HALLOWEEN REVIEW OF THE DAY: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Talk about one of the perfect movies that not only defines Halloween, but defines creativity, imagination, and whimsical wonder. Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas is an enchanting, highly imaginative, and highly original family fantasy movie with an enjoyable tone, enjoyable characters, and enjoyable songs. The Nightmare Before Christmas is about Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, the grand master of fear, and a famed celebrity in his hometown of the Halloweentown where all the creatures and monsters of Halloween reside. But Jac…
HALLOWEEN REVIEW OF THE DAY: Hocus Pocus (1993)
Hocus Pocus is considered to be one of the definitive movies to watch around Halloween time. Though it shows countless times on TV around this time, ironically it has been a while since I have seen this movie so I am going to try my best to review it and give my current opinion based on what I can remember. The movie is about three witches in Salem, Massachusetts played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy who like to lure children in with a chant and feed off their souls. When one of the children's brother tries to res…
HALLOWEEN REVIEW OF THE DAY: The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Silence of the Lambs by many is considered to be one of the most terrifying movies ever to be put out in cinema. Well we all know the reason of that, thanks to Anthony Hopkins performance of the ever so charismatic yet psychotic and villainous cannibal Hannibal Lector. But before I get to what everybody else remembers about the movie, I will be looking at the things that are not well quite overlooked whenever there is a discussion about this film but definitely not talked about enough as Hannibal. First there's our main protagonist Clarice…
HALLOWEEN REVIEW OF THE DAY: Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Gremlins 2: The New Batch is well obviously the sequel to the 1984 film. However unlike its predecessor, this one does not take itself too seriously, and it knows it. In this movie the Gremlins return only this time causing chaos, havoc, mayhem, and mischief in a New York City building. Though it got a PG-13 rating, because well, it finally existed at that time, this film happens to have a more lighter, comedic, and campy tone than the first. The first was kind of comedic and campy too but not too a full extent. The first had some scenes where…
HALLOWEEN REVIEW OF THE DAY: Little Monsters (1989)
Little Monsters is a confused little film that doesn't know whether it wanted be a light-hearted family comedy or an edgy comedy made for kids. Either way it unfortunately fails. The film is about a boy named Brian (Fred Savage) as he encounters and befriends and energetic but highly obnoxious monster named Maurice (Howie Mandel) who is from a world where other monsters reside under the beds of children around the world. Though nothing new about a world existing of monsters, but I have to be honest it is creative...if only the world they l…
HALLOWEEN REVIEW OF THE DAY: Ghostbusters II (1989)
The sequel to the ever so popular movie Ghostbusters, the heroes Venkman, Ray, Egon, and Winston are back and this time they have to face an underground route of slime that feeds on peoples' mean spirited nature and inner evil, plus a new villain called Vigo who is out to get Dana Barrett's baby Oscar, so that he can possess the body and be reborn in order to rule the world. First thing I want to get out of the way in this review is yes, this is much weaker than the first movie. But does it make it a horrible movie because it doesn'…
HALLOWEEN REVIEW OF THE DAY: Beetlejuice (1988)
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice! Say the name three times and the comedic but demonic being known as Betlegeuse (how it's spelled in the movie but pronounced Beetlejuice, so I'm just calling him by that) will appear. Beetlejuice is one of those original and imaginative comedies that only the then up and coming director Tim Burton can present to us. Well he did not write it or create the concept and characters, but on the director's chair his talent and creativity shined through this movie and is responsible for the film'…
HALLOWEEN REVIEW OF THE DAY: Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
Based on an Off-Broadway show that was based off a 1960 film directed by Roger Corman, I consider the 1986 musical film Little Shop of Horrors to be a somewhat underrated musical. I'm sure the film and the stage musical were big hits when they came out, but now I hardly hear any of them being mentioned today. I honestly thinks it needs to be looked at more. The story is about a young man named Seymour who grew up in the skid row slums of New York City, looked after and working for a flower shop owner, and falls in love with the beautiful A…
HALLOWEEN REVIEW OF THE DAY: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
A Nightmare on Elm Street is considered to be one of the classic and most famous of "slasher" films. The film's main villain Freddy Krueger is considered to be one of horror's greatest villains, if not one of all cinema. When seeing this first time I have to honestly say that a lot of the goofy and cliched elements surprisingly blend in well the more serious and dramatic moments. That's right, this film does have well done dark and dramatic moments, I did not even expect that when going into this movie. Sure you have the …
HALLOWEEN REVIEW OF THE DAY: Gremlins (1984)
What other film can you say starts off as a typical cute and innocent family film, and out of nowhere to a crazed and demented ride straight out of an asylum. Well Gremlins seems to be that specific film. Gremlins is a movie that completely changes its tone during the middle of the plot, and it is one of those good surprises a film can give. Like Ghostbutsers, though I can't really say is as good, has that type of different and fantasy-like world that we people at the time just happened to accept. It has a perfect blend of well done cute s…
HALLOWEEN REVIEW OF THE DAY: Ghostbusters (1984)
I would not much consider Ghostbusters to be a horror classic, it isn't that scary, it doesn't play with the audiences mind like great horror films, and it doesn't have any nightmarish ideas. But what I can say is that it is definitely a comedy classic and one great movie! The only reason I'm reviewing it for Halloween is that, well it has ghosts in it, the word is even the title. For a concept so silly,over the top, outrageous, and probably would not see the light of day if pitched today (well you never know), writers and cas…
HALLOWEEN REVIEW OF THE DAY: Poltergeist (1982)
Poltergeist, probably one of the most creepiest and traumatizing of all...family films. That's right this film is a family film. Well how family can it be with ghosts, scary images, scary ideas, and overall scary moments. Well family enough to get a PG rating but this was back in the 80s in a time before PG-13. The story follows the life of a normal American family as they find out that their house is haunted. Probably the best aspect of the film is the family. What makes them so great and entertaining is that they are a normal functioning…
HALLOWEEN REVIEW OF THE DAY: The Shining (1980)
Today's review features a classic from my favorite director Stanley Kubrick. The Shining, based on a novel by Stephen King, follows a delusional writer named Jack Torrance, played by the great Jack Nicholson, and his family while they overlook a hotel during the winter as supernatural occurrences and cabin fever ensues. Like many great horror films, this film has a disturbing and an uncomfortable tone throughout giving the audience a hint of what to prepare for. Jack Nicholson like always is great as this type of character. The character J…
HALLOWEEN REVIEW OF THE DAY: Halloween (1978)
What makes more sense than reviewing a movie for Halloween called well, Halloween? That's a rhetorical question by the way. Anyways, like Psycho, Halloween is considered to be one of those horror movies that pushes the envelope on the "slasher" genre. And as one of the first, as expected it is not half bad. It is definitely a classic in the "slasher killing teens" genre. What makes this movie so good is both the suspenseful tone and the character of Michael Myers. The pacing of the story is rather well done as it succee…
HALLOWEEN REVIEW OF THE DAY: Jaws (1975)
A film about the dangerous side of nature, Jaws is about a killer great white shark that eats people alive near a small New England island. Originally supposed to be a rushed B-Movie, director Steven Spielberg decided to add so much to this film that were risky during actual production, but more than worth it when the finished product was released to the general public. This film back in the summer of 1975 actually scared people away from the beaches because they did not want to experience the horrors that were featured in this film. The idea …
HALLOWEEN REVIEW OF THE DAY: The Exorcist (1973)
The Exorcist is known as one of the scariest films ever to be put out in Hollywood cinema. And to be honest I could not agree more. The feel, the tone, the story, the atmosphere, the whole overall look of the film is all around gothic, dramatic, epic, and of course frightening. This is probably one of the first horror films to deal with the topic of possession and exorcism. Though nowadays there a TON more, they do not do this classic justice where those films rely on cheap effects and jump scares. this film is good and succeeds at being a hor…
HALLOWEEN REVIEW OF THE DAY: Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Night of the Living Dead is often considered the essential zombie movie. I am not sure if it is the first but what I do know is that it is definitley one of the most famous. When I saw this film for the first time, I have to say I had a pretty interesting experience. For one, most of the characters, I CANNOT stand! There's a family with the father who thinks he's the smartest person in the hiding house, and is completely obssesed with basement, even though hiding in the basement wouldn't be such a good idea. But the biggest idiot o…
HALLOWEEN REVIEW OF THE DAY: The Haunting (1963)
The Haunting is a classic horror film directed by famed director Robert Wise; it is a film about how many of your fears can exist and how dangerous they can be that they can mess with your mind. This a very clever ghost story because throughout the film you never know how much of the supernatural elements are real, you do not even know if they are real or not. Throughout the film we follow the story of our tortured protagonist Eleanor as she is invited to an abandoned mansion by a paranormal scientist along with another woman and a jock to stu…
HALLOWEEN REVIEW OF THE DAY: Dracula (1931)
Starting today until Halloween I will review either horror, Halloween-related, ghost and goblins-related, etc. movies I recall seeing in the past during the rest of October. It is only fitting since it is the month of Halloween ! So let's dive in to the first Halloween Review of the Day review Dracula, the famous vampire film released in 1931 by Universal and starring Count Dracula himself, Bela Lugosi. The one thing that makes this film stand out is of curse Lugosi's performance. I know there is not really anything new to be said what…
