October Horrordays

[J.T.]

Oh my God, Curse of the Werwolf is so great!

[Reed]

Watched Ringu: Birthday. The Ringu sequels aren't very highly regarded, but this was chilling, if a bit convulted. Also, this entire scene legit has to be one of the top ten scariest film moments ever. So much for Hollywood CGI.

 

[Brian Fowler]

Bride of Frankenstein is one of those films that transcends time and genre. Just a completely amazing piece of art.

[Brisco]

4. 100 Million BC (Furst 2008)

Much like Jurassic Park, this barely scrapes the horror genre and is a B-movie to boot. A scientist whose time travel experiment left a team in the past recruits a new team to travel back in time and rescue them. Things go fine until they meet the dinosaurs specifically Red, the giant T-Rex. The special effects leave a lot to be desired. They are fine when the dinosaurs are moving slowly or stationary, however quick movements really take you out of being caught up in the movie. The plot is a little thin with a lot to overlook, but the film is a fun action romp that doesn't take itself too seriously. I was entertained. 3/5

 

5. 11/11/11 (Allan 2011)

Jack and Melissa move into a house where a mass murder/suicide took place. They soon learn their son Nat may be possessed by the devil on his birthday, November 11th. This movie got panned in reviews on IMDB but I enjoyed the film. It moved along at a nice pace and the tension built towards the chaotic final third. This is not to say the movie is perfect as it is far from it but I may be more forgiving than most. The most glaring atrocities are the terrible special effects and the movie not having a clear conclusive resolution. I know the latter is a glaring issue but I was still entertained, maybe it was the mood I was in. 3/5

[Curt McGirt]

Finally got around to watching Axe (1974, AKA Lisa, Lisa) which a friend sent me a DVDR of years ago and I never got around to watching. Made two years after Last House on the Left, it almost steals the plot verbatim with a trio of killers on the run invading the home of a young girl taking care of her catatonic father. Of course, she ends up getting raped and gets her revenge. There's even a "good" criminal in the trio here, just last Last House. A scene where the guys force a store clerk to take off her blouse and then pour coffee or something on her tits is really degrading. Having this just end up being a rape-revenge flick unexpectedly left a bad taste in my mouth as well, especially since the girl looks barely pubescent. Not that if she were older it would be any better, of course. Some shitty kills and at the end she's feeding dad blood instead of tomato soup -- gasp! Cruddy little piece of trash.

 

EDIT: I say "unexpectedly" because I honestly had no idea what it was about, other than a girl killing guys. I came in cold not having read anything about it since an old review in Cinefantastique, and that issue is buried in the garage.

[piranesi]

 

Does anyone remember MC Lyte?  Of course not.

 

Don't want to take this further off course, but that's just not true, is it?

 

What about this?

 

 

 

or this...

 

 

Furthermore, a quick google tells me that she got a career achievement award at the BET awards just last week.

 

 

 

UPDATE:  MC LYTE is on Arsenio TONIGHT!1!!!! It is 1991.  I hope he'll ask about NIGHTMARE 4!

[Curt McGirt]

I missed that little convo but I remember MC Lyte. C'mon.

 

Forgot about this, right before I passed out last night I turned off the DVD player and Turner Classic Movies showed Julie Harris talking about The Haunting (!) and a FULL TRAILER for Horror of Dracula. I guess both are on TCM this month for any who haven't seen them or want to rewatch here, so check your local listings. Horror is totally on my radar cause I only have it on VHS and none of my players work anymore.

[Burgundy LaRue]

Finally got around to watching Axe (1974, AKA Lisa, Lisa) which a friend sent me a DVDR of years ago and I never got around to watching. Made two years after Last House on the Left, it almost steals the plot verbatim with a trio of killers on the run invading the home of a young girl taking care of her catatonic father. Of course, she ends up getting raped and gets her revenge. There's even a "good" criminal in the trio here, just last Last House. A scene where the guys force a store clerk to take off her blouse and then pour coffee or something on her tits is really degrading. Having this just end up being a rape-revenge flick unexpectedly left a bad taste in my mouth as well, especially since the girl looks barely pubescent. Not that if she were older it would be any better, of course. Some shitty kills and at the end she's feeding dad blood instead of tomato soup -- gasp! Cruddy little piece of trash.

 

EDIT: I say "unexpectedly" because I honestly had no idea what it was about, other than a girl killing guys. I came in cold not having read anything about it since an old review in Cinefantastique, and that issue is buried in the garage.

 

AXE is best watched as the 1970s oddity that it is.  It is indeed a nasty little film, but its oddball nature and its Video Nasty status has kept it alive for over 30 years, when similar movies from the era have been forgotten.  I own the Something Weird DVD, but haven't looked at it in years.  It's intriguing.  It's not a good movie, yet it's interesting to see this film play out on its ultra-low budget.  A strange little movie to be sure.

[Reed]

Is there anything more abhorrent than these rape-revenge films which degrade and humiliate women in the most vile, graphic manner possible for a prolonged period of time only for it to apparently be OK because, hey, she got her own back on the rapists in the end!

[Curt McGirt]

The genre detests me on its face, but! I make an exception for Last House and I Spit On Your Grave, because I think the revenge parts are great in a very '70s fashion. Last House is also actually well-written and well-acted of course. I also wish to see Ms. 45, but that's about it. Really anything abhorrent can be done well given context and execution as so many films point out.

[jaedmc]

Rape is pretty much the one thing I can't stand watching in film. Like I've developed a Spidey Sense about it, and it'll flare up in movies where I didn't know one would take place beforehand. Rape in movies just makes me feel the worst.

I don't have a problem with them in movies, depending on context mind you. The Virgin Spring, which I didn't realize until I watched it was the story Craven riffed on for Last House, is a good example.

My Last House on the Left Story: My roommates in college, who I'd just met the previous semester all loved horror movies. We decided to invite some gals up to watch one because, you know, we liked girls. My fucking bonehead roommate sifted through his collection and decided on Last House on the Left, which I hadn't seen beforehand.

The fucking worst. Hey ladies, come over to our place and watch some rape on the TV!

Thankfully I had the first episode of The Wonder Years on my computer to smooth things over after. Awwww Winnie and Kevin 4 EVER!

[Burgundy LaRue]

Is there anything more abhorrent than these rape-revenge films which degrade and humiliate women in the most vile, graphic manner possible for a prolonged period of time only for it to apparently be OK because, hey, she got her own back on the rapists in the end!

 

That's the history of the world.  I don't expect more from a movie.

[piranesi]

My Last House on the Left Story:Thankfully I had the first episode of The Wonder Years on my computer to smooth things over after. Awwww Winnie and Kevin 4 EVER!

 

[DustyRhodes] Dass a messud up justapohsishion, JaeJae![/DustyRhodes]

[Brian Fowler]

Day of the Woman/I Spit on your Grave is vile, nasty, excellent film-making. I can't say I like it, but it is highly effective exploitation.

[The Z]

I've watched two more movies since my last post. For one I watched Alexandre Ajas Maniac (2012), after that I watched Eden Lake (2008).

 

OK, Maniac (2012) was just weird. It was also creepy as shit, which isn't a bad trait for a horror movie, but it was just too weird for me. It being Frodo Baggins doing the horrible murdering added to both the weirdness and the creepyness. Although he was believable as a psychotic murderer. Well, the music was also pretty good in this movie. I know this is a remake from an 80s movie I haven't seen. I guess I'll watch the Cinema Snob review later, to find out how this one compares. I really did not like this one a lot.

 

Eden Lake (2008): It's Michael Fassbender against a bunch of British schoolchildren, what could possibly go wrong? Well, a lot actually. Goddamn, British kids are evil. I hope The Natural wasn't like this, when he was younger...

This one was pretty good I think, although I really did not enjoy that ending. I expected something lke that to happen, though. I realy was hoping for Fassbender to kick some ass, but at least we got that one scene near the end.

[Curt McGirt]

Z you really need to see the OG Maniac. It's a stone classic. I will debate that with anyone who wants to.

[Reed]

 

On the special edition DVD actors commentary track, the actors playing Krug and Weasel boast about how they terrorized the actresses playing Mari and Phyllis, right down to hinting during the filming of the rape scene that they'd go ahead and actually commit the act if they didn't think the actresses' performances were convincing enough. They seem to think this is awesome.

 

Movies like this are just artists expressing themselves creatively and harmless escapism,y'all.

[S.K.o.S.]

This one was pretty good I think, although I really did not enjoy that ending. I expected something lke that to happen, though.

 

It's awesome (or awesomely disturbing, YMMV) because it probably would happen just like that in real life.

[Burgundy LaRue]

 

This one was pretty good I think, although I really did not enjoy that ending. I expected something lke that to happen, though.

 

It's awesome (or awesomely disturbing, YMMV) because it probably would happen just like that in real life.

 

 

Eden Lake is one of the few movies that I can't bring myself to watch again, because it felt all too accurate.

[Brisco]

6. The Evil Dead (Raimi 1981)

The story is simple, you have released demons from wherever they were hidden and now they are going to do horrible things to you. Bruce Campbell is not as great in this as he is in the following sequels. Bruce seems to shine in dark comedic elements of the later films, but this film does not add any comedy to lighten the mood. Raimi set out to make a horror movie and does everything he can to take the viewer on a shocking thrill ride of terror. The sound of silence creates one of my favorite moods in horror films. This puts me on pins and needles looking for where the evil is and waiting for it to show itself. Raimi adds over the top blood and puss (or whatever the green oatmeal looking stuff was) for an extreme gross factor that I am sure worked in the early 80s. This is still a fun little film to watch but I enjoy Evil Dead 2 just a little more. 5/5

 

Since we are talking rape; the tree rape scene, while admittedly needless, is less disturbing than something like I Spit On Your Grave.

 

7. Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film (Monument 2009)

This documentary on horror films is the history of Horror films as told by several horror film directors and writers. I was thinking the themes of some of the movies was over my head, like I never thought the zombies in Night of the Living Dead represented anything. I guess I have always looked at movies at face value not searching for any more meaning underneath. Over halfway through the doc they hit upon why I like these movies; I like to see what evil looks like, where it is, what it can do and how to eradicate it. As far as a history pieces go, this is really good. 5/5

 

8. Tales From The Crypt: Bordello of Blood (Adler 1996)

I have found my favorite horror villain type; hot female vampires. Angie Everhart's portrayal of Lilith the leader of the vampire bordello is a lot of fun. She uses sex to lure unsuspecting males to their doom. The movie is a fun light hearted and includes Vonkhar from Willow (and apparently he was an Ewok in Return of the Jedi too). I used to think the crypt keeper was the scariest thing ever growing up, but now he is comedic gold. I would be for a show following the crypt keeper through his normal day to day rituals. 4/5

[The Z]

Z you really need to see the OG Maniac. It's a stone classic. I will debate that with anyone who wants to.

 

OK, I will look into that.

 

 

This one was pretty good I think, although I really did not enjoy that ending. I expected something lke that to happen, though.

 

It's awesome (or awesomely disturbing, YMMV) because it probably would happen just like that in real life.

 

 

Oh yeah, I could totally see that happening in real life.

[piranesi]

I totally just had my wife convinced that little Tommy from the original HALLOWEEN was played by Seth Green and that it was his first onscreen role.

 

 

 

 

Totally.

[piranesi]

So during our yearly viewing of HALLOWEEN today, I decided that it was weird that in all the trivia-happy websites and tributes I'd never seen anything about the graveyard keeper and his awesome folksy voice...or at least  I hadn't taken note of it.

 

Looking him up I was surprised to see that he was Arthur Malet, an accomplished English actor with well over 100 credits including some big enough roles that I fee like I really should have known him before.  I was also saddened to see that he died this very year in May at the age of 85.  This may be new only to me, but he was in some magnificent parts over the years.  I have to wonder if, since his only scene was with Plessance, that maybe they were a team, but this is the only movie they worked on.  I suppose that doesn't mean Pleasance didn't recommend him.

A few highlights then, in the career of the-guy-that-annoys-Sam-Loomis-who-really-doesn't-want-to-hear-another-story-about-another-killer-another-town-over:

 

Dude was in MARY POPPINS:

 

AND BEDKNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS:

 

 

 

 

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN!!!!!

 

 

and, my favorite thing, when one of these dudes gets immortalized in animation.  In this case, THE SECRET OF NIMH:

 

 

 

Weirdly, "Undertaker" was one of his most common roles.  Apart from HALLOWEEN, he played one in IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (the original movie, not the show), and episode of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE (the show, not the movie).

 

His t.v. work spans super-old-timey shows with sponsors in the title "The United States Steel Hour" "The DuPont Show of the Month" through things like BEWITCHED, THE MONKEES and THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. and all the way to awesome stuff like THE FACTS OF LIFE, MACGYVER, DALLAS, MR. BELVEDERE (of course!), 21 JUMP STREET, and HANGIN' WITH MR. COOPER. and holy-shit-he-had-a-part-on-BOSOM-BUDDIES!  He was also in an episode of COLUMBO which is the highest honor an actor can achieve in my book.

 

And a few of the most awesomely bizarre movies of all time including BEASTMASTER 2: THROUGH THE PORTAL OF TIME (as if there's so many types of things called "portal" that you need to specify) and Barry Levinson's absolutely bonkers (tm Mantzoukas) TOYS and MUNSTER GO HOME!

 

EVEN WITH FAKE-MARILYN...I NEED THIS POSTER NOW!!!

[ingrsco]

The wife and I watched The Lords of Salem last night as part of our 31 movies.

 

What the fuck was that?

 

I'm not sure if I enjoyed it or not. At the moment, I can only say "It was a movie."

[Marty Sugar]

3. My Name Is Bruce (2007)

 

Bruce Campbell directs and stars as himself in a movie that roasts the B-movie superstar quite well.  Bruce is whisked away from filming a horrible sequel to a horrible movie, to save a tiny little hick town from a real-life demon. Why? Well, why not? He IS Bruce Campbell, after all.  More funny than scary, more goofy than gory, this film is a lot of fun. Campbell clearly has no qualms making fun of himself, and it was an enjoyable 86 minutes.  Plenty of fun quotes from this one, too.

 

GRADE: B

 

NOTE: so far behind, thanks to work.  Also, my ex is back on the warpath again (apparently I need another trip to the ER to get her to stop being a hag), so she insists my oldest daughter is having nightmares (at her place) because I'm watching horror movies a good 3-4 hours after the girls are asleep. In the other room. With their door closed. Because that makes sense.