Sunday, November 2, 2014
The Madness Automatons Week 4
On Sunday FXX featured an all day marathon of every Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episode in chronological order so most of my Sunday viewing consisted of this. Unfortunately I came in at the 4th installment just missing out on the Krusty doll episode. This episode features segments where Homer sells his soul to the Devil for a doughnut, Bart battling a gremlin on the side of the bus in a riff on "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" and the family discovering Mr Burns is a vampire. The final segment, a parody of "Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula" titled "Bart Simpson's Dracula" contains tons of references to other vampire films and is by far my favorite of the episode.....Rating: 3.5/5
While I have yet to see every Treehouse of Horror episode the 5th entry is my all time favorite. The first segment is a take on the Shining where Homer goes crazy and attempts to murder the family due to a lack of beer and television. I remember being in school when this aired and everyone was talking about it and quoting it the following day. The second segment features Homer accidentally creating a time machine with a broken toaster and changes the future via the Butterfly Effect so that Ned Flanders is the leader of a Dystopian society. The final segment, called "Nightmare Cafeteria", focuses on the school where the quality of meat has gotten so bad that the staff begin cooking and eating the children to increase the quality. I have to admit that Uterbraten sounds pretty good. I watch this episode every year and I love it every time I see it....Rating: 5/5
The first segment of the 6th installment is about giant advertising mascots who come to life and destroy Springfield. The second is a take on "Nightmare on Elm Street" with Willie returning to murder the children of the parents responsible for his death. This is probably my favorite segment in the episode but that's also because I'm a sucker for the Nightmare franchise. The final segment involves Homer being pulled into another dimension Poltergeist style and must escape before the universe collapses in on itself. Overall a solid episode....Rating: 4.5/5
Treehouse 7 opens with a segment where Bart discovers he has an evil siamese twin who was separated from him at birth and put up in the attic to live. I probably enjoy this one most out of the three. In the middle segment Lisa accidentally creates a small civilization of people who worship her like a god. The third segment is a take on the politics of the time with Kudos and Kang posing as Clinton and Dole so that they may be elected and take over the world. The issue with this segment is it's so grounded in the time it was made that it probably isn't going to age well....Rating: 3.5/5
Treehouse 8 features "The Homega Man", "Fly vs Fly" and "Easy Bake Coven". In the opening segment, as the only survivor of the apocalypse, Homer must do battle with mutants. In "Fly vs Fly" Bart intentionally uses Homers teleportation machine to cross breed his DNA with a fly in the hopes of becoming super human. Instead his head is swapped with the fly's body while the fly's head attaches to his body. This ones the funniest of the group though I also enjoy the final segment where Marge is found to be a witch in Old Springfield as it's the most "Halloweeney" of the group....Rating: 3.5/5
So at this point in the marathon I'm starting to feel these losing their strength. Maybe it's just because I've watched so many at this point. The first segment has Homer receiving a hair transplant from snake after he is executed for a minor infraction due to a three strikes law. Bart and Lisa are pulled into an Itchy and Scratchy cartoon where they must survive as the two cartoon characters attempt to murder them and in the final segment the family discovers that Maggie is an alien. It's not a bad episode there just isn't a standout segment to me....Rating 3/5
Outside of the middle segment where Bart and Lisa become superheroes this feels like an improvement over the previous entry. The first segment is a take on I Know What you Did Last Summer where Homer accidentally kills Ned Flanders. The final segment was my favorite. Homer accidentally brings about a Y2K apocalypse and all of the machines on Earth come to life and begin wiping out humanity....Rating: 3.5/5
After a short break from the marathon I came back in at episode 14 and I enjoyed it. In the first segment Homer kills death and gets to take his place. In the second segment Dr Frink brings his father back Frankenstein style and he goes on a rampage stealing other peoples organs. The final segment has Bart and Millhouse obtaining a stopwatch that can freeze time. A pretty good episode considering we are now at the 14th entry....Rating: 3.5/5
Episode 15 opens with a take on the Dead Zone called The Ned Zone. Ned Flanders obtains the ability to see the future and makes the mistake of changing events for the worse. In the second segment Mr Burns swallows Maggie so the Simpsons must enter Mr Burns body to retrieve her. My daughter couldn't understand why Bart would pee in Mr Burns like that. She just couldn't let it go. The final segment is a take on Sherlock Holmes with Bart and Lisa solving a ripper type murder spree. OK episode....Rating: 2.5/5
The first segment is a spoof of AI where Bart is replaced by David, a robot that his family prefers over him. The second is a take on the most dangerous game where the various men of Springfield are hunted by Mr Burns. The third segment has everyone in Springfield being transformed into the living version of their Halloween costume on Halloween. This one was a good way to round out the marathon for me even though there were still a few more to go....Rating: 3.5/5
Hocus Pocus is a movie i've seen too many times now. My daughter enjoys it a lot and therefore has watched it so many times that I have grown weary of it. I have seen this so many times in fact that I was able to notice specific lines of dialogue had been completely cut from the airing on ABC Family. While the lines I noticed added nothing to the film it's a bit annoying knowing the reason they probably cut out those few seconds here and there was to fit in an additional block of advertisements. Anyway, it's a perfectly fine family movie to watch around Halloween and there's a plethora of Halloween imagery in it....Rating: 2.5/5
Night of the Demon's is a perfect example of an 80's b-movie. It's insanely rewatchable with great effects that completely hold up in HD, plenty of sex and violence and almost all of the characters with the exception of Jay are likable. It also boasts a fantastic opening credit sequence, a great soundtrack and is a perfect movie to watch around Halloween....Rating: 5/5
I am still disappointed that Paranorman did't take home the Oscar for animated feature in 2012. The stop motion animation, voice acting and story are all great and the film carries an overall message that resonates really well.....Rating: 5/5
While not as good as the original, Night of the Demons 2 is entertaining and boasts some impressive practical effects....Rating: 3.5/5
More Full Moon killer doll shenanigans. Some dolls are buried along with a murdered girl and they return years later and begin killing teens at a house party. Overall run of the mill Full Moon fare but I will say the young actor who plays the bullied brother is actually pretty good.....Rating: 2/5
This is the first episode I have ever seen of the new Twilight Zone series and right off the bat Forest Whitaker is no Serling. The episode features Jessica Simpson as a babysitter under attack from a little girls dolls. The ending is forecast way too early and it's just not scary....Rating: 1/5
When I was 8 years old and this came out on video I loved it. Now that I'm 31 it's terrible. It's basically a rip-off of Child's Play with some elements of the Exorcist thrown in for good measure. There are some laughably stupid moments but not a good movie.....Rating: 1/5
Why does is seem like every 90's kids movie has to feature a main character who has been transplanted to another town where no one understands them and why does it seem like in every classroom setting the kids are allowed to outright bully the new kid while the teacher approves. Casper's really not a bad movie and features effects that still work well today it just happens to fall right into that mid-90's era of movies....Rating: 3/5
I love this movie. First off it boasts a less than 80 minute run time so the thing moves at such a quick pace. Second, it's got some great effects that utilize practical makeup and stop motion. Third, despite everyone being a complete asshole it's still a fun movie to watch because the hero is so incredibly likable. Fourth, the overall tone makes the film feel like this weird Grimm like fairy tale and it all works so well....Rating: 5/5
Following the events at Terminus the group comes across the pastor Gabriel and we are basically back into comic book territory. This episode does slow down a bit following the action packed premiere but still a good episode to setup plot lines to come.....Rating: 4/5
Three episodes into season 5 and there is really yet to be a dull moment. Once again it was nice to see the show follow the comic book relatively closely since I always loved the storyline where Rick confronts the cannibals....Rating: 5/5
The one that started it all. From this point forward it became a yearly tradition to sit down every October and watch the Treehouse of Horror. This one features a segment about a haunted house, a riff on To Serve Man from the Twilight Zone and a take on The Raven. Not as strong as later entries but still highly enjoyable.....Rating: 4/5
I had missed this episode on Sunday's marathon but luckily they ran it again so I was able to sit down and watch it. I love all of the segments in this one. First Homer buys a killer Krusty doll for Bart's birthday, then King Homer is taken from his home island followed by a rampage on the city of Springfield and finally Bart raises a horde of zombies while trying to bring back snowball the cat....Rating: 4/5
The Addams Family has so much going for it. The cast is spot on, the aesthetic is right and so much of the deadpan humor hits right. The major issue for me is the script. It just seems overly complicated. Still a good movie but could have been great....Rating: 3/5
Not much to say about this one. One of my top favorite horror films and I won't go a year without watching it....Rating: 5/5
I have yet to see the Producers Cut of Halloween 6 and while I am curious I am not convinced it could improve on this pile of crap. This movie is just awful. They can add in, take out and edit around whatever they want but I'm gonna guess it's like polishing a turd....Rating: 0/5
Monsters Inc is one that I don't mind having to watch incessantly. It's really well made and I find it genuinely funny and entertaing.....Rating: 4/5
Overall a better than the first one though it still suffers from the Fester storyline. The best stuff in the movie revolves around Wednesday and Pugsley....Rating: 3.5/5
Halloween 3 is a fun movie and it's good to see that fans have warmed up to it over the years. It always got a bad rap because of its title....Rating: 4/5
I wish the Halloween franchise had just ended with part 3. Part 4 has some good stuff going for it. The overall aesthetic works really well and I give them some credit for attempting to continue to storyline from part 2 but the film feels incredibly tame for a slasher movie released in 1988. Overall the movie is really plodding and not enough happens....Rating: 2.5/5
Halloween 5 picks up right where 4 left off which is strange considering the ending of 4. I rate 4 and 5 pretty much equally. 5 is a bit more fun and I always preferred Tina to Rachel but this is where the convoluted mess of the man in black begins....Rating: 2.5/5
A must watch on Halloween and one that never gets old. Every time I watch it I am entertained and am always looking for the small details that will show up in later segments of the film. If you haven't seen Trick R Treat you're missing out....Rating: 5/5
Night is actually my favorite of Romero's Dead films. I love the first 3 for different reasons but i find the original to be the most atmospheric and entertaining.....Rating: 5/5
I listened to 10 hours of episode 4 over the course of the week. Pretty awesome mix. I plan on keeping the source file for future listens
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Interview - "Lake Alice" Director Ben Milliken
Lake Alice is a new independent horror film currently in production and the film makers have begun a crowdfunding campaign to help finance the remaining costs of production. The film's director, Ben Milliken, took some time to answer a few questions about Lake Alice and the campaign.
Could you begin by giving us some background on yourself? What was it that made you decide to pursue a career in film and how did you get started?
I was born in the U.K and raised in Sydney Australia. Ever since i can remember i have always been mesmerized by film and television. It seemed to be the only direction that i could go. I tried many other jobs and potential career paths but none of them stuck.
I originally started out as an actor. Any time i was on a set i was always very curious about what the director was doing and why. I didn't realize it at the time, but that was my education that brought to where we are now.
You began your career as an actor in various television and feature film projects with Lake Alice being your first film as a director. How did you become involved with this project?
Lake Alice was actually brought to my business partner Lamar Billups and I by producer Scott Miller. We sat down and had lunch one day and he told me about the project, asked if we would like to be involved and we jumped at the opportunity. It's always good to begin a project with people you already know and trust.
Can you provide some background on Lake Alice? What is the premise of the film and what do you believe sets it apart from other films in the genre?
Lake Alice, written by Stevie Jane, is about Sarah Thomas, a girl in her mid 20's, who brings her boyfriend home to Wisconsin for the first time over the holidays. The family head to their cabin on Lake Alice, a body of water in the northern woods of Wisconsin. While there, strange occurrences begin to happen around the cabin, and the Thomas family soon find themselves being hunted by a masked figure, and are forced to fight for survival against the harsh environment of the Wisconsin winter.
I really wanted to make a different kind of horror thriller with this film. I want to focus on the characters and the relationships that are taking place. Allowing the audience to really get to know and love our characters, making the audience experience much more engagement as they will feel as though they are right there with our characters, fighting for survival themselves.
Finally, crowdfunding can be a controversial topic for some. Can you explain why you are crowdfunding Lake Alice, what the donated monies will go toward, what donors can expect and when you predict the film will be complete?
I think crowd funding is a fantastic way to bring your audience into the film making process. At the end of the day, we make films for audiences, not ourselves, so it only makes sense to have them a part of the process. Everything that we raise through the campaign will be put right into the production and post production of Lake Alice. We will have finished principle photography just before christmas, and then will start post production in January of 2015. We plan to release the film this time next year.
You can visit the crowdfunding page and show some support for Lake Alice at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-us-shoot-horror-film-lake-alice. You can also check out the campaign video and trailer below.
Podcast Episode 33 - Halloween Special
Download this episode (right click and save)
For this episode of Midnight Triple Feature we are celebrating Halloween by reviewing three low budget Halloween movies. We start with 1988's "Hack-o-Lantern". A film in which an incestuous grandfather converts his grandson into a satanist while the local teens are murdered by a demon masked killer. Next up is "Hollow Gate", a 1988 low rent low budget slasher film featuring a killer who enjoys changing costumes while stalking a group of teens on his large estate. Finally, we cap off the review portion with "Jack-O", a film about a giant pumpkinheaded demon thing stalking a young boy on Halloween Night while a group of inept adults attempt to protect him. We also list our top 5 movies to watch around Halloween that don't actually take place on Halloween. Enjoy!
Monday, October 27, 2014
How to Survive a Horror Movie
Man Crates is a company that provides themed wooden crates filled with gifts geared towards men which require a crowbar to be opened (though we are sure there are plenty of ladies out there that would love them as well). They have reached out to us and several other bloggers to write up a list of items that we would include in a horror movie survival kit. As fans of everything horror related we felt the best angle to approach the question was to include items that could be used in as many scenarios as possible. Perhaps we are lost out in the woods with a group of friends whose interests and strengths are instantly identifiable due to their appearance and we are all being picked off one by one by a masked psychopath or crazed family of cannibals. Maybe we find ourselves trapped in the midst of an apocalyptic zombie outbreak. We could even go on vacation only to find that the house we rented is inhabited by soul sucking demons or there’s a den of vampires in the basement. We want to be sure that no matter which scenario we encounter the items in our box will ensure our survival.
1. Utility Belt: As we were listing all of the items we would want handy there were multiple weapons or every day survival items that made the cut. So rather than have a pile of items that we would have to lug around with us and probably get us killed we looked to Batman. We would want our very own horror movie survival utility belt. The belt would hold everything that may be helpful in a horror movie from basic items like a flashlight, pepper spray, holy water and small sharp pure silver blades (good for killing zombies, vampires and werewolves!) to explosives and a flare gun (fully loaded of course) which serves the dual purpose of a weapon and a call to help in the event that the cell phone is out of service. May as well throw the bat-a-rang on the belt too while we’re at it.
2. Idiots Guide to Boobytraps: Let’s say we are in a scenario where we are trapped in a house. Maybe there’s a horde of zombies outside or a deranged killer is trying to break in. It would be in our best interest to be able to use the items around us to protect the house Home Alone style. It worked for Nancy in A Nightmare on Elm Street and the Carter family in The Hills Have Eyes so that’s good enough for us. Therefore a small pocket sized boobytrap guide would be a must have. If I want to be able to rig up a sledgehammer I found in the basement to smash in the face of anyone who comes through the front door then a step by step easy to follow manual would be key to a quick, easy and successful setup.
3. A Final Girl: As a couple of guys who watch a lot of horror movies we run a high risk of becoming really cocky really quickly, failing to realize that the one thing we really need to rely on to survive a horror movie is a final girl. Anyone who has watched enough horror movies knows that one of the biggest tropes out there is the final girl. She’s the one that has the strength and the smarts to make it all of the way to the end. She goes to hell and back and still manages to walk away victorious. Therefore, we would need a final girl to stick to like glue to help ensure our own survival. However, just any old final girl won’t do. We need one that can survive as many scenarios as possible and save our cocky asses when we are on the brink of death. We need Linda Blair. Not the actress, but all of her characters melded into one bad ass final girl. Let’s run through a few possible scenarios. Slasher movie??? Check! She survived Hell Night where not only was she a solid final girl she was also an expert auto mechanic with the ability to fix that pesky non-starting car. Demons??? Check! She was possessed by a demon claiming to be THE DEVIL and survived with only a few measly scars. Let’s not forget she also survived prison and single-handedly took out a vicious gang. She even survived Roller Boogie and those roller discos are terrifying.
So those are the 3 items we would want included in our survival kit. It’s a short list but we believe all inclusive with the essentials. The simplest plan of action would be to just give the first two items to our final girl and let her protect us until the end credits.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
The Madness Automatons Week 3
Total Points Week Three: 42
Sunday October 19th
The Seas with Nemo and Friends (Dark Ride)
For the start of week 3 I was still on vacation in Florida so the beginning of the week is lighter but I did manage to get in a few additional dark rides. The first was The Seas with Nemo which is located in Epcot. Once again this is a very well designed attraction with a great combination of traditional props and animatronics, video and real sea life....Rating: 5/5
Points: 5 Dark Ride Bonus Points
Total Points: 5
Wednesday October 22nd
Peter Pan's Flight (Dark Ride)
The Peter Pan ride is one that was chose to fast pass. While it's a good ride it's incredibly short and the wait always seems to hover around 40 minutes and it's just not worth that....Rating: 3/5
Points: 5 Dark Ride Bonus Points
Total Points: 5
Pirates of the Caribbean (Dark Ride)
This one's a classic and we can't visit Disney World without going on at least once. Still a great attraction and my daughter absolutely loved it....Rating: 5/5
Points: 5 Dark Ride Bonus Points
Total Points: 5
Friday October 24th
Hack-o-lantern (87mins, 1988)
A perverted incestuous grandpa is the leader of a satanic cult. He recruits his grandson/son?? to be in the cult. This walks the line of so bad it's good but doesn't quite get there. There is a good amount of sleaze and some decent gore though....Rating: 1.5/5
Points: 2 Base Points
Total Points: 2
Hollow Gate (76mins, 1988)
A group of teens are stalked and killed on a giant estate on Halloween night. There are some interesting ideas in here but overall comes out bland all around....Rating: 1/5
Points: 2 Base Points
Total Points: 2
Chopping Mall (77mins 1986)
Chopping Mall is hands down one of my favorite guilty pleasures of the 80's and it's also one of Wynorski's best films. If you haven't seen it you owe yourself a viewing. I've watched it at least 3 times this year alone and it never gets old. Love this movie.....Rating: 5/5
Points: 2 Base Point + ATB (Robots go berserk)
Total Points: 6
House on Haunted Hill (75mins, 1959
This was the first time watching the original House on Haunted Hill. It's an enjoyable movie if only for Vincent Price's performance. It's not scary in the slightest but I had a good time watching it....Rating: 3/5
Points: 2 Base Points
Total Points: 2
Saturday October 25th
Halloween Wars Season 4 Episode 3 Mummies and Werewolves (60mins, 2014)
It always amazes me what these people can do with pumpkins and rice treats. Everytime I carve a pumpkin it ends up looking like a toddler did it and meanwhile these people are building werewolves battling mummies....Rating: 4/5
Points: 1 Base Points +ATB (Cymbal Monkey)
Total Points: 4
Dismemeber the Alamo (Yonkers) Saturday October 25th
I attended Dismember the Alamo in Yonkers at the Alamo Drafthoouse so below are the the 4 movies they screened which were all films I had yet to see in a theatrical setting.
Night of the Creeps (88mins, 1988)
The marathon opened with Night of the Creeps which is a movie I really love and it's too bad it took so long to find it's audience. This was the only movie in the marathon that was projected digitally as they wanted to screen the directors cut and only had that in digital form....Rating: 5/5
Points: 2 Base Points + 1 Bonus Point (Stop motion is used for slug pile at end)
Total Points: 3
Basket Case (91mins, 1982)
Next up was Basket Case. Basket Case is another one of my favorites and it feels even dirtier on the big screen. I dragged my wife along to this marathon and Basket Case was definitely her least favorite of the bunch....Rating: 5/5
Points: 2 Base Point + ATB (Stop motion for Belial)
Total Points: 3
Demons 2 (88mins, 1986
I've seen Demons in the theater already so when Demons 2 came up on the screen I was excited to see it again as it had been quite a while since I've watched it. Unfortunately I had forgotten how weak the film really is. Such a missed opportunity and I wish they had chosen one of the many other Italian films available to screen over this one....Rating: 2/5
Points: 2 Base Points + 1 Bonus Point (Puppetry used for little demon thing)
Total Points: 3
Society (99mins, 1989
The last film of the night was Society. I hadn't seen this one in a good 15 years and was happy to revisit it. While I feel like it falls apart a bit with how over the top it goes with some of the comedic sight gags in the third act I still think there's a really good movie in here....Rating: 3.5/5
Points: 2 Base Points
Total Points: 2
Sunday, October 19, 2014
The Madness: Automatons Week 2
Total Points Week One: 107
Sunday October 12th
MST3K Future War(1999, 97min)
Starting week 2 of the madness off with some more MST3K. Loving the MST3K clause. This one's about a Van Damme wannabe, a cyborg and dinosaurs running around California. Highlight of the episode was Gypsy kickboxing the crap out of Tom Servo www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIGxaePBwC4....Rating: 3.5/5
Points: 2 Base Points + 2 (MST3K & Practical puppetry used for creature FX)
Total Points: 4
Little Shop of Horrors (1986, 94min)
Little Shop of Horrors is a great movie. The casting is perfect with great cameos from Steve Martin, Bill Murray, John Candy and others, the songs are great and I love the creature effects....Rating: 4/5
Points: 2 Base Points + 1 Bonus Point (Practical puppetry used for creature FX)
Total Points: 3
The Midnight Hour(1985, 94min)
Perfect movie for the Halloween season. This tv movie has it all, werewolves, zombies, vampires and it's also a lot of fun. Now we just need a proper North American re-release because upwards of $200 for a used Anchor Bay disc isn't happening....Rating: 3.5/5
Points: 2 Base Points
Total Points: 2
MST3K Pod People (1991 97min)
This was the first episode of MST3K I ever saw. It was the mid 90's and my parents signed up for the Columbia House MST3K collection where every month we received a new MST3K tape. This was the first that arrived and I was hooked. Still love this episode today and will always be one of my favorites. Highlight of the episode has to be Joel and the Bots singing. www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3CDX3Q5UxY....Rating: 5/5
Points: 2 Base Points + 1 Bonus Point (MST3K)
Total Points: 3
Electric Dreams (1984, 95min)
Hadn't seen this one in years. Found it more enjoyable this time around than when I saw it back in the early 90's. Watching Edgar grow increasingly more jealous as Miles hides him away from the woman they both love is both entertaining and depressing. The concept of being completely self aware and trapped like Edgar is a theme not explored enough in films about AI. I'm surprised it's not more readily available....Rating: 3.5/5
Points 2 Base Points + ATB (Sentient computer turns on its master when Edgar won't allow Miles to shut him down and forces him into hiding in the bathroom)
Total Points: 6
Halloweentown (1998, 84min)
I didn't see this one when it came out since I would have been 15 and Disney wasn't on my radar. Maybe that lack of childhood connection is the reason I didn't enjoy this one because the rating on IMDB is pretty high and I've seen other's mention this one on lists of movies to watch around Halloween. I just found it boring. The premise is interesting and has a ton of potential but the execution left me bored....Rating: 1.5/5
Points: 2 Base Points + 1 Bonus Point (Substituary locomotion: witches handbag is alive)
Total Points: 3
The Walking Dead Season 5 Episode 1 No Sanctuary (2014, 60min)
Great start to season 5. I feel like the show really found its legs in season 4 with a good mix of action, drama and horror. In previous seasons the balance always seemed off. This first episode of season 5 wastes no time however and feels more like a season finale than opener. Even though it was filled with action the episode still took necessary moments to slow down and focus on characters even if only for a short time. Hopefully the show maintains its momentum going forward and continues to build on how these characters evolve following Terminus....Rating: 5/5
Points: 1 Base Points
Total Points: 1
Monday October 13th
Demonic Toys (1992, 86min)
Demonic Toys is 86 minutes of good b-movie fun. Honestly the only thing I don't enjoy about this movie is Tracy Scoggins and unfortunately she's the heroine. However the rest of the cast is good fun and I like the design of the toys....Rating: 3.5/5
Points: 2 Base Points + ATB (Toys are attackers)
Total Points: 6
Demon Seed (1977, 94min)
Demon Seed has been on my radar for some time now and the theme of the madness kind of dictated that I finally sit down and watch it. The movie becomes laughably ridiculous once the impregnation and final reveal occur....Rating: 2.5/5
Points: 2 Base Points + ATB (Sentient computer impregnates human)
Total Points: 6
The Worst Witch (1986, 70min)
If only there were a bonus element for terrible green screen because this one would take the cake. Before Harry Potter went to Hogwarts Mildred Hubble was a student at a school for budding witches. I was almost envious of my 4 year old as we watched this because she can enjoy it for what it is while I can't help but laugh at it. It's almost worth watching just for the awful effects and terrible songs. There's also the ridiculous yet awesome Tim Curry cameo. www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUhuPn8_d0Q...Rating: 2/5
Points: 2 Base Points
Total Points: 2
Tuesday October 14th
Tales from the Crypt Season 4 Episode 12 Strung Along (1992, 30min)
An aging puppeteer has a young wife who he believes might be cheating on him. Per usual this episode has one twist ending which I did see coming followed by a second twist that I wasn't expecting. Okay episode. Watch the full episode here....Rating: 2.5/5
Points: .5 Base Points + 1 Bonus Element (Puppet is part of murder plot)
Total Points: 1
Monsters Season 1 Episode 23 Mannequins of Horror (1977, 30min)
In this episode of Monsters a doctor who is locked up in a mental institution believes he can transfer life into small anatomically correct clay dolls. Overall a solid episode with some cool stop motion effects and a grisly kill.Watch the full episode here....Rating: 4/5
Points: .5 Base Points + ATB (Little clay dolls attack and kill human)
Total Points: 3
Monsters Season 1 Episode 2 Holly's House (1988, 30min)
Holly's House is only the second episode of the series and is pretty weak in comparison to some others. The titular character Holly is a remote controlled robot dressed up as a giant doll. The robot comes to life and becomes jealous of her controllers relationship with murderous results. The premise sounds much better than the final product actually is.Watch the full episode here....Rating: 1/5
Points: .5 Base Points + ATB ("Doll" is actually a robot that goes berserk)
Total Points: 3
Friday the 13th the Series Season 2 Episode 8 Read My Lips (1988, 60min)
This episode retreads much of the same stuff we've seen in other shows and films about ventriloquist dummies and their owners but it's still a fun episode. The point where the dummy is swapped out with a little person made up to look like a dummy is unintentional comic gold.Watch the full episode here.....Rating: 3.5/5
Points: 1 Base Points + ATB (Dummy attacks and kills two characters)
Total Points: 4
MST3K Robot Monster (1990, 97min)
A robot gorilla? "ro-man" is sent to earth to wipe out humanity leaving only a handful of human survivors to defeat it. Overall this early episode is solid with some great jokes but it's still visible that the show is finding its feet. The giant dart gag did make me laugh out loud for it's sheer unexpectedness....Rating: 3.5/5
Points: 2 Base Points + 1 Bonus Point (MST3K) + ATB (Robot attempts to eradicate humanity)
Total Points: 9
Toy Story of Terror (2013, 30min)
Saw this one last year when it aired on ABC and it was fun to revisit. The slasher movie setup as the toys are picked off one by one leaving one "final girl" works well and while the twist is fun it takes away from the child friendly horror movie aesthetic established in the beginning and transitions into a more typical Toy Story plot....Rating: 3.5/5
Points: .5 Base Points + 1 Bonus Element(Toys are alive)
Total Points: 1
R.L. Stine's Mostly Ghostly Have You Met My Ghoulfriend (2014, 90min)
This one is a follow up to a movie we hadn't seen. While I was trying to catch up on the continuity to figure out what was going on my child got a kick out of it. I thought the movie dragged a bit but then again I am not the target audience....Rating: 2/5
Points: 2 Base Points
Total Points: 2
Poltergeist (1982, 114min)
Poltergeist is another on my list of favorite horror films. The entire film mostly holds up (with the exception of that face melting effect) and is incredibly scary for a PG rated film. While the PG-13 didn't yet exist I can't help but think that if The Conjuring ended up with an R there's no way Poltergeist would have pulled even a PG-13 today. Overall a great film and still one of the best haunted house movies ever produced....Rating: 5/5
Points: 2 Base Points + ATB (Doll attacks a human)
Total Points: 6
Wednesday October 15th
Monsters Season 2 Episode 15 Mr. Swlabr(1990, 30min)
A boy who has a terrible mother and sister opens up a cereal box to find a small toy inside that grows when you place it in water. However this toy comes to life and keeps growing bigger and bigger. Eventually the boy uses his new friend to get back at his awful family. Silly episode but fun Watch the full episode here....Rating: 3/5
Points: .5 Base Points + ATB (Cereal box toy attacks humans)
Total Points: 3
Nightmares and Dreamscapes Season 1 Episode 1(2006, 60min)
Nightmares and Dreamscapes was a short lived series on TNT where every one hour episode was based off of a Stephen King short story. Battleground is the best of the bunch. Shot without any dialogue the story concerns a hit man who takes out a target who also happens to have a large collection of toys. Later those toys show up at his home and wage a vengeful bloody war upon him. I love this episode and it even contains a little cameo from our favorite Zuni doll from Trilogy of Terror....Rating: 4/5
Points: 1 Base Points + ATB (Toys attack a human)
Total Points: 4
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993, 76min)
I still remember when I was in 5th grade and saw this movie in a theater. I had never seen anything like it and absolutely loved it. Still a great movie today and love watching this with my daughter.....Rating: 5/5
Points: 2 Base Points + ATB (Toys attack a human)
Total Points: 6
Halloweentown 2: Kalabars Revenge (2001, 81min)
This one was on Disney channel and since we had just watched the first one we figured why not give this one a shot. It is a bit of an improvement over the first one. I have realized my biggest issues with the series is that I don't find Halloweentown all the interesting. I find the real world on Halloween night far more interesting than Halloweentown. It is interesting to note that Mary Lambert directed this one who is probably best known in the horror community for Pet Sematary. Too bad this is where she ended up.....Rating: 2/5
Points: 2 Base Points
Total Points: 2
Jack-O (1995, 88min)
A giant pumpkinheaded creature kills people on Halloween. The movie is pretty awful but I knew going in that it was produced by Fred Olen Ray and stars Linnea Quigley so I got exactly what I was hoping for. .....Rating: 2/5
Points: 2 Base Points
Total Points: 2
Saturday October 18th
The Haunted Mansion (Dark Ride)
I am currently in Walt Disney World so I while my viewing will be lacking for several days I can make up some points via the Dark Ride bonus. The Haunted Mansion is a classic attraction and I've loved it since I was a kid. My daughter covered her eyes for about 75% of it but she warmed up to it by the end....Rating: 5/5
Points: 5 Dark Ride Bonus
Total Points: 5
It's a Small World (Dark Ride)
Another classic attraction. My daughter and 5 month old both loved this one. It's funny to see older kids and adults on it though because it's probably one of the slowest rides in the park....Rating: 5/5
Points: 5 Dark Ride Bonus
Total Points: 5
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
The great thing about this ride is the line is filled with things to keep the children entertained. The ride itself is fun but too short.....Rating: 4/5
Points: 5 Dark Ride Bonus
Total Points: 5
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
This was my first time on the Buzz Lightyear ride and we loved it. Tons of interaction and visuals everywhere....Rating: 5/5
Points: 5 Dark Ride Bonus
Total Points: 5
Under the Sea
This ride is part of the new Fantasyland (which is now one of the best designed sections of the park. The ride itself is pretty well done with a combination of traditional animatronics and video....Rating: 4/5
Points: 5 Dark Ride Bonus
Total Points: 5
Sunday, October 12, 2014
The Madness: Automatons Week 1
Total Points Week One: 162.5
Saturday October 4th
Magic (1978, 107min)
Magic is a great film. The central performance by Anthony Hopkins is the right level of manic and over the top for me and the film carries a real sense of dread as it builds to its conclusion....Rating: 4/5
Points: 2 Base Points + 2 Bonus Points (Dummy is main character and part of the killers ritual
Total Points: 4
Maximum Overdrive (1986, 97min)
I don't care that Maximum Overdrive has a 17% on Rotten Tomatoes and has been panned by critics. I don't care that Stephen King was coked up throughout production and had no clue what he was doing. I don't are that Lisa Simpson is incredibly grating and annoying throughout the film. I don't care that the choice to have ACDC score a horror film seems a bit odd. I love it anyway. Recommended for me and like minded viewers....Rating: 4/5
Points: 2 Base Points + ATB (Every machine in the world goes on a killing spree)
Total Points: 6
Westworld (1973, 88min)
Westworld is still quite enjoyable it does feel a bit dated by today's standards. I wouldn't mind seeing an update to this material that fully explores the themes of how we interact and deal with technology that has been created solely to amuse and please us even after it seems to break away from it's programming. Also, James Cameron had to have seen this movie before he made the Terminator....Rating: 3.5/5
Points: 2 Base Points + ATB (Robot goes berserk & turns on masters)
Total Points: 6
The Twilight Zone Season 5 Episode 6: Living Doll (1963 30min)
I still remember the first time I saw The Living Doll. My brother and I were watching a Twilight Zone marathon when I was about 7 when this episode came on. It scared the hell out of us. While I don't find Talky Tina nearly as frightening today it's still a great episode and Telly Savalas is such a douchebag that watching him get his comeuppance is still a pleasure. Highly recommended....Rating: 5/5
Points: Base Points .5 + ATB (Doll is the killer)
Total Points: 3
Friday the 13th The Series Season 3 Episode 17: Jack in the Box (1990, 60min)
Jack in the Box is about a young girl whose father is murdered and she uses a Jack in the Box to exact revenge. I watched the episode because I find Jack in the Boxes to be pretty creepy and this sounded like it had a lot of potential. Unfortunately it was pretty awful. Basically whenever the girl plays the box when someone is around water they are murdered by the water. The only clever use of the idea is when someone drowns in a car wash. Otherwise, pretty bland stuff....Rating: 1/5
Points 1 Base Points + 2 Bonus Point (Toy tied to spirit & used in murder plot)
Total Points: 3
Ghostbusters (1984, 105min)
By this time on Saturday it was time for "family madness" so I introduced my 4 year old to Ghostbusters. This film is a classic and is one of my favorite all time comedies. The jokes still work for me even after so many viewings....Rating: 5/5
Points: 2 Base Points
Total Points: 2
Casper's Scare School Season 1 Episode 2: Disarmed & Dangerous / Frankenleftovers (2009, 30min)
Casper's Scare School is an animated series my daughter recently found on Netflix. The series is fun for what it is though I am always looking for this stuff to be more referential to its influences....Rating: 2.5/5
Points: .5 Base Points
Total Points: .5
Child's Play (1988, 87min)
Child's Play is a movie I revisit often. It's a movie from my childhood and my enjoyment of it continues today. The fact that it's paced so much differently than most of the other films in the franchise playing with the audiences expectations of whether Chucky is actually alive and holding off on Chucky's reveal for a good 40 minutes helps a lot to set it apart from not only the sequels but many modern horror films of this type....Rating: 4/5
Points: Child's Play / Puppet Master Challenge
Total Points: 110 for all movies
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