Horror 2025 Countdown: Diary of the Dead (2007)

Diary of the Dead (2007), dir. George R. Romero, Artfire Films/Romero-Grunwald Productions

Another zombie film and a new one from the Master himself? There are sayings about sequels and wells children, and one should be mindful of both...

Horror 2025 Countdown: A History of Violence (2005)

A History of Violence (2005), dir. David Cronenberg, BenderSpink/Media I! Filmproduktion/Munchen & Company

David Cronenberg and DC? Yeah, this was based on a 1997 graphic novel. I wasn't aware of that when I saw this.

Horror 2025 Countdown: The Apartment Complex (1999)

The Apartment Complex (1999), dir. Tobe Hooper, Pacific Bay Entertainment/Sterling Pacific Films 

Ah, dear Mr. Hooper. His career was not doing great at this point, but thankfully Showtime threw him a bone and on Oct. 31st that year they showed his latest flick. Would it be a nail in the coffin?

Horror 2025 Countdown: Night Visions (1990)

Night Visions (1990), dir. Wes Craven, Wes Craven Films/MGM Telecommunications 

Wes Craven's career was full of highs and lows. Which would this one be?

Horror 2025 Countdown: Village of the Damned (1995)

Village of the Damned (1995), dir. John Carpenter, Alphaville Films 

John Carpenter's career was in an odd state in the mid-90s. A few critically acclaimed and few busts in equal measure put him in a kind of grey zone, with this being more contractual obligation than passion. 

Horror 2025 Countdown: Innerspace (1987)

Innerspace (1987), dir. Joe Dante, Amblin Entertainment 

We've talk about nearly everything he did, but we did skip over a few things. Hopefully this rectifies things. By now Jow Dante was riding high thanks to Gremlins, so why not a sci-fi comedy?

Horror 2025 Countdown: Last Woman on Earth (1960)

Last Woman on Earth (1960), dir. Roger Corman, Filmgroup

Funny enough this predates the Vincent Price film Last Man on Earth by a good four years, although it has more in common with Arch Oboler's Five than the former. 

Horror 2025 Countdown: Let's Kill Uncle (1966)

Let's Kill Uncle (1966), dir. William Castle, William Castle Productions

Moving into William Castle's efforts, and yeah, this might be the darkest comedy I've reviewed.

Horror 2025 Countdown: Notorious (1946)

Notorious (1946), dir. Alfred Hitchcock, RKO Radio Pictures/Vanguard Films 

Moving into the director section, and as per tradition we open with a Hitchcock film. 

Horror 2025 Countdown: Baron Blood (1972)

Baron Blood (1972), dir. Mario Bava, Euro America Produzioni/Cinematografiche/Dieter Geissler Filmproduktion GmbH & Co.

How have we not talked about Mario Bava before? We're also ending our look back at zombies, so why not end with an Italian one?

Horror 2025 Countdown: Isle of the Snake People (1971)

Isle of the Snake People (1971), dir. Juan Ibanez and Jack Hill, Azteca Films/Columbia Pictures 

Actors rarely go out on a good note. If Targets had been the last film Boris Karloff did, it would be help up as probably the finest film of the 1960s but sadly Mr. Karloff followed that up with a series of four films released after his death. This would be the second to last. 

Horror 2025 Countdown: I Eat Your Skin (1971)

I Eat Your Skin (1971), dir. Del Tenney, Del Tenney Productions

Funny how things work out. I Eat Your Skin was actually made in 1964 but no distributor would touch it. Director Jerry Gross, having just finished I Drink Your Blood, needed a second film for a proposed double feature and thus one name change (it used to be called Zombie) later the most infamous double bill was born.

Horror 2025 Countdown: Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Night of the Living Dead (1968), dir. George A. Romero, Image Ten

What can I say that hasn't already been said by far more learned people than myself? Prior to 1968, zombies were still considered a purely folklore monster, a corpse or doomed person drugged into mindlessness for manual labor. Here? The rules changed and the bar was raised.

Horror 2025 Countdown: Revolt of the Zombies (1936)

 Revolt of the Zombies (1936), dir. Victor Halperin, Victor & Edward Halperin Productions 

The Halperin's had a most unusual trajectory in Hollywood. 1932's White Zombie was a hit and brought the concept of the undead to the American popular culture. 1933's Supernatural was groundbreaking in its own way and might be a review here at some point. So why not look at those two and ignore everything that made them work?

Horror 2025 Countdown: Ouanga (1936)

 Ouanga (1934), dir. George Terwilliger, George Terwilliger Productions 

...And this might be the single most racist thing I've reviewed this year. 

Horror 2025 Countdown: Maniac (1934)

 Maniac (1934) dir. Dwain Esper, Roadshow Attractions

 

As we've done in the past, this section of the month will be focusing on a particular theme. In this case that theme is zombies and brother, what a pick today. 

Horror 2025 Countdown: The Leopard Man (1943)

The Leopard Man (1943), dir. Jacques Tourneur, RKO Radio Pictures 

Ending our slasher feature, and we really haven't gotten to the works of Val Guest that much. He worked with RKO throughout the 40's and his output has been studied by intellects far greater than mine. This wasn't one of his, but he did produce it and the direction was handled by his frequent collaborator Tourneur. 

Horror 2025 Countdown: Maniac Cop III: Badge of Silence (1992)

Maniac Cop III: Badge of Silence (1992), dir. Alan Smithee, First Look Studios/NEO Motion Pictures 

'Directed by Alan Smithee' is always a sign. Rarely a good sign, I mind you. William Lustig wanted his name off. Did he have a good reason?

Horror 2025 Countdown: Halloween Ends (2022)

 Halloween Ends (2022), dir. David Gordon Green, Miramax/Blumhouse Productions/Trancas International Films/Rough House Pictures 

We're moving into the slasher section and what better way to begin than with an ending?

Horror 2025 Countdown: Hands of the Ripper (1971)

 Hands of the Ripper (1971), dir. Peter Sasdy, Hammer Film Productions 

And so we end our look back at Hammer Film Productions for this year; Jack the Ripper practically has his own little cottage industry of experts, tell all novels and quite a few films, so it is rather mystifying that Hammer only made one proper Ripper film, the Sister Hyde film that came out in 1971 notwithstanding.