The Films That I Saw: October 2012

Well, this was a really good month for me in terms of the films that I saw. Notably as I decided to see a slew of horror films as well as a few new films that came out this year. With my own horror marathon, I got a chance to not just see films of that genre that were considered classics but also the ones that came from different countries and in different styles. The result wasn’t just fascinating but also gave me insight into what many of today’s horror films seem to lack. A lot of it had to do with storytelling. It’s OK to have shock and gore in a film but it has to mean something and if there’s no story to back it up, the film will suck.

In the month of October, I saw a total of 52 films which is slightly up from last month. 28 first-timers and 24 re-watches. Definitely a major achievement considering the new slate of films that were coming out along with the films I chose to see for my Halloween marathon. Here are the 10 best first-timers I saw in October:

1. Repulsion

2. Looper

3. Aliens

4. The Thing

5. Near Dark

6. The Host

7. Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007

8. Les Diaboliques

9. Empire of Passion

10. Leaves from Satan's Book

Monthly Mini-Reviews:

CM Punk: The Best in the World

I watched this on YouTube just as the DVD was getting released at the time. While I’m not a fan of what WWE creative is doing with CM Punk’s character in making him look like a bitch. I’m still glad Punk is the guy that is currently the WWE Champion as this documentary shows his rise from the indies to being the top guy in the WWE. He is simply the Best in the World not just for the great matches he brings but is also one of the best talkers. The guy deserves all the respect he’s craving for. I just hope they put him in better matches as I also hope he faces my favorite wrestler of all-time in the Rock at the 2013 Royal Rumble.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked

I had seen the previous films and I much prefer the cartoon versions. The live-action versions with the CGI are crap and this one is truly the worst. I managed to watch this on TV and I just wanted to see how bad it is. Boy, it exceeded all of my expectations. How bad it can get? Well, you have the Chipmunks and the Chippettes stranded on an island with Jenny Slate. Check. You have the Chipmunks and Chippettes singing horrible pop songs that are just as bad as the original. Check. You see Jason Lee and David Cross both being put into humiliating situations. Check. Yes. It fulfilled everything I wanted in a bad movie and more. Notably by the look of David Cross’ face as it is obviously he is having the worst time of his life. No wonder he was so public about how bad this movie was.

Re-Watches:

1. Apocalypse Now

2. The Shining

3. Big Trouble in Little China

4. Casino Royale

5. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

6. Sixteen Candles

7. Reagan

8. The Breakfast Club

9. The Running Man

10. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

Well, that is it for October. Next month will see the conclusion of the James Bond marathon with the upcoming release of the much anticipated film Skyfall that will be followed by a post-mortem on the marathon. Other new releases slated for November will probably be films like Anna Karenina, The Silver Lining Playbook, The Life of Pi, Jack & Diane, and a few others on VOD or in theaters. Also slated will be a few 2011 releases like Goon, Pariah, and Warrior as well as reviews of films by Samuel Fuller, Carl Theodor Dreyer, Robert Bresson, John Carpenter, Fritz Lang, and Quentin Tarantino who will be the profile of my next part of the Auteurs series. Until then, hope everyone has a good Halloween and keep the candy for yourselves.

© thevoid99 2012