Horror Moviefest: Part 1

So 2 years ago as a newly employed corporate slave I for some reason had the moronic idea to watch a different horror movie every day of October. It apparently sounded like a good idea at the time, however by about day 5 I was already beginning to regret my decision. Unfortunately I had already told so many people about it that I was too embarrassed not to go through with it. Over the next couple weeks I'll occasionally post some quick reviews for the 31 films I watched during my Horror Moviefest. Please note that at the time of this marathon I was still adjusting to the awful monotonousness of working life and was drinking heavily, so I apologize if some of my reviews are quite lacking. Honestly I think I fell asleep during a few of them too...

1st - Friday the 13th - The original of course, not the unnecessary Michael Bay produced remake. While this film may not have held up as well as the original Halloween or Nightmare on Elm St., it is nevertheless a true classic worthy of starting my epic movie marathon. It didn't start the slasher franchise, but it was the first film to truly follow all the now classic slasher movie rules/cliches. Who doesn't love seeing Kevin Bacon take an arrow through the throat? As most people know, besides Drew Barrymore apparently, Jason is not the killer in the original film, but he does make a brief cameo appearance. Necessary viewing for any self respecting horror fan. 7.4/10

I'm Afraid that's a wrong answer...

2nd - The Haunting in Connecticut - This was just your average very formulaic modern jump scare possession movie. Honestly I remember this film more for a bad joke a friend from undergrad used to make about it than for anything that happened in the film itself. 4/10

3rd - Freaks - One of my biggest fears is midgets; they just creep me out. I know that isn't PC to say but it's true. I had heard about this movie years ago but was hesitant to watch it as it is notable for casting real life circus freaks. Overall it was a pretty well made horror film, scarier than most horror films from its time. Some of the acting and plot is pretty poor but that's to be expected with amateur actors. The film has a very memorable conclusion that is very creepy. Below is a parody of that scene from South Park. 7/10

4th - Ginger Dead Man 3 - When I started this film I was nervous that I would be very lost at the start of it. After all, although I had seen the first one, a classic with Gary Bucey, I had missed the second. Surprisingly it did not seem like I missed any major plot points and was able to follow along fine. I believe this one involved time travel back to a 70s roller disco. If you have seen any other films in the series then you know what to expect. Like most horror franchises with many sequels the films became more about humor and over the top kills than actual horror. Unfortunately Gary Bucey does not reprise his voice role. Only check this film out if you for some reason like the franchise and have 65 minutes to kill. 5/10

5th - A Nightmare on Elm Street - Once again I unfortunately have to stipulate that I of course watched the original Wes Craven classic, not a Michael Bay produced ripoff. I had heard great things about this series for years, I mean who hasn't heard, but for whatever reason it took me forever to finally watch it. I guess I had read so much about how it descended into poor comedy online that I honestly didn't have very high expectations. Boy was I wrong. The original is an absolute classic. Sure the plot is absurd, but it is very well made and very scary. It has a surprisingly very low body count, but the deaths are quite memorable. Johnny Depp death scene actually predicts what his career would look like in the 2010s. 8/10

6th - Tenebre - As anyone who follows my twitter knows, I am a huge fan of the Italian Horror genre called Giallo. The genre has a pretty specific formula wherein a normal citizen gets caught up investigating a series of violent murders which usually leads to epic chase scenes accompanied by heavy metal music. Tenebre is an example of the Giallo formula done to perfection by the master of the genre Dario Argento, accompanied by his awesome band Goblin. Highly recommended to anyone who has never seen a Giallo film. Check out The Bird with the Crystal Plumage and Opera by Argento if you like or can't find Tenebre. 7.8/10

7th - The Grudge - I watched the original Japanese version. I believe I looked it up and was surprised to find that The Grudge was actually the 3rd movie in a horror franchise in Japan. Movie wasn't terrible, but I found it more weird than actually scary. Hard to believe Hollywood found anything worth remaking for an american audience. Maybe things are more scary when they happen to SMG? 5.5/10

8th - Prince of Darkness - I am a big fan of John Carpenter, and although this is not one of his most well known films, it is still one of the better horror films from the 80s. Honestly I could watch paint dry if it has a John Carpenter score. The plot concerns the Devil coming into our world through some anti-matter particle. While the film might not live up to the epic nature of the plot, it is nevertheless a quality scary movie from a master of horror. Apparently Alice Cooper brought along a prop from his stage show which he used in his cameo. 7.5/10

9th - Halloween H2O - I'd say that besides Evil Dead, Halloween would have to be my favorite horror movie franchise. I decided to purchase a 3 pack of movies from the latter part of the series which includes Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers, Halloween H2O and Halloween Resurrection. Besides some hilarious acting choices, Paul Rudd in 6 and Busta Rhymes in Resurrection, the other films in the 3-pack are quite forgettable. H20 is definitely the strongest in the series besides the original, with Jamie Lee Curtis returning to the series that made her famous. More hilarious casting of young Josh Hartnett and LL Cool J aside, this is your typical Halloween flick. Michael Myers kills teens, refuses to die and somehow can't kill the 1 person he's going after. Includes a few more scares and some better production values to put it above the previous entries in the series. 7.2/10

10th - Peeping Tom - I highly anticipated watching this film as I had heard many positive things. Apparently this film was so controversial at the time it was released that it ruined a once promising director's career. However, over time it has become regarded as a classic. I don't think I would rate it as high as the true horror classics but it was an interesting flick. Main character was incredibly creepy and it sort of had a Rear Window type vibe putting the audience in a voyeuristic perspective. 6.5.10

To be Continued.....