Monday, October 31, 2022
31 Days of Horror Recommendations: Trick 'r Treat (2007)
Year: 2007
Country: U.S.
Subgenre: Horror Anthology/Halloween
Runtime: 82 minutes
Director: Michael Dohergty
A Halloween anthology film wholly written and directed by Michael Dougherty, all five of the stories takes place in and around the same town and are interwoven. The cast is ALL STAR and the stories are genuinely scary (not to mention funny). I do admit to having trouble with the story of the bus load disabled and autistic children; I have an autistic son and this one bit gets to me so badly every time that I have to leave the room for a bit. But that says something about how effectively the film is written. Despite this one part of the film, it is still an annual Halloween tradition in our house. Cast includes: Anna Paquin, Dylan Baker, Rochelle Aytes, Leslie Bibb, Moneca Delain, Brian Cox and Canadian First Nations actor Tahmoh Penikett (the film was shot completely in British Columbia). Full of tricks, treats and classic monsters. HAPPY HALLOWEEN! 🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃
Sunday, October 30, 2022
31 Days of Horror Recommendations: The Black Phone (2021)
Year: 2021
Country: U.S.
Subgenre: Serial Killer/Ghosts/Haunted House
Runtime: 103 minutes
Director: Scott Derrickson
Based on a short story by Joe Hill (son of Stephen King), The Black Phone is a recent horror starring Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw and Ethan Hawke. I admit to being a bit skeptical about this one, but we got a brand spanking new subscription to Peacock at the start of the month and I was not going to miss the opportunity to check it out. I would say that I was "pleasantly surprised"--but I am not sure that it the proper nomenclature for having the crap scared out of you. This is just really creepy on top of being horrifying. When you are dealing with stories of child killers, things are already about as bad as they can get; but you add the black telephone element to the story, and, well let's just say that Hill found a way to basically make the kidnapping almost a frame story. Add to this, that legendary horror artist Tom Savini created the masks for The Grabber and you've got yourself a horror classic in the making.
Saturday, October 29, 2022
31 Days of Horror Recommendations: Halloween III Season of the Witch (1982)
Year: 1982
Country: U.S.
Subgenre: Witches/Pagan Horror/Halloween
Runtime: 98 minutes
Director: Tommy Lee Wallace
Aside from the obvious status as "horror royalty" that John Carpenter's Halloween now enjoys, I have to admit that I really, really LOVE Halloween III: Season of the Witch (Silver Shamrocks and all). I always loved the idea of having a series of Halloween movies that focused on different subjects--not just a continuation of the Michael Myers saga. Alas, only this film came of that idea; and it stars one of my all time favorite actors: Tom Atkins. He is a hospital doctor that stumbles into a mystery of epic proportions when a man he is treating dies under strange circumstances. Drawing the doctor further in is the man's daughter (Stacey Nelkin), who shows up asking questions. Together the two embark on a fact finding mission that takes them into a the heart of a sinister plot by some Halloween mask makers to turn the upcoming Halloween into far more than trick or treating and eating candy! It's just a lot of fun; an essential part of our household samhain. Also look for Nancy Kyes in a small role of the doctor's estranged wife. Also making a cameo appearance in the film is John Carpenter's Halloween itself, look for it in the bar scene. 🎃🎃🎃🎃
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