6th Annual N&G 31 Days* of Halloween (2024)

[gaporter]

MOVIE #19
Evil Dead II (1987)

The first Evil Dead movie is a favorite of mine and one I've seen several times, but I've only seen this bigger-budget sequel maybe once. As a full dive into unhinged slapstick horror, it does what it sets out to do very well. The effects are the main draw for me; as is to be expected, the gore is cranked all the way up and the designs for the Deadites get way more demented and wild than in the first one. However, despite the higher quality of craftsmanship on display, I'm just one of those people who prefers the low-budget thrills of the original. This one is still a fun and crazy time, though.

Looking forward to getting to Army of Darkness at some point this month, which I've never seen before.

Rating:

 

[Selaws]

Film 4 - Alien 3 (1992)

Another killer film in the Alien fanchise.

 

[zomgbear]

12) A Quiet Place (2018)

This is a rewatch but I love this one.

13) Suspiria (2018)

This was too long and a bit too confusing for me. I felt like they stuffed a lot of backstory into it but without really explaining most of it so I'm not exactly sure what's going on. The length of it left me a bit bored but there's one scene in this that definitely left a mark on me (the dance marionette spell scene) - Very graphic but very well done.

 

[avecigrec]

12) A Quiet Place (2018)

This is a rewatch but I love this one.

13) Suspiria (2018)

This was too long and a bit too confusing for me. I felt like they stuffed a lot of backstory into it but without really explaining most of it so I'm not exactly sure what's going on. The length of it left me a bit bored but there's one scene in this that definitely left a mark on me (the dance marionette spell scene) - Very graphic but very well done.

Have you seen the original Susperia?
I haven't seen it in about 25 years, remember liking it but not fully "getting" it. I've listened to the soundtrack many times in the years since, though!

I've yet to decide whether or not I want to watch the remake.

 

[zomgbear]

Have you seen the original Susperia?
I haven't seen it in about 25 years, remember liking it but not fully "getting" it. I've listened to the soundtrack many times in the years since, though!

I've yet to decide whether or not I want to watch the remake.

I have and I really like the original. The first time I watched it, I also had trouble with the original but it was because I saw some bad cut with terrible audio mixing and some key scenes missing (you might have watched the same). If you wanted to try again, I recommend the remaster that was done recently by Synapse - it looks beautiful (It was streaming on Criterion)

I would say that this remake is really different, although the core story / characters are the same, it has a completely different vibe. This one has a more "serious" tone to it. I thought they were leaving things too open ended so I personally didn't like the remake but I think I'm the outlier here looking at Letterboxd.

 

[avecigrec]

#10.


Friday the 13th Part 2 [1981]

Bad acting makes bad writing so much worse! And I don't know that I've ever rooted for the survivor any less than I did here. Also could have done without the six minutes of replaying scenes from the first movie. A fine enough watch, but not one I'm likely to revisit much at all.



#11.


Friday the 13th Part III [1982]

Once again a few moments of horrifically bad acting and an unnecessarily long re-hash of the previous installment at the beginning, but the broader array of characters here was nice. Pretty obvious the bits that were in it specifically to cash in on the 3D release.

 

[Selaws]

Film 5 - The Platform (2019)

I decided to go with a double bill seeing as the new one was released. I saw the first platform a while ago and enjoyed it, and it held up well on the second watch, mainly because I forgot a lot of it. I thought the ending was weak though.



Film 6 - The Platform 2 (2024) .5

Man, this was a mess. The concept built upon the previous film and I enjoyed the timeline switch up, but it just began to unravel and by the end it was such a mess that I was glad when it was over.

 

[EvanBenner]

Oops, I neglected to post my watch activities this past week, so I'll recap some highlights (and midlights).

Heavy metal horror Trick or Treat features Ozzy Osbourne and Gene Simmons (both cast against type as not rockstars) and has some signature 80's style fun with its supernatural, back-masking, satanic slasher villain, but it's all a bit too loose and overlong by the time it's done.





Curse of the Kraken is a wackadoodle creature/action horror that's part Birdemic, part CRABS, and better than both of them. Not a whole lot of Kraken but there's plenty of other ecological abominations, pirate enclaves, and more to make this brisk watch a nonstop source of ridiculous fun.





Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky is a splatter fest for a kung-fu movie. Lots of bodily horror going on here. Lots of fun to watch.





The Funhouse is my Tobe Hooper pick for Hooptober this year. My only gripes were from a screenplay aspect which wasn't his role.

A ★★★½ review of The Funhouse (1981)

Movie #16 of Hooptober 11. Anchoring my challenge list this year with the essential Tobe Hooper selection at the center. For an evil carnie movie, this steered away from a lot of cliches one might expect. Instead, Hooper basks in the elaborate set pieces and gives plenty of breathing room for...

boxd.it

Hell House LLC steadily maintains its amusement value on a rewatch. Going to be diving in to the rest of the franchise throughout October.

A ★★★½ review of Hell House LLC (2015)

Movie #17 of Hooptober 11. I really enjoy how this movie serves as a solid springboard. As a first entry, we spend ample time with the core ensemble as they piece together a new haunted house knowing that they have an extreme goal in mind: to outdo their past haunt projects. The build-up of...

boxd.it

The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms is one of the better western entries in the stop-motion kaiju beasties category. Good, solid fun.\





The Cremator is a dark horror comedy about the befalling the allures of fascism, born of a Holocaust survivor. The entire film is framed around a despicable, megalomanic Czech mortician who kowtows toward the oncoming Nazi tide.

A ★★★★ review of The Cremator (1969)

Movie #18 of Hooptober 11. More like The Monologuer — am I right? For real though, Karel Kopfrkingl loves the sound of his own voice. Dude's got main character syndrome in spades and a comorbidity of authoritarian narratorship. Woe befalls anyone who has this kind of megalomanic narcissist as a...

boxd.it

Scare Package & Scare Package II: Rad Chad's Revenge were both super mid anthologies that tended toward the cartoonish side of humorous horror which is not often my thing.



Someone's Watching Me is a John Carpenter made-for-TV horror that is utterly fine. It's a familiar plot that has been trotted out by others in more engaging ways than this production seemed ready to do. Hitting the dregs on my Carpenter completionism.



The Baby's Room popped up on streamers via Tubi and PlutoTV this month for the first time in a while of being on my watchlist, so I jumped at the chance to knock out this Alex de la Iglesia (Day of the Beast, The Last Circus, Perdita Durango) feature. It's rather understated for de la Iglesia, but I love the parallels at play with movies like The Shining, Ju-On/The Grudge, and The Changeling. It's even a bit of a proto-Paranormal Activity with the extensive surveillance usage.

A ★★★½ review of The Baby's Room (2006)

For an 80-minute movie, this thing sure takes you on a journey. Juan, Sofia and their baby move into a large, old house and immediately begin experiencing unsettling occurrences captured on their nursery monitors that lead them to believe they are not always alone in their abode. The longer Juan...

boxd.it

Bilocation is a tense and intriguing supernatural thriller about a few folks living unbeknownst with separated alter-egos that begin to entangle their lives. Unique and unexpected.

 

[avecigrec]

#12.


Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter [1984]

Spoiler: SPOILER ALERT

It wasn't the final chapter!

I can see why this seems to be the favourite of the sequels.

 

[zomgbear]

Not a movie, but if you like animation , Uzumaki from Junji Ito on Adult swim is pretty cool

Uzumaki

From the mind of Junji Ito

www.adultswim.com

I hear they change animation studios after the 1st episode and it goes downhill but this first episode is worth watching at the very least.
Super unsettling and pretty trippy

 

[avecigrec]

14.


Scream [1996]

So '90s!
I hadn't seen this one since it was originally in theaters; it's still great.

 

[zomgbear]

14) Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)

I used to watch Wallace & Gromit so this was a great nostalgic watch. I've never seen this one before but impressed with how smooth the claymation is. Very cute movie if you're looking for something lighter to watch amidst all the horror.


15) All Hallows Eve (2013)

I've been meaning to watch Terrifier for the past few years but haven't gotten around to it. Since the 3rd one is coming out, I decided why not start now? Decided to start at the beginning with this movie. As I understand it, this is like an anthology movie made of some old shorts that the director had and had built some stuff around it. It was... not good. It was very disjointed - almost like he put this together to showcase his old short movies that just weren't really good. The 2nd short was terrible - like beyond bad. The final short called "Terrifier" was probably the better one but still pretty rough. I would have been ok skipping this one.

16) Terrifier (2016)

This is worlds better than All Hallows Eve. I thought it was a decent slasher - the acting is kind of cheesy like it's a funny B-movie style acting. This is like a refined version of the short from All Hallow's Eve (the last one). I like the atmosphere - the clown is super menacing. The thing I like the most is the practical effects - very gory and gross. I found it more disgusting than scary.

 

[LeeVing]

14) Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)

I used to watch Wallace & Gromit so this was a great nostalgic watch. I've never seen this one before but impressed with how smooth the claymation is. Very cute movie if you're looking for something lighter to watch amidst all the horror.


15) (2013)

I've been meaning to watch Terrifier for the past few years but haven't gotten around to it. Since the 3rd one is coming out, I decided why not start now? Decided to start at the beginning with this movie. As I understand it, this is like an anthology movie made of some old shorts that the director had and had built some stuff around it. It was... not good. It was very disjointed - almost like he put this together to showcase his old short movies that just weren't really good. The 2nd short was terrible - like beyond bad. The final short called "Terrifier" was probably the better one but still pretty rough. I would have been ok skipping this one.

16) Terrifier (2016)

This is worlds better than All Hallows Eve. I thought it was a decent slasher - the acting is kind of cheesy like it's a funny B-movie style acting. This is like a refined version of the short from All Hallow's Eve (the last one). I like the atmosphere - the clown is super menacing. The thing I like the most is the practical effects - very gory and gross. I found it more disgusting than scary.

David Howard Thornton in Terrifier 1/2, and i would think 3 makes a better Art The Clown than the guy that played him in All Hallows Eve.

Reviews for part 3 are good, but I'll have to stream it eventually.

 

[zomgbear]

David Howard Thornton in Terrifier 1/2, and i would think 3 makes a better Art The Clown than the guy that played him in All Hallows Eve.

Reviews for part 3 are good, but I'll have to stream it eventually.

i actually didn't even realize they were different actors but yes agreed!

 

[avecigrec]

#15.


Scream 2 [1997]

As with the previous (and next) installment, I've not seen this since its original theatrical release. It's been surprisingly nostalgic finally revisiting these. And also hilarious because so much of what just seemed "of the time" at the time is now "very 90s!" The self-awareness of the whole thing still hits all the right notes for me, and the actors playing actors aspect of the Stab footage is quite a joy to watch. The reveal of this one didn't quite land as solidly as the first but, all in all, it's a top-notch watch.

 

[LiamGallaghersBucketHat]

16) Terrifier (2016)

This is worlds better than All Hallows Eve. I thought it was a decent slasher - the acting is kind of cheesy like it's a funny B-movie style acting. This is like a refined version of the short from All Hallow's Eve (the last one). I like the atmosphere - the clown is super menacing. The thing I like the most is the practical effects - very gory and gross. I found it more disgusting than scary.

Watched this yesterday. Agree with this analysis. I saw someone describe these movies as Itchy & Scratchy violence.
My local AMC is showing 3 this week, so I am probably going to go. Need to watch 2 first.
I was really into horror until I met my wife who is not a fan, so I am starting to get back into it.

The popcorn bucket….

 

[EvanBenner]

Got another mixed bag of creepy catch-up for y'all.

Dreamaniac looks and sounds like a NoES knockoff, but that's nowhere near the case. What it is is a boring as hell sorority slasher helmed by a succubus and her doofy, couch-crashing male accomplice — the first non film by David DeCoteau.



The Stone Tape is a British made-for-TV horror about group of scientists seeking to uncover the source of a scream-prone haunting in a Victorian mansion. I found this one to be just fine, but some people really love it.





Moon Garden is a gorgeous and imaginative fantasy/horror odyssey that takes place in the mind of a young girl in a coma. Loved the practical effects, set designs, and monstrosities.





Monster is an Indonesian remake of The Boy Behind the Door. I didn't love the original, so I hoped this might improve on it. Interestingly, they chose for an almost-zero dialogue approach (a couple of name shouts aside). Unfortunately, this retained a lot of what frustrated me about the original.





Blood Diner is bonkers. The strangeness of its comedy seems divisive, but I fell on the side of being amused as much as I was perplexed.





The Attic is... woof. Incredibly not good.





Carnifex centers on a group of scientists researching the displacement of animals in the Australian outback when they encounter an unlikely, prehistoric-like predator. It's slow to build and not over-the-top as with titles like Rogue, but I like the more intimate cast and naturalistic threat. It's also not as suspenseful as being trapped in a house with a tiger like in Burning Bright, so I'm curious to see how this director pushes things as the lead on Wolf Creek 3, which promises a return to the imposing, malicious tone of the first series entry.

 

[Melt Face Molly Drop]

Abigail:

Predictable, but fun vampire flick with plenty of gory moments. Dan Stevens absolutely mauls scenery the whole film, and it works perfectly.

Dead Alive (Braindead):

I did not love Bad Taste, but this one was an improvement in every way. Great blend of comedy and outrageous gore. It kind of felt like an homage to Evil Dead in some ways, which is even better.

Sleepaway Camp:

I had a good feeling who the killer was, but the ending was an absolute curveball that I had to take some time to process. It has some things to say about

Spoiler

grief, homosexuality and transgenderism.

, I’m just not exactly sure what the statement means.

Hell House LLC:

I don’t seek out found footage horror often, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis the best ones. [REC], Blair Witch, Paranormal, Creep, all offer spine tingling and genuinely scary moments. This one I would put in that lot. It had some Mike Flanagan flair in spots, but ultimately I was invested in the outcome of the characters, which made it worthwhile.

---

 

[avecigrec]

#16.


Scream 3 [2000]

Woof. The lack of Kevin Williamson writing the script was incredibly evident in this. It was an enjoyable enough watch, I suppose, but a drastic drop away from what made the first two films so great. At least half a point of my score can be directly attributed to the Jay and Silent Bob cameo I'd completely forgotten happens here. That was probably the biggest highlight for me.

 

[EvanBenner]

Sleepaway Camp:

I had a good feeling who the killer was, but the ending was an absolute curveball that I had to take some time to process. It has some things to say about

Spoiler

grief, homosexuality and transgenderism.

, I’m just not exactly sure what the statement means.

---

Unfortunately, the original intent (as I understand it) didn't go much further than exploitation for shock factor, but discussion has really come around on the movie, and it's representative of quite a lot more these days. I haven't read it, but I've got a book about the movie from contemporary queer perspectives on my e-reader loaded up and ready to go when I find the time. (It's only $5 for ebook.)

Sleepaway Camp by BJ and Harmony Colangelo

The Wives Colangelo assess where the 1983 cult hit Sleepaway Camp falls in the slasher canon and do a deep dive on the film's queer themes and legacy that have kept audiences talking after all these years.

diediebooks.com