31 Days of Halloween (October 1st through 31st)

[Death&Return of Superman]

October 10

Deadly Friend AKA That Movie Where the Woman Has Her Head asplode By Way of Basketball



Not really sure of what to say about this movie really. Apparently it wasn't originally meant to be a horror film, it was more along the lines of other PG '80s robot movies or something, but I've got a hard time picturing it. Even if you remove the violence, it's still a movie about a teen bring his dead friend back to life after her father kills her. It also sound like in the book the reanimated corpse becomes dangerous and is killed by the police too, so I'm not really sure how the hell this would have been all that different anyways. For the most part the movie is just kind of boring.

Street Trash



Street Trash on the other hand is anything but boring. This was the first time I've ever watched this weird wild movie, and I kind of loved it. I'd heard about this movie for years, I mostly just kind of expected it to be bad trashy garbage, turns out it's really nicely directed trash full of crazy characters. The main villain of this movie is the crazy vet that has flashbacks to 'Nam, he's got a knife made out of a human leg bone, he's the leader of a gang of homeless people, he sits atop an Akira like chair of garbage, and he wouldn't be out of place in Mad Max. In fact, much of the time he's on screen it looks like we're in Mad Max world. And that would probably be the best character in the movie if James Lorinz was there as Doorman. James Lorinz kind of steals the movie as random doorman, so much so I wonder if his later appearances in the movie were added just so he was there more - because there's really not point to them besides him being fun to watch in the role.

The weirdest thing about Street Trash is they take one of their kills from Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, only they actually tone it down. You would think a movie called Street Trash, with everything they had done up to that point, would at least try to one up the Mr. Creosote scene they're taking from - but nope. It also stands out as weird because this is the one time in the whole movie the Viper drink doesn't kill like it kills everyone else.

It's also just kind of strange how the movie plays out.


That Street Trash poster is kind of misleading, it's not like a cross between any of those movies. It actually seems kind of weird that someone wouldn't throw The Evil Dead in there if they were saying its a cross between this in that.

[Da Boat]

October 10 - When a Stranger Calls(1979)



A precursor to the whole "stranger calls a girl babysitter" concept. (Black Christmas is the ultimate movie about it but it wasn't mainly about that). That said this movie is not just that but in a different way.

A young woman when babysitter two children get a call always saying "go check on the children!". It keeps going on an on. And at first she keeps answering cause she is waiting the call of a guy she likes. But then she realise it may be serious. She calls the police, there's nothing they can do about it. But they say we'll keep a tab on your phone. The guy calls again and the police call her back and they say "the call comes from inside the house". She freaks out, close all the lights and take a stick to protect herself. Then a police Sergeant come in and they check on the house, they go upstairs, the kids are in pieces, blood everywhere and the maniac is there. They arrest him.

Then you go 7 years later. The maniac was in an asylum ever since and escaped. The police sergeant is now a private investigator and he is asked to track the maniac down. And the former babysitter is now married and has children of her own. You see where this is going?

But that's where the movie strangely take a turn. In that even though he did all this, the maniac is a rather shy and untreatening person. He has escaped but it's the world around him that is violent and forceful. He meets a woman at a bar and she is rather of a *******. Then the killer gets beaten. He comes off like a some loser. And the private dick really wants to kille the maniac, not just catch him. And he easily track him and wants to kill him but the maniac is in such an awful mental state that it's equivalent of killing an infant. Anyway the killer escapes but the whole confrontation sets him off. The predator is back.

Now we go back to the original babysitter and she go to a restaurent with her husband and they hire a babysitter. At the restaurent the now grown up woman gets a call saying "Check on the children". She go nuts. They call the cops, go back to the house but nothing happened. But that night, all Hell broke lose, the killer go into the house, the former cop go there too for the final showdown.

For a while the movie take an annoying turn after the babysitter stuff and you basically watch how the killer surivives on his own and it's not pleasant, he gets beaten, beomce an homeless man etc... It is sort of interesting. It picks up when they go back to the original babysitter and it's full circle.

[Jared]

October 1. The Crooked Man (2016)
October 2. Creature (1985)
October 3. Twins of Evil. (1971)
October 4. The Vampire Lovers (1970)
October 5. Lust for a Vampire (1971)
October 6. Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974)
October 7.
October 8. Corpse Bride (2005)
October 9. Blade II (2002)

October 10. Vampire Hunter D (1985)

October 11. The Wolfman (2010)




Third vampire hunter of the season. In a distant, post-apocalyptic future, a vampire-human hybrid with talking mutant hand travels the wasteland on his robot horse, righting wrongs, singing songs stoically killing the **** out of vampires and demons.

I've seen this a couple times before, but this was the first time I watched it subtitled instead of dubbed. While I noticed some differences, I'm not sure one was distinctly better than the other. In either case, some of the dialogue still seems off. And is "dampiel" just a mistranlsation of "dhampir"?

The animation does not hold up very well, which means the action is often a bit lacking. On the plus side, the movie sets its desired tone quite well. D is a mysterious hero cut from the same cloth as the Man With No Name, and there's a frontier vibe to the setting. There's some gratuitous female nudity and skimpy outfits that seem common in a lot of anime and I don't care for, but nothing to the point that the feel like the movie is actually made for pervs, thankfully.

I just got the notion that Count Magnus Lee is named for Magneto (who he resembles with the white hair and force fields) and Sir Christopher Lee.

I'm surprised there's only been two movies so far, though I understand there's a new series in development.







There's a shortage of good werewolf movies in the world. Especially when one compares them to vampire and zombie flicks, where there's loads of great flicks for every situation. So while this Wolfman remake isn't great, it is a very solid, modernized retelling of the classic film, and that's something. Nothing new is done with werewolf mythology nor are any tropes subverted. The biggest flaw is that Del Toro seems much too closed off and subdued for most of the film. Except for a few scenes where he freaks out, he may as well be sleepwalking. If you're a straight man and can't muster up any chemistry or energy in scenes with Emily Blunt you might be anemic.

Joe Johnston, who made First Avenger one of the only visually distinct MCU films to date, make a gorgeous looking film. Many shots in this film are poster-worthy. The wolfman himself looks pretty good, though it's not a design I'm personally too fond of. With his hunchbacked look, he doesn't look like he should be nearly as fast or agile as he is. The score reminds me of Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula.

[Da Boat]

October 11 - Hellboy(2004)



RASPUTIN RISE FROM THE BLOOD!



I had not seen Hellboy in ages. Mainly it's because it's my policy to limit my viewing habits of a film I liked but that I had not own, until I own it so it stays fresh when I get the film. But the thing is, for whatever reasons I decided to not get the DVD when it came out and over the years it kept showing up on TV and kept watching a few scenes of it cause I liked it but resisted it cause I wanted to own the film. But the fact that I saw so many scenes I wasn't interested in seeing it again on TV.

In short I had not seen the film completely in ages and this changed cause I found a double DVD special for 6 bucks and got it today.

The movie is still a 100% better than most other comic films, even today. The main problem is that the script, the story, is so one-note and offer little surprise. And I have to say the fact that Hellboy is unbeatable and that the monsters he fights are unkillable, it doesn't have much suspense. And that's strange for something that is supposed to be the end of the World. BUT, the key of its appeal is that the execution by Del Toro is flawless. This movie is so well made. It breaks your hearts that he has not directed a great script other than Pan's Labyrinth ever since. I can only imagine what he would do with ANY super-hero movies today where guys have free reigns by the studios.

The villains here are great from Rasputin and all the Nazies, they shame any bad guys from Captain America movies that have been made. They are ultimate monsters. But again the script fails them, especially with Rasputin, much more could have been done. Most of them were far scarier in the Hellboy comics. There were the HP Lovecraft monsters too, not bad. Although a bit ragdoll-y.

This film is a great ride but not a great movie and little scares. Aesthetics are special, it's a good-looking movie and so re-watchable because of it.

[Da Boat]

A little overview...
October 1 - Wilderness(2006)
October 2 - From Beyond the Grave(1973)
October 3 - Harlequin(1980)
October 4 - The Wave(2015)
October 5 - The Boy Who Cried Werewolf(1973)
October 6 - The Possession(2012)
October 7 - Labyrinth(1986)
October 8 - Ten To Midnight(1983)
October 9 - USS Indianapolis(2016)
October 10- When a Stranger Calls(1979)
October 11- Hellboy(2004)

I noticed I have not watched any films before the 1970s yet. I'm gonna have to change that.

[Sean Whitmore]

October 1 - The Body Snatcher (1945)
October 2 - Isle of the Dead (1945)
October 3 - Dead Men Walk (1943)
October 4 - Cat People (1942)
October 5 - An American Werewolf in London (1981)
October 6 - Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
October 7 - The Old Dark House (1932)
October 8 - Silver Bullet (1985)
October 9 - Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988)
October 10 - Bedlam (1946)
October 11 - Scream and Scream Again (1970)

From the name and the cast, I was expecting this to be a pure exploitation schlock. I mean, jesus, look at that poster!



But it actually turned out to be more of a high-concept science fiction adventure. Still good, and not without actual horror elements, like a super-strong serial killer, a mad doctor, forced amputations, and the above pictured vat of acid. It's just a shame that such great actors as Cushing and Lee were given so little to do in their roles. Vincent Price fared a little better, but not by much.

[Jared]

October 1. The Crooked Man (2016)
October 2. Creature (1985)
October 3. Twins of Evil. (1971)
October 4. The Vampire Lovers (1970)
October 5. Lust for a Vampire (1971)
October 6. Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974)
October 7.
October 8. Corpse Bride (2005)
October 9. Blade II (2002)
October 10. Vampire Hunter D (1985)
October 11. The Wolfman (2010).

Sorority Row (2009).




I thought this was going to be just another generic slasher. It's actually more satirical than most, sort of in the Scream vein but not as meta. But a shoddy, lazy script and uninspired action/kill sequences let it down. While I mildly snickered at quite a few of the joke lines, few ever landed as hard as they should because the actors and the script didn't give them enough punch. Briana Evigan is by far the best actress of the bunch here, which is damning with faint praise. Scream, the movie did slasher-comedy far better while leaning toward the slasher side. Scream Queens, the series, does better at leaning much more into the comedy, and Emma Roberts plays a blonde uber bitch much better than the antagonist girl in this.

I have a sneaking suspicion that Carrie Fisher's underused role was actually written with Jamie Lee Curtis in mind.

At any rate, it's not terrible by any means. But slashers are such a tired genre, even satirical slashers have been a dime a dozen. If a movie doesn't really fire on all cylinders or do something really fresh, it's forgettable. I'll probably forget everything about this in two days.

October 9 - USS Indianapolis(2016)
Sadly no Quint.

Damn. I would have watched the movie just for a character cameo.

I noticed I have not watched any films before the 1970s yet. I'm gonna have to change that.

I was just thinking the same thing about my roster.

[Death&Return of Superman]

October 11

31



You every play the video game Manhunt? That's a whole hell of a lot like what this movie is, only there's no indication the people watch goes beyond the three people in the room; they don't seem to be broadcasting no mystery Videodrome sign out to others, or streaming over the interwebs. What you've got here is a group of carnies who get kidnapped whole on the road and get forces into the titular game of "31", 31 being a death game these three rich people put people through every Halloween. The movie it's is basically use following these guys have they deal with both physical and mental toll of being pitted into this death game with anassorted group of colorful killer clowns—how timely. I really enjoyed this movie quite a bit, although I have to say I'm a tad bit surprised by now not violent it was. Not to say this movie isn't violent, it's violent, but it's not as violent as I thought it would be. 31 was a movie that got slapped with the dreaded NC-17 twice, I'm pretty sure it was even original sold to people before release as some super extreme movie that would be NC-17; as it turns out the movie is less violent than the very similar (although different) Green Room. Overall I really liked it a lot.

Some closing comment and observations

That poster imagine of Sheri Moon Zombie is kind of weird in that it's kind of based off a scene in the movie, but the image actually looks cooler in the movie. In the movie her hair isn't laying down like that, it's puffed out more, it looks like a lions mane; which goes along nice where her top. In the movie the print on her top is also very clearly a lion, but in the poster it kind of looks more like a cheetah. Its a really cool shot in the movie, and one of a few that made me think Rob Zombie has come a long way visually as a director.

Some it turns out this movie has the best Joker of the year. Someone, get Richard Brake for the Joker in future upcoming DC movies. He would be great. How much is he like some kind of alt take on the Joker? Well, you wouldn't actually have to change all that much about this movie to turn it into a pretty cool Joker horror movie. Basically all you'd really need to change is the name Doom-Head to Joker, and have him be behind the kidnappings as opposed to the three old rich people. You would even need to change the other killer "Heads", as they're basically the best Joker henchmen to ever be on screen—and they're already all clowns already. Movie even already has Bob the Goon in it.

Was surprised to see this was a Saban film. At least as far as distribution goes.

[Siddon]

My DVR Died, so I have to readjust

31 Days 31 Monsters
October 8th Night of the Blood Beast







Night of the Blood Beast is a 1958 American science-fiction horror film about a team of scientists who are stalked by an alien creature, which implants its embryos in an astronaut's body during a space flight. Produced by exploitation filmmaker Roger Corman and his brother Gene, it was one of the first films directed by Bernard L. Kowalski and was written by first-time screenwriter Martin Varno, who was 21 years old. It starred several actors who had regularly worked with Roger Corman, including Michael Emmet, Ed Nelson, Steve Dunlap, Georgianna Carter and Tyler McVey.

If you are a fan of The Thing, then this is essential viewing as the story lifts quite a bit from The Thing From Another World. The movie almost works as a bridge between the two films. The good part about this movie is it isn't just a creature feature, the scientists actually take time to discuss the ethics of whether or not this is a monster that should be killed. With plenty of good communist overtones, some of the best I've seen of the era. I'm giving this one 2.5 stars because I'm right on the fence on if it's worth seeing or not.

October 1st - Daimajin: Monster of Terror (1966) ****1/2 stars
October 2nd - Tarantula (1955) ***1/2 stars
October 3rd - The Living Skeleton (1968) ***
October 4th - Son of Frankenstein (1939) **
October 5th - Reptilicus (1961) **
October 6th - The Undying Monster (1942) *****
October 7th - Them!(1954) ***1/2
October 8th - Night of the Blood Beast (1958) **1/2

[Siddon]

31 Days 31 Monsters
October 9th Black Moon(1934)







A young girl, Juanita, finds her parents killed in a voodoo ritual on a distant tropical island. She escapes with her life, but when she reaches adulthood, she feels compelled to return to the island, bringing her daughter and nanny with her. Once there, she goes to stay with her uncle who lives on the island. She soon discovers that the natives, who had been using her for voodoo rituals when she was a child, now treat her as a voodoo goddess. In this role, she begins leading their rituals.

The film is pretty damn racist, almost too racist to enjoy which is a shame because the structure of the story is great. It looks fantastic, it has a great body count for the 1930's and the characters are well defined. Fay Wray is actually quite creepy as a woman under a voodoo spell. I can't recommend the movie though because the racism is really bad, you've got a Jar Jar Binks type character running around in the background.

October 1st - Daimajin: Monster of Terror (1966) ****1/2 stars
October 2nd - Tarantula (1955) ***1/2 stars
October 3rd - The Living Skeleton (1968) ***
October 4th - Son of Frankenstein (1939) **
October 5th - Reptilicus (1961) **
October 6th - The Undying Monster (1942) *****
October 7th - Them!(1954) ***1/2
October 8th - Night of the Blood Beast (1958) **1/2
October 9th - Black Moon (1934) **

[Siddon]

31 Days 31 Monsters
October 10th Island of Doctor Moreau (1977)







Crewman Andrew Braddock (York) survives the wreck of the sailing ship The Lady Vain. After seventeen days at sea in a lifeboat, he reaches the shores of an island governed by the mysterious scientist "Dr. Moreau" (Lancaster). Besides Moreau, the inhabitants of the island include Moreau's associate, Montgomery (Davenport), a mercenary; his misshapen servant, M'Ling (Cravat); and a ravishing young woman named Maria (Carrera).

Having seen all three film versions, this is the mildest and the best of the three. The movie has great production values and the hybrids almost seem more real in the 1970's then the grosser ones in the 90's version. The fact that they feel like humans makes their behavior more understandable. Burt Lancaster is really good in this as Doctor Moreau, he always keeps him balanced which is what Brando and Laughten failed to do.

In addition to decent performances you also great some great animal work that you don't normally see in films. This is worth tracking down and watching.

October 1st - Daimajin: Monster of Terror (1966) ****1/2 stars
October 2nd - Tarantula (1955) ***1/2 stars
October 3rd - The Living Skeleton (1968) ***
October 4th - Son of Frankenstein (1939) **
October 5th - Reptilicus (1961) **
October 6th - The Undying Monster (1942) *****
October 7th - Them!(1954) ***1/2
October 8th - Night of the Blood Beast (1958) **1/2
October 9th - Black Moon (1934) **
October 10th - Island of Doctor Moreau(1977) ****

[Da Boat]

Damn. I would have watched the movie just for a character cameo.
.

Right? Hell my main interest from the USS Indianapolis was Quint. In the 90s there was a rumour Spielberg was gonna direct a USS Ind. movie with Scheider and Dreyfuss as captains and Russell Crowe as a young Quint. I would have loved to have seen Quint as a younger man, I imagine him as a big mouth badass even then. Not only that but you would have had a far better director at the helm.

31 Days 31 Monsters
October 10th Island of Doctor Moreau (1977)







Crewman Andrew Braddock (York) survives the wreck of the sailing ship The Lady Vain. After seventeen days at sea in a lifeboat, he reaches the shores of an island governed by the mysterious scientist "Dr. Moreau" (Lancaster). Besides Moreau, the inhabitants of the island include Moreau's associate, Montgomery (Davenport), a mercenary; his misshapen servant, M'Ling (Cravat); and a ravishing young woman named Maria (Carrera).

Having seen all three film versions, this is the mildest and the best of the three. The movie has great production values and the hybrids almost seem more real in the 1970's then the grosser ones in the 90's version. The fact that they feel like humans makes their behavior more understandable. Burt Lancaster is really good in this as Doctor Moreau, he always keeps him balanced which is what Brando and Laughten failed to do.

In addition to decent performances you also great some great animal work that you don't normally see in films. This is worth tracking down and watching.

October 1st - Daimajin: Monster of Terror (1966) ****1/2 stars
October 2nd - Tarantula (1955) ***1/2 stars
October 3rd - The Living Skeleton (1968) ***
October 4th - Son of Frankenstein (1939) **
October 5th - Reptilicus (1961) **
October 6th - The Undying Monster (1942) *****
October 7th - Them!(1954) ***1/2
October 8th - Night of the Blood Beast (1958) **1/2
October 9th - Black Moon (1934) **
October 10th - Island of Doctor Moreau(1977) ****

One of my favorite movies of all time. I understand the many flaws it has but I just love everything about it. The melodrama, the monster designs, York, the Bond girl, and esp. Burt Lancaster. He was so great in this. I first saw this flick on TV as a kid and for some reason it was love at first sight, the movie had everything I wanted.

I've seen the other two but while the 90s version had more budget, it felt all over the place and the direction was far less fluid. Brando was a big goof. I liked the Charles Laughton version though, it's probably the best but it didn't leave as much an impression as the York version.

[Death&Return of Superman]

Right? Hell my main interest from the USS Indianapolis was Quint. In the 90s there was a rumour Spielberg was gonna direct a USS Ind. movie with Scheider and Dreyfuss as captains and Russell Crowe as a young Quint. I would have loved to have seen Quint as a younger man, I imagine him as a big mouth badass even then. Not only that but you would have had a far better director at the helm.

That would have made for an interesting Jaws prequel. Makes you kind of wonder how that didn't have during Jaws 2-4. It's one of the best parts of the original movie, makes you wonder why they didn't tap into that during all other Jaws films. The Good Sailor wasn't a '90s film, and it was about the ships captain Charles McVay.

[Da Boat]

October 12 - The Ghoul(1933)



I had no idea Karloff had played character that was close to the Frank. monster and the Mummy. Which is what that was. A rich man played by Karloff upon his death vow to come back and get revenge (for whatever reasons). The man is big on Egyptian black magic so he wants to use that to come back. And ironically, his lackey is the old man who played the Evil scientist in Bride of Frankenstein, that used to order the monster around.

But I have to say this movie was not the greatest and was a shore to go through. Before his death there were a few men that seemed to know him(maybe they were his target?) but when he dies, he is put in a Egyptian tomb near his house. Those men seem to want the coffin(although again it's not clear). Also there's a young man and a young woman that both get the house as heritage from their old uncle Karloff. So these two plus the other guys and other people ends up in the old rich man's house. And from then it becomes an old dark house movie. But really it's more of a comedy with people being spooked.

Eventually Karloff comes back and tries to kill them one by one by strangulation. But NEVER does! Not one person is murdered. And the two young heroes escape, the police arrives, the End. The movie is very sloooooow. It picks up at the end though with more action. But I'll advise anybody to watch it with a LOT of coffee hence you may fall asleep a couple of times.

[Da Boat]

That would have made for an interesting Jaws prequel. Makes you kind of wonder how that didn't have during Jaws 2-4. It's one of the best parts of the original movie, makes you wonder why they didn't tap into that during all other Jaws films. The Good Sailor wasn't a '90s film, and it was about the ships captain Charles McVay.

When Steven right off the bat said he didn't want to do the sequel to Jaws, the producers went on their own and did their own thing. There were a lot of proposals, there was even one where Arthur C. Clarke had the idea saying that the shark was mystical and wanted to do something really epic...I mean can you imagine that? There was one idea similar to the USS Indianapolis but with the Dreyfuss character.

Eventually they decided to keep it safe, they figured people would want to see Brody and his family again. Teen slashers were the rages back in the late 70s and early 80s so they decided to make Jaws as a teen slasher basically. Personally I loved Jaws 2 but it didn't have the depth and filmmaking skills of the original. But there was another script for this very movie that I read that was BETTER that what we ended up seeing. The kids had much more depth in that one. There was especially a rivalry between the Mayor's kid and Brody's kid that elevated the stakes.