I know you mentioned you had that film on Blu along with 'Curse of' and 'Resurrection'.

I was thinking of getting it myself but H20 looks really good on dvd so there's no need.

The bluray is absolutely dreadful I can in no-way recommend it to anyone :lol:
As soon as someone puts out a decent version of H20 i'll be purchasing it in a heartbeat.

I know, right? I have the Scream Factory boxset, and was shocked at how drab H20's picture quality was. Wonder what happened.

If you have that box set then your version of H20 is MILES better than the Miramax version. both are pretty bad but the Miramax 3 films squeezed into one disc is truly awful :) I only bought it (about 5 years ago) because it was cheaper than the DVDs separately. I'm considering getting the iTunes version (£10 for the three) because the compression has got to be better.

Note - This is not this years pumpkin from me but a previous years. I have a lovely large pumpkin already but no idea what design to go with.

Hatchet 2

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped..._II_poster.jpg

Still a lot of fun, favourite kills have got to be the couple banging and the chainsaw up the middle.

October 25th
 

Night of the Demons 2 (1994)

This film more than the others constantly screws with my head. At around the same time this came out i was dating a woman a few years older than myself who looked exactly like Angela (Amelia Kinkade) in this film. From the thick jet black hair to the bright red lipstick.

Thankfully she only looked like the human Angela - The demon Angela was to come when it took me six years to actually not see her anymore despite my best efforts. (Don't ask but something was worth going back for) Yes, a nine month fling took six years to finally come to an end. Why did this not happen with a Christine Taylor lookalike?

Aside from reliving those horrors, Brian Trenchard-Smith's film is a fun watch and as Justin alluded to, is better than the original eighties film.

Halloween: H20 (1998)

A good cast, some nice in joke easter eggs and some well done set pieces make Halloween: H20 one of the classier offerings in the series.

A sequel to Halloween II, all further installments are completely ignored, this feels like the real deal, even if it owes a little too much to writer Kevin Williamson's Scream, in fact i'm sure it even nicks musical cues from that film, but with Michael Myers in good form (Thankfully i've never dated him...totally impossible to shake off according to Ms Strode) it's easy to ignore those details and just enjoy H20 for what it is - a fine entry in the Halloween series.

Made me laugh, both reviews!
Still trying to decide what to watch tonight, but I'm knackered so I think a trusty old fav is in order.

The region free Japanese BD is the way to go with H20.
It ain't cheap though.....

I used to have that old US disc with the ****ed up ratio.

The Jp disc uses the 2:39:1 ratio as opposed to the ****ed up 1:78:1 on the Mill Creek release.....

Don't know what the Miramax/Paramount doubles/triples use.

Pretty sure the disc in the SF used the correct ratio as well.

Any fans of Universal monsters?

The 4k upgrade is well worth it.

So far I've watched both Dracula and the timeless classic Frankenstein.

Going to continue with the b&w classics tonight with the BFI's superb package of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.:frank:

30 days of unseen horror

Film 24

Attachment 237254

Doctor Lloyd Claytons twin brother Elwyn has just died but there are conflicting stories of how he died the locals were all afraid of Elwyn with rumours that he was a servant of satan. Elwyn had a servant of his own Zolarr a hunchback who knows that Lloyd had a hand in the death of his brother. It's not long after the burial that Zolarr removes his master's coffin and Elwyn returns from the dead to get his revenge on his brother and his first target is their niece Gayle but her new fiance David will not allow harm to come to her but that may be easier said than done.


This is a different take on a vampire film almost a jekyll and hyde feel even if its two separate people but we get the one good brother and one evil brother it's good by day bad by night. There is plenty of atmosphere as you would expect from a film from this time lighting shadows and fog really give life to those night time scenes with some nice effects when Elwyn appears and disappears right before our eyes. The film moves at a decent pace no padding just straight to the point and it all builds up to a very enjoyable climax. My only complaint is the music it has that creepy vibe but then there is a few bars thrown in that are far more suited to a comedy with is very odd and can spoil the atmosphere of a few of the darker moments.

7/10

30 days of unseen horror

Film 25

Attachment 237256

Newlyweds Eric and Jenni move in to the house that Eric once lived with his first wife before she died in an accident on the grounds of their mansion. While Eric was away his faithful gardener has maintained the place to perfection Mickey who has the mind of a child was very attached to Marianne and he has never accepted her death. Soon after they move in Jenni starts to experience strange things happening in the house from noises to the constant appearance of a human skull all around the house for Jenni who has a history of mental illness this is all proving too much for her and she starts losing her mind but Eric is convinced it's just Mickey playing mind games to force Jenni out of the house or maybe Marianne has returned from beyond the grave to stop her husband finding happiness.

I absolutely loved this can't believe i never saw this before. The whole film is so well put together it does such a great job of building tension and everything about it is creepy the howling winds the window shutters banging the sounds of the trees hitting off the walls the creams of the peacocks but it would all be for nothing without the fantastic acting of Peggy Webber as Jenni watching her makes you believe that she is scared out of get wits and genuinely losing her mind it's brilliant to watch her in action. In the last film i reviewed i said my only complaint was the music but with this film the music is amazing it just raises every single scene to a whole new level it's always a perfect fit for the scene it's in. I'm actually blown away by this film i actually don't know what else to say maybe it doesn't seem like it but i sort of lost for words. I have that warm fuzzy feeling in my stomach now after watching it it's been a while since a film gave me that feeling honestly.

9/10

Glad you liked The Screaming Skull, Nordy. It's fantastic.

Hope you watched a good print of it. MGM released it on dvd in the US as part of a four film set and it looks superb.

I'm going to order the Blu Ray from Scream Factory i can't wait to see it again.

I'll have to investigate that myself.

Wonderful poster art too.

Bells. 1982,

A disgruntled phone company employee have created a way for people die by answering a phone.

Another movie I held off watching as the premise of the film sounded daft so went with this for tonight and actually enjoyed it, there is a good team of Richard Chamberlain and John Houseman play the investigators of the killer phone call. Right from the start basically first 5 mins we are giving a decent kill and the bodies pile up. There isn't much tense moments in this but fairly entertaining.

Attachment 237257

Nice to see them use proper artwork.

30 days of unseen horror

Film 26

Finally up to date :pumpkin:

Attachment 237258

Dr. Matt Campbell is carrying out research on the mind trying to bring it back to a primitive state using a pill he has come up with. Unfortunately for Matt he started taking the pills himself the pills are made using bats blood and they are highly addictive and if not taken every 24 hours he will become very ill. Eventually Matt becomes so ill that he dies but just before he goes he tried to warn another Doctor from town but he only manages to get out the word pills before he is too late. Dr Paul Beecher takes the pills home with him when he gets on of his migraines he asks his daughter to get his tablets out of his coat pocket but she give him the wrong ones and he takes on of the experimental drugs instead instantly Paul starts having memory lost and at the same time people start dying around town everyone of them with puncture marks on their necks.


On a bit of a roll tonight another really entertaining film and another different interesting take on the Vampire film. John Beal is brilliant as Paul you can really believe in his desperation and the relationship between him and his daughter make is situation even more real. We don't get to see what Paul transforms into much but when he finally shows up on screen he looks great not a typical vampire more half man half disfigured beast with eyes that would pierce your soul so it's well worth the wait. Great acting and a great story i'm sure it was also a warning about the dangers of drugs and the results of addiction.

8/10

Death Ship. 1980.

A cruise liner collides with a ship, some of the survivors adrift in a raft come into contact with the same ship only to discover no one is on board, they discover it was a Nazi torture boat used in WWII.

This wasn't on my list to watch but i'm happy to watch it, where would you see George Kennedy loose his marbles and become somewhat possessed by a German Captain? Richard Crenna plays the helpless hero with his wife and kids who try to get off the boat in one piece. Claustrophobic with some good tense moments that keeps me happy.

Attachment 237259

Don't Go To Sleep. 1982.

A family move to a new house and the young girl of the family begins to see the spirit of her dead sister who died in a car accident.


I wouldn't say this was a classic made for T.V. movie even though Dennis Weaver and Ruth Gordon star in this, it focuses on the character building of everyone within the family and some guilt ridden over their loss. Robin Ignico plays the young Mary who is seeing her sister and does a decent job and Oliver Robbins as her brother who seems to enjoy winding her up. There is very little suspense but some tension is built up slowly, there is a bit of a mind screw twist ending.

Attachment 237260

Darkness Falls. 2003.

A spirit of a woman dubbed "The Tooth Fairy" who was lynched by a town 150 years earlier for the murder of two boys returns when children loose their last baby tooth. Kyle who was her intended victim escapes her anger returns 12 years later to help a old friend who's little brother is now her target.

This film is totally underrated and enjoyable from start to finish with the introduction of Matilda Dixon, the jumps to the young protagonist and his encounter with the spirit. If you didn't suffer Nyctophobia then this film would give you a reason why you should. The acting is quite decent, and great visual effects and the pace is kept constant and never gets boring with some good tense moments added in nicely.

Attachment 237263

October 26th
 

Halloween (2007)

Rob Zombie's remake / re-imagining of John Carpenter's horror classic is largely very successful. The first forty minutes are where Zombie excels, giving us a lot of previously unexplored background information on Michael Myers' childhood and attempting to deal with the hows and whys of him becoming a mass murderer. Arguably this isn't a direction the film needed to go in as many agree the almost motiveless killer doesn't require back story but by going down this avenue Zombie tries something new rather than just a typical retread of familiar ground. It's an idea the director clearly has fun with - the whole dysfunctional family is bread and butter to him following films such as The House of 1000 Corpses.

The second third is indeed familiar ground as it's basically a revamp of the Carpenter film. Introducing us to Laurie Strode, with the likable Scout Taylor-Compton replacing Jamie Lee Curtis and Danielle Harris, familiar to those with a liking for the original sequels as best friend Annie. Although it utilizes Carpenter's classic stalking themes and indeed Carpenter's classic 'Stalking' signature theme it doesn't really grip like the original film did. But then again no slasher has done in this respect, yet it's still more than competent.

It's only in the final third as Myers attempts to murder Laurie that the film unravels a touch, or if not unravels, then travels down all too familiar roads which are ten a penny in any old slasher film.

The film boasts an impressive cast with several horror icons taking roles - Ken Foree, Dee Wallace, Udo Keir, Sybil Danning, Richard Lynch, Brad Dourif, and Clint Howard as well as jobs for the boys - Sid Haig, Bill Moseley - and the missus - Sheri Moon. The casting of Malcolm McDowell is spot on as Dr. Loomis. No one will ever replace Donald Pleasence but McDowell does very well with an almost impossible job.

All in all, Halloween is a good film with, i should add a terrific soundtrack, which mixes classic rock - Kiss, Blue Oyster Cult, Rush - with John Carpenter's iconic original score. it's also tremendously violent. There are certainly enough differences to warrant watching Rob Zombie's Halloween and i think it's one of the better remakes of classic horror films this century has thrust upon us.

Just don't mention the sequel...

Piranha 3D. 2010.

A underwater tremor releases a hoard of Piranha's during a town's Spring Break.

I'm sure we all love these underwater films with nice clear blue water that you can see everything species of fish, this is one of those films that has almost everything, beautiful girls, nudity, good cinematography, a unlikely hero and a wise crack marine biologist in the form of Christopher Lloyd. Alexandre Aja helms another remake, did the studios just use him to create gore fest horror remakes? With this he certainly gave the studio what they wanted with the gore fest and really didn't hold anything back, Ok the first part is like softcore porn then basically goes full blown horror.

Attachment 237265

I take it your not a fan of the sequel? To be honest I don't blame you Dem

It's a few years since i last saw it...but that white horse nonsense...

I do like the idea that Loomis wrote a book and became famous, going on a book tour, though.

Dare i give it another go tonight?

I used to despise Zombie's H2. I mean, I really, really hated it. Yelled at my friend for dragging me to see it (I wasn't too impressed with Zombie's first Halloween).

But now I adore it.

It's not perfect, but I really admire what Zombie is attempting with it.

He's exploring survivor's guilt - everybody's.

Laurie has become belligerent and hateful, closing her mind and heart to anything that be negative, or reminds her of that night. It's why she treats Annie like shit - Annie was there that night, and only serves to remind her.

Annie has become shy and withdrawn. Afraid to leave. Hides away in her home. She hates herself and takes Laurie's abuse because she feels she deserves it.

Sheriff Brackett tries putting on a brave face, trying to rebuild, but he feels like it's all his fault.

Loomis tries exploiting the incident for fame and glory, but cracks during an interview. It's obvious that he was traumatised by the night in question, and has been running away from his failings.

Michael is trying to come to terms (in his own way) with that night. Through hallucinations, we learn that Michael isn't necessarily trying to destroy, but recreate his family in an idealised form.

H2 suffers from Zombie's redneck aesthetic. Has some obnoxious dialogue, and edgy art direction (thought I wouldn't catch that Charles Manson poster, eh, Rob?). As good as they are, Scout-Taylor and McDowell's portrayals of Laurie and Loomis can be repulsive (although, that is the idea) to the point that they can drive away audiences.

However, there is genuinely great stuff here. Some truly striking visuals. It challenges the viewer to understand the horror and aftermath of violence. And Zombie and Nan Vernon's cover of Love Hurts is one of the more devastating uses of music I have seen in a film.

If nothing else, the opening 15 minutes are some of the finest slasher stuff out there.

The book part was decent and reveals secrets that people wanted to keep, but the ghost of Deborah Myers and the white horse was the downfall of the movie for me, save your sanity Dem, watch the original sequel.

Never thought of Rob Zombie looking at survival's guilt Macblayne, good way to look at the film instead of it being just another slasher movie.

Piranha 3DD. 2012.

After the events at Lake Victoria, the Piranha's make their way to a new water park complex.

Less people to eat, some more tongue in cheek comedy and not exactly the same amount of gore as the previous film but does start with two great actors Gary Busey and Clu Gulager as the hapless fishermen who come across a dead farting animal in the water. Ving Rhames returns as the deputy who is afraid of the water but manages to over come his fear, The Hoff literally playing himself and surprisingly looking a bit sober and trying to sing.

Attachment 237270

I love this. It's just so much fun. Totally ridiculous but great fun.:jaws:

I actually enjoyed it too, daft, quirky, and Christopher Lloyd looks more neurotic in this

FRANKIE'S HALLOWEEN SIZZLER#11

25/10/21

HALLOWEEN 2 – This arrived slightly late in the game, at a point when it might easily have been seen as just another slasher but for its lineage. I think that’s true, because when you look at it, all it offers is a very workmanlike reiteration of the little nudges and tricks Carpenter played so effectively in the original. What it retains is a certain moody atmosphere, its long, eerie stretches framed by Dean Cundy’s prowling lens, and also it has the urgency that comes with being set straight after the ending of the first. Of course, Donald Pleasance always brings something. Enjoyable enough, but not a strong work (for the record, I think R Zombie's H#2 blows this out of the water).

26/10/21

THE BEAST MUST DIE – I must’ve watched this loads in the eighties, back when it seemed to be the only thing on late-night TV. I was very young at the time, and the only thing I remembered before I slipped it in the other day was Anton Diffring’s eyeless corpse. It’s an enjoyable enough excursion into a kind of seventies grooviness, and I liked the gimmick of the ‘werewolf break’ (if only because it seemed lame enough to be quite endearing), but maybe it needed a bit more wolf-man action to up the ante of its talky ‘whodunnit’ scenario (which, to be fair, works cos of all the nasty bickering). Michael Gambon has never looked shiftier.

PULSE – I hadn’t even really heard of ‘Pulse’ until the Eureka! release popped up on my radar. It’s a late eighties horror film that is kind of in the shadow of ‘Poltergeist’ in that it pits a slightly troubled but conventionally ‘wholesome’ family against an amorphous supernatural force. In this case, that force is electricity itself gone inexplicably rampant. I really liked it; it’s slow, but there’s a seriousness of tone that sets it apart from all the comedy-horror from around the time, and the required atmosphere of creeping unease mounting into dread is done quite well. I thought that all the shots of the inner workings of TVs and the conspiratorial contortions of those soldering iron amoebas really brought out the shadowy side of circuit boards. Full of unanswered questions, but that works in its favour. Recommended.

Glad you like this, Frankie. I bought it in the recent Eureka sale. It's down to watch as part of December's month of new horrors for me.

Tenebrae. 1982.

American writer peter Neale travels to Rome to promote his new book Tenebrae finds himself stalked and harassed by a killer.

A mad killer striking anyone at anytime, great cinematography, great actors and managing to sneak in a twist , one of my favourite Dario's movie. Anthony Franciosa plays the novelist travelling to Rome and has problems the moment he lands after a nice on screen kill. The late great John Saxon plays Neale's agent who shows his head moving skills while wearing his new hat, bet that could release a crink in the neck. This is one of Dario's movies where his beloved Daria actually lives but left screaming in the doorway. Nicely paced detective story added in with some good blood splatter.

Attachment 237274

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv568AzZ-i8

Brilliant it's just as funny how as the first time I watched it, brilliant cast of character's.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaU2A7KyOu4

The first and probably still the best, the 4k release looks so much better than the old blu with much better colours and detail and a pumping atmos soundtrack that will bring the house down!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7WNgzilRBw

Another nice 4k release of a classic horror , it changes between which one I enjoy more the serious first movie or this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RsKwn_Je1k

A beautifully shot and atmospheric film with some great set pieces and wonderful cast, always forget just how bloody this is.



Up tonight

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3QEjMq6e68.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaPTNeEqR7c

I want to rewatch all of those but I'm running out of time now. I have Society lined up for tonight.

Hatchet 3

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...tiiiposter.jpg

More gore and more comedy also Jason vs Jason. A great return to form compared to Hatchet 2.

Dolls. 1986.

A group of strangers gather in a house of a elderly couple and their porcelain dolls to take shelter from a storm.

This is one of my favourite childhood horror movies, even though I was 5 years old when it was released I saw it when I was 7 and the ending has always stuck with me. The acting may not be at it's best and always thought Carolyn Purdy-Gordon has been a bitch in this and the previous film From Beyond, but goes to show how good of a actress she is. Guy Rolfe and Hilary Mason play the elderly doll makers with their own way of making them.



^
For those who have not seen the film didn't want to reveal a few things but will say this it is entertaining and enjoyable that my Mrs was engrossed it in, slowly winning her to more horrors .

Attachment 237279

I've no idea what i'm watching tonight but i do know one thing Zombie's Halloween 2 was not in the equation this morning...

...and then the discussion began on here. :pumpkin:

30 days of unseen horror

Film 27

Attachment 237285

A famous adventurer named Waldemar joins an expedition to try and find a yeti that has been spotted in the Himalayas. He and another adventurer go ahead of the expedition after some of the members question the route and if they should go at all but Himalayas didn't come all this way for nothing. When his companion falls to his death Waldemar is left alone wandering aimlessly until his find shelter but inside lives two sex mad cannibal woman who plan to hold him hostage and become their sex slave when he tries to escape they pass on a terrible curse that will turn him into a werewolf every full moon.

I LOVE the look of Paul Nashys werewolf always so freaky looking its proper wolfman but more savage and intimidation with the crazy teeth and Paul Naschy's crazy eyes. There is a lot going on with a Yeti Werewolf sex maniacs buddhist monks bandits a crazy mute shoot outs attempted rape fist fights scantly clad ladies pantless and underwearless for some reason :skull: just nonstop things to keep you entertained it's fantastic. Any fight scene with Paul Naschy is hilarious the acrobatics is of olympic quality be he werewolf or man he just flings himself all over the screen summersaults cartwheels flying kicks just tumbling all over the place its a sight to behold indeed :skull:

I was pretty disappointed with the lack of Yeti getting only two scenes such a shame but still whole film is just so much fun.

8/10