October Challenge and My Favorite Horror Films

I've heard of people in past years doing the "October Challenge" - where you watch at least one horror film per day for the entire month of October - but I'd never attempted it myself. Until this year.

I knew it would be fun - hey, any excuse to watch a movie, right? - but also frustrating. So many horror films are pure rubbish and I knew I'd be lucky if even half of my choices were any good.

In the end, the majority of the movies were below average - meaning a rating less than 5/10. Some were God awful and among the worst films I've ever had the displeasure of watching. Some were really bad but had some redeeming qualities. Some were below average and could have been decent if only a few more aspects had been better.

Thankfully, there were some solid selections, too. Some were enjoyable enough for one viewing, but I probably wouldn't watch again. Others were very good and a few more were great and even joined the group of my favorite horror films, which is included at the end of this post!

Here's a quick recap of some of the "memorable" titles:

The worst of the worst:

* Pinhead - the best part of an awful movie. Too bad he's onscreen for about five minutes total *

Hellraiser - 1/10 Holy hell, what an awful movie. Insultingly stupid, maddeningly convoluted, and frighteningly...boring. There's not one redeeming aspect in the entire film, which seemed to last three hours. There are about ten sequels, but I can't imagine ever willingly sitting through any of them since the consensus is this is the best of the bunch. Yikes.

* Just what the Alien franchise needed: Winona Ryder. To my dismay, Ryder isn't the worst part of this abomination *

Alien: Resurrection - 1/10 A stupid premise and terrible execution of every aspect adds up to make one of the worst films I've seen. There's not one redeeming aspect in the entire film. Even a cast made up of solid actors couldn't overcome the awful writing and lackluster direction. Sigourney Weaver, who was always engaging as Ellen Ripley, even looks bored. I've never seen a franchise fall apart like Alien did.

* Ooh, killers wearing a mask? That's something I haven't seen before... *

Preservation - 1/10 Wow, I'm really expanding my number of 1/10 ratings this month. This is another example of a film with no redeeming characteristics - the writing is pitiful (unlikeable, stupid characters, ridiculous "plot" points, and even boring villains), the acting is atrocious, and there are no thrills or suspenseful moments.

A few classics that I just don't get the appeal of:

* My favorite aspect of this mostly boring flick were the interactions between these two friends *

An American Werewolf in London - 3.5/10 Besides the special effects makeup and the hot nurse, there's not much to recommend.

* Even Spock, Hawkeye Pierce, and Dr. Ian Malcolm couldn't save this movie *

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) - 3/10 Mostly boring, cheesy, and overwrought but with some moments of genuine weirdness (what the fuck was up with the man-faced dog?!), plus Sutherland is almost always interesting.  

* Seriously, I don't get how that's a William Shatner mask. Even if it wasn't painted white, I can't see it *

Halloween - 3/10, down from 5/10 Upon rewatch (about 15 years after my first viewing), it's much dumber than I remember. Not scary or creepy or unsettling in the least and filled with annoying, unlikable characters. It's too bad Michael Meyers couldn't kill them all and then himself. The score and Michael's character design are the only redeeming features.

A few "moderate" recommendations - not great or anything, but worth checking out: 

* A happy moment together, before things quickly go down hill *

The Ones Below - 6.5/10 A solid, engaging thriller with some interesting and well-portrayed characters. Well done from a technical perspective (I especially liked the look of the film) but the predictable plot can't stand up to much critical thinking after the fact. I would have loved a different ending, too.  

* Some people really go all out on their Purge costumes - this is one of the cooler ones *

The Purge: Election Year - 6/10 The Purge series keeps getting better. Like the rest, Election Year isn't scary at all, but it is rather intense at times. Some good characters and decent performances with a script that actually makes sense. It all adds up to an enjoyable time. 

* A good landlord keeps an eye on his property. This guy is a GREAT landlord by those standards *

13 Cameras - 6.5/10 A very solid suspense thriller. No one aspect is fantastic or anything, but it's entertaining throughout. A big plus - the characters are surprisingly intelligent (for the most part) for a film of this nature. The villain was a little too much (would anyone really rent a house from this guy?) and the very end was a bit disappointing, but otherwise I have no big complaints.

* You might want to get that checked out before it spreads... *

Slither - 7/10 Funny, with lots of inventive gore and old school practical effects. Not scary in the least, but lots of fun. Reminded me a lot of a childhood favorite, Night of the Creeps. Campy fun for everyone!

Very good entries - highly recommended:

* This is the exact reason why you shouldn't go nosing around a stranger's house, especially in Texas *

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) - 8.5/10 Atmospheric with great production design, editing, and direction. Terrifying at times, deeply unsettling at other times. My only real complaint is with the shoddy acting from everyone other than Marilyn Burns.  

* A lot of terrible shit happens in bathrooms in horror films, did you ever notice that? *

Honeymoon - 7.5/10 I was very surprised with this one. Well acted (when a film has essentially two cast members, the performers better be very good), suspenseful, and creepy. I've seen a few of this type (person slowly transforming into something else) of film lately, but this is by far the best. Great ending, too!

* She's such a sweet old lady - what's the worst that could happen? *

The Taking of Deborah Logan - 7.5/10 I'm not usually a big fan of "found footage" films, but this one is well shot, well structured, and just genuinely creepy and scary. Some solid performances (especially from Jill Larson) and an interesting story, but it goes a little off the rails near the end.  

* The infamous "chestbursting" scene - even though I knew it was coming, it still managed to startle me *

Alien - 8.5/10 After three attempts (the beginning section is just not that interesting), I was finally able to get into this and it was well worth the effort. Atmospheric, exciting, and scary (thanks mostly to jump scares, but still) with some wonderful moments of suspense and dread. The full grown alien only has four minutes of screentime, but was used so effectively that I don't think I'll ever forget it. A great beginning to a below average (overall) series. 

* This is not a room you want to spend much time in *

Last Shift - 7.5/10 A very nice surprise! Tense, atmospheric, and genuinely scary with a solid lead performance and some great makeup/gore effects. It leaves some loose threads that, if you pulled at them, would unravel the whole plot. Best to just watch and get sucked in. If you can do that, you'll be thoroughly entertained. Note: Ignore the terrible poster/DVD artwork - it looks ridiculous and sells the film very short.

* If you hear a strange noise in your spooky basement, DO NOT go and investigate! *

The Conjuring - 8.5/10, up from 8/10 A fantastic, eerie and atmospheric horror film. Lots of legitimate scares, with great music and some really solid performances. I've seen it twice now and was still scared several times. 

The best of the best: 

* It's nearly impossible to choose a "favorite" shot from The Shining, but this two-parter is up there. The before... *

* ... and the after. This scene terrified as a kid and still creeps me out to this day *

The Shining (in the theater) - 10/10, up from 9.5/10 Simply stunning in every regard. Scary, creepy, funny, with fantastic performances and one of the most effective scores ever. My absolute favorite horror film and the theatrical experience made me love it even more.

The entire list of films I saw during the October Challenge: 

* denotes a rewatch

Honeymoon (7.5/10)
* Halloween (2007) (5.5/10, down from 8/10)
* Halloween II (2009) (2/10, down from 4/10)
* The Devil's Rejects (7.5/10, down from 9/10)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (8.5/10)
The Inkeepers (3/10)
An American in London (3.5/10)
Contracted (4/10)
Hellraiser (1/10)
Haunter (2.5/10)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (5/10)
The Taking of Deborah Logan (7.5/10)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) (3/10)
Slither (7/10)
The Ones Below (6.5/10)
The Last Winter (2.5/10)
The Wicker Man (2006) (3.5/10)
Alien (8.5/10)
Aliens (7/10)
Contracted: Phase II (2/10)
Alien 3 (4.5/10)
Alien: Resurrection (1/10)
* The Shining (10/10, up from 9.5/10)
Last Shift (7.5/10)
The Purge: Election Year (6/10)
* Halloween (3/10, down from 5/10)
The Houses October Built (3.5/10)
13 Cameras (6.5/10)
Maggie (4.5/10)
Lights Out (3/10)
Poltergeist (2015) (4/10)
Preservation (1/10)
House on Haunted Hill (1959) (5/10)
* The Conjuring (8.5/10, up from 8/10)

AVERAGE RATING: 4.85/10 (slightly below average)

Top 10 Favorite Horror Films (updated!)

Last year when I first started this blog, one of my very first lists was My Favorite Horror Films. Since then, my list has changed quite a bit so I wanted to share it with you again. Some - The Strangers, The Devil's Rejects and Halloween (2007) to be exact - have fallen off due to recent rewatches (and discovering I like them much less than before) and 28 Days Later just got pushed off by "new" and better competition.

I'll use the same caveat as last time: I didn't include some "horror" films that don't really fit the bill for me, so you won't find Jaws, The Silence of the Lambs, Se7en, or "horror comedies" like Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland, or Housebound. I'm only including films that genuinely scare or creep me out.

1. The Shining (1980)

The Shining is a film I enjoy a little more every time I watch it. I saw it for the first time when I was about 12 and was terrified by what I experienced. Now when I watch it, that terror has transformed into more of a feeling of unease and dread, but that doesn't mean The Shining is any less effective now than it was 20 years ago. Stanley Kubrick, who has a masterpiece (or close to it) in almost every genre he tackled, put together the best horror film I have ever seen and yet there is only a small amount of violence shown. The horror is more psychological, which is exactly what I like. It's a film that stays with me and I find myself thinking about it quite frequently - which might be the highest praise I can give any film.

2. Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Paranoia and fear are at the heart of Rosemary's Baby and those feelings have the ability to leap from the screen and infect the viewer. Even though I've seen the film several times, every time I watch Rosemary's Baby, I feel an immense sense of tension and despair. There's no logical reason for it - I know what happens to poor Rosemary - but I can't help it. That's a sign of an effective horror film, I think. It can circumvent your logical brain and still make you feel what the protagonist is going through.

3. The Babadook (2014)

There are two ways to think about The Babadook and both are equally disturbing and effective. 1) The main character (a mother to a slightly unbalanced six-year-old) is being tormented by a sinister demon of some kind or 2) The mother is suffering from a mental breakdown and is imagining all the things happening to her and her son. Either way, there is no shortage of suspense and outright terror. The two main actors were both terrific and everything about this film is nearly perfect. Lately, I've been disappointed by almost all of the new horror films I've seen, but The Babadook was a refreshing change of pace.

 4. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

The film that really kicked off the zombie sub-genre (you're welcome, The Walking Dead!), George Romero's classic, low-budget independent film combines legitimate horror with an undercurrent of political satire. There are a lot of reasons to love Night of the Living Dead, among them the impressive acting (mostly from amateurs making their film debuts) and the claustrophobic atmosphere, but the main reason I love the film is how it shows that anyone can make a great film, as long as they're dedicated and love what they're doing. George Romero took his passion, translated it to the screen and created a career for himself, an entire sub-genre of horror films, and a film that has entertained millions of people for almost 50 years. Very impressive, indeed.

5. Psycho (1960)

Since it's arguably Alfred Hitchcock's most famous film, Psycho doesn't really need an introduction. It's stood the test of time, spawned the slasher sub-genre, and still entertains people to this day, 56 years later. Not even a God awful remake (the Gus Van Sant disaster from 1998) could tarnish its reputation, and that's saying a lot!

6. Alien (1979)

I already discussed Alien briefly above, so I won't say much more here, other than mention that I was very surprised with how scary and creepy Alien turned out to be. Thanks to wonderful production design, a cast of fully developed and interesting characters, and a monster that gets the Jaws treatment (the alien hardly being shown ramps up the tension), Alien had me on the edge of my seat for the final two-thirds of the film.

7. The Conjuring 2 (2016)

When I saw the film this summer, I wrote a full-length review. Click here to read it!

8. The Mist (2007)

The Mist is a rare adaptation of a Stephen King work (a short story, to be precise) that improves upon the source material. The changes writer/director Frank Darabont made (especially the ending) were wonderful, but he also managed to keep the terror and sense of doom that King captured so well. A wonderful cast works together to create characters that you actually care about. The CGI creatures aren't the best (but they do look better in black and white, as Darabont intended) but that's a small complaint.

9. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Again, I just discussed this one above, but I'd like to go into detail in regards to perhaps my favorite aspect of the film: the set design. I don't know if I've ever seen such effective set design in such a low budget film. The house where Leatherface and his family of cannibals live is so damn creepy and unsettling! The furniture made of human bones and skin, the chickens in cages, and the whole unwashed feel of the place immediately set me on edge. Fantastic stuff, for sure.

10. The Ring (2002)

I'll admit I've never seen the Japanese original film Ringu that The Ring is a remake of, and I doubt I ever will. Maybe it's better, but when a film is as good as this one is, I don't need anything more. The Ring has an interesting premise, great makeup and special effects, a wonderful lead performance (from the always talented Naomi Watts), and a bunch of legitimately scary moments. The Ring is the last of five films on this list where a child is in immediate, horrifying danger - something that has always put me on edge, but does so even more ever since my son was born.


So, there's my list! What do you think? Do you like it more or less than last year's list, found here? Of course, I think it's a vast improvement, but I'm always eager for comments.

Thanks for reading!