31 Days of Horror (2020) - The October Movie Marathon

[tellNoel]

Week 1: The Unholy Trinity

1. Rosemary's Baby
2. The Omen (1976)
3. The Exorcist

Week 2: Keeping It Classic

1. The Phantom of the Opera (1925)*
2. Cat People (1942)*
3. Dead of Night (1945)*
4. House of Wax (1953)*
5. The Creature from the Black Lagoon*
6. King Kong (1933)*
7. Godzilla (1954)*

Week 3: Slasher Central

1. Sisters (1973)*
2. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon*
3. Peeping Tom*
4. The Burning*
5. Dressed to Kill (1980)*
6. Prom Night (1980)*
7. When A Stranger Calls (1979)*

Week 4: In Recent Years

1. Tigers Are Not Afraid*
2. Sputnik*
3. Relic*
4. Color Out of Space*
5. La Llorona*
6. 1BR*
7. Host*

Final Week: The First of Many

1. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
2. Child's Play (1988)
3. Predator
4. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
5. Halloween (1978)
6. Friday the 13th (1980)
7. A Nightmare on Elm St (1984)

Tina!​

Had to end it with Era's voted "Most Evil Horror Movie Villain of All-Time." Also, the the one with the most charisma.

Freddy is a straight up killer in the first installment. Out for blood and revenge against the parents that led to his demise, Freddy executes the best kills seen in the slasher genre at the time that still hold up today. He even kills Jack Sparrow, Edward Scissorhands and The Mad Hatter. The man is a legend.

I met Robert Englund once and definitely gushed more than I should have. Such a humble guy that you would never expect to portray such a wicked character so exceedingly well onscreen. What a surprise talent he was for Wes and the rest of the crew.

Wes Craven was truly a master of his craft. This movie holds up to this day, and it always will.

 

[ThirstyFly]

Okay, finished my 31 Days of 80s Horror.
My last 2 movies were The Changeling and Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2. One was really good, one was really bad. Bet you can't guess which was which!
I also watched 2 more episodes Masters of Horror as bonus viewings. Haeckel's Tale and Imprint. It only took me 10 years, but I finally finished season 1! Imprint sure was... something.

I'll post my reviews and final postmortem tomorrow. Gotta let Imprint unpack a bit in my brain.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

 

[Serein]

Currently 8 hours into the annual Halloween Horrorfest movie marathon. This year it's zombie films.

Return of the Living Dead, Train to Busan, Shaun of the Dead and Night of the Living Dead (1968) down so far and I'm currently halfway through One Cut of the Dead. It's almost 4am and I really should go to bed after this but I might slip another film in. I would have had Dawn of the Dead in there but with the 4k boxset coming in a couple of weeks I'm holding off.

I've seen it before but I really enjoyed Train to Busan and thought it was better than I remembered it being. Its Zombies are scary, the action scenes are compelling, it has some real tense moments and you become genuinely invested in its characters. Terrific film.

 

[Ridley327]

Week Five (Oct 25-31): No One is Allowed into the Theater After the Screaming Starts! (Oct 31)

A monster movie marathon makes for the backdrop of the film here, and it's hard not to see where a lot of the passion that went into the making of the film on whole went to with all the loving set decorations and furnishings at the theater that much of the movie takes place in, especially with its "vintage" props being so heavily featured as we go from lobby to theater and back. On top of that, the rowdy crowd for the screening makes for a swell little motley crew of misfits, with some cute makeup details to identify the more creative youths in the auditorium for some genuine Halloween fun. Alas, the issues the film had with its director shuffle permeate throughout, as the film never really knows what to do with the films being screened and the best way that they can be deployed to help move the story along, often seeming very secondary to the killer's intentions and certainly in spite of the juicy setups they have as vintage gimmicks for the films themselves. Some of this is down to the surprising lack of blood and gore in the film, but it also never seems like the film knows where to focus on at any moment. Befitting a sensation for the film's troubled shoot, less so when sturdy props like a replica giant mosquito kill with a whimper instead of the giddy bang that they seemed like such an easy layup. Those films look like they were a blast to shoot, especially with a cute cameo or two that show up throughout, yet they seem to be in desperate need of some context all the same to make them feel truly invaluable. The rest unfolds much like a slasher with a strange lack of slashing, taking the face-shifting concept to theatrical heights with the decidedly messier spin they get here, but not particularly new ones, either. The film is beaming with affable charm, especially with the reliable Jill Schoelen as our scream queen, yet it's not enough to not notice the overall patchiness and oddities along the way that prevent it from being that much more than a fun little curio. Definitely the kind of film to watch at home with friends while cooking up some titular food here, as it lasts about as long and has as much nutritional value, even as you won't regret its passing sensation.

38/38

 

[nilbog]

31. Insidious (2010)

A family looks to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comatose child in a realm called The Further.

I was planning to watch The Beyond, but since it's Halloween and my wife wanted to watch something scary (she usually stays away from horror), we decided on Insidious since it's PG-13. Not bad! Some great jump scares and decent storyline and acting. Nothing too scary for me, my wife was crazy scared though haha.

👻👻👻 out of 5

Best movies I watched in the 31 Days of Horror:

3. Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) - 4/5
6. The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016) - 4/5
16. Friday the 13th IV: The Final Chapter (1984) - 5/5
19. Hereditary (2018) - 5/5
20. Let Me In (2010) - 4/5
22. Starry Eyes (2014) - 4/5
26. Brightburn (2019) - 4/5

Thanks to ThirstyFly for hosting another great horror movie marathon!

 

[jph139]

Day 31 - Hereditary, 2018 (NEW)

I had enough time to squeeze ONE more in... technically I went past the midnight mark, but if you ask me, Halloween lasts until dawn. 3am at least!

I very much enjoyed Midsommar, and I heard good things about Hereditary, so this was a no brainer. (Plus, I got a month of Amazon Prime for Borat, so it was free!) It shares a lot of similar themes with Midsommar, with the emphasis on grief and trauma. I LOVE how much the movie jerks around; there's at least 3-4 scenes that completely upend the plot and recontextualize everything. But it never feels cheap or arbitrary, there's enough clues and tidbits dropped that, in retrospect, it all feels natural. Did anyone expect this thing to turn into Rosemary's Baby by the end? I certainly didn't. But I think if I rewatched it with that knowledge, it wouldn't feel contrived at all.

Of course, tons of props to Toni Collette, who absolutely NAILS her role. It's a layered performance, even when she's living a normal, day-to-day life, you can tell she's fraying underneath it all. And some of the best reaction faces in horror history, I 100% believe this woman is having a breakdown.

Ultimately I think I like Midsommar more, but very satisfying all the same.

WEEK 1 - 100 Years of Horror
Dr. Caligari, The Golem, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde | Bonus: Häxan

WEEK 2 - Creature Features
Dracula, Dracula's Daughter, Son of Dracula, Frankenstein & Bride of Frankenstein, Son of Frankenstein & The Mummy, The Invisible Man & The Invisible Man Returns | Bonus: The Invisible Man

WEEK 3 - In Living(?) Color
The Curse of Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy, The War of the Gargantuas, Rosemary's Baby, Suspiria & House | Bonus: The Love Witch

WEEK 4 - Blood, Guts, and Videotape
Videodrome, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, Cronos, Funny Games, Ring & Ring 2, House of 1000 Corpses | Bonus: Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island

WEEK 5 - Where the Heart Is
Hell House LLC, It Comes at Night, The Ritual, Apostle, The Babysitter: Killer Queen & #Alive, His House, Hereditary

Click to shrink...

 

[Heynongman!]

Day 31 - Hereditary, 2018 (NEW)

I had enough time to squeeze ONE more in... technically I went past the midnight mark, but if you ask me, Halloween lasts until dawn. 3am at least!

I very much enjoyed Midsommar, and I heard good things about Hereditary, so this was a no brainer. (Plus, I got a month of Amazon Prime for Borat, so it was free!) It shares a lot of similar themes with Midsommar, with the emphasis on grief and trauma. I LOVE how much the movie jerks around; there's at least 3-4 scenes that completely upend the plot and recontextualize everything. But it never feels cheap or arbitrary, there's enough clues and tidbits dropped that, in retrospect, it all feels natural. Did anyone expect this thing to turn into Rosemary's Baby by the end? I certainly didn't. But I think if I rewatched it with that knowledge, it wouldn't feel contrived at all.

Of course, tons of props to Toni Collette, who absolutely NAILS her role. It's a layered performance, even when she's living a normal, day-to-day life, you can tell she's fraying underneath it all. And some of the best reaction faces in horror history, I 100% believe this woman is having a breakdown.

Ultimately I think I like Midsommar more, but very satisfying all the same.

Click to shrink...

Hereditary gets better on subsequent viewings once you know where it's heading. There's a lot of clues throughout kinda sprinkled in the background

 

[excelsiorlef]

50. Random Acts of Violence (2019)

Jay Baruchel crafts a pretty groovy little indie slasher pic. Awesome use of colour here. Some interesting ideas about inspiration and the origin of ideas here

 

[Blader]

13. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
Better than parts 1 and 3, not as good as 2, imo. The movie benefits from having a better cast of teens than part 3, and a few gnarly kills, but it's the first one that feels like it's not really doing anything new with the franchise (I thought 3 was terrible but it did at least feel like it had finally solidified the Jason archetype). In some ways it's like a quintessential Friday the 13th -- you have a fully formed Jason killing a fairly tolerable cast of characters, with some gruesome kills and nobody especially annoying. And it's also boasting the highest budget of the series so far so it certainly looks and sounds better than its predecessors. But in other ways, it also feels like the first Friday that is totally settled into that formula. Altogether a solid movie, but doesn't top part 2 for me.
6/10

14. The Guest
This movie rocks. Dan Stevens is fantastic, Maika is great, the action looks and feels so satisfying, and I love the soundtrack. The final setpiece + the very end are just so good. I want a sequel someday.
8/10

15. The Shining
One of the classics of the genre. What is there to say?
9/10

And that's it! Good marathon all around. While I didn't have any standout new watches for me (The Shining and The Guest were both rewatches), I did overall like just about everything I watched this month, to varying degrees, with the exception Friday the 13th Part III which was just awful. But it's sometimes good to throw a bad one in there too, just fr some perspective. The occasional shitty horror movie is part of the fun.

 

[Mariachi507]

Week 1: The Unholy Trinity

1. Rosemary's Baby
2. The Omen (1976)
3. The Exorcist

Week 2: Keeping It Classic

1. The Phantom of the Opera (1925)*
2. Cat People (1942)*
3. Dead of Night (1945)*
4. House of Wax (1953)*
5. The Creature from the Black Lagoon*
6. King Kong (1933)*
7. Godzilla (1954)*

Week 3: Slasher Central

1. Sisters (1973)*
2. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon*
3. Peeping Tom*
4. The Burning*
5. Dressed to Kill (1980)*
6. Prom Night (1980)*
7. When A Stranger Calls (1979)*

Week 4: In Recent Years

1. Tigers Are Not Afraid*
2. Sputnik*
3. Relic*
4. Color Out of Space*
5. La Llorona*
6. 1BR*
7. Host*

Final Week: The First of Many

1. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
2. Child's Play (1988)
3. Predator
4. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
5. Halloween (1978)

(i finally carved THE pumpkin tonight)​

What else needs to be said about this movie that i havent said in past years? I still adore it just as much as I did when I first saw it.

The music is excellent, the acting is pretty damn good for a low-budget film, and it had the best Michael Meyers in franchise history with Nick Castle.

Funny enough, this was the first time I watched it where I questioned "how tf did Michael take the time to find a bed sheet, cut eye holes in it and put glasses over said holes?"

There is a deleted scene out there where Michael is fumbling around trying to put that sheet on correctly and I will find it one day.

Click to shrink...

I see you. :)

I wanted to do one as well.

 

[kurahador]

1. The Babysitter - Killer Queen (2020)
2. Vampires vs. The Bronx (2020)
3. Sadako vs. Kayako (2016)
4. Pet Sematary 2 (1992)
5. Under The Shadow (2016)
6. The Void (2016)
7. The Host (2020)
8. Alone (2020)
9. House at the End of the Street (2012)
10. Re-Animator (1985)
11. The Blob (1988)
12. From Beyond (1986)
13. The Rental (2020)
14. The Mortuary Collection (2020)
15. Turistas (2006)
16. Z (2020)
17. The Addams Family (1991)
18. Vivarium (2020)
19. Sputnik (2020)
20. Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2011)
21. Truth or Dare (2018)
22. The Fog (1980)
23. Snow White: A Tale of Terror (1997)
24. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
25. The Lighthouse (2019)
26. The Invisible Man (2020)
27. Cult Of Chucky (2017)
28. The Wicker Man (1973)
29. Starry Eyes (2014)
30. Pandemic (2016)

Click to shrink...

31. A Dark Song (2016)

Slow burn horror about two strangers attempting some sort of an occult practice in a house for reasons of their own. This is a pretty interesting movie where most of the runtime is spent on the details of this ceremony which takes alot of time to perform apparently. Learnt after that the intricacies of it is also pretty faithful to the real life occult. I like it overall but I kinda wish there's more to it in the 2nd act, but damn I love the 1st and 3rd in this. The ending is pretty wild and has an aspect that's open to interpretation, but damn it is surprisingly meaningful than expected. Great acting too from the two cast.

4/5

 

[Ithil]

31) The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Jack, please, I'm only an elected official! I can't make decisions by myself!

What better way to commemorate Halloween, the end of October and the end of 31 Days, then with a film about Christmas?

I'm not gonna add much to the discussion of this film, most have already seen it by now, I'm 25 years late. It's very short (only 78 minutes) and light on story, this is a film all about the visuals. But what visuals they are. No matter where you look, something creative and beautifully crafted is there. Every character, prop, set and background, it's a triumph of passion and effort. It's damned funny, too. That's not even getting into all that catchy music. Suffice to say, it is very catchy.

If you've not seen it, remedy that. It's a gorgeous gothic and comic trip, and won't take up much of your time.

Recommended.

 

[Z-Beat]

FINISH STROOOOOONG

33. It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

I mean, you gotta, right? It's still such a sincere movie. Humor is definitely more high brow than most kids shows released after it

Sincere/10

34. Sleepy Hollow

This definitely has the standard Tim Burton grayscale color palette. It's definitely on the darker side of his movies. CGI bits aren't great but it's extremely atmospheric

7/10

35. Trick r Treat

Quickly turning into one of the standard traditional horror films for me. Don't get a lot of anthologies these days. Great cast and acting, and can actually be pretty scary at times. And of course the icon that is Sam

10/10

36. Halloween (1978)

The original. Great soundtrack, great acting, great villain. What can you say, it's fucking Halloween

10/10

Halloween hit credits exactly at midnight. And so ends another year of this

The next time you check into a deserted thread on the dark side of a forum, make sure you know just what kind of post you're making, or you may find yourself a permanent resident...of Resetera

 

[Steamlord]

34. The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974)

What a bizarre collaboration. It's an incredibly silly film, but it does manage to be quite a bit more entertaining than most other late Hammer horror films. The replacement for Lee's Dracula is truly awful with really weird makeup that makes the bad makeup on the other vampires look good in comparison, but fortunately he's only on screen for a very short time. The film has enjoyable fight scenes, plenty of atmosphere in spite of/because of the cheese, several nice gruesome vampire deaths (one of them getting boiled in a vat of blood was particularly inspired), and Cushing treating his role with as much dignity as in the more traditional installments, so it's a good time overall. It's not surprising that this was the last Hammer horror film for several decades, but it does feel somewhat novel and it seems like most of the cast is having fun in it, so I can at least respect that. 6/10



October is technically over, but it's still Halloween night so I might get to one or two more.

 

[ThirstyFly]

The End of 31 Days of 80s Horror!

30) The Changeling (1980) [Peter Medak] (Oct 30)

After recently losing his family, a music professor moves into an old mansion so he can compose in peace, but is soon interrupted by a spirit who seems to be attempting to contact him.

While I love horror movies, I typically don't find them scary. I'm not sure why, maybe I just don't get invested in them enough because I'm easily distracted, but it's rare that something really makes my skin crawl. The Changeling is scary. The hair on my arms standing up is proof of that.
There's a combination of the way it takes its time with the scares and the way George C. Scott's character, John Russell treats the haunting that just makes it work. He isn't Lou Costello-ing all over the place like you'd expect. He takes a more inquisitive approach to the haunting, giving it a more subdued feel and allowing the creepiness to breathe, which is a nice change of pace from all the LOUD NOISES haunting movies I'm used to. It kind of reminded me of The Devil's Backbone, which I think is a masterpiece.

As a person who typically isn't too into supernatural movies, The Changeling was a well crafted film and overall a fantastic time.

Highly recommended. 4.5 / 5

Bonus 07) Masters of Horror - Haeckel's Tale (s01e12) [John McNaughton] (Oct 30)

I'm a sucker for any kind of Frankenstein/resurrection/zombie tale so John McNaughton's (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer) Haeckel's Tale had my interest. The subject matter is definitely not for everyone (and kinda icky), but it's one of the better made and more robust episodes of the series. Love the setting too.

Well made. 3.5 / 5

31) Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987) [Lee Harry] (Oct 31)

The brother of the original Silent Night, Deadly Night killer recaps his brother's bloody Christmas rampage... and then recaps his own bloody rampage. Yeah. Lots of recappin' goin' on.

Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 is the result of the producers wanting a re-cut version of the original film with some new footage added so they could squeeze a little more money of out it. The director and screenwriters ended up with too much of a story so it became a sequel, where half of it is just a recap of the original.
Obviously, the first half is pretty dull if you've seen the original. It plays out almost like a supercut of first film, and probably didn't leave enough meat on the bones for people who haven't seen the original either. The second half though... Well, it's bad, but so over-the-top and wacky, there's definitely some fun to be had. The problem though, is again it feels like a supercut and there's just not enough to the narrative to make it feel like a complete movie. It's a shame the producers didn't just make a full sequel and instead went about it the cheapest way possible.

Overall, even though if features some fun, creative kills, plenty of quotable lines and one of the greatest performances ever put on film, let's be honest here... Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 is barely a film. It's a glorified recap of the original with a series of new events just thrown together. A fun viewing for bad movie fans, but that's about it. Garbage day, indeed.

Naughty. 2.5 / 5

Bonus 08) Masters of Horror - Imprint (s01e13) [Takashi Miike] (Oct 31)

Takashi Miike's (Audition) Imprint is... well... apparently they didn't air this on TV? I can see why. It's preeeeeety nasty. I don't even really know what to say about it, nor am I sure I even fully understood it, though I'm sure it's open to interpretation and hopefully I'm not just too stupid.

Overall, Imprint is interesting, but not for the squeamish. Definitely not for the squeamish.

Undeniably a Takashi Miike movie. 3.5 / 5


Final Viewed List:
01) House of the Long Shadows (1983) (Oct 1) - 2 / 5
02) Neon Maniacs (1986) (Oct 2) - 2.5 / 5
03) Nightmare Beach (1989) (Oct 3) - 3 / 5
04) Cat People (1982) (Oct 4) - 4 / 5
05) Cutting Class (1989) (Oct 5) - 3 / 5
06) Slaughter High (1986) (Oct 6) - 3 / 5
07) Prom Night (1980) (Oct 7) - 2.5 / 5
Bonus 01) Hubie Halloween (2020) (Oct 7) - 3 / 5
08) Cheerleader Camp (1988) (Oct 8) - 1.5 / 5
09) Terror Train (1980) (Oct 9) - 3 / 5
10) The Pit (1981) (Oct 10) - 2 / 5
11) Curtains (1983) (Oct 11) - 4 / 5
12) Blood Rage (1987) (Oct 12) - 4 / 5
13) American Rickshaw (1989) (Oct 13) - 1.5 / 5
14) The House on Sorority Row (1982) (Oct 14) - 3 / 5
15) Sorority House Massacre (1986) (Oct 15) - 1.5 / 5
16) Sorority Babes in the Slime Bowl-O-Rama (1988) (Oct 16) - 1 / 5
17) The Initiation (1984) (Oct 17) - 3 / 5
18) Hell Night (1981) (Oct 18) - 4 / 5
Bonus 02) Masters of Horror - Incident On and Off a Mountain Road (s01e01) (Oct 18) - 3 / 5
19) Waxwork (1988) (Oct 19) - 1 / 5
20) Rawhead Rex (1986) (Oct 20) - 2.5 / 5
21) Raw Force (1982) (Oct 21) - 4 / 5
Bonus 03) Masters of Horror - Dance of the Dead (s01e03) (Oct 21) - 0.5 / 5
22) Cannibal Apocalypse (1980) (Oct 22) - 3 / 5
Bonus 04) Masters of Horror - Pick Me Up (s01e11) (Oct 22) - 3 / 5
23) Mausoleum (1983) (Oct 23) - 2.5 / 5
24) Evil Dead Trap (1988) (Oct 24) - 4.5 / 5
25) Children of the Corn (1984) (Oct 25) - 2 / 5
26) Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) (Oct 26) - 4.5 / 5
Bonus 05) Masters of Horror - Chocolate (s01e05) (Oct 26) - 2.5 / 5
27) The Bride (1985) (Oct 27) - 2 / 5
28) Witchboard (1986) (Oct 28) - 1 / 5
29) The Entity (1982) (Oct 29) - 3.5 / 5
Bonus 06) Masters of Horror - Homecoming (s01e06) (Oct 29) - 2.5 / 5
30) The Changeling (1980) (Oct 30) - 4.5 / 5
Bonus 07) Masters of Horror - Haeckel's Tale (s01e12) (Oct 30) - 3.5 / 5
31) Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987) (Oct 31) - 2.5 / 5
Bonus 08) Masters of Horror - Imprint (s01e13) (Oct 31) - 3.5 / 5


Postmortem:
Number of new movies watched: 31
Number of bonus movies/TV episodes: 8
Number of years spend doing this: 10
Highlights: Cat People, Curtains, Blood Rage, Hell Night, Raw Force, Evil Dead Trap, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, The Changeling
Best of the worst: Tie - Blood Rage (funniest) and Raw Force (wackiest)
Best overall: The Changeling
Biggest surprise: Curtains
Biggest disappointment: Cheerleader Camp
Complete crap: Waxwork
Best Kill: Being dragged over a van with a wire noose in Evil Dead Trap
Most messed up kill: Gut bursting after drinking poisoned beer in Slaughter High
Wackiest Kill: A wheelchair bound lady being rolled into the pit from The Pit
Babysitter fatalities: 2 (We finally got some!)
Most uncomfortable: Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (Thanks, Henry!)
Most icky: Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (Thanks, Otis!)
Most uncomfortable dinner scene: Chicken dinner in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (Thanks, Henry and Otis!)
Most moist: Evil Dead Trap
Best Character: Seymour 'Slick' Crane in Prom Night. He had a bitchin' van.
Worst Character: Tie - Timmy (Travis McKenna) in Cheerleader Camp and Zarabeth (Kathleen Wilhoite) in Witchboard
Best fashion sense: Baron Frankenstein (Sting) in The Bride
Worst fashion sense: Everyone in Sorority House Massacre
Best slasher design: Tie - The alternating costumes in Terror Train was the coolest idea, but the banshee in Curtians was the most memorable design.
Best casting: Tie - Vincent Price, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing in House of the Long Shadows
Worst casting: Desi Arnaz Jr. in House of the Long Shadows
Best cameo: Ted Raimi as Condom Salesman in Blood Rage
Most didn't want to be there: Donald Pleasence in American Rickshaw
Cutest dog: Richie (Strycher's dog) in Nightmare Beach
Least cute dog: That little rat dog in Cheerleader Camp
Cutest cat: Fu Shan (Madame Moon's cat) in American Rickshaw
Least cute cat: Paul Gallier (Malcolm McDowell) in Cat People
Best song: Putting Out the Fire (Theme from Cat People) by David Bowie and Giorgio Moroder in Cat People
Worst song: What's New Pussycat? performed by Ed Begley Jr. in Cat People
Best dance moves: Jamie Lee Curtis in Prom Night
Worst dance moves: Marjoe Gortner in Mausoleum
Best eyebrow acting: Eric Freeman as Ricky Caldwell in Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2
Most quotable: Blood Rage put up a valiant effort, but of course it's Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2
Number of movies that start with "The" in the title: 6
Number of 80s pranks gone horribly wrong: I lost count
Most misleading poster: Slaughter High
Most accurate poster: Raw Force
80s dorm room Twisted Sister posters: 1
80s dorm room Tom Selleck posters: 1
Boy, that escalated quickly: Blood Rage
Boy, that escalated slowly: Prom Night
LOUD NOISES!: Jamie's (Sammy Snyders) voice in The Pit
Most "What the FUCK?": Cat People
Don't fuck with: Jamie Lee Curtis

 

[PennyStonks]

#30 The Nightmare Before Christmas - best movie/10
I've seen this movie at least 20 times. Absolutely not biased just the best movie. Really everything about this is incredible. All the character and set designs are fantastic. Behemoth and Mummy Boy are so cute. Every building and location in Halloween town has weird exaggerated shapes and unevenness that makes it extra spooky. Jack trying to science an explanation for Christmas is such a fun Idea. No wonder he got bored with Halloween. Making Christmas with all the bad ideas for decorations and presents cause they only have Jacks dumb guidance and the eventual pay off with the 'corrupt presents' is genius. Oogie Boogie has all these cool glow in the dark effects that really set him apart from anybody else.

All the music is incredible. Great everything. Only flaw is it is kids movie short.

#31 A Nightmare on Elm Street - great(+)/10
Seen this 3 or 4 times. I love Freddy and how much fun he has playing with his victims. So many amazing scenes like the bathtub, and the face in the wall, or the hole in the bed. I love Freddy's goofy as hell run. Great job with a few fake out scenes where you don't know its a dream until shit goes wild.

That thread about Halloween scared me away from a Halloween and Halloween double feature, so I only watched Halloween.
#32 Halloween(78) - good/10
Second time watching I think. I really don't like how Michael escapes at the start, but w/e that's nitpicks. The music in this is insane. Slowish, but Michael just watching for half the movie really sets him up. I prefer weird stuff, so Michael is a little too normal for me.


Can't wait to do this again. Lost job to Covid, so I limited myself to free with prime, free, or stuff I already had mostly. Should mean next year will be even better, and I have a big list to check out from all of the reviews you guys wrote. Maybe I'll be better at writing a review by then.

Spoiler: Final list

#1 Cube - good/10 - rewatch
#2 The Last House on the Left 1972 - whatever/10
#3 Hell House LLC - good/10
#4 The Collector - great/10
#5 The Collection - good/10
#6 Repo! The Genetic Opera - great/10
#7 The Texas Chain Saw Massacre - whatever(+)/10

#8 The Lighthouse - great(+)/10
#9 Secret Window - good/10
#10 Midsommar - whatever(-)/10
#11 Hereditary - good(-)/10
#12 The Black Tower - art/10
#12 part II, Friday the 13th Part VI - great/10
#13 Fright Night - great/10
#14 Killer Klowns from Outer Space - art/10

#15 House on Haunted Hill - old/10
#16 Wishmaster - good(+)/10
#17 Phantasm - good(+)/10
#18 Dark City Director's Cut - art/10
#19 Invasion of the Body Snatchers - good(-)/10
#20 Hellraiser - good/10
#21 Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - great/10

#22 Never Hike Alone - good fan film/10
#23 Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 - good/10 - rewatch
#24 Scream 4 - good/10
#25 Ice Cream Man - DNF/10 - rewatch
#25 House of 1000 Corpses - good(-)/10
#26 Beetlejuice - art/10
#27 Resolution - whatever/10

#28 Sleepy Hollow - great/10
#29 Edward Scissorhands - great/10 - rewatch
#30 The Nightmare Before Christmas - best movie/10 - rewatch
#31 A Nightmare on Elm Street - great(+)/10 - rewatch
#32 Halloween(78) - good/10 - rewatch

Phantasm was upgraded to good(+) cause I had a dream about it.

 

[Nameless]

When in without a plan and was 8-9 films down last week but I made it!

1. Hereditary - 4/5
2. Bliss - 3.5/5
3. The Hills Have Eyes(1977) - 1.5/5
4. As Above So Below - 3.5/5
5. Hostel - 2/5
6. Mandy - 4/5
7. The Masque of the Red Death(1964) - 4/5
8. The Others - 2.5/5
9. Color Out of Space - 2/5
10. The Thing - 5/5
11. Berberian Sound Studio - 3/5
12. Anti-Christ - 4.5/5
13. Paranormal Activity - 3/5
14. In The Mouth of Madness - 5/5
15. The Raven(1963) - 4/5
16. Amodexia - 3/5
17. From Beyond - 3.5/5
18. High Tension - 2.5/5
19. The Mist - 4/5
20. Raw - 4.5/5
21. The Descent - 4.5/5
22. Event Horizon - 3/5
23. The Lighthouse - 5/5
24. Halloween - 4.5/5
25. Halloween (2018) - 3/5
26. Afterbirth - 1/5
27. The Blair Witch Project - 5/5
28. Burn Witch Burn 3.5/5
29. Deep Red - 4.5/5
30. Dawn of The Dead(2005) - 3.5/5
31. Suspiria (2018) - 5/5

 

[Pitcairn55]

So my 8th 31 Days of Horror is over, and very enjoyable it was, as always. Got some great recommendations for the coming months, as well as some for next October. Cheers everyone.

Extra Credit round-up:
Because of the Covid situation my job is only part time at the moment, so I expected to be able watch more films and TV than usual, but that's not the way it's worked out, sadly.

Did manage to slog through four mainly rubbish episodes of The Haunting of Bly Manor, and though the last one we saw was a definite improvement, me and Mrs Pitcairn are in some doubt as to whether to carry on. Big let down after Hill House, but maybe it's just that we've just seen too many adaptations of The Turn of the Screw already. And I'm irrationally annoyed by the use of the word 'gotten' in place of 'got' and, while making cakes, 'batter' in place of 'mix' by British characters, especially in a script that correctly uses the colloquial term 'fag' for cigarette. Furthermore, I'm a pedant.

The only other TV I watched that's even vaguely related is Ghosts, a sweet, silly and pretty funny sitcom about a bunch of spirits from different eras all living together in a big old British country house. There are 12 episodes available on BBC's iPlayer, if you're in the UK anyway. Not sure about elsewhere. Anyway, it's definitely recommended if you like that kind of thing.

Final watched list, ranked:

GREAT
1 - Horror Express
2 - One Cut of the Dead
3 - Hagazussa
4 - Tetsuo: The Iron Man
5 - Horrors of Malformed Men

GOOD
6 - The Wrath
7 - Demons 2
8 - Demons
9 - The Theatre Bizarre
10 - Halloween 4
11 - Night of the Demons (1988)
12 - The Corpse of Anna Fritz
13 - Strange Behaviour aka Dead Kids

FAIR
14 - Tetsuo 2: Body Hammer
15 - Cannibal Holocaust (Director's re-edit)
16 - Stung
17 - Satan's Blade
18 - The Toolbox Murders
19 - Edge of the Axe
20 - Dream Demon
21 - Pieces

BAD
22 - Zombie Creeping Flesh
23 - Forbidden World
24 - Cannibal Ferox
25 - Halloween 5
26 - Scared Stiff
27 - The Witch Who Came From the Sea
28 - Halloween 2

TERRIBLE
29 - Island of Death
30 - Doom Asylum
31 - The Prey

 

[Steamlord]

35. Season of the Witch / Hungry Wives (1972)

A decent little psychological thriller. It didn't blow me away or anything, but Romero exhibits plenty of style here and proves that he's not only good at making zombie movies. 6/10

 

[Steamlord]

Final rankings, with links to their respective posts:

Must-watch:

The Woman Who Powders Herself (1972, short)

Blood and Roses (1960) (Rewatch)

The Shiver of the Vampires (1971)

Ganja & Hess (1973)

The Iron Rose (1973) (Rewatch)

Very good:

Lips of Blood (1975)

Fascination (1979)

The Velvet Vampire (1971)

Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971) (Rewatch)

The Hourglass Sanatorium (1973)

The Black Tower (1987, short)

Au secours! (1924, short)

The Living Dead Girl (1982)

Good:

The Nude Vampire (1970)
The Grapes of Death (1978)
The Rape of the Vampire (1968)
Harpy (1979, short)
The Blood Spattered Bride (1972)
The Driller Killer (1979)
Twins of Evil (1971)
Stray Dogs (1985, short)
Limbo: The Organized Mind (1974, short)
The Demoniacs (1974)
The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974)
Season of the Witch / Hungry Wives (1972)


Mediocre:

Satánico Pandemonium (1975)
Requiem for a Vampire (1971)
The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973)
Slumber Party Massacre II (1987)
The Mutilator (1984)
Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974)


Pretty bad:

The Long Hair of Death (1964)
Vampyros Lesbos (1971)
Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)
Genuine (1920) (Rewatch, kind of)
Blood Bath (1966)


Very bad:

Daughters of Darkness (1971)
Daddy, Father Frost Is Dead (1991)
Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974)
The Night of the Hunted (1980)
Female Vampire (1973)

Click to shrink...

The complete list on Letterboxd

It's been a good month.

 

[THEVOID]

35. Season of the Witch / Hungry Wives (1972)

A decent little psychological thriller. It didn't blow me away or anything, but Romero exhibits plenty of style here and proves that he's not only good at making zombie movies. 6/10

Click to shrink...

Have you seen Romero's Martin? His take on the vampire genre? It's fantastic.

 

[sapien85]

Last update probably.

80. The Horror of Dracula (1958): An alright retelling of the story of Dracula (with major changes). Can't say I was too impressed compared to its reputation. 2.5/5

81. The Others (2001):

Spoiler

A good twist similar to The Sixth Sense but not as gripping or tense. I feel like once the twist is known it diminishes this movie more than that one.

3/5

82. The Curse of Frankenstein (1957): A fairly entertaining retelling of the Frankenstein tale. I think this is better than the Dracula movie from the same director. 3/5

83. King Kong (1933): The grand daddy of the giant monster movies still holds up rather well after all this time despite the racist and colonialist overtones. The special effects were very impressive for the time and its influence on movies is immense to this day. The two guys who thought up the concept really hit a gold mine. It's been imitated and remade a hundred times since. 3/5

84. Re-Animator (1985):

Spoiler

The best part of this was the headless body doing a weekend at Bernie's type caper. Otherwise it was pretty forgettable despite the campiness and impressive practical effects.

2.5/5

85. Black Sunday (1960):

Spoiler

Starts off in epic and very stylish fashion but as it goes on it becomes less and less interesting and more conventional. I still think it's a good looking movie but by the end I had lost much of my interest.

3/5

86. Pulse (2001): It has creepy parts but it didn't do anything for me as a movie. 1/5

87. Dead & Buried (1981):

Spoiler

An interesting, odd, half serious, half campy horror movie with a main twist I never saw coming. I thought it was one of those evil small town cults sacrificing strangers movies but it's not that but not far off from that either. The final twist at the end along with some other things made no sense but overall a fun experience.

2.5/5

88. Ginger Snaps (2000): Cheesy movie with a lot of bad writing/ acting and not much dread or tension for me. 1.5/5

89. Viy (1967): I'm surprised this Christian themed movie was made and released in the Soviet Union in 1967. It feels and looks so dreamlike and it goes from being one thing to another very quickly. It's part House (the Japanese horror movie) and part art house cinema. I'm sure others would disagree but I seriously want a modern remake of this by a gifted director without the strict technical limitations. I love this concept just felt like it went through things very briskly in its short length. 3.5/5

90. The Tingler (1959):

Spoiler

A strange horror movie where fear takes a physical living form. Price puts in a good performance and it's fairly entertaining.

3/5

91. Hellraiser (1987):

Spoiler

There's something that makes this more disturbing than most horror movies and I can't quite figure it out entirely. Maybe it's the great disgusting special effects or the imagery that leaves a strong imprint on my mind when I see it. It's got one of the movie characters most deserving of punishment and one of the worst wives in movie history. Every time I see this I feel dirty afterwards which is an effect very few movies have on me.

3.5/5

92. Black Sabbath (1963): Campy/cheesy but I didn't get too much enjoyment out of it. 2/5

93. Demons (1985):

Spoiler

EXTREMELY 80s especially the soundtrack. A fun movie where A LOT happens in a short time but the demons really feel more like zombies.

3/5

94. Edward Scissorhands (1990): A good modern fairytale set in a weird parallel 1950s America. It shares a good deal with Frankenstein but it's less dark. It's got a weird mixed up style of Burton and 1950s Americana. Holds up pretty well after all this time. Nice to see Vincent Price at that age. 3.5/5

95. Suspiria (1977): Perhaps the most acute example of style over substance in a movie. This is one of the most beautiful and stylish movies. It also has a great soundtrack though it sometimes got in the way of what's happening. But its writing, vapid dialogue, acting, shallow characters and at times ridiculous story don't stack up to the same level as its aesthetics. 3/5

96. Frenzy (1972): Even late stage Hitchcock can make some pretty good movies. This feels like the bridge from 50s/60s Hitchcock to 79s/80s DePalma. 3.5/5

97. Black Christmas (1974): Maybe this was creative and exciting when it came out but in 2020 this is the most cliché and boring horror movie. Half the damn movie is spent on the phone and the melodrama of the lives of the women is EXTREMELY uninteresting. Hated this movie. Regret watching it. 0.5/5

98. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975): I'll never get tired of this movie or its songs. The right kind of campy with some of the greatest songs and characters of any musical. 4.5/5

99. The Vanishing (1988): The disturbing thing about this movie is that a patient, careful and determined sociopath can do terrible things to others and get away with it. it feels very real which makes it a lot more discomforting than most horror movies. 4/5

 

[Ridley327]

The final tally and their corresponding links!

1. Jaani Dushman
2. Hotel
3. Purana Mandir
4. Tahkhana
5. Veerana
6. Purani Haveli
7. Bandh Darwaza
8. Banshee Chapter
9. The Shuttered Room
10. Cast a Deadly Spell
11. Dirt Dauber
12. The Testimony of Randolph Carter and Pickman's Muse
13. Necronomicon
14. The Resurrected and Color Out of Space
15. Flesh for Frankenstein and Blood for Dracula
16. Antichrist
17. Exorcism
18. Dark Dreams
19. Memories Within Miss Aggie
20. A Woman's Torment
21. Thundercrack!
22. Mom and Dad
23. Goodbye Gemini
24. Come to Daddy
25. Adrishya
26. The Endless, Ouija: Origin of Evil, and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
27. Fury of the Demon
28. Ruby, Coming Soon, Midnight Show, The Tingler, and Anguish
29. Popcorn

38 films in total makes for a pretty solid year. I'm glad I was finally able to get a couple of those weeks worked out after gestating for so long, especially with how much of a success that the hardcore week turned out to be overall. Definitely need to start thinking more and more about what to do for next year, since I don't have much left in the drawer, so to speak, for theme ideas, and I'm not sure I'm quite ready for another decade-sized month after doing so many already. We shall see, though!

P.S Don't watch Adrishya, please.

 

[jph139]

So, now that the sun has risen, to sum it all up...

WEEK 1 - 100 Years of Horror
Dr. Caligari, The Golem, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde | Bonus: Häxan

WEEK 2 - Creature Features
Dracula, Dracula's Daughter, Son of Dracula, Frankenstein & Bride of Frankenstein, Son of Frankenstein & The Mummy, The Invisible Man & The Invisible Man Returns | Bonus: The Invisible Man

WEEK 3 - In Living(?) Color
The Curse of Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy, The War of the Gargantuas, Rosemary's Baby, Suspiria & House | Bonus: The Love Witch

WEEK 4 - Blood, Guts, and Videotape
Videodrome, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, Cronos, Funny Games, Ring & Ring 2, House of 1000 Corpses | Bonus: Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island

WEEK 5 - Where the Heart Is
Hell House LLC, It Comes at Night, The Ritual, Apostle, The Babysitter: Killer Queen & #Alive, His House, Hereditary

Final Total: 38 movies (36 new, 2 rewatches)
Best New Movie: House
Scariest Watch: Hell House LLC
Better-Than-Expected: The Ritual
Biggest Letdown: Apostle
Favorite New Franchise: The Ring
Favorite Lead: Suspiria
Overall Top Five (no rewatches): House, Dracula, Funny Games, The Invisible Man (1933), The Bride of Frankenstein

 

[Ithil]

So we end another October. It's really flown this year. I've enjoyed seeing others' reviews, hope someone enjoyed my ramblings. The tally:

1. Ready or Not (2019)
2. The Exorcist (1973)
3. The Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)
4. The Exorcist III (1990)
5. The Exorcist: The Beginning (2004)
6. Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005)
7. Crawl (2019)
8. My Bloody Valentine (1981)
9. My Bloody Valentine 3D (2009)
10. Chopping Mall (1986)
11. Wishmaster (1997)
12. The Burning (1981)
13. Prom Night (1980)
14. House on Sorority Row (1983)
15. The Hills Have Eyes (1977)
16. The Hills Have Eyes (2006)
17. Urban Legend (1998)
18. Creep (2004)
19. The Faculty (1998)
20. C.H.U.D. (1984)
21. Gremlins (1984)
22. Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
23. Critters (1986)
24. Basket Case (1982)
25. Children of the Corn (1984)
26. The Invisible Man (2020)
27. Gretel and Hansel (2020)
28. The Lighthouse (2019)
29. The Ritual (2017)
30. The Omen (1976)
31. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Bonus film #1: Sorority House Massacre (1986)
Bonus film #2: Urban Legend: Final Cut (2001)

A few last minute awards:

Best Film Award: The Lighthouse
Most Fun Award: The Faculty
Better Than Expected Award: C.H.U.D.
Best Score Award: The Omen
Best VFX Award: Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Worst CGI Award: The Exorcist: The Beginning
Skip This Pathetic Garbage Forever Award: Urban Legend: Final Cut
Secret Best Film in its Series Award: The Exorcist III
Biggest Barrel of Laughs Award: Gremlins
Like Halloween But Shit Award: Sorority House Massacre
Most Forgettably Sluicing Through Memory Banks Without A Trace Award: Prom Night

See you next year.

 

[Divius]

#30 - Urban Legend (1998)
Obviously inspired by the success of Wes Craven's Scream, but inferior in every single way. Or maybe my expectations were too high. A lot of the kills are uninspired and tame (with some exceptions), the reveal is unexpected but silly. Still, it's pretty fun and Rebecca Gayheart super sexy, that also helps. 5.5/10

 

[Junior Asparagus]

This was my first time watching 31 horror movies in October! I hit 35, to be exact. Thanks, COVID! I had a blast, and the number of films on my watchlist is now much larger thanks to this thread. Here's the rundown of my final set.

21. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) - Pretty impressive to see the techniques and experiments that filmmakers used in the early days of cinema. The first-person camerawork and the makeup transformation effects must've seemed magical at the time. 3/5
22. Goodnight Mommy (2014) - Well, I don't think the girls from The Shining are the creepiest twins in horror movies anymore. 3/5
23. A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) - Keeping on the theme of creepy siblings. I couldn't always tell what was going on in this movie, but that added to the psychological unreliability. More subtle and intricate than Goodnight Mommy. 4/5
24. Murder Party (2007) - A fun movie that is much better than its minuscule budget would suggest. 3/5
25. The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020) - So the premise for this film--sort of a Fargo-esque horror movie--is an interesting one, but the same guy wrote, directed, and starred in this and he probably should've stuck to the first two. 2.5/5
26. The Girl with All the Gifts (2016) - The Last of Us is one of my favorite games, and this is probably the movie that is the most like it. 4/5
27. Bad Moon (1996) - So this movie is basically German Shepherd vs. the Werewolf, and the German Shepherd is the best actor in it. 2/5
28. Spring (2014) - This was like Before Sunrise, body horror edition. Richard Linklater even had a quote on the case. Not for everyone, but I liked it a lot. 4.5/5
29. Salem's Lot (1979) - This TV adaptation from the late 70s, and it shows its age. The acting is pretty bad and it clearly avoids showing anything too violent or gory. 2.5/5
30. Candyman (1992) - Good take on the type of horror movie that hold a mirror up to certain social issues. It stands out because it takes a swing on some messaging that is pretty unique in the genre. 4/5
31. Antebellum (2020) - The bones of a good movie exist in this, but it doesn't quite get there. The dialogue was noticeably forced, and the marketing and trailers detracted from the effectiveness of the plot. 2/5
32. Jacob's Ladder (1990) - Combat is probably one of the most frightening situations that a person can find themselves in, so it's kind of odd that it seems like a novel basis for a psychological horror movie. 3.5/5
33. The Crazies (2010) - Pretty standard storyline that's just one degree off from many of the zombie movies that are out there. It's pretty well done though, so it's not a bad choice to throw on if you want a decent, mindless horror flick. 3/5
34. Children of the Corn (1984) - Every aspect of this movie is pretty bad. I'm not really sure why it's so famous. Just because there are scary kids? 1/5
35. Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2010) - This was a really fun spoof on all of the demented hillbilly cliches that are found in horror movies. What if they were really heroes that were just misunderstood? 4/5

Spoiler: Films #1-20

1. Poltergeist (1982) - I never wanted a guy's face to fall off more than the scientist guy who just helps himself to a giant steak out of the family's fridge. 3/5
2. Carrie (1976) - The whole movie is a setup for that one iconic scene. Sissy Spacek was cast really well. 4/5
3. Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988) - What a stupid, fun, imaginative movie. 3/5
4. The Wailing (2016) - Not really scary, but more of a supernatural mystery/thriller. I admired the world-building and the actress who plays the young daughter, but I think I'd have to watch this again to pick up all of the nuances. 4/5
5. Noroi: The Curse (2005) - I liked how this movie was shot in a documentary style and used different video segments to piece together a larger story. I love it when a movie can make me feel unsettled without resorting to jump scares. 4.5/5
6. The Babadook (2014) - More about the psychological effects of losing a loved one, this film could've been helped if it had a different kid in the lead role (and maybe a bigger budget). 2.5/5
7. The Rental (2020) - Guys, Airbnb is a pretty crazy concept. 3.5/5
8. House on Haunted Hill (1959) - A corny, nonsensical murder mystery with a dash of spookiness. Most of the actors are annoying, although Vincent Price is always a treat. 2.5/5
9. The Haunting (1963) - Atmospheric, but I was surprised at how few the scares were and how little is revealed to the viewer; it was more psychological than I was expecting. 3.5/5
10. Possession (1981) - I have no idea what the fuck was going on in this movie. It was too out there and melodramatic for my liking. 1.5/5
11. Ginger Snaps (2000) - Lycanthropy-as-metaphor-for-puberty is a fun approach, but it's tough to have a low budget werewolf movie because the monster is such a key part of the story. 3/5
12. The Howling (1981) - It starts out as a serial killer thriller, transitions to a Wicker Man-esque commune story, but then goes all-in on the werewolves for the last third of the movie. I liked the monstrous, hulking designs of the monsters in this as opposed to An American Werewolf in London, which came out in the same year. 3.5/5
13. Villains (2019) - A fun but tense thriller about two small time crooks who break into the wrong house. The 4 lead actors really give it their all. 3.5/5
14. Summer of 84 (2018) - A group of kids try to investigate their neighbor, who they suspect is a serial killer. This one has strong Stranger Things vibes, but with the violence and horniness stepped up a few notches. Most of the movie just focuses on the kids' summer antics, but things get tense toward the end. 3.5/5
15. Sleepaway Camp (1983) - Horror movies are funny because an objectively bad movie can still fulfill what you want out of a viewing experience. Sleepaway Camp is not a good movie, but sometimes you're just in the mood for a bonkers slasher that has some flashes of inspiration and creativity. What a crazy final shot! 2.5/5
16. Tigers Are Not Afraid (2017) - Akin to Pan's Labyrinth in that this is a dark story involving children conjuring supernatural fantasy elements to help them cope with the monstrosities of their lives, in this case in a small town controlled by Mexican gangs. It deals with some really heavy elements, and the young stars handle it all very well. 4/5
17. As Above, So Below (2014) - The thing that really sets this apart is the setting--the catacombs of Paris are genuinely creepy and a great place for this. The rest of the movie is pretty much what I expected. 3/5
18. Sweet Home (1989) - Between this and the movie House, Japan has shown that they love a balls-to-the-well haunted house story. 3/5
19. Byzantium (2012) - If the main characters weren't vampires, this probably wouldn't count as a horror movie. But I will watch Saoirse Ronan as a vampire! 3.5/5
20. Sea Fever (2019) - The Thing + the ocean + a dash of COVID paranoia. Some good ingredients make for a decently entertaining movie. 3.5/5

 

[Violence Jack]

My final viewing list for 2020.

1. Cannibal Holocaust (FTV) - 5/10
2. Hell House (FTV) - 7/10
3. The Dead Zone (FTV) - 7.5/10
4. Fade To Black (FTV) - 5/10
5. The Old Dark House (FTV) - 4.5/10
6. The Love Witch (FTV) - 6.5/10
7. Child's Play (2019) (FTV) - 7/10
8. Gojira/Godzilla (FTV) - 8/10
9. City of the Living Dead - 7/10
10. From Beyond - 7.5/10
11. The Beyond - 8/10
12. Halloween 4 - 6/10
13. Poltergeist (FTV) - 9/10
14. Crawl (FTV) - 6/10
15. The Abominable Dr. Phibes (FTV) - 8.5/10
16. Dressed to Kill (FTV) - 8.5/10
17. The Church - 6.5/10
18. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer - 8/10
19. Demons - 7/10
20. Halloween 5 - 4.5/10
21. Friday the 13th - 6/10
22. Tenebre - 10/10
23. Demons 2 - 7/10
24. Friday the 13th Part 2 - 7/10
25. Hellraiser - 10/10
26. Salem's Lot (FTV) - 7.5/10
27. The Devils (FTV) - 7/10
28. Fright Night - 9/10
29. Innocent Blood - 8.5/10
30. Vamp - 7.5/10
31. Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night 2 - 7/10
32. The House With Laughing Windows (FTV) - 4/10
33. Friday the 13th Part 3 - 6/10
34. Friday the 13th Part 4: The Final Chapter - 7/10
35. House of 1000 Corpses - 5/10
36. Friday the 13th Part 5: A New Beginning - 5.5/10
37. Little Shop of Horrors - 8/10
38. Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives - 8/10
39. Suspiria (1977) - 9/10
40. Trick r Treat - 8/10
41. Friday the 13th Part 7: The New Blood - 6/10

Top 5 first time viewings:
1. Poltergeist
2. The Abominable Dr. Phibes
3. Dressed to Kill
4. Godzilla
5. Salem's Lot

Bottom 5 first time viewings:
1. The House With Laughing Windows
2. The Old Dark House
3. The Love Witch
4. Fade to Black
5. The Devils

I wanted to put Cannibal Holocaust on my bottom list, but I'm thinking I need to rewatch it without the animal killings to get a better idea of my thoughts on the movie. For as despicable as I thought it was, I can't say that I wasn't entertained and that the movie has definitely stayed on my mind.

Another year passed, and I enjoyed it as always. See you guys and ghouls in 2021!

 

[Scarface]

Bitter sweet day when Halloween hits. Ill miss the movie thread. Ill keep watching horror films though, like i always do.

i had a lot of fun reading your lists. I got some great recs as well.

 

[Hoagmaster]

With Halloween behind us, time to recap all my viewings:

1. Halloweentown
2. Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge
3. Halloweentown High
4. Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
5. Return to Halloweentown
6. The Nightmare Before Christmas
7. Sleepaway Camp
8. Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers
9. Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland
10. Sleepaway Camp IV: The Survivor
11. Return to Sleepaway Camp
12. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
13. Twitches
14. Twitches Too
15. Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire
16. Don't Look Under the Bed
17. Halloween (1978)
18. Halloween II (1981)
19. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2
20. Dark Night of the Scarecrow
21. Halloween III: Season of the Witch
22. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
23. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
24. Wishmaster
25. Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers
26. Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later
27. Halloween: Resurrection
28. Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood
29. Friday the 13th (2009)
30. Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
31. Texas Chainsaw [3D]

Best thing I watched this month was Halloween '78 because it's a quintessential horror/slasher picture. Worst thing was Sleepaway Camp 4 because it's not even really a movie.

Good show, guys. See you all next year!

 

[Divius]

#31 - Pulse (2001)
In a weirdly poetic way, Pulse is the perfect thematical bookend to the start of this year's marathon of Host. Luckily this movie is a lot better. An ominous sense of dread is present throughout the movie, along with a hauntingly beautiful sadness. I loved the look and sound of the movie with its gritty picture quality, stunning cinematography, accompanied by droning music and strings. Not the most uplifting, but definitely among the best this month. 8/10

 

[detective_miller]

#39 May

Absolutely loved this one from start to finish. This definitely jumped up to the top of my favorites for this marathon, the theme of loneliness hits the mark in the year of 2020. A sad tale of a maladjusted awkward woman trying to connect with people around her with somewhat limited success. Extremely uncomfortable to watch, not due to gore or violence, but because of the social awkwardness and cringeworthy sequences. I just wanted everything to work out for May so much, so every bit of rejection was really hard to watch (even when you can´t really blame anyone for their reaction). Ending was very well done as well, and made me feel pretty emotional.

#40 Halloween III: Season of the witch

Knew it wasn´t going to be a Michael Myers joint going in and enjoyed it quite well for what it was, though it doesn´t quite live up to it´s full potential. The plot has a lot of fun twists and turns, I loved the grating commercial song and the varied and inventive kill sequences. Never cared about any of the characters, though, and the romantic sub-plot did not add anything for me.

#41 Underwater

Underwater Alien pretty much describes this movie, but as I love Alien that isn´t really a criticism. Solid movie, with a high popcorn factor. Has a decent enough cast (even kind of liked the comic relief dude, which almost never happens), some really cool locations and a great sense of claustrophobic isolation throughout. For this one also, I could have done without the romantic subplot, and would have liked to get a clearer view of the "big bad" towards the end (or maybe a less messy design is really what is needed).

 

[Wanderer5]

Alright, final tally.

1. Ring (1998)
2. Ring 2 (1999)
3. Ring 0 (2000)
4. Resident Evil (2002)
5. Silent Hill (2006)
6. Shin Kamen Rider: Prolouge (1991)
7. Prom Night (1980)
8. The Wrath (2018)
9. Phenomena (1985)
10. Zombie (1979)
11. Host (2020)
12. The Host (2006)
13. WNUF Halloween Special (2013)
14. House of Usher (1960)
15. Seoul Station (2016)
16. Warm Bodies (2013)
17. City of the Living Dead (1980)
18. Cabin in the Woods (2012)
19. Tomb of Ligeia (1965)
20. Hellraiser (1987)
21. Addams Family (1991)
22. Theater of Blood (1974)
23. Mon Mon Mon Monsters (2017)
24. Fright Night(1985)
25. Vampires (1998)
26. The Mortuary Collection (2020)
27. The Monster Club (1981)
28. Sleepaway Camp (1983)
29. The Ring Virus (1999)
30. The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
31. One Cut of the Dead (2019)

My list on Letterboxed

Highlight of the Marathon: One Cut of the Dead

Runner ups are Hellraiser and Host (2020)
____________________________________________

Well, another October came and went, and this time, I actually made it to 31 films! It has been such a shitty year, and as a result of not going to the movie theaters that much (like only two times), I actually haven't seen that many films, so I thought it be fitting to push myself to doing a 31 horror marathon to make up for it. Thus I did, and I am proud of that.

Will I do it again next year? Eh, as much as I am proud that I did it, it was also kind of exhausting lol, so think I will start out with 15-20 as per usual, and decide if I want to push towards that number again. Either way as always, I just love seeing this thread pop up, and it continues to be fun exploring more horror flicks and everyone here talking about what horror they have seen!

Just about 1/3 of my list were Asian horror, and glad I stuck to the mini theme. Admittedly it was very Japan/Korea heavy, so probably the next time I do another batch of Asian Horror, I will primarily focus on other countries, and maybe look at stuff from Indonesia and Thailand for example. Still, it was great to finally see more Ring films in particular, and One Cut of the Dead became one of my favorite zombie flicks. My avatar being Boo is meant to be a nod to it's creation being from Japan, while also being a nod to Mario 35th anniversary. Thank you Aizō for adding some more horror to it. :D

Other highlights includes seeing more Italian horror, which I will definitely explore more of sooner or later, and getting around to finally see more of Vincent Price, who is really a legendary actor.

And thus, the wait for October begins again. Cheers to hopefully a better year.

 

[atdawnwestrike]

55. Halloween (1978)
Finishing the marathon the same way I do every year by watching Halloween. This is my favorite horror movie of all time.

 

[tellNoel]

It's been fun, ya'll.
Thanks ThirstyFly for making another great OP!
More_Badass your insights are always appreciated.

Until next year. Hopefully we'll get to see Halloween Kills and other movies in theaters!

 

[ThirstyFly]

Thanks to ThirstyFly for hosting another great horror movie marathon!

Click to shrink...

Thanks ThirstyFly for making another great OP!

Click to shrink...

Thanks for taking part, everyone! It was fun as always reading everyone's impressions.

 

[Mariachi507]

I'm always finishing up when the party is winding down, haha.

29. The Tenant

So finally, I get to finish Polanski's 'The Apartment Trilogy'. The Tenant is a good piece of Psychological Horror even though it doesn't stand up to Repulsion or Rosemary's Baby. The Tenant, it seems, is more is a personal story for Polanski. It's largely about cultural assimilation. Polanski, in the lead role, is constantly reminded how he will not be taken seriously because of him being a foreigner. The symbolism for his own life and his many personal tragedies. Of course, this was right before Polanski would make it to where and reasonable person wouldn't ever feel sorry for him again. That bastard. It's usually easier to watch one of his films when you don't have to stare at the guy through the duration.

Overall, it's a Polanski thriller, so you know what to expect in terms of quality.

8/10

30. The Masque of the Red Death

Oh yes. I still can't get over my initial exposure to the Corman "Poe Cycle" aka gothic horror heaven. Masque keeps the quality high from Usher and Pit. Price is magnetic as the satanist Prince who is gleeful in his cruelty to his underlings. The colors are properly saturated and the atmosphere unparalleled. I loved it.

8/10

31. The Phantom of the Opera (1925)

The month gets finished out properly, there are no negative flashbacks to Tales of Halloween here. Sometimes, it's easy to forget that Phantom is one of the original Universal Horrors. It seems that Universal would rather everyone remember their later remake with Claude Rains in the role as Erik the Phantom. Largely, this is due to the copyright fiasco. Everybody owns this movie.

I put this off for years thanks to the confusion of multiple prints, versions, and so forth. Luckily, BFI has done top notch work to ensure that I can see the 1925 original the best possible quality. Still though, the source comes from 8 show at home prints that have been spliced together, to top it off the source aren't the prints themselves but instead duplicates of them. Yes, the 25 Phantom looks rough. There are scratches and marks throughout, and the Bal Masque scene is in black and white. Still though, it's watchable. Once I finished, I did make sure to check out their 29 version to see the Red Death in all of his glory. The 25 version here came with a solo piano accompaniment which is ok, but not optimal. Still though, the 25 version is a much more complete picture than the 29 release that most are familiar with thanks to the difference in quality. I'm more than happy to watch a rougher version given that it comes from the primary camera and not the backup.

Still, the 25 version isn't the original. Nobody has seen that one since the initial test screening where it ran long enough to require an intermission. Thankfully, the version here is mostly the work of the original director Rupert Julian, sans the ending.

As for the film, it's good. It's not a great work, but is elevated thanks to the spectacular art direction and the performance by Lon Chaney. He really is incredible, it's a shame that charisma isn't passed down through genetics. Eh, that was mean.

8/10

My post mortem is below. Fantastic year everyone!

31 Days of Horror 2020 - Ranked https://boxd.it/96KVG

 

[More_Badass]

It's been fun, ya'll.
Thanks ThirstyFly for making another great OP!
More_Badass your insights are always appreciated.

Until next year. Hopefully we'll get to see Halloween Kills and other movies in theaters!

Click to shrink...

Thanks! The impressions of your themed viewings were all very illuminating

 

[Penguin]

1. Cemetary Man (N)
2. Scare Me (N)
3. Waxwork (N)
4. Mandy (N)
5. Spiral (2019) (N)
6. Final Destination (R)
7. Alive (N)
8. Nightmare on Elm St: Freddy's Revenge (R)
9. Event Horizon (N)
10. Lyle (N)
11. Brain Damage (N)
12. Shark Night 3D (N)
13. April Fool's Day (N)
14. Ginger Snaps (N)
15. 976-Evil (N)
16. Pumpkins (N)
17. Wishmaster (N)
18. As Above, So Below (R)
19. Tremors 2 (N)
20. The Legend of Halloween Jack (N)
21. Cutting Class (N)
22. Plan 9 from Outer Space (N)
23. Hatchet (R)
24. A Nightmare on Elm St 3: Dream Warriors (R)
25. Freaks of Nature (N)
26. The Ritual (N)
27. Dead and Buried (N)
28. Pandorum (N)
29. Halloween (R)
30. Hell House, LLC (N)
31. You Might Be the Killer (N)
32. Apollo 18 (N)
33. Maximum Overdrive (N)
34. Brain Scan (N)
35. It Follows (N)
36. Bit (N)
37. Night of the Living Dead (N)
38. Nightmare on Elm St: The Dream Master (R)
39. Wishmaster 2 (N)
40. Halloween 2 (R)
41. The Row (N)
42. Wishmaster 3 (N)
43. Wishmaster 4 (N)
44. Final Exam (N)
45. The Dream child (R)
46. Hubie Halloween (N)
47. Halloween H2O (R)
48. REC (N)
49. See No Evil (R)
50. The Babadook (N)
51. The Funhouse Massacre (R)

52. Friday the 13th (R)
53. Friday the 13th Part 2 (R)
The Friday the 13th Movies are always a fun rewatch. They are never great movies, but consistently entertaining.

54. Godzilla Destroy all Monsters (N) - I need to watch more Godzilla movies. It's entertaining enough, I love when all the monsters put the stomp on the giant boss.

55. Horror of Dracula (N) - I realize I have not seen enough Christopher Lee/Hammer horror movies and may have to fix that next year. A good Dracula tale though.

56. House of the Dead: Director's Cut (N-R) - I have seen the House of the Dead before, but when I found out there was a Director's Cut/Funny Cut of the movie, my curiosity got the best of me... and it was a poor decision. This is an utterly dreadful experience, and I kind of enjoy the House of the Dead vanilla movie...

57. Paranorman (R) - A feel good animated movie about being unique.

58. Freddy's Dead (R) - So silly, so dumb. Creative kills at least.

59. Scream (R) - Remains one of the benchmarks of the horror/slasher genre. Even though I enjoy the series, the first stands so far apart from the rest in my head.

60. The Final Girls (R) - A fun modern look at the slasher, which I don't think gets enough love.

61. Train to Busan (R) - A good zombie movie.

62. Halloween 2018 (R) - The movie does well with its tension.

 

[gsab1]

Just going to write my horror movie marathon

Spoiler

1. Phantom of the Paradise greatly enjoyed it had some fantastic songs Faust, Special to me and just seing a person being grounded down over time into a brittle husk of themselves was well done 9/10.
2. Friday the thirteenth I watched for the plot and that was a mistake, the teenagers are nondescript enough I was left thinking about those coor bottles when they were hanging out. There some good kils, great score and the killer is chrasmatic although limited in time they appear. 6/10
3. Friday the thirteenth : the final chapter I skipped to the the fourth movie since was'nt the most enamored with the original and wanted to see what a friday film when they figure out the formula. The pacing is better with more kills better preformances from the tenagers and some dramatic glass breaking. The film covers the previous films in the opening if you want to skip to this one and is a good time for slasher fans. 8/10
4. Scream 4 found it to be a big improvement over Scream 3 and does have story elements to justify making a sequel 10 years after the third one. It hurts these movies to keep the same trio for 4 movies and no gale why would anyone let you near a crime scence when your books were a part of the problem but it's a good time. If you hate community style meta humor they amp it up here and if you're not into it I get it. 7/10
5. Braindead Peter Jackson film Shows how talented a filmakers Jackson is he acomplished so much gore and monster design on a very limited budget. I found it gross but well crafted film but, i don't want again as it's just as gross to the limit and made me nauseous. 7/10
6. Chopping mall it feels to me if you could be a decent and so bad it's good movie simultaneously with the movies limited budget they struggle to make the rc robots threating beyond 10 feet and have a laser effect that is reminisent of the snl skit and the use that effect with wild abandon. There some decent stuff in here with the actors but i'm just giving it a five and might warm up to this in the future. 5/10
7. Nightmare on Elm Street well crafted and some of the kills being mindblowing effects wise, It's amazing horror movie that makes sense why it spawned a successful franchise.
8. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge it doesn't has the effects work or the memorable kills of the original but found it matched the psychologicial horror of the original. Jesse who's torment is somewhat reminisent of Nancy from the original. I found it dissapointing rhat this one was ingnored in comporasion to the other sequals for the a possession plot and not incorporating dreams in this. Which i get but made it more of a diffrent film than the original which i liked about it.
9. The Thing only at nine so time to get sloopier great praticial effects, script and cast. It has Keith David and Kurt Russel in this is just all that's needed to know your in for quality. 10/10
10. Creepshow all the segements i enjoyed with the exception for father's day has a great script multiple talented actors and a colorful design reminiscent of a comic book. 8/10
11. Night of the Living Dead has some roughness from the fact it's the first of it's kind and has a limited budget. But has a timeless quality that helps stand the test of time and a powerful ending that can be looked at number of ways. 9/10
12. 28 Weeks later has a fantastic cast looks nice thanks' in part to better digital cameras and is a different movie than it's predecessor that helps give it personality of a country and family rebuilding itself in London after the infected have died off. it feels like it's missing more worldbuilding or scares that detract for me but idk. 7/10
13. Little Shop of Horrors has a 80's all star comedy cast and music from the late Howard Elliott Ashman that is worth it if you enjoy musicals or 80's comedies.
14. Fright Night (1985) 8/10
15. Mandy a dreamlike film that has wonderful visual design that I found memorable. If you dislike violence against women than just avoid . 8/10
16. Overlord the WW2 aspect of this is unoriginal reviewers noted it to be gamy which make sense when it feels like an imperfect copy of a better world war 2 movie. I was just begging for a german immigrant since most of the squad are boilerplate. The three leads are good in this with Wyatt Russel being a standout. 6/10
17. Shaun of the dead one of my favorite movies. 9/10
18. The Return of The Living Dead has a unique take on zombies has dramatic escalation of the threat of the horde and ends strong. I appreciated the wackiness of the movie more on rewatch. 8/10
19. Reanimator 8/10
20. Bride of the reanimator has better effects than the original that fully utilize the reanimation concept I found the story contrivances to make this plot work to be too much but will probably warm over time. 6/10
21. Frighteners is a good movie it feels like it needs to be longer as their are a bunch of concepts that are juggled in and when the movie tries to be funny the plot stops. The effects are fluid and still hold up as long for the most part. 7/10
22. Alien 10/10
23. Friday the thirteenth part 5 It feels like half this film was a fever dream on one hand you have a care facility for troubled teenagers and next door are dirty hillbillies. If the killer from the original reasoning was pruning dead branches the killer in this is chain sawing a diseased tree. There just a dirty mean nature feeling to the whole film that got to me. The kills are mostly done from the back and while there is a reason it feels like the excuse is razor thin when you see the killer. 5/10
24. #Alive is more of a zombie movie with the usage of technology to survive and connect with others giving it personality. I've seen a bit of zombie fiction and it does have story beats that you've probably seen before but I found it having a compassion to it that I wanted right now. 7/10
25. Lure Mermaids gives a good argument for why mermaids are terrifying 8/10
26. Stepford housewives 1975 9/10
27. Invasion of the Body Snatchers 9/10
28. Event horizon 7/10
29. Evil Dead 2 well crafted funny movie with creative gore. I don't fully get why the ending is the way it is even seeing army of Darkness first but I respect it. 8/10
30. Evil Dead 2013 It takes most of the evil dead concepts played straight and while the film looks nice and has wonderful makeup and gore the Deadites lose personality as they don't quite have the same teasing cruelty or uniqueness of the traditional version. The ending is still quite something though . 7/10
31. Halloween is just a perfect slasher movie. 10/10

 

[Blader]

2020 Wrap-Up

Best New Watch: PSYCHO II

Best Rewatch: THE GUEST

Worst of the Month: FRIDAY THE 13TH PART III

 

[nilbog]

#39 May

Absolutely loved this one from start to finish. This definitely jumped up to the top of my favorites for this marathon, the theme of loneliness hits the mark in the year of 2020. A sad tale of a maladjusted awkward woman trying to connect with people around her with somewhat limited success. Extremely uncomfortable to watch, not due to gore or violence, but because of the social awkwardness and cringeworthy sequences. I just wanted everything to work out for May so much, so every bit of rejection was really hard to watch (even when you can´t really blame anyone for their reaction). Ending was very well done as well, and made me feel pretty emotional.

Click to shrink...

I really want to watch this now. I think I will!

 

[Divius]

This year I celebrated a decade of 31 Days of Horror Marathon as it was my 10th go at this madness. Crazy.

My list (click for reviews):

#01 - Host (2020)
#02 - De Lift (1983)
#03 - Death Spa (1989)
#04 - The Addiction (1995)
#05 - Eight Legged Freaks (2002)
#06 - It Stains the Sands Red (2016)
#07 - Castle Freak (1995)
#08 - The Fan (1982)
#09 - The Plague of the Zombies (1966)
#10 - Body Bags (1993)
#11 - The Unknown (1927)
#12 - Slugs (1988)
#13 - Tarantula! (1955)
#14 - Eve's Bayou (1997)
#15 - Brain Damage (1988)
#16 - Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (1972)
#17 - The Leopard Man (1943)
#18 - The Fly (1958)
#19 - Virus (1980)
#20 - Long Weekend (1978)
#21 - Someone's Watching Me (1978)
#22 - The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933)
#23 - Dead Heat (1988)
#24 - The Exorcist III (1990)
#25 - Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)
#26 - The People Under the Stairs (1991)
#27 - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
#28 - Mayhem (2017)
#29 - Tigers are not Afraid (2017)
#30 - Urban Legend (1998)
#31 - Pulse (2001)

---

GREAT HORROR MOVIES
#04 - The Addiction (1995)
#08 - The Fan (1982)
#24 - The Exorcist III (1990)
#31 - Pulse (2001)

ALSO GREAT MOVIES (THAT WEREN'T REALLY HORROR IMO)
#11 - The Unknown (1927)
#19 - Virus (1980)
#22 - The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933)

MOST FUN VIEWINGS
#02 - De Lift (1983)
#05 - Eight Legged Freaks (2002)
#12 - Slugs (1988)

See you all next year!

---

Find my list on letterboxd

My previous years: 2011 / 2012 / 2013 / 2014 / 2015 / 2016 / 2017 / 2018 / 2019 / 2020

 

[Divius]

I really want to watch this now. I think I will!

Click to shrink...

Please do, also one of the highlights of my list last year.

 

[atdawnwestrike]

And just like that it's over. I had a ton of fun this year and finally got to cross off a bunch of classics I had been wanting to see.

1. The Hills Have Eyes (2006) (R)
2. The Host (2020) (N)
3. Blood Quantum (2019) (N)
4. Random Acts of Violence (2019) (N)
5. The Houses October Built (2014) (N)
6. Hostel (2005) (R)
7. Hostel 2 (2007) (R)
8. Spiral (2019) (N)
9. Turistas (2016) (R)
10. My Blood Valentine (1981) (N)
11. Night of the Living Dead (1990) (R)
12. The Cleansing Hour (2020) (N)
13. The Disappointments Room (2016) (N)
14. Slumber Party Massacre (1982) (N)
15. Prom Night (1980) (N)
16. April Fool's Day (1986) (N)
17. Boar (2017) (N)
18. Maniac Cop (1988) (N)
19. Gremlins 2 (1990) (R)
20. We Are Still Here (2015) (N)
21. Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) (R)
22. Friday the 13th Part 3 (1982) (R)
23. House of 1000 Corpses (2003) (R)
24. Vampires (2008) (R)
25. The Funhouse (1981) (N)
26. Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) (N)
27. I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) (R)
28. Urban Legend (1998) (R)
29. The Night Eats The World (2018) (N)
30. The Mortuary Collection (2019) (N)
31. The Omen (1976) (N)
32. Deadtectives (2018) (N)
33. Final Exam (1981) (N)
34. Hell Night (1981) (N)
35. Chopping Mall (1986) (N)
36. Wishmaster (1997) (N)
37. Night of the Demonds (1988) (N)
38. Cadaver (2020) (N)
39. Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 (1988) (N)
40. Sleepy Hollow (1999) (R)
41. The Babysitter: Killer Queen (2020) (N)
42. Tragedy Girls (2017) (N)
43. Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000) (R)
44. The Changeling (1980) (N)
45. 30 Days Of Night (2007) (R)
46. Sorority House Massacre (1986) (N)
47. Pieces (1982) (N)
48. Amsterdamned (1988) (N)
49. 1BR (2019) (N)
50. Slumber Party Massacre 2 (1987) (N)
51. Fright Night (1985) (N)
52. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) (R)
53. Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989) (R)
54. Halloween (1978) (R)

 

[RedSonja]

Final horror movie watched: Eden Lake (2008). Fuck, if you haven't seen it, probably don't watch it, Depressing, bleak, violent and just no hope. The ending rips your heart out and trampled on it. I think even Martyrs has a better ending. Good film, but have your metal health crisis number on speed dial if you watch it.

 

[Haloid1177]

So I guess I'll update what I had left.

31. A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 The Dream Master: 3/5

Some bad recasts, but some good kills. I don't feel like it was anywhere near as fun as Dream Warriors, but it wasn't a bad entry.

32. Halloween (1978): 5/5

My favorite horror movie, and one of my favorites movies in general. It's so simple, yet basically perfect, and it looks amazing. I'm blown away by certain shots every time.

33. Halloween (2018): 4/5

I think this movie is a ton of fun. It has issues, sure, but Michael is great, the soundtrack is killer, and the kills are next level. I know some people feel like they don't fit Michael as a character, but I'm game for them, they work.

As for a summary of bests and worsts:

Best New Watch: A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 Dream Warriors
Best Rewatch: The Thing (1982)
Worst New Watch: Friday the 13th Part VIII Jason on a Boat

 

[hiredhand]

Final horror movie watched: Eden Lake (2008). Fuck, if you haven't seen it, probably don't watch it, Depressing, bleak, violent and just no hope. The ending rips your heart out and trampled on it. I think even Martyrs has a better ending. Good film, but have your metal health crisis number on speed dial if you watch it.

Click to shrink...

Eden Lake has one of my favorite horror endings ever and it's a brilliant film in general. It's a shame Watkins' career never really went anywhere after that film (unlike the career of pretty much every major actor in that film).

 

[tryagainlater]

#31. Suspiria (2018) - Closing out the marathon with a mind bender. I really don't know what to make of this one. I haven't seen the original so I don't know how it compares. I can certainly say it looks incredible. There's a lot of powerful imagery and that first death is crazy. I'm questioning whether I actually find the mythology underpinning the story to be interesting or if I was just taken in by the style of the movie and there isn't actually a whole lot there. I'm reading Argento made a trilogy of films exploring this mythology so watching those might help me answer that question. I've been meaning to get some giallo films in these marathons for a while now so that could be a project for next October. Ultimately, I feel this movie is worth a watch even if you don't enjoy it.

And closing out, this year's list for record:

#1. Halloween (2018)
#2. Child's Play (2019)
#3. Wishmaster
#4. The Babysitter: Killer Queen
#5. The Platform
#6. #Alive
#7. Devil
#8. Annabelle
#9. Friday the 13th (2009)
#10. A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
#11. Freddy vs. Jason
#12. The Borderlands
#13. Backcountry
#14. Midsommar
#15. The Void
#16. The Nightingale
#17. Wolf Creek 2
#18. Blade
#19. Child's Play 2
#20. The Exorcism of Emily Rose
#21. Orphan
#22. Chopping Mall
#23. The Nun
#24. Unsane
#25. Mama
#26. The First Purge
#27. REC 3: Genesis
#28. Exorcist 2 : The Heretic
#29. Psycho (1998)
#30. Overlord
#31. Suspiria (2018)

While I don't think I had any big standouts for me this year, there's definitely a few really good ones in there. The Nightingale and Midsommar stuck with me the most. Halloween (2018), Child's Play (2019) and The Borderlands were also pretty enjoyable.

I'm always interested when it feels like certain movies seem to get a ton of play in these threads for a certain year. Naturally, it happens a lot with newer stuff but it feels like three quarters of the posters here, myself included, watched Wishmaster this year. I wonder why that is.

Anyway, awesome thread as usual. I had a lot of fun reading everyone's posts.

 

[Ravelle]

1. The Babysitter
2. Antebellum
3. Hereditary
4. The Conjuring
5. Annabelle
6. The Conjuring 2
7. Annabelle Creation
8. The Blob (1988)
9. House (1977)
10. The Invisible Man
11. Session 9
12. House of 1000 Corpses
13. Pet Cemetery (original)
14. The Nun
15. Leprechaun
16. The Witch

The Witch is still a very good movie, first movie with Anya Tailor-Joy I've seen and she was very good back then too.