Speaking of Hammer, I just realized I forgot to crack open that Hammer adjacent Crypt of Christopher Lee set Severin put out! I'm pretty much out of time to get much into it, but I may try this final weekend. Damn!
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***Official 22nd Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge 2021*** (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Michael Elliott
- Start date
I have not but stumbled on it looking for the later one. It's also on Amazon Prime streaming (I have that as it comes "free" with Prime and use it a few times a year). I added it to my watchlist - the one I always forget about because I don't like streaming.
It, too, has a R2 release - going for ~$13 shipped to the US (Amazon MP). I'll sample the Prime offer and if I like it I'll just pick up an R2 copy.
21. The Cat and the Canary (1939)
Though I never watched many of them when I was a kid, in recent years I've grown very fond of the "old dark house" movie subgenre, and this is one of the absolute best. Ten years to the day after the death of eccentric millionaire Cyrus Norman, his remaining heirs gather at his decaying mansion in the Louisiana bayou to find out which of them will inherit. But there's a codicil in the will that if the named heir is proven to be insane or dies within 30 days, a second, as yet unnamed heir will then inherit...giving someone plenty of motive for murder.
Briskly paced, atmospheric fun all around. Bob Hope is on good form as the reluctant hero, sexy Paulette Goddard makes for a game, sassy heroine, both ably supported by solid character actors like Gale Sondergaard as the forbidding housekeeper and George Zucco as the family lawyer. Hope and Goddard work so well together here, it's no surprise that they would be teamed up again a year later for the (also terrific) The Ghost Breakers. One of these days, I'm going to check out the original 1927 silent version of Canary...
Though I never watched many of them when I was a kid, in recent years I've grown very fond of the "old dark house" movie subgenre, and this is one of the absolute best. Ten years to the day after the death of eccentric millionaire Cyrus Norman, his remaining heirs gather at his decaying mansion in the Louisiana bayou to find out which of them will inherit. But there's a codicil in the will that if the named heir is proven to be insane or dies within 30 days, a second, as yet unnamed heir will then inherit...giving someone plenty of motive for murder.
Briskly paced, atmospheric fun all around. Bob Hope is on good form as the reluctant hero, sexy Paulette Goddard makes for a game, sassy heroine, both ably supported by solid character actors like Gale Sondergaard as the forbidding housekeeper and George Zucco as the family lawyer. Hope and Goddard work so well together here, it's no surprise that they would be teamed up again a year later for the (also terrific) The Ghost Breakers. One of these days, I'm going to check out the original 1927 silent version of Canary...
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- Joined
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- Neil Middlemiss
October 28: Veronica! (2017) – 4 out of 5 – First Time Viewing
A young girl, Veronica (Sandra Escacena), and two girls from her class in school, decide to sneak to the basement of the Catholic school while everyone else is distracted by a rare eclipse to play with a Ouija board. Veronica just wants to talk to her father who recently died, and while it’s exciting and fun at first, things take a dark turn when she erupts in a seizure. Veronica cares for her three much younger siblings – taking them to school, making them breakfast and dinner, getting them to bed at night because their mother works late shifts – and it seems that something crossed over during their game and her entire family is now in danger.
In what is most likely just a clever marketing ploy for this Spanish horror film, there’s a story that says Netflix states that Veronica is a movie that only 1 in 100 can make it all the way to the end because it’s so terrifying. It’s based on a documented case in Spain, and I can tell you it was very, very creepy. There are sequences that gave me prolonged goosebumps and I had to turn the volume down a couple of times because it was intense for me (as I’ve said before, I do scare easily, but I genuinely think some moments in this film are absolutely frightening). Having said that, I was able to make it to the end so I suspect that considerably more than 1 in 100 viewers would have been able to survive the whole thing.
As for the film itself, I found it excellent. Sandra Escacena’s lead performance is superb. She plays the role with the perfect level of vulnerability, isolation, fear, and care for her siblings. The film presents the facts surround the real case (it starts at the end, then heads back three days to how we get to the scary call for police and what they find when they enter the home). That, and the filming style by director Paco Plaza gives everything a grounded, dramatic essence that accentuates the horror elements. This movie was recommended by my good friend who was interested in seeing it, and I doff my imaginary hat in appreciation for the terrific recommendation. I hope he can make it all the way through to the end, too
A young girl, Veronica (Sandra Escacena), and two girls from her class in school, decide to sneak to the basement of the Catholic school while everyone else is distracted by a rare eclipse to play with a Ouija board. Veronica just wants to talk to her father who recently died, and while it’s exciting and fun at first, things take a dark turn when she erupts in a seizure. Veronica cares for her three much younger siblings – taking them to school, making them breakfast and dinner, getting them to bed at night because their mother works late shifts – and it seems that something crossed over during their game and her entire family is now in danger.
In what is most likely just a clever marketing ploy for this Spanish horror film, there’s a story that says Netflix states that Veronica is a movie that only 1 in 100 can make it all the way to the end because it’s so terrifying. It’s based on a documented case in Spain, and I can tell you it was very, very creepy. There are sequences that gave me prolonged goosebumps and I had to turn the volume down a couple of times because it was intense for me (as I’ve said before, I do scare easily, but I genuinely think some moments in this film are absolutely frightening). Having said that, I was able to make it to the end so I suspect that considerably more than 1 in 100 viewers would have been able to survive the whole thing.
As for the film itself, I found it excellent. Sandra Escacena’s lead performance is superb. She plays the role with the perfect level of vulnerability, isolation, fear, and care for her siblings. The film presents the facts surround the real case (it starts at the end, then heads back three days to how we get to the scary call for police and what they find when they enter the home). That, and the filming style by director Paco Plaza gives everything a grounded, dramatic essence that accentuates the horror elements. This movie was recommended by my good friend who was interested in seeing it, and I doff my imaginary hat in appreciation for the terrific recommendation. I hope he can make it all the way through to the end, too
Malcolm R
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I'm going to post my summary, as it seems unlikely I'll get to watch any more this year as I'll be prepping and traveling most of Friday and Saturday.
Summary (as of 10/28)
Total Points: 29 (27 films, 4 hour-long TV eps)
New films: 11
Didn't get to watch anywhere close to what I'd hoped. Trying to organize and plan a vacation on top of all the other things that draw my attention in October was just a losing battle. Best new films were probably The Unhealer and Hammer's Revenge of Frankenstein. Best old favorites were Chronicle, Wes Craven's New Nightmare, Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003), and Pumpkinhead.
Happy watching to all in this final weekend. I may post an addendum later, but it'll depend on what's available on the flight (and they don't usually offer scary movies on planes), and if I have any time to catch anything on TV over the weekend at the destination.
Summary (as of 10/28)
Total Points: 29 (27 films, 4 hour-long TV eps)
New films: 11
Didn't get to watch anywhere close to what I'd hoped. Trying to organize and plan a vacation on top of all the other things that draw my attention in October was just a losing battle. Best new films were probably The Unhealer and Hammer's Revenge of Frankenstein. Best old favorites were Chronicle, Wes Craven's New Nightmare, Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003), and Pumpkinhead.
Happy watching to all in this final weekend. I may post an addendum later, but it'll depend on what's available on the flight (and they don't usually offer scary movies on planes), and if I have any time to catch anything on TV over the weekend at the destination.
JasonRoer
Second Unit
Safe travels! I remember a flight to Paris in October where they offered a whole host of horror flicks (unedited) to watch on the plane. Totally unexpected, but I stayed up the entire overnight flight and watched 3 of them!
TravisR
Senior HTF Member
It's going to take me so long to post about all the rest of the movies that I watched that I probably could watch another movie or two.
Michael Elliott
Senior HTF Member
I spent Wednesday on a 12 hour round trip to Southern Tennessee so that my wife and daughter could film a scene for SHARK EXORCIST 2. I had downloaded movies but ended up not watching any. We leave for Salem tomorrow on a 16 hour drive. I won't be driving any so I'm already planning to download some before we leave.
We won't be back until the 2nd or 3rd of November so no rush on getting those final numbers turned in.
We won't be back until the 2nd or 3rd of November so no rush on getting those final numbers turned in.
Adam Lenhardt
Senior HTF Member
Blue - Physical Media
Orange - Streaming
Black - Theatrical
Green - Cable/Broadcast Television
Bold - Denotes first ever viewing
Points as of 10/28/2021: 22.16
32) 10/28/2021 Legacies 4x03 - "We All Knew This Day Was Coming"
(0.5 point)
If there is one through line that carries through all of the shows in the Vampire Diaries shared universe, it's this: Klaus Mikaelson, raised in cruelty and hate, grew up to be history's most horrible monster -- with a body count through the centuries that would make even the most genocidal of dictators blush. Can his only child Hope, raised in kindness and love, grow up to be anything but a monster? And, as the most powerful supernatural being to ever exist, can the world survive if she can't? This episode ends with Hope on the verge of embracing the monster within, in order to defeat the monster without. Danielle Rose Russell is a tremendous actress on the kind of low budget genre show that doesn't usually attract great acting. And even though Hope Mikaelson has endured way more than her fair share of loss in her short life, this episode really was a celebration of the support system that has nurtured her up to this point.
33) 10/28/2021 Willy's Wonderland (2021)
(1 point)
What if Five Nights at Freddy's, arguably the most successful PC game ever made with Clickteam Fusion, was a Nicholas Cage movie? That's the premise of this horror comedy.
A mysterious man is traveling through Hayesville, a desolate place seemingly comprised entirely of trailer parks and emptied out strip malls, when his tires are punctured by a spike strip laid out across the road. A local businessman agrees to pay for the tow and a new set of tires if the man will spend the night cleaning Willy's Wonderland, his Chuck E. Cheese-style family entertainment establishment that went out of business in the late nineties. As he methodically cleans room after room, the animatronic creatures come to life and try to kill him. Unruffled, he adheres to a steady pattern of energy drink, pinball, and manual labor.
Even by the standards of 21st century Nicholas Cage, this is an incredibly odd performance, and I was riveted the entire way through. The closest comparison I can think of is Clint Eastwood in High Plains Drifter; there are elemental forces at work, and they bring with them swift and brutal justice.
The supporting cast, save the always reliable Beth Grant, isn't particularly strong but also doesn't particularly have to be. It's Cage's movie, through and through.
Orange - Streaming
Black - Theatrical
Green - Cable/Broadcast Television
Bold - Denotes first ever viewing
Points as of 10/28/2021: 22.16
32) 10/28/2021 Legacies 4x03 - "We All Knew This Day Was Coming"
If there is one through line that carries through all of the shows in the Vampire Diaries shared universe, it's this: Klaus Mikaelson, raised in cruelty and hate, grew up to be history's most horrible monster -- with a body count through the centuries that would make even the most genocidal of dictators blush. Can his only child Hope, raised in kindness and love, grow up to be anything but a monster? And, as the most powerful supernatural being to ever exist, can the world survive if she can't? This episode ends with Hope on the verge of embracing the monster within, in order to defeat the monster without. Danielle Rose Russell is a tremendous actress on the kind of low budget genre show that doesn't usually attract great acting. And even though Hope Mikaelson has endured way more than her fair share of loss in her short life, this episode really was a celebration of the support system that has nurtured her up to this point.
33) 10/28/2021 Willy's Wonderland (2021)
What if Five Nights at Freddy's, arguably the most successful PC game ever made with Clickteam Fusion, was a Nicholas Cage movie? That's the premise of this horror comedy.
A mysterious man is traveling through Hayesville, a desolate place seemingly comprised entirely of trailer parks and emptied out strip malls, when his tires are punctured by a spike strip laid out across the road. A local businessman agrees to pay for the tow and a new set of tires if the man will spend the night cleaning Willy's Wonderland, his Chuck E. Cheese-style family entertainment establishment that went out of business in the late nineties. As he methodically cleans room after room, the animatronic creatures come to life and try to kill him. Unruffled, he adheres to a steady pattern of energy drink, pinball, and manual labor.
Even by the standards of 21st century Nicholas Cage, this is an incredibly odd performance, and I was riveted the entire way through. The closest comparison I can think of is Clint Eastwood in High Plains Drifter; there are elemental forces at work, and they bring with them swift and brutal justice.
The supporting cast, save the always reliable Beth Grant, isn't particularly strong but also doesn't particularly have to be. It's Cage's movie, through and through.
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Yes, have a safe and fun trip, Malcolm! You too, Michael! Hope everyone else enjoys this coming Halloween weekend. Got Friday off myself, so plan to get a few more fun things watched before the challenge wraps up.
22. Orson Welles' Great Mysteries
1.11 "The Monkey's Paw"
Happily retired Mr. White (Cyril Cusack), his wife (Megs Jenkins) and son (a very young Michael Kitchen) are visited by a former army colleague of White's, Sergeant Morris (Patrick Magee), recently returned from long service in India, looking haggard and worn. Morris shows White a shriveled up monkey's paw, which he claims grants its possessor three wishes. He wants nothing more to do with it, and lets White take possession of it, exhorting him to toss the thing into the fire. Unfortunately, human nature being what it is, Morris' warning goes unheeded. Tragedy ensues. Quite effective '70s updating of the classic W.W. Jacobs tale of "be careful what you wish for," very creepy and nicely directed. Welles hosts each episode of this one season, 26 episode 1973-1974 series produced by Anglia Television. Features a typically moody main theme by the great John Barry.
23. One Step Beyond - 1.19 "The Captain's Guests"
While this contemporary of The Twilight Zone is not in the same league, it is nonetheless an interesting supernatural anthology in its own right. In this one, a busy architect (Robert Webber) and his wife (Nancy Hadley) move into a house in coastal New England, and before long the husband starts to act strangely, seemingly possessed by the malevolent spirit of the sea captain who once lived there. Much like Serling with TZ, this show was John Newland's baby all the way. Not only did he act as the host, he also directed nearly every episode, including this one, from a script by Charles Beaumont.
24. Ritual of Evil (1970 TV Movie)
Sequel to the previous year's Fear No Evil is considered less successful than the original, and that's true enough...but I still found it well worth watching. Like Fear, this is a slow burn, but carries just enough eerie unease to remain engrossing. It helps that it's stylishly directed (by Robert Day) and keeps suave charmer Louis Jourdan center stage throughout, as psychiatrist and paranormal expert Dr. David Sorrel, here investigating the apparent suicide of one of his patients, a beautiful young heiress (Claire Brennan). While trying to protect the dead women's troubled younger sister (Belinda Montgomery), Sorrel uncovers a murky web of Satanic rites, human sacrifice, witchcraft and murder. Diana Hyland plays a seductive mystery woman who is somehow linked to the case. Also with Anne Baxter, Georg Stanford Brown, and John McMartin. Wilfrid Hyde-White reprises his role as Harry Snowden, Sorrel's mentor in the world of the occult. This was the second attempt at a pilot for a TV series, but apparently the ratings weren't good enough this time around to get the greenlight. Too bad, as Jourdan makes for a likable, sensitive protagonist.
1.11 "The Monkey's Paw"
Happily retired Mr. White (Cyril Cusack), his wife (Megs Jenkins) and son (a very young Michael Kitchen) are visited by a former army colleague of White's, Sergeant Morris (Patrick Magee), recently returned from long service in India, looking haggard and worn. Morris shows White a shriveled up monkey's paw, which he claims grants its possessor three wishes. He wants nothing more to do with it, and lets White take possession of it, exhorting him to toss the thing into the fire. Unfortunately, human nature being what it is, Morris' warning goes unheeded. Tragedy ensues. Quite effective '70s updating of the classic W.W. Jacobs tale of "be careful what you wish for," very creepy and nicely directed. Welles hosts each episode of this one season, 26 episode 1973-1974 series produced by Anglia Television. Features a typically moody main theme by the great John Barry.
23. One Step Beyond - 1.19 "The Captain's Guests"
While this contemporary of The Twilight Zone is not in the same league, it is nonetheless an interesting supernatural anthology in its own right. In this one, a busy architect (Robert Webber) and his wife (Nancy Hadley) move into a house in coastal New England, and before long the husband starts to act strangely, seemingly possessed by the malevolent spirit of the sea captain who once lived there. Much like Serling with TZ, this show was John Newland's baby all the way. Not only did he act as the host, he also directed nearly every episode, including this one, from a script by Charles Beaumont.
24. Ritual of Evil (1970 TV Movie)
Sequel to the previous year's Fear No Evil is considered less successful than the original, and that's true enough...but I still found it well worth watching. Like Fear, this is a slow burn, but carries just enough eerie unease to remain engrossing. It helps that it's stylishly directed (by Robert Day) and keeps suave charmer Louis Jourdan center stage throughout, as psychiatrist and paranormal expert Dr. David Sorrel, here investigating the apparent suicide of one of his patients, a beautiful young heiress (Claire Brennan). While trying to protect the dead women's troubled younger sister (Belinda Montgomery), Sorrel uncovers a murky web of Satanic rites, human sacrifice, witchcraft and murder. Diana Hyland plays a seductive mystery woman who is somehow linked to the case. Also with Anne Baxter, Georg Stanford Brown, and John McMartin. Wilfrid Hyde-White reprises his role as Harry Snowden, Sorrel's mentor in the world of the occult. This was the second attempt at a pilot for a TV series, but apparently the ratings weren't good enough this time around to get the greenlight. Too bad, as Jourdan makes for a likable, sensitive protagonist.
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HawksFord
Premium
25. Witchfinder General (1968) – Another Vincent Price film but this one directed by Michael Reeves and loosely based on the real Mathew Hopkins. Price is great here offering a tightly wound performance very different than his appearance in the Roger Corman films. The other leads, Ian Ogilvey and Hilary (Dwyer) Heath, don’t measure up to Price and it hurts the movie a bit. It’s an ambitious and unsettling film, brutal in both its violence and its critique of the misogyny that characterized witch hunting.
October 28th
118. The Mummy (1999) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
A quite fun romp and it has a nice CGI Mummy.
At an archaeological dig in the ancient city of Hamunaptra, an American serving in the French Foreign Legion accidentally awakens a mummy who begins to wreak havoc as he searches for the reincarnation of his long-lost love.
No matter how you spin this, it's just another basic mummy story that follows paths laid down long ago. In spite of that It's quite fun! I saw it in the theater during its opening run. We'd just seen a new multi-plex open in town which had a daily special from 10am-5:30pm (any movie that started on/between those times) of $4.50 for the movie, small popcorn, small drink - a true bargain in 1999. I worked in TV and was training a new director which meant the very early shift - bummer going in but I got off at 2pm. One of the tape operators and I hung out on occasion and since we were both off at the same time, my kids were in school, and my wife at work, we started going to a matinee just because. This was one of the movies and neither of us thought it'd be any good, but for the price were willing to take the chance. We were surprised to view a rollicking fun little adventure/horror film. And it co-starred Rachel Weisz so you had an easy-on-the-eyes heroine! It's still a favorite - the sequels (which, IMHO, get progressively worse though are still fun if you're in the right frame of mind) not so much.
119. It - Pt1 (1990) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
Watched with my 10yo granddaughter.
In 1960, seven pre-teen outcasts fight an evil demon who poses as a child-killing clown. Thirty years later, they reunite to stop the demon once and for all when it returns to their hometown.
She'd been wanting to see the new theatrical release of IT - I don't own a copy and likely never will as it's from Stephen King - but I *do* own a copy of this (It was in the same set as The Shining miniseries) so I agreed to let her watch this with me. Her mom got a bit upset with a "If she has nightmares I'm sending her to you!!" (they live directly across the street from me so it's a quite valid threat). I don't care - I watched "worse" at her age (the original Universal Monster films, and many of the SF/Horror films of the 50s/60s on a late night "horror host" show), had nightmares, and survived to tell the tale (in spite of mom's constant "Well... I guess you can stay up for both films, but if you have nightmares don't you dare wake me!").
I'm not a fan at all. Tim Curry does a good clown - but I see Curry and nothing scary in the portrayal. I also don't like clowns at all. I've never been scared of them but have also never found them to be funny. They've always bored me. I saw better comedy every day via The Three Stooges - often similar/identical gags done far better. But I digress... She said it was "OK" and was interested in the film the majority of the time, even laying on the floor facing the TV, elbows on the floor, chin propped on her hands, so as to get the full effect - something she doesn't do all that often. I'm hoping to get in Pt. 2 before the weekend is over but really think it won't happen.
And I'll not get in any movies today as my son is coming in from across the state and we plan to have a board game marathon when I get home from work - and I'll be leaving work early to help make that happen.
118. The Mummy (1999) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
A quite fun romp and it has a nice CGI Mummy.
At an archaeological dig in the ancient city of Hamunaptra, an American serving in the French Foreign Legion accidentally awakens a mummy who begins to wreak havoc as he searches for the reincarnation of his long-lost love.
No matter how you spin this, it's just another basic mummy story that follows paths laid down long ago. In spite of that It's quite fun! I saw it in the theater during its opening run. We'd just seen a new multi-plex open in town which had a daily special from 10am-5:30pm (any movie that started on/between those times) of $4.50 for the movie, small popcorn, small drink - a true bargain in 1999. I worked in TV and was training a new director which meant the very early shift - bummer going in but I got off at 2pm. One of the tape operators and I hung out on occasion and since we were both off at the same time, my kids were in school, and my wife at work, we started going to a matinee just because. This was one of the movies and neither of us thought it'd be any good, but for the price were willing to take the chance. We were surprised to view a rollicking fun little adventure/horror film. And it co-starred Rachel Weisz so you had an easy-on-the-eyes heroine! It's still a favorite - the sequels (which, IMHO, get progressively worse though are still fun if you're in the right frame of mind) not so much.
119. It - Pt1 (1990) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
Watched with my 10yo granddaughter.
In 1960, seven pre-teen outcasts fight an evil demon who poses as a child-killing clown. Thirty years later, they reunite to stop the demon once and for all when it returns to their hometown.
She'd been wanting to see the new theatrical release of IT - I don't own a copy and likely never will as it's from Stephen King - but I *do* own a copy of this (It was in the same set as The Shining miniseries) so I agreed to let her watch this with me. Her mom got a bit upset with a "If she has nightmares I'm sending her to you!!" (they live directly across the street from me so it's a quite valid threat). I don't care - I watched "worse" at her age (the original Universal Monster films, and many of the SF/Horror films of the 50s/60s on a late night "horror host" show), had nightmares, and survived to tell the tale (in spite of mom's constant "Well... I guess you can stay up for both films, but if you have nightmares don't you dare wake me!").
I'm not a fan at all. Tim Curry does a good clown - but I see Curry and nothing scary in the portrayal. I also don't like clowns at all. I've never been scared of them but have also never found them to be funny. They've always bored me. I saw better comedy every day via The Three Stooges - often similar/identical gags done far better. But I digress... She said it was "OK" and was interested in the film the majority of the time, even laying on the floor facing the TV, elbows on the floor, chin propped on her hands, so as to get the full effect - something she doesn't do all that often. I'm hoping to get in Pt. 2 before the weekend is over but really think it won't happen.
And I'll not get in any movies today as my son is coming in from across the state and we plan to have a board game marathon when I get home from work - and I'll be leaving work early to help make that happen.
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Michael Elliott
Senior HTF Member
Bloodbath at the House of Death (1984) ** 1/2
A group of paranormal researchers go into a house where years earlier 18 people were slaughtered. This film is one that has been out of my watch for decades now. I've been wanting to see it for years but I just never got close to a copy of the film. Having now seen it I will say that it's bad reputation is rather no warranted. The film is basically a horror parody but it's one that actually works because the director gets the tone just right and there are some funny scenes including one inside an operating room where the doctor gets mad and begins throwing the patient's guts at other doctors. Vincent Price has a small role and gets few funny moments as well.
The Devil's Messenger (1961) **
Lon Chaney, Jr. plays the devil who shows us some sinful people. Here's a very low-budget anthology film where the stories were taken from a Swedish television series. None of the three stories are exactly good but out of the three I'd say the first one was the best. At 70-minutes the film is worth watching for fans of Chaney as he appears to be having a blast playing the devil.
Back from the Dead (1957) **
A woman marries the man of her dreams only to become possessed by his dead wife. This is a rather disappointing film because the story should have led to something better but instead we're just basically sitting there bored. There's never anything interesting done with the plot and the horror elements are all rather weak to say the least.
Don't Breathe 2 (2021) **
My wife has been counting down the days to when this was available to rent. I enjoyed the first film but this one here was just downright stupid on so many levels. As soon as the plot started to be revealed it just hit me like a ton of bricks that this was nothing more than a cash grab and they had no idea for a good sequel. The twists that follow were just as stupid. I had many issues with the original film including how the war vet was the bad guy and a bunch of thieving punks were the good guys but the way they try to turn the Blind Man character here just didn't work.
The Ghoul (1975) ** 1/2
I haven't seen this one since the VHS era but everyone keeps screaming for a Blu-ray that I thought I'd watch it again. Peter Cushing plays a father who is keeping his cannibal son in the attic. There's really not too much that happens here and it's an overall strange film but Cushing is simply wonderful here and you love his character so much that it keeps you entertained. Cushing plays a man dealing with his wife passing and if you know anything about the actor then you'll know his real wife died 4 years earlier and it still haunted him. He seems to be letting that play out here.
Slumber Party Massacre (2021) ** 1/2
I get what they were going for in this remake. Let's turn the tables where we exploit good looking guys and make them the idiots while our girl power has the ladies the strong ones. Cute. Honorable. Just not as smart as the filmmakers thought they were and especially when one considers that David DeCoteau has been doing this for years. Overall I thought the film had some insane violence and gore. All of the actresses did a great job and they kept you interested in what was going on. The guy playing the driller killer was very weird because it seemed he was trying to copy or mimic the original dude and it didn't work. The voice also really threw me off. However, like I often say with remakes, this one here isn't anywhere close to the original but it's better than that film's sequels.
Dark Places (1973) **
Directed by Don Sharp with Christopher Lee, Joan Collins, Herbert Lom and Robert Hardy yet the film has been unavailable for decades and forgotten? Basically Lee and Collins learn about a large sum of money in a house that Hardy is staying at. It turns out the house is haunted. There are some interesting ideas here but none of them get played out too well and the slow pacing doesn't help either. You can tell they weren't working with much money, which problem affected the haunting scenes. With that being said, the final ten-minutes are quite good and the cast members are all very good and keep this watchable.
A group of paranormal researchers go into a house where years earlier 18 people were slaughtered. This film is one that has been out of my watch for decades now. I've been wanting to see it for years but I just never got close to a copy of the film. Having now seen it I will say that it's bad reputation is rather no warranted. The film is basically a horror parody but it's one that actually works because the director gets the tone just right and there are some funny scenes including one inside an operating room where the doctor gets mad and begins throwing the patient's guts at other doctors. Vincent Price has a small role and gets few funny moments as well.
The Devil's Messenger (1961) **
Lon Chaney, Jr. plays the devil who shows us some sinful people. Here's a very low-budget anthology film where the stories were taken from a Swedish television series. None of the three stories are exactly good but out of the three I'd say the first one was the best. At 70-minutes the film is worth watching for fans of Chaney as he appears to be having a blast playing the devil.
Back from the Dead (1957) **
A woman marries the man of her dreams only to become possessed by his dead wife. This is a rather disappointing film because the story should have led to something better but instead we're just basically sitting there bored. There's never anything interesting done with the plot and the horror elements are all rather weak to say the least.
Don't Breathe 2 (2021) **
My wife has been counting down the days to when this was available to rent. I enjoyed the first film but this one here was just downright stupid on so many levels. As soon as the plot started to be revealed it just hit me like a ton of bricks that this was nothing more than a cash grab and they had no idea for a good sequel. The twists that follow were just as stupid. I had many issues with the original film including how the war vet was the bad guy and a bunch of thieving punks were the good guys but the way they try to turn the Blind Man character here just didn't work.
The Ghoul (1975) ** 1/2
I haven't seen this one since the VHS era but everyone keeps screaming for a Blu-ray that I thought I'd watch it again. Peter Cushing plays a father who is keeping his cannibal son in the attic. There's really not too much that happens here and it's an overall strange film but Cushing is simply wonderful here and you love his character so much that it keeps you entertained. Cushing plays a man dealing with his wife passing and if you know anything about the actor then you'll know his real wife died 4 years earlier and it still haunted him. He seems to be letting that play out here.
Slumber Party Massacre (2021) ** 1/2
I get what they were going for in this remake. Let's turn the tables where we exploit good looking guys and make them the idiots while our girl power has the ladies the strong ones. Cute. Honorable. Just not as smart as the filmmakers thought they were and especially when one considers that David DeCoteau has been doing this for years. Overall I thought the film had some insane violence and gore. All of the actresses did a great job and they kept you interested in what was going on. The guy playing the driller killer was very weird because it seemed he was trying to copy or mimic the original dude and it didn't work. The voice also really threw me off. However, like I often say with remakes, this one here isn't anywhere close to the original but it's better than that film's sequels.
Dark Places (1973) **
Directed by Don Sharp with Christopher Lee, Joan Collins, Herbert Lom and Robert Hardy yet the film has been unavailable for decades and forgotten? Basically Lee and Collins learn about a large sum of money in a house that Hardy is staying at. It turns out the house is haunted. There are some interesting ideas here but none of them get played out too well and the slow pacing doesn't help either. You can tell they weren't working with much money, which problem affected the haunting scenes. With that being said, the final ten-minutes are quite good and the cast members are all very good and keep this watchable.
Michael Elliott
Senior HTF Member
I was ten years old the first time my mother let me stay home alone. Guess what was on television that night? Part 1 of IT. I knew it was on and wanted to watch it that's why I begged my mother to let me stay home. It scared the hell out of me and I remember hearing "something" at the door and me running to my room to hide. Turned out to be my mother coming home.
Bryan^H
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2005
- Messages
- 9,550
The Watcher in the Woods (1980)
A likeable family moves to a beautiful home in the woods. Lynne Holly-Johnson is a teenager with a kid sister that explore the woods and find there is something supernatural happening that seems more frightening than even ghosts. They are targeted by someone..or some thing (Buffy reference) This film has an amazing capacity for spooky ambience, but so few scenes live up to that. I should like it a lot more, but so much of it feels like mumbo jumbo, time waste. Bette Davis as Ms. Aylewood a lady that lost her daughter years earlier dose a fine job in what I believe was her last role.
I much prefer the alternate ending that
'I'm not sayin it was aliens, but it was aliens'
Grade -B
Children of the Corn (1984)
I'm bummed I didn't have the money to buy the new 4K as I really wanted to experience that version, but the DVD is fine (couldn't find my Arrow BD). Isaac, and Malachi are the ringleaders -- brains, and brawn to usurp a cute little town and turn it into a haven for the young, and young only. Linda Hamilton and that guy from Thirtysomething are believable as a couple, (Linda Hamilton is believable in just about anything ...and hot!) and they soon stumble across this twisted town of sin, and treachery. The Blue man walks behind the rows or something, seriously I think I've seen this movie a couple dozen times, and that part of it still is kind of whatever. Creepier with just the kids going nutso, and living out their drama.
Grade -B+
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I conked out watching movie number two (a Milligan film, nuff said) so only one for me last night.
079 10/28 Dracula Has Risen From His Grave (1968) 3.5/5 Another solid entry in the Hammer Dracula franchise finds a couple of priests mucking about Drac’s old castle and resurrecting the ol’ neck biter. Has a good pace and Lee get’s plenty to do as he seeks vengeance on the Monsignor who fucked about with his castle. Having the priests involved also adds a subversive angle to this one which helps to set it apart. Bumped down half a star from my last review.
079 10/28 Dracula Has Risen From His Grave (1968) 3.5/5 Another solid entry in the Hammer Dracula franchise finds a couple of priests mucking about Drac’s old castle and resurrecting the ol’ neck biter. Has a good pace and Lee get’s plenty to do as he seeks vengeance on the Monsignor who fucked about with his castle. Having the priests involved also adds a subversive angle to this one which helps to set it apart. Bumped down half a star from my last review.
Michael Elliott
Senior HTF Member
From Beyond the Grave (1974) ***
Final anthology film from Amicus has Peter Cushing playing an antique dealer whose products deliver horror. Overall I thought all four stories here were rather good. If I had to pick a favorite I'd probably say that I enjoyed them in the order that they were shown. The first one with David Warner is a lot of fun and is almost like LITTLE SHOP OF HORROS only with a mirror. The second was good because of seeing Donald Pleasence and his daughter. The third story with the invisible demon was small scale but effective. The final story is the weakest but it still managed to be fun thanks in large part to the ending and some wonderful use of color.
Final anthology film from Amicus has Peter Cushing playing an antique dealer whose products deliver horror. Overall I thought all four stories here were rather good. If I had to pick a favorite I'd probably say that I enjoyed them in the order that they were shown. The first one with David Warner is a lot of fun and is almost like LITTLE SHOP OF HORROS only with a mirror. The second was good because of seeing Donald Pleasence and his daughter. The third story with the invisible demon was small scale but effective. The final story is the weakest but it still managed to be fun thanks in large part to the ending and some wonderful use of color.
John Stell
Screenwriter
Rating - Out of a possible 4
103) 10/28/2021 Halloween (1978)
The most elegant film of its kind ever made, this rumination on evil personified/the bogeyman draws the viewer no matter how many times one has seen it. This might just be the only film I watch every year without fail.
104) 10/28/2021 Halloween II (1981)
1/2
A sequel that gets almost as much right as it gets wrong, this is still pretty decent, although upping the gore quotient goes against the approach of its predecessor. It looks great, builds suspense, and features the ever watchable Donald Pleasence. But the sister twist is really silly and Jamie Lee Curtis is underutilized.
105) 10/29/2021 Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
A sequel that works well because it gives us interesting new characters and focuses on suspense instead of bloodshed. Nicely shot, although I miss the Panavision frame, and well-mounted. The ending chillingly brings things full circle. It would be another 30 years before they made a Halloween film this good. Now, a moment of silence for poor Ted Hollister.
103) 10/28/2021 Halloween (1978)
The most elegant film of its kind ever made, this rumination on evil personified/the bogeyman draws the viewer no matter how many times one has seen it. This might just be the only film I watch every year without fail.
104) 10/28/2021 Halloween II (1981)
A sequel that gets almost as much right as it gets wrong, this is still pretty decent, although upping the gore quotient goes against the approach of its predecessor. It looks great, builds suspense, and features the ever watchable Donald Pleasence. But the sister twist is really silly and Jamie Lee Curtis is underutilized.
105) 10/29/2021 Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
A sequel that works well because it gives us interesting new characters and focuses on suspense instead of bloodshed. Nicely shot, although I miss the Panavision frame, and well-mounted. The ending chillingly brings things full circle. It would be another 30 years before they made a Halloween film this good. Now, a moment of silence for poor Ted Hollister.
TravisR
Senior HTF Member
Like anyone who watched horror movies way too young, there was plenty of movies that freaked me out when I was a kid but I think Unsolved Mysteries managed to scar me for life. I watch The Untouchables now and I get nervous just hearing Robert Stack talking.
"Shit, Earl. It's Ted Hollister."
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