Thursday, October 22, 2020

Thursday Movie Picks (Halloween Edition): Holiday Horror

 

In the 43rd week of 2020 for Wandering Through the Shelves' Thursday Movie Picks as part of this month’s Halloween Edition. We go into the subject of holiday horror as it’s usually based on horror films set during the Christmas season but it also happens on other days. So here are my three picks:

1. Halloween
John Carpenter’s landmark horror film about a madman who escapes from a mental hospital who then terrorizes a bunch of people and kills a few along the way on Halloween. It is a true horror classic as it play into the idea of Halloween just being a big nightmare for a bunch of people as authorities try to capture the man that is Michael Myers while a young woman in Laurie Strode would end up being the ultimate final girl as she would await to meet-up with Myers all over again 40 years later in the definitive sequel to the original film.

2. Gremlins
Set during the Christmas holidays, the film is about an inventor who returns home and gives his son a mysterious pet where he has to follow three rules. Don’t pour water on, don’t feed him at midnight, and have him stay away from bright light and sun light. Unfortunately, someone else didn’t listen to those rules and a whole lot of shit goes on where a bunch of creatures come in and destroy the small town and terrorize a bunch of people. Yet, they’re not actually bad creatures. They like junk food, they want to have a good time. They like Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Plus, they did the town a favor by killing off that old bitch Mrs. Deagle.

3. Knock Knock
Set during Father’s Day weekend, Eli Roth’s remake of an obscure late 70s thriller revolves around a guy who let in a couple of young women during a rainy night for some shelter while his family is away. Instead, they seduce him and all sorts of bad shit occur. Even as they ruin his life for the entire weekend and also rape him while one of them wears his daughter’s clothes. Keanu Reeves is great in the film as Lorenza Izzo yet the film’s real discover is Ana de Armas as one of the two women who just causes trouble as she’s just so fun to watch.

© thevoid99 2020
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5 comments:

  1. joel659134:58 PM

    Your first two are popular today and rightly so since they are both some of the best modern fright flicks out there. Gremlins is much more mild than Halloween. Haven't bothered with any of the followups to either.

    Haven't heard of your last.

    Not being a horror guy I was surprised how easily my three came to me today.

    Hellbent (2004)-Police tech Eddie and his group of gay friends are celebrating the holiday at the West Hollywood Halloween Carnival and wander off to the nearby woods to see the site of a recent murder where two lovers were decapitated with a sickle by a maniac. With the woods full of revelers they don’t think a thing about the bare-chested guy in a devil’s mask carrying a scythe who seems to be following them……but they should!!

    Trick or Treat (1986)-Eddie Weinbauer (Marc Price) is a typical all-American teenager until he falls under the evil spell of ROCK MUSIC! Now he's obsessed with the recently deceased Heavy Metal superstar Sammi Curr who perished in an inferno of fire. As Halloween approaches Eddie is gifted with an unreleased demo of Sammi’s last album “Songs in the Key of Death” by his DJ friend Nuke (Kiss frontman Gene Simmons). He discovers by playing the demo backward he can summon Sammi’s malign spirit who instructs him on how to settle the score with the bullies who torment him leading to all hell breaking loose! On top of all that you get Ozzy Osbourne as rock-hating TV evangelist!!

    Who Slew Auntie Roo? (1971)-Mrs. Forrest (Shelley Winters) is affectionately called Auntie Roo by the staff and kids of the nearby orphanage who see her as a kindly eccentric who throws a lavish Christmas party for them every year. However she’s really a deeply disturbed whack job who keeps her dead daughter in the attic nursery. At this year’s party Auntie Roo spies Katy (Chloe Franks) who reminds her of her late little girl and who she imprisons in the nursery. When nobody believes him it’s up to Katy’s brother Christopher (Mark Lester) to go head to head with the demented lady and bust his sister outta there! Shelley frequently chews the scenery but good in this reworking of Hansel & Gretel.

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  2. Dell7:26 PM

    The gif for Knock Knock cracks me up. As for the movie, I've never seen it. Honestly, I doubt I will. Though he's made a couple films I like, Eli Roth generally rubs me the wrong way as a director. Your other two picks are classics. No arguments, there.

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  3. Often Off Topic2:09 AM

    Best gif ever for Knock Knock, ha! I watched it before Knives Out was released so I had no idea that was Ana de Armas!

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  4. SJHoneywell7:49 AM

    My favorite comment here is that the most recent Halloween movie is the definitive sequel to the original. I wholeheartedly agree.

    I'm with Dell on Knock Knock. It looks funny based on the gif, but I could live without Eli Roth in general (even though I know I need to catch up with Cabin Fever one of these days).

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  5. Brittani Burnham10:41 PM

    I love your first two picks but I caught the back half of Knock Knock on TV not too long ago and omg it was so bad. lol

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