Horror Movie Challenge Day 16 to 18

Horror Movie Challenge DAY 16-18 

(Where I am challenged to watch a horror movie 31 days in a row)

DAY 16

The Walking Dead Season 5 Premier

No Sanctuary

Confession: I never watched last season of The Walking Dead. I was so angry that the Governor escaped and Merle got killed, that I basically just pretended the show ended there. Then on a whim I decided to watch the premier and I was actually hella impressed. Super action packed, gory, bad ass etc etc. I was super confused but still enjoyed it immensely. So now I'm slowly watching last season to catch myself up. But I've heard that this season will follow along with the comic books a lot more so I am SO here for this and I am hooked once more. Time to break out the action figures!!

9/10

DAY 17

The Raven

This movie has so much potential. John Cusack playing Edgar Allan Poe, creepy murders, dark gloomy scenery. But it just falls so flat. Even the references to Poe's great stories and poems feel completely forced. The movie is just boring and it feels like something is missing.

3/10

DAY 18

Twixt

This was a completely random choice based purely on the fact Elle Fanning is in it. I was pleasantly surprised and when the film ended I looked up reviews only to find that I may be the only person in the world that liked this movie? It was gothic and dark and dreamy and confusing and mystical. Starring Elle Fanning and Val Kilmer and written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It tells the story of a washed up writer finding a bizarre cursed town and getting caught up in a murder mystery.

8/10

Horror Movie Challenge Day 13 to 15

Wow I've fallen behind. I need to binge watch like three movies tonight just to catch back up. In my defense I have been knocked on my ass by the flu this week and barely remember the start of the week. But I also have a Halloween convention this weekend which will throw off my usual weekend horror movie binge. Ah well. I'm determined to finish this year though.

Horror Movie Challenge DAY 13-15 

(Where I am challenged to watch a horror movie 31 days in a row)

DAY THIRTEEN

Torment

I'm a complete sucker for anything Katherine Isabelle does. I am so in love with her. So Torment was next on the list of her movies I hadn't seen and I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. Nothing to write home about for sure, but it was entertaining and enjoyable. A father and his new wife and his son visit the old family cabin for the first time since the death of the mother. Unfortunately someone's been crashing in the upstairs bedroom and yeyyy it's a dysfunctional psycho killing family!!
The only thing I couldn't stand about this movie? The little boy. Oh my god I could've slapped him. He was actually so irritating to the point where I was like, you know what, just murder him, it's fine.
The best part was that the psycho killer family tore the heads off of giant stuffed animals and made them into masks which was hella creepy and I lovvvvedddd it.
7/10

DAY FOURTEEN

American Horror Story: Freakshow 

Episode 2: Massacres and Matinees

Could this flawless show get any better? The answer is yes. Yes it can. In this episode we are introduced to newcomers to the freakshow; Desiree Dupree the hermaphrodite and Dell Toledo the strong man. We got a really perfect and horrifying discovery of a severed head in a toy shop which was so perfectly pulled off I almost cried. We learnt more about Dandy and his psychopathic tendencies, we watched Twisty fuck shit up for everyone once again and we saw as the town of Jupiter became more and more terrified and paranoid of the "freaks". For AHS I feel like this season is pretty slow moving, it feels like Ryan Murphy is really taking his time this season to tease everything out and it's super refreshing.
9/10

DAY FIFTEEN

Ghost Ship

This movie is just terribly great. I remember watching it as a kid and being terrified but have watched it a few times as an adult and been like oh okay. But for some reason I keep coming back to it? Maybe it's Karl Urban looking like a pirate? Maybe it's the secret dream of mine to explore an abandoned ghost ship? idk. But I do secretly love this film. And you have to admit....that opening scene...*muffled groaning* IT'S SO GOOD. SO DAMN GOOD.
Premise of this movie? Basically what the title tells you. A group of boat-salvagers are given a tip about a mysterious ship in the middle of the ocean with no one aboard. They head out to claim it for their own but while boarding the ship they start to encounter mean ghostly spirits who don't want anyone to leave alive.
The movie is pretty exciting, more adventure and cheap thrills than anything else. And a very young Emily Browning completely steals the film.
7/10

Now watch the opening massacre and bow down to this flawless scene:

Horror Movie Challenge Day 10 to 12

Horror Movie Challenge DAY 10-12 

(Where I am challenged to watch a horror movie 31 days in a row)

DAY TEN

The Purge

This was a re-watch. I rented it awhile ago on my ipad and couldn't figure out how to get it on my laptop and so watched the whole thing on an ipad screen. But I loved it. And re-watching it on my laptop screen where everything was bigger and more stabby, I loved it even more. Seriously this concept is super cool and I hope it never happens in real life because I cannot afford a super expensive home protection system. 

This film is set in 2022 when America has made all crime illegal except for one night a year where everyone goes balls to the wall and can do whatever they want with no repercussions. The film centers around a family who are very wealthy and the husband actually sells the home protection systems. During the annual Purge their son who is old enough now to question everything (why don't you guys...like...kill people?) lets in a man in distress and in turn invites a whole shit load of rich white kids to attack their house. They just wanted to murder the homeless guy, bud, it's the Purge, chill out. 

Just kidding.

This whole concept is super terrifying to me but the movie is really great. Not many scares, bit of gore, and mostly just a "trapped in a house being terrorized by strangers" movie BUT enjoyable and a cool concept.

9/10

DAY ELEVEN

House on Haunted Hill remake (1999)

This movie scared the crap out of me as a young innocent pre-teen and although it didn't do the same job as an adult, I could still appreciate it for it was; a 90's over the top gory horror film.  They take the original concept and make it more insane, as in, literally putting it in an insane asylum and upping the money to a million dollars. It's gory, it's jumpy, there's creepy dead nurses and doctors, and the ending is so over the top cheesy you can't help but smile.

6/10

DAY TWELVE

Psycho remake (1998)

Oh my god whyyyyyy is this a thing. If there was ever a time for 'don't fuck with the original'...this is it. And for a movie that claims it goes frame by frame of the original, it should expect some fucking ciritcism. What was with those artsy shots of naked chicks and storm clouds between each stab? What was with Vince Vaughn being cast? What was with this movie ever being made?

I don't know.

But all I got from this movie was some minor enjoyment as I watched it and remembered fondly the original, and when it ended, an overwhelming urge to just simply watch the original.

So....lesson learned here? Go watch the original. Forget this ever happened.

 2/10

Horror Movie Challenge Day 7 to 9

So here's what happened; I changed the list. Just like last year. I clearly cannot commit to a set list of 31 movies. Maybe I have commitment issues? Idek. Either way, my next three movies are not what they're supposed to be. But since I made the list. Fuckkkk it.

Horror Movie Challenge DAY 7-9

(Where I am challenged to watch a horror movie 31 days in a row)

DAY SEVEN:

Kantemir 

I will confess....I did not finish this movie. It was awful. I hated everything about it except Robert Englund. And not because it was low budget and badly acted but because this story could've been so great but it wasn't. It was like someone half assed the script and these poor actors and actresses had to go along with it. I won't tell you not to watch it, but I would say....don't rush off to find out for yourself I guess.

Premise is a bunch of actors go off to a creepy old mansion to rehearse for a mysterious play and things happen. Let's just say fantasy blended in with reality, and not in a good way at all. Robert Englund was on point though, but when he wasn't on screen I was just waiting for him to show up tbh.

0/10

DAY EIGHT:

American Horror Story: Freakshow premier

Yep. I'm counting this as my day eight because it was almost the same length as a movie and I love AHS more than anything so fack you. And what a fucking flawless premier this was. Everyone was at their best including the writers, the score, the costume, the pacing etc etc. Every detail was perfect. Set in 1950's Jupiter, Florida, a group of traveling "Freaks" find themselves in a town not willing to welcome them, and a whole wack of murders that they may or may not be responsible for. Also a terrifying clown named Twisty. Also Jessica Lange singing a David Bowie song. Also Jessica Lange in a powder blue suit. Also Jessica Lange. 

The opening credits were absolutely beautiful and creepy in a sort of subtle, magical and childish way. There was a certain amount of gore that we haven't really seen from past seasons that I could appreciate. And I am so ready for this season. SO READY FOR IT.

10000/10

 DAY NINE:

House on Haunted Hill

An "eccentric" millionaire invite fives strangers to a supposedly haunted house where he will offer them $10, 000 each as long as they stay the entire night. But when his sassy and beautiful wife starts warning the others of her husbands' psychotic behaviors and ghostly things start to happen, it doesn't seem so easy for all the guests to spend the night.     

This is the original 1959 version with my main squeeze Vincent Prince. I remember catching this late one night on my TV when I was probably 12 or 13 and being terrified by it and I just noticed it was on netflix so I changed my list to incorporate it RIGHT NOW. (I'm literally watching it as I type) Because that is the beauty of this film; as cheesey as the effects are....they still get you every single time. By relying on darkened sets, a perfect score, and a theatrical style of acting, you can still jump out of your skin watching this old film. Which I suppose is what makes the horror classics...classics. 

10/10

  

Horror Movie Challenge Day 4 to 6

Horror Movie Challenge DAY 4 - 6

(Where I am challenged to watch a horror movie 31 days in a row) 

DAY FOUR:

Nightmare on Elm Street: Dream Warriors

Oh yeah, another Elm Street film. Fair warning; I got a little intense on Robert Englund's imdb page and added like half his movies to my list. I was feeling all warm and fuzzy and supportive after seeing him in person for my birthday. Anyway, never seen this one before but always hear great things. Everyone was right. This was completely enjoyable and one hell of a fun ride. You don't need me to tell you to watch an Elm Street fim....just do it.
9/10

 DAY FIVE:

Hello Herman

Before you jump down my throat, I am fully aware this isn't a horror film in any way shape or form. But it's my list, and I've been meaning to watch this film for months and months, and technically a school shooting is a form of horror in itself. I really wanted to deeply love this film but it really came up short. Basically a kid shoots up a school and then an online interviewer with a confusing and shady past interviews him trying to figure out why he did it. I finished this film with a lot of unanswered questions and a longing to feel something deeper emotionally.
6/10

DAY SIX:

All the Boys Love Mandy Lane

 A typical film about a bunch of drunken, sex crazed, drug induced teenagers heading off to a non cell-phone reception ranch to party the night away except jk they get murdered off one by one. I was about ready to give up on this film three quarters of the way through as I couldn't see a bright future but the twist thrown in at the end kept me awake for a little bit longer. I'm not saying the twist was ground breaking and holy shit worthy, but I didn't see it coming....probably because I was half asleep...but still interesting enough to take me to the end. The homicidal maniac is easy to figure out after about ten minutes and although the deaths are extremely violent, all in all this film did nothing for me. I thought it was an interesting commentary about the female body and power in high school but when reading various reviews online about this film, I seem to be the only one that thinks that? So maybe I'm reaching. Either way, I wouldn't recommend, and I may watch it again in the very distance future if only because I've forgotten I even watched it in the first place.

6/10 (for the ending and my delusions on the deeper meaning of the film)

Up Next:
Day 7: Kantemir (2014)
Day 8: Sanitarium (2013)
Day 9: Saw (2004)

Horror Movie Challenge Day 1 to 3

Horror Movie Challenge DAY 1 - 3

(Where I am challenged to watch a horror movie 31 days in a row) 

I began my second annual horror movie challenge in Edmonton this year, which is a horror on its own. I was there for a work conference and in between all the traveling stress and anxiety, I would retreat to the hotel room at night to relax and watch my horror movies. I am now safely and happily back in Vancouver and ready for Day 4.

I created the list myself this year, completely catered to my tastes and preferences and basically filled with horror movies I've wanted to see but never gotten around to, a few random choices, and some of my personal favorites. So night one I ran a bath in my hotel room, got cozy and watched Wes Craven's New Nightmare.

DAY ONE:

Wes Craven's New Nightmare

I've never seen this before, and to be completely honest have only seen the first two Elm Street films and Freddy Vs. Jason (which I watched ten times last year in honor of it's tenth anniversary).  I've also watched the reboot which I just realized I actually own on blu ray for some reason? I don't even remember buying it? I am so completely in love with the original that I've never really felt the need to go much further. But boy was I wrong. New Nightmare was absolutely wonderful and thoroughly enjoyable. It was everything I expected and more. It's about the actress, Heather, who plays Nancy in the original film, and her husband and son. After awaking one night from a Freddy nightmare she finds herself in the middle of a very real earthquake and things only get worse from there. With some of the original cast returning and Wes playing himself, it's a great fan film. And the Freddy in this film is apparently much closer to the original Freddy that Wes himself created based on nightmares he had, articles he read about people dying in their sleep, and a terrifying experience with a strange man outside his apartment. Robert Englund plays himself in the film which is all you really need to know to watch this movie.
I wouldn't suggest it for someone who's never seen an Elm Street film but I'm sure anyone who's a fan of Freddy has already seen New Nightmare. I'll definitely be re-watching in the future.
8/10

 

DAY TWO:

The Ward

A John Carpenter film, aka a man who gave me two of my favorite horror films; Halloween and The Thing. The Ward feels like a dumbed down version of what John Carpenter is good at.
It revolves around Kristen who burns down a farm house and ends up in a psych ward with four other girls. As the other girls go missing and Kristen starts to see a terrifying ghostly woman she begins to delve deeper into the ward to figure out exactly what's going on there.
The scares themselves were enjoyable and silly, and the twist was not so much predictable as "done before". All the girls in the film were absolutely gorgeous and the setting was a perfect mix of creepy but dreamy. I found my mind wandering every now and then and this film felt more like something I would put on for background noise.
5/10

DAY THREE:

Silent House

I went into this film with no knowledge whatsoever except that it was filmed using "real time" footage and the appearance of one continuous shot. And I won't lie, the first half of the film I hated. I was bored, I rolled my eyes at the jumps, and I got annoyed at the darkness and slight confusion of what was even going on. And then the second half of the film began and slapped me in the face. I won't say anything about the ending whatsoever because I would hope most people will watch this film with no previous knowledge.
But this film went from meh to I NEED TO WATCH THAT AGAIN in about 5 minutes.
Just watch it. This will be one I aggressively recommend. 
9/10

Up Next:
Day 4:  - Nightmare on Elm Street: Dream Warriors (1987)
Day 5: - Hello Herman (2012)
Day 6: - All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006)

YEYYYY it's December ^.^
Which means I am officially accepting Christmas into my life. I've done so by decorating my office, helping decorate the tree at reception, making an ugly Christmas sweater, particpating in a pot luck secret santa, wrapping Christmas gifts AND helping Simone and Sofia (HI SOFIA!) and their family pick out and decorate their tree!

Unfortunately we have no decorations in our home as our home is just an apartment filled with half packed boxes and dog toys. That's right...we found somewhere to live! The big move is next Sunday and obviously my first priority was getting the internet set up which will happen that same day. I'm not willing to go another week like we did when we moved into this place. That was hell. Horrible, lonely, tumblr-less hell. Our new place is much more affordable and has two bedrooms and a backyard for Tony. I'm super excited to move in and even better...decorate for Christmas!

For this blog I decided to share my top 5 Christmas films which will be totally cliche and unoriginal and you'll be like "yeah duh, I watch the same ones, no one cares." But it's my blog, so suck it.

But first I want to share my ugly Christmas sweater which I put together for a grand total of $8 for the pot luck Christmas lunch at my work because I am very proud of it and feel like a creative genius.

I also want to share Tony's Christmas sweater which I did not make, but his Grandma sent it to him and we are very grateful.

SO CUTE.
Tony is so fashionable, bitches can't even handle it.

I'm also going to share, because I'm in a sharing mood, the amazing gifts that I got from Sofia and my adopted Vancouver family who I had the honor of spending my weekend with. When she showed me the wrapping I honestly almost cried, and then didn't even want to unwrap it because lbr that was enough. But inside was an even greater gift which ya'll can look upon and be jealous.
THANK YOU SOFIA YOU ARE THE GREATEST, MOST WONDERFUL GIRL IN THE WORLD!

How freakin' perfect is that?!?!?!
And now what was inside:

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am so blown away by the kindness of these gifts and they are so perfect. LOOK AT RICK'S BEARD!!

Moving on, because ya'll are probably horrified at this weird display of personal pictures which I never put on here but I hope you can move on from this out of character-ness and move on with your life. That's a word right? Character-ness? The little red line underneath is telling me no.

ONTO THE CHRISTMAS MOVIES!
(I feel like I'm yelling a lot in this blog, but I've had a really really really busy day and now I'm getting this like insane burst of energy for no reason. Or it might be from the Monster I'm drinking.)

White Christmas 1954 

Starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, and the most beautiful Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen it tells the story of Bob and Phil, world war 2 vets, who team up as a song and dance act. They meet two sisters who are also performers, Betty and Judy, and the four of them travel to a winter retreat in Vermont where there promises to be tones of snow and a great Christmas show. But when they get there there's no snow and their former commander is the lodge owner. They find out that their commander has sunk all his savings into this lodge and is on the verge of bankruptcy, not helped by the great lack of snow. So the four of them come up with a crazy plan to make the greatest show ever seen and bring in all their old friends to raise the money to keep the lodge running. 

I've probably been watching this move every Christmas since I'm too young to remember and will continue to do so for as long as I can. The musical numbers are amazing, the acting is flawless, and if you don't cry at the end when it snows (50+ year old spoilers!) you are a cold hearted person. Or you live in Alberta and you think, what the fuck is the big deal?

And in fact today here in Vancouver it snowed and it was so beautiful and perfect and all I could think of was this movie because I honestly thought I wouldn't see snow for Christmas.

Jingle all the Way 1996

Starring Turbo Man....I mean Arnold Schwarzenegger and Rita Wilson, this movie is a must watch every Christmas. Especially as the older you get, the more jokes you start to understand. Like eating his wife's cookies. I mean, come on guys. But it's also just a great movie that tells the tale of a work obsessed father struggling to find the perfect gift for his son to make him love him, only to realize all his son really wanted was his father to be there for him. *awwwweeeee*

Basically it's the story of Howard who works all day and all night and is a huge disappointment to his family. His son tells him he wants a Turbo Man action figure for Christmas, the hottest toy on the market. But unfortunately for Howard, it's Christmas Eve and every store is sold out! So he runs around the city getting himself into ridiculous situation after ridiculous situation on a quest to find the toy. He gains an arch nemesis who comes in the package of a sassy mail man and the two compete against each other to nab the last toy in town. In the end Howard somehow ends up in the town's parade dressed up as Turbo Man and somehow his wife and son don't recognize his Austrian accent and he manages to impress his son and make things right.

Love Actually 2003

I'm pretty sure this movie is on everyone's list, and rightly so, as this is an instant classic. I go from laughing to crying to sobbing to laughing to just laying on the floor singing Christmas carols. It also has one of the most romantic scenes in a movie EVER with Andrew Lincoln professing his love to Kiera Knightley. It has the best Hugh Grant dance scene and Martin Freeman naked and awkward asking a girl on a date. 

Basically it's just a film filled with quite a few lovely stories that happen in the weeks leading up to Christmas, that all intertwine and fit flawlessly. Because I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around.

And if you don't come away from the film singing "if you really love Christmas..." then you've done it wrong. 

Elf 2003

Starring Will Ferrell, a very young Zooey Deschanel, Bob Newhart, and James Caan, it tells the story of Buddy the elf, a human orphan who stows away in Santa's sack of toys and is raised in the North Pole to make toys. As an adult, Santa sends him to New York City to find his real father who has no idea he exists. It has so many adorable moments that people quote every Christmas, and lets us all believe for just a second that maybe Santa really does exist.

 A Christmas Story 1983

 Perhaps one of the best Christmas classics that tells the story of 9 year old Ralphie who just wants one thing for Christmas, an official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model BB rifle with a compass in the stock. We watch Ralphie and his ridiculous family, that is so much like our own, try to get through Christmas without too much of a hitch. It includes such famous scenes as Ralphie asking Santa for his BB rifle and Santa responding, You'll shoot your eye out, kid! The famous leg lamp that we all secretly wish we had in our home, Ralphie beating up the school bully, Ralphie's little brother dressed up in about 5 different layers to go out in the cold (we've all been there kid) and one of Ralphie's school mates getting his tongue stuck to a frozen pole. 

I'm sure you've all seen this movie about a 1000 times, but watch it at least 1000 more, because it will never get old.

So there you have it kids, that's my top 5 Christmas movies, two of which I've already watched this year!
I am having a very Christmasy night tonight by re-watching season two of American Horror Story (WHY IS THIS SHOW SO FLAWLESS?!?!) and wrapping some more Christmas gifts while Mitch is passed out on the couch and Tony is wandering around aimlessly for some reason.
Live Long and Prosper my beautiful hobbits!
And don't forget to go see The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug in theaters this Friday and then see it 5 more times. I know I will :D