The Horror Movie Appreciation Thread (1 Viewer)

[John Stell]

Out of Four

09/16/2023

Biography: Bela Lugosi: Hollywood's Dark Prince (1995)
Biography: Boris Karloff: The Gentle Monster (1995)

In 1995 the A&E cable network produced a series of Biography installments on classic horror stars and aired them in October as part of "Tricks and Treats" week. All the specials were affectionate, well-produced efforts that gave a nice career overview of their subjects in about 45 minutes of scream time. Most of the specials were released by Image as part of a Heroes of Horror DVD set. Given these efforts are now over 25 years old, hardcore fans won't learn anything new. But the shows still serve as fine introductions to those interested in the careers of these horror greats.

The Mummy (1999) 1/2

More a remake of The Mummy's Hand (1940) than The Mummy (1932), this horror-action-comedy blend depends on special effects for its scares. The cast is game and there's some fun to be had. But many of the action scenes feel overly familiar. Admittedly though, some of those effects sequences are dazzling. (Universal Blu Ray)

Revenge (1971) 1/2

When a suspected rapist/murderer of young women is released from police custody, family members and friends of one of the victims decide to kidnap the accused and force a confession. The father happens to own a pub, so the suspect is hidden in the basement. But not everyone is OK with the actions taken. And what if the guy is innocent? While not a deep investigation into the morality of such actions and the inevitable consequences, this is still engrossing stuff because the premise itself is fascinating. Good performances too, although some soap-opera like developments are a distraction. (Scorpion Releasing DVD)

09/17/2023

Biography: Lon Chaney, Jr.: Son of a Thousand Faces (1995)

See above

 

[John Stell]

Out of four

09/20/2023

Xtro (1982) 1/2

A loving father is kidnapped by aliens but returns three years later by being re-birthed! The wife has a new boyfriend; the son is happy to see Dad; and pop claims he can't remember anything. This British effort boasted about being the anti-E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial but today can't boast about anything else. The alien's powers are unclear and don't make much sense. Toy soldiers come to life? A live panther prowling the apartment building? Whatever. The sheer bizarreness of the whole affair makes it interesting at times in spite of itself. (Image DVD)

09/21/2023

Drive In Massacre (1976) 1/2

Low budget and low voltage thriller about killer decapitating drive-in patrons with a sword. It's hard to believe people would patronize this place after the first several murders. But the bigger problem is the lethargic pacing that makes this 74 minute film seem longer. An amusing kill or two and a WTF ending give it some minor distinction. (Severin Blu Ray)

Savage Weekend (1979) 1/2

Recently divorced woman leaves her son with her ex-husband so she and her boyfriend, along with some pals, can relax in the proverbial country cabin. But a killer shows up to ruin the fun. Better than average performances and good atmosphere are offset by high sleaze factor that slows things down in the first hour or so. No prizes for guessing the killer. (Kino Lorber Blu Ray)

09/23/2023

Watch Horror Movies, Keep America Strong! (2008)

Winning documentary about the 2 gentlemen who hosted "Creature Features" on Oakland California's KTVU, Channel 2: Bob Wilkins, from 1971 -1979, and Wilkins' replacement John Stanley, 1979 through the show's 1984 cancellation. These guys didn't dress up in scary costumes or feign foreign accents. Wilkins held a cigar and sat in a rocking chair, utilizing droll humor and understated whit to sometimes pan the movies he was showing. Stanley made mini movies and featured high caliber guests. It's easy to understand why this program was so popular. (Creatures at Large DVD)

 

[Malcolm R]

Xtro (1982) 1/2

And there are two sequels, too. Not sure I've seen any of these, but I recall looking at the VHS cover many times in the video rental stores while browsing the horror shelves.

 

[John Stell]

And there are two sequels, too. Not sure I've seen any of these, but I recall looking at the VHS cover many times in the video rental stores while browsing the horror shelves.

I haven't seen either one either. But do I have the third one because it was part of Vinegar Syndrome's annual subscriber package. Just haven't been brave enough to watch.

 

[John Stell]

Out of four

Bold denotes first time viewing

09/24/2023

The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967)

A pair of bungling vampire hunters try to rescue the kidnapped daughter of local innkeeper, while trying not to become victims themselves. Beautifully shot vampire-comedy from director Roman Polanski is most entertaining, although the broad slapstick doesn't always work. Particularly memorable for its ending. (Warner-France Blu Ray)

Children Shouldn't Play with Death Things (1972) 1/2

Director Benjamin "Bob" Clark's first horror film is an atmospheric zombie entry about tyrannical theater director who brings his acting troop to remote island to perform satanic ceremony. It works. Opening and last twenty minutes are terrific. But the dialogue heavy mid-section can be tough to take at times. (VCI Blu Ray)

The Dracula Saga (1973)

The Dracula family is dying, so it is with great excitement that the patriarch welcomes his pregnant daughter-in-law for a visit. Because she is not a vampire herself, she may be the last chance for the family's survival. Well filmed with an interesting story, this effort loses it way when it devotes too much time to gratuitous sexual encounters which don't really serve the story. (BCI-Eclipse DVD)

09/25/2023

Arnold (1973) 1/2

Fitfully amusing dark comedy about corpse who gets married instead of buried, but makes his new bride promise to remain with him forever. Meanwhile various relations and friends plot to break the will. Then the murders start. The story is certainly original; some twists work well; and the deaths are creative. Frequently more silly than funny though. (Vinegar Syndrome Blu Ray)

09/26/2023

The Snorkel (1958) 1/2

Enjoyable Hammer thriller about killer who gets away with the murder of his wife. But now he has to deal with his stepdaughter who is convinced he is a murderer. Engrossing with at least one great "jump" moment. For such a seemingly on the ball character though, the daughter makes some pretty stupid decisions during the final act. (Powerhouse Films Blu Ray)

 

[EricSchulz]

Now that the holidays are over I think it’s time to start up my horror movie watching again!

Mr. Sardonicus (1961)

It’s been AGES since I’ve seen this film! So long, in fact, I’d forgotten it was a William Castle production! It’s held up very well, in large part to keeping the face of Sardonicus under a mask for most of the movie.
The main story revolves around Baron Sardonicus trying to retrieve a winning lottery ticket from his dead father. Let’s just say it’s not a simple task that has horrifying and permanent consequences.
The story is effective and the film doesn’t look or feel like a low budget horror film. I’m not sure how this plays on DVD but being a Castle film there’s a gimmick. With about five minutes left the “audience“ decides the fate of Sardonicus by flashing a card with a thumbs up (redemption) or thumbs down (condemnation). Obviously the streaming version (on Tubi) only has one ending so I’m curious as to how it ends elsewhere.
4/5

 

[Capt D McMars]

A pair of Mexican Horror/Super Hero releases coming from Powerhouse / Indicator films ~ Panther Woman 2K and Bat Woman 4K restorations from the OCN. Here are links to the US copies set for pre-order . Drop date is March 25th 2024.

THE PANTHER WOMEN - LE [US]

(René Cardona, 1967)Release date: 26 March 2024Limited Edition Blu-ray Gothic horror and lucha libre collide in The Panther Women (Las mujeres panteras), which showcases a host of Mexico’s top female stars, including Elizabeth Campbell, Ariadne Welter, and Yolanda Montes aka Tongolele.The...

www.powerhousefilms.co.uk

THE BAT WOMAN - LE

(René Cardona, 1968)Release date: 25 March 2024Limited Edition Blu-ray (UK premiere)Wrestlers, mad doctors, and human-fish hybrids abound in The Bat Woman (La mujer murciélago), a colourful showcase for the talents of Italian Mexican sex symbol Maura Monti.When Acapulco’s wrestlers start being...

www.powerhousefilms.co.uk

VCI did do a blu ray release last year as a two-for, this does appear to be a cleaner and more colorful rendering.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

As a forensic psychologist, I work with serial killers.

Just helping the young ones get their start.

A woman, man and serial killer sitting in a bar...

Woman: You really are kind of childish!

Man: Well, they say a great man is one who in manhood keeps the heart of a child.

Serial killer: I keep mine in a glass jar filled with formaldehyde on my nightstand.

 

[EricSchulz]

The Last Voyage of the Demeter

I sort of remember this being in theaters but I don’t think it stuck around long. If you’re familiar with the Stoker version of Dracula (and the movie/TV adaptations) the Demeter was the ship that brought Dracula and his coffin to England. This surprisingly good movie spends two hours focusing on just that part of the story. I thought it was dark, creepy and claustrophobic. The biggest drawback was the inconsistent CGI work. Some of it was really well done but others are so “cheap/unrealistic” it really detracts from the story. Still, the good outweighs the bad. Worth a watch.
3.5/5

 

[John Sparks]

Just helping the young ones get their start.

A woman, man and serial killer sitting in a bar...

Woman: You really are kind of childish!

Man: Well, they say a great man is one who in manhood keeps the heart of a child.

Serial killer: I keep mine in a glass jar filled with formaldehyde on my nightstand.

...and flicks it everytime he gets out of bed!

 

[EricSchulz]

It Comes At Night (2017)

THIS is how you make a good horror film! It just jumps right in: there’s some sort of plague (“sickness“) that’s killing people. End of setup. We don’t know any real details. We don’t know when or where this takes place. We don’t know how it started or how long it’s been going on. What we do know: a family has isolated themselves in a house in the woods. They take every precaution to survive. They will go to any lengths to save themselves. And then they come into contact with another family that’s doing the same thing.

Without giving away too much, this movie is dark, depressing, unnerving and creepy. It wisely avoids trying to wrap everything up in a nice little package, opting to just show a small timeframe in these people’s lives and how they deal with such an unbearable situation. It plays like a European horror movie that’s been made for American audiences BUT KEEPS ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY GET RIGHT.

It’s rated R more for some of the situations that arise, not for graphic violance.
Highly recommended.
4/5 stars

 

[EricSchulz]

The Hole In The Ground

I really wanted to like this. It starts out good, there are some great “what’s REALLY going on here“ scenes, but in the end it was just okay.

Sarah and her young son move into a remote farmhouse to start over (she’s either separated or divorced) and strange things start happening. There’s the (crazy?) neighbor who Sarah almost runs over and that’s when things start turning a little bizarre. One night her young son Chris wanders into the forest where there’s a huge hole…a REALLY huge sinkhole. Here’s where the movie starts getting interesting. Did something happen to Chris? Is Sarah imagining things? Is the crazy neighbor right…that isn’t her son? I thought the story moved along well until it starts revealing TOO much and tries explaining too much. The “ending“ is pretty ambiguous and sets up a possible sequel. But overall I think it lost its way. There’s a pretty interesting story buried in this movie, unfortunately it’s not realized.

A shoutout to James Quinn who plays young Chris. Creepiest kid since Damien in the original Omen!

2.5/5

 

[EricSchulz]

The Prowler (1981)

Judging by most of the online reviews and ratings I was EXTREMELY disappointed with this. In 1945 a soldier kills his unfaithful girlfriend when he returns home from his duty. He leaves a red rose at the scene. Fast forward to 1980. A high school prom is back in full force after 35 years, having been banned due to the original killing…which was never solved. Of course the killer returns to start offing the students.
Yes, it’s a standard low budget film with mediocre acting, a weak story with huge holes and every slasher movie trope you can imagine. The ONLY saving grace is the excellent effects work by Tom Savini. There’s really no suspense, the story really makes no sense and when the killer is revealed (I can’t imagine anyone NOT figuring it out) there’s absolutely no explanation as to why the murders happen! So many articles refer to it as a cult classic but I was thoroughly disappointed. If anyone feels differently please tell me what I’m missing!

 

[JimJasper]

Abigail (2024)
Film just released. Trailer looked like it might have promise from
strong production:
"The film produced by William Sherak (Scream franchise, Ready or Not), Paul Neinstein (Scream franchise; executive producer, The Night Agent) and James Vanderbilt (Zodiac, Scream franchise) for Project X Entertainment, by Tripp Vinson (Ready or Not, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island) and by Radio Silence’s Chad Vilella (executive producer Ready or Not and Scream franchise)."




Reviewer "Sean Chandler TA" reports that it delivered & I'm seeing other reviewers say likewise.

 

[TravisR]

The Prowler (1981)

Judging by most of the online reviews and ratings I was EXTREMELY disappointed with this. In 1945 a soldier kills his unfaithful girlfriend when he returns home from his duty. He leaves a red rose at the scene. Fast forward to 1980. A high school prom is back in full force after 35 years, having been banned due to the original killing…which was never solved. Of course the killer returns to start offing the students.
Yes, it’s a standard low budget film with mediocre acting, a weak story with huge holes and every slasher movie trope you can imagine. The ONLY saving grace is the excellent effects work by Tom Savini. There’s really no suspense, the story really makes no sense and when the killer is revealed (I can’t imagine anyone NOT figuring it out) there’s absolutely no explanation as to why the murders happen! So many articles refer to it as a cult classic but I was thoroughly disappointed. If anyone feels differently please tell me what I’m missing!
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I love The Prowler but yeah, it's only because of Tom Savini. I also like that it's a mean movie without getting into really messed up territory like Don't Answer The Phone or I Spit On Your Grave where you want to take a shower after watching.