October Horror Movie Marathon

[Demoncrat]

It's a wee treasure CB.

[MrBarlow]

Shock aka Beyond the door 2.1977.

Shortly after moving to new house, the wife's deceased husband begins to torment them and slowly possess their young son.

This was Mario Bava's last film he made and good way to end a era of horror and thriller. Daria Nicoldi takes the main role beside John Steiner (Tenebre and Caligula) as the happy couple starting a new life.

The title does fit the tone of the film, I thought it be a another haunted house film but this was different with a tone of decent into madness or was everything just in the woman's head.

The film is well acted, directed and shot, the film was hurried and released quick but it's filmed at a good pace that helps the tension build up, does go a bit off key parts and goes back on track to the climax of the finale. 7-8 out of 10.

[Demoncrat]

It's a strange film alright.

[Paul Zombie]

Baron Blood.

Peter Kleist (Antonio Cantafora) goes to Austria to chill out and find out about his family heritage at a spooky old castle. and he discovers that he is a ancester of the depraved maniac Baron Blood. Then when he's with a archeology student(Elke Sommer) he manages to resurrect the evil baron by reciting a spell from a old parchment. and what do you know, the strange looking fiend comes back from the dead with a face like spagetti and wearing a cape and a big hat, and goes off on a killing rampage.

Director Mario bava made a very stylish looking film here with his usual gothic atmosphers and nice camera work and colours. the creepy looking castle looks superb and especially the scenes set in the torture chamber.

The cast does an okay job but nothing outstanding. Elke Sommer provides the glamour and looks very nice indeed showing off her sexy pins in some nice mini skirts , especially when being chased in the foggy streets. Joseph Cotton also appears later in the movie as a cripple who buys the castle and has a dark secret. and child actor Nicolette elmi (the one who sticks pins in lizards in Deep Red) pops up yet again.

Yes, i quite enjoyed this film. could have done with a bit more substance to the plot and ramping up the gore a bit more. but a beautiful looking film nevertheless.
and i give 78 out of 100.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Plague of the Zombies (1966)

Although not my favourite Hammer horror, Plague of the Zombies is a stylish Gothic affair that touches on the British class hierarchy amid the familiar strains of voodoo drums. John Carson is excellent as the sadistic squire who uses the dead to work in an old tin mine.

Jacqueline Pearce is sadly under used but would shine in the film produced back to back with this - The Reptile - and Diane Clare as the film's heroine is sadly as forgettable as Hammer leading ladies got. By this stage Hammer were firmly in at Bray Studios and the whole production seems quite slick especially the memorable dream sequence where the zombies rise from their graves.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Mischief Night (2013)

A new to me horror thriller about a blind girl alone in a house the night before Halloween with a masked killer. Despite it being a premise that should be over quite quickly this was actually a well thought out affair.

The house in question is a large dwelling with lots of rooms so we had quite a lot of cat and mouse hi-jinks which were quite suspenseful and we had enough random visitors to make it a reasonably bloody stalk and slash movie all told.

Fairly slick and at times gripping with a nice twist ending which i admit i didn't see coming, this was a decent enough watch. Although not especially original it was far superior to the next 'new to me film i watched.

[Demoncrat]

A film. Am rewatching this Wednesday ... amongst others

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Varsity Blood (2014)

A mere three days ago and i've forgotten what this train wreck was about. Something about the usual high school guys n' gals getting offed by someone dressed as the team mascot one Halloween night.

This didn't have a bone of originality in it's body, the actors were all either annoying or totally forgettable.

The fact i'm struggling to say anything at all about this film should tell you everything you need to know.

The evening was redeemed by an old favourite.

Sleepy Hollow (1999)

As good as ever, Tim Burton's brisk Gothic tale is just as fun to watch now as it was 18 years ago. The headless horseman is a classic supernatural spook and it has never been bettered before or after Burton's film. One i never get bored with.

[Crimson Blade]

Witchfinder General(1968).

Set in 1640's England at the time of civil war, Matthew Hopkins and his assistant John Stearne travel from town to town torturing and killing innocent people for supposedly committing witchcraft.

Vincent Price stars as the ruthless witchfinder Hopkins and gives one of his most cold and ruthless performances of his career, without any of his usual camp. Nobody is safe from his brutal persecution, even a priest who he ruthlessly tortures and kills in the so-called name of God.
Ian Ogilvy also stars as a young soldier who vows an oath to kill Hopkins and his vile assistant Stearne after they rape his fiance Sara.

Definitely one of Tigon's best films. And Michael Reeves, the director who died at a young age, did an excellent job with this film and manages to mix brutal violence with surprising beauty as well. The score in particular is quite a contrast to the ugliness of the torture and murder.
But one thing that made me laugh in the film was when the accused witches get lowered into the river and if they drown they were innocent or guilty if they float and then get hanged. Either way, though they were doomed. 8.5/10.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

A slightly more evil looking pumpkin for a second attempt.