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.