***Official 20th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge 2019*** (2 Viewers)

[Neil Middlemiss]

October 29: The Thing from Another World (1951) - 4 out of 5

(I was away on business yesterday without my laptop so am late posting this)

An apparent UFO crashed and buried beneath the ice in the North Pole is found by scientists, the Air Force dispatch a team to investigate, and the team discovers a humanoid frozen in the ice. Hauled back to base, the ice thaws, the thing is released, and the military, civilian and scientist inhabitants are all in danger.

The film that inspired John Carpenter so much that he eventually did a remake of sorts (he really just makes a more faithful adaptation of the source material, Who Goes There), there's a great deal to be admired in this lean creation. A film that builds a great sense of mystery, exploring the characters and their personalities and interactions long before the danger shows up in the form of James Arness as the 'Thing', this 1951 standout is notable for brisk and clever dialogue delivered by a capable cast and some fast pacing. While the effects abilities of the day prohibited the shape-shifting alien foe from being possible, James Arness cuts an imposing figure as the 8-foot call menace that needs blood to live and propagate (this film plays up the Alien invasion angle with some very interesting theories offered up by the characters). The single-minded scientist more interesting in making contact than protecting the lives of those in the base is used to move the action along at times, and while the film is light on action, when it arrives it's both impressive and fascinating (not least for how on earth they pulled off the burning chaos of one particular scene).

Having grown up with Carpenter's unparalleled 1982 classic, this film is fun to see the bits and pieces Carpenter pulled into his film and how some of his shots have been inspired by the work of the 1951 film's director, Christian Nyby and screenwriter Howard Hawk's (whose directorial influence can be felt). As soon as the credits finished rolling I felt the urge to watch this again. A good sign

 

[Suzanne.S]

Today I watched The Raven (1935). Lugosi is spectacularly creepy as the mad scientist and Karloff manages to elicit sympathy in a fairly thankless role.

 

[Neil Middlemiss]

October 30: The Thing (2011) - 4 out of 5

A discovery in the artic has Norwegian scientists excited and they enlist the expertise of American expert (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). But their frozen discover wakes up. With the ability to absorb and mimic its prey, the thing they uncovered could be the end of them all.

This prequel to 1982's masterpiece, The Thing, covers most of the same beats as John Carpenter's classic and by all accounts feels like a remake, but fans of the 1982 film will recognize the connective tissue, as it were, that make this a prequel (setting the stage for Kurt Russell's visit to their camp in the original) - and the closing moments of this film lead nicely into the opening of the 1982 film. They just have to be seen together (I'll be watching the 1982 classic on Halloween night, as is my tradition).

Where this 2011 film falters is in the creature effects, relying upon computer generated imagery to create deformed and bizarre concoctions versus the legendary practical effects that special make-up and effects designer Rob Bottin almost killed himself producing for the 1982 film. The capabilities of the visual effects allows those sequences to play with more frenetic action and energy. Practical effects by their nature can slow the action in a scene, but with that comes the need to build upon the horror and tension - something that the brisker pace of this prequel doesn't give enough space for. Also, this year more than ever, the effects work, and not just of the creature, looks more obvious than in year's past. Not sure if that's a result of getting used to the exceptional CGI work in films as the technology progresses each year, or seeing what was always there more honestly this year.

Performances here are largely very good, with Mary Elizabeth Winstead's capable and assertive character proving to be the film’s finest. A very good film with flaws but one that has firm connections to what I consider to be the greatest horror film of all time, and that raises this film's stock quite a bit.

 

[Malcolm R]

The Fog (1980)

Selfishness, greed, and hypocrisy bring a curse down upon the coastal town of Antonio Bay when the town's founding fathers purposely ground and sink a boat containing a group of lepers and a large cache of gold. It's now 100 years later and the vengeful spirits of those murdered return to take revenge.

I have watched this before, but it's been a number of years and I didn't recall much about the film. If I had been asked to summarize the film yesterday before rewatching it, I would have described a different movie. Not sure if it's really been that long, or if I'm confusing this with another film (or possibly the remake from 2005).

That said, it's still a great film and I think I enjoyed it more now than I have in the past. I'm not a fan of Adrienne Barbeau's character, mostly due to her annoying, breathy, NPR-style delivery when she's on the air at the radio station. It seems like she spends more time yapping and making lame jokes than playing music. There are also a few scenes where it seems like the actors are in a rush to deliver their lines, talking very fast and over each other. Not sure what that's about.

But Carpenter and Dean Cundey have created a very creepy, atmospheric ghost story with wonderful use of the fog and flashes of color. The climax in the church is kind of hokey, but the film mostly works, and made me jump in my seat a couple times.

Hard to believe Carpenter made Halloween, The Fog, and The Thing in just a space of a few years. All now classic fright-film favorites 40 years later, and despite multiple remakes with modern filmmaking and FX, the originals still stand up well.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

Some short films, plus a 3D classic courtesy of Twilight Time's Blu-Ray.

13. The Mad Magician (1954)
The great Vincent Price's follow-up 3D horror fest after 1953's House of Wax has some similarities in plot to that more famous predecessor (gentle genius done wrong goes off the deep end and becomes a mass murderer), but is certainly well worth a watch in its own right. This one's more of a murder mystery / crime thriller with some horrific elements, but remains consistently interesting due to Price's acting (more subdued and nuanced than was sometimes the case) and the work of a strong supporting cast, including the lovely Mary Murphy as his young ingenue and sometime assistant, Patrick O'Neal as her police inspector boyfriend, Lenita Lane and Jay Novello as an inquisitive mystery writer and her husband, and Eva Gabor and John Emery as two of Price's victims. Watched this one projected in 3D; some good pop-outs, but mostly nicely layered depth effects, in velvety-smooth black-and-white.

14. The Three Stooges - "Spooks" (1953)
Almost worth the price (ha ha!) of The Mad Magician Blu-Ray alone are the two 3D Three Stooges shorts included as special features. This one is 15 straight minutes of laugh-out-loud antics and one-liners, as Moe, Larry and Shemp investigate a creepy old house, trying to rescue a young woman from the clutches of mad scientist Dr. Jekyll, who wants to transfer her brain into that of a gorilla. While The Mad Magician director John Brahm took a more subtle approach with the 3D effects in that film, "Spooks" is wall-to-wall with in your face pop outs, with fire, water, knives, cleavers, pies, Shemp-faced bats and other items leaping out of the screen at the viewer. Great stuff...and platinum blonde hottie Norma Randall adds nice relief from looking at the Stooges ugly' mugs.

15. "Trick of Treat" (1952)
Cute and colorful Donald Duck cartoon. When a curmudgeonly Donald refuses to give his nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie any candy, friendly Witch Hazel (whose voice sounds identical to the Warner Bros. version of the character) comes to their aid. These Disney theatrical shorts, while never as funny as their WB counterparts, are always beautifully animated and pleasant viewing.

16. Casper the Friendly Ghost - "To Boo or Not to Boo" (1951)
I didn't much care for the milquetoast Casper when I was a kid, but now I find these Famous Studios toons pretty damned charming. Feeling lonely, Casper ventures out on Halloween night, goes trick or treating and spends some time at a Halloween party. Lovely animation and some good gags.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

October 29: The Thing from Another World (1951) - 4 out of 5

(As soon as the credits finished rolling I felt the urge to watch this again. A good sign

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Is this your first time viewing the '51 The Thing, Neil? It really is a very re-watchable film, with the rat-a-tat-tat, overlapping dialogue (a Howard Hawks staple) a real treat. It's a very different take than the later Carpenter classic, but both films are terrific in my book.

 

[Suzanne.S]

Tonight at work, I watched a few episodes of The Addams Family on YouTube.

The Addams Family Tree
Halloween with the Addams Family
Green-Eyed Gomez
The Addams Family Meet the VIPs

I love this show and it still holds up for me. It was my first favorite show as a kid and Gomez was my first TV crush. Everyone should strive for a relationship like Gomez and Morticia's.

 

[dpippel]

OCTOBER 30:

38) Dracula Untold (2014) 2.5/5 stars - This film was supposedly an unofficial kick-off of Universal's "Dark Universe" properties, later officially begun with Tom Cruise's remake of The Mummy. A re-imagining of the Dracula legend with Luke Evans in the titular role, it portrays Vlad the Impaler as a family man and noble leader of his people who resorts to making a pact with one of the undead (an excellent Charles Dance) in order to protect his lands and countrymen from the Turks. The movie really doesn't work that well, but Evans is fine and the effects are well done.

39) Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965) 3/5 stars - A Godzilla film featuring a plot by aliens to invade the Earth by mind-controlling Rodan and Godzilla, with Ghidorah thrown in for good measure. Pretty silly, but wholly enjoyable.

 

[Neil Middlemiss]

Is this your first time viewing the '51 The Thing, Neil? It really is a very re-watchable film, with the rat-a-tat-tat, overlapping dialogue (a Howard Hawks staple) a real treat. It's a very different take than the later Carpenter classic, but both films are terrific in my book.

I am almost certain I saw this film growing up in England so didn't list it as a first time viewing, but it was so long ago that it was all new to my brain. I've been watching the 1982 The Thing on Halloween for a LOOOOONG time, and added the prequal to that routine after it came out (I was double-billing it, but have moved to watching the 2011 film on 10/30 now). I had never owned any edition of The Thing from Another World until this year and really feel like it will be added to the annual mix now. I had a blast watching it

 

[Bryan^H]

Edward Scissorhands
This classic fairy tale/Frankenstein like movie still holds a special place in my heart --the monster Edward is a about as sweet, and innocent as can be, Wonderful score from Danny Elfman, wonderfully directed by Tim Burton, and the acting is top notch (Alan Arkin is comedic gold, and Vincent Price in his last role is well deserved as it is a good part). 4K transfer downrezzed to standard Blu-Ray still looks stunning.
Grade-A

You Might Be the Killer
A fun take on the slasher genre in which a camp leader thinks he may be in fact a psycho killer wiping out his friends, and co-workers. It works mainly because of the nice performances (ALyson Hannigan is always good) by the cast that didn't just dial it in.
Grade-C+

War Gods of the Deep
One of my favorite 60's Vincent Price films. Worth every minute, atmospheric creepy, yet fun at the same time.
Grade-A

The Six Million Dollar Man :The Secret of Bigfoot:
Really good episode(s) with the extremely popular at the time Bigfoot which turns out to be a mechanized monster created by subterranean aliens. Thank you Kenneth Johnson for your imagination when writing this!
If more episodes were like this I would have loved The Six Million Dollar Man as an entire series whole lot more.
Grade-A

Deadtime Stories
Once one of my favorite anthology horror films in the 80's. Turns out it isn't so great, just kind of goofy but still has very attractive actresses peppered throughout. I remember seeing this 30+ years ago as a kid so nostalgia is huge, and this still is a "grail" release for me on Blu-Ray for that reason alone.
That opening song is off the hinges lunacy!!! I'm not sure how that would have went over...even in 1986.
Grade-C+

At The Earth's Core
Caroline Munro, Doug McClure, Peter Cushing, monsters.
Grade-A

​

 

[John Stell]

096) 10/30/2019 Halloween (2018) 3.0 (out of 4.0)

Forty years after Michael Myers terrorized Haddonfield on Halloween night, he escapes captivity and returns to pick up where he left off, including going after Laurie Strode, the one babysitter that got away. Good sequel ignores all previous sequels to create new storyline and it works. Jamie Lee Curtis is better here than in H2O and the stylish direction does John Carpenter proud.

097) 10/30/2019 Halloween (1978) 4.0
098) 10/31/2019 Halloween II (1981) 2.5
099) 10/31/2019 Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) 3.0

My go-to Michael Myers trilogy, at least until the sequels to last year's sequel show up. We'll just have to wait and see how they turn out. For now, this circular narrative about the transference of evil concerns killer Michael Myers, sister Laurie Strode, and niece Jamie Lloyd. Part II has a bit too much gore to work as well as the other entries but they are all stylish, well-acted, and suspenseful. Other than Michael, Donald Pleasence's doctor is the recurring character in all 3 that provides a nice continuity.

Next up will be several Universal classics to wrap up this year's challenge.
​

 

[Ruz-El]

I have a deep appreciation for the original THE THING. It scared the hell out of my dad when he saw it in the theaters when it was released, so when his store got it in on VHS, he brought it home to scare the shit out of me. It's one of the ground zero films that helped me fall in love with the genre.


074 10/30 Amityville: Dollhouse (1996) 2.5/5 I know I had seen this one before, I remember renting the VHS. I had zero recollection of it on this rewatch. This one find a guy trying to start a new family by building his dream home, and finding a dollhouse based on the Amityville house so satanic shit starts happening. It’s another dumb haunted object film with near zero ties to original themes, and I nearly rated it 3 which is my standard “good” rating. It’s not terrible, it’s well made and mostly well acted The ending goes off the rails in a fun way, but getting there is a bit of a plod and they set up some things that never payoff so I’m docking it half a star.


075 10/30 An American Werewolf in London (1981) 5/5 One that needs not introduction. I think this is John Landis at this best. Everything works. The humour makes sense and is organic, there’s some genuinely spooky stuff and the effects hold up. I’ve seen it countless times and have never been disappointed with it.


076 10/30 Child’s Play (2019) 3.5/5 I went into this one with low expectations and ended up liking it. Is it as good as the regular Chucky series? Probably not. Is the Chucky doll remodel as cool as the original? Nope. Is Brad Dourif missed as the voice of Chucky? Absolutely. That said, as an update and re-imagining of the series, it’s really well done. Some neat sequences and feeding off the potential terror of having your entire life being monitored by corporations makes it a logical update over a voodoo murder doll possessed by a serial killer. I preferred the original Andy to the go-getter in this one, but it’s a small, fussy complaint. Hamill does a fine job of creating a Chucky of his own, staying away from trying to ape the original. All in all, I had fun with it.

 

[Bryan^H]

075 10/30 An American Werewolf in London (1981) 5/5 One that needs not introduction. I think this is John Landis at this best. Everything works. The humour makes sense and is organic, there’s some genuinely spooky stuff and the effects hold up. I’ve seen it countless times and have never been disappointed with it.

I watched the new transfer from Arrow the other night, and Holy Shit it looks AMAZING!!
One of my favorite movies.

 

[Suzanne.S]

My final viewings for this year's challenge. I watched The Invisible Ray (1936). Another good Karloff / Lugosi pairing with both giving strong performances. And finally, there was a story in my Facebook feed from the AMIA about the Roy Spence films on the Irish Film Institute website. https://www.irishcentral.com/cultur...yznbz67QMJIWjoQEgowWzNdyT7FbaUW95lFV0C3lO_qDc

I watched The Attack of the Saucer People (1981). It is an inventive film about filmmaking. Worth checking out, especially at just over 13 minutes long.

So, to wrap up. I didn't really get the quantity, but I got quality. I saw great films and in several cases, saw them in great venues. I'm very pleased with my showing this year. I'm already looking forward to next year's challenge.

 

[Michael Elliott]

The Final Conflict (1981) **

Damien (Sam Neill) finds himself coming into power but there are a group of people who want to kill him before that happens. I'm really not sure why I never watched this third film in THE OMEN series but it turned out to be the weakest of the group, which is really too bad as there are some good things scattered around the picture including some of the death scenes that had a lot of good details put into them. The problem I had with the film was that it was incredibly slow and boring and it leads up to one of the dumbest endings in horror history. I'm not going to ruin the ending BUT I do understand what they were trying to do but it just didn't work.

Return of the Exorcist (2015) **

This documentary was made just prior to William Friedkin's THE DEVIL AND FATHER AMORTH and it's worth noting that Amorth is seen here. Basically it's a pretty straight-forward look at exorcisms and tries to talk about why there are over 500,000 a year in Italy. This was okay but nothing we haven't seen before.

Alien from the Deep (1989) * 1/2

Antonio Margheriti's Italian trash film about people throwing toxic waste into a volcano and soon a monster attacks. At least once a year I watch a movie that keeps me entertained while watching it because I keep waiting for something to happen YET nothing ever happens and the movie is over and you're pissed that you just wasted your time. That is ALIEN FROM THE DEEP. You can skip to the fifty-minute mark and not miss a thing as that's when the first attack happens and then we don't really see the monster again until the end. Charles Napier steals the film in his scene chewing way but that's all this thing has going for it.

Amityville: The Evil Escapes (1989) **
Amityville: A New Generation (1993) ***

These were the two that I hadn't watched from the recent Vinegar Syndrome box. EVIL ESCAPES deals with a haunted lamp and NEW GENERATION is a haunted mirror. The first film is pretty boring all around but there were a couple death scenes and it was fun seeing Patty Duke and Jane Wyatt. I just never bought the whole haunted lamp thing and the film really bored me. A NEW GENERATION is a masterpiece compared to the other films in the series. It features a good story, a good connection to the originals and a pretty good cast as well. There were some memorable death scenes and overall it kept me much more entertained than any other film in the series.

Private Parts (1972) ***

A young woman goes to live with her aunt inside a large rundown hotel but soon she meets the weird clients staying there and it appears one is obsessed with her. This Paul Bartel film is an extremely weird one and it's one of the best of its type. I really enjoyed this film on so many levels and especially the weird atmosphere built up by Bartel as well as the variety of really strange characters. There's some really bizarre stuff going on here including some rather graphic moments and bizarre sexual situations. The two leads are wonderful and overall I really enjoyed this one.

 

[Neil Middlemiss]

October 31: The Thing (1982) - 5 out of 5

In the isolation of a remote Antarctic, a U.S. research team is unknowingly infiltrated by a creature that can imitate, perfectly, members of the group. No-one is safe, an no-one knows who is still human.

There's nothing better than finding a movie in your life that not only can you watch over and over again, but that it gets better every time you watch it. The Thing is just such a movie. John Carpenter's bleaker, bloodier remake of Howard Hawks' The Thing From Another World, is perfect on every level. A brooding, chilling experience as the researchers come apart at the seams (sometimes literally) trying to comprehend the grotesqueries of the creature’s carnage. As they slowly realize that the thing can imitate, take-over people and blend in without detection, paranoia inevitably takes hold. The sense of dread in the unknowing and the sense of bewilderment at their isolation with such horror, gives

The Thing a masterful sense of atmosphere. Performances are all solid, with Kurt Russell's gruff, natural but reluctant leader MacReady being standout.

The effects work by Rob Bottin is what ultimately pushes this excellent film into the status of legend. The horrific, creative, and intricate creations of warping, bursting, twisting bodies - dogs heads splitting open, chests becoming biting mouths, heads tearing away from their bodies and sprouting legs - astonish the senses and hold up far better than any computer generated imagery.

I share this every year, but my earliest memory of watching The Thing was after midnight on a small, black and white television in the bedroom that my older brother and I shared. I must have been 12 or 13. It was absolutely terrifying - and that's the highest compliment you can give to a film in the horror genre. Re-watching this classic I always find new details to savor, and familiar moments to cherish. The pacing of this film should be taught in film courses. The focus on the creature effects - long, well-crafted scenes that are emotionally chaotic but stably shot so that the horror of what's on screen has time to sink in deep add to the mastery of this film. The creature effects showcase the obvious horror, but it is the palpable sense of paranoia and unease that lays over this film like a thick blanket where the true, more deeply rooted horror exists.

This is the ultimate horror film, and certainly John Carpenter's finest accomplishment. Perfect in every way and better than ever. This is a timeless classic that I already want to watch again. I freaking LOVE this film!

 

[Jeff Flugel]

Closed out Halloween night with another couple of classics, plus the latest The Simpsons "Treehouse of Terror" episode (the 30th!!)

17. Revenge of the Creature (in 3D) (1955)
While not in the same class as the original Creature From the Black Lagoon flick, this sequel remains diverting fun, thanks to the clever idea of transporting the Gill Man to a Florida marine park, some excellent underwater 3D effects (lots of fish swimming in front of the viewer's eyes, etc.) and the presence of petite cutie Lori Nelson in a variety of '50s swimwear. This one is a little more sloppily constructed, slow in some parts and abrupt in others, but there's enough good stuff going on to keep monster fans entertained. As in all 3 Creature films, I end up just feeling sorry for the poor Gill Man, dynamited into a coma, abducted from his home and chained up in a tank, poked, prodded and given shock training by scientist John Agar, with only a couple of measly fish to eat - all in all, treated quite shabbily by the human race yet again.

18. The Fog (1980)
As mentioned before, this one has become a Halloween night staple. Fantastically atmospheric and spooky, and I just love the California coastal setting. One of these days, I'm going to visit that awesome lighthouse location that Adrienne Barbeau drives to in the middle of the movie. Back when John Carpenter could really put a movie together and make it look great. Love the synth score as well. If I had any complaint, it would be the choice to limit the amount of victims that the vengeful leper ghosts claim to only six. It robs the climax of the film of a smidgen of suspense, and the viewer the chance to see more widespread panic and slaughter in the small town, instead of it centering only on our handful of main characters. That's only a very minor caveat, though...overall, this one's a total winner. The Shout Factory Blu-Ray is a thing of beauty.

 

[Michael Elliott]

Threads (1984) ***

This British film tells what happens days and years after a nuclear attack. This here was released a year after THE DAY AFTER and it's easy to see why each film has its core group of fans and why those fans like to attack the other movie. I personally enjoyed both of them and thought both had many strong things but also some weak ones. THREADS is certainly the more graphic of the two pictures and I thought the actual nuclear attack scenes were a lot more effective here and especially the scenes with the burning bodies. I didn't care too much for some of the narration as well as the non-stop text written on the screen.

 

[Malcolm R]

Jeepers Creepers 3

Starting with a flashback to 23 years prior to the first film, the action then jumps ahead to shortly after the events of the first film (this film is set chronologically between the first and second films). The Creeper is continuing his 23-day feast and Sheriff Tashtego vows to take him down. They try and impound the Creeper's booby-trapped truck, but the Creeper steals it back and resumes his spree. Lots of mumbo-jumbo ensues about connections between the Creeper and his victims and a leathery Meg Foster has visions of her dead son. The best thing about the film is the Creeper's creepy truck that pretty much becomes a character of its own in this film.

A disappointing end to my challenge. I didn't get to watch as much as I was hoping this year as other issues took priority. I wanted to watch Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula tonight to end the challenge but didn't end up with time to do that, so I had to end with JC3 which I only got to see since I watched that while at the gym. (SyFy)

 

[JohnRice]

10/30
(34) Fallen (1998): When a serial killer is about to be executed, he launches into a tirade in Aramaic. As it turns out, the execution hasn't ended the case for the presiding detective (Denzel Washington). Fallen is a strong psychological horror flick with a decent premise. I enjoy the scene where Washington's character realizes what is going on, which the audience has already pretty much been in on. This also uses a narrative technique I have always enjoyed.

(35) The Neon Demon (2016): a 16 year old orphan (Elle Fanning) arrives in Los Angeles, hoping to pursue a career as a model. Nicolas Winding Refn's psychedelic horror is not as flat-out bizarre as Only God Forgives, but not as attainable or satisfying as his totally awesome Drive. As the movie played out, I contemplated various directions it might go, and it didn't go in any of them. To be honest, I'm not sure what it did. I sort of feel it sold itself short by not taking a more meaningful direction. Of course, I'm not even sure what direction it actually took, once it went full-bore WTF.

(36) Pandorum (2009): It's 2174 and the human race has pretty much succeeded in over populating the earth to the point of collapse. The space ship Elysium is launched with a cargo of a few thousand settlers, toward a distant, habitable planet. In flight, notice is received that earth has been wiped out of existence. Now the member of one of the rotation flight crews is revived from hypersleep to find the ship dark and malfunctioning, eventually to find it is populated by some kind of predatory humanoid creatures.

I've always thought this was a decent Sci-Fi horror flick, even if it's pretty reminiscent of several others. I was less impressed this time around, but it's still a decent horror/action yarn. I don't care for how the scenes with the mysterious creatures was filmed. It appears to be at a high shutter speed, but a reduced frame rate. 12fps, I expect. I expect this is supposed to make it more frenetic, but it just makes the action choppy and hard to follow.

10/31
(37) Hereditary (2018): After the death of their mother/grandmother, a family begins to experience a bizarre string of violent and horrible events. This movie was creepy as hell, and it's extremely effective horror in that sense, but on the other hand, it's just a stream of strange, creepy stuff that doesn't necessarily make sense, until the explaining dialog at the very end. So, I'm a little torn. Still, it was seriously creepy, so it's pretty good.