October Horror Challenge 2021 - PROGRESS THREAD

October Horror Challenge 
Total = 38
FTV = 23
Repeat = 15
Completed = Oct 27th.

Blu-ray; 4
DVD; 10
YouTube; 11
Tubi; 12
7plus; 1

Top 3 FTV’s;
1. Theatre of Blood (1973)
2. Tower of London (1962)
3. The Appointment (1981)


Oct 1st.
1. The Clown at Midnight (1998) FTV  - YouTube - 4/10
A very 90s (with a soundtrack to boot), run-of-the-mill cheap DTV slasher made the more interesting because of the cast, and the old abandoned theatre backdrop. You got Christopher Plummer slumming it. Margot Kidder brings energy. While James Duval & Tatyana Ali (Fresh Prince of Bel Air) head the young cast being despatched by a killer clown.

2.Grave Secrets (1989) FTV - Blu-ray - 6/10
A low-key, and low-scale ghost story. Predictable, yet cosy. Kinda slow and tame, in spite of the macabre backstory which concludes too neatly. I liked the cast though. Paul LeMat & Renee Soutendijk are solid. However it’s the smaller, but colourful support roles of David Warner & Olivia Brash make an impression. 

Oct 2nd.
3.Paganini Horror (1988) FTV - Tubi - 5/10
“There’s something maddening. Something monstrous in this house”.  Ultra dumb Italian supernatural horror, which took its story beats from the often told tale of ‘Faust’. Despite a pulsating score & short running time. It drags more often than delivering chintzy thrills. Donald Pleasence shows up briefly (in awful dubbing), and also Daria Nicolodi (who co-wrote the story).

4.The Suckling (1990) FTV - Tubi - 6/10
Amusing opening warning/credits aiming for Texas chainsaw vibes backed by a Halloween-like score. What you get is a crazy, and particularly violent independent creature-feature with well-done monster FX. Virtually a siege set-up in a brothel/illegal abortion clinic. Clunky, but had its charms. Those who like such 80s films as ‘Abomination’ and ‘The Deadly Spawn’ might dig?

Oct 3rd.
5.Doom Asylum (1987) FTV - Tubi - 3/10
“You’re in a lot of trouble torpedo tits.” Well, that was irritating to sit through. Outside of decent gore, this goofy horror-comedy fell flat for me. Exaggerated self-knowing humour and obnoxious acting tries too hard in its attempt to send up slasher/body count films. Kristin Davis makes her film debut, alongside former Penthouse pet Patty Mullen. Who’s probably better known for the titular role (“wanna date?”) in the cult film ‘Frankenhooker’. 

Oct 4th.
6.Blue Monkey (1987) FTV - YouTube - 5/10
Not bad. William Fruet’s ‘Blue Monkey‘ aka ‘Insect’ is a cheap, yet slightly effective one-note throwback to old school 1950s Sci-if horror with a hokey looking big bug terrorising a county hospital. However I thought the story’s starting point of a contagious infestation was better handled, and way more fascinating than when it fell into the basic creature on the loose/search and destroy formula. Still this b-movie gets by on its comic spirit, mild gooey effects and the casts’ commitment (not surprising when you have Steven Railsback and John Vernon) to the silly, slapdash material. 

Oct 5th.
7.Zombie Strippers (2008) FTV - DVD - 5/10
Does exactly what it says on the tin. Low-budget, camp horror-comedy. Tacky thrills, gratuitous sleaze and a slime-bag Robert Englund performance.

Oct 6th.
8.Open House (1987) FTV - YouTube - 6/10
Off-kilter slasher with a quota (...kills, nudity etc) & a ham fisted social commentary to boot. Honestly, I couldn’t tell if it was meant to be funny, or not. The tonal shifts are jarring, and at times mind-boggling. Especially after such a downbeat intro. Scenes can linger on shock moments, and dramatically so. And again I’m not sure if it’s meant to be intentional for a laugh, or just over doing it. Then there’s the nasty killer, and bizarre editing. His face hidden. But he’s a brute of a guy who grunts, giggles, eats pet food out of a can(?!), pats kittens & regularly calls a radio station doctor (Joseph Bottoms) to vent about society & sharing thoughts on the killings of Beverly Hills real estate agents. And the doctors girlfriend (the lovely Adrienne Barbeau) just happens to work in the field.

Oct 7th.
9.Iced (1988) FTV - YouTube - 3/10
So after just watching ‘Iced’, I decided to change my rating for ‘Open House’. Both are bad slashers, however the latter was at least entertainingly bizarro. While ‘Iced‘ was just flat & dull. Virtually a cheaply produced, & straight-to-video cheesy drama-fused slasher with a few striking deaths saved for the backend. It takes good hour of melodrama, & goggle POV shots before this snowbound slasher peaks. And even then it’s short-lived. As for the unknown killer decked out in ski gear. The reveal is obvious, however their motivation is out-of-left-field. Like those unexplained visions/or are they Fantasies/or maybe dreams... which just seem to pop out of nowhere. 

Oct 8th.


Oct 9th.
10.Blackwood Evil (2000) FTV - Tubi - 3/10
Found footage horror that plays up the angle of being real. Obviously riding the coattails of of “The Blair Witch Project”. Just made the following year. Somewhat authentic with its shot-on-video quality and interesting backstory of its haunted house - the eerie black lands of Texas. However the interest begins to waive with an hour worth of languid set-up, involving mostly back and forth bickering and a giggling reporter who constantly likes the sound of her own voice. The last 20 mins is filled with weak, and limited supernatural action and baffling character decisions. Quite frustrating, then fearful.  

Oct 10th.
11.All Night Long (1992) FTV - DVD - 6/10
12.All Night Long 2: Atrocity (1995) FTV - DVD - 5/10
13.All Night Long 3: The Final Chapter (1996) FTV - DVD - 3/10
There’s a real contrast between the films from the Japanese series ‘All Night Long’. From context to production quality. The series starts straightforward. A drama-revenge with exploitative beats, and troubling character pathos. Vicious violence and cruel depictions. While the cheap, and nasty follow-up (Atrocity) gets a little off-kilter, insane and turns to sadistic, psychotic torture for the sake of torture. Short and to the point with a creepy underlining & demeaning attitude. Still kinda follows the same formula of the original by having strangers meet through by chance, becomes friends and fall upon horrific circumstances. And by the third film (The Final Chapter), it’s downright ugly and depraved in its attempt to unsettle and disgust with little substance hanging from it cluttered narrative. The pacing plods and becomes numbing watching terrible people do terrible things to each other. Quite a dreary, & unpleasant outing, which felt more over-the-top (almost darkly comedic) compared to the previous two. So the first film feels Like a distant memory, and pales in comparison to the latter films’ boundary pushing. Still it was the better of the three.

Oct 11th.
14.Tremors 2: Aftershocks (1995) Repeat - DVD - 7/10
A fun tongue-in-cheek sequel, and extremely effective for a straight to video production. Obviously low-budget when compared to the first, and it shows with some limitations. However the effects; computer and practical are well-done. The story set-up was basically the same, but a different backdrop (Mexico) which was nicely shot and the story having the garboids evolve added much needed surprises, and shocks to the winning formula. It was great to see Fred Ward and Michael Gross back. Like they never missed a beat. Helen Shaver and Christopher Gartin effortlessly fitted right in. 

Oct 12th.
15.I Drink Your Blood (1970) Repeat - Tubi - 7/10 
Laughably cheesy, and trashy grindhouse exploitation that is just too much fun with its hippie, acid-tripping satan worshippers, especially when they become rabid maniacs after eating poisoned pies. Done by a little boy seeking revenge. A wonky sounding electronic score, tacky gore and animated acting are the headliners. 

Oct 13th.
16.Species (1995) Repeat - DVD - 6/10
You gotta love the 90s when you get big-budget schlock like ‘Species’. It loses steam before the end and the cgi around that time is also bad, yet it’s surprisingly graphic with the jolts and Natasha Henstridge is seductively appealing at the alien predator on the loose in L.A looking for a mate.  

17.The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942) Repeat - DVD - 6/10
Solidly entertaining Universal Frankenstein sequel. Pales in comparison to the previous films, yet fetching set designs and Bela Lugosi’s performance elevate proceedings.

Oct 14th.
18.Blood Beat (1983) Repeat - Tubi - 7/10
Regional low-budget horror at its most confounding, crazy and bizarre. Very experimental, and unique in its execution from its erratic music score, lingering camera shots and electricity visuals effects. Psychedelic horror like you never seen it. Yep, a killer samurai spirit in rural Wisconsin.

Oct 15th.
19.Hollows Grove (2015) FTV - Tubi - 4/10
Bog standard found footage horror of ghost hunters in an abandoned orphanage. Everything is packed towards the end, and Lance Henriksen gets a brief, but very cheeky () part. 

20.Blood Theatre (1984) FTV - tubi - 5/10
Amateurish, bone dry horror-comedy by film-maker Rick Solane (Hobgoblins). Clunky on the horror, nor is it particularly funny. However I love the old-school theatre setting, atmosphere is kinda surreal, Joanna Foxx’s vivid acting and the snappy wit of Mary Woronov never fails to amuse. Mildly Entertaining, despite its ineptness. 

Oct 16th.
21.Tales From the Crypt (1972) Repeat - tubi - 8/10
Great British anthology film. 

22.Bog (1979) FTV - Tubi - 3/10
Ridiculous, and tame low-budget creature-feature that is a cross between ‘Creature from the Black Lagoon’ and ‘Humanoids from the Deep.’ A little too boring, but wait to you see the monster costume. 

Oct 17th.


Oct 18th.


Oct 19th.


Oct 20th.
23.A Stranger is Watching (1982) Repeat - DVD - 7/10
While ‘Friday the 13th’ is iconic, I find this to be Sean S. Cunningham’s best directorial effort. Cruel, gritty and suspenseful race-against-the-clock kidnapping thriller with added slasher elements. Mainly set in the dirty, grimy underground’s of New York’s grand central station. The story had a few surprises up its sleeve, which I had forgotten all about. Again it’s efficient, & rather streamlined withhout being too spectacular. Still the ending/climax felt unbelievable (character actions) & rushed. Exceptional acting, especially Rip Torn and Kate Mulgrew. Music score is on point by Lalo Schifrin.

Oct 21st.
24.The Haunted (1991) Repeat - YouTube - 7/10
Effective little TV movie dramatising the actual events that happened to Jack & Janet Smurl and their family. Eerie haunted house story with the usual genre story beats, but well-done and acted. Actors playing Ed and Lorraine Warren also show up in the story. 

25.The Appointment (1981) FTV - YouTube - 7/10
Well, this obscure, ultimately strange British chiller left me with more questions than answers. Mainly thanks to its very ambiguous storytelling. It’s particularly slow, and very little happens progression wise, but I found it engagingly hypnotic. Loose and unexplored story threads (which sometimes don’t feel connected) come and go despite the plot feeling very slight. You could say it felt like a short story stretched out, because there was a real focus on filming techniques (lingering camera shots, piercing sound fx, intrusively uneasy music etc) to pad out time, but those moments really added to the disquieting atmosphere brought upon by the constant foreshadowing of ominous omens to come. The style was giving off Arthouse vibes, but those moments are extremely well executed, and eerily moody. Especially the film’s opening and climax. I was bowled by how well the latter was staged. You know it’s coming, but the tension holds strong. Hard to truly explain what it’s all about, as throughout we get haunting premonitions and symbolic images, but obviously it had something to do with the spoilt daughter being upset with her father (Edward Woodward), and possibly putting a curse on him. The relationship between the two is odd, even a little uncomfortable, but again it’s vague. It’s one those films, I think would work better on repeat viewings due to its cryptic style, somewhat a journey & I would love to see a clean print as it still remains absent from digital.

Oct 22nd.


Oct 23rd.


Oct 24th.
26.Daughter of Dr. Jekyll (1957) FTV - Tubi - 5/10 
Entertaining little cheapie, although in this film oddly Dr. Jekyll’s condition (which his secret daughter inherited) is lycanthropy. Forget about John Agar... Gloria Talbott is the bright spot here. 

Oct 25th.


Oct 26th.
27.The Stepfather (1987) Repeat - Tubi - 8/10

28.Charlie’s Farm (2014) FTV - 7plus - 5/10

Oct 27th. *** Challenge Completed ***
29.The Comedy of Terrors (1963) FTV - YouTube - 6/10

30.Tower of London (1962) FTV - YouTube - 8/10

31.Diary of a Madman (1963) FTV - YouTube - 6/10

Oct 28th. 
32.Dr Phibes Rises Again (1972) Repeat - YouTube - 7/10

Oct 29th.
33.Idle Hands (1999) Repeat - DVD - 7/10

Oct 30th.
34.Theatre of Blood (1973) FTV - YouTube - 8/10

Oct 31st.
35.Vampire in Brooklyn (1995) Repeat - DVD - 5/10

Kenny & Company (1976) FTV - YouTube - 7/10

36.From Beyond (1986) Repeat - Blu-ray - 9/10

37.The Fog (1980) Repeat - Blu-Ray - 9/10

38.Halloween 4:The Return of Michael Myers (1988) Repeat - Blu-Ray - 7/10

… and that’s a wrap.