October Halloween Marathon 2019
Here it goes again! Although this time it's well-planed and supposed to be have way more than 31 entry. We'll see about that, but for now... Commence au festival!
If you want some more festive mood yourself feel free to join in or use that list to choose what to watch. I'd also very much appreciated if you check out my own Halloween Specials. A few new are coming this very month!
Counted:
80 (30 feature films, 18 webisodes, 16 TV episodes, 15 short films (including 2 music videos), 2 books)
Earlier installments: 2014-2017, 2018, Halloween Hangover 2018, 2019
Later installments: Halloween Hangover 2019
If you want some more festive mood yourself feel free to join in or use that list to choose what to watch. I'd also very much appreciated if you check out my own Halloween Specials. A few new are coming this very month!
Counted:
80 (30 feature films, 18 webisodes, 16 TV episodes, 15 short films (including 2 music videos), 2 books)
Earlier installments: 2014-2017, 2018, Halloween Hangover 2018, 2019
Later installments: Halloween Hangover 2019
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80 titles
- StarsHal SmithA spooky jack-o'-lantern explains to Goofy the origin of various aspects of Halloween and also warns kids who go trick-or-treating of stranger danger. Very short clips from various Disney shorts are used to illustrate his narration.1 October: Well, since I'm in Ukraine, October started a tiny bit earlier for us than for western world (for example it was still 7:30 PM in New York when I wrote this, but solid 2:30 AM here). Searched high and low for something to kick off the marathon and this seemed like a nice choice. An interesting educational short, which I believe was put together on a short notice. Still, 1983 short notice is very similar to 2010's video essays, so it does the job of explaining Halloween and/or (in our case) setting the mood.
- DirectorMichael LehmannStarsWinona RyderChristian SlaterShannen DohertyAt Westerburg High where cliques rule, jocks dominate and all the popular girls are named Heather, it's going to take a Veronica and mysterious new kid to give teen angst a body count.1 October: At first I was hesitating to put the movie in that marathon, but I just went for it and in my humble opinion it fits nicely with the season. A well-deserved cult movie and rock solid directorial debut and I feel a bit sad about Michael Lehmann, as follow-ups Meet the Applegates (1990) and Hudson Hawk (1991) (both of which I really like, as well) were hardly that much adored. Not too sad, though as he's still successful on television and was involved with some of the most successful titles ever. For additional Halloween points: there is a scene with photographs seemingly taken on one and movie prominently uses "Que Sera Sera" from Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956). Latter is not much of a Halloween point mind you, but fits since Hitchcock is 120 in 2019 and his presence and influence in this marathon is welcome and inevitable.
- DirectorMasamitsu HidakaToshiaki SuzukiStarsYôsuke AkimotoKae ArakiMegumi HayashibaraThe gang find out that in order to defeat Sabrina's psychic Pokemon, they need a ghost Pokemon. They travel to Lavender Town.1 October: Episode originally aired in September in Japan, but in October in USA. For all purposes is a Halloween special, dealing with a haunted mansion, three ghost Pokémon and a lot of stuff generally considered "spooky".
- DirectorMasamitsu HidakaStarsMegumi HayashibaraInuko InuyamaUnshô IshizukaThe ghost of a beautiful maiden bewitches both Brock and James. Will our heroes and Team Rocket be able to save them from a Gastly fate?1 October: This one originally aired in August in Japan but yet again was shifted to October in US and, again, I can see why: another surprisingly complex and interesting ghost story which serves well as a Halloween special.
- DirectorMark ZakharovStarsAleksandr AbdulovOleg YankovskiyEvgeniy LeonovDragon, a bloody dictator, is challenged by Lancelot, who comes to save the girl, and to liberate the people.2 October: A very pleasant rewatch. I actually first saw it practically two days before that on September 30th, but I decided to rewatch it immediately to account a bodycount and a main antagonist's screen time, something that was a surprising joy for me. It might not seem eligible for Halloween marathon but on second watch I noticed it reminds me a lot of classic Univeral Monsters movies (with unsettling make-up and atmosphere substituting for gore and violence) and earlier German expressionist movies which inspired them. In my humble opinion it has more than enough elements to be featured here.
- DirectorSteve DubinStarsRue McClanahanBurgess MeredithRaffi Di BlasioAvarissa is a witch so evil she has been banished to the underground kingdom of the Greevils. She discovers in order to be freed she must convince a human, pure of heart, to commit one despicable deed.2 October: I loved this little special from mostly the same creative team that brought us ALF (1986), one of my favorite TV shows of all time. It has oddball sense of humor, lots of charm and a bit of wit. Great thanks to Matt Caracappa for bringing this to my attention!
- CreatorMatt CaracappaStarsMatt CaracappaLeviathanKing Leopold IIAn audiovisual extension of a cult website has Matt Caracappa and his alter ego Madd Matt doing Halloween countdowns, reviews of assorted edible and non-edible objects of interest and other inspired trips of nostalgia and wholesomeness.[Note: Placeholder for a specific episode yet to be added]
4 October: Halloween and October are not the same without this cult website and its YouTube extension. In this particular case Madd Matt kicked off October strong with a... Christmas song and a blue pumpkin?.. - DirectorTodd PhillipsStarsJoaquin PhoenixRobert De NiroZazie BeetzDuring the 1980s, a failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and turns to a life of crime and chaos in Gotham City while becoming an infamous psychopathic crime figure.4 October: A wonderful fit for both World Smile Day and Halloween Marathon and an overall great movie. Latter part is reinforced strongly by overall horror-like vibe and pacing. Reminded me a lot of Maniac (1980) and considering latter was really a 1980 movie, Joker did a great job of replicating, or rather reconstructing fictionalized 1981. Will likely go see it again. If so will expand further on rewatches in this entry with specific dates.
30 October: I managed to squeeze the movie a second time in this busy October and i holds up great on a second viewing. Noticed quite a few interesting details I never noticed the first time around. Also movie actually takes place in October and begins on 15th - neat! - 1997–202322mTV-Y6.4 (74)TV EpisodeDirectorNorihiko SutôKunihiko YuyamaStarsJames Carter CathcartChristopher ColletMisato FukuenWhile taking cover from the rain, the adventurers encounter Team Rocket and some seemingly helpful Litwick.4 October: Another Pokémon Halloween special, a more modern one (at least from this decade). Animation was more on a low budget side compared to 90's episodes, but still a very pleasant watch with some surprising references to The Shining (1980), although even writers themselves seem to be fully aware that there is one too many haunted house stories in this series.
- DirectorWilliam LustigStarsJoe SpinellCaroline MunroAbigail ClaytonA psychopathic man goes on a killing and mutilation spree in New York City.5 October: As Joker (2019) reminded me of it I decided to introduce it to a friend and also give it a rewatch since I haven't seen it in years. Movie holds up well as a unique slasher which actually has message against domestic violence directed to kids: main prota/antagonist Frank Zito is as much of a victim in this movie as his own and Joe Spinell's performance elevates his own script a lot. It's interesting how movie completely subverts traditional plot structure of the genre while retaining most of the tropes, for example first act looks more like a traditional third act of a slasher, but retains visual cues such as killer not being seen fully (despite we know who it is), which was not done because of double, so it must be a conscious choice.
- DirectorBuddy GiovinazzoStarsJoe SpinellA children's television host plots murderous revenge against child abusers.5 October: Maniac Dilogy is haunting, thoughtful and it manages to do that in less of an overall running time then some standalone movies. It's sad that the movie was never finished due to Joe Spinell's untimely demise: surviving proof of concept footage makes it apparent that the movie had all chances to be an even better sequel to cult classic. The most interesting part is that it's not a sequel in a traditional sense of word: it shares a creator and a theme and Spinell most likely wanted for it to retain the title just to make it crystal clear this time what the whole franchise was about: domestic violence as a pivotal societal problem. Traumatized clown Mr. Robbie whose own childhood trauma is made all the more unbearable by witnessing the suffering of children every day is definitely much more sympathetic and relatable than Zito, who is sympathetic enough, but is too delusional to be understood fully.
- DirectorMaki KodairaDaiki TomiyasuStarsSarah NatochennyLaurie HymesRebecca SolerHarper and Sarah are excited to visit a haunted house, and they end up having a bit too much fun!5 October: Okay, NOW writers were fully aware that there is one too many haunted house Halloween episodes, so they gave this one a twist as it starts as a makeshfit haunted house attraction. Episode is a good time with A LOT of Halloween mood and stuff in it and is a big pleasure even to those who's relatively unfamiliar with some of the elements, such as myself.
- DirectorEdward D. Wood Jr.StarsGregory WalcottTom KeeneMona McKinnonEvil aliens attack Earth and set their terrible "Plan 9" into action. As the aliens resurrect the dead of the Earth, the lives of the living are in danger.6 October: Despite its legendary status as one of the worst movies ever it's far from the worst I've seen and has an undeniable charm, likely a result of Edward D. Wood Jr. putting in genuine effort, just not having a slightest understanding of continuity and basic production values. Movie would've even got away with Bela Lugosi's last film role, even (it already was more than I thought I'd see), if not for Tom Mason's lack of resemblance and no attempt whatsoever to hide it.
- DirectorMarcos SiegaStarsRuby RoseRachel SkarstenMeagan TandyKate Kane returns to Gotham when a gang targets her father and her ex-girlfriend Sophie Moore.7 October: Obviously, I watch some TV shows regularly and even some of the fitting never quite made the cut as Halloween Marathon entries. I decided I'm making exception for some shows and/or episodes just as I've accounted Gotham (2014) in 2016. There's something about Batman mythos in general that fits and this year since Joker (2019) is huge, DC kick is a bit inevitable. With that out of the way it's a promising pilot with an atmospheric Gotham and colorful villains. And Joker semi-appears driving a hijacked school bus, by the way, which is a horrible scenario if you think about it.
- DirectorCarol BankerStarsBrenton ThwaitesAnna DiopTeagan CroftThe Titans make their last stand against Trigon.7 October: another season premiere of a DC show, but this one definitely fits even more with the atmosphere: even one of the characters proclaims that situation main cast finds themselves here is "real life horror movie". Since this was originally a Season 1 finale and was partially reshot it's a bit of a mess with pacing and structure, but actors make it work. Joker gets mentioned here, as well. Big year for that character.
- DirectorJustin CopelandSam LiuStarsRosario DawsonJeffrey DonovanMarie AvgeropoulosWonder Woman tries to help a troubled young girl, Vanessa, who has fallen in with a deadly organization known as Villainy Inc. headed by Dr. Cyber.7-8 October: This one... I was not going to include in the marathon, but then vampires were mentioned as real in the universe and while it was not foreshadowing (which I half-expected with such a title), third act was a surprisingly horrific kaiju scenario with a rather famous mythological monster so I give it a pass and will retaliate by watching more "straight" horror and thematically relevant movies.
- DirectorTerrence O'HaraNico MastorakisStarsAarin TeichJill PierceJeff ArbaughLooking for revenge for past incestuous experiences, a slasher invades a lonely farmhouse.9 October: This forgotten slasher from the 1980's was a pleasant little watch. Seeing it with no expectations whatsoever certainly made an experience better: surprisingly impressive cinematography, editing and title sequence, really cool opening scenes and ending... And a lot of filler in-between, although some of the sequences have a lot of suspense. Actors are mostly less than enthusiastic (the level of hastily produced soap opera, I'd say: not the worst, but hardly convincing in most scenes), but some give decent performances.
- DirectorGraeme CliffordStarsAmy IrvingDavid HemmingsBalthazar GettyA governess is hired to look after two neglected children, who show signs of having been corrupted by the insidious influence of the groom Peter Quint. Quint, although hanged for murder, still makes an appearance among the shadows of the manor house along with Miss Jessel, a previous governess who took her own life.10 October: Nightmare Classics (1989) is on an obscure side of horror anthology TV series, unlike a certain other show 1989 season of which I'm planning to see entirely as a part of this very marathon. Adaptation of a celebrated Henry James' novella has a few chills, but who really shines in it is young Balthazar Getty in his very first screen appearance.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsHerbert MarshallNorah BaringPhyllis KonstamA juror in a murder trial, after voting to convict, has second thoughts and begins to investigate on his own before the execution.10 October: Might not seem that fitting for Halloween Mood, but it's Alfred Hitchcock, he has a special pass in my case and more so considering he turned 120 this year in August. Interesting mix of drama, procedural and murder mystery. Some very inventive scenes as you might expect from Hitchcock. The circus climax and ending are especially great in my opinion. Also was not expecting this quick cutaway shot of the clown.
- DirectorAlek KeshishianStarsBobby BrownBig Daddy KaneJane CurtinIn the official music video for his song "On Our Own", Bobby Brown performs the song while surrounded by images and celebrities from New York, with clips from the film "Ghostbusters II" mixed in.10 October: I don't believe I saw (or heard!) this until Matt Caracappa brought this up, so great thanks to him. Not especially spooky, but given the context still a perfect fit for season. A lot of random unexpected cameos (of which most of modern audience will likely recognize one particular person) and the song is rather catchy, as well.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsAlfred AbelOlga TschechowaPaul GraetzA juror in a murder trial, after voting to convict, has second thoughts and begins to investigate on his own before the execution.10 October: Filmed back-to-back with original version of Murder! (1930), but still directed by Alfred Hitchcock, this German version is, interestingly enough, condensed in a much shorter runtime. Apart from that, performances are surprisingly different in their approaches so it was more than worth the watch. Even if ending is far from being as neat as original and that more or less could be said for many inventive edits and moments. Main titles are much more interesting in this one, though. Also reaction shot of a clown seems to be even more drastic in this one, as it is more abrupt.
- 2007–202323mTV-MA7.5 (19)TV EpisodeDirectorJames RolfeStarsAntonio PilusoJames RolfeWelcome to Monster Madness 2019. Tony and James review one of the most iconic series in horror: Evil Dead. It's an American supernatural horror comedy film franchise ( even though the word "franchise" was not in use when these films were made) created by Sam Raimi consisting of four feature films and a television series starring Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams.11 October: I mentioned in my list for previous Halloween Marathons that 2016 season of Cinemassacre's Monster Madness (2007) was the last to have practically daily episodes throughout October, but it turned out that I was semi-wrong, as in 2019 they practically went nearly full-on daily. "Nearly" because on some days Cinemassacre still uploads very much October-eligible episodes of their other great web-series. I was holding out a bit on these specials but then it just caught up with me and I inhaled a near-week worth. Loved this one as an introduction as I am a fan of franchise and still was not only entertained: learned a lot of new facts I was not aware of.
- DirectorJames RolfeStarsJames RolfeMike MateiWelcome to Monster Madness 2019. Mike and James review one of the worst movies in William Shatner's career. Incubus is a 1966 black-and-white American horror film filmed entirely in the constructed language Esperanto.11 October: Second episode demonstrates it clearly that this year Cinemassacre's Monster Madness (2007) they're going for deep and interesting cuts with review choices, introducing people to some obscure movies. Incubus (1966) is one of five movies on IMDb which uses Esperanto as a language and was in fact filmed in it... And then lost for like 30 years. Probably I'll see this in a year or two, but I'm definitely putting it into some list.
- 2007–202316mTV-MA7.8 (16)TV EpisodeDirectorJames RolfeStarsKieran FallonJames RolfeWelcome to Monster Madness 2019. Kieran and James review one of the best Ernest movies of all time. Ernest Scared Stupid is a 1991 American comedy horror film directed by John R. Cherry III and starring Jim Varney. It is the fifth film to feature the character Ernest P. Worrell.11 October: Cinemassacre's Monster Madness (2007). Again, I feel like I'm going to postpone this movie until next year, but I loved this review/episode neverthless.
- 2007–202312mTV-MA8.1 (15)TV EpisodeDirectorJames RolfeStarsJames RolfeJustin SilvermanWelcome to Monster Madness 2019. Justin and James review one of Robin Williams' best performances. One Hour Photo is a 2002 American psychological drama film written and directed by Mark Romanek and starring Robin Williams. In the film a mentally unstable photo developer targets a middle-class family after his obsession with them becomes more sick and disturbing than any of them could imagine.11 October: Cinemassacre's Monster Madness (2007).