October Horror Challenge 2015 - Days 25-27

Day 25 had no viewings. I think this is the first day since I started doing this annual challenge for 100 horror viewings during the month that I didn't watch a single thing. Weird.

Day 26 we got back on track with a couple of viewings starting with the classic Halloween 3. It's a must watch this time of year and it makes me happy to see it gain a little more popularity each year as time goes by and people discover what a masterpiece it is.

The Man And The Monster was next, a Mexican production of Gothic horror which sort of combines Jekyll and Hyde with the Phantom of the Opera as a man has made a deal with the devil to make him the most talented pianist in the world. The catch is that he turns into this hideous beast man whenever he plays the piece of music that the devil gave him to make him famous. It's a classic gothic style tale mashed up with 50s monster movie schlock (just look at the monster makeup!) and makes for a good time.

Moving on to day 27, we start out with Madmae O, a late 60s slice of Japanese revenge. Seiko plays a well off doctor who uses her medical status to take revenge on men as she was raped at 16 and left pregnant and infected with Syphyllus. After settling down with a man she's finally able to love her penchant for revenge returns after she finds out he's planning on killing her to inherit her wealth. The director switches between color and black and white photography but I didn't see any real need for it. A well written script and good acting make this one worth while even if we've seen the ending countless times.

Then came a psychadelic slice of gothic and Lovecraftian horror in Curse Of The Crimson Altar which features Christopher Lee, Boris Karloff and Barbara Steele. How about that cast? Brilliant. Strange local customs feed into the paranoia and terror of a man looking for his brother who he believes is being held in this strange little town that is celebrating the anniversary of a witch burning and believes he could also be in trouble. Not every character is as they seem in this one that features stunning interior sets and costume design along with great performances and a bit of trippy directing style.

An overdue trip to the theater was in order to finally catch Goosebumps, a movie my inner child (and outer adult) was pretty excited for ever since seeing the trailer a few months back. I was a big fan and avid reader of the R. L. Stine books and I think the movie accurately captured the spirit and feel of the books making for a family friendly fantasy horror adventure film with enough scares for the kids and it is made well enough to keep older viewers engaged as well. It wasn't everything I was hoping for as only a few monsters from the book series were featured characters while the rest were relegated to background duty and the scare factor could have been ramped up a bit and still kept kid friendly but it was entertaining nevertheless.

Finally the day ended with Curse Of The Crying Woman, another Mexican horror film and perhaps the best one I've seen this month. This is pure gothic vampire and ghost lure with thick foggy exterior shots in the woods and a foreboding castle with brilliantly and perhaps overbearingly designed interiors. Wonderfully spooky special effects and some downright scary characters and moments make this one a must see.

Today's Rundown
Halloween 3 - 9/10
The Man And The Monster - 7/10
Madame O - 7/10
Curse Of The Crimson Alatar - 7.5/10
Goosebumps - 7/10
Curse Of The Crying Woman - 8/10

THE EXORCISM OF MOLLY HARTLEY (Blu-ray Review) - 20th Century Fox

USA/2015
Directed By: Steven R. Monroe
Written By: Matt Venne
Starring: Sarah Lind, Devon Sawa, Gina Holden
Color/96 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: October 20, 2015

The Film
On her 18th birthday Molly Hartley became possessed by a demon. After seemingly overcoming her literal demons Molly has led a normal and successful life. After graduating college she has become a partner in her company the demons have returned as she is charged with murdering two of her friends  on the night of her 24th birthday and has been confined to a mental hospital where a defrocked priest hopes to redeem himself and save the young woman.

Seven years after the original film that failed to impress me at all we're given a sequel starring Sarah Lind and Devon Sawa as the priest looking for redemption. There's little chance for the cast to shine as the screenplay is as basic as they come. Every exorcism themed horror movie cliche is shown, from cursing religious themed obscenities, to vomiting (usually green as it is here), special effects makeup to show that, yes, the girl is indeed possessed and so on.

And with the cliches comes absolutely none of the suspense or sheer urgency in trying to cure the victim. The film has no heart to it. It's a paint by numbers picture with every label neatly marked. There's nothing to see here unless you feel like you need to see every exorcism themed horror film and I assure you you don't.

The Audio & Video
20th Century Fox delivers a very attractive 1080p HD presentation of the film in a 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. Colors are vibrant and lively while flesh tones are naturally fleshy without any waxiness. Textures and surfaces show great detail and there's no issues with black levels blocking up. The English DTS-HD master audio is handled in a 5.1 surround mix that is well done. Levels are steady and feature a nice mix between dialogue and score. The sound quality is crystal clear and quite crisp with no background noise or damage.

The Extras
-"Exorcism: Beyond One Truth" featurette
-Clovesdale Institute: Security cam footage featurette
-Director diaries

The Bottom Line
There's not an awful lot that hasn't already been done in exorcism movies but THE EXORCISM OF MOLLY HARTLEY doesn't even try.

THE EXORCISM OF MOLLY HARTLEY is available HERE

October Horror Challenge 2015 - Day 24

Day 24 was filled with catching up on episodes of Masters of Horror that I'd never seen so let's get to it -

The V Word is a vampire story from Ernest Dickerson that doesn't take long to get started but quickly loses steam and becomes a waiting game for anything interesting to happen in the 2nd half. The make up and effects are good but this isn't one of the better episodes.

The acting in Brad Anderson's Sounds Like may be among the best in the series, especially from the lead Chris Bauer who carries the film as a man dealing with the tragic death of his young son and suffering from a condition that drastically amplifies his hearing levels. As his marriage falls apart it is easy to predict the complete and total mental breakdown and all of the horrors that come with it. If the rest of the episode was as good the end this would be a classic episode. Unfrotunately it is a bit too slow going and aside from Bauer there's not a single interesting character.

Tobe Hooper's season 2 entry was The Damned Thing and much like his entry in season 1, Dance of the Dead, I'm not a fan. The Damned Thing starts out with a bang and builds immediate interest in the story. There are a few incredibly violent and gory moments but the story just isn't strong enough. 

Lastly there was Dream Cruise from director Norio Tsuruta which was the extended episode of the season clocking in at around 87 minutes which helped this one a bit but unfortunately it's still mediocre. This is a love triangle that turns murderous with a very mid-2000s ghost story thrown on top of it set in the middle of the ocean on a yacht. Some chilling scenes and an okay story makes it worth a watch. 

Today's Rundown

The V Word - 4/10

Sounds Like - 5/10

The Damned Thing - 4/10

Dream Cruise - 5/10

October Horror Challenge 2015 - Day 23

Cushing and Lee, Lee and Cushing... are you getting tired of hearing about them? You shouldn't because they always mean a good time. Nothing But The Night isn't great but the acting is superb. This crime thriller turned horror story has a great ending that really pulls it above being average. It's worth checking out.

Cave Of The Living Dead is missing that moment to really lift it up. I can't say I think the movie is bad but I was disinterested for almost the entire film and it feels very cliche. It has all the tropes of a classic gothic vampire film but it never pulls you in or shocks you.

The last film of the night was The Exorcism Of Molly Hartley, which I'll be doing a full review on the Blu-ray release. I'll sum it up like this - I don't remember much about the first Molly Hartley movie other than I hated it. I don't think I hated this one quite as much but I certainly didn't like it.

Today's Rundown
Nothing But The Night - 6/10
Cave Of The Living Dead - 4/10
The Exorcism Of Molly Hartley - 3/10

October Horror Challenge 2015 - Day 21

Day 21 was a fun one with three first time viewings that I really enjoyed and revisiting one movie that had been on my mind lately.

First up was Bloody Knuckles, a Canadian production from last year that is absolutely hilarious as an underground comic book writer offends a local gang leader and gets his hand lopped off. Of course his hand comes back to life in order to exact revenge and help get his owner's life back together. Filled with lots of raunchy humor and plenty of violence, Bloody Knuckles reminds me of a "classier" Troma production. Or a film similar in tone to Troma productions without having the Troma schtick. Offensive, violent and a bit heartwarming at times, this is one of my favorite new movies from the last couple of years.

Then came another HP Lovecraft adaptation, one that I've wanted to see for several years. The Color Out Of Space was adapted in 2010 by director Huan Vu in Germany and it's a pretty good one. Despite some very poor CGI effects the film has that vibe and atmosphere that can only be summed up as "Lovecraftian". The performances also give off that eery and not quite right feeling as well. Solid writing, directing and acting really make this one a decent success that diehard Lovecraft fans will appreciate.

I'd been curious about 28 Weeks Later for several weeks. I haven't seen it since it was first released to DVD, and even then I may not have actually watched the disc in which case I haven't seen it since it was in theaters. It played out very similarly to how I remember it but everything seemed to move faster. There was no time t really let the suspense and tension build which was part of the reason this movie feels more like an action film than a horror sequel. The direction, shaky cam and effects also make sure that this movie is more of an action film in tone than a horror film. The movie isn't bad but it is predictable and very much style over substance.

Lastly was my favorite film of the day which is no surprise given the cast and director... Imagine being Pete Walker and waking on set for the first day and realizing that you actually get to direct Peter Cushing, Vincent Price, Christopher Lee and not least of all John Carradine all in one picture. That's my film making wet dream if there ever was one. The House Of The Long Shadows is horror comedy romp featuring an entire generation's worth of legends. The comedy isn't only written in the dialogue but in body language and facial expressions. The quartet prove they're more than capable of generating laughs from the audience. The natural energy that Pete Walker brought to the film is similar to that of the movie Clue that would hit theaters 2 short years later. It's that frenetic energy of Clue but slowed down a bit and a bit less zany, but only a bit. You can tell they had a blast making this picture and it translates to the screen. It's brilliant to watch them seamlessly switch between their serious acting chops and then add that ever so slight comedic touch.

Today's Rundown
Bloody Knuckles - 7.5/10
The Color Out Of Space - 6.5/10
28 Weeks Later - 5.5/10
House Of The Long Shadows - 8/10

October Horror Challenge 2015 - Day 20

I have always enjoyed nature's revenge type horror films but one that had escaped me seeing it for a long time was The Food Of The Gods. This film directed by Bert I. Gordon is an adaptation of a H. G. Wells story and is a wildly entertaining 70s B-movie. Featuring giant rats, giant wasps, giant worms and even a giant chicken, this fight for survival on a sparsely inhabited island isn't going to be easy for our group of country bumpkins, scientists and stranded vacationers. At least if they kill the chicken they'll have a few weeks worth of delicious dinners. The effects in this are questionable and extremely dated but it only adds to the charm and campiness.

I decided to make my way through Larry Cohen's It's Alive trilogy next. I have previously seen the first film and admittedly wasn't too impressed with it. It had been quite a few years however so I decided to revisit that one to start off with. The movie about a couple that give birth to a dangerous and deformed baby who murders anyone in his way actually features very little murderous baby action and focuses more on the father and his struggle to hold together his marriage and family with their older son and whether he can emotionally distance himself from this rampaging infant who local authorities are trying to capture. The acting is good, the score is good and the effects are good. The only thing holding this back for me is that there are stretches that could have been broken up with a bit more excitement from the baby.

The second film, It Lives Again, starts out with great promise. The first 30 minutes or so set up the story, and bring back our main character from the first film as he visits with families suspected of possibly having the chance at birthing a monster baby which the government has set out to eradicate as it has become a widespread problem. He's a voice fighting for the families right to have the child and love it. Unfortunately right when the movie should take off and hit the next gear in the story and become something great it veers straight into a brick wall and comes to a screeching halt. It immediately starts to drag on at this point and never recovers. It's not a bad film but it does end up being a missed opportunity to make a bigger and better version of the first.

Lastly is It's Alive 3: Island Of The Alive - At this point I think the best option for the series would have been to take the series and ram it head first into a cheese factory, especially for the fact that this film wasn't made until 1986, 13 years after the original and 8 after its immediate predecessor. The battle for the right for these babies to live is a courtroom topic and the judge rules that they be sent to a deserted island to live out their years safely removed from society. There are a few groups that don't like that idea and take their ideas and their guns to the island to exterminate them and meet nasty and untimely deaths as these creatures have become full grown in just a few years time and can reproduce. Eventually taking control of a boat and reaching landfall this would have been the perfect time for Larry Cohen to totally unleash a gory monster movie romp on the audience. The scene where the monsters make landfall is extremely reminiscent of the carnival attack scene in Humanoids From The Deep. Unfortunately the movie restrains itself and we're left with a movie with a very confused identity. I enjoyed the film and think it rivals the first movie for best in the series but this could have been a classic slice of 80s cheese.

Today's Rundown
Food Of The Gods - 7/10
It's Alive - 6.5/10
It Lives Again - 5.5/10
It's Alive 3 - 6.5/10

October Horror Challenge 2015 - Day 19

The Witch's Mirror is a chilly and creepy tale of black magic and revenge as a witch seeks vengeance after the murder of her daughter by her husband.  The story is simple and the film is beautifully shot and framed and is thick with atmosphere. Had it felt less familiar and given us a couple more moments that we maybe haven't seen before, or if the production felt just a bit bigger I think this one could be a classic. It's still quite good and one of my favorite Mexican horror films I've ever seen.

I wish the next two films of the day were as good as The Witch's Mirror but that's how these marathons go.

The Executioner Part 2 has a great poster, a great plot fit for exploitation gold. Hell even the opening 10 minutes are promising. And then it comes to a grinding halt where we have to watch a couple girls beg for cocaine with awful acting and horrible dubbing and just plain boring bullshit. This movie drags on and on and on and on. I wasn't expecting anything amazing and I definitely was expecting subpar filmmaking but I was at least hoping to be entertained. The only thing The Executioner killed was this movie. And for those wondering, no, there's no part 1.

And bad goes to worse. The Frozen Scream is awful in every single way. A weak story about slowing down life functions are bringing the person back at a lower body temperature to prevent the effects of aging is just barely touched upon while a series of gruesome murders is taking place and corpses are being turned into mind-controlled zombies. Or something. I was distracted through most of the movie wondering why everyone has a German or Eastern European accent. It didn't make any sense to me. And if I hear the name "Anne" one more fucking time I'm smashing something. Without exaggerating "Anne" has to be said close to 500 times. There's nothing at all worth checking out here. This is a Video Nasty but I'm not really sure why. I guess that the single shot of an axe to a head is what landed the movie on the banned films list but I'd like to think the censors actually cared about us for real this one time and just didn't want anyone to see this piece of shit.

Today's Rundown
The Witch's Mirror - 6.5/10
The Executioner Part 2 - 3/10
The Frozen Scream - 1/10