The Halloween season is here! I'm going to get into the spirit of one of my favorite times of the year by catching up on some scary flicks, mystery movies and comic book inspired films that I've been wanting to see and haven't gotten around to watching yet. Here are the movies that are on my 2021 Halloween checklist to view throughout the month of October:
THE MUMMY
Meant as the first film in a planned Dark Universe which would create a modern day cinematic franchise based upon Universal Studios classis monster movies THE MUMMY was critically panned and never gained traction with theater audiences. Yet this 2017-film had the star power of Tom Cruise and a blockbuster movie production and marketing budget of almost half a billion dollars. The movie actually made more than $400 million at the box office but based upon critics reception of the film and the studio taking a loss on the theatrical release, THE MUMMY has been deemed a rotten movie.
Despite that as a fan of Universal Monster movies who would have loved for a Dark Universe to have come to fruition, I'm going to check out THE MUMMY for myself during my month long marathon of watching movies for the Halloween season. THE MUMMY is rated PG-13 for partial nudity, action and scary images, suggestive content, and violence. It is a combination of the action adventure movies Tom Cruise is known for with the horror genre that has made Universal Monsters pop culture icons. I has a runtime of one hour and forty-seven minutes.
The Mummy Movie Synopsis:
Nick Morton is a soldier of fortune who plunders ancient sites for timeless artifacts and sells them to the highest bidder. When Nick and his partner come under attack in the Middle East, the ensuing battle accidentally unearths Ahmanet, a betrayed Egyptian princess who was entombed under the desert for thousands of years. With her powers constantly evolving, Morton must now stop the resurrected monster as she embarks on a furious rampage through the streets of London.
OVERLORD
This 2018 action/horror movie is the opposite of The Mummy. It isn't full of star power, though it was produced by J.J. Abrams (Star Trek / Star Wars), but received praise from both critics and movie going audiences. From what I've heard about this movie it seems like a spook-tacular film to watch at Halloween time.
OVERLORD is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for disturbing images, brief sexual content, language, and strong bloody violence. Directed by Julius Avery, OVERLORD has a runtime of one hour and fifty minutes. It grossed around 22 million dollars from its release in North American theaters so lets see how it compares to THE MUMMY which took in ten times that much from the same theaters.
Overlord Movie Synopsis:
On the eve of D-Day, American paratroopers drop behind enemy lines to penetrate the walls of a fortified church and destroy a radio transmitter. As the soldiers approach their target, they soon begin to realize that there's more going on in the Nazi-occupied village than a simple military operation. Making their way to an underground lab, the outnumbered men stumble upon a sinister experiment that forces them into a vicious battle against an army of the undead.
A QUIET PLACE 2-MOVIE COLLECTION
I'd heard great things about A QUIET PLACE and before getting around to see the original film a sequel was released. So now I have two movies on my watchlist to check out. Fortunately they both were released on Blu-Ray as a combo pack so I have them both in hand to watch back to back as well as I have miraculously been able to avoid spoilers regarding both films. I'm geeked to be able to watch the two science fiction / horror flicks as part of my Halloween movie watching marathon.
A Quiet Place (2018) is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for terror and bloody imagery. A Quiet Place II is also rated PG-13 for terror/bloody disturbing imagery/violence. Both films have runtimes of approximately an hour and a half. Office fans will appreciate the films are directed by John Krasinski who also co-stars in the movies with his wife Emily Blunt. Krasinski has really made a name for himself in Hollywood expanding upon his Office resume with these two films and the Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan television series on Amazon Prime that he stars in which I thoroughly enjoyed binge watching.
A Quiet Place Movie Synopsis:
If they hear you, they hunt you. A family must live in silence to avoid mysterious creatures that hunt by sound. Knowing that even the slightest whisper or footstep can bring death, Evelyn and Lee are determined to find a way to protect their children while desperately searching for a way to fight back.
One of the best Batman stories ever published by DC Comics, BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN, has been adapted into a two-part animated story. This film adaption is split into two movies: Parts I & II which are now available on Blu-ray as direct to video DC Universe release from Warner Bros Animation that any fan of the Caped Crusader will absolutely want to add to their home entertainment library.
Note that Part I is rated PG-13 for smoking, language, bloody images and violence but Part II is actually rated R for bloody imagery and violence. These films show cartoons aren't just for children as they two movies are aimed for more mature audiences of teenagers and adults. Parents should be aware of the MPAA difference in ratings for BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN between Part I and Part II so you can make an educated decision on whether or not your should kids should watch this flick. Both Part I and Part II each have a runtime of approximately an hour and a half so that watching the entire movie will take around 3 hours.
Batman: The Long Halloween Movie Synopsis:
It's a dark time in Gotham City. Held hostage by the powerful Falcone crime family, the city is rife with crime and corruption. Adding to the chaos is the mysterious Holiday killer, who has been targeting the underworld and leaving a trail of terror... and body bags. Batman, Lieutenant Gordon and D.A. Harvey Dent race against the calendar as it advances toward the next ill-fated holiday. Based on the critically acclaimed graphic novel, Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One begins a twisted chain of events that will forever change the Dark Knight.
JOKER
Clowns were originally meant to be an amusing, funny and entertaining distraction for people at circuses and festivals; but to me they just are creepy. Especially, the crown king of crime and Batman's arch nemesis JOKER. Renowned character actor Joaquin Phoenix gives his artistic interpretation of the origin story for this classic comic book villain in this 2019 movie.
JOKER is rated R for disturbing behavior, sexual images, language and strong bloody violence. The movie has a 2 hour runtime. Directed by Todd Phillips the movie also features Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen and Shea Whigham. No joke ... this movie is supposed to be really good without an appearance by Batman in it. I haven't seen it yet so we'll see!
Joker Movie Synopsis:
Forever alone in a crowd, failed comedian Arthur Fleck seeks connection as he walks the streets of Gotham City. Arthur wears two masks -- the one he paints for his day job as a clown, and the guise he projects in a futile attempt to feel like he's part of the world around him. Isolated, bullied and disregarded by society, Fleck begins a slow descent into madness as he transforms into the criminal mastermind known as the Joker.
THE MUMMY is available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD
OVERLORD is available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD
A QUIET PLACE 2-MOVIE COLLECTION is available on Blu-ray
BATMAN THE LONG HALLOWEEN PART I is available on Blu-ray
BATMAN THE LONG HALLOWEEN PART II is available on Blu-ray
JOKER is available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD
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So these are all the terror-ific movies I'm planning on watching for Halloween. Are you planning your own Halloween movie marathon? If so what spooky movies are do you plan on viewing during a movie night?
