Horror Movie a Day: October 2011

[dignan]

Day 27:  Attack The Block
Day 28:  Phantasm
Day 29:  Phantasm II
Day 30:  The Lost Boys

I really liked Attack The Block.  Highly recommended!

[Relaxing Dragon]

I really liked Attack The Block.  Highly recommended!

It's a good'un, that one

Ghostbusters. Didn't expect much out of this one going it, but it turned out to be pretty good. Folks on this board might dig it.

Hellbound: Hellraiser 2. Where the series gets into the mythology angle. It seems to work, and I like how they continue to leave the Cenobites in the background. It makes them much more effective, and apparently the rest of the series doesn't follow suit. These movies always present a good (if weird) atmosphere of pleasure/pain, and it's very effective with the trippy sets, makeup, and gore. Good movie, I liked it just as much as the first. Whether I'll start to brave the rest of the series (I hear it takes a nosedive from here) remains to be seen.

The Devil's Chair. Man, nuts to this movie. It is a movie that tries to have its cake and eat it too, if I may use that overdone expression. It starts as somewhat of a supernatural horror flick of a weird chair in an abandoned asylum (where else) that can absorb people's blood and send them to another dimension, as a sacrifice for a demon. A guy (who looks like a poor man's Jason Stathom. Seriously) brings his girlfriend there, and when she disappears he's accused of the murder. A few crazy years of being in an institution later, and a professor and some students take him back to see if they can figure out what really went down. All of this is narrated in a remarkably irritating way by the main character, who will frequently pause the movie (or just talk over it) to give his thoughts. It's a movie that spends most of the running time going one way, and then tries to pull a Funny Games on the audience while not being smart enough to do it. Bad acting is everywhere (especially the professor. Oh god, the professor), the gore isn't enough, and every creepy shot or set is generally undermined by the stupid story. Not a good movie to begin with, and it giving the finger to all the gorehounds out there (referenced by name as it tries to be edgy. Also, protip movie: pointing out and lampshading the flaws of the film in a voiceover do not make up for them) doesn't help. One to skip.

Trick 'r Treat. Far and away the best Halloween-related movie ever made, without question. It lives, breathes, eats, and defines the whole spirit of the holiday, and it also manages to be a damn fine horror movie as well (an anthology no less, which are pretty difficult to pull off and rare these days). Great set designs, costumes (the old school costumes, not the licensed characters you see too often these days), characters, scares, and stories. It's one of my favorite horror movies of the past decade, and one that I love watching this time of year.

The Thing (1982). Flawless. Full stop.

Ghostbusters:
Best Bit: It's Ghostbusters, I can't be expected to choose. I will say that Murray's comeback of "It's true. This man has no dick." is probably my favorite line of the movie (like so many others).
Death Count: 0 (well, I guess you could say that Peck chocked to death on the marshmallow goo. But that just seems mean).

Hellbound: Hellraiser 2:
Best Bit: It's all pretty good, though the stuff in Hell (was it Hell? I guess it was Hell) were especially cool. Sure, some of the forced perspective backdrops don't hold up (particularly the ones where you can clearly see it's painted on the wall), but the intricate designs and ideas present go a long way. Plus there's still plenty of good Cenobite goodness down there, especially once the good Doctor transforms into his head-stalk-puppet-thing.
Death Count: 10

The Devil's Chair
Best Bit: Some of the stuff in the nightmare world is actually pretty unnerving and creepy. It has that vaguely Silent Hill vibe to it (the Otherworld of Silent Hill), and the first appearance of the creature (along with whatever the hell it was under the blanket) further added to the sweat nightmare quality. But then the first attack rolls around (which doesn't even result in a freakin' death) and things start to flatten out. Mostly downhill from there, sadly.
Death Count: 5

Trick 'r Treat:
Best Bit: Very tough call here, it's all good. I think it's easier to pick the numerous little bits that always jump out to me as great spots. Dylan Baker's perfectly creepy and funny (all at once) delivery of a simple "Happy Halloween", the part near the beginning where we see Mr. Kreeg get jumped in the background (we find out later what was going down, but it was a great "Hey, what, did you see that?" moment), the fact that pretty much every line of dialogue by the girls is a reference to their true nature, the many creative pumpkin carvings, that single, all-too-brief and totally gorgeous shot of the nighttime pumpkin patch... this is the sort of movie that rewards rewatches and close looks, and I love it all the more for it.
Death Count: 8 (skimping on the party deaths because they were all offscreen and it's hard to get an accurate count of who was there to begin with)

The Thing:
Best Bit: *descends into a gibbering, rambling madness as I describe, discuss, and interpret every scene, shot, and line of dialogue in the movie*
Death Count: 12

[Compound]

Heh, heh.

I'm ending the month with a VHS offering. Yes, it's goofy enough that they never put it on DVD. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Oh, and prior to the film, there's an ad for Alien Seed which looks like an even worse worse of Abraxis. Yes, ponder that for a sec.

[JimJ]

Movie #33: Nosferatu

This was pretty good.  Max Schreck is probably the creepiest looking vampire ever.  Kind of slow at parts, but I enjoyed it. 3.5/5

And DONE!  All achievements are completed.  Looking forward to doing it again next year.

[shodan]

last movie is going to be Tim Burton's corpse bride. the addams family values, then the Shining, with Hobo with a shotgun as an action chaser.

[SJP]

And final movie:
Van Helsing

I shouldn't like this movie.  I really shouldn't.  It's dumb, full of explosions and it contains massive amounts of CG, the bane of my existence.  But I do.  I think it has to do with Stephen Sommers, the director.  Unlike Michael Bay, Sommers knows he's making very expensive schlock, and runs with it as fast as he can.  He's the one major "dumb fun" blockbuster maker I can stomach...even G.I. Joe didn't really bother me, and Deep Rising is pure B-grade entertainment.  But Van Helsing's the standby I go to for Halloween.  I do know this movie is never considered average by anyone, it's either loved or hated with high intensity...I just happen to be on the 'I like it' side of the divide.  Shame is, I know exactly why people don't like it, but it doesn't bother me for some reason.

I will say I didn't like Roxburgh as Dracula when I first saw it; I thought he was just weird in the role.  On a second viewing, though, I thought he was hilarious.  It's not a classic Dracula...it really isn't Dracula at all, except in name...but he does great facial expressions I never noticed on my first viewing.

I will also give it props for the single best CG werewolf design of any movie I've seen.  It may not hold a candle to a stuntman forced to stand in struts for 8 hours a day, but if it were a fully CG movie I don't think anyone would have a problem with it.  Shame it's preceded by two of the WORST CG werewolves outside of a cheapo Asylum Production, though.

[Darth Geek]

And final movie:
Van Helsing

I shouldn't like this movie.  I really shouldn't.  It's dumb, full of explosions and it contains massive amounts of CG, the bane of my existence.  But I do.  I think it has to do with Stephen Sommers, the director.  Unlike Michael Bay, Sommers knows he's making very expensive schlock, and runs with it as fast as he can.  He's the one major "dumb fun" blockbuster maker I can stomach...even G.I. Joe didn't really bother me, and Deep Rising is pure B-grade entertainment.  But Van Helsing's the standby I go to for Halloween.  I do know this movie is never considered average by anyone, it's either loved or hated with high intensity...I just happen to be on the 'I like it' side of the divide.  Shame is, I know exactly why people don't like it, but it doesn't bother me for some reason.

I will say I didn't like Roxburgh as Dracula when I first saw it; I thought he was just weird in the role.  On a second viewing, though, I thought he was hilarious.  It's not a classic Dracula...it really isn't Dracula at all, except in name...but he does great facial expressions I never noticed on my first viewing.

I will also give it props for the single best CG werewolf design of any movie I've seen.  It may not hold a candle to a stuntman forced to stand in struts for 8 hours a day, but if it were a fully CG movie I don't think anyone would have a problem with it.  Shame it's preceded by two of the WORST CG werewolves outside of a cheapo Asylum Production, though.

Even if you like the film, make sure to check out the Quiptracks rif. Great, great stuff. And I agree with you about the werewolf design. I do like the design, if not the exectuion so much.

Speaking of which, Anna's "death by being pushed into a couch" after being pinballed around the whole movie and having the skin of tank armor, should have been a dishonerable mention in Top 50 Deaths LoC.

[SJP]

And final movie:
Van Helsing

I shouldn't like this movie.  I really shouldn't.  It's dumb, full of explosions and it contains massive amounts of CG, the bane of my existence.  But I do.  I think it has to do with Stephen Sommers, the director.  Unlike Michael Bay, Sommers knows he's making very expensive schlock, and runs with it as fast as he can.  He's the one major "dumb fun" blockbuster maker I can stomach...even G.I. Joe didn't really bother me, and Deep Rising is pure B-grade entertainment.  But Van Helsing's the standby I go to for Halloween.  I do know this movie is never considered average by anyone, it's either loved or hated with high intensity...I just happen to be on the 'I like it' side of the divide.  Shame is, I know exactly why people don't like it, but it doesn't bother me for some reason.

I will say I didn't like Roxburgh as Dracula when I first saw it; I thought he was just weird in the role.  On a second viewing, though, I thought he was hilarious.  It's not a classic Dracula...it really isn't Dracula at all, except in name...but he does great facial expressions I never noticed on my first viewing.

I will also give it props for the single best CG werewolf design of any movie I've seen.  It may not hold a candle to a stuntman forced to stand in struts for 8 hours a day, but if it were a fully CG movie I don't think anyone would have a problem with it.  Shame it's preceded by two of the WORST CG werewolves outside of a cheapo Asylum Production, though.

Even if you like the film, make sure to check out the Quiptracks rif. Great, great stuff. And I agree with you about the werewolf design. I do like the design, if not the exectuion so much.

Speaking of which, Anna's "death by being pushed into a couch" after being pinballed around the whole movie and having the skin of tank armor, should have been a dishonerable mention in Top 50 Deaths LoC.

Yes, got the Quiptracks riff.  And yes, it is hilarious.  Igor yelling at the little monster guys about the "people on the dance floor getting bored" always gets me.

I actually made a "Van Helsing in 10 Seconds" thing that pretty much makes fun of that little issue of hers back in...man, about 2009, but I never uploaded it to Youtube in fear of the censoring board.  Think anybody would mind it these days?

[Relaxing Dragon]

My memory of watching Van Helsing is so vague I can't make any kind of judgement against it. I will say that, by and large, I generally dig Stephen Summer movies (the ones I've seen, at least). I'm a big fan of the first two Mummy movies (yes, including the second one) and outright love Deep Rising.

Anyway, final film for the month. There was a screening downtown after class, and while I would've preferred to head home to watch teh trick or treaters go about the neighborhood, this was good too.

Zombie. Finally gotten around to seeing this one, which is apparently a classic in the zombie genre. And while it's pretty light on the characters and plot, it works wonders in the zombie department. The zombie make-up is outstanding, and a lot of the setups work really well. I actually can't remember the last time I remember zombies rising out of the ground to be played this straight (Return of the Living Dead notwithstanding), and it makes for some very creepy moments. Plus, of course, there's the famous zombie-vs-shark, and the eyeball stab (which had my entire theater squirming in their seats. It was wonderful). It's definitely a good zombie movie, even if (again) it's lacking in a lot of other department (and seems to have a thing against women, as they're all useless loads in this movie who freeze up whenever a zombie so much as glances at them).

Best Bit: Is there really any doubt as to what it could be? Shoot, I already mentioned them up there: zombie-vs-shark and eye-vs-wodden-shard. The shark one is particularly effective, what with that being a real shark. Sure, it was drugged to the gills, but it was still real! Took balls of steel on everyone involved to get that one done, yessir.
Death Count: 5

OK! That's Halloween, and that's my movie list. Now it's time to go through the achievements and see how I did:

THIS IS AHBSOLUTELY FAHCINATING - Watched a movie you've never seen before. (20 points/Silver)
Oh yeah, did plenty of this one. In fact, only 11 of the movies I watched this month were ones I'd seen before (and only 3 of them ones I watched last year, I believe). The rest were all new to me, many of them ones I'd been putting off for ages.

I'LL TEACH YOU TO THROW AWAY MY COMIC BOOK! - Watch a movie adapted from some other source material. (10 points/Bronze)
The Serpent and the Rainbow and The Thing netted me this one.

NOBODY TRUSTS ANYBODY ANYMORE - Watch a movie with a friend. (20 points/Silver)
A bundle watched with friends, either at my house, at the theater, or at their house. Still got many done by myself, because I'm a loner like that sometimes.

HERE'S JOHNNY! - Watch your first film. (10 points/Bronze)
Kicked off with 28 Days Later. Good way to get things moving, says I.

WITH FAVA BEANS AND A NICE CHIANTI - Watch a suitably gory flick while eating...and keep it all down. (20 points/Silver)
In all honesty I can't really give myself this one. Sure, I watched plenty of gory ones, and was eating while doing so on a few occasions, but it was pretty much just pasta I was eating when it happened. I needed to do this with a plate of pizza and Feast playing, something like that.

MY FAMILY'S ALWAYS BEEN IN MEAT - Watch at least three films from the same franchise. (20 points/Silver)
Dawn, Day, and Land of the Dead (in reverse order).

IT HURTS TO BE DEAD - Watch a film that contains at least one zombie. (10 points/Bronze)
The above-mentioned Romero movies, along with The Serpent and the Rainbow and (naturally) Zombie

WOLFMAN'S GOT NARDS! - Watch a film that contains at least one werewolf. (10 points/Bronze)
Thank you, Trick 'r Treat, for that moment that always catches people off-guard the first time through.

I NEVER DRINK...WINE. - Watch a film that contains at least one vampire. (10 points/Bronze)
Actually didn't get to any, believe it or not (I could cheat and count Trick 'r Treat here as well, but I won't). I caught the end of From Duck 'Till Dawn on TV, but that wasn't the same thing (although I do need to rewatch that movie sometime, it's been a while).

HE WATCHED THE TAPE - Watch a film that contains at least one ghost. (10 points/Bronze)
Who ya gonna call?

SAYONARA, RICK-SAN! - Over the course of numerous viewings, total up at least 100 victims. (20 points/Silver)
My death count total: 236 (topped 100 by my 13th movie, appropriately enough).

THIS IS WHERE HE HOTCURLS HER TO DEATH - Watch one movie with over 10 onscreen victims. (10 points/Bronze)
I got this one a couple times, but my highest death count was Blood Diner's smashing 35.

HUMANS...YOU'RE NOT WORTH THE FLESH YOU'RE PRINTED ON! - Watched 10 movies. (10 points/Bronze)
Conjured my wasy here by Dr. Mordrid.

YOU'RE A SICK MAN, MISTER PRICE - Watched 20 movies. (20 points/Silver)
Cold Prey was my 20th (which is too bad, I should've gotten a more memorable film for a 'special' number).

WHEN THERE'S NO MORE ROOM IN HELL... - Watched 31 films, without missing a day. (30 points/Gold)
Sadly, do to schedule conflicts that had me away from a tv for the time needed to watch something (and because some genius decided that October was the perfect season to put all the midterms and essays), I missed 3 days this month. I pulled back ahead in the overall count for 32, though, so all was not lost.

DUAMERTHRAX THE INDESTRUCTIBLE - You crossed off everything on the list!  Good show! (50 points/Platinum)
Better luck next year it seems.

Total Achievements: 12/16
Total Points: 170/280

Had a ton of fun doing this, as always. And even though I didn't quite do it perfectly, I still can't wait to do it again.

[Darth Geek]

And final movie:
Van Helsing

I shouldn't like this movie.  I really shouldn't.  It's dumb, full of explosions and it contains massive amounts of CG, the bane of my existence.  But I do.  I think it has to do with Stephen Sommers, the director.  Unlike Michael Bay, Sommers knows he's making very expensive schlock, and runs with it as fast as he can.  He's the one major "dumb fun" blockbuster maker I can stomach...even G.I. Joe didn't really bother me, and Deep Rising is pure B-grade entertainment.  But Van Helsing's the standby I go to for Halloween.  I do know this movie is never considered average by anyone, it's either loved or hated with high intensity...I just happen to be on the 'I like it' side of the divide.  Shame is, I know exactly why people don't like it, but it doesn't bother me for some reason.

I will say I didn't like Roxburgh as Dracula when I first saw it; I thought he was just weird in the role.  On a second viewing, though, I thought he was hilarious.  It's not a classic Dracula...it really isn't Dracula at all, except in name...but he does great facial expressions I never noticed on my first viewing.

I will also give it props for the single best CG werewolf design of any movie I've seen.  It may not hold a candle to a stuntman forced to stand in struts for 8 hours a day, but if it were a fully CG movie I don't think anyone would have a problem with it.  Shame it's preceded by two of the WORST CG werewolves outside of a cheapo Asylum Production, though.

Even if you like the film, make sure to check out the Quiptracks rif. Great, great stuff. And I agree with you about the werewolf design. I do like the design, if not the exectuion so much.

Speaking of which, Anna's "death by being pushed into a couch" after being pinballed around the whole movie and having the skin of tank armor, should have been a dishonerable mention in Top 50 Deaths LoC.

Yes, got the Quiptracks riff.  And yes, it is hilarious.  Igor yelling at the little monster guys about the "people on the dance floor getting bored" always gets me.

I actually made a "Van Helsing in 10 Seconds" thing that pretty much makes fun of that little issue of hers back in...man, about 2009, but I never uploaded it to Youtube in fear of the censoring board.  Think anybody would mind it these days?

One of my favorite bits, too.

I would like to see that clip. Try posting it up on Youtube. Couldn't hurt.

[D.B. Barnes]

#30 - The Breed

Pretty stock horror stuff here, but that didn't prevent me from enjoying at least some of it. I like the concept of these smart, organized dogs terrorizing people. There are some cool deaths and some good tension, but the ending is pretty lame.

MOVIE GRADE: C+

#31 - Halloween III (with Hor-RIFF-ic iRiff)

Another solid riff from Team Hor-RIFF-ic. The movie is so laughably bad, it almost riffs itself. It's Troll 2 levels of suck. Michael Myers isn't even in the goddamn movie! I love the running gags about the main character and his boozy ineptitude. Hor-RIFF-ic could've been real nasty with this complete turd, but the riffs are just funny rather than mean-spirited. This movie does a good enough job of hating itself on its own.

MOVIE GRADE: D

IRIFF GRADE: A-


I can't believe I actually finished! I didn't think I had a snowball's chance in hell of making through the whole month. Meaningless achievement unlocked!

[SJP]

Ah, but now for the thrilling conclusion!  Bonus question time!

Can anyone name all the film quotes each achievement comes from?  And who, exactly, is Duamerthrax?

[Russell]

#28 - Triangle

This was the second time watching this so it didn't have as much of a WOW factor, but I still enjoyed it. This is really well done. Great atmosphere and pretty damn scary.
MOVIE GRADE: B+

Got something for you Barnes...
http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/teamt/phelous/29024-triangle

[D.B. Barnes]

#28 - Triangle

This was the second time watching this so it didn't have as much of a WOW factor, but I still enjoyed it. This is really well done. Great atmosphere and pretty damn scary.
MOVIE GRADE: B+

Got something for you Barnes...
http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/teamt/phelous/29024-triangle

Wow. I could stand listening to that dude for about three minutes, and I can listen to Plinkett for ninety minutes. What an immensely annoying persona. I gather he didn't care for the movie. Oh well, opinions are like this guy; everybody's got 'em.

[Darth Geek]

#28 - Triangle

This was the second time watching this so it didn't have as much of a WOW factor, but I still enjoyed it. This is really well done. Great atmosphere and pretty damn scary.
MOVIE GRADE: B+

Got something for you Barnes...
http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/teamt/phelous/29024-triangle

Wow. I could stand listening to that dude for about three minutes, and I can listen to Plinkett for ninety minutes. What an immensely annoying persona. I gather he didn't care for the movie. Oh well, opinions are like this guy; everybody's got 'em.

I don't mind his voice, I just get tired of the constant sarcasm. He's tends to be very one note in jokes.