Re: 2020 Halloween Challenge
 

I love horror films. I love Halloween. I am definitely down for this but have a bit of research to do to find films for some of these categories. There are some movies that I'll revisit, as I do periodically, but I'll try to find one's that I haven't already seen for most of these.

If you have specific categories you need, you can post them here. I'm sure you could get some good recommendations.

Indeed. I am mixing in many foreign films in to cover many of these, as well as older classics I have yet to see

Officially started this today. Watched a decent Iranian ghost story:
Under the Shadow.

I thought it was good but not great. I was certainly intensely hyped when it came out, which might be why I felt a bit let down.

I felt the politics got in the way, and it took too long getting to the point. Still, I enjoyed it.

I didn't mind the politics--I actually felt like they were an interesting and fresh context for horror (much the same way as they were in A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night).

But I thought that the film lacked "oomph!". There were some images that I really enjoyed, but I couldn't describe any scenes that really had me at the edge of my seat.

I agree the politics were well done, but I felt they focused too much on that to the point it became a distraction.

I think this Saturday it’s a marathon for me.
Bride of Frankenstein
Razorback
Deep Red

Got it. I agree--proportionally speaking I wish there had been more horror.

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October 1st - 23. A Horror Film on Amazon

The Vast of Night(2019) is a low budget genre bender. It tells the story in real time about a high school couple as they work their way through the town after a mysterious radio transmission. You could call this any one of several types of genre...it has science fiction and mystery elements to it but it could also be viewed as a horror film. Inspired by The Twilight Zone and War of the Worlds the film uses atmosphere to cause a rise in tension.

I don't know if I loved the film or I just admired it for it's technical skill. The director uses these gorgeous tracking shots where you get the scope of a 50's Nebraska/Kansas style town and then it flips into these long monologues from elderly people which provides the best terror. A lot of the story is open for interpretation but I like to start my marathon off with a bang and this was pretty damn amazing.

If you enjoy "Razorback", you may like "Boar" as well. It's also an Aussie film, released in 2017, that deals with the same subject matter.

That you very much, I'll certainly keep that in mind.

Just watched The Lodge (2019) as my Hulu pick and The Wretched (2019), which is also on Hulu, as my witchcraft/satanic film.

I would recommend The Lodge to anyone who enjoys psychological horror or a good slow burn.

I'm not entirely sure that The Wretched was a witch but, the main character researches the creature on a witchcraft website and it marks its territory with a weird symbol. Seems a bit witchy to me. This one is fairly creepy but struggles to maintain that atmosphere towards the end. Worth a look-see though.

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October 2nd 8. A Classic Creature Feature

The Curse of Frankenstein(1957) fills a number of boxes as it's the start of the Hammer series... It's a bit different from the earliest Frankenstein stories in that Hammer gives Victor much more character...he's not a cartoon like he is the James Whale version. This is almost more of a drama than anything else but it still has pretty good production values.

Igor is basically replaced in this film with a protagonist and I kinda liked it. It was a different take and it gave the climax of the film a different sort of impact. Christopher Lee is almost a cameo role but less is more with this one. In the end I think I'm going to continue with the series for this month and see where it goes.

My one instance of "double dipping" will probably be that I watched Godzilla the other day and it was fantastic. The print on the Criterion Channel was absolutely gorgeous. I wrote up a longer review in the "Rate the Last Move you Saw" thread.

The Bride (2017) was my choice for Eastern European horror film. Hailing from Russia, this ghost story is pretty decent at first. At some point the writer or director lost their way and forgot whether this was a story about a sad ghost, demonic possession, haunted house, or family curse. It just sort of floundered in the second half.

The Korean film #Alive (2020) was my zombie pick. This movie featured fast, crazed zombies similar to Train to Busan but was set in an apartment complex where the frenzy really didn't play out too well. It was an okay but forgettable movie.

Watching City of the Living Dead from Lucio Fulci

Totally agree. The second half was a mess. And there was something specific about the climax of the film (or maybe it was the epilogue?) that really bothered me, but I can't remember what it was. Maybe a dumb last minute twist?

Deep Red.
Siddons Horror HOF winner.
I’ve always enjoyed his nominations, and I doubt this will be any different.