October Horror Movie Marathon

[Frankie Teardrop]

APRIL FOOL'S DAY - The mid-eighties slasher faced a fork in the road - "do I carry on doing the same, or do I try something more interesting?" Some, like 'A Nightmare On Elm Street', brought in unexpected elements that would transform their niche. 'April Fool's Day' hedges, but still tries to tweak things a little. At first glance, 'April Fool's Day' stays solidly within the tried and tested post-Christie '... and then there were nine' format; rich idiots visiting their friend Muffy's island (!) during spring break are picked off one by one by a mystery killer (hot favourite is the boat guy mauled in an accident on the way over after a prank misfires). A typical kind of set-up and structure, but what makes a slasher at the end of the day? Is it the set-piece kills, the sense of grim destiny as the reaper closes in, the idea of ritual appeasement for some crime of the past? Even as it cleaves to the template, 'April Fool's Day' is quite lightweight when it comes to any of the traditional slasher elements that lend themselves to horror. What stands out is a strangely seductive sheen that chimes more with those eighties sub brat-pack dramas about post-collegiate naval gazing than exploitation thrills. There's also the end, two fingers in the face of anyone expecting the usual nihilism. An enjoyable watch for anyone who can get into the end of the slasher spectrum closer to 'St Elmo's Fire' than 'Nightmares In A Damaged Brain'.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Interview with the Vampire (1994)

No matter how many times i watch this i never grow weary of it. The minute i sit down i'm lost in Neil Jordan and Anne Rice's world of decaying decadence.

A vampire, Louis, (Brad Pitt) relates his 200 year story to an inquisitive reporter (Christian Slater). Telling of his relationship and introduction to vampirism by Lestat (Tom Cruise).

A rather divisive vampire film but one that is almost unique in the way it portrays the vampire. It's very non-traditional in the way it lets it's metaphors of the daily struggle for survival and the need to search for a mentor to lead them out of the darkness play out.

Probably the films most striking sequence in the Theatre des Vampire show in Paris, where a coven of vampires carries out daily sacrificial rites in front of an audience. Director Neil Jordan stages this brilliantly and a feeling of dread overcomes the viewer as it doesn't take long to realize what exactly is going to happen. As Pitt's Louis smiles to Claudia (the superb Kirsten Dunst), a vampire in the body of a child, 'Vampires pretending to be humans pretending to be vampires'.

Everyone appears at the top of their game. From the production design to the score to the acting and the rich dialogue. Tom Cruise has never been so miscast in a role as he is Lestat and yet he totally owns the part whilst Pitt, Kirsten Dunst and Antonio Banderas also excel.

"That morning I was not yet a vampire, and I saw my last sunrise. I remember it completely, and yet I can't recall any sunrise before it. I watched the whole magnificence of the dawn for the last time as if it were the first. And then I said farewell to sunlight, and set out to become what I became."

Lost Hearts (1973)

Every time i watch this during the month of December i always tell myself to watch it in late October seeing as it's set on Halloween.

Whether you see this in October or December it doesn't make it any less bloody creepy with those two blue dead kids nodding their heads from side to side sporting inane grins whilst playing a bloody hurdy gurdy, empty cavities in their chests where their hearts once resided.

This always seems so far removed from the other cosy fireside tales of the rest of James Ghost Story for Christmas adaptations that i'm happy to watch at the time of year when the thin veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is at it's weakest.

[nosferatu42]

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop

Did you survive?

Barely, slept in until 2pm to recover.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Not a movie, but i've spent a pleasant evening reading stories, poems and Halloween reminisces from a variety of authors including Jack Ketchum, Christopher Golden, Ray Bradbury and Kim Newman, from one of my favourite anthology books October Dreams A Celebration of Halloween.

[MrBarlow]

Drag Me To Hell. 2009.

Sam Raimi came back to the horror franchise with a bang, a loan officer refuses to grant a old woman a extension on her mortgage and the old lady puts a curse on her. Simple little plot that certainly gives out scares, jumps and a decent story of a psychic woman who lost a battle before to save someone and now wants round two with the demon. Alison Lohman plays the young banker who is competing for a promotion tries to fend off the demon with a amateur psychic guru that doesn't go according to plan and then sends her to someone along with boyfriend Justin Long. Entertaining as always.

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[Frankie Teardrop]

DEMONI 3 - AKA 'Black Demons'. I really like director Umberto Lennzi's twilight phase - 'Nightmare Beach', 'Ghosthouse', 'House Of Witchcraft' etc. No-one would call those films his best, but for me they partly define the look and feel of Italian horror back then. 'Demoni 3' has typical late eighties keyboards, a sunny location and a script as throwaway as the carboard acting. Bother, sister and sis's bf are in Brazil doing some unmemorable, possibly fashion related stuff, when brother tangles with Macumba and basically kicks up a big supernatural shitstorm. Trapped in an isolated house, surrounded by zombies - we've seen that one before. It's really all that happens here, only with murdered slaves seeking vengeance via black magic. You don't always look to B-movie knock-offs for a nuanced and sensitive dissection of sociopolitical barbarism, and Lenzi, ever the opportunist, keeps it crass and doesn't offer up his riveting post-colonial analysis. To be frank though, beyond a few candlelit moments with the shuffling undead, he doesn't offer all that much horror either - eyeballs are skewered and a head is axed, but it's all lightweight and does little to lift the slightly ponderous midsection. Despite its catalogue of flaws, 'Demoni 3' held my attention and kept me happy with its quirks. I like what he does with his camera. Basically, whenever there's a horror bit he'll just throw in a zoom, and very often that zoom will shove in our faces a skull with a single prolapsing eyeball. Love it, so blunt and on the nose.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Species (1995)

Starring Natasha Henstridge in her debut role as Sil, a hybrid of alien and human DNA created in a lab by researchers, who when created escapes and goes on the run in Los Angeles looking for a mate.

A cracking science fiction / horror thriller from director Roger Donaldson seemingly inspired by H.R. Giger's Alien - he created the Sil creature - and the body horror of David Cronenberg. In a way this is a typical direct to video B-movie creature / chase film but an excellent cast (Ben Kingsley, Michael Madsen, Forest Whittaker, Alfred Molina and Marg Helgenberger) and some creative and gruesome special effects keep this firmly in the A-List category despite it's many exploitative elements, many of which catapulted the then unknown Henstridge to near superstar status at the time. Film fans will notice a pre-fame Michelle Williams plays the young Sil in the films early sequences.

I'm sure Species is pretty flawed if you think about it and very much of it's time - Hell, Madsen is super cool in it, which wasn't something that lasted an awful long time movie career wise - but on the surface it's a fast paced thrill ride which I've always had a soft spot for after seeing it at the world famous Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on the first night of a weeks holiday.It was a pretty f*cking sensational first night, having only arrived in LA that lunchtime, as we were given complimentary tickets to the world premier of Steven Seagal's Under Siege 2 for the evening after as well as tickets to the then action superstar's handprint ceremony too.

The film as featured in the 88 Films box set from a couple of years ago sounds and looks great and i look forward to wading through the plethora of extras during November, especially wanting to hear if Kim Newman shuts up or his voice squeaks on the commentary during Natasha's many nude sequences.

Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970)

Probably my favourite Hammer vampire film - it vies with the original 1958 film as my favourite. Gone are the subtle sexual subtexts, this is a revenge horror film where the sins of the father might be far greater than the sins of the vampire.

Christopher Lee is once again in fine form, oozing menace in what is a near silent portrayal. Despite the fact Lee doesn't enter proceedings until the fiftieth minute, thanks to an intelligent and certainly different script, fine direction from Peter Sasdy and an accomplished support cast including Ralph Bates, Geoffrey Keen, Linda Hayden, Isla Blair, Peter Sallis and Roy Kinnear, you never really care.

A brilliant night's entertainment.

[MrBarlow]

The Raven. 1963.

Classic Corman movie that spoofs on the Edgar Allan Poe story's with Vincent Price, Peter Lorre and Boris Karloff as three magicians which one is turned to a raven and seeks help by another who enters a duel with a powerful magician. This has always been a delightful movie about ambition, treachery and magic, with a wonderful duel of magicians and lots of humor. The raven is hilarious and it is impressive his training with participation in many scenes. The special effects are simple but impressive for a 1960s movie and a early appearance from Jack Nicholson and always lovely seeing Hazel Court being dazzling.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings (1993)

A nicely atmospheric but unrelated sequel to the 80's classic Pumpkinhead in which Andrew (Dirty Harry / Hellraiser) Robinson plays a new sheriff returning to the small hick town he grew up in with his wife and daughter. However daughter (Amy Dolenz) quickly falls in with the wrong crowd and they inadvertently bring the Pumpkinhead creature back to life following an ill advised Occult ritual. Seemingly the creature had been buried waiting to seek vengeance for a crime decades earlier.

There's a lot to enjoy here. Robinson i find is always worth watching and it's fun seeing Steve Kanaly (Ray from Dallas) as the town governor at the center of the mystery of the creatures return, meanwhile Scream Queen Linnea Quigley also has a small role but memorable role in proceedings.

Once again the Pumpkinhead creature looks terrific and the action is plentiful and bloody but the question needs to be asked as to why Pumpkinhead seems to go around with it's own electrical storm in tow? It's bound to be an epileptic's worst nightmare.

Halloween: H20 (1998)

Set 20 years after the events of that fateful night in Haddonfield 1978, after faking her own death and coming up with a new identity, Laurie Strode, now with a teenage son (Josh Hartnett), works at the private boarding school Hillcrest Academy in California. However things are about to get messy as her brother Michael is coming home for the Halloween holiday.

A good cast, some nice in joke Easter eggs and some creative set pieces make Halloween: H20 one of the classier offerings in the series.

A sequel to Halloween II, all further installments are completely ignored, this feels like the real deal, even if it owes a little too much to writer Kevin Williamson's Scream, in fact i'm sure it even nicks musical cues from that film. With Michael Myers and Jamie Lee Curtis in good form it's easy to ignore those details and with a good supporting cast, clever in joke Easter eggs and some creative set pieces come together to make Halloween: H20 one of the classier more accomplished offerings in the series.

[Justin101]

The scene where Laurie Strode chugs a full glass of wine so she can swap her empty glass for another full one makes me laugh every time. Probably my favourite film in the Halloween franchise