2019 October Challenge

October is quickly becoming my favorite month of the year, for movies at least. The October Challenge is something I look forward to and, even though the movies themselves aren't always great, I'm never disappointed with the month as a whole. I can get a lot of joy out of any movie - good, bad, or otherwise - so just watching this many different movies in a compacted time frame is fun for me. In fact, just to be honest, I couldn't even wait for October to start this year. I started my Challenge in late September and I'm happy I did since it allowed me to cram even more movies in.

Most of the movies were watched with my favorite viewing partner ever, my loving wife. Some were watched with my son, who's eight and really getting into the genre lately. And some I watched on my own, which is the least fun way to watch, in my opinion. But I'll do it if I have to!

I tried to watch a variety of different types and styles of horror movies. Some were old and some were new. Some in foreign languages, some in black and white. Some were well known and popular, while others more obscure. Some from wildly different sub-genres, ranging from monsters to slashers to thrillers to paranormal and a little bit of everything in between. Some were short and some were long. And, of course, some were good and some were bad. But for the first time since I started doing October Challenges four years ago, I watched more good than bad. In fact, it was an overwhelmingly positive month or so of viewings!

Some of the more "memorable" movies of the month:

The Worst of the Worst -

* The only type of situation where I could envision myself watching Jigsaw again *

Jigsaw (2017) - 1/10   I am not a fan of the Saw franchise. The first installment was interesting, but amateurishly made. The second was the only one I remember "liking" and that still only rated 5/10 from me. The rest scored in the 2 to 4/10 range. Jigsaw makes them all seem a bit better by comparison by being just as stupid, poorly written, and woefully acted, but with the added bonus of not having any fun kills and containing third rate special effects. Without the gore, what's the point? 

* The actress looks just as bored as I felt while watching this dreck *

The Perfect Host: A Southern Gothic Tale (2018) - 1/10   Some movies can be described as "slow burn" and I have no problems with those types of horror flicks. Ideally, you'd have some suspense and tension in the buildup and you have to have something eventually happen to justify the deliberate pace. The Perfect Host doesn't have any of that, just a meandering and boring 90 minute running time that seemed much, much longer. SPOILERS! In the end, the main character pushes an elderly man down a flight of stairs and then gently pushes an elderly woman to the ground. That's the climax!

* Be like Mandy Lane and run away... from this movie *

All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006) - 1/10  You know how a lot of horror movies feature gratuitous nudity of their young starlets? Well, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane didn't even have that much going for it. Subpar (at best) actors portray vapid, annoying characters who stumble through a boring plot and deliver poorly written dialogue. The twist ending is visible from a mile away. Stay far, far away.

A Step Above, But Still Not Good -

* One of my favorite character actors - Lance Reddick - is not very good here and doesn't get much to do *

Monster Party (2018) - 3/10   This one had an interesting premise - a trio of small time criminals attempt to rob of house that, unbeknownst to them, is filled with recovering serial killers - but failed  in execution. There are some very surprising moments and the acting by the three main characters is above average, but the script and direction fails them. I was never bored, though, so that's saying something, I guess.

* Some family dinners are more awkward than others *

Frontier(s) (2007) - 3/10  From what I've seen, the French have produced some of the best horror movies of this century. This is not one of them. Frontier(s) is brutal, gory, and nihilistic to the nth degree, but those things don't necessarily make a good horror film. They can be components, but without an intriguing story or characters that you care about or any number of other facets, a movie's not going to work. Gore for gore's sake has never impressed me and after a while, shocking violence fails to shock anymore. I feel like the filmmakers wanted to include every disgusting thing they could think of, but they only had a few characters to work with, so the "sympathetic" leads had to keep miraculously surviving one terrible encounter, just to befall something even worse five minutes later. In the end, I was just bored and waiting for everyone to die. 

* Carpenter's morgue tech is having a good time at work *

Body Bags (1993) - 4/10  Like most anthologies - and especially those from the horror genre - the installments in Body Bags are hit or miss. The first, a slasher, is moderately well done and interesting. The second, a comedy, is just silly and fell flat. And the third, a psychological thriller, is okay. None of them are anything worth watching twice, but I did thoroughly enjoy the segments with John Carpenter (who also directed the slasher short) as the undead morgue attendant. He's kind of like the Crypt Keeper in that he introduces the segments with a twisted sense of humor. If you have nothing else to do and want to waste 90 minutes, you could do a lot worse. All in all, though, I'd recommend stopping before the second installment starts. You could get it done in about 35 minutes and be much better off.

* Our heroine outsmarting her zombie stalker *

It Stains the Sand Red (2016) - 4.5/10 An interesting concept, simply let down with poor execution in some key aspects. The lead female performance is surprisingly strong and there are some legitimate moments of horror and also some solid chuckles to be had throughout. But the pacing is sluggish and it seems long even at 92 minutes. With a few tweaks here and there, this one could have been a fun horror/comedy. As it stands, I can't recommend it, but it's certainly nowhere near the worst I've seen lately. 

* Whatever you do, DON'T let him inject you with that! *

Re-Animator (1985) - 4.5/10  This is one of those "classics" of the 80's that I've been meaning to check out for years and just finally got around to watching. It certainly had it's moments and it definitely finished strong, but horror comedies are a hard thing to pull off and this one falls short for me. I'm not sure what could have been done differently - it was appropriately schlocky and gory and outrageous. Maybe it's simply a case of my not being in the right mood for it and I may give it another go at some point down the line. 

Worth Watching Once -

* This guy really likes his dolls, but sometimes he treats them a little too harshly *

Incident in a Ghostland (2018) - 5/10  My wife picked this one because the description mentioned it was from the director of Martyrs, one of my all-time favorite horror flicks. While this one doesn't live up to something as creative and ambitious as Martyrs, it's still a solid movie worth watching once. If the main characters had been more likeable and the ending more satisfying, my rating probably would have been a couple points higher. All in all, it's an interesting and slightly messy film that does a few things really well and a few other things very poorly.

* One of my favorite characters, pre-encounter with the titular Boar *

Boar (2017) - 5/10  This was better than it had any right to be. I expected a totally silly, SyFy channel level schlock-fest, but instead got a fairly engaging story about a beast of a wild boar terrorizing a small Australian town. Maybe I'm just a sucker for the accent, but I really liked almost all the characters and felt invested in their stories. When they start to get picked off in gruesome fashion, I actually cared. The characters and their interactions with each other are definitely the highlights of the movie, but the creature design isn't too bad either. The ending - which had to come from studio interference and reshoots - cost this one a point or two, though. 

* "What do you mean, I'm not supposed to suck people's blood?" *

Nosferatu (1922) - 5/10  Each October, I try to watch one classic from the Silent Era and this year's pick was Nosferatu - the granddaddy of vampire flicks. I appreciated the film more than I enjoyed it, but there were several moments that really grabbed me and the story itself was intriguing. Max Schreck's vampire Orlok was by far the most interesting aspect of the entire thing, but he didn't show up until a quarter of the way in and then only had about 10 minutes of screen-time. Also, the version I watched (on Amazon Prime) didn't have color tinting - like it's supposed to have - and the music score seemed wildly inappropriate for the tone. I'm not sure if there are different scores for different versions, but I know that's the case with some silent features. I think with a better presentation, I would have enjoyed the film a bit more.

* He's quite a handsome fella, ain't he? *

Frankenstein (1931) - 5/10  I don't think the horror genre really hit it's stride until the 1960's, but I'm still enjoying checking out a bunch of the old classics that have eluded me so far. Frankenstein suffers from hammy, stilted acting and dialogue, but does a lot of other things very well. The set design, cinematography, and score stood out and complimented a mostly interesting premise and a fantastic creature design. It's no wonder that Dr. Frankenstein's monster was so popular in the 30's and has stayed in the public consciousness for nearly a century - he's a fascinating character, a villain who you can't help but feel sorry for. A lumbering giant with the mind and heart of a child. I can't imagine I'll be revisiting Frankenstein again anytime soon, but I am happy to have seen it, and I'll still keep plugging away at my Universal Monsters Collection set. 

* Knock, knock *

Shutter (2004) - 5.5/10  Some horror movies are best described as "slow burn" thrillers, movies that take their time and build tension until the very end, when things explode during the climax. Shutter - the original Thai film, not the 2008 American remake, which I can't vouch for - is kind of a quasi example of this. There are scares, mostly of the "jump" variety, sprinkled throughout, but it's not until the last ten minutes or so when things get really frightening and disturbing. As you can see by my rating, Shutter didn't truly deliver for me, but it's certainly worth checking out.

* Everyone, but especially young women in horror movies, should stay out of ominous looking tunnels *

Absentia (2011) - 6/10  I chose this one solely because if it's director - Mike Flanagan, the man behind Hush, Gerald's Game, and The Haunting of Hill House - and while it didn't necessarily disappoint, it certainly didn't live up to any of those efforts. For his first full length feature, Absentia is a solid enough movie and it does show some of Flanagan's trademarks, especially his camera movements and penchant for strong female characters. The acting - wooden at best and just downright bad at worst - and terribly out of focus cinematography are what hold this interesting story from being really good. I feel like if he wanted to, Flanagan could remake it today and turn this into one of his best.

 

Very Good and Highly Recommended -

* If you're all alone in the house DON'T go investigating weird sounds *

The Changeling (1980) - 7/10  I'm a sucker for atmospheric ghost stories and The Changeling does almost everything right - it's got a strong protagonist (played with wonderful intensity by George C. Scott), a great setting (a big, Gothic mansion that's seen better days), a compelling story (involving a mysterious child who may have been murdered), and some truly creepy, unsettling moments. Some of the plot moments are convoluted and most of the supporting cast are underwhelming, but all that can be forgiven considering how effective everything else is. I'm very happy I finally am able to check this one off my list to see and I wish I'd gotten around to it sooner.

* From damsel in distress to badass action chick *

Revenge (2017) - 7/10  This one is a familiar story - a woman getting revenge against her dirt bag male abusers - but it's done in a stylish, interesting fashion. The camera work and cinematography are a step above most horror movies and all four performances are solid. Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz is the shining star as Jen, who goes from begging for her life to taking theirs. She's the type of heroine who seems like she'd be at home in a James Cameron movie - and that's quite the compliment in my book. It's fun watching evil people get their comeuppance, especially when it's done in such a bloody, satisfying way.   

* Nothing good happens in the woods late at night *

Calibre (2018) - 7.5/10  Some horror movies are scary because there's an obvious threat - a murdering supernatural force or a psychopath on a rampage - coming after the main characters. Some are scary because you don't know what's going to happen next or how the characters are going to get out of it alive. Calibre is in the second camp and the horror and scariness stems from being constantly on edge, nervous about what's coming around the corner. The two main characters aren't great people, but I could relate to the trouble they found themselves in and their struggle to escape with their lives, trying to recover from one mistake that snowballed into a massive coverup.  

* Hiding out, trying to avoid those pesky zombies *

One Cut of the Dead (2017) - 8/10  This is, simply put, the most inventive and surprising movie I've seen in years. I've never seen anything like it, but don't want to go into what exactly makes it so interesting. To do so would spoil a lot of the fun of the movie. If you like zombies, comedy, and don't mind subtitles, I'd highly recommend seeking this one out. But go in without reading too much about it and make sure to give it at least 30 minutes before making your mind up. The way the story's set up and plays out is put of it's charm. I was smiling non-stop by the end and felt an immense sense of joy watching everything unfold.

* This is the kind of shot that will become iconic in a few years *

Get Out (2017) - 8/10, up from 6/10   When I first saw Get Out in the theater, I was underwhelmed. I thought it was a perfectly fine movie. Nothing special, but solid. Revisiting it this month made me reconsider that assessment. On a technical level, it's absurdly good. The direction, cinematography, score, and editing are all first rate. The performances - generally the weak link in most horror movies - are occasionally phenomenal, especially Daniel Kaluuya in the lead role as Chris. Initially I had issues with how the story unfolded and some little things didn't sit well for me, but upon rewatch, those issues fell to the wayside. I'm thinking Get Out might be the type of movie that improves for me with each viewing. 

* She's pretty good with a nail gun *

Mayhem (2017) - 8/10   The first outright surprise of the month, Mayhem was fun from start to finish. Steven Yeun and Samara Weaving make a great duo and they have excellent chemistry together. I really enjoyed the mix or horror, action, and comedy. About the only big negative I have with the movie is the subpar effects in some scenes, but I imagine they had quite a few budgetary constraints. If you like movies where regular people are forced to do unspeakable acts of violence against each other, this one's for you!

The Best of the Bunch -

  

* John Goodman as Delbert the exterminator - a great character in a great movie *

Arachnophobia (1990) - 9/10, up from 8/10   This is one of my favorites from my childhood and it's just as effective now as it was when I was eight and watching it on crappy VHS. I don't suffer from arachnophobia myself - though I'd rather not have to ever deal with spiders - but that doesn't stop the movie from creeping me out throughout and downright scaring me at several moments. I watched this with my son sitting on my lap and he got tired of me squeezing him tight every time I got scared. Arachnophobia is practically a perfect example of how to make this type of movie. The characters are three dimensional and realistic, the acting is solid, the plot moves along at a nice clip, and the real life spiders are mixed almost seamlessly with practical effects. And it looks great on Blu-ray!

* She's had a bad day *

The Descent (2006) - 9/10, up from 3/10  When I first saw The Descent in the theater in 2006, I pretty much hated it. I can't remember what turned me off, but I'm thankful I decided to give it another shot all these years later. It's a glorious, grisly, disturbing, and nightmarish film that kept me interested, on edge, or outright terrified for pretty much the entire time. The acting is good and the story is fine, but where the movie really shines is in it's build up of tension and execution of frights. My emotions ranged from mere claustrophobia to revulsion by gore to legitimately scared, with some scenes packing the whole range all in a matter of moments. If the characters had been a little more fleshed out and developed, this one might have received a perfect rating. I won't wait another 13 years to watch it again, that's for sure. 

* This is not the kind of ceremony you want to find yourself in *

Apostle (2019) - 9/10  Picking any movie off of Netflix can be a bit of a crap shoot, but it's especially challenging with horror flicks. If I'm not previously aware of the movie, all I can go off of is the short description and the thumbnail photo, and both can be deceiving. When I picked Apostle, that's all I had. And it turned to be one of the better movies I've seen in the last few years and immediately joined the ranks of my all-time favorite horror flicks. Apostle is a moody, tense, and unusual film with shocking moments of violence, long stretches of dread, and a plot that makes you question a lot of things (but thankfully answers most of them by the end). The cinematography and odd, grating score add to the overall atmosphere. This was one of the longest movies of the month, clocking in at 130 minutes, but never seemed to drag and I would have easily watched an even longer cut. If you're a fan of fucked up stories and aren't squeamish, you definitely need to check this out. 

A Special Inclusion -

* A rare inclusion in my October Challenges - a documentary! *

Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror (2019) - 8/10  While not a horror movie, this doc is about horror movies - and specifically black people involved with the genre - so I think it should qualify for the October Challenge. There's a lot of information provided on the history of horror and how black people were included (generally in a negative light) or excluded (most of the time), which I found interesting. The people interviewed on camera include actors, writers, directors, and screenwriters, all from various age groups. They provide an intriguing insight on how they came to love the genre and their desires to be involved with expanding the black influence, especially from the 1970's through today. I even discovered a few movies that I added to my watch list, based on clips I saw or the praise from the cast. Horror Noire is a Shudder exclusive, like a few of the others on my list this year, but the streaming site is so affordable that I'd recommend subscribing for a month and catching it and a bunch of other stuff that they have to offer.

The full list of everything I watched during the month, in order:
        (* = rewatch)

Hellboy (2004) - 6/10
* Get Out (2017) - 8/10, up from 6/10
* Arachnophobia (1990) - 9/10, up from 8/10
Jigsaw (2017) - 1/10
Absentia (2011) - 6/10
The Perfect Host: A Southern Gothic Tale (2018) - 1/10
The Changeling (1980) - 7/10
Incident in a Ghostland (2018) - 5/10
Mayhem (2017) - 8/10
Monster Party (2018) - 3/10
Summer of '84 (2018) - 2.5/10
All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006) - 1/10
* Tremors (1990) - 7/10
It Stains the Sand Red (2016) - 4.5/10
Kristy (2014) - 6/10
Re-Animator (1985) - 4.5/10
The Perfection (2018) - 6/10
Body Bags (1993) - 4/10
* Aliens (1986) - 6/10, down from 7/10
* The Ruins (2008) - 3.5/10, up from 2/10
Calibre (2018) - 7.5/10
Boar (2017) - 5/10
Revenge (2017) - 7/10 
* Dawn of the Dead (2004) - 7/10, down from 8/10
One Cut of the Dead (2017) - 8/10
* Eden Lake (2008) - 8.5/10
Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror (2019) - 8/10
Nine Dead (2010) - 3/10
Shutter (2004) - 5.5/10
Nosferatu (1922) - 5/10
* The Descent (2006) - 9/10, up from 3/10
Frankenstein (1931) - 5/10
Black Christmas (1974) - 2/10
Apostle (2019) - 9/10
* The Crazies (2010) - 7/10
Frontier(s) (2007) - 3.5/10 
* The Conjuring 2 (2016) - 7.5/10
* Rosemary's Baby (1968) - 7/10, down from 9/10


38 total movies with an average of 5.62/10 which makes this the first October Challenge where my rating was above a 5/10, so I'll take that as a very positive development!

An Updated List of My Top 20 Favorite Horror Movies 

With the addition of some new movies and revisiting some older ones, my list of favorites is always  fluctuating, but as of today... here are my Top 20:

1. The Shining

2. Train to Busan

3. The Thing (1982)

4. The Babadook

5. Psycho (1960)

6. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

7. The Descent

8. The Sixth Sense

9.  Arachnophobia

10.  Apostle 

11. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

12. Eden Lake

13. Alien

14. The Conjuring

15. Hereditary

16. The Ring

17. Get Out

18. The Mist

19. Stir of Echoes

20. Martyrs (2008)

Have you guys watched any good horror movies recently? Do you agree with any of my thoughts on these movies? Leave a comment below and let me know!

Thanks for reading!