exploding heads

Frozen

2010-11-10T15:05:00.001-08:00

Frozen 2010
Director: Adam Green
Writer: Adam Green
Starring Emma Bell, Shawn Ashmore and Kevin Zegers
Frozen is one of those man against nature films and in a lot of ways it reminds me of Open Water. Though I think this film delves into characterization far more than that film does. Some of the conversation scenes remind me of a scene from a Kevin Smith film. The suspense and the tension the film evokes is quite palatable and it leaves an impression on you after you finish viewing the film. The story is very tight and the cast does an excellent job with the material. You do not think a film about 3 people stuck in a ski lift would be so dramatic and exciting but it is. The film has some excellent moments of peril and there are no easy solutions for the characters. This is what makes the film so interesting. This is a taut and suspenseful film that will definitely rank on my list of the top horror films I have seen in 2010.
The plot basics are this, 3 college friends are on a skiing trip for the weekend and cannot pay the full price for ski lift tickets, so they bribe the operator to let them up at a under the table rate. It goes well for awhile but on their last trip up they are forgotten about and are stuck over the ski lane. They soon discover they will be stuck up there for a week and they now panic and try to come up with a way to save themselves. But other than being stuck on the lift they also have to worry about the roaming wolves looking for dinner.
This is a tense and suspenseful film. Green’s direction is captivating and mesmerizing. He really makes you feel for the characters and makes you sympathize with their plight. He films the suspense scenes very well. I especially loved it when the first guy tries to escape and what slowly befalls him. The script is very tight. The ongoing dramatic conversations between the 3 characters are very compelling and makes you stick with the film. You really want to see them succeed. The cast does a superb job. Bell does a great job and really grows as a character throughout the film. Ashmore is really top notch too and you really expect him to save the day somehow. Zegers does a decent job too. He sort of has a thankless role and pulls it off well. The SFX and make up effects are realistic and rather grisly. It helps keep the films sense of realism. The score by Andy Garfield is quite melancholic and suits the piece well. This is a small and intense film that is well worth viewing.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Saw 3D

2010-11-02T14:08:00.000-07:00

Saw 3D 2010
Director: Kevin Greutert
Writers: Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan
Starring Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Betsey Russell, Cary Elwes, Sean Patrick Holden, Chad Donella and Gina Holden
It has taken 7 films to get us to this point and what a ride it has been. I know there are a lot of horror film fans that do not like the Saw franchise, but I have to say from beginning to end I did not see a film that I did not enjoy or was entertained by. I cannot say that for many other horror franchises. S this is the supposed final film in the series they set about resolving everything and I think they do a good job. I think if they bring it back someone else with no ties to John Kramer will have to be the killer. This film has some of the most gruesome traps and is by far the goriest in the series. The 3D effects are done very well and unlike most 3D films I never had a headache while watching it. The plot as always is intricate and the cast does a great job. The only thing I would warn against is this is not a film for the casual viewer, this is a film for the Saw fan and anyone not up to date on the films will probably be lost. But for the Saw fans this is a great way to end the series.
The plot basics are this, Hoffman (Mandylor) has escaped the trap John (Bell) had left for his wife, Jill (Russell) to complete and now he wants revenge. She goes to the police for protection and she gives them all the dirt on Hoffman they need. But he is coming after Jill. Meanwhile, self guru Bobby Dagan (Flannery) who is said to have survived a Jigsaw trap is pulled into a trap to save his wife (Holden). While Hoffman begins his intricate plan to dispose of Jill, Dagan has to traverse many traps to save his beloved wife.
This is a fantastic film. Greutert who directed the last installment does a great job with the traps. The opening public trap is a great example of this. He also ratchets up the tension between Jill and Hoffman to the nth degree and that suspense carries the film. The script is tight as well, it juggles many plotlines left from the last film and ties them all together so there are no loose ends as the film ends. The cast does an excellent job. Bell is only in it very briefly but as always he does a great job. Mandylor who has carried the franchise lately does a good job as well. Russell as Jill plays the part very manic which ratchets up the suspense. Flannery plays the douche self help guru with aplomb so you cannot help but root for the traps. Elwes return is brief but really ties the film together. The SFX and makeup effects are at there gooiest in this film and if you are a fan of the red stuff you will love it. The score as with all the Saw films is intense and beats down on you just like the film does. This is a great ending to the series and makes it one of the most solid and dependable horror franchises out there.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Animals

2010-10-20T15:57:00.001-07:00

Animals 2008
Director: Douglas Aarniokoski
Writer: Craig Spector
Starring Marc Blucas. Naveen Andrews, Nicki Aycox, Eva Amurri, Andy Comeau, Bart Johnson and Gillian Shure
This is a film based on a horror novel from the 90’s written by one of my favorite writing teams from the 80’s, John Skipp and Craig Spector. This is their first novel to be adapted and while it is not one of their best pieces of work, it was still a solid story. This film gets the feel of the story well, its only drawback is its shoddy CGI and how it tries to sidestep calling this a werewolf story. The story is solid and really combines a horror tale really well with a down on his luck type of story. The film also has plenty of sex and that keeps the story rolling along well. The cast is good too, both Blucas and Andrews give strong performances in this. It is in the CGI where this film falters and brings it down a bit. It also seems to shy from calling the creatures in the film werewolves and that is another misstep it makes. I think if it had been more confident in being honest on what the film was about it could have and would have succeeded more. I still enjoy the film and do recommend it to other werewolf film fans though.
The plot basics are this, Syd Jarrett (Blucas) is a down on his luck man in a small town just subsisting from day to day. Until the day he meets the gorgeous Nora (Aycox) and he falls immediately in lust with her. She introduces him to a sub culture of animals where he encounters Vic (Andrews) and they do not get along. He finds that Vic is more an animal than human and this causes him to break ties with Nora after he is bitten by her during sex and he starts undergoing changes. Jarrett then discovers his hidden feelings for Jane (Amurri) a woman he sees at his favorite bar every day and discovers that if he is going to survive he needs to master these new found powers and put a stop to Vic and Nora once and for all.
This is a fun film that is not without its problems. The direction by Aarnioskoski has its strengthes. He does the dramatic and sexual sequences very well. But the horror and attack sequences seem rather hollow and without any dramatic effect to them. The script does a decent job of characterizing Jarrett but fails with all the other characters, there is little if no development of anyone else. The cast is quite good though. Blucas is a great heroic lead who always seems to be a step behind everyone else. Andrews is a sleazy and despicable villain and is a character you love to hate. Aycox is mainly there as eye candy and she fills that role very well. The SFX and make up effects are half hearted at best. The blood effects are good, but the monster sequences are so bad they could have been done better by Ed Wood. The score by Alan Brewer is sophomoric and is way too bombastic for a film of this type. This is not the best werewolf film I have seen but it is far from the worst.
This one gets 3 out of 5

Boy Eats Girl

2010-10-18T19:58:00.001-07:00

Boy Eats Girl 2005
Director: Stephen Bradley
Writer: Derek Landy
Starring Samantha Mumba, David Leon, Tadhg Murphy, Laurence Kinlan, Sara James, Mark Huberman, Sarah Burke and Paul Reid
This is yet another zombie comedy and I think it falls in with Dance of the Dead. IT has some cute scenes and is generally pretty funny but it does not stand toe to toe with a film like Shaun of the Dead. It is a Scottish film and everyone involved does a splendid job on the film. The story is pretty smart and funny and I think will easily appeal to the youth generation. The cast is quite good and Mumba is really quite fetching. The film has a good amount of gore and spreads it around quite liberally. This is a fun and bit raunchy zombie comedy and is well worth the zombie connoisseur effort and time.
The plot basics are this, a young man (Leon) in high school professes his love to the girl of his dreams (Mumba) and she shoots him down and he is dejected. So, he kills himself but his mother finds a book in the church she works in and brings him back to life. There is a problem though, she has brought him back as a flesh craving zombie. He bites the local jock and that starts a chain reaction of zombie attacks and before he fully succumbs to the need for flesh he vows to save the girl and his buddies.
This is a fun and raunchy zombie film. The direction by Bradley is solid and the pace of the film is brisk. He films the zombie sequences very well. I especially loved the blowjob zombie attack scene that was hilarious. The script is very good and really brings all the characters to life. Even secondary characters like the school slut Cheryl have a story arc. It is what makes the film work so well. The cast is excellent all around. Mumba is very enticing and does a good job of making you care about her. Leon as Nathan is very sympathetic and you are always rooting for him and hoping that he will survive this ordeal. I really think Sara James as Cheryl really steals the movie though. She is a delight to wath and very sexy to boot. The SFX and make up effects in the film were quite good and would easily hold up with a company like KNB. When Nathan bites the jock on the football field that is done very well. The score by Hugh Gramm and Stephen Rennicks has a hip feel to it and suits the film very well. This is a solid piece of zombie filmmaking and well worth seeking out.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Friday Flashbacks Village of the Damned 1995

2010-10-16T13:18:00.000-07:00

Village of the Damned 1995
Director: John Carpenter
Writer: David Himmelstein
Starring Christopher Reeve, Kirstie Alley, Linda Kozlowski, Michael Pare, Meredith Salinger, Mark Hamill, Peter Jason and George “Buck” Flowers
John Carpenter has doen a few remakes of classic horror films and Village of the damned is the latest one he did and compared to his other remake, The Thing it is a slight film by comparison. Now, I have never seen the original film this is based on, but the way Carpenter structures the story and uses that acting talent it is a solid and dependable horror film. It is one of his lesser films but is still quite good. He ratchets up the suspense masterfully and he adds quite a bit of violence and explicit gore to it as well. He picked an excellent cast; both Reeves and Alley carry the film solidly on their shoulders. The eerie soulless stares of the children do the job of creeping you out and really makes the film work well. This is a solid if not ground breaking horror film.
The plot basics are this, an American village is visited upon by some alien life form that makes all the women of the village pregnant. Nine months later all the children are born and at first seem normal. It does not take long for the parents to notice that there is something werid and strange about these children. Also, that tye do not seem to be quite human or even humane. Soon the government senda a team into the village led by Dr. Susan Verner (Alley) to figure out what these alien children want and if they are malevolent. She asks for the help of local town doctor Alan Chaffee (Reeves) to assist her. They soon discover these children have their own plan and now they must come up with a strategy to stop them or the world may be doomed.
This is a suspenseful and tense film. Carpenter’s direction as always is flawless. The way he shoots the children is compelling and eerie and when they attack the local priest and the school janitor it is unnerving and frightening. The character interactions between Chaffee and Verner are done quite well too, you really sympathize with Chaffee. The script is well polished and delivers a solid horror story with some nice twists in it and you really ar on the side of Chaffee throughout the movie and how he wants to save the children but doesn’t know if he can. The cast is solid. This is one of my favorite performances by Reeve other than his role as Superman. Alley as the government doctor is deceptive and conniving and really pulls it off well. I also liked the small role of Hamill as the manic priest who goes to far. The SFX and make up effects in the film are lurid and work very well. The score by John Carpenter and Dave Davies has a somber and melancholy mood to it and suits the film very well. This is one of Carpenter’s lesser films but compared to other directors it is quite good and I think it is well worth a look again.
This one gets 3 out of 5

Train

2010-10-14T15:26:00.000-07:00

Train 2008
Director: Gideon Raff
Writer: Gideon Raff
Starring Thora Birch, Gideon Emery, Kavan Reece, Derek Magyar, Gloria Votsis, Vladimir Vladimirov, Koyna Ruseva, Valentin Ganey, Ivan Barney and Nikolay Mutafchiev
Train was originally supposed to be a remake of the 80’s classic Terror Train but it turned into something else. When you boil this film down to its essence it is basically Hostel meets Turistas on a train. It does this idea admirably well. It definitely goes with the other recent horror films of this type like the Saw films and the Hostel films and it can hold its head up with those films. This is a brutally gory film and the scenes are very hard to watch. But, if you love hard edged gore you will definitely like this film. The script is basically plot over character as it is all meant to get you to the train and to let the carnage ensue. The cast is decent but the film really hinges on Birch’s performance and she does a masterful job with the material. The gore in the film is intense and the camera never flinches or cuts away from it and I found that quite refreshing. This is a solid horror film and on well worth seeing.
The plot basics are this, an American collegiate wrestling team is competing in Eastern Europe. A few of the competitors miss the train they are supposed to travel on for the next event. They find a new train and get on it with their coach, (Jensen) but something is not quite right with this train and some of them begin to disappear. It is soon discovered that this train is used to hijack passengers and to use their body parts and organs for black market surgery. One of the teammates, Alex (Birch) discovers this and now tries to survive and stay one step ahead the evil people aboard this malevolent train.
This is a tense and scary little horror film. The direction by Raff is tight and the film has a very claustrophobic feel with the train sequences. When Birch is running through the train you feel her isolation and her fear. His filming of the blood soaked torture sequences are chilling and makes the viewer want to look away, but he will be unable too. The script does its job but most of the characters are flat and the only character you really feel for is Alex. The story is really one of plot over characterization, and yet it works here. The cast is ok with the exception of Birch. She is the shining example of what is good about the acting. You root for her and want her to achieve victory. The SFX and make up effects in the film are brutal and are done very well. It reminded me of some of the work that was done in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake. The score by Michael Wandmacher is tense and brooding and fits the film very well. This is a film that works well and uses the terror of the Eastern European landscape very well.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Dead Snow

2010-10-11T13:31:00.001-07:00

Dead Snow 2009
Director: Tommy Wirkola
Writers: Stig Frode Henriksen and Tommy Wirkola
Starring Vegar Hoel, Stig Frode Henriksen, Charlotte Frogner, Lasse Valdal, Evy Kasseth Rossten, Jeppe Laursen, Jenny Skavlen, Ane Dahl Torp and Bjorn Sundquist
Nazis and zombies seem to be 2 things that go together well, though you do not see these combinations often. The last time I saw it was in the 7-s cult classic Shock Waves. I think it is far too long since it has been done and Dead Snow does an awesome job of combining these things with a great comedic touch. The film has some great homages that remind me a lot of films like The Evil Dead and Dead alive. But do things differently enough that makes it original. It is by far one of the best zombie films I have seen in awhile. The story is quite funny and it has a genuinely likable cast. It is also by far one of the bloodiest films I have seen in awhile and that makes it a breath of fresh air. This is just a fun film and is a real treat for the horror fan.
The plot basics are this, a women is being chased through the snow covered mountains of Norway. She is being stalked by Nazi zombies. She was on her way to meet a bunch of friends for a skiing weekend and due to the attack she never shows up. Her friends still expect her and have fun while they are waiting and then as evening approaches they receive a wandering visitor (Sundquist) who tells them a horror story about what happened to a battalion of Nazis in these mountains during the war and that they should respect and fear these tales. They scoff and send him on their way but soon they are besieged by the zombies who seem to want something. The group must now band together and find a way to survive or become zombie fodder.
This is just a fun movie. The direction by Wirkola is very light and is alos very reminiscent of Sam Raimi’s work on the Evil Dead with the whole cabin in the woods motif. He stages the huge zombie attack scenes very well. The scene where the 2 guys grab anything they can use from the shed as a weapon is a classic scene. The script is very light and witty and really carries the film through all of its absurdities. It throws plenty of curves during the film and always keeps you guessing on who will survive. The cast is quite good. I especially liked Valdal as Vergard, he makes a resourceful protagonist that reminds me a bit of Ash. Frogner as Hannah was another performance I liked. She was resourceful and not too stupid. The SFX and make up effects in the film are amazing. I especially loved the intestinge rope climbing scene. It was so over the top but the gore still looked realistic. The score by Christin Wibe was very campy and frothy and fitted the film very well. This is definitely one of the better zombie films I have seen recently and well worth seeing.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Pieces

2010-09-27T10:21:00.001-07:00

Pieces 1982
Director: Juan Piquer Simon
Writers: Dick Randall and John W. Shadow
Starring Christopher George, Linda Day George, Frank Brana, Edmund Purdom, Ian Sera, Paul L. Smith and Jack Taylor
This is a wonderfully trashy yet fun film. It is not a film that would ever win any technical awards yet somehow this film works. It is enjoyably sleazy and it wallows in its gore which is a fun aspect of this film. This is a film that dwells on the gory and sickening and it really works. It also tries to go the murder mystery route but it is pretty simple to figure out who the killer is. That is not the fun of this film; the fun is watching how the killer dispatches these nubile young females. It has a great genre cast with stalwarts like Christopher George and Paul L. Smith. The film is very lurid in all the details of the killings and I think that is what makes this film a gem and one that I revisit again and again. The story is simple but effective and easily carries the film to its shocking climax. This is a high point for fan os exploitation horror and a must see.
The plot basics are this, while playing with a puzzle a child is stopped by his mother and she is shocked by what he is doing and admonishes him. This drives the kid wild and he grabs an axe and chops her to death but he hides the details so the police think he is a victim as well. Forty years later there is a rash of killings at a university where the killer takes various body parts from each young girl he kills. The head investigator in the case, Lt. Bracken (George) makes a deal with the Dean of the university (Purdom) to have a young police woman (George) infiltrates the school posing as a tennis teacher. Hopefully then they can draw out the killer. Along with the help of a student (Sera) they try to find the identity of the killer without becoming victims themselves.
This is just a cheesy and fun cult movie. The direction by Simon is mainly just adequate until he gets to the kill scenes those are done quite well. I especially loved the deaths in the shower and the waterbed. The script is decent and carries the film but it is simple at best. It is mainly there to get you from point A to point B. The film is really about the rampant nudity and all the killings. The cast does a good job. I really liked Christopher George as Lt. Brackett he was quite good. Lynda Day George was quite fetching and did the damsel in distress quite well. I liked Sera as the main protagonist too and he is someone you feel for and you put yourself in his shoes. Smith is great as the obvious red herring and does a great job with his performance. The SFX and make up effects are quite good. The death scens are brutal and shocking. The score by Librado Pastor is quite campy and cheesy and suits the film very well. This is just a classic cult slasher film and one of my favorites to watch again and again.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Nightmare City

2010-09-21T11:33:00.000-07:00

Nightmare City 1980
Director: Umberto Lenzi
Writers: Antonio Cesare Corti, Luis Maria Delgado and Piero Regnoli
Starring Hugo Stiglitz, Laura Trotter, Maria Rosario Omaggio, Francisco Rabal, Sonia Viviani and Eduardo Fajardo
Italian zombie films are one of my favorite genres of horror films and Nightmare City is one of the better ones. It is also the first zombie film to have fast zombies and the only one I have ever seen to have zombies use machine guns. The film is by Umberto Lenzi who is better known for his cannibal opus Cannibal Ferox. This is quite a fun and entertaining zombie film. The direction is pretty solid and for a badly dubbed Italian horror film the acting is not bad. Stiglitz makes a great lead and the film has some great zombie attack sequences. I especially liked the opening scene at the airport. It is tense and when the madness breaks out you are on the edge of your seat. The pacing in the film is quite fast and furious and suits the film well. This is definitely one of the better zombie films made during this era.
The plot basics are this, reporter Dean Miller (Stiglitz) is assigned to interview a scientist that is arriving on a plane at the airport and he has a cameraman alongside him to film the interview. While he is waiting another plane makes an unexpected landing and a armed military force surrounds the plane. When the plane opens a group of blood thirsty creature disembark and use tools to kill everyone in sight and they eat their flesh. It is soon discovered that these creatures are contaminated by radiation and need human flesh to survive. Dean decides after this all breaks loose to go rescue his wife (Trotter) who is a doctor at a local hospital and when he gets there discovers that the hospital is overrun by these creatures too. Soon Dean and his wife are on the run and trying to stay one step ahead of the monsters.
This is a fun little zombie film. Lenzi’s direction is solid. I like how he leers on the carnage of the zombies. The scenes at the airport and at the hospital are to prime examples of this. His pacing is quite good too; there is never a dull moment in the film. The script is decent, it never really tries to explain this phenomenon and doesn’t really give much characterization to the characters, it is more about the plot than anything. The cast is decent, Stiglitz is a little stiff but he performs the part well. Trotter is a excellent damsel in distress and always seems to be in peril. The SFX and make up effects in the film are quite gruesome and very gory. The carnage scenes are quite long and drawn out. The score by Stelvio Cipriani is very campy and cheesy and really suits the film. This is not a film that you take seriously but one you are just supposed to have a good time with.
This one gets 4 out of 5

The New York Ripper

2010-09-20T12:55:00.001-07:00

The New York Ripper 1982
Director: Lucio Fulci
Writers: Gianfranco Clerici, Lucio Fulci, Vincenzo Manning and Dardano Sacchetti
Starring Jack Hedley, Howard Ross, Andrea Occhipinti, Alexandra Delli Colli, Paolo Malco, Cinzia de Ponti and Cosimio Cinieri
Lucio Fulci is well known for his grisly and blood thirsty films and this one may be his most grisly. There is some very graphic violence done to women in this film and it might not be for every ones sensibilities. This is a film that tells a captivating immoral story as well that really captures the sleaziness of Times Square New York in the mid 80’s. The film is kind of like a time capsule in that respect. This is a brutal film that if you are a fan of sleazy exploitation it will be right up your alley. It is loaded with many sex scenes and the violence against women is very brutal and it can be viewed as a misogynistic film. What makes it all the bizarre is the ludicrousness of the killer using a Donald Duck like voice. The acting is pretty solid and the cast is quite good with some definitely attractive women to ogle in the film. The twist at the end is not too hard to figure out but is not blatantly obvious either. This is definitely one of the top films in my opinion of the Fulci canon.
The plot basics are this, there is a serial killer stalking around the Times Square are of New York City who talks like a duck when he tantalizes the police. The head detective in the case (Hedley) teams up with a college psychotherapist (Malco) to hunt down this deranged killer before he strikes again. It seems as if this killer will never be sated as they find more mutilated bodies. It does appear though the killer is closer than it appears to be and one wonders if they will be too late to save the next victim.
This is a suspenseful and gory film. Fulci’s direction is very good, his eye with the camera has a leering aspect to it. As if you should not be watching this mayhem but yet here you are. The scene of the nipple mutilation is one of those scenes that is horrifying yet you cannot help but look at it. The script is decent but it is really only there to support the gore and grisly deaths you see on the film. Though I do get a kick out of the Donald Duck talking killer. The cast is quite good. Hedley and Malco have a great chemistry together. De Ponit was one of the best victims in the film too; it was quite a treat seeing her getting sliced up. The SFX and make up effects were done tremendously well. I especially liked the nipple slicing scene. The score by Francesco De Masi is quite sleazy and really suits the ambience of the film. This is definitely the sleaziest of Fulci’s films but nevertheless a fun one to watch and therefore one of my favorites.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Friday Flashbacks: In the Mouth of Madness

2010-09-10T12:38:00.001-07:00

In the Mouth of Madness 1995
Director: John Carpenter
Writer: Michael De Luca
Starring Sam Neill, Julie Carmen, Jurgen Prochnow, David Warner, John Glover, Bernie Casey, Peter Jason, Charlton Heston and Frances Bay
This film was Carpenter’s own take on the work of H.P. Lovecraft intermingled with the popularity of Stephen King and it works wonders as a horror film. Carpenter considers this his final film in the unrelated “Apocalypse” trilogy which began with The Thing and continued with Prince of Darkness. The film is really a homage to writers of horror fiction and it shows. It is a frightening film that deals with paranoia and really makes for a tense and scary film. The imaginative script really works wonders and you really side with Trent and hopes he finds a solution to the nightmare he is thrust in. This film has a great cast and I think Neill gives a standout performance in the film and its amazing to watch him go form a by the books investigator to a manic loon. This is a intelligent and twisted piece of horror cinema that really delivers and really feels as if it could be a lost Lovecraft tale.
The plot basics are this, insurance investigator Trent (Neill) is hired by book publisher Jackson Harglow (Heston) to find famed horror writer Sutter Cane (Prochnow) who has a new book being released and he is needed so they can publish the book. It seems Cane’s books cause mass hysteria and hallucinations to the people who read his works. Trent believes the disappearance is a marketing strategy so along with A editor (Carmen) goes on the hunt to find Cane. He believes Cane’s fictional town Hobb’s End is a real place and thinks that is where he is hiding. He finds the town and discovers that Cane is changing reality and bringing his creations into the real world. Trent must now find a way to stop this or it may well be the end of the world.
This is a fantastic and terrifying film. Carpenter’s direction is solid and there are times where you wonder if things are actually happening or are they just in Trent’s fevered mind. The scene on his couch when he is studying Cane’s work is one of these and really makes the viewr jump. The film also plays more on mood and atmosphere rather than just shock scenes and that’s really what makes the film work. The script is smart and suspenseful. The way it opens with Trent being brought into a sanitarium really makes the viewer want to find out how he got to this point. At first Trent is seen as sort of a dickish character but as he uncovers more about Cane the viewer really cares what happens to him. The cast is flawless. Neill gives what I think is his best performance as Trent and plays a great flawed hero. Carmen is a great co lead to the film and she plays up her bizarre parts to play very well. Prochnow is a great evil character and you can see he relishes his role in the film and hams it up quite well. I especially loved his scene on the bus with Trent. Heston has a small role that he is great in as well. The SFX and make up effects in the film are quite good and really play up the terrifying aspects of the film. The score by Carpenter has a hard rock feel to it and almost feels like AC/DC did a horror soundtrack and it suits the film really well. This is a great film by Carpenter and one that I revisit quite a bit.
This one gets 5 out of 5 stars

Let the Right One In

2010-09-09T13:16:00.000-07:00

Let the Right One In 2008
Director: Tomas Alfredson
Writer: John Ajvide Lindovist
Starring Kare Hedebrent, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar, Henrik Dahl, Karin Bergquist, Peter Carlberg, Ika Nord, Mikael Rahm, Karl-Robert Lindgren, Anders T. Peedu and Pale Olofsson
Vampire films seem to be the in thing right now but with films like the Twilight series they are without a bite to them. This film does not have that problem it is touching but still has the savagery every good vampire story needs. It is both a love story and a horror film and it balances these 2 things very well. It is by far the best vampire film I have seen since 30 Days of Night. It is a nuanced and thoughtful film and not a film for casual viewers. It is really a film that makes its viewers think and that is a good thing to see in a horror movie. The story is deft and smart with a light touch to it, yet it still has great scenes of horror. The cast does a excellent job and you really like the characters of Oskar and Eli. This is a film that chooses its shots well and always fires accurately. The violence int ehe film is brutal and horrific but it is never dwelled upon which is the right feel for this film, because at its heart it is a love story.
The plot basics are this, Oskar (Hedebrent) is a bullied 12 year old who dreams of revenge. He falls in love with a strange girl, Eli (Leandersson) who has moved into his apartment building. Eli is not like other girls. He discovers that she is a vampire and he becomes conflicted by this/ But she also helps him to find courage to face his school bullies and he also begins to fall in love with her. His dilemma is how deeply will he follow this girl who could be a danger to him and does he let himself fall completely under her spell.
This is a fantastically well done film. The direction by Alfredson is flawless. He really uses the location to his best advantage, it really has a surreal and desolate feel to the surroundings. When the vampire attacks do come they are done quickly and brutally and staged very well. He makes no bones that at this essence this is a horror film warapped around a love story. The script is very tight too, the characterization of Oskar really makes you sympathize and care about what happens to the boy. The way Eli is characterized makes the viewer get as mesmerized as Oskar does. The cast is superb. Hedebrent as Oskar is great he really brings pathos to his character that you really care about. Leandersson as Eli is hypnotic and you cannot take your eyes off of her anytime she is on screen. The SFX and make up effects are great. There is not a lot of them but what is there is used phenomenally. The score by Johan Sodergvist is melancholy and haunting and is perfect for a piece like this. This is definitely one of the more original and better vampire films in the last 20 years and one that is a must see. I hope the American remake can be as half as good as this.
This one gets 5 out of 5

The Happening

2010-09-08T10:00:00.001-07:00

The Happening 2008
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Writer: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizamo, Ashlyn Sanchez, Betty Buckley and Spencer Breslin
I am not the biggest fan of Shyamalan’s films. I stopped seeing them after my horrible experience with the Village. But, I kept hearing good things about The Happening and when I needed another movie to rent one evening I finally rented it and was pleasantly surprised. While not the best film ever made it was definitely an entertaining one. The story is pretty tense and suspenseful and the cast does a solid job. Wahlberg is usually pretty forgettable but he does a decent job in this film. The ending was sort of resolved too quickly but it also had the requisite final scare most modern horror films have now. I think it succeeds much better than some of his other films like Signs. It is a film that has a message about what humans are doing to the planet and what could be a state of revolution by nature on the way we treat it. It is a film that makes you think and that is always a good thing.
The plot basics are this, Eliot Moore (Wahlberg) is a high school science teacher who finds himself thrust into a terrifying experience. It seems a incident at a local park has created widespread panic and now people think that terrorists are attacking. Eliot soon figures out that it is not terrorists but nature attacking humanity for all the sins it metes out on it. So Eliot along with his wife Alma (Deschanel) are on the run and trying to stay one step ahead of the massacre that is occurring. They will be fraught with obstacles both man made and nature made but will they be able to overcome these obstacles?
This is a tense and scary film. Shymalan’s direction is very tight especially during the fear filled scenes. I especially liked the scene where they were trying to get into a house and the actions that follow after they interact with the people in the house. The script is pretty good, it does not try to over explain what is happening, it just lets it happen. There is not much characterization it is much more a plot centric film and that is both a pro and a con. The viewer really doesn’t ever feel too much empathy for the characters so you never really care what happens to them. The cast is pretty decent. Wahlberg does a decent job but sometimes he tries to act like an action hero instead of a math teacher. Deschanel is ok but she is very annoying and you never really like her. Leguizamo gives the best performance in the film and really feels like a harried husband and father and he carries the film during his scenes. There is little or no SFX or make up effects in the film. This is a film that really relies on mood and atmosphere to carry it along and it does that very well. The score by James Newton Howard is very eerie and melancholy and suits the story well. This is a fun scary movie and one that is worth checking out.
This one gets 3 out of 5

Burning Bright

2010-09-07T11:22:00.001-07:00

Burning Bright 2010
Director: Carlos Brooks
Writers: Christine Coyle Johnson and Julie Prendiville Roux
Starring Garret Dillahunt, Briana Evigan, Charlie Tahan and Meatloaf
With the SYFY monster movie of the week they have come out with a lotof killer nature movies and one I remember in particular was Maneater with Gary Busey which was a dead rip off of Jaws with a tiger. When I heard about Burning Bright that is what I thought it was but this is a far superior film to that and a very tense one too. It’s really only a 3 actor film but it does not make you feel slighted in anyway. This is a tense killer tiger movie and the viewer is on the edge of his seat throughout the film. The film starts off slow with some characterization pieces but that really benefits the film and does make you care for the 2 lead characters that will be in jeopardy later. The stepfather character is portrayed as a opportunistic douche bag who really you love to hate. The tiger looks good and primal and you definitely fear for the characters. All in all this is a film that really delivers.
The plot basics are this, right before a major hurricane is going to hit a man (Dillahunt) buys a tiger from another man (Meatloaf). He warns him that this creature is evil but he still wants it to pen up a wild safari show. He has 2 stepchildren Kelly (Evigan) and Tom (Tahan). Kelly is trying to find care for her autistic brother so she can go to college. But the funds that were supposed to be in her bank account are withdrawn by Johnny. She then brings him to the house and confronts him but he says the money is his and so her and Tom stay at the house during the hurricane. Little does she know is that the tiger has gotten loose and is now roaming the house looking for food.
This is a tense and suspenseful film. Brooks’ direction is taut. He starts the film up on a slow burn but once the tiger is let loose it is a thrill ride till the ending. One of the best scenes is where Kelly hides in the laundry chute, that scene is very tense and better done than the same scene was done in Halloween 5. The script is good too. It develops the characters first, so you will care about them when they are in jeopardy. Once the tiger is on the prowl though, the story really gets going. The cast is solid as well. Dillahunt is a douchey antagonist and when he gets what’s coming to him you will cheer. Evigan is a very sympathetic lead and looks quite good as the damsel in distress. Tahan also pulls off the autistic child without being too annoying. The brief performance by Meatloaf is one of the best parts of the film too. The SFX and make up effects are minimal but pulled off really well. The CGI tiger is pulled off really well. The score by Zack Ryan is tense and haunting and really helps the ambience of the film. This is a great nature goes wild horror film and well worth seeing.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Survival of the Dead

2010-09-02T12:10:00.001-07:00

Survival of the Dead 2009
Director: George Romero
Writer: George Romero
Starring Alan Van Sprang, Kenneth Welsh, Kathleen Munroe, Devon Bostick, Richard Fitzpatrick, Athena Karkanis, Stefano DiMatteo, Joris Jarsky and Eric Woolfe
After Diary which to me was quite a disappointment I thought Romero had lost his flair for telling compelling zombie stories and so I was dreading seeing Survival. I am happy to say it succeeded my expectations. It is a compelling story that really is like a western and reminds a lot of the cattle war type of films from the like of John Ford and Howard Hawks. The story is smart and the cast is excellent. The use of CGI effects is done well but not overused which seems to be a problem in most modern horror films. The only complaint I would make is that the story was not fleshed out enough, I could have easily seen another 30 minutes of characterization and it would not have hurt the film in the slightest. This is Romero batting 300 again and I hope to see more zombie opuses like this from him.
The plot basics are this, on a island off the coast of Delaware there is a warring clan of families run by 2 patriarchs (Welsh and Fitzpatrick) who have disputing ideads on how to deal with the uprising zombie epidemic. One of the patriarchs is sent packing off the island but soon returns coming along with a band of errant soldiers who are looking for a place to recoup. Little do they know they are getting drawn into a clan feud that could destroy them all. It seems one side wants to rehabilitate the undead by getting them to eat something other than human flesh, while the other side just wants to put them down. This leads to a escalating clan war where everyone is in the crosshairs.
This is a fine zombie film. Romero’s direction is tight as usual and the cinematography is flawless in the film, it really does look like a zombie western. He stages the action sequences well and I especially loved the swim to the feryy boat that was very tense. The script is very good as well, though some parts could have been expanded on I think. I would have especially liked to have seen how O’Flynn had taken over the dock and how he had dealt with other survivors that he encountered. But, the characterization is tight and I really enjoyed the character of O’Flynn. The cast is excellent too. Sprang was a good lead who seemed embittered and wanting a end to the life of survival. Welsh was amazing as O’Flynn and really carried the film to its climax. I also really enjoyed the performance of Karkanis as Tomboy she was a refreshing character in the film. The SFX and make up effects were quite good, though I think it would have been better if Romero had gotten Nicotero to do them. But the zombies were quite believable and very menacing. The score by Robert Carli definitely had a western feel to it and it really suited the film. This was a giant step up from Diary of the Dead and makes me think Romero still has more to say with his zombie films so I hope to see more.
This one gets 4 out of 5

The New Daughter

2010-09-01T12:58:00.001-07:00

The New Daughter 2009
Director: Luis Berdejo
Writer: John Travis
Starring Kevin Costner, Samantha Mathis, Ivana Baquero, Gattlin Griffith, Noah Taylor, James Gammon and Sandra Ellis Lafferty
When you think horror films you do not really think Kevin Costner but after seeing Mr. Brooks which really surprised me I thought I would give this film a try. The things I heard about it were good like Costner with a shotgun shooting monsters. The only problem with this film it is a very slow burn and takes awhile before anything eerie happens. It does have a great sense of dread throughout though and reminded me a lot of the Shining mixed with Blair Witch Project. The story is very suspenseful and the cast is good. Costner gives a great performance of a single dad who really seems out of his element. A lot of times he just seems befuddled which really helps the story along. This is a old style horror film and it goes through its paces well. This is a film that gives you a sense of something not quite right and it really delivers.
The plot basics are this, John James (Costner) is a single father who recently went through a mess divorce and now has custody of his two children Sam (Griffith) and Louisa (Baquero). He moves to a isolated house off a dirt road in North Carolina with them and notices the house has a strange mound on the property. He soon discovers that it is a ancient Indain burial ground. Soon he hears strange noises at night and the family cat goes missing and then is found mangled and dead. His daughter seems to become affected by the mound and starts becoming a different person. He finds out the previous owner had a issue with his daughter and he ended up burning her alive because she became possessed with evil spirits. John is determined to save his daughter and will go to any means to save her and his family.
This is a tense and suspenseful film. The direction by Bardejo is quite taut. The build up to when you first see the creatures is slow but he makes it work and the viewer definitely wants to stick around to see what arises. The climax underneath the mound is tense and scary and keeps the viewer riveted. The script is tight as well, though it is a little leisurely in setting up the conflict it is still well worth enduring. The cast is excellent. Costner does a excellent job as the haggard father who has no clue what is happening to his daughter. Baquero is great as the resentful daughter who begins to experience personality changes and you really feel for her. Mathis has a thankless supporting role and does what she can with it. Griffith as Sam does a good job and is not annoying like most child actors are. The SFX and make up effects are minimal but done very well. The score by Javier Navarrete is eerie and solemn and really suits the tone of the film and it really keeps the viewer off center with what is happening. This is a eerie and haunting film and well worth seeing if you want a different horror film than the usual ilk that is out there.
This one gets 3 out of 5

Don't Look Up

2010-08-30T13:15:00.000-07:00

Don’t Look Up 2009
Director: Fruit Chan
Writers: Brian Cox and Hiroshi Takahashi
Starring Racheal Murphy, Reshad Strik, Eli Roth, Henry Thomas, Carmen Chaplin, Ben DiGregorio, Kevin Corrigan, Alyssa Sutherland, Luthaire Blouateau and Daniela Sea
This is the latest in a long line of Japanese horror film remakes and this film succeeds in some parts but fails in some others. The premise is good and at first is executed well until it takes a 360 degree turn at the end that totally kills the feel of the film. It has a unique feel, a very cool gothic atmosphere that really works and they just do not use that enough. The film is quite gory too and with a story like this you shouldn’t need gore to push the story ahead but this one does. It has a sotry that reminds me a lot of The Hills Run Red which was a far superior film. The cast was good though, with a nice cameo role by Eli Roth. I also really enjoyed Henry Thomas I the piece. The director is a great Japanese horror director, who did the excellent segment in 3 Extremes called Dumplings, but none of that genius is on display here. This is a film that probably looked good on paper but was a wash when it was filmed.
The plot basics are this, the film opens in Romania where a horror film is being filmed but something bizarre happens and the film is never finished. Flash forward to the present and we meet Marcus Reed (Strik) a director with some personal problems with a ailing ex girlfriend. It seems Marcus sees apparitions and is having mental issues but he receives a phone call from a movie producer (Thomas) to film a new version of this film that was never finished in the 20’s. He heads to Romania and the location is a run down farmhouse and soon strange accidents begin happening. It seems there was some old gypsy curse that plagued the girl the story is based on and it seems to be in full effect here. This leads to a confrontation with the vengeful spirit and Marcus that just ends strangely.
This is just a bizarre film that does not make a lot of sense. Chan’s direction is good, he has a good sense of what works in a gothic horror film. It just seems the film is far too bloody for the type of story it is, its like two halves that just do not fit. The script is not much better, it jumps all over the place and you never get much depth into Marcus’ character which really would have helped the story. The cast is good though. Strik is a good lead who makes you feel his anxiety throughout the film. Thomas is a good counterpoint in the film. I really enjoyed Roth’s bit role in the film. Sea as Tami was very alluring and had a femme fatale feeling to her which I really liked. The SFX and make up effects were great if I feel very unnecessary for a film like this. The score had a very ambient gothic feel that would feel right at home in a Corman Poe film, but just did not work here. This is just a film that failed on many levels as it tried to be like The Grudge but just did not have the right feeling to it.
This one gets 2 out of 5

Friday Flashbacks: Body Bags

2010-08-27T13:56:00.000-07:00

Body Bags 1993
Directors: John Carpenter, Tobe Hooper and Larry Sulkis
Writers: Billy Brown and Dan Angel
Starring John Carpenter, Tom Arnold, Tobe Hooper, Robert Carradine, Alex Datcher, Peter Jason, David Naughton, Stacy Keach, David Warner, Sheena Easton, Deborah Harry, Mark Hamill, Twiggy and John Agar
Horror anthology films are always fun to watch and Body Bags is no exception. A film that I think was setup to give Showtime its own chance at a show like Tales From the Crypt but it never came to fruition. It is a shame as this is a great vehicle for short horror stories and has a great resume of directors and cast. The film has a light E.C. comics feel to it until the grim and final story in the film. It also has a great narrator and host in the persona of Carpenter. He is really the highlight of the film. All 3 stories are solid, though the middle one “Hair” is the standout. This is one of those films it is just great to put on when nothings going on and you want some good horror entertainment. I would have definitely watched this every week if it had been picked up as a series.
The plot basics are this, in a morgue we mett someone who seems to be a coroner there (Carpenter) and he goes over the bodies and begins to tell stories of what happened to the ones lying there. The first story is about a woman (Datcher) stuck at a secluded gas station while a serial killer is running amok. The 2nd tale is about a man (Keach) who is losing his hair and will do anything to keep from going bald. The final story is about a baseball player (Hamill) who loses his eye and gets a transplant from a unlikely source and how it begins to affect him. This all leads to a ending when you find the Coroner is not who he appears to be.
This is a solid and entertaining anthology. Carpenter’s direction is tight. “The Gas Station” is a solid slasher piece that would fit into any horror comic from the 50’s. While “Hair” is out and out dark comedy that works on every level. Hooper’s segment “The Eye” on the other hand is very dark, grim and unrelenting. The script is very good, the banter that it gives the Coroner is very funny and the writing in “Hair” is golden. While “The Eye” is very dark and depressing, and yet it still somehow works. The film has a solid cast. I especially liked Keach who I think gave one of his best performances as the man who cannot live without his hair. Hamill was good too as the brain addled baseball player who feels he is being taken over by a murderer. Carpenter was really great though as the macabre host and I wanted to see more of him. The SFX and makeup effects in the film are top notch. I especially liked the prosthetics in “Hair”, they were quite bizarre and creepy. The score by Carpenter and Jon Lang has a very creepy and campy feel and is in tone with the film. This is a great anthology film and definitely worth checking out.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Thirst

2010-08-26T10:51:00.000-07:00

Thirst 2008
Director: Jeffery Scott Lando
Writers: Kurt Volkan and Joel Newman
Starring Lacey Chabert, Mercedes McNab, Tygh Runyan and Brandon Quinn
There are many wilderness survival horror films of late with films like Open Water and Thirst is definitely one of those. It has a very small cast of characters and one central location, a very dry and desolate desert. The director uses both the actors and the scenery very well. Films like this hinge usually on the stupidity of the characters and this one is no different, you do not go into a desert location with only 2 bottles of water that is just plain stupid. The main character in the film is characterized very well and the writing really makes you care for her, not so much for the other characters they just seem like fodder for the story. The use of the ghost wolf in the film is a little strange too, as if they were not sold that the situation that these people find them in would be enough to keep the viewer emotionally vested into the film. I think that is a mistake and is one reason why this film while entertaining is not great like a film like Open Water.
The plot basics are this, two couples are on their way to a secluded desert for a photos hoot as one of the women (McNab) is a model and her boyfriend (Quinn) is her photographer. The other couple (Chabert and Runyan) is along for the ride and having some relationship issues. Their car crashes in the desert and the one girl (Mcnab) receives a concussion and their cell phones seem to have no service and they are stuck in the desolate desert. They eventually decide to try to walk back to civilization which is at least 50 miles behind them. They face many obstacles in their trek for survival not the least being their fighting among themselves and their lack of water to keep them alive.
This is a pretty tense film. Lando’s direction is pretty solid. He sets up the character conflicts pretty well and makes it pretty obvious from the beginning that something is up with Noelle’s character from the get go. The scenes with the wolf and the surgery scene on McNab’s character are done very well and that scene in particular is hard to watch. The script is pretty good as well, you have a solid story arc for Noelle’s character and you totally sympathize with her throughout the film. The rest of the characters are pretty much cannon fodder and they feel that way. The cast does a great job. Chabert portrays a good conflicted heroine and you suffer along with her as you watch the film. McNab is good as Atheria and she is the first casualty in the film and pulls that part off well. The 2 male leads are decent but nothing noteworthy. The SFX in the film are minimal but the scene with the cranial surgery is done very well and painful to watch. The score by Chris Nickel is very haunting and spiritual and definitely has a Native American sound to the piece. This is a solid wilderness survival horror film and well worth a peek.
This one gets 3 out of 5

The Collector

2010-08-24T12:38:00.001-07:00

The Collector 2009
Director: Marcus Dunstan
Writers: Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan
Starring Josh Stewart, Michael Reilly Burke, Andrea Roth, Juan Fernandez, Karley Scott Collins, Daniella Alonso and Madeline Zima
The moniker “torture porn” seems to be bandied around a lot with modern horror movies. Films like the Saw and Hostel films are prime examples of this genre and I think The Collector falls into this category. Though in my opinion a horror film is just a horror film and this film really delivers a good one. This is a film that combines elements from both The People under the Stairs and Saw and does it splendidly. This film creates some unique traps and a great horror villain and I think it is great that you never discover who the collector is and why he is doing this. The film is genuinely bloody and mean and I really appreciate that in my horror films. The suspense in the film is palatable and grueling and the director is able to hold the tenseness throughout the film and the viewer never knows what to expect throughout the entire film. The film also gives us a great sympathetic hero in Arkin. This is definitely a horror film that delivers and one I will definitely revisit; it has the requisite gore, some nice T and A and a great set up.
The plot basics are this, Arkin (Stewart) is hired to fix the windows at the Chase house in a secluded house in the middle of nowhere in Detroit. Arkin has problems his wife owes money to some loan sharks and desperately needs his help. He wants to help but his payment for the week is not enough. So, he decides to rob the safe of Michael Chase (Burke) to pay off these debts. When he arrives at the house he discovers a twisted maniac has captured the family and set grisly traps all over the house. Now Arkin just wants to find a way out of the house in one piece but discovers their daughter (Collins) needs his help, so he will risk his life to save her and to escape from this house of madness.
This is a fantastic horror film. Dunstan’s direction is solid, he sets up the tension of the house filled with traps really well. The cinematography of the film is flawless and I really loved the scene that used the bear traps to bloody effect. The script is solid as well; you really feel for Arkin’s character and want him to succeed. Even though he is a bad guy he has a good side that you cannot help but root for. The Collector is very mysterious and you never know much about him or why he is doing this and I like that. The cast is quite good. Stewart is a great lead and carries the heroic role very well. Fernandez as The Collector is great too; he never utters a line but really conveys his part with his body language. He reminded me a lot of Kane Hodder’s work as Jason. The brief role by Zima is great too; she is very sexy and very charismatic. The SFX and make up effects in the film are outstanding. I especially loved the bear trap scene; it is by far one of my favorite kills in recent horror films. The score by Jerome Dillon is very dark and gothic and really suits the piece. This is a great horror film and definitely going to make my top list of best horror I have seen this year.
This one gets 5 out of 5

The Stepfather

2010-08-19T09:14:00.001-07:00

The Stepfather 2009
Director: Nelson McCormick
Writer: J.S. Cardone
Starring Dylan Walsh, Sela Ward, Penn Badgely, Amber Heard, Sherry Stringfield, Paige Turco, Jon Tenney and Nancy Linehan Charles
This is yet another remake of a 80’s horror classic and while enjoyable it odes not hold a shine next to the original’s impact. While Walsh is a good villain he really goes bonkers when he loses his composure he just does not have the looniness of Terry O’Quinn. The film is pretty much a play by play remake not counting the lackluster ending. The film really needed a better climax and it really should have used that hand saw in a better and bloody way. I think the best thing about the film is Amber Heard, she is enjoyable to watch and is alos a damn good actress. I also think he should have killed more people and the film took a very leisurely pace and then tried to cram everything in at the end and that just does not work. This is just a remake that does not work on too many levels but it still has some enjoyable moments.
The plot basics are this, David Harris (Walsh) is a man with issues. He is trying to find the perfect family and when he does not succeed he kills the family and moves on to the next one. He finds a new potential wife (Ward) and quickly bonds with her and her family and moves in with her. She has a son, Michael (Badgely) who has just come back from a private school after having some issues and he quickly feels that something is not right with David. He begins to investigate along with his girlfriend (Heard) and sees things that do not add up. Soon, David knows things are not working out and makes his plans to wipe out the family. It is now up to Michael to save his family before something tragic happens.
This is a well done film. McCormick’s direction is solid and he builds the suspense really well. Such as the scene when Michael and Kelly are looking through David’s things and he returns. That was very nerve-wracking. The few kills in the film are done very well too and one of the brighter parts of the film. He also pushes the climax too fast and the whole final act of the film just feels rushed. The script has some problems too, characters are not developed real well and it seems there are a lot of things that happen that are there for no reason other than to move the story along and that is weak writing. The cast is good. Walsh makes a very good stepfather and is great when he goes crazy. Heard is also great as Kelly and is the shining point of the movie for me. It also does not hurt that she is in a bikini for most of the film. The rest of the cast is adequate and keeps the story going. The SFX and make up effects in the film are done well, even though this is mostly a bloodless film. The score is mostly forgettable, like most of this film it does not leave an impression on you. This is a film that is good to while away 90 minutes but I would say stick with the original.
This one gets 3 out of 5

Sorority Row

2010-08-16T10:28:00.001-07:00

Sorority Row 2009
Director: Stewart Hendler
Writers: Josh Stolberg, Pete Goldfinger and Mark Rosman
Starring Briana Evigan, Leah Pipes, Rumer Willis, Jamie Chung, Audrina Patridge, Julian Morris, Margo Harshman, Carrie Fisher and Matt O’Leary
This is the latest in the perpetual lines of horror remakes. Now the original House on Sorority Row is one I have not seen, so I cannot compare this to the original, I can just judge it on its own merits, and I think it really succeeds as a solid slasher film. Though it does seem to crib a lot of its plot points from Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer, it does it creatively enough that I was pleasantly surprised and entertained with this film. The use of a tire iron as a murder weapon is quite ingenious and is something I had not seen before. The kills were quite creative and bloody too, which I always appreciate. It has a solid cast of beautiful women that really carry the film well, not to mention a great supporting turn by Carrie Fisher that makes the film. This is a fun slasher film that most fans will enjoy, I will just say don’t think about it too much or it may cause your brain to rot. It is just a silly slasher film after all.
The plot basics are this, during a party at the Theta Phi sorority house Megan (Patridge) plays a prank on her cheating boyfriend Garrett (O’Leary). This prank goes awry and Megan’s boyfriend and friends end up killing her and dumping her body in a mine shaft vowing to keep this heinous crime a secret. Flash forward a year later and all the girls are getting ready to graduate and they receive a creepy message via their cell phones that someone knows about what they did with Megan. Soon one by one the girls are getting killed off and now they have to put aside their petty differences and team up if they are going to survive the night and find out who is killing their sisters.
This is a fun and suspenseful slasher film. Hendler’s direction is taut and suspenseful and he keeps the secret of who the killer is well hidden till the very end. He stages the kill sequences very well; I especially liked the scene where Chugs is killed, my personal favorite kill in the film. The script is pretty simple and straight forward with maybe a little too much leaning on the plot tropes of Scream, but it still somehow works. All the characters are all pretty stereotypical and that works in the films favor. The cast is quite good; Evigan is a good lead and very charismatic. Willis as the brainy girl was also quite good. Pipes as the bitchy one was quite believable and you really hated her and could not wait for her to die. My favorite performance though, has to be Carrie Fisher with a shotgun that was a delight to see. The SFX and make up effects were done very well. The film was very bloody and graphic. The blood really flew and that is always a pleasure to see. The score by Lucian Pane was perfect for a slasher film and fit the film really well. It really amped up the tension and suspense in the film. This is not the greatest slasher film ever made, but a damn fun one.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Friday Flashbacks: They Live

2010-08-13T10:39:00.001-07:00

They Live 1988
Director: John Carpenter
Writer: John Carpenter
Starring Roddy Piper, Keith David, Meg Foster, Buck Flowers, Peter Jason and Raymond St. Jaques
This is one of Carpenter’s most enjoyable films, with a lead that really relishes the role like his work with Kurt Russell. It is a film that takes a sharp jab at the 80’s Reagan era of “me” and it can still be applied to viewers watching it today. This is a film that moves at a rapid click and never slows down. It is a action film at its heart that plays with some social commentary very knowing. The cast is excellent; Piper is the perfect choice for this film. He has a great chemistry with David and their fight in the alley is legendary and one of my favorite fight scenes in all of films. This is a smart film that makes you think as well as make you jump with all the fun this film entails.
The plot basics are this, John Nada (Piper) is a drifter who lost his job in his hometown and is drifting along looking for work. He finds a job and things are going well till one day he finds a pair of sunglasses. He puts them on and it changes his world. It seems a alien race is using subliminal messages to subvert the human race into doing what they want. Nada finds a underground group of people that know of this uprising and joins them in their plan to topple the aliens. The aliens are 2 steps ahead of them every step of the way. It is up to Nada to find a way to beat his alien oppressors.
This is a awesome film. Carpenter’s direction is tight. The fight sequence in the alley is amazing as well as the finale on the rooftop. The film also has a wicked sense of humor that really plays up the social commentary very well. The script is smart and witty. It really plays up the elitist sense of the aliens and the plight of the down trodden workers. For instance, the mane Nada brings forth connotations of being a nobody. The cast is excellent. Piper is a hard edged and funny hero and has some great line delivery in the film. David is a great foil to him as well, especially during the alley fight. Foster is a nice heroine and romantic lead, and she is very stunning with those green eyes of hers. The SFX and make up in the film is done very well. I especially like the prosthetic look of the aliens with their skull like visage. Carpenter does the score as usual and hits it out of the park. It has a droning effect and kind of beats you down sort of like the alien oppressors in the film. This is a great sf action film and a must see film.
This one gets 5 out of 5

The Crazies

2010-08-11T12:17:00.001-07:00

The Crazies 2010
Director: Brock Eisner
Writers: Scott Kosar and Ray Wright
Starring Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson, Danielle Panabaker, Christie Lynn Smith, Brett Rickaby, Preston Bailey and John Aylward
Romero is a benchmark name in horror films so it is always with trepidation I see a remake of one of his films. Luckily, The Crazies is one of his lesser known works that could have benefited by an updating, as the original is a sluggish and very leisurely paced film. With Eisner directing I was not sure how it would turn out though since his last film Sahara was not the greatest film I had seen. But after watching The Crazies it seems he has a really deft hand when it comes to making horror and suspense films. This is a film that combines 2 types of films, the horror film with the road picture and does it effortlessly well. This is a film that knows where it is going and it has a sense of what it takes to scare and unnerve the viewers. It has some great scares and a excellent cast that propels the film at a rapid click. This definitely is a good horror film that uses the topic of viral outbreaks really well.
The plot basics are this, in a small town a plane crashes with a viral agent that infects the water. This viral agent is a hybrid form of rabies that causes anyone to ingest it to go mad dog insane. The sheriff (Olyphant) of this small town investigates and soon the whole town is under quarantine and his wife (Mitchell) is taken into custody. So, along with his deputy (Anderson) he goes and breaks her out and tries to get to a safe point out of the town away from the outbreak. Along the way they have to deal with dangers springing up all around them and within each other if they hope to survive in one piece.
This is a taut and suspenseful film. The direction by Eisner is tight. I especially liked the scene in the car wash that was both creepy and suspenseful. He also elevated the tension and the suspense during the diner scene at the end of the film. He has a very good feel for what works in a horror film and shoots it beautifully. The script is simple and fluid. The story takes no time in getting started and once the action begins to fly it does not let up till the climax. The cast is superb too, Olyphant is a great heroic protagonist and you are always pulling for him. Mitchell is a great co lead and one of my favorite genre actresses today. Anderson as the deputy is quite good too and I like how he slowly but surely unravels. He plays a unhinged personality very well. The SFX and make up effects in the film are quite good and bloody. The scene with the knife in the throat is done very well. The score and music used in the film really plays up the sense of desolation and despair in the film. It really makes you feel that there is little or no hope for the characters. This is a superior remake and far better than Romero’s original film.
This one gets 4 out of 5

The Wolfman (Unrated Cut)

2010-08-08T11:36:00.001-07:00

The Wolfman (The Unrated Cut) 2010
Director: Joe Johnston
Writers: Andrew Kevin Walker and David Self
Starring Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving, Michael Cronin, David Sterne and Jessica Manley
I am a big werewolf fan and I was really looking forward to this new take on a seminal horror classic. This one did not disappoint, I liked how it stayed true to its Victorian era and did not try to update it. With a film like this you expect them to tone it down too and they did not do that. This is quite a bloody affair and it suits the tone of the tale, This is by far the best werewolf film I have seen since Dog Soldiers. The film is shot beautifully and I truly loved the transformation sequences that combined practical effects with CGI seamlessly. Another great thing about the film was that it had genuine actors in the film and they all brought their A game to the material. I never saw the theatrical cut and I have heard it had problems but in the unrated cut I saw I did not see any problems with the film. In fact, what I saw was a flawlessly tracing horror film that really does hearken back to the classic days of Universal horror films. This is a film that takes its time to develop the story and you do not actually see the first transformation to well almost an hour into the film and this time it takes is a nice change from most modern horror films. This is what makes this film such a pleasure to watch it really takes its time and lets you enjoy the characters before the horror begins to envelop them, so you actually sympathize with them.
The plot basics are this, it is 1891 and Lawrence Talbot (Del Toro) is a famed actor in America when his brother’s fiancée Gwen (Blunt) comes to seek his help as his brother has vanished. So, he returns to his ancestral home in England to find his brother has been killed by some kind of wild beast. Lawrence is reunited with his estranged father and hunts down the beast who attacked his brother and is himself attacked. He soon discovers that he has been attacked by a werewolf and when the full moon comes he will also transform and attack people with a bloodthirsty ferocity. He will soon find the dark secret his father is hiding and Lawrence will have to fight his dark urges and try to put a stop once and for all the monstrosity that is laying siege upon his homeland.
This is a dark and gritty and atmospheric horror film. Johnston’s direction of the piece is very intense and really suits the tone of the film. The visuals of the film are amazing and suits the film well. The chase scenes of the Wolfman are phenomenal and I love how he bounded from building to building while the Inspector chased him. The script is very masterfully done too. The viewer really delves into the characters of Lawrence and his father and you really sympathize with Lawrence and his dilemma and you also feel the budding relationship between him and Gwen. The cast is phenomenal. Del Toro really inhabits the role of Lawrence and I especially loved the scene where he was on display for all the doctors to witness. Hopkins plays oily evil as splendidly as he always does and is a delight to watch. Blunt is a great romantic interest and carries her role with weight. Weaving as Inspector Aberdline is a great foil to the werewolf and is a delight to watch as well. The SFX and make up effects in the film are amazing. The transformation sequences by Rick Baker are amazing to watch and the Wolfman is terrifying to look upon. The score by Danny Elfman is very dark and gothic and suits the material well. His music during the chase sequences is very operatic and fitting. This is destined to be a classic werewolf film and stands impressively next to the original Wolfman film as a true epic horror film.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Friday Flashbacks: Hellraiser

2010-08-06T05:59:00.000-07:00

Hellraiser 1987
Director: Clive barker
Writer: Clive Barker
Starring Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Sean Chapman, Oliver Smith, Robert Hines, Doug Bradley and Grae Kirby
When you think masters of modern horror two names immediately spring to mind, Stephen King and Clive Barker. Hellraiser is Barker’s most famous and still the best of all his cinematic creations. It is still a sick and depraved film to this day and that is why it has stood the test of time and spawned so many sequels. This is a film that uses the philosophy sex equals death to the nth degree. Everything that happens in this film has horrendous actions and nothing good ever comes out of any of it. This is a pulpy and blood drenched film that is a delight to watch on all levels. From the direction, the visuals, the acting and the fantastic gore effects. What is really astonishing is with so very few scenes Pinhead just owns this film. Sometimes the adage “less is more” is the way to go. It is a film that really plays with the S/M motif and it works quite well. This is a film that does not shy away from the naughty bits; in fact it makes you leer at them like you are looking at a passing car wreck.
The plot basics are this, a man (Robinson) and his wife (Higgins) move into a old house. The wife finds a hideous creature upstairs who it is reveled to be her husband’s brother who she had a illicit affair with. It seems he lost his body to a trio of demons but has found a way back and he needs her to bring peole so he can kill them and rebuild his body. The daughter, Kirsty (Laurence) of the husband does not trust her and soon discovers what she has been doing and discovers this puzzle box that started the whole nightmare. She opens the box and makes a deal with the demons that appear that she will help them get Frank back if she leaves her and her father alone. Kirsty will need all of her wits if she is going to survive both her demonic uncle and the demons on her heel.
This is a groundbreaking horror film. The direction by Barker is visually arresting. The scene where Frank first appears and reassembles himself is disgusting but you are forced to watch it. He really creates a dark tone for the film and really plays with the dysfunctional family dynamic. The script is dark and smart. Kirsty is a smart heroine that you cannot help but root for and Pinhead is one of the most original horror creations created in the last 20 years. The cast is superb. Robinson is a great lead and is especially great when he makes the turn to the dark side. Higgins is great too; she is somehow menacing, sexy and repulsive at the same time, a hard act to pull off. Laurence is a great heroine and the one character you sympathize throughout in the film. Bradley as Pinhead though really steals the show with the brief scenes he is in. When you think back on the film you think he is involved far more than he actually is. The SFX and make up effects are phenomenal. I especially like it when Frank is torn apart at the film’ climax. That is a scene I can replay again and again. The score by Christopher Young is both haunting and sexy, 2 things this film accomplishes very well. This is not a film for everyone, but those who love the dark side of horror will have a real treat on their hands when they seek it out.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Legion

2010-08-05T19:00:00.001-07:00

Legion 2010
Director: Scott Charles Stewart
Writers: Peter Schink and Scott Charles Stewart
Starring Paul Bettany, Lucas Black, Tyrese Gibson, Adrianne Palicki, Willa Holland, Kate Walsh, Kevin Durand, Charles S. Dutton, Dennis Quaid and Jon Tenney
Christian themed horror films are a hard thing to pull off very well, the best examples of good ones are The Exorcist, The Prophecy and The Omen. There is a long list of failed ones though like the remake of the Wicker Man. I am sad to say that Legion falls into the latter category. This film stole so many ideas from better films but did not bother to add anything to make these ideas their own. It borrowed from The Prophecy, Night of the Living Dead and The Terminator and it does it haphazardly. The film has a strong opening act but ultimately falls apart the deepr it tries to explain the story. The only thing that saves this from being a miserable viewing experience is the acting chops of Bettany, Dutton and Quaid. They are at least a pleasure to watch. I think the worst offense this film makes is by over simplifying everything and thinking that all the viewers are idiots. Most viewers have intelligence and it never pays off to insult that intelligence and this film is just a slap in your face to your brain and that is why it fails.
The plot basics are this, a diner in the middle of the desert becomes the final battleground between humanity and God. It seems God has decided to purge the earth of humanity once again like he did with the flood because he does not like what he sees. The archangel Michael (Bettany) disobeys God’s command and decides to help the ragtag group of human survivors left at this diner because he believes that one pregnant girl (Palicki) is carrying the answer to humanity’s problems. All of these people must band together to fight the Angels that are coming to wipe them out, but they will have to deal with their own insecurities if they have any chance for survival.
This is just a badly done film. Stewart does fine with the horror and action sequences; it is with the character scenes he fails miserably. There is no depth of feeling to the characters so you really do not care what happens to anyone. The script is just as bad, it just steals from other films blatantly. The worst example is the ending which is a tell tale copy of the ending of The Terminator, it is just sloppy filmmaking. The cast is not much better Palicki is a horrible actress and you never feel for her plight. The only saving grace is the acting of Bettany he acts like he is in a Shakespearean production and it does elevate the material somewhat. Quaid and Dutton are great in their small parts too, but it is not enough to save the film. The SFX and make up effects in the film are quite good. The best sequence was the one in the first act with the crab crawling old lady that was quite creepy. It was just a shame that they couldn’t keep up the façade of a good film after that. The score did not help much either, it was just forgettable. So, if you want to see a good end of the world Christianity horror film see The Prophecy instead.
This one gets 2 out of 5

Daybreakers

2010-08-03T12:37:00.001-07:00

Daybreakers 2009
Directors: Michael Spierig and Peter Speirig
Writers: Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig
Starring Ethan Hawke, Willem DaFoe, Sam Neill, Claudia Karvan, Michael Dorman, Isabel Lucas, Vince Coloismo and Harriet Minto-Day
Vampires are the in thing it seems with product like Twilight and True Blood and a lot of the product seems to go for the soft sell like Twilight and all it’s ilk. Thankfully, Daybreakers puts a new twist on the vampire genre and runs with it well. The idea that vampires have become the dominant species on Earth is a compelling one and makes for an intriguing story. The way the story is set up it seems that vampires have become the elite class of the world. And if they resemble any faction in modern day life it is the Republicans with their way of thinking. Humans are just cattle and that is all they are good for to them. And like any elite group this group has a underground swelling that is trying to unseat them and they do not cotton to that at all. This is a smart film that makes you think at the same time it thrills you. It has a great visual style and a solid cast of actors to bring full life to the characters. The film is also very bloody; it does not shy away from splashing it across the scene. This is a nice change of pace film that is aimed toward real vampire film fans who like to see their vampires ripping people’s throats out.
The plot basics are this, it is the year 2019 and the world is now governed by vampires and only 5% of the human population remains. This is a major thorn in the vampires blood supply, so they have a scientist, Edward Dalton (Hawke) trying to come up with a blood alternative for when they run out of humans. He is running out of time though as it seems that vampires who are not getting enough blood start to mutate and cannibalize their own blood supply. It also seems Edward is sympathetic to the humans’ plight and is soon helping them to find a cure for vampirism and this does not go over well with his boss (Neill). This leads to a dramatic showdown where every ones life will become turned upside down.
This is a visually dynamic film. The direction by the Spierig Brothers is very magnetic. Especially during the prinmal vampires attacks, it brings an intensity to the screen that is unmatched in any other recent vampire film. The script is tight as well. There is just enough depth given to the characters, so much so that you actually sympathize with Sam Neill’s character and his dealings with his daughter. The cast is solid. Hawke as always plays a good sympathetic hero. Neill is a swarthy villain that you still somehow sympathize with. DeFoe as usual steals every scene he is in and really makes the film worthwhile to watch. The SFX and effects in the film are amazing, I especially loved when the one vampire explodes after being subjected to the blood substitute. The score by Christopher Gordon is haunting and melancholy and really works in setting the tone of the up hill battle the heroes face in this universe. This is one of the better vampire films to come out in some time and well worth seeing.
This one gets 4 out of 5

The Descent Part 2

2010-08-01T11:53:00.001-07:00

The Descent Part 2 2009
Director: Jon Harris
Writers: J. Blakeson, James McCarthy and James Watkins
Starring Shauna MacDonald, Natalie Mendoza, Krysten Cummings, Douglas Hodges, MyAnna Buring and Adam Harvey
The original Descent is one of the most original and terrifying horror films of recent years and any sequel would have a lot to live up too. Luckily, The Descent Part 2 delivers on all counts. The film picks up right where the first film left off and the way the story develops follows a lot of the same rhythms of Aliens, but that is not a bad thing. It really works for the flow of the story. The direction by Harris is just as claustrophobic as it was in the original and it has some great gore scenes and genuine scares to make the film the total package. The only thing that hampers the film is the ending, it seemed rather futile and pointless and really the film would have been much better if it had ended 30 seconds earlier. This is a thrill ride of a horror film and is a fine sequel to the original film.
The plot basics are this, Sarah Carter (MacDonald) emerges from the cave almost driven insane. She ends up in a hospital and is unable to logically explain what happened to all her friends, she is forced to go with a rescue team back into the caverns and show them what happened. As they delve deeper into the caverns, Sarah begins to have nightmarish visions of what happened to her and her friends in the cave. At first, the team thinks she killed her friends and is making up some outlandish story, but it soon becomes clear that the deformed and monstrous Crawlers are indeed real and soon everyone is fighting for their own survival. It will take all of Sarah;s courage to survive this 2nd onslaught of the creatures and she will have to become as bloodthirsty as them if she wants to survive the day.
This is a tense film. Harris’ direction is very taut and claustrophobic throughout the entire film. He builds up the tension to a fever pitch for many of the scenes. I especially liked when they had to lop off the Sherriff’s hand in order to save themselves that was really brutal and shocking. The script was tight too, it gave you just enough characterization to get the story going and from there it moved at a break neck speed. The interaction between Juno and Sarah when they met again was intense and one of the finest scenes of the film. The only thing that hurts the film is the nonsensical ending; I am still scratching my head over that. The cast is excellent. MacDonald and Mendoza are great and bring a feverish madness to their performances. Cummings is also great as the new heroine in the film, who also finds her inner rage to combat the Crawlers. The SFX and make up effects in the film are amazing as well. I loved the look of the Crawlers, they were quite grotesque and believable looking. The score by David Julyan is quite good too, it adds too the ambience of the suspense and claustrophobia in the film. The only thing that keeps this from being a perfect film is the ending, which still annoys me. It was like they wanted a twist ending just for no other reason but because they could do it. This is still a hell of a good horror movie, though.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Friday Flashback: The Howling

2010-07-30T11:00:00.001-07:00

The Howling 1981
Director: Joe Dante
Writer: John Sayles
Starring Dee Wallace, Patrick Macnee, Dennis Dugan, Christopher Stone, Belinda Balaski, Kevin McCarthy, John Carradine, Slim Pickens, Elizabeth Brooks, Robert Picardo and Noble Willingham
There are many werewolf films, but for me one stands far above the rest as my all time favorite werewolf film and that is The Howling. It is a well crafted and scary film and it has some great acting performances. The transformation scenes are phenomenal and really freak you the hell out. And unlike American Werewolf in London, it does not really rely on the humor as much as that film does. All the humor does is accentuate the film. This is a film that has a claustrophobic feel at times and that is mainly due to the location the story takes place in. This is a film that gets better with repeated viewings and has some of the best looking werewolves in any werewolf film.
The plot basics are this, there is a serial killer running loose in New York and the only person who is in contact with him is news reporter Karen White (Wallace) and she helps the police corral and arrest him, but after her ordeal she needs some rest and rehabilitation. Her psychiatrist (Macnee) recommends a secluded forest area called The Colony. She goes there and at first it seems idyllic, but she hears strange sounds at night and soon her husband (Stone) begins to act strangely and she soon discovers the horrifying secret of The Colony and along with her friend (Dugan) tries to escape it.
This is a superb film. The direction by Dante is both humorous and eerie. A perfect example of this is the opening scene in the peep show. He really conveys the filthiness and depravity of the scene and makes it all the more horrifying when Eddie shows up. The script by Sayles has deft humorous touches that really ease the viewer during the tense parts of the film. I especially liked the scene in the book store that was very amusing and relieved the tension a bit. He really amps up the terror when needed though, like when Belinda Balaski is attacked by the werewolf in the office, that is truly a scary sequence. The cast is excellent. Wallace gives her best performance in this film. She is strong when called for and really shows the gamut of emotions needed for a role like this. Macnee is great as well, he plays the kindly doctor well until it is revealed who he really is and it pays off well. Brooks also brings a sensuous allure to her role and is very mesmerizing to watch. The SFX and effects by Rob Bottin are amazing and he gives us one of the best transformation scenes seen in any werewolf film. The score by Pino Donaggio really sets the mood for the film too and keeps you on the edge of your seat. This is one of the finest werewolf films and well worth digging up.
This one gets 5 out of 5

House of the Devil

2010-07-28T12:26:00.001-07:00

House of the Devil 2009
Director: Ti West
Writer: Ti West
Starring Jocelin Donahue, Tom Noonan, Mary Woronov, Greta Gerwig, AJ Bowen, Dee Wallace and Heather Robb

The 80s were a golden age for classic horror films and Ti West does his best to recreate that feeling with House of the Devil. This is a film that reminds me of the 1987 film Spellbinder along with the classic 70’s film The Devil’s Rain. West did a perfect job hatching this story in the early 80’s as it would not have worked as well in the modern day with cell phones and the internet. The lead actress would have had an easy way out if she had those options. But setting it in the 80s, where you still have to rely on rotary phones was a brilliant conceit on his part. You really feel the apprehension and fear that the lead is subjected through. The film does have a slow build up, but it is well worth the wait. It has a rousing climax that puts it up there with other classic horror films of the era. This is a film that works best if you are in a certain frame of mind and especially if you grew up with films like Children of the Corn and Poltergeist.
The plot basics are this, it is the year 1983 and Samantha (Donahue) is a college student who needs some quick money so she can move into a new apartment. She answers a advertisement for a babysitter. She has her best friend (Gerwig) drive her to the location and it seems to be an eerie and ominous house far away from any neighbors or civilization. She has reservations about taking the job after meeting the people and finding out what the job entails. But they offer her more money than she expects and she acquiesces. It seems that she is hired to watch the owners of the house’s frail mother. But weird and strange things begin to happen and she starts fearing for her life and tries to get away. Though it seems the owners (Noonan and Woronov) have malevolent plans in store for Samantha.
This is a exceptionally well done film. West’s direction really feels like a lost 80’s film and the tone carries you throughout the entire story. The way he shoots the film has that grainy 80’s video feel to it and it really works. The script is minimal at best and that really works in the films favor. It keeps the film taut and suspenseful until the obligatory horror film twist ending. The cast is great. Donahue as Samantha is a great lead and you really side with her and want her to prevail. Noonan and Woronov are great foils and you feel that they are up to no good immediately. Gerwig as Megan is a delight to watch and really hilarious, I would have liked to seen more of her in the film. The brief bit with Wallace is quite good too. The SFX and effects in the film are very well done. I especially liked the look of the demon. The score and music brought a real 80’s feel to the film and really cemented the traditional feel of the film. This is a hidden gem and a real treat for true horror fans, definitely seek this one out.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Friday Flashbacks: I Spit On Your Grave

2010-07-23T10:44:00.000-07:00

I Spit On Your Grave 1978
Director: Meir Zarchi
Writer: Meir Zarchi
Starring Camille Keaton, Eron Tabor, Richard Pace, Anthony Nichols, Gunter Kleemann and Alexis Magnetti
There are many revenge films of the 70’s and there are few that are more sadistic and brutal than I Spit On Your Grave. The only one that comes close is Last House On the Left. This film throws as many atrocities as it can into your eyes and hopes if they throw enough of them that they will stick. If that was the filmmaker’s vision I really think they have succeeded with this cult film. This is not a film for everyone, but if you enjoy brutal and perverse horror, this really is your cup of tea. This film really works because there is not a hint of sensuous in the entire film. The rape scene is interminably long and very difficult to watch. There has not been a worse Rape enacted in film until Irreversible. The rape is not sexual and you feel nothing but pity and sympathy for the girl who is ravished in this way and when she recovers and hatches her plan for revenge you really root for her and relish the malevolent wys she devises to kill her tormentors. This is not a easy film to watch but one that is well worth seeing.
The plot basics are this, Jennifer (Keaton) is a writer who decides to take some time off in a secluded area of the woods to work on her writing. All seems to be going well until she draws the attention of 4 men who keep ogling her and trying to proposition her. One day these 4 men capture and rape her and leave her for dead after they are done. Somehow, she survives and as she nurses herself back to health she concocts a plan to seek revenge on these men who have violated her. One by one she hunts them down and seduces them and then lays out her traps with deadly efficiency. When all is said and done these men will rue the day they ever messed with this woman.
This is a excellent film. Zarchi’s direction is very tight. The way he just leers on the interminably long rape scene will wear the viewer out and that is what really makes the film work. The way he shoots the climactic final scene is splendidly shot too; it gives you goose bumps as you watch Jennifer wield her hatchet at the last 2 tormentors. The script is very economical. There really isn’t much to it other than the basic plot and that simple premise carries the film and you do not need more than that. The cast is quite good, Keaton gives a bravura performance as a woman who is wronged and enacts bloody vengeance for those wrongs. During the rape scene you really feel her anguish. Pace also does an excellent job as Matthew, the village idiot. He is really the only male you feel any sympathy for through out the entire movie, though that does not last long. The SFX and effects are nominal; in the film, but what is there really works like the castration scene. You do not see much but what you do see makes you groan. One of the best aspects of this film is how there is no music in the film at all; it really plays up the utter starkness of the film. It is especially fitting at the very end. This is one of the best Revenge films and well worth seeing. But, be warned you need a strong constitution to sit through this film.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever

2010-07-22T10:02:00.000-07:00

Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever 2009
Director: Ti West
Writer: Joshua Malkin
Starring Rider Strong, Noah Segan, Alexi Wasser, Rusty Kelley, Marc Senter, Giuseppe Andrews, Michael Bowen, Regan Deal, Judah Friedlander and Larry Fessenden
The original Cabin Fever is one of the crowning achievements in horror films in the past 10 years and a sequel had a lot to give up too and this one delivers. In just terms of sickness and depravity it really pays off. It also gives you lots of sex and gore to keep the horror fanatics such as myself happy. The film also pays homage to many other classic fright films like Carrie and Night of the Creeps. From the beginning the film seems to top each scene with the next one. This is a film that is a gore hound’s delight and also has a sick twisted sense of humor that will keep you revisiting the movie. This film is shot expertly and never makes the viewer lose a beat. The cast is excellent and the story just easily flows till the ending. My only complaint is it needed a more solid ending, it just seemed like it stopped and there was not an actual denouement. But with that, this is a fun horror film that any self respecting fan of 70s and 80s horror will love.
The plot basics are this, it opens immediately after the ending of the original film with Paul (Strong) carrying the virus and floating down the river, he contaminates the river and the water reaches a local water bottling plant that starts using it for their bottled spring water. We meet John (Segan) and Alex (Kelley) who really want to go to the prom but do not have dates. John has a problem with a bully Marc (Senter) over the girl of his dreams Cassie (Wasser) and after a showdown e ultimately decides to go to the prom. The problem is everyone has been drinking the water and is now falling apart and the Government shows up to quarantine the school so now John and Cassie have to find a way out of the school and not to get infected.
This is a excellently done horror film. West’s direction is tight and he really shines the camera on all the grotesque carnage that happens. I especially liked the school bus scene that was really gloriously icky. He also does a great job of directing the cast; they all have great chemistry on screen. The script is tight as well. It has a great sense of humor in it and it is all quite twisted which works with the film’s tone. I especially loved the return of Deputy Winston, his character was a hoot as always. The cast was superb; Segan was a great lead who really manned up at the end. Kelley as his buddy had most of the comic relief and he had great delivery. Wasser was a pretty and capable romantic lead. Senter as always was a evil bastard and I always enjoy watching him work. The supporting roles by Bowen and Friedlander were great as always too, Andrews return as Winston was my favorite role in the film he just was funny as hell with every moment he was on screen. The SFX and effects in the film were great; I especially loved the school bus splat and the oozing penis bits. The music in the film was trendy and edgy and really conveyed the tone of the film. This is a film that never has a dull moment and gives you lots of great and sick payoffs, well worth seeing.
This one gets 4 out of 5

A Nightmare on Elm Street

2010-07-20T12:09:00.001-07:00

A Nightmare On Elm Street 2010
Director: Samuel Bayer
Writers: Wesley Strick and Eric Heisserer
Starring Jackie Earle Haley, Kyle Gallner, Rooney Mara, Katie Cassidey, Kellan Lutz, Clancy Brown and Connie Britton

Horror remakes are a dime of dozen nowadays and very few of them are as memorable or even superior to the originals. The latest of the batch is the reworking of A Nightmare On Elm Street. While the film does an excellent job of being a decent horror film, it fails in bringing us a superior revamped version of the venerable classic. The direction of the film is handled ably well and the story does it’s job, but it doesn’t take any chances or try to add anything new to the mix. The cast does well too, especially Haley. He is a great choice for the new Freddy, though he does not erase your memories of Robert Englund in the role. The film also has some good scares in it and they bring you the blood and guts by the buckets and that works well in the film. This is not enough to vault the film into the win column for superior remakes though, at best it is just a decent one and after watching it you just want to see the original again.
The plot basics are this, Death seems to be stalking the teenagers of Springwood. They are all having horrid nightmares about a demonic maniac with a glove made of razors (Haley) and soon the teens start dying one by one in their sleep. Soon, Nancy (Mara) starts to investigate and discovers a conspiracy from the adults of Springwood to keep the teens unaware about a child molester they took out in a case of vigilante justice and it now seems that this molester and child killer is haunting the dreams of the teenagers and exacting his own bloody revenge on the kids. It is now up to Nancy and her boyfriend (Gallner) to combat the demon and find a way to defeat him once and for all.
This is a well executed film. The direction by Bayer is excellent, he really knows how to sustain the tension in a horror film and the film has many genuine scary moments. The opening diner scene is one of the best examples of this. The script does the job and gives a back-story to Freddy that is lacking in the original series, though it is a misstep for the writers to try and show Freddy in a kinder light. The characters are all rather weak except for Freddy, it seems as if they could be kids from any slasher film with nothing that sets them apart from any other film. The cast is decent, with solid props going to Haley as Freddy. He is quite menacing, though he is missing that sick sense of humor Englund had. Also, the supporting jobs that Brown and Britton do are great. Mara and Gallner are decent leads, just nothing special. The SFX and make up effects in the film are excellent, I especially liked the diner scene and when Tina bites it. The score does the job but is not as evocative as the original’s. All in all, this was a decent remake that falls a bit short of reinventing the wheel, but it is well worth checking out.
This one gets 3 out of 5

I am back!!

2010-07-20T12:07:00.000-07:00

Sorry that it has been awhile, put I had computer issues and it has tooken 4 months to get back up and running, but the review machine is up and running once again.

Green Eyed Monster

2010-04-14T11:48:00.001-07:00

Green Eyed Monster 2007
Director: Gabriel Barboza
Writer: Gabriel Barboza
Starring Michael Lee Arnold, Andrea VanEpps, Estella Gomez, Nicholas Barton, Kwame Okeene, Akron Watson and Tyler Clark II

Greed is a powerful plot device and when you combine it with Hispanic magic folklore it comes together to make a really palatable supernatural horror film. The film combines elements of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre with The Blair Witch Project. This is a film peppered with greedy and opportunistic characters and they are really characters you come to loath as you are drawn into the film. There is really only one character you care about and the way the film moves that is really all you need. As the characters begin to divide and suspect each other, you really get a sense of paranoia and that really helps when the supernatural aspects begin to raise their ugly head, The film has a uneasy almost Evil Dead aspect to the proceedings and that really plays well with the sense of propriety and greed that the characters portray. This is a tenses and frightening film that to me does far more right than The Blair Witch Project ever did.
The plot basics are this, a group of friends hear a rumor about a amount of $10,000 dollars of cash is buried at a abandoned farmhouse and they decide to investigate and see if they cannot rustle up the cash. They discover the cash but as the trip progresses they discover something else. Something horrible happened at this location years ago, and now it seems as if something supernatural and unreal has come back to enact its revenge on all of them. Soon, people start disappearing along with their ill gotten money and they all point fingers at each other and their paranoia and suspicions run rampant. It seems as if a malevolent spirit is picking them off and they need to learn to trust one another if any of them will get out of this ordeal alive.
This was a tense and frightening film. Barboza's direction is very tense and from the opening scene, he sets the mood well. The way he films all the characters you can see that every one has a hidden agenda and their own scorecard to keep track of. He films the scenes in the woods well and when the supernatural stuff starts to happen you can really feel it. The script, also by Borboza is tight. He fills the story with characters you really loathe and cannot wait to see die. The one that stands out the most to me is Frankie, (Michael Lee Arnold), he is just in general a douche bag and gets more abrasive as the film progresses. The script also keeps the supernatural apart hidden so you never know if it is truly happening or all part of the characters suspicions and paranoia. The cast is excellent, Michael Lee Arnold as Frankie really carries the film with his distasteful character. Andrea VanEpps plays Sandra, really the only likable character and the true protagonist of the film. She is the voice of reason that no one seems to listen to, and that is why you gravitate towards her throughout the entire story. The SFX and effects of the film are minimal but used quite effectively. Such, as the opening scene with what originally happened at the farmhouse. The score by Anders Petersen is a nice touch too, as it sets the claustrophobic and isolated mood that the film portrays. This is a fine film that combines the elements of a curse film with the elements of the treasure hunting film. And it does so expertly.
Tis one gets 4 out of 5

The Garbage Man

2010-04-13T12:52:00.001-07:00

The Garbage Man 2009
Director: Hart D. Fisher
Writer: Hart D. Fisher
Starring James Meredith, Greg Hill, Tracee Scott, Desseari Shepston, Rick Canning, Joe King and Erik Adams

There are few horror films that are truly disturbing. Films like Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer and Cannibal Holocaust come immediately to mind. The Garbage Man is another one of those films. Any film that is written and directed by the man behind the controversial Jeffrey Dahmer comics of the 90's , you know is going to be explosive, and this film does not disappoint. When a film opens with a man body punching a bound and half naked woman, you know you are not watching a safe movie. This film leaves a bad taste in the viewers mouth and never leaves you with any easy answers. It is more like it makes you think why did I watch this, and what does it all mean. The film follows a garbage man, who moonlights as a serial killer who has disturbing visions in his mind that cause him to kill. Though, he is brutal and at times unlikable, there are scenes throughout the film where you actually sympathize with him. That is what makes the film so potent and powerful. It bears many similarities to Henry , Portrait Of A Serial Killer as just like that film it follows the viewpoint of a un repentant killer as if the viewer is a fly on the wall. This is a film that leaves you with some unease and unpleasant feelings afterwards.
The plot basics are this, Tom (James Meredith) is a garbage man who works hard during the day, but when he is done with work he has a dark side. It seems that from a twisted upbringing he has grown into a dark and malevolent person. He patrols the city looking for victims that he can dominate and the unmercifully kill. Anyone who rubs him the wrong way is a target as well as any female who gets his libido going. He has mental issues where he hears voices and has disturbing images that force him to go on the hunt.
This was a disturbing and shocking film. Fisher's direction is sparse but it works. The film has a grainy, almost documentary feel to it and it really sells the film. The viewer actually believes that this could be real. Fisher's script is just as solid. His character study of Tom (James Meredith) really carries the film and without it the film would be just another cheap exploitation film. The way the character bounces around and interacts differently with various characters really makes you want to see what will happen next. The cast is quite good, especially James Meredith as Tom, he reminds me a lot of Michael Rooker's performance in Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer. The film hinges on his performance and he supports it effortlessly. The SFX and effects in the film are nominal, as this is more a film about emotions and atmosphere than just plain grue. All in all, this is a disturbing and shocking film that really needs to be seen by fans of films of these types.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Dismal: Eat Or Be Eaten

2010-04-12T12:41:00.001-07:00

Dismal: Eat or Be Eaten 2009
Director: Gary King
Writer: Bo Buckley
Starring Bill Oberst Jr., Lydia Chandler, Tim Morris, Jack Harrison, Jade Arnold, Capel Kane, Laurie Kimsey, Brent Lovell and Meagan Reedy

The genre of backwoods cannibal family films is a sub genre in the horror field that seems to get constantly mined. Dismal is the latest on this subject and it is really a paint by the numbers effort. If you have never seen The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or The Hills Have Eyes I would say it is worth a look. But, if you have seen any of the classic films of the genre this film really adds nothing new. The film has a twist or 2 in the final act that was surprising, but it did not save the film from it's pit of mediocrity. The film pretty much follows the basic plot line of any backwoods horror film where, a group of good looking people end up on the wrong side of the people living there. The film does have some excellent gore and kills in the film. I especially liked the use of a grappling hook in one of the kills. The cast is uniformly good too, they just have a really weak story to work with and they are never able to vault over that detriment.
The plot basics are this, Dana (Lydia Chandler) is failing biology in college. She decides to go on a field trip that the professor's assistant, Curt (Tim Morris) is supervising to help boost up her GPA. She goes along with several other students to a place called The Great Dismal Swamp, which is teeming with life, but it also seems as if something unnatural is stalking them like prey. For other than the wildlife, there is a family of cannibals looking to add to their meat locker any people foolish enough to venture into the swamp. It will only be through Dana's (Lydia Chandler) wiles and survival skills that she may survive this horrendous deal.
This is a very mediocre film. The direction by King is very pedestrian. It does not seem like the shots are staged well and there are times where you cannot figure out what is really happening. Never a good sign for a horror film. He also has a great location for a horror film but he never seems to be able to shoot it at its best advantage. The script does not fare much better. The plot is way too familiar to anyone but a complete novice on the structure of horror films. There is a twist towards the end I didn't see coming but the film was so poorly done, it was already past the point of no return. The cast is one of the few decent things about the film. Tim Morris is quite good as Curt, he portrays the assistant with a aloofness and a awkwardness that really comes across well. Lydia Chandler also portrays a great heroine, who really develops and branches out in the final moments of the film. The SFX and the effects of the film are somewhat good too, though it would seem that some of the CGI blood effects were rushed and not finished properly as they look really fake. All in all, I would not recommend this film. If you have not seen any backwoods horror films I would instead tell you to seek out The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or The Hills Have Eyes rather than this turkey.

The Last House On the Left 2009

2010-03-27T09:18:00.001-07:00

The Last House On the Left 2009
Director: Dennis Iliadis
Writers: Adam Elleca and Carl Ellsworth
Starring Tony Goldwyn, Monica Potter, Garret Dillahunt, Aaron Paul, Spencer Treat Clark, Riki Lindhome, Martha MacIsaac, Sarah Paxton and Michael Bowen

The original Last House on the Left is one of the most disturbing and shocking horror films of all time, so when I heard it was getting remade I was hesitant. But the film does enough things differently to make it a valid remake. It is tense and disturbing and the rape scene is just as uncomfortable as the original. If their is one complaint I would make with the film is Dillahunt is not as creepy or as sleazy as David Hess was in the original. This is a film that is beautifully shot and the director gets every ounce of feeling he can from every tense filled scene in the film. This is not a easy film to watch as none of the kills are very cut and dried, they are all messy and ugly. It gives the film a scenes of realism, which it keeps up with till the somewhat ludicrous ending. That being said, this is a tense and cruel horror film that definitely deserves to stand next to the original.
The plot basics are this, Krug (Dillahunt) is a convicted murderer on his way to state prison when he is rescued by his gang and then flees into the dark. Meanwhile, Mari (Paxton) along with her Mom (Potter) and Dad (Goldwyn) are off to a idyllic summer vacation in a secluded area of the forest, where they are staying at the last house on the left. Emma takes their car out to visit a friend (MacIsaac) and they meet up with a strange young boy (Clark), who has some pot for sale and so they head back to his hotel room and soon Krug and his gang barge in and take the girls hostage. Krug takes Mari's car and proceeds to go on the run until Mari tricks them into having an accident and it totals the car. This pisses Krug off and he stabs Mari's friend and violates Mari. Mari tries to escape but is shot while swimming away. Krug and his gang then come up to the house to ask for help which is the same house Mari's parents are staying at. Not long after this Mari's parents discover that they have done horrible things to their daughter and no proceed to enact their own bloody revenge on the gang.
This is a tense and disturbing film. Iliadis' direction is very visceral. It is especially profound during the rape scene. It is shocking and painful to watch, which a rape scene should be. It is one of those scenes where you have to keep looking away before you get too disgusted. The script is very solid, it really solidifies the characters of Mari's parents, as they are the main viewpoint of the story and you really feel their anguish over what has happened to Mari. The villains are done well too, though I think the best realized one is Sadie she seems to be more in control than Krug is. The cast is excellent. Dillahunt makes a decent Krug, he just isn't as overpowering as Hess is in the original. Goldwyn and Potter as the grieving and vengeful parents are great and you really feel their pain and rage. Paxton as Mari is very good too and you really sympathize and feel for her. The SFX and effects are outstanding. It is very bloody and messy. Especially with the microwave scene and the scene with the garbage disposal. The score by John Murphy really ads to the ambience to the film. Especially during the swimming sequences. This is a solid remake and one well worth seeing.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Friday Flashbacks: Prince of Darkness

2010-03-26T10:31:00.000-07:00

Prince of Darkness 1987
Director: John Carpenter
Writer: John Carpenter
Starring Jameson Parker, Donald Pleasance, Victor Wong, Lisa Blount, Dennis Dun, Susan Blanchard, Anne Marie Howard, Ann Yen, Ken Wright, Dirk Blocker, Peter Jason and Alice Cooper

This is one of Carpenter's most underrated films and one of my personal favorites. Throughout the entire film it has a genuinely creepy tone and stays with you long after you finish watching it. It combines elements of Night of the Living Dead with Assault On Precinct 13 and it feels completely original. The way it use physics as a way of quantifying pure evil is highly original and I have yet to see duplicated in any horror film. The film has a great ensemble cast that utilizes many of the best actors that Carpenter continues to mine such as Donald Pleasance. This is a film that relies a lot on ideas and dialogue more than cheap scares and shocks, though it does utilize those to excellent effect too. This film really reminds you of a modern H.P. Lovecraft story as it is more atmospheric than blood fueled, and I think that is why the film is so powerful and works so well. The dream sequences in the film really accentuate the hyper reality of the horror that the group is facing. The way the dream sequences open and close the film and how they are totally different really makes this a thought provoking horror film.
The plot basics are this, a deep dark secret has been kept under lock and key for years in a in a abandoned church and when the priest safeguarding this secret dies it is brought to the attention of another priest (Pleasance) and he finds in the sub basement of the church a cylinder with a mysterious green liquid and the diary of the dead priest. The priest contacts Professor Howard Birack (Wong) at the local university and he brings a gorup of students to investigate and study what has been found. They soon discover through their studies is that what is in the cylinder is the essence of the Devil and this awakens the son of the Devil and he begins to possess the students one by one. Those possessed begin to infect the tohers and now it is up to the remaining survivors to stop the infection and to prevent the Devil from entering this world and causing Armageddon.
This is a atmospheric and genuinely creepy film. Carpenter's direction is downright claustrophobic and is felt throughout the film. The way the cylinder is filmed is always ominous and the scenes with the burgeoning homeless zombies is quite frightening. Carpenter makes great use of the dilapidated ruins of an abandoned church. It seems that there is dread around every corner. The script is very intelligent. This is really a thinking man's horror movie, as it combines physics with unspeakable evil. The characters are all well rounded. The characters of Brian Marsh and Catherine Danforth are the focal point of the film and you really sympathize with their dilemma. The cast is unifromly excellent. Parker as Marsh is a great protagonist and he also shows a soft side which come through well. Blount as Danforth is a great female lead and the main crux of the story. Pleasance as the priest is as always a strong performer and it is no different in this film. He steals many of the scenes he is in. Wong as the professor is quite good too and does a very credible performance, especially from someone who is better known for comedic roles. Dun is great as the partner to Marsh and has a very comedic role that offsets the terror of the film. The SFX and effects in the film are outstanding. Mark Shostrom does a great job, especially with the zombie like appearance of the infected homeless people led by the always creepy Alice Cooper. As always, the score by John Carpenter is one of the best things about the film it makes all the creepiness of the film really palatable and stays with you long after the film is over. THis is by far one of Carpenter's most creepiest and frightening films.
This one gets 5 out of 5

A Perfect Getaway

2010-03-23T09:21:00.000-07:00

A Perfect Getaway 2009
Director: David Twohy
Writer: David Twohy
Starring Steve Zahn, Milla Jovovich, Timothy Olyphant, Kiele Sanchez, Marley Shelton, Chris Hemsworth and Dale Dickey

David Twohy is one of the most solid and dependable genre filmmakers working today and whenever he does a film I seek it out. He never fails to make a ripping good film. A Perfect Getaway is his latest film and it is a suspense thriller with a killer twist that could really show something to M. Night Shamayalan. The film has a leisurely pace and takes it's time to set up the conflict in the story and that's what makes the film so gripping, as you actually feel and sympathize with the characters. The film has a solid cast and a beautiful location that Twohy definitely takes advantage of. The film also has some excellent scares and has some really grueling gore scenes. Once the film gets to the twist in the last 20 minutes of the film really grabs a hold of you and does not let go till the gripping finale. The film really has a Hitchcockian feel to it and is definitely one of the best thrillers I have seen in a long time.
The plot basics are this, Cliff (Zahn) and Cydney (Jovovich) are on their honeymoon and go to a very secluded and tropical island paradise for their honeymoon. They run into 2 different couples, Kale (Hemsworth) and Cleo (Shelton) and Nick (Olyphant) and Gina (Sanchez). Kale and Cleo seem to be a angry dysfunctional couple and Nick and Gina , a crazy and unorthodox couple. While they are on their honeymoon they discover that there is a murder spree going on at the island. It seems that honeymooners are being stalked and brutally killed. Cliff and Cydney soon suspect one of the couples is behind the killings and they believe they are being stalked as their next victims. They need to stay aware now and make sure they do not fall prey to the killers.
This was a fantastic film. The direction by Twohy is amazing. The way he sets things up is flawless. He sets up the suspense and follows through expertly. The way he goes back and forth in the final act to show the viewer the hints that they may have missed is brilliant. His use of the beautiful location is done splendidly too. The best use is during the chase at the climax with the waterfalls and the jungle. The script is very smart and witty. All the characters are fully rounded and you sympathize with all of them. The character of Nick really carries the film. This was a story that the twist towards the end you never saw coming and that is what makes the execution of the story work so well. The cast is excellent. Olyphant is great, he is very amiable and personable but with somewhat of a dark side. Jovovich is brilliant too, she is very sexy and also very sly and industrious in the film. Zahn and Sanchez are great supporting actors to these two and really accentuate the tension and suspense of the film. The SFX and effects are amazing. My personal favorite was the brutal hand disfigurement at the end. Also, the big girl fight sequence is another prime example of a great action sequence in this film. This is a film that anyone who likes a film that will keep you guessing should definitely checking out.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Friday Flashbacks: Jaws

2010-03-19T09:54:00.000-07:00

Jaws 1975
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writers: Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb
Starring Roy Schieder, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton, Carl Gottlieb and Jeffrey Kramer

Jaws is the film that started my love with horror films, as it is the first film I remember seeing as a kid and right away it solidified my love for the horror film. It is a superbly well crafted film and the benchmark of nature run amok horror films. This is a film that really freaked me out, especially during the scene where Hooper is investigating a shipwreck and a head pops up. That scene still give me shivers when I think about it. One of the things that really works about the film is really how little you see of the shark. It is a film that really builds on and plays with tension and suspense and that is why it works so well. Everything about this film came together and created a masterpiece. The cast, the locale, the score and the cinematography all come together to make one of the most perfect horror movies ever made. This was also the first film that started the trend of the summer blockbuster. This killed at the box office and began the trend that still goes to this day of releasing the big tent pole action films for the summer season.
The plot basics are this, in the idyllic summer resort town of Amity Beach something strange and frightening begins to happen. It seems swimmers are being attacked and eaten by a Great White shark, something that is unusual for these waters. The Sheriff, Brody (Schieder) figures it out and plans to close the beach down till it can be stopped but the mayor (Hamilton) doesn't believe him and refuses to let him close the beach down. After a horrible event at the beach the mayor acquiesces and Brody hires a gruff shark hunter, Quint (Shaw) and takes along a marine biologist, Hooper (Dreyfuss) for the hunt. All 3 go in Quint's ship and head out to sea to hunt down the monstrosity. Thus, begins a hard and grueling adventure that not everyone will survive and the mettle of these men will be sorely tested to their extremes.
This is a exceptional film. The direction by Spielberg is outstanding. The use of the ocean works really well. The cinematography is flawless. From the opening scene to the final battle with the Shark the film grabs you and does not let you go till the ending. The shark attacks are pulled off suspense fully and without giving away too much, which what makes the film all that much better. The script is solid and a great improvement over the book. It removes the unneeded subplot of a affair between Hooper and Brody's wife and instead fixates on the shark and what it does to this community. All the characters are fully realized and very lively. Quint is the most memorable character and this is most realized by his recollection of the tragedy U.S. S. Indianapolis. That scene is riveting and one of the finest scenes in the film. The cast is superb. Schieder as Brody is a great flawed hero who really pulls it together at the finale. Dreyfuss as Hooper brings a lot of humor to the role and it really balances the tension you feel throughout the film. Shaw is the true star of the film as Quint. He is gruff and sometimes just plain scary. He really comes alive during the camaraderie scene on the ship right before the shark attacks. Hamilton as the mayor is the dick you love to hate and it is great when you watch him break down and eat his own words. Garry has a thankless role as Brody's wife but does a great job of lending emotional support to Schieder. The SFX and effects of the film are flawless. The shark is not used too much but just enough to make it look authentic and to keep the story going. The effect of the floating head is a scene that still haunts me and proves how effective the SFX in the film is. The score by John Williams is such a focal point of the film and so simple yet effective. You know anytime those chords start something bad is coming and it raises the tension even more. This is a flawless horror film and for me still Spielberg's best film.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Grace

2010-03-15T11:34:00.001-07:00

Grace 2009
Director: Paul Solet
Writer: Paul Solet
Starring Jordan Ladd, Stephen Park, Gabrielle Rose, Serge Houde, Samantha Ferris, Kate Herriot and Malcolm Stewart

The killer baby genre is a long storied one in the horror film's history, beginning with Rosemary's Baby leading up to The Unborn. Grace is the latest in this sub genre and it really takes the idea and really turns it up on it's head. This is a film that likes to examine and at the same time skewer certain topics of modern life, like vegans, New Age therapy and natural birthing. What is most amazing about this film is that it was written and directed by a man. It is hard to believe that a man could capture the feminine process so well, but he does it expertly. This is a film that isn't really scary, but there are many moments in the film that are creepy as heel and leave you with a genuine feel of unease.
The plot revolves around Madeline (Ladd) and Michael (Park) and they have been trying for a long time to get pregnant. It is all Madeline (Ladd) thinks about. She (Ladd) finally gets pregnant but she does not want to go to a doctor, much to the chagrin of her Mother-in-law (Rose). Instead, she (Ladd) decides to go to a holistic clinic which is operated by a old college friend of hers, Patricia (Ferris). Not long after, they have a pregnancy issue and after it is dealt with, they are in a horrible car wreck on the way home and Michael (Park) is killed and Madeline (Ladd) has a miscarriage but decides to bring the baby to term and birth it. By some miracle the baby is not dead, but she does not like milk and Madeline (Ladd) soon discovers that Grace prefers blood. She (Ladd) does whatever it takes to feed Grace. Soon, Vivian (Rose) wants her (Ladd) to be checked out by her own personal doctor (Stewart) and this leads to some problems for Madeline (Ladd) and Grace.
This as a gripping film from beginning to end. It was really a unsettling scene to watch from the opening scene where Park and Ladd are having sex and he is really into it and she is just staring at something past the act and showing no emotion whatsoever. It really sets the tone for the film, that Madeline (Ladd) all she cares about is Grace and nothing else matters to her but keeping her baby safe. It is the most extreme example of the mother role. Solet's direction is very claustrophobic at times and for much of the film it is like a one person drama. Solet's script is solid as well, it is really cool how satirizes things like vegans and new age processes. All of the characters are fully realized and yo see them with all their strengths and weaknesses. The acting in the film is above board, especially the performances of Jordan Ladd and Gabrielle Rose. Ladd really freaks you out with the lengths she is willing to go to defend her child. Rose is very good as the Mother-in-law, who has issues with Madeline (Ladd) and feels that she needs to save Grace from what she believes is someone who is ill suited to motherhood. Rose does great acting sometimes with just a look here. The most interesting scene is where she is in bed with her husband and has him suckle her breasts like a baby, really quite unsettling. The SFX in the film is excellent, very realistic and hard to watch. This is a film I would highly recommend and I think would be a great film to watch alongside the French film Inside.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II

2010-03-14T10:30:00.001-07:00

Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II 1987
Director: Bruce Pittman
Writer: Ron Oliver
Starring Michael Ironside, Wendy Lyon, Justin Louis, Lisa Schrage, Richard Monette, Terri Hawkes, Brock Simpson, Beverly Hendry, Wendy Smith and Judy Mahbey

The original Prom Night is one of my most hated horror films as I find it unflinchingly boring. But, Hello Mary Lou is a pleasant surprise. This is a fun and gory little horror film that really works on all cylinders. It is a film that combines elements from Carrie and the Exorcist and does it really well. It creates a really creative and fun horror film with some great gore and some great T and A footage. The film has a great cast that is spearheaded by the always intense Michael Ironside. Lyons is quite good too, as she is able to go from the nice girl to the evil queen bitch at a drop of the hat. She is also very sexual at times and that's what makes her performance really shine and makes the film work. This is also film that was made when the Nightmare On Elm Street series was at the height of it's popularity and it shows in many of the elements of the film, such as the locker attack scene during the middle of the film. You could change just a few things and it would fit easily into one of those films. That is probably another reason the film works so well, it has a great villain that you love to hate.
The plot basics are this, in 1957 at the Hamilton High senior prom Mary Lou Maloney (Schrage) is about to be enshrined as the prom queen when a accident caused by her boyfriend Bill Nordham (Ironside) when he discovers her illicit tryst with another classmate and the accident kills her in a horrible burning accident. We flash forward to 1987 where Bill is now the principal of the high school and Vicki Carpenter (Lyon) is getting ready for the senior prom. She finds some relics from the 1957 prom and they are imbued with the malignant spirit of Mary Lou Maloney. Soon, Vicki becomes possessed by the spirit of Mary Lou and she begins to get ready for the prom and to finally take her crown that was denied her so many years ago. Vicki becomes focused and anyone who gets in her way may not live long if they bother her. It is up to Bill and his son Craig (Louis), who is dating Vicki to stop Mary Lou's reign of terror and somehow save Vicki.
This is a fun little horror film. The direction by Pittman is very well done. He has a self assured feel for what works in a horror film and it shows. The best example of that is the locker scene which uses suspense and terror very well along with some exploitative nudity. It all comes together and makes up the most memorable scene in the film. The script is very good too. It balances vengeful spirits with body possession excellently. The characters are very well balanced too, the character of Bill Mordant is a great character with his own strengths and weaknesses that really come into play during the story. The evil modus operandi of Mary Lou is quite fun and hypnotic to watch too. The cast is excellent. Ironside is magnetic and intense as the troubled principal who is trying to hide what he did in the past to his son. Lyon is great at doing a split personality and she really pulls it off well. While Schrage as Mary Lou is unrepentantly evil and you can tell she enjoys it. The SFX and effects in the film are expertly done. The locker room squish and the death of Mary Lou are 2 of the best examples of the effects that are done so well in the film. The soundtrack of the film really accentuates the film too. I loved how right before Mary Lou showed up you would hear the Buddy Holly song "Hello Mary Lou". This is one of the best 80's horror films and one well worth seeing if you have not seen it yet.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Hell of the Living Dead

2010-03-13T10:58:00.000-08:00

Hell of the Living Dead 1980
Director: Bruno Mattei
Writers: Bruno Mattei, Jose Maria Caniles, Rosella Drudi and Claudio Fragasso
Starring Margit Evelyn Newton, Franco Garofalo, Selan Karay, Jose Gras, Gabriel Renom, Josep Lluis Fonoli and Victor Israel

The sub genre of Italian zombie films is a long one and for every good one there is 10 bad ones, but some of these films are just laughably bad and retain a certain fondness to them. Hell of the Living Dead is one of those films in my book. Though the film is laughably made and a obvious rip off of Romero's Dawn of the Dead, even going so far as using the same Goblin soundtrack. It is a poorly done film, without much thought put into it and yet somehow it is still a fun movie> As far as bad zombie films go it ranks up there with Burial Ground: Nights of Terror. The film also uses stock footage to pad the film and it shows. The cast is laughable, and it really works in the films favor. The female lead is very attractive and doffs her clothes off for the most ludicrous reason and it somehow works. The gore in the film for the most part is pretty cheesy, but it definitely has its moments, such as the tongue ripping and face ripping scene at the end. That scene alone makes this a film worth repeated viewings. This film has some laughably bad scenes that if you were stoned I think you would die from laughter at this film.
The plot basics are this, in Papua, New Guinea there is a chemical spill at the Hope Centre that turns the staff into flesh eating zombies. A 4 man hit squad is sent in led by Mike London (Jose Gras) to contain the problem. They encounter a TV news crew led by celebrity reporter Lea (Newton) and she is investigating what has happened. Soon, it becomes clear that the entire country is overrun with zombies and Lea and the hit squad need to find a way to contain the situation before the human race is eradicated by the ravenous flesh eaters. But will they be able to adapt and survive or will they become tomorrow's lunch.
This is a laughably bad film. The direction by Mattei is pitiful, there is no flow to the scenes of the film. It goes from nature stock footage too films of zombies running amok. This would be bad in any case, but it just makes the viewer scratch his head and wonder what the hell is going on. The zombie attack scenes are one of the better choreographed things in the film and when zombies attack it becomes a really fun film to watch. The script is paper thin. It tries to make some point about 3rd world famine, but the story is so bad that you hardly even notice. There is not much characterization, you just go from scene to scene putting the characters in more outlandish situations as the film progresses. The most idiotic thing is when one of the soldiers decides to pick up a cane and don a top hat and do his own rendition of "Singing in the Rain" while zombies are attacking. The cast is laughably bad as well. Newton as Lea is basically just there for eye candy and it shows. Gras as London is paper thin too, but it works for the film. The SFX and effects are quite cheesy but fun. I really loved the climax of the film with the face demolishing, I still get a thrill every time I see that. Finally, the score lifted right out of Dawn of the Dead is ludicrously funny to witness in this film. With music as superior as that you would think it would ante up the quality of the film, but it just makes the film that much worse. This is a pitifully bad zombie film, but if you are in the right frame of mind it can be a very enlightening experience.
This one gets 4 out of 5

The Final Destination

2010-03-11T13:41:00.001-08:00

The Final Destination 2009
Director: David R. Ellis
Writer: Eric Bress
Starring Bobby Campo, Shantel VanSanten, Nick Zano, Haley Webb, Mykelti Williamson, Krista Allen, Andrew Fiscella, Justin Welborn, Stephanie Honore, Lara Grice and Jackson Walker

The Final Destination franchise has always been one of my favorite horror series of recent years, but they really seemed to drop the ball with this one. Overall the film was just meh. The deaths were rather cheesy and some were just outright copies from the other films. The film was also way too short to be able to give the film the proper suspense that was needed for the elaborate deaths. There was little to no characterization in the films, so when a character died you could have given a rat's ass. Another element that screwed the film is that all the major deaths were given away in the previews and that killed any suspense on what was going to happen. Really the only thing that saved the film from being a total disaster was the excellent 3 D effects. This film by far has the best 3 D effects that I have seen in any 3 D film to this date. This is a film that fans of the series will see, but it is definitely not representative of what is best that the series has to offer, for that I would point them towards Final Destination 2. This film was amateurish at best.
The plot basics are this, Nick (Campos) and his friends are taking a much needed break from studying by hanging out at a NASCAR race. Nick has a premonition of a horrible accident happening and he gets his friends and a few other patrons to leave the race before his prediction becomes reality. They all leave unharmed but it soon becomes apparent that Death has a plan for them and the survivors begin to die in bizarre and mysterious ways. Nick begins to have visions of what is to come next, but in cryptic ways. He tries to figure it out and save the ones who are marked. It seems Death is unstoppable though. If Nick does not find a way to cheat death though, all their numbers will be up, including his own.
This was really a poorly done film. I am surprised it did so well at the box office. Ellis who did a superb job of directing Final Destination 2 really drops the ball here. The suspense is almost non existent due to the fact that you see all the kills coming from a mile away. The kills while pulled off decently, are not very creative and unlike the other films are not memorable at all. The script does not fare much better. There is little to no characterization, so you have no empathy for any of the characters. It seems that the only character that gets any details is George, the security guard and that still is not enough to warrant a memorable character. The cast is mediocre at best. The film is mostly filled with young people who look good in little clothing, and while that may distract you, it does not substitute for genuine acting skill. Williamson as George is really the only decent actor in the bunch. The SFX and effects are done very well, specifically the 3 D effects. The opening car crash carnage is great, but it never reaches that level again. One effect that I thought was done better in another horror film was the escalator death, that was far more well done and suspenseful in the 80's horror film The Kiss. This was just a mediocre horror film that is raised up some by some excellent 3 D effects.
This one gets 3 out of 5

Blood Creek

2010-03-10T09:53:00.001-08:00

Blood Creek 2009
Director: Joel Schumacher
Writer: David Kaiganich
Starring Dominic Purcell, Henry Cavill, Emma Booth, Michael Fassbender, Rainer Winkelvoss, Lazlo Matray, Joy McBrinn, Shea Whigham and Tony Barger

It has been awhile since I have enjoyed a Joel Schumacher film like this. This is by far his best film I have seen since 8 MM. It is a high concept horror film and it almost makes me forgive the travesty that was Batman and Robin. It combines a action film with a scenario much like the Evil Dead and does it tremendously well. Any film that uses a Nazi built monster always piques my interest and the monster in Blood creek is very creative and imaginative. This is a film that builds up the tension with each scene and it has a tremendously well played villain in the persona of Fassbender. He is sleazily evil and somehow, also very charismatic. Purcell as usual brings his A game to the film and it is always a delight to see him kicking ass. This film uses the mythology of Nordic Rune stones and Wampyres to excellent effect and really makes this tale into a rousing horror adventure.
The plot basics are this, in 1936 the Wollner's a German family farming in the rural United States are asked to accommodate a boarder from the homeland. Richard Wirth (Fassbender), who they soon discover is a occult scientist for the Third Reich, and they find they will have a high price to pay for accommodating Wirth. We then flash forward to the modern day, where we meet Evan (Cavill), who has been taking care of his invalid father since his older brother Victor (Purcell) disappeared on a fishing trip over 2 years ago. One night Victor returns looking like a mountain man and asking for weapons and for him to help him hunt down something. They go to the farm where Wirth came to live all those years ago and finds the Wollner family as they were left in the 30's as if frozen in time. Victor wants payback for the torture that was inflicted on him and what he finds is far worse than he ever expected. They have unleashed a unspeakable evil and now this night will test them in ways they cannot possibly fathom.
This is a surprisingly solid action horror film. Schumacher sets the stage well with his direction of the opening scene in the 30's and then flash forwards to the present and does not let go of the throttle of the film till the ending. He stages the action sequences well and they all move at a heartbreak pace. The film has a deliberate claustrophobic fell that really works in it's faver. The script is quite good. The use of Nordic mythology and Wampyres really makes the film an original piece, in this day and age of remakes and PG-13 horror films. The cast is quite good. Cavill makes a excellent hero, who has no idea what kind of night he is entering into. Purcell, as always is a excellent action hero who really brings a intensity to his performance. Fassbender as the demonic Wirth, is a great charismatic villain that I never got enough of. Booth as Liese, the girl that begins the tale is very good, she is mysterious and very sympathetic. The SFX and effects of the film are quite outstanding. Ken Neiderbaumer does excellent work, especially during the transformation scene to Wirth's final metamorphosis. THis is a film that is a treasure trove of fun elements for the horror film fan and well worth seeking out.
This one gets 4 out of 5

The Haunting 1963

2010-03-09T13:07:00.001-08:00

The Haunting 1963
Director: Robert Wise
Writer: Nelson Gidding
Starring Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson, Russ Tamblyn, Fay Compton, Rosalie Crutchley, Lois Maxwell and Valentine Dyall

When it comes to haunted house films there are few that rival the Haunting. The way it uses mood and atmosphere to ratchet up the horror is palatable. This is a film that works on 2 levels, as a fearful ghost story or a tense psychological thriller. The question every viewer must ask is are the hauntings real or is it all just in Eleanor's head? That is what makes the film such a classic of mood and fear and why it is the benchmark for all ghost stories. While the film is a classic, the remake is a prime example on how to screw everything up. That is why if you even mention the 1999 version I would be surprised if you are not pelted by tomatoes by the fans of the classic original. There are also not so hidden themes of lesbianism with the burgeoning relationship in the film between Eleanor and Theodora. IT is very well though out and it is never too pronounced to turn off viewers, but there is enough of it to make viewers think that something is going on between these two. The character of Eleanor causes the viewer to bounce between feelings of empathy for her to feelings of pitifulness on how wishy washy she is and how she never seems to make a solid conscious decision. Also, the neuroticism of Eleanor makes one think that all the eerie happenstance's of the film are all in her head. That is what makes the film so brilliant is it all real or just a fevered figment of this crazed girl's mind?
The plot basics are this, in a remote area of New England, cut off from all of civilization is Hill House. A house with a long history of strange violence and deaths. Dr. John Markway (Johnson) is going to stay there with some specialists to discover or not if it is truly a haunted house. He brings with him 3 other people, Luke (Tamblyn), Eleanor (Harris) and Theodora (Bloom). Eleanor is there due to her past history with ESP and not soon after, she begins to experience horrifying ordeals within the house. IT becomes unclear if it is all actually happening or if it is all in Eleanor's head. It would seem that Eleanor with her repressed feelings of her deceased mother, who she had been caring for has opened the gateways for the malevolent spirits to taunt and oppress her. It also seems that they want her to stay within Hill House, and the question is will Eleanor be able to withstand them and escape or is she doomed to become another lost soul that is trapped within it's evil walls?
This is a fearful and atmospheric film. Wise's direction is unnerving and you always feel that something dreadful is waiting around the corner to strike at any moment. His direction of Harris and her character's Neuroticism is very tense and you really feel that there is something not quite right with this girl. The script balances the feeling of the story being supernatural or psychological very well throughout. The way the film is seen is all subjective to the psyche of who is viewing it at the time. The character interactions between Eleanor and Theodora has a undercurrent of lesbianism that cannot be denied and make the film all that more gripping to watch. The cast is excellent. Harris really carries the film and makes you feel for Eleanor at times and then others become exasperated with her. Bloom as Theodora is very good too and really forces you to see the flaws of Eleanor. Johnson and Tamblyn are great in what really becomes secondary roles after the bravura performances of the ladies. They bring up the exposition needed to tell the story of the house very well and never do it in a boring way. There is little or no SFX in the film, as everything relies on mood and atmosphere and that is better for a genre film such as this. The score by Humphrey Searle is haunting and very eerie and really accentuates the experience of the film. If you only see one haunted house film this is the one to see.
This one gets 5 out of 5

The Grudge 2

2010-03-07T09:50:00.000-08:00

The Grudge 2 2006
Director: Takashi Shimizu
Writer: Stephen Susco
Starring Amber Tamblyn, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Arielle Kebbel, Takako Fuji, Edison Chen, Sarah Roemer, Jennifer Beals, Matthew Knight, Misako Uno, Teresa Palmer, Ohga Tanaka, Yuya Ozeki and Christopher Cousins

The genre of Japanese horror remakes is a short but long one in the horror genre and most of these transitions are mind numbingly bad with a few exceptions. Those being the Ring series, Pule and The Grudge series. These are all series that I think work far better in the Americanized versions than they do in the original Japanese versions. I really do not know what it is about the American versions that are better, but I do think they are better paced and flow thematically much better than their Japanese counterparts. I personally find the original versions of the Ring and the Grudge very boring and very hard to sit through. They take way too long to set up the story and it makes the proceedings very boring. The U.S. versions flow much more smoothly and you actually get a feel for the characters that are missing in the original versions. The Grudge 2 is on one those sequels that I feel is equal to what the fist film set out to do. It is just as creepy and eerie as the first one and I liked how it used 3 different storylines and joined them together by the end of the film. It also has a much more American horror film ending, as everything that can end badly does, and I appreciate that. The best horror films work well with a sense of dread and the Grudge 2 uses this very well.
The plot basics are this, it follows immediately from the ending of the first film. In Pasadena Mrs. Davis sends her daughter Aubrey Davis (Tamblyn) to Tokyo to bring back her other daughter Karen Davis (Gellar) back home. She is in isolation at a hospital after burning down a house. After meeting with Karen, she unexpectedly dies and this sets Aubrey on investigating what happened to Karen in Japan. She finds herself being chased by the same vengeful ghost that Karen was pursued by. Elsewhere, in Tokyo 3 high school students are now being chased by the ghost as well, due to a prank 2 of them set on the 3rd one. Meanwhile in Chicago, Trish (Beals) has moved in with her boyfriend Bill (Cousins) and they soon witness strange goings on's within their apartment building, that may be related to the goings on's in Tokyo. As the story progresses it will become clear that all these stories are connected and they will all soon come together.
This is a very creepy and evocative film. The direction by Shimizu is very even handed. He sets up the claustrophobic and fear filled scenes with a deft hand and there is always a sense of dread and sadness tinged into every scene. IT is definitely a film that feels unsettling and it is a feeling you feel long after witnessing the film. The script is quite tight and suspenseful too. It gives you just enough details on what happened in the previous film that a newcomer does not feel lost and a fan of the previous film feels that they have touched on what has gone on before. There are many characters that are juggled throughout the film and the best one has to be Aubrey, as she is given the most development and you care about what happens to her far more than any of the other characters. The cast does a great job too. Tamblyn is very good as Aubrey, she is sympathetic and also very strong willed. Gellar does fine in her limited role in the film, and really serves a purpose with her addition to the film. Beals also does a good job, though her role seems really transitory and rather pointless. The SFX and effects in the film are very ethereal but also very fluid. They work well within the parameters of the film. A film that works more with mood and atmosphere than with blood and guts. The score by Christopher Young also really amplifies the mood of the film and really makes the viewer feels like they are on the edge of their seat throughout the film. This is a great sequel and also one of the best Japanese horror films remade for American audiences out there.
This film gets 4 out of 5

Ghost Ship

2010-03-04T10:49:00.001-08:00

Ghost Ship 2003
Director: Steve Beck
Writers: Mark Hanlon and John Pogue
Starring Julianna Marguiles, Gabriel Byrne, Ron Eldard, Desmond Harrington, Isaiah Washington, Karl Urban, Alex Demitriades, Emily Browning and Francesca Rettondini

Dark Castle to me always does a fine job of making entertaining horror films and until I saw the recent Orphan this one was by far my favorite one. The film grabs you from it's blood soaked opening and does not let you go till the shocking finale. This is a film that really follows the plot idea of the Shining on the high seas and it really goes with that idea. The film has a utter sense of dread throughout and the viewer really feels that most of the characters stuck in the ship will fare about as well as the spectral apportions that inhabit it. The film is graced with a wonderful cast, a great location and a foreboding sense of dread that permeates the entire film and really drenches the viewer into it's atmosphere. The death scenes are blood curdling shocking and a joy for the gore connoisseur to behold. The film really sues the claustrophobic locale of a eerie and lonesome cruise ship very well and you cannot have chosen a better place for a riveting ghost story than that.
The plot basics are this, Canadian Air Force pilot Jack Ferriman (Herrington recruits a salvage ship to investigate a cruise ship he discovered adrift during one of his routine patrols. Once they arrive they discover a long lost and fabled cruise ship, the Antonia Graza. The ship has been lost at sea for over 40 years and it is quite a find for the salvage crew as they discover a cache of gold bars. This seems all great news to the team, until bizarre things begin happening. It seems that the Graza is besieged by horrific evil that is now trying to tempt and envelop the salvage crew. It all boils down to a battle of unspeakable evil and one strong person in Epps (Marguiles) to combat the horrors of the Graza. She has some help in the form of a little girl's spirit, Katie (Browning). It will all depend on how fortified Epp's strength is, if she survives the ordeal or succumbs to temptation like many others have aboard the Graza.
This is a tense and scary film. Beck's direction is taut and tense. He uses the claustrophobic locale of a dilapidated cruise ship very well. He really sets the stage well in the opening scene of the film and once the viewer falls prey to the carnage, they are mesmerized throughout the film. The script is quite good too. Many of the characters like the Captain of the salvage crew and his right hand man have their own strengths and foibles that come into play throughout the story. The twist at the end on who and what is really behind the diabolical happenings is very well hidden and you do not see it till it is too late. The cast is great as well. Marguiles as Epps is a great lead and she has a great chemistry with Browning who portrays Katie the little girl ghost. Byrne as always is a delight and really brings pathos to his portrayal of the alcoholic Captain. Harrington is very good as the Air Force pilot who hides a dark secret that he plays off very well. The supporting cast of Washington, Eldard and Urban are all very good too. The bit part by Rettondini is also very good, she is both sexy and sinister. The SFX and effects are phenomenal. That opening scene of carnage is amazing, though I have a affinity for the hook through the face scene later on in the film. This is a great haunted ship film that I enjoy more with each viewing and I highly recommend it.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Flight of the Living Dead: Outbreak on A Plane

2010-02-24T17:43:00.001-08:00

Flight of the Living Dead: Outbreak on A Plane 2007
Director: Scott Thomas
Writers: Sidney Iwanter, Mark Onspaugh and Scott Thomas
Starring David Chisum, Kristen Kerr, Kevin J. O'Connor, Richard Tyson, Erick Avari, Derek Webster, Raymond J. Barry, Dale Midkiff and Brian Thompson

AFter the much ballyhooed Snakes on A plane (which I thought was a pretty crappy movie) came out there were many knock offs and clones of that film like Snakes on a Train, but Flight of the Living Dead is the best of these film and the one that should be remembered most fondly rather than the stunt casting of Samuel L Jackson in the Snakes film. The concept of zombies running amok on a plane you wouldn't think would have much steam, but the film really runs with it and keeps it running till the fiery end. And what a ride it is, this is just a fun movie with some nice bits of humor, some cool characters and great zombie devouring action. The film was done on a small budget but it really works wonders with it. The effects are solid and they do not overuse the CGI which is many a downfall of a good movie (I am talking about you, I Am Legend). The setup in the film is setup well and followed well throughout the entire film. It is also good that it follows the genre rules of most other zombie films, shoot them in the head and they die and if you get bitten you become one. The 2 standard rules and they stick closely to that. This came out at a time when zombies were on the rise in popularity and even virus laden films seemed to imitate the zombie form, so it was nice to see a tried and true zombie film and not something that was trying to reinvent the zombie wheel.
The plot basics are this, on a average flight from L. A. to Paris a group of renegade scientists are smuggling a container holding the sick body of a fellow scientist. She is infected with a highly infectious and deadly virus. This virus cause the dead to reanimate. At first he flight is uneventful until, the flight hits some turbulence due to a electrical storm and this causes the cryogenics in the container to malfunction and the stricken person awakens and is shot to death by a guard watching it. She does not stay dead long and soon rises and begins to munch on her assailant and anyone else who crosses her path. The scientist feel something is wrong with their cargo and all but one (Avari) goes to check it out and they are attacked. Soon, the plane becomes overrun by the infected and it is now a race for survival for the few remaining living. It all comes down to a con man (O'Connor), a FBI agent who is entrusted with him (Chisum), a Air Marshall (Tyson), a stewardess (Kerr) and a professional golfer (Webster) are all that stand in the way of the zombies and the rest of humanity. They must find a way to stop them before the plane crashes into a populated area.
This is a great little zombie film. The direction by Thomas is solid. The movie actually starts out as if it is a comedy but soon it spirals into a zombie film and he does that deftly. I love the way he sets up the zombie attacks, one of my favorite scenes is when the one girl gets pulled through the mirror in the restroom. He makes you think the attack will be coming from somewhere else but surprises you with the final assault. The script is solid as well. There is a lot of great character throughout the entire film. My favorites being Long shot, the golfer, Paul Judd the air Marshall and Frank the con artist. They all have great character arcs with my favorite being Frank, he as all the best lines and steals every scene he is in. The cast does a great job as well. O'Connor is the standout performance. He is sarcastic and very funny throughout the entire film. It was also nice to see Tyson again as I have not seen him in anything since he played the heavy in Kindergarten Cop and he does a great job here. Webster as the golfer is great too with some great one liners and he really brings forth the action quotient too. The SFX and effects are done very well. They use a lot of CGI, but it never seems to much or too fake. The blood flows copiously and I especially loved when the one zombie got thrown through the plane's engine, that was some brutal stuff. For any fan of zombie cinema this is one that is well worth seeking out and I think one of the better zombie films in the last few years.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Cannibal Holocaust

2010-02-22T11:04:00.000-08:00

Cannibal Holocaust 1980
Director: Ruggero Deodata
Writer: Gianfranco Clerici
Starring Robert Kerman, Francesca Ciardi, Perry Pirkanen. Luca Barbareschi, Salvatore Basile, Ricardo Feuntes and Carl Gabriel Yorke

There are very few films that live up to their notoriety, but Cannibal Holocaust definitely lives up to it's reputation. It is a film that is unflinching in it's showing of brutality and every time I view it the film still hits me like a sledge hammer. It is a film that really goes with the documentary feel and makes it it's own. People believe The Blair Witch Project to be a gripping and realistic pseudo horror documentary but Holocaust did it first and better. This is a film that has graphic depictions of real animal torture and even though that is reprehensible for being shown on screen, if you don not watch that footage in the film it loses some of its power. It is a film that really shows the brutal reality of human nature and you really loathe the characters in the film and truly feel that they deserve the actions that are taken against them. This is a important film that should not be just seen as another grind house exploitation film about cannibalism but a film that has something to tell us about human cruelty and its repercussions.
The plot basics are this, Professor Harold Monroe (Kerman) a anthropologist form New York heads to the wilds of the amazons to search for answers to what happened to a group of documentary filmmakers who have disappeared without a trace. He comes in contact with two primitive tribes and discovers the remains of the crews bodies along with the footage they filmed. He is able to make a deal with the chieftain and gets the footage and returns with it to New York. He views the footage in detail which chronicles the travels of Alan Yates (Yorke), Faye Daniels (Ciardi), and their 2 cameramen, Jack Anders (Pirkanen) and Mark Tomaso (Barbareschi) through the Amazonian forest. It appears that they terrorized the tribes to get the best out of their footage. Monroe is approached by TV executives who wants him to edit a watchable version of the documentary, but he tries to talk them out of it as they have not watched the final footage he has witnessed. Finally he gets them to watch it and the unspeakable acts that happen on screen and they see the error of their ways.
This is a powerful film. The direction by Deodata is strong and powerful and he is unflinching with his camera work on showing all of the brutality and violence. It has a grainy documentary feel that really works and the film would not have worked as well without this visual style. The script is tight and fast. It sets up the story very well and it is great how it goes from the adventure of Monroe in the Amazon too what Yates and company does in the jungle. The maliciousness and cruelty of Yates and his crew is palatably sleazy and evil that the viewer really begins to loathe these characters. The cast is very good. Kerman is very good and is really the heart of the soul of the film trying to bring back some humanity in what he is a witness too. Yorke is great as the sleazy director Yates. With each scene he antes up the cruelty of his character and it really pays off. Ciardi is also exemplary as Faye and at first you think she may be a sympathetic character but it soon becomes clear that she is on board with whatever Yates has planned for the natives. The acting of Pirkanen is great too, he does a great job of adding to the depravity of the film crews actions. The SFX and effects are brutally realistic. The most glaring example of this is the native the crew finds that is impaled from anus to mouth, that is a brutal visual that will stay with you long after witnessing the movie. The use of the animal torture and cruelty needs to be spoken of too. Though it is horrible to watch, to really witness the entire achievement of the film it needs to be seen as a crucial part of why this film works. The score by Riz Ortolani is a integral part of the film as well. It is haunting and melancholic and when they play it as the film crew is tormenting the natives is really powerful stuff. This is a film that any connoisseur of grind house and exploitation films should see, though they may be scarred internally after witnessing it.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Friday Flashbacks: The Lost Boys

2010-02-19T08:40:00.001-08:00

The Lost Boys 1987
Director: Joel Schumacher
Writers: Janice Fisher, James Jeremias and Jeffrey Boam
Starring Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Dianne Wiest, Barnard Hughes, Edward Herrmann, Kiefer Sutherland, Jamie Gertz, Corey Feldman, Jamison Newlander, Brooke McCarter, Billy Wirth, Alex Winter and Chance Michael Corbett

This is for many the epitome of great vampire films, and I have to agree, it is only surpassed by The Horror of Dracula in my book. People who think Twilight is a good vampire film are doing themselves and the horror genre a disservice by not seeing this film and giving it the proper respect that it is due. This is a film with a wry sense of humor and vampires with no compunction about killing. It is a film that really works well with the idea of putting a vampire story in small town USA. Doing that, it makes it easy for the vampires to run the town and have their pick from its ample food chain. The allusions to Peter Pan and immortality are another ingredient that really make the film work. It also has one of the greatest twist endings I have ever witnessed in a film. M. Night Shamaylan could take a cue from Schumacher here. The film has a solid cast, a great premise, a addictive and mesmerizing score and some outstanding special effects which all come together to make this film a seminal horror classic.
The plot basics are this, a divorced mother, Lucy (Wiest) and her two sons, Michael (Patric) and Sam (Haim) move in with their oddball and reclusive grandfather (Hughes) in the sleepy town of Santa Clara. The town is plagued by bikers and mysterious deaths. Sam is drawn too 2 brothers (Feldman and Newlander) who run a comic book shop and purport to be vampire hunters. While Michael becomes entrenched into a gang of bikers run by the enigmatic David (Sutherland). Meanwhile, Lucy has met a older gentleman, Max (Herrmann) and they begin to date. Michael is entranced by the girl (Gertz) who is entrenched with the bikers and after he drinks something he begins to sleep all day and only go out at night. It seems that he is being transformed into a vampire and this causes Sam and the vampire hunters to spring into action to find the head vampire and kill him before Michael transforms completely into one of the undead. This all leads to a epic showdown at Sam and Michael's grandfather's house that will end bloody and violently.
This is a outstandingly well done film. Schumacher's direction is really tight and I feel is by far his best directed piece. He really balance well the sense of terror of vampires with the caustic sense of humor that pervades the film. His use of the locales is great too, I especially love the underground cave where the vampires sleep and the scene where Sam and the Frog brothers hunt down the vampires there is a phenomenal scene. The script is a true masterpiece. It is funny as hell, but still does not lose the sense that this is a horror film. The suspense of who the master vampire is, is kept till the nail biting end and it is the strength of the script that really pulls it off. The characters of the Frog brothers and Sam provide most of the humor in the film, and they do it well, though it never takes away from the scary aspects of the film. The cast is exemplary. The standout performances are by Sutherland and Feldman. Sutherland makes a great evil and appealing character and you can really understand why Michael is attracted to his way of life. Feldman is great as Edgar Frog and steals every scene of the film he inhabits. One of the best examples of this is when he discovers Michael is a vampire and is ready to slay him then and there. Haim and Patric are great as the 2 brothers too. Patric plays a good tortured hero type. While Haim is excellent as the brother who is out of his depth when he finds out what his brother is turning into. Wiest gives a great performance as the clueless parent. Herrmann gives yet another one of his solid performances as Max. Hughes is great as the kooky grandfather who may know more than he lets on. The SFX and effects in the film are outstanding. Greg Cannom does a great job. The blood and slime flies copiously and there is no better example of this than the bathtub filled with holy water scene. The final ingredient in this great vampire tale is the music. The music sticks with you long after you watch the film and if you ever hear the opening chords of "Thou Shalt Not Kill" your memory immediately goes to the opening scenes of the film. That is very powerful stuff. This is a film any self respecting vampire fan must see.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Jennifer's Body

2010-02-18T18:06:00.000-08:00

Jennifer's Body 2009
Director: Karyn Kusama
Writer: Diablo Cody
Starring Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, Adam Brody, Sal Cortez, Ryan Levine, Juan Riedinger, Chris Pratt, Kyle Gallner, J.K. Simmons, Amy Sedaris and Cynthia Stevenson

This was a film I had been itching to see for awhile, as it looked like it was hearkening back to the 80's style of horror films such as Night of the Demons and Sorority Babes in the Slime Bowlarama. I am happy to say it did not disappoint, I really felt as if I was transported back to the 80's in this film. What is funny is you think the best thing about the film would be Megan Fox but I believe Amanda Seyfried really out shined her. The writing helped a lot too, it was as if they combined the 80's style of horror films with the writing style of Joss Whedon. This could have easily been rewritten as a lost episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It also touches upon the theme of disintegrating relationships that run rampant through high school. It shows that even if Jennifer had not become a demon that the friendship between her and Needy would have fallen apart anyway, as they really had no connection with each other. I think that is one of the distinguishing things about the film that really makes it work and not make it feel like every other throwaway horror film.
The plot basics are this, Needy (Seyfried), a reserved bookworm and Jennifer (Fox), a arrogant and full of herself cheerleader are beyond all reasons best friends. They have nothing in common and this changes even more when after going to a rock club to see a band that Jennifer is obsessing over and she agrees to go along with the band in their van. Jennifer then appears at Needy's house covered in blood and not looking well at all. She disappears but Needy sees her in school the next day as if nothing strange has happened. Jennifer has changed though, because now she has a taste for human blood and begins to sate her appetite for destruction with any boy who will jump at the chance to bed down with her. Needy begins to investigate and discovers that the band she was with are Satanic followers and tired to make Jennifer a virgin sacrifice, but she was not a virgin and somehow the demon they were sacrificing too inhabited the shell of her body. Needy tires to tell her boyfriend, Chip (Jimmy Simmons) about her discovery, but he does not believe her. Needy must now find a way to destroy Jennifer's demonic rampage before it devours her boyfriend.
This is a funny and thrill filled film. The direction by Kusama is very colorful. The film is made with a very broad stroke filled with vibrant colors. It really makes the film come alive. The way the blood drips off the screen is palatable. She also has a keen eye for what works visually in the film and that makes it all the more entertaining to watch. The script by Cody, is razor sharp and you can really see what a true love she has for the horror genre. There are many touches of homages in the story, such as Carrie and Night of the Creeps. The characters are nicely crafted too, especially when it comes to Needy. The film would not have worked as well as it did without her narration. Also, her transformation from nerdy bookworm to ass kicking anti heroine is a great point of the story. The cast is great, Fox is sexy as always and plays a great demonic presence in the film. The shining star of the cast though is Seyfried, she really carries the film and has a great presence that you will keep thinking about long after the film. I loved when she explained what a "kicker" was. It also has some great supporting performances in J. K. Simmons, Amy Sedaris and Cynthia Stevenson. They really play totally clueless adults marvelously. The SFX and effects are pulled off bloody well. The bile spewing scenes are some of my favorites and remind me a lot of Evil Dead 2. The soundtrack to the film is also a major point for the film. They picked every song used in the film accurately well and I do not believe the film would have worked as well as it did without the musical cues. This is a film that really brings back the glory days of the 80's high school themed horror films and is well wroth checking out even if you cannot stand Megan Fox.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Saw VI

2010-02-17T08:37:00.000-08:00

Saw VI 2009
Director: Kevin Greutert
Writers: Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton
Starring Costas Mandylor, Betsy Russell, Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Mark Rolston, Peter Outerbridge, Athena Karkanis, Samantha Lemole and Tanedra Howard

The Saw series seems to get a lot of negativity and I just do not see why that is. With each succeeding film it builds on the last one, creating a rich tapestry that gets deeper and more complex with each film. I would say that this is a series that most viewers need to be on the ground floor with or they will certainly be lost. The latest in the franchise, I think is the best one yet. It has some great twists and turns and does not end in the way you expect it will. Tobin Bell is back giving even more layers to Jigsaw and the social commentary on health care could not have come at a better time. The traps are creative and decidedly bloody as always. The most important thing though is seeing how everything fits together and it gives the viewer a great pay off at the ending. In my book, this is the only horror franchise that is still running strong and I cannot wait to see where the next film goes.
The plot basics are this, it picks up immediately after the ending of Saw V, where Hoffman (Mandylor) has finally got the better of his pursuer Peter Strahm and it seems as if now that his continuing of the legacy of Jigsaw will go on uninterrupted. That is until JIll (Russell) reveals what was left in the box John (Bell) left her. It also seems that their is a deeper investigation into Strahm, spearheaded by agent Lindsay Perez (Karkanis) and this will put a damper on Hoffman's latest victim William Easton (Outerbridge) a health insurance agent who has a tendency to deny anyone who doesn't fit his specific formula of coverage. Now, Hoffman is meting out his brand of justice on Easton, for what he has done to countless people who needed help, such as John. As Easton goes through his lessons, it seems that Hoffman is getting led astray by the investigation on Jigsaw and it seems as if his incognito status may be gone. It all leads to a ending where all parties re converge and it does not end well for many of them.
This was a phenomenally well done film. Unlike the last Saw Film which was for most parts a dark and depressing affair, this one has a wicked sense of humor to it, and it really seems to revel in it. The direction by Greutert is tight. He sets up the traps well and films them beautifully. The best example of this is the merry go round trap[ which was just beautifully evil. He also does great with the quieter moments, such as the discussion between Jill and John over their life. The script is smart and witty. You see more unseen sides of Jigsaw in the film, and that is surprising, as you would not expect to see anything new after the character has been dead for 3 films,. The characters of Jill and Hoffman are utilized well too. The cast is exceptional. Mandylor really makes you loathe Hoffman and really hope he does get caught. Russell is great as JIll and gives a great layered performance, not something you would expect from the actress who is best known for Private School. Bell is amazing as always and gives a great performance that really makes you feel the anger for the health care system that he does. It is nice to see Smith back again too and she gives the viewers some revelations that you do not see coming. The SFX aned effects are amazing. They are brutal and mesmerizing to watch. The final trap is the icing on the cake. It is something so original and creative that you cannot believe you are seeing it. This is a great addition to the series and I just hope that the Saw series continues to surprise me in this fashion.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Orphan

2010-02-16T08:52:00.001-08:00

Orphan 2009
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Writer: David Johnson
Starring Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman, CCH Pounder, Jimmy Bennett, Margo Martindale, Aryana Engineer and Rosemary Dunsmore

The child as a evil entity ala "the Bad seed" is a tried and trued formula for both the horror genre and the psychological thriller genre and Orphan is the latest model of this. IT is not your typical version of this kind of film, but at first you believe it is. Though , in the final act of the film it drops a bombshell of a twist that will make you gasp and will make you slap yourself for not figuring out as all the signs were there to point it out to you. This is the 2nd Dark Castle film by Collett-Serra and just like House of Wax this is a film that surprises you and also thoroughly entertains you. It is anchored by 2 great performances in Farmiga and Fuhrman. The film pushes you in one direction, but then pulls the rug out from under your feet and takes you in a entirely new direction. The film also is very Hitchcockian, it sets up the suspense very well and knocks the viewer senseless in the direction the violence takes in the film. The tension is palatable in the film and it really works because you care about the characters in the film. They are not one dimensional, but characters that are fully realized and well rounded with all their strengths and weaknesses.
The plot basics are this, Kate (Farmiga) is recuperating from a horrible miscarriage and to help her recuperate from that , her and her husband, John decide to adopt a older child at a local Catholic orphanage. they meet Esther (Fuhrman), a Russian girl who is very personable and really connects with them. They take her home to meet their other children Max (Engineer), their almost deaf young daughter and Daniel (Bennett). Daniel is hostile to her, but everyone else is warm and inviting to her. Certain incidents begin to happen that revolve around Esther and Kate is beginning to believe that Esther is manipulative and twisted. But John does not believe her and thinks she is dropping back into her post partum depression. Kate contacts the nun (Pounder) who set the adoption wheels in motion and informs her that Esther has a troubled and mysterious past. Esther sees what is going on and takes steps to remedy the situation. While Kate is still apprehensive about Esther and she will soon discover that what is lurking behind her facade is far worse than she could ever dream of.
This is a intense and taut film that really surprises the viewer. The direction by Collett-Serra is done aptly well. He uses the methods of his direction very well. He also films the scenes of blood and carnage very well. One prime example of this is the opening scene where Kate is reliving her miscarriage, it is both bloody and harrowing and really sets up the tenseness that you will feel watching the film. The script is another solid ingredient in the film. The character of Kate is really the main viewpoint of the film and she is handled ably well. You believe that she has many issues, but slowly you come to her line of reasoning as you see what Esther is capable of. Esther is a excellent villain for the film. At first she is personable and engaging, but as you delve deeper into her character you see that something is not quite right there. The scene in which she threatens to castrate Daniel is a great example of this. The cast really does wonders in this film. Farmiga is captivating to watch as you see her fight her bouts with recurring alcoholism and her paranoid fears about Esther. Fuhrman really creates a very memorable horror icon in Esther. She is engaging and yet decadently malevolent. She really steals many of the scenes she is in. Sarsgaard is good as well, but he is overshadowed by the other two performances. The SFX and effects in the film are done brutally well. The one scene involving a arm in a vise is very cringe inducing. This is definitely one of the best horror films to have come out last year and a very original one at that. This will be a film I will continue to revisit.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Shattered Lives

2010-02-06T19:16:00.001-08:00

Shattered Lives 2009
Director: Carl Lindbergh
Writer: Carl Lindbergh
Starring Lindsay Lieno, Joe Stezar, Skyler Caleb, Ellyse Deanna, Wendy Dominguez, Gary Kohn, Brianna Nakutis, Christina Rosenberg and Lucia Sullivan

This is yet another in what seems to be an interminable glut of DTV horror films from Lionsgate. I was hoping that this one would be better than Psycho Ward, but somehow this film is even worse. As if that is even possible. The film starts off really well, with a great opening of some dumb college guys getting slaughtered, but then it switches to some ABC after school special about bad parenting. The lead characters in the film are unsympathetic to say the least and the cake has to go to the mother of the little girl. I have not seen such an appalling mother figure since Faye Dunaway in Mommy Dearest. But, at least that is a entertaining film. This film seems to plod around aimlessly and you wonder if it is ever going to make a point and when it finally does you think to yourself "this is why I wasted 90 minutes of my time?" The use of the clowns at first I thought would be a nice touch, but all they are were annoying and added little if any suspense to the film. This is just a shoddily made film, and it seems no one knew what the hell type of film they were making.
The plot basics are this, 2 college buddies are watching a movie when someone comes to their door.. It is someone in a mask and it immediately begins to viciously kill the 2 men. We then meet Rachel (Lienn) a little girl with a mother (Deanna) who seems to resent her daughter at every turn. It seems the mother, Lisa, feels like she is in a horrid marriage and has been sleeping around with anyone she finds just to ease the boredom of her life. This makes Rachel very unhappy and she wants for her father and her to be happy, but her mom is a miserable person, who it seems is unable to love anyone, let alone herself. This starts to cause psychological problems for Rachel that develops in the appearance of 2 imaginary friends, clowns to be exact. At first they seem harmless, but not long afterwards they start talking Rachel into carrying knives around and goading her into attacking her mother. She finally succumbs to the clowns and kills her mother. Flash forward years later and Rachel is trying to come to terms with the clowns and what they have done to her mind. She thinks she is cured but they reappear. The question is will they cause her to snap or will she be strong enough to fight the urge to kill someone else?
This is a poorly shot and framed film. The direction by Lindbergh is laughable at best. The film changes direction so many times after a while you do not even care what happens, you just want the film to be over. The opening scene seems like it was shot with a fisher price camera and when he decides to throw a arbitrary sex scene in the film it just seems totally pointless. The script is even worse. The characters seem to have no motivation. For instance, Lisa, the mother is a horrible bitch but there is never any explanation for this, she just is. I would have liked to have seen some reasoning behind this. Also, the whole demonic clowns thing seemed pointless as they never did anything and whenever you thought they would the story switched to some other pointless and tertiary thing within the plot. The cast is not much better. Except for Lienno as the little girl they are all forgettable. She is a very good child actor and portrays all the varied emotions a girl going through these problems should show. I hope to see her in better things than this. Deanna as Lisa has by far the most laughable performance. She tries to be balance being mean and spiteful with being sexy and she fails miserably. They should have gave her part to Tara Reid instead, she would have given a Oscar worthy performance compared to the horribleness that Deanna subjects the viewer too. The SFX and effects are pretty atrocious too. The main use of them is in the opening scene and the kills are amateurish and cheesy looking. The clowns makeup made them look like bad rip offs of Pennywise. All in all, this is a poorly made film that leaves nothing to recommend it to anyone. Stick with Uwe Boll movies if you want bad but entertaining horror films.
This one gets 0 out of 5

Psycho Ward

2010-02-04T10:19:00.001-08:00

Psycho Ward 2007
Director: Patrick McBrearty
Writer: Christopher Lee Thompson
Starring Jaqueline Bettis, Bobby Horvath, Liam Card, Tim Clark, Sandy Lai, Nicole Brown, Nick Montgomery, Sabrina Couture, Eva Redpath, Ryan Barrett and Jim Kosmenko

Psycho Ward is yet another addition to the interminable list of low budget DTV horror films that Lionsgate seems to glut the shelves with. And this is by far one of the worst ones I have ever had the displeasure of watching. This is a film that rips off many great horror films, and quite badly I might add. The film has shades of See None Evil, Saw and Session 9 just to name a few. The film really has no likable or sympathetic characters and after I was finished viewing the film, I thought what was the whole point of this film. The whole exercise is pointless, especially when they make this big deal of the final girl making out of the asylum and yet she still loses. It seems to me that they were breaking one of the cardinal rules of the slasher film. You really need one girl to survive or the entire crux of the chase and conflict of the film is rather pointless. The one thing good I can say about the film is the kills and the gore scenes were pretty good. But overall this is by far one of the worst horror films I have seen in awhile.
The plot basics are this, a group of college students are on a research outing and are planning on doing a documentary on the sordid history of a long closed psychiatric ward. They plan on studying and examining the area where some supposed urban legends took place. Little do they know though is that one of the residents (Kosmenko) of the ward still resides there. They somehow get lost and locked inside the asylum and are randomly picked off one by one. Soon, there are only 2 survivors, Professor Richard Magellan (Card) and a member of his filming crew, Lisa (Bettis) and now they have to use their wits and ingenuity to evade the maniac and to try to find a way out of the nightmare that they have become embroiled in.
This is a really poorly done film. The direction by McBrearty is really shoddy, as he has no style of his own and just tries to ape films like Saw and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remakes. The use of filming the proceedings too reminds me of Blair Witch Project and by comparison that film is now Citizen Kane. The script is not much better. It has the standard tropes of a slasher film, but there are really no characters that the viewer can grasp and side with. They are all annoying and forgettable caricatures. The killer you do not see much of and he has no discernable mannerisms that make him any different form any other number of would be slasher villains. The worst transgression of the script though, is the ending it was just a shoddy and poorly framed ending and by the time you get to that point, it is like who really fucking cares anymore. The cast does not fare much better. Bettis does a decent job as Lisa, but she really doesn't have much to work with. Basically all that is required of her is to run and scream a lot and too look fetching in a tight T-shirt. Card as the heroic lead tries to put up a good front but his acting style makes William Shatner look restrained. Kosmansky as Darrell Coombs does a decent job as the killer though, he really puts no defining mannerisms into the character, all he does is portray yet another hulking and lumbering brute. The SFX and effects in the film are the only shining star of the film. The blood flows copiously and they do not shy away from having the camera leer at it. The best example is when Sandy Lai is ripped apart and guts fly everywhere. It was a nice touch, but was too little too late for this travesty of a film. If there is one thing I can say to all horror fans out there, avoid this film like it was the fucking bubonic plague.
This one gets 1 out of 5

The Legend of the Bog

2010-02-03T10:10:00.001-08:00

The Legend of the Bog 2009
Director: Brendan Foley
Writer: Brendan Foley
Starring Vinnie Jones, Jason Barry, Nora-Jane Noone, Adam Fogerty, Gavin Kelty, Amy Huberman, Shelly Goldstein, Olga Wherly and Charlene Gleeson

Time for my latest look at one of the many STV horror flicks that Lionsgate keeps cranking out onto DVD. This one I mainly rented because I am a big Vinnie Jones fan and really that is the best thing the film has to offer. It is really a laughable film. The so called Bog monster looks like a reject from the WWE. The film also plays off mainly as a comedy more than a horror film. With the 2 main characters bickering like a married couple for most of the film. The film really only comes to life when Jones makes an appearance and for that reason alone, I actually give this one a favorable review. Also, the film uses Irish folklore really well and gives you a interesting take on their legends. The gore and kills in the film are pretty entertaining too, but they do not rewrite the horror film. Really this is just a film that is a good pick to waste 90 minutes on.
The plot basics are this, In Ireland, Professor David Wallace (Barry) is on a lecture circuit and wants to check out some archaeological areas where he is looking to find any Bog bodies, which are bodies that are buried in the bog by ancient tribes for doing something profane within these tribes. He has a tour guide, Saiorse Reilly (Noone) and she does not care much for Wallace and does not bother hiding it. It seems that a bog creature (Fogerty) who has been laid untouched for 2,000 years has been awakened by land developers and is now on a rampage and Wallace and Saiorse become entangled with it. Along with another disparate group of people they seek refuge in what seems to be an abandoned hunting cabin, that is until the owner (Jones) arrives and he plans on hunting down and dispatching the bog monster. Soon, the Bog monster starts to dispatch many of the people and soon it is just down to Wallace, Saiorse and the hunter.
This is a very bizarre film, it does not seem to know if it wants to be a horror film or a comedy. The direction by Foley has this problem too, there are many tonal shifts that just don't gel as you watch the film. The chase and attack scenes of the Bog monster are done well. But some scenes like the monster looking for water in a convenience store were just laughable. The script has some good points. All the parts about the history of Bog monsters is quite interesting. Though, as far as characters go the only interesting one is the Hunter. The 2 leads seem like they belong in a romantic comedy rather than a backwoods Irish horror film. The cast does not fare much better. The strongest performance is of course provided by Jones, he brings a stoic gravity to his role and is the only redeeming quality of the film. Barry and Noone are just badly miscast and really do not work in the film. And Fogerty just makes me think of Goldberg with every scene he is in. The SFX and effects are one of the few things that are pulled off flawlessly well in the film. The kills are bloody and the transformation of the Bog monster coming to life is one of the better scenes in the film. I also really enjoyed the climax of the film and Jones use of the shotgun, very creative and fun to watch. For the most part this is a fairly forgettable film. But, I will give it a slight recommendation for anyone who is a fan of Vinnie Jones.
This one gets 3 out of 5

Horrible

2010-02-01T11:00:00.000-08:00

Horrible 1981
Director: Joe D'Amato
Writer: George Eastman
Starring George Eastman, Annie Belle, Charles Borromel, Katya Berger, Hanja Kochansky, Ian Danby, Edmond Purdom and Ted Rusoff

Joe D'Amato is one of the most notorious names in Italian horror with films such as Beyond the Darkness and Anthrophagus under his belt. He also made a few Emmanuelle films which enjoy a very popular cult film status. Horrible is his take on the slasher genre but pushed to the nth degree. This film is very bloody and the plot is just there as a setup for all the carnage that ensues. This film is over the top bloody and has some great kills in the film. The best one has to be the oven death of the babysitter, which is a prolonged and painful death scene to watch. As it seems like the camera just loves to leer over it and to subject the viewer to as much depravity as is humanly possible. The film really has a gritty atmosphere to it which is really helped along with a score that reverberates through your very bones during the malicious kill scenes. At best this film is a fun slasher film that follows many of the tried and trued rules of most slasher films and at its worst it is just a absurdist horror film and if you do not take it too seriously you will have loads of fun with it. The final 20 minutes of the film are nail biting suspense filled and really make the film worth watching.
The plot basics are this, Mikos, (Eastman) a homicidal maniac, somehow miraculously survives a accident and also seems to have the ability to regenerate blood cells. He awakes in a hospital bed with a reinvigorated zeal to kill anyone in his way. While on his destructive path he has hot pursuit on his heels by Sergeant Ben Engleman (Barromel) and a priest (Purdom) who discover that his ability is due to a nuclear accident. Mikos escapes onto the grounds of a family who is out for the night but left in the home is their sick daughter (Berger), their young son (Kochansky) and their babysitter (Belle). Mikos then goes on a path of destruction trying to kill all who are in his path. The question is will the Sergeant and the priest show up in time or will the sick girl have to find a way to defeat the monster?
This is really a fun little slasher film. The direction by D'Amato is tense and suspenseful. He sets up the kills with a skilled eye and some of the best examples of this are the drill scene and the aforementioned oven scene. He takes his time with these scenes and they payoff very well for the viewer if they can stomach their way through it. He also uses the landscape of the film well, he has a keen eye for what works and what does not. The script is fairly simplistic. It is mainly about moving the plot forward. There is little explanation for Mikos miraculous healing factor and not much characterization for any of the characters. But, slasher films are more about the body count and the kills than anything like the actual story. So, the script does it's job ably well. The cast is good. Eastman makes a great lumbering slasher and he leaves a indelible impression on the viewer as they watch him leave his swath of victims. Purdom as the priest is quite hammy in his overacting and that works really well. Berger as the young girl who must combat Mikos, does extremely well as she really carries those last 20 suspenseful minutes of the film. Especially when she is trying to get out of her harness before the killer comes back to dispatch her. The SFX and effects are very good. They are quite bloody and graphic, such as the drill scene or when Mikos scales the wall of the house puncturing his stomach with his intestines slipping out. It is vile and sleazy and that is why the film is so damn enjoyable. The score by Carlo Maria Cordio really accentuates the film, especially during the kill scenes. The music is so jarring that you know something bad is about to happen and the film never disappoints you in that matter. This is a fun slasher film that most fans will like as long as you are not expecting anything with a serious tone to it. Just grab a bag of popcorn and watch the mayhem fly.
This one gets 4 out 5 drills to the head

Door Into Silence

2010-01-31T08:26:00.001-08:00

Door Into Silence 1991
Director: Lucio Fulci
Writer: Lucio Fulci
Starring John Savage, Sandi Schulz, Richard Castleman, Jennifer Loeb, Elizabeth Cudgen, Joe Davis, Bob Shreves and Mary Coulson

Lucio Fulci is known by many as the master of Italian gore, but his final film Door Into Silence is a far different animal than his classic works like Zombi and The Beyond. IT relies more on suspense and mystery than special effects or gross out scenes. The film is by no means a classic but it was a nice departure for him and a interesting take on the subject of trying to escape death, which has been explored before in films like Carnival of Souls and the classic short story "Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce. The film for it's first act takes it's time setting up the crux of the story, but once the viewer is hooked deep into it becomes very clear where the story is going. The interesting thing is how it gets to its inevitable conclusion, The film really works because of the pacing and the fine acting job by the always solid John Savage. It is not a film you expect to see come from the mind of Fulci, but I believe that is what makes it a all the more interesting film to witness.
The plot basics are this, in New Orleans Melvin Devereux (Savage) is attending his brother's funeral. He comes across a mysterious and beautiful woman (Schulz), who somehow knows him by name but he has no recollection of ever meeting her. After he chats with her he drives off and is going through the city when his car breaks down in a run down area of the city. The woman again reappears and tells him he should get a mechanic for his car. He then follows her but loses chase and soon starts to see a hearse everywhere and soon he becomes obsessed on finding whose body it is carrying as it's cargo. Melvin begins to lose his grip on reality and believes that he is the one in the hearse. The question is this all a bizarre hallucination or will this all lead to a revelation that Melvin does not want to accept?
This is a haunting film. The direction by Fulci is masterful. He uses the eerie atmosphere of New Orleans really well. Which he has done before when he filmed The Beyond there. There are scenes that are even evocative of that film too. When Melvin is driving down that stretch of highway it look as it is the same stretch of highway that you see in one of the main scenes in the Beyond. He also has a tense feeling of impending doom throughout the film and is able to sustain it masterfully till the final scenes in the film. The script is quite good too, Though it is similar to many other films and ideas, Fulci gives it his own spin and really makes it his own. The characterization of Melvin is interesting. He starts off as a incredulous skeptic but as the plot progresses he becomes more hysterical and sure that he is watching his own death. The cast is excellent too. Savage as Melvin gives another fine performance. You really believe in the unraveling of his mind as he goes along on this mad journey. Schulz as the mystery lady is quite good too and you really feel she is more than she appears to be. She is aloof and cryptic and that really helps the viewer to become entrenched in the story. The SFX and effects are minimal and that is a good thing. This film is more about mood and atmosphere than watching arterial blood flow. The score by Franco Piana is very eerie and haunting and really amps up the ambience of the film. This is a very good film by the master of Italian horror and a very classy way for him to finish his career. Any Fulci fan really needs to see this film.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Sick Girl

2010-01-30T09:42:00.001-08:00

Sick Girl 2007
Director: Eben McGarr
Writer: Eben McGarr
Starring Leslie Andrews, John McGarr, Charlie Trepany, Ian Villalobos, Katherine Macanufo, Stephen Geoffreys, Chris W. King and Justin Marco

Sick Girl is one of those films that seems to take its inspiration from Grindhouse classics such as The Last House on the Left and I Spit On Your Grave, but it amps up the depravity to a nth degree. Any film that opens with she lead actress urinating on a nun and you know you are in for a brutal viewing experience. That opening gambit is just the beginning for this film. There is also a brutal rape at the end and hints of incestuous feelings peppered throughout the film. This is not a film that is for every one, but only fans of the more brutal and shocking examples of horror cinema. I think if you enjoy seeing films like Cannibal Holocaust or Ilsa, the She Wolf of the SS, this film will be right up your alley. The lead character Izzy, is a troubled mind and the deeper you delve into her history and her actions the less you will sympathize with her. Though there is a kind of maniacal glee in watching what she does to anyone that is a danger to her family. The film is quick and to the point and it really is all about the psychological damage that Izzy is suffering and how she decides to enact vengeance on anyone who slights her family in even the slightest manner. It is a harrowing experience, but one that I think is well worth enduring.
The plot basics are this, Izzy (Andrews) is a young woman who is taking care of her 9 year old brother while her older brother is away as a soldier in Iraq. Izzy has a unhealthy fixation on her older brother and this causes her to be somewhat over protective with her younger sibling. Anyone who dares to try to upset her brother pays a harsh price for doing so. She begins to torture and kill anyone who she deems as a threat. She also decides to take some enjoyment by abducting a teenage girl and her boyfriend and to have fun with them, which will include castration and rape by using the castrated penis by putting it on a pole and using it on the teenage girl. Izzy has many issues and she does not seem to have any limits. Until her younger brother finds out and does something that brings all her memories frothing up and then she decides to move on and to continue her path of destruction until she is stopped.
This is a raw and brutal film to watch. The direction by McGarr almost has a documentary feel to it, as if it is all happening before your eyes and someone is just documenting it. The way the film goes back and forth between flashbacks is jarring, but it is quite effective in the film. The way he shoots the rape of the girl is brutal to watch, but you find it very hard to look away. You just cannot believe what you are seeing is actually happening. The script is very emotional and jarring. The script really gives you a good picture of Izzy's issues and sometimes you feel for her, but the deeper down the path of depravity she goes the more you lose touch with her. The acts of degradation she performs really makes her a hard character to stomach, but you still are quite fascinated with her and that is a testament to the writing of her character. The cast is very good too. Andrews as Izzy is phenomenal. She starts off as seeming very sweet, but that changes quickly as she goes to extremes to appease her sense of fun and her sense of family. The deeper she sinks into it and the more you believe her as a truly sick girl. McGarr as the helpful biker uncle is one of the only redeeming characters and he plays it very well. Trepany as Kevin, Izzy's young brother is very believable too and when he discovers the true nature of Izzy, his solution is jarring but somewhat inevitable. These 3 actors really anchor the film and that is really why it works so well. It was also nice to see Stephen Geoffrey's again, as he was one of my favorite horror actors from the 80's. The SFX and effects in the film seem very realistic and unsettling. A perfect example of this is the castration and the rape scene. It is cringe inducing and horrifying, but is done so well that the viewer cannot look away. That is a testament to the power of the effects. This was a jarring and nerve wracking film and is recommended only to horror fans who have a strong stomach and can withstand a film with a feeling of amorality.
This one gets 4 castrations out of 5

Friday Flashbacks: Christine

2010-01-29T11:10:00.000-08:00

Christine 1983
Director: John Carpenter
Writer: Bill Phillips
Starring Keith Gordon, John Stockwell, Alexandra Paul, Robert Prosky, Harry Dean Stanton, Christine Belford, Robert Blossoms, Kelly Preston, William Ostrandor and Malcolm Danare

Stephen King film adaptations have a long and varied history in the horror film genre. There are the flawless classics like Pet Sematary and The Mist, but along with those you have films like Sometimes They Come Back and Graveyard Shift. Thankfully, Christine falls into the former category. This film is a solid cinematic version of the book and though it streamlines certain things like the back history of the car, you don't judge it for that as the finished product is a great horror film that is not only scary but touches on the problems that face many teenagers as they try to endure high school. This is a film that is a great study of high school just like films like American Graffiti and Heathers. But, when it is time to amp up the horror elements of the story the film does not hold anything back. With scenes like the chasing down off the fat bully or the almost asphyxiation of Arnie's girlfriend, the film has many truly scary moments that make it a great horror film and by far the best one to deal with a demonic car. This was yet another film that shows Carpenter at the top of his game and shows how well he can work with someone else's material. The film balances the angst of high school life with the supernatural elements of a supernaturally possessed car deftly. That is why I see Christine as one of Carpenter's underrated classics.
The plot basics are this, Arnie Cunningham (Gordon) is your typical high school nerd, just trying to survive high school in one piece. His life is a perpetual hell, until as he is riding with his one friend, football player Dennis (Stockwell) and his eye catches on Christine an run down 1958 Plymouth Fury. He falls in love with the car and devotes all his energy and time to restoring her to her former glory. As he gets more wrapped up in the restoration, Arnie changes and begins to make himself an outcast to his girlfriend, Leigh (Paul) and Dennis and all he lives, eats and breathes is Christine. Dennis investigates on the past history of the car and discovers that it has a horrible and tragic past with its past owner. It becomes clear that there is something not right about the car and Dennis and Leigh decide that they must destroy Christine before the same thing happens to Arnie. Though, it seems Christine has ideas of her own and plans to destroy them before they can destroy her.
This is a great film. Carpenter's direction of the film is expertly done. The way he balances the monotony of high school life with the terrors of a demonically possessed car is masterful. This could easily feel like 2 disparate films but he commingles them together with craftsmanship precision. The whole conflict between Arnie and the bullies is done very realistically and when Arnie takes revenge on them after what they do to Christine it feels like a logical progression of his thought processes even though it has fantastical elements to it. It never feels forced and that is why the film works so well. The script by Phillips takes the central theme of King's book and distills it so it works perfectly in film form. The story is first about surviving high school and secondly about the horrors of a vengeful possessed car. The characters in the film are fleshed out completely, with a special note on Arnie and Dennis. You really sympathize and feel for Arnie and hope he survives the influence Christine has on him. While Dennis, is the caring friend who tries to make Arnie see the error of his ways, and though he has no success he keeps on trying like a good friend should do. The cast for the film is exquisite as it always is in a Carpenter film. Gordon is great as Arnie, his transformation from a geeky nerd to the all things car obsessed Arnie is gradual but inevitable. Its a testament to Gordon's acting that he pulls it off so well without over acting. Stockwell fills his role as the requisite hero very well, he has a stoic and empathic feel to his performance. Paul as Leigh is very good too especially in her opening scene in the library. The supporting cast is great too, with Prosky as the owner of the garage and Stanton as the cop investigating the rash of deaths attributed to Christine. The SFX and effects in the film are done expertly well. There is not much gore but what really works is the restructuring scenes of Christine, it is eerie and mesmerizing to watch. The score by Carpenter and Alan Howarth is another gem and is especially telling in the scenes when Christine is on the attack. Also, the use of 50's and 60's rock and roll music is a great addition to the soundtrack and really evokes the mood and period that the film is aiming for. All in all, this is another great film by Carpenter and well worth another view and I think any horror fan will get a deeper appreciation for this film with a second look.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Necroville

2010-01-28T08:46:00.001-08:00

Necroville 2007
Directors: Billy Garberina and Richard Griffin
Writers: Adam Jarmon Brown and Billy Garberina
Starring Billy Garberina, Adam Jarmon Brown, Mark Chavez, Brandy Bluejacket, Gene Grand, Scott Phillips, Jeremy Owen and Thomas Severinghaus

Horror comedies are a genre that many people try but very few get right. Necroville is one that gets it right. It combines the idea behind Ghostbusters with the dynamic of Clerks and it commingles the 2 themes together effortlessly. This is a film that has plenty of monsters and creatures to appease all horror fans and it also has some great comedic elements for fans of the films of Kevin Smith. It also deals with the problems with relationships and how they can get stale when there are life issues at hand. The film flies at a brisk pace and really works because of the chemistry between the 2 leads which also wrote the film. The banter they have throughout their battles with the undead and creatures of the vile sort is hilarious and really keeps the viewer enraptured on what is happening on screen. IT is rare to find a horror comedy that runs on all cylinders, but Necroville really delivers on all counts.
The plot basics are this, Necroville is a city overrun by supernatural creatures of all sorts. From zombies to vampires this town has it all. Jack (Garberina) is a down on his luck young man who has just been fired by his latest short term job thanks to the antics of his best friend and co worker Alex (Brown). Jack's girlfriend Penny (Bluejacket) is a overbearing shrew who wants him to find a decent job and to drop Alex. Alex talks Jack into joining him at a monster disposal unit company, Zom-B-Gone, that deals with cleaning up all the monster shenanigans that are going on in the town. The job progresses well, which allows Jack to put his martial arts skills to good use and to take out the aggression he feels toward Penny. Soon her ex boyfriend, Clark (Chavez), comes back to town and they discover he is a vampire but not just any kind, a master vampire. This causes their two worlds to collide and will lead to a showdown with Clark.
This is a great film. The direction by Garberina and Griffin is expertly done. It flows really well from the horror elements to the relationships elements. It never feels like you are watching 2 disparate films, which can sometimes happen while you are watching a film that commingles 2 genres like this. One of the best examples of this is when Jack and Alex are trapped in their van and surrounds by zombies and all they do is bitch at each other until they call their co worker Shotgun Dave, who they aren't supposed to call because it is his day off. When he does show up the film then turns into a variation on Evil Dead for those few minutes. It is a effortless transition and is one of my favorite scenes of the film. The script is quite good. The dynamics of the relationships between Jack, Alex and Penny is very well fleshed out. Jack is kind of a sad sack, who just goes along with whatever Alex says. Alex is kind of a jerk, but he always has a point. Penny is just a boorish, needy and horrible person to have as a girlfriend. All 3 of these characters are integral to the story and the film would fall like a house of cards without any one of them not being in it. The cast is uniformly excellent too. Garberina is a great lead that combines the traits of someone like Bruce Campbell with Jason Lee. Brown is great as Alex his best friend and all around jerk and he reminds me a lot of Nick Frost. Bluejacket as the horrid Penny is great, you really come to loathe her as the movie keeps going. Chavez as the main foil, Clark is hilarious and I especially love when he drinks a baby's brain like it is a smoothie. It was in total bad taste, but still hilarious. The SFX and effects are kind of campy but really work well for a film that is genuinely played for laughs. The best scene is the use of urinating holy water on the vampire, so bad but highly effective. If you love your horror comedies with humor in bad taste, check this one out.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Evilution

2010-01-27T10:37:00.001-08:00

Evilution 2008
Director: Chris Conlee
Writer: Brian Patrick O'Toole
Starring Erick Patrick Kaiser, Sandra Ramirez, Tim Colceri, Noel Gugliemi, Guillermo Diaz, James Duval, Nathan Bexton, Jonathon Breck, Ben Tolpin, Peter Stickles and Katie Corzola

This is yet another in the already overflowing sub genre of zombie films. Though the film does not really add anything new to the genre it utilizes a good many ideas and is able to sustain a entertaining, action packed and gory zombie film throughout. This film is made by the same crew that made a recent slasher film I saw and reviewed recently, Basement Jack. This film I would say is far superior to that film. It makes great use of the locale of a run down apartment building and reminds me of other films that have used a location like this, like Trespass and Tenement. The film at first starts off to seem like a military based zombie film but it quickly transitions to the apartment building and that makes it a far more original and intriguing basis for a zombie film. The added motif of the gang element that is peppered throughout the film really adds some flavor to the film and really makes it memorable. The zombie attacks themselves are done with a good deal of suspense and panache, which you do not see in many zombie films and that is a refreshing change of pace as well. I also thoroughly enjoyed the ending, there was no happily ever after and it had a bit of a malevolent feel to the ending which I always appreciate in my horror films.
The plot basics are this, the United States Military has discovered a microscopic alien life form which can possess the living and reanimate the dead. The Army has tried to develop a altered version of the organism which they can control. This is a plan doomed to failure as it infects soldier to soldier and only one lone scientist, Darren Hall (Kaiser) escapes in one piece and he takes the organism with him. He goes AWOL and moves into a run down apartment building and plans to unravel the secrets of the organism and to try to find a way to reverse what it does to any body it inhabits. HE thinks he creates a cure by testing it on mice and then decides to help a fellow tenant by injecting his cure into his bloodstream, but he does not take his time for his test results and he begins a chain reaction that creates a mob of flesh eating zombies that attack anyone who comes across their path. While this is happening the Army has found Darren and set a Sergeant (Colceri) to clean up his mess and eliminate him, but he falls deep into the zombie problem and him and Darren must join forces if they want to survive the onslaught.
This is a great little zombie film. The direction by Conlee is very tight. He uses the locale of a dilapidated and crime ridden apartment building very well. His use of shadows and lights is expertly done. I especially liked the scene early in the film when one of the first zombies stalks and attacks one of the tenants while she is doing her laundry. It was very suspenseful and kept you on the edge of your seat. The script is very good, it balances several different types of genres throughout the story. The film has elements of a military action film, a siege film, a romance and of course a zombie film. It is able to balance these all adroitly without losing its essence of a horror movie. The characterization is great too. The character of Darren is very likable, he can be seen at times as heroic and at others weak and it really works within the context of the story. The character of the apartment manager is a interesting one too. He always seems a bit off and at the end of the film you finally get some pay off for that feeling. The cast is excellent. Kaiser as Darren is a great lead and you really want him to succeed and escape with the girl. Ramirez as Maddie is very sexy and personable and you never get tired of keeping your eyes on her. Colceri as the gung ho Sergeant who begrudgingly helps Darren is very good too and gives a great action hero presence to the proceedings. The SFX and effects in the film are top notch. the zombie attacks are quick and brutal. The camera stays on them just long enough for you to get a good feel for the ferocity of the attacks. The climax of the film with hordes of zombies attacking the heroes is heart pumping and the blood sprays heavily throughout. This is by far one of the better independent zombie films I have seen recently and definitely makes up for the abysmal ones like Automaton Transfusion.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Mutants

2010-01-26T08:56:00.000-08:00

Mutants 2008
Director: Amir Valinia
Writer: Jodie Jones
Starring Michael Ironside, Steven Bauer, Louis Hertham, Tony Senzamici, Randy Austin, Austin B. Church, Aron Biedenham Coates, Derrick Denacola, Armando Leduc, Richard Zaringue and Jessica Heap

Viruses and infections seem to be a topic that is ripe for plunder within the horror film genre of late. Films like 28 Days Later and Quarantine are proof positive of this. It is a subject that is always on peoples minds and can make for a entertaining and thought provoking horror film. Mutants is the latest film to tackle this subject and it does the former very well, not so much with the latter. IT has a good hook for a plot device and really seems to run with it well. IT also has some decent creature effects and a good cast that is spearheaded by the always reliable Michael Ironside and he really brings this film up a notch just for having him in it. This film also uses the whole military conspiracy paranoia ideas really well too. IT also uses the idea of how a corporation will do anything to make their product more successful and morals be damned. The film really moves at a rapid pace and is never dull. This is a solid B Scifi/horror film that would be very comfortable being shown as a double bill with a classic like Galaxy of Terror.
The plot basics are this, Brayton (Zaringue) owns the Just Rite Sugar Company and he wants to create a more addictive sugar so he can beat all his competitors. He hires a unethical Russian scientist Sergei (Leduc) to invent a more addictive sugar. Sergei uses people no one will care if they are missed as test subjects, people who are homeless or drug addicts. The sugar seems to have a undesirable side effect it infects anyone who ingests it and turns them into raving homicidal lunatics. At first the experiments are staying well hidden until they grab Ryan (Danicola), a photographer, who's father (Hertham) is the security chief for the sugar company. His father along with Ryan's girlfriend (Coates) decide to investigate and search for Ryan and discover that he is locked up at a secret complex. While they are trying to extract him another military unit spearheaded by Colonel Gauge (Ironside) is coming to shut Brayton down, as they are not pleased with the damage Brayton and Sergei may be causing. Will Ryan and his rescuers get out in time or will it all end tragically?
This is a fun little B movie. The direction by Valinia is quite good. He keeps the story flying at a brisk place and though the film has quite a bit of outlandishness to it, you never get a chance to think about it as the action and gore flies hot and heavy throughout the entire film. He stages the scenes of conflict very well and I especially liked the showdown between Gauge and Sykes at the climax. The script is very well done too. The idea of a highly addictive sugar that has the monstrous side effect of turning people into ravenous monsters is a great idea and the script runs with it really well. The characters are fleshed out pretty well, the character of Ryan is the one you empathize the most with and you hope to see him survive this ordeal. Though the most entertaining character is Colonel Gauge. He is gruff but strategically brilliant and is a delight to watch in the film. The cast is good, with the lion share of the best work going to Ironside. As always he brings his A game to the project and is mesmerizing to watch as always. Danacola as Ryan does good work here too and is the central character you really sympathize with. Hertham as Griff, the gung ho father coming to the rescue is great too, he has a great action hero presence throughout the film. Leduc as Sergei is quite good as the malevolent Russian scientist and he has shades of Andrew Divoff and Jeffrey Combs in his performance. The SFX and effects in the film are top notch for a low budget film like this and they really bring the film up a bar or too. My favorite bit is when Brayton gets torn apart at the end, a fitting end to a vehement character. If you enjoy zombie type films with great dollops of action and gore, seek this one out.
This one gets 3 out of 5

Child's Play

2010-01-16T12:33:00.000-08:00

Child's Play 1988
Director: Tom Holland
Writers: Don Mancini, Tom Holland and John Laffia
Starring Brad Dourif, Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon, Alex Vincent, Dinah Manoff, Tommy Swerdlow and Raymond Oliver

The killer doll sub genre of horror films has a long storied career in horror film history. From the classic anthology film Dead of Night to the recent Dead Silence. But, I think when any horror fan thinks of a killer doll their fist thought comes to the indomitable Chucky. He is by far the most memorable with a great maniacal performance by the always entertaining Brad Dourif. Though, what really makes this film work is how for quite some time the viewer is unsure if the doll is doing the killing or it is Andy, the little boy who is projecting his feelings and blaming his own actions on the doll. That is why the film works so well, for quite some time the viewer is unsure of what is really going on. The film is really a well polished horror film and one of the last great ones of the 80's/ The film has it all, a original and creative plot, a great cast and some excellent effects that really make you believe a doll can kill you. This is a film that spawned a series of sequels of varying quality and brought forth one of the last iconic horror film characters that stands right up there with Freddy, Jason and Michael.
The plot basics are this, Charles Lee Ray (Dourif) is a bloodthirsty criminal who is looking for a quick way out from the cops dogging his heels. He is mortally wounded and using a voodoo spell he transfers his soul into a "Good Guy" doll. He is soon purchased by Karen Barclay (hicks) a single mother for her son, Andy (Vincent). Andy is very pleased, but soon people around him like his babysitter (Manoff) die in mysterious ways. Andy tries to tell his mom that it is his doll, Chucky that is killing all of them, but she does not believe him and thinks he is just making it all up. A cop, Mike Norris(Sarandon) who was instrumental in bringing down Charles Lee Ray becomes involved in the case and soon they will discover that Chucky is not such a good guy after all and he has a malicious plan he wants to effect, to transfer his soul into the body of Andy and live again, so he can wreak havoc as a human once again.
This is a excellent horror film. The direction by Holland is superb. He keeps the viewers well in the a dark on what his true plans for the story is until you are hooked into the film. He really sets the mood and tenseness of the story ably well. When the viewer finally discovers Chucky is alive it is that much a shock and the scene where Karen discovers there are no batteries in the doll and it is still moving is effectively chilling. The script is also great, as it gives the viewer a great villain in Charles Lee Ray and you cannot help but like him. The characters of Karen and Mike are quite effectively drawn too. The cast is uniformly excellent, but the lion share of the success of this film has to go with the performance of Dourif as Charles Lee Ray/Chucky. He has a great presence and his dialogue is classic and a delight to watch. It is just amazing how he gets into the role and you believe his is a homicidal doll. Hicks as the single mom with her own issues is great and very sympathetic. Sarandon as the hero is quite good as always and one of the few times he actually plays the good guy. The scene where Chucky attacks him in the car is classic. Vincent is great as young Andy and unlike most child actors, he never gets on your nerves like some tend to do. The SFX and effects are amazing. Chucky is one of the finest works of puppetry and animatronics I have seen and I still marvel at how well it works. I just do not think if the remake ever gets off and running that CGI will be as effective as these practical effects. I think if you only see one killer doll movie, it should be Child's Play.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Farmhouse

2010-01-12T12:11:00.000-08:00

Farmhouse 2008
Director: George Bessudo
Writers: Daniel P. Coughlin and Jason Hice
Starring Jamie Anne Allman, William Lee Scott, Kelly Hu, Steven Weber, Sam Sarpong and Jack Donner

This was film that sounded very intriguing after the write up I read in an issue of Fangoria and I have to say it really impressed me. It is a film that at first seems like a film in the Hostel or Saw manner, but as the story unfolds it becomes more and more apparent that the film is not what the viewer is expecting it to be. It has a killer twist ending that M. Night Shamayalan only wishes he could pull off. The film reveals more and more with the constant use of flashbacks as it reveals how the 2 lead character have ended up upon this road and the closer you get to the climax the more you see that the leads are not the innocent souls that they appear to be. The film is tremendously well done, with a great script, solid production values, a great cast and some truly effective torture scenes. Kelly Hu and Steven Weber really inhabit their roles and really make the film that much more enjoyable as you watch their descent into cruelty and depravity. The film transcends from a psychological thriller into a truly disturbing supernatural horror film by it's ending and the viewer never feels like they are treated unfairly by watching this progression.
The plot basics are this, Scarlett (Allman) and Chad (Scott) are traveling cross country to start a new life after they have had tragedy befall them with the death of their newborn child, and money woes due to Chad's problems with gambling. They are traveling when Chad falls asleep at the wheel and totals their car and they seek refuge and help at a nearby farmhouse which is owned and run by what seems to be a very friendly and loving couple, Sameul (Weber) and Lilith (Hu). They are coaxed into staying the night, and as they are settled in they begin to see strange things and it soon becomes apparent that Sameul and Lilith are not the good samaritans they appear to be. They begin to sadistically torture Chad and Scarlett and through flashbacks it seems that Scarlett and Chad are not the innocent souls they appear to be. It all leads to a shocking climax that will have to be seen to be believed.
This was a tremendously well done horror film. The direction by Bessudo is taut and fearful. The way he juxtaposes the flashbacks with what is happening in the present is masterful. I love how with each flashback it reveals more of the truth between the 2 lead characters. The torture scenes are filmed with macabre relish too. The script is very intelligent and requires the viewer to have a sharp mind to get all the nuances that it applies. This is a smart horror film with interesting and fully realized characters. I was really surprised by it's twist ending and in a good way. This was a film I could not stop thinking about for awhile. The cast does an excellent job too. Allman is superb as Scarlett, at first you truly sympathize with her, but as the story is truly revealed you see what a truly monstrous side she does have hidden underneath her charms. Scott as Chad is great too, as the husband who will do anything for his woman and you really believe that. Weber and Hu are magnetic as the likeable but malevolent farmhouse couple. Hu really shines during a scene with a cheese grater. While Weber overacts with relish when he is pursuing Scarlett on the farmhouse grounds. The SFX and effects are hard to stomach but still a marvel to see. I especially liked the cheese grater scene and the eye gouging scenes in particular. If you enjoy horror films that can surprise you seek this one out, it has one of the best endings I have seen since the Mist.
This one gets 5 out of 5

Reborn

2010-01-11T12:04:00.001-08:00

Reborn 2009
Director: Craig McMahon
Writer: Craig McMahon
Starring Jimmy Flowers, Davina Joy, David C. Hayes and Kathleen Benner

This films is a sequel to another DTV horror film form a few years back, Machined. Now, I never did get around to seeing that, and after watching this film, it seems as if you do not need any familiarity with Machined to understand ore enjoy this film. It is a film that really follows in the foot heels of the modern horror film tastes that are beginning to wane like the Saw and Hostel series. It is rather bloody and violent and one of the primary female characters seems to just be there to flash her breasts around. Hell, one scene primarily involves her walking around the junkyard in nothing but a G string, which really typifies the kind of film this is, it is a straight on B movie and has all the trappings that a fan would expect form films of those types. It has the blood, the boobs and the gore and for 90 minutes you are pretty well entertained.
The plot basics are this, Cade (Flowers) and Jess (Joy) have just bought an abandoned junkyard and are trying to make a new life together with Cade becoming a local mechanic. But, unknown to them is that this junkyard was the site of some horrific murders. Soon, they hear bumps in the night and it is not long before they discover they are not alone. Jess is abducted by the stalker (Hayes) and is forced into killing for his amusement or he will rip apart Jess. After his first battle, Cade is damaged in the face and then uses his skill as a engineer to build himself a suit that makes him into a self styled gladiator. With his mind unhinged, he agrees to the abductor's demands and kills anyone who enters the junkyard indiscriminately and in brutal ways. Everything is going well until the sister (Benner) of the one of the victims of the last killer at the junkyard shows up and begins to match her wits with the killer. It will only be a matter of time until one of them is beaten but who will prevail, the hunter or the hunted?
This is a solidly well done little horror film. The director does a good job, though at times it as if he is not certain what type of film this is. There are flashes of spectral images, so you wonder if this is a ghost story, but these scenes are never expounded upon. What it really comes down too is that this is a film that follows the formula of the Saw and Hostel films. Also, there is a lot of gratuitous nudity and sex in the film, so some parts of the film reminded me of a late night cable skin flick. McMahon does a good job of filming the kill scenes and that is really where the film excels. The script is all over the place, but it suits it's purposes. This is mainly a film that revels in blood and violence and the script reflects that. The characters are all two dimensional with not much characterization developed for them, so the viewer really is not invested into what happens to them. It is really like watching a bloody sports event. The cast is decent. Hayes as Motorman Dave is probably the only actor to give a decent layered performance. Joy as jess is mainly there for sex appeal, and that works just fine. Though it seems she would be more at home in a Emmanuelle type of film. She brings some nice titillation to the film which really makes it enjoyable. Flowers as Cade is decent in the beginning, but once he puts on the armor, he has to act through glances and body movement and he does this very well. The SFX and effects are the high point of the film. They are very bloody and graphic and the camera seems to dwell on the scenes of torture much longer than normal. The best scenes of gore were toward the end, when the one girl was getting nails put through her arms and stomachs, very brutal to watch. This is one of the better DTV horror films that Lionsgate has released recently and for gore and T & A fans, well worth a look.
This one gets 3 out of 5

Hurt

2010-01-10T11:15:00.001-08:00

Hurt 2009
Director: Barbara Stepansky
Writers: Alison Lee Bingeman and Barbara Stepansky
Starring Melora Walters, William Mapother, Johanna Braddy, Sofia Vassilieva, Jackson Rathbone, Ava Gaudet and Cameron Goodman

The genre of the "bad seed" child has a long and storied career in the horror genre. Beginning with The Bad Seed going all the way to last year's Orphan. Hurt is the latest incarnation of this plot device and it does a very compelling job of making a good film out of it. The film is solidly structured and at first starts out as a family divided and trying to move on with their lives after a tragic loss in the family. Then it dovetails into a unwanted new mouth to feed brought into the family, that at first seems very thankful but it gradually turns into something malevolent and opportunistic. The film I structured very well with a great cast and a solid story. Sarah the unwanted addition to the family at first gains the viewers sympathy but soon she twists it and gets all the family fighting against each other, with none of them knowing that Sarah is behind all of it. This is a small independent film, but with its small budget it really pays off. This is by far one of the better independent horror films I have seen .
The plot basics are this, in the rural and arid desert of Arizona we meet the Coltrane family. Helen (Walters) has just lost her husband, Robert in a apparent accident and is taking her teenage children, Conrad and Lenore (Rathbone and Braddy) in tow to live with her husband's long estranged brother, Darryl (Mapother) until she is able to get back on her feet. They are trying to get settled in when a new problem arises as a social worker introduces Helen to Sarah (Vassilieva) a abused girl that Robert was trying to help. One of his final wishes was for Helen to take the girl in. At first, Helen seems to take a shine to her, but it soon becomes apparent that Sarah has issues and she has a ulterior motive for being there and it will not end well for the Coltrane family. She has a vendetta against the family and the question is will Helen and her children survive the onslaught of Sarah?
This is a exceptionally well done film. The direction by Stepmansky is very taut. At first the film seems like any typical drama about the fractured family trying to cope and survive with loss. Once Sarah enters the picture the film turns very dark very quickly. It is a quick transition and she handles it very well. She sets up the trap scenes in the film very adroitly too. The script is solid as well. The viewer really gets a feel for all the characters, all of their foibles and weaknesses are on full display and will be exploited very well by the attacks by Sarah. The character of Darryl is especially troublesome, and you never gain any sympathy for him. At times you get the feeling you are being steered to him as the problem but it is just a use of misdirection in the film. Sarah is a character your really love to hate as the film progresses and you really want her to get her just desserts as the film reaches its climax. The cast is excellent. Walters is great as the shaken mother, who is weak but must find a inner strength if she is going to survive this ordeal. One thing I really liked about her character was how her suffering with diabetes was a integral part of the plot. Mapother as always feels very scummy as Darryl and he does this performance flawlessly. Vassilieva as Sarah is a character you love to hate and she seems to really flourish when she reveals her total malevolence. I expect to see much more of her as her career progresses. The SFX and effects are great, I especially loved the scene where Conrad's girlfriend gets impaled. It is very bloody and quite the WTF moment. If you enjoy "bad seed" types of films definitely seek this one out.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Friday Flashbacks: The Fog 1980

2010-01-08T20:51:00.001-08:00

The Fog 1980
Director: John Carpenter
Writers: John Carpenter and Debra Hill
Starring Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins, Janet Leigh, John Houseman, James Canning, Charles Cyphers, Nancy Loomis, They Mitchell, Hal Holbrook and Buck Flowers

The Fog in my opinion is one of the best ghost stories ever put to film and one that just gets better with each repeated viewing. The opening bit with John Houseman telling the story of the ship, really sets the mood and atmosphere for the film and it is able to sustain that feeling of dread throughout the entire film. The film works more with subtlety and mood than with some of the kill effects that are used in the film. That is one misstep if any that Carpenter commits. The films power of fear and secrets carries the film more than sight gags ever will. The cast for the film is phenomenal, it is really anchored by the performances of Barbeau, Atkins and Holbrook. They all bring something different to the film and that is what makes the film so damn entertaining. It is a film that tells you secrets never stay hidden and they can come back and attack you at the most inopportune times.
The plot basics are this, 100 years ago the ship the Elizabeth Dane was lured to Antonio Bay and caused to wreck because of the gold that the Captain paid the founders of the town so they could live there, but they were lepers and all the townsfolk wanted was their money and not their company, so they caused their ship to hit the rocks and for everyone on board to die. Now it is the present day and Antonio Bay is getting ready to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the founding of the township. It seems that some kind of glowing fog is creeping into the bay and carrying with it are the risen dead of the Elizabeth Dane, who are hell bent on killing everyone in town that the fog comes in proximity too. The local priest, Father Malone (Holbrook) finds out about the conspiracy that has caused this night of terror and along with some other denizens of the city, hole up in the church and try to defend themselves from the risen spirits. Will Father Malone be able to stop the vengeful spirits or will they take their revenge?
This is a excellent horror film. The direction by Carpenter is flawless. From the opening ghost story by Houseman, he hooks the viewers and they are mesmerized from the beginning on what will befall Antonio Bay. His use of lighting and the fog is extraordinary too. The sense of foreboding doom from the encroaching fog is really palatable and ratchets up the tension with each scene. The script has a slow burn to it as it sets up the story of the Elizabeth Dane and then introduces you to all of the central characters crucial to the unfolding of the story. The characters are very fully realized and you truly feel for Father Malone and Stevie Wayne. The cast is phenomenal. Barbeau as Wayne is the focal point of the film and is really the heart of the film. How she tries to help and warn he town through her radio show works really well. Atkins as always is a capable hero and he is always fun to watch him work. Holbrook as Father Malone is the final piece of the puzzle, he plays to perfection a broken down drunk priest, who through his discovery of the evil his ancestors did tries to find himself a sense of redemption. Curtis is very good too and I love the bit with Houseman in the beginning, as that is my personal favorite scene in the film. The SFX and effects in the film are great too, most of the kills are off screen, but the ones that are shown are quite gruesome and fun. The musical score by Carpenter is yet another of his great scores and when you hear the first few beats, it really sets the mood for what you are about to see. This is one of the best ghost stories and one of Carpenter's finest films. Definitely seek it out if you have not seen this gem yet.
This one gets 5 out of 5

The Witch's Hammer

2010-01-07T13:15:00.001-08:00

The Witch's Hammer 2006
Director: James Eaves
Writer: James Eaves
Starring Stephanie Beacham, Claudia Coulter, Tom Dover, Harold Gasnier, Sally Reeve, Magda Rodriguez, Jon Sidgwick and Jason Tompkins

I am a sucker for vampire films and the idea of a vampire assassin was just too good to pass up. After viewing this film, I have to say it really delivered and was highly entertaining. It reminded me a lot of the late 90's vampire opus Razor Blade Smile, another film I have fondness for. This film has lots of action and some good martial arts fight sequence for such a low budget film. It has a capable cast that I mainly got into with the casting of Stephanie Beacham, who I have liked since her days as Hammer film beauty. She plays a credible bad guy in this film and as always is fun to watch, and still damn sexy to boot. The film combines different genre pieces like Blade with stuff like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It also leaves it open for a sequel which I would not be adverse to seeing. I watch a lot of low budget action films and this is one of the better ones I have seen come down the pipe line in quite some time. It also helps the film that Coulter is a credible and sexy heroine that you don;t mind seeing in sexy attire and kicking ass.
The plot basics are this, Rebecca (Coulter) is brought back fro near death by the top secret "Project 571". She is transformed into a vampire and trained in all sorts of lethal ways to kill as an assassin. The project has created her to kill other vampires, as they believe in the old adage "Fight fire with fire". Rebecca is then sent on a mission to find a book that has spells in it powerful enough to raise the dead. Rebecca is aided by two priests to hunt down master vampire Hugo Renoir. Hugo has the book and is well on his way to completing the ceremonies to open a portal through our world that will unleash hell itself. It will take all of Rebecca's skills to defeat all the vampires, demons and monsters between her and the book.
This is a well done film on a small budget. The direction by Eaves is very well done, he knows how to make a good action film with horror overtones. he stages the action sequences very well and they are very reminiscent of films like Blade, but just done on a smaller scale. The script is quite good too. It gives you just enough detail on Rebecca for the viewer to sympathize with her and to root for her through all the battles she must face in the story. The main villain, Madeline is written with enough ambiguity that you do not figure out till the end of the film what her true schemes and motivations are. The cast is excellent. Beacham as Madeline plays her very aloof and for quite awhile you really do not see what her full plans are. But when she does reveal them she really goes all out in playing an almost Bondian villain. Coulter as the vampire assassin, Rebecca is the anchor of the film and is made that way early on in the film. She is a capable actress and a excellent action hero that really carries all the fight scenes in the film. Her relationship with the priests in the film reminded me a lot of Jack Crow in Vampires relationship with the priest in that film. The SFX and effects in the film are low key and a little cheesy but the film works with the way they are used. The film really has a campy and comic book feel to it and that really makes the film all the more enjoyable. So, if you enjoy action/horror hybrids like Blade and Buffy, check this one out and you wont be disappointed.
This one gets 4 out of 5

Plaguers

2010-01-06T11:40:00.001-08:00

Plaguers 2008
Director: Brad Sykes
Writer: Brad Sykes
Starring Steve Railsback, Alexis Zibolis, Bobby James, Noelle Perris, Jared Michaels, Paige La Pierre, Erica Browne, Chad Nell, Stephanie Skewes, Maija Polsley and David P. Johnson

Science Fiction and horror has been a commingling that has worked very well since Alien in 1979 and Plaguers follows in that vein, but by doing a alien zombie story. It is a film that reminds me a lot of the New World cult classics like Galaxy of Terror and Inseminoid. It has the fun feel of a Roger Corman film, with the over the top gore and all the voluptuous women in the film. Though, unlike those classics there is not any rampant gratuitous nudity in the film and that is something a film like this really needs to make it more entertaining. The high point of the film though, has to be Railsback's performance as the ship's android, he hams it up really well and is fun as hell as always to watch. The film lets the gore and the fluids flow copiously in the film and what is hilarious is when the first female gets infected by the zombie virus she is covered in goo that looks too much like semen to not think that was the filmmaker's intent. The film has many veiled sexual references and that's what makes the film so much fun to watch. They knew they were making campy cult film and they went all out to bring that feeling to the viewers.
The plot basics are this, It is the far flung future, where space travel is a regular occurrence and the U.S.S. Pandora is retuning from a trip and they are carrying some ill gotten mineral that the crew hopes to make some quick profit on. While on the way back home, they receive a distress cal from the U.S.S. Diana and go to investigate. They rescue the 4 females left on the ship and they seem very shaken up, but it all turns out to be a ruse as they are all intergalactic pirates just waiting for someone to show up so they can plunder them. During a fight with one of the crew members Nola (Skewes) one of the pirates is infected by the ship's ill gotten gains and she is drenched in a glowing ooze and it transforms her into a rage filled zombie. She soon begins to infect others on the ship and then the crew of the ship and the pirates must work together to survive this horrible ordeal. But will they trust one another or will there be backstabbing aplenty as they get closer to earth and closer to ravaging mankind with this zombie epidemic?
This is a very campy and cheesy film, but it is very well done. The direction by Sykes really has that old school feel of films like Galaxina and Galaxy of Terror. The plot is set up quickly and it is not long before all hell breaks loose and that is where the mayhem and fun begins. He uses the long tunnels of the spaceship expertly and the entire location has a dreaded feel of claustrophobia that really works for the film. The script is good, it does not waste too much time on characterization, as this is a plot driven film and everything hinges on the action coming fast and furious. The best character in the film is by far Tarver, the android. He has the best lines and the best action sequences too. Darian, the captain of the Pandora is a very well drawn heroine too. The script shows both her strengths and her weaknesses and really shows that the reason she is in charge is that she will do whatever it takes to achieve her goals. The cast is good, with the best performance being given by genre stalwart Railsback. This was by far the best thing I have seen him do since Ed Gein. He has a great sense of timing with his lines and his mannerisms as Tarver are right on point. Zibolis is also very good as Captain Darian, the viewer feels her predicament and roots for her during the climactic moments hoping that she will prevail. The SFX and effects are very good. I especially liked the prosthetic looks of the zombies and the initial transformation of the first one, Nola. It was very gruesome and effective. There is much blood splattered throughout the film and if you are a gore hound like me, you will really appreciate that. This is a fun SF/horror hybrid that will not disappoint. If you like those old New World films like this, check it out.
This one gets 3 out of 5

Carriers

2010-01-05T11:01:00.000-08:00

Carriers 2009
Directors: Alex Pastor and David Pastor
Writers: Alex Pastor and David Pastor
Starring Chris pine, Piper Perabo, Lout Taylor Pucci, Emily Van Camp, Christopher Meloni, Kiernan Shipka, Ron McClary and Mark Moses

With stuff like the avian flu and the swine flu in the news lately, viruses that become out of control are a topic that is ripe for picking in the horror film genre. Carriers is the latest film to take a stab at this topic. This was also a film that unceremoniously dumped by its studio in a few theaters and then went directly to DVD. It is a shame because this was quite a well done and capable horror film and one of the bleakest ones I have seen since the Mist. The film is a slow burner as it first it seems like a young group of friends heading on vacation, but soon turns horrific when you see that some kind of horrible virus has destroyed civilization and no one has empathy for anything but their own survival now. The film has a great cast in Pine, Perabo and Meloni and they all do a fine job. If there is any quibble with the way the film is structured it has to be, there are really no characters you like or sympathize with and that is what brings this film short of being a great horror film. It really should take a cue from the 28 Days Later series of films, no matter what is happening to the people in those films, there is always a glimmer of hope. There is none of that evident here and that is the ultimate downfall of the film, and a valid reason probably why it did not get the venue of viewers it could have gotten.
The plot basics are this, four young friends are driving down the road to the beach on what appears to be a idyllic vacation. As they come near a stranded car with a man (Meloni) and his child, things get deadly serious. All the kids put on breathing masks and the driver, Brian (Pine) pulls out a gun. It seems that civilization is nearing its end as a virus has decimated the population and it is now everyone for themselves. They agree to help the people, but they quarantine the little girl who has the virus and head forward to take them to a clinic that the father believes is in operation. When they get there they see that there is no hope, and through a rash succession of bad decisions Bobby (Perabo) becomes infected and she tires to hide it, until she is discovered and the decision that comes next is harrowing and extreme. They all keep trying to make it to the beach they remember from their childhood, but through many harrowing experiences only a few make it and it is not a happy ending that any of them will receive.
This was a great film. The direction by the Pastors is done very well, at first the film seems to be shot like a travelogue documentary you would see on the Discovery Channel, but then quickly diverts into a paranoia viral infection film. The desert locale really benefits the starkness of the themes in the film and really makes the viewer feel that they are in a wasteland. The script is very good, though it is more about plot as the characters are never really developed that well. It seems that they are more a means to an end to propel the story and re not all that important in the scheme of things. A perfect example of this is the character arc of Bobby, the way her story progresses you would think she is a focal point of the film but, once she gets infected she gets tossed aside without a forethought and you never see her again. That really kind of disappointed me. The cast is very good. Pine as Brian is very charismatic and very interesting to watch, he plays a charming but ultimately unlikable character. Perabo is probably the best performance in the film. She brings a sense of pathos to the story it is just a shame the film cannot capitalize on that. Meloni does very well with his small part, but he also disappears halfway through the film and you never get much closure on his story. The SFX and effects in the film are great, I especially loved the scene where Pine almost falls into the pool at the country club and almost comes into deadly contact with a virus ridden corpse. This film is ultimately a bleak affair, but what really detracts from it is that the characters are so unsympathetic. I would recommend it if you like bleak and of the world horror films, just don't expect more than a good plot with this film.
This one gets 3 out of 5

My top 20 Horror films of the 2000's

2010-01-03T14:19:00.000-08:00

This is my list of the top 20 Horror films released since 2000.

20. Final Destination - A great film that started one of the strongest horro franchises in recent memory.

19. American Psycho - a film that really works solely on the performance of Christian Bale

18. Dog Soldiers - one of the best werewolf films ever made.

17. Cabin Fever - A movie that at first I hated, but now has really grown on me.

16. Wrong Turn - just a great cannibals in the woods film.

15. Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon - Just a great satire of the slasher genre that pulls it off better than Scream could have ever hoped to.

14. Saw 3 - the best of the series in my book, that ties all the previous films together flawlessly.

13. Slither - just a fun monster movie with a great script and a great cast.

12. 30 Days of Night - Forget Twilight, this is a real vampire movie.

11. Grindhouse - Just a great throwback to the grindhouse film days.

10. The Mist - the best King film with the bleakest ending ever, still gives me chi9lls when i watch it.

9. Drag Me To Hell- Riami back in fine form.

8. The Descent - Just a creepy film that is just so damn effective.

7. Hostel - Just a great gore filled horror film that starts out as a soft core porn film and then spirles into a Italian horror film.

6. May - Just a really freaky film that really unnerves you.

5. House of a 1,000 Corpses - A great homage to Texas Chiansaw Massacre and just fun to watch.

4. Froniter(e)s - Just a brutal fucking film, never see a table saw in the same way again.

3. High Tension - A great brutal film with a great twist at the end.

2. Inside - Just a brutal and shcoking film that after you experinece it makes you feel raw inside.

1. The Devil's Rejects - Rob Zombie's Mangum opus that is the film that I have revisited the most this decade.

My Top 10 horror films of 2009

2010-01-02T21:08:00.001-08:00

This is my list of what I thought the best Horror films were of 2009, now some of these are older but this was the first time I saw them, so I count them as films of this past year.

10. 100 Feet - Just an awesome american ghost story that is really unflinching and brutal.

9. Grace - This movie really surprised me it was dark and did a great job of satirizings things like vegans and being green friendly.

8. Laid To Rest - A great modern slasher and one of the best ones since Hatchet.

7. Deadgirl - great take on necrophilia that had the feel of Heathers with its take on hich school class structure.

6. Header - based on a Edward Lee story, a really out there film, totally brutal and shcoking.

5. Splinter - A great original horror film that was suspenseful and scary.

4. Offspring - based off of one of Jakc Ketchum's best books, really brutal and unflinching.

3. Martyrs - Yet another great french horror film that really fucks with your head.

2. Drag Me to Hell - Raimi in top form and his best film since Darkman.

1. Trick R treat - this film took awhile to get here but was well worth it, definitely stands up there with the great horror anthology films like Creepshow.