Malcolm R
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- Malcolm
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***Official 22nd Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge 2021*** (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Michael Elliott
- Start date
That was my intention until that bargain price came up for the 7 movie set. Like the bargain sucker I am I caved... I must admit being somewhat intrigued by the first film solely because of Aniston - but had planned to possibly purchase a real cheap copy of just that one to watch it. Then that deal came along and was only a "few dollars" more so...
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"Origins" is the last film to watch in that set... starting it now just to get it out of the way.
Also in that bargain vein I picked up the complete Twilight film series... kind of dreading them as well.
Have I said in this thread that "modern" film soundtracks are horribly mixed? Watching that last Leprechaun movie with the only audio option a "DTS Mastered" track - I cringe whenever I see that as most are some of the worst mixed pieces of junk out there and "Origins" is no exception. Voices are often so low that to hear them you have to turn the sound *way* up and then they come along with sfx and music that'll blow your eardrums out! I know there are people who claim to like this kind of mix but I'm not one of them - and I've *always* hated them - one reason I refuse to go to a theater to see a film. It totally sucks to have to rely on SDH/subtitles for an *English* language film just to know what's being said so you don't blow the roof off when sfx/music comes up.
I've noticed and hate it to. On Vinegar Syndrome discs the mix seems to be okay, only louder than most other companies discs. It makes me wonder if the sound people doing these have hearing issues.
TravisR
Senior HTF Member
I generally don't notice it in a theater but ALOT of discs seem to do it.
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2001
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- 5,322
- Real Name
- Neil Middlemiss
October 13: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) - 4 out of 5
A Nightmare on Elm Street takes classic urban legend material and fashions a sinister and seemingly unstoppable madman who stalks children in their dreams. The killer, Freddy Krueger, was an accused child killer who escaped prison on a technicality. Free and clear, he is murdered by the parents of Springwood’s children. Now, somehow, children are dying again, and it seems that Krueger is hunting them where they should be safest - their dreams.
Wes Craven’s unique horror film was an instant success. The horror of A Nightmare on Elm Street is simple; once you fall asleep, you can die. Never mind the brutality of the slayings once you enter dream land, the mere idea that you must stay awake to stay alive is great genre fodder. Robert Englund’s iconic performance as the burned supernatural killer was a welcome antidote to the slew of dull killers parading in and out of small-town America offing people left and right (without so much as a witty quip or sickening grin). Krueger’s taunting and terrorizing style helped A Nightmare on Elm Street stand out from the crowd.
The Freddy Krueger character eventually descends into little more than a ‘one-liner spewing’ entertainer through the string of ever more fantastical sequels, but in the original, his mythology, and fearsome and sinister ruses, is top notch. You can certainly find a few fun moments in the sequels, but nothing beats the original (but Part III, The Dream Warriors, comes close).
A Nightmare on Elm Street takes classic urban legend material and fashions a sinister and seemingly unstoppable madman who stalks children in their dreams. The killer, Freddy Krueger, was an accused child killer who escaped prison on a technicality. Free and clear, he is murdered by the parents of Springwood’s children. Now, somehow, children are dying again, and it seems that Krueger is hunting them where they should be safest - their dreams.
Wes Craven’s unique horror film was an instant success. The horror of A Nightmare on Elm Street is simple; once you fall asleep, you can die. Never mind the brutality of the slayings once you enter dream land, the mere idea that you must stay awake to stay alive is great genre fodder. Robert Englund’s iconic performance as the burned supernatural killer was a welcome antidote to the slew of dull killers parading in and out of small-town America offing people left and right (without so much as a witty quip or sickening grin). Krueger’s taunting and terrorizing style helped A Nightmare on Elm Street stand out from the crowd.
The Freddy Krueger character eventually descends into little more than a ‘one-liner spewing’ entertainer through the string of ever more fantastical sequels, but in the original, his mythology, and fearsome and sinister ruses, is top notch. You can certainly find a few fun moments in the sequels, but nothing beats the original (but Part III, The Dream Warriors, comes close).
Malcolm R
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2002
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- 25,231
- Real Name
- Malcolm
Pumpkinhead
After a group of young people heading for a backwoods camp mortally injure his young boy in a dirt bike accident, local shop owner Ed Harley visits an old witch living deep in the forest and asks for her to bring back his son. She says cannot do that, but offers to help him get his revenge by summoning the vengeance demon, Pumpkinhead.
One of my favorite creature features, this was the directorial debut of FX master, Stan Winston. Lots of great practical effects, wonderful creature design, and creepy performances from Lance Henriksen as Ed Harley and especially Florence Schauffler as the old witch woman, Haggis. Her voice just sends chills down my spine.
It takes a bit to get going, but once the creature arrives it's quite a ride. I especially love how the creature is out to not only kill these people, but seems to take pleasure in also mocking and playing with them along the way, like a cat with a mouse. At one point, one of the guys tries to start up his dirt bike to escape and the demon mockingly dangles the bike's chain in front of him, letting him know he's going nowhere.
Though the film was never really that successful, it has become a cult classic over the years and managed to spawn three sequels. Part two was direct to video and didn't have much of anything to do with the first film. The third and fourth were made as SyFy Network originals and are somewhat connected to the first film (the fourth also introduces Pumpkinhead into the feud between the Hatfields and McCoys). There have also been rumblings of a possible reboot/remake.
Tony Bensley
Senior HTF Member
7 – 9. THE THREE STOOGES (All from Sony DVD Volumes):
WE WANT OUR MUMMY (1939)
SPOOK LOUDER (1943)
IF A BODY MEETS A BODY (1945)
Tonight, I elected to view another 3 horror themed shorts by The Three Stooges, all of them featuring the Moe, Larry & Curly lineup.
Out of these three, my favorite is the second short SPOOK LOUDER (1943), which features Charles Middleton as the owner of the Haunted House, that I find in of itself hilarious for reasons one will understand only if they are familiar with a certain line from the Laurel & Hardy comedy feature PACK UP YOUR TROUBLES (1932), which also features Charles Middleton.
The third short, IF A BODY MEETS A BODY (1945), while certainly not without its merits, is sadly known nowadays mostly for being the first Three Stooges film in which Curly Howard’s illness noticeably affects his performance. Nevertheless, the name of Curly Q. Link’s deceased Uncle did inspire our HTF friend Howie’s username, Bob O’ Link! I also confess to trying and failing to find a matching shot to his Three Stooges avatar, which I suspect might have been from a still photo taken during the making of this short. Also worth noting is this was a loose remake of the 1930 three reel Hal Roach Comedy, THE LAUREL~HARDY MURDER CASE, which also features Fred Kelsey as the Detective. For all of its flaws, I do find the ending of The Three Stooges remake superior to the earlier film.
I know that I haven’t mentioned WE WANT OUR MUMMY (1939). It is a decent enjoyable entry by The Three Stooges, although I do find it a bit curious that this short was produced more than 5 years after the 1932 feature THE MUMMY, while Universal hadn’t yet produced any Mummy sequels.
WE WANT OUR MUMMY (1939) was released more than a year before the first of THE MUMMY sequels by Universal:
From SPOOK LOUDER (1943) with Charles "How much do you charge to haunt a house?" Middleton (The quote is in direct reference to the aforementioned 1932 Laurel & Hardy Feature!):
A really good fright reaction shot from WHEN A BODY MEETS A BODY (1945):
CHEERS!
WE WANT OUR MUMMY (1939)
SPOOK LOUDER (1943)
IF A BODY MEETS A BODY (1945)
Tonight, I elected to view another 3 horror themed shorts by The Three Stooges, all of them featuring the Moe, Larry & Curly lineup.
Out of these three, my favorite is the second short SPOOK LOUDER (1943), which features Charles Middleton as the owner of the Haunted House, that I find in of itself hilarious for reasons one will understand only if they are familiar with a certain line from the Laurel & Hardy comedy feature PACK UP YOUR TROUBLES (1932), which also features Charles Middleton.
The third short, IF A BODY MEETS A BODY (1945), while certainly not without its merits, is sadly known nowadays mostly for being the first Three Stooges film in which Curly Howard’s illness noticeably affects his performance. Nevertheless, the name of Curly Q. Link’s deceased Uncle did inspire our HTF friend Howie’s username, Bob O’ Link! I also confess to trying and failing to find a matching shot to his Three Stooges avatar, which I suspect might have been from a still photo taken during the making of this short. Also worth noting is this was a loose remake of the 1930 three reel Hal Roach Comedy, THE LAUREL~HARDY MURDER CASE, which also features Fred Kelsey as the Detective. For all of its flaws, I do find the ending of The Three Stooges remake superior to the earlier film.
I know that I haven’t mentioned WE WANT OUR MUMMY (1939). It is a decent enjoyable entry by The Three Stooges, although I do find it a bit curious that this short was produced more than 5 years after the 1932 feature THE MUMMY, while Universal hadn’t yet produced any Mummy sequels.
WE WANT OUR MUMMY (1939) was released more than a year before the first of THE MUMMY sequels by Universal:
From SPOOK LOUDER (1943) with Charles "How much do you charge to haunt a house?" Middleton (The quote is in direct reference to the aforementioned 1932 Laurel & Hardy Feature!):
A really good fright reaction shot from WHEN A BODY MEETS A BODY (1945):
CHEERS!
TravisR
Senior HTF Member
26. The Mad Doctor Of Market Street
Possibly the best title of any Universal horror movie and like many great titles, it has little to do with the actual movie. The movie does open on Market Street and there is a mad doctor but they fairly quickly relocate the story to an island. Decent enough crazy guy on an island movie though.
27. The Ghost Of Frankenstein
Lon Chaney, Jr. plays the Monster and Bela Lugosi is back as Ygor. Good sequel that has a ton of the great Universal B-movie actors of the day- Chaney, Cedric Hardwicke, Lionel Atwill, Evelyn Ankers.
28. The Strange Case Of Dr. Rx
A person calling themselves Doctor Rx is killing people and a private investigator must figure out who he is to stop him. Not a great movie.
29. Invisible Agent
The invisibility formula is used to fight the Nazis. It's from 1942 so it's basically a propaganda movie but as a movie, it works and the idea of a country using invisibility against a country it's fighting is pretty cool.
30. Night Monster
In a secluded mansion, people disappear or get murdered and a group of people need to figure out what's happening. One of my favorite of the lesser-known Universal horror movies and I'm not even really sure why. I just like I guess.
I'm still so far behind in listing movies.
Possibly the best title of any Universal horror movie and like many great titles, it has little to do with the actual movie. The movie does open on Market Street and there is a mad doctor but they fairly quickly relocate the story to an island. Decent enough crazy guy on an island movie though.
27. The Ghost Of Frankenstein
Lon Chaney, Jr. plays the Monster and Bela Lugosi is back as Ygor. Good sequel that has a ton of the great Universal B-movie actors of the day- Chaney, Cedric Hardwicke, Lionel Atwill, Evelyn Ankers.
28. The Strange Case Of Dr. Rx
A person calling themselves Doctor Rx is killing people and a private investigator must figure out who he is to stop him. Not a great movie.
29. Invisible Agent
The invisibility formula is used to fight the Nazis. It's from 1942 so it's basically a propaganda movie but as a movie, it works and the idea of a country using invisibility against a country it's fighting is pretty cool.
30. Night Monster
In a secluded mansion, people disappear or get murdered and a group of people need to figure out what's happening. One of my favorite of the lesser-known Universal horror movies and I'm not even really sure why. I just like I guess.
I'm still so far behind in listing movies.
October 13th, 2021 Wednesday
Movie #5
Orphan
HD Digital upconverted to 4K / HBO Max
Dolby 5.1 upmixed to Auro 7.1
Movie #5
Orphan
HD Digital upconverted to 4K / HBO Max
Dolby 5.1 upmixed to Auro 7.1
HawksFord
Premium
12. Kiss of the Vampire (1963) – I’m pretty sure I saw this Hammer film before, but I didn’t remember much of it. In my defense, it’s not very memorable. A young couple honeymooning somewhere in central Europe gets lost and stranded in small town. You can see where this is going. There are some nice scenes and very capable performances, but there’s nothing special to the story. It’s worth watching, but it’s not one I’ll come back to in the near future.
John Stell
Screenwriter
Rating - Out of a possible 4
043) 10/13/2021 Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
1/2
When a patient is murdered and then his killer sets himself ablaze, a small town doctor teams with the victim's daughter to find out what the hell is going on. Their investigation takes them to a Halloween mask manufacturing plant whose owner has sinister plans come October 31. The overall story is kind of nonsensical, but the atmosphere is strong as are the production values. Tom Atkins makes a good hero. Fine music score by co-producer John Carpenter and Alan Howarth.
044) 10/13/2021 Deadly Friend (1986)
Teenaged genius brings his girlfriend back to life after her abusive father kills her. But the technology used results in a vengeful, murderous being. Wes Craven's follow up to A Nightmare on Elm Street hasn't dated too well, with its annoying BB robot character and overbearing music score. But it has at least one memorable gore scene and the performances are engaging. Final sting is absurd, so let's just chalk it up to the main character having another nightmare.
045) 10/14/2021 Messiah of Evil (1973)
1/2
Low-budget but atmospheric tale of woman who goes looking for her missing artist father; discovers creepy town whose residents seem to have turned into zombies. The performances overall aren't that great but the direction is strong enough to keep you watching and interested.
043) 10/13/2021 Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
When a patient is murdered and then his killer sets himself ablaze, a small town doctor teams with the victim's daughter to find out what the hell is going on. Their investigation takes them to a Halloween mask manufacturing plant whose owner has sinister plans come October 31. The overall story is kind of nonsensical, but the atmosphere is strong as are the production values. Tom Atkins makes a good hero. Fine music score by co-producer John Carpenter and Alan Howarth.
044) 10/13/2021 Deadly Friend (1986)
Teenaged genius brings his girlfriend back to life after her abusive father kills her. But the technology used results in a vengeful, murderous being. Wes Craven's follow up to A Nightmare on Elm Street hasn't dated too well, with its annoying BB robot character and overbearing music score. But it has at least one memorable gore scene and the performances are engaging. Final sting is absurd, so let's just chalk it up to the main character having another nightmare.
045) 10/14/2021 Messiah of Evil (1973)
Low-budget but atmospheric tale of woman who goes looking for her missing artist father; discovers creepy town whose residents seem to have turned into zombies. The performances overall aren't that great but the direction is strong enough to keep you watching and interested.
"If a Body Meets a Body" is one of my all-time favorite Stooge shorts. It's cram packed full of very funny moments:7 – 9. THE THREE STOOGES (All from Sony DVD Volumes):
WE WANT OUR MUMMY (1939)
SPOOK LOUDER (1943)
IF A BODY MEETS A BODY (1945)
Tonight, I elected to view another 3 horror themed shorts by The Three Stooges, all of them featuring the Moe, Larry & Curly lineup.
Out of these three, my favorite is the second short SPOOK LOUDER (1943), which features Charles Middleton as the owner of the Haunted House, that I find in of itself hilarious for reasons one will understand only if they are familiar with a certain line from the Laurel & Hardy comedy feature PACK UP YOUR TROUBLES (1932), which also features Charles Middleton.
The third short, IF A BODY MEETS A BODY (1945), while certainly not without its merits, is sadly known nowadays mostly for being the first Three Stooges film in which Curly Howard’s illness noticeably affects his performance. Nevertheless, the name of Curly Q. Link’s deceased Uncle did inspire our HTF friend Howie’s username, Bob O’ Link! I also confess to trying and failing to find a matching shot to his Three Stooges avatar, which I suspect might have been from a still photo taken during the making of this short. Also worth noting is this was a loose remake of the 1930 three reel Hal Roach Comedy, THE LAUREL~HARDY MURDER CASE, which also features Fred Kelsey as the Detective. For all of its flaws, I do find the ending of The Three Stooges remake superior to the earlier film.
I know that I haven’t mentioned WE WANT OUR MUMMY (1939). It is a decent enjoyable entry by The Three Stooges, although I do find it a bit curious that this short was produced more than 5 years after the 1932 feature THE MUMMY, while Universal hadn’t yet produced any Mummy sequels.
WE WANT OUR MUMMY (1939) was released more than a year before the first of THE MUMMY sequels by Universal:
View attachment 116011
From SPOOK LOUDER (1943) with Charles "How much do you charge to haunt a house?" Middleton (The quote is in direct reference to the aforementioned 1932 Laurel & Hardy Feature!):
View attachment 116012
A really good fright reaction shot from WHEN A BODY MEETS A BODY (1945):
View attachment 116013
CHEERS!
You're really making me want to dig out my Stooges sets to watch the "horror" ones...
That Avatar image is from promotional materials.
Bryan^H
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2005
- Messages
- 9,550
The Three Stooges "The Ghost Talks" is my all time favorite Spooky Stooge short. Gotta love Shemp.
October 13th
62. Leprechaun: Origins (2014) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲☼
Backpacking through the lush Irish countryside, two unsuspecting young couples discover a town's chilling secret when the town's residents offer the hikers an old cabin at the edge of the woods: One of Ireland's most famous legends is a terrifying reality.
Produced by WWE Studios (yes, the TV wrestling company) as a vehicle for Dylan Postl, a 4'6" wrestler, this one isn't connected in the slightest to the prior 6 films and radically changes the mythology. It's no longer a "sprite" type creature but a rather generic monster on a rampage. It could be called anything and take place anywhere and be the same film as none of the traditional Leprechaun lore is on display. Postl is in a costume so heavily made up that knowing just who's inside is impossible without credits. It's such a generic horror/survival film that it's easily forgettable.
63. Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
A long time surprise favorite. I resisted seeing this one for years thinking it just sounded stupid - plus I don't like clowns at all. Not that they scare me, they never have, but I just don't think they're funny. So I get a copy a few years back simply because it's one of the titles in the "MGM Midnight Movies" DVD series and I was intent on getting most of them. I was surprised to find a quite goofy and funny little horror movie.
A circus marquee materializes on the edge of town. A troupe of sinister clowns emerge and start zapping people into candyfloss cocoons. Teenager Mike Tobacco and his girlfriend are witness to the clowns’ appearance and try to alert authorities. Instead, Mike is arrested for wasting police time.
It pretty much runs through many of the genre clichés with clowns taking place of monsters, slashers, etc. and throws in a pair of dumb ice cream vendors for good measure. Yes, it's often stupid, dumb, and groan inducing. Still there are moments - I love the balloon tracker dog bit.
64. The Stranglers of Bombay (1959) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
One of those Hammer films that's Horror but not really horror (at least IMDB tags it as horror so...). It originally appeared on the "Icons of Adventure" DVD set and is now on the Mill Creek "Hammer Films - Ultimate Collection" which is *mostly* horror outings (they *did* include Hammer's entry into the Robin Hood legacy so...).
In the 1830s, a captain in the East India Company lobbies to investigate the criminal Thugee Cult of Kali, an organized crime group of stranglers and thieves.
Notorious for its extreme violence (by the standards of the day) it's supposedly a historically accurate account of India's Thuggee cult. Audiences were shell-shocked and appalled as it's full of gruesome scenes: Tongues, eyes, and hands are cut out/off prisoners, helpless men are taunted with ladles of water before being strangled, stomachs are slit (to prevent the bodies from bloating after death), and bodies pile up like cords of firewood.
A post film text block tells how many Thugee's were rounded up and how many people they'd killed. The numbers are surprisingly large. Surprisingly, it did not receive an "X" rating (Passed as Extremely Graphic or "Suitable only for anyone aged 18 or over) from the BBFC (British Board of Film Censors), that most Hammer horror films automatically received, but rather an "A" which meant in that year "Public Exhibition to Adult Audiences" or "Patrons under 11 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian."
62. Leprechaun: Origins (2014) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲☼
Backpacking through the lush Irish countryside, two unsuspecting young couples discover a town's chilling secret when the town's residents offer the hikers an old cabin at the edge of the woods: One of Ireland's most famous legends is a terrifying reality.
Produced by WWE Studios (yes, the TV wrestling company) as a vehicle for Dylan Postl, a 4'6" wrestler, this one isn't connected in the slightest to the prior 6 films and radically changes the mythology. It's no longer a "sprite" type creature but a rather generic monster on a rampage. It could be called anything and take place anywhere and be the same film as none of the traditional Leprechaun lore is on display. Postl is in a costume so heavily made up that knowing just who's inside is impossible without credits. It's such a generic horror/survival film that it's easily forgettable.
63. Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
A long time surprise favorite. I resisted seeing this one for years thinking it just sounded stupid - plus I don't like clowns at all. Not that they scare me, they never have, but I just don't think they're funny. So I get a copy a few years back simply because it's one of the titles in the "MGM Midnight Movies" DVD series and I was intent on getting most of them. I was surprised to find a quite goofy and funny little horror movie.
A circus marquee materializes on the edge of town. A troupe of sinister clowns emerge and start zapping people into candyfloss cocoons. Teenager Mike Tobacco and his girlfriend are witness to the clowns’ appearance and try to alert authorities. Instead, Mike is arrested for wasting police time.
It pretty much runs through many of the genre clichés with clowns taking place of monsters, slashers, etc. and throws in a pair of dumb ice cream vendors for good measure. Yes, it's often stupid, dumb, and groan inducing. Still there are moments - I love the balloon tracker dog bit.
64. The Stranglers of Bombay (1959) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
One of those Hammer films that's Horror but not really horror (at least IMDB tags it as horror so...). It originally appeared on the "Icons of Adventure" DVD set and is now on the Mill Creek "Hammer Films - Ultimate Collection" which is *mostly* horror outings (they *did* include Hammer's entry into the Robin Hood legacy so...).
In the 1830s, a captain in the East India Company lobbies to investigate the criminal Thugee Cult of Kali, an organized crime group of stranglers and thieves.
Notorious for its extreme violence (by the standards of the day) it's supposedly a historically accurate account of India's Thuggee cult. Audiences were shell-shocked and appalled as it's full of gruesome scenes: Tongues, eyes, and hands are cut out/off prisoners, helpless men are taunted with ladles of water before being strangled, stomachs are slit (to prevent the bodies from bloating after death), and bodies pile up like cords of firewood.
A post film text block tells how many Thugee's were rounded up and how many people they'd killed. The numbers are surprisingly large. Surprisingly, it did not receive an "X" rating (Passed as Extremely Graphic or "Suitable only for anyone aged 18 or over) from the BBFC (British Board of Film Censors), that most Hammer horror films automatically received, but rather an "A" which meant in that year "Public Exhibition to Adult Audiences" or "Patrons under 11 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian."
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Michael Elliott
Senior HTF Member
Continuing to go through the Milligan set.
The Ghastly Ones (1968) **
A family show up at an estate to learn about their inheritance but they're brutally murdered one by one. This is probably the director's most seen film and I guess it's easy to see why but at the same time it probably helps his reputation of being a bad filmmaker. There's a lot of really bad stuff here including the awful special effects but at the same time there's a weird atmosphere that hangs over the film.
The Body Beneath (1970) *
A family of vampires need some new blood. You know, sometimes I look around at reviews and how on Earth people gave this film 4-stars is just something I'll never understand. This film is so painfully slow that it becomes a real chore to even try to get through. This is just one of those boring films that never catches on and it doesn't help that the director doesn't add ANYTHING like comedy or suspense or drama or anything.
Torture Garden (1970) 1/2
The Duke wants the crown and will kill anyone who gets in his way of getting it. RICHARD III done via Milligan but this is certainly one of the director's worst films. Once again you've got a "horror" film that the director didn't want to make so instead of delivering an expected horror film he instead gives us a costume drama with some horror elements thrown in. It's boring. It's hard to sit through. It's just a flat out really bad film. The Severin release at least adds a few seconds of gore.
Bloodthirsty Butchers (1970) **
I re-watched this one back in the 2018 challenge and found it to be rather horrible but this new print from Severin actually had me liking it a tad bit more. All of the bad elements are still here but this is the director's cut of the film, which never got shown theatrically. This here adds about 60-seconds worth of gore and some of it is pretty strong for 1970, although you've still got some embarrassing special effects including a plastic hand during the opening sequence, which leads to a silly plastic finger moment. The typical Milligan costume stuff is still here but having the violence every-so-often made the running time easier to deal with.
The Ghastly Ones (1968) **
A family show up at an estate to learn about their inheritance but they're brutally murdered one by one. This is probably the director's most seen film and I guess it's easy to see why but at the same time it probably helps his reputation of being a bad filmmaker. There's a lot of really bad stuff here including the awful special effects but at the same time there's a weird atmosphere that hangs over the film.
The Body Beneath (1970) *
A family of vampires need some new blood. You know, sometimes I look around at reviews and how on Earth people gave this film 4-stars is just something I'll never understand. This film is so painfully slow that it becomes a real chore to even try to get through. This is just one of those boring films that never catches on and it doesn't help that the director doesn't add ANYTHING like comedy or suspense or drama or anything.
Torture Garden (1970) 1/2
The Duke wants the crown and will kill anyone who gets in his way of getting it. RICHARD III done via Milligan but this is certainly one of the director's worst films. Once again you've got a "horror" film that the director didn't want to make so instead of delivering an expected horror film he instead gives us a costume drama with some horror elements thrown in. It's boring. It's hard to sit through. It's just a flat out really bad film. The Severin release at least adds a few seconds of gore.
Bloodthirsty Butchers (1970) **
I re-watched this one back in the 2018 challenge and found it to be rather horrible but this new print from Severin actually had me liking it a tad bit more. All of the bad elements are still here but this is the director's cut of the film, which never got shown theatrically. This here adds about 60-seconds worth of gore and some of it is pretty strong for 1970, although you've still got some embarrassing special effects including a plastic hand during the opening sequence, which leads to a silly plastic finger moment. The typical Milligan costume stuff is still here but having the violence every-so-often made the running time easier to deal with.
JasonRoer
Second Unit
49. The Vampire's Ghost (NEW)
John Abbott is a menacing vampire (the best part of the film), who for 400 years has walked this earth. As the film begins, he lives in a small village in Africa where a series of murders are taking place. A young couple arrives in the town and begins to investigate. Worth the watch for the atmosphere and Abbott's performance, however, it is not likely going to linger with you. The film does benefit from the lean runtime. 2.5 out of 5.
50. Devil Times Five (NEW)
Five creepy kids for the price of 1! Well, it wasn't called Devil Times One after all. Not a terrible film, however, I was frustrated because it could have been in the "so bad, it's good" category with a little less effort. 1 kill scene was too long to begin with and then they decided to film it in slow-mo to give it some girth too. Quite the package, so to speak. At 125 minutes, it's about 115 minutes too long. All one and a half stars are for the piranha in the bathtub. Had it risen to the level of "so bad it's good," it would have been a 4 out of 5.
51. Frightmare (NEW)
Here is a somewhat mundane, run-of-the-mill feature. A couple was found insane and reprimanded to a psychiatric hospital until such time as they are deemed rehabilitated and ready to re-enter society.15 years later, they are released after the psychiatrists at the facility give them the go-ahead. Well, this turns out not to have been the best idea. The film was enjoyable to me given my field of practice. Also, I found it interesting that it closely mirrors Ed Kemper's career, as he was released from Atascadero State Hospital after a psychiatrist deemed him rehabilitated. He subsequently killed 8 more people. This film came out the year after he was sentenced for the murder of those 8 victims. As for the film, it's a solid 3 out of 5 for the 70's feel, a decent twist, and a few fine performances.
52. Halloween (1978)
10 out of 5 because who is going to stop me from rating the film that high?
John Abbott is a menacing vampire (the best part of the film), who for 400 years has walked this earth. As the film begins, he lives in a small village in Africa where a series of murders are taking place. A young couple arrives in the town and begins to investigate. Worth the watch for the atmosphere and Abbott's performance, however, it is not likely going to linger with you. The film does benefit from the lean runtime. 2.5 out of 5.
50. Devil Times Five (NEW)
Five creepy kids for the price of 1! Well, it wasn't called Devil Times One after all. Not a terrible film, however, I was frustrated because it could have been in the "so bad, it's good" category with a little less effort. 1 kill scene was too long to begin with and then they decided to film it in slow-mo to give it some girth too. Quite the package, so to speak. At 125 minutes, it's about 115 minutes too long. All one and a half stars are for the piranha in the bathtub. Had it risen to the level of "so bad it's good," it would have been a 4 out of 5.
51. Frightmare (NEW)
Here is a somewhat mundane, run-of-the-mill feature. A couple was found insane and reprimanded to a psychiatric hospital until such time as they are deemed rehabilitated and ready to re-enter society.15 years later, they are released after the psychiatrists at the facility give them the go-ahead. Well, this turns out not to have been the best idea. The film was enjoyable to me given my field of practice. Also, I found it interesting that it closely mirrors Ed Kemper's career, as he was released from Atascadero State Hospital after a psychiatrist deemed him rehabilitated. He subsequently killed 8 more people. This film came out the year after he was sentenced for the murder of those 8 victims. As for the film, it's a solid 3 out of 5 for the 70's feel, a decent twist, and a few fine performances.
52. Halloween (1978)
10 out of 5 because who is going to stop me from rating the film that high?
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Malcolm R
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Friday the 13th (1980)
1/2Twenty years after horrific events that caused Camp Crystal Lake to be referred to locally as "Camp Blood" (It's got a death curse!) counselors have returned to re-open the camp. Soon history begins to repeat itself as counselors are murdered by various methods, eventually revealing a link to another tragedy that befell one of the young campers years ago.
I've never been a huge fan of this franchise, but being a fan of horror in general have managed to see the films multiple times and have owned them all in multiple formats on home video. I find I usually like many of the sequels more than the original first film, though I do give it a few extra points for the identity of the unexpected killer (no, the killer isn't always Jason). I was also too young to see these in theaters, which tends to give many a sentimental connection. I think Part VI: Jason Lives was my first theatrical viewing, which is likely why it remains my favorite film in the franchise.
Plus, it's always interesting to see actors that later became much more well-known having roles in these low-budget horror films. Here we have Kevin Bacon just starting out (much like Jennifer Anison in Leprechaun, or Leonardo DiCaprio in Critters 3).
Friday the 13th Part II
Five years after the latest murders at Camp Crystal Lake, a training school for camp counselors has opened on Crystal Lake, though not at the camp itself. Around the campfire, they tell the legend of the adjacent "Camp Blood" and the events that occured there. Soon, the murders begin again.
I find I enjoy this one slightly more than the first film. Not sure exactly why, as it's largely the same format. I think I enjoy the cast a bit more, and it seems more polished as they doubled the budget from the first film. Could also be that there's more interactions with the killer where in the first film the killer was largely offscreen.
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sleroi
Screenwriter
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Killer Klowns is a fun movie, much better than it should be. The scene with the little girl in the fast food restaurant who sees the clown outside is really creepy, in a fun way. “Why are they shooting popcorn at us?” “Because they’re clowns!”
I’ve got the arrow Blu, I think I’ll have to watch it this weekend.
I’ve got the arrow Blu, I think I’ll have to watch it this weekend.
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