Wooley's Halfway To Halloween III

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Victim of The Night

Happy Halfway To Halloween everbody!!!

Sorry I'm a bit late, I was on vacation and then my house was busting my balls for a while, but I've gotten on my horse and I'm hot to trot!


Honestly, I just can't wait. Some of y'all know that, historically, while a rabid Horror fan, I limit myself to only watching Horror movies in October, when I watch at least 31, and that's it for the year. Fortunately, I heard the phrase "Halfway To Halloween" somewhere about 3 years ago and decided that was my loophole. So a few years ago, on another forum, I did the first one and the second one was here last year. We takin over Easter!


Obviously, I'm a bit short of time so we may only get like a dozen movies in but I'll have them all here for you.
And I want to encourage anyone else who's enjoying this fine holiday to participate, anything related you want to share, please feel free, but regardless I'll keep posting them movies as long as I can keep up, probably into early May.
Welcome, everybody, and thanks for stopping by.



PS - I gotta go to work right now but I'll have one or two write-ups this afternoon.



I posted this in crumbsroom's thread sometime back, but in case you're looking for recommendations, here's a good list, provided there's some films in here you haven't watched yet:

https://www.listchallenges.com/old-s...fantasy-movies
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Victim of The Night
I posted this in crumbsroom's thread sometime back, but in case you're looking for recommendations, here's a good list, provided there's some films in here you haven't watched yet:

https://www.listchallenges.com/old-s...fantasy-movies
Nice, some great stuff on there and a few I've been meaning to see and never gotten around to. I'll see what's on my streaming services from there.
Thanks!



Victim of The Night

Here’s an early 80s “slasher-in-the-woods” offering crossed with an episode of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?
A group of young people, including an obvious Fred, a nerdy character with glasses, a pretty, fun-loving, self-confident gal, a more serious, smart one, and a kinda goofball, driving in a van on an adventure with their talking Great Dane… oh, wait, scratch that last part. But all the rest of it is on-point. Anyway, they are driving up the big, scary mountain to the cousin’s place that Fred has now inherited the deed too when they run into a park ranger (George Kennedy!) who warns them not to go up the mountain and then another guy who warns them that there’s a demon on the mountain (I mean, seriously, this is an episode of Scooby-Doo, minus, ya know, actual Scooby-Doo… and add a rather menacing machete).


Of course, they ignore all this and go up anyway, at which point they begin to be casually stalked by someone. (And just like a Scooby-Doo episode, there’s actually an opening sequence where we meet the villain before we actually meet the kids, so we already know what the “demon” is.)
Anyway, eventually some killing gets under way and there’s a bit of a Deliverance element and also a little something the savvy viewer will have seen reflected in Pumpkinhead (probably not directly but you’ll know what I mean). And then there’s a scene where the kid with the glasses drops them and has the whole “Oh no, my glasses! Is that you, Shaggy?” as the villain walks right up to them and makes the menacing noise or whatever… it’s hilarious. Fortunately, that scene leads right into the most interesting moment of the film, which the whole thing ultimately hinges on.
So, what’s the dope on this film?
Well, you’ve seen worse. I promise you. Despite it’s very-low budget, this is a perfectly competent kids-in-the-woods horror movie (and by kids I mean 20-somethings) with some creepy backwoods elements that, while not offering much in the art department (Wikipedia says the cinematography was “praised” but I thought it was “fine”), competently tells a story that's at least not totally cookie-cutter (though the cookies mostly look like other cookies you've had). The acting is at least adequate if not better, with a particularly strong performance (for the budget, mind) by obvious-from-the-first-scene-but-damn-plucky-when-it-counts Final Girl, Constance…


… and George Kennedy actually not phoning it in but giving a convincing, professional go. Mad respect.
And the mini-twist in the plot lands very successfully and gives the movie enough oomph to carry it to the end, particularly when Constance shows her mettle in the inevitable Final Confrontation.
All in all, it’s not necessarily a movie I’d recommend except for true completionists but I would also say you could do a lot worse on a lazy Sunday.
No idea what "Just Before Dawn" has to do with anything in the movie, though.


Just Before Dawn



Victim of The Night
Wooley, you should watch Rankin Bass' Mad Monster Party
I have and will again, but I think that's gonna be an October thing for the Horrorthon thread (hopefully with Captain Terror again).



Victim of The Night
That's January Q. Irontail, played by Vincent Price, from Here Comes Peter Cottontail.
That's so dope.



I have and will again, but I think that's gonna be an October thing for the Horrorthon thread (hopefully with Captain Terror again).
I watch Rankin Bass anytime of year. I was very young when they came out, except MMP. It's 1 year older than I.



Victim of The Night
I watch Rankin Bass anytime of year. I was very young when they came out, except MMP. It's 1 year older than I.
Yeah, and I would, but we like to really jazz up that Horrorthon thread and I think that's just the sort of thing for it. I don't know if you joined us last year but we like to do a lot of different things like cartoons, Horror art, music-videos, etc., in addition to just movie reviews and kind of create a whole experience. I think MMP will be perfect for that.

https://www.movieforums.com/communit...ad.php?t=64896



Yeah, and I would, but we like to really jazz up that Horrorthon thread and I think that's just the sort of thing for it. I don't know if you joined us last year but we like to do a lot of different things like cartoons, Horror art, music-videos, etc., in addition to just movie reviews and kind of create a whole experience. I think MMP will be perfect for that.

https://www.movieforums.com/communit...ad.php?t=64896

Nah, I don't join those even though I enjoy horror.

I watch the same ol' movie on Halloween. I'm a del Toro fan so I watch Crimson Peak. It's not great but it's now a habit.



Victim of The Night
Which reminds me, in addition to watching these movies, I'm also reading a fun book this month in honor of the imaginary holiday:


Unlike the EC collections that many people have, this is a collection of stories from some of the less reputable Horror comics of the same era. EC was great, of course, just ask Stephen King and Guillermo Del Toro, but they did a lot of Twilight Zone stuff and a lot of stories that were more eerie than straight up graphic Horror, so this collection goes for the more overtly ghoulish.



Victim of The Night
Nah, I don't join those even though I enjoy horror.

I watch the same ol' movie on Halloween. I'm a del Toro fan so I watch Crimson Peak. It's not great but it's now a habit.
I hear that, I used to watch White Zombie every Halloween. Habit.



I hear that, I used to watch White Zombie every Halloween. Habit.
I enjoy horror but I'm picky about what decade it's from.

I enjoy extreme cinema as well but mostly foreign stuff.

I don't like 50s and 70s horror. I find it rather dull as an adult. And 80s horror is CHEESEY.



Victim of The Night
I enjoy horror but I'm picky about what decade it's from.

I enjoy extreme cinema as well but mostly foreign stuff.

I don't like 50s and 70s horror. I find it rather dull as an adult. And 80s horror is CHEESEY.
Well, let's see how long you last here, cuz I'm goin' LOW.



Well, let's see how long you last here, cuz I'm goin' LOW.
Lol I have been a member of the forum for many years.