Here are some quick reviews from this week’s movies. Check out the full schedule here.
Trick ‘r Treat (2007) – 10/10 – A perfect Halloween film and a perfect anthology. It just looks, sounds, and feels like Halloween. In fact, stop reading this, and go watch it twice.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) – 9/10 – We waited a long time for this one, and I feel like it is almost perfect. It isn’t quite the anthology that I think we were all expecting, and I personally could’ve used a few more of the stories/characters after waiting so long. But as a huge fan of the books, I think it’s pretty good for what it is. I’ll watch it multiple times each year, and I can’t wait for the sequel.
The Stuff (1985) – 4/10 – Everybody has to eat shaving cream once in a while…
Creepshow S3E1 (2021) – 6/10 – “Mums” was a 7/10. It’s a perfect length, and I like Ethan Embry. “Queen Bee” is more like a 4 or a 5, although the effects are great. It could’ve been a 10-minute short.
Horror Hall of Fame Awards (1990) – 9/10 – Thanks to Dinosaur Dracula and the Purple Stuff Podcast for covering this on the last episode. Look this up on YouTube if you haven’t seen it. Robert Englund, Jason, Chucky, the Cryptkeeper, and others all make appearances in this live awards show that actually aired on TV. The YouTube version even leaves in a few horror-related commercials, such as Elvira selling Mug Root Beer.
The final four movies were part of Elvira’s 40th Anniversary, Very Scary, Very Special Special that aired on Shudder this weekend.
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988) – 5/10 – Although this horror comedy doesn’t have quite enough horror or comedy, there are some fun moments, and the effects are pretty good.
House on Haunted Hill (1959) – 7/10 – I hate to spoil a film that is more than 60 years old, but my main issue with this one is always that nothing is really “haunted.” It’s kinda like a Scooby Doo episode, with some real killing, of course. Fun story, good acting. Probably a blast to watch in a theater at the time.
The City of the Dead (1960) – 5/10 – This was my first time seeing this one. The witch story is definitely cool, but it’s really slow. While it shares a few similarities with Psycho, it doesn’t come close as an overall film. Mostly, even for a 1960 horror film about a witch from 1692, the plot is just absurd.
Messiah of Evil (1973) – 2/10 – What a way to close out a four-film marathon on a Saturday night/Sunday morning. To say this is a terrible movie is an understatement. Every scene leaves you going, “Wait… what?” There are many scenes thrown in that have nothing to do with the rest of the film, so trying to keep it all together is difficult enough. But then even the main story itself is just insane. In the end, unlike The Stuff or other awful films that I can watch repeatedly, this is something that I’ll never need to watch again.
Snow in Southtown Christmas Podcast 