3rd Annual N&G 31 Days* of Halloween (2021)
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gaporter
Well-Known Member
MOVIE #42
Hotel Transylvania (2012)
So this obviously isn't a horror movie but I think it is a really fun movie for families to watch around Halloween. It's very goofy but it has a lot of charm to it. The characters here are family-friendly takes on many of the classic monsters, with Adam Sandler in the lead as Dracula. The cast features many of Sandler's usual collaborators and it sounds like a lot of them were enjoying their roles. The story is pretty much what you would expect from a movie like this, but there are some twists on the formula here and there, as well as some more emotional moments that help get you invested in the characters beyond just being caricatures of monsters. I think the movie's biggest strength is it's animation; it was directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, best known for Dexter's Laboratory, Samurai Jack and the Powerpuff Girls, among other things. His style is very recognizable and brings a lot of personality to what could have been a very bland kid's movie otherwise. The movie has a lot of energy and visual splendor and never gets boring. Maybe I am biased, because admittedly I have a soft spot for these "monster mash" type movies, but I enjoyed it. I can see this being a very good movie to introduce young audiences to the classic monsters.
Final rating:
Hotel Transylvania (2012)
So this obviously isn't a horror movie but I think it is a really fun movie for families to watch around Halloween. It's very goofy but it has a lot of charm to it. The characters here are family-friendly takes on many of the classic monsters, with Adam Sandler in the lead as Dracula. The cast features many of Sandler's usual collaborators and it sounds like a lot of them were enjoying their roles. The story is pretty much what you would expect from a movie like this, but there are some twists on the formula here and there, as well as some more emotional moments that help get you invested in the characters beyond just being caricatures of monsters. I think the movie's biggest strength is it's animation; it was directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, best known for Dexter's Laboratory, Samurai Jack and the Powerpuff Girls, among other things. His style is very recognizable and brings a lot of personality to what could have been a very bland kid's movie otherwise. The movie has a lot of energy and visual splendor and never gets boring. Maybe I am biased, because admittedly I have a soft spot for these "monster mash" type movies, but I enjoyed it. I can see this being a very good movie to introduce young audiences to the classic monsters.
Final rating:
gaporter
Well-Known Member
MOVIE #43
The Amityville Horror (1979)
This is considered a classic by many horror fans but I actually hadn't ever seen it. I liked it; the atmosphere is successfully creepy and it feels like there's something just "off" about the movie. This sounds like a bad thing but when it comes to horror, the sense of dread and unease works in the movie's favor. You can draw parallels between this movie and ones that would follow soon after and arguably one-upped it (such as The Shining or Poltergeist), but I think the movie holds up well as is. As for the legitimacy of the story the movie is based on, I don't care too much. I feel about it pretty much the same way about it that I feel when people knock the Conjuring movies because the Warrens are con artists; movies are allowed to detach from true life and I don't really expect realism from horror movies in the first place.
Final rating:
The Amityville Horror (1979)
This is considered a classic by many horror fans but I actually hadn't ever seen it. I liked it; the atmosphere is successfully creepy and it feels like there's something just "off" about the movie. This sounds like a bad thing but when it comes to horror, the sense of dread and unease works in the movie's favor. You can draw parallels between this movie and ones that would follow soon after and arguably one-upped it (such as The Shining or Poltergeist), but I think the movie holds up well as is. As for the legitimacy of the story the movie is based on, I don't care too much. I feel about it pretty much the same way about it that I feel when people knock the Conjuring movies because the Warrens are con artists; movies are allowed to detach from true life and I don't really expect realism from horror movies in the first place.
Final rating:
10. Blood Feast .5
I watched this because Stephen King says it was the worst horror movie he's ever watched and i was curious. The movie is not very good but I've seen worse. The plot was kind of really straight forward and you know everything up front which takes a bit of the mystery out. I'm guessing this might have been gross and over the top when it was made, but I mean its not that bad because the effects look really fake. But strangely enough - that was my favorite part of the movie. It had some charm. That and some of the lines were hilarious.
.5I watched this because Stephen King says it was the worst horror movie he's ever watched and i was curious. The movie is not very good but I've seen worse. The plot was kind of really straight forward and you know everything up front which takes a bit of the mystery out. I'm guessing this might have been gross and over the top when it was made, but I mean its not that bad because the effects look really fake. But strangely enough - that was my favorite part of the movie. It had some charm. That and some of the lines were hilarious.
gaporter
Well-Known Member
MOVIE #44
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010)
I think I liked the concept of this movie more than I did the movie itself. It's a fine enough film, but part of me feels like it could have been a bit more creative with its premise. The creatures in this movie are interesting and kind of fun to watch but they don't feel very threatening outside of a few sequences. It's also left kind of vague as to what they actually are. The film spends a lot of time focusing on the family that lives in the house, but I think it might have been beneficial to flesh out the dark fantasy elements more. However, despite these criticisms, it does have some well-done creepy scenes in it and the main performance from Bailee Madison is quite good. I'd say it's worth watching at least once.
Final rating:
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010)
I think I liked the concept of this movie more than I did the movie itself. It's a fine enough film, but part of me feels like it could have been a bit more creative with its premise. The creatures in this movie are interesting and kind of fun to watch but they don't feel very threatening outside of a few sequences. It's also left kind of vague as to what they actually are. The film spends a lot of time focusing on the family that lives in the house, but I think it might have been beneficial to flesh out the dark fantasy elements more. However, despite these criticisms, it does have some well-done creepy scenes in it and the main performance from Bailee Madison is quite good. I'd say it's worth watching at least once.
Final rating:
gaporter
Well-Known Member
MOVIE #45
House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
This is definitely one of those acquired taste kind of movies, as is to be expected from Rob Zombie. I find it an entertaining watch and there's no denying it's a very unique film, for better or worse. I think my only major complaint is the movie's editing; there's some scenes that have a distracting filter put over them that I think is supposed to be reminiscent of something from a 70s grindhouse movie, but really it just looks kind of bad. The frantic editing does help give the movie its identity but I think it goes a bit overboard. Then again, going overboard is kind of what this movie is all about, so I guess it's supposed to be kind of extreme. Overall, I like it, but would understand why others wouldn't.
Final rating:
House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
This is definitely one of those acquired taste kind of movies, as is to be expected from Rob Zombie. I find it an entertaining watch and there's no denying it's a very unique film, for better or worse. I think my only major complaint is the movie's editing; there's some scenes that have a distracting filter put over them that I think is supposed to be reminiscent of something from a 70s grindhouse movie, but really it just looks kind of bad. The frantic editing does help give the movie its identity but I think it goes a bit overboard. Then again, going overboard is kind of what this movie is all about, so I guess it's supposed to be kind of extreme. Overall, I like it, but would understand why others wouldn't.
Final rating:
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gaporter
Well-Known Member
MOVIE #46
Fright Night (1985)
This is a really awesome movie featuring some great acting and special effects, as well as a decently told story. I enjoy this movie's take on vampires; it does a really good job of emphasizing the predatory nature of vampires. The way the main antagonist plays mind games with the main character really communicates a feeling of helplessness. Nearly every character in the movie is memorable, whether it be legendary vampire killer Peter Vincent, Jerry Dandridge or "Evil Ed." It's a very fun and likable movie and a high point in 80s horror.
Final rating:
Fright Night (1985)
This is a really awesome movie featuring some great acting and special effects, as well as a decently told story. I enjoy this movie's take on vampires; it does a really good job of emphasizing the predatory nature of vampires. The way the main antagonist plays mind games with the main character really communicates a feeling of helplessness. Nearly every character in the movie is memorable, whether it be legendary vampire killer Peter Vincent, Jerry Dandridge or "Evil Ed." It's a very fun and likable movie and a high point in 80s horror.
Final rating:
catching up on what I watched the last couple days...
#26. Halloween II (1981)
Now that this movie was retconned out of existence Even though Halloween Kills uses the shot of Sheriff Brackett ID'ing Annies body on the stretcher from this movie, I still consider it one of my favorite, and usually have to watch it back-to-back with the original.
The wig still is bad, though.
#26. Halloween II (1981)
Now that this movie was retconned out of existence Even though Halloween Kills uses the shot of Sheriff Brackett ID'ing Annies body on the stretcher from this movie, I still consider it one of my favorite, and usually have to watch it back-to-back with the original.
The wig still is bad, though.
#27. Day Of The Dead (1985)
I wasn't planning to watch this one, but I had Pluto's Horror channel on the TV and caught the end of "Chopping Mall", and then this came on after...so I watched it.
I took a pic of my blu ray just to post it here...
I wasn't planning to watch this one, but I had Pluto's Horror channel on the TV and caught the end of "Chopping Mall", and then this came on after...so I watched it.
I took a pic of my blu ray just to post it here...
mcherry
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01. April Fool’s Day (1986)
I’ve been keeping track of what I’ve been watching since Sept and I’ve finally gotten around to posting. There is a lot, so I’ll keep it to a few each day as I catch up.
Okay, this movie. I love this movie and watch it every year. A comedy slasher film with a fun twist, also starring the kooky Deborah Foreman who you might recognize from the film Valley Girl. Entertaining even when some of it gets a little predictable. Great flick.
I’ve been keeping track of what I’ve been watching since Sept and I’ve finally gotten around to posting. There is a lot, so I’ll keep it to a few each day as I catch up.
Okay, this movie. I love this movie and watch it every year. A comedy slasher film with a fun twist, also starring the kooky Deborah Foreman who you might recognize from the film Valley Girl. Entertaining even when some of it gets a little predictable. Great flick.
mcherry
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02. Stranger Things, s2 (2017)
Rewatched with the hubs. I still have complaints about one or two episodes but overall I had fun seeing this again, and even found that some things that had bothered me when I first saw it were not so annoying four years later
Rewatched with the hubs. I still have complaints about one or two episodes but overall I had fun seeing this again, and even found that some things that had bothered me when I first saw it were not so annoying four years later
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mcherry
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03. Horror of Dracula aka Dracula (1958)
A classic Hammer horror film, this was Christopher Lee’s first outing as Dracula and it's aged pretty well, I think. The U.S. release called it Horror of Dracula so it wouldn’t be confused with the Lugosi film, but it’s essentially another film based on Stoker’s book.
For some reason it didn’t hold as much of my attention during this year’s viewing hence the four skulls instead of five. But Lee is great and Peter Cushing as Van Helsing is chef’s kiss.
A classic Hammer horror film, this was Christopher Lee’s first outing as Dracula and it's aged pretty well, I think. The U.S. release called it Horror of Dracula so it wouldn’t be confused with the Lugosi film, but it’s essentially another film based on Stoker’s book.
For some reason it didn’t hold as much of my attention during this year’s viewing hence the four skulls instead of five. But Lee is great and Peter Cushing as Van Helsing is chef’s kiss.
mcherry
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04. Slasher, s1: The Executioner (2016)
Is the minimum one skull or zero skulls? I gave it one but if zero is allowed, this should really be a big zero.
Slasher is an anthology series and I’d never seen it before but the premise of the first season seemed interesting enough. Young woman whose parents were murdered on Halloween returns to her hometown, and oh no, a copycat starts killing people soon after. It starts okay but then progressively gets worse over the 8 episodes and by the end I was appalled by how nonsensical it was. The gore was fun but not worth the bad plotting.
I don’t know if the other seasons are any better but I’m not inclined to watch them.
Is the minimum one skull or zero skulls? I gave it one but if zero is allowed, this should really be a big zero.
Slasher is an anthology series and I’d never seen it before but the premise of the first season seemed interesting enough. Young woman whose parents were murdered on Halloween returns to her hometown, and oh no, a copycat starts killing people soon after. It starts okay but then progressively gets worse over the 8 episodes and by the end I was appalled by how nonsensical it was. The gore was fun but not worth the bad plotting.
I don’t know if the other seasons are any better but I’m not inclined to watch them.
JohnnyCashFan
Well-Known Member
Hope you and your family feel better soon Lee. Stay hydrated and rested and get some fresh air when you can.
Hemotep
Well-Known Member
Didn't see this thread before tonight, but I've been in the scary movie kick the last few weeks. Here's my list so far:
1. Fear Street: 1994
2. Fear Street: 1978
3. Fear Street: 1666
4. Malignant
5. The Nun
6. The Conjuring
7. La Llorana
8. The Conjuring 2
9. Event Horizon
10. Bride of Chucky
11. Cult of Chucky
12. Final Destination
13. Halloween Kills
14. The Neon Demon
15. The Ring
16. Annabel Creation
17. Sinister
18. The Skeleton Key
19. Candyman
20. Lords of Salem
1. Fear Street: 1994
2. Fear Street: 1978
3. Fear Street: 1666
4. Malignant
5. The Nun
6. The Conjuring
7. La Llorana
8. The Conjuring 2
9. Event Horizon
10. Bride of Chucky
11. Cult of Chucky
12. Final Destination
13. Halloween Kills
14. The Neon Demon
15. The Ring
16. Annabel Creation
17. Sinister
18. The Skeleton Key
19. Candyman
20. Lords of Salem
CrazyDiamond84
Well-Known Member
1. Eyes Without A Face (1960)
First time seeing this one. I wasn't quite sure about it for the first third or so of the movie, but the creepiness kept me watching. It's a slow burner, but once it gets going, it's worth the watch. Very ahead of its time on the gore factor, as there wasn't a whole lot shown on the screen back in 1960. The "mask" worn is definitely reminiscent of Michael Myers.
Where to stream: HBO Max
First time seeing this one. I wasn't quite sure about it for the first third or so of the movie, but the creepiness kept me watching. It's a slow burner, but once it gets going, it's worth the watch. Very ahead of its time on the gore factor, as there wasn't a whole lot shown on the screen back in 1960. The "mask" worn is definitely reminiscent of Michael Myers.
Where to stream: HBO Max
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#29. My Bloody Valentine (1981)
I know I watched this at some point in the past, but when watching it again I had no recollection of any of it.
Unfortunately, this is a pretty boring and the R-rated version i streamed seems pretty tame. I do see Shout Factory released a R-Rated/Unrated blu ray, but I never picked that one up.
I've had this DVD for years, and I must have watched it before, but I just didn't remember anything about the movie. It's watchable, but was a bit slow and I really didn't care about any of the people getting killed.
I know I watched this at some point in the past, but when watching it again I had no recollection of any of it.
Unfortunately, this is a pretty boring and the R-rated version i streamed seems pretty tame. I do see Shout Factory released a R-Rated/Unrated blu ray, but I never picked that one up.
I've had this DVD for years, and I must have watched it before, but I just didn't remember anything about the movie. It's watchable, but was a bit slow and I really didn't care about any of the people getting killed.
#30. You're Next (2013)
I'm not sure why, but I never watched this one until now. It was entertaining. I'm not sure it needed the whole "twist" at the end.
In fact, I'm actually tired of these "twists". Why can't killers just be killers...we don't need a reason why they are killing.
I don't currently own this one, so I streamed it, but the blu ray has been ordered. Having a commentary with Barbara Crampton and other cast members convinced me to purchase it.
It's unfortunate that they didn't actually use "Perfect Day" in the movie that is used in the trailer.
I'm not sure why, but I never watched this one until now. It was entertaining. I'm not sure it needed the whole "twist" at the end.
In fact, I'm actually tired of these "twists". Why can't killers just be killers...we don't need a reason why they are killing.
I don't currently own this one, so I streamed it, but the blu ray has been ordered. Having a commentary with Barbara Crampton and other cast members convinced me to purchase it.
It's unfortunate that they didn't actually use "Perfect Day" in the movie that is used in the trailer.