Halloween Horror Challenge

It's almost October, time to break out the scary movies. 

This year I'm going to watch a horror movie every day from October 1-31.  I've got some marathons planned with friends and since Halloween 4/5 are playing at the Tampa Theater Halloween night, this will be a blast. 

I think everyone should give this a try.  Post your list of movies and keep us updated on your progress. 

We can do it!!

#halloweenhorrorchallenge

The Hills Run Red

 A group of young horror fans go searching for a film that mysteriously vanished years ago but instead find that the demented killer from the movie is real, and he's thrilled to meet fans who will die gruesomely for his art.


I probably wouldn't have watched this until I heard director Dave Parker on Adam Green and Joe Lynch's Movie Crypt podcast. His stories about the making of the movie intrigued me, so I picked up a copy at FYE and gave it a shot.

The pre-credits scene alone is one of the most gruesome things I've seen in years. 

The film takes a few unexpected twists and gives the characters much more development than the average slasher film. 

My only real complaint is with the ending.  The movie had reached a good stopping point, but pushed on.  It felt like the ending used was just for shock value. 

If any movie deserved a theatrical release it was this one.  The writing, acting and production values are way above most direct to video movies. 

Curse of Chucky

 After her mother's mysterious death, Nica begins to suspect that the talking, red-haired doll her visiting niece has been playing with may be the key to recent bloodshed and chaos.

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this movie.  The original Child's Play was a good movie and had actual scares in it.  The sequels got worse each time.  The last two were more comedy than horror and Seed of Chucky wasn't even that funny. 

In Curse of Chucky, writer/director Don Mancini returns to the horror tone of the first one.  The movie works much better than I thought it would.  Mancini raises the tension level by keeping the characters in one location for most of the movie.  Further ratcheting up the tension is that most of the action takes place in a single night.  

No thanks Chucky. 

 Brad Dourif returns to voice Chucky and play Charles Lee Ray in flashbacks.  His daughter Fiona plays Nica, who must deal with being confined to a wheelchair as well as Chucky. 

While the movie takes a straight horror approach it's not without humor.  The humor here mostly works and doesn't feel forced. 

There were a few plot twists I didn't see coming and I won't spoil them here, but they were great moments.

Overall it's good horror movie and lots of fun. 
 

Sleepy Hollow

Two episodes in and I'm really enjoying this. 

Created by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Phillip Iscove & Len Wiseman it has some great writers behind it.  Len Wiseman even directed the pilot. 

The cast has great chemistry and it's a lot of fun watching Ichabod adjust to 21st century life. 

I'm hoping that this lasts the full season at least.  There aren't that many good genre shows on anymore and I'm always happy to see another. 

V/H/S/2

The Plot: Searching for a missing student, two private investigators break into his house and find collection of VHS tapes. Viewing the horrific contents of each cassette, they realize there may be dark motives behind the student's disappearance.(via IMDB)

My Thoughts: This movie would have worked much better without the found footage angle.  They could have just done a normal anthology and it would have been amazing.   The found footage angle is stretched beyond belief in this. 
In each of the tapes we see people strapping on HD cameras, using I-Phones, hidden button cams and all sorts of high tech equipment.  Then at some point they all transferred the footage to VHS?  Why would anyone do that?  Burning a DVD would be easier and make more sense.  Also several of the stories feature multi camera views that have been conveniently edited together into a coherent flow.  In one story they actually strap a camera to a dog and we're forced to watch everything from a dogs eye point of view.  I don't like puppy ears blocking the camera. 

The stories on the tapes are all quite good, and if they had been shot using a normal narrative this movie would be a horror classic.  As it is now, this is just another found footage entry that will be forgotten soon. 

11 Ways to support Holliston

Here are eleven ways you can leave your mark on-line and help support HOLLISTON into future seasons and beyond:
1. Tell our friends at FEARnet how much you want more seasons on their Facebook page.
2. Rate the show, rate each episode, and leave a user review on the show’s IMDB page.
3. Leave a review about the show on Amazon.com.
4. Leave a review about the show on GetGlue.com.
5. Invite your friends to “like” this Facebook page and show their support.
6. Write a letter to FEARnet letting them know how you feel about the show at: FEARnet - ATTN: Programming, 1601 Cloverfield BLVD. South Tower, Suite 200. Santa Monica, CA 90404
7. Leave a review about the show and rate it on iTunes.
8. Wear your HOLLISTON or HOLLISTON NATION shirt everywhere you go. (Shirts can be purchased at www.ariescope.com)
9. Pray to the television Gods.
10. Keep tweeting your love for the show to @FEARnet with the hashtag ‪#‎Holliston‬ in your tweet.
11. Use #fearnet and #holliston on Tumblr. 

Truth in Journalism

From Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2/Knights of Badassdom) comes the Venom short that fans have been waiting for.  

Just think what he could do with a real budget.