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Friday, November 2, 2012

31 Nights of Horror 2012 - PART 2

I'm always varying things up when doing these marathons, whether it's different eras or sub-genres. I always throw stuff in I haven't seen and there were actually a couple of surprises in this group.

October 11th - ROAD TRAIN (US TITLE - ROAD KILL)  6/10
This is an Aussie flick from 2010 about a demonic Road Train, which is basically an 18-Wheeler with extra trailer, that traverses the outback hunting people.  I am a sucker for killer vehicle movies and I've been a fan of nearly every cult Aussie flick since I was a kid.  With all of that going for it, this film was a bit of a letdown.  Without giving anything away, the film actually has a solid concept.  They just spend way too much time on a plot that would be better suited for a soap.  The pacing needed work, the dialogue was shit so the actors couldn't overcome the script and some of the artistic flare just didn't work.  However, this flick shows promise and tried to be a little different and surreal.  For that I gave it an extra point.

October 12th - SCARECROWS  7/10
HayAy!!  There just aren't many decent killer Scarecrow movies out there and really no great ones.  Another opportunity for someone to do something badass, I say.  Anyfuck, this 1988 film is easily one of the better ones and some might argue the best.  It sets a great tone and does it's best to overcome its many faults.  Bottom line though is that its an entertaining flick with a better than average plot.

October 13th - THE DEVIL'S ROCK  8/10
This one might be the surprise of the month.  I wasn't really expecting much to be honest and this film delivered the demonic goods.  From 2011, the storyline actually takes place on the eve of D-Day, so it's a period piece and it's done well.  Interesting plot focusing on 2 soldiers who are on a mission to distract from the Normandy invasion and stumble upon a Nazi plan that has to do with the occult and the supernatural.  I highly recommend this one so I'll say no more concerning the story.  Great pacing, a slow burn, goopy gore galore, incredibly solid acting and go ahead and Netfix this whore because it's streaming for your pleasure.

October 14th - ELVIRA: MISTRESS OF THE DARK  5/10
Looking to lighten the mood, I decided it was about time I watched this film.  Anyone who is a horror geek is familiar with the bodacious boded Elvira as a host of some of the best horror and science fiction schlock flicks around.  Elvira may be stacked but the jokes in this were flat.  Her brand of humor is great in small doses but can't carry a film.  Also, there are little to no horror elements.  This is really a full on comedy and a pretty generic one at best.


October 15th - Double Feature - DOLLY DEAREST  5/10
I laughed, I cried (when I accidentally rubbed salsa in my eye), I watched Tasha Yar try and save her brat daughter, I saw a child that could have easily grown up to be Rick Moranis be a smartass turd to Rip Torn and I watched an older than the Mayans spirit possess some dolls that shook like they were having seizures when they screamed. 
DOLLS  8/10
This is a little nugget of awesome directed by Stuart Gordon.  That should tell you enough right there.  Love the mood of this film.  Gordon has a great sense of dark fantasy in his films, much like Argento, where you feel that you're in a world where all the rules don't quite apply.  If you haven't seen it, I can almost guarantee you'll be hooked after the teddy bear incident.  Enjoy.

October 16th - THE HAUNTING OF JULIA  4/10
Although from 1977, this one was new to me.  All I can tell you is that it's clear Mia Farrow is bad for children.  This much is crystal.  Probably the funniest of all children death scenes right off the bat that will leave you shaking your head in the disbelief of the utter retardation you have just witnessed.  From there it is a boring look at a dry self-possessed nutbar who does a bunch of shit that makes no sense.  This film is a yawn and a disappointment.

October 17th - CHILDREN OF THE CORN  7/10
The film that made cornfields creepy.  You've seen it.  You've heard the theme music.  You've become acquainted with He who walks behind the rows.  He's made of animation. 

October 18th - DON'T LOOK NOW  2/10
Don't Look Now.  Do not.  Look. At the screen.  Holy shit, I can't believe this was recommended to me so highly as some kind of classic.  The only thing more disturbing then the awkward weird grunts Donald Sutherland makes through this film is the love scene between him and Julie Christie where I swear she was up in his armpit nuzzling ferociously.  I'll quote a review of this I read after viewing it and trying to understand what people enjoy about this flick.  "God save us from the artist."  This film wants to be a giallo so bad but the talent is NOT there.  And by the way, the ending that every one says scarred them for life would be a fucking hors d'oeuvre in an Argento film.  Go watch Deep Red or Tenebre and see how shit is done.  And oh yes film friends, I understand very well the intended symbolism, etc, etc but I also understand that half of the shit you claim to be symbolism is in fact random nothing shots that dissolve into objects.  This movie sucks.  I'd never been so happy for a movie to end.  Tripe.

October 19th - TOURIST TRAP  9/10
This 1979 piece of uneasiness is such an underrated rarely seen film.  One of my all time favorite horror films, this flick is flat out disturbing.  The first time I watched this about 8 or 9 years ago I couldn't believe how effective this film is in creep factor.  The less said the better but if I could only recommend 2 rare films from this year's marathon, this would be one of them.  I would also be remiss to not tell you... young Tanya Roberts.

October 20th - PHANTASM  10/10
Listen, if you're not familiar with surreality that is 1979's Phantasm, you aren't familiar with a classic of the horror genre.  If someone mentions "the tall man" or "the ball" and you're clueless, I recommend you rectify that shit immediately BOY.

October 21st - HOUSE OF WAX (1953)  9/10
An absolutely gorgeous piece of cinematic history that is still stunningly colorful.  A Vincent Price classic that holds up amazingly well.  Can't believe I waited this long to watch this.



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