Hap Hap Happy HALLOWEEN!

 

Devil's Night Horror Trivia Screening Guide

To all those who came here from the event or Storm Crow's FB page, welcome! I am Jay, one half of the horror trivia quizmasters and this is my humble blog. Here's a selected list of titles mentioned at the last event. Click on the titles to be redirected to their Imdb listing. Horror Trivia Night happens at Storm Crow Manor in Toronto. If you're in the area, come on down! Register here.

Zombie (1979)

Night of the Zombies (1981)

The Dead (2010)

Planet Terror (2007)

The House by the Cemetery (1981)

Tombs of the Blind Dead (1972)

The Long Walk (2025?)

Thanksgiving (2023)

Dahmer (2002)

Blood Rage (1987)

Cuckoo (2024)

House on Haunted Hill (1999)

13 Ghosts (2001)

Ghost Ship (2002)

Night of the Demons (1988)

All Hallow's Eve (2013)

Frankenweenie (2012)

Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)

Evil Breed (2013)

Sinister (2012)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Oct 25th Horror Trivia Screening List

To all those who came here from the event or the FB page, welcome! I am Jay, one half of the horror trivia quizmasters and this is my humble blog.

If you heard a title while at the last event and thought “oh that movie sounds cool, I should check that out”, here's a list of the lesser known films that were mentioned. Click on the titles to be redirected to their Imdb listing.

For everyone else, maybe there's one or two here you have yet to catch. Horror Trivia Nights happens at Storm Crow Manor in Toronto. If you're in the area, come on down! Register here. If you're not local, we do often stream the event on the @ruemorguemag Instagram.

Night of the Demons (1988)

Trick 'r Treat (2007)

The Midnight Hour (1985)

Hellbent (2004)

Trick or Treat (1986)

All Hallows' Eve (2013)

The Monster Squad (1987)

Ginger Snaps (2000)

Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981)

Wild Beasts (1984)

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970)

Podcast: Radio Rental

Game: Little Nightmares

Book: My Heart Is A Chainsaw

Happy Halloween!

You can't keep a good holiday down. However, you choose to spend All Hallows' Eve, stay safe kiddies. 

Alphabet Slop!

I'm gonna try a new experiment here for the month of October. It's called Alphabet Slop. A review a day for the remainder of the month going from A to Z.

I thought about doing that 31 days of Halloween thing, but they're so complicated. Hey, today watch a movie you saw when you were six, now watch a movie standing on one foot, now watch a movie that will make you piss yourself. So, yeah decided to keep it simple. It also gives me a chance to watch some random tapes & discs that have been sitting on my shelf for years. All twenty-six movies to come will either be first watches or at least ones I haven't seen in decades. Here we go... A is for Are You In the House Alone?

High schooler Gail (Kathleen Beller) is receiving threatening notes and phone calls, but by who?

The first thing that struck me, from the antagonist POV camera and Carpenter-esque musical sting was, man this guy loves Halloween, amirite? Then I realized this movie actually played on television a month before Halloween came out. In fact, if Imdb is to be believed Dennis Quaid was originally supposed to play Bob, but said no to do this film. Eep! Although I guess it worked out for him regardless.

So, what I should be saying is, man this guy loves Black Christmas, amirite? You throw in the fact that the antagonist keeps crank calling Gail, the influence becomes all the more glaring. But to be honest, this movie is all over the map, shifting back and forth between horror and straight up drama. It even turns into fucking Grease for a second.

The aftermath of Gail's rape is dealt with seriously and her parents talk at length about their own problems. Blythe Danner (who God damn looks like her daughter Gwyneth in this) is especially strong. The cast is actually quite stacked, with the aforementioned Quaid - who is pretty fucking lucky he didn't get typecast after this role - and Tony Bill who later went on become an accomplished director.

Sprinkled in are the horror tropes, Gail is receiving obscene phone calls asking if she is alone - Spoiler, she never is so the title is BS - and notes with questionable punctuation are being left in her locker. 

Red herrings abound, as her old boyfriend is a douche, her new one seems to have intermittent fits of jealousy and her photography teacher is all kinds of ick.

 

The oddest part of the movie is at the climax where it utilizes this giallo-style conceit where Gail sets up her camera take a picture every few seconds to catch who is leaving notes in someone's locker. Now, I'm not up on my seventies photo-tech, but wouldn't that require a shit-ton of film, like thousands of photos that would then have to be individually developed???

SD card by Kodak.

Are You In The House Alone? was half of a Shout Factory TV Terrors double bill disc with The Initiation of Sarah (which may or may not come up later) and I can't help but feel this was a weird pairing.  Even though it is a decent enough movie, I still feel a bit duped. I was expecting a movie of the week version of When A Stranger Calls, but instead got a glorified after school special about how the system fails rape victims. Fun times.

The Doctor Is In.

Happy Halloween everyone! Here's my costume for this year.

Well, technically it was supposed to be last year's, for Nightbreed's 30th anniversary, but you know, the big H was cancelled last year. Hope you all have a fantastic night!

Oh It's A Party All Right!

I'm relatively recovered from last weekend's 24-Hour Mind Melter on Twitch.tv. There were many highlights over the course of the marathon, but one that is likely going to become an October staple is David Skowronski's Halloween Party. Essentially, it's a SOV slasher shot by high-schoolers in 1989 that is every bit as endearing as it sounds. I believe it even aired on public access in Connecticut. Check it out below.

The thirty-eight minute runtime includes a blooper reel - which adorably has the director yell, “Mommmm you're in the shot!” - and a post credits Monster Mash lip synch performance. This is perfect to double bill with Chris LaMartina's WNUF Halloween Special.

It Came From The Archives 31.3

Hey all! Here's the last archives post of this most recent trio. This one is mainly newspaper and magazine clippings of upcoming nineties releases, but there are a few other nuggets in here too, like this Aliens door hanger. 

During a visit to the UK in 1990, I went into an Athena and they had all this Aliens shit. I bought the above along with two posters that hung on my bedroom wall for years.

If there's one standee I wish we'd had at our store, it's this one above. I mean, I still do have my “Sorry Jack, Chucky's Back” standee stored away so I guess I can't really complain.

You know, all I really remember from that play above is that the “devil” accidentally gave his co-star a bloody nose during the climactic struggle at the end.

So, that's it. I hope these clippings have brought back a fond memory or two. For more goodies, check out my full archive by going here. Until next time, stay safe kiddies. 

Happy Halloween!

Hopefully, despite current events, you find someway to celebrate All Hallow's Eve. For your consideration, here's the premiere episode of Small Scares, a short film showcase hosted by Lula Mae Mortis.

House of Shock 2020

Behold! Canuxploitation curator Paul Corupe's newest Halloween mix tape. Enjoy, boils and ghouls! 

I Feel You.

This is some great stuff from filmmaker Andrew Kasch.

Happy Halloween!

I'll Try. No Promises.

Hey all. It's been a minute. I will make an effort to post more as it is that time of year. But I'm feeling...

Let's see if I can generate some spooky vibes over the next few weeks... 

Pic courtesy of Ray Villafane

RM#196

Hey all. I just wanted to plug the new Halloween double issue of Rue Morgue.

If you get one issue this year, let it be this one as it is ace. And I say that not only because I contributed to the 50 Underseen Horror Films of the Last 20 Years, but there's some other fantastic content in there. In addition to the cover story about unsung icon of Italian horror Dardano Sarchetti, there's a great piece on indie game developer Puppet Combo and an article on the representation of the deaf community in horror films.

You can grab it here.

Hope Ya Like Puns!

This week it's Jag Mundhra's Halloween horror Hack-O-Lantern from 1988.

Three siblings discover their grandfather is the leader of a satanic cult, or close enough... the particulars are already fading from my memory.

I haven't been having much luck with the holiday-themed horrors this year, as this was pretty much an archaic, meandering mess. You see, there's this really lame Satanic cult that likes to sacrifice people on Halloween. How do I know they're lame? Well, Exhibit A.

The grandfather (played by Hy Pyke) is the ring leader of this cult and he's pretty grating to watch. It's like he's channelling a really shitty version of Emperor Palpatine at times. Grandpa has three grandchildren - one of which he's trying indoctrinate and the other two he doesn't really seem to give two shits about - and the movie can't seem to figure out which one is the protagonist.

Things really get crazy when the Halloween party gets started. It's your average small town event that for some reason has a strip show - featuring a lady who I'm pretty sure, based on her distinct tan lines, was the same one who got a pentagram branded onto her ass a few scenes earlier - and a snake dancer for entertainment. I'd let that pass, but the dude who breaks out into a stand-up routine outside... not so much. I think the only thing more painful were the extras fake laughing in his vicinity.

Where is Candyman when you need him?

Eventually in this really long eighty-seven minute movie, we get a few kills and then finally an anti-climactic pitchfork/sword fight that lasts an awkward twenty seconds. You know, I remember seeing this cover box back in the day and passing it over. Now, I wish that demon woman was the protagonist and not just a weird chick who shows in a random music video dream sequence.

Yep, more of that would have suited me just fine.

Happy Halloween!!!

Stay safe kiddies!

THS Halloween Clip Show!

Hey all. I love those videos where peeps stitch together old Halloween clips so I decided to make my own, mostly from stuff in my VHS archives. Enjoy!

Happy Halloween, Pumpkin Man.

Happy Halloween everyone! From my VHS archives I give you this gift, a news story from 1986 about a Brit who grows pumpkins using beer and rock n' roll. I assure you this is NOT a Monty Python skit.

Looking In.

While this isn't technically a DKTM post, I was awash with so much crazy horror stuff going on around the Web that I couldn't resist throwing some vids up here.

First, Rue Morgue TV launched last week. You can check out the channel here for all things horror, including some Halloween night movie recommendations.

Those in the know maybe aware of Chris LaMartina's brilliant cable access homage WNUF Halloween Special, but you may not know that the director is currently trying to get a sequel off the ground.

If this interests you at all, please give generously. In the meantime, check out this absolutely fantastic compilation of old Halloween commercials, movie trailers and station identifiers. A few favourites of mine were a Fangoria ad featuring Angus Scrimm and an Eyewitness News message rocking the JM Jarre.

Also, did you know that one of my all-time favourite pieces of media is returning this Halloween? Yes, the second season of Limetown drops on the 31st. I can't wait to hear the future!!!

Lastly, do you like to watch women drink beer and talk about Full Moon horror movies? If so, have I got a web series for you... Sin & Tonic's first episode featuring Ali Chappell & Kelly Gredner hit the Web a little bit ago.

Okay, I think that's the majority of it, but definitely check back during Halloween week as I've got a few more things up my blood-soaked sleeve. 

Jack-O aka “We Did The Best We Could”

With Halloween being less than a week away, watching my VHS of Steve Latshaw's Jack-O seemed like a no-brainer.

Many generations after the Kelly family executed an evil wizard (from Florida?!), a curse resurrects Jack-O to take down the rest of the bloodline namely mild mannered trick or treater Sean (Ryan Latshaw).

I'd heard rumblings about this movie not being the greatest, and they were all true. Though it was a bit of a bore, I still managed to get some joy out of it. When looking at it from a filmmaker's perspective, it's actually a pretty good clinic on the trials of low budget genre filmmaking and coincidentally shares a lot of similarities with Gary Graver's Trick or Treats, which I posted about a few weeks ago.

In addition to them using their own houses to shoot, Latshaw used his own son, Ryan as the lead. Also like Treats, Jack-O featured a ton of genre cameos, this time mainly sourced from abandoned projects. John Carradine appears almost nine years after his death in bits originally meant for a picture called Cannibal Church and Cameron Mitchell shows up as a TV host, by way of dead anthology piece Terminal Shock. Rounding things out was footage of Brinke Stevens running through a graveyard that producer Fred Olen Ray shot while vacationing in Salem, Mass.

Ryan Latshaw as Sean in Jack-O

So after an incredibly convoluted set-up, Jack-O rises from the grave to lumber around and dispatch largely random characters. The creature design was kinda cool, but the budget kind of limited what he could do and we rarely got a good look at him. I have to say that even though this movie was made in 1995, it felt much more like an eighties film in tone and structure. I guess the Rush Limbaugh-like character that keeps appearing on TV was really the only thing that rooted it in the decade it was actually made in.

Jack-O was largely off-kilter, but not in the same way that Trick or Treats was. I found it odd that the kid's family just immediately welcomed a complete stranger into their home. Sean was hanging out with this woman in his bedroom and even sitting on her lap within hours of meeting her. And don't get me started on the Kelly's janky haunted hou-- garage that the father managed to accidentally trash after just two kids had gone inside it. Jack-O did have the saving grace of having Linnea Quigley in it – naked within two seconds of being onscreen of course – though. I was shocked to see that she actually survived too, especially since there was a moment I was sure she was going to get cleaved in two.

Linnea Quigley (right) & Rachel Miller in Jack-O.

Before signing off I do have to mention the commentary track – that I subsequently watched on YouTube – because it was better than the actual movie. I wager you too will awkwardly laugh as the banter between producer & director goes from sarcasm and jovial ball busting to full-on arguing and resentment. I'm not one-hundred per cent sure it wasn't scripted to make things more interesting, but it sounded pretty real to me.

At the end of the day, Jack-O was a low-budget throwaway that had its moments. It's certainly no Satan's Little Helper, but it could still be a hoot to watch with some pals while throwing back a few.