October Horror Challenge 2012 - Day 23

Inching ever so close to 100...

HOME MOVIE... ugh. This is a found footage movie from 2008 where a seemingly picturesque American family videotapes seemingly every thing they do. They just moved in to a new house and their kids have started to take on anti-social behavior. They're twins, a boy and girl, that sleep in the same room, and all to often the same bed. Their mother is concerned as they're now 11 years old and getting to old for it. Besides that, they never talk, they turned the pet goldfish into a sandwich, killed a frog in a vice grip and crucified the family cat. You'd think any one of these things would be enough for the parents, a doctor and a priest by the way, to have them checked out for any possible social or psychological abnormalities. Nope, the father doesn't do much except occasionally have a drink and the mother tries her own half assed psych exam. Spoiler alert, the kids end up killing the parents. Where is the fucking common sense or logic in this movie? It totally fails because it wants to be based in reality but the parents, educated adults mind you, do nothing to try to get help for their obviously disturbed kids until it is too late... and then somehow because it is Easter the kids don't go to jail? Uh... what? Fuck this trash.

Later in the day came a film from Kim Jee-Woon, a director I've enjoyed just about everything I've seen from- A TALE OF TWO SISTERS. I wasn't sure if this was going to be my thing or not as it was made in the heart of the Asian run of "spooky ghost" movies that were so popular only a decade ago. This has flashes of that but it quite a bit more psychological and sort of beautiful in its sadness. I didn't love it, but I think this type of film certainly lends itself to deserving multiple viewings. I'll tally this one up as another film I like from the director.

BLOOD FROM THE MUMMY'S TOMB was up next, a Hammer film based on the Bram Stoker novel The Jewel Of Seven Stars. I've never read the novel so I have no idea how faithful it is or how it stacks up but the film was a marginal success. The idea of the film was better than the execution, which isn't all bad but was obviously hurt by the production's troubles. Peter Cushing was all set to star until his wife fell ill and he had to pull out of the project a day into filming and director Seth Holt died on set with a week left of filming. This is the sort of thing that can really mess with a film.

The last film of day 23 was KILLER NUN. I've had the Blu-ray from Blue Underground for a few months and decided to bust it out. The story is about a psychotic, drug addict nun, who is just all around batshit crazy... how can this be bad you may be asking yourself? Before seeing this film I was saying the same thing. The sad truth is that it swings and misses so bad the bat comes back around to knock itself stupid. This movie sucks. It is a boring mess of 88 minutes with a couple of boobs and a little bit of blood to try and keep the audience satisfied. It is beyond melodramatic and stupid. I kind of wish that scene from Nightmare On Elm Street 3 where Freddy smashes the girl's head into the TV and says "Welcome to prime time, bitch." happened to me so that something would have happened. Alas, I wasn't that fortunate. At least it had boobs unlike a shitty found footage film from earlier in the day...

Today's Rundown
Home Movie - 2/10
A Tale Of Two Sisters - 7/10
Blood From The Mummy's Tomb - 6/10
Killer Nun - 3/10

October Horror Challenge 2012 - Day 22

 Another short entry today as only a pair of films were watched. Both were first time viewings and it started off with the 1941 version of DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE. I don't have a whole lot say about this one other than it dragged in several spots and was pretty boring. It wasn't terrible as a couple of notable scenes and set pieces saved it but nothing I'd probably go back to revisit any time soon despite being well acted.

The second was a more entertaining affair and very light with its material. THE RAVEN, directed by Roger Corman and having an all star cast of Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, Hazel Court and a very young Jack Nicholson was a silly comedic take on Edgar Allan Poe's story. It is full of silly slapstick, an early take on Vader and Emperor Palpatine's force lightning battle, Jack Nicholson still being insane, and magic. It isn't my favorite film from the Corman/Poe cycle but it was a fun use of 80 minutes.

Today's Rundown
Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde - 5/10
The Raven - 7/10

October Horror Challenge 2012 - Day 21

Just a pair of movies today as much of the day was spent hanging out with friends watching the Ravens game (this could be considered a horror movie itself) and carving pumpkins. My Cthulhu pumpkin turned in to a complete disaster so I guess that is a horror story too... anyways...

STAKE LAND is a movie that is a couple of years old that I picked up for $10 on Blu-ray a few months back at a local used shop (of course by the time I watched it the price falls to $10 new... oh well) and I'd been pretty anxious to watch it. It is somewhat of a coming of age story set within the vampire apocalypse. Dirty, old Pennsylvania towns provide a nice backdrop for the story and I'm sure minimal amount of set dressing was needed to make these spots look spooky. The acting is pretty strong from the entire cast, especially our star who is an adolescent trying to deal with growing up in a very scary, turbulent world where bloodsuckers are a very imminent threat. His companion, known only as Mister, provides the father figure but overall is written weakly. He never quite reaches either the level of mentor badass that I thought he should. The film has a very somber, bleak tone throughout that really works well. Overall a good movie that I enjoyed.

 And finishing the Hammer double feature DVD I started the other day with Countess Dracula was THE VAMPIRE LOVERS, also starring Ingrid Pitt. This was one a bit more satisfying than the lackluster Countess Dracula. The addition of Peter Cushing, even in his minor role, no doubt aids to the film's success. A sexy lesbian tone adds to the horror elements and provides an entertaining 90 minutes. Not top notch Hammer, but worthy of seeking out.

Today's Rundown
Stake Land - 7/10
The Vampire Lovers - 6.5/10

October Horror Challenge 2012 - Day 20

Day 20 already?

A viewing of DRACULA was in order to honor Bela Lugosi on what would be his 130th birthday. While the film is one of the lesser Universal monster movies of that time, it is still a classic.

There has been a lack of Paul Naschy this month and I fixed that with HUMAN BEASTS. It starts out as a crime flick but turns into a weird horror story with all sorts of random stuff going on. Man eating pigs and ghosts? Okay, sure. Not bad overall.

The day was wrapped up with COUNTESS DRACULA which is a quite mediocre Hammer flick starring Ingrid Pitt. How can you not love Ingrid Pitt even if the movie wasn't amazing?

Today's Rundown
Dracula - 7.5/10
Human Beasts - 6/10
Countess Dracula - 5/10

October Horror Challenge 2012 - Day 19

 BODY PUZZLE was the first film of the day. Directed by Lamberto Bava this is a late period giallo (1992) that really feels like it is just going through the motions. There is a really solid cast here that is largely wasted, none of them are bad but they're rarely given anything to do. There is some slicing and dicing and a couple of scenes are very memorable but sadly they don't hold up what is a very mediocre entry into the genre. It isn't a bad film, it sucessfully tells the story but it is successful in the same way piece of paint-by-numbers art is successful... Yeah, you finished it but so what?

After that I just wasn't feeling it. I needed a break. It was no fault of BODY PUZZLE's which was underwhelming but by no means nearly as bad as some of the crap I've powered through this month, but I just had to have a break from horror for a few hours.
 

I came back with HORRORS OF MALFORMED MEN. This is a piece of Japanese gold. Extremely strange and full of stylish flare, I fell in love with this film and think I might love it even more on another viewing knowing what to expect. It reminded me of a Japanese Alejandro Jodorowsky film If you h.aven't seen this and like strange cinema and wild horror do yourself a favor and see it.

I think I've been rejuvenated by SUSPIRIA. My favorite film of all time reminded why watching horror films is so much fun and I doubt it could have came at a better time this month. 

Today's Rundown
Body Puzzle - 5/10
Horrors Of Malformed Men - 9/10
Suspiria - 10/10

October Horror Challenge 2012 - Day 18

 PUPPET MASTER 3: TOULON'S REVENGE started out the viewing for the 18th before I caught some sleep. This is probably my favorite entry in to the series from Full Moon and is the introduction of my favorite puppet of them all, Six Shooter. It is a blast of cheese and fun.

Next up was a movie I've been pretty anxious to see since I'm a fan of the original, its remake and to a lesser extent, the remake's sequel- PIRANHA 2: THE SPAWNING. This was James Cameron's first feature length directing job and it does provide a bit of man-eating fish gore and fun but it is a bit slower than I think it should be. There is also a scene towards the end involving a helicopter that I just didn't understand the point of. Not a great flick but not awful.

MARK OF THE DEVIL starring the late Herbert Lom and Udo Kier was next and does a fantastic job showing the cruelty and corruption within religion. The atrocities committed during the witch hunts not all that long ago are shown here for our entertainment full of gore, torture and tits. That isn't to say the message is lost in it all.

Another first time viewing was up with SISTERS from the director of Carrie, Brian De Palma. I thought this movie was good and think it will get better on repeated viewings. It is slow going but pays off pretty well at the end.

 The day came to a close with a viewing of THE EXORCIST with commentary from director William Friedkin. You already know about the movie which is great, the commentary track isn't quite as great. While Friedkin has an obvious passion talking about the film he repeats himself quite a bit throughout and doesn't stray too much from what is on screen. It would have been nice to hear more about the production and set up of certain scenes as opposed to him mentioning how this is the ultimate fight of good vs evil for the 20th time. There are some insights but for the most part I was left really wanting more behind the scenes information. 

Today's Rundown
Puppet Master 3 - 7.5/10
Piranha 2 - 5/10
Mark Of The Devil - 8/10
Sisters - 7/10
The Exorcist - 8/10 

October Horror Challenge 2012 - Day 17

 Viewings got underway with TERROR AT TENKILLER, before I went to bed. Luckily enough this was a total bore and got me ready for bed. It is a shot-on-video 80s slasher that is on a double feature DVD with The Last Slumber Party. I actually had a bit of a panic attack hoping I wouldn't accidentally select The Last Slumber Party to play instead of TAT and I'd have to relive the painful memory of that disaster. The nicest thing about TAT I can say is that at least it wasn't The Last Slumber Party.

After getting some sleep, the first viewing after waking was THE GIRL IN ROOM 2A, an Italian horror film about a woman recently released from jail who just moved in to a creepy boarding house and has an encounter with a cult. It is schlocky and entertaining. There is also a cool costume that reminded me of a cheap ripoff of Emilio Miraglia's superior Red Queen. This film is nothing incredible but it is worth a watch and potentially more if Italian horror is your thing. It is mine.

Next up was a movie I've given chances to in the past and after years between viewings and a good friend's love for it I decided to give it one last shot. I still don't like THE HILLS HAVE EYES PART 2. It's a cheaper, lazier version of the Wes Craven classic. Our mutant antagonists don't seem nearly as intimidating and the majority of our victims are stupid and annoying. It isn't the worst thing I've watched this month by far, but I'm not a fan.

I checked out the remake of NIGHT OF THE DEMONS next which I've heard a lot about... and it was pretty awful. The effects are part of what make the 80s cheesefest so much fun and they're dumbed down to shitty CGI here. I'll give it credit for having a cool trick or treating scene in the beginning where a guy attacks an asshole who steals candy with a paintball gun and the soundtrack has some serious jams on it (Code Blue is a great song) but overall it was pretty whack.

THE PERFUME OF THE LADY IN BLACK was next, another Italian film. This is a beautiful mix of giallo, psychological horror and devil cult horror. It goes crazy between reality, fantasy and dreams. Mimsy Farmer is fantastic and gorgeous as our lead and the supporting cast is just as good. This is one of the best new viewings I've watched this month. Think a giallo version of Repulsion inside of a satanic cult.

I closed out the day with the premiere of AMERICAN HORROR STORY: ASYLUM. It is off to a good start with all sorts storylines being set up. I can't wait to see where it goes.

Today's Rundown
Terror At Tenkiller - 3/10
The Girl In Room 2A - 6/10
The Hills Have Eyes 2 - 4/10
Night Of The Demons - 3.5/10
The Perfume Of The Lady In Black - 8.5/10