October Halloween Marathon 2020
Well, here we go again. An especially difficult year I can't quite compare to anything else in my lifetime. Hopefully, October will be an improvement, because it started on my lowest since 2014. Then again, October 2014 was that "darkest before the dawn" moment. Let's hope this one is something like that, as well.
Specific themes/clusters this year include:
-Superhero TV series, especially 80's and 90's, but some other eras mixed in, as well. Mostly street level and not that known ones. I'm looking for a very specific vibes and like 4-5 shows to survive the rest of the year, so brace for a ton of pilot and not watching past them in most cases.
-Comic-book theme and style movies. Not necessarily of superhero genre, oftentimes not based on any comic book at all, just inspired by an overall style. (Edit: could've been better, but there are some)
-Gas Station Autumns. (Edit: interestingly not much, hope November is better in that aspect)
-Invisible Man-ia. Yes, I'm watching a lot movies with invisible people, word "Invisible" in title and so on. (Edit: same with this one)
-Universal Monsters. That's a lingering motif, it's just an awesome loosely connected series.
Counted: 45
-8 feature films,
-13 TV episodes,
-10 webisodes,
-13 short films (including 3 music videos and 6 commercials)
-1 podcast.
Earlier installments: 2014-2017, 2018, Halloween Hangover 2018, 2019, Halloween Hangover 2019, 2020.
Next installment: Halloween Hangover Marathon 2020
Specific themes/clusters this year include:
-Superhero TV series, especially 80's and 90's, but some other eras mixed in, as well. Mostly street level and not that known ones. I'm looking for a very specific vibes and like 4-5 shows to survive the rest of the year, so brace for a ton of pilot and not watching past them in most cases.
-Comic-book theme and style movies. Not necessarily of superhero genre, oftentimes not based on any comic book at all, just inspired by an overall style. (Edit: could've been better, but there are some)
-Gas Station Autumns. (Edit: interestingly not much, hope November is better in that aspect)
-Invisible Man-ia. Yes, I'm watching a lot movies with invisible people, word "Invisible" in title and so on. (Edit: same with this one)
-Universal Monsters. That's a lingering motif, it's just an awesome loosely connected series.
Counted: 45
-8 feature films,
-13 TV episodes,
-10 webisodes,
-13 short films (including 3 music videos and 6 commercials)
-1 podcast.
Earlier installments: 2014-2017, 2018, Halloween Hangover 2018, 2019, Halloween Hangover 2019, 2020.
Next installment: Halloween Hangover Marathon 2020
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- StarsJeff Luppino-EspositoThis October, discover a horror-film anthology from Blumhouse, a heart-pounding drama series from the creator of "Big Little Lies," and a heartfelt animated movie from a Disney veteran that will take you to space.1 October 2020: Not that grand of a start, but hey, IMDb has its 30th anniversary this very October, so why not spend three minutes on an IMDb original. Not quite anticipating any of those listed, except maybe The Mandalorian (2019). Since this show has some superhero elements it also kinda fits the vibe to have it as a main image by proxy.
- DirectorAndrei TarkovskyStarsNatalya BondarchukDonatas BanionisJüri JärvetA psychologist is sent to a station orbiting a distant planet in order to discover what has caused the crew to go insane.2 October 2020: Might seem like a stretch, but it actually fits surprisingly well, given some of the suspense elements and one of the eeriest endings ever put to screen. Also just a plain great movie to start any month and a lovely autumn setting in some of the scenes.
- DirectorJames RolfeStarsJames RolfeAmanda BearseArt Evans7 October: Catching up, because several things got me off the rails on a weekend and then at the start of the week. And since Cinemassacre is uploading old episodes of Cinemassacre's Monster Madness (2007) on their second channel, why not watch those?
- DirectorJames RolfeStarsPeter Iasillo Jr.A.J. LowenthalAlec Nemser7 October: Cinemassacre's Monster Madness (2007)
- DirectorJames RolfeStarsJames RolfeBruce AbbottJeffrey Combs7 October: Cinemassacre's Monster Madness (2007)
- DirectorJames RolfeStarsJames RolfeDoug BradleySean Chapman7 October: Cinemassacre's Monster Madness (2007)
- DirectorJames RolfeStarsJames Rolfe7 October: Halloween special of one of my favorite web-series, You Know What's Bullshit (2007)? Amazing and kinda unexpected surprise. I don't laugh too often nowadays, but this one cracked me up on multiple occasions and the runtime is 6 minutes!
- DirectorTom RounbonStarsTom RounbonThe direct sequal to the movie "The Dream" A guy who brutally have murdered by an extraordinary creature just got his life back - but not for free. Can he escape from the terror of his dreams or he going to get stuck in it?10 October: I was delighted to see that many movies participating in September installment of First-Time Filmmaker Sessions (alongside myself, btw), especially in the "Features" programme are a great fit for Halloween Marathon. In this particular case I was rather surprised and impressed by this inspired no budget effort. There are some flaws (very much forgivable given that this is a micro-feature debut), of course, but there are also rather impressive cinematography, sound design and acting. Music is not half-bad either, not to mention that it plays some part in the plot. Will look at Tom Rounbon more closely and certainly be on the lookout for his other works.
- DirectorMauricio OvalleStarsEdward M. KelahanRose IebbaMichael Maglio10 October: Okay, this one is not really Halloween-related in any way. The most adjacent it got was when "What, no tip?" made me thinking that "What, no dip?" as uttered by Dracula in a commercial is a play on those words. I don't know why it never occurred to me before. Otherwise another good feature from First-Time Filmmaker Sessions, kinda like a mxiture between slice-of-life mumblecore movies and buddy cop ones (mumblecop?). Rather slow, but enjoyable.
- DirectorTharun MohanStarsAmelia EveKatherine HartshorneCyril BlakeDorcha tells a curious talk about Death, Demon and Deception channelled through Changelings, Witch craft and everything in between..10 October: Yet another great one from First-Time Filmmaker Sessions. Very solid, atmospheric and interesting Gothic possession story. Impeccably shot, edited and acted. Very solid directorial debut.
- DirectorAustin StevensonStarsAustin StevensonShannon KielyBryce CardiffCollege student Addison has an obsession with wood carving, and women. The exterior stress of reality poses a psychological breakdown. His obsessions cause a destructive path, that leads to his psychosis.10-11 October: TBA.
- DirectorAustin StevensonStarsAustin StevensonDane Kevin CookRyan HavnerAbe's obsession with being cool leads him down a psychopathic road of murder and chaos, while still maintaining a laugh.11 October: TBA.
- DirectorRocko ZevenbergenStarsEstevan MuñozSean ArloAda HurtadoAfter a moment of total teenage angst, a young punk finds himself at odds with a psychedelic monster of his own creation.11 October: Simply amazing. Without spoiling too much for those who haven't seen... It packs a very unexpected punch of context, sense and meta commentary. Piecemeal/collage approach is actually fully resonant with the plot which is like witnessing a roof colliding onto oneself in slow motion. Also just the type of movie I need to get going with my own filmmaking.
- DirectorMick HaggertyStarsHall & OatesDaryl HallJohn OatesDaryl Hall, John Oates and session musicians perform "Your Imagination" in several airport locations.14 October: This definitely counts as a Halloween entry. Firstly there's scene with ghostly, half-transparent Daryl Hall floating over footage. Then there's rather creepy morphing of Daryl Hall's and John Oates which actually got me by surprise because I forgot it was there. Finally, there's overall subtle surrealism of this video which actually begs a few questions on how it is reflective of the song. Although don't get me wrong: I love both the song and the video to pieces.
- DirectorAndrey LobovStarsIvan ShorinArtemiy LebedevAn intelligent man sees a wanted criminal poster and than encounters a familiar face.15 October: An incredibly unnerving commercial (so it thematically fits into marathon without any question), which spared me twenty years before, but caught up with me now, finding its way to my recommended videos on YouTube after Artemiy Lebedev uploaded every single commercial he ever was in. Totally unrecognizable here as a scarred criminal, Lebedv is hardly the main attraction though: editing, music and direction make commercial a very memorable one, if contextually why is this a search engine commercial is a tough question.
- StarsArtemiy LebedevArtemiy Lebedev hosts the gaming PC building championship.15 October: Okay, this one is a tie with a previous entry rather than standalone marathon entry, but hey, the point of any marathon is to have thematic clusters. An oddly cozy commercial, this one.
- 1984–19891hNot Rated8.1 (337)TV EpisodeDirectorMichael LandonStarsMichael LandonVictor FrenchJohn BleiferJonathan Smith, an angel, arrives at a retirement home to help not only the occupants but also an employee named Leslie Gordon. However, Leslie's brother Mark, a jaded and bitter former police officer, is suspicious of Jonathan.16 October: I finally got to seeing all those superhero pilots piling up in my mental driveway. This one is definitely something I want to binge... Except October is not the time for binge-watching, too much work to do in a short period of time. Watching pilots and picking what I will binge, once I've got the time to do that in October, that's what I'm sticking with. And I'm also sticking with this show, because it is awesome. Like, for the show made in the 1980's it holds up incredibly and I can watch it anytime.
- 1984–19891hNot Rated8.2 (271)TV EpisodeDirectorMichael LandonStarsMichael LandonVictor FrenchJohn BleiferWhen Mark Gordon's investigation starts getting too close, Jonathan must reveal his true identity and purpose to Mark in order to successfully complete his assignment.16 October: I mean, it's a two-part pilot, so I allowed myself first two episodes, technically. Those are just... So oddly fulfilling and inspiring. Michael Landon's passion project, no doubt about that after seeing a total of three episodes: it just oozes personality, style and statement. One I can get behind totally. Also, it just occurred to me Landon was born on Halloween. Odd.
- DirectorAndrei TarkovskyStarsAlisa FreyndlikhAleksandr KaydanovskiyAnatoliy SolonitsynA guide leads two men through an area known as the Zone to find a room that grants wishes.16 October: Very dream-like and unique. If other Andrei Tarkovsky movies are meditative then this one could be considered a meditation itself. Logic just shuts down several times through the movie, which I suppose is a very intentional effect. I saw Stalker several times before in my childhood, but seeing it on the big screen in adulthood suggests that my subconscious absorbed way more from those initial viewings than conscious memory.
- StarsAlex Logan30 years later these critical hits still have our attention, and they should have yours, too! On this IMDbrief, we break down 5 Forgotten Gems from 1990.17 October: Lovely little webisode by IMDb itself for its 30th Anniversary. Very solid recommendations, of which I've seen two and really want to see the other three.
- DirectorWilliam K.L. DicksonStarsCarmencitaPerforming on what looks like a small wooden stage, wearing a dress with a hoop skirt and white high-heeled pumps, Carmencita does a dance with kicks and twirls, a smile always on her face.17 October: Another one with a little Halloween relevance, but hey, on the special occasion of IMDb's 30th anniversary, what best way to celebrate than watching something with "tt0000001" number in the database (which likely means it might have been the first title added to the system, ever).
- DirectorVirgil W. VogelStarsRex SmithJayne ModeanRichard VentureInjured motorcycle cop, Jesse Mach, is chosen to test ride a top secret government, ultra-fast attack motorcycle called 'Street Hawk', and is partnered with its creator, Norman Tuttle, to combat urban crime in Los Angeles.19 October: Very impressive and ahead of its time superhero pilot. Definitely putting the series on a future binge among with Highway to Heaven (1984). Reminded me a lot of The Flash (1990) (which is a very high praise on my part) and it's especially so in how grounded, street level and surprisingly dark it is. Production values and effects are good, but series has an even stronger asset in the cast: Rex Smith oddly enough played at least two superheroes with a disability (he was also a very impressive Daredevil in The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989)) and it hits the spot with me considering I have a mild disability myself. Plus, Christopher Lloyd is a great starter villain (well, as a first serious threat, but even one of the first criminals Street Hawk encounters is portrayed by Brian Thompson).
- 2007–2023TV-MA7.4 (15)TV EpisodeDirectorJames RolfeStarsMike MateiJames RolfeCovering the 1920s all the way to today.19 October: It's almost an hour-long episode, but man I will quite likely rewatch it again just to add every single movie connection. Great musings on horror movie history there and super solid picks.
- 2007–2023TV-MA7.1 (14)TV EpisodeDirectorJames RolfeStarsMike MateiJames Rolfe19 October: More Cinemassacre's Monster Madness (2007) goodness.
- A commercial for Universal Studios Florida theme park in Orlando, filled with movie references.19 October: As featured in Classic Creepy Commercials, Volume 28!, this commercial has enough cool horror tie-ins for a small research. The fact that there was a ride that used elements of The Fly (1986) alone was a big surprise to me.