Halloween Horror Marathon 2012

[Monterey Jack]

And MEW wasn't even the obligitory survivor! Terrible movie...which is a shame, because Glen Morgan's Willard was a lot of fun, and kept the nastiness to a PG-13 minimum.

[Monterey Jack]

Frankenweenie (2012): 9/10

Yay, a new Tim Burton movie that's an actual TIM BURTON movie, instead of an adaptation of some vaguely "dark" pre-existing property with a glaze of "Burtonian" art direction and a pasty-faced Johnny Depp mugging at the camera. Beautiful animation and an engaging story. His best film since Sweeney Todd.

[Monterey Jack]

Corpse Bride (2005): 9/10

[Paul MacLean]

Every wooded area has its own legendary boogeyman, traded down to new generations over spooky campfires. In Staten Island it's Cropsey, who is less a person and more an amalgam of every story told about the goings on around the Willowbrook State School, a home for severely retarded children sitting on a few hundred wooded acres that was closed in 1987 after years of public outcry against the conditions and allegations of medical experiments.

I grew-up in Westchester county and used to hear the stories from older kids about this "Cropsey" who would murder kids with an axe. I had no idea it was based on a real person!

[Monterey Jack]

Monster House (2006): 8.5/10

The "bobblehead" look of the characters is kind of distracting, but otherwise a very funny, lightly scary throwback to 80's Amblin films. Fine score by Douglas Pipes.

[Monterey Jack]

Jeez, am I the only one in a Halloween mood this year...?



Magic (1978): 7.5/10

Wonderful Jerry Goldsmith score on this one...maybe the creepiest use of a harmonica ever.

[mkaroly]

I stopped watching horror movies years ago...can't even remember the last one I saw. So I can't contribute to this thread (except this post saying I can't contribute)...lol...

I did ssee MAGIC a while back and liked it. Very creepy with a good Goldsmith score that was equally creepy.

[AndyDursin]

MJ have to give me some time my friend. I've been sick for over a week and Paul MacLean was here visiting all last week too. I am in the halloween spirit though!

Can't quibble with your reviews so far really either!

I liked MAGIC a lot...good Blu-Ray too which you can find really cheap. Jerry's score isn't "easy listening" but it's effective in the film certainly.

MONSTER HOUSE -- liked it, thought the ending was a bit weak. Probably the best of Zemeckis' mo-cap flicks by a wide margin though the more I think about it.

I was going to FRANKENWEENIE but it did so poorly I guess I'll just wait the 60 days for Blu-Ray

[Monterey Jack]

MJ have to give me some time my friend. I've been sick for over a week and Paul MacLean was here visiting all last week too. I am in the halloween spirit though!

Hope you feel better soon, Andy...I had a pretty bad cold for a few days the week before October started, so I'm glad it cleared up in time for the marathon.

I liked MAGIC a lot...good Blu-Ray too which you can find really cheap. Jerry's score isn't "easy listening" but it's effective in the film certainly.

I grabbed the Blu-Ray for a cool $4.99 in Best Buy's current "Upgrade & Save" program (bring in any DVD and get $5 off any Blu that's $9.99 and up). I've snagged a bunch of horror titles to fuel the fire, including a few blind buys I've heard good things about...

MONSTER HOUSE -- liked it, thought the ending was a bit weak. Probably the best of Zemeckis' mo-cap flicks by a wide margin though the more I think about it.

The weird "bobblehead" look of the characters is a bit off-setting, but at least they don't have that eerie "dead eyes, like a doll's eyes..." look of the other Zemeckis mocap movies, probably because he only produced and didn't direct. Funny trivia...supposedly the little girl on the tricycle in the opening scene is (badly) singing John Williams' Amazing Stories theme!

I was going to FRANKENWEENIE but it did so poorly I guess I'll just wait the 60 days for Blu-Ray

I could never pass up seeing a new Burton movie in theaters, no matter how poorly it does commercially or critically. His brand of opulent cinematography and art direction demands to be seen big (and Elfman's music should be heard in the best surround system possible). Even Dark Shadows and Alice In Wonderland (yes) were worth sitting through in theaters just to keep my Burton streak going. I haven't misssed seeing one of his films theatrically since Ed Wood, and I think I can be forgiven on that one, because probably 350 people worldwide saw that in theaters. If you feel better before it leaves theaters, do see Frankenweenie if you get a chance, Andy. It's gorgeous to look at.

[AndyDursin]

I saw ED WOOD in theaters -- I remember I had to keep looking to see when it was opening locally, and it did show up (I think it was in one of those slow "rollout" releases at the time). That will probably be first on my hit parade this week -- I have a column to get to though first.

I was a bit let down because I went to the movies Friday and FRANKENWEENIE was on the crappy small screens at the multiplex. Guess they already knew what it was going to do at the box-office If they had it in one of the huge theaters I might be more prompted to get out there, but we'll see. I do want to see ARGO Friday night.

[Monterey Jack]

Henry: Portait Of A Serial Killer (1990): 8/10

Unflinching look at the banality of a diseased mind. Michael Rooker is superb.

[Monterey Jack]

The House Of The Devil (2009): 8.5/10

Totally radical throwback to 80's genre cinema, shot and edited exactly like a film of that period and boasting a terrific slow burn of escalating dread. A real pleasant surprise.

[AndyDursin]

That next Ti West movie SUCKED. Hated it. (Not that I really liked House... either, but it was much better than the follow up). I reviewed it in the summer and already forgot the name. Whoops! The Innkeepers or something?!?

[Monterey Jack]

That next Ti West movie SUCKED. Hated it. (Not that I really liked House... either, but it was much better than the follow up). I reviewed it in the summer and already forgot the name. Whoops! The Innkeepers or something?!?

I have that one lined up for tomorrow...

[Monterey Jack]

The Innkeepers (2011): 7.5/10

Sorry, Andy, but I liked this a lot. Good Jeff Grace score, too.