Child’s Play 2 (1990)

In “Child’s Play 2,” director Jon Lafia opts for a more vicious follow up where Chucky goes on a veritable rampage. What made “Child’s Play” so unique is we were never quite sure if Chucky was murdering people, if Andy was, or if Chucky was influencing Andy to become a serial killer. Only on the second act do we get a complete verification of the mystery. In “Child’s Play 2” Chucky is on a campaign of murder and violence where he not only proceeds to ruin Andy’s life, but everyone else’s life in the process. It’s a somewhat polarizing sequel, but something that definitely opts for different this time out.

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Bride of Frankie (2017) [Horrible Imaginings Film Festival 2017]

While the Doctor is away, his assistant will play.  As the mad-scientist is out, his not-so-mad assistant works on getting his creation a friend.  As the friend comes to life, the assistant teaches her how to live and how to love.

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The Houses October Built 2 (2017)

Bobby Roe’s “The Houses October Built” was a solid Halloween entry that mixed a documentary with a horror mystery quite well. The follow up years later, practices the very same formula but further explores the back story of its villains “Blue Skeleton” from the first film. Are they evil? Are they anti-heroes? Are they a cult? Are they Halloween fanatics that work to the extremes of Banksy? The first film was a surprise indie horror hit and the sequel seeks to touch on the same narrative ebbs and flows, while also packing in some refreshing twists and turns that I very much appreciated. Like the first film, “The Houses October Built 2” is partly a documentary and partly a mystery horror film that takes off directly from the first film.

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My Top Five “The New Twilight Zone” Episodes

Known primarily as “The New Twilight Zone,” the new iteration of the classic Rod Serling anthology has garnered its own following and reputation for offering its own unique tales. While not timeless like the original show, the 1980’s series from CBS has stellar episodes in its own right, not to mention a pretty awesome twist on the classic theme as performed by The Grateful Dead, no less. The writers and producers took off from the controversial feature film, this time creating their own stories, with only a few classic “Twilight Zone” episodes being remade for the contemporary eighties setting. “The New Twilight Zone” aimed to carve out its own identity, and in the end it’s an above par series with some great episodes.

These are five of my favorite episodes from its 1985 to 1989 run.

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The Houses October Built (2014)

I’d have a hard time calling “The Houses October Built” a masterpiece, but I do think it has potential to become an ambience builder for future Halloween parties. I can see people playing this on a constant loop during the really adult and sinister festivities. While that may seem like a jab at the movie, I actually think that’s a compliment, as where “The Houses October Built” lacks in engaging characters, it makes up for in the Halloween mood and an interesting commentary on modern America and the general sentiment toward Halloween.

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