Official 25th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge 2024 (1 Viewer)

John Stell · Sep 28, 2024

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)

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)

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

Michael Elliott · Oct 29, 2024

The BLAIR WITCH rips continue with more money that I wasted:

The Erotic Witch Project (2000) * 1/2
Erotic Witch Project 2: Book of Seduction (2000) **
The Erotic Witch Project III: Witchbabe (2001) **
Lust in Space: The Erotic Witch Project IV (2005) * 1/2

The first EROTIC WITCH PROJECT actually has a lot in common with Jim Wynorski's THE BARE WENCH PROJECT. They were both released the same year so I'm actually curious on their production as to which happened first. If they shared ideas or what actually happened. Again, they share some identical ideas but perhaps both writers just had the same things in mind. Having said that, the Wynorski film is so much better as this one here features very little actual plot and is pretty much just mindless sex scenes. There's certainly nothing wrong with that but it does get boring when a film offers nothing else.

EROTIC WITCH PROJECT 2: BOOK OF SEDUCTION actually tries to tell a story and a continuation of the previous movie but it just doesn't work as it eventually runs out of gas and we're left with the sex stuff. Again, seeing hot ladies getting naked is but until it gets boring. THE EROTIC WITCH PROJECT III: WITCHBABE is a prequel and shows us how the Erotic Witch became who she is. Misty Mundae and Debbie Rochon appear so added points for that. Finally, LUST IN SPACE: THE EROTIC WITCH PROJECT IV has time traveling aliens going back to stop the Erotic Witch who actually isn't a witch but an STD. Yeah, more hot ladies and more sex scenes that eventually get boring.

John Stell · Oct 29, 2024

Bold - Denotes first ever viewing

Rating - Out of a possible 4

131) 10/28/2024 Blood and Black Lace (1964)

1/2

If director Mario Bava "invented" the giallo film with his black and white 1963 effort The Girl Who Knew Too Much, he refined and honed it with this colorful and gruesome thriller. Several murders take place at a fashion house motivated by the missing diary of an earlier murder victim. Everyone's a suspect. Uber stylish with twisty plot. But also, rather cold when it comes to the characters.

132) 10/28/2024 The Fog (1980)

1/2

Underappreciated effort from director John Carpenter, who, along with cinematographer Dean Cundey, cast a fine spell. On the 100th anniversary of the founding of small California town, it's discovered the founders were murderers, having double-crossed the leader of a leper colony to secure his wealth. Incredible cast (Hal Holbrook, Janet Leigh, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins) and technical aspects (production design, music, etc.) help deliver an engrossing old-fashioned revenge ghost story.

133) 10/28/2024 Pearl (2022)

In 1918, Pearl (Mia Goth) lives on her parent's farm while her husband is fighting in the Great War. Her father is a victim of the influenza pandemic and needs constant care. But Pearl is tired of the farm life and wants to be a dancer in the pictures. Her stern, German mother, however, knows there is a malevolence in her daughter and discourages Pearl from pursuing her dream. Thus, the stage is set for Pearl to reach her boiling point and lash out in mostly violent ways. A prequel to 2022's X, this fascinating character study of a psychopath works due to Goth's powerful performance, including a six-minute, unbroken take where she outlines her fears, worries, and self-loathing. There's not a false note in her portrayal and she makes what could have been just another psycho-killer clone must-viewing.

Scott Merryfield · Oct 29, 2024

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)

26. The Crow (1994)

First time watching this film. A young musician (Brandon Lee) and his fiance are brutally murdered by a ruthless gang on Devil's Night. One year later, he rises from the dead seeking revenge with the assistance of a mystical crow. From the same director as Dark City, it has a similar atmosphere, although a much different film. Both my wife and I enjoyed this one.

27. The Night of the Hunter (1955)

1/2

A terrifying performance by Robert Mitchum as a crazed, murdering, traveling preacher. Mitchum makes this film with his performance.

JasonRoer · Oct 29, 2024

Wow. It has been a few days. It's been super busy between work and getting ready for the move, so I've been unable to write up anything or participate in the thread. Should slow down for the next few days a bit, so hopefully I can close out strong!

For now:
93. Stranger Things S3, EP 1/2, 4.5 out of 5
My wife and I got back on Stranger Things and I'm thrilled for it!

94. Stranger Things S3, EP 3/4, 4.5 out of 5

95. Stranger Things S3, EP 5/6, 4.5 out of 5

96. Simpsons Treehouse of Horror 16, 4 out of 5

97. Slave Girls From Beyond Infinity (NEW), 3.5 out of 5
Basically it's The Most Dangerous Game with awesomely bad special effects/props, terrible writing, phenomenally bad acting, cheesy robots, tons of scantily clad dames, and well-timed nudity. Mystery Theater 3000 level flick. Just fantastic.

98. Deadtime Stories (NEW), 1 out of 5
Ho-hum (at best) anthology film. In the way that the cheesy horribleness of Slave Girls From Beyond Infinity was absolutely awesome, the cheesy horribleness of this anthology was just bleh. At a brisk runtime in the 1 hour, 15min range, it felt like an eternity, Avoid.

99. Dark Stories (NEW), 2.5
This held my interest more than the previous anthology. This one is a mostly French-speaking anthology film. Although I speak some French, it is not nearly enough to understand a French film. However, there were excellent visuals (particularly the first story), which allowed for enough of the story to be comprehended.

100. Simpsons Treehouse of Horror 17, 4 out of 5
Same ole', same ole; - just pure fun!!

101. Simpsons Treehouse of Horror 18, 4 out of 5

102. Simpsons Treehouse of Horror 19, 4 out of 5

103. From a Whisper to a Scream (NEW), 2.5
Another anthology film for me. I guess I got on a bit of a run. This one had Vincent Price in the connecting storyline for the other short stories. A few of the stories worked for me, others I was watching the clock. Worth seeing once.

104. Strangeland (NEW), 3 out of 5
I'm a Twisted Sister fan, and I happen to just really like Dee Snyder. So when I read earlier in the thread about this cult flick I hadn't previously heard of, and that Snyder not only wrote it, but starred in it, it was a no-brainer for me. Honestly, a pretty dang good effort here by Snyder. I mean, his acting isn't up to snuff, but it was a good story with some Hellraiser pleasure/pain S&M overtones. Well, overt-tones, I guess you could say. Enjoyable flick, and I'll be watching it again in the future.

Scott Merryfield · Oct 29, 2024

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)
26. The Crow (1994)
27. The Night of the Hunter (1955)

28. Jennifer's Body: Unrated (2009)

1/2

First time watching this film. Megan Fox is Jennifer, a high school student who is turned into a flesh-eating demon from a satanic sacrifice gone awry. Her best friend (Amanda Seyfried) is determined to end Jennifer's reign of terror. This was a decent film -- made all the better with the steamy Fox.

Neil Middlemiss · Oct 29, 2024

October 29: Alien: Romulus (2024) - 4 out of 5 – First Time Viewing

A small group of off-world workers struggling under the weight of the Weyland Yutani corporation’s abusive practices see an opportunity to break free. A derelict space station with a decaying orbit above them holds their salvation through cryosleep pods that will enable them to make the 9-year journey to the nearest other inhabitable system. But the station has a terrifying, deadly secret.

Alien: Romulus manages to connect so many of the loosely threaded dots that make up the somewhat fractured franchise, particularly the unfinished journey Ridley Scott was taking to establish what led to the crashed ship (the derelict) on the planet where the crew of the Nostromo encountered the xenomorph in 1979s Alien. And that’s no small feat.

Director Fede Alvarez, working from his script, gives us something new in the story set-up but a few too many direct nods to Alien and Aliens. Casual fans might not see all the echoes, but Alien franchise lovers may find them too plentiful and direct. Alvarez creates a small, interesting collection of characters with enough uniqueness in their characters to not blend into the paintwork. And the script doesn’t take the easy or obvious way out in several key moments. It takes some chances that make the film surprise us.

The performances are excellent, better than this franchise has seen in many years. The film revolves around Cailee Spaeny’s Rain and David Jonsson’s glitchy dad-joke-telling artificial person, rescued from a Weyland-Yutani pile of obsolete androids. The rest of the cast does well in their narrower roles, though including one character brought some controversy (which fans will recognize and understand why).

The horror of Alien: Romulus isn’t as pronounced as expected. The monster action is inventive, the visuals compelling, and Alvarez explores the alien's behavior through its various lifecycle stages in more detail. However, with some bloodiness and an interesting chest-burster moment aside, the film was surprisingly light on intense frights. As a film developed for Hulu and given a chance to shine on the big screen instead, Alien: Romulus is a winner, and this new branch of the Alien franchise has great promise.

Malcolm R · Oct 29, 2024

Night of the Demons (1988)

1/2

A group of high school teens has been invited to a Halloween party by oddball Angela, a goth chick who is rumored to be into the occult. The party is held at a local abandoned funeral home, Hull House, infamous for murders that occurred there and said to still be a hotbed of evil. As the group holds a seance, a demonic spirit is released, possessing the teens and starting a night of horror.

I guess this is some sort of cult classic to this day, though I'm a bit baffled as to why. The set is creepy and there is some decent makeup and gore FX, which I guess contributes to its legend, but it features some of the worst acting I've ever seen even for a low-budget horror film. Somehow I missed this back in the day, but did a blind buy of the Scream blu-ray.

sleroi · Oct 29, 2024

32 - Demonoid (1982) -

.5 - This movie is horrible, but laughably so. Id be amazed if this hasn't been featured on MST3K or Rifftrax.

Several mummified children are on display in Guanajuato Mexico, all missing their left hand. Because the left hand is the Devil's hand, spawned in hell. A minor finds a severed left hand in it's own hand coffin. It soon takes over his left hand and makes him drive to Las Vegas where he goes on a craps winning spree.
When the man's wife finds her missing husband she becomes the left hand's new obsession.

The film has a sinister, suspenseful score when nothing is happening but changes to a horrid disco score whenever there is action.

About the only positive thing I can say is that despite the ridiculous premise Samantha Eggar is charming throughout and tries her best to sell this garbage.

compson · Oct 29, 2024

Director David Cronenberg, part 2

52. Videodrome, 1983 (4K)*
53. The Dead Zone, 1983 (4K)*
54. The Fly, 1986
55. Dead Ringers, 1988*
56. eXistenZ, 1999 (4K)*
57. Crimes of the Future, 2022 (4K)*

I watched Dead Ringers on iTunes and the others on Blu-ray. My comments:

Videodrome (1983) stars James Woods as the manager of a small television station with programming that runs from softcore pornography to hardcore violence. The station comes across an underground television program named “Videodrome” that features a woman’s being tortured. Woods eventually learns that the program includes a signal that causes its viewers to perceive a melding of video and reality, a complicated scheme in a complicated movie, much richer than the simplistic dead teenager movies then popular. The old-fashioned special effects are sufficiently convincing until a scene late in the movie when we’re unable to suspend our disbelief that what we’re looking at is a human body. If I’m honest, the ending is a bit of a letdown, not out of place but its bang feels more like a whimper.

Cronenberg next made The Dead Zone (1983), based on a novel by Stephen King. The movie starts out well. After Christopher Walken wakes from a five-year coma, he sees visions of people he touches. Personal complications ensue, and various people seek his help, including a sheriff in search of a serial killer. In time, the movie loses its way. Individual scenes play well, but threads are picked up and then dropped (including the meaning of the title), and when a crass politician (Martin Sheen) enters the frame, the movie becomes something else. I’ve not read the novel, and I don’t know if the movie tries to do too much or too little, but the finished product is a disappointment.

The Fly (1986) is a remake of an entertaining 1958 movie about a scientist, at work on a not-ready-for-Star-Trek transporter device, who unwittingly mixes his body with a fly’s. The remake introduces a nice romantic element between the single scientist (Jeff Goldblum) and a female reporter (Geena Davis), and adds a harassing boss/former boyfriend who feels like a cliché. The special effects are convincing; at times, I couldn’t look at the screen. The movie is a good monster flick, with some effective scares and a monster both sympathetic and revolting.

Jeremy Irons plays twin doctors running a fertility clinic in Dead Ringers (1988). The two secretly take each other’s places, including in bed. One of the brothers goes into a tailspin, and the movie becomes a domestic drama about addiction, albeit with a gruesome element added to the mix. The setup is interesting, but I found the remainder of the movie tedious.

In eXistenZ (1999), games are downloaded directly into people through bioports in their spines, and players enter into different realities. Game designer Jennifer Jason Leigh, with a bounty on her head, flees the scene of an attempt on her life, traveling with a young marketing trainee (26 year-old Jude Law) and in time they enter a new game. The movie is terrifically creative and a heck of a lot of fun, with a fitting ending.

Finally, in Crimes of the Future (2022), human bodies are evolving. Viggo Mortensen’s is growing new organs. He and a female former surgeon are well-known performance artists whose act consists of her removing his new organs. Mortensen is offered the body of a man’s dead son to use in a performance art autopsy. A woman tells Mortensen that surgery is the new sex and she imagines him cutting into her. We’re in Crash territory. It’s a complicated reality, but conflict among various groups and with law enforcement as to how humanity should respond to a changing nature drive the story forward. The movie’s not for everyone, but for people who enjoy traveling off road, it’s a worthwhile ride.

t1g3r5fan · Oct 30, 2024

October 29: Eight Legged Freaks (2002; Ellory Elkayem): 4 out of 5 (Scream Factory Blu-ray)

When a barrel of toxic waste lands in a pool of water near a small Arizona mining town, it first makes the crickets grow larger, but when the spiders feed on the mutated crickets, the spiders grow to the size of cows. Now, Chris McCormick (David Arquette) must team up with the local sheriff (Kari Wuhrer) - whom Chris has unrequited feelings for - and the underground radio broadcaster (Doug E. Doug) to squash the feeding frenzy before this town becomes entangled in the web of the ravenous mutated spiders!

A tongue in cheek homage to the giant insect sci-fi movies of the 1950's, this movie has fun with its premise and the fact that it's played straight adds to some of more humorous moments. Scream fan favorite David Arquette is solid in the lead and Scarlett Johansson turns up in a early role, but it's Doug E. Doug who's the scene stealer here as the conspiracy spouting underground radio broadcaster.

Adam Lenhardt · Oct 30, 2024

(See my 2024 Summary for information on color coding and rating categories)

58) 10/29/2024 Pearl (2022)

1080P digital streaming on Paramount+, upscaled to 4K via Roku Ultra

I watched X back in 2022 as part of the 23rd October challenge, but didn't have ready access to this prequel at the time. It would have been interesting to watch that film and this film back to back. I don't know that I've ever before encountered two films shot on and set at the same location, in the same genre, with such completely different visual language, color palette, music, and tone. It's certainly a bold experiment, and even if it's not entirely successful, it makes for a wild ride.

Also bold: making a slasher movie with the visual language of three-strip Technicolor and the tone and focus of a fifties melodrama. If you've watched enough of those movies, it makes the swerves into pornography and graphic violence feel even more wild and jarring. If there's an issue, it's that the style is pushed a little too much at times, such that it can feel more like a pastiche than a genuine blast from the past.

Mia Goth reprises the title character here, set decades before the events of X, and wrote the script with X writer/director Ti West. Pearl is unique among the great silver screen psychopaths, both pitiable and terrifying, both childlike emotionally and dangerously perceptive.

There's probably an even better story to be told bridging the gap between the final scene here and where we meet Pearl and Howard in X. That must have been one hell of a transition.

I was going to roll right into MaXXXine, but I'm too tired. So that will kick off tomorrow night.

TravisR · Oct 30, 2024

95. Friday The 13th: A New Beginning

A killer stalks a halfway house for young adults. I talked about this one earlier in this thread but this movie is crazy (for a 1985 studio picture anyway) and despite being a bad movie, I have fun watching it.

96. Friday The 13th Part VI: Jason Lives

Jason returns from the grave and heads to Camp Crystal Lake to kill and Tommy must stop him. One of the best F13 sequels and somewhat ahead of its time in that it tries to mix some comedy in to the proceedings.

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

Jason is brought back to life by a girl with telekinetic powers and now she must stop him. A fan favorite but it's my least favorite of the Paramount F13 movies because it's cheap looking, the characters are annoying & easy to hate and it's not scary but Kane Hodder is an excellent Jason.

Dave Moritz · Oct 30, 2024

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
040 - 10/29 Species (1995) Shout Factory 4K Blu-ray
041 - 10/29 Poltergeist (1982) WB Blu-ray

HawksFord · Oct 30, 2024

19-20

I Walked with a Zombie (1943) — This Val Lewton and Jacques Tourneur collaboration is excellent. A nurse goes to a Caribbean sugar plantation to care for a woman who, while ambulatory, is otherwise unresponsive. The family is dysfunctional, the history of the island is rooted in slavery, and voodoo is the dominant religion. In the end, we can’t be sure of what really happened.

/ 5

The Seventh Victim (1943) — The second film on the recent Criterion release of two Val Lewton produce films is directed by Mark Robson and works as a bridge between horror and film noir. It’s similar in some ways to I Walked with a Zombie; a young woman is forced to leave her private school when her sister and caretaker disappears. Her investigation leads her to a cult based in Manhattan, but again we’re not really sure what happened. I found this slightly weaker than the first film in the set, but my wife had the opposite reaction.

/ 5

BobO'Link · Oct 30, 2024

October 29th

92. Children of the Damned (1964) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ - After the military tries to experiment on them, six impossibly intelligent children from the world over who possess dangerous psychic powers hide in a English church, warning the military to back off before carnage ensues.

Supposedly a sequel to Village of the Damned it really only shares the central theme of mentally advanced children becoming a threat to humanity. There's no alien presence, just a "normal" mutation. While banded together the children also don't have a leader and are more misunderstood rather than truly malevolent. It kind of has a message that's mostly lost with an ending that's a bit illogical and leans into a "accidental nuclear war" type scenario.

93. The Black Cat (1934) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ - American honeymooners in Hungary become trapped in the home of a Satan worshiping priest when the bride is taken there for medical help following a road accident.

An Edgar Allan Poe film that's *not* based on the story and simply lifts the title but there *is* a black cat in the story... There's lots going on - revenge, war crimes, Satanism, human sacrifice, necrophilia obsession, and the two antagonists playing chess for human souls - though most of that occurs off-screen. Lugosi is good and Karloff is better, though *does* have some quite odd makeup. An interesting film indeed.

94. The Raven (1935) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ - A brilliant surgeon with a morbid obsession for instruments of torture grows dangerously obsessed with a young socialite whose life he's saved.

Another Poe film that has little to do with the source outside using the title this is a follow-up to The Black Cat, again teaming Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff. Lugosi shines in this one and Karloff is quite menacing in his secondary role as a murderer Lugosi's character mutilates and then blackmails into committing even more murders with a promise to restore his features. Lugosi's character has a Poe obsession and builds a torture chamber in his basement, right down to a pendulum from Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum." It's quite fun and a nice pairing of the two.

95. The Invisible Ray (1935) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ - A scientist becomes murderous after discovering, and being exposed to the radiation of, a powerful new element called Radium X.

The third paring of Lugosi and Karloff sees Karloff taking the lead with Lugosi as second banana. This is another revenge film where the affected scientist goes after those of his expedition who had opposed him. Karloff is again very good in his role and Lugosi has a rather sympathetic role, which somewhat suits him.

96. Black Friday (1940) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ - Dr. Sovac transplants the brain of a gangster into his professor friend's body to save his life, but there is a side effect that causes a dangerous split personality.

In a *fourth* paring of Lugosi and Karloff, Lugosi again takes the lead, reportedly because Karloff didn't feel he could pull off a dual role as two American types. Lugosi isn't suited to the task and is a rather unconvincing mobster while Karloff is in a role he could perform in his sleep. Still it's an interesting premise and the film's worth a viewing.

Those four Lugosi/Karloff pairings come courtesy of a very nice BR from Shout! - Their "Universal Horror Collection Volume 1" release. They also benefit from being just over 60 minutes each so there's little to no time wasted in the quite concise stories.

RCRochester · Oct 30, 2024

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

Oct 29 - The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

The_Texas_Chain_Saw_Massacre_(1974)_theatrical_poster.jpg

Tobe Hooper's original classic. What I appreciate the most about this movie is the atmosphere. It has such a great sense of realism and a documentary like feel at times. Everything about it is so grimy and repulsive. I live in a largely agrarian province in Canada and often when driving outside of the city you pass by derelict houses and barns which always remind me of the old, run-down Hardesty home in this film. I think that sense of authenticity is what made the film so infamous and successful. You can feel and smell the heat, grime, and disgusting smells. The final sequence when Sally escapes from her ordeal and is running for her life is well done, you never get the sense that these are actors - it just seems so incredibly real.

John Stell · Oct 30, 2024

Bold - Denotes first ever viewing

Rating - Out of a possible 4

134) 10/29/2024 The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)

Utilizing the (fictional) Ten Curses of the Pharaohs as his inspiration, a thought-dead Doctor of Music (Vincent Price) is murdering the nine medical people he holds responsible for this wife’s untimely death. Highly stylized and campy revenge thriller with Price having a field day in the title role. One of the earliest “creative death” movies that would thrive in the 1980s.

135) 10/29/2024 MaXXXine (2024)

1/2

Mildly disappointing conclusion to Ti West’s “X” trilogy. Picking up after the events of X (2022), Mia Goth’s Maxine Mink is now in Hollywood in 1985, poised to make the switch to “serious” movies by starring in the low budget horror The Puritan 2. Meanwhile, Satanic serial killer Richard Ramirez is on the loose. But the police don’t think a pair of recent murders, the victims both friends of Maxine, were committed by Ramirez. And there’s sleazy PI Kevin Bacon, who’s been hired to find Maxine and perhaps more. Various plot threads tie together nicely by the film’s end, and Goth is fun. But the story has a mostly familiar ring to it and goes for an obvious villain.

136) 10/29/2024 Halloween (2018)

During his transfer to a new hospital, Michael Myers escapes and resumes the killing spree he started 40 years ago. But Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is armed and waiting. Good sequel to the classic has genuine tension and suspense and is populated by a good cast playing sympathetic roles. Nothing earth shaking but a solid effort.

137) 10/29/2024 A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)

1/2

Prequel to the first two films shows what happened on Day One of the invasion, which looks a lot like a hundred other sci-fi invasion movies dating back to the 1950s. Our main protagonist is dying cancer patient Lupita Nyong’o, who gathers her cat and goes looking for what may be the last slice of pizza on Earth. Nyong’o is excellent and the effects work just fine. But there’s nothing new here that we haven’t really experienced in the previous movies. Good for a few jump scares.

138) 10/30/2024 Madhouse (1974)

Vincent Price plays a one-time horror star, who was committed after the brutal murder of his fiancé. The murder never officially solved, Price is now reuniting with his writer friend Peter Cushing for a new TV series featuring the “Dr. Death” character, produced by Robert Quarry. But soon the bodies start piling up. Entertaining horror whodunit is fine showcase for its stars, even though the solution is fairly obvious.

Michael Elliott · Oct 30, 2024

Frankenstein vs. The Mummy (2015) **

Damien Leone made this film in between ALL HALLOWS EVE and TERRIFIER. What's funny about this film is that it pretty much highlights the lows and the highs of TERRIFIER. I say that because at nearly two hours this "B" film runs on way too damn long and it's full of bland characters and a pretty boring story. At the same time, there are some gore effects that look wonderful and I really loved the look of the mummy here. Overall, the film is mildly entertaining but I think an editor could cut enough out to make it much better.

Gothika (2003) **

A psychiatrist wakes up one morning and she's a patient in her own hospital accused of murdering her husband but she doesn't remember that. What's mostly amazing about GOTHIKA is that it features three Oscar winners with Halle Berry, Robert Downey, Jr. and Penelope Cruz. There are many problems with this film including the fact that it thinks it's very smart and it also thinks the viewer is really dumb. I mean, there are so many logical issues here that I was actually laughing throughout the picture. Like, why would Berry be put in the same place that she worked? Why would she be sitting with the people who were her clients the day before? Then you've got the supernatural stuff that doesn't work and worst of all is the big twist at the end. However, watching the three leads do their thing at least keeps the film mildly entertaining.

Devil in the Flesh (1998) ** 1/2
Devil in the Flesh 2 (2000) *

If you were a film loving during a certain era then you'll remember the FATAL ATTRACTION rips including THE CRUSH. This film is pretty much a rip-off of THE CRUSH with Rose McGowan playing a nutcase who falls for her high school teacher. The film lacks any real tension but I'll admit that I was a bit surprised by the high body count. McGowan isn't the greatest actress but she at least fits the role and is fun in it. Peg Shirley plays her religious nut grandmother and I thought she was downright hilarious in the part. A lot of the film plays for a serious nature but it comes off more campy than anything else but it's fun.

DEVIL IN THE FLESH 2 has the same character but this time she's falling for her college teacher. There are many problems with this film including the fact that it's basically a remake of the original with very little changed. It also didn't help that they brought back the same character because Jodi Lyn O'Keefe is not only not a good replacement for McGowan but she's also pretty bad in the role. In fact, the entire cast was pretty darn bad. No tension. No memorable kills. Just an all around bad movie.

JasonRoer · Oct 30, 2024

105. Simpsons Treehouse of Horror 20, 4 out of 5
Fun, fun, fun!

106. Simpsons Treehouse of Horror 21, 4 out of 5

107. The House on Haunted Hill, 4 out of 5
Remains an absolute treasure of a film for me. The story is pretty basic, but elevated with Vincent Price in the lead (as he pretty much elevates anything he's in). A few fun twists and turns all add up to a classic that has to be revisited every year for me.

108. House of Wax, 4 out of 5
Gave myself the joy of a Vincent Price double feature. Oddly enough, I believe these are the first two Price flicks I watched this season. Rather late in the game being Halloween Eve. Today was yet another unexpected crazy day at work, so I'm keeping this brief (also - everyone already knows the stories here). But I'm mostly on-call tomorrow, so I'll get to celebrate Halloween all proper-like! And on-call for today began about an hour 30 ago, so on that note:

109. Horror of Dracula, 4 out of 5
One of the most perfect Halloween movies ever made. Christopher Lee is simply sensational as Dracula. We all know Bela had a great spin on the character too, but let's face it, the film was booooring. Horror of Dracula has a sense of energy and urgency running through it coupled with stellar performances and the Hammer flair. This is the perfect lead-in to the big day for me!

Tony Bensley · Oct 30, 2024

25th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge (2024)

Once again, I'm joining a bit late in the game, but here goes:

001 10/12 DO DETECTIVES THINK? (1927) - This early teaming of Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy in this 2 Reel silent comedy may not be a horror film in the strictest sense, but does include a chilling graveyard scene, and features Noah Young as the Tipton Slasher who definitely possesses the necessary creep factor that would later become commonplace in more modern Horror/Slasher Films!

*Note: The upcoming LAUREL & HARDY: YEAR TWO Blu-ray set by Flicker Alley, which features HABEAS CORPUS (1928) with its forever iconic (Not to mention, hilarious!) graveyard scene, is scheduled for release this October 29th** for those who may want to try and squeeze in a viewing of what promises to be its best ever home video presentation before this 25th Annual HTF October Scary Movie Challenge creeps to a close! Flicker Alley/Blu-ray

UPDATE: ** The release date has been pushed back a week to November 5th. Thus, previous HABEAS CORPUS (1928) home video releases will have to suffice for pre Halloween viewing!

002 10/13 THE MUMMY (1932) – Stars Boris Karloff in the title role, with Zita Johann, David Manners and Edward Von Sloan (Who were both heavily featured in the previous year’s DRACULA!) in supporting roles. The opening music is the same Swan Lake score that was previously used in the opening credits for DRACULA (1931) close to two years earlier. Universal/Blu-ray

003 10/14 THE MUMMY (1999) – Stars Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz and John Hannah in this remake that actually borrows more elements from the 1940 Universal sequel, THE MUMMY’S HAND than the 1932 original, though some do remain. The version I have is in the old 1:33.1 “Formatted for TV” Aspect Ratio, which helps to lend it an old school air, if that makes sense! Universal/DVD

004 10/16 THE MUMMY’S HAND (1940) – Stars Dick Foran, Peggy Moran, Wallace Ford and Cecil Kellaway with George Zucco as the main antagonist. In some ways, I prefer this first Mummy sequel to the 1932 original. I find this film has some comedic undertones without succumbing to comedy, if that makes any sense? Universal/Blu-ray

005 10/20 THE ABBOTT & COSTELLO SHOW Season 1, Episode 11: HAUNTED HOUSE -
Stars Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Joe Besser, Sidney Fields and Hillary Brooke. The boys accompany Hillary to spend the night in her deceased Uncle’s House, which she must do in order to receive her inheritance. Does anyone else ever wonder just how executors monitor the (attempted) fulfillment of such absurd (albeit fun for the viewers!) terms? ClassicFlix/Blu-ray

006 10/21 THE MUMMY RETURNS (2002) - Stars Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah and The Rock in this sequel to the 1999 THE MUMMY Feature. Tons of adventure and CGI Fx abound! Universal/DVD

007 10/26 PRACTICAL MAGIC (1998) – Stars Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Stockard Channing and Aidan Quinn. A family of witches whose men they fall in love with are doomed to an untimely death. How can two sisters make love work? Well acted and well worth viewing, in my opinion! Warner/DVD

008 10/27 THE UNINVITED (2009) – Stars Emily Browning, Elizabeth Banks, Arielle Kebbel and David Strathaim. Strong performances by Elizabeth Banks and especially Emily Browning are for me what really make the twists in this psychological thriller work! Dreamworks Home Entertainment/DVD

009 10/28 THE MUMMY’S TOMB (1942) – Stars Lon Chaney Jr., Dick Foran, John Hubbard, Elyse Knox, Wallace Ford and Turhan Bey in this sequel (Which is supposed to take place 30 years later!) to THE MUMMY’S HAND (1940). Dick Foran and Wallace Ford both reprise their previous roles, though Wallace Ford’s character name differs somewhat (Babe Hanson, instead of Babe Jenson!) from that in the prior film, footage from which is reprised in the form of Steve Banning's (Dick Foran) flashbacks during about the first 12 minutes. From here on out, the 1940s era Mummy sequels are all 60 minute quickies, each with Lon Chaney Jr. as the Mummy. Universal/Blu-ray

010 10/28 THE MUMMY’S GHOST (1944) – Stars Lon Chaney Jr., John Carradine, Ramsay Ames, Barton MacLane, George Zucco, and Robert Lowery in the 2nd sequel to THE MUMMY’S HAND (1940), though none of the characters from that film appear, and George Zucco is the only cast member left from that initial THE MUMMY (1932) sequel. Universal/Blu-ray

011 10/29 GHOSTBUSTERS (1984) – Stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis and Rick Moranis in this iconic supernatural comedy that is evocative of its near mid 1980’s time frame while somehow remaining fresh, at least to this 60 year old dude! Columbia/Blu-ray

012 10/30 THE MUMMY’S CURSE (1944) – Stars Lon Chaney Jr., Peter Coe, Dennis Moore, Virginia Christine and Kay Harding in this final 1940s era Mummy sequel, released in December, 1944. By this time, the plots are rather repetitive and the timelines make no sense, though I suppose the film makers didn’t consider that to be of any importance.

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