2019 Horror Month

I have to say this may well be a contender for the best movie this month already. This was a trip. There is a distinct, psychodelic dream quality to this film. Its brought about in a synergy of sight and sound, the bright and saturated colors mix well with the constant musical accompaniment. Its unsettling, whimsical, nerve racking, its surprising what an untested director could accomplish. The effects are dated. The effects are quite dated, but with such flamboyant style, the outlines and cropping aren't all that jarring. In fact, they seem to fit right in.

The last of a lost trilogy, The Golem is still a fairly good movie with a slightly underwhelming end. It is said to have inspired Frankenstein and there appears to be some evidence supporting this. Some of the scenes are very familiar to the MGM monster movie. There are some interesting design choices and the effects are functional. But its a silent film, and hard to recommend to a younger audience.

Another strong movie, the second of the Coffin Joe trilogy picks up where the last left off. Thankfully there is a short recap before they alter the end of the previous movie, where Ze is discovered, saved, and exonerated for his murders. He is as commanding as ever, every scene of him lashing out at God and man is a treat. The biggest draw is the scene in which he is dragged into hell, the shift to color makes it stand out brilliantly as you witness demons torturing the damned. The sets are pretty sparse but still get the job done.

The adaption to Junji Ito's manga, unfortunately fails to carry the streak. I had high hopes for this movie and was sorely disappointed. The acting is bad, really bad, and the editing does little to help. There are scenes where its a long take with very little visual stimulation, like when she is looking for the boy's father or being driven home by the reporter, but the actors and the script make you feel every second of it. The beginning is incredibly awkward, she gets on a boy's bike but they never introduce him until four scenes later. There is a green filter over everything that doesn't really add to anything and gets a bit intrusive. When there are bright lights it gets physically painful to look at. But the saving grace is the effects. Though they are a little cartoony, but that makes them more suitably grotesque. In all, its not painful to watch, its just sub par.

I'm pretty sure everyone in this movie was raised in a barn. The previous movie to Train to Busan isn't bad per say, but it doesn't so much match the quality of its sequel. Zombie movies are very similar to one another and lets face it, are very tired. Busan stood out with its focus on its characters and some less trodden themes for the genre, such as the sacrifices of the father. Characters had more meaning and their deaths had more impact. Seoul Station never gave one character a name. A character we spent more time with than most. Maybe its social commentary, but even that isn't breaking any new ground. Its not saying anything new or original and just reiterates the same nihilism most zombie movies suffer from. Animation was good for the most part but impacts lack emphasis. They sound soft and wet like people are being punched by a pool noodle. There is also a severe lack of diversity in the zombies. Every male zombie has a strikingly similar model and female zombies are few and far between. I wouldn't say its a bad movie but just kind of same old, same old. If I were to steal from yourmoviesucks, I would rate it a 7 but its closer to a six than an eight. And if I can steal from Cameron Mitchel, Close the %*&$ing door.

This was the movie I was anticipating the most this year. It was THE movie I wanted to watch. And shortly in, I was sure I was going to be disappointed. Its so incredibly jarring how the plot progresses early on, things happen lightning quick and you have no time to process anything. Its hackney is what it is. And that doesn't change, that pace is going to continue all the way to the credits. But about when the phantom runs through the halls to stop an assassin, I was hit with an epiphany. This is something new, something different, and more importantly, something I will never see again. As long as I live, there will never be a Hollywood movie like this. Suddenly, I see how this movie became a true cult classic, one that claw its way kicking and screaming out of obscurity demanding people to witness it. This is something that cannot be rated or even recommended. This is something everyone must see for themselves to have any opinion on.

The follow up to Re-Animator is alright. Its not as good as the original, but its still a better Lovecraft movie than the vast majority of bad Lovecraft interpretations. There is more emphasis on gore this time around and the effects are pretty admirable. West's experiments have grown more grotesque since somehow escaping the first movie. He's turned to grafting bodies together into horrible abominations as he readies for his most ambitious experiment yet, creating a Frankenstein monster. But the story just doesn't match the quality of the original. Dr Cain is stabbed and it doesn't factor into anything. The love interests dog is killed in front of her and revived into a monstrosity, and she seems to forget that happened shortly after. This happens too often and gradually wares on your patience. Jeffrey Combs is still amazing however, and the ending is more faithful to the source. Its good, not great, but acceptable.

This was good. Its aged a bit. But its still good. More of a sci fi movie with horror undertones, one has to be ready to be bombarded by fanciful science and those that lack patience would not get much out of it. But I like these kind of movies. Unfortunately, they were products of their time and those times were limited at what they could do. They design an interesting looking humanoid creature, but that's not our monster. No, we get giant crickets. Giant extinct crickets from mars that are shown only on film and have no articulation whatsoever. But the mystery and suspense building up to them is pretty good. It does make me interested in finding the rest of the Quatermass series.

I had high hopes going in and was sorely disappointed. The big issue is the structure of the plot, it seems to be broken into 50/50 parts. The first half is world building and the latter is the actual exorcism and that just doesn't work. There is too much exposition early on and not enough time for the conclusion which is rushed through and lacking emphasis. Yes they gave some clever little hints, like mentioning the rain and the priest's deception, but they aren't done to raise tension. In fact, some of them don't even help at all, we are never given the importance of frogs and cats and only after doing research, if you would be bothered to do so. This is a shame as there are some tense moments like the phone call and the mule, but they come in too late to have the impact they deserve. The acting is good enough, they put in the effort, but that raises the product to middling at best.

Its a horror movie, though a tenuous one. There is a clear horror idea but there isn't really much horror going on. If the troglodytes were replaced with plain old native Americans, there isn't really all that much different. I heard talks about debates over the film's "mysticism." I can only assume one of the parties' claims consist of "there aren't any." But gripes about the horror aside, its not a bad western. I was invested in the story and the characters do grow on you. Except for Lili Simmons, she doesn't fit at all into the period and probably should have been written out. The cannibals didn't look half bad either. The tracheal whistle gives them a beastly sound when they converse with each other. The concept of a horror western still intrigues me. Hopefully I'll find more than this and Dracula vs Billy The Kid. At least something that competes better with Ravenous.

It was about three minutes in when I realized I may have made a mistake. A Rabbi's head exploded for no discernible reason at that time. There are few more lazy ways to kill someone than the random skull popper. Lets all come to an agreement, movies where the 'monster' is a child are terrible. The golem here is just that, a child used to tell the story of a grieving parent unable to let go, cough-Pet Semetary-cough, and it looks awful. The creature rips peoples hearts out, blows up heads, stabs someone with a horn, and it all looks hokey. On top of that, there was nothing all that likeable about his mother either. She seems to eager to go from zero to slit their throats in a church and is rather self centered from beginning to end. Yes, Viktor and the outsiders are a murderous group, but I ended up caring more for him than more than her. He doesn't make everything worse as bad as she does. There are some good things however. Its pretty well shot. The acting was good. The setting was fantastic. Its not bad but could have been a lot better.

I wasn't crazy for the way it ended but the rest of the story still holds up pretty well. The sense of paranoia still resonates well, especially when Matthew is making all of his phone calls to get the same response from all of them. The mix of him walking among the crowd and the camera spinning is disorientating and oppressive, the same emotions as the character. All the acting is strong and compelling, from the cold and clinical Nimoy to the more impassioned Goldblum, they all feel very genuine. But as for the end, I just can't get behind this kind of conclusion. It feels too easy to end this kind of movie on such a note. Its like watching such a perfect magic trick where there is only one way the magician could manage such a feat, then they reveal how its done and its exactly that.

To steal a quote from Top Gear, "This is brilliant, but I like this." There are things the remake did better. Sutherland, Nimoy, Cartwright, Adams, and Goldblum brought more character into their roles and newer filming techniques better conveyed the emotions better than the more clinical original. But the trade off was the conclusion which I feel left on a sour note. It felt like it became a foregone conclusion, like a magic trick with one explanation how its done. By ending on an up note, there is a spark of hope that the heroes in the remake never got. Now, while the remake has its advantages, the original is still no slouch. With the tools at hand it still was effective with what it does and much of the limitations work to its benefit. Even the underdeveloped clones which risked the most damage from the passage of time still looked great in black and white.

I don't like Renee Zellweger. There is something about her voice that rubs my fur the wrong way. I don't like kid monsters. Its hard to feel threatened by someone too young to reach the cereal by themselves. And I never could find anything positive about 'agnostic' devil movies. I was in trouble. I don't want to say this is in the terrible movie range but it was certainly not great. Child actors are not great but one that is meant to be menacing can be unbearable. Some manage but most do not and this was much to the latter. The little girl is obnoxious, her attempts to be threatening or ominous are just annoying. The effects are meh CGI that lack the effect of those seen twenty to thirty years ago and could benefit from showing less. The fake wasp coming out of the eye lacks impact because it doesn't look real. In all a forgettable movie, not bang your head bad but still pretty poor.

Suddenly, Final Destination. There was a lot to be desired with the special effects for this movie. The ghost could be replicated with an app on your phone, probably was, and most of the death scenes look like they came out of the 70s. Then there is one death scene that looks so good, they likely spent their entire budget on it. The story is novel in that the ghost isn't driving the couple apart, but instead going on a murderous rampage to keep them together. Outside the flashback, none of the victims are innocent people. But as the story progresses, it gets a bit cliche as it turns into 'find the corpse.' Its the film quality that really hurts the movie though. You would never think this was from the 2000s, the film is so blurry I had to check if I was still wearing my glasses. Its mediocre but with flashes of brilliance, settling it into an inoffensive 5 on the imdb scale.

I enjoyed it for the most part but at the end felt that I had missed something. Namely, who the guy was at the end. Now I remembered the woman from the very beginning, but I could have sworn that her son had black hair. The same when he appeared again in his van. But when he showed up blonde at the end, it threw me for a loop as well. I also struggled to figure out why everyone did what they did. Why they concealed her aunt's existence, it seemed like they were going to explain it but then never did. But until then, I was greatly pleased with everything. I was impressed by the atmosphere and the flashbacks gave it an unnerving dreamlike quality. There was a lot here that was very good, I just feel a little flummoxed by the end.

I may be a bit lenient with this movie but it delivered what it promised, an evil circus. No one will say the 70s were kind to Hammer. Their low budget horror flicks were losing a lot of their luster and their movies were simply substandard quality. But not this, I genuinely thought this was a good, maybe even one of their better outings outside their MGM remakes. As far as deaths go, there were some pretty good ones. The count's beheading with a crossbow was impressive and there was actual blood squirts instead of just splotches of paint. And there were some sour ones, while the actual death wasn't bad, I have to wonder how a vampire could chase someone into a church and not expect a crucifix. There was one thing I did dislike, and that was the lack of use of the dancers. The tiger woman looked great and it would have made for an interesting villain having an animalistic vampire causing havoc, but she and her partner seemed to have been forgotten after their one appearance. But other than trhat, creepy circuses are great and I'd recommend this to classic horror fans.

The idea of a murderer in a carnival is a good concept. They're outsiders that stick around a short while then leave without a trace, probably with a chunk of your money and the wallet it came in. And this movie's setting does look good. They used real freak show animals which set the stage for the monster's appearance. The funhouse animatronics are nicely done, as articulate as one would expect at a carnival and decrepit enough that they look like they've gone without maintenance. Its easy to see where the money went. Though some consideration should have gone to the monster and the death scenes. Its an obvious mask and a rather inarticulate one at that. The mouth barely moves and doesn't close, making it look all the more ridiculous. The deaths are very safe, none really stands out and half are off screen or out of frame. Still, the carnival looks nice.

Dracula don't suck; Dracula scrape and lick. This is maybe the best vampire movie since Christopher Lee. Rather than trying to make the vampire suave or sexy. they instead took it down another route. Being a vampire sucks. The main character is a priest, he grants indulgences and even donates his body to cure an incureable disease. But vampirism destroys him. Power and lust leads him down a lonely path, driving him to seek companionship that will only drag him down further. Its gripping to watch him get dragged down deeper and though the movie is over two hours, uses the time wisely. The final sequence is wonderful, giving some levity to what has been a very dark story, and gives very satisfactory closure to the whole journey.

I came in with high hopes but ultimatly, this movie wasn't for me. The underlying story is very good, and handled maybe a little better than it was in the original. I just didn't like the execution as much. Just admitting the school is run by a convent was a very good choice. It helps the story flow better than the sudden exposition that the 70s version did. The problem comes from the method with which they progressed the plot; interpretive dance. I was fine with the second instance where another girl gets twisted, but after that, I was done with the dancing. It comes off as very artsy and I just didn't care for it anymore. Also, exploding heads are still the laziest way to kill off characters. I feel a lot of people might like this movie, just not me.

There was something here, then they lost it, and then found it again. The beginning and end of this movie are its strong points, when there is an actual haunting going on. The reverberating ghostly bangs and ball rolling down the stairs are really effective at setting a mood of unease and mystery. It set a strong tone for what was to come, culminating in the wheel chair scene where it appears at the top of the stairs. That was scary. Then they revealed the identity of the ghost and everything comes to a crashing halt. The scares aren't as strong as the full bodied apparition starts appearing before a girl whose only in one scene and it seems the movie wants to change genres into a ghostly drama. It stops being scary. Fortunately, the movie seems to realize this and does another 180, starting with the ghost seemingly getting frustrated with the way the investigation turned out. The ghost starts lashing out at everyone and becomes a real threat again.

The movie promised me into secrecy. Its very good, one of the best films this month. Go watch it.

Scarlett Johansson inn various states of undress? I'd be excited if I wasn't so bored. I'm calling this now, this is the worst this month has to offer. I went so far to the bottom of the barrel I'm pulling up soil. The story is nonexistent, there is no meaningful dialogue and most of the footage is just filler and long shots. There are some scenes that could be described as horror, but's just it, they're scenes. They don't mean anything. They don't go anywhere. They could have been taken from whole other movies and no one would have known. And this goes on for nearly two hours. But the most amazing thing, even without any story to give me any indicator, I still managed to guess the ending.

I was pretty big on this until the ending. There were some legitimately brutal scenes, like the pins under the eyelids and the knife piercing into the victim's mouth through his jaw. The gore is great, as one would expect of Argento. Acting, its all been dubbed and and questionably. I think that was a major contributor to why I didn't like the ending. The confrontation prior may have set it up better but I simply couldn't understand a word the killer was mumbling.

I can see why fans were so angry with this movie but time has passed and we have gotten a conclusion. Lynch is a one of a kind director. One that can give such stunning visuals and quirky characters, and leave you wondering if there was any method to what you witnessed. They can get quite unnerving, like when Laura finds Bob the first time and the camera zooms in on his uvula as they both scream. I was a little concerned about the beginning of the film as being hit with new characters so soon was concerning. That being said, after the credits, I am pretty interested in what became of them. Its a shame this failed so miserably in the box office, killing any chance they would be explored.

I am a bit mixed on this. The story was not that good, at an hour and twenty its kind of obvious they didn't really have enough story to fill that all in. There is a long 'escape' that runs way too long and doesn't really go anywhere. Its simply padding and kind of boring. The actual plot is film school at best, a bit pretentious and one sided. The vampires look alright I guess, Lemora has the chin of Robert Z'Dar and her minions, even the children, are memorable even though they aren't utilized well. The other characters, I got real bad vibes from pretty much everyone. But what this movie does well is create atmosphere. Its got a very dreamlike, dark fairy tale feeling to it that held my interest for some time. As far as being a lost classic, I can't agree with that claim but it is good to see that it still exists. Maybe if you have an inclination to see something like this I'd recommend it but other than that I would suggest something else.

There has been no author like Oscar Wild, the man's bravado just can't be outdone, and yet George Sanders makes a damn fine effort. He was an immensely entertaining part of this movie with a quip for every occasion. His brash and cynical demeanor makes him a great devil sitting on Dorian's shoulder that tarnishes what would have been a fine upstanding young man. As for the rest of the movie, I have a hard time coming up with any faults buit at the same tim,e can't bring myself to say that its greater than it is. The characters are intriguing and the story is engaging, but there were few times where I thought it truly stood out. There was the hanging light scene that I really liked, where it swings back and forth, casting Dorian in light and dark as he stands aghast at what he'd done. The reveal of the disfigured painting is jarring the first time. But more often than not, its very plain with how it conveys the story.

This is not one of Karloff's stronger movies. In fact, he actually slows the plot to a crawl as soon as he becomes the monster. His kill count is minuscule, killing only a single person, but what really pads the run time is his stalking. He stalks frequently, and slowly. The story is a bit convoluted with a lot of characters to keep track of and while not great, isn't too bad. Old movies like this have some great sets and this is no exception, as long as they are indoors. Outside, the fog is so thick its impossible to see anything. That being said, there is some silver lining to this movie. There is some talent other than Karloff, Ernest Thesiger has a prominent role and is always a plus. Kathleen Harrison even got me to crack a laugh. Overall, the history of the film makes a far better story.

The first half hour of this movie was excellent. The second half hour has its cracks but is still fantastic. The last half hour doesn't fumble, it spikes the ball at the one yard line and does a victory dance completely oblivious of how bad it messed up. Two characters ruined this movie. Two characters that when a gun was pressed to their head, I begged them to pull the trigger. I cannot stress how suspenseful how this movie starts. With just the lead and her pursuers, there is nothing getting in the way but then they had to add the comic relief characters and they are movie killers. At no point are they remotely funny and all they do is break up what would have been a nerve racking moment. And their role only gets progressively bigger.

This is one of the better Halloween movies. It was a smart move starting over from Halloween II. As Rob Zombie showed us, its hard capturing the magic of the original. The beginning is fairly mundane, perhaps too much for a Halloween film, but once Michael reaches the gas station the movie goes off like a rocket ship. I'm sure everyone has seen the infamous long take scene but it really can't be stressed enough how good it is. There were a couple things I was less than crazy for, like the doctor's role and that Michael sells more than I think he should, but overall it was a really good experience. I wouldn't mind a sequel but even as a grand finale, I'm still fine with how it ended.

It has its flaws but overall fairly fun horror flick. The characters are cartoonish but are genuinly funny. Mo's catchphrase for instance is used just enough to not stay its welcome as is Charlie's martial arts. The story is not going to win any awards but keeps you engaged enough. The special effects were pretty grotesque albeit very dated, the superimposed scenes in particular have some really apparent lines around the actors. It wasn't a bad movie if it were on TV.The problem is, this is a movie that was in theaters. It lacks polish to warrant a ticket price. The script is missing key moments and characters aren't properly introduced, Mo just seems to know everyone. The ending is a bit far fetched and simple. Since it was free on prime, I may be more forgiving but I would hate having to have paid for this.

Coming in prepared this year, the average of this Halloween fared very well at a 6.8. Nine received middling 4 to 6 scores and only one did I come out hating. That one was Under the Skin, its hard to believe that a movie with a naked Scarlett Johansson could be that astoundingly boring. As to the best movie, I originally suspected Phantom of the Paradise to take that spot. The music was catchy and while it has more than its share of flaws, it speaks to a spirit that can't be replicated without true passion. But in the end, I had to give the title to Thirst which really blew me away. The dark tale of corruption was expertly told by a true master of his craft and deserves every accolade I could give. I should also throw out commendations for two other high scoring nominees, Diabolique and the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers.