31 Days of Horror X: 2024 Edition

[Gary Banks Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Gary Banks]

Ratings: ack (honks on bobo) to 10. In bold 1st time viiewing, 1st time in ten years or I forgot when it was last viewed.

001-Die Sister, Die 4
002-The Mummy and the Curse of the Jackals 1.5
003-Devil's Express 0.5
004-Dungeon of Horror 2.5
005-Lurkers ack!
006-In Search of Dracula 4
007-Dear Dead Delilah 6.5
008-Torture Chamber of Dr Sadism 9
009-Lifechanger 6.5
010-ABCs of Death 2 1.5
011-Xtro 3 Watch The Skies 4
012-God Told Me To 10
013-Strangler of Blackmoor Castle 10
014-Endgame 4
015-Asylum (1972) 6
016-The Beast Within 6.5
017-Almost Human (2014) 4.5
018-Wrong Turn 3 Left For Dead 4
019-We Are What We Are 3
020-A Ghost Waits 10
021-Curse of the Stone Hand 4
022-the Mad Monster 3
023-Beyond The Door 3
024-The Legacy (1978) 7
025-Spirits of the Dead 5
026-The Mask (1961) 7
027-Crypt of the Vampire 6
028-Late Night With The Devil 6

[BW Haggar Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BW Haggar]

#17
Night of the Ghouls
(Edward D. Wood Jr, 1959)

I’ve been reading the ‘Nightmare of Ecstasy’ book about Ed Wood this month, so thought I’d check in with this posthumously released conclusion to what I suppose we should call his 'horror trilogy', which I’d never actually seen before.

Based on anecdotes in the book, it sounds as if the production of this light-hearted little flick was a pretty grim affair, with Kenne Duncan (playing ‘Dr. Acula’) sexually harassing the hell out of 16 year old Valda Hansen (playing ‘The White Ghost’), shooting taking place in some impossible, phonebooth-sized studio, and Tor Johnson refusing to participate until he was paid up-front. A wise move on Tor’s part one suspects, given that Wood was reportedly late on set every evening after spending the afternoon peeling off bills from the cast n’ crew payroll to buy rounds of martinis, and ended this particular misadventure crying in the rain, unable to pay his lab costs.

Under such circumstances, you perhaps wouldn’t expect ‘Night of the Ghouls’ to conjure up quite the same joyous, pulpy feel as ‘Bride of the Monster’ and ‘Plan 9..’, but it certainly has its moments.

Criswell’s opening narration about “..the Threshold People” is typically extraordinary, and, following a riot of random footage from other movies and some very draggy, disconnected business in the police station, things eventually get back on track once we reach the ‘spook house’ and realise that this is, in effect, a kind of a sequel to ‘Bride..’, vaguely patterned after old-timey comedy horror outings like 'The Boogie Man Will Get You' or the Abbott & Costello movies or somesuch.

If there’s one thing to be said for Wood, it’s that he could always dish out some striking imagery, and the sight of the turbaned ‘Dr Acula’ resplendent on his skull-backed chair, gazing upon his skull in a fishtank, is pretty iconic trash culture stuff. Hansen looks genuinely pretty stunning too in her White Ghost outfit, and Jeannie Stevens as ‘The Black Ghost’ appears to have provided the inspiration for what’s-her-name in the ‘Night of the Demons’ franchise.

If there’s a second thing to be said for Wood, it’s that, as much as people have exhaustively picked over the details of his films over the years, they remain…. very odd indeed. As such, I enjoyed the invisible trumpet player and floating plastic doo-hickey in Dr Acula’s seance parlor... although the bit where we all have to listen to the incomprehensible, distorted nattering of some sort of ‘spirit guide’ for quite a while, was pretty hard to take.

The bit where Duke Moore’s police detective rhapsodizes for several minutes about the feel of a “cold, clammy” railing however is exactly the kind of mad genius which keeps us Threshold People knocking on poor Ed’s cold, clammy door all these years down the line. Worth the entry price alone.

Kind of a shame that it all falls apart and lapses into boredom towards the end, and that all the intentional comic stuff is a total flop - but whatcha gonna do.

Absolutely PERFECT movie to watch in a somnambulant, drifting-in-and-out-of-sleep type state in the dark hours of the night though, I should imagine - preferably on a blurry VHF transmission, beamed in from parts unknown.

B

[Newt Cox Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Newt Cox]

#17
Night of the Ghouls
(Edward D. Wood Jr, 1959)

I’ve been reading the ‘Nightmare of Ecstasy’ book about Ed Wood this month, so thought I’d check in with this posthumously released conclusion to what I suppose we should call his 'horror trilogy', which I’d never actually seen before.

Based on anecdotes in the book, it sounds as if the production of this light-hearted little flick was a pretty grim affair, with Kenne Duncan (playing ‘Dr. Acula’) sexually harassing the hell out of 16 year old Valda Hansen (playing ‘The White Ghost’), shooting taking place in some impossible, phonebooth-sized studio, and Tor Johnson refusing to participate until he was paid up-front. A wise move on Tor’s part one suspects, given that Wood was reportedly late on set every evening after spending the afternoon peeling off bills from the cast n’ crew payroll to buy rounds of martinis, and ended this particular misadventure crying in the rain, unable to pay his lab costs.

Under such circumstances, you perhaps wouldn’t expect ‘Night of the Ghouls’ to conjure up quite the same joyous, pulpy feel as ‘Bride of the Monster’ and ‘Plan 9..’, but it certainly has its moments.

Criswell’s opening narration about “..the Threshold People” is typically extraordinary, and, following a riot of random footage from other movies and some very draggy, disconnected business in the police station, things eventually get back on track once we reach the ‘spook house’ and realise that this is, in effect, a kind of a sequel to ‘Bride..’, vaguely patterned after old-timey comedy horror outings like 'The Boogie Man Will Get You' or the Abbott & Costello movies or somesuch.

If there’s one thing to be said for Wood, it’s that he could always dish out some striking imagery, and the sight of the turbaned ‘Dr Acula’ resplendent on his skull-backed chair, gazing upon his skull in a fishtank, is pretty iconic trash culture stuff. Hansen looks genuinely pretty stunning too in her White Ghost outfit, and Jeannie Stevens as ‘The Black Ghost’ appears to have provided the inspiration for what’s-her-name in the ‘Night of the Demons’ franchise.

If there’s a second thing to be said for Wood, it’s that, as much as people have exhaustively picked over the details of his films over the years, they remain…. very odd indeed. As such, I enjoyed the invisible trumpet player and floating plastic doo-hickey in Dr Acula’s seance parlor... although the bit where we all have to listen to the incomprehensible, distorted nattering of some sort of ‘spirit guide’ for quite a while, was pretty hard to take.

The bit where Duke Moore’s police detective rhapsodizes for several minutes about the feel of a “cold, clammy” railing however is exactly the kind of mad genius which keeps us Threshold People knocking on poor Ed’s cold, clammy door all these years down the line. Worth the entry price alone.

Kind of a shame that it all falls apart and lapses into boredom towards the end, and that all the intentional comic stuff is a total flop - but whatcha gonna do.

Absolutely PERFECT movie to watch in a somnambulant, drifting-in-and-out-of-sleep type state in the dark hours of the night though, I should imagine - preferably on a blurry VHF transmission, beamed in from parts unknown.

B

Late 90s I finally saw that one. Grabbed the Elvira hosted VHS and yea it is fun but lesser Wood.

https://doubletsblogofreviews.blogsp...rlock.html?m=0

Day 16 Warlock

Julian Sands is damn good as the lead villain in this seems to be forgotten 90s franchise.

Would love to see a contination of this series,but none of the sequels are really that either.

[f.ramses Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close f.ramses]

10/15
052 - The Raven (1963)
053 - The Embalmer

10/16
054 - La Momia Azteca

The Raven has become an October staple since rediscovering it a few years ago. I really didn't care for this one when I rented it as a kid, probably because it is more of a comedy than anything else, but ever since the second viewing I've liked it a lot and feel almost like I enjoy it slightly more each time. I really can't think of a negative comment for it. The Embalmer was one I hadn't seen since before I got into black and white stuff but this time around it went about the same, it's kinda boring and there isn't much action here. It's not terrible though... La Momia Azteca was a real surprise but only really because I was confusing it with The Mayan Mummy. It's not the most eventful movie but I found it surprisingly enjoyable and the run time flew by; I think I liked this a little better than the original The Mummy!

[Vincent Dawn Jr Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Vincent Dawn Jr]

Day 15: Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre). This is both one of the worst movies I've ever seen and, in my opinion, the absolute worst sequel that has ever been made. I know the latter is a bold statement, but I'm sticking to it. I don't even like Matthew McConaughey in this, which is who most see as the movie's saving grace, as I just find him to be as loud and obnoxious as everything else here.

https://codysfilmandtvblog.blogspot.com/

Dude, harsh!!!! Ha ha ha!

My favorite part of this film is when McConaughey wins at shotgun Russian roulette, spreads his arms apart and screams "MEEEEEEEE!!!!!!"

I still celebrate my own life wins in the same manner.

[Vincent Dawn Jr Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Vincent Dawn Jr]

Night #15 - Howling 6: The Freaks

This 1991 installment of the franchise is an entertaining ride that gets it right. Interesting story, solid acting, and memorable characters, especially the villain played by Bruce Payne. And, unlike the pervious two films, they don't skimp on the special effects. Not only do we get a werewolf (who kind of resembles Ozzy in the Bark At the Moon video), but a few bonus creatures as well. Well worth a watch.

Rating: 6/10

[Newt Cox Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Newt Cox]

After owning it for 7 or so weeks finally watched the 4k of Halloween this morning.

Holy fuck it looks great. I have seen that movie at leats 100 times since it came out. In a theater and on various home media formats. Now my memories of seeing it in a theater are foggy,can say this 4k is the best it has looked that I remember.

[BW Haggar Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BW Haggar]

Night #15 - Howling 6: The Freaks

This 1991 installment of the franchise is an entertaining ride that gets it right. Interesting story, solid acting, and memorable characters, especially the villain played by Bruce Payne. And, unlike the pervious two films, they don't skimp on the special effects. Not only do we get a werewolf (who kind of resembles Ozzy in the Bark At the Moon video), but a few bonus creatures as well. Well worth a watch.

Rating: 6/10

I completely gave up on the Howling franchise after watching #4 and being told that #5 was even worse - but this is duly noted, might need to track it down.

[Vincent Dawn Jr Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Vincent Dawn Jr]

I completely gave up on the Howling franchise after watching #4 and being told that #5 was even worse - but this is duly noted, might need to track it down.

I was able to watch it on Amazon Prime.

[Cody Layne Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Cody Layne]

Dude, harsh!!!! Ha ha ha!

My favorite part of this film is when McConaughey wins at shotgun Russian roulette, spreads his arms apart and screams "MEEEEEEEE!!!!!!"

I still celebrate my own life wins in the same manner.

Sorry, but by that point, I'm already like, "Jesus Christ, this movie sucks."

[Cody Layne Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Cody Layne]

Day 16: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003). The first Chainsaw movie I ever saw and, while I don't deny that the original is the best, to me, this one is a close number two. I've always enjoyed this flick.

https://codysfilmandtvblog.blogspot.com/

[BW Haggar Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BW Haggar]

#18
Howl
(Paul Hyett, 2015)

Sadly I won’t be able to watch any movies for the actual full moon tomorrow night, so thought I’d start getting the werewolves in early with this random pick off Shudder.

British movie. Werewolves on a train. Sold!

Unfortunately though, things get off to a poor start as soon as it becomes clear that our set up here is a late-night commuter train travelling on an entirely fictional line, visiting fictional stations, which seems like a missed oportunity for a bit of regional specificity / believable geography that could have helped ground things a bit more effectively.

Also, the set up on the train interior set is entirely unlike anything I’ve seen on a long distance / inter-city train in the UK (it looks more like an underground train?), but… nobody reading this cares about that, I daresay. Either way, there are some dreadful CGI exteriors early on too, which doesn’t help.

Once we’re underway, things play out pretty much exactly as you’d expect - bump on the line in a remote forested area, the driver (a nice cameo from Sean Pertwee - perhaps hired as a nod to ‘Dog Soldiers’?) gets out to investigate and promptly comes a cropper, train is under attack - etc.

Unfortunately however, the group of characters who must band together to yada yada yada occupy a fairly thin range between ‘bland’ and ‘annoying’, and, despite Hyett following the siege / survival horror playbook to the letter, there’s very little suspense or real dramatic engagement here. And, meanwhile, we’re subjected to a series of absolutely excruciating “getting to know each other” character-building vignettes, which serve to kill any tension arising from the escalating crisis situation stone dead.

The monsters, when they arrive, are a fairly satisfactory mixture of CG and practical effects, but nothing to write home about, and although the movie eventually builds up a decent head of steam toward the end, with some alright action sequences etc - it’s all too little too late really.

Hate to rag so badly on a little independent movie with a cool concept, and, I mean… it’s not terrible by any means, in fact it's a reasonable effort in many respects, but… basically feels far too much like being stuck on a actual broken-down train for ninety minutes to really prove very enjoyable.

C-

[Newt Cox Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Newt Cox]

She learned I had never seen the first Final Destination movie. "But you own it on Blu ray" yea along with a pile of other films I have never watched.

Seen like 3 of the sequels. This first one isn't bad. Ali larter is playing against her normal type. Sean William Scott is playing his normal self. Devon Sawa had a small horror career going.

Some of the FX work looks bad. Then gotta remember this is from what 99 or 2000?

[f.ramses Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close f.ramses]

10/16
055 - The Curse of the Aztec Mummy
056 - The Robot vs the Aztec Mummy
057 - The Brain that Wouldn't Die

The Aztec Mummy went well enough earlier but it was downhill fast from there with the 2 sequels. The same could be said about both in that they rehash the previous movies and re-use footage and also disappoint by showing very little of the mummy, in the re-used footage or otherwise. They're both boring heist/kidnapping movies for the most part too until like the last 10 or so minutes when the mummy finally shows up for a brief appearance. The Robot vs the Aztec Mummy was by far the worst of the two since it took full advantage of having 2 previous movies to re-hash at the beginning, the robot is also a lot like the mummy only showing up in the last few minutes of the movie. Fortunately The Brain that Wouldn't Die was there to save the evening, hiding in a cheap Time Life Elvira set someone gave me.

[Newt Cox Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Newt Cox]

https://doubletsblogofreviews.blogsp...es-on.html?m=0

Day 17 Snakes on a plane

Wanted some comedic and what is more comedic than the meme movie from 15+ years ago.

Decently made and entertaining. But glad I paid a buck for it.