Horrorfest 2022 Presents: Halloween Ends (2022, David Gordon Green)


Anyone who has bothered to read my reviews knows I’m a fan of the current Halloween trilogy. I’ve seen every single one in the franchise, and I own up to the Rob Zombie ones in a Blu-ray box set I got from Wal-Mart. So I wasn’t too surprised that I enjoyed Halloween Ends. What I didn’t expect is that I would like it the most out of the Gordon Green entries in the series. This is literally if Halloween III had Michael Myers after all, and to me it works despite people complaining that Michael Myers takes a backseat.

Well honestly he kind of has in all of the ones Laurie Strode appears in, save for Halloween Resurrection of course. These movies are as much about Mikey’s victims and the haunted survivors as they are about his murderous rampages. This one gets that aspect especially well, as one Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell in an excellent and creepy performance) is not only shaped by one bad night, but also transformed into something worse. Strode (the always great Jamie Lee Curtis) slowly realizes what is happening, even as she is responsible for Corey meeting her daughter, Allyson.

Andi Matichak by the way doesn’t get enough credit for being excellent in all of these movies, and one can argue she is as much the focus of these ones as her grandmother Laurie. I also am glad that Will Patton pops up again although lucky for his character he doesn’t go after Myers for a change. There is a nice grocery store scene between him and Laurie that ends with Laurie being confronted by one of Myers’s victims in what is a chilling reminder that the boogeyman didn’t kill everyone he crossed paths with. Some were unlucky enough to survive and live with pain and scars.

The film does drag in certain parts, and there’s a lot of flash and style to account for certain scenes that lack substance. However the movie has a fantastic mix of original score and movie soundtrack picks, and I’m greatly amused at how one group of people literally exist as victims you don’t mind seeing die horribly. If anything that’s the issue folks have with slasher movies, that we end up rooting for the killer as much as we do for their potential victims trying to survive. Yet that’s maybe an element we could focus on more, how so many of us eagerly go see movies like Halloween Ends.

Shoutout also to Diana Prince aka Darcy the Mail-Girl for her awesome cameo as a radio station secretary who ends up not having a good weekend. I imagine they’ll keep making these movies, and I’ll keep showing up to watch them. However Gordon Green’s trilogy has a very satisfying conclusion, and I’m glad I saw it in theaters. Also one particular thing happens that was not only long overdue, yet very fitting for this series. Don’t Fear The Reaper, indeed.

Horrorfest 2022 Presents Barbarian (2022, Zach Cregger)


Funny how horror movies make basements creepy or scary. I never found them to be as such outside of movies, as I’ve spent way too much time hanging out with friends in basements. I used to set up a TV in my parents’ basement so I could watch shows uninterrupted. Both of my grandparents’ old houses had pretty nice basements. Barbarian eagerly goes to work on making you terrified of basements, although Salem’s Lot also comes to mind. In horror movies basements hide deep, evil bleak secrets and unknown terrors lurking, waiting for new victims.

Zach Cregger’s movie begins rather innocently enough with Tess (Georgina Campbell, the movie’s MVP) and Keith (Bill Skarsgård showing us he can play a likable yet still creepy awkward human being) both at the same rental house. This mistake leads the viewer and them into a situation that I will not reveal. You’ll have to just watch the movie yourself, but let me just say this flick is not for the weak hearted or those who don’t regularly watch horror movies. I’m a die hard horror fan and this movie disturbed and freaked me out. It digs under your skin and lingers in your brain long after the end credits finish rolling.

Spooky!

Oh and the movie even throws in Justin Long, just to see if you were still paying attention at that point or not. See this movie in theaters, avoid spoilers and give it a chance. The only thing is I feel some character decisions existed to keep the plot going, but hey that often happens in movies. I can excuse this one for it’s few sins when it delivers this kind of freaky entertainment. Also Barbarian would pair nicely with both It Follows and Don’t Breathe for Detroit horror movies.

Horrorfest 2022 Presents: Nope (2022, Jordan Peele)


“What’s a bad miracle? They got a word for that?”

Jordan Peele knocks another movie out of the park and of course he makes one that I can’t fully discuss without endless spoilers and revealing too much. For now I will go with being glad I saw this movie in theaters, and how the first half is more like say, Signs, and the second half is part western part Spielberg movie. Peele gives us spectacular and spectacle in one glorious package, yet also once again mediates upon how easily people can be exploited. I feel this is one of the main themes that runs through his work, and this theme is strong and meaningful. In this case Hollywood is that force that has no problem taking advantage of people, however others in the movie qualify.

This movie has some great visuals, the score is exceptional and the cast is great. You have Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun, Michael Wincott, and Brandon Perea. Kaluuya, Palmer and Yeun are the standouts, however I really dug Perea in this movie and liked his character the most. As I have two sisters I easily appreciated the brother-sister dynamic that OJ and Emerald have, even if it’s fairly obvious that Emerald gets on his nerves from time to time.

More on this later…but things got out of hand. That’s an understatement.

Yeun does great work and serves as one of the most important characters in Ricky “Jupe” Park, a former child actor with plenty of ambitions. It’s that desire that leads him to some questionable decisions, and is a huge aspect of the film. I suppose that someone who was used by the system can turn into a person willing to exploit others in turn, a depressing notion that has been supported by what has gone on in Hollywood for decades.

Michael Abels knocks it out of the park with his score work, and the special effects in this movie are fantastic. Shoutout to Alex Bovaird also for the costume design, and this movie might be the first flick I can think of that actually used Sunglasses at Night by Corey Hart to wonderfully creepy effect. Certain aspects also made me laugh on purpose, and I’m forever in awe of the final act. The movie does have it’s weaker aspects, however those are far and few in-between.

At some point this movie deserves a longer, more in depth and better essay and or review than I have time for. Check out Nope in theaters if you still can, and I hope Jordan Peele is allowed to make more films for as long as he wants. I would be fine with Netflix giving him endless money forever to do just that.

Movie Log 2022


You know the drill.

January:

  1. Return of the Street Fighter (1974, Ozawa)-82, Tubi
  2. Santa Sangre (1989, Jodorowsky)-91, Tubi
  3. The Guns of Navarone (1961, Thompson)-94, Netflix Instant Viewing
  4. The Witch Who Came From the Sea (1976, Cimber)-94, Shudder/Tubi
  5. Ichi The Killer (2001, Miike)-91, Shudder
  6. Dream No Evil (1970, Hayes)-60, Shudder
  7. Malatesta’s Carnival of Blood (1973, Speeth)-70, Shudder
  8. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979, Wise)-75, Hulu
  9. The Matrix Resurrections (2021, Wachowski)-86, Theater Viewing
  10. Dark August (1976,  Goldman)-80, Shudder
  11. Winterbeast (1991, Thies)-83, Shudder
  12. Fatal Exam (1990, Snyder)-71, Shudder
  13. The French Dispatch (2021, Anderson)-100, RedBox
  14. Beyond Dream’s Door (1989, Woelfel)-83, Shudder
  15. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009, Sommers)-54, Netflix Instant Viewing
  16. Carlito’s Way (1993, De Palma)-96, Tubi
  17. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021, Watts)-93, Theater Viewing
  18. Eternals (2021, Zhao)-60, Disney+
  19. Encanto (2021, HowardBush)-80, Disney+
  20. Massacre In Dinosaur Valley (1985, Tarantini)-70, Tubi
  21. Luca (2021, Casarosa)-92, Disney+
  22. Coco (2017, Molina, Unkrich)-98, Disney+
  23. Scream (2022, Bettinelli-Olpin, Gillett)-85, Theater Viewing

February:

  1. (24) Leptirica (1973, Kadijević)-85, Shudder
  2. (25) The Child (1977, Voskanian)-55, Shudder
  3. (26) Son of Frankenstein (1939, Lee)-88, Shudder
  4. (27) House of Frankenstein (1944, Kenton)-60, Shudder
  5. (28) The Black Cat (1934, Ulmer)-92, Shudder
  6. (29) The Most Dangerous Game (1932, Pichel, Schoedsack)-84, Tubi
  7. (30) And Then There Were None (1945, René Clair)-85, Tubi
  8. (31) Cherry Falls (2000, Wright)-40, Shudder
  9. (32) Licorice Pizza (2021, Anderson)-100, Theater Viewing
  10. (33) Algiers (1938, Cromwell)-80, Tubi
  11. (34) Valentine (2001, Blanks)-70, Shudder
  12. (35) Eyes Of Fire (1983, Crounse)-90, Shudder
  13. (36) Clearcut (1991, Bugajski)-91, Shudder
  14. (37) De dødes tjern (1958, Bergstrøm)-93, Shudder
  15. (38) Il Demonio (1963, Brunello Rondi)-94, Shudder
  16. (39) The King’s Man (2021, Vaughn)-45, Hulu
  17. (40) The Premonition (1976, Allen)-55, Shudder
  18. (41) Alison’s Birthday (1981, Coughlan)-83, Shudder
  19. (42) The Harder They Fall (2021, Samuel)-91, Netflix Instant Viewing
  20. (43) Sonic the Hedgehog (2020, Fowler)-88, Hulu
  21. (44) Free Guy (2021, Levy)-90, Disney+

March:

  1. (45) Black Sunday (1977, Frankenheimer)-71, Hulu
  2. (46) Darkman (1990, Raimi)-90, Shudder
  3. (47) Darkman II: The Return of Durant (1995, May)-70, Shudder
  4. (48) Contagion (2011, Soderbergh)-87, Netflix Instant Viewing
  5. (49) Darkman III: Die Darkman Die (1996, May)-35, Shudder
  6. (50) From Hell It Came (1957, Milner)-63, Tubi
  7. (51) The Eagle Has Landed (1976, Sturges)-90, Tubi
  8. (52) Stalag 17 (1953, Wilder)-100, Tubi
  9. (53) Wilcyca (1983, Piestrak)-85, Shudder
  10. (54) Spencer (2021, Larraín)-90, Hulu
  11. (55) Paddington 2 (2017, King)-95, Tubi
  12. (56) The King of Comedy (1983, Scorsese)-85, Hulu
  13. (57) In a Valley of Violence (2016, West)-83, Netflix Instant Viewing
  14. (58) Nightmare Alley (2021, del Toro)-88, Hulu
  15. (59) X (2021, West)-93, Theater Viewing
  16. (60) Death On The Nile (2022, Branagh)-77, Theater Viewing
  17. (61) Massacre Mafia Style (1974, Mitchell)-81, Tubi
  18. (62) The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974, Sargent)-100, Tubi
  19. (63) Don’t Look Up (2021, McKay)-80, Netflix Instant Viewing
  20. (64) Cutter’s Way (1981, Passer)-95, Tubi
  21. (65) The Insider (1999, Mann)-97, Hulu
  22. (66) Hudson Hawk (1991, Lehmann)-55, Netflix Instant Viewing
  23. (67) Trouble Every Day (2001, Denis)-91, Shudder
  24. (68) High Tension (2003, Aja)-87, Shudder
  25. (69) Way Down East (1920, Griffith)-90, Tubi

April:

  1. (70) Rome, Armed to the Teeth/The Tough Ones (1976, Lenzi)-85, Tubi
  2. (71) Man On Fire (1987, Chouraqui)-80, Hulu
  3. (72) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990, Barron)-71, Netflix Instant Viewing
  4. (73) The January Man (1989, O’Connor)-45, Tubi
  5. (74) À l’intérieur (2007, Paradis and Dalle)-92, Shudder
  6. (75) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991, Pressman)-40, Netflix Instant Viewing
  7. (76) Hackers (1995, Softley)-75, Tubi
  8. (77) Double Team (1997, Hark)-75, Netflix Instant Viewing
  9. (78) Geronimo: An American Legend (1993, Hill)-90, Netflix Instant Viewing
  10. (79) Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022, Kwan and Scheinert)-100, Theater Viewing
  11. (80) Roxanne (1987, Schepisi)-90, Hulu
  12. (81) The Addams Family (1991, Sonnenfeld)-88, Netflix Instant Viewing
  13. (82) The Net (1995, Winkler)-65, Netflix Instant Viewing
  14. (83) The General’s Daughter (1999, West)-85, Netflix Instant Viewing
  15. (84) Rush (2013, Howard)-81, Netflix Instant Viewing
  16. (85) The Imitation Game (2014, Tyldum)-86, Netflix Instant Viewing
  17. (86) Return of the Killer Tomatoes (1988, De Bello)-83, Tubi
  18. (87) Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. (1990, Kaufman)-75, Tubi
  19. (88) Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016, Flanagan)-92, Netflix Instant Viewing
  20. (89) Army of the Dead (2021, Snyder)-80, Netflix Instant Viewing
  21. (90) Frontier(s) (2007, Gens)-75, Shudder
  22. (91) The Northman (2022,  Eggers)-94, Theater Viewing
  23. (92) The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022, Gormican)-87, Theater Viewing
  24. (93) Martyrs (2008, Laugier)-91, Shudder
  25. (94) Antropophagus (1980, D’Amato)-35, Shudder

May:

  1. (95) Easy A (2010, Gluck)-90, Hulu
  2. (96) The Devils (1971, Russell)-90, Shudder
  3. (97) Blade: Trinity (2004, Goyer)-45, Netflix Instant Viewing
  4. (98) Blackhat (2015, Mann)-81, Netflix Instant Viewing
  5. (99) Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (2022, Fowler)-92, Theater Viewing
  6. (100) The Devil’s Own (1997, Pakula)-57, Netflix Instant Viewing
  7. (101) Eaten Alive (1976, Hooper)-73, Shudder
  8. (102) A Beautiful Mind (2001, Howard)-60, Hulu
  9. (103) The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976, Gessner)-90, Shudder
  10. (104) Invasion U.S.A. (1985, Zito)-83, Tubi
  11. (105) Fatal Beauty (1987, Holland)-81, Tubi
  12. (106) Brannigan (1975, Hickox)-70, Tubi
  13. (107) Cat Ballou (1965, Silverstein)-95, Plex
  14. (108) The Good Dinosaur (2015, Sohn)-86, Disney+
  15. (109) Pig (2021, Sarnoski)-93, Hulu
  16. (110) Suburban Gothic (2014, Bates Jr.)-55, Hulu
  17. (111) Logan Lucky (2017, Soderbergh)-81, Hulu
  18. (112) The House That Jack Built (2018, von Trier)-80, Hulu
  19. (113) Splash (1984, Howard)-75, Disney+
  20. (114) The English Patient (1996, Minghella)-95, Pluto TV
  21. (115) Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (2017, Shizuno and Seshita)-70, Netflix Instant Viewing

June:

  1. (116) Slaughterhouse (1987, Roessler)-67, Shudder
  2. (117) Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008, Stoller)-90, Hulu
  3. (118) Top Gun: Maverick (2022, Kosinski)-90, Theater Viewing
  4. (119) Married To The Mob (1988, Demme)-85, RedBox
  5. (120) Iron Monkey (1977, Kuan-tai)-90, Tubi
  6. (121) 7 Grandmasters (1978, Kuo)-93, Tubi
  7. (122) The Freakmaker aka The Mutations (1974, Cardiff)-30, Shudder
  8. (123) Coffy (1973, Hill)-84, Tubi
  9. (124) Foxy Brown (1974, Hill)-85, Tubi
  10. (125) The Gunfighter (1950, King)-100, Tubi
  11. (126) The Unforgiven (1960, Huston)-85, Tubi
  12. (127) Texas Across The River (1966, Gordon)-53, Grit TV
  13. (128) Dick (1999, Fleming)-75, Hulu
  14. (129) Alligator II: The Mutation (1990, Hess)-35, Shudder
  15. (130) The Tall T (1957, Boetticher)-90, Tubi
  16. (131) The Beastmaster (1982, Coscarelli)-80, Public Library DVD
  17. (132) Singin’ in the Rain (1952, Kelly, Donen)-100, Public Library DVD
  18. (133) Hellbender (2021, Adams, Poser, Adams)-87, Shudder
  19. (134) Thirst (2019, , )-80, Shudder
  20. (135) Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle (2018, Shizuno and Seshita)-71, Netflix Instant Viewing

July:

  1. (136) Creature with the Atom Brain (1955, Cahn)-71, Arrow Films Video Blu-ray
  2. (137) Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022, Raimi)-73, Disney+
  3. (138) The Werewolf (1956, Sears)-85, Arrow Films Video Blu-ray
  4. (139) Zombies of Mora Tau (1957, Cahn)-58, Arrow Films Video Blu-ray
  5. (140) The Giant Claw (1957, Sears)-75, Arrow Films Video Blu-ray
  6. (141) Massacre Time (1966, Fulci)-85, Arrow Films Video Blu-ray
  7. (142) My Name Is Pecos (1966, Lucidi)-80, Arrow Films Video Blu-ray
  8. (143) Swing Time (1936, Stevens)-90, Criterion Blu-ray
  9. (144) The Gray Man (2022, Russo Brothers)-82, Movie Theater Viewing
  10. (145) Shaft’s Big Score! (1972, Parks)-75, Criterion Blu-ray
  11. (146) Bandidos (1967, Dallamano)-90, Arrow Films Video Blu-ray
  12. (147) Mary, Mary, Bloody Mary (1975, Moctezuma)-75, Shudder
  13. (148) Who Saw Her Die? (1972, Lado)-80, Shudder
  14. (149) Jason and the Argonauts (1963, Chaffey)-91, Tubi
  15. (150) Le foto proibite di una signora per bene aka Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion (1970, Ercoli)-85, Shudder
  16. (151) Tombs of the Blind Dead (1972, de Ossorio)-87, Shudder
  17. (152) Thor: Love and Thunder (2022, Waititi)-90, Theater Viewing
  18. (153) Eat, Brains, Love (2019, Flender)-75, Shudder
  19. (154) The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973, Hessler)-87, Tubi
  20. (155) Mosquito (1994, Jones)-56, Shudder
  21. (156) Without Warning (1980, Clark)-75, Shudder
  22. (157) Invaders From Mars (1986, Hooper)-80, Shudder
  23. (158) I Come In Peace/Dark Angel (1990, Baxley)-77, Shudder
  24. (159) Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge (1989, Friedman)-83, Shudder

August:

  1. (160) And God Said To Cain (1970, Margheriti)-75, Arrow Films Video
  2. (161) Walker (1987, Cox)-95, Criterion Blu-ray
  3. (162) Nope (2022, Peele)-98, Theater Viewing
  4. (163) Stepfather II (1989, Burr)-40, Crackle
  5. (164) Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957, Corman)-65, Crackle
  6. (165) AVP: Alien vs Predator (2004, Anderson)-70, Hulu
  7. (166) Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959, Kowalski)-45, Crackle
  8. (167) Misery (1990, Reiner)-94, Shudder
  9. (168) Needful Things (1993, Heston)-83, Shudder
  10. (169) Bullet Train (2022, Leitch)-87, Theater Viewing
  11. (170) Head of the Family (1996, Band)-60, Shudder
  12. (171) Uncle Sam (1997, Lustig)-75, Shudder
  13. (172) The Wolfman (2010, Johnston)-81, Tubi
  14. (173) The Toolbox Murders (1978, Donnelly)-75, Shudder
  15. (174) Son of Dracula (1943, Siodmak)-73, Tubi
  16. (175) Color Me Blood Red (1965, Lewis)-65, Tubi
  17. (176) The Predator (2018, Black)-75, Public Library Blu-ray
  18. (177) Blood Suckers from Outer Space (1984, Coburn)-69, Tubi
  19. (178) The Cannibal Man (1972, de la Iglesia)-84, Shudder
  20. (179) Mississippi Masala (1991, Nair)-90, Criterion Blu-ray

September:

  1. (180) Nadie oyó gritar aka No One Heard the Scream (1973, de la Iglesia)-85, Shudder
  2. (181) Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022, Miller)-90, Theater Viewing
  3. (182) Watch Me When I Kill (1977, Bido)-86, Shudder
  4. (183) Meatcleaver Massacre (1977, Lee)-35, Shudder
  5. (184) Mansion of the Doomed (1976, Pataki)-77, Shudder
  6. (185) The Wizard of Gore (1970, Lewis)-78, Tubi
  7. (186) The Oracle (1985, Findlay)-50, Shudder
  8. (187) The Fall of the House of Usher (1928, Jean Epstein)-90, YouTube
  9. (188) Storm of the Century (1999, Baxley)-90, Hulu
  10. (189) Barbarian (2022, Cregger)-93, Theater Viewing
  11. (190) Day Shift (2022, Perry)-75, Netflix Instant Viewing
  12. (191) Blood Hook (1986, Mallon)-35, Tubi
  13. (192) Pearl (2022, West)-90, Theater Viewing
  14. (193) Blades (1989, Rondinella)-75, Peacock
  15. (194) Blood Beach (1981, Bloom)-23, YouTube
  16. (195) Cemetery of Terror (1985, Galindo Jr.)-82, Shudder
  17. (196) Abby (1974, Girdler)-85, YouTube
  18. (197) The Batman (2022, Reeves)-94, RedBox
  19. (198) Fright Night Part 2 (1988, Wallace)-81, YouTube
  20. (199) Grave Robbers (1989, Galindo Jr.)-75, Shudder

October:

  1. (200) Sole Survivor (1983, Eberhardt)-91, Shudder
  2. (201) Lady in White (1988, LaLoggia)-86, Shudder
  3. (202) Lust for a Vampire (1971, Sangster)-65, Tubi
  4. (203) The Vampire Bat (1933, Strayer)-72, Tubi
  5. (204) Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986, Gibson)-69, Tubi
  6. (205) Poltergeist III (1988, Sherman)-65, Tubi
  7. (206) Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors (1965, Francis)-70, Tubi
  8. (207) Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990, Burr)-55, Tubi
  9. (208) I Like Bats (1986, Warchol)-75, Shudder
  10. (209) The Ritual (2017, Bruckner)-80, Netflix Instant Viewing
  11. (210) The Munsters (2022, Zombie)-70, Netflix Instant Viewing
  12. (211) Werewolf by Night (2022, Giacchino)-91, Disney+
  13. (212) The Rats Are Coming! The Werewolves Are Here! (1972, Milligan)-65, Shudder
  14. (213) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003, Nispel)-80, Tubi
  15. (214) Prey (2022, Trachtenberg)-90, Hulu
  16. (215) Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022, Garcia)-50, Netflix Instant Viewing
  17. (216) The Other Side of the Underneath (1972, Arden)-85, Shudder
  18. (217) Footprints on the Moon (1975, Bazzoni, Fanelli)-85, Shudder
  19. (218) Shaun of the Dead (2004, Wright)-95, Movie Theater Viewing, counted cause first time
  20. (219) Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983, Spielberg, Landis, Dante, Miller)-75, Tubi
  21. (220) A Blade in the Dark (1983, Bava)-66, Shudder
  22. (221) Oculus (2013, Flanagan)-90, Hulu
  23. (222) Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla (1994, Yamashitaa)-70, Hulu
  24. (223) Fangs aka Snakes (1974, Names)-70, Shudder
  25. (224) Watcher (2022, Okuno)-86, Shudder
  26. (225) Road Games (1981, Franklin)-88, Tubi
  27. (226) The House of Seven Corpses (1974, Harrison)-60, Tubi
  28. (227) Elvira’s Haunted Hills (2001, Irvin)-70, Shudder
  29. (228) Manhattan Baby (1982, Fulci)-74, Shudder
  30. (229) Aenigma (1987, Fulci)-73, Shudder
  31. (230) The Raven (1963, Corman)-91, Tubi
  32. (231) The Flesh Eaters (1964, Curtis)-77, Tubi
  33. (232) Deathdream (1974, Clark)-84, Tubi
  34. (233) Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922, Christensen)-95, Criterion Blu-ray
  35. (234) Onibaba (1964, Shindô)-91, Criterion Blu-ray
  36. (235) The Cremator (1969, Herz)-99, Criterion Blu-ray

November:

  1. (236) Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla II (1993, Okawara)-75, Hulu
  2. (237) Halloween Ends (2022, Gordon)-88, Theater Viewing
  3. (238) Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022, Appel)-93, Roku Channel
  4. (239) Morbius (2022, Espinosa)-50, Netflix Instant Viewing
  5. (240) Godzilla vs. Destroroyah (1995, Okawara)-73, Hulu
  6. (241) American Ultra (2015, Nourizadeh)-85, Netflix Instant Viewing
  7. (242) The Devil’s Backbone (2001, del Toro)-95, Criterion Blu-ray
  8. (243) Godzilla vs Megagurius (2000, Tezuka)-78, Hulu
  9. (244) The Pink Panther (1963, Edwards)-70, Tubi
  10. (245) A Shot In The Dark (1964, Edwards)-95, Tubi
  11. (246) The Return of the Pink Panther (1975, Edwards)-85, Tubi
  12. (247) Chain Reaction (1996, Davis)-66, Tubi
  13. (248) Siege aka Self-Defense (1983, Donovan, O’ Connell)-88, Shudder
  14. (249) Addams Family Values (1993, Sonnefeld)-90, Netflix Instant Viewing
  15. (250) Vigilante (1983, Lustig)-82, Shudder
  16. (251) The Vast of Night (2020, Patterson)-93, Amazon Prime
  17. (252) The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021, Rianda, Rowe)-96, Netflix Instant Viewing
  18. (253) Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001, Kaneko)-71, Hulu
  19. (254) The Lost City (2022, Nee Brothers)-70, Amazon Prime
  20. (255) The Menu (2022, Mylod)-86, Theater Viewing
  21. (256) Fire and Ice (1983, Bakshi)-77, Tubi

December:

  1. (257) V/H/S/99 (2022, Flying Lotus)-72, Shudder
  2. (258) Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978, Edwards)-78, Tubi
  3. (259) Deliverance (1972, Boorman)-95, Netflix Instant Viewing
  4. (260) Fireworks (1997, Kitano)-96, Tubi
  5. (261) Boiling Point (1990, Kitano)-85, Tubi
  6. (262) Underwater (2020, Eubank)-76, Hulu
  7. (263) Autopsy (1975, Crispino)-73, Shudder
  8. (264) The Night House (2021, Bruckner)-88, Hulu
  9. (265) Violent Night (2022, Wirkola)-92, Theater Viewing
  10. (266) Murder Mansion (1972, Lazaga, Polop)-20, Shudder
  11. (267) Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022, Begos)-84, Shudder
  12. (268) Elves (1989, Mandel)-68, YouTube
  13. (269) Straight to Hell (1987, Cox)-82, Tubi
  14. (270) Dark Water (2005, Salles)-55, Hulu
  15. (271) The Black Phone (2022, Derrickson)-88, Peacock
  16. (272) The Quatermass Xperiment (1955, Guest)-75, YouTube
  17. (273) The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022, Gunn)-70, Disney+
  18. (274) Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022, Johnson)-96, Netflix Instant Viewing
  19. (275) Strange World (2022, Hall)-75, Disney+
  20. (276) Desperately Seeking Susan (1985, Seidelman)-90, Tubi
  21. (277) Anna and the Apocalypse (2017, McPhail)-85, Shudder

Horrorfest 2021 Presents: Last Night In Soho (2021, Edgar Wright)


This Horrorfest us horror fans were blessed with multiple options via both streaming and the movie theater. I included Last Night in Soho because it only came to my area after Halloween and thus I eagerly watched it before it left my area. Edgar Wright has sort of done horror before with Shaun of the Dead, and Hot Fuzz definitely had some horror movie moments. His latest isn’t as good as those films-well maybe it equals Shaun-however it is still pretty great and is one of the year’s best films.

The very talented Thomasin McKenzie plays a young woman named Ellie who ventures to London to be a fashion designer. There she encounters snobby classmates, a friendly young man (played by Michael Ajao, who is also excellent and very likable), and ghosts. Well at least she sees them, which either hints that they are in her mind or they are very real. The first half of the movie plays out as an eerie drama, the second half very bleak psychological thriller. I saw Repulsion vibes in several scenes, and I’m sure other films influenced this one as well.

Having acting legends Terence Stamp and Diana Rigg in the movie was a fine touch, and I sort of guessed some of the twists but one of them snuck up on me a bit. I think had I viewed this at home I probably would have figured it out sooner. That doesn’t diminish the movie, though, as there are multiple exceptional scenes. Particularly one where Ellie sees the ghosts at a Halloween party. This film also captures London in the 1960s very well, and has a fantastic soundtrack. Silly me I forgot to mention how wonderfully despicable Matt Smith is in this movie as one of the people who exploits Sandie.

What’s also notable is how Anya Taylor-Joy’s Sandie steals the movie even though she’s not the main character. Ellie’s obsession with her goes pretty overboard, yet no one watching this movie can blame her. She captives both men and women alike in this film, and is a device for Wright to comment sharply on the male gaze and men’s creepy actions towards women. My complaint is that such themes get a bit left behind towards the end of the movie. Regardless I’m a fan of Last Night in Soho, and it left a pretty strong impression upon me. Thus closes out Horrorfest 2021, until next year cheers!

Horrorfest 2021 Presents: Halloween Kills (2021, David Gordon Green)


Say what you will about the new Halloween movie, we are blessed to have received another Halloween film. The Friday the 13th and A Nightmare On Elm Street series are dead and Chucky is a TV series at this point. As for Texas Chainsaw Massacre those involved keep trying to keep it alive for reasons that I don’t understand. Meanwhile Blumhouse took over the Halloween series and has so far in my opinion given us two good, solid entries that I liked and saw in theaters.

However I’m not sure if the latest Halloween is a good movie or not, yet it is a good Halloween sequel. I felt those in charge gave us one that combined Halloween II and Halloween 4, which is fine, although they definitely upped the gore in the series. The kills in this one make the film live up to it’s title, and the cast was good as well even though Jamie Lee Curtis was sidelined in this one, just like she was in Halloween II. Anthony Michael Hall is a good new addition, and Judy Greer plus Andi Matichak take charge in this one along with others.

While some characters make dumb mistakes in this movie I guess that comes with the slasher movie territory. Michael is more Terminator than human being in this one too, which matches the rest of the sequels and inspired some complaints. I have mixed feelings about the ending, yet I can grudgingly admire how Halloween Kills admitted it’s just set up for the next installment. I highly doubt that Halloween Ends will be the last one, although you never know. Evil dies tonight! Or during the next movie! Or when the box office goes down!

Horrorfest 2021 Presents: Malignant (2021, James Wan)


After doing big time Hollywood franchise movies, James Wan returned to give us another freaky horror movie. In this case I’m not sure if Malignant is a great bad movie, a good movie, or a complete mess. However I dug this movie a lot, and it managed to creep me out and even scare me at times, which is more than I can say for a lot of horror movies.

Madison (Annabelle Wallis) begins to have nightmarish visions of murders in Seattle. Her sister, Sydney (Maddie Hasson) decides to investigate, and what she uncovers is both shocking and disturbing. James Wan creates a horror movie that is equal parts giallo, supernatural thriller, and body horror movie in one crazy, glorious package.

This movie should be viewed for the cop station scene alone, and also because it’s a giant homage to the films that clearly inspired James Wan. Plus George Young is actually really good as the one cop who mostly believes Madison, and the final act is utterly insane. Some may not enjoy this movie, yet I feel many such as myself will champion it years from now.

Horrorfest 2021 Presents: Candyman (2021, Nia DaCosta)


First off the new Candyman movie is a sequel, not a remake. I’m not sure if the advertising campaign made that clear, yet if one views the new flick l they will witness obvious connections to the first movie. I also slightly prefer the new one over the original, although I do also love the original. Both are fantastic and contribute to modern horror cinema, although I’ll grudgingly admit the 1990s are now three decades ago. Time sure flies.

Nia DaCosta does a fine job of linking Candyman to the horrors of the past, as showcased in extremely freaky puppet show display flashbacks. According to the latest movie, Candyman is powered by victims of extreme brutality and hatred, yet of course also relies on people foolish enough to say his name. Those who don’t believe in his legend do so at their own peril.

In the case of young artist Anthony (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and his girlfriend Brianna (Teyonah Parris), they discover that Candyman is very real. Anthony becomes obsessed with the urban myth, even going so far as to interview a local man (Colman Domingo) about Candyman and also creating paintings inspired by his research. The new Candyman works by mostly walking the fine line between social commentary and being really creepy, and is mostly successful.

Some parts are too heavy handed-one scene happens in a bathroom and it doesn’t take a genius to guess what happens next. Also the last act is a bit sloppy in that regard, and I’m not sure that’s how I would have ended the movie. However I chucked at Brianna refusing to go down into a dark basement, and one kill scene begins with a fantastic mirror shot. I will admit this film deserves a longer review, possibly an essay.

Hang around for the credits, that’s for sure. I remember Shudder’s Twitter account bravely asserting that horror is political, and they have a point. Some of my all time favorite horror movies are political and deal with social economic issues. Candyman (2021) is a fine addition to that line of work, and I’m glad I saw it on the big screen. It’s nice to support modern horror sometimes.

Horrorfest 2019 Presents: The Lighthouse (2019, Robert Eggers)


Maybe it is because I have spent years working in retail. Perhaps it is also having lived with a roommate for a spell that was as crazy as me. Might have even been crazier. Regardless, even though I wasn’t a big fan of Robert Eggers’ The Witch, I really liked his follow up, The Lighthouse. I am willing to give The Witch another chance, if only because I didn’t quite realize what I was getting into. Honestly I had no idea what The Lighthouse had in store, which is part of the fun. I did see both of Eggers’ movies in theaters, so I clearly am drawn to his unique, bizarre style.

It also helps that both films have good casts. The Lighthouse features Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson as two people working on an island. What begins as two men working together descends into madness and leads to events that I am not sure were really happening or not. My favorite thing about this movie is how events spiral out of control. All which happens in the beginning very slowly, and then shockingly quickly.

Oh and Pattison and Dafoe have marvelous chemistry together, acting as if they have done a movie together before when in fact this was their first time working with each other. Eggers uses Pattinson’s smoldering intensity and anger to contrast Dafoe’s older sense of responsibility and steadiness. Naturally both of them crack, yet it seems that Dafoe does first, spewing out a monologue that I wish to memorize.

If you asked me what happens in the end or what the ending meant, I have no idea. I wish to ask Robert Eggers that question. Some aspects of the movie unravel towards the conclusion, however I think I loved this mad tale of two nutters stuck on an island. Tis bad luck to kill a seagull, and to disrespect the ancient elder gods of the deep waters. Also your coworker might be a touch more balmy than you be, aye indeed.

Horrorfest 2019 Presents: Zombieland: Double Tap (2019, Ruben Fleischer)


Sequels can be very tricky and history is littered with plenty of bad ones. Also there are times when those involved wait too long to make a new installment, which results in that effort failing. However I liked Zombieland: Double Tap even though it happened 10 years after the last movie, which was a really funny and delightful zombie comedy with plenty of gore. Well guess what folks: this new movie also is a delightful zombie comedy with plenty of gore! They even have super powered fast moving zombies now! Plus Zoey Deutch is a new part of the cast and she is beyond adorable and hilarious as Madison! I guess the critics didn’t like this one as much but when did I and other horror fans ever care anyways?

Alright so there are jokes that do not work, and Abigail Breslin and Woody Harrelson do have an odd subplot that is not very funny. Emma Stone probably could have been left out, honestly, and Jesse Eisenberg goes through the motions at times. However Deutch breathes life into what could have been a mostly cash grab effort that was made to appease fans of the original like myself and others. I doubt we will see a Zombieland 3, yet if we do I will probably go see it. Franchise horror is hard to do, and I admire ones such as Scream for bringing back everyone and finding out new ways to keep the audience engaged. Oh and next time more Rosario Dawson, please. If you actually stay for the credits there is a neat and funny moment that I wish had actually made it into one of the two movies.

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