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

Tony Bensley · Oct 31, 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.

013 10/31 ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET THE MUMMY (1955) – Stars Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Marie Windsor, Michael Ansara, Dan Seymour, Richard Deacon and Eddie Parker as Klaris, the Mummy in this, the 28th and final feature Abbott & Costello made at Universal. While certainly no classic, for me this is easily the most enjoyable of the Universal Mummy Films. Lou Costello’s snake charming scenes are always a joy to watch, and there was simply no one better at being scared in comedy! Universal/Blu-ray

Well, this wraps up my October scary movie viewing. Off topic, but this month has been a period of adjustment, as I started wearing Hearing Aids on October 3rd for my recently diagnosed mild sloping to moderate hearing loss. As such, my October horror viewing was perhaps somewhat less than what it may have been, otherwise.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

CHEERS!

BobO'Link · Oct 31, 2024

RCRochester said:
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

Oct 30 - The Thing (1982)

View attachment 236564

Pummeled by critics upon its initial release and largely ignored by audiences binging on E.T., John Carpenter's film is now considered a masterpiece. My own opinion of it falls somewhere in between because I think there's been a bit of over-correction in the past few decades. I absolutely think it's a fantastic piece of sci-fi horror and a cool AF movie, but I also think many of the criticisms are valid, particularly when it comes to pacing during the back half of the movie, lapses in logic, and underdevelopment of the characters which I found lowered the stakes when it comes to caring about what happens to them. I did think the special effects were amazing and that Rob Bottin and his team were robbed of an Oscar nomination because they were certainly as good as, if not better than, the effects work in the other nominees (E.T., Blade Runner & Poltergeist).

I also find it interesting that while people generally like to shit on remakes, in the period from 1978 to 1988 there was a run of some fantastic remakes of classic horror films that were, in many cases, better than the originals (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Thing, The Fly, The Blob, et. al.)

I saw The Thing during its original run and thought it quite laughable - gory for the sake of gore and absolutely didn't "buy" Kurt Russell in a SF/Horror role. After all, he was a Disney alum known mostly for his comedy stuff (he *had* been in Escape From New York the prior year but I didn't even bother with that one - have now and it's a favorite). It was *years* later, and several rewatches, before I began to appreciate The Thing for it's vfx and overall story though I *still* do not consider it a "great" film but rather "very good" (I generally give it a 7/10). I prefer the 1951 film but this is now one of a small handful of SF remakes I'll watch.

I have a somewhat inherent dislike and disdain for remakes of "classic" films, no matter which genre. I *always* watch a remake/reimagining with a jaded eye. Sure, some "classics" are remakes themselves though it was quite often I didn't discover that until long after a first viewing. Many times they were better, sometimes not, once I finally saw the original. It was Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) that convinced me a remake of a classic *SF* film *could* be a truly good film. My enjoyment of that one is why I gave The Thing a chance (and came away quite disappointed). The other two you mentioned, The Fly (1986) and The Blob (1988), joined that rather elite group as did Body Snatchers (1993), The Little Shop of Horrors (1986) and Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) (Jury's still out on Dune (2021) as I've not yet seen Part 2 - but it's promising). Of that list, only Dune stands a chance of being "better than the original" for me. IMHO, the others, while all very good, are not.

Neil Middlemiss · Oct 31, 2024

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

Isolated at a remote Antarctic research station, a U.S. team is unknowingly infiltrated by a thing that can perfectly imitate lifeforms, human or animal. A storm sets in, cutting them off from the outside world, and they find themselves alone against a deadly threat they don’t fully understand. No one is safe, no one knows who to trust, and no one knows who is still human or who might be the thing.

The Thing is a film of rare exception and perfection. There’s no false note, a wasted shot, or a flaw in the premise or execution. The Thing is a masterpiece. The level of craft, precision, tonal excellence, and mastery of bleakness, dread, and isolation in this film is remarkable. Many films are called masterpieces, and not enough of them earn it. But The Thing is. Every shot in the movie matters and displays movement and framing that supports the story and expression of the cinematic art form. Dean Cundey’s cinematography is exquisite, Ennio Morricone’s score understated and brilliantly unsettling, and the performances compelling.

Director Carpenter was on a solid streak following his breakout hit with 1978’s Halloween. The following decade would see him deliver The Fog, Escape from New York, They Live, Big Trouble in Little China, and his most assured creation, The Thing. Dismissed by critics upon its release and with audiences unable to warm to it, it was a box office failure, and Carpenter reeled from that result. It has since come to be appreciated for the stunning piece of cinema it is.

An ensemble cast with Kurt Russell’s MacReady, the reluctant hero we invest in most. Wilford Brimley, Keith David, Richard Dysart, and other fine performers round out the cast. While the direction, performances, score, and cinematography are all models of the craft, and Bill Lancaster’s screenplay (based on John W. Campbell Jr.’s story) is adroit, the quintessential element vaulting the film into legendary status is the work by gifted effects master, Rob Bottin. His grotesque creations, with a dog face splitting open, chests opening with teeth, and heads stretching away from bodies before sprouting legs, are the fantastic stuff of nightmares. It’s an unparalleled achievement in practical effects.

It is a masterpiece without question.

That's me done for the year. I loved participating again and reading what everyone was watching!

Dave Moritz · Oct 31, 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
042 - 10/30 Poltergeist ll (1986) Shout Factory 4K Blu-ray
043 - 10/30 Pet Sematary (1989) Paramount 4K Blu-ray
044 - 10/31 The People Under The Stairs (1991) Shout Factory 4K Blu-ray

That concludes my 2024 October Scary Movie Challange

t1g3r5fan · Oct 31, 2024

October 31: The Other (1972; Robert Mulligan): 4 out of 5 (TCM broadcast)

For the finale of this year's marathon, Robert Mulligan's adaptation of Tom Tryon's novel melded the idyllic visuals of the director's earlier Summer of '42 (1971) with some themes from The Bad Seed. Chris and Martin Udnarvoky are great as Niles and Holland while Jerry Goldsmith's music score is both evocative of the era while maintaining an undercurrent of creepiness throughout.

And that will do it for me for this year's marathon. Catch you later for Noir-vember!

TravisR · Oct 31, 2024

I thought I was done but...

102. All Hallows' Eve

The first movie with Art The Clown is an anthology. The best story is the one with the babysitter & the kids which is more of a wrap around than a regular story. I don't particularly like them but the completist in me has now seen all of the Terrifier/Art The Clown stuff.

John Stell · Oct 31, 2024

Rating - Out of a possible 4

145) 10/31/2024 The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

1/2

Classic thriller about evil hypnotist, his somnambulist assistant (Conrad Veidt), and the murders that begin when they visit a small town. Visually arresting production design is completely justified given how the film ends. Veidt is especially memorable.

146) 10/31/2024 Nosferatu (1922)

Still one of the greatest vampire films ever made, with Max Schreck unforgettable as the demonic, plague-carrying Count Orlok. This unauthorized and not very well disguised version of Dracula wouldn't exist if Stoker's widow had had her way. You won't find Dracula to be a romantic figure here.

147) 10/31/2024 Dracula (1931)

1/2

Bela Lugosi makes his presence felt in every inch of this classic film, even when he's not on screen. The middle third may get a little talky but with a supporting cast including Dwight Frye and Edward Van Sloan I can't complain too much.

148) 10/31/2024 Frankenstein (1931)

Many people prefer the sequel, but this viewer thinks the 1931 effort is the best of the Frankenstein series. Colin Clive and Boris Karloff are terrific in their respective roles; the action never falters; and lack of a music score just makes things more intense.

Michael Elliott · Oct 31, 2024

30 Days of Night (2007) ***

I'm not familiar with the graphic novel that this is based on so I can't say how good or bad the film did bringing it to the screen. The film takes place in Alaska in a small town that gets no sunlight for 30 days so what better place for vampires to attack? I thought the film was pretty good and I liked the fact that it just had a grim, downbeat and at times dark vision. The people are in a horrible situation and the lack of sunlight just adds to the mood of the picture. I thought the performances were good and the gore was certainly fun and over-the-top. The one problem I had with the film was the fast vampires. As with zombies, I just don't think they're fun or scary when they're so fast.

Return to Oz (1985) ** 1/2

This "sequel" to THE WIZARD OF OZ falls well short of that film and what's really lacking here is any sort of magic. As a fantasy the film really doesn't work but as a horror film? Well, it's actually a lot better at being a horror film thanks in large part to some of the creepy supporting players including the pumpkin man. I thought Fairuza Balk was very good in the role of Dorothy and I liked how later in her career she played some rather dark characters. I thought that darkness quality of hers was always her best quality and it is on display here too. I thought the special effects were quite good on their own and especially the stop motion work but, at the same time, I didn't think they blended too well with the rest of the film.

Terror Circus (1974) ***

Aka BARN OF THE NAKED DEAD and NIGHTMARE CIRCUS, this film has Andrew Prine playing a screwed-up mommy's boy who starts to kidnap women and "train" them for his circus. This is basically a 70s exploitation film at its finest as you've got a really messed up killer, a bunch of hot ladies chained up and a mutant killer. This film certainly isn't groundbreaking but it's a lot of fun as long as you like these types of films. Prine is a very underrated name in the genre and he turns in a good performance.

Trick or Treat (1986) ** 1/2

This horror film became a hit on VHS but it disappeared for a couple decades due to rights issues. That is now resolved and it's a best-selling 4K now. I watched the streaming version but the film was fun for what it was but it wasn't anything too special. It was cool seeing Ozzy and Gene Simmons but they each only get one scene. The rest of the film deals with a nerd getting some confidence from his idol, a dead rock star but soon that star is wanting to kill. Most of these "nerd revenge" movies has the nerd wanting the help to kill but that's not the case here so both the nerd and his assaulters are turned into victims. I liked the music but there's just not much done with it.

yamato72 · Oct 31, 2024

My viewing was way down this year, mostly on account of playing Resident Evil 4 Remake all month (neglected to play Call of Duty WWII Nazi Zombies though). Anyway this is what I watched:

The Terror - Eps 2&3 (stream)
The Pale Blue Eye (new to me) (stream)
Oculus (BD)
Pride & Prejudice & Zombies (new to me) (meh, didn't finish) (BD)
A Nightmare on Elm Street (UHD)
The Witch (BD)
SISU (New to Me) (BD)
Sleepy Hollow (UHD)
Thirst (new to me) (BD)
Videodrome (Criterion BD)

compson · Oct 31, 2024

TOTAL: 63, and of those, 50 were new to me.

I ended with three animated features:

61. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, 1966 (4K)
62. Halloween Is Grinch Night, 1977 (4K)*
63. Mad God, 2021*

I watched the first two on disc and the last on iTunes. My comments:

I watched It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966) again to see if this is the year the Great Pumpkin arrives.

Boris Karloff, who narrated The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (1966) and voiced the title character, was dead when Halloween Is Grinch Night (1977) was made, and Chuck Jones, who directed the original, was not associated with the later work. I liked its animation design, but the feature has no magic.

Stop motion guru Phil Tippett was responsible for Mad God (2021), an experimental, dystopian film about a world altered and all but destroyed by nuclear war or a wrathful God. At least, I think that’s what it’s about. The movie is very impressive artistically and technically, but its story is deliberately obscure. This is a movie to be played at a college town midnight show for students under the influence of something other than Red Bull.

John Stell · Oct 31, 2024

Rating - Out of a possible 4

149) 10/31/2024 It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! (1966)

Classic Halloween special about Linus' belief in the Great Pumpkin; Snoopy’s pursuit of the Red Baron; and Charlie Brown’s inability to get anything but rocks. Beautifully animated, with great punchline.

150) 10/31/2024 Bugs Bunny's Howl-oween Special (1977)

While the best way to see the classic Warner Bros.' shorts will always be the full-length originals, this is actually a solid sample of spooky Looney Tunes shorts. Witch Hazel is as much the star of this as Bugs Bunny. Daffy Duck and Sylvester the Cat get some good laughs too.

151) 10/31/2024 Hair-Raising Hare (1976)

Bugs Bunny is lured to evil scientist's (drawn and voiced as Peter Lorre) castle where hairy, sneakered monster wants a rabbit dinner. More laughs packed in this than found in most 90-minute comedies. ("Don't think it hasn't been a little slice of heaven. 'Cause it hasn't.")

152) 10/31/2024 Garfield's Halloween Adventure (1985)

The obese, lasagna-loving cat goes trick-or-treating with "brother" Odie the dog; discovers isolated home where pirates hid their ill-gotten gains a 100 years ago and are planning to return Halloween night. Good laughs, cute songs, with sufficiently creepy animation of the pirate ghosts.

153) 10/31/2024 Halloween (1978)

Still the finest mad slasher (if you want to label it as such) there is, with a focus on style, suspense, and mood instead of graphic violence as substitute for all the above. Michael Myers' motivations can only be guessed at, as no definitive reason or reasons is/are given. That makes him unpredictable and scary.

154) 10/31/2024 Halloween II (1981)

1/2

Imitating most of the technical strengths of its predecessor is what gives the sequel its modest success, Story wise though the script is weak: a hospital where no other patients except babies seem to be present; a focus on graphic violence that betrays the first film; and an utterly ridiculous plot twist which doomed the series from this point on. On its own, though, it works mostly well. And Michael Myers is still creepy, the Pepe Le Pew of all slashers.

Malcolm R · Oct 31, 2024

Horror Express (1972) in 3D

1/2

Discovering a frozen humanoid in a glacier in Manchuria, anthropologist Alexander Saxton (Christopher Lee) loads the creature into a crate and has it placed on the Trans-Siberian express train back to Europe. Also on the train is Dr. Wells (Peter Cushing), a colleague of Saxton, who is very curious about what's in the crate, which Saxton guards zealously, offering only that it contains "fossils". Soon bodies begin to pile up with odd milky white eyes and, when autopsied, a brain that is completely smooth, which Dr. Wells explains is as if all of the person's memories and experiences had been removed. Soon they discover that what's in the crate is much more complicated than they expected.

A loose adaptation of John Campbell's novella, "Who Goes There?", which was also the basis for The Thing From Another World (1951) and The Thing (1982). Cushing and Lee are always fun to watch and while Telly Savalas' scenery-chewing cameo was kind of OTT, it was still entertaining. This was a 3D blu-ray created by AIPop via Kickstarter. I believe it may still be available from some retailers. Nothing much in the way of pop-out, but some nice depth, especially within the corridors of the train. A couple of minor glitches where characters had a momentary "shadow" of themselves, but nothing egregious. I did have to shift my wiring a bit, as something in my AVR or splitter didn't like how the disc was mastered and wouldn't pass-through correctly, but once I ran the video cable directly from my player to my projector, it looked very good.

The Resurrected (1991)

Claire Ward (Jane Sibbett) has hired a private investigator, John March (John Terry), in an attempt to discover what her husband is up to and try and save their marriage. Shortly after receiving a trunk full of family history and information from a distant relative, Charles Dexter Ward (Chris Sarandon) begins to isolate from his wife and friends while spending an inordinate amount of time in his self-built laboratory which receives all sorts of strange deliveries. After a confrontation between the couple, Charles moves his lab and experiments to a desolate family home which he also received in the inheritance. March eventually discovers a family diary from 1771, with notes and descriptions of attempts at necromancy. Further investigation reveals that there have been many "attempts" with horrific outcomes.

An adaptation of the H.P. Lovecraft story, "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward," this is probably one of the better Lovecraft films I've seen. Chris Sarandon as Charles Ward is excellent, playing a couple of variations of the character for reasons of plot. There are some great sets and lots of bloody FX. There are a couple of things that were kind of left hanging and some continuity issues in the opening scenes, but nothing that derailed the overall story. I did read that the studio did some editing before the final release that the director, Dan O'Bannon (best known for writing Alien), was not happy with, so that may explain these issues. It's a shame this went direct to video at the time, after the distributor went bankrupt, as it's a pretty good horror film. Watched the Shout! blu-ray.

Suzanne.S · Oct 31, 2024

01. 1 October 2024 - The Birds (1963) at the Wildey
02. 2 October 2024 - The Love Witch (2016) at the Arkadin - First time viewing
03. 3 October 2024 - The Maker (2011) on YouTube
04. 7 October 2024 - The Devil's Cabaret (1930) at the Arkadin - First time viewing
05. 7 October 2024 - Doctor X (1932) at the Arkadin
06. 9 October 2024 - The Fall of the House of Usher (1928) at the Arkadin
07. 9 October 2024 - The Phantom Carriage (1921) at the Arkadin - First time viewing

Now to catch up. We were out of town for nearly two weeks of the month but thanks to The Arkadin Cinema & Bar, I still managed to see quite a few films. They are the absolute best theatre in St. Louis. It's a "microcinema" with only 50 seats, but they have a membership program - for $25 a month you can see nearly everything. The owners go above and beyond to provide a viewing experience that you can't find anywhere else and the group of regulars are very film savvy and prone to much thought-provoking discussion. Nearly everything on this list was seen there unless noted.

13 October 2024
08. Viy (1967) - First time viewing
Fun Soviet horror film. A young seminarian is summoned to watch and pray over the body of a young woman for three nights. The practical effects were great and it is visually stunning.

This was preceded by a few Soviet Horror shorts.

09. The Queen of Spades (1916) First time viewing.
16 minute version of a ghostly folk tale.

10. Doctor Bartek and Death (1989) First time viewing
Stop motion puppet film. Beautifully atmospheric. Bartek carries a candle through a grove to become immortal. He heeds the call of a woman in distress. The woman is Death.

11. A Terrible Vengerance (1988) First time viewing
Animated version of a short story by Gogol.

12. The Nose (1963) aka Le Nez
Pinscreen animation by Alexandr Alexieff and Claire Parker. Another Gogol story told with brilliant visuals.

18 October 2024
13. Ghosts - Season 4 Episode 1 - Patience - First time viewing at home
Welsome return of one of my favorite shows. The new Ghost is a little off-putting but we shall see how things progress.

19 October 2024
14. Frankenweenie (2012)
Fun stop-motion film about a boy's love for his dog. There are so many great visual homages to classic horror in this one. Love it.

Preceded by:
15. Vincent (1982)
More stop-motion awesomeness by Tim Burton. You can't top narration by Vincent Price. It's a long-time favorite that I try to revisit every year.

20 October 2024
16. Eyes of Fire (1983) First time viewing
A cultish preacher and his followers are banished from their village and must try to survive alone in the wilderness. Rural Missouri stands in for New England in this atmospheric folk horror. It has many wild twists and turns and the ending was not at all predicatble.

17. The Witch (2015) First time viewing
Another family banished from their village. This is so well done. I loved every minute of it. I was not expecting the ending.

23 October 2024
18. The Ring (2002) First time viewing
This was not as scary as I was lead to believe, but I really enjoyed it. A few really great jumpscare moments and beautifully atmospheric cinematography. The movie on the tape reminded me of early avant-garde films.

19. Ringu (1998) First time viewing
This was shown after The Ring. As it started, I wsn't sure I was going to be able to sit through the story I just saw again, but I decided to stick it out. I am so glad I did. The beginning is very similar to the remake but the story changes quite a bit as it goes along. I felt that it was better paced and cut a lot of the extraneous explanation and subplots of the remake. Loved it.

25 October 2024
A Spooky Night at the National Building Arts Center
The NBAC is in Sauget, Illinois. They are dedicated to collecting the remnants of historic architecture and building decoration. They also have a library and research center. This event was in partnership with Silents, Please, STL and as such, was a program of silent horror themed shorts presented in a building which warehouses the plaster decorative remains of the historic Ambassador Theatre from downtown St. Louis which was demolished in 1996. One one short was new to me, but it was nice to see so many people come out to see silents on a night when there were so many other things to do in town, including two other silent film offerings with live accompaniment.

20. The Red Spectre (1907)
Trick film by Segundo de Chómon in a similar vein to Méliès early films.

21. The Bewitched House (1907)
Another Chómon film featuring stop-motion and pixellation techniques.

22. Frankenstein (1910)
A very different and condensed version of the familiar tale.

23. Suspense. (1913)
Lois Weber's suspenseful short about a woman, home alone with a baby being terrorized by a hobo. Not very much horror, but it has a wonderful build-up to the climax and is visually miles ahead of what D.W. Griffith was doing at the same time.

24. The Portrait (1915)
Stop motion animator Wladyslaw Starewicz takes on another story by Gogol in this wonderfully atmospheric tale. From what I understand, what is available now is an 8 minute fragment of what was a 45 minute film. Based on what is left, I'd love to see the full version. It is a shame that it is lost.

25. Daisy Doodad's Dial (1914) First time viewing
Not really horror, but it has a great dream sequence. Daisy and her husband are actors entering a funny faces contest. Perfect for silent comedy.

26. Felix the Cat Switches Witches (1927)
Typical Felix short in which he manipulates his environement in fun and unexpected ways.

27. The Fall of the House of Usher (1928)
Kate showed this at the Arkadin preceding The Phantom Carriage. It is still beautiful, but at least one audience member walked out. It's not for everyone.

28. The Haunted House (1921)
Fast paced Buster Keaton romp.

26 October 2024
29. Ghosts - Season 4 Episode 2 - Sam's Dad - First time viewing at home
It was fun finding out Patience's ghost power.

27 October 2024
30. Onibaba (1964) First time viewing
Beautifully photographed, atmospheric horror from Japan. The slow motion photography of the tall grasses waving in the incessant winds sets the scene of lonliness and isolation. Two women are struggling to survive while the man of the house is away at war.

Preceding the film several episodes of the Japanese TV Series Kaidan Shin Mimibukuro (2003). These are short supernatural stories told, usually in five to ten minutes. I really enjoyed all of them and would love to see more. They were released on DVD but are very hard to find.

31. Season 1 Episode 4 - Raikyaku (The Visitor)
32. Season 1 Episode 5 - Dai nanajû nana wa: Hyaku monogatari no shuzai (Covering the 100 Tales)
33. Season 1 Episode 6 - Kasettotepu (Cassette Tape)
34. Season 1 Episode 7 - Fukusui (Spilt Water)
35. Season 1 Episode 8 - Sebiro-gaeshi (The Backwards Suit)
36. Season 1 Episode 9 - Shinsatsu-shitsu #3, sono 1 - (Examination Room #3, Part 1)
37. Season 1 Episode 10 - Shinsatsu-shitsu #3, sono 2 - (Examination Room #3, Part 2)
38. Season 1 Episode 11 - Wasure rareta aitemu (A Forgotten Item)
39. Season 1 Episode 12 - Bideo (Video)
40. Season 1 Episode 13 - Itteki no chi (A Drop of Blood)

These were all quite interesting. My favorites were Covering the 100 Tales, Spilt Water and A Forgotten Item.

41. Macumba Sexual (1983) First time viewing
Not a vampire film, but it has similar themes to the story of Nosferatu. And I can understand why Jess Franco is obsessed with Lena Romay - she is amazingly beautiful.

28 October 2024
42. Anguish (1987) First time viewing
Once a month, the Arkadin does a $3 Mystery Movie Monday. They pick a film that fits in with the month's theme. They might show a preview, but often they don't. I agree with Keith, one of the owners/programmers - this is best seen going in without knowing anything about it. It's not easy to find - the only US release that I could find was a DVD from Blue Underground from 2008. It definitely deserves to be much better known. It stars Zelda Rubenstein, most famous for her appearance in Poltergeist. Check it out if you get the chance. Highly recommended!!!

31 October 2024
43. The Raven (1963)
Vincent Price Night at the Movies at the Missouri History Museum.
On Thursday nights the History Museum stays open late and has great free programs - lectures, tours, concerts and the like. Tonight they celebrated native son, Vincent Price. The film was shown in the grand hall instead of the theater and it seemed like more of an occasion. They also had trivia, coloring sheets, refreshments and all the exhibits were open as well.
I love this movie and it's always nice to see it with an enthusiastic crowd. It was a fun way to end Spooky Season.

44. Ghosts - Season 4 Episode 3 - Halloween 4: The Witch - First time viewing at home
This was a fun episode with a cute twist. Nice way to cap off the month.

I did pretty well this year, I think. I'm looking forward to Noir-vember and to next year's Scary Movie Challenge. I'm finding that I like horror films much more than I previously thought.

Adam Lenhardt · Nov 1, 2024

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

62) 10/31/2024 Teacup 1x05 - "I'm a Witness to the Sickness"

4K UHD digital streaming on Peacock via Roku Ultra

During a tense confrontation with the lone survivor of the massacre at the Navarro farm, James learns more about McNab, their confinement, and the threat against his family. Ruben is trapped in the grain silo with an unearthly obstacle, and must rely on the man who's been sleeping with his wife to get him out.

63) 10/31/2024 Teacup 1x06 - "You Don't Know What It Means to Win"

4K UHD digital streaming on Peacock via Roku Ultra

After Maggie patches up McNab, the bullets start flying. Valeria faces the consequences of her infidelity. Harbinger shares more information about his mission. The realization that anyone could be the assassin stokes paranoia within the group. Nicholas discovers a possible way to exorcise the visitors from their hosts.

64) 10/31/2024 Teacup 1x07 - "This is Nowhere: Part 1"

4K UHD digital streaming on Peacock via Roku Ultra

Tempers flare as the stress, exhaustion, and paranoia take their toll. Ruben and Donald put aside their differences to try a Hail Mary. McNab retrieves a vital resource. Meryl helps Harbinger with his mission. The assassin claims another victim.

65) 10/31/2024 Teacup 1x08 - "This is Nowhere: Part 2"

4K UHD digital streaming on Peacock via Roku Ultra

Maggie and James go to extreme measures to protect their children from the assassin. McNab advises Ruben and Donald on an alternate strategy to escape the trap. Arlo recalls the parable of the wasp and the teacup, with deadly consequences. Outside of the blue line, the arrival of new visitors changes everything.

66) 10/31/2024 Thanksgiving (2023)

4K UHD digital streaming on Fandango at Home (Vudu) via Roku Ultra

When Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino released Grindhouse back in 2007, the double feature presentation included trailers for five fake exploitation films. Rodriguez's Machete and Hobo with a Shotgun (from newcomers Jason Eisener, John Davies, and Rob Cotterill) were both made into actual features in 2010. But it took until 2023 for Eli Roth to give his Thanksgiving trailer the same treatment.

And the end result? Pretty damn good. The film opens with the owner of the Plymouth, MA Rightmart sitting down for an opulent Thanksgiving feast while all of his employees are forced to forego their own meals to open for Black Friday at 6 PM on Thanksgiving Day. But when Rightmart owner's entitled daughter and her horrible friends skip the line and slip into the store ahead of the opening, they set in motion a tragic series of events.

One year later, a killer dressed up like a pilgrim hunts down everybody who was involved in that terrible day, one by one.

This one does everything a slasher movie's supposed to do. The Black Friday slaughterfest is a gleeful display of mayhem and carnage, and when the bodies start dropping a year later, the kills are inventive and appropriately gory. The movie knows what the audience is here for, and is only too happy to deliver on expectations.

And there's an interesting inversion of our usual sympathies: All of the killer's victims are shitty human beings to a greater or lesser extent, and the killer is very careful to avoid collateral damage.

I took a class trip to the real Plymouth, MA in middle school and it looked pretty much nothing like the generic Ontario town in the movie. But that's okay. In a way, you kind of want horror movies to take place in Anywhere USA.

While Patrick Dempsey provided the film with a name actor for the marketing, and he's perfectly fine as the sheriff here with a eastern Massachusetts accent, it feels like a missed opportunity not to bring Michael Biehn back as the sheriff. Meanwhile, Nell Verlaque is distractingly tall as the final girl.

That's it for me this year! A blast as always. And as seems to usually happen, I think my watchlist for next year is longer now than when I started after reading what everybody has watched. I hope everbody had a happy Halloween!

yamato72 · Nov 1, 2024

compson said:
Stop motion guru Phil Tippett was responsible for Mad God (2021), an experimental, dystopian film about a world altered and all but destroyed by nuclear war or a wrathful God. At least, I think that’s what it’s about. The movie is very impressive artistically and technically, but its story is deliberately obscure. This is a movie to be played at a college town midnight show for students under the influence of something other than Red Bull.

Ack! I watched this one this year too and forgot to put it on my list. Purchased the BD based on a documentary on Tippet that I watched last year.

BobO'Link · Nov 1, 2024

October 31st

102. Man Made Monster (1941) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ - A mad scientist turns a man into an electrically-controlled monster to do his bidding.

Lionel Atwill turns Lon Chaney into an electrified force to do his bidding. Chaney gets sent up for murder, breaks out, goes on a killing spree to get revenge on Atwill. It's a fairly decent, though unremarkable, entry into both actors resume.

103. The Black Cat (1941) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ - Elderly Henrietta Winslow lives in an isolated mansion with her housekeeper and beloved cats. As her health fails, her greedy relatives gather in anticipation of her death.

A film that has a stronger opening then ending and has too much comedic relief (in all fairness it's billed as a comedy/mystery but is considered a horror film), it's a decent entry in Universal's 1940s horror catalog. It's also fairly typical of this type film - greedy relatives with one killing off the others to get the whole shebang. Had they left out the "funny" bits it'd have been a stronger film.

104. Horror Island (1941) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ - A down-on-his-luck businessman organizes an excursion to Sir Henry Morgan's Island for a treasure hunt only to encounter a mysterious phantom and murder.

This one's more comedy/adventure than horror (it's mystery/thriller style "horror") but is enjoyable.

105. The Thing from Another World (1951) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ - Scientists and American Air Force officials fend off a bloodthirsty alien organism while at a remote arctic outpost.

The first and, IMHO, the best adaptation of John W Campbell Jr.'s "Who Goes There?" is a film that, for me, gets better with each subsequent viewing. While not fully accurate to the story, using mostly the central core, it's a taught, claustrophobic, often exciting telling of an alien invasion.

106. I Married a Monster from Outer Space (1958) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ - Aliens arrive on Earth to possess the bodies of humans. One of their first victims is a young man, whose new wife soon realizes something is wrong with him.

Ignore the somewhat sensationalist title. This is a very good early entry into the alien possession genre that feels a bit like a adaptation of Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). Vfx are mostly good though some of the alien craft sets look more like the plywood constructions they are. Gloria Talbot is very good in this one.

107. The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues (1955) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ - A seaside community is terrorized by a hideous sea monster, which has been created by experiments in atomic radiation.

Yet another cheapie with atomic radiation mutation at its core. This one actually shows the monster in the first minute of two of the film rather than keeping it shrouded like many other such entries. The script is below average, rather cliche, and sports truly horrid dialog. The actors are game enough and generally deliver a good enough performance. The creature suit is quite obviously a man in an oversized get up.

108. Homicidal (1961) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ - The brutal stabbing murder of a justice-of-the-peace sparks an investigation of dark family secrets in a sleepy small town in Southern California.

I'm not much of a fan of the slasher movie and don't really consider them horror - they're more thriller. This is one I find rather entertaining, possibly due to it being from William Castle with many of his typical touches. It's by no means anything special and has numerous flaws, appearing to be Castle's attempt at a Psycho vibe, yet is still enjoyable for it's quirkiness.

109. Mr. Sardonicus (1961) ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲ - A mysterious and cruel Baron, whose face has become frozen in a horrifying grin, demands that a prominent London physician apply experimental treatments on him to restore his face.

Another William Castle outing that's nothing truly special yet enjoyable for what it is. The makeup effects are kind of "meh," looking like the plastic masks/appliances they are, yet work in context. There are a few rather suspenseful moments with a trademark Castle "vote on the ending" finale.

And that ends the challenge for me this year. I was surprised I was able to break 100 films as going in I expected "moving in chores" to pretty much take over the month. It was some unexpected medical issues that afforded me the time for movie viewing and allowed that 109 total for the month. While I'd much rather have gotten those chores accomplished I'm generally pleased with the total outcomes (medical and films watched) making it kind of a wash.

Ending stats:
109 Films viewed
21 First time viewings

RCRochester · Nov 1, 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
Oct 30 - The Thing

Oct 31 - The Raven (1963)

It's become a tradition for me to finish off my October horror marathons with a Boris Karloff title, and this year it was Roger Corman's 1963 effort The Raven. Made as part of his cycle of Edgar Allan Poe adaptations for AIP, this is very loosely inspired by Poe's original poem. Instead, we get a tale of dueling wizards played by Karloff and Vincent Price, and Peter Lorre as a triple-crossing third magician who is transformed periodically into the titular raven. It's all just a bit of silly fun made for the drive-in circuit. Hazel Court and a young Jack Nicholson round out the principal cast.

Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks for letting me play along, I had fun seeing what everyone else watched and I enjoyed reading all of your summaries.

For the purposes of points, that was 40 features watched for me (8 of which were first time viewings, so I fell a bit short of the recommended 10 there.) I also watched 22 episodes of the anime Death Note with my daughter, although I didn't talk about them here because I was hoping to get the whole show done prior to the end of the month. Anyway, if that counts I think that works out to 7 1/3 points(?).

sleroi · Nov 1, 2024

33 - Hellraiser -

- For some reason I haven't watched this since it's theatrical release. Probably because I disliked the sequel so much. They tried to over explain the backstory too much.
The original is just fine as is, simple premise: an otherworld of demons, possibly hell, can be reached through an ancient puzzle box. Frank accesses this and is literally ripped apart. He reincarnates and his niece becomes trapped and must find a way out, avoiding the demons - the cenobites.
Gory, Provocative, thrilling. And the effects hold up tremendously well. During the reincarnation, which is slimy and gory, there is a dripping skeleton crawling that can't be a guy in a suit, there's no place for animatronics, and it's too smooth to be stop motion. And this was well before CGI.
I wasn't left wondering who ate the cenobites? How did pinhead become pinhead?
This was fine film to end on. So many I didn't get to, maybe next year.

JasonRoer · Nov 1, 2024

Away for the weekend. I'll post my final list on Sunday or Monday. Fun year as always!

Ruz-El · Nov 2, 2024

My last chunk of movies from last night. I ended the challenge with a dud. You have to watch at least one Karloff during this, right? :laugh:

086 10/30 Swallowed (2022) 3/5 Thriller that edges into body horror territory as drug mule-ing goes bad. What makes this stand out from the pack is the tight location character work, and it’s the rare queer film that is not really about being queer or the queer experience. It took me a minute, but I got a big grin once I realised where I had seen Mark Patton from, and he’s a lot of fun in this as the heavy. Adds up to being original enough to be interesting.

087 10/31 House on Haunted Hill (1959) 4/5 This is an admittedly goofy film from William Castle, but it’s one I always enjoy seeing. The cast is great and Vincent Price is simply delicious as the debonair host inviting a group to spend a night in a haunted house. It’s a pretty basic movie, but it works like dynamite for me. Especially compared to the gore-filled remake.

088 10/31 The Fall of the House of Usher (2023) 3.5/5 This was a pleasant surprise. Instead of doing a straight up adaptation, Mike Flanagan uses Poe’s stories to tell the downfall of a modern family. All of these Poe Stories have been done to death, Flanagan makes them mostly interesting again. A solid cast of Flanagan regulars with some stand out performances from Mark Hamill and Carla Gugino also help. It starts to run out of steam a little bit in the latter half, but he lands an ending to make it worth a watch.

089 10/31 Behind the Mask (1932) 2.5/5 Pretty straight crime programmer that manages to squeeze out some unexpected horror elements. Unexpected in that Boris Karloff mostly plays a sap, and Universal Horror conqueror of evil Edward Van Sloan is the heavy. It’s fun seeing Karloff kind of ham it up in this, but overall it plays a little stiff despite a pretty dynamite last act.

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