This is one of my favorite Euro horror flicks...really creepy and imaginative, and it's great to see both Cushing and Lee working together on the side of the good for a change. Will try and get this one viewed before Halloween.
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***Official 20th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge 2019*** (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter John Stell
- Start date
This is one of my favorite Euro horror flicks...really creepy and imaginative, and it's great to see both Cushing and Lee working together on the side of the good for a change. Will try and get this one viewed before Halloween.
EricSchulz
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2004
- Messages
- 5,588
#8. Matriarch So much potential and such a missed opportunity. A couple is on a getaway through the Irish countryside and get into an accident in the middle of nowhere. She's probably 39 weeks pregnant. They stumble upon a farmhouse owned by an older couple hoping to find refuge and a telephone. They find neither. The buildup of the story is great (with some plot holes) and the cast is really good but about halfway through the pacing really slows down and throws the whole affair off. The final scenes (except for "the twist") are rehashed standard horror movie ideas. 5/10
John Stell
Screenwriter
071) 10/23/2019 Creepshow (1982)
(out of four)
Wonderful 5-story (with a wraparound) horror show from director George Romero and writer Stephen King. A grumpy father returns from the dead searching for his Father's Day cake; a country bumpkin gets infected by "meteor shit"; a jilted husband devises a devious punishment for his wife and her lover; a university janitor discovers a crate dated the 19th century hidden beneath a staircase; and a wealthy businessman/landlord realizes he has quite a bug problem. Stylish and funny,, with several tense moments and jump scares. Great cast. 1980's comfort food horror.
072) 10/24/2019 Creepshow 2 (1987)
Disappointing sequel; it's not nearly as stylish or as much fun. A wooden Indian chief comes to life to avenge the theft of Indian jewelry; a blob-like mass traps four young people on a raft in the middle of a lake; and a woman accidentally hits and kills a hitchhiker, and then flees. The cast overall isn't as good and film has a cheap feel to it. Middle story has the best punchline. Not bad but rather ordinary.
Wonderful 5-story (with a wraparound) horror show from director George Romero and writer Stephen King. A grumpy father returns from the dead searching for his Father's Day cake; a country bumpkin gets infected by "meteor shit"; a jilted husband devises a devious punishment for his wife and her lover; a university janitor discovers a crate dated the 19th century hidden beneath a staircase; and a wealthy businessman/landlord realizes he has quite a bug problem. Stylish and funny,, with several tense moments and jump scares. Great cast. 1980's comfort food horror.
072) 10/24/2019 Creepshow 2 (1987)
Disappointing sequel; it's not nearly as stylish or as much fun. A wooden Indian chief comes to life to avenge the theft of Indian jewelry; a blob-like mass traps four young people on a raft in the middle of a lake; and a woman accidentally hits and kills a hitchhiker, and then flees. The cast overall isn't as good and film has a cheap feel to it. Middle story has the best punchline. Not bad but rather ordinary.
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Sandro
Second Unit
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2006
- Messages
- 403
Some recent notable viewings (rated * to ****)
Tragedy Girls ** ½
This dark comedy-horror film is only a couple of years old but somehow already seems dated. It's the story of two teenage girls who get involved with a serial killer and try to promote themselves on social media. It ends in a predictable place and is just not that funny or exciting. Another recent genre film that integrated social media into its storyline was Assassination Nation which was far more successful and stylish. I recommend that one highly although it is really only tangentially horror.
Hell House LLC ***
One of the best recent found footage movies has a pretty standard set up for the genre but has some very well-crafted scares.
Wicked, Wicked ***
A gimmick movie from the 1970s that has split screen for almost the whole running time. Some clever moments, some scary moments, some amusing moments but not totally successful. Still worth a watch for genre fans.
One Cut of the Dead *** ½
Another one-of-a-kind movie is completely successful and relentlessly clever. Do not read anything about it before watching as it will ruin the movie – you may be tempted to give up on the it while watching but you should stick with it - the last half hour is gold. Highly recommended.
C.H.U.D. **
I've wanted to watch this film for years given its subject matter and setting but it's just not that good. The plot is underdeveloped and the script poor - there are about 4 different leads and 3 different storylines in the film! Interesting cast – John Heard, Kim Greist, early roles for John Goodman, Daniel Stern, Frankie Faison, Jon Polito.
Tragedy Girls ** ½
This dark comedy-horror film is only a couple of years old but somehow already seems dated. It's the story of two teenage girls who get involved with a serial killer and try to promote themselves on social media. It ends in a predictable place and is just not that funny or exciting. Another recent genre film that integrated social media into its storyline was Assassination Nation which was far more successful and stylish. I recommend that one highly although it is really only tangentially horror.
Hell House LLC ***
One of the best recent found footage movies has a pretty standard set up for the genre but has some very well-crafted scares.
Wicked, Wicked ***
A gimmick movie from the 1970s that has split screen for almost the whole running time. Some clever moments, some scary moments, some amusing moments but not totally successful. Still worth a watch for genre fans.
One Cut of the Dead *** ½
Another one-of-a-kind movie is completely successful and relentlessly clever. Do not read anything about it before watching as it will ruin the movie – you may be tempted to give up on the it while watching but you should stick with it - the last half hour is gold. Highly recommended.
C.H.U.D. **
I've wanted to watch this film for years given its subject matter and setting but it's just not that good. The plot is underdeveloped and the script poor - there are about 4 different leads and 3 different storylines in the film! Interesting cast – John Heard, Kim Greist, early roles for John Goodman, Daniel Stern, Frankie Faison, Jon Polito.
Got in 3 yesterday. It's ridiculous how much the Ringu films are bothering me at night!
049 10/23 Ringu 2 (1999) 3.5/5 After the convoluted disappointment that was SPIRAL, they went back to the well and released this one as the official sequel. It’s a huge improvement, with cast returning to continue the story as opposed to shifting in a completely new direction. There’s still some ludicrous science to be found, but it works better here since it’s presented as another weird mystery instead of being over-explained. And it’s scary! It’s rare to have a film bug me in the middle of the night, but this one and the original Ringu managed to get me! Bless! Recommended but don’t watch them before bed!
050 10/23 Killer Nun (1979) 2/5 A drug addicted nun goes off the rails in this sleaze-fest that made the Video Nasties list. This is a revisit for me and it still doesn’t really hold up. I didn’t grow up in a religious setting so the nun stuff has zero shock value for me, and all that’s left is a plodding sexploitation film that looks 10 years older than it is.
051 10/23 Killer Crocodile (1989) 2/5 Hot garbage out of Italy, probably. Based on the crew. A bunch of environmentalists want to clean up a swamp, it’s polluted, it grew a giant killer crocodile. The crocodile is both kind of impressive and totally shit, there’s a bit of gore but mostly this is a plodding JAWS rip that probably should have been sued into oblivion due to the score.
049 10/23 Ringu 2 (1999) 3.5/5 After the convoluted disappointment that was SPIRAL, they went back to the well and released this one as the official sequel. It’s a huge improvement, with cast returning to continue the story as opposed to shifting in a completely new direction. There’s still some ludicrous science to be found, but it works better here since it’s presented as another weird mystery instead of being over-explained. And it’s scary! It’s rare to have a film bug me in the middle of the night, but this one and the original Ringu managed to get me! Bless! Recommended but don’t watch them before bed!
050 10/23 Killer Nun (1979) 2/5 A drug addicted nun goes off the rails in this sleaze-fest that made the Video Nasties list. This is a revisit for me and it still doesn’t really hold up. I didn’t grow up in a religious setting so the nun stuff has zero shock value for me, and all that’s left is a plodding sexploitation film that looks 10 years older than it is.
051 10/23 Killer Crocodile (1989) 2/5 Hot garbage out of Italy, probably. Based on the crew. A bunch of environmentalists want to clean up a swamp, it’s polluted, it grew a giant killer crocodile. The crocodile is both kind of impressive and totally shit, there’s a bit of gore but mostly this is a plodding JAWS rip that probably should have been sued into oblivion due to the score.
Michael Elliott
Senior HTF Member
The Redeemer: Son of Satan! (1978) ***
Six jerks are invited to their high school for a reunion when they begin getting picked off one by one. Have you seen SLAUGHTER HIGH? That slasher is a 100% rip-off of this movie. It's in fact rather insane how much of a rip that movie is. I actually liked this film for what it was. I mean, the budget is lacing at times but there's a lot of imagination going on with the kills and I thought the story was decent enough for this type of film. Some of the performances were a bit off but I loved the regional feel to it.
Bone Eater (2007) *
Jim Wynorski directed this film about a greedy land developer who digs on an Indian burial ground and before long the skeleton of a dead Chief is seeking revenge. This is a pretty poor movie because the skeleton killer is so fake looking that it's hard to take the film serious. The tone of the film is very serious so I'm guessing they were going for something series but then they threw in the bad CGI and ruined everything.
La Loba (1965) ***
A scientist tries to cure his daughter who is a werewolf but things get complicated when the man who loves her shows up. This Mexican werewolf movie gets off to an amazing start as the female werewolf jumps onto the screen like a ninja and just tears stuff (necks) up. The first ten-minutes is without dialogue and it's just one werewolf attack after another. In fact, I'd argue that the opening is some of the greatest werewolf stuff out there but then the film hits its breaks and turns into a melodramatic soap opera. The attack scenes are good and the ending is fun though. I liked the movie overall but had the middle section had more werewolf stuff then this could have been a masterpiece.
The Barn (2016) ** 1/2
Halloween 1989 is the setting as a group of kids are on their way to a rock concert when they take a short cut, which takes them to a barn, which has three killers inside. I must say that I found this film to be slightly overrated because I really didn't like any of the characters. I've said it quite often during this challenge that I think a slasher needs likable characters. The violence itself is quite good and the practical effects are very good and yes there's plenty of blood along the way. Linnea Quigley has a brief role.
The Body Vanished (1939) **
A Scotland Yard inspector and his friend are on vacation when they come across a murder where the body has vanished. This British film was made in 1939 but it probably wasn't released until later if at all. This thing clocks in at just 43-minutes, which is a good thing because the plot is just so bland that it couldn't handle anything longer. The performances are bland as is the direction. In fact, everything is pretty much bland but it's slightly entertaining if you enjoy these older murder-mysteries.
Six jerks are invited to their high school for a reunion when they begin getting picked off one by one. Have you seen SLAUGHTER HIGH? That slasher is a 100% rip-off of this movie. It's in fact rather insane how much of a rip that movie is. I actually liked this film for what it was. I mean, the budget is lacing at times but there's a lot of imagination going on with the kills and I thought the story was decent enough for this type of film. Some of the performances were a bit off but I loved the regional feel to it.
Bone Eater (2007) *
Jim Wynorski directed this film about a greedy land developer who digs on an Indian burial ground and before long the skeleton of a dead Chief is seeking revenge. This is a pretty poor movie because the skeleton killer is so fake looking that it's hard to take the film serious. The tone of the film is very serious so I'm guessing they were going for something series but then they threw in the bad CGI and ruined everything.
La Loba (1965) ***
A scientist tries to cure his daughter who is a werewolf but things get complicated when the man who loves her shows up. This Mexican werewolf movie gets off to an amazing start as the female werewolf jumps onto the screen like a ninja and just tears stuff (necks) up. The first ten-minutes is without dialogue and it's just one werewolf attack after another. In fact, I'd argue that the opening is some of the greatest werewolf stuff out there but then the film hits its breaks and turns into a melodramatic soap opera. The attack scenes are good and the ending is fun though. I liked the movie overall but had the middle section had more werewolf stuff then this could have been a masterpiece.
The Barn (2016) ** 1/2
Halloween 1989 is the setting as a group of kids are on their way to a rock concert when they take a short cut, which takes them to a barn, which has three killers inside. I must say that I found this film to be slightly overrated because I really didn't like any of the characters. I've said it quite often during this challenge that I think a slasher needs likable characters. The violence itself is quite good and the practical effects are very good and yes there's plenty of blood along the way. Linnea Quigley has a brief role.
The Body Vanished (1939) **
A Scotland Yard inspector and his friend are on vacation when they come across a murder where the body has vanished. This British film was made in 1939 but it probably wasn't released until later if at all. This thing clocks in at just 43-minutes, which is a good thing because the plot is just so bland that it couldn't handle anything longer. The performances are bland as is the direction. In fact, everything is pretty much bland but it's slightly entertaining if you enjoy these older murder-mysteries.
OCTOBER 23:
27) Angel Heart* (1987) 4/5 stars - I can't believe I'd never seen this film. Loved it! Great performances, screenplay, production design, and cinematography. Plus, it's effectively creepy. I picked up the HD streaming version for $4.99 from Vudu several months ago and it looks very nice.
27) Angel Heart* (1987) 4/5 stars - I can't believe I'd never seen this film. Loved it! Great performances, screenplay, production design, and cinematography. Plus, it's effectively creepy. I picked up the HD streaming version for $4.99 from Vudu several months ago and it looks very nice.
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2001
- Messages
- 5,322
- Real Name
- Neil Middlemiss
October 24: White Noise (2005) - 3.5 out of 5 (adapted from my old HD-DVD review)
The paranormal and supernatural realm consists of endless theories, ideas and fields of expertise of varying levels of credibility and for a list of what the supernatural world has to offer, a quick glimpse through all the topics that The X-Files explored in its run would be a good start. But with each concept comes an endless branching of ways to tell tales that fall within that paranormal or supernatural realm.
White Noise falls somewhere between serious thriller and Saturday night sci-fi channel horror pulp. It joins a pretty healthy batch of films that surfaced after the incredible success of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense (like Dragonfly and The Mothman Prophecies). What was common about these films and White Noise was their ability to attract Hollywood talent. The stories usually follow the same path and this time around, it is Michael Keaton who steps into the familiar shoes of the person whose life is turned upside down by a tragic event and who slowly becomes obsessed and treads into ‘the other side’ of what most consider reality.
Michael Keaton stars as Jonathan Rivers, an architect and happy husband and father. When his wife disappears one night and is later discovered dead, he becomes enveloped by his grief. When approached by a stranger claiming to have been contacted by his late wife, he is dismissive. However, the need to know about his wife and his struggle with grief move him to contact the stranger and find out what he has to say. It is then that White Noise explores E.V.P – Electronic Voice Phenomena – the recording by simple electronic devices of communications purportedly from the dead.
The story follows a well trodden path that, from the outset, never really tries to reinvent the framework for its story. But the idea that forms the basis of the plot is intriguing enough to buy some capitol and keep us engaged. The general concept of E.V.P is introduced pre-credits via title cards and reinforced through the film to help earn the idea earn some credibility. For any of these movies to grab you, there must be at least some level of believability to the premise or it doesn’t work; something that, even if not true, rings true enough for the purpose of suspending your disbelief.
The films that have at least some potential of being real are always more engaging than films that exists purely for scares and jumps alone. While films like Final Destination and Boogeyman can be entertaining, without the grounding in reality, like the incredibly affecting Exorcism of Emily Rose, they show their weaknesses in comparison.
Director Geoffrey Sax and Director of Photography Chris Seager work hard to create the appropriate atmosphere in the film, but it doesn’t quite reach the eerie or disquieting feel of Gore Verbinski’s The Ring or Mark Pellington’s moody Mothman Prophecies. But this is a film that has a better production value than its relatively small budget would indicate, so hats off to them for that. The cast is generally strong, with Deborah Kara Unger, a fellow explorer of E.V.P, doing well. Keaton was an interesting choice in the role and a nice surprise
White Noise is a good, solid paranormal thriller – but isn’t without its problems. For instance, Keaton’s character can finely tune to the signals from the other side a little too quickly and the story introduces a number of elements without appropriate clarity. There are also weaknesses in the script and the movie finds itself meandering at times. But when the film changes gear from investigative exploration to creepy and chilling scares, a lot of the issues fall by the wayside and it finishes out with real excitement.
Supernatural thrillers, even the bad ones, seem to have something that makes me want to keep watching. That doesn’t mean I can’t tell the good from the bad (the wheat from the chaff), but it does mean that I will happily sit through almost anything with an ‘other-worldly’ flavor. White Noise is enjoyable. A flawed but earnest horror-thriller that tries hard to find the ever-elusive emotional resonance is missing from too many scary movies. It offers up some good goose bump moments and manages to finishes with a satisfying finale.
The paranormal and supernatural realm consists of endless theories, ideas and fields of expertise of varying levels of credibility and for a list of what the supernatural world has to offer, a quick glimpse through all the topics that The X-Files explored in its run would be a good start. But with each concept comes an endless branching of ways to tell tales that fall within that paranormal or supernatural realm.
White Noise falls somewhere between serious thriller and Saturday night sci-fi channel horror pulp. It joins a pretty healthy batch of films that surfaced after the incredible success of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense (like Dragonfly and The Mothman Prophecies). What was common about these films and White Noise was their ability to attract Hollywood talent. The stories usually follow the same path and this time around, it is Michael Keaton who steps into the familiar shoes of the person whose life is turned upside down by a tragic event and who slowly becomes obsessed and treads into ‘the other side’ of what most consider reality.
Michael Keaton stars as Jonathan Rivers, an architect and happy husband and father. When his wife disappears one night and is later discovered dead, he becomes enveloped by his grief. When approached by a stranger claiming to have been contacted by his late wife, he is dismissive. However, the need to know about his wife and his struggle with grief move him to contact the stranger and find out what he has to say. It is then that White Noise explores E.V.P – Electronic Voice Phenomena – the recording by simple electronic devices of communications purportedly from the dead.
The story follows a well trodden path that, from the outset, never really tries to reinvent the framework for its story. But the idea that forms the basis of the plot is intriguing enough to buy some capitol and keep us engaged. The general concept of E.V.P is introduced pre-credits via title cards and reinforced through the film to help earn the idea earn some credibility. For any of these movies to grab you, there must be at least some level of believability to the premise or it doesn’t work; something that, even if not true, rings true enough for the purpose of suspending your disbelief.
The films that have at least some potential of being real are always more engaging than films that exists purely for scares and jumps alone. While films like Final Destination and Boogeyman can be entertaining, without the grounding in reality, like the incredibly affecting Exorcism of Emily Rose, they show their weaknesses in comparison.
Director Geoffrey Sax and Director of Photography Chris Seager work hard to create the appropriate atmosphere in the film, but it doesn’t quite reach the eerie or disquieting feel of Gore Verbinski’s The Ring or Mark Pellington’s moody Mothman Prophecies. But this is a film that has a better production value than its relatively small budget would indicate, so hats off to them for that. The cast is generally strong, with Deborah Kara Unger, a fellow explorer of E.V.P, doing well. Keaton was an interesting choice in the role and a nice surprise
White Noise is a good, solid paranormal thriller – but isn’t without its problems. For instance, Keaton’s character can finely tune to the signals from the other side a little too quickly and the story introduces a number of elements without appropriate clarity. There are also weaknesses in the script and the movie finds itself meandering at times. But when the film changes gear from investigative exploration to creepy and chilling scares, a lot of the issues fall by the wayside and it finishes out with real excitement.
Supernatural thrillers, even the bad ones, seem to have something that makes me want to keep watching. That doesn’t mean I can’t tell the good from the bad (the wheat from the chaff), but it does mean that I will happily sit through almost anything with an ‘other-worldly’ flavor. White Noise is enjoyable. A flawed but earnest horror-thriller that tries hard to find the ever-elusive emotional resonance is missing from too many scary movies. It offers up some good goose bump moments and manages to finishes with a satisfying finale.
Catching up...
I figured it was time to get a couple of the all-time greats in.
10/22
(24) The Others (2001): A great ghost story, and probably the best horror movie so far this century. At least, it's as good a choice as any.
(25) The Thing (1982): Like I said earlier, the greatest horror movie of all time.
10/23
(26) The Lords of Salem (2012): Rob Zombie's followup to his Halloween remakes. A psychedelic horror starring (as usual) Sheri Z as Adelaide "Heidi LaRoc" Hawthorne, a Salem MA. radio DJ, who receives a mysterious LP by a group identified only as "The Lords". Playing the LP (notice the turntable always goes backwards) releases long buried Salem demons.
I think this is actually RZ's best movie. It's certainly his most creative, and most weird. It's rather low key compared to the others, and it's definitely reminiscent of both Rosemary's Baby and Jodorowsky movies like Santa Sangre. RZ fans seem to have been bored to death by it, which doesn't surprise me, but the simmering, uneasy weirdness and Kubrickian visuals are its strong point. I really enjoyed it.
(27) Mandy (2018): Because Lords of Salem wasn't freaky enough of a psychedelic nightmare. This is an otherworldly fever dream of a revenge flick. Mandy has to be an homage to '70s exploitation/revenge flicks like TCM, Last House on the Left and I Spit On Your Grave, but with a triple dose of surrealism. What the movie is has been done many, many times before, but how it's done is not your standard issue fare.
...and that last shot...
I'll have to get the BR, because I rented this from NetFlix, who only has it on DVD, which can NOT contain it's imagery.
I figured it was time to get a couple of the all-time greats in.
10/22
(24) The Others (2001): A great ghost story, and probably the best horror movie so far this century. At least, it's as good a choice as any.
(25) The Thing (1982): Like I said earlier, the greatest horror movie of all time.
10/23
(26) The Lords of Salem (2012): Rob Zombie's followup to his Halloween remakes. A psychedelic horror starring (as usual) Sheri Z as Adelaide "Heidi LaRoc" Hawthorne, a Salem MA. radio DJ, who receives a mysterious LP by a group identified only as "The Lords". Playing the LP (notice the turntable always goes backwards) releases long buried Salem demons.
I think this is actually RZ's best movie. It's certainly his most creative, and most weird. It's rather low key compared to the others, and it's definitely reminiscent of both Rosemary's Baby and Jodorowsky movies like Santa Sangre. RZ fans seem to have been bored to death by it, which doesn't surprise me, but the simmering, uneasy weirdness and Kubrickian visuals are its strong point. I really enjoyed it.
(27) Mandy (2018): Because Lords of Salem wasn't freaky enough of a psychedelic nightmare. This is an otherworldly fever dream of a revenge flick. Mandy has to be an homage to '70s exploitation/revenge flicks like TCM, Last House on the Left and I Spit On Your Grave, but with a triple dose of surrealism. What the movie is has been done many, many times before, but how it's done is not your standard issue fare.
...and that last shot...
I'll have to get the BR, because I rented this from NetFlix, who only has it on DVD, which can NOT contain it's imagery.
John Stell
Screenwriter
073) 10/24/2019 The Prey (1983)
1/2 (out of four)
The disfigured survivor of 30-year-old fire hunts and kills anyone who trespasses in "his" woods, including the six young people who have decided to camp there. Directed/written/produced by a pair of porno filmmakers in 1979, this atmospheric, beautiful-looking film is something of a slog in terms of pacing. The characterizations are weak and the suspense intermittent. The kills are pretty gory though and the last 15 minutes are pretty decent. I watched the original 80 minute version which felt long enough. Apparently some of the producers didn't feel the same way so they had new footage shot, cutting out certain scenes, and bumped up the running time to 97 minutes. No thank you.
074) 10/24/2019 Dream No Evil (1970)
Strange, low-budget Psycho clone about orphaned girl Grace obsessed with the idea her father is still alive. But when she does finally find him, he takes over-protection to new level. Why writer/director John Hayes (Grave of the Vampire) added the voice-over narration to tell us exactly what's going on in Grace's head is a puzzlement. The story plays out in interesting fashion but the final act holds few surprises. Decent performances help.
075) 10/25/2019 Dark August (1976)
1/2
After moving from New York City to the rolling hills of Vermont poor Sal accidentally hits and kills little girl, whose grandfather then puts a curse on him. Soon Sal is seeing visions of cloaked figure and the girl he ran down. It seems that a lot of these 70's low budget pictures had an interesting idea for a short film but then stretched the thing out to its breaking point. Despite some good moments this film wears out its welcome too soon and has an unsatisfying conclusion.
The disfigured survivor of 30-year-old fire hunts and kills anyone who trespasses in "his" woods, including the six young people who have decided to camp there. Directed/written/produced by a pair of porno filmmakers in 1979, this atmospheric, beautiful-looking film is something of a slog in terms of pacing. The characterizations are weak and the suspense intermittent. The kills are pretty gory though and the last 15 minutes are pretty decent. I watched the original 80 minute version which felt long enough. Apparently some of the producers didn't feel the same way so they had new footage shot, cutting out certain scenes, and bumped up the running time to 97 minutes. No thank you.
074) 10/24/2019 Dream No Evil (1970)
Strange, low-budget Psycho clone about orphaned girl Grace obsessed with the idea her father is still alive. But when she does finally find him, he takes over-protection to new level. Why writer/director John Hayes (Grave of the Vampire) added the voice-over narration to tell us exactly what's going on in Grace's head is a puzzlement. The story plays out in interesting fashion but the final act holds few surprises. Decent performances help.
075) 10/25/2019 Dark August (1976)
After moving from New York City to the rolling hills of Vermont poor Sal accidentally hits and kills little girl, whose grandfather then puts a curse on him. Soon Sal is seeing visions of cloaked figure and the girl he ran down. It seems that a lot of these 70's low budget pictures had an interesting idea for a short film but then stretched the thing out to its breaking point. Despite some good moments this film wears out its welcome too soon and has an unsatisfying conclusion.
OCTOBER 24:
28) In the Shadow of the Moon* (2019) 2.5/5 stars - A Netflix production, this is a fairly nifty time travel story with some good performances, but ultimately for me it fell a bit flat. A serial killer, seemingly the same person, goes on a killing spree in Philadelphia every 9 years, murdering victims in a very weird and specific way. Boyd Holbrook is excellent as the tortured cop trying to figure everything out.
28) In the Shadow of the Moon* (2019) 2.5/5 stars - A Netflix production, this is a fairly nifty time travel story with some good performances, but ultimately for me it fell a bit flat. A serial killer, seemingly the same person, goes on a killing spree in Philadelphia every 9 years, murdering victims in a very weird and specific way. Boyd Holbrook is excellent as the tortured cop trying to figure everything out.
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Yesterday at least started strong...
052 10/24 Strip Nude For Your Killer (1975) 4/5 Sexed up giallo, even for genre standards is typical in that a black gloved killer is knocking off models, but it’s really well made with a twisty mystery to who the killer is that actually makes sense. There’s plenty of action, the pacing is good and it has a great soundtrack. All you can ask for.
053 10/24 Curse of Chucky (2013) 2.5/5 This is the first film of the series that feels like a reset as opposed to a proper continuation. Chucky is delivered to a house of a young woman in a wheelchair and her mother, and mayhem ensues. There’s some decent gore, but over all this one is just dull. They try to get the tone back to being a serious slasher, which isn’t a bad thing, but teasing out the doll stuff and having everything take place in one night in an “Old Dark House” when the audience knows this is a killer doll movie is a big step back. If not for the conclusion linking this more solidly to previous entries it would have been a total waste. As it is, it’s a bit of a broken thumb in an otherwise fun series.
054 10/24 Killer Crocodile 2 (1990) 2/5 The giant killer croc is still out there, thanks to radioactive waste. It’s as shitty as the first film. Nothing else to say.
052 10/24 Strip Nude For Your Killer (1975) 4/5 Sexed up giallo, even for genre standards is typical in that a black gloved killer is knocking off models, but it’s really well made with a twisty mystery to who the killer is that actually makes sense. There’s plenty of action, the pacing is good and it has a great soundtrack. All you can ask for.
053 10/24 Curse of Chucky (2013) 2.5/5 This is the first film of the series that feels like a reset as opposed to a proper continuation. Chucky is delivered to a house of a young woman in a wheelchair and her mother, and mayhem ensues. There’s some decent gore, but over all this one is just dull. They try to get the tone back to being a serious slasher, which isn’t a bad thing, but teasing out the doll stuff and having everything take place in one night in an “Old Dark House” when the audience knows this is a killer doll movie is a big step back. If not for the conclusion linking this more solidly to previous entries it would have been a total waste. As it is, it’s a bit of a broken thumb in an otherwise fun series.
054 10/24 Killer Crocodile 2 (1990) 2/5 The giant killer croc is still out there, thanks to radioactive waste. It’s as shitty as the first film. Nothing else to say.
Michael Elliott
Senior HTF Member
Fear No Evil (1981) **
A priest defeats Lucifer but his spirit (?) goes into a newborn baby. That baby grows up and soon Lucifer is taking out his classmates. This is a really weird film and one with some terrific visuals and especially towards the end. There are a few really good moments throughout the film but at the end of the day this is just another possession movie and the majority of the running time was rather boring. It's worth noting that it does feature one of the weirdest scenes to ever deal with boobs.
The Day After (1983) ***
I finally got around to check this out. The story deals with a group of characters before, during and after a nuclear attack. There are some very chilling scenes in this film and it's easy to see why it would have scared kids back in the day. With that being said, is there REALLY anything here that we haven't already seen in the disaster movies of the 70s? I mean, sure the nuclear attack was handled extremely well and the direction was quite good but at the asme time there are some melodrama that just doesn't work or add up to much.
Memory: The Origins of Alien (2019) ****
When I heard that ALIEN was getting a theatrical release documentary I really wondered why but after seeing it.... It's really, really great. I really enjoyed this one and especially how it tried to look at the film from a different point of view. This isn't like the documentaries you'd see as a bonus feature or on AMC. This one here really tries to look at this film as a piece of ground-breaking art while also looking at some of the films that influenced writer Dan O'Bannon. He gets a lot of due credit here, which was nice to see. A large chunk of the running time deals with the chest busting scene yet it's done in a fresh way.
Hannah, Queen of the Vampires (1973) ** 1/2
A man goes to an island to bury his father but quickly learns about vampires. This film's atmosphere, mood and setting really reminded me of THE WICKER MAN, which is funny since both movies were released the same year. I thought the performances were good here, the atmosphere was terrific and there were many memorable scenes but at the end of the day are we really seeing anything original? It's a decent vampire film that's worth watching.
A priest defeats Lucifer but his spirit (?) goes into a newborn baby. That baby grows up and soon Lucifer is taking out his classmates. This is a really weird film and one with some terrific visuals and especially towards the end. There are a few really good moments throughout the film but at the end of the day this is just another possession movie and the majority of the running time was rather boring. It's worth noting that it does feature one of the weirdest scenes to ever deal with boobs.
The Day After (1983) ***
I finally got around to check this out. The story deals with a group of characters before, during and after a nuclear attack. There are some very chilling scenes in this film and it's easy to see why it would have scared kids back in the day. With that being said, is there REALLY anything here that we haven't already seen in the disaster movies of the 70s? I mean, sure the nuclear attack was handled extremely well and the direction was quite good but at the asme time there are some melodrama that just doesn't work or add up to much.
Memory: The Origins of Alien (2019) ****
When I heard that ALIEN was getting a theatrical release documentary I really wondered why but after seeing it.... It's really, really great. I really enjoyed this one and especially how it tried to look at the film from a different point of view. This isn't like the documentaries you'd see as a bonus feature or on AMC. This one here really tries to look at this film as a piece of ground-breaking art while also looking at some of the films that influenced writer Dan O'Bannon. He gets a lot of due credit here, which was nice to see. A large chunk of the running time deals with the chest busting scene yet it's done in a fresh way.
Hannah, Queen of the Vampires (1973) ** 1/2
A man goes to an island to bury his father but quickly learns about vampires. This film's atmosphere, mood and setting really reminded me of THE WICKER MAN, which is funny since both movies were released the same year. I thought the performances were good here, the atmosphere was terrific and there were many memorable scenes but at the end of the day are we really seeing anything original? It's a decent vampire film that's worth watching.
10/24
(28) Slumber Party Massacre (1982): Have I seen this before? Odds are fairly good, but I don't remember at all. This has to be even worse than I expected, if that's possible, but it does manage to have a couple, very minor appealing things about it. For one, it's the first credited role for Brinke Stevens, who is promptly dispatched. Second, the killer is actually kind of cool, in a weird way that I can't quite explain. I've said this before, but free on Prime, it's probably overpriced.
(28) Slumber Party Massacre (1982): Have I seen this before? Odds are fairly good, but I don't remember at all. This has to be even worse than I expected, if that's possible, but it does manage to have a couple, very minor appealing things about it. For one, it's the first credited role for Brinke Stevens, who is promptly dispatched. Second, the killer is actually kind of cool, in a weird way that I can't quite explain. I've said this before, but free on Prime, it's probably overpriced.
OCTOBER 25:
29) She-Wolf of London* (1946) 2/5 stars - This little melodramatic "thriller" was a complete letdown. There are some good performances here, but despite the title there's nary a werewolf to be found anywhere in the film. A young woman, played by a pre-Lost in Space June Lockhart, becomes convinced that she's the victim of a lycanthropic family curse, becomes a werewolf by night, and is murdering people in the park adjacent to her family's mansion in London. Turns out the whole thing is a setup perpetrated by the evil estate manager, who wants her gone so that she and her daughter can continue living in luxury. The best thing about this movie is that it's only an hour long.
30) Under the Skin* (2013) 3/5 stars - Thought-provoking and rather evocative, this film creates quite an atmosphere. Scarlett Johansson is excellent as the alien preying on lonely single men in wet, chilly Scotland. Nothing is wrapped up in a bow regarding the motivations or origins of the extraterrestrial (if that's what she is), and the movie is stronger for it.
29) She-Wolf of London* (1946) 2/5 stars - This little melodramatic "thriller" was a complete letdown. There are some good performances here, but despite the title there's nary a werewolf to be found anywhere in the film. A young woman, played by a pre-Lost in Space June Lockhart, becomes convinced that she's the victim of a lycanthropic family curse, becomes a werewolf by night, and is murdering people in the park adjacent to her family's mansion in London. Turns out the whole thing is a setup perpetrated by the evil estate manager, who wants her gone so that she and her daughter can continue living in luxury. The best thing about this movie is that it's only an hour long.
30) Under the Skin* (2013) 3/5 stars - Thought-provoking and rather evocative, this film creates quite an atmosphere. Scarlett Johansson is excellent as the alien preying on lonely single men in wet, chilly Scotland. Nothing is wrapped up in a bow regarding the motivations or origins of the extraterrestrial (if that's what she is), and the movie is stronger for it.
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EricSchulz
Senior HTF Member
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- Jan 6, 2004
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- 5,588
#9 The Wolfman Yes, its atmospheric. Yes, there's some great makeup effects. Yes, it's a good story. But I REALLY felt Lon Chaney was over the top in his portrayal. Larry Talbot is a weak and whiny character. Still, it's a Universal classic. 6/10
Michael Elliott
Senior HTF Member
If you didn't like the first film then stay far, far away from the second. The third one isn't all that good either. I will admit that I love the original though. I'm not sure what it is but the movie has always been a bit unnerving to me because, I guess, the killer looks like a normal dude that you'd see out in the streets.
I forgot one from yesterday:
The Stuff (1985) ** 1/2
Larry Cohen's film about ice cream called The Stuff, which is actually from aliens and will cause people to do very bad things when eaten. I get what Cohen was going for here as Americans are stupid and will consume whatever is fed to them. It's a great little set-up but doe the satire really work here? To me it didn't and that's what keeps the film from being better in my opinion. With that said, I must admit that I really loved the killer goo, how it killed people, how it grew, how it moved. Hell I loved the containers that it was in. I just wish the satire was better.
I forgot one from yesterday:
The Stuff (1985) ** 1/2
Larry Cohen's film about ice cream called The Stuff, which is actually from aliens and will cause people to do very bad things when eaten. I get what Cohen was going for here as Americans are stupid and will consume whatever is fed to them. It's a great little set-up but doe the satire really work here? To me it didn't and that's what keeps the film from being better in my opinion. With that said, I must admit that I really loved the killer goo, how it killed people, how it grew, how it moved. Hell I loved the containers that it was in. I just wish the satire was better.
EricSchulz
Senior HTF Member
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- 5,588
#10 The Gorgon. I haven't watched this in AGES. I forgot just how good it was being outside the Hammer canon of Dracula/Frankenstein/etc. Interesting storyline and the gorgon is STILL an iconic horror image (thanks, FM!). 7/10
EricSchulz
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
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- 5,588
#11 Black Christmas. Yeah, there's some bad acting and dialogue. But the first killing just sets the tone. 7/10
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- Neil Middlemiss
October 25: White Noise 2 (2007) - 3.5 out of 5 (adapted from my old HD-DVD review)
The happy home life of Abe Dale (Nathan Fillion), is shattered after his wife and child are gunned down by a stranger in a coffee shop. The grief of his loss pushes him to the edge until he takes his own life. After being clinically dead for a short time, he is rescued and soon begins the process of recovery. It is in the hospital recovering that he meets Nurse Sherry Clarke and where he quickly discovers that he is not the same as before he took his own life.
The Near Death Experience or N.D.E somehow gave Abe precognitive abilities; seeing light around those who would meet their end soon; and despite having some initial misgivings about the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of this change, he eventually uses this supernatural foresight to save lives and soon begins to feel like a hero. However, his time riding high on the chance to do great deeds quickly fades as he slips into the dark and dangerous horror of a supernatural imbalance.
The two leads are easily recognizable to anyone considering themselves a science fiction fan, with Nathan Fillion (Firefly) starring as Abe Dale and Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica) as Sherry Clarke.
This movie doesn’t look or feel like a direct to video sequel because the production values are so good. Director Patrick Lussier (Dracula 2000) keeps things sleek and tight while the visual and make-up effects are solid and the score by Normand Corbeil strong and fitting. Overall, the look, tone and feel of this film is of theater quality and a great deal of the power of the film rides on Nathan Fillion’s performance. He doesn’t get the chance to show the kind of sly charm he showed in shows like Firefly and Castle, but the dramatic and desperate situations his character endures gives him the chance to flex his solid acting muscles.
Using N.D.E as the main focus, rather than the E.V.P concept, allowed this sequel to remain fresh and, along with the more visceral approach of the action and brisker pacing, create an effective film that is surprisingly good and very entertaining. Look for some nice visual references to the original film (via some newspaper clippings etc.) that are a nice tip of the hat to the 2005 original.
In the end, White Noise 2 proved to be a hugely enjoyable ray of hope for the world of direct to video sequels and a very high bar against which all others should be gauged. Even if you were not a fan of the original (or never saw it), this is a really good film worthy of checking out.
The happy home life of Abe Dale (Nathan Fillion), is shattered after his wife and child are gunned down by a stranger in a coffee shop. The grief of his loss pushes him to the edge until he takes his own life. After being clinically dead for a short time, he is rescued and soon begins the process of recovery. It is in the hospital recovering that he meets Nurse Sherry Clarke and where he quickly discovers that he is not the same as before he took his own life.
The Near Death Experience or N.D.E somehow gave Abe precognitive abilities; seeing light around those who would meet their end soon; and despite having some initial misgivings about the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of this change, he eventually uses this supernatural foresight to save lives and soon begins to feel like a hero. However, his time riding high on the chance to do great deeds quickly fades as he slips into the dark and dangerous horror of a supernatural imbalance.
The two leads are easily recognizable to anyone considering themselves a science fiction fan, with Nathan Fillion (Firefly) starring as Abe Dale and Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica) as Sherry Clarke.
This movie doesn’t look or feel like a direct to video sequel because the production values are so good. Director Patrick Lussier (Dracula 2000) keeps things sleek and tight while the visual and make-up effects are solid and the score by Normand Corbeil strong and fitting. Overall, the look, tone and feel of this film is of theater quality and a great deal of the power of the film rides on Nathan Fillion’s performance. He doesn’t get the chance to show the kind of sly charm he showed in shows like Firefly and Castle, but the dramatic and desperate situations his character endures gives him the chance to flex his solid acting muscles.
Using N.D.E as the main focus, rather than the E.V.P concept, allowed this sequel to remain fresh and, along with the more visceral approach of the action and brisker pacing, create an effective film that is surprisingly good and very entertaining. Look for some nice visual references to the original film (via some newspaper clippings etc.) that are a nice tip of the hat to the 2005 original.
In the end, White Noise 2 proved to be a hugely enjoyable ray of hope for the world of direct to video sequels and a very high bar against which all others should be gauged. Even if you were not a fan of the original (or never saw it), this is a really good film worthy of checking out.
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