31 Days of Halloween Horror Movies 2015: Week One Recap
It’s that time of year once again, every horror fans favorite season. That means that I’m back again with another 31 Days of Halloween event. Every day in the month of October, I watch a horror film and then at the end of the week I post a recap right here for everyone. This year, however, I plan on adding in a couple more little.. Halloweeny things that I will be doing as well.
Every year I also have to preface my list with this small disclaimer. These are by no means a “must see” list, or a “best of”. Most of these are just movies that I fell behind on watching throughout the year. Some of them are actually early reviews as well. So it’s a little bit of this and that. Without any further adieu, lets kick off week one!
October 1st: Wyrmwood
I decided to kick off the festivities this year with a little Aussie zombie flick called, Wyrmwood. I’d heard a lot of positive buzz about this one and it had sat in my Netflix que probably longer than it should have. The zombie killin action starts right out the gate with this one and doesn’t ever let up.. At least not too much.
Personally I really enjoyed this one. It has a really weird plot and some very unusual moments, especially towards the end. But I thought it was still very solid throughout. The special effects and gore shots were amazing at the very least. You have to be prepared for the weird stuff too though. It could turn a lot of people off.. But I think for horror fans the gore and zombie ass kicking will keep you entertained.
October 2nd: Zombeavers
Wow. I remember hearing about this movie a number of months ago and thinking how ridiculous it sounded. Well it lived up to that standard for sure. On the surface it looks like just another stupid SyFy original type film, but this one definitely has a few redeeming qualities that I think make it slightly better than some of the other low budget, cheaply shot, run of the mill, type horror films out there.
I never found myself really laughing out loud during this one.. But there were a few things that did make me smile. The effects are really not very good but I think that adds slightly to the charm of the film. If you have ever seen “Attack of the Killer Shrews” you’ll have a good idea of what to expect here effects wise.
It’s honestly good, dumb fun. Especially if you have a couple friends over with some beers. Not fantastic, but not terrible either.
October 3rd: The Demon’s Rook
I saw the trailer for this one awhile back and thought that it looked simply amazing. It reminded me of some of the classic 70s and 80s horror films that I love. I was instantly brought back to the glory days of Lucio Fulci and Lamberto Bava. Unfortunately, the movie doesn’t quite hold up to such high standards.
I really wanted to love this movie because the special effects are just fantastic. The creatures and demons remind me a bit of another movie that I love, “Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer”. The real downfall of this film is the story. It just feels so… unusual for lack of a better word. I just couldn’t get behind it. The kills and effects are so on point, but the story just makes it a bit of a chore to get through. Still not terrible though.
October 4th: We Are Still Here
This was honestly a surreal movie for me to watch because of the people that were involved. I’ve known Ted Geoghegan, Travis Stevens, and Marcus Koch for about as long as I’ve been writing for this website. So, to see them all come together for one film like this, was so unreal.
Anyway, onto the movie itself. It’s a really slow burn so you have to stick with it if you want to get to the good stuff, and there is a lot of good stuff. First off, it stars not only Barbara Crampton but also Larry Fessenden. As awesome as Crampton is, Fessenden really steals the show here. With Oddtopsy FX on board all of the kills and look of the family of ghosts were really fantastic. My only gripe is that it had this distinct, almost “digital” look to it. I understand that it was a low budget film, but I think a filter or two may have helped it achieve a more “film” look. That is a minor gripe though.
Highly suggest checking this one out, the very end is great.
October 5th: WolfCop
It’s been a really long time since I have seen a good, modern day werewolf film. I love werewolf movies and it’s a shame that it has taken this long for one to catch my eye. Especially considering this is such an off the wall, absurd one at that.
What can I really say about WolfCop? It’s fucking awesome. The look of the wolf isn’t great, but the gore and some of the kills are just brutal. The humor is really the selling point on this one though. Not much of a plot to reveal here either. A werewolf, who is also a cop, end of story. Definitely check it out if you haven’t already. I’m anxiously awaiting WolfCop 2.
October 6th: Dead Snow 2: Red vs Dead
I saw the first film a number of years ago but it didn’t really leave much of an impression on me. Don’t get me wrong though, I liked it, I just didn’t think it was amazing. However, Dead Snow 2 is a completely different beast. Because I wasn’t that impressed with the first, this one rot in my Netflix que for longer than it should have.
Dead Snow 2 is just simply bad ass. This is wall to wall gore and action that I think any horror/zombie fan can really get behind. It picks up right after the events of the first film, but you don’t have to have seen the first to enjoy this one. The gore is amazing, the comedy is on point and the action is prevalent. If you haven’t seen this one yet, what the hell are you waiting for?
October 6th Bonus: Ghost Concert in St. Louis at The Pageant
I have been a HUGE Ghost fan for about three years now and I had never been able to see them preform live. A couple years ago they played near me but the ticket prices were a little steep and a bunch of friends backed out at the last minute. As soon as I saw they were playing in St. Louis I put out a call to see who would want to join me for the ritual. Luckily I had one kick ass friend who was down for the adventure.
Only one band opened before Ghost and they were called Purson. I only listened to a couple of their songs because I wanted to get an idea of what I would hear at the show. Honestly, I wasn’t a huge fan. But, when they came out on stage and started to play, it was a whole other story.
Purson is kind of a psychedelic rock band that look like they came right out of the 70s. They were hypnotizing and you could tell they were having a lot of fun, especially the drummer and the bass player. I think my friend enjoyed them more than I did, but they were still much better than I had anticipated.
But that is not who I went to go see. I went to see GHOST and that is what I got. It was such an experience that it is honestly hard to put into words. When you are there, singing along to every word, with every other fan in the crowd, it’s this real feeling of community if that makes sense.
Papa Emeritus III (the lead singer) really knows how to command the audience and he’s pretty fuckin hilarious at times as well. They played every song I wanted to hear, plus a few other good ones. So many awesome moments. However the highlights of the night for me was hearing my own personal favorite song, “He Is”, and the closing sing along of “Monstrance Clock”.
Below is video from the concert I took at the very end of “He Is”.
October 7th: The Inhabitants (2015)
Awhile back I was contacted by Shawn Rasmussen and he asked if I would like to review a film he co wrote and directed with his brother Michael, The Inhabitants. Now usually what I do is watch the trailer and if it doesn’t grab me, I just decline offers like that. Especially around this time of year, I just simply don’t have the time. But I saw something in that trailer that caught my eye.
The basic premise is that a young couple purchase an old bed and breakfast that they want to run together. What they don’t know is that the house contains an ancient evil that was placed there by a witch. As they settle in, the husband slowly begins to realize something is seriously going wrong with his wife and the house.
Now, this movie is incredibly slow. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I wish they had amped some things up in just a couple spots here and there to keep me more engaged. I’m not saying this is a bad movie, because it’s not, it is just so damn slow.
It does have a pretty creepy build up and a couple little peeks into what might be going on, but it doesn’t feel like enough really. That being said, there is a pay off toward the end. The first 2/3 or more of the film is a very slow burn but at the end, you get the pay off you were waiting for. If you have the patience, this one is worth looking into. It hits VOD next week, October 13th.
I’ve had a whirlwind of shit happen in the past couple weeks, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me from doing this again this year. I hope you all stick around for the rest of the month because there is plenty more to come! Look forward to possibly a couple video reviews and hopefully some more bonus stuff as well. Also let me know what you guys are watching this October in the comments!
