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october horror movie-a-day thingy day #4


The Manitou (William Girdler, 1978)

Much like the film I watched yesterday, In the Dark, this is really cool in a lot of ways but its just in a style that has a limit to how much I can like it. Its one of those over-the-top supernatural studio horror films from the era, which can be fun and go way off the rails (like say Poltergeist and, idk, this, I'm not an expert on this style lol) but they seem to always have a distinct vibe that I don't gel with and always feel safe no matter how nuts they go, and this one does go pretty nuts. The big things the film has going against it outside of just the style are the score being waaaay too much (again, something I just attribute to these kind of films) and Tony Curtis is kind of awful. Otherwise, everything else is pretty good. Its shot quite well, mostly in a "getting the job done" kind of way but there's a good bit of flavour in here a points too and just the general premise (an evil Native American spirit being reincarnated into its new body as it incubates attached to a woman's back and does psychic and supernatural mischief) and ideas are big and crazy, sometimes to its detriment but mostly not. Overall its pretty fun, just not really my thing at the end of the day.



I've been trying to watch a horror film a night for October (Censor on the 1st, Hidden on the 2nd) but the unnatural levels of boredom caused by Tentacles has already thrown me off my game. How to finish such a thing? Do I finish the last half hour tonight, even though there is little likelihood it can possibly get better?


What to do, what to do?



I've been trying to watch a horror film a night for October (Censor on the 1st, Hidden on the 2nd) but the unnatural levels of boredom caused by Tentacles has already thrown me off my game. How to finish such a thing? Do I finish the last half hour tonight, even though there is little likelihood it can possibly get better?


What to do, what to do?
The second half involves the Quint-esque character using trained orcas to help hunt the squid. How can you deny yourself that?



I've been trying to watch a horror film a night for October (Censor on the 1st, Hidden on the 2nd) but the unnatural levels of boredom caused by Tentacles has already thrown me off my game. How to finish such a thing? Do I finish the last half hour tonight, even though there is little likelihood it can possibly get better?


What to do, what to do?
There's nothing boring about Shelley Winters' hat.
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Held. Like The Rental from last night this is about affluent white people renting a house in the middle of nowhere and their relationship issues come to light, more by-the-numbers than The Rental and overall kind of dull, but there’s a reveal that I enjoyed over halfway through and wish it expanded more on that.

A Classic Horror Story. This Italian movie definitely has its inspirations and doesn’t reinvent the wheel but it mostly works and is brutal fun. I thought this was going to be the shining star for the evening but then I watched...
I was kind of underwhelmed by both of these.

And with Held (MAJOR SPOILERS)
WARNING: spoilers below
the reveal about it being abusive men controlling their wives is, like, thematically kind of interesting. But the actual logistics of it don't make a lick of sense. At all.



I finally watched a movie in the 80s collection I hadn't seen. Strange Behavior.
I did not find an angle to see any of it's possible charms.


I watched Jess Franco's Count Dracula. I think it's safe to say, I prefer his sleezy stuff. He seems to put more inspiration and style into those. But it might give me a perspective should I get to rewatching Vampyros Lesbos this season for how he goes about the gothic aspect of his movies, since this one was an attempt to be purely gothic.

That's 9 movies so far this October. I need to actually give my thoughts on them at some point.



The Manitou (William Girdler, 1978)

ideas are big and crazy
I have yet to see this film in its entirety, but for like 15 years its plot description has made me do a double take. I first read the plot described as: "A man begins to suspect that the lump on his girlfriend's back is actually the reincarnated spirit of a shaman."



I have yet to see this film in its entirety, but for like 15 years its plot description has made me do a double take. I first read the plot described as: "A man begins to suspect that the lump on his girlfriend's back is actually the reincarnated spirit of a shaman."
you would absolutely not believe me if i told you what the climax of this film was like.



Held. Like The Rental from last night this is about affluent white people renting a house in the middle of nowhere and their relationship issues come to light, more by-the-numbers than The Rental and overall kind of dull, but there’s a reveal that I enjoyed over halfway through and wish it expanded more on that.
I thought the movie was fine (it was nice to see Alison Brie), but I liked these movies better when they were shot on film for peanuts. The marginal production values of first wave slashers give them a kind of tension this movie never approaches.



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Horrorfest 2022

I do it from July-early November for the past four years or so. The first Horrorfest was started in 2008 though.
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Great White. Ah the first shark movie of the season. Everyone looks like a model, most of it is slow, and the third act is ludicrous. I’d expect nothing less.

Watcher. This was quiet, tense, excellent. Loved it.



october movie everyday thing #5


Xtro 3: Watch the Skies (Harry Bromley Davenport, 1995)

What a weird series of films this is. The first Xtro might be a top 10 horror movie for me, Xtro 2 is among the worst and especially most boring films I've ever seen and Xtro 3 here is right in the middle, both in quality and in style. All by the same director too and from what I've heard this is the only one he actually likes. So its another military based film like 2 was but at least the whole film isn't in one samey looking bunker this time and it brings back a hint of the utter bizarreness that the first film is known for. Just a couple weird shots here and there and a bit of the body horror, nothing too crazy. The film does do one thing that I feel like I don't see often which is throwing shade at the American military, especially for things from WWII where America usually gets cart blanche for any war crimes they did since they weren't the nazis. It doesn't have anything particularly poignant to say but whatevs, cool try. The film is also mostly just Predator. I've never actually seen Predator but this has a bunch of army peeps facing off against one alien that has a cloaking ability in the woods so I'm gonna say this is def a bit of a ripoff. But yeah, enough cool shots to carry the film, there's bad visual effects that end up looking weird enough to be interesting, the alien puppet, while a very stupid design, is pretty well made, the typical annoying army goons could have been worse I guess and it passed the time well enough. Oh, and the score is just awful lol. Need to mention that.



I have yet to see this film in its entirety, but for like 15 years its plot description has made me do a double take. I first read the plot described as: "A man begins to suspect that the lump on his girlfriend's back is actually the reincarnated spirit of a shaman."

Yup, that's the plot all right.
For some reason I thought it was a made for TV movie, but it's been a few years, and it might have just been the tone of the earlier (non-ending) parts of the movie.


The ending really is the highlight of it all.



I've seen Great White, but can't actually remember my opinion of it.


I never watched beyond the first X-tro. I don't know why. My assumption was just, "any sequel to this will probably end up feeling like watching The Fly part 2."



I've added one and a third titles so far to my list.

Vampires in Havana is an interesting one. Nice jazzy score, a fairly complex story for a 70 minute animated film. But some of the animation is dated and the women don't end up well in this. Worth a look because I can't think of that many animated vampire films where they act like vampires.

Partway through the Firestarter remake and have to wonder when does it start becoming good?



Great White. Ah the first shark movie of the season. Everyone looks like a model, most of it is slow, and the third act is ludicrous. I’d expect nothing less.

Watcher. This was quiet, tense, excellent. Loved it.
Agreed on both!

If you want more typical shark fare, check it The Reef: Stalked ( I think that’s the subtitle). Not as good as the Reef but actually tries to have subtext!



Agreed on both!

If you want more typical shark fare, check it The Reef: Stalked ( I think that’s the subtitle). Not as good as the Reef but actually tries to have subtext!
I wasn’t as hot on The Reef as other folks but sure I’ll check out the new one. Thanks!