Re: Racketboy Month of Horror 11: The Pandemic Edition
Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2020 11:36 am
Awesome reviews, DSH and Michi! I’ll need to watch The Scream of Fear, which looks right up my alley, and Michi already knows I adore The Love Witch. (Also, DSH, the British version of The Ladykillers demolishes the tepid Coen Brothers remake. You should definitely seek it out.)
.....
My wife and I continue our Halloween movie marathon!
First, we watched The Town that Dreaded Sundown (1976). Whereas the (really good) 2014 meta-remake/sequel is a more traditional slasher film, the original version of The Town that Dreaded Sundown is more of a police procedural interspersed with very good slasher movie sequences (and, occasionally, some good, if discordant, comedy sequences). It’s a really unique film, especially for its era, and it reminded me, a bit, of David Fincher’s Zodiac (2007). That is, it is more about trying to solve inherently random, nearly unsolvable murders than it is about the murders themselves.
Next, we watched The City of the Dead a/k/a Horror Hotel (1960). It is a British film, set in Massachusetts, about a young woman conducting a research project on witches. In pursuit of her research, she heads to a remote Massachusetts town that was the site of a notorious witch burning. The town is super-duper creepy, with: (1) a gas station attendant who warns of going there; (2) run-down, antiquated buildings; (3) crooked headstones; (4) mysterious residents; (5) creepy noises; (6) a blind, paranoid clergymen; and (7) a fog machine that runs 24 hours a day. Everything is beautifully filmed in inky black-and-white, and it features a mostly great cast, including a young Christopher Lee in one of his first horror movie roles. It features a shocking mid-film twist, and it quickly became one of my favorite British horror films and one of my favorite horror films of the 1960s. Highly recommended.
Last night, my wife and I finally watched Hereditary (2018). At the time of its release it was considered one of the scariest movies ever made. It isn’t. It is still a very well-acted, well-directed horror film, however, with stupendous sound design. Other than wishing it had lived up to the hype a bit more, I really liked it, and it is essential viewing for horror movie fans.
prfsnl_gmr’s Halloween Movie List 2020 - Outbreak Edition
Slither (2006) -
The Creeping Flesh (1973) -![Neutral :|](./images/smilies/icon_neutral.gif)
Man-Made Monster (1941) -![Neutral :|](./images/smilies/icon_neutral.gif)
Doctor X (1932) -![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Audition (1999) -
The Vanishing (1988) -![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
The Return of Doctor X (1939) -![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
REC (2007) -![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
The Devil Doll (1936) -
Captive Wild Woman (1943) -
The Shout (1978) -![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Phenomena (1985) -
Squirm (1976) -![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Lake Mungo (2008) -![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
The Burrowers (2008) -
Psychomania (1972) -
A Chinese Ghost Story (1987) -
Possum (2018) -
Final Exam (1981) -![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
The Town that Dreaded Sundown (1976) -
The City of the Dead (1970) -
Hereditary (2018) -![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
.....
My wife and I continue our Halloween movie marathon!
First, we watched The Town that Dreaded Sundown (1976). Whereas the (really good) 2014 meta-remake/sequel is a more traditional slasher film, the original version of The Town that Dreaded Sundown is more of a police procedural interspersed with very good slasher movie sequences (and, occasionally, some good, if discordant, comedy sequences). It’s a really unique film, especially for its era, and it reminded me, a bit, of David Fincher’s Zodiac (2007). That is, it is more about trying to solve inherently random, nearly unsolvable murders than it is about the murders themselves.
Next, we watched The City of the Dead a/k/a Horror Hotel (1960). It is a British film, set in Massachusetts, about a young woman conducting a research project on witches. In pursuit of her research, she heads to a remote Massachusetts town that was the site of a notorious witch burning. The town is super-duper creepy, with: (1) a gas station attendant who warns of going there; (2) run-down, antiquated buildings; (3) crooked headstones; (4) mysterious residents; (5) creepy noises; (6) a blind, paranoid clergymen; and (7) a fog machine that runs 24 hours a day. Everything is beautifully filmed in inky black-and-white, and it features a mostly great cast, including a young Christopher Lee in one of his first horror movie roles. It features a shocking mid-film twist, and it quickly became one of my favorite British horror films and one of my favorite horror films of the 1960s. Highly recommended.
Last night, my wife and I finally watched Hereditary (2018). At the time of its release it was considered one of the scariest movies ever made. It isn’t. It is still a very well-acted, well-directed horror film, however, with stupendous sound design. Other than wishing it had lived up to the hype a bit more, I really liked it, and it is essential viewing for horror movie fans.
prfsnl_gmr’s Halloween Movie List 2020 - Outbreak Edition
Slither (2006) -
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
The Creeping Flesh (1973) -
![Neutral :|](./images/smilies/icon_neutral.gif)
Man-Made Monster (1941) -
![Neutral :|](./images/smilies/icon_neutral.gif)
Doctor X (1932) -
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Audition (1999) -
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
The Vanishing (1988) -
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
The Return of Doctor X (1939) -
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
REC (2007) -
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
The Devil Doll (1936) -
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Captive Wild Woman (1943) -
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_sad.gif)
The Shout (1978) -
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Phenomena (1985) -
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Squirm (1976) -
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Lake Mungo (2008) -
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
The Burrowers (2008) -
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Psychomania (1972) -
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
A Chinese Ghost Story (1987) -
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Possum (2018) -
![Neutral :|](./images/smilies/icon_neutral.gif)
Final Exam (1981) -
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
The Town that Dreaded Sundown (1976) -
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
The City of the Dead (1970) -
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Hereditary (2018) -
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)