Ernesto61 Days of Halloween starts now!
Clown in a Cornfield, B-, streaming, directed by Eli Craig, starring Katie Douglas, doctor and his daughter move into a small town and deal with psychopaths dressed as clowns. A fun ride but a bit hollow when it comes to characterization because of some story points they decided to leave in the background. Will Sasso was okay as the sheriff but I imagined him to be different when I read the book. I love Kevin Durand but he didn't have much to do until the final. The kills were decent, ok fluff.
Monster Island 2025, C, streaming, directed by Mike Wiluan, starring Dean Fujioka, Japanese soldier and British prisoner in World War II are stranded on an island with monsters. The whole movie is just okay and that was my problem, I wish it was better than that. The monster design and violence is good but I also wish more was done with it. The two actors worked well together although nothing special.
The Woman in the Yard 2025, C+, streaming, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, starring Danielle Deadwyler, a lady dealing with grief after a family tragedy has to protect her children from a woman dressed in black. The story and actors are good with a good location but the film starts off with a good sense of dread that seems to taper off midway through. I don't think dread throughout the film would have hurt the sadness of the story.
The Horror Show/House 3 1989, C, streaming, directed by James Isaac, starring Brion James, serial killer is executed and returns for payback. This and Wes Craven's Shocker are silly dumb slasher films with similar stories but while Craven’s film is fun this one just feels off. There's some wonderful dream-like sequences with good fx that feel like they belong in an Elm Street film but that's not enough to make a good movie.
Black Sunday 1960, B+, Blu-ray, directed by
Mario Bava, starring Barbara Steele, a witch from the past returns for revenge. Old school gothic tale, wonderful black and white visuals and a master horror director behind the camera makes a fantastic film.
Mario Bava, starring Barbara Steele, a witch from the past returns for revenge. Old school gothic tale, wonderful black and white visuals and a master horror director behind the camera makes a fantastic film.
Black Sabbath 1963, A-, Blu-ray, directed by Mario Bava, starring Boris Karloff, anthology horror from the Italian master. Three wonderful tales but my favorite is the Wurdalak. Karloff looks to be having pure fun in the role of the vampire and the whole story is overflowing with fantastic atmosphere, bravo.
The Girl Who Knew Too Much 1963, B, Blu-ray, directed by Mario Bava, starring Leticia Roman, a tourist in Rome sees a murder and tries to find the killer. I'm not sure if this is the first giallo but the giallo elements and the story work well together and the light comedy works for me.
The Evil Eye 1963, C, Blu-ray, directed by Mario Bava, starring Leticia Roman, a tourist in Rome sees a murder and tries to find the killer. The more comedic cut of The Girl Who Knew Too Much works but I prefer the Italian version.
Kill, Baby, Kill 1966, B-, Blu-ray, directed by Mario Bava, starring Giacomo Rossi Stuart, a skeptical doctor investigates murders in Transylvania that might be caused by something supernatural. Hammer by way of Bava with the director's lighting style. The story is a tad convolted but it looks beautiful.
Don't Go in the Woods 1981, C, streaming, directed by James Bryan, starring Nick Cleland, campers deal with a crazy stinky dude. Yes they did go into the woods and yes they shouldn't have…dumbasses. Acting's bad but the kills are decent and I appreciate that the killer kills a dude in a wheelchair, I always enjoy that. Glad I saw it but I don't need to see it again.
Prague Nights 1969, B, streaming, directed by Milos Makovec, Evald Schorm, Jiri Brdecka, starring Melena Dvorska, horror anthology. There are some similarities with Mario Bava’s Black Sabbath but this is its own thing. The film looks good but it doesn't have Bava's lighting.
The Rule of Jenny Pen, B+, streaming, directed by James Ashcroft, starring Geoffrey Rush, a judge who suffered a stroke deals with a psychopath patient in an assisted living facility. Wonderful horror/thriller with two wonderful actors that elevate the whole film. John Lithgow's portrayal of the bad guy turns this very well made horror film into something special.
Blood Diner 1987, C+, streaming, directed by Jackie Kong, starring Rick Burks, cannibalistic brothers try to raise an Egyptian goddess through sacrifice. I wasn't a big fan of Jackie Kong's first film The Being but I enjoyed this one more. A crazy idea with bad acting, poor script, and decent practical effects come together to make something interesting.
Fear Street Prom Queen, C+, streaming, directed by Matt Palmer, starring India Fowler, a slasher, starts killing off prom queen candidates in 1988. Enjoyable but I wish the lore was a little bit deeper. The first Fear Street films had better mythology but it was a trilogy so they had room.
The Blackening, B-, streaming, directed by Tim Story, starring Antoinette Robertson, a friend's get together is ruined by a killer. I liked it but I was fighting a cold when I saw it so I didn't fully enjoy it, so I got to see it again someday.
The Dark Half 1993, C+, streaming, directed by George A. Romero, starring Timothy Hutton, an author with a pseudonym, has it revealed publicly and then killings that match one of his book characters begin. The story's good and does feel like a Stephen King story but I do wish the protagonist and antagonist played off each other more.
Screamtime 1983, C-, streaming, directed by Michael Armstrong, Stanley Long, starring Robin Bailey, horror anthology. The stories are interesting and good, except the wraparound story, but there's a visual mediocrity through the whole film that just kept me from getting into it.
The Woman In Black 1989, C, streaming, directed by Herbert Wise, starring Adrian Rawlins,Man goes to a small village to settle in a state and deals with the supernatural. It was decent but I prefer the remake.
The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue 1975, C+, streaming, directed by Jorge Grau, starring Ray Lovelock, some type of sound wave device is being tested out in the English countryside that makes the dead rise. I saw this years ago and found it boring but enjoyed it this time. Enjoy the daylight scenes and the Italian horror feel.
Mute Witness 1995, B+, streaming, directed by Anthony Waller, starring Marina Zudina, a mute makeup artist working in Russia sees a snuff film being filmed and has to outwit the Killers. Fantastic thriller with a very light slapstick comedy vibe in the background that works surprisingly well and makes it feel like a 1930s or '40s film.
