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Fancy Clown · Oct 2, 2016

2) The Last Man on Earth - (Ubaldo Ragona & Sidney Salkow, 1964)

"Another day to live through. Better get started."

I watched a handful of Vincent Price films as part of my marathon and enjoyed them all quite a bit, and in the middle of watching this one I realized I have actually seen it before ages ago, probably shortly after I read I Am Legend. While this one certainly doesn't reach the lovely gothic heights of Corman's Poe adaptions, nor the fun of House on Haunted Hill, there are some notable aspects about this film. For starters, it kicks off with quite an evocative opening. Widescreen compositions show legitimately haunting images of vacant cityscapes populated only with the occasional dead body or abandoned vehicle. A church sign reads out that "the end is nigh". The end is very nigh indeed. This sequence of images very much prefigures the horrifying abandoned nightmare-scape that kicks off 28 Days Later. That's not the end of the "firsts" in this movie either, as the hordes of zombie-esque vampires shambling towards a fortified home immediately call to mind Night of the Living Dead, which would release four years later. However, this film contains none of the horror or thrills that Night of the Living Dead would contains, as it is mostly a sort of ponderous old fashioned romp, replete with voiceovers and pace killing flashback sequences. There's no grit or edge here. Vincent Price is fun to watch as always however, and the movie is at its best when it's showing the exhaustive toll his tiresome existence is taking on him. It's also interesting to see how close this adaptation sticks to the story. And while it ultimately is neither scary nor all that much fun, I'd say it's still a worthwhile watch if only to see some seeds of other films' later greatness begin in this modest Vincent Price vehicle.

Side note: Looking at the poster after watching the film, I like how it doesn't sell what it's about at all. It makes it look like another gothic haunted house picture featuring some sort of vengeful female ghost. No doubt trying to capitalize on House on Haunted Hill's success.

canoli2006 · Oct 2, 2016

Here we go! Started the -thon last night with a double feature.

1. The Addams Family (1991)

Never was into the comics or the TV show besides maybe 1 episode. I know all the characters, the iconic theme, and the jist of it. I also never watched the film adaptation even though I was 12 when it came out. It was just not on my radar but it's on Netflix so I gave it a go.

I know enough about the show to see the cast did a great job and I was impressed by the performances especially Christopher Lloyd as Uncle Fester. I enjoyed little Christina Ricci as Wednesday Addams.

2. Snakes on a Plane (2006)

Snakes terrorize a plane traveling from Honolulu to Los Angeles? Sounds like horror to me! I last saw this 10 years ago in the theatre. The whole reason to watch this is Samuel L. Jackson is "sick and tired of these mother fucking snakes on this mother fucking plane!" And the snake kill scenes are pretty cool, yet cartoonish In 2016. CG on the snakes does not hold up and in fact the whole movie is right up there with Sharknado and if made today, would be on the Sci Fi channel.

Fancy Clown · Oct 2, 2016

canoli2006 said:

Pugsly looks kinda like a little Ted Cruz in this picture

Aiii · Oct 2, 2016

#1 - P.O.V. - A Cursed Film (2012) [POV: Norowareta firumu]
As the name suggests, this is a POV horror, which you either love and enjoy as a subgenre, or hate with a passion. I fall in the former category. Other things I love: J-Horror, so I figured starting off with this one was a good bet.

The movie stars Mirai Shida and Haruna Kawaguchi as, well, themselves. Mirai hosts a low-budget TV-show where she watches viewer-submitted movies with her guest, Haruna. The topic of this show? What else: Ghost movies. As it turns out, the movie submitted shows the girl's bathroom of Haruna's old junior high school. They watch a couple of movies that show some fairly mild stuff, but as it soon turns out, whatever is haunting the school grounds has made the jump to the recording studio and appears to be haunting Haruna. More is at play here, so the producers call in a psychic to rid Haruna of said haunting. However, the psychic informs them that the ritual will have little effect, since the haunting centers around the school. So the crew, their handheld camera's, and the two girls head off to the school where the psychic will meet them.

Needless to say, plenty of shenanigans ensue. It's fairly run of the mill, but as with most J-Horror, much lies in suspense and not showing much at all, which to me makes things much more scary. They do a great job here by using the camera's to show the footage. There are some pretty cool long takes in this in which the actors do a real good job playing off one another. I enjoyed it a lot. The real fun comes in the final 15 minutes though, when

the end credits hit and we cut to an audience watching a test screening of the movie we just saw. Haruna and Mirai show up backstage and we find out it's been 4 months since the film was shot. Haruna and Mirai are supposed to watch the film as their reactions are filmed for some reason (DVD extra? To be edited into the film before release?). Needless to say, the film itself is cursed and used by the evil spirit to return once more. Really cool stuff, and a lovely twitch.

If you're into POV handheld camera horror, try and track this one down, I give it a solid 3.5 ineffective psychics out of 5.

Gameboy415 · Oct 2, 2016

MattyH said:
was the children the 2008 uk film?

Yep!
It was released on DVD in the US in 2009 as part of the 'Ghost House Underground' series.

Wensih · Oct 2, 2016

mariachi507 said:
The Iraq actually foretold the events of the rest of the film. It set up Merrin and demon Pazuzu as adversaries and it's also when Merrin realizes that the demon has been released with the intention of revenge.

The thing is that the prologue nor the movie never draw a correlation between the demon Merrin exorcised in Africa and the demon he released in Iraq, nor does it explain why the demon possesses Regan.

I understood that there was a correlation between Iraq and Regan's demon due to the Iraqi statue appearing during the exorcism, but I don't think that small piece of information really knits together a cohesive narrative.

pitcairn55 · Oct 2, 2016

Halfway through Silent Night, Bloody Night: The Homecoming I've given up. My first, and hopefully only, abandoned film of the month.

Imagine if you and a few of your mates had been given £200 to make a horror movie for a laugh, despite none of you having any skill in any aspect of the film-making process. Now imagine if the resultant hideously embarrassing mess (which plays out like a halloween-themed amateur porno movie without the sex) managed to secure a DVD release.

Literally the only thing this film has going for it is the fact that it's set in Wales so some of the accents are nice.

So very very bad.

mariachi507 · Oct 2, 2016

Minishdriveby said:
The thing is that the prologue nor the movie never draw a correlation between the demon Merrin exorcised in Africa and the demon he released in Iraq, nor does it explain why the demon possesses Regan.

I understood that there was a correlation between Iraq and Regan's demon due to the Iraqi statue appearing during the exorcism, but I don't think that small piece of information really knits together a cohesive narrative.

That statue is the connection though. It's confirmation that Merrin's suspicion of the demon returning were correct, that along with the demon screaming Merrin's name as he entered the house. The demon wanted another showdown with Father Merrin, but the avatar to do it through didn't matter. Reagan's possession was completely random, just a case of the wrong place at the wrong time.

Aikidoka · Oct 2, 2016

mariachi507 said:
I definitely recommend subtitles for a first-time watch of The Witch. Doesn't sound like you want to go for seconds though.

I spent some time reading the Wikipedia page and I don't think I missed much of the plot. I just found the constant religious babel to be very annoying, and none of the characters seemed to have any character traits aside from "religious fundamentalist". Also, I didn't see any good motivation for the key plot points.
Why did the older sister suddenly go from 0 to 100 and abuse the twin? Really uncalled for and seems to just serve the purpose of being a flimsy prop for the very cliched, 1-D "she's the witch" scene.
Also, the boy idiotically runs off into the woods. The only explanation for this that I can see is that the boy and the sister are really stupid kids. Which isn't exactly a terrible reason, but it's just pretty bland and predictable.

On the positive side, the film can be pretty disturbing, but then again I'm not so sure that it's very difficult to make bloody baby chunks disturbing.

Fancy Clown · Oct 2, 2016

Aikidoka said:
I spent some time reading the Wikipedia page and I don't think I missed much of the plot. I just found the constant religious babel to be very annoying, and none of the characters seemed to have any character traits aside from "religious fundamentalist". Also, I didn't see any good motivation for the key plot points.
Why did the older sister suddenly go from 0 to 100 and abuse the twin? Really uncalled for and seems to just serve the purpose of being a flimsy prop for the very cliched, 1-D "she's the witch" scene.
Also, the boy idiotically runs off into the woods. The only explanation for this that I can see is that the boy and the sister are really stupid kids. Which isn't exactly a terrible reason, but it's just pretty bland and predictable.

On the positive side, the film can be pretty disturbing, but then again I'm not so sure that it's very difficult to make bloody baby chunks disturbing.

The family members all have distinct identities and motivations though. The older sister for example lashed out at the twin because

she is a young woman in a highly opressive puritanical family. She is essentially treated as property, and she has the additional stressors of being seen as responsible for the baby's dissapearance. So she was tired of being harassed by her sister by being called a witch and lashed out saying she actually was one.

I took a course on the history of witchcraft in college and this movie was super cool to watch because it not only gets the supernatural details of witch fables from the time right, but also the historical socio-political factors that led to young women often being targeted for witches.

The boy had his motivations two, namely struggling with pubescent sexuality, and masculinity in a highly patriarchal society. It was a means proving himself and running away from the "sin" he is struggling with. Of course this comes back to bite him with

the form the witch takes to lure him.

And then the scene where he returns is highly disturbing due to the perversity in which the families beliefs are exploited through

the sexuality of their sons creepy orgasmic death

gabbo · Oct 2, 2016

#2 The Blair Witch Project

I can't say anything more about the film that more or less kickstarted the glut of rather bad pov/shaky-cam horror movies than has already been said. I enjoyed it again this viewing, even if a rainy Sunday at 11am is really not the best time to experience this kind of movie.
Anyway, girlfriend watching for the first time was bored, looking at her phone until the map was kicked in the creek. Then the stress from the cast started creeping into her and the film got under her skin. She's not a fan because it ended on such a downbeat note (ie it got to her and she doesn't like that). It always makes me want to wander the forest behind my parents house.

I still enjoy its simple, effectively told tale of three people going through hell while lost in the woods filming a documentary. A completely different style of film from TCM last night, but effective in similar ways

--On a side note, because we got TBWP in so early, I may do another film later tonight, possibly from the alt list. We'll see how much time there is after the gym.

lordxar · Oct 2, 2016

So Letterboxd does their Hooptober that I got in on this year and one of the rules if you will is a Bava, Argento, Lenzi, etc film which I've watched a lot of Bava, Argento and Fulci so I thought I'd try Lenzi and his most famous Cannibal Ferox which is also on Shudder so I thought perfect, easily accessible and on the list. Now a couple weeks ago I watched Cannibal Holocaust which I knew was the granddaddy of cannibal movies.

CH really is a great movie. Say what you will about the animal deaths or just the violence against pretty much every living thing that it has but it is a classic in every sense of the word. If you can stomach it I would put it right alongside the Exorcist, Repulsion, the Birds, Alien, the Thing and any other significant horror film. And significant doesn't mean popular like Freddy and Jason, I'm talking certified classic that not only has that public opinion but also great film making and an excellent cast. When I finished that movie my first thought was holy fuck I never want to see this again which, after much thought, became I need to buy this one day because its an amazing film.

Cannibal Ferox on the other hand is one of those shitty knock offs that get made to make a quick buck on the ignorant masses. Like Transmorphers instead of Transformers or Atlantic Rim instead of Pacific Rim. Yes it is violent. Yes it has kind of the same message as CH but beyond that its just not the same. You get over the top here from violence to boobs. The story isn't as well thought out and some things don't make sense.

Dude gets his fucking wang chopped off then runs away later...I doubt he'd be able to move much less run.

This was a complete disappointment because I'm not into cannibal flicks for one and this was as low brow of that as you can get. I could see some high school kids getting a kick out of this but if you want a more mature cannibal movie with an actual message watch CH instead.

T.O.P · Oct 2, 2016

1# Train To Busan - all around a damn solid Z movie, bit too much drama (and sometime a rather wonky use of cgi where it wasn't really needed) for my liking but hell, wish we'd get more movies like this 7.5/10

2# The Wailing - this was fantastic, from the insanely creepy atmosphere to the mindfucking plot, reminded me of Memories of Murders a lot, in the best possible way 9/10

3# The Mind's Eye - watching tonight

User 479360 · Oct 2, 2016

I know that I won't be able to do this, but I wanted to ask that you guys please try to check out the following films if you haven't. I think they're fantastic, and try to recommend them as much as possible.

A Tale of Two Sisters
Black Christmas (the original, NOT the remake)
Haute Tension

Aikidoka · Oct 2, 2016

Fancy Clown said:
The family members all have distinct identities and motivations though. The older sister for example lashed out at the twin because

she is a young woman in a highly opressive puritanical family. She is essentially treated as property, and she has the additional stressors of being seen as responsible for the baby's dissapearance. So she was tired of being harassed by her sister by being called a witch and lashed out saying she actually was one.

I took a course on the history of witchcraft in college and this movie was super cool to watch because it not only gets the supernatural details of witch fables from the time right, but also the historical socio-political factors that led to young women often being targeted for witches.

The boy had his motivations two, namely struggling with pubescent sexuality, and masculinity in a highly patriarchal society. It was a means proving himself and running away from the "sin" he is struggling with. Of course this comes back to bite him with

the form the witch takes to lure him.

And then the scene where he returns is highly disturbing due to the perversity in which the families beliefs are exploited through

the sexuality of their sons creepy orgasmic death

"lashing out" is putting it mildly. She forced her to the ground and put her hand to her throat, all while saying she sacrificed the baby and detailing how she would do the same to the twin.
As for the rest, I guess there's nothing terrible about all of that - it's just typical. I do recall becoming intrigued when

the boy started to question his father after the baby's death.

But then that gets dropped after that scene, i think.

Thomasin sticking up for herself was also a nice moment.

Admittedly, I have a lot of disdain for christian fundamentalists so that may have turned me off of it entirely. I find christian demonic possession movies much more annoying than horrifying as well.

Fancy Clown · Oct 2, 2016

Aikidoka said:
Admittedly, I have a lot of disdain for christian fundamentalists so that may have turned me off of it entirely. I find christian demonic possession movies much more annoying than horrifying as well.

I mean, so does this movie. It is not at all sympathetic to their slavish faith since

that is precisely what ends up ruining them and driving their daughter to actually becoming a witch.

Aikidoka · Oct 2, 2016

Fancy Clown said:
I mean, so does this movie. It is not at all sympathetic to their slavish faith since

that is precisely what ends up ruining them and driving their daughter to actually becoming a witch.

No, I think it's pretty weak as far as remarking about Puritan beliefs. It's a movie that I think will just confirm the beliefs you already have. The slavish faith is not really what destroys the family,

Satan, and his servants, is revealed to be the main villain, and so this story can easily be seen as a tale warning against the evil of Satan and the importance of not being conflicted in your faith.

ehead · Oct 2, 2016

mariachi507 said:
Bernard Hermann's Psycho score is among the most iconic in cinema, and the filmmakers had the impossible task of finding someone who was up to the task of doing justice to it. They could have just phoned it in and reused all of Hermann's cues, but they did the smart thing and got Jerry Goldsmith. The results, for me, are just gold.

There just wasn't enough memorable tracks in the movie for me. But I agree that it is pretty interesting for what it is. I'm kinda debating if I should include Psycho 3 in my list now.

Oct 2. Daylights End

I'm not entirely sure if it could be considered horror since its mostly run-and-gun. I never felt the urgency or uneasiness prevalent in good infection movies. It is pretty similar to I am Legend

, particularly the infected. There was this dumb fight sequence near the end.

Oh and its got Lance Henriksen.

Aiii · Oct 2, 2016

#1 - P.O.V. - A Cursed Film (2012) - 3.5/5

#2 - Satanic (2016)

You know how The Walking Dead is a really bad TV series? Turns out you can blame the producer of the damn thing for it, since he also brings Satanic. Sarah Hyland "stars" in this teen-do-dumb-shit horror flick where four teenagers decide to tour some true satanic crime locations on their way to Coachella. That synopsis alone should have put me off of watching this, but how bad could it possible be?

Well, pretty fucking bad. I got so bored that I wanted everyone to die and when they did I was still bored. 0 upside down crosses out of 5.

Fancy Clown · Oct 2, 2016

Aikidoka said:
No, I think it's pretty weak as far as remarking about Puritan beliefs. It's a movie that I think will just confirm the beliefs you already have. The slavish faith is not really what destroys the family,

Satan, and his servants, is revealed to be the main villain, and so this story can easily be seen as a tale warning against the evil of Satan and the importance of not being conflicted in your faith.

I don't think so. The family's beliefs were so suffocating in their puritanical repression that it forced them into lives of isolation.

Their undoing was in their own actions and Satan merely exploited that. It was their own beliefs that led to turning their daughter against them, with their constant blame, and little regard for her own personal happiness outside of the function of the family unit.

Penguin · Oct 2, 2016

Penguin said:
Movie 1 - Dead Snow 2

Movie 2 - Kill or Be Killed

This movie kind of takes it time to get going and when it does start to go doesn't go hard enough. Meh

Movie 3 - Monsterville 2
Pass

Movie 4 - Ghostbusters (2016) I found this to be fun. Laughed throughout. Some good modernization and cool cameos.

Fox Mulder · Oct 2, 2016

Penguin said:
Movie 4 - Ghostbusters (2016) I found this to be fun. Laughed throughout. Some good modernization and cool cameos.

Is that already out? I forgot about it but wanted to give it a try despite all the shit around it.

J-Roderton · Oct 2, 2016

1. Children of The Corn

Ended up on a ghost hunt last night so I started today with Children of The Corn. First time really watching it since I was a little kid. Freaked me out then- falls flat now. It's pretty silly.

Didn't hate it.

2.5/5

MattyH · Oct 2, 2016

#2 My Little Eye - havent watched this since the dvd came out in early 02 i cant remember much about it but dug the dvd out while i was moving some stuff a few weeks back

Fancy Clown · Oct 2, 2016

3) Kill, Baby...Kill! - (Mario Bava, 1966)

"She's chosen me. She's chosen me. She's chosen me. I know it. You can't save me now."

Back to Bava, jumping three years past The Whip and the Body, Kill, Baby...Kill! in some ways feels like a less polished effort, although partially due to design I imagine. In terms of the story, this one drags its feet far more since because this plot is based around a fairly predictable mystery that isn't reliant on a who-dunnit conceit, the cast of characters isn't nearly as interesting since they mostly occupy a hodgepodge of expository roles and don't have the advantage of the mystery of wondering if they are a culprit or not and what their motives are. The aesthetics feel rougher too, trading in the colorful, stylized baroque romanticism of The Whip and the Body for a rougher naturalism, depicting a sunbaked isolated rural village in earthy, dilapidated tones. Visually it almost feels like a gothic Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The look works for the film lending it a bit of gritty menace, and although the tale sometimes drags the atmosphere generally makes up for it. Although I prefer The Whip and the Body to this, Kill, Baby...Kill! is the spookier film with a number of good creep out moments and an overall tone of menace. However, despite the lurid title and the opening sequence which has a particularly brutal image that lingers over the opening credits, it's not a particularly violent film. It does set up the expectation for violence though, which definitely contributes to that feeling of menace. All in all it's a solid, if not particularly remarkable, entry from Bava (though you will probably get more mileage out of directly proportional to how much creepy little girls and dolls scare you).

Plasticine · Oct 2, 2016

The Exorcist [Oct 1]

The poster for The Last House on the Left famously proclaimed it was only a movie. The Exorcist isn't just a movie. It's an experience. Masterfully structured, the first hour builds seemingly disparate stories, character details and thematic imagery before exploding into a visceral knock down, drag out between God and Satan. Fueled by freakshow special effects, powerhouse performances and Billy Friedkin's take no prisoners direction, the exorcism sequence remains the gold standard for these things. A nightmarish roller coaster straight into the pit of hell still worth lining up for all these years later.

The Neon Demon [Oct 1]

Beautiful, icy and hypnotic, The Neon Demon feels like an adaption of novel Bret Easton Ellis has yet to write. Everyone that inhabits this world is obsessed with beauty, glamor and fame. They just don't regard beauty, but obsess over it. They want to possess it, regardless of the means or the consequences to themselves and others. The plot exists to fill the glacial spaces between immaculately composed tableaus drenched in lurid color and occupied by exquisite models and handsome men. Underneath this cold and meticulously crafted veneer drifts an ambient menace that coalesces around everything and everyone at different points. Sexuality, characters and even simple acts of kindness are filled with dread and unease. Everything is a threat and everyone is a potential predator. When the dark heart of the film reveals itself, the film dives headlong into horror territory of vampirism, cannibalism and stalk and slash chase sequences.

bold first time viewing

Gengahrrr · Oct 2, 2016

#1 Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension

Maaaannnn....This had so much promise and then it let out a big ole cliche fart and did exactly what every other movie in this unnecessarily convoluted series has done.

Lucas Sparks · Oct 2, 2016

Lucas Sparks said:
I am doing this!! Probably not going to get to 31 days straight, last year I got 19! Have to beat it.

I started a bit early with:
1. Krampus - surprisingly enjoyable and the aesthetics blew me away. It really has a look and a feel and maintains it. It was a bit disappointing it wasnt R, some of the slapstick detracts.
4/5
(Wife score 5/5)

2. Exorcist - actually my first time ever seeing this! I was blown away by its depth, I always assumed it was very minimal and was just a one location type of film. I really enjoyed it although I was highly confused. It wasn't that "scary" but I cannot imagine watching that in the 70's! Cinematography was gorgeous as well.
5/5
(Wife score 4/5)

I have a huge list left!

3. Into the Forest (2015) - I thought this was The Forest when I got it. And it was some mediocre dumb Ellen Paige movie about being the worst at surviving or something. But I did it!
2/5
(Wife score 2/5)

afternoon delight · Oct 2, 2016

4. Return of the Living Dead (1985)
First time viewing, what a ride! Loved how everything escalates so naturally with some real wit, the characters and actors/actresses really deliver. Great range on display from humor to outright nastiness.

Vazra · Oct 2, 2016

3- The Evil Dead
Campy fun as usual. Cool effects for the time and great atmosphere

4-Evil Dead (2013)
Interesting twist to the campy movie with the reboot. It has some disgusting moments and it does have atmosphere but none of the camp of the original so if you want some of the original vibes might as well watch the original instead but this is good if you are looking for a twist on the formula

CharminUltra · Oct 2, 2016

1. The Brides of Dracula.

One of the most decent Hammer flicks. The story and dialog didn't exactly blow my mind (it's a pretty standard gothic vampire tale) but the movie itself is pretty well made. This version is from the newest Universal 8 movie blu ray set and the picture quality left a lot to be desired (both contrast and sharpness have been turned WAY up, kinda made me sick a little)

2/4 stars

imBask · Oct 2, 2016

#3 Rosemary's Baby : B+
I thought it was good overall, very enjoyable eventhough it was over 2h, but the ending was kind of a let down and left me a bit... unsatisfied

#4 Suspiria : D
I don't know. It was really artsy fartsy and not my style at all. I liked the practical effects but that's about it

DeathoftheEndless · Oct 2, 2016

1. The Beyond I kicked off my horror-thon with Lucio Fulci's The Beyond. It was about what I expected. A loose plot about a hotel housing a gateway to Hell, with scenes of disturbing weirdness and gore.

2. [REC] This is a decent found-footage thriller. The premise is really creative, even though it ends up turning into a zombie-type movie later on. It reminded me a lot of Night of the Living Dead actually, particularly some of the characters. I was a little distracted by how cute the main actress is.

3. The Frighteners This is a good Halloween movie. It has humor, gore, ghosts, serial killers, a wacky Jeffrey Combs character, and a Danny Elfman score. I was surprised that not much was done with the side ghost characters that the movie is named after. Its fun though and the perfect kind of movie for this month.

EmpressInYellow · Oct 2, 2016

matt360 said:
#2 - You're Next

I really didn't know anything about this movie going in, and since I'm trying to fit in a few home invasion films in my list this year, I thought I'd give You're Next a try. I liked that it wasn't a typical home invasion thriller, but some of the comedy with the family dynamic didn't really work for me. I realize that it was intentionally over the top both with the family interaction and some of the kills, but all of that juxtaposed to the way they portrayed the protagonist felt a little weird. I'd probably rate it a 6/10.

The biggest tragedy of You're Next is that it got buried at the box office by The Purge, so instead of the planned follow-ups to You're Next, we get endless Purge sequels.

And I say that as someone that actually liked The Purge: Anarchy as a sort of Escape From New York/The Warriors riff.

Wensih · Oct 2, 2016

3. The Blair Witch Project
#The Blair Witch Project is most famous for popularizing the mostly scorned found footage genre, featuring a low budget camera held in shaking hands. I wasn't expecting much, especially after hearing that nothing really happens in the film. The threat is never seen. It's just kids lost in the woods. And I think that is why it has withstood the test of time. The lax conversations and attitudes about going into the woods to find this legend quickly turns to panic about being lost in the woods and it then escalates further as something continues to follow and mess with their camp site. The terror isn't what is messing with their campsite, but how they react and become more desperate and distraught because of those nightly interactions. It culminates in an end scene that hearkens back to an earlier interview with a resident of the town while still never showing the Witch.

afternoon delight · Oct 3, 2016

5. CHUD 2: Bud the CHUD (1989)
"A couple of teenagers break into a secret government science lab and steal a frozen corpse for a high school prank and accidentally awaken the corpse which turns out to be a CHUD, ironically named Bud, who goes on a killing spree and making his victims also cannibalistic CHUD's and its up to the teens to stop him."

I dare you to finish this movie.

Penguin · Oct 3, 2016

Fox Mulder said:
Is that already out? I forgot about it but wanted to give it a try despite all the shit around it.

Digital version dropped this past week.

5. Mine Games - Surprisingly good. Kind of a time loop/cabin in the woods slasher film. Enjoyed seeing the mystery build.

Rock And Roll · Oct 3, 2016

I'll join in on the fun. Watched one last night but didn't get a chance to post about it.

#1 Emelie

The premise of the film is a crazy babysitter terrorizing a family. I wouldn't really consider this a horror film, more of a thriller. It never really took off or got that interesting, it kind of just coasted along. The opening sequence was well done but after that, the movie looked kind of boring, save for a couple of sequences. I don't mind crappy mindless movies with stiff dialogue, but when a movie tries to be smart it's a bit irksome.

Rated it a 2 out 5.

SeanC · Oct 3, 2016

2) Videodrome

A re-watch, but one I haven't seen in probably ten years so it all felt relatively new to me (though, certainly, imagery from this film sticks with you and that I never forget). As weird and uncomfortable as I remember in what I think is, by far, James Wood's best performance and maybe Cronenberg's best movie (still partial to The Fly myself but it's close). Either way, it's certainly the most James Wood-sy James Woods has ever been and probably the most Cronenberg-y movie from Cronenberg.

It's a dark satire if there ever was one. Just disturbing on a lot of levels but the weird body-horror stuff isn't what disturbs me personally, but more what the film says about human nature and the fascination and obsession we have with violence and sex.

Spirit of Jazz · Oct 3, 2016

Night 2: Ju-On: The Grudge

Conceptually the films great. A non-linear narrative leads to an interesting way to set up characters and the potential for some serious fuckery. The fact the entity is omnipotent should be terrifying. The lead ghosts are spooky. It just all kinda falls flat.

The film's scored and shot well and the reveal that the entity's actually omnipresent is great. Kayako's actor moves in a terrifying way and Toshio plays a solid creepy kid. On the other hand the CGI effects are all shit, the make-up on the ghosts who aren't the main too looks bad (which is a huge issue in the finish) and most of the character's plots have really shitty conclusions.

Hitmoi's arc is well worth watching and ends with depicting why hiding under the covers is a bad idea. The rest of the movie? Eh.

imBask · Oct 3, 2016

#5 Black Christmas : C
the definition of average

Vazra · Oct 3, 2016

5- Fragile
Trash children hospital Horror

6- Return of The Living Dead
Classy movie that aged pretty well.

Ponn · Oct 3, 2016

I'm a little behind but i'm going to catch up here. When I was a kid my older brother would make me watch horror movies like Nightmare on Elm Street and Alien with him when my parents were out. It scared me shitless and gave me nightmares for week. Eventually though it piqued my interest in horror and I made me a fan from movies to books and horror comics. My brother died late Nov. last year so as a nod to him i'm starting my marathon off with the Universal Classic Monsters bluray set. I never actually sat down and watched these original classic horror movies to appreciate how it all began. So i'm going to do the time warp again and go back and experience these oldies before sinking my teeth into some newer stuff. So here we go...

1.) Dracula (1931)

I'm willing to bet the most iconic version of Dracula in media yet probably not actually seen by many. I remember being so stoked to see Bram Stoker's Dracula when it came out and saw it opening day. Was one of those very rare times where it was just me and my dad going to a movie when I was a kid. Lots of flash and at the time I loved it. People that grew up with that version or enjoyed it will probably be doing constant comparisons in their heads while watching this. That's fine really but you do have to go into these old movies with a certain mind set. It's hard watching these old movies and not breaking into laughter at how campy the lines come off as or the limitations of effects at the time. I swear it was so hard not to break into laughter everytime there was a scene with that damn rubber bat they used. "There's that damn bat again!' Oh you have no idea how right you are. There are some instances where the campiness and limitations actually added to the movie though like the beginning with the old time town villagers feeling authentic. You could actually feel them saying "You fucked son" as they watched Harker ride off in the horse carriage.

They spend a little more time on the Lucy sub-plot in this movie with the mystery of the "woman in white" eating babies at night. That was interesting to see added more to the movie than say 3 naked vamps crawling around on a ceiling. It was also interesting to see Helsing played as a bit of a quirky quack in this just like Hannibal Lecter's version.

The lack of modern day special effects and being in black and white does let you appreciate the setting a bit more. Being in HD really allows you to see the effort they put into the backgrounds, castles and buildings. They really do feel eerie and "Why the fuck are you going into that creaky damn castle door Harker you idiot" I guess to sum it up in one word is would be subtle. It's classic subtle horror, a subtle creepy setting for a classic monster everyone knows.

Guzim · Oct 3, 2016

Frankenstein just finished on TCM. It's one of my favorites, but the ending is still so random to me. The Bride of Frankenstein is up next!

Astral Dog · Oct 3, 2016

From Beyond

Steamlord · Oct 3, 2016

#04 - Baron Blood (Gli orrori del castello di Norimberga) [1972]

Is it ridiculous and goofy? Absolutely. Is it fun? Hell yes it is. It kind of felt like Scooby Doo at times but with more blood and gore and no talking dogs. It's not a good movie by any means, but it's a blast to watch (as is Elke Sommer). That automatically puts it at least above Five Dolls for an August Moon, which was just a boring slog to get through.

#05 - Lisa and the Devil (Lisa e il diavolo) [1973]

Sort of a late masterpiece for Bava, I enjoyed this one a lot. It makes very little literal sense and relies almost entirely on surrealism and nightmarish dream logic - always a risky move, but Bava manages to pull it off here. Lisa enters the strange nightmare right at the beginning and it never lets up. It doesn't quite reach the heights of his early films, but it does effectively marry his supernatural and giallo sensibilities into a whole that isn't what I'd call cohesive, but that is fascinating nonetheless. And Leandro is easily one of Bava's most memorable characters, lending the film a considerable amount of both charm and menace.

#06 - Shock (Schock) [1977]

A decent final horror outing for Bava, but again, not one of his best. It had some pretty neat imagery throughout and the soundtrack was cool. But descents into madness and obnoxious maybe-evil kids have been done before, and a lot better. And so ends my Bavathon. Quite an impressive oeuvre you've got there, Mario.

#07 - The Neon Demon [2016]

Definitely a strange film, but I'm used to that. I tend to love movies that go totally surreal and focus almost entirely on aesthetics, and man this movie delivered in that department. The message is completely on the nose, but I was more or less expecting that going in so I didn't mind. I do think the character development could have been handled a bit better without the film losing any of its hypnotic power, but it's still really good. If you're looking for an incredible audiovisual experience and you're not too picky about narrative (in other words, if you're into 60s/70s Italian horror) then this movie is for you.

Letterboxd list

GhaleonEB · Oct 3, 2016

Ridley327 said:
Yeah, I'm right with you on this film. I will say I did kinda like how they handled the "will they/won't they" aspect of the main characters that made them easy to root for.

I got a real kick of how quickly they started to hump each other at the end with all of those people around them, since they deserved the hell out of that moment of intimacy.

Yeah, that was an aspect of the film that did work. I was actively rooting for the guy to die in the first 30 minutes. But he won me over and they developed some real chemistry/sexual tension between them. The

ambulance scene was hilarious.

Ridley327 · Oct 3, 2016

October 2, film 1

As much a horror film as it is a sci-fi film as it is an action film as it is a comedy as it is any other thing that Peter Jackson can throw into it, Bad Taste is one of those kinds of movies that not only makes sure to throw the kitchen sink into the works, but also makes sure that it's on fire for good measure. It offers up a strange bedfellow for something like The Evil Dead, in the sense that it's just as much a showcase for the filmmaking talent on display as it is guaranteed to satisfy genre fans. It's actually pretty damn remarkable how many signature visual motifs Jackson had already established on his first at-bat, even finding a way to figure out his sweeping overhead tracking shots without a helicopter. Predictably, this isn't the kind of movie one goes into for a compelling story (that comes later in the career!), but it's practically unfathomable to think that even the most jaded grump couldn't find at least one scene or moment to cheer about in this. It's a seriously fun through Smalltown, New Zealand, with fun characters (including Jackson himself in a dual role!), ridiculous one-liners and amazing gore sequences that act as a predecessor to some of the stuff we would see later in the more well-known Dead-Alive. It's a first-class gas from start to finish, and while it's not scary for even a second, you won't even mind with how damn hard you'll be hooting and hollering for the film to exceed its own excessive nature every step of the way.

Penguin · Oct 3, 2016

Weekend Update

Dead Snow 2
Kill or Be Killed
Monsterville 2
Ghostbusters 2016
Mine Games

6. Let Us Prey - a Really good thriller film. Pretty tiny in cope but does it well.

Rhomega Beta · Oct 3, 2016

3. Halloween (1978)

To begin, it feels like there's only 2 songs to play in the first half of the movie, and it does get a little annoying. Michael Myers is a great villain. He goes about in broad daylight. You can see him in the distance, just enough to make out his white mask, and then he disappears. He doesn't need to do anything, but you can tell he can strike any moment he wants to. The blank mask works because it in itself doesn't convey any menace, or anything for that matter, and that just makes Michael creepier, as well as his loud breathing. Then he starts killing, and for one of the popular slasher franchises, this surprisingly really isn't graphic at all. Even with the tension, the movie can get dull for bits at a time. The ending is cool though.

After several gunshots, he falls out the window, lies on the ground, and disappears. There's a montage of places seen earlier in the film (like a horror Before Sunrise), and along with his heavy breathing, you know he'll strike again at a time and place of his choosing.

Also, you can tell John Carpenter really liked The Thing From Another World, a movie he would finally get the chance to remake.

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