The Spookey, Ookey, Hallowookey FilMarathon

[Dapper Bandit]

Anybody else hyped for Halloween?

We have a tradition in the Bandit household that we watch a horror movie every day of October in the run up to the big day and I thought it might be interesting to list them off as we go, maybe get some recommendations from the ILF cognoscenti about what perhaps overlooked/underrated horror gems could feature later on in the playlist?

[Dapper Bandit]

City Of The Dead (1980)

Had never seen this until last night (we got excited and started early) but having previously seen Zombie Flesh Eaters I felt confident in chucking this on saying "Fulci knows how to make a good zombie movie, we'll enjoy this."

We did enjoy it but it was a bit of an oddball movie. Very strange pacing and disjointed plot which I have noticed in other Italian horror films of this period but this one seemed to have it more so than others we've watched? Decent performances all around and some amazing effects. Absolutely pulled no punches throughout, there were a couple of (to me) genuinely disgusting moments that you so rarely see.

Overall I would recommend for the vintage horror fan, maybe a 7/10?

Spoiler below

NSFW: show

Seriously, the bit with the rotting baby corpse is foul. Obviously pushes a lot of buttons for the audience but it doesn't feel exploitive or meaningless despite the fact that it clearly is, because there is no precedent or reason for it. However it does address a problem I have with horror movies where the kid is never hurt. It always feels cheap to me when that punch is pulled, Romero managed to gank the kid in NOTLD so why can't we explore the concept of a truly horrific situation affecting everyone? Either have kids in your film and they can be in genuine peril to the same extent as any other character or just don't have them. It's one of my horror pet peeves, next to jerky-walk-ghost-girls in that the child that is never in peril is a cheap and lazy cinematic trick, pulled out in the third act to get your pulse up in time for the climax.

[Dapper Bandit]

House (1985)

Wasn't sure what to expect of this film, was thoroughly surprised and delighted. Mixes comedy with horror really well with a solid-as-a-brick-shithouse ensemble cast and performance. It's probably entirely a product of it's time but hasn't aged badly at all. Hangs together as a film really well - pacing, plot and dialogue are all tight as a gnat's whatsit. Top quality animatronics / sfx to boot. Great use of George Wendt as well.

I'd probably 8/10 this, it's a great film that's a lot of fun. Still not sure whether it's a funny horror film or a scary comedy but I think there's a lot of enjoyment to be had here for all the family. Got a subscription to Arrow Video's channel on Prime so we have the other 3 in this franchise to blast through, hopefully the quality stays up!

[01010111]

Those both look rad! I think House is actually on my list. If so, I’ll definitely post my opinion about it when I get to it.

This is something I’m going to try and do, but it’s going to be difficult where I’ll be traveling this first week of the month, and my wife loves horror but struggles with watching it (it effects her a lot more than most).

[calfzilla]

I can't remember if I watched House or it's sequel... Someone gets pulled through a bathroom mirror and a Vietnam jungle appears in one of the rooms. But I did enjoy that when it used to pop up on Sci-Fi

[$harkToootth]

I'm doing a movie, shooting for two, per night. I think I'm going for more 'ambient' movies this year. What on Earth does that mean? I'm not sure yet either. Trying for a lot of Pre-60s stuff. Pre-Code stuff. We'll see. I want to be sure to start viewing after 9 PM too. I kind of want to be a little tired before each one.

I may just defer to TCMs programming so I don't have to think about it. Also, really making a point to watch stuff I haven't seen. Not re-watching the favorites this year.

[Dapper Bandit]

Those both look rad! I think House is actually on my list. If so, I’ll definitely post my opinion about it when I get to it.

This is something I’m going to try and do, but it’s going to be difficult where I’ll be traveling this first week of the month, and my wife loves horror but struggles with watching it (it effects her a lot more than most).

House was my favourite of last night's watches and was probably fun enough not to be too effecting?

I can't remember if I watched House or it's sequel... Someone gets pulled through a bathroom mirror and a Vietnam jungle appears in one of the rooms. But I did enjoy that when it used to pop up on Sci-Fi

That's the one! Never saw it on Sci-Fi in the UK, which is a shame as the channel seems to have descended into churning out original creature features with extremely varying levels of quality...

I'm doing a movie, shooting for two, per night. I think I'm going for more 'ambient' movies this year. What on Earth does that mean? I'm not sure yet either. Trying for a lot of Pre-60s stuff. Pre-Code stuff. We'll see. I want to be sure to start viewing after 9 PM too. I kind of want to be a little tired before each one.

I may just defer to TCMs programming so I don't have to think about it. Also, really making a point to watch stuff I haven't seen. Not re-watching the favorites this year.

Ambient horror movies sound like a blast! To my mind maybe the original Wicker Man would fit the bill, in that the horror of it unfurls so slowly? Not binging on the faves is a challenge when there are so many terrible horror movies out there, sometimes it just doesn't seem to be worth the risk but I have hopes for this year.

[calfzilla]

SyFy (they rebranded at some point) has been coming out with some pretty decent shows lately. Z Nation is one of my favorites. I'm sad they cancelled it. Seemed like they had a little left to do. Blood Drive was also an amazingly fun ride, but it was cancelled after one season for some reason.... Wish one of the streaming giants would pick it up.

[$harkToootth]

Ambient horror movies sound like a blast! To my mind maybe the original Wicker Man would fit the bill, in that the horror of it unfurls so slowly? Not binging on the faves is a challenge when there are so many terrible horror movies out there, sometimes it just doesn't seem to be worth the risk but I have hopes for this year.

It's sort of a 'subjective' term. Big studio movies from the 30s feel 'ambient' to me. You can kind of tune out watching them. The visuals are fantastic though.

I've actually done this before, and it's somewhat rewarding. Something happens to your brain when you watch so many bad movies. It's kind of cool.

[$harkToootth]

You did post some Fulci... I will 100% be rewatching NEW YORK RIPPER this year. Probably before a party I go to. Oh that movie is so... mean.

[Dapper Bandit]

I forget that SyFy does Z Nation, that was a great show! I vastly prefer it to The Talking Dead and it's cancellation was a real puzzler. Blood Drive was terrible though, tried real hard to find anything I enjoyed aside from the top hat fella. The rest of it seemed to be sub-Grindhouse edgelording (to me YMMV and all that).

Does New York Ripper involve Jack the Ripper travelling in time to 1980's New York or something?

[$harkToootth]

That would be a good idea but no... it's a pretty brutal slasher film (maybe tamer by today's standard "gore-wise" but 'tone-wise' it's still pretty brutal).

[$harkToootth]

The new Shane Dawson documentary completely derailed my plans this evening (and posting on ILF about JHS' God Knows What?).

(it effects her a lot more than most).

Can you (please) elaborate on this? If you can't, you can't. We've been internet friends long enough that I'm sure you know I'm not being disrespectful. Just curious. For example, my beloved Grandfather really disliked violence in films (the face crush scene in PAN'S LABRINTH was probably the most visceral reaction I've ever seen him give a movie). I totally understand gore, violence, and other triggers. But are we talking about like... jump scares here?

[01010111]

The new Shane Dawson documentary completely derailed my plans this evening (and posting on ILF about JHS' God Knows What?).

(it effects her a lot more than most).

Can you (please) elaborate on this? If you can't, you can't. We've been internet friends long enough that I'm sure you know I'm not being disrespectful. Just curious. For example, my beloved Grandfather really disliked violence in films (the face crush scene in PAN'S LABRINTH was probably the most visceral reaction I've ever seen him give a movie). I totally understand gore, violence, and other triggers. But are we talking about like... jump scares here?

They’re hard for her because they’re almost too relatable? She hallucinates when she doesn’t sleep enough. So, if we’re watching an old horror movie, a monster movie, or a zombie movie she’s okay but any other horror film is really hard for her when she hasn’t been sleeping well (and she hasn’t been sleeping well lately).

She doesn’t have any problems with gore or violence in movies, but I know that’s a legitimate thing. Though, I am completely desensitized to it now, so, I hesitate to make movie recommendations to people unless I know they like horror films.

[Dapper Bandit]

Then I can certainly recommend House I & II, definitely removed enough from reality to be enjoyable, if that makes sense?

The Shane docu series would disrupt our plans but luckily that's being watched by my better half today, leaving our evening free. I did enjoy the Secret World of Jeffree but it's all starting to feel like an elaborate marketing ploy for the Shane X JS palette with some bonus reputation repair chucked in so my better half is going to reconnoitre and if I'm wrong then that may foul up movie plan for an evening.

That would be a good idea but no... it's a pretty brutal slasher film (maybe tamer by today's standard "gore-wise" but 'tone-wise' it's still pretty brutal).

Shame, I saw the opening sequence to a film years ago that was that exact premise but it was in my drinking days so I either didn't make it to the end of the film or I just don't remember it. Still, Fulci goes slasher sounds like a laugh riot, will see if I can track it down.