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61 Nights of Halloween (2025 Edition)

2nd of September:
Together (2025)

together-ver2-xlg.jpg


My first theatrical watch of the marathon. I had been looking forward to Together for quite some time, and I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I was surprised by how funny the second half of the film is. Dave Franco and Alison Brie are both excellent; their real-life chemistry is palpable onscreen. Together is a well-written film with likable, complicated characters, even if the graphic visualization of their codependent relationship didn't go quite as far as I thought or hoped it would. Together works best when approached as a darkly funny relationship drama with body horror elements.
 
Night 1

1. Unhinged (2020) dir. Derrick Borte

5f69618130d00db5745c61ea12c0b8f04fe3e398.gifv

Bite-Sized Review: Five years on and the sheer presence of Crowe is still every bit as potent as his girth. He attacks with such fearless ferocity that it's easily to buy into the building insanity. The resulting Final Destination deaths are just the icing on the cake.

***1/2

2. I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) dir. Jim Gillespie
388abcdddb5774ce9a912aa6e9f44071a04863db.gifv

Bite-Sized Review: A competent slasher elevated by all the crushes for those of us who grew up with it.

**1/2

3. I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998) dir. Danny Cannon
20b972418f1bf92a895eced176102cf4ef606494.gifv

Bite-Sized Review: So hilariously rushed that they clearly decided to build it around their only real asset, JLH's hotness. Which, you know, fair play.

*1/2

4. I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) dir. Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (NEW)
38d567f508fb87e46645bf19f9e6b19b71d6a11d.gifv

Bite-Sized Review: Really disappointed with this one. Robinson's Do Revenge is a personal favorite. But everything I love about that movie is missing here, outside of some pretty decent shots. There is no forward momentum, tension or even creative kills. And if that wasn't enough, the ending is all time bizarre and not in a fun 28 Years Later kind of way. Much like it's predcessors the film's saving grace is the smoking hot cast. Which, again. Fair play.

**
 
Bold move for Summer to end like
dqs-jO.gif
What the hell was that? Like seriously, what?

Was also kind of blown away that Wonders outfits and styling in the film so clearly didn't change from Camilia Mendes, who was originally cast. She pulls it off but just too close to Do Revenge for my brain to ignore it.
 
Night 1

1. Unhinged (2020) dir. Derrick Borte

5f69618130d00db5745c61ea12c0b8f04fe3e398.gifv

Bite-Sized Review: Five years on and the sheer presence of Crowe is still every bit as potent as his girth. He attacks with such fearless ferocity that it's easily to buy into the building insanity. The resulting Final Destination deaths are just the icing on the cake.

***1/2

2. I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) dir. Jim Gillespie
388abcdddb5774ce9a912aa6e9f44071a04863db.gifv

Bite-Sized Review: A competent slasher elevated by all the crushes for those of us who grew up with it.

**1/2

3. I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998) dir. Danny Cannon
20b972418f1bf92a895eced176102cf4ef606494.gifv

Bite-Sized Review: So hilariously rushed that they clearly decided to build it around their only real asset, JLH's hotness. Which, you know, fair play.

*1/2

4. I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) dir. Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (NEW)
38d567f508fb87e46645bf19f9e6b19b71d6a11d.gifv

Bite-Sized Review: Really disappointed with this one. Robinson's Do Revenge is a personal favorite. But everything I love about that movie is missing here, outside of some pretty decent shots. There is no forward momentum, tension or even creative kills. And if that wasn't enough, the ending is all time bizarre and not in a fun 28 Years Later kind of way. Much like it's predcessors the film's saving grace is the smoking hot cast. Which, again. Fair play.

**

At least the new one has no chance of ever being the worst one.
 
Night 1

1. Unhinged (2020) dir. Derrick Borte

5f69618130d00db5745c61ea12c0b8f04fe3e398.gifv

Bite-Sized Review: Five years on and the sheer presence of Crowe is still every bit as potent as his girth. He attacks with such fearless ferocity that it's easily to buy into the building insanity. The resulting Final Destination deaths are just the icing on the cake.

***1/2

2. I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) dir. Jim Gillespie
388abcdddb5774ce9a912aa6e9f44071a04863db.gifv

Bite-Sized Review: A competent slasher elevated by all the crushes for those of us who grew up with it.

**1/2

3. I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998) dir. Danny Cannon
20b972418f1bf92a895eced176102cf4ef606494.gifv

Bite-Sized Review: So hilariously rushed that they clearly decided to build it around their only real asset, JLH's hotness. Which, you know, fair play.

*1/2

4. I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) dir. Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (NEW)
38d567f508fb87e46645bf19f9e6b19b71d6a11d.gifv

Bite-Sized Review: Really disappointed with this one. Robinson's Do Revenge is a personal favorite. But everything I love about that movie is missing here, outside of some pretty decent shots. There is no forward momentum, tension or even creative kills. And if that wasn't enough, the ending is all time bizarre and not in a fun 28 Years Later kind of way. Much like it's predcessors the film's saving grace is the smoking hot cast. Which, again. Fair play.

**
No offense to JLH, but following up after Brandy is damn. Also I think she used the films to boost an attempt at a music career.
 
To celebrate their anniversaries a few days ago...

Halloween (2007) dir. Rob Zombie [Director's Cut]
97c8c9dba4ebefb9cbead5992120f1b02b903957.pnj


A story about a guy searching for his sister. Brutal in a way film about a serial killer should be. A stacked cast with great chemistry. I'm drawn to it. Partly out of nostalgia. 2007 was the year I became a Zombie-Head. Then 15-year-old me discovered his music and movies. Later that year I saw RZ in concert for the first time and it was the best live show I've ever seen. I was a few feet away from him and guitarist John 5. And the tour bus had the DVD cover art on it! Good times.

Halloween II (2009) dir. Rob Zombie [Director's Cut]
9330ea606043e0def750aebfcfee00855ec1a425.pnj


A misunderstood film about trauma... with a slice of artsy grindhouse. Beautifully shot on 16mm. I love it.
 
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3rd of September:
Werewolf by Night (2022)

werewolf-by-night-ver2-xlg.jpg


Fourth annual rewatch. For a change of pace, I went with the colorized version. The black-and-white original remains superior, but I appreciate that the recolor is stylized and retro. They didn't phone it in. Werewolf by Night is a tasty blend of aesthetically pleasing campy horror and a little superhero action. It's hard to believe this is still the sole Disney Plus Halloween special from Marvel.
 
Night 2

5. Annabelle: Creation (2017) dir. David F. Sandberg

90436c2ba0b1145212c7d9ffb894ba41608c9428.gifv

Bite-Sized Review: The Conjuring spinoffs were always gonna have an uphill battle. So much of what makes the original series films work is the chemistry of Patrick and Vera. For those that worked, there is a theme of being a slightly more hardcore version of Goosebumps or Are You Afraid of the Dark?. Creations really nails that feel while having some genuine scares. Arguably more then any other movie in the verse.

***1/2

6. Annabelle (2014) dir. John R. Leonetti
e63dacbf30227e7ea3f0449b42ad31d8b0dc8b84.gifv

Bite-Sized Review: A big pile of nothing. No story, no characters, no scares, no nothing. Which is ironic considering this very same setup with the very same lead actress turned out to be Wan's magnum opus. Perhaps it's because they spit this one out in little over a year to cash in on the first films success. Blah.

1/2*

7. The Conjuring (2013) dir. James Wan
46f59b463f70daf57d8ea24a3e57153bd9a010d5.gifv

Bite-Sized Review: A film that shows Wan's potential but never unlocks it. The family isn't fleshed out or endearing enough, Annabelle is an unnecessary distraction, and though it has a few good scares, nothing really jumps out. What does completely work here, and will always work, are Vera and Patrick. My two favorite fraudsters.

***1/4

8. Annabelle Comes Home (2019) dir. Gary Dauberman
0b997252acf2c9245d0cd153e5b0c38005687c12.gifv

Bite-Sized Review: After years of teasing, Judy finally faces off with Annabelle, and it's everything my 90s kid heart could've asked for. I unabashedly love this spooky kids movie. Fun scares wrapped a sweet tale of childhood companionship. The main trio are terrific. Iseman is perfect as the big sis baby sister, Sarife bleeds with her silent suffering, and I especially enjoy Grace as the child with an old soul. Of course Vera and Patrick provide the main series signature warm hug with their book end. Waiting for that samurai spin off. Any day now...

****
 
To celebrate their anniversaries a few days ago...

Halloween (2007) dir. Rob Zombie [Director's Cut]
97c8c9dba4ebefb9cbead5992120f1b02b903957.pnj


A story about a guy searching for his sister. Brutal in a way film about a serial killer should be. A stacked cast with great chemistry. I'm drawn to it. Partly out of nostalgia. 2007 was the year I became a Zombie-Head. Then 15-year-old me discovered his music and movies. Later that year I saw RZ in concert for the first time and it was the best live show I've ever seen. I was a few feet away from him and guitarist John 5. And the tour bus had the DVD cover art on it! Good times.

Halloween II (2009) dir. Rob Zombie [Director's Cut]
9330ea606043e0def750aebfcfee00855ec1a425.pnj


A misunderstood film about trauma... with a slash of artsy grindhouse. Beautifully shot on 16mm.
My bro and I watch 07 every year on Halloween. The sequel, much like Kills and Ends, fells like it gets crapped on because while people complain about getting the same thing over and over again, they almost always cry when they get something properly different.
 
3rd of September:
Werewolf by Night (2022)

werewolf-by-night-ver2-xlg.jpg


Fourth annual rewatch. For a change of pace, I went with the colorized version. The black-and-white original remains superior, but I appreciate that the recolor is stylized and retro. They didn't phone it in. Werewolf by Night is a tasty blend of aesthetically pleasing campy horror and a little superhero action. It's hard to believe this is still the sole Disney Plus Halloween special from Marvel.
Did not know this. Might give it a spin this year.
 
How do you think they did it?
I'm like 90% certain the door is CG to mask the transition between the two shots, hence why it moves in such an unnatural way and cartoony way. But for some reason instead of having the older actress run in the a straight line like the little girl, I think they have her come from around the corner and act as if there's a door there in order to make the effect look like practical trick.

Which it absolutely isn't since you can clearly see whatever that hanging thing in the doorway is change between the plates. I'm trying to see if any of the BTS stuff has anything on it.
 
I'm like 90% certain the door is CG to mask the transition between the two shots, hence why it moves in such an unnatural way and cartoony way. But for some reason instead of having the older actress run in the a straight line like the little girl, I think they have her come from around the corner and act as if there's a door there in order to make the effect look like practical trick.

Which it absolutely isn't since you can clearly see whatever that hanging thing in the doorway is change between the plates. I'm trying to see if any of the BTS stuff has anything on it.
This is fascinating. Really curious to see if you find out anything.
 

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