Happy October and welcome! All 31 days this month, I will be reviewing all the films I watch in the month of October. They’re mostly a selection of horror or suspense films in my own library or films and shows that have been recommended to me.
Please enjoy and leave a comment!
And if you missed any of our past reflections, take a look:
The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
Psycho (1960)
The Haunting (1963)
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)
The Other (1972)
The Legend of Hell House (1973)
Young Frankenstein (1974)
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Halloween (1978)
Alien (1979)
The Shining (1980)
Halloween II (1981)
The Evil Dead (1981)
Halloween III – Season of the Witch (1982)
Ghostbusters (1984)
Teen Wolf (1985)
Aliens (1986)
Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
Predator (1987)
The Monster Squad (1987)
The Witches of Eastwick (1987)
The Lost Boys (1987)
Evil Dead II: Dead By Dawn (1987)
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
They Live (1988)
Beetlejuice (1988)
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
Ghostbusters II (1989)
Predator 2 (1990)
The Addams Family (1991)
Alien 3 (1992)
Army of Darkness (1992)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
The Crow (1994)
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
Scream (1996)
Alien: Resurrection (1997)
Scream 2 (1997)
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
What Lies Beneath (2000)
Scream 3 (2000)
28 Days Later (2002)
Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)
The Ring (2002)
Halloween: Resurrection (2002)
Identity (2003)
AVP: Alien vs Predator (2004)
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Snakes on a Plane (2006)
Alien vs Predator: Requiem (2007)
Halloween (2007)
Grindhouse (2007)
Halloween II (2009)
Predators (2010)
Absentia (2011)
Prometheus (2012)
The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
Escape From Tomorrow (2013)
Oculus (2013)
Before I Wake (2016)
Hush (2016)
Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)
Alien: Covenant (2017)
Happy Death Day (2017)
Get Out (2017)
Gerald’s Game (2017)
The Predator (2018)
The Haunting of Hill House (2018)
Halloween (2018)
Our next film is…
WATCHING: A Quiet Place (2018)
DIRECTOR: John Krasinski, who you know as “Jim” from NBC’s The Office. He had directed two indie films before this which both ended up being duds. This was his first big hit. It was followed by A Quiet Place 2.
WHAT IS IT?: Possibly one of the most suspenseful horror films I’ve ever seen. You know that short sequence in Spielberg’s War of the Worlds where Cruise and the kids have to be quiet and hide from that alien eye thing? Picture that…but for the entire film’s run-time.
THE PLOT: An alien race, impervious to Earth’s modern weapons, has all but conquered the planet. The survivors of the alien apocalypse walk the streets, scavenging for supplies and living a quiet existence — because they have to lead a quiet existence. The aliens can’t see but they have hyper-sensitive hearing and can pinpoint the source of a sound with laser accuracy.
And they kill without mercy, just like they did to the Abbott Family’s youngest son.
A year later, the Abbotts do their best to build a new life. They communicate through sign language, they’ve created walking trails made of thick powder to mask the sound of their footsteps, and they’ve sound-proofed their home so that they make no noise whatsoever…which is about to be tested now that Evelyn is pregnant with their fourth child and due any day.
WHAT DID CRITICS THINK?: The film received near universal acclaim with all of them praising the film’s use of silence to build very real suspense. They also praised the writing and the two leads, John Krasinski and Emily Blunt. A few critics called the film “self-indulgent” and said it was “too in love with its own premise”. Stephen King thought it was outstanding as well.
WHAT DID I THINK?: John Krasinski wrote this along with Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and also directed it and I believe it’s an instant classic, the kind of film Frank Capra would make if he went from crafting character dramas to making horror films.
The film is not only tense each and every single second, you actually care deeply for the health and survival of the Abbott Family after a phenomenal opening sequence involving a trip to a local drug store to find medicine.
The atmosphere and pacing are absolutely top-notch, and you find yourself on the edge of your seat, afraid to make any noises of your own for fear that the Abbotts might be found out.
What makes A Quiet Place truly compelling are the various, and times complicated, bonds between the various members of the Abbott Family. It’s the heartbeat of this film and what truly makes it pop.
GRADE: A