Today was Mr. and Mrs. 1SO's 2nd Annual Not-So-Scary Halloween Marathon.
The Addams FamilyThis and a bowl of Boo Berry cereal really set the tone for the day. Not a horror movie, but there's appropiate silly goth atmosphere that reminds you of the fun side of Halloween. The Mrs. had never seen this before - she's a Munsters girl - and enjoyed it quite a bit, especially watching how this creepy family is so joyful in their outsider status. They're the happy ones. My 3rd viewing. I still like it. Even though the film repeats the same Bizarro world joke over and over, I'd say about 1 in 4 finds an unpredictable route to the expected punchline. And while it's overburdened by Art Direction jokes and Raimi-esque camera moves, those little moments are what save the film. I've always liked Ricci's Wednesday Addams (and the sword duel at the school is still the highlight), but this time I was most impressed by the late Raul Julia. He throws himself into the part with an energy and abandon I've never seen from him.
Him: B, Her: A-
It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie BrownI do get tired of Linus repeating over and over what The Great Pumpkin does, but this annual tradition is more clever than you may remember. ("I don't see how a pumpkin patch can be more sincere than this one. You can look around and there's not a sign of hypocrisy.")
Him: B+, Her: A
Where the Sidewalk EndsWhen we weren't able to get The Old Dark House, I scrambled to find a replacement. I came across this noir featuring some of the key players from Laura, but a story reported to be much darker. Things start out okay, with the main murder quickly being compounded by our lead (Dana Andrews) trying hard to cover up a 2nd death. This takes up the bulk of the film, and while it's interesting for a while we both started getting impatient for something more to happen. The resolution to both stories happens quicker than the time it takes to light a cigarette. There's no 3rd Act here. Just a letter.
Him: C-, Her: D
The Thing From Another WorldThe main event of the day since neither of us had seen it. We both enjoyed the character interaction, which is as fast and thick as you want from Howard Hawks (who didn't direct... or did he?) He's really one of the best for putting a group of people in a room with a lot of dialogue. And there is some tension and a couple of surprise scares, but...
She will never watch Carpenter's The Thing. Never. So giant carrot man tearing up a room full of people is good enough for her. It's John Wayne as Herman Munster. For me, what Carpenter got perfect was the concept of The Thing itself. It's ability to disguise and take on new forms makes the redo a horror classic. The attack scenes during the remake comprise some of the greatest horror imagery ever. But I find the characters in the remake to be almost devoid of separate personalities and the dialogue is woefully limp. Its more memorable lines work more on a camp level. If you could combine Hawks' characters with Carpenter's creature you'd truly have the definitive version of this story.
Him: B, Her: B+
The Muppet Show with Alice CooperThis was actually the creepiest thing we watched all day. The show didn't back away from the satanic air of Alice Cooper, who got a lot of creepy closeups and opened with a straightforward performance of "Welcome to My Nightmare". In fact, many of the regular cast members only make cameos in this ep, and usually it's to talk about how they're avoiding such a spooky show. The best bit is a running gag where Cooper is trying to get Kermit and Gonzo to sign a contract to become rich and famous in exchange for their souls. It's a nice effort, but ultimately Cooper and The Muppets don't mix well together.
Him: C-, Her: D
The GameAnother last minute addition to close out the marathon. You might not see this as a Halloween movie, but there's a high level of Tricks and Treats, a few startling jolts and a creepy clown. I still think it's Fincher's most underappreciated. Until the denouncement it's every bit as good as Se7en and Fight Club. That's why it's too bad the final reveal shows that Fincher's desire to create an exciting picture stretched credibility a couple of steps too far. My wife (who loves puzzle movies) enjoyed the game and had fun guessing what was going on, but was ultimately a bit let down by the motivation. She like her mysteries and con films to be about the desire for
personal wealth, not
personal growth.
Him: A-, Her: B-