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October fun: 31 days of Horror, Blood, Guts and Gore! (and zombies, too....)

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#1 ·

*edit*

 

Watch as many horror movies you can take in 31 days.

 

Thirty-one total.  One a day.  Thirteen.  Twenty-two.  Six?

As many as you want, just have fun.

 

****

 

Every night (or day) in October! It's tough, but can it be done? I tried last year but ended up having to go away for business and it buggered up my schedule.



Half of the fun was creating the spreadsheet of movies/format/date.


Who's in with me?
 
 
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#122 ·
i wonder why you can't create a new thread? oh well, at least we can revisit this one and check the movies we watched each year.


is there a good way to keep track of our new lists so they don't get lost in the thread? I definitely love looking at everyone's films and impressions/ratings.


Maybe keep a link to your post in you sig? just an idea
 
#123 ·
I'm in! This was one of the most fun movie-related events I did last year. I'll second the recommendation that we link to our original 2008 list in our sig. I'm in the process of selling the house, but I'm going to try to fit in as many as I can!
 
#124 ·
Well most of you usually end up being the ones I get recs from but if I can share a couple that may have gone under the radar:

The Relic One of my favorites... the CG is a bit dated but the scenes that show the non-CG creature look great and it was a fun monster movie IMO.
Quote:
A researcher at Chicago's Natural History Museum returns from South America with some crates containing his findings. When the crates arrive at the museum without the owner there appears to be very little inside. However, police discover gruesome murders on the cargo ship that brought the crates to the US and then another murder in the museum itself. Investigating the murders is Lt. Vincent D'Agosta who enlists the help of Dr. Margo Green at the museum - she has taken an interest in the contents of her colleague's crates. Unknown to both there is a large creature roaming the museum which is gearing itself up for a benefit reception which the city's mayor is to attend.
Rawhead Rex Cult classic from the 80's... very low budget and cheesy but still another fun monster movie derived from a Clive Barker short.


Hey, you have 31 days so they are worth a look
 
#125 ·
Ok, so here is my list so far... I may make minor changes and/or fill in the open spaces I have reserved for in-store blind rentals.

October 2009 - list of 31


1. Something Wicked This Way Comes 3 1/2 stars... good fun!

2. Wrong Turn 3 1/2 stars; Predictable ******* cannibal slasher but I liked it!

3. Saw 4 stars - very original with a great story

4. A Haunting in Connecticut 3 1/2 stars - Better than expected with some pretty creepy scenes but still pretty predictable

5. Trick 'R Treat 4 stars, instant new classic campy and fun, didn't find much to dislike

6. The Shinning 4 stars... classic!

7. The Midnight Meat Train 4 stars - great movie with a story that gets better as it goes

8. Poltergeist 5 stars - an all time favorite, not too scary anymore but very well done and a must for Halloween

9. Pontypool 4 stars - excellent, original, and creative. An asset to the zombie genre and a must see for any horror fan.

10. Session 9 5 stars - Disturbing with a real creepy backdrop that can't be made on a movie set.

11. Paranormal Activity 3 1/2 stars - overhyped but still pretty damn creepy and worth seeing (probably best viewed at home)

12. Creepshow 4 stars - original and fun, excellent score and the monster in the crate will never get old!

13. The Descent 5 stars, one of the scariest creature flicks in the past ten years.. easy.

14. The Thing (1982) 5 stars - A perfect horror horror movie... pretty much says it all.

15. Audition 5 stars - disturbing and well worth waiting for the last 15 minutes!

16. Deadgirl sick and disturbing, not horror but very original if you can stomach it

17. Saw III 3 1/2 stars - My second favorite in the series

18. Saw II 3 stars - enjoyed this one more the second time around for the story but the buff guys is just too damn annoying!

19. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) 4 stars - One of the best remakes, amazing PQ on blu and great featurette on the read deal.

20. House on Haunted Hill (remake 1999) 3 stars - a prefect example of a fantastic remake screwed by cheesy CGI in the las 20 min.

21. Sweeney Todd 5 stars - In my top 10 (maybe 5) of all time favorite films... simply brilliant!

22. Ravenous 2 stars - not a bad movie but it just didn't do it for me

23. The Relic 4 stars - Excellent creature feature with an original story and well done effects from the creators of T2 and Aliens.

24. The Girl Next Door 4 stars - exceptionally disturbing but I wouldn't necessarily place it in the horror genre

25. An American Werewolf in London 5 stars - easily the greatest werewolf movie ever made and one of the all time best horror films.

26. Interview With A Vampire 5 stars, probably the best vampire movie ever made imo

27. The Hills Run Red - 3 stars - A couple good plots twists and some solid slasher moments

28. Orphan 4 stars - great movie with a nice twist towards the ends, very enjoyable take on the evil child story

29. The Entity - 2 1/2 stars - Not poorly done but the story did not really hold my interest

30. Suspiria - 5 stars - Very well done, good story, good audio track, and excellent backdrop

31. Halloween (1978) 5 stars - Campy, classic, slasher bedrock, what's not to love?

"Twilight Zone The Movie: Horror At 20,000 Feet" 5 stars - I only watched this short out of the whole movie but it is fantastic, creepy, and wll done! Highly recommended!
 
#126 ·
I get most of my suggestions from the thread as well, but I haven't seen much lately worth recommending. I'm going to refrain from creating a list, just because I have the habit of skipping nights here and there - I only managed to fit in 19 movies during the month.
 
#127 ·
I watched "Book of Blood" on Syfy last night and thought it was pretty good despite their silly censoring. It releases on DVD (maybe BD too) tomorrow. The director seemed to know how to create some chills with the material. That was not the case with Saturday nights "Open Graves" on Syfy which was a disaster probably more from weak direction than Eliza Dushku's acting inability.


I watch a lot of horror films during the year so don't feel the need to do one a night for October. But then I probably get to do anyway because some of the new series will probably be horror of a different type.
 
#128 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by General Kenobi /forum/post/17218490


Rawhead Rex

Wow there's one that slipped my mind - good call. And good list too! Interested to see how Orphan and The Hills Run Red are.


Lugnutx I just took a look at your list from last year. Love it! Dig the ratings too.
Maybe this year you'll have a 4 star flick.


I've only seen around 3 or so horror movies in the last year because I kept thinking "ahh I'll just add it to the October list". I'll be picking movies on the fly from a list I've been compiling.
 
#130 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by wizzack /forum/post/17220571


Wow there's one that slipped my mind - good call. And good list too! Interested to see how Orphan and The Hills Run Red are.


Lugnutx I just took a look at your list from last year. Love it! Dig the ratings too.
Maybe this year you'll have a 4 star flick.


I've only seen around 3 or so horror movies in the last year because I kept thinking "ahh I'll just add it to the October list". I'll be picking movies on the fly from a list I've been compiling.

Orphan is an end of month release and I have a thing for Vera Farmiga so my opinion may be a bit biased
Hills Run Red should be one of my first titles to watch so I'll report back with my 2¢. I also almost forgot about Trick 'R Treat which I just added. Also looking forward to some other lists that may help me adjust mine. Anyone that cares to include some "in-theater" titles I'd like to see some feedback on Pandorum, Paranormal Activity, Saw VI, etc.
 
#132 ·
Damn fellas!! I didn't realize everybody was getting primed up for this already. Although this is the first time I've checked this thread since last year, I can assure you (and my wife can attest) I have been talking about this since July. Unfortunately with my work schedule, conferences, vacation and football/baseball to watch; I can only guarantee 13 again this year. Either way, I'm excited to get started and can't wait until Orphan comes out towards the end of October. I can't give this one a strong enough recommendation so make sure to check it out.


I agree it would be a good idea to include a link in our sigs to last year's listings. 9 days and counting.........
 
#134 ·
My list will be posted here.


Although I haven't decided on the exact order yet more than likely I will probably play it day by day. I have many 'horror movies' in my "Unwatched DVD" pile and many I've seen but have now replaced with a Blu Ray version. I'll be watching the Blu Rays plus several from my list last year (Monster House, The Haunting and a few of my other favorites). I'll also be watching many new and old but previously unwatched (by me) horror movies.


It will be nice to get a thread going discussing actual movies again vice the threads we'd had recently discussing previews and hot women (not that there's anything wrong with that
)


Ok, Here's my list:

Oct 1st -

1. "The Hills Run Red" - "When they hear there's a complete print of their favorite slasher movie hidden in their hometown's backwoods, a group of horror movie buffs heads out in search of the celluloid treasure.
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) Spoiler  
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) Once arriving at their destination, they discover that the carnage captured in the movie was completely real, and worse yet, the filmmakers are looking to spill more blood before they're ready to call "cut."


Predictable yet entertaining cliché ridden slasher/horror flix in the vein of Texas Chainsaw Massacre , Devil's Rejects , The Hills Have Eyes , etc., etc., etc. Plenty of T&A, a couple of plot twists and some not so bad "kills"/gore but it doesn't quite live up to the hype. THRR kept me entertained though out and overall wasn't a bad movie. Worth a rent.


BTW, don't press 'eject' when the credits start to roll or you'll miss the twist at the end.


2. " 100 Feet " - "A young woman, Marnie Watson, is granted early release from her prison sentence for manslaughter (killing her husband - a violent NYC cop - in self defense) on condition she wear an electronic ankle bracelet and remain within her home, effectively under house arrest, for the remainder of her sentence. Her late husband's partner keeps tabs on her from a patrol car parked across the street, hoping she'll violate probation and he can send her back to prison. But the 100-foot radius her ankle bracelet allows isn't the worst of her problems. Her dead husband --now a malevolent ghost--is still in the house, where he died -- intent on savage revenge."


"100 Feet" started out with lots of promise but fell short before reaching the finish line (the ending was really lame). This could have been an excellent 'ghost' story, especially with 'Famke Janssen' as Marnie Watson if it had not been for the HUGH plot holes, sorry CGI "ghost" and a couple of cheap scares. Not a complete waste of time though, there were moments that had me 'on the edge of my seat' but they were too few and too far apart. Worth a rent.

3. " Frostbiten " - Vampires terrorize a city in Norrbotten. "After Annika, a medical doctor, gets work at the local hospital, she and her 17-year old daughter Saga move to a small town in northern Sweden. Annika is keen to work with her idol, geneticist Professor Gerhard Beckert. However Beckert's sinister past in the Waffen-SS soon catches up with him when a couple of pill-popping interns mistake an experimental vaccine for party drugs. Mayhem ensues as the town's teenagers succumb one by one to the mysterious virus."


A Swedish, tongue in cheek, vampire movie with pretty good SFX but unfortunately not so good direction and acting. Worth a rent.

4. "Friday the 13th (2009)" - "Wade, Ritchie, Amanda, Mike and Whitney travel to Crystal Lake to camp, but Wade and Ritchie have found a plantation of weed and intend to raise some money selling the dope. However, the group is brutally attacked by Jason Voorhees. Six weeks later, Clay is seeking out his sister Whitney in Crystal Lake, distributing a missing poster with her picture to the locals. In a gas station, he stumbles into the arrogant Trent that has invited his friends Jenna, Lawrence, Chewie, Nolan, Chelsea and Bree to spend the weekend in the cottage of his wealthy family. Jenna teams up with Clay in his quest and they discover that Jason is killing her friends. They run back to the cottage to warn her friends of the dangerous situation while Jason kills each one of them."


Been there, seen that - at least one of the 'hot chicks' had real breasts!


5. "Book of Blood " - "The story centers on a paranormal expert who, while investigating a gruesome slaying, finds a house that is at the intersection of "highways" transporting souls to the afterlife.


Based on the wraparound story penned by Clive Barker in the author's "Books of Blood" collection, a psychic researcher, Mary Florescu, has employs medium Simon McNeal to investigate a haunted house. McNeal, at first, begins to fake his visions, but then real ghosts present themselves. They attack him and carve words in his flesh, and these words, claims the narrator, form the rest of the stories, stories written on a literal, living Book of Blood."



"Book of Blood" starts off very promising. The first 10 to 15 minutes are really good, especially the scene where
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) Spoiler  
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) the girl gets her face pealed off.
Unfortunately everything slows down after that and it gets very boring with only one or two interesting parts for the rest of the movie. At least the CGI ghost are depicted in a decent manner.


Wait for it to play on cable or sat.

6. "Cookers " - "After stealing a huge stash of drugs, speed freaks Hector ( Brad Hunt ) and Darena ( Cyia Batten ) plan to cook up an enormous batch of crystal meth and get rich quick. Hectors old buddy Merle ( Patrick McGaw ) has the perfect hideout / meth lab, an old abandoned farmhouse in the woods where no one will ever find them. Unfortunately, no one will here their screams either. Turns out. they may not be alone after all. It seems the farmhouse is the site of a horrific urban legend. Paranoid and tormented by demons and terrifying visions, they fall prey to their descending spiral of drug use and mysterious horrifying hallucinations causing the scared and frightened trio to ultimately turn deadly against each other."


Can't believe I have not seen nor heard of this excellent 2001 horror/drama before. More spooky than scary 'Cookers' takes it's time and builds the suspense little by little until it's almost unbearable. Brad Hunt and Cyia Batten give two of the best performances I've seen since 'Ashley Judd' and 'Michael Shannon' in " Bug ".


This is a dark, depressing film dealing with drugs and their consequences therefore it may not be for everyone. This film drew me in and held me there until the end (except for the occasional mic slip in the scene). The taunt atmosphere kept me glued to the screen while Brad and Cyia's performances were wonderful to watch. Although the ending was a little weak, as the credits rolled I hit the eject button very satisfied and not disappointed.


For a low budget flix "Cookers" has outstanding acting, writing and direction. If you enjoy watching great performances see this movie.

7. " The Shaft (Down) " - "When the express elevators in the Millennium Building, one of New York's most famous landmarks, start to malfunction and behave in erratic ways, elevator mechanic Mark Newman is sent out to find the cause of the problems. His investigation meets unexpected resistance and not everybody seems to be happy with his involvement. After a gruesome and deadly incident, in which a blind man falls into the shaft and a security guard is decapitated, the police start an investigation."


Finished this late last night, last movie of the day. Unfortuneately after watching "The Shaft" you will feel like you've been given 'the shaft'. The only reason to watch this mess is to see the wonderful Naomi Watts in one of her earlier roles.

8. " Bone Daddy " - "Doctor Palmer, a former pathologist, wrote a fictional book based on his real cases. In the book, the madman gets caught, but in reality he is still uncaught. After the book is released, Palmer's editor is kidnapped. Palmer soon is sent a present containing a page of his book, and a bone from his editor. Together with the police, Palmer tries to find his editor, who might still be alive. In addition, his own son becomes one of the main suspects."


Well today is not starting out very good. "Bone Daddy" is listed as a Horror/Slasher film. Well in actuality it's not horror it's just horrible!

Rutger Hauer is horrible, the acting is horrible, the score is horrible, Babara Williams is horrible, everything about this is horrible! Stay away from this dog.

9. " Communion (aka Alice, Sweet Alice)" - "Alice Spages is a withdrawn 12 year old girl who lives with her mother, Catherine, and her younger sister, Karen. Karen gets most of the attention from her mother, and Alice is often left out of the spotlight. But when Karen is found brutally murdered in a church before her first holy communion, all suspicions are turned towards Alice."



Dated but worth a rent. Not really scary or spooky but it was interesting. This is one that would benefit from a remake.


'Communion' was partially inspired by the film " Don't Look Now " (1973), especially the usage of the yellow raincoats and it was also Brooke Shield's first movie.

10. " The Playgirls and the Vampire" (L'ultima preda del vampiro) - "Five beautiful showgirls are trapped by a storm and find refuge in a creepy old castle. The owner of the castle, a strange nobleman, has a secret laboratory in the basement and has his own plans for the girls."


Very campy (although it wasn’t meant to be). The sets are laughable, the acting is poor and there is one scene at the end that is worth the price of admission alone. Worth a rent.


One of the first horror films from any country to mix Gothic horror and explicit eroticism

11. " Sick Nurses" (Suay Laak Sai) - " A group of sexy nurses who harvest organs are haunted by the vengeful spirit of one of their dead patients."


Best of the day! This Thai film takes the J-Horror ‘long black hair’ evil to a new level (it’s sort of a spoof on that genre). Plenty of blood and gore although it takes a while for things to get going. Once it does it will keep you entertained to the end where you will be rewarded with a couple of nice twists.


The ‘jaw scene’ is exceptionally good; the ‘shower scene’ is exceptionally bad. Be sure to watch the credits roll for a little eye candy.

Highly Recommended!

12. " Crazy Eights " - "Circumstance brings six childhood friends together to face their past, and a secret they share."


I've seen this before but it was on Sci-Fi today so I watched it again. Unfortunately it didn't get any better the 2nd time around. Rental at best.

13. " Dark Ride " - "A decade has nearly passed since psychopath Jonah brutally murdered two teenage girls. Now, after nearly 10 years of being incarcerated in a mental institute, Jonah has somehow escaped and has returned to his turf - an amusement park attraction named "Dark Ride". Unknowingly, a group of six friends on their way to a road trip and have just boarded the ride, unaware of the deadly plans Jonah has for them. This ride is the last one they're ever gonna take..."


Same comments as above, although it was interesting to see Jonah wearing a mask similar to the one Babyface wore in "The Hills Run Red"

14. " Jennifer's Body " - "A newly possessed cheerleader turns into a killer who specializes in offing her male classmates. Can her best friend put an end to the horror?"


I had a free pass so I thought I'd check this one out. I can honestly say the only thing good about this movie is 'Amanda Seyfried' .

15. " Zombie Hunter Rika " - "In the tradition of such films as Versus and Wild Zero , Japan has put out yet another insane zombie move with Zombie Hunter Rika. The film is very low budget with low quality make up effects and laughable CG, but is infused with a spirit of outrageous fun which makes up for a lot of the technical failures.


The plot is something of a mishmash, but focuses mostly on Rika, a young schoolgirl playing hooky who decides, along with her friend Nami, to go visit her grandfather Ryuhei. When they arrive in the small town in which he lives, they are quickly surrounded by zombies, and saved by a young man with a pompadour, who takes them to grandfather's house."



This was a fun film, lots of gore, some chuckles, some T&A and absolutely the first time I've seen a Zombie movie with 'horny' zombies.


Also known as Saikyô heiki joshikôsei: Rika - zonbi hantâ vs saikyô zonbi Gurorian (2008)

... aka High School Girl Rika: Zombie Hunter (International: English title)

... aka Nihombie 3 (Japan: English title: series title)

... aka Nihonbi 3 (Japan: series title)

... aka Rika: The Zombie Killer (International: English title: new title)

... aka Saikyô heiki joshikôsei: Rika - zombie hunter vs saikyô zombie Glorian (Japan: alternative transliteration)


Pooperscooper, you will probably like this one.

16. " Offspring " - "Survivors of a feral flesh-eating clan are chowing their way through the locals. Amy Halbard and Claire Carey strive to survive their abduction by the cannibals and save their children. A subplot involving Claire's despicable husband, Steven, gives an opportunity to cleverly compare predatory civilized folk to the appetite-driven primitives."


Based on a Jack Ketchum novel there's lots of gore, but unfortunately that's about it. None of the actors have any acting skills, especially the children. If you enjoy a gorefest then this movie is for you. If on the other hand violence perpetrated by or directed towards children is not your cup of tea stay away from this movie.

Oct 5th-

17. " The Mist " - "A freak storm unleashes a species of blood-thirsty creatures on a small town, where a small band of citizens hole-up in a supermarket and fight for their lives."


Most everyone has all ready seen this one, including me but I decided to watch it again since it was on DirecTV today. To my surprise I enjoyed it much more the 2nd time around, especially the ending.

18. " The Thaw " - "At a remote Arctic research station, four ecology students discover the real horror of global warming is not the melting ice, but what's frozen within it."


I found "The Thaw" to be very entertaining. Not real scary, nor spooky but intense; the way the tension builds is excellent with the soundtrack matching the action and adding to the tension. There was more than one scene that made me cringe. Not perfect, some plot holes, great SFX and one intense, cringe worthy scene that should have you gritting your teeth.


Highly Recommended

19. " From Within " - "In a small Maryland town, the suicide of an outcast teenager triggers a string of violent suicides. These suicides seem to stem from a curse which spreads when any person, who witnesses the suicide, is possessed by an unseen evil force which leads them to commit suicide themselves."


Nothing new here, your average horror/thriller with evil Christians.

20. " Trick r Treat " - "Four interwoven stories that occur on Halloween: An everyday high school principal has a secret life as a serial killer; a college virgin might have just met the one guy for her; a group of teenagers pull a mean prank; a woman who loathes the night has to contend with her holiday-obsessed husband."


Poison, Drowning, Claw, Or Knife. So Many Ways To Take A Life.


FUN! FUN! FUN! This is a fantastic popcorn movie in the vein of 'Tales from the Crypt'. The only bad thing about this movie is at 82 minutes it's over way too quick. Don't want to say any more so I don't spoil anything...just see it.

'Anna Paquin' ( True Blood ) looks very hot (and very evil) in her sequence (you'll see what I mean).


Best of the day "The Thaw" and "Trick r Treat".

Oct 6th-

21. " Rise of Darkness " - "When a boy bands lead singer mysteriously diappears the media says that he ran away because he could not handle the fame, but really the other band members killed him and have hidden their identities as undead from every one. With an "American Idol" type audtition they remaining band members choose a new guy to fill the place. Now he must go to an isolated mansion to be initiated, but soon learns what the others really are and decides he would rather not be party of the band. "


Aboslutely, without a shadow of a doubt, the worst Zombie movie I've ever seen. Actually it's probably the worst movie I've ever seen.

22. " Zombieland " - "In the horror comedy Zombieland focuses on two men who have found a way to survive a world overrun by zombies."


What better way to follow the worst Zombie movie than by seeing one of the best Zombie movies!

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) Spoiler  
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) 1) Cardio

2) Double Tap

3) Beware of Bathrooms

4) Seatbelts

5)

6) Cast Iron Skillet

7) Travel Light

8)

9)

10)

11)

12) Bounty Paper Towels

13)

14)

15) Bowling Ball

16)

17) Don't be a hero (Be a hero)

18) Limber Up

19)

20)

21)

22) When in doubt, know your way out

23)

24)

25)

26)

27)

28)

29) Buddy System

30)

31) Always check the back seat

32) Enjoy the little things

33) Swiss Army Knife



Best of the day: Zombieland

Oct 7th-

23. " Drag Me to Hell - Unrated " - "A loan officer ordered to evict an old woman from her home finds herself the recipient of a supernatural curse, which turns her life into a living hell. Desperate, she turns to a seer to try and save her soul, while evil forces work to push her to a breaking point."


Fun popcorn movie. The Unrated version is pretty much the same as the PG-13 version; it has more blood/splatter, etc. and is actually 6 seconds shorter than the PG-13 version.

24. " Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon " - "The next great psycho horror slasher has given a documentary crew exclusive access to his life as he plans his reign of terror over the sleepy town of Glen Echo, all the while deconstructing the conventions and archetypes of the horror genre for them."


A different and entertaining take on the slasher genre. Worth a rent.

25. " Colour From the Dark " - "One day, while drawing water from the well, Pietro and Alice accidentally free something from Earth's womb. A strange and alien color flashes underwater, at the well's bottom, then disappears. From that moment on, inexplicable events start happening all around the farm, and by night the surrounding vegetation glitters with a sinister glow."


An adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's "The Colour Out of Space". A couple of great scenes with some good SFX but overall a very slow moving film.

26. " Infestation " - "A slacker awakes to find himself weak and wrapped in a webbing; after realizing that the world has been taken over by giant alien insects, he wakes a ragtag group of strangers and together they fight for survival."


A fun and entertaining comedy/horror with several good chuckles, good acting and not too bad SFX. Take " Starship Troopers ", throw in a little " The Mist " (without the mist) and a dash of " Invasion of the Body Snatchers "; shake (don't stir), add some laughs and you have "Infestation".


Best of the day "Drag Me to Hell" followed by "Infestation".

Oct 8th-

27. " Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer " - "Based on the true life serial killer, Henry Lee Lucas. Henry likes to kill people, in different ways each time. Henry shares an apartment with Otis. When Otis' sister comes to stay, we see both sides of Henry; the "guy-next-door" and the serial killer. Low budget movie, with some graphic murder scenes."


Violent and disturbing film based on the true life serial killer, Henry Lee Lucas. Some intense, violent graphic scenes, Not For People Who Do Not Like Intense Violent Graphic Scenes (i.e. Not for Everyone
)


Highly Recommended

28. " Seventh Moon " - "Melissa and Yul, Americans honeymooning in China, come across the exotic 'Hungry Ghost' festival. When night falls, the couple end up in a remote village, and soon realize the legend is all too real. Plunged into an ancient custom they cannot comprehend, the couple must find a way to survive the night of the Seventh Moon."


"Seventh Moon" was very disappointing for me. I'm not a fan of the close-up shaky cam, out of focus close-up shaky cam or darkly lit, barely can see what's happening style of film making so I did not like this film a all. If you like that type of film making then this may be the movie for you.

29. " Farmhouse " - "Farmhouse is a psychological thriller set in the modern day mid-west. We follow a young couple as they leave their everyday lives behind and head out to a new beginning; starting over from scratch. After becoming stranded in an isolated Wine Vineyard in the middle of nowhere, the young couple is forced to face the secrets they're running from, all the while trying to escape the malicious intent of the Vineyard mysterious inhabitants."


Nothing new here, very slow, a couple of good scenes but overall boring. A couple of twists at the end, saw one of them coming early on and picked up on the last one 10 minutes or so before it was revealed.


Wait for it to be shown on Cable or Sat.


Best of the day "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer".

Oct 9th-

30. " Rogue " - "An American journalist on assignment in the Australian outback encounters a man-eating crocodile.


The movie starts off with some beautiful scenes of Australian outback which are absolutely stunning. When the action starts, though, it never lets up. The rest of the movie should keep you on the edge of your seat."



This is great popcorn flix, very entertaining. Watched this last year but this year I watched the Blu Ray version, absoluting stunning cinematography!


Highly Recommended

31. " Drifter Henry Lee Lucas " - "Low budget production depicting the true story of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas to include the torture in his childhood years."


Poor acting, production, direction and soundtrack make this one a real dud! Not worth wasting your time on see "Henry: Protrait of a Serial Killer" instead.

32. " Masters of Horror - Sick Girl " - "A story about an evil bug with the ability to change people's behavior, a commentary on the dangers of moving into a relationship too quickly."


Not a bad episode but not the best either. If you like the Masters of Horrors series then check it out.

33. " Feast II Sloppy Seconds " - "The monsters have made it into a small neighboring town in the middle of nowhere and the locals have to band with the survivors of the bar' slaughter to figure out how to survive."


" Feast " was a great movie, sadly "Feast II" sucks! Lots of gore, violence, vomit and some nudity but not even that can save this POS. This movie is horrible, don't waste your time.

34. " Feast III The Happy Finish " - "The survivors are saved by the mysterious prophet, Shot Bus Gus, who seemingly has the ability to control the beasts. He leads them into the sewers as they travel to the big city. Along the way they get help from karate expert Jean-Claude Seagal and learn that the beasts originate from a place called "The Hive." Armed with this knowledge, they decide to fight back and destroy the beasts once and for all."


"Feast II" sucked! Amazingly "Feast III" sucks even more! Once again lots of gore, vomit, violence, some nudity and shaky cam. As with "Feast II" this movie is horrible, don't waste your time.


Best of the day "Rogue".

Oct 10th-

35. " Suspiria " - "A newcomer to a fancy ballet academy gradually comes to realize that the staff of the school are actually a coven of witches bent on chaos and destruction."


What can I say, a classic! If you haven't seen it you owe it to yourself to see it.


Highly Recommended

36. " God Told Me To " - "The storyline of this movie involves a series of motiveless murders committed by various New York residents: a sniper shoots people from a water tower; a father murders his entire family; and a cop (Andy Kaufman) opens fire during a St. Patrick's Day parade. The only consistent pattern to the crimes involves the perpetrators calm admissions of guilt, explaining, "God told me to."


Enjoyed this one, even with it's 70's feel. Different and unusual, good twist toward the end.


First movie in which 'Andy Kaufman' was cast.

37. " G.P. 506" (The Guard Post) - "From Su-chang Kong, writer & director of the horror/war film “ R-Point ,” comes his second film also dealing with the military and having horror film elements. Set in a heavily fortified military base along the Korean DMZ where strange happenings occurred and a whole team of 21 soldiers are killed. The one surviving is killed when found blood drenched and wielding with an axe among the remains of the other soldiers. "


I'd been looking forward to seeing this for some time and maybe my expectation were too high. I was disappointed with "G.P. 506", it moved along very slowly and was about 30 minutes too long.

38. " Cut " - "A group of film students attempt to finish a horror movie that stopped production years earlier when the director was killed. Unaware that every attempt to complete the pic coincided with the murders of those involved, the students return to the original location in an isolated part of the country. When filming begins, so do the killings."


This was a fun flix, not great but not bad. 'Molly Ringwald' made this movie for me, she had some of the best lines and was the perfect choice to play a has-been B-movie Queen.


"Cut" opened in France and Hong Kong at number two at the box office.

39. " Die Nacht der lebenden Loser" (aka Night of the Living Dorks) - "The school friends Philip, Wurst and Konrad are high-school losers: Philip desires the sexy Uschi, an easy girl for successful boys; the complex Konrad lists all the humiliations he has been submitted in school; and Wurst only cares to dope himself and smoke pot. Philip's next door gothic neighbor Rebecca has a non-corresponded crush on Philip. When Rebecca performs an ancient voodoo ritual in the cemetery with her friends, Philip and his friends arrive, mocking the ceremony and are accidentally blasted with zombie ashes from Haiti. Then, while driving his van, Wurst smokes marijuana but he has a car accident and the trio dies. However, they awake in the morgue and sooner they realize that they have become zombies. While seeking an antidote in the Necronomicon, Konrad, Wurst and Philip find the advantages of being zombies, becoming successful due to their recently acquired strength."


"He ate the coach!" This surprised me and turned out to be pretty good. There are some funny scenes and funny lines, lots of clichés and a little silly in parts but overall worth a rent if you're in the mood for some light hearted zombie comedy.


Be sure to watch it with the German soundtrack and English subtitles as the English dub track takes away from the fun - not a good dub.


Best of the day "Suspiria".

40. " The Haunting (1999)" aka "The Haunting of Hill House" - "When Eleanor, Theo, and Luke decide to take part in a sleep study at a huge mansion they get more than they bargained for when Dr. Marrow tells them of the house's ghostly past."


Only had time to watch one movie so I pick one of my LFE favorites, the 1999 remake of the great 1963 movie " The Haunting " This movie has great atmosphere and if you've got subs that can handle it, it will rock your whole house. The LFE track is spooky and very powerful! It's just too bad this film starts to fall apart toward the end.


Highly Recommended for LFE freaks!

Oct 12th-

41. " From Dusk til Dawn " - "Two criminals and their hostages unknowingly seek temporary refuge in an establishment populated by vampires, with chaotic results. "


For a movie made 13 years ago the SFX was pretty good. This was a fun watch which has a good bit of violence, some great humor and lots of gore. The cast is fantastic and includes some big names: 'Harvey Keitel' . 'George Clooney' , 'Quentin Tarantino' , 'Juliette Lewis' , 'Salma Hayek' , 'Cheech Marin' , 'Danny Trejo' , 'Tom Savini' , and 'Kelly Preston' .

42. "Dawn of the Dead (2004)" - "A nurse, a policeman, a young married couple, a salesman, and other survivors of a worldwide plague that is producing aggressive, flesh-eating zombies, take refuge in a mega Midwestern shopping mall."


I love the beginning of this movie! Imagne waking up, not knowing there had been a worldwide plague and just about everyone was a flesh-eating zombie, what a way to start the day. I don't know how many times I've seen this film but it never fails to keep me entertained.

43. " Inferno - "Terror that's hotter than Hell. Semi-sequal to 'Suspiria' has a American college student in Rome, and his sister in New York investigating a series of killings in both locations where their resident addresses are the domain of two covens of witches."


This is second film in Argento's "Three Mothers" trilogy which consists of " Suspiria ", "Inferno" and " Mother of Tears ". What a treat to watch. The cinematography is amazing and Argento's use of the primary colors is stunning! The acting is not the best I've seen but who cares. If you liked "Susipria" then you'll love "Inferno".


I can't believe I've owned this movie for quite some time now and had not watched it yet. This was a real treat and now I can't wait to watch "Mother of Tears".


Best of the day "Inferno".

Oct 13th-

44. " House of Wax (2005) " - "Six friends are on their way to a football game. They decide to camp out for the night and continue driving the next day. The next day the friends find that their having car troubles, so two of the friends accept a strangers ride into a small town named Ambrose. The main attraction in Ambrose is the House of Wax....."


Ok, I've seen this before and it was a dog then and it's still a dog! Only reason I watched it was that it was on DTV and I was too lazy to find a DVD to watch.

45. " Army of Darkness " - "A man is accidentally transported to 1300 A.D., where he must battle an army of the dead and retrieve the Necronomicon so he can return home."


After watching 'HoW' I decided I should watch one of my DVDs so I selected my Blu Ray copy of 'Army of Darkness'. Although the BD transfer is not that good I still enjoyed this old standby. Lots of fun!

46. " Mother of Tears "- "Part three of the "Three Mothers" trilogy which takes place in Rome and has to do with Mater Lachrymarum (The Third Mother). "


I guess my memory is starting to go. I'm sitting watching this movie and the scenes are looking very familar, so much so that I put the movie on pause so I could check my 'movies watched' list. Sure enough I watched "Mother of Tears" over a year ago.
Anyway, great way to end the trilogy.

47. " I Sell The Dead " - "A grave robber reflects on his life of crime."


"I Sell the Dead" is only available in theater or via 'IFC Video on Demand' as far as I know. I watched it via the latter and was a little underwhelmed. It's an Ok an original movie with a few chuckles, a couple of surprises and the ending is not bad, it's just all the dialog in between that slows everything down.


A graphic novel of the film has been released, with Glenn McQuaid writing and illustrations by Brahm Revel (October, 2009).

48. " An American Werewolf in London " - "Two American tourists in England are attacked by a werewolf that none of the locals will admit exists."


"Once again another favorite of mine which I never seem to get tired of. This time I watched it on BD and was very pleased. If you haven't seen this film what have you been doing for the pass 28 years? Go rent or buy it and enjoy. The SFX look great and were ground breaking when the movie first aired.


Best of the day "House of Wax".



Just kidding....


Real 'Best of the day ""Mother of Tears"

Oct 15th-

52. " La peau blanche " (US title: Cannibal) - "Two roommates discover that the family of one of their girlfriends is populated with vampires."


Not many 'scares' in this movie, it deals more with race, heredity, evolution and love than it does in scares. An interesting movie, just not what I expected.

53. " Hide " - In the spirit of " Bonnie and Clyde " and " Natural Born Killers ", this indie horror/thriller follows a young couple as they wreak havoc on the world around them."[/i]


Tagline: Love is Hell.


"Hide" starts off very promising but loses some steam as it goes along until the last 10 minutes or so. Once again, not what I expected from the synopsis. It's more like a 'non-fat' "Bonnie and Clyde" meets "Natural Born Killers" with
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) Spoiler  
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) a not too bad twist at the end.


I did enjoy 'Rachel Miner' (Dani from " Californication ") as Betty.

54. " George A. Romero’s Day of the Dead "- "A small group of military officers and scientists dwell in an underground bunker as the world above is overrun by zombies."


Zombies!!


55. " Day of the Dead (2008) " - "When a small Colorado town is overrun by the flesh hungry dead a small group of survivors try to escape in a last ditch effort to stay alive."


More Zombies!!


56. " Diary of the Dead " - "A group of young film students run into real-life zombies while filming a horror movie of their own."


Even more Zombies!! This time with a shaky cam.


57. " Land of the Dead " - "The living dead have taken over the world, and the last humans live in a walled city to protect themselves as they come to grips with the situation."


Even more Zombies again!! This time with 'Asia Argento' !


58. " Babysitter Wanted " - "In a small college town, a young girl working on a babysitting job in a rural farm is terrorized throughout the night."


In the beginning it may seem like " When a Stranger Calls " but it isn't! Not a bad slasher type flix, not excessive on the gore but there's enough.
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) Spoiler  
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) One little twist followed by a pretty good twist.

59. " Låt den rätte komma in " (Let the Right One In)" - "Oscar, an overlooked and bullied boy, finds love and revenge through Eli, a beautiful but peculiar girl who turns out to be a vampire."


After all the zombies I need a vampire fix so I decided to watch my UK BD (with the correct subtitles) of "Låt den rätte komma in". What a great movie, one of the best vampire movies ever made! If you have not seen this you should but be sure you watch a copy with the correct subtitles. On the US the disc after subtitles it should say 'theatrical version'. That's the one you want.


Best of the day - "Låt den rätte komma in"

Oct 16th-

60. " Dawn of the Dead (1978) " - "Following an ever-growing epidemic of zombies that have risen from the dead, two Philadelphia SWAT team members, a traffic reporter, and his television-executive girlfriend seek refuge in a secluded shopping mall."


Zombies again. Very slow and boring zombies.... just like this movie.

61. " Jue ming pai dui " (Invitation Only) - "Ordinary young men and women often dream of the unreachable life of the worlds idle rich. Wade, Richard, Hitomi, Holly and Lin certainly do. They have all received an invitation to an exclusive party held by a group of rich & famous people. It is the best party ever, a wishing game takes place where their deepest desires materialize but ..the wishing game turns into a killing game in which they are the tortured victims and a rich audience the sadistic spectators. To escape from the party and survive is now their only dream."


Not knowing what to expect from Taiwan's first slasher movie "Invitation Only" I was a little skeptical. The first 20 minutes or so did not look very promising, except of course for Maria Ozawa's (the Japanese Porn star) sex scene. Fortunately everything started to pickup after the demise of Ms Ozawa's character.


I must say, I was pleasantly surprised with the remainder of the film (except for the shaky cam foot chase). There's plenty of blood and gore presented in some unique 'kills'. One in particular involves
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) Spoiler  
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) the slicing open of a very pretty young woman's face and packing the open wound with rock salt! Ouch!! That is just one of several very 'cool' methods of disposal.



There are of course the usual plot holes and some unintentional comedy but neither distract from the film.


Recommended.

62. " Wrong Turn 3: Left for Dead "- "A group of people find themselves trapped in the backwoods of West Virginia, fighting for their lives against a group of vicious and horribly disfigured inbred cannibals."


The tag line for "Wrong Turn 3" is: 'What You Don't See Will Kill You'


Watching this movie will kill you.... with it's stupidity! One of the TV adds says something like "So scary it could not be shown in theaters"; what they meant to say is "So sh*tty it could not be shown in theaters".


This is one of the worst movies I've ever seen (except for perhaps the first 10 minutes). Some of the 'kills' are inventive, unfortunately the CGI is worst than most presented on the Syfy channel and the makeup for 'Three Finger' and his clan is atrocious!


Wait for it on cable or sat.

63. " Doghouse " - "The battle of the sexes just got bloody.......... A group of men head to a remote village to help one of their friends get over his divorce; when they get there, though, they discover that all the women have been infected with a virus that makes them man-hating cannibals. "


Zombie cannibal women! Not bad for a comedy/horror in the vein of " Shaun of the Dead " albeit not quite as good.


"What kind of a virus only affects women?"


"Bird Flu."

64. " Gui si " (Silk) - "A team of scientists led by Hashimoto has managed to capture the energy of a ghost child, thanks to their newly invented device called Menger Sponge. The child, isolated in an empty flat, moves his lips to words no one understands. Hashimoto enlists special agent Ye Qi-Dong, who is able to read on lips, in order to figure out how this child can shed light on life...and especially life after death... "


Original story, SFX are good (except for the CGI car crash), I would agree with everything LugNutX said.


Recommended


Best of the day - "Gui si" (Silk) followed by "Jue ming pai dui" (Invitation Only)

Oct 17th-

65. " Teenage Mutant Horror Comet Zombies" or as it's better known "Night of the Comet " - "A comet wipes out most of life on Earth, leaving two Valley Girls to fight the evil types who survive."


I love this movie, it is one of my all time favorite horror movies! Not sure what it is about this movie that I find so entertaining but I enjoy this movie every time I watch it. If you haven't seen it check it out. Not real scary, not a lot of gore, just an entertaining EotW popcorn flix for the whole family.

66. " The Insatiable " - A drab, run-of-the-mill guy witnesses a vampiress devour a bum and becomes so infatuated with her, he tracks her down and traps her in a basement so she can't kill again."


To my surprise this turned out to be a good movie; fun and entertaining with some humor.


"The Insatiable" will be showing on Syfy Wed. Oct. 21 7:30 AM. The Syfy version has been edited so if you can rent it from NF or BB.


Rental recommended.

67. " Tormented " - "A popular clique of high-schoolers bullying leads fellow student Darren to hang himself. Darren comes back from the dead to take revenge on his tormentors."


IFC describes "The Tormented" as " Gossip Girl " meets " Scream ". I would call it more a " Skins " meets " Heathers ". If you're a fan of "Skins" you'll be pleased to see 'April Pearson' , 'Alex Pettyfer' , and 'Larissa Wilson' from the cast of that hit BBC series in "The Tormented".


This one falls into the "Not great, but not bad" category for me.


Tormented will make its US debut on a Video On Demand service called Festival Direct on October 21, 2009.

68. " Gacy " - "Based on a true story of serial killer a model citizen, loving father and husband and serial killer John Wayne Gacy, a man with over 30 dead men and boys entombed in the crawl space underneath his house which he shared with his family."


A very fictionalized screenplay leave this movie lacking. For a more historically accurate movie watch the 1993 TV mini series " To Catch A Killer " starring 'Brian Dennehy' as 'John Wayne Gacy' .


"Gacy" airs Wed. Oct. 28 1:40 AM on TMC

69. " Linkeroever " (Left Bank) - "The story of Marie, a professional runner who has just qualified for the European Championships. Marie meets Bobby, the head of the archery guild. Bobby lives on the elusive left bank of Antwerp in a creepy apartment building which has a dark history going all the way back to the Medieval period. After moving in with Bobby, Marie injures her leg. Plagued by increasingly bizarre visions, some of them apparently involving a black well in the basement, Marie starts missing out on her period and her wound grows ever more grotesque..."


Another great movie from Belgium! See full review here .


Highly Recommended!


Best of the day - "Linkeroever"

Oct 19th-

73. " Carrie " (2002) - "Carrie White is a lonely and painfully shy teenage girl with telekinetic powers who is slowly pushed to the edge of insanity by frequent bullying from both classmates at her school, and her own religious, but abusive, mother."


This 'made for TV' remake of the 1976 " Carrie " first aired exactly 26 years and one day after the original first hit theaters. Overall not as good as the original but in casting at least a little better. Not bad until the destruction starts at the prom, some of the SFX are pretty cheesy.

'Angela Bettis' who portrays "Carrie" starred in another great movie to watch during "Horrorfest", " May ". If you haven't seen "May" you should check it out.

74. " Yi boh lai beng duk " (Ebola Syndrome) - A restaurant employee wanted for murder contracts Ebola by raping a woman in South Africa and starts an outbreak there and in Hong Kong when he returns home."


This movie is the grossest movie I've watched so far. Be warned, do not watch this movie while eating! After watching "Ebola Syndrome" you may never want to go out and eat at a restaurant again. "Ebola Syndrome" is not scary or spooky, it's just nasty, gross and disgusting.

75. " Loft " (2005)- "A prize-winning writer, Leiko, moves to a quiet sub-urban house to finish up her new novel with a help from the editor. That night while sleeping, she sees a man in a storage room transporting an object wrapped in cloth. She soon finds out that he is a renowned archaeologist, Professor Yoshioka, researching ancient mummies, and that object was a recently discovered mummy. Working late on her book, Leiko witnesses a ghost and finds out that her room once belonged to a woman who had been missing for a while. This brings unexplainable fear to Leiko as she starts to uncover more stories from the past."


Very boring, slow moving film from 'Kiyoshi Kurosawa' , the director of "Kairo" (Pulse).


Best of the day - "Carrie"

Oct 20th-

76. " The Omen " (2006) - "A remake of the 1976 horror classic The Omen (1976), an American official realizes that his young son may literally be the devil incarnate."


Been there, done that. Not as good as the original.

77. " Ghost Rider " - Based on the Marvel character, stunt motorcyclist Johnny Blaze gives up his soul to become a hellblazing vigilante, to fight against power hungry Blackheart, the son of the devil himself."


I didn't really like this the first time I saw it but since it was on FX though I'd give it a second chance..... same results.

78. " Secret Window " - "A writer is accused for plagiarism by a strange man, who then starts haunting him for "justice."


This was actually more enjoyable the second time around.

79. " From Hell " - "In Victorian Era London, a troubled clairvoyant police detective investigates the murders by Jack The Ripper."


Could have been much better, tame by today's standards.

80. " Strait-Jacket - "After a 20 year stay at an asylum for a double murder, a mother returns to her estranged daughter where suspicions arise about her behavior."


Couldn't help but laugh at the scene of the handy man
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) Spoiler  
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) painting the car with a 3" paint brush


Although he's not credited, this was the first acting role for 'Lee Majors' , see if you can spot him.

81. " The Tingler - "After much hard work, a pathologist discovers and captures a creature that lives in every vertebrate and grows when fear grips its host..."


Horror sure has changed since "The Tingler" was filmed, enjoyable but lame horror movie.


"The Tingler" is the earliest film to depict the use of LSD.


Best of the day - "From Hell"

Oct 21th-

82. " Broken (2006) - "After dating a wonderful man, Hope comes back home, sees her daughter Jennifer and goes to sleep. She wakes-up in the woods with a psychopath..."


"Broken" was interesting and irritating at the same time. If someone had
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) Spoiler  
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) kidnapped you and your daughter, sewn a razor blade in your stomach, tied a rope around your neck, tied you to a tree standing on a unstable log and you're only means of escape was to dig the razor blade out of your stomach and cut the rope around your neck or you would die; then that same person tells you your daughter is dead, what would you do if you got the upper hand? Try to run away while leaving them capable or recapturing and torturing you or make sure they would never torture you again? Are stupid people the only ones kidnapped? How about the girl that would not shut up? Those two items irritated me, those aside, I enjoyed the the movie.


83. " The Broken " - On a busy street in London, Gina, a successful radiologist, thinks she sees herself drive past in her own car. Stunned by this strange event, Gina follows the mystery woman up to her apartment. From here, events take an eerie turn for the worse which leads to a car accident. Soon Gina's awareness slides from solid reality into a world that will haunt more than just her nightmares as she attempts to unravel the mystery where the only clue is a broken mirror."


I really enjoyed this one but many may not due to the time it takes to get things going. "The Broken" starts off very slow and things don't pick up until around the 50 min mark, after that it gets very interesting and at times very creepy. I found the cinematography and the director's style, which I thought added greatly to the over all 'feel' of the movie, very appealing. The soundtrack was just right and enhanced the creepiness and the suspense.
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) Spoiler  
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) I loved the ambiguous ending but did see the twist coming (but only minutes before it was revealed).
"The Broken" was a breath of fresh air.

84. " Satanico Pandemonium (La sexorcista)" - "A young nun is tempted by visions of forbidden sexual fantasies to cross over to Satan."


Nunsploitation


Best of the day - "The Broken"

Oct 22th-

85. " Nekromantik " - "A street sweeper who cleans up after grisly accidents brings home a full corpse for him and his wife to enjoy sexually, but is dismayed to see that his wife prefers the corpse over him."


Graphic, gory and disturbing.

86. " Nekromantik 2 " - A female nurse desperately tries to hide her feelings of necrophilia from her new boyfriend, but still has pieces of the corpse of the first movie's hero in her possession."


Graphic, gory and disturbing.

87. " Paranormal Activity " - After moving into a suburban home, a couple becomes increasingly disturbed by a nightly demonic presence."


I went in with very low expectations and came out pleasantly surprised. Some very creepy moments, which caused the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end and gave me a few goosebumps, made this a fun experience.


See it at a matinée or wait for the DVD (should be fun in your home theater).

88. " The Skeleton Key " - "A hospice nurse working at a spooky New Orleans plantation home finds herself entangled in a mystery involving the house's dark past."


Even knowing how this movies ends I still found it enjoyable.

89. " The Company of Wolves - "A bag full of symbolic folklore about werewolves, or, rather, their sexual connotation. Granny tells her granddaughter Rosaleen strange..."


Visually pleasing tale of werewolves.

The voiceover at the end of the film is the moral from Charles Perrault's original Little Red Riding Hood story, 'Le Petit Chaperon Rouge' , which warns young girls always to be wary of charming strangers.

90. " August Underground - "Two serial killers go on a murdering rampage as one films the outcome from behind a video camera. One of the most realistically portrayed simulated snuff films."


Too real for comfort! This is INTENSE!


Best of the day - "August Underground"

Oct 23th-

91. " Pontypool " - "The story is about "Shock jock" Grant Mazzy who has, once again, been kicked-off the Big City airwaves and now works at the only job he could get hosting the early morning show at CLSY Radio in Pontypool Ontario, which broadcasts from the basement of the small town's only church. What begins as another boring day of school bus cancellations due to yet another massive snow storm, things quickly turn deadly when reports of people having bizarre seizures, developing strange speech patterns and evoking horrendous acts of violence start piling in."


I rely enjoyed this one!


More info here .


Highly Recommended

92. " Scrapbook " - AA young woman named Clara is captured by a serial killer named Leonard who records his "life story" by keeping a scrapbook of his many victims..."


Tagline: True horror is simply what one human being can do to another.


Graphic, gory and disturbing horror-porn.

93. " 1408 " - A man who specializes in debunking paranormal occurrences checks into the fabled room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel. Soon after settling in, he confronts genuine terror."


Worthwhile ghost story.

94. " August Underground's Mordum " - "Two friends bring along a newcomer to go on a killing spree."

Fred Vogel's sequel to " August Underground ", too long and too boring.

95. " Alien " - A mining ship, investigating a suspected SOS, lands on a distant planet. The crew discovers some strange creatures and investigates."


Classic, if you haven't seen this what are you waiting for? Another one of my all time favorites.


Highly Recommended

96. " Aliens " - 57 years after her ordeal with an extraterrestrial creature, Ellen Ripley is rescued by a deep salvage team during her hypersleep. When she discovers that transmissions from a colony that has since settled on the alien planet suddenly stop, Ripley is offered a chance to team up with a group of marines to descend on the planet and investigate the alien presence. Determined to end the memories of the alien creature, Ripley agrees to the offer and is once again thrown back into her living nightmare."


A worthy sequel and another classic. Also one of my all time favorites.


Highly Recommended


Best of the day - "Pontypool"

Oct 24th

97. " Red Velvet " - "A man and a young woman have a chance encounter at a laundry mat which leads to a story about a birthday party where everyone has been killed by a madman in a white jumpsuit."


So-so comedic/horror flix which is only available at Amazon.com Exclusive Buy or rent via Amazon Video On Demand. (Note: This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.)

98. " Summer Scars " - A group of teens are faced with a life-changing experience when they meet a deranged drifter."


It's been described as " Stand By Me " meets " Deliverance ". Not a bad drama/horror/thriller but not great. I liked the ending; be sure to watch the credits roll (seems like a lot of movies are doing that lately).

99. " Coming Soon " - What kind of scenes in a horror film scares you the most? When a ghost appears totally unexpectedly..."


I didn't find this scary at all, but some do.

100. " Saw IV " - "Jigsaw and his apprentice Amanda are dead. Now, upon the news of Detective Kerry's murder, two seasoned FBI profilers..."


If you like the " Saw " series you will like this.


Sent to theaters under the name "Angel Fish".


Best of the Day - "Saw IV"

Oct 26th

104. " The Fly (1958) " - "A scientist has a horrific accident when he tries to use his newly invented teleportation device."


Classic '50s horror with Vincent Price .

105. " The Fly II " - Several months after the death of Seth Brundle, his lover Veronica is giving birth to his son at Bartok Industries, the company that funded Brundle's experiments. The labor is very painful, and her accomplice Stathis Borans is dragged away from the procedure after he objects to her treatment. She eventually gives birth to a larval sac, causing her to go into shock and die. The larval sac is opened by the surgeons to reveal a seemingly normal human baby inside."


Ok horror/scifi but not as good as the original or the 1986 remake .

106. " Psycho (1989)" - A young female embezzler arrives at the Bates Motel which has terrible secrets of its own..."


A shot by shot remake of the Hitchcock classic that falls short in more ways than one.


Best of the Day - "The Fly"

Oct 27th

107. " Return of the Living Dead: Necropolis " - "A group of teenagers who, in an attempt to rescue their friend from an evil corporation, end up releasing a horde of blood thirsty zombies."


A complete waste of time.

108. " Blue Sunshine " - At a party, someone goes insane and murders three women. Falsely accused of the brutal killings, Jerry is on the run. More bizarre killings continue with alarming frequency all over town. Trying to clear his name, Jerry discovers the shocking truth...people are losing their hair and turning into violent psychopaths and the connection may be some LSD all the murderers took a decade before."


Almost a complete waste of time. More funny than scary there were a couple of scenes that kept this from being a complete waste of time.
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) Spoiler  
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) A couple of scenes that come to mind: the scene of the girl getting thrown in the fireplace and the scene with baldheaded Wendy. holding the knife, chasing the kids around the living room trying to stab them. Don't forget, there are 255 doses of 'Blue Sunshine' unaccounted for!



Best of the Day - N/A

Oct 28th

109. " Burnt Offerings " - "Haunted house chiller from Dan Curtis has Oliver Reed and Karen Black as summer caretakers moving into gothic house with their young son..."


Similar to " The Shining " this horror/mystery is classic 70's movie fare.

110. " Hellboy " - A demon, raised from infancy after being conjured by and rescued from the Nazis, grows up to become a defender against the forces of darkness."


From one of my favorite directors, 'Guillermo del Toro' , "Hellboy is a treat for the eyes and ears.

111. " Night of the Creeps " - Alien brain parasites, entering humans through the mouth, turn their host into a killing zombie. Some teenagers start to fight against them."


Great 80's comedy/horror! Another all time favorite and a wonderful, fun popcorn movie. I loved the references to " Plan 9 from Outer Space " and " The Monster Squad " as well as the nod to famous horror/sci-fi directors. All the last names of the main characters are based on famous horror and sci-fi directors: George A. Romero (Chris Romero), John Carpenter and Tobe Hooper (James Carpenter Hooper), David Cronenberg (Cynthia Cronenberg), James Cameron (Det. Ray Cameron), John Landis (Det. Landis) and Sam Raimi (Sgt. Raimi).


Highly Recommended!


Best of the Day - "Night of the Creeps"

Oct 29th

112. " Thicker than Water: The Vampire Diaries Part 1 " - "Thicker Than Water is the first part in the Vampire Diaries Trilogy. It tells the story of the Baxters, an ordinary suburban family whose world is turned upside down when their youngest becomes a vampire. With their world crumbling around them, the Baxters find themselves lulled into atrocity, the daily carnage destroying their sense of morality while bringing them closer together as a family."


Low budget indie which had it's moments, worth checking out if showing on cable or sat.

113. " Cursed aka Wes Craven's Cursed " - A werewolf loose in Los Angeles changes the lives of three young adults, who, after being mauled by the beast, learn they must kill their attacker if they hope to change their fate to avoid becoming werewolves too."


Entertaining but predictable PG-13 comedy/horror movie staring Portia de Rossi , Shannon Elizabeth and Christina Ricci .


Catch it on cable or sat.


Best of the Day - "Cursed"

Oct 31st

116. " The Haunting (1963) "- Dr. Markway, doing research to prove the existence of ghosts, investigates Hill House, a large, eerie mansion with a lurid history of violent death and insanity. Eleanor, whose psychic abilities make her feel somehow attuned to whatever spirits inhabit the old mansion. As time goes by it becomes obvious that they have gotten more than they bargained for as the ghostly presence in the house manifests itself in horrific and deadly ways."


Without the use of blood, guts and gore, a genuinely scary movie and psychological thriller.


Highly Recommended!

117. " The Birds " - "A wealthy San Francisco playgirl pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town that slowly takes a turn for the bizarre when birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people there in increasing numbers and with increasing viciousness."


A classic which just gets better with age!

118. " The Birds II: Lands End "- "A biology teacher and his wife take their two children to an island summer house to enable him to write an important thesis while getting over the death of their son. While they are there, large flocks of birds appear and begin to attack individual humans for no apparent reason."


A travesty!

119. " Halloween H20: 20 Years Later " - "Laurie Strode, now the dean of a Northern California private school with an assumed name, must battle the Shape one last time and now the life of her own son hangs in the balance."


Better than Rob Zombie's remake....but that's not saying much.

120. " Orphan " - "A husband and wife who recently lost their baby adopt a 9-year-old girl who is not nearly as innocent as she claims to be."


One of the better horror movies I've seen in a while and still thrilling upon 2nd viewing.

"According to the Estonian mental institute records, Esther was born on April the 20th - Hitler's birthday."


"The film seems to have been loosely inspired by the case of Treva Throneberry, a woman who conned social services from various states into believing she was an orphaned teenager well into her late twenties."


Isabelle Fuhrman's performance as 'Esther' is amazing!

121." Taxidermia " - "Taxidermia contains three generational stories, about a grandfather, a father, and a son, linked together by recurring motifs. The dim grandfather, an orderly during World War Two, lives in his bizarre fantasies; he desires love. The huge father seeks success as a top athlete -- a speedeater -- in the postwar pro-Soviet era. The grandson, a meek, small-boned taxidermist, yearns for something greater: immortality. He wants to create the most perfect work of art of all time by
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) Spoiler  
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) stuffing his own torso.


Historical facts and surrealism become intertwined as magical realism, like in the works of Gabriel GarcÃ*a Marquez or the Hungarian writer Lajos Parti Nagy; the script is based on two of the latter’s stories. Palfi added the third story, that of the grandson the taxidermist.


The first section begins with a disembodied voice pontificating obliquely about creation and three generations, explaining that if something has to end, the beginning has to be important. Immediately we see the grandfather, Vendel Morosgoványi (Csaba Czene), who is berated by his lieutenant in a remote outpost, with only the lieutenant’s fat wife and two beautiful daughters around. He retreats into the realm of gratification, no matter how extreme. He peeps in the daughters’ bath, drinks the girls’ dirty bathwater, masturbates until his penis emits flames of fire, and sleeps with the lieutenant’s wife. She becomes pregnant and the lieutenant blows off Vendel’s head — but raises his child, Kálmán.


In the second part, Kálmán (Gergõ Trócsányi) has become obese and competes for Hungary in eating competitions that their backers hope will be recognized by the International Olympic Committee. Against a backdrop of empty Communist spectacle and military poseurs, Kálmán strives to win. He meets up with an oversized woman, Gizella (Adél Stanczel), another speedeating competitor, and the two get married, although she has sex with his teammate during the wedding party. She and Kálmán embark on a long honeymoon, returning to their respective factories to practice. Gizella gives birth to a tiny, tiny son, Lajos.


Section three, which is contemporary, is calmer, less manic than the previous two. Lajos (Mark Bischoff) has become a quiet taxidermist who has no prospects in love; he is rejected by the supermarket cashier, for one. He is as frustrated in his way as his grandfather was in his, but Lajos’s fertile imagination will prove to work in a very different way. His father, Kálmán, has reached enormous proportions and can no longer move. Kálmán’s wife has long ago left him, so Lajos brings food and cleans the apartment where Kálmán (now Gábor Máté, in a fatsuit) sits amidst boxes of food and the three cats he pushes to overeat. One day Lajos finds Kálmán dead, possibly having exploded from overeating or having been mauled by one of the cats. He stuffs him, and immediately after, begins stuffing himself by locking his body onto a board surrounded by perfectly attuned machines. At the end of the procedure, a glass blade he has set up decapitates him and an electric saw severs his right arm. The two men are found by a customer, Dr. Regõczy (Géza Hegedžs D.), who puts them on display at a chic art exhibition. Dr. Regõczy, whose lecture is a continuation of the voiceover at the very beginning of the film, maintains that one can mount one’s father and oneself but can not mount the essence, that being what Lajos felt at the moment the blade cut off his head. The camera moves into the black void beyond Lajos’s bellybutton. --© Regent Releasing"



I first viewed "Taxidermia" in early 2007 ( comments here ) and have never forgotten it. This is one of my all time favorites which I saved for last.


This is a strange and grotesquely bizarre horror/black comedy/drama that's disturbing yet mesmerizing. If you can handle it, this is one film you will not forget anytime soon! A masterpiece!


Highly Recommended! -
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) Spoiler  
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) Don't plan on eating after wards!



Best of the Day - "Taxidermia"
 
#135 ·
I'm gonna try to do 31 horror movies in 31 days as well, although it won't necessarily be 1 per day, perhaps 2 every 2 days, 3/6 on weekends, etc, or combo's like that.


I'll have to go through my list of movies I own, to see which would be fitting. Some of the titles I remember:


- The Thing

- 30 Days of Night

- The Shinning


(these 3 I usually watch in Jan/Feb, but will move up in rotation. Yes, I watch movies based on current season :p)


- The Exorcist

- Evil Dead 1/2/3

- Alien 1/2/3/4

- Event Horizon

- Blade 1/2/3

- Prophecy 1/2/3 (maybe)

- Phantasm 1/2

- Cloverfield

- Halloween 1/2 (origs, maybe remakes)

- The Fog

- The Prince of Darkness (guilty pleasure, like most on list)

- Dawn of the Dead (remake)

- 28 Days/Weeks Later

- Saw 1/2

- House on Haunted Hill (1999)

- American Werewolf in London

- The Host

- Cat People (remake)

- Silence of the Lambs

- Quarantine

- Underworld 1/2/3



d'ohh, that's 37 already, with a few maybe's




EDIT: forgot 2 'classics':


- Poltergeist

- A Nightmare on Elm Street
 
#137 ·
This will be my spot for the 2009 movie listing. Reviews to follow once October rolls around.

Apollo's October Horrorfest 2009


1. The Devil's Chair- {4/5} DVD I know it seems a little strange to put this movie in my list again after last year, but my wife didn't get a chance to see it last time. Since this one is an absolute must-see IMO, we needed to check this one out together after purposely waiting a year to do so (during Horrorfest). My feelings about the movie remain the same from last year's review, but my rating dropped from a 4.25 to a 4. Andrew Howard definitely still steals the show, but some of the acting/script were slightly worse this time around. Still highly recommended overall!


2. Rest Stop- {2/5} SyFy Channel (First-Time Viewing) This movie was basically a mess from start to finish. It borrowed so many elements from horror flicks of the past that it completely lost track of what it was trying to convey. This complete lack of cohesiveness made it difficult for me to stay awake at times. The fact that it included some interesting and disturbing gore (especially for the SyFy channel) is what managed to catch my attention when I was about to nod off. If you enjoy gore, then this one might be worth a shot. Unfortunately, since it includes some of the absolute worst decision-making by a main character that has ever been shot on film; it is very hard to recommend this to anyone. Come to think of it........maybe 2 stars is being generous. Oh well, perhaps the sequels can redeem this series once/if I decide to give them a shot.


3. From Hell- {4.25/5} Blu-Ray I have seen/enjoyed this movie many times in the past so it comes as no surprise that my new blu-ray version was such a treat. The picture quality got a well-deserved makeover and the soundtrack had a little extra "spice" to it. Johnny Depp does a fabulous job as usual as he plays the clairvoyant detective who seeks out the infamous Jack The Ripper as he slaughters local prostitutes. I love the overall atmosphere of this movie. It really does a marvelous job of placing you smack-dab in the middle of the streets of 19th century London. The scenes are very disturbing and graphic as Jack slays his victims in various horrifying ways. I'm sure most of you have seen this movie at one time or another, but it may be high time to do yourself a favor and give it another look. For those that haven't seen it, it is highly recommended.


4. Autopsy- {2.25/5} SyFy Channel (First-Time Viewing) So after my wonderful experience with Rest Stop on SyFy, I decided to sit through another straight to DVD "classic". I mean.....how bad could it be? Well, needless to say I was severely let down by my previously high hopes. I am seeing a theme emerge as I trudge my way through these SyFy offerings; if there is enough gore and disturbing images.....people might actually tune in. This one was not as bad as Rest Stop because it was certainly more "cohesive" for lack of a better word. There were a few scares and actually some good ideas that shone through, but the fact that no one ever actually decided to just LEAVE THE *@ING HOSPITAL was quite hard to swallow. Even when the cop arrived and the girl had the most obvious chance to just walk out the front door; she chose not to in favor of showing the cop all the horrific things that were going on. I bet you're wondering how that one turned out, huh? I refuse to spoil it so you'll have to sit through this whole movie for yourself, just like I did. I will give it this though, the one scene when the girl finds her boyfriend and all of his internal organs are out of his body; suspended in the air in some weird experiment to keep the doctor's sickly wife alive........was actually pretty cool. I cannot recommend that anyone watches this movie but I certainly challenge you to do so.


5. Stir Of Echoes- {4/5} Blu-Ray This was a good choice to get me back on track. I watched this movie many years ago when it first came out so I don't remember enough about the DVD to comment on the Blu-Ray improvements. I will tell you this though, this is a very well-crafted movie about ghosts and the clairvoyance of Kevin Bacon and his son as they recreate and solve the mysterious disappearance of a neighborhood girl. Of course it reminds one of 6th Sense since they came out around the same time, but this movie is much more chilling as far as I'm concerned. It has some good laughs to go with the scares and all of the actors do a very good job overall. I bought this movie specifically for the October Horrorfest and it was money well spent.


6. The Unborn- {2.75/5} Blu-Ray (First-Time Viewing) The basic "evil spirit trying to take over a human body" concept has been rehashed countless times before, but this one attempts to add a clever little twist to it that concerns twins and what happens when one of the twins dies in the womb. Although the concept was fairly original; the overall storyline failed to deliver on several levels. To give it some credit, there were some cool images, a few good scares and a fairly robust soundtrack. These were the main factors in giving it the "generous" 2.75 rating. Unfortunately, we found ourselves interjecting angry comments at many of the ridiculous moments throughout the movie. The "exorcism" towards the end of the movie was particularly ridiculous and made no sense whatsoever. I wouldn't say that this movie fell totally and completely flat, but I can assure you that this will be the one and only time that it finds its way into my house.


7. The Exorcist III- {4.5/5} DVD This movie crafts its storyline by using the priest from the original Exorcist as the catalyst to a new bout with evil. Firstly, I need to comment on its overall presentation. The sound effects and visuals are absolutely marvelous. They work together to deliver a deliciously horrifying tale. And the performances......... especially by the "Gemini Killer" are outstanding. If it wasn't already obvious, I thoroughly enjoy this movie. It is definitely one of the scariest movies that I have seen. I watched it alone, with the lights off and I was scared to the point of being uncomfortable. It was well worth it. The only things preventing it from getting a higher rating were the occasional poor/"over the top" dialog and the relatively weak ending. At the end of the day, very highly recommended!


8. Trick 'R Treat- {3.75/5} Blu-Ray (First-Time Viewing) Like it has been stated by several others, this movie reminds one of an updated and polished version of Tales From the Crypt or Creepshow. Since it was so short in length, I feel that it struggled to tell all the stories in the allotted time. There were some cool twists but the way that it was all put together lacked a consistent flow. While some of the parts were fairly cheesy; others were quite entertaining. All in all, I still enjoyed myself despite its flaws. Anyone looking for a good, short Halloween flick should definitely check this one out.


9. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)- {4/5} DVD I know many people detested this remake for several different reasons that I will decline to mention here; however, I have always really enjoyed it. Instead of making comparisons, I choose to treat it as its own movie. That fact alone has allowed me to appreciate the good performances by the actors along with the overall creepiness of the movie without reservation. The atmosphere and the way the movie is shot makes for a horrifying ride. If it wasn't for the relentless and distracting shots of Jessica Biel sprinkled all over the place, this would have received a higher rating. J/K In the end, a great candidate for this challenge.


10. Friday the 13th- {3.75/5} DVD This is one of the few horror favorites from my childhood that still holds up pretty well today. The movie sorta plods along, even when the killing starts; but I like the way it tries to keep us guessing on which character was responsible for the killings. Then it takes a fabulous turn once we get our first taste of the real killer. The lady that plays Jason's mother is still absolutely terrifying and she most definitely makes the entire movie worthwhile. When she starts speaking in her son's voice? Man, that's just flat out scary. Of course Jason leaping out of the water is still a classic moment as well. Although the acting is questionable throughtout most of the movie, at least we get to see Kevin Bacon at his very best : )


11. Identity- {3.75/5} SyFy Honestly, this is a pretty good sleeper movie pick for this challenge. It purposely keeps you guessing until the very end and the performances by the actors were fairly solid. Although it might be considered more of a thriller than a horror flick, I would think it would still suffice considering that I'm trying to watch 31 of these babies. I really liked how they went about revealing the twist, but to top it off there were more twists on top of the first one. Very good stuff. This one is a fun watch especially if you haven't seen it before. Recommended.


12. Eden Lake- {3.5/5} DVD Talk about a difficult movie to watch! Alot of torture and brutally violent behavior.......by kids!! The character that Jack O' Connell plays is exceptionally disturbing as he masterminds a hunt for a relatively innocent adult couple. The torture that this couple endures was really taxing on me. Just when you think things can't possibly get any worse, it does.....over and over again. This is a good movie for those that can withstand such a torturefest. The only thing that I couldn't handle was how the movie ended. Another turn for the worse leaves one completely dissatisfied as I felt cheated out of the resolution that I really wished would have happened. Oh well, maybe that's what makes this movie fairly unique. A good effort overall and definitely challenge-worthy.


13. Drag Me To Hell- {3/5} Blu-Ray (First-Time Viewing) I usually don't do very well with "silly" horror films. That's the main reason I was unable to really get into this movie. It has a few good scares and it certainly goes out of its way to gross you out, but it didn't really leave a lasting impression on me. My wife was able to point out the little twist immediately when they set the stage for it early in the movie. Its possible that it could have slightly ruined my experience a tad. As a few people have pointed out the AQ and PQ are very good, but overall I don't think there was enough value here to warrant another viewing in the future.


14. Vampires- {3.5/5} DVD It has been a long time since I have seen this movie but I enjoyed this movie back then (about 10 years) and it was still pretty enjoyable now. John Carpenter is at the helm and he creates a film that has a semi-unique storyline that involves some good scares, significant gore and even some well-timed humor. If you haven't seen this movie, it is based on a group of vampire-killers that are employed by the church to seek out and kill vampires while they sleep in their "nests" (basically old abandoned houses). Overall, a good addition to the challenge.


15. Interview With A Vampire- {4.5/5} Blu-Ray What a great movie! All of the individual performances are very good (especially Kirsten Dunst). The big scares are at a minimum, but it matters not. I love the way the story unfolds and the overall feeling of this movie is still quite chilling in its own way. We even had some good laughs along the way. For those interested in a little change of pace, I would highly recommend it for your list. This is quite possibly the best vampire movie of all time as far as I'm concerned!


16. 30 Days of Night- {3.75/5} Blu-Ray This is a repeat viewing from my 2008 list. Comments and rating stand.


17. Near Dark- {2.75/5} DVD (First-Time Viewing) After falling asleep on Sunday night with my first try, I started over tonight so as not to cheat myself out of a masterpiece.
Well, for 1987 this movie isn't a complete flop, I guess. There were just too many holes in the story and 2 hilariously ridiculous blood transfusions that prevented me from enjoying what could have been a much better offering. It also doesn't help that the main character is a terrible actor. Although come to think of it, he probably shouldn't be held completely responsible since there wasn't much to work with in the first place. I did enjoy the entertaining performance from Bill Paxton though. There were no real scares although there were a few scenes with some gore. I suppose in the end, I don't totally regret watching this movie. Never again though, I assure you........never again.


18. The Strangers- {3.75/5} Blu-Ray Okay, another repeat from last year. Although my rating will stay the same due to the stupidity of the victims, this is one scary movie folks!! I can't help but put myself in their position and think about how terrifying that whole ordeal would be. Of course at some point one has to just stand up and decide to battle it out, but the way The Strangers torment them is awesome! Great addition to the list once again.


19. Suspiria- {3.5/5} DVD (First-Time Viewing) I think I may have a more difficult time enjoying older movies than most. I really had a hard time with the acting and dialog in this one. Did people really talk that way back in the 70's? It also didn't help that my dvd copy's soundtrack was slightly off with their mouths. As for the positives...Aside from the tobasco-colored blood, I really loved the visuals including the entertaining stabbing scenes. The settings were very appealing and Argento's use of colors was outstanding. I also enjoyed the score. Very creepy indeed. All in all however, I was not overly impressed with this movie. It had some good moments (especially towards the end) but I really had a tough time with the acting and the script. Taking the good with the bad earns it a 3.5 in the rating scale.


20. Inferno- {3.75/5} DVD (First-Time Viewing) The gripes that I had about Suspiria were much-improved in the 2nd of Argento's trilogy. The dialog was much more tolerable and the soundtrack was spot-on this time. However, I still had an issue with the strange timing of the lines in conversations. Really forced and unnatural but much subdued compared to Suspiria. His use of colors (namely red and blue) was in full effect yet again and the kill-scenes were similarly entertaining. I thought as a whole Inferno was creepier than Suspiria. The death count was higher and the scares were more frequent. On the other hand, it was slightly less cohesive as there were times when I was confused about what the hell was going on. In the end, this one deserves a higher rating than its predecessor.


21. The Hills Have Eyes- {4.25/5} DVD It had been quite some time since the last time I sat down with this one. Honestly, I forgot how good of a movie this was. Unbelievably entertaining gore, good scares, good acting and a fun soundtrack to round it all off. There have been many movies (before and after THHE) that are similar, but this is one of the few that got it right. We even get an unsuspected hero at the end of it all. What elso could you want in an October Horrorfest candidate? Very highly recommended!


22. Mother Of Tears- {3.75/5} DVD (First-Time Viewing) Overall, the 3rd installment in the Argento trilogy was a fun watch. The gore was way over the top and pretty entertaining at certain times while at other times difficult to swallow (in particular the child killing). He also chose to use quite a bit of nudity this time around which is always okay in my book.
I agree with others that Asia Argento was questionable as the choice of the main character. She did a good job some of the time, but man did she struggle to show any sort of emotion (a pretty important aspect when it comes to horror flicks). I feel that Argento crafted a pretty good and unique story that held its own well in comparison to the other movies in this year's challenge. If it wasn't for the laughably horrible ending, it would have gotten a slightly higher rating.


23. The Ring- {4.5/5} DVD This one has always been a sure-fire horror flick even after multiple viewings. A very entertaining mix of horror and suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat nearly the entire time. The performances were very good (even that of the creepy kid) and I loved the use of sound and imagery. The scene when they show the girl in the closet and what happened to her face is one of the most memorable scenes of all time IMO. Still creeps me out to this day. I have yet to see Ringu, so maybe it will have to make its way onto next year's list so I can make a comparison. If it's anything like The Ring, I certainly can't go wrong. Great movie!!!


24. Boogeyman- {2.5/5} DVD You know, there were actually a few elements in this movie that worked for me. I enjoyed some of the camera work and there was some interesting suspense. Unfortunately, this movie is an overall disaster when it's all said and done. I found myself asking "Why" over and over again in regards to the storyline. Many ridiculous conversations and questionable decision-making by the actors plagued the flow of the movie, not to mention the ending was downright atrocious. This movie is full of cheap scares; however, I must admit it.... they got me a few times.


25. Wolf- {3.75/5} AMC Jack Nicholson stars and delivers another fantastic performance. I really liked how the story pulls you in and keeps you interested the entire time. I was a little disappointed that I had to FF through commercials though. Even so, I really like this movie. The story is very entertaining. I loved how Jack began to slowly discover that he was turning into a wolf. I had a few minor gripes (like the scene when he crawls out the window at night, but it was daytime seconds later when he stalks the deer), but this is a well-crafted, superbly-acted movie in the end. There were virtually no scary moments and minimal gore so that is the reason for the conservative rating. It probably deserves better. Highly recommended.


26. The Uninvited- {4.25/5} Blu-Ray After finishing my 3rd viewing of this movie this year, I still really like this one. It had some very chilling moments that delivered some really good scares. I also loved the cinematography and the individual performances by the actors. For those who haven't seen it, it is certainly worth checking out. I absolutely loved the twists, especially the final one in the institution. Great ending! Apparently, this is a remake of an earlier Korean film I believe. I think it's called "A Tale of 2 Sisters" and it might make a good addition for next year's challenge. Very highly recommended!!


27. Offspring- {2.5/5} DVD (First-Time Viewing) As I was perusing through BB this week, I stumbled upon this movie on the shelf. Since it said "Jack Ketchum's Offspring" it immediately grabbed my attention. Well, needless to say I set myself up for disappointment. This is a very low-budget movie and it very closely resembled an 80's soap opera with the way it was filmed (or taped). There were some interesting things going on that kept our attention...like the cannibalism, self-mutilation, weird punishments and gruesome killings. It was also certainly unique as far as it's storyline is concerned, but it was really hard to finish this movie without nodding off (which I did a few times).


28. Inside- {4.25/5} DVD (First-Time Viewing) All the posts about this movie and how disturbing it is could not prepare me for what I feel is one of the most gruesome movies in history. Even the opening sequence was hard to watch.....and that was nothing compared to the rest of the movie! Even though 95% of the movie takes place in a single house, the cinematography (especially the intentionally washed-out picture) were very effective in creating a chilling atmosphere. This movie features more blood and gore than you would expect in a movie with such a minimal cast. Of course, it wasn't perfect. The "killer", although a woman, is seemingly indestructible and ends up outlasting everyone else in the movie despite a mulitude of fatal injuries. I also felt that the main character was strangely quiet at times when there were opportunities to yell for help. All in all though, one of the best movies in this year's challenge!


29. House of 1000 Corpses- {4.75/5} Blu-Ray The backbone of my October Horrorfest year after year. I never get tired of watching this movie. Rating and previous comments stand from last year. An absolute Masterpiece!!!!


30. Halloween (Rob Zombie)- {4.25/5} Blu-Ray Another repeat from last year, but a very appropriate one considering that its Halloween Night. My new Blu-Ray transfer was a nice improvement over the DVD. Rating and previous comments stand from last year.


31. Orphan- {4.75/5} Blu-Ray I saw this in the theater but it did not diminish my enjoyment of it at all the second time around. I couldn't have chosen a better movie to round out my list. The storyline is very original and the twist is one of the best and most unexpected of any I have seen. All of the performances are fabulous and the marvelous cinematography with the unique camera pans make this a nearly perfect effort. An extremely frightening tale that has you on the edge of your seat nearly the entire time. In my opinion, this is the movie of the year!!!!!!!


Well, guys another October has come and gone. I can't believe I completed the entire 31! It has been a helluva ride and I loved all the dedicated participation by everyone involved. Thanks to all for the great recommendations and we'll see you all next year.
 
#139 ·
I'm having fun looking back @ everyone's old lists.


I'll be writing my reviews as we go along. It looks like I lost a couple from last year. haha! Ooops!


Last year I convinced a co-worker to join in with me. He's just a casual horror fan and had no idea what he was getting into. Needless to say he's game again this time and been talking it up all month!
 
#140 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by yankeeman /forum/post/17234484


Are you guys going to give a review of each movie after you watch it, or wait until you have watched a bunch then review them?

It usually depends on how much free time I have. Last year I was pretty good about posting fairly quickly when I started; however, as time passed I found myself posting several reviews together. Either way is fine.
 
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