Here are some quick reviews from this week’s movies. Check out the full schedule here.
The Innkeepers (2011) – 7/10 – When Ti West was releasing films like this one and House of the Devil, we had a horror podcast that focused mainly on slashers. So I likely didn’t quite give West the credit he deserved back then. To me, aside from the stuff Mike Flanagan is doing, this is probably as good as indie ghost movies get right now.
House of Dracula (1945) – 7/10 – This one is better than the two that came right before it (1943’s Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man and 1944’s The House of Frankenstein). You get Dracula, Wolf Man, and Frankenstein all together here, and some of it is genuinely creepy. I think my favorite part is when Talbot asks the doctor for help, and he basically tells him he should just get locked in jail again. And of course, at the end we get another burning castle!
Aside from these movies, I re-watched every single Halloween film. What a week!
Halloween (1978) – 10/10 – Best movie ever. By the way, Lynda’s “totally” count = 7.
Halloween II (1981) – 10/10 – It can’t equal the first one, but then nothing could. All the sequels need to be judged separately. But even without the first film, this is still a near perfect ’80s slasher, and it has everything that makes slashers my favorite subgenre.
Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) – 8/10 – I’ve probably gone from about a 3/10 to this 8/10 just within the last 10 years or so. I do think it’s a fun horror movie that I used to take for granted back in the day, but I also think it’s completely absurd. However, even at its most ridiculous, it is attempting to deliver horror and not comedy, which I can totally appreciate, even if I do just laugh at most of it.
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) – 10/10 – This is probably the best horror sequel after Friday the 13th II.
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989) – 5/10 – Such a letdown. Imagine if you weren’t invested in these characters from the previous film. It’s pretty bad. How could they mess up a Michael Myers sequel in the ’80s? It was guaranteed to make money, so why not spend whatever it took to get it right? It still gets a 5, if only for Loomis and Michael.
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995) – 6/10 – As disappointed as I am with Revenge, for some reason I kinda like this one. And I don’t think it’s because of Paul Rudd. Maybe it’s because it’s the one that came out right after I turned 18, and I could legally walk up and buy a ticket without my dad or uncle with me. Maybe it’s because of some of the great kills, like the huge slaughter scene. Or maybe it’s the cool Windows 95 thorn screensaver Paul Rudd has. But whatever it is, once you get past the first 20 minutes (and the fact that Danielle Harris was replaced), I’m pretty into it. OK, maybe it’s Paul Rudd.
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998) – 8/10 – This is Rusty’s favorite title of the series, and it’s also a really fun movie. Michael has the determination he showed in Curse, but we get to skip all of the crazy thorn stuff this time.
Halloween: Resurrection (2002) – 5/10 – Unlike Curse, the whole extended intro is the best part of this one. Once we get to the reality TV show stuff, it’s just disappointing. There was so much potential, but they blew it, and now it just feels outdated.
Halloween (2007) – 8/10 – I might not agree with all of Rob Zombie’s decisions, but I definitely appreciate what he tried to do with it. It’s a bit too long for me, especially the long ending. But it’s a really good remake/reboot overall.
Halloween II (2009) – 1/10 – I just hate it. This is the third time I’ve watched it, after the theatrical release and a podcast review. I want to like it. But unfortunately, it’s really really bad.
Halloween (2018) – 10/10 – As good as Zombie’s 2007 remake is, I think this one is even better. It’s honestly everything we could’ve hoped for. Can’t wait for the new one next week!
Snow in Southtown Christmas Podcast 