31 Days 0f Horror (Films) - Day 13

SOLE SURVIVOR - streaming on AMC+ and Shudder

Written and directed by Thom Eberhardt (best known for his cult classic Night of the Comet), this 1983 slow burn horror thriller is the undisputed spiritual precursor to the Final Destination franchise.

Granted, it’s not as gonzo or gory as those films, but it still packs a decent amount of creepy tension.

The acting isn’t terribly great and the cinematography has that 1980s made-for-tv look, but the story is intriguing and quite a lot of the shots of an empty Los Angeles at night are unsettlingly cool.

In the grand scheme of things it’s very much like an extended The Twilight Zone episode.

31 Days 0f Horror (Films) - Day 12

BLOOD VESSEL - streaming on AMC+ and Shudder

Naziferatu.

That was gonna be my pithy, one word review of this film.

As clever as I thought it was, I decided to double check the webz to see if it had already been used.

Fudge me like a day old brownie, cuz some nerd bro used it in his review back in 2020.

My initial thought was “great minds think alike,” but then I realized I can’t vouch for that other guy.

Any way, this is a nazi vampire action film that unquestionably would be a few nods better if seen at a midnight movie with a rowdy crowd hopped up on brew and booze.

Sober, it’s mildly entertaining, if a bit predictable.

31 Days 0f Horror (Films) - Day 11

 HOUSE ON WILLOW STREET - streaming on AMC+

This multi-genre mash-up has its moments, but overall ends up just being ho-hum.

The practical effects are pretty decent, but sadly are marred by some seriously cheesy digital components (what the hell is the fascination with long, saliva drenched tongues writhing around like snakes in horror films?).

The story, centered around a kidnapping, starts out promisingly enough, but soon gets bogged down with murky, half-assed exposition (or lack thereof) and underdeveloped and well-worn tropes.

Then again, if you dig low-budget, SyFy Channel styled action horror, this might be in your wheelhouse…

31 Days of Horror (Films) - Day 10

BEYOND THE GATES - streaming on AMC+

Third time's a charm...

So, I started the day off watching a film called Proxy. While entertaining and coming out the gate strong, ultimately I felt it was more of a Lifetime-styled psycho thriller (albeit one jacked up on meth) than a horror movie. 

Next I checked out Francis Ford Coppola's first official feature film, Dementia 13. While dripping with gothic overtones and a rabid killer vibe, I thought it was more mystery/psycho drama than horror.

Not one to be daunted, I queued up a third film, Beyond the Gates, and scored a winner!

This flick is like a bugged out mash-up of House, Phantasm, and Jumanji. Comin' in hot on the low-budget tip like a 1980's direcct-to-VHS jammy, it’s creepy, funny, and weird. While it can bog down at times with some meandering "dramatic" exposition, the quirk factor is high enough to keep you watching for the duration. Plus it stars that cool kid from John Dies at the End, the one who played Dave. Here he's like the uber nerd-hip, sad sack stoner bro.

Also, how the hell did I miss out on VHS board games? The crux of this film's story hinges on a bugged out “interactive” Ouija type game.

Oh, and as an added bonus, cult scream queen Barbara Crampton injects some wonderfully campy and macabre ambiance to the whole proceedings. Oh, and there’s some pretty decent practical splatter gore to keep things appropriately ewwy and gooey.

If you spent any time in the 80s and 90s pouring over the faded covers of horror films at your local video store (we're talking pre-Blockbuster, yo!), then this jam's for you.

31 Days of Horror (Films) - Day 9

PYEWACKET - streaming on AMC+

This is a prime example of how just because a film screened at a prestigious festival doesn’t always mean that it’s good. To wit, I really had high hopes for this endeavor since it premiered at TIFF a few years back, plus the trailer made it look cool and promising.

Sadly, it’s a run-of-the-mill teen angst and emotionally distraught parent story, albeit wrapped up in supernatural undertones. To make matters worse, all of the characters are one-dimensional, the plot is pretty predictable (the ending terribly so), and the lack of necessary exposition just seems lazy.

On the one hand the slow-burn pacing does create a certain sense of apprehensive dread, the accompanying score adds a nice, creepy vibe, and the woodsy locale, while kind of trite, is still creep. Alas, when the insanely rote “twist” ending comes, it all seems for nought.

31 Days of Horror (Films) - Day 8

FEAR(S) OF THE DARK  (In French with subtitles) - streaming on AMC+ and IFC

Rendered in black and white and heavily relying on shadow and light, this is a dark, moody, and downright eerie animated anthology.

Rabid dogs, swamp beasts, dead samurai, creepy crawly insects, malevolent ghosts, and a disembodied voice scared of philosophy and ideology inhabit the various vignettes that unfold before your eyes in a rich variety of illustrated styles ranging from ligne claire to aquatints, and big eyes inflected anime.

Each of the stories adeptly conjure up feelings of dread, claustrophobia, paranoia, and in some cases mild revulsion, the end result being a satisfying cavalcade of chilling cartoons.

31 Days of Horror (Films) - Day 7

 BLACK MAGIC - via Netflix DVD Mail Order

This Shaw Brothers production is an odd duck of a film. Looking like a cheap cross between a Hammer horror flick, an early Mario Bava effort, and a weird riff on Fantasy Island (or perhaps a bugged out episode of Love, American Style), it’s injected with some soft-core eroticism and hokey creepiness. 

The story is essentially a tale of misguided love (aka infatuation), dueling practitioners of black magic, and spiteful lovers. Sadly, the scare factor is dismally low and there are zero bouts of kung fu craziness. 

Believe it or not, they made a sequel (which is next up in my queue, although I am not expecting much based on this film).