31 Nights of Halloween (2016)

[Avaitor]

I mean, some of my movies aren't new to me, so I don't mind if you put, say, the Universal movies or The Beyond up for tomorrow, but I'm going to have to come back for Green Room and The Witch.

And I sadly haven't seen this one, either.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

NIGHT 13:



Written by: John Carpenter, Debra Hill
Directed by: Rick Rosenthal
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence
Released: 1981

So, today was a busy day for me, and I'm pretty tired tonight and don't feel like writing too much. To be honest, it has also been a long while since I last re-watched this movies, so I can't comment on it much. I will say that while it can't hope to measure up to the original, and in and of itself is a pretty uninspired, tropey slasher film, I do still have a lot of nostalgia for it since it's one of my earliest experiences with a horror film in terms of the stuff that I grew up on, so I also can't ever find it in myself to really hate on this movie like certain others do. It's entertaining, dumb-fun, for what it is.

[Daikun]

The only thing I liked about Halloween II was the cool pumpkin face they used for the cover.

As for the film itself...bleh.

[Avaitor]

So apparently at Halloween Horror Nights this year, they did a Halloween house, but focused on this one instead of the original. Why? I have no idea.

I saw this a couple of months ago, and thought that it had some cool moments, and the score's still classic, but I mainly wanted this here to ask what people think of the film's big twist.

Spoiler

Do you like that Laurie is Michael's sister? Because personally, I think it's a dumb idea. A big part of the original's staying power is how she's being stalked for no reason. That's way more terrifying than having a serial killer for a brother.

[close]

[Daikun]

I saw this a couple of months ago, and thought that it had some cool moments, and the score's still classic, but I mainly wanted this here to ask what people think of the film's big twist.

Spoiler

Do you like that Laurie is Michael's sister? Because personally, I think it's a dumb idea. A big part of the original's staying power is how she's being stalked for no reason. That's way more terrifying than having a serial killer for a brother.

[close]

Pretty much all the "twists" in the series are stupid and completely demystify Michael's character.

You thought this twist was bad? Wait till you see Halloween 6.

Spoiler

Both versions.

[close]

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Simply put, I doubt that I'll have any time to post tonight. Avaitor, if you want to put up any of your choices that you've already seen, then I'd be all for it.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

NIGHT 14



Written by: Mel Brooks, Gene Wilder
Directed by: Mel Brooks
Starring: Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle
Released: 1974

I'm simply way too tired to write anything tonight, so I'll save my thoughts for tomorrow. I did however find it fitting to bring up this film this month, though, in commemoration of the legendary and incredibly talented comedian Gene Wilder, after his passing earlier this year.

[Avaitor]

I'm sorry that I didn't have time to post last night. It's homecoming week, and I was out with friends. And tonight is the game, so I'll have to miss that, as well.

But this is a dynamite comedy, and proof that Mel Brooks wasn't the same without Gene Wilder. His movies without Wilder just weren't the same.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Young Frankenstein is one of those comedies that you can watch multiple times and still catch tons of new jokes that you missed the first time around. Like Avaitor, I find that Mel Brooks' films really had an explosive energy to them when he was collaborating with Gene Wilder. There's just something about how Wilder's acting fit Brooks' directing style so well that made their movies work so well.

The interesting thing here is that parodying the film version of Frankenstein was hardly an original idea. Abbott and Costello did it pretty well two decades earlier, but I think what makes YF shine in its own right is just how much more crude and adult it's willing to go with some of its humor. While there are plenty of great jokes and gags that got me to like the movie when I was a kid, there were a ton more that flew over my head until I re-watched it years later, and there really is a very witty satire of Hollywood films of the time underneath all of the surface hilarity that adds a certain layer of nuance to the movie's humor.

I would've liked to say more, but I'm already running late on posting the movie for this night, so I'm just going to go ahead and move onto that.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

NIGHT 15



Written by: William Goldman
Directed by: Rob Reiner
Starring: James Caan, Kathy Bates
Released: 1990

So, I recently realized that we hadn't discussed this movie in a previous 31 NOH, and immediately decided to rectify this by replacing one of my earlier choices with it. As far as his horror novels go, Misery is easily the best adaptation of a Stephen King novel that I've ever seen to date. Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is a great film, but as an adaptation it has very little to do with the actual source material. Misery on the other hand succeeds at retaining much of the feel of a Stephen King story while still working well as a cinematic experience in its own right.

But, of course, what really makes this movie work is Kathy Bates' now legendary, haunting performance as Annie. James Caan may get top billing by having his name featured first in the promotional material for the movie, but it's Bates who people remember as the true star of the film. And in that regard, what really makes her such a great horror villain is that there is absolutely nothing supernatural about her. She's just an incredibly obsessive and psychotic woman who really feels like she could exist in real life, and that's what makes the scary aspect of this movie actually work. While it is a seemingly ridiculous scenario, having a famous writer trapped in the house of a crazy fan and being forced to write against their will in order to survive, there is just something to how grounded this story feels as it plays out that makes it seem almost plausible enough to happen in real life.

While the movie isn't necessarily as well remembered as most other classic horror movies, even including some of the weaker Stephen King adaptations, it still has earned itself a strong following from dedicated horror fans for its brilliant execution. This is definitely one of those movies that I just have to sit down and re-watch once every few years to admire how such a simple story can be so great and so terrifying based on near perfect execution alone.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

NIGHT 16



Written by: Giorgio Mariuzzo, Lucio Fulci, Dardano Sacchetti
Directed by: Lucio Fulci
Starring: Catriona MacColl, David Warbeck, Cinzia Monreale
Released: 1981

This is yet another one that I haven't seen, but I recall Avaitor stating that he has, so I'm sure that he would have something to say about it. I do really need to brush up on my Italian horror films one of these days, though.

[Avaitor]

Fulci is the master of giallo, and this is probably his best work. A genuinely terrifying work that uses gore to an intense and useful extreme. It's also gorgeous as all hell.

This would be a good introduction to his work, and is probably his best overall.

[Avaitor]

I think that I'll make a post tonight for a change, if EK is okay with that.

Night 17



Written by: Robert Florey, John Huston, Ethel M. Kelly
Directed by: Robert Florey
Starring: Bela Lugosi, Sidney Fox
Released: 1932

I hope that you don't mind that I add a little bit of history here. So initially, Frankenstein was to be directed by Robert Florey, and have Bela Lugosi play the Monster fresh after his take on Dracula. This didn't come to fruition, as Lugosi had no interest in playing the Monster, and wanted to play Dr. Frankenstein instead. Meanwhile, Carl Laemmle Jr (one of the core voices of the classic age of Universal horror) wasn't happy with Florey's take, and decided to replace him with James Whale. So this Poe adaptation was approved as a compromise of sorts, to give Florey and Lugosi a job.

But Laemmle wasn't happy with how the film was turning out, and cut almost a third of it.

So yeah, this is kind of a mess, with a super rushed first act, and a third act that's kind of really embarrassing. Not to mention that this doesn't have a whole lot to do with the original Poe story. That said, I think it's a fun watch, arguably in spite of itself, especially with a surprisingly solid middle segment that has some genuinely spooky bits. It's also gorgeously shot like many of these films, using light and shadow excellently, which looks good on a decent TV.

I feel like you've gotta watch at least one or two Universal classics during October, and this is a good one to watch with a few friends to laugh along to. Obviously we've come a long way since, but movies like these (as well as some of the better ones) are good primers to spooky festivities.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I think that I'll make a post tonight for a change, if EK is okay with that.

It's like you read my mind. I was almost about to ask you to cover for me tonight.

Believe it or not, I came across this one in a bargain bin a few weeks ago. I regret not picking it up, but maybe I'll check if it's still there the next time that I go shopping.

[Avaitor]

So in the span of 24 or so hours, I got to watch two of the movies we've previously covered, one new to me- Green Room and Young Frankenstein

Young Frankenstein is as great as always, and I stand by my earlier statement that Mel Brooks did it best with Gene Wilder. The rest of the cast is great, however, and nearly every joke lands. It's all you can ask for in a comedy.

Also, here's something I recently learned- so apparently back in the early 90's when Disney's MGM Studios was out for a little, attendance was down due to a lack of rides. Michael Eisner was looking for a fresh new ride to bring more people in, particularly older park-goers, and was looking into a non-Disney owned property to make a ride out of. So he contacted Mel Brooks, being friends, and they were making plans for a Young Frankenstein-themed ride. That fell through, but before it did, Brooks suggested that Eisner look into something based off of The Twilight Zone, which is how we got the Tower of Terror!

And Green Room. Damn. Okay, so the plot isn't great- there are a couple of obvious holes, and it has some dead ends which could have easily been fixed. But on every other level, this succeeds. The characters are well-defined and given great performances around, to even where the neo-Nazis are made human, albeit far from likable or sympathetic. The tension is incredible, and the build-up to the explosive second half is paced well. Blood and gore are prevalent, but used tastefully, which is another factor to help it stand out from modern horror. And the use of color and lighting is out of this world. I can't recommend this enough!