Thief's Monthly Movie Loot - 2024 Edition

That's how geologist Michael Webster (Brendan Fehr) describes this sudden threat to his superior (Victor Garber). Something that he had never seen before, probably like this SyFy film. Ice Quake follows Michael's attempts to survive this "ice quake", along with his family, while also trying to prevent a catastrophe on Earth.

For some morbid curiosity, I decided to put this on Tubi as I was doing some other thing, so I'll admit that my attention span wasn't 100% here. Anyway, there are some, uhh, expectations when tuning into an Asylum film or a SyFy original. You either expect something big and bold (like big creatures or big disasters), absurdly outlandish (like Lavantula or Santa Jaws), or a combination of both.

Unfortunately, Ice Quake offers none of that. The threat here is mostly presented as just cracks and crevices opening on the ground, and "eruptions of ice" coming out unexpectedly. Needless to say, it lacks that big scope of, say, a meteor or a big creature, or the absurdity of a fire tornado full of two-headed sharks.

What we get is this mostly dull survival journey of this family as they try to stay safe, followed by a race against time to blow some explosives that will somehow stop the methane flow from creating this "ice quakes"...? Yeah, whatever. The thing is that it lacks the tension and thrill to make us care about anything, especially since we know how it will all end.

If anything, even though most of the performances aren't very good, they're not downright awful. I do wonder what the hell is Victor Garber doing in this, but the main issue is with the bad script and the bad dialogue. The fact that some of the performances are subpar just adds to how bad it is. But again, is not necessarily that it's bad. It's just that it's boring and dull, and sometimes, that's worse.

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And the hits keep coming, so this was another month in which I didn't do my usual challenge. But still, these were my watches.

So this is my summary for SEPTEMBER 2024:

2020s films: The Beta Test, Rebel Ridge, Fall, Ice Quake
Films with the kids: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Despicable Me 4, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Short films: Sissy-Boy Slap-Party, Three Little Pigskins, The Leviathan, Thirty Leagues Under the Sea, New Desk, The Dinosaur and the Missing Link: A Prehistoric Tragedy, Krazy Kat Goes A-Wooing
Rewatches: Malice, Superman II
1950s sci-fi/creature films: The Monolith Monsters, Earth vs. The Flying Saucers
Vincent Price films: Shock, The Last Man on Earth
Other films: Stranger on the Third Floor, Rosewood, The Town That Dreaded Sundown, Society



Not a particularly strong loot, but still a lot of fun watches. Rebel Ridge was easily my favorite first-time watch of September.

The weakest first-time watch was easily Ice Quake.

Has anybody seen the 2014 remake of this? Is it something worth checking out?

The Menu follows the visit of Tyler (Nicholas Hoult), a young food enthusiast, and his date Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) to the exclusive restaurant of eccentric celebrity chef Julian Slowik (Ralph Fiennes). They are joined in the secluded place by an assorted group of diners – a food critic, her editor, a wealthy couple, a fading movie star, among others – all of which will receive a series of shocking surprises through the duration of the meal.

I wish I would've seen this film without knowing anything about it. Back when everybody was talking about it and I saw the poster, I thought it would be a drama or something like that. But as time passed, I saw it mentioned on certain lists that didn't fit my impression of it. I could only imagine my reaction if I had gone in expecting some "elitist" drama and not what it actually is

Regardless of that, I had a lot of fun with the film. The film takes great pleasure in revealing things by dropper, but it works marvelously. The sense of mystery and dread that oozes all through is so tangible that you can almost taste it. This is in great part thanks to Fiennes excellent performance as Slowik. The character manages to come across as both extremely clever and deeply troubled, and Fiennes navigates both sides expertly.

Most of the other performances were pretty good as well, especially Hoult and Taylor-Joy. The former has a boy-ish awkwardness that grows more awkward as the night goes on, while Taylor-Joy brings an inner fire that holds against Fiennes own. Kudos also to Hong Chau, who plays Elsa, Slowik's loyal assistant. If anything, I think that the three guys that played the young business partners were the weakest, but not by much.

The Menu manages to put in front of us a full course of good direction, expert editing, solid performances, and a clever and witty script that manages to be both terrifying and fun. Although I thought the buildup was masterful, I still felt the payoff was less than I desired and there are certain things in the last act that wrap up perhaps too conveniently, but in a way, I still think the film was more than I deserved.

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Halloween! Trick 'r Treat! We've all done it, right? So we've all probably heard some of the above "guidelines", something that either our parents or teachers constantly remembered us during that night. Trick 'r Treat is an anthology film that presents some stories of people that probably didn't stay on sidewalks, went to a strangers house, or went out alone, and how did things turn out for them.

Although all the stories take place in the same fictional neighborhood of Warren Valley, Ohio, and they all weave in and out of each other, the most common denominator across all of them is the presence of Sam, the little "demon" with the burlap sack on its head that appears in the poster. Even though he doesn't necessarily intervene directly in all stories, the sight of him looking at everything is a neat and scary little touch.

As is usual in all anthology films, some stories work better than others. The first one with Dylan Baker as a school principal handing out candies to kids was probably my favorite. There are a couple of wicked reveals on it that I thought worked great. The second one about a group of kids recounting the "Halloween School Bus Massacre" was good, but felt too distant. Ironically, Sam's actual story, which is the last one, is the one where I feel the director most needed to rein himself a bit in terms of what to show and what not to.

Again, the stories offer a couple of neat little reveals and there are several pretty effective jumpscares. The film also offers a bit of everything; from serial killers and werewolves to zombie-like kids and killer "demons", all out to give us the spookiest time of the year, if we don't follow the guidelines.

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Ghost Story follows four elderly businessmen (Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, Douglas Fairbanks Jr, John Houseman), founders of the Chowder Society in the small town of Milburn in New England. Every week, the four gentlemen get together to share tales of horror and ghost stories. But what happens when the lines between story and real life get blurred, and ghosts from the past bring the above statement?

The horror begins when the son of one of the four men dies in a horrible accident and under suspicious circumstances. As a result, his brother Don (Craig Wasson) returns to Milburn to investigate, which brings to the surface some strange revelations about his brother's fiancée (Alice Krige) and her involvement not only with Don, but with the four gentlemen.

It's interesting how I had never heard of this film before, especially considering the cast. That's the first thing that made me perk up when @Wooley brought it up on his Halloween thread. His thoughts about it made it seem like something I might enjoy, plus he posted some nifty gore, so I thought "Why not?"

Generally speaking, I agree with most of Wooley's assessment. The film is a bit too long, the pace is a bit off, and the film drags a bit after the halfway mark. However, it does succeed in creating an eerie ambience and a general intrigue about what is happening. The few actual jump scares it has do feel like jump scares, if you get what I mean, but the special effects and makeup are effective, and they do the job.

I also appreciated the reasonings behind the haunting of these men, as it's not what you'd usually see in these kind of films. Unfortunately, there is a subplot about two escaped mental patients that becomes incredibly important in the last act, but it's so underwritten that it feels like a left field cheat. Still, the film succeeds in bringing the mood and the scares, even if it's in spurts.

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That's the warning that a priest gives to his followers in this creature feature from the 1970s. The quote actually comes from the book of Leviticus, and refers to things that the people of Israel shouldn't eat, but when read out of context, it does make for a creepy little warning about the things that ultimately come out creeping upon the Earth on this film.

Set in Merrill, Wisconsin, the film follows the attack of giant spiders that hatch from a meteor that crashes on a farm. For perspective, the film wasn't that well received back in the day, but regained notoriety when it was featured on an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. The film is also ranked as one of "the 100 most enjoyable bad movies ever made", and I think I have to agree with that.

The Giant Spider Invasion has some bad performances, worst dialogue, poorly conceived characters, weird direction, and campy special effects. Plus, it takes about 30 minutes until we see *a spider* and about 30 more minutes until we see a full giant spider. For a film called "The Giant Spider Invasion", that's not very good, but the film more than makes up for it on that last act.

The film decides to spend most of the time with Kester (Robert Easton), an abusive, money-grubbing redneck and his wife, while the few characters that are not reprehensible stay on the sidelines. There's Davey Perkins (Kevin Brodie) a young journalist who is dating Kester's sister-in-law who barely does anything, and ultimately Doctors Vance and Langer (Steve Brodie and Barbara Hale) who more or less take over halfway through.

Despite all its flaws, there's some fun to be had. Even with the campy special effects, there are some effective scares here and there, and the spiders do look creepy. Evidently, this is not a "good" film but I suppose that anyone that hits the "Play" button knows exactly what they're getting into. Personally, despite whatever the priest and Leviticus might say, this creepy crawlers are not an abomination.

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Ok, so, I had no idea this sub-forum existed, I rarely get out of General Discussion and only got into that one other because of the Countdowns, so I have completely missed this incredibly awesome thread. I have homework to do.

Yeah, this sounds about right.
I like it a little more than you because this is so utterly in my wheelhouse but it has its shortcomings for sure. And I think there was a better movie to be made in the edit alone. Like, give me a razor and some tape and a few hours and I will give you a leaner, meaner version of this movie that will be a full star better.
Obviously the mental patient/squatter/cultist/thrall either has to be expanded on or excised completely and, given that both the characters in that thread only end up doing one thing that the ghost probably could have done, I wonder if this was only kept in on the insistence of Peter Straub, the author. I feel like any competent filmmaker, the director, the producer, even the studio stooges who watch and give notes, should have known that you either tell that story or you cut it. And, honestly, the movie would work, perfectly and in fact much better, if you took the movie exactly as it is but just cut their scenes out. And had the ghost appear in the back seat to deal with that one character. Big mistake.
And yeah, lemme just tighten up the two long flashback sequences a bit and with those two changes, you have a four-star ghost story. Alice Krige was so damn perfect as both the living woman and the ghost that you just don't need anything more.
But yeah, even though I enjoy it a bit more than you, I completely agree with your assessment.

I definitely like this one more than you, this is an all-timer/every year Halloween movie for me.
My favorite story is the ongoing Red Riding Hood story, which I got so wrapped up in all the other things going on I didn't see the punchline coming. And it is a bit of a twisty one anyway. I actually love the one with the kids, at times it's actually my favorite, especially when they're all begging her to open that elevator grate and she just leaves them with that dead look on her face. I agree that the final story is maybe the least perfect but it's still fun, though actually the story with the principal, while a lot of fun, is to me more like an appetizer.
One fun thing with this movie, which I think I have seen nine or ten times now, is that characters from each of the stories appear incidentally in all of the other stories and actually I think every major character in the movie is in the opening scene. The tie-ins between the stories are because they are all happening simultaneously in the same small town and there are so many. On my ninth viewing I remarked that it shouldn't be possible that there was still something I hadn't noticed, but there was. It is a movie that I loved on first watch but really kinda gets better each time for me.
And it is one of a couple/few movies I watch every October.

I agree with you, and I definitely see myself revisiting this one.

Set in Europe at the end of the Middle Ages, Death and the Winemaker follows a young winemaker (Kacey Mottet Klein) that finds himself smitten by love. But when Death (Virginie Meisterhans) itself comes to claim his bride, he's determined to do whatever it takes to protect her. But what happens when you trick Death itself?

This short was brought to my attention by @Wooley on his Halloween thread, and what a pleasant surprise it was. Written and directed by Victor Jaquier, the short uses some gorgeous 2-D animation to render some incredibly haunting and eerie images. Plus the voice work from pretty much everyone is top notch.

Aside from the technical aspects, the short does a great job of building this fantasy as an alternate explanation for the Black Death (i.e. the Plague). Jaquier doesn't really pull his punches when telling this dark story that truly hits you in the gut with its story and its visuals. After all, if there's something that's evidently clear is that all, without exception, will die by its hand.

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I'm glad you enjoyed it.

That's how Nicholas Medina (Vincent Price) describes the atmosphere in the torture chamber in his own castle; the place that apparently led to the disappearance and possible death of his wife Elizabeth (Barbara Steele). So when her brother Francis (John Kerr) comes to the castle looking for answers, they all must descend upon that same room and breath the infernal air where they might find closure.

The Pit and the Pendulum is one of several collaborations between Price and director Roger Corman, adapting the works of Edgar Allan Poe. I'm not familiar with the story, but the film does a pretty good job of laying it all in a fairly simple way. The magic of the film is in the atmosphere of dread it builds around the mystery, but also in Price's screen presence and performance.

As usual, Price makes the most of the material with a performance that covers a lot of bases. His Nicholas is deeply troubled, but there seem to be some small hints of empathy in him. You usually know Price's characters are out for no good, but he still manages to instill a certain charm and charisma that's just magnetic. You can't help but feel drawn to his characters.

Unfortunately, the drawback to that is that he frequently overshadows his co-stars, which is the case here. Most of the other performances feel lacking, especially Kerr, who has the most to do with Price. Luana Anders does a solid job as Nicholas' sister, but I would argue her character is unnecessary and probably there just to provide a romantic interest for Francis. However, Steele does deliver a pretty chilling performance in what little screen time she has.

Still, the film does succeed in building up that atmosphere of mystery and dread surrounding the torture chamber, Nicholas' intentions, or the trauma of his past, and what all that could lead to. Much like that terrifying room, it builds a miasma of barbarity which permeates not only those walls, but even your screen.

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That's how siblings Tia and Timmy (Sydney Freihofer and Cole Mathewson) describe their first time watching Art the Clown (Mike Giannelli) on a strange VHS that was slipped in their Trick or Treat bag. Turns around that a lot of people like the clown. Just this weekend, the third installment in the Terrifier franchise slashed its way to the #1 spot in box office while shoving Joker: Folie à Deux to the sidelines. Not too shabby for an independently produced film with a $2 million budget.

But that's how filmmaker Damien Leone likes it. After creating the character of Art the Clown back in 2008, he has made a career out of him, featuring him in two short films (The 9th Circle and Terrifier) and three feature films, each more successful than the previous one because, again, a lot of people like the frickin' clown! All Hallows' Eve is an anthology film that combines those first two short films in an effort to put Art in the spotlight as part of an actual feature film.

The main story revolves around the aforementioned siblings, Tia and Timmy, as they explore that mysterious VHS, along with their reluctant babysitter Sarah (Katie Maguire). Of course, things will go awry as the VHS unleashes some strange occurrences and dark evils upon them. The content of the VHS is, obviously, the two Leone short films which bookend the film, with another short in the middle specifically produced for this feature.

I had already seen The 9th Circle and, although it had things I liked, I wasn't overly impressed by it. However, Leone filmed some extra footage for it here that I think improves the original short and makes it feel more complete. The second short film features a woman settling at her new home only to be terrorized by an alien. Finally, the last short in the VHS is the original Terrifier short that was released in 2011, which focuses primarily in Art the Clown terrorizing a costume designer trying to find her way in the city.

The three short films are definitely not without their flaws, but there is a lot to appreciate and champion in all of them, especially Leone's affinity for practical effects. Granted, you can see the seams of some of his effects here and there, but considering the circumstances, being his first shorts and counting with limited budgets, it puts it on a different perspective. Leone more than delivers with effective jumpscares, dread buildup, and well staged gore. There are elements within the fate of a certain character in the last short that are puzzling, but I see it more as an expression of "shock horror" rather than anything else.

The wraparound story around the three shorts, with the babysitter and the two kids, is fairly well constructed. It does feel like what it is, a vehicle to put forward these shorts and introduce more people to the graciousness of Art the Clown. Yet here we are, 11 years later, Terrifier 3 is killing it (literally and figuratively) at the box office and Art the Clown is already being described as a "horror icon". But who can blame them? We all like the clown.

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The Cyclops follows Susan Winter (Gloria Talbott), as she travels to the Mexico wilderness to try to find her fiancée, a test pilot who disappeared after his plane crashed 3 years before. She is joined by three men, all with different motives other than helping her. From scientist Russ Bradford (James Craig) who is secretly in love with Susan to Martin Melville (Lon Chaney Jr.) who is financing the trip but seems more interested in finding uranium.

This was nothing but an impulse watch as I saw it while browsing on Tubi and decided to check it out. It was written, produced, and directed by Bert I. Gordon, sometimes referred to as Mr. B.I.G. for his penchant to make low budget B-movies about super-sized creatures, and that's what we get here. In a similar vein to King Kong, our "heroes" encounter all sorts of giant creatures which they should fend off, all leading to their encounter with the titular creature.

But as it often happens with these low budget B-movies, they take the time to get things going. It's not until 30 minutes in that we see *any* giant creature, and it's not until the last 15-20 minutes that we see the titular creature. The rear-projection special effects look extremely cheap and amateur-ish, which can result in a laughable and fun watch, depending on your latitude. However, I think there was something worthy in the creature's makeup effects.

The performances are not that good either. Talbott gives Susan some drive, but for the most part, she behaves like a damsel in distress while Bradford holds her arm. Tom Drake is pretty cool as the pilot, but it is Chaney the one who gets the best moments as the erratic and selfish Melville. Unfortunately, the character dynamics seems a bit all over the place, while the dialogue and direction doesn't really let them do much other than look awkwardly puzzled at the things they're "seeing".

Overall, I didn't feel like The Cyclops was a waste of time; especially with a 66 minutes runtime, but it is definitely not a good film. There was some fun to it, intentional or not, and it does have the charm of your typical 50s creature feature, but it is still on the lower end of the totem pole.

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After Death follows Andrei (Vitold Polonsky), a scholar that finds himself smitten by Zoia (Vera Karalli), a young actress, after a brief meeting. When a misunderstanding leads to the two being uncommunicated for several months, she decides to kill herself. Burdened by guilt, Andrei becomes obsessed with her presence and join her after death.

This is a film I hadn't heard of before, but this month I'm on a quest to watch at least one horror film from every decade and this was ranked highly on Letterboxd among "horror" films from the 1910s. Like many early silent films, you need to get past the grainy film, the exaggerated acting, and some narrative shortcuts. But even with that, I really enjoyed this.

The main thing that caught my attention was Yevgeni Bauer's direction and Boris Zavelev's cinematography. There is some really good framing in most scenes, and some great camera movement. Early on the film, there is a continuous long shot that goes on for a couple of minutes as we see Andrei arrive at a party and meet several guests. For a film made more than 100 years ago, I thought it was impressive.

But beyond the technical skills, there is a really haunting and good story here. Both the director and Polonsky do a great job transmitting Andrei's descent into madness, be it with body language and facial expressions, or with the use of some effective dream-like sequences and eerie setpieces. Definitely worth a watch for fans of silent cinema.

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Currently taking a break on my "Horror" watch for podcast research purposes...

Service de Luxe follows Helen Murphy (Constance Bennett), the owner of a successful agency that performs daily routine chores and errands for wealthy people. When Robert Wade (Vincent Price), a young inventor trying to develop a tractor model, gets involved in a case of mistaken identity with Murphy, the two end up in love. However, she finds herself unable to tell him who she is without risking her business.

This is Vincent Price's feature film debut. Since I'm preparing for a podcast episode on him, I decided to check it out. The film doesn't really offer much beyond the stereotypical tropes of romcoms and mistaken identity films. Once the story gets to the main issue, it's pretty easy to guess where things will end up. However, for the most part, it is all executed in an amusing way.

Also, most of the performances are pretty good. I don't know if it's the fact that we are mostly used to seeing Price in "scarier" roles, but it took me a while to see him as a leading romantic man. His performance was good, but it is towards the last act, when the story pushes him to show an angrier and crazier side that I think he excelled, perhaps foreshadowing what his career would become.

Bennett, on the other hand, was great from start to finish. Her character is confident, strong, and determined. Sadly, the story pushes her into an extremely sexist conclusion, in addition to a fairly convenient "deus ex machina". I suppose that we can attribute that to the signs of the times, but I prefer my leading ladies knowing a bit more than just 'moon', 'spoon', and 'June'.

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