So, I am trying once again to do the October Horror-Movie-A-Day challenge. I am doing two things differently this time: first I am allowing myself to watch movies I have seen before, so that I don't burn out and miss out on seeing some of my favorites. I will also be a bit briefer on giving my thoughts on each movie and lumping reviews together to make cataloging my efforts easier.
ParaNorman (2012)
Starting off soft with this family friendly spook-o-mation affair. I adore this movie, this is the third time I have seen it, the movie is beautifully animated in stop motion, without being flashy and self indulgent. The movie's characters feel surprisingly grounded and real, by the standards of animated kid's movies. The movie is actually pretty dark, not nearly as goofy as you would think, including some actually tense scenes and some effectively weird and off-putting visuals. It is not without levity with several legitimately funny scenes. I guess I'm being a little defensive of this movie, but I feel like I need to be. This movie has never gotten that much recognition, I feel it falls between the cracks of being not nearly as lighthearted and silly as the animated features of say, Dreamworks, and also it is easy for mature audiences to give it a pass. It has just as much heart as Nightmare Before Christmas, even if it lacks a bit of the whimsy. ParaNorman excels and is memorable by virtue of the thoughtful way it wraps up and subverts expectations, but without spoilers, with love in the face of fear. They could have so easily divulged into a bunch of kids vs zombie antics with home-alone type mischief. Instead the movie reaches out a hand and attempts to understand something difficult and something most children films shy away from. While it comes recommended I would suggest it for those kids old enough to handle some legitimately scary, but not gory, scenes and at least some semblance of emotional maturity.
Kingdom of The Spiders (Rifftrax)
Shatner vs Spiders is one of those good ol, so bad its good affairs, or so I am told. I really couldn't recommend the film without the addition of Rifftrax. Its mainly boring, the last 20-15 minutes finally picks up, but the hour leading up to that just has Shatner wandering around some ranch sets in a cowyboy hat looking at tarantulas. The film lacks any laughable effects since it just mercilessly uses real live spiders on its shots, and the absurd dialogue and over-acting is kept to a minimum. The riffing from Bill, Kevin and Mike is on point however and carries this movie. With a group properly refreshed and un-sobered you could have a fun evening with this, even just laughing at any arachnophobia friends' squirming at all the tarantulas on Kirk's back.
Microwave Massacre
Speaking of boring terrible things. Microwave Massacre immediately evokes an idea of an out of control gore-fest of organs exploding in microwaves and faces in blenders. Instead we get a guy who looks like schlubby 70's cab driver (supposed construction worker) being berated by his wife into eating "fancy cuisine" that consists of canned peas artfully arranged on paper plates instead of the baloney sandwiches he craves. Terrible acting and dialogue is occasionally interrupted by un-funny gags about sex in situations both unbelievable and unconscionable. Eventually our main character is fed up with his shrew wife and after murdering her off screen she turns into various department store mannequins parts wrapped in aluminum foil. Im not sure what the point of this movie was. There was not enough sex for that to be appealing and what was there was just gross, there was less gore than in Star Wars, and the comedy falls flat. While most genres done poorly can be funny, bad comedy is often just painful. I will confess we did not quite finish this one, and I am not convinced I need to. Pass.
Thus ends part 1 of, I dunno like 10? This month's experiment will be more relaxed than other years; I have a lot more to deal with theses days after all, but I do have fun doing this. Hopefully you enjoy reading it.
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