Topic: Horror / Halloween 2017 Challenge

[addicted2dvd]

Horror/Halloween 2017 Challenge



We tried this last year and failed.... So attempting again 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.

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.

Count:
Pete: 37
Danae: 35
Both: 16
Total: 88

[Danae Cassandra]

I'll put up full reviews once I get the video card in my desktop working.  Until then, I'll keep a list here.

1.  1408 - 4/5
2.  The Haunted Castle (Schloß Vogelöd) - 2.5/5
3.  Dracula (1931) - 4/5
4.  The Premature Burial - 3.5/5
5.  Tales From the Crypt - 3.5/5
6.  It (2017) - 4/5
7.  The Most Dangerous Game - 3/5
8.  I Bury the Living - 3/5
9.  The Ghost Ship (1943) - 3/5
10.  The Nude Vampire (La vampire nue) - 3.5/5
11.  Creepshow - 3.5/5
12.  Christine -3.5/5
13.  It (1990) - 3.75/5
14.  Frankenstein Created Woman - 3.5/5
15.  Extraordinary Tales - 3/5
16.  13 Ghosts (1960) -3/5
17.  The Watcher in the Woods - 3/5
18.  The Worst Witch - 1.5/5
19.  Ghost of Mae Nak - 3/5
20.  Theatre of Blood - 3.75/5
21.  Night of the Living Dead (1968) - 3.25/5
22.  An Evening of Edgar Allen Poe - 3.75/5
23.  The Long Hair of Death (I lunghi capelli della morte) - 3/5
24.  The Invisible Man - 3.5/5
25.  Wishing Stairs (Yeogogoedam 3: Yeowoogyedan) - 3.25/5
26.  Isle of the Dead - 3.25/5
27.  The Shallows - 4/5
28.  Cat's Eye - 3.25/5
29.  In the Mouth of Madness - 4/5
30.  The Thing (1982) - 4/5
31.  The Conjuring - 4/5
32.  The Blob (1958) - 3/5
33.  Let the Right One In (Låt den rätte komma in) - 4/5
34.  Tower of Terror - 2.75/5
35.  The Nightmare Before Christmas - 5/5
36.  Corpse Bride - 4.5/5
37.  Cube - 3/5
38.  Brides of Dracula - 3.5/5
       It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown - 5/5
39.  The Cat and the Canary (1927) - 3.25/5
40.  The Creeping Flesh - 3/5
41.  The Crater Lake Monster - 2.75/5
42.  The Witching - 2/5
43.  Ugetsu - 5/5
44.  The Tomb of Ligeia - 4/5
45.  Creature From the Black Lagoon - 4/5
46.  Revenge of the Creature - 3.5/5
47.  Lifeforce - 3.5/5
48.  The Rocky Horror Picture Show - 4/5
49.  Hotel Transylvania 2 - 3/5
50.  Bride of Frankenstein - 3.5/5
51.  The Silence of the Lambs - 4.5/5

[addicted2dvd]

Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981/United States) IMDb |Wikipedia |Trailer | VCI Entertainment, Wizan Film Properties (United States) Director: Frank De Felitta Writing: J. D. Feigelson [J.D. Feigelson] (Screenwriter), J. D. Feigelson [J.D. Feigelson] (Story By), Butler Handcock (Story By) Length: 97 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: Mono, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Charles Durning as Otis P. Hazelrigg
Robert F. Lyons as Skeeter Norris
Claude Earl Jones as Philby
Lane Smith as Harless Hocker
Tonya Crowe as Marylee Williams

Plot:
When young Marylee Williams (Tonya Crowe) is found viciously mauled, all hell breaks loose in her small rural town. Officious Postmaster Otis P. Hazelrigg (Charles Durning) leads a gang of bigots in pursuit of the suspect; her mentally challenged friend Bubba Ritter (Larry Drake). Finding him hiding inside a scarecrow, they exact brutal mob "justice"...only to discover a tragic mistake! Now a strange apparition stalks the land seeking each of them out, as the legend of the Scarecrow begins.

Extras:

• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers

My Thoughts:

This is a TV Movie from the '80s that I somehow missed this one when it originally aired. I found this one to be a very good movie. It has great atmosphere. The cast... with a lot of familiar faces... did a wonderful job. I can easily see this film become a Halloween tradition. Highly recommended.

Rating:

[addicted2dvd]

Havenhurst (2017/United States) IMDb |Trailer |Wikipedia | Brainstorm Media (United States) Director: Andrew C. Erin Writing: Andrew C. Erin (Writer), Daniel Farrands (Writer) Length: 84 min. Video: Widescreen :1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English

Stars:
Julie Benz as Jackie/Jamie
Belle Shouse as Sarah
Josh Stamberg as Tim
Danielle Harris as Danielle
Douglas Tait as Jed

Plot:
Welcome to Havenhurst, a gothic apartment complex in the heart of New York City's historic Tudor City district. A beautifully maintained, turn-of-the-century building that houses over 3,000 residents...and many dark secrets. The rent is reasonable and the rules are simple: live a good and decent life and you can stay for as long as you like. Break the rules and face certain eviction...and never be seen or heard from again.

JACKIE SULLIVAN, a troubled young woman with a serious alcohol addiction, is released from rehab and given a second chance with a new job and a furnished apartment at Havenhurst. Guilt-ridden over the tragic loss of her 6-year-old daughter, Jackie is quickly drawn into the mysteries of Havenurst, in particular the unsolved disapppearance of the apartment's previous occupant, a young woman who fled in the middle of the night and disappeared without a trace.

Aided by a hardened New York police detective who is well aware of Jackie's checkered past and a lonely foster child who lives under the shadow of her caretakers' sadistic whims, Jackie must not only face her inner demons...but the very real ones that live deep within the walls of Havenhurst.

My Thoughts:

I watched this one on Netflix when I saw that it starred Julie Benz. I been a fan of hers since her Buffy the Vampire Slayer days. So I was excited to check this one out. While it is not a terrible film.... it also is no more then average. In other words it is nothing special but was good enough to keep my interest throughout. I would probably add this one to my physical collection if I found it cheap enough. If nothing else but to add to my Julie Benz collection.

Rating:

[addicted2dvd]

Extraordinary Tales: Special Edition (2015/Luxembourg, Belgium, Spain) IMDb |Trailer | GKIDS, Cinedigm Entertainment (United States) Director: Raúl Garcia Writing: Edgar Allan Poe (Original Material By), Raúl Garcia (Writer) Length: 73 min. Video: Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 5.1, Commentary: DTS: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Christopher Lee [Sir Christopher Lee] (1922) as Narrator The Fall of the House of Usher (voice)
Bela Lugosi as Narrator The Tell-Tale Heart (voice)
Julian Sands as Narrator The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar
Guillermo del Toro as Narrator The Pit and the Pendulum (voice)
Roger Corman as Prince Prospero in The Masque of the Red Death (voice)

Plot:
Five of Edgar Allan Poe's best-known stories are brought to vivid life in this heart-pounding animated anthology featuring Sir Christopher Lee, Bela Lugosi, Julian Sands, Roger Corman and Guillermo del Toro. Murderous madmen, sinister villains and cloaked ghouls stalk the darkened corridors of Poe's imagination, as his haunting tales are given a terrifying new twist by some of the most beloved figures in horror film history.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Bonus Trailers
• Featurettes

My Thoughts:

Another film I found on Netflix. The first thing I noticed is that I found the animation to be a little off putting. While the segments has different styles of animation I found them all to be a bit odd. Unfortunately I couldn't really get into this film.

Rating:

[addicted2dvd]

The Boy (2016/United States, Canada) IMDb |Wikipedia |Trailer | Universal Studios Home Entertainment (United States) Director: William Brent Bell Writing: Stacy Menear (Writer) Length: 98 min. Video: Widescreen 2.40:1 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 5.1 Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Lauren Cohan as Greta Evans
Rupert Evans (1977) as Malcolm
James Russell as Brahms Heelshire
Jim Norton (1968) as Mr. Heelshire
Diana Hardcastle as Mrs. Heelshire

Plot:
The Boy is a frightening thrill ride directed by William Bell (The Devil Inside) and starring Lauren Cohan (The Walking Dead). Greta (Cohan) is a young American woman who takes a job as a nanny in a remote English village. She soon discovers that the family's 8-year-old is a life-sized doll that they care for just like a real boy, as a way to cope with the death of their own 20 years prior. After violating a list of strict rules, a series of disturbing and inexplicable events bring Greta's worst nightmare to life, leading her to believe that the doll is actually alive.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Bonus Trailers
• Digital Copy

My Thoughts:

This is the first time I watched this one. As a Walking Dead fan the first thing I noticed is that it stars Lauren Cohan (Maggie). Despite (or maybe even because of) the unexpected twist I rather enjoyed this one. This film went from one type of creepy atmosphere to an entirely different type. I would say it is definitely worth the time put in to watch it.

Rating:

[addicted2dvd]

Dog Soldiers (2002/United Kingdom) IMDb |Wikipedia |Trailer | First Look Studios (United States) Director: Neil Marshall Writing: Neil Marshall (Writer) Length: 105 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: Dolby TrueHD: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Sean Pertwee as Wells
Kevin McKidd as Cooper
Emma Cleasby as Megan
Liam Cunningham as Ryan
Thomas Lockyer as Bruce

Plot:
A band of soldiers is dispatched to war games deep in the woods. When they stumble across a rival team slaughtered in camp, they realize they're not alone. Something deadly is waiting in the darkness: something not animal and not human. Holed up in an abandoned farmhouse, the soldiers start a bloody battle against the beasts. Dawn is only a few hours away but they may not live to see it.

DOG SOLIDERS is a terrifying chiller in the tradition of Predator and An American Werewolf in London.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Bonus Trailers

My Thoughts:

This is one I haven't seen in several years. Going in I basically only remembered 2 things about this film. It is werewolves vs. soldiers and I enjoyed it. I like how they did the werewolves in this film. For those of you that are squeamish about such things... I will warn there is a but of gore in this one. This one is definitely worth the time put in to watch it. Recommended.

Rating:

[addicted2dvd]

Get Out (2017/United States) Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (United States) Director: Jordan Peele Writing: Jordan Peele (Writer) Length: 104 min. Video: Widescreen 2.40:1 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 5.1, Audio Descriptive: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Daniel Kaluuya as Chris Washington
Allison Williams as Rose Armitage
Catherine Keener as Missy Armitage
Bradley Whitford as Dean Armitage
Caleb Landry Jones as Jeremy Armitage

Plot:
When Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), a young African-American man, visits his white girlfriend's (Allison Williams) family estate, he becomes ensnared in the more sinister, real reason for the invitation. At first, Chris reads the family's overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter's interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he could have never imagined. This speculative thriller from Blumhouse (producers of The Visit, Insidious series and The Gift) and the mind of Jordan Peele (Key & Peele) is equal parts gripping thriller and provocative commentary.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Bonus Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Interviews
• BD-Live
• Digital Copy

My Thoughts:

This one I found to be an enjoyable... although somewhat predictable show. It has an interesting concept... though I would say this one is just as much suspense/thriller as it is horror... maybe even a little more so.

Rating:

[Danae Cassandra]

1408
Year of Release: 2007
Directed By: Mikael Håfström
Starring:  John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Mary McCormack
Genre: Horror, Suspense/Thriller

Overview:
Based on a story by suspense master Stephen King, 1408 is a gripping "roller-coaster of a head trip" (Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly) that will have you on the edge of your seat. John Cusack delivers "a tour de force performance" (Stephen Farber, Hollywood Reporter) as a skeptical writer investigating paranormal events. When he insists on staying in the reportedly haunted room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel against the grave warnings of the hotel manager (Samuel L. Jackson), he discovers the room's deadly secret – an evil so powerful, no one has ever survived an hour within its walls. In the tradition of King's The Shining and Misery, 1408 is "a psychologically thrilling movie that leaves you gasping in the end" (Desiree Belmarez, Denver Post).

My Thoughts:
Solid piece of haunted house horror.  Okay, haunted hotel, but you get the basic idea.  Very strong performances from John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson.  In fact, I really wish we'd gotten to see more of Jackson's hotel manager.  Olin's a cool character who seems really underused. 

This is Cusack's show, and his performance as cynic Mike Enslin carries it very well.  The film is as much psychological horror as supernatural, and the room preys upon Mike's own issues and problems to create greater horrors for him. 

My criticism would be that we never learn exactly what is going on with the room.  I think that's intentional, but I would have liked to know.  Reading about the various different endings after I watched the film, I am happy my blu-ray defaults to the original ending, which I feel works the best.  Recommended.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall:  4/5

[Danae Cassandra]

The Haunted Castle (Schloß Vogelöd)
Year of Release: 1921
Directed By: F. W. Murnau
Starring:  Arnold Korff, Lulu Kyser-Korff, Lothar Mehnert, Paul Hartmann, Paul Bildt, Olga Tschechowa
Genre: Suspense/Thriller, Horror, Drama

Overview:
Before plumbing the depths of horror and despair with such films as Faust and The Last Laugh, Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau tested the waters with this moody drama of a storm-bound manor and the grim mystery that lurks within. A hunting party is interrupted by the arrival of a notorious Count (Lothar Mehnert), who is believed to have murdered his brother. The uninvited guest sets in motion an elaborate plot to resurrect the ghosts of the past and bring to light the dark secret that lies at the center of his brother's death.

The foreboding atmosphere and psychological complexity inspired Murnau to delve deeper into the horror genre, which he did the following year, with the immortal vampire tale Nosferatu (1922).

My Thoughts:
I think I would have enjoyed this more if I hadn't been expecting it to be a horror film.  If you're expecting something like Murnau's Nosferatu, or Wiene's Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, lose those expectations.  The only creepy part is a dream sequence.  The rest of the film is basically a chamber drama.  The only thing haunting this castle is the secret of what happened to Count Oesch's brother and who is to blame.  The film does have great lighting, and the rain-drenched manor setting could make for a good horror film.  Alas, this is not as advertised.

If you're looking for a horror film, I can't recommend this.  If you're a fan of silent drama, this might be worth a look.  I believe I'll go back to it later at some juncture, knowing what I'm going to be watching, and likely enjoy it more.

Bechdel Test: Uncertain – the hostess and the Countess share a scene without the men, but it has no intertitles.

Overall:  2.5/5

[Danae Cassandra]

Dracula
Year of Release: 1931
Directed By: Tod Browning
Starring:  Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler, David Manners, Dwight Frye, Edward Van Sloan
Genre: Horror

Overview:
The original Dracula is one of the silver screen's most unforgettable characters and, along with the other Universal Classic Monsters, defined the Hollywood horror genre. Dracula: Complete Legacy Collection includes all 6 films from the original legacy including the frightening classic starring Bela Lugosi and the timeless films that followed. These landmark motion pictures defined the iconic look of the famed vampire and continue to inspire countless remakes and adaptations that strengthen the legend of Dracula to this day.

My Thoughts:
A true horror classic.  Dracula, more than any other film, defined what it means to be a vampire.  The suave, cultured, elegant, old-world romantic.  The deadly menace of velvet words.  The bloodlust and control.  Lugosi has such a chilling yet charismatic presence here.  His performance is iconic, and rightfully so.  Edward Van Sloan makes a worthy Van Helsing, even if the runtime means we don't get to see as much of him as I would like.  I am not impressed with David Manners's bland Harker, but Dwight Frye's Renfield is quite maniacal.  Browning has a beautiful way with atmosphere.  The film feels cold and threatening.  The shadows are deep, the fog is thick, and wolves howl in the night.

My only complaint, and it's what keeps me from rating the film higher, is that they rush the ending.  It seems no sooner does Van Helsing know what Dracula is, then they are able to defeat him.  For all the atmosphere and buildup Browning does, and for Lugosi's performance, it should be harder for the heroes to win.

Nonetheless, this is my second watch of this film and I've enjoyed it more this time than the last.  An absolute must-see, especially for any horror fan.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall:  4/5

[Danae Cassandra]

The Premature Burial
Year of Release: 1962
Directed By: Roger Corman
Starring: Ray Milland, Hazel Court, Richard Ney, Heather Angel
Genre: Horror, Suspense/Thriller, Drama

Overview:
Edgar Allan Poe's Chilling Tale of a Fate Too Horrifying to consider! The classic style of literature's most bizarre author, Edgar Allan Poe (The Oblong Box), comes to life in this ghoulish tale of murder and suspense starring acting great Ray Milland (X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes) as Guy Carrell, a medical student and painter whose obsessive fear of being buried alive compels him to build himself a tomb with a view, equipped with everything he can think of to escape death. But it's when his long-suffering wife Kate (Heather Angel, The Informer), convinces him to destroy the tomb... he finds himself in the gravest of danger, trapped in a web of doom so devious and intricate that there's no escape. Produced and directed by the iconic Roger Corman (The Secret Invasion) and beautifully shot in widescreen by the legendary cinematographer Floyd Crosby (Tales of Terror). The top-notch supporting cast includes Hazel Court (The Masque of Red Death), Alan Napier (TV's Batman) and Dick Miller (Gremlins).

My Thoughts:
This is Roger Corman and Edgar Allan Poe, so you're also expecting Vincent Price.  There is no Price, but instead we get Ray Milland, who is very effective in his role as the paranoid lord with a great fear of being buried alive.  We also get lovely and talented Hazel Court. 

It seems someone may be trying to drive Lord Guy insane.  Is it the loving wife?  The devoted sister?  The doctor father-in-law?  Has every bit of the atmosphere and setting of Corman's other Poe pictures, and a really solid last act.  Recommended if you're a fan 60's horror - you won't be disappointed.

Bechdel Test: Pass, barely

Overall:  3.5/5

[Danae Cassandra]

Tales From the Crypt
Year of Release: 1972
Directed By: Freddie Francis
Starring: Sir Ralph Richardson, Joan Collins, Ian Henry, Peter Cushing, Robin Phillips, Richard Greene, Nigel Patrick, Patrick Magee
Genre: Horror, Suspense/Thriller

Overview:
When five unwary travelers with dark hearts stumble into a series of catacombs, they find themselves in a cavern with no way out. But the horror's only just begun as a mysterious figure appears to reveal to each person the shocking events that will lead to their will-deserved, untimely – and unavoidable – demise. Starring Joan Collins (Empire Of The Ants), Peter Cushing (Horror Of Dracula), Patrick Magee (A Clockwork Orange) and Sir Ralph Richardson (Rollerball), and directed by Freddie Francis (The Creeping Flesh), Tales From The Crypt is the original, gets-right-under-your-skin creepfest!

My Thoughts:
This is a pretty good anthology film, though like most anthology films the stories vary in quality.  The framing story involves a group of tourists who have wandered off from their tour group and end up trapped together with a monk who slowly reveals each of their sins.

"All Through the House" is about a woman who kills her husband for money.  She tries to clean up the crime scene and stage the death as an accident, instead of arranging for blame to fall on an escaped maniac.  The maniac might be closer than she thinks however...  Decent story, stars Joan Collins, and has some tension too it once the maniac shows up.  He's also really creepy, so that's a plus for a horror film.  3.5/5

"Reflection of Death" features a man leaving his wife and child to run away with his lover, only to fall victim to a car crash.  He emerges from the crash, but everyone cringes in fear from him.  Does give you the question of what he looks like, what has happened to him, and why people are so scared.  The ending is a bit surprising.  3/5

"Poetic Justice" is about a rich snob and his father who terrorize a poor man of good heart whom they wish to leave their neighborhood.  Features the great Peter Cushing as the unfortunate Grimsdyke.  A very cruel story, but has the best performance and the most fitting ending.  4/5

"Wish You Were Here" is a cheap knockoff of "The Monkey's Paw," about a sleazy businessman who goes bankrupt.  His wife uses a statue they acquired in Hong Kong to enact 3 wishes, which of course backfires.  It ends in a terrible plot hole.  This is the clunker of the bunch.  2/5

"Blind Alleys" finishes the film, and is about a hardnosed, miserly ex-military man who takes over running a home for the blind.  He treats the residents cruelly while he lives in comfort, eventually causing the death of one man.  The blind men then enact their revenge upon him.  This one starts slow but ends strong.  Nigel Patrick does a good job as the ex-soldier.  The second best of the lot.  3.5/5

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall:  3.5/5

[Danae Cassandra]

What can I say, it's a slow, slow night here at work and I might as well use the computer here to post reviews. 

Count:
Pete: 6
Danae: 5
Total: 11

[addicted2dvd]

First let me say I never read the book to compare. I have seen the miniseries on many occasions. I loved the miniseries and I loved this film. I thought all the child actors did a wonderful job. The atmosphere was done well... and I left not being able to wait to see the next film! I feel like I can watch this film again already! IMHO it is a must see... a must addition to any horror fan's collection.