October 2014 Horrorfest

Re-watch - Oct. 1st

Hammer Horror double feature

Decided to kick off the month with an old favorite & the first Hammer flick I ever saw. It never quite reaches the heights of the 1931 adaptation in my book, but it works well as an updated version forced to differentiate itself from the Universal classic. Lee does a fantastic job as the monster, and Cushing is great as Baron Frankenstein.

First viewing - Oct. 1st

Hammer Horror double feature

Followed up Curse with this later sequel, which was good but left me wondering if I should've tracked down some of the sequels that preceded it instead. It came in the same set as the above film though, so alternative options weren't really handy. The tale is something different at least, and I thought the acting was pretty solid. It's never anything really exceptional though, and I'm doubtful I'll watch it again.

First viewing - Oct. 1st

Xanadon't & lotr23 caught this at TIFF last year & their excitement over it put it on my radar. So the moment I saw Netflix had added it to Instant I added it to my queue. And I wasn't disappointed at all.

I think I was most impressed with the film on an artistic level, as most of the scenes are beautifully rendered while also being creepy. The story was well told and a fresh take to boot. Honestly I can't think of anything I disliked about it, and the only thing lacking was that magical 10/10 feeling. Perhaps a revisit will squeeze that last star out though.

Currently streaming on Netflix

First viewing - Oct. 3rd

I went over to a friend's house to hang out & watch some horror movies, and he picked this one for us to start with. And it was decent, lots of creepy moments along the way, and solidly entertaining. I doubt I'd watch it again but I thought it was worth watching once.

First viewing - Oct. 3rd

We followed Oculus with this film, which we talked through the majority of actually. So I'm not rating it, and reluctantly including it here. The parts I did pay attention to were fairly well done, and I liked its twist on werewolf lore. I'd like to watch it again at some point just to see if the rest of it is worthwhile or if we were justified in ignoring it.

First viewing - Oct. 5th

On this night I was concerned that if I started a movie I'd be asleep before I could finish it, so I picked the shortest horror-related film I could find in my queue which was this doc. Now, given that Night of the Living Dead is probably my favorite horror movie ever made, I was thoroughly engaged by this doc which explores the film from start to finish. Some of it I knew, some of it I didn't, and I thought it was especially worthwhile to hear commentary from people who experienced it during its initial theatrical run (even if I haven't heard of any of them).

If the doc has a shortcoming, it's that instead of talking to as many of the cast & crew as possible it relies more on talking about them. I couldn't help but feel like the doc would've been improved had the cast & crew been more involved than Romero being basically alone among them here. They do redeem themselves a little by including some scenes with a cast member after the credits, but it felt tacked on & I wondered how many people even realized there was more beyond the credits.

Still, the whole thing was worth watching once in my book.

Just a thought: Does Romero only do interviews for docs in one outfit & the same chair? I swear he looks exactly the same as he has in several other docs I've seen him in.

Currently streaming on Netflix

First viewing - Oct. 6th

C.H.U.D. is one of those movies I've known existed for a long time, but never got around to checking out for myself. And it had its moments, but ultimately wasn't as much fun as I'd hoped. I think I got the most enjoyment out of seeing who was in this thing honestly, as well as briefly entertaining a scenario in my head in which Daniel Stern and John Heard team up to take down Kevin McAllister once and for all. So yeah, it was all right, somewhat entertaining but nothing exceptional nor worth watching again.

Just a thought: Daniel Stern is easily the scariest creature in this movie. Also, had I known John Goodman was in this (albeit briefly) I might have watched it sooner.

Currently streaming on Netflix

First viewing - Oct. 8th

Now this was the level of fun I'd hoped for with C.H.U.D. It's cheesy in a good way, never takes itself seriously & therefore a lot of fun from start to finish. The acting could be better at times, but honestly it didn't bother me while I was watching it. The soundtrack is decent too. And the whole thing had me lamenting the fact that I missed out on the full appreciation of Elvira's assets growing up.

I was born too late to catch on to Elvira at the right time, so I mostly knew her for her Halloween beer ads. I was vaguely aware she hosted B horror movies, but if I ever caught any of them I don't remember anymore which suggests I didn't. And by the time I was old enough to have any interest in her physically she had dropped out of the spotlight. Fortunately now I get why she used to be a big deal...just kind of a bummer it took me so long.

Currently streaming on Netflix

Re-watch - Oct. 8th

It's been at least 10 years since I last visited Sleepy Hollow so I figured I was due for a trip back. And I'm happy to say it's still as excellent as I remembered. I miss the days when Depp & Burton working together was worth celebrating instead of something to be expected. The whole cast is stellar, and the film is a wonderful mix of horror with just enough comedy injected to provide relief along the way. It wound up following Elvira's movie nicely even though they're on completely different levels in terms of quality.

Also, this was the first time I realized that the elder Van Garrett was played by Martin Landau. Never noticed that before.

Just a thought: This time around I was amused by how many actors Burton works with over & over again. Seems like most of the cast has appeared in at least one other Burton film.

First viewing - Oct. 8th

Last year, VierasTalo recommended this one for the Netflix Instant Project and it's been sitting in my queue ever since. The fact Lucky McKee directed it kept it there, as I've been meaning to check out more of his work.

And now that I've checked this one out I'm finding it difficult to make up my mind how I feel about it. On the one hand the acting is excellent, the film is daring, and it's consistently engaging. On the other hand by the end of it I felt like I needed to take a shower to help me recover. By no means is this an easy film to swallow, and it's clear it has no intention of being so. It's dark and twisted, intelligent and brutal, and the only thing I had definitely made up my mind on about it is that I'll never want to watch it again. Part of me wanted a stronger connection to a protagonist, but the film never provided one. And I was a little baffled by the finale, which left me scratching my head as to why it played out the way it did to some degree.

So yeah, I guess I'll give this one a 7/10, but part of me is tempted to rate it lower due to the way I reacted to it. Hmmm.....

Just a thought: Sean Bridgers looks like Will Ferrell's brother in this.

Currently streaming on Netflix

First viewing - Oct. 9th

Netflix Instant Project 2014

Recommended by VierasTalo

So umm yeah...this starts out really annoying, but then there's some payoff which makes you think it's going to get better. But then the longer it runs the more ideas it tries to cram in to the point where you've got so much unnecessary information you're not sure what the point of it all is. I feel like the filmmakers were ADD kids who have consumed so many films & shows that they think they know what's funny but aren't good at delivering jokes. Because this is more of a comedy/spoof than a horror movie, and one I rarely found humorous. It didn't help either that pretty much every character is obnoxious, which left me wondering why I kept watching it.

And yet I can't help but feel like at some point there was a good film here that got buried under all the weight piled on top of it. There was definitely potential, and perhaps in better hands it could have been realized. Ah well.

Currently streaming on Netflix

First viewing - Oct. 9th

After Detention I decided to give this film a look since I've heard about it over the years but never come across it until Netflix added it this month. And it was a decent, straightforward slasher/thriller with some wonderful moments of comic relief. And as you can probably tell from the image above Jason Voorhees originally stole his look from this flick. Overall it's nothing exceptional, but I dug how it told the story with its news-like narrative delivery and had a few memorable characters to boot. Twas worth watching once.

Just a thought: My favorite unintentional moment of comic relief was spotting a cameraman in full view in one shot & the fact that no attempt was made to hide him.

Currently streaming on Netflix

Re-watch - Oct. 10th

The last time I watched Shadow of the Vampire it was in theatres, so clearly I was overdue to revisit it. And it's still an excellent little film highlighted most of all by Willem Dafoe who disappears completely into the role of Max Schreck. Personally I find it more entertaining than Nosferatu, though the latter is a better film. The only minor gripe I have is that Cary Elwes sucks at faking a German accent. Lucky for him I still like him anyway, but it seems like they could've found someone better for his role.

I just wish I already had my hands on Herzog's remake so I could've watched them together. But I didn't feel like waiting.

Currently streaming on Netflix

First viewing - Oct. 12th

Netflix Instant Project 2014

Recommended by VierasTalo

If you can get past all the camera-related business, this is pretty badass. The creatures they came up with are awe-inspiring, and the premise is definitely different. I thought the story was pretty well-told also, and the one upside to the camerawork is that you feel like you're right in the middle of everything.

On the other hand, the idea of a handheld camera in WWII that captures quality film is fairly ridiculous. And of course that means you've got some shaky-cam which nobody ever wants. But like I said, if you can let that go I think this one is worth one watch.

Just a thought: For a military unit, these guys sure do suck at making sure a passageway is safe before moving past it.

Currently streaming on Netflix

First viewing - Oct. 13th

I was hoping for something fun when I picked this one, but was also aiming to finally have an opinion on it rather than continuing to avoid it. Turns out I could've gone on ignoring it as it's pretty lame. Warwick Davis does a decent enough job in the titular role, but for a creature that's supposed to be creepy (I think that was the intent anyway) all the laughing kills the vibe really. The film is almost in the so bad it's good category, but good seems like a stretch here. It's cheesy for sure, and I'm still undecided as to whether the humor was intentional in places, but all of that did make it watchable. How it managed to spawn sequels though is beyond me.

Currently streaming on Netflix

First viewing - Oct. 14th

Man I got a kick out of this movie. It barrels along with so much intensity that I couldn't help but be swept away with it. The effects are excellent, I dig how there's no attempt to explain where the zombies suddenly come from, the story is told in a way where it's slowly unfolded instead of everything being laid out quickly, and it's all pretty fun to boot. There was one scene I thought went too far pushing buttons though with no real point to it, and it never crosses the line into greatness, but it's definitely a solid horror film & one I'd watch again in about 10 years.

Currently streaming on Netflix

First viewing - Oct. 15th - Unrated cut

I'd be lying if I said I was properly prepared for this one, and the only downside to starting with this out of the handful of films I rented today is that it set a bar the rest will be struggling to reach. De Palma has crafted a hell of a horror movie here, one that's even better than Carrie in my book. The characters are fully realized, the cast is stellar, there are scenes that say so much without a single line of dialogue, the score is amazing...I could go on & on but I think my rating pretty much speaks for itself.

Highly recommended.

First viewing - Oct. 15th

Yet another reminder of why CGI is overrated. Watching real cars chase each other down highways & smash into each other is far more exciting than having it all faked digitally. And man Rutger Hauer is amazing & creepy in this, a fact that plenty have acknowledged & I was glad I wasn't misled on. He's also somehow omniscient, which makes for a good movie but also some rather unbelievable moments. Still, this was well worth checking out & I'm glad I finally did.

Just a thought: I swear only like 5 characters in this film had names, and yet as the credits rolled I saw a bunch of character names I'd never heard. That prompted the thought: I understand...in a movie, when the credits roll the characters have names. His name is Officer Paulsen.

First viewing - Oct. 15th

I absolutely love the concept here, so to some degree this was totally worthwhile. I'd left a space between Martin and the two films that preceded it because I didn't realize this film would be as grounded in reality as the others are (yay for going into movies mostly blind). So I was pleasantly surprised with the way Romero handles this vampire tale. On the downside it appears there was little to no budget behind it, and it shows. Add to that some awkward/clunky dialogue and some uneven pacing, and you've got a film that never manages to reach greatness despite the potential in its ideas. It's good, don't get me wrong, but I doubt I'd go out of my way to watch it again and as you can probably tell I was mildly disappointed.

First viewing - Oct. 15th/16th

Another film that was very entertaining but I'm doubtful I'd watch again. See, the effects side of things in this flick make it totally worth watching, as well as some silly randomness along the way. On the other hand I thought the sound could have been better as the cast is often difficult to understand. I guess maybe that doesn't matter too much given how much fun most of the movie is, but I kept wishing it was better or else that they'd been able to provide subtitles. For a debut film it's pretty good, but it's got nothing on Braindead.

Just a thought: I miss young Peter Jackson.

First viewing - Oct. 16th

I wanted to find out if this sequel was any good, and it turns out it's just all right. Combs is still excellent as Dr. West, the effects are mostly good, and it's got enough going on to maintain its momentum. Unfortunately there are some underdeveloped ideas which a couple times resulted in a feeling that an event happened out of nowhere. It's kinda fun, but not on the level of the original which I more or less anticipated.

So yeah, I could've gone on without watching this one, and it's safe to say that it's unlikely I'll watch the other sequel.

First viewing - Oct. 17th

So when I went to the video store, I was disappointed that The Beyond wasn't in. But on the upside I picked this up & as fate would have it the rental had the sequel below with it. So I figured why not?

Demons is pretty amazing. The effects are excellent, the soundtrack kicks ass, and it's just pure fun from start to finish. I'm reluctant to call it great, but I'd gladly revisit it again and more than just once.

First viewing - Oct. 17th

Demons 2 on the other hand is basically more of the same but not quite as good. The soundtrack is arguably better than that of the first, and I loved the scenes with the dog. There's a kid demon too which was kinda cool, and that's about it as far as what impressed me. The rest is basically a rehash of the first film in a different locale and some additional story layers which are both a good idea and not very clearly communicated. So yeah, I guess it was worth checking out once but I thought it could've been better than it is. Ah well.

First viewing - Oct. 20th

When I took my previous rentals back, I decided to see if The Beyond had turned up yet. It hadn't. I looked for a couple other films on my list for this month too...no dice. I was tempted to go home empty-handed, but then I spotted Torso which I've been curious about for a while now & picked it up. And I'm glad I did. Granted if you've seen as many slashers as I have the plot is pretty predictable, but it was cool to see such an early entry in the genre. And I thought the whole thing worked very well and was left with no complaints at the end. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's great, but it's definitely worth a look and I'd probably watch it again some time.

Re-watch - Oct. 22nd

Picked this one up for the kiddo so we could watch it together. I hadn't seen it in ages, but I still recalled most of it. What impressed me watching it now is that it's more cynical than I'd realized as a kid. I used to read the comic strip too growing up (until I outgrew it), and I don't remember it being that way so now I'm curious to look at it again some time.

Anyway, it was cool to introduce it to my daughter & we were both entertained.

First viewing - Oct. 22nd

I've said it before & I'll keep on saying it...no Horrorfest is complete without a dose of Vincent Price. His character here is interesting and on the whole I dug the way it shows how witch hunts never had any evidence to really back them up. The cast does a solid job all around here, and I thought it was a decent flick. It never crossed the line into greatness but it's definitely entertaining and worthwhile. I don't know that I'd go out of my way to watch it again, but if presented with an opportunity to revisit it I wouldn't say no.

First viewing - Oct. 23rd

Just look at that image. Man, this film is full of crazy moments like that, and there's an engaging story to go along with it. There's also laughable dialogue delivery on a few occasions. The effects are what I was most impressed with though, followed closely by the music used throughout. If you're looking for a fun horror movie, this one should totally be on your list.

Oh yeah, and it turns out my video rental store DID have this one in stock. Either the box for it is missing or misplaced, which I found out when I last went in. I'd actually grabbed Wolfen which I put back after I asked the guy behind the counter about The Beyond and he told me they had it. Sometimes you've just got to ask.

First viewing - Oct. 24th

Fun, creepy, and solidly entertaining. This was Wan's first step toward atmospheric ghost movies, and as such it's interesting to see how well he puts most of the elements together. It doesn't reach the heights of Insidious or The Conjuring in my book, but it's totally worth watching & I think it'll be interesting to see how a second viewing holds up once you know all of the pieces. And I did not see that ending coming.

Just a thought: This recalled for me all of those old Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, Outer Limits, etc. episodes featuring ventriloquists that I watched growing up.

Currently streaming on Netflix

Re-watch - Oct. 26th

I decided to see if my daughter could handle this one since it's more humorous than scary. Turns out she loved it, and she spent most of the movie & the rest of the day geeking out over Dracula and the Monster especially & talking about them. We even played the aforementioned roles for a little bit, one of us Dracula commanding the Monster to get up or lie down and so on. I think the Wolf Man scared her the most of the trio, but when I mentioned this to her she said she liked him too.

Re-watch - Oct. 26th

So after the previous film ended, I showed the kiddo that I had plenty more movies with those characters by pulling them off my shelves. After looking at all of them, she asked if we could watch Frankenstein. I warned her it wouldn't be funny, and she said that was OK. So, what the hell? I gave it a shot.

She hung with it up until the Monster started fighting with people, and then it kinda lost her. And when the Monster threw the little girl into the water she insisted I turn it off. Which I did, and we agreed to try it again when she's older. Personally I think it's cool she made it that far.

So after she went to bed I finished it, because it's still among my favorite horrors ever. And now I'm tempted to watch more of the Universal horrors, so perhaps I'll squeeze in at least one more this week if I have time.

Re-watch - Oct. 27th

The last time I watched Scream 2 it was in theatres, and I remember thinking it was ok but not good enough to generate any interest in subsequent sequels. Revisiting it now I think it's held up pretty well & functions as a solid sequel. I thought the tension and the balance between horror and humor was well-handled, and I was consistently entertained. Course part of that also stems from seeing all the recognizable faces in the supporting cast, few (if any) of which meant anything to me when the film came out - Portia de Rossi, Omar Epps, Tim Olyphant, Luke Wilson, Heather Graham.

On the downside, there seems to be little rhyme or reason to about half of the deaths which is troubling. It's never clear why some of the characters get killed off beyond the fact that they're in the movie. And basically the whole thing is just a rehash of the first film with slight alterations. That said, some of the set pieces do work well and I was surprised at how much had stuck with me over the years.

So overall I'd say it was worth watching again just to see what I think of it now, but I doubt I'd watch it a third time.

Currently streaming on Netflix

First viewing - Oct. 28th

After revisiting the 2nd film I figured I'd finally give this one a shot since it's on Netflix too, and went into it with low expectations. Turns out it's pretty much on par with the 2nd one if not slightly better. I like the overall story and the way it ties into the events of the previous films, and I thought the deaths made more sense this time around. And I definitely like what they did with Sidney as they start off with her in self-imposed exile from the world, which makes sense given what she's gone through prior to this one.

The problem with this one is that some aspects are thrown in your face and so overt that it's a bit off-putting. Having Randy come back briefly via a VHS tape (ha) is also really lame. So there's definitely room for improvement here. It's also worth noting that while the original film had some awesome technical flourishes (seeing the reflection of the mask in a victim's eye comes to mind), the sequels seem to have no interest in them which is disappointing.

All of that said, I'm glad I finally watched this one and perhaps I'll check out the 4th installment at some point. This wasn't nearly as bad as I'd anticipated, and was entertaining enough for one viewing.

Just a thought: Why is the only good song on these soundtracks Nick Cave's "Red Right Hand"?

Currently streaming on Netflix

First viewing - Oct. 29th

The only expectation I had here was that I knew it was a werewolf movie, which was fine. Then it wound up putting a different spin on the genre, which I really dug. And the film gets major kudos from me for having so much ethnic diversity as well as casting actual Native Americans in their respective roles instead of faux "Indians". I don't want to say too much about it since it appears few people have watched this one, but it's definitely worth checking out. As werewolf films from 1981 go, I'd place it solidly above The Howling and below American Werewolf in London.

On a personal note, when I went into my local video store to rent my movies for Halloween this was the ONLY film on my list that they had in. So I picked it up and after much debate (and many more failed attempts at finding alternative choices to rent) grabbed Innocent Blood to go with it since it was 2 for the price of 1 rentals. I expressed my disappointment to the guy behind the counter & he looked up the other movies I've been looking for all month. Turns out most of them are long overdue (which probably means stolen in some cases), From Beyond had been rented the day before, and oh wait someone had dropped off The Brood while I was browsing & the guy would let me rent it gratis for my troubles. So I walked out of there with 3 movies for the price of one, happier about the whole thing, then went to their local competitor where I was able to get all the other films I was looking for with no trouble.

First viewing - Oct. 30th

Bloodsucker double feature

On this night, after I got home from work & ate something I looked at my movies & realized I've got 3 vampire flicks to watch & figured I'd pair two up and see how it goes. I started with Near Dark which is a more realistic vampire story, and a solidly entertaining one at that. Vampires are so often portrayed as aristocrats, so it was cool to see modern-day vampires who are basically drifters who have formed a family over time. Bill Paxton pretty much steals the show, and Lance Henriksen is effectively creepy (by the way, nice touch having a theatre marquee with Aliens across it). It never crosses the line into greatness, but I thought it was worth checking out.

First viewing - Oct. 30th

Bloodsucker double feature

After the southern drifter vampire movie, this film took me north to Pittsburgh with a more sophisticated vampire mixing it up with the Italian mafia which made for an interesting balance. Also where Near Dark has a more serious tone this one is far more comedic. The glowing eye effects are super cheesy, which kinda ruined it a bit for me, and I didn't enjoy the film as much as I'd hoped for because other parts of it were cheesy too but not in a way that always worked. I did like some parts of the film, don't get me wrong, and overall it's entertaining enough. Maybe if I'd seen it back in '92 it would've worked better for me, but now not so much. Ah well.

First viewing - Oct. 31st

Cronenberg trio

Netflix Instant Project 2014

Recommended by VierasTalo

Because this is Cronenberg's debut I went into it with low expectations and otherwise had no idea what to expect. As it turns out this wound up being my favorite of the three films of his I watched on Halloween. For a no-name cast everyone does an excellent job, the horror aspects are a great mix of fun and intense, the effects are solid for a low budget flick, and I thought the whole thing worked wonderfully. I was riveted the entire film, and the only thing missing at the end was that magical 10 feeling. I'll definitely watch this one again.

Currently streaming on Netflix

First viewing - Oct. 31st

Cronenberg trio

This one I had higher expectations for because so many other Listalites tend to say it's one of Cronenberg's best films. And it's definitely good, but it wound up being my least favorite of his three films I watched. The whole film is well put together, it's solidly entertaining, and the story idea was decent but I felt like it was somewhat predictable and thus didn't have as much impact as it might have otherwise. It's definitely worth checking out, and overall I liked it but the more I've thought about it since it ended I've concluded that it's not likely I'd watch it a second time. Of course you may feel differently, and that's something I've come to realize about horror...much like comedy it's subjective and what works for one person won't necessarily work for another.

First viewing - Oct. 31st

Cronenberg trio

Now Scanners was excellent. I had no idea where it was going, the story was interesting, the effects are excellent, and I dug the whole thing. It's a little slow-paced at first, but that tends to be how Cronenberg operates so I wasn't bothered by that. And the ending is so Amazing I easily forgave any minor complaints I might have had before it.

First viewing - Oct. 31st

Actually after Scanners I started Herzog's Nosferatu, but about 20 minutes into it the DVD quit playing due to some very deep scratches I discovered when I investigated the problem. So I moved onto From Beyond which was a lot of fun. The effects are so badass and while I wasn't sure exactly where it was going I was amused when I told a character to do something & they did it. Heh. It's nothing great but it's definitely entertaining & I'd watch it again some day.

First viewing - Oct. 31st

So my co-worker friend hooked me up with some movies & kept insisting I check this one out. And it worked for me. There are several creepy moments here, and had I ended with it I would've had to stay up for a while before I went to sleep. It's fairly obvious what's going on from the start which is my only complaint, but I thought it made up for that with atmosphere and visuals. Plus a heavy use of music from my favorite band ever endeared it to me as well.

First viewing - Oct. 31st

I ended my Halloween and Horrorfest run with this film, which is basically an Australian take on Scanners. And while such a thing has potential for greatness, I can't say it came remotely close to achieving that. Crawlspace is entertaining enough, but pretty weak compared to the other films I watched on Halloween which meant I ended the month on a ho-hum flick. If I could do it over, I would've watched From Beyond after it to end the night. But hey, at least I was able to go to bed after this one without any issues.