The Horror Movie Appreciation Thread (1 Viewer)

[John Stell]

Watched 9/21/2021 - Rating out of a possible 4

4) Dementia 13: The Director's Cut (1963)

1/2

Stylish but familiar low budget thriller from producer Roger Corman which served as the official directing debut of Francis Ford Coppola. Family gathers at Irish estate to mourn young girl who drowned seven years earlier. Then the axe murders start. No surprises here but moodily filmed.

5) Queens of Evil (1970)

Motorcycle-riding free spirit who must have loved Easy Rider thinks he's lucked out when he meets three beautiful women. They invite him to stay for a while at their scenic cottage. But they have nasty plans for him. This film is all build up to an admittedly harrowing finale. Film's "message" about amoral youth is rather silly though.

6) Through the Fire (1988)

1/2

Regional, Texas-shot horror about woman who hires off-duty cop to help find her missing sister. They run afoul cultists who worship nasty demon. Most of the action involves guns and explosions. The worst this demon can apparently do is make people look ugly. Likeable, attractive leads and a some well-placed humor help a bit.

 

[JasonRoer]

4) Dementia 13: The Director's Cut (1963)

1/2

Stylish but familiar low budget thriller from producer Roger Corman which served as the official directing debut of Francis Ford Coppola. Family gathers at Irish estate to mourn young girl who drowned seven years earlier. Then the axe murders start. No surprises here but moodily filmed.

I have always LOVED this movie. I haven't watched it in years. I think you inspired me to take the disc for a spin! I don't know if I've seen the director's cut. Can that be streamed anywhere?

 

[John Stell]

I have always LOVED this movie. I haven't watched it in years. I think you inspired me to take the disc for a spin! I don't know if I've seen the director's cut. Can that be streamed anywhere?

I don't know of anywhere. It just came out on Blu Ray from Lionsgate on Tuesday.

 

[Malcolm R]

Looks like it can be a streaming rental on Prime for $3.99.

 

[JasonRoer]

Here are 2 of the 4 reviews I have to write up. I'll try to get the other 2 written later today.

Possessor (2020)

Cronenberg. Brandon Cronenberg. Yes, the offspring of the amazing David Cronenberg has proven he too can conjure images of intense body horror. The film is more scifi/psychological thriller than horror. The story revolves around an assassin who is able to possess another person’s body and take control of them.

I was extremely impatient when watching the movie, not due to the movie, but rather the mood I was in on Saturday morning. I can tell this was a great movie. However, I took many breaks during the movie because I simply didn’t want to sit in the home theater. That made it difficult to get a proper flow of the story. I can say that the effects were fantastic, as was the acting. As noted above, I’m fairly certain this was a very good story, but again, I can’t say for sure how effective the flow of the story is due not to Cronenberg, but rather me watching the film when I should have been hiking or something else entirely. That said, I suspect upon a second viewing, I would give this film a 3 out of 4. I will happily watch it again, and anything else Brandon directs down the road.

Channel Zero season 3

My favorite season so far. Two sisters (Alice and Zoe), one with schizophrenia (Zoe) move to a new town for Alice’s new job. Soon they begin investigating a series of mysterious disappearances that appear to be connected to an urban legend in the town. The filmmakers have crafted an excellent, hallucinatory trip here, and they have researched schizophrenia very well. It’s one of the best representations I’ve seen in film yet for this devastating mental health disorder. It’s explained early on that the mother of the two sisters also has schizophrenia, and in fact, what their mother did is in part why they left their old town. I was very impressed, and frankly I don’t want to say anything else because I don’t want to ruin it. But this season was artful and excellent. And given that Channel Zero is an anthology show, you can jump into any season at any time. I’d start here with season 3.

 

[JamesSmith]

Had a thought when I was walking by the DVD section at Walmart. They had all the Halloween, scary films out on DVD, but for me, the truly scary films were the seventies television movies like A Cold Nights Death, The Norless Tapes, Trilogy of Terror, and other ABC productions. You know, the ones I'm talking about. How come they don't get any attention? They were just as suspenseful as the big budget films. What do you think? Do you think those small screen productions deserve their own spot on the Halloween wall?

--jthree

 

[ChristopherG]

Had a thought when I was walking by the DVD section at Walmart. They had all the Halloween, scary films out on DVD, but for me, the truly scary films were the seventies television movies like A Cold Nights Death, The Norless Tapes, Trilogy of Terror, and other ABC productions. You know, the ones I'm talking about. How come they don't get any attention? They were just as suspenseful as the big budget films. What do you think? Do you think those small screen productions deserve their own spot on the Halloween wall?

--jthree

I totally agree with you here. I was at an impressionable age when those aired and they scared the crap out of me. Should throw "Daughter of the Mind" in there too....

Loved the Norliss Tapes - wished it would have gone on to be a series...

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Here are 2 of the 4 reviews I have to write up. I'll try to get the other 2 written later today.

Possessor (2020)

Cronenberg. Brandon Cronenberg. Yes, the offspring of the amazing David Cronenberg has proven he too can conjure images of intense body horror. The film is more scifi/psychological thriller than horror. The story revolves around an assassin who is able to possess another person’s body and take control of them.

I was extremely impatient when watching the movie, not due to the movie, but rather the mood I was in on Saturday morning. I can tell this was a great movie. However, I took many breaks during the movie because I simply didn’t want to sit in the home theater. That made it difficult to get a proper flow of the story. I can say that the effects were fantastic, as was the acting. As noted above, I’m fairly certain this was a very good story, but again, I can’t say for sure how effective the flow of the story is due not to Cronenberg, but rather me watching the film when I should have been hiking or something else entirely. That said, I suspect upon a second viewing, I would give this film a 3 out of 4. I will happily watch it again, and anything else Brandon directs down the road.

Channel Zero season 3

My favorite season so far. Two sisters (Alice and Zoe), one with schizophrenia (Zoe) move to a new town for Alice’s new job. Soon they begin investigating a series of mysterious disappearances that appear to be connected to an urban legend in the town. The filmmakers have crafted an excellent, hallucinatory trip here, and they have researched schizophrenia very well. It’s one of the best representations I’ve seen in film yet for this devastating mental health disorder. It’s explained early on that the mother of the two sisters also has schizophrenia, and in fact, what their mother did is in part why they left their old town. I was very impressed, and frankly I don’t want to say anything else because I don’t want to ruin it. But this season was artful and excellent. And given that Channel Zero is an anthology show, you can jump into any season at any time. I’d start here with season 3.

So, did you watch Possessor or Possessor Uncut? I have only seen the Uncut version which has some graphic sex scenes in it which I imagine is what they cut to create the other version. Although there is also graphic violence but they are normally fine with that.

I thought it was great and certainly could have been a picture made by his dad circa the 1970s or 1980s.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Had a thought when I was walking by the DVD section at Walmart. They had all the Halloween, scary films out on DVD, but for me, the truly scary films were the seventies television movies like A Cold Nights Death, The Norless Tapes, Trilogy of Terror, and other ABC productions. You know, the ones I'm talking about. How come they don't get any attention? They were just as suspenseful as the big budget films. What do you think? Do you think those small screen productions deserve their own spot on the Halloween wall?

--jthree

I totally agree with you here. I was at an impressionable age when those aired and they scared the crap out of me. Should throw "Daughter of the Mind" in there too....

Loved the Norliss Tapes - wished it would have gone on to be a series...

Are you guys aware of the two film set from Kino of Ritual of Evil and Fear No Evil, a pair of late 1960s and early 1970s TV movies that have been released in time for Halloween viewing?

 

[JasonRoer]

So, did you watch Possessor or Possessor Uncut? I have only seen the Uncut version which has some graphic sex scenes in it which I imagine is what they cut to create the other version. Although there is also graphic violence but they are normally fine with that.

I thought it was great and certainly could have been a picture made by his dad circa the 1970s or 1980s.

I must have seen the regular version because I didn't see any graphic sex scenes, just a hint of nudity. There was graphic violence on par with his father's work though. Yes, our puritanical society seems to have an issue with people loving each other and no problem whatsoever with people killing each other. So backward.

 

[ChristopherG]

Are you guys aware of the two film set from Kino of Ritual of Evil and Fear No Evil, a pair of late 1960s and early 1970s TV movies that have been released in time for Halloween viewing?

I am now - thanks for the head's up.

 

[JasonRoer]

Channel Zero season 4: Dream Door

My least favorite of the seasons and yet it's still fantastic. I really enjoyed this anthology show. It appears that this was the final season, sadly. Perhaps someone will pick it up again someday. Season 4 finds married couple Jillian and Tom moving into Tom's childhood home. One day they find a blue door on the wall in the basement, a door they can't recall seeing before. After tremendous difficulty opening the door, they find yet another door. Eventually Jillian figures out how to open the second door and enters the room in which she finds a creepy clown that looks like a series of drawings she made when she was a child.

This season had some good twists, however, it was more straightforward than the previous seasons, which is why I gave it a lower rating than the others. Season 3: Butcher's Block remains at the top of my list, and for my money, it's the best season of a horror television program that I've seen in ages. The entire series is certainly in the must-watch category. Final order: Season 3, 1, 2, 4.

Return of the Living Dead (1985)
I mean... come on... how much ridiculous fun is this movie? BRAINS!!!! We all the know the story - military experimental gas is released by accident and causes the dead to rise from the graves. The cheesy practical effects highlight this very 80s horror comedy, and I found myself smiling throughout the runtime - after all these years - that's quite a feat for a film to be able to accomplish. 3 out of 4 devoured brains.

I began watching The Mummy (1959) and will finish it tonight. I always LOVE Mummy movies whether it's old Universal, Hammer, or anything else. So it's a treat to revisit this one. I'll also be watching Halloween 5 again. I'm a sucker for the Halloween franchise, good, bad and very, very ugly.

 

[Malcolm R]

I began watching The Mummy (1959) and will finish it tonight. I always LOVE Mummy movies whether it's old Universal, Hammer, or anything else.

Even this one?

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Even this one?

View attachment 113926

Wasn't that picture the beginning and end of the "Dark Universe" series?

 

[Malcolm R]

Wasn't that picture the beginning and end of the "Dark Universe" series?

It stopped the original plan of creating a serialized story across multiple films, like in the Marvel or Conjuring universe series, but Universal decided to resurrect the Dark Universe label with the success of the recent adaptation of The Invisible Man. The films will now be individual, self-contained stories using the classic Universal monsters or monster-adjacent characters. The next film is supposed to be Renfield, and there are discussions about another remake of The Wolf Man.

Following the critical and financial success of Leigh Whannell's The Invisible Man (2020), development of the Dark Universe was resumed, with Chris McKay announced to directed Renfield, a reboot of the Dracula film series.

 

[JasonRoer]

Even this one?

View attachment 113926

Let us not get carried away, good sir.

 

[JasonRoer]

Halloween 5

Uncle Mikey comes to town for some more devastation, this time to kill his niece, Jaime. As we all know, this is one of the lesser of the Halloween sequels. Despite this - it's still a Halloween flick and it's my favorite of the big horror franchises. In this one, the kill sequences are particularly vanilla, which is a shame, as simply more inventiveness would have enhanced the picture. Oh well. 2 out of 4 as a movie. As a HUGE fan of the series, I'd bump it up to 2.5 out of 4.

The Mummy (1959)

Christopher Lee. Peter Cushing. I could end my review there. As noted in another post, I LOVE mummy movies. The old Universal and Hammer films are near and dear. The story is simple enough, archeologists raid a tomb of an Egyptian princess and the man who loves her so. To punish the archeologists and make good with his God, an modern day Egyptian man uses the scroll of life to awaken the mummy to kill those who would dare desecrate the tomb of the princess. The director and screenwriter have created a rich, suspenseful, and atmospheric film. I love it every time I watch it. 3.75 out of 4.

As an aside, we finally decided to create a dedicated home theater room rather than having it sandwiched into a guest bedroom. I'm so excited. I purchased a 120" permanent screen to replace the pull down. I'll be installing everything on Saturday. Yes, 1 day late for the start of the Scary Movie Challenge, but hey, the rest of the month (and beyond) is going to be such a treat with the new setup. Not only will the screen be that much better, but the room being dedicated will be more comfortable, and will also just have that theater feel to it. My mother in law even said she wants to give us her popcorn machine to add to the atmosphere! I'm also planning on having a counter for candy and such. The little touches like those will be done over time, but the main event is Saturday. I can't wait.

 

[John Stell]

Watched 9/26/2021 - Rating out of a possible 4

1) Death Screams (1982)

Low budget slasher about killer murdering various young people for no good reason. We never really understand the villain's motivation and the film spends much of its time with a less than charismatic cast. The body count in the last 15 or so minutes is insane.

2) All-American Murder (1991)

New college student finds himself the suspect in several gruesome campus murders because of his past bad behavior. Christopher Walken is the investigating detective and he's great. The rest of the film is hit or miss — mostly miss because of bad direction by Anson "Potsie" Williams and a script that thinks its dialogue is cleverer than it really is. There's a good story in here but it gets smothered by ineptness, which is a shame.

 

[John Stell]

Watched 9/27/2021 - Rating out of a possible 4

1) WNUF Halloween Special (2013)

1/2

An affectionate ode to local programming, which went by the wayside beginning in the mid 1980s when corporations started buying up independent stations, and syndicated offerings flooded the off-network programming hours. The gimmick is that you're watching some long-ago videotaped local broadcast of a live event: the investigation of a supposedly haunted house where a son murdered his parents 20 years earlier. Joining the newscaster are a married couple patterned after the Warrens from those Conjuring films and a Catholic priest. But the whole thing is preceded by a 20-minute or so newscast complete with locally produced commercials. On a technical level, the filmmakers nailed it. It looks and feels authentic, and for that the nostalgia factor is high for those of us who enjoyed this kind of thing back in the day. Dramatically though, the pacing sags a little too often. When momentum is building, we cut to commercial. The film has a pretty disturbing ending despite being frequently played for laughs. (The psychic couple have a psychic cat on whom they place headphones!) Ultimately this thing will probably divide the room between those who appreciate what the makers are going for, and those who have no connection with the film's time and place. As the film was made in Maryland, I actually know some of the actors in this. (Dr. Blood Wrench is played by George Stover, who stared in some John Waters films and is a local legend.)

2) Alone in the Dark (1982)

1/2

A power failure allows several crazies to escape the confines of their asylum. Once out, their main target is the new doctor whom they believe murdered their former psychiatrist. With a cast including future Oscar winners Jack Palance and Martin Landau, this a much more polished slasher film than its competition back in the day. There's even social commentary and satire. (While the lunatics roam free, peaceful protesters of a local nuclear plant are in jail.) Sure the performances are mostly hammy, but ham and cheese usually go well together.

3) Hitcher in the Dark (1989)

A psycho (Joe Balogh) who drives a Winnebago picks up female hitchhikers who remind him of his mother. Josie Bissett is his latest victim trying to stay alive as long as she can, while her boyfriend tries to find her. This is surprisingly watchable given the rather tired setup. The reason is Balogh, who does a convincing job as he alternates between charismatic and cuckoo. There really aren't any surprises here, but the film nevertheless manages to maintain interest.

 

[John Stell]

Watched 9/28/2021 - Rating out of a possible 4

1) Theater of Blood (1973)

Vincent Price's entire horror career led to his role as Edward Lionheart, a hammy Shakespearean actor who committed suicide two years ago after losing the best actor prize for his season of Shakespeare productions. But when the critics who denied him start being murdered in ways resembling his last repertoire, it appears Lionheart has returned from the dead. Funny, bloody, satiric, atmospheric, and just darn great fun, Theater of Blood is one of Price's very best films. The music is beautiful too.

2) The Dead Zone (1983)

1/2

Christopher Walken gives one of his best performances as Johnny Smith, an English teacher who spends five years in a coma thanks to a freak car accident. He awakens to find he's lost the woman he loves, but gained the power of second sight. Now he must figure out if the power is a gift or a curse. Admittedly episodic in nature, the film nevertheless is an emotionally powerful exploration of an ordinary man who is suddenly extraordinary. The ending is shattering but also satisfying.