Shocktober 2023, Wrapup

As usual, we interspersed our marathon of death with lighter, family friendly fare, which we watched with our younger siblings. 

A Haunting in Venice (2023)

We went to see this one in theaters. I missed Branagh's Death on the Nile (which was reportedly a misfire) but this one, like the director's Murder on the Orient Express is a respectable enough adaptation. Like the earlier film it features a strong supporting cast and Branagh's interpretation of Agatha Christie's famous sleuth, if a little unorthodox, is nonetheless enjoyable. What's more, even though his Poirot is anachronistically agnostic, at the film itself leaves open the possibility of genuine supernatural realities. 

7.8/10

A Quiet Place (2018)

Though it has its flaws, Jonathan Krasinski's 2018 horror/thriller still holds up. Its portrayal of a beleaguered but intact family unit stands out in a Hollywood dominated by cynicism and empty woke ideology and the sacrificial actions of Krasinski's character are a far more moving and authentic example of heroism then anything the industry's seemingly endless superhero spectacles have to offer. It also remains a genuinely suspenseful, and relatively restrained, exercise in survival horror. 

8.8/10

We also found time to re-watch a few of old favorties (without the younger siblings naturally):

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Since its initial release, The Blair Witch Project has become a rather polarizing film. Some dismiss it as a poorly made, gimmicky film (to be sure it did spawn a host of mediocre imitators), while others continue to laud it as a bold and well-crafted piece of folk-horror. Having seen it twice now, long after the hype has died down, I find myself firmly in the second camp. If you allow yourself to get swept up in the film's narrative, it's an incredibly effective horror film. The sense of dread mounts as the film progresses and the three main characters become more and more disoriented, their own fears (both outward and existential) rising at times to a sense of hysteria. Yet, it's an incredibly subtle film, with the horror always more suggested then actually glimpsed, demonstrating the fact that what we fear the most is the unknown. In doing so, The Blair Witch Project evokes what Ann Radcliffe called "terror", which "expands the soul and awakens the faculties to a high degree of life".

9/10

The Old Dark House (1932)

Since we were watched Hammer Studio's ill-conceived comedic remake, we decided to revisit the original. James Whale's magnificent direction is complemented by Arthur Edeson's moody and, at times, expressionistic cinematography. The witty script, adapted from a 1928 novel by J. B. Priestley, is ably abbeted by the films stellar cast and the characters are surprisingly nuanced for a film of this kind. It's not exactly deep in terms of theme but it's a wildly entertaining little film nonetheless. 

8.8/10

Halloween (1978)

As usual, we closed off the year by watching Carpenter's classic, a film which, despite its simplicity, never gets old and whose reputation can never be tarnished, regardless of how many inferior sequels, remakes and reboots are attempted. More detailed thoughts can be found in my full review. 

8.8/10

Shocktober 2023 Ranked

Though I reviewed quite a few films this October from other genres, I'm only ranking the genuine horror movies. 

1. Halloween (1978) 

45 years after its release, Carpenter's classic stands head and shoulders above the countless sequels, remakes, reboots and rip-offs it inspired. 

2. The Sixth Sense (1999) 

Equal parts drama and horror, The Sixth Sense may be the best film ever made on the subject of the supernatural. 

3. The Exorcist (1973)

Is The Exorcist the scariest movie of all time? Depends on who you ask but it remains, despite its flaws, one of the best directed horror films ever made and a powerful testament to the existence of the demonic.   

4. A Quiet Place (2018) 

Though it's not a great work of art, John Krasinski's restrained and surprisingly wholesome thriller is a welcome relief from the excessive bombast which dominates horror films today and from the general nihilism of Hollywood in general. 

5. The Blair Witch Project (1999)

No film gets under my skin quite the way Blair Witch does yet its appeal (perhaps that's the wrong word) cannot really be explained. One must experience the film for themself. 

6. The Old Dark House (1932) 

Quite simply, one of the most entertaining horror movies ever made and possibly the best "haunted house" film (though the film only loosely fits that description) ever made. 

7. Signs (2002) 

Though it suffers from a hackneyed ending, Signs is still one of M. Night Shyamalan's best pictures and plays perfectly to his strengths as a director. 

8. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Magnificent performances and a great script elevate this serial killer film which explores the evil of psychotic killers but can't quite help make them an object of morbid fascination. 

9. Psycho (1960)

Another masterpiece from the master of suspense, Psycho is also elevated by Anthony Perkin's iconic performance. 

10. The Happening (2008)

An admittedly flawed throwback to corny old disaster movies, The Happening is underrated. 

11. Dog Soldiers (2002) 

A suspenseful, character driven little b-movie, Dog Soldiers is well worth watching for fans of werewolf pictures. 

12. The Village (2004) 

Amazing cinematography and solid performances recue an intriguing but a rather on-the-nose script.  

13. The Mummy (1999) 

A fun throwback to old adventure serials. Brendan Fraser is great in his star-making lead role. 

14. The Babadook (2014) 

Though the allegory is a bit on-the-nose at times, Jennifer Kent's debut remains a stirring horror film. 

15. Arachnophobia (1990) 

A fun 90's monster movie. John Goodman steals the show.

16. Psycho IV (1990) 

The best of the unnecessary sequels to Hitchcock's classic, this prequel is better than it had any right to be. 

17. Jacob's Ladder (1990) 

An intriguing but messy film, I may need to spend more time with Jacob's Ladder before I can develop a strong opinion on it. 

18. Phantom of the Opera (1962) 

Though not much of a horror movie, the Hammer version of Phantom is a pretty decent costume drama. 

19. Phantom of the Opera (1925)

Lon Chaney's performance holds together this rather unfocused adaptation of Gaston Leroux's novel. 

20. These Are the Damned (1963) 

A chilling cautionary tale, even if its poorly plotted at times. 

21. A Haunting in Venice (2023) 

Though not as good as Branagh's first Agatha Christie adaptation, A Haunting in Venice is still an entertaining little mystery thriller. 

22. Friday the 13th (1980) 

As silly and, at times, inept as it is, the original Friday still makes for some fun seasonal viewing if you go in with the right expectations. 

23. The Exorcist III (1990) 

Though completely unnecessary (and theologically suspect) the second sequel to William Friedkin's masterpiece mostly holds up thanks to solid performances and a surprisingly verbose script. 

24. The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

Though it contains some interesting meta-commentary on the genre, The Cabin in the Woods ultimately lacks the substance that would bring me back for more. 

25. Halloween (2018) 

Though it's one of the better Halloween sequels (for whatever that's worth) David Gordon Green's reboot is too derivative to make much of an impact. 

26. Halloween Ends (2022) 

The most daring of Green's reboot trilogy, Halloween Ends is hampered by the need to create a satisfying conclusion to the series. 

27. Psycho II (1983) 

This completely unnecessary sequel, though bolstered by a committed performance from Perkins, is too contrived to really work. 

28. Halloween Kills (2021) 

Though perhaps worth a watch for its occasional moments of unintentional hilarity, Halloween Kills is so tone deaf, so unfocused, and so lazily written that it's in the running for the worst of the series (and that's saying something). 

29. The Old Dark House (1963) 

Lame. 

30. Psycho III (1986)

Though not as contrived its predecessor, Psycho III represents the series at its most sadistic and exploitive. 

That's all folks!

Shocktober 2023 Week 4

 

22. Halloween (2018)

Like The Force Awakens, David Gordon's Green's reboot of the Halloween franchise is heavy on nostalgia. It is competently directed and, unlike many of the earlier sequels, its central story is, at least, character driven. With that said, it is terribly unfocused and tonally inconsistent. It also suffers from an excess of meta-commentary surrounding the character of Micheal Myers. Despite these issues it remains one of the better sequels, though it feels completely unnecessary and adds nothing of value to the original. 

6/10 

23. Halloween Kills (2021)

If the 2018 reboot felt unnecessary this sequel was even more so. At the very least the former brought the series to a semi-satisfying conclusion. Here, once again, Myers' death is retconned in an incredibly contrived fashion and the rest of the film struggles to justify its own existence. The writers are trying to say something about mob mentality and collective trauma, but its all so muddled and confusing that it never really lands. What's worse, these admittedly weighty themes are dealt with amidst some of the most unintentionally (I think) hilarious scenes I've ever seen in a slasher film (and that's saying something). 

4.8/10

24. Halloween Ends (2022)

It would seem that the series had no where to go but up after Halloween Kills. This, the final chapter in Green's reboot trilogy is, at the very least, better then its immediate predecessor. Its also, certainly, one of the more daring of the Halloween sequels. Like Rob Zombie's Halloween II it attempts to explore mental trauma and mental disease. However, unlike Zombie, Green is not willing to let Micheal take a back seat, and the film devolves into a contrived final showdown between Micheal and Laurie that is neither as satisfying as what the 2018 film had to offer nor as audacious as Zombie's more interesting (if equally flawed) pair of films. 

5.8/10

25. The Babadook (2014)

Anchored by a strong central performance from Essie Davis, The Babadook relies on symbolism to tell its story. This is both the directors greatest strength and the films greatest liability, as the subtext often overwhelms the text of the story. Nonetheless, the film remains an interesting, if somewhat heavy-handed exploration of grief and anger and an impressive debut for Australian director Jennifer Kent. 

8.4/10

26. The Exorcist (1973)

This year I decided to watch the theatrical cut of Friedkin's masterpiece, and I was pleasantly surprised to find some of the more over-the-top antics "removed." Regardless, I found the film improved with a second viewing. Horror, especially supernatural horror, is most effective when the evil is suggested rather than seen, and Friedkin is a master at this. The ending, though theologically ambiguous at first glance, seems to me a powerful testament to God's ability to "write straight with crooked lines," to bring good out of terrible evil. Hence Fr. Karras, who is in danger of losing his faith, finds redemption in the most unlikeliest of ways, and Regan's seemingly meaningless suffering is imbued with a salvific purpose.

8.8/10

27. The Exorcist III (1990)

A better film then it has any right to be, the third Exorcist film sees writer/producer William Peter Blatty step behind the camera to set the series back on course after the disaster that was Exorcist II (which, to be fair, I have never seen). Blatty lacks Friedkin's visual flair, and, if the original is at its best in its most silent moments, Exorcist III works best when people are having conversations. Fortunately, it's a very dialogue driven film, focused on Lieutenant Kinderman's (George C. Scott replacing the deceased Lee J. Cobb) interrogation of a man who appears to be the long-departed Karras. The film plays fast and loose with continuity. Kinderman and Karras, who barely speak to each other in the original film, are portrayed here as having been good friends. It also plays fast and loose with its theology, both morally and cosmologically. 

7.4/10

28. Clue (1985)

To take a break from all the doom and gloom, we watched this film with our younger siblings. Clue is a wonderful little screwball comedy, somehow managing to capture the spirit of the boardgame that inspired it, while retaining a spark of originality. The manic energy, which mounts as the film goes on, is largely aided by Tim Curry's hilarious turn as the butler, Wadsworth, but he is ably supported by an all around great cast and a sharp script from writer/director Jonathan Lynn. Its not a horror film but it features enough spooky/macabre imagery to qualify for wholesome seasonal viewing. 

8.2/10

Shocktober 2023, Week 3

This week, we focused on the films of M. Night Shyamalan... 

15. Cabin in the Woods (2012)

Joss Whedon's deconstruction of the horror genre is interesting and, at times entertaining, but in the end it falls flat. Whedon raises an interesting question: Is horror, in so far as it satisfies the human desire for violence in a 'safe' sanitized manner, something positive and beneficial, or is it simply an excuse to indulge in our lowest urges? I would argue (and have) that the genre can and should fulfill a loftier purpose and speak to higher spiritual realities, and dangers, that threaten the human person both from without and within. In any case, films like this, which seem content to be about art rather then about life, tend to come across as insular and elitist, tackling questions that are removed from the day-to-day lives of ordinary people. 

6.8/10 

16. The Sixth Sense (1990)

Shyamalan's masterpiece came out of nowhere in 1999. In some ways, an interesting companion piece to his earlier (underrated) Wide Awake, The Sixth Sense explores grief, domestic strife and spiritual terror and does it so brilliantly and effortlessly that it puts similar efforts (Jacob's Ladder for example) to shame. Perhaps inadvertently, Shyamalan illustrates the basic reasoning behind the doctrine of purgatory. The dead people who haunt young Cole (Harry Joel Osment) do so because they have unresolved business and hence attachment to this earthly plane. It is through Cole's intercession, as it were, that they are allowed to pass on. The now famous twist ending holds up not because it is shocking but because, in retrospect, the whole film makes more sense in light of it. 

9.4/10

17. Unbreakable (2000)

Though he could, perhaps, never live up to the expectations set by The Sixth Sense Shyamalan gave it a heck of a try in this, his second major effort behind the camera. He continues to prove himself a master of mixing drama and suspense, the scene involving Joseph (Spencer Treat Clark) and his father's gun being a brilliant case-in-point. The director is always at his best when exploring the family unit, and David's relationship with his wife and son anchor what might otherwise be a dreary, existential piece exploring ideas about destiny, heroism and ambition. 

8.6/10

18. Signs (2002)

Though the weakest of Shyamalan's three great successes, Signs is, perhaps, the one that speaks to me the most. Not unlike Hitchcock's The Birds it uses the structure of a disaster movie to explore a family unit, one struggling, as in so many of the director's films, to keep it together. Graham's loss and regaining of faith, even if hackneyed at times, gets at something fundamental to religious belief: whether we see order and purpose in the sufferings and challenges of life or, seeing only meaningless chaos, despair and rage against God. 

8.4/10

19. The Village (2004)

The director's first critical failure, The Village is a much better film then its reputation would suggest. Featuring great performances from Bryce Dallas Howard and Joaquin Phoenix and beautiful cinematography from the great Roger Deakins, the film explores some really interesting ideas about the relationship between truth and morality and the struggle to maintain both in an increasingly immoral world. What is missing, notably in comparison with the director's earlier work, is an idea of the transcendent, which makes the film less satisfying than the director's best. But, given the ambiguities the The Village deals with. perhaps that was point. 

8.2/10

20. Lady in the Water (2006)

Lady in the Water is Shyamalan's first real failure. Though its admirable that he had the integrity to tell stick to his guns and tell his story his way (supposedly it is based on stories he told to his own kids) it seems more than likely that his previous successes may have gotten to his head. The result is confusing and, oftentimes, bizarre. In contrast to all of his earlier films, Shyamalan makes no effort to make us believe in the whimsical world he presents. He also relies, far too often, on lengthy exposition to communicate both story and theme. 

5.8/10

21. The Happening (2007)

A vastly underrated movie, and a refreshing one after the tedious and pretentious Lady in the Water, The Happening a wonderfully stripped done disaster movie. Is it cheesy? Of course! Shyamalan was clearly trying to make a throwback to corny old b-movies like the blob and, even if he is less successful the Hitchcock was with The Birds, he still manages to craft an incredibly entertaining movie whilst injecting his own sense quirkiness. Mark Wahlberg's line delivery, while admittedly bizarre and not good acting from an objective standpoint, only serves to make the film that much more enjoyable. 

7.4/10