Horror Movie Watchin'

I am part of a "competition" on Facebook called The Madness.  No one wins anything but bragging rights.  Hopefully it is a way to get to know other people and to find new movies to watch and to learn about each other.

I judged on a 5 star rating scale

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Phantom of the Opera 1925 /92 minutes
Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin
5 stars

A disfigured composer lurks in an opera house, controlling what goes on there.  All hell breaks loose
when the love of his life plans to marry another.

I love Lon Chaney and so it was hard not to give this five stars.  His performance alone was awesome.  In
this silent film, he strikes the right balance and is not too over dramatic.  I felt his performance was exceptional.

 
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Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 1920 /77 minutes
John Barrymore
5 stars

Dr. Jekyll wants to divide mankind's good side from it's evil side.  Mr. Hyde, his evil side, proves to be more evil than Dr. Jekyll anticipated.

I really enjoyed John Barrymore's transformation and portrayal of Mr. Hyde.  I wish to see more movies
starring Mr. Barrymore.

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Frankenstein 1910/12 minutes 42 seconds
Charles Ogle
3 with respect

A young student goes to college and becomes obsessed with creating a human.

It is an adaptation of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein.  Ogle as the monster was truly a hot mess to see.  He kind of reminds me of an old drag queen who had a bad night.  I still wouldn't want to see him walking down the street though.

1910’s: Since its original release, This kinetoscope film had been listed as missing; no copies of the film existed. An original nitrate print finally turned up in Wisconsin in the mid-1970s.

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Cabin in the Woods 2011/95 minutes
Kristin Connolly, Chris Hemsworth
4 stars

5 college students go to a cabin for a fun weekend.  What happens next is not so typical.

I appreciated something different than the usual kids drink, party and have sex so they can die movie.

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Mystics in Bali 1981/81 minutes
Ilona A. Bastian
Not sure how to rate this, lol

A girl is tricked into turning into a flying vampire.

Pretty freaky but ultra cheesy.  I would love to describe scenes, like the childbirth one, but people need to see this mess to truly appreciate it.

1981: The first true Indonesian horror film aimed at a western audience.

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Them (Ils) 2007/77 minutes
Olivia Bonamy, Adriana Mocca
4 stars

A couple is being terrorized in their isolated country home.

This movie is a lot like The Strangers or Funny Games.  It made me feel isolated and had me wondering what I would do in the same situation.  Probably end up dead knowing me.

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Exit Humanity 2011/113 minutes
Mark Gibson, Dee Wallace
3 stars

A man comes home from the Civil War to find his child is missing and his wife is a zombie.  The man sets off on a mission to find his son and ends up with a lot of drama.

The zombies are not the focus of this movie.  Some of everything else gets thrown in.  They almost become a back story at times.  It is a very interesting take on a zombie outbreak but I could have used more zombie ACTION.  Worth a look.

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Nosferatu 1922/80 minutes
Max Schreck
5 stars

Denied the access to Bram Stoker's estate and his Dracula character, Murnau created Count Orlock.  It is
the Dracula story, but names are changed.  Schreck is truly terrifying, but I did find his movements humorous at times.  Find a copy with a good soundtrack. Some of them suck and you will put it on mute.

I found myself laughing most of the movie.  Schreck is the best part of this.  The rest of the cast over act and
look odd.  I mean super weird.  I do give all respect for the movie being 90 years old and I tried to keep it in mind.  Regardless, Schreck looks like a total nightmare by any measure.

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Dracula 1979/109 minutes
Frank Langella, Donald Pleasence
5 stars

Count Dracula is the lone survivor of a shipwreck.  Mysterious and horrible things happen after he moves into the neighborhood.

An awesome version of the Dracula story.  Langella is sexy and menacing all at once. I could get lost in his eyes.  He owns the screen whenever the camera is on him.  All that and still he looks like he could rip out your throat if need be.  Excellent.