Horror Viewings for October 2012

As is the tradition for this blog and me, it's time to talk about all the movies, I've watched so far this month (and I really try to only watch horror movies in Oct). As always, I do it in hopes of helping you pick some good horror flicks to watch in this, THE greatest time of the year! So let's get this started already!

All reviews are out of 4 stars.

Emaunelle and the Last Cannibals- My favorite Joe D'Amato flick and my fav Laura Gemser flick, I revisited this fun mix of softcore erotica and cannibalistic horror after doing a write up for Best-Horror-Movies.com on the best exploitation horror flicks. Lesbians, babes, cannibalism, gore, full frontal female nudity, sex, and hairy bushes, what more do you need? ***1/2

Mark of the Vampire- Todd Browning directs Bela Lugosi as a vampire in this mystery/ horror flick. Great atmosphere and sets, but the ending is fucking AWFUL and a total letdown. It ruins the whole thing. Shame. **








Frankensweenie- This touching, funny, and loving tribute to classic horror is one of Burtonn's very best. I laugh and I cried in this wonderful tale of a little boy whose cute doggie dies, and he resurrects it. The climax kicks major ass. Ranks among the best films of the year, so far! ***1/2

Black Death- From director Christopher (Severance) Smith comes this well acted, especially by Sean Bean, tale of witch-hunting, the bubonic plaque, and paganism. I think this makes for a very fine companion piece to the amazing Witchfinder General.***







Squirm- I been a fan of this one since I was a little kid. This killer worm flick is the best non-giant killer invertebrate flick ever! ***1/2







Frankenstein- The second best horror film of the golden age, this Karloff/ James Whales classic never fails to captivate. And, truth be you need to watch at least one Universal and/ or Hammer film during the Halloween season. ****








Maniac Cop- Since I will be dressed as Matt Cordell, the Maniac Cop himself, for my friend's wedding, I figured I would revisit this fun William Lustig action/ slasher flick. Bruce Campbell and Tom Atkins both add great genre support to tit. While the second film is the superior one, I don't own that one cause it's OOP (out of print), so I did my role research with this one. BTW, the tagline of this one (you can see it on the poster to the left), is a personal favorite of mine.**1/2




Paranormal Activity 4- I'm not sure what possessed (pun intended) me to see this in the movies, as I have only seen the first film. I liked said movie, but admit ably the whole found footage thing is something I'm fucking tired of. But, I think the appeal of Katie Featherston's amazing cleavage called me. I expected nothing, so I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be fun. A new family adopts creepy kid and shit goes bad for them. It's a got fun sense of humor and is actually pretty funny. There are tons of jump scares, some of which work, most of which don't. Still, it's much better than it really has any right to be. Of course, if you hate this series, this one won't change your thoughts or anything. But, with an open mind and no expectations you may like, too. ***

 
The Black Cat- This boundary pushing (for then) pre-Hayes Codes golden age horror flick has Karloff play a Satan worshiper and Lugosi in a rare turn as a hero. It's so fucking good! Both are top form. Karloff is chilling and there is genuine sympathy to be felt for Lugosi. The movie adds Satanic rituals and allusions to necrophilia, as well as a climatic off-screen skin flaying that ranks as one of the best moments in old school horror film history. A masterpiece that is my fav Lugosi flick, my fav non-Frankenstein Karloff, and my fav colab between them. ****

Anyway, I would love to know what horror movies you have been or plan to watch this season. I hope you all have a fun, spooky, and safe time.