#halloween film review

[artpicsrare]

Paranormal Activity

[sam-keeper]

The Vourdalak (2023)

The metatextual commentary on the horror genre looms large when people talk about Funny Games (1997), and understandably so. It doesn't take long after the first literal wink to the camera for meta stuff to take over, and for the commentary on horror fans to get pointed. But I was struck, while watching, by a different aspect of the film: politeness and middle class social convention setting traps as diabolical as any Jigsaw ever designed. The characters sleepwalk their way into their gruesome torturous deaths in part through politeness and forbearance. indeed the serial killing duo that torments them seem almost like an infection spread from one household to the next via the same social niceties, polite introductions transmitting them from one group to the next.

So: The Vourdalak.

The titular monster in The Vourdalak is a puppet, and an almost muppet-esque one at that. Like, we're not talking near-naturalistic animatronics here, we're talking a puppet that can flare his eyes open, and open and close his mouth, and otherwise acts through the body language artistry of puppeteers. It's incredible to look at, and totally not even remotely a little bit believable as a person. And yet, the entire family that Ambassador from the King of France Marquis Jacques Antoine Saturnin d’Urfe encounters in the wilderness of (maybe) Serbia seems paralyzed by the apparition of the household's patriarch. Despite the man's own firm warning not to trust whatever comes back from the woods wearing his guise, they sit this grotesque, obviously dead puppet down at the table, offer it food, and force the family closeted transsexual to shoot the family dog at its behest, all while Jacques Antoine Saturnin d'Urfe sits there in his poncy white makeup and blush and wig all but looking right at the camera helplessly. It's horrific, and also completely ludicrous.

The absurdity of it is part of what makes it horrible: even though everyone involved (except perhaps the drunken, pathologically devoted son Jegor) can see something has gone catastrophically wrong with grandfather Gorcha, their filial duties render them powerless to halt what's happening. They're also profoundly vulnerable: Piotr is at minimum a cross dresser, Anja is cowed by her husband Jegor and must look after her young son Vlad, and Sdenka is trapped in a futureless morass after the murder of the stranger who promised to take her away from the village. Also, the village has been seemingly wiped out by bandits, making the Vourdalak's presentation of the bandit leader's head impressive but pointless, and rendering the cast profoundly isolated.

Even Jacques Antoine Saturnin d'Urfe is hampered by being just the wettest protagonist. The man is a floppy noodle in period accurate caked on makeup. Wildly out of his element, he summons periodically the gumption to chase after Sdenka (she responds by nearly tricking him into falling off a cliff) but otherwise just minces about rather aimlessly, too out of his depth and paralyzed by social convention to put up much resistance to the blood sucking revenant. I didn't hate him, mind--part of the humor and horror of the story comes from watching this high society guy bumble around in the 18th century equivalent of a backwoods hick horror film. It's clear he wants to do the right thing, and shows the Vourdalak's prospective victims sympathy alien both to the monster and to Jegor. He just happens to be about as effectual and plausible an opponent to the undead as a peacock dipped in a particularly muddy puddle.

This year we also watched the 2001 French adventure horror period film Brotherhood of the Wolf, and it's interesting that for all its attempts to feel contemporary to 2001, it mostly feels… very contemporary to 2001, if you get me. I mean, credit where it's due, it CLEARLY inspired a significant part of the look of Bloodborne, but in trying for a modern glitz it winds up embodying not just a bunch of aesthetics (ZOOMS! FAST CUTS! THE MATRIX JUST CAME OUT EVERYBODY LET'S SPEED UP AND SLOW DOWN THE ACTION SCENES!) that are very locked into their time, but a bunch of tropes that feel similarly dated (the Wise Native American Sidekick, the love interest menaced by a disfigured and incestuous brother, sssssome sort of position on the French Revolution that's kind of hard to figure out?).

The Vourdalak, in embracing an already "outmoded" form of puppetry, and cleaving closer to the alien high class aesthetics of the 18th century that Brotherhood replaces with their more hip take, feels like it's destined to age a bit better. The strength of the fable helps. When in one of the most truly wretched scenes of the film the Vourdalak picks up a shotgun and blasts a hole in poor Piotr's skull, it feels discordant that this gothic horror should be wielding modern weaponry. But it also feels perversely fitting: the patriarch simply makes use of whatever tools are at his disposal to keep the family disciplined. The Vourdalak is said to prey first on its closest loved ones. Jacques Antoine Saturnin d'Urfe does such a good job of being a polite guest who doesn't make waves that the Vourdalak can't help but see him as one of the family. I don't expect this narrative of being sucked (hah) into complicity losing its bite anytime soon.

[thesirenisles]

I find myself randomly missing Halloween season year round. horror movie night, candy, snuggles, red light.

[rinabirgul]

''you look very comfortable''

yeah bro iam

[jiwoosify]

Why is Scream one of the best horror movies?

(extremely biased)

The first reason is Skeet Ulrich.

But I seriously think that by the mid-1990s, horror movies had become predictable, with cliché plots and worn-out tropes. Most people got tired of it, I presume. Scream revitalized the genre by being both a horror movie and a clever deconstruction of the genre. It acknowledged the clichés of horror films while using them in innovative ways, with genuine suspense.

The movie had references about many horror classics, such as Halloween, Carrie and Jamie Lee Curtis. I found it really cool that many of the characters were horror movie fans, like Randy, Stu and Billy.

The Ghostface mask became instantly recognizable, and the movie kept audiences guessing about the identity of the killer. But sadly, it was kinda obvious from the beginning.

Most of the people guessed the killer right. I mean, Billy appears every single time where Sidney is in danger while being absolutely suspicious. However, I still liked how Wes Craven tried to trick our mind by making us believe that Billy wasn't the killer, without us knowing that Woodsboro had two damn ghostfaces. This is THE plot twist of the movie, I think.

And how can I post this without talking about our lovely final girl, Sidney? She is one of the best final girls I don't care. That girl is BRAVE, also smart. She runs this franchise, and I can't wait to see her in Scream 7.

I miss Tatum, by the way.

Scream was filled with sharp, self-referential dialogue. The characters openly discussed horror movie rules "Never say 'I'll be right back" while falling victim to them, making it as much a commentary on horror as a part of it.

The movie also balanced moments of intense terror with humor, making it accessible to a wider audience. The satire never undermined the scares but rather enhanced them by making the characters feel more real. Every character made me laugh at least once.

I can also talk about the feeling of watching Scream for the first time. It's something I can't describe myself, I just enjoyed it so much, without even blinking since I was concentrated. That's why I feel so attached to it, for an unknown reason. I just feel it.

Finally, Scream left a lasting legacy, influencing countless horror films and spawning a successful franchise. It brought horror back into mainstream popularity in the '90s and remains a reference point in pop culture.

In conclusion, Scream wasn’t just scary—it was smart, funny, and bold, changing the way audiences viewed horror films forever.

[be-gay-find-cryptids]

(Part 1) Film & TV Recommendations for Halloween

1. Over the Garden Wall (Miniseries, 2014)

Over the Garden Wall features two half-brothers, Wirt and Gregory, who have become lost in a mysterious wood called The Unknown and attempt to find their way back home.

...

This beautifully crafted animated miniseries is the best thing to come out of Cartoon Network even after ten years. The unique atmosphere, which blends fairytale charm with Gothic eeriness, perfectly compliments the early 20th-century Americana-styled animation. At just ten episodes, Over the Garden Wall is a short but impactful experience that lingers with you long after it ends. I highly recommend this series.

2. Coraline (Film, 2009)

Wandering her rambling old house in her boring new town, an 11-year-old Coraline discovers a hidden door to a strangely idealized version of her life.

...

This stop-motion animated film is a deeply unsettling and visually stunning experience. Blending a dark fairytale narrative with otherworldly imagery, it presents itself as a psychological horror for young and older audiences alike. Coraline explores the complex ideas about family, identity, and the dangers of wish fulfillment with grace. I strongly recommend this film.

3. ParaNorman (Film, 2012)

Norman Babcock, a young boy who can communicate with ghosts, is given the task of ending a 300-year-old witch's curse on his Massachusetts town.

...

This heartfelt stop-motion animated film blends humor, horror, and themes of ostracization and acceptance. While blending classic horror movie tropes with a coming-of-age story, it manages to portray strong themes of prejudice by using zombies, witches, and ghoulish imagery. If you're looking for a unique spin on classic B-movie horror, I highly recommend this film.

4. Happy Death Day (Film, 2017)

A college student must relive the day of her murder over and over again in a loop that will end only when she discovers her killer's identity.

...

Happy Death Day is an entertaining mashup of slasher horror and Groundhog Day-style time loop storytelling. This film stands out from all the rest of the horror-comedy franchise due to its emotion, mystery, and character growth. While it doesn't push boundaries for horror, it makes up for its uniqueness that balances humor and suspense. If you're looking for a horror-comedy film, I strongly recommend this one.

5. Jennifer's Body (Film, 2009)

A newly-possessed high-school cheerleader turns into a succubus who kills her male classmates and devours their flesh in order to survive.

...

Though it was sorely misunderstood when it originally came out, it has recently garnered rightful attention for its subversive take on the horror-comedy genre. This film blends teen drama and supernatural horror and uses its genre to touch upon the objectification of women in horror and in reality. Its wit, self-awareness, and social commentary have made it a standout in the horror-comedy genre, and for that, I strongly recommend this film.

6. Sinister: Recut (Film, 2012)

Ellison Oswalt is a struggling true-crime writer whose discovery of snuff films depicting gruesome murders and strange supernatural elements in his new house puts his family in danger.

...

Said to be one of the scariest films ever from a research study, Sinister is a deeply unsettling horror movie that perfectly mixes supernatural elements with psychological tension. The haunting score combined with the grainy, nightmarish footage of the murders results in an unnerving experience that sits with you long after you turn the lights out. Instead of watching the original movie, I strongly recommend this fanedit version of the film. It elevates the movie by removing some of the cheesy jumpscares and awkward dialog. If you're looking for a genuinely haunting movie this Halloween, I recommend this one.

7. 1408 (Film, 2007)

Author Michael Enslin, who specializes in debunking paranormal occurrences, checks into the fabled room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel in New York City.

...

This film excels in building suspense, using minimal special effects, and relying on our main characters' isolation and psychological unraveling to create fear. While this movie isn't as overtly terrifying as other horror films, 1408 offers an eerie, slow-burn experience, blending supernatural elements with personal trauma. The film has two different endings, the theatrical version and the director's cut. I'd suggest watching both to come to the conclusion of your favorite. It's a must-watch for fans of psychological horror, and I strongly recommend this film.

8. Midsommar (Film, 2019)

A couple travels to Northern Europe to visit a rural hometown's fabled Swedish mid-summer festival. What begins as an idyllic retreat quickly devolves into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition at the hands of a pagan cult.

...

This is a visually stunning and disturbing horror film set against the backdrop of a bright, idyllic Swedish village. The movie stands out for its unique approach to horror, unfolding almost entirely in daylight, creating a sense of unease through its striking visuals, unnerving atmosphere, and slow-building dread. Midsommar is a polarizing piece of media, mixing folk horror with psychological drama, and is filled with symbolism and unsettling imagery. I highly recommend this film if you're looking to be disturbed this Halloween.

9. Skinamarink (Film, 2022)

A young brother and sister wake up during the night to discover that their father is missing and that the windows, doors, and other objects in their house have vanished.

...

Skinamarink is an experimental analog horror film that trades traditional narrative for a surreal, nightmarish atmosphere. Shot in grainy, low-light cinematography, the film immerses you in a disorienting and eerie world where fear of the unknown takes center stage. The film’s strength lies in its ability to evoke childhood fears, using abstract visuals and unsettling sound design to create a sense of dread. However, its unconventional approach may alienate some people who expect a clear plot or resolution. The minimal dialogue and deliberate pacing make Skinamarink more of a mood piece than a traditional horror film, relying on atmosphere over jump scares. For those willing to embrace its experimental nature, Skinamarink offers a haunting and disquieting experience that lingers long after it ends, tapping into primal fears of isolation and helplessness. For all these reasons, I highly recommend that you check out this film.

10. Heck (Short Film, 2020)

A child wakes up in the middle of the night to the sound of his mom's television blaring.

...

Heck is a short film that shares a similar atmospheric approach to the creator's feature-length film Skinamarink. Like Skinamarink, it explores the feeling of being trapped in a surreal, dreamlike space. The film's minimalist aesthetic, with grainy visuals and a haunting soundscape, creates a disorienting atmosphere that leaves much to the imagination. It builds tension through its slow pacing, relying on the viewer's discomfort with the unknown rather than traditional horror tropes. For people who thought Skinamarink's runtime was excessive, Heck is a great substitute that captures the same atmosphere of the former. I highly recommend this film to people who have enjoyed Skinamarink's take on horror.

[rabbitwoman24]

Tomfoolery 9/10 Music 4/10 Jokes 4/10 Mystery 2/10 Scooby and the Gang really did something this time. This movie was a hodgepodge of ideas with no real cohesion in its story whatsoever. The movie opens with the end of a mystery we didn’t see. This part was quite cool. It was funny, it had good action and was enticing to watch. It is then revealed that the villain who was unmasked was THE SCARECROW FROM BATMAN. Like huh? How and why did this happen? Also, why was he a pivotal character for the rest of the film??? It then showed the main villains of the film, which was a group of mutated pumpkins who wanted to eat all the people in Crystal Cove. The rest of the movie is them running away from them. The cast of characters who were involved in this high speed chase was Scooby and the Gang, a random goth celeb,a father and daughter and BILL NYE THE SCIENCE GUY. Bill Nye was obnoxious and unfunny throughout the entire runtime. I do not understand why he was needed at all. Overall this is a Scooby film I would avoid entirely unless you are on acid because then you will maybe understand what is going on in this nonsensical adventure. 3.8/10

[strawbrryscone]

queens of fall🍁☕️🪓

[peachviz]

The Fly (1986)

[cadmium-free]

halloween 2023 watchlist & my reviews (favourites in orange)

Nightbreed | The Old Dark House | The Masque of the Red Death | The Black Tower | Creature from the Black Lagoon | Knife + Heart | Diabolique | Häxan | Pontypool | The Haunting | Tetsuo the Iron Man | In the Mouth of Madness | What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? | Possession | Panna a Netvor | Blacula | We're All Going to the World's Fair | Lake Mungo | From Beyond | Ravenous | Terror Train | Triangle | The Thing from Another World | Brain Damage

[koolraffa]

Venom Last Dance

I just wanna start out by saying that no matter what I Loved the journey and bromance story that Sony and Marcel made with these characters. Their relationship grew and became something to look forward to, to the point where I didn’t want the films to end. The writing and production value on these films are incredible and I honestly believe make them one of thee best superhero trilogy franchise to come out in recent years. In their “Last Dance”, Eddie and Venom are on the run from one of Marvel’s scariest and most powerful villains, “The King In Black” A.K.A. Knull, the source/creator of all of the symbiotes in the Marvel universe, he’s been imprisoned in deep space since before the creation of our known universe and galaxy, back when he ruled only the deep bleak darkness of space existed and was his realm and ever since the symbiotes faught and imprisoned him he has been out for revenge and to reclaim the universe as his once again. In the present fugitive Eddie and Venom are trying to clear their names and escape Knull’s clutches as they are the key to his release. The film will not be the end of the symbiote’s journeys in the larger story arch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Knull will be in future installments in the bigger storylines to come along with many of the characters in the Venom film series. So get ready to laugh, cry and dance your way through the last dance of Eddie and Venom’s adventure together.

- Like I always say when you go to the movies you see some for their artistic and intellectually stimulating Oscar worthy material and then some are just made for us all to sit back, relax and enjoy the show. -

[artpicsrare]

brandon lee, 1994.

[sam-keeper]

Halloween Horror: Häxan (1922)

Häxan's genre defying structure makes it hard to summarize. Wikipedia valiantly offers "Silent Horror Essay", a pretty decent stab at encompassing all seven reels of this silent Swedish classic. In the early parts, director Benjamin Christensen walks us through an academic lecture on the medieval conception of the cosmos and of superstition, aided by scale models of the universe. This section feels like a proto video essay. Then, it becomes an astonishing special effects horror showcase of rites and devil worship. Then, a multi-part melodrama of inquisition, false accusation, and torture, as a town falls to witch hunt mania. Finally, it introduces a melodrama in the present of mental illness and treatment, bridging past and present with its video essay elements.

I heard the bookends around the film described as a scholarly pretense for pure spectacle of the middle section. And boy there's some spectacle! I didn't really expect it to go quite as far as it does into perverse fantasy and sadomasochism. There's a whole sequence where a priest, consumed by lust for a village woman, ecstatically receives the lashes of a flail, his agonized expression superimposed on the whipping. Later, Christensen remarks in intertitles that one of his actresses insisted on trying his thumb screws. Juxtaposed with footage of the actress laughing and gasping, the intertitles remark coyly that they won't repeat all the things she confessed to after just one minute in the device. This fascination with pain, paired with shots of, for example, nude witches going to meet with the devil, suggests a knowing, post-Psychoanalytical overt desire to delve into erotic fantasy. It's not even implausible Christenson intended the homoerotic undertones in the whipping scene, or a later sequence where blasphemous mania overtakes a convent of nuns. After all, he starred himself in role of a young bisexual man in Michael just two years later. Queer people existed as much in the 1920s as the 2020s.

I get why surrealists loved the wild subconscious phantasmagorias of this film. It doesn't hurt that the film takes a bullish stance toward the new science of psychotherapy, suggesting that witch manias have an earthly cause in the human mind, even implying that they emerge from repressed desires. (Moreover, witch accusations come, as they do in The Crucible, from people jockeying for petty social advancement, or lashing out at the vulnerable.) In one of the middle sections, there's a lengthy sequence where witches cavort at a black sabbath with all manner of (stunningly costumed!) devils. The special effects are mesmerizing to watch--so much so that it's easy to forget the whole narrative is being related by an old homeless woman sadistically tortured by witch-mad priests. As it cuts back to the lurid, slavering excitement the priests display at each new concocted detail, each new accusation the old woman levels--against the very women of the village who denounced her in the first place!--it becomes clear that the lurid phantasmagoria is none other than the titillating fantasies of those selfsame priests. Forget Blazing Saddles, I don't think you could make a film like this today, a big budget expose of the perversities of the most holy fathers of the church.

After all the mesmeric special effects, the horror of witchcraft giving way to the horror of inquisition, the film concludes with a series of shocking juxtapositions: if the witches of the past are the mentally ill (the "hysterics" in the film's parlance) of today, aren't they still with us? And do we treat them so much better? I made a sarcastic crack to my friends midway through that Seattlites react to homeless people with the same conviction as the peasants in the film, that these are fearful creatures bound to put the evil eye on them. The film shocked me later when it pronounced directly that the inquisitor of the past is the law of today, and we've traded burning at the stake for prisons and institutions.

I don't know that Häxan is ahead of its time, exactly. Rather it reminds us that as long as Horror has existed as a genre, artists have used it to turn the floodlights on society and suggest that the real horror is how we treat each other. And, hey, also, turn the floodlights on the murky subconscious and say: oh boy what gooey nonsense is happening down HERE? What thoughts did you have lurking in your head, only now articulated through the witchcraft of the big screen? The best compliment I can give Häxan is that it is, simply put, a horror movie, and what makes it great haven't really changed all that much in 100 years.

Read more horror reviews like this all season on my Patreon

[cassthinking]

MUST WATCH MOVIES: HALLOWEEN EDITION

(hocus pocus 1993, death becomes her 1992, beetlejuice 1988, scream 1996, i know what you did last summer 1997, corpse bride 2005, the nightmare before christmas 1993, hubie halloween 2020, frakenweenie 2012, the craft 1996, monster house 2006, addams family values 1993.)

[mx-piggy]

Happy Halloween!

So, over the past month, I've been working pretty hard on writing reviews for my website. In particular, I've been writing about movies that are horror-based or otherwise Halloween-appropriate. If you like movies, then you might like the stuff I write. And, if you like horror movies, you might like the stuff I've written this month.

This morning, I published a review of The Substance, and it's a piece I'm really proud of and that I would love for people to read. I'll be honest, it's not actually so much a review as it is an analytical piece about the movie. If you like The Substance, please consider giving it a read!

If you haven't seen The Substance, then I have reviewed some other movies, too. If you like any of the movies listed below or if you would be interested in reading my thoughts about them, please consider giving them a read.

Alien: Romulus

Coraline

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Speak No Evil

Never Let Go

The First Omen

Imaginary

If you're not that into horror, I've got reviews of other movies, too.

If movies aren't your thing, there's still stuff on there that might be of interest to you. I've got a decent amount of original poetry for you to read. I'll link my favourites below!

Nocturnal

There's A Man in the Window

One of Many Afternoons at Spoons

Earlsway

If you end up reading any of my work (thank you!) then please consider reblogging this post so that I could potentially get more eyes on my site. Don't get me wrong- I love to write regardless of whether anyone reads my stuff. But, it sure is nice when people engage with something I've worked hard on. And, if you like my work enough to want to keep up with what I post, please consider subscribing (it's free!)

[watching-pictures-move]

Movie Review | Halloween II (Zombie, 2009)

This went down for me on this rewatch. I actually didn't get to this when it came out, mostly because I wasn't really going to see horror movies in theatres at that point and my horror fandom was mostly geared towards older movies (although the periodic free previews of the Scream Channel I took advantage of meant that I was getting a reasonably wide range of the genre's flavours beyond the obvious classics). And as a result I'd accepted the party line around the remake wave and Rob Zombie (neither were viewed with much warmth in the now defunct Rotten Tomatoes forums which I frequented at the time) and assumed it wasn't worth my time. So that when I did eventually watch it a few years later, once its reputation had started to build a little, I was pleasantly surprised that this had a much weirder style than one would have expected from a 2000s horror movie, had maybe something of an Italian influence in its incoherence, and that Zombie brought his own ideas to the material instead of offering warmed over slasher beats.

And I guess those things are still true, but I guess I gelled less to the combined effect this time around. On one hand, Zombie realizes his attempts to deconstruct and psychoanalyze Michael Myers in the preceding instalment were in vain (the best it came up with was that Myers grew up in a trailer park, which I assume has it's ups and downs but likely isn't justification for mass murder) and correcting by evoking Myers' mental state through narrative and visual incoherence makes some amount of sense. But on a narrative level, I find this too stop and start to really work as horror.

And on a visual level, the heavy grain and gloomy colour scheme he bathes much of this on I found pretty unpleasant to look at. I suppose he relied on a lot of grain in The Devil's Rejects as well, but there it cohered nicely with the warmer colours into a Kentucky Fried sheen that suited the grindhouse atmosphere nicely. (That's not blood and viscera, that's just ketchup and fries. This is making me hungry, time to go for some Mary Brown's.) Here, the visual texture reminds me of Slipknot, which is not a favourable comparison, and the fact that the movie does produce its share of striking images emphasizes how much worse the rest of it looks. Zombie is pulling a lot of his influences into it as he often does, but more of this plays like a straightforward take on the aesthetics he parodied with his Woolite commercial than I remembered. And the aggressive cutting takes some of the impact out of the violence.

Anyway, it sounds like I'm being really harsh on this, but I do still like this, just noticeably less than I used to. I will still go to bat for the performances, particularly Malcolm McDowell's slimy take on Loomis (his talkshow segment with Weird Al and Chris Hardwick is very funny) and Brad Dourif's warm, fatherly Sheriff Brackett. And I remember people being very hard on Scout Taylor-Compton, something I'm going to chalk up at least partially to the misogyny (there's a tendency to treat young actresses as a punching bag when people don't like a movie that was especially pronounced in those days). But I thought she was quite good in this, providing a nice, sympathetic centre to a movie that seems determined not to hold together.