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View Full Version : What are your MUST SEE movies for Halloween?



MoonSylver
19-Oct-2010, 12:47 AM
October is going fast. With all the work & home related stuff I've had going I haven't had time to think about it, but now I'm REALLY starting to get the horror itch ( or maybe that's just VD...?):lol:

ANYWAY, anyone have any traditions, any must see viewing? I spent some birthday money over the weekend & got all of the Elm Street flicks, so I really want to take them for a spin. I'd love to watch all of the F13th's as well. Usually try to pop "Halloween" in. Just picked up 2 over the weekend, so that would make a nice double feature.

Yours?:rockbrow:

JDFP
19-Oct-2010, 01:11 AM
Here are the films I have lined up for Halloween weekend:

The Rifftrax version of "Night of the Living Dead" (for when I'm drunk).
"The Changeling" (1980 w/George C. Scott) -- I've never seen it so actually really looking forward to it.
"Trick 'R Treat"
"Orphan"
"I Sell The Dead"
"The New Daughter" (hey, say what you will about Kevin Costner, but I dig the dude no matter how much you make fun of me for it!).
"The Crazies" (new version -- instant streaming on Netflix on 10/28, baby!)
"Doghouse"
"Night of the Demons" (new version, not getting up much hope on this).
"Dark Night of the Scarecrow" (1981 -- this is another that has slipped through the cracks I'm looking forward to seeing).
"Splice"
"Altitude".

And there may be another one or two added for good measure before that weekend. I've got a full schedule of flicks to watch, so I'm looking forward to it. Horror flicks on Halloween weekend with a couple 24-packs of Milwaukee's Best. Life is good.

j.p.

Mike70
19-Oct-2010, 01:13 AM
rosemary's baby - my fav horror flick ever. i've been watching it on halloween for over 20 years.

son of frankenstein

salem's lot

blind2d
19-Oct-2010, 03:31 AM
Probably just the original trilogy of GAR zombie films and Creepshow... maybe Friday the 13th part one... Nightmare before Christmas... that'll do 'er.

LouCipherr
19-Oct-2010, 05:19 PM
Well, certianly required viewing is Halloween (no, fuck you RZ, not your shit version, Carpenter's, of course!).

I will probably watch the following along with Halloween:

Friday the 13th (one or several of the first 4)
A Nightmare on Elm Street (original, and only the first one)
House on Haunted Hill (shut up bassman! don't even say it! :lol: :p :D)
The Thing
Evil Dead 2
Army of Darkness
Dawn of the Dead (i'll let you guess as to which version.. :D)

and that's pretty much my "required" viewing. I could watch Sharktopus again, as that's one of the scariest things I've ever seen put on film (and by 'scary' I mean, it's scary the fucking thing got made to begin with! :lol:) but I think I'll pass. :p

bassman
19-Oct-2010, 05:22 PM
Not movies really...but i'm about halfway through the Munsters series. Love that show.

Other than that....the usual Romero stuff all day Halloween leading up to The Walking Dead. And pretty much anything that comes on Fear Fest between now and then.

LouCipherr
19-Oct-2010, 06:43 PM
Oh, goddammit, I completely forgot about The Walking Dead - yeah, that's on my list, too. Not a "movie" per se, but it's on my list of must-watch items. :D

MoonSylver
21-Oct-2010, 03:50 AM
"The Changeling" (1980 w/George C. Scott) -- I've never seen it so actually really looking forward to it.

Ooooh I REALLY love that one. One of my favorite ghost movies. Very old school ghost movie. Nice little mysetry element thrown in too (so make sure you watch that one BEFORE the heavy drinking begins so you can follow the plot :) )

That makes me think, "The Fog" would be another good one for Halloween.

Mike70
21-Oct-2010, 03:54 AM
Ooooh I REALLY love that one. One of my favorite ghost movies. Very old school ghost movie. Nice little mysetry element thrown in too (so make sure you watch that one BEFORE the heavy drinking begins so you can follow the plot :) )

That makes me think, "The Fog" would be another good one for Halloween.


"the changling" is a great flick. the ball bouncing down the stairs creeped me the fook out when i was a kid.

Ghostdude
22-Oct-2010, 08:06 AM
NIGHT OF THE DEMONS 1 to 3, Alot of people tend to forget these films take place during Halloween,Nice thing for those who haven't got these on DVD yet is that the DVDs are pretty cheap to buy.

bassman
22-Oct-2010, 12:17 PM
All this week they've been playing the Friday the 13th films on Fright Fest, so I decided I would give them all a try seeing how I haven't seen them in years. Yeah....I still don't get the fascination. Especially considering that they're all basically the same film after #2. Talk about beating a dead horse.

They're okay for a halloween marathon as Fear Fest has been doing, but I don't understand the following these films get. They're rather weak in most places. The last one I saw was Manhattan(what is that...8?), so I think i've got one more to go tonight(Goes to Hell). AMC doesn't have "Jason X"(:rolleyes:), but I saw that one around the time of it's release and wanted to hang myself.

Anyway....my .02 on the Friday series.

JDFP
22-Oct-2010, 01:46 PM
All this week they've been playing the Friday the 13th films on Fright Fest, so I decided I would give them all a try seeing how I haven't seen them in years. Yeah....I still don't get the fascination. Especially considering that they're all basically the same film after #2. Talk about beating a dead horse.

They're okay for a halloween marathon as Fear Fest has been doing, but I don't understand the following these films get. They're rather weak in most places. The last one I saw was Manhattan(what is that...8?), so I think i've got one more to go tonight(Goes to Hell). AMC doesn't have "Jason X"(:rolleyes:), but I saw that one around the time of it's release and wanted to hang myself.

Anyway....my .02 on the Friday series.

Yeah, but these movies are just fun.

My favorite is "Friday VII: Jason V. Carrie". I kept waiting for the telekinetic chick to yell at Jason: "They're all gonna laugh at you!" (I randomly yell this phrase out at work during the day during a lull and people just stare at me, but I can't help it... it's one of my favorite quotes from a horror film).

I just want to meet the guy/gal that came up with the premise to that one: "Hey, I have a great idea! Let's have Jason be attacked by a chick who can fight back with the powers of her mind! That would be awesome!" -- and even though it's not Academy Award winning material necessarily, it is quite a bit of fun (and my most favorite Jason flick too).

j.p.

MoonSylver
22-Oct-2010, 03:39 PM
All this week they've been playing the Friday the 13th films on Fright Fest, so I decided I would give them all a try seeing how I haven't seen them in years. Yeah....I still don't get the fascination. Especially considering that they're all basically the same film after #2. Talk about beating a dead horse.

They're okay for a halloween marathon as Fear Fest has been doing, but I don't understand the following these films get. They're rather weak in most places. The last one I saw was Manhattan(what is that...8?), so I think i've got one more to go tonight(Goes to Hell). AMC doesn't have "Jason X"(:rolleyes:), but I saw that one around the time of it's release and wanted to hang myself.

Anyway....my .02 on the Friday series.

I'm a huge fan of the series, & even I'm at a loss to explain why TBH. They just scratch some kind of (as I put it in the Nightmare thread) "juvenile & puerile" itch I have. They're almost like a comic book in a way. There's some kind of charm in their simple, blunt force approach. They strike me as the horror equivalent of fast food. They'll ever be fillet minion, but sometimes I'm in the mood for a Double Quarter Pounder w/ Cheese, dammit! :lol:. I like the the whole series for different reasons (except for Jason Goes to Hell, god was that awful!), but 2, 3 & 4 would probably be my favorites, as they form one overarching story. Almost a 3-act play if you will.


Yeah, but these movies are just fun.

My favorite is "Friday VII: Jason V. Carrie". I kept waiting for the telekinetic chick to yell at Jason: "They're all gonna laugh at you!" (I randomly yell this phrase out at work during the day during a lull and people just stare at me, but I can't help it... it's one of my favorite quotes from a horror film).

I just want to meet the guy/gal that came up with the premise to that one: "Hey, I have a great idea! Let's have Jason be attacked by a chick who can fight back with the powers of her mind! That would be awesome!" -- and even though it's not Academy Award winning material necessarily, it is quite a bit of fun (and my most favorite Jason flick too).

j.p.

Actually, IIRC from the press in Fango, the idea was they wanted to have someone who could stand up to Jason, who could fight back as an equal. Since there would be no way for her to fight him PHYSICALLY, that's what led to the mental powers idea. Yeah, it's a silly premise, and a LOT OF FUN TO WATCH! :) Plus, that movie has the best looking "undead" Jason of them all. Great make-up SPFX.

LouCipherr
22-Oct-2010, 05:22 PM
NIGHT OF THE DEMONS 1 to 3, Alot of people tend to forget these films take place during Halloween,Nice thing for those who haven't got these on DVD yet is that the DVDs are pretty cheap to buy.

I LOVE the original Night of the Demons - although I can't say I've seen 2 or 3... the first one my wife and I watch over and over again and give each character names of our friends. Yeah, kinda scary we have friends like the people in that flick, eh? FYI - my wife and I were the couple that were screwing in the coffin. :lol: :lol:


My favorite is "Friday VII: Jason V. Carrie". I kept waiting for the telekinetic chick to yell at Jason: "They're all gonna laugh at you!" (I randomly yell this phrase out at work during the day during a lull and people just stare at me, but I can't help it... it's one of my favorite quotes from a horror film).

:lol:
YES! I've done this before at random times and just get a weird look for everyone. :D The only one that seems to get it is my wife, as she really dug the original Carrie.

JDFP
22-Oct-2010, 05:48 PM
YES! I've done this before at random times and just get a weird look for everyone. :D The only one that seems to get it is my wife, as she really dug the original Carrie.

Lou, my friend, you have great taste in women to have met such a great wife.

It's honestly probably the one line I quote more often than any other. I'll just be out with friends / at my bar / at work / wherever and all the sudden I'll just start yelling it out in the mock female voice from "Carrie". When I'm around people I know I'll also start yelling "Plug it up! Plug it up!" too just to get a reaction.

Most people usually stare at me when I go into these moments like I'm stranger than I'm usually strange, but every now and then someone will just start cracking up or start going on along with me who has good taste in films too.

j.p.

MoonSylver
22-Oct-2010, 07:04 PM
Well, I made a shopping trip into the big city this am to divest myself of some of my carefully horded birthday money. I got an itch to round out the Halloween series, after picking up II the other night to go with the 1st one. 1st stop Wally World, where I scored "Curse of" (#6) & "Resurrection" out of the $5 bin. Ran across the street to Meijer & added "H20" for about $6+. So then I hopped on the freeway & headed to Best Buy & scored 4 & 5 on sale for $5! So all in all I picked up 2 & 4-8 for a grand total of about maybe $30? Not bad at all.

So, looks like a "Halloween" marathon has been added to the list as well!

acealive1
22-Oct-2010, 08:51 PM
since i was a kid, no matter who's house i was at for halloween.......it ALWAYS consisted of people dressed up, tons of food and horror franchises played back to back for the duration. so we'd start with the friday the 13th series and move into nightmare, so each year it seemed we'd have one more nightmare film to watch............then the last one to play would be a bootleg vhs copy of the newest film that hadnt come out yet. so they sent everyone home happy.

bassman
22-Oct-2010, 09:44 PM
I gotta ask dude...what's with the gyrating skank ho in your signature?

MoonSylver
23-Oct-2010, 03:49 AM
Well, finished up me run on Elm Street earlier today (details of 1-4 HERE: http://forum.homepageofthedead.com/showthread.php?16579-So-I-let-my-son-watch-the-original-Nightmare-on-Elm-Street/page15)

#5, pretty much as read in #4. The set pieces might even be more elaborate in this (the SPFX on Dan's transformation into the cyborg motorcycle rider is damn impressive). I did like how they drew the parallels between Alice w/ the unborn child & Amanda Kruger returning to reclaim her bastard offspring. The flashback of Amanda being trapped in the asylum is pretty disturbing, but overall more of the *meh* same.

#6 Is takes more of a turn into the surreal/bizarre, with a near-post apocalyptic Springwood, a wasteland devoid of children. It's an over-the-top, unbelievable premise, yet oddly compelling. Add a tacked on "Luke, I am your father", a made up mythological explanation of how Kruger got his powers, & a wrap up of the whole "souls of my children" thing that they intro-ed in #4 (which I actually LIKED) & there ya go.

Also watched "Wes Craven's New Nightmare" for the 1st time. I was skeptical of it years ago when it 1st came out, which is why I never got around to watching it. It had a mildly interesting premise, but failed to really make much of an impression on me. It's kind of oddly placed, as it isn't a cheese fest like the rest of the series became & stands alone instead of fitting into any kind of story arc.

I'm skipping Freddy vs Jason for now. I'll probably watch it as a part of the F13th series.

Now I've moved on to "Halloween". I enjoy the 1st one every time I watch it, but I've been struck in recent years at how positively STAID it is in terms of pacing. If it moved any slower, I'd have to accuse it of somnambulism. But I do have to admit, it gives the final act a lot more punch, as after the slow build up, when hell DOES break loose it packs a wallop & doesn't let up.

bassman
23-Oct-2010, 12:06 PM
So I finished the Friday series last night with Jason Goes To Hell. What a piece of shit. I barely made it half way through when I couldn't sit there anymore. I ended up doing stuff around the house and kinda glancing at it every now and again. But damn....how awful is that movie? I would rather watch ROTLD 4 or 5.

So my final vote on the Friday series...The first 6-8 or so can be entertaining if it's around the halloween season, but I can't see myself watching them at any other time of the year. And they're all basically the same as the last but with a few minor changes. And speaking of Jason Goes to Hell....how did he get back to Crystal Lake for the beginning of the film if he was killed in Manhattan in the previous film? Maybe I missed something.

So being in a good mood, i'll give the series as a whole a 6/10.

MoonSylver
23-Oct-2010, 02:50 PM
So I finished the Friday series last night with Jason Goes To Hell. What a piece of shit..

Yeah, out of the whole series it's the one I REALLY hate. LOATHE actually. Shame, 'cause the opening scene is a lot of fun, but everything else about that movie, even the makeup for Jason...:mad::rant:


So my final vote on the Friday series...The first 6-8 or so can be entertaining....

Sounds about right. Other than JGTH I like the whole series, but can break it into thematic "segments", which fall in order pretty much of how much I like like them: 1 (ok) 2, 3, 4 (the best) 5(meh) 6-8(undead Jason: 6 & 7 good, 8 meh), Jason X & FvsJ (I actually LIKE Jason X as an "alternate reality/What IF?" type of thing. The concept of the Regenerating Jason captured by David Cronenberg+the over-the-top notion of Jason In Space, Cyborg Jason, etc is just too much cheesy goodness for me! :thumbsup:. FvsJ is great just for seeing the 2 of them together, plus it was an interesting look & take on Jason)


And speaking of Jason Goes to Hell....how did he get back to Crystal Lake for the beginning of the film if he was killed in Manhattan in the previous film? Maybe I missed something.

Part of the "fun" of being a F13th fan is applying "meta-logic", reasoning out the gaps in logic & continuity & trying to make it all fit. The conventional wisdom is that Jason wasn't REALLY turned back into a kid by the toxic waste. Remember she's been having psychic visions of him as a kid earlier in the film. In reality, Jason is "melted down" a bit (which is SUPPOESD to explain his "swollen mutant" appearance in JGTH) & washed out to sea in the flood. From there, he just trudges back home


So being in a good mood, i'll give the series as a whole a 6/10.

Sounds about right. I'd maybe go as high as an 8, even 9? There's something about the series as a whole that is more than the sum of it's parts to me. It's hard to explain. It's like being a Godzilla fan (which I am), or a Star Trek fan. It's like being part of something bigger. Check out some of the F13th boards sometime. They analyze the most minute detail & extrapolate as much as possible the same as we do over the dead films! :D :thumbsup:

************************************************

While I'm at it, Watched Halloween 1 & 2 last night. Can't say a lot more about 1 than I already did, other than (to me) it still holds up well, and that after thinking on it a while, the pacing really works for me. The very slow build up is like the calm before a storm. It has a moody suspense. It's like watching a slice of mid west americana, every day life, with something sinister boiling just below the surface.

Halloween II: I enjoyed quite a bit. Hadn't seen it in years. I've heard some people think it's slow & drawn out, but I like the leisurely pace it takes. Honestly, to me it wasn't boring AT ALL, as something new or interesting happens roughly every 10 min. It has lots of peeks & valleys & continuously develops at a steady pace. It's very METHODICAL in its development.

Not a WHOLE lot new in terms of story (except for the "big reveal"), but it really does feel like a continuation of the same night to me (other than you can see a difference in the way it's shot. You can tell they had a few more bucks to spend).

Loomis, as usual, has some great lines & scenes (where they discover Michael's break in at the school is great), & I really like how they handled Michael in this one even if it throws logic & believability to the wind).

From here, IIRC the series devolves into more of a cheesy F13th direction (but I still like it). It never QUITE gets there, thanks to the presence of Donald Pleasence, who lends a sense of gravitas & seriousness to the proceedings, probably making them seem a bit more credible & sophisticated than they are.

I'll give more thoughts on the rest as a I watch them. I remember liking that they took on a serial, running narrative...an over arching meta-plot (as silly & cheesy as it ends up becoming...).

From what I remember, I LIKE the rest of the series, but it never recaptures the straightforward, serious tone of these two & becomes more of a "standard" slasher series.

Mike70
23-Oct-2010, 03:06 PM
So I finished the Friday series last night with Jason Goes To Hell. What a piece of shit. I barely made it half way through when I couldn't sit there anymore. I ended up doing stuff around the house and kinda glancing at it every now and again. But damn....how awful is that movie? I would rather watch ROTLD 4 or 5.

So my final vote on the Friday series...The first 6-8 or so can be entertaining if it's around the halloween season, but I can't see myself watching them at any other time of the year. And they're all basically the same as the last but with a few minor changes. And speaking of Jason Goes to Hell....how did he get back to Crystal Lake for the beginning of the film if he was killed in Manhattan in the previous film? Maybe I missed something.

So being in a good mood, i'll give the series as a whole a 6/10.

jason goes to hell is a dinosaur sized turd of a movie. the whole thing makes zero fookin' sense. i watched a bit of it last night on fear fest and was "why the hell am i watching this piece of crap?" even the presence of steven culp and john lemay isn't enough to make me hang around.

the friday series suffers from the same malady that other slasher series do. jason shows up, he kills folks like they are oysters at shucking contest, then is seemingly stopped. ok. whoppity-do. the first 3 movies are quite watchable in my book and i'll admit that i do enjoy part II quite a bit; part III also has its moments but after that, it goes downhill fast.

MoonSylver
23-Oct-2010, 03:11 PM
the friday series suffers from the same malady that other slasher series do. jason shows up, he kills folks like they are oysters at shucking contest, then is seemingly stopped. ok. whoppity-do. the first 3 movies are quite watchable in my book and i'll admit that i do enjoy part II quite a bit; part III also has its moments but after that, it goes downhill fast.

Yeah...but I could give a long list of things that aren't good that I shouldn't enjoy, but I do anyway...:lol:

Wyldwraith
23-Oct-2010, 03:59 PM
Aww c'mon,
You won't give Fri 13th Pt. VII points for originality? When BEFORE it was made do we EVER see a Slasher-villain confronted and even (temporarily) confounded by mystic/psi-abilities of the protagonist? Hell, I love NoES 3: Dream Warriors for much the same reasons, but Freddy smacks them down too easily for it to be satisfying. The psychic blond in Fri. 13th VII really runs Jason through the ringer, and you can really FEEL his confusion/frustration conveyed silently by the body language and subtle movements of the actor depicting Jason. I'm not a big fan of her daddy popping up to re-chain Jason, but it works with the campiness.

I gotta take a stand on this one in defense of Part VII. Particularly after the Return-to-basic-formula for V and VI. At least they tried something new and different in the last few. I agree that Jason Goes to Hell is overall crap, but I LOVE the opening, where the military baits him into that overkill ambush. THAT was priceless. The body-possession crap the rest of the movie I can definitely do without, although there are a few redeeming lines by the black guy who ends up taking a big bite outta Jason's putrescent heart.

Part VIII in Manhattan was novel, I'll give it that, and Jason X also wins a novelty award for the sci-fi/slasher juxtoposition. I woulda liked to see them follow up on the foreshadowing at the end of the movie that Jason would now be stalking the woods of the new unspoiled colony planet he seemed to burn up in the atmosphere of when the marine grabbed him in space and used his booster rockets to throw both of them into the planet's gravity well.

I will say this though. The newly re-invented Friday the 13th, cheesy as it is, stands head and shoulders above Rob Zombi's take on the Halloween franchise. Rob's lackadaisical Michael Myers, who seems more interested in emotionally reaching out to his young female blood relative than killing her...to the point of allowing her to get his knife away from him and stab him into temporary submission made me cringe. Where was the Michael Myers who negligently took a blast from a double-barrel shotgun, then swatted the weapon out of the way before the would-be hero could fire again, followed by an equally offhand execution of the hapless teen?

Nah, the re-imagining of the Fri. 13th franchise, dodgy as it is, captures more of the original's feel than Rob Zombi captures of the Halloween ambiance

acealive1
23-Oct-2010, 04:30 PM
I gotta ask dude...what's with the gyrating skank ho in your signature?



it's kelly clarkson. would you rather it be a man?

Mike70
23-Oct-2010, 04:51 PM
Yeah...but I could give a long list of things that aren't good that I shouldn't enjoy, but I do anyway...:lol:

i'm guilty of the same. the friday series though...i can only hang in there with it for a bit.

-- -------- Post added at 12:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:50 PM ----------


it's kelly clarkson. would you rather it be a man?

who the fark is kelly clarkson??? seriously, all joking is aside.

MoonSylver
23-Oct-2010, 05:40 PM
A I will say this though. The newly re-invented Friday the 13th, cheesy as it is, stands head and shoulders above Rob Zombi's take on the Halloween franchise. Rob's lackadaisical Michael Myers, who seems more interested in emotionally reaching out to his young female blood relative than killing her...to the point of allowing her to get his knife away from him and stab him into temporary submission made me cringe. Where was the Michael Myers who negligently took a blast from a double-barrel shotgun, then swatted the weapon out of the way before the would-be hero could fire again, followed by an equally offhand execution of the hapless teen?

Nah, the re-imagining of the Fri. 13th franchise, dodgy as it is, captures more of the original's feel than Rob Zombi captures of the Halloween ambiance

I haven't even gotten around to RZH yet, & probably WON'T. I don't like what I've heard of his "re imagining" of MM & his white trash/psycho hillbilly origins (WTF is up w/ RZ & rednecks anyway? Dude was born in Massachusetts FFS. Was he locked in a closet & made to watch an unending reel of "Deliverance" & TCSM? :lol:).

One of the things I always liked about MM was that he came from a normal, whitebread family, w/ no dark secrets. He was just evil, & he killed. Period. He was an enigma (until later when they added the "Thorn" storyline to explain why he killed & why he couldn't BE killed. It was fun, in a comic book sort of way, but eh...:confused:). On one hand, props I guess to RZ for trying something different, but on the other...eh...sometimes trying to re-invent an icon doesn't always work...I think I'd rather he did the same story with an ORIGINAL character than an established one. If he'd have invented a whole new character/franchise that would have been a lot easier to take, but then again, there probably wouldn't have been the financing available, or the instant PR+box office that comes with an established brand name either.

It is in the $5 bin right now, so maybe I should give it a shot, just so I can speak from my own experience, but I never did get a good vibe from it, & nothing I've seen or heard since its release has changed that opinion...:(

Now the F13th reboot, I did like, for the most part. They were pretty successful at reinventing the character a bit & making him fresh & yet still keeping him faithful & returning to the roots, more or less (the only stumble might've been capturing the girl that reminded him of mom, but eh...*shrug*)



who the fark is kelly clarkson??? seriously, all joking is aside.

Winner of the 1st "American Idol"...as much as it shames me that I even KNOW that...:lol:

Mike70
23-Oct-2010, 06:31 PM
Winner of the 1st "American Idol"...as much as it shames me that I even KNOW that...:lol:

that explains it. i am not hip to any of the latest pleb trends.

acealive1
23-Oct-2010, 07:00 PM
that explains it. i am not hip to any of the latest pleb trends.


i wouldnt call her a trend............. someone that can actually sing in today's world is kinda rare

bassman
23-Oct-2010, 09:44 PM
it's kelly clarkson. would you rather it be a man?

In the same outfit? Sure. How did you know that's what i'm interested in?

I just thought it was funny that someone has a gif of a girl doing that little jig as a signature...

ProfessorChaos
23-Oct-2010, 10:09 PM
that's why i have signatures turned off....animated signatures, unless done right and using the right material (tricky's & billy ray's) are very annoying.

and the reason i know of the above signatures is because if i'm just lurking and not logged in i am forced to see them.

as for my "must-see" halloween movies, it's usually halloween 1 & 2, maybe RZ's remake of halloween, the crow, and NotLD.

acealive1
23-Oct-2010, 10:38 PM
In the same outfit? Sure. How did you know that's what i'm interested in?

I just thought it was funny that someone has a gif of a girl doing that little jig as a signature...

way to be offended on something i never went into.

bassman
23-Oct-2010, 10:41 PM
Uhh....way to think I was offended when I wasnt. I guess.:duh:

Wyldwraith
24-Oct-2010, 07:12 AM
After seeing what's been on offer for this week leading up to Halloween, I'm definitely wanting to see some higher-quality classics instead of played to death flicks that get played a ton the rest of the year as well. Even something as simple as Fright Night, Near Dark, or even a couple of less well known but decent zombie or vampire flicks. It just gets old seeing the same ole standbys blared again and again. Heck, something like The Puppetmasters, though a touch sci-fi-esque would be a novel change. Maybe even Dracula 2000 if we're headed for the realm of cheesy anyways.

Chiefly though, I'd really like to see the Evil Dead films on AMC. This year's Fear Fest, other than The Walking Dead of course, has been a really, REALLY weak showing. Nothing wrong with airing the slasher franchises, but support them with some decent solo flicks.

MoonSylver
24-Oct-2010, 05:30 PM
Watched Hallween 4-6 last night. 4 was great. Very epic. 5 just meandered in circles for an hour until the fnal act to set up 6. 6 was a confusing mish-mash mess with an ending that made no sense. I remembered enjoying the whole "Thorn" storyline more when I was younger than I do now.

I had a much longer, beautifully detailed review review of each one, but teh forumz ate mai post, & now I don't feel like rewriting it. :(

Up next is H20 & Resurrection, in which the series is restarted...again, discarding 4-6 & directly following up 1&2. I haven't seen these so I'm kind of looking forward to it, but kind of afraid I'll be dissapointed at the same time, which is part of the reason I never watched them when they 1st came out.

Wyldwraith
24-Oct-2010, 07:32 PM
Via Con Dios,
H20 is totally meh, and Resurrection is strictly mediocre while fused with a cheesy premise. If you've never seen them I guess it's worth it for the sake of thoroughness, but wouldn't get my hopes up bro. I put H2O about in the same category as Rob Zombi's fumbling remakes.

MoonSylver
26-Oct-2010, 04:44 AM
Up next is H20 & Resurrection, in which the series is restarted...again, discarding 4-6 & directly following up 1&2. I haven't seen these so I'm kind of looking forward to it, but kind of afraid I'll be dissapointed at the same time, which is part of the reason I never watched them when they 1st came out.

Watched H20 & Resurrection on Sunday.

H20 was aiight, not bad, but nothing major. Probably better than 5 & 6 (not saying much there), but not as good a 1, 2, or 4.

Resurrection? Ugh. Pretty damn not good. Started off good. If they'ed have made the whole movie Michael chasing Laurie at the asylum that would have been great, but that part was quickly over, & then the rest of the movie set in. Goofy premise, painfully awkward "Look! We r down with teh kidz & teh hotness. Check out r web camz & text messaging!" And Michael get his ass kicked by BUSTA RHYMES. Let me say that again: MICHAEL GETS HIS ASS KICKED BY BUSTA RHYMES!!!! Way to shit all over one of the greatest icons in Slasher Movie history. :mad:

Up next: Friday the 13th (series)

bassman
26-Oct-2010, 12:08 PM
Looks like you and I are switching it up, Moon. I finished the Friday series last week and last night I started the Halloween series. My original opinion of the first film still stands - I just don't get the following it has. It's nothing really special. It drags quite a bit, actually. Not bad, but not great.

Here's the statement that I'm sure I'll get shit for....I think I may enjoy Halloween 2 more than the first. I enjoyed the hospital setting and it all felt fresh after the lulling original.

Tonight is part three, which I believe is the one with no Mike Myers? Looking forward to that. Only to have him come back again in part four. hrm.

JDFP
26-Oct-2010, 01:13 PM
Tonight is part three, which I believe is the one with no Mike Myers? Looking forward to that. Only to have him come back again in part four. hrm.

Bass, don't forget your Silver Shamrock mask!

Five more days to Halloween, Halloween, Halloween, five more days to Halloween, Silver Shamrock!

(On a side note, they ought to really make those masks for folks, you could get yourself and two friends together to go as the three different masks -- of course only a few people would get it, but it would still be golden).

j.p.

MoonSylver
26-Oct-2010, 05:55 PM
Looks like you and I are switching it up, Moon. I finished the Friday series last week and last night I started the Halloween series. My original opinion of the first film still stands - I just don't get the following it has. It's nothing really special. It drags quite a bit, actually. Not bad, but not great.

Hmmm, Remember the 1st is nothing special IN HIND SIGHT. When it first came out, it was pretty groundbreaking & set off the whole "slasher movie" trend,& established a lot of the tropes of the genre that many would follow for years to come.

As for the following, hmmm, that's always a hard one. Can't speak for others, but I think he did a great job of creating a "legendary" character in Michael Myers & does a great job establishing a mood w/ Dr. Loomis.

As for the pacing, I'd thought of that a lot in recent viewings. The conclusion I came to is, yes it IS very slow, but it makes the ending more dynamic (to me). It's a long, slow build while we're shown a Norman Rockwell slice of small town America that is not quite right, there is something dark & sinister building under the surface.


Here's the statement that I'm sure I'll get shit for....I think I may enjoy Halloween 2 more than the first. I enjoyed the hospital setting and it all felt fresh after the lulling original.

Nah, won't give you shit for it. I can see where you're coming from. I gotta give the 1st one props for being FIRST though. The 2nd one is a lot "busier" than the 1st. There's more going on & it starts from the get go. I like to think of both movies as 2 parts of the same thing though, as it all takes place in one night, so that may be why. The fact that Hill & Carpenter wrote it as well helps too.


Tonight is part three, which I believe is the one with no Mike Myers? Looking forward to that. Only to have him come back again in part four. hrm.Yeah, 3 is sans MM. Carpenters original idea was to make like an anthology series. To every Halloween have a new "Halloween" movie, but about something different. But the 1st was so successful they wanted more of the same. After that was out of the way they tried it w/ the 3rd. After the negitive reaction it received producer Moustapha Akkad eventually revivied the franchise w/ #4.

bassman
26-Oct-2010, 06:22 PM
Hmmm, Remember the 1st is nothing special IN HIND SIGHT. When it first came out, it was pretty groundbreaking & set off the whole "slasher movie" trend,& established a lot of the tropes of the genre that many would follow for years to come.

Ehhh. I understand where you're coming from, but on the other hand Carpenter also made The Thing. A film that needs no "in hind sight" to enjoy. Still a fantastic slice of fried gold.

MoonSylver
26-Oct-2010, 06:51 PM
Ehhh. I understand where you're coming from, but on the other hand Carpenter also made The Thing. A film that needs no "in hind sight" to enjoy. Still a fantastic slice of fried gold.

Yeah, but "The Thing" stands alone, not in a field that soon became crowded by imitators. I think "Halloween" is still a great film, period. But I also feel like it's easy to loose sight of the films merits, that it sometimes becomes obscured by all of the knock offs that followed in it's wake. That's why I feel compelled to point out the cultural conxet of the time in which it was created, & what came before & after.

But then again, I alos think the fact that the film is still being viewed & discussed 32 years later, when all of the imitators have largely been forgotten, speaks volumes in & of itself. :)

wayzim
27-Oct-2010, 11:01 PM
Must See is pretty much any decent Horror/Sci-Fi flick during the month.
Preferably any film I haven't seen fifty zillion times (except maybe for Tremors. )
TCM is always good for the oldies, though I wish they'd carry the Hammer Drac series all the through to the end. Lee and Cushing rule!
I just taped the restored original Nosferatu (22 ) and it looks great. I also got Carl Dreyers Vampyr (32) which (shame of shames )I've never seen all the way through. I've got to re-establish my film buff credits here. The Return of The Vampire (42) is sorta a throw away, but novel as it has Vampire Bela Legosi prowling around London during the Blitz. Unfortunately the last film, Count Yorga(70) got the last ten minutes chopped off by mistake. But for you younger kids, this was what I was watching in the seventies.
I finally saw I Sell The Dead and it was a fun retro romp, Reminded me of some of Amicus' anthologies, like Tales From The Crypt or Vault of Horror.
Oh, I trying out Dead Set ( running this week on the Independent Film Channel ) which predeceases Walking Dead, with a drunken premise of a Big Brother reality show clashing with a zombie uprising. It's not making a believer out of me. Once you get them out of the studio it quicky becomes a standard zombie romp. I think the AMC show will be better.

Wayne Z
"This ain't no Creature Double feature or Midnight Horror Flick, babe. "
Dead Fall; Foreshadow.

blind2d
28-Oct-2010, 02:33 AM
Well, just finished 'Corpse Bride', so that's another off the list. Wait, was it on the list? Who cares, good film, anyway.

LouCipherr
28-Oct-2010, 01:02 PM
Up next: Friday the 13th (series)

The TV series, or the movies?

bassman
28-Oct-2010, 01:06 PM
The TV series, or the movies?

Good lord. Just thinking about how crappy the movies are....the series has got to be the biggest pile of shit on the planet....

JDFP
28-Oct-2010, 01:24 PM
Good lord. Just thinking about how crappy the movies are....the series has got to be the biggest pile of shit on the planet....

The TV series actually has nothing to do with the films at all (in the slightest) and is actually a really good series. I remember watching it with my dad when I was younger. The show is basically about this older guy, a younger girl, younger guy and how the three of them run this antique store and try to get back these evil/possessed items that were sold by the former owner of the antique store who sold his soul. It's a great deal of fun. All the items that were sold are "evil" in some way and cause all kinds of tragic destruction and mayhem (one of my favorite episodes actually includes this guy who gets an antique car AM stereo and when he rubs blood on it it gives him the ability to return back to the early 50's to see his grandfather).

The show "Warehouse 13" (which isn't anywhere near as good as the series "Friday the 13th") basically rips off this show's premise.

All 3 seasons of "Friday the 13th: The Series" are available on DVD and are definitely worth a watch. It's great late 80's/early 90's entertainment and a few episodes are actually really good as opposed to just good.

j.p.

bassman
28-Oct-2010, 01:52 PM
Surprising. Thanks for the heads up. Just looked around and it does have some good reviews. I think i've seen it from time to time on the SyFy or Chiller networks, so i'll keep an eye out for it.

Mike70
28-Oct-2010, 02:56 PM
All 3 seasons of "Friday the 13th: The Series" are available on DVD and are definitely worth a watch. It's great late 80's/early 90's entertainment and a few episodes are actually really good as opposed to just good.

j.p.

the friday series is a very good, sometimes great horror show. the first two seasons are the best because that dude that they brought in the 3rd season, who thought he was fonzi, irritated me.

the best episodes (in my not so humble opinion) are the scarecrow ep., the ep. about the pirates gold, and the one where they travel back and meet bram stoker. there are several other standouts but those 3 have always stuck out in my mind.

LouCipherr
28-Oct-2010, 03:12 PM
The TV series actually has nothing to do with the films at all (in the slightest) and is actually a really good series. I remember watching it with my dad when I was younger. The show is basically about this older guy, a younger girl, younger guy and how the three of them run this antique store and try to get back these evil/possessed items that were sold by the former owner of the antique store who sold his soul. It's a great deal of fun. All the items that were sold are "evil" in some way and cause all kinds of tragic destruction and mayhem (one of my favorite episodes actually includes this guy who gets an antique car AM stereo and when he rubs blood on it it gives him the ability to return back to the early 50's to see his grandfather).

The show "Warehouse 13" (which isn't anywhere near as good as the series "Friday the 13th") basically rips off this show's premise.

All 3 seasons of "Friday the 13th: The Series" are available on DVD and are definitely worth a watch. It's great late 80's/early 90's entertainment and a few episodes are actually really good as opposed to just good.

j.p.

This x1000! I LOVED Friday the 13th: The Series (I think it was called "Friday's Curse" across the pond) - not only did Micky Foster (Louise Robey) start my intense redhead fettish, it really was a great series to boot.

The DVD's for all three seasons were FINALLY made available last year. Paramount was a bunch of idiots waiting that long, considering for how long people were selling copies of the DVD's ripped from VHS recordings of the shows on ebay - and people were getting well over $100-150 for those burned copies! :stunned:

I will say this: the quality of the DVD's isn't outstanding (I have all three, as I'm a major fan of the show) because it was shot on video, but it's worth having if you dig the series.

Mike - The Scarecrow was one of my favorites. There's a lot of great episodes, but that one always comes to mind when I think of the show. :D And yes, "Johnny" ruined the show. John D. LeMay should've stayed on for that last season. The chemistry between him, Robey and Chris Wiggins was fantastic, and they never recreated that magic with Johnny.

I will say this - they way they got rid of Ryan (LeMay) on the show was a pretty cheap way of doing so, but how else do you eliminate a character from a show without killing him off?

bassman
28-Oct-2010, 03:17 PM
Damn....yous guys are making me want to buy the damn show. Definitely going to do a search for it on the DVR when I get home. I'm shocked so many seem to like it.

Let me ask you this though....Seeing as i'm not a fan of the Friday movies, will I still enjoy these? I know they're not really related, but is it that same kind of cheesy repeated storyline deal?

LouCipherr
28-Oct-2010, 03:20 PM
You might, bassman, if you like things like Twilight Zone and, like JP said, the new Warehouse 13 is exactly the same as FT13th:TS - well, except they're lacking a hot redhead. :lol:

Remember when/if you watch this, it was a mid-80's series, so it is a tad dated with it's visual fx and all, but the stories were where the gold is. Some of them were pretty heart-wrenching stories.

All i can say is, try and find episodes from season 1 or 2. Season 2 was much more "matured" than season 1, but they were "finding their groove" so-to-speak with the first season. ;)

JDFP
28-Oct-2010, 03:24 PM
Let me ask you this though....Seeing as i'm not a fan of the Friday movies, will I still enjoy these? I know they're not really related, but is it that same kind of cheesy repeated storyline deal?

A few of the episodes are a bit cheesy (it was made in the 80's after all); but the majority of the show is actually extremely intelligent writing and the acting is quite good. The theme song to the show used to scare me quite badly when I was little too.

To answer your question, no, it's not the same type of thing. The series is more adult-entered with telling entertaining stories about cursed objects/antiques and the pursuit to bring them back to the antique shop "vault" to keep them away from people. It's a story of the week show with a very dark undertone.

j.p.

bassman
28-Oct-2010, 03:25 PM
Sounds almost like an Indiana Jones series. But with more horror...

AcesandEights
28-Oct-2010, 03:27 PM
Sounds almost like an Indiana Jones series. But with more horror...

Speaking of which (and sorry for the threadjack, but...), I haven't seen Young Indiana Jones since it aired. Anyone have any recent impressions of the series?

JDFP
28-Oct-2010, 03:33 PM
Sounds almost like an Indiana Jones series. But with more horror...

It kinda is, yeah. The original owner of the antique shop (I believe his name was Lewis something) ended up making a deal with the devil for eternal life. In return for eternal life he sold cursed objects/antiques to people. Something or another happened to him (can't remember what exactly) and his niece and nephew (two of the three main characters on the show) end up taking over his antique shop not realizing the pact. This is where they are introduced to the scruffy older guy (can't remember his name but he's a fantastic actor) who comes in and knew about the cursed objects/antiques and had been trying to stop Lewis.

The show basically picks up from here and they work to go through Lewis's "journal" of cursed objects he sold with the names/addresses of people these objects were sold to so they can go and retrieve them before people die/get harmed. Each week is usually about a new object but occasionally they go back and re-visit an older object and sometimes Lewis shows up as well (turns out he's not really completely dead!) to wreak havoc on their efforts.

Man, now I'm going to have to look it up and re-watch this series.

j.p.

bassman
28-Oct-2010, 03:34 PM
Speaking of which (and sorry for the threadjack, but...), I haven't seen Young Indiana Jones since it aired. Anyone have any recent impressions of the series?

I saw a few recently. I still enjoy them. Of course there are ups and downs like any series. Sean Patrick Flannery was a good Indy for the show, imo. If you can find a few for cheap or *cough*free*cough*, I would say check them out.

The cool thing about the series is how it jumps around indy's life. You even get to see him as an old man.

http://futurethreat.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/image_youngindianajones_old1.jpg

LouCipherr
28-Oct-2010, 03:39 PM
It kinda is, yeah. The original owner of the antique shop (I believe his name was Lewis something) ended up making a deal with the devil for eternal life.

Lewis Vendredi - and "Vendredi" means "Friday" in French. :D

bassman - the great thing about the series is it had nothing to do with the movies except for the title and the fact that Frank Mancuso Jr. was the producer for the show and the movies. :D

Clickey for the Friday the 13th: The Series wiki page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_the_13th:_The_Series) - beware, there could be some spoilers in there.

MoonSylver
28-Oct-2010, 05:40 PM
The TV series, or the movies?

Movies. Never watched the series. Just not interested.

Mike70
28-Oct-2010, 10:22 PM
Let me ask you this though....Seeing as i'm not a fan of the Friday movies, will I still enjoy these? I know they're not really related, but is it that same kind of cheesy repeated storyline deal?

the show revolves around 2 cousins, played by robey (the hot redhead) and john lemay, who are attempting to recover the cursed objects that their evil-as-fu manchu uncle lewis sold to people. each object has a special power that is usually unlocked by an act or, in most cases, repeated acts of murder; powers that give the one possessing the object some kind of material or physical benefit.

i mentioned a few eps. in my first post on this subject but another stand out has come to mind: the ep. "faith healer" which was directed by david cronenberg.

MoonSylver
28-Oct-2010, 11:26 PM
Been lax about keeping up, but have watched F13th 1-5 over the past few days:

#1 - A lot of F13th purists would crucify me for this, but I have very *meh* feelings about the first one. Maybe it's because my intro to the series was #2 and on, but the 1st only leaves me so-so. It's a decent enough slasher/thriller, with an unexpected payoff the 1st time you see it back in the day (I'm sure any horror fan worth their salt knows who the killer is now). It's a bit slow in the beginning, but unlike "Halloween", I don't feel the slow build of tension. The showdown at the end is a bit anti-climatic (to me). But I still watch it out of loyalty & for the Tom Savini SPFX (plus the "big scare" at the end, which is still classic).

#2 - One of my favorites. I saw this one a BUNCH on cable in the early 80's. Does a very good job of recapping the 1st, so TEHCNICALLY you could skip it, unless you're a purist like me. Does a good job of intro-ing a varied enough cast that they don't feel like "generic kids". Good build up to Jason in the campfire scene, & there's enough going on up until the final onslaught that it doesn't drag or get boring to me. Lot's of nice little touches in this one that are unique, such as the path to Jason's shack, the shack itself, the alter to his mother. Plus this is a Jason you never see again: Hillbilly Jason, with his bib overalls & sack head. :thumbsup:. This one sets down the formula that will be followed for a while in the series. Viewed as the first act in a 3 act series this is great.

#3 - This is my favorite in the series, for a number of reasons, above & beyond the fact this is the first one I saw in theatres. I like the cast themselves, really varied & lots of colorful personality (even if they are caricatures, in a movie like this that can be forgiven if not expected). This is the one where Jason picks up the trademark Hockey Mask, & they way it's intro'ed & the lead up to it are nice. This is my favorite Jason of the series, for some reason. I just like the look. The locations themselves are the best in the series. From Higgen's Haven itself (where most of the action takes place), to the General Store in the opening, they all have a great "feel" to them. The inclusion of the bikers is a nice touch as well & adds some color & variety. The final showdown at the end is great, with lots of chases in & out & around Higgen's Haven. The 3-D in this one was used rather gimmick-y, but I remember it working QUITE WELL when I saw it in theatres. Just love everything about this one.

#4 - This is a fairly good one. On it's own it's ok, paired w/ 2 & 3 it rises a notch. The cast in this one is honestly a little annoying, except for Tommy & his family, & the "fearless Jason Hunter" which I thought was a really cool idea (if underutilized). When Jason finally shows up, it's pretty impressive. The staging of the bodies is a nice touch in this one, pretty good chase, & the final showdown with Jason is one of the most memorable in slasher move history. Unfortunately, this is where they kill Jason off. :( Why I do not know, as they had hit a pretty nice stride with the series, & obviously people still wanted to SEE them, as look at how many more they went on to make... So this is the end of "human" Jason. :(

#5 - I used to hate this one, because it wasn't REALLY Jason in it. Viewing it with fresh eyes, it's a decent-to-mediocre enough entry. They did a good job at showing the trauma Tommy suffered because of Jason (a fact that they, unfortunately, discard in #6). This was supposed to be the segue to intro Tommy as the new Jason. Unfortunately (for them), the public wanted JASON as Jason! M Which leads to #6...

...To be continued...

Mike70
29-Oct-2010, 01:38 AM
#2 - One of my favorites. I saw this one a BUNCH on cable in the early 80's.

#3 - This is my favorite in the series, for a number of reasons, above & beyond the fact this is the first one I saw in theatres. I like the cast themselves, really varied & lots of colorful personality (even if they are caricatures, in a movie like this that can be forgiven if not expected). This is the one where Jason picks up the trademark Hockey Mask, & they way it's intro'ed & the lead up to it are nice.

me too, on both accounts. i have a very soft spot for both of these films. it is totally a nostalgia thing and completely out of whack with how good (or bad depending on your view point) these flicks are.

to jump ship back to the series:

john lemay is also the only person to act in both a movie in the series and the tv show. he is also one of the few folks who survive a prolonged physical altercation with jason (at the end of jason goes to hell), which is kinda of funny since he is roughly my size.

MoonSylver
06-Nov-2010, 03:31 PM
...To be continued...

Fell behind again (curse you real life!), but I did squeeze in #6-8, JGTH & FvJ before Halloween Night.

#6 "Jason Lives" - I really enjoyed the movie a lot in the 80's. I still do, but in some ways it has not aged as well as the earlier movies in the series. It is a VERY 80's movie. As an older guy, I noticed a lot of quibbles my younger self did not have.

Thom Mathews didn't make a great Tommy Jarvis. His acting just came across as more wooden in this one. I couldn't get beyond "Hey, it's the guy from ROTLD playing Tommy!" Maybe it's a product of the writing but all of the "damaged , traumatized survivor" from #5 is gone. Instead he is played as a very "Leading Man/Hero" type.

The resurrection of Jason is very contrived (but if you follow a lot of the fandom, there are lots of explanations that make this one more plausible [yeah, I know...] so this I can overlook.). The Jason resurrection scene is pretty well done though. The close up of his worm ridden eye popping open, to his rise out of the grave, nicely done. The rotted, corpse makeup is really good. Covered in worms & maggots, rotted & desiccated, draped in cobwebs, he looks very much like a Fulci zombie. :thumbsup:

All of the other characters are painted in very broad, stereotypical, brush strokes as well. All the cops are dicks, the deputy inept, the Hot Sheriff's Daughter of course has a thing for The Hero because he's "cute" (even though he's raving like a maniac about a dead serial killer. Then the bodies start turning up. Gee, who would a REAL person suspect...), kids in either "smart alec/precocious" or "sweet & innocent" flavors, Cort the "heavy metal, ripped jeans, walkman" teen, etc.

We're then treated to a variety of set pieces interspersed of various folks in the woods for Jason to kill, everyone from office pool "weekend warriors" playing paintball (which is actually a good one. Jason acquires a new machete here, as well as a "utility belt" that is fun.), to a drunken cemetery caretaker (another stereotypical character, but a fun & funny one, so I'll give him a pass), to moonlight picnicking yuppies, looking for a place to get it on.

Finally, we have a police chase, capture, a contrived jail escape, camp counselors killed, and a final showdown to "lay Jason to rest" armed with the knowledge obtained from a stack of paperback occult tomes that I suspect were bought at the local Waldenbooks.

It sounds like, based on all of this, that I don't like #6. Quite the contrary. It's a great piece of cheesy, 80's fun, & along w/ #7 is probably the best of the "undead" Jason series. However, it marks the change of tone in the series as well as "Jason-as-unstoppable-undead-engine-of-destruction". As a teenage power-gamer I dug this. As a more "mature adult" I find it less interesting to an extent.

#7 "The New Blood" - I like a lot. It's simple, uncomplicated, & straight forward: Jason vs "Carrie" is how it's been described, & that's pretty much it. However, if you buy that premise, it's a lot of fun. Now that Jason has been turned into an unstoppable juggernaut, no one can stand up to him PHYSICALLY, so this seems almost like a logical step (& a nice juxtaposition) to have a GIRL engage him in battle on equal terms with MENTAL powers of psychokinesis. She really puts him through his paces & it's a pretty epic fight. The ending is a little farfetched, w/ Tina's dead daddy popping up out of the water to take Jason down (nice nod to J & Mr's V's in #1 & #3). I've seen the speculation that this was a visualization+manifestaion of Tina's power & I can buy that.

The Jason makeup in this one by John Carl Buechler (who also directed) is FANTASTIC. VERY detailed. He looks appropriately rotted & waterlogged, with ribs & spine & all showing through rotten flesh. The face under the mask is great as well. Unfortunately it's a look they abandon in #8 for a more "basic", & no doubt cheaper & easier, look.

#8 "Jason Takes New York" - A great premise (take the boy outta the woods & turn him lose in the big city) & a missed opportunity. They could have called this one "Jason Takes a Cruise", as 1/2 of it takes place on a ship, which actually could have been an interesting setting for a WHOLE movie, but as is, we end up with almost two "half" movies. Once he DOES get to the city, we unfortunately get to see very little of the REAL city (& Jason in it) as I assume location shooting was too expensive. Instead we get a number of "grimy back alley" sets. There are a few amusing vignettes of Jason encountering various "crime ridden New York'er" stereotypes, which are fun, if too brief. A whole movie of Jason loose in the city & his interactions with various locations & "New York Types" would have been great.

Then we come to the problematic ending: from "they flood the sewers at night with toxic waste" (Really? :rockbrow: REALLY?!?!? :stunned:) to "Jason turned back into a kid" (which we have to assume is really a hallucination/psychic vision, which the heroine HAD been having through out the movie. It's the only way to even remotely accept plausibility, or a continuation of the series.). Probably the weakest of the series, which is sad, as this unfortunately (?) is the end of the "Classic" F13th series from Paramount. After this New Line acquired the rights to the character, which leads to...

"Jason Goes To Hell" - Ugh. :( I tried to watch this one again, with a fair & objective eye for the purposes of completeness & these reviews I'd been doing, but after 10-15 min I HAD to turn it off. It really is a horrible movie. One of my all time worst movies EVER. I made it through the opening "FBI ambush"/death of Jason, which I remembered as being A LOT more fun than it IS. Jason roaring like a caveman & looking like a swollen mutant (presumably due to his encounter w/ toxic waste @ the end of #8) with a HORRIBLE make-up job by KNB (?!?!) for which they should be ASHAMED. After that, I just couldn't take any more. And this is before all of the "Jason body switching" crap even STARTS. IMO, New Line only made this stinker so they could "send Jason to Hell" to set up the movie they REALLY wanted to make...

"Freddy vs Jason" - I debated on if I should watch this one at the end of my ANOES marathon, or this one. I probably should have done it in ANOES, as I've come to the conclusion it really does feel more like a "Freddy" movie now. This one feels a little "new school" to fit into a "old school" F13th marathon. Having said that, I REALLY like this one (probably more than I should.) The look & take on Jason isn't 100% faithful to the "classic" series, but it IS interesting & different, & I like it (for this movie anyway). It's very "Frankensteins Monster"-like. And the image of a flaming bonfire Jason, calmly walking through a cornfield, leaving a swath of destruction in his path, before being doused & launching into a full out slaughter at the rave being held there, is one of the greatest things I've ever seen.:kiss::o

They lavished a decent amount of time & attention to this one & it does show, across almost all aspects of the production. The final battle (2 actually, one in the Dream World on Freddy's turf in the boiler room & round 2 in the Real World at Camp Crystal Lake on Jason's) is spectacular & fitting of what you would expect of two undead serial killers who can't die.

When I was young & these series were new, the rumors of this kind of "vs" movie were legend. Guys of my age, who are/were fans of these series, never thought we would live long enough to SEE such a thing happen. To have it come true? This was our "Frankenstein vs The Wolfman", our "seeing The Beatles on Ed Sullivan". So maybe that's why I'm willing to overlook any incongruities. But I love this movie. :)

So there it is for now. I still have "Jason X" (yes I know it should have been after JGTH, but since it takes place in the future I ALWAYS watch it last) & the Reboot to go. So, Halloween be damned, I'm gonna keep going! :D