The Horror Challenge #1-#7

Hello World. My epic friend, the Displaced Kentuckian, has embarked on a challenge. A challenge for the ages. He is going to watch 50 Horror Movies before Halloween. Read more here. Well, I started roughly two weeks ago, and need to start listing/reviewing these films for my own good, and maybe yours. If I'm able, I'll update posts with pictures, but for now, text only.

Dario Argento's Phenomena (1985)

• Great performances by a very young Jennifer Connelly and seasoned Donald Pleasence
• Helper Chimps only improve movies that they are in
• Metal in the soundtrack detracted here
• Great individual scenes, but could have been edited for a quicker pace
• Crazy ending, with a gag inducing cesspool

John Carpenter's The Fog (1980)

• My first viewing, even though I'm a huge Carpenter fan, and I loved it
• Really great fog effects and the ambiance in this one is spot on spooky
• Adrienne Barbeau and Jamie Lee Curtis offer up some great eye candy 
• Jamie Lee Curtis and Janet Leigh together for an excellent Mother/Daughter connection
• Great modern take on a ghost story

The Boogens (1981)

• Some authentic and funny performances here, including the dog.
• As sexed up as some of the characters are, only minimal nudity
• More story than action here. Most of the kills are off screen, and Boogens don't appear until the last 10 minutes of the movie.
• Sound is good in this one. The Boogens sound much scarier than they look.
• The old man who sees it all coming is pretty comical

Mario Bava's Black Sabbath (1961)

• A trilogy of terror. Three short stories hosted by the iconic Boris Karloff
• Boris Karloff also plays the main antagonist in the final story, "The Wurdalak"
• Interestingly dubbed in English. Are all movies made be Italians this way?
• Bava uses setting very well in all three stories.
• Each tale is well fleshed out, scary, and deep in its own way.

Night School (1981)

• This one gets right to it. First kill in the first scene.
• Cool antagonist in this one. Anonymous Biker get up with a large knife
• Some decent TnA, although short lived
• A fast paced watch, except for a scene in a diner the night after a killing. Way too long for the pay off
• If the teachers at night school are anything like this, keep your daughters away

Squirm (1976)

• Killer man eating worms! 
• Ignorant back water rednecks!
• Uppity know-it-all city slicker!
• The worms revolted because of high voltage! (Danger! Danger!)
• A fun watch for sure.

Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things (1973)

• One of Director Bob Clark's first films. He went on to do Black Christmas and Porkies among others.
• The title here really drives home the lesson of the whole film. The cast really has it coming by the end.
• Pretty silly until the action starts at the end. Things get legitimately creepy at that point. Great zombie effects.
• Alan Ormsby plays the demented and egotistic theatre troupe leader. He also was the main effects guy on the film.
• Sort of messed up about the current Caretaker.