Topic: Horror/Halloween 2016 Challenge

[addicted2dvd]

Boo (2005/United States) IMDb |Wikipedia |Trailer | Ventura Distribution (United States) Director: Anthony C. Ferrante Writing: Anthony C. Ferrante (Writer) Length: 94 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles:

Stars:
Trish Coren as Jessie
Rachel Harland as Cindy
Jilon Ghai as Kevin
Happy Mahaney as Emmett
Shirlene Quigley as Honey

Plot:
Some hospitals don't have a 13th floor. Santa Mira Hospital shouldn't have a third. It's something a group of five college students discover when they enter an abandoned hospital on Halloween night only to discover that rumors about the place being haunted are very real. Running into other people who are trapped in the hospital, they uncover the truth about a vengeful spirit who is hell bent on making sure no one, except himself, gets out alive!

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes

My Thoughts:

This is a movie I got for my Birthday back in '05. My daughter Brittany got it for me knowing how much I enjoyed ghost stories. And that is what Boo is... a pretty good ghost story. Definitely not the best I ever seen... but not bad either. I felt the story started out slow and feeling like a low budget horror. But then as the movie went on it became more of a serious ghost movie. I wouldn't call Boo scary... even though it does try to be. They attempted the atmosphere from the very beginning but I feel it tried too hard instead of letting it come naturally from the story... especially in the beginning. The atmosphere approved once they got into the hospital... but still felt forced. In my opinion... they shouldn't of felt the need to try to make the movie feel scary in the first few scenes when all they had to do was set up the story and introduce the characters. A horror movie does not need to be scary from beginning to end to be good... unfortunately that is just what Boo tried to do... and for me at least.... that really made the beginning of the movie almost laughable. For the first few scenes I thought I just wasn't going to make it through this movie. But as I said... Boo did turn out to be a pretty good movie. I did enjoy it... and I am glad I have it added to my collection. As for my recommendation... I would Cautiously Recommend this one. Even though I did enjoy it... I can see this movie putting people off. So it really isn't one I would recommend to everyone. I would say if you are curious about this movie... Rent it first.

Rating:

Horror/Halloween Challenge Films: 33/52

[Danae Cassandra]

The Corpse Vanishes
Year of Release: 1942
Directed By: Wallace Fox
Starring: Bela Lugosi, Luana Walters, Tris Coffin, Elizabeth Russell
Genre: Horror

Overview:
Bela Lugosi revels in his role as European horticulturalist Dr. Lorenz in this outlandish tale of horror and dementia. The good doctor’s aging wife (Elizabeth Russell) needs fluids harvested from the glands of young virgins in order to retain her eternal youth and beauty. What better place for the doctor to maintain his supply than at the alter, where he kidnaps the unsuspecting brides before they can complete their vows. Sedating them into a coma-like state he brings them to his mansion to collect his tainted bounty.

My Thoughts:
This was a pretty standard Poverty Row film starring Bela Lugosi. Lugosi made quite a few of these low-budget films for studios like Monogram and PRC. He's always the best thing in them, and he doesn't disappoint on that score here. He has the best dialog and the only memorable scenes, and the rest of the film suffers from a lack of him.

Everyone else is very so-so. Luana Walters's reporter character is all tough talk but faints at the actual clench of danger. Tris Coffin's doctor is supremely bland. At least Elizabeth Russell's Countess is deliciously evil, even if we learn nothing about her background. The dialog is pretty bad, and the director plays the whole thing very seriously, even when the script could benefit from a touch of camp.

Recommended only to fans of Lugosi or devotees of B-movies.  Sadly not nearly as good as Strangler of the Swamp despite the presence of the always-wonderful Lugosi.

Watched For: Hoop-tober 3.0, Horror/Halloween Challenge 2016

Bechdel Test: Pass
Mako Mori Test: Fail

Overall: 2/5

Horror/Halloween Challenge Films: 29/52

[addicted2dvd]

Ghostbusters: Answer the Call: Extended Edition (2016/United States) Wikipedia |IMDb |Trailer | Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (United States) Director: Paul Feig Writing: Katie Dippold (Writer), Paul Feig (Writer), Ivan Reitman (Original Material By), Dan Aykroyd (Original Material By), Harold Ramis (Original Material By) Length: 134 min. Video: Widescreen 2.40:1 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles:

Stars:
Zach Woods as Tour Guide
Kristen Wiig as Erin Gilbert
Justin Kirk as Phil Hudson
Elizabeth Perkins as Phyllis Adler
Ed Begley, Jr. [Ed Begley Jr.] as Ed Mulgrave

Plot:
Ghostbusters makes its long-awaited return with Director Paul Feig's unique and hilarious take on the classic supernatural comedy, led by the freshest minds in comedy today Mellisa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones and Chris Hemsworth. Together they tem up to save Manhattan from a sudden invasion of spirits, spooks and slime that engulfs the city. Robert Abele of TheWrap says "This new A-team of ghostbusters are fresh and funny."

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Bonus Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Gallery
• Outtakes/Bloopers
• Digital Copy
• Extended and Theatrical Versions

My Thoughts:

After watching this one I got to say while not as good as I was hoping for it to be... but it's also not as bad as the reviews made it out to be. But then I never trusted reviews for movies anyway. This one was definitely entertaining enough to keep my interest through-out the entire film. And I loved the cameos that the surviving cast of the original film had in this one. A couple things I did not like in it. #1 has to be Chris Hemsworth character. They just made him to stupid... and I am not talking stupid in a funny way... I mean aggravatingly stupid. Another thing that didn't work for me was the giant ghostbusters logo come to life that they had to fight... it just looked too fake and silly. Those are my two main complaints about the film. Over-all I enjoyed the movie and glad I added it to my collection.

Rating:

Horror/Halloween Challenge Films: 34/52

[Danae Cassandra]

Dark Water (Honogurai mizu no soko kara)
Year of Release: 2002
Directed By: Hideo Nakata
Starring: Hitomi Kuroki, Rio Kanno, Mirei Oguchi, Asami Mizukawa, Fumiya Kohinata
Genre: Horror

Overview:
Yoshimi simply wanted a better life — for both herself and her daughter Ikuko. Unfortunately, such wishes may sometimes be hard to come by. The custody battle for her daughter has grown embittered and hurtful, her new job is less than desirable, and Ikuko's schoolwork as taken a turn for the worse. But, Yoshimi has something bigger to worry about. Something upstairs. Something cold and dank. Something that should have never been.

My Thoughts:
This was a really well-crafted film. Everything works together so well. We find our story centers around an increasingly desperate and unsettled mother, who fears the loss of the only thing that gives her life meaning - her young daughter. Hitomi Kuroki plays her beautifully, showing the deep love she has for her child and the lengths she is willing to go to for her. Rio Kanno, the little girl who plays her daughter, is also really great.

The film also has great atmosphere. Yoshimi works hard to make the apartment a home for them, but the oppression of the building and the menace of it will not be denied. So many details contribute to this - lighting, cinematography, sound - everything comes together so well to create this palpable aura. This is the same director as Ringu, which I watched earlier in the month. That is by far the more famous film, but I think this one is better.

Watched For: Hoop-tober 3.0, Horror/Halloween Challenge 2016

Bechdel Test: Pass
Mako Mori Test: Pass

Overall: 4/5

Horror/Halloween Challenge Films: 30/52

[Danae Cassandra]

Flesh for Frankenstein
Year of Release: 1973
Directed By: Paul Morrissey
Starring: Joe Dallesandro, Monique van Vooren, Udo Kier, Arno Juerging, Dalila Di Lazzaro, Srdjan Zelenovic
Genre: Horror

Overview:
Maverick filmmaker Paul Morrissey's Flesh for Frankenstein reevaluates the horror film, infusing it with satiric wit and sexuality. Morrissey's tale of the mad Baron Frankenstein and his perverse creative urges was heavily edited upon initial release. Criterion presents the restored director's cut—fully intact after 25 years—in a new widescreen transfer.

My Thoughts:
"To know death, Otto, you have to fuck life in the gall bladder!"

Well, that was weird. I'd have expected an exploitation/art film mashup from a company like Redemption or Blue Underground. Seems an unusual film for a Criterion release.

I'm not even sure how to review this. A lot of the shots, lighting, and sets are quite good, but the acting is ... well ... Udo Kier is so completely over-the-top as the Baron Frankenstein, I think he's aiming to jump the moon. I think they wanted him to go that way, though. Monique van Vooren is over-the-top as well, but at least her snobbishness is more believable. At the other end of the spectrum, Joe Dallesandro delivers his performance completely wooden, while I've seen mannequins with more emotion than Srdjan Zelenović.

This is likely supposed to be a parody, but they play it straight. That works for me, because I'm not a big fan of parodies. It's a genre that's so easy to get wrong. I don't know who I'd recommend this to - at least, beyond Criterion completists. There's quite a bit of gore, so horror fans might enjoy it, but its art film aspirations come off in certain sections as pretentious. Yet the either flat or exaggerated acting may turn off serious film fans.

Horror+sex+art film is done much better by Jean Rollin, so if you're interested in that sort of genre, check him out first.

Watched For: Hoop-tober 3.0, Horror/Halloween Challenge 2016, Scavenger Hunt 19

Bechdel Test: Fail
Mako Mori Test: Fail

Overall: 2.5/5

Horror/Halloween Challenge Films: 33/52 (31 reviewed)

[addicted2dvd]

The Haunting in Connecticut (2009/United States) IMDb |Wikipedia |Trailer |IMDb | Lionsgate Home Entertainment (United States) Director: Peter Cornwell Writing: Adam Simon (Writer), Tim Metcalfe (Writer) Length: 103 min. Video: Widescreen 2.35:1 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Virginia Madsen as Sara Campbell
Kyle Gallner as Matt Campbell
Elias Koteas as Reverend Popescu
Amanda Crew as Wendy
Martin Donovan (1957) as Peter Campbell

Plot:
Based on a chilling true story, THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT charts one family's terrifying, real-life encounter with the dark forces of the supernatural. When the Campbell family moves to upstate Connecticut, they soon learn that their charming Victorian home has a disturbing history.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Bonus Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Theatrical & Unrated Versions

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one quite a bit. I have heard both good and bad about this movie... and thankfully I have to agree with those that liked it. Sure some of the stuff I seen in many ghost stories... but there was also stuff I seen in this movie for the very first time. There was a couple things that did bother me about the story. But over all I really enjoyed this one. The actor playing the ill son looked very familiar to me... but I just couldn't place where I knew him from... so after the movie I checked his filmography. Turns out I knew him from 2 different shows. He played Beaver on Veronica Mars and he also played Bart Allen (The Flash) on a couple episodes of Smallville. I would recommend this movie to anyone that enjoys ghost stories.

Rating:

Horror/Halloween Challenge Films: 35/52

[addicted2dvd]

The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia (2013/United States) IMDb |Wikipedia |Trailer | Lionsgate (United States) Director: Tom Elkins Writing: David Coggeshall (Writer) Length: 101 min. Video: Widescreen 2.40:1 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Abigail Spencer as Lisa Wyrick
Morgana Shaw as Lisa's Mother
Emily Alyn Lind as Heidi Wyrick
Chad Michael Murray as Andy Wyrick
Grant James as Mr. Gordy

Plot:
Building on the terror of The Haunting in Connecticut, this horrifying tale traces a young family's nightmarish descent into a centuries-old Southern hell. When Andy Wyrick (Chad Michael Murray, House of Wax) moves his wife Lisa (Abigail Spencer, TV's "Mad Men") and daughter Heidi to a historic home in Georgia, they quickly discover they are not the house's only inhabitants. Joined by Lisa's free-spirited sister, Joyce (Katee Sackhoff, TV's "Battlestar Galactica"), the family soon comes face-to-face with a bone-chilling mystery born of a deranged desire... a haunting secret rising from underground and threatening to bring down anyone in its path.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Bonus Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Outtakes/Bloopers
• Digital Copy

My Thoughts:

Just finished this one... and I must say.. enjoyed it quite a bit. It has a good story line and likable characters... even if they did make the sister-in-law a little on the weird side. This film easily kept my attention through-out. It shows that there is good and evil in everyone. I also liked how they made it a completely seperate story compared to the first one... and not some type of continuation of the same family or house or what have you. The movie is well worth the time put in to watch it. Recommended.

Rating:

Horror/Halloween Challenge Films: 36/52

[addicted2dvd]

Jeff Dunham: Minding the Monsters (2012/United States) IMDb | (United States) Director: Writing: Length: 80 min. Video: Widescreen 1.78:1 Audio: English: Dolby TrueHD: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: English

Stars:
Jeff Dunham as Himself

Plot:
Jeff Dunham's Minding the Monsters bring together your favorites–Walter, Peanut, Bubba J, José Jalapeño...on a steek!, and Achmend The Dead Terrorist as you've never seen them before!

Enter the ultimate haunted house where Walter transforms into something grumpier than he already is! Watch Bubba J rise from the dead! Meet Peanut's alter ego, the purple avenger of the night, and his spicy sidekick! And witness Achmed literally dressed to kill in an outfit that would terrify the most terrifying terrorist!

The result is an all-new original live comedy event like no other, complete with each of Jeff's stage partners starring in their own horror movie trailer!

Dunham's Arguing with Myself, Spark of Insanity, A Very Special Christmas Special and Controlled Chaos are among the most popular television specials and live tours worldwide. Minding the Monsters takes Dunham's comedy to another level in a show that is so funny, it's scary!

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes

My Thoughts:

Years ago if you told me I would be a fan of a ventriloquist I would have laughed in your face. But I must say I love this guy's act! The thing about him is he is funny just as a comic alone... then when he adds the puppets he is just that much funnier. Now I will say this one isn't quite a funny as his Christmas special... but it is more then worth the time put in to watch it!

Rating:

Horror/Halloween Challenge Films: 37/52

[addicted2dvd]

The Blob: The Criterion Collection (1958/United States) IMDb |Wikipedia |Trailer | The Criterion Collection, Worldwide Entertaiment (United States) Director: Irvin S. Yeaworth, Jr. Writing: Theodore Simonson (Screenwriter), Kay Linaker [Kate Phillips] (Screenwriter), Irving H. Millgate (Original Material By) Length: 83 min. Video: Widescreen 1.66:1 Audio: English: PCM: Mono, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Mono, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Mono Subtitles: English

Stars:
Steve McQueen [Steven McQueen] (1930) as Steve Andrews
Aneta Corsaut [Aneta Corseaut] as Jane Martin
Earl Rowe as Lieutenant Dave
Olin Howland [Olin Howlin] as Old Man
Stephen Chase [Steven Chase] as Dr. T. Hallen

Plot:
A CULT CLASSIC OF GOOEY GREATNESS, The Blob follows the havoc wreaked on a small town by an outer-space monster with neither soul nor vertebrae, with Steve McQueen playing a rebel teenager who tries to warn the residents about the jellylike invader. Strong performances and ingenious special effects help The Blob transcend the schlock sci-fi and youth delinquency genres from which it originates. Made outside of Hollywood by a maverick film distributor and a crew whose credits mostly comprised religious and educational shorts, The Blob helped launch the careers of McQueen and composer Burt Bacharach, whose bouncy title song is just one of this film's many unexpected pleasures.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Gallery
• Booklet containing an essay by critic Kim Newman

My Thoughts:

This one I enjoyed qite a bit. Definitely more then the '80s remake. While the movie was more then enjoyable I must say the opening theme song had me a bit concerned at first. It just seemed silly and in my opinion didn't fit with the movie. But over-all a good movie with likable characters. Definitely worth the time put in to watch it.

Rating:

Horror/Halloween Challenge Films: 38/52

[addicted2dvd]

As Above So Below (2014/United States) IMDb |Wikipedia |Trailer | Universal Studios Home Entertainment (United States) Director: John Erick Dowdle Writing: John Erick Dowdle (Writer), Drew Dowdle (Writer) Length: 93 min. Video: Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 7.1, French: DTS: 5.1, Spanish: DTS: 5.1, French: DTS: 5.1, German: DTS: 5.1, Spanish: DTS: 5.1, Italian: DTS: 5.1, Audio Descriptive: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround Subtitles: Arabic, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish

Stars:
Perdita Weeks as Scarlett
Ben Feldman as George
Edwin Hodge as Benji
François Civil as Papillon
Marion Lambert as Souxie

Plot:
Miles of twisting catacombs lie beneath the streets of Paris, the eternal home to countless souls. When a team of explores ventures into the uncharted maze of bones, they uncover the dark secret that lies within this city of the dead. A journey into madness and terror, As Above/So Below reaches deep into human psyche to reveal the personal demons that come back to haunt us all.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Feature Trailers
• Featurettes
• BD-Live

My Thoughts:

I must say... this one came off to me to be more weird then anything. It had it's moments but I found it had a hard time keeping my attention. It does have it's moments here and there though. And it was a good idea for a story. I just found it difficult to care about the characters. Over all no more then an average film.

Rating:

Horror/Halloween Challenge Films: 39/52

[Danae Cassandra]

Ghost Story
Year of Release: 1981
Directed By: John Irvin
Starring: Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, Douglas Fairbanks Jr, John Houseman, Craig Wasson
Genre: Horror

Overview:
Put together a gloomy New England house, a dark night and four of America's legendary leading men and you have all the ingredients for the classic Ghost Story, a spellbinding motion picture based on the bestseller by Peter Straub. Co-starring Patricia Neal, Ghost Story is about the Members of the Chowder Society: Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and John Houseman, who get together each week to share tales of horror. Soon, however, a secret terror invades the group, and one by one, they die mysteriously because of a real life ghost story that is part of their past.


My Thoughts:
This was a good, old-fashioned style ghost story. It has a cast of top-line stars - Fred Astaire, Douglas Fairbanks Jr, Melvyn Douglas, John Houseman - many of them making their last film. It's quite the juxtaposition of Fred Astaire and horror film, but he turns in his usual solid performance. I'd honestly argue that Astaire's character, rather than Craig Wasson's, is the hero of the film, for all that I think we're supposed to identify with Wasson. I also thought Alice Krieg did a good job as her character, pulling off alluring and menacing simultaneously.

The biggest thing I didn't like was the subplot with the Bates brothers. Those characters are unneccessary. I understand that they were more prominant in the original book, but here in the film they make no sense and actually detract from the story.

That aside, I enjoyed the film and would recommend it. Especially if you're a fan of Astaire's, this is his last film, so you'll want to sit down for a view. There isn't a Disney princess horror film, so our optional challenge is filled out by the scene of Wasson, as the twin of the character he plays for most of the film, falling from the window in part of the opening scene.

Watched For: Hoop-tober 3.0, Horror/Halloween Challenge 2016, Scavenger Hunt 19

Bechdel Test: Fail
Mako Mori Test: Fail

Overall: 3.5/5

Horror/Halloween Challenge Films: 34/52 (32 reviewed)

[Danae Cassandra]

Night of the Hunted (La Nuit Des Traquées)
Year of Release: 1980
Directed By: Jean Rollin
Starring: Brigitte Lahaie, Vincent Gardère, Dominique Journet, Bernard Papineau, Rachel Mhas
Genre: Horror

Overview:
A man driving home late one night nearly hits a beautiful, scantily-clad woman who is running wild in the streets; he takes her back to his apartment, they make love, and he discovers that she has already forgotten where they met. She is rapidly losing her memory, a woman without a past. The amnesiac woman is traced back to scientific fortress melodramatically known as "The Black Tower," where people suffering memory and identity loss due to accidental nuclear contamination are being held and treated.

Although Rollin made the film with absolute freedom within his budget, he was forced to race through with absurd time restraints. As a result, NIGHT OF THE HUNTED (La Nuit des Traquees) is a compromised film, to be sure, but it is a unique and exceptional chapter in Rollin's filmography. It has a distinctly Cronenbergain feel, that reaches back to Cronenberg's early experimental short films Stereo (1969) and Crimes of the Future (1970).

The film's powerfully moving finale is, for my money, the single greatest sequence in Rollin's entire body of work.

My Thoughts:
This is another interesting, atmospheric film from Rollin. It's a very different film from the others of his I've watched, in that there is nothing supernatural here. That makes this all the more frightening, all the more horrific, as this is something you can actually imagine happening.

This is very much a Rollin film, so there's plenty of nudity and sex. Rollin definitely has an eye for erotic atmosphere, and that is still evident here. There's also his trademark dreamy visuals here, especially in the opening scene and the closing scene.

This is a definite recommendation for fans of Rollin's films, and wouldn't necessarily be a bad place to start with his films. It has more of a plot than some of them, though things are never fully explained, and the viewer is still left with questions at the end.

Watched For: Hoop-tober 3.0, Horror/Halloween Challenge 2016, Scavenger Hunt 19

Bechdel Test: Pass
Mako Mori Test: Fail

Overall: 3.5/5

Horror/Halloween Challenge Films: 35/52

[Danae Cassandra]

Blood and Black Lace (Sei donne per l'assassino)
Year of Release: 1964
Directed By: Mario Bava
Starring: Cameron Mitchell, Eva Bartok, Thomas Reiner, Ariana Gorini, Dante DiPaolo
Genre: Horror, Crime, Suspense/Thriller

Overview:
The Christian Haute Couture fashion house is a home to models... and backstabbing... and blackmail... and drug deals... and MURDER.

Having established a template for the giallo with The Girl Who Knew Too Much, Mario Bava set about cementing its rules with Blood and Black Lace. In doing so he created one of the most influential films ever made – an Italian classic that would spearhead the giallo genre, provide a prototype for the slasher movie, and have a huge effect on filmmakers as diverse as Dario Argento and Martin Scorsese.

Newly restored from the original camera negative and presented here in its original, uncut Italian form, this dual-format release allows fans to see Blood and Black Lace afresh and offers newcomers the ideal introduction to a major piece of cult filmmaking.

My Thoughts:
I've just started watching giallo films, and this reinforces my thus-far enjoyment of the genre. This is certainly a beautiful film. Bava has an eye for gorgeous visuals, with a rich color pallette, interesting use of light and shadow, and inventive and wonderful camerawork.

The technical aspects of the film are so good that it's a shame the characters are underdeveloped. The viewer doesn't care about any of the victims, nor do we really root for the police to solve the crimes. I found myself detached from the characters, instead absorbed in the beauty of the film. The story is good, and Bava skillfully takes you from kill to reveal to twist, but I didn't care about anyone.

That aside, this is a beautiful, influential film, and anyone interested in giallo, or in slasher films (of which this is considered the prototype) should definitely see it.

Watched For: Hoop-tober 3.0, Horror/Halloween Challenge 2016, Scavenger Hunt 19

Bechdel Test: Pass
Mako Mori Test: Fail

Overall: 3.5/5

Horror/Halloween Challenge Films: 36/52

[Danae Cassandra]

The Bird With the Crystal Plumage (L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo)
Year of Release: 1970
Directed By: Dario Argento
Starring: Tony Musante, Suzy Kendall, Enrico Maria Salerno, Eva Renzi, Umberto Raho
Genre: Horror, Crime, Suspense/Thriller

Overview:
An American writer (Tony Musante – Toma TV series) traveling in Rome is the only witness to an attempted murder by a sinister man in a raincoat and black leather gloves, though he is powerless to do anything to stop him. With a feeling that something is not quite right about the scene he has witnessed and the police's inability to make any progress, he launches his own personal investigation... and nearly loses his life in the process. While this modern day Jack-the-Ripper type is slithering through the dark byways of Rome slicing up pretty girls, director Dario Argento is carving up the emotions of terrified viewers. Dark deeds are mixed with black comedy worthy of Hitchcock in a film of almost unbearable tension and nail-biting suspense.

My Thoughts:
This is now my third giallo, and they really just seem to keep getting better. I really enjoyed this film, even more than the previous ones I've watched: Blood and Black Lace and Perfume of the Lady in Black, both of which were really good.

This is more of a murder mystery/investigation film than a horror film, though it definitely has its horrific parts. Most especially the apartment scene, and the implication of the ending combined with the explanation of the psychiatrist. All of the performances are really good, though I do get tired of the screaming woman trope.

Like the other giallo I've seen, this is a beautiful film. Some of the shots and lighting choices are simply gorgeous. Argento, like Bava, has a great eye for setting a scene. Highly recommended.

Watched For: Hoop-tober 3.0, Horror/Halloween Challenge 2016

Bechdel Test: Fail
Mako Mori Test: Fail

Overall: 4/5

Horror/Halloween Challenge Films: 37/52

[Danae Cassandra]

The Frighteners
Year of Release: 1996
Directed By: Peter Jackson
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, Peter Dobson, John Astin, Jeffrey Combs
Genre: Horror, Comedy

Overview:
From Academy Award®-winning° director Peter Jackson (King Kong, The Lord Of The Rings trilogy) comes this wicked comedy-thriller.

Michael J. Fox stars as Frank Bannister, a small-town "ghostbuster" in league with the very spirits he's supposed to be exorcising. The scam works well until a powerful spirit goes on a murderous rampage, forcing Frank to find a way to stop the diabolical ghoul in this special-effects-packed supernatural chiller that's so fiendishly entertaining, it's frightening!

My Thoughts:
This was a fun, fast-paced ride, a horror-comedy mix with a solid cast. Michael J. Fox is the best one here, but John Astin's character definitely makes an impression. Jeffrey Combs does too, but I really disliked that character. I'm detracting half a star for how over-the-top annoying I found him.

The story is entertaining, the script often funny, and the effects still look pretty decent twenty years later. The one glaring hole is that the viewer gets no explanation why one ghost is more powerful than all the other ghosts. For me that was a big oversight. Still, it's an engaging, amusing film that was a lot of fun to watch. Recommended.

Watched For: Hoop-tober 3.0, Scavenger Hunt 19, Horror/Halloween Challenge 2016

Bechdel Test: Pass
Mako Mori Test: Fail

Overall: 3.5/5

Horror/Halloween Challenge Films: 38/52