***Official 25th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge 2024*** (5 Viewers)

[John Stell]

1. Watch 13 Scary/Horror/Halloween-Themed films, etc. from midnight October 1, 2024 through October 31, 2024 (use your own time zone to set the ending time).

2. Theatrically released films and short features count as 1 point each. Running times are irrelevant. TV specials (e.g. "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!") and individual episodes of anthology TV series (e.g. "The Twilight Zone") also count as 1 point each. For episodic TV series, 2 hour-long episodes (e.g. "The Walking Dead") count as 1 point and 3 episodes of 30 minute-long episodes (e.g. "The Munsters") count as 1 point.

3. Two of the 13 films, et. al. must be new discoveries, movies you've never seen before. The point of this is to see those few movies you've always meant to see, but never got around to. Please specify new discoveries in your film list by making them bold, adding asterisks, different colors, etc.

4. Come here and talk about 'em.

5. There is an uber-category, the Ultimate Splatter Challenge for those who wish to put all of the rest of us to shame. This is the heavyweight division. These people, if they choose to accept the challenge, must view 31 horror/scary/Halloween themed movies before dawn on Nov. 1st. Ten new discoveries are recommended for this one. The rest of us will bow down in awed reverence to these truly "Splatterific" HTF members. The bragging rights will be awesome and long lived. What movies qualify? If you wanna include it, go for it. There will be no hairsplitting. If The Wizard of Oz sends you to the dresser for a fresh pair of boxer shorts, all the power.

6. At the end of the challenge, the totals will be added up based on the point system outlined in number 2 above.


24th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge 2023 Results:
BobO'Link 138 (43)
Michael Elliott 138 (103)
Ruz-El 131 (115)
JasonRoer 128 (85)
John Stell 107 (20)
Travis 104 (2)
Compson 55 (33)
Adam Lambert 38 (18)
dpippel 33 (14)
Neil 31 (13)
Malcolm 28.5 (12)
HawksFord 22
EricSchulz 18 (7)

Spoiler: 2024 TCM October Schedule

Wednesday, October 2, 2024

Start of the Month: Bela Lugosi

• 8:00pm – Dracula (1931)
• 9:30pm – Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
• 11:00pm – Island of Lost Souls (1932)

Thursday, October 3, 2024

Creepy Cinema with Mario Cantone (starts at 8pm)

• 1:30am – The Wolf Man (1941)
• 3:00am – The Devil-Doll (1936)
• 4:30am – The Walking Dead (1936)
• 6:00am – Queen of Outer Space (1958)
• 7:30am – Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959)
• 9:00am – Forbidden Planet (1956)
• 10:45am – The Invisible Boy (1957)
• 12:30pm – The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
• 2:00pm – The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
• 3:30pm – Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956)
• 5:00pm – The Thing from Another World (1951)
• 6:30pm – Invaders from Mars (1953)
• 8:00pm – Sudden Fear (1952)
• 10:15pm – In This Our Life (1942)

Friday, October 4, 2024

• 12:15am – House of Wax (1953)
• 2:00am – Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1932)
• 3:45am – Mad Love (1935)
• 5:00am – The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)

Sunday, October 6, 2024

• 6:00am – The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)
• 7:15am – A Bucket of Blood (1959)
• 8:30am – The Brain That Wouldn’t Die (1962)
• 3:15pm – What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Start of the Month: Bela Lugosi

• 8:00pm – Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
• 9:30pm – Zombies on Broadway (1945)
• 10:45pm – You’ll Find Out (1940)

Thursday, October 10, 2024

Creepy Cinema with Mario Cantone (starts at 8pm)

• 12:30am – Spooks Run Wild (1941)
• 1:45am – Ghosts on the Loose (1943)
• 3:00am – The Death Kiss (1933)
• 4:15am – Scared to Death (1947)
• 5:30am – The Gorilla (1939)
• 8:00pm – Rear Window (1954)
• 10:15pm – Sisters (1972)
• 11:59pm – Poltergeist (1982)

Friday, October 11, 2024

• 2:00am – The Haunting (1963)
• 4:00am – Spirits of the Dead (1968)
• 6:15am – Carnival of Souls (1962)

Saturday, October 12, 2024

• 6:00pm – Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941)

Sunday, October 13, 2024

• 6:15am – Chamber of Horrors (1966)
• 8:00am – Two on a Guillotine (1965)

Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Start of the Month: Bela Lugosi

• 8:00pm – White Zombie (1932)
• 9:15pm – The Body Snatcher (1945)
• 10:45pm – Devil Bat (1940)
• 11:59pm – Mark of the Vampire (1935)

Thursday, October 17, 2024

Creepy Cinema with Mario Cantone (starts at 8pm)

• 1:15am – The Thirteenth Chair (1929)
• 2:45am – Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959)
• 4:15am – Queen of Outer Space (1958)
• TBA

Friday, October 18, 2024

• 3:15am – The Reptile (1966)
• 5:00am – The Plague of the Zombies (1966)

Saturday, October 19, 2024

• 6:30pm – Village of the Damned (1960)

Sunday, October 20, 2024

• 6:15am – The Ghost Ship (1943)
• 7:30am – Isle of the Dead (1945)

Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Start of the Month: Bela Lugosi

• 8:00pm – The Corpse Vanishes (1942)
• 9:30pm – Bowery at Midnight (1942)
• 10:45pm – The Saint’s Double Trouble (1940)
• 11:59pm – Broadminded (1931)

Thursday, October 24, 2024

Creepy Cinema with Mario Cantone (starts at 8pm)

• 1:30am – Genius at Work (1947)
• 2:45am – Ninotchka (1939)
• 4:45am – 50 Million Frenchmen (1931)
• 8:00pm – The Night Digger (1971)
• 10:00pm – The Brood (1979)
• 11:45pm – Demon Seed (1977)

Friday, October 25, 2024

• 1:30am – They Live (1988)
• 3:15am – The Hidden (1987)
• 5:00am – The Shout (1978)
• 6:45am – The Thing from Another World (1951)
• 8:15am – Transatlantic Tunnel (1935)

Sunday, October 27, 2024

• 7:15am – I Walked with a Zombie (1943)
• 12:00pm – The Invisible Boy (1957)

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

ALL-DAY HORROR AND THRILLERS

• 6:00am – House on Haunted Hill (1958)
• 7:15am – From Beyond the Grave (1973)
• 9:00am – Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)
• 10:45am – Frankenstein Created Woman (1967)
• 12:30pm – The Mummy (1959)
• 2:15pm – Horror of Dracula (1958)
• 3:45pm – The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
• 5:15pm – The Beast with Five Finers (1946)
• 6:45pm – The Seventh Victim (1943)
• 8:00pm – Psycho (1960)
• 11:45pm – Blue Velvet (1986)

Thursday, October 31, 2024

HAPPY HALLOWEEN HORROR

• 2:00am – The Strangler (1964)
• 3:45am – Night Must Fall (1964)
• 5:30am – Return to Glennascaul (1953)
• 6:00am – Doctor X (1932)
• 7:30am – Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933)
• 9:00am – Thirteen Women (1932)
• 10:15am – Freaks (1932)
• 11:30am – The Bat (1959)
• 1:00pm – The Wolf Man (1941)
• 2:15pm – The Black Cat (1941)
• 3:45pm – Dracula (1931)
• 5:15pm – Frankenstein (1931)
• 6:30pm – Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
• 12:00am – Night of the Living Dead (1968)
• 1:45am – The Devil’s Own (1966)
• 3:30am – The Devil’s Bride (1968)
• 5:15am – Eye of the Devil (1966)

Spoiler: 2024 AMC Fear Fest

Tuesday, October 1, 2024

• 12:00am – The Crazies
• 9:00am – The Apparition
• 11:00am – The Crazies
• 1:30pm – The Last House on the Left
• 4:00pm – Trick ‘r Treat
• 6:00pm – Thirteen Ghosts
• 8:00pm – Jeepers Creepers
• 10:00pm – House of Wax (2005)

Wednesday, October 2, 2024

• 12:30am – The First Purge
• 9:00am – Hellraiser (1987)
• 11:15am – House on Haunted Hill
• 1:15pm – The Haunting
• 3:45pm – The Last Exorcism
• 5:45pm – Poltergeist
• 8:15pm – The Exorcist (1973)
• 11:00pm – Christine (1983)

Thursday, October 3, 2024

JOHN CARPENTER MARATHON

• 1:00am – Carrie (1976)
• 5:27am – Violent Midnight
• 9:00am – John Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars
• 11:00am – John Carpenter’s Vampires
• 1:30pm – John Carpenter’s They Live
• 3:30pm – John Carpenter’s The Thing
• 6:00pm – John Carpenter’s Christine
• 8:00pm – Halloween (1978)
• 10:00pm – Halloween II (1981)

Friday, October 4, 2024

AMC Celebrates Nightmare Marathon

• 12:00am – Horror’s Greatest (2024)
• 1:20am – Halloween III: Season of the Witch
• 5:45am – Voodoo Woman
• 9:00am – Corridors of Blood
• 9:15am – The Creation of the Humanoids
• 9:30am – Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare
• 11:30am – A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child
• 1:30pm – A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master
• 3:45pm – A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
• 6:00pm – A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge
• 8:00pm – A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
• 10:15pm – A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)

Saturday, October 5, 2024

Friday the 13th Marathon

• 1:27am – Wes Craven’s New Nightmare
  3:59am – A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child
  6:00am – A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
• 8:00am – Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
• 10:00am – Friday the 13th: A New Beginning
• 12:00pm – Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
• 2:00pm – Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood
• 4:00pm – Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
• 6:00pm – Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday
• 8:00pm – Friday the 13th (1980)
• 10:00pm – Friday the 13th Part 2

Sunday, October 6, 2024

Final Destination Marathon

• 12:00am – Friday the 13th Part III
• 2:00am – Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday
• 4:00am – How to Make a Monster (1958)
• 4:15am – Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
• 6:15am – Jason X
• 8:30am – Freddy vs. Jason
• 10:45am – I Know What You Did Last Summer
• 1:00pm – Final Destination (2000)
• 3:00pm – Final Destination 2
• 5:00pm – Final Destination 3
• 7:00pm – Final Destination 5
• 11:56pm – Final Destination (2000)

Monday, October 7, 2024

Halloween Marathon Begins

• 9:00am – Invasion of the Neptune Men (1961)
• 9:15am – Jet Attack (1958)
• 9:30am – Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988)
• 11:30am – Motel Hell
• 2:00pm – Pumpkinhead
• 4:00pm – The Fly
• 6:00pm – Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
• 8:00pm – Halloween: Resurrection
• 10:00pm – Halloween (1978)

Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Halloween Marathon Continued

• 12:00am – Halloween II (1981)
• 2:00am – Halloween III: Season of the Witch
• 4:00am – Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers
• 9:00am – Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
• 11:00am – Halloween II (1981)
• 1:00pm – Halloween (1978)
• 3:00pm – Halloween: Resurrection
• 5:00pm – Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
• 7:00pm – Halloween (2007)
• 9:30pm – Halloween II (1981)

Wednesday, October 9, 2024

• 12:00am – Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
• 2:00am – House on Haunted Hill
• 4:00am – Piranha 3DD
• 9:00am – Invasion of the Neptune Men
• 9:15am – How to Make a Monster
• 9:30am – Halloween (2007)
• 12:00pm – Child’s Play (2019)
• 2:00pm – Candyman
• 4:00pm – Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
• 6:00pm – Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday
• 8:00pm – Friday the 13th (1980)
• 10:40pm – Friday the 13th Part 2

Thursday, October 10, 2024

• 1:20am – Hellraiser (1987)
• 3:35am – House of the Dead
• 9:00am – The Rite
• 10:45am – The Haunting
• 1:15pm – Cloverfield
• 3:15pm – House of Wax
• 5:45pm – I Know What You Did Last Summer
• 8:00pm – Final Destination 5
• 10:00pm – Final Destination 3

Friday, October 11, 2024

• 12:00am – Horror’s Greatest (New Episode)
• 1:10am – Child’s Play (2019)
• 3:10am – Ghost Rider
• 5:40am – Tanks of El Alamein
• 9:00am – Voodoo Woman
• 9:15am – Hellraiser: Inferno
• 11:45am – Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth
• 1:45pm – Hellraiser (1987)
• 4:00pm – Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare
• 6:00pm – Final Destination (2000)
• 8:00pm – Ghost Ship
• 10:00pm – Jeepers Creepers

Saturday, October 12, 2024

Stephen King Marathon

• 12:00am – The Last House on the Left
• 3:58am – Suicide Battalion (1958)
• 4:13am – The Ring
• 6:45am – Cujo
• 8:45am – Graveyard Shift
• 10:45am – Children of the Corn (1984)
• 1:00pm – Carrie (1976)
• 3:15pm – Misery
• 5:45pm – Thinner
• 7:45pm – Carrie (2013)
• 10:00pm – Silver Bullet

Sunday October 13, 2024

Fear the 80s Marathon

• 12:00am – Christine
• 2:00am – Carrie (2013)
• 5:43am – Thinner
• 7:45am – The Thing
• 10:15am – Child’s Play
• 12:15pm – Friday the 13th Part 2
• 2:15pm – Poltergeist
• 4:45pm – A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge
• 6:45pm – A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
• 11:30pm – Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan

Monday, October 14, 2024

• 4:00am – Body Snatchers
• 11:15am – A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
• 1:30pm – A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge
• 3:30pm – A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
• 5:45pm – Freddy vs. Jason
• 8:00pm – A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
• 10:00pm – Wes Craven’s New Nightmare

Tuesday, October 15, 2024

• 5:30pm – The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
• 7:30pm – The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
• 9:45pm – Trick ‘r Treat

Wednesday, October 16, 2024

• 6:00pm – Jeepers Creepers
• 8:00pm – Halloween: Resurrection
• 10:00pm – Child’s Play (2019)

Thursday, October 17, 2024

• 5:45pm – Christine
• 7:45pm – Carrie
• 10:00pm – Thinner

Friday, October 18, 2024

House of Horrors Marathon

• 9:00am – The Haunting in Connecticut
• 11:00am – The Shining
• 2:30pm – Misery
• 5:00pm – The Last House on the Left
• 7:30pm – House of Wax (2005)
• 10:00pm – Thirteen Ghosts

Saturday, October 19, 2024

Final Destination Marathon

• 12:00am – Poltergeist
• 4:00pm – Final Destination 2
• 6:00pm – Final Destination 5
• 8:00pm – Final Destination (2000)
• 10:00pm – Final Destination 3

Sunday, October 20, 2024

SLASHER SUNDAY

• 6:45am – The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
• 8:45am – Candyman
• 10:45am – Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
• 12:45pm – The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
• 3:00pm – A Nightmare on Elm Street
• 5:00pm – Halloween
• 7:00pm – Friday the 13th

Monday, October 21, 2024

• 5:45pm – A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
• 8:00pm – Halloween (2007)
• 10:30pm – Halloween II (2009)

Tuesday, October 22, 2024

• 5:30pm – Misery
• 8:00pm – Poltergeist
• 10:30pm – The Exorcist

Wednesday, October 23, 2024

• 6:00pm – Trick ‘r Treat
• 8:00pm – Final Destination (2000)
• 10:00pm – Final Destination 2

Thursday, October 24, 2024

• 12:00am – House of Wax (2005)
• 7:30pm – Ghost Ship
• 9:30pm – AMC Premiere Event: The Meg

Friday, October 25, 2024

Friday the 13th Marathon

• 9:00am – Friday the 13thPart VI: Jason Lives
• 11:00am – Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood
• 1:00pm – Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
• 3:00pm – Freddy vs. Jason
• 5:15pm – Friday the 13th Part III
• 7:15pm – Friday the 13th
• 9:15pm – Friday the 13th Part 2
• 11:15pm – Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday

Saturday, October 26, 2024

Creature Feature Marathon

• 1:15am – Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
• 3:15am – Friday the 13th: A New Beginning
• 5:15am – Friday the 13th
• 7:15am – The Mist
• 10:00am – Gremlins
• 12:30pm – Christine
• 2:30pm – Silver Bullet
• 4:30pm – The Fly (1986)
• 6:30pm – The Thing
• 9:00pm – Jeepers Creepers
• 11:00pm – Child’s Play

Sunday, October 27, 2024

Halloween Marathon

• 1:00am – Sleepy Hollow
• 3:30am – Eight Legged Freaks
• 9:00am – Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
• 11:00am – Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
• 1:00pm – Halloween II (1981)
• 3:00pm – Halloween
• 5:00pm – Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
• 7:00pm – Halloween: Resurrection

Monday, October 28, 2024

Final Destination Marathon

• 4:00pm – Final Destination 2
• 6:00pm – Final Destination (2000)
• 8:00pm – Final Destination 3
• 10:00pm – Final Destination 5

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Nightmare Marathon

• 9:00am – Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare
• 11:00am – A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child
• 1:00pm – A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master
• 3:15pm – A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
• 5:30pm – A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge
• 7:30pm – A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
• 9:45pm – A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
• 11:45pm – Freddy vs. Jason

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Halloween Marathon

• 2:00am – Wes Craven’s New Nightmare
• 9:00am – Halloween III: Season of the Witch
• 11:00am – Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
• 1:00pm – Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
• 3:00pm – Halloween
• 5:00pm – Halloween II (1981)
• 7:00pm – Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
• 9:00pm – Halloween: Resurrection
• 11:00pm – Halloween

Thursday, October 31, 2024

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Halloween Marathon Continues

• 1:30am – Halloween II (2009)
• 4:00am – Halloween III: Season of the Witch
• 6:00am – Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
• 8:00am – Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers
• 10:00am – Halloween: Resurrection
• 12:00pm – Halloween (2007)
• 2:30pm – Halloween II (2009)
• 5:00pm – Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
• 7:00pm – Halloween
• 9:00pm – Halloween II (1981)
• 11:00pm – Halloween

Friday, November 1, 2024

• 1:00am – Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
• 3:00am – Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers

 

[BobO'Link]

October 27th

81. Back from the Dead (1957) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲☼ - A woman is possessed by the spirit of her husband's deceased first wife, turning her into a cold, scheming flirt who will stop at nothing to get what she wants. The woman's husband, sister, and the sister's new boyfriend struggle with accepting what has happened, who has caused it, and how to correct it, which soon brings them into contact with a coven of devil-worshippers and forces of the supernatural.

A 50s movie I'd never heard of nor seen before Kino's BR release is a generally effective "spiritual possession" type film. Peggy Castle does a good job in the somewhat dual role of the possessed wife. There are a few mis-steps along the way to resolution as well as a couple of genre cliche's, but they're forgivable and not too glaring/distracting.

82. The Blob (1958) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ - An alien lifeform arrives on earth and consumes everything in its path as it grows and grows.

Cheesy, not that well directed, and visuals that are somewhat lacking, yet it's loads of fun. Hammer did the premise better a couple of years earlier with X The Unknown (1956) but The Blob is more fun. Like with most movies of its era, the "teens" look too old to be teens (and are as they're mostly played by 25-30yos) though it's forgivable in the scheme of things. I remember when this one came to my hometown on a revival tour in the early 60s. It looked scary and I was too young to be able to go to the Friday night showing (no Saturday matinee with this one) - bummer. I loved horror movies as a kid and mom hated that I loved them (they frequently gave me nightmares) but tolerated it and let me watch them anyway.

83. The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ - Sir Henry Baskerville responds to threats on his life by hiring consulting detective Sherlock Holmes to find out the secret behind the generations of Baskervilles who have died mysteriously on the moors, supposedly by a demon--hound from Hell.

Hammer's entry into the Sherlock Holmes mythos brings one of the best stories to the screen in a very good adaptation. They added an open that adds to the horror aspect of the story which lays out how the family curse came to be and effects the Baskerville family. Excellent all around with a very good cast.

84. Planet of the Vampires (1965) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ - Twin spaceships Argos and Galliot land on the volcanic and foggy planet Aura. Soon after, members of the Argos crew begin maiming each other in inexplicable fits of violence. When the Galliot's radio silence is investigated they discover its entire crew is dead, with evidence pointing to an orgy of killing. While the Argos is being repaired some crewmembers report seeing strange lights coming from a derelict alien craft nearby and investigate to find the craft littered with the skeletal remains of grotesque alien creatures. When hastily buried casualties of the Galliot begin returning from their graves, a terrible secret becomes obvious: spectral beings on Aura can mentally control and possess the dead bodies of their fellow spacemen.

Mario Bava constructed a truly good horror/SF outing with this one. It's also rather obvious that this is one of a handful of films from which Dan O'Bannon got "inspiration" for Alien (the other major influence being 1958's It! The Terror from Beyond Space). The lighting effects are rather good as are most of the vfx in general. The ending is rather open ended and somewhat implies a sequel is coming. It's a shame one wasn't made.

85. Fright Night (1985) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ - A teenager believes the newcomer in his neighborhood is a vampire and turns to an actor in a television hosted horror movie show for help to deal with the undead creature.

This is a hugely fun Vampire movie from an era when vampire movies were not common. It's even mentioned in the dialog from Roddy McDowall's "Peter Vincent" character: “The kids today,” he complains, “don’t have the patience for vampires. They want to see some mad slasher running around and chopping off heads.” No one believes Charlie though Peter is gradually convinced. The cast is very good with above average vfx helping deliver a great ride.

86. The City of the Dead (1960) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ - A young college student arrives in a sleepy Massachusetts town to research witchcraft and during her stay at an eerie inn, discovers a startling secret about the town and its inhabitants.

A slow paced witchcraft horror film that conjures a few good scares and atmospheric moments with a constant sense of dread, this is a winner. It's predictable and old-fashioned and just the thing for a dark night's viewing. When I talk about a love for the older, classic, genuinely scary horror movies this is the kind of film I'm describing. These films are the ones that gave me the most nightmares as a kid.

Another good day of viewings and I completed watching all the "new in shrink" horror films in my queue. That's a first as I almost always have a small handful left over every October. That also means every film from now until dawn on Nov. 1st will be those I've selected specifically and not because I have a new, unopened, copy on the shelf.

 

[dpippel]

OCTOBER 27, 2024
34) Hellraiser (1987) (4K UHD Disc) 3.5/5 – Clive Barker's tale of sexual perversion, obsession, sado-masochism, and demons from Hell. Written and directed by Barker, and based on his novella The Hellbound Heart, this film centers around a possessed Chinese puzzle box that, when activated, summons the Cenobites - four demons who inflict torture, pleasure, and pain upon whoever opens the box. The movie is creepy, but Barker's direction is a bit clunky and Hellraiser hasn't aged particularly well for me. Still, it's a unique production that spawned a whole franchise and propelled the Cenobites, particularly their leader, Pinhead, to the status of pop culture icons. Arrow's recently released 4K UHD set, that also includes all of the sequels, sees the film looking as good as it ever will look.

 

[RCRochester]

Spoiler: Previously watched

Oct 1 - Halloween Ends
Oct 2 - Child's Play 2
Oct 3 - The Evil Eye
Oct 4 - Frenzy
Oct 5 - Sleepaway Camp 3: Teenage Wasteland
Oct 5 - Cape Fear
Oct 6 - Tremors
Oct 7 - Theatre of Blood
Oct 8 - The Company of Wolves
Oct 9 - Death Ship
Oct 10 - Jurassic Park
Oct 11 - What Have They Done to Your Daughters?
Oct 11 - Ghostbusters
Oct 12 - Robot Monster
Oct 12 - Interview With the Vampire
Oct 12 - Ghostbusters II
Oct 13 - E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial
Oct 13 - Corpse Bride
Oct 13 - Angel Heart
Oct 14 - A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child
Oct 14 - Crimes of Passion
Oct 15 - Fright Night
Oct 16 - Haunted Honeymoon
Oct 16 - Creepshow
Oct 17 - Eaten Alive
Oct 18 - The Witches of Eastwick
Oct 19 - It
Oct 20 - Maximum Overdrive
Oct 21 - Creepshow 2
Oct 22 - Someone's Watching Me!
Oct 23 - Critters
Oct 24 - The Hitcher
Oct 25 - Jaws: The Revenge
Oct 26 - Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Oct 27 - Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)

I'm guessing it was the success of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom musical that inspired this early 90s mini-cycle of opulent, bodice-ripping takes on classic gothic horror. In both this and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein you have scenes with our heroes shirtless, seducing the leading lady in a manner that I can only describe as reminiscent of Harlequin romance book covers. Most horror was seen as grubby and trashy throughout the 80s, but this was lavish, epic, high-brow horror, the kind of horror movie aimed at patrons of the Lincoln Center. No expense was spared when it comes to production value including sets, costumes and star power. Keanu Reeves is as hilariously miscast as ever, but the remainder of the cast do an excellent job. Sadie Frost was particularly memorable as the cursed Lucy as she contends with the disease of vampirism. Gary Oldman's Dracula certainly is a character, strolling around London in his top hat and violet-tinted shades as the exotic, clueless foreigner exuding sex appeal. The effects and music also do a great job of adding to the atmosphere. I know a lot of people like to diss this film for whatever reason, maybe because it does get a little pretentious at times, but I thought it was a cool piece of studio-produced arthouse horror and one of the more notable films in Coppola's canon.

 

[John Stell]

Rating - Out of a possible 4

129) 10/27/2024 Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965) 1/2

Peter Cushing joins a train car holding five passengers, including Christopher Lee as a snooty art critic. Using his tarot deck, which he calls his "house of horrors," he tells everyone their supernatural futures: werewolves, creeping vines, voodoo, a disembodied hand, and vampires all figure in the stories. This was the first of Amicus' seven anthology films and, for my money, the best. Director Freddie Francis and his team create an atmosphere that none of the follow up films ever really captured, even if some of their individual stories were superior. It looks gorgeous too. The werewolf, hand, and vampire stories are all terrific, with perfect sting-in-the tail endings. The other two stories are good, and don't overstay their welcome. It's fun to Christopher Lee on the receiving end of the horror, and he's great. So is Cushing, who usually played a heroic role unless he was playing Dr. Frankenstein, but here cuts quite a sinister figure.

130) 10/27/2024 The Skull (1965)

Peter Cushing plays an occult researcher and collector of related objects who purchases the skull of the Marquis de Sade. de Sade was so evil that invisible demonic forces use his skull in their ceremonies, which take place on the first two nights of the new moon. Christopher Lee is a rival collector who warns Cushing of the danger, having once possessed the skull himself. With a script by Robert Bloch and direction by Freddie Francis, this is one of the trippiest horror films of the 1960s. Cushing has a Kafkaesque nightmare where he's arrested and imprisoned without being told the charge. Francis, making maximum use of widescreen, employs several POV shots from inside the skull, and comes up with some wild angles. The pacing can be slow and choppy at times. But the overall effect is a unique and unsettling experience.

 

[TravisR]

90. Halloween III: Season Of The Witch

An evil mask maker tries to wipe out millions of children on Halloween with deadly masks. This was a hated movie for a couple of decades but over the years, it's been reevaluated and embraced. It's not a perfect movie but it deserves points for being ahead of its time in trying to turn the series into an anthology and for doing something different than the previous two.


91. Friday The 13th (1980)

A killer stalks counselors at Camp Crystal Lake. The beginning of the long running series isn't the best of the F13 movies but it's up there. What I always find interesting about this movie is that it (and not Halloween) is the movie that was the real template for the slasher boom of the early 80's. While Halloween was the movie that Friday The 13th ripped off, F13 added gore and that became what the legion of imitators copied afterward.


92. Friday The 13th Part 2

Five years later and a group of people at a counselor training center next to the old Camp Crystal Lake are stalked by Jason. I love the score, Ginny the final girl, Jason's sack and that you can tell that the woods are actually on the east coast. This one has risen over the years to be my favorite entry in the series.

 

[Michael Elliott]

Strangeland (1998) ***

I remember all the controversy surrounding this film when it was originally released. It killed the theatrical release but it seems most people watched this one home video where it found a cult following. I'm just now getting around to it but I wish I had checked it out sooner. I'm sorry Rob Zombie but Dee Snider is a much better writer. The plot surrounds Snider's character of Captain Howdy, an internet profile who lures teens to his place where he tortures them with body modification. I thought the story was actually really good and I enjoyed the entire stuff with the detective trying to track him down. I like how the story of the detective trying to rescue his daughter only takes up the first half of the film and then it goes into new directions. Snider was really good in the lead role and Robert Englund was also good in his supporting part.

The Invasion of Carol Enders (1973) * 1/2

This Canadian made-for-television film had Dan Curtis as the Executive Producer but it seems he got into the director's chair to try and "fix" the film but I can't see any evidence of his work. The plot is pretty damn detailed for a 66-minute movie. Carol (Meredith Baxter) is making out with her fiancé when they are attacked and she is rushed to the hospital. At the same time, Diane (Sally Kemp) is killed in a car crash but it seems to have been murder so her spirit goes into the body of Carol.

I like what the film was trying to do but I thought it was a complete misfire. The plot is downright boring, the performances are bland and there's just no life or energy in anything that is happening. It's easy to see why this one here has been forgotten.

Lust in the Mummy's Tomb (2002) ***

Perhaps the greatest mummy movie ever made? Not really but you've got Misty Mundae playing a professor's daughter who goes into his room to find a book but instead discovers a mummy. Softcore erotica follows. I've seen quite a few Mundae movies and this here was among the best. At just 40-minutes the film doesn't overstay its welcome and it was pretty funny seeing the mummy used as a sex toy. Say what you want about Mundae but she always seemed to have fun in these roles and give it her all.

 

[RCRochester]

Spoiler: Previously watched

Oct 1 - Halloween Ends
Oct 2 - Child's Play 2
Oct 3 - The Evil Eye
Oct 4 - Frenzy
Oct 5 - Sleepaway Camp 3: Teenage Wasteland
Oct 5 - Cape Fear
Oct 6 - Tremors
Oct 7 - Theatre of Blood
Oct 8 - The Company of Wolves
Oct 9 - Death Ship
Oct 10 - Jurassic Park
Oct 11 - What Have They Done to Your Daughters?
Oct 11 - Ghostbusters
Oct 12 - Robot Monster
Oct 12 - Interview With the Vampire
Oct 12 - Ghostbusters II
Oct 13 - E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial
Oct 13 - Corpse Bride
Oct 13 - Angel Heart
Oct 14 - A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child
Oct 14 - Crimes of Passion
Oct 15 - Fright Night
Oct 16 - Haunted Honeymoon
Oct 16 - Creepshow
Oct 17 - Eaten Alive
Oct 18 - The Witches of Eastwick
Oct 19 - It
Oct 20 - Maximum Overdrive
Oct 21 - Creepshow 2
Oct 22 - Someone's Watching Me!
Oct 23 - Critters
Oct 24 - The Hitcher
Oct 25 - Jaws: The Revenge
Oct 26 - Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Oct 27 - Bram Stoker's Dracula

Oct 28 - Francis in the Haunted House (1956)

A group of criminals use the legend of a haunted knight to keep prying eyes away from MacLeod Castle, which they are pilfering for its treasures. Only Francis the Talking Mule knows what's really going on and recruits the aid of bumbling David Prescott from the mayor's office to help him.

The 7th and final movie in the popular Francis the Talking Mule series sees the charming Donald O'Connor replaced by the off-putting Mickey Rooney in the lead [human] role. I knew this wouldn't actually contain ghosts and such, that it would be one of those Scooby-Doo type capers, but I thought there would be a bit more of the story taking placed in the haunted castle. Instead, it's mostly just Rooney's character being accused of committing a series of murders and, of course, everyone thinking he's a crackpot for talking about Francis. There was some horror potential in the form of Timothy Carey as one of the henchmen, but he doesn't even have a line in the picture, denying us his usual insane snarling. Francis is as adorable as usual and his antics manage to make the film just about bearable to watch.

 

[Ruz-El]

This will be my last big chunk of films since life has taken over so I'll be sneaking in what I can while watching that "Fall of the House of Usher" with mom.

077 10/26 Through The Looking Glass (1976) 4/5 Adult. Highly recommended and should be part of the horror cannon.

078 10/27 Abigail (2024) 3.5/5 I really enjoyed this one. A vampire film that avoids most of the annoying genre trappings, gets to the point and and keeps moving until the end. A dead solid cast,between this and “Lisa Frankenstein” I kinda want Kathryn Newton to be a new scream queen. They could have cut the “puppet dance” sequence, but aside from that this was one action packed and delivered the goods.

079 10/27 Immaculate (2024) 3.5/5 My problem with this is I watched it too close to “The First Omen”, and being similarly themed this maybe wasn’t quite as fresh as it would have been. That said, it’s different enough to stand on its own and lead Sweeney does a great job doing the heavy lifting of carrying the film. Director Mohan packs it with atmosphere, keeps the pacing tight and includes a fun Bruno Nicolai needle drop. I have to admit, getting two nunsploitation films in one year and both being so solid, it’s a real treat for us heathen sickos.

080 10/27 Night Watch (1973) 3/5 Pretty solid psychological “Rear Window” remix that takes a bit to get going but the payoff is good. They do a great job of keeping the motive floaty, never being 100% sure if Liz is actually witnessing what she claims to see, or if it’s all a massive gaslighting. Elizabeth Taylor is always good, and she gets to be a bit histrionic in this which is always fun. The rest of the cast kind of rubbed me the wrong way frankly, but they were supposed to I think, so it’s not a knock. Overall, the last act is so good it’s worth a sit through to get to it.

081 10/27 The Substance (2024) 4/5 I loved this. I knew the base idea of what it was about, but had no idea it went as hard as this does. It gleefully obliterates the lines of good taste, but manages to not feel completely exploitational or “Edge Lord-y”. Both Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley are great in this, both showing a determination and great physicality to their performances. As gruesome as this gets - and it does get gruesome - it’s the sound design that steals the show and had me ready to fall off my chair. Frankly, depicting someone eating shrimp like Dennis Quade in this should be illegal. I haven’t seen all there is to see from 2024 as far as films, but based on the horror genre, it’s a fucking great year for strong women performances and stories and I love it.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Spoiler: Previously Watched

First time viewings in bold

1. Slumber Party Massacre (1982)
2. Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
3. Creepshow (1982)
4. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)
5. A Nightmare on Elm Street: Uncut Version (1984)
6. Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? Season 1, episodes 1-3 (1969)
7. Taste The Blood of Dracula (1970)
8. Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?: Season 1, episodes 4-6 (1969)
9. The Exorcist III (1990)
10. Halloween (1978)
11. Halloween II (1981)
12. Suspiria (1977)
13. Opera (1987)
14. Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? Season 1, episodes 7-9 (1969)
15. Evil Dead (2013)
16. Slumber Party Massacre II (1987)
17. Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
18. The Last House On The Left (1972)
19, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? Season 1, episodes 10-12 (1969)
20. A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)
21. Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)
22. All Hallows' Eve (2013)
23. All Hallows' Eve 2 (2015)
24. Friday the 13th: Part V: A New Beginning (1985)

25. Happy Death Day (2017)

First time viewing this film. This is basically Groundhog Day meets a horror film. Sounds simple, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I got this one for free using up my Universal rewards points as the program closed, and wasn't expecting much. The writing was clever, and the acting was also quite good. Jessica Rothe was very good in the lead role.

 

[Malcolm R]

25. Happy Death Day (2017)

The sequel is also pretty good.

 

[Neil Middlemiss]

October 28 Jacob's Ladder (1990) - 4.5 out of 5

It’s been several years since Jacob’s near-death experience in the Vietnam War, and he has begun seeing frightening images. Images of people who aren’t quite people, along with violent visions and harrowing hallucinations that are worsening. His hallucinations include that of his ex-wife and deceased son, wrecking his emotional stability and leading him to question what happened to him in the war.

Jacob’s Ladder is now almost 35 years old, and it remains a powerful experience. A film marked by frightening imagery and a deep sense of paranoia and unease, the film has always been a rich combination of character drama and psychological horror. This was actor Tim Robbins's most dramatic film at the time, having chosen to showcase his talents in more than just comedy for which he was best known. It’s a physical performance, profoundly sympathetic and impressive. The supporting cast, which includes the talented Elizabeth Peña and Danny Aiello, Macaulay Culkin has an uncredited role as Jacob’s son.

Certain films implant themselves in you at a pivotal moment in your life, and Jacob’s Ladder is one of those films. I was an impressionable 15 years old, sitting in a Southampton, England cinema, still young enough to be in the early days of going to the movies with my friends and not my parents, and I was disoriented and frightened by director Adrien Lyne’s work bringing to life the ideas and script from Bruce Joel Rubin’s screenplay. It’s a fascinating idea explored here, and the closing scene is still one of the most potent memories of my moviegoing life.

The film and its images have stayed with me since that first screening, and subsequent viewings have helped me more deeply appreciate the symbolism, grander ideas, and mastery of narrative the creators wove into the experience. It remains one of the most fascinating and haunting film experiences.

Jacob’s Ladder is filled with symbolism and imagery that nudges us to consider life, death, and what may come next. Legendary composer Maurice Jarre's haunting and beautiful music caps a vivid production that is at once sad, mystifying, scary, and emotional.

 

[Dave Moritz]

001 - 10/08 The Amityville Horror (1979) Vinegar Syndrome 4K Blu-ray
002 - 10/08 Drag Me To Hell (2009) Shout Factory Collectors Edition HD Blu-ray, correction to the fist post.
003 - 10/09 Silent Hill (2006) Sony Pictures HD Blu-ray
004 - 10/09 I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) Sony Pictures HD Blu-ray
005 - 10/10 Dawn Of The Dead (2004) Shout Factory 4K Blu-ray
006 - 10/10 The Conjuring (2013) iTunes / 4K Digital
007 - 10/11 Jeepers Creepers (2001) MGM Blu-ray
008 - 10/11 Oculus (2014) iTunes / HD Digital
009 - 10/13 Trick R Treat (2009) HD Digital - First Time Viewing
010 - 10/13 The Bride Of Frankenstein (1935) Universal 4K Bluray
011 - 10/13 The Mummy (1932) Universal 4K Bluray
012 - 10/13 Halloween (1978) Shout Factory 4K Blu-ray
013 - 10/14 Halloween ll (1981) Shout Factory 4K Blu-ray
014 - 10/14 Aliens (1986) Disney / Buena Vista 4K Blu-ray
015 - 10/15 Children Of The Corn (1984) Arrow Video 4K Blu-ray
016 - 10/16 Carrie (1976) Shout Factory 4K Steelbook
017 - 10/17 Friday The 13th (1980) Shout Factory Blu-ray
018 - 10/18 Halloween lll (1982) Shout Factory 4K Blu-ray
019 - 10/19 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) MPI Media Group 4K Blu-ray
020 - 10/19 Return Of The Living Dead (1985) Shout Factory 4K Blu-ray
021 - 10/19 SAW (2004) Lionsgate 4K Blu-ray
022 - 10/20 Hellraiser (1987) Arrow Video 4K Blu-ray - First Time Viewing
023 - 10/20 The Ring (2002) Shout Factory 4K Blu-ray - First Time Viewing
024 - 10/20 Child's Play (1988) Shout Factory 4K Blu-ray
025 - 10/21 The Last House On The Left (2009) Arrow Video 4K Blu-ray
026 - 10/22 Creepshow (1982) Shout Factory 4K Blu-ray
027 - 10/23 The Exorcist (1973) Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray
028 - 10/23 The Grudge (2004) Sony Blu-ray
029 - 10/24 The Haunting In Connecticut (2009) HD Digital / Netflix - First Time Viewing
030 - 10/25 Village Of The Damned (1995) Shout Factory 4K Blu-ray - First Time Viewing
031 - 10/26 The Shinning (1980) WB 4K Blu-ray
032 - 10/26 A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984) WB 4K Blu-ray
033 - 10/26 Rosemary's Baby (1968) Paramount 4K Blu-ray
034 - 10/27 Scream (1996) Paramount 4K Blu-ray
035 - 10/27 The Howling (1981) Shout Factory 4K Blu-ray
036 - 10/27 Halloween 4 (1988) Shout Factory 4K Blu-ray
037 - 10/27 Resident Evil (2002) Sony 4K Blu-ray
038 - 10/28 Friday The 13th Pt 2 (1981) Shout Factory 4K Blu-ray
039 - 10/28 Final Destination (2000) WB Blu-ray

 

[compson]

Director David Cronenberg, part 1

46. Stereo, 1969*
47. Crimes of the Future, 1970*
48. Shivers, 1975*
49. Rabid, 1977*
50. The Brood, 1979*
51. Scanners, 1981

*first time viewing

I watched all on Blu-ray. My comments:

Spoiler: Comments (minor spoilers)

Cronenberg was 26 years old when he made Stereo (1969), a 63-minute black-and-white film about eight subjects who, as part of a scientific experiment, consent to have surgery to make them telepathic. We see video without sound of the subjects’ interacting, but we hear frequent voiceovers with scholarly descriptions of the experiment and pick up pieces of information that loosely fit together to tell a story. The movie itself is an interesting exercise, but the experiment is not one I would care to see replicated.

With Crimes of the Future (1970), Cronenberg remained underground but upgraded to color. Our narrator is director of The House of Skin, a dermatology clinic that treats severely pathological skin conditions caused by the use of modern cosmetics. One patient oozes white foam that clinic workers enjoy consuming. The narrator visits a venereal disease clinic where one patient’s body is producing new, perfectly-formed but functionless organs. The narrator then goes to work for a podiatry group where he studies the genetic history of feet. Et cetera, et cetera. After making the movie, Cronenberg concluded that he wanted to earn a living making movies and therefore needed to move closer to mainstream.

Something bad is going on in a Montreal luxury high-rise apartment building in Shivers (1975). A retired professor of medicine attacks a young woman and then slices her and himself open. Tenants report free-moving growths in the abdomens, and it soon becomes apparent that the growths are not friendly. The special effects are obviously low-budget, but they, like the performances, are good enough to create some scary moments. The movie’s fun early on but loses steam in the men-vs.-monsters third act.

In Rabid (1977), Marilyn Chambers, better remembered for her performances in a different genre, plays a woman badly burned in a motorcycle accident who undergoes experimental plastic surgery. Soon, her embraces cause people to bleed and develop into flesh-eating monsters who foam at the mouth. The movie is fun but predictable and not as inventive as many of Cronenberg’s other films. Chambers exhibits some of the same qualities and acting talent that distinguished her earlier work.

In The Brood (1979), a woman is a patient in an unconventional psychiatric clinic and tells of being physically abused by her mother. Her husband takes their daughter to visit her grandmother, and while she’s there, a small person we barely see breaks in and kills the grandmother. In time, the killer strikes again. Oliver Reed is good as the sinister clinic director, and the movie offers some good scares and an image in the climax that’s creepy as hell. A key plot element is not explained, but perhaps no explanation would satisfy.

Cronenberg gained greater prominence with Scanners (1981), about “telepathic curiosities,” called “scanners,” who can hear people’s thoughts and control their bodies. Stephen Lack, a powerful but disturbed scanner, is recruited to oppose a malevolent organization of scanners killing scanners not aligned with it. Jennifer O’Neill is his compatriot; Patrick McGoohan is a self-assured research scientist. The movie is exciting and inventive, with believable special effects, violence and explosions appropriate to the story, nice plot twists, and an effective conclusion.

 

[sleroi]

31 - Christine - - A near perfect Stephen King adaptation. A possessed car could have been really silly, but Carpenter nailed everything.

---

 

[t1g3r5fan]

October 28: The Abominable Snowman (1957; Val Guest): 3.75 out of 5 (Scream Factory Blu-ray)

An English botanist working in the Himalayas joins an American's hunting party in the search of the mythical yeti (the Abominable Snowman). Early entry in the budding Hammer Horror wave features Peter Cushing in his first Hammer production and an eerie Humphrey Searle music score. Since the company couldn't shoot the film in the Himalayas, the French Pyrenees double for the world's highest mountain range here.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

57) 10/28/2024 The Beast Within (2024)

1080P HD digital streaming on Hulu, upscaled to 4K via Roku Ultra

Of all the werewolf movies I've seen this October, this one was by far the toughest slog to get through. It has a great cast, and an an appropriately eerie setting amongst the ruins in West Yorkshire. But too often the movie relies on stylistic flourishes or obfuscation when specificity is required.

While Kit Harington gets top billing, and it's his character Noah around which the movie revolves, this entire story is told through Caoilinn Springall as Noah's preteen daughter Willow. Our understanding of this family's fraught situation evolves as Willow's does. Lots of the movie is spent with Willow eavesdropping outside doors, with the clarity of the audio entirely dependent on whether the filmmakers want us to understand what is being said or not.

The core idea driving this one is lycanthropy as an allegory for domestic violence, but it's not a perfect parallel. The psychology underlying abusive relationships is well-researched and tragically predictable. Some of those hallmarks are on display here, but the movie's desire for a big reveal at the end means that we don't get to spend much in-depth time with these characters earlier on, only getting small glimpses of what life within this family is like. Over and over again, I found myself wanting more substance, especially because this movie spends far more of its time on the domestic drama than its werewolf drama.

The ending is open to multiple interpretations, none of them particularly satisfying.

 

[TravisR]

081 10/27 The Substance (2024) 4/5 I loved this. I knew the base idea of what it was about, but had no idea it went as hard as this does. It gleefully obliterates the lines of good taste, but manages to not feel completely exploitational or “Edge Lord-y”. Both Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley are great in this, both showing a determination and great physicality to their performances. As gruesome as this gets - and it does get gruesome - it’s the sound design that steals the show and had me ready to fall off my chair. Frankly, depicting someone eating shrimp like Dennis Quade in this should be illegal. I haven’t seen all there is to see from 2024 as far as films, but based on the horror genre, it’s a fucking great year for strong women performances and stories and I love it.

I saw The Substance in theaters and loved it. The acting and directing are both great, it's funny, it's disgusting and it's one of the best movies of the year.

 

[TravisR]

93. Friday The 13th Part 3

A couple days after Part 2, Jason kills young adults at a secluded cabin. Jason gets his trademark hockey mask but uninteresting characters and too much recycling of moments from the first movie easily makes this the weakest of the first four movies.


94. Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter

A couple days after Part 3, Jason kills young adults at a pair of secluded houses (it's totally different from the others ). The second best entry in the series. It's suspenseful, has great effects and stars Corey Feldman!

 

[BobO'Link]

October 28th

87. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ - Dr. Jekyll faces horrible consequences when he lets his dark side run wild with a potion that transforms him into the animalistic Mr. Hyde.

This is my favorite filmed version of the story. The transformation vfx, while "primitive," is effective and the resultant Mr. Hyde is the most fearsome put on film. It helps that it's pre-code which allows for a depth of story missing from subsequent versions.

88. Snow White: A Tale of Terror (1997) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ - A tale of the growing hatred of a noblewoman, secretly a witch and practitioner of the dark arts, for her stepdaughter, and her horrifying attempts to kill her.

This is *not* your kid's Snow White... No singing dwarfs or happy birds... This is a very dark tale with excellent photography, sets, makeup (you'll barely recognize Weaver when she's in full witch makeup), and imagery. It, unfortunately, did not receive a theatrical release and went straight to video because the studio had no faith in the film. It's a very good *adult* fairy tale and more in keeping with the general tone of The Brother's Grimm original stories, not the Disney versions.

89. Dracula: Prince of Darkness (UK cut) (1966) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ - Ten years after his demise, Count Dracula is resurrected by his servant and preys on four unsuspecting English tourists who have taken shelter in his castle.

Opening with a brief flashback to remind viewers of how Dracula was dispatched in Dracula (aka The Horror of Dracula) (1958) the movie mostly works but has a few issues. Christopher Lee is back as Dracula but does not speak, relying on growls/hissing to convey dread (reportedly Lee's choice as the dialog was awful). And it features one of the best sequences of all the Hammer Dracula entries where Barbara Shelley's character is held down on a table, hissing and writhing, as a stake is hammered into her heart by the dispassionate priesthood. Great stuff!

90. Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1971) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ - An archaeological expedition brings back to London the coffin of an Egyptian queen known for her magical powers. Her spirit returns in the form of a young girl and strange things start to happen.

A lesser but still interesting entry in Hammer's Mummy output this one's based on Stokers "The Jewel of the Seven Stars" which dispenses with the general shuffling bandage-wrapped male creature in favor of a non-wrapped, reborn female version. It's more supernatural based than previous stories and mostly works, though is a bit lacking in the casting department. It has a very interesting and well done opening segment.

91. Frankenstein Created Woman (1967) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ - After being reanimated, Baron Frankenstein transfers the soul of an executed young man into the body of his lover, prompting her to kill the men who wronged them.

A fine Frankenstein film from Hammer, this is *not* the remake of Bride of Frankenstein you'd think. It involves more SF features the prior entries as Frankenstein experiments with cryogenics, force fields, and soul capturing/transplantation. It becomes more about the "monster" as Frankenstein's creation, the soul of his executed assistant transplanted into the body of the assistant's lover who committed suicide following his execution, goes on a killing spree to get vengeance on the three miscreants who framed him for a murder *they* instigated. It works well and is an overall satisfying entry into the franchise.

And I'm doing much better with numbers than I expected due to a change in some circumstances in my life. It's mostly having to put the organization of the garage at the new house on the back burner due to my wife's home baking business having an unexpected increase in orders coupled with a few medical issues on both our parts (involving several unexpected Dr visits during the month). They've all combined to leave me with little time to work on the garage in favor of more movie time. I might actually hit 100 with a little extra effort over the next couple of days. We'll see...

 

[RCRochester]

Spoiler: Previously watched

Oct 1 - Halloween Ends
Oct 2 - Child's Play 2
Oct 3 - The Evil Eye
Oct 4 - Frenzy
Oct 5 - Sleepaway Camp 3: Teenage Wasteland
Oct 5 - Cape Fear
Oct 6 - Tremors
Oct 7 - Theatre of Blood
Oct 8 - The Company of Wolves
Oct 9 - Death Ship
Oct 10 - Jurassic Park
Oct 11 - What Have They Done to Your Daughters?
Oct 11 - Ghostbusters
Oct 12 - Robot Monster
Oct 12 - Interview With the Vampire
Oct 12 - Ghostbusters II
Oct 13 - E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial
Oct 13 - Corpse Bride
Oct 13 - Angel Heart
Oct 14 - A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child
Oct 14 - Crimes of Passion
Oct 15 - Fright Night
Oct 16 - Haunted Honeymoon
Oct 16 - Creepshow
Oct 17 - Eaten Alive
Oct 18 - The Witches of Eastwick
Oct 19 - It
Oct 20 - Maximum Overdrive
Oct 21 - Creepshow 2
Oct 22 - Someone's Watching Me!
Oct 23 - Critters
Oct 24 - The Hitcher
Oct 25 - Jaws: The Revenge
Oct 26 - Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Oct 27 - Bram Stoker's Dracula
Oct 28 - Francis in the Haunted House

Oct 28 - The Fog (1980)

100 years after the shipwreck which led to the founding of a small town in California, the ghosts of the dead return to seek vengeance on those who wronged them.

I would agree with those who say that this isn't top-tier John Carpenter. It has a few good jump scares and the titular fog does create an eerie atmosphere, but I didn't think some of the other aspects like the glass breaking and electronics going all wonky really worked all that well. I also felt that Carpenter's electronic score felt a bit out of place for this particular piece. I did appreciate the effort though, particularly the attempt to create a piece of modern folklore to explain the origins of "Blake" and the other denizens of the Elizabeth Dane. The effects work was effective and there was a strong cast - it was cool seeing both Jamie Lee Curtis and her mother Janet Leigh in the same movie (even though they don't share any scenes together).