2022 Halloween Month
The rules are simple. 31 days. 31 horror movies. None that I have ever seen before and from all walks of the genre. I will judge the success of the month by my rating average, and give a best and worst for the month. The criteria of those titles is entirely subjective and the results of the impression each movie left with me. This is not indicative of their quality though that may play a factor in their score.
To explain their rating a bit, if a movie is so bad that its on the verge of being painful, it would fall somewhere within the 1-3 range. The 4-6 range is for movies that are not good but still watchable to good movies that have left little long lasting impression. 7-10 are movies I enjoyed to love.
To explain their rating a bit, if a movie is so bad that its on the verge of being painful, it would fall somewhere within the 1-3 range. The 4-6 range is for movies that are not good but still watchable to good movies that have left little long lasting impression. 7-10 are movies I enjoyed to love.
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- DirectorJimmy ScreamerClauzStarsRuby LaroccaBrandon SlagleJoey SmackA troubled group of children living on the same block are haunted by a talking dog named Labby who brings them on surreal hell-rides between different dimensions and time periods.When I stumbled on this movie, I felt a need to make it a part of my Halloween collection, its hard finding animated horror movies as it is, regardless of its poor score. A score that I will assure you it more than earned. It is so ugly, if this animation were a newborn baby, the doctor would slap the mother. Its full of horrendous imagery and pseudo intellectualism that would be taken as true enlightenment by a very small some, and ultimately doesn't say anything. But it does deliver on what it promises. Absolute revulsion. Everyone is more than disgusting, they're outright rotten, a truly nihilist perspective on humanity. The things they do are meant to shock and disgust the viewer, and succeed tremendously, and there is no overarching reason why, which I don't think they even need. So I have to give them credit for that. If you want something revolting, just so utterly repellent as I did, then this may be worth a watch. If you are a normal person, there is no need. Now if you'll excuse me, I really feel I need a shower.
- DirectorLucio FulciStarsCatriona MacCollPaolo MalcoAnia PieroniA New England home is terrorized by a series of murders, unbeknownst to the guests that a gruesome secret is hiding in the basement.What better way to wash off the nastiness of the first movie than with Lucio Fulci? The third movie in the Gates of Hell trilogy is not as gory as its predecessors nor is it as grandiose in scope. Its a more condensed story with a smaller cast that is more directly focused on the family. There aren't as many deaths, but the ones they do have they do their best with. Which is a little disappointing as we don't get the signature eye stuff that Fulci is known for. Not without him trying as the effect on her eye is still there, its just the scene has been cut out of the film. Still, the gore that is there is pretty striking and there is a good feeling of suspense throughout the movie. Things like the glowing eyes and the crying child do put you off. But there is a lot of openness to the story. There is a Dark Souls methodology of explaining things that leaves everything up to interpretation. Especially the ending which is vague enough to even beg the question if it is supernatural. And in a way, I liked that more than if they did hold your hand. I don't know if its his best work, but this was still a very good movie in his filmography.
- DirectorGeorge KingStarsTod SlaughterJohn WarwickAubrey MallalieuSet in France in 1880. A series of murders is attributed to a Wolf Man.The twist of this movie would be very familiar for fans of Mystery Science Theater, and was one that I thought was clever even then. This vintage movie is made by one man. Todd Slaughter is a treasure, he is so expressive and extravagant, he plays like a prototype Vincent Price. He is a joy to watch while the rest of the cast is far more stock of the time. Dialogue is terse and unnatural, but his posh voice really holds it together. The story is pretty convoluted with a lot going on, some of it not quite gelling together. Even the titular face at the window falls by the wayside for the romance and murder drama until its thrown together at the end. Which is a shame as the look of the face is really unnerving, it feels like it should have been used more. In all, its a good movie. Not one of my favorites but pretty good.
- DirectorAlex van WarmerdamStarsJan BijvoetHadewych MinisJeroen PercevalA vagrant enters the lives of an arrogant upper-class family, turning their lives into a psychological nightmare in the process.This movie hits differently. Borgman is an interesting character. The murderous leader of a small gang of hobos, he can be almost charming and aloof at times. He "plays" different occupations and seems to struggle with certain important details, yet is conniving and manipulative. And then add in the supernatural element of his ability to manipulate dreams to further bend people to his will and you end up with a pretty chilling villain. You are left with a lot of questions about him like what he is and what he wants, and the director makes a bold choice to keep his cards close to his chest on the matter to great effect. The collapse of the family seems to have a reason but its scary not knowing just what that reason is. This was an extremely good movie and a contender for my pick of the month.
- DirectorPeter WeirStarsTerry CamilleriJohn MeillonKevin MilesThe small town of Paris, Australia deliberately causes car accidents, then sells/salvages all valuables from the wrecks as a means of economy.Time takes a bat to everything, and it showed little mercy to this horror comedy. A lot of it is that I have no context for the humor. The beginning in particular is a parody of an ad campaign I never saw that aired on the other part of the world. There are a few moments where I found some humor, like the "I can drive" line, but a lot of it is very over my head. And as for the horror part, there is not that much tension. While the hero investigates the crash that killed his brother, there are no stakes and he is in no danger. Just a mayor that wishes to adopt this 30 year old man. The car attack part at the end was good but short, they only rampage for a couple minutes before being overwhelmed, it barely wets your appetite for destruction. While I would say this is a better than average movie, its dated humor and a little harder to sit through now.
- DirectorFrancesco BertoliniAdolfo PadovanGiuseppe de LiguoroStarsSalvatore PapaArturo PirovanoGiuseppe de LiguoroLoosely adapted from Dante's Divine Comedy and inspired by the illustrations of Gustav Doré the original silent film has been restored and has a new score by Tangerine Dream.This is an interesting watch for people who read Dante's Inferno, or watched Wendigoon's video on it at the very least. A movie that holds a number of firsts, possibly the first full length horror movie, it has some very impressive special effects for its time. A lot of creepy looking puppets, flying characters on cables, and even a man carrying around his own severed head. Of course they are dated now and you can see the imperfections nowadays with HD video, but at the time they must have been breathtaking. The story is bare bones and a lot is cut, some for obvious costs but most because of limitations of silent film. The characters don't hold the conversations from the poem that satirized political figures of the period but they do have a couple flashbacks to tell a couple of their stories. But I do have one petty problem with this movie. If the source material says black mastiffs and you cite black mastiffs, maybe use the right dog. I may not be such an expert that I can identify a mastiff at a glance, but I do have enough faith in my eye sight to determine that dog is white. Otherwise, this is a really enjoyable movie regardless of its age.
- DirectorKevin KoStarsHsuan-yen TsaiSin-Ting HuangYing-Hsuan KaoSix years ago, Li Ronan was cursed after breaking a religious taboo. Now, she must protect her daughter from the consequences of her actions.Is this movie scary? This is a gimmick movie. It doesn't focus on a narrative but on interactivity with the audience. In this, its the focus on getting them to internalize a chant that is supposedly a blessing. And it works. The following web of death, deceit, and the supernatural is made all the more engaging because of the audience interactivity. The movie is more backlogged with its scary moments while the front is significantly creepier. But the biggest thing the movie does well, is make you feel for the characters. The scene where the doctors tell the mother her daughter was saying pineapple bunny, her phrase she recites when she is scared, actually hits pretty hard. That being said, the big reveal is a little weak. Its underwhelming when you see their reactions and probably should have been omitted entirely. Is the movie scary? Not particularly but it is still a greatly recommended watch. Who knew Netflix could put out a horror movie that didn't suck?
- DirectorRichard JefferiesStarsJames Earl JonesJosé FerrerLila KedrovaAn adventurer hunting for treasure in Greece accidentally frees a monster that forces local villagers to sacrifice virgins.It is a small miracle this movie is as coherent as it is as it was an incoherent money scam. But is it good? Its alright I guess. The sets are nice. There aren't many but they look pleasant enough. The underwater cave is interesting to see and the blocked doorway looks foreboding. And the small Greek village looks a very nice place to visit in spite of their attempts to make it less hospitable. But the writing isn't there. The cast do their best, some's best better than others, but there is nothing there for them to work with. James Earl Jones recites Othello for no reason but to give him a personality quirk. Its not terrible however, it doesn't feel like a chore to watch. Its an alright B movie and a cool box cover.
- DirectorRyan SpindellStarsTristan ByonEden CampbellHannah R. LoydAn eccentric mortician recounts several macabre and phantasmagorical tales that he's encountered in his distinguished career.A big problem with a lot of anthologies is that the stories aren't able to stand on their own. They are forgettable, leaving very little impression on the viewer as they move on to the next story. This movie does handle it a lot better than most, but they come almost as a distraction for the best part of the movie, the framing story. Clancy Brown kills it in this role, distinguished and duplicitous, and Caitlin Custer does a fine role for him to work off of. The first story is the simplest and there isn't much to write home about, but it serves as a decent enough appetizer. The second I wasn't too crazy for as I kind of realized what it was going to be pretty quickly, which took the fun out of the twist. And the third I rather liked for its unflinching morality tale. The fourth ties back into the framing story and serves to build to the conclusion, which was maybe a bit overproduced but a lot of fun. Kind of sucks the trailer gives a lot of it away. Still, its a good anthology none the less and a good movie to put on on Halloween.
- DirectorDario ArgentoStarsTony MusanteSuzy KendallEnrico Maria SalernoAn American expatriate in Rome attempts to unmask a serial killer he witnessed in the act of an attempted murder - and is now hunting him and his girlfriend.I've been catching up on more Giallo films as of late, and the "first" is pretty good. Its not the bloodiest film in Argento's library but the mystery is very well done. The clues are plainly visible but still expertly hidden and I was even duped for a moment with a last minute red herring. And just as I started realizing how that didn't make sense, they killed them off and revealed the true killer's identity. The pacing is brilliant and the mystery enticing. That being said, I hated how the villain was presented at the end as a cackling idiot. It hurt the film as it made them lose a lot of their intimidation factor. Its also not the most nerve racking Argento movie either, the kills aren't as tense as they would become in his later movies. Its not a bad place to start with the genre but they certainly get better.
- DirectorAugusto CaminitoKlaus KinskiStarsKlaus KinskiBarbara De RossiYorgo VoyagisProfessor Paris Catalano visits Venice, to investigate the last known appearance of the famous vampire Nosferatu during the carnival of 1786.The spiritual sequel to Nosferatu the Vampire. Maybe stick to Werner Herzog's original. The big issue is that this movie tries to emulate Herzog, and in doing so, makes itself pretty irrelevant. The dreamy scenery, the maiden giving herself up to the vampire, and the festivities while a plague, this time Nosferatu himself, tear through the city, it hits many of the same notes but not nearly as expertly as before. What was a bit of a saving grace is the cast. Christopher Plummer and Donald Pleasance provide more star power alongside Kinski, who was apparently as Kinski behind the scenes as ever, and are welcome additions. And the movie is a bit more sympathetic towards the vampire as well, making it not feel like a complete carbon copy. Its not a total waste as it is still a pretty movie in its own right, but if you must choose, go with Nosferatu the Vampire over this outing.
- DirectorF.W. MurnauStarsArnold KorffLulu Kyser-KorffLothar MehnertIn the castle Vogeloed, a few aristocrats are awaiting baroness Safferstätt. But first count Oetsch invites himself.. Everyone thinks he murdered his brother, baroness Safferstat's first husband, three years ago. So he is rather undesirable. But Oetsch stays; arguing he is not the murderer and will find the real one...That's some cool box art, I wish I liked the movie more. And damn it, IMDB. This is the second time you spoiled a movie with the photo section of your page. A very old psychological movie, it does alright on that front. Its very wordy, which is a bit of a double edged sword. It provides more intricacy than Dante's Inferno's narration, but also pauses the movie constantly, breaking any suspense it might have had. The special effect of the hand reaching through the window during a dream is the extent of the movie's horror and it doesn't look as good as the puppets in the previous silent movie. But the mystery aspect works pretty well even today. Its an alright silent movie but no Nosferatu.
- DirectorHerbert WiseStarsAdrian RawlinsBernard HeptonDavid DakerA lawyer travels to a small seaside town to settle the estate of a recently deceased woman, but soon becomes ensnared in something much more sinister.Lacking the spectacle of the 2012 movie, the 1989 TV movie tries to make up for it with stronger acting and better storytelling. Its about comparable. What this movie lacks is tension. The lead is likeable and you don't want him to be harmed, but he never feels imperiled even when he is in danger. A lot of it is the camerawork, it is as flat as the paper the source novel is made on. No clever camera work or even interesting shots to make you feel anything, the movie is presented to you with all the fanfare of a McDonalds. Its also very well lit which does the tension no justice. While the ghost looks decent enough as a costume, its so well lit that all of the flaws are made all the more apparent. At times its fine, like when she is among the tombstones in the cemetery and when she is standing on the water, it is detrimental when they shoot a close up on her face. The sound based hauntings are pretty good though. Hearing the carriage crash into the marsh in the fog is a pretty good, tense moment. But it just can't keep that up.
- DirectorJohannes NyholmStarsLeif EdlundYlva GallonKatarina JacobsonAs a couple goes on a trip to find their way back to each other, a sideshow artist and his shady entourage emerge from the woods, terrorizing them, luring them deeper into a maelstrom of psychological terror and humiliating slapstick.This movie has my favorite trailer. Its catchy and alluring, telling you just enough of the story in the first few seconds to make you want to see the rest. The movie doesn't quite measure up, but at least gets very close to the finish line. A lot of the problem is the ambiguity towards the end. Outside of the bare bones premise of the trailer, the movie doesn't really bother explaining anything. They never say who or what Mog and his companions are or bother trying to go into it, only giving you a vague clue just as the credits role that could mean anything. And that isn't necessarily bad, I don't think they could explain them if they try, but at least give some sort of closure. I know what I am seeing, but I have no idea what they are going for with it. I'm not even sure either of them learned anything. It also suffers from not having all that much variety in the murders. But the movie is very pretty. The shadow puppetry that serves as the backbone of the storytelling is beautiful. And the feeling of despair is palpable. Its a flawed art film that still has something to show for itself.
- DirectorReginald Le BorgStarsLon Chaney Jr.Jean ParkerPaul KellyWhen an artist is blinded, his fiancée's father offers an operation to restore his sight. When the benefactor suddenly dies, the artist becomes a suspect.Cheney Jr does the beleaguered protagonist very well whether it be the cursed werewolf or the suffered caretaker of deranged children. And here, as a blinded artist, he delivers another great performance. His paranoia plays a major role in making what would otherwise be a mundane who done it all the more interesting. His inner monologues questioning the people around him makes the story more tense. The rest of the cast is pretty good as well, save for Aquanetta who never seems to know what to do with herself whenever she is on scene. What is a shame is the movie's length. Its short at a little over an hour, and as a result it doesn't use its thriller elements all that much. Still, it is an excellent mystery story with an interesting twist.
- DirectorWilliam GirdlerStarsTony CurtisSusan StrasbergMichael AnsaraA psychic's girlfriend finds out that a lump on her back is a growing reincarnation of a 400-year-old demonic Native American spirit.Good schlock is hard to find. With weird premises comes great risk. A native American medicine man being reborn from a woman's neck goiter actually turns out pretty well. There are some problems with the casting. For anyone that will get bent out out of shape, fear no. No one is going to mistaken Michael Ansara as a native American. And I don't buy Tony Curtis as a tarot card reader either. But this is overshadowed by the creepiness of the villain and the grotesque body horror effects. The fetus on the woman's neck is grotesque from the moment you see it and only gets grosser until an evil dwarf shaman rips through her back. And he looks creepy as sin. Even when he is just standing there, bound by a magic circle, he still looks scary. And then there is the special effects magical battle at the end, which sure is 70s something. Its not a masterpiece of cinema, but for movie goers looking for a good time, this is very good.
- DirectorJoe D'AmatoStarsKieran CanterCinzia MonrealeFranca StoppiA disturbed young taxidermist exhumes his recently deceased girlfriend, brings her body to his family villa and proceeds to embalm her corpse, with help from his strange housekeeper. But his bouts of insanity are just beginning.D'Amato takes on Fulci for Italian king of gore and my verdict, they are both comparable. Much like The House By the Cemetery, Beyond the Darkness falls for many of the troubles of Italian horror. The acting may not be great, but the dubbing certainly is terrible. But that aside, there is a lot of gruesome fun to be had. Its not as elaborate as Anthropophagus or Absurd, but the deaths are especially brutal. Fingernails are pulled off, jugulars are bitten, and bodies are chopped up and thrown in acid, and it is all done with real malevolence. Frank is vicious, when his switch gets flipped he is brutal and that switch is loose as hell. And manipulative Iris is devious and equally cruel, they make a formidable pair if they were in a functional relationship. But the animosity between them makes for an interesting dynamic, as Frank doesn't trust Iris and she seems intent on controlling him. Its this dynamic that makes this movie exceptionally good.
- DirectorMehmet MuhtarStarsAnnie BallCahit IrgatAyfer FerayAzmi is a lawyer from Istanbul. Drakula of Romania has assumed a new title. Azmi travels to Romania for legal matters. He is warned of Drakula but Azmi is a strong believer of goodness.This was entirely unnecessary. Time has really gone to town on this movie. I mean it has really beaten the hell out of it in every aspect. The sound was not listenable, like hearing someone eat a bag of chips in your ear for over an hour straight. Fortunately, I found a "silent" version someone made with subtitles. Sure I miss out on their performance but I wasn't going to get that anyway. But video quality was not spared either. There were times where I thought there were some interesting special effects, only to discover it was the film degrading. There are scenes so washed out they are unwatchable and scenes where they could have been missing altogether and I just couldn't tell. But most of all, if you have seen Dracula, you've pretty much scene everything this movie has to offer. They added a scene of him scurrying the castle walls and made one of the ladies an exotic dancer, but these really don't add much like the even better to the original Spanish version did. The Istanbul part of the title is not even important, this could have been literally anywhere. That isn't to say this isn't a competent version of Dracula. The vampire himself looks great and actually has fangs. But unless you need to see an Islamic version that is almost a carbon copy of the original, and you found a remastered copy, you can watch the original. Or better yet, the Spanish version.
- DirectorRichard C. KahnStarsZack WilliamsLaura BowmanAlfred GrantA newlywed couple is visited by a strange old woman who harbors a secret about the young girl's father.This isn't a particularly good movie. It was obvious that they didn't have the budget and they did their best to work around it. The sets are small and very zoomed in to economize space and aren't particularly interesting to look at. The lab is a table in a basement with a cell taking up half of it with no more than three vials on it. And yet, they still are in good enough financial position to never close that ice box door. The acting but for the male lead is passable with even some good lines thrown in here and there. They do flub some lines and they aren't going to make another take. And she is telling you how your parents died, why are you smiling from ear to ear? The monster is a little goofy, but this wasn't too unusual for the time. And time did it even less justice. Scenes are missing and the sound cuts out at times, leaving only the popping sound of the film. Being a rare film of the 40s with an all black cast, it suffers from its budgetary limitations but at only an hour long, its still watchable.
- DirectorIshmael BernalEmmanuel H. BorlazaPeque GallagaStarsJoel TorreRey 'PJ' AbellanaArlene MuhlachFilipino horror anthology in three parts.I must admit, I wasn't exactly sold on this movie. There is no framing story so it is just three short films with no tying thread. Often, these are enough to keep you watching even if the stories aren't that great. The first story, Glass, is a pretty straight forward ghost story about a love triangle going through the ages. Its not bad, but also very safe. Its a story that we have seen many times before even if it was done well. The second story, Frigidaire, is more creative, but also is about a rape fridge. The ridiculous concept doesn't pay off when it kills a person by softly closing the fridge door on her. It isn't awful again, the breathing it makes is pretty creepy, but there simply isn't any payoff. So after these, they really needed something to hit one out of the park. Manananggal was that story. While the others didn't live up to my expectations, this story was the one that stands head and shoulders over the rest. The manananggal transformation was amazing, even if the rest of her scenes were just shot from the waist up the image of her sprouting wings and tearing apart at her waist is still burned in your brain. It is legitimately intense as the movie becomes a siege story. While the other two are more passable than anything, the last story really makes this movie great.
- DirectorJavier SetóStarsEmilio Gutiérrez CabaCarlos LemosPaco MoránA young man is visited by his late girlfriend's ghost. Initially pleased by her return, he soon realizes she's trying to lure him to his death.A simple story is not necessary a bad one. There is something bitter sweet to the romance between the two leads in this movie. From one side, it serves as a very good cautionary tale of loving someone obsessively. It doesn't treat Pablo as entirely submissive to his desire to stay with Domonique, he is scared of the prospects of death and yearns to live. But at the same time, the love between the two is pure, as is evident with the inevitable tragic conclusion. The scares aren't particularly good, they serve more to jar you awake, but there is a great sense of mystique that leads up to them. This was a very good romantic horror that I would highly recomend.
- DirectorRichard FranklinStarsStacy KeachJamie Lee CurtisMarion EdwardA laid-back American truck driver in south Australia suspects that the driver of a green van is killing young women along his route, and plays a game of cat-and-mouse to catch him.This was a movie of two parts. The first half of the movie, much of it is dedicated to building up the characters. A bit too much so. There are moments where they build to the second half, but they aren't exactly as tension building as Rear Window was and are followed by stretches of cartoonish characters like Captain Careful and Sneezy Rider. They take a lot of bite out of the intensity and it doesn't really get going until Hitch gets kidnapped. From that point on, the movie grows much more nerve racking as Quid starts second guessing himself, noticing that he is carrying more cargo than he should, and generally loses anyone he can vent his thoughts to. This is where the movie really does shine as it builds to a very nerve racking conclusion were you think they just might screw him over. This was a good movie as a whole, but its the latter half that does more for it than the first.
- DirectorPhilippe SetbonStarsJeff GoldblumKathy BakerAlan BatesA serial killer gets sent to a mental institution, but as his insidious presence cause the doctors and orderlies to receive strange visions, his psychiatrist tries to find out his true identity.Jeff Goldblum does a good job. And the cross over the people's eyes that he has influence over was a nice touch. And that sums up the positives. Goldblum makes an excellent devil, but no one else holds up their ends of the story. Some of them are so stiff and wooden, they actively took me out of the story. The patient turned priest killer in particular became an interruption between Goldblum scenes rather than a very important plot point. And when the cast is good, they are merely passable. The movie is very watchable though, even with the bad acting it never feels like time stands still. It goes by pretty quickly for an hour and 45 minutes. The story itself, its very much downer. Not necessarily bad, but nothing that really sticks with you as much. While I would rate this movie better than bad, its ultimately very blah.
- DirectorLamberto BavaStarsSerena GrandiDaria NicolodiVanni CorbelliniA former hooker runs a successful men's magazine. An obsessed admirer systematically slaughters her models (occasionally increasing the magazine's output) and supplies the mistress with pictures of their disfigured corpses taken in front of her semi-nude posters visible in the background. Will she be the psycho's next victim?Without realizing it, I managed to get Argento, Fulci, D'Amato, and now Bava in this month. Just, not the right Bava. Lamberto was given time and money on this one, but it is somehow not as good as Demons two years prior. It isn't that its an atrocious movie, it has some stuff going on. The sets are really good. And the way the killer sees his victims is a pretty cool idea. And Serena Grandi is stunning. But unfortunately, the story is just not that engaging. The killer's reveal was simultaneously obvious and ridiculous. The kills are a bit disappointing, not as bloody or violent as the movies that came before it. And the cast is a bit bloated without much use. I don't know why George Eastman was even there. It all comes together into a movie I can't say I like or hate.
- DirectorJustin BensonAaron MoorheadStarsAaron MoorheadJustin BensonCallie HernandezAs kids, they escaped a UFO death cult. Now, two adult brothers seek answers after an old videotape surfaces and brings them back to where they began.I prefer Resolution. The characters were more entertaining and their story was more intriguing. The mystery of what was going on was fresher and had more weight. I loved this movie too. Even though the deity is so prevalent in this one, it still maintains distance from human understanding. Its just this existence we can never see but can see its influence and even interact with. The struggle scene was a highlight of this. It also expands on one of the lesser explored elements of the first story, the "suicide" cult that they bump into, and subverts your expectations of them. The looping stories elements makes for an entertaining, though not that frightening, plot though it does ruin Resolution if you don't watch that first. This was a top tier movie.
- DirectorChiu LeeStarsBilly ChongLieh LoChin-Lai SungThe gates of hell open to let out the ghosts of the dead Chun Sing is visited by his deceased father, who tells the young man that his enemy is a priest who commands the dark forces of black magic. Luckily, Chun Sing gets help from a magic book, a group of friendly ghosts, and a house full of hookers.Kung fu is not going to breed great horror movies, but they do produce wild rides. The low budget ghosts and effects will please fans of the genre but would likely turn normies away. There was a point where I was afraid it would abandon the horror elements but they were quickly put at ease when the ghosts start to join the protagonist. They don't do much to help, but they are fun to watch. And then Dracula shows up. I am not going to say anything else about that subject, so take it as you will. The fight scenes are pretty good and it does have a death by nut stomp/neck crack combo. The final fight scene is pretty long too, the villain isn't a complete pushover with an easy off switch. I loved this. I know it isn't for everyone, but it would be a great episode of Dracula's Kung Fu Theater.
- DirectorKôji ShiraishiStarsMika AzumaHorikenKôen KondôKoji Shiraishi is interested in strange indiscriminate murder at a sightseeing resort. He goes behind the camera to investigate the circumstances surrounding strange occurrences and interview the survivors.In pro wrestling, there is a spot where a wrestler throws a fireball in their opponents face. This is done with a wad of flash paper and a concealed lighter. But in a match with The Undertaker, Mankind struggled with the lighter and could not light the flash paper. So the Undertaker made his comeback, picked up the paper and lighter, and unceremoniously threw a fireball into Mankind's face. That seems like an apt illustration to my opinions on this movie. I am a massive fan of Shiraishi's movie Noroi, and there is some of that found in this movie. The beginning is really well done, with really well written interviews that are a little unsettling but not yet upsetting. Like the build to a good story, its the creeks in the night. But then when its time to escalate, the movie loses its authenticity. I don't mean the cheap special effects, but the sense that the events are really happening. The jellyfish in the air and the deceased murderer taking the subject's place, the coincidence that the director was able to place a chicken scratch drawing to a place he has been and subsequently had a strange occurrence there, it all kind of feels like the director just held up the lighter and flash paper and threw it right in our face. So for a short while, I was disappointed in this movie, but after a while it started to recover. As the story is building towards its conclusion and it stops throwing things at us from out of the blue, it does get back and build some more tension. And then it wraps up in a trippy and down right hellish conclusion I loved. My conclusion, its not as perfect as Noroi, but this is very worth a try none the less.
- DirectorPing LumpraploengStarsTheeradej WongpuapanRatnamon RatchirathamIn an abandoned 6-meter deep pool, a couple is stranded there with a deadly predator.I am not a fan of these types of movies. It gets frustrating watching people be too stupid to solve a problem. Its even more frustrating when their stupidity is what got them in the problem to begin with. And its the most when stupidity somehow saves the day. The fact that pretty much every time there is a near escape, the movie's answer always seems to be that he was asleep. Why his girlfriend can't recognize the pool is half empty, who can say? Why he sleeps in the tunnel when people arrive, again who can say? And the crocodile is just there to be an opponent for him to fight. It has some creepy moments but more often its just sleeping in an inopportune place. What the movie does manage to do is condense everything in a confined and stressful place, which it des very well. The empty pool is daunting and stressful to look at. The injuries he sustains trying to best it are enough to make you twist in your seat as well. His inventory on the other hand, he keeps pulling things I don't recall him having. And the ending isn't all that satisfying either. These films just aren't for me, even when they are as well polished as this.
- DirectorEarl E. SmithStarsJoe Don BakerSondra LockeTed NeeleyTwo former Confederate captains set out to recover diamonds hidden in the mountains of Arkansas but a native spirit named Chikara is said to protect the sacred mountains against intruders.The third of Earl E Smith's horror movies is a bit of a mess. Not in performance or plot, but in editing. Something happened to this movie. There are large swaths of the movie that are missing, leading to characters appearing without introduction and scenes that have no reason to exist. Whether they were lost or sloppily cut I do not know for sure, but it makes much of the movie hard to follow. Otherwise, the movie is alright. Joe Don Baker was never at risk of winning an Emmy, but he does his role alright here. Still, the beginning can be a little boring. Its not that its bad, its just that you aren't really given the context of the cursed mountain until much later in the film so much of the story is just them walking. But it does pay off in a pretty good twist ending that isn't predictable but still has the contextual clues if you think about them. Its not as good as The House That Dreaded Sundown or Legend of Boggy Creek, but it has some charm that leaves it a little better than average..
- DirectorLesley ManningStarsMichael ParkinsonSarah GreeneMike SmithIn a "live" broadcast on Halloween night, a BBC team investigate a reported poltergeist in an ordinary London home.Ghostwatch is what WNUF Halloween Special aspired to be and failed so massively to achieve. The first movie to be held liable for giving kids PTSD does a pretty good job at living up to such a distinction through trickery and realism. The movie doesn't rely on just showing you a ghost with a loud sound, it instead gaslights with its first vision. By showing you footage without the ghost and then convincing you you missed something, it forces you to pay closer attention to spot more ghost photos. It keeps you even more invested than just promises you will see something after the commercial break. When you do spot something its never clear, mostly concealed around a door or hovering in the background, which lets your imagination run wild. The story of the ghost is told through information dumps, but the call ins are pretty creepy leading up to them and they spread more light on things you've already seen but thought nothing of. And the use of actual BBC regulars makes it even more genuine. It may have lost the power of damaging fragile psyche as the true story cat is out of the bag, but it is a great watch around Halloween.
- DirectorPhil TippettStarsAlex CoxNiketa RomanSatish RatakondaThe Assassin travels through a nightmare underworld of tortured souls, ruined cities and wretched monstrosities forged from the primordial horrors of the unconscious mind of Phil Tippett, the world's preeminent stop-motion animator.I wanted to round out the month with another animated movie that at least showed more promise. And its actually very similar to Where the Dead Go to Die in that its a movie that is meant to make you feel grossed out. Only while Where the Dead Go to Die is cheap and tawdry, Mad God is far more impressive and appealing. There is such disgusting detail in the creatures that make up this world that you can't help but sit in awe of them. There is this sliminess to the world, everything is rusty and rotten, and it has an allure to it that makes you want to examine every nook and disgusting corner. That being said, this was not really a movie that was made for an audience, and it is a bit too passionate for its own good. The story is illegible, more just an excuse for more monstrous creatures. Its a good exhibition of Tippet's craft but it would have been better if the story was clearer.
- DirectorLesley ManningStarsMichael ParkinsonSarah GreeneMike SmithIn a "live" broadcast on Halloween night, a BBC team investigate a reported poltergeist in an ordinary London home.It was a very successful month this year. With an average of 7.22, I liked the vast majority of these movies more than not. There were a couple of movies I didn't like, The Pool left a bad taste in my mouth, but Where the Dead Go to Die is hands down the worst movie for being so cheap and sleazy. It was especially contentious for the best movie. Borgman made for an excellent watch and The Sweet Sound of Death had me especially enthralled in its classic romantic ghost story. Incantation is easily the best horror movie Netflix ever put out and The Endless was a pretty great movie even if it didn't live up to its predecessor. But Ghostwatch stole it in the end for being the perfect Halloween movie.