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Month: October 2018

October 15, 2018

31 Films of Halloween: Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers

“Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers,” is TOMFOOLERY at its finest. My favorite idea behind this film is that the theatrical version is consider the incomplete version and the “Producer’s Cut” is the “true” version that everyone needs to see to full appreciate this film.

Perhaps “Curse” is really just a film lost in it’s own Mid-90s Dimension Films bubble where if you had Kevin Williamson write something it would probably sell and add a rockin’ Alt-Rock soundtrack. Oh, and you think the “Halloween” theme was bad in “The Revenge of Michael Myers” this one is just as bad, and last parting shot…this is the film that killed Donald Pleasance, so you’re all welcome…

October 14, 2018

31 Films of Halloween: Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers

You want some NONSENSE…either watch for the first time, or revisit “Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers.” Telepathic links, mute nieces, costume contests, barn sex, metal nets, guys in cowboy boots, hats and wrist tattoos, this film’s got it all.

Oh, and the “Halloween” theme for “Revenge” might be just as bad as the disco/techno version from “Halloween 2.”

October 13, 2018

31 Films of Halloween: Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers

A lot of people will say “Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers” is where the series took a TURN for the worse.

But if you really think about it, “Return” is pretty much a paint-by-numbers remake of 1978’s “Halloween.” It has a lot of the same tropes, but the bodycount is higher and this is when it’s finally established that Michael Myers is a uncontrollable killing machine that can warp around…much like Jason…and has otherworldly strength and power.

Pro-tip: If you have the means, listening to the audio commentaries with the director, Dwight Little, or any other commentary you can find on the Blu-Ray is well worth it.

October 13, 2018

31 Films of Halloween: Copy Cat

#31FilmsofHalloween continues… With Copy Cat! #Copycat is a engaging film that keeps a good balance of intrigue & thrill. Sure, pretty much every aspect of tech appears outdated but overall the story holds up with Sigourney Weaver & Holly Hunter leading the way. Man, I really miss when studios would release films like this.
October 12, 2018

31 Films of Halloween: Halloween 3: Season of the Witch

Tonight it’s time to tell you all how UNDERVALUED “Halloween 3: Season of the Witch” is and will always be.

“Halloween 3” is the classic case of this is why we can’t have nice things. Newsflash folks; “Halloween” was never supposed to just be Michael Myers. We were supposed to get anthology films about the fear we all fell during the Halloween season, but thanks to characters like Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger, who all begin pumping out sequels on a yearly basis, the first “Halloween” film became a victim of it’s own success and failed miserably.

Sure, the story is insane and involved Stonehenge and Halloween masks that kill kids when they hear a TV jingle and an evil cabal of old white men, but looking at this film now, it’s just crazy enough to work and should have been a bigger success when it was released.

October 11, 2018

31 Films of Halloween: Halloween 2 (1981)

My retrospective continues with 1981’s “Halloween 2.”

Man, a lot changed in three years. Whereas “Halloween” was almost more of a thriller that happened to feature a maniac stalking and killing teens, “Halloween 2” fully embraced being a slasher film, especially after the success of “Friday the 13th” which took the original “Halloween” formula, upped the gore, sexy, and body count.

I also think your enjoyment of “Halloween 2” will depend on what VERSION you watch. If I could recommend the TV VERSION, yes, the TV VERSION, you’ll be doing yourself a favor.

October 10, 2018

31 Films of Halloween: Halloween (1978)

In the lead-up to 2018’s “Halloween,” I’m kicking off my retrospective tonight. From the 1978 version all the way to 2009’s “H2,” or Rob Zombie’s “Halloween 2,” or whatever you might want to call it.

I feel like every year I either post a review about the original “Halloween,” or just jabber on about it on the podcast. Maybe it’s because, to me, it’s one of the most important horror films I’ve ever seen.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of John Carpenter’s “Halloween,” and needless to say, this film has been TESTED, and it still holds up. I was able to enjoy it in a theater this year, on an original 35mm print, in it’s native format, and enjoyed it just as much as the first time I saw it. Surrounded by a couple of newbies, and my wife, it was a different experience to see something that influential in a different prism.

But good God, I never realized how many times Linda (PJ Soles) says “totally” in this flick. I mean, I always knew she said it, but man, it’s TOTALLY too many time….totally…

October 9, 2018

31 Films of Halloween: Haunters: The Art of the Scare

Why do people like being scared, and why do people like to do the scaring? Is it a power trip? Is it a roleplaying element? Is it putting yourself in a situation where you feel like you are a minute away from dying but being able to do it in a controlled environment? “Haunters: The Art of the Scare,” dives in the SUBCULTURE of people scaring and those wanting to be scared.

From homemade haunts, big budget productions and even into the SUBCULTURE that pushes people to their absolute breaking point in what can be called “legalized” kidnapping and torture with attractions like McKamey Manor, “Haunters” paints an interesting picture about our fascination with being scared and why we seek it out.

October 8, 2018

31 Films of Halloween: Murder Party

I know everyone is going crazy over Jeremy Saulnier’s latest “Hold the Dark” (which I’ll get around to later this month) but in order to get to that point in time one has to remember where he’s come from, and that genesis starts with “Murder Party,” which for my money might be one of my favorite directorial debuts in quite some time. It’s CONFIDENT filmmaking, and while many will dismiss it in favor of “Blue Ruin” or “Green Room” or just chalk it up as messy, this film is tons of fun and has some shoehorned in social commentary on the New York art scene and what not.

It’s funny, weird, full of in-jokes, and showcases that even though Saulnier might be the indie circuit’s new savior, he also knows how to throw a party…of the most murderous variety.

October 7, 2018

31 Films of Halloween: Terrifier

It’s difficult these days to create a horror icon. The last one that really comes to mind for me is Jigsaw from the “Saw” franchise, and some people might argue Annabelle and all that “Conjuring” crap, but Annabelle ain’t Chucky, so that’s settled law. Clowns came back in vogue with the remake of “IT” last year, and while Pennywise is a creep, Art the Clown is something else.

Without uttering a single word, Art’s antics will give you quite the SHUDDER. “Terrifier” while not great, packs in enough blood, gore, and some really great practical effects in this grimy little slasher flick spun off from “All Hallows Eve.” The film wraps up a nice little twist from the beginning of the film and of course opens the possible for Art’s return, but do we really need a “Re-Terrifier?” Meh…

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