Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 470th Edition

Welcome to the 470th Edition of my series.  Next weekend will be my show 1776 at the Ivy Tech in Noblesville.  This is a musical which is a dramatization on the events that lead into the signing of the Declaration of Independence where I play Samuel Chase.  The show is November 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30 where the Friday and Saturday shows are at 8 pm and the Sunday shows are at 2 pm.  Tickets are $18 for adults and $12 for children under 12 years of age.  To reserve tickets, call 317-773-1085.  If you are in or near this area, please check it out if you can as it will be a good show.  I will now get onto my selections for the week.

Hour of the Wolf (1968):  I start out the week with this Swedish film brought by the legendary Ingmar Bergman and was originally going to be on last week's but just did not fit into the scheme of things so I carried it over to this one.  Max Von Sydow and Liv Ullman star as married couple Johan and Alma Borg.  Johan is an artist who is haunted by past memories and repressed desires.  Alma looks to help him with his issues while trying to keep her own sanity.  This is a psychological thriller from Bergman and have great performances from the leads as well as some very well written supporting characters.  Foreign film buffs and fans of Bergman must check this one out.  It is a very good and atmospheric film with really good imagery.

Batman:  Assault on Arkham (2014):  This is my DC animated movie for the week.  Batman, voiced by Kevin Conroy in his return to the role, looks to find a bomb planted by the Joker, voiced by Troy Baker, who resides at Arkham Asylum.  On the other end, Dr. Amanda Waller, voiced by CCH Pounder, forms the Suicide Squad which consists of Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, Killer Frost, KG Beast, and King Shark.  She forces them together and puts a deadly device that can go off at any time if her orders are not followed.  They are after some important information stolen by the Riddler, voiced by Matthew Gubler.  The paths of this squad and Batman inevitably cross and many other villains make cameos.  This is the first time I have really heard of the group the Suicide Squad but was a good group of villains who must work together in order to stay alive.  In this one, Batman is more of a supporting character but the story is pretty good on both ends and is another really good entry into the animated world of DC Comics.  The only thing missing was Mark Hamill voicing the Joker.

Black Cats and Broomsticks (1955):  This is my short film for the week which takes a look at superstitions over the years.  These include things like the old adage of stepping on cracks to break your mother's back as well as the walking under a ladder being bad luck which is one I have even heard in wrestling before a ladder match begins.  There are a few others like haunted houses, salt shakers, voodoo dolls and the belief in the supernatural.  This is a pretty entertaining look at the superstitions.

Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001):  Alfonzo Cuaron directed and co-wrote this Mexican film which is another one that carried over into this one instead of last week.  Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna star as teenage friends Julio and Tenoch.  At a family wedding, they meet Luisa, played by Ana Lopez Mercado, who is the 20 something wife of Tenoch's cousin.  All three of them are having trouble in their relationships and the guys decide to try impressing Luisa by telling her they will be going to the most beautiful beach which does not really exist.  Luisa decides to go along with them and the three of them embark on quite a road trip.  This is something that really revolves most around the three characters as well as the good and bad moments between them.  The three give really good performances and work really good among each other.  It is not something for the family by any means but a great foreign film that deserves a look.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

The Mayor of Hell (1933):  Archie Mayo directed this film that made a statement towards the juvenile system.  Five members of a teenage gang are sentenced to a state reformatory which was run by Thompson, played by Dudley Digges, who runs it more like a prison instead of trying to help the youth get better.  Deputy commissioner Patsy Gargan, played by James Cagney, arrives and relates to these kids as he was a gang member himself as a kid and looks to teach the you life skills along with nurse Dorothy, played by Madge Evans.  Thompson does not agree with what Patsy is doing and looks to discredit him while Patsy's past comes to haunt him.  This does get quite violent at times but is still a pretty decent movie while having racial stereotypes that were probably not as looked down upon at the time.  I can always watch Cagney no matter which side of the law he is on and does a great job as a Father Flanagan type person trying to help the troubled kids.

Passion Fish (1992):  This is part one of my David Strathairn series which will go at least two parts but maybe three where he plays a local who seems to be out to help wherever he can.  John Sayles wrote and directed this independent film.  Mary McDonnell stars as Mary-Alice Culhane who was once a successful soap star but is now confined to a wheelchair after a bad car accident.  She returns to her home in Louisiana where she is bitter and turns a lot to alcohol which drives many of the nurses away until Chantelle, played by Alfre Woodard, who is more desperate for a job.  They slowly become friends while we learn about Chantelle's past.  Angela Bassett has a part as one of Mary-Alice's co-stars on the soaps.  This movie is more of a character study with the two stars doing a great job and working very well together.  This movie really deserves more recognition than what it got so I hope to get this on the radar some.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

The Browning Version (1951):  Anthony Asquith directed this British film based on the story by Terence Rattigan.  Michael Redgrave stars as Andrew Crocker-Harris who has been a teacher in a British school for many years but is forced to retire due to a heart ailment.  He has not been liked by his colleagues and students and must examine his life as a teacher and as a husband in a crumbling marriage.  He meets a new student named Taplow, played by Brian Smith, who comes to not hate Crocker-Harris but to feel sorry for him.  Andrew must contemplate what he will do on his last days.  Jean Kent, Nigel Patrick, and Wilfrid Hyde-White also co-star in this drama.  This is a very moving film on a man who must look back at a life full of success at his job but not with the people.  This is available on the Criterion Collection.  There are a few versions but this appears to be the most notable one.

More than Murder (1984):  This is my tv movie for the week and is based from the tv series THE NEW MIKE HAMMER.  Stacy Keach plays Detective Mike Hammer which is a character from many novels of Mickey Spillane.  His friend Captain Pat Chambers, played by Don Stroud is wounded during a poker game but is framed to be a drug dealer.  Spillane takes it upon himself to clear Chambers of murder.  Lynn-Holly Johnson also co-stars as an employee at a department store who tries to be a detective with Spillane and is rather amusing.  This is a pretty decent tv movie detective story.

The Three Musketeers (1973):  Richard Lester directed this adaption based on the classic novel by Alexandre Dumas.  Michael York stars as a young D'Artagnan who arrives in Paris with dreams of being a musketeer for the king.  He soon has different encounters with Athos, played by Oliver Reed, Porthos, played by Frank Finlay, and Aramis, played by Richard Chaimberlain, not knowing they are musketeers and each challenge him to a duel.  When he learns they are the musketeers, he joins them and learns their ways oppose the devious Cardinal Richelieu, played by Charlton Heston, as well as Milady, played by Faye Dunaway, and Rochefort, played by Christopher Lee.  Geraldine Chaplin, Joss Ackland, and Raquel Welch all co-star in this film.  York is great as the inexperienced swordsman who makes every effort possible to learn to be a musketeer and I find Michael York to be rather underrated in today's world.  This is a very fun version with a very good cast to go along with it.

Virtus (2014):  I end the week with this documentary short which was directed by my own Facebook friends Jeffrey and Jenny Richards.  This looks into the rape case in Steubenville, Ohio which happened in 2012 where a young girl was drunk and a couple guys on the football team took advantage and raped her.  Afterwards, there was a lot of bragging on social media as well as a cover-up in the community for the sake of things like the football team.  In this documentary, they take a look at groups like Anonymous and Sisters of Jane looking to bring justice to the town and raise awareness of rape.  This was a well done documentary that can really make one cringe but is very important showing how rape is never okay.  This is part of an online film festival on http://www.viewster.com and when putting in the title into their search field this will come up to watch and vote.  Please check this out as well as some of the other movies part of this contest.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which so far includes Kim Basinger, Doris Day, Evan Rachel Wood, and many others.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 469th Edition aka the 9 Year Anniversary

Welcome to the 469th Edition of my series and yes you read it right, the 9 year anniversary.  I know, I can hardly believe it myself.  I just want to thank everyone through the years from the people who supported me back in the days of Myspace where this started to the people of today.  This week, I got bolder than usual and decided to do 10 foreign language films and all of which have a different language.  I didn't necessarily do my favorites nor did a particularly do the best.  I found ones which interested me and to stick to my usual format.

The Ghost of Yotsuya (1959):  I start the week out with Japan.  Nobuo Nakagawa directed this Japanese film which combined the common samurai genre with a ghost story.  A ruthless Samarai named Iomen Tamiya, played by Shigeru Amachi, tires of his wife and poisons his wife in hopes of marrying an heiress.  He marries the wrong woman who haunts him.  This is a classic Japanese tale that has been told many times in many ways.  In 1825, it was written as a play by Tsuruya Nanboku IV.  This was a great combined effort and had a really good creepy feel to it.

L'Age d'Or (1930):  Now I make my visit to France where surrealistic director Luis Bunuel makes his feature directorial debut.  It is also one of the first sound films in France as it is partly a talkie but also part silent film.  This shows a man and woman who are passionately in love but are thwarted by their families, the church and the bourgeois society.  This is a pure Surrealist film and has some rather strange scenes and imagery which was very frowned upon at the time especially the final scene especially the last scene which is partly based on Marquis de Sade's novel THE 120 DAYS OF SODOM.  This is really hard to put into words but was part of the beginnings to a great career for Bunuel.  This is available on Instant Netflix and good for fans of the French cinema.

The Little Mermaid (1976):  I decided to make a trip to Russia.  Long before this became a hit with Disney, Russia's Vladimir Bychkov wrote and directed this version of the Hans Christian Andersen story.  Viktoriya Novikova stars as the title character who ends up saving the life of a prince and when doing so, she falls in love with him.  She is able to make a deal with a witch to become human in order to pursue the prince.  In this movie, the mermaids and humans are usually enemies but she does not seem to share the ways of the mermaids.  She was not mermaid for long and did not go in-depth on the other mermaids so if you are expecting more mermaids this may not be one to watch.  It is interesting to see how naive she is among the humans like not understanding the concept of lying.  The witch in this one is less villainous and more bitter which worked pretty well.  She also had a sidekick who was kind of the village idiot who helps her pursue the prince.  This is by no means great but has some fun moments and a few Russian musical numbers.  It is of interest to see a Russian fairy tale.

The Raid 2 (2014):  I migrated over to Indonesia, a country I don't know a lot about except for this movie and the first one.  Gareth Evans wrote and directed the sequel to his first film which has Rama, played by Iko Uwais, going undercover with the thugs of Jakarta to uncover corruption in his department.  When seeing the first one, I deemed it as quite possibly the most violent movie I have seen.  This one might have been a little less violent but still had some pretty brutal action and focuses a lot on martial arts on this one.  Part of the movie was Rama thinking in the beginning he could have a more normal life with his wife and child after the brutality of the building full of gangsters from the first one.  There was also a female in this movie that was very resourceful with hammers that made for some innovative violence.  There was also the Baseball Bat Man and the Assassin that were pretty neat characters.  This has some pretty good action scenes as well as a decent story.  These are not for everyone but if you like the action genre, this will be a great double feature for guys night.  The first one mainly took place in a big high story building.  This one expands outside there.

A Separation (2011):  I headed to the Middle East and made a stop in Iran where Asghar Farhadi wrote and directed this film.  This starts out with a married couple named Nader and Simin who argue about leaving the town.  Simin wants leave the country with their daughter Termeh but Nader feels he should stay in order to take care of his father who has Alzheimer's.  A tragic event takes place which sends Nader over the edge.  I'm not going to go any further into it.  They really leave it to the viewers to make the judgment and where nothing is really black and white.  This also shows how people in that area are usually decent people and Nader was a pretty good man who was not overly controlling.  This is very well put together in piecing the tragedy together where the fault is a very gray area.  This won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language film and at least deserved the nomination.

Good Bye Lenin (2003):  I return to the European area into Germany.  Wolfgang Becker directed and co-wrote this film that takes place in 1989 East Germany.  Daniel Bruhl stars as Alex who protests the regime there and as he is getting arrested, his mother, played by Katrin Sab falls into a coma after suffering a heart attack.  The coma lasts for 8 months and a lot in the world has changed not really for the better.  Alex concocts a plan, much to the reluctance of the family, to protect her from the changes in the world while being confined to the bed at home.  With help of his aspiring filmmaker friend, Alex is able to create an idealistic world believing that would be better for his mother as she is recovering.  This movie has some really well-created characters and a really moving film that both good comedic and dramatic moments.  This is loosely based on Lenin's life in his last couple years where he was put in a controlled environment.

Awara (1951):  I decided to take a trip to India and visit the world of Bollywood.  Raj Kapoor directed this early Bollywood classic.  He also stars as Raju who has had a very difficult childhood growing up without a father and is recruited as a child into a life of crime.  Prithvraj plays Judge Raghunath who is a very close-minded judge and never made it easy on Raju mostly believing he cannot make it in life since he never grew up without a father.  In Raju's adult life, he tries to form a relationship with his childhood friend Rita, played by Nargis, who works for his father and go straight in the process but the judge never makes it easy.  This is a pretty typical Bollywood film where the movie is quite long and has a few lavish musical numbers.  There is a rather interesting dream sequence in the film that I really liked.  Overall, this was a pretty good story and deserves a look if you can watch subtitles.  The only complaint is that there are no subtitles for the musical numbers.

Trollhunter (2010):  I made an unexpected trip to Norway for the next selection.  Andre Ovredal wrote and directed this film that is shot like a documentary.  Volda University students Thomas, Johanna, and Kalle learn about bears coming up dead in Norway and decide to investigate.  Their investigation leads to a hunter named Hans who they soon learn is a troll hunter and learn that there are a lot of dangers there.  Hans agrees to them the students film his doings as long as they do what he tells them.  It is based on folklore of Norway of places where the trolls actually rose.  The special effects of these trolls is actually pretty good.  This was not the greatest movie of all time but did a decent job in combining comedy and fantasy with the amateur documentary theme.  This is available on Instant Netflix and might be a fun thing to check out.

The Housemaid (1960):  I decided to go back to Asia for a bit and check out this disturbing thriller by Ki-Young Kim who wrote and directed.  Married man and father Mr. Kim works in a factory giving music classes and piano lessons to the employees and also giving home lessons at time.  He hires a young girl per the recommendation of one of his students as a housemaid.  She begins to exhibit unusual behavior and makes Mr. Kim succumb to temptation when he has an affair.  The maid soon begins to wreak havoc on the household.  I don't want to go too far into this one as I feel I might give too much away.  I will say that this one probably creeped me out more than anything I watched in October.  This was remade in 2010 and have heard pretty good things about it so I'll probably check it out in the coming weeks but don't forget this one.  This movie has a lot of scenes that probably could not have happened here in the United States at the time.

I'm Not Scared (2003):  I make my final trip to Italy.  Gabriele Salvatores directed this filmed based on a novel by Niccolo Ammaniti.  A nine year old boy named Michele discovers another boy chained to the bottom of a hole.  He soon learns what is happening and tries to do right by the child.  This movie is from his point of view and is yelled at by adults like for staying out too long but in is a world where the adults have done more wrong than the child.  This is a pretty moving tale where some of it shows the desperation adults stoop to in order to get more money.  It also shows how the child will look to do the right thing despite the potential consequences.  It has good performances and is very well shot in its authenticity.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Well, that is it for this week.  Tell me what like and dislike.  Next week, I will be returning to my more normal format.  I hope you all enjoy these selections and please don't be bitter if your favorites did not end up on this one.

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 468th Edition and the Madness: Attack of the Automatons- Week 4

Welcome to the 468th Edition of my series and the last week of the Madness.  Next week is my nine year anniversary.  I know, I can't believe it either.  I don't usually get thematic but on this one I am going to attempt 10 foreign language films and for each one to have a different language.  I already have a rough list which is subject to change.  I will get to my selections for the week.

State of the Union (1948):  Frank Capra directed this political comedy starring the team of Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn.  Tracy plays industrialist Grant Matthews who is urged to be the Republican nominee for president.  In this campaign he must make some uncomfortable compromises as well as learning to speak for himself.  Hepburn plays his wife whose marriage is not the best of all time but still have a lot of love and respect for each other and it is his wife who is trying to help Grant think for himself.  Van Johnson, Angela Lansbury, Adolphe Menjou all co-star in this film.  Margaret Hamilton also has a part where she is far more outgoing than her usual grumpy characters.  This has Capra written all over it and is a really good satire on political campaigns.  This is a very underrated Capra film as well as an underrated Tracy/Hepburn film.

Enter Nowhere (2011):  Jack Heller directs this cabin in the woods thriller.  Katherine Waterston, Scott Eastwood, and Sara Paxton co-star as three strangers who each for different reasons end up in a cabin in the middle of nowhere.  In the cabin they get to know each other while also looking for a way out which they learn is going to be a very unusual way.  The cabin in the woods theme is very familiar but this was done in a rather clever way that I don't really want to go any further as I believe it will be giving a lot away.  This is another one that deserves more exposure in my opinion and is really more of a mystery than a horror film.

The Wrong Way Out (1938):  This is my short film for the week which comes from the "Crime Does Not Pay" series of propaganda shorts from this era.  A young couple fall in love and decide to marry despite the objections from the parents citing they are not ready yet.  They are so determined to get away they go and secretly get married.  They realize how difficult married life is and have trouble making ends meet so they turn to a life of crime.  The message here is wait until you are financially ready before you marry or you will turn to a life of crime.  I have seen a few of them and are good to watch for historical purposes and I also enjoy the shorts from this era which TCM keeps alive.

Cisco Pike (1972):  Bill Norton wrote and directed this film.  Kris Kristofferson makes his film debut as the title character who is a has-been musician just getting out of prison.  He is looking to go straight but a corrupt cop named Leo, played by Gene Hackman, does not make that easy for him after pressuring him to sell three bricks of Marijuana.  Karen Black, Harry Dean Stanton, and Roscoe Lee Brown all co-star in this film.  Kristofferson was great in his debut and Stanton is really good as his old friend.  There is not much to say but is an overlooked film from the era and could really use a look.

Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny (2006):  Jack Black and Kyle Gass star as JB and KG.  This shows them when they first meet and work to rise to the top of the world.  They are first on a quest to obtain "The Pick of Destiny" which is supposed to improve their abilities and their chances for the upcoming Battle of the Bands.  Ronnie James Dio plays himself and is someone I have always liked so I was glad of the choice their.  Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl also has a very interesting cameo.  Fred Armison, Ben Stiller, Amy Poehler, Tim Robbins, Ben Stiller, Colin Hanks, Amy Adams, Meat Loaf, and John C. Reilly all have parts in Tenacious D's journey to the top.  I admit, I shut this movie out for a long time having mixed opinions on the movies of Jack Black but finally gave in and really enjoyed this comedy as well as its soundtrack.  This is a real-life music duo which formed in the mid 90s before Jack Black's rise into film.

Creepshow (1982):  George A. Romero directed this film while Stephen King wrote it.  This consists of five different tales of terror.  The first one deals with an old man rising from the ground in pursuit of a cake he never got.  The second one deals with a farmer discovering a meteor which turns everything into plant life.  The third deals with a vengeful man burying his wife and lover up to their necks on the beach.  The last one is about a businessman who does not like cockroaches and the roaches take it very personal.  Hal Holbrook, Adrienne Barbeau, Leslie Nielson, Ed Harris, Ted Danson, Stephen King himself, and many others co-star in this film.  It was very good seeing Nielson as a very ruthless person.  This is based on the E C Comics that were popular during the 80s which also introduced us to TALES FROM THE CRYPT.  This is a fun 80s movie especially during October.

The Muppet Movie (1979):  I showed a movie documenting how Tenacious D together but now I feature the movie which brought together the Muppets in their first feature film after a popular tv series.  Kermit the Frog is living in his swamp but is persuaded by an agent, played by Dom Deluise, to pursue a career in Hollywood when finding an audition for frogs.  Along the way, he meets and is joined by Fozzy, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, and all the other Muppets we love today.  There is also a cameo from Big Bird who was on a different path looking to join public tv which his dream came true but so did Kermit and friends.  Also, along the way Kermit must elude restaurant owner Doc Hopper, played by Charles Durning, who really likes serving frog legs.  Austin Pendleton, Miton Berle, James Coburn, Bob Hope, Elliot Gould, Madeline Kahn, Carol Kane, Cloris Leachman, Steve Martin, Richard Pryon, Telly Savalas, Orson Welles, and Paul Williams all have amusing cameos.  Paul Williams also wrote the soundtrack including the popular RAINBOW CONNECTION.  The Muppets will always be watchable for me as this movie delivers some laughs and good music.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

World War Z (2013):  Marc Forster directed this zombie film based on the novel by Max Brooks.  Brad Pitt stars as Gerry Lane who is a former United Nations investigator who is content in his family life but brought back when people are running rampant as zombies and looks to find the source.  Mireille Enos, Matthew Fox, and David Morse also have parts in the film.  I find that a lot of people who read the book did not care for this movie.  I cannot judge that one since I did not read the book and I just don't read all that much.  This was not the best zombie movie of all time but is still watchable for me with Pitt very good in his role and I liked Morse a lot in his cameo.  This is available on Instant Netflix.

Attack of the Puppet People (1958):  I noticed that in October, I really lacked b-movies from this era so I was glad to look into this one.  John Hoyt stars as Mr. Franz who is a doll maker and also has a machine which shrinks people to doll size.  I found this person to be a very lonely man whose loneliness clouded his judgment to the extreme.  There is also a very weird song called YOU'RE MY LIVING DOLL.  This is a great one for fans of b-movies of this era.  This is also available on Instant Netflix.

Fairy Tale:  A True Story (1997):  This is based on some events in 1917 where two girls take a photograph where possibly proof of fairies comes about.  People like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, played by Peter O'Toole, and Harry Houdini, played by Harvey Keitel, both take interest in what they are seeing causing a stir in England.  Bill Nighy also co-stars in this film.  I did not know until now the interest that Conan Doyle took in the fairies and wrote an article on account of the photograph found.  This is a good film for the family to watch.  It is really a story of hope and believing.  I think I believe in fairies.

Well, that is it for this week.  Stay tuned for next week which will be the nine year anniversary.  Continue to read for the last week of the Madness.



THE MADNESS:  ATTACK OF THE AUTOMATONS: WEEK 4



Attack of the Puppet People (1958, 79 minutes):  I believe this one should get bonus points with the shrinking of humans.  66



Awaara (1951, 179 minutes):  I was not intending for this Bollywood movie to count but there was a real weird and somewhat long dream sequence which involved hell.



Batman Assault on Arkham (2014, 75 minutes):  Anything goes for Batman and cannot think of any reason for bonus points but a pretty good animated movie.  666



Bobby (2006, 120 minutes):  This counts because of Anthony Hopkins.  A movie on people lives who intersect before the RFK assassination.



Cisco Pike (1972, 95 minutes):  This counts due to Karen Black as a wild card.  666 1/2



Creepshow (1982, 120 minutes:  This goes without saying.  66 1/2



Enter Nowhere (2011, 90 minutes):  This cabin in the woods movie has enough to count for the contest with the supernatural.  A good twist to the genre.  666



Fairy Tale:  A True Story (1997, 99 minutes):  This should have enough fairies to qualify as fantasy so hoping to get points for this one.  666



Hour of the Wolf (1968, 90 minutes):  This is Ingmar Bergman's entry into horror.  This is more of a psychological horror.  666



The Invention of Lying (2009, 100 minutes):  I know I am really walking a thin line on this one.  There is no wild cards in this Ricky Gervais comedy.  I believe this should count due to it taking place in an alternate universe where nobody lies.  Imdb does bill this as fantasy.



The Island (2005, 136 minutes):  This takes place in a future society and is a sci-fi film making this Michael Bay film count.  Not sure what to think on this one.  66 1/2



It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1968, 30 minutes):  I must include this timeless classic.  This Halloween special always counts.  I think next year, I am going to look for the most sincere pumpkin patch possible so I can see the Great Pumpkin.  6666



The Killing Floor (2007, 94 minutes):  This had BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER alum Marc Blucas, ROSWELL alum Shiri Appleby, and 24 alum Reiko Aylesworth.  It is billed as horror where serial murders take place.  66 1/2



The Little Mermaid (1976, 81 minutes):  This is a Russian version of the Hans Christian Anderson classic that came out long before Disney.  A bit weird but interesting film that even has some Russian musical numbers.  666



The Muppet Movie (1979, 95 minutes):  This counts due to the wild card of Telly Savalas



The Originals:  Crescent City (2014, 45 minutes):  No explanation needed for this to be counted with vampires, werewolves, and witches.  666



The Possession (2012, 92 minutes):  This is a movie on a young girl possessed by an evil spirit so should count.  Liked it more than I thought.  I really thought Jeffrey Dean Morgan was great as well as the daughters.  66 1/2



State of the Union (1948, 124 minutes):  This Frank Capra film counts due to Angela Lansbury.  666 1/2



Tokaida Yotsuya Kaidan (1959):  This is some Japanese horror about a samurai murdering his wife and being haunted so counts as a ghost story.  666



Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny (2006, 93 minutes):  This should count due to the Devil being a character.  666



The Texas Chainsaw Massacre:  The Next Generation (1994, 95 minutes):  This franchise entry is mostly of worth to see a young Renee Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey who clearly paid their dues to be where they are now.  This had a awful lot of Leatherfaces both men and women.  6



World War Z (2013, 116 minutes):  Zombies make this one count.  666



X-Men:  First Class (2011, 132 minutes):  This is a really good origin story on Professor X and Magneto meeting and forming the X-Men.  666 1/2