October Challenge 2013

During the month of October, I undertook the October Challenge, which is simply to watch one horror movie a day during the month of October. In addition, I thought it would be fun to come up with a top 10 list out of the 32 movies (I watched two movies on Halloween) that I watched. I had a tough, but ultimately fun time coming up with this list.

In the order I watched them; here is the full list of movies I watched during October 2013.

1. Seed of Chucky (2004) Directed By: Don Mancini
2. Psycho (1960) Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock
3. ParaNorman (2012) Directed By: Chris Butler and Sam Fell
4. I Drink Your Blood (1970) Directed By: David E. Durston
5. Day of the Dead (1985) Directed By: George A. Romero
6. Night of the Living Dead (1990) Directed By: Tom Savini
7. Return of the Living Dead Part 2 (1988) Directed By: Ken Wiederhorn
8. A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) Directed By: Samuel Bayer
9. Diary of the Dead (2007) Directed By: George A. Romero
10. Zombi 3 (1988) Directed By: Lucio Fulci and Bruno Mattei
11. Corruption (1968) Directed By: Robert Hartford-Davis
12. Cat in the Brain (1990) Directed By: Lucio Fulci
13. Zombie (1979) Directed By: Lucio Fulci
14. The Fly (1986) Directed By: David Cronenberg
15. Planet Terror (2007) Directed By: Robert Rodriguez
16. Beyond the Darkness (1979) Directed By: Joe D’Amato
17. Hell of the Living Dead (1980) Directed By: Bruno Mattei
18. Storm Warning (2007) Directed By: Jamie Blanks
19. Curse of Chucky (2013) Directed By: Don Mancini
20. Fright Night 2: New Blood (2013) Directed By: Eduardo Rodriguez
21. Rogue (2007) Directed By: Greg Mclean
22. Dance of the Dead (2008) Directed By: Gregg Bishop
23. Slither (2006) Directed By: James Gunn
24. Eden Lake (2008) Directed By: James Watkins
25. The Conjuring (2013) Directed By: James Wan
26. The Frighteners (1996) Directed By: Peter Jackson
27. Jeepers Creepers (2001) Directed By: Victor Salva
28. Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3 (1990) Directed By: Jeff Burr
29. Night of the Creeps (1986) Directed By: Fred Dekker
30. Dawn of the Dead (1979) Directed By: George A. Romero
31. Halloween 3: Season of the Witch (1982) Directed By: Tommy Lee Wallace
32. Trick ‘r Treat (2007) Directed By: Michael Dougherty

So out of those 32 movies, here is my top 10:

10. Storm Warning (2007) Directed By: Jamie Blanks

While fishing, a couple becomes lost and discovers a small island inhabited by a crazy family. When the boyfriend discovers the family is growing marijuana, he knows they won’t let them leave. The girlfriend turns into a MacGyver of sorts and there are a few nasty gore shots towards the end.

9. Eden Lake (2008) Directed By: James Watkins

A couple getting harassed by a group of teenage punks turns deadly after an altercation between them ensues. Well paced with a great, dark ending, Eden Lake showcases a story that seems fairly plausible.

8. Night of the Living Dead (1990) Directed By: Tom Savini

A group of strangers try to survive in a farm house on the first night flesh eating ghouls come back from the dead. This is a remake of the incredible 1968 film of the same name. This version changes some the character’s characteristics and outcomes, while keeping the majority of the events the same from the original film.

7. I Drink Your Blood (1970) Directed By: David E. Durston

A group of Satan worshippers, all hopped up on LSD, become infected with rabies and terrorize a town of about 40 people. Fantastic gore, unintentional humor, and bad meat pies make this one a blast.

6. Slither (2006) Directed By: James Gunn

An entity from space turning people into zombie like creatures is opposed only by a team of incompetents. An awesome blend of monster movies and humor, Slither really hits a high with its whacky dialogue and creature design.

5. The Conjuring (2013) Directed By: James Wan

The Conjuring is a haunted house movie based on a “true” story. The atmosphere is genuinely tense and every time I wake up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, after I watched this movie, I hope it’s not 3:07 A.M.

4. The Fly (1986) Directed By: David Cronenberg

A remake of a 1958 film of the same name, The Fly centers around a man working on a teleportation device. When he decides to try it himself, a fly enters the device. Although the teleportation is a success, he slowly begins turning into a human size house fly. The practical effects are a real treat and the central character is easy to sympathize with.

3. Zombie (1979) Directed By: Lucio Fulci

In search of her missing father, a woman is lead to an island overrun by zombies. An incredible score, fantastic gore effects, and set pieces I’ve only seen in this movie, Zombie rightfully deserves its place in zombie movie history.

2. Day of the Dead (1985) Directed By: George A. Romero

A group of scientists and military men, living in an underground bunker, try to decide what is the best course of action living in a world completely destroyed by zombies. Romero hits a high in writing what zombies are now capable of and this easily has the best gore effects out of all six Romero of the dead movies.

1. Dawn of the Dead (1978) Directed By: George A. Romero

Four survivors take refuge in a huge shopping mall in a world overrun by zombies. With its simple plot and enjoyable characters, the film is relatable, albeit being set during a zombie apocalypse.

Thanks for reading!

V/H/S

Directed By: David Bruckner, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg, Ti West, Adam Wingard, and Radio Silence.

V/H/S is a POV horror anthology that tells the story of several guys that are hired to break into a house and steal a VHS tape. Not knowing which tape they are to take, they begin watching different videos and those are the segments the audience gets to see.

The entire movie is made to look like it was shot on video, which doesn’t only look cool, but is also a sweet throwback to the 80s and 90s horror video rental boom.

I thought having a wrap around story was pretty tight. Instead of just having a host, the wrap around story acted as another segment, making it a total of six(!) segments in this horror anthology.

The first segment “Amateur Night” tells the story of three super bro douche bags that have gotten their hands on a pair of glasses that has a super small spy camera on it. Their plan: Go to bars, pick up girls, take them back to their hotel, fuck them, and film it. However, one of the girls they pick up is much more than they bargain for. For two, three seconds of this segment, I felt the same astonishment that I felt the first time I saw Cloverfield. “Amateur Night” is one of two of my favorite segments in V/H/S.

The second segment “Second Honeymoon” tells the story of a couple who has their road trip cut short after a visitor shows up one night at their hotel. Directed by Ti West, “Second Honeymoon” is very well made, but it sort of takes it’s time. I found it creepy during my first viewing, but during my second viewing, I was eager for this segment to end.

The third segment “Tuesday the 17th” tells the story of four kids that head into the forrest to do some swimming, drugs, and fucking. Sound familiar? Than you won’t be too surprised whenever I tell you that a homicidal maniac shows up. But what makes this homicidal maniac different from other homicidal maniacs is that he or she is an electronic disturbance. The best way I can describe the killer is by telling you to put a ringing cellphone next to a turned on television. That interference is what this killer is made of. So whenever he or she is next to the camera it looks like the camera is just going to short out. There’s kind of a bullshit back story with one of the kids and the killer but the killer was creepy enough and the kills were cool enough to make this segment one of my favorites.

The fourth segment “The Strange Thing that Happened to Emily” takes place entirely over a Skype like service. Emily and her boyfriend are in a long distance relationship and Emily believes her apartment is haunted, so whenever creepy shit starts going on in the apartment, Emily calls her boyfriend so he can see the ghosts over his computer. I feel like I am being nit picky, but this is one segment that could have used some back story. I understand that this is only a 10, 15 minute segment, but whenever the twist was revealed, my only thought was what the fuck? The kookiness of this segment made it one of my least favorite segments.

The fifth segment, “10/31/98” is the second of my two favorite segments. “10/31/98” tells the story of four dudes that are going to a costumed Halloween party. When these dudes witness a SATANIC SACRAFICE, they have to decide if it is just a Halloween gag or not. I would describe this segment as a roller coaster with plenty of twist, turns, and laughs. CAST HIM DOWN CAST HIM DOWN CAST HIM DOWN

And finally the wrap around story “Tape 56.” Do these guys ever find the tape they are looking for? Are they alone in the house? Is one of the dudes filming over a tape that has another member of the group having sex with his girlfriend? We may not get all the answers that we want, but like I stated earlier in my review, having a wrap around story is much cooler than just having a host introduce each segment.

V/H/S is most def one of my favorite movies of the 2012.

At the time of this writing, you can watch V/H/S on VOD and it is in theaters October 5, 2012. Check this shit out!!!

7 out of 10
Trailer for V/H/S:

Cabin In The Woods

Directed By: Drew Goddard

Starring: Kristen Connolly & Fran Kranz

Cabin in the Woods tells the story of five college kids(!) that head to a vacation cabin to do some partying. Shortly after they arrive, monsters start to show up and attack them.

To say anymore about Cabin in the Woods’ story may give it away. However, Cabin in the Woods is not just one of the smartest horror movies I have ever seen, but one of the smartest movies I have ever seen as well as the most fun.

It genuinely made me laugh, creep me out on a couple of occasions, and made me fall deeper in love with the genre. I left the theater immediately wanting to see it again.

9 out of 10
Trailer for Cabin in the Woods:

Shame

Directed by: Steve McQueen

Starring: Michael Fassbender & Carry Mulligan

Shame tells the story of Brandon, a successful New York business man that has an addiction to sex. When his little sister, Sissy, moves in with him, his world is turned upside down.

Shame is a stinging portrayal of addiction. It is graphic at times, but it does a great job of not always showing you what is happening and letting your imagination work.

With so many addictions out there, Shame suggests that you have to hit rock bottom before you can overcome your addiction.

8 out of 10
Trailer for Shame:

Chronicle

Directed By: Josh Trank

Starring: Dane DeHaan & Alex Russell

Chronicle is a found footage movie that tells the story of three teenagers that gain incredible superpowers after being exposed to something they find in a hole.

Being PG – 13 and labeled as a superhero movie, I was surprised at how high the stakes were in Chronicle. There is even a body count in it. A small one, but a body count nonetheless.

I don’t think I would label it a superhero movie because there is nobody running around in tights and there are no villains, unless you count everyday real life struggles.

Chronicle felt fresh to me because we didn’t see these kids turn into crime fighters; instead their actions seem like stuff I would engage in if I had such powers.

I feel as if Chronicle would have functioned better if it wasn’t a found footage movie, but maybe the filmmakers decided to take that route due to budget constraints. Either way, Chronicle is a remarkable entry into the found footage and superhero genres.

8 out of 10
Trailer for Chronicle:

The Human Centipede 2

Directed By: Tom Six

Starring: Laurence R. Harvey & Maddi Black

The Human Centipede 2 tells the story of Martin, a developmentally disabled man that is so obsessed with the original Human Centipede movie that he wants to create a 12 person human centipede in “real life.”

Being a fan of horror, hard gore, and exploitation movies, The Human Centipede 2 was one of the most confusing movies I have ever seen. I didn’t like it, but it delivered exactly what it promised in terms of shock value. Of course the ante has to be bigger in a sequel.

I would consider The Human Centipede 2 to be as shocking as Cannibal Holocaust, but I was able to find meaning in Cannibal Holocaust. With The Human Centipede 2, I just don’t know.

5 out of 10
Trailer for The Human Centipede 2:

The Dead

Directed By: The Ford Brothers

Starring: Rob Freeman & Prince David Oseia

In Africa, a war has broken out causing American soldiers and doctors to be over there. When a zombie outbreak occurs, the war stops and most people try to leave. One man, Brian, is not so lucky when his plane crashes after just taking off. Brian soon meets up with Daniel, whose son is missing. They team up in hopes to find Daniel’s son and a plane to leave the continent.

The first half hour is absolutely stellar in The Dead. It is fast paced, suspense filled, and I dare to say original in the opening scene. The Dead reminded me of Lucio Fulci’s Zombie because of its African setting.

Unfortunately, the filmmakers must have lost their creative juices because the last hour is soo slow. The movie also suffers from having the characters make poor choices and some of their outcomes to be disappointing.

Ultimately, The Dead is just forgettable zombie movie junk that had potential.

4 out of 10
Trailer for The Dead: