Violence Jack
Member
Gah. I meant Dream Warriors. My bad.
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31 Days of Horror 7 |OT| The October Movie Marathon
- Thread starter ThirstyFly
- Start date
Gah. I meant Dream Warriors. My bad.
John Rabbit
Banned
It's also pretty poorly written. But it's a fun movie and has one of the best lines of all-time regarding wolfmen.
Echoing what others said but I'd add it's similar to Fright Night if you've seen that. 80's cheese was never better lol
Amazon has the Halloween: Complete Collection on Blu-ray on sale for $49.99 right now:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KDU8G6W/?tag=neogaf0e-20
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KDU8G6W/?tag=neogaf0e-20
mariachi507
Member
Somewhat I guess. It's got the whole kids teaming up to stop some evil thing going on. It's definitely cheesier overall. I love it, but I also loved it when I was four which may have caused me to put some blinders on regarding its quality.
That's a good description.
Out of curiosity, what kind of limits does your girlfriend have in terms of content? I'm assuming that she's not into anything super gory, but someone suggested Fright Night, which is an all-around entertaining and satisfying ode to vampire movies of old, and I think that's a good suggestion, PROVIDED that she can stomach some pretty icky makeup effects.
mariachi507
Member
I don't know anything about the novel "Gerald's Game", but the movie has me interested. Would anybody consider the book or know if the movie is horror?
Mortimer Brewster
Member
Fright Night is not to bad in the gore department. Evil Ed and Billy Cole's deaths are the only truly gruesome scenes and compared to some of the other gory horror films of 1985 (Nightmare 2, Day of the Dead, Re-Animator) it's quite tame.
That would probably be fine. What pulls me to Monster Squad over something like Fright Night though is that it's about a band of kids -- that I'm assuming Stranger Things took inspiration from for its dynamic -- whereas Fright is just the 1-2 leads right?
Mortimer Brewster
Member
You might want to look at The Lost Boys then. It has the kid group dynamic. It's about on par with Fright Night in violence. If you are watching monster squad though also make sure to pair it with Night of the Creeps, Fred Dekker's other beloved 80's horror movie.
I noted before that the main theme for me this month will be diving into Universal Monster movies for the first time, but I also do enjoy my trash movies every weekend.
So going to have a sub-theme for my Friday Bad Movies and do Horror Vs movies. Friend and I hammered out a rough schedule of those
So going to have a sub-theme for my Friday Bad Movies and do Horror Vs movies. Friend and I hammered out a rough schedule of those
(Friday the 13th lands in October couldn't pass it up)
I'm beyond thrilled
We have one more (and a back-up) but since it wasn't technically a "Vs" movie we're doing this weekend
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCRZWQvENF4
Freddy vs Jason is probably miles better than the others though but f13th and all. If you need a real piece of shit vs type thing and have Shudder check out Monster Brawl. It's WWF style mummy vs werewolf type stuff. Was fun for a minute but got old fast. That said it's probably equivalent to strippers vs zombies lol
DeathoftheEndless
Crashing this plane... with no survivors!
For a pre-October watch, I finally saw Stranger Things. Its a really fun series. The acting and writing is excellent. All of the side-plots work and there's always something interesting happening. The fact that all of the different elements work so well is a testament to how nicely it was put together.
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane is one of my MOST favorite horror films! Enjoy!
pitcairn55
Member
If the movie is true to the book (which I remember enjoying quite a lot) then yes, it's horror. I've got the film on my list for the marathon. I like the cast, I like the director, so I'm hoping for good things.
DeathoftheEndless
Crashing this plane... with no survivors!
I don't know about it being lesser known, but I adore Ginger Snaps.
I thought Late Phases was pretty bad ass. It's on Netflix if you have that.
Oh very very much Ginger Snaps! And also but to a lesser extend; The Company of Wolves
edit: dammit ridley!
Junior Asparagus
Member
Didn't know that Pro Wrestlers Vs. Zombies movie existed. I juuuusssst might have to check it out.
I've seen the first Ginger Snaps but still haven't seen the prequel or sequel yet. I should get on that.
Thanks for all of the recommendations everyone! This will be helpful for my werewolf binge next month 🐺
I am a huge Horror buff. I actually plan out scary themed crap for the whole month lol.
Here are 3 movies that I think are a lot of fun but not talked about much.
The First Power - Cop hunts killer that can move himself from body to body through occult magic. It's not going to terrify or anything but it is a lot of fun imo.
Dead Heat - This movie is great. I don't even know how to describe it. Imbd has "Two policemen are brought back to life to chase down supernatural criminals." That is kind of it but it there is more to it. Check it out.
Tales from the Darkside: The Movie - This was one of many short story scary features that were popular in the 80s. The last story starring Rae Dawn Chong and Jame Remar is particularly good. I highly recommend this. Perfect mix of camp and scares for the holiday.
Here are 3 movies that I think are a lot of fun but not talked about much.
The First Power - Cop hunts killer that can move himself from body to body through occult magic. It's not going to terrify or anything but it is a lot of fun imo.
Dead Heat - This movie is great. I don't even know how to describe it. Imbd has "Two policemen are brought back to life to chase down supernatural criminals." That is kind of it but it there is more to it. Check it out.
Tales from the Darkside: The Movie - This was one of many short story scary features that were popular in the 80s. The last story starring Rae Dawn Chong and Jame Remar is particularly good. I highly recommend this. Perfect mix of camp and scares for the holiday.
Fancy Clown
Member
Apparently Hammer's Curse of the Werewolf with Oliver Reed is pretty solid
I have a soft spot in my heart for Silver Bullet. Bad Moon is supposed to be good but I haven't seen it; it's on Shout Factory TV to stream.
It's more than apparently, can confirm it's very good. The means of becoming a werewolf makes almost no sense in this film, partly because Hammer didn't want to get sued by Universal for using the standard "bitten by a werewolf" curse, but the acting and sets are uniformly good, and Oliver Reed's makeup job is one of the best werewolf makeup designs ever.
Also Yvonne Romaine at the beginning of this movie is...something else, YOWZA.
The Company of Wolves was one of my favorite films I saw last year, but you do kinda need to be on the same wavelength, as it's a rather lyrical film that's not interested in scares.
I love this one. I definitely recommend it.
Violence Jack
Member
Ginger Snaps 2 is on par with the first film for me.
It's kinda hard to find, but I've heard the R-rated cut of Skinwalkers is like a new movie compared to the below average PG-13 version.
And if you haven't seen it, watch Trick r Treat.
So I had Rawhead Rex preordered as soon as I saw it went up on Amazon. I really want to own a copy of Dagon too. What are the chances of that getting a HD release at some point? Also how is Tales of Halloween? I've seen it on a couple recommended lists and I do like Trick r Treat.
Fancy Clown
Member
Awesome, I've got it lined up for this year. Yeah I've seen some stills of Reed in wolfman mode and it looks great.
mariachi507
Member
Of course I'm only speaking for myself, but I absolutely despised Tales of Halloween. There are too many stories in it and as a result none of them have a chance to develop. Not that any of them would have been good if they had been developed more. If I recall there are ten sequences, and I walked away thinking 1 1/2 of them were ok. It ended my marathon on a whimper last year as well, so because of that I hate it even more.
I might be a minority though. I remember seeing some comments stating that it was better than Trick R Treat.
ThirstyFly
Member
Need good werewolf recommendations please
I've seen and LOVE:
An American Werewolf in London
Dog Soldiers
edit: lol didn't even seen that was the current topic of discussion.
While not a werewolf movie, you two might want to check out John Landis' Masters of Horror episode Deer Woman. It's great and I think it'll fit in with your werewolf movies.
Minor spoiler on why I suggest you watch it:
It takes place in the same universe as An American Werewolf in London and has the same kind of silly feel/humor to it.
There's a German Region B Blu-ray for Dagon. I don't know what region you are, but I think Lionsgate has (or at least had) the North American rights? I'm not sure how they are with releasing their old horror catalog these days, but I'm hoping for it. Someone needs to get on Beyond Re-Animator too.
I watched Tales of Halloween for my final movie last year. I really enjoyed it at the time, but that may have been because I was on a high from excellent previous movie I had watched (Pin). Looking back at it, it's kind of uneven but overall worth checking out. Definitely not as good as Trick 'r Treat.
Did a rewatch to practice my long form write-up skills, and it hopefully makes the case for anyone that saw it available on Shout Factory TV.
Everything about the general concept of this film is a bad idea, which is why it ends up as entertaining as it does. The trailer of the film (must-see viewing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2tnp4QCKtk) promises lots of psychotic baboon action, and while it does deliver on that front if your idea of psychotic baboon action involves watching a baboon repeatedly slam into doors, the trailer doesn't let on the organizing principle: medical students running a LARP session that is, apparently, a way to get on the professor good side as he runs it as the game master (Roddy McDowall, trying to maintain what little dignity he had left in his career, agreed to star in a film where he plays the game master for a group of students LARP'ing and destined to be mauled by a baboon; let those words sink in). In the hands of exactly no one, there's nothing about that setup that sounds even remotely conducive to a captivating setting, so the film has to create a situation in which a killer baboon can go about disposing of the cast by having everyone lose their goddamned good sense. Every door is locked, the fire alarms are disabled, the only working phones are in one room in the building, the walkie talkies are altered as one-way communicators to the game master, and short-term memory loss is contagious. You would think that the film would stop short of people sauntering giddily into their dooms, but we even get a bit of that to go around by the conclusion, despite explicit warnings and opportunities to get the hell away. A baboon is certainly a credible threat, but a newborn rabbit has just as good a chance of killing off this group. And that's before we get into the fatal mistake of hanging all the dramatic weight on the shoulders of Christopher Atkins, so incapable of emoting properly and yet treats the material so seriously.
And that's exactly why it works. The film does so many things wrong on a conceptual level that their sheer quantity winds up making the film endearing and memorable for all the right reasons. Where can you find a film that takes itself seriously enough to have a character check the pulse of someone who has their face torn off? Someone whose ingenuity towards securing a fire extinguisher has them violently throwing a coffee mug into it, with the attached hammer to smash the glass of the case clearly in plain sight? What about trying to grab the attention of someone that's on the bottom of a seven-story building by throwing kitchen utensils and then marbles? The list is virtually endless, even before getting into the bizarre character quirks, like the overly effeminate programming guy or the girl who knows that the object of her affection is already in a relationship but still tries to make a go of it with a plan that hinges on him winning the game to see her dressed up in vaguely culturally insensitive clothing. And Christopher Atkins? His inability to emote properly winds up a valuable tool, as his bug-eyed intensity makes every scene he's in towards the end ones to be treasured, his commitment to solemnity too poorly considered to be taken seriously and far too amusing to not guffaw.
Does the film do anything right? I think it does, and a lot of it does have to do with them using a real baboon for their villain, which does give the film a proper tangibility to give him the proper danger level that would have been enhanced further if everyone wasn't a moron. The filmmakers here seem to throw everything they have on getting footage of him onto the screen, leading to some funny reaction shots that illustrate both the problem of using an animal not really made for acting can have, while also being admirable in establishing that we do indeed have a real McCoy that the film employs as often and frequently as it does. There are even some inspired shots here and there with the baboon, including a nice little pop-scare at the bottom of a bathroom stall door that helps sell the doom of the character that he's about to thrash. And for shots where they couldn't use the real thing, there's even some nice use of foreground at work, including a shot that you can see in the trailer that is undeniably striking without calling too much attention to whatever puppet that made it possible. It's moments like those that make you wonder what the directors could have done with the film if they weren't tied to such a wrongheaded screenplay, as it isn't hard to imagine a more effective killer baboon film than the one we got here.
But does anyone really want a better Shakma? As I've typed this out, I don't think that the reputation it has would improve if it was a better film, as the colony of bad ideas creates a C. Montgomery Burns-esque biology where all of them don't harm the film because they're too busy competing against each for the honor that does it in entirely. There are just way too many bizarre moments played straight, too many stupid characters and too many botched attempts at dramatic emphasis to not have a rip-roaring good time at its expense, but it's a film that's also not one you can hate because it simply is too strange to come off as either self-knowingly smug or unknowingly incompetent for those to drag it down. As I feel, Shakma must be this Shakma in order for any of it to work at all, and while it's tempting to want a better killer baboon film, the question is does anyone need one when this is around? My own answer is no, and this is a film that truly needs to be treasured at its own expense.
Everything about the general concept of this film is a bad idea, which is why it ends up as entertaining as it does. The trailer of the film (must-see viewing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2tnp4QCKtk) promises lots of psychotic baboon action, and while it does deliver on that front if your idea of psychotic baboon action involves watching a baboon repeatedly slam into doors, the trailer doesn't let on the organizing principle: medical students running a LARP session that is, apparently, a way to get on the professor good side as he runs it as the game master (Roddy McDowall, trying to maintain what little dignity he had left in his career, agreed to star in a film where he plays the game master for a group of students LARP'ing and destined to be mauled by a baboon; let those words sink in). In the hands of exactly no one, there's nothing about that setup that sounds even remotely conducive to a captivating setting, so the film has to create a situation in which a killer baboon can go about disposing of the cast by having everyone lose their goddamned good sense. Every door is locked, the fire alarms are disabled, the only working phones are in one room in the building, the walkie talkies are altered as one-way communicators to the game master, and short-term memory loss is contagious. You would think that the film would stop short of people sauntering giddily into their dooms, but we even get a bit of that to go around by the conclusion, despite explicit warnings and opportunities to get the hell away. A baboon is certainly a credible threat, but a newborn rabbit has just as good a chance of killing off this group. And that's before we get into the fatal mistake of hanging all the dramatic weight on the shoulders of Christopher Atkins, so incapable of emoting properly and yet treats the material so seriously.
And that's exactly why it works. The film does so many things wrong on a conceptual level that their sheer quantity winds up making the film endearing and memorable for all the right reasons. Where can you find a film that takes itself seriously enough to have a character check the pulse of someone who has their face torn off? Someone whose ingenuity towards securing a fire extinguisher has them violently throwing a coffee mug into it, with the attached hammer to smash the glass of the case clearly in plain sight? What about trying to grab the attention of someone that's on the bottom of a seven-story building by throwing kitchen utensils and then marbles? The list is virtually endless, even before getting into the bizarre character quirks, like the overly effeminate programming guy or the girl who knows that the object of her affection is already in a relationship but still tries to make a go of it with a plan that hinges on him winning the game to see her dressed up in vaguely culturally insensitive clothing. And Christopher Atkins? His inability to emote properly winds up a valuable tool, as his bug-eyed intensity makes every scene he's in towards the end ones to be treasured, his commitment to solemnity too poorly considered to be taken seriously and far too amusing to not guffaw.
Does the film do anything right? I think it does, and a lot of it does have to do with them using a real baboon for their villain, which does give the film a proper tangibility to give him the proper danger level that would have been enhanced further if everyone wasn't a moron. The filmmakers here seem to throw everything they have on getting footage of him onto the screen, leading to some funny reaction shots that illustrate both the problem of using an animal not really made for acting can have, while also being admirable in establishing that we do indeed have a real McCoy that the film employs as often and frequently as it does. There are even some inspired shots here and there with the baboon, including a nice little pop-scare at the bottom of a bathroom stall door that helps sell the doom of the character that he's about to thrash. And for shots where they couldn't use the real thing, there's even some nice use of foreground at work, including a shot that you can see in the trailer that is undeniably striking without calling too much attention to whatever puppet that made it possible. It's moments like those that make you wonder what the directors could have done with the film if they weren't tied to such a wrongheaded screenplay, as it isn't hard to imagine a more effective killer baboon film than the one we got here.
But does anyone really want a better Shakma? As I've typed this out, I don't think that the reputation it has would improve if it was a better film, as the colony of bad ideas creates a C. Montgomery Burns-esque biology where all of them don't harm the film because they're too busy competing against each for the honor that does it in entirely. There are just way too many bizarre moments played straight, too many stupid characters and too many botched attempts at dramatic emphasis to not have a rip-roaring good time at its expense, but it's a film that's also not one you can hate because it simply is too strange to come off as either self-knowingly smug or unknowingly incompetent for those to drag it down. As I feel, Shakma must be this Shakma in order for any of it to work at all, and while it's tempting to want a better killer baboon film, the question is does anyone need one when this is around? My own answer is no, and this is a film that truly needs to be treasured at its own expense.
Whilst I'm not sure I'll be able to take part in this (I'd love to! Mostly time related) this should be a good thread to ask, what are good recent slasher films ? I love me some slasher horror film action, like Halloween/Freddy/Jason etc but haven't seen one in ages. I fancy some madman/woman stalking and killing action. Also was the Wolf Creek sequel any good ? I heard there was that and a television mini series ?. Really enjoyed the first film, John Jarret is an amazingly nasty piece of shit in that film.
Okay I think we're ready; didn't go for 31 films as it's just too much of a challenge for a month that also has the baseball playoffs and I'm busy at work. Would like to connect with other folks on Letterboxd, too, as I've discovered lots of films through it already. https://letterboxd.com/crimnos/list/31-days-of-horror-october-2017/
I'm actually in US and I don't want to deal with other region bluray so yea that sucks. I can get the SD version on Amazon video for like 5 bucks and I think I'm just going to that for now.
As for Tales this doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement so far. The bluray has yet to drop under $30 since I've been keeping an eye on it. That's way too much for mediocrity so thanks for the help.
Freeza Under The Shower
Member
I'm not doing a targeted list of 31, but will be picking more random movies that I still have to watch.
But I am going with "you gotta cringe yourself before you scare yourself" minor theme by first enduring the Twilight movies. Other than that it's Lifeforce, Ghostbusters II, Nightmare on elm street, the vvitch... stuff like that. I'll drop titles into a list as I watch them.
As a side note: if anyone is desperately looking for something new they haven't seen before, from the movies I watched this year, I can thoroughly recommend the TV broadcast of Quatermass And The Pit (and the previous two movies), Them!, It Came From Outer Space, It! The Terror From Beyond Space! (I actually enjoy '50s schlock), and Soylent Green. Oh, and The Thing From Another World, when watched in combination with Carpenter's Halloween and The Thing.
But I am going with "you gotta cringe yourself before you scare yourself" minor theme by first enduring the Twilight movies. Other than that it's Lifeforce, Ghostbusters II, Nightmare on elm street, the vvitch... stuff like that. I'll drop titles into a list as I watch them.
As a side note: if anyone is desperately looking for something new they haven't seen before, from the movies I watched this year, I can thoroughly recommend the TV broadcast of Quatermass And The Pit (and the previous two movies), Them!, It Came From Outer Space, It! The Terror From Beyond Space! (I actually enjoy '50s schlock), and Soylent Green. Oh, and The Thing From Another World, when watched in combination with Carpenter's Halloween and The Thing.
Plasticine
Member
The odds of Dagon getting a blu-ray release are pretty good! S.T. Joshi said he did interviews for blu-ray releases of Dagon and Beyond Re-Animator. Lionsgate owns both titles, so they'll likely be released as part of their Vestron line next year.
Adam Sadler
Member
Here's my list so far, I'm doing all these movies with my brother so maybe half of these I've already seen but it's been a long time. Could any of yall help me with some really great horror movies? Preferably ones that give off a really tense vibe/atmosphere? He's seen a lot of the more notable ones.
His favorite horror movie of all time is the Descent if that helps a bit on what to recommend?