Fortress of Horror 09 - Halloween 2015 Highlights

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For the record, my 5 second review of Trick 'r Treat....

Marylin Manson in the soundtrack: -200 points.
Killing kids: -5,000 points.

FINAL SCORE: Pretty much the worst thing ever.

I've only seen the very end of Trick 'r Treat, seemed creepy but stupid. Do they really kill kids in that one? NO THANKS

Trick 'r Treat is horrible. I don't really know why it got such notoriety. A complete waste of time and effort.

You should have watched that Stuart Gordon/Brian Yuzna Necronomicon anthology instead...it's rarely seen, rarely discussed...but it's pretty good. I had the Japanese laserdisc (NERD) back in the 1990s. Still not the "ultimate" Lovecraft picture, but it was fun enough. Covered some unusual stories and it has Jeff Combs as Lovecraft himself.

My Halloween viewing this week has been Fulci's The Beyond, The Changeling, the Hammer version of The Mummy, Bride of Frankenstein and Polanski's Fearless Vampire Killers (or Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are In My Neck). Will probably hit The Exorcist, The Others, Black Sunday and House of Usher before it's all over. Probably Dr. Phibes at some point too.

Camp Grizzly...it looks like a cornball, cheesehouse version of Psycho Raiders. One of those games made by people lampooning "b movies" that haven't really done much actual b movie watching. But I dunno, it's definitely more accessible and "fun" looking than Psycho Raiders.

Year Walk is BRILLIANT. Mindblowingly good. One of the best horror games I've ever played. The first scare moment, I just about threw the phone. And it's not a jump scare at all. The ending is a little doofy, but man, what an amazing experience.

Ultimate Halloween movie...E.T.?

I get where you're coming from on the looks of Camp Grizzly, reaching back to LNOE, but it's the real deal when it comes to that subgenre. I actually like the art. I'm glad they didn't do that dumb photo crap, but thy didn't go super dark either or totally cartoony. It's a comic book style, really. And it really does capture that genre, right down to turning away anyone looking for a smart, elegant experience.

Good call on Eyes of Fire, btw. Perfect Halloween time flick, it's a crime it's not on DVD/Blu-Ray. I was intrigued by The Witch, still am, but it will be interesting to see how similar they really are.

E.T....hadn't thought of that, but makes sense. I've always loved how this kid finds an alien and first order of business is teaching him about Star Wars. Not the household names, he goes right to the obscure end of the pool, with Lando being the most prominent character he mentions.

I can't watch ET anymore. I became super attracted to Drew later in life and now watching it is super weird

I remember when my parents took me to see Batman Forever and told me afterwards it was the little girl from ET. My younger self couldn't believe it.

E.T. is also actually really scary, which is more than you can say for a lot of horror pictures. It captures a very childlike sense of being afraid of something...but also being attracted to it. Like E.T. himself.

Good call on Eyes of Fire, btw. Perfect Halloween time flick, it's a crime it's not on DVD/Blu-Ray.

Awesome, we can have an Eyes of Fire fandom Con. Just me and you.

I don't really know why that one just completely dropped off the map...it has an unusual premise, is pretty well-made, and it was in circulation at a time when people would watch ANYTHING down at the video rental place. But I guess it just never really found the right kind of traction to emerge as even a cult concern.

Fun fact- I watched it and The Wicker Man on the same night.