31-Day Horror Challenge Day Thirty One: Halloween III: Season of the Witch

I figured I would step away from being cliche reviewing 1978's Halloween and instead, review one of my other favorite films, Halloween III.  While I will still being watching Halloween and Halloween II, as I do every year, I figured this was the best option for review.  The original idea for the Halloween series was to create a completely different movie with a completely different story every year in an anthology style.  Great idea, right?  So why did it go wrong?  Well, because people were so mad that this film had nothing to do with Michael Myers that the producers were forced to go back to being unoriginal.  In fact, I have never heard a complaint about this film that didn't have to do with the fact that Michael Myers was not a part of it.  The hate is completely unfounded and people need to be able to look at this as the great standalone movie it is.  Now that that's out of my system, let's get to it.

After a strange murder/suicide occurs in a hospital ER, Dr. Dan Challis(Tom Atkins) decides to start an unofficial investigation into the matter.  After a lot of research and questions, he discovers that a crazy toy maker is plotting to kill as many children as possible on Halloween night by way of his special toy masks and a strange ancient ritual.  Will he stop the madness in time, or will thousands of people suffer?  It's thrilling and creepy right until the end!

It really is a shame that the producers of this series were thwarted from making a creative new movie every year.  This is a great taste of what we could have seen.  The script is fun, the direction is admirable and the acting is great.  Check this one out but please look at it as its own film and not a part of the other ones.  If you can do that, you're bound to enjoy it.

____  ____  8/10 Jack O'lanterns



Thanks to everyone who's been reading these.  I've had a blast watching all these movies and writing about them and I'll definitely be doing this again next year with 30 completely different films.  Be sure to stay tuned though, I will have plenty of reviews and fun stuff until then.

31-Day Horror Challenge Day Thirty: The Fog(1980)

John Carpenter followed up his hit Halloween with 1980's The Fog and I would say it's almost as good.  It has a great feel and it's just all around creepy.  I know I've said this a lot but this is another film I cannot go through a Halloween season without watching.

A small fishing town in northern California is planning to celebrate its turning 100 years old.  A strange fog that moves against the wind starts to roll toward the coast and it leaves the townspeople confused.  As it turns out, the fog contains the ghosts of the victims of the crime that started the town.  It's safe to say that they're back with a vengeance.

Though he's somewhat fallen off the wagon in recent years, John Carpenter is a great director and it shows here.  It is also written very well and the acting is passable.  I love the creepy atmosphere of the town.  It's definitely worth a viewing.

 
____  ____  8/10 Jack O'lanterns

31-Day Horror Challenge Day Twenty Nine: Quatermass and the Pit(1967)

No horror marathon would be complete without at least one Hammer Horror flick.  Quatermass and the Pit, a creepy little sci-fi/horror that is extremely well put together and thought out.  The atmosphere is nearly perfect and will leave you with a sense of dread.  I highly recommend it!

A construction crew unearths some strange skeletons and a large object that is at first thought to be a missile.  It soon becomes clear that it is not a missile at all but something that is not from this earth.  Once it begins to control people in an odd way, Professor Quatermass realizes something must be done.  It all leads up to a very bizarre and disturbing conclusion.

Hammer films are always great to escape from reality for a while with.  This one is no exception as its acting and story will almost think you are experiencing the whole thing.  Watch it, you won't be disappointed.

____  9/10 Jack O'lanterns

31-Day Horror Challenge Day Twenty Eight: Pet Sematary

Pet Sematary will always have a special place in my heart as it is the first horror film I can remember seeing.  Therefore, you could say it's what spawned this obsession.  It's not the best film ever made but it is extremely creepy and scary and there are plenty of memorable lines and scenes.  For the most part, it deserves the recognition it's received.

When the Creeds move from Chicago to a nice little house in the countryside, everything seems perfect.  They immediately notice the huge semi trucks that constantly speed by the one road in front of their house.  It's not long before their infant son is killed by one of these trucks.  Grief stricken, the father buries his son in a nearby cemetery in the hopes that he will come back to life.  His hopes come to life in the worst way possible.

Stephen King himself wrote the script for this film so it's definitely well put together.  The acting is good but at times a bit uneven.  I think the best part is the creepy atmosphere with the house and the cemetery.  If you haven't seen this movie, it's about time you did.

  

____  ____  8/10 Jack O'lanterns

31-Day Horror Challenge Day Twenty Seven: Freaks

Controversy has plagued films since the very beginning.  Banned in the UK for thirty years after its release, Tod Browning's Freaks is no exception to that and still causes controversy to this day.  It's a great film but it's definitely disturbing in a realistic sense.  To this day, it still makes me a little uneasy to watch.

When Cleopatra, a beautiful trapeze artist decides to marry one of the circus' dwarfs, the other carnival freaks realize she is only marrying him for his money.  She continues to deceive him until it simply becomes too much.  Finally, the freaks decide to retaliate.

The acting is definitely iffy but that's mostly due to the fact that the cast were mostly real circus freaks with little acting experience.  The script is tight and flows nicely.  Freaks is a great early horror movie that should be more well known than it is.  Give it a try this Halloween season.

____  9/10 Jack O'lanterns

31-Day Horror Challenge Day Twenty Six: Parents

1989's Parents is a great blend of comedy, horror and drama.  Though it tends to be pretty uneven at times and some of the plot points are questionable, it is still quite enjoyable.  It's not really your typical horror movie but there are plenty of elements that make it acceptable to group it in that category.  Basically, it's just downright creepy.

Michael, a young boy living in 1950's suburbia, suffers from constant nightmares and discomfort around his parents.  They have the same meat every night for dinner and he starts to question where exactly it came from.  After he does some digging, he discovers the answer to his questions are worse than he could have ever known.

Like I said, the script is definitely flawed but fun.  The acting is over the top but somehow this adds to the film's black comedy feel.  All in all, it's worth giving a shot.

____  ____  ____  7/10 Jack O'lanterns

31-Day Horror Challenge Day Twenty Five: Fiend Without A Face

There are several "horror" films out there that aren't scary at all.  In fact, the only reason to watch them is for sheer fun because they are so incredibly cheesy.  I think you see what I'm getting at, Fiend Without A Face is one of those movies.  Ridiculous and over the top, yet extremely enjoyable.  It may not have been worth the paper it was written on but it is worth your time.

A small town near a military base is experiencing problems with their farm life and with people randomly dying.  The military is forced to try and figure out what is going on.  However, they don't like what they find as it seems an awful creature has been created and a scientist is the culprit.  It's a new form of life and it's not happy!

Like I said, there's nothing scary here.  It's cheesy acting and ever cheesier effects but it's a lot of fun.  Definitely worthy of sitting on the shelf next to The Tingler.

____  ____  ____  7/10 Jack O'lanterns

31-Day Horror Challenge Day Twenty Four: The Abominable Dr. Phibes

Sometimes you come across a film that is best described as a gem.  A film that not many people are familiar with but is a shining example of what a movie is supposed to be.  This rings true with Robert Fuest's The Abominable Dr. Phibes.  A film that clearly inspired the Saw series and a film that should have much more recognition.  This is another one i can't go without during the Halloween season.

Dr. Anton Phibes(Vincent Price) is killing the nine doctors off that could not save his wife in surgery years before one by one.  He uses his amazing ingenuity to murder them in ways related to the biblical plagues.  Meanwhile, the police are trying to find him and failing miserably.  Will they find him in time or will he claim all nine victims?  It's a chilling and awesome conclusion.

Vincent Price is awesome in anything and this is no exception.  The story is genius, the direction is flawless and the effects are priceless.  I wish more people knew about this film because it truly is one of the best out there.  See it, see it now!

  10/10 Jack O'lanterns

31-Day Horror Challenge Twenty Three: Hausu

Haunted house films certainly are their own breed of horror movie.  They have to rely on atmosphere and mood above anything else.  However, 1977's Hausu(House) is its own breed of haunted house film.  It is one of the most bizarre things I've ever seen and has some of the strangest techniques and sequences ever.  It's one heck of a ride.

To get away from her father and his girlfriend, Oshare goes with a group of friends to spend the summer at her aunt's house.One of the girls goes missing and everything continues to go downhill from there.  Doors shut themselves, phone chords attempt to strangle people and a piano enjoys eating human limbs.  The ending is both weird and awesome.

If you like films like Poltergeist or Supiria, this movie is for you.  Just be prepared to scratch your head a lot and ask yourself "what the hell am I watching."  It's definitely enjoyable and imaginative.  Give it a try.

 ____  ____  8/10 Jack O'lanterns

31-Day Horror Challenge Day Twenty Two: The Birds

We all know by now that talking a Hitchcock film up is like beating a dead a horse.  However, that doesn't mean it isn't true.  The Birds is wonderful and definitely shows why Alfred Hitchcock is generally considered the master of suspense.  Whether you like it or not, he made great films and this is one of them.

The story revolves around Melanie Daniels, a spoiled rich woman that is used to have her way.  Mitch Brenner, a lawyer plays a prank on her when he sees her in a pet shop.  Melanie decides to visit Mitch in his small town to repay him.  However, the birds in town start doing very strange things.  It starts with a seagull attacking and just clipping Melanie but they become more and more vicious and grow in numbers.  They realize to put their differences aside and focus on solely on surviving.

In this day and age, a film like this would be titled a "disaster movie."  However, this one set apart from the modern films because it contains something very important that they lack: intelligence.  It is simply just an awesome film and very worthy of your eyes.

  10/10 Jack O'lanterns

31-Day Horror Challenge Twenty One: Poltergeist

Few movies have garnered a legacy like that of Poltergeist, in fact, I can only name about five.  It is supposedly cursed because of strange things that happened on set and the fact that 4 of its stars died within a six year period after its release.  I don't really buy into the whole curse thing, but it certainly is interesting and it probably intrigues even more people to see the movie.  If that's the case, so be it because this might be the best horror film ever.

The Freelings are haunted by ghosts in their suburban home.  When furniture begins to move around and TVs turn on and off, it all seems friendly enough.  However, when the ghosts begin to terrorize the family, and the youngest daughter, Carol Anne, disappears, they realize things are much more serious than they could have ever imagined.  It's a race against time as they must save their daughter before it's too late.

Though Tobe Hooper is credited with directing this film, almost everyone on the cast and crew claims that Steven Spielberg had much more to do in that area.  Whoever it was, they did a great job.  Almost everything about this film is perfect.  It's scary but touching at the same time.  You have to see it, make it a requirement for yourself!

  10/10 Jack O'lanterns

31-Day Horror Challenge Day Twenty: Peeping Tom

Made in 1960 and generally considered the first "slasher" picture ever made, Peeping Tom is disturbing, heartwarming and shocking all rolled into one.  It's sad that this one isn't as widely known as films like Halloween or Psycho because it belongs on the shelf right next to them.  As cliche as it is, the term "classic" definitely applies to this wonderful movie.

Mark Lewis is obsessed with filming women.  I suppose that may not sound that strange but he also loves killing them to catch their horrified final expression on tape.  When he actually starts to fall for a girl named Helen, he begins to reevaluate everything.  But can she be what finally turns it all around for him?  You'll find out as you travel deeper and deeper into his psyche with every passing frame.

Carl Boehm, Anna Massey and all the other actors are fantastic.  The script is written in such a way that the viewer will experience all the emotions felt on screen.  You need to give this movie a shot if you consider yourself a true fear junkie.  Not many other movies have accomplished what this one did.

  10/10 Jack O'lanterns

31-Day Horror Challenge Day Nineteen: Galaxy of Terror

In 1979, Ridley Scott's Alien paved the way for horror/sci-fi films to come.  After 1979, thousands of Alien knock-offs made their way to cinemas.  Galaxy of Terror is one of those.  An awful, yet somehow enjoyable, movie.  Either way, I think it'd be best to just watch Alien instead.

The crew of a rescue ship stumble upon a strange pyramid form.  As they go out to explore, one by one, all of their worst fears come true.  They begin to realize that the strange formation must be behind it all.

Cheesy lines, laughable acting, mis-direction, odd writing and actually good special effects are all over the place here.  It is, however, awesome to see such a young Sid Haig and Robert Englund.  Whether you decide to watch this one or not, I don't think it really matters.

____  ____  ____  ____  ____  ____  4/10 Jack O'lanterns

31-Day Horror Challenge Day Eighteen: Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein

Another awesome picture for all ages to enjoy!  Abbott and Costello were always hilarious and this time they've gotten themselves into some ghoulish trouble.  This is a fantastic film to watch during this time of the year.

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello or in this case, Chick Young and Wilbur Grey, are working at a shipping company.  They find themselves shipping a couple huge packages to a house of horrors attraction.  Little do they know that these packages actually contain the bodies of Dracula and Frankenstein's Monster!  Hilarity and suspense ensues and there's even a great cameo from Vincent Price as The Invisible Man at the end.

With great performances from Abbott and Costello, Lon Chaney Jr. and Bela Lugosi, it's obvious that this film shines.  It's also very well directed and cleverly written.  Watch it with the whole family!

 10/10 Jack O'lanterns

31-Day Horror Challenge Day Seventeen: Something Wicked This Way Comes

There are a select few motion pictures out there that have magical quality that make their viewer feel like a child again.  Something Wicked This Way Comes does just that.  Call it a time machine, if you will.  This is one of Disney's few scary movies that isn't more on the comedic side.  It may very well be my favorite film of all time and I believe it's for good reason.

When a carnival rolls into a small town, everything seems great.  A carousel, ferris wheel, house of mirrors and all the great attractions you could possibly expect from a carnival.  However, this one is special, it seems to grant people their deepest desires.  But as main characters, Jim and Will realize, there is a serious price to pay for those wishes.

I cannot recommend this movie enough.  It's written by Ray Bradbury, based on his novel(which is also great).  The performances are wonderful, particularly Jason Robards and Jonathan Pryce.  It also has beautiful imagery and exceptional camera work.  And all those things aside, this film is perfect for the whole family and it's set in October so it's perfect for this time of the year.  You won't want to miss it!

  10/10 Jack O'lanterns

31-Day Horror Challenge Day Sixteen: Trick 'R Treat

Though it's usually all about the classics, this 2007-made film deserves a place among Halloween tradition.  There is something so creative and entertaining about a well done anthology type storyline.  Also, the fact that this one is set on Halloween night, it will, without question, give you that good old fall spirit.

As I said, this is an anthology film so it's kind of hard to give a plot summary.  There are four completely different stories interwoven into one large story.  It was a bold move but it paid off excellently.  There are ghost children, werewolves, a murdering maniac and a crazy little jack o'lantern/alien thing called Sam.  All in all, it's pretty damn awesome.

If you like fantastic writing, solid direction and the Halloween season, this film is for you.  I can't recommend it enough for this time of the year.  It's a bloody good time!

   ____  ____  8/10 Jack O'lanterns

31-Day Horror Challenge Day Fifteen: The Thing(1982)

This is a remake of the 1951 film "The Thing From Another World" which is also great but this one is far superior.  John Carpenter really understands suspense and atmosphere.  The character development alone would be enough to make this film soar but it has so much more than that.  This is one of my all time favorite movies.

A group of American scientists in Antarctica experience some strange things and start to realize something isn't right.   As it turns out, a shape-shifting alien is afoot that can replicate anyone so tensions rise as all trust is lost.  One of the craziest climax's ever lies at the end of this film.

While no film is actually perfect, movies like this comes very close.  The script, direction, acting, atmosphere, special effects and everything else are just so dead on.  If you haven't seen this, you need to.

P.S. the prequel of this movie came out yesterday.  I haven't decided whether or not to check it out.


  10/10 Jack O'lanterns

31-Day Horror Challenge Day Fourteen: Funny Games(1997)

Director Michael Haneke made this film twice.  The only difference between the Austrian version and the U.S. version are the actors and the language.  Other than that, it's line for line, scene for scene, exactly the same.  Now, you might be telling yourself "I'll just watch the American version so I do't have to read subtitles," but honestly, the Austrian film is much better.  The acting and tension are amazing.  If you don't believe me, watch both.

A family at their vacation home has a very rude awakening when two teens come inside unwelcome.  It starts off innocent enough as it seems the youth are just asking for eggs but it escalates to torture or as they call it "Funny Games."  The ending is very depressing and well done.

Much like Eden Lake, which I reviewed a few days back, it's difficult to actually recommend this film because it is so bleak.  This is one of the most effective "realistic" or "urban" horror films out there.  Check it out if you think you can handle it.

____   9/10 Jack O'lanterns

31-Day Horror Challenge Day Thirteen: Fright Night(1985)

Perhaps it's the fact that vampires aren't really my thing, or maybe the hype was a bit much, but I wasn't as crazy about Fright Night as I thought I would be.  Don't get me wrong, it's a fun film with a very good blend of horror and comedy.  I just felt it was missing something.  And for all the uncultured children out there, this is the original film, not that remake with Collin Farrell.  Now that that's cleared up, let's get to the review!

Charley Brewster sees some strange goings on out his window from his new neighbor's house.  He slowly starts to suspect that the fresh tenant is secretly a vampire.  No one believes his claims until the proof piles up and they must help him destroy the creature.  The ending was refreshing for me but unfortunately, I don't want to give away why.

Though I don't think it's the greatest film ever made, Fright Night does a good job of sticking to traditional vampire folklore while bringing the modern aspect into it.  The performances are fantastic as are the special effects and it's definitely entertaining the whole way through.  Check it out and tell me if you disagree!

____  ____  ____  7/10 Jack O'lanterns

31-Day Horror Challenge Day Twelve: Frankenstein(1931)

The word "classic" seems to be thrown around a little too easily.  You hear frat boys calling films like Fast Five or Transformers classics, and the same goes for wannabe protesters and that film V for Vendetta.  Well, I disagree.  A classic is a film that helped to shape a genre and is clever and entertaining.  That's exactly the case with James Whale's Frankenstein.

Dr. Henry Frankenstein(Collin Clive) and his hunchbacked assistant, Fritz(Dwight Frye), rob graves in order to find the perfect brain.  Eventually, said brain is found in a college lab and their experiment begins.  Frankenstein mixes and matches different body parts to create a man.  What starts off as a miracle of science spirals out of control into a nightmare when the doctor's creation starts to cause murder and mayhem.  It all leads up to one of the original "angry villager" scenes.

Though it doesn't quite measure up to its sequel, Bride of Frankenstein, this is a very fun and classic picture that formed a lot of what we see today.  Collin Clive, Dwight Frye, Mae Clarke and Boris Karloff all give stellar performances and James Whale's direction is genius.  The sets and all the other images are beautiful as well.  I could ramble about this movie for hours, but I think you'd rather watch it.

10/10 Jack O' Lanterns

31-Day Horror Challenge Day Eleven: Scream

To me, it's rather hilarious that the Scary Movie series gained popularity for satirizing this film because it is a satire on its own.  Scream takes every horror cliche, makes fun of them and does the opposite.  Its success lies in its originality and awesome references to classic horror films.

The ghost face killer starts to hack up teenagers in a small town one by one.  Sydney(Neve Campbell) and her friends begin to go over the rules of horror films hoping that they won't be targeted next.  The blood, gore, and humor doesn't stop until the credits roll.

Wes Craven used to be an awesome director and this one of his last good films.  I keep hoping that his dry spell will end soon and he will create another masterpiece.  Oh well, until then, just check out one of his last ones.

____  ____  8/10 Jack O'lanterns

31-Day Horror Challenge Day Ten: Carnival of Souls(1962)

Virtually unknown director, Herk Harvey,  spent his career making a wide array of short films.  He crafted so many short films, in fact, that of all his movies, only one was of full length run time.  That glorious film is called Carnival of Souls.  It's very low budget and it shows but that somehow adds to creepy effect.  This is a great one.

After a traumatic car accident, in which she is the sole survivor, Mary decides to pack up and move to a new town to start over.  Once she arrives, she starts seeing a very strange, ghoulish looking man everywhere.  She finds she is drawn to an abandoned carnival and things just get stranger and stranger.  The end is one of the best twists ever recorded.

Think of this film as a full length episode of The Twilight Zone.  It's bizarre, scary and awesome.  Just be careful, it might suck you in!


 10/10 Jack O'lanterns

31-Day Horror Challenge Day Nine: Eden Lake

Horror can come in many different forms.  Vampires, ghosts, goblins, zombies, you name it.  In Eden Lake's case, it just so happens to come in the form of teenagers.  Ah yes, the teenage years, such a rash and unpredictable age.  What makes this film so effective is the fact that stuff like this is actually going on in the world.  Take The Dnepropetrovsk Maniacs for example.  With all of that in mind, This film is terrifying.

Jenny and Steve, a young couple, head out on camping trip at a lake in country.  Steve is planning to propose to Jenny and everything is serene and wonderful.  That is until a little run in with some local hoods escalates to the point of torture and even murder.  This movie will literally break you down.

Eden Lake is so sinister and disturbing that it's actually difficult to recommend.  While it does do a great job of showcasing the fallen nature of human beings, it is extremely hard to watch.  Only give it a look if you're as desensitized and me.

____  ____  8/10 Jack 'O Lanterns

31-Day Horror Challenge Day Eight: Session 9

Atmosphere is one of the key elements when it comes to crafting a horror flick.  Directed by Brad Anderson(The Machinist, Vanishing on 7th St.), Session 9 has one of the creepiest atmospheres I have ever seen.  Anderson seems to be holding his own in the modern horror world and this is definite film to see.

An asbestos clean up crew begins to work on an abandoned mental asylum for a nice cash bonus and tensions begin to rise.  It is soon revealed that something awful is among them as things get a little more complicated.  The ending is mind blowing and disturbing but I've already given enough away.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this one but was pleasantly surprised.  While it has received mostly mixed reviews, I think any horror fan will find much to live here.  Take a look, and make sure you watch it in the dark!

____  ____  8/10 Jack O'lanterns

31-Day Horror Challenge Day Seven: The Halloween Tree

Sometimes you have to take a break from the blood and gore and watch a good, old family style horror flick.  As this was my first time viewing The Halloween Tree, I wasn't sure what to expect but I am amazed.  Written and narrated by Ray Bradbury himself, what more could you ask for?

In order to save their friend's life, four children meet a very strange character named Mr. Moundshroud(Leonard Nimoy) and get transported through all different times in history to learn about the origins of Halloween.  There are mummies, witches, ghosts, and black cats in the mix so any horror buff will be pleased.  It all leads up to a very heartwarming and amazing conclusion.

Watch this one with the whole family and it will most likely become a Halloween tradition.  It's one of the best Ray Bradbury adaptations out there.  You heard me, now go check it out!

   10/10 Jack O'lanterns