Part III - Husband and Knife: A Horror-ble October (with Friends!) - October 15th - 21st

Scariest Movie: Alien                           

(though it has the lowest scare rating of the three “Scariest Movies” so far)

Best Overall Movie: The Monster Squad

October 15th – The House of the Devil

Plot Synopsis:  On the night of a lunar eclipse, a girl accepts a job as a babysitter, but when she arrives they reveal there is no child, and strange things start occurring.

Kyle:  I added this movie last minute after seeing a post on Reddit about the top 10 modern horror films.  I had seen nine of the ten, and have loved them all and own them, so I figured the 10th film, The House of the Devil, would be just as good.  Unfortunately, that Reddit list is now only 90% accurate, as I did not enjoy this movie too much.  There is a reason you have not heard of this film.  It is very, very slow and has minimal dialogue, honestly probably some of the least in any movie I’ve ever seen.  The movie mainly follows the girl who is in this strange house alone, hearing noises and investigating.  But unlike great haunted house movies like The Conjuring, these bumps in the night are not as scary and don’t amount to much.  I honestly don’t see why the noises were necessary for what was going on.  This movie is basically an hour-long build up to a payoff, and I told Ellen that my enjoyment of the movie relies on the ending.  While the ending was certainly more entertaining than the rest of the film, it was not enough to make up for the snail-like pacing and their inability to answer all the questions it may have you asking.

                   

                    Scare Rating: 2 out of 5 screams

                    

                    Movie Rating: 2 out of 5 pizzas

Ellen:  I really wanted to like this movie more than I did. House of the Devil starts out on an interesting note with the look and feel of a classic, early-eighties horror film. However, this movie is slow. Although the director very successfully established the time frame and setting of the film, there simply wasn’t enough intrigue to give it roots. I was left asking too many questions, and I did not feel that the “horror” portion of the movie was explained well enough. Apart from the repeated mentions of a lunar eclipse, there is nothing in the story line to give you a reason or background for the horror that is about to come. I told Kyle that I was bored and scared at the same time, which in this case wasn’t a good thing. I give points for the style and visual elements of the film, but the slow pace and unsatisfying ending made House of the Devil a bore.

                     Scare Rating: 2 out of 5 screams

                     Movie Rating: 1.5 out of 5 pizzas

Average Scare Rating: 2 out of 5 screams

Average Movie Rating:  1.75 out of 5 pizzas

October 16th - Shaun of the Dead

Plot Synopsis:  A group of people decide they must go to a pub to protect themselves from the zombie apocalypse.

Kyle:  We have been reviewing a lot of horror comedies lately, so add Shaun of the Dead to the list of notables.  Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have amazing chemistry as two best friends who like to spend most of their day playing video games and drinking beer, but have to become a bit more proactive once the zombie apocalypse occurs.  Edgar Wright directs this masterfully, showing off his skills as a director with channel changing edits and rapid montages.  This movie is excellent with call-back jokes, ones that are set up with an original everyday action only to be mirrored later on during the zombie attack.  The use of music is also very well done.  One thing I like about this movie is that they don't bother to explain how the zombies got there.  They hint at it, but the channel always changes before we hear any details.  It gives reference to other zombie movies, including 28 Days Later, but manages to stay unique and in its own world.  I do think the film dragged a bit, especially in the middle, but it was always saved by a funny joke or set-piece.  In a day where comedy films just aren't very funny anymore, Shaun of the Dead is hilarious and refreshing, giving the perfect blend of original humor and zombie movie homage.

                    Scare Rating: 0.5 out of 5 screams

                    Movie Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cornettos

Ellen:  Shaun of the Dead is yet another creative spin on the zombie genre, and I thoroughly enjoyed this movie! Simon Pegg and Ed Wright are talented writers who are able to inject humor into an otherwise terrifying universe where zombies have taken over. Every character pulls his or her weight in this film in order to make it witty, fun, and engaging (and for fans of Downtown Abbey, cousin Isabelle plays Shaun's mother!). Although it is surprisingly bloody, I would say that Shaun of the Dead is one of the funnier movies we have watched this month without being too slap-sticky or cheesy. The writing is smart and has a lot of substance, but the movie is not without emotional scenes in which the characters must make truly difficult decisions to help one another. I will also say that Shaun of the Dead has one of the best endings to a "horror" film I have seen yet (I say "horror" because it is not scary at all). I don't want to give it away, but the ending is original and downright hilarious. I can't believe I haven't seen this movie until today, and I would recommend it to anyone!

                   Scare Rating: 0 out of 5 screams

                  

                   Movie Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cornettos 

Average Scare Rating:  0.25 out of 5 screams

Average Movie Rating:   4.5 out of 5 cornettos

October 17th - The Monster Squad

Plot Synopsis:  A group of boys must use their knowledge of monsters to stop Dracula and the other Universal monsters from taking over the world.

Kyle:  Before I watched The Monster Squad, it was described to me as The Goonies meets the Universal monsters.  Sounds like a good enough premise, and it certainly delivers.  This movie was a lot of fun and is one of the more kid-friendly movies on the list, barring some language.  It is silly and goofy and over the top, and it will leave you with a smile on your face the whole time.  The movie also sits at a very short 1 hour and 22 minutes, so it feels like it’s ending shortly after it starts.  The short runtime leaves no room for boring downtime, as we switch between Dracula gathering Frankenstein’s monster, the Mummy, a werewolf and a swamp creature, and the boys and their old German pie-maker friend trying to figure out how to stop them.  Written by Shane Black, (Lethal Weapon, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, The Nice Guys), these foul mouthed kids will surely find a place in your heart, just as this underrated gem of a movie will find a place in your Halloween watch-list, if you just give it a chance.  Honestly, I think this is the PERFECT Halloween movie.

                    Scare Rating: 0 out of 5 screams

                    Movie Rating: 5 out of 5 wolfman nards

Ellen: The Monster Squad is such an endearing film, and it really brings back fond memories of watching movies like The Goonies and The Sand Lot as a kid. I fully expected this movie to be super cheesy and full of silly monster movie tropes, but is quite the opposite! Having kids go on a mission to find an amulet and defeat Dracula is a simple premise, but the kids truly make this movie special. The dialogue is already hilarious, but the kids’ delivery of the lines makes it even funnier and more quotable (trust me, you will be quoting this movie a lot!). What I loved most about The Monster Squad is that it lets kids be kids in the sense that they can go out after dark with their friends, have adventures, make mistakes, and learn lessons without the restrictions of parental supervision. It is also a breath of fresh air to watch a movie where the child protagonists aren’t addicted to social media and can actually experience the world around them! If you love eighties movie adventures and monster movies, you will absolutely love The Monster Squad!

                    Scare Rating: 0 out of 5 screams

                      Movie Rating: 5 out of 5 wolfman nards

Johnathan: Add one part The Goonies, one part classic Universal Monsters, cover it in comical one-liners and you’ve got The Monster Squad. I had never heard of The Monster Squad until Kyle told me about it, but, wow, am I delighted to have finally seen this hidden gem. I expected to laugh at this movie, but instead I was laughing with it throughout. The off-kilter one-liners delivered with full conviction from the five central kids, plus the creative monster encounters, put a big smile on my face that never went away. The always picked-on Horace played by Brent Chalem is particularly entertaining. He gets the best moments in the film and a redemptive moment for his character during the ending made me burst out in laughter. After seeing the movie, I couldn’t help but wonder why this movie was forgotten to time. Turns out TriStar Pictures released this movie in the cinematic graveyard known as August so it only grossed a paltry $3.8 million. Don’t make the same mistake as 1987 moviegoers. The Monster Squad is a hilarious movie with lovable characters, convincing make-up and costumes, and it’s suitable for most ages. If you’re suffering from Stranger Things withdraws, The Monster Squad will scratch a similar itch and it will remind you how fun movies can be.

                    Scare Rating: 0 out of 5 screams

                    Movie Rating: 4.5 out of 5 wolfman nards

Average Scare Rating:  0 out of 5 screams

Average Movie Rating:  4.83 out of 5 wolfman nards

October 18th - Ravenous

Plot Synopsis:  A man arrives at a military post in the middle of the mountains with a story of cannibalism.

Kyle:  Going into this week, I knew this one had the potential to be the most divisive movie of the bunch.  It is certainly not conventional, so if that’s what you are looking for, turn away from this one.  Ravenous offers up a great but bizarre soundtrack, and a strange tone as it meanders from dark comedy to horror, but this movie really works for me.  The film’s plot is unlike any I’ve ever seen, blending real-life horrors with the supernatural, and uses multiple twists to keep viewers on edge.  The main villain is formidable and memorable, and he really drives the movement of this film.  I’d be willing to bet that most of you have not heard of this one, so I’ll go ahead and say that I believe this is the most underrated horror movie on our entire list (other than The Monster Squad perhaps), and if you want something offbeat but interesting and engaging, then check it out!

                    Scare Rating: 1 out of 5 screams

                    Movie Rating: 4.5 out of 5 wendigos

Ellen: Since the beginning of October, I have watched this many horror movies than I have in my entire life. Ravenous is one of the most original and most underrated horror movies I have seen yet, and it calls upon many elements that most horror movies don’t have, such as a weird soundtrack that doesn’t fit the movie and a really interesting Native American cannibal myth. Ravenous also takes place in the mid-1800s, which gives the film a gritty feel and makes it easier to believe just how isolated the characters are from the rest of civilization. I would strongly recommend this movie because the terror lies in the suspense of the twists (yes, there are twists) and the ending. This movie has one of the best horror endings I have ever seen, and I think you will agree if you see it.

                        Scare Rating: 1 out of 5 screams

                        Movie Rating: 4 out of 5 wendigos

Average Scare Rating:  1 out of 5 screams

Average Movie Rating:  4.25 out of 5 wendigos

October 19th – The Blair Witch Project

Plot Synopsis:  Three people go into the woods to research a local witch legend.

Kyle:  Ah man.  I can already tell you that this is easily the worst movie on our list.  I had never seen it before today, and I wish it had stayed that way.  Clocking in at a minuscule 81 minutes, this movie feels more like 181.  I will give it one thing…the advertising was genius.  If I had seen this movie thinking it had the chance of being real, then it would have been a lot scarier.  But knowing that it is fake, I found it to be so boring.  Advertising for this film today should say “WATCH…as three average actors argue and walk around.   WATCH….as they keep walking and arguing.  WATCH as a few slightly irregular things happen.  It’s spooky, right?”  The Blair Witch Project is obviously tampered by a tiny budget, and I do respect the filmmakers for what they were trying to do.  But I feel like with their budget constraints, they were forced into a less-is-more situation.  However, this movie did not have “less”, this movie had “nothing”.  You sit there and sit there and sit there, waiting for something to show itself, some force or creature to become known, and nothing ever does.  It just ends.   And the poor actors are left trying to convey this terrifying thing that never really amounts to anything.  Turning around quickly and yelling “WHAT WAS THAT!?!” isn’t scary at all when nothing is shown.  Anticlimactic and boring, The Blair Witch Project is the first movie of our blog that I recommend to avoid at all costs.

                    Scare Rating: 0.5 out of 5 screams

                    Movie Rating: 0.5 out of 5 runny noses 

Ellen: Until The Blair Witch Project, Kyle and I have strongly agreed on most of the horror movies we have watched, but this movie left us divided because I really enjoyed it and he hated it. I have seen this film a few times, and I have always thought of it as a very original, intriguing spin on modern horror. Considering that it was such a game-changing film when it was released, I try to stay in that mindset and see it through the eyes of someone who hasn’t seen many other found-footage films. Granted, I will say that this movie is quite slow, and some the “scary” scenes in the film are muted because the super low budget does not allow for much actual witch action. Rather, Blair Witch relies on sounds and off-screen shouting to scare the audience. I also believe the slow pace is useful in showing the three characters slowly spin into despair and confusion, which makes the witch’s attacks more potent. You are reminded that these characters truly have no one to turn to and only their cameras offer the tiny amount of solace that can put their minds at ease. Maybe we aren’t meant to see the true terrors, but instead see how they affect the people in the film and not just the audience.

                        Scare Rating: 1 out of 5 screams

                        Movie Rating: 3 out of 5 runny noses

Melody:  The movie opens with a shaky video camera and introduces two of our main characters flannel-clad. Going back and re-watching I am immediately transported to memories of the 90s. Back to the good old days of flannel, hard rock, and kickass music and movies. For those of you youngsters who were not privileged enough to see the first Blair Witch Project in theaters, I know what you might be thinking. Another found footage film trying to seem more real than the last. But you all have to realize, BWP was the first of its kind. Part of its horror was the the question of its authenticity. Sitting in a dark movie theater full of terrified teenagers back in 1999, we thought it might truly be real. We really didn't know. The Blair Witch Project started it all. There was a true terror and eeriness that stayed with me after I left the theater, being unsure of what I had just witnessed...just a really scary movie or a true life horror? The plot is simple enough. Our trio of characters are college film students creating a documentary of the local Blair Witch urban legend. After candidly interviewing a few of the locals, they, with their youthful and blissful ignorance, venture into a weekend in the woods to track, observe, and capture the Blair Witch. The scenes in the woods can seem a bit tedious (the role of Heather as the "leader" of the group seemed particularly annoying when rewatching). However, the realization of how lost and scared they really are and how this is revealed throughout each of their separate personalities definitely rang true to how someone would really react in that type of situation. The fear that turns to anger and eventually to the acceptance of their fate was shown through the usage of camera (lessening as their despair grew) and their conversation topics (switching from hope to confusion and then to reminiscing good times). After some cool camera switching in the final moments (from black & white to color with sound) hearing & seeing each person's perspectives, the final scene is one to remember. Maybe not as intense as I remembered, but it had always stayed with me from that first viewing in the theater in 1999. Overall, rewatching the film was a good experience. I noticed things I had forgotten that were pretty cool and also perceived some not so cool moments with a more aged & enlightened perspective.

Original Viewing:

                    Scare Rating: 4 out of 5 screams

                    Movie Rating: 2 out of 5 runny noses

Now:

                    Scare Rating: 2 out of 5 screams

                    Movie Rating: 3 out of 5 runny noses

Average Scare Rating:  1.17 out of 5 screams

Average Movie Rating:   2.17 out of 5 runny noses

October 20th – Alien

Plot Synopsis:  A space crew sets out to answer a distress call, only to become the ones in distress.

Kyle:  Alien is a classic and everybody knows.  It’s crafted so well, with amazing set design and practical effects, this movie still holds up fantastically.  The alien itself is incredibly creepy, evolving from one terrifying thing to the next, with an amazing ability to disappear and reappear at will.  Using this evolved species and an isolated location, where the crew has nowhere to run, leads to a suspense journey through space.  Now this may be the fatigue of watching so many movies in so many days, but it did feel a bit slow at parts, and I caught myself zoning out, especially at the beginning.  But that is a small nitpick as a majority of the movie is groundbreaking, interesting and suspenseful.

                    Scare Rating: 2 out of 5 screams

                    Movie Rating: 4.5 out of 5 facehuggers

Ellen: It is very easy in this age of CGI that looks so incredibly real to become spoiled rotten and not fully enjoy older movies that rely on practical effects, but Alien is different. The practical effects in this film are incredible, and when you think about its 1979 release and just how terrifying it must have been to see it at the time when most other films had not come even close the same caliber of imagery and reality, then you can truly appreciate how groundbreaking this film is. The first quarter of the film is a slow burn and does not offer much terror, but from the iconic “baby alien” scene forward, the film can be quite terrifying. The last ten minutes of the film are masterful and unlike any film I have ever seen, and Sigourney Weaver delivers a performance that I am sure many actresses idolize. Alien is a welcome departure from typical horror makeup because the women in the film is strong and capable, unlike the dumb blondes and horny teenagers that are so commonplace in classic horror. Alien offers more suspense than terror, but it can truly hold its own among a long line of classic horror films.

                        Scare Rating: 2.5 out of 5 screams

                        Movie Rating: 4 out of 5 facehuggers

Johnathan:  Alien is one of my all-time favorite movies. Ridley Scott’s 1979 masterpiece is often cited beside 2001: A Space Odyssey and Star Wars as the most influential sci-fi films of modern cinema and for good reason. The gritty production design, naturalistic performances, and tight plot all seamlessly combine to create a bracing experience. Describing the set as a character unto itself is a cliché, but Alien earns this distinction. Every location feels tactile in a way that few movies ever achieve. Technology isn’t sleek in the world of Alien - it’s mechanical and intimidating. The digitized beeps emanating from lo-res LED screens and the dimly lit hallways of the crew’s ship do as much to install nervousness as the thought of a killer alien on the prowl. Sigourney Weaver is riveting as Ellen Ripley, our main protagonist who must maintain her wits as a dangerous situation unravels into a nightmare. Ian Holm (Bilbo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings) also deserves recognition for his unsettling performance as the ship’s science office with a calculating mind. Of course, the entire movie hinges on the titular alien. A few shots break the illusion, but for the most part the alien is terrifying and believable in all of its forms. Even if you typically avoid horror movies, like I do, the superior execution of science-fiction concepts and focused story make Alien a must-see.

                    Scare Rating:  3.5 out of 5 screams

                    Movie Rating: 5 out of 5 facehuggers

Average Scare Rating:  2.67 out of 5 screams

Average Movie Rating:  4.5 out of 5 facehuggers

October 21st - The Cabin in theWoods

Plot Synopsis: A group of college kids go into a cabin in the woods, where the horrors that appear may be driven by a familiar source.

Kyle:  The Cabin in the Woods is written by Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, who are famous are their contributions to Marvel.  Whedon had just recently directed The Avengers and Goddard went on to help create Netflix’s show Daredevil.  While I am not a big Marvel fan, I like both of these entries into the Marvel universe, so these are clearly two talented men.  The movie follows all of the horror movie tropes to an exact science, but throws in its own element to completely change the horror game.  In fact, the ending of the movie is an all-out assault on modern horror films and mainstream audiences.  Seeing as though I wholly agree with the film’s message, I really love this movie.  It has a great sense of humor and it is honestly unlike any other horror film out there (at least by the last third).  And this movie also features one of my favorite scenes of all time.  Not just from a horror movie, but from any movie in general, it is just such a fun and memorable scene that I could watch over and over.  While some may miss the point of this, or others may view it as preachy, I really connected with The Cabin in the Woods, and I recommend it for anyone who is tired of modern mainstream horror.

                    Scare Rating: 1.5 out of 5 screams

                    Movie Rating: 4.5 out of 5 mermen

Ellen: This review will honestly be the shortest of all of my reviews because I really do not want to divulge the true nature of The Cabin in the Woods. Suffice it to say that it is incredibly original and does not follow the same pattern that almost every horror film starring young, attractive actors follows. You may even think you are not watching the right film at the very beginning because, again, it is very unconventional. However, give this film a chance and you will thoroughly appreciate how the writers and the director are trying to help audiences break away from the norm and quite simply, try something new in the horror genre.

                        Scare Rating: 2 out of 5 screams

                        Movie Rating: 4.5 out of 5 mermen

Average Scare Rating:  1.75 out of 5 screams

Average Movie Rating:  4.5 out of 5 mermen