Topic: Month Long Horror/Halloween Marathon: 2010

[addicted2dvd]

Title: Near Dark Year: 1987 Director: Kathryn Bigelow Rating: R Length: 94 Min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: DTS: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: English

Stars:
Adrian Pasdar
Jenny Wright
Lance Henriksen
Bill Paxton
Jenette Goldstein
Tim Thomerson

Plot:
In the dusty heart of the American southwest, innocent country boy Caleb Colton (Adrian Pasdar of MYSTERIOUS WAYS) is seduced by a beautiful girl (Jenny Wright) into joining a roving pack of vicious drifters led by the enigmatic Jesse (Lance Henriksen of THE TERMINATOR and ALIENS). But this is no ordinary band of outlaws; Caleb is now trapped in a nightmare of soulless evil that waits in the shadows, hellish mayhem that thrives on blood and absolute horror that begins NEAR DARK.

Bill Paxton (TWISTER) and Jenette Goldstein (ALIENS) co-star in this extraordinary shocker co-written and directed by Kathryn Bigelow (STRANGE DAYS) that Entertainment Weekly calls "ultrastylish, ultraviolent and altogether brilliant." This is more than simply the most ferociously original vampire movie of our generation; NEAR DARK is one of the best horror movies of all time.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Gallery
Production Notes
DVD-ROM Content
Closed Captioned
THX

My Thoughts:
This is a movie that has seemed to fly in under the radar for most people. I discovered it while I was working as a manager of the local video store.... and everyone I ever suggested it to never even heard of it. But yet of the MANY people that took a chance on this movie because of my recommendation... I don't remember ever hearing bad feedback. As far as I remember everyone enjoyed it!

One of the things I like about this movie is that even though while watching it there is no doubt in your mind this is a vampire movie... they never once use the word vampire in the movie... and you never once see a set of fangs.  Another thing I like in this movie is the awesome bar fight scene. I have seen a few bar fight scenes in horror movies... and this is one of the best. Then you have the added bonus that one of the stars of this movie is Lance Henrikson.... a great genre actor.

Needless to say I was thrilled when I first heard this movie was coming out on DVD. I pre-ordered the title as soon as I was able to. And even better was the fact that the release is a 2-disc edition with a nice selection of extras. If you never seen this under-rated movie... I urge you to give it a chance... I really don't think you will be sorry.

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5

Count:
Movie Count: 100
TV Ep. Count: 50 I Made It! (10/20)
Other Count: 8 I Made It! (10/15)

[addicted2dvd]

Title: Chopping Mall Year: 1986 Director: Jim Wynorski Rating: R Length: 77 Min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: N/A

Stars:
Kelli Maroney
Tony O'Dell
Russell Todd
Karrie Emerson
Barbara Crampton
Nick Segal

Plot:
Some people will kill for a bargain...and at the Park Plaza Mall they do! Here, you can shop until you drop...dead!

High tech robots equipped with state-of-the-art security devices have been recruited as the new mechanical "night watchmen" for the Park Plaza Mall. When a jolting bolt of lightning short circuits the main computer control, the robots turn into "killbots"...on the loose after unsuspecting shoppers. Four couples are trying to make it after-hours in a mattress store. They make it all right...in the morgue!

At Park Plaza Mall, you can save on everything but your life! PAUL BARTEL and MARY WORONOV of the hit thriller EATING RAOUL are reunited, plus RUSSELL TODD (FRIDAY THE 13TH), BARBARA CRAMPTON (RE-ANIMATOR, FROM BEYOND) and TONY O'DELL (THE KARATE KID). CHOPPING MALL...where they slash their prices and their customers!

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Featurettes
Gallery
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:
This is a movie I remembered enjoying back when it first came out. When I found it on DVD a couple years ago cheap I bought it for my October Marathon 2008. Unfortunately at the time I felt it didn't hold up well to my memory. I decided today to give it another try... without expecting too much this time. I enjoyed it maybe a little bit more this time then when I first bought the DVD... It is a decent enough movie for what it is.... but when I saw this originally (when I was a teen) I thought it was much better then it actually is. Unfortunately it just did not hold up well for me. I guess seeing it with adult eyes is making a difference. But one thing I did enjoy is seeing another movie with Kelli Maroney in it. As I really enjoyed her in Night of the Comet. In one scene Kelli Maroney is in a pet store hiding from the killer robots... and the robot comes crashing into the store...and knocks down an aquarium full of tarantulas... and of course they end up crawling all over Kelli. I so hate spiders! I could never do it! That one scene alone put chills through me! But not a bad movie over-all... slightly above average.

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5

Count:
Movie Count: 101 I Made It! (10/28)
TV Ep. Count: 50 I Made It! (10/20)
Other Count: 8 I Made It! (10/15)

[addicted2dvd]

Woohoo! I Made It!!! I Beat All 3!!!

[Jimmy]

That will be hard to beat next year... Mine isn't that impressive with 62 at this time

[addicted2dvd]

And I still have 3 more days to watch more.  I may spend tomorrow watching some Halloween episodes of TV series that I have... I haven't watched many of those this year yet.

[Najemikon]

Well done, you maniac!

[addicted2dvd]

  And only 3 days left in the month! Not sure I will be able to beat it next year!!!

[hal9g]

And only 3 days left in the month! Not sure I will be able to beat it next year!!!

Much better to keep the bar low and not put so much pressure on yourself.....

Guess it's too late for that plan, eh?

[Achim]

Well, he did try to slow down towarde the end by doing a non-hooror TV marathon (Bionic Woman, I think; too lazy to check). So, slowed down and still three days to spare

[Dragonfire]

Someone is a show off

I still don't know how I've done.
And tonight I haven't done anything.  I was going to work on a review ...that didn't get done.  I haven't watched anything else yet.  I think I'm going to get a little snack and find a movie now.  I'll try to get a few reviews done tomorrow.

[Jimmy]

I'll try to get a few reviews done tomorrow.

I hope... I can't wait to know what are your impressions on Humanoids from the deep (I'm sure that your point of view is different than the one of a male viewer) and Slumber Party Massacre (Did you watch them all or just the first one?)

Edit : Just read your review of SPM on your "blog". Glad you like it and try to watch the second one before the end of the month. It is a little bit different, but it's the one I found the most enjoyable... Pete didn't but it was quite predictable

[addicted2dvd]

Outsourced: Season 1 Outsourced is set in a Mumbai, India call center, where an American novelties company has recently outsourced its order processing. A lone American manages the call center and must explain American popular culture to his employees as he comes to understand Indian culture.

Episode Watched:
Bolloween
Todd attempts to explain Halloween to his co-workers; Tonya makes a pass at Todd during a costume party.

My Thoughts:
This is a new show this season. One that has been a bit hit and miss for me. There has been a few laughs but I don't know... there is something about it. Something that is making it hold my attention. The Halloween episode last night was pretty good though. There was a couple decent laughs on it... and I did get a kick out of some of the costumes.

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5

Count:
Movie Count: 101 I Made It! (10/28)
TV Ep. Count: 51 I Made It! (10/20)
Other Count: 8 I Made It! (10/15)

[addicted2dvd]

Cougar Town: Season 2 After Spending the last seventeen years as a wife and a mother, recently divorced Jules (Cox) has reluctantly waded back into the dating pool and quickly finds herself in over her head. Now forty-something and single, Jules tackles real-life issues - dating, parenting and friendship. It doesn't help Jules that her two best friends can hardly stand each other, her ex-husband is hanging around more now than he did during their marriage...and there's that handsome divorced neighbor that Jules can't quite get out of her head.

Episode Watched:
You Don't Know How It Feels
Jules' father visits and hits it off with Grayson; Laurie reminds Travis how fun Halloween can be.

My Thoughts:
This show I do usually enjoy quite a bit. This one did fall a little short for me though. I was definitely expecting better costumes from this gang. And the story was only semi-entertaining.

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5

Count:
Movie Count: 101 I Made It! (10/28)
TV Ep. Count: 52 I Made It! (10/20)
Other Count: 8 I Made It! (10/15)

[addicted2dvd]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Complete Sixth Season Elated with having Buffy back from the dead, her friends never wonder if she may have been in a better place. Only Spike knows the truth and as Buffy struggles to readjust to life, she begins a relationship with Spike that torments her as much as it brings her fleeting comfort. Yet even as Buffy fears that the magic that brought her back has somehow changed her, Willow's growing reliance on magic is an addiction she can barely control - and one that threatens everyone.

Episode Watched:
All the Way
Dawn lies to Buffy and goes out with a boy on Halloween, but when the boy turns out to be a vampire ignoring the Halloween-no-killing rule, Buffy and the guys must save her...again.

My Thoughts:
If I am not mistaken... this is the last Halloween episode of Buffy.... at least I don't remember a Halloween episode in the final season. It was a fun episode... and I have to admit... Anya looked might fine in her Charlie's Angels costume! Another episode I really enjoyed.

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5

Count:
Movie Count: 101 I Made It! (10/28)
TV Ep. Count: 53 I Made It! (10/20)
Other Count: 8 I Made It! (10/15)

[addicted2dvd]

Title: Halloween Year: 1978 Director: John Carpenter Rating: R Length: 91 Min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1, Pan & Scan 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, English: Dolby Digital: Mono Subtitles: N/A

Stars:
Donald Pleasence
Jamie Lee Curtis
Nancy Loomis
P. J. Soles
Charles Cyphers
Kyle Richards

Plot:
Fifteen years ago, Michael Myers brutally massacred his sister. Now, after escaping from a mental hospital, he's back to relive his grisly crime again, and again...and again.

This is Halloween like you've never seen or heard it before!

Halloween has been fully restored under the supervision of Lucasfilm's THX Digital Mastering Services. The video was transferred by the award-winning colorist Adam Adams (Terminator 2, Titanic) from a new 35mm interpositive (made from the original camera negative) and approved by the film's cinematographer Dean Cundey (Jurassic Park, Who Framed Rodger Rabbit). The new Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack was created by Chace Productions is association with Alan Howarth using the original 16-track music studio master and the recently discovered original 35mm magnetic dialogue & effects tracks.

Extras:
Scene Access
Feature Trailers
Featurettes
Gallery
Production Notes
THX
Radio Spots
Trivia

My Thoughts:
I usually save this one for Halloween day... but I found myself with a strong urge to watch it first thing this morning... so figured why not.

This is of course the classic horror that started it all. I think it could be arguably said this is one of the best slasher movies out there. Carpenter really did fine work... the atmosphere in this one is great. I loved Jamie Lee Curtis in this movie... and enjoyed Donald Pleasence as well... this is the first movie that I ever seen him in. This is one of the few movies I couldn't see being any better then it is. And to think it was done on such a small budget in such a short time period. While it would be hard for me to believe... if there is any horror fan out there that never seen this movie... I highly recommend checking it out ASAP!

My Rating
Out of a Possible 5

Count:
Movie Count: 102 I Made It! (10/28)
TV Ep. Count: 53 I Made It! (10/20)
Other Count: 8 I Made It! (10/15)