The Horror Movie Club Part VII: Now Thats What I Call BOOsic

[obmit]

9. Wrong Turn (2003) - First time watching this one, never seemed more than a TCM rip off which it mostly is but with a decent amount of tension at times. Nothing spectacular but not the worst way to spend an evening.

10. Wrong Turn 2: Dead End - Significantly better than the first one, ups the gore, better kills, and Henry f'n Rollins. It's still a TCM ripoff with some Hills Have Eyes laced in for good measure but it's still a fun one but not for the squeamish.

[thebosma]

The entire Wrong Turn series is good. I will always think about Henry Rollins screaming “I’ve never had sex with a pig in my life!!” when those movies come up

[chvrchbarrel]

06. Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 (1988; Tony Randel)


That labyrinth is terrifying. So are the Cenobites! Learned some interesting stuff from the Wikipedia for this one, like how it was apparently controversial that the Chatterer just spontaneously grows eyes partway through the movie. The deleted "Surgeon Pinhead" scene also could've been cool, its a creepy look. Takes the cake away from The Fly as grossest movie yet.


Killer Rankings

1. The Cenobites (Hellbound: Hellraiser II)
2. The madman (Madman)
3. Vimuville (Body Melt)
4. The strangers (The Strangers)

[thebosma]

Hellraiser 3 has my favorite cenobite in it

[rango420]

Will post soon but currently at 4 movies, all bad. Seeing 3 movies in theaters this weekend but only 1 is horror 31 could be a bit of a stretch but I will do my best

[sthubbins]

I'll call it a success if I get to 13 this year. Haven't gotten to any yet but hoping to see The Substance tonight or tomorrow.

[chvrchbarrel]

Oct 4, 2024 13:51:54 GMT -6 sthubbins said:

I'll call it a success if I get to 13 this year. Haven't gotten to any yet but hoping to see The Substance tonight or tomorrow.

Always a pleasure to see you sir

[sthubbins]

Thanks for running this, as always. Wish I could take part more this year.

[obmit]

11. Wrong Turn (2021) - A fine reboot actually, exchanges the gore for social commentary. Still brutal, but I really dug it, especially the ending.

[sthubbins]

1. The Substance

Characters, setting and ideas are all painted in broad enough strokes that you can just enjoy the ride without worrying about whether the satire is all that cutting or interesting. Big dumb fun gloppy time. Very funny that it won the screenplay award at Cannes. Glad I caught it in theaters.

[chvrchbarrel]

I was gonna go on Monday and then I realized both the Chiefs and the Royals are playing so I will probably try to go Tuesday

Really don't wanna miss that one

[mookie]

Do we consider I Saw the TV Glow horror for this month? Horror adjacent maybe? Got to watch it last night, not the greatest movie in the world but I did enjoy it. The parts with the main villain did freak me out a little and did feel like a weird dream. Ending was kind of whatever though

[munkivelli]

Oct 5, 2024 11:17:54 GMT -6 mookie said:

Do we consider I Saw the TV Glow horror for this month? Horror adjacent maybe? Got to watch it last night, not the greatest movie in the world but I did enjoy it. The parts with the main villain did freak me out a little and did feel like a weird dream. Ending was kind of whatever though

Loved that film and it definitely counts.

[teekoh]

1. Pet Sematary (1989)
2. The Hitcher (1986)
3. Agatha All Along
4. Manhunter (1986) - Absolutely loved this. All the performances are killer.

[thebosma]

Oct 5, 2024 8:50:29 GMT -6 chvrchbarrel said:

I was gonna go on Monday and then I realized both the Chiefs and the Royals are playing so I will probably try to go Tuesday

Really don't wanna miss that one

Skipping a movie to watch some refball is brutal man

[obmit]

12. Psycho III - I watched Psycho II for the first time a few months ago and it was pretty decent, though obviously doesn't hold a candle to the original and neither does this one. That being said, it's undeniable how perfect Anthony Perkins was for this role. You always want to believe he's innocent in this franchise bc of how well he pulls off that damaged soul looking for peace.

This isn't as good as II, that one has a better twist, I felt this one was obvious, but Perkins makes it worth it, and Jeff Fahey does a pretty good job as a scumbag. Also of note, Friday the 13th part V's Robin is also in this and I looked her up on IMDB and she was somewhat of a minor scream queen in the 80s, also being in a bunch of other franchises like Slumber Party Massacre.

There's actually some pretty good one liners too, specifically from Fahey. Gonna watch the fourth one next!

[obmit]

13. Psycho IV - Well after two solid sequels to the classic, this doesn't really add anything. A made for TV movie (Showtime) that pulled decent ratings, is a bit of a slog to get through despite some committed performances.

Norman gets rehabilitated, again, and released into the wild, only this time he's gotten married - and definitely leveled up bc the house he's in now is a tremendous upgrade - but to his nurse from the hospital, who doesn't believe he's evil anymore. Third time's a charm. One night, the always fun CCH Pounder is hosting her radio show with the naturally topical matricide as the shows focus with doctors and psychologists present to talk about why boys kill their mommies. Norman just happens to be listening and calls in (on his birthday).

The rest plays out in mostly flashbacks, where Henry Thomas pulls off a believable vulnerable Norman, but not so much the unhinged killer. The true stand out is Olivia Hussey, who gives a zany portrayal of Norma Bates, a far wilder take than Vera Farmiga's in Bates Motel. Hussey had an interesting career, getting international fame playing Juliet in 1968's Romeo and Juliet. She steals the show here, over the top but entertaining as hell.

Unfortunately the story isn't all that interesting and this would be the nail in the coffin for the franchise until Bates Motel (we don't talk about the remake).

14. The First Omen - So I find little value in
most anything related to possession, demons, exorcisms, etc. Obviously there are exceptions, but usually they bore me. This did not. I'd initially put it on in the background while I played Silent Hill but found myself intrigued by the narrative. It's depiction of female body horror was unsettling, and I've been present for two births (outside of my own).

A strong cast and excellent lead performance from Nell Tiger Free, the First Omen nearly shows it's hand at the start but successfully redirects. It's all obvious but the build up to it all is done well. I wasn't expecting much but was pleased with this one, with some pretty good death scenes, one in particular that may divide audiences.

[chvrchbarrel]

I gotta get to Psycho III eventually. I thought II was good.

07. The Stepfather (1987; Joseph Ruben)


A really promising first act that mostly fizzles out and goes nowhere but the predictable. Rare case where I could see the remake being a little edgier / more enjoyable, but Dylan Walsh is never really convincing to me so I doubt it'd work.

Watched on Prime.

[zircona1]

Oct 7, 2024 8:33:16 GMT -6 chvrchbarrel said:

I gotta get to Psycho III eventually. I thought II was good.

07. The Stepfather (1987; Joseph Ruben)


A really promising first act that mostly fizzles out and goes nowhere but the predictable. Rare case where I could see the remake being a little edgier / more enjoyable, but Dylan Walsh is never really convincing to me so I doubt it'd work.

Watched on Prime.

I watched this years ago because it's the dude who played John Locke on Lost. I enjoyed it at the time. 

Never saw Stepfather 2, but I did see Stepfather 3 - thanks HBO - that one is trashy and bad!

[krentist]

Playing catch up due to work but:

1. Pulse

I don't totally understand this, maybe it's the edible, but genuinely haunting and unsettling movie.

2. Terrifier 3

Folks;; Art the Clown is back. The kills are great, Art is the best, but the movies around all this stuff are still pretty flat and these dont have to be 2 hours plus.

I am not counting the substance which I saw last month but if I can't get to 31 I will.

[scoots]

My list so far (in order watched):

1. The Exorcist
2. Shaun of the Dead
3. The Thing (1982)
4. Speak No Evil (2022)
5. Werewolves Within
6. Salem's Lot
7. In a Violent Nature
8. Children of the Corn
9. I Saw the TV Glow
10. It (2017)
11. Let the Right One In (2008)
12. Tucker and Dale vs. Evil
13. Barbarian

I started so early and there's still probably zero chance I get to 31 lol.

[rango420]

I will update tonight but I am at 8 and planning on seeing 9 tonight. Will likely fall behind this weekend but im hitting 31 this year even if it requires going to the midnight to 12pm shift of the music box 24 hour marathon next week

[teekoh]

1. Pet Sematary (1989)
2. The Hitcher (1986)
3. Agatha All Along
4. Manhunter (1986)
5. Lockwood & Co. - The YA/ghost/mystery book series that's the source material for this is a lot of fun and the one season on Netflix pretty much nails it. The look, vibes, writing, and casting are all great. It would be really cool if it got picked up somewhere else, but kinda doubt it will.

[sthubbins]

2. Old

I vibed with the stilted dialogue in this and I don't mind a hodgepodge of half baked ideas in a horror movie but idk it never really lifted off. A few mini climaxes but none really hit.

[chvrchbarrel]

08. Rituals (1977; Peter Carter)


"Five doctors go camping in the remote woods of Northern Ontario. When their boots are stolen they begin to suspect they are being stalked."

That synopsis was good enough to me to take the plunge on Rituals. The theme here seems to be the growing paranoia and eventual implosions of a group bound by an oath to 'do no harm' - tense at times, but not really enough 'bump in the night (woods?)' for me. The big climax that this works toward felt ultimately disappointing. There is technically a killer but he's mostly boring, and the way they try to tie him into the central plot feels lazy and detracts from the fear factor a bit.

The emphasis on them being doctors / surgeons (and even arguing ethics in the opening scene) makes it obvious that the odds SHOULD be in these characters' favors - even when injured, they seem to know exactly what has happened to their bodies, how to treat it, etc. - but they're never really likeable enough to root for in that light. 

Clearly a riff on Deliverance - the story is told a different way, but the moral is "you may not be all that you think you are."

Watched on Tubi.


Killer Rankings
1. The Cenobites (Hellbound: Hellraiser II)
2. The madman (Madman)
3. Vimuville (Body Melt)
4. The strangers (The Strangers)
5. Matthew (Rituals)

[teekoh]

1. Pet Sematary (1989)
2. The Hitcher (1986)
3. Agatha All Along
4. Manhunter (1986)
5. Lockwood & Co.
6. Splice (2009) - Very fucked up! Felt like the best of Cronenberg and just as thoughtful. Thumbs up.

[obmit]

15. The Mangler - Robert Englund's possessed "speed ironer" turns employees into a chunky paste before Buffalo Bill aka Ted Levine steps in to take him down. Tobe Hooper directs this Stephen King short story and it's hard to tell if Hooper intended it to be this silly or not.

Dumb fun, not as gory as I was expecting/hoping but Englund's always on point.

[chvrchbarrel]

09. FearDotCom (2002; William Malone)


If I could get back the hours from any movie so far this month, it'd be the 1.5 I spent on this one. No exaggeration / hyperbole, I think this might be one of the worst 'horror movies' I've ever seen.

Watched on Tubi.


10. Rabid Grannies (1989; Emmanuel Kervyn)


Look, far as I'm aware, this didn't win any fucking Oscars. But sometimes you've watched a bunch of shit movies in a row and you know you're gonna end up watching one more, so you pick one that's at least called "Rabid Grannies." Truthfully, there's enough to have fun with here to make it worth its 68 min runtime. Not going to be everyone's cup of tea. It was good enough for 68 minutes of my Wednesday.

The grannies are quick on the stairs which is disorienting enough to give me the heebie-jeebies.

Watched on Tubi.

Killer Rankings
1. The Cenobites (Hellbound: Hellraiser II)
2. The madman (Madman)
3. Vimuville (Body Melt)
4. Rabid grannies (Rabid Grannies)
4. The strangers (The Strangers)
5. Matthew (Rituals)
6. Feardotcom.com (FearDotCom)

[chvrchbarrel]

11. Saw II (2005; Darren Lynn Bousman)


Donnie Wahlberg in a Saw movie, say no more. I would like more horror sequels with boy band members. Put Brian Littrell in The Substance 2.

Best deaths in the Saw franchise as far as I can remember. The needle pit is possibly the worst thing in any horror movie, ever. Pure dread in some of these traps, like the oven. Guy getting shot in the face right at the beginning of the whole trap thing is hilarious.

SPOILER: Click to show

Apart from the fucked up traps, the discovery of the room from Saw I is my favorite thing about this. Unfortunately my least favorite thing is the twist although it is funny to hear Tobin Bell very obviously say the word 'safe' to Wahlberg plenty of times throughout the movie.

Watched on Max.

Killer Rankings
1. Jigsaw (Saw II)
2. The Cenobites (Hellbound: Hellraiser II)
3. The madman (Madman)
4. Vimuville (Body Melt)
5. Rabid grannies (Rabid Grannies)
6. The strangers (The Strangers)
7. Matthew (Rituals)
8. Feardotcom.com (FearDotCom)

[obmit]

16. Carnosaur - Roger Corman actually bought the rights to this in the 1991 but fast tracked it when he found out Jurassic Park was in production. He also cast Laura Dern's mother in the lead antagonist role which is awesome.

In true Corman fashion it's cheap as hell looking but still very effective. Most of the dinosaur is remote controlled, with some convincing movements being a dude in a suit.

Possibly the only movie you'll see a human giving birth to a dinosaur and that should be enough for you to watch it. Also, the dinosaur is always salivating and oozy at the mouth with blood, something Spielberg's inferior film left out.