31 Nights of Halloween...

[DarthSkywalker]

In those moments, we are all Casper.

 

[Kane52630]

The Lighthouse

Robert Eggers has done it again. The movie is pretty much a voyage and descent into madness and the 4:3 aspect ratio keeps you trapped with Pattinson and Dafoe. The best way I can describe this movie is imagine The Shining crossed paths with Ren & Stimpy’s Space Madness. It manages to be crazy and maddening and hilarious all at the same time. Eggers did a fantastic job giving this movie the authenticity of a late 1800s New England Lighthouse... everything from the production design to how they look and talk. Also, they did a great job having it look like a black and white Universal Monster movie from the 30s (The lighting and directing is just phenomenal). The sound design is also a big factor in the movie. Unlike The Witch, this movie constantly ramps up the noise that adds even more to the movie. As for the plotting, it's pretty simple and straightforward, but the mystery and watching their descent keeps you intrigued on what's gonna happen next. It's the performances of Pattinson and Dafoe that really defines the movie and it's got a theater play vibe to it that works. Overall, I loved it and if you love Egger's The Witch or just watching two people go batsh** insane, this is the movie for you.
10/10

31 Day Horror Marathon 2019
Day 1 | In Fabric (9/10)
Day 2 | The Dead Don't Die (7.5/10)
Day 3 | Polaroid (6.5/10)
Day 4 | In The Tall Grass (7.5/10)
Day 5 | Haunt (9/10)
Day 6 | I Trapped The Devil (6.5/10)
Day 7 | Nightmare Cinema (7/10)
Day 8 | The Wind (7.5/10)
Day 9 | Wrinkles The Clown (8/10)
Day 10 | The Hole in the Ground (8/10)
Day 11 | Little Monsters (7.5/10)
Day 12 | Our House (9/10)
Day 13 | Satanic Panic (6/10)
Day 14 | 3 From Hell (6/10)
Day 15 | Carnival of Souls (9/10)
Day 16 | The Return of the Living Dead (8.5/10)
Day 17 | Zombieland: Double Tap (6.5/10)
Day 18 | Wounds (8.5/10)
Day 19 | The Thing (1982) (10/10) (REWATCH).
Day 20 | Frankenstein (10/10) (REWATCH).
Day 21 | Bride of Frankenstein (9/10)
Day 22 | Son of Frankenstein (7.5/10)
Day 23 | The Ghost of Frankenstein (8/10)
Day 24 | Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (9/10)
Day 25 | The Lighthouse (10/10)


​

 

[NDX]

I want to try and catch that next week.

I don't think I'm gonna get all 31 movies in this year . At least not without encroaching on SchwarzeNovember.

 

[Kane52630]

I'm shocked I can still find time to do this marathon again. It seems like every year it gets harder and harder to do one.

At least not without encroaching on SchwarzeNovember.

Man I would love to try that.

 

[Luigi]

Alien (1979)

Aliens (1986)

Can't go wrong with these two.

 

[Kane52630]

Countdown

A high concept horror flick that's got some great ideas and relevant themes, but it breaks its own rules and gets pretty silly really quick. I will say It's better than what the trailer shows, the movie is basically Final Destination meets Happy Death Day. Elizabeth Lail plays the lead and they do a decent job making her likable and someone you want to root for... similar to Tree in Happy Death Day. Surprisingly there's a lot of comedy from P.J. Byrne and Tom Segura that (while hilarious) doesn't mesh well with the creepy demon stuff. Overall, despite its problems (and there's a lot of them), I still found it kinda enjoyable.
6/10

31 Day Horror Marathon 2019
Day 1 | In Fabric (9/10)
Day 2 | The Dead Don't Die (7.5/10)
Day 3 | Polaroid (6.5/10)
Day 4 | In The Tall Grass (7.5/10)
Day 5 | Haunt (9/10)
Day 6 | I Trapped The Devil (6.5/10)
Day 7 | Nightmare Cinema (7/10)
Day 8 | The Wind (7.5/10)
Day 9 | Wrinkles The Clown (8/10)
Day 10 | The Hole in the Ground (8/10)
Day 11 | Little Monsters (7.5/10)
Day 12 | Our House (9/10)
Day 13 | Satanic Panic (6/10)
Day 14 | 3 From Hell (6/10)
Day 15 | Carnival of Souls (9/10)
Day 16 | The Return of the Living Dead (8.5/10)
Day 17 | Zombieland: Double Tap (6.5/10)
Day 18 | Wounds (8.5/10)
Day 19 | The Thing (1982) (10/10) (REWATCH).
Day 20 | Frankenstein (10/10) (REWATCH).
Day 21 | Bride of Frankenstein (9/10)
Day 22 | Son of Frankenstein (7.5/10)
Day 23 | The Ghost of Frankenstein (8/10)
Day 24 | Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (9/10)
Day 25 | The Lighthouse (10/10)
Day 26 | Countdown (6/10)


​

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Night 25

47. The Addams Family (1991) dir. Barry Sonnenfeld

"Nobody gets out of the Bermuda Triangle, not even for a vacation. Everyone knows that."

Thoughts: While I grew up falling in love with Casper in spite of itself, Addams Family is an eternal love based on everything it is. So many tried to do the Tim Burton thing, but for me this was the only one that truly "got it". Everything about this film is rather perfect. The house, the comedy, the mood and especially the family. What is there to say about the family itself, other then they are perfect? Raul Julia devours every frame the way only he could, Anjelica Houston is allure personified, Christopher Lloyd is the prefect creepy yet awesome uncle, and Christina Ricci as Wednesday is everything. Absolutely everything. If somehow you have never watched this film and you are a fan of things like early Burton or A Series of Unfortunate Events, do yourself a favor and watch this. You won't regret it.

48. The Slumber Part Massacre (1982) dir. Amy Holden Jones (New)

"You're pretty. All of you are very pretty. I love you. It takes a lot of love for a person to do this. "

Thoughts: The most interesting thing about this cult series is how the movies play out. In a lot of ways the series reflects the Evil Dead. Not terms of content, but the mindset in which each film was made. More or less the first one is played pretty straight, and for the most part works with a lot of unintended hilarity. The drill, which is the signature weapon of the killers in this series, is so impractical, that any death caused by it can't help but come off completely contrived. In classic Boondocks fashion you won't be able to stop from asking, if they don't want to die, why don't they just get out of the way. My favorite aspect of the first movie has got to be the number of actresses that look way too similar in it. I don't get confused easy watching movies and I am the annoying guy who is always mentioning how he recognizes an actor from something else. But here, I was legitimately confused by the death of two characters I simply assumed were the main character, and weren't.

49. Slumber Party Massacre II (1987) dir. Deborah Brock

"Let's Buzz!"

Thoughts: The Dead by Dawn of the franchise and the one my friend said I had to watch. This movie is made with way more confidence then you would expect for a D-movie horror flick. Probably why it works so well. This movie has it all, including multiple musical numbers, but it is all about the Driller Killer. He's basically a mythical being in this one, part Freddy Kruger, part failed rocker, once he properly shows up, it's everything. Seriously, the movie just keeps building to him and building to him and you can't help but think, this is going to be so dumb. And it is, but in the best way possible.

50. Slumber Part Massacre III (1990) dir. Sally Mattison (New)

"You're not being nice!"

Thoughts: So this was the one my friend said we could skip. I thought that didn't make much sense, considering we did the first two already and why not finish what we started? I win. I win it all. This is the GOAT of the series. The movie that decides it is both going to play it straight, and Army of Darkness it at the same time. The Driller Killer in this movie is so lame, we did not realize he was the killer even after they reveal he is. It's so nonsensical that this is the big bad of the film, and it makes it all so much better. There is a level of stupid here that can't be overstated. I don't want to spoil it, but this is a movie where everyone who dies basically has to choose that fate. More blatantly then any movie I can remember. Just watch it, seriously.

51. Flatliners (2017) dir. Niels Arden Oplev (New)

"It's a great day to die!"

Thoughts: So this movie is rather terrible. Beyond having my mortal enemy from Star Wars in it, there is simply nothing to this one. Bad script, bad performances, bad direction, bad everything. Sadly none of this is in a fun way. It's just rather bland and hard to get through. This movie has exactly one thing going for it, Ellen Page. Somehow she comes off compelling when ever she is on screen, even as the script demands the opposite. Still she is not enough to save this crap film.

 

[NDX]

Man I would love to try that.

As much as I love 31 Nights, I grew up on action flicks so November is my favorite movie marathon month of the year.

 

[NDX]

01. Maniac Cop
02. Maniac Cop 2
03. Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence
04. The Funhouse (D)
05. Demons
06. Thir13een Ghosts
07. It Follows
08. Christine
09. Blood Feast
10. Friday the 13th
11. Friday the 13th Part 2
12. Friday the 13th Part VIII Jason Takes Manhattan
13. Zombieland: Double Tap
14. Return of the Living Dead (2002 DVD Soundtrack Verison)
15. Return of the Living Dead Part 2
16. Return of the Living Dead 3
17. Fright Night '85 (D)
18. The Nightmare Before Christmas
19. Curtains (D)

20. Bloodsucking Bastards
21. Beetlejuice

I needed me a good laugh.

22. 28 Days Later

Still an enjoyable film, but the DVD I have has the quality of a VHS cassette. The upscaling of my player just made it look much worse.

 

[Ninjablade]

The Vault (2017)
Simple enough premise, decent enough film. Had some coll moments, but didn't do as much as I would've liked.

Sinister (2012)
Big old meh. Some cool imagery, interesting set-up, and decent performances that unfortunately doesn't really do anything for me.

Sinister 2 (2015)
The only good things carried over from the first film are the performances. Everything else is completely lost in this slog of a film. You would've thought this came out the year after the first one with how sloppily put together this one is. Honestly, the best parts of either of these two films are posters.

 

[Ninjablade]

50. Slumber Party Massacre III (1990) dir. Sally Mattison (New)

This gif alone has completely sold me

 

[NDX]

01. Maniac Cop
02. Maniac Cop 2
03. Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence
04. The Funhouse (D)
05. Demons
06. Thir13een Ghosts
07. It Follows
08. Christine
09. Blood Feast
10. Friday the 13th
11. Friday the 13th Part 2
12. Friday the 13th Part VIII Jason Takes Manhattan
13. Zombieland: Double Tap
14. Return of the Living Dead (2002 DVD Soundtrack Verison)
15. Return of the Living Dead Part 2
16. Return of the Living Dead 3
17. Fright Night '85 (D)
18. The Nightmare Before Christmas
19. Curtains (D)
20. Bloodsucking Bastards
21. Beetlejuice
22. 28 Days Later

23. 28 Weeks Later

Man, some scenes in this were much more intense than I remember.

24. Creepshow

I need more anthologies in my collection.

 

[Luigi]

The Lighthouse (2019)

Blown away. Mesmerizing, grimy and surprisingly hilarious horror film. Hopefully A24 manages to snag a best actor nom for Robert Pattinson.

9.5/10

 

[Luigi]

24. Creepshow

I need more anthologies in my collection.

I would recommend checking out Tales from the Hood. Really good underseen anthology horror film.

 

[Lasirius]

Day 18: In the Tall Grass

6/10

Day 19: Us

8.5/10

Day 20: Haunt

Day 21: The Howling

7/10

 

[NDX]

01. Maniac Cop
02. Maniac Cop 2
03. Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence
04. The Funhouse (D)
05. Demons
06. Thir13een Ghosts
07. It Follows
08. Christine
09. Blood Feast
10. Friday the 13th
11. Friday the 13th Part 2
12. Friday the 13th Part VIII Jason Takes Manhattan
13. Zombieland: Double Tap
14. Return of the Living Dead (2002 DVD Soundtrack Verison)
15. Return of the Living Dead Part 2
16. Return of the Living Dead 3
17. Fright Night '85 (D)
18. The Nightmare Before Christmas
19. Curtains (D)
20. Bloodsucking Bastards
21. Beetlejuice
22. 28 Days Later
23. 28 Weeks Later
24. Creepshow

25. The Basement

A shot on video Super 8 flick with horrible dubbing due to the original audio being lost. But even with all its faults, there's something endering about it. Plus the set it came with, 5 movies on DVD and a copy of The Basement on VHS, is a nice item to have on my shelf. Not to mention 2 other films from that set are actually pretty entertaining.

26. Cannibal Campout

A shot on video flick part of The Basement set. Stupid fun, even with the bad acting and poor practical effects.

27. Young Frankenstein

Does anything need to be said about this film?

I would recommend checking out Tales from the Hood. Really good underseen anthology horror film.

I love Tales From The Hood. I just don't own it, sadly. Eventually.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Night 26

52. Addams Family Values (1993) dir. Barry Sonnenfeld

"And for all these reasons I have decided to scalp you and burn your village to the ground."

Thoughts: Man do I miss Raul Julia. A quality sequel, that pretty much carries over everything you like about the first. It's funny watching them back to back, because there is a heavy similarity between the two, but sequel does enough to distinguish itself with Wednesday. Who once again, crushes it.

53. The Conjuring (2013) dir. James Wan

"The devil exists. God exists. And for us, as people, our very destiny hinges on which we decide to follow."

Thoughts: This movie vexes me. Probably because it's sequel exist. The movie is good, on occasion it is very good. But so much of it feels standard, as what makes it sequel an all timer is missing here, and thus feels almost like an interesting failure when I watch it now. That being said it has some rather quality scares, and it ended up giving me three of my favorite horror flicks, so I will always be grateful for that.

54. Annabelle Comes Home (2019) dir. Gary Dauberman

"I let her out."

Thoughts: This movie is basically the last two Cap movies, but with Cap and Iron Man only at the start and end. And yet unlike any of the other spin offs, this is the one that feels like the main series the most, while still doing it's own thing. I truly do love this film. I takes the very basic "trapped in the house" premise so many horror flicks are based around, and turns it up to 11 with the Warren's treasure room. There is so much to like here. The variety of spirits, the many "oh crap moments", an honest reason for this all starting and my favorite, little Judy Warren showing she is her parents daughter. There is a lot of heartfelt moments in this movie, and so much like the second Conjuring I genuinely care about the well being of all the characters here. Well except for maybe Bob, but even he does give me one of my favorite lines in the film. The ending here is kind of beautiful, and I have to give the crew credit for making me care about a group of con artist.

55. The Conjuring 2 (2016) dir. James Wan

"There was a crooked man, and he walked a crooked mile,

He found a crooked sixpence against a crooked stile:

He bought a crooked cat which caught a crooked mouse,

And they all lived together in a little crooked house."

Thoughts: To me, this is perfect. The Star Wars of the horror genre, a operatic family drama, wrapped in the best trappings of the genre. Everything that worked or didn't with the first film, is much better here. The first act of this movie basically functions like Casino's, where you are given this rather long prologue to setup the situation, and yet it never feels like you are living that setup. It all feels integral, as it sets up the family so beautifully. The Hodgsons matter in a way where the family in the first just doesn't. They are as important as the Warrens, and it is because they are living, breathing people, especially Janet.

The scares are so good. So much of the film is genuinely creepy, and done in ways that really add to the plot here. I love how the haunting plays out in a way to emphasizes it is all very real, while at the same time cleverly setting everything up so as to leave that level of doubt of those that need to be skeptical for the plot and character arcs to play out.

The mythology in this film is just so cool, and never superfluous. The Crooked Man, Bill Wilkins and the Nun are all a legit part of the tale, which help the development of the characters. The Warren's relationship here is what the first film wanted you to think it was. The way the film cleverly ties them to the main narrative, does not come off as a trick, even as it is very twisty, and makes it all matter just that bit more. Also, unlike his other horror flicks up to this point, this film is rather pretty. The color grading is top notch and the heavy blue look allows for the film to be one of the easiest to view during night scenes. The film isn't hiding anything, and it doesn't need to.

It is no wonder to me why Wan didn't want to attempt a third film. Everything he had learned about the genre and storytelling itself, he put it into this one, and nailed every last bit of it. He probably had nothing left to give. Also, I want to live in a world where I can experience Patrick Wilson's Elvis impression on a daily basis. You goddamn crooks, I love you.

56. What We Do In the Shadows (2014) dir. Taika Waititi

"Hello ladies."

Thoughts: One of the most genuinely funny films of the decade, that I have seen way too many times at this point. I don't really have much to say about this one, other then you really should just watch it. Wait I take that back I do have one thing. It is kind of hilarious that the guy who made this movie is now making Thor and Star Wars content. What a wonderful world we live in.

 

[Ninjablade]

I really need to watch The Conjuring 2 again. I tried watching it on a long plane ride with a few buddies a few years back, but wasn't paying as much attention as I should've been.

 

[Kane52630]

The Mist

It wouldn't be my horror marathon without this one. It's still my favorite horror film of all time and the best way to watch it is in black & white... Not only because it looks better, it does a great job hiding the outdated rendering of the CGI. I've seen this movie countless times and that ending still gets to me.
10/10

31 Day Horror Marathon 2019
Day 1 | In Fabric (9/10)
Day 2 | The Dead Don't Die (7.5/10)
Day 3 | Polaroid (6.5/10)
Day 4 | In The Tall Grass (7.5/10)
Day 5 | Haunt (9/10)
Day 6 | I Trapped The Devil (6.5/10)
Day 7 | Nightmare Cinema (7/10)
Day 8 | The Wind (7.5/10)
Day 9 | Wrinkles The Clown (8/10)
Day 10 | The Hole in the Ground (8/10)
Day 11 | Little Monsters (7.5/10)
Day 12 | Our House (9/10)
Day 13 | Satanic Panic (6/10)
Day 14 | 3 From Hell (6/10)
Day 15 | Carnival of Souls (9/10)
Day 16 | The Return of the Living Dead (8.5/10)
Day 17 | Zombieland: Double Tap (6.5/10)
Day 18 | Wounds (8.5/10)
Day 19 | The Thing (1982) (10/10) (REWATCH).
Day 20 | Frankenstein (10/10) (REWATCH).
Day 21 | Bride of Frankenstein (9/10)
Day 22 | Son of Frankenstein (7.5/10)
Day 23 | The Ghost of Frankenstein (8/10)
Day 24 | Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (9/10)
Day 25 | The Lighthouse (10/10)
Day 26 | Countdown (6/10)
Day 27 | The Mist (10/10) (REWATCH).


​

 

[Kane52630]

 

[Luigi]

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Minimalistic but oh so effective. The limited perspective works wonders for this film. Tent sequence is still horrifying.

 

[Asr]

Saw the following movies on a recent "Dismember the Alamo" at a local Alamo Drafthouse, where they showed a bunch of horror movies all on one day:

Contracted (2013)

IMO this movie really only started to get going almost as it was ending, as the ending scenes started to establish what was really going on. Some others might call it a terrible movie, and it was definitely very low-budget, but it still had decent production values and surprisingly good make-up effects. It's also one of those movies that I wouldn't recommend for female viewers, as it shows some fairly bloody & gruesome scenes that happen to the lead female character. Overall semi-decent, but not sure it's good enough to recommend for those who haven't seen it.

Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1971)

This was a surprisingly entertaining movie, despite not having much of a plot and paper-thin characters. A few of the actors were good enough to make up for the lack of writing for their characters though, and there were appropriately gruesome practical effects combined with effectively creepy scenes. I wasn't familiar with the lead actress before at all, Valerie Leon, but she was absolutely stunning in the movie and showed off her ample...assets very well on more than one occasion. Might almost call it worth watching just for her actually.

Willard (1971)

I'd only known Bruce Davison from his brief scenes in the original X-Men trilogy as Senator Kelly so it was immediately jarring to see him so much younger in this movie. This turned out to be unexpectedly good as a 70s horror movie, with an ending that I honestly didn't see coming. For those who haven't seen it, definitely worth watching! It's sort of in the vein of a dark-comedy horror, made in a time way before the sub-genre was probably coined (definitely way before it was popular!).

Zombie 4 - After Death (1989)

This is probably one of the top "so bad it's good" movies that I've ever seen in any genre, and was a riot to see with a crowd as well. One heck of a cheesy zombie movie, packed with over-the-top gore (via practical effects, the only way to do them!), campy moments pretty much staged just for the camera, and a soundtrack full of pop songs & musical score that were so 80s, the soundtrack alone got the crowd laughing! So this was somewhere in between great and terrible and I'm honestly not sure which end it was closer to, but it was definitely one heck of an entertaining movie. And the only way to watch it is with either as many friends as possible or a packed theater!

 

[NDX]

The Mist

It wouldn't be my horror marathon without this one. It's still my favorite horror film of all time and the best way to watch it is in black & white... Not only because it looks better, it does a great job hiding the outdated rendering of the CGI. I've seen this movie countless times and that ending still gets to me.
10/10

​

​

I haven't watched this in a while. Time to put this on. I've had the DVD since it came out and I have no idea if the colored version of the film even works, I've only ever watched the B&W version.

01. Maniac Cop
02. Maniac Cop 2
03. Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence
04. The Funhouse (D)
05. Demons
06. Thir13een Ghosts
07. It Follows
08. Christine
09. Blood Feast
10. Friday the 13th
11. Friday the 13th Part 2
12. Friday the 13th Part VIII Jason Takes Manhattan
13. Zombieland: Double Tap
14. Return of the Living Dead (2002 DVD Soundtrack Verison)
15. Return of the Living Dead Part 2
16. Return of the Living Dead 3
17. Fright Night '85 (D)
18. The Nightmare Before Christmas
19. Curtains (D)
20. Bloodsucking Bastards
21. Beetlejuice
22. 28 Days Later
23. 28 Weeks Later
24. Creepshow
25. The Basement
26. Cannibal Campout
27. Young Frankenstein

28. The Mist (B&W)

I wish more films would try to capture this aesthetic.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Night 27

57. The Babadook (2014) dir. Jennifer Kent

"Nothing in my hands, nothing in my hands."

Thoughts: The Babadook is great. It is a very real look at surviving and overcoming trauma and it's results, even if it is a bit slow imo. The Babadook himself is legit all time horror material. That being said, I don't think I will ever get over how annoying the kid is to me. I get it is the point, but god damn dude, just shut up for like 5 minutes. That voice is like nails on a chalkboard.

58. The Cured (2017) dir. David Freyne (New)

"How could you take one in?! They're murderers, the lot of them."

Thoughts: After the disappointment that Flatliners was, this Ellen Page flick delivered. It's hard to find a unique take on zombies these days, but this one figured it out. The hook is 75% of those infected are capable of being cured. The catch is that once they comeback, they remember everything they did while they were zombies. It offers a chance to explore otherness and I think they do so in an effective manner. Oh and it's a Irish film, so always bonus points for that, even as Ellen Page doesn't have an adorable accent like I hoped. So yeah, I really liked this one, but can I make one request? Can Ellen Page stop crying in films? She's too good at it. Every time she does it, it really does break my heart.

 

[Kane52630]

I haven't watched this in a while. Time to put this on. I've had the DVD since it came out and I have no idea if the colored version of the film even works, I've only ever watched the B&W version.

Same here although I have the bluray version... It's been years since last saw it in color.