2020 Horror Month
The rules are simple. 31 days. 31 horror movies. None that I have ever seen before and from all walks of the genre. I will judge the success of the month by my rating average, and give a best and worst for the month. The criteria of those titles is entirely subjective and the results of the impression each movie left with me. This is not indicative of their quality though that may play a factor in their score.
To explain their rating a bit, if a movie is so bad that its on the verge of being painful, it would fall somewhere within the 1-3 range. The 4-6 range is for movies that are not good but still watchable to good movies that have left little long lasting impression. 7-10 are movies I enjoyed to love.
To explain their rating a bit, if a movie is so bad that its on the verge of being painful, it would fall somewhere within the 1-3 range. The 4-6 range is for movies that are not good but still watchable to good movies that have left little long lasting impression. 7-10 are movies I enjoyed to love.
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- DirectorDon CoscarelliStarsA. Michael BaldwinReggie BannisterBill ThornburyMike travels through time and dimensions to find the Tall Man's origins.I really wanted to like this one more but its unfortunately hit and miss. I liked the Reggie portions of the movie, fighting the trooper and the breastinals, but Mike's portions were a bit overdeveloped. He still has some good moments like the barren city scene, but a lot of his scenes are plodding and slow. Then there are the flashbacks. When they reused scrapped footage from the original movie, it didn't quite work well. They re-contextualize them to fit into the narrative, but they still seem like they don't fit perfectly. Its like putting the round block through the square hole. It fits but its still not right. Except the final one. That one was very effective. Ultimately, this falls far short from the original Phantasm, is better than II, and I feel is kind of a toss up with III. Both are very heavily flawed, but at least they aren't II.
- DirectorLeigh WhannellStarsLogan Marshall-GreenMelanie VallejoSteve DanielsenSet in the near-future, technology controls nearly all aspects of life. But when the world of Grey, a self-labeled technophobe, is turned upside down, his only hope for revenge is an experimental computer chip implant.A solid Blumhouse movie. This movie is a sci fi retelling of the possessing hand story, and it translates fairly well. Its fast paced and has some exciting action scenes that later devolves into a competent thriller. Maybe the beginning is a little too fast paced, as Gray seems a bit manic in his reaction to killing someone and then suddenly being very okay with what he did. But the last act is where it really picks up, as he goes after the final man who killed his wife and discovers just how deep the rabbit hole goes. Its a downer ending but it was hinted to pretty well so it doesn't feel like a let down. Ultimately, this was a very good movie to start the month.
- DirectorStephen C. ApostolofStarsCriswellFawn SilverPat BarringtonA couple driving to a cemetery looking for inspiration for a horror story encounters the dancing dead.Burlesque before it was morbidly obese women sticking a Peewee Herman doll in their pants, except by Ed Wood. Forget never making a second take, the man has never pressed the backspace key on a keyboard either. I quote: You have made your decision, now you will live with it. I should say you will die of it." But in honesty, I was really expecting worse. Yes the backgrounds and props are cheap. Yes the fog machine obscures the dancers from time to time. Yes there is an intrusive couple that deliver comedy if you really hate the English language to consider it as much. And yes there are some of the worst actors reading the worst dialogue not written by a Persian billionaire trying to make big American movie. But it has Criswell. And some of the dancers still hold up. Not the cat one however. That surely did not. Its a typical Ed Wood movie, only with a lot less dialogue and somehow based on a book.
- DirectorCurtis HarringtonStarsDennis HopperLinda LawsonGavin MuirA young sailor is attracted to a mysterious mermaid performing at a carnival, but soon suspects that the girl is actually a siren who draws men to their watery deaths during the full moon.I had much higher hopes for this movie. I was expecting a hidden gem when I found it was an early Dennis Hopper film. What I got was an awkward Hopper, a lot of actors stepping on each other's lines, and a generally slow plot filled with inane dialogue. The end featured so many things that went off at once, it was a little hard to follow until the very end when I pieced it back together. The premise was good, but I found the actual product lacking and disappointing.
- DirectorHarry Bromley DavenportStarsPhilip SayerBernice StegersDanny BraininAn alien creature impregnates a woman who gives birth to a man who was abducted by aliens three years ago. The man reconnects with his wife and son for a sinister purpose.There is a reason this movie is featured in the repetoir of every hoaxer and horror youtube channel. This movie was made on a shoe string budget, but it still looks so incredibly good. The alien costume is well shot, hiding a lot of its faults while still giving you just enough to see how horrible the creature is. While its time is short, the movie does not get weaker without its presence. Instead, it gets even more grotesque. The way the father and son suck on their victims is horrible to look at, and the living toys are surreal to look at. Its a brilliant looking low budget film especially when compared to its sequel Xtro 3, it is hard to even conceive they are related. This may be a top runner for best of the month and a must see for indie horror fans.
- DirectorNeil JordanStarsSarah PattersonAngela LansburyDavid WarnerA teenage girl in a country manor falls asleep while reading a magazine, and has a disturbing dream involving wolves prowling the woods below her bedroom window.I've watched a few movies of this one's ilk, the dark fairy tale. Typically, I found them pretentious; very haughty without anything all that interesting to say. I cannot say the same for this. There are some things that give off warning signs, the story within a framing story for instance, but this movie does manage to deliver on some very memorable scenes and storytelling. A werewolf movie lives and dies on its transformations and this one pulls them off masterfully with practical effects. Whether the wolf is ripping off its human skin or bursting from its own mouth, they all look very good for 80s special effects. In all, I would give this a recommendation. Its a little surreal but there is plenty of interesting stuff.
- DirectorBrad AndersonStarsDavid CarusoStephen GevedonPaul GuilfoyleTensions rise within an asbestos cleaning crew as they work in an abandoned mental hospital with a horrific past that seems to be coming back.This movie took its time to endear itself to the characters, and I appreciated that. They are all pretty well crafted and none of them are an irritant, as is the case for some of these character types. I am talking of course about Jeff, the young family member who was just recently given a job type character, who in spite the irritating trope manages to make it work. He isn't there for brevity and his fear of the dark actually makes him one of the more interesting characters. Which is unfortunate for how they are all so callously dispatched at the end. Without going into spoilers, the ending is where the movie, which has been very good up to this point, begins to fall apart. Even the way they reveal everyone's death, because until now I wasn't even aware they died, feels like they just stopped caring and rushed to the credits. It wasn't perfect until this point. There were some questionable shots that gave this movie the stench of a TV movie. But this ending ruins what was a better time.
- DirectorJeremy DysonAndy NymanStarsSamuel BottomleyDeborah WastellAmy DoyleAfter receiving a file with details of three unexplained cases of apparitions, skeptical professor Phillip Goodman embarks on a terrifying trip.This movie is like a road trip. You just set out and the air of excitement is intoxicating. Your mostly there and the magic is fading but you still can't wait to get there. Finally you arrive and all you can think about is how you wish you were home. This movie starts strong, then kind of drops the plot but in an interesting way, and then ends poorly. It starts as an alright horror anthology, the stories aren't the scariest but the actors and camera work are top notch. The first two don't have a great payoff but are very atmospheric. I managed to scare myself in Simon's story thinking the seat next to him was someone in the car with him. The third is a better campfire tale. Then, it drops the anthology to become a surrealist drama, which renders the opening monologue about his father's religion destroying the family moot. And then there is the final twist that is not all that clever or compelling. There was some good but I fear there may be a pattern starting.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsDennis WeaverJacqueline ScottEddie FirestoneA business commuter is pursued and terrorized by the malevolent driver of a massive tractor-trailer.Spielberg when he was young and hungry, its still a long way to AI. Its very easy to discard this movie. With no death toll, a very simple story line, and a villain that never gets any screen time, most modern horror fans may not pay this movie a second glance to something like Joy Ride. But that is a mistake as the horror of this movie comes from how this could just as easily happen to you. While the killer doesn't get to play up his character like Rusty Nail, it leaves their identity to your imagination so it can be literally anybody. He isn't without some character, even if you never see the "dirty, rotten, no-good son of a bitch," his maliciousness is still played off well with how he seems to taunt and stalk David throughout the movie. This is a rough gem, made for TV and drawn out for theaters, it has its visual flaws but is a must see for Spielberg fans.
- DirectorYakov ProtazanovStarsTamara DuvanIvan MozzhukhinVera OrlovaWhile hosting a game of cards one night, Narumov tells his friends a story about his grandmother, a Countess. As a young woman, she had once incurred an enormous gambling debt, which she was able to erase by learning a secret that guaranteed that she could win by playing her cards in a certain order. One of Narumov's friends, German, has never gambled, but he is intrigued by the story about the Countess and her secret. He soon becomes obsessed with learning this secret from her, and he starts by courting her young ward Lizaveta, hoping to use her to gain access to the Countess.The oldest movie I've watched for Halloween month, and its an interesting time capsule. Does it translate into a watchable movie? I don't know. I liked it as a moral story, like something you would pass to your kids, but its not all that scary even at its darkest moments. I did like the Countess's makeup, it emphasized her age and really made her look otherworldly. And the physical acting was pretty good though I do not believe what they said is whats on the cards.Its a good watch for film buffs and maybe for the novelty.
- DirectorVal GuestStarsBrian DonlevyJack WarnerRichard WordsworthProfessor Bernard Quatermass' manned rocket ship returns to Earth, but two of the astronauts are missing and the survivor seems ill and unable to communicate.Last year I watched Quartermass and The Pit and it was alright. Cheap as sin but it had concept. So I figured I'd catch up with the next two movies, and the first was actually very good. This wasn't an ultra crisp remastered version so I didn't witness too much of the tripe monster, but the movie does what Hammer was best at. It featured a humanoid monster for most of it. He looks good, world's better than the bug aliens from the third installment, and his killer hand is treated well. It takes a while for us to see it and it gets plenty of build for when we do see it. The acting was interesting, unlike the later movie Quatermass is played interestingly. He is neither good nor evil, he does things for the betterment of others but is not an altruist, and it makes him play off interestingly with the rest of the cast. As a result, the squabbles feel natural and there isn't anyone who is clearly right or wrong. It has its little flaws that hinder it, while I commend the build the payoff of the mutant hand is not as spectacular, but I clearly enjoyed it in spite of them. An early Hammer that's a bit shy of perfect.
- DirectorVal GuestStarsBrian DonlevyJohn LongdenSidney JamesProfessor Quatermass, trying to gather support for his Lunar colonisation project, is intrigued by mysterious traces that have been showing up.Not as good as its predecessor but still a fine movie. Its similar in a way to Invasion of the Body Snatchers but with a drastically different tone. Quatermass isn't the kind to see a situation as hopeless and sets a vastly different tone. But this unfortunately comes as a detriment as there is no foil for him to compete with, and as a result there isn't much for him to do. As far as the monsters, they're capable but rather underwhelming. The fact they leave a mark makes it so there isn't much suspense figuring out who is infected. But they do manage to take some important positions of power so they are still formidable. The monster form on the other hand, looks like an early Godzilla villain. Its alright, not the best or the series but still competent. It looks at least a bit better than the cricket aliens in the third film.
- DirectorBob KelljanStarsRobert QuarryRoger PerryMichael MurphyA couple invites a Count from Hungary, who recently immigrated to America, to conduct a seance for the woman's recently deceased mother, oblivious to the fact that he is actually a vampire.This movie was originally intended to be soft core porn and I must say, the end result is sorely lacking something. This movie is unintentionally funny, the acting is, well, soft core porn quality. The women sound utterly devoid of thought, reciting their lines as though they read them for the first time ten minutes before the camera started rolling. The men aren't much better. Except for Robert Quarry, who shows adequate competence as he hypnotizes women while the men who suspect him of being a vampire are distracted by the sunrise, lathers up their faces with his tongue, and enjoys lesbianism. But that means little when the script is this bad. Conversations are stilted and devoid of sound reasoning, the leaps in logic are so astounding they should try out for the Olympic long jump. When the doctor starts talking about vampires in 1970s LA, I can only assume that she was going to him to treat her monthly wandering uterus. Its worth some laughs, but I'm of the opinion it should have stayed as a porno.
- DirectorWilliam BeaudineStarsJohn CarradineClaudia DrakeRobert ShayneDr. Randolph is so obsessed with re-animating the dead in his isolated old dark house and lab that he doesn't realize his wife is in love with his younger assistant.William Beaudine cut his teeth when film was in its infancy and used that experience to create one of my favorite (bad) films, Billy the Kid vs Dracula. Known more for his comedies, crime, and war movies, he took a few missteps into the horror genre with The Ape Man, Voodoo Man, and The Living Ghost, and I wanted to know, did he ever make any good horror movies. To that end, I found this rarely seen gem on 16mm film. The plot mixes mad science and voodoo and does so in a way that actually complements each other. While there are mystical aspects, a lot plays to what the director does best by treating it almost as a crime drama. The police are investigating a mysterious death that the doctors were tentatively involved in (using electricity to resuscitate him a year before a defibrillator was ever used on a human), and as their tests continue they start getting involved in shadier business. Meanwhile, the voodoo practicing maid's meddling ends in tragedy and she continues to kill her way out of trouble. This is all good, but the ending leaves something to be desired. It has its faults but its still a very enjoyable film.
- DirectorJames WhaleStarsBoris KarloffMelvyn DouglasCharles LaughtonSeeking shelter from a storm, five travelers are in for a bizarre and terrifying night when they stumble upon the Femm family estate.This movie looks great. The sets, the wardrobe, the make up, cosmetically speaking this movie looks like a million bucks. Acting wise, its phenomenal. Coming a year after Frankenstein Karloff risked becoming type cast for his mute roles but still conveys great emotion with just his expressions. Thesiger is always a plus and the cowardly brother really stole the show. And Moore too holds her own as the deaf and abrasive sister. The only problem is that this movie was made for its time. The humor is constant but rarely did it ever hit for me, leaving the movie to feel heavily dated. If this were to be more of a horror movie, I think I would have preferred it more.
- DirectorDavid HartmanStarsA. Michael BaldwinReggie BannisterDawn CodyThe final installment of the long-running Phantasm series.I had fun. This isn't the movie that will set the world on fire and revitalize the franchise, but makes for a nice swan song for the fans. Its definitely not the prettiest in the series. The CGI and even the practical effects aren't as good as in the previous films. It has ideas but they aren't able to actually conceptualize them in an appealing way. On top of that, The Tall Man gets the least amount of screen time, likely because of Scrimm's age and poor health. This puts too much weight on the performance of Reggie who is just not strong enough to carry it. Story wise, its certainly a Phantasm movie. A lot of confusing twists that are kind of explained by a single line of dialogue but in itself plays out like a series of dream sequences. This can hurt it for anyone watching it as dreams within dreams within dreams but if you think of it as numerous realities playing out as they intended, you will get more out of it. Unfortunately, I can't call it a good movie but definitely not mediocre but slipping through the crack in between.
- DirectorRamón PeónStarsRamón PeredaVirginia ZuríCarlos OrellanaIn modern day Mexico, a man on the street is supernaturally killed after hearing the eerie sound of a wailing woman. We then arrive at the manor of an upper class family, who are celebrating their young son's birthday. A mysterious cloaked figure is eavesdropping on them, taking advantage of secret rooms and passages. Eventually, the intruder (who appears to be possesessed) kidnaps and attempts to murder the boy at a pagan altar using a sacrificial knife and stone. While this story unfolds, two flashbacks to the Elizabethan and Inquisition era are related, explaining the origins of the "wailing woman". In one, a woman with an illegitimate child has been abandoned by her lover. His formerly faithful friend forces him to a duel over this betrayal. The woman kills her baby and herself, and upon her death a wraith ascends skyward from her corpse. In the other story, an Indian woman has her baby taken from her by the authorities, and she descends into madness and suicide, with her spirit also leaving her body upon death. An ancient ring worn by the principals, as well as the knife and stone, are the bonds between the stories.Mexico's first horror movie, and its not that bad. The settings are very conservative to its own detriment and its hard to tell where everything is in relation to each other but its not all bad. The secret passageways and panels break up some of the monotony, though don't expect much exploration. The movie still seems to be influenced by silent films with sparse dialogue and more emphasis on physical acting. This gives the movie more subtlety which works for the story being told. Albeit the fight choreography is bad. The special effects aren't used to often which is actually a positive, again because of the story being told, and don't look half bad. In all, this was a pretty good movie for old film buffs that can still be watched by younger film goers...
- DirectorJohn Llewellyn MoxeyStarsDarren McGavinCarol LynleySimon OaklandAn abrasive Las Vegas newspaper reporter investigates a series of murders committed by a vampire.I loved this movie. TV movies have a bad reputation for being cheap and restrictive. This movie has a lot against it but still manages to be phenomenally entertaining in its own right. The monster here isn't a character in their own right. The reason for its success is the strength of Kolchak. The monster isn't really that interesting. Though he is a vampire he never gets much in the way of screen time or dialogue. The real foe is the corrupt and incompetent government if anything. This may be in contention for my favorite movie this month.
- DirectorArthur CrabtreeStarsMarshall ThompsonTerry KilburnMichael BalfourA scientist's thoughts materialize as an army of invisible brain-shaped monsters (complete with spinal-cord tails!) who terrorize an American military base in this nightmarish chiller.This movie was the definition of a mullet, business up front and party in the back. The first two acts are very by the books, telling of government secret projects, mysterious deaths, and a populace losing their patience with them. Its pretty much every scifi horror of the 50s. So much so to its detriment. The acting is good but the fight choreography is the literal worst. Its so bad, pro wrestlers would punch them for making it look so fake. And here is where the biggest problem comes into play. The monster is invisible. The stop motion prints are alright but more often than not its nothing more than rustling leaves. And then the third act comes in and completely redeems it. Those invisible monsters become visible and they're killer brains with spines and tentacle eyes. And they look phenomenal. The stop motion is great and the majority of scenes where they interact with the actors look pretty good. And they die real nice. The brains burst open when shot, gushing blood everywhere and making a nasty mess, its wonderful. Its a shame it starts so ordinary, it keeps it from really scoring higher.
- DirectorJack ClaytonStarsMary Grace CanfieldRichard DavalosJake DengelIn a small American town, a diabolical circus and its demonic proprietor prey on the townsfolk.Disney's greatest horror movie albeit I can recall no other. Its alright, maybe a little long winded but a decent children's first horror movie. I was surprised to see that there was blood even if it was from an obvious fake head used to scare the kids. The story itself has a few inconsistencies. While Jim did want to be older, that he would seemingly go along with Mr Dark had me scratching my head. But for the most point it was enjoyable. The verse with which Mr Dark speaks is loquacious which gives him a rather unique aura and lends itself to the verbose confrontation with Charles in the library, probably my favorite scene in the movie. The effects were pretty good for an 80s movie, a little colorful but I rather liked that. The only real issue I had was that it felt a bit long in the teeth. It felt slow for a children's movie but without the depth I feel would be necessary to fill that time. Its still pretty good however.
- DirectorBarbara BrancaccioJoshua ZemanStarsJoshua ZemanBarbara BrancaccioBill EllisRealizing that the urban legend of their youth has actually come true, two filmmakers delve into the mystery surrounding five missing children and the real-life boogeyman linked to their disappearances.I've started adding horror documentaries to my lists and though I'm not particular towards them in general, I have to say that this one was pretty intriguing. Focusing on a more real monster, it paints a portrait of a man that had grown into a piece of local folklore passed among kids. Unlike some of the previous documentarians I wished to throw in front of a bus, the hosts were for the most part very professional. This didn't feel like a vanity project based off a trip they wanted to write off as a business expense and more like a topic they were interested in. That may be the bare minimum for the genre but when Sir Noface exists, every complement should be given. The interviews and research were handled very well as they progressively introduced more people involved in the case and the media circus that surrounded it. There were some things they omitted, for instance the satanic panic that came about shortly after the trial and how that would likely explain the claims of satanic ritual abuse, but overall a good time was had.
- DirectorColin EgglestonStarsJohn HargreavesBriony BehetsMike McEwenWhen a suburban couple go camping for the weekend at a remote beach, they discover that nature isn't in an accommodating mood.I'm pretty sure Tasmanian devils aren't found on the Australian main land but okay. Australia has many animals not found anywhere in the world that all want you dead. Killer spiders, killer crocodiles, killer scorpions, killer snakes, killer caterpillars, it is the second most inhospitable place behind Detroit. So you would think that from this list of scum and villainy, you would expect birds wouldn't be the most capable killers. there are really three characters in this movie. The two suburbanites and the Australian bush. And the bush is the most sympathetic. That actually does make for an interesting movie, as the two bicker and carry on, you start to feel bad for the animals. When he is reaching for the possum, I may not know his intent but I cannot think it would be anything but ill. One of the bigger concerns was that I thought he was going to kill the dog seeing as he can't seem to keep track of it at all, but was pleasantly surprised. While I expected this to be very vague, the dugong arc has me thoroughly invested. I rate this very highly, not quite my favorite but pretty close up there.
- DirectorBrian De PalmaStarsJohn LithgowLolita DavidovichSteven BauerThe oncologist wife of a prominent child psychologist suspects her husband has an unhealthy scientific obsession with their child, unaware of what - or who - is really going on inside his head.Is this movie as good as Split. No, Split was a master class in acting talent that is as rare as discovering diamonds in the sand. But this was a great movie in its own right. While Lithgow may not be up to that level, his cartoony characters are charming in their own right. While never scary, their quirks make them entertaining to watch. Characters are stereotypical, like the old cop that still can't give up the job, the evil foreign doctor, and Cain is a bad boy because he wears leather jackets and smokes with cigarettes. But they are charming in their own right because they are portrayed so well. And then there are the little quirks that De Palma includes, like the 4 minute scene where the officers guide the doctor down to the morgue only for her to repeatedly nearly wander off. This may not be De Palma's best work, its no Phantom of the Paradise, but its still a great movie.
- DirectorJirô NagaeStarsYua AshiharaAyaka KikuchiEiji MoriyamaThe sukima onna is a spirit that lives in the crevices between things. It will pull you in and you may never escape.I know very little about this movie. At only a little over an hour, and looking as it does, its hard to believe this was a theatrical movie. I suspect this is a Feeders situation, an independent movie made on a shoe string budget that couldn't afford much of anything. Actors are TV at best, there are only a couple of extras roaming a Japanese city streets, and plenty of fire.gif to go around. Its not all bad, just most of it. The ghost, until they use the ghost app on their phone on her, looks oddly cute and there are some suspenseful moments. I said moments, not scenes. But most of all, I think this would have made a better story for an anthology. With some heavy editing, this could make an interesting short story. Now this isn't a good movie, I don't think its exceptionally awful. Its only an hour and change and moves at a good enough pace that it doesn't leave you frustrated. Its just the D student.
- DirectorRobert DykeStarsWalter KoenigBruce CampbellLeigh LombardiNASA finds remains of an ancient humanoid race on the Moon that left behind deadly robots.This was a movie that I had high hopes for but as disappointed overall. Its not a bad movie per say, just not as good as I had hoped. The effects are pretty decent I suppose, it was what the director was better known for. They're done with miniatures and they are usually very good. The lander and rover are well detailed and the robots look awesome. Its just that they also use them for people, and the end result are stiff and unimpressive. The acting is a little wooden but I can't necessarily blame the actors. The writing is a bit stilted and their lines were un-intuitive. There were some moments however where they probably could have used another take. I would say that his movie is above average but not by much.
- DirectorJohn NewlandStarsKim DarbyJim HuttonBarbara AndersonA young couple inherits an old mansion inhabited by small demon-like creatures who are determined to make the wife one of their own.Its a solid movie. Not something I would enjoy paying for in theaters but if I were to stumble upon it on TV I would think is pretty good. It looks very much like a 70s movie, with some of that 70s jank. The monster masks look alright enough but their bodies look like gorilla suits. Their whispering does set an ominous tone however and the miniatures are pretty nice. And unlike the previous movie, they aren't supposed to be living things. Acting was TV quality and nothing to write home about. The story was straightforward but I was surprised with how it ended. I just never think of dark endings like this for made for TV movies. Given its limitations, I think it did quite well. Not great but very good.
- DirectorJohn ParkerBruno VeSotaStarsAdrienne BarrettBruno VeSotaBen RosemanThis film, with no dialogue at all, follows a psychotic young woman's nightmarish experiences through one skid-row night.This turned out to be the low point of my month. The gimmick of a 50s movie without dialogue intrigued me at first, but this just didn't hit for me. The acting was comical at best, the rich man being more interested in his post dinner fried chicken was far too comical for me to take the movie seriously. The way things play out, with her cutting the hand off in dull view of everyone on the street was meant to give the movie a dream like quality in which she could do anything. And to that end it was successful. Only problem, it also made me care less about everything going on and made the ending boring. The ten minute jazz interlude didn't help much either. At only an hour, it wasn't too painful but I did want it to end.
- DirectorChristian AlvartStarsDennis QuaidBen FosterCam GigandetTwo crew members of a spaceship wake up from hypersleep to discover that all their colleagues are missing. Despite this, it appears that they are not alone.This movie left me with so many questions. Who designs escape pods that lauench you randomly into the dark depths of space? Why would you have a worker on your super important human transport vehicle who doesn't speak the language of any of the other crewman? Did Dennis Quaid reveal that he was secretly Russel Crowe all along? None of these questions were ever answered. This was almost a really good movie if they only fixed the dialogue, lighting, acting, monster design, pretty much everything. Its not broken by any means, but there are very noticeable cracks that mar what was an interesting story idea. The monsters are very simplistic and kind of boring to look at, the lead whispers through the first half of the movie, and more often than not you can't see anything. Cung Le was pretty cool, but I couldn't understand why he is there when no one speaks his language. A 28 metacritic score is ridiculous, its slightly above par at best.
- DirectorRoger CormanStarsRay MillandDiana Van der VlisHarold J. StoneA Roger Corman tale of Dr. James Xavier's devastating experiments on himself and the unforeseen.This is a rather unconventional horror movie from the Hollywood marathon man, Roger Corman. Notoriously cheap, the effects of this movie were dated hours before the movie even dropped but in spite of that, the way they convey what he sees is interesting. Its like those old red and blue 3D effects, focusing on buildings and whatnot while under construction, giving you a bare bones look at them before the walls and siding are placed. Its a novel idea for what no a days would be done with thousands of dollars of CGI. The acting is great and its great to see the late Don Rickles again. The man could have lived to be a thousand and it would still be too soon. But what really hooked me was the ending. Like his movies or not, Corman was a man who knew how to get the most out of nothing and this was him doing just that. And I think he did very well.
- DirectorDavid LynchStarsJack NanceCharlotte StewartAllen JosephHenry Spencer tries to survive his industrial environment, his angry girlfriend, and the unbearable screams of his newly born mutant child.I have to consider this among my best movies purely on the fact that I can't find any fault in it. The meticulous work that went into this movie, Henry's posture, the potted plant without the pot, the misshapen face on the radiator woman, I can't believe anything here isn't precisely how it was intended to be. The effects are wonderful. Enhanced by the black and white, everything looks realistic, dream like, and existentially horrible. The puppet baby is grotesque and fascinating. The acting is stilted but in a way that makes everything feel awkward and uneasy. I really can't find any qualms with this movie, it deserves its contention for the best of the month.
- DirectorRobert WieneStarsConrad VeidtAlexandra SorinaFritz StrassnyA world-famous pianist loses both hands in an accident. When new hands are grafted on, he doesn't know they once belonged to a murderer.This is my new favorite silent film and really complicates my decision for best movie of the month. I can't stress enough how effective this movie is at conveying a sense of dread without uttering a single word. The ominous music, the way they move around, even the primitive special effects of the time work perfectly together. But what really works is Conrad Veidt's eyes. The look he gives those hands, filled with such disgust and hatred, he looks as though he had legit been driven mad. The story is well crafted with plenty of twists and turns yet is very well established so that you aren't blindsided with how its concluded. When I picked this movie it was more to fill a quota. Not being the biggest fan of silent movies, I was really not expecting the treat I allotted myself.
- DirectorHarry Bromley DavenportStarsPhilip SayerBernice StegersDanny BraininAn alien creature impregnates a woman who gives birth to a man who was abducted by aliens three years ago. The man reconnects with his wife and son for a sinister purpose.Four contenders for my best movie of the month and the highest average I've pulled in yet. Coming in at a flat 7, this was a month of movies I thought were legitimately very good, a handful of middling, and only two I really hated. I think the success has to do with a more refined system I've developed, creating a list of movies that I would be more inclined to be interested in and making it easier to seek them out. Of the two bad movies I watched, I consider Dementia to be the lowest. While not in the category of worst and most painful thing I've watched, damnable Sir Noface, it may have saved from that distinction by having the shortest run time. As to the best, I am a sucker for Kolchack The Night Stalker, but can I consider it the best HORROR movie of the bunch? The monster served more as a prop and much of the movie is him dealing with an unwilling press and corrupt bureaucracy. While the character is great, the movie is only tentatively a horror pic. Then there is the Hands of Orlac. This was a great film, perhaps one of the best, but this comes down to personal taste. I loved the movie but silent films are just not my cup of tea. Eraserhead was an unnerving experience filled with abstractions and horror. It is definitely a must see powerhouse among the list. But ultimately, I went with Xtro. Its graphic and grotesque imagery just left the most lasting impact on me. While Eraserhead did so in a more artistic way, it was just how in your face this movie was that left me jaw dropped.