OMM2024 - Night 23: V/H/S 94 (2021)

 Let's keep it up! #OctoberMovieMarathon

Night 23

V/H/S 94

7/10

As a SWAT team raids a cult's compound and it's collection of VHS tapes, we witness 4 of the films.

This is a horror anthology, and the 4th in this VHS series. I feel like I may have seen one of them before, but I don't remember which one. I really enjoyed this one! Each segment is found footage/POV (a genre I'm biased towards). It was fun to see all the different ways the directors found to have a camera be utilized for each segment. The surrounding framing narrative is just okay, but I enjoyed basically all of the sequences. It got a little bloody and a little gorey, but not too bad. There were a bunch of jumpscares- which after a movie like "Come and See" I actually really enjoyed. Just goes to show you that even within a genre, you can still find variations and end up enjoying tropes or gimmicks you'd normally not use.

 

Each bit was written and directed by a different person and feels a little different. Out of the 5 segments, I really enjoyed 3 of them: "The Terror", "The Empty Wake", and "Storm Drain". All hail Ratmaa xD This film was just a campy good time. It's a little goofy, but the scares are still there. This would be a great one to watch with friends I think.

 

Now, I know the other entries in this series are also anthologies, so there's no guarantee that I'll enjoy the other entries this is a solid movie and I feel like I can give them a chance. Give this one a go!

SPOILERS START BELOW THE POSTER!

SPOILERS START HERE!

Of my top 3 segments, "The Terror" was my favorite I think. It was played straight, but was still very silly. Watching this wanna-be militia try and fail in their plans was great. Plus the pyrotechnics were fun. That would for sure be a reason vampires would avoid the sun xD

"The Empty Wake" was the most tense of the segments- as we wait with Hailey at a wake where no one comes. Even if nothing were to happen, that's a creepy situation. By yourself with a stranger's body... as no one comes? And the family asked for it to be recorded? A bit strange and off-putting. And that's before you start hearing noises coming from the casket.

"The Storm Drain" is just fun- I like that they tied in the religious feel of it and how it was consistent between our cameraman and our reporter for who was "worthy". You could have easily had both our protagonists be jerks and get what's coming to them- but instead we get a really delightful (if a bit gorey) final scene that's just plain enjoyable. And then the cut to the Vegetable Masher? Hilarious.

"The Subject" and "Holy Hell" didn't land as well for me. But if you enjoy more of a shoot em up, revenge fantasy you might have a better time with "The Subject". "Holy Hell" is the framing narrative, so it's a little on the weaker side with story- but that could just be because I haven't seen the previous 3 films. I have no idea if they tie together at all aside from "spooky VHS tapes". This movie makes it seem like there's a cult trying to take over the world (?maybe?) and that's where these other films come from, so that could be built on the last movies, perhaps it was more vague in the first VHS but by #4 they've given a clearer story to it? That's complete speculation on my part, that could be totally wrong.

But overall- this was a lot of fun! It feels a lot like "Wrong Turn" did for me this year. Just a good time were you get to be scared a little bit, but we're not going to have nightmares or anything. Sometimes you just need a fun movie to have a good time without it causing a big existential crisis.

OMM2024 - Night 22: Come and See (1985)

No #OctoberMovieMarathon would be complete without at least 1 movie that features Nazis. This is that movie.

Night 22

Come and See (1985)

9/10

Flyora is a teen in Byelorussia in 1943, he joins with the Soviet partisans against the occupying Nazi forces and witnesses the atrocities being committed.

 

This movie is... it's good. It's fantastic even! Our main star was 14 at the start of filming and it's an amazing performance. The movie is both realistic and surreal with some stomach turning scenes. It's... disturbing, in a way that I think a lot of films dealing with WWII aren't. There's no overexaggeration of what's happening, it's just shown to you. It's a bit obtuse though, and I'll put more details on why in the spoiler section.

 

This isn't your regular horror film, but it's so unsettling it fits the genre. However, you do have to sit up and pay attention, the surreal elements can very easily make you lose where you are the movie. It's not a fun movie, but it is good.

SPOILERS START BELOW THE POSTER!

SPOILERS START HERE!

I have to shout out the camera work with this movie. There are so many shots that feel so incredibly intentional with framing that I feel like if I researched a bit more, I could find that multiple moments might be recreations of actual photos taken during WWII.

There's other moments like this where maybe if I had a better idea of this history or the people making the movie I'd get more out of it. A good way to show that is the title itself "Come and See" which is a reference to Revelations in the Bible- when the Lamb says "Come and see!" to reveal Death riding the pale horse. This is not referenced in the movie, there's no Bible/religion mentioned at all, and if you don't know that reference the title just seems... random. Other things that happen in this movie seem like if I had a bunch of footnotes I'd understand better. That could be because it's a Soviet Union film and I'm not locked into that culture, but I think there's also things left purposefully vague or only for those "in the know".

The surrealism is also pretty subtle. At the beginning our main kid gets partially deafened and we get lots of shots where the audio is distant or fuzzy, which adds to our confusion and feeling of being unsettled. A cool effect to be sure, but a bit hard to understand as well.

Another cool thing that I didn't even realize was happening until the end was how our main character is aging. Kinda. He's still 100% a teen, there's no magic/supernatural things happening- but he goes from a smiling tow-headed kid to someone with wrinkles, grey hair, and a permanently shell-shocked face. It's honestly incredible that a child actor can pull it off. My favorite moment of the film is probably at the very end, where Flyora walks up to another boy, who is dressed exactly like he was at the start of the film- and there's a moment of recognition- that this boy hasn't yet seen the horrors that Flyora has. And likely is going to experience the same things, including the simple act of saying "Hello" to the other men in his group and being met with silence and stares. It's crazy how this kid almost feels like a grandfather by the end of the film, even when you see him next to another person who's the same age as he is.

Honestly, this movie probably should be rated higher- because it's so well done. It's a great anti-war film- as no part of the movie seems glamorized or fun at all. There's no fun characters, no tough-but-nice boss, no victory, there's not even a drive to survive (or at least for us to root for survival). I think what hurts it for me is the lack of overall story. We're dealing with a very dark time in history, and it feels incredibly personal. And because of that, it feels like a cop-out to complain about the lack of story. Because it feels like it's just showing you how wave after wave of terrible things happen in war, and there's no "reason" behind any of it. No one is targeting you specifically, it's just happening. (I could also be tying this into the book "City of Girls", which I just finished, which actually features that theme for one of the characters. "Things happen to/around you")

But for me at least, it would have made the scenes easier to follow if I felt attached to any character beyond just "civilian/child I don't want to die". It almost feels like we're watching Flyora stumble from one terrible scene to another just because we need someone to follow with the camera. And with the surreal aspects you do get a bit confused as to what's happening and how people are feeling, it's hard to watch. But... maybe that's the point? I was going to rate this as a 7 for my own personal enjoyment, but I have to give it another point for showing me a different atrocity of WWII I didn't know much about, and for how incredible the child actor was. If you want to watch this movie, expect an anti-war message and horrific scenes with 0 levity and no good resolution, just like actual war.

OMM2024 - Night 21: Rear Window (1954)

I've seen this movie referenced so many times I had to watch it- what better chance than during my #OctoberMovieMarathon?

Night 21

Rear Window (1954)

7/10

Photographer L.B. Jefferies is recovering from a broken leg and has one week left trapped in his apartment. To stave off boredom, he watches his neighbors through their windows, until he sees that something is wrong with one of them...

Don't get me wrong, this was a solid movie. The visuals are top-notch, I love how we can figure out what's happening even though many scenes are witnessed from far away. The acting is fun and the characters are great! I really enjoyed Lisa's character, it's kinda rare to have the love interest be so intelligent and proactive. She and Stella were my favorite parts of the movie! I was expecting this to be a bit more... dramatic? It was a lot funnier than I thought, and much more focused on the people watching than the neighbors being watched. A very fun movie with a slow build. But honestly, the director being Alfred Hitchcock should tell you the quality of the movie is up there.

SPOILERS START BELOW THE POSTER!

SPOILERS START HERE!

The only reason I didn't give this movie a higher score is because I thought it was going to be much scarier. When I think about it though, I think that's a hallmark of Hitchcock's films, they're not "scary" per say, they're more tense. Although I also found this one to be quite humorous. It's a lot more lighthearted until the climax at the end. I'd say that's the only point where it felt traditionally scary.

I did not expect this movie to focus so much on the photographer. I expected everyone to buy into his story even less. I think most of the references to this movie make it seem like no one believes anything was witnessed. However, in the movie, lots of people buy in almost immediately. Perhaps they don't think it's as serious, but they think something weird is happening if nothing else. Lisa especially bought in almost instantly, (and had a lot of good insights because of her knowledge of women).

I also really enjoyed how everyone got a happy ending. Though it is a bit heteronormative/romantic focused (almost everyone ends up as a couple), it's still a really sweet way to end the movie- showing that the neighborhood comes together to help and then find connection between them. I like it.

OMM2024 - Night 20: The Last Exorcism (2010)

 Another exorcism entry this year- and it's another one that doesn't follow the tropes of this genre. #OctoberMovieMarathon

Night 20 

8/10

A preacher decides to come clean about his fraudulent ways by documenting a trip to a rural Louisiana to perform his last exorcism.

I liked this movie! It surprised me as beat by beat it kept me guessing what was happening. I also had no idea this was a found-footage mockumentary movie. I think the best part about this, is it starts off with the preacher and he's not committed to the idea that demons are real at all. In fact, he starts off the movie, not with a crisis of faith, but with the acceptance that comes after a crisis of faith where faith didn't win out. He's charismatic and it's just an interesting perspective to have the preacher be the one who's not convinced. I think this one is well shot, well acted, and I enjoyed this different take on an exorcism movie. Definitely put this one on your list to watch!

And two fun facts for you: most of the characters share a first name with their actors and Ashley Bell (who plays Nell) does all the bends and twists herself! She's really that flexible!

SPOILERS START BELOW THE POSTER!

SPOILERS START HERE!

It's such a cool idea to have the reluctant one be the preacher, and the family is totally convinced (well almost all of them). I really didn't know where things were going towards the end, there's a lot of twists I don't want to spoil. In face the final reveal had me gasping with my hand over my mouth at how it changed what I just watched.

Nell is so likeable and sweet, but she's got great physicality and control over her face. Very spooky. I especially loved the first exorcism, where we cut back and forth between Cotton (our preacher) explaining how he plans to "fake" the exorcism and the exorcism itself- where Nell (our possessed girl) and her father are filling their roles exactly. It's so... freaky to watch someone calmly explaining "here's how I'll trick them" and then our poor girl getting actually worked up and freaked out by what's happening.

I do get a personal quandary from this sequence in particular. Since the conflict rests in us, the audience, knowing that Cotton doesn't believe what he's saying and is still profiting off of it. And though in the normal church at the start that seems to be fine- things feel different when we get to see the horror and confusion the family deals with during this first exorcism. Even if they feel better afterwards, does that make it okay? It's a topic I've often had shower arguments with myself... if "no one gets hurt" is there harm? And I honestly think this scene might readjust my own beliefs on that front... Which ironically, is where Cotton starts this film off at- he's already disillusioned and has decided he's stopping and documenting what is wrong about his setup. (such a good setup, I said that already but it's so true!)

Oh and the pictures! The drawings that give you some foreshadowing- I love that then we don't need to actually see what happens at the end since we saw them. It makes for a very tactful final climax.

The other thing I appreciated was that we don't ever really get to know the documentary people. They're in the action, and as the story goes more and more off the rails- we hear them talk more. But the movie doesn't go out of it's way to show them, their faces, or even their names. They are actually shooting their footage like professionals, they don't talk when the camera is running, we don't see them on screen very much, and it just feels more real that way. It's a subtle touch, but a really nice one that makes the opening sequence grounded, and emphasizes how scared everyone is getting as that professionalism starts to disappear.

I don't want to spoil the ending here- but I can say I'm very happy that I own the DVD of this movie, because I'm very interested in the director's commentary that's included. Shout out to physical media!

OMM2024 - Night 19: Stop Motion (2023)

Caught up to the proper night and with a plan for the rest of the month! #OctoberMovieMarathon has another top rated movie for you tonight.

Night 19: stopmotion (2023)

10/10

Ella's mother is a legend in the stop motion animation world, but has lost the use of her hands. Now for her mother's last film, her mother is the brains and Ella is the hands. But when her mother falls into a coma, Ella gets the chance to make her own film...

Woah! This movie was really cool! The concept is fantastic and well executed, the visuals are horrifying, and I really have no complaints about the movie. I love that there are stop motion sequences integrated into the live action movie. The story leans more towards the psychological side of horror, but there's plenty of gruesomeness to enjoy. Though there is gore, it's well done, so I'll allow it.

I love how you don't get to know exactly what's going on, and I feel like some people might be able to piece together where the movie will go- but that doesn't take away from the reveals. It's more like a reward for recognizing the foreshadowing and callbacks.

 

From the opening sequence to the end I couldn't look away (though I did hide behind my hands at some points). This is an excellent movie and I highly recommend it.

SPOILERS START BELOW THE POSTER!

SPOILERS START HERE!

The DEATILS! I feel like I want to watch this movie again just to see how many extra details I can pick up on. The way things are framed, the dialogue, even the sound design all seem to have hints as to what's really going on. I especially love the subtlety of the squeaking noises when Ella moves. I didn't pick up on them until the back half of the film, and that makes me think there's other things I missed at the start! I'm still not entirely sure what the orb thing is about, but it does not feel like a plot hole- just something I could understand better on a second viewing.

The Ashman is terrifying, and every new version of him is somehow even worse than the last. Extra points go to this movie for not having there be some sort of sexual tension/analogy to the "the second night, he touches her". I really appreciate that the horror is simply the creature entering into the physical realm and not literally... entering anything. Thank you!

The ending had me equal parts repulsed and sad. This one's going to stick with me for awhile. Not in the "that one scene will haunt my nightmares" (like "The Taking of Deborah Logan") but in the thematic sense. I certainly relate to Ella and her struggles... and yeesh does this movie show me a dark path that could go down. I think the best horror movies can end up feeling so personal, because that's the horror that sticks with you.

OMM2024 - Night 18: The Horror of Dracula (1958)

Night 18 of the #OctoberMovieMarathon let's go!

The Horror of Dracula (1958)

4/10

Jonathon Harker accepts a role at Count Dracula's castle under false pretenses, when he's found out- his friend Dr. Van Helsing takes up the fight against Dracula.

 

This movie definitely feels like it's from the 50's. Heavy orchestra hits, melodrama, and very detailed sets. There's not a lot of meat to the film, it's more about the story beats than the characters (which are always stories I have a harder time getting behind). I don't actively dislike it, but it wasn't fun enough for me to fully enjoy myself. There's potential for this to be a movie you can riff on, so that counts for something.

I don't really have much to say on this one! It's your classic horror movie that's good for it's time, but doesn't hold up on it's own. I've seen Christopher Lee mentioned as one of the best Draculas, but I don't have enough Dracula watching time to declare that. And fun fact, this film is actually just titled "Dracula" but was retitled to "The Horror of Dracula" so that it wasn't confused with Universal Studios 1931 "Dracula".

If you enjoy the vibe of old Hollywood movies- you'll like this one. But if those movies don't do anything for you, you can skip it.

OMM2024 - Night 17: Wrong Turn (2003)

 Let's goo! We're over the hump and into the back half of the month. #OctoberMovieMarathon

Night 17

Wrong Turn (2003)

7/10

A man on his way to Raleigh takes a detour down a dirt road to avoid the accident blocking the highway.

A surprise hit! I wasn't expecting to like this movie, but it's pretty fun! Not as gorey as the opening scene made me think it was going it be. A great movie for screaming at the characters: "Don't do that!" "No! Watch out!" and enjoying the shenanigans.

 

Usually I'm big on characters needing to be 3-dimensional. But in Wrong Turn everyone is just a person.  Maybe it's because they weren't just caricatures or stereotypes. There was just enough different about them to make it feel like someone, if not real, at least next door to it. You're not meant to really relate to the characters, they are vehicles for us to romp through the woods and get chased.

 

Do understand, this is NOT a comedy and truthfully there aren't any jokes in the film. It's not a "Dale and Tucker vs Evil" sort of feel and not a "so bad it's funny" movie, it's just a good time. More like a roller coaster- "danger" but you're really just screaming because that makes it more fun.

SPOILERS BELOW THE POSTER!

SPOILERS START HERE!

This movie also features a group of characters who are committing violence for no good reason, but unlike The Strangers, they're at least getting joy out of their hunt. They're eating people and... collecting some bones and such? It's not clear, but you at least get the sense that they've got their own internal logic. I also appreciate the movie not doing all the same scares as other movies. For instance, the bait and switch with the first guy going missing and the girl looking for him- and then the other couple do the "disappear to scare my friend" bit instead- and the girl gets attacked? Great subversion of expectations. I think the villains were well designed (if sometimes looking like they had a pillow under their shirts- I'm looking at you cannibal who got in the police car) and I appreciated all the little details in their house and car park.

The gore, which is something I'm sensitive too, was not too bad. It's mostly blood, and the few shots with body parts don't stick around past their need. I thought the opening showing a bit of blood was a hint that the movie was going to go way too far in showing injuries- but it didn't do that. And though the movie did end up using the trap of "cannibals save the girl because she's pretty/they want use her body" but it didn't go very far. Thank goodness. A lesser film would have used that as an opportunity to strip their female lead. This movie, was classier than that.