Movies At Dog Farm

October 3, 2026

Mostly Saturdays - Movies in the Cave

I've assumed the role of host for movie nights over the last few years, and that suits me just fine. Being host means I don't have to leave the house, and all of the movies and AV equipment are right here, hooked up and ready to go.

Since the change, though, I'd gotten pretty lazy about tracking who watched what when. Saturdays are the usual movie day, but different schedules lead to a number of weekday movies with Phil alone, too. I'd begun to have trouble keeping track, and so I took it upon myself to painstakingly rebuild the movie watching timeline between the Dog Farm and today. Now we know... or we can at least look it up.

2021

January 1, 2021

with Phil and Tyler

- City of the Living Dead (1980)

- Nightbreed: The Director's Cut (1990)

2022

May 29, 2022

with Herb

- X (2022)

August 20, 2022

with Herb and Tyler

- Crimes of the Future (2022)

October 8, 2022

with Herb, Phil and Tyler

- The Lost Boys (1987)

October 29, 2022

with Herb, Phil and Tyler

- Fright Night (1985)

- Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films (2014)

2023

January 21, 2023

with Herb and Tyler

- Pearl (2022)

August 8, 2023

with Phil

- TerrorVision (1986)

December 2, 2023

with Herb and Phil

- Strip Nude for Your Killer (1975)

2024

February 24, 2024

with Herb and Tyler

- Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype (1980)

April 22, 2024

with Herb and Phil

- The Creeping Terror (1964)

July 6, 2024

with Phil

- Oblivion (1994)

October 19, 2024

with Herb and Phil

- MaXXXine (2024)

November 15, 2024

with Phil

- The Primevals (2023)

December 8, 2024

with Herb, Alorah and Phil

- Phantasm (1979)

- Phantasm II (1988)

2025

February 8, 2025

with Phil

- Barbarella (1968)

February 22, 2025

with Phil

- Ninja III: The Domination (1984)

February 24, 2025

with Herb and Phil

- Fantastic Voyage (1966)

March 1, 2025

with Herb, Alorah and Phil

- The Beyond (1981)

April 5, 2025

with Herb and Phil

- Naked Lunch (1991)

April 26, 2025

with Herb

- Orca (1975)

May 3, 2025

with Herb

- Death Race 2000 (1975)

May 18, 2025

with Herb and Phil

- Dead Alive (1992)

May 25, 2025

with Herb, Alorah and Phil

- Two Thousand Maniacs! (1964)

June 22, 2025

with Herb and Phil

- Flash Gordon (1980)

June 28, 2025

with Herb and Alorah

- Popcorn (1991)

August 7, 2025

with Phil

- Deep Red (1975)

August 23, 2025

with Herb and Alorah

- Twister (1996)

August 28, 2025

with Phil

- Beyond the Door (1974)

September 4, 2025

with Phil

- Prince of Darkness (1987)

September 21, 2025

with Herb, Phil, Tyler and Hannah @ Regal Cinema

- Paper Moon (1973)

September 26, 2025

with Herb

- Spider Labyrinth (1988)

September 29, 2025

with Phil

- The Antichrist (1974)

November 3, 2025

with Phil

- A Lizard in a Woman's Skin (1971)

November 9, 2025

with Phil

- Slaughter Hotel (1971)

November 14, 2025

with Herb and Alorah

- Five Dolls for an August Moon (1970)

December 6, 2025

with Herb

- Burial Ground (1980)

December 20, 2025

with Herb, Alorah and Phil

- First Men in the Moon (1964)

2026

January 10, 2026

with Herb, Alorah and Phil

- Drive-In Discs Vol. 3: I Bury the Living / The Hand (1960)

February 7, 2026

with Herb, Alorah and Phil

- Gamera 2: Attack of Legion (1996)

February 21, 2026

with Herb and Alorah

- Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

February 28, 2026

with Herb and Alorah

- Psycho II (1983)

March 7, 2026

with Herb, Alorah and Phil

- The Adventures of Ford Fairlaine (1990)

March 14, 2026

with Herb and Alorah

- Amityville 2: The Possession (1982)

March 28, 2026

with Phil

- Death Valley (1982)

April 10, 2026

with Phil

- Gothic (1986)

April 18, 2026

with Herb and Alorah

- The Children (1980)

May 3, 2026

with Herb and Alorah

- Thunderbirds are Go! (1966)

May 10, 2026

with Herb, Alorah and Phil

- Tommy (1975)

May 23, 2026

with Phil

- Beware! The Blob (1972)

June 20, 2026

with Herb and Alorah

- Tenebrae (1982)

July 10, 2026

with Phil

- Link (1986)

July 11, 2026

with Herb and Alorah

- Dawn of the Dead (1978)

July 22, 2026

with Phil

- King Kong (1976)

July 25, 2026

with Herb and Alorah

- Lifeforce (1985)

August 7, 2026

with Phil

- Starcrash (1978)

August 15, 2026

with Herb, Alorah and Phil

- Twin Peaks (1990) - TV Pilot

August 29, 2026

with Herb and Phil

- The Bay (2013)

September 5, 2026

with Herb and Alorah

- Banshee Chapter (2013)

September 12, 2026

with Herb and Alorah

- Re-Animator (1985)

- From Beyond (1986)

September 19, 2026

with Herb and Alorah

- Go (1999)

September 26, 2026

with Herb, Alorah and Phil

- Creepshow (1982)

October 3, 2026

with Herb and Alorah

- Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation Director's Cut

(1994)

September 15, 2026

Pre-Ween Watchlists - 2020 thru 2025 - Now a Matter of Public Record

As is the case with many things about which I try to maintain documentation, the following Pre'Ween watchlists were just scrawled on cocktail napkins and left lying about the house. I have now collected them all in a single location and offered them up to the world, because I know everyone really gives a shit about what movie I watched on Halloween three years ago... and now you'll know!

I was pleased to see I'd avoided too much repetition over the years. Only seven titles appear multiple times: Trick 'r Treat (2007), Nightmare Beach (1989), Eyeball (1975), Die, Monster, Die! (1965), Friday the 13th Part II (1981), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 (1986) and Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982).

Of course, Trick 'r Treat (2007) - 3 times - and Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) - 2 times - need little explanation. Nightmare Beach (1989) and Eyeball (1975) each got two views in one year because I "previewed" them before I took them out to the Dog Farm to share. Both Friday the 13th Part II (1981) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 (1986) are personal cinematic comfort food for me.

The only title who's presence on two different occasions that I find kinda inexplicable is Die, Monster, Die! (1965). Not a bad movie, you understand, just not a pillar of the genre. I think I just like the bold title.

PRE'WEEN 2020

Oct. 1 - The Evil of Frankenstein (1964)

Oct. 2 - Club Dread (2004) - Hulu

Oct. 3 -

Oct. 4 - House of 1000 Corpses (2003)

Oct. 5 - Fear No Evil (1981)

Oct. 6 -

Oct. 7 - Splice (2009)

Oct. 8 - Night of the Living Dead (1990)

Oct. 9 - The Lair of the White Worm (1988)

Oct. 10 - Zombie (1979)

Oct. 11 - Inferno (1980)

- American Psycho (2000)

Oct. 12 -

Oct. 13 - Frankenstein Created Woman (1967)

Oct. 14 -

Oct. 15 - Motel Hell (1980)

Oct. 16 - The Faculty (1998)

Oct. 17 - Underwater (2020) - Vudu

Oct. 18 - Beetlejuice (1988)

Oct. 19 - The Mortuary Collection (2019) - Shudder

Oct. 20 - All the Colors of the Dark (1972)

Oct. 21 - Evil Dead 2 (1987)

Oct. 22 - The Cleansing Hour (2019)

Oct. 23 -

Oct. 24 - City of the Living Dead (1980)

Oct. 25 - Sssssss (1973)

Oct. 26 - Color Out of Space (2019)

- Suspiria (1977)

Oct. 27 - From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

Oct. 28 - Christine (1983)

Oct. 29 - Haunt (2019) - The Last Drive-In

- Hack-O-Lantern (1988) - The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs

Oct. 30 - Pet Sematary (1989)

Oct. 31 - Trick 'r Treat (2007)

- Fright Night (1985)

Nov. 1 - Horror Express (1972) - Pre'Ween @ the Dog Farm

- An American Werewolf in London (1981) - Pre'Ween @ the Dog Farm

PRE'WEEN 2021

Sept. 30 - Conquest (1983)

Oct. 1 - Brain Food: Analysing Late Day Fulci (2018)

Oct. 2 - Alone in the Dark (1982) - with Tyler

Oct. 3 - Malignant (2021)

- Hell of the Living Dead (1980)

Oct. 4 - Aenigma (1987)

Oct. 5 - Rats: Night of Terror (1984)

Oct. 6 - A Return to Salem's Lot (1987)

Oct. 7 - Nightmare Beach (1989)

Oct. 8 - Nightmare City (1980)

Oct. 9 - Contamination (1980) - with Tyler

Oct. 10 - Absurd (1981)

Oct. 11 - Black Sunday (1960)

Oct. 12 - Halloween (1978)

Oct. 13 - Halloween II (1981)

Oct. 14 - Deadly Friend (1986)

Oct. 15 - Halloween Kills (2021) - Streaming Premiere

Oct. 16 - Crazy Fat Ethel (2016)

Oct. 17 - Anthropophagus (1980)

Oct. 18 - A Lizard in a Woman's Skin (1971)

Oct. 19 - Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)

Oct. 20 - Danger: Diabolik (1968)

- Leviathan (1989) - Pluto

Oct. 21 - Fried Barry (2020) - Shudder

Oct. 22 -

Oct. 23 -

Oct. 24 - Killer Crocodile (1989)

Oct. 25 - Eyeball (1975)

Oct. 26 - All the Colors of Giallo (2019) - Trailers

Oct. 27 - Yellow Fever: The Rise and Fall of the Giallo (2016)

Oct. 28 - Black Belly of the Tarantula (1971) - Shudder

- Species II (1998)

Oct. 29 - Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1971)

Oct. 30 - Nightmare Beach (1989) - Last Pre'Ween @ The Dog Farm

- Eyeball (1975) - Last Pre'Ween @ The Dog Farm

Oct. 31 - Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

PRE'WEEN 2022

Oct. 1 - Savage Streets (1984)

Oct. 2 - Konga (1961)

Oct. 3 - Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo (1977)

Oct. 4 - The Raven (1963)

Oct. 5 - Army of Darkness (1992)

- The 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time (2022) Ep. 5

Oct. 6 - Terror Out of the Sky (1978)

Oct. 7 - Corman's World (2011)

- Scream 2 (1997)

Oct. 8 - The Lost Boys (1987)

Oct. 9 - Terror in the Aisles (1984)

Oct. 10 - Troll 2 (1990)

Oct. 11 - Alligator II: The Mutation (1991) - Shudder

Oct. 12 - The 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time (2022) Ep. 6

Oct. 13 - Ants! (1977)

Oct. 14 - X... the Unknown (1956)

- Trailer Trauma 3: 80's Horrorthon (2017) - 1980 and 1981

Oct. 15 - Dark Glasses (2022) - Shudder

Oct. 16 - Trailer Trauma 3: 80's Horrorthon (2017) - 1982 and 1983

Oct. 17 - Howling II: You're Sister Is a Werewolf (1985)

Oct. 18 - Blue Monkey (1987)

Oct. 19 - The 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time (2022) Ep. 7

Oct. 20 - X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes (1963)

Oct. 21 - Howard the Duck (1986)

Oct. 22 -

Oct. 23 - The Strangeness (1985)

Oct. 24 -

Oct. 25 - The 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time (2022) Ep. 8

Oct. 26 - The Return of the Living Dead (1985)

Oct. 27 -

Oct. 28 - Student Bodies (1981)

Oct. 29 - Electric Boogaloo: The Wild Untold Story of Cannon Films (2014)

- Fright Night (1985)

Oct. 30 - The Birds (1963)

Oct. 31 - Night of the Creeps (1986)

- Willard (1971)

- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 (1986)

- Videodrome (1983)

PRE'WEEN 2023

Oct. 1 - Aenigma (1987)

Oct. 2 - Body Snatchers (1993)

Oct. 3 - Mondo Cane (1962)

Oct. 4 - Stunt Rock (1978)

Oct. 5 -

Oct. 6 - Panic (1982)

Oct. 7 - Guyana: Cult of the Damned (1979)

Oct. 8 -

Oct. 9 - Scream 3 (2000)

Oct. 10 - The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976)

Oct. 11 - The Mummy (1932)

Oct. 12 - Friday the 13th (1980)

Oct. 13 - Friday the 13th Part II (1981)

Oct. 14 - From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money (1999)

Oct. 15 - Nightmares (1983)

- Bad Moon (1996)

Oct. 16 -

Oct. 17 - Someone's Watching Me (1978)

- Raising Cain (1992)

Oct. 18 - The Nest (1988)

Oct. 19 - Cherry Falls (1999)

Oct. 20 - Phantasm II (1988)

Oct. 21 -

Oct. 22 -

Oct. 23 -

Oct. 24 - Tombs of the Blind Dead (1972)

Oct. 25 -

Oct. 26 - Exorcism (1975)

Oct. 27 - Vengeance of the Zombies (1973)

Oct. 28 -

Oct. 29 -

Oct. 30 - Trick 'r Treat (2007)

- Young Frankenstein (1974)

Oct. 31 - Halloween Ends (2022)

PRE'WEEN 2024

Sept. 14 - Wild in the Streets (1968)

Sept. 15 - Deranged (1974)

Sept. 16 - Angry Red Planet (1960)

Sept. 17 - Crawlspace (1986)

Sept. 18 - What's the Matter with Helen? (1971)

Sept. 19 - Infinity Pool (2023)

Sept. 20 -

Sept. 21 - Devil Times Five (1974)

Sept. 22 - The House on Skull Mountain (1974)

Sept. 23 - Yeti: Giant of the 20th Century (1977)

Sept. 24 - Deep Rising (1998)

Sept. 25 -

Sept. 26 - The Snake Woman (1961)

- Dead Pit (1989)

Sept. 27 - Howling II (1985)

Sept. 28 - The Exorcist (1974)

Sept. 29 - Them! (1954)

Sept. 30 - Basket Case (1982)

Oct. 1 - Brain Damage (1988)

Oct. 2 - The Crazies (2010)

Oct. 3 - X (2022)

Oct. 4 - Screams of a Winter Night (1979)

Oct. 5 - Night of the Demons (1988) - The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs

- Land of the Dead (2005)

Oct. 6 - At the Earth's Core (1976)

Oct. 7 - The World's End (2013)

Oct. 8 - Edmond (2005)

Oct. 9 - Werewolves on Wheels (1971)

Oct. 10 - Hearts in Atlantis (2001)

- Monsters (2010)

Oct. 11 - Satan's Playground (2005)

Oct. 12 -

Oct. 13 - Howling III: The Marsupials (1987)

Oct. 14 - The Howling (1981)

Oct. 15 - Bloody Pit of Horror (1965)

Oct. 16 - Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992)

- Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956)

Oct. 17 - Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996)

- Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)

Oct. 18 - MaXXXine (2024)

Oct. 19 - Devil's Express (1976)

Oct. 20 -

Oct. 21 - Killjoy 3 (2010)

Oct. 22 - Trancers II: The Return of Jack Deth (2001)

Oct. 23 - Scary Movie (2000)

- Scary Movie 2 (2001)

Oct. 24 - Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice (1992)

Oct. 25 - Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter (1984)

Oct. 26 - Howling V: The Rebirth (1989)

Oct. 27 - Die, Monster, Die! (1965)

Oct. 28- Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

Oct. 29 -

Oct. 30 -

Oct. 31 - Poltergeist (1982)

- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 (1986)

PRE'WEEN 2025

Sept. 1 - Paper Moon (1973) @ Regal Cinema - with Phil, Herb and Tyler

Sept. 2 - Venom (1982)

Sept. 3 - Wicked Little Things (2006) - with Pat

Sept. 4 - Prince of Darkness (1987) - with Phil

Sept. 5 - Island of Terror (1966)

Sept. 6 - Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich (2018)

- Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)

Sept. 7 - Deadly Spawn (1983)

Sept. 8 -

Sept. 9 - Attack the Block (2011)

Sept. 10 - The Editor (2014)

Sept. 11 - Cyborg (1989)

Sept. 12 - Leprechaun Returns (2018)

Sept. 13 - The Ghost Galleon (1974)

Sept. 14 - Carrie (1976)

Sept. 15 -

Sept. 16 - Astron-6 Disc 1 (2007)

Sept. 17 - Astron-6 Disc 2 (2007)

Sept. 18 -

Sept. 19 - The Devil Doll (1936)

- Mad Love (1935)

- The Black Cauldron (1985)

Sept. 20 - Night of the Demon (1980)

Sept. 21 -

Sept. 22 -

Sept. 23 - The Monster That Challenged the World (1957)

- Wolfen (1981)

Sept. 24 - The Beast Within (1982)

Sept. 25 - The Vampire Lovers (1970)

Sept. 26 - Spider Labyrinth (1988)

Sept. 27 - Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) - with Pat

Sept. 28 -

Sept. 29 -

Sept. 30 -

Oct. 1 - Laid to Rest (2009)

Oct. 2 - Berberian Sound Studio (2012)

Oct. 3 - The Entity (1982)

- Die, Monster, Die! (1965)

Oct. 4 -

Oct. 5 - The Kindred (1987)

Oct. 6 -

Oct. 7 - Bride of Re-Animator (1990)

Oct. 8 - In Search of Darkness (2022)

- Hands of the Ripper (1971) - with Pat

Oct. 9 -

Oct. 10 - The Lords of Salem (2013)

Oct. 11 - The Descent (2005) - with Pat

Oct. 12 - Friday the 13th Part II (1981)

Oct. 13 -

Oct. 14 - A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)

Oct. 15 - A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3: Dream Warriors (1987)

Oct. 16 - The Phantom of the Opera (1989)

Oct. 17 - Spookies (1986)

Oct. 18 -

Oct. 19 - Arena (1989)

Oct. 20 -

Oct. 21 -

Oct. 22 - WNUF Halloween Special (2013) - with Pat

Oct. 23 - Tales from the Crypt (1972)

- Out There Halloween Mega Tape (2022)

Oct. 24 - Screams of a Winter Night (1979)

Oct. 25 -

Oct. 26 - Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight (1995)

Oct. 27 - Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

Oct. 28 - The Monster Squad (1987)

Oct. 29 - Clown in a Cornfield (2025) - The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs

Oct. 30 -

Oct. 31 - Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983) - with Pat

- Satan's Little Helper (2004)

- Trick 'r Treat (2008)

September 25, 2025

When Disney Did Dark: Seven Films from Disney's Dark Age (1979 to 1985)

The Black Hole (1979)

Disney's first PG rated movie - the beginning of the end. With a production budget of $20 million, plus another $6 million for advertising, The Black Hole was (at the time) the most expensive picture ever produced by Disney. It received mixed reviews from critics and ultimately grossed only $38.5 million at the domestic box office - not a disaster, but not the Star Wars size hit Disney was hoping for, either. Despite the somewhat disappointing box office, The Black Hole did receive nominations for two Academy Awards (Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects), though it won neither.

Director Gary Nelson had made the decision to omit the Disney logo from the film and use the "Buena Vista Productions" logo instead, illustrating the growing disconnect between Disney's desire to create more adult-oriented and mainstream films and its squeaky clean image. This schism eventually led to the creation of Disney's Touchstone Pictures, a label under which Disney could release films considered too mature for their Walt Disney label.

Bonus Trivia: The Black Hole was one of the last mainstream Hollywood films to have an overture at the start of the film.

The Watcher in the Woods (1980)

"Walt Disney Productions ushers in a new decade of motion picture entertainment with the following invitation to spend ninety minutes on the edge of your seat." - Title card at the beginning of the trailer for The Watcher in the Woods

Disney makes a horror movie. The Watcher in the Woods had its premiere in New York City on April 17, 1980, but was pulled from release after ten days. Future screenings were canceled by the studio in response to the overwhelmingly negative response from critics and audiences. Changes were made thereafter, including the removal of a pre-credits sequence, as well as the filming of an entirely new ending directed by Vincent McEveety without the input of original director John Hough. Disney re-released the revised cut of the film on October 9, 1981, and it grossed only $5 million against a $9 million budget. It remains unavailable to stream on Disney+.

Condorman (1981)

Disney makes a superhero comedy before the superhero genre is really a thing. Condorman was slightly more racy than the movies Disney normally produced, as evidenced by Disney's then-president Ron Miller saying that Barbara Carrera's character was "the sexiest in Disney's history". It's worth noting, as well, that Oliver Reed as villain Krokov gives a performance that seems way too intense for the movie that surrounds it, perhaps another example of the movie's somewhat atypical approach. Did it work? Well... not really.

Condorman was heavily panned by critics when it premiered, and it performed poorly at the box office. Disney reportedly lost $9.5 million on the picture against a budget of $14 million. It's currently unavailable to stream on Disney+.

Dragonslayer (1981)

Despite disappointing box office, Dragonslayer is arguably the most wholly successful movie of Disney's Dark Age. It was a Disney/Paramount co-production, which is probably why it's the only one of these movies to have a 4K release. It was the second joint production between Paramount and Disney after Popeye (1980), and it's more mature than most contemporary Disney films, boasting violence, adult themes and brief full-frontal male nudity (a Disney first). The film received generally positive reviews from critics, but it performed poorly at the box office, grossing $14.1 million worldwide against a production budget of $18 million.

Dragonslayer was nominated for the 1981 Academy Award for Best Original Score, which it lost to Chariots of Fire. It was also nominated for that year's Best Visual Effects Oscar in recognition of the groundbreaking work of Industrial Light and Magic in bringing the movie's dragon, Vermithrax Pejorative, to life. It was the first time ILM was utilized outside of a Lucasfilm production. Amusingly, Dragonslayer ultimately lost the Best Visual Effects Oscar to Raiders of the Lost Ark, another ILM production. Regardless, Vermithrax Pejorative remains one of the most convincing realizations of a dragon ever committed to film, even decades after Dragonslayer's initial release. Dragonslayer is yet another Dark Age movie unavailable on Disney+.

Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)

Something Wicked This Way Comes had a troubled production. First, director Jack Clayton had a falling out with screenwriter Ray Bradbury over an uncredited script rewrite. After test screenings of the director's cut failed to meet the studio's expectations, Disney sidelined Clayton, fired the original editor, and scrapped the original score. The studio spent $4 million and a great deal of time and effort re-shooting, re-editing, and re-scoring, delaying the film's release by five months.

Ultimately, Something Wicked This Way Comes won two 1984 Saturn Awards (Best Fantasy Film and Best Writing) and was nominated for five others. It also garnered generally favorable reviews. Accolades notwithstanding, it grossed only $8.4 million at the domestic box office against its $20 million budget. Bradbury referred to the film's final cut as "not a great film, no, but a decently nice one", which seems a fairly accurate assessment. It remains noticeably absent from streaming on Disney+.

Return to Oz (1985)

Having missed out on the film rights to L. Frank Baum's book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz over a decade prior, Walt Disney Productions later made the decision to purchase the film rights to all of the rest of Baum's Oz books in 1954. After several unrealized attempts to make use of the properties over the ensuing decades, Disney found themselves in danger of losing those film rights in 1980. Enter director Walter Murch, who innocently suggested making another Oz film just as Disney was about to lose the rights, and Murch's Oz pitch - the pitch that would become Return to Oz - was greenlit.

Thing is, Baum's Oz books were significantly darker and weirder than MGM's The Wizard of Oz, the version of Oz with which filmgoers were most familiar. Then the project fell behind schedule during production, and following a management change at Disney, Murch was briefly fired. He was subsequently reinstated to finish the picture only after high-profile director pals George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola lent their support to Murch's discussions with the studio.

Return to Oz was released in theaters on June 21, 1985, and it performed poorly at the box office, grossing only $11.1 million domestically against a $28 million budget. It received mixed reviews, with critics praising the visual style, special effects and faithfulness to the books, while taking the film to task for its terrifying imagery, deemed too intense for what was ostensibly a children's film.

While Return to Oz is available to stream on Disney+, it has only seen HD home media release once, way back in 2015. That Blu-ray edition is long OOP, bears absolutely no special features, was only ever available through the Disney Movie Club and now goes for upwards of $250 on eBay. Smells like cult, huh?

The Black Cauldron (1985)

The Black Cauldron was Disney's first animated film to receive a PG rating. Based upon a test screening, several scenes, particularly the film's climax, were deemed too disturbing for children. Newly appointed Walt Disney Studios chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg ordered the scenes be removed, which resulted in a delayed 1985 release. Ultimately, twelve minutes were cut.

The Black Cauldron cost $44 million to produce, making it the most expensive animated film ever made at the time. It grossed only $21.3 million domestically, putting the future of the animation department in jeopardy and earning it the nickname "the film that almost killed Disney". It never received a home media release until thirteen years after its theatrical release, and unlike most animated Disney features, it was not re-released to theaters every seven years. You can, however, stream this one on Disney+ (presumably because Disney is still trying to recoup their investment).

October 9, 2019

I'm Still Calling It the Pre'Ween Picture Show, Calendar Be Damned

So it's not really Pre'Ween if it happens in November, right? Owing to a couple of prior obligations, it just wasn't possible to schedule Pre'Ween in October this year. Regardless, I refuse to create yet another sub-heading in the Movies At Dog Farm universe, so Pre'Ween Picture Show it shall remain, calendar be damned.

Here's one for the old coots... In The Quatermass Xperiment (1955), three astronauts venture into space and only one returns. The one who returns is infected, and he begins to mutate into whatever the fuck that is in the picture above. Not coincidentally, the release of The Quatermass Xperiment also marked the moment that Hammer Studios first began mutating into the purveyors of science fiction and horror we all know and love. And no, I didn't misspell the title multiple times - Hammer removed the "E" in "Experiment" to play up the adults only "X" certificate awarded to the movie by the British Board of Film Censors. Hammer felt it would enhance the movie's fortunes at the box office, and they were right.

The Quatermass Xperiment screens on Saturday, November 2nd.

Laid to Rest (2009) is a slasher movie that isn't afraid to go all in on the kills. Director Robert Green Hall got his start in the business as a make-up effects artist, so it only makes sense. Good new, though - over the top make-up effects aren't the only things Laid to Rest has going for it. Performances across the board are better than this kind of material generally demands, and the killer is suitably iconic and mysterious. We never know Chromeskull's motivations, but that's for the best. The sequel went overboard in that regard, much to its detriment. Regardless of how the sequel turned out though, Laid to Rest is a brutal and engaging slasher movie for the new millennium.

Laid to Rest screens Saturday, November 2nd.

What can I say about The Convent (2000) that hasn't already been said (here)? I've wanted to share this movie with the Dog Farm since these events began, but I kept holding out for a Blu ray release. We're going on two decades now, and it hasn't happened - so DVD it is! I fully expect Scream Factory to announce a special Collector's Edition Blu ray release tomorrow.

The Convent (2000) screens Saturday, November 2nd.

I've also heaped praise on The Banshee Chapter (2013) before (here), and it's one of those rare movies - much like my beloved Pontypool (2008) - that seems to always get a positive response when I share it with others. It's also one of those rare movies that plays better when you don't know what to expect going in, so that's all I have to say about it for the time being.

The Banshee Chapter screens Saturday, November 2nd.

Saturday, 11/2/19 The Quatermass Xperiment (1955)
Laid to Rest (2009)
The Convent (2000)
The Banshee Chapter (2013)

Screenings will begin around dusk and continue until we're out of movies. Obviously, we'll be inside for this event. Happy Post Pre'Ween!

July 9, 2019

It's Movies at Dog Farm VIII ('Cause I'm Keeping Track of This Shit Now)

Yep, Movies At Dog Farm VIII is on the horizon. Per my resolution in the previously posted Movies At Dog Farm timeline, I'm going to start making a point of recording the dates and titles here to better keep track of the event's history.

Real spiders are real creepy. I can already guarantee that the inevitable remake of Arachnophobia (1990) - which will almost certainly be chock full of the finest CGI spiders a bloated budget can buy - won't be a patch on the ass of the original. Keep in mind that we'll be watching this outdoors, surrounded by literally millions of the little beasties. What's that you feel crawling up your leg?

Arachnophobia screens on Friday, August 9th.

Real Haitian zombies, conjured and controlled by voodoo, in the first and last American feature film actually shot on location in Haiti. The late, great director Wes Craven literally almost died filming The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988). This one absolutely oozes atmosphere. You will squirm, and your nightmares will be haunted. Being buried alive is a primal fear, and Craven expertly exploits that fear like the master he was.

The Serpent and the Rainbow screens on Friday, August 9th.

And now for something completely different... Trey Parker and Matt Stone (South Park) apply their irreverent brand of comedy to the most awe-inspiring big budget puppet show you'll ever see with Team America: World Police (2004). The only thing not funny about this movie is that its satire is just as relevant now as it was in 2004. I don't care what anybody says - these guys are geniuses.

Team American: World Police screens Saturday, August 10th.

I swear the political subtext present in Saturday's movies was unintentional. Thrill to the experience of French director Alexander Aja (High Tension) telling you just exactly what he thinks is wrong with America in his superior remake of The Hills Have Eyes (2006). You can count all the horror remakes that surpass the originals on one hand and have fingers left over. This is one of them.

The Hills Have Eyes screens Saturday, August 10th.

It's relatively new, it was distributed by Troma, and it would have been right at home playing a Times Square grindhouse in the early eighties. I'm expecting walkouts. Those that steel their resolves and stick it out will be treated to a truly singular viewing experience.

Undisclosed "Midnight Movie" (2011) screens Saturday, August 10th.

Friday, 8/9/19 Arachnophobia (1999)
The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)

Saturday, 8/10/19 Team America: World Police (2004)
The Hills Have Eyes (2006)
Undisclosed "Midnight Movie" (2011)

The title of that mysterious "Midnight Movie" will be added in after the event. I don't want to take the chance that someone might Google the title beforehand, thereby preparing themselves for the trauma. It may well become the first outright bomb ever screened at Phil's. You heard it here first.

EDIT, Post Event: For anyone that didn't get it, the Undisclosed "Midnight Movie" was Father's Day from film-making collective Astron 6. It was not an outright bomb. For point of information, we ended up not watching The Hills Have Eyes (2006). Scheduling difficulties. Consequently, The Hills Have Eyes (2006) will likely turn up again at a future event. All movies (with the possible exception of Father's Day for some) were well received. If I had to call it, I'd say The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988) was the best received of this bunch. Most of the audience hadn't seen it before, and it's just a great fucking movie. Onward to Pre'Ween!

April 24, 2019

Movies at Dog Farm Events Timeline - The First Seven Years (And 50 Movies)

Old MADF Facebook Group Page Header featuring the final image from Lucio Fulci's The Beyond (1981). We still haven't watched this movie at a Dog Farm Event. Go figure.

I'm shocked! Shocked, I tell you! The Movies At Dog Farm Events that initially spawned this website are creeping up on their seventh anniversary in May, and Movies At Dog Farm VII will see It's Alive III: Island of the Alive (1987) become the fiftieth movie we've shown. That count excludes the second screenings of the three titles that have screened twice, of course. For the record, those titles were: Suspiria (1977), Pontypool (2008), and Trick R' Treat (2007). I'm not one hundred percent certain all the dates in this timeline are correct, but I'm pretty sure I haven't missed any titles. The Summer One Nighters are the most likely to be a little off since they were more haphazardly scheduled and thus more poorly documented.

Movies At Dog Farm -- 2012

Friday, 5/2/12    Pieces (1982)

Saturday, 5/3/12 Cemetery Man (1994)
Suspiria (1977)

Summer One Nighter -- 2012

Tuesday, 6/12/12   Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)
Kingdom of the Spiders (1977)

Movies At Dog Farm II -- 2012 (First Pre'Ween Picture Show)

Friday, 10/19/12   Dawn of the Dead (2004)
House of 1000 Corpses (2003)

Saturday, 10/20/12   Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Attack the Block (2011)
Pontypool (2008)
The Descent (2005)
Trick R' Treat (2007)
High Tension (2003)

Movies At Dog Farm III -- 2014

Friday, 5/23/14 Starship Troopers (1997)
Saturn 3 (1980)

  Saturday, 5/24/14 Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970)
The Sentinel (1977)

Movies At Dog Farm IV -- 2015

Friday, 5/22/15 The Manitou (1978)
Alone in the Dark (1982)

Saturday, 5/23/15   Vanishing Point (1971)
The Thing (1982)

Movies At Dog Farm V -- 2017

  Friday, 5/26/17 The Beast Within (1982)
The Funhouse (1981)

  Saturday, 5/27/17 Private Parts (1972)
The Blob (1988)
The Howling (1981)

Summer One Nighter II -- 2017

Wednesday, 6/7/17 The Big Doll House (1971)
Videodrome (1983)

Pre'Ween Picture Show II -- 2017

Saturday, 10/28/17 Halloween II (1981)
From Beyond (1986)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)

New Year's Eve -- 2017

Sunday, 12/31/17 The Redeemer - Son of Satan (1978)
Suspiria (1977) redux

Movies At Dog Farm VI -- 2018

Friday, 6/1/18 Ed Wood (1994)
Phenomena (1985)

Saturday, 6/2/18 The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
Altered States (1980)
Humanoids From the Deep (1980)

Summer One Nighter III -- 2018

Sunday, 7/22/18 May (2002)
Fear No Evil (1981)
Of Unknown Origin (1983)

Summer One Nighter IV -- 2018

Saturday, 8/18/18 The Final Girls (2015)

Pre'Ween Picture Show III -- 2018

Friday, 10/26/18 What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
[REC] (2007)

Saturday, 10/27/18 The Fog (1980)
Trick R' Treat (2007) redux
  Ginger Snaps (2000)

New Year's Eve II -- 2018

Monday, 12/31/18 Curtains (1983)
  The Brood (1979)
Pontypool (2008) redux

Movies At Dog Farm VII -- 2019

Friday, 4/26/18 Demon Seed (1977)
It's Alive III: Island of the Alive (1987) * 50th Movie! *

Saturday, 4/27/18 Boogie Nights (1997)
Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)

__________________________________________

   I couldn't resist crunching the numbers a bit after compiling the timeline...

Most Popular Decade: The 1980s, with 21 movies
2nd Most Popular Decade: The 2000s, with 12 movies
3rd Most Popular Decade: The 1970s, with 11 movies
Most Popular Year(s): 1977, 1980, 1981, and 1982, with 4 movies each

Somehow, I've yet to screen any movies from the sixties. So yeah, we'll be watching some movies from the sixties soon.

Sussing out this timeline from Facebook group pages, Facebook message strings, the MADF website, and the largely hazy recollections of attendees was more of an undertaking than I initially expected. Going forward I'll document the events more thoroughly. If anyone has hard empirical evidence of errors or omissions, please let me know. It's hard to fathom how many movies we've watched together, and I look forward to another fifty or so as long as interest remains. Thanks to all who've attended over the years for helping to build these goofy little movie nights into the long running enterprise they've become!

Incidentally, this would be a great opportunity to leave a comment sharing your favorite memories...

UPDATED

Movies at Dog Farm VIII -- 2019

Friday, 8/9/19 Arachnophobia (1999)

The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)

Saturday, 8/10/19 Team America: World Police (2004)
Father's Day (2011)

New Year's Eve III --2019

Tuesday, 12/31/19 Hereditary (2018)

Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

Winter One Nighter -- 2020

Sunday, 1/12/20 Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

Happy Birthday to Me (1980)

Summer One Nighter IV -- 2020

Saturday, 9/12/20 The Void (2016) -- unfinished -- equipment failure