2023 October Challenge

The 8th annual October Challenge started even earlier (mid-September) than usual and probably should be retitled the "Fall Horror Movie Challenge" or something similar at this point, but I'm sucker for keeping the title as is. Even with the earlier start date, I got fewer movies in than in previous years. Some of that was being busy with other things, but a lot of it was just apathy. I just wasn't as interested this year, which is disturbing since it's one of the main things I look forward to each year. Oh, well. Maybe next year will be more fruitful in quantity and quality. 

The highlights of the month, from best to worst:

The Worst of the Worst

* Staring blankly with a plain background. Pretty much a perfect representation of the movie *

Bad Things (2023) - 1/10   If you like The Shining, but think there's too much excitement, the characters are too interesting, the soundtrack is too memorable, and the filmmaking is too masterful and you're looking for a cheap clone, Bad Things is just the movie for you! If that doesn't describe you, I would highly recommend skipping this one entirely. 

* The lighting was one of the few positive elements *

Revealer (2022) - 1/10    Horror movies have some of the best premises but are so often let down by their executions and Revealer is no different. I thought I'd be watching an interesting, funny, and sexy little movie, but instead, I got this mess - pretty much a two-hander where both hands are poorly acted and even more poorly written. Plus the stripper character isn't even good-looking enough to distract you! 

* A life lesson for all teenagers: don't play with swords *

Super Dark Times (2017) - 2/10    Oh my Lord, I can't stand teenage boys. As the father of a pre-teen, I'm dreading him turning out to resemble any of the annoying douchebags in this movie. Other than featuring insufferable characters, this movie is also dreadfully boring with a runtime that seems much longer than 103 minutes. The story itself and somewhat compelling conclusion - the only redeeming elements -  have been done better before. Pretentious filmmaking at it's worst. 

* "See, I told you, the script says to act as badly as possible." *

Spirit Halloween: The Movie (2022) - 2/10    I, for one, am utterly and wholeheartedly shocked that the corporate-sponsored kiddie-centric horror flick didn't turn out to be better than this. It gets one point for featuring Christopher Lloyd, who seemed to be trying his best. 

* Blankly and boringly staring, just like I was throughout the movie *

Malevolent (2018) - 2/10   Florence Pugh is one of my favorite young actresses working today, so I quickly added this movie to our watchlist when I saw it pop up on Netflix. I wish I hadn't noticed it. There are some creepy and unsettling moments, but they're too far and few between and you have to put up with lackluster characters and performances across the board. Easily the worst I've seen from Pugh, who didn't seem invested in her character or the film at all. 

A Step Up, But Still Not Good

* Trust me, it's bigger on the inside *

Dave Made a Maze (2017) - 3.5/10    This movie is carried almost entirely on its premise - a man builds a seemingly small cardboard maze in his living room, but once inside it's enormous and features deadly traps and creatures - and its tremendous, homemade-y production design. It's a wholly unique movie, but not necessarily an entertaining or fulfilling one. I don't know what the budget was, but I imagine it was microscopic compared to most of the movies in this blog entry, and that certainly shows at times, especially with the level of performers involved. I loved the cardboard sets and spent most of the time wishing I could just watch a behind-the-scenes documentary about the making of the film. 

* Uncle Sam wants you... to die *

Uncle Sam (1996) - 4/10    This is a prime example of a schlocky, fun, and entirely stupid horror movie that seems like it should have been made in 1986 rather than 1996. A movie like this needs to be lean and economical, moving from one scene/kill to the next. If ten or fifteen minutes were shaved off, it would probably earn a 5/10. There are fun kills and over-the-top performances, but not enough to reach the level of something like Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Zombeavers, or Halloween 3: Season of the Witch. 

* Maybe being an atheist hurt my chances of liking this movie? *

Saint Maud (2019) - 4/10    I had high hopes for Saint Maud since I've been hearing/reading good things since it came out a few years ago. I guess I don't know what I was expecting, but this certainly wasn't it. The two main performances are quite good and I loved the ending, but was mostly bored through most of the movie. I do somewhat wonder if I would rate it higher after a second viewing, knowing what kind of movie to expect. 

* One of the few NYC-specific scenes and probably my favorite of the whole movie *

Scream 6 (2023) - 4.5/10    The first Scream film is very good, but nowhere near one of my favorites of the genre. Most of the sequels - except for the fourth, which is just awful - are all okay. Nothing more, nothing less. Generally, there are some good kills, nice production design elements, and some well-written characters brought to life by decent actors. The most recent installment is no different. It has all those aspects plus the standard plot/plot twists that don't make much sense if you even think about them a tiny bit. I was intrigued by the idea of Ghostface being in NYC, but that element isn't really utilized and this one could have been set anywhere without much changing. Also, too many characters are seemingly murdered and then revealed to have survived at the very end, I guess just to make sure they're available for Scream 7. 

Worth Watching Once

* Richard Brake, chewing up the scenery *

Bingo Hell (2021) - 5/10    We started out this year's Challenge with a decent entry. A fun and well-made little horror comedy. Nothing that I'd necessarily recommend to a friend, but I don't regret watching it. The cast elevates a pretty average script and helps make their characters much more believable and memorable. Plus, the tremendous Richard Brake gets to shine as the villain. Anytime he's on-screen - which, unfortunately, wasn't that often - I was enthralled. 

* "You don't understand, I'm contractually obligated to be here!" *

Jaws 2 (1978) - 5/10    The original, classic, and infinitely rewatchable Jaws has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid, but I never really felt like exploring the sequels. After reading some positive thoughts about the second installment, I decided to give it a shot. I can't imagine ever watching this one again, but it wasn't bad or anything. Not having Robert Shaw or Richard Dreyfuss really hurts - and seems to have inspired Roy Scheider to mostly phone it in - but the basic story and action are still compelling. I don't think I'll be proceeding with the last two entries in the series, though, since I feel confident judging them solely on their reputations. 

* How long would it take for pedos to start abusing the M3GAN toys? A day? An hour? *

M3GAN (2022) - 5/10    This is pretty much exactly what I thought it'd be after seeing the trailers last year. It's fun, but never really funny. There aren't any scares to be found and there's not an original thought or element in the whole production, either. Thinking about it now, it's hard to remember what I even liked about the movie, but when it finished, I didn't hesitate to give it an average score of 5/10. I know there's a sequel in development - of course there is - but I don't see how that could even be remotely watchable unless they take a completely different and new approach and it's hard to imagine Blumhouse making any changes to their winning formula.  

* Stupid sexy Nazi... by the end, she's wearing nothing at all *

The Devil's Rock (2011) - 6/10   I'm a sucker for a horror movie set during WWII and was instantly drawn to this one. While not great, there's enough here to recommend if you're into the war, occult, or seductive villainesses. There are only three major characters and all three actors do a solid job, plus most of the makeup and effects are decent, except for the main demon design which is, unfortunately, kind of laughably bad. 

* The unique lighting and graphics are just one aspect to enjoy *

Creepshow (1982) - 6/10    This one had been on my watchlist for years, but was never available on any of our many, many streaming services. I happened to find the Blu-ray for cheap and picked it up. I wasn't exactly blown away, but I do think I'll enjoy this more with repeat viewings. Like most anthology movies, the quality of the five shorts varies quite a bit. The best of the bunch - "The Crate" featuring Hal Holbrook and Adrienne Barbeau (above) - is just a tremendous little story with intrigue and enough length to develop the characters. 

* Vloggers at the exact moment they realize what a bad situation they're in *

Superhost (2021) - 6.5/10    This was another random selection that I had never heard of before, which sometimes is the best way to approach a movie. All three leads are quite good - especially Gracie Gillam as the titular host - and the story flows well, never getting bogged down. The two "heroes" aren't the most likable people and I was kind of rooting for the villain by the end. The movie lacks the tension that a film like this really needs to excel, though, which is what holds it back from getting a higher score. 

* A mother and daughter, fighting against the unknown *

Relic (2020) - 6.5/10    I had high hopes for this one and was left a bit disappointed. While there are definitely horror elements present, especially in the final act, this one felt much more like a standard drama for most of the runtime. That's not necessarily bad or anything, but it wasn't quite what I was looking for. The plot, characters, and performances are top-notch, but everything gets pretty heavy-handed by the end.   

Very Good and Highly Recommended

* Sure, Pete Davidson stars in this. Don't let that discourage you *

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) - 7.5/10    Conversely, I didn't expect much of anything from this one and was left very pleasantly surprised. I'm a generation older - with an even older mentality, most of the time - than these characters, so I couldn't really relate to them, but the story and characters were still very engaging, plus nearly all the actors did a fine job. Yes, that even includes Pete Davidson. The plot has lots of little twists and turns and the conclusion actually does a good job being surprising, but not nonsensical. I'll definitely watch this one again at some point. 

* The British troops in happier, simpler times *

Dog Soldiers (2002) - 7.5/10    I'm not sure how many good werewolf movies there are, but there can't be too many. If you're looking for one, I'd definitely point to this low-budget offering from Neil Marshall, the director of The Descent. While the image quality is less than ideal and the frenetic and choppy editing style made my wife tune out pretty quickly, I really enjoyed the movie. The budgetary constraints lead to some interesting choices when it comes to filming and designing the creatures, but that just adds to the charm, for me at least. If you have a hard time deciphering foreign accents, you might need to enable subtitles, but that's not much of a stumbling block for most people these days. If you give it a chance, you'll end up with an entertaining, exciting, and oddly emotional soldiers versus werewolves flick that should make for a quality evening in front of the TV.  

The Best of the Best

* Never, EVER make friends with strangers. It's not worth it *

Speak No Evil (2022) - 8/10    Like in previous years - I'm specifically thinking of Raw and Train to Busan - my favorite film of the season is a foreign language offering, this time from Denmark/Netherlands featuring Dutch, Danish, and (a tiny amount of) English. The movie starts out innocently but soon turns unnerving, then creepy, then horrific. It's a tremendous achievement in the way that the story and characters lure you in and slowly turn up the heat, like a frog slowly boiling alive in a pot of water. By the end, you might wish you had jumped out sooner due to the traumatic and violent nature, but it's not something I'll forget anytime soon.  

Full list of what I watched during the month, in chronological order:

* = rewatch

Bingo Hell (2021) - 5/10

The Nun (2018) - 5/10

* Sinister (2012) - 7.5/10

The Devil's Rock (2011) - 6/10

Malevolent (2018) - 2/10

Uncle Sam (1996) - 4/10

Scream 6 (2023) - 4.5/10

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) - 7.5/10

Super Dark Times (2017) - 2/10

Dave Made a Maze (2017) - 3.5/10

Jaws 2 (1978) - 5/10

* Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988) - 7/10

Speak No Evil (2022) - 8/10

The Wretched (2019) - 2.5/10

Spirit Halloween: The Movie (2022) - 2/10

* The Thing (1982) - 9.5/10

Bad Things (2023) - 1/10

Creepshow (1982) - 6/10

* The Hills Have Eyes (2006) - 8/10

Revealer (2022) - 1/10

Creepshow 2 (1987) - 3/10

Superhost (2021) - 6/10

Saint Maud (2019) - 4/10

Dog Soldiers (2002) - 7.5/10

Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3 (1990) - 4/10

M3GAN (2022) - 5/10

Relic (2020) - 6.5/10

* Shaun of the Dead (2004) - 9/10

Cobweb (2023) - 3/10

* The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) - 7.5/10

Eyes Without a Face (1960) - 3/10

* Apostle (2018) - 9/10

Average rating of the 32 titles: 5.14/10 --- better than last year! 

Did any of you watch any good horror movies recently? Any that you'd recommend? I'm always on the lookout for new movies to watch!

Thanks for reading!