Halloween Fright Flick Frenzy

It’s October and that means it’s officially Halloween season. One of the things Hunter Shea, my Monster Men podcast partner, and I like to do is watch as many horror movies as we can all month.

One of the fun aspects of this is watching a wide variety of films from the old classics to those brutally graphic slasher flicks from the seventies… and everything in between. It's amazing to see the fluctuation of tone, quality and subject matter from era to era and film to film.

Here’s a list of what I have seen so far along with a short review.

• A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors - My favorite Elm Street movie. Great kills, lots of humor and Freddy's best one liners.
• Session 9 - Filmed at the Danvers State Mental Hospital, the creepiest, real life location for a movie. A hidden gem worth finding.
• Cabin in the Woods - A love letter to horror fans and Joss Whedon fans alike. An original, humorous and incredibly entertaining movie with nods to all the great films that inspired it.
• Piranha (2010) - A silly but fun romp. Blood and bikinis. Turn off your brain and enjoy.
• The Woman in Black - Harry Potter goes horror. A great throwback to the old Hammer flicks and a genuinely creepy ghost story.
• Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated -  Over 100 hundred artists collaborate to animate George Romero's classic film. Tough to sit through the whole thing, but very interesting. 
• Dracula (1931 - Bela Lugosi) - I always make it a point to watch one of the Universal Monster Movies. This year it was the Count's turn. Was reminded just how nutty Renfield was.
• I Spit on Your Grave - The feel good movie of 1979. The classic, brutal revenge flick that has aged, but still packs a punch. Not for the squeamish.
• Cannibal Holocaust - The feel good movie of 1980. Also the mother of "found footage" movies. If you think I Spit on Your Grave is rough, wait until you see this one.
• The Mummy (1959 – Hammer) - Stalk like an Egyptian. Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing's take on the classic monster. The image of the Mummy rising from the swamp is worth the price of admission. Two mums up.
  

I’ll keep updating the site as I continue my Halloween Fright Flick Frenzy. Also, recently Hunter and I started using the hashtag #terrortober on Twitter to track and review our selections. Check it out and feel free to join in. 

15 Scary Movies Worth Watching: Monster Men Ep. 24

What are the elements of a great scary movie? In this episode we discuss 15 movies that got it right, from the films that broke new ground to some of the all time classics. Plus, we celebrate our favorite vegetable... Candy Corn.

What movies would you add to this list? Come over and tell us on our Facebook page.

Monster Men Ep. 21: A Tribute to Grant Wilson, Ghost Hunter

In this episode of Monster Men, Jack and Hunter pay homage to a guy they both admire and will miss on own of their favorite shows. On May 16, 2012, Grant Wilson's last episode of Ghost Hunters will air on the Syfy channel. So here is a tribute to Grant Wilson, one of the greats in the industry and a trailblazer in the field of paranormal research.

Good luck Grant and thanks for everything. On to the next!

Movie Review: The Thing (2011)

Here's the Monster Men movie review of the remake of The Thing... I mean "prequel" of the 1982 John Carpenter classic sci-fi/horror flick, The Thing starring Kurt Russell. The 1982 version set the bar so high that anyone who loves that one will not find much new ground covered. It's got it's moments, but the CG seems lazy and kills the mood in many places.

If you have never seen the original... or the real original; the 1951 The Thing from Another World, you might like the new version. But only the first 20 minutes of this new version are a prequel. After that it's pretty much a retread of the 1982 version... but not as good.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead does a good job with what she's given, but her role lacks the edge of Kurt Russell or the boldness of Ripley from Alien... the mold in which her character was cast from.

So take the Monster Men review from the perspective of two lovers of the 1982 version... but when in doubt, there's always something fun about a seeing a horror movie.

2011












McCready and an unwanted guest from the 1982 The Thing.










Some "Thing" in the way he moves...


The Thing From Another World - 1951