***Official 22nd Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge 2021*** (1 Viewer)

[Michael Elliott]

I've always enjoyed LADY FRANKENSTEIN. Such a sleazy good time. The Corman cut is certainly the way to go. I was always disappointed with the director's cut once it finally got a legit release. This is a perfect example of Corman being correct, which is one reason I'm also looking forward to watching the DEMENTIA 13 cut from Coppola.

 

[JasonRoer]

59. Black Christmas 1974
I wasn't terribly fond of this the first time I saw it, so until Friday, I haven't watched it again. I found it better this time, however, still nothing of note. This is probably the final viewing for me. Basic story finds a group of sorority gals stalked/attacked by a serial killer at Christmas. Margot Kidder was fun to watch. 2.5 out of 5.

60. The Brain That Wouldn't Die (NEW)
This should not have been new for me, yet it was nonetheless. I LOVED it. So much cheesy, black and white, mad scientist fun. Another doctor shares my office and we both finished up our patient notes early. We both have to stay at the hospital for the full shift because we're on call for emergencies, so we decided to grab some sodas and cookies and Mystery-Science-Theater 3000 our way through the film. We were cracking ourselves up, and it just added to the whole experience. 4 out of 5 for the film/6 out of 5 for the way in which I watched it.

61. Stranger Things S2 EP 1, 2
The series rewatch with my wife continues.

62. Halloween Kills (NEW)
I am in the camp that LOVED this film. I have never been someone who feels every movie in a series needs to stand on its own. Some feel let down because there's no conclusion to certain middle films of a trilogy. Well, we know the conclusion is coming. If a story needs more time to be told entirely, I'm cool with waiting to see what happens until the final film. I was thoroughly engaged during the all of Halloween Kills, although my weak bladder failed me yet again, and I ended up having to pee TWICE. Ugh. However, this was the first time I watched a movie in the new home theater with the door closed, so when I opened the door to hit the bathroom, I saw the painting in our hall opposite the home theater and was actually confused for a second. I somehow expected to walk into a movie theater hall. That's how totally engrossed I was. Better yet - it happened BOTH times. The film adds a bit more depth to the events in the past and I was shocked by the way in which they did it.

Spoiler

I had no idea they would create new footage from 1978 and I thought it was fantastic! I sat there mouth agape.

I also loved the unrelenting brutality of the movie. I know some have found it to be too much, but I feel like it fits with Myers having been locked up for all of these years, forced to hold all of his evil inside, and so it had to released with such savagery.

I will be there the first second Halloween Ends is released. I love what they've done with this trilogy thus far and am so looking forward to seeing how they conclude it. Halloween Kills = 5 out of 5, rated without reservation.

63. Stranger Things S2 EP 3, 4
The series rewatch with my wife continues.

64. Stranger Things S2 EP 5, 6
The series rewatch with my wife continues.

65. Stranger Things S2 EP 7, 8, 9
The series rewatch with my wife continues.

66. Stranger Things S3 EP 1, 2
The series rewatch with my wife continues.

67. The Mummy's Hand
I found this outing with the mummy to be lighter with the comic relief, yet still creepy when the Mummy comes out to play. The film moves briskly (very short runtime of 1hr6min), so it doesn't overstay its welcome. It's a charming entry in the franchise. 4 out of 5.

 

[Bryan^H]

Dead and Buried (1981)
I really, really hated this one. A grisly, ugly movie that is half boring, and half stupid.
Not worth my time but garbage in, garbage out.
Grade - F

Hell Night (1981)
This was pretty enjoyable. It takes quite a while before we get to the good stuff. A group of college fraternity members are given the task of staying overnight in a seemingly deserted manor. The idea is for other members of the fraternity to spook those staying overnight in the home. But they must have forgotten the jumbled backstory of a tortured mongoloid boy/monster that was rattled off near the beginning, because a monster still exists. And it hungers for death.
The British gal (hawt), and surfer dude were the most likeable characters to me.
Grade - B+

 

[Malcolm R]

21. Ravenous (1999) - - A stranger stumbles into a remote military fort in the Sierra Nevadas around the time of the Mexican American war. He says he has survived for 3 months by reluctantly resorting to cannibalism. A Native American scout at the fort tries to warn the others that this stranger is a Wendigo, a vampiric demon who grows stronger by consuming human flesh.

I feel like I've seen Ravenous before, but don't recall much about it. I also thought it starred Josh Hartnett (which it doesn't), so now I'm not sure if I'm confusing the cast or if I haven't seen it at all. I'm also wondering if I'm getting this movie confused with Alive (1993), and Josh Hartnett with Ethan Hawke.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alive_(1993_film)

 

[John Stell]

Rating - Out of a possible 4

061) 10/17/2021 Frankenstein (1931)

Perhaps my favorite of the classic monster movies, with two outstanding performances (Colin Clive and Boris Karloff), perfect direction, and a sense of horror from first frame to last. I like it better than the sequel, which typically makes number one for a lot of people when talking about the Universal horrors.

062) 10/17/2021 Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Yes, it's a great film. But a few things still bother me:
A. The monster's behavior is inconsistent. In the first scene he tosses a helpless old woman into the waters below. Then suddenly he seems concerned a shepherd girl is going to fall off a cliff (why?), so he tries to help her (why?). But then later he kills a little girl for no good reason. (The murder isn't shown, but her body is found by her mother.)
B. What kind of idiot designs a lab so it can be blown up almost instantaneously by the pull of one lever? That's just lazy writing.
C. Some of that music score is too "cute" for its own good. I like part of the score, dislike the other part.

063) 10/17/2021 Son of Frankenstein (1939)

1/2

Marvelous third Frankenstein film introduces us to Bela Lugosi's Ygor and Lionel Atwill's Inspector Krogh, both terrific characters. Basil Rathbone too is quite fine, playing the title role. Add to that the outstanding production design, a few great Karloff moments, and the thrilling finale, and you have another feather in the cap for Universal.

064) 10/18/2021 The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)

So much better than it should be thanks largely to Lugosi's return as Ygor and Lionel Atwill's double-crossing doctor. Ygor takes the Monster (Lon Chaney, Jr.) to the second son of Frankenstein, who plans to put new and improved brain into the Monster. The finale is great, and should have perfectly set up the Monster for Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman. But...

 

[JasonRoer]

Rating - Out of a possible 4

061) 10/17/2021 Frankenstein (1931)

Perhaps my favorite of the classic monster movies, with two outstanding performances (Colin Clive and Boris Karloff), perfect direction, and a sense of horror from first frame to last. I like it better than the sequel, which typically makes number one for a lot of people when talking about the Universal horrors.

062) 10/17/2021 Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Yes, it's a great film. But a few things still bother me:
A. The monster's behavior is inconsistent. In the first scene he tosses a helpless old woman into the waters below. Then suddenly he seems concerned a shepherd girl is going to fall off a cliff (why?), so he tries to help her (why?). But then later he kills a little girl for no good reason. (The murder isn't shown, but her body is found by her mother.)
B. What kind of idiot designs a lab so it can be blown up almost instantaneously by the pull of one lever? That's just lazy writing.
C. Some of that music score is too "cute" for its own good. I like part of the score, dislike the other part.

063) 10/17/2021 Son of Frankenstein (1939)

1/2

Marvelous third Frankenstein film introduces us to Bela Lugosi's Ygor and Lionel Atwill's Inspector Krogh, both terrific characters. Basil Rathbone too is quite fine, playing the title role. Add to that the outstanding production design, a few great Karloff moments, and the thrilling finale, and you have another feather in the cap for Universal.

064) 10/18/2021 The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)

So much better than it should be thanks largely to Lugosi's return as Ygor and Lionel Atwill's double-crossing doctor. Ygor takes the Monster (Lon Chaney, Jr.) to the second son of Frankenstein, who plans to put new and improved brain into the Monster. The finale is great, and should have perfectly set up the Monster for Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman. But...

Count me in the camp that loves the original Frankenstein more than Bride. I usually watch it very early on in October, however, I'm saving a few of the Universal monster movies for the 31st this year. Frankenstein is likely to be the final film for this year's challenge.

 

[BobO'Link]

October 17th
79. Doctor Sleep - Theatrical (2019) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲☼
This was purchased for two reasons - I like Kubrick's The Shining and it was on sale. I watched the theatrical version this time out.

Years following the events of The Shining (1980), a now-adult Dan Torrance must protect a young girl with similar powers from a cult known as The True Knot, who prey on children with powers to remain immortal.

I'd not read a single thing about this one and knew nothing other than it's a sequel to Kubrick's The Shining and was about Danny's life years later - basically that IMDB synopsis. It starts and I immediately think "Great... another half-baked vampire story." and settle in to be fully disappointed. Then it starts to pick up a bit, shows Danny to have grown up to be somewhat of a prick/bastard and shows the "vampires" aren't what I think, or had assumed, they are. It turns into a tense, interesting, and worthy sequel to Kubrick's masterpiece.

80. The Frighteners - Director's Cut (1996) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲☼
A BR upgrade and a first time viewing of the "Director's Cut" though I really couldn't tell you what's different.

After a tragic car accident that kills his wife, a man discovers he can communicate with the dead and uses that talent to con people. However, when a demonic spirit appears, he may be the only one who can stop it from killing the living and the dead.

The synopsis is better than the story, which is mostly a vfx resume type thing, but it's still a fun ride and has a few nice little twists. This is another of those films I'd avoided for years and finally watched to find it was nothing like what I was expecting. It's not great but *is* a lot of fun if you're in the right mood.

81. The Rite (2011) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
I recently purchased a used copy of this one because it kind of sounded interesting and has a horror tag so could be viewed this month.

Michael Kovak grows indifferent to his father and joins a Seminary for the free college degree offered. On his way to the course completion, he is overwhelmed by a strong lack of faith. His mentor, who still believes in him, convinces him to go to Italy to take an exorcism course hoping that he it would strengthen his faith.

It's just about as boring as that description and is, essentially, just another exorcism movie. You either buy into its conceit or you don't - I never have. Worst part is I discover I've seen it before. I was going through my BR collection looking for some titles to rewatch and some to watch with my 10yo granddaughter when I discovered I'd purchased a copy some time back. It was so unmemorable that I'd completely forgotten... At least the case is in good shape so I'll swap it for one from a better movie with a broken case. So why 5/10? Because it's fairly well mounted and acted in spite of being a rather generic move of this type. Frankly, if I'm going to watch an exorcism movie in the future I'll just put on The Exorcist and turn the color off.


82. King Kong (1933) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
After The Rite I decided I *needed* to watch a comfort film - one I absolutely love - and I'd pulled out the original King Kong looking for some rewatch material so it won the day ending slot in spite of my original intent to save it to watch with my 10yo granddaughter.

A film crew goes to a tropical island for an exotic location shoot and discovers a colossal ape who takes a shine to their female blonde star. He is then captured and brought back to New York City for public exhibition.

The last time I watched this one was with my now 18yo grandson when we went to a Fathom event featuring the film. It was absolutely wonderful seeing it on the big screen in a practically empty theater. And I enjoyed it just as much last night. While I own and watch the remakes on occasion they just can't hold a candle to this one. They don't have the power or horror.

 

[dpippel]

October 17th
79. Doctor Sleep - Theatrical (2019) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲☼
This was purchased for two reasons - I like Kubrick's The Shining and it was on sale. I watched the theatrical version this time out.

While the theatrical is good, the Director's Cut is a much better film IMO. I doubt that I'll ever watch the theatrical again.

 

[BobO'Link]

While the theatrical is good, the Director's Cut is a much better film IMO. I doubt that I'll ever watch the theatrical again.

When there's a choice I typically watch a theatrical cut first. In the case of this film the length of the director's cut also worked against its already lengthy running time (2hrs 32 min) by adding almost 30 minutes. I'd done some brief reading before hand to find that most of what's added is "character development" type stuff that rarely has much of an impact on whether or not I'll like a film. So put it all together and the theatrical was an easy choice for a first viewing. I'll eventually watch the director's cut (and it's still on the "unwatched movies" shelf for just that reason), but not likely any time soon.

 

[Ruz-El]

Boy, those screen grabs of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE bring back some memories lol. Nice choice to watch. For suspense their Wages of Fear/Sorcerer rip is a good one too.

My viewing went completely off the rails yesterday. Only 3 films completed since my last update, but I'm halfway through two films (don't ask) so I should get them done tonight though a municipal election may botch it.

050 10/16 Wet Wilderness (1975) 2/5

Spoiler: Adult Title

A single mom takes her kids into the woods, only to be attacked and all of them assaulted by a maniac in this hardcore roughie. Throw all conceptions of “Porno Chic” out the window, this is pure grindhouse sleaze and with the horror element, pretty unpleasant to watch even if it comes off as a little goofy. This one comes up as a film that inspired “Friday the 13th”, but aside from the rapist carrying and using a machete, I don’t see it. It’s probably playing closer to Zodiac lore than anything. At any rate, this one isn’t for the squeamish.

051 10/17 The Game (1984) 2/5 A trio of old millionaires invite some people to a hotel to face their fears for a million bucks. Bill Rebane samples the far superior “House on Haunted Hill” and it’s not a bad idea since Rebane relies so heavily on having a bunch of people stuck in one location in his films that this one actually gives them something to do instead of sitting around and pondering. That said, instead of going for a straight forward horror thriller, Rebane tries to play up some comedy so the tone is all over the place. Add in the usual barely competent craft and acting and this one ends being another patience tester.

052 10/17 The Damned (1962) 3.5/5 Re-watching this one, I had no memory of it. Starts off like a teen gang film, with Teddy Boy gang leader (a gang so lame they make The Jets look like The Warriors) Oliver Reed being way too overprotective of his sister who’s hanging around with an American tourist. Reed gets so overworked about the idea that his sister may have any form of sex that due to his gang leader status it’s hard not to read Reed’s performance as a portrayal of a deeply closeted gay man going full “Alpha Male” which is interesting but hardly something you’d expect from a Hammer thriller. The characters end up stumbling upon a group of children being kept in an underground bunker by a group of scientists, at which this one goes totally strange, more than a little disturbing and races to the kind of finish that films just don’t have anymore. Tonal-swings like this are hard to pull off as they usually feel uneven, but this one lands it solidly. It makes for an engaging film which I can’t believe I had no memory of.

 

[dpippel]

When there's a choice I typically watch a theatrical cut first. In the case of this film the length of the director's cut also worked against its already lengthy running time (2hrs 32 min) by adding almost 30 minutes. I'd done some brief reading before hand to find that most of what's added is "character development" type stuff that rarely has much of an impact on whether or not I'll like a film. So put it all together and the theatrical was an easy choice for a first viewing. I'll eventually watch the director's cut (and it's still on the "unwatched movies" shelf for just that reason), but not likely any time soon.

In this case the character development makes all the difference in the world. However, you and I seem to have different tastes, so I wouldn't take my opinion as the last word. All the more reason to watch the DC and make up your own mind.

 

[dpippel]

OCTOBER 18:

34) They Live (1988) (4K UHD Disc) 4/5 stars - "I came here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all outta bubblegum." My third favorite John Carpenter film (after The Thing and Starman), They Live takes a VERY short story, expands upon the premise, and makes a thought-provoking statement about consumerism while telling a unique SciFi tale. No one was ever destined to win any Oscars for this film, but Rowdy Roddy Piper and Keith David are a hoot. The 4K disc looks stunning!

 

[Neil Middlemiss]

October 18: Halloween Kills (2021) – 3.5 out of 5 - First Time Viewing

Laurie Strode, her daughter, and granddaughter barely survived their confrontation with Michael Myers but believe they have finally rid the world of his grotesque evil locking him in the basement of Laurie’s burning compound. But Michael survives, brutally slays the firefighter response team, and cuts his way back to Haddonfield where the survivors of his murderous rampages decide to take matters in their own hands and try to end evil that night.

Halloween Kills works and falters. The story feels like a successful expansion of the Myers story rather than an ordinary retread. Sure, all the basic elements of a Halloween film are in play, but it has a different energy that’s welcome. There are also a few plot-relevant callbacks to the original film and some new angles on that original night that make things quite interesting. But characters still tend to make foolish choices, go alone into dark corners of a house where strange noises are heard, firing guns at Michael without hitting him until the guns empty and they’re close enough for Michael to grab and dispose of them. That kind of silliness.

Bloodier than 2018’s film but not quite as intense, Halloween Kills, for me, continues to work as a great continuation of 1978’s original. The cinematography, music, sound effects, and character work evoke Carpenter’s style faithfully. There’s an underlying exploration of the effects of trauma that works somewhat in abstract though it doesn’t really want to face it head on. With the sequel planned for next year, Halloween Ends, we know we’re in for more (and the film’s ending certainly tells us that), which accounts for the somewhat bleakness of the closing moments. I am more than curious to know how they’ll tie a bloody bow on this story. Or if they’ll leave it open just enough to let more sequels come our way. Either way, I’m eager.

 

[Malcolm R]

Stay Out of the Attic

A group of ex-cons working as movers are hired to quickly move the belongings of an old man out of his creepy old house. There is a large bonus involved if they can complete the job by the next morning. However, their job is limited to the first and second floors of the house. They are warned that the basement and the attic are off limits. Several unsettling discoveries while they're packing up and frequent strange noises make them disregard this warning, and what they discover is horrifying.

Not an awful film, but I think they really needed a bigger budget to realize what they were trying to do. At the climax, when it seems like the big reveal is finally coming, the film just ends (it is only 80 minutes, too). I'm not sure if they ran out of money or ideas. We did get a couple of decent effects shots earlier that must have ate up most of the film's budget.

 

[Bryan^H]

The Reptile (1966)
A married couple travel to the country to live in small home. There they discover that a creature has been terrorizing the countryside and a couple deaths have resulted. This is one of my favorite Hammer films. Absolutely riveting with great performances all around. And the trademark set design, and beautiful location setting that only Hammer in the 60's could do for gothic horror. It really is a beautiful film.
Grade - A

Olivia (1983)
If not for my love for Suzanna Love, the DuPont heiress turned movie star I would have ranked this lower, but as it stands seeing her in dual roles as both a bookish sweetheart to a saucy femme fatal that could possibly be a killer makes my day.
Grade - B

 

[Michael Elliott]

Missing 411 (2017) ***

This title and its sequel popped up on a few lists in another horror challenge. I've read that this is based on a book series that is apparently also somewhat controversial. This takes a look at several small children who have gone missing in national parks. I guess some people think there's a cult or something more sinister that happened but to be honest it just seems like small kids wandering off in dangerous areas and getting lost. The documentary was good but I've heard the books are a bit more detailed.

Camp Blood 2 (2000) ***
Camp Blood First Slaughter (2014) * 1/2
Camp Blood 4 (2016) *
Camp Blood 5 (2016) 1/2

I try to watch at least one series each year and here we go for 2021. CAMP BLOOD is something I watched a couple years back and found it to be just okay. CAMP BLOOD 2, on the other hand, was actually a pretty fun horror movie. The horror elements worked just fine and there was some fun comedy from a director and drunk cameraman who are filming the original film's sole survivor.

I bought the "Complete Camp Blood Collection" from the producer and CAMP BLOOD FIRST SLAUGHTER was listed as part 3 in the box set but it's actually the fourth movie. WITHIN THE WOODS is the actual third movie but it's not in the set. CAMP BLOOD FIRST SLAUGHTER finds a group of teens doing research on if the original killings were real or a myth. Soon the clown masked killer is slaughtering them. This was certainly a major step down in terms of quality as the CGI effects were poor and there just wasn't much going on until the very end.

CAMP BLOOD 4 and 5 have Dustin Ferguson stepping in as director. I've watched a handful of his films earlier in the challenge and I follow him on FB where a couple days ago he was bragging that within 4 years he will have made more features than anyone in history. I give props to the guy for what he has accomplished but as a film buff I must say this is a rather cheap effect. CAMP BLOOD 4, minus the end credits, runs 66-minutes and I'd say that at least 20-minutes is footage from the previous films. CAMP BLOOD 5 clocks in at 64-minutes without the end credits and it features at least twenty-minutes from part 4 and a good 5 or more minutes from a film called THINGS. In fact, both films have maybe 60-minutes of "new" footage and most of that new footage is just characters shopping, talking or watching TV. I really got pissed off at this as it was just a waste of time.

 

[John Stell]

Rating - Out of a possible 4

065) 10/18/2021 The Wolf Man (1941)

Superior Universal horror. Lon Chaney, Jr. is bitten by werewolf Bela Lugosi so he'll become one too. Film combines powerful psychological and visceral horror for a most tragic tale. Claude Rains and Maria Ouspenskaya add excellent support, but Chaney owns this film.

066) 10/18/2021 Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943)

1/2

Thieves inadvertently revive the Wolf Man, who seeks help from his old gypsy friend Maleva, who in turn recommends they visit Dr. Frankenstein. In the ruins of the Frankenstein castle Chaney discovers Bela Lugosi's monster encased in his ice, so he thaws him hoping he knows were his creator's records are. This entry starts out well enough, but then takes some weird detours, such as that Festival of the New Wine song which is just silly and hardly a party song. But the big problem is casting nice guy Patric Knowles as the nice doctor who, without any previous indication that he would ever do such a thing, suddenly goes "mad" and restores the Monster to full power so we can have our battle. Lugosi gets grief for his portrayal but it's not really his fault given his dialogue was cut.

067) 10/18/2021 House of Frankenstein (1944)

Boris Karloff is Frankenstein acolyte who tried putting a human brain into a dog! (Would it even fit?) He escapes prison with hunchbacked pal J. Carrol Naish, runs into John Carradine's Dracula and Chaney's Wolf Man, and ultimately tries reviving Glenn Strange's Monster. Naish steals the show here with his sympathetic villain. Cast, which also includes George Zucco and Lionel Atwill, is so good the film plays like a greatest hits collection. Better than the sum of its (body) parts.

068) 10/19/2021 House of Dracula (1945)

1/2

The monsters are back together again, this time all venturing to the home of nice scientist Onslow Stevens who tries to cure Dracula and the Wolf Man. But when Stevens gets infected by Dracula's blood during a transfusion, he becomes Jekyll/Hyde type who wants to bring the Monster back to life. Even more contrived than the previous entry, this gets by on the typical Universal panache, willing cast, and a surprising ending for Chaney's tortured Wolf Man.

069) 10/19/2021 WereWolf of London (1935)

No, it's not as good as The Wolf Man but it's still a fine thriller. Henry Hull plays botanist who gets bitten by werewolf Warner Oland while in Tibet. Both cursed men seek rare flower which ultimately is short-term antidote for werewolfery. Hull is very believable as the slightly arrogant scientist, and the wolfman makeup is great.

 

[Michael Elliott]

This might be my nerd coming out but quite often I find myself screaming out that FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN song lol. So much so to where my kids even know it by now.

There's a "re-creation" of the dialogue track on YouTube now for those who might be interested. Lord know we will probably never get the original version of this film.

 

[BobO'Link]

October 18th
63. The Fog (1980) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
Yet another of those 80s horror films I never watched until a couple of years back when I picked up this and The Howling in a 2-pack at WM for $5. I pretty much ignored all horror films from the mid 70s on as trailers and commercials made them look quite cheesy and just plain meh. The era of cheap DVDs and BRs coupled with various "Horror Challenges" has me finally seeing many of them for the first time - mostly because they're supposed to be "classics" of the genre.

An unearthly fog rolls into a small coastal town exactly 100 years after a ship mysteriously sank in its waters.

My first viewing of this one was shortly after purchasing that BR and I was surprised to find a fairly decent horror film. Of course it didn't hurt that the star of the film is Adrienne Barbeau. It also features Jamie Lee Curtis and Janet Leigh in minor roles. While I wouldn't say either put in a stellar performance, they're acceptable. Barbeau surprised me as I'd mostly seen her in the TV series Maude which didn't stretch her acting talents at all. The movie turned out to be a fairly standard ghost story but does have an interesting idea behind the ghosts. Putting Barbeau's character in a Lighthouse adds to the menace. It has some very good visual effects and several tense scenes. Its biggest downfall for me is it's, at its core, just another zombie movie. At least it's one of the few good ones.

64. The Howling (1981) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
I'd seen this one before, having purchased a DVD copy at one point, and really purchased that 2 pack just for an inexpensive BR copy of this film. I tend to like werewolf movies, yet hadn't seen this one until a few years back all because of those 80s trailers and commercials.

TV news anchorwoman Karen Stone (Dee Williams) agrees to conduct an interview with Eddie Quist (Robert Picardo) who claims to be a wanted killer. He insists on meeting in the private booth of a porn store. When Karen goes in, he reveals himself to her and she screams, and the police waiting outside shoot him. Afterwards, Karen suffers a memory blackout and is unable to remember what happened. On the advice of her psychologist Dr George Waggner (Patrick Macnee), she and her husband Bill (Christopher Stone) go to recuperate at The Colony, a therapeutic commune that Waggner runs on the Californian coast.

I was quite surprised with my first viewing of this one to find it's a fairly decent werewolf movie with a twist. The werewolves are a pack/"family". As Karen discovers what's happening at The Colony the terror builds. It's also full of comedic bits and in jokes with names and guest appearances of many SF/horror movie cast and crew members and has a very well done transformation sequence that still mostly holds up. That original DVD was a double-feature with The Howling II - don't waste your time with that one.

 

[dpippel]

OCTOBER 19:

35) Frankenstein (1931) (4K UHD Disc) 5/5 stars - Still my favorite Frankenstein film (not counting Young Frankenstein). The sets, the atmosphere, Colin Clive's dizzying schizophrenic portrayal of Victor and, most of all, Boris Karloff's positively brilliant turn as the tragic Monster, all come together in an iconic film that still resonates NINETY years later. Amazing stuff.

36) The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) (Blu-ray Disc) 4.5/5 stars - As others have pointed out, this film highlights the advances in both technology and budget over the original Frankenstein in just four short years. It does not disappoint. Karloff again transcends, but I find that giving the Monster a voice reduces the impact of his performance slightly. Everyone involved is at the top of their game, and the iconic design of Elsa Lanchester's Bride, along with her wonderful if short performance, makes her one of the most famous characters in horror cinema.

37) The Brides of Dracula (1960) (Blu-ray Disc) 4/5 stars - I thought this would be a good follow-up to The Bride of Frankenstein. An excellent Hammer effort, Peter Cushing is at his most sincere here doing the Van Helsing thing, and I think David Peel is an effectively greasy and intelligent antagonist. The absence of Christopher Lee is felt, but the film is extremely well done and enjoyable. This review at Bloody Disgusting is a good read: https://bloody-disgusting.com/edito...acula-true-masterwork-macabre-hammer-factory/