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

[Tony Bensley]

21. ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948) – DRACULA COMPLETE LEGACY COLLECTION Blu-ray set (Universal)

The ONE film everyone in our household can always agree on for Halloween night viewing! Anyone who doesn’t at least like this film probably doesn’t like any of the original classic Universal Monster features either, it is THAT good!

Otherwise, sit back with the full confidence that you’re in for 83 minutes of ultimate comedy/horror greatness, whether it’s your 1st or 101st viewing!

The famous Staircase scene with Chick Young (Bud Abbott) and Wilbur Gray (Lou Costello) from ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948):

There are so many things this ever iconic classic gets right, but one aspect of ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948) that seems to garner little mention is the outstanding wardrobe, such as in this scene, that also features Jane Randolph, as Joan Raymond!

About the only thing they really get wrong is Count Dracula's (Bela Lugosi) clearly visible reflection in this shot, as he takes the bite on Sandra Mornay (Lenore Aubert)!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYONE!

 

[TravisR]

41. The Mummy's Ghost

The Mummy returns (again) and kills more people (again). More leg dragging and more stranglings and I love it.


42. The Climax

A doctor becomes obsessed with a woman who reminds him of his dead wife. Karloff is as good as he always is but the movie isn't that good. Plus, it has the hindrance of being in color and I don't want to see color in an old Universal horror movie.


43. Dead Man's Eyes

Chaney is an artist who is blinded but his girlfriend's father vows to donate his eyes to Chaney for transplant whenever the old guy dies. When the old man is killed, Chaney naturally becomes the suspect. Another decent entry in the Inner Sanctum mystery series.


44. The House Of Frankenstein

Another monster rally movie and this time, the mad scientist tries to rid Larry Talbot of the curse of lycanthropy but he, of course, has more nefarious plans involving the Frankenstein monster. I love John Carradine but he's not right for Dracula. That's basically a subplot at the beginning of the movie so it's not a major problem with the picture. Any movie with the Wolf Man is good though.


45. The Mummy's Curse

The Mummy returns again. Even more shambling and even more strangling and I still love it.


46. The Frozen Ghost

Chaney is a hypnotist who thinks he accidentally killed a man with his hypnotic abilities. Weaker entry in the Inner Sanctum mystery series. If anyone is paying attention, yes, these Inner Sanctum movies have wild titles.


47. Jungle Captive

The Ape Woman returns to life and starts killing again. The final Paula Dupree Ape Woman movie never made it to DVD which gives an indication of its overall quality but it's fun for fans of the Universal B-horror movies of the 40s. Also, Rondo!


48. Strange Confession

Chaney is a doctor working on medication for his jerk of a boss. The weakest Inner Sanctum with a mystery that isn't really that engaging.


49. House Of Dracula

The final monster rally movie. Dracula and the Wolf Man both seek cures for their respective monster problems and the Frankenstein monster comes along too. Any time you put Dracula, the Wolf Man, Frankenstein's monster, and a mad scientist in a movie, it's worth watching.


50. Pillow Of Death

Chaney's wife is suffocated with a pillow (hence the title) and he becomes the prime suspect. Easily the wildest title of the Inner Sanctum movies. Despite that, I like it.


51. House Of Horrors

A sculptor finds the Creeper floating in a river and uses him to kill the critics that are stopping him from earning a living as an artist. I guess this is technically a sequel to that Sherlock Holmes movie that Rondo Hatton was in because he was called the Creeper in that as well.


52. She-Wolf Of London

A woman fears she has been turning into a werewolf. Decent-ish movie that is a little different and interesting due to swapping the gender of the lead character to a woman.



And with that, I finish off the classic era of Universal horror movies. Hopefully, I'll get the Abbott and Costello and 50's sci-fi movies written up tonight.

 

[dpippel]

OCTOBER 31: HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

51) The Abominable Snowman (of the Himalayas) (1957) (Blu-ray Disc) 4/5 stars - One of my favorite Hammer films. A doctor of botany, played by Peter Cushing, is in the Himalayas staying at a monastery, while ostensibly researching the rare local plant life with his wife and team. In reality, he's also there to find the Yeti, a creature he's theorized and written about. Hooking up with an American expedition led by Tom Friend (Forrest Tucker), he heads into the high valleys looking for the creature, despite warnings from the monastery's Lama and the extreme misgivings of his wife. They find more than they bargained for. This film creates quite a foreboding and mysterious atmosphere that's helped along by the B&W cinematography, the sets, and the interesting script. The Shout! Factory Blu-ray is a mixed bag. Even though it's 1080p, some of the source material was only available in SD, and it's quite apparent where it's spliced into the film, but at least it's complete. The HD master as provided by the licensee is included as an extra, with the SD parts of the film missing. There's also quite a bit of minor print damage. Still, this is as good as the movie has ever looked, and it will probably never look better.

52) The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) (Blu-ray Disc) 4/5 stars - A wonderful example of the classic sci-fi films of the 50s, it's a great story (and screenplay) by Richard Matheson. Directed by Jack Arnold, Scott Carey (Grant Williams) and his wife Louise (Randy Stuart), are spending their vacation on his brother's boat when Scott is exposed to a strange mist that covers his body in iridescent material. Six months later, he discovers that his clothes are starting to become too big for him, or rather he's becoming too small for THEM. He's shrinking, and although his doctors eventually develop an antidote, it's only temporary, and Carey continues to get smaller and smaller. Iconic effects and a thoughtful script make for a very good film. The new Criterion Blu-ray looks superb for the most part, even during most of the effects sequences, but there are long stretches of what seems to be principal photography in the first half-hour that's inexplicably soft. Could be dupes or could be issues with the source elements, but it's noticeable. The Region B Arrow Blu-ray in comparison is sharper in these scenes, but I suspect it's artificial. The Criterion definitely has the upper hand IMO.

53) Donnie Darko (Theatrical Cut) (2001) (4K UHD Disc) 4.5/5 stars - One of the most inventive and unique films to come out of the last 20 years. The Director's Cut is a bit of a mess IMO, but the Theatrical is sublime. Everyone is on their game here and it shows. Time travel, alternate realities, fate, predestination, paranoid schizophrenia - what's not to love? And what a great soundtrack! The Arrow 4K Theatrical Cut (corrected) is, as many have pointed out, quite dark. I had to bump the brightness on my panel up by 5 points to compensate. Other than that, it looks fantastic.

 

[TravisR]

53. Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein

Bud and Lou ran afoul of Dracula (Lugosi!), the Wolf Man, and the monster. A classic horror comedy.


54. Abbott And Costello Meet The Killer, Boris Karloff

Bud and Lou have to clear Lou of involvement with the murder of a lawyer. Fun movie and you can't go wrong with Karloff.


55. Abbott And Costello Meet The Invisible Man

The title says it all. The formula is starting to run its course but the movie is still fun.


56. The Strange Door

Charles Laughton tries to get revenge on his brother. Like Phantom of The Opera or The Climax, I don't care for the olden days horror movie.


57. Scream

A killer stalks a girl one year after her mother was murdered. One of my all-time favorite movies and the best horror movie of the 1990s. (Why did I watch this while going through the Universal horror catalog? I saw it as part of a Fathom Event.)


58. The Black Castle

Another aristocrat guy wants revenge. Again, this costume drama kind of horror movie doesn't do much for me.


59. It Came From Outer Space

A meteor crashes outside a small desert town and an alien takes over people. The beginning of Universal-International's run of sci-fi horror movies is a winner.


60. Abbott And Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde

Again, the title says it all. And again, the formula is starting to wear thin but A&C are never without their charms.


61. Creature From The Black Lagoon

A group on a boat find a missing link in the Amazon. A classic and great design of the creature. Probably my second favorite of the Universal horror movies (behind The Wolf Man).

 

[BobO'Link]

October 31st
127. Hocus Pocus (1993) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
A horror/comedy from Disney.

A curious youngster moves to Salem, where he struggles to fit in before accidentally awakening a trio of diabolical witches that were executed in the 17th century.

Mostly Disney horror (i.e. very tame) on display in a vehicle for Bette Midler. She's OK but mostly screeches her way through the dialog. Overall, it's a fairly fun movie that's just about ruined by a few anachronisms that are there for no other reason than lame gags. The younger cast members pull it off well and make it worth watching.

128. Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
Elvira... in a movie...

Upon arriving in a small town where she has inherited a rundown mansion, a famous horror hostess battles an evil uncle, and townspeople who want her burned at the stake.

Full of double entendre and the usual "bad" jokes from Elvira just like you'd expect. If you like her horror host stuff you'll like this. If not, just stay away. I like it.

129. Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
A surprisingly fun blind buy.

Affable hillbillies Tucker and Dale are on vacation at their run down mountain cabin when they are mistaken for murderers by a group of preppy college students.

This is one of the funniest comedy/horror films I've seen in a very long time. It's full of scenes and lines that are sure to become classics. It's practically the reverse of a "kids trapped in a haunted house" movie as, one by one, the college kids manage to kill themselves due to stupidity and misunderstandings with Tucker and Dale as innocent bystanders.

130. Zombieland (2009) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
Another surprise film - mainly because it's about, you guessed it... Zombies.

A shy student trying to reach his family in Ohio, a gun-toting bruiser in search of the last Twinkie, and a pair of sisters striving to get to an amusement park join forces in a trek across a zombie-filled America.

I love the "shy student's" 30 survival rules. Otherwise it's a fairly standard zombie movie with some comedy in place. Bill Murray's cameo as himself is excellent with Woody Harrelson's "Tallahassee" being the glue that holds it all together.

131. The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
And old favorite I saw in the theater during its first run.

A timid typesetter hasn't a ghost of a chance of becoming a reporter - until he decides to solve a murder mystery and ends up spending a fright-filled night in a haunted house.

Don Knotts pretty much plays Barney Fife. There's even an Otis type town drunk. As a kid it was great fun trying to figure out how the organ in the haunted house played itself. And it's still a fun watch.

132. The Ghost Breakers (1940) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
Winding up the day of comedy horror and the challenge with an old favorite.

A radio broadcaster, his quaking manservant and an heiress investigate the mystery of a haunted castle in Cuba.

Hope and Goddard are teamed for another fun entry and are joined by the great character actor Willie Best in this fun "Old Dark House" ghost story. It's mostly the same story we had in The Cat and the Canary but who cares? Hope is funny, Goddard looks great, and Best does his bits. The studio was wise to release this very good follow up film.

 

[Tony Bensley]

22. DR. PYCKLE & MR. PRIDE (1925) - Stan Laurel Silent Comedy

For those who have a bit of time before retiring this Halloween Night, why not check out this gem of a Stan Laurel comedy short parody of Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde, which played on a recent Ben Model Silent Comedy Watch Party episode on YouTube? It starts at about the 1 hour and 5 minute mark!


CHEERS!

 

[dana martin]

Day 25 - 31 : 25 -31 October 2021: Feature Presentations: (1943) Chaney Jr as Dracula, Bela Returns as a Vampire, Turhan Bey gets another shot at stardom, and we enter The Inner Sanctum for the first time Part II

72. Son of Dracula: Dracula: Complete Legacy Collection (Release Date: Nov 5, 1943} 1/2
Ah the struggles of a working actor, poor Lon Chaney Jr. Steps into a weak scripted story about Count Dracula moving to the gothic South. It plays well for what it is, and there's some good model work with the bat and they're using and vaporizing into mist and the point where Chaney levitates across a swampy pond. But it seems his betrothed has completely other ideas as she has another beau that she wants to share her eternity with.

73. The Return of the Vampire: Shout! Factory (Release Date: Nov 11, 1943)
The master Bela Lugosi returns to a role he was born to play, when the "Jerries" bomb London and his coffin is on earth, 2 individuals while cleaning up the cemetery remove the steak from his heart, an release Armand Tesla once again on the English countryside. This film from Colombia does such a good job of letting Lugosi be Lugosi, and completely owned the role, and with a strong woman to fight him its a great touch. With a good story of individuals trying to find a vampire, redeem his servant who takes on werewolf form and look for redemption, at the same time our heroine is trying to not be thought of as crazy, during World War Two in England.

74. The Mad Ghoul: Universal Horror Collection: Vol 2( Release Date: Nov 12, 1943) FTV

Never seen this before so it was a complete shock to finding It was more more than a huge melodrama, wrapped in a horror film. Parts of it play along like daytime TV on this episode of General Hospital, George Zucco, is a college professor who is obsessed with Aztec way of anesthesia, but he has eyes for one of his assistant / students’ girlfriends played by the lovely Evelyn Ankers. Poor Ted, while Isabel, who is the singer and recording artist and radio star, but somehow Universal felt compelled to dub someone else singing her parts, during her tour, fell out of love with Ted and she became romantically involved with her concert pianist Turhan Bey, filling in nicely as a romantic lead, and reason for some of the mayhem. Different in its own unique way, as Zucco sort of uses Ted as a Mindless zombie to do his bidding.

75. Calling Dr. Death: Inner Sanctum Mysteries (Release Date: Dec 17, 1943)

Chaney Jr. gets his own series, and it's a damn good one, if it would have been 10 years later this would have been a great launch for TV, But at that time (10 years later) he was mostly doing Westerns on TV and occasional films, it could have been a TV series of rotating stories, hum do you think an anthology of some horror films, or spooky related mystery with murder would ever sell on TV.???

it might work for a few years, but would it be culturally significant enough, that people would still be watching it 66 years later,..... maybe

not as great a year as I had hoped for, work took a large bite out of off time, and the dog/remote incident cost me a few days as well. So 75 is the total I am looking at, there are some new (older releases in the whish list, for next years challenge), the only difference it only backtrack if it hasn't been seen, then start up right where I left off so (1945).

75 Films
23 First Time Viewings

Next Year Kicks off (1945)!

***Official 23nd Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge 2022***​

But first, I need to make it through, a carton of smokes

NOIRVEMBER

 

[TravisR]

62. Revenge Of The Creature

The Creature is captured and taken to an aquarium. Once he gets loose, he's not happy. Not as good as the original but still a cool movie.


63. Cult Of The Cobra

A group of soldiers make a cult mad and a cobra starts picking them off one by one. This idea might sound a little corny but I really like the movie.


64. This Island Earth

A man and woman are taken to an alien planet. Much as I love Mystery Science Theater 3000, this movie did not deserve the MST3K treatment.


65. Abbott And Costello Meet The Mummy

As always, the title says all. I like this one more than some of the other A&C monster movies. You can't go wrong with a movie where Richard Deacon wears a pith helmet.


66. Tarantula

A giant spider starts terrorizing a town. One of my favorite of the Universal sci-fi horror movies. Some of the special effects actually hold up quite nicely after 65 years.


67. The Creature Walks Among Us

The creature is horribly burned and they perform surgery on him. Changing the look of the Creature is an insanely bad idea but a Creature movie is always worth watching.


68. The Mole People

A group of scientists go into the Earth and find a group of people who live down there. Tons of stock footage and boring. This one did deserve the MST3K treatment.


69. The Incredible Shrinking Man

A man starts shrinking and as he gets smaller, normal parts of life become dangerous to him. Thanks to Richard Matheson's script, this is another classic of this era of Universal movies.


70. The Deadly Mantis

A giant mantis is thawed in the Arctic and begins attacking populated areas. Not exactly a good movie but the premise is enough fun that I've always liked it.


71. The Land Unknown

A group heads into the arctic and they accidentally go into a prehistoric land with dinosaurs and monsters. Great Cinemascope photography is the only thing that I like about this movie.


72. The Monolith Monsters

When fragments of a meteor get wet, they grow gigantically to the point that a rainstorm might wipe out a town and kill hundreds. The premise of this movie is ridiculous but it somehow works. One of the better movies from Universal's sci-fi period.


73. The Thing That Couldn't Die

A woman with psychic powers runs across a still living decapitated head. Another dud.


74. Halloween (2018)

40 years after the original Halloween, Michael Myers escapes again and Laurie Strode is prepared. I'm a big fan of this movie.


75. Halloween Kills

Picking up right after Halloween (2018), Michael is still killing people. Since the movie is only about two weeks old, I'll refrain from spoilers but there's some stuff I didn't like and more stuff that I did like. I'm definitely looking forward to Halloween Ends next year though.

 

[Neil Middlemiss]

October 31: The Thing (1982) – PERFECT (5 out of 5)

In the isolation of a remote Antarctic, a U.S. research team is unknowingly infiltrated by a creature that can perfectly imitate lifeforms, human or animal. A storm has them cut off from the outside world, and no-one is safe, no-one knows who they can trust, and no-one knows who is still human.

I revisit The Thing every Halloween and it never gets old. I’ve likely seen this film 30 or more times in my life and I am always drawn to the overwhelming craft mastery and insidious sense of bleakness, dread, and isolation. It is the purest form of horror to my sensibilities, and despite how relentless the research team’s predicament is, all the way to the ending, there’s enough possibility in the closing scene to not become irredeemably bleak.

John Carpenter has delivered many cinematic legends-Halloween, The Fog, Escape from New York, They Live, Big Trouble in Little China-and despite that incredible movie pedigree, it is The Thing, a film rejected by critics and audiences alike when it was first released, that stands as his greatest accomplishment. There is simply no finer film from this man, and I’d say, few horror films that can match what he managed here. It endures. It remains ever potent in its terror, ever frightening in its paranoia, and ever absorbing in its execution. Impressive cast, lead by Kurt Russell’s MacReady, delivers without faltering and Ennio Morricone’s score creates a gripping sense of menace (I listen to that soundtrack at least a few times a year, even in the non-Halloween season).

Simply a perfect film in every way. Direction, performance, score, cinematography, and certainly the brilliant and rightfully legendary effects work by Rob Bottin. This year I watched the new 4K disc from Universal and the film has never looked better. I already can’t wait to watch it again.

 

[TravisR]

76. Monster On The Campus

A college science professor turns into a caveman and runs amok at the school. Wacky premise aside, I'm a big fan of this one too.


77. Curse Of The Undead

A vampire is attacking people in the old west. Not bad. Considering the popularity of westerns in the 1950s, it's odd that this is the only western horror movie made by Universal.


78. The Leech Woman

A woman kills people to maintain her youth via an ancient potion. You can see that the budgets on these sci-fi movies had come down from This Island Earth or even Tarantula but this one is decent enough.


After finishing off the Universal catalog, I picked Scream after seeing the original at the Fathom Event.

79. Scream 2

Now in college, a killer stalks Sidney and her friends. I love this one too. I think it's funny and there's some great Wes Craven suspense sequences. A deeply underrated movie.


80. Scream 3

A few years later, Sidney is menaced as they make another movie about her life. Not bad but easily the weakest of the Scream movies.


81. Scream 4

More than a decade later, Sidney is back in her hometown when murders start again. There's so much great stuff in this movie. Like the second one, this is a very underrated movie.



OK, I'll post even more tomorrow. I don't even know my total yet.

 

[Malcolm R]

But is more of the worst Jason better than 5minutes of actual Jason? I'm gonna have to meditate on it.

Like the classic "would you rather" have a punch in the face or a punch in the balls.

My total will remain as previously posted. Travel was rather hellish with "mechanical problems", delayed flights and missed connections, and luggage put on a different plane and arriving hours later. They did offer a few scary movies on the plane, but nothing very good or that I hadn't seen already (such as Conjuring 3 and Amityville remake). We did finally make it to our destination a day late, but incredibly tired with no desire to watch movies.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Blue - Physical Media
Orange - Streaming
Black - Theatrical
Green - Cable/Broadcast Television

Bold - Denotes first ever viewing

Final Points: 31

38) 10/31/2021 Locke & Key 1x01 - "Welcome to Matheson"

(0.5 point)

After years in development hell and a couple false starts, Netflix finally cracked the adaptation of the acclaimed comic book series written by Joe Hill and illustrated by Gabriel Rodríguez. A failed Fox pilot in 2010 went nowhere, and only Jackson Robert Scott as Bode Locke was kept from the failed Hulu pilot. This version comes from Carlton Cuse ("The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.", "Lost", "Bates Motel") and Meredith Averill ("The Good Wife", "The Haunting of Hill House").

After a traumatic event in Seattle, Nina Locke relocates with her three children to her late husband's ancestral home in the small coastal town of Matheson, Massachusetts. The Locke children quickly realize that the house's name, Keyhouse, is not just a pun on the family's last name. The house's keys are powerful but dangerous, and there are powerful forces seeking them out.

39) 10/31/2021 Locke & Key 1x02 - "Trapper / Keeper"

(0.5 point)

As the older Locke children settle into their new school, the youngest Locke uncovers more about the mysteries surrounding their new home.

40) 10/31/2021 Locke & Key 1x03 - "Head Games"

(0.5 point)

When your past is full of horrors, memories can be a dangerous place to visit.

41) 10/31/2021 Locke & Key 1x04 - "The Keepers of the Keys"

(0.5 point)

An old basement holds old secrets.

42) 10/31/2021 Locke & Key 1x05 - "Family Tree"

(0.5 point)

Great power doesn't always with comes great responsibility, especially when it's in the hands of a teenager. When secrets become too much to bear, bury them out back. With other secrets, you must die to keep them.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

43) 10/31/2021 Locke & Key 1x06 - "The Black Door"

(0.5 point)

Time and tide wait for no man.

44) 10/31/2021 Locke & Key 1x07 - "Dissection"

(0.5 point)

True evil cannot be contained inside prison walls. Some doors, once closed, are closed for good.

45) 10/31/2021 Locke & Key 1x08 - "Ray of F**king Sunshine"

(0.5 point)

Sometimes the most secure place to hide something is inside your own head. And sometimes, that's not secure enough.

46) 10/31/2021 Locke & Key 1x09 - "Echoes"

(0.5 point)

Great power doesn't always with comes great responsibility, especially when it's in the hands of a teenager. When secrets become too much to bear, bury them out back. With other secrets, you must die to keep them.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

47) 10/31/2021 Locke & Key 1x10 - "Crown of Shadows"

(0.5 point)

Appearances can be deceiving, so don't judge a book by its cover. Vincenzo Natali directed the last two episodes of the first season, and you can really feel his influence.

48) 10/31/2021 Doctor Who 39x01 - "Flux: The Halloween Apocalypse"

(0.5 point)

It's fun that the show is back to serialized storytelling again, but there was a lot of sound and fury in this opener without a lot of cleverness or wit.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

 

[sleroi]

I finished with:

35. Frankenstein (1931) .5
36. Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

I like Frankenstein, but it has some lulls and doesnt quite live up to its included introduction. Its far more tragic than scary or horrifying.

But in the beginning of Bride when we first see the monster emerge from the water at the base of the windmill he looks scary and pissed off, and then viciously murders Hans and his wife. He then casually approaches Frankenstein's cackly old housemaid who ridiculously contorts her face and runs off screaming. And thus the genre of horror/comedy was born.

That scene is then followed by a conversation between Henry and Elizabeth about experiments, blasphemy and the devil that is far more interesting than any similar conversations from the first film.

Next comes the evil, squinting Pretorious and his little people. The effects in this film are more imaginative, the sets grander and more interesting, the cinematography more striking. And Henry seems to go a little more insane with power, finally living up to the unintentionally hilarious portrait of him from the beginning of the first film.

And Karloff is even more amazing in Bride as he changes from scary to one who learns to enjoy life's little pleasures, like a fine cigar. (Fire gooood!)

And it all leads to a perfect ending with that iconic shriek.

I didnt get to near as many films as I would have liked, but have enjoyed reading everyone else's posts and have already started putting together a list for next year's challenge.

 

[HawksFord]

26. The Tomb of Ligeia (1964) – For our last October themed movie, we watched the last of Roger Corman’s Poe pictures. Vincent Price has another of those roles in which he plays two different personalities as a man trying to move past the death of his wife while still being haunted by her memory. The setting is gorgeous—a ruined abbey in the English countryside. There’s an ambiguity to the supernatural elements here which I appreciated. A solid film and a good conclusion to the month.

 

[TravisR]

I went on a jag and watched the classic slasher series.

82. A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

Teens fall asleep and a burned maniac kills them. A classic that helped make Robert Englund the first horror movie star since Peter Cushing or Christopher Lee. One of Wes Craven's best movies and probably the definitive horror movie of the 1980s.


83. A Nightmare On Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge

Five years later, a teenager moves into the house from the first movie and Freddy begins to take control of him through his dreams. Not a great movie but Freddy is still scary so it's better than most of the sequels.


84. A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

A group of teens are in a mental hospital because they've been dreaming about Freddy and they come together to fight him. This is the movie where Englund's natural charisma starts to take over and Freddy becomes funnier but there is still a decent balance between the scares and laughs. Also, you like the kids and want to see them beat Freddy. The best of the traditional Elm Street sequels by a country mile.


85. A Nightmare On Elm Street 4: The Dream Master

A girl gets the powers of all the dream warriors and tries to stop Freddy. This is the movie that was the height of Freddy-mania so Freddy is pretty much only funny and while the movie has some pretty neat set pieces, none of it is scary.


86. A Nightmare On Elm Street: The Dream Child

The survivor from the previous movie is now pregnant and her unborn child dreams of Freddy. They dialed down the comedy with Freddy but the movie isn't very good.


87. Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare

A group of teens is being tormented by Freddy and a woman with a mysterious past finds a link between herself and Freddy. The last ten or fifteen minutes are in 3-D and it was fun at the time but like a lot of the other Elm Street sequels, this is just not a good movie. One thing I really like is the montage during the end credits using footage from the entire series.


88. Wes Craven's New Nightmare

Freddy tries to get from the movies into the real world using actors and creators from the first Elm Street movie. This is such a cool idea and the best Elm Street movie since the first one. Another classic from Wes Craven.


I always forget that the remake even exists so I didn't watch it.


89. Friday The 13th (1980) (uncut version)

An unseen killer starts killing off counselors at a camp. The beginning of my favorite slasher movie series is a good beginning for these movies. Great effects and some legitimate suspense. Despite Halloween, I think the success of this movie was the real start of the slasher craze because it touched off the gore aspect of those kinds of movies.


90. Friday The 13th Part 2

Five years later, a counselor training center (whatever that is) opens across the lake from the camp in the original movie. Unfortunately, Jason does not want anyone near his woods and he begins to take revenge for his mother's death. Over the years, this has become my favorite entry in the series. I love the east coast locations, I like all the characters especially the final girl, and sackhead Jason is cool and creepy looking.


91. Friday The 13th Part III

A couple of days after Part 2, Jason finds a secluded house in the woods and starts killing the people there. The movie where Jason gets his hockey mask. The movie is fun in 3-D but this is the weakest of the original four Fridays.


92. Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter

A few days after Part 3, Jason finds a pair of secluded houses in the woods and starts killing the people there (this plot seems familiar). My second favorite F13 movie thanks to the great special effects from Tom Savini and a satisfying and violent 'ending' for Jason.


93. Friday The 13th: A New Beginning

Tommy, a survivor from the previous entry, is now living in a halfway house and suffering from hallucinations of Jason as a new series of murders begins. This movie just piles on the murders, nudity, and profanity to the point that it feels more like someone's idea of a slasher movie than an actual slasher movie. That being said, the movie has become a nostalgic favorite for me because it's so off the wall.


94. Friday The 13th Part VI: Jason Lives

Jason is accidentally brought back to life and he heads back to Camp Crystal Lake which, unfortunately, just happens to be reopening. After A New Beginning, this was a good return to form and it introduced some comedy that works with (and isn't in contrast with) the rest of the movie. Plus, there's cool Alice Cooper songs. Another solid sequel.


95. Friday The 13th Part VII: The New Blood

Jason is reborn and a girl with telekinetic powers tries to stop him. Kane Hodder begins his run as Jason and he's great in the role but the rest of the movie isn't good. I hate almost all the kids so I'm never concerned or scared by their situation. The movie is cheap looking even for this kind of movie. A fan favorite but easily my least favorite of Paramount's first 8 F13 movies.


96. Friday The 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan

An accidentally reborn Jason gets on a cruise ship and starts killing off high school grads as their ship sails to New York City. Another bad movie but I have a nostalgic soft spot for it. Despite the title, the bulk of the movie is spent on a cruise ship and even once they get to NYC, it's almost all shot in Vancouver. The few minutes in Times Square are pretty cool looking though.


97. Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday (uncut version)

Jason is destroyed but his soul jumps from body to body possessing them and killing people. Credit to them for trying something new but this is not a good movie. The girl getting killed in the tent in the uncut version is pretty amazing though.


98. Jason X

Jason is accidentally cryogenically frozen and wakes up in the future ready to kill people. Like the previous entry, I give them credit for trying something new but this movie is lousy. Though it is better than Jason Goes To Hell. The face smashing and Crystal Lake VR scenes are good though.


99. Freddy Vs. Jason

Freddy uses Jason to kill people so he can use their fear to regain his power and infiltrate their dreams again. More a Nightmare On Elm Street movie than a Friday The 13th but they do a decent job of serving both characters. With a premise this silly, you just have to sit back and enjoy it. The final battle between the two does deliver.


100. Friday The 13th (2009) (extended version)

A young man is looking for his sister who went missing in the woods near the closed-down Camp Crystal Lake. The movie is basically a remake of the first four F13 movies and it's pretty successful. I doubt it's anyone's favorite F13 movie but it has decent effects and is fun.


101. Halloween (1978)

Fifteen years after killing his sister, an escaped mental patient comes back to his hometown and starts stalking babysitters on Halloween night. My favorite movie and a true classic.


102. Halloween II (1981)

Picking up right after the original, Laurie is taken to the hospital while Michael tries to track her down. The movie successfully recreates the style of the original and uses most of the cast and crew from the first. Probably the best sequel of the series.


103. Halloween III: Season Of The Witch

Departing from the Myers story, a mask maker hatches a diabolical scheme to kill millions of kids. Great widescreen photography, great score, and Tom Atkins. It's nice to have seen this one grow in stature over the last few years.


104. Halloween 4: The Return Of Michael Myers

Michael has been in a coma in a mental hospital for ten years and when he wakes up, he goes to his town to kill his niece. Excellent sequel with likable characters.


105. Halloween 5

A year later, Michael comes back to kill his niece. Arguably, the worst sequel that has unlikable characters and mostly wastes the ones that you did like from the previous movie.


106. Halloween: The Curse Of Michael Myers

Six years later, Michael is being controlled by a druid cult or something. Silly sequel but for me, it falls into the "It's so bad, it's good" category. I watched the theatrical cut but in either form, the movie isn't good but it's fun.


107. Halloween: H20

Tossing the previous movies' continuity, Michael returns after 20 years (who knows what he was doing that whole time or why he waited?) to kill Laurie and her family at a school. It's nice to see Jamie Lee Curtis return to the series but the movie is just a bad Scream clone so it's a pretty big dissappointment.


108. Halloween: Resurrection

A group of college kids spend Halloween night in the Myers house and webcast it. Another really lousy sequel but it's so goofy and outdated that its redeeming qualities are that it's good for a few laughs.


109. Halloween (2007) (director's cut)

A disturbed child kills some people and is locked away until he escapes 15 years later to stalk his sister. OK-ish remake that is better in its opening hour than the stalk and slash second hour.


110. Halloween II (2009) (director's cut)

A year after the events of the 'first' movie, Michael returns to kill an emotionally shattered Laurie and her friends. Bad sequel that has a few redeeming characteristics. At about two hours, this movie is way too long. Still not as bad as parts 5 or 8 though.


Forgive the length of this post. Still more to come though.

 

[John Stell]

Rating - Out of a possible 4

117) 10/31/2021 It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! (1966)

Still the best Halloween TV special ever. The animators really capture the feeling of autumn and the teleplay is cleverly constructed.

118) 10/31/2021 Bugs Bunny's Howl-oween Special (1977)

It's always the better option to just watch the complete shorts. But this is actually a well-assembled clip show with plenty of laughs.

119) 10/31/2021 Halloween (2018)

Direct sequel to the 1978 classic has Michael escape Smith's Grove and return to his hometown for more killing. Great cast with strong characterizations is what makes this reboot work so well. Love the look of the mask in this one too.

120) 10/31/2021 The Night Stalker (1972)

The finest made-for-tv horror film ever is brilliant mix of mystery, humor, and terror. Las Vegas reporter Carl Kolchak is both horrified and delighted to realize the villain in a series of brutal murders is a real vampire. Moves like a bullet to its cruel but believable ending. The cast is flawless.

121) 10/31/2021 The Night Strangler (1973)

1/2

Kolchak ends up in Seattle, is hired by his former editor, and gets involved with 144-year-old strangler who's trying to perfect his elixir of life. Almost as good as its predecessor, with many of the same qualities. The humor is stressed more this time out, but the story is a little more imaginative. Unfortunately the original 74 minute version hasn't been released, just the 90 minute overseas variant. Would love to see that again someday.

 

[John Stell]

Totals:

121 with 10 new views.

Will deal with the post-Halloween blues by diving into Kino's release of Kolchak: The Night Stalker: The Complete Series. With 21 commentaries that should take a while.

 

[John Stell]

Happy Halloween! I have enjoyed reading everyone's reviews. I only watched a very few movies this year. My dad passed away suddenly on September 28 and my heart just hasn't been in it.

I did take my mom out to a few movies, though. She was never a movie person and I've been dragging her along and teaching her Film History 101 on the way.

Sorry to read this. My condolences to you and your mom.