4th Annual N&G 31 Days* of Halloween (2022)

[EvanBenner]

My theme of the day was bad therapy, so I dipped into a couple of gay conversion camp movies that have been in my backlog.

First, I popped on the indie horror Children of Sin which was pretty good. It plays well on its various character motivations and properly villainizes the most harmful of them. Shares a lot in common with But I'm a Cheerleader, but not outright comedic (just a dose of camp).

Second, I popped over to Peacock for the contentious They/Them (i.e. "They Slash Them"). This movie had a lot going for it with its strong, diverse casting, and the performances are solid throughout. You can sense everyone wanted to make something satisfying. Where it goes off the rails is in the writing. The story meanders and undermines any clear perspective it's meant to have while introducing some pretty problematic takes that didn't even serve a purpose. Oofda.

 

[EvanBenner]

Forgot to post Saturday's pick for my "frenemies" theme: Harpoon.

A trio of toxic friends set out for a day on a boat. Will they survive each other?

Got to commend these filmmakers for wholly committing to making these character be as irreconcilable as possible and the actors for really selling it. It's not a pleasant watch, but it's engrossing as hell. Gruesome black comedy with plenty of horror elements.

 

[Hemotep]

Day 54.

Pearl


This was filmed so well that just on that alone I loved it. Incredible set design and homage to classic films. Excellent all around.

 

[hype]

I'm getting a bit behind so i'll throw a few together in here so I don't clutter things with a bunch of posts. I'll start with worst of them

All Hallows' Eve (2013)

I watched this so I could do a hopefully soon double feature of the 2 Terrifier movies.. This one had a couple ok moments with pretty good atmosphere but the acting is really weak and it's cheesy throughout in a bad way. The best parts of it with Art The Clown is def. solid and showed us the potential he had as a standalone but the original Short of just his story was much better and more effective without the newly filmed stuff for this movie imo. I've still seen worse anthology films (in this very post actually) but i'll probably just be watching the original short instead of this entire movie from now on after giving it a few chances over the years.




The Willies (1990)

I'm kind of shocked that I don't think i've ever seen this and after finding it randomly I thought I might have stumbled upon a hidden gem. In 2022 with no nostalgic attachment though it's a pretty rough watch but I think if I would have seen it as a pre-teen or even young teen I would have enjoyed it ala Goosebumps or Are You Afraid Of The Dark. The wrap around story with Sean Astin and his friends was decent and entire thing had some good 80's vibes to it but all the anthology stories were pretty weak and I got bored with all of them at times.




Murder Mansion (1972)

This one started out pretty slow but once they get to the mansion it kept me entertained and interested throughout.. It kind of felt like a an adult Giallo version of a Scooby Doo movie (too bad they kept the mystery at a kids level as well) even though the ending was a bit dragged out and the overall movie was probably about 15 or so minutes too long I still had a decent time with it especially compared to the previous two movies. The well done cinematography, atmosphere and music all really pick this one up and make a mediocre at best story into a fun watch!

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[hype]

This was the first Horror movie I ever seen at the theaters at only 8 years old. It helped open my eyes at an early age that Horror can be hilarious as well and to this day Horror and Comedy are my two favorite genres that go together so well when properly done. I didn't gaf about most peoples favorite Characters or Superheroes as Ash and Freddy were mine and to this day I still use lines from this movie as confidently as ever. Thankfully Shout chose to do the Theatrical in 4k as that's far and away my favorite cut and it looks better then it ever has on physical media. I can't really rate this one as the nostalgia and influence admittingly makes this an easy 5 skuller for me but I know most other fans of it would probably rate it closer to 4ish. ​

 

[Hemotep]

Day 55.

The first two episodes are excellent. I wish they'd turn episode one into a longer movie/show. Everything I wanted from this and more.

 

[D Jilla]

Another catch up!

The Descent (2005)


One of my favorites. A legitimately scary setting/plot, a semi-believable story (if they found subterranean cave people in Appalachia tomorrow I’d be 0% surprised), and a great mix of suspense, jump scares, and gory stuff.

Halloween Kills (2021)


Didn’t really understand this one. They got together a bunch of people who had firsthand experience with Michael, knew his superhuman strength, how he’d been shot several times, etc. Then these same people tried to kill him with shitty weapons and no strategy (one MFer literally came with a hockey stick ). Some entertaining parts (I did really like appearance of the Halloween III masks as well) but overall kind of an infuriating watch.

The Rental (2020)


Kind of an amalgamation of a number of (better) films and ideas that more or less works. Nothing too original or memorable, but probably worth watching once. Not sure I’ll revisit.

 

[hype]

Day 55.

The first two episodes are excellent. I wish they'd turn episode one into a longer movie/show. Everything I wanted from this and more.

Yeah, it's off to a great start! This is what I watched last night as well.. I was really hoping for some Masters Of Horror level content and so far that's def. happening. I completely agree that the first episode felt like it had a lot more room to explore and almost felt a little rushed with the ending even though it still worked and I was satisfied. Hopefully I can stay up late enough tonight to watch the next two!

 

[LeeVing]

Then these same people tried to kill him with shitty weapons and no strategy (one MFer literally came with a hockey stick ).

Don't forget the iron.

 

[EvanBenner]

Finally got to check out Barbarian now that it hit HBO Max today. This one is super fun.

The less I say the better, so I'll leave it with this:

 

[D Jilla]

Don't forget the iron.

Missed that - okay, add a skull

 

[EvanBenner]

Keeping things wild and wacky with Sion Sono's Tag.

What if The Happening was actually good? And more twisted, surreal, and graphic?

Sono invokes Sam Raimi's cinematographic stylings in this existential, Evil Dead-esque explosion of blood and guts (with a killer post-rock soundtrack to boot).

A ★★★★ review of Tag (2015)

Many thanks to Justin for kicking my butt into gear on this Sion Sono delight for Horror Queers' daily Spooky Season theme: Forgotten Festival Faves. Tag is pure gratuitous fun. In it, Sono dares to ask, "What if The Happening was actually good?" and successfully delivers something more Sam...

boxd.it

 

[Bennnnn]

Just finished Barbarian also. Really enjoyed it. One of the most fun, unexpected horror films I’ve seen in a while. And yeah I knew nothing going in. I just heard it was good, and it is.

 

[zomgbear]

22. Pulse (2001)
Rating:
Thought this was good. I like the style of the movie and the way it was filmed. It feels a bit outdated just because of this plot surrounding online ghosts connecting through dial-up internet. It almost feels like an M.Night style movie just in the way things get weirder and weirder towards the end except the actors don't act like total weirdos and there's not really a turning point where the twist is revealed all at once. Like a lot of Japanese horror during this period, there's an American remake in 2006 with Kristen Bell. But it has terrible ratings so not sure I'll check that one out. This one is worth checking out though.

 

[LeeVing]

I watched this Monday morning prior to my work-week starting...

#45.

From Beyond (1986)

Not quite as good as Re-Animator, but a great successor - and better than that movie's sequels.

Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton are great, and the practical effects are very well done.

 

[LeeVing]

#46.

Barbarian (2022)

Went in blind except for bits of the trailer...not even the whole thing. It was great. All around great.

 

[gaporter]

I've fallen over a week behind, so apologies in advance for the lengthy post. Just trying to catch up real quick, so I'll probably keep most of my thoughts limited to a sentence or two.

MOVIE #54
The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Found footage done right. I get this movie is an acquired taste, but it does actually creep me out, mostly because I'm used to hearing weird sounds out in the woods and know firsthand how freaky it can be. The acting is also really good, the performances really help convincingly portray the characters' descent into madness.

Rating:

A ★★★★½ review of The Blair Witch Project (1999)

"That's your motivation!" The found footage subgenre catches a lot of flack, and not all of it is undeserved. However, I defy anyone to look me in the eyes and tell me that The Blair Witch Project isn't one of the most effective uses of the format ever put to screen. Given what an unlikely pop...

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MOVIE #55
Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000)

I have mixed feelings on this one. I actually like the idea of making it sort of a meta commentary on the success of the first movie, but they don't really do as much with that premise as they could have. If it didn't have the Blair Witch name attached to it, I'd say it probably wouldn't have such a negative reputation these days and would be mostly remembered as just another teen horror flick from the early 2000s.

Rating:

A ★★★ review of Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000)

Honestly not sure what to make of this. It's such a blatant cash-grab that you almost have to admire the transparency. I can respect when the people put in charge of a sequel know from the outset there's no chance of one-upping the original, so they instead just do something different entirely...

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MOVIE #56
Candyman (1992)

First time watching this and it did not disappoint! Tony Todd is awesome (as always) and the story is gripping the whole way through. It's got a unique atmosphere from any other slasher of its time, and considering it was made in 1992, the themes of race and class are handled very well and with a lot more decorum than you'd expect.

Rating:

A ★★★★½ review of Candyman (1992)

"Be my victim." Seeing as I already watched Hellraiser and Nightbreed this season, I figured I might as well add another Clive Barker creation into the mix. I was excited to finally give this a watch and it definitely lived up to the hype. The atmosphere and direction are top-notch, the story is...

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MOVIE #57
Saw (2004)

I think this is a case where the quality of the first film in a franchise kind of got overshadowed by how many sequels they ended up making based off the premise. I still like this first one, though. A solid, well-acted, intriguing murder mystery story.

Rating:

A ★★★★ review of Saw (2004)

The film that spawned not only a staggering amount of sequels, but arguably an entire subgenre, Saw's ubiquity in pop culture has turned what was once a thrilling standalone piece of character-driven horror into the genesis of a full-fledged franchise. I can't say that I blame anyone for wanting...

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MOVIE #58
Bring It On: Cheer or Die (2022)

I knew this was going to be bad before I even pressed play, but I was hoping it would at least be fun bad. Unfortunately, there was little fun to be had here. Disappointing, because there's so many ways a slasher movie starring cheerleaders could have worked, but instead the writers banked on making the script self-aware of how stupid the concept is to excuse having to actually try, and that just kills the bit for me immediately. The cheerleading wasn't even shot well. Almost no redeeming value, other than maybe that the lead actress was really cute. Hopefully she gets to be in some better movies than this garbage in the future.

Rating:

A ★ review of Bring It On: Cheer Or Die (2022)

Talk about wasted potential. The allure of the Bring It On franchise making their latest installment a full-on slasher movie starring cheerleaders was too good of a bit for me to ignore, but I can't recommend this even on the basis of dumb fun. They were clearly attempting to lean into the...

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[gaporter]

Also made the time to go through the Conjuring trilogy since I realize I hadn't seen the third one yet and felt like revisiting the first two while I was at it.

MOVIE #59
The Conjuring (2013)

A great haunted house movie, suspenseful and atmospheric to a masterful degree. I can easily see this becoming a modern classic, if it isn't already one.

Rating:

A ★★★★ review of The Conjuring (2013)

An exercise in paranormal mythmaking, The Conjuring is an ode to the consummate horror craftsmanship of James Wan. At a time when major studios seemed content with cranking out lazy jumpscare-fests and Paranormal Activity sequels, this film seemed to give people some hope that the state of...

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MOVIE #60
The Conjuring 2 (2016)

I like this even more than the first movie, mostly because I think it has a better story, setting and scares. While you obviously don't need a big budget to make a good horror movie, it also doesn't hurt, and I say throw as much money at James Wan as he wants to keep doing these expensive, creative horror gems on the side, because I'm usually a big fan of the results.

Rating:

A ★★★★½ review of The Conjuring 2 (2016)

"This is as close to hell as I ever want to get." I guess I've just committed to going through James Wan's entire filmography at this point. I should try to get a Malignant rewatch in before the season ends. Anyways, this is a case where I actually like the sequel more than the original. The...

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MOVIE #61
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

Not a masterpiece by any means, but it met the requirements for what I want from a Conjuring movie. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga continue to make these effortlessly watchable even when the stories go a bit sideways. Honestly the worst thing about the movie is its unwieldy title. Why not just call it The Conjuring 3? Consistency is important.

Rating:

A ★★★½ review of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

"The court accepts the existence of God every time a witness swears to tell the truth. I think it's about time they accept the existence of the Devil." When this first started, I thought it might turn out to be like a courtroom drama set in the Conjuring universe or something, and honestly maybe...

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[hype]

Finally watched Barbarian! I don't remember the last Halloween season I seen so many really good new Horror movies. Like others said, going in as blind as possible will help a lot but it is was just an all around well done, fun movie. So much square footage!

Also, watched episodes 3 & 4 of Cabinets of Curiosity the last few nights. Kind of a mixed bag as I loved 3 and thought it was the best one yet but then 4 is easily the worst thus far (still decent though). The whole series after 4 episodes is ridiculously strong for a show like this where every episode varies significantly.

 

[hype]

Out There Halloween Mega Tape (2022)

This is kind of the sequel to WNUF Halloween Special which has become one my staples every Halloween now. Another mixed bag with this one though.. The commercials and overall 90's feel was spectacularly done I thought and they did a perfect job of making it feel both authentic but entertaining the entire time. I have some uncut 4-6 hour long 90's era Halloween season VHS captures I throw on as background noise through October and I was surprised just how well this engulfed the most fun aspects of the commercials, informercials, corny news castors etc. Sadly, the actual main event of this one wasn't as interesting to me as the og WNUF though so that brings it down a bit. It was still just a fun little watch to throw on as part of a double feature or something to get you a little more in the Halloween spirit.

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