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Return to Halloweentown, a review by addicted2dvd

Return to Halloweentown: Ultimate Secret Edition (2006/United States) Wikipedia |IMDb |Trailer | Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Walt Disney Home Entertainment (United States) Director: David Jackson Writing: Max Enscoe (Screenwriter), Annie De Young (Screenwriter), Juliet Giglio (Screenwriter), Keith Giglio (Screenwriter), Paul Bernbaum (Original Characters By) Length: 88 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English

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Stars:
Sara Paxton as Marnie
Judith Hoag as Gwen
Lucas Grabeel as Ethan
Joey Zimmerman [J. Paul Zimmerman] as Dylan
Kristy Wu as Scarlett

Plot:
Unlock the secrets in the fourth installment of the hit Disney Channel Halloweentown series and discover a "Behind-The-Scenes Spooktacular" with an insider's look at the special effects and creature creations on the Ultime Secret Edition DVD.

Everyone knows Marnie Piper (Sara Paxton, Aquamarine) is a witch, so it comes as no surprise when she wins a full scholarship to prestigious Witch University in Halloweentown. Marnie travels through the portal to become Witch U's most famous coed. But everything is not what it seems. There's a new school rule: No magic allowed! With the help of old friends Ethan (Lucas Grabeel, High School Musical and High School Musical 2) and Benny the Skeleton, and new friends Professor Periwinkle and Aneesa the Genie, Marnie learns she holds the key to revealing the ultimate secret.

The exciting Halloweentown series continues with more magic, mystery and suspense in Return To Halloweentown!

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Bonus Trailers
• Featurettes

This one I enjoyed more then the last. Not surprised as this one takes place for the most part in Halloweentown. And it has a story that is interesting enough to keep your attention. A fun Halloween film for the entire family that is worth the time put in to watch it.



Horror/Halloween Challenge Films: 29/52

(From Horror/Halloween 2016 Challenge on October 14th, 2016)

Vampyres, a review by Danae Cassandra

Vampyres
Year of Release: 1974
Directed By: Joseph Larraz
Starring: Marianne Morris, Anulka, Murray Brown, Brian Deacon, Sally Faulkner
Genre: Horror

Overview:
"They share the pleasures of the flesh, and unleashed the horrors of the grave!" screamed the ads. The beautiful Marianne Morris and stunning PlayboyMy Thoughts:
This is another film with a lovely, creepy atmosphere - a gothic manor with adjoining cemetery, isolated in the woods, inhabited by two beautiful women dressed in black.  There's copious amounts of nudity, punctuated by moments of shockingly bloody violence, sometimes together.  I'd say if you like Jean Rollin or Jess Franco, this is a film I'd recommend, or alternately consider looking to them if you enjoyed Vampyres.

Watched For: Scavenger Hunt 19, Hoop-tober 3.0, Horror/Halloween Challenge 2016

Bechdel Test: Pass
Mako Mori Test: Pass

Overall: 3.25/5

Horror/Halloween Challenge Films: 11/52

(From Horror/Halloween 2016 Challenge on October 7th, 2016)

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: The Complete First Season marathon, a review by Tom

3. The Turk (2008-01-21)
Writer: Josh Friedman (Created By), John Wirth (Writer), James Cameron (Original Characters By), Gale Anne Hurd (Original Characters By)
Director: Paul Edwards
Cast: Lena Headey (Sarah Connor), Thomas Dekker (John Connor), Summer Glau (Cameron), Richard T. Jones (Agent James Ellison), Brendan Hines (Andy Goode), Jesse Garcia (Carlos), Adam Godley (The Scientist), Bernard White (Sarah's Doctor), Charlayne Woodard (Terissa Dyson), Kristina Apgar (Cheri Westin), Catherine Dent (Agent Greta Simpson), Alessandra Torresani (Jordan), Floriana Lima (Franny), David Ortiz (Guy #1), Sabrina Perez (Chola), Keith Pillow (Mr. Bianchi), Bashir Salahuddin (Security Guard - School), Tiya Sircar (Zoey), Cameron Van Hoy (Guy #2)

I like the school scenes. And that they did not heroicly save the girl from suicide. If they would have done that, the show would have probably become a "problem at school"-of-the-week kind of show.
But I still hate the storyline, where the Terminator is organizing his new skin: Give a scientist a formula and he will grow you a new body in a day.
Instead this ridiculous storyline, it would have been better to just let the change of the actor be unexplained. Changes in cast between the pilot and a series are not that uncommon and would have been tolerable to have this unexplained.

Rating:

(From Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: The Complete First Season marathon on January 13th, 2009)