Reviews On the Month of October 2015

Another edition of films I've watched but in the month of October.

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (dir. Henry Slick) (1993) -      out of       (re-watch)
Tim Burton's beloved mixed holiday story, featuring great stop-motion animation and unique characters we all know today & love.

THE DARK CRYSTAL (dir. Jim Henson & Frank Oz) (1982) -      out of       (re-watch)
Without a doubt, this is Jim Henson's best-loved fantasy adventure that has thrilled & delighted me many years now. Everything about it I can describe is beautifully-made: the puppetry, the set design, the music, everything else all genius! And besides, there are no human characters in the story but it's all realistic as if the world is full of Henson's creations. So much fun watching this! Henson has always succeed.

ZOMBI 3 (dir. Lucio Fulci & Bruno Mattei) (1988) -     out of      
Here is another zombie film Fulci created - this time with flying heads, killer birds, zombies that can fight, and a baby monster coming out of pregeant women. It may seem to look like not a normal Fulci film, but Mattei also added in those scenes due to Fulci being ill at that time. Truth is this is Fulci's film but also the best of both worlds blended by two of Italy's cult masters. Entertaining in every sense.

ZOMBIE 4: AFTER DEATH (dir. Claudio Fragasso) (1988) -    out of      
If Romero & Fulci would were to make one huge zombie film together, AFTER DEATH would be the answer. Not really monumental, all it is taking those two directors' works and just recreate the same sceniaro plus add in endless buckets of extreme gore with some oozing of Bava's DEMONS and cast one gay porno actor as the film's hero. All this you get AFTER DEATH. Sounds good? Kinda does.

THE SET-UP (dir. Robert Wise) (1949) -      out of      
The fight of a lifetime - masterfully told in real time.

KILLING BIRDS (dir. Joe D'Amato & Claudio Lattanzi) (1987) -  out of      
Oh, god! This film was so bad it felt like it was suppose to be about birds & zombies but ended up seeing the undead appear during the last half-hour of the film and the opening started out like some giallo film before the whole story dealt with college students going on a field trip to study birds as one of them remembers what happened back then. Nothing really, really special goes on. I wish they could make a more specific horror film with a proper storyline to get into.

ZOLTAN: HOUND OF DRACULA (dir. Albert Band) (1977) -     out of      
When Dracula has a pet dog...

ESCAPE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN (dir. John Hough) (1975) -     out of      
An interesting fantasy adventure from back when Disney did some good classic live-action films, also led both Kim & Ike to star together again in DEVIL DOG for TV years later. This film featured a great little cast (including Pleasenece & Albert) and a good storyline dealing with psychic powers.

HUNGER (dir. Steve McQueen) (2008) -      out of      
There are films that make you feel like amazed by how it's done. There are films that make you feel like devastated by its absurdity. There is one that made me both moved & impressed by its camerawork, Fassbender's acting, and use of dialogue. This is one of those films. Brutal & astouding debut from McQueen.

EVENT HORIZON (dir. Paul W.S. Anderson) (1997) -     out of      
A mad sci-fi horror film, too bad you don't see films like this being made anymore. It's got plenty of good thrills/chills and an interesting storyline. (I've never hated seeing a P.W.S. Anderson work that I disliked.)

MAN BITES DOG (dir. Rémy Belvaux, André Bonzel & Benoit Poelvoorde) (1992) -      out of      
It's weird seeing how those men went out to make a documentary about a serial killer, yet entirely fictional. This mockumentary flick combines satire & violence as it's both funny & shocking at the same time. I laughed at its dialogue, I was shocked at its gritty violence. A darkly intense & sardonic masterpiece of early 90's Belgian cinema.

TOKYO DRIFTER (dir. Seijun Suzuki) (1966) -     out of      
Suzuki rounds up another fine classic in his yazuka-genre films with very colorful "swinging sixties" production-designing, groovy jazz/rock score, and good gangster action (including the wildest brawl ever shot). However, Suzuki still pushed his limits with Nikkatsu on making his films at that time but managed to make one more before being fired. Could also see this influenced John Woo to make his films, too.

LORD OF THE FLIES (dir. Peter Brook) (1963) -      out of      
Good classic adaptation of Golding's novel, this was well shot & the children's portrayal on survival and primitivism while stranded seemed to had great storytelling.

INSIGNIFICANCE (dir. Nicolas Roeg) (1985) -     out of      
Roeg continues to use his incredible techniques like his other films and this one features the most mind-blowing ending I've ever seen in his films.

RIDE WITH THE DEVIL (dir. Ang Lee) (1999) -      out of      
Pretty intense and beautiful - could be the best film about the Civil War I've ever seen.

INSOMNIA (dir. Erik Skjoldbjærg) (1997) -   out of      
Not one of the best mystery thrillers I've seen,

THE BLOOD OF A POET (dir. Jean Cocteau) (1932) -      out of      
The first in his "Orphic" trilogy - very interesting and surreal at its time.

THE ADVENTURES OF ICHABOD AND MR. TOAD (dir. Clyde Geronimi, Jack Kinney & James Algar) (1949) -     out of       (re-watch)
Another good Disney classic I used to enjoy watching in my youth, love both stories. (Plus Bing Crosby's music, too!) 

DRAFTEE DUCK (dir. Robert Clampett) (1945) -      out of       (re-watch)
Hilarious classic Looney Tunes short, I loved when Daffy shouted "So long, Dracula!". XD

And that is what on I've watched in October. It is already the beginning of November now. Off to a good start so far.
So make way for all that, and we shall see how far I've come.
Thanks for reading.