TiBB's Halloween Countdown 2016 | RESULTS REVEALED ON PAGE 19! |

[Jake.]

The Hills Have Eyes (2006) - 8/10

In similar vein to the events in the film, what starts off as a slow and seemingly mellow watch soon turns into a gore-filled, frantic affair. I must admit to never watching the original, but this remake seems to have the basics covered: mutants, blood and a very inconic rape scene. Even after multiple viewings, it never seems to become easier to watch; essentially the centrepiece of the movie, a manner of all horrific things happen to the Carter family. It's because of this scene that the film loses a couple of marks; not because it isn't a fantastic, unnerving one, but because the rest of the film seems to lose some pace afterwards. However, credit where credit is due, the unexpected happens and the characters you believed would pull through perish, which is always refreshing in the horror genre. Oh, and the ending is enough to send a shiver down your back.

[Amy Jade]

Is the original good?

It's fine. I think it's a pretty great story but executed quite badly ultimately, the actors are pretty weak apart from Dee Wallace who plays Lynne.

I would give it a solid 6 but it's not scary or creepy at all.

[Amy Jade]

Maybe I've become desensitised but I didn't find the rape in THHE very shocking or graphic. Definately hard to watch and extremely well acted but I've (sadly?) seen way worse.

[Lostie!]

The Hills Have Eyes: 7/10

Considering I'd read that the reviews were pretty negative, I found this much better than I expected. The music at the very start (and used a few times throughout) was really effective for building an atmosphere and getting me interested right off the bat.

I also liked the opening sequence with the shots of bombs exploding and people with deformities with old music played over the top.

I think the film was effective in really making you worry about the protagonists and want the villains to get their comeuppance and that's something a lot of horrors don't manage, or flat out don't bother, to do.

One gripe would be that I don't think enough focus and clarity was given to the mutants. For example, we hear Jupiter mentioned early in the movie but I had no idea the one in the long coat near the end was him (I actually assumed the one with the expanded head and bloated throat was Jupiter from his apparent authoritative role but apparently not).

Actually, I only found out most of their names from Wikipedia afterwards, perhaps these things were obvious in the movie and just went over my head, I don't know. Oh, and what happened to the big bald woman? I also don't think the gas station attendant's role in everything was made clear.

Also, in the context of this movie alone I do think the token twist at the very end was unnecessary but since we know there's a sequel and therefore obviously more mutants out there it doesn't bother me as much as it would in a standalone movie

Overall, it was a decent movie and exceeded my expectations. Nothing particularly new or special but perfectly fine for what it is, if a little underdeveloped on the side of the villains.

[Amy Jade]

I thought the gas station attendants role was pretty clear (no shade) he had come to some kind of agreement with the cannibals to send people in their direction to trap them in return for money and belongings from the victims.

I think his suicide was out of guilt from sending the Carter's to their demise.

In the original the gas station attendant is related to the cannibals and is the father to the leader (Papa Jupiter) he tries to hang himself but fails and is killed by them.

[Amy Jade]

I want to recommend a movie I just finished watching and enjoyed a lot called Fender Bender, it's about a girl who has just passed her driving test and has a minor accident in her mums car so gives her insurance details and phone number to the guy who hit her and her parents are pissed so ground her from going on holiday with them. Later that night she receives a phone call from her mums friend who works at her insurance place to say the details were false and worse the details he gave were from a teenage girl who had been murdered just a few days ago.

It wasn't perfect but it felt very 80's slasher which I really liked about it.

[Lostie!]

I thought the gas station attendants role was pretty clear (no shade) he had come to some kind of agreement with the cannibals to send people in their direction to trap them in return for money and belongings from the victims.

I think his suicide was out of guilt from sending the Carter's to their demise.

In the original the gas station attendant is related to the cannibals and is the father to the leader (Papa Jupiter) he tries to hang himself but fails and is killed by them.

Yeah I got that but I just think his whole relationship with them was pretty vague in general (and my assumption the whole time was that he was the father to some of them, probably Jupiter, partly because of the original but also because of what he says about "the children" before killing himself and also the newspaper cuttings).

I just would have liked more focus on that side of things and their history really, I liked that they gave us time to get to know the Carter family but I do think a bit more of that was needed for the villains too.

[Jake.]

yeah that's one of my gripes with the film as well, some more time could have been invested in the cannibals themselves

[Drew.]

I kinda liked that you don't see much of them, it leaves you in the dark and makes things a bit more unpredictable/tense. Knowing less about them makes things creepier

[Cal.]

Yeah I was just going to say perhaps if we'd seen more of them they would have become less scary.

[Jamie89]

I'm going to watch it now :worry:

[Lostie!]

I didn't mind them being kept vague in the build up parts before they were fully revealed, I think that was all quite effective actually (even though there wasn't really a "reveal" since their nature was heavily telegraphed in the opening credits for even people who aren't familiar with the story) but I think they definitely could have used a bit more focus once they were out in the open just to flesh them out more as characters rather than just having them be generic horror baddies (which, if anything, makes them less scary for me).

The most interesting villain for me was the gas station guy because he was the one through whom we got the most insight into their backstory (however brief) so this is why I think he in particular was underutilized as a character a bit.

And of course Ruby was a great character and the most interesting of the mutants by far.

[LukeB]

I'm looking forward to watching The Shining. I have not seen it since I was 8.. my friends dad let us watch it lol, I have no memory of it at all.

[Cal.]

Thank you for all your reviews!

[Jamie89]

The Hills Have Eyes - 6/10

+
Well acted
Stylish
Claire from Lost is in it

-
Gore-heavy
Underdeveloped cannibals
Charlie from Lost isn't in it

It was alright. I think I probably would have loved it if I'd seen it 10 years ago but I feel like I've seen this kind of OTT gore movie so many times it just doesn't have much impact now in terms of being scary, the 'scary' bits were more gross than anything. There was nothing too imaginative in the scares (trailer scene being the exception), a lot of them were jump-scares which I found kind of dull. The best thing (potentially) about the movie was the cannibals but I feel like they wasted a big opportunity there.

The Cannibals - I agree with Lostie, I really would have liked to know more about them. I think because essentially it was a 'monster movie' except these monsters weren't mindless zombies or aliens or creatures, they were mutated humans, which gives them so much more potential in terms of how they could have been portrayed, showing more about how they think, how they relate to each other and how they perceive us. All things that would have made them more interesting because we'd be able to relate to them. The makers obviously didn't want to take advantage of that though and wanted emotional distance between us and them so that being the case, I couldn't help wonder why they didn't just make them zombies or something. By the end I was just kind of frustrated whenever they featured (and I wouldn't have felt that frustration if they were zombies because I wouldn't have had any deeper expectations of them). But by deciding to make them humans (and make the whole opening titles a reference to their backstory) they committed themselves to the usual expectations of developing them as characters, and they failed to deliver on that.

Ruby/The ending - Why did Ruby want to save the baby but none of the other mutants did? What's so different about her? She even sacrificed herself to save it. What must it have taken for her to do that?... I have no idea because I don't know anything about her life. But anyway, Ruby was clearly the hero of the movie imo and then it just cuts away after she falls to her death, shows the protagonists doing something typically hero-ish but uninteresting, then reunites them with that other guy and the baby, and treats him as if he's just saved the day. I know he did a lot in the finale but justice for Ruby much! Really unsatisfying ending for me. Next time they remake it I want all the slow parts of this film replaced with Ruby's story and I'll give it an 8!

Best scene - The whole sequence from the dad being on fire through to the girls and the baby being attacked in the trailer was horrifying/creepy/scary/intense/upsetting, just really well acted/directed etc. It took me COMPLETELY off guard and I was so impressed, I didn't expect that to happen at all.

[Cal.]

Wednesday 5th October- The Shining (1980)

http://www.asset1.net/tv/pictures/160/237/movie/the-shining-1980/The-Shining-KA.jpg

Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) becomes winter caretaker at the isolated Overlook Hotel in Colorado, hoping to cure his writer's block. He settles in along with his wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall), and his son, Danny (Danny Lloyd), who is plagued by psychic premonitions. As Jack's writing goes nowhere and Danny's visions become more disturbing, Jack discovers the hotel's dark secrets and begins to unravel into a homicidal maniac hell-bent on terrorizing his family.

[Jason.]

-
Charlie from Lost isn't in it



Good!

[Jason.]

The Shining is a classic :love:

[Cal.]

It really isn't :bored:

[Jason.]

It really isn't :bored:

Why don't you like it?

[Jamie89]

So excited to watch The Shining again :love:

Good!

http://i.imgur.com/ruqHTky.jpg?1

[Daniel-X]

I'll watch ms hills tonight I promise!

[Cal.]

Watching The Shining today again.

[Lostie!]

Will watch this later :spin:

[Lostie!]

Watched The Shining tonight but I'm shattered so I'll do the review tomorrow :laugh:

[Lostie!]

So is this over or something because I need to know whether to bother with my The Shining review :whistle:

[LukeB]

I'm going to watch The Shining tonight.

[Daniel-X]

Cal's at a party.

[Lostie!]

Okay so no idea if anyone else is watching it but I didn't watch The Shining last night when I desperately needed sleep for nothing so

The Shining: 8/10

The Shining's main strength is the uncomfortable, tense undercurrent running throughout the entire film. Even when something bad isn't happening, it doesn't feel completely "right" and I put a lot of that down to the atmosphere established right out of the gate. The opening sequence is one of my absolute favourites from a movie, it's simple but so effective with the foreboding music and sweeping camera pans. The score throughout the whole movie is brilliant actually and never fails to set me on edge.

One thing I wasn't hugely keen on was how cryptic they made the plot points with Charles and Delbert Grady and Jack appearing in the photo at the end. It's not that I need everything spoonfed to me but I'm never a big fan of these big mysterious moments that are hard to make sense of never getting actually explained. I have read theories and so I have a couple of ideas of what I think the whole deal was but I think more actual clarification on it in the movie itself would have been more rewarding rather than the whole "Leave it up to the viewers' imaginations" thing. Also, I wish Jack was portrayed as more likeable before his descent into madness (as I believe he was in the novel if I'm not mistaken), that would have made his personal story more powerful.

But yeah, on the whole I think The Shining is one of the most effective horror movies at creating a genuine feeling of unease and dread but I can see why it's not for everyone. Everyone has their own personal tastes when it comes to what works as a horror film and if the slow build isn't your taste, this movie will probably not work for you. But for me, it does.

Ranking:
1. The Shining: 8/10
2. The Hills Have Eyes: 7/10

[Jason.]

I've been so busy lately and I haven't gotten around to watching this yet. :worry:

[Jake.]

The Shining: 6/10

I haven't read the book before and, until tonight, I hadn't watched the film either. I had always been intrigued by it; many recommend it as one of the greatest horror films of all time. Therefore, it is safe to say that I sat down tonight with rather high expectations. Perhaps they were too high, or maybe I would have been better off reading the book instead.

The performances are a mixed bag. Nicholson superbly plays Jack Torrance's descent into madness, whilst Lloyd does an impressive job with young Danny. Duvall as Wendy is a bit of a mess, and almost makes the whole thing comical. I would have liked to seen more of Dick Halloran, but to no avail.

Maybe it's because the times have changed, or perhaps more modern horrors capture what I crave most; sadly I just didn't find The Shining all that scary, or intriguing. What with such an abrupt ending, you can only wish that the producers had stuck a bit more closer to the book.

[Jason.]

Shelley Duvall's character was a mess but I think that was more down to writing rather than her acting. Having both read the book and watched the film, the character of Wendy in the book is written as a beautiful, blonde woman who hadn't really faced any problems in her life, which makes her experience at the hotel all the more scarier. In the film, she seems more emotionally vulnerable. Plus she's much stronger in the book as opposed to the film and she challenges Jack on several occasions whereas in the film all she does is scream and cry.

I still don't mind her character in the film though.

[Lostie!]

Shelley Duvall's character was a mess but I think that was more down to writing rather than her acting. Having both read the book and watched the film, the character of Wendy in the book is written as a beautiful, blonde woman who hadn't really faced any problems in her life, which makes her experience at the hotel all the more scarier. In the film, she seems more emotionally vulnerable. Plus she's much stronger in the book as opposed to the film and she challenges Jack on several occasions whereas in the film all she does is scream and cry.

I still don't mind her character in the film though.

Shade at the time she knocked him out and locked him in the pantry?

[Cal.]

So is this over or something because I need to know whether to bother with my The Shining review :whistle:

Chill your beans babes I was getting ****ed up

[Lostie!]

Chill your beans babes I was getting ****ed up

That's a funny thank you for reviving your dead thread :idc:

[Ross.]

Chill your beans babes I was getting ****ed up

:joker:

[Amy Jade]

I wont watch because I honestly can't stand Shelley Duvall in the movie - she utterly ruins it for me and I've tried twice. It actually annoys me how much credit she gets for her shocking performance.

Jack Nicholson was outstanding and i understand why he gets critical acclaim but its just a film I cant enjoy because of Duvall.

5/10

(Could have been much higher with a better actress in the role of Wendy)

[Cal.]

Thank you for all the reviews so far! Will post my review in a bit!

[Cal.]

Saturday 8th October- Carrie (1976)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d7/Carrieposter.jpg/220px-Carrieposter.jpg

In this chilling adaptation of Stephen King's horror novel, withdrawn and sensitive teen Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) faces taunting from classmates at school and abuse from her fanatically pious mother (Piper Laurie) at home. When strange occurrences start happening around Carrie, she begins to suspect that she has supernatural powers. Invited to the prom by the empathetic Tommy Ross (William Katt), Carrie tries to let her guard down, but things eventually take a dark and violent turn.

[Jamie89]

The Shining - 9/10

It's almost the perfect horror movie for me. I've seen it countless times and it's never lost it's impact when I watch it. It's genuinely creepy throughout and at no point resorts to cheap scares/shocks to keep things moving. The music score, direction, and central performances all lend to the atmosphere of it and it builds perfectly, there's no jump where Jack suddenly turns crazy, it's crafted thoughtfully and paced beautifully and deserves a great deal of credit for achieving all of that.

I absolutely love Shelley Duvall's performance of Wendy, and the scene where she's holding the baseball bat and backing away from Jack while he's intimidating her is one of my favourite scenes of any film. The character isn't portrayed as a typical horror heroine and it's quite an unusual performance she gives so I get why it doesn't appeal to everyone, but I don't think that's a sign of bad acting, and it just really appeals to me personally. (Maybe it's the fact she runs like Phoebe Buffay idk.)
Jack Nicholson is fantastic also, I really can't imagine anyone else pulling off his role and have it be as effective.

The final scenes are some of the most frantic and intense of any horror movie and I felt completely invested in them and i think that's due to the build up being executed so superbly and the development of the relationships between the characters. It's not just a bunch of teenagers running away from a faceless knife wielding killer (no shade at Scream - I love those movies too) but this is kind of on another level to that for me because so much of the story is devoted to 'the killer' and his descent, and I always feel more emotionally involved with the characters when I watch the Shining, than I do most other horror movies, which makes the threat greater and the film scarier for me.

I wish that Halloran had a more prominent role in the final act though. I feel like there was a lot of build up with him first of all sensing trouble due to his 'shining', then the phone calls, and seeing him on the plane etc, I mean all of that just to see him enter the hotel and immediately get an axe to the chest. That's always a big disappointment and it's the film's main downside for me, that and the fact there are other horror's I enjoy more is why I give it a 9.


On the book, my opinion is that it's even better than the film, so if you haven't read it and are at all interested in the story after watching the movie then I highly recommend it! (I first read it after I'd already seen the film so I don't think the fact you've just watched it will ruin your enjoyment of it).

[Cal.]

The Shining (1980)
The first time I watched this film I really didn't like it. Having seen it since then, it's certainly grown on me but I do think that it's a very slow film and I don't think the climax is a big enough pay off for the slow majority. I get that there's suspense building and the film has to be slow to show Jack's deteriorating mental state but yeah it was boring. Perhaps I'm just more into slasher type movies than suspense/thriller/supernatural kind. Shelley Duvall as Wendy is certainly eccentric. Everyone acts like it's an iconic performance etc but she just comes across weird and out of place in the plot in my opinion. Jack and Danny are played superbly well mind. I actually like the ending with Jack in the photograph, it's not very popular but I think that the idea that there will always be a 'Jack' at the Overlook hotel is disturbing and creepy. I'd give the film a 6/10. It's boring in places but the overall iconicness and some creepy moments save it for me.

Carrie (1976)
I absolutely love this story and this film is my favourite adaptation of it. Sissy Spacek is amazing as Carrie and I adore Piper Laurie as Carrie's mother. You really feel for Carrie (I don't think this was captured as much in the recent remake of Carrie at all) and become involved with her story which you really don't in most horror movies. Most of the characters in the film are memorable with avid Christian Margaret, the nice Miss Collins teacher and the two bitches Chris and Norma (I absolutely love PJ Soles' Norma and I think Norma is one of the best characters of the film, I can't explain it I just really enjoyed her character and I'm glad none of the other adaptations tried to make the Norma character a leading role like this version did because it makes PJ Soles' role even more memorable). The prom scene is iconic and a lot better than the remake which is surprising. The only thing I don't like with this version is that I don't think Sue is likeable enough. She kind of feels like a plot device and I kind of wish that Miss Collins had been spared in this version instead of Sue if Brian de Palma wanted to move a bit further away from the book. But yes, I love this film and it's one of my favourite horror movies despite the fact I said earlier I prefer slashers but whatever. I'd definitely give it a 10/10 :love:

[Jason.]

(Maybe it's the fact she runs like Phoebe Buffay idk.)


:laugh2:

[Jason.]

I haven't seen the remake of Carrie but I love the characters in the Original. Even Norma and Chris were amazing characters despite being bullying bitches. Chris is probably one of my favourite movie bitches of all time tbh.

[Jason.]

Btw I'll watch the Shining tonight and post my review after.

[Jamie89]

Can't wait to watch Carrie again :lovedup:

:laugh2:

http://i.imgur.com/fTpBoF6.gif

-To Danny- "Come on, that's not running, let's goooooooooooo"

It actually annoys me how much credit she gets for her shocking performance.

Everyone acts like it's an iconic performance etc

Does she really get that much praise for it though? (apart from from me :laugh:) I've always considered Jack to be the one who got the attention for this movie, and he went on to have a continued successful career etc where as, as far as I'm aware, she didn't really do much of note afterwards or get that much attention at the time?

[Jason.]

Does she really get that much praise for it though? (apart from from me :laugh:) I've always considered Jack to be the one who got the attention for this movie, and he went on to have a continued successful career etc where as, as far as I'm aware, she didn't really do much of note afterwards or get that much attention at the time?

I don't even think her performance was that bad either tbh. I feel really sorry for Shelley Duvall actually (both in the film and the actress). From what I've heard she had an awful time behind-the-scenes of the film. Apparently throughout filming, she suffered from nervous exhaustion and lost all her hair and became physically ill. And Stanley Kubrick would pick on her and lose his temper and say that she was a waste of time and tell everyone else on set to not give her any sympathy in order to make her feel hopeless. She apparently considers this as the hardest performance of her career and even Jack Nicholson said that her performance was fantastic and the toughest role he'd ever seen any actor have.

It's quite sad given by the sound of things, she had such a hard time during the making only to be criticised heavily for her role and even be nominated for Worst Actress because of it. :/

[Tom4784]

The Shining

A classic through and through. It's creepy, unnerving and just really well made. A lot of the most iconic horror film scenes come from this film and I think it's a rare case of the film adaptation being better than the book.

I think one thing that works really well with this film is that it's a horror film that wasn't made with typical horror sensibilities of the time and it's why it's mostly stood the test of time.

It has aged badly in some parts though but aside from that it's one of the best horror films ever.

9/10.

[Jamie89]

I don't even think her performance was that bad either tbh. I feel really sorry for Shelley Duvall actually (both in the film and the actress). From what I've heard she had an awful time behind-the-scenes of the film. Apparently throughout filming, she suffered from nervous exhaustion and lost all her hair and became physically ill. And Stanley Kubrick would pick on her and lose his temper and say that she was a waste of time and tell everyone else on set to not give her any sympathy in order to make her feel hopeless. She apparently considers this as the hardest performance of her career and even Jack Nicholson said that her performance was fantastic and the toughest role he'd ever seen any actor have.

It's quite sad given by the sound of things, she had such a hard time during the making only to be criticised heavily for her role and even be nominated for Worst Actress because of it. :/

I didn't know all that, sounds awful D: It's be enough to put someone off acting!

[Jason.]

I didn't know all that, sounds awful D: It's be enough to put someone off acting!

You can read more about it here

http://moviepilot.com/posts/3930056

[Jamie89]

You can read more about it here

http://moviepilot.com/posts/3930056

That's horrific! I never knew they shot it chronologically either and that it took so long to make, I mean 3 days just for the door scene seems crazy!

[Will.]

The Shinning 6/10

It's a good film but I struggled to get into it, I loved the setting and it was creepy at times.

[Lostie!]

I'll watch Carrie tonight :)

[Cal.]

Justice for Carrie</3

[Cal.]

Cherry Falls (2000)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/98/Cherry_Falls_film.jpg

A small-town sheriff, Brent Marken (Michael Biehn), discovers the presence of a serial killer in his sleepy hamlet. Since the perpetrator has been targeting only virgins, both male and female, the deaths cause panic in much of the local high school population. Sheriff Marken's daughter, Jody (Brittany Murphy), is among the potential victims, since she has yet to sleep with her boyfriend, Kenny Ascott (Gabriel Mann). Can the lawman stop the killer before he goes after Jody?

[Cal.]

So is this over or something because I need to know whether to bother with my The Shining review :whistle:

That's a funny thank you for reviving your dead thread :idc:

Throwback to this vicious attack when the only thing I was guilty of was letting me hair down after a stressful week.

[Jamie89]

Sorry Carrie, I'll try and watch you tomorrow

[Amy Jade]

I watched Carrie last night I will review it asap

[Cherie]

Cherry falls :worry:

[Jason.]

Carrie

This one is a timeless classic and a horror masterpiece in my opinion. It's been one of my all-time favourites ever since I first saw it and for a film that's forty years old, it still holds up pretty well actually. It does look and feel dated in some parts, but being a massive fan of 70s and 80s horror, it's not really a gripe for me as it really captures that 70s vibe which I love.

I enjoy everything about this film. The characters are all interesting and well-developed. Margaret's character was hilariously amazing. Even Chris and Norma are somewhat enjoyable, despite being school bullies. Chris plays the bitch archetype really well and the fact she gets her comeuppance in the end makes her character all the more satisfying. Aside from the flawless acting, the cast is also stellar for a 70s horror film, featuring the likes of Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Betty Buckley, Amy Irving, Nancy Allen and William Katt. Heck, and John Travolta too.

One reason why this film is so powerful is because you really feel sympathetic towards Carrie and Sissy did a sensational job playing her. Sissy Spacek IS Carrie. Her transition from victim to villain is highly compelling and yet you still find yourself feeling more compassion for her. The prom scene was amazing and by far the best scene of the film. Just everything about it; the slow-motion of the string being yanked, the bucket tipping over, the sinister music in the background, the split-screen - all of which contribute to what an iconic scene in horror cinema it is.

The ending of the film is quite heartbreaking actually and one thing I've never really understood is why Miss Collins dies. Apparently in both remakes she lives and I feel if there was one person who deserved to survive, it should've been her, even though I do like Sue. One part that still that creeps me out to this day is when Margaret stabs Carrie and is walking towards her with the knife in her hand to stab her again. I don't know why but there's something so satanic about that scene.

But yeah this film is amazing and I love it. Oh and the soundtrack is great too. :love:

10/10

[Jason.]

Forgot to review The Shining but I'll just rank it:

The Shining - 8/10

[LaLaLand]

Cherry falls :worry:

Love this movie! Always feel like it gets overshadowed by Scream/IKWYDLS but it's just as good. Brittany Murphy </3

[Jason.]

I've actually never seen Cherry Falls but I look forwards to it. But yeah I can just tell it's another one of those post-Scream era slasher flicks just by looking at the year it came out. :laugh:

[Amy Jade]

Cherry Falls in underrated.

[LaLaLand]

I've actually never seen Cherry Falls but I look forwards to it. But yeah I can just tell it's another one of those post-Scream era slasher flicks just by looking at the year it came out. :laugh:

Pretty much is but I think it's better than Scream personally, better motive/twist.

[Lostie!]

Carrie: 8/10

Carrie's an odd one because I have a hard time thinking of it as a horror movie outside of the prom sequence onwards but it's a really good film nonetheless.

Sissy Spacek is just perfect as Carrie, she portrays her vulnerability and anxieties wonderfully and really makes you feel for and care about her. I also loved Betty Buckley as Miss Collins, their relationship was a highlight of the movie for me.

Piper Laurie is also brilliant as Carrie's mother and actually provides what is for me the scariest sequence, when she advances on Carrie with a knife with a crazed smile on her face (I should also give a nod to the camerawork for that scene, having us see Carrie's mother approaching through Carrie's eyes just made it all the more unsettling).

Another standout sequence was just after the famous blood drenching when Carrie hallucinates everyone laughing interspersed with vocal flashbacks of certain characters, it's really effective in illustrating how much Carrie has broken in that moment. I also really liked how it showed us that the majority weren't laughing at all so, even though you feel for Carrie and feel that her vengeance is understandable, you can acknowledge the tragedy of what really happened at the prom too. The kaleidoscopic editing of the sequence, and the split screen of the massacre were really cool touches as well

As I said, outside of the climax of the movie it doesn't really feel like a horror movie and so I always personally class it more as a dark supernatural drama but whatever genre you put it in, I think it's a really good film that effectively makes you care about Carrie's story, and that of those who show her kindness, making everything that happens in the end all the more impactful.

Ranking:
1. Carrie: 8/10
2. The Shining: 8/10
3. The Hills Have Eyes: 7/10

[Lostie!]

Throwback to this vicious attack when the only thing I was guilty of was letting me hair down after a stressful week.

If I was gonna viciously attack you it would be over not scheduling Trick 'r Treat closer to Halloween you monster :idc:

(Btw I'll watch Cherry Falls tomorrow :spin:)

[Amy Jade]

Carrie (1976)

Probably the film I have seen most out of the countdown yet a film I find I enjoy over and over. Sissy Spacek was amazing as Carrie, in the wrong hands the movie could have been a disaster but she manges to keep Carrie as a sympathetic figure even as she slays innocent people.

I have to say though my favourite character was Miss Desjardain. Infact her death is one of the only things about the film I really dislike, I understood Carrie had last her mind at that point but I never understood her killing one of the only people who cared about her welfair.

I think it holds up remarkably well considering it was filmed in the 70's, the only scene I would say feels old is a small one when Tommy and the guys go to buy their prom suits.

9/10

[LukeB]

The Shining
9/10

A classic horror movie.The storyline was amazing, It didn't scare me but I do think it's a good horror movie. Jack is an amazing character and so was his family.

[Lostie!]

Okay I'm wondering what was censored now.

[LukeB]

Okay I'm wondering what was censored now.

Same! I don't remember putting any swearing there :suspect:

[Jamie89]

I'm guessing it was meant to be whole? [emoji23]

[LukeB]

Carrie - 1976 - 10/10

I adore this movie and I could watch it every week and I wouldn't get bored of it. This really is a classic and I'm surprised it isn't a critical acclaimed movie well it did get load of postive reviews but a critical acclaimed sounds better.Sissy plays Carrie so well and I loved the teacher who supported her(shame about her death </3). The prom scene is probably my favourite scene of all time from a movie. 1976 is the superior version (of course it is because it's the original) but i do like the remakes too.

[Lostie!]

Cherry Falls: 6/10

I don't really have much to say about this one. It was alright I suppose but nothing about it really grabbed me. There was never really a compelling plot to get invested in, my main area of interest was the mystery and that wasn't really much special in the end either really. Also a very low body count for a slasher.

Just wasn't really much to it in general. :shrug:

Ranking:
1. Carrie (8/10)
2. The Shining (8/10)
3. The Hills Have Eyes (7/10)
4. Cherry Falls (6/10)

[Will.]

Carrie 8/10

One of my favs, I loved it! Haven't seen the original, only the remake, so it was nice to watch the original. Overall I really enjoyed and I love the story in the film. Very gripping and I didn't get bored. The actress who played Carrie was very good and I preferred the original to the modern remake. The remake is good as well, I watched it a couple of years ago.

[Jake.]

Will catch up as soon as I can!

[Cal.]

-waits for Lostie to attack her again before updating-

[Jamie89]

Sorry I'm behind :worry: I'll try and catch up over the weekend though!

[Jason.]

Yeah I decided to watch the 2013 remake of Carrie last night after seeing the original and it really didn't do anything for me. I just found it to be a pale imitation of the original without any new or interesting material. The characters were bland when compared to their original counterparts and you don't really feel any sympathy at all for Carrie in the remake as you do with Sissy in the original. I also didn't like Carrie using her hands in the remake whenever she was using her powers.

One thing I did like though was Chris and Billy's death. It was much longer and drawn out than the original and probably my favourite scene in the remake. Overall it's not an awful remake but it's not particularly good either. It's just the epitome of 'meh' for me. 5/10

Watching Cherry Falls tonight btw

[Cal.]

Saturday 15th October - Jeepers Creepers (2001)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6d/Jeepers_Creepers_film.jpg

After making a horrific discovery in the basement of an old abandoned church, Trish (Gina Philips) and her brother Darry (Justin Long) watch their routine road trip home from college turn into a heart-stopping race for their lives. They find themselves the chosen prey of an indestructible force that relentlessly pursues them and gives a new and chilling meaning to the old song "Jeepers Creepers."

[Amy Jade]

Cherry Falls

Cherry Falls was treated terribly in the US by censors. Apparently it was much more graphic but it was hacked at and whole scenes had to be shortened and refilmed without most of the cast.

One thing I love is the odd relationships in the movie, for me it added lots of depth to throw away characters like Jody's mum who openly flirts with her daughters boy friend and the ralationshup between Jody and her dad is odd but compelling.

I enjoyed the story line that a killer is offing virgins but it didn't really make that much sense as the football player at the start wasn't that virginal to me and some scenes were messy and felt out of place but you have to blame the censors (the second kill in the movie where a girl is tied to her roof was cut so badly she had a chase scene </3)

Also a victim of the censors were most scenes with Jody's best friend Timmy who I thought added a little zest.

I loved the killer and their reasons for going on the rampage and especilly for who they target and one kill I love is the 'let's split' cop. I wish the censors had left the movie alone - I think it's a film with all the right ingredients but it was left undercooked because of over zealous MPAA being dicks.

7/10

[Jason.]

Cherry Falls

It's funny how I Know What You Did Last Summer and Urban Legend have a reputation for being 'knock-offs' of Scream and even though they cashed in on the success of it, I think Cherry Falls fits that mould much more than the other two do. I found that a lot of scenes in this film were quite identical to Scream, but nevertheless I still enjoyed this one quite a bit.

I find the idea of a killer hacking up virgins to be a really nice touch and quite original when compared to your standard slasher and the horror clichés that usually come with it; the virgin always lives and if you have sex...RIP. I found it quite funny how all the virgins at the school threw an orgy to save themselves so they don't get picked off. :joker: I also really enjoyed the school chase scene and I quite liked the look of the killer too.

The killer was good, even though I guessed who it was about a third into the film. The reveal was strong and I did really enjoy the motive behind the killer's actions.

However this film isn't without its flaws. My main gripe with this is the relatively small body count, and for a slasher film it's certainly lacking in the kills department. There's only really a few kills in this and they either take place in the first half hour or they're off-screen to some extent. It could've done with a couple more kills in the middle to really balance things out, especially during the orgy.

6.5/10

[Jason.]

The fact it came out post-Columbine probably explains why it was so heavily censored.

[Cal.]

Cherry Falls (2000)

I've been meaning to see this film all summer, ask Jason. But I finally got to watch it and I wasn't disappointed at all. I thought the killer was really scary with the black wig with the grey streak and the whole Lora Lee look<3 Brittany Murphy was excellent as Jody (but obviously it's Brittany Murphy</3) and I really enjoyed the characters of Timmy (very bold for the time period having him gay and having such a distinct look), Kenny, Jody's mum and her dad. I knew there was something off about Jody's dad from the self defence scene where he falls on top of Jody and just lays there for a moment - it was quite weird. I'm glad all of Lora Lee's rapists were brought to justice but I think making Mr. Markinson the killer, the son of Lora Lee AND Jody's half brother all in one go was a bit much. I liked the killer and son of the real Lora Lee angle but implying that he was Brent's son instead of the other 3 rapists was a bit odd - especially considering he tried to kill Jody several times throughout if he was saving the big reveal for her and her dad. The orgy scene was such a mess but having Mr. Markinson chase Jody and Kenny to the orgy seemed like a lame attempt at tying it all together to me. I felt they should have focused less on the orgy angle or had the killer attack the orgy before the big reveal with Brent, Jody and Kenny but idk. Overall it was enjoyable and it's sad that it never got a release into cinemas because I think it would have done well. I'd give it a 7/10.

[Cal.]

A very clear winner so far :worry:

[Amy Jade]

This is a great article as to why Cherry Falls was treated so badly :(

http://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3400027/story-behind-cherry-falls/

[Amy Jade]

The fact it came out post-Columbine probably explains why it was so heavily censored.

Sadly you are right, the things you quite rightly say were missing (a higher body count and a more gore filled orgy scene) were in the original cut - in the commentary on the blu-ray they explain that the death of the girl hung in her house was much more graphic and prolonged and the orgy scene had lots of death scenes but the MPAA demanded it all cut (including ALL nudity) it's actually a shame because I think the movie is pretty smart and it's kept a freshness around it that some late 90's slashers lack

[Cal.]

Jeepers Creepers (2001)

I haven't seen this film in years so I'd forgotten exactly what happens in it. I forgot it was as good as it is. I love how it spirals just from a simple car ride home in the country with brother and sister and ends in such a harrowing and horrible way. I enjoyed the dynamic between Trish and Darry (Trish is probably one of my favourite horror heroines after this rewatch and I liked that the director decided to make them brother and sister to stop any sexual tension between the actors and to keep the audience focused on their plight from the creeper and not on if they were going to have sex or whatever) and I think the scenes before darkness falls are some of the most nervewracking in a movie I've seen. My one qualm with it is that the writing sometimes goes wrong, in the beginning Trish is portrayed as the smart and mature one who doesn't think they should go back to the pipe (AND THEY REALLY SHOULDN'T HAVE) and Darry is the one who makes the stupid choices but by the end Trish is being stupid and immature by refusing to listen to Jez the physic even though she's telling the truth and Darry is the one being mature and intelligent but whatever. The ending is one of my favourites in horror and I like how they referenced it throughout with the Jeepers Creepers song and focusing on 'eyes'. The Creeper and his truck are really menacing and scary and I liked how they fully explained his origins in the middle so they didn't have to retcon him further down the line in the sequels like they did with other horror villains like Michael and Jason. But yeah, a thoroughly enjoyable suspenseful horror film and I'm really glad it made the list. 8/10.

[Babayaro.]

Bye i am so sorry for not doing this

[Cal.]

Bye i am so sorry for not doing this

http://31.media.tumblr.com/a8f44fc66be9e298574ae9f8045de141/tumblr_moytfrYO3v1rzagpno1_400.gif

[Jason.]

This is a great article as to why Cherry Falls was treated so badly :(

http://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3400027/story-behind-cherry-falls/

Sadly you are right, the things you quite rightly say were missing (a higher body count and a more gore filled orgy scene) were in the original cut - in the commentary on the blu-ray they explain that the death of the girl hung in her house was much more graphic and prolonged and the orgy scene had lots of death scenes but the MPAA demanded it all cut (including ALL nudity) it's actually a shame because I think the movie is pretty smart and it's kept a freshness around it that some late 90's slashers lack

Aww that's unfortunate. It was unlucky to come out when it did as had it came out 2-3 years earlier it probably would've got more recognition and a theatrical release that some of the other late-90s slasher films got. It does strike me as one of the more obscure flicks and that's probably because it was made into a TV-movie in the end. I'm glad Scream Factory have picked it up though and given it a proper release.

[Jason.]

Jeepers Creepers

Jeepers Creepers is no more than your average teen horror movie but that doesn't stop it from being highly enjoyable. This is definitely one of my favourite modern horror movies. It's suspenseful from start to finish and builds up a mood of sinister expectation right from the beginning.

I love the relationship between Darry and Trish and how realistic it is. Like Cal said, I like how it's a brother and sister relationship as opposed to a group of friends or boyfriend and girlfriend as that's something we rarely see in these teen horror films, especially during the time in which this came out.

My favourite aspect of the film are the ominous clues throughout such as the license plate on the Creeper's truck reading "BEATNGU" (Be Eating You) and the Jeepers Creepers song, which foreshadows Darry's fate heavily with the lyrics "Jeepers Creepers, where’d ya get those peepers?" is enough to send a shiver down your spine. The end scene where the camera slowly fades to Darry's eyeless and motionless corpse as the camera zooms into the Creeper's eyes staring through his empty skull, whilst the song we all know too well plays on the phonograph in the background is chilling to say the least.

If I had to find a gripe with this film, it would be the director's extremely reprehensible criminal past (which I won't dwell on too much in this review) that's quite off-putting, especially towards a film like this but then again, that's more to do with the director as opposed to actual film itself.

Overall, a creepy albeit fun little horror flick that gets better everytime you watch it. Looking forwards to the third one supposedly coming out next year with Gina Philips from this film reprising her role as legend Trish.

8/10

[Cal.]

Trick R Treat tonight!

[Lostie!]

I'll watch Jeepers Creepers later :spin:

[Cal.]

Wednesday 19th October - Trick R Treat (2007)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/dc/Trick_r_treat.jpg

Interwoven stories demonstrate that some traditions are best not forgotten as the residents (Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Dylan Baker) of a small town face real ghosts and goblins on Halloween. Tales of terror reveal the consequences of extinguishing a Jack-o-Lantern before midnight and a grumpy hermit's encounter with a sinister trick-or-treater.

[Tom4784]

Carrie

A classic, if a little dated. It's well acted and I like how they held back on the gore and needless spectacle unlike the remake where it felt more like 'Jean Grey: the teen years' rather than Carrie. I felt Carrie was a lot more sympathetic in this version than in the needless remake too.

8/10

Cherry Falls

I like how it turns certain slasher tropes on their heads but I found the film kind of boring. It's a film that was made because of Scream's success and it shows.

4/10

[Jamie89]

I'm so behind :worry: sorry! I am definitely going to catch up though

[Cal.]

Thank you for all the reviews and no worries Jamie :love:

[Jake.]

really sorry cal :worry: I'm gonna catch up asap

[Lostie!]

Jeepers Creepers: 8/10

The first half of this movie is easily a 9 for me and if the whole film was like that it would top the current ranking without a doubt. It's one of the most genuinely unsettling first acts of a movie I can remember, everything from the sharing of a scary urban legend on a lonely road, the truck's first ominous appearances (that one shot as it silently approaches in the background was inspired), the discovery of the "house of pain" is all extremely effective in building dread and tension.

That's why it's a shame that the second half becomes much more of a generic everyday horror movie as it becomes more about the gross-out moments and less about maintaining the atmosphere so brilliantly built up. It's not awful though, just nothing special. That said, the inclusion of Jez for the second half was a great move as her warnings about what's to come provide a creepy sense of unease that would otherwise be missing at that point. I also like that they make you think you know which sibling will die then flip the script at the very end. The final scenes also salvage some of the earlier atmosphere with an effective final scene with the reveal of Darry's fate as Jeepers Creepers plays in the background.

To be honest, a whole movie akin to the second half would probably get a 7 but it gets bumped up to 8 for the brilliant first half, it's just a shame it wasn't a full 9 as it could have been. The Creeper was creepier (hehehe) the less we saw of him.

Ranking:
1. Carrie (8/10)
2. Jeepers Creepers (8/10)
3. The Shining (8/10)
4. The Hills Have Eyes (7/10)
5. Cherry Falls (6/10)

[Will.]

Cherry Falls - 7/10

Loved it! The killer was really freaky and overall the characters were great, really enjoyed and haven't heard of the movie before, nice to watch something never heard of. Quite similar to the films such as Scream/IKWYDLS however I love films like that so it's fine! Wasn't that many kills for a slasher film, the killer was a little obvious towards the end but overall the motive was really interesting and thoroughly enjoyed the film.

Jeepers Creppers - 9/10

One of favourite horror films ever, it's one of the first scary films I've ever watched and it didn't disappoint. It's very creepy and kept me entertained for a long time, I loved the characters and the Jeepers Creepers song gives me chills, very frightening. The movie progresses well and it's quite gruesome in parts. I find the Creeper very scary and it haunted me when I was younger. I'm looking forward to the third film when it's hopefully released in the next couple of years. The ending was very memorable and I found it quite disturbing looking back. I did find it had lost some of it's good qualities in the second part of the film, especially the atmosphere which was superb in the first half. Overall loved it and can watch it many times and not get bored.

[Lostie!]

If you don't mind Cal I might watch Trick 'r Treat after You're Next and TCM, I usually like to watch it in the immediate days around Halloween and ending it with two Halloween themed movies feels appropriate :laugh:

[Cal.]

Lostie has been ejected from the countdown with immediate effect.

[Cal.]

Saturday 22nd October - You're Next (2011)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c2/YoureNext2011Film.jpg/220px-YoureNext2011Film.jpg

The Davisons, an upper-class family, are extremely wealthy -- but also estranged. In an attempt to mend their broken family ties, Aubrey (Barbara Crampton) and Paul (Rob Moran) Davison decide to celebrate their wedding anniversary by inviting their four children and their children's significant others to their weekend estate. The celebration gets off to a rocky start, but when crossbow-wielding assailants in animal masks suddenly attack, the Davisons must pull together or die.

[Lostie!]

Lostie has been ejected from the countdown with immediate effect.

http://38.media.tumblr.com/251cfcc9c8f91fc3066bf3802edf0b6f/tumblr_inline_o1iuovY6is1thukpb_500.gif

[Amy Jade]

Sorry I am behind, I rewatched Jeepers Creepers and Trick r' Treat just been busy irl sorry but reviews should be up sometime today

[Jason.]

Lostie has been ejected from the countdown with immediate effect.

http://38.media.tumblr.com/251cfcc9c8f91fc3066bf3802edf0b6f/tumblr_inline_o1iuovY6is1thukpb_500.gif

:joker::joker:

[Jason.]

I'll watch Trick 'r' Treat tonight and have my review in by then too.

Looking forwards to You're Next though as I've never seen it before.

[Jamie89]

Carrie - 10/10

This film :flutter: Carrie isn't a horror so much as it is a tragedy, it's message/lack of hope being something that always has an impact on me when I watch it, and the character herself being one of the saddest, most tragic characters in any film I've seen. The depiction of her is what makes it so special.

The opening of the film I think is subtly genius and I'm always drawn in and get goosebumps whenever I sit down to watch it. The camera panning down onto the volleyball court places her literally as the outsider, her pathetic attempt to hit the ball and failing to take part/fit in, and her glancing around for approval before getting hit over the head by her team mate and being told to "eat ****"... if that 10/15 seconds isn't one of the most perfect character introductions, it sets up her insecurities, her outsider status... she's immediately sympathetic, relateable to anyone who's ever felt like that at school, you feel hope for her, and knowing how it all ends for her makes it all the more heartbreaking.

And the depiction of her telekinesis is done really well. From her smashing the ashtray out of frustration at the headteacher repeatedly getting her name wrong, to her shutting the doors and windows of her house because she wants her mum to stay and talk to her, it's not something she's doing just because she can, but more it's the embodiment of an emotional reaction. And it's the set up of that which stops her from becoming a villain during the prom scene, because we know that for her to be able to cause such destruction, she must be destroyed in herself. For her to still be empathetic even when she massacres a room full of people is once again genius.

I can't fault anything about this film, it's one of my all time favourites and I think it still holds up well today. It's aged in some ways but not to it's detriment imo.

The ending of the film is quite heartbreaking actually and one thing I've never really understood is why Miss Collins dies. Apparently in both remakes she lives and I feel if there was one person who deserved to survive, it should've been her, even though I do like Sue.

I have to say though my favourite character was Miss Desjardain. Infact her death is one of the only things about the film I really dislike, I understood Carrie had last her mind at that point but I never understood her killing one of the only people who cared about her welfair.

As much as I like the character too I think it adds to the 'no light at the end of the tunnel' message that the film has, as well as making you feel more emotional about the prom scene I think, because otherwise it would just be people you don't really know/dislike being killed. Killing her makes it more tragic. And when you think that Sue survives but even then, she's haunted and disturbed by what happened and the film ends with her screaming in terror, I don't think there's meant to be any positives in the outcome of the film and to make it so negative is quite a brave thing to do really.

(I absolutely love PJ Soles' Norma and I think Norma is one of the best characters of the film, I can't explain it I just really enjoyed her character and I'm glad none of the other adaptations tried to make the Norma character a leading role like this version did because it makes PJ Soles' role even more memorable).

I know what you mean, she's not really an important character at all but I love her too, little things about her like how she even wears her red cap when she's at the prom :laugh: <3

[Jason.]

The scene where Miss Collins is talking to Tommy and Sue about taking Carrie to the prom and Norma enters the room to give something in and stays in to hear what they're saying :laugh: <33

[Jamie89]

Cherry Falls - 7/10

Brittany Murphy :lovedup: For the most part it was very much a teen-slasher-by-numbers and could easily pass as a B-movie to Scream, but it's enjoyable enough all the same (if you like teen slashers). Brittany is likeable and interesting enough as an actress to carry an average movie and lift it above average, and her indie version of Sydney Prescott was a likeable heroine.

My main isssue with the film is that it came across fairly disjointed at times, and maybe that's down to the cuts it had to make like some of you have mentioned, but I was never really sure if it was taking itself seriously or if it was trying to be silly. It never really got the balance right or established what it was very well. Like the scene at the parents meeting where the brawl breaks out :laugh: I found it really funny but I wasn't totally sure if it was meant to be.

And did anyone else scream at this...

http://i.imgur.com/gizqME0.gif

I don't know why it just really made me laugh :laugh: which is fine and everything but it took away from the suspense of the chase scene.

It's enjoyable enough though and I really liked the climax and outcome, which is always important with whodunnit slashers and probably the most difficult aspect of those types of films to pull off. It also had a disturbing/dark feel to the reveal, moreso than a lot of other slashers. And then after the reveal it seemed to take a turn back to the silly... when he runs into the sex party in drag and yells "CLASS DISMISSED" :laugh2:... it was pretty funny, but the mood/atmosphere didn't feel quite right coming straight after the previous scene.

I think all the faults I have with it are just down to the cuts which is a shame but yeah it didn't get the balance of funny/horror quite right and like I said, felt disjointed for the most part as a result.

[Jamie89]

I watched Jeepers Creepers yesterday too but I'll post a review for it later today... And I should have chance to watch Trick r Treat later on... I'm catching up slowly :laugh:

[Jason.]

And did anyone else scream at this...

http://i.imgur.com/gizqME0.gif



Jaws could never

[Cal.]

Mess sorry about this. I've only been able to get on sparingly over the past few days and the death of my Pete has distracted me</3

[Cal.]

Everything's updated. I'll give in my reviews for Trick r Treat and You're Next later and then post the next film later.

[Cal.]

Wednesday 26th October - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/20/Texas_chainsaw_massacre.jpg

In this remake of the horror classic, a group of young travelers -- including Erin (Jessica Biel), Andy (Mike Vogel) and Morgan (Jonathan Tucker) -- comes across an isolated rural home while driving through Texas. Unfortunately for them, the decrepit house is the residence of a family of deranged backwoods killers, most notably a hulking masked brute known as Leatherface (Andrew Bryniarski), who begins to hunt the stranded youths down. Will any of the friends survive the nightmarish ordeal?

Pepper is the best horror character of all time.

[Jason.]

I was watching Trick 'r Treat last night but I got tired and fell asleep as I was watching it so I'm going to finish it off later. I'll watch You're Next too.

I watched the Texas Chainsaw Massacre only last month so I'll just review it now.

[Jason.]

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

I'm one of those typical remake haters (don't **** with the original /thank you Sidney) but I have been proven wrong with some pretty strong remakes and this one is definitely one of them.

The remake doesn't really capture that raw, gritty terror of the original, infact it feels more glossy which takes away from what made the original so effective and creepy but that is to be expected from a modern remake of a 70s horror film. That being said, the film still holds up on its own. The scene in particular where Leatherface turns around to Erin whilst wearing the Kemper mask is creepy and one of the more effective parts of the film.

The main characters bar Erin aren't all that developed and are pretty much just there to die (but that's not really a criticism as such because the same can be said for the original really). I mean Hoyt gets more airtime than almost all of the main characters. Speaking of which, Hoyt was a great addition to the remake. Morgan's character was annoying and should've died first.

Also I would've much preferred if Erin was forced to kill KEMPER out of mercy instead of Andy as I thought that would've been way more powerful. The deaths also could've been more gruesome I guess. But aside from that it's a pretty fun film and good by remake standards. Plus it features Jessica Biel in a tight white tank top :p

7.5/10

[Cal.]

[B] Plus it features Jessica Biel in a tight white tank top :p ]

*smacks you for your cheek*

[Cal.]

Trick R Treat (2007)

I enjoyed this movie. The Halloween aesthetic is absolutely brilliant. I loved how the stories intertwine and how some of the characters appear in the background of each story. The twists in the stories were my favourite, such as the young son knowing about his dad killing everyone since they were carving a beheaded head as a pumpkin, the innocent teen girls turning out to be vampires or werewolves or whatever they were and the bullied girl abandoning the other kids in the quarry to get killed. The little boy in the costume that's present in all the stories is an iconic look and I really enjoyed the anthology aspect, I imagined it was like John Carpenter and Debra Hill's original version for the Halloween franchise before the popularity of Michael Myers just condensed into one movie. I wish I had saved this for Halloween because it is a very Halloween'ey movie. 9/10.

You're Next (2011)

Ugh I can't believe I hadn't seen this film before. It's brilliant. The pacing is a little off - I'll just get that out of the way first. The action starts and stops again all the time in the first hour of the film and I think the fact all the characters were related kind of held it back a bit as it seemed unrealistic that some of the characters didn't grieve for their dead loved ones (such as the sister dying in the first half an hour and no one in the family besides the mum caring). However, the last half hour was absolutely brilliant. Felix and Zee being the ones behind it all was an amazing twist and the fact Crispian was in on it all at the very end was another great twist. Erin is one of the best horror heroines of all time in my honest opinion, she was so badass and the fact she single handedly killed all 6 of the killers <33 So happy they didn't kill her off at the end like I thought they did - I would have been furious. The film ending with the police officer getting killed by Erin's trap was so creative and it was intriguing on how they hinted that the police thought Erin had killed everyone in the ending credits. Kelly and Zee were amazing characters also<33 9/10. Not a 10/10 because of the pacing issues and the unreal-ism that the 'innocent' members of the family didn't grieve for their dead loved ones.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

I've always been terrified of this movie. It's chilling and the found footage aspects at the beginning and end of the film add to the tension. The finger marks in the walls etc was all very macabre. Erin was a terrific final girl and Pepper is the best horror character as I've already said. I have to disagree with Jason in my review - I think personally it captured the 70s feel the original had very well and it doesn't feel like a glossy new film to me at all. The first hour or so builds tension immediately and I love how the simple drive in the campervan turns into the suicide of the girl and then the brutal murders that follow. I like how they extended on Leatherface's family more in this one as it made it feel more terrifying when Erin was trying to escape that that was more people out there looking for her as in the original it was just Leatherface, his father, the iconic grandfather and a brother iirc? I also liked how they hinted that there had been far more slayings before Erin and her friends showed up in Texas with the suicide girl obviously being the sole survivor of a killing spree conducted by Leatherface and his family a few days previous and her baby being the one kept by the tea ladies in the campervan that Erin stole back and escaped with at the end. It's a very enjoyable film and I'd give it a 9/10 also.

[Jason.]

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

I have to disagree with Jason in my review - I think personally it captured the 70s feel the original had very well and it doesn't feel like a glossy new film to me at all.

Well that's gone and bloody done it! https://media.giphy.com/media/3o7aTpOjg1ePqT5T1u/giphy.gif

[Cal.]

Well that's gone and bloody done it! https://media.giphy.com/media/3o7aTpOjg1ePqT5T1u/giphy.gif

fjjdjdjddjjdjd

[Lostie!]

I'll be watching You're Next and TCM over the next couple of days :spin:

:joker: :joker: at the Pam Voorhees gif

[Jason.]

Trick 'r Treat

This is probably my favourite horror anthology film and definitely one of my favourite horror movies to watch around Halloween. I love everything about it and the fact it takes place on Halloween makes it all the more fun to me. The film captures the Halloween atmosphere flawlessly and I love how it's a throwback to classic Halloween horror movies. I also really enjoy the fact it dwells on the holiday's age old traditions.

The four stories are lots of fun and all offer something different. I really like how they're all interwoven and tie together with the presence of Sam who appears in all the stories whenever someone breaks a Halloween tradition. I love Sam. :flutter: He's adorable and I love his look - one of my favourite horror movie looks.

This film is just lots of fun tbh.

9/10

[Jason.]

You're Next (2011)

So happy they didn't kill her off at the end like I thought they did - I would have been furious.


Omg I watched this last night and I originally thought she got killed by her own trap when the policeman opened the door and the ending left me annoyed. But then I went and read the plot synopsis on Wikipedia afterwards and it turns out it was the policeman that was killed.

[Cal.]

Sunday 30th October - Halloween (1978)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/af/Halloween_(1978)_theatrical_poster.jpg

On a cold Halloween night in 1963, six year old Michael Myers brutally murdered his 17-year-old sister, Judith. He was sentenced and locked away for 15 years. But on October 30, 1978, while being transferred for a court date, a 21-year-old Michael Myers steals a car and escapes Smith's Grove. He returns to his quiet hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois, where he looks for his next victims.

[Cal.]

Halloween (1978)

My favourite horror film of all time. :flutter: The best saved for last BY FAR. I love EVERYTHING about this film. The soundtrack, the Halloween feel, the suspense building up through the ENTIRE film and coming to an amazing climax at the end, the characters and the intensity of some of the scenes. Michael Myers is the best slasher villain by far (Jason, Freddy and Leatherface are trash compared to Michael sorry about it) and it features the best horror character of all time Lynda Van Der Klok :love:. Jamie Lee Curtis is amazing as Laurie too but Nancy Kyes is so ****ing annoying as Nancy. My favourite thing about the film is the lack of gore, I'm not necessarily against it in horror films but I love how this film can suggest everything without showing it and still make it creepy and terrifying and although the body count is not particularly high compared to other horror films it doesn't feel boring at any point and is paced fantastically. I also love how it doesn't use the typical suspense and then jump scare method like other horror films, it builds up the suspense until you think something's going to happen and then nothing happens - and then delivers the jump scare a few moments after you've relaxed yourself. I could go on forever about this film but I'll keep it short. My love for this film and the franchise only gets bigger as each Halloween season rolls around and I'll be making sure this is on the list again next year. 10/10 for sure. :love:

[Jason.]

:flutter:

[Jason.]

I'll be watching this tommorow night alongside H2 and H20. <33

I'll review You're Next.

[Jason.]

You're Next

I'd never seen this one before so I was looking forwards to watching something new. I went into this not really knowing what it was about or what to expect but I really enjoyed this. The film is a mixture of both slasher and home invasion and it combines the two effectively.

Despite the inconsistencies that Cal mentioned, the pacing of the film was fine to me. The first twenty minutes are just getting to know the family before they're all killed left and right for the remainder of the film. The majority of the characters are likeable. Erin is a great final girl; well-developed, smart, rootable, strong and badass. I loved her and I was so disappointed when I originally thought she was killed by her own trap at the end so I was relieved to find out it was infact the policeman that died.

The relationship between the family members are interesting and realistic. Although I feel the mother was killed off too soon and could've been used more </3 Felix and Zee being revealed as the ones behind it all with the hiring of the assassins to murder the family for their inheritance was a sick, yet satisfying motive (I love it tbh). Crispian being in on the plan was an interesting twist but I think it could've been executed much better.

There are some great kills in this too. Aimee's death where she runs into a wire that slashes her throat is a stand-out kill for me as that combined with the slow-motion of the scene made it all the more suspenseful. Kelly and Felix's blender death were also good ones.

My only flaw with this would be that I wish it was more suspenseful. The film wasn't overly thrilling and it didn't leave me on the edge of my seat despite being quite action packed in some parts.

7.5/10

[Cal.]

Aimee's death where she runs into a wire that slashes her throat is a stand-out kill for me as that combined with the slow-motion of the scene made it all the more suspenseful.

I thought this was hilarious.

The fact they let the baby sister of the family go out to fend off the bad guys is an absolute scream when she has her father and 3 older brothers there.

[Jason.]

I thought this was hilarious.

The fact they let the baby sister of the family go out to fend off the bad guys is an absolute scream when she has her father and 3 older brothers there.

That whole scene was such a mess. She was going on about how nobody ever believed in her or s/t :laugh2:

[Lostie!]

You're Next: 8.5/10

I really wasn't expecting much from this so I was really impressed by how enjoyable it was. There's a brilliant atmosphere built up in the early portion of the film and the animal mask imagery is of course creepy as hell. The dark comedy aspect also works really well also, it manages to be genuinely humorous without delving into over the top parody levels.

The twists with Felix, Zee and Crispian were brilliant, did not see those coming at all. And even better is that it explains some quibbles I had earlier in the movie like Crispian's response to his family being slaughtered being oddly understated and Felix not volunteering to be the one to make a run for it.

Also I absolutely loved Erin, such a rootable protagonist :love: (I remember her from Home and Away :laugh:). Shame she'll probably be blamed for the massacre. :worry:

Ranking:
1. You're Next (8.5/10)
2. Carrie (8/10)
3. Jeepers Creepers (8/10)
4. The Shining (8/10)
5. The Hills Have Eyes (7/10)
6. Cherry Falls (6/10)

I'll watch TCM when I get home tomorrow then Trick r Treat and Halloween later in the evening (which works perfectly given the date :hee:)

[Cal.]

Happy Halloween everyone thanks for sticking with it! :love:

[Jason.]

How bloody rude @ 15 people agreeing to be reviewers yet only about 5 people have stuck with it!

Happy Halloween :love:

Thanks for running this again Cal. You've put so much effort in and I've enjoyed it just as much as I did last year. :clap1:

[Lostie!]

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: 7/10

This is alright for what it is. As far as horror movies go, it's extremely generic and unoriginal but if you're looking for something new then you probably wouldn't go for this anyway. It's a passable creepy movie with some legitimately unsettling sequences, like the documentary footage at the end (the grainy freeze frame of Leatherface is chilling) and the shot of Leatherface wearing Kemper's face works well.

But on the whole its scares are mainly derived from how grotesque and gruesome it can be, which doesn't do much for me if it's not backed up by much substance but for what it is, it could do a lot worse.

Ranking:
1. You're Next (8.5/10)
2. Carrie (8/10)
3. Jeepers Creepers (8/10)
4. The Shining (8/10)
5. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (7/10)
6. The Hills Have Eyes (7/10)
7. Cherry Falls (6/10)

[Jamie89]

Happy Halloween everyone, and yes thanks Cal for doing this :love:

Sorry I didn't end up having chance to watch them all (although I'm still going to for completions sake :laugh: it'll just be late)

I've watched Jeepers Creepers and Trick R Treat though and I'll post my reviews for them tomorrow morning. (Trick R Treat was amazing :lovedup: )

[Lostie!]

Happy Halloween everyone, and yes thanks Cal for doing this :love:

Sorry I didn't end up having chance to watch them all (although I'm still going to for completions sake :laugh: it'll just be late)

I've watched Jeepers Creepers and Trick R Treat though and I'll post my reviews for them tomorrow morning. (Trick R Treat was amazing :lovedup: )

:clap1:

I adore it, a must for Halloween. Excited to watch it later :flutter:

[Jason.]

Yeah I kinda wish I saved Trick 'r Treat for tonight. The Halloween atmosphere in it is amazing. There's always next year I guess.

[Cal.]

How bloody rude @ 15 people agreeing to be reviewers yet only about 5 people have stuck with it!

Happy Halloween :love:

Thanks for running this again Cal. You've put so much effort in and I've enjoyed it just as much as I did last year. :clap1:

Happy Halloween everyone, and yes thanks Cal for doing this :love:

Sorry I didn't end up having chance to watch them all (although I'm still going to for completions sake :laugh: it'll just be late)

I've watched Jeepers Creepers and Trick R Treat though and I'll post my reviews for them tomorrow morning. (Trick R Treat was amazing :lovedup: )

:love:

[Jamie89]

:clap1:

I adore it, a must for Halloween. Excited to watch it later :flutter:

I'd never seen it before so it was such a nice surprise, I'd never even heard of it or knew anything about it so I had zero expectations, but I absolutely loved it :flutter:

[Lostie!]

Trick 'r Treat: 10/10

I don't usually give out full marks for anything but I just absolutely love this movie. It's absolutely perfect for Halloween, it captures the atmosphere perfectly. I also love that it's a collection of short stories that overlap with one another rather than one continuous story, this format works perfectly for this sort of movie (it's like Love Actually's evil twin :love:) and it's one of the most genuinely fun movies I can think of.

The way they play with the structure and the timeline is really cool and I love how it comes full circle with the opening scene being revisited in the end. And of course, each story having a big twist was great. The first time I saw it i was genuinely gobsmacked by the werewolf and bus driver twists (and when rewatching it, there are so many great lines of foreshadowing for the werewolves).

Sam is a brilliant character. The physical embodiment of Halloween going around as a young trick or treater punishing people who don't respect the customs is such a neat concept and his physical design (both his costume and real face) are great. I especially love how he just silently shows up at certain points throughout the movie leading up to his big reveal scene. Also his name being a reference to Samhain is a nice touch.

I know Halloween is the most iconic movie for, well, Halloween but for me, Trick 'r Treat is the movie to watch on the night.

Ranking:
1. Trick 'r Treat (10/10)
2. You're Next (8.5/10)
3. Carrie (8/10)
4. Jeepers Creepers (8/10)
5. The Shining (8/10)
6. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (7/10)
7. The Hills Have Eyes (7/10)
8. Cherry Falls (6/10)

[Jamie89]

Jeepers Creepers 7.5/10

I thought Justin Long was really likeable and a strong lead... and it's quite unusual to have a strong male lead in teen horror films like this, I can't think of many. It's only a small-ish thing but it's something that helps make the film stand out from a lot of others. In fact I found the gender roles quite interesting in general, like the scene near the beginning where the two of them are arguing over whether or not to go back and check the pipe, Justin is established as being moral and courageous, and the girl is established as a jerk :laugh: It just struck me as really unusual when one of the most common tropes in films like this is 'the final girl'/ingenue, and male characters tend to be portrayed quite negatively, in fact if you watch that scene and imagine the gender roles switched it comes across much more cliched. So I felt like they avoided some typical teen-horror stereotypes and that was a nice touch (although they could have carried it through to the end and had him be the one who survived - and by ending it the way they did I felt a bit like they were playing it safe). But anyway none of that really matters :laugh: it's just something that I noticed. Also, on the two main characters, I agree with what other people have said in that I liked their brother/sister relationship and that it was a really good dynamic to see.

The Creeper was a great character. After they ran it over and the wing shot out from it's body, I was genuinely freaked out. It was a great moment and I wasn't expecting it at all. And then learning more about it, they gave it a really good backstory. I loved the design of it too.

Overall it was a well made film, it had a good atmosphere, good characters and premise... I dunno though, I just don't feel that enthusiastic about it. Like I have no real faults with it, but at the same time I could quite happily never watch it again. So maybe a stingy 7.5/10, maybe it deserves more than that. I'd recommend it to other people... but although I appreciated it, it didn't really grab me beyond that.

[Jamie89]

Trick r Treat - 9/10

Trick r Treat was such a nice surprise :flutter: Totally different to what I was expecting (I'm not sure what I was expecting really, just a typical horror I suppose). It felt more like an ode to horror films though, and in particular, Halloween as an event. And as a big fan of Halloween that's something that totally connected with me. And as an ode it worked brilliantly! It was like one long advert for Halloween in a way :laugh: In fact this film, more-so than any other that's been in the countdown (or any that I can think of off the top of my head) put me in the mood for Halloween, and I know that it will now be one that I'll want to watch every year to get me in the mood - so thank you Lostie for suggesting it and everyone who voted for it as otherwise it might have completely passed me by.

It's so hard to fault because everything it does, it does well. It was scary/funny/eerie all in good measure. Like Jason said, it's sense of fun really stands out, and it's just very enjoyable throughout. It was a film full of surprises in the plot, and each segment led seamlessly to the next - and back again... I mean it could have been confusing had it not been handled so well but even though you were going from one story to another, it just worked. It all slotted together perfectly.

In terms of plot surprises, my favourite one was the reveal of the women being werewolves. But literally all of the stories were great and the surprises executed wonderfully.

The core concept of this film, I just think is brilliant in it's simplicity. Basically there's no reason for the people to die other than just the fact that it's Halloween. It's not a killer with a convoluted storyline :laugh: It's like it's Halloween itself taking people out for not respecting it, and I love that!

The only reason I'm not giving it a 10 is because I'd really only give it that depending on it's re-watch value, and obviously I can't judge that yet... I will be able to next year though so if when it's on the list again next time I might! :p

[Jason.]

Jeepers Creepers 7.5/10

Justin is established as being moral and courageous, and the girl is established as a jerk :laugh:

Patricia Jenner is amazing, mister.

No I do get what you're saying lol. Although her decision with wanting to carry on driving home and not go back would've been much smarter in the end as it probably would've saved Darry's life and them being terrorised by The Creeper.

[Jason.]

Trick 'r Treat: 10/10

I know Halloween is the most iconic movie for, well, Halloween but for me, Trick 'r Treat is the movie to watch on the night.



Halloween is iconic all year around! But yeah you and Jamie have kinda inspired me to start watching this on the actual night of Halloween as opposed to a few days before so I'll be doing that next year. :spin:

Trick 'r Treat first and then Halloween (and II) followed straight after!

[Lostie!]

Oh I found Trish annoying too :)

Halloween is iconic all year around! But yeah you and Jamie have kinda inspired me to start watching this on the actual night of Halloween as opposed to a few days before so I'll be doing that next year. :spin:

Trick 'r Treat first and then Halloween (and II) followed straight after!

:clap1:

I think the fact that I only watch it once a year adds to my enjoyment too, it never gets boring.

[Lostie!]

Trick r Treat - 9/10

Trick r Treat was such a nice surprise :flutter: Totally different to what I was expecting (I'm not sure what I was expecting really, just a typical horror I suppose). It felt more like an ode to horror films though, and in particular, Halloween as an event. And as a big fan of Halloween that's something that totally connected with me. And as an ode it worked brilliantly! It was like one long advert for Halloween in a way :laugh: In fact this film, more-so than any other that's been in the countdown (or any that I can think of off the top of my head) put me in the mood for Halloween, and I know that it will now be one that I'll want to watch every year to get me in the mood - so thank you Lostie for suggesting it and everyone who voted for it as otherwise it might have completely passed me by.

It's so hard to fault because everything it does, it does well. It was scary/funny/eerie all in good measure. Like Jason said, it's sense of fun really stands out, and it's just very enjoyable throughout. It was a film full of surprises in the plot, and each segment led seamlessly to the next - and back again... I mean it could have been confusing had it not been handled so well but even though you were going from one story to another, it just worked. It all slotted together perfectly.

In terms of plot surprises, my favourite one was the reveal of the women being werewolves. But literally all of the stories were great and the surprises executed wonderfully.

The core concept of this film, I just think is brilliant in it's simplicity. Basically there's no reason for the people to die other than just the fact that it's Halloween. It's not a killer with a convoluted storyline :laugh: It's like it's Halloween itself taking people out for not respecting it, and I love that!

The only reason I'm not giving it a 10 is because I'd really only give it that depending on it's re-watch value, and obviously I can't judge that yet... I will be able to next year though so if when it's on the list again next time I might! :p

I'm glad you loved it so much! :clap1:

I only discovered it by accident a few years ago, it's so criminally underrated. It deserves to be far more well known (but it has a really strong cult following :love:)

[Jason.]

Oh I found Trish annoying too :)

I'm sorry. https://media.giphy.com/media/3o7aTpOjg1ePqT5T1u/giphy.gif

:clap1:

I think the fact that I only watch it once a year adds to my enjoyment too, it never gets boring.

I do that too. I'm like that with the Halloween films also. Despite loving the original and franchise so much, I just can't watch them in June or any other time than October / during the run-up to Halloween.

I think it's because the Halloween atmosphere is so strong in Trick 'r Treat that it just feels odd watching it outside of Halloween really. And like you say the boredom thing as well, it makes you look forwards to it more when you watch it once a year at a certain time - it's like tradition.

[Lostie!]

I'm sorry. https://media.giphy.com/media/3o7aTpOjg1ePqT5T1u/giphy.gif

:joker::joker:

I do that too. I'm like that with the Halloween films also. Despite loving the original and franchise so much, I just can't watch them in June or any other time than October / during the run-up to Halloween.

I think it's because the Halloween atmosphere is so strong in Trick 'r Treat that it just feels odd watching it outside of Halloween really. And like you say the boredom thing as well, it makes you look forwards to it more when you watch it once a year at a certain time - it's like tradition.

Yeah exactly, there's always parts of it I've forgotten about because it's been so long.

Did you know the guy who did Trick 'r Treat was also behind Krampus? I haven't watched that yet, might give it a watch nearer Christmas.

[Lostie!]

Oh and unrelated sort of but I found out the actor who played Sam in Trick 'r Treat was Hansel (as in Hansel and Gretel) in Once Upon a Time and I can't believe it :o :joker: (that's my ultimate guilty pleasure show and I never knew Hansel was our very own demon pumpkin trick or treater).

[Jamie89]

Patricia Jenner is amazing, mister.

No I do get what you're saying lol. Although her decision with wanting to carry on driving home and not go back would've been much smarter in the end as it probably would've saved Darry's life and them being terrorised by The Creeper.

I liked her overall :laugh: (in fact I probably liked her more for being a jerk)...

Oh I found Trish annoying too :)

There was one comment she made that bugged the hell out of me actually though, I can't remember the exact quote but she made some reference about how 'the bad guys are never quite dead' (I think after they ran over the Creeper)... it was the kind of comment you'd get in a Scream film but those films are self referential and comments like that fit really well/are written well... but in Jeepers it just stood out as being really out of place, and a bit too 4th wall-y. It made me roll my eyes when she said it, like the writers put it in to try and appeal to the Scream audience/say something cool, or something. But it just came off like a cliche... Actually that's not really anything to do with her, more the writers, but anyway :laugh:

I'm glad you loved it so much! :clap1:

I only discovered it by accident a few years ago, it's so criminally underrated. It deserves to be far more well known (but it has a really strong cult following :love:)

I was reading that apparently it didn't get a proper release in the cinemas, I can't understand why that is at all, but yeah I'm glad it has such a strong following - it deserves it.

[Jason.]

:joker::joker:



Yeah exactly, there's always parts of it I've forgotten about because it's been so long.

Did you know the guy who did Trick 'r Treat was also behind Krampus? I haven't watched that yet, might give it a watch nearer Christmas.

I didn't know that. There's a Trick 'r Treat 2 in the works :flutter: Although there's currently no release date for it but I hope it still goes to plan soon. The guy who you're talking about (Trick 'r Treat and Krampus) is also set to direct the sequel. :clap2:

[Jason.]

I liked her overall :laugh: (in fact I probably liked her more for being a jerk)...



There was one comment she made that bugged the hell out of me actually though, I can't remember the exact quote but she made some reference about how 'the bad guys are never quite dead' (I think after they ran over the Creeper)... it was the kind of comment you'd get in a Scream film but those films are self referential and comments like that fit really well/are written well... but in Jeepers it just stood out as being really out of place, and a bit too 4th wall-y. It made me roll my eyes when she said it, like the writers put it in to try and appeal to the Scream audience/say something cool, or something. But it just came off like a cliche... Actually that's not really anything to do with her, more the writers, but anyway :laugh:



That didn't really bother me much as Jeepers Creepers came out during that late-90s/early-00s self-referential/meta horror resurgence that Scream had kicked off. Pretty much most horror films that came out during the same era did the same thing.

Tbh I liked the line where she references people doing something stupid in a horror movie and everybody hating them for it when Darry wants to go back to the pipe.

[Lostie!]

I didn't know that. There's a Trick 'r Treat 2 in the works :flutter: Although there's currently no release date for it but I hope it still goes to plan soon. The guy who you're talking about (Trick 'r Treat and Krampus) is also set to direct the sequel. :clap2:

I've been hearing about a sequel for a while now, hope it's actually happening :fc:

I found out Trick 'r Treat originated as an animated short from 1996 :laugh:

sT53vOyhYys

There's also a tie-in comic book which looks interesting https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trick_%27r_Treat:_Days_of_the_Dead

[Jason.]

Halloween

I think it's clear to pretty much everyone just how much I adore this film and that it's my favourite horror film ever. I love it so much. It's a true masterpiece and the grandfather of modern horror. I first saw this when I was seven years old on Halloween and it was the film that got me into the horror genre.

Everything about this film is so effective. The soundtrack is one of the best horror soundtracks ever and it just adds even more to the creepy atmosphere. John Carpenter did an astounding job not only with the directing but also with the music and writing, as did Debra Hill (RIP <3). I highly admire Carpenter's 'less is more' approach which is certainly what makes this film so special and unique. It doesn't need to rely on the blood and gore that some of the later horror films do in order to provide scares for the audience and is instead done with the slow build of tension and setting the scene right up until the third act. This approach is also used with The Shape and how we know so little about him or why he's going after Laurie and her friends. It's much scarier without a motive and the fact he's just a guy in a white mask and a knife stalking these girls and killing without reason makes it all the more terrifying than giving him a backstory and explanation for his doings that the sequels and remake eventually do.

I absolutely love Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, she's by far my favourite final girl and this film started her career not only as a Scream Queen but an actress. :love: I totally love Lynda too. One of my favourite scenes of the film is where all three are walking home from school together, not only do you get to see more of their characters but you also a get a sense of the dynamic of their friendship and it really gives you a taste of what's to come later that night. I like how the three girls differ from each other, you get the smart and timid bookworm in Laurie, the sarky bitch in Annie and the fun cheerleader in Lynda. Donald Pleasence's performance as Dr. Sam Loomis was also phenomenal and is certainly one of the best characters in the franchise. Michael Myers will always be the THE horror villain to me. He's much more scarier than Jason and Freddy. The look of him in the Original will always stand out and fits Loomis' description of him perfectly "blank, pale, emotionless face, with the blackest eyes... the devil's eyes". His heavy grunting throughout the film and his slow head-tilting also gives me the chills and makes his character much more sinister. The scene in particular where he stands, heavily grunting and tilting his head slowly at Bob's pinned body on the wall.

http://oi60.tinypic.com/2gx2tfm.jpg
:worry:

For a film that's almost forty years old it still holds up amazingly well in my opinion and certainly doesn't feel as dated as some of the other 70s horror films such as Black Christmas. The Halloween atmosphere is on point and I love the scenes where Michael lurks in the dark and shows us from his perspective. The climax is amazing and the whole third act with Laurie finding her dead friends in the house and then being chased by a slow-walking Michael, knife in hand, in darkness across an isolated street is really the effective end product of the slow build-up throughout.

I've rambled on quite a bit so I'll end it there but this film always be my favourite horror film and one I always watch on Halloween night. :love:

10/10

[Cal.]

Shall I say all reviews and scores in for Friday 18th November?

[Jamie89]

Yes that's fine with me

[Lostie!]

Ooh I keep forgetting to review Halloween, will do today :joker:

[Jason.]

Ooh I keep forgetting to review Halloween, will do today :joker:

Me and Westworld teas

I'll actually watch it tonight I promise

[Lostie!]

Halloween: 9/10

This really is such a brilliant movie and has definitely stood the test of time. It doesn't feel dated and it's influence on the horror genre is still being felt. I like that it places more emphasis on atmosphere (of which there is tons) and less on gore which so many horrors (and slashers in particular) rely on. The whole movie just has a really chilling, nightmarish quality to it.

The music is also brilliant so it's no surprise than the theme has become iconic for Halloween time. It really gets you in the mood as soon as the movie starts.

Michael is genuinely scary. It's a shame that the series eventually started to spiral out of control and turned him into a generic mindless immortal killing machine but that doesn't change how effective he is in this installment. His silent stalking of his victims really reflects the "less is more" approach the movie takes and does so well.

Final Ranking:
1. Trick 'r Treat (10/10)
2. Halloween (9/10)
3. You're Next (8.5/10)
4. Carrie (8/10)
5. Jeepers Creepers (8/10)
6. The Shining (8/10)
7. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (7/10)
8. The Hills Have Eyes (7/10)
9. Cherry Falls (6/10)

Me and Westworld teas

I'll actually watch it tonight I promise

https://66.media.tumblr.com/02ed9815fb5a515892e42fe1556e267d/tumblr_o9c6b2QsuN1qlk4meo2_400.gif https://67.media.tumblr.com/0b40256b8f18b5c89bc32eb2d4a3b6ab/tumblr_o9c6b2QsuN1qlk4meo1_400.gif

[Cal.]

9/10?

https://67.media.tumblr.com/0b40256b8f18b5c89bc32eb2d4a3b6ab/tumblr_o9c6b2QsuN1qlk4meo1_400.gif

[Lostie!]

I'm glad most people didn't bother seeing this through :)

[Cal.]

Same. Less opinions that aren't mine to read

[Amy Jade]

Sorry I got so busy with ICB and work :(

[Cal.]

No worries!

It's only meant to be a bit of fun not something that's inconvenient so I don't mind if people haven't taken part. It is a big commitment.

[Cal.]

But I can't thank the people who have saw it through enough :love:

[Jason.]

Same. Less opinions that aren't mine to read

:joker:

[Will.]

I deeply apologise Cal for not being very active during this, I'm so sorry!

You've done a fantastic job with it and your commitment to it is admiring.

I promise next year that I will take part properly and watch EVERY film. :laugh:

:love: :hug:

[Will.]

I'll get my reviews up for the final 4 films ASAP.

[Jamie89]

Same. Less opinions that aren't mine to read

:joker:

[Cal.]

I deeply apologise Cal for not being very active during this, I'm so sorry!

You've done a fantastic job with it and your commitment to it is admiring.

I promise next year that I will take part properly and watch EVERY film. :laugh:

:love: :hug:

I'll get my reviews up for the final 4 films ASAP.

Oh you gorgeous boy! x

[Will.]

Trick R Treat (2007)

8/10

The movie was enjoyable and the mask creeps me out of lot! I love the idea of a film about the tradition of Halloween.

You're Next (2011)

10/10

This is one of my favourite recent horror films, found it so gripping and it had me hooked till the end. I love the whole concept of the film and home invasion films are one of favourites. Erin was such a likeable character and her bravery was very admirable. Overall a fantastic, gory film!

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

6/10

Definitely not one of favourites but it was okay to sum it up, it's a decent watch if you're bored and really want something to watch. It was enjoyable but I didn't find the characters that good, it's a bit hit and miss for me. It was quite suspenseful and had me on the edge of my seat.

Sunday 30th October- Halloween (1978)

9/10

Fantastic film! Very well made and probably one of the best horror films of all, I'm starting to really like the 80s horror, I've mainly watched 90s and modern ones. overall absolutely loved it! The sound track was very suspenseful and I loved Jamie Lee Curtis!

[Cal.]

Thank you very much for completing it Will. You're the 4th reviewer to do so :love:

[Will.]

Thank you very much for completing it Will. You're the 4th reviewer to do so :love:

You are most welcome lovely. :love:

Sorry my reviews are short, I struggle to write a lot! :laugh:

[Jamie89]

Would it be possible to extend the deadline to after this weekend? I still need to watch You're Next and TCM (and review Halloween) and I'll have chance tomorrow/Sunday if that's ok?

[Cal.]

Deadline is November 25th. :)

[Jamie89]

An extra month of Halloween :love: (as it should be) Thanks Cal

[Cal.]

:love:

[Jason.]

Hurry up and review Halloween Jamie!!! *slaps*

[Jason.]

You're Next (2011)

10/10


Halloween (1978)

9/10


https://66.media.tumblr.com/fd1545d1d2c087cdded91d5f8cd14aef/tumblr_ne68mrRK1K1qj7u8ao1_500.gif

[Jamie89]

Hurry up and review Halloween Jamie!!! *slaps*

I still need to watch the last 30 mins of it :laugh: but it's probably not going to be glowing so don't perch yourself :worry:

[Jason.]

Not the last 30 mins when it gets good

And if it's a negative review then don't bother!

[Jamie89]

It won't be negative, just not amazing... maybe like a 7 or an 8 (depending on the last 30 mins ofc)

[Jason.]

It deserves a 10 alone for Jamie Lee Curtis and PJ Soles imo

[Jason.]

Oh and Donald Pleasence :love:

[Lostie!]

https://66.media.tumblr.com/fd1545d1d2c087cdded91d5f8cd14aef/tumblr_ne68mrRK1K1qj7u8ao1_500.gif

I love the rightful ending to the Halloween franchise.

[Jason.]

I love the rightful ending to the Halloween franchise.

:clap1:

[Cal.]

It won't be negative, just not amazing... maybe like a 7 or an 8 (depending on the last 30 mins ofc)

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-1HFbLYbdq-o/Th313Qs1Y2I/AAAAAAAABJw/ermDVd8AGSE/mobwives-drita-what.gif

[Jamie89]

Halloween - 7.5

It's probably the most iconic film on the list so I feel bad for the relatively low score (awaits abuse from Jason and Cal) but I just didn't enjoy it that much tbh. I have tons of respect for it for it's impact though. I mean without Halloween there might not have been Scream, and so possibly the late 90's horror revival... and without Scream there wouldn't have been Scary Movie :think:... and without Scary Movie then Anna Faris probably wouldn't have happened :think: in which case 'The House Bunny' might not have happened either :shocked: So Halloween being directly responsible for The House Bunny obviously makes it an important classic! In all seriousness though it's impact on the genre is undeniable, and I found it watchable enough, it just didn't strike any chord with me personally beyond that.

Things that I did like about it though, the opening where you see the murder take place but only realise afterwards it was a child that committed it, was really chilling. The performances were great (especially considering the lack of experience from most of the main cast). The music. The direction (in particular the many first-person shots worked really well).

Near the end though when she finds the bodies and they start to inexplicably pop out at her :laugh: I couldn't help but laugh and I found the whole sequence a bit silly. And when Michael has a clear shot to stab Laurie when he's standing behind her but he completely misses and just tears her sleeve a bit :laugh: I dunno I mean it's not like she even moved or anything so again I just found it a bit silly. They're very little things though and I'm just being picky, there was nothing I particularly or majorly disliked about it, like I say it's just that there isn't a lot I particularly loved about it either.

[Jamie89]

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - 3/10

Just completely average/below average tbh. I don't think Leatherface is a particularly interesting character. Ooh he has a bad skin condition... and that's why he chops people up with a chainsaw :suspect: (and literally none of his family care lmao). I get that he's just meant to be a psychopath (as well as his family) but it's that we're supposed to buy into it all which is probably my main problem with it - because at best it's lazy storytelling and at worst it's a perpetuation of negative stereotypes of southern America.

There's a reason it's set in Texas and it's not because of the killings it's supposedly (and tenuously) based around. Give the characters a southern drawl and it's easier to just accept that they're mentally ill/backwards/slow without much of an explanation? The stereotype exists and maybe I'm making too much of it because it's probably nothing more than laziness but yeah, it doesn't get to use the excuse of being a remake for its laziness or reliance on negative stereotypes to cover plot holes because modern day Hollywood should be different to 1970's Hollywood in that respect. And even regardless of that, it still could have taken the premise of the original and done something interesting/new with it, but because it doesn't it's just a pointless retread for the sake of cash grabbing. And I wouldn't even mind all of that so much if it had something else to offer like interesting characters, humour, etc? But it doesn't.

Maybe I'm over thinking it, and perhaps that's the point, that your not meant to think and just take it for what it is, and as a mindless body parts gore fest it does it's job (and I get the appeal of Jessica Biel running around in a wet T-shirt), but yeah it doesn't really offer anything more than that imo. I did enjoy the scene where the policeman is coaxing the guy to reenact the girls suicide though (and Milo from 24 is in it <3 so it's not all bad).

[Jamie89]

You're Next - 9/10

I'd never seen this before and I really enjoyed it! Erin was excellent and I'd say is probably now one of my favourite horror heroines ever. I loved the dark humour in it, and the mix of that and the scares was perfect.

I like the fact that unlike most 'masked killer' horrors, you got to see the people behind the masks and it happens quite early on really, and you see their human side, rather than them just being killing machines. Like when one of them finds that his brother was killed and has a bit of a breakdown. Then we see his face and his anger before he pulls his mask back down to come after Erin. It's something you don't always get in slasher films and I really appreciated it. They could have easily kept the killers faceless and without personality, and there's a lot of benefit in doing that which films like Scream show, when it's a whodunit for example, but they pulled it all off really well. And the reveal of the 2 family members being involved was also great. I've seen some negative reviews and people saying it was predictable, but it took me by surprise and the way they did it worked much better and was more satisfying for me than if I'd known someone in the family was involved and had been trying to guess who it was. Oh and the reveal of Erin's boyfriend being involved too was great! I'd completely forgotten about him by that point :laugh: so I didn't suspect it at all.

It has some flaws, particularly the unreal-ism in some of the family members reactions to the deaths like Cal mentioned. I can kind of forgive that though because I suppose the film might have lost something had it been bogged down with showing the characters grieving, and it would have been difficult for them not to portray the characters as family members with the motive being inheritance, so it's not something that effects my score personally or something that effected my enjoyment. And I suppose the motive itself is something that's been done a million times already but an overly complex plot would have stopped the film from being as fun as it was to watch so I don't mind that either.
Overall it was just incredibly enjoyable and one that I'd happily watch again.

I loved the ending and I've since read ideas that the makers had for a sequel which sound great, although unfortunately it's unlikely to be made as this one wasn't a big enough hit. It's a shame because as well as being a great film on it's own, it would also work as a great set up for a franchise involving Erin, and what she becomes because of her past and how the events in this film effect her </3
For anyone that's interested I read that the sequel would have involved her being transported to jail when the van she's in is attacked and her and the other female prisoners are forced to hide in a nearby meth lab (wtf :laugh:) and fight off the attackers/get killed off etc, and it would have been more of a straight up action movie, which Erin's character is perfectly suited to imo.

[Cal.]

Thank you very much for your reviews Jamie, since it was like a month ago I can't recall if that's you finished or not? Have you completed the countdown now? :laugh:

[Jamie89]

Thank you very much for your reviews Jamie, since it was like a month ago I can't recall if that's you finished or not? Have you completed the countdown now? :laugh:

Yep that's me finished now! :laugh: Thanks for doing this btw Cal and everyone, I've loved reading everyone else's opinions and sharing my own, and discovering some classics that I never knew existed/might not have watched if it wasn't for people recommending them, 'Trick R Treat' and 'You're Next' in particular, as well as revisiting some of my all time faves like The Shining and Carrie :love:

My scores:
Carrie (1976) - 10
The Shining (1980) - 9
Trick R Treat (2007) - 9
You're Next (2011) - 9
Halloween (1978) - 7.5
Jeepers Creepers (2001) - 7.5
Cherry Falls (2000) - 7
The Hills Have Eyes (2006) - 6
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) - 3

[Cal.]

Jamie is the fifth person to complete the countdown. :love:

I have the scores now but I need to work out some stuff before I do the reveal later tonight? :love:

[Jason.]

Halloween - 7.5

It's probably the most iconic film on the list so I feel bad for the relatively low score (awaits abuse from Jason and Cal) but I just didn't enjoy it that much tbh. I have tons of respect for it for it's impact though. I mean without Halloween there might not have been Scream, and so possibly the late 90's horror revival... and without Scream there wouldn't have been Scary Movie :think:... and without Scary Movie then Anna Faris probably wouldn't have happened :think: in which case 'The House Bunny' might not have happened either :shocked: So Halloween being directly responsible for The House Bunny obviously makes it an important classic! In all seriousness though it's impact on the genre is undeniable, and I found it watchable enough, it just didn't strike any chord with me personally beyond that.

Things that I did like about it though, the opening where you see the murder take place but only realise afterwards it was a child that committed it, was really chilling. The performances were great (especially considering the lack of experience from most of the main cast). The music. The direction (in particular the many first-person shots worked really well).

Near the end though when she finds the bodies and they start to inexplicably pop out at her :laugh: I couldn't help but laugh and I found the whole sequence a bit silly. And when Michael has a clear shot to stab Laurie when he's standing behind her but he completely misses and just tears her sleeve a bit :laugh: I dunno I mean it's not like she even moved or anything so again I just found it a bit silly. They're very little things though and I'm just being picky, there was nothing I particularly or majorly disliked about it, like I say it's just that there isn't a lot I particularly loved about it either.

Jealousy imo that you're called Jamie but are not THE Jamie (Lee Curtis)

(or Jamie Lloyd tbh)

[Jason.]

Jamie, if you're fan of the post-Scream horror resurgence era you should check out Halloween H20 imo (if you already haven't). They practically recycle the Scream score and it has teens. :laugh:

[Jamie89]

Jealousy imo that you're called Jamie but are not THE Jamie (Lee Curtis)

(or Jamie Lloyd tbh)

:joker: I dream that I look in the mirror and see Jamie Legend Curtis looking back at me, but alas!

Jamie, if you're fan of the post-Scream horror resurgence era you should check out Halloween H20 imo (if you already haven't). They practically recycle the Scream score and it has teens. :laugh:

Oh I love H20! I was going to mention it in my review but I forgot. I agree it copies Scream but I think they do it really well so I don't mind (and tbf Scream owes Halloween so it's fine). I've seen Resurrection too but the less said about that the better! :laugh:

[Cal.]

Omg I never noticed that about them not putting burns on Michael's hands.

[Cal.]

HINTS:
There's a tie for one position.
The trend of the earlier on films doing the best is flipped on it's head in some instances.
2 films made before 2000 made the top 5.

[Cal.]

In last position and finishing 8th is...

Cherry Falls (2000)

https://monsterzeronj.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/cherry_falls.jpg?w=620
It scored 37.5 out of 60, achieving 62.5% of its possible score.

[Cal.]

In 7th place is...

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/20/Texas_chainsaw_massacre.jpg
It scored 32.5 out of 50, achieving 65% of its possible score.

[Cal.]

In 6th place is...

The Shining (1980)

http://static.rogerebert.com/uploads/movie/movie_poster/the-shining-1980/large_zc5y5OwKSV9MDXpfWxwrOjyRHsq.jpg
It scored 66 out of 90, achieving 73.3% of its possible score.

[Cal.]

In 5th place is...

Jeepers Creepers (2003)

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNjkwMjcxNDc0MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwOTYxMzQ3._V1_U X182_CR0,0,182,268_AL_.jpg
It scored 40.5 out of 50, achieving 81% of its possible score.

[Cal.]

In 4th place is...

The Hills Have Eyes (2007)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/08/The_Hills_Have_Eyes_film.jpg
It scored 99 out of 120, achieving 82.5% of its possible score.

[Cal.]

In 3rd place is...

You're Next (2011)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c2/YoureNext2011Film.jpg/220px-YoureNext2011Film.jpg
It scored 44 out of 50, achieving 88% of its possible score.

[Babayaro.]

Not You're Next

[Cal.]

In joint 2nd place is...

Carrie (1976) and Trick R Treat (2007)!

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BN2Q3ZmVmZWItZGIzNi00NDNhLThiMTktMTU3MjIzMzRmYW I5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_UX182_CR0,0,182 ,268_AL_.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/dc/Trick_r_treat.jpg
They scored 72 out of 80 and 45 out of 50 respectively, achieving 90% of their possible scores.

[Cal.]

Meaning the winner is...

Halloween 1978!

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/af/Halloween_(1978)_theatrical_poster.jpg
It scored 45.5 out of 50, achieving 91% of its possible score!

[Lostie!]

I'm really glad Trick 'r Treat did so well :clap1:

Thanks for running this again Cal, it's been brilliant :)

[Cal.]

Full List:

1) Halloween (1978) scored 45.5 out of 50, achieving 91% of its possible score.
2) Carrie (1976) scored 72 out of 80 and Trick R Treat (2007) scored 45 out of 50, both achieving 90% of their possible scores.
3) You’re Next (2011) scored 44 out of 50, achieving 88% of its possible score.
4) The Hills Have Eyes (2006) scored 99 out of 120, achieving 82.5% of its possible score.
5) Jeepers Creepers (2003) scored 40.5 out of 50, achieving 81% of its possible score.
6) The Shining (1980) scored 66 out of 90, achieving 73.3% of its possible score.
7) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) scored 32.5 out of 50, achieving 65% of its possible score.
8) Cherry Falls (2000) scored 37.5 out of 60, achieving 62.5% of its possible score.

[Cal.]

Thank you to everyone who took part in suggesting films and taking the time to review them. A special thanks to Lostie, Jason, Will and Jamie who completed the full countdown - you were very supportive! :love:

[Jason.]

Great top 3 and Halloween winning :clap1:

And thanks once again for doing this Cal. :love:

[Will.]

Thanks for such a fun experience Cal, it's so good of you to put so much effort into it! :love:

[Jamie89]

Trick R Treat and Carrie doing so well :flutter:

You not hating it and giving it a 2/10 or something for overthinking the 4-6 retcon and the fact Michael has no burns on his hands after the events of II. :clap1:

But yeah I agree with you. Plus I like how it's not as teenybopper (if that's even the right word) as most of the other late-90s horror films that came out during that time. It's also refreshing that they had the teen lead be a guy and the teens not fitting into stereotypes.

What's a Resurrection? :conf:

:joker:

I want to watch it again now, it's been years! Apparently Kevin Williamson (Scream) rewrote most of the teenagers dialogue (uncredited I think) so that probably has a lot to do with why it has credibility compared to most copycat teen horrors.

[Cal.]

Her revival is coming SOON!

[LukeB]

Her revival is coming SOON!

:clap1:

[Jason.]

I'm ready

[LukeB]

I'm ready

you said that with some determination