31 Nights of Halloween (2016)

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

NIGHT 18:



Written by: Charles Edward Pogue, David Cronenberg
Directed by: David Cronenberg
Starring: Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis
Released: 1986

As far as horror remakes go, or just remakes in general, this is among the very best. It takes the general idea of the original, but does its own thing with the concept. The special effects are amazing, and still hold up today. It speaks a lot about how classy this whole film feels that despite having some truly grotesque body horror, I don't really think of it as a body horror movie. To me it's a science-fiction and romantic tragedy at heart, and the chemistry between Goldblum and Davis's characters is truly what makes the whole film work. It really does help that you are thoroughly invested in Goldblum's character before his bodily degradation, so when things really start getting bad, you can't help but really feel his pain as he is trying to prevent his gradual decline into becoming and unworldly creature.

In all honesty, David Cronenberg's The Fly is still my favorite cinematic work of his.

[Avaitor]

It's a pretty terrific feat, and easily has some of Cronenberg'd coolest concepts. There's a lot to dig here.

But man, why is it that we're the only ones here? Foggle comments sporadically, but Talon's MIA, and Spark hasn't commented at all.

[Daikun]

Easily one of the best horror remakes alongside John Carpenter's The Thing.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

NIGHT 19



Written by: W. D. Richter
Directed by: Philip Kaufman
Starring: Donald Sutherland, Brook Adams, Jeff Goldblum, Leonard Nimoy
Released: 1978

Once again, I'm way too tired to post tonight. For now I'll just say that this is another one of my favorite horror remakes, one which I feel manages to surpass the original, and I say that as someone who still feels that the original genuinely holds up.

[Avaitor]

Both versions are very good. I can't decide if I prefer this one or not, but it's a terrific piece of 70's sci-fi.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

NIGHT 20



Written and Directed by: Tom Holland
Starring: Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale
Released: 1985

So, I did get the chance to re-watch this one recently. Fright Night is a movie with a really great set-up for being a horror-comedy classic. I love the idea of a 50's style horror movie host for a low-brow TV channel becoming a legitimate vampire hunter by teaming up with a hardcore fan of classic horror movies. That said, the actual execution is....OK, I guess. Yeah, the movie is kind of fun, but also doesn't hold up nearly as well as I remember. It's overly cheesy to a fault in many places, and while I certainly can't say that it was a boring watch, it's probably something that I wouldn't go back to again after having seen it as an adult. Basically, it's just alright.

I will say that the practical effects, especially in the makeup department, are still as great as ever, though. Easily among the best in that category from the 80's, only falling behind the likes of films like John Carpenter's The Thing and Aliens.

[Avaitor]

I'm with you there. It's a pretty cool concept, but it's a tad too silly and plain for my taste otherwise.

But it doesn't sound like the remake did anything better with it. Which is a shame, since I think there's something here.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Avaitor, could you post tonight? I really won't be able to. You can pick any movie you want.

[Avaitor]

NIGHT 21



Written and Directed by: Brian De Palma
Starring: Paul Williams, William Finley, Jessica Harper
Released: 1974

Part Phantom of the Opera, part Picture of Dorian Gray, part Faust and part Tommy, you can't go wrong here. This is a blast from when De Palma was still trying to find himself. Obviously he's made better movies since, but this is highly recommended viewing.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

NIGHT 22



Written by: Charles S. Haas
Directed by: Joe Dante
Special Credit: Chuck Jones (Writer/Director of opening Looney Tunes short)
Starring: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, John Glover
Released: 1990

I've talked about this one before, but Gremlins 2 is one of the funniest and most underrated sequels of all time. I hold the original in a similar regard to movies like Fright Night: good for what it is, but ultimately a product of its time and not really holding up the same value that it once did, due to some overly cheesy comedy and scares. To be honest, as beloved of a cult following as he has, the same could be said for most films directed by Joe Dante in the 80's (especially The Howling).

However, this sequel just went absolutely nuts with the concept, and is far better for it. It may be more focused on comedy, but it actually manages to nail it this time, and the fact that the Gremlins are the true stars of this movie still lets it retain its horror theme. What I really love about the film, though, is how unique and creative the various Gremlin characters are in both design and personality. The Brainy Gremlin is my personal favorite.

And come on, you just can't beat having a Christopher Lee cameo.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

NIGHT 23



Written by: Chris Butler
Directed by: Sam Fell, Chris Butler
Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Jodelle Ferland, Tucker Albrizzi, Anna Kendrick, Casey Affleck
Released: 2012

ParaNorman is the second film by Laika, and was my favorite of their movies until Kubo and the Two Strings came out earlier this year. That said, this is still top-tier stuff, and considering that this was following up Coraline, that's no small feat. We have a ton of movies that try to pay tribute to the 80's, and heck, with Netflix's Stranger Things having been put out this year, it has even become a thing in television. But while most movies focus too much on the nostalgia aspect of those movies and trying to recreate a formula that was clearly a product of its time, where ParaNorman succeeds is in how it twists the formula to its benefit. Clearly the people making this movie had a lot of love and respect for the kinds of movies that this was both parodying and paying homage to, and that shows in just how much heart the movie really has in addition to still trying to tap into that legitimate creep-factor that was ever-present in Coraline. But in the same regard, it's that very understanding of the nature of 80's horror/comedy flicks which allows this movie to truly stand out, as it subverts many of the tropes that you would normally expect to see, and adds layers of nuance to the characters and back-story of the town that ends up making the movie feel like so much more than most of what it was inspired by. For that reason, it's still one of my favorite animated films of the decade, so far.

[Avaitor]

Yeah, I don't care for Stranger Things since it tries so hard to remake the 80's Spielberg vibe (which I'm already not a big fan of), and does nothing new or special with to my tastes. ParaNorman has its obvious ties to that period, but Laika are a bit more clever with how they do their storytelling, and allow for this to turn into a strong story about the effects of bullying in a way that's relevant to today, and is ultimately timeless.

And the animation is fantastic, too.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Well, to be clear, I do personally enjoy Stranger Things, and I'd argue that it also has more nuance to it than most of what it's inspired by. That said, I also feel that the one weakness of the first season is how it does follow the predictable path for most of the storylines except for Nancy's.

[Avaitor]

There's nothing really wrong with Stranger Things, but it's not really for me. I do recall you saying that you're a fan before, though, so if I tried to make it sound like you were similar indifferent to it as I am, then I apologize.

Also, in terms of Laika, I really should watch The Boxtrolls already. Especially since I own it now. Until then, Laika are 3 for 3 for me.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

NIGHT 24



Written by: Lawrence D. Cohen
Directed by: Brian De Palma
Starring: Sissy Spacek, John Travolta, Piper Laurie
Released: 1976

I'm once again very exhausted tonight, so for now I'll just say that this is another one of those Stephen King stories adapted into a movie that always resonated with me because of how it feels more like a legitimate drama about the struggles of a teenage girl, with the supernatural and horror elements strictly relegated to the background until the very end.