October Horror Movie Challenge: Frankenstein (1931) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

One of the best things about this particular challenge this year is I have allowed myself the freedom of going back and watching movies I have not seen in years to discuss. Many of never been in one of my previous challenges before so I get my thoughts about them down here. Case in point the 1931 Frankenstein and it's superb sequel Bride of Frankenstein from 1935. I would argue that both movies together fulfill the original promise of the Mary Shelley novel. 

 In my mind there have always been two Frankensteins. The Book version who was intelligent, but doomed, and the Movie version. Both have their place in the pantheon of Horror Icons, and I would argue that the movie version is more recognizable than the book version.

Frankenstein (1931)

I have mentioned before, I know who Boris Karlof was long before I ever knew who the President at the time was. So the 1931 Frankenstein is a solid part of my childhood and much like King Kong, one of those movie I used to love watching with my dad.

In a way Frankenstein's Monster is the poster child for all movie monsters. A title he might need to share with Dracula or Kong, but 

The movie was shocking 1931 and now almost 100 years later it still has its moments. The story is only loosely based on Mary Shelley's classic, but I would argue that even with the changes, it still manages to tell us the same story and get the all important moral of Man's (note I am not saying Human's here, I am following Shelley's lead and her words) hubris. 

The movie is engaging, and despite the slow pace common to the time, it keeps your attention. 

Back from Dracula we have Edward van Sloan (Van Helsing, and in this film Dr. Waldman) and Dwight Frye  (Renfield and in this film Fritz aka the "Igor" character). 

In this one the Monster dies, but Baron Victor ("Henry" in this movie) gets to live.

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Can't keep a good monster down. If anything, this movie might be better. Why? Well it largely has to do with with Elsa Lancaster. First she plays Mary Shelley in a bit at the beginning talking to Percy Shelley and Lord Byron. This went uncredited and I was delighted when I figured it out. Then she turns and gives this amazing performance as the Bride. She doesn't have many if any lines, but her face is so emotive you know everything she wants to convey.

Also we get some really solid acting from Boris Karloff as the Monster. Again, above and beyond what he gave in the first one. You feel for him, which is what you are supposed to do.

Again, liberties with the book are taken, but these two movies should have been combined into one much longer and better tale. Similar to what we see in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994) or Frankenstein: The True Story (1973). Though no movie has been a true adaptation of the book, these two (1973 and 1994) are among the closest.

Featured Monster: Flesh Golem

There is no doubt that the Flesh Golem of the Monster Manual is directly related to Frankenstein. And I will even go a step further and say it was based on Move Frankenstein more so than the Novel.

This becomes more obvious in the Ravenloft setting.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2024
Viewed: 43
First Time Views: 21

October Horror Movie Challenge: Zodiac (2007)

 A different one tonight. It is undoubtedly horror and I have been low-key obsessed with the Zodiac Killer for years.  This one features an all-star cast.

Zodiac (2007)

This movie features Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Edwards, Brian Cox, Elias Koteas, Donal Logue, Dermot Mulroney, Chloë Sevigny, and Jimmi Simpson, all in key roles.

This covers the investigation of the Zodiac Killer by Robert Graysmith (played by Gyllenhaal) who wrote the definitive book on the case, The Zodiac. Ruffalo plays Inspector Dave Toschi (the real-life Dirty Harry) and Robert Downey Jr. as Paul Avery of the San Francisco Chronicle.

The movie is long but covers the Graysmith book well enough (I read it back in the early 90s), to about 1983.  As far as scares go, there are some good ones.  And honestly one of the better movies I have watched this Challenge. Granted it is very different than the theme I had chosen this year.

I think the scariest was watching Jimmi Simpson at the end talking about surviving the Zodiac killer. 

Maybe I find this one scary because I have been following this one for so long. There is a new documentary on Netflix, I'll have to check it out.

For the record. I do think Zodiac was Arthur Leigh Allen, but that could be because I read Graysmith's book so long ago. But the evidence is kind of damning. 

October Horror Movie Challenge 2024
Viewed: 41
First Time Views: 21

October Horror Movie Challenge: Cat People (1942, 1982)

 I am a huge fan of the 1982 Cat People and I have known about the original one for years, but never saw it. Tonight I decided to change taht.

Cat People (1942)

Horror movies in the 1940s hit differently than other eras. They are slower, yes, but there is more of a feeling of psychological dread, I think. I mean, there is an obvious reason, of course. Film-makers of the time could use that and not gore or other features of the horror genre.

This movie is a bit slow, but it is still rather good. Simone Simon plays Irena, our Serbian Cat Person. Simon is also really good in this, displaying a kind of innocence needed for the role that you just don't get with Nastassja Kinski. 

There are a lot of elements of this movie that you will see 40 years later in the remake. The Cat People legend is largely the same, just changing the location where the legends happen. 

The plot is also very similar—closer than I expected, to be honest. The ending is pretty much the same, too. 

I watched this one on Amazon Prime and it looks like it was remastered. It is still black & white but very sharp and clear. 

This movie is also the originator of the Lewton Bus jump scare (at about 44 mins in).

I like how Irena's village's "Cat Women" are also described as witches. I could use that.

I was going to rewatch the 1982 version, but I ran out of time tonight.

Featured Monster: Lycanthropes and Cat Lord

I am fairly certain that Cat People (1942) had a little bit of influence on the weretiger of the Monster Manual, but I am absolutely certain that Cat People (1982) did influence the Cat Lord of the Monster Manual II. Some scenes of Malcolm McDowell remind me of the art of the Cat Lord. 

October Horror Movie Challenge 2024
Viewed: 40
First Time Views: 20

October Horror Movie Challenge: Ghostbusters

 Got a chance to check out the two new(er) Ghostbusters movies and I had a blast with them. The two questions that come up here are "Are they horror?" and "What do they have to do with D&D?" The first is "who cares, they have the trappings of horror" and the second, "yeah, for me they do."

Given that the two movies have the same cast and are continuations of the original Ghostsbusters (1984, 1989) I will talk about them together.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

This series follows up on the original 1980s with the estranged family (daughter and grandkids) of Egon Spengler (the late Harold Ramis). They move out to Oklahoma, where Egon had been hiding. There is a prophecy about the return of Gozer. The plot is a bit silly to be honest, but the story is a lot of fun.

What really sets this movie apart is the cast. Yes, we get Ray, Peter, Winston, and Janine back, all played by their original actors. Even a bit of CGI and Ivan Reitman playing Harold Ramis as the the now dead Egon. But the real stand outs are the new cast, especially McKenna Gract as Phoebe, the granddaughter of Egon. I have seen her in a lot of movies since Gifted (2017), where she played a seven-year-old math genius.  Here she is not far from that. She is a genius and the spitting image of Egon. 

We also get Finn Wolfhard as her older brother Trevor. He is sorta the comic relief here and that works. Paul Rudd is here playing seismologist turned science teacher. Carrie Coon plays mother (and Egon's daughter) Callie Spengler. New characters include the entertaining Podcast (Logan Kim) and Lucky (Celeste O'Connor). 

They have to battle Gozer again, but that is fine. Gozzer this time is played by Olivia Wilde and her voice is done by Shohreh Aghdashloo. I mean, what a combination. 

The most fun of this movie is watching all the references to the first two movies and other horror movies/shows, including Stranger Things. Lots of cameos; stick around for Sigourney Weaver. And special cameo/casting of  J. K. Simmons plays Ivo Shandor, looking and sounding just like Ketheric Thorm. 

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

This one is not quite as good, but it has some fun moments. This one expands on the Ghostbuster myths and makes the case for more sequels. Winston Zeddemore, now an entrepreneur, funds all sorts of Ghostbuster related technology and keeps the whole place funded.

The cast is the same with the additions of Kumail Nanjiani and Patton Oswalt. We even get the return of William Atherton as Mayor Walter Peck. For the record I have heard from people I know that William Atherton is actually one of the nicest guys you can ever meet.

There are good moments, the battle at the end is a lot of fun. The big bad, Gahraka is rally scary looking and that is great. Nice to see Dan Ackroyd is still crazy. 

Confession, I thought it was great that McKenna Grace's Phoebe was the hero of both movies. 

The first movie was dedicated to Harold Ramis and this one was dedicated to Ivan Reitman.

Featured Monster: Ghosts and Ghostbusters

These movies, even the originals, had no influence on the D&D books, but they had a huge effect on my games. I loved playing undead hunting clerics and even created special gens to fight and trap ghosts. Yeah, they're not original, but hey, I was 14. 

There are lot of ideas here for a game. Maybe a "Ghost Hunting" game for NIGHT SHIFT! 

October Horror Movie Challenge 2024
Viewed: 39
First Time Views: 19

October Horror Movie Challenge: Land of the Minotaur (1976)

As longtime readers will know I am a fan of Greek Mythology, it was my "gateway drug" to D&D. So to find a movie that combines horror, Greek Myths, and stars such luminaries as Donald Pleasence and Peter Cushing, all before the Monster Manual was published (1976) sounds like solid gold for this year's theme. And it could have been...but I could not find on any streaming service under this name of the longer cut titled "The Devil's Men."

So today I was weeding through some of my boxed sets of questionable horror DVDs when I found it. Donald Pleasance even has top billing on the cover. Sadly the movie itself doesn't hold up the search I have been on for it.

Land of the Minotaur (1976)

I mentioned it is also The Devil's Men, was a Greek/British production starring Donald Pleasence and Peter Cushing. In a turn around, Pleasance plays the good guy Father Roche and Peter Cushing plays our bad guy, cultist Baron Corofax.

The movie centers around the idea that a Minotaur is still somehow alive and worshipped as a god. OR it is really demon. OR it is just a statue what has jets of fire coming out of it's nose. Hard to say really.

A group of Archeology student go missing and Father Roche calls up his friend private detective Milo Kaye (Kostas Karagiorgis) to help him and survivor Laurie Gordon (Luan Peters) investigate.

They discover a cult lead by Cushing who sacrifices outsiders to the minotaur.

Standard cult fare really. There is confusion as to whether or not this minotaur is a minotaur or some manifestation of the Devil. Father Roche is able to keep the cultists (most of the village) at bay with a cross. Note: Father Roche is an Irish Catholic priest, but uses what looks like an Eastern Orthodox cross. 

They find the cult, and Father Roche blows up the minotaur (stone on the outside, soft squishy guts on the inside) using holy water.

Yeah it is not great, but not a bad little cult movie. The American version is 8 minutes shorter than the European version, as can be expected really. There is a whole scene I guess where Milo and Laurie have sex that is not on my DVD.

Featured Monster: Minotaur

The Minotaur of Greek myth was a unique creature. Thus it had certain gravitas or even a god-like quality about it. It was the monster in the labyrinth, whom sacrifices had to be made. Multiple minotaurs in a game make them just ogres with bull horns.

BUT the thing this movie does do well is show how terrifying a single minotaur can be to a group 0-level Humans. The factor in the whole Minotaur as a god thing and getting damaged by holy water, just make him into Baphomet. Now suddenly the movie makes much more sense.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2024
Viewed: 37
First Time Views: 17

October Horror Movie Challenge: Living Dead Night

 I can't say for sure that the zombies in the Monster Manual are based on the zombies from Romero's "Night of the Living Dead," but so many of modern zombie lore is based on them it would be very difficult to tease apart what was Romero and what is say voodoo myths.  So tonight I am doing the original Romero classic and the new unofficial sequel. 

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

I have lost track how many times I have seen this movie. I mean, let's be honest there would be no "Walking Dead," no "Evil Dead," and certainly no "All Flesh Must Be Eaten" without this movie.

I don't think I really appreciated how much this movie had an impact. This is not even mentioning the casting of Duane Jones as Ben. You can see the DNA of this movie in nearly every single zombie/living dead movie made since.

The acting could be better, but it works. 

Festival of the Living Dead (2024) 

This one is billed as a sequel and an homage to the 1968 movie. It attracted me for a few reasons. First, it is a Tubi exclusive, so that is great. I love Tubi, and it has been great for me. Second, it was directed by the Soska sisters (who also make a cameo), and that is always a plus in my book. And it stars Camren Bicondova, who played Selena Kyle in the series Gotham.

This movie takes place 55 years after a huge zombie outbreak (that goes nameless). It is Ash's (Ashley Moore) birthday (and she seems related to Ben), and she wants to go to the Festival of the Living Dead with her boyfriend but has to stay home to babysit her little brother Luke (Shiloh O'Reilly). Her best friend Iris (Camren Bicondova) agrees to watch him. Ash goes to the festival with her boyfriend Kevin (Gage Marsh), his friend Ty (Andre Anthony), and twins Lindsey and Destini (Maia Jae and Keana Lyn Bastidas). Interesting that the Soska twins also hired another set of twins for this film.

Kevin drives but is doing drugs while the girls watch a livestream video of the festival where people are snorting metro dust. They nearly hit someone in the road, a zombie, it turns out, and they crash the car, and Linsey breaks her leg. 

Back at home Iris's friend Blaze comes over to get high and they decide to go the festival and use Balze's delivery truck to sneak in. 

Ash, Kevin, and Ty go to the festival to find help, but soon, it becomes obvious that there are more zombies. Some scenes are obviously inspired by the Romero movie, and even a couple that I swear was inspired by Stranger Things.

Iris, Blaze, and Luke find Destini walking on the road, and it is revealed that the zombie got Lindsey and bit her as well.

Zombies run rampant throughout the festival. Iris manages to find and rescue Ash. They all regroup in the medical building. 

Luke starts panicking and we find out he has lost his insulin, prompting Ash to go out to find some in an ambulance they saw on the way in. Iris joins her. 

Ty freaks out wants to kill Luke. Zombie Destiny attacks Kevin and Ty shoots him instead of her. Ty runs off and finds the glowing meteor. Zombies seem to avoid. Blaze grabs Luke and heads out. They are covered in zombie blood, so the zombies ignore them. 

More zombie craziness. Ash distracts the zombies so Luke, Blaze and an infected Ty can get to a and including Iris, leading all the zombies to the large burning man-like structure. Well. Buring Woman really. Ash saves Iris. 

Daylight comes and Luke, Ty, and Blaze manage to find the car, and zombie Lindsey.  She attacks Blaze and Ty runs off with Luke.  Ty drives off, but Luke grabs the gun and shoots Ty.  Lindsey bites Blaze, so he distracts the zombies so Ash and Iris can run away.

The army flies drones in to blow everything up. 

Ash, Iris, and Luke drive home. 

Okay, this was a fun flick. I wanted to see it because of Camren Bicondova, but Ashley Moore's standout performance was worthy of being Ben's granddaughter.  

Featured Monster: Zombies

Zombies in the Monster Manual are not as scary as the ones here. However, they are more akin to those in Night of the Living Dead, moving slowly.

The "living dead" of both movies and the ones in most movies are typically the "hungry dead" and more akin to ghouls. 

October Horror Movie Challenge 2024
Viewed: 36
First Time Views: 16

October Horror Movie Challenge: Kill, Baby... Kill! (1966)

 I hate it when I queue up a movie to watch, only to discover I had already seen it. I mean, I should have guessed, really. Mario Bava directed and starring Erika Blanc. It just didn't show up in my search here. But yeah, I have seen this one.

Kill, Baby... Kill! (1966)

Also known as Operazione paura (Operation Fear) and Curse of the Living Dead. Dr. Paul Eswai (Dr. Paul Eswai) is summoned to a 1900s village in the Carpathian mountains to perform an autopsy on a girl suspected to have been murdered. He gets help from local nurse Monica Schuftan (played by the always wonderful Erika Blanc). He soon runs into a village full of superstitious locals who all fear the Baroness Graps and a strange ghost girl named Melissa (we later learn is Melissa Graps).

There is also a village witch, Ruth (Fabienne Dali) and her lover the local Burgomeister Karl (Luciano Catenacci), who tries to protect those targeted by Melissa. 

We learn that Melissa died while trying to get help and has since cursed the village with her dying words.

The sightings and the fear continue and people die all over the place. Monica wants to get out, but Paul is still convinced there is a logical reason for everything.

We learn that Monica is also Baroness Graps' daughter and Melissa's younger sister. Ruth confronts the Baroness Graps and kills her for allowing Melissa to kill her beloved Karl. Monica, the new Baroness Graps, leaves with Paul.

Well. I was hoping for a new one, but not tonight. But seeing Erika Blanc is always a treat. It was also nice seeing the village witch as someone everyone went too for help.

Featured Monster: Ghosts, Spectres

One of those. Melissa is a vengeful spirit. She will keep killing until the conditions of her undeath are met.  In this case the death of the medium, her mother, who summoned her back from the grave.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2024
Viewed: 34
First Time Views: 15

October Horror Movie Challenge: Gill-man/Gill-woman Night

 A classic and an unofficial sequel tonight. Been a bit since I have seen either, but longer for the first.

Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

This is another classic I watched with my dad. The Gill man is one of the very few Universal Monsters that was not directly tied to old world myths or classic novels. As such, as far as I can tell, he is one of the few monsters where Universal holds all the copyrights. Now, that being said, the copyrights are on "Gill-man" and "The Creature from the Black Lagoon." There have been other amphibious monsters to appear in movies, and I am covering one later tonight.

The plot is, well, the same a King Kong really. Scientists go to a remote area, this time the Amazon, find a creature, try to take it back. It falls in love with a beautiful woman, they have to kill it.

There are some good scenes in this one and I am a little surprised by how much of it I remember once watching it again. Not scary by today's standards, but still effective. It has a charm. Also the rubber suit doesn't get better looking with age, but I can ignore that.

The Shape of Water (2017)

Guillermo del Toro's love letter to the Creature from the Black Lagoon is an unofficial sequel. It picks up the events nearly 10 years later where the creautre (or one like it) is being held in a US facility in Canada. Mute cleaner Elisa Esposito (played by the amazing Sally Hawkins) discovers the creature and they fall in love. There were other standout performances by Michael Shannon and Octavia Spencer, as expected. They are both fantastic. Special shoutout to Doug Jones (Saru in Star Trek Discovery) playing the Creature.

Yeah, not your typical horror flick.

It was fun, though, watching them back to back. You do feel like these movies were made for each other.  I would love to see Guillermo del Toro do a remake of Creature from the Black Lagoon, with Doug Jones back as the Creature. 

When the Screaming Stops (1973)

While reading up on these movies I also came across this one, also called "The Loreley's Grasp." In this during a full moon a woman (played by Helga Liné, in one of her many horror roles) "reverts" back to an earlier form, a reptilian river monster that looks related to our Gill-men here. 

The implication is that all of our Gill-men are somehow related to humans.

This one is a German flick playing on the myth of the Lorelei. A Nymph of the River Rhine. There is a nearby boarding school for girls, so naturally, they are the prime target of our monster. 

It's not a great flick, but it is a new one to me.

Featured Monster: Locathah and Sahuagin

There are no lack of sea-people monsters in D&D. The trick is finding the ones with Gill-man DNA and the ones with Deep Ones DNA.

Since I am watching Gill-Man movies, I think the Locathah and Sahuagin fit best, and the Kuo-toa are more "Deep Ones."  Though the implications of The Shape of Water show that there might be only one species here and they are linked back to humans.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2024
Viewed: 33
First Time Views: 15

October Horror Movie Challenge: The Wolf-Man

 Making up for lost time (ok, not really) but thought I dip into some classics.

The Wolf Man (1941)

"Even a man who is pure at heart
And says his prayers by night
May become a wolf when the wolf-bane blooms
And the moon is full and bright."

I mean really? Has there been a better quote for a horror movie?  I had mentioned in my interview last night that I think I knew the name "Lon Chaney" before I even knew the name of the President.  So I think it behooves me to re-watch this one.

This is the story of Lawrence "Larry" Talbot, a man who becomes a were-wolf when the moon is full. 

We have had a number of werewolf and wolf-man movies over the years, some of which are really good. But this one is the original, as it were, and it is a really great story. Yeah, maybe it is a bit slow by today's standards, but still very watchable.

The Wolfman (2010)

This newer one, with big name stars like Benicio del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, and Hugo Weaving is a remake of the 1941 movie. 

It is slick and it is stylish with updated special effects.

And it is nowhere near as good. Though it is better than I remembered.

Featured Monster: Lycanthropes, Werewolves

Werewolf legends predate movies. But there is no doubt that the original 1941 had an impact on the AD&D game. In fact Van Richten Monster Compendium Vol 1 features the "big 3" Vampires, Flesh Golems, and Lycanthropes. 

October Horror Movie Challenge 2024
Viewed: 30
First Time Views: 14

October Horror Movie Challenge: Body Snatcher's Night

 Managed to squeeze in all three of a theme today/tonight. Now, I don't trust who anyone says they are.

You all know the plot. Alien pods rain down. People get caught and duplicated. As fun as these all are, I have seen all three. Though it has been a while.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

This one is a classic in every sense of the word. The pacing is a bit slow, but better than I remembered. Speaking of which I can't actually recall the last time I saw this one. Kevin McCarthy is great in this, and it quite possibly put him on the map in terms of character acting.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

It is rare that a remake does as well as the original. It is even rarer still when that remake can one up or do better. Well 1978's Body Snatchers does exactly that. I mean really is there a more iconic movie moment than Donald Sutherland's Pod person scream at the end? Or maybe when Harry and his dog are combined into one creature? That one always freaked me out. 

This one also features the talents of Jeff Goldblum, Leonard Nimoy, and Kevin McCarthy(!) in a cameo role saying the same line, "You're next! You're next!" from the first movie. I have to admit, I love it when they do that. 

Body Snatchers (1993)

A remake or a sequel? Or a bit of both? Hard to say, I am a bit tired now, and the sleepier I get, the more like a sequel I can see it. 

This was the first real big film roles for then rising star Gabrielle Anwar. The scene of her in the bathtub is the iconic one from this movie. Somehow it doesn't quite measure up to Kevin McCarthy's frantic warning or Donald Sutherland's alien scream.

Though this is the movie that my wife and I saw when it first came out that started us using the term "Pod People." As in "You know I have been replaced by a pod person when..."

Featured Monster: Doppelgangers

The idea of Doppelgangers goes way back. So there is no way, no matter how iconic the movie, that I can claim these movies had any influence on the AD&D Monster Manual. I can guess, but can't make the claim with any certainty. 

I can, however, claim that the Ravenloft AD&D monster, Doppelganger Plant, was.

Personally, I like having both sorts of doppelgangers in my games. The trickster fae types and the destructive alien pods.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2024
Viewed: 28
First Time Views: 14

October Horror Movie Challenge: Lemora

I was on Tubi, which is hands down the best place to find old and obscure horror films, watching Messiah of Evil last night. When it was done, I was shocked to see that it was none other than Lemora, a movie I have wanted to see for years!  So I had to save it for tonight.

Lemora (1973)

Also known as Lemora: A Child's Tale of the Supernatural, The Legendary Curse of Lemora, and Lemora, Lady Dracula.

Lila Lee (Cheryl Smith  in one of her first ever roles) is a girl in trouble. He father is a notorious Prohibition-era criminal and he has just killed his wife and her lover. Lila goes to live with the local minister where she becomes a paragon of Christian goodness and values.  One day, she gets a letter from a mysterious Lemora, who tells her that her father has shown up three years later and is now dying. She is supposed to meet them in the town of Astaroth.

She goes there to find her father and told to watch out for the locals, who are said to have that "Astaroth look." 

Lila meets Lemora (Lesley Taplin) and it is pretty obvious from the start she is a vampire. It is like the writer (Richard Blackburn, who is also the Director and plays the minister) took the beginning of Dracula and merged it with Carmila. 

Lila figures out what Lemora is and tries to run away, only to encounter the rest of the townsfolk who try to kill her. She ends up killing her own, not bestial, father.  During this time the minister is looking for her and has found Astaroth. 

The minister gets to town and falls asleep in a barn. He is awakened by Lila who begins kissing him, he tries to get her to stop only to start kissing her back. Lila reveals her vampire fangs and bites him as Lemora, smiling, looks on.

So...happy ending I guess! 

I have been looking for this movie for ages, so there is no way it is going to measure up. There is far less witchcraft in it than I was led to believe, and the supposed sexual themes were blown completely out of proportion. There was a lot more in The Vampire Lovers (1970). Still though, it is a nice moody flick with some nice horror elements.

Our lead in this, Cheryl "Rainbeaux" Smith, would have a career into the 1980s, including the rather notorious erotic "Cinderella" playing the titular role.  Sadly, as expected, Smith died young. Liver disease and hepatitis due to being addicted to heroin for two decades. 

Featured Monster: Vampires (again)

There is not much else to say here that I have not already said. BUT I am struck by how similar in tone this movie is to Messiah of Evil.  For starters both deal with remote towns with ancient backgrounds (for America), both feature a central undead figure. Both feature undead monsters that are not quite vampires and not quite zombies, but something in between. Both feature central female leads. Both are also what has been described as a sub-genre of Horror, "American Nightmare" usually films set in American and produced between 1968 and 1976. It's not quite occult-themed horror, but it's related. 

For a game, I might mix the two up a little. Lemora turned Lila in the 1930s. What would they be like now, nearly 100 years later? Maybe the "Blood Moon" prophecy of "Messiah of Evil" is about Lemora's death at the hands of a stronger, more powerful vampire? Lots to choose from, really.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2024
Viewed: 25
First Time Views: 14

October Horror Movie Challenge: Messiah of Evil (1974)

 I have wanted to see this one for some time, based on the movie poster alone. It was not exactly the movie I thought it was going to be, but glad I finally caught it. The poster claims "From the makers of American Graffiti," and that is true. The Husband-and-wife team Huyck and Katz (writers-producers-directors) did write "American Graffiti" and then would go on to direct and write "Howard the Duck," and write for Indiana "Jones and the Temple of Doom."

Messiah of Evil (1974)

This movie follows some old tropes. Old, even by the time of this movie and certainly one we have seen a lot. A woman, this time Arletty played by Marianna Hill, is searching for her artist father who has ended all communication with her. Told in flashback to her psychiatrist she talks about how she arrives in the coastal town of Point Dume, formerly "New Bethlehem," to find him.  She finds instead an odd man Thom (Michael Greer), and his two young groupies Toni (Joy Bang) and Laura (Anitra Ford). They are also interested in Arletty's father.

We learn, through various means, that the town is cursed and that during the Blood Moon the people will change and begin to eat raw flesh. This is told to us a few times to make sure we remember it. Even dear old dad comes back from the dead to tell us.

Anyway, town's people start dying, Arletty reads some of her father's notes talking about how he is changing, and she notices she is changing the same way.  The groupies get picked off and eaten by the townsfolk and soon they come after Arletty and Thom.

In the end, Arletty is in the mental institution, but you get the idea that she is already dead.

The movie is all mood with some standard 70s-era zombies for blood and gore (and not a lot of that). It is not great, but not terrible either. We have seen the "Woman searches for lost family and only finds dead people" trope many times here. Hell, this isn't even the first one this month. But maybe there is something to that. Instead of a castle in Europe, it is an artist colony in California. 

I think this film had high aspirations and a limited budget for achieving them. 

Featured Monster: Ghouls

The movie is unclear on what sorts of undead the town's folk are. But the connection to "new religion" and Donnor Party made in the tales of the Blood Moon lead me to conclude they are ghouls. Granted not the grave robbing undead, but something a little more intelligent than a zombie and less powerful than a vampire. 

Now. It would be foolish of me to think this movie had any influence on the Monster Manual at all. But that doesn't mean we can look at ghouls a new way because of this movie.

The film's dream-like, or more to the point, nightmare-like quality makes it a good model for a Ravenloft adventure. Especially if you imagine Point Dume as part of Ravenloft.

The whole trope (woman seeks out weird family) really is a model for Ravenloft. Adding in the walking dead just seals the deal.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2024
Viewed: 24
First Time Views: 13

October Horror Movie Challenge: King Kong (1976)

 King Kong, the original from 1933, holds a very special place in my heart. I watched it with my dad when I was very young and it was the start of a love affair with "monster movies" that lives on to this day. I have seen it honestly hundreds of times. Anytime it was on and my dad and I were near a TV we would watch it. 1976's remake, the first also holds a special place for me, but not for all the same reasons. It was, even in my young mind then, supposed to be "my" King Kong, the one I was watch and think back on when I was older. Did it do that? Well...not really. I am watching it tonight for the first time in many years, decades even.

King Kong (1976)

This first remake features many stars who were not quite big, well, at least not yet: Jeff Bridges, Charles Grodin, René Auberjonois, Jack O'Halloran, Ed Lauter, and a newcomer, Jessica Lange. This remake takes an environmental angle with an expedition by an oil company, Petrox; they suspect there is an island in the middle of an uncharted sea, and that island is filled with oil.

The rest. Well, it pretty much follows the original movie and movies after that. 

There are a few unique things about this movie. First, WOW, Jessica Lange was really young here. Her acting is not great, but it is much better than I remembered.  Though they do spend a lot of time on her in the early part of the film. Granted, she is the only woman in the film. 

Seeing the Twin Towers again in a movie is really odd. 

The film was produced by the legendary Dino De Laurentiis for Paramount, which got them into some issues with the original Kong studio Universal. 

Rick Baker, the special effects genius of the 1980s, had an uncredited role in the Kong suit. 

Rewatching the movie now, so many years later, I judged this one unfairly. Jessica Lange, too. In some ways, it is better than the 2005 Peter Jackson remake.

It has been so long that I forgot a lot of details. Lets be honest, though, there are three remakes, I have seen this one a lot.

Featured Monster: Giant Creatures, Dinosaurs

There is no doubt that the original King Kong had a huge effect on the monsters found in D&D. Module X1 The Isle of Dread, is practically Dave Cook and Tom Moldvay's love letter to King Kong.

The notion of a lost island filled with monsters is such a compelling one that D&D did it again with WG6 Isle of the Ape. It might be well-trodded ground, but it still works.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2024
Viewed: 23
First Time Views: 12

October Horror Movie Challenge: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

Is this a D&D monster movie? Well, Beetlejuice (1988) was for me, at least regarding ideas for undead monsters. Tonight's movie, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, is actually a real treat.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

This movie follows Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) now the host of a ghost reality show. She is still dealing with her stepmother, Delia (the always amazing Catherine O'Hara who can do no wrong in my mind), and her estranged daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega). The death of her father, Charles (formerly played by outcast Jeffrey Jones, now played by a combination of actors, creature effects, and old photos), brings them all back together at their old home.

In the meantime, our old friend Betelgeuse (the still fantastic Michael Keaton) is still in the afterlife, working as a bio-exorcist and still pinning for Lydia. In another part of the afterlife a janitor (Danny DeVito in a surprising cameo) accidentally freeing a soul sucker and Betelgeuse's ex-wife Delores (in another bit of great casting, Monica Bellucci). She sucks out DeVito's soul, making him dead dead, and proceeds to go on the hunt for Betelgeuse.

A lot is going on here, and all of it is fantastic. I loved this movie, and it was a worthy sequel.

I don't want to get too much into it since it is so new, so it has spoilers, but Willem Dafoe (Wolf Jackson actor turned Ghost Detective) and everyone were just great.

I loved seeing Winona Ryder and Jenna Ortega interact. After all, without Winona Ryder, there would not have been Jenna Ortega. How? Well, Christina Ricci was in Mermaids with Winona Ryder. She based her performance of Wednesday Addams on Ryder's Lydia. Ortega, in turn, based her Wednesday on Ricci's. We honestly missed a great opportunity to see all three together. 

But still, this movie was a treat. Loved seeing all these characters and actors again.  

Featured Monsters: Ghosts, Spectres, Zombies... and maybe a Succubus

Lots of undead here. Betelgeuse himself is described as a "demon," but in AD&D terms, he is more likely something like a Spectre. Bob and the other shrunken heads could be considered Zombies. Monica Bellucci's Delores was a witch in life and seems like a succubus. The line between demon and ghost is a little blurry here.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2024
Viewed: 22
First Time Views: 12

October Horror Movie Challenge: Starve Acre (2023)

 Something a little different tonight. I saw this one had Matt Smith (Doctor Who) and Morfydd Clark (Rings of Power) and it was British Folk Horror, so I thought it would be a good choice. Was it? Well, lets find out.

Starve Acre (2023)

This British folk horror film based on the novel by Andrew Michael Hurley. The story follows Richard (Smith) and Juliette (Clark), a troubled couple who move to Richard's childhood home on the Yorkshire moors. Their idyllic rural life quickly takes a sinister turn when their young son, Owen, begins to act strange. Well, stranger than usual. 

As Owen's condition worsens, Richard becomes convinced that a malevolent force is at work, tied to the land and its dark history.

While this is going on, Owen dies from an asthma attack, sending the couple into a deep mourning. 

Richard delves into local folklore, uncovering tales of a malevolent entity that haunts the area. The line between reality and the supernatural blurs as Richard and Juliette grapple with the terrifying truth about their son and the ancient evil that threatens to consume them. 

Staying with them is Juliette's sister Harriet, played by Gotham's Erin Richards. They are also visited by locals Gordon and his wife. Gordon had told Richard tales of the sprites that lived on the land and told them to Owen as well.

We learn that Richard's father believed in the ancient pagan spirits of the land and tried to sacrifice Richard to them, but failed. When Owen dies, they take him as the sacrifice.

It is a slow-burn folk horror piece, as most are really, and the true horrors don't come in until the end. It has some good tension and couple of good scares, but no monsters to speak of.

So I liked it. I like folk-horror, but not a great fit for this month's theme.

Featured Monster: Sprite??

While no monster is ever seen, the effects or at least the shadow of "Jack Grey" are felt. Was he/it doing all the whistling? Was he/it the rabbit? One thing is certain Richard and Juliette believe in him in the end. 

It DOES, however, work in the sense that British folkloric fae creatures used to be a lot darker and lot scarier than they are today or as depicted in the Monster Manual. If a sprite, or a group of them, could cause madness in people then they would seem more of a threat.

Sprites are often used in place of hobgoblins or other faeries*. The Monster Manual might draw very strict lines around these creatures, but folklore did not. 

*(Robin Goodfellow of "Midsummer's Night Dream" was called a Spite and a Hobgoblin.)

Maybe we need to make these creatures a bit darker in their outlooks and intent.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2024
Viewed: 21
First Time Views: 11

October Horror Movie Challenge: Dracula Night

 Decided that a Dracula night was in order. I wanted to watch "Last Voyage of the Demeter" and "Renfield" and thought I'd throw "Bram Sotker's Dracula" in as well. 

The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023)

This movie takes the log of the ill-fated Demeter and turns it into a full-length movie. Not a bad concept really, and certainly enough here for a movie. There are some good bits here. Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth in Game of Thrones) is the captain of the Demeter with David Dastmalchian as the first mate. New characters include Anna (Aisling Franciosi) as Dracula's "road trip snack," and Corey Hawkins as Cambridge-schooled doctor Clemens. 

We know the story here. Dracula charters The Demeter to London with 50 boxes of earth. He kills everyone on board, and the boat runs ashore.

In this one, Anna and Clemens survive, only for Anna to die when sunlight hits her. Clemens vows to hunt Dracula down, but we know he is not successful. 

Dracula is played by Spanish actor Javier Botet under a lot of make-up. 

A couple of points. The movie takes place in 1897, the same year Dracula was published, but you know my issue with that. 

Also, the main character is named Clemens, and the dog on the boat is named Huck, short for Huckleberry.  This is a neat little nod given what I have said about Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain's relationship with Bram Stoker. 

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)

Honestly, I have lost track how many times I have seen this movie. A couple of notes on this viewing.

One. It also takes place in 1897. I guess that can't be helped. Two. Honestly, we gave Keanu Reeves too much grief when this came out. He is nowhere near as bad as I thought he was or remembered. The same is true for Winona Ryder. Time has been better for them both. I mean who doesn't love Keanu Reeves and where would "Stranger Things" be without Joyce Byers?

Three. I am still not a fan of the "Immortal Beloved" subplot. Why can't Dracula just be the evil asshole he is in the book? It worked so well for other Draculas. 

Four. Some of the script dialog is a bit cringey. 

Still, this is one of the best Dracula movies. It could also be better.

The scene with Dracula as a bat-creature (after he feeds on Mina) is very much like the bat-creature in "Last Voyage of the Demeter."

I kinda wonder what Mina would have been like had she joined Dracula. I think more interesting that what we saw in "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."

Renfield (2023)

Ok. This one. First off, Nicolas Cage as Dracula? Oh HELL YES. This movie is crafted as sequel to the 1931 Dracula starring Bela Lugosi.  Nicholas Hoult, who is pretty much brilliant in everything he does (see "The Great" where he played Peter III of Russia), and Awkwafina playing...well Awkwafina (but that is fine it works here). 

This movie has Renfield still serving Dracula into the 2000s. It is silly and maybe one of the bloodiest movies I have ever seen, but it is just so much fun.

Dishonorable Mention: Dracula's Guest (2008)

Thought I'd make a night of it and watch this one as well. But wow, is it really bad. I mean terrible. It is late and frankly I just can't sit through this one. So not finishing it, but not counting it either. 

Featured Monster: Vampire

None of these movies contributed to the 1977 Monster Manual, obviously. But Dracula, the novel, and earlier movies did. The truth is that while there are plenty of pulp-era vampires, you can go wrong with Dracula as your model.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2024
Viewed: 20
First Time Views: 10