The Rocky Horror Picture Show

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Hulu) is a 1975 musical comedy horror film starring Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, and Barry Bostwick. If you haven't seen this one, why not? It's a must-see. If you have seen it, isn't it past time to watch it again? Absolutely hilarious! And Tim Curry shouldn't be missed. Seriously, if you see Tim Curry's name attached to it, watch it.

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Please join me (I'm having a cup of Suisse Mocha) at the T Stands for Tuesday blogger gathering.

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Yesterday we were down to one redbud leaf:

Werewolves Within

Werewolves Within (Hulu) is a 2021 American mystery comedy horror film about a group of people in a small Vermont town who get trapped in a snowstorm only to suspect one of them is a werewolf. This was fun.

trailer:

Reviews were mostly positive. Roger Ebert's website has a positive review that closes by saying, "Consider this an endorsement of “Werewolves Within,” but also the good heart that's clearly behind it." The Guardian says, "The ensemble ratchets up the hysteria with surgical comic skill, orchestrated superbly by Josh Ruben’s sharp direction." Variety also has a positive review.

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The light rain continues, and yesterday we were down to three leaves on the redbud tree.

Enys Men

Enys Men (Hulu) is a 2022 British experimental folk horror film set in 1973 where a woman on an uninhabited island off the Cornish coast serves as a wildlife volunteer documenting daily observations of a rare flower. It got mostly positive reviews. Count me on the nay side. That's an hour and a half I'll never get back. On the bright side, I did remember this one... trailer:

Roger Ebert's website gave it a positive review, saying, "I was riveted by every moment of this haunting weird film. "Enys Men" made me legitimately uneasy." The Guardian also has a positive review, describing it as "a supremely disquieting study of solitude". Rolling Stone praises it as a cult classic.

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I brought in the last of the plants that don't winter outside.

The Meg

The Meg (Max) is a 2018 science fiction action film, a monster movie of sorts so a horror movie by our definition. It is about a group of scientists that encounter a 75-foot-long megalodon shark while on a rescue mission on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. It stars Jason Statham, which is reason enough to watch a movie. Reviews were mixed, but I liked it.

trailer:

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It rained night before last. We needed the rain, but we did lose a lot of the redbud leaves.

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead (2023)

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead (on Netflix) is a comedy horror zombie film, a live adaptation of the manga series. Great fun!

trailer:

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After.Life

After.Life (free on Tubi) is a 2009 American psychological horror-thriller film starring Liam Neeson and Christina Ricci. This is a fine extra horror movie if you've seen all the greats, but I wouldn't recommend it on a list of must-watch horror.

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Someone gave me a potted plant, and when I moved it this week some of it had escaped the pot.

The Fog (1980)

The Fog (free on Freevee via Amazon Prime and free on Pluto and Tubi) is a 1980 American supernatural horror film directed by John Carpenter and starring Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins, Janet Leigh and Hal Holbrook. It tells the story of a strange, glowing fog that sweeps over a small coastal town in Northern California, bringing with it the vengeful ghosts of leprous mariners who were killed in a shipwreck there a century before. The film has a cult following and deservedly so. Look at the talent involved!

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Most reviews are positive.

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The redbud tree color turns more golden every day.

The Lamb (2021)

The Lamb is a 2021 folk horror film, an international co-production between Iceland, Sweden, and Poland. The film stars Noomi Rapace. This is a fascinating tale with a lot of atmosphere. It is well-reviewed. I'd recommend it, especially for folks who lean away from the action movie-style of horror or movies with any gore.

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Roger Ebert's website praises the "fierce sense of originality you won’t be able to shake". The Guardian concludes, "We are not supposed to be scared. What is required of us is compassion and respect for Maria’s strange dignity and strength. It’s a great performance from Rapace." Rolling Stone calls it "the Sweetest, Most Touching Horror-Movie Nightmare You’ve Ever Seen".

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Join me at the T Stands for Tuesday blogger gathering?

The Offering (2023)

The Offering (on Hulu) is a 2023 horror film based on the Jewish folktale of the demon Abyzou.

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The Husband gave me a mealworm feeder for my birthday earlier this month. It is meant to attract wrens and other tiny birds but have holes too small for sparrows. We shall see.

Caltiki: The Immortal Monster

Caltiki: The Immortal Monster (free on Tubi) is a 1959 science fiction-horror film with similarities to The Blob that was released in the previous year. The film's storyline concerns a team of archaeologists investigating Mayan ruins, who come across a creature that is a shapeless, amorphous blob. Mario Bava is reported to have been the uncredited director in completing the film.

via Daily Motion:

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The redbud tree is coloring up nicely.

Clive Barker's The Plague

Clive Barker's The Plague (on Hulu, free on Tubi) is a 2006 horror film. It's good enough and worth watching once if you're looking for October/Halloween fare. Plot from Wikipedia:

In 1983, one day all of the world's children under the age of nine simultaneously fall into a catatonic state. For the next ten years, every child who is born, is born in a state of catatonia. During this state, the children experience seizures twice a day which develops and maintains muscle mass.

In 1993, all the children wake up in zombie-like state, unrelentingly pursuing, attacking and murdering all adults.

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A Classic Horror Story (2021)

A Classic Horror Story is a 2021 Italian horror movie. It helps if you are familiar with horror movie tropes, as this movie makes full use of them. I watched it on Netflix.

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According to Wikipedia, The New York Times named A Classic Horror Story one of the top five horror films to watch in streaming in 2021.

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (free on Pluto) is a 1991 Japanese kaiju film, the 18th film in the Godzilla franchise and the third film in the franchise's Heisei period. It was criticized at the time of its release for its pro-Japanese/anti-American nationalism. It's not considered one of the high points in the franchise. We watch them all. If you haven't seen earlier films start with the original 1954 Godzilla movie.

trailer (in Japanese with English subtitles):

Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla

Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (free on Pluto and on YouTube) ia a 2002 Japanese kaiju film, the 27th film in the Godzilla franchise and the 4th film in the franchise's Millennium period. This reboot ignores the events of every installment in the Godzilla film series aside from the original 1954 Godzilla. It got generally positive reviews. We like monster movies of the Godzilla/King Kong type and watch them when we come across them.

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Working Man and My Castle's Rocking

Working Man and My Castle's Rocking:

by Memphis-born Alberta Hunter, who died on this date in 1984. This video is from a 1977 appearance on the Mike Douglas Show.

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Please post something drink-related and join us over at the T Stands for Tuesday blogger gathering.

We Have a Ghost

We Have a Ghost (on Netflix) is a 2023 supernatural horror comedy film about a family that moves into an old house and then they find out it's haunted by "Ernest". This is an enjoyable seasonal flick. A comedy, but it's also a touching film about a sweet family.

trailer:

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From Hell (2001)

From Hell (on Max) is a 2001 period detective horror film loosely based on the graphic novel of the same name about the Jack the Ripper murders. I was drawn in my the actors associated with it: Johnny Depp, Robbie Coltrane, Ian McNeice, Ian Holm, and Ian Richardson. It's pretty standard fare as far as Jack the Ripper stories go, but those actors should not be missed.

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Depraved (2019)

Depraved (on Tubi) is a 2019 horror film inspired by the Frankenstein's monster story. To be honest I watched this a while back, saving a spot for it on this date on my blog. Sadly I do not remember this movie even after having watched the trailer and read the plot description on Wikipedia. It was well-reviewed and seems distinctive, so it's odd I don't find anything at all memorable about it. Hmmm...

trailer:

Poltergeist (1982)

Poltergeist is a 1982 award-winning horror film directed by Tobe Hooper. It is an acknowledged horror classic and would be a good one to watch if you want to see the more important films in horror history. I watched it on HBO Max.

trailer:

1000 Misspent Hours says,

Poltergeist is still one of the stronger haunted house films of the 1980’s. What I appreciate most about it is that the nature of the Freelings’ paranormal persecution is never conclusively explained. Several characters have their pet theories ... but all of these hypotheses have troubling blind spots, and are unable to account for at least one major aspect of the haunting. That reticence on the filmmakers’ parts permits Poltergeist to play as broad a field of supernatural manifestations as possible without suffering from the sort of logical inconsistencies that helped scupper [other such films].

Moria says,

Poltergeist is a film that often plays on childhood fears and its most effective parts are early on when it ventures into these – the gnarled proto-human tree in the backyard, thunderstorms, the shadows in the half-open closet, the clown that becomes a grinning monster in the dark, the thing under the bed. It delves into the dark side of the cosy child-like sentimentalism of Steven Spielberg.

Roger Ebert says,

"Poltergeist" is an effective thriller, not so much because of the special effects, as because Hooper and Spielberg have tried to see the movie's strange events through the eyes of the family members, instead of just standing back and letting the special effects overwhelm the cast along with the audience.

Filmsite calls it "memorable" and says, "This classic 'haunted house ghost story' is fascinating to watch, with its extraordinary special effects". Rotten Tomatoes has a critics consensus score of 88%.

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This photo from 2 years ago shows how tall my wild sunflowers get when I don't cut them back during the summer:

Schizoid

Schizoid is a 1980 film I watched because it stars Klaus Kinski. I am surprised at how tame and bloodless this is since it's classed as a slasher film. I watched it on Amazon Prime.

trailer:

1000 Misspent Hours closes with this:

As one of the rare attempts by Hollywood (here represented by Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus) to make a thriller on the giallo model, Schizoid is certainly worth a look, and for fans of Klaus Kinski, it is an absolute must-see. Otherwise, its appeal is decidedly of the “morbid fascination of failure” variety.

Horror News has a mixed review.

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The redbud tree leaves are beginning to turn.

Sea Fever

Sea Fever (on Tubi) is a 2019 science fiction horror thriller film about the crew of a marooned fishing trawler, who find themselves threatened by a parasitic infection.

trailer:

Generally positively reviewed, including by Vulture, The A.V. Club, and Rolling Stone.

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The honeysuckle is still blooming.

Revelation Trail

Revelation Trail is a 2013 horror western. It doesn't have names I recognize associated with it, but that didn't keep me from enjoying it. You never know how these kinds of low-budget movies will be, but they did a great job here. This is a good example of the horror western and a good place to start if you've never seen one. I can recommend it. Unless you don't do zombies. Be warned, CJ, zombies ahead!

I watched it on Amazon Prime.

trailer:

Please share a drink-related image and join us at Elizabeth's T Stands for Tuesday blogger gathering.

Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah

Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah (free on Pluto) is 2001 Japanese Toho Pictures kaiju film, the 26th film in the Godzilla franchise and the 3rd film in the Millennium era. It is a direct sequel to the original 1954 Godzilla film and ignores the events of every other installment in the series. It was one of the largest-grossing Godzilla films of the Millennium series.

trailer:

Well reviewed, this movie is considered by some to be the best, second only to the 1954 original Godzilla movie.

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We're still seeing the occasional hummingbird.

Possessor

Possessor (on Hulu) is a 2020 science fiction psychological horror film written and directed by Brandon Cronenberg. It is about an assassin who performs her assignments through possessing the bodies of other individuals, but finds herself fighting to control the body of her current host.

trailer:

Reviews are generally positive, including multiple reviews at The Guardian, Variety, Empire Online, and The A.V. Club,

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50°F and sunny

Censor (2021)

Censor (on Hulu) is a 2021 British psychological horror film. Wikipedia's plot description begins with this:

In 1985, Enid Baines works for the British Board of Film Classification during the height of the Video Nasty controversy. Enid's co-workers call her "Little Miss Perfect" due to her insistence that violent content be cut or banned. While Enid is having dinner with her parents, they discuss Enid's sister Nina, who disappeared when the two were little. Enid's parents have since declared Nina legally dead, but Enid believes she is still alive.

trailer:

Reviews were generally positive, including by The Guardian and The Independent.

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Bliss (2019)

Bliss (on Tubi and Amazon Prime) is a 2019 horror film, a type of vampire movie. What some people won't do to foster their creativity...

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Well reviewed, including by Variety.

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The October-blooming wild sunflowers are looking good.

After Midnight

After Midnight (on Tubi, on Freevee via Amazon Prime, on Hulu) is a 2019 romantic monster film that follows Hank after his longtime girlfriend leaves town unannounced. He discovers that a mysterious creature has begun stalking him every night. The description does not do it justice. His exploration of his relationship as he struggles to figure out what went wrong happens as he tries to deal with this monster attacking him in their rural home. Fascinating.

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Reviews were positive, including from Roger Ebert's site and The A.V. Club.

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The Hunger

The Hunger is a 1983 erotic horror film directed by Tony Scott in his directorial debut, starring Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, and Susan Sarandon. It premiered at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival, was released in the spring of 1983 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and has accrued a cult following within the goth subculture in the years since its release. I can't find this free through any streaming service now, but it's worth looking for. Finding vampire films with any originality is difficult these days, and this one adds a bit of a different take.

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Reviews were mixed. I liked it.

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The Predator

The Predator (on Hulu) is a 2018 science fiction action film, the fourth installment in the series and sixth film in the overall Predator franchise. I watch all the films in this franchise, but I wouldn't recommend starting with this one. Start with the original (a film well worth your time) and work your way forward from there.

trailer:

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I'm going to have a cup of coffee

and join the bloggers at the T Stands for Tuesday gathering.

The Curse of Bridge Hollow

The Curse of Bridge Hollow (Netflix) is a 2022 American comedy horror film. I find this a delightful, lighthearted film about a young family who has moved to a new town and is trying to settle in. The father is a science teacher and skeptic, doesn't believe in the paranormal or supernatural, and doesn't understand the town's obsession with Halloween. The daughter finds out the house they've moved to is said to be haunted. If you want something seasonal but not scary give this a try.

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The Horror Society has a positive review.

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The Lure

The Lure is a 2015 Polish musical horror film. It tells of two sirens who emerge from the waters and perform in a nightclub. One falls in love with a man and gives up her tail, but loses her voice in the process. The story is a reworking of the 1837 fairy tale "The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen. To be honest, I'd forgotten this one 'til I read the plot description. Now that I remember it, I remember liking it. I should write these up when I watch them instead of making a place holder on Blogger and coming back to the post later. That system used to work fine, but it's not serving me well these days.

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Reviews were positive. Roger Ebert's site calls it "weird" and says it deserves to be seen. Slant Magazine has a positive review as does The Hollywood Reporter.