Horror Double Feature

Halloween is just around the corner and, as I typically do this time of year, I've been watching a few of horror movies to get into the spirit. Last night I ventured into the dark recesses of a couple streaming services hoping to find some spooky options. 

The first movie I decided to check out was American Poltergeist on Netflix. 

Released in 2015, this film is about a group of college kids who decide that this semester they want to live off-campus, and so they rent a couple of rooms at an old house. Of course, this house has a dark past and is haunted. At first it starts out with the landlady acting a little creepy and some strange noises in the house. Eventually, when one of the girls starts to have visions of the people who were killed in the home, things start to escalate quickly. Overall, there is very little positive to say about this movie. The acting is bad, it's not well written, the sound design is shoddy, etc. However, it does hit that sweet spot of being so bad that I found it hilarious. I can't recommend this movie if you're looking for some good scares, with that being said, you may get a few laughs out of it. This one deserves a 0 out of 5 rating but, because I was so entertained by it, I'm going to give American Poltergeist a 1 out of 5.


The second movie I landed on last night was Exorcism of the Dead from 2017, which I came across on Amazon Prime Video. 

Movies about exorcisms have always had a way of suckering me in ever since I first saw 1973's The Exorcist which still stands as the gold-standard of such films. This movie could not be further in quality from that masterpiece. Exorcism of the Dead is probably one of the worst movies I've ever seen. The movie starts off with a woman emailing the Catholic church asking for help as she believes her daughter is possessed by a demon. Eventually a priest arrives and goes up to the girl's room, with her uncle, to perform an exorcism. Most of the movie takes place in this one room and it might be the most boring exorcism ever put to film. Occasionally the movie will venture to another location to show a murder, but it's not much more interesting. This is a rare film with no redeeming qualities, at least that I could spot. I'm giving this one a 0 out of 5.

Halloween (2018)

Halloween is the latest sequel to 1978's Halloween, but not a sequel to 2007's Halloween. Jamie Lee Curtis is back as Laurie Strode in a film that basically ignores every other sequel in the franchise's long history. To be honest, as far as follow-ups to the original Halloween go, this is one of the better ones.

The movie catches up with Laurie 40 years after that fateful Halloween night in the original film. That traumatic event left her as something of a paranoid recluse; she lives way out in the woods, has a strained relationship with her daughter, she converted her basement into a panic room, and she spends her free time preparing for the day when she'll get the opportunity to kill Michael Myers. As it turns out she's about to get her chance. Michael is set to be transferred from his current rehabilitation facility to a new location, but he escapes en route and just starts killing again.

Overall, I think fans of the Halloween franchise are going to enjoy this one. It's back to basics; there is no ancient Druid curse and no sign of Busta Ryhmes, just a guy in a mask killing people in a small town on October 31st. John Carpenter isn't back in the Director's chair for this film but he did return to do the musical score, and it's one of the true highlights of the film. I don't think this one is going to become one of those staple films that I pop in every October, but it's an entertaining slasher flick and I had fun with it. 
3.5 out of 5

The Addams Family

Released in 1991, The Addams Family received mixed reviews from critics but it did very well at the box-office. The film of course is based on the 1960's TV show of the same name, which it itself was based on a cartoon in The New Yorker. The plot here is pretty thin; The Addams family has a lot of money stashed away. The family's lawyer happens to owe a bit of money to a loan-shark, and notices that her son bears a striking resemblance to Gomez Addams' long lost brother Fester. So the lawyer and the loan-shark hatch a plan to pass this man off as Fester and have him steal the money. In the end two con artist get their comeuppance when it turns out that the imposter really is Fester and he just had amnesia for the last 25 years.

Despite the less than complex plot, I think the film works because it features such a watchable cast. Raul Julia as Gomez Addams and Anjelica Huston as Morticia Addams are both terrific, and I'll watch Christopher Lloyd in just about anything. That being said, the real standout, scene-stealer in the film is Wednesday Addams played by Christina Ricci. She has some of the funniest lines and it's obvious why she was given a bigger role in the sequel (1993's Addams Family Values). 

Overall, you get what you'd expect from The Addams Family; a fun comedy about a spooky family living in an ordinary world. It's a solid movie worth going back to from time to time, particularly around Halloween.

3 out of 5

Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018)

So this afternoon I went to see Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween which is, obviously, the follow-up to 2015's Goosebumps. The first half I was a bit bored, but I found the second half to be entertaining enough and I even got a few laughs out of it. 

The story is pretty standard stuff for a kid-friendly Halloween flick: There is a supernatural ventriloquist dummy who wants to bring all the Halloween decorations to life for reasons that aren't really explained. The only way to stop him is by using a magic R.L. Stine book to trap all of the spooky monsters. All the kids are pretty stock characters: There's a fat kid, a black kid, a bully, and a girl... It's one scrawny kid with glasses away from the full Screenwriting 101 set. 

Is this one destined to become one of those films that is a staple of the Halloween season for years to come? I don't think so, but if you have young kids it's worth taking them to see. 
I give this one a 2 out of 5.

Hocus Pocus

-As October continues, so do the Halloween-themed reviews.-

1993's Hocus Pocus is an interesting case of a subpar movie that didn't do that well initially upon it's release, going on to become something of a Halloween staple. 

The story about three witches (played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy) who return to modern day (1993) Salem in hopes of reclaiming their youth is an entertaining watch. The comedy is hit and miss, the acting is uneven, and it's one of those films that feels like it's struggling to keep the plot on track as characters keep having to remind each other of various supernatural rules and the abilities of the three witches. With that being said, it does have some genuinely funny moments. It is a family film, so there is never anything scary but it does have a lot of Halloween imagery with the witches, costumes, trick-or-treating, Halloween parties, cemetery scenes, etc. This makes the film good background noise for pumpkin carving or putting up Halloween decorations. 

Obviously not a recommend if you're looking for some scares, but if you have kids or just want to take a break from the blood-and-guts slasher flicks and enjoy something a bit lighter then this will do fine.

2.5 out of 5

A Look Back At 'Psycho' (1960)

One of Alfred Hitchcock’s great cinematic masterpieces (and I would even argue his best) is 1960’s Psycho. I had previously placed it on my ’10 Movies to Watch in October’ list (which you can check out here: http://onlyinthemoviesblog.blogspot.com/2016/10/10-movies-to-watch-in-october.html) but I still felt like I should have given it a little more of a in-depth review.

 This is not only a great psychological horror film but a great film overall, with iconic moments, a great score, solid acting (particularly Anthony Perkins) and wall-to-wall suspense. It’s spawned a couple of sequels, a remake, and TV show. Much like Hitchcock urging theater owners not to let people to enter the theater late, because it would ruin the experience, I’ll give the setup and end it there just in case anyone reading this has not seen the movie.

The Film starts out in Phoenix, Arizona. During a hotel rendezvous while on her lunch hour, a secretary at a real estate office named Marion Crane (played by Janet Leigh) discusses with her boyfriend, Sam Loomis (played by John Gavin), why they can’t afford to get married because Sam is in pretty substantial debt. When Marion returns from lunch, a client comes by the office and drops off a $40,000 cash deposit for a property. Her boss asks her to deposit the money in the bank, and she asks him if she can take the rest of the afternoon off afterwards. But, she doesn’t go to the bank and instead decides to steal the money to give to Sam. So, Marion heads out of town and toward California where Sam lives. That evening, she pulls over on the side of the road and falls asleep, only to be awakened in the morning by a state trooper. He asks her a couple of questions and is suspicious about her nervous behavior but lets her to drive on anyway. Shaken by the run-in with the officer, Marion stops at a dealership and trades in her car for another and then continues on her way.

Later during her travels, it starts raining pretty heavily so she decides to stop for the night at the Bates Motel where she meets Norman Bates and the whole film take a sudden and violent turn.

Like I stated earlier, I think this is one of the all-time great films and it’s always especially good to watch around Halloween. So, if you’re one of the few who hasn’t seen it -or- if you just haven't watched it in a while, go check it out. You’ll be glad you did.

I give this film a 5 out of 5.

Have a suggestion for a review?

Leave it in the comments below.

...and for some more good reads check out this Book, Video game, and Comicbook blog:
Boredenthusiast.blogspot.com 

Today's Movie: Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

This 1935 sequel to the 1931 film ‘Frankenstein’ is one of those rare cases in cinematic history where the sequel is often regarded as just as good as the original. It’s well written, James Whale returned as Director, and it stars some of the key cast from the previous film; Colin Clive as Dr. Henry Frankenstein, Boris Karloff as the Monster, and Dwight Frye (although he’s called Karl in this film and was called Fritz in the previous one) are all great.

So, the film starts out with Mary Shelley played by Elsa Lanchester (who also plays the Monster’s Bride later in the film) recapping the events of the previous film while also setting up the story for this one.

We then pick up where the previous film left off with the burning windmill. Somehow both Dr. Frankenstein and the monster survived the fire as well as the windmill’s collapse. While recovering Henry Frankenstein pretty much abandons his plans to create life. But a little later, after the monster scares a bunch of the villagers and takes Henry’s fiancée, Dr. Frankenstein is forced by his former mentor Dr. Pretorius to create a mate for the monster.  And just like the monster in the first film, the creation in this one is built from dead bodies and brought to life during a thunderstorm. 

Overall, the acting is solid (with the exception of the over-the-top performance of Una O’Conner), and the iconic scene with the monster and the blind man is pretty great. However, the film isn’t quite as dark in tone as the original and the ending always felt a little rushed to me. While I do think this is a good film, I still prefer 1931's 'Frankenstein'.

It didn’t quite make my ’10 Movies to Watch in October’ list, but I still recommend it.

4.5 out of 5

Have a suggestion for a review?

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10 Movies To Watch In October

Well, it's October that time of year when people are carving jack-o-lanterns, kids are thinking about all the Halloween candy they're going to eat, and department stores are setting up for Christmas...

With Halloween fast approaching it's also a great time of year to sit back and watch some awesome movies. So get ready to curl up with your pumpkin spice latte, because here are the 10 movies you should watch this October:

1) Halloween -1979
Directed by John Carpenter
For me, this is the standard that all other slasher movies get compared to. There would be numerous sequels featuring the menacing Michael Myers, but it is the original that has become a horror classic and one of my all-time favorites.

2) Frankenstein -1931
Directed by James Whale
I like to grab some popcorn, relax, and enjoy this one every October. An iconic monster movie with an incredible cast (Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, Dwight Frye). This is one that will get anyone into the Halloween spirit.

3) The House on Haunted Hill -1959
Directed by William Castle
Five strangers are invited to a party at a supposedly haunted house and they're told they'll each be given $10,000 if they can stay all night. On top of that, the husband and wife who are hosting the party are both planning to kill each other.

4) Psycho -1960
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
From the suspenseful pacing to the great acting (particularly Anthony Perkins) to the iconic shower scene to the amazing score, this movie hits you with everything. It's a Hitchcock masterpiece worthy of putting on during any night of pumpkin carving.

5) Re-Animator -1985
Directed by Stuart Gordon
The movie is solid all the way through, there are some awesome and gory special effects and the main character Herbert West (played by Jeffery Combs) is awesome.

6) Alien -1979
Directed by Ridley Scott
It's a great movie. It's full of suspense, the special effects are still awesome, and as an added bonus you can watch it back-to-back with its equally great sequel 'Aliens'.

7) House of 1000 Corpses -2003
Directed by Rob Zombie
This is a favorite of mine and one I always recommend to people. It's one of those movies that's crazy, twisted, and really entertaining. Plus, Sid Haig is awesome.

8) A Nightmare on Elm Street -1984
Directed by Wes Craven
It's kind of unfortunate that as the Elm Street series went on Freddy Kruger became sort of a joke, becoming less intimidating and delivering one-liners with each kill. While this movie isn't without it's flaws, it's still a pretty great horror flick and a good choice to have on during Halloween parties.

9) The Exorcist -1973
Directed by William Friedkin
The movie centers around Regan (played by Linda Blair) a young girl who becomes possessed by a demon. It's always good for a couple of scares, but stay clear of the sequels.

10) The Wolf Man -1941
Directed by George Waggner
“Even a man who is pure at heart and says his prayers by night may become a wolf when the wolfsbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright.”
...it's a perfect film to watch as Halloween night approaches.