Fourthy Presents: 31 Days of Spooktober

[Wang Chung]

I missed a few. I am heading to work and will respond when I have time to do so. The first couple I missed, I haven't seen. But I can discuss the Exorcist and Blair Witch.


Jane - no comment. I haven't seen it on my list to watch.

Sinister - If I watched it, I don't remember it, no comment.

Exorcist - such a phenomal movie. I love the beginning of how the artifact was found, which housed the evil entity Pazuzu. I think Blair did a great job in the film for a child, and the story was very frightening. As an older adult I still find this to be the top/best Horror film ever as the slow build the torture of Reagan in the film and how much the family goes through in trying to rid her of the demon goes a long way. Even when she is rid of the demon and the priest throws himself down the stairs, it is crazy as I felt the demon transfered itself into him. The sequels were ok, but I had a fascination for Part 3 for some reason....I believe that is the one in the prison/hospital.

Blair Witch - I went and saw this I the theaters believing this was real based upon how the trailers were presented. So I ended up putting myself into these people's shoes while watching it and ended up thoroughly scared because of it. I was a little upset at the end when it said written by, and I knew it was all fake. Now, I did get some free early screening passes when I was in College for part two which they handed out some extra pamphlets about Par Rock and the lore of the Blair Witch which I liked but the sequel was bad and they didn't move along in the lore like I was hoping which is probably why we haven't seen another entry.

 

[Marty McFourth]

October 20th, 2023

"Freddy who is losing power, resurrects Jason to terrorize the people of Springwood. But Jason starts intruding on Freddy's territory and this eventually leads to a stand-off between the two monsters."

Freddy vs. Jason is a bit of a mixed bag, but where it needed to excel I think it did so extremely well. The big selling point was seeing Jason and Freddy finally fight and even though they do make you wait a good portion of the movie, it is worth it. The final fight scenes are incredibly awesome, especially as somebody who was highly invested in both franchises and seeing both villains grow to the icon status they achieved by the time this released. The acting is a bit off at times and the cast I think could have been handled better, but in a way it does have a certain charm about it. It's got that campy vibe that I felt that Friday the 13th had, it does a good job blending both franchises. Some parts of the movie feel like a Nightmare film, whilst other scenes feel more like Friday. I really like that about it. You get the best of both worlds, which is what I really wanted out of it. Robert Englund is really on top form and having a lot of fun as Freddy in this, I do wish they would have brought in Kane Hodder for Jason, but Ken Kirzinger does a fine job still. I think a lot of the atmosphere, especially at the beginning is really good.​

 

[Marty McFourth]

October 21st, 2023

"A group of friends set out on an expedition to a cave. Their adventure turns into a nightmare when they get trapped inside the cave and are pursued by bloodthirsty predators."

Whilst the early 2000's aren't typically an era remembered fondly by most horror fans, The Descent is one of the few that came along and really proved that the genre still had lots left to give. In a lot of ways I'd say it was probably the one to restore a lot of people's faith in the genre as a whole. It's creepy, claustrophobic and downright terrifying with a fantastic creature design. It's impossible to watch it without being on the edge of your seat. It's really paced and built up perfectly, sets a very good scene and is carried by fantastic performances from an enjoyable all-female cast.​

 

[Marty McFourth]

October 22nd, 2023

"A group of counsellors are brutally killed one by one at a summer camp held at the Camp Crystal Lake, when the entrepreneur Steve Christie reopens the site, which was shut for years."

Friday the 13th is a fun movie although it's one of the few rare examples where I'd actually say I prefer a lot of the later sequels that would follow it, Jason Lives especially. The only reason for that is because Jason Voorhees gets fully established as the primary villain and you get a lot of fun & creative death scenes because of him later on. It's quite the mixed bag of a franchise, but the one big selling point was always seeing Jason unleash carnage. That being said, I do really like this movie and having Betsy Palmer play Mrs. Voorhees was a great choice. She plays unhinged well and her performance is great in it. The camp setting of this movie I enjoy a lot and it's always fun to see Kevin Bacon in it who would go on to have a great career afterwards. There's no denying the influence it had either on the genre as a whole and would spawn many other slashers and copycats in the 80's.​

 

[Wang Chung]

Freddy VS Jason- Had so much potential and it felt like a let down when I first watched it. Now when I see it I enjoy it because it's funny. It didn't really feel like a battle between the two as much as it was Freddy manipulating Jason to do his bidding for a small amount of time. Jason did have some good kills though.

The Descent- I saw it once when it came out and I enjoyed it it. Honestly I feel as though twopvoes came out at the same time that was similar and I maybe getting them confused. Pretty sure I enjoyed it.


F13th- the one thst started it all. Such a great start for a franchise that had a twist ending and no one saw momma Voorhees as a threat. I agree I love that Kevin Bacon death scene so much. I also liked Jason jumping out of the water at the end for one final scare and to say it will continue. While part 2 was ok and we got Potato sack Jason in it it was alright as he was getting revenge. On a side note I have a shirt that on the front says camp crystal lake with the logo and the back says counselor.

 

[Marty McFourth]

October 23rd, 2023

"Marion disappears after stealing money from her employer. Her lover and sister try to find her and end up reaching the infamous Bates Motel, where they meet Norman Bates."

Psycho is largely responsible for getting me in to a lot of horror movies pre-1970's. It really felt like it was ahead of its time in a lot of areas, as tends to be the case with a lot of films directed by Alfred Hitchcock. His fliming techniques were so unique and felt incredibly advanced for their time. The shower scene is of course very iconic and for good reason, it's just so superbly executed with the music and the silhouette of the killer. This really holds up so well and I love the suspense it builds up and how well it develops its characters. Norman Bates is such a complex character with a lot of layers perfectly played by Anthony Perkins who really makes the character what it is. His delivery of the 'We all go a little mad sometimes' and the scene itself is some of the best acting that I've seen, it's amazing.​

 

[Marty McFourth]

October 24th, 2023

"The crew of a spacecraft, Nostromo, intercept a distress signal from a planet and set out to investigate it. However, to their horror, they are attacked by an alien which later invades their ship."

One of the films I would personally go as far as to consider a masterpiece. Not only is it an excellent horror film, but it's easily I would say one of the best films ever made. Everything is pretty much flawless and it has awesome direction by Ridley Scott. There's not really any aspects of it I could even begin to fault if I tried. Great performances and well written characters with an extremely likeable female lead, Signourney Weaver is just badass as Ripley. Great plot and setting, very engaging. Fantastic creature design that is terrfying. It has really stood the test of time in a huge way, the Xenomorph still looks awesome even now. The visual quality of it is so great it's hard to believe it came out in the 70's. All of the set pieces are just breathtakingly good.​

 

[Wang Chung]

Psycho- such a masterpiece of a flick. I feel this type of horror is lost in today's style of having everything thrown in your face from the beginning. I love a slow burn horror movie that things happen and progress and you don't see who or what the killer is until the end. Norman was done masterfully and he showed the concern and fear of his mother although she was dead. If you have watched Bates Motel. Freddie Highmore does an excellent job displaying that as well and felt he portrayed Norman. I could watch this anyway over alot of others.

Alien- a fun concept and new way of bringing fear to people. The story was great and gripping and pretry sure Rioley is the first female lead to be a badass in the manner that she was. This movie was so great that the scene with the Alien exploding out of the stomach was parodied by Mel Brooks in Space Balls. The face huggers were pretty scary in their own right, then the xenomorph with the acid blood is down right scary as it can tear your ship apart even faster. While Aliens is my favorite of the franchise the first one set the bar and is a great film. Also every android that we have met in movie release order starts with a letter in alphabetical order.
Ash, Bishop, Call, and David.

 

[Marty McFourth]

October 25th, 2023

"A television reporter and her cameraman record the horrifying outbreak of a disease that turns humans into vicious cannibals."

Superb film that really made excellent use of its found footage concept. Easily one of the scariest ones after the Blair Witch Project. It's really fast paced with awesome realistic performances, especially by the lead actress Manuela Velasco. The film is very chaotic and so is the filming style which I just love about as it really works with the overall situation of an infected outbreak. You really feel as though you're in the thick of it with the characters which makes it even more terrifying to watch. Love the gritty scenary of the apartment block and how cramped and dark it is in there. It does such a fantastic job making you feel trapped. The special effects are also really well done. It's so tense and stressful with some real effective scares. There is a remake of this with Jennifer Carpenter called Quarantine which is more than fine and faithful to it, but I definitely would recommend watching this first.​

 

[Marty McFourth]

October 26th, 2023

"Nancy, a psychiatrist, encounters Kristen, a survivor of an attack by the demonic Freddy Krueger. Using her own knowledge of Freddy, Nancy decides to help Kristen and a group of teenagers fight him."

Dream Warriors is up there with my favourite sequels. In fact, I think you could easily argue that it might even be better than the original. I've seen some people say they prefer it and honestly if it wasn't for nostalgia of the first, I may agree as well. It's pretty much the perfect sequel, with even more well developed characters and plus you get Heather Langenkamp reprising her role as Nancy which also really gives the film a massive boost. I love that Freddy in this isn't the only one with dream powers, the kids also realising they have hidden powers to fight back was a really cool concept I enjoyed. I also think they struck the right balance between goofy and scary Freddy. He has plenty of funny scenes where he's cracking jokes but there's also times where he's downright terrifying, especially during the death scene where he's controlling Phillip like a human puppet.​

 

[Marty McFourth]

October 27th, 2023

"After her mother passes away, Annie and the rest of the family are grief-stricken. Soon, strange things start occurring and the horrifying truth about Annie's ancestry begins to come to light."

Hereditary is easily I would say one of the most stressful movies I've ever seen. The family drama aspects of it are really uncomfortable. So much so, I struggle to watch some of the scenes. It's quite the slow burner but I think it's one that really draws you in with its performances, all of which feel very realistic. Especially Toni Collette who really captures grief in particular extremely well. It's a film which makes you experience a wide range of emotions because it touches on a lot of serious and upsetting subjects, a lot of which will probably feel close to home in some respects. The story itself is very intruging, especially towards the end when everything becomes a bit clearer and you start to fully understand how messed up it is. Plenty of fun twists too that keep your attention. The visual horror in this is really good, a lot of scenes that really creeped me out a lot.​

 

[Marty McFourth]

October 28th, 2023

"After an accident, acclaimed novelist Paul Sheldon is rescued by Annie Wilkes, a nurse who claims to be his biggest fan. However, he has a nightmarish experience while recuperating in her house."

Possibly my favourite movie based on a Stephen King novel. It's not quite as brutal as some parts of the book but I really felt that it captures the essence of it perfectly. A big part of it is due to the casting and set design being pretty much spot on. Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes just makes so much sense and whenever I read Misery now I picture her as the character. She was that good in the role. She really embodies everything about Annie. The way her personality andmannerisms switch during the course of the movie is some tremendous acting on display. James Caan was also very good as Paul Sheldon too. I really enjoy the atmosphere of this a lot, it's very unnerving and the dialogue is so great. Watching this always inspires me to pick up the book and give it another read.​

 

[Marty McFourth]

October 29th, 2023

"Karen buys her son Andy a sought-after doll for his birthday and Andy names it Chucky. Things take a turn for the worse when Andy discovers that Chucky is possessed by the spirit of a serial killer."

Such a genius concept. I really loved this movie growing up and it's still such a blast to watch even today. Whilst this franchise has had its highs and lows, the fun factor has always been there for me, although I do prefer the more darker vibe here. Super creative and one of the most original slashers that got released, the idea of a serial killer being able to transport his mind in to a kid's doll was a terrifying thought and so well executed. I just like when directors are able to take something pretty innocent on the surface like a doll and just make it so menacing to the viewer. Such a great opening scene as well with tons of gritty atmosphere, I love how it sets the scene for the rest that follows. I enjoy how it ramps up in supsense as Chucky enters the picture and starts to come to life and reign terror. Brad Dourif is of course amazing with his voice, he adds so much to the character.​

 

[Marty McFourth]

30th October, 2023

"Jack and his family move into an isolated hotel with a violent past. Living in isolation, Jack begins to lose his sanity, which affects his family members."

It felt right to cap off the 30 days with one of the all-time classics. Huge fan of this film like a lot of people, I love the foreboding atmosphere that is felt throughout right from the beginning. Jack Nicholson is amazing and his slow unravelling and descent in to madness as Jack Torrance is just such a treat to watch. He really amps it up in the more unhinged scenes and I just love his performance a lot. I always enjoy rewatching his scenes. He's very unpredictable and chaotic. The setting of the hotel is very eerie and dark with just interior design that feels creepy, it's just easy to see why so many scenes have become so iconic. Stanley Kubrick really just nailed it perfectly from a visual standpoint especially. Always a film that holds up highly to me, there's not much I can fault about it. It really sticks in your mind and it is by far one of the most memorable.​

 

[Marty McFourth]

October 31st, 2023

"Six-year-old Michael kills his teenaged sister Judith in 1963 on Hallowe'en night. He spends 15 years in a mental hospital. A set of events in 1978 leads to his escape. A killing spree begins."

My first time doing this marathon of horror movies, I felt it was only right to end with this most fitting choice of all. It really wouldn't feel like October without watching it. It's pretty much a ritual of mine to watch this movie every year and it has simply aged like a fine wine. I think there's only a few slasher movies that have been able to capture the same sort of atmosphere and suspense that this was able to build right from the beginning. John Carpenter's score of course plays a huge role in this too. I think one of my favourite things about Halloween in particular is the lingering camera shots, especially of Micheal Myers when he appears in the frame.

I think one of the most effective for me is the scene below when we see him outside just watching:

It's such a creepy visual. I really enjoy how Myers just stalks at first but isn't completely hidden from sight so you see him in the background of a few scenes just waiting to strike. The final act of this film especially is incredible, it's so tense and stressful and Jamie Lee Curtis is incredble.​