Topic: Month Long Horror/Halloween Marathon: 2010

[addicted2dvd]

Title: Secrets in the Walls Year: 2010 Director: Christopher Leitch Rating: TV-PG Length: 90 Min.

Stars:
Jeri Ryan
Kay Panabaker
Peyton Roi List
Ian Kahn
Marianne Jean-Baptiste

Plot:
Single mom Rachel Easton and her two daughters move from their cramped Detroit apartment to the suburbs when Rachel gets an irresistible deal on her dream house. But with the night comes scratching from within the walls, distant cries, and a figure of a young woman in the shifting shadows of the basement. As the haunting intensifies, Rachel and her friend must uncover the horrifying secret of what happened in the house years ago to save her family.


My Thoughts:
I recorded this movie off cable last night... while going through the menu guide... I stumbled across it and another one I recorded. This movie... while ok... entertaining for what it is I guess... just didn't impress me very much. I just had a hard time getting into it. The storyline was pretty good... but I just didn't find it quite right. The atmosphere for the movie they were trying to tell seemed to be a bit off. I didn't like how they did the whole possession part of the storyline. It just felt like it should have been much more.

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5

Count:
Movie Count: 88
TV Ep. Count: 49 I Made It! (10/20)
Other Count: 8 I Made It! (10/15)

[addicted2dvd]

Title: Child's Play 2 Year: 1990 Director: John Lafia Rating: R Length: 84 Min.

Stars:
Alex Vincent
Jenny Agutter
Gerrit Graham
Christine Elise
Brad Dourif

Plot:
Andy Barclay has been placed in a foster home after the tragic events of the first film, since his mother was committed. In an attempt to save their reputation, the manufacturers of Chucky reconstruct the killer doll, to prove to the public that nothing was wrong with it in the first place. In doing so, they also bring the soul of serial killer Charles Lee Ray back to life. As Chucky tries to locate Andy, the body count rises. Will Andy be able to escape, or will Chucky succeed in possessing his body?


My Thoughts:
I watched this one on Encore On-Demand. I watched it many years ago when it was first released... but this is the first time since. I liked it quite a bit. Maybe not quite as much as the first one... but close to it if not. I like how it seemed to take place shortly after the first one ended. One of these days I will have to add this one to my DVD Collection.

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5

Count:
Movie Count: 89
TV Ep. Count: 49 I Made It! (10/20)
Other Count: 8 I Made It! (10/15)

[addicted2dvd]

Title: Red Water Year: 2003 Director: Charles Robert Carner Rating: R Length: 92 Min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround Subtitles: Chinese, English, French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai

Stars:
Lou Diamond Phillips
Kristy Swanson
Coolio
Jaimz Woolvett
Rob Boltin
Langley Kirkwood

Plot:
Dive into this carnivorous adventure when a massive man-eating Bull Shark takes over the quiet waters of the Mississippi.

Nobody knows what or who is leaving behind mangled remains on the banks of a Louisiana River until it is revealed that there is one breed of shark that can live in fresh water - a giant carnivore, stalking the living under the surface.

Now, as workers search the river for a source of natural gas, and criminals are hunting a buried treasure, it is up to a small group of hunters to find and destroy the murderous beast, bent on killing anything that leaves the shore...

Extras:
Scene Access
Bonus Trailers
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:
Decent movie for what it is... but I didn't care for the way they made this one. It went from horror movie to a crime/action flick... then they brought back the killer shark to bring it back to horror when it was convenient to do so. And then it wasn't so much back to horror as it was more crime/action plus no more then a touch of horror. So I guess basically I came out a little disappointed as it turned out to not exactly be what I was expecting. Though I do like both lou Diamond Phillips and Kristy Swanson.

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5

Count:
Movie Count: 90
TV Ep. Count: 49 I Made It! (10/20)
Other Count: 8 I Made It! (10/15)

[addicted2dvd]

Title: Beetlejuice: 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Year: 1988 Director: Tim Burton Rating: PG Length: 92 Min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, French: : , Music Only: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Alec Baldwin
Geena Davis
Annie McEnroe
Maurice Page
Hugo Stanger
Michael Keaton

Plot:
What's a Yuppie ghost couple (Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin) to do when their quaint New England home is overrun by trendy New Yorkers? Hire a freelance "bio-exorcist" to spook the intruders, of course. As directed by Tim Burton, Michael "Keaton's Beetlejuice is one of the biggest, baddest wolves a ghost movie has ever unleashed, a polter-gas" (The Village Voice). Keaton's work in this and Clean and Sober won him 1988's National Society of Film Critics Best Actor Award. Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Jeffrey Jones and Sylvia Sidney share starring honors along with wondrous production design, Harry Belafonte soundtrack tunes and Oscar®-winning Best Makeup.

Extras:
Scene Access
Feature Trailers
Bonus Trailers
3 Episodes of Animated Beetlejuice series

My Thoughts:
This is a movie I have always got a kick out of. One I try to watch in every one of my October marathons. I just find this movie to be so much fun. I have watched it countless times over the years. Geena Davis was great in the role. And even though I don't normally care for her... I also enjoyed Winona Ryder.  While this is a movie I like to watch a lot... so I am thrilled to have this Anniversary Deluxe Edition DVD... I am not sure that this release deserves to be called such an edition. I mean how can you call this a deluxe edition? The fact that they added a few episodes of the animated series is cool... and then there is the theatrical trailer but where are the extras that more people want to see? There is no Commentary? What about a Featurette or two? Blooper Reel? Nope... we don't get none of that. Talk about a missed opportunity!  Oh well at least it is a movie I really enjoy... and there is a few episodes of the animated series.

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5

Count:
Movie Count: 91
TV Ep. Count: 49 I Made It! (10/20)
Other Count: 8 I Made It! (10/15)

[addicted2dvd]

Title: Halloween III: Season of the Witch: Widescreen Year: 1982 Director: Tommy Lee Wallace Rating: R Length: 98 Min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Mono Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Tom Atkins
Stacey Nelkin
Dan O'Herlihy
Michael Currie
Ralph Strait
Jadeen Barbor

Plot:
Producer John Carpenter (Halloween, The Thing) presents the third chilling installment in the shocking Halloween collection.

When a terrified toy salesman is mysteriously attacked and brought to the hospital, babbling and clutching the year's most popular Halloween costume, an eerie pumpkin mask, doctor Daniel Challis is thrust into a terrifying Halloween nightmare. Working with the salesman's daughter, Ellie, Daniel traces the mask to the Silver Shamrock Novelties company and its founder, Conal Cochran.

Ellie and Daniel uncover Cochran's shocking Halloween plan and must stop him before trick-or-treaters across the country never come home in this terrifying thriller.

Extras:
Scene Access

My Thoughts:
It has been my experience... at least until recently.... that most people would dismiss this movie for no other reason then this one does not have Michael Myers in it. I personally always enjoyed this movie... as I always watched it as a separate movie from the rest of the series. Sure it isn't the best movie I have seen... but I always found it was well worth the time put in to watch it. I do wish there was a few extras on the disc though.

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5

Count:
Movie Count: 92
TV Ep. Count: 49 I Made It! (10/20)
Other Count: 8 I Made It! (10/15)

[addicted2dvd]

Title: Hatchet: Unrated Director's Cut Year: 2006 Director: Adam Green Rating: Unrated Length: 84 Min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles:

Stars:
Joel David Moore
Tamara Feldman
Deon Richmond
Kane Hodder
Mercedes McNab
Parry Shen

Plot:
Get ready for one of the most talked-about, red-blooded American horror movies of the past 20 years: When a group of New Orleans tourists take a haunted swamp tour, they slam face-first into the local legend of deformed madman Victor Crowley. What follows is a psycho spree of seat-jumping scares, eye-popping nudity, skull-splitting mayhem and beyond. Joel David Moore (DODGEBALL), Deon Richmond (SCREAM 3), Tamara Feldman and Mercedes McNab (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) star – along with horror icons Kane 'Jason' Hodder, Robert 'Freddy Krueger' Englund and Tony 'Candyman' Todd – in this screamingly funny carnage classic that Ain't It Cool News hails as "so indescribably awesome that you just cannot conceive."

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Bonus Trailers
Featurettes
Outtakes/Bloopers
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:
this one is a decent movie... but not the best horror I ever seen. You can't take it too seriously. Unfortunately the horror icons only had single scene parts (besides Kane Hodder who played Victor Crowely). But it was cool to see Mercedes McNab (Harmony on Buffy) through-out the movie. She kinda played a dumb blonde in this one as well. But at least this time we got to see her flashing for a video at Mardi Gras!    Sorry... perv in me coming out again.  Anyway.... enjoyable but don't expect to much... is heavy on gore but light on scares.

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5

Count:
Movie Count: 93
TV Ep. Count: 49 I Made It! (10/20)
Other Count: 8 I Made It! (10/15)

[Jimmy]

If the cover for Hatchet is the one in the database it is a really bad job
Pete you will have to scan yours and submit it

[addicted2dvd]

I no can do... It is a slip cover... and when I got mine from Walmart there wasn't a slip cover. So... I can't replace.

The thumbnail above does look pretty bad... but full size image don't look too bad... doubt I could have done any better anyway.

[addicted2dvd]

Title: Night of the Demons Year: 1988 Director: Kevin S. Tenney Rating: NR Length: 90 Min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles:

Stars:
Hal Havins
Allison Barron
Alvin Alexis
Harold Ayer
Billy Gallo [William Gallo]
Cathy Podewell

Plot:
It's Halloween night and Angela is throwing a party, but this is no ordinary spook bash. Everybody's headed to Hull House, a deserted funeral home with a shocking secret in its past and something evil alive in its basement. Now the guests are becoming possessed, and this party's treats include tongue ripping, eyeball gouging, gratuitous nudity, bloody dismemberment and more. Welcome to the blowout where all Hell is breaking loose: You're invited to NIGHT OF THE DEMONS!

Scream Queen Linnea Quigley stars in this twisted '80s splatter-fest dirrected by Kevin S. Tenney (WITCHBOARD) and featuring grisly gore effects by Steve Johnson (DEAD HEAT, SPECIES). NIGHT OF THE DEMONS is presented totally uncut and uncensored and loaded with exclusive new extras for the first time ever on DVD.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Featurettes

My Thoughts:
This is classic '80s horror. The kind of horror I grew up with... so I definitely have a soft spot for it.This one is definitely a no-brainer popcorn type movie... just a sit back... relax and get lost in the nonsense. Even though I would say this one is basically a low budget horror... I would also say it is at the high end of low budget horrors... if that makes any sense to you.  While watching it you don't feel low-budget coming from it... decent effects... including some pretty cool looking demons.  Not to mention it is perfect for this time of the year since it takes place during Halloween. Was definitely worth the 90min I put into the movie.

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5

Count:
Movie Count: 94
TV Ep. Count: 49 I Made It! (10/20)
Other Count: 8 I Made It! (10/15)

[addicted2dvd]

NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Season 8 Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs is the leader of a team of special agents belonging to the NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) Major Case Response Team. Gibbs, a former Marine, is a tough investigator and a highly skilled interrogator who relies on his gut instinct as much as evidence. Gibbs' second in command is Senior Field Agent Tony DiNozzo, a womanizing, movie-quoting former Baltimore Homicide Detective, who despite being the class clown always gets the job done. The team also consists of Officer Ziva David, a Mossad officer who is a skilled fighter, as well as Junior Field Agent Timothy McGee, a computer-savvy agent often mocked by DiNozzo. Assisting them are Abby Sciuto, the energetic-but-Goth lab tech who is like a daughter to Gibbs, and Dr. Donald Mallard, nicknamed Ducky, the eccentric medical examiner full of unusual stories. This team of elite agents, based in Washington.

Episode Watched:
Cracked
Abby becomes fixated on solving a murder; DiNozzo'z latest fling leads to an interesting Halloween.

My Thoughts:
Last night they had a Halloween episode of one of my favorite TV Series. Though you can barely call it a Halloween episode. Halloween was only mentioned one time during the entire episode. Other then that it was a normal episode. But even with that said it was a good episode.

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5

Count:
Movie Count: 94
TV Ep. Count: 50
Other Count: 8

[addicted2dvd]

Title: Return of the Living Dead Part II Year: 1988 Director: Ken Wiederhorn Rating: R Length: 89 Min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, French: Dolby Digital: Mono, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Michael Kenworthy
Thor Van Lingen
Jason Hogan
James Karen
Thom Mathews
Suzanne Snyder

Plot:
At the movies you can't keep the undead down. Brain-hungry zombies are resurrected with flair, style and humor in this sly sequel from writer/director Ken Wiederhorn (Eyes of a Stranger, Freddy's Nightmares).

A new generation of ghouls is spawned when a barrel of nerve gas, fallen off an Army truck, is cracked open by neighborhood roughs. The escaping greenish vapor turns the living into zombies and the dead into the not-so-dead. Of course, it seeps into the local cemetery...with groundbreaking results. See a severed hand on the spree in the back seat of a crowded car. Gasp as a zombie torso - and its missing legs - haplessly seek each other along a hospital corridor. Search no longer, fright fans: this deadfest is lively fun!

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:
When I decided to watch this movie today I looked online at other reviews to see what other people think of this movie. Everywhere I looked people seemed to not like this movie. While I agree it isn't the best sequel out there. I was still able to enjoy this movie. I didn't find it to be bad... just average. Definitely not as good as the first movie (which I gave a 4/5 rating). But I did feel it held it's own... keeping my attention through-out the entire movie. I felt the comedy was better in the first one as well. Over all it isn't the worst ROTLD sequel out there. And I am glad I have it in my collection.

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5

Count:
Movie Count: 95
TV Ep. Count: 50 I Made It! (10/20)
Other Count: 8 I Made It! (10/15)

[addicted2dvd]

Title: Return of the Living Dead 3 Year: 1993 Director: Brian Yuzna Rating: R Length: 97 Min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Kent McCord
James T. Callahan
Sarah Douglas
Melinda Clarke [Mindy Clarke]
Abigail Lenz
J. Trevor Edmond

Plot:
In "Return of the Living Dead Part II," the chemical Trioxin turned people into flesh eating zombies. Now the government is trying to control these unstoppable cannibalistic killers.

The splatter-fest starts when a young man uses the chemical to bring his girlfriend back to life. It's a state of the art special effects show as she starts a chain reaction of the living dead by eating the only thing that will nourish her... human brains.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Bonus Trailers
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:
This sequel is done with less comedy. At least with less intentional and obvious comedy. While I still like the first one better... this one is better then part 2. The way the character Julie (Mindy Clarke) mutilated herself is both wild and disturbing at the same time. Definitely worth a viewing.

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5

Count:
Movie Count: 96
TV Ep. Count: 50 I Made It! (10/20)
Other Count: 8 I Made It! (10/15)

[addicted2dvd]

Title: The St. Francisville Experiment Year: 2000 Director: Ted Nicolaou Rating: PG-13 Length: 80 Min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Plot:
Four people – a psychic, a ghost-hunter, a filmmaker and a historian – all trained in the paranormal and equipped with cameras, agreed to spend the night in a house rumored to be haunted. This is their footage. This is their story.

Extras:
Scene Access
Feature Trailers
Bonus Trailers
Interviews
How To Conduct Your Own Experiment

My Thoughts:
This is a movie I always enjoyed. It is made like The Blair Witch Project... where they try to make you believe this is a true tape of what happened while investigating a haunted house. It does start off a bit slow... but for a story like this it pretty much has to. I like this one more then I do Blair Witch... but I think that is because it deals with something I am more interested in. When I was a teen I used to love exploring old abandoned houses. So in some ways this movie brings back some memories from my teen years. I never found this movie to be too scary... but I do remember showing this movie to my sister-in-law a while back and it really scared her... so I guess it would scare some people. I just find it an interesting watch personally.

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5

Count:
Movie Count: 97
TV Ep. Count: 50 I Made It! (10/20)
Other Count: 8 I Made It! (10/15)

[addicted2dvd]

Title: Dead Set Year: 2008 Director: Yann Demange Rating: 18 Length: 142 Min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, English: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English

Stars:
Jaime Winstone
Andy Nyman
Riz Ahmed
Chizzy Akudolu
Liz May Brice
Warren Brown

Plot:
Starring Jaime Winstone (Donkey Punch, Kidulthood), Dead Set is E4's new horror series in which the dead are returning to life and attacking the living. Curiously there are a few people left in Britain who aren't worried about any of this - that's because they're the remaining contestants in Big Brother. Cocooned in the safety of the Big Brother house, they're blissfully unaware of the horrific events unfolding in the outside world. Until an eviction night when all hell breaks loose...

Kelly (Winstone), a production runner working on a fictional series of Big Brother, finds herself trying to fend off the walking dead alongside her producer boss Patrick (Andy Nyman, Severance), boyfriend Riq (Riz Ahmed, Britz) and the remaining Big Brother housemates. Featuring cameos from Davina McCall and severally former housemates, this is a cruel and twisted take on one of TV's biggest game shows.

Dead Set was created and written by Charlie Brooker (Nathan Barley co-creator and Guardian columnist).

Extras:
Scene Access
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Interviews

My Thoughts:
This is my second time watching this one after a friend sending it to me for last year's October marathon. After watching it today... I enjoyed it just as much as I did last time... so I will just repeat here what I said last year....

This is what appears to be a UK miniseries. I always include miniseries in my movie count since that is how I watch them. I think it is a plus when watching this if you are already at least familiar with the show Big Brother... if not a fan of it. I have been watching Big Brother for a few years now (though not the UK version) so I think that helped my enjoyment some. I will say that if you are not used to the slang that those in the UK use... some of this can be a little confusing at first. Though this is something I am getting used to myself now that I have a handful of shows from the UK. And I will give it to the UK... they don't have the hang-ups about what they put on TV as we in the US do. There is no way something like this could be aired on a regular TV Channel. It would have to be saved for the premium channels. Even though we aren't as strict as we used to be on the violence... they show violence, use bad language (that we would never get away with) and feel free to show some nudity as well. I see a show like this and wonder why we have some of the rules we have here in the US. And I must say... I had a real blast watching this show I think they did a great job with it. Even if there was a couple of things I could have went without seeing. Which I will leave out of this review. And I am not sure I cared too much for the way it ended. But it didn't effect my fun too much at all. The show uses the newer fast moving zombies instead of the slow/barely moving ones that you see in the original Romero zombie movies. Over-all I say this is a must see for any zombie movie fan.

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5

Count:
Movie Count: 98
TV Ep. Count: 50 I Made It! (10/20)
Other Count: 8 I Made It! (10/15)

[addicted2dvd]

Title: Paranormal Activity Year: 2009 Director: Oren Peli Rating: NR Length: 86 Min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Katie Featherston
Micah Sloat
Mark Fredrichs
Amber Armstrong
Ashley Palmer

Plot:
YOU DEMANDED IT and now the surprise hit critics call "one of the scariest movies of all time"* can be experienced in the most terrifying place of all...your home.

After a young, middle-class couple moves into what seems like a typical suburban house, they become increasingly disturbed by a presence that may or may not be demonic but is certainly most active in the middle of the night. Especially while they sleep.

Paranormal Activity builds suspense night after night all the way to the shocking ending. Roger Ebert calls it "truly scary."** Go ahead, WE DARE YOU TO WATCH IT AT HOME...at least you can leave the lights on.


*bloody-disgusting.com
**Roger Ebert, rogerebert.com, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

Extras:
Scene Access
Bonus Trailers
Deleted Scenes
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:
This is the second time I watched this one since buying it earlier this year. I enjoyed it just as much as I did the first time. Before I bought this movie all I heard about it is how scary it is. Not surprisingly it didn't scare me at all. Maybe a slight chill in one or 2 scenes... possibly 1 or 2 jump scenes... but actual scares... not at all. But as I have said before... I haven't been scared by a horror movie in many... MANY years. But even so... I enjoyed the movie.  After watching both endings... I can't decide which ending I prefer. Both versions had their good points. Any time I watch this  again I will have trouble deciding which version I will want to watch.

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5

Count:
Movie Count: 99
TV Ep. Count: 50 I Made It! (10/20)
Other Count: 8 I Made It! (10/15)