Saturday, October 27, 2012

Weekend Weigh-in: What's the Best/Worst Movie You've Seen During #ScaryMovieMonth?

We're in our last few days of Scary Movie Month, so let's look back and consider our favorite/least favorite titles we've watched this month. Self-reflection! Unless you're a vampire.

39 comments:

  1. Best: A tie between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931), and Bride of Frankenstein (1935). Terrific monsters in both. And Miriam Hopkins? God bless pre-code films!

    Worst: Alone in the Dark (2005), with its massive opening exposition dump and Tara "I's a SCIENTIST!" Reid. Uwe Boll, why do you hate us?

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  2. Best: Tough call. Maybe The Woman or Cabin in the Woods (no im not just trying to suck up to Patrick). But the one that I was not expecting to enjoy so much was Black Sheep. A LOT of fun. like a modern Evil Dead 2/Dead Alive type of horror flick.

    Worst: Howling 4: The Original Nightmare.
    This film was so mind numbingly boring. By the end when the werewolves turn up I would have been rooting against the protagonist if I bothered to care even that much by then.

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    1. Seeing as SMM is still a work in progress I assume these comments and our best/worst lists are too.

      At this moment Im going to put "The Loved Ones" in as my favourite. I only saw it last night, and I decided to sleep on it before I put it forward as my favourite. But the more I think about it the more Im impressed by it. While The Woman commented on social and gender issues and The Cabin in the Woods commented on horror movies, The Loved Ones commented on the human condition (dont read as the usual cliche) via Love. As is usual in horror films every character has one single defining feature, but rather than the usual Jock, Jester, Slut characters, everyone is defined by Who and How they love. All of their motivations behind all of their actions are driven by love. Its a well thought out film.

      So while the next three days may bring something new into the mix, at this stage The Loved Ones is my number one. (which is weird, because Aussie films are more often cringe worthy in the completely opposite direction).

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    2. I really, really want to see The Loved Ones.

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  3. I fell off the scary movie wagon a few times this month. It was busy, and what I watched disheartened me.


    Best: Probably Curse of Frankenstein. That's also the last one I saw though, and this month is already fading into a mass of mush in my brain.

    Worst: I saw a lot of bad this month. I'm going to go with The Bite, which is just plain bad.

    The most fun was Friday the 13th Part 3, but that was because of the commentary.

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  4. Best

    Of the movies I had seen before, my favorite to revisit was most definitely Child's Play. As I said in my write-up about my "dream marathon," it's a movie that is incredibly nostalgic for me, and to this day, I continue to have a lot of fun watching it.

    As far as new viewings, I am thrilled to have seen Fright Night for the first time this year. It was a blast to watch, and a great story. Plus, I love just how very "'80s" much of it feels.

    Also, I have to throw Theatre of Blood in there as a favorite new viewing, because Vincent Price.

    Worst

    I actually tried to avoid horror movies I felt would be "bad" as much as possible this year, so that fortunately cut down this list, but I did sit through a few stinkers, or at least movies of "lesser quality." I just got done with Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, and while maybe it isn't the WORST in the series *cough*Fridaythe13thPart8:JasonTakesaCruiseShip*cough*, I really didn't have any fun watching it at all.

    Also, an honorable mention for worst is The Dark Half. I don't even know if I'd call it a bad movie, as parts of it I did enjoy. Evil Timothy Hutton was pretty cool, not to mention I have a hard time completely hating any Stephen King adaptations, but it was certainly on the low end of the totem pole as far as those go. It was no Misery, that's for sure.

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  5. Easy.

    Best: Bride of Frankenstein

    Worst: Birdemic

    However, I'm planning on watching a few Friday the 13ths (which I've seen none of them) and The Baby by the end of the month so the latter could change.

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    1. Yes! I'm not sure The Baby fits any rational classification, but I'm glad you're going to give it a try. If you send me your email address, I'll let you know the date of the next support meeting

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    2. Maybe its because I've seen stuff like Birdemic, Child Bride and Maniac (the Dwain Esper one) or I'm just that jaded...I don't see all the fuss about this.

      They didn't convey the "turning point" for the case worker well enough but it did keep you guessing where it was headed.

      And...man, Michael Pataki was in some really strange movies in his time!

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    3. Yeahm I've definitely built up the movie more than it deserves. There are far more disturbing films out there. For me, the shock came from being blindsided by it as a random Netflix pick. That, and the way they looped in the sound of a real baby crying. What a weird, off-putting flick.

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    4. I was wondering as I watched it if my reaction was different could be because all of the mentions of it I've seen on here were by guys.

      That guys would unwillingly identify with the only male in the film who's (apparently) helpless among all these crazy women...where I wouldn't.

      The real baby sounds were rather odd...unless they were trying say that Baby's balls never dropped. But then, if that's the case what did Incest Sister want with him?

      Yeah, it's a weird movie but in some ways no stranger than some Tales From The Crypt episodes or Atlas Shrugged Part 1.

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  6. Woke up and watched Psycho this morning. That's gotta be best.

    Went to Rifftrax Live on Thursday and the Movie was BIRDEMIC: Shock and Terror, if it wasn't for the riffing that movie would not be watchable.

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  7. ^^^ David, where did you see the Rifftrax? Was it a packed or empty theater? More important: did anyone laugh at 'The Walrus' title card? :-P

    BEST: "Bride of Frankenstein" (I'm definitely gonna see that one again and again from now on), "The Fly" (duh!), "Creature from the Black Lagoon" (seeing it for the first time on the screen in 3D really helped), "Day/Dawn of the Dead" (Romero at his prime).

    WORST: "Uncle Sam" (deathly dull slasher), "Friday the 13th Part III" (the worst actors in the worst-shot, worst-looking of the lot... just the worst), John Carpenter's "Ghosts of Mars" (not the type of horror, i.e. career suicide for all involved, I signed up for), Rifftrax Presents Birdemic: Shock and Terror (even Mike, Kevin and Bill couldn't save the last 20 or so minutes of this from being sheer torture), "Clouds and Cow" (shame on you, Christopher Doyle, for splashing colors where none should be seen).

    BTW, I think Patrick jumped the gun posting this on the Saturday before the official end of "SMM III" (which means we all jumped the gun by answering today... point a finger and four fingers point back at you!). There's still five or so days left, I ain't done yet.

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    1. I saw the Rifftrax showing too.

      As usual it was between 20-25 people in attendance.

      And no one laughed at "The Walrus" title card...but the title card asking anyone who did to tweet got a big laugh.

      I found it ironic that they followed a title card about what awaits you in Hell if you text during a movie with a title card asking them to tweet them....

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  8. Until I see HALLOWEEN next week, SPIDER BABY has been the most pleasant surprise and my favorite so far.

    The winner of worst movie is SWAMP THING. So, so bad.

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    1. I agree with you, I really enjoyed "Spider Baby." I knew nothing about it going in to it. I think that made it just that much better for me.

      My least favorite was "Witchfinder General" or "Jason X"

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    2. There's a movie called Spider Baby? How have I never seen this?

      Please tell me the title actually has something to do with the movie. I can't handle another Eagle vs Shark disappointment.

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    3. It doesn't have a TON to do with the movie, but enough that you hopefully won't be disappointed. No one should be disappointed by Jill Banner.

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  9. My favorite first-time watches were Spider Baby and Hausu. Least favorite are Blood Diner and The Signal.

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    1. I like The Signal. I acknowledge it's uneven, but I thought at least two-thirds of it worked pretty well. I say this not to challenge you, but just because I'm surprised -- our tastes usually run pretty similar.

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    2. What can I say, I just found it to be smug. It was all about the attitude and some of the performances. There's a guy in that movie named AJ Bowen who is becoming my Paul Dano (who is like cancer to puppies) of horror. What is shocking to me about that is he's in House of the Devil, which is in my all-time top 5 for the genre. That movie is so good it thrives in spite of an AJ Bowen performance.

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    3. AJ Bowen shows up in a LOT of horror movies lately, right? I feel like three or four things I've watched this month have had him in it (only Hatchet II and A Horrible Way to Die come to mind...and if you hate AJ Bowen, you'll REALLY dislike A Horrible Way to Die, where he plays Mr. Sensitive Serial Killer).

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    4. He also had a smaller role in The House of the Devil. I only bring this up because I'm proud of myself for remembering it, and not just searching his name on IMDb. In other words, this WHOLE THREAD IS ABOUT ME.

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    5. AJ Bowen is also in the cast of the next Ti West movie. More like Sigh West. Speaking of which, whatever happened to Shane West?

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  10. Woman In Black (working title, The Black Woman) totally blew me away and actually scared me, which is hard to do, so that went to the top for me.

    The worst, by far, has been Dark Shadows, because it isn't even fun, it's just tedious and boring. It's the person at the party that you roll your eyes at and wait to go away.

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    1. Johnny Depp and Tim Burton owe me an apology for Dark Shadows.

      The movies with the soaps original cast finally came out on DVD & Blu this month. They'll wash the bad taste of that out of your mouth.

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    2. Hey! I warned everyone away from the Dark Shadows movie MONTHS ago. You're welcome.

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    3. ...and while I am on the subject:

      BEST: Bride of Frankenstein (TCM/Fathom Events big screen!)

      WORST: The Burning

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    4. You totally did warn us months ago. What I don't understand is how that movie could have turned out like it did. If they had just played it a BIT more straight and honored the classic material, it would have made a better movie. At this point, I've decided Tim Burton and Johnny Depp are their own worst enemies. Two people capable of great things (I truly believe that) who have had such huge success with Disney blockbusters that they've lost what made them appealing.

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    5. JB...about the TCM showing...

      Was it just our theater or was parts of the movie fuzzy - either the whole screen or parts? Most obvious moment: When Frankie is patting the Bride's hand in close up.

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    6. That's just a blurry shot. Looked that way on the Blu Ray also.

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    7. Yes, that is the way that Whale intended it. The theater I attended featured razor-sharp focus. It was something to see. Sorry to hear that your screening was not optimal.

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    8. Hmm...gotta get out my Legacy collection copy and have a look. I've been watching that movie at least once a year since I was six years old. Never noticed that before.

      The movie over all looks like it's lost its wonderful depth of field that it had as well.

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  11. Working the duty desk today, on another 24 hour shift, and just showed the original 1987 version of the Stepfather to my two Soldiers working with me. They both think it was one of the best movies ever made. And I think I've watched it about five times this month.

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  12. Best: Carnival of Souls: Felt like a nightmare.
    Worst: The Relic: Boring, unoriginal, bad lighting(!), and a mind-bogglingly bad performance at the center.

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  13. Best: I'm going to jump aboard the Bride of Frankenstein bandwagon - it really was great and solidified Karloff's Frankenstein as my favourite monster of ALL TIME. However, very honorable mentions go to both Nightmare on Elm Street and a completely unexpected, randomly watched on Netflix, Israeli-made movie, Rabies. It doesn't take itself too seriously but is still serious enough to freak you out along with some chuckles. Oh, and if you're looking for a new found-footage fix, you could do worse than Evidence.

    The Worst...hmmm...I actually did a great job avoiding crap through all this (I tried to stick to things that were on "Best" lists) so sadly, it's my memories of the Friday the 13th franchise, which were resting peacefully in the sleeping bag of my brain, that were picked up and mercilessly bludgeoned to death against a tree. Watching Part 3 with the commentary was hilarious and I kinda liked Jason X but I was so bored by the first two that I didn't even finish them, watched 4 and didn't really like it, and then couldn't bring myself to try any more of them. R.I.P. Jason, I may never bother watching your movies again.

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  14. Best: The Innkeepers
    Worst: The Curse of the Werewolf

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  15. Best: Tie between Slither and The Cabin in the Woods

    Worst: Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2

    Looking back through the movies I watched this year, I'm impressed with how few were terrible. Last year's Scary Movie Month was a Netflix catch-all that left me drained at the end. This year, I could go another week EASY.

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