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31 Scary Movies for October (2013 - #4)

I've liked scary movies ever since I watched the Shining back when I was a wee lad. It was amazing even though the scares were real. It was enjoyable, quite unlike Punky Brewster years earlier... That TV show had a horrible episode where her whole family dies (it's a dream, but her dog becomes a skeleton and a bunch of other horrible things like this -
photo Punky_zpshs8z9o9n.jpg
The image of the kids face in the wall and the limbs stuck in the wall scared me so much I wouldn't sit next to the wall as a kid.

I also watched Brainscan at the same time as The Shinning, which taught me the valuable lesson that some of these movies are going to be hilariously bad. I've always enjoyed Halloween time and the weather but these movies are a big part of my enjoyment.
For five straight years, I've been trying to watch a different Halloween/horror/scary movie a day for the month of October. I clearly enjoy it. I enjoy trying to scare myself.

I have wrote about 2010-2012 already, this post is what I watched in 2013. I did all the Child's Play movies, both Straw Dogs, the remaining Carrie's and by the time Halloween rolled along I was watching stinkers like Nine Lives and Spliced.

Previous Entries:
2012 Movie List - Written 1-1-13
2011 Movie List - Written 7-30-13
2010 Movie List - Written 11-10-10

I am going to list these in order from good to bad based a very complex system of computer numbers and my own thoughts.

31. Gingerdead Man 3 - Saturday Night Cleaver
photo Gingerdead Man 3_zps1thmfynl.jpg
31st - My Rank,
0 - Netflix,
3.8 - IMDB,
0 - Rotten Tomatoes
I don't why I agreed to watch it or even consider it part of this list. It's as bad as it looks even if I laughed once or twice. I can't possibly recommend it, nor do I want to watch the original or it's first sequel.

30. Halloween Night
photo Halloween Night.jpg_zpseuwvjn9x.png
30th - My Rank,
2.9 - Netflix,
4.1 - IMDB,
0 - Rotten Tomatoes
I think I watched this after the movie below so for a bit I was riding high on this. It's not scary, it's trying to be part Scream, part scary movie but doesn't do anything well. The set up was right on par with other typical horror movies but fell apart for me fairly quickly.

29. The Wisher – Spliced
photo The Wisher ndash Spliced_zpsuqdnr4cm.jpg
29th - My Rank,
3.0 - Netflix,
4.3 - IMDB,
0 - Rotten Tomatoes
It wasn't scary. I expected a stalker movie or some interesting take on wishes going wrong. The ending is all kinds of bizarre involving fast forwarding to see the future or something.

28. Nine Dead
photo Nine Dead.jpg_zps46x9mp0z.png
28th - My Rank,
3.3 - Netflix,
5.4 - IMDB,
0 - Rotten Tomatoes
I think I watched this on Halloween night. No character was likable, even Melissa Joan Hart.
Every person was trying to figure out why they were there. The killer would walk in every few minutes and shoot somebody. It wasn't a super interesting reveal. Saw 2 did this premise much better.

27. Child's Play 5 – Seed of Chucky
photo Childs Play 5_zpsxhwn3lvb.jpg
24th - My Rank,
3.2 - Netflix,
4.9 - IMDB,
32 - Rotten Tomatoes
By far my least favorite of these Child's Play movies. It just wasn't pleasant or enjoyable. I don't know how to feel about a doll pre-teen who may or may not be evil. They kept arguing if it was a boy or girl. No one cares. It was pretty much a straight comedy which was not amusing to me.

26. Amityville 2 – The Possession
photo Amityville 2 ndash The Possession_zpswb36eoxu.jpg
27th - My Rank,
3.3 - Netflix,
5.4 - IMDB,
7 - Rotten Tomatoes
It started off pretty good. Not exactly the same as the original but the same mood for at least part of the movie. And then it takes a dark turn. Not a scary turn, but a - I don't want to watch this with my family anymore movie. 

25. Carrie 2002
photo Carrie 2002_zpsxd8mx2on.jpg
26th - My Rank,
3.4 - Netflix,
5.5 - IMDB,
0 - Rotten Tomatoes
This was the third Carrie movie I've watched now. There isn't a super difference between them. I mean technology gets better every 10 years, but that doesn't make this superior to the original. In fact it's usually the opposite. It really isn't superior to the most recent either. In reality it was a made for TV movie which was not a bad retelling, just seems unnecessary now.

24. Child's Play 3
photo Childs Play 3_zpsind9fkxv.jpg
14th - My Rank,
3.1 - Netflix,
4.9 - IMDB,
23 - Rotten Tomatoes
I might be much nicer to this movie due to nostalgia than it's worth. I watched as a child which of course alters my opinion. I like the idea of a more grown up Andy and him playing more of the guardian role while Chucky stalks a new child. The war games scene in particular is worth noting even if you have no plans on watching the movie.

23. The Exorcist 2: The Heretic
photo The Exorcist 2_zpsmdzqbw5z.jpg
photo The Exorcist 2 2_zps68zpb258.jpg
5th - My Rank,
2.9 - Netflix,
3.7 - IMDB,
22 - Rotten Tomatoes
It clearly had a long way to go to even be considered in the same breath as the original. However in my opinion they do enough different that it doesn't feel like a copy just trying to re-create the magic of the original. It progresses the character of Regan. If you aren't on board with the whole locust idea or hypnotizing being scary, I can see where it is almost comical. Maybe they failed, but it is at least interesting to me.

22. Child's Play 4 – Bride of Chucky
photo Childs Play 4_zpsrd9tizsr.jpg
22nd - My Rank,
3.2 - Netflix,
5.3 - IMDB,
44 - Rotten Tomatoes
I've watched this movie quite a few more times than I ever intended on in a lifetime. It's just so different than the previous three. I don't blame them for trying something new, I just didn't like the character of Jennifer Tilly. Was she playing herself? Oh maybe that was Child's Play 5. Whatever. Were we supposed to like her or not? It's something they tow the line with the whole run time and in the end I didn't care about any of the characters.

21. Dead Silence
photo Dead Silence_zpst9gq7ncr.jpg
21st - My Rank,
3.3 - Netflix,
6.2 - IMDB,
21 - Rotten Tomatoes
I watched this one previously not really paying attention and not really liking it. This time I was all in on it. It has a nice twist. If the idea of a talking dummy frightens you in a good way then it's worth a watch otherwise if you like James Wan's other works - Saw, Conjuring, Insidious.

20. Poltergeist 2: The Other Side
photo Poltergeist 2_zpsmj3bykne.jpg
16th - My Rank,
3.2 - Netflix,
5.6 - IMDB,
37 - Rotten Tomatoes
It's not quite as wacky as the original but it's just as frightening in several moments. No horrible clown here but we get some terrible devil man(pictured) which scares me almost as much. It serves as a decent sequel and fills in some gaps from the original.

19. A Haunted House
photo A Haunted House_zpsvjxl34ld.jpg
17th - My Rank,
3.6 - Netflix,
5.1 - IMDB,
10 - Rotten Tomatoes
Probably the closest thing we will get to a sequel in tone to Scary Movie - which is absolutely a good thing. I love the Wayne's in these roles. Do they miss on a lot of jokes, sure. But they are constantly firing which is my favorite kind of comedy.

18. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
photo Dont Be Afraid of the Dark_zpssicra6yk.jpg
23rd - My Rank,
3.4 - Netflix,
5.6 - IMDB,
58  - Rotten Tomatoes
I had such high hopes for this but it ultimately fell kinda flat. I remember it quite well which is probably the nicest thing I can say about it. Some movies you remember cause they worked so well but some are still memorable despite missing in quite a few areas. I liked the dual leads of Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce. It had an interesting premise but I think I expected something much more sinister(better) than these pixies?.

17. Straw Dogs 2011
photo Straw Dogs Remake_zpsj4cbncly.jpg
12th - My Rank,
3.2 - Netflix,
5.8 - IMDB,
41  - Rotten Tomatoes
I watched this one after the original which was probably a good idea unlike what I did with Oldboy(which I watched in reverse order and ended up liking the remake more). We get the cast of Superman returns here. Instead of English people terrorizing our couple, we get southerners ruled by a football coach. We do get a backstory to our antagonist and our heroine in which they had previously been in a relationship. That doesn't make it less creepy though.

16. Child's Play 2
photo Childs Play 2_zps8zlancyd.jpg
10th - My Rank,
3.2 - Netflix,
5.7 - IMDB,
40  - Rotten Tomatoes
I think this might be my favorite of all of them when all is said and done. The original has the most suspense of any of them - the is it alive or isn't it setup. We don't have that as much here and instead have more action, more situations where our evil doll can do his number on people. I also liked the idea of the step family which was a way to keep the same tone of the original and still move the story forward from the original.

15.  Red State
photo Red State_zpsgwrypl9i.jpg
20th - My Rank,
3.4 - Netflix,
6.2 - IMDB,
58 - Rotten Tomatoes
I don't think the movie has one tone. It starts off with a woman terrorizing some kids like a horror movie would, then becomes an escape movie with evangelical preaching and eventually becomes a No Country For Men like comedy with John Goodman.  It never struck me as a Kevin Smith movie at any point'.

14. Child's Play
photo Childs Play_zpsjc9o3yzn.jpg
11th - My Rank,
3.0 - Netflix,
6.5 - IMDB,
67 - Rotten Tomatoes
The original that kicked off 1,000 others. It's actually quite haunting in parts. The special effects were not what they really needed to be at certain points - like when people are interacting with a live Chucky. Brad Dourif's voice is the best thing about the whole series. We know the doll is alive and we spend quite a bit of time with the suspense of the characters not knowing what to believe.

13. Child's Play 6 – Curse of Chucky
photo Childs Play 6_zpsqkjwqxla.jpg
18th - My Rank,
3.4 - Netflix,
5.6 - IMDB,
80 - Rotten Tomatoes
This one got away from the comedy horror genre that the last two tried to do and to success. I liked this one much more than those previous entries. The end cameo is the best part of the movie. Chucky doesn't talk your ear off like he has been doing and ultimately this is probably closer to a remake than a sequel.

12. Carrie 2013
photo Carrie 2013_zps44wqbwtw.jpg
19th - My Rank,
3.6 - Netflix,
6 - IMDB,
48 - Rotten Tomatoes
I think the roles of Margaret and Carrie were cast well. I think this was enjoyable all the way through while the original can lag at moments. The kids don't seem as horrible here as they did in the original. It's still got the weird feeling that occurs after the prom scene is over that it doesn't quite know how to end.

11. Halloween 2007
photo Halloween_zpshtggpcwa.jpg
6th - My Rank,
3.6 - Netflix,
6.1 - IMDB,
25 - Rotten Tomatoes
I'm torn on this one. I can see why people don't like it, on the other hand - my favorite parts of the movie were of Myers as a kid. That's the one thing I really wanted to explore more in the original Halloween and that's something that basically paid off for me. The remake of Halloween that followed the first half was merely average. Malcolm McDowell was perfectly cast.

10. Underworld
photo Underworld_zpscjmjk0qe.jpg
15th - My Rank,
3.9 - Netflix,
7 - IMDB,
31 - Rotten Tomatoes
This was a second watch for me. I think I liked it less the second time. Maybe I liked the second one more than this and just had fond memories of the two. The action is decent, but nothing you didn't see in Blade. I guess you have a werewolf faction here and a vampire clan, I think you are supposed to root for the vampires more because of Beckinsale? It's a step up from a generic action movie, but it's not on the level with The Crow. I'm going to power through all these eventually even though I know some have received terrible reviews.

9. Room 237
photo Room 237_zpsg7qfyq1l.jpg
13th - My Rank,
3.3 - Netflix,
6.3 - IMDB,
93 - Rotten Tomatoes
A documentary on the Shining, which if you read above is my first love of Horror. The amount of detail packed into this is incredible. They make some wild theories and look for hidden messages in every single thing put on screen.

8. Dracula 1931
photo Dracula_zpska0yn9ow.jpg
25th - My Rank,
3.6 - Netflix,
7.6 - IMDB,
91 - Rotten Tomatoes
It's a classic, but not the easiest thing to watch. While it had sound unlike Nosferatu, it wasn't any more deviating from the story that you know.

7. Evil Dead 2013
photo Evil Dead_zpskneaqkk0.jpg
1st - My Rank,
3.4 - Netflix,
6.5 - IMDB,
62 - Rotten Tomatoes
It was going to have to be pretty bad for me not to like it. But I got what I was looking for even in a Bruce Campbell less Evil Dead world. I didn't see the end coming which was pleasant. It was both the right amount gory and scary. I can't look at this stupid picture without flinching a little bit.

6. Straw Dogs 1971
photo Straw Dogs_zpsefuj0gx1.jpg
9th - My Rank,
3.4 - Netflix,
7.5 - IMDB,
91 - Rotten Tomatoes
This and the remake had always been on my list as people always gave the original high marks. And for good reason. The plot, while is borderline revenge movie, borderline Home Alone does take quite a few risks that pay out. It does take some adjusting to the country and time period we deal with. The plot itself takes some time as well before skyrocketing.

5. Dawn of the Dead 2004
photo Dawn of the Dead_zpsdvbvwkx9.jpg
7th - My Rank,
3.7 - Netflix,
7.4 - IMDB,
75 - Rotten Tomatoes
Ving Rhames is amazing in everything. I quite like most of the actors in this movie. This remake is good even though so many zombie movies fall apart. It keeps the same trapped in the mall premise that the original does but that might be where the similarities end. The zombie tension is always high which is the most important aspect other than just being a good movie.

4. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
photo Sweeney Todd_zpsj8xdpxda.jpg
2nd - My Rank,
3.5 - Netflix,
7.5 - IMDB,
86 - Rotten Tomatoes
Maybe the only musical I ever put on this list. The music is catchy and it was tonally what I was looking for in an October movie. Maybe the last great work Depp and Carter do together. The end is brilliant wrap to the story.

3. Tucker and Dale vs Evil
photo Tucker and Dale vs Evil_zps8iqrhpes.jpg
8th - My Rank,
4.0 - Netflix,
7.6 - IMDB,
84 - Rotten Tomatoes
Probably my biggest best surprise of the movies I have on this list. I obviously hadn't watched it before but it was quite entertaining and very funny. I had seen Alan Tudyk before as Steve the Pirate in Dodgeball and as the pilot in Firefly, and he was good here as the 'straight' character. The wood chipper scene that I pictured above is by far the highlight. Did re-watch it since recently and it was still good. 

2. Rosemary's Baby
photo Rosemarys Baby_zpsxi5sjg3j.jpg
4th - My Rank
3.5 - Netflix
8 - IMDB
99 - Rotten Tomatoes
This was my second time watching this one but enough time passed that I didn't remember most things. You know our heroine isn't crazy throughout the movie, but they try their hardest to convince you along with her that it's all in her head. Mia Farrow's acting sells the entire movie and we are behind her the whole way.

1. Shaun of the Dead
photo Shaun of the Dead_zpsxqnud4b5.jpg
3 - My Rank,
3.8 - Netflix,
8 - IMDB,
92 - Rotten Tomatoes
I've watched this many times. This wasn't my first watch, nor will it be my last. Simon Pegg is at his best and it remains to be funny even after his mum becomes zombified. I love the jump cuts they do while explaining what they are going to do during the zombie apocalypse which is basically just chilling at the bar.

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