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Post by thwhtguardian on Oct 1, 2017 16:40:03 GMT -5
Ever since I was a little kid I've loved horror movies, and every October I'd try to watch as many monster movies as I could. Flash forward to my adulthood and I discovered a fun tradition on our former home called 31 Days of Halloween; it was a great community shared monster mash movie marathon that really opened me up to films I'd never seen or even heard of. These days I don't have nearly enough free time to commit to that many films so I decided to strip away the number element and just make it a sharing of films for the month, whether you watch just one horror movie or three dozen I'd love to hear about what you've watched or suggestions for what you think others should track down. I'm going to post my running list here and devote further posts to mini reviews of the films I watch: 1) Curse of the Undead(1959, Universal) 2) I Vampiri (1957, Titanus) 3) Vampyr(1932) 4) The Mill at Calder's End(2015, Spirit Cabinet) 5) Daimajin(1966, Daiei) 6) The Golem (1920, Universum Film) |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Oct 1, 2017 16:44:49 GMT -5
Curse of the Undead 1959, Universal Pictures Directed by Edward Dein This latter day Universal Monster flick is a fun mash up of Western and classic Horror tropes. It seems like a silly concept but Edward Dein played it straight to excellent effect. What I loved most was that it didn't really play up a connection to Dracula but instead focused on more traditional folklore; Drago Robles wasn't a vampire because he was bit by one but rather because he was a suicide and his victims don't turn into more vampires, they just die and sunlight has no ill effects. There's still the bit about crosses that comes from Stoker, but it's done well here in that Drago(the vampire) isn't killed by a wooden stake but rather a bullet with a cross on it. It's a little hokey at times, and the mood isn't as strong as the earlier Universal Monster movies but it was well worth watching.
Grade:7/10 |
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Post by Jesse on Oct 2, 2017 12:54:42 GMT -5
I definitively don't think I will be able to reach 31 movies this month but will be watching a bunch of horror films. My List this month: - Dracula’s Daughter (1936)
- Son of Dracula (1943)
- Gargoyles (1972)
- The Black Cat (1934)
- Shivers (1975)
- Cellar Dweller (1988)
- The Monster Squad (1987)
- The Return of Dracula (1958)
- House of Dracula (1945)
- Billy the Kid vs. Dracula (1966)
- Jigoku (1960)
- The Ghost of Yotsuya (1959)
- Rings (2017)
- Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)
- Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968)
- Eyes Without a Face (1960)
- The Curse of the Werewolf (1961)
- Motel Hell (1980)
- Split (2016)
- Repulsion (1965)
- Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970)
- Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)
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Post by Jesse on Oct 2, 2017 12:56:58 GMT -5
Curse of the Undead
This latter day Universal Monster flick is a fun mash up of Western and classic Horror tropes. It seems like a silly concept but Edward Dein played it straight to excellent effect. What I loved most was that it didn't really play up a connection to Dracula but instead focused on more traditional folklore; Drago Robles wasn't a vampire because he was bit by one but rather because he was a suicide and his victims don't turn into more vampires, they just die and sunlight has no ill effects. There's still the bit about crosses that comes from Stoker, but it's done well here in that Drago(the vampire) isn't killed by a wooden stake but rather a bullet with a cross on it. It's a little hokey at times, and the mood isn't as strong as the earlier Universal Monster movies but it was well worth watching.
Grade:7/10 I didn't care for Curse of the Undead the last time I watched it but maybe I need to give it another chance the next time Svengoolie airs it. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Oct 2, 2017 19:28:01 GMT -5
I definitively don't think I will be able to reach 31 movies this month but will be watching a bunch of horror films. My List this month: - Dracula’s Daughter (1936)
- Son of Dracula (1943)
I haven't seen Son of Dracula in ages, and other than the fact that it had Chaney I don't remember much about it. I might need to dig it out. |
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Post by berkley on Oct 3, 2017 0:31:48 GMT -5
I'm going to try to watch a few things this month, two or three movies, I hope, and maybe even a short tv series. Because I sometimes like to line up things from different media of the same era, I have my eye on Cat People, both the original from the 40s and the 80s re-make, since I'll be reading books from those periods.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2017 11:23:09 GMT -5
Turner Classics usually shows some very good scary movies in October. Lots of classic Hammer films as well as some obscure stuff. I try to watch Psycho, Blood and Black Lace, and some of the Halloween series this time of year. Black Sabbath by Mario Bava is another Halloween favorite.
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Post by thwhtguardian on Oct 3, 2017 19:10:36 GMT -5
I'm going to try to watch a few things this month, two or three movies, I hope, and maybe even a short tv series. Because I sometimes like to line up things from different media of the same era, I have my eye on Cat People, both the original from the 40s and the 80s re-make, since I'll be reading books from those periods. I don't believe I've seen the 80's version( but I might need to for the Bowie soundtrack!) but the original is one of my all time favorites, the play on shadows is seriously one of the most amazing things I've even seen in cinema. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Oct 3, 2017 21:18:12 GMT -5
I Vampiri  Directed by Mario Bava 1957, Titanus Pictures I've never really cared for slashers, but a few years back I got turned onto Italian director Mario Bava's work via his film Black Sunday and since then I've tracked down a slew of his other films and this is the latest acquisition. Though his style is fairly tame by modern standards in comparison to his contemporaries his films are shockingly gory. I, Vampiri is one of his earlier films and going from the dvd comentary was filmed in a week based on a screenplay that was written in a day...so you can imagine that the story and acting are pretty thin, but considering the budget and time constraints the sets, effects and shooting of the film make it fun to watch despite its flaws.
Grade: 6/10 |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2017 21:50:11 GMT -5
Having watched the Bride of Frankenstein and Frankenstein - back to back on TCM ... the Bride is definitely more impressive and more dramatic, horror, and frightful. It's has more of everything while the original Frankenstein is more a story tale than anything else.
If I chose one ... it would be the Bride first and foremost.
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Post by berkley on Oct 4, 2017 0:18:03 GMT -5
I'm going to try to watch a few things this month, two or three movies, I hope, and maybe even a short tv series. Because I sometimes like to line up things from different media of the same era, I have my eye on Cat People, both the original from the 40s and the 80s re-make, since I'll be reading books from those periods. I don't believe I've seen the 80's version( but I might need to for the Bowie soundtrack!) but the original is one of my all time favorites, the play on shadows is seriously one of the most amazing things I've even seen in cinema. What about other Tourneur movies like that Zombie one - recommended? Looking him up on wiki, I haven't seen anything of his except the Out of the Past, which I suddenly realise I should watch again. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Oct 4, 2017 7:30:27 GMT -5
I don't believe I've seen the 80's version( but I might need to for the Bowie soundtrack!) but the original is one of my all time favorites, the play on shadows is seriously one of the most amazing things I've even seen in cinema. What about other Tourneur movies like that Zombie one - recommended? Looking him up on wiki, I haven't seen anything of his except the Out of the Past, which I suddenly realise I should watch again. Walk with a Zombie is pretty decent as long as you aren't expecting a Romero Zombie movie, The Leopard man is good, and I've seen a fan edit of Night of the Demon which cut out the schlocky monster effects which Torneur objected to that was pretty fun, but honestly if you want more like Cat People you should go with the horror films produced by Val Lewton whom I think is a a greater influence of the feel than the director. He produced Cat People, Leopard Man and Zombie with Tourneur and they're solid, but what I've seen of his work outside that partnership like Night of the Demon are only okay. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 4, 2017 8:01:54 GMT -5
A lady I work with loves "Burnt Offerings". I finally watched it--very creepy with solid acting from Oliver Reed, Bette Davis, and Karen Black. Also that hearse driver---yikes!!!
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Post by thwhtguardian on Oct 4, 2017 8:23:48 GMT -5
A lady I work with loves "Burnt Offerings". I finally watched it--very creepy with solid acting from Oliver Reed, Bette Davis, and Karen Black. Also that hearse driver---yikes!!! I've never heard of this one but what I just read about it makes me want to. This is why I love doing this every year, I love learning about what people like and getting to discover new horror films. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 4, 2017 10:06:55 GMT -5
A lady I work with loves "Burnt Offerings". I finally watched it--very creepy with solid acting from Oliver Reed, Bette Davis, and Karen Black. Also that hearse driver---yikes!!! Excellent Write Up ... Spot On. |
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I'm going to post my running list here and devote further posts to mini reviews of the films I watch:
