Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (Halloween 6) (1995)

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The first of the Miramax/Dimension Films Halloween sequels and the last to feature Donald Pleasance, who frankly doesn't look like he's in the best of health (he passed away between shooting and release) and with the baby faced Paul Rudd in his first "starring" role having previously been in Clueless.

It's all a bit of mess really. I watched the Theatrical version this time around and it's more cohesive than the 'Producer's Cut' which I had watched last time around. First of all Michael doesn't seem threatening and the mask looks weird. Then you have the story, which makes bugger all sense, I'm not going to go into the plot but it's a head scratcher.

However, it can be entertaining in places and it wasn't a waste of 90 minutes, a decent enough movie for early into the witching season, I'd probably be a bit more harsh on it if it was saved for THE night.

Candyman (2021)

I also watched the new Candyman film. The trailer left me confused, is it a remake? Is it a reboot? Technically it's a sequel, one of those retcon types that pretends like the other sequels didn't happen as we've seen plenty of time before in the past.

So, it was actually pretty good, not a patch on the original movie, but it has some great gore moments and some particularly nasty body horror. I think the story itself is what lets it down, the tale of an artist who had some critically acclaimed work in the past and can't seem to produce anything decent now, he hears about the Candyman myth and is instantly intrigued calling out his name 5 times and, well you know the rest.

Sorely missing Tony Todd but still worth a watch.

HALLOWEEN HORROR BINGE ROUNDUP #1

31 days, how many movies? I don't know yet. Some I'll have seen, some I won't. Some will be 'classics', others drivel. But October's always a good excuse for a total binge. Kicking off with;

01/10/21

HAUNT – I’d steer clear of those ‘live action haunted house experience’ type things this Halloween, apparently they’re all run by psychos in weird masks. Illustrative of what happens to young persons trapped in genre-specific environments these days, ‘Haunt’ is a fairly standard run-through of all the tropes you might anticipate, although it’s bolstered by some nice atmosphere, visuals and imagery, all of which complement the expected moderate gore. Reasonably enjoyable, all told.

02/10/21

WRAITH – Charlie Sheen is burnin’ rubber in this none-more-eighties hotrodfest. He’s out for revenge against an evil gang whilst the soundtrack blares non-stop soft metal. The supernatural elements become clearer as the sequences involving fast cars recede. Pure cinematic junk food, but flavoursome nonetheless.

CONQUEST – My god, I’d forgotten how downright bizarre this one is. The film is blurry to the point of hallucination, a shit sub-Conan rip-off never truly seen, only ever half-glimpsed through the veil of a feverish dream. Faceless barbarians, laser arrows, hairy Morlocks ripping flesh, some dude on a quest that doesn’t make sense… leave it to Fulci, here at the pinnacle of his madness.

WICKED CITY – This manic, fx-heavy action horror from Tsui Hark features an overdose of sub-Carpenterian ‘The Thing’ type set pieces, although the vibe is probably more in tune with a caffeine-addled afternoon spent in a seventies Dr Who prop department that has been lit by people who do rock videos. At one point, someone seems to shag a pinball machine.

Wow, haven't done three in a row for ages. I'm tired now, I think I need to lie down...

... you deserve it sir :hail::hail::hail:

Conquest never fails to destabilise my equilibrium :nod::nod:

Zombie Flesh Eaters 2

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hahahaha, I couldn't take this seriously, I was just laughing throughout. Not a terrible film but not a good one either. The head in the fridge was the highlight for me.

I like that one it's fun, but if you thought that was bad wait until you watch the next one!

October 2nd
 

The Reckoning (2020)

Following the death of her husband from the plague, a young woman (Charlotte Kirk) is unjustly accused of being a witch when she spurns the sexual advances of the local squire (Steven Waddington). She is taken to the local town to await trial by the feared witch finder Judge Moorcroft (Sean Pertwee).

In a way Neil Marshall's The Reckoning is nothing new. There's nothing here you won't have seen in classier films such as Witchfinder General and The Devils and their pulpy cousins Mark of the Devil and The Bloody Judge.

The torture on show isn't as strong as those earlier films although there are one or two suitably toe curling acts of gruesomeness on offer including a man having his skull crushed by a horse and cart. The acting is decent all round (Even if Kirk did appear to wear remarkably hardy make up throughout). The sets and locations were top notch although they didn't exactly look like the north of England where the film is set and the prison set scenes were dingily atmospheric. It was a nice touch having the devil manifest itself to Kirk attempting to entice her to the ways of Satan, and very impressive he looked too, the great horned beast.

At 106 minutes the film is a little over long. (I seem to have said this about a few films recently) - It's a good half hour in before there's any accusation of witchcraft for example - but the final twenty minutes proved a gripping finale.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZzsWCOdR0k

A classic anthology, a inspector from Scotland yard is sent too investigate the disappearance of a famous actor and is told of other strange things linked too the missing actors home.

First story we have a horror author ( Denholm Elliott) who moves into the house with his wife and starts writing his new novel but begins too see the killer from his novel.

Next Peter Cushing moves in and sees a waxwork of some one he once knew and is strangely drawing too it.

Third story Christopher Lee moves in with his young daughter and hires her a nanny, the nanny can't understand Lees strange behaviour towards his daughter .

Lastly Jon Pertwee plays a horror actor working on his new movie whom acquires a cloak supposedly from a vampire.

A enjoyable set of tales with the usual wrap around tale involving the inspector.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dClKllEv5MU

A early role for a pre terminator Linda Hamilton, who is part of a young couple whom end up in a town full of murderous children who have killed all the adults and worship what walks behind the rows. I can't watch this now with out thinking of this episode and especially this scene from South Park.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4RczR3fbZM

It's enjoyable enough but always enjoyed the two films that followed more with three being by favourite.

Now watching .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsYaPp3UDCw

Aenigma. 1987.

A girl in a comatose state after a prank gone wrong possesses the body of a new girl staying in her boarding school dorm room and exacts revenge.

I was never a fan of this one by Fulci but it has seem to grow on me quite a bit, another comatose patient like Patrick instead of telekinesis but more out of the body experience and some good deaths involved one using slugs and some good suspense set up and good cinematography by Luigi Ciccarese and a good background score by Carlo Maria Cordio.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsYaPp3UDCw

Taking place not long after the first , the surviving children of Gatlin are taking in by a neighbour town, a reporter and his son enter the town and begin looking into the killings, but it's not long before the evil kids start worshipping he who walks behind the rows again and start another murder spree. More enjoyable than the first with more gore as two hilariously kills involving two old biddies. Bingo!

Now watching

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x88fDPEzGEM

The Vault Of Horror. 1973.

5 men enter a lift in a building all pushing the button for the same floor, they arrive at the basement with a table, food and drinks and one mentions it like being in a dream and begin to tell each other of their dreams.

Midnight Mess: A man tries to track his sister after the death of their father, he finds her in a town where people seem to be afraid to go out after dark and finds the reason why in a restraunt.

The Neat Job: A man marries a young woman, as the man is a neat freak and his wife isn't she soon understands what it can be like to be neat, clean and organised.

This trick Will Kill Ya: A magician and his wife are on holiday in India and come across a new trick shown to them and will do anything to get it, even if it means murder.

Bargain In Death: Greedy businessman has a plan to scam his insurance by faking his death and has his friend help him but goes pair shape with two medical students who look for a body for their studies.

Drawn and Quartered: A painter in Haiti is told his work has been sold at a high price without him getting a penny and sees the local witch doctor to help him get revenge that does not end well for him.

A nice little anthology from Amicus starring, Daniel Massey, Terry-Thomas, Curt Jurgens, Michael Craig and Tom Baker as the male leads who have weird, strange vivid dreams of death in different ways. There is a nice little nod from Michael Craig who is seen reading Tales From The Crypt. Even towards the end there is a nice little twist that at first had me surprised but at the end of the anthology films there is always that WTF ending.

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