The 2008 Movie Genre of the Month Club

[Heineken Skywalker]

THE HOWLING (1981)

A hilarious horror-comedy on par with YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN and GHOSTBUSTERS. The werewolf jokes here fly fast and furious with tons of sight-gags, in-jokes and one-liners. You almost feel like Joe Dante stepped aside and gave his Director's chair to Mel Brooks himself.









Just kidding, Slayrrr. ;D

But seriously. BEST.... WEREWOLF MOVIE.... EVER.

9/10

[Heineken Skywalker]

POLTERGEIST (1982)

Producer Steven Spielberg and director Tobe Hooper's modern take on ghost and haunted house movies isn't the scariest film, but it's a good "suburban horror" popcorn movie. Decent effects and two likable leads in Craig T. Nelson and Jobeth Williams as the couple whose family and home are threatened by unexplained phenomenon.

"They're here..."

7.5/10

[slayrrr666]

Before you close it off, count this one too-

Halloween 4-1988
I've long held this as one of the better entries in the series, and it remains that way. Does what a slasher should do: tense stalking, tons of deaths, an acceptable amount of gore, a fun story and an imposing killer, all wrapped up into a really great package that never gets dull or boring and just entertains. Not a whole lot of flaws either. So much better than the original.
9.5/10

[Heineken Skywalker]

The final scores for this month.

October: 1980'S HORROR

Heineken Skywalker = 17
Slayrrr666 = 23
LivingDeadGirl = 8
Quorthon = 8
ZapRowsdower = 7

Congrats to Slayrrr666 for the high score this month!

The complete tally for the year so far:

Heineken Skywalker = 173
Slayrrr666 = 130
ZapRowsdower = 99
LivingDeadGirl = 45
Pulpmariachi = 18
Quorthon = 17
Bartwald = 10
Sybillness = 7

[Heineken Skywalker]

Remakes of movies, for better or worse, are a constant in Hollywood. Every once in a great while we get treated to a gem like John Carpenter's THE THING, which far outshines the original, imho. But the majority of remakes are pointless cashgrabs with nothing to offer other than possibly better effects or a contemporary setting. And there's more to come. A remake of the classic sci-fi flick, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL will be released next month, with Keanu Reeves starring, and there's a remake, or re-imagining, of the original FRIDAY THE 13th, set to be released in 2009.

This month I want to pay tribute to the original versions of movies that have been remade over the years, in some cases, more than once.
The genre/category for November is...

THE ORIGINALS

A few rules to follow: (The "NEW RULES" are specific to this month's category, so please be sure to read them. The rest of the rules are basically the same ones as previous months.)

NEW RULE 1. All films this month have to be the original versions of movies that were later remade at least once, so obviously, no actual remakes.

NEW RULE 2. The film can be from any decade, as far back as the silent era, and from any genre, ie: Drama, Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi, Westerns, etc. As usual, I ask that you watch movies from a variety of genres. Remakes have been made in every genre so this shouldn't be too difficult to do.

NEW RULE 3. "inspired by" is not the same as "remake". For instance, STAR WARS was inspired by many different types of films and stories, but it is not a direct remake of anything so please don't post that you watched HIDDEN FORTRESS or an old FLASH GORDON movie because they're the original version of STAR WARS. On the other hand, even though it changed the setting to the old west instead of Feudal Japan, THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN is definitely a remake of THE SEVEN SAMURAI, so ...SAMURAI would count for this genre.

NEW RULE 5. In order for an "original" film to count this month, the "remake" version has to already be available to watch as well. Meaning, no original films allowed where a remake is currently in the works, but is not yet available for the public to see. If I can't go to a theater right now or rent the remake on dvd, the original won't count. My two examples above, DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL and FRIDAY THE 13th are not yet available for us to see, so the original versions don't count this month.

6. If you watched a film in a previous "Genre of the Month", you can't watch it again for this new "Genre of the Month".

7. All movies watched have to have been theatrical releases. Only actual movies that were released in theaters will count. The same rule applies here that has applied for all previous categories. No made for tv or made for cable movies. Movies that first aired on HBO, USA, Showtime, Sci-Fi Channel, etc., are not eligible. No television mini-series or direct to home video features either.

8. Whenever you watch one, feel free to post it in "Just Watched Movies" like you normally would, or even write a review for "Review Hell" if so inclined, but most importantly, post in this thread, so that I can keep track of what everybody's watching and can more easily calculate the final scores. Feel free to tell us what you thought of the film and score it using the 1 to 10 system, ie: 1 being just awful, 5 is average and 10 being perfect. Half points, ie: 8.5/10 are also allowed.

9. You have until November 30th, and then on December 1st I'll announce the next genre or category. After November 30th, any original versions of films you watch are purely for your own enjoyment and no longer count towards your total score.

10. I will periodically update the scores for this genre so that everyone can see where they, and everyone else, are at. At the beginning of the following month, I will add the new scores to the previous month's scores, to get a complete tally and show the total scores for the year so far.

11. Try to watch at least four, one per week, but the more you watch, the better your chances at being awarded the "2008 Movie Genre Of The Month Club Grand Prize"!
But even better, hopefully at the end of it all, you'll feel like you saw a bunch of movies you might not have watched otherwise and actually enjoyed some of them.

If there's something I forgot to cover or there are any additional concerns or questions, feel free to post them here so that I can answer for everyone to see.

Cheers and good luck everybody!

[slayrrr666]

Ok, two quick ones I need 100% verification on:

1. As long as the original went to theaters, you couldn't care less what happened to the remake?

2. I'll use an example as I don't know how to put it: Howling 4 is a remake of Part 1, would a film count if a later film in the series is a remake of an earlier one?

On with my regular ones, left-overs from Halloween-

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre-1974
Hmm, what to think of this one? Not a huge fan of it, mainly because, as a slasher, this one is pitiful. Four deaths doesn't really cut it with me, and despite the oxymoron of the title (4 isn't a massacre, and only 2 of which are done by chainsaw) and the incredibly dull opening takes a while to get through, it does come off as flawed. It's simply set-up that way, since with four characters you can't really get much in the way of the good stuff in here, as you need survivor(s) as well. That said, there is some good stuff. The attack in the woods, where Leatherface comes roaring out of the darkness brandishing a chainsaw and slicing up the dude in the wheelchair is enough to make it watchable at any event for it's sheer awesomeness, his first entrance is pretty chilling, and of course, my personal favorite scene of the film, the 10-minute chase through the woods with only the chainsaw blaring and her screaming being the only things heard is glorious. And what can be said of the dinner sequence? Flawed, but still enjoyable.
8.5/10

The Wicker Man-1974
A complete opposite, as it's one I never understand the appeal over. I saw this once and never reviewed it but didn't think much of it, now I'm glad I didn't as I have a hard time calling this a horror film. It seems more like a musical, as I don't recall that much singing in it to begin with, and only one of them is any good. It seems to just be a never-ending series of scenes consisting of him wandering around the island observing their rituals or yelling at them for doing so, not exactly fun or enjoyable. Not really campy either, despite the rather cool ending chase through the tunnels leading up to the twist revelation at the end, which really doesn't work once you know it or have seen it a couple times. Really, only the nude singing scene stands out here.
4.5/10

[Heineken Skywalker]

CAT PEOPLE (1942)

A beautiful Serbian-born artist feels she is cursed and will turn into a panther and kill if she becomes sexually aroused.
More atmospheric than a true horror film, but a very influential film-noir.
Remade in 1982 starring Nastassia Kinski and Malcolm McDowell.

5.5/10

13 GHOSTS (1960)

Ultra-cheesey haunted house movie about a family who inherits a mansion occupied by 12 ghosts. The ghosts can be seen by wearing a special pair of glasses invented by the late uncle who left them the house.
The gimmick here, was that the movie was filmed in something called "Illusion-O" and a pair of special glasses were given to movie audience members to see the ghosts when the characters on-screen did.
Kind of fun, but really corny. You almost expect someone to get unmasked at the end and say, "I would've gotten away with it too if it wasn't for you meddling kids!".
Remade in 2001, starring Tony Shalhoub, Shannon Elizabeth and F. Murray Abraham.

4/10

D.O.A. (1950)

Edmund O'Brien plays an accountant who finds out he's been poisoned, with no antidote, and has, maybe, a week to live. Not knowing why, or who did it, he tries to find his own murderer before it's too late.
Decent mystery, but the "wolf whistles" and the "jive talk" in the jazz bar scene really date this movie.
Remade in 1988 with Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan.

5.5/10

[Heineken Skywalker]

Nov 2, 2008 11:18:08 GMT -5 slayrrr666 said:

Ok, two quick ones I need 100% verification on:

1. As long as the original went to theaters, you couldn't care less what happened to the remake?

2. I'll use an example as I don't know how to put it: Howling 4 is a remake of Part 1, would a film count if a later film in the series is a remake of an earlier one?

1. If you're asking if "I couldn't care less what happened to the remake" means, do I care if the remake was a made for tv movie or direct to video production? The answer is yes, I do care. Both the original and the remake have to have been theatrically released. I know there have been made for tv versions of some Stephen King movies for instance, so no, THE SHINING or CARRIE wouldn't count as movies that have been remade.

2. I've never seen THE HOWLING 4, but my understanding is that it's actually closer to the book than the original movie, THE HOWLING, was. So is it really a remake? I guess you'd have to be the judge on that one. As for remaking a movie within it's own series, I can think of two instances off the top of my head. EVIL DEAD II was basically a remake of part 1, but with a bigger budget. The second example would be DESPERADO, which, even though it's billed as a sequel to EL MARIACHI, it's basically the same movie with bigger stars and budget. So I guess those two would count.
Keep in mind though, that you already watched THE HOWLING and EVIL DEAD as part of last month's genre.

[Heineken Skywalker]

Wow, slayrrr, your opinion of TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE has certainly lowered since your original review of it, huh?

[Heineken Skywalker]

THE STEPFORD WIVES (1975)

Stepford, Connecticut is a quaint town where most of the women seem to happily live in servitude to their husbands, cooking, cleaning and having sex at their husband's whim. Joanna and Walter Eberhart and their kids move there, and Joanna (Katharine Ross) immediately realizes that something is not right in Stepford.
Good thriller I hadn't seen in many years. Not action-packed by any means, but does have some witty social satire about women's lib and does get a bit suspenseful towards the end.
Remade in 2004, directed by Frank Oz and starring Nicole Kidman.

7/10

LA JETEE (1962)

French sci-fi short film that takes place in the ruins of WWIII. Some of the surviving humans, experimenting in time travel, send a man back to pre-war Paris to try to bring back food, supplies, etc. Meanwhile the man has visions of a childhood memory.
Interestingly made up of just a series of photo stills and a voice-over narration.
Remade in 1995 as TWELVE MONKEYS, directed by Terry Gilliam and starring Bruce Willis.

5/10

[slayrrr666]

All right, I'm good to go then this month, boss. And despite personal preferences, I choose Howling since that one was the one that came to mind since I like Part 4 over the original and I never saw the 'remake' in ED 2. I saw it as a continuation of what happened in Part 1, but that's a conversation for another day and time.

As for TCM, I originally called it overrated but watchable back during my Movie Police month a couple years ago. I gave it a 9/10 on IMDb, so I don't really see where, after a couple years, saying it's an 8.5/10 is really souring on it too much. ;D

[Heineken Skywalker]

Okay, I just seemed to remember you liking TCM a lot more for some reason.
Damn faulty memory....

THE AMITYVILLE HORROR (1979)

The supposedly, but probably not, true story of the Lutz family who purchased a dream home dirt cheap due to the previous family having been murdered there. In true haunted house fashion, when strange and unexplained things start to happen, the Lutz family of course stays, instead of immediately packing their bags.
When a house tells you to "Get Out!!", it probably means it.
Definitely showing it's age, but still has a few creepy moments.
Remade in 2005, starring Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George.

6.5/10

OCEAN'S ELEVEN (1960)

Lightweight heist film where a group of former soldiers who all served together, (Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Dean Martin, etc.) plot to rob five Las Vegas casinos in one night.
Really just an excuse for The Rat Pack and their buddies to goof around and get paid for it.
While it's fun to see this group all together in one movie, it's pretty dated and really slow up until the actual heist.
Remade in 2001 starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon.

5.5/10

[Heineken Skywalker]

FREAKY FRIDAY (1976)

A mother (Barbara Harris) and her young daughter (Jodie Foster) find their minds magically transferred into each other's bodies when they both wish they had each other's seemingly easy lives. Nice performances by the two leads, but it's a typical 70's Disney live-action movie. More corny than funny, and lots of hee-larious accidents and stunts at the climax.
Remade in 2003, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan.

4/10

[slayrrr666]

Gone in Sixty Seconds-1974
I'm starting to notice a trend with these year-dates, maybe I should start finding others from different years. In any case, this one has certainly not aged well at all. Stiff, dated, and extremely boring, the only thing that saves this is the chase, which, either being jaded or still affected by the boredom, didn't affect me that much anyway either. Yeah, seeing a bunch of cars getting wrecked and totaled was a lot of fun, but frankly, the length just got to me and I was hoping something else would happen, and when that happens to me during an action film, I have to mark it down.
3/10

[Heineken Skywalker]

KISS OF DEATH (1947)

Victor Mature stars as a con who decides to go straight and co-operate with the police against his former partners, so he can get out of prison and be with his family again. Richard Widmark, in a great performance, is the giggling psychopath who has other plans. Very good crime drama.
Remade in 1995 starring David Caruso and Nicolas Cage.

7.5/10

CAPE FEAR (1962)

Robert Mitchum is an ex-con, stalking and terrorizing the lawyer (Gregory Peck), and his family, who once helped convict Mitchum. Both actors are great in this classic crime thriller.
Remade in 1991, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro and Nick Nolte.

8/10