31 Days of Halloween Horror Movies 2015: Week Two Recap

Hey guys, I’m back again for week two in my 31 Days of Halloween adventure. Every year I watch a horror movie every day in the month of October. For the past several years I have been chronicling that task right here for you guys. This past week has went by in a blur and I had a lot of good stuff to watch. If you missed last weeks recap, check it out right here.

As always I have to preface this by saying this is by no means a “Best Of” list or even “Must See”. This is just a collection of movies that I have sadly fallen behind on watching or old classics that I’m catching up on. Well let’s get started, shall we?

Day 8: Wolf Creek 2

I was not to overly impressed by Greg McLean’s first film in this franchise. Wolf Creek was a decent film, it just didn’t stick with me like it did for others. The hype around that film was also outrageous claiming it was the Aussie Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I mean, that’s a hard bill to live up to.

As a result of all of that I put off watching the follow-up, until now. I have to say I was much more impressed with this second effort. The effects are a clear step up and they do quite a few cool little things to spice this one up. At the end it does drag a bit, but overall I was pleased with what I saw. So if you weren’t a huge fan of the original like I was, I suggest checking this one out.

Day 9: It Follows

This is a film that has been getting high praise from horror fans everywhere. However, what really got me to watch this movie was the insistence of my brother, Samuel. He has been recommending this movie to me for months now and I decided I would go ahead and give it a spin.

Honestly I can’t really say I enjoyed it. Something about the film really got under my skin and it has stuck with me for a while. Now while I didn’t enjoy the experience I would definitely suggest checking it out. As horror fans I think this is the type of film that we are always looking for, something to really shake us. This one shook me and I don’t really know why. It was just unsettling and unusual in a way that most films are not any more.

All of that aside, the music is really fantastic. I can’t imagine this movie doing nearly as well as it has without that score. Definitely check this one out if you are looking for something that will stick with you long after viewing.

Day 10: Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones

It seems like I always manage to squeeze in one of these Paranormal Activity films every year. This was the “Latino” spin-off that they did a couple of years back that I simply did not get a chance to check out. If you haven’t seen it yet, you are honestly not missing out on much.

This is just more of the same shaky cam Paranormal Activity that you are used to. They do manage to link this film to all the others but it does feel a little forced. So far this has been the weakest film I have seen this Halloween.

Day 11: Late Phases

Last week I watched WolfCop and referred to it as one of the best werewolf films I had seen in a long time. Well, Late Phases has come along and swept that spot right up. I really can’t believe that I slept on this one for as long as I have. I love werewolves and I love training montages.. How did I miss this?

Nick Damici stars and every single thing I have ever seen him in, he is amazing. That guy has some serious chops and reminds me a lot of Clint Eastwood’s character from Gran Torino in this. The werewolves take on a more Howling look here and they are all handled by Robert Kurtzman so you know they looked fantastic. This was a really cool little film that I wish I had seen much sooner.

Day 12 Bonus: Who is Chainsaw?

In between coming back from school and getting ready for work I noticed Eli Roth was presenting a new kind of short. I had enough time to watch something short so I gave it a shot, plus it was only going to be up for a limited time. All I had to do was go to this website and enter my name and e-mail. Why not!?

I am a sucker for horror films that take place in Carnival type settings. This one takes place in a haunted house that is located at some kind of fair or carnival. This was a pretty gory little short with some kind of unusual and artsy shots. From what I understand they plan on making a feature out of this one with Eli Roth’s involvement. If it’s anything like that short, you can sign me up!

Day 12: Contracted

This a movie that received a lot of buzz when it was first released but for some reason, I didn’t get around to it. It has languished in my Netflix que for months now just waiting for October to roll around. I actually pushed this movie back a bit because I was worried it would slightly conflict with It Follows. After viewing I can say they are actually very different movies.

Without spoiling too much, this is a zombie movie without actually being a zombie movie. The story telling is pretty solid and I actually really enjoyed the effects. The lead actress was good and it was nice to see Caroline Williams getting more serious roles. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen a good body horror movie, at least a true one. This does a nice job of capturing what Cronenberg was so good at.

Day 13: Nightbreed: The Directors Cut

I saw Nightbreed a number of years ago when I felt like it was probably required viewing for any self-respecting horror fan. It never resonated with me like it did for so many other people. But then again, Clive Barker was never really one of my favorites back then either. But I decided this year I would give “The Directors Cut” aka “The Cabal Cut” a try.

This time around I was really pleased with what I saw. The creature effects, while dated, are really cool looking. They don’t hold up to today’s standards but they have a certain charm about them. Nightbreed also has an interesting, almost dreamlike, vibe to it. It’s some of Barker’s best work for sure and I’m glad I can finally say I enjoyed the hell out of it.

Day 14: Tucker & Dale vs Evil

I know, I know.. Why the hell has it taken me this long to watch Tucker & Dale!? Honestly, I don’t know either. It’s another movie that I have always wanted to watch and I have always had it in my que. I just never got around to actually sitting down and committing the time to watch it.

I really love horror movies that are able to take cliché tropes and make them actually funny without degrading the genre itself. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon was really good at doing that and this film succeeds in that department as well. I found myself laughing out loud several times and the characters are fantastic. Hopefully you’re not like me and you have already seen this film, if not.. Get to it.

Thank you everyone for joining me on my adventure again this Halloween season. If you missed week one, no worries you can still check it out here. Be sure to stay tuned in here because I will be back next week with another full recap that will include a few older gems that I have yet to see. Let me know what you guys are watching in the comments below! See you all next week!