31 Nights of Halloween (2016)

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Alright, it's that time of year again!

It's the time for all of us non-pussified, fright-seeking bunch to sink are teeth into some of cinema's most horrific works. Of course, there are also a fair number of light-hearted flicks on hear as well which still fit the Halloween theme, but I'll try to balance them out with the legitimate horror so we have a fairly even pattern of both. But, let's start the month off with a more serious movie:

NIGHT 1

Written and Directed by: Neil Marshall
Starring: Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid
Released: 2005

Easily one of the most critically-acclaimed horror films of the 2000's, The Descent is a story about six adventurous women who go spelunking in an uncharted cave system as a way to help one of their own, Sarah, cope with the loss of her daughter and husband in a tragic car accident the year prior. However, as they explore and descend deeper into the depths of the caverns, they are doomed to find something ancient and terrifying waiting for them within the darkness.

This is a movie that I didn't properly appreciate when it first came out. However, looking back on it now, I personally agree with much of the praise. This isn't an incredibly original or innovative film, but it makes up for it with its mastery of the craft (much like a James Wan film, some of which we will be covering later this month). If the name Neil Marshall seems familiar to you, he is also the guy responsible for directing two of the biggest Game of Thrones episodes to date: Blackwater and The Watchers on the Wall. Of course, those are two very action-heavy episodes with big battles taking place, however one similarity in style that I noticed is his ingenious way of building things up from personal drama and tension into much bigger conflicts. In that regard, what starts out as a drama about a woman coping with the loss of her family by trying to bond with her friends ends up becoming a riveting tale of survival and despair as Sarah and her friends try to escape forces that they were never prepared to deal with. This however ultimately boils back down to something personal to the main characters again, which I've noticed to be a key component of stories written and/or directed by Neil Marshall.

I think what makes this movie work is really its execution. I do end up at least caring about the main character, and the fact that we have someone likable and relate-able to follow throughout this story ends up making the moments when the horror hits us all the more scary and engaging. While it's not one of my favorite horror films of all time, it is easily one of the best of the last fifteen or so years.

[Avaitor]

Damn, I'm not familiar with this one, and I'm not going to get the time to watch it tonight. It sounds pretty decent, and like something I'd like to get into when I get the time.

Also, do we have 31 movies for this year?

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

If we split up the sequels into separate days, then yes. However, if you have one or two more last-minute nominations that you want to put in, then I'm all ears.

[Avaitor]

Have we done City of the Living Dead or The Beyond before?

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

We've done the former. Give me some time to double check our previous lists, but I'm pretty certain that we haven't done the latter yet.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Avaitor, it doesn't look like we've done The Beyond before, so if you want, we can put that movie in for this month.

NIGHT 2

Written by: C. Robert Cargill and Scott Derickson
Directed by: Scott Derrickson
Starring: Ethan Hawke
Released: 2012

Sinister is a relatively recent horror film that managed to get a good amount of buzz and a notable following thanks to its combination of on-point directing, great acting, and a pretty fresh twist for the genre. While the film does suffer from many predictable horror tropes to some extent, I really do appreciate Scott Derrickson's effort to make the content feel as fresh as possible by presenting it in different ways than what we're used to. This film essentially tells the tale of a has-been non-fiction murder-mystery author who is trying to reinvigorate his career by writing about the mysterious deaths of a family, all found hung in their backyard, with the exception of their youngest child who went missing and who's body was never found. And for him, the best way to do this is to take his family and move there, feeling that the setting of the murder will give him some newfound inspiration for writing.

Of course, as you can expect given the premise and the fact that this is a horror film, shit goes wrong pretty fast and our author and his family is subject to dark forces haunting their new home. That said, while the premise is overly familiar, what I do like is how, true to the author's line of work, the plot is approached just as much as solving a mystery as it is about being scary. Hell, I'd argue that the mystery element is much more effective here, and without it this would be a sub-par horror film at best. What particularly works from a creep-factor angle, though, are the Super 8 video tapes which are uncovered early on in the film and which explicitly showcase some gruesome murders that link to the murder which our author is investigating.

Another thing that's good about the film is the use of visuals. Director Scott Derrickson is able to use some truly creative and impressive visual techniques to create imagery that feels unique and different from what I've seen before, and I suspect that this is at least partly what got Marvel Studios interested in signing him on for the upcoming Doctor Strange film that will be released very soon later this year. Also, let's just forget about the atrocious sequel from about a year ago which neither Derrickson not Cargill were directly involved with.

Overall, Sinister doesn't break any new ground, but it is, IMO, one of the better and more interesting horror films from this decade, so far.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I work until 5 or later on weekdays, so if anyone wants to have these discussions up earlier than I'd be grateful if you can post it up for me at any time that any of you are free and have the time. Otherwise, I'll generally have these entries posted up much later in the evening. In case anyone feels like helping on any given day this week, here is my schedule for this week:

Today: Ghostbusters (original)
Tuesday: Ghostbusters II
Wednesday: The Beyond
Thursday: Insidious
Friday: Sweet Home

[Avaitor]

I'll try to do Ghostbusters tonight!

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Thanks! That's much appreciated since tonight is busy for me until 9 or 10:00, so it would be pretty late tonight if I were posting it up.

[Avaitor]

NIGHT 3



Written by: Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis
Directed by: Ivan Reitman
Starring: Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver
Released: 1984

Honestly still one of the funniest movies ever made, the film works so well because of how tight its chemistry is. Aykroyd and Ramis are a big part of that, as they show just how indebted to their script and characters they are, but Murray and Hudson are equally as important (even if the latter doesn't show up until almost halfway in), and make for a hell of a team. And you can't knock out Dana, Janine, or Louis as characters, as they add a lot to the feel.

The jury's still out for me if the new one lives up to this, but if the chemistry is as tight as this one's is, then I'm sure it's a fun watch as well.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

While I didn't grow up with this film and don't harbor the same nostalgic love for it that many people do, it's still so easy to see why it was a hit. Before films like Guardians of the Galaxy or even Shaun of the Dead could take something fairly ridiculous and make it totally work through the proper comedic tone, Ghostbusters was the first movie to truly nail down this blockbuster formula. What always sticks out the most to me about it is that while it's certainly over the top, you could still tell that the people behind the special effects of this movie made them in such a way as they could be taken seriously in their own right, which brilliantly clashes with the dry and sarcastic sense of humor of the main cast. And the chemistry between these actors is just something that quite honestly can't be replicated.

I haven't seen the new movie yet, but even putting aside any preconceived bias, I think that regardless of how it was made, it could never escape being dwarfed by the shadow of this film because, as much as we may take it for granted, Ghostbusters is one of the most iconic films of all time for a reason.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

NIGHT 4



Written by: Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis
Directed by: Ivan Reitman
Starring: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, and Rick Moranis
Released: 1989

So, I'm pretty beat tonight and don't feel like typing too much. I've also talked about this movie on numerous occasions before. Long story short, though, I feel like this is a sequel that gets far more hate than it deserves. Is it as good as the original? No, not by a long-shot, but in all honesty this movie is still fun as hell and still one of the better comedies of the late 80's. Simply because it's not as good as the best in the genre doesn't mean that it still isn't really good. For people complaining about the plot being recycled, while that's true, I've seen far worse sequels in this regard that don't get nearly as much hate for doing the same exact thing (The Force Awakens, anyone?). What really matters is the execution, and while some running gags from the first movie are brought back, most of the jokes and material for the film is brand new, and in all honesty Bill Murray has some of his funniest lines in this movie. Much like Age of Ultron or Back to the Future Part II, this is one of those times when the iconic influence of the original really just overshadowed the sequel so much that I don't believe enough people really gave it a fair shake.

While it's by no means a classic, I can still honestly say that after several re-watches, it's an incredibly entertaining movie for what it is, and it does a lot more right than some may be willing to acknowledge.

[Avaitor]

I think my favorite part of the movie is probably the first third, which brings an interesting idea as to what happened to the Ghostbusters after the first movie. I'm not as hot on the film when the plot becomes a little samey from the first, but compared to a lot of other sequels, it isn't that bad. Having a decent villain to back it up is a good start.

[Avaitor]

I'm not sure if you heard about the hurricane, but I can't make any guarantee to take over updating this from EK over the next few days.

Where are people at, though?

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Don't worry about it. You're priority should be to stay safe and obviously electricity can be affected by the weather. I'll update this thread with tonight's film fairly soon.