31 Nights of Halloween (2016)

[Avaitor]

This is still one of my favorite King stories, on page and screen, even if it's a little rough around the edges. Carrie's abilities are even less defined than most of his later psychic children stories, but I really like everything else.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Avaitor, could you post up one of yours tonight? On top of being busy, we're running out of days here and I only have two or three of my own choices left anyways, so I could use some of your picks to fill in some spots.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Alright, guess I have no choice since tonight is almost over.

NIGHT 25



Written by: Andrew Kevin Walker
Directed by: David Fincher
Starring: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey
Released: 1995

This one is a film that I've come to appreciate much more over time, thanks to Fincher's unconventional directing style and the great acting. While the movie can feel slow for some, the build-up really works for me, and makes the final scene all the more disturbing in a way that both unnerves and stays with me.

[Avaitor]

Hey, sorry, I was out tonight. But I'll try to post tomorrow, which will be another wild card.

Seven didn't impress me too much the first time I saw it, but I've really warmed up to it in recent years, and consider it a dynamite mystery flick, which gets downright terrifying in parts. I also have a bizarre minority opinion that Zodiac is an inferior remake of Seven, but that's another discussion.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Could you take over tonight if possible, Avaitor?

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I really hope that you don't mind, Avaitor, but I'm going to post up one of your choices tonight since we only have a few nights left and we'll run out of room for them otherwise. If you haven't seen it yet, we can always come back to discuss it later.

NIGHT 26



Written by: Garrett Fort
Directed by: Lambert Hillyer
Starring: Otto Kruger, Gloria Holden, Marguerite Churchill
Released: 1936

I remember seeing this one a long time ago as a kid. It was running on some late night horror movie marathon special from what I recall, but what I actually remember of the film is very vague. It mostly just came off as weird to me at the time.

That said, it's definitely one of those movies that I want to revisit some day.

[Avaitor]

I'm so sorry- I was going to try to post tonight, but we stayed out much later than expected, so that didn't end up happening.

But what perfect luck, you picked the movie that I was going to choose, which I watched just before!

This is a really interesting addition to the Universal horror canon, as it was almost the last film made from that golden period, and would have been if not for a later double-feature reissue of Dracula and Frankenstein inspiring the studio to give the latter franchise another chance. This one didn't do too well, which makes sense given the troubled production (James Whale almost directed it, but the script he wanted had zero chance of making it past the Hays Code, so it might have been even gayer than it is now), and just how weird it is. The lack of Dracula isn't too surprising, but it must have hurt (Van Helsing does return, but his material isn't too interesting), but the structure is kind of all over the place.

The reception has changed in recent years, and I like it about as much as the original Dracula, maybe a little less. It's less stagey and more theatrical, although it does lose the Expressionist shading that makes the original still worth digging, so take what you will of that. What really makes this interesting is Holden as the titular daughter, who is fantastic. She has a slightly different vibe to Lugosi, but somehow still compliments his performance well, even standing on her own for many of the weaker scenes here. I recommend this if you're even remotely interested in the Dracula lore. It's not the best, but there's some cool moments, and it's only an hour of your time.

[Avaitor]

NIGHT 27



Written and Directed by: Jim Jarmusch
Starring: Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowska, John Hurt
Released: 2013

I actually haven't received the copy I ordered in the mail yet, but it should be here by Halloween time. Good enough for me!

This isn't really scary at all, but it's a pretty unique and surprisingly fun look at vampires that somehow doesn't pussify them ala Twilight, True Blood, Vampire Diaries etc. It all comes down to Swinton and Hiddleston's performances, which are great and sell their ancient love story pretty well, as it even elevates the film beyond its mediocre production values. And I really like the musical references throughout, as there's a lot to dig up in that regard.

I think this is worth a look for fans of vampire lore. If you like your vampire stories with more horror to them, then it may not do much for you, but if you want something a little different, here you are.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

NIGHT 28



Written by: Chad Hayes, Carey Hayes
Directed by: James Wan
Starring: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson
Released: 2013



Written by: Chad Hayes, Carey Hayes
Directed by: James Wan
Starring: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson
Released: 2016

I've been meaning to post about these movies for a while, but long story short, I'm a fan. Firstly, the "based on true case files" angle is really just a marketing ploy. You can tell that the writers of the film along with director James Wan are more interested in just crafting effective horror movies and take as many liberties as they need to with stories that by all reliable accounts were big hoaxes. Where these films work is in their execution.

To me, as far as modern horror movies go, while I personally find that the more unique and experimental ones resonate with me more, these movies tend to work for me as modern takes on traditional ghost stories. That is to say, what they lack in originality they make up for in the love and respect for their craft. In this regard, I find that the first film is by far the more effective and stronger of the two, but the sequel released earlier this year was still surprisingly well done and has some masterfully directed scenes of its own. I think more than anything, these show just what a good grasp James Wan has on the classic horror formula as a director. In his more experimental films he can try and twist that to create something unique, like with the last third of Insidious, but in these movies he does a really good job of showcasing his ability to follow the guidelines of classic haunting and possession movies to near perfection, while still allowing these stories to have their own flavor to them. And it helps that pretty much all of the actors are well-cast, with stars Farmiga and Wilson really holding both pictures together as the paranormal investigators meant to be both our expository guides while also serving as surrogate characters to experience the supernatural elements of these films along with the audience.

Neither of these are necessarily going to be remembered as classics, but for what they are they are well made, old-fashioned spook flicks.

[Avaitor]

You know, my apartment complex recently did a screening of the sequel, but I forget when it was, and since I haven't seen the first, I should probably skip it.

But I am interested in these movies, and the fact that the sequel is supposed to be pretty damn good does make me a little more interested than I already was. Because it's so rare, and welcome, for a horror sequel to stand on its own ground.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

If you go in with the right expectations, I really think you'll enjoy them. Personally I find the first movie to be far superior in terms of characters and atmosphere, but the second still proves its worth through some riskier and less predictable inversions of certain tropes, and in its own right is still a good modern horror movie.

As for Only Lovers Left Alive, is it streaming anywhere? I've been interested in checking it out for a while.

Also, BTW, feel free to post up any movie that you want to talk about tonight. I do however have plans for tomorrow and Halloween, though.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Alright, it's already almost midnight where I'm at, so I'll just go ahead and post tonight's movie.

NIGHT 29



Written by: David J. Schow, John Shirley
Directed by: Alex Proyas
Starring: Brandon Lee, Ernie Hudson, Michael Wincott
Released: 1994

So, I did mean to post this on Devil's Night, but seeing as how it's already technically October 30th for those of you who live on the East Coast, I suppose it still sort of counts. I just wanted to give Avaitor a chance to pick one more movie if he wanted, so I decided to just go ahead and get this one out of the way now instead of later.

I recently re-watched the movie on Netflix, and while it does succumb to some of the cheesiness of early comic-book action movies, especially in the climate of the 90's era, this one still holds up remarkably well for the most part, all things considered. While Brandon Lee's tragic death did elevate the awareness of the film, much like Heath Ledger's Joker, it was his brilliant performance that people remembered rather than the fact that he died during the making of the film. Really, it's rather amazing that they managed to finish the film despite not filming all of the scenes that they wanted him in, especially considering that if you didn't know anything about the movie's production, you wouldn't even guess that there was any content missing from it since his character is in it for the perfect amount of time.

What makes this film work for me, though, is how despite its gothic/occult look, vengeance-driven plot, and R-rating, it was ultimately a movie with a pretty heartfelt undertone about dealing with loss and grief, and the acceptance that must ultimately come with it. I think that this is perfectly exemplified by how Eric Draven ultimately gives the big bad of the movie what he deserves by confronting all of his pain and suffering and passing it all onto him to experience in an instant. While this could come off as unintentionally funny emo bull-shit, the way that it's actually executed in the movie had quite an emotional ring to it.

The Crow is by no means a perfect movie, but to me it manages to prevail as more than just a product of its time. It's a well-made film with good acting and more importantly, a good story with pretty touching themes....that happens to be wrapped up in the guise of a horror action movie. Pretty amazing feat, all things considered.

And also, it has Ernie Hudson in it. Any movie with Ernie Hudson in it is automatically elevated a level in quality. Well....except for that OTHER comic book movie he was in....

[Avaitor]

I'm sorry, I was at a murder mystery party, and didn't get to post beforehand. And I don't know if Only Lovers Left Alive is streaming or not.

One thing that I like about The Crow is how reflective of 90's rock the soundtrack is. You have metal bands that were cool to listen to, like Pantera, 80's acts that were still relevant like The Cure, industrial like NIN, and of course grunge via STP. Not all of it is to my taste per say, but it's definitely a piece of the 90's.

Otherwise, it's a good, if sometimes cheesy comic book adaptation. We've had better ones since and even before, but plenty of worse ones throughout. Enough of the movie works for it to hold up pretty well.

[Avaitor]

NIGHT 30



Written by: John August, Caroline Thompson, Pamela Pettler
Directed by: Tim Burton, Mike Johnson
Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson
Released: 2005

You know, I was going to see Tim Burton's first foray into feature length stop-motion (which he wrote the original storybook of and produced, but did not direct) in theaters, but my girlfriend is not up for going out tonight, and I honestly am not either. I've seen Nightmare Before Christmas a billion times, though, while this one is a bit less seen by me.

It's a good one, though. Danny Elfman's music couldn't possibly top his setlist from Nightmare, but nothing can. What makes the movie work is the characters, as Emily is fantastic, especially with her understanding at the end. Victor and Victoria are also likable characters, and their blossoming love comes off as surprisingly effective, just as Victor more than holds his own as your average skeptic when he's away. The animation and character design is also impressive, as this helped to prove that Henry Selick wasn't the only game in town. And the visual design compliments them wonderfully, as it takes you into the Gothic atmosphere that this story tries to tell you.

In recent years, I've come to accept that Tim Burton is more of an inconsistent director at best. His 80's and early 90's films aren't as fantastic all across the board (I personally can't stand Edward Scissorhands), and he didn't stop making good movies after Ed Wood like plenty of people say. True, Alice and Dark Shadows just plain suck, and Miss Peregrine's mixed reception leaves me skeptical (the subject matter and trailers didn't interest me, but I've heard from a few Burton/film fans that I trust that it's worth a watch) but this, Big Fish, and Sweeney Todd show that he isn't too far removed from good material. And I should probably get to Frankenweenie at some point.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

NIGHT 31



Written by: John Logan
Directed by: Tim Burton
Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman
Released: 2007

So, being that this may very well be the last time that I do one of these threads given how I'm both busier these days with my job, and the general lack of interest from everyone on the board except for Avaitor and myself, I figured that I wanted to put some thought into what the last movie would be to bring up. I knew I wanted something that was either classic or an adaptation of a classic horror story, but that was also a bit different than what one would expect of a typical horror movie. Then I thought of this movie, re-watched it, realized how much I still really enjoy it nearly a decade later (it's easily Burton's best film of the 2000's, and my third favorite movie that he's made overall). It adapts a classic play which itself was adapted from a classic story first told in a British paper serialization, so it can definitely be considered a classic. At the same time, it's a relatively recent movie in a history of over a century of horror movies, so it combines the best of old and new, telling a familiar story with modern film-making techniques. And on top of all of that, it's a musical, so it feels very different from any other live-action horror film.

What makes this movie work so well really are the performances, though. Burton and Depp have made for a brilliant team-up at times and a bizarrely awful one on many other occasions. Sweeney Todd thankfully manages to be a case of the former and Depp's performance really works here, somehow managing to be both absurdly over the top yet meaningfully subdued when he needs to be as well. It also helps that it's such a tried and true story that has managed to prevail for so many years for a reason. It's a clear reminder that horror does not just have to be relegated to supernatural things like ghosts or vampires, but at its core can really be boiled down to the corruption and dark depths of the human soul, which this story is all about. This is something that Burton has a clear understanding of, and that's why this movie really works in its horror theme.

Also, for the record, it wasn't my intention to feature two Tim Burton films in a row. I had no idea that Avaitor would pick Corpse Bride, but since I didn't get a chance to comment on it last night, I should say that I honestly enjoy it, and find it to be rather underrated. It's not a masterpiece or classic by any stretch, but it's a genuinely well-done film with the right amount of heart and humor to it, and it's worth watching once every few Halloweens in my book. I should also mention

Also: HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYONE!