of gimmicky, like the barker with the paddle ball and the high-kicking can-can girls, but there was very nice depth throughout and some of the other scenes were very effective. There's one scene near the end where Igor suddenly jumps up in the foreground before he attacks Scott. OMG, for a second I thought there was an intruder in my HT; it seemed like he jumped up right in front of my seat.

The blu-ray also includes the previous version, Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933) with Lionel Atwill and Fay Wray as a bonus feature. I watched a bit of it and it seems like the 1953 version is a very close remake right down to the staging and filming of many scenes. It seems like maybe Warner was simply searching for a 3D picture and decided a remake of this film would fit the bill. Good choice! See it in 3D if you can.

 

[Ruz-El]

So, realizing that what's left of my to watch stack of leftovers was mostly things that probably don't count for the challenge, I decided to watch the directors cut of Raising Cain. I also watched the special features for it. They discuss that dePalma struggled with how to start this one, and ended up with what was released in the theatres. The fellow Michael mentioned decided to reconstruct it based on the screenplay, and the result is on this disc as a "Directors Cut" as dePalma ended up agreeing with the guy that it indeed worked better and supposedly requested it get included on the disc release. I agree with Michael, the film is much better in this version, worth checking out.

Here's what I watched today. Back to work tomorrow and probably wont get a chance to update during the day, so I'm popping this in before I go to bed and try to get one more in.

095 10/28 Carrie (1976) 4.5/5 Not only is this one that I’ve seen a bunch of times before, it’s also one of those films that’s constantly referenced as a punchline in countless other films and TV shows. So it’s a little crazy how great this one still stands up.

096 10/28 The Case of the Scorpion's Tail (1971) 3.5/5 The insurance investigation into the death of a millionaire is the begging of a series of brutal murders in this giallo by Sergio Martino. I believe this one is quite popular in the genre, and rightfully so as it’s got a brisk and clever plot as well as lurid violence to keep you invested.

097 10/28 Raising Cain (Director's Cut) (1992) 3.5/5 I was right in my suspicions, this version does play better than the original cut, allowing more of a slow burn to build before going bonkers, as opposed to the original cut that starts out bonkers. There’s no fixing some of the weird references dePalma has layered into this thing, but they’re fun references and I will probably revisit this version again over the original cut.

098 10/28 Castle Of Blood (1964) 3/5 I’m actually surprised at how much I enjoyed this one. It’s as creaky as these things can get. A journalist makes a bet to spend the night in a haunted castle, with Edgar Allan Poe helping to egg him on. It’s corny stuff, but really well done and surprisingly atmospheric for such a generic premise in a generic film with a generic organ score. The journalist is hopeless, Barbara Steel is a ghost and it shouldn’t be as entertaining as it ended up.

 

[John Stell]

Rating - Out of a possible 4

107) 10/28/2018 The Reincarnation of Peter Proud (1975)

1/2
Dr. Peter Proud becomes convinced his nightmares about being murdered (in Crystal Lake!) are actually memories of a past life. He investigates and eventually meets his “killer”. Intriguing for a while but eventually becomes very obvious where the story is headed.

108) 10/28/2018 Repulsion (1965)

Catherine Deneuve gives a bravura performance in director Roman Polanski’s study of sexual repression and madness. Deneuve is left alone in the apartment she shares with her older sister when the latter leaves for a romantic getaway. She suffers hallucinations and nightmares, leading to violent encounters. Grim, intense, and haunting. Those scenes in the hallways with arms coming out of the walls are not easily forgotten.

109) 10/29/2018 Videodrome (1983)

A perfectly cast James Woods plays president of cable channel that offers its audience softcore pornography and extreme violence. When a pirate satellite dish picks up an extremely brutal video that may be fact instead of fiction, he becomes involved with a group that believes video is the new reality. Writer/director David Cronenberg’s mix of sex, violence, and technology features Rick Baker’s eye-popping effects and many intriguing ideas. It doesn’t completely work, and becomes a little silly before all is said and done. But it is never less than compelling.​

 

[EricSchulz]

#025. The Mummy The last entry in this year’s Music Box Theater Universal Horror matinees. I’ve really tried to like this movie but it’s so slow and tedious. The opening sequence is a great setup but it’s downhill after that. The “flashback” is good too but the rest is a snooze. But I got to see it on the big screen! 1.5/5 stars

 

[Malcolm R]

The fellow Michael mentioned decided to reconstruct it based on the screenplay, and the result is on this disc as a "Directors Cut" as dePalma ended up agreeing with the guy that it indeed worked better

Following the screenplay as written resulted in a better film? Imagine that. What a novel concept!

 

[Ruz-El]

Following the screenplay as written resulted in a better film? Imagine that. What a novel concept!

If only it was that easy! I recall hearing about the nightmare Soderbergh had on his hands with "The Limey", with it not coming together at all in the editing room until they started adding bits from the film POOR COW and shuffling the scenes around.

The old adage of you write the film and it's one thing, you shoot it it's a new thing, you edit it and it's a third thing.

 

[Michael Elliott]

After seeing both versions of RAISING CAIN, I really had to wonder what DePalma was thinking. To me the theatrical version is a * 1/2 - ** movie whereas the new cut is a solid *** and probably a film that would get better with repeat viewings.

 

[Ruz-El]

After seeing both versions of RAISING CAIN, I really had to wonder what DePalma was thinking. To me the theatrical version is a * 1/2 - ** movie whereas the new cut is a solid *** and probably a film that would get better with repeat viewings.

they didn't get into that really with the special features. My guess is concerns that the start was too slow and wanting to add a bit of bang based on test screenings. It smacks of some kind of interference. After watching the new cut I would bump the original down to a 2.5, maybe a 2.

 

[Radioman970]

Monday, October 22nd
64. The Shining (1980)
65. Tragedy Girls. (2017)(NEW)
53.3 The League of Gentlemen.
3- "Nightmare in Royston Vasey"
Halloween is getting so close I'm pulling out the favorites. So today was The Shining Day! And the first time on my new big TV. It's the widescreen blu ray but it looks really good. I hope the 4K has this wide and the full. It would be a reason to get a player that does it. So many great memories with this one. I saw Jack before I knew who he was interviewed by Johnny Carson and they played that scene and Johnny loved it. I thought there would be no way I'd see that movie. Saw it edited for TV once and there was no looking back. With Time Bandits it was the first of 2 VHS movies I bought at a huge mall in Augusta Georgia that is now closed and gutted. First DVD I ever got too, the bad first one. The newer DVD was great but this blu looks so good. I watched a PBS doc last month about the Donner Party, riveting and recommended, and of course I had that scene playing in my mind. I'm a huge fan of Shelley in this movie and her screaming in that door smashing scene is what left me too afraid to see it. I think anybody who says she isn't fantastic should watch again and pay close attention to all her actions, facial movements especially because that is where she is absolute gold. Couldn't think of anything to follow it with so went with one had these great shots of people in weird neon masks. Nope, didn't quite hit the high left from the classic I'd watched. Sometimes a classic can make a so-so movie after it seem great somehow. Nope . The idea was okay but there really wasn't a whole lot to like. I felt this was for people less than 52 years old so I don't qualify. Had planned a third but was a little tired. When with another great GREAT League of Gentlemen. This one has the horrible turtle scene, if I remember right, and the ending the shocked the stuff out of me first time. Couldn't wait for the next one back then. I have to admit the next day I wanted to watch The Shining all over again. The sound alone has to be one of the best things ever done, like Rosemary's Baby with its la-la-la-laaaaa-la. la.......

Tuesday, October 23rd
66. Poltergeist. (1982)
67. The Blair Witch Project. (1999)
68. Bubba Ho-tepp. (2003)
Another nostalgic biggie for starters. Both Poltergeist and The Shining remind me of my best friend. I remember showing them to my buddy, one of my favorite people to see movies with as a kid since we liked the same things. That little lady is so much better as Tangina than she was in the sequels. A priceless gem of a character. The Aussie fella from the remake is okay but still about 10% of what Tangina was. Next classic favorite was Blair Witch. I always try to watch it without pausing but had too once. Like The Shining, I really REALLY wanted to watch Blair Witch again the next day. I used to know a lot of the dialogue from Blair and MOST from The Shining. I did watch the alternate endings for Blair on the blu ray and those were really neat. I didn't even remember what they were it's been so long I last watched them on my older DVD. I like what they went with though, it's a classic. Bubba Ho-tepp was next for a great triple day. Seems like a good one to bring back as a TV show today. Throw a sideburned wig on Brucie and he's more Elvis than Elvis ever was dammit! I could imagine him going from nursing home to nursing home like Scatman from his Twilight Zone movie kick the can story.

Wednesday, October 24th
69. Leatherface (2017)(NEW)
70. It Follows (2015)
71. Lovely Molly (2013)
Leatherface tries to fill in some back story on the classic series and near the start has a visit to a mental hospital where some of the family is being kept. All the nutty Ed Gein REAL history and we get funnyfarm scenes. It does improve but never doesn't anything different. There's even Stephen Dorff as psycho sheriff! Ain't that new! lol Couldn't believe this is what they did. It is worth a watch and addition to my collection but not by much. The movie looks nice at least. Wondering if Leatherface will have to permanently hang the skin mask to the nail on the back of the door... expectations not met. Followed with 2 recent favorites. It Follows is an instant classic. Just an incredible slow chase from scene to scene that leaves you waiting for the next freaky thing. So damn unique in the slasher genre. I think the only way to make it better would be to make it retro. In fact, that might be a good excuse for a sequel, have a origin story. Finally, the insane movie from Blair Witch people, Lovely Molly. This is one that really got me first time, a true scary time. It doesn't quite hold up to watching again and again for scares, but I still love seeing it. On my larger TV with the black level adjustment turned on, the famous scene at the end isn't quite right anymore. I went to bed with that in my head years ago and it was not a quite night's sleep!

Thursday, October 25th
72. Shaun of the Dead. (2004)
73. When a Stranger Calls. (2006)
Finally getting to Shaun. Been so long but it remains just about perfect. Ended with a remake I think I like better than anybody. There's a house with giant windows with curtains that I think probably cost more than I make all year. What a house that is! If I won that 1.6 Billion I'd be checking to see if it was up for sale. And a real good idea was the guest house. Lots of eeriness, excellent night time rain scenes. I think many thought it wasn't scary enough but first time I was on the edge of my seat. I also felt the opening with that house next to an amusement park was a great addition to the idea. I think that would be a nightmare living next to that!

Friday, October 26th
74. Poltergeist II The Other Side (1986)
75. Poltergeist III (1988)
76. League of Gentleman
1- "The Beast of Royston Vasey"
2-???
3-???
Well, today I thought I'd just get these out of the way so I could watch the 3D reboot if I felt like it. I haven't watched a 3D yet all week. The first sequel is probably my second biggest disappointment sequel, just after the #1 of Star Trek V. It's not completely horrible, there's some good characters like Rev. Creepy and his followers. That's a really great idea and played pretty well in the first sequel by a skeleton with skin stretched and taped onto his body! lol I've always been terrified of those types, like Jim Jones or similar Charles Manson. I was imagining if Steven Speilberg had decided to actually direct and produce this himself how great it could have been. I just noticed this director went to do What's Love Got to Do with it, the Tina Turner story. A shame he died of bone cancer, I didn't know that. Like STV, I need to get the Rifftrax if there is one and only watch it that way. STV is great that way. Finally, got the final sequel done just in time before leaving to some extra ghastly hours at work. I've always liked it. That older girl and her friends look like they are going to a Pretty in Pink dress up party. I never noticed that before! There's even a Duckie! Also never noticed how much like the Hellraisers and the Phantasms this movie is since I only just got most of those watched since last seeing this.

Saturday, October 27th
77. ....

 

[whacky blacky]

59. Dark House (2017). FTV. Streamed. 2/5.

 

[Neil Middlemiss]

October 29: The Conjuring (2013) - 4.5 out of 5

The Warrens, a paranormal investigation couple, are called to the home of the Perron's and their five daughters to uncover the dark secrets behind the terrorizing experiences they have been subjected to on their new home. The investigation determines that the house carries the darkest of secrets and an evil presence has latched on to them. There's no running. Their only chance is for the church to approve of an exorcism of the home.

The Conjuring, directed by James Wan (SAW, Insidious, Aquaman) was very well received by audiences and critics upon its release, and for good reason. It's a carefully crafted tale that hues toward realism, and is believably and effectively performed with earned scares and genuine chills.

I said this when I first wrote a mini-review for this movie, but I scare easily so I've never really understood why I love scary movies so much (I think it's because I find the stories and ideas interesting), but and The Conjuring scares the absolute the living daylights out of me. Sometimes films don't live up to the hype, but this film most certainly does with it's deliciously creepy, unsettling and frightening ways.
Serious filmmaking approaches, strong performances on a film in a genre that so rarely gets that kind of respect and attention. I'd not seen this since 2014 and had been eager to see if it was as scary the second time around. It almost was! The sequel, which I don't think I'll have time to get to this challenge, was also very, very good. I look forward to see where thy go in the next sequel.

 

[Malcolm R]

The Conjuring can still scare me on repeat viewings, as well.

 

[TravisR]

I don't know how many more movies I'll get to watch so I just grabbed some favorites today...

77. My Bloody Valentine (1981) (uncut version)

A group of young people have a Valentine's Day party and it's interrupted by a killer miner. A classic slasher movie that has had its gore effects reinstated (albeit in rougher form).


78. The Fog (1980)

Ghosts return to a small coastal town to avenge their murder 100 years ago. A classic and one of John Carpenter's best scores.


79. The Thing (1982)

An alien perfectly mimics people and a group of men have to figure who is the thing. Another classic and one of- if not- the best movies that Carpenter has ever made.


80. The Evil Dead

A group of people go a lonely cabin in the woods and are stalked by a malevolent force. Prior to becoming a comedy series (that I also love), The Evil Dead was a horror movie with some really disturbing stuff.

 

[John Stell]

Bold - Denotes first ever viewing
Rating - Out of a possible 4

110) 10/29/2018 Trauma (1962)

When she was 15, Emmaline witnessed the murder of her aunt mere hours after identifying her friend’s murdered corpse. Having forgotten everything, she returns to her aunt’s estate six years later newly married to her aunt’s former suitor! But in trying to remember her past Emmaline may be putting her life in danger. OK thriller has some good dialogue and a few red herrings to keep the viewer guessing. It’s also talky and overlong.

111) 10/29/2018 The Thirsty Dead (1974) No

Great title; crummy movie. In Manila, cultists wearing monk robes kidnap women — who mostly don’t seem too worried — for their blood, which is needed for a youth elixir. Most of the action takes place in the first ten minutes or so. The rest is a laborious slog through bad filmmaking.

112) 10/30/2018 Tomb of Torture (1963)

1/2
Doctor’s daughter is having nightmares concerning murdered countess whom she resembles. So, Dad brings her to her lookalike’s village in hopes a visit to the castle will cure her, unaware there’s a giggling, facially-deformed hunchback tenant who likes to make use of the manor’s torture chamber. Italian shocker features a good opening 15 minutes and a great nightmare sequence. Then a half hour in the attempts at humor begin, romance blooms out of nowhere, and monotony sets in.​

 

[dpippel]

I've not been able to watch anything for a couple of days, but I'm home nursing a fledgling cold today and hope to catch up just a bit...

OCTOBER 27:

21) Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959) - 5/5 stars - Another childhood classic of mine! Despite its corniness, this film is 100% awesome and I never tire of it. James Mason is in his prime here as Sir Oliver Lindenbrook, and Arlene Dahl is a perfect foil to his sexist tomfoolery. The effects are of their time but I still find them to be extremely well done, and then there's the fantastic basso profundo score by Bernard Herrmann. Even Pat Boone's singing seems to fit right in there. A perfect evening at the movies!

OCTOBER 29:

22) The Witch (2015) - 4/5 stars - Robert Eggers wrote and directed this tour-de-force of creepiness, dread, and madness, and it is superb! The script is written in period-correct language, so turning subtitles on greatly aids one's appreciation of the dialogue. For me, this movie is just as impactful on repeated viewings as it was the first time I saw it. A modern classic IMO.

23) Creature from the Black Lagoon 2D (1954) - 4/5 stars - Possibly my favorite Universal monster film, it looks pretty great here!

 

[Ruz-El]

Got in two last night and hit 100 movies. I didn't think I'd make it. I'm pleased!

099 10/29 Terror-Creatures From the Grave (1965) 1.5/5 The most boring film I watched this challenge and the Terror- Creatures were bullshit.

100 10/29 Horrors of Malformed Men (1969) 3/5 Another weird one from Japan. A man escapes an insane asylum and assumes the life of another man. Weird things start happening. Then they go to an island that would make Moreau shudder. It’s a weird movie, nightmarish but all played rather calmly as the world goes to hell. Worth checking out.

 

[Michael Elliott]

Betsy Palmer: A Scream Queen Legend (2006) ** 1/2

This "documentary" with its title is certainly trying to appeal to FRIDAY THE 13TH fans. After all, is Palmer really a Scream Queen Legend? No, she's known for F13. She talks a little about that movie but it's nothing we haven't heard in every other documentary on the subject. This here basically has Palmer talking to the camera, telling her life story. There are some nice stories here about her early career as well as some of the famous people she worked with like John Ford but overall there's nothing overly great here.

Night of Terror (1933) ** 1/2

A maniac is killing people with a large knife at the same time as a will is read and soon members of a family are being killed. This 62-minute quickie was actually more entertaining on this second viewing than it was the first time I watched it. I thought the actual mystery was good and the violence is a bit more graphic then you'd typically see from a film of this era. It's hard to believe that this was released just 26-months after DRACULA and Bela Lugosi was already playing throwaway parts.

The Vampire Doll (1970) ***
Lake of Dracula (1971) ***

I watched the first two films from "The Bloodthirsty Trilogy" and I'm kicking myself for not watching them sooner. THE VAMPIRE DOLL was the better of the two films but what's funny is that both are good but for different reasons. DOLL has a great atmosphere and I thought the dead woman was actually rather creepy. The film was certainly beautiful to look at as the images justleap off the screen. I really loved the look of the dead girl and thought her make-up was perfect against the colors of the film. LAKE OF DRACULA doesn't have the atmosphere or the creepy factor but it plays out more like a straight horror film with a couple sisters haunted by their past, which might be connected to a vampire. This one worked as a good vampire tale with some nice performances and some great fangs.

Unspeakable Horrors: The Plan 9 Conspiracy (2016) ** 1/2

This here is basically a mockumentary. On one hand, you've got filmmakers like William Lustig, Tom Holland, Joe Dante and Mick Garris talking about the importance of the film and why it's actually great filmmaking. The other side has actors playing characters who talk about the various truths that are hidden in the film as well as a couple female characters who point out the various sexist things. This here was obviously meant to be a spoof of PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE and for the most part I found it to be mildly entertaining. I liked the interviews with the directors but some of the characters are a bit annoying. Overall I think fans of the film will enjoy this.

Beast Wishes (2012) *** 1/2

If you don't know who Bob and Kathy Burns are then this wonderful documentary will explain it. Basically they have the biggest movie prop collection in the world and the majority of the movies we watch all month long have something in their collection. It was really amazing getting to see his collection including the original KING KONG model and countless props from the 1950s-current times. The last surviving work from Jack Pierce is also in the collection. We get interviews with the Burns as well as John Landis, Joe Dante, Rick Baker and various others.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1980) ** 1/2

David Hemmings plays Dr. Jekyll who experiments with a chemical that turns him into the evil Mr. Hyde. I've seen so many versions of this story that it's hard to see anything new and to be honest this here didn't offer anything new. Hemmings was good in the roles and I thought the film looked terrific but at the same time it really drags during its 115-minute running time and the slow pace.

 

[Malcolm R]

This is ultra-low budget stuff and works wonders because it's actually funny and, a wobbly moment or two aside, this thing was fun to watch. Good stuff.

Thanks to @Malcolm R for the great recommendation!

Another one in this genre that I watched a few years back (I almost typed "last year," then actually went back and checked ... my how time flies) was Coons! Night of the Bandits of the Night. It's another low-budget, crazy comedy horror that I enjoyed. Though I think House Harker is better, with a higher budget and production value.

Available on Amazon Prime. Link below to my post at that time.

https://www.hometheaterforum.com/community/posts/4300144/

 

[EricSchulz]

#026. Sigaw (The Echo) (FTV) Interesting and occasionally creepy Filipino ghost story. A young man moves into a rundown apartment and is frustrated with his noisy neighbors. If that’s all it really was he’d be lucky! I’m always amazed at how so many American movies rely on jump scares/twists/violence/gore rather than solid storytelling. The only disappointment: it’s NOT one of the Top Ten Scariest Movies to Stream like some recent article claims. 3/5 stars