Based on a short story by Stephen King entitled “Gramma” that was published in 1985’s Skeleton Crew collection. The story is about George a boy who loves his Gramma calling her his best friend. After a stroke George, his brother and mother must take care of her and he discovers that Gramma has supernatural abilities.
C.H.U.D.
I was very excited when I saw this on HULU because this is movie I wanted to start my October Horror Month off with, but it wasn’t on Netflix, HULU, You Tube, or any other of my streaming channels.
This is the first horror movie that I can remember watching and I was way too young to watch it.
I was with my dad and we were house sitting at Aunt Clara’s house. I was probably 6 years old at the time as the movie was just out on video. My dad had fallen asleep in a chair and the house was pitch black, that’s how I remember it. Anyhow I had pee and was scared out of my mind and was afraid to go down the hall to the bathroom because I didn’t know where the light switches were, so I peed in the kitchen sink.
There is more. At my Nana’s house we entered through the basement and as you are walking through to get to the door to go upstairs the wood furnace is right there. Behind the furnace it was dark and I have never been back there, to me that was a perfect place for a C.H.U.D. to live and when I was alone I would run through there so ensure a C.H.U.D. would not get me.
C.H.U.D. stands for Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dweller. They didn’t eat each other, only normal humans so the Cannibalistic part doesn’t really fit. The film stars John Heard and Danielle Stern, better known as the narrator from The Wonder Years and a bunch of other stuff. There are a bunch of bit players in this film that I recognize from other TV shows and movies including John Goodman.
Basically toxic waste has been dumped in the abandoned subway tunnels of New York City and the underground homeless population that has come in contact with it were mutated into C.H.U.D.’s. So of course a battle ensues to cover up the incident and expose the incident and to deal with the C.H.U.D.’s.
I haven’t seen this movie unedited or in its entirety in at least 20 years and I must say that it is nowhere near as scary as I remember it, which is rather disappointing.
Ok so today’s movie isn’t a movie at all but the season premiere of American Horror Story Hotel. I had watched the first, 2nd, & 4th seasons but have yet to watch season 3, which is on Netflix. Luckily each season is stand alone.
I can honestly say after watching the first episode I’m not 100% sure what this season is about. It implies that the Hotel is akin to the Eagles hit “Hotel California” and it seems vampires are involved. This season starts out with lots of sexuality, violence, and gore. My type of show!
Not returning season is Jessica Lange, however returning is Evan Peters, Sara Paulson, & Lily Rabe who are the only actors to appear in all 5 seasons. Nine other actors are returning from last season to this season. Lady Gaga is making her debut with a leading roll and appears to be a vampire.
This season is connected to the first season as realtor that sold the house to the Harmon’s their home in the first season is seen in the first episode of this season.
I went and saw all the SAW movies in the theater and I would have to say the first is indeed my favorite. It was cool that for 7 years in a row a new SAW movie came out always at Halloween time. The stories got more and more complicated as the series went on losing the simplicity that made the first one so awesome.
Also none of the films managed to match how amazing the ending of the first film was with Jigsaw rising up from the floor having been in the room the whole time. The score of composer Charlie Clouser added to this scene making it still one of my all-time favorite movie moments.
The last SAW film came out in 2010 however it appears there is a possibility of a SAW 8 in 2016.
Tucker & Dale vs. Evil
There are several funny moments but my favorite unintentional moment is the very beginning with the nerd driving his father’s vehicle and he is worried that driving it too fast will cause his father to be angry with him. The funny part for me is the fact that the windshield has a crack from one side to the other.
If you haven’t seen it you really should take the time to check it out as it is outstanding!
October 14th
Motel Hell
United Artists
October 18, 1980 102 minutes
Found this flick on Hulu, touted as a Cult classic. I’m not sure about that, I didn’t find it to be very good. Vincent Smith and his sister run the Motel Hello and Vincent has a very locally popular smoked meat business.
Apparently the secret to Vincent’s prized smoked meats is people. Vincent booby traps the road at night, captures passerby’s and vagabonds slicing their vocal cords and burying them in the ground up to their necks in a secret garden until he deems them ready for harvest.
You could probably skip this one, I wish I had.
October 15th
The Blob
Paramount Pictures
October 12, 1958 82 minutes
This is part of Hulu’s Criterion Collection of films. Starring Steve McQueen in his debut roll as the oldest looking teenager ever, he was 27 when he filmed it after all.
The film opens with Steve McQueen as Steve and his girlfriend necking on lover’s lane when they witness a meteor crashing to Earth. The meteor is found by a local farmer living nearby the crash site and after poking it with a stick the contents of the meteor engulf his hand.
Of course our star struck lovers find the man and bring him to local doctor and this is where bad turns to worse. The old man is completely absorbed by the meteor contents becoming The Blob. The Blob then absorbs the doctor’s nurse and then the doctor himself. With each person it absorbs the Blob grows in size.
Steve goes to the Police and although they actually look into it. In the end Steve and his fellow “teenage” friend’s band together with the Police to stop the Blob the only way they can, freezing it.
This is a monster movie/horror flick but the opening theme made me think I was going to be watching some beach movie. The special effects of the Blob I’m guessing were cutting edge for their time. They are actually quite good. The acting wasn’t the best but it was a really good story and I really enjoyed it.
The Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, PA where a major scene in the movie was filmed celebrates an annual Blobfest, the next being July 8 – 10, 2016.
October 16th
Mine Games
August 16, 2012 93 minutes
Found this flick on Netflix, the title was listed as Mine Games but during the credits the title screen calls the movie “The Evil Within”. Now I’m heard of movies having the title changed but they usually don’t leave the old title in the opening credits.
The premise of the flick, 8 freshly graduated college kids head off to a secluded cabin in the woods to celebrate, these things always work out. Included in the group is a psychic and Michael, the friend who is on antipsychotic medication but hasn’t been taking them.
Things get weird while exploring an old mine nearby the cabin where they find a few dead bodies of themselves. The weirdness doesn’t stop either as it appears the group is stuck in a time loop caused by an aurora borealis.
Lots of people die watch to see which one of them is the killer!
October 17th
Tales of Halloween
Epic Pictures
October 16, 2015 92 Minutes
This is an anthology of 10 interlocking stories all taking place on one Halloween night. I heard about this because one of my favorite B Movie Scream Queens was plugging this on her facebook page like crazy because she is in one segment and her daughter is in a couple. Also one of my favorite directors Darren Lynn Bousman directs one of the segments.
The stories range from the supernatural, to the comedy, to very disturbing. It’s definitely worth checking out.
October 18th
It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
CBS Television United Feature Syndicate
October 27, 1966 25 minutes
A Legit timeless classic I watched this with the kids tonight, they both love it. I shouldn’t have to say anything about this show but Linus stays up all night awaiting the mythical Great Pumpkin and Sally blindly follows him because she is so deeply in love with him. Of course the Great Pumpkin doesn’t show but Linus is not deterred and begins his plans for next Halloween.
The Halloween Tree
Hanna-Barbera
October 1993 69 minutes
The brilliant Ray Bradbury first wrote The Halloween Tree in 1967 as a screenplay for an animated film to be done in collaboration with the cartoon legend Chuck Jones. When that fell through Bradbury released the story in 1972 has a book. Finally in 1992 Bradbury and the Hanna-Barbera company came together and made The Halloween Tree. Bradbury wrote the screenplay and narrated the film.
The film tells the story of a group of children who, on Halloween Night, search for the spirit of their friend Pipkin who is gravely ill. Under the guidance of Mr. Moonshroud the kids travel through time learning the origins and influences of Halloween while trying to save their friend.
I’m a huge Ray Bradbury fan and I truly love this Halloween classic.
October 19th
Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead
Guerilla Films
February 12, 2015 98 minutes
Found this flick on Netflix, it’s been in my queue for quite a while, just hadn’t gotten around to watching it.
Set in the Australian outback this low budget flick is not your typical Zombie flick. We find out who is infected and possibly why the infection started. The military and Government are essentially the bad guys. It appears they enacted Martial Law have no regard for anything besides their unknown agenda to save the human race that includes experimenting on people. Society deteriorated very, very quickly in this film. The way the flick ends there will be a sequel that I look forward to watching.
It was the directorial debut for Kiah Roche-Turner who also wrote, edited, produced, and just about everything else making this flick. The cast is made up of little known actors, who I have a feeling will start popping up in a lot more pictures in the future.
October 20th
A Thing Double Feature!
Swamp Thing
United Artist
February 19, 1982 91 minutes
When I was kid I really liked the Swamp Thing series on the USA Network. It stared Dick Durock as Swamp Thing and it was very, very dark. This film, directed by Wes Craven, is apparently not a horror film but a Sci-Fi/Fantasy Action flick.
Based on the DC Comics character Dr. Alec Holland is transformed into Swamp Thing after a laboratory accident caused by the evil Dr. Anton Arcane who wants to steal Dr. Holland’s work. During the raid on Holland’s lab is sister Linda is killed by Arcane’s men. Swamp Thing battles Arcane and his men to protect government agent Alice Cable (Adrienne Barbeau) leading the final show down with Dr. Arcane who has been mutated by Holland’s formula.
Durock’s Swamp Thing costume featured a massive upgrade from this film to the television series that was produced from 1990 – 1993. Personally I’m not a big fan of this film, I know some view it as a cult classic and all, but when I compare it to the TV Series it pales in comparison.
Man-Thing
Lions Gate Films / Marvel Entertainment
April 21, 2005 97 Minutes
This direct to video film is based on the Marvel Comics character but there are several deviations from the comics including Man-Thing’s origin story.
Kyle Williams is the new sheriff of Bywater a town plague with the disappearance of 47 people, including the previous sheriff. Town folks believe that Fred Schist is responsible as he is developing ancient tribal lands that he purchased from Ted Sallis a shaman and Seminole chieftain.
Other thought believe that a swamp spirit protecting the scared ancient land is responsible for the disappearances and vandalism done to Schist’s equipment. Sheriff Williams investigates to determine what is really going on.
Basically Schist killed Sallis, who then became Man-Thing to seek revenge on Schist and apparently kill anyone that went into the swamp. At the end of the flick Man-Thing deteriorates back into the swamp for no known reason, I’m guessing he could come back someday.
The Comparison
Both Things are people mutated into Swamp creatures. Swamp Thing maintains his identity of Alec Holland and retains the knowledge that he had when he was once a man. Man-Thing loses his humanity and only retains fleeting moments of it.
As far as which movie I like better, it’s pretty much a toss-up. The effects in Man-Thing are better and the look of the film is better. Swamp Thing has a better story but Man-Thing executes theirs better. I’m going to say it’s a draw, I really wasn’t overly impressed by either one of them.
October 21st
Night of the Living Dead
The Walter Reade Organization
October 1, 1968 96 Minutes
Night of Living Dead is George A. Romero’s cult classic and zombie masterpiece. Although it wasn’t the first zombie picture it revolutionized the genre. The distributor of the film, The Walter Reade Organization, never placed a copyright indication on the prints so it entered the public domain status. You can find this movie online for free virtually anywhere.
This version first aired on HULU Halloween night 2014 as part of 13 Nights of Elvira. Elvira is a horror movie hostess who started in the Los Angeles area in 1981 before becoming a national and cultural icon of Halloween. She does and introduction to the movie and a closing as well as popping up through-out with quirky comments about what is on the screen.
The film is about 7 people trapped in a farmhouse in Pennsylvania as it comes under siege from the Living Dead who want to kill and eat all of the people in the home. What I really liked about the film was that I was the first movie I ever saw where everyone dies. Yes all 7 of the people in the house are eventually killed by various ways. That just doesn’t happen, people like things to end all happy and rosy.
An excellent remake in 1990 was directed by special effects master Tom Savini and George A. Romero even rewrote the screenplay for it. In this film Barbara is strong character and is the sole survivor from the house.
You should watch both of these flicks.
October 22nd
Infini
Vertical Entertainment
April 11, 2015 110 minutes
This is an infection movie that takes place on a remote mining planet Infini in the 23rd Century. Essentially those infected slowly take over the host driving them to psychotic hyper aggression.
The infection reaches Earth through the teleportation system causing the West Coast station to be destroyed. The East Coast Station sends a team to Infini to stop the payload that is headed for Earth and locate survivor Whit Carmichael. Obvious this search and rescue team gets infected or there would be no movie.
There’s a scene between Whit (Daniel MacPherson) and Kent (Luke Hemsworth) where they are both infected and are having a conversation about going to sick bay that is pretty amazing. I can only imagine that it’s like two paranoid schizophrenics talking.
The ending is quite surprising, I didn’t see it coming which is nice for a change. Netflix has this in their Horror section, not sure I agree but I did enjoy the movie.
October 23rd
Circle
FilmBuff
May 28, 2015 87 Minutes
Not a horror film I realize, it is a psychological thriller and it is very awesome! The film takes place almost entirely in one room save the last scene of the film. The premise is approximately 50 people in one room standing on red circles that will kill them if they stop off them.
Turns out they are one an alien spaceship and for no known reason have taken these people and only 1 of them will leave the room alive. Who dies is decided by those in the room, however it’s not that simple. Naturally a lot of social issues are addressed in the flick like racism, gender bias, and what not. The ending is surprising and really, really good.
Well worth checking it out, I found it on Netflix.
October 24th
Halloween
Dimension Films
August 31, 2007 109 Minutes
Directors cut 121 minutes
I love John Carpenter’s Halloween and when I heard this film was coming out I was afraid that they would ruin what I loved about the original and the character. Rob Zombie’s previous films weren’t my favorite, but I loved this movie. It was brilliant his sequel though was just as horrible as I thought this one would be.
Let’s reiterate I love this film.
Basically this film is about a kid who on Halloween kills a bunch of people, is institutionalized escapes and returns to Haddonfield looking for his baby sister. In the original flick he came back to kill her, no doubt. But in this version I’m of the belief that he came back to find her as she was the only person he seemed to really love when he was a child.
I loved how this version delved deeper in to the psyche of Michael Myers showing us why he was the way he was. The darker tones and theme of the film was outstanding. I like that Danielle Harris was in it as she was in Halloween 4 & 5.
I saw this in the theater and then later bought the home video. The home video version was released as an Unrated directors cut with different scenes in the theater. I can honestly say I like the theater version better. The biggest change is how Michael escapes Smith’s Grove sanitarium, in the theatrical cut Michael is being transported by a crew of guards he kills them all. In the director’s cut a janitor and another man bring a female patient into Michael’s room and then proceed to rape her, there is no logic here that I can fathom has to why this happened. Michael kills them both, and I think the girl as well and then escapes.
In the end though I really like this flick, it fast went into my top favorites, just not the sequel. Definitely not the sequel, no matter how many times I watch it the sequel doesn’t get better.
A new sequel is being put together and it is tentatively set to take place after the original second film disregarding the rest of the series.
October 25th
Scream
Dimension Films
December 20, 1996
This Wes Craven directed film is said to have single handedly saved the horror genre which had been relegated to B-Movie direct to video status.
The opening scene with Drew Barrymore is pretty intense and unexpected. The movie is about a bunch of high schoolers who are being terrorized by a masked killer name Ghost Face. The main character, Sidney Prescott, has major baggage in that just a year ago her mother was brutally raped and murdered.
Lots of teenagers die in various violent and bloody ways and the film is riddled with movie jargon and what the stereotypical actions of both the killers and the victims in horror films.
The flick has a great cast of, at that time, young Hollywood and a very good twist surprise ending. This film has spawned 3 sequels and now a television series. The original is still my favorite.
October 26th
The Evil Dead
Renaissance Pictures
October 15, 1981 85 minutes
This is my all time favorite movie! I was introduced to this flick by a schoolmate when he gave me a very rough dubbed VHS of it. At that time I was either out of print or had never been released on VHS. I also love both sequels.
Walking through Wal-Mart one day back in 1998 I just happened to look into the Electronics department and there sitting on the shelf was The Evil Dead on VHS for a mere $9.99, it became mine instantly!
I have owned this series of films on VHS, DVD, and now Blu Ray versions. There is a 4th film entitled "Evil Dead" that takes place on an alternate universe and is also awesome. I was able to download a copy of "Within The Woods" the short film that inspired "The Evil Dead" to add to my collection.
I've read the comic books released such as "Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash" and "Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness." I've read Bruce Campbell's book, Bill Warren's "The Evil Dead Companion" and a movie log of a crewman that came with a Anchor Bay special edition VHS so I know so much behind the scenes of this film.
Back in 2010 Grindhouse Releasing acquired a 35MM print of the film and toured it around to local theaters. Through much hard work I was able to bring it to Maine as my friends and I could watch this movie on the big screen. You can read all about that here,
Evil Dead: How I brought the most ferocious orginal film to Maine.
In October 2013 Kate and some friends traveled to Lynn, Ma for production of "Evil Dead: The Musical". It was outstanding!! You can read about that here;
Evil Dead The Musical. Thanks to my friend Ju I also own the Musical soundtrack and the script.
I truly love this film and everything associated with it.
Now I realized I have already written a lot and haven't told you about the movie and I'm not going to. This is a cult classic, it's a cinematic masterpiece, in my mind, and if you haven't seen it you need to.
Also on October 31st on Stars you can catch the premier broadcast of "Ash vs. Evil Dead" a season of ten 30 minutes episodes starring Bruce Campbell as Ash. It's going to be amazing!!
Update: Ash vs. Evil Dead has been renewed for a second season before the first episode ever aired.
October 27th
Children of the Corn
New World Pictures
March 9, 1984 92 Minutes
This Film was one that I watched a lot when I was a kid on the USA Network and it seemed a lot scarier then. The opening of the film where the kids attack everyone in the diner, I don’t remember that at all!
The film is about kids in an isolated town that have killed all the adults forming their own cult worshipping “He who walks behind rows” and communicates through an annoying arrogant pipsqueak named Isaac. Here’s what I find to be Ludacris, after the kids kill all the adults it’s not until 3 years later that Burt and Vicky stumble across them. No one found them in 3 years, no outside families thought it was odd? Not only that, but instead of killing the adults on sight they take the girl prisoner. They just spend the whole moving screaming “outlander” at them.
Vicky gets caught and Isaac orders Malachai to use her as bait to lure Burt out. So he bring hers to the center of town screaming outlander, and when Burt doesn’t appear Malachai says “Outlander you don’t hear so well” so he slashes her cheek and then immediately covers her mouth when she screams.
Later in the Cornfield Malachai and the rest has had enough of Isaac and tie him to the cornstalk cross and it doesn’t go well for him. Eventually Malachai is defeated, most of the kids realize that is really messed up. The cornfield is set on fire, Burt and Vicky walk away who a brother and sister combo that most likely end up being adopted by them.
This film is based on a short story by Stephen King and spawned 8 sequels.
October 28th
Curse of Chucky
Universal Studios
September 24, 2013 97 Minutes
This is the sixth Child’s Play flick and I’m pretty sure it’s my favorite. I’m not the only one either as on rotten tomatoes it has a rating of 80%, higher than any of the other films. The first one came out and I watched it when I was like 10, it was pretty dark and scary and I definitely didn’t want a My Buddy anymore. The second and third were decent but Bride of Chucky and Seed of Chucky were horrible.
Chucky mails himself to paraplegic Nica Pierce who lives with her mother. Shortly after the mother dies and that brings more family into the home. There is of course family issues among the sisters and eventually Chucky reveals himself, there is a long complicated backstory that is actually a prequel to the first film.
Honestly it’s all really good and this movie is as a whole is really good, very little comedy. There is a post credit scene that is pretty awesome that is not on the Netflix version. I did watch the clip on YouTube.
October 29th
Goodnight Mommy
Ulrich Seidl Film Production GmbH
August 30, 2014 99 Minutes
This Austrian film is about a recluse woman and her twin boys in their isolated lakeside home. The mother has just had major plastic surgery to her face and does not want to leave the home because she needs time to. Because of her actions and behavior they boys begin to suspect that she isn’t really their mother.
I’m not going to give any more spoilers on the flick because I have family that hasn’t watched it yet. This movie is in German and the first half of better of the flick go very, very slow but stick with it because it picks up and the ending comes at you like a tidal wave. It’s got a couple twists in it that one I called straight away and the other I didn’t see coming.
Well worth your time.
October 30th
Knock Knock
Camp Grey / Dragonflay Entertainment
October 9, 2015 99 minutes
This remake of the 1977 flick “Death Game” is directed by Eli Roth and stars Keanu Reeves as an architect home alone of father’s day weekend working on a design while his wife and children are away for the weekend. Two girls show up lost, young but appear legal age, and as it’s a torrential downpour he takes pity on them and that was his first mistake.
Honestly I didn’t like this movie at all. I don’t think it’s a horror flick or even an erotic horror flick. The girls are mentally unstable and super annoying, not look at us we are so crazy, but over the top annoying to the point where I want nothing more than see them get their throats slit and when nothing happens to them and they ruins this guy’s life for no reason it pissed me off.
At the end of the Strangers the bad guys had no reason to do what they did, even when asked why they did it they responded “why not” or something similar. It was scary and creepy, this film was just dumb.
October 31st – Halloween
The Blair Witch Project
Haxan Films
July 30, 1999 81 Minutes
I feel this is a great flick to end on. It was very unique when it came out because of the marketing campaign. It’s not the first found footage film but it did revolutionize the genre and caused and explosion of found footage films.
This movie was touted as being a true story and that the footage was actual footage found and cut together to make a film. They even had a special on Sci-Fi Channel about it and print media also wrote articles about it being a real footage. Three unknown actors were cast and they even actually filmed the movie.
People truly believed that this film was real. I went to the opening night at then regal cinemas in Augusta and they were not expecting it to be as popular as it was and quickly sold out the first theatre so they stretched the reel between two projectors and sold out a second theatre. It was the first time I can ever recall being in such a packed theatre. They even had people come in to sell concessions in the theatre, at an even higher price.
About 15 minutes into the movie the screen froze and went crooked, the audio skipped, and then the picture deteriorated causing several theatre goers to scream and an actual panic ensued. I mean it felt like a legitimate volatile situation.
In reality what happened was the projector broke and a frame of the film got stuck and the bulb from the projector melted it. The lights came on and an employee announced this and that the movie would be back running in about 10 minutes. The first theatre was sent home with passes.
Thanks for reading, feel free to leave a comment.
Until Next Time
