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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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#1,681 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by General Kenobi /forum/post/21033062


This has been getting pretty good reviews but the giant cgi troll in the trailer looked so cheesy I dismissed it, maybe I should give it a chance.

You definitely should!



The movie is so well executed the cheesy critters are not a problem.

Very clever filmmaking, not one wrong step in the entire film.


This movie is one of those rare, great examples of what can be done on a budget of 5 bucks.

Keep an eye on this filmmaker...he/she could really go somewhere.


Quote:
Dexter was great! Looks like it is going to be a pretty dark season!

Infinity+1


An excellent opening episode....I'm pumped.
 
#1,682 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by oink /forum/post/21033139


You definitely should!



The movie is so well executed the cheesy critters are not a problem.

Very clever filmmaking, not one wrong step in the entire film.


This movie is one of those rare, great examples of what can be done on a budget of 5 bucks.

Keep an eye on this filmmaker...he/she could really go somewhere.

+1 The cheesy CGI Trolls worked for me. I guess when the movie's good it doesn't matter as much.
 
#1,683 ·
Took the day off and checked out A Horrible Way to Die. I wish it was A Lonely Place to Die instead but I guess that's not out yet. Nice try but there's just way too many flashbacks on top of each other. Fell apart in the 3rd act and you knew what was coming.

A Horrible Way to Die (2010)


All over the place,

A horrible way to write

Made me want to drink.
 
#1,686 ·
Dug up this:
http://retroslashers.net/new-intrude...u-ray-in-2011/

Quote:
I’m waiting, too. I am the “final girl” mentioned in this post. Jennifer – at Walnut Lake Market.

Elizabeth Cox was my name as an actress – now it’s Liz Kern.

What I remember – creating about 4 different screams for all the bodies I had to discover – lots of running, and a very fast shoot in Bell California at an empty grocery store that smelled like some of the old rotting groceries left in the case.


It will be interesting to see the movie get a second round of PR after suffering from the bad luck in 1989 – when the production/ distribution went down the tubes when Empire went under – so much for any big screen time. I shot the interview this August in LA with the Synapse people. This will be a kick to see it again. Check out The Wraith – I was the blond in the opening scenes. And Juarez Stages of Fear – played Chris Penn’s wife. His last movie.

-Jennifer AKA Liz Kern. Formerly known as Elizabeth Cox.
 
#1,687 ·
2. Burning Bright (first-time viewing)

If you can get over the contrived setup--a young woman and her autistic younger brother are stuck in a boarded-up house during a hurricane with a starving tiger--you will enjoy this little thriller. Personally I went along for the ride and had a great time. Maybe this is more of a thriller than outright horror, but this did have several great scares, and a feeling of tension throughout. I will admit actually screamed out loud a few times, probably due to the fact that one of my recurring nightmares is that I find a wild tiger in my house (seriously!)

Bob's A-Z 2011 Horror Movie Marathon

1. Antichrist

2. Burning Bright
 
#1,688 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by oink /forum/post/21033011


Does Trollhunter count as horror?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1740707/


Watched last nite and loved it.

One of the best movies to run thru my HT this year.


Heavily inspired by Blair Witch, but a much better flick.

The critter sounds are awesome on the BD.


Humor aplenty, horror scary.
Don't miss this one.

I liked Trollhunter too! Kind of like "Jaws", but with Trolls, and with a dark sense of humor. Because, I mean, come on, it's about trolls. Lots of fun!
 
#1,689 ·
Horrorfest 2011


1. House of 1000 Corpses (2003)- {4.75/5} Blu-ray There is just no better way to kick start Horrorfest. After multiple viewings, it's still one of my all-time favorites. An interesting thing that I just realized is that my wife appears to be fairly obsessed with Sheri Moon. I'm completely cool with it though, as that makes 2 of us. Although subtle, the blu-ray does have some additional footage that is not on the DVD. Bottom line: This is a horror masterpiece. Who knows, I might watch this again before the month is over just for ****s and giggles.



2. The Lost (2006)- {4.25/5} Blu-ray (First-time viewing) Marc Senter stars as Ray Pye in this adaption of the Jack Ketchum novel about a troubled man who slowly, but steadily loses his mind and goes on a killing spree. Senter does an amazing job of playing the role of a psychopath. What a performance! My wife and I really enjoyed this movie throughout. There's graphic sex, great kills and solid acting by the entire cast. The final sequence was especially good. This was a blind buy and it did not disappoint. Highly recommended!


3. My Bloody Valentine (1981)- {3.25/5} Blu-ray This was the uncut version but I have to admit, its been such a long time since I saw original version that I'm not sure what stuff was added back in. This is your stereotypical 80's slasher (poor acting and all). My wife had never seen it before, so it was a bit harder for her to appreciate how scary this thing was when it first came out. I agree, there is certainly some areas that were laughably bad, but I think this movie still holds up fairly well against many of the others from the same era. The atmosphere was as creepy as I remember it and the kills were still quite entertaining. The ending is definitely the best part. All in all, a good watch.


4. Bereavement (2010)- {4.25/5} Blu-ray (First-time viewing) This was a very well done movie, from top to bottom. Its about a man who abducts a boy from his yard and proceeds to "teach" him the ways of a serial killer as he keeps him confined in his home. An apprenticeship, if you will. Brent Rickaby does a great job of playing a deranged madman while Alexandra Daddario (who plays the female lead) continuously taunts you with her amazing assets. It actually distracted me on occasion and I had to slap myself to get back into the mood. Seriously though, we both enjoyed this movie thoroughly. It reminded me alot of Frailty (which was also a very good movie). There were some slight flaws that we noticed but the pacing was spot on and it all led up to an awesome final sequence. Highly recommended!


5. Shocker (1989)- {2/5} HBO When I first saw this movie as a teen, I had to walk home from a friend's house when it was done. All I remember about that experience was that I was absolutely terrified and actually ended up running most of the way. It is because of this that I wanted to give this another go 'round some 20+ years later. Well, its not surprising that it didn't hold up like I had hoped for. This is a Wes Craven effort that borrows the "dreamworld to reality" aspect of ANOES but tries to add the little twist that the killer can electrically transfer from body to body by touching them (similar to Fallen for those that have seen that movie). I won't go into the whole storyline, but a fairly strong start eventually morphs into an atrocity of a film that even had my wife taking frequent time outs from her studying to ask me why I was watching such crap. Some of the cheesiness she was referring to was actually slightly comical at times, but man, what a disappointment when it was all said and done. There are mixed reviews out there for The People Under the Stairs (another Craven effort around the same time) but that movie was significantly more enjoyable than this one. Another cool childhood horror movie memory goes down in flames.



6. Scream 4 (2011)- {3/5} Blu-ray (First-time viewing) Many online opinions stated that this was as good as or even better than the first one. I would have to disagree for the most part. The beginning was cool and original, the kills were fairly entertaining and there was a ton of star power in their diverse cast. Unfortunately, this one continued to lose steam as the story progressed. I suppose one could argue that all the flaws in this movie were completely intentional as the entire premise is to illustrate and poke fun at common horror movie blunders. Even so, I was hoping for more when it was all said and done.


7. The Possession of David O'Reilly (2010)- {3/5} DVD (First-time viewing) There were some things that I enjoyed about this movie and other things that I completely disliked. There were some cool concepts and disturbing images that did a good job of setting the mood; however, there were things missing within the story that made it difficult to understand (and buy into) the concept as a whole. The performances were adequate but the lack of rational decisions by 2 of the 4 characters (yes, there were only 4 characters in the movie) made the movie somewhat annoying to watch. There was a nice little twist at the end, but it was fairly predictable given the events that led up to it. Given that this movie was low-budget, it did a fair job of recreating a tale of a man possessed. I would give it a weak recommendation for those that haven't seen it simply due to the originality of the story.


8. Siren (2010)- {3/5} DVD (First-time viewing) This one is more of a sexy suspense/thriller than it is horror. Some good eye candy but for the amount of time they dedicate to enticing you with sexuality, it certainly could have delivered more than it did. The tension builds up nicely as the movie progresses and I loved the cinematography and surround presentation. It reminded me of Triangle in a way, but not executed nearly as well. It appears that many people really dislike this movie; however, I didn't think it was that bad. In fact, I sort of enjoyed it (except for the ending).


9. Pumpkinhead (1988)- {3.5/5} DVD (First-time viewing) I'm glad I finally took the time to watch this. To my dismay though, I accidentally picked up the full-screen version from Blockbuster. Very disappointed in myself with that move.
The movie itself was surprisingly good. Solid story, excellent atmosphere and good special effects for its time (although the limitations in technology showed themselves during the choppy action sequences). My favorite scene is when Pumpkinhead initially rises from the grave.
Most of the acting was adequate, but Florence Schauffler does an absolutely fantastic job as the witch. Overall, a great addition to Horrorfest.


10. Strangeland (1998)- {3.25/5} DVD (First-time viewing) Here is another movie that I would classify as more of a suspense/thriller rather than horror. In fact, there was only one kill that I can remember and it was at the very end. This movie is still very dark and twisted though in that it centers on underground S&M factions and a man who kidnaps folks to torture them for his own pleasure. The methods of torture that were used were very inventive and actually quite impressive. Dee Snider does a fair job in his dual-role and he certainly looked the part of an S&M/torture overlord as he is an extremely hideous man. Acting and pacing were solid throughout (although there were some holes in the story that went unexplained) and the scene at the end when Snider burns to death was very cool
. I thought the movie ended abruptly though, as it seemed like there should have been more to the story. After a fairly solid effort with Strangeland, its surprising that this is Snider's only film (as a writer/producer).


11. Howling III (1987)- {1/5} DVD (First-time viewing) There are 2 reasons why I gave this movie a shot. First, I really enjoyed the first one growing up. Second, it was free as it was included with another movie that I had purchased (Wolfman, I think). I expected a disastrous movie and I did my best to prepare for that. I planned to treat it like a comedy so that I could laugh at the many ridiculous shortcomings, but to no avail. I just couldn't stomach it. Ejected it after about 40 minutes and considered burning it in the fireplace. Since I am somewhat of a collector when it comes to movies though, I decided against it and placed it back into the changer where it will likely never be retrieved again. For those who aren't familiar, this one is about weremarsupials, not werewolves. Nuff said.


12. Stake Land (2010)- {3.25/5} Blu-ray (First-time viewing) I'll start by saying that we did enjoy this film. Cool concept, good visuals and an awesome soundtrack. There's also lots of blood and some seriously ruthless kills. On the negative side, the tough guy, true grit persona of the main character really weighed on us (especially me). It was also strange to have vampires act more like braindead zombies rather than creatures that have the ability to reason. Lots of cheap scares in this one. When it was all said and done though, we had a good time watching it.


13. Frontier(s) (2007)- {4.25/5} DVD (First-time viewing) What a thrill ride! Even though much time was clearly spent making sure that each scene was as gruesome as possible, this movie still had great substance to it, which was appreciated. Acting was excellent all around (we especially liked Jean-Pierre Jorris as Von Geisler). I purposely went in with very limited knowledge of what to expect, and when it began, I questioned whether or not I had picked up the right movie. Once we meet the hostel Nazis though, things get rolling nicely. By the end, we were literally cheering our lovely heroine on.
Very highly recommended.


14. Antichrist (2009)- {4.5/5} Blu-ray Just when you think things can't get any crazier, you follow Frontier(s) with Antichrist. Has there ever been a movie so beautiful and disturbing at the same time? If so, I would love to see it. The cinematography is absolutely stunning, the acting is excellent and the overall presentation of the movie at the hands of Lars Von Trier was amazingly unique and artistic. This was my second time seeing this so I knew what to expect, but for my wife, it was her first. The look on her face during a few of the many shocking scenes was priceless. She does not get grossed out or disturbed easily but she was noticeably uncomfortable at times in this one. This is a one of a kind movie that I would highly recommend for those that can handle the gruesome brutality and borderline pornographic sex. Both of us loved it!


15. Ginger Snaps (2000)- {3.5/5} DVD (First-time viewing) I tried to fit this one in last year for the challenge but Blockbuster kept sending me the wrong movie in the mail (Ginger Snaps Back). I finally received the correct movie this time but of course, it was the full-screen version rather than widescreen. That didn't really affect my enjoyment of the film though as I thought this was fairly well done in all facets. The macabre stuff was creepy and there was some good gore throughout. I really loved the script and the interactions between the sisters. There were some really good humorous exchanges between them. The werewolves were a little on the cheesy side and it felt a little weird to be watching a movie about teenage girls and their periods. Despite those things though, this movie was still quite enjoyable and I'll likely go back to it in a future Horrorfest so my wife can check it out.


16. Black Christmas (1974)- {4.75/5} Blu-ray (First-time viewing) This is what horror is all about folks! The Canadian original that clearly inspired the 1976 Americanized version, When a Stranger Calls. From what I remember of that film (saw it several years back), Black Christmas is infinitely better in every facet. Even though I knew damn well what the movie was about, it still had me on the edge of my seat nearly the entire time. The caller was very frightening as he rambles on about the craziest **** you ever heard. Extremely effective! You know that its coming, but when the cops find out where the caller is located......wow.....it still gives me chills thinking about it and I watched it 2 nights ago. This one is a horror classic. Highly recommended.


17. Dog Soldiers (2002)- {3.25/5} DVD (First-time viewing) A squadron of British soldiers find themselves face to face with a pack of werewolves in a Scottish forest. The overall story was fairly creative and there was certainly some good gore. I also liked some of the images of the werewolves (very Howling-like) but at other times I felt they were a little cheesy for a movie made in 2002. My biggest complaint was that it seemed like it dragged on forever as the werewolves seemed to launch attacks completely at random when the soldiers were trapped in the zoologist's house. The acting was fairly solid and there was an element of humor that I appreciated. In the end, I felt that this one was semi-enjoyable but I doubt that I will revisit it anytime soon.


18. Insidious (2010)- {3.5/5} Blu-ray My wife is a bigger fan of this movie than I am. She was thinking a 4 rating while I was leaning toward 3.25. Split the difference and rounded down to 3.5. The sound effects in this movie are outstanding and many of the scary images work extremely well. In fact, the first half of this movie is well done in all aspects. Its the second half that kind of ruins it for me. When Lin Shaye's character comes into play and she begins going into her long-winded, soap box commentary detailing the truth behind the mysterious events, my interest began to wane. The loud, unexpected sounds to elicit cheap scares also became slightly annoying as the movie progressed. Ending was fairly solid, but as a whole this movie could definitely have been better regardless of what my wife thinks.



19. Devil (2010)- {4/5} HBO This movie is surprisingly well-done considering how crappy recent Shyamalan projects have been. Keeping him out of the director's chair might have been the key here. The cinematography and haunting score were very well done and the build up of tension throughout the movie was very effective. Solid performances by the cast and a creepy story made this a very enjoyable movie to watch. The security guard's story about the devil was a little lame, but it did not affect my overall enjoyment. Well done.


20. Halloween (1978)- {4/5} DVD Its been a long time coming. Can't even remember the last time I watched this all the way through. This movie is filled with great visuals of Myers blurred out in the distance and we get a legendary score that has admirably stood the test of time. Each of which effectively create a dark atmosphere throughout the movie. Hopefully I don't get voted out of the community for this but I don't consider this to be at the top of the horror genre despite the great job that Carpenter did with this. There are alot of aspects that could have been improved upon. I plan to watch Zombie's version soon to do a little comparison. One thing I recall enjoying about the Zombie version was the added detail behind Michael's descent into evil.


21. Halloween (2007)- {4.25/5} Blu-ray This is the 3rd time I have watched this during Horrorfest (08, 09, 11) but this is the 1st time that I was able to directly compare it to the original. On the previous night, I watched the original all the way through for the first time since I was young, so it was basically like I was experiencing it for the first time. Comparing the two, I appreciate both of them for different reasons. The unexplained elements in the original make it scary because it leaves you to your imagination, while the development of Myers' character in the remake allow you to see the events that led to the final product of a full-blown serial killer. Without giving Carpenter the edge for creating the original and judging the two by my own opinions of what I like in a horror movie, I give the Zombie version a slight edge. I enjoyed how Zombie portrayed Myers as a budding psychopath who simply needed a few seemingly minor catalysts to get him to explode in unthinkable violence (makes you think about how many real-life serial killers had similar recipes to their madness). To see a child with a complete lack of regard for human life slowly develop into the "monster" that is Michael Myers is quite a thrill ride. In fact, I strongly prefer the first half of the movie to the second half when it turns into more of your run-of-the-mill slasher. Overall, I thoroughly enjoy this movie for what it is: a more detailed vision of a horror classic.


22. Ravenous (1999)- {4/5} DVD (First-time viewing) We didn't expect this movie to be what it was. I knew it dealt with cannibalism; however, that is where my research ended. Right off the bat, the music lets you know that this movie will have some tongue-in-cheek elements to it. Although subtle at times, the humor was very good and well-placed. On the horror side, we enjoyed the story as it was fairly original and very interesting. There was a lot of good gore and the performances were all solid. The use of background music throughout much of the final act definitely enhanced the build up before the final battle (which we enjoyed). The movie ended with a clever little ironic dilemma for our main character. I would definitely recommend this one for a change of pace on your lists.


23. The Orphanage (2007)- {4.25/5} DVD (First-time viewing) This is a very unsettling story about an ex-orphan, who as an adult, moves her family into the house that used to be her childhood orphanage. When she plans on re-opening the orphange for handicapped youth, the spirits of the house begin to communicate with her son. This movie is extremely well done in all areas. There is little to no gore as the director chose to use atmosphere, exceptional acting and well-placed scares instead. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of watching this upstairs on the "B" system rather than get the full experience in the media room downstairs. The sound effects were still exceptional and among the best that I have heard in a horror movie though. Highly recommended.


24. Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981)- {4/5} DVD Aside from some poor editing that occasionally affected the flow of the movie, this is a very solid watch. Unique story, great atmosphere and good performances by most of the cast. Loved the mystery component as they keep you guessing throughout. Great ending. Recommended for those that have never seen it.


25. The Commune (2009)-{3.25/5} DVD (First-time viewing) When searching for movies to watch this year, I came across this one on the net. Renting it was not an option, so I just went ahead and bought it. What’s cool is the director responded to us directly (we bought from The Commune site) and wanted to exchange thoughts about the movie via email once we had the chance to watch it. We thought that was pretty cool. About the movie, it is immediately obvious that this is an independent film. Even so, much of the scenery was very imaginative and still quite fun to experience. As far as pacing, the movie starts with a bang and keeps you interested throughout but tends to suffer from scenes that were a little long and boring. The score was hit and miss. We enjoyed some of it but the Celtic music that got much of the spotlight got a little old after awhile. Good ending though and a fairly solid effort overall.


26. The House of the Devil (2009)- {4.75/5} Blu-ray Rating and comments stand from last year. This is now my 3rd time watching this and there is no loss of enjoyment. I absolutely love this movie. Come on Ti West, we need your next project (The Innkeepers???).


27. Paranormal Activity (2007)- {4.25/5} Blu-ray My wife and I watched this one and Pt 2 back to back last Saturday night. Despite a few minor complaints, we agree that this movie is a blast to watch. It does a good job of keeping you in suspense, waiting for something to happen and then making you jump when the time is right. Very intense. It made me think about those folks at home that don’t have a home theater setup to enjoy the soundtrack though. The LFE is very cool and certainly adds to the experience. These types of movies usually work well for me as I was very uncomfortable during some of the scenes.
Absolutely fabulous ending (liked the alternate ending as well). Definitely recommended.


28. Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)- {4.25/5} Blu-ray Watching these back to back made Pt. 2 better than the last time I watched it. Overall, they get the same rating as the positives and negatives of each cancel each other out. This one is basically as scary as the first and they do a great job of seamlessly merging the 2 movies together. The fact that we still don’t know exactly what’s going on with these movies is cool as hell. We talked about completing the trifecta and hitting the theater for Pt. 3 but things didn't work out. Will definitely rent it once it becomes available. Also highly recommended.


29. Trick ‘r Treat (2007)- {3.75/5} Blu-ray That makes 3 years in a row that this movie has made the list. Rating and comments stand from my first viewing. Along with HOATC, this is the only other movie that I fully plan to continue watching every year for Horrorfest. Great movie in the spirit of Halloween. I just wish it was a little longer……


30. Friday the 13th Pt. IV- The Final Chapter (1984)- {3/5} DVD In recent challenges, I have now watched the first 4 movies in this series at different times. Perhaps watching them all together would help to rate them against each other, but going on what I remember; I would rate this one as my 3rd favorite of the first 4. The original is still the best and Pt. 2 just barely eeks out this one as my second favorite. Pt. 3 easily holds last place out of the 4. Some of the dialog in this movie is awkward and the attempts at humor usually fall flat, but that's to be expected from campy, 80s slashers. The "party" that the unsuspecting victims were having was quite possibly the lamest party in history and Cripin Glover's character couldn't possibly have been killed soon enough. On the positive side, this one was filled with entertaining kills and there was even some ground-breaking stunt work with the various slow-motion scenes depicting people being thrown out of windows (it was almost as if someone learned a new trick and took every opportunity to show it off). The final sequence featuring a young (and bald) Corey Feldman was probably the best part of the movie. The very last scene of him (CF) staring into the camera topped it off nicely. Thanks to Fenders for hooking me up with a copy of this movie. I may have to add in the rest of the series for next year as I tentatively plan on having some sort of a "theme" to adhere to.


31. Cannibal Holocaust (1980)- {3.5/5} DVD (First-time viewing) First off, this is not necessarily a horror film. Although its very close to the modern torture/porn stuff that has become popular lately, it lacks a scary/suspenseful element to it as it focuses solely on shocking and disturbing you with gory imagery and over-the-top brutality in documentary fashion. It was tough to rate this film as I certainly was not "enjoying" much of what I was seeing; however, it was definitely well done and the story was actually quite good. I chose to watch it with the animal cruelty left in and now I wish I had not. I didn't realize how much of it there was or how graphic it would be. There are so many other offensive aspects to this movie, I won't even attempt to list them all. When it was all said and done, one has to question who the actual "savages" were. For me personally, the main characters got everything that was coming to them in the end. Thanks again to Fenders for providing a copy of this movie to me. This movie was so offensive and disturbing that it forced me to add in a 32nd movie just before midnight on Halloween to get back into the "proper" spirit of things.


32. The Strangers (2008)- {4.25/5} Blu-ray This was a last second addition just before the stroke of midnight on Halloween. Its been reviewed in 2 previous Horrorfests; however, I have adjusted my rating from the previous 3.75 to a 4.25. This is one of the scariest movies to come out in quite some time. Despite its minor flaws (requisite poor decision-making by the victims) I really love this movie from start to finish. Great surround effects and superb cinematography all around. The movie begins slowly (focusing on a couple dealing with a turned down marriage proposal who are forced to stay the night together at his parents' summer vacation home after attending an out of town wedding). The depiction of their emotional pain and them trying to come to terms with how to proceed in their relationship is so believable that you damn near forget that you're watching a horror movie. That is, until you hear that first knock on the door.
This was a great way to end another month of Horrorfest. Highly recommended!!
 
#1,692 ·
LugNutX's Frightfest 2011 Movie List
After taking the year off in 2010, I'm ready to tackle another October. The wife will be assisting this time for a bit of a his/hers perspective. She'll add her comments (in purple!) when time allows. The main ratings will be my own.

October 1:
1. Piranha (2011) - 2 stars (out of 4)

We've decided to ease my wife into the horror movies this month, so we're starting with some of the less-than-serious. This one wasn't really my type of horror, but it was enjoyable enough on a Saturday night to kick off the month. Also lots of BOOBIES! She Says: I'm never going swimming in Arizona, I was overly distracted by all the people I know from the CW (Gossip Girl, Vampire Diaries) and Desperate Housewives (oh Carlos, you're dead!). I liked it, but was mostly just baffled that those two naked girls could hold their breath underwater so long! It didn't give me nightmares, so yay!

October 2:
2. Trick 'r Treat - 4 stars (out of 4)

I love this movie. Part zombie, part vampire, part werewolf and part slasher - it's got it all. A little bit scary and a touch of humor, but lots of fun. Not sure the wife enjoys Sam as much as I do. She Says: I'm sure this is a fabulous movie, but my husband made a grave error by making me watch it as part of my "ease into it process" because tiny creepy children scare the bejeesus out of me! I had nightmares and had to relocate my poor snoring dog to beside the bed in case creepy child snuck into our room while I was sleeping. Mostly I'm just happy that Sookie got to be a werewolf instead of just making out with vampires.

October 5:
3. Stake Land - 2 stars (out of 4)

I was looking forward to this one, but was fairly disappointed. I seem to be in the minority, but it just didn't do much for me. I felt like it didn't really offer anything new (hints of The Walking Dead, The Mist, I Am Legend, etc.) and didn't do them well enough to stand on its own. It was refreshing to see movie where the vampires weren't supermodels, but it seemed to drag at parts and never captured my interest. She Says: I liked it! It made me jump at times and I think the “vampires” had a small monster identity crisis since they were a combo of werewolf, vampires and zombies, but overall I liked it. It was weird that they kept saying the main character was just a kid, since he looks like he’s 25, but I thought it was good.

October 7:
4. The Thing - 3 stars (out of 4)

We decided to re-watch the original, since the pre/sequel will be in theaters on Friday. I'm still not certain that we'll go see it, but I do enjoy the one that started it all. As several have mentioned, the traditional FX work in this movie trumps the majority of CG that you see in other films. The blood test scene is one of my favorites. She Says: It was sort of scary while I was watching, but not really, it was mostly just gross! A side note, I had problems taking Kurt Russell seriously because he looks like Ashton Kutcher and I expected him to start giggling at any moment.

October 9:
5. The Reef - 2.5 stars (out of 4)

After not expecting much, I was pleasantly surprised with this one. I can't justify giving it the same rating as The Thing, but I did enjoy it more than Stake Land. This was a horror movie in the sense that "Jaws" is a horror movie. Sometimes mother nature can provide all the monsters we need. Lots of tension in this one. We caught this on Netflix Streaming, so it would make an easy addition to your monthly viewing. She Says: I had so many problems with this movie, but scariness wasn’t one of them. It makes you jump and it stressed me out, but I have no empathy for the people at all. I feel like it was their fault they were in the situation and their survival instincts suck!

October 11:
6. I Spit on Your Grave (2010) - 1 star (out of 4)

I would put this film in the same realm as "The Girl Next Door" - definitely horrifying events, but not the kind I get any enjoyment out of watching. The rape scene in this movie seems like it lasts an hour. There were some decent kills, but nothing seemed particularly satisfying after having to sit through that. I can use my imagination, not sure why directors seem to think showing a lengthy on-screen rape makes for a more "extreme" movie. It was just uncomfortable. I guess that's some folks' definition of true horror, but not what I was interested in this month. She Says:
 
#1,694 ·
My daughter and I got to watch Dracula" (1931) and then all hell broke loose over the weekend. Let's just say police were involved and I now have to go to court tomorrow morning and put a stake through the beast's heart for lack of a better metaphor.


PS: My daughter rated it 2.0/5.0 because it wasn't scary enough. She also wanted to know if the TV was OK because there wasn't any color.
 
#1,695 ·
4. House of the Devil. Fantastic! This was my second viewing. I pulled in a friend who likes classical horror, and he loved it even more than I did. This is a great modern horror movie that literally crushes 95% of all horror movies released in the past 10 years. I'd give this a solid and healthy 7.5/10. Possibly even higher.
 
#1,697 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by FendersRule /forum/post/21034918


4. House of the Devil. Fantastic! This was my second viewing. I pulled in a friend who likes classical horror, and he loved it even more than I did. This is a great modern horror movie that literally crushes 95% of all horror movies released in the past 10 years. I'd give this a solid and healthy 7.5/10. Possibly even higher.

+1

I watched this in one of the previous October horror marathons and really enjoyed it. Loved the grain on the bluray too, really did a great job of recreating a very 80's esq horror film. Good atmosphere, cinematography, nice slow build up to a solid body slam finale.
 
#1,699 ·
Insidious 4/5: Loads of jumps and scares. My wife and I couldn't keep up. It was a blast.


Rosemary's Baby 4.5/5: One of my favorite horror/thriller classics. This is probably by tenth viewing.
 
#1,700 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Malcolm_B /forum/post/21035129


Frankenstein on TCM tonight.

Thanks for the heads up. DVR set. They're also showing The Horrors of Stephen King. Interesting to hear his take on all types and ages of horror films. I also didn't know he was still swol about Kubrick's version of The Shining.

Quote:
Originally Posted by adidino /forum/post/21035598



Rosemary's Baby 4.5/5: One of my favorite horror/thriller classics. This is probably by tenth viewing.

Great movie! It's perfect.


I threw on an extra one tonight. Asylum was good stuff for 1972. Kind of like a Creepshow meets Twilight Zone with twisted stories. Very enjoyable!

Asylum (1972)


Four tales of crazies

An effective atmosphere

Edge of seat meet butt
 
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