***Official 21st Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge 2020*** (1 Viewer)

[dana martin]

(Actually I get about 4 - 5 hours during the week)

I'm a little better and average about 3-4 a night, on and off insomniac for almost the last 10 years

 

[Ruz-El]

you are right, it's just weird, the voice is all warbled, creeper than some of the stuff in big budgets, and well only two films in so i will check for footchases , but notice he looks like what ever public area he could use with out a permit to keep under budget he would use.

Those stolen shots are certainly part of the charm. It really is amazing that this set exists. I thought I was going to get punched when talking with a film fan at work where I admitted to only seeing one Bergman film but owned this set lol. The look he gave me! I know Michael Elliot burned through the whole thing when it came out, his tolerance is higher than mine, I have to spread them out lol.

Which reminds me, I need to get in The Virgin Spring this challenge....

 

[Kaskade1309]

 

[sleroi]

10/14

15. Schlock (1971) - ****

John Landis and Rick Baker's first film, an homage to ape movies, and B movies in general. The missing link thaws out in Southern California and goes on a killing spree before falling in love with a blind girl who thinks hes a dog.

It starts as a dark comedy and quickly turns to absurdism. I know humor is subjective, so ymmv, but I absolutely love this film. So many little details too, like the police sketch of the missing link signed by Rick Baker. And im still not sure if the links walk is an ode to the famous bigfoot footage or Groucho Marx.

Its one of those films Ill watch a couple times a year and every time I discover a new little nuance or something new to laugh at.

 

[BobO'Link]

Got in an extra film yesterday:

Not a favorite by any stretch yet I enjoyed it more this time that I recall enjoying it the last time I watched it. It's somewhat predictable with a mystery man shows up to claim the inheritance from a man who died years ago. All he has to do is fool Uncle, Auntie, brother, and sister. The objections of a pair of them as to his identity pretty much gives the twist away very early.

A middlin' vampire story. Car trouble strands a honeymooning couple in a small Southern European village. An aristocratic family in the area reaches out to help them when the owner, also the leader of a vampire cult, becomes enamored by the woman's beauty... Moral: Don't have car trouble in European villages and accepts an offer to stay in the castle.

Meh. Not my kind of movie. Twists involve just who's driving who insane? I watched it simply because it's on the same disc as:

Yep... another tale of Dr. Frankenstein from Hammer. The Baron arrives at the family castle and just happens to locate his creation. He attempts to bring it back to life but needs the help of a local mesmerist (?!?!?) to finish the job. Of course the mesmerist takes control of the creature and sends him after all his enemies all the while leaving the blame solely on Dr. Frankenstein.

The area Monsignor exorcises Dracula's castle because its shadow touches the church causing people to not attend. In the process he accidentally brings the Count back from the dead. In revenge for the exorcism, Dracula follows the Monsignor back to his hometown to prey on the holy man's niece and her friends.

 

[Michael Elliott]

The Skull (1965) ***

The skull of Marquis de Sade is purchased by a collector (Peter Cushing) and soon he realizes that was a bad idea. I've always enjoyed this Amicus film as Cushing gives a great performance and Christopher Lee is a lot of fun as well. I really love the final twenty-minutes, which is pretty much dialogue free as Cushing becomes possessed and starts acting out. Great use of lighting as well.

Prophecy (1979) **

It's really hard to believe that John Frankenheimer directed this movie. The plot has a doctor and his wife going to Maine to do some environmental test and soon they run into Native American protesters and a mutant bear. The majority of this movie is all environmental stuff and the melodrama of that takes up most of the running time. The mutant bear finally goes into action towards the end and the movie gets a little fun but it's still miles behind GRIZZLY.

Gamera vs. Viras (1968) * 1/2
Gamera vs. Guiron (1969) * 1/2
Gamera vs. Jiger (1970) ** 1/2
Gamera vs. Zigra (1971) **
Gamera: Super Monster (1980) *

This series certainly went towards the children movies by the time GAMERA VS. VIRAS hit. Both it and VS. GUIRON are really bad movie but thankfully they're so bad at times that you can get a few laughs off of them. VS. JIGER is the best of the original series since the monster is rather fun and there are some nice battles as well as some good human characters. VS. ZIGRA was okay in terms of action but it's clear that they were running out of ideas and bad looking monsters. GAMERA: SUPER MONSTER is a complete hack job as it was made to try and prevent the studio from going into bankruptcy. They didn't have much money so they lifted all of the monster footage from the previous films.

 

[dpippel]

OCTOBER 14:

9) The Valley of Gwangi (1969) (Blu-ray Disc) 4.5/5 stars - A tsunami of Ray Harryhausen animation goodness, The Valley of Gwangi could very well be the best film of its kind ever made. A bold statement to be sure, but the art of stop-motion puppetry just doesn't get any better than this IMO. Gwangi is the Saturday Matinee movie to end them all. Entertaining to a fault, the WAC Blu-ray looks far better than I'd ever imagined it could. I'll never forget watching the Allosaurus roping scene when I was about 12 years old, and it's stuck with me all these years. It's a schmaltzy joy to behold.

10) Mimic - The Director's Cut (1997) (Blu-ray Disc) 3.5/5 stars - Guillermo del Toro's first "big" Hollywood project is a great little film, full of interesting ideas and somewhat prescient to boot. While there are a few issues with the story, it's a very entertaining monster bug movie with good performances from Jeremy Northam and Charles Dutton, and nice bit parts from the great Giancarlo Giannini and F. Murray Abraham. Mira Sorvino in the lead role, however, has always been a problem for me here. She's a fine actress, but never seems to fit into this character or find her stride, and the film suffers a bit for it. Still, Mimic holds up well and is a fine way to spend 2 hours of your time.

 

[JohnRice]

14) Body Snatchers (1993) 4.5/5 - I've always liked this movie. I like Abel Ferrara's work. I like that it plays on the audience knowing what's going on, but the characters being in the dark. I like the artsy approach, and Bojan Bazelli's awesome visuals. I like that Meg Tilly's "Go..... Where.....?" monologue is so weird and one of the greatest, most chilling moments in horror movie history. I like that this is really about isolation and failing to fit in than the cold war theme of the prior movies. It's just a personal favorite.

 

[Neil Middlemiss]

October 14: Let the Right One In (2008) – 5 out of 5

12-year-old Oskar is a quiet soul. Mercilessly bullied, he shyly moves through the cold Swedish winter without leaving much of a mark. But when he befriends Eli, a young girl who recently moved in next door and appears to be his age, his life will change forever. Eli survives on human blood, secured by the old man she lives with who kills so she may feed. Despite this, Eli and Oskar form a surprising bond.

Let the Right One In is one of the greatest vampire films ever made. There’s not a single false note anywhere. The performances are impeccable and natural, the Swedish setting and early 80’s period wonderfully mood setting, the direction by Tomas Alfredson subtle and adroit, and the score by Johan Söderqvist melodic and haunting.

There’s such calm and beauty throughout this film punctuated by frightening violence, it’s a memorable experience to discover this film. Even watching it now for the second time I was struck by how the mood and tone of the film captivates. Sweet, brutal, tender, and expertly constructed. This film will stay with you long after the credits have rolled.

 

[sleroi]

10/14

16. The Lighthouse (2019) - first time viewing - **1/2

I think this movie is a character study about Robert Pattinson going insane. The first 50 minutes we witness Pattinson patiently endure a miserable season at an isolated lighthouse. Willem Defoe, his foreman berates him and will not let him onto the lantern deck.

Then Pattinson learns that due to a storm they could be stranded for months. This information starts a rather bizarre downward spiral.

There were a few odd moments in the first half like Defoe basking in the lanterns glow seemingly gaining some sort of power and visions of Mermaids and sea monsters.

So was he insane all along and just doing a good job of holding himself together? Was Willem Defoe a real person, a ghost of a man whose soul had literally become the sea, a figment of Pattinsons imagination? Was there something supernatural in the lantern? Was the lighthouse possessed by evil sea birds?

Im not sure what the hell I just watched, but it was beautiful to look at, and the sound design was haunting. There are probably a lot more clues that I would catch on a second viewing, but im not sure Im that interested.

 

[Malcolm R]

The Phantom of the Opera (1989) 1/2

A disfigured composer who lives in the sewers below the opera house becomes obsessed with a young soprano. He begins to mentor her from afar, and trains her to take over the lead in Faust, and will do anything...to anyone...that might try and stand in her way.

This was supposed to be the film that would begin to distance Englund from Freddy Krueger (though he'd play Freddy several more times after). So it's kind of odd that they promoted the film with multiple references to Freddy on the poster (above), he plays another villain with significant facial disfigurement, and at the start of the film he seems to be playing the character basically as Freddy crossed with Jack Palance. Fortunately he tones that down after the opening scenes.

Basically the Phantom framework draped over a slasher film, it's a good looking film and a fun watch. I'm not sure what the budget was, but the sets and production values are quite good and it reportedly bankrupted the studio (Menahem Golan's 21st Century Films) when it didn't bring back many returns from the box office. I'm not sure if I've watched this film since it was first released, so I don't recall what past formats looked like, but the Shout/Scream blu-ray looks excellent.

One downside is that they bookended the film with segments set in the present day (1989), while the bulk of the film takes place in the 1880's. This was supposedly to help connect and set-up the sequel which was going to be set in the present. Unfortunately, they are completely unnecessary for this film and it only serves to make the film seem incredibly dated as the opening scenes feature the World Trade Center and a prominent shot of a Tower Records store, and the ending scene includes a huge, bulky desktop computer that runs off floppy disks.

 

[HawksFord]

9. The Invisible Ray (1936) – This is a fun science fiction movie that anticipates atomic horror in its search for and consequences of the mysterious Radium X. Karloff and Lugosi turn in excellent performances and there is strong supporting cast. I didn’t mark this as new because I think I might have seen it long ago, but I didn’t remember much. My expectations were kind of low based on the title, so the movie was a very pleasant surprise.

1/2 out of 5

 

[John Stell]

Rating - Out of a possible 4

068) 10/14/2020 The Monster and the Girl (1941)

George Zucco puts the brain of wrongly-executed man in body of a gorilla. He/it breaks free and hunts down those who framed him. Part courtroom drama, part mad scientist film, this is awfully familiar stuff. In fact, it's really just a variation on 1936's The Walking Dead, which is a much better film.

069) 10/14/2020 Man Made Monster (1941)

Lon Chaney survives a bus accident because he's be receiving mild electric charges as part of his circus act. Mad doc Lionel Atwill decides to use Chaney to test theory, creating title fiend! Enjoyable quickie with Atwill and Chaney at their best.

070) 10/14/2020 Invisible Ghost (1941)

Bela Lugosi plays cracked doctor who doesn't realize he's a killer. The plot makes no sense whatsoever. But Lugosi is a delight in a "good guy" role, at least when he's not killing people in their beds.

071) 10/15/2020 The Black Cat (1941)

1/2

A great cast including Bela Lugosi, Basil Rathbone, and Gale Sondergaard gathers for the reading of a will, before the victim is dead! Of course there's murder and lots of cats. The whodunit element of the story is actually clever and the villain's comeuppance is memorable in this atmospheric chiller. But Hugh Herbert's comedy shtick gets in the way of things.

072) 10/15/2020 King of the Zombies (1941)

Americans crash land on mysterious island where proprietor is mixed up with zombies and the war effort. A game cast in a so-so story. Mantan Morland is funny as fast-talking valet.

 

[BobO'Link]

Yesterday:

This one picks up just prior to the events ending Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (watched the previous evening) and reprises Dracula's death scene after a brief prologue. Three middle-aged gentlemen are searching for some excitement in the local bordello and stumble upon a dandy, Lord Courtley, who was one of Count Dracula's servants. They discover he dabbles in the black arts and take him to dinner to discuss such affairs. In a ceremony using some of Dracula's artifacts the men have obtained, Lord Cortley dies and, after the men flee in fear, comes back as Dracula. In revenge for killing his servant, the count ensures that the gentlemen are killed one by one by their own children. Yeah... some really odd goings on in this one.

And old favorite. Radiation from atomic tests in the desert cause ants to mutate into giant man-eating monsters! From a time when exposure to radiation could cause giant growth, miniaturization, and all sorts of odd things.

Another mummy is dug up... this time there's an amulet which can revive the mummy and cause it to kill anyone who entered the tomb. Fun little twist at the end concerning the brother of the mummy.

 

[BobO'Link]

Rating - Out of a possible 4

068) 10/14/2020 The Monster and the Girl (1941)

George Zucco puts the brain of wrongly-executed man in body of a gorilla. He/it breaks free and hunts down those who framed him. Part courtroom drama, part mad scientist film, this is awfully familiar stuff. In fact, it's really just a variation on 1936's The Walking Dead, which is a much better film.

069) 10/14/2020 Man Made Monster (1941)

Lon Chaney survives a bus accident because he's be receiving mild electric charges as part of his circus act. Mad doc Lionel Atwill decides to use Chaney to test theory, creating title fiend! Enjoyable quickie with Atwill and Chaney at their best.

070) 10/14/2020 Invisible Ghost (1941)

Bela Lugosi plays cracked doctor who doesn't realize he's a killer. The plot makes no sense whatsoever. But Lugosi is a delight in a "good guy" role, at least when he's not killing people in their beds.

071) 10/15/2020 The Black Cat (1941)

1/2

A great cast including Bela Lugosi, Basil Rathbone, and Gale Sondergaard gathers for the reading of a will, before the victim is dead! Of course there's murder and lots of cats. The whodunit element of the story is actually clever and the villain's comeuppance is memorable in this atmospheric chiller. But Hugh Herbert's comedy shtick gets in the way of things.

072) 10/15/2020 King of the Zombies (1941)

Americans crash land on mysterious island where proprietor is mixed up with zombies and the war effort. A game cast in a so-so story. Mantan Morland is funny as fast-talking valet.

It looks like you're going through the Universal Horror catalog, John. I did that a few years back. It was quite fun!

 

[BobO'Link]

Since we're at the half-way mark, here's a list, with ratings, of what I've watched so far:

☼ - First time viewing
▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ - Rating on a 1 to 10 scale

October 1st
1. Fiend Without a Face (1958) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
2. The Blob (1958) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

October 2nd
3. Penny Dreadful (2014): S1E1, S1E2 ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
4. Dracula (1931) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

October 3rd
5. Penny Dreadful (2014): S1E3, S1E4 ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
6. Penny Dreadful (2014): S1E5, S1E6 ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
7. Penny Dreadful (2014): S1E7, S1E8 ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
8. Penny Dreadful (2014): S1E9, S1E10 ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
9. Attack of the Mayan Mummy (1964) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲☼
10. House of the Black Death (1965) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲☼
11. Creature of the Walking Dead (1965) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲☼
12. Dracula (aka Horror of Dracula) (1958) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
13. The Cat and the Canary (1939) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
14. The Ghost Breakers (1940) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

October 4th
15. Fallen (1998) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲☼
16. Doctor Blood's Coffin (1961) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
17. The Brainiac (1957) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
18. Fury of the Wolfman (1972) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲☼
19. X The Unknown (1956) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
20. The Vampire Lovers (1970) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
21. King Kong (1933) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

October 5th
22. Zombeavers (2014) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
23. House of Wax (1953) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
24. Island of Terror (1966) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲☼

October 6th
25. Hollow Man (2000) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
26. The Hunger (1983) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲☼
27. Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1971) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

October 7th
28. The Shining (1980) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
29. Fright Night (1985) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

October 8th
30. White Zombie (1932) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
31. The Corpse vanishes (1942) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲☼
32. One Body Too Many (1944) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲☼

October 9th
33. The Raven (1963) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
34. The Comedy of Terrors (1963) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

October 10th
35. The Tomb of Ligea (1964) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
36. The Last Man on Earth (1964) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
37. Shivers (1975) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲☼
38. Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
39. Return of the Fly (1959) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

October 11th
40. House on Haunted Hill (1959) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
41. The Mummy (1959) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
42. The Brides of Dracula (1960) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

October 12th
43. Curse of the Werewolf (1961) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
44. Frankenstein Must be Destroyed (1969) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
45. Night Creatures (1962) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
46. Phantom of the Opera (1962) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

October 13th
47. Paranoiac! (1963) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
48. Kiss of the Vampire (1963) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
49. Nightmare (1964) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
50. The Evil of Frankenstein (1964) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
51. Dracula has Risen from the Grave (1968) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

October 14th
52. Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
53. Them! (1954) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
54. The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (1964) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

 

[dana martin]

Continuing on....
First Time Viewing

18. Blood of Dracula's Castle

Where oh where to start, at first glance it starts off with a pretty lady driving and being abducted by one of the dear Count's underlings Mango. How the times have changed, John Carradine who get the top billing is the butler George, and Mango (candy gram, for Mango) have a nice dungeon in the bottom of a Castle in the middle of the Arizona desert (California plays the part of Arizona but is not credited). Castle in the Desert... Now I want to get back to my yearly Charlie Chan viewing, one of Toler's better films. Count and Countess have lived in seclusion in this castle for like the last 50 years, with there servants going to the dungeon to tap a fresh vintage and make them Bloody Mary's. When upon the death of his Uncle Thomas, a photographer Glen and his model fiancé Liz show up to claim there new homestead and evict the Towensends ( Mr. and Mrs. Dracula) from Falconroc, who haven't renegotiated their lease in the last 50-60 years .

D'Arcy's Dracula could give George Hamilton's from Love at First Bite a run for his money as being the most tanned Dracula on screen. This plays at times so campy, that you just want to keep watching. Staged sets are a step down from Corman, but either girls in bathing suits or hot pants chained in a dungeon are there for that exploitation factor. Still it's pretty harmless but it is entertaining as hell. Russel real chase scene as soon as Johnny breaks loose from prison, and after a few of these films, I have a question I wonder how much each production had to spend on environmental cleanup for crashed cars over cliffs? Another footchase takes place at the end. The other trend that I am noticing is the "Ike Turner Bitch Slap from Hell" keeps showing up, and then on to a burning at the stake sacrifice, where the photographer and fiancé participate in, I mean batcrap crazy, if this was made again today, (cue Nic Cage cameo as Fu Manchu) LoL. as the film comes to it's exciting conclusion.... we are treated to that footchase through wooded area and mountain terrain surrounding a gorgeous lake, totally enjoyable, safe enough to watch with the kids, as it only has a few moments of mild violence, that a hand over the eyes can take care of.

19. Dracula's Castle 1/2

Well leave it again for Al to get two films out of one, this is a TV broadcast recut with new insertions added to make Johnny into a werewolf, during the full moon, instead of just a sadistic psycho, also the TV cut is framed at 1:37.1 and appears to come form a better source print. and the werewolf makeup is pretty solid, but considering the two films together this is the mellowest Dracula ever, sits around the house in his tuxedo, and waits for his butler serve up "The Drinks" the werewolf has a decent chase scene almost an hour in chasing a girls full run, it the wood, even with the limited lighting, the bounce is noticeable. and comes the closest to a true horror film moment. Wile going through this second cut of the film I was overcome with a wave of nostalgia to my childhood (early 70's), after my Dad passed away, and Mom with two young boys would make family night a trip to the drive-in, if we were good and the feature was (kid friendly). That is what this is for these titles. thinking a little harder, maybe The Munsters or Addams Family on TV was scarier. gets that extra 1/2 just for the werewolf scenes.

Thinking of following Russell's advice and maybe shelving this and watch the films in order, I have so much unseen stuff around, that I could knock out in a one and done.

 

[John Stell]

It looks like you're going through the Universal Horror catalog, John. I did that a few years back. It was quite fun!

I actually did that for 2017's challenge, using the Universal Horrors! book by Tom Weaver and John & Michael Brunas as my checklist. This year I'm focusing on the 1931 - 1949 films listed in The Overlook Encyclopedia: Horror edited by Phil Hardy, watching them more or less in release order. So yes, that includes a lot of Universal, although the encyclopedia editors considered the Invisible Man films science fiction.

 

[Pete Battista]

Title: Pet Sematary

Year: 1989
Director: Mary Lambert
Writer: Stephen King (1947) (Original Material By), Stephen King (1947) (Screenwriter)
Rating: R
Length: 103 Min.
Video: Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 5.1, Russian: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Italian: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, French: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Czech: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, German: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Japanese: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Spanish: Dolby Digital: Mono, Portuguese: Dolby Digital: Mono, Hungarian: Dolby Digital: Mono, Audio Descriptive: Dolby Digital: 5.1
Subtitles: Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai

Stars:
Dale Midkiff as Louis Creed
Fred Gwynne as Jud Crandall
Denise Crosby as Rachel Creed
Brad Greenquist as Victor Pascow
Michael Lombard as Irwin Goldman
Miko Hughes as Gage Creed

Plot:
The terrifying tale by Stephen King is also a beloved adaptation of the best-selling author's work. Newly remastered in 4K for its 30th Anniversary, Pet Sematary follows the tragic story of the Creed family. After their cat is accidentally killed, a friendly neighbor advises its bural in a mysterious nearby cemetery. When the cat comes back, it's only the beginning of an unthinkable evil leading to hell and back. Sometimes, so it seems, dead is better.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Featurettes
Gallery
Digital Copy

My Thoughts:
This has been one of my favorites for years. I been a big fan of Stephen King for a many years... I am also a fan of Denise Crosby. It was also fun to see Fred Gwynne as well. So both the writing and the cast is a plus for me. The atmosphere here is excellent. The story line is very good. While Louis is obviously a smart man what with him being a doctor and all... this story shows time and time again he is not a very wise man. He seems to lose himself more and more as the story goes on. This is definitely a film I would recommend... well worth the time put in to watch it!

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

U- 4k UHD
B - Blu Ray Viewing
D - DVD Viewing
S - Streaming

Bold/Red = Denotes first ever viewing

Rating - Out of a possible 5

Night of the Demon - D - :
Nightmare Cinema - D -1/2
Invisible Man - U -
Lighthouse - S - 1/2
Vampires vs The Bronx - S - 1/2
The Lost Boys - B -
The Amityville Horror - B -
Fantasy Island - B - 1/2
Jeepers Creepers 2 - B -
Don't Knock Twice - B - 1/2
The Dead Don't Die - B -
Mostly Ghostly: Have You Met My Ghoulfriend - B - 1/2
Damned By Dawn - B - 1/2
Christine - U -
Good Boy - S - 1/2
Resicent Evil: Damnation - B - 1/2
Hocus Pocus - B - 1/2
It - B -
It: Chapter 2 - B -
Pet Semetary (1989) - U -

Total Watched: 20

 

[Michael Elliott]

Alone (2020) ***

After the death of her husband, a woman is driving to a new location for a fresh start but she winds up crossing paths with a serial killer. For the most part I enjoyed this horror/thriller mix thanks in large part to the two good lead performances. There are only three characters here that you actually see and I always like this and especially if the characters are interesting. I wish the film had been more intense at times but overall I liked it.

Dante's Inferno (1911) ***

Italy's earliest feature-length film has Dante traveling to Hell to see what's actually there. I really love this story and thought this here was a pretty good version. We basically just get a lot sets where Dante goes from one to the next and witnesses the horrors that await. This includes Lucifer eating a human, a human turning into a reptile and of course burning soils. For 1911 the sets were very good and overall this was a nice surprise.

Never Hike in the Snow (2020) ***

Prequel to NEVER HIKE ALONE has Tommy Jarvis (Thom Mathews) warning Sheriff Rick Cologne (Vincent Guastaferro) that Jason is back to his old tricks. I didn't like this second film as much as the first but it's certainly entertaining and has one great kill in it. The fun thing is the fact that Mathews and Guastaferro reprise the roles they played in FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 6.

I Married a Monster from Outer Space (1958) *** 1/2

A spin on the INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS plot has a new bride realizing that her husband's body has been taken over by aliens. I really love this film and think it's one of the better sci-fi pictures from this era. The performances are very good and the aliens are also excellent and especially towards the end when they turn into gelatin.

Long Weekend (1978) ***

An Australian couple head to a remote beach for a chance to re-connect but soon nature fights back. This often gets lumped into the "nature gone amuck" genre like GRIZZLY and PIRHANA but this really isn't like them. Nature does fight back here but it's more of a psychological horror film where the two characters begin fighting each other and everything just crumbles from this point on. Great performances and cinematography.

Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974) ***

Hammer's spin on the vampire saga includes swashbuckling. It's really too bad this film was a bomb when it was released because it should have made for a great series. The characters are wonderfully entertaining and the entire story just puts a fresh spin on the vampire legacy. Apparently Hammer didn't know how to handle the picture, which is too bad as it's a real gem.

Love at First Bite (1979) ** 1/2

Count Dracula (George Hamilton) heads to New York City to track down a model he saw in a magazine. This is a comedy that didn't make me laugh a single time yet I still had a good time with it. The film at least kept a smile on my face and the cast were really game for the material and especially Hamilton who fits the role perfectly.