Topic: Horror/Halloween 2016 Challenge

[addicted2dvd]

Horror/Halloween 2016 Challenge



Trying something a bit different this year. Years ago I had the record of 103 films watched in the one month. Of course I was not working at the time. So this year my roommate Danae Cassandra and I are going to combine efforts to try see if we together can beat the 103 films in the month. Meaning we have to each watch at least 52 films each. Since we both work full time this will be a challenge. On the plus side we do each have a week vacation this month. On the minus side we have a lot going on in October including a good friend's wedding preparations and wedding.

What Counts:
Any movie that we feel fits in with the season. Whether it is a straight up horror movie... Comedy horror including spoofs (ie Scary Movie) or just straight comedies with horror elements (ie Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Hocus Pocus)... animated films with horror elements (ie Frankenweiner/ParaNorman) Or even Kid friendly films that fit in with the season (ie The Dog That Saved Halloween/HalloweenTown). Pretty much anything we feel fits the season.

[addicted2dvd]

I so want to start this today! 

[Piffi]

Good luck you two! looking forward to reading your reviews. Maby you guys will give me some good ideas again!

[Danae Cassandra]

I've actually watched a few horror movies for my September scavenger hunt over at Letterboxd, so I'm going to go ahead and post those reviews when I get home.  They don't count for our challenge, but I'll go ahead and post them here for your enjoyment.

[Piffi]

Same username at letteredbox as here Danae?

[Danae Cassandra]

Same username at letteredbox as here Danae?

sailordanae

[Piffi]

Thanks

[addicted2dvd]

13 Ghosts (1960/United States) IMDb |Wikipedia |Trailer | Mill Creek Entertainment, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (United States) Director: William Castle Writing: Robb White (Writer) Length: 85 min. Video: Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: Mono Subtitles: None

Stars:
Charles Herbert as Buck Zorba
Jo Morrow as Medea Zorba
Martin Milner as Ben Rush
Rosemary De Camp as Hilda Zorba
Donald Woods as Cyrus Zorba

Plot:
When an eccentric uncle wills a huge, ramshackle house to his impoverished family, they get the shock of a lifetime. Their new residence comes complete with a spooky housekeeper, plus a fortune in buried treasure and 12 horrifying ghosts.

Extras:

• None

My Thoughts:

I thought this would be a fun way to start my Horror/Halloween marathon. This is one I find to be a little more on the silly side then actually frightening. But I believe that is what William Castle was going for. A silly, spooky story. Though obviously the spookiness does not hold up in today's day and age. But it till makes for an enjoyable viewing experience. I would say it is definitely worth the time put in to watch it.

Rating:

[Danae Cassandra]

Corpse Bride
Year of Release: 2005
Directed By: Mike Johnson, Tim Burton
Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson
Genre: Romance, Horror, Animation

Overview:
An Academy Award® nominee and National Board of Review Award winner as 2005's Best Animated Feature, Tim Burton's Corpse Bride carries on in the dark, romantic tradition of his classic Edward Scissorhands and Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Set in a 19th-century European village, this stop-motion animated feature follows the story of Victor (voiced by Johnny Depp), a young man whisked away to the underworld and wed to a mysterious Corpse Bride (voiced by Helena Bonham Carter), while his real bride Victoria (voiced by Emily Watson) waits bereft in the land of the living. Though life in the Land of the Dead proves to be a lot more colorful than his strict upbringing, Victor learns that there is nothing in this world – or the next – that can keep him away from his one true love. It's a tale of optimism, romance and a very lively afterlife, told in classic Burton style.

My Thoughts:
This is a seasonal favorite of ours; we try to watch it every year. It's such a practically perfect Halloween film. The atmosphere is superbly gothic, creepy, otherworldly. This is done with every detail - the character design, the choice of color palette, and, of course, the music. Both the score and the songs really work to enhance the atmosphere.

I really feel this is one of Tim Burton's best works, and I'd recommend it to just about anyone. It's a great family film for the Halloween season; appropriate for all but the smallest children. Skip this only if you have some serious dislike for Burton's signature style.

Watched For: Scavenger Hunt #18, Hoop-tober 3.0

Bechdel Test: Fail
Mako Mori Test: Fail

Overall: 4/5

[Danae Cassandra]

The Living Dead Girl (La Morte Vivante)
Year of Release: 1982
Directed By: Jean Rollin
Starring: Marina Pierro, Françoise Blanchard
Genre: Horror

Overview:
THE LIVING DEAD GIRL (La Morte Vivante) is the story of Catherine Valmont (Françoise Blanchard), a wealthy heiress dead before her time, who is accidentally reanimated when some unfortunate movers attempt to store drums of chemical waste in the neglected burial vaults below her uninhabited chateau. Rollin's "living dead girl" does everything that cinematic convention requires—she kills people, drinks human blood, devours human flesh—yet, for all this, we accept her as an innocent. Meanwhile, the effect that resurrection has upon her childhood friend Hélène (Marina Pierro), is infinitely more conscious, deliberate, and evil.

Bloodier and more violent than his own tastes preferred, THE LIVING DEAD GIRL, forced Rollin to work against the grain in his own preferred genre—and he transformed himself in the process. In the unsettling, bloody finale, Blanchard's performance was so intense, so extreme minutes confused appetite, revulsion, and glee, the take was nearly interrupted out of concern for the actress's mental health. It's one of the most emotionally in century finales in horror film history.

My Thoughts:
I'd seen two of Rollin's films before this (Iron Rose and Lips of Blood) and really enjoyed his style. I was leery going into this one, since everyone talks about this film featuring much more gore than most of Rollin's filmography. That is definitely true - there is a lot of blood, quite a bit of gore, and the camera lingers over it, especially in the last scene. It does feel somewhat excessive, but it might not be. It offers a contrast with the beautiful visuals Rollin sets up. The shots of Catherine walking in the field in her white dress are gorgeous. Setting aside the gory bits, you do see Rollin's dreamy, atmospheric qualities here - the girls with the music box, the scene of Helene washing Catherine, the set up of the chateau and crypts.

It also packs a surprisingly emotional punch for a horror film. The story of Catherine and Helene's love for one another and the tragedy of what happens to them has a greater depth then you might be expecting, especially if you aren't familiar with Rollin or have only heard about his reputation for erotica.

As I said in my reviews of the other two Rollin films I watched, I can't give this a blanket recommendation. The gore would likely appeal to fans of more traditional horror, but the parts in between kills are much slower and focus on creating atmosphere and growing tragedy - there's little action and no jump scares.

Watched For: Scavenger Hunt #18, Hoop-tober 3.0

Bechdel Test: Pass
Mako Mori Test: Pass

Overall: 3.5/5

[Danae Cassandra]

The Golem: How He Came Into the World (Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam)
Year of Release: 1920
Directed By: Carl Boese, Paul Wegener
Starring: Paul Wegener, Albert Steinrück, Lyda Salmonova, Ernst Deutsch
Genre: Horror, German Expressionism

Overview:
Widely recognized as the source of the Frankenstein myth, the ancient Hebrew legend of the Golem provided actor/director Paul Wegener with the substance for one of the most adventurous films of the German silent cinema.

Suffering under the tyrannical rule of Rudolf II in 16th century Prague, a Talmudic rabbi (Albert Steinrueck) creates a giant warrior (Paul Wegener) to protect the safety of his people. Sculpted of clay and animated by the mysterious secrets of the Cabala, the Golem is a seemingly indestructible juggernaut, performing acts of great heroism, yet equally capable of dreadful violence. When the rabbi's assistant (Ernst Deutsch) takes control of the Golem and attempts to use him for selfish gain, the lumbering monster runs rampant, abducting the rabbi's daughter (Lyda Salmonova) and setting fire to the ghetto.

With its remarkable creation sequence (a dazzling blend of religion, sorcery and special effects) and the grand-scale destruction of its climax, THE GOLEM was one of the greatest achievements of the legendary UFA Studios, and remains an undeniable landmark in the evolution of the horror film.

My Thoughts:
This was a really interesting film. It's a story of magic, a cautionary tale against selfishness, and perhaps also against calling upon spirits and bringing life to that which has none. It is, after all, a prequel to a now-lost film that would take place after the death of the good rabbi who could direct the golem into worthy pursuits. I loved the tinting effects; the green speaks of threat, the red of rage. The expressionistic sets create a wonderful look to the film. Recommended to lovers of cinema history and horror fans, as it's one of the earliest of this kind.

Watched For: Scavenger Hunt #18, Hoop-tober 3.0

Bechdel Test: Fail
Mako Mori Test: Fail

Overall: 3.5/5

[Danae Cassandra]

The Perfume of the Lady in Black (Il profumo della signora in nero)
Year of Release: 1974
Directed By: Francesco Barilli
Starring: Mimsy Farmer, Maurizio Bonuglia, Mario Scaccia, Jho Jhenkins, Nike Arrighi
Genre: Horror, Suspense/Thriller, Giallo

Overview:
Director Francesco Barilli's hallucinatory giallo horror-thriller stars Mimsy Farmer who portrays Sylvia, a chemist who begins to suffer from strange visions; a mysterious woman in black applying perfume in a mirror appears to her and strangers follow her everywhere she goes. Barilli's psychological investigation into the workings of the mind becomes apparent when it is revealed that as a child, Sylvia committed a horrible crime. The slow progression from successful scientist to a woman on the verge of insanity shows an in-depth look at the intricacies of the haunted mind. This is a remarkable film, weaving reality, fantasy and memory into an almost seamless fabric.

My Thoughts:
This is my first giallo, and it bodes well for my enjoyment of the genre. There is some gore at the end of the film, but for the most part this is psychological horror. This was a beautiful film with a genuinely foreboding, ever-deepening, aura of palpable dread. The viewer knows there's something wrong here, and even the most mundane objects become talismans of fear. I thought Mimsy Farmer did a great job as Sylvia, and found her descent into madness to be very believable. If none of the other actors are as good, they still each convey a level of suspicion about them. Everything conspires to keep the viewer wondering what is real, and what is in Sylvia's mind. Unsettling, uneasy, and and disturbing. Recommended.

Watched For: Scavenger Hunt #18, Hoop-tober 3.0

Bechdel Test: Pass
Mako Mori Test: Pass

Overall: 3.75/5

[Danae Cassandra]

A Virgin Among the Living Dead (La nuit des étoiles filantes)
Year of Release: 1971
Directed By: Jess Franco
Starring: Cristine von Blanc, Britt Nickols, Rosa Palomar, Anne Libert, Howard Vernon
Genre: Horror

Overview:
After losing her mother at an early age and being raised at a boarding school, Cristina Reiner is notified of her father's death and summoned to Monserrat Mansion for the reading of his will. Other members of her strange, accursed family are found there awaiting the imminent demise of Cristina's ailing stepmother, Hermione, whom she has never met. When Death finally visits the castle in the person of an elegantly attired Queen of Darkness, Cristina is approached by the ghost of her father - the noose of his suicide permanently around his neck - who advises her to flee the castle and her cold-skinned, bloodthirsty relatives. But is it already too late? Has she already lost touch with reality? Learn the answers, if you dare, in this legendary cult classic from Jess Franco - uncut in America for the first time!

My Thoughts:
This is my second watch for this film, and I definitely enjoyed it more this time. It's a beautiful, bizarre film that never gives up the full answers to what is going on. Much is left to the viewer to decide. This is not a film about plot. This is a film of visual beauty and genuinely creepy atmosphere. It also contains a lot of nudity. Our heroine is nude as often as she is clothed, and two other ladies bare it all as well. Franco certainly has a eye for eroticism - the scenes of Christine in bed display her gorgeously.

Having watched it and enjoyed it more this second time round, I'm interested to check out more of Franco's oeuvre.

Watched For: Scavenger Hunt #19, Hoop-tober 3.0

Bechdel Test: Pass
Mako Mori Test: Pass

Overall: 3/5

[addicted2dvd]

Look who's goofing off at work! LOL 

[addicted2dvd]

Village of the Damned (1960/United Kingdom) IMDb |Wikipedia |Trailer | Warner Home Video (United States) Director: Wolf Rilla Writing: Stirling Silliphant (Screenwriter), Wolf Rilla (Screenwriter), Ronald Kinnoch [George Barclay] (Screenwriter), John Wyndham (Original Material By) Length: 77 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Mono, French: Dolby Digital: Mono, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Mono Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
George Sanders as Gordon Zellaby
Barbara Shelley as Anthea Zellaby
Martin Stephens as David Zellaby
Michael Gwynn as Alan Bernard
Laurence Naismith as Doctor Willers

Plot:
We have met the enemies and they are our children. Well, perhaps not our children, and that's the problem: they are the offspring of aliens who secretly impregnated human women!

That's the riveting premise of Village of the Damned, a science-fiction classic rife with paranoia and set in England's tiny Midwich. There, the glow-eyed humanoids develop at an alarming rate and use astonishing powers of mind to assert their supremacy. Woe to parents or anyone who defies them. Yet one intrepid soul (George Sanders) does. It's "yesterday Midwich, tomorrow the world" in the sequel Children of the Damned. Unusually gifted youngsters who may be a leap forward in human evolution are brought from around the globe to England for scientific study – and then the terror hits with full force. Children, behave!

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

Another classic. This one I found much more interesting.... and a film that takes itself much more seriously. In most movies I find the fact that it is in black and white to be of no matter what so ever. But for some reason in this case it feels as if the fact that it is in black and white actually adds to the enjoyment of the film. It is a good story line that moves rather quickly. It is one I would recommend checking out.

Rating: