Sea Fever (2019)

October Challenge Day 16

Water is so damn scary!!!!!

Deep seas and oceans, the feel of a creature gliding across your leg while swimming in lakes and rivers. Just the damage that water can do outside of water contained places! The epic amount of haunted water places....

That said, I'm a water baby, and actually enjoy it in the right capacity - but STILL

Let's take a look at:

Sea Fever

Typically, mysteries out in space don't bother me *that* much. I mean, sure, okay, aliens are confirmed by the government, okay okay. Coooooool. Unimpressed. 

WHAT IS IN OUR OCEANS??!?!?!?!?!?

The amount of creatures I can just imagine in there will keep me up at night.

Here we have the story of a trawler, out for a routine fishing expedition and carrying (scandalously) a red-headed scientist just doing routine monitoring of the waters. Apparently red-heads are not suppose to be on boats or something. 

Guess I'm f*cked. 

In any case, this very Alien meets The Thing feeling movie was at times a struggle for me. Which is weird because I absolutely love Alien and The Thing. It moves along nicely, it's tense and gross, but I guess - I was just not in the right head space for it. Admittedly I wasn't feeling well when I watched it. 

Ignore all that though - I wasn't feeling well and there is a creature in the water here that has latched onto the trawler and everyone, now stranded out in the water, is in Big Trouble. 

So The Bay infiltrated my mind and spirit so much about contaminated water that I don't think I've ever fully recovered. This could be part of my problem here - this specific style of a horror story is just too much for me. I'm wildly uncomfortable and can't even relax enough to enjoy the story/have fun with the horror. 

In fact, I kept thinking of the two times I thought I was going to die while traveling in a boat - to and from Victoria, Canada - JUST to keep my focus on this film. I needed the real life horrors of massive waves knocking me around, to be all "Alright. What's going on here? Oh the water is contaminated now. Oh dear."

This is a solid creature feature film. Bonus: the nightmare of open waters. 

Best watched  alone or in a small, focused group. Pairs with heavily filtered water and canned soup. Buckled up - things are going to get ugly.

I watched this film on Shudder or use the Find It! Watch It! links on Horror Habit's side bar to see where else you can find this chilling feature. 

Nightmare at the End of the Hall (2008)

October Challenge Day 15

Oh, bring me all the Lifetime made-for-TV movies! They are just the best for lazy Sunday afternoons! Let's take a look at: 

Nightmare at the End of the Hall 

Be still my adorable little heart. 

Here we have the story of a woman who returns to her high school boarding school, now as a teacher, and encounters what she believes is the vengeful spirit of her high school best friend who committed suicide there, years earlier. 

Is there a ghost? Is she out for revenge? Was there a betrayal? Did her friend commit suicide? You just get all snug in those blankets, grab a warm drink, and Find Out!!

This is pretty much all you need to know about this little charmer. It brought back so many memories of when my friend and I would gather at my place on Friday nights to catch the latest episode of Ghost Whisperer. 

Oh how I miss those days! Her and I would be crying our eyes out at the end of every episode - clutching our glasses of wine, cross-legged on the couch, and being a beautiful mess together!

God, I miss those days.

This film is pretty much that. It's fun, it's light, it's great for folks who are not entirely into horror but want a little spooky story. So grab your bestie, grab your drinks and Girl Dinners, get all cozy, and prepare to bond like you're in a girl's bathroom at a club/bar late at night and you just overheard someone was crying in the the stall next to you.

I watched this film on my Philo or use the Find It! Watch It! links to see where else you can find this absolute charmer of a Lifetime film. 

I’m Thinking of Ending Things (2020)

October Challenge Day 14

Well this film f*cked me up.

I remember adding this book to my To Read list on Goodreads, when it first came out, and I felt a chill run through me even then. 

I still haven't read the book but I decided to dive into the movie version. Oh goodness. Let's take a look at:

I’m Thinking of Ending Things 

This is a profoundly difficult and emotional film. While I was trying to figure out if this was a "horror" story, even when the book came out, I quickly discovered this is a nightmare, a heartbreaking nightmare of a story.

Heads up, when you type this title in a search engine, you are immediately directed to a crisis clinic. 

So I immediately fell in love with this film with the opening credits. The Yellow Wallpaper vibes was so felt and I was all: Oh yes, I'm going to understand this film. 

And I did - but not in the way I was expecting. 

This is the story about a woman who is contemplating ending a roughly 7 week relationship with her boyfriend. 

Harmless enough, right? We've all had those thoughts and the thoughts she shares are alarmingly close to everything I've experienced (and thought). I felt attacked. Her thoughts are loud.

Not everything is as it seems, though, and the story unveils nightmares of the soul for both her and her boyfriend. 

I wasn't sure what to expect from this film but I was scared, crying, and heartbroken by the end. Know that. 

100% not a film for everyone. This is a surreal film that dives into the heart of people, particularly lonely people, and not everyone wants to look there. I get it. This is a film for when you are ready to hear hard truths and, as the film stated "...if you look close enough, everything is the same."

Pairs with wine, cake, a roast, and difficult conversations with yourself. Have icecream on reserve. Best watched alone. 

I watched this film on Netflix or use the Find It! Watch It! links on Horror Habit's side bar to see where else you can find this soul crusher (release?).

Invaders from Mars (1986)

October Challenge Day 13

Happy Friday the 13th, everyone! I have to make this one quick because I'm running to a show - a friend got us tickets to see Tim Cappello (the Sax Man of The Lost Boys fame) and I'm really excited about it!

In that same The Lost Boys light, I thought I would find something that felt a little '80s nostalgic, and I found this! Surprised I'd never actually seen it before so let's check out:

Invaders from Mars

Yes, of course this is intended to be a bit campy - yes it's supposed to be a little goofy, but my goodness! It's done so well!

Tobe Hooper and the wonderful Karen Black bring us a quite a show, here, folks. In this story a little boy witnesses a UFO crashing into the property behind this house. Within a very short time people are acting VERY WEIRD, controlled, etc and it all stems from the landing site. Is the world doomed?

Yes, yes it is. 

The practical effects here - particularly the aliens, are Exquisite! Can honestly say I've never seen aliens quite like this. Jarring, is the first word that comes to mind ... 

As the film continues of course the military gets involved, no one is listening to the kid, wise cracks are cracked, and there are explosions. In all, this is a charming and cheeky horror story for almost the whole family...?

Don't miss these aliens, folks! Come for the cheekiness, stay for the alarming aliens. 

Okay! Gotta run!

I watched this film on Prime or use the Find It! Watch It! links on Horror Habit's side bar to see where else you can find this fun feature.   

Planet Terror (2007)

October Challenge Day 12

I sometimes still kick myself for not making it to the theater to see the Death Proof and Planet Terror double feature. Dang it! 

Alas, my bad. 

I also have no idea why it took me 16 years to see this amazing film! Hell, it took me 11 years to see Death Proof. Well, in any case, I've finally seen: 

Planet Terror

Sweet baby jesus, this gore fest is FANTASTIC! I shouldn't be surprised, particularly when Tom Savini is involved ... 

Fast and ferocious, this absolute mess of blood, guts, monsters, and humor is some of my favorite things! Oh my goodness this one is so gross! Hahahaha! Love IT!

Here we have the classic story of when sketchy science combined with sketchy people is let loose in the world and a pandemic - some of the nastiest zombie-like creatures I've ever seen - takes over the world.

This isn't your typical creature feature, it's rock and roll, it's wild, it's hot, it's ruthless and completely unapologetic in every shape and form. Aghahaha! I want to watch it again!

Everyone is so great in this film. The effects are TOP TIER! How is Cherry Darling here, able to shoot directly from her gun leg? Who knows! Who cares! I sure didn't. 

I laughed so hard when the film cuts, half way through, and apologizes to the audience for missing a reel of the film - and then cuts back to the movie (clearly jumping far ahead) without explanation for why everyone is now gathered in a building. Lolololololololololo

Oh it brought back memories of when I worked in a movie theater, in the late '90s, and I had to haul film reals around, and to and from other theaters. Those containers are heavy as hell! I won't be surprised if I ever learn how often one of those containers would get lost. 

Fantastic film. 

Best watched on a lazy ass movie night. Alone works but probably best with company. See if you can find yourself a bar with a big screen and enjoy with strangers! Of course highly recommended to watch it as the intended double feature with Death Proof. Pairs with a ton of booze. 

I watched this film on the Roku channel or use the Find It! Watch It! links on Horror Habit's side bar to see where else you can find this balls to the wall wild ride.