evanandalyssa

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31 Days of Horror - A Month in Review

After a long haul, our 31 Days of Horror movie marathon is over.  It was a lot of work, but the both of us enjoyed the challenge and we hope you have enjoyed our posts.  We decided to take a look back at the month and give you some fun facts and our overall impressions of the collection of horror films we watched:

The Stats

3 Foreign Language movies watched

7 movies from this century

5 Black and White

16 new movies for Evan

19 new movies for Alyssa Most prevalent directors

Wes Craven (3)

Todd Browning (2)

David Cronenberg (2) Most Common Actor

Bela Lugosi (3)

Geena Davis (2) Most Common Villain

Vampire (4)

Werewolf (3)

Ghost (6)

Witch (4)

Man (11) And now for the awards! Goriest

Evan: Saw: The Final Chapter Alyssa: tie between The Fly & The Thing

Scariest Evan: Nightmare on Elm Street Alyssa: Mama

Least Scary Evan: Bride of Chucky Alyssa: Halloween Resurrection Best Villain

Evan: The Thing in The Thing Alyssa: Dracula in Dracula Best movie seen for the first time Evan: The Omen Alyssa: 3 Extremes

Top 3 movies Evan: The Fly, Les Yeux Sans Visage (Eyes Without a Face), Alien Alyssa: Alien, The Thing, Dracula

Bottom 3 movies (Note: Evan ignored Wednesday bad movie night) Evan: Bride of Chucky, The Woman, Saw: The Final Chapter Alyssa: Halloween Resurrection, The Hills Have Eyes, Saw: The Final Chapter

Stay tuned for updates on what we will be doing with this blog in the future!  If you have ideas for us, please share!

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October 31st - Scream (1996)

Evan's Impressions: Another Wes Craven movie, I can't believe how many we watched because I'm not really a big fan (see my review of The Hills have Eyes for details). But Scream seemed like a good movie to end off with. Scream is a movie that is almost a parody, but keeps itself just serious enough to prevent it form lapsing into humor and self deprivation. Not that I can say the same thing for the sequels, especially Scream 4 which ends up forcing the killer to hold to rules that no rational person would every subscribe to. But Scream does it right, it hides most of the rules till past the half way point of the film and the rules it states are not that difficult to believe (see the rules at: http://scream.wikia.com/wiki/The_Rules). The other thing Scream does well is having a subplot that adds depth to the story and keeps the audience interested. Too many times (especially in slasher movies) the subplots are really lame and are clearly only utilized as space filler until the killer can show up and off one of them. Alyssa's Impressions: After some debate we settled on Scream to wrap up this month of horror, it seemed like the quintessential film to end on.  The opening is perfection, it cements the atmosphere that anything could happen and takes you completely by the wayside.  Cliches of the genre are embraced, and at the same time it satirizes the typical slasher conventions.  It's comedic but there is some real moments of tension and suspense.  Sidney Prescott falls into a wonderful line of strong ACTIVE female protagonists in horror films, her character is wonderfully developed and the supporting cast are all strong (and open to suspect).  This film rejuvenated the genre with the iconic costume and voice, as well as the refreshing self-awareness of the genre and its audience, making Scream truly unique in a sea of teenage slasher films.  A must see!

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October 30th - Monster Brawl (2011)

Evan's Impressions: This was the 4th film in our Wednesday bad movie night so the expectations were pretty low. This film is a wrestling movie which pits various monsters against each other. That's pretty much it for plot, there are snippets of backstory but nothing to sustain a plot. It's really just an hour and a half of ringside commentary with some wrestling. In terms of the wrestling, it's not great but it's not bad. It is clear that the woman who plays Lady Vampire is the best wrestler of the group but unfortunately she only gets one fight. The highlight of the film is Dave Foley (of Kids in the Hall) as one of the commentators and for wrestling fans, Jimmy Hart, better known as Hulk Hogan's manager, is also in the film. Overall if you have an interest in seeing a vampire wrestle a mummy (which most people probably don't) then this is the movie for you! But if you like plot, or characters or good wrestling, look elsewhere. Alyssa's Impressions: Our last 'Wednesday Bad Movie Night' contribution to our month of horror, but this one seemed like it had some potential.  Conceptually, this seemed like it would be an entertaining movie:  iconic horror movie monsters fighting to the death in a boxing/wrestling match.  There's no story here, we get little vignettes about each monsters back story before their match, but the structure of the competition is extremely unclear.  We kept expecting the winners from each division to have one last big fight at the end.  Nope, not a chance.  There is no overarching plot or even anything at stake for any of the monsters for us to cheer for at the end. And on that note: Ug, worst ending.  A huge problem of this movie is it styled to be WWE style fight movie, but there is no audience to hype up (which is really confusing when the monsters stop to do wrestling poses), and during the fights there is barely any sound design, with that small change it would have changed it a lot.  When it comes to the final battle, you don't really care anymore.  I'd say that the only exciting part would be that you know the ending is coming, but even that's not clear because its so anticlimactic that we ended up double checking the run-time, because none of us could believe they would wrap it up with so little time.  But they do, and its truly a horrible ending, a sequel teaser-bait, completely unsatisfying ending.  To sum it up, a big let down, sounds like a fun idea but a definite pass.

[evanandalyssa]

October 29th - Les Yeux Sans Visage (1960)

Evan's Impressions: This is one of my favorite movies ever. It has all the makings of a B-movie, a mad scientist, technology, a monster, experiments, and yet it is so much more than that. This film is about guilt, it is about concepts of beauty and it is about the ethics of scientific endeavors. This film also features some iconic horror moments such as the blurry reveal of Christine's mangled face, the face removing surgery and the slideshow detailing the followup to the surgery instantly come to my mind. This film is a haunting tale that carefully blends the terrifying realities of living as (and with) a monster, with the graphic horror that we often forget is apart of surgery. This is also a film that will sit with you long after you see it, which for me is the mark of any great film.

Alyssa's Impressions: Les Yeux Sans Visage is an extremely under appreciated and under acknowledged horror film, which is completely undeserved.  This is one of my favourite horror movies.  The strength of this movie comes from the visuals, and the characters.  The father (a successful well-known surgeon) is sadistic and controlling, with a major god complex.  At first I wanted to be sympathetic for the father who is trying desperately to make it up to his daughter, but its so much more than that.  The father is really trying to dissuade his own guilt, and prove his own brilliance.  He is not doing it out of paternal love, it's his complete control over his daughter which he uses to try and create her into his personal project: his concept of the perfect woman.  He is detached and impassive, everything he does it for himself and is entirely self serving.  Christiane with her mask floats through the home like a living ghost, caught somewhere between life and death, held captive in home but also in her body.  The mask itself is actually quite beautiful and simple, almost angelic, but the stillness of it is unsettling, even more so with those young bright eyes behind it.  Les Yeux Sans Visage is physiological, artistic and poetic. It's is more for the person who likes a suspenseful horror, and has the patience for the different pacing of a foreign film.   

[evanandalyssa]

October 28 - Maniac (2012)

Evan's Impressions: I have not seen the original film that this is remaking so I can't comment on their similarities or differences, but I can say that this is a strange film. It is filmed almost entirely in first person, except that it cuts from wides to mediums like a normal film and sometimes it just stops being POV, but not very often. It is also about a man who restores mannequins which should be a red flag on anyone's "are you a psychopath?" checklist. This is also a tough film, it deals with a deeply disturbed man who is collecting the scalps of woman and the POV camera work puts you more inside the head of the man than the audience probably wants. This is a hard movie to recommend as it is just one of those movies that is disturbing more than entertaining, so if you want to see a character study of a disturbed psychopath, then check out this movie, but if you are looking for entertainment, look elsewhere.

Alyssa's Impressions: I'm extremely hesitant about POV shots in movies, so I'm conflicted about Maniac, which is almost entirely shot in POV.  In some ways I didn't mind, for long stretches I was immersed in the film and the character's life and wasn't aware of the POV.  However at other times it would become apparent and pull me me out of the story, which is frustrating and distracting (some of the reflective shots were very forced).  One good point to the POV was it didn't rely on the star power of Elijah Wood (who is not seen until 12 minutes in), however the acting we do get didn't overwhelm me.  I have some issues with reality in this film (not once but on at least 3 occasions the city is inexplicitly empty when Frank is stalking/attacking a victim).  Additionally, Frank is not a very smart killer, he is sloppy and its hard to believe that the authorities aren't knocking on his door until he's racked up a body count of 9.  It is a gore intensive movie and pretty violent (in quality rather than quantity), not for everyone for sure.  Not a bad film, but nothing that stood out as great to me, check it out but I'm not promising anything.

[evanandalyssa]

October 27 - Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Evan's Impressions: Well I told you my thoughts on Halloween, and though I watched the 4th Friday the 13th I didn't review it (spoilers its not very good), so now it is time to give you my thoughts on Nightmare on Elm Street which is a slasher movie that I really enjoy. What makes this film better than the other slasher of the 80's? Because in this movie the protagonists fight back, they struggle to survive and they give it their all even though they are out-powered. This film also sets up the protagonist to be in a hopeless situation, but not a no win situation, by which I mean, there is a way out, it's just not an easy one. They have a chance, they have to stay awake, a task that is not easy to accomplish and they can only fight back in their dreams. This movie also draws on the hopelessness and powerlessness that humans feel toward their dreams/nightmares and thus creates a film that is everyone can relate to and a horror that is universal.

Alyssa's Impressions: Slasher is not a genre that I generally like, the gimmicks are usually cliche and so many of them are tired and overdone.  Nightmare on Elm Street is not one of them.  This film is fantastic, it has the perfect amount of plot, originality, gore, terror and atmosphere.  I first saw some of the Nightmare movies when I was around 12 and they had a striking impressions, I was quite scared and refused to watch them for a long time.  I've definately learned to appreciate them with time, but I can say one thing, Nightmare on Elm Street is still scary (the body bag dragging in the hallway still unnerves me).  It's incredibly entertaining, albeit cheesy at times, but it stays balanced with the horror that keeps it from getting corny.  The special effects are outstanding and so creative, I miss the days before CGI, and the sound effects will make your skin crawl.  Heather Langenkamp plays the fabulous heroine Nancy, who brought a breath of fresh air to the female charcters in horror films, especially slashers, who play passive victims (aka the scream queens).  Nancy is innovative, self-modivated and determined, she realizes that she alone can stop Freddy and takes charge.  That being said, Nightmare could not exist without Robert Englund, he gave 100% to the role and made Krueger come alive, without him I really don't think this film would have succeeded (which is why they brought him back for the entire original series).  My only dislike is the ending which goes for one last scare (which apparently was added on by producers as sequel bait) which I feel confuses the overall story and leaves it feeling flawed.  Still, this is a horror classic and must see for any horror buff.

[evanandalyssa]

October 26th - Alien (1979)

Evan's Impressions: When I was growing up, I didn't watch many movies but heard about a lot of movies from friends. Alien was a movie that many people talked about and so when I first watched this R rated movie I expected blood and gore and the scariest movie ever, because that is what all of the twelve year old's who saw it, said about it. For anyone who has seen Alien you know that these aspects are there, but there is more to the film. And that's fine because Alien is an amazing film in many unexpected ways. It is a film that appears simple on the surface but is much more complex underneath. On the surface this is a monster movie where a brave crew must fend for their lives. Under the surface this movie is full of mythology and mystery, it has paranoia and conspiracies and it has a realness to it that is not often found in typical monster/slasher movies. I know many people prefer the sequel Aliens to this movie, but to me you can't beat the loneliness, abandonment and inferiority of mankind that is found in Alien. Alyssa's Impressions: Alien is up there as one of the best movie's ever made, hands down. The acting is what sells this film, the characters are all extremely multi-faceted yet subtle, . They come across as genuine, realistic every day people who are going about their life. Also, unlike the prequel Prometheus, the cast LOOK like real people, not polished stars. The visuals are dark and beautiful, it feels traditionally gothic and at the same time futuristically industrial. Since were in space, the sets are all interiors and it's claustrophobic, the set design mixes a fusion of biological and mechanical. The score is perfect, it adds to the underlying feeling of uneasiness that you can feel from the start that slips into a paralyzing terror by the end. Ridley Scott successfully captures that psychological vulnerability we feel as humans: we paradoxically are so advanced and technological, but when stripped of all that (as Ripley literally stripped by the end to highlight this) we are left exposed and defenseless. This is a story about fear, fear of the unknown and fear of our own human weaknesses. The fear doesn't come from the Alien (Scott wisely chose the less-is-more style and what we see of it is often limited), but instead the atmosphere of helplessness, which gets under your skin and is completely unnerving. This movie has a lasting impression, it will stay with you, and that is the mark of an amazing film.

[evanandalyssa]

October 25 - Seed of Chucky (2004)

Evan's Impressions: After having caught the last hour of Bride of Chucky on TV last week, Alyssa and I decided to watch Seed of Chucky. If you are following these reviews, you may have started to realize that I am not a fan of slasher movies, for the most part I find them predicable, sterotypical and annoying. There are a few exceptions to this, but only a few. When it comes the the Chucky movies, I am not an avid watcher (I have only seen the first one and this one from start to finish) but I can appriecate the fact that the movies are aware that a film about a killers spirit possessing a doll is a plot that does not require a serious discussion. This film is self referential and has cheap humor, but it knows that no one watching a film about a killer doll, his wife and his gendered confused child is going to be looking for anything serious. As well, a film that starts Jennifer Tilly in two rolls, John Waters as paparatzi and makes references to Ed Wood Jr's film, Glen or Glenda cannot be all bad.

Alyssa's Impressions: The thing about the Chucky movie's is, after the first movie the filmmakers realized they had a silly concept, and they went with it. The series is very self aware, its not afraid to embrace its cheese and keeps it from slipping into tackiness. Don't get me wrong, this is a B-Movie, but an enjoyable one. There are some great references to classic horror films like The Shining, Psycho and even B-Movie classic Glen or Glena (I laughed aloud at that one), and they take a refreshing and different approach. I love that Jennifer Tilly got to play herself and the jokes about her voice from Tiff (also played by Tilly) are right on the edge of being to much but stay just right. In fact, Jennifer Tilly, playing 2 roles, takes the forefront of this film, and highly out weighs the amount of screen time Chucky has, and that's completely okay. Another casting plus, John Waters plays a substantial role, and is used wonderfully. A different type of horror film, more of a satirical self-referential approach (think Scary Movie, but good).

[evanandalyssa]

October 24th - Freaks (1932)

Evan's Impressions:  To call Freaks a horror movie brings up a long running discussion about this film. Does the film exploit or humanize the side show performers in the film? On the one hand, they are called freaks, they are shown off as sideshow performers to be gawked at and they provide the horror in the movie. But on the other hand, the film is a noble tale of friends protecting friends and many of characters are given a chance to show what they are really capable of, such as the man with no arms and legs lighting and smoking a cigarette, or seeing the marriage of two conjoined twins to different men being portrayed as a normal event. I have always been on the fence with this discussion because I think it is evident that the director purposely showed the humanity of these people but the reason most people (including myself) will seek out this film and watch it to see a group of real sideshow performers exploited on film. But at the end of the day, whatever side you pick and however you see the intent of this move, I think we can all agree that there is no other movie like it.

Alyssa's Impressions: Our second film by director Tod Browning, and an amazing film.  There is some argument that Freaks isn't a horror film, and by today's standards it wouldn't be, but for the time it was incredibly risky, massively bombed, was banned around the world (for 30 years in Britain) and pretty much ruined Tod Browning's directing career.  Although the studio green-lit Freaks to cash in on the popularity and success of horror films (like Browning's Dracula the year before), Freaks ended up being an endearing and heartbreaking look at the treatment of human anomalies in traveling circus sideshows.  Those who want to argue the horror classification need only watch the climax of the film, with the "freaks" crawling with knives through the mud hell-bent on revenge.  In some ways Freaks is partly a tragic drama, and in others ways a documentary; Browning scoured America to find the perfect cast of real "sideshow freaks".  Some have called this film exploitative, and while this definitely holds water, Browning makes a very compassionate presentation and the story shows the "freaks" as real people just like everyone else, just mistreated and misunderstood, while the "normal" circus performers who are ignorant or outright malicious, paralleling those who are disformed physically and those with a disformed heart or soul.  It's not perfect, and some of it clearly has not aged with time, however the basic story of the abused sideshow members taking charge of their lives, protecting their own and punishing their abusers still stands out today.  A must see for any film aficionado.  

[evanandalyssa]

October 23rd - Halloween: Resurrection (2002)

Evan's Impressions: I'm going to let you in a on (not very well kept) secret. I don't like the Halloween movies. Not even the first one. I admit it's got it's good moments and it's got a lot of tension, but the ending kills it. A man cannot be shot that many times and fall out a window and still run away. I've heard that Michael Myers is the embodiment of evil and thus cannot be killed, but if that's true then it needs to be set up. In Halloween he is just a normal (albeit insane) man, he does not have superpowers, but for some reason he is invincible. Anyway, for our Wednesday bad movie night we watched Halloween Resurrection. Why? Because this movie decides to take the ending of Halloween H20, the ending that was suppose to be for the entire series, and does away with it. Michael Myers dead? Nonsense, he's alive after a (not so) elaborate ruse. And Laurie Strode alive? Of course not, she's killed off in the first 15 minutes because who cares about the main character anyway. No, this movie has more important things to focus on, like Busta Rhymes and Tyra Banks putting together a really boring (and poor quality) web series and some guys at a party have to watch it. Look, I'll just cut to the chase, this isn't a very good movie. It has a terrible plot, none of the characters are any more than cardboard cut-out stereotypes and nothing new is gained in the series by making this movie (except having Michael is alive). This movie was clearly a cash grab and you shouldn't waste your time on it.

Alyssa's Impressions:I've never been a fan of the Halloween movies, I don't get the allure, I don't get the origin or even what Michael Myers is all about, all I know is, I don't like it.  There's not much of a plot, so I wont bother on that front (what the scariest is the producers wanted the story to be stronger and went back for reshoots, which means this is the improved effort).  We picked this for bad movie night mainly because it "stars" Busta Rhymes and Tyra Banks.  And the acting as you could expect is terrible (the only exception is Jamie Lee Curtis of course), and the real crime of the film is that Tyra Bank's death scene was cut from the film.  Its rather surprising how bad this film is in quality, considering what they had to make it.  The continuity was bad, the "camera" footage was as bad or worse than a camera phone in those days (2002, that's saying something).  As usual, the deaths are extremely anti-climatic, there's barely ever a struggle or even a chase, Myers just sneaks up and kills them.  That's it, there's no tension or suspense.  This film is clearly targeted at a youth audience and tries very hard to be "hip" and "with it", and as one would presume, does it poorly.  I don't have anything else to add, its a bad movie, don't watch it.

[evanandalyssa]

October 22nd - 3 Extremes (2004)

Evan's Impressions: I enjoy anthology films, it's fun to see the variety in them and they move at a fast pace as each story is never that long. 3 Extremes was probably the first anthology film I ever watched and one of the first foreign movies I ever saw and I was excited to watch it again. This movie (as you probably guessed) features 3 shorts and each one takes a different approach to horror. Dumplings is not for the squeamish and goes for a gross out horror, but is also the short that explores a relevant social issue. Cut is a moralistic torture movie like Saw but it adds a comedic nature to it's villain. Box is an dreamy, artistic film full of dread. Though each short takes a different approach, they are all strong movies on their own which makes this a complete and enjoyable watch. This film is not for everyone, it is pretty intense at times and does not hold back or move the camera away just because the audience doesn't want to see what is happening, but for those who are up for the task, it is well worth checking out.

Alyssa's Impressions: One of the interesting aspects of 3 Extremes is that it is a Asian cross-cultural collection of 3 horror short films from established indie directors, and each film is very different. Dumplings is more body-horror/exploitative with some dark overtones of what women do for the sake of youth and beauty.  Cut employs dark comedy with some torture scenes.  Box is much more artistic and.  The one thing I love about Asian cinema is that the filmmaker does not hold your hand through the story; things are implied, and endings are open ended.  There are little things I dislike in each, however the pros heavily outweigh the cons.  For each, there is one outstanding aspect that I took away.  Dumpling had a wonderful use of sound and the disturbing aspect are devoid of excess gore, making it much more unsettling because its so much more real.  Cut has some amazing camera work and composition, at times its a little over the top and cheesy but it still fits into the film world the short is grounded in.  Finally, Box had the most creepy atmosphere (it did employ some of the unnatural movement that really bothers me), it more of a psychological horror, and I loved the rich surreal imagery.  While I'm happy I have now finally seen this anthology (I've been intentionally putting it off for a while), I would not quickly recommend this film, it had a lot of material that would be extremely unsettling to most.

[evanandalyssa]

October 21 - Misery (1990)

Evan's Impressions: Misery, really is Kathy Bates' movie, she is amazing in this (which is probably why she won the Oscar for it). Kathy Bates plays the obsessive fan, Annie Wilkes and though she is clearly insane she is always believable and never falls victim to over-the-top acting. It is also a testament to her abilities as well as James Caan in that much of the movie involved James Caan sitting in a chair while writing or lying in bed, yet the movie doesn't feel you are simply watching someone write and recover in a hospital bed (which is what most of the movie actually is). If I had to complain about something (which I will) my only complaint is that Misery is a really stupid name for a character and only seems to have been used so that any dialog about the character Misery can also be read as describing the misery that each character feels. For me, this didn't come across as deep, it just came across as lame.

Alyssa's Impressions: I read the novel for Misery last month to make sure I would be able to see the movie for our month of horror.  There are a lot of differences between this and the novel, but I will focus on the film.  Kathy Bates' acting is what sells this film, and her performance won her an Oscar, the first for a female in a horror film.  She is disturbingly innocent, flipping between bubbly school-girlish to unhinged wild mood swings, she plays the perfect monster.  I have a lot of respect for Bates, as this is a role that demanded vulnerability (she is not seen in the best of lights, mentally or physically throughout the film), not only did she have to switch moods rapidly, but she brought some humanity to Annie Wilkes.  It would have been very easy for her to over-do it with such extreme emotions she had to play (ala Faye Dunaway Mommie Dearest), but she manages to stay completely believable.  Bates manages to give sympathy to her character, taking her from being an emotionless killer to a lonely, sensitive woman who just happens to be overly obsessive and desperate for love.  There is something so deeply disturbing about Annie Wilkes, simply because she is so real and someone like her could very much exist, therein lies the horror.  Outside of Bates acting, the story is a little slow at time and the pacing seemed off.  While I liked some of the parts they added, I miss some of the complexity from the book, some of the scenes would have really added to the story. Nonetheless, you should see this film to truly appreciate Bates' performance and acting abilities.

[evanandalyssa]

October 20th - Dracula (1931)

Today is Béla Lugosi's 131th Birthday

Evan's Impression: This is the role that started Lugosi and I'm sure Alyssa will give you all the details because this is probably her favorite movie. This is the grandaddy of vampire movies, back when vampires were mysterious, alluring and deadly. This movie is also a classic, from Dracula's decent down the stairs, to the shadows of the victims on the ship, to ravings of Renfield, every scene in this movie is full of powerful performance, awesome settings and magnetic presence of Lugosi. Interestingly, we watched the film with the Kronos Quartet soundtrack and though usually I am a purest who wants to see a movie in its original form, I must say this soundtrack lends itself perfectly to the movie and really builds the atmosphere and tension. I'll give it to you straight, if you haven't seen this movie, you cannot call yourself a horror fan.

Alyssa's Impression: Singularly Béla Lugosi's most iconic role, the film that made him into the horror actor star, but also typecasted him and resulted his almost complete obscurity by the end of his life.  Dracula stands out in Béla's career in a big way because it is his one film where he was able to employ a completely new portrayal of Stoker's vampire.  As Dracula, Béla portrays the vampire as handsome, exotic, suave, mysterious and captivating.  When you think of Dracula today, a lot of these aspects seem a natural fit: the suit, the cape, the slicked back widows peak, the accent, damn near everything that constitutes Dracula is because of Béla's portrayal.  But beyond Béla's contributions (which are many), this film is a completely well-rounded cinematic masterpiece.   The supporting actors are all outstanding, but the standouts are Dwight Frye who plays Renfield who is driven mad and enslaved by Dracula, and Edward Van Sloan who plays Dr. Van Helsing, who's intensity matches Béla's and adds a refreshing nuance of a foreign character playing a hero for a change (a rarity for horror films in this time and for many years after, who played on Béla and Karloff's foreignness as an indicator of their evilness).  The cinematography is astounding, the best being the effect of Dracula's hypnotic stare by aiming two pencil-spot-lights into Béla's eyes (and back to his acting, Béla pierces through despite lights boring into his skull).  The art direction is insane, that giant staircase in Dracula's castle is a death trap with no railing, and would never be allowed with today's unions.  As Evan mentioned, I insisted on playing the film with the newly added Kronos Quartet symphony score, it is amazing and gives it so much tension and atmosphere.  I could go on about this movie and Béla forever, if you want more please just ask, I will go on for hours, but I will wrap it up here.  You need to see this movie, and when you watch it, don't just do it because it is a classic and you feel obligated to check it off your list.  Watch it because it is wonderfully entertaining and a cinematic masterpiece.

[evanandalyssa]

October 19 - The Raven (1935)

Evan's Impressions: To honor Mr. Lugosi's birthday, Alyssa and I decided to watch a couple of his films this weekend. For me, The Raven is one of my favorite Lugosi films. Not just because I am a fan of Edgar Allan Poe and although this film has nothing to do with The Raven (except Lugosi doing an awesome reading of the poem) this film is about a surgeon who is obsessed with Poe and his torture devices. Needless to say, in order to quench his thirst for torture, the surgeon throws a party in order to try out these devices on his guest. For being only an hour long, this film has so much packed into it, because even after all I have mentioned, there is still the role of Boris Karloff as a murderer who needs the surgeon to given him a new face and a new outlook on life. For anyone who likes Poe, or Bela Lugosi, this movie is a must. For anyone who wants to see a unique old horror movie, this is also a must. Alyssa's Impressions: If you know one thing about me, it really should be this: Béla Lugosi is the love of my life who was tragically dashed away from me 32 years before I was born.  No offense Evan... I adore this man, he was truly an artist who like so many who was completely unappreciated in his own time, but who remained true to his art until the bitter end.  One of my favourite movie's that Béla stared in was The Raven, and it is one of the several films that pair Béla and Karloff together.  One of the greatest aspects of this film is that it didn't try to redo Poe's The Raven, as so many of those fail miserably, but instead they incorporate elements from Poe's tales and create a twisted memorial to his works. One scene in particular has always stuck with me: Dr. Vollin (played by Béla) disfigures the criminal (Boris Karloff), who awakes in a room of mirrors and has no choice but to stare at his hideous face, all while Béla laughs manically!  The acting from both sells this as one of the most vicious scenes of torture (in my opinion).  Although Karloff is unjustly first billed, Béla completely dominates this film, Karloff (though no fault of his own)mainly plays passive until the very end.  Nonetheless, Karloff manages to evoke sympathy for his character, and the role reversal of the redeemed criminal versus the respectable and revered but sadistic doctor, while not neither original alone, play very well together.  I could go on about Béla for a while, and I shall in the next post elaborate, but to summarize:  A great pairing of two horror icons that has some great scenes and an original angle.  Check it out!

[evanandalyssa]

October 18 - Beetlejuice (1988)

Evan's Impressions: Reviewing good movies is hard. Beetlejuice is a classic, made back in Tim Burton's heyday and features great effects, a great plot (which reverses the norms in haunted house movies) and all the while boasting a great cast including a very young Alec Baldwin. So instead of telling you all about the things you probably already know (or should know because you should see this movie), I will nit pick something. Why is the movie called Beetlejuice when all throughout the movie the characters name is spelled Betelgeuse? Sure they are pronounced the same way, but if you are going to name the character after a star in the constellation of Orion (which they did) then at least spell it that way. At no point in the movie is the character's name written as Beetlejuice, it only appears that way as the title of the film. I know what you're thinking, "It's not a big deal so who cares?" but that is exactly why it makes no sense to have changed the spelling. That issue aside, this is a fun movie for any fan of horror or anyone who misses the time when Tim Burton made good movies.

Alyssa's Impressions: A good Tim Burton movie, those were the days! I have been wanting to watch this movie again for a while for 2 reasons: it's a favourite from my childhood, and we have been watching the reality tv show Face Off about special effects makeup artists, and one of the judges Ve Neill is behind the effects on Beetlejuice. The film's biggest success is the casting, each person is perfect for their role, and without Michael Keaton, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis or Winona Ryder, I don't think this movie would have been nearly as good. I do feel like this may be one of those movie's that pulls on the heartstrings of nostalgia, I don't know how I would view it if I saw it for the first time today (but I like to think I would love it just the same). However, Beetlejuice has become so iconic as a character that its mind boggling to remember that he is an original character with a highly complex original story and world, and back in 88' this was an entirely new concept. It's different, original, humourous and very well paced, a lot is fit into a relatively short time, but it doesn't feel rushed. Beetlejuice is a movie I still love to watch, and I still find funny every time I see it, which is definitely the mark of a successful film.

[evanandalyssa]

October 17 - The Omen (1976)

Evan's Impressions: It's hard to believe this is the first time I have seen this movie. When I started watching this movie, I thought that I would know everything that happened, since so many shows reference/parody this film, but I was surprise that almost nothing had been spoiled. This movie is full of surprises and the death scenes are a lot more horrific than I expected from such a mainstream movie in the 1970's. The scene that stands out most to me is the one in the graveyard. It's not the scariest scene, but there is something unnerving about the whole atmosphere of setting, camera and revelations. This film is also a great mix of the horror films of the time with the religious horror of The Exorcist with the suspicion of those close to you of Rosemary's Baby combined to create a mysterious and dread filled movie. Alyssa's Impressions: In a much overdue change of pace, we decided to watch The Omen tonight.  It was my first time seeing The Omen and I really enjoyed it, it's rather surprising it has taken me this long to see it.  The cinematography is fantastic, I'm particularly fond of the framing and the use of reflection.  It has an extremely foreboding atmosphere that inspires an uneasy feeling, rather than relying on jump scares or extreme blood/gore for scares.  The music plays a big factor in this, I found myself getting really nervous when the Latin chanting kicked in, it maintained that feeling of an ever present danger.  I also like that the filmmakers decided to take out the extreme supernatural elements they initially considered, which aids to a viewpoint that everything was just a series of coincidences, aided by religious fanatics, that fills the father with paranoid delusions pushes him to the brink.  This is an absolute must see for any horror movie fan, and it most definitely a horror classic.

[evanandalyssa]

Follow up to October 16th post - Saturday the 14th (1981)

Check out the bathtub scene from Saturday the 14th, complete with knock off Jaws theme and preludes the iconic scene in Nightmare on Elm Street by 3 years.