Horror Challenge (Official, October 2023)

maxwelldeux · #1

The Official 2023 Horror Challenge!

Goal.
Have you looked outside recently? We're in year 4 of a global pandemic. There's a very real threat of nuclear war. Every single environmental catastrophe is unfolding all at the same time and right before our eyes and we are, as a species, collectively shrugging our shoulders and saying "huh". So let's help manage this *gestures broadly at everything* with a little resilience training and watch as many movies as you can that fit into the Horror genre. If you are in doubt whether a movie counts or not, just ask.

Horrifying facts: Last year was a down year for us in the Official Horror Challenge - it only clocked in at the 7th busiest challenge on the forum ever. And unless I'm mistaken, this list is the Top 10 busiest official challenges we've had on the forum as measured by total number of points.
Horror 2020: 3033
Horror 2017: 2926
Horror 2015: 2635
Horror 2018: 2602
Horror 2023: 2593
Horror 2021: 2388
Horror 2019: 2334
Horror 2022: 2282
Horror 2016: 2114
Horror 2014: 2106
Horror 2013: 2103

Rules.
- A feature film (Anything over 40 minutes) counts as one entry.
- A total of 80 minutes of short films or miniseries/TV episodes counts as one point.
- Shorts/Episodes can be mixed and matched to make the 80-minute runtime requirement.
- Rewatches allowed.
- News media/political documentaries are not allowed.

Challenge runs from DUSK 30 September 2023 - DAWN 1 November 2023.

iCM Lists.
They Shoot Zombies, Don't They?
IMDb Top 50 Horror
BFI's 100 European Horror Films

Other Lists.
ICM Forum Top-Rated Horror Films
Top 500 Horror Movies
TSZDT 1001-2000
TSZDT - Hidden Horrors
Holiday Horror List
CriterionForum Lists Project - Horror
Slant's The 100 Greatest Horror Movies of the 21st Century
1SO's List of Top Horror
iCM Forum's Highest Rated Horror Movies
Official Non-TSZDT Horror Films
21st Century’s Most Acclaimed Horror Films

Italian Horror Films (please verify):
https://trakt.tv/search/movies/?genres= ... untries=it

I'm open to more suggestions for lists.

Bonus challenges!
We have three bonus challenges this year. The first is a collective challenge to see how far we get on the TSZDT list. The second is a themed single-day individual challenge. The third is an individual challenge of Bingo. I’ll be tracking things manually, so if you want to play, please use the appropriate hashtags to indicate which bonus challenge your film counts for. A film may count for multiple bonus challenges, but not for multiple entries within that bonus challenge.

Bonus Challenge #1: Slay the Zombies

Zombies. You know zombies - could be the undead. Possibly infected with a virus. Maybe they're just over 30 and it's the morning after drinking a bit too much and before the coffee has kicked in. Regardless, we're doing them a favor and slaying them. If the film you watch is on the Official TSZDT List, put the rank on the list preceded by a hashtag to get your watch included in this bonus challenge. (e.g., The Black Cat (1934) #80)

Zombie Slayers - 501 Dead

Zombie	Times Slayed
1	2
5	1
6	1
8	2
9	2
10	1
11	1
12	2
15	1
17	2
18	1
19	1
20	2
21	3
22	1
23	1
24	2
27	1
29	1
32	1
33	2
38	1
39	2
40	1
44	2
45	1
46	1
48	1
49	1
54	2
55	2
56	2
58	4
61	1
62	1
63	1
64	1
65	1
67	2
71	2
75	3
82	2
85	1
86	1
88	1
90	2
91	1
93	2
94	1
95	1
96	1
97	2
99	1
100	3
101	1
103	2
106	2
108	1
109	1
110	1
111	1
112	1
114	1
115	1
117	1
118	1
119	1
120	1
124	1
125	1
127	5
128	1
129	3
131	1
132	1
133	1
138	1
142	1
143	1
144	1
146	2
150	2
154	1
155	1
157	1
158	2
159	1
160	1
161	2
162	1
163	1
164	1
165	1
167	1
168	1
170	1
172	2
173	2
174	2
175	1
177	2
178	1
179	1
180	2
181	1
183	4
187	1
188	1
189	1
192	1
193	1
194	1
198	2
199	1
200	1
202	1
205	1
207	2
209	3
210	1
212	1
213	1
215	1
219	1
220	1
222	3
224	1
226	2
227	3
228	2
235	1
236	2
238	3
243	1
244	2
246	1
249	2
250	1
252	1
253	1
254	1
255	1
256	1
257	1
259	3
260	1
261	2
262	2
265	1
267	1
270	1
271	3
272	1
273	1
274	2
275	1
276	1
278	3
279	1
280	1
281	4
287	1
289	1
291	1
293	2
295	1
296	2
299	1
300	1
301	1
302	1
305	2
306	1
309	1
312	1
315	1
316	1
319	1
321	7
325	1
326	1
327	3
328	1
329	1
331	1
332	1
333	2
335	1
336	1
339	1
340	2
344	1
345	1
348	2
351	5
352	2
353	2
354	1
359	1
360	1
366	3
367	1
368	2
369	1
371	3
373	1
376	2
378	1
379	1
381	2
382	1
385	1
386	1
389	1
390	3
391	1
393	1
394	3
397	2
398	1
399	1
402	1
403	3
407	1
408	1
410	1
411	1
416	1
417	2
419	5
420	2
422	1
426	1
428	1
431	2
433	1
437	2
441	1
442	2
443	2
444	2
447	1
449	10
450	1
456	1
458	1
459	1
460	1
468	1
469	1
470	2
471	1
473	3
474	1
475	1
476	1
480	1
481	2
482	1
484	1
485	1
487	1
489	1
490	1
493	2
494	1
496	1
497	2
500	1
501	2
502	3
504	1
506	2
507	3
509	1
510	1
513	2
514	1
518	1
519	1
520	1
523	1
524	1
525	1
526	2
527	2
528	1
532	1
535	1
541	1
542	3
543	2
544	1
545	1
546	3
548	1
549	1
550	2
551	1
553	2
554	2
558	2
559	2
560	1
561	2
562	2
563	1
564	1
567	1
572	1
577	1
583	1
587	2
590	1
591	2
592	1
593	8
594	1
595	1
597	2
598	1
600	2
601	2
603	1
604	1
605	1
608	3
610	1
614	1
615	1
619	1
624	1
627	1
629	2
630	1
632	1
638	2
643	1
647	1
648	1
649	1
650	1
653	1
654	3
655	2
656	1
660	1
661	1
662	1
663	1
666	1
667	1
668	2
669	1
676	1
688	1
689	3
690	1
691	1
696	1
699	1
700	1
701	1
702	1
705	1
707	2
711	2
712	1
714	1
715	1
717	1
719	2
721	1
724	2
725	2
730	1
731	2
732	2
733	1
734	2
737	2
738	1
740	3
744	2
745	2
748	1
751	3
754	1
756	1
758	1
760	2
763	1
765	2
766	1
767	2
769	3
776	2
778	1
780	1
783	1
784	1
785	1
786	1
787	2
789	1
791	1
792	1
794	1
795	2
796	1
799	1
800	2
801	2
805	1
807	1
808	1
813	3
814	2
815	1
817	2
818	1
819	1
820	1
822	1
823	2
826	1
827	1
828	1
832	2
835	1
837	1
838	1
841	1
842	2
845	3
846	1
847	2
850	4
855	7
856	1
857	2
864	2
867	1
869	2
872	1
876	1
883	2
885	1
886	1
887	1
892	1
893	1
894	5
895	2
898	1
900	1
902	1
903	8
904	1
907	1
911	2
914	3
916	1
917	1
923	1
925	4
926	1
927	1
928	4
930	1
931	3
936	2
937	2
939	1
941	1
944	1
945	2
947	1
949	1
950	1
953	1
954	1
955	2
957	1
962	1
963	1
964	2
965	1
966	1
969	2
971	1
976	1
978	2
985	1
986	1
989	1
992	1
995	1
996	1
998	3
999	2

Bonus challenge #2: Friday the 13th

Obvious image

As it happens, the second Friday of this challenge falls on an unlucky number, which coincidentally alludes to this obscure horror franchise I'm guessing no one has heard of. So, from DUSK 12 October 2023 - DAWN 14 October 2023, if you watch any film from the Friday the 13th franchise and tag it with #Friday, Jason may spare your life, allowing you to win this bonus challenge.

Player	Times You Thought You Killed Jason
monclivie	10
sol	6
maxwelldeux	6
1SO	5
Kublai Khan	5
Tngy	5
peeptoad	4
PopperTheKungFu-Dragon	1
Silga	1
frbrown	1
DulceDoes	1
Torgo	1
magnusbernhardsen	1
klaus78	1
beasterne	1

Bonus challenge #3: A Horrific Game of Bingo
Who loves those common horror tropes? If you do, you may want to play a round of bingo with us. We’ll use a 4x4 bingo card – the columns are horror subgenres and the rows are horror clichés. See the table below. Use #BINGO and the cell number to play (e.g., From Dusk Til Dawn (1996) #BINGO C1). One #BINGO entry per film.

	A. Zombies	B. Creatures/Monsters	C. Vampires	D. Slashers
1. Tiny town/middle of nowhere	A1	B1	C1	D1
2. The laws of physics no longer apply	A2	B2	C2	D2
3. Group inexplicably splits up	A3	B3	C3	D3
4. Using something weird as a weapon	A4	B4	C4	D4

Bonus challenge #3D

#Bingo is fun and all, but who loves horror all around the world? If you want to add an extra layer of intrigue to this bonus challenge, let's add a third dimension to the Bingo card and make it a 4x4x4 card: the third layer is Regions:
a) USACan (i.e., Canada/USA)
b) Europe
c) Asia
d) Rest (i.e., everywhere else in the world)

In addition to #BINGO and the cell number to play, also append the region to the end of your hashtag (e.g., From Dusk Til Dawn (1996) #BINGO C1 USACan)

#BINGO

Jigsaw Impersonator

Bingo Card

cinephage

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.		2		2
2.	1	3		1
3.	2	1	1	2
4.	1	1	1	2

DulceDoes

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.	1	3		1
2.	1	1		1
3.		1		1
4.	1	2		1

frbrown

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.		1		1
2.
3.
4.			1	1

greenhorg

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.		1		1
2.
3.				1
4.		1

Hunziker

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.			1
2.
3.
4.

Kublai Khan

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.	1	1		1
2.				1
3.				1
4.		2		1

magnusbernhardsen

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.			1	2
2.
3.
4.		1		1

maxwelldeux

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.	2	1	1	3
2.	1	1	1	2
3.	2			2
4.	1	1		3

mightysparks

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.				1
2.
3.
4.		1		1

monclivie

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.	2	2	1	2
2.	1	1	1	1
3.	2	2	1	2
4.	1	1	2	2

Rufus-T

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.			1	2
2.
3.
4.

Silga

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.	1	1		1
2.	1	1	1	1
3.				1
4.		1		1

Simba63

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.	4	8	3	8
2.	2	5	4	3
3.	2	6	2	6
4.	4	6	3	7

sol

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.	3	4	3	7
2.	3	4	3	7
3.	3	4	3	7
4.	3	4	3	7

Tngy

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.		2	1	1
2.		2		2
3.		1		4
4.	1		1	2

The Possessed.

Rank	Participant	Count	Zombies Slayed
1	flavo5000	240	0
2	Simba63	130	125
3	Good_Will_Harding	126	0
4	monclivie	114	67
5	sol	112	32
6	evildeadthing	106	0
7	frwnk	104	0
8	gunnar	96	85
9	1SO	95	5
10	jdidaco	84	0
10	FilmWalrus	84	46
12	VincentPrice	78	0
13	Tngy	77	54
14	magnusbernhardsen	72	39
15	kongs_speech	64	0
15	Kublai Khan	64	32
17	DulceDoes	57	16
18	klaus78	50	21
18	ororama	50	27
20	peeptoad	49	24
21	mightysparks	45	5
22	Leopardi	44	0
23	blocho	43	10
24	Nopros	35	0
25	ckfilm88	34	15
25	vortexsurfer	34	0
27	Melvelet	31	18
27	Torgo	31	26
29	maxwelldeux	30	20
30	cinephage	29	6
30	HenkMul	29	14
30	Silga	29	13
33	sebby	24	0
33	beasterne	24	22
35	ChrisReynolds	22	0
36	toromash	21	0
37	shugs	20	0
38	Cinepolis	19	0
39	AB537	18	0
39	jonas2k	18	0
41	frbrown	17	12
42	RogerTheMovieManiac88	15	0
42	dirty_score	15	0
44	greenhorg	14	0
45	PopperTheKungFu-Dragon	13	8
46	Minkin	12	6
46	DudeLanez	12	0
48	OldAle1	11	4
49	GruesomeTwosome	10	0
49	Rufus-T	10	6
51	Coryn	7	0
51	Lonewolf2003	7	0
53	celldweller7	6	0
53	Hunziker	6	2
55	sennaho	5	0
56	lynchs	2	0
56	morrison-dylan-fan	2	0

maxwelldeux · #2

BINGO Time: USACan

Jigsaw Impersonator

Bingo Card

DulceDoes

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.		1		1
2.				1
3.				1
4.		1		1

frbrown

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.
2.
3.
4.				1

magnusbernhardsen

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.			1
2.
3.
4.		1

maxwelldeux

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.	2	1		2
2.	1	1	1	2
3.	2			2
4.	1	1		2

mightysparks

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.
2.
3.
4.				1

monclivie

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.	1	1		1
2.	1	1		1
3.	1	1		1
4.		1	1	1

BINGO Time: Europe

Jigsaw Impersonator

Bingo Card

DulceDoes

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.	1	1
2.
3.		1
4.		1

frbrown

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.		1		1
2.
3.
4.			1

magnusbernhardsen

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.				1
2.
3.
4.				1

maxwelldeux

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.				1
2.
3.
4.

monclivie

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.		1		1
2.			1
3.	1		1	1
4.	1		1	1

BINGO Time: Asia

Jigsaw Impersonator

Bingo Card

DulceDoes

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.		1
2.	1
3.
4.	1

monclivie

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.			1
2.
3.
4.

BINGO Time: Rest of the world

Jigsaw Impersonator

Bingo Card

monclivie

Spoiler

	A.	B.	C.	D.
1.	1
2.
3.
4.

maxwelldeux · #3

Reserved

monclivie · #4

In!
And axe-cited!
This time i'm going to finally join the 100 points club and compete for top 5.

iCheckMovies · #5

sol · #6

Thanks for hosting again max. I'm not going to try to keep pace for a top five position this year, but I'll see if I can edge inside the top ten.

The three dimensional bingo card sounds interesting, but I think I'll have enough trouble tracking down zombie and vampire films that look interesting (since I'm not a big fan of either subgenre) that I don't think I'll play along with the extra layer. It will be fascinating to see what a 3D bingo card looks like though.

Regarding the Friday the 13th Challenge, do we get more points for watching more of the franchise? Not that I'll be able to fit in more than three or four since I'll be back at work then, but I was thinking just a few days ago that it is probably about time that I give the entire franchise a whirl again.

shugs · #7

gunnar · #8

I'm aiming for somewhere in the 75-100 range this year which might land me in the top 10.

maxwelldeux · #9

sol wrote: ↑September 27th, 2023, 7:31 am Thanks for hosting again max. I'm not going to try to keep pace for a top five position this year, but I'll see if I can edge inside the top ten.

The three dimensional bingo card sounds interesting, but I think I'll have enough trouble tracking down zombie and vampire films that look interesting (since I'm not a big fan of either subgenre) that I don't think I'll play along with the extra layer. It will be fascinating to see what a 3D bingo card looks like though.

Regarding the Friday the 13th Challenge, do we get more points for watching more of the franchise? Not that I'll be able to fit in more than three or four since I'll be back at work then, but I was thinking just a few days ago that it is probably about time that I give the entire franchise a whirl again.

Yeah, that was my thinking on the Friday the 13th Challenge - one point per film during that time frame. Maximum of what... 12?

And on the 3D Bingo challenge, the way I'm going to score it is that I'll auto-calculate the 2D card from all the 3D info, so if you have even a passing interest, note the regions for that third layer, even if you don't want to complete the cube.

Torgo · #10

For some reason, I've watched over a dozen horror films this month, making up about a third of my total viewings. Might be slowing it down a bit for October .. what a timing.

But maybe I can finally squeeze in that HIGHLY anticipated LoU series and gain sweet profit from it ..

1SO · #11

maxwelldeux wrote: ↑September 27th, 2023, 6:51 am iCM Forum's Top 250 Favourite Horror Films

This link is dead. You already have the better...
iCM Forum's Highest Rated Horror Movies

maxwelldeux wrote: ↑September 27th, 2023, 6:51 am Slant's The 50 Greatest Horror Movies of the 21st Century

Slant's The 100 Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century

My Watchlist currently has over 80 films, including 70 1st time viewings and 25 from this Decade, 15 from this year.

iCheckMovies · #12

1SO wrote: ↑September 28th, 2023, 3:04 am
maxwelldeux wrote: ↑September 27th, 2023, 6:51 am iCM Forum's Top 250 Favourite Horror Films
This link is dead. You already have the better...
iCM Forum's Highest Rated Horror Movies

Didn't realise this list still existed, it's a decade old. This is the updated version: https://www.icheckmovies.com/lists/icm+ ... htysparks/

1SO · #13

maxwelldeux wrote: ↑September 27th, 2023, 6:51 am Bonus challenge #2: Friday the 13th
As it happens, the second Friday of this challenge falls on an unlucky number, which coincidentally alludes to this obscure horror franchise I'm guessing no one has heard of. So, from DUSK 12 October 2023 - DAWN 14 October 2023, if you watch any film from the Friday the 13th franchise and tag it with #Friday, Jason may spare your life, allowing you to win this bonus challenge.

I'm guessing Never Hike Alone doesn't count, which is too bad. It's a top tier F13 film.

Torgo · #14

1SO wrote: ↑September 28th, 2023, 3:32 am
maxwelldeux wrote: ↑September 27th, 2023, 6:51 am Bonus challenge #2: Friday the 13th
As it happens, the second Friday of this challenge falls on an unlucky number, which coincidentally alludes to this obscure horror franchise I'm guessing no one has heard of. So, from DUSK 12 October 2023 - DAWN 14 October 2023, if you watch any film from the Friday the 13th franchise and tag it with #Friday, Jason may spare your life, allowing you to win this bonus challenge.
I'm guessing Never Hike Alone doesn't count, which is too bad. It's a top tier F13 film.

Thanks for the additional reminder, I will IGNORE the rules and watch it nonetheless somewhere around that date (or so)!
Why did LB delete those films? meh

flavo5000 · #15

I'll try to aim to at least be in the top 20 this year...

monclivie · #16

flavo5000 wrote: ↑September 29th, 2023, 2:56 pm I'll try to aim to at least be in the top 20 this year...

Whaa.. you mean top 2, right?

Simba63 · #17

Here's hoping I don't embarrass myself in my first challenge back after retiring 5 years ago.

monclivie · #18

Simba63 wrote: ↑September 29th, 2023, 8:09 pm Here's hoping I don't embarrass myself in my first challenge back after retiring 5 years ago.

Ah, I remember chasing you for the whole month in 2018 when competing for my first top 10. It took me 28 days to finally get you and VincentPrice

Good luck! I came back too last year, after a four-year hiatus, hungry for horror enough to beat my best score.

magnusbernhardsen · #19

So I can begin in 40 minutes my time?

1SO · #20

magnusbernhardsen wrote: ↑September 29th, 2023, 9:20 pm So I can begin in 40 minutes my time?

The arbitrary clock amuses me this year. I don't know what to mark as the start point because I haven't exactly stopped. Last night I watched Rabid (1977), Phantasm (1979) and Ritam zlocina/Rhythm of a Crime (1981). Today for lunch I'm watching The House of the Seven Gables (1940), which isn't really a Horror movie but it's more legit to me than Ritam zlocina. (Firing shots before we've even begun.)

Torgo · #21

magnusbernhardsen wrote: ↑September 29th, 2023, 9:20 pm So I can begin in 40 minutes my time?

I reckon "dusk Sep 30th" is the time when Saturday turns Sunday for you.

As always, we will begin to see the first posts from sol and mighty by noon of (y)our timezone - the Ozploitation in these parts of the Forum is wild ..

OldAle1 · #22

Torgo wrote: ↑September 29th, 2023, 9:31 pm
magnusbernhardsen wrote: ↑September 29th, 2023, 9:20 pm So I can begin in 40 minutes my time?
I reckon "dusk Sep 30th" is the time when Saturday turns Sunday for you.

As always, we will begin to see the first posts from sol and mighty by noon of (y)our timezone - the Ozploitation in these parts of the Forum is wild ..

Nah, dusk is sunset. So if you can find a silent British animated horror to watch, you can snag 4 different challenges with it.

Torgo · #23

OldAle1 wrote: ↑September 29th, 2023, 9:36 pm
Torgo wrote: ↑September 29th, 2023, 9:31 pm
magnusbernhardsen wrote: ↑September 29th, 2023, 9:20 pm So I can begin in 40 minutes my time?
I reckon "dusk Sep 30th" is the time when Saturday turns Sunday for you.

As always, we will begin to see the first posts from sol and mighty by noon of (y)our timezone - the Ozploitation in these parts of the Forum is wild ..
Nah, dusk is sunset. (...)

Yeah, I lost half of my thought in the wording. I just wanted to emphasize it's not 30.09. 00:00 in your timezone (the beginning of that calendar day), but indeed late in the evening .. given magnus states to live in Norway, maybe already at 18 o'clock or something

magnusbernhardsen · #24

Torgo wrote: ↑September 29th, 2023, 9:49 pm Yeah, I lost half of my thought in the wording. I just wanted to emphasize it's not 30.09. 00:00 in your timezone (the beginning of that calendar day), but indeed late in the evening .. given magnus states to live in Norway, maybe already at 18 o'clock or something

Sunset is 18:52 here tomorrow, and dusk is 19:35. The same time as in Hamburg according to Google.

iCheckMovies · #25

Torgo wrote: ↑September 29th, 2023, 9:31 pm
magnusbernhardsen wrote: ↑September 29th, 2023, 9:20 pm So I can begin in 40 minutes my time?
I reckon "dusk Sep 30th" is the time when Saturday turns Sunday for you.

As always, we will begin to see the first posts from sol and mighty by noon of (y)our timezone - the Ozploitation in these parts of the Forum is wild ..

12 hours to go

DulceDoes · #26

I'm always excited for a month of horror! I just finished updating Non-TSZDT Official Horror

iCheckMovies · #27

1. Pearl (2022) 6/10

I don't get why this series is so popular. It was fine and Mia Goth is good but

sol · #28

1. No One Will Save You (2023) #BINGO B1 - Tiny town/middle of nowhere

A young woman experiences a frightening home invasion in this near dialogue-free horror thriller. The minimal dialogue choice is interesting and Kaitlyn Dever conveys volumes through facial expressions and body language alone. The film is also initially quite unsettling as she soon realises that her home invaders are extraterrestrial, making eerie noises as they ransack her home. The aliens are, however, scarier when only heard and obscured in frame; the lack of dialogue also becomes irksome as the film progresses and the eventual conclusion is unsatisfying. The approach though is refreshingly different.

Pretentious Hipster · #29

Not in this for a challenge, but my partner and I are watching horror films since like a week or two ago anyways, so I might as well compile some thoughts here. I'll put in the spoiler things I've seen recently but NOT for this challenge.

Spoiler

Land of the Dead - I decided to rewatch it because I've heard it actually goes deeper and in an almost satirical direction. I watched this when I was 15 and just thought it was a silly zombie film. I definitely appreciate its approach. The internet can be cringe with that, but I can totally see how it's about a communist style revolution. It's fascinating because this goes for the usual case of the humans being the real virus, and it stays that nihilist, but this time the hope and the people that you end up rooting for end of being the zombies. That alone made it worth it for me.

Deep Rising - I was curious to see this because he directed The Mummy, and the plot sounds absurd. The second Mummy film and Van Helsing are a mess though, so I was a bit wary going into this. This went beyond my expectations. It had the same vibe as The Mummy. An incredibly silly b-movie with jokes that work most of the time, and some fun gore. Also that ending was absolutely hilarious when you look up the imdb trivia and you realize what it actually was.

The Angry Red Planet (1959) - Fantastic monsters, and I love the weird filter they use to show that they are on Mars. Unfortunately the scenes of them hanging out in their space ship felt quite dry. It seems like that's the standard for 50s scifi/horror b films. It does remind me, The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra is a fantastic parody of these sorts of films. Definitely see it.

All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006) - It definitely goes for a smarter direction. Showing how teenage boy desire is inherently flawed. Mandy Lane is a very boring character, but that's the point. The dudes do nothing to get to know her and just wanna fuck her instead. So, you never see what her personality actually is. However, the twist of how the murders happen was quite stupid, and I feel like if they went the more satirical yet cynical direction, it would have been a lot more effective.

Unfriended: Dark Web (2018) - The computer gimmick is a decent idea. The film itself? It's someone talking about the dark web who's clearly out of touch with tech and has no idea how it works, but is still trying to make a PSA about it. Good for a few laughs, but not nearly funny enough to recommend.

Aberration (1997) - It's nothing legendary, but it's definitely a hidden gem that I'd highly recommend. It has really offbeat humour for a horror film. It's like there's comedy in there, but it's not a horror comedy if that makes sense? The lizards are way too cute to be considered scary, but it definitely adds a charm to this. A very fun film.

Triangle (2009) - Decided to see this cause it blew my mind as a teen. In the end? This is pretty much made for teens. It still presents itself as a cool twist, but the execution isn't the best because you're just waiting for the twist to happen, and they give the most obvious hint right before anyways, and because it was presented so early into the film I lost interest quickly afterwards.

Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) - This was infamous for, obvious reasons. But, I think that now we are aware of it I was wondering to see if it's as bad as people say. It's certainly very silly, in fact too silly for me, but I thought this was extremely well directed. Some fantastic shots and use of lighting in there.

Maniac Cop (1988) - Some interesting social commentary, especially in today's political climate. I saw Larry Cohen's script for this because compared to Fuller, and I can totally see it. I noticed it with Maniac as well (he sure likes to use that title), but I enjoy Lustig's directing style. There's like this strange artfulness to his low budget, exploitation vibe. I loved this.

Simba63 · #30

magnusbernhardsen wrote: ↑September 29th, 2023, 10:16 pm
Torgo wrote: ↑September 29th, 2023, 9:49 pm Yeah, I lost half of my thought in the wording. I just wanted to emphasize it's not 30.09. 00:00 in your timezone (the beginning of that calendar day), but indeed late in the evening .. given magnus states to live in Norway, maybe already at 18 o'clock or something
Sunset is 18:52 here tomorrow, and dusk is 19:35. The same time as in Hamburg according to Google.

I looked up when dusk was where I lived too. I already feel like I'm going to get blown out of the water in this challenge.

Simba63 · #31

monclivie wrote: ↑September 29th, 2023, 9:01 pm
Simba63 wrote: ↑September 29th, 2023, 8:09 pm Here's hoping I don't embarrass myself in my first challenge back after retiring 5 years ago.
Ah, I remember chasing you for the whole month in 2018 when competing for my first top 10. It took me 28 days to finally get you and VincentPrice
Good luck! I came back too last year, after a four-year hiatus, hungry for horror enough to beat my best score.

Folks put up ungodly amounts of watching in this challenge. It is a lot of fun this time of year, It's just very hard for me to find the time. Good luck to you as well. I fully expect to look up and see you in the standings above me.

iCheckMovies · #32

2. Talk to Me (2022) 7/10

Sol mentioned going to a Q&A for this some time ago so I put it on my watchlist because it was Australian.. how did an Australian film get so popular lol

Anyway really enjoyed it. Balances creepiness and sadness well, was invested in the characters and it didn't waste time over-explaining things and tying things up in a nice bow. Convinced my boyfriend to watch this too since it was Aussie (hard to get him to watch 'serious' horror) and he liked it as much as I did.

Spoiler

1. Pearl (2022) 6/10
2. Talk to Me (2022) 7/10

OldAle1 · #33

Simba63 wrote: ↑September 30th, 2023, 1:48 pm
monclivie wrote: ↑September 29th, 2023, 9:01 pm
Simba63 wrote: ↑September 29th, 2023, 8:09 pm Here's hoping I don't embarrass myself in my first challenge back after retiring 5 years ago.
Ah, I remember chasing you for the whole month in 2018 when competing for my first top 10. It took me 28 days to finally get you and VincentPrice
Good luck! I came back too last year, after a four-year hiatus, hungry for horror enough to beat my best score.
Folks put up ungodly amounts of watching in this challenge. It is a lot of fun this time of year, It's just very hard for me to find the time. Good luck to you as well. I fully expect to look up and see you in the standings above me.

I actually managed to make the top 10 one year with 104 viewings; not sure that would make the top 10 every year though. And this year I think I'll be very lucky to make the top 20-25 given the various problems I have and that I'm generally watching a bit less this year overall. But we'll see. Here are my minimal goals:

1) Watch 31 features total
2) Watch 39 features that are on TSZ so as to hit 600 seen
3) Watch 50 features total

I'll be reasonably happy if I just manage (1) though if I end up feeling better later in the month who knows, maybe I'll be a bit more competitive than I think I will be.

sol · #34

mightysparks wrote: ↑September 30th, 2023, 3:02 pm 2. Talk to Me (2022) 7/10

Sol mentioned going to a Q&A for this some time ago so I put it on my watchlist because it was Australian.. how did an Australian film get so popular lol Anyway really enjoyed it. Balances creepiness and sadness well, was invested in the characters and it didn't waste time over-explaining things and tying things up in a nice bow. Convinced my boyfriend to watch this too since it was Aussie (hard to get him to watch 'serious' horror) and he liked it as much as I did.

Just to clarify, it wasn't a Q&A with the directors but rather than advanced screening that included a (pre-filmed) intro by the directors. And the advanced screening was a free preview event courtesy of Letterboxd. Not sure what happened to your invite, but at least I got to log this one ahead you.

That said, I too am surprised by how popular the film has become, especially given that it is derivative of the likes of Flatliners and has the annoying habit of making up its mythology as it goes along. Some decent scares and effects though - I especially liked the jerky camerawork whenever the possession occurs.

sol · #35

Going a little mad sometimes

1. No One Will Save You (2023) #BINGO B1 - Tiny town/middle of nowhere

2. A Horrible Way to Die (2010) TSZDT #823 #BINGO D1 - Tiny town/middle of nowhere

Having sent her serial killer ex-boyfriend to prison, a recovering alcoholic cautiously enters a new relationship while her ex tries to locate her here. While not as accomplished as the thrillers that he would soon make his name with, this is a pretty interesting effort from Adam Wingard with moody music and solid performances. AJ Bowen is particularly effective as the ex: so seemingly calm and in control. The film is mostly powered though by the question of when he will catch up to her; their eventual reunion takes some delightfully unpredictable turns though; the final fifteen minutes are especially strong.

iCheckMovies · #36

sol wrote: ↑September 30th, 2023, 3:11 pm
mightysparks wrote: ↑September 30th, 2023, 3:02 pm 2. Talk to Me (2022) 7/10

Sol mentioned going to a Q&A for this some time ago so I put it on my watchlist because it was Australian.. how did an Australian film get so popular lol Anyway really enjoyed it. Balances creepiness and sadness well, was invested in the characters and it didn't waste time over-explaining things and tying things up in a nice bow. Convinced my boyfriend to watch this too since it was Aussie (hard to get him to watch 'serious' horror) and he liked it as much as I did.
Just to clarify, it wasn't a Q&A with the directors but rather than advanced screening that included a (pre-filmed) intro by the directors. And the advanced screening was a free preview event courtesy of Letterboxd. Not sure what happened to your invite, but at least I got to log this one ahead you.

I don’t follow any Letterboxd news if that’s what you’re referring to?

And I’m not usually the first to log any film lol because I don’t follow any other news either. Only find out about films when they’re posted on the forum or when I start looking for lists for TSZDT.

sol · #37

mightysparks wrote: ↑September 30th, 2023, 3:30 pm I don’t follow any Letterboxd news if that’s what you’re referring to?

And I’m not usually the first to log any film lol because I don’t follow any other news either. Only find out about films when they’re posted on the forum or when I start looking for lists for TSZDT.

It was an emailed offer from Letterboxd. Maybe your user settings prevented you from getting the email; not sure. In any case, we are opposites here; Letterboxd is currently my main way of finding out about movies - and not through their news either but through what others uses are logging and what is showing up under the popular films section. The site really suits me well at the moment and I hope that the recently announced takeover/acquisition isn't going to affect anything, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see...

HenkMul · #38

This will be my first challenge. Have got a busy month up ahead, so I'll be glad if I can reach 13 movies, but looking forward to it nonetheless.

1. Speak No Evil (Tafdrup, 2022). 7/10

Quite an effective slowburner, mainly because of the many moody shots and musical foreshadowing. The actual twist left me speechless for a bit. All in all, a pretty typical account of life in the Dutch countryside.

monclivie · #39

Let's warm up slaying some tiny zombies:
1. Frankenstein (1910) #172 [13 min] - 6,5/10
1b The Haunted House (1921) [21 min] - 7/10
1c The House of the Devil (1896) #179 [3 min] - 6/10
1d La cabina (1972) [35 min] - 7,5/10
1e The Fall Of The House Of Usher (1928) #744 [13 min] - 6,5/10

blocho · #40

HenkMul wrote: ↑September 30th, 2023, 6:16 pm 1. Speak No Evil (Tafdrup, 2022). 7/10
left me speechless for a bit.

You weren't the only one!