I feel disappointed, RotLD3 is nowhere near as good as I remembered it to be. It’s actually pretty cheesy and very dated. Thumbs up for Melinda’s boobs though haha.

It’s almost time Kids...

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It’s a shame I have to sit at my desk for 8 hrs now haha. Happy Halloween!!

Well it could be worse, you could be getting a filling this afternoon

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I don't mind the dentist to be honest, although it could be like THAT scene from Marathon Man... I guess that's in the Halloween spirit :lol: :skull:

You just torturing me for the hell of it? I don't mind check ups, but I'm dreading this one cos its right up the back

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You'll be fine, the worst thing about getting a filling at the back is the jaw ache afterwards, just take a couple of ibuprofen (unless you have asthma) and you'll be right as rain for bobbing for apples :lol:

I'm just staying in tonight, cuddled up in my dressing gown with a hot chocolate, my life is exciting, if by exciting you mean f**king dull XD

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Amityville II was pretty twisted stuff. The mini Betamax box release of that film from Thorn EMI was super cool - just looked amazing - as did Halloween.

Rumpelstiltskin
An evil midget gets turned to a rock, years later he gets found by a widow in a shop and is awakened, now he wants the widows baby so that he can live.
I wanted to watch schlock and that's what I got. The premise is fine, the acting is stiff and honestly I would only watch it again if I was running drunk.
4/10

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Daleks in the pumpkin!

One trick 'r treater so far... :brainfood:

One more than me

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October 30th

The Wolf Man (1941)

Lon Chaney's finest performance and my favourite werewolf film. A genuine classic from Universal.

Perhaps best summed up by this timeless quote.

Trick 'r Treat (2007)

Ten solid years of tricks and treats and still Michael Dougherty's film remains as good as ever. Perhaps the finest portmanteau horror ever made, the different story strands blend seamlessly and with each viewing a different segment becomes my favourite. This time it was the werewolves.

Trick 'r Treat really is a Halloween tradition.

The Lords of Salem (2012)

In The Lords of Salem Rob Zombie takes his film making in an adventurous, bold new direction and seemingly out of his comfort zone. Gone are the gory shock tactics to be replaced with a brooding menace akin to Rosemary's Baby.

Each time i watch this it always impresses me how Zombie gives a lot of screen time to veteran actresses Judy Geeson, Dee Wallace and Patricia Quinn, who Hammer fans may remember as a witch in the Hammer House of Horrors episode Witching Time. The three all revel in their meaty roles and its wonderful to see them seemingly having so much fun back in the horror genre. The oft derided Sheri Moon gives as good as she gets against these horror legends too.

Kids are too friggin lazy to call here, being slightly out of the way.

They much prefer housing estates or streets.

My room is suitably lit with candles for my Halloween marathon.

It picked up over the next hour and over 10 groups of kids called in all. I was worried that I may run out of sweets!

That's what you get for living in a hermit's shack in the middle of nowhere :skull:

I finished off my October horror viewing with a double-bill of Dougherty's Trick 'r Treat and Carpenter's Halloween.

Hopefully everyone had a good night and managed to satiate the ghouls and ghosts again for another year. :ghost:

Ahem. As I'm sure you'll all be crushed to learn :laugh: I did not manage to procure a copy of Dirty Dancing ....

So plumped for the Frankenstein adaptation from Mystery & Imagination (Ian Holm, Ron Pember etc). Like their Dracula, plays fast and loose with the source, whilst retaining elements from the Universal version etc etc.

Then I had a "guiser" to the door .... in the shape of my neighbour :lol:
Hic!!

Finished the night off with Prince Of Darkness and Jaws.

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[23] Hide And Go Shriek
So many slasher movies in the ‘80s had awesome cover art, occasionally misrepresentative, the artwork for Skip Schoolnik’s Hide And Go Shriek is archetypal of the experience to be found. A protagonist cowering under a bed by a barefoot killer’s tattooed feet. The use of lighting in Hide And Go Shriek is really fascinating, shadows are frequently used to obscure key details from both character and viewer. The shadows aid in creating a malleable presence for the killer, from brutishly masculine to maniacally feminine. Set in a furniture store, of course the nubile teens couple up and separate to test out the mattresses, which seals their fate. The acting is generally mixed, the pacing sporadically lulls, far too many people survive, and some of the choices made with regards to the killer may feel outdated and offensive, but otherwise it’s a pretty enjoyable experience.
:pumpkin::pumpkin::pumpkin:

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[24] Happy Death Day
Happy Death Day is part of a wave of modern slasher cinema with a novel twist, or gimmick depending upon your opinion, that includes the likes of Detention, Tragedy Girls and The Final Girls, among many others. Suffusing the typical slasher formula with a Groundhog Day time-loop, for a generation that largely won’t be familiar with Groundhog Day, which the film knowingly nods to when one character is attempting to relate the protagonist’s situation to the film, only for the protagonist to not even be aware of who Bill Murray is. The time-loop element is a perfect fit for the sub-genre, looping every time the protagonist dies, but still managing to imbue a sense of danger with the underlying physical trauma from her deaths carrying through into the next cycle. The film strides between genius and stupidity, the killer’s motivation is completely redundant, throwaway nonsense that is hopefully part of the joke, and we get a few too many false endings, but the sense of humour is so on point you forgive its faults.
:pumpkin::pumpkin::pumpkin:

Attachment 198330
[25] Night School
Ken Hughes’ Night School has a bit of an identity crisis, its remit is clearly a slasher, but it feels overly influenced by Italian cinema, particularly the giallo, as many slasher movies were influenced by, but also the police procedural elements of the poliziotteschi. Even the killer, clad in black biker gear feels ripped straight out of Andrea Bianchi’s Strip Nude For Your Killer. The murder set pieces feel remarkably evocative of slasher cinema, calling to mind scenes from the likes of Maniac, and The Prowler, the opening in particular sets the tone perfectly, the creaking and spinning of a round-a-bout, the killer waving his knife as the victim helplessly spins. The sound design is incredibly effective, accentuating sound effects at the appropriate moments to ratchet up the intensity, a knife being scraped along a mesh grating, an electronic ambient thrum knowing just when to die down, right before the jump scare. The film works best when it is being a slasher, the police procedural elements are nowhere near as compelling; the scene in the kitchen of the diner is essentially one big tease, the audience tensely awaiting the reveal, none of the other aspects are quite able to hold the viewer as rapt.
:pumpkin::pumpkin::pumpkin:

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[26] The Intruder
Previously unreleased, the original materials destroyed, from the only print ever to exist, Garagehouse Pictures bring us Chris Robinson’s proto-slasher The Intruder. So obscure even after they had found the print they struggled to identify it, unable to source listings, it wasn’t a case of being presumed lost, but never to have existed. The story behind the film is more interesting than the actual film, a serviceable reworking of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. There’s the occasional flourish of striking cinematography, the kill in the Lighthouse is a kaleidoscopic visual feast, and a scene with one character reading, oblivious to an intruder lurking outside her window, illuminated by flashes of lightning is effectively lensed. Largely it’s run of the mill, a putrid array of duplicitous characters meeting their maker in a pretty mundane fashion, with various hanging plot strands attempting to mislead the viewer. The ending is hilariously random. Despite being rarely above average, I’m pleased that The Intruder does actually exist, and that Garagehouse Pictures persisted to bring it to us it.
:pumpkin::pumpkin::pumpkin:

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[27] The Hearse
Escaping from a failed marriage resulting in her breakdown, Jane Hardy moves into the house her Aunt left her in her will, much to the dismay of the lawyer in charge of her Aunt’s estate, waspishly played by Joseph Cotten, who claims to have been promised the house. There’s a hokey TV serial-drama feel to The Hearse, which unfortunately undermines many of the set pieces. There’s a superb dream sequence, with Jane being stalked by the scarred chauffer, bursting through a door, culminating in a Church where the mist has permeated the walls, the midnight mass seemingly a collection of occult worshippers. The Hearse itself doesn’t have anywhere near the menace of this sequence, and isn’t ever able to overcome the soapy trappings of a secretive small town’s mistrust of an outsider plot. The repeated narrative, Jane following in the footsteps of her Aunt, the underpinning occult elements, Joseph Cotten providing a touch of class beyond the material, and that dream sequence all make it enjoyable, if inconsequential.
:pumpkin::pumpkin::pumpkin:

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[28] The Iron Rose
Jean Rollin’s The Iron Rose is hauntingly desolate; aside from the occasional background extra we have just two characters, dubbed simply ‘The Boy’ and ‘The Girl’. A poet and a ballet dancer, respectively, meet at a party and go on a first date to a cemetery, as you do. It cannot be understated how malevolent and disconcerting the atmosphere is, the cinematography aiding in creating something that transcends the screen. The unsettling parade of mourners at the cemetery, someone dressed up like a fancy dress version of Dracula, something you might see a child wearing, the sad Clown, laying the wilted flowers on a grave, all provide an ethereal air, a crossing of realms. The graveyard becomes unending, inescapable, malign forces attempting to make permanent residents of the newly met lovers, just as Rollin’s cinema is inescapable, making a permanent resident of me.
:pumpkin::pumpkin::pumpkin::pumpkin:

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[29] Suddenly In The Dark
Despite being a fan of contemporary Korean horror, I genuinely can’t think of a single Korean horror film I’ve seen that predates the late-nineties (Ki-hyeong Park’s Whispering Corridors in 1998). Perhaps I’m overlooking something obvious, or I’m just a terrible cinephile, but when Mondo Macabro announced they were putting out Suddenly In The Dark, originally released in 1981, I couldn’t resist. It unfurls in a similar way to the paranoia-laced thrillers from Polanski, a slow unnerving build up with the protagonist questioning everything around her, and her family and friends questioning her sanity, before a finale act cavalcade of explosive hysteria. There feels a meeting between a modernising Korea and the superstitious values of old. The totemic doll, said to possess some form of spirit becomes the object of the protagonist’s madness, unnervingly coming to life. There’s a kaleidoscopic fracturing of the camera, the protagonist’s sanity unhinging with the narrative. The film culminates in a deliriously frenzied denouement.
:pumpkin::pumpkin::pumpkin::pumpkin:

None came to our home.


http://s.quickmeme.com/img/6a/6abc3c...4f1cad75d6.jpg

October 31st. Halloween.

The Ghost Train (1941)

Written by Arnold Ridley, best known as Private Godfrey in Dad's Army, The Ghost Train comes across as less a ghost story and more a comedy vehicle in which the likable Arthur Askey does his routine, seemingly irritating everyone at the lonely old railway station as they await morning, but definitely entertaining me with his antics.

There's idle chatter of a ghost train throughout but it's not until the final 10 minutes when the film takes a turn into ghostly horror territory that any sort of tension ensues.

This is the second time i've watched this in ten months. Do i need help? :brainfood:

Halloween (1978) / Halloween II (1981)

The ultimate double bill for the 31st of October. :pumpkin:

See you all next October folks. :thankingyou: :vamp:

Now my dissertation is all finished and I'm not going to look at it again, I can now catch up with the other horror (in its loosest possible term) I have I watched in October:

THE SURGEON (Exquisite Tenderness) – another from the £1 Music Magpie selection and one which also pleasantly surprised. The serial killer in a hospital premise works quite well and even when you know who is killing people, and why, it doesn't suffer for the massive tonal shift, possibly improving if anything.

BRIDE OF REANIMATOR – this follow-up to one of my favourite horror-comedies is nowhere near as good as the first film, but it is still good fun and one I enjoy.

WATCH ME WHEN I KILL – the new 4K scam of this giallo, a film I have previously only seen on the Shameless Films' DVD makes it look like a completely new film. It properly helps that it's been a long time since I have seen, so had completely forgotten who was behind the murders, and why they were committing their crimes. I should really get round to watching it with the Italian language track soon.

STREET TRASH – completely all over the place and all the better for it, this wonderfully entertaining 'melt movie' has just about everything from gangsters to melting hobos and a game of 'catch' with a severed penis.

[REC]4 APOCALYPSE – the first two films in the series are amongst my favourite in both the 'infected' and 'found footage' genres and whilst this doesn't live up to the promise of those, or even underrated the third instalment, I still found it very entertaining and quite moving.

DEAD GIRL – a really grim film which seems to revel in its own nastiness, becoming more disturbing as it goes on and giving the Nekromantik movies a run for their money when it comes to the gruesome sight of necrophilia.

BEWITCHED (commentary) – Bey Logan really is the king of commentary for Asian cinema, and this track on the 88 Films' Blu-ray release is fun and informative.

PHANTASM – completely weird and probably best for it. There are times when I'm still not exactly sure what's taking place, but any film with flying orbs which drill into your skull, a trans-dimensional gateway and an ice cream and taking on the forces of evil is going to keep me engaged for its running time.

THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT – surprisingly still effective and uncomfortable viewing after all these years, particularly when I think back to when I was watching it on a 28" CRT and how it has lost little in the nearly 20 years since then, now being viewed on a 55" OLED screen!

THE SHALLOWS – I was a little hesitant about how this would look and sound in 4K and if the UHD would showcase any shortcomings in the visual or practical effects. I needn't have worried because it is a gripping story and the shark looks (and sounds) superb, with the 360° sound making the underwater scenes even more effective.

PSYCHO – rightly considered the 'granddaddy of slasher films' and one of the greatest horror movies ever made, this is amazing because it hasn't aged badly and because the excellent performances, all-time great score and astonishing direction are still a joy to behold.

THE EXORCIST – still my all time favourite movie and one which I'll never tire of watching. It's weird that even after hundreds of viewings, I still pick up things every so often, with the latest being when Father Merrin walks past a line of men praying and I realised that, because of his shadow, they are facing south, something which makes perfect sense for Muslims in northern Iraq.

HALLOWEEN – really a no-brainer decision of what other film to watch on October 31st, with the masterpieces by William Friedkin and John Carpenter proving a superb double bill. I'll probably not watch this until the same time next year! I intend to watch the sequel tonight.

Great post, Nos.

Glad you enjoyed The Surgeon and Dead Girl. Have you watched all my quid recommendations now?

I think so. I forgot to add URBAN EXPLORERS to that list, a film I also watched in the last week and, though I've seen it before, really enjoyed.

We got none, which was fine by me, its just a little disappointing

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This years October Halloween fest has been -

House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
The Plague of the Zombies (1965)
The Mummy's Tomb (1942)
Witchfinder General (1968)
Gothic (1986)
Evil Breed: The Legend of Samhain (2003)
Night of the Demons III (Demon House) (1997)
Corruption (1968)
Quatermass and the Pit (1967)
Dracula (1973)
Halloween Resurrection (2002)
Count Dracula (1977)
Spider Baby (1964)
All Hallows' Eve (2013)
Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969)
Halloween (2007)
Happy Hell Night (1992)
Night of the Demon (1957)
Isle of the Dead (1945)
Bedlam (1946)
Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI (1986)
Dracula (1979)
Lights Out (2016)
The Fog (1979)
Trick or Treat (1986)
So Long at the Fair (1950)
Demons of the Mind (1972)
The Hollow (2004)
The Skull (1965)
The Creeping Flesh (1973)
Theatre of Blood (1972)
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
Suspiria (1977)
The Old Dark House (1932)
Prince of Darkness (1987)
The Rezort (2015)
It Follows (2014)
Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)
Pay the Ghost (2015)
The VVitch: A New-England Folktale (2015)
Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970)
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
City of the Living Dead (1980)
Satan's Little Helper (2004)
Tales of Halloween (2015)
Blair Witch (2016)
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)
I Walked with a Zombie (1943)
Blackburn (2015)
Flesh Eater (1988)
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
The Wolf Man (1941)
Trick 'r Treat (2007)
The Lords of Salem (2012)
The Ghost Train (1941)
Halloween (1978)
Halloween II (1981)

I also watched Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings, Night of the Demons (1988) and Tiffany Shepis fave Dead Scared (The Hazing) but failed to review them here.

62 films in all. :coffin:

Despite not thinking I'd hit the one-film-a-day average in October, I actually managed to watch 32 films in all.

Full list here.

Attachment 198380
[30] The Pumpkin Karver
After a Halloween prank goes horribly wrong, resulting in manslaughter, social misfit Jonathan is haunted by the consequences of his good-intentioned actions. The Pumpkin Karver feels a product of the slasher revival in the late-nineties heralded by Wes Craven’s Scream, but missing the mark completely, launching a decade later it feels as if it’s been gestating for that length of time, the script dulled considerably, oblivious to the advancement of its contemporaries. The social stereotyping lacking the self-aware irony, bordering on offensive, the one black cast member talking about the ‘hood’, a girl being far too weak to right a fallen wheelbarrow and needing a man’s help. It features many of the hallmarks one would expect in a horror film set on Halloween, the sheer amount of pumpkins is frequently a glorious sight, and of course there’s a hellfire and brimstone spouting crazy old man. The Pumpkin Karver feels displaced, lacking an identity, aping so many different inspirations it’s never able to knit them all cohesively, nor decide which hanging plot strand to go with for the ending.
:pumpkin::pumpkin:

Attachment 198381
[31] Satan's Little Helper
Satan’s Little Helper is full of charm; from the adorable Satan obsessed Dougie to the lo-fi mask and outfit that Satan wears. Jeff Lieberman’s oeuvre is so varied and distinct, despite a concentration of genre cinema, so consistent in quality, from the hallucinogenic nightmares of Blue Sunshine to the backwoods brutality of Just Before Dawn. Satan’s Little Helper adds a wry wit and playfulness. A case of mistaken identity, Satan’s Little Helper obliviously aids a murderer wearing a Satan mask, on a killing spree straight out of his favourite videogame. It’s a creative and quirky concept, which occasionally lapses into something a little mean spirited, the killing of the cat, using its blood to paint a sign, or the sniffing of panties, giving the film a disconcertingly black edge, a removal of the safety from the trappings of a cute child protagonist. It’s one of those films that feels canon for the season, something to wedge between Hocus Pocus and Trick ‘r Treat, or before Carpenter’s classic Halloween.
:pumpkin::pumpkin::pumpkin:

Attachment 198382
[32] The Slayer
The hauntingly barren coastal setting and dilapidated husk of a villa give J.S. Cardone’s The Slayer a desolate feeling. With a cast of just five characters, it adds to an air of isolation, the protagonist’s dreams an ominous foreboding of ill intent. The small cast of characters limits the amount of murderous set pieces, which the sub-genre typically thrives off, but The Slayer manages to make the few death scenes varied, remarkable in their effectiveness. The ambiguous dream sequences a melding of realities. A brooding, menacing pace builds to a spectacular creature reveal that lingers long after the film’s running time elapses. The Slayer is one of those supernatural slashers that will leave those looking for cheap thrills and kills unsatisfied, but will captivate those looking for something a little less hollow.
:pumpkin::pumpkin::pumpkin:

Attachment 198383
[33] Popcorn
Popcorn is a love letter, not just to b-movies but also to the cinema-going experience as a whole. A group of film students organise a night of b-movie mayhem in a run-down theatre on the eve of its demolition. There’s an unearthing of a lost film, with a controversial history, the murderous final act was played out live in the theatre as retribution of an unappreciative audience, and of course there’s a connection between the tragedy and protagonist. The plot is as hokey as the material it’s sending up. All of the films within the film are gloriously funny, tongue firmly planted in cheek. The film is self-aware; feeling almost a blueprint at times for the sensibilities of Scream, the film class discussion in particular feels a direct foreshadowing of a scene from Scream 2. It becomes a little too bogged down in its nonsense plot and languishes a little at times, but the setting and costumes provide the perfect ambiance for a satisfying midnight movie-like experience.
:pumpkin::pumpkin::pumpkin:

Attachment 198384
[34] Hack-O-Lantern
There’s something captivating about Hack-O-Lantern, it’s completely unconventional, at times feeling neutered and safe, and at others overly risqué. The dialogue is frequently pure filth, but wrapped up in a bizarre ‘50s homely ranch setting. Even the incestuous rapey occultist grandpa, who visits every Halloween bearing a choice of Pumpkin and a pentagram engraved necklace for one of his grandchildren, is played as a mix between Ernest Borgnine and Jim Varney. For a late-eighties slasher the kills are inept, infrequent and late to the party. There’s an amazing rock interlude lucid dream sequence though, if you can’t set your horror film in a mall or a hospital, always throw a rock band in. It’s so oft-kilter; one character takes their best friend to a graveyard to show them specifically where she had sex with said best friend’s brother. There’s a random out of nowhere stand-up segment, curiously outside of the actual party. Often for the wrong reasons, Hack-O-Lantern is an enthralling and unforgettable experience.
:pumpkin::pumpkin::pumpkin:

Attachment 198385
[35] The Barn
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a micro-budget crowd-funded film that is so visually competent, its aesthetic defies the nature of its limited means production. The Barn gloriously embodies the spirit of the season, not just in styling, but at the very core of its being, made by and for people who love the season. The protagonist’s serious attitude to Halloween endears, he is essentially many of the people who seek this type of fare out. The monster designs are superb, Hallowed Jack is possibly the most effective looking pumpkin-headed killer ever committed to screen. Cameos from Linnea Quigley, most definitely playing against type as the local moral crusader, and Ari Lehman delight. The throwback soundtrack is stellar. Occasionally it crosses from cool to cringe, the suiting up of the part-time gardening duo, dubbed ‘The Bushwhackers’, to dispense the antagonists, feels a little Tucker & Dale gone wrong, and the back story for the creatures feels a little shoehorned in. The few faults don’t detract from the experience of pure joy on offer in The Barn.
:pumpkin::pumpkin::pumpkin:

All over for another year, literally started planning for next year. Think I'll have a whole week dedicated to Hammer next year, especially as four Hammer titles I planned to watch were delayed. There are a LOT of Hammer releases at the moment, and upcoming. Seems the perfect time.

Good work, Baka. It's always a pleasure to read your posts in the annual October Horror Movie Marathon. :thankingyou:

I quite like The Pumpkin Karver, although i didn't watch it this year. To me it's just a slasher, no better or worse than the DTV stuff that came out in the 80's that we all rave about.

I have a few dual format releases* i've saved up from earlier in the year to give a viewing to -

The Haunting
Brides of Dracula
The Skull
The Man Who Could Cheat Death
Dracula Prince of Darkness

As well as a couple of set on Halloween newies in Varsity Blood and Terrifier and the fully uncut Screenbound release of Curse of the Crimson Altar.

As well as the usual suspects like Trick r' Treat and numerous films both good and bad featuring Michael Myers.

Got the blind dead films, the puppet master series and some other stuff planned, but gonna fine it up

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Nice one. :cool:

Have you seen them before? The Blind Dead films are great.

I keep meaning to get one of the cheapo Puppet Master sets from across the Atlantic. Something like 9+ films aren't there? I think i've only seen the first one many moons ago. The sets work out at about a pound a film.

They're fun, as to the blind dead I've only seen Tombs of the Blind Dead so I'm excited to watch the sequels

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Arguably all better than the first. I especially love the second film. It's practically an action movie towards the end. :fencing:

The only other thing that's certain is Dollman/Demonic Toys crossover but I'll kick that off in a week

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Getting there slowly, Angie has hinted that she wants to watch haunted house movies which will no doubt be another paranormal activity marathon, got a recommendation on Amazon Greystone Park, has anyone seen that and if it's any good.

Never heard of it i'm afraid. Had a look on Amazon and there doesn't seem to be a UK dvd although there are ones in the States.

I checked it out on IMDB, think it may be like Grave Encounters or Sanatorium, with the price I wouldn't pay for it.

The Funhouse (1981)
 

ill be kicking off Halloween with,my third favourite Tobe Hooper film,yeah you heard me,my 3rd fav....

Attachment 209157