Box: Mercury Poisoning

1. Bohemian Rhapsody - $42m / $42m / $115m
2. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms - $23m / $23m / $80m
3. Nobody's Fool - $16m / $16m / $40m
4. Halloween - $14m / $154m / $180m
5. A Star Is Born - $8.5m / $163m / $190m
6. Venom - $6m / $196.5m / $210m
7. The Hate U Give - $3.5m / $23.5m / $30m
8. Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween - $3m / $43m / $48m
**Hunter Killer -$3m / $12.5m / $18m
10. Small Foot - $2.5m / $76m / $80m
***First Man - $2.5m / $42m / $48m

***Suspiria - $1.5m / $1.75m / $4.5m

Bohemian Rhapsody is looking bigger by the day, which is sad given the thoroughly mediocre reviews. It definitely won't have the legs of Star Is Born, even if audiences will probably be a lot kinder than critics. Nutcracker feels like a non-event and will probably be stomped out by the bigger family films of the holiday season. Nobody's Fool should do well given the drawing power of Tyler Perry and Tiffany Haddish is still strong. Suspiria expands to 250+ theaters after scoring the biggest PTA last weekend in 2 theaters.

Horrorfest: What Would Jamie Lee Curtis Do?

BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF
(Christophe Gans, 2001)
Mix of fantasy, horror, and martial arts focusing on the efforts to eradicate a bloodthirsty beast in an 18th century French province. The special effects haven't aged particularly well, and there was something very odd about the transfer on this DVD. At 140 minutes, it's probably too long, but this is still a pretty entertaining ride. And despite the genre blends, it flows pretty seamlessly. I think a lot of people compared the "twist" to The Village and despite the pulpiness on display, that message is a little more subtle in this. Vincent Cassel, Jérémie Renier, and Monica Belluci appear. GRADE: B-

GOOSEBUMPS 2: HAUNTED HALLOWEEN
Surpisingly enjoyable sequel in which the ubiquitous dummy from the books wreaks havoc on a small town by making the Halloween decorations come to life. Jack Black provides the voice of the dummy, also appearing later on reprising his role as R.L. Stine. I was surprised just how much his dummy voice work sounds like The Crypt Keeper. If there's ever a reboot of
Tales From the Crypt, Black would be a great choice to do the voice. In the meantime, his talents are well utilized in what is basically the pre-teen version of Tales. There's some meta gags later on, including a reference to how they should have saved some of the books' popular characters for the sequel instead of using them all in the first movie. It's a half step up from most cable kids Halloween movies, but it's still way more entertaining than House With a Clock In Its Walls. Wendi McLendon-Covey and Ken Jeong also appear. GRADE: B-

HALLOWEEN
(David Gordon Green, 2018)
I have to agree with something I read online: this should have been called Halloween Reborn. I have no problem with the franchise's "Choose Your Own Adventure" method of storylines, but giving it the same title as the original (and its remake) is a little silly. That aside, this delivered. In this timeline, Michael has been imprisoned for 40 years while Laurie Strode, now a mentally unstable survivalist, waits for him to finish what he started decades prior and finally come back to kill her. Jamie Lee Curtis remains a force of nature and one of the genre's best leading ladies. She gets strong support from Judy Greer (finally given some material to chew on!) and newcomer Andi Matichak. And how's this for a nice surprise: the characters are actually mostly likable and memorable. Add that to some crowd-pleasing moments, well placed humor, John Carpenter's reworking of his own iconic score, twists and a high body count, and you've got the best slasher movie in ages. GRADE: B+

HOUSEBOUND
(Gerard Johnstone, 2014)
New Zealand horror/comedy about a woman placed under house arrest in her parents' home after committing a crime. There, she finds it's not just her family inhabiting the home as there seems to be a supernatural presence. The twist, which a recent horror movie I won't name also utilized, is clever, and there's some fun to be had in the characters' interactions, but the movie is very slight. Like a few of the films I reviewed this month, it runs a little too long. I will say this seems like something I'd enjoy if I gave it a rewatch in a few years. Morgana O'Reilly stars. GRADE: C+

UNFRIENDED: DARK WEB
(Stephen Susco, 2018)
A group chat turns deadly when one of the participants begins a sinister chat with a stranger who links them to some of the most disturbing videos on the dark web. I watched the original a few years back and I have the same complaint again: OMG I can't fucking read the chat window. It seemed even smaller this time. I'm sure this could have been remedied by seeing it on the big screen, but my TV isn't exactly small. This ruins a lot of the suspense. The vastly superior recent Searching seemed to have much bigger chat windows so it'll be interesting to see how that plays on a smaller screen. Betty Gabriel, a fave of the Blumhouse films, appears. GRADE: C

Horrorfest: Our pets heads are falling off!

I saw Pet Sematary about 15 or so years ago, but barely remembered it. Never saw the sequel. In anticipation of the remake (or re-adaptation?) hitting theaters in April, I watched them for this year's Horrorfest.

In the first film PET SEMATARY (Mary Lambert, 1989), a doctor (Dale Midkiff) moves to a small Maine town with his family. Behind their new house deep in the woods is a graveyard where pets have been buried for decades. And further behind that is an ancient "Indian burial ground", which of course has special powers: it can bring things back from the dead. After tragedy strikes their young son, the doctor attempts to bring him back, but the boy comes back...different. Basically a haunted woods movie infused with some zombies, the film mostly works thanks to its practical effects and creepy story. Lambert was a hugely popular music video director who did some of Madonna's most iconic videos. Her direction is decent and I'm kind of surprised her big screen career never really went anywhere beyond these two films. Then again, she's one of the few women who got a shot at directing back in the genre's 80's wave. She handles the film's tone well, as it occasionally veers into dark comedy. Fred Gwynne (Herman Munster!) also appears as their neighbor, as does Miko Hughes who played Heather's son in Wes Craven's New Nightmare.

In PET SEMATARY 2 (Mary Lambert, 1992), a veterinarian (Anthony Edwards) moves to the same small town with his son (Edward Furlong) who witnessed the death of his film star mother in a set accident. He befriends an outcast, whose dog is brought back from grave after his stepdad shoots it. (Half of the people in this film are major assholes.) It's kind of comical how no one notices the dog's eyes glowing or that it has a gaping wound. There's not as much suspense in this one, even if the gore ante is upped quite a bit. I think my favorite thing about this might have been the early 90's ambiance pervading the film. The haircuts! The clothes! The soft alternative music! Irresistible, says I.  

GRADES:

Pet Sematary: B-

Pet Sematary 2: C

With the success of 2017's It, we'll probably see more new adaptations of Stephen King's work. In addition to Hulu's "Castle Rock" series and the Sematary re-do next year, a new adaptation of The Tommyknockers is in development. There's also the long gestating new adaptation of The Stand, which was going to be for the big screen, but the last rumblings said it would be a Showtime miniseries. Oh and there's also The Shining prequel, Doctor Strange, which is about to begin production from the red hot Mike Flanagan, and starring Ewan McGregor and Rebecca Ferguson.

Horrorfest: Character actress Margo Martindale gets hexy!

So it's that time of year where a lot of people gather round their TVs/laptops/phones to watch a movie released in the 90's that starred some acclaimed actresses as witches. It under performed at the box-office, got mostly negative reviews, but has since gained a cult following and is run on TV nonstop this time of year. There are thinkpieces about how the movie isn't really that great, because the first rule of writing a thinkpiece is that you must shit on something everyone is currently liking. That movie is celebrating an anniversary this year, so naturally I chose a rewatch.

That movie is not Hocus Pocus.

That movie is Practical Magic. 

(Though it must be said, there are three 90's witch movies that have become cult classics thanks to women and gay men: those two and The Craft.)

While I do enjoy Hocus Pocus, I'm much more of a fan of the Sandra Bullock-Nicole Kidman comedy/fantasy/romance/thriller/let's-put-every-genre-into-the-cauldron-to-see-what-this-brew-tastes-like. Released 20 years ago in October of 1998, the film follows the Owens' Sisters, who are descended from a Salem witch who believed she was cursed in love. She cast a spell that any woman in her bloodline who falls in love will eventually lose that man. Generations later, Sally (Bullock) and Gillian (Kidman), who were raised by their aunts (Stockard Channing and Diane Weist, both having a blast) find themselves unlucky in love as Sally loses her husband, the father of her two daughters (one is played by a young Evan Rachel Wood). Meanwhile, Gillian finds herself the obsession of a Bulgarian (close to Transylvania!) cowboy with a vampire vibe named Jimmy Angelov (Goran Visnjic), whom she has to feed belladonna just to get some shut eye. After Jimmy beats Gillian up, Sally comes to the rescue and the two accidentally kill him. Several times. Reviving him using their witchcraft, he comes back more evil and literally possessive, and the Owens' women have to join forces to destroy him. A detective (Aidan Quinn) shows up to investigate his disappearance and unexpectedly begins falling for Sally. 

Yes, despite all that, this is a "light" comedic fantasy. It shouldn't work, and for most people it didn't. For me, it always did. The tonal shifts are blended well thanks to Griffin Dunne's direction as he takes the supernatural and witchcraft elements seriously. Alan Silverstri's score fits perfectly with the mode, going from whimsical to much darker undertones. The actors help sell the material, with Kidman as the more adventurous and sexy sister. The actress with gorgeous light auburn hair has never looked lovelier. She gets some great 90's fashions in those perfectly circular blue sunglasses that were so ubiquitous back in the day, and both actresses even get some of the lingerie-as-evening-wear looks. Bullock has a bit of a tougher time with her character and she seems to play some of the comedic elements too broad, though she portrays the character's longing quite vividly. Channing and Weist are fun, and many reviews pointed out that the two could've used their own movie. Visnjic makes a perfectly seductive and scary villain. It would've been cool had they made him an all-out vampire rather than just suggested. Late 90's bearded Mark Feuerstein was one of the hottest images ever. 

Filmed in California, the film's setting is a character of its own. It's supposed to be set on a small island off Massachusetts in fall, you can feel the crispness of the air even if the falling leaves are completely green. I also love the shots of the moon to determine the mood of the moment, both romantic and sinister. Steven Nicks on the soundtrack is an appropriate choice, long before American Horror Story tied the singer into its own witchy web. And then there's that gorgeous house! I love that they make it a point that the townsfolk were fascinated by it and wanted to see what it looked like inside despite their hesitation with the family. In further research of the film, apparently the film has some rich fans as the production designer does work in interior design and the kitchen in the film is highly requested. Understandable. 

There was a time in the mid-aughts where I watched this film every October for about 5 to 6 years in a row. I'm happy that the film has a following now. I suspect Practical Magic might play better to today's audiences who are more used to genre blends, sharp tonal changes, and entertainment aimed at women not being so boxed in. (I mean, this movie ends with an exorcism!) As usual, I was ahead of the curve. And that's not just the Midnight Margaritas talking. 

PRACTICAL MAGIC 

(Griffin Dunne, 1998)

GRADE: A-

Horrorfest: Molly, you in danger, girl!

CRONOS
(Guillermo del Toro, 1993)
Del Toro's first feature film is about an ancient device that finds its way into a present day (for 1993) antiques shop. The device hooks into its owner, giving them eternal life...and a lust for blood. Well made with the typical del Toro elegance and fascination with the beautifully grotesque. Makeup work - the old fashioned practical kind - is solid. Not quite to the level of the filmmaker's best - those would in my opinion be Pan's Labyrinth and Crimson Peak - but still a good genre entry and a debut that shows the promise of one of our most interesting filmmakers. I thought the entire film was in Mexican, but it turns out some is in English, courtesy of co-star Ron Perlman. GRADE: B

GHOST
(Jerry Zucker, 1990)
As I've stated many times, I try to find a few films with elements suitable for Halloween that aren't all-out horror films or completely non-horror films. Surprisingly, I never thought of this supernatural-themed dramedy until this year. Patrick Swayze plays a murdered banker who's soul has unfinished business. His widow (Demi Moore) is in danger and the only way to get to her is through a phony psychic (Whoopi Goldberg, in an Oscar-winning role). It has sappy moments, but they work in the way only a big budget studio movie could. Very entertaining, with great work from the three leads. Tony Goldwyn also appears and he must have had made a deal with some dark forces given how well he's aged. Dude was always hot. GRADE: B+

THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS
(Eli Roth, 2018)
Say what you will about Roth, but his films are rarely dull. I hate to use the word boring to describe a film, but this was such a non-event I couldn't wait for it to be over. It's not bad at all, and certainly has elements that I can usually appreciate, but it was just very uninvolving. A young orphan is taken in by his eccentric uncle, a sorcerer. Jack Black and Cate Blanchett star, and their banter may be the most amusing part of the film. That and the demented pumpkins. More horror-themed family films, please! Just make them a little more entertaining and lively. GRADE: C

MAGIC
(Richard Attenborough, 1978)
Anthony Hopkins stars as a magician/ventriloquist in a psychological downward spiral, and his breakdown is only aided by his dummy who has murder on his wooden mind. Hopkins received Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations for his role in this. While I don't know how close he was to an Oscar nomination given the race of that respective year, he would have been wholly deserving. His work here may be overshadowed by his iconic work in The Silence of the Lambs, but this villainous performance deserves to stand right along that one. Portions of the film may be a little too sedate, but this is a good character study. Ann-Margret and Burgess Meredith co-star. GRADE: B

Horrorfest: 1, 2, Death's Coming For You...3,4, There's Nothing More

Launched in 2000, the Final Destination franchised spanned 5 films and ended in 2011, with the last two being released in 3D. The first was a spring sleeper hit and the rest were fairly consistent performers. Instead of a masked villain, we get death literally being the killer. Here's my watch of the franchise, of which prior to this year I had only seen the first two.

 FINAL DESTINATION (James Wong, 2000) focuses on teenager  Alex (Devon Sawa) who foresees the death of many of his classmates on a class trip on a plane to Paris. After his vision, he freaks out and urges them to get off the plane. Some do, while others remain. While dealing with security in the airport, the plane takes off and explodes midair. Survivors remorse sets in, but death is still coming for them as those alive begin dying one by one in mysterious and grisly ways. I was actually surprised that this wasn't as violent as I remembered. I guess everything looks tame in a post-Saw horrorscape. And the death scenes are not as elaborate as some of the belabored sequences in the franchise's latter installments. The film was created by a team who also worked on The X-Files, but the film plays closer to a solid Twilight Zone episode. Genre references abound, with just about everyone getting a famous horror name. (Hitchcock! Browning! Lewton!) The film is cast with popular young actors from that late 90's/early 00's period: Ali Larter, Kerr Smith and Seann William Scott co-star, with Candyman himself Tony Todd in an extended cameo as a mortuary worker.

In the second installment, FINAL DESTINATION 2 (David R. Ellis, 2003) trades in a crashed airplane for a big traffic pileup. This time it's a young woman (Criminal Minds' A.J. Cook) headed for spring break who has the premonition. The second film does a good job of building on the first and adding to the story, but the characters are extremely unlikable to the point we can't wait to see them die. And die they do, of course. The violence is upped to extreme levels, but it's so cartoonish and this may be one of the earliest films to employ the use of the awful "digital blood". So fake! It looks like someone spilled raspberry jam on the print of the film. It's gotten slightly better looking in the years since, but lets bring back the Karo syrup. Many of the deaths become a little too comedic, and the suspense of the first film is severely lacking. Larter and Todd are the only returning cast members from the first film. Like the first film, the "vision" sequence of the crash is extremely well done even if it seems that too many vehicles are exploding for no reason. It'll definitely make you shiver if you're driving down a highway and see a load of trees on a logging truck.

Swap out the planes and automobiles, now we have a roller coaster of death in FINAL DESTINATION 3 (James Wong, 2006). Almost a straight forward remake of the first film, this installment probably boasts the most successful alumnus of the franchise: Mary Elizabeth Winstead. The death scenes are a tad less comedic than in the second film, but they are just a little too elaborate. The sequence at the hardware store, in particular, goes on way too long. I guess that's understandable given the runtime is only about 85 minutes. It's quite clear with this one that the franchise is already out of steam and the films aren't really diving into the "psychic" aspect enough. No burning questions of existentialism? The roller coaster crash is ultimately a little too unbelievable due to some continuity errors. I did appreciate the ending of this, though. At least it had that going for it.

And so comes the fourth part of the franchise, the dubiously named THE FINAL DESTINATION (David R. Ellis, 2009). Released in 3D back when that actually had some promise, this is filled with pop out gimmicks. Debris is constantly flying towards us, while the final act actually might have packed a nice depth-filled punch if I had just been able to view it in the format. The death orgy occurs at the race track, and boy is it cartoonish. So much so it makes part 2 look like a black and white documentary. Low grade visual effects, the film has all the elegance of a Syfy made for TV movie. A few years ago a critic I read mentioned that we'd all look back at films released in the mid to late 00's as looking like shit and I wasn't sure what he meant. After watching this, I completely get it. It has a very digital look to it, but it also looks so cheap. Nick Zano (YUM!) and Mykelti Williamson are the only note-worthy cast members.

The franchise finishes (for now, I'm assuming) with FINAL DESTINATION 5 (Steven Quale, 2011), which is a decent step up from the past 3 chapters. I knew of the film's amusing twist ahead of time, but that didn't ruin any of the fun. Built around a bridge collapse, that scene is as good as the plane explosion from the first. The characters are mostly still very annoying, but there seems to be fewer of them in this one. And the film at least looks more film-like that part 4, though there are still lots of 3D gags. It's a decent send-off to an okay franchise that never really dives below the surface. Nicholas D'Agosto, Emma Bell, and Courtney B. Vance star.

RANK & GRADES:
1. Final Destination - B
2. Final Destination 5 - B-
3. Final Destination 2 - C+
4. Final Destination 3 - C
5. The Final Destination - C-

Box: Michael still killing it

1. Halloween - $30m / $125m / $165m
2. A Star Is Born - $13m / $147m / $185m
3. Venom - $10.5m / $187m / $210m
4. Hunter Killer - $6.5m / $6.5m / $16m
5. Goosebumps - $6m / $37m / $48m
6. The Hate U Give - $5.5m / $18.5m / $30m
7. First Man - $5m / $37.5m / $48m
8. Small Foot - $4.5m / $72m / $82m
9. Night School - $3m / $71m / $78m
10. Bad Times at the El Royale - $2m / $17m / $20m
***Indivisible - $1.5m / $1.5m / $5m
***Johnny English Strikes Again - $1.5m / $1.5m / $4m

Halloween grabbed the second best October opening behind Venom. However, like most slashers it'll be in for freefalls from here on out. Still, a finish of around $165m domestic still makes the $15m-budgeted film insanely profitable. Three openers this weekend, and none will make a splash. Gerard Butler has had some luck with generic action movies, but the marketing is severely lacking. Indivisible is another religious movie that might not make the top 10. Johnny English isn't even going fully wide, looks like 500 theaters. Suspiria opens in 2 theaters before getting an expansion next weekend. It feels like buzz is lacking for it, which is kind of sad given how long it took to bring the remake to the screen.

ETA: Mid 90's is getting a moderate expansion. I'm not sure on the theater count, but it should gross between $1.5-$2m.

2018 Gotham Independent Film Award Nominations

BEST FEATURE
The Favourite
First Reformed
If Beale Street Could Talk
Madeline's Madeline
The Rider

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Bisbee '17
Hale County This Morning, This Evening
Minding the Gap
Shirkers
Won't You be My Neighbor?

BEST ACTOR
Adam Driver (BlacKKKlansman)
Ben Foster (Leave No Trace)
Richard E Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)
Ethan Hawke (First Reformed)
Lakeith Stanfield (Sorry to Bother You)

BEST ACTRESS
Glenn Close (The Wife)
Toni Colette (Hereditary)
Kathryn Hahn (Private Life)
Regina Hall (Support the Girls)
Michalle Pfieffer (Where Is Kyra?)

BEST SCREENPLAY
The Favourite
First Reformed
Private Life
Support the Girls
Thoroughbreds

BREAKTHROUGH ACTOR
Yalitza Aparicio (Roma)
Elsie Fisher (Eighth Grade)
Helena Howard (Madeline's Madeline)
Kiki Layne (If Beale Street Could Talk)
Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie (Leave No Trace)

BINGHAM RAY BREAKTHROUGH DIRECTOR AWARD
Ari Aster (Hereditary)
Bo Burnham (Eighth Grade)
Jennifer Fox (The Tale)
Crystal Moselle (Skate Kitchen)
Boots Riley (Sorry to Bother You)

BREAKTHROUGH SERIES - LONG FORM
Alias Grace
Big Mouth
The End of the Fucking World
Killing Eve
Pose
Sharp Objects

BREAKTHROUGH SERIES - SHORT FORM
195 Lewis
Cleaner Daze
Distance
The F Word
She's the Ticket

SPECIAL JURY AWARD - ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE: The Favourite

Trailer: Destroyer

Nicole Kidman, Sebastian Stan and Tatiana Maslany star in Karyn Kusama's new thriller. Reviews from the festival circuit were pretty divisive, but that's standard for a Kidman vehicle. Very intense and well made trailer, though.

Box: The horror battle of our time is between two senior citizens

1. Halloween - $62m / $62m / $135m
2. A Star Is Born - $19m / $125m / $180m
3. Venom - $17m / $170m / $214m
4. First Man - $9m / $30m / $52m
**Goosebumps: Haunted Halloween - $9m / $28m / $50m
6. The Hate U Give - $7.5m / $10.5m / $30m
7. Small Foot - $5.5m / $65m / $79m
8. Night School - $4m / $66m / $76m
9. Bad Times at the El Royale - $3m / $13m / $19m
10. House With a Clock In Its Walls - $2m / $65m / $70m
***The Old Man and the Gun - $2m / $4m / $10m

Halloween arrives, the first Halloween movie to be released in October since Halloween 5 in 1989. The new sequel/reboot - I believe they are calling it a "side-quel" - looks to perform slightly bigger than The Nun. It cost $10m, so everyone involved is getting massive paydays. The Hate U Give expands wide after 2 weeks in limited. It's held up well, so hopefully word of mouth can carry it. The Old Man and the Gun also goes to 600+ theaters and might be able to make the top 10. It's done decent if unspectacular in limited. The Sisters Brothers, which has struggled in limited, appears to also be getting a big theater increase. In limited, Melissa McCarthy's awards contender Can You Ever Forgive Me? opens in 5 theaters, while Jonah Hill's directorial debut Mid 90's also debuts. The latter looks to be going semi-wide next weekend.

Horrofest: Another 50 For the Fire

On October 1st of this year, Night of the Living Dead turned 50.

I've written about it here in roundabout ways many times over the years, but never exclusively. Earlier this year, the seminal film came to the Criterion Collection after being a public domain property for most of its existence. Criterion's edition is a beauty to behold, as clean and pristine as the film has probably ever looked. Right now on AMC, Eli Roth is hosting a "History of Horror" mini-series and the first episode is focusing on zombies. So far, the biggest portion has been dedicated to George Romero's film. Numerous horror film heavies are on it saying how much the film world and they as artists owe to Night. It's sad to note that Romero missed the film's milestone as he passed away over a year ago.

A low budget production filmed outside Pittsburgh, the film was released in 1968 and quickly became an audience favorite. I doubt anyone at the time would realize how long the film would endure both as a midnight cult favorite and a drive-in staple. But more than that, I doubt anyone would realize that the film's themes would resonate a half century later. Sadly. My first viewing of the film was back in 2002. Hard to believe that I wasn't yet in my zombie phase at that point, but this film would be the effective kick off.

It's the simplest plot: a group of strangers find themselves fending off hoards of the undead in a desolate farmhouse. The film would be a combination of two of my eventual favorite subgenres: zombies and strangers-banning-together-to-stop-whatever. It's one of my favorite movies, for the brutal gore, the memorable characters, the what-would-you-do? of it all, and the biting social commentary. And then there's one of the film's most subversive and surprising elements: Duane Jones' Ben. I don't know if he's the first black hero in a horror film, but what a shock it must have been in 1968 when Guess Who's Coming To Dinner also opened to see a black man and a white woman in the lead and the film never verbally calls attention to it. But man is it bursting through the subtext. That social commentary would be in all of Romero's Dead films, of which 5 followed. (Three of these have been remade.) While not all totally successful, each is worth a watch if you haven't seen them. Dawn of the Dead, in particular, ranks right alongside Night.

Happy 50th, Night!

(George Romero, 1968)
GRADE: A

Horrorfest: Does everyone murder during The Purge? No petty theft? Stealing identities? Mail fraud?

CHRISTINE
(John Carpenter, 1983)
This was one of my few Carpenter blind spots. Well, not a complete blind spot. I saw part of it on TV years (decades?) ago, and after this half-rewatch realized I saw more than I remembered. A nerdy teen spends his savings on restoring a vintage car, unaware the car has a mind of its own and becomes violently protective of him. Keith Gordon and John Stockwell star, though both have more or less moved exclusively behind the camera. I was unaware Gordon had directed some of the series Fargo. I like that this keeps Christine a mystery, as a modern movie would probably involve a long scene of exposition about some lady dying in her and her ghost inhabiting the vehicle. I'm not sure if the King novel it's based on goes into the history. In terms of Carpenter's horror oeuvre, this is in the middle of the pack. A very solid creeper with memorable characters. Look for a young Kelly Preston in a very small role. GRADE: B+

THE FIRST PURGE
(Gerard McMurray, 2018)
Fourth installment in the successful franchise, this time a prequel focusing on the launch of the first purge. (HENCE THE TITLE!) The most interesting ideas are borrowed heavily from out current political landscape, but that's a nightmare the movies couldn't even make up. However, like previous franchise entries, they aren't exactly gracefully dealt with. Genre films are the perfect Trojan horses for political subtext, so it's a shame this franchise hasn't ever lived up to its potential even if the past two installments did the genre (a blending of urban action and horror in a science fiction box) elements well. Most of what happens in this feels just like leftovers from the past two films, even if some of the action sequences are well done. The blue eyes were a nice touch, though. Marisa Tomei appears in what is more or less an extended cameo. As of this writing - and having not seen the TV series - I would say the third film was the most successful in blending the horrors both above and below the surface. GRADE: C+

HELL FEST
(Gregory Plotkin, 2018)
Hey, remember the slasher film?  It was alive and well in the 80's, brought back in the 90's with Scream, then mostly devolved into torture porn in the new millennium. Really strange that we haven't gotten a great one in a good while. I guess it's not that strange when this film is the best studios can do. A thoroughly average affair, the film follows a group of friends going through a pop-up haunted attraction while being stalked by a masked killer ready to off them one by one. Gee, that "pop-up haunted attraction" seems awfully ornate and firmly built, but I digress. The main problem is half the movie is just people walking through the haunted attraction with things jumping out at them. Despite the setting, there's very little atmosphere. But the big hindrance to this is that the characters are really annoying (particularly the short-haired girl) and the final girl is just too bland. Did they ever even establish why she was somewhat estranged from the group? The best part: the men are really hot. The killer is okay, and I thought the final moments added a nice touch. Horror fave Tony Todd appears in a cameo. GRADE: C

THE NUN
(Corin Hardy, 2018)
Hey, I mostly liked this! Surprise! The newest entry in the Conjuring universe is a prequel to both The Conjuring 2 and Annabelle: Creation. (Though the connection to the second one is only briefly hinted at.) A novitiate (Taissa Farmiga) and a priest (Demian Bichir) are called to Romania to investigate the suicide of a nun. Apparently police aren't available? Farmiga's casting provides some cool trivia for horror nerds, as I love that she and big sister Vera have embraced being genre actresses. This generation could use some scream queens. Individual scenes work even if it all never quite adds up and plays out exactly how you think it will. I would've loved it if the film went more deeply into the religious aspect as there's definitely a lot to explore there, but it only does a shallow dive. It's a nice distraction while it lasts, but the first Conjuring and Annabelle: Creation are still the best in this shared universe. Very nice and very loud sound on this one, too. More horror man candy: Jonas Bloquet is a big YUM. Bichir ain't so bad either. GRADE: B-

THE WATCHER IN THE WOODS
(John Hough, 1980)
Once upon a time, Disney made a family horror movie. It was even rated PG, probably due to the PG-13 rating not being invented just yet. A family moves into a large manor where the daughters find themselves targeted by a supernatural presence. Completely uninvolving with a poor lead (Lynn-Holly Johnson). She was like watching Anna Faris do a sloppy drunk impression of Jan Brady. Bette Davis even thought she was bad, as the legend apparently tried to get the studio to replace the actress with Diane Lane. Bette Davis was smart like that. This felt very chopped up, like huge scenes were missing. In doing further research, I found out the film was released and shortly thereafter pulled from theaters due to poor reviews. They shot a new ending, and released it almost a year after. I thought that Disney should probably consider a remake given they are redoing everything in their archives...err..."Disney Vault". Lo and behold, Lifetime actually did a remake last year with Anjelica Huston in the Davis role. Oh, and this is another movie that features a non-comical scene where a black cat jumps out of nowhere. GRADE: C

Trailer: Pet Sematary

This has talent behind and in front of the camera, so I'm hoping it turns out decent. I'll be watching the original and its sequel this month.

Box: Good Times at the Box-Office

1. Venom - $32m / $140m / $210m
2. A Star Is Born - $28m / $93m / $180m
3. First Man - $20m / $20m / $75m
4. Goosebumps: Haunted Halloween - $18m / $18m / $64m
5. Bad Times at the El Royale - $11m / $11m / $30m
6. Small Foot - $9m / $57m / $82m
7. Night School - $7m / $59m / $78m
8. House With a Clock In Its Walls - $4m / $62m / $70m
9. A Simple Favor - $2m / $52.5m / $56m
10. The Nun - $1.5m / $116m / $119m

Last weekend was a record breaker, while this weekend sees three new releases. None of them should be any threat for Venom and A Star Is Born. First Man is another big Oscar contender, but that might be softened if it underperforms. I initially thought it would perform similarly to Captain Phillips, but it looks like it's gonna be closer to another Tom Hanks/October/Best Picture nominee: Bridge of Spies. Goosebumps will be a little lighter than the original, which did $80m 3 years ago. It will be interesting to see if it can outgross House With a Clock In Its Walls. Bad Times at the El Royale is probably a future cult favorite, but looks to be a non-starter. I think the studio maybe should have opened it at a different time.

Box: Does this officially make Bradley Cooper Lord Gaga?

1. Venom - $64m / $64m / $140m
2. A Star Is Born - $45m / $45m / $185m
3. Night School - $15m / $50m / $84m
4. Small Foot - $14m / $42m / $80m
5. House With A Clock... - $7m / $55m / $72m
6. A Simple Favor - $3.5m / $49m / $57m
7. The Nun - $3m / $113.5m / $120m
8. Hell Fest - $2.5m / $9.5m / $14m
**Crazy Rich Asians - $2.5m / $169.5m / $175m
10. The Predator - $1.5m / $50.5m / $53m

A huge weekend ahead. There a wide range of predictions for both of these movies. Venom has terrible reviews, which will hurt it in the long run. Epic drops look to be in its future. A Star Is Born has great reviews and will play through award season, with strong holds likely. It has an even wider range than Venom, with tracking saying low 30's, but some going as high as mid 60's. It just feels primed to explode, but it'll be more about legs. The Hate U Give opens in a few dozen theaters, before going wide on the 19th. It has stellar reviews and might be a nice little sleeper for Fox.

Horrorfest: Here We Go Again

Coming this year...
+50th Anniversary viewing of Night of the Living Dead
+20th Anniversary viewing of Practical Magic
+Viewing the Final Destination franchise

HEREDITARY
(Ari Aster, 2018)
The art-house-ening of mainstream horror continues! After the death of their matriarch, a family descends into madness as a supernatural entity begins to make its presence known. I think this is Aster's first feature-length film and he does a great job with it. It builds tension while tearing you down psychologically. It has moments - one occurring about half an hour in - that truly sting. I appreciated that this plays out like a drama with horror elements tossed in. (I said LIKE a drama. Not an actual drama. This IS horror, people!) Yes, it loses a little steam in its second half, and at 127 minutes it runs about 10 too long. However, there's still much to admire including the stellar work of the cast. Toni Collette is terrific as always and her dinner table moment is phenomenal. Alex Wolff probably has the best moment of the movie, and that shot of his horrified reaction really nails a moment when you realize nothing will ever be the same. And of course, Character Actress Ann Dowd was born to play her part. Gabriel Byrne is a little under utilized, though. GRADE: B+

THE PREDATOR
(Shane Black, 2018)

Another disappointing installment in this franchise after 2010's Predators, though I prefer this one slightly. Boyd Holbrook leads a misfit group of soldiers to find the predator that has just arrived on Earth. Teaming up with scientist (though she seems not particularly bright) Olivia Munn, they try to get to the predator before it gets to his autistic son (Jacob Tremblay) who he stupidly sent part of the predator's equipment. Or whatever. This was apparently cut to bits by the studio in the recent months and it definitely shows. Scenes are choppy and continuity is all over the place. Where did they get that trailer, by the way? And why did the predator ignore naked Munn? It's a Shane Black film, so there are still some solid one-liners and it moves fast with fun performances. I'm curious if there will be a Director's Cut released to DVD/Blu. That might be worth a re-watch. The best thing about this may be the sexy cast. Between hottie Holbrook and Trevante Rhodes, I'm already stocked up on some Halloween man-candy. GRADE: C+

SCARECROWS
(William Wesley, 1988)
Low budget schlock about a group of criminals who, after stealing a load of cash and hijacking a plane with a father and daughter aboard, crash-land in a cornfield filled with murderous scarecrows. Okay, that sounds like fun, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Even by slasher standards, the film is super short - barely 80 minutes. I think it would have been smarter to show the robbery and the hijacking, but the film kicks off mid-flight. The scarecrows themselves aren't very scary. I brought up last year during my viewing of Annabelle: Creation that scarecrows should be utilized in more horror movies and I wouldn't mind if Hollywood would take a stab at a remake of this. It's probably too obscure a film, sadly. GRADE: C