Halloween Horror Movie Marathon Madness Circus of Coulrophobes Week 1

American Horror Story: Freakshow (2014)

Before I jump into my week of viewing I figured I would put all of my AHS viewing up front as I watched almost the entire season 4 over the course of the week

Episode 1: 4 Points (ATB for clown committing murder)

Episode 2: 4 Points (ATB for clown committing murder)

Episode 3: 4 Points (Clown toy in credits, someone dressed up as a clown, traveling circus)

Episode 4: 4 Points (ATB for clown committing murder)

Episode 5: 4 Points (Clown toy in credits, actual sideshow actor (Mat Fraser), traveling circus)

Episode 6: 4 Points (Clown toy in credits, actual sideshow actor (Mat Fraser), traveling circus)

Episode 7: 4 Points (Clown toy in credits, actual sideshow actor (Mat Fraser), traveling circus)

Episode 8: 4 Points (Clown toy in credits, actual sideshow actor (Mat Fraser), traveling circus)

Episode 9: 4 Points (Clown toy in credits, actual sideshow actor (Mat Fraser), traveling circus)

Episode 10: 4 Points (Clown toy in credits, actual sideshow actor (Mat Fraser), traveling circus)

Episode 11: 4 Points (Clown toy in credits, actual sideshow actor (Mat Fraser), traveling circus)

I have not kept up with AHS over the years. I did watch season 1 but dropped off at season 2. I think I watched the opening episodes of season 3 and 4 but that was it. I saw this Madness theme as a good reason to jump into season 4. The nice thing about the series is each season is its own story independent of previous seasons making it easy to jump in. So far I'm 11 episodes in out of the 13 and it's been pretty uneven. There are some real standout moments, Kathy Bates as the bearded woman gives a really strong performance and I also found Mat Fraser to have a really strong presence. Twisty the clown is a really terrifying iteration of a killer clown so his early departure was a bit disappointing though it would have been difficult to see his story last over 13 episodes. The character of Dandy is a bit difficult as he's too much of stereotypical rich sociopath. The fact that he has become such a focus particularly in these later episodes is a bit frustrating. Also, while episode 10 focusing entirely on Pepper was pretty pointless outside of that final shot foreshadowing the future of Elsa, the episode itself was pretty depressing and kind of devastating to see a character like Pepper go through so much horror. I am interested to see what the last two episodes hold but overall I can see why I never stuck with the series. The show isn't scary. It's shocking, but shock does not equal scary for me. 3/5

Sunday October 2nd

Clown (2014)

A guy dresses up in an old clown costume only to discover that once he puts it on it's not so easy to take off. A fun movie if not a bit long with some good gore and a few shocking deaths. 2.5/5
Points: 6 (ATB for clown committing murder)

Clownhouse(1989)

Victor Salva is a piece of garbage. Clownhouse is one of those movies where I'm happy to own a bootleg VHS rip as any official release would potentially mean more money in his pocket. The movie itself isn't bad but still an uncomfortable watch knowing its backstory. 2.5/5
Points: 6 (ATB for clown committing murder)

Carnival of Souls(1962)

I tried watching Carnival of Souls many years ago and never got through it. I guess I must have been in the wrong frame of mind as I quite enjoyed this viewing. Even though it's clear what is happening the atmosphere is great and I loved the ending. 4/5
Points: 6 (ATB carnival collects souls)

Hocus Pocus(1993)

My youngest daughter actually wanted to watch this so I couldn't say not. My over familiarity with it has tainted it quite a bit but it's still fun to watch with my girls who really enjoy it. 2.5/5
Points: 2

Halloween Wars(2016)

Elvira and Don Mancini were the guest judges and the themes had to do with selfies and witches and warlocks. For the first round I would have gone with the pumpkin devouring the girl as I just found it more gruesomely fun but agreed with the second round pick. 3/5
Points: 4 (ATB for the premiere night viewing)

Monday October 3rd

Simpsons Treehouse of Horror III

The Threehouse of Horror episodes are an annual watch for me and I usually find myself going back to the same ones. I will always search out any that meet the ATB but otherwise I'll avoid the later ones most of the time. In this episode Homer buys an evil Krusty doll for Bart, a giant ape is captured in a King Kong parody titled "King Homer" and zombies run amok in Springfield after Bart and Lisa attempt to resurrect Snowball. While I'm not really fond of the middle section the opening and closing segments are right up my alley so it's a solid entry in the series. 4/5
Points: 3 (ATB for clown doll attaching a human)

Tuesday October 4th

Simpsons Treehouse of Horror XIX

This episode features a parody of Transformers, a segment where Homer finds word killing off celebrities and a parody of Charlie Brown where Millhouse brings about destruction and murder when he conjures up the Grand Pumpkin. The final segment is the most fun for me, the other two are fine. 2.5/5
Points: 3 (ATB for Krusty being killed by Homer)

Wednesday October 5th

Kids Halloween Baking Championship (2016)

My oldest daughter loves the kids cooking competitions so once she saw this was on we had no choice but to watch it. These kids are more accomplished bakers at 10 then I am at 33. One kid manages to raise up a cake on rice krispy treats, that's talent. 3/5
Points: 1

Thursday October 6th

Simpsons Treehouse of Horror I

My wife doesn't understand my love for the Simpsons and now she has to content with two of us as my oldest daughter loves it. This very first Simpsons Halloween special features segments that to me are classics though the next few years would really find their stride. The first has the family move into an evil house, the second is a parody of a classic Twilight Zone episode where the Simpsons believe they are being prepared as a meal for some hungry aliens and the final is their take on Poe's The Raven. 4/5
Points: 1 (Bart sleeps with a clown doll)

Killer Klowns From Outer Space

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I grew up watching this on HBO. I introduced my friends to it and we'd watch it constantly. It still stands as one of my favorite 80s horror comedies. From the costumes and props to the giant cotton candy cocoons I love all of it.

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6 points (ATB for clown committing murder)

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Saturday October 8th

Clowntown (2016)

It's about what I expected from a direct to video killer clown movie. It has it's moments but not something I would revisit. Some of the clowns are surprisingly effective but the leads are pretty bland and terrible. This wouldn't have been on the front of my list if it hadn't been for the bonus. 2/5
Points: 12 (First week viewing bonus)

The Crow (1993)

My wife had never seen The Crow and it had been years since I watched it. The movie still holds up and has maybe even improved since I was younger. I can probably relate a bit more to the plight of Draven more than I could when I was in my early 20's. 4/5
Points: 2

Fright Night (1985)

I watch it every year. It's one of my favorite horror films and I'm pretty sure has been included in all three years of my madness viewing. It never gets old for me and will always stand as a classic with just the right blend of solid horror and comedy. 5/5
Points: 2

Total Week 1 Points: 98