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-   -   October Horror Movie Marathon (https://www.cult-labs.com/forums/general-horror-chat/12632-october-horror-movie-marathon.html)

Inspector Abberline 16th October 2017 05:06 PM

Marathon Man (1976)
 
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Starting with two crazy old men, fueled by anti antisemitism and a heatwave engage in a bit of road rage which ends with them both driving into a petrol tanker and being engulfed by flames.Thus begins a strange tale of Nazi's trafficking in diamonds,American espionage and a bit of torture on Dustin Hoffmans gnashers. Laurence Olivier as Dr. Christian Szell is an evil figure and does nothing for the dentistry trade,but he is nowhere near as evil as Gregory Peck in The Boys From Brazil,which is another twisted tale of Nazi's and this time cloning.With some marvelous supporting roles from Roy Scheider and William Devane its a dark twisted thriller with some nice moments of duplicity and paranoia that reminds one of the Parallax View.Hoffman again plays the nerd who turns the tables on his persecutor's.

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Demoncrat 16th October 2017 06:28 PM

"Is it safe??"

Demdike@Cult Labs 16th October 2017 06:50 PM

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October 15th

Trick or Treat (1986)

Although it's a bit of a rip off of Phantom of the Paradise (1974), De Palma didn't have Ozzy Osbourne as an evangelical preacher or Gene Simmons, excellent here as a local radio DJ, in his film

OTT in all the right places, Trick or Treat is a blast from start to finish as a young fan (Marc Price) brings recently deceased rock god Sammi Curr (a malevolent Tony Field) back to life at the high school Halloween dance with catastrophic results when Simmons gives him an acetate of Curr's final recordings. (Yeah right! You can tell this film is far fetched. Simmons wouldn't give anything away)

Wildly entertaining, this high school horror film featuring an killer soundtrack from 80's metal band Fastway should be near the top of any rock n' rollers Halloween viewing.

So Long at the Fair (1950)

The 1889 Paris Exposition serves as the backdrop for this eerie mystery, in which English tourist Jean Simmons (No, not the one from Trick or Treat) and her brother, David Tomlinson, visit the fair and retire to their separate hotel rooms for the night. Simmons arises the next day to discover her brother missing, a hotel full of staff who swear they've never heard of him and most oddly, his room is no longer there.

So Long at the Fair is a classy British mystery directed by a pre-Hammer Terence Fisher who gives the whole thing an extremely paranoid feel, very much them - the foreigners - and us - The British abroad. It's all quite slick and nicely paced. Simmons does well with the whole 'Am i losing my mind' approach and Dirk Bogarde is stoically heroic as the only person who believes her. Whilst the film isn't a horror by any stretch of the imagination it's certainly a dark thriller and the finale is wonderfully macabre.

Inspector Abberline 17th October 2017 09:20 PM

Time Enough at Last
 
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Burgess Meredith is a very very hen pecked husband and put upon bank clerk,and what is his crime that gives him so much torment from other people..Well he is a reader,yes he cannot get enough of the written word,yet he never seems to have the time to read anything,especially since his wife has banned him from reading.WTF...???. Any how one day he sneaks off to do a bit of elicit reading in the banks vault,only for nuclearwar to happen while he is locked in the vault..(I hate it when that happens)..Scrambling out amongst the ruins He realises that he is now alone,and upon finding a gun he decides to shoot himself but seeing the remains of the library and all the books scattered around ,he now knows he has plenty of time to read to his hearts content...Its a simple tale and with a very economic cast and setting,but its an effective little story and Burgess Meredith is as usual top notch...

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Seedy priest played by Anthony Sharp has the hots for Susan Penhaligon (hey who hasn't) Not only that but Sharp is stark raving mad psychopath.Sharp plays the role perfectly as the ultra conservative priest who harbors these deep seated lustful thought's.The only person more madder than Sharp is his house keeper played by Walker regular Sheila Keith,who is really evil and certainly not a member of Help the Aged.The film does raise a few issues especially things like how the Catholic Church deals with abortion and celibacy within the priesthood.But seeing as this is a Pete Walker film I don't think were meant to take any of this to seriously,especially as you have a priest who bashes peoples heads in with incense and strangles women with a rosary.I sometimes find Walkers directorial style at times a bit pedestrian,but I think Anthony Sharp really carries the film and gives it some much needed class, if that is at all possible...

Demdike@Cult Labs 17th October 2017 09:37 PM

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October 16th

Demons of the Mind (1972)

One of Hammers more atypical delights, about a 19th century Baron, - a delightfully hammy Robert Hardy, - who keeps his adult son and daughter locked up in his Bavarian mansion convinced they are tainted with the family curse of insanity.

Beautifully filmed at a Gothic mansion, Demons of the Mind is a censor baiting masterpiece full of sexual and sadistic neurosis including the bleeding of the lovely Gillian Hills (Beat Girl) in a scene which always makes me cringe as well as a horrific throat and wrist slashing shown several times in the Baron's fever dreams.

The addition of Patrick Magee as the family doctor gives the film a culture clash of psychoanalysis and the usual folklore and superstition (If MTDS wants to see villagers on the march then this should be his first stop). The film is ambiguous in nature and at times a difficult watch. Lacking the usual vampires or Frankenstein monster types, for much of the film it's difficult to tell exactly who is the villain of the piece or if indeed there is one or is the whole thing just mental oppression and the sins of the father whilst tainted by supernatural exploitation.

I suppose if i was to suggest a double bill for this film it would be Witchfinder General as both films are grim as hell and finish with a hysterical freeze frame of a woman screaming, in the first case Hilary Dwyer and in this case Hills. An apt description of Demons of the Mind is of "Dreams of sexual fear suppressed through guilt." or at least that's what Magee's Dr. Falkenberg says, so who am i to disagree.

Justin101 18th October 2017 09:05 AM

My October Marathon isn't going very well, I've been too busy to watch films every night :( I watched Wrestlemaniac on Sunday which was enjoyable rubbish about a lobotomised Mexican Wrestler thinking that his real life is a match he has to win, picking off a troupe of 'porno' makers after they discover his town! Tits 'n Ass 'n Blood for 75 mins and some woeful acting :lol: Good fun :lol:

And that's it, 2 days and no movies... I skipped a few days last week as well, so now I've changed my goal posts and I'm just going to watch as many as I can, and if I can't so be it.

Planning Halloween III and Trick R Treat close to the actual night though. Possibly a virgin viewing of Zombie's Halloween if it arrives in good time from Music Magpie!

:coffin:

bleakshaun 18th October 2017 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justin101 (Post 554803)
My October Marathon isn't going very well, I've been too busy to watch films every night :( I watched Wrestlemaniac on Sunday which was enjoyable rubbish about a lobotomised Mexican Wrestler thinking that his real life is a match he has to win, picking off a troupe of 'porno' makers after they discover his town! Tits 'n Ass 'n Blood for 75 mins and some woeful acting [emoji38] Good fun [emoji38]

And that's it, 2 days and no movies... I skipped a few days last week as well, so now I've changed my goal posts and I'm just going to watch as many as I can, and if I can't so be it.

Planning Halloween III and Trick R Treat close to the actual night though. Possibly a virgin viewing of Zombie's Halloween if it arrives in good time from Music Magpie!

:coffin:

I know the feeling mate, I'm just too tired after work

Sent from my MediaPad T1 8.0 Pro using Tapatalk

Demdike@Cult Labs 18th October 2017 07:41 PM

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October 17th

The Hollow (2004)

Coming some five years after the similarly named Sleepy Hollow this had to be something a bit different to stand any chance of being remembered. So using the general ideas from Washington Irvine's story and bringing them kicking and screaming into the modern day works well, sort of.

The story involves a high school student (Kevin Zegers) and his discovery that he's a descendant of the legendary Ichabod Crane from Irvine's story and the newly resurrected Headless Horseman has come back from the dead once more to collect his head.

A teen high school movie was never going to grab me like Tim Burton's Gothic classic did but thanks to some likable characters - Zegers does really well in the lead role and Kaley Cuoco always seems like someone you could talk to (If anyone's interested she suits her cheerleader outfit quite nicely) meaning you have a couple of leads to root for rather than wish dead from the opening minutes. The film also benefits from a couple of veteran stars namely Stacy Keach and Judge Reinhold who both have significant screen time, especially Keach.

The Hollow is probably too much of a teen movie early doors to be viewed as any sort of essential Halloween viewing but as it progresses and we go on a haunted hay ride things take a turn for the creepy and Halloween traditions and Irvine's story are carefully examined.

As for the headless horseman? Well there's no real comparison to Tim Burton's brilliant thunder hoofed Headless Horseman and there's not much in the way of gore as the film was originally made for ABC's Family Channel (It was cut when shown) but everything has been re-inserted for this dvd including heads getting lopped off, brief nudity (with a literal idea of 'giving head') and gory remains.

Inspector Abberline 18th October 2017 09:12 PM

tz
 
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The Twilight Zone.Episode:Season 5, Episode 145 The Masks.
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Rich old businessman Jason Foster (Robert Keith),knows he is going to die very soon.But he has one last thing to do.To teach his money grabbing daughter and her husband and equally abhorrent children one last lesson about there true selves.A really wonderful and macabre episode that has an obvious ending but it is so well done and the makeup effects at the end are nicely done.

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Brain of Blood (1971)
When the producers of the Eddie Romero movies needed another along the same lines,it would be no surprise they would turn to Al Adamson and Sam Sherman,I mean who else of course..This is a truly bonkers movie.A dying middle eastern tyrant hire's a scientist to transplant his brain into a healthy body.So they put his body on ice and move him to another country.Well I say ice,they actually wrap him up in tin foil like he was a left over from Fuad Ramses party.Astonishingly there is some halve decent production values,especially in the laboratory and some of the brain transplant scenes.But don't worry things soon revert back to there usual ways.For instance why does a modern scientific lab (I use this term loosely of course) have a medieval dungeon as a basement..??? apart from having women chained up in it of course.Why have a midget for a nurse??. Also never send a child like monster to get a fresh body to do a brain transplant on because they always screw it up and damage the goods.Mediocrity and dullness soon take over and the last half hour seems to take an eternity as the cast traipse around the countryside while the mad scientist zaps his prey with a toy ray gun,Regina Carroll at least has the decency to get thrown off a cliff.The final shot is a brain freshly scoped out,and that's exactly how the audience is gonna feel.

Nordicdusk 18th October 2017 11:31 PM

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Bunch of assholes head to the country to meet one of the assholes parents coming to terms with his coming out of the closet and while on this journey of acceptance they decide to have a barn dance.

Holy F,IN shit this film is an absolute joke i hated every second of it so much so i couldnt even finish it. The acting is so bad the scenarios are just plain stupid and the sincringisted dancing was horrific where the hell did that come out of. Look at this shit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32lsCUVnUGc

Maybe it got better towards the end but i just couldnt stomach anymore of it. There was a worse scene before the dance scene but i can't find a clip :chainsawkill:

All this film gave me was rage and a questioning of my own existance :skull:

0/10

Demdike@Cult Labs 19th October 2017 10:36 AM

I kinda like that barn dance scene. It's fun and different. (Poor quality but fun)

Had it been filmed by Deodato or Fulci or some other Italian hack you'd all be wanking over it's brilliance! :brainfood:

Inspector Abberline 19th October 2017 08:06 PM

tz razor
 
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Twilight Zone "Living Doll", Season 5 Episode 6
Telly Savalas tries to pit his wits against his step daughters new doll,"Talky Tina",a doll which seems to have a mind of her own.Telly seems to have upset Tina some how and instead of saying all the usual cutesy things she tends to say stuff like "I don't like you",which winds up Savalas no end. In fact eventually he gets so mad he goes all medieval on Tina's ass,attacking her with power tools and a blow torch,but all to no avail.Eventually Tina gets her revenge,next time your kids leave toys on the stairs just have a quick look to see if any of them are smirking as you trip and fall down the stairs.

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Razorback (1984)
Massive wild boar stalking the Australian outback and gnawing down on anything it can get its tusks into.Russell Mulcahy animal gone mental is mostly style over substance,like his music videos,its all flash cuts and strobbing light effects.But its saved by an outstanding performance from Bill Kerr,whose career goes right back to the radio series Hancock's Half Hour. Kerr is out for revenge when his grandson is taken away and eaten by the giant razorback,I suppose it makes a change from dingo's. Its hard not to like a film about giant man eating boar,its just a shame most of the characters are so unlikable,you actually want them eaten.

Demdike@Cult Labs 19th October 2017 10:21 PM

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October 18th

The Skull (1965)

This Amicus production about a collector of 'special things' starring Peter Cushing (and Christopher Lee) who purchases what is allegedly the skull of the Marquis de Sade is directed by Freddie Francis is really quite a mini masterpiece that has plenty of inventive and disturbing moments that make it feel unique amongst the films of its time.

The flying skull on show is as effective as could be achieved in the days before CGI. The wires do occasionally show but it can't be helped and hardly hinder the sequences as it stalks the house in a wavelike effect which moves pictures and furniture aside as it passes by. The shots from the skulls viewpoint are certainly original and give the viewer the sensation of seeing events from the skulls point of view, its a nice effect but is perhaps overused at times. There's also a nightmarish dream when Peter Cushing's Maitland falls under de Sade's influence is pretty disturbing and when he wakes finds himself in an apartment with no idea how he got there. Its a very disorienting moment and stands up well to any shocks being produced at the time.

The Skull makes a perfect nights entertainment as the first of a classic horror double bill alongside...

The Creeping Flesh (1973)

... why? Because Freddie Francis who also directs this uses the same camera trick / shot from inside a creatures head as it stalks Cushing... stop me if we've been here before.

Peter Cushing stars as a scientist who discovers a mysterious skeleton whilst exploring New Guinea. On returning home he discovers it comes alive when touched by human blood eventually transforming into a murderous creature.

The Creeping Flesh is a bit of a classic. It's grotesque in the extreme and features an outstanding performance from Lorna Heilbron playing Cushing's daughter who he injects with serum from the er' creeping flesh that turns her into not so much a raving sexual predator as a raving repressed sexual predator.

The creature begins to come to life when it comes into contact with water as Cushing soon discovers when he grows a penis, sorry a finger... look it's veiny and throbs, does it look like a finger to you?


The Creeping Flesh is brilliantly paced by Francis and never feels rushed and has a beautifully macabre finale which throws into doubt everything that has gone before. Brilliant stuff!

bizarre_eye@Cult Labs 20th October 2017 06:48 AM

I also really rate The Skull, Dem.

I keep meaning to pick up the Eureka Blu-ray at some point to replace my far from great Legend Films release.

Rik 20th October 2017 08:26 AM

Always had a soft spot for the Creeping Flesh because it was the first Horror film I watched on TV when I was a kid :nod:

Demdike@Cult Labs 20th October 2017 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs (Post 554969)
I also really rate The Skull, Dem.

I keep meaning to pick up the Eureka Blu-ray at some point to replace my far from great Legend Films release.

The Legend films release looks fine upscaled. However i too have the Eureka set in my wishlist as it's a favourite of mine too.

Nosferatu@Cult Labs 20th October 2017 11:37 AM

REST STOP (2006) – A young woman is stalked by a maniacal killer who has already killed her boyfriend. A really promising setup because of the confined location, sympathetic lead, and general sense of unpleasantness, and the execution is not bad either. Considering it was £1 from Music Magpie and seemingly a DTV film, I've seen much worse.

BEWITCHED (1981) – This Shaw Brothers film is unusual for two reasons: it's not in the usual 2.35:1 ratio and it is set in Thailand, not Hong Kong or mainland China. It's set around the court case of the man who is on trial for murdering his daughter and goes back and forward in time to when he visited Thailand and was possessed by an evil spirit, with a detective who investigates the case also becoming possessed, and a Buddhist monk doing battle against the forces of evil with some profuse sweating, really innovative quick cutting and hallucinatory lighting. It's not a traditional horror by any means, but I like to great deal and will listen to Bey Logan's commentary in the next day or two.

UNHINGED (1982) – Perhaps being notable as one of the original 72 'video nasties', this oddity by Reagan Ramsay and Don Gronquist follows three young women who have a car crash when travelling to a music festival. Stranded in the middle of nowhere and with Gloria quite seriously injured, Nancy and Terry agree to seek refuge with Marion Penrose, a spinster, and her bitter, wheelchair-bound mother. It's quickly evident to Nancy and Terry that things are not 'normal' in the house as there is a large human tooth under Terry's bed and they can hear heavy breathing, seemingly by a man, from upstairs. Unbeknownst to them, there are peepholes around and someone watches them showering. I watched this before checking out the remake and, strangely because of knowing how it ends, found it more disturbing than on first viewing. It is very sedately paced and, with most violence being suggested and not gratuitous or otherwise 'obscene', so I've no idea how it ended up on the infamous DPP's list.

UNHINGED (2017) – I'm always sceptical about modern remakes, but open minded enough to give them a go. Maybe because I'm not a huge fan of the original film, or perhaps because of something else, I found this remake infinitely preferable to the 'reimagining' of films like The Evil Dead, A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. It definitely ups the violence and intensity of the original, increasing the number of women from 3 to 4 and changing the location from backwoods America to England, and the reason for the trip from a music festival to a wedding, but much of the rest is the same. It's a film I enjoyed (I think that's the right word for an intense and violently downbeat film) and intend to watch again after listening to the commentary for the 1982 version of Unhinged, something I intend to do this weekend.

Demdike@Cult Labs 20th October 2017 11:51 AM

I went into Asda again this week for Unhinged but still no copy nor a place for it on the shelf. They did have Hellriser but in truth after reading the back and seeing the pics it didn't look like it was worth spending £7 on.

Antropophagus 20th October 2017 12:49 PM

Day 14 - Tenebre
Day 15 - Nightmare City
Day 16 - Evil Dead Trap
Day 17 - The Night Flier
Day 18 - Rosemary's Baby
Day 19 - The Funhouse

Inspector Abberline 20th October 2017 06:36 PM

pat
 
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Twilight Zone.“The 7th Is Made Up of Phantoms” (Season 5, Episode 10)
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Three national guardsmen on manouvres (including a very young Warren Oates) encounter what seems to be a teepee very near to Little Big Horn where General Custer had his last stand. Not the most exciting of episodes,as apart from the odd horse and an Indian arrow being shot into one of the soldiers back,we do not get to see any action at all,every thing is simply implied off screen.That said its a very interesting premise,that has been used since in various different films,and the three main leads do the best they can with what is a limited script,but the end punch line is still pretty good.

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Patrick (1978)
Patrick played by Robert Thompson,is in a deep coma after killing his mother and her boyfreind by throwing an electric heater into there bath,(obviously there in the bath together),there sexual antics had been annoying Patrick,so he decided to heat things up abit.Now Patrick is a patient at the Roget Clinic,under the gaze of Dr. Roget.Then along come's Susan Penhaligon (who seems to appear in everything I watch recently) as Kathie Jacquard,she immediately takes a shine to him,even after he spits in her face,(one of the few ways he can communicate),but unknown to the doctors and nurses of the hospital Patrick has hidden powers.Richard Franklin who directed two of my favorite films from the early 1980's, Road Games and Psycho II,does a fine job in what is basically another variation of a Carrie rip off,with a touch of the Psychic Killer (1975) there are some genuinely creepy moments as Patrick flexs his psychic muscle.I really love the scene where Penhaligon is being interviewed for the nursing job by Matron Cassidy, " Why did you choose the Roget Clinic, Mrs. Jacquard? We tend to attract certain types - lesbians, nymphomaniacs, enema specialists..."

Demdike@Cult Labs 20th October 2017 08:13 PM

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October 19th

Theatre of Blood (1972)

Theatre of Blood with it's clever Shakespearean scenarios and unsettling mixture of refined wit and graphic unpleasantness is one of the finest horror films of the 70's and gives Vincent Price as Edward Lionheart, along with his Roderick Usher and Mathew Hopkins, a career best performance.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

The Blair Witch Project was the first and probably best entry in the found footage genre it spawned. A genre which, for better or worse, is still going strong today almost twenty years later. Despite a few sequences that quickly become annoying the film is the vanguard for those like me who dare to venture out into the countryside after dark and shudder at anything that goes 'bump in the night'. The sounds of stones clattering and children screaming as well as the exploration of the old witch's house is still the essence of all things creepy.

Nosferatu@Cult Labs 20th October 2017 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs (Post 555085)
The Blair Witch Project (1999)

The Blair Witch Project was the first and probably best entry in the found footage genre it spawned. A genre which, for better or worse, is still going strong today almost twenty years later. Despite a few sequences that quickly become annoying the film is the vanguard for those like me who dare to venture out into the countryside after dark and shudder at anything that goes 'bump in the night'. The sounds of stones clattering and children screaming as well as the exploration of the old witch's house is still the essence of all things creepy.

I remember reading a review of this in the Virgin Film Guide, which I later learned was penned by Maitland McDonagh, beginning with these wonderful sentences:

"When was the last time a movie crawled under your skin and died there? Depending on your age, it may have been NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE or THE EVIL DEAD: Like those films, Dan Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez's debut inspires an unpleasant mix of creeping dread and festering anxiety. That may not sound so nice, but many filmmakers try their whole careers without getting a real rise out of real horror fans."

The Blair Witch Project has that same sense of foreboding, the oppressive atmosphere and knowledge that, whatever hope you the characters whom you hold hope, things are going to end badly for everyone, with the end credits offering no relief.

It's a film I plan to watch this month but, unlike most highly regarded horror films, will not be one I will particularly enjoy!

J Harker 20th October 2017 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs (Post 554980)
The Legend films release looks fine upscaled. However i too have the Eureka set in my wishlist as it's a favourite of mine too.

Then this might be of use
Get ready for a EUREKA CREEPY NIGHT IN this Halloween, with ***SPECIAL OFFERS (from £2.99)*** on this ghoulish collection of EUREKA horror titles dug up from the vaults at Eureka Towers, available through Best Media Group on Amazon.

Titles include Creepy, Nosferatu, Stigmata, The Entity, Vampyr, Wolf Creek and Fright Night amongst others! Full list of titles may be found here http://po.st/p9UMYE

Offers close at 0900hrs on Monday 23rd October. Limited stock available at these knock down prices. So the early bird catches the worm! Get your Halloween viewing sorted NOW!

Demoncrat 21st October 2017 05:16 PM

I watched Alien. The 79 version. The comm holds a few interesting moments cough.
Still a scary film ...
IMHO

Inspector Abberline 21st October 2017 09:46 PM

tz Dark Age (1987, AUS)
 
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"The Twilight Zone" People Are Alike All Over.

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Roddy McDowall is a scientist who is a going to get blasted into space,with the intention of exploring mars .When they eventually get there,the spaceship crash lands with the co-pilot badly injured,and McDowall is to scared to leave the ship,until his friend dies and he has no choice but to see who is outside. The episode has the feel of an old Star Trek story,although like many TZ stories there ahead of there time.When McDowall finally meets the martians he is surprised to see that there just like him except for one thing,they have the power of telepathy.While it has one of those classic Twilight Zone endings,something Rod Serling is obviously famous for,I do get irradiated with the sort of holy than thou attitude the show sometime has with its finale's.and its condescending way it can treat the audience.Any how McDowall gets to have a screaming hissy fit at the end much like Charlton Heston does in Serlings Planet of the Apes.

Dark Age.(1987)
Attachment 197958
Crocodile conservationist John Jarratt as Steve Harris,is out to protect the remaining salt water crocodiles in the Northern Territory's.Unfortunately there is also a group of hunters out there ready to kill anything that can be turned into a hand bag and a pair of shoes. Also the local aboriginal tribes men are very protective of the giant beast as they see it as god like creature with spiritual powers. While the croc in question is a pretty veracious and evil bastard,he even eats a small boy,Jarratt's Park Ranger is intent on preserving the creature and saving it from the hunters and releasing into a safe captivity. Dark Age at times takes its ecological message very seriously,but it also never shy's away from showing the croc chowing down on its victims as it bites its way through the cast.The scene where it kills the boy is a bit reminiscent of Jaw's but none the worse for that and the crocodile scenes are nicely done and the gore effects quite effective.A good all round action horror adventure.

Demdike@Cult Labs 21st October 2017 10:48 PM

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October 20th

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)

The best of what is now a stand alone sequel trilogy which pits Donald Pleasence's Dr Loomis against his old foe Michael Myers. Gorier than the original but not as chilling, although this is still a fine slasher film in it's own right. A good supporting cast - Ellie Cornell, Danielle Harris and Beau Starr - constantly give the viewer someone to root for.

Suspiria (1977)

Dario Argento's masterpiece, full of exquisite cinematography, graphic violence and a harrowingly memorable score from Goblin.

A genuine horror classic.

The Old Dark House (1932)

Another genuine horror classic and the film that spawned a genre - Old dark house films. Shot by James Whale just after the previous year's Frankenstein, this less heralded but far creepier effort is, in my opinion, Whale's masterpiece.

Demoncrat 21st October 2017 11:38 PM

Kudos.

This TODH release better have that poster as the cover. Or as a artcard. Or as a poster. "Accoutrements ... Theyre my only vice" :skull:

bleakshaun 22nd October 2017 08:37 AM

Blair Witch Project
A group of students go into a forest to investigate a local legend. After the first couple of days, they get lost and are hearing noises at night.
Demdike said it before in a previous post, this film impacted the genre for better or for worse, depending on your view. But how they approachedit using subtlety wrks in its favour.
8/10

Sent from my MediaPad T1 8.0 Pro using Tapatalk

Justin101 22nd October 2017 05:02 PM

A quick catch up of my last few days, managed to actually watch some films!

Jeepers Creepers (2001)

Not one I've seen for a long time, I went to the cinema to watch it, there was a fire alarm during the film and we had to go outside - THAT's what I remembered of this film which should have been a warning. OK, but forgettable teen horror, starts strong and quickly descends into boring film. I recently read a review reading the film as an allegory for the main characters fears that he may be gay. Seriously, that's quite a reach :lol:

June (2015)

A poundland special, perfectly watchable story of a young girl who was part of a (satanic??) ritual as a baby and now has telekinetic powers. Highlight was Casper van Dien as a total DILF, that beard MMMmmm. Decent enough story and some good low budget special effects but outside of the main 3 or 4 actors the rest of the acting was woeful!

The Babysitter (2017)

Dorky pre-teen boy stays up late to see what his babysitter gets up to while he's asleep, it turns out she's a satanist who uses the blood of innocents in her rituals to be popular and confident! It's full to the brim of tropes but in the right way. A riotously fun Horror Comedy with loads of blood, some titillation involving boys and girls and a great story. The kid actor is really good as well and held his own with the grown ups being in every scene!

Trick 'r Treat (2007)

A modern portmanteau type (kind of) horror film set during Halloween. I think we've all seen this one and it's definitely really fun. It has a few low points here and there but overall it's good fun. My only quibble was when Sam's burlap sack mask was torn off to reveal that he's actually a *spoiler* pumpkin. He was far creepier when you thought he was just some insane kid.

:coffin:

Demdike@Cult Labs 22nd October 2017 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justin101 (Post 555290)

June (2015)

A poundland special, perfectly watchable story of a young girl who was part of a (satanic??) ritual as a baby and now has telekinetic powers. Highlight was Casper van Dien as a total DILF, that beard MMMmmm. Decent enough story and some good low budget special effects but outside of the main 3 or 4 actors the rest of the acting was woeful!

Told you this was okay. Well worth a pound.

Inspector Abberline 22nd October 2017 05:42 PM

tz the hole
 
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The Twilight Zone. Eye of the Beholder.
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While it is a great episode,you don't have to be a genius to guess how it will all turn out in the end,and while the main character is in bandages at first,and the rest of the cast are shrouded in darkness and only seen from behind or in silhouette,so we know that things are gonna go a skew. Again the tone of the episode takes a moralistic high ground,as we are supposed to re-think what society deems as ugly or attractive,well don't tell me tell those idiots who watch Love Island...Well The Eye of the Beholder is pretty much held in high regard as one of the best Zone episodes ever,but I think its all to obvious,and there are plenty of more cleverer and to be honest more fun episodes in the Zone's cannon.Still the makeup effects are very effective although they do get re-used slightly for the episode The Masks in season five.

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The Hole (2009).
I must admit this one passed me by when it first came out,I think it was originally released as a 3-D movie,and since I have no interest in the gimmick of 3-D then I more likely just dismissed it on its release.Also it sort of by passed me that this was also a Joe Dante flick,so again my bad.A newly arrived family from Brooklyn,find a trap door in the basement of there new house in Bensenville,one which seemingly has no bottom to it.The two brothers and the girl next door,soon start to see things,which are all related to there own personal fears and have some connection with the hole in the basement.While its all fairly PG-rated stuff Dante manages to crowbar in all sorts of influences from J-Horror to murderous puppets to German Expressionism cinema.It doesn't feel like the usual Dante fodder at all but just to reassure us he does wheel out Bruce Dern and Dick Miller,just in case we forgot who is directing.

Demoncrat 22nd October 2017 05:53 PM

Ever seen his Eerie, Indiana series Inspector? I would say The Hole is totally in keeping with the rest of his stuff.

Currently watching an Aussie portmanteau. A Night Of Horror Volume I (2015, various) A bit hit & miss but some decent (and bafflingly arty :skull:) segments so far ....

Demdike@Cult Labs 22nd October 2017 06:17 PM

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October 21st

Prince of Darkness (1987)

A team of scientists lead by Victor Wong and priest Donald Pleasence enter an old LA church to investigate a large strange cannister of swirling fluids which is supposed to be a doorway for the Devil to return to the Earth. The church is watched over by a sect known as the Brotherhood of Sleep lead by a disturbingly creepy Alice Cooper.

Director John Carpenter creates an interesting premise with Prince of Darkness, that of science and computers vs folklore and superstition in fact it's all quite Nigel Kneale like when you think about it, with added Assault on Precinct 13 thanks to the group not being able to escape due to Alice and his cronies. Carpenter's always present score with it's deep base interludes maintain a constant level of creepiness throughout.

The Rezort (2015)

The British zombie movie is alive and kicking thanks to this Steve Barker of Outpost (2008) fame.

Barker's film isn't exactly original as it borrows heavily from Jurassic Park and adds zombies. A hell of a lot of zombies. This could easily be seen as a sequel to Romero's original Dead trilogy.

After a long war between humans and zombies in which the humans win, the zombies are all carted off to a secure island where they are hunted for sport. The first half hour explains the hows and whys and shows us INGEN style why the island compounds are impenetrable and perfectly safe for our holidaying hunters, except of course things go wrong and we watch as one hunting party led by Dougray Scott and Arrow's Jessica De Gouw attempt to flee the island before the authorities fire bomb it.

I have to admit that i really enjoyed The Rezort. It has a decent budget and great island locations. The cast are strong and the hunting party are all characters worth rooting for, even the at first seemingly annoying gamers who won the experience via an internet shoot em' up aren't as dumb as they first seem but are totally out of their depth when it comes to actually aiming and firing real weapons. Barker keeps the film moving once the initial exposition is over and thrusts us into some interesting 'will they, won't they' scenarios.

The Rezort is the best zombie film i've seen in a few years.

bleakshaun 22nd October 2017 08:37 PM

Intruder
A group of people are on the nightshift at a supermarket. One of them gets abused by her ex boyfriend and then fights the staff. They kick him out and are.then told the store is shutting down. To make matters worse, someone is killing them off one at a time.
Ultimately this is a film of 2 halves, the 1st half starts off good, but for a while runs slowly however the 2nd half is where it picks up for the most part. Some good kills and appearances by both Sam and Ted Raimi. I'd say it's worth checking out.
7/10

Sent from my MediaPad T1 8.0 Pro using Tapatalk

Demoncrat 22nd October 2017 09:03 PM

Satan's Slave (1976, NJW)

Catherine needs a rest. Sadly some family come to the rescue :skull:

I either hate this film or fall in love with it all over again. Warren struck a different path than Walker imho. There is something in the atmosphere in his films. Whereas Walker revels in human misery. Which is fine and dandy ... don't get me wrong. It might just be the music?? :skull:

Demdike@Cult Labs 23rd October 2017 01:58 PM

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October 22nd

It Follows (2014)

Whereas most either love or hate this film i feel i'm in the odd position of finding it all rather average. The central plot of a young woman stalked by a supernatural entity following a sexual encounter was quite original as was the idea the entity walked continuously to find her whilst occupying different bodies on the way. A scenario that gave us a couple of mildly gripping set pieces.

However i did feel the film kept covering the same ground. The chills were all provided by the same 'it's here' moments and quite a lot didn't really make sense.

For example a bullet to the head whilst at the beach and the entity just got up and carried on in it's quest, yet in the finale at the swimming pool another bullet to the head stopped it dead in it's tracks filling the pool with blood. The final shot is also very ambiguous. As it shows our heroine walking down the street with a second figure walking some way behind. If this was to imply the thing was still after her then why did it not continue doing so at the pool?

Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)

Christopher Lee's second donning of the Count's cape isn't as good as Dracula (1958) but is still a fine film in it's own right. It can be argued that Andrew Keir's monk is no substitute for Peter Cushing's Van Helsing and also that Dracula doesn't utter a single word.

However despite this Christopher Lee is excellent as Dracula and the film remains a favourite of mine due to two harrowing set pieces - the bloody resurrection of Dracula and the staking of Barbara Shelley.

Justin101 23rd October 2017 02:18 PM

Don't Torture A Duckling (1972)

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I watched Arrow's new disc last night which looks great. I bought this from Anchor Bay on VHS when I visited America with my family about 20 years ago. I was disappointed when I first saw it as it wasn't as gory and pulpy as The Beyond and The City of the Living Dead and I haven't seen it since, the VHS long gone.
Giving this a second airing as an adult who's seen some films since 1997 I was absolutely blown away. This and A Lizard in a Women's Skin have got to be Fulci's finest. Highly recommended!

Inspector Abberline 23rd October 2017 06:42 PM

"The Twilight Zone" The Chaser
 
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"The Twilight Zone" The Chaser.

Like most anthology tv shows,you always get the odd frothy light weight comedy story just even out all the weirdness that has preceded it,and the Twilight Zone was no different.In the episode The Chaser,love sick sap Mr. Roger Shackelforth. Age: youthful twenties. Occupation: being in love,has fallen for Leila,but does not seem that interested.After being kicked off a public phone he was hogging,a gentleman upon hearing his plight gives him a calling card for a man who can help him with his problem.The man in question is A. Daemon...He sell's Shackelforth a love potion for a single $1,which he has to give to Leila,the potion that is not the dollar...Its a nicely done story but it feels a bit hurried and could of been longer than its 20 odd mins running time.Of course you can have too much of a good thing as our hero finds out as Leila becomes obsessed with him,so off he goes back to the old man who sold him the love potion.Now here it gets a bit odd,Shackelforth is offered a glove cleaner,now I kind of assumed that was to reverse the love potion,but apparently I also read that this is a poison,which seems abit harsh considering this was his doing in the first place.Also shrewdly the old man sells this for a $1000 dollars,obviously knowing the customer will return to reverse the original potion.A nice fun episode that shows how diverse the writing on the series was.

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Death Curse of Tartu (1966)
An ancient Indian medicine man returns from the dead to kill a bunch of of people..Im not up on my history or geography of America,but where there native Americans in the Everglades..??? I suppose there must of been,I mean films wouldn't lie would they??? Any how William Grefé gives us a dose of low budget grind house nonsense that makes Herschell Gorgon Lewis look like David Lean.That said I do love the 1960's feel of any low budget film,especially those that came out of the South and those exploitation movies made in Florida. Tartu does take a while to get going,at the start we get a lot of footage of an archeologist hacking his way through the everglades,while being followed by a snake,(this could constitute as the slowest chase scene ever filmed). When the snake does eventually pounce ,(well thrown at the actor would be a more accurate description) the fight that ensues would not be out of place in an Ed Wood movie. If you can stay awake long enough,there's plenty of fun to be had especially when Tartu starts shuffling about.Although im sort of concerned when one of the characters shouts "snakes won't hurt ya"...umm yes they will,just ask the poor bugger at the start of the film.

Justin101 24th October 2017 09:14 AM

Child's Play 2 (1990)

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Pretty good sequel all said, not as successful as the original but one which finds Chucky becoming a little more campy with his one-liners which isn't a bad thing. Andy, now in a foster home with 'teen rebel' Kyle is terrorised by the re-animated Charles Lee Ray who is more desperate than ever to escape the plastic confines of Chucky and transport his soul into the boy!

Demdike@Cult Labs 24th October 2017 11:17 PM

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October 23rd

Pay the Ghost (2015)

Nic Cage's main problem is he can go over the top with his histrionics however he reels it all in for Pay the Ghost and is rather subdued. In fact the film as a whole is rather subdued. It's a slow burner and the first half hour is all in the acting hands of Cage and co-star Sarah Wayne Callies whom i expect many of you know from The Walking Dead. Playing out as a mystery about missing children it then takes a left turn at the half way point as elements of the supernatural and the Celtic festival of Samhain begin to take precedence, which made the film a more interesting proposition.

Thankfully Pay the Ghost isn't the usual FX fest riddled with musical jump scares, the CGI is kept to a minimum and really only comes in towards the end but it brings a nightmare scenario to life rather than anything else.

I enjoyed Pay the Ghost second time round just as much as the first. The Halloween mythology ensures it will get many more viewings over forthcoming October horrorfests.


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