***Official 20th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge 2019*** (1 Viewer)

[John Stell]

061) 10/20/2019 Billy the Kid vs. Dracula (1966)

1/2

John Carradine shamefully hams it up as Dracula taking on Billy the Kid. The premise could have been fun if the film weren't so freaking stupid. So, you can fire as many shots at Dracula as you like but hit him in the face with a gun and he's out cold? Piffle. Carradine is so over the top he falls on his ass, as does this film.

062) 10/20/2019 Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1971)

1/2

Unique mummy film is pretty much mummy-less. An evil Egyptian queen's spirit passes into the newborn daughter of one her tomb's violators. Now that this offspring is about to turn 21, all hell is going to break loose. Valerie Leon is gorgeous as the possessed but was dubbed for some reason. Good character actors fill most of the other roles. A little muddled, probably because the original director died before realizing his vision.

063) 10/20/2019 And Soon the Darkness (1970)

1/2

Slow-burn thriller about young woman's search for his missing chum. The two of them were biking across France, had a row, and separated. Could she be another victim of mysterious killer on the loose? The story is pretty thin and stretched out longer than it should be. But Pamela Franklin is a likable lead and there are plenty of suspicious looking locals who might be the villain.

064) 10/21/2019 La Rose Ecorchée (1970)

Billed as France's first sex-horror film! Well, there's not much sex but plenty of T&A. On the night she is married beautiful woman is severely burned due to freak accident. Her new husband gets lucky when it tuns out one of his employees is disgraced plastic surgeon not wanting to be exposed for recent crimes. (Think Bela Lugosi from The Raven.) Atmospheric and beautifully shot with lots of pretty gals. But even by 1970 this basic plot had been done several times and there's nothing fresh until the unexpected finale.

 

[Michael Elliott]

The Backlot Murders (2002) * 1/2

David DeFalco slasher that he made before CHAOS. This one here has a rock band going to the Universal Studios backlot to do their first music video but soon everyone starts to get killed off. I think slashers need a likable group of characters and this one had zero. I hated the characters and certainly didn't care what happened to them. Their drama was boring and their rock star attitudes were just lame. The kills weren't all that memorable either. Corey Haim has a part yet not the lead, which was an interesting decision. The only good thing this film had going for it was the fact that it was shot on Universal's backlot so we get left over sets from JURASSIC PARK as well as some shots of the house from PSYCHO.

Frankenstein and Me (1996) ***

Two young brothers are into monsters but the oldest one's teacher (Louise Fletcher) believes this makes him a bad kid but the boy's father (Burt Reynolds) believes he's a dreamer. I was really shocked to see how much I enjoyed this movie but I think most horror fans will be able to relate to the main child here and I think they'll also understand the hatred that the teacher has for him. There's a great little message here but there's also a rather heart-warming father/son relationship thing going on. Reynolds only made this due to the whole Loni Anderson settlement but he actually turns in a touching performance. Ryan Gosling has a small role as well.

Demonica (2014) **

Another film made in the 2010s that is trying to look and feel like something from the 1980s. This time out a group of teens party in a roller rink only to be attacked by demons. The film goes for a more comedic approach but I just didn't find it funny. I thought the characters were more annoying than anything and the gore/kills weren't all that memorable. The film certainly isn't a bad one but there's just not much here. Linnea Quigley has a small role, which is why it got watched.

Fright (1959) **

W. Lee Wilder directed this film about a doctor who hypnotizes a woman who believes she's a long dead German Queen. This film tries to mix the psychological thriller elements with some horror ones and while the film is decent there's just nothing here that makes it stand out. I think a better screenplay and a better director could have led to a classic but as it stands the film is mildly entertaining at best.

 

[Michael Elliott]

041 10/20 Critters 3 (1991) 2.5/5 Further down the spiral the Critters go, this time they infiltrate an apartment building and hi-jinks ensue. The critters look great, but the film is mostly a plod. It’s mostly remembered at this point for featuring Leonardo DeCaprio as a little boy. What’s not acknowledged is he’s actually pretty great in this! Even Lil’ Leo could act his ass off! Other than that, not much to see but a fun time waster.

I became a fan of Leo in this movie when it first hit VHS. I didn't know who he was at the time but then I went to see WHAT'S EATING GILBERT GRAPE and THIS BOY'S LIFE and I was like, "hey, that's the CRITTERS 3 guy!"

 

[Radioman970]

too much going on to post. will catch up maybe hopefully soon.

Anyway, gold box deal at amazon... Universal Monsters 30 blu rays $69.99

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B..._mini_detail?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

 

[Neil Middlemiss]

October 21: Transylvania 6-5000 (1985) - 2.5 out of 5

Two reporters for a low-class tabloid are dispatched to Transylvania when a tourist videotape of what could be Frankenstein makes its way to their editor's desk. The two reporters clumsily investigate the strange town and uncover something quite unexpected.

With an impressive cast that includes Jeff Goldblum, Ed Begley, Jr., Carol Kane, Geena Davis, Michael Richards, Norman Fell, and Jeffrey Jones (the scum that HE turned out to be), this should have been something special, but it's pretty lame. There's some genuinely funny moments with Jeff Goldblum and Ed Begley, Jr., having great comedic chemistry, but it's very light on the funny and the story, after the good opening, spins around in circles for what seems like forever before it gets going anywhere. Carol Kane and John Byner, workers at a hotel, turn out to be the more amusing distractions, but what they're aiming for is to replicate the kind of hilarity Gene Wilder and Marty Feldman achieved to legendary effect in Young Frankenstein, and here it's little more than pale imitation.

Despite the low score and heavy criticism, Transylvania 6-5000 is a film I've seen a few times since my time spending hours upon hours at the video shop in Hedge End, England where I grew up. I am sure I rented the VHS a few times back in the day, and I come back to it every decade or so and feel a little connection to my youth through it. I guess it has sentimental value of a sort. But unless you caught it when you were young, I can't imagine it will create any new fans. For me, it's a not very good film that I like despite its many flaws.

 

[Malcolm R]

Parasite 3D (1982)

The country is in shambles after some sort of atomic war/mishap (never really described), and is being run by a shadow organization (never really described) that is developing a parasitic creature (never really described) to somehow control (kill?) the population. A scientist working on the project escapes with samples of the parasite in an attempt to find a way to destroy the creatures once and for all.

This has to be among the worst films I've ever seen. Awful in all phases: acting, directing, effects, script/dialogue, etc. Notable only for some neat 3D and as the film debut of Demi Moore.

The 3-D Film Archive worked to restore this film for its debut on 3D blu-ray from Kino. The film probably looks as good as it can, and the 3D is very strong, with several elements extending far into my screening room. In fact, the 3D was almost overpowering in some scenes, with my eyes having a hard time knowing where to focus.

Love the efforts of the 3-D Film Archive, but wish some of these films weren't so awful. This is probably only slightly more entertaining than the horrid A*P*E 3D. Glad to have it in my collection as an example of 80's 3D, but not sure if I'll ever watch it again.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

8. Werewolf of London (1935)
First time viewing of this classic Universal horror film. While in Tibet, searching for a rare plant said to grow only in moonlight, botanist Wilfred Glendon (Henry Hull) is bitten by a werewolf (played by the first - and best - Charlie Chan, Warner Oland). Glendon returns to London and his neglected young wife (Valerie Hobson), but before long, during the full moon, a string of brutal murders begins...

This movie often gets overlooked in favor of the Lon Chaney Wolf Man films, but it's quite good in its own right, with rich atmosphere, moody cinematography and good special effects. There's perhaps just a tad too much comic relief sprinkled throughout (especially with the two old biddy lushes who witness Glendon in wolf form and vow to give up the booze). The film moves fast and isn't creaky in the slightest, though some might find a brief, final bit of dialogue at the coda unnecessary. Jack Pierce's werewolf make-up for Hull is first rate, with a nicely Satanic slant on what would become his more famous later design.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

On a whim, I ordered this Hammer Collection, but I'm not familiar with any of the movies in it. Does anyone have a suggestion of which one(s) to watch first?

I think 'Brides of Dracula' is the best of the bunch. Very atmospheric, and good part with Peter Cushing. Hammer's 'Phantom of the Opera' is better than the Universal film in my opinion. And finally "The Evil of Frankenstein' is fun in a Saturday "Creature Feature" type way. Great set, well worth the $18.

Agree with the recommendation for Brides of Dracula, and would add in a plug for Curse of the Werewolf, with Oliver Reed on good, fierce form. Night Creatures and Paranoiac are also very good, but not horror films (one's a pirate / adventure flick and the other is more Hitchcockian suspense.)

 

[HawksFord]

12) The Phantom of the Opera (1943) - Of the eight films in the Essential Collection of Universal classic monsters, this is the one I've seen least often and the only one I don't remember seeing within the past couple of years. It's nicely atmospheric and the Paris Opera House set is gorgeous to view in Technicolor. However, the frisson of terror we got from other versions of the story is missing here. It's a solid film but not an exceptional one.

 

[EricSchulz]

#5. Eli Netflix Originals are like Hulu Originals: lots of press about how scary they are and they don't (IMHO) deliver. This one would have been a GREAT theater experience! A ten year old boy suffers a rare autoimmune disease (think "Boy In The Plastic Bubble") and his parents decide to take him to a "specialist" in a remote mansion who promises to cure him. Let's just say that the treatment, the doctor and the house are creepy and you're not sure what's real and what's not. I thought Charlie Shotwell as Eli was great. Definitely an above average horror movie with some interesting twists. 8/10

 

[EricSchulz]

#6. Hatchet A who's who of horror franchises, creating a new "hero" to root for. The gore is over the top and the story is just OK but I really hated it. The "jokes" seemed forced and annoying. 2/10

 

[Bryan^H]

Saturday the 14th
Jeffrey Tambor as a vampire, what more could you ask for?

This is such a fun, light horror movie. It has humor, but this is more a time capsule to 1981 for me. I remember seeing it so long ago, now in glorious (this transfer is insanely good) HD on Blu-Ray.
Great stuff.
Grade-B+
The Mad Magician
The 3D on this one is second to none, in fact it is the best black, and white 3D movie I have ever seen. The depth, and sesne of immersion is fantastic. Good horror movie, I also watched the Three Stooges bonus segment on disc (forgot the title) which had really nice "pop out".
Grade-B

Scars of Dracula
It was one of my favorite Hammer film close to 20 years ago when I bought the Anchor Bay DVD. Watching it again I sadly notice the weaknesses of the screenplay.
But I'm not going to detract for the wonderful locations, and set design. Good acting as well. The Blu-Ray is great. Shout/Scream Factory are really making dreams come true to Hammer fans like me.
Grade-B-

Monster Dog
Man, I love Alice Cooper but he can't act. This film is boring, and poorly acted, and was very hard to get through (I fell asleep twice). I don't know what to say other that do not watch this movie....unless it ever makes it to MST3K!
Grade-D

 

[EricSchulz]

#7. The She Creature I really don't remember this movie being THIS HORRIBLE! Stupid story, HORRIBLE acting and dialogue and the monster's not convincing at all. I was probably a cool movie when I was twelve. 2/10

 

[dpippel]

OCTOBER 21:

24) The Outer Limits-Season 2-Episode 36: Expanding Human* (1964) 2.5/5 stars - A research professor at a California university conducts experiments on his grad students, and himself, using CE (Consciousness Expanding) drugs in an effort to unlock the full potential of the human brain. Needless to say, things don't quite go as planned. I'd never seen this episode before, and IMO it's definitely one of the lesser efforts of this amazingly good TV series. Not bad, but not memorable.

25) Twins of Evil (1971) 3.5/5 stars - One of Hammer's better vampire flicks IMO, it still suffers from the studio's decline into gratuitous female nudity in an attempt to increase box office for their films. Twins of Evil has a very gaunt Peter Cushing playing a devil worshiper hunting magistrate who heads up a band of religious vigilantes called "The Brotherhood", being visited by his young and very sexy twin nieces, Freida and Maria, played by Mary and Madeleine Collinson. Freida, who's rebellious and bored, quickly falls under the spell of local aristocrat and devil worshiper Count Karnstein (Damien Thomas, who steals the movie), who unwittingly resurrects his vampiric ancestor Mircalla. She turns him, and he turns Freida, and the rest you can probably guess. The twins aren't very good actors, but they have a very magnetic screen presence and bear an uncanny resemblance to a young Carrie Fisher. All-in-all an enjoyable Hammer film made unique by some of its casting.

 

[Ruz-El]

election day in Canada yesterday, so I got in three films due to following that nonsense.


042 10/21 Spiral (1998) 2/5 The first sequel to RINGU was this one which ended up being an alternate timeline. Everyone from the first film is dead and medical examiner Aldo is researching the nature of the Ring deaths. Trust this one to change the focus from a female led weird mystery to an male led, over explained mess about DNA viral infections. It lacks pretty much everything that made the original film so interesting. I haven’t seen the official Ringu II, so thumbs held it’s better than this.


043 10/21 Bride of Chucky (1998) 3.5/5 Relentlessly silly and endlessly entertaining. It’s basically a puppet movie, the human beings are all secondary characters to Chucky and Tiffany and it actually makes sense. Some of the 90’s tropes of self reverential, post SCREAM nonsense don’t hold up, but over all, it’s the kick in the ass the series needed.


044 10/21 Chill Factor (1993) 2/5 Hats off to the producers to put out a movie in ‘93 that looks and sounds like a piece of shit from ‘83. It has to have sat on the shelf for years. Anyway, a bunch of snowmobilers go off, get in an accident and stuck in a cabin to sort of ripoff THE EVIL DEAD but not enough to be entertaining. Some okay gore, but nothing else to recommend this snoozefest.

 

[JohnRice]

Wow, I really splurged on a bunch of "October" movie sales this month. The Chucky set, Friday the 13th set, Hammer 8 movie set, Universal 30 movie set and House of 1000 corpses/Devil's Rejects, Simon Pegg/Edgar Wright trilogy. I think that's it. Needless to say, I won't get to a fraction of those.

 

[JohnRice]

043 10/21 Bride of Chucky (1998) 3.5/5 Relentlessly silly and endlessly entertaining. It’s basically a puppet movie, the human beings are all secondary characters to Chucky and Tiffany and it actually makes sense. Some of the 90’s tropes of self reverential, post SCREAM nonsense don’t hold up, but over all, it’s the kick in the ass the series needed.

I got the set, and I'm not sure I want to dive in too deep, since I'm a little hesitant how much I'll like the series. So, I was thinking I'd start with the first, then jump to Bride, since it always sounded like a fun lark. The first one is the only one I've ever seen.

 

[Ruz-El]

I got the set, and I'm not sure I want to dive in too deep, since I'm a little hesitant how much I'll like the series. So, I was thinking I'd start with the first, then jump to Bride, since it always sounded like a fun lark. The first one is the only one I've ever seen.

I was never huge on the series, but I've been digging them so far on this rewatch. I had seen the first 4, remember not loving any of them. Out of the 4 I've rewatched, only 3 was a bit pants, but not bad. I'm entering unknown territory now so thumbs held I still find them fun.

 

[Malcolm R]

Curse of Chucky was pretty good, as I recall. More of a return to "scary" Chucky than the more comedic films Bride/Seed, and the best film since the original per a number of reviews. Haven't yet watched Cult of Chucky. Maybe before month's end.

 

[John Stell]

065) 10/21/2019 The Witches (1966)

(out of four)

Interesting Hammer horror with Joan Fontaine as school teacher discovering witchery afoot in small village. Not too many folks like this one but I enjoy the location work, performances, and some of the bizarre twists.

066) 10/21/2019 The Thing (1982)

Hard to believe so many were so wrong about this film when it first came out in June of 1982. A 12-man research team in Antarctica come under attack by thawed, shape-shifting alien. Ingeniously conceived and executed, by right away turning the old saying "man's best friend" on its ass and pretty much kicking butt the rest of the way. The cast is flawless; the practical effects still impressive; the tension constant; and the ending powerful. If John Carpenter had directed just this and Halloween he'd still be legend.

067) 10/22/2019 Malevolence (2004)

1/2

Four none-too-bright bank robbers pick the wrong house to hide out in; they failed to vent their neighbors. One of them is a psycho killer with the personality of a rock. No, that's an insult to rocks. Characters don't have to be likable for a film to be enjoyable, but they have to be interesting. And there's not one interesting person in the lot. Has some style and atmosphere to make things barely tolerable, and it's not even 90 minutes, which helps. But with unimaginative kills, little gore, and little else, it's hard for me to understand how this has picked up a cult following.