As is tradition, the Monthly Media Recap is live earlier than normal in case
you're looking for something to watch after the little ghouls are in their
graves. All links below are Amazon affiliated for which I may earn for
qualifying purchases.
Streaming
Ahsoka (2023, Disney+)
As much as I enjoyed this, this is where they start alienating the casual
fans that haven't watched season upon season of an animated series. It's
still watchable without that knowledge but it's not going to mean a whole
lot to you if you don't know who the main characters were before this.
A lot of these have a Tales from the Crypt vibe and that's fine with me! It seemed like a lot of them were "despicable person does bad thing and gets what they deserve." Still plenty of gory, ghoulish fun!
Another franchise I'm returning to after too long to remember the original.
It definitely has parts that are creepy but the story was just okay this
time. I guess I'll watch the third one to finish the series?
Mickey & Friends Trick or Treats (2023, Disney+)
This was a lot better than I was expecting. Maybe it's the stop motion
animation but this was like curling up in a warm blanket of Halloween
nostalgia feels.
Movies
I got a free trial of Screambox and have been enjoying it. The one thing
that makes me hesitate to fully sign up is that they don't have a Fire TV
app which is how I watch most apps on TV. It's not like I don't have Shudder
already. How many streaming horror channels do you need?
Over the course of the month, I unintentionally watched four different
movies that take place at a haunted attraction! The third one only partially
but still it was a fun coincidence.
If you can get through the opening 15-20 minute setup/exposition dump,
you're in for a good time. A Halloween haunt is setup to host escaped serial
killers and naturally, the patrons think it's all part of the show! This one
is definitely a bit jokey in places but it's got some good kills to keep you
entertained.
Rating: 6/10
I saw the first one back in 2019 so I'm fuzzy on the original story details
but this keeps with the original's 80s slasher throwback roots. It almost
reminds me of something Full Moon Pictures would have done in the 90s when
they were still good. The baddie designs are fantastic and there's more
horror icon guest spots than you can shake a severed arm at.
Rating: 6/10
It's got plenty of brutal killing and what could be an interesting villain
but something about it just never clicked with me. I don't know if it's the
acting or the way the story is being told that keeps it from being better
than a generic slasher. It was making me think of Halloween Kills, and
that's not a good thing.
Rating: 5/10
Rating: 5/10
V/H/S/ 85 (2023, Shudder)
Anthologies can be hit or miss but this one seems to hit for the majority of
it. There's one story that was certainly a weak link for me, but it wasn't
terrible, just a bit predictable. What I really like about the VHS series is
that they always keep me on edge a little because I'm never sure what's
coming next even in the individual stories. The found footage/VHS gimmick is
stretched about as far as it could be in the wraparound segment but I wasn't
thinking about it much while watching.
Rating: 7/10
Warning: this trailer has tiny bits of gore
This is a great example of how to make a ridiculous, fun, cheesy movie. I'm
a sucker for "animals gone awry" flicks anyway but making it something silly
like horseshoe crabs makes it that much better. It's weird and funny which
makes it easy to forgive some of the effects. If anything, they just add to
the schlock value.
Rating: 7/10
After Sabrina, I will pretty much watch anything with Kiernan Shipka in it,
even if it's a
bad Quiet Place knockoff with Stanley Tucci. This, however, is just below Freaky and Happy Death Day in the
horror/comedy realm for me. It's a little light on the gore but I think that
makes this a good gateway horror candidate. The 80s stuff is used for humor
to good effect and doesn't try to beat you over the head with nostalgia.
Rating: 7/10
Had it not been for online buzz, I may never have seen this and what a crime
that would have been! I'm not including a trailer because it's best gone
into cold. There is some unexpected, brutal stuff here and it never goes
overboard with the gore which makes it all the more horrifying. The perfect
way to cap off your Halloween night if you need something to get under your
skin.
Rating: 8/10
Month Total
New: 8 Rewatch: 0
Year to Date Total
New: 81 Rewatch: 4
Be sure to check out the list of Countdown bloggers by clicking below.
Happy Halloween!
ReplyDeleteHope you had a good one as well!
DeleteGreat bunch of stuff! I liked Totally Killer, a lot. V/H/S 85 wasn't as big a hit, for me.
ReplyDelete🎃👻🦇 Happy Halloween! 🎃👻🦇