October Horror Movie Marathon

[MrBarlow]

House On Haunted Hill. 1958.

Eccentric Millionaire invites 5 guest to spend the night in a haunted house and who ever stays the night will be paid $10.000.

This is always a classic film with Vincent Price as the millionaire, Elisha Cook Jr as the owner of the house that he is terrified about. Dark atmosphere, great acting from everyone involved and the creepy old woman who appears in a basement room. William Castle knew how to make the audience jump, poor Mrs just about hit the ceiling

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Gonna get snacks sorted and watch Halloween 1978

[MrBarlow]

The start of my 24 hour binge watch

Halloween. 1978

Best way to kick things off with this classic and surprisingly the Mrs was on the ipad and then all of a sudden the ipad was down and she sat on the edge of the sofa.

Finally managed to get her to watch this all the way through but it will come at a price I just know she gonna make me watch something she enjoys.

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Up next The Exorcist.

[MrBarlow]

The Exorcist. 1973.

A masterpiece of a horror film from a great novel, perfectly acted, directed, cinematography, special effects, make up, blink and miss moments when Pazuzu pops up.

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Up next Night Of The Demons.

[MacBlayne]

THE SPIRAL

A curio for Ring fans. This originally released simultaneously with The Ring, but where The Ring succeeded, The Spiral floundered.

Both films are based on Koji Suzuki’s novels, which are more grounded in science than the supernatural. But those were novels, and were able to divulge exposition and explanation at a pace that didn’t overwhelm the reader. Clearly, Hideo Nakata thought that would be too much for a hundred minute film, and jettisoned most of the science in favour of atmosphere. The result was one of the greatest ghost stories of all time.

George Iida did not follow this route when making The Spiral. So not only did you have a film that plays very differently to The Ring, it also has to introduce new characters, settings, and establish new rules. To be fair, Iida had very little choice. The Spiral novel is very in-depth with the science, exploring the role viruses play in human evolution, which is hard to cram into 100 minutes without major compromises. And where Iida does make compromises, it feels seriously lacking.

The Spiral is a film that is lacking in atmosphere. Sadako is no longer an enigmatic figure that looms over the story. Aside from some moody driving-in-a-tunnel scenes, there is very little that feels haunting. The novel had an increasingly creepy doomsday vibe to it. The film feels like a procedural. It doesn’t help that the music, while good in a PS1 way, blares over every scene. God forbid you interpret the emotions by yourself.

So yes, the direction is lacklustre and the screenwriting is incompetent. However, I don’t dislike the film. Maybe I would have back in 1999 or 2000 when I first saw The Ring. But over 20 years later, it is a fascinating what-if that could have moved the series in a completely different direction. Definitely worth a curio spin if you're a fan of J-Horror.

[MrBarlow]

Night Of The Demons
1988.

A group of teens hold a Halloween Party in a old funeral home that isn't haunted but possessed.

One of the good films that can't be taken seriously but it is enjoyable when Linnea Quigley bends over in a short dress or opens her top and Mimi Kinkade doing her fire place dance. The acting is never the best but more laughable but we got Steve Johnson on special effects so that is a bonus for old school gore and make up.

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Up next Night Of The Demons 2.

[MacBlayne]

EVIL TOONS

Actually saw this before the Red Letter Media video on it.

I'll admit to expecting a completely different film (I was thinking of an R-rated Beetlejuice or something), but I was happy enough with the quartet of sexy women in skimpy clothing running around the house.

It's directed by Fred Olen Ray, a director I have a soft spot for. There seems to be a gifted filmmaker within him, one hampered by his low budgets, but his films often seem a tad more ambitious than other low-budget junk.

The acting is not good by any means, but it works for the tone.

Look - this is just 70 minutes of hot girls running around a haunted house. It's cheap, but damn it, it's honest!

[MacBlayne]

SADAKO 3D

Allegedly a sequel to The Spiral (because I can't find any connecting element whatsoever), Sadako 3D sees the murderous ghost brought back by a serial killer trying to use her for revenge by making his own cursed video. Luckily, there's a teacher with a magic scream that can stop them.

Utterly dreadful in-your-face J-Horror that desecrates everything the original film achieved. At first, I thought it was a comedy, but no, the acting, direction, and writing is that bad. The film looks awful - chintzy and overlit. The music by Kenji Kawai is surprisingly bad too. Even the 3D effects are woeful.

The only highlight is a rather creepy new monster design. Which is just as well, since Sadako is so lame and non-threatening in this.

Awful, awful, awful!

SADAKO 3D 2

The first effort made a load of money, so they made another one. Hoo-ray!

This is better than the last one. The script is a little better. Sadako is not in it much, rather the focus is on a little girl who may share the same powers as Sadako. Only question is, is she responsible, or is Sadako using her as a vessel?

The hilariously titled Sadako 3D 2 benefits from a slower pace, and moodier lighting. Kenji Kawai's music is a massive improvement. The film earns one genuine jump scare. However, it still suffers from bad direction and sloppy writing. But I could see this film's ideas working well with a more talented director.

Passable, if only for some decent imagery.

[MrBarlow]

Night Of The Demons 2. 1994.

Pupils at a school run by the catholic church head to Hull House and awaken the dead to which Angela returns to the school.

Like the first one this never takes itself seriously and added in some comedy, at the start we see two religious people call on the house and meet the new occupier who never leave, typical teen boys spying on the girls then head to the party. we have a nun that is very strict and always tells the pupils to leave room for the holy ghost but certainly puts up a good fight. There is some lack of demons in this but certainly entertaining.

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Up next Night Of The Demons 3

[MrBarlow]

Night Of The Demons 3. 1997.

Here we have a group of young ones planning a robbery and when it happens, shit hits the fan and they hide in Hull House with a unexpected person. I have always had a like/hate thing for this entry, It's not oscar winning material, the acting has it's moments of being good and bad, it does have it's good effects and Amelia Kinkade appears in all three movies. But like what Dem said in his comment about the film, the female lead does have a nice mouth and able to put it to use.

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Up next Fear In The Night

[MrBarlow]

Fear In The Night. 1972.

A young woman recovering from a nervous breakdown is attacked in her home by a person with one arm. When she moves with her husband to a boys school she is attacked again but nobody believes her.

I have always found this to be more psychological chiller rather than horror, Ralph Bates and Judy Geeson play the newly wed couple while Peter Cushing and Joan Collins play the headmaster and wife. It does play out like a Giallo with a 15-20 minute game of a cat and mouse towards the end that is played out well with some good tense moments. I wouldn't say this was Peter Cushing's best performance but does have that menacing persona while he is on screen.

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Up next Videodrome