31 Nights of Halloween & Horror: 2021!

[Conn Seanery]

I started going through horror themed films last month, kind of wish I'd waited to make things easier for myself. Ah well, I'm still gonna give it a shot.

I began a Stephen King chain recently, have been going through his films chronologically. Tonight's feature will be my first for the 31 days, tho'...



1) Stephen King's Maximum Overdrive (1986). Terrible. Just terrible.

Apparently, when asked why he hasn't directed a movie since Maximum Overdrive, Stephen King responded "Just watch Maximum Overdrive."

[CellarDweller]

I'm back on the same night.

After they aired "Halloween", they aired the sequel, so, here is my count at the moment.

1. Halloween
2. Halloween II

[Jared]

October 1st. 1- The Cat and the Canary (1927). 2 - Vampyr (1932)



Not quite a silent film, not quite a talkie. I'd always heard of this being super weird. While it's not the most coherently told narrative, I didn't find it as confusing as I expected. There's some very eerie and effective imagery in here. If you like the original Nosferatu and Dracula then I would definitely check this out. Currently it's available free on Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhqUPrqFrfg[/url]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyL27TwnAc0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkD6-AOjQec

I always do at least one vampire film on weekends, so this covers it but I could do more. I hadn't planned on going in any kind of chronological order, but perhaps I'll try to go by decades for a while, so maybe something from the 40s tomorrow.

Apparently, when asked why he hasn't directed a movie since Maximum Overdrive, Stephen King responded "Just watch Maximum Overdrive."[/size][/color][/font]

Ah, Maximum Overdrive. The movie that happens when you do *all the cocaine*. First film appearance of the Green Goblin, too!

[ZuLuLu]

This looks like fun so I'll give it a try.

1. 1922 (2017)- (Netflix)

1922 is a 2017 American horror drama film written and directed by Zak Hilditch, based on Stephen King's 2010 novella of the same name.

Really enjoyed this movie, it is one of the better adaptations of King's work. Well acted and directed, Thomas Jane's performance was brilliant.

[Astral Disaster]

I have the Evil Dead movies on my list to watch, it has been years (decades?) since I've seen the first one. Hope that it lives up to the memory, many things seldom do.

I'll be interested to hear about it after you've watched the movie. I usually end up watching the "trilogy" all in a row once I've sat through the first one, which is what I've done this year...

3. Evil Dead II (1987) - We start with a courtesy recap of the previous film with a few revisions, mainly being that Cheryl, Shelly and Scott are dropped entirely, then it's basically a continuation from where the original left off. This is the one where the slapstick becomes much more prevalent and is considered by many to be a high point of horror comedy. The character of Ash Williams is also more fleshed out and becomes the cocky, yet occasionally reluctant, hero fans of the franchise know and love.

4 Army Of Darkness (1992/93) - The horror comedy of Evil Dead goes Ren Fest, getting a sword and sorcery makeover. Again there's an opening recap of the previous two films, with the narrative picking up where it last left off, though the beginning differs fairly significantly from the ending of ED II, with Ash being taken prisoner rather than hailed as a savior. It's definitely a fun, entertaining movie, though it kind of veers even farther into campiness than its predecessor.

[Astral Disaster]

I came looking for this thread, and I'm so glad to see it up and running.

Last year, (my first) I managed to hit 31 movies, but I was working from home, so I was home all day, every day.

I expect there will be a lot of duplicates from last year for me, but I tend to watch favorites each season.

I'll definitely have a lot of duplicates since I watch mostly DVDs and Blu-rays I own, and I've only picked up a small number of horror/horror-related discs since last year. I'm also not subscribed to any streaming or satrllite services, anything I do happen to watch online is usually whatever is free on YouTube.

[Conn Seanery]

My List:
1) Maximum Overdrive (1986)

Even though I had Pet Sematary up next on my Stephen King chain, which I've already seen and knew I'd enjoy, I decided I needed a palate cleanser after Maximum Overdrive. I took a chance on Prisoners of the Ghostland, mostly because it listed "horror" as one of the genre descriptions and had Nick Cage in it, but I didn't feel it earned that description. I did enjoy it for what it was, I just didn't consider it horror.

Anyway, after that failed attempt to watch a horror film I settled on something modern I hadn't seen but I knew would qualify:



2) No One Gets Out Alive (2021). Just less than an hour and a half, a bit slow at the start but once they start bringing the creepy it gets going. Interesting ending. Nothing extraordinary, but I did enjoy it.

[Astral Disaster]

5. The Hallow (2015) - British/Irish co-produced creature feature filmed in Ireland and taking the local folklore as its source of inspiration. A couple, with a newborn in tow, take up residence in a remote village. He sets off to the forrest for his job as a conservationist, pissing off locals who believe he's disturbing the creatures which reside in the woods, which will result in dire consequences for both him and his family. It's an ok film with decent creature design using practical effects, except when it doesn't and resorts to CGI, there's one section with uses computer animation to show a large group of creatures in fog and shadow, pretty much just in silhouette, and it looks a bit cheap. I also feel like the idea for the black fungal sludge and occasionally spikey vine growth may have been lifted from the 2008 movie Splinter.

6. The Addams Family (1991) As a kid during the late 70s/early 80s, I enjoyed watching syndicated rerums of the 1964 Addams Family TV series, that being said, it's taken a full 30 years for me to get around to seeing this movie for the first time. Fairly family friendly by most standards with no actual scares, it's essentially an extended television episode with an updated cast which got green lit as a movie with a corresponding budget. Also notable as being the breakout movie for a young Christina Ricci, who is now 41 years old... ffs, where does the time go?

7. Addams Family Values (1993) Again, first time for me to actually sit down and watch this movie from beginning to end, though I've probably seen brief moments of it over the years while someone is flipping through TV channels. It also recycles a lot of the major plot points from the first movie and recontextualizes them a bit, basically, bad guy is after the Addams fortune and wacky hijinks ensue.

[Sean Whitmore]

1. Isle of the Dead (1945)

2a. The Vampire Bat (1933)
2b. The Body Snatcher (1945)

Not much to write about these, I think I include them every year. The first because TCM keeps playing it and I keep forgetting I’ve seen it. Basically one of those “Is it a monster? No, of course not” mysteries in the Scooby Doo vein. The second, because it’s legitimately one of my favorite movies, with what I think is Boris Karloff’s most fun performance.

3a. The Thing (1982)

I’ve actually only seen this movie about 3 times, and spaced so far apart that I always forget a lot of what happens in between the most memorable parts. Which, given the paranoid nature of the story, really works to my benefit. I knew I wanted to get to it one again this October, because I’ve been watching/rewatching all of Carpenter’s movies this year. I think Halloween remains my favorite, but this is a close second.

[Jared]

October 1st. 1- The Cat and the Canary (1927). 2- Vampyr (1932)
October 2nd. 3- Young Frankenstein (1974)




I saw this once many years ago during a class trip. I hadn't really seen the classic Universal monster movies back then, so while I got a few laughs it didn't make a big impression. Now, I have much more appreciation of the depth of parodying going on here. That said, I don't think it's funnier than Blazing Saddles, which is Mel's best movie. I wouldn't put it above Space Balls either, but in fairness, I grew up with that movie.

I had a "wait is that Gene Hackman?!" reaction at one point.
I kind of threw out my chronological plan with this, but I might do a 40s movie today.

[ZuLuLu]

Since I started with Stephen King I'm using this to watch all the recent adaptations of his novels that I have not seen.

My list
1) 1922 (2017)
2)Gerald's Game (2017)


A psychological horror-thriller film directed and edited by Mike Flanagan. A couple tries to spice up their marriage in a remote lake house. This was a really enjoyable movie, like 1922 it owes its success to its lead, Carla Gugino delivers one of her best performances.

3) Doctor Sleep (2019)
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A supernatural horror film based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Stephen King. This movie is almost 3 hours long and is overall enjoyable because it is well-acted and directed. The movie tried to be both a sequel to The Shinning, pulling from elements of the books and the Kubrick adaptation, while also trying to be its own film for the most part it works but at times all the pieces don't quite fit together.

[Conn Seanery]

My List:
1) Maximum Overdrive (1986)
2) No One Gets Out Alive (2021)



3) Stephen King's Pet Sematary (1989). Always a good watch. I wrestle with ridiculous snowballing of grief that makes the dad go nuts (like, you saw what happened to the cat, then the kid, so...), but then you don't watch Pet Sematary for the realism and logical choices. I always look forward to, and flinch, at the scene where the neighbor Jud gets taken down (if you've seen it you know what I mean).

I just noticed there was a sequel to this in 1992. I don't think I'm going to punish myself with that.

[Conn Seanery]

My List:
1) Maximum Overdrive (1986)
2) No One Gets Out Alive (2021)
3) Pet Sematary (1989)



4) My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To (2020). More drama than horror but really worth the watch. I thought this was fantastic. I'm not even going to say anything for fear of spoiling any details, I'll simply copy/paste the official blurb: "Two mysterious siblings find themselves at odds over care for their frail and sickly younger brother."

[Conn Seanery]

My List:
1) Maximum Overdrive (1986)
2) No One Gets Out Alive (2021)
3) Pet Sematary (1989)
4) My Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To (2020)

Snuck in another one before calling it a night.



5) Tales From the Darkside: The Movie (1990). Never been a fan of horror anthology films and...I'm still not. I will say this was much better than the Creepshow films, tho'.

[Astral Disaster]

8. Trick R Treat (2007) - Directorial debut of Michaael Dougherty, often referred to as a horror comedy anthology, it strikes a balance of being borderline family friendly while delving into some fairly dark and macabre content, and has mamaged to become a Halloween classic for many.

9. The Screaming Skull (1958) - Newlyweds Jenni and Eric move into Eric's palatial country home, Jenni, a former asylum patient, is soon haunted by the shrieking skull of Eric's deceased first wife. Is it all a paranoid delusion? Is it the doing of mentally disabled garderner Mickey? Or is there something more foul afoot? Can't say I'd recommend it to any but the most avid B-movie aficionados.

10 The Midnight Meat Train (2008) - Based on the Clive Barker short story of the same name. Photographer Leon becomes obsessed with the disappearance of a woman after he photographs her only moments before she goes missing in the NYC subway system. His investigation uncovers a trail of subway disappearances stretching back more than a century, a butcher who is the most likely suspect in the crimes, and an ancient evul which must be kept at bay. Decent horror flick worth a watch, fairly brutal and bloody right out the gate, though it is kind of hobbled by cheap and dated CGI, I can only imagine what might have been had the movie gotten a bigger budget.