The Bleeding Dead Film Reviews

Hostel: Part II (2007)

2012-03-01T19:49:00.000-08:00

Hostel: Part II takes to the feminine side of horror as three young college students are in Europe studying art. When a luring women convinces them to take a detour to a Hostel in Slovakia the girls are exposed to the true hidden horrors of traveling in Europe these days. As the ladies are having fun, unknowingly being preyed on, two business men, Stuart and Todd, have just joined the elite hunting club in which the torture business runs out of. As Todd is eager and ready for the game, Stuart is having second thoughts and is hesitant towards his new purchase. When the business men and the girls finally meet it amounts to a bloody climax, but not all is the same in Eli Roth's sequel as our leading lady, Beth, has an advantage that may save her life.

My opinion on the first Hostel was that it was good, I don't like it because, well, you can't really like Hostel. It's about torturing people, but overall I found it to be a good horror film and more importantly I had to close my eyes for a second viewing. This time Roth gives us answers to questions that may have been posed by fans of the first film, such as what happens if you back out part way, and expands on the Elite Hunting's business end. It succeeds in being different to it's predecessor, despite having the same outline the girls are lured in differently and we get to see the setup process much more, in likes to where the business men stay. The script really only seemed to be touching at surface value to the stories though, between the three girls and the two business men. No doubt a good portion of the fan base will notice a real lack of torture, for better or worse. I didn't cringe or halfheartedly close my eyes as I did so in the first but was able to sit though it all with no effort for the most part. Though they have disturbing moments nothing quite compares to the gross splurge Roth done on the first. Suspense is limited in that you know the drill as the first time around. However it does flesh out a bit on the literal term of 'torture porn' and explores more of the fantasy that appeals to those who join the Elite Hunting.

I'm sadden and enthralled that Jay Hernandez came back as Paxton. Small spoiler alert, though doubtful since you see it coming the second he's on screen, I wish he hadn't of died. I liked him and his character. I struggle a bit with Heather Matarazzo, maybe it's because I know her more as a comedy actress but her death was horrid and the scene of the film, also she was rather nice and it's always sad when nice people like that have gruesome deaths. Lauren German is good as the lead female and carries her part in the film well, and Bijou Phillips slips into a common best friend character, with little to no effect. The weakest performances are likely from Roger Bart and Richard Burgi, who try too hard and end up overacting for their dramatic moments, Burgi trying to mimic Rick Hoffman's performance in the first Hostel. I liked the camera and photography of the first film, nothing exceptional but good overall, but I love the work in this. The hot springs scene, among others, has a haunted beauty to it that I appreciate. And of course for the latter half there's enough grim to create that singed atmosphere for the torture.

At the end Hostel: Part II is fine but it's not special, at most not a bad sequel but generally forgettable as a horror film. The ending was amped to please the audience even more so than the first though it was a bit campy. The first Hostel is noted for really defining the torture porn sub-genre, which in later years will be accredited like the slasher, in my opinion at least. The film also lost a bit of weight in any meaning it had, your less appalled this time by at what humans are capable of doing to one another; I personally found myself more interested in how Beth was going to escape with all that crazy security system they've improved on. I'll accredit the horror to being mostly in the idea that 'they are all around you' more so than the actual torture part itself. In that Hostel: Part II is an easy enough horror film to watch, still not for the light weights but I doubt you'll lose too much sleep over it.

Hatchet for the Honeymoon - Il Rosso Segno Della Follia (1970)

2012-02-23T18:30:00.000-08:00

May contain spoilers

I went with another Bava film for the second of Italian Horror reviews because I've been wanting to watch this for a while. Also while I don't care for the holiday February, among other things, is the month of love and I thought what no better than a bride murderer to bring in the spirit of Valentines Day?

John Harrington is a wedding dress designer by day and moonlights as a serial killer of newly brides by night, and on occasion he'll kill their grooms as well. By each murder John is able to unveil a bit more of the mystery of his mother's murder, which he's blacked out for the most part and likely awoke the demon inside him. Though John is able to cure his urges with killing he struggles with another complication in his life, his wife Mildred. Mildred is a co-owner of the shop and refuses to give John a divorce, despite that she equally hates him. At the edge of his sanity John kills his wife in an attempt to put an end to her nagging. But Mildred will not leave so easily and starts to haunt John long after the murder. Even more intriguing is one of his new bridal gown models, who's been showing an interest in John. But with Mildred hanging around like a bad smell and the police zeroing in on the murders of the young brides his life is becoming more entangled in insanity than he could ever imagine.

John Harrington has very much a pre Patrick Bateman in his self-aware ritualistic murder. His monologue is not unlike Bateman's and the sexual kick he gets from killing virginal brides downed in the wedding dresses he makes, which also draws a reference from Norman Bates with the possible titillating fixation on his mother. I may be making Hatchet for the Honeymoon sound more in depth than it is, while Harrington is disturbed and the original title The Red Sign of Madness (Italian) proves more fitting the film wasn't as breaching as I had hoped. Not to attest that nothing holds interesting as the eloquent yet galling murder of one of the brides in the secret showroom is fantastic, at the least. Also as Santiago Moncada's script starts to ring a common tune of a theme murder he throws in a unique spin with the supernatural haunting of Harrington's wife. Which not only in itself turns on the Italian horror film but also the basic structure of the ghost story, meaning that I liked how everyone was able to see Mrs. Harrington but John himself. Unique and different for sure.

Stephen Forsyth is Harrington, and he's alright as far as acting goes but at surface value there's something about his dreamy, basically suave appearance that creates the insanity to his character. Maybe it's because you expect him more to play the James Bond type than the ravaging murder type. The rest of the cast is all lifeless as far as character development goes, with the exception of Laura Betti as Mildred. It's hard at times to judge an actor when the entire film is dubbed in a voice that doesn't fit the actor. As I felt with Betti, she's probably very good in the original Italian version but the voice in the English is 'off' and distracts her facial expressions. Of course Bava paints the film in a red cinematatic scope but a little flat actually next to his black and white masterpiece Black Sunday. Odd. Still lovely to look at, the makeup and costume design to the ghost wife in particular is capturing picture.

After that picture I'm fairly confident that Mary Harron drew inspiration in this film for American Psycho. I wonder if Bret Easton Ellis drew any inspiration from it though? This review feels a bit pretentious from my end, I apologize, but I'm only saying how I feel. I've noted all good qualities as the film is good but it still felt a bit average to me. Not really gory to compete with my favorites but not a bad watch. Bava is able to effectively capture the maddening sense of blurred reality and sure I'll say it, surrealism in John's actions and desires. But it's still just okay, and I have no idea why. As others I wouldn't recommend for those just becoming introduced to Bava, but rather as an average watch for a casual [horror] movie night.

Press Release: The Prospector's Curse

2012-02-22T12:22:00.000-08:00

As usual I'm posting this late but I was again surprised when I got a press release, and not from Skip. When I asked, after of course agreeing, I got this as a response: " I've been scouring the internet for every legitimate looking horror blog". If I get 1000 followers I still doubt that I'll ever get use to that. Director/writer Josh Heisie offered to let me view upon completion which means another Horror Short for all of you.

The Prospector’s Curse

February 19, 2012

A western-themed horror film entitled “The Prospector’s Curse” has wrapped production near the remote town of Ponty Pool, Ontario. Set during the Klondike Gold Rush of the 1890’s, the darkly comedic short is Written and Directed by Josh Heisie (‘Mail Order Bride’), Produced by Bruno Marino (‘Anything Goes’) and is currently in Post Production in Toronto, Canada.

The talent lineup for “The Prospector’s Curse” includes David Roberts (‘Curious and Unusual Deaths’), Johnny Quinn (‘Mind’s Eye: The Series’), Amanda Ives (‘I Hate Toronto: A Love Story’) and Robert Nolan (‘Worm’).

Rounding out the creative team are Director of Photography Michael Jari Davidson (‘SICK’), and Special Effects Makeup Artist Carlos Henriques (‘Red: Werewolf Hunter’) of The Butcher Shop.

Tagline

There’s blood in them there hills!

Logline

The vengeful corpse of an old prospector haunts two gold thieves as they struggle for salvation.

Synopsis

Theodore “Tubby” Ellsworth and Jack smith are two criminals on the run, lost in the untamed wilderness. When they stumble across a mutilated Prospector, dying on Indian ground, they promise to give him a Christian burial. The fugitives break their oath and steal the old man’s gold…but that night, the Prospector’s corpse returns to make them pay!

Related Web Pages

Facebook Fan Page

Josh Heisie

Bruno Marino

Michael Jari Davidson

Carlos Henriques

Dave Roberts

Johnny Quinn

Robert Nolan

Amanda Ives

Press Release: "Longreach" Sneak Peek Ready for Horror Fandom

2012-02-18T13:35:00.000-08:00

Another press release. If Skip keeps sending me these people are going to start mistaking me for a legit writer.

“Longreach” Sneak Peek Ready for Horror Fandom

MASSACHUSETTS (Feb. 18, 2012) –On the heels of critical acclaim and success of its Rondo Hatton Award nominated cult hit “Microcinema,” Harvest tide Productions today released a sneak peek of its upcoming horror web series “Longreach,” now in pre-production as it secures funding.

“‘Longreach’ is about a righteous society,” said writer-director William DeCoff. “Minus the behaviors of righteous men. We at Harvest Tide are very excited to bring horror fans quality web entertainment for a real thrill and a great value.”

The “Longreach” storyline follows the demise of widower Daniel Jedrek, the sergeant at arms for the New England chapter of the Longreach Association. Located on a small island off the coast of Massachusetts, it is the oldest chapter of the nefarious organization in North America. Longreach is ancient and worldwide—and extremely wealthy and charitable. Its members also eliminate society's undesirables by questionable means. In this story, Jedrek has been ordered to capture and deliver innocent people as prey to twisted Dawn Aiden, the wife of Reverend Aiden who is one of the leaders of the New England chapter. As he struggles with his conscience, Jedrek begins to slip further and further from reality while Reverend Aiden begins grooming Jedrek's 10-year-old son Sam to take his place under the suspicious eye of Jedrek's daughter Alecia.

The “Longreach” sneak peek stars Sarah Nicklin as Alecia Jedrek; William DeCoff as Daniel Jedrek; Emily King as Dawn Aiden: Skip Shea as Reverend Aiden; and Timmy DeCoff as Sam Jedrek; and features Jessica Sonneborn, Jenny Chen, Kachina Dechert and Peter Barbaro.

Harvest Tide Productions, founded by Skip Shea, William DeCoff, William Smyth and Emily King, produces and distributes quality entertainment content for targeted niche audiences and other ancillary products.

Longreach Sneak Peek Link - http://bit.ly/yW067p

Women In Horror: Scream Queens Part II

2012-02-17T19:45:00.000-08:00

February is an odd month; it doesn't follow the basic calender system, it gets an extra day every four years; a groundhog has his day; it celebrates African Americans, women, and throws in the most pointless holiday of the year, Valentines Day. BLEH. Not that all these things are bad by any means, it's simply that they have nothing in common but the month of February. It is Women in Horror Month however, in relevance to this blog. Few people are still uncertain of my gender but I am a woman, who loves horror so it all works out.

I'm not really sure what to do for Women in Horror month, I do know I'll be posting randomly throughout the month, on Follow Friday no less, but in specific I cannot say. Regardless thereof I thought I'd address a few not forgotten Scream Queens on my top five list last October. It's not so much as I didn't consider them Scream Queens it's just that they slipped my mind.

Rose McGowan (Scream, Planet Terror, Charmed)

I'm a tad bit disappointed in myself for missing Rose McGowan on my Honorable mentions list. I love Scream and Planet Terror and as to how I managed to forget Robert Rodriguez's zombie film staring a one-legged-gun Rose McGowan is quite disturbing and disappointing. Regardless how can you not love her? She's beautiful, funny, and she plays the throwaway friend and the final girl, rare for most Scream Queens as they are usually typecast as either or. McGowan also has a long running stance on the TV show Charmed, which really isn't quite horror but like Ghost Whisper it has its moments.

Ingrid Pitt (The Vampire Lovers, The Wicker Man)

I'm not entirely familiar with Ingrid Pitt, besides knowing that she played in the Carmilla adaption The Vampire Lovers and segarded a legacy as a Gothic horror icon as seductive vampire Marcilla and as Countess Dracula. Hammer Horror actress Pitt survived the Holocaust in a Nazi concentration camp to go on to become one of the most gorgeous and voluptuous horror actresses of all time. Ashely Greene has nothing on her.

Barbara Steele (Black Sunday, Dark Shadows Revival, Nightmare Castle)

I'll admit back in October I was ignorant to Barbara Steele as a Scream Queen, having not seen Black Sunday until as of recently. But it's easy to say those wide eyes of hers have locked me into addiction as I'm not now seeking out her films, especially those with collaboration from Bava. Steele is stunning and admirably a great actress, playing the innocence and the evil so well. Captivating beauty she's the Italian Horror Scream Queen.

Honorable Mentions: I feel that Daria Nicolodi is also unregarded as a Scream Queen. Maybe not the final girl so much but in recognition shes in a good portion of Argento films including, Opera, Phenomena, and his essential giallo Deep Red, as well as Bava's Shock. Maybe not a Scream Queen so much as just a honorable woman in horror.

Blue Velvet (1986)

2012-02-16T19:49:00.000-08:00

Jeffrey Beaumont has returned to his small suburbia home town to help out with his ill father. When he's walking home from the hospital one day he comes across a severed ear in a field. Being the proper raised college boy that Jeffrey is he takes the ear to the police in search of answers. But when the police reply with ambiguity and he realizes that they've been quiet about all they know he seeks out answers for himself. His romantic in the police chief's daughter Sandy leads him to Dorothoy Vallens apartment, a lounge singer who's dark secrets take Jeffrey on an erotic and dangerous journey to a man named Frank Boothe. However, Jefferey doesn't realize that he's no longer in his safe suburbia and has entered Frank's world, a dark place rooted with childhood trauma and wielded by a man with a short temper.

A arch in the psycho-sexual thriller from the preeminent director of the bizarre. Blue Velvet sets you off balance from the opening sequence of bright red roses against a white picket fence and ocean blue suburban sky as the cadences of "Blue Velvet" linger in the background. The uncanny temper is at play in the film's script, acting, and optics as there's nothing quite right in a David Lynch film, and the term Lynchian creates a genre of it's own. This is my first Lynch film to be quite honest, I'm familiar with the term Lynchian and know of Eraserhead and his series Twin Peaks (both on my list to watch), but this is the only actual exposure I've had. That being said I get it, he precede's logic and perceives the abnormal, but in ingenious way that it doesn't really qualify among other scripts that are driven by the macabre. The score to Blue Velvet is for, lack of a better phrase, the cherry on top of a deeply disturbed film. I could of done without the love music to Sandy and Jeffery's characters but the off-set rhythm to the score when Jeffrey leaves Dorothoy's apartment and of course the haunting flow of the title song "Blue Velvet" tightens an already tense halo.

I don't care to think in absolutes as I believe that limits how I percieve things but if you're not bothered or intrigued by Dennis Hopper's performance you have no taste in acting, and are likely a sociopath. Hopper takes a risk and plays Frank Booth with an over the top performance but in that it feels so real, your under the belief that this man is undoubtfully delusional. There's a tinted hilarity in the portrayl as well which adds to the more unsettling nature of it. Kyle MacLachlan is awful, I'm sorry but his performance did not seem sublte, often he was stiff and monotonic as well as a little troubling, and not in a good way. He upset me with his leering stare and soft voice, maybe if he was playing a child molestor this would have been a good acting exploit but he's suppose to be the unsought out college hero. Isabella Rossalini is almost as delusional as Hopper in the lost sanity of Dorothy, you see the victim but also the disturbed woman that's taking over, as well as other layers. Complex photography intertwines with the plot to create a very delude sense of reality. The apartment scene is disquieting in it's unimaginable play out. Lynch takes the script and the viewer to a place absent of safety.

Execution in surrealism is hard and often falls to the absurd and unrealistic. Lynch knows surrealism likely better than he knows reality. Blue Velvet is weird but rhythmically strung with tension and moments to make you feel lost, as Dean Stockwell's lip syncing of In Dreams pulls you from the film. I was also a bit lost as to where to place this film, I almost wanted to say giallo but ill-fitting as even though Jeffrey goes about his own investigation there not enough blood or close ups of murder. Then I possibly thought Suburban Gothic but PissedOffGeek on twitter rebut that with his insightful depiction that though Jeffrey lives in Suburbia there's never any danger there, it's all in the urban constants of the apartment where the real horror occurs. Therefore all I can conclude is that the film doesn't fall under any category as it is a class of its own, hence Lynchian. Blue Velvet is an important cinematic piece that should be seen by not only horror lovers but film addicts as well. I was captivated and seduced by Lynch's use of medium and therefore loved it. It's unlike any viewing experience and commands that attention of being unique. Not everyone will like it per say but everyone needs to see it.

Press Release: Indie Horror Short "Microcinema" Nominated for a 2012 Rondo Award

2012-02-13T20:00:00.001-08:00

Finally...

Indie Horror Short “Microcinema” Nominated for a 2012 Rondo Award

MASSACHUSETTS (Feb. 13, 2012) – Massachusetts-based Harvest Tide Productions first online and internationally self-distributed horror short independent film “Microcinema,” written and directed by Harvest Tide Productions co-founder Skip Shea, is nominated for the 2012 Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award (http://www.rondoaward.com/). The fan-based Rondo Awards, created in 2002 by David Colton and Kerry Gammill, recognize outstanding achievements in the horror entertainment genre.

“Harvest Tide and the cast and crew of “Microcinema” are very honored and excited to be nominated for a Rondo,” said Shea. “It represents the voice of the fans and this is an important acknowledgement of our work. We stand among some of the great creators and producers of horror entertainment, media and content throughout the industry.”

Starring Alex Lewis and Aurora Grabill, “Microcinema” is the story of Peter Martell, a highly educated well-to-do young man with too much free time on his hands. He spends it watching snuff films. One day he makes the bold decision to cross the line from observer to participant, aspiring to bring a philosophical element to his own kind of snuff films. Ready to go to work, he tracks his first victim into a haunted New England wood, where the boundary between participant and observer takes a different turn.

In 2011, “Microcinema” scored on several best-of lists and gained momentum as a cult favorite and a hit with horror reviewers. Chris Conduit of The Conduit Speaks,www.theconduitspeaks.com put "Microcinema" as the best horror short of the year giving it his Conduit Award.

Danielle Holman writing for Truly Disturbing Horror, www.trulydisturbing.com listed "Microcinema" as one of the five best horror films saying, "Skip Shea’s seven-minute short film is deserving in the ranks of the big films as it’s able to accomplish more in less than ten minutes than an hour and a half feature length film." In her Bleeding Dead, http://bleedingdeadfilmreviews.blogspot.com/ she has called “Microcinema” "…one of the most important horror films of our time."

“Microcinema” wowed critics and audiences last year at several horror film festivals and screenings within the few short months of its release. Screenings in 2011 included the 1st Annual Danish Horror Film Festival: THE TURBINE at Spinderihallerne, Vejle, Denmark; All Things Horror Shudder Fest at the Somerville Theater in Somerville, MA; Short Horror Films at AS220 in Providence, RI; the Massachusetts Independent Film Festival; and before Canadian horror film fans at Fright Night Theater presents: ABSENTIA & Microcinema at the Staircase Cafe Theater in Hamilton, Ontario.

“Microcinema” was originally a storyline for one of the episodes of Harvest Tide’s new horror web series “Longreach,” written by William DeCoff. “Longreach” follows the demise of Daniel Jedrek, the sergeant at arms for the Longreach Association, an ancient global charitable organization that takes charity to extremes. The Harvest Tide production team – Shea, DeCoff, Will Smyth and Emily King – agreed that “Microcinema” stood on its own in the burgeoning new online entertainment and media arena and delivers a brutal and gruesome tale to horror film fans.

"Microcinema” is now available on the film’s website

www.watchmicrocinema.com for under .99 cents. “The best horror for under a dollar.”

“Microcinema” writer/director Skip Shea has produced, written and directed six short films: “Mail;” “Video Diary: Last Entry;” “They Serve Breakfast Here All Day Long;” “Putting On Its Shoes;” “Nostalgia;” and “Choices.” “Mail” was selected for the invitation-only 11th annual Pawtucket Film Festival. Shea’s work took the runner-up award in the comedy short screenplay competition for his script “The Bar” at the 19th Annual Woods Hole Film Festival. The film is in pre-production. He also produced, wrote and performed the very successful one-man theatrical show called “Catholic (Surviving Abuse & Other Dead End Roads)” which debuted in New York City in 2005. The show went on to have a successful run at the Jimmy Tingle's Off Broadway Theater and toured the East Coast. Shea is also a published poet whose piece “Songs of Mourning,” a memorial to those killed in the September 11 attacks in New York as well as to his daughter Shawna Shea, was selected by New York City jazz musician Jon Faddis to be performed at the 9/11 10th Anniversary Commemorative Concert performed at Symphony Space by the New York Chamber Music Festival.

**********

What the critics are saying about “Microcinema”

"The film is brave and unrelenting. It is a breath of fresh air to a lot of the common horror tricks that are being trotted out time and again." -Alexandra West, Scare Tactics Blog.

"Skip Shea is an adept director with equal ability to write, his short film gets more across than most full length films. 4 out of 5 Stars" - The Bleeding Dead Film Reviews.

"You will not be expecting to see the events that unfold in this shocking short film." - The Horror Spot

"The script itself deserves kudos for completely drawing your attention to the one aspect we would expect every horror film to contain and then suddenly shocks you with an element you rarely see in this genre." The Scariest Movies Online

"I figured I was in for one of three things: a really solid work, a bite size film that left me feeling nothing, or one of those that makes me want to substitute rat poison for the salt on my dinner table. Those are the three categories all art falls into for me, always. Yet, when it was all said and done, Shea's vignette carved a whole new icky slot out just for itself. 9 out of 10 Stars" - The Conduit Speaks

"Brilliant. 8.5 out of 10 Stars" - The Gruesome Hurtzogg Horror Movie Review Podcast.

"4 out of 5 Stars" Char Hardin

"What I find particularly interesting about Microcinema is its plot and how it seems to blend together torture, voyeurism, and a lot of other really weird horrific topics like snuff films." - Horror Society

"Microcinema Doesn't Disappoint" - Victor Infante, The Worcester Telergram & Gazette

"The new indie horror romp Microcinema and it is a doozy." - Truly Disturbing Horror

"Interesting short that starts as your usual slasher/serial killer fare before taking a wicked little turn." Shaun Sjolin Cenobiteme Blog

"Unicornsblud Horror Review Stamp of Majestic Approval" Unicronsblud's Horror Reviews

“Twisted and sick but with a new vision.” - The Dr. Chris Radio of Horror

Skip is far to nice to me, he lets me in on all the Microcinema updates as well as quoted me in several press releases. I've said so many things about the film in the past that its hard to quite sum them up, but basically they all amount to it's creator. I'll likely say it till the day I die but please watch Microcinema, it needs to be seen.

Horror Short: Waffle (2010)

2012-02-12T17:27:00.000-08:00

Written and directed by Rafael De Leon Jr
Staring Kathryn Neville Browne, Kerri Ford and Andrea Shannon Young
Director of Photography Anthony DeRose

There's something a little off about Wendy, and it becomes apparent when her classmate and new friend Dana comes over to Wendy's house for dinner one night; her mother foul and overbearing and Wendy seemingly a psychopath. However not all madness is unprovoked and when the true nature of Dana's visit is revealed at dessert a horror of its own comes to life. I'm aware that the film only runs a few minutes in length but the plot seemed very one note, the characters not really, but as to why the reason Dana was at Wendy's house could of been adjusted to something a little bit more engaging or maybe something horrifying. Again the aim is to 'shock' the audiences, and it does, but a little forthcoming because you know there's something not right with Wendy. The concept is how at surface value and within a person there are truer more darker natures but it really just felt a bit bland for me.

I attest that the obtuse execution laid in the writing by De Leon Jr, who was fair as a director but tried a little too hard to create a disturbing use of dialogue. Acting also contributed to the dull script, a good portion of it being overacted, especially by Browne who played Wendy's mother. Even in the cover art the photography for Waffle is what I like the best, a very dark contrast of colors paired with this distorted strawberry pink creates a very nice visual piece of lighting to look at. Also by keeping the camera off Wendy's face for the majority of the film proved effective when a direct shot of her face is revealed, taking you back at the very least. Waffle isn't a horrible film by any means, nothing like Bunny Boy, but overall I found it to be a little dull and fairly mediocre. Not a waste of five minutes but not a need-to-see short film either.

You may follow the film on its blogspot and watch out for its appearances at film festivals around the world.

As a side note I'm running a little short on short films so if you have one you'd like me to review please email me at bleedingdead22@yahoo.com, or contact me by my twitter.

TDHorror Retro Review

2012-02-11T14:23:00.000-08:00

"The casual use of internet in this is almost staggering, as Gage takes almost a very ‘eighties’ approach and goes looking at the weird piercing club before checking his daughter’s last internet use. If this was set in current times that computer would be the first thing torn apart in looking for Genevieve. In that it likely proves the most horrifying as Captain Howdy’s torture chamber does hold a few aversions in his approach but nothing in light of how easily she is lured to his house."

The rest of the review is here. Hope you like.

After.Life (2009)

2012-02-09T19:02:00.000-08:00

Anna's life has begun to fray as she seems to be a little lost in her job, relationship, and the generality of her life. As life is though it gives Anna no time to mend the broken and she dies in a car accident, leaving behind a grieving boyfriend. When she wakes up in the basement of a funeral home, being prepared by the funeral director Elliot, she's afraid and bemused by what's happening. Understandably addled, Elliot explains to Anna that this is what happens after a person dies and that he's been given a gift to speak to the dead to help them pass over. Anna can't leave the feeling though that she's not quite dead, despite an autopsy proving dead-on-sight to her car accident. Trying to convince her Elliot's only response is frustration and his only solution is for her is acceptance. Her boyfriend Paul however is also not convinced that Anna is gone and finds suspicious in Elliot's character. As Anna's funeral draws closer there is no indication as to what really happened to her, leaving you to question is Anna dead or alive?

The film does have genuine creepy moments but overall it suffers from a lack of intrigue. The characters are uninteresting, dully pulled by the happening and the mystery of Anna's death. Maybe it was just me but I felt that so much more time had passed than that suggested in the film. Anna had till Friday to get her after.life together, I believe which was only three days away, instead it felt like two weeks had passed. Also ridiculous was the use of CGI in unneeded scenes. In visual perception it wasn't quite as clear, there are shots of beauty and then shots of nothing special. A common thing I hate in films is when they try far too hard to create a color scheme and it's painfully obvious, here it isn't so vibrant but the noticeable color of red was throughout. It didn't compliment against the morticians green walls but overall it wasn't bad to look at.

The script isn't bad and as said the concept has some weight to it, but falls flat and never really picks up. As does characters, most are just unlikable and account for nothing more than that. Christine Ricci plays out most of her role a la nude, a favorable asset to you male viewers I'm sure. She does what she can with the cold Anna and is consistently good throughout. Liam Neeson is the man to shine here though, his character is by far the most interesting, a little bi-polar and psychopathic with his very polite manner to the living and his low patients towards the dead. I wouldn't go as far to say he's creepy, more or less odd with his lurking at love ones saying goodbye and his ability to speak to the dead. Paul is prone to fits of alcoholism and crying, all understandable as he's really the only one appropriately mourning over Anna. Justin Long is fine in the role, he seems heartbroken enough, if not more so than those around him.

At the end it just feels useless. In doing research I peaked on the film's IMDB discussion board and there are rather intriguing opinions and analysis's of the film from fans as to what it all means. I even saw one in how this film could be a literal interpretation of how the brain dies slowly and what people really experience in near death experiences could be similar to Anna's story, or in likes too. But those still prove far more interesting than the film. I've also seen a few comparisons to another film of this supernatural thriller nature, Dead Awake, but the difference is Dead Awake is awful, where as this mostly just boring. Not my recommendation for a psychological thriller but it's not an entire waste neither.

Rage (2010)

2012-02-02T20:57:00.000-08:00

WARNING: Contains Spoilers

As Dennis Twist leaves his suburban home early one morning to run a few errands all seems fairly prosaic, in a good way. He's got a beautiful wife, nice home, and appears to be a friendly enough guy, offering to help out his neighbor with a chainsaw problem. Dennis irreproachable image however is shattered to the viewers when we see that he's been having an affair. With intent to break it off Dennis heads into town but on his way his day turns sour when he blindly incites the anger of a motorcyclist. The biker taunts and stalks Dennis for what starts as a simple case of road rage but soon accelerates to a violent horror as the biker is now intent on killing Dennis. But when Dennis thinks he's escaped and heads home he's unaware that he's not only put his life in danger but his wife's as well. Chris Witherspoon's independent film draws heavy influence from the Steven Speilberg classic car thriller Duel in it's first hour and then climaxes to a bloody finale.

I had apprehension beforehand in viewing Rage. The heavy influence to Duel turned me off a bit as I didn't care for Duel at all. Also Rage is in every way an independent film, having been written, produced, directed, photographed, and even acted by one man, Chris Witherspoon. I'm much more nervous in reviewing independent films because they aren't big studio films that I can piss all over, these are films that are trying to get out to the public. The last thing any independent filmmaker needs is a bad critical review, even from a little blogger myself. That doesn't make them insusceptible to my critism though, independent or not if I don't like it I will say so. All that's irrelevant though because I quite enjoyed Rage. As mentioned Witherspoon was able to create a tense thriller in which he took liking to the similar plot in Duel. Not to set you on the idea that Rage is Duel because Rage has a much different tone to it. It effortlessly changes from thriller to slasher film, my favorite aspect about it, the former which instills the tension that the latter shatters with intensity. I genuinely found the biker to be quite scary in his rage, he remained faceless for the entire length of the film but still after certain scenes and images of his walk stay with me. The bedroom scene is by far the most tragic. It captures, in effect to shame, the death of a marriage and may be the scene to make the film.

Though the affair is a fault to his character it doesn't distract from the likeability of Dennis or the overall sympathy that the script offers. His dewy-eyed stealing of the parking space from the biker is much more innocent than that of Weaver's arrogant cut-off of the trucker in Duel. Rick Crawford is quite good as Dennis. A little weak with his line deliveries but repairs it with an exceptional use of his eyes, which Witherspoon as a director knew to take focus too. In a collaborated effort the two are able to draw so much emotion, and not with just Crawford but Audrey Walker and notably the biker as well, to almost tell the story on it's own. It's quite phenomenal when watched on a second viewing to see how often the use is and how effective it is. It's the visuals in Rage that arrest the viewers though. Again Witherspoon served as DP and it may arguably be his strongest aspect in film, he uses a compilation of different techniques to create a photographed display of emotion. The camera and film used creates this odd post modern grit that I'm particularly drawn into, as I don't like HD but this offers the more high tech version of 16mm film. He also picks up the vibrant colors of the filming location and Dennis's stunning red car.

Usually I don't pick up or take too much notice to sound unless it's prominent and in this I noticed there was a unique way of sound lays. Specifically a scene towards the end where the starting of a chainsaw lapse's over the sound of a phone ringing, making a very provoked sense of fear. As well as early on in the film where it switches in conversation from a clear range of hearing to a muted sense, not sure if that was intentional or by accident but it was really quite fascinating to listen too. The last half hour to Rage is the best though as it really just explodes what ever suspense it carefully built up before hand. This is all acclaim to Witherspoon as every job he was a part of was executed to absolution. It's notably hard in straying the line between paying homage and directly ripping a film off. Though Rage has many moments that are pulled from Duel (i.e. Dennis inner commentary, never seeing the bikers face) it's still its own film and superlatively good. If you a fan of Speilberg's classic undoubtedly you'll appreciate the references but if not it's an antsy small budget thriller that doesn't show its limitations.

Press Release: Microcinema Streaming Free, January 31 on the Horror Palace – The Ultimate Horror Network Website!

2012-01-27T20:41:00.000-08:00

Though it is Friday it is however NOT Irrelevant Post Friday because this is far more than relevant. As an independent horror blogger rarely do I get the opportunity to post a press release, as so far this blog has been limited to dribble and my reviews. That being said Skip Shea, writer/director of one of my favorite horror short films Microcinema, sent me one today, for your viewing pleasure. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Microcinema is an exceptional horror film in the ranks with such like 28 Days Later. If you watch the film you'll understand the reference but don't expect such tame natures, think more like Hostel but with extremity. It's one of the most important horror films of our time, and its only seven minutes. So please don't be lazy and watch it, it's free.

Microcinema Streaming Free, January 31 on the Horror Palace –

The Ultimate Horror Network Website!

Massachusetts (January 27) The Horror Palace - The Ultimate Horror Network in conjunction with Harvest Tide Productions will screen the cult hit horror short "Microcinema" on their site January 31. "Microcinema" will be the focus of Episode 017 in the Grisly Zone.

The positive reviews keep piling up from around the world for "Microcinema" as the South African blogger the Killer Aphrodite says "The bad thing about Microcinema is that it’s not a feature film. I wished that there was more to see!"

The Big Gay Horror Fan blog says "Microcinema" is tightly directed, well acted and gleefully turns the predominance of misogynistic torture porn on its nipple hacked head."

Directed by Skip Shea and starring Alex Lewis and Aurora Grabill, “Microcinema” is the story of Peter Martell, a highly educated well-to-do young man with too much free time on his hands. He spends it watching snuff films. One day he makes the bold decision to cross the line from observer to participant, aspiring to bring a philosophical element to his own kind of snuff films. Ready to go to work, he tracks his first victim into a haunted New England wood, where the boundary between participant and observer takes a different turn.

“Microcinema” was originally a storyline for one of the episodes of Harvest Tide’s new horror web series “Longreach,” written by William DeCoff. “Longreach” follows the demise of Daniel Jedrek, the sergeant at arms for the Longreach Association, an ancient global charitable organization that takes charity to extremes. The Harvest Tide production team – Shea, DeCoff, Will Smyth and Emily King – agreed that “Microcinema” stood on its own in the burgeoning new online entertainment and media arena and delivers a brutal and gruesome tale to horror film fans.

“Microcinema” quickly became a cult favorite and wowed critics and audiences last year at several horror film festivals and screenings within the few short months of its release. Screenings in 2011 included the 1st Annual Danish Horror Film Festival: THE TURBINE at Spinderihallerne, Vejle, Denmark; All Things Horror Shudder Fest at the Somerville Theater in Somerville, MA; Short Horror Films at AS220 in Providence, RI; the Massachusetts Independent Film Festival; and before Canadian horror film fans at Fright Night Theater presents: ABSENTIA & Microcinema at the Staircase Cafe Theater in Hamilton, Ontario.

It has also made several best of 2011 lists including Danielle Holman, The Bleeding Dead, writing for Truly Disturbing Horror, www.trulydisturbing.com listed "Microcinema" as one of the five best horror films. Chris Conduit of The Conduit Speaks, www.theconduitspeaks.com put "Microcinema" as the best horror short of the year giving it his Conduit Award.

*******************

What the critics are saying about “Microcinema”

"The film is brave and unrelenting. It is a breath of fresh air to a lot of the common horror tricks that are being trotted out time and again." -Alexandra West, Scare Tactics Blog.

"Skip Shea is an adept director with equal ability to write, his short film gets more across than most full length films. 4 out of 5 Stars" - The Bleeding Dead Film Reviews.

"You will not be expecting to see the events that unfold in this shocking short film." - The Horror Spot

"The script itself deserves kudos for completely drawing your attention to the one aspect we would expect every horror film to contain and then suddenly shocks you with an element you rarely see in this genre." The Scariest Movies Online

"I figured I was in for one of three things: a really solid work, a bite size film that left me feeling nothing, or one of those that makes me want to substitute rat poison for the salt on my dinner table. Those are the three categories all art falls into for me, always. Yet, when it was all said and done, Shea's vignette carved a whole new icky slot out just for itself. 9 out of 10 Stars" - The Conduit Speaks

"Brilliant. 8.5 out of 10 Stars" - The Gruesome Hurtzogg Horror Movie Review Podcast.

"4 out of 5 Stars" Char Hardin

"What I find particularly interesting about Microcinema is its plot and how it seems to blend together torture, voyeurism, and a lot of other really weird horrific topics like snuff films." - Horror Society

"Microcinema Doesn't Disappoint" - Victor Infante, The Worcester Telergram & Gazette

"The new indie horror romp Microcinema and it is a doozy." - Truly Disturbing Horror

"Interesting short that starts as your usual slasher/serial killer fare before taking a wicked little turn." Shaun Sjolin Cenobiteme Blog

"Unicornsblud Horror Review Stamp of Majestic Approval" Unicronsblud's Horror Reviews

“Twisted and sick but with a new vision.” - The Dr. Chris Radio of Horror

You may read my review of Microcinema here, though its not as good as others. Then on Janurary 31st it's available for free on the Horror Palace. I'm really quite serious, if you've never taken into account anything I've ever reviewed, this is the one I ask you to listen to me about. Microcinema needs to be seen, it's a critique on our society's obsession with snuff films (to the less extreme viewer torture porn horror) and our expectations of the genre.

Black Sunday - Le Masque Du Demon (1960)

2012-01-26T22:31:00.000-08:00

I'm starting a new feature to this blog. No it's not another post a week (that be the day) but a feature. At the last Thursday of every month I will be reviewing an Italian horror films. I realize my love of Argento is absurd but I haven't taken all the much notice to the other legends such as Bava and Fulci, I still haven't seen Zombi 2...please don't kill me. I'm going to be expanding my love of the Italian horror films at the very least once a month and my first is of Mario Bava's Black Sunday.

In sixteen hundreds Russia a witch, Princess Asa Vajda, and her servant are being executed for practicing the sacrilegious craft. Asa death is one of the most famous horror film moments as she is tied to a stake and a mask with nails lining the inside is hammered to her bare face. In an grisly moment, even for a black and white film, Asa dies but not before vowing revenge on her executor, who also happens to be her brother. Buried in a tomb with a cross sealing her coffin the Vajda family believes that they've seen the last of their shunned relative. Until two hundred years later that is when two doctors stumble into the tomb and break the coffin that encrypts Asa. Now awaken and intent on her revenge Asa seeks to posses the body of her descendent Katia, who eerily shares the same features as her. As Asa begins to gain strength the only person to save Katia is Dr. Andre Gorobec, one of the doctors who broke the cross and Katia's new lover interest.

A hint of Poe hidden beneath the surface Black Sunday takes to the macabre, surreal Gothic imagery and religious symbolism (the reoccurring presence of the serpent, the Griffith, etc). A witch with vampirism manners is a bit of controversy in the film as Princess Asa bites and drinks the blood of her victims only to offer them a trance in death where they're under her control. It sounds more in likes to the vampire myths than it does the spell casting witch myth, but in my opinion the film calls her a witch without so much of a hesitation on the other word in that it is a witch film, despite the similarities. The dialog is no more odd than an Argento script and the dubbing no better so be cautious of that. The effects probably outstanding at the time still work for now, the witch's transformation is subtle enough that I only noticed when it took full form. Bava as a director is stunning, and brave for the time. As said the first scene is the most horrific in the entire set but so effective in that Bava shows no fear in disporting the graphic execution, blood and all. Having been released the same year as Hitchcock's Psycho which also had a profound impact at exposing gore on camera.

The acting has it's inevitable cornball moments. The priest actually stood out to me as the actor who played him in a calm and confident manner, despite not really having a contributing part in the film. Barbra Steel's career resulted as of this and its understandable. Though she tends to the chew the scenery as of Katia she has the creep factor for the witch. Her gorgeously large eyes when properly wielded can create a daunting stare. Even the professor notes how even eyeless they seem to bare into the soul. Not to entirely throw away the damsel of Katia she has her mysterious moments as well to probe whether she's in on the murders. John Richardson plays Andre and he's alright, there's not much to his character so there's not much to play. Though enriched in black and white film I was genuinely grossed out at moments. The human bodily fluids and the revealing of the witch still have a sovereignty over the films technical work and appeal to its lasting age.

I'm not sure what captivates me about Black Sunday as I'm even tolerant towards the melodramatic love between Andre and Katia. Its almost feels like an inexplicable phenomenon when I love a film at first viewing. Rarely does it occur as films have to sit and marinate, if you will, before I account them as exceptional. Black Sunday is the most recent of phenomenons. Back to being objective though, while this Bava's first piece and the one that crowned him as an Italian horror bravado not all consider it his best. And as mentioned if you hate bad dubbing why consider the country's genre films. I hate dubbing so I wish I was able to watch it in Italian with subtitles, but I'm able to take it as it is. The same goes for acting, its not great in all places but I'm more forgiving as I hold certain things over others. Black Sunday is a classic watch for Italian horror fans and a great introduction to those just starting in the sub-genre.

TDHorror Retro Review

2012-01-16T19:21:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure how I feel about this review. I don't know if I like it or if it's awful...Also I'm not sure if I got my opinion across enough. Feedback would help, if you can. And please don't spare for my feelings, you couldn't possibly be as hard on me as I am on myself.

"BASKET CASE is a strange admixture of bizarre, funny, and distressing moments. Of cult classic fame, more to the likes of the Killer Klowns From Outer Space variety than the Near Dark type, the low budget B-movie was re-released by Something Weird Video, who revive us many underground classics like The Wizard of Gore and Blood Freak. The premise itself is abnormally intriguing and unique, with almost an abhorrent under note if you will. If done on a serious facade with a bigger budget this could actually qualify as a legitimate horror flick"

As usual you may read more here.

Horror Short: Good Morning, Beautiful (2011)

2012-01-15T19:08:00.000-08:00

Written and directed by Todd Cobery
Staring David Tufford
Director of Photography Bo Hakala

After the death of his baby daughter Dave becomes numb with the inimitable tragedy. His wife, just as broken, is distant and all Dave sees is ugliness. As Dave is getting perspective into the truth of the world the silhouette of reality falters and chaos awakens. Good Morning, Beautiful runs at twenty minute length and if a full feature it'd remind me of Let the Right One In (I'm sure this comparison is becoming tiresome) in that it takes the pace slowly and doesn't force feed you the horror, so to speak. Not exactly surrealistic in plot but more of a brutal metaphor in that monsters and obscene violent acts openly occur in broad daylight as Dave goes about common activities. Though Dave is seeing monsters the real fear is in the world he's living in where babies die, people get shot, and there is no sense of control any more.

David Tufford seamlessly handles the blurred reality of David, not missing a step from the depressed man to the feared individual he becomes. Todd Cobery script is developed in a further sense; it addresses the less attractive side of the world while presenting us with the horror. As well as adding moments of levity to lighten from the more macabre subjects as infant death and child murder. Cobery's direction also shows that of experience, his direction of Dave waiting in the doctor's office is great taking focus to the child's toy in the back to reflect the horrible wait and just the general inpatients to being there. I also loved the opening with the fast play around Dave as he lifelessly sits still in his chair hearing the news about his daughter. Bo Hakala's work as DP is nice, the lighting and angels being on key with Cobery's direction. Good Morning, Beautiful was my favorite short film at the Mile High Horror Film Festival. It's another that managed to speak more of society than most films as it takes focus to the general ugly on the world, even if it doesn't give us a solution to stop it.

Good Morning, Beautiful is going around film festivals. The film's website lists dates and upcoming news for the indie film.

Friday the 13th

2012-01-13T16:11:00.000-08:00

It's Friday the 13th so it's only appropriate that I post a Jason Voorhees photo on my blog...

Still a Freddy girl, sorry.

Happy Friday the 13th/Irrelevant Post Friday/Follow Friday on Twitter.

Chillerama (2011)

2012-01-12T19:04:00.000-08:00

Chillerama is set at a local drive-in's last night standing and the owner is showcasing four rare films; "Wadzilla", "I Was A Teenage Werebear", "The Diary of Anne Frankenstein", and "Deathfication" (the last which we thankfully don't get to view as it was bordering The Human Centipede territory)."Wadzilla" is the 1950s attack of the killer bug/monster film, only this time it's Mile's killer sperm mutated to an ungodly size that's terrorizing the city. "I Was A Teenage Werebear", a throwback to a mess of films including but not limited too Rebel Without a Cause, Grease, The Lost Boys, The Wolfman, and Cursed which takes focus as Ricky struggles with his homosexuality and his transformation into a werebear, all with song of course. "The Diary of Anne Frankenstein" the 1970's exploitation flick where Hilter and Eva Braun use Anne Frankenstein's diary to create a monster. And the real fourth film "Zom-B-Movie" where the cinephile patrons of the drive-in become victim to an infection of horny zombies, in reference to the 1980's zombie films.

It's happened, Chillerama has made me officially realize there is such a thing as too self aware. The film that is a entire homage to the era of the bad but loveable drive-in double features films felt far to contrived at times, intentionally creating bad sets instead of naturally letting them happen. In addition, the humor tended to be strained in a sense where they were almost telling you to laugh at portions. Not all the stagey stuff was inefficacious though as the killer sperm was laughable bad as was the car accident in Werebear. I often wondered though if when I did laugh was it from the intentional throwback spur or was it rather from the sheer ridiculousness of it all? I don't condense it to a horror film at all as they don't try for any real scares so much as just parodying the sub genre, this is pure horror comedy.

Looking at each individual segment this is what I thought; "Wadzilla" I accredit for the technical merit in capturing the look and fell of the attack of the fifty foot bug films such as They or even Godzilla, but overall had a lack of interest, spare for a few humorous moments. "I Was A Teenage Werebear" likely failed the most, it didn't have a distinct decade, though I assume it was aimed for the 1960's and as a musical was a bit lack-luster. "The Diary of Anne Frankenstein" was assuredly my favorite as I love exploitation films and have been denied Zombie's Werewolf Woman of the SS for sometime now. This segment had me laughing from the broken Germbbrish (German-Gibberish) to the end fight between Hitler and his creation. If I was to watch Chillerama again it'd be for this segment alone. "Zom-B-Movie" had the most character development as the cinephile patrons were present between the films and was good for the most part. I laughed at the overtly sexual zombies but it got excessive towards the end, as I can only watch so many zombies humping each other within a ten minute span.

Though we get a clear sense of him in the script, a shy man who's having problems with women, Adam Riftkin didn't put a lot into the character of Miles in "Wadzilla" Not to suggest he was bad he was just there for the most part, which could be attributed to his also writing/directing the segment. Werebear stars adult film star Sean Paul Lockhart, who doesn't have a bad signing voice but is camp acting the entire twenty minutes. It also has Gabby West of Scream Queens Season Two fame (or rather lack thereof, sorry) and Lin Shaye, who was also in "Wadzilla". Shaye is quickly renouncing her general absence from the genre for the past thirty years or so and embracing her status as a horror icon, which I love. Joel David Moore and Kristina Klebe standout as Hitler and Braun in Frankenstein, Moore's Hitler is by far one of the funniest take offs of the Fuehrer and though it borders the level of taste he's able to firmly keep it place. And I must not forget to give a nod to Kane Hodder as Meshugannah (the monster), who's a delightful presence in his role. The cinephile patrons are acted out fairly well by the mostly younger cast; as I said you get a lot more time with them so they develop more smoothly. Richard Riehle undoubtedly shines though as the owner of the drive-in, wielding a collection of guns behind his Orson Wells poster.

My issue with Chillerama is it wasn't what I wanted it to be, which there for it is mostly my fault and for that I cannot hold it against the film. I was aspiring for an Austin Powers like satire, not a Scary Movie spoof fest. It's hard because I know the directors do have a love for these sorts of films, as do I, but they just didn't capture their spirit as much as I had hoped. With Chillerama each segment stands on their own and has to be judged on their own. If better tampered with (especially Werebear) the segments could be full length films. As a whole I love the idea but the execution wasn't good and therefor I ultimately didn't like it. I'm the most disappointed with this verdict as I really wanted to like this, if not love it, but it did not happen. But if you've read any other reviews you'll know that the film has been receiving those from all sides. Therefore I can't really tell you whether or not it's good, you have to watch for yourself and decide. Likely a two out of five from me, sorry.

New Year, New Blog

2012-01-06T12:56:00.000-08:00


Kind of want to see this now.

There's quite a bit of self indulgence in the end of year for blogs that post about their favorite films and accomplishments, what have you. I'm here to thoroughly keep the self centered tradition in place. But not by much. As I've really only been true to heart blogging for five months now. Mostly this is just an update as to where this blog is going and my thoughts on certain matters. It's kind of like a New Years resolution but not. This was intended for last Friday but you know me if I was consistent or on time with anything the world would be at a loss. Basically what I was here to address was changes I hoped to make to the blog in addition to adding another weekly review. The latter won't be for a while but I'll briefly discuss it. Not to tease you too much. Or more like tease myself, since a good portion of you still don't read.

First off I apologize if I've been more snarky the past couple of weeks. My work has demanded me more giving me less time to write, less time to edit, and less time to filter the shit that seeps out of my head at times. Intentionally absurd reviews like Blood Freak are okay but when I make threats and start calling people stupid for not reading another blog you know I'm losing sleep, even if it is true. Basically I need to prioritize better. In addition to this blog and my job I need to make time for the TDHorror reviews, a review for another blog who I promised like back in November that I'd do, sleep, watch more movies, and attend to my chubby dog who needs to go on weekly walks.

TrulyDisturbing asked me to do a Top Ten Best and Worst list of 2011 for their site and I'm not going to lie I was thrown off. I don't watch a lot of newer films and I found myself short a worst candidate. But that didn't compare to some of the entries I put in. Chilerama probably doesn't deserve a worst place spot, that'll be next Thursday's review but I didn't hate it at all, I just didn't like it. But as mentioned I didn't have a large list to go off of therefor it suffered. Ultimately what I'm trying to say is that most of the list was premature (except Midnight Son, I loved that movie why has no one else mentioned it?!) and I apologize to the films that made it.

As a group effort we need more comments and views. Don't get me wrong I love all twenty seven of you, even the silent followers but a comment every now and then wouldn't hurt. Even if its to say that I suck. At least I know someone is reading. Even though my page views have drastically increased since last year a good portion of them, no like eighty five percent of them come from google images. Impressively The Crow review has shot up to the top most viewed posts in the three or so weeks it's been up, all from google of course. It currently has seventy some views, but no comments.

This is a picture I used when I posted my story online.

A more personal resolution is I need to get back to writing my own stuff. All my writing time is dedicated to this site and I've been neglecting my original work quite a bit. However as I mentioned I want to start doing two reviews a week, or at least on a temporary basis for this blog and I don't know how that and my own writing will get along. It's hazy as of this moment but we'll see where it goes.

And finally that picture of the naked chick you see above the archives is my button. You may use it if you'd like, you don't have to tell me but it would brighten my day severely if you do so. Also you will see an increase in your page views because I will, more or less, stalk your page at least once a day just so I can see it on something besides my own. So it's really a win for both of us if you ask me. Though this may be construed as bitchy I mean it in the most respectful way. If you do use my button to promote my blog on your site/blog it doesn't necessarily mean I will return the gesture. It's just that doing that tends to get out of hand and I especially don't care to be promoting a cooking blog on my horror blog because the author used the button on their site. Don't let that suggest though that I won't promote your blog on my site, because I will. But it has to be to my interest and to my liking.

Basically though I did want to say thank you for reading as much as you do. Even if it's just a glance. You don't have any idea how much it means that someone is interested in what I have to say, despite it's lack of professionalism and bitter insight. Hope you stick with me.

- Bleeding Dead (Or Danielle, as my first name has now been leaked)

Graveyard Shift (1990)

2012-01-05T20:17:00.000-08:00

Drifter John Hall has just gotten a job at a textile mill working the lonely graveyard shift. The mill job is basically no different than others except for the fact that carnivorous rats infectiously live there and aren't shy towards the humans while they work. A much bigger rat though assumes position of Hall's new boss, who is reputed and religiously practices being a prick which includes but not limited to hitting woman, blackmailing workers and in general treating his employees like shit. When Hall steps in during a fight and prevents Warwick from beating his mistress Hall makes the list of the cleanup crew in the basement, a job given only to those Warwick really dislikes. At surface value the side job doesn't appear so bad, another graveyard shift on a holiday weekend that pays twice that of minimum all just to do clean up. But when Hall and the rest of the crew head to the basement they find the horrors of what's been growing in the darkness and a answer to all the recently missing workers at the mill.

I'm a bit addled as to how it's possible to send a Stephen King short story into disarray. A full length novel yes, but a short story that's essential plot moment is the cleanup crew in a basement? In truth I'm not even sure what occurred for a good half of this film, as nothing was developed. Instead a shallow plot carries equally shallow characters into a well lit (I'll address that later) basement where a monstrous creature is eating the workers. Having read the short story part of the terror was the concept that the untouched areas of darkness could mutate horrors beyond conception, hence the legless rat at the end of King's story that brought more terror in its inability to move than this flying bat creature of proportions. The script was almost painful at times by how obvious it was that King didn't write it, the dialect being flaky and the skin deep story. The missing workers addition seemed so slasher in context that when contrasted against the monster sub genre it falls in the it didn't really work bracket. The small love story added to appeal to more audiences was needless and it went nowhere. I'm not sure I'll understand the obsession of making two characters of the opposite sex always being attracted to each other in films. Maybe why I seek out horror and not romance.

David Andrews is alright as leading man John Hall, as said there's little character development and all Andrews has to do is essentially stand there and be the good guy. I actually don't mind that Hall's character direction went basically no where in the film, as in the story it seemed more of a Jack Torrance play off and was dispensable in what should of been the basic monster under the stairs story. Stephen Macht's Warwick was creepy but I'm not entirely sure if that was by default or from that accent he was attempting to do. I spent a good hour and a half waiting for a rat to gnaw his face off and for that horrid voice to be dead forever. All sarcasm and humor aside that accent was the scariest element about the film. If anyone was notable, and not for strange New England African Southern Drawls, Brad Dourif was hilarious as the offbeat exterminator and shows the only true bit of acting from the cast. From a cinematography point Graveyard Shift does have some nice shots of photography, particularly the opening credits in the graveyard but I had a huge issue with the lighting at the end. This may be a nit picking horror film critique (have I really come to that?) but why was the basement so brightly lit? King spent endless paragraphs and sentences describing the immense darkness that lye underneath the factory but everything was in clear view here. It took another fraction of horror from the story that was already limited in most respects.

At the end Graveyard Shift is just an inept film, with direction and writing being it's main faults. Hardly anything redoubtable, unless you have a fear of rats. This is not my favorite King story, by no means, and further adaptations have been much worse for him but turning the short story that didn't have much too it into a full length film seems inane. And again if your just going to change everything than why bother. Also I must point out the tagline inaccuracy which reads "Stephen King took you to the edge with The Shining and Pet Sematary. This time......he pushes you over", almost sad how untrue the statement is. If this is to attest for anything it's to not believe taglines. Graveyard Shift is not an entirely wasted watch, it does hold some interest in the rats and I love Brad Dourif with all my horror movie loving heart so it's always good to watch him be creepy. Likely a two out of five star film there's no need to watch the forgotten early 90's film unless you've had your eye on it.

The Crow (1994)

2011-12-22T19:45:00.000-08:00

Devil's Night - Halloween Eve - is a night with a reputation of arson and murder for inner city Detroit. On this night Eric Draven and his fiance Shelly Webster were brutally murdered and she brutally raped. Leaving behind a grieving surrogate-esque daughter, Sarah, and a fearful city. The gang composed of TinTin, Skank, Funboy and T-Bird are free without even an arrest. A year later though the Crow, which has been said to carry you to the afterlife, brings back Draven in his grief. He seeks revenge on the four men who killed Shelly but is unbeknownst that the gang is part of a larger criminal empire run by the high class katana wielding Top Dollar. When Top Dollar finds out about Draven's invincibility and the Crow's powers he seeks after Draven with the only thing he has left, Sarah.

I'm not sure if it's because of the on set tragedy (Lee was accidentally shot in the making of the film) or just the somber context of the script but The Crow has a drear veil in its viewing. That's not to attest it as uninteresting but rather the opposite as I'm always drawn into the tenebrous subject matter in that it never fails to evoke emotions from me. The film borders revenge flick to Gothic thriller, tending to shy away from the more violent scenes, but not denying us the final product; the gun shoot out felt more like it belonged in a action film than it did with the rest. Towards the hour mark it drags some and I lose focus for a minute or two, whenever I watch it. And as goes the plot is a bit absent minded and one dimensional. But I've always attribute character to surpass plot and I love Draven's character so I could care less if the plot was less attended too. The special effects are not great, even for its time and likely standout the most in the film.

Inevitability praise for Lee's work has been questioned by the close occurrence of his death on set, similar to Heath Ledger's Joker, many claim that the only reason the film is known and his performance accredited is because of the tragic accident. I make no mistake in saying that's absolutely wrong, tragedy or not Brandon Lee is immense in the role of Eric Draven. The sinister clown exteriors the broken angel, both which make for a memorable character. Draven's one liners and his depression from his and Shelly's death create a character that is to stay with you, despite an unstable plot. Ernie Hudson is good at being Ernie Hudson...that's a little harsh, I honestly don't mean it as a negative. His self portrayed likable cop is a nice character to relax on, you always know he's going to be the good guy in that sense it relives the tension from the dark script. And Michael Wincott is great as the baleful Top Dollar. This is a Gothic visual stimuli in a more natural approach than Tim Burton's inspired work. The prominent color of black is painted on nearly everything but it never hides or darkens the screen. Instead it blends with the gray skies and red flashbacks to bleed a comely cinematographic show. Attribute to director Alex Proyas and director of Photography Dariusz Wolski, who I hold this to be his best work.

The film like most of my favorites is a beautiful flaw, not perfect but hits my right notes. I consider it a great piece similar to Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy, not strong on plot but excels in character development and visuals. I love the soundtrack as well with a mix of rock songs and romantic scores to capture the dense sadness and angst. Another thing I picked up was Lee's usual of martial arts in his stance and actions. They didn't really need a stunt double as the martial arts expert was able to do most of the stunts himself. Not necessarily a martial arts fan (odd considering my favorite movie is Kill Bill Vol 2) but I love when it's present in outside genre films. The Crow conceived quite a bit of sequels and a TV spin off; the films holding under a five star rating on IMDB. I believe one of them even has Edward Furlong in it. I can't speak for the sequels as I have not seen them myself but the 1994 film The Crow is a stunning Gothic entry in the horror genre. A must watch but be weary of the black subject matter as it's not for a light viewing.

TDHorror Retro Review

2011-12-21T09:04:00.001-08:00

I've been absent for a week or so, I know. For whatever reason the month of October and the month of December people are in high demand of me. There will be a review tomorrow despite that I missed one last week. Anyways as an update I'm writing for Truly Disturbing now as an official writer, which means that I'll be dedicating my time to two reviews each month for the site. That's not to suggest that it'll take away from this blog, I'll still being doing my one review a week, the Horror Shorts, Irrelevant Post Fridays, and maybe more?

"The film suggests that of two horrors, the mysterious scarecrow apparition that appears before the deaths and that friendly mailman Otis P. Hazelrigg has affection towards young Marylee. The latter is never explored further than a comment made by Ms. Ritter but the suggestion creates a tension whenever Hazelrigg is near Marylee, making you question if he's going to do something in likes to the rumor. The film has a PG level of violence and not for those seeking a hard gore show, the only real bloody death being Bubba's, that was quite cruel in addition to being the most graphic. The idea behind the script is that you’re not sure who is behind the murders. Is it Ms. Ritter? Or young Marylee? Or is it a mysterious spirit that’s to restore balance in the small town?"

And as last time you may read the rest here. You should also comment, while you're there, because it would make me and the TrulyDisturbing owners happy. Also while I'm here I might as well pimp out a few things. First off if you don't read Phill's Film Adventures to start with than you have issues, and second in addition to being an avid movie critique he's a lover of horror and in particular the best of the B's and Cults. In so he's created an entire blog dedicated to just them http://midnighthorrorsinemashow.blogspot.com/ The first post is of FrankenHooker...it's looking positive for the site. And if you haven't noticed on the side of my page there's a picture with the words Obsess and Consume, click on it dammit. It's by one of my favorite Twitter friends sheoverdosed, it's not just dedicated to horror but to other films, prominently indie which happens to be my second favorite genre. And finally if you haven't watched Microcinema what is WRONG with you?! It's 99 fucking cents, don't get stingy and watch it.

That was an odd assortment of promotional things but they are those I find most pressing, at the moment. I apologize for being rash but considering how good they are and go unnoticed at times is a bit absurd. Either or anticipate an Irrelevant Post Friday next week giving updates on this blog. Also watch out for these TDHorror posts because they are hopefully frequenting my blog about twice a month.

Horror Short - Bunny Boy (2010)

2011-12-11T17:45:00.000-08:00

Written and directed by Brandon LaGanke
Staring Mitch Webb and Teymur Guliyev
Director of Photography, Ruben O'Malley

My viewing for the film Bunny Boy came to me from no other than the lovely Mile High Horror Film Festival, where the majority of the Horror Shorts I'll be doing are also birthed of. The film's poster caught my eye and it was what led me to pick the Shorts slot over a film like Chilerama or I Saw The Devil. The five minute running time tells the story of a boy, who sees a man in a bunny suit, sitting by the side of the road, seemingly dead. A silent conversation pursues when the boy tries to feed and give the bunny water, what the boy doesn't realize though that there is a reason this particular individual is sitting by the side of the road, in a bunny suit, not really being all the way there. Maybe the moral of this short is don't talk to strangers?

Bunny Boy was likely the only horror short I absolutely loathed at the MHHFF, so much in fact I feel wrong just writing about it. I'm a horror fan so violence doesn't phase me but I prefer when it has a purpose, whether it'd be comedic or to send a message, I don't care, as long as its not gratuitous. Bunny Boy misses this mark severely at showing violence just to be weird, and to attempt to disturb you. I found it disturbing, but not on an artistic point, rather at the idea itself. I feel sorry for the other films that missed the available spot from whoever voted to keep this in. Maybe I missed the point. I'm not ashamed in admiting I don't always understand a films intention but really as far as my viewpoint it lacked purpose and thought, a pathless walk trying to classify itself as horror. I'm too pissed off about it to even note any light points like the cinematography. I hated it, don't waste five minutes of your life watching this. Please...

BUT if you must Bunny Boy is making its way around film festivals (horror and non horror alike), so look out for it.

*Update: I've decisively found a place for the Horror Shorts now, it'll be the second Sunday of every month. I would like to do it at least twice a month but as of now I'm limited because I've only seen so many. Again if you have one you'd like me to watch and review send me a link on my twitter or at bleedingdead22@yahoo.com.

Real Life Horror, Unapologetically Wrecking my Childhood

2011-12-09T20:07:00.000-08:00

It's not such a rare occurance anymore, as Hollywood studios go out of their way to ruin my childhood memories. Taint them with the poorly constructed remakes, give half the effort and heart to make a few dollars. It's nothing new. But they really went out of their way this time and essentially impaled me. I'm not being dramatic either, they are shutting down the Jaws Ride at Universal Studios.

Admittedly the shark looks horribly fake and I've been on the ride so many times that its not even a surprise anymore when he pops up. Hell I could probably count the exact seconds it takes from when the barn doors close to when the people on the front right side scream. But my first trip to Universal this was the only adult ride I got on. I was tricked by my mom and my brother, who told me it was a boat ride. And as typical horror lover I was enthralled when the shark blasted through the water and started eating the wire right next to my brother. It was lucky how we picked the exact seats the big action stuff happens on for our first time there. I didn't stop talking about the ride for weeks. And like usual everyone was annoyed with me for not being able to shut my mouth.

As I got older and went on the ride again I was able to appreciate the homage to the film and the entire section dedicated to the town of Amity. And even when it became apparently fake and the tour boat guide's gun shot aim became painstakingly worse it was still fun. Especially for new people who had never been on the ride before. But it could be worse. It could be this version of Jaws:

I'm not an expert but either she really hated George or she's just awful at her job. Not to mention she gives away a huge spoiler "I'm going to stop talking after the shark comes up because they are filming Desperate Housewives down the street." .... Or whatever she said to that nature. And Bruce looks more like a dolphin with that trick than as an intimidating shark.

If anything Universal just needed to update the ride, and maybe bring a little bit more cohesion to that part of the park. But in life its just easier to destroy part of my childhood than it is to repair it for new memories. Whatever Universal. I do note though that if they ever get rid of the Terminator ride they've lost me as a customer. That ride is fucking awesome. Oh and please get rid of the Simpsons and bring back Back To the Future.

A little bit of history and trivia on the ride. It was built in 1990 to many failures and technical difficulties, which eventually lead to the ride being redesigned to a small, and admittedly less scary, extent. The former attraction included a much more active shark who was strong enough to spin the boat around, and also a more gory ending where the shark dies similar as in the film. The ride is five minutes long and the shark is seen seven times, three times in full and four with the fin. Universal hasn't released what will replace the Jaws ride but I'm skeptical, agreeing with others that they haven't hard anything too iconic to replace Spielberg's box office massacre.

Best Worst Movie (2009)

2011-12-08T09:45:00.000-08:00

Nearly two decades ago Troll 2 graced the straight to DVD category with the distinction of being the worst movie ever made, but what disguised itself as shame was in truth a cult phenomenon, and as the documentary lets way it is almost as big as Rocky Horror. Now eighteen years later the kid star of the film Michael Stephenson dredges up the film's success and gives us and update on our favorite bad Utah actors. The real face of Best Worst Movie is George Hardy who plays the dad, Michael Waits in the bad film, then and now a dentist he's an outgoing lovable guy with a huge personality. Coming in as a supporting role is Claudio Fragasso, a true Italian director at heart, who's passion for film making is not fazed by the actors confusion or the critics hate. As the film intertwines the where are they now with the cult following that is growing annually, the mission is simple enough, 'What the fuck is Troll 2?'

This documentary is not necessarily horror but it tries to explain how a horror film could go so disarray. The actors commentary is enduring and unique as no two opinions are the same, all have a brief moment of reflection on their careers and life, even Hardy who discusses one night after the high of a showing that his true love was in acting, but for the instability in the field he never pursued further. As a general the teen stars of the film lump it into an embarrassment especially Connie Young who played the daughter, even going as far as removing it from her resume. Others like Jason Steadman know that it's awful but don't mind so much as their careers went in different directions. Then there's the darker side of the film with Margo Prey and Don Packard who both are suffering from a mental illness of some sort (the latter admit-tingly and the former allegedly). But as mentioned Fragasso and Hardy steal the screen, as Hardy embraces his cult icon status and Fragasso stands firm on his work, despite when asked questions like "Why is the film called Troll 2 when there are no trolls in the movie?" Fragasso and his wife who wrote the screenplay claim that Troll 2 is a social commentary, on the American family...and vegetarians.

The other side, the fans who've escalated the film from secretion for fifteen years to a true embodiment of an audience, makes for an glimpse into the world of cult. You see the midnight screenings played out with two hundred people lined up outside, the energetic reenactments by the cast members of the infamous scenes, and then interviews of fans who try to get down to what they love about the film. Collectively most agree that it's Fragasso's vision and passion that make it not a bad movie but rather a movie that just failed on an epic level.

Ultimately I'm eager to see more from the director who captures the spirit of Troll 2 rather well. Best Worst Movie, like the film it focuses on, has a lot of heart. It's amusing in some places and somber in others, particularly when Hardy and other cast members realize that the film doesn't belong at the horror conventions or the Sci-Fi ones, which unfortunately plays out in the later half of the film. However, just as you feel your about to end the movie on a bit of a buzz killer as Hardy seems to have worn on his cult status, Stephenson asks him, "If Claudio asked you to do Troll 3 would you do it?" and without hesitation Hardy replies "Of course, what are you talking about? Of course I would", and it brings you right back up. At the end Stephenson achieves an understanding of the success for Troll 2, it's not a film for the critics, and it's not even a film for the average movie goer, it's for the bad movie addicts and the people who stumble across it. Troll 2 is clearly a cult classic and the documentary accurately portrays that, defiantly worth a watch.

Dead Awake (2010)

2011-12-01T21:38:00.000-08:00

It's not fair, how am I suppose to summarize a film if there is no coherent plot to describe? I've had to do this twice now and I'm becoming a little irksome of it. Oh well, I'll try my best. Dylan is a funeral home assistant, or Morticians assistant, or whatever, plagued by the memories of his past. When one of Dylan's old high school football teammates dies and it brings a reunion of his class to his funeral home Dylan gets reunited with his ex love Natalie. Seeing his friends death and Natalie Dylan gets a bit bummed on himself and bets his boss that if he faked his own death no one would come. Taking the bet Dylan waits the day in the coffin for what appears to be a no show, that is until an unhinged junkie crashes the wake.

I almost forgot to post this review which may have been a sign. It's full of intolerance towards the director and the screenwriter, with a sparingly few nice things said towards the actors. Proceed with caution. The concept, a man faking his own death, is provocative in theory but poor in execution. Dylan fakes his death for one scene and the rest is of him trying to get back with Natalie and following the junkie around to inconclusive events. The film consistently tries to discuss a larger meaning of death and redemption but the writing is so up and down it doesn't work out. They show flashbacks to recap what's occurring in the film (aka, nothing) but often replay scenes we saw five minutes ago, rendering the technique pointless. The car crash doesn't intrigue you so when the big mystery is revealed you could care less. I'm usually able to excuse a plot less film if the characters hold strong, but they don't in this. Dylan, though having a tragic past, doesn't care about himself and neither do you. In general for a thriller it lacks thrills.

Rose McGowan is the only intriguing character, and she's well played, as McGowan rarely disappoints. Nick Stahl, who suspiciously looks like Michael C. Hall in this, is good. There's one rather dramatic moment between him and Decko and if it wasn't for Decko's acting it may have pulled through. Amy Smart is good too although I've seen her in better. The two Irish sub parents to Dylan, Decko and Liz, are awful. It's apparent that their accents are fake (or at least sounds thereof) and that the screenwriter gets a kick out of Decko saying Shit in the accent, so it sounds like sheit. The director and cinematographer try to hard to make the tone of the film dark and edgy, that has a lack of consistency as well. There were deep shots of grungy indie lighting and then scenes shot in clear day, neither which flow with the visual palate of the film.

I was done with it at an hour in and the last half didn't seem to end. There was no plot and hence no climax. The film does make sense though when the last minute twist is revealed and you understand what the purpose of it all was. That doesn't change how it tried to basically bore and drive you into insanity for the first hour, and not in a good way. Still the plot holes are immense and there are still unexplained elements (the detective anyone?). The film steals, not pay homage but actually steals, the tagline "Death is only the beginning" from The Mummy remake, and the poster is a clear rip off of the Twilight Saga posters. From reviews on Netflix and on IMDB some people acclaimed this as an indie Sixth Sense and found the story different but good. Personally I found it to be poorly written, poorly directed, and I hated it. It more or less just bored me, as it is managing to still do now. Not deserving of a recommendation from me, sorry.

Black Friday

2011-11-25T10:12:00.000-08:00

It's black Friday, so please don't die. That is all.

Blood Freak (1972)

2011-11-24T19:22:00.000-08:00

Being Thanksgiving I initially set out to review Thankskilling, under the impression that it was the only killer turkey movie to be found, atlas I was wrong. Unbeknownst to this 'gem' a reviewer on Netflix led me to the Something Weird Grindhouse Video. Therefore for this Thanksgiving I will bless you with something a little more obscure...you can thank me later.

At the opening of Blood Freak our chain smoking narrator introduces us to Herschel, a well liked man from what most can tell. Herschel sees Angel by the side of the road with car troubles and being the kind of man he is (this is specified by our narrator) helps to get her home. At Angel's house her sister Ann is throwing an everyday drug party with her friends. The two sisters are as opposite as ever, Angel the Christian do gooder who has faith in all, and Ann the coke whore. Angel asks Herschel if he's ever partaken in the after school activities of Ann's friends, he replies that he's never done such illegal acts but I'm not convinced. It doesn't take Ann long to pursue after Herschel, nor that long to get him hooked on drugs in a peer pressure incident that even puts 'it'll make you look cool' to shame. While Ann is sexing up Herschel and getting him hooked Angel helps Herschel get a job at her father's turkey farm, which includes an odd assortment of jobs like test eating the turkey. After an experimental turkey eating Herschel wanders off and begins to feel sick, which eventually results into convulsions, and to the score of gobbling turkeys he becomes something not quite human. A human with a turkey head. But for Herschel life is not to simply get better now that he has a turkey head to deal with, he's still addicted to drugs and the only way to curb his thirst is by drinking the blood of addicts.

If you under the impression that I'm fucking with you on the plot or exaggerating it for comedic effect, I assure you I am not. It is as I said, so yes Blood Freak is a film about a man with a turkey head killing the drug fiends of this world. I was waiting for Pam Grier to show up at any moment. No doubt produced by Christian society group or the sorts Blood Freak sends the message that faith is stronger than drugs, and forgiveness is inside us all, if we just don't bother to poison ourselves with such evil. The narrator peeks in and out of the film to give us little speeches on the meaning of life, what have you and shamefully cast judgmental looks at us through the film of his cigarette smoke. Herschel manages to make friends and fall in love with Ann after only living there for a week, prompting them to say such things as "you know how Herschel is" or "Herschel wouldn't do that". The special effects are nonexistent in this bloody stump of a film, the Turkey head too clearly a mask and not clear enough to be a distinctive turkey. By the way, brilliant approach to avoiding the leg saw scene, that 'jump' in the film was totes convincing. There isn't a lot of blood until the final twenty minutes where Herschel takes to killing his victims by hanging them upside down and draining them from the throat. But when blood is present its quite vivid and not hidden in the dark lighting or grained film.

The entire cast is the result of rejected porn stars, or looks thereof. Steve Hawkes is Herschel, the apparently strong, handsome, and attractive to women sort of guy, none of which I picked up on through Hawkes acting. He also wrote and directed the film, it's not adept, I'll say but, if there's anything to speak for acting, writing, directing, sound, etc are all congenial with one another, one is no worse than the other. The Christian narrator played by Brad F. Grinter reads his long diatribes of preach off the queue cards on his desk (a little disheartening considering he co-wrote and co-directed the script with Hawkes), trying his very best to guilt me into salvation. There's an irony here, as the film promotes the life cleansed of illegal substances and tainted meat yet every actor's eyelids hang lower than their pupils and mutter their speech in a monotonic voice. Two symptoms of the clear usage of drugs, and possibly bad chemically altered turkey as poor Herschel was victim too. The cinematography varies between a home movie and the misguided shots of a snuff film. The DP lingers at moments, undoubtedly to delay time as the film only lengths an hour and twenty minutes. The most mundane, and not mundane but equally boring, acts are stretched beyond reasonable capacity; my interest is little in watching a bunch of turkeys gobble in their pens.

I'm not sure if the film is victim to the same blind innocence as Troll 2 was, not intentionally meant to be bad but consistent all the way through. I have a dissenting feeling that it is, with the uplifting message and all. The film transfer I saw was rough, it looked like they cleaned the strip with sandpaper. It also wasn't as graphic as I had anticipated, there was a sex scene with Turkey Head Herschel but from what I saw it was in black, yet the site I watched it on forced me to make an account to make sure I was eighteen and could watch the damn thing. So if there is an unrated version out there I missed I encourage you to find. This review may confuse you some as I've not said anything positive in the light of Blood Freak but I'm here to recommend. It's not in the so bad its good category as anything as poorly built as this can't even be near the term good, but its so bad its laughable that you may cry sort of film. It doesn't even really belong in any type of genre, it's really a class of its own. Should I just make up an Christian/Anti Drug killer turkey movie label and hope that one day a second film can bask in the bizarre spill of recreation? I think I should. As most seem to be at a loss for words I shall say it; watch it, I suggest not sober. Happy Thanksgiving.

Horror Short: The Cleansing (2011)

2011-11-20T21:09:00.000-08:00

Written and directed by Gary Marino Jr.
Staring Kimberly Laurenne, Erika Robel, and Ashley McDonald.
Director of Photography Gary Marino Jr.

Initially I didn't set to do these on a weekly basis as I do not have access to enough short films to cover fifty two viewings, if not more. Therefore I hadn't anticipated a horror short review for you this lovely Sunday night but was led to a viewing of The Cleansing and decisively changed my mind, as of twenty some odd hours ago. As usual I pose caution towards raw sentence flow and bad grammar, begging you to pay attention to the context rather than the content. The Cleansing is one of six short films from Fractures Films, "a collection of short abstract films examining the macabre, the twisted and the obscure textures of life". This particular film takes focus to Michelle and her newborn son who's been possessed with crying, by natural or maybe unnatural means, leaving her sleepless and agitated. Lost in a post postpartum depression of sorts Michelle is at the edge of her sanity and the baby doesn't appear to be stopping anytime soon. The Cleansing covers a wide range of topics from new motherhood to depression but ultimately serves as a horror film. As I'm coming to find with these short films the idea is to capture you as an audience within their short running frame and the most effective way to do that is by shocking you. After the twist is revealed the film runs for a full minute, which converted to full film is rather like twenty minutes, and you're constrained to endure the reality that's been imposed upon you. It's an unpleasant feeling, one that left a pit in my stomach in all honesty.

Kimberly Laurenne is deeply disheveled (as a compliment) in her role as Michelle, she ranges from the annoyed mother, to the despaired, and then changes her tune completely for the ending. An ominous and almost empty slideshow of pictures account for the subconscious of the film and of Michelle's mind. The lighting, the brief abstract shots, and the music was all very reminiscent of the tone in The Ring. The film has a professional appearance to it but it doesn't have an IMDB page or any other signs of big studio release outside Fractures Films website; accreditation for Gary Marino Jr. who did the directing, writing, and served as DP for the film, three notes which I enjoyed very much. If I had to dissect and choose a negative for the film I'd say the baby was clearly not real, but seeing how I don't really care neither should you. In my argument I'd say The Cleansing is a really dark piece, it takes you back in nature but holds you in its cinematography. It's available, as well as their other five films, for a free watch on Fractures Films website. Also while you're there go to their About section for a unique description of what they've set out to do. I quoted a bit from it earlier, feeling it said more about the film than I could say myself. You may also follow them on Twitter for more updates on their films and such.

House of Wax (1953)

2011-11-17T21:43:00.000-08:00

WARNING: May contain some spoilers

In House of Wax Vincent Price plays the wax curator of a modest exhibit that showcases moments in history, his favorite being his Marie Antoinette life-like creation. But Price's business partner does not share his love for the museum and burns it down, with Price inside, to cash in on the insurance money. A few months pass and with what seems like a dead Price and a happy Matthew Burke is awaken to reality when Burke dies by a disfigured man, and Price resurfaces with a new exploitative exhibit. Among the opening night viewers is Sue Allen, a traumatized woman who discovered her friend Cathy dead and was chased by the disfigured killer. While walking the exhibit Sue takes particular notice to the Joan of Arc figurine, which posses the face structure of her late friend Cathy, and despite comfort Sue takes notice to how eerily the wax resembles that of real people. Meanwhile Price is hoping to use Sue as a model for the re-sculpting of his beloved Marie Antoinette.

It's rather curious to me but I knew from the beginning of House of Wax that I was going to love it, the shot of Price working on a sculptor, it was in his stance and attitude that made my heart melt and I became a Price addict here on out. This is one of those films that I prefer to not see in high definition as for on a personal matter I am nostalgic and in favor of the film I think the infrared vision works in that the wax figures do appear to be tediously real. The actors are posing in still but the gritted screen makes it less likely to catch any unwarranted movements, and regardless you start on with Sue's suspicions of the origins of the figures. The film is mostly just suspenseful and thrilling, but the disfigured murderer and the uncanny aura of the museum might unsettle some.

Price is enlivening in the role of Jarrod, the passionate wax artist who may not be all they way there. He's able to let way enough when he's playing normal in the character the madness within, and it's just incredible to watch an actor that can actually do that. This is the film, as far as I know, that started Vincent Price's career as a legendary horror icon, as he plays the madman so distinctly. Phyllis Kirk is good as Sue Allen, she's likable and though she has that paranoid 'there's something wrong' syndrome you as an audience feel it equally so it doesn't come off as a being vexatious. Frank Lovejoy and the rest of the cast are all good and in par with the acting of their decade. Directing is done well, although this is one of the first 3D films ever made and there are scenes where it's apparent that certain things are aimed at the audience members, but other than that no real complaints.

Unfortuantly House of Wax does hold me down on one aspect of the film...the ending. Call me a sick individual but I did not want the happy Sue lives ending. Not that I had any particular dislike towards her, I mean she was right about Jarrod, but maybe it's just my horror rooted mind that wanted to see the recreation of the Marie Antoinette in the The Chambers of Horror. That's nothing to turn you off however, House of Wax is a classic and I may not really even have to recommend it because I'm sure all horror fans have seen it. Regardless of, for new horror fans who have not seen it my opinion is that it is an exceptional horror film that may not scare for modern audiences (it's rated PG for today's standards) but probably did in it's time, and it's far better than its slashed up remake...let's just be honest it's not even on the same level.

Horror Short: Seizure (2011)

2011-11-13T20:01:00.000-08:00

Written and directed by James Neff and Joseph Dean Martinez
Staring Brian Ardolino and Danica Deering
Director of Photography Joseph Dean Martinez

The Horror Shorts have been absent for a little more than a month because of the top five lists but I'm glad to bring it back with Night Walker Cinema's short film Seizure, a contestant for the Universal Halloween Horror Nights short film contest. Isolation has constricted Jordy more than anything, with his only real line to the outside world being his answering machine. His tormenting visions having been written off as mental illness and a pursued fixture by medication, but this may not be medical at all, and Jordy seizures may just be caused by something far more terrifying. This is Night Walker Cinema's first short film and an appealing first piece. The film runs a few seconds short of three minutes and provokes a feeling stylized to what the hell is going on. It comes equipped with a nice little twist ending that may or may not send a chill down your spine, depending on how you feel towards this type of horror.

Brian Ardolino is the man of focus, being the only physical person on screen. His performance is a bit extreme at moments but it makes for a more intense experience and overtly effective. Direction is solid by the two directors, I'm a little taken back as to why this was not accepted in to HHN, though not perfect a lot more adequate than some shit that seeps into film festivals. Cinematography wise it's not exceptional but good for first time DP, particularly the end shot that very cautiously reveals the twist, in the right amount of light. And I really quite liked the font they picked for the credits. A definite watch Seizure is available on youtube for free at Night Walker Cinema's channel. You should also follow them on Twitter for more updates on this film and their upcoming projects.

TDHorror Retro Review

2011-11-13T13:00:00.000-08:00

If you didn't know one of my favorite websites, TrulyDisturbing.com, or TDhorror for short, asked me to write Retro Reviews for them. My first one was of Herschel Gordon Lewis's The Wizard of Gore and can be found here. Thus far I've only done two, hopefully more, but for my second review I reviewed one of my favorite films, Alice, Sweet Alice. Normally I don't like to do such, as I feel analyzing such taints my love of the film, but this film is an exception because I love it despite its odd faults. More giallo inspired horror, with religious overtones, and disturbing flesh colored masks.

Alice, Sweet Alice (or Communion, or Holy Terror mind you) is about twelve year old Alice Spages who is a little bit off. Often remit by adult's love, who advert more of their focus to her younger sister Karen, Alice has made a hobby of collecting an odd assortment of things, including cockroaches, her sister's favorite items, and creepy flesh colored masks. Karen’s first communion awakens tension between the two sisters and their single mother as Alice becomes increasingly jealous by the attention given to Karen. Jealously might possibly turn into rage as Karen ends up dead in the church and Alice is missing from sight during the murder. Everyone begins to suspect and nearly convict Alice for her sister’s murder and others that show up afterwards, but as nothing ever changes, not even in death, Alice blames Karen for the murders. At a loss what to believe the adults struggle to keep composure in this religious horror novelty.

The 1976 film may have died off entirely had it not been Brooke Shield's debut role which pushed the film into three different releases, under three different titles no less. Thankfully the independent slasher flick did receive more attention than normally allotted to such films as Alice, Sweet Alice is one of my bizarre favorites. The heavily played religious overtones create a tediously weird film about God, family, and murder...

You can read the rest of the review at TDHorror. Along with a lot of other really awesome articles and other guest contributions. Specifically an article by ahlephia on horror legend Robert England (yes I got overtly excited when I saw it). http://www.trulydisturbing.com/

A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)

2011-11-10T16:06:00.000-08:00

The remake of the Wes Craven classic of the same name follows Nancy and Quintin, two sleep deprived teenagers who are being haunted by a man in their dreams. The man, dressed in a dirty Christmas sweater, burnt head to toe, and downing a glove with knives for fingernails, is killing off Nancy and Quintin's friends in their dreams. Now as the two of them struggle to stay awake in what are called (or I believe) micro-dreams they try to figure out what he wants, knowing there's a larger connection to all of this. The look and feel to this is modern horror but I don't know it just doesn't work. Warning, some spoiler alerts.

The film doesn't go with out effort, the opening title sequence is a nice visual piece and new concepts to the series add an interesting touch, like the micro-dreams, or as I said in the first paragraph I believe that's what they called them. In all honesty I had a hard time following the dialog as it was less than intelligent at times. After the first forty five minutes I consciously made an effort to take in only about forty five percent of what people were saying to each other as it was just unrealistic and quite frankly stupid. Also another thing that added a different dynamic was that the current victims were the previous victims. However; that also serves as a down point for the film, they showcase the child molester element quite a bit, and when I mean that I mean when Nancy says: "Fuck you!" Freddy replies: "That sounds like fun." It's a little bit tough to take in. It didn't find a balance between casual and disturbing, at points in the film like when the kids found out they were molested as children from their parents (who also disclosed it in such a bizarre way) they had basically no reaction. But then there's a scene where Freddy comes close to raping Nancy.

Acting is decently awful. I couldn't stand Katie Cassidy and I was counting off the minutes until Freddy killed her, she also looked twenty five not seventeen. Kellan Lutz also got it pretty earlier as well and I was thankful for that. Roony Mara was fairly awful, I understand that Nancy is suppose to be a tortured misfit teen in this but reading all your lines in monotone doesn't help the audience like you. Her character doesn't compare with old Nancy and you can understand why they have another character in the end helping her try and kill Freddy. It isn't believable that she can do it on her own. I like Kyle Gallner from Jennifer's Body and A Haunting In Connecticut, so I know he can act, and while I'm glad he was there to counter Mara's acting he was also a little less than impressionable. Now Jackie Earle Harley is probably the only person I can see playing Freddy and he did alright, I guess. It's not as iconic as Robert England's but he's creepy, they made him look like a real burnt victim which did make it more horrifying and hard to look at. How he acted was a little odd but I don't know, it could have been worse.

The film would have gotten a solid two stars (out of five) from me for the new ideas and the added creepiness of Freddy but the last ten seconds were so awful that it pushed it into the category that this is just another really shitty remake. They try to replicate the iconic scenes and it's obvious that they were hesitant about it, knowing that copying it exactly or dis-including it would piss off fans. But that dilemma speaks for itself; you can't do either without pissing people off so why bother remaking this? This just doesn't work, the undying bogeyman of the seventies and eighties who spawns sequels into the nineties doesn't work in the new millennium (unfortunately). I actually went to the theater (rare for me) and saw Scream 4, which isn't exactly scary but was a great movie as it did what the first did, paid homage to the genre while parodying it. You're wondering what relevance this has well I'm just saying Craven understands how horror has moved from the decades, current Hollywood producers don't. Freddy belongs in the eighties, this generation should stick to what it knows, torture porn and Facebook killers. Or maybe I'm asking to much here but...I don't know...how but something new and creative we've never seen.

Troll (1986)

2011-11-03T20:32:00.000-07:00

Troll follows the story of it's title character, Torok, a centuries old troll/fairy that's out to create an entire fairy universe inside the constrictions of an apartment complex. With the help of Wendy Anne Potter, the cute little girl to the family that just moved in down stairs, Torok believes he's finally going to rule in the human world. Once in Wendy Anne's body Torok goes door to door and using his nifty ring creates an Eden for his friends. But not everyone is blind to Wendy's new behavior, her brother, Harry Jr, see's that there's something wrong with his sister and with a little help from the witch who lives upstairs, he's out to save his sister and the world. The 1986 B-horror film has been hiding in its sequels cult shadow for years, forgotten by such infamy the original film proves to actually be decent and entertaining.

In a lot of ways Troll is almost a horror movie to a kid, but at the same time the second layer plot might go over their heads. The fairy-tale aspect and the lack of deaths might appeal to that sort of audience more than an adult, unless of course your nostalgic. The whimsical nature to Troll is equally paired with an undeniable quality, its humor, some intentional, but lets be honest most not. The name of the dad, Harry Potter, a writer who gets thrown into a world of witches and trolls? It almost feels like its satirizing J.K. Rowling novels but that's impossible since it predates it by 11 years. The trolls themselves while creepy are also laughable, especially when they sing. No blood, mostly people oddly running into each other at all times, the Troll kicking people three times his size asses, and pod like things that look more like they belong in gardens than as some violent alien spawn types.

The characters, to my deep surprise, were developed. Between Eunice, the old soul who seems to have a gleeful tinge to her expression every time she talks about the trolls, to Malcolm, the dying little person who's humble disposition about his life made you root for him and his survival. Harry Potter Sr. was gloriously lame, from his pitiful attempt at a pre pregnancy drug joke to his horrendous dancing. In fact lets just lump Anne Potter in that category as well, her undeniable love for her husband and her mom duties put her in line with Mr. Potter, but its all in a good way. They are hilarious together, the scene where Malcolm is telling the Fairy Princess story at the dinner table and Mr. Potter looks over at Mrs. Potter and lovingly grabs her hand, I had a good laugh on that one. Beyond cheesy.

Troll is not all laughs though, the story is interesting and if Ghoulies or Leprechaun scared you then I have no doubt Torok the Troll will keep you up for at least one night. This film doesn't get a lot of credit because Troll 2 is the ultimate so "bad it's good movie". I really like Troll, I laughed through a good portion of it and although it may not have exactly worked I give the screenwriters credit for at least attempting a serious film, I mentioned it earlier but I'd say its plot jumped a second layer. I own the Troll/Troll 2 double feature and it was a decent purchase, in my opinion. Troll's a good B-movie to watch or maybe for a little bit older kids who won't get too scared.

The Master of Horror - Dario Argento

2011-10-31T23:47:00.000-07:00

Next year's lists will not be so crammed, I promise. I'll admit I tried to squeeze a few viewings in of films the night before, having not seen them but knowing they had a strong legacy in the genre. I'm sure some that I critiqued or rather ignored will grow on me and the list will inevitably change, hell Boyfriend's With Fangs needs a drastic update since last year. So do know that none of them are absolute or near such (maybe with the exception of Stephen Kings) and that all contain the fine print "So far".

Thus to prevent addressing it in ever paragraph of this list (as it inevitably would be) lets just mention the flaws of Argento's work; awful sound transfers, not the best acting, and plot instances that fail. Its safe to say character development and the logical plot are not his strong points. What are? Setting up atmosphere in set design (I've heard he's meticulous about such things), collaborating well with composers, directing his DP's to gorgeous cinematographic heights and creating a beauty in death, something I don't believe any other filmmaker has done quiet so well. To note I didn't get distinctly different in separating the giallo's from the true horrors as I would therefore not have a list and they are scary despite trying for a more crime fiction motif. Not solely a master of Italian horror but basically a master of horror in general Dario Argento's films established a cult following based of his work. Not all can be Argento fans (understandably) but those who are appreciate them for what they are, broken masterpieces. So for this year's Master of Horror I focused on my favorite country of horror by one of my favorite directors, My Top Five Favorite Dario Argento Films:

#5 Phenomena (1985)

This is Argento's heavy metal rock film of the 80's, a combination I couldn't dream up if I'd even believed it to work. However, it does in this outlandish piece of cinema. Usual Argento the film has excessive flaws in plot, where most lead dead or near death, and dialogue. Often I'm afraid that he's more interested in surprising us with a killer than establishing a substantial reason as to why this person is murdering everyone. Regardless Phenomena did capture my heart briefly at it's start, young Jennifer Connelly and Donald Pleasence are good in their roles which they play against a beautiful Swiss Alps scenery. The soundtrack is killer as it plays loud chords and blares inside the story, and unlike other films its never inaptly played (I'm looking at you Deep Red). Jennifer's creepy bug telepathy and the rest of the works I've praised place this as number five on my list.

#4 Opera (1987)

Another gore fest Argento with surrealism at play. Again he creates a beautiful sculptured film that transcends the expectation of art. A deeply unhinged but emotionally sympathetic lead makes this the closest thing Argento has had to a character study. Of course bad dubbing doesn't precede the film but no less tolerable than normal. This is by far the most brutal flick ever conceived from this MOH. Harsh and stunning at the same time.

#3 The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970)

Oddly The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is less known or rather less acclaimed than his other films. I'm a little confused to this; yes there's an absence of blood but this is one of the best Argento films ever, and it happens to be the first he directed. It follows the basic giallo plot of a writer who witnesses an attempted murder outside an art gallery and begins to investigate for himself. In a way I felt that Deep Red was almost a remake of this, between the similar plots and Sam eerily wearing the same black button up shirt and khaki pants as Marc Daily. The film, though mostly giallo, has a very haunting atmosphere, curtosy of an enchanting score by Ennio Morricone. It takes a real horror turn when Sam's girlfriend is locked in her apartment and the killer is trying to break in. A little excessive reaction but ultimately effective in capturing the terror of that moment, which is to attribute to good acting, especially by lead Tony Musante. No amateur directing shown on his half, Argento's first try was impressively good and a tense suspenseful watch, with a bit of humor.

#2 Deep Red (1975)

If Phenomena hadn't of fallen apart towards the end it had a better chance at ranking higher than Deep Red. But overall Deep Red is the more composed film and the quintessential of his giallo's. A complex range of characters speaking between Italian and English this was the film that scared me since seeing Suspiria. A breach of safety in my seat when I jumped from that laughing doll, a provoked chill from the break in and the death at Amanda Righetti's house, and essentially a great build of tension for the Italian thriller. Deep Red is a quite important viewing in the world of giallo films, not only Argento's most significant but arguably one of the most significant of the genre. And even better a killer with motivation! Deep Red is topped with good performances and an astounding soundtrack (though not the best, in my opinion) which makes it a must see.

#1 Suspiria

This was likely obvious as my header is of the film's eloquent cover but it's not as if there's any other choice. As gathered I liked/loved the other four films on this list nothing comes close to the bravura of Suspiria; a bleeding array of colors via the director of photography and a deafening soundtrack by the Goblins escalate the film to horror movie greatness. The lost in translation aspect appears here as Jessica Harper's Suzy is attending a ballet school in a foregin country. The plot doesn't succumb to the typical monsters as we tend to expect (vampires, werewolves, etc) but does a more rare fear of witches. Suspiria is the work of an preeminent nightmare caught on film, the images, the blood, the lack of distinction to what's going on, the distorted set pieces...nothing is right within the film. Captured soundly by Argento, bad dubbing and odd dialect aside this I'd argue is Argento's most seamless film. Unlike the others which become tangled in themselves Suspiria stays generally focused (I didn't say absolute now did I), and delivers a horror induced ending. As said Suspiria does not go without faults but I don't care, my favorite Argento film is certainty not Oscar worthy, nor is my favorite horror movie. Two titles that Suspiria shares.

Honorable Mentions: Inferno (1980), the sort of sequel to Suspiria that takes a focus on the Mother of Darkness, with a beautiful underwater sequence guest directed by Mario Bava. Tenebre (1982), another giallo piece that follows the murder surrounding a novelist's new book; a blood spattered ending is undoubtedly to satisfy fans.

If you're reading post your own.

Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)

2011-10-27T20:15:00.000-07:00

Dennis has recently married Julie and is now step dad to her two girls Katie and Kristi. He's a struggling videographer, a business which he runs out of his home giving him access to a lot of video equipment. While filming arguably the most dull sex tape ever between him and Julie an earthquake happens on film. But the natural disaster pales next to what Dennis sees after the quake has stopped, a spirit standing in their room. Immediately he wants to pursue this further and sets up cameras around the house to see if he can find anything else quite like it. It doesn't take the spirit long, or rather Toby, to make another appearance on tape as he's not shy. But as the haunting becomes more evident Dennis is discovering that this isn't harmless as Toby has a plan for his family, particularly the youngest Kristi.

I enjoyed both one and two in the franchise, finding them properly paced and effectively jumpy but as a whole I'm not necessarily a fan. That's not to say I don't like them, because I do, its just I appreciate them more for their technical plots and story buildup rather than have an actual love for the series. Where the first two relied on the subtly paced and what you don't see, the third takes the opposite approach and bares all. In the end it works rather well, this is by far the most terrifying of the series and I was in constant dread knowing that every time they were on camera something was going to happen, you just didn't know what. Which is a brilliance behind the writing, you've come to expect a certain set of rules to the ghost that's been stalking this family but they essentially throw away all previous behavior and throw you off with new bits of horror. Paranormal Activity 3 made more ploys towards the typical haunted house film (I saw that babysitter peak her head around the corner), where the ghost became physically violent and manifested itself in front of us for scares. The last fifteen minutes not only change how you see the spirit but how you see the series as a whole, it will literally alter your viewing experience. I immediately wanted to go back and watch the previous two films.

Dennis the likable hippie bum of a step dad is essential in pissing this ghost off with his camera taunting. Am I the only one who noticed Katie basically grew up and started dating her step dad? The parallels between Micah and Dennis are endless down to camera obsession and not having any clear manifestation of a job. While cute, younger Katie and Kristie are not young prodigy actors I hate to say. But I don't necessarily expect much from such so I won't pry further. Lauren Bittner and Christopher Nicholas Smith are fine as the parents, they seem convincing as a couple and that's all that really is needed. In this film the focus is less on the family's emotional struggle and more about the spirit and setting up what's to happen. Therefore acting is incidental and things such as camera placing are more prominent. In addition to two bedroom cams directors and DP set up a living room camera with its base on a fan to give a wide scope moving effect around the room. A very adept approach in creating a new way to scare the audience, as we see what the characters in the kitchen don't.

The film fells less realistic, as did the second, than the first despite having Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (directors of the documentary Catfish) there to give it that more realistic approach. Though it had its slow moments the first film's realism was based off the sense that everything was on camera, even the pointless stuff. The third is not so much; everything that is on camera is relevant to the plot and set up so it comes off more as a film than that cleaver found footage effect. As of last time the trailer is deceptive, I don't believe that one clip in that trailer makes it to the actual cut of the film. A lot of reviews are claiming this as the best film in the series, I'm less kind. I'll admit while it's the most dire of the series (I jumped...a lot) I'm still accrediting the first film for being the best. Simply because I prefer the what we don't see to what we do. Still that's not to prevent you from seeing the third installment, without a doubt it'll be the scariest experience you've had in theaters for a while.

What Goes Bump In The Night

2011-10-24T22:36:00.000-07:00

It hasn't gone unnoticed that I did not post a film review last Thursday and did not for several reasons. The most critical being that the review I did write for The Last House on the Left remake was more like a thesis and analysis of the film than an actual basic four paragraph review. It was difficult to edit within two days and I'm still not content with it. I will post it soon or later, maybe even a edited and an unedited version but I'm not sure when that'll be. I'd also care to note, as in the fashion of last years lists, I'm getting sick! The ills of October never fail to ensure. Regardless I will be back to posting my Paranormal Activity 3 review Thursday night, ill or not. And the usual: The grammar in this post is awful, blah blah.

There's an idiomatic to most ghost's films, whether they expose themselves as somatic or tediously as cerebral haunts; they scare the masses more than any other type of genre film. If you're struggling to see the cadence of my notion simply look at film's sister medium, TV. What more horror shows are we offered? There's a capacious list of ghost hunting shows, communications with the paranormal, and the haunted house experience than any other genre horror has to offer. Does Leslie Vernon have a TV show (I fucking wish), or what about a crime noir with giallo sub-settings? These don't exist because they don't effect the broad viewing audience, but the idea that the life after does. The idea itself works in the basis of other more complex fears (fear of God, discontent in death, the un-lived life, etc). What happens after death is by far the more disquieting of phobias as there is no clear answer. Hence for my second to last list of the month I picked one of the more redoubtable sub genre's of horror, My Top Five Favorite Haunted House Films:

#5 House on Haunted Hill (1959)

House on Haunted Hill is one of those films that contradicts itself in quality. Helmed as a classic the film, in my opinion, has immense plot holes, obnoxious characters of the suicidal variety, and a lack of sense. The film becomes balanced in that it is creepy; beyond bumps and noises the film uses strange 'what the fuck?' moments to capture the audience's fear. Particularly the scene with the maid in the basement. In its dated effects and murder mystery finale the film still manages to scare.

#4 Insidious (2010)

Insidious is the most recent film on this list, having only been out for a year but I did find it as a rather efficacious ghost story, with a unique re-imagining to the genre with the astral projection. Several scary and jumpy moments where you're terrified for the family. The film does suffer from an unsteady plot direction (the end result) but is scary throughout. Directed and written by James Wan and Leigh Whannell, who also created Saw, the film is aesthetically shot, well acted, rhythmically scored, and as said scary. And of course Lin Shaye (don't pretend like you didn't think I'd mention her, you should know me better than that by now) is in it so...it's awesome.

#3 The Shining (1980)

Here's the reason The Shining holds above other films, the ghosts in the Overlook don't hurt the family in throwing tables and flickering lights but they drive Jack Torrance to absolute insanity, granted that he wasn't all the way stable to begin with. Stanley Kubrick's removal of emotion by soundly capturing the emptiness of the hotel made The Shinning horrifying beyond compare. As a child I remember the scene that scared me the most was the woman in the bathtub, I was afraid to go near a tub for years because of her. The film was critically pissed on upon release (as was Carpenter's The Thing) but is now also regarded as a classic of the genre.

#2 Paranormal Activity (2007)

Paranormal Activity is the film that came out of nowhere. Having no chance at a release in a Halloween fashion it made it's way to into theaters by demanding viewers and achieved an audience. Slow for a start (nothing happens the first half an hour) but genuinely creepy with it's subtle usages, Paranormal is able to get under you skin. The found footage was past me, in truth, but not without trying. Micah and Katie feel real as well as their relationship problems. Not over playing the haunting made the film prominent for me.

#1 Poltergeist (1982)

The term poltergeist is generally used to describe the more physical ghosts that make rapping's and bang things about the house, but the film diverted it past that and into a much more terrifying embodiment of a haunting. There's a little bit of everyone's range of horror in Poltergeist, from closets to clowns, or trees the film continues to scare. I've always been in particular discomfort to the face peeling scene. The film is lead by a very wrenching bit of emotions from the characters who've lost their daughter in a the supernatural world, by which you become inclined and left inside the film with the family. Unlike others Poltergeist is able to effectively show the demon spirits without coming off too corny and also pairs with the translucent presence in moving the furniture. Directed by Texas Chainsaw Massacre director Tobe Hooper (or not?) the film is an exceptional haunted house film, and my personal favorite.

Honorable Mentions: I was specific with this list by intent when I said Haunted House, there's phenomenal ghost stories like The Fog but I did not want to have the HM go on to unbearable lengths, as it already is. The Amityville Horror (1979), a family moves into a house where a grotesque set of murder occurred a year before, based on the horrifying true story. The Amityville Horror (2005), Ryan Reynolds in a very creepy performance in the stand alone remake of the same name. The Haunting (1963), a woman becomes more than a guest at a house when she realizes it wants her. The Innocents (1961), a woman treads a boundary of insanity and a haunting when she notices the little boy she's governess for is not so innocent anymore. Thir13en Ghosts (2001), a widower is relieved of money when he inherits his uncle's glass house only to be mislead when he realizes there's ghosts that lurk. The Grudge (2004), a house possess a violent spirit whose angst kills all those who enter it. Rose Red (2002), with its demolition nearing a house gets another chance to devour it's guests when a group of psychics stay the night to do paranormal research. Also to note I did have the full intention of watching The Changeling and The Legend of Hell House but was not able to due to an issue with the viewings. As an indirect recommendation every haunted house list I've looked up they easily make it and hold good placing.

If you're reading post your own.

Death by Engine

2011-10-17T21:56:00.000-07:00

I...don't have much to say this week other than THANK YOU! For the obscene amount of comments I got, specially from Carrie Green, Demented Dreamer, and Drymonema. The former whose novels you need to buy and the two latter who have exceptional reviews; Drynmonema is also doing a collection of lists. As my limited five list B-movies likely isn't enough try his top ten for the more obscure B horror films. And if my review of The House of the Devil didn't intrigue you Demented Dreamer should with his in-depth review. I'm also tired from work today and three shots in so my grammar isn't perfection (like how I have an excuse every week), please forgive the inane writing style and continuous use of the word 'tension'.

This week's list is a bit uncommon as it's not all the way horror as it is more of thrillers. But thrillers have a tendency to provoke an anxiety for characters whereas horror doesn't always. There's two things that are guaranteed when watching these types of genre film; the cover art of the rear view mirror and a lot of tension. If you don't know what I'm talking about then don't worry I doubt your alone. There's not a lot of films such as these and even less of what I've seen. Without any more delay this week's list is My Top Five Favorite Car Thrillers:

#5 Christine (1983)

Christine is not the best of Carpenter, nor is it the best of King, but it's not bad. The horror is odd as it relates to a car being possessed and having an emotional fixation on it's owner, Archie. But while it's not the most relatable it is unique in concept. My favorite scene is where Christine repairs herself in front of Archie, his look is darkened as he intently watches her and the atmosphere gives way to an uncanny moment.

#4 Duel (1971)

A man driving home makes the commonly rude act of cutting off a trucker, a mistake he wont make again as the truck now wont stop chasing him until he's dead. I am one of the few that don't hold Duel high in regards, that's not to say I didn't like it but I don't praise it like some do. It's not the film's fault per say but rather Dennis Weaver's character, I'm not sure how to put this without being rude but...he's an asshole. He cuts the trucker off in the first place! I have little sympathy for him. Despite that though Duel does have several thrilling moments as the truck stalks Weaver and does its very best to kill him. Increasing tension provided by Steven Speilberg's directing makes Duel a good car thriller.

#3 Joy Ride (2001)

Joy Ride is the most horror of the five film on this list, two brothers who teasingly fuck with a trucker over a radio are paid the price when the trucker comes after them. Joy Ride isn't a film beyond flaws, not even close, there's a lot of cliche teen horror decisions and the ending fell a part a little bit for me, but good acting by Leelee Sobieski, Paul Walker, and Steve Zahn prove as strong points for the film. As well as a significant amount of tension squeezed out of the plot.

#2 The Hitcher (1986)

Yes The Hitcher ranks higher than Duel, hate me all you want but I love the HBO film staring ET's friend, C. Thomas Howel, and Rutger Hauer as the serial hitch hiker (what more can you ask for in a villain?). The lesson in never picking up a hitch hiker proves true when immediately Howel picks up Hauer and he waste no time in being sketchy. The film made Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments (as does Duel and Christine) and the moment that still continues to shock is when Hauer has Jennifer Jason Leigh tied between two trucks, her limbs resting on his foot on the gas peddle.

#1 Death Proof (2010)

I've gushed about Robert England (far too much, I'll admit), and Craven and King, but have I really gotten around to how much I love Quinten Tarantino? No I haven't since he writes more action movies than he does horror. The lovely exception is this thrilling film where Tarantino plays homage to the old car films but provides us with a holy shit moment like no other. The film has eight set of women, all being stalked by Kurt Russel (why doesn't he play more bad guys?), an ex stuntman who has an erotic fixation on killing women with his stunt car. The first set of girls are the more relateble of the eight but the second set is what escalates the film's suspense. Zoe Bell, Tarantino's go to stunt girl, plays herself and willing straps herself to the hood of the car while driving hundred plus miles down a stretch of road to create an edge of your seat nerve splitting moment.

Honorable Mentions: Rubber (2010) director Quentin Dupieux social commentary on a rubber tire's telepathic powers, which he productively uses to kill living things, all while chasing the love of his life. I'd like to note two things, the first in relation to the film Rubber. Netflix recommended this to me based on my interest in Wristcutters: A Love Story, I Love You Phillip Morris, and Trick 'r Treat. If that doesn't convey this film than I don't know what does. Also I apologize for another short honorable mentions, but this type of film is rather slim. Of course there's great films like Gone in 60 Seconds and Vanishing Point but those feel more action than they do as thrillers.

If you're reading post your own.

Midnight Son (2011)

2011-10-13T17:33:00.000-07:00

In Midnight Son Jacob has suffered from a sensitive skin condition all his life where any exposure to the sun will severely burn him. As an adult he begins to notice that more symptoms seem to be appearing, specifically a thirst for blood. Tight for supplies Jacob has to resort to different, and creative, matters to curb his hunger which gets him involved with a blood dealer who provokes trouble in the security guard’s life. All this happens to align with his meeting of Mary, an attractive bar tender/candy cigarette dispenser who doesn’t appear to mind Jacob’s nocturnal lifestyle. As Jacob begins to divulge further into his vampirism his liking of Mary grows and the two begin to connect on an intimate level.

Midnight Son was the only full length film I saw at the Mile High Horror Film Festival and I'm glad I did. It was beautifully shot, beautifully written, and beautifully acted. Basically it was a sublime film that I want to own. It's what most modern vampire love films are not, romantic and horrifying; capturing the trauma of relationships and the inner desires, vampire and human alike. As much as I did love the film its not full horror, as the only truly terrifying part is the last five minutes and the aesthetic last frame. Up until then it’s mainly Jacob adapting to his life and falling for Mary. That’s not to attest that it’s not a horror film, it is but like another in its genre, Let The Right One In, its just not in your face. The subtle and kempt paced finale is a moving and violent build up, and the final image haunts you long after it fades to black.

Writer and director Scott Leberecht created a unique script where Jacob's conditions weren't just amounted to vampirism but diagnosed as actual illnesses (anemic photosensitive anyone?). The love story is not only convincing but quietly played between our two leads Zak Kilberg and Maya Parish. There's that struggle but desire to come back. Kilberg's Jacob is able to let way with his carnal changes in breathtaking pain but doesn't overplay the hatred of what he is. Parish plays a darker Mary with her drug habit, but it’s countered with her tending towards Jacob's unusual lifestyle. Both actors are deeply in-stitched in their roles, and with each other; there was never a moment where I didn't believe that Jacob liked Mary. The lighting and cinematography give way to a more gritty style; with a conducted base of grim tones and camera angles, several scenes stay in your mind from the art alone.

This review isn't particularly long as there isn't much to say about Midnight Son other than that...it's a beautiful film. If ever in need for a definition of the adjective and noun when used together this would be the film to render such. There were a few questions I had that went unanswered but another thing Leberecht did was set up the script so I was able to imagine what happened after the credits (my questions pertain to more of Jacob’s past). I’d also like to note that the image of Jacob holding a blood stained Starbucks coffee cup is really just waiting to become iconic. Midnight Son isn't available for direct watchers as of the current, mostly gaining its viewings at film festivals. Therefore access to this uniquely incredible film is limited. However, if there is a film festival within your range playing this GO SEE IT. Please do not miss it; you won’t regret what I find to be a gorgeously laid out film and what’s currently developing into a favorite of mine.

Go to the film's website, http://www.midnightsonmovie.com/, to get more info and try to get it in your area.

Scream Queens

2011-10-10T20:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was not a good day. While I was able to attend the Mile High Horror Film Festival, which was amazing, there were a lot of other things that attributed to it just not being a good day. Therefore my tone may appear more sullen than wanted, though it's not as if this blog normally reeks of the macabre sort of humor. I'm also blessed with a migraine, so you know as it is basically every week this is not my best writing.

Horror is a torn genre when it comes to its portrayal of woman. Often seen more in a negative light as it is rare for people to make the most rational of decisions when they are avoiding a machete wielding supernatural killer. But I digress woman have an important part in horror and the genre intends to give woman a more dominant role in film, whether people acknowledge it or not. Most often there's the final girl, not the final guy. This weeks list is composed of my favorite leading ladies in horror, they are the final girls (or not) that prove credible and strong, My Top Five Favorite Scream Queens:

#5 Fay Wray (King Kong, Mystery of the Wax Museum)

This is one of those entrants that I don't care too much for, but as a horror fan and in respect to the history of this blog, Fray Wray makes the list. Wray is the first of the Scream Queens playing the damsel in distress in King Kong, and a less demanding part in Mystery of the Wax Museum, where she essentially had to stand there and look good. Wray has been noted saying that she hated her role as Scream Queen, saying she didn't like the term or it's meaning so she moved to Europe. But without her wailing lungs or charming inability to play dumb women wouldn't have an important part in horror without her.

#4 Danielle Harris (Halloween 4 & 5, Rob Zombie's Halloween 1 & 2, Hatchet 2)

Harris rarely plays a final girl in horror as she's backup best friend in the Zombie's Halloween, but she's also been in horror from an early start having been in the original Halloween series as Michael's niece Jamie, and in a number of other less known films. Often remit but I've always liked her and think she surpasses costar Scout Taylor Compton in acting. I've never been sure why Harris hasn't been more publicly noted as a Scream Queen but regardless thereof she makes my list.

#3 Sarah Michelle Geller (Buffy, I Know What You Did Last Summer, The Grudge)

It's a confident statement that Sarah Michelle Geller basically owned the 90's with her regular campy horror TV show and her appearance in horror films. Geller is one of the few who never really abandoned her horror image for more 'respectable' parts, still appearing in horror films like Possession (and before you argue Scooby Doo with me it's a horror film for a kid). In my opinion I wished her character Helen lived in I Know What You Did Last Summer, she had a fair run with that killer and I found her more competent than Julie. Her filmography isn't necessarily bulky but her vampire slaying TV show not only makes her identifiable but arguably the most bad ass female of horror ever.

#2 Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween, The Fog, Prom Night)

For whatever reason I fell in love with Jamie Lee Curtis in The Fog. Don't misunderstand, she's still one of my favorite final girls and horror characters of all time (Laurie Strode) but something about the drifter who sleeps with Tom Atkins gave her that edge I didn't see in the previous Carpenter films. Curtis was the Scream Queen for quite awhile, only having her mom previously hold the title. Curtis's first film, Halloween, is the classic of the genre and her portrayal as Laurie was sympathetic and likable. It revived the image of woman in horror and transcended them past the victims and into survivors.

#1 Dee Wallace (The Howling, The Hills Have Eyes, Cujo)

Dee Wallace is a horror veteran in all respects. She's done Wes Craven to Stephen King, and then stared in the werewolf cult film The Howling. There's not really any other way that I can say this but I just fucking love Dee Wallace. Dee is an amazing actress among other things but like Ms. Harris she's void of acknowledgement outside the horror community. Mostly recognized as the mom in Steven Spielberg's cult children's classic ET: The Extra Terrestrial, she's stand alone scream queen in Cujo where she had to carry the film with child actor Danny Pintauro inside a broken car. Wallace was also in Zombie's Halloween as Laurie's adoptive mom, and casted based on her legacy as a horror actress. She'll be in his new film Lords of Salem as well, which I'm excited to see her coming back to the genre. As I said I love Dee Wallace, she's an incredible actress and my favorite leading lady of horror.

Honroable Mentions; There's a lengthy list of Scream Queens so in order to even make the honorable mentions the actress had to appear in either a series of films or at least two or more. Janet Leigh (Psycho, The Fog), Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator, From Beyond, Castle Freak), Neve Cambell (Scream 1 - 4), Eliza Dushku (Wrong Turn, The Alphabet Killer), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Final Destination 3, Death Proof, Black Christmas Remake), Heather Langenkamp (Nightmare on Elm Street 1, 3, & 7), Sigourney Weaver (Alien 1 - 4, The Village), Ali Larter (Final Destination 1 & 2, Resident Evil 2 - 4), Asia Argento (Land of the Dead, Mother of Tears), Brooke Lewis (iMurders, Polycarp). Elizabeth Shannon unfortunately does not make this list, while she's done an extensive list of films (Thir13en Ghost, Cursed, Jack Frost) I find her to be a dead giveaway, meaning which as soon as I see her face I know she's going to die. Therefore she's not an effective scream queen. She even died in Scary Movie...

If you're reading post your own.

The House of the Devil (2009)

2011-10-06T18:01:00.000-07:00

College student Sam is looking for a way out of her college dorm and her less than hospitable roommate. With her new house set to move into Sam's only problem is coming up with advanced rent by the end of the week. When she sees an ad for a babysitting job it appears as the perfect solution. But upon arriving at the house Sam finds that the babysitting job isn't really for a baby and the house isn't all that normal. Taking it despite reservations Sam soon realizes that the lunar eclipse aligning with the night is not all that of a coincidence.

The film is set and decorated as an 80's movie, with a splash of Grindhouse. Writer and director Ti West filmed the movie on 16 mm film to give it a grainy appearance reminiscent of the days before HD. The sets are rather homey and realistic and it freely lets you slip into the film as the Ulman's house is resemblant to your neighbor's home. Costume, music, dialogue, all 80's with a hint of modern to keep it current. That's why I say it's an 80's film because if it wasn't for the date it'd easily could be. It doesn't move fast, it takes it's pace cautiously and slow building up the suspense all for a very blood soaked climax. In a way this film could be the cure for the horror dilemma for those who prefer story build up over gore and vice verse, as the latter is almost absent the entire film, but makes an explosive appearance in the last half hour. The horror is present in the glimpses of the Ulman's secret as Sam wanders throughout the house, and in the only death in the first part of the film which will catch you off guard, at the very least.

Jocelin Donahue plays the slightly naive Sam in a very true to form portrayal. She's likable, sweet, and relatable, she's also rather smart, something Ti West did do away with the 80's horror facade; the less than competent final girl. Whenever I see Greta Gerwig I always think she's strung out, as I did in this, however I actually liked her this time around. Her character is the typical extroverted friend to counter the shy and understanding nature to Sam, but she plays it convincing despite it's cliche. However the villains in this don't come off as well as the lead, Tom Noonan and Mary Woronov who play the Ulmans are not good. I know that they are suppose to come off creepy and talk and act a bit weird but it all seems forced. Dee Wallace stops by and makes a five minute cameo, which is just awesome. As mentioned above Ti West worked with cinematographer Elliot Rockett to nail that 80's vibe. I'm hoping that West continues to write and direct films as well as this, since a lack of story substance can be common in today's mainstream films.

I love the 1980's throwback, so much actually that I propose that the torture porn genre retire and this becomes the new sub genre of the decade. In addition to the Grindhouse films that are reviving themselves. As much as I'd like that to happen I don't think it will, if anything the 'Found Footage' is becoming a more dominant category in the genre. Anyways, besides the ending leaving me a little confused I really liked the film, as you can tell, it gets a bit of hate for the slow moving plot but the artistic value alone should be appreciated. If your feeling nostalgic but want something new I'd give it a rent or watch it on Netflix Instant Watch for convenience.

Love Me Despite My Low Budget

2011-10-03T19:14:00.000-07:00

I'ts Monday, October 3rd which means...the return of the Top Five Lists! Don't tell me you're not excited to see my arrogant opinion on which film ranks higher solely on the basis of my taste. This years list were a little bit more challenging and required a little bit of research, that I'm still actually in process of doing, but I like them and I think that they are fair. Then again it's all my opinion so if your list is completely opposite of mine please post it.

Not everyone appreciates or even understands the it's so bad its good film concept. I however have always loved those films that tried their best but didn't quite make it. Some of my most enjoyable horror viewing experiences have been laughing at the unintentional humor in films. This set is limited as filtering through the good and the bad is more difficult, and you're more likely to come across the latter. Also this is one of the more nostalgic lists for me, I've never been a huge fan of newer B films for they haven't had the time to ripen. Therefore my honorable mentions are limited to only one film. Anyways for the first list of the month I give you The Top Five Best (Worst) B Horror Films:

#5 The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)

This film's raison d'etre is to define the term bizarre. Maybe the most illogical film I've ever seen, I left Dr. Phibes wondering what the hell I had just watched. Not in the sense that it didn't make sense but as to why things happened was more or less beyond me. My only possible conception of a description is House of Wax and A Shot in the Dark having rough sex for an hour and a half. Literally the depiction of a madman fucking the absurd slapstick of inspector Clouseau. The film comes quipped with bats being hung by string and Price's make up peeling off. In addition to being a strange little B-movie the film does have a brilliant display of set pieces, creepy and elegant. A Vincent Price film making this list was inevitable; even if this is not your favorite Price film (as it is not mine) it's for sure a strange film.

#4 Dolls (1987)

Dolls is likely the least known of this list. A small film I managed to catch on Chiller one night, it's like Puppet Master with a more whimsical approach. The meaning of the inner child being discussed and Judy's daydreaming of her parents getting eaten by a giant teddy bear are played in effect towards that. The doll effects are independent movie good of their times (which means not good), with two creepy Madonna wannabe British chicks that may scare more than the actual dolls. Several humorous moments, likable characters, and grotesque kills warranted Dolls a second watch for me.

#3 Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959)

Ed Wood Jr. is the godfather of B-movies. Infamy of such Glen or Glenda can only be mastered by a man passionate to believe that what he's making is good. There's quite a lengthy list of Wood films that are the quintessential of bad B-movies but Plan 9 is the classic. A little slow but mildly entertaining with cult horror stars Bela Lagosi and Vampira. A classic opening by The Amazing Criswall, the psychic, and the iconic image of the toy space craft being caught on fire over a miniature Hollywood model make for the birth place of B-movies. The film is claimed to be the worst film of all time, I disagree, its bad but in a lovable way.

#2 Troll 2 (1990)

A reviewer on Netflix basically summed it up in a sentence "Troll 2 is so bad it transcends film" (And because of Netflix I'm unable to properly quote them, but the rest of their review is available on the Troll/Troll 2 double feature page). Troll 2 is rare in that there is no irony, the intent of the film is to be serious and serious it is not. Director Claudio Fragasso was aiming for a family film, not the hot mess of a film that would reach cult status nearly twenty years later. There's an illimitable amount of discussions as to why Troll 2 qualifies (or doesn't in others opinions) for this list. But where do I start? The actors and their genuinely bad performances? What about the film not even being about trolls but rather goblins? What scene or line do I pick? "Nilbog is Goblin spelled backwards!" or "Oh my GAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWD"? Troll 2 is beyond description, its impractical of me to attempt to accurately convey it in a paragraph; it speaks for itself.

#1 Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988)

Simulating a few of the lists last year Killer Klowns ranks above the rest because it does more than its genre title limits it. It's one of the few B-movies that looked at itself, knew it was a B-movie, and went all out with it. The film has everything that could be reserved as campy, cotton candy webs, popcorn guns, a space shipped replicate of a circus tent. Who's not drawn in to the love triangle between Mike, Debbie, and Dave? Or what about the two brothers who drive the ice cream truck to pick up girls? Despite none of its being serious, Killer Klowns is able to rest on people's phobia of clowns, so in a way it still manages a scare. I have no doubt that others will disagree with this list, particularly this film in exact, but as I said it's the B-movie that knew it was a B-movie, and embraced itself.

Honorable Mentions: The Gate (1987), two boys discover their backyard is the gateway to hell, through a heavy metal record no less.

If you've made it this far post your own.

Deep Red (1975)

2011-09-28T19:15:00.000-07:00

WARNING: May Contain Spoilers

After a performance jazz pianist Marc Daly is witness to the brutal murder of psychic Helga Ulmann, who read the mind of the precocious killer earlier in the day. Marc with little leads from the police begins his own investigation with the help of a feisty local journalist. Dissecting the clues though proves as a challenge as the killer is always a step ahead of Marc, and is now targeting him. Drawn into different leads, only to be left dead by the killers actions Marc begins to uncover that this killer isn't all that new to murder and has a very dark past. I must apologize ahead of time, though I'm not comparing it to Suspiria, the film comes up several times in this review, but do know that I do not measure this based on my love of Dario Argento's masterpiece, merely just using it as reference.

Deep Red, or Profondo Rosso, is the first of Argento's stuff that has scared me since seeing Suspiria years ago. I admittedly jumped when that doll came running out of the closet in that absurd bit of laughter, it about scared the piss out of me. In true Italian Horror, or rather maybe just signature Argento, the deaths are gory and run a bright red color of blood. Always memorable my personal favorite was the bathroom scene murder, where it was actually absent of blood but made for a rather haunting death that doesn't leave you. The murder mystery proves to be as deceiving as can be, I only guessed it seconds before the reveal. As in all his films Deep Red is quite visually stunning to look at, with the dazing use of red and surrealistic lights of blues. In this however Argento uses a distinct lack of color, painting a portrait with neutral tones, which I may find more gorgeous to look at than the former. The music, though phonemically composed by the Goblins, is ill-fitting at times (i.e. Giordani's death, Marc scaling the balcony), but very tone setting in others (Amanda Righettani death, the uncovering of the drawing).

I'm an Argento finantic as much as the next horror movie lover but I'm not shy toward admitting there's faults in his work. In watching a Dario Argento's film I've noticed that generally the same story occurs, or rather the same basics. The beginning usually opens up with a woman who we never really get to know dying a gruesome death only to be followed by more unattached deaths, all of course in full giallo style. Also in having a love for his films that does mean you substitute certain qualities over the others, i.e. I'm willing to forgive the poor sound editing in respect to the DP and camera movements. The construction of characters is more developed in this as opposed to his prior films, and oddly human with their faults and personalities. David Hemmings Marc, the pianist, is sensitive in his work as an artist, which is humorous in contrast to Daria Nicolodi's Gianna as the high strong reporter. And then the darker side of the film, Gabriele Lavia as Carlo, the talented composer suffering from alcoholism.

In reading reviews prior to viewing the film most acclaimed this as the best of his giallo's, which as far as I've seen might be true. Hoping that my next film to watch by him does not disappointment me as the dreaded Tenebre, which unfortunately might be attributed to me watching it after I watched Suspiria. When renting the film make sure you get the Italian version, not the American. For those who hate subtitles you'll be disappointed as putting it in English there still are bits in Italian for scenes that had to be re-edited in after being cut. But that's the film in full form and has several important if at the very least enjoyable moments. Nothing will ever be Suspiria, I'm sure most know this, but Deep Red is rather a good on its own terms and defiant of the genre giallo. I really enjoyed the film and found it scary, I'd recommend for Argento or Italian horror fans.

Horror Short - Microcinema: Improvisation Can Be A Killer (2011)

2011-09-25T18:15:00.000-07:00

My blog has been getting a little bit of attention thanks to my followers and people on twitter retweet my reviews. At the same time though I only do one review a week, spare for the Irrelevant Post Friday's which basically do nothing but let me compose a horrific display of random thoughts, all for the public to view of course. A review a week isn't all that encouraging in bringing readers back and since I've been wanting to do something else for awhile I came up with Horror Shorts. It's the same as a film review only where I review horror shorts available via youtube or websites or however else they become accessible to me. The length will be cut into two paragraphs and I'll link to where you can view the short. I'll do these as often as I come across them, so if you're a filmmaker and have one you'd like me to review please send it my way.

Written and Directed by Skip Shea
Staring Alex Lewis and Aurora Grabill
Director of Photography, William Smyth
http://www.watchmicrocinema.com/

Microcinema: Improvisation Can Be A Killer follows Peter Martell, a snuff film fan who is tired of watching and ready to be an active participate in the dark film form he loves so much, but at Peter's peak of voyeurism things turn unexpectedly. The film is an immensely disturbing six minutes of the torture porn variety. As said, for lack of a better phrase, the film really grabs you by the balls and drags you in a direction not anticipated by the common thought. It really has one of those moments where you can honestly say I thought of everything happening BUT that. And in that it's rather disturbing and hard to watch, but all in a professional way; nothing to mimic the low cred snuff films that Peter is addicted too.

Skip Shea is an adept director with equal ability to write, his short film gets more across than most full length films. Acting is also quite proficient by our two leads; Alex Lewis falls into his role with ease, reading off Shea's dialogue as if he's the next Raymond Lemorne. And I most definitely must give my credit to Aurora Grabill for bravely taking a part such as this, one she also pulled off rather well. The cinematography is good, it's from the point of view of a video camera but the look and feel isn't the typical "found footage" style. My only negative I'd say for the film is the violence goes on a little bit to long in its short running time, for my taste at least. Highly recommended Microcinema is available here for a very worth it $0.99, (it's worth more, in my opinion). In addition to watching it you can also read through the description which gives an insight into its beginnings and its creator. You can also follow Skip Shea on twitter.

If you have a short please send me a link, you can contact me at bleedingdead22@yahoo.com or on my Twitter.

Deadgirl (2008)

2011-09-21T16:30:00.000-07:00

Deadgirl is about two high school boys who break into an abandoned mental hospital and find a seemingly dead girl locked in the basement. When the supposed dead girl moves the two friends find themselves in an odd situation, sensibly Rickie wants to call the police but JT suggests a perverse taboo that hybrids necrophilia and rape fantasies to a horrifying extreme. Rickie rejects the idea but doesn't stop JT from delving into a sadistic addiction, or from encouraging others to join in. The boys now pressed even more as they are exploring dark passages and repelling against each other find that their new 'toy' is not all helpless, as a bite may give you her illness.

Deadgirl is a surprisingly deep horror film about the human mind paired with the desire of sexual need. It also has a supernatural element about it which adds to the films, surprisingly complex, layers. In one respect we see the chilling portrayal of the dead girl by Jenny Spain, a newcomer who has no films to date but this one, but she gives a creepy performance, and I'm not entirely sure if it's solely because of her facial structure or her ability to work her unconventional looks to her advantage. Then on the other end of the spectrum we have friends Rickie and JT who are committing a horrible act of rape repeatedly by keeping a sex slave, and while JT's true nature comes out under his fantasies Rickie's stays repressed and is fighting against his sanity. I have no idea if the writer and the directors had any intention of making Deadgirl more than just a disturbing film but it came out as a rather deep insight into human nature. The final scene with Rickie being strong proof of that.

As I've been doing research for the review I saw a few people mention how it was degrading to woman in it's brutal rape scenes. I have to disagree with both statements, degrading to woman would be more if they portrayed the sex slave aspect as a light subject that JT and Rickie should be proud of in contrast to the disturbing and sick one that was put out for us. And the rape scenes aren't brutal, in context yes, but highly explicit and graphic? No. There is really only two parts where we see any physical carnation of rape and the second one is treated so casually that it'd be hard to miss if you hadn't been following the film. The acting is also, surprisingly, good. And the character development, once again, surprisingly deep. The director of photography uses a color hue of greens and blues to capture the hospital basement in almost a musty feel for the darker scenes, and in contrast a cloudy sun day for the moments of character reflection.

I may be going too far for Deadgirl as I said that I have absolutely no idea if the film had any intention of being so deep, but seeing that's how I saw it that's how I'm reviewing it. There's also a bit of humor as the scene in the parking lot is good for a laugh. The soundtrack has an indie vibe to it which makes it feel more like a teen horror flick that may be tolerated. The negative I'd say about the film is that it's not a repeat watch, as good and as developed as it is, I don't have any desire to go back. But like all films about rape or a brutal nature as such you don't want to go back. A very good edition to the horror genre, one that I'd recommend to those who are looking for something unique.

Happy Irrelevant Follow Friday Miseries

2011-09-16T15:34:00.000-07:00

I'm about 99% sure that the title is beyond grammatical correction. Before I get on with Irrelevant Post Friday, as I now prefer to call it, I want to thank my seven followers who keeping me from getting into another discouraged four month dry spell where I write nothing. Not only them but the people on twitter who give me encouraging bits and also keep me updated in the horror society. I'm always at a loss for a more poetic appreciation which is intended to convey my absolute gratitude so all I really have to say is Thanks. But one day I will write a deserving thank you.

Either or I thought for this irrelevant post I'd share a little bit of information with you in regards to my blog. I've been checking my stats and I've found a fascinating piece of information. My blog gets most of its traffic, not from twitter, but rather from people googling the word Misery.

My Feelings Exactly Kathy Bates

It's from my Master's of Horror post that I did for the Top Five lists for the month of October. It makes me laugh that most people come across my blog when they are typing the word misery in google images, to acquire a picture of sadness, no doubt, and instead come here. It's almost ironic, at least from my point. It's the most viewed blog entry because of that and I'm kind of glad because it was my favorite top five, or rather ten, list and one of my more adequately written posts.

Regardless of how they find it I'm just in bliss that they do. Happy Follow Friday, or Irrelevant Post Friday. Whichever is relevant to you.

Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)

2011-09-14T18:51:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've ever been so confused after watching a film. Here's how it went...or at least I think. Immediately after the events in the first film Kirstie is taken to a mental hospital where's she being held for her questionable testimony to the police regarding what happened with her father. At the hospital a particular doctor takes notice to Kristie's story and pursues finding the puzzle box and mattress in which Julia died on. Turns out the doctor is obsessed with the box and ends up bringing Julia back to life. The same story as the first pursues and once in full form Julia then takes the doctor into hell by having a smart but quiet girl at the hospital open the box. The three of them wander inside hell, plus Kristie who also managed to get into hell some way or another, but I can't recall. Inside hell Kristie discovers what its like, seeing her Uncle Frank's personal hell, and the doctor becomes a cenobite. Hellbound: Hellraiser II leaves a lot to be desired.

The scariest thing about the first Hellraiser film holds true in this one, and that is the violent imagery. Julia downing a mummy attire is an eerie image. The biggest killer of the film is the plot, where my sister and I felt blatantly confused afterward. In absolute the plot made no sense, nor did it connect, nor did it even seem to follow through. In a lot of ways it reminds me of seasons three and four of True Blood, several different plot lines, all trying to play out at the same time, some end mid way, some drag out till the end, some don't even start till the middle of the film, all not really be treated properly. The sadist doctor, where I can see would be a fitting job for the films S&M background doesn't really appeal to the audience as at first you could really give a shit whether or not he survives in hell, and more so when he becomes the torture doctor he
looks absolutely ridiculous. No where near as horrifying as Pinhead's getup. Some of the other stuff is interesting though, the look through hell was interesting, I enjoyed to see how the Cenobites were only a section for those who opened the box and the rest was just a look into how it's a personal experience for anyone who dies.

The acting defiantly improved, Ashely Laurence was actually really good in it this time, understanding her character better. Clare Higgens is about as good as she was in the first one, so I'll let you be the judge of that. But I enjoyed that they brought her character back, almost as the ultimate bad guy from the first film. Pinhead talks a lot more in this one, and I must say he has some stuff to say. I wouldn't call his dialogue witty by any means, nothing like Freddy Krueger's speech, but a lot of his sentences are almost quotable, and fitting for hell. I also kind of enjoyed how Kristie and Pinhead, as well as the rest of the cenobites, are almost friends at this point. He willing lets her wander around hell and she helps him remember who he was.

I don't really know how to recommend this, while there are several disturbing images, and I'm sure some that will make most squirm, the plot is honestly a mess. If such you can call it a plot it almost leaves a bad taste in your mouth. It's also one of those films that starts out good but manages to collapse in on itself. However; I don't necessarily think it was that awful of a film, maybe my recommendation can stem from not necessarily going out of you way to watch it but if it's the only thing on or your a huge Pinhead fan, then yes its not too bad.

Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy (2010)

2011-09-08T21:37:00.000-07:00

Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy is a two part documentary series that does an in depth look into the making of all eight A Nightmare on Elm Street films. Spanning four hours (yes, it's painlessly long), the documentary collects interviews from original cast members, special fx and make up artists, and of course Robert Shaye, the guy who produced all eight films. Narrated with a fitting tone by original Freddy Krueger survivor Heather Langenkamp, between the extensive discussion time allotted and the equally lengthy bonus features which cover the unseen interviews Never Sleep Again leaves no questions unanswered.

The film has a cathartic honesty that's unanticipated, all films alike cast and crew admits to flaws and failures of their film(s), and a rectitude of explanation that's staggering at the least. They're not limited either, from The Kung Fu budget cut in The Dream Master to the complicated creative relationship between Robert Shaye and Wes Craven. Whether being Nightmare one or Nightmare six each film gets a fair share of screen time, which is all really done in respects to the fans of the film who lifted the franchise off the ground and stuck through it, even after the series lost its horror contour to the parody of memorabilia and classic lines. But what really makes this documentary luring, at least to my taste anyways, is the use of special effects and how it progressed through the ages. The documentary in itself is almost a brief side documentary on how Hollywood moved through the decade with the technology. And even an idea at what it takes to make a movie on an independent budget.

The interviews seem illimitable by the breadth of people involved. The previous cast members that directors Daniel Farrands and Andrew Kasch accumulated is incredulous, how they found Mark Patton, Jesse from Freddy's Revenge, is a testament in itself. As fans we don't get the 'big stars' such as Johnny Depp or Particia Arquette, but rather the big stars of the series like our heroines who took to Freddy more than once, Heather Langenkamp and Lisa Wilcox. And basically every victim in between. There's the usually disregarded behind the scenes crew who are as much apart of the series as Wes Craven is. They give you insight into the makeup process that it took to create the iconic look of Freddy and the imaginative deaths and the special effects that went into those. Wes Craven's commentary outside of his own work is not bitter, per say, but rather at a loss for the films that followed, save aside for a nice comment toward Renny Harlin. I basically enjoyed about everyone's opinions and insight into the films with the exception of Jack Sholder, as his came off rather arrogant.

The film makes room for a lot of humorous parts to pair with the light hearted fan base, the fangirl inside of me got really excited when I saw that Freddy Krueger and Jason Mewes actually existed in a world together. They even go into the pop culture gags that materialized after Nightmare three and four, where things like the Freddy doll and pajamas became available (as one interviewee ironically points out that Freddy originally was a child molester, and now you can wear him to bed). Band Dokken even stops in for a discussion on how their contribution to Dream Warriors was one of the first music videos available on VHS. At the end of the documentary as homage to the series and the Elm Street junkies each actor quotes their most memorable line during the credits. I mentioned this in the first Nightmare review but Never Sleep Again isn't just a documentary for the fans, even if you've only seen one out of the eight films in the franchise there's something to be savored here. I loved this documentary, as if you couldn't tell, and one that I'd watch again. I recommend to any fan of the genre, of the series, or just of film making in general.

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;sdfasdf&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

It's over. This proved to be rather draining task and I did not anticipate that watching all eight Nightmare films in a row would mentally wear me out, despite spacing them on a weekly basis (with the exception of Freddy vs. Jason). An oddly interesting fact the films that I had seen before I decided to watch them all (one, three, seven and eight) were the only four I liked. If I were to do it again, with another series of films, I'd do it every other week just to give myself a break from the excessive use of words (I'm dreadfully tired of typing the words 'Freddy' and 'Elm Street' and 'Imaginative') but I don't know if I could do it again, to be honest. I clearly have some masochistic qualities in film watching as I decided to watch all of the Hellraiser films; however I won't be writing reviews for that. I'm currently seven films in and most I don't have much of an opinion on. My recommendation for the series, film one through eight, is watch it. The films themselves hold reams of originality being eminent from that slasher outline, and hate or love them they are a prominent chapter in horror/film history.

Freddy Vs Jason (2003)

2011-08-31T17:45:00.000-07:00

I started a new job today (that I already dislike) and also had to go to my second job so the review is not...in pristine condition. See I just used the word pristine. Anyways I apologize ahead of time for the deficient writing and pallid word use but I also figure that since it's Freddy Vs Jason there's no real need for a professional tone, to mimic the nature of the film of course.

Four years of peace have reigned on Elm Street after Freddy's daughter killed him for good. But Freddy's not ready to sleep just yet and begins to haunt the nightmares of Jason Voorhees, a serial killer who resides at Camp Crystal Lake, killing horny adolescent camp counselors, no less. Freddy convinces Jason to travel to Elm Street and murder the teens there to awaken the fear of Freddy, resurrecting him officially. But Jason starts to get knife happy early on in the film, switching the battle from horror-movie-rule-breaking-teenagers, to a fight between the two notorious slashers. There's this commercial where a dad is sticking his son's feet in plaster and the mom walks in and asks what they're doing. He says that they're making socks that fit to their feet because no other socks will. The mom replies simply "That's really stupid." That's how I feel about Freddy Vs Jason, but in a good way.

I'm potentially going to abuse the word 'camp' in this review as it sums up the majority of the film, also because this is part of the Never Sleep Again reviews I'm going to address mostly Freddy's side of the film, as I don't know too much about Jason and can't speak for his series as a whole. It's rather amusing that out of all eight films the most recent one is the campiest of them all. Ronny Yu as a director is always intriguing but as he mentions he intends not to take the horror too seriously, which could translate in to absolute lack of sobriety, as this film reeks of drunken fun. Freddy Vs Jason is so fatuous that it reserves rights with The Evil Dead and Dead Alive horror archive (alright, maybe not THAT funny). In laughter and in gore; excessively bloody, especially in the end, the final scene between our two slashers is drenched in it. A lot of it is hidden in the dark lighting of the film (presuming to get away with an R rating) which tones the violence down some. There's a fresh variety in the kills as Jason takes his machete to them at different angles, and Freddy uses his claws on the few victims he's allotted.

The acting is so bad its campy bad and Brendan Fletcher isn't helping. But as the ostentatious use of blood it's fitting for the film and the overall lack of purpose. All the teens are not good and play it way over the top, the only one I'd account for because she had a good performance or at the least tried to make it more was Katherine Isabelle. Freddy as a character is a bit lost in the script, they did away with most of his clever one-liners and he's not as prominent as the side story of Lori and Will (gag), but Robert England plays him as smoothly as ever, no bumps or scratches from age or shift in intent (this film isn't as imaginative as the previous Elm Street films). The writers don't take away from Freddy, however, by throwing him straight into a slasher film, in all respects, but they continue to add a cunning nature to him, especially when him and Jason are fighting and he continuously finds objects to impale Jason with.

Freddy Vs Jason delivers what the subtext of its title promises, two slashers in an epic battle, with a dozen or so teenagers getting slashed along the way. Freddy's makeup is as it was in the 80's but done on a more professional budget, but there's still that pizza face prosthetic under the gleams of lighting. The film is partially consistent with the Elm Street stories but has to sacrifice its style some to let the Friday the 13th tone through. The film is not an adept horror film, don't take it as one.

The Fake Five

2011-08-26T17:39:00.000-07:00

The title is kind of crappy (get it The Fab Five...haha...not really) but I don't know what else to entitle it. I'm a bit out of snarky wit this week so you'll have to excuse my writing. Alright I'm aware that we got another five weeks before it's October and the real top five lists will start again, presumably on Mondays, but I feel bad that I only do about a post a week and the past seven(ish) have been all Freddy Krueger films. I have other weekly posts I'd like to have in addition to the reviews but I don't want to start them until I have more followers and maybe a steady flow of comments. By the way...thank you second follower <3 I'm forever grateful to you.

About a year ago when I was wasting my life away on the internet, as I always do, I came across an article about the Ten Best Re-cut Trailers. They introduced me to a whole other world, one in which I'd spend hours at a time watching youtube videos of faux trailers only to discover a whole site dedicated to them! http://www.thetrailermash.com/ . There's the great and the horrible, and all sorts in between. But I thought I'd help filter through the bad and post my Top Five Favorite Re-cuts Trailers.

#5 Stephen King's IT as a Family Film

Few things I ask from in these trailer re-cuts, the most prominent is the song change. In a normal trailer we usually only get between one a two songs and I stay firm on that, in order to make these believable the creators should stick to two songs, preferably one score and then a popular lyric song. I only bring this up because it ruins good trailers like the Shawshank Redemption re-cut. Thankful this trailer keeps the song consistent through out and knows what clips to use for that big instrumental bang that always manages to uplift. The trailer makes sense as you get a general consensus as to what the film's about and there's no clip that seems misplaced. The only downside I'd say to the trailer is the font (it could have more creative and fitting for a family film) and that Pennywise the Clown could be curing cancer and people would still think he's scary a shit. But that's not the creator fault, that's our societies hate for clowns fault, justifiable, but prevents them for ever coming into their true purpose; to make us laugh.

#4 The Terminator as a Romantic Drama

I know I just went off in a rant in the previous paragraph about song change, only to post this re-cut next which breaks the rules by using three songs, two lyrical. However; they transfer nicely and really add to the tone of the supposed complicated relationship between Sarah, Kyle, and the Terminator. The re-cut paints a very convincing love triangle that shockingly doesn't look too reminiscent of a bad romance, and even better while you can figure out what the film is about I found myself wondering who she end ends up with. Spare for an awkward moment at 1:05 and the re-cut is convincing.

#3 The Ring as a Tearjerker

The Ring is already part drama as it is but nothing so full on where it rings as an Academy Award winning film. This trailer creator though saw through that little girls creepy dark hair and saw what really is a tear wrenching indie film that sends a message about life and death (hence the scenes between the dad and his son). I love the art shot scene of the tree and the captions that entrust that it's a good film, in addition to the Focus Features background for the narration. I prefer text to voice over as most people aren't Mr. Moviefone but ultimately its how it works in the trailer, and the text works well here.

#2 Mary Poppins as a Horror Film

Few of these are actually convincing, and while I like the previous three they don't break the barrier of their movies where I'm convinced that its another film with all the same actors and sets but with a entirely different plot. Scary Mary is the exception, I believe it's a horror film and the creator Chris Rule managed to change the tone, making the film look dark and haunting. I have yet to see one as effectively scary as this. I wanted to see the film as soon as it was over but was rather disappointed knowning it doesn't exist. Altering Mary Poppins charming song to an daunting tune which poses as a warning for when she comes is brilliant and ultimately makes for a good trailer.

#1 The Shining as a Romantic Comedy

All it takes is a little Peter Gabriel and the Shining looks like a romantic comedy. This is where I genuinely wish they'd make trailers to divert the audience from their true nature. Could you imagine going into the Shining with the intent of seeing a uplifting romantic comedy, only to see Kubrick's violent display of madness? It'd be so funny. Or at least I'd laugh. Anyways this is my favorite because like the Scary Mary it seems legit, the transitions from clip to clip add that little touch of trailer realness. This re-cut has always made me laugh the most and I watch it when I'm in a bad mood. This is the first, I believe so, of the re-cut trailers and the most convincing, perfect in cut, perfect in song choice, and perfect in story altercation. AKA it's the perfect re-cut.

Honorable Mentions: Sleepless in Seattle, a fatal attraction thriller in which a woman becomes obsessed with a single father over the static of an all night radio show ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frUPnZMxr08), Mrs. Doubtfire a man's sick obsession takes him to an unthinkable level in order to be close to children (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3bgipCebuI), The Shawshank Repedmtion two prision bound men find an unlikely romance in the confinements of their cells (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAuj8QnQ9_Y)

If your reading post your own.

Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994)

2011-08-24T21:42:00.000-07:00

This is Wes Craven's way of saying 'There, I fixed it. Don't touch, just leave it alone.' New Nightmare is a very different departure from the rest of the series, it's set in Hollywood where the tenth anniversary of the original Nightmare on Elm Street movie is approaching. Wes Craven is far from escaping the fame of the first film though as now after six films a demon in the form of Freddy is haunting him, coercing him to write a new script. Craven approaches Heather Langenkamp to revise her role as Nancy, now a wife and mother Heather is apprehensive as she prefers her TV career to her horror legacy, especially in the case of her son. However when Heather's husband dies and she realizes that someone is targeting her son Dylan, Heather has to revert into the dream-scape yet again to stop Freddy.

The seventh installment has, as do they all, the goods and the bad. Goods are this one has some actual thought behind it, as Wes Craven has tried to do with several of his films, but not just make it horror but connect it to real life. This is the predecessor to Scream, the characters within the movie recognize the Elm Street movies as films and Robert England as Freddy. There's parallels to Hansel and Gredel as well as a study of the connection between children and the horror industry today, or rather to how it was in the 90's. In this Craven produces a new look for Freddy that does not quite go with his original story, but it makes sense seeing how Freddy is more of an entity in this than an actual character. It does make for a more horrifying face though, which in addition to a number of other things revamps Freddy as scary. Particularly there's a horror reminescent of the fear caused in the first film, not being killed in your dreams but rather being pulled in to your own bed. Is that...yes...Freddy is actually using his claws! Oh my God what a concept. As my past reviews have hopefully let on that I have found a particular annoyance with that, but this time no he signs his signature on everything.

Craven does the duo role of writing and directing, he plays around with the fact to fiction in the screenplay, especially with the characters. Heather Langenkamp, who suffered a terrifying stalker incident in real life is reliving the fear as Freddy calls her house phone, harassing her and her son. Langenkamp is really quite good at playing herself, which along with other types of acting, such as playing dumb, gets underestimated and overlooked as easy. Robert England's spin is that he's a bit of a whore for the attention of the pop culture fandom, and he paints! England has fun with the depiction of the character and of course teases the viewer by having creepy moments, where you question if he's behind the murders. John Saxon comes back in a larger role (yay!) and Fran Bennett has a very memorable moment in her small scene. Other Nightmare characters like Lyn Shaye come in for cameos as well as Craven himself and Boy Shaye, the man behind all the films.

The downside is it's not a film for the hardcore fans. The ones who love Freddy as the pop culture icon he is and not so much of his terror or Craven's ability to write might not like the film as its not like the first six. The film isn't great, and it has had no where near the impact Scream had, but its not bad and unique. Don't go out of your way to watch it but if it happens to be on TV, click on it and check it out.

Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)

2011-08-17T18:46:00.000-07:00

WARNING: May contain some spoilers

After The Dream Child didn't live up to its two predecessors they went ahead and decided that introducing new characters would be the best route for the series. In Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare Freddy is aspiring to get out of Elm Street as a decade and a half (this film is set in 1999) of killing in Springfield has become tiresome, that and he's killed just about everyone under the age of eighteen. Chasing after the last teen proves to be a fail as John Doe escapes and ends up at a shelter for troubled youth. Dr. Maggie Burroughs is overseeing his case and in attempts to cure his amnesia wants to take him back to the town where he barely got away with his life. Meanwhile three other teens from the shelter escape only to end up in Springfield where they meet up with Dr. Burroughs and John Doe. The child absent town has left adults wandering, looking for meaning, leaving John Doe and Maggie free to uncover the identity of the former and find out who this mysterious Freddy Krueger is. The point of this film is to tie up lose ends, satisfy demanding fans, and make a profit off the now iconic Freddy.

In the documentary they mentioned that because this was the last one they just went ahead and self destructed, and that's a fair summary of the film. The back story of Freddy's child came out of nowhere, like literally nowhere. Not that it's impossible for a child killer to have a child but in context to Freddy's reasoning for existence it makes little sense as to why he loved his daughter but was more intent on killing the Elm Street teens than finding her, especially since she's thirty years old. The film tries far too hard to be comedic, having Roseanne Bar and Tom Arnold in it for cameos. The one liners...I'm sorry but just because you throw 'bitch' at the end of every small phrase (i.e. Kung Fu, bitch), does not make it funny. "Welcome to Prime Time, Bitch" was a classic line from the third film and they've managed to abuse its power in every film since. The deaths in this one are like the others they relate to the individual victim but are not scary, the only one I found upsetting was the kid with the hearing aid. The ending is pretty dismal, the 3D add on not really bringing too much to the series.

Lisa Zane plays the doctor and daughter to Freddy, she was alright having the adult role in the film so her acting shines above the teens. Breckin Mayer is in the film, he's a known face but not a household name (he was an 90's teen actor who never got that big). Robert England flows with the Freddy change, he's not formidable but he's as gleeful and witty as ever. I was excited to see Alice Cooper as Freddy's step-father but it was a brief 10 seconds and I noticed that they also managed to rip off Stephen King's The Shinning by using the phrase "Take Your Medicine", while crushing my dreams. There's more plot in this one than the previous film, which was completely absent of one. Despite that though the film was a lot worse than warranted, especially since Rachel Talalay was the director. She started out as the Assistant Production Manager on the first film and worked her way up to director. She has a fairly lengthy list of films to her directorial career but this is her first film so its really not bad. In all honesty the biggest fault in the film is the writing, it's too silly to be commended as a horror script, it's clearly a comedy. However, unlike nightmare five Rachel went in with intent to be ridiculous, so it's not quite the same fault as in the fifth when it falls on its face.

I'd like to point out that the tagline inaccurately presaged the film, on both accounts. This is not the last nor is it the best. Freddy's makeup has been loosing its quality for a few films now, looking less like a burn victim and more like a makeup school's first prosthetic project. I'm not sure what else to say other than that it seems like little effort was put into this, almost like The Blair Witch Project the publicity was more interesting than the film (Freddy had a funeral). This was the only film out of the franchise that I wanted to turn off. It's not like it was horrendously bad, of course not. Despite an excess of one liners, bad acting, and a ridiculous plot this is not the worst film I've seen, far from actually. My verdict is that if your not out to watch all the nightmare films than this one is an easy miss.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)

2011-08-10T15:52:00.000-07:00

Before I start this week's Nightmare review I like to point out that I've made my first clickable side image thing! I'm quite proud at my half ass photoshop skills as it's now more easier than ever (as if the 7 different tags I have isn't) to locate the reviews. I've also decided that it really wouldn't be complete if I didn't fully do the whole eight films so Freddy Vs. Jason will happen. I may even throw in a review of the documentary, who knows. The other news that basically made me fall off my chair...I have my first follower! I'm beyond appreciative to you that I'm literally at a loss for words, but thank you. And finally I've been tampering with the blog to make it look good. I'm not doing to great so any feedback (if anyone is there) would be helpful.

What is there to say about A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child? Not much I suppose as the film was a bit of a let down. The opening scene is Alice and Dan, from the fourth film, having sex before their graduation. Generally all seems well for our two survivors, new friends, new life, and a promising relationship, until Dan dies that is and Alice finds out briefly afterwards that she is pregnant. Freddy is back again and as a side project to his mundane teen killings he's contriving a more permanent body as he enters through the mind of Alice's sleeping unborn baby. Dealing with the stress of Freddy coming back, her friend's dying all over the place again, and being pregnant Alice is struggling to fight off whats to come. Not all is at fault though, Alice has help from an unlikely entity, Amanda Krueger, Freddy's mother.

If you haven't guessed by my inconsistent posting record that I watched these films awhile ago. Most I wrote down thoughts after seeing so my reviews have been based on those brief commentaries but this is one where I forgot to write a few sentences of the review down as an outline, so I'm purely going off from memory and tidbits of info on IMDB. As blury as some may be I do remember a distinct feeling of having my time being wasted while watching the film. I was not pulled in because there was no plot. Really, it's aimless wandering for the most part, and typically I don't mind shallow almost absent plots but having one with watery characters was just to much of a miss to be a good film. The deaths continue to be creatively concieved but non are so much scary as just weird (Greta's death anyone?). The horror in this I'd say is in the scene where they show the attack on Amanda Krueger, its not graphic as it doesn't show the rape but watching Freddy's future maniac father (England without makeup) stalk through the crowd is pretty effective in capturing that random horror to the whole scenario. Also, the film plays with that hopeless Rosemary Baby element, what's growing inside of you is killing you, and it works out proactively towards the film.

This is where I regret watching the documentary before the films as I remember the actors mentioning that that director was never in one place as he had to address other issues on set, leaving the actors to direct themselves. It shows, on both accounts, in acting Laurie Wilcox returns as Alice and she's comfortable enough in her part where she's convincing, but it still carries an peculiar note to it as it did in the last film. Alice has a new black friend and as the actress mentions in the documentary, she lives! That's The Dream Child for ya, breaking stereotypes since 1989. Let's give it up to Super Freddy actor Michael Bailey Smith for not only tacking the role of Freddy but being brave enough to show his ass on film (yes that is not Dan's ass in the opening scene, I hate to disappoint you).

A Nightmare on Elm Street 5 is one of those films where no one stopped to notice how bad things were. It may have helped if they nixed the the Elm Street teen killings and drove the story more towards the rebirth of Freddy and expanded more on his roots. I don't hate the film but I'd say a low dislike is fair enough. I didn't dislike Dream Master but maybe the slasher plot line that follows in the next two films drowns my neutral viewing experience a bit. Freddy's one liners become glaringly annoying at this point and his makeup is in all it's pizza face glory. I feel like my review would have a lot more positive notes if I had written after watching the film cause all I can recall is the negative, so in truth maybe it's not best to take my advice on the review this week. Maybe the only honest statement I can tell you is that I did feel like I wasted a good movie experience after watching it, all missing plots and bad directing aside.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)

2011-08-02T20:44:00.000-07:00

I am the wizard master! Oh wait wrong Nightmare. A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master starts with our previous heroine Kristen having nightmares again, although Freddy is DEAD and Kincaid and Joey try to convince her otherwise she is bothered by the thought that he might be back. By a hellish chain of events Freddy is resurrected and kills Kristen, but not before Kristen pulls Alice, a friend of her's from school, into the dream and gives her power over to her. From there it becomes the contrived plot line of Alice and her friends trying to stay awake and live through Freddy's nightmares. Nightmare on Elm Street 4 proves to not be as good as its predecessor but not awful all around.

The film is quite visually pretty, my favorite being the water bed scene that illuminates green's in blues in a darkly lit room. The death's in this one don't register as anything special in my eyes, and maybe it's just a pet peeve of mine but what's the point of Freddy's claws if he isn't going to kill anybody with them? In truth the best, more creative I should rather say, is Freddy's death, which I loved! In the reviews for the Nightmare remake I noticed that a lot of individuals were criticizing the fact that Freddy didn't toy with his victims before killing them, which I have to agree would annoy me too since it's one of my favorite things about Freddy. But this film seemed to fall victim to the same fault, he toyed with two teens, Alice and Kristen but offed the others without second thought. Am I being picky? Maybe.

Its saddening that Patricia Arquette did not come back for this one, her replacement is deficient, to say the least. Her scream sounds more like her having an orgasm rather than her burning in a pit of fire, every line out her mouth is forced, and she just didn't really get the Kristen character. I liked Alice's transformation, a nice layer to the movie that worked out subtly enough. As for the others well Alice has a lot of friends, who die of course, all of which are played by eager young adults wanting to be in a movie, but their names aren't memorable enough nor is their performances. Is it appropriate for me to gush over the same actor in 7 reviews straight? Probably not so I'll just say that it's Robert England playing Freddy Krueger.

I didn't hate the film, that's a bit drastic to say, but in a lot of ways it wasn't for me. I've observed that in the past three Nightmare's that Freddy's makeup is pretty weak, not really looking like burns. Maybe I'm just nit picking because the first one of is one of my favorites but who knows. This is also the film where the one liners become a small annoyance, nothing too excessive but you notice. As I was saying I don't hate the film, but the lack of blood and the shift in separating some of the mythology from the first film is enough to surpass good direction and a visually satisfying film.

Sam Ash

2011-07-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

Normally I don't like to do a lot of irrelevant posts because they are, well, exactly that, irrelevant. Not that I mind them on other blogs, because they are usually funny and such, but I felt that I needed to address this to my non existent audience.

I watch Burn Notice, which to my content has Bruce Campbell in it. Normally I don't look at him and think Ash! He's a good actor and it's easy to separate him from his horror nobility to his ex navy seals persona on the show. However; last night's episode he put on these cerebral looking glasses and I got a wave of Evil Dead.

I don't know why, as Sam's uneasy tow truck cover doesn't really have anything in common with Ash's unhinged zombie killing personality (especially in that picture), but it happened. I couldn't really shake it for the rest of the episode, maybe it's just time for me to re-watch the series again, or maybe it's because I found out this week that Evil Dead 4 is a maybe.

A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3: Dream Warriors (1987)

2011-07-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

Before the Never Sleep Again mission the third film in the series, and coined as the fan favorite, is one I've previously seen before and as I recall, I very much enjoyed it. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3 is set in a hospital for anxious teenagers, who unknowingly have something in common, they are the last of the Elm Street kids. The main character is Kristen, a newly admitted patient to the facility, her arrival brings on Freddy's killing spree within the ward and soon following her is an expert in the field, Nancy. Nancy, now a psychologist, struggles to help the teens while still remaining logical to her peers. But soon Nancy and Kristen learn that the days of helpless dreaming are over, as they are introduced to the dream powers they each posses inside of them.

Re-watching this I did have a mutual experience as of last time, I really liked the film for bring back Nancy, setting up the series's reputation of creativity, and giving Freddy witty dialog. The deaths in this one are really unique and amp the dream concept up in that they tend to the characters personally. My favorite was the marionette, it looked painful and puppet Freddy was adorable yet creepy. And of course I must mention the notorious TV death with spawned the pop icon Freddy, with his line; "Welcome to prime time, bitch". This also, in my opinion, has the best lines and the worst lines. The best going to Freddy and the worst to Taryan for "In my dreams I'm beautiful *cue swtichblades* and bad". And of course others in between.

The teens are all likable and were convincing as friends. This is Patricia Arquette's first film and she's actually good in it. John Saxon comes back for a brief cameo, nuff said. In the first Nightmare film I enjoyed the fiestiness to Nancy's character, this time around Heather Langenkemp plays a much more relaxed Nancy, having settled into being adult, but of course when it comes to Freddy that raw fight she displays in the first film comes out. And....Robert England. The script was written by a collection of writers, the more noted ones being Frank Darabont and Wes Craven, both who I think largely contributed to the success of the film. Not that the other two are bad by any means, it's just to their name they have less horror film credit. Directing wise Chuck Russel has an interesting take on how the dreams appear, unlike that typical misty facade he uses open sets and the synthetic pizza face Freddy look to contrast in lighting and set design.

The third film in the Nightmare franchise is not as scary as the first but does a lot better as a sequel than the actually sequel did. The dream gifts bring out an inalienable competency in the films which opt for a more action based dream sequence than the typical running-from-the-boogeyman-slasher-build-up. This one may be the deciding factor in your interest in this franchise, if you like this one you'll probably want to keep watching. If you didn't, however, than I'd stop now because this is the high point in the series. Still if you're going to see any of them, this is the one to view.

A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)

2011-05-01T21:19:00.000-07:00

A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge, returns to the the famous Elm Street house in the first one. Five years later a new teeanger, Jesse Walsh, has moved in with his family. Jesse, as so many, is struggling a bit with growing up, and has more issues now that Freddy Krueger is haunting him. Freddy is still angry about being one uped by Nancy, so in his attempts to solve his anger he decides to seek revenge, through Jesse. But have no fear, Jesse and his girlfriend Lisa find Nancy's diary, guiding them through the nightmares. I must say part 2 has flaws, to put it kindly. Between plot, character, and directing issues.

Manipulating the dream/reality complex proves to be to disorienting in this one as Jesse is in neither one nor the other. Freddy no longer is able to solely control the dreams of teenagers but as well as the physical elements around them. That first off breaks the dream barrier that was well constructed in the first film. And secondly, as I said before, it's hard to distinguish what's going on. A lot of Freddy's actions this time are not so much Freddy. He doesn't really toy with Jesse but rather uses him, He preforms a lot of Poltergeist tricks, i.e. setting the toaster oven on fire, making the birds go crazy (in truth the Walsh family has a good case for paranormal investigators). The ending is dull, the boiler scene leaves little to nothing to remember.

A rumor with this one is that the films contains gay subtext. I've heard those who see it and those who don't, in my opinion...yeah it's a little bit leaning that way. Jesse seems to be teetering on his sexuality bounds throughout the film. There's subtle clues (board game Probe in the closet anyone?) and there's the not so subtle clues, like Coach Schneider's death. But its not bad in anyway, in fact it gives more depth to a script that lacks any real meaning or connection. The Never Sleep Again documentary had interviews with the director and he mentioned not liking the first film, however, a lot of people DID like the first film. It seems more that he set out to make a quick fix horror film than anything that stems off Craven's first piece.

The second took a steep fall from the level the first one was on. It, in short, missed the point. A Nightmare on Elm Street is known for being an imaginative series, though I don't think that title got earned until the third film, this is still however lacking. I did like though that they managed to clear some confusion to the ending of the first film in this. It's not great, if anything watch it for Jesse's infamous man scream.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

2011-04-19T06:50:00.000-07:00

After seeing the Never Sleep Again documentary around Halloween, which is a great documentary, for fans especially but really for anyone curious of film making and the early techniques with special effects, I became possessed with the thought of watching all seven Nightmare films (I decided to skip Freddy Vs Jason because I've seen it, and I'm just not in the mood to watch it again). I've seen a few before, but never the entire series. So I set out with the, surprisingly tedious, task of watching all seven films in chronological order.

To start at the beginning A Nightmare on Elm Street typically falls under the slasher film genre, though I'd argue that it doesn't truly earn that title until later in the franchise, the reason being that the film is a lot more imaginative and creative fulled than say the Friday the 13th series. The story starts out with Tina, a teenage girl who's having strange nightmares about a man, burnt from the head down, wearing a dirty green and red stripped sweater, a ragged hat, and a glove with knives for fingers. Tina becomes rattled by the dream when she feels there is something more to it than a typical night terror, which proves to be true one night when she dies in her dream and then dies in real life. From there it goes to her best friend, Nancy, as she tries to figure out who the man with the knives for fingernails is and what he wants, while ultimately trying to stay awake.

The film has a horror aspect that Wes Craven has always done well with, he connects it to real life. True the film has a more fantasy base than a reality but it lies in the inevitable fear that we must all sleep at some point. A vulnerability issues plays in this as in most people's cases when you sleep you are helpless. To add more depth Craven gives a disturbing background to the killer, Freddy Krueger, a child murder who escaped trial later to be burned by the incensed parents of Elm Street. I actually found out from the documentary, something which has always been a debate, is that Freddy is a child molester, but they don't come out and say it in the film for news related issues at the time. This discreetly presents itself in the sexual prowl Freddy has in scenes with Tina and Nancy. The famous one being where Nancy falls asleep in the bathtub and his glove comes up from the water in between her legs. It's hard for some to imagine Freddy as anything scary since he became a pop culture icon but in truth he was built to be a perturbing character, and the first film reminds us of that.

As far as quality goes I'll argue that this one is the best out of the seven (though Dream Master gives Craven a run for his money in directing, as well as for the the look for the film). The directing and writing for this is fairly obvious, so I wont linger too long but it's apparent what he intended out of the film, a sleepless night fueled by more than just jumps and scares, but with creative thought. Acting is fairly good here too, it's one of those horror movies that has a now a absurdly huge film star in it, Johnny Depp. Of course Glen doesn't compare to his more eccentric characters in which he's famous for but for a first time actor whose never, and I mean never, acted before he's pretty good in it. Heather Langenkemp is alright, having done a few movies in her career at that point and not succumbing to dumb gazes into the camera lens. Then there's John Saxon and Robert Englund, neither which I'll go into because Saxon is been in everything and he's just great, and I've believe I've made my love of Englund's acting clear in previous reviews. The special effects for the film are pretty good, in truth I prefer old school techniques like these as opposed to CGI which I can always tell they've used.

I'm sure this, basically, two paged love letter isn't obvious us enough that I have to say it flat out but I love A Nightmare on Elm Street. It's not only my favorite out of the franchise but one of my favorite horror films. But at the same time I pose caution to new viewers who've never seen the movie. Though it's not as bad as some it does show it's age a bit, so some scenes or concepts will appear as cheesy, and there are some that might not be as generous about the acting. Plus the ending, (not the very ending with the little girls) still fails to make sense. Either way it's sort of an essential see, Freddy Krueger is a household name and at the end of the day it's better than most slasher films and remakes today.

Lo (2009)

2011-02-16T15:28:00.000-08:00

Lo is a fairly humorous fairly enjoyable love story, with demons. Justin just lost his girlfriend, April, to a terrible accident, getting taken to hell by a demon that is, but as to demonstrate the limits of his love he summons Lo, a crippled smart mouth demon whose job it is to help Justin out. But as Justin spends more time in the close silhouette of hell he'll find out a few things out about April that'll tempt him to question his decision.

I'm not altogether sure how to start this, Lo is one of those films where it's hard to gather your thoughts. I presume I shall start with how I viewed the film. To say the least I liked it. It's not really an eventful movie, the entirety of the plot being based off conversations Justin has with the demons and flashbacks of him and April's love. There is one action scene but it's kind of corny, in fact there was an excessive amount of parts that are corny, but I'd argue that they were intended for comical effect. The film isn't all that much horror either, though the demon's look great and can be effectively scary if desired, its just that there's nothing all too horrifying about it. Also to note, it happens to be 1/16 musical, so if you keeping count we have a horror romantic musical comedy going on here, all tied into one small low budget film. But that's part of the charm of Lo.

Ward Roberts as Justin comes off a bit over the top in some comedic scenes but the final romantic moment, perhaps the only one in the film truth be told, is pulled off well between him and his opposite Sarah Lassez. And Jeremiah Birkett as the smart mouthed title character is adroit in his role. As other viewers have mentioned the film looks like a play, with an empty stage like effect. All you ever see is Justin, Lo, and the very stage-esq flashback scenes. Actually I can easily see this being a play and it may be more adequate as that, than as a film.

Like I said I enjoyed Lo, it's a droll little film that manages to hold your interest. Its clearly not for everyone, as its misconception of being a horror film will probably anger some, leaving it little chance to let it come into its own. I'd say watch the trailer, read a few more reviews, and decide for yourself whether or not to watch it.

Halloween II (2009)

2010-12-27T14:28:00.000-08:00

I'm curious if it even matters since I have no followers but yes I haven't posted in two months now due to school and detached interest. Seeing as no one reads my reviews I'm more or less talking to myself but oh well. I'm in a current state of boredom so I've decided to post a review or two.

I'm a fan of the original Halloween II, though John Carpenter himself doesn't really care for it I find it to be in par with the first and fairly decent for a sequel, which is saying a lot considering the reputation horror movies have for their sequels and remakes. But I'm not reviewing John Carpenter's film, I reviewing Rob Zombie's. What's my verdict? I assure you, I'm surprised that I'm actually going to put this but...it really wasn't all that bad. Maybe its because I read the reviews for it before I watched it and had such low expectations that it turned out better than expected, or maybe I've seen too many horror movies and I no longer can decipher any more what is shit and what is good. Either way, yeah I liked it.

Don't let that suggest that the film is flawless, far from actually. There's...several issues with the film, first and foremost the biggest in hardcore fans eyes is Michael as a character. He grunts now, if you must know, making him feel not so much like the original Michael Myers. Following him is Dr. Loomis (who, by the way, I was for in casting Malcolm McDowell) who's become the world's biggest Diva; as he he's out promoting his new book which, in traditional Gail Weathers fashion, exploits the murder's in the first movie. Then there is Scout Taylor Compton and her...ugh...I don't know if I can call it a performance it's so bizzarely (not a word) awful. Her alone probably put me over the edge in hating the second half of the first film, so in short I've never really like her as Laurie. If anything I'll give her that she was a bit more tolerable this time around. And finally there is is the Ghost Mom. That side story shouldn't have even seen the light of day it was so pointless. Not to mention the ending of the film just plain sucked.

If your not discouraged yet by that last paragraph, remember that I did say I enjoyed the film. In my opinion the good Zombie gives to the film out weighs the bad. Rob Zombie may not be the best writer out in Hollywood but this is the most original Halloween to date, which is refreshing since slasher films are as cliche as they come. There's a lot of moments in the film between Annie's and Laurie's characters that demonstrated the strain on their friendship, and unlike a lot of people I don't think the plot of Laurie becoming a more darker human being is that much of a stretch, considering she survived a horrifying incident (AKA I'm not going to throw a hissy fit because she has a poster of Marilyn Manson on her wall). What has been an appeal about this film and the first is Zombie's homage to horror films by casting icons (Dee Wallace, Malcolm McDowell, Danny Trejo) but I'm most enthusiastic at giving Sheriff Brackett (Brad Dourif) a larger role. Besides the plot the cinematography is flat out gorgeous. His use of darks in contrast with lights is stunning and several shots are alone memorable solely on the cinematography part.

More than anything it was better than his 2007 rendition of Halloween, which I enjoyed only in part. Hell, I'd probably watch it again if there was nothing else on TV, I honestly didn't find it as bad as some did. If you detach yourself from the original series and then view it as a film you could see that maybe if Zombie had made this with different characters and not in the Halloween franchise it'd be a fairly decent bloody horror movie. Not for die hard fans but maybe for those who are a bit more open minded.

The Master Of Horror

2010-10-25T23:26:00.000-07:00

I hate Mondays. I'm still not a 100% better and the fact that after 9 posts and still no followers I'm discouraged to the point where I don't care enough to write for literary snobs. That being said.

I don't actually know if Stephen King is the master of horror. I've heard Wes Craven, John Carpenter, and Clive Baker with the same title. Maybe they are equally all the masters? When I looked up to see how many film adaptions of his books there are I was baffled, I've seen a good amount of them and a lot of that amount I really like, narrowing 20 down to 10 down to 5 was impossible so for this Monday, the last of the month, it's going to be doing a top ten list. Top Ten Stephen King Adaptions:

#10. Carrie (1976)

Stephen King said it himself, high school is hell. There's a fairly good chance that you were most likely not blessed with the gene of beauty or likability therefor you were probably awkward. Thus being the case with Carrie, the sheltered girl with telekinesis powers. The scariest part about the film is the relationship between Carrie and her mother. The best part about this film is the end because Carrie gets her revenge and since I wasn't at the top of the food change the revenge was sort of sweet for me as well. Of course I wouldn't want to burn my entire class to the ground but it's the brilliant thought by King that counts here.

#9. Children of the Corn (1984)

You'll notice a few related elements with Stephen King's work, sort of like a thumbprint to have proof of creation. Several of his novels and stories have a character who's a writer and a kid whose developed beyond his normal psyche, whether that being supernatural or just a greater understanding of the current reality around them. Children of the Corn does this with more than one kid but unlike previous novels this one has the children as the evil. Malachai and Isaac in particular, arguably ranking high on the list of creepiest kids ever. With Malachai killing adults off like its a basic every day thing and Isaac preaching a disturbing religion to impressionable kids Children of the Corn subtext is fairly scary, specifically to adults.

#8. It (1990)

Its not that I necessarily grew up on horror movies it's just that I watched them more than most because they fascinated me. Of course I watch a ton of Disney stuff as well but as odd as it may seem It was one of my childhood movies. This is what I was referring to in the previous paragraph, the kids conquering evil despite their size and limits. It's maybe not the most quality film out there but it's not a bad adaption and it's a pretty good made for TV movie. I personally prefer part 1 to part 2 as I find the kid's experiencing with the clown a lot more terrifying than the adults. Not to mention the cast isn't half bad (John Ritter, Annette O'Toole, Tim Reid, TIM CURRY) and a few of the child actors grew up to do good films (Emily Perkins in the Ginger Snap series, and of course Seth Green). Unfortunately this, Hellraiser, and Pet Sematary are among the few of my favorite horror films that are being remade.

#7. Cujo (1983)

King writes a lot of supernatural based horror novels but Cujo is one of the exceptions that is plausible. Yes, the chances of you ending up outside of a auto shop with a rabid dog are slim but I'd say its more likely than a raid of vampires attacking your small town. The main horror element here though is, IMO, the claustrophobia or the seclusion of the mom and her son.

#6. Rose Red (2002)

Rose Red technically isn't an adaption, but Stephen King did write the screenplay. The intended idea with this was to perceive that Rose Red was a real house and the Rimbauers were real people, none of it is factual, but the build up inside the movie revealing the history of the house, the comparison of those who died to those who disappeared is a great effect. It actually holds my attention more than it did in his novel ~~The Shinning~~, which took a similar approach but not nearly as interesting. Basically though the build up made the actual ghosts more effective, and I also liked that they didn't overuse the ghost or the bumps and noises such as other haunted films tend to do.

#5. Misery (1990)

Misery is interesting because its not exactly a film I relate too it's just good and creepy. Kathy Bates won an Oscar for her role as Annie Wilkes, the mentally unstable fan of a famous author, and I believe it's well deserved. She's rather insane in this I must say, from shouting about cartoons to whacking Paul's ankle with a hammer, proving to be a disturbing character.

#4. The Shinning (1980)

I struggled with this list because it was so long and I had a hard time placing where each of these films should go, this one especially. As a Stephen King fan and a Stanley Kubrick fan I've been torn since I've read the novel and realized that, in all honesty, this is a pretty awful adaption. But it's not an awful horror movie, in fact it's probably one of the best horror movies. The film and the novel work on two different levels of horror, King's story is scary because you feel for this family that's having a hard time and watching the father descend into madness is slow and cautious but overtly effective. King has said in an interview that Kubrick's film is empty, and it's that emptiness that creates the horror. The isolation reaches to the viewers more since it's evidently present and the father initially being not all the way there proves to be as scary as the character in the book. Either way the film is scary, it makes the list, horrible adaption or not.

#3. The Stand (1994)

I believe I like Stephen King's miniseries more than I do the actual movies because they are in their raw Stephen King state, unfortunately though that means they are between 3 and 4 hours long, that being the case with The Stand. But if you do get a few hours to spare I'd recommend it. This and his other novel Desperation are heavily about religion, specifically good vs evil which fits nicely in the post apocalyptic world backdrop. There's great acting on several people's part (Gary Sinise, Ruby Dee, Rob Lowe). I suppose my only qualms with the film are Molly Ringwald (sorry but I stopped liking her after Breakfast Club) and Randy Flag's fashion sense (I know it was the 90's but denim-on-denim-on-denim?!)

#2. Pet Sematary (1989)

Pet Sematary is the only film that still haunts to the point where I can't walk to close to a bed without getting paranoid. I swear to God every time I stand by a bed that's frame doesn't go fully to the ground I think of the scene in this film where Gage cuts Mr. Munster's tendon with a scalpel. Its absurd that a scene could stick with me for that long and I have no hope that the fear will fade soon, I'll likely be afraid of walking by a bed for the rest of my life all because of that fucking scene. Moving on though I really like Pet Sematary because it's a supernatural horror that encounters the real life horror of losing a child, which is one of if not the worst thing that could happen to a person. Its hard subject matter because of course all parents would want to bring their child back but to return as something unnatural? It's hard choice by the father in this and tragic that it doesn't work out.

#1. Stand By Me (1986)

Unconventionally I pick a Stephen King adaption that is not a horror movie. It's ill fitting for the intended purpose of these lists (Halloween=horror) but it's honestly my favorite film from his novels. In the paper I had to write the other week I mentioned him in it, stating that the reason I believe he's so successful at horror and as writer in general is because he has pays equal attention to plot and character. Stand By Me (as basically all his novels do) demostrate that as its about four friends traveling to see a dead body. While the story and the bits of action are appeasing it's the characters that hold it above the rest of the films on the list. Mainly River Phoneix character Chris, as the bad boy with more depth than usually alloted to his type of character. Kiefer Sutherland is also in it playing a 1950's bad boy again. It's a sound capture for it's time frame and primarily a film I can watch more than once.

Honorable mentions: I'm sure if anyone ever reads this they'll think that I either have bad taste or am just ignorant of not including Shawshank Redemption on the list somewhere, I have a clearly logical explanation for it not being on this list, I've haven't seen it all. In fairness I've seen most of it but there are still parts I've managed to miss and because of those parts I considered it unseen. I'm sure that when I finally finish it I'd update this list and it'd land somewhere in the top five, if not the number one spot. Other: The Dark Half (1993) a fiction writers alter ego beings taking over his life. The Langoliers (1995) corny Sci-fi made for TV movie with horrible graphic effects, stupid decisions made by stupid characters, but ulitmately forces you to watch from start to finish. The Green Mile (1999) great prison movie about a inncocent inmate with an exceptional gift. The Mist (2007) film about a group of towns people trapped inside a grocery store with obscencly large bugs outside and a crazy religous preaching Marcia Gay Harden inside.

If you've made it this far post your own.

Boyfriend's with Fangs

2010-10-18T21:42:00.000-07:00

Yay for Mondays, and I'm sick. As I'm sure how it was last week if anyone is reading this (still no followers) they could care less of my current state of health/life but I figure I'd inform anyways.

In all honesty you can't turn a corner without running into a vampire these days. Not literally of course but basically they are everywhere. Its not as big of a deal as people make it out to be, we go through this media vampire craze once a decade. Hopefully the next one will be held off for till 2020 due to the late release dates of the the Twilight movies, gag me. If you are a Twilight fan I'm disappointed to inform you that I will not be slurring Edward Cullen's name on this list anywhere. What is this weeks list may you ask? If you haven't guessed it my Top Five Favorite Vampire Movies.

#5 The Hamiiltons (2006)

This is part of the After Dark Horror Fest, the first year (the best year might I say), and my favorite out of the 8 films. A lot of people don't care for it in the sense that it's not lucid horror, it's subtle in it's approach. The gore is minimum and there isn't any moments where you blatantly scared, yet it's very disturbing by the portrayal of the dysfunctional family. Unfortunately though even listing it gives away a massive spoiler since you don't find out that they are vampires until the last ten minutes, sorry. But if there is anything to keep you going you still don't know what Lenny is.

#4 Near Dark (1987)

Cult horror film Near Dark is unique in the sense that it plays with very traditional vampire mythology (i.e. the sunlight burns, one bite can turn you, etc) but also changes it a bit with how to rid the disease entirely. Not to mention it's story following five vampires on the run, traveling across the desert in a RV, endows originality as well. The best scene is in the bar where Bill Paxton (love him in this) and Lance Henriksen brutally kill all the patrons, partially for food but mostly for fun.

#3 From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

Quentin Tarantino's and Robert Rodriguez edition to the horror vampire films is this exalted movie. What I love most about it is how at first it appears to be a crime-drama/action movie about a pair of notorious crime brothers but randomly out of nowhere just becomes about survivors mission to kill all the vampires left in the bar. And honestly it comes out of nowhere. Tarantino's script, with Rodriguez directing, and a great cast; George Clooney, Juliet Lewis, Harvey Keitel, Tom Savini, and Danny Trejo.

#2 Let the Right One In (2008)

Let the Right One In is, IMO, one of the best vampire films ever made, and that goes beyond my personal taste. Basically I watch two types of film genre's mostly, horror and indie, and that goes without saying that those genres aren't always high in quality, therefor not all of my favorite movies are high in quality. Let the Right One In is the exception, the Swedish horror film is both scary and touching as it deals with Oskar growing up, as well as Eli. The later is the horror of the film as she can be both sweet and evil. She's no bigger than a twelve year old yet she kills grown men for food. Similar to the Hamiltons it's not in your face horror, in fact its more a character based story than it is a horror movie. But no less it is a vampire movie so it qualifies on my list.

#1 The Lost Boys (1987)

I don't really know how to convey The Lost Boys in a single paragraph. It's almost impossible to try but to basically touch on the main points it's funny, Corey Haim as the comic book nerd brother is the center of the humor. But so are the vampire hunting Frog Brothers, as well as Michael and Sam's grandfather. Kiefer Sutherland is an staggeringly great villain. Diane Wiest and Dee Wallace have always, for me, tied as best movie mom. It has traditional vampire mythology, really going back old school by including vampires not being able to be seen in the mirror and cold water burning. There's a fair amount of blood. And it doesn't, unlike some of that decade, horribly reek of bad 80's fashion. I love the Lost Boys, I believe it was the biggest contributor to the 80's vampire craze which makes sense because unlike some of the modern vampire movies today, it's actually good.

Honorable mentions. I'm not a huge vampire fan to tell you the truth, while I do love them and I've openly admitted I'm addicted to True Blood, as you may have gathered from the first list I'm more of a zombie whore than I am vampire slut. But I do have two others that didn't make the list. Underworld (2003) the vampires vs werewolves, or likens are they are called, movie that's got a lot of blood, and for you male fans Kate Beckinsale in a tight outfit. And 30 Days of Night (2007), beautifully bloody film that plays the hidden victims game.

If your reading post your own.