2022 Halloween Challenge

And on Tubi!

A perfect companion to Frankenhooker *significant stare*

I boarded the Henenlotter train about 10 minutes ago. Let's do this!

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Captain's Log
My Collection

Are we interpreting "Historical Horror" just as, like, period piece horror? Like something taking place in the 1800s or earlier? (Just making sure this doesn't mean something like based on actual historical events or something like a Jack the Ripper film).

In my mind, I'd say it's something like The Devils, Witchfinder General, or Eyes of Fire.

964 Pinocchio, 1991

Pinocchio 964 (Haji Suzuki) is a cyborg created by a company as a sex slave. When he fails to perform to the client's satisfaction, the company lobotomizes him and turns him loose on the street where the homeless Himiko (Onn-chan) takes him in. But as Pinocchio starts to regain his memories and ability to speak, his body begins to undergo strange and painful mutations, and these mutations seem to be contagious.

That's, um, that's some body horror alright.

I cannot claim to have understood the literal plot of the film overly well. (And to be honest, I'm not sure that creating a clear and coherent narrative was even the point of this movie). But the emotional themes were plenty resonant and the high-energy, high-emotion delivery kept me on board with the characters and the story.

In discussions of capitalism, sex work is often pointed to as the ultimate example of "selling ourselves" or the concept of human beings as capital. Here we have two characters--because it seems to be implied that Himiko is also an exiled sex cyborg--who have been not only used and abused, but also brutally discarded when not found to be useful. I'm not sure if Pinoccho's mutations happening when he gets his memories back means that it's something the company did to him or not, but that would add an extra dark twist to his "punishment."

The whole film is shot in a very in your face style. Lots of angled close-ups, frenetic montage-style sequences, and gruesome, sexualized imagery. This amps up the impact of the body horror, which includes Pinocchio's body mutating and Himiko producing what I can only call an impossible and impressive amount of vomit. You're probably picturing something in your head when I say "an impossible amount of vomit," but I can assure you that whatever you are picturing you must, at the very least, double.

Despite the way that the movie is shot and the heightened pace and tone of it, there is a strong emotional core. Despite Pinocchio's erratic behavior, Himiko takes him in and takes care of him, even when he gets somewhat physical with her out of frustration. But after Himiko is affected by Pinocchio's mutations, the worst change (yes, worse than the vomiting) is that she at times becomes incredibly cruel to him. Through the film, Pinocchio never totally seems to reconcile himself to this change, registering every cruelty from Himiko with a heartbreaking sense of surprise and betrayal. Even toward the end, he begs her for help.

As with anything so distinct in its personality, this one won't be for everyone. I'm really glad that I read a positive review of it before watching it, because it put me in a good mindset to appreciate what it was trying to do. I'm wondering if any friends in here have seen it---Ueno? Rock?

That's what I figured, but just wanted to double check.

I haven’t seen it, but your review has put it on my radar.

I’m sure I’ll get to it…right after I watch Frankenhooker…

Viy would also work there, if you haven’t seen it. It’s what I chose.

I have seen it. Good stuff!

I think I'm going with The Wind (2018), which is on Netflix. Also considering The Apostle. I'm not really in the mood for torture stuff, and it seems like a lot of historical horror is witch hunters tormenting people. I'll keep browsing.

So tonight then? Great!

I enjoyed both of those when I saw them a few years back. Apostle has some torture scenes but I wouldn’t call it torture porn. Much less violent than Evans’ other movies.

Hmmmm… I’m going to bed.

I liked The Wind.
So you should probably look elsewhere, in other words.

Below
October 3rd
18. A film released in 2002

You could never make a film like Below(2002) today...a cast 20 white people in a boat unthinkable. But all kidding aside Below tells the story of a group of survivors who are brought in by a submarine. After bringing the survivors in weird things start to happen on the ship...that's right we got ourselves a haunted sub.

Part of what I love about this film is that the first half of the film you aren't sure where your sympathies are supposed to lie. You don't know if you are supposed to be with the crew or the survivors and as things unfold the ghost story gets better and better.

The third act is just one great set piece after the other some of the deaths are truly horrifying. Man this is a movie that I strongly recommend especially if you are having trouble finding stuff from this year.

Dead of Night (1945)
October 5th
22. Anthology-Horror

1940'sis the worst decade for horror finding good films is so hard. You basically have to lean on Hitchcock for this era but their are some hidden gems...and Dead of Night is one of them. A group of English guests get together and tell ghost stories. The three really good ones are The Christmas Party about a girl who gets lost in a big house and runs into a strange boy. It's a great little tail that could be made into a decent feature film today. You also have a story about a Haunted mirror which is a film where the effects drive the story...thats not a bad thing. Sometimes a simple idea can tell a great story.

The best story is the Ventriloquists Dummy thelead actually learned how to throw his voice And like most stories with a crazy doll it gets creepier and creepier until the final scene that is just unsettling. A lot scarier than anything I've seen in a Childs Play film.

Yeah, Below is great. Solid early 2000s cast. And I really like Dead of Night as well.

8. Witchfinder General (1968/Blu Ray)



A soldier visits his beloved and is given permission to marry her by her priest uncle. After he leaves for battle, the witchfinder attacks her and executes her uncle for being a witch. Her fiancé returns and vows revenge.

Witchfinder General is a fictional story involving real people from history. Matthew Hopkins really did execute hundreds of English citizens for being witches in the 1600's. So it's appropriate that his portrayal in this movie is one of Vincent Price's most despicable villains. It's disturbing how everyone accepts his judgments and it makes his comeuppance all the more satisfying.



9. Paranormal Activity (2009/DVD)



A couple starts to have weird experiences in their home at night and decides to document it with cameras. They soon learn that something supernatural is behind it and it may have sinister intentions for them.

I was really impressed by what this micro-budget film was able to accomplish. The haunting escalates well from weird noises at the beginning to a full-fledged attack at the end. The special effects are subtle and effective, which gives an air of authenticity to the proceedings. After all, what people call 'real' hauntings are usually banal things like objects moving on their own.

Like any good found footage movie, the actors give natural performances that don't feel scripted. Micah comes off as a huge jerk, but not in a forced way. He's just the a-hole skeptic who thinks he's smarter than everyone else. Katie is the sympathetic victim, who needs help and isn't getting it. I wasn't expecting much from this movie given its tepid reputation nowadays, but I was entertained throughout.

I think it was @Torgo who mentioned the existence of this movie, but I'm not sure if he's seen it.

Part F: Hellraiser (2022): Just watched this one i thought this movie was very well done but there were things about it that kind of make you roll your eyes like things that are convenient like when the female lead finds a medicine bottle just when she needs it stuff like that that makes you go oh ok, but aside from that i liked the main basic story the female lead was great the actors supporting her were great as well it wasn't my favorite horror movie of the year i still prefer barbarian to this one, but i still liked this one but hell raiser films are just different from other horror films l liked the female pinhead and there were a couple of cenobites but the problem is there not quite as good as the original cenobites which is something that disappointed me a little bit i expected a little more from them in this film another thing is they really held back on the gore this time around and they didn't show a lot of it until the very end of the film not that the movie needs gore but the original hellraiser had scenes that made your gorge rise and made you really uncomfortable and gave you a sense of unease but still thought they made great use of what they had in this film and overall i have to say that i actually like this one more than the original because pinhead and the cenobites are in more of the film ie you actually see them unlike the original that was based around the evil uncle of the female lead most of the film anyway. But overall a very good movie and a good addition to the hell raiser universe of films i say 7/10 stars!

And Beyond Thunderdome!