Leaving no room for uncertainty, the day 3 choice is Phantasm (1979), which IMDB lists as a horror/sci-fi deserving of a 6.6 rating. The name seems suitable for a horror film and the opening sequences involve a graveyard, music very reminiscient of the Exorcist theme and suspicious murder. The movie that follows also includes practically everything I would expect from the horror genre such as a moments of excessive gore, unseen noisy monsters, people deciding to only do things during nighttime hours, weird vaguely-supernatural chracters and generally unexplained goings-on. In fact, if there is a list of elements necessary for the correct realisation of a horror film, Phantasm certainly seems to tick a lot of boxes. A good start.

The funeral is about to begin, SIR.

This is effectively a tale of a young orphan boy (Mike) and his brother (Jody) who start investigating an undertakers and his very elaborate parlour/graveyard when the boy notices something slightly strange at a funeral. This is something I feel may be common to horror films: people making poor decisions for completely arbitrary reasons. I don’t want to introduce too many spoilers, but breaking into places at night because you saw someone who looks a bit weird do something which seems a bit weird is a very idiosyncratic logical move. Also, throughout the film, every time someone (mostly Mike) is told not to go somewhere, or to stay where they are, or to not follow Jody, he does the opposite.

Another apparently constituent part of any horror movie seems to be gratuitous or largely incidental nudity. which is another box ticked by Phantasm.

So is it horrifying? No. Whilst the film has a handful of jump-scare moments, gory futuristic murder devices, people transmogrifying in a creepy way, bending of reality and lashings and lashings of custard, it manages to satisy the requirements of a standard horror film without being at all scary.

Is it worth watching? No. I am pretty convinced it is a horror film, but the whole thing is just nonsense. Nothing happens that really makes sense from an objective viewpoint. The fact that there are supernatural occurences all over the places in no way justifies the random behaviour of the main protagonists.

What are the best bits (intentionally-vague slight-spoilers)? Two of the main actors are played by people with the same name as their characters (Mike and Reggie). Jody jams a door shut by pushing a screwdriver into it. Some of the special effects are quite fun.

What are the worst bits? The actor who plays Jody is just awful. Perhaps he struggles with the fact that his real name is not the same as his character’s. He certainly seems to spent a lot of time looking blankly straight ahead. At one stage he opens a coffin with an expression I can only describe as eyes-closed palpable sexual excitement. So, the acting in general, the plot, and the fact no one learns anything from what happens in the film. At one point Jody gives Mike very specific advice about shooting guns, before failing to follow any of his own guidance.

Did you say something about custard? Yes. Terrifying custard.

Definitely horror and, if you ignore all the failings of the film as a storytelling device, quite sufficient to pass the time. Apparently there are a load of sequels. I am not going to watch them.