31 Day Horror Challenge: The Final Day: Four Movies for the Price of One!

I want to thank everyone who has tuned into my reviews this year!  It has been a blast but I am definitely looking forward to a break from film for a little while.  I will probably bring it back next year.  A Vincent-Price-A-Thon would be cool but we'll see, it's whole year away.  I also might move over to Tumblr, I hear it's more happening over there.  Anyways, I wanted to do something special for Halloween and review four movies instead of one, enjoy!

Ghostwatch(1992)

Now, I’m not sure if this is the first POV camera film but I know it predates The Blair Witch Project and even The Last Broadcast.  At the very least, it was definitely before the flood of films of this nature.  In all honesty, this is superior to and scarier than all of them.

On Halloween night, 1992, The BBC decides to do a live broadcast of an investigation of the supposed most haunted house in Britain.  Shots go back and forth between the studio taking live phone calls and footage of the house, camera and family that resides there.  At first it seems quiet and dull.  After discovering that the whole thing is probably a hoax, the camera crew decides to pack up and leave.  However, things start to happen and they get more than they bargain for.

This is clearly a fake documentary and the filmmakers never intended it to be taken as fact.  However, it is really well done and really creepy at times.  This is probably the best POV cam movie ever made.  It’s the original Paranormal Activity and 300 times better!

9/10 stars.

The Mummy(1932)

Realizing the only Mummy films I had seen are the ones with that guy from George of the Jungle, I decided to check out the original.  There is a certain quality in these old films that gives them almost a magical quality.   Maybe it’s because they were so organic and free of CGI or maybe it’s because the focus was almost solely placed on the story.  Either way, this is one to check out.

An expedition uncovers the tomb of the Egyptian prince Im-Ho-Tep.  The mummy is brought back to life and is hell bent on reuniting with his long lost love.  The problem is that she has been reincarnated in the body of a young girl who has no knowledge of any of these things.  Im-Ho-Tep stops at nothing to make sure she understands.

If you like the Universal monster movies like Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, or The Wolf Man, you’ll like this one.  It is dull at times but the whole experience is definitely worth it.  It sure beats Brendan Fraser!

7/10 stars.

The Mummy’s Hand(1940)

This is a very loose remake of the original 1932 Mummy.  I usually can’t stand remakes no matter how true to or far off they are from the original.  However, this one surpasses it in just about every way in my opinion.

Two men go on an expedition to uncover the tomb of an ancient Egyptian princess.  They instead uncover the living mummy Kharis who is sworn to protect the princess.  While many people are turning up dead, they must figure out a way to stop this ancient evil.

A much faster moving and even funnier film than the original, most people should enjoy The Mummy’s Hand.  It almost shouldn't be called a sequel because it’s so different but it definitely stands apart in a good way.  Universal did a fantastic job with this one!

8/10 stars.

Theatre of Blood(1973)

Vincent Price, in my mind, is the best actor of all time.  His love for horror and theatrics was always so heavily showcased among his work.  This film is no exception.  It really reminds me of another great Price film called The Abominable Doctor Phibes.  Make sure you see that one too!

A washed out theater actor, who was thought have committed suicide, returns and vows revenge on the critics that ruined his career.  With the help of his group of transients, he kills off the critics one by one in alignment with several different Shakespeare plays.  He always seems to be one step ahead of the authorities as they race to put an end to his madness.

This is a must see for Vincent Price fans.  His performance is over the top and ridiculously theatrical but in the best ways possible.  The story is very creative and the direction is admirable.  Give it look, you’ll be glad you did!

9/10 stars.

31 Day Horror Challenge Day Thirty: Intruders(2011)

Having a good premise is not everything.  Intruders has a truly great premise that could have worked wonders.  The problem is that it simply was not executed correctly and what starts off as a promising film becomes a convoluted mess.

Two children, one living in London and one living in Madrid, are visited by a horrifying dark figure with no face every night.  It effects them in mental and physical ways.  When neither the doctors nor the authorities can do anything to help them, their parents are forced to look into their mental well-being.

Other than a few cliché jump scares, this film is good direction wise.  The problem is in the story and how it just does not hold up.  I would recommend watching something else.

4/10 stars.

31 Day Horror Challenge Day Twenty Nine: The Mothman Prophecies(2002)

When basing a movie on one of the most creepy and prolific urban legends out there, you should get a really creepy film.  Sadly, that isn't the case here.  What it actually ended up being was a very heavy drama.  Not a bad drama at all, but considering the subject matter, this should have been a lot more horrifying.

After his wife dies, reporter John Klein literally finds himself in the small West Virginia Town of Point Pleasant.  People start reporting sightings of strange winged creatures, lights in the sky and psychic visions.  He starts to believe that all of these things are a warning for a pending disaster.

Honestly, the documentary on Point Pleasant entitled “Eyes of the Mothman” is much creepier and much more worth your while.  I could not sleep after that film, this one almost put me to sleep.  However, if you’re expecting that this is more of drama, you’ll probably enjoy it.  It’s all about perspective! 

6/10 stars.

31 Day Horror Challenge Day Twenty Eight: Cropsey(2009)

Perhaps I should have just stuck with the one documentary this year.  Not that documentaries are bad but they rarely fit in with the horror genre.  This one definitely has horror elements but it’s much more of a true crime picture.  Either way, it is pretty good but at times very dull.

Two Staten Island natives delve into an urban legend they heard as kids about a man name Cropsey who would abduct and murder children.  Their search brings them to a string of murders of children with learning disabilities from the 1970’s and 1980’s.  It follows the trial of a man named Andre Rand who is the prime suspect in these killings.

There is plenty of real life horror out there and this portrays it well but I think it could have done a better job in that area.  There is far too much time spent on trial coverage rather than the actual story.  See for yourself!

7/10 stars.

31 Day Horror Challenge Day Twenty Seven: Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man(1951)

Abbott and Costello were absolutely hilarious.  Their jokes were always on time, the situations they get themselves into are ridiculous and they seemed to have so much heart for making people laugh.  Throw the Universal monster world into that and you have a recipe for success!

Bud and Lou graduate from detective school and become private eyes.  When famous boxer, Tommy Nelson, who is accused of a murder he didn’t commit enlists their help, they get a lot more than they’ve bargained for.  The man has a serum to turn himself invisible to evade the law.  In order to put the real criminals to justice Tommy has Lou fight the great Rocky Hanlon with some invisible assistance.

This is a great film for your entire family.  See it before Halloween comes around!  We are only 6 days away!

9/10 stars.

31 Day Horror Challenge Day Twenty Six: Homicidal(1961)

This is the third William Castle film to be reviewed this year and I’m glad I’m catching up on his work.  He was a great and very unique filmmaker that is sadly forgotten by the vast majority of people out there.  Homicidal is definitely among the best of his films and should be viewed by horror fans everywhere.

The story starts with a woman paying a bell hop $1,000 to marry her and then immediately have the marriage annulled.  The bell hop accepts but he has no idea what is about to happen.  During the ceremony, the woman stabs the justice of the peace to death and runs off.  This starts a very serious investigation into a very strange family with dark, murderous secrets.  It leads up to a very surprising twist ending that will make your head spin!

William Castle’s style of audience participation was always great and his direction is spot on in this film.  The acting and writing are also very enjoyable.  See this one!

9/10 stars.

31 Day Horror Challenge Day Twenty Five: Eyes of the Mothman(2011)

How about I do some something a little different today and review some real life horror?  Now, I'm not saying I believe everything in this documentary is true but it presents all the evidence and does a very nice and convincing job.  It is also a very well done film and after all, that's what these reviews are all about!

While the title of the film clearly is geared toward the mothman legacy, this film tells a lot more than that.  It is about the small town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia where the original mothman sightings took place but there is much more to it than that.  Many other strange things have occurred in this small town including numerous UFO sightings, strange men in black bothering the locals, and  the collapse of a huge bridge.  The film presents its case and how people believe all of these events and the mothman tie in together.  It will give you chills!

As I said, I'm not sure I believe everything here but it is definitely interesting.  There is much more to life than only what we see and it's fun to delve into these things.  This a great film to do just that!

9/10 stars.