I have to say, October 2011 was a great month. I just barely missed getting in a full film each day, but this was the closest I've come to finishing an entire month. I watched some really great stuff, and gained new appreciation for old favorites! I hope you'll take my advice and watch some of these! Again, first viewings are in orange, rewatches are in black. (May contain light spoilers.)
October 22nd
The Innocents (1961)
This is a seriously good movie (with a creepy-as-crap leitmotif.) It's the story of two strange orphans living alone in a huge country house. Their uncle wants nothing to do with them or the house, so he hires a governess to take care of them. She soon learns of a bunch of freaky stuff that happened there just before she arrived, and realizes the children are possessed with the ghosts of two lovers who died there. The actor who played the little boy Miles was intense.
October 23rd
Jim Henson's The Storyteller - Fearnot (1988)
The Storyteller is an amazing series featuring John Hurt with his faithful dog (voiced by Brian Henson) hosting tales from folklore. Fearnot is from The Brother's Grimm - The Story of the Youth Who Went Forth to Learn What Fear Was (albeit with a highly romanticized ending.)
October 24th
My Name is Bruce (2007)
I needed my Bruce Campbell fix, and this was pure cinematic gold. Bruce Campbell is kidnapped by a teenage fan who thinks he can save his town from an ancient Chinese demon he accidentally unleashed. The "plot" is a flimsy excuse for a bunch of Bruce Campbell one-liners, and it is great. Great.
October 25th
Cry Baby Lane (2000)
This Nickelodeon original movie gained a lot of notoriety lately because it was only ever aired once. It was supposedly banned from ever airing again due to parental complaints over the film's content. Naturally, that piqued my interest, and I have to say, it wasn't bad. It was reminiscent of Are You Afraid of the Dark? and Goosebumps episodes, which I used to love. Of course, it turns out that the film was never banned; it was simply forgotten due to not being all that popular. Still, it's never too late to cash in on an urban legend.
October 26th
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Some people debate that this is not a Halloween film, and is better watched around Christmas. To that I say, um, the main character is a skeleton. There are also those who say that this film is incredibly played out and overmerchandised, and only relevant to 14 year old mallgoths (who weren't even born when it first came out.) To them I say, screw you, because this is a truly excellent film.
October 27th
A Disney Halloween (1983)
This is often confused with Disney's Halloween Treat (which is understandable since they use the same theme song and some of the same footage), but it's a bit longer and is absent one rubber pumpkin puppet (though they do show him for a split second near the beginning.) Still lots of fun to watch, and a total must for the Halloween season!
October 28th & 29th
I went out both of these nights, so I didn't actually catch a film at home. The first club I went to was playing Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988) interspersed with some awkward 70s porn, so that was fairly terrifying. Saturday I went to the Cat Club, and they were playing Frankenstein (1931) in the front room and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) in the back, which I love, so I spent most of the time in the back. Better music there, too.
October 30th
Trollhunter (2010)
This movie rocked. It's a Norwegian fake student documentary in the vein of The Blair Witch Project (but way better, in my opinion.) It's amusing, scary, and really entertaining! Definitely recommended for anyone with an interest in Scandinavian folklore!
October 31st
Trick 'r Treat (2007)
This is easily the best Halloween film in at least the past 10 years (and one of the best modern American horror films); it was absolutely made for Halloween geeks. It got completely screwed by the company that was supposed to release it: apparently it was slated for a Halloween 2007 release, but that was cancelled and rescheduled for 2008. That was also cancelled, and it went straight to DVD in 2009. If you're wondering why you haven't seen it, that's probably why. Go watch it now (it's on Netflix.)
I hope everyone had a great October and Halloween! I'll post the rest of my photos from the season as soon as possible.
Check out the rest of the marathon!
Haunted Movie Marathon Week 1
Haunted Movie Marathon Week 2
Haunted Movie Marathon Week 3
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