This month’s big prize for those of you that comment on here, subscribe to the rss feed, or talk about random crap on the Facebook page, is something that is going to make most salivate. This month you will win for FREE the Hellraiser Box Set complete with limited edition packaging!
This 3 disc set features the cube from the movies, and while it’s not the complete set of movies, it’s still one cool prize.
Comment throughout the month and see if you get this awesome prize from me, your pal Sir J.
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I remember the first time I saw the Ted Bundy biopic, it caught me off guard in a way that most movies just don’t. I thought the same visceral reaction would occur with the biopic of another insane person, but alas, it seems that this ship is another slow moving vessel in a sea of terrible movies, and we all get duped. The film I’m going to talk about today is none other than Dahmer. If you’re not familiar with the serial killer, then you’ll have to remember that he was the guy that not only killed his victims, he ate them, and kept many pieces in his fridge. He was caught, then in prison was murdered by another inmate. This is not a high adrenaline story, but it sure has a spiraling out of control pace that becomes the standard for horror flicks of a certain measure.
The actor here would go on to make serious moves in “The Hurt Locker” because he really does a good job of pushing the envelope of psychotic behavior even though he’s very toned down. The plot revolves around Dahmer’s homosexual behavior, drugging men, having sex with them, and then eventually killing some. The artistic camera view during many of the rapes casts an interesting juxtaposition between serious, comic, and unintentionally funny. I found a lot of the midpoints of this film to be boring, tired, and terrible.
If you’re not a fan of homoerotic things, you won’t like this movie, as it turns that notion of Dahmer’s character way up. His main love interest is quite interesting, and the two become the focus of the film as it progresses, only to climax into a frenzy, that would close down the film and showcase a lackluster ending, unlike the interesting facts of Dahmer’s real life. I got bored somewhere along the way, and despite my fascinating with red walls and lights; this one didn’t manage to keep me interested.
Dahmer is NOT like other serial killer biopics. In fact, this is one of the worst examples as far as narrative concerns. However, Jeremy Renner plays him quite well and is really a fascinating performance, even if it feels subdued in a way. The predator here is interesting, the gore isn’t sensationalized, it just seems to be more drama than horror and that’s not the point of scary films. I don’t recommend t his at all. If you must watch it, then watch it; otherwise, I don’t know what to tell you. I didn’t like it, and that’s that.
First and foremost, I have changed the titles back to what they are, reviews. I tried to add different stylized titles, but they didn’t seem to work for the desired effect, so the review moniker is back again. We begin this week with a review of an interesting piece of science fiction starring a few people that you wouldn’t guess were in this film, especially if you only saw the original trailers. That being said, you absolutely knew that Justin Timberlake is the star of this movie, but what it was all about? Well, that was a bit of a mystery. The movie we are trying to review is In Time.
The film starts with a dystopian society, which is how a majority of great writers view the world in the future. I don’t think I’m quite as pessimistic but alas, I’m not a great writer. The future is quite difficult, where people must work for time, no longer money. In fact, the only currency is time, and makes anything else obsolete. This kind of worldview makes for an interesting conundrum for those that are living day-to-day, and literally only have 24 hours. We are introduced to characters on the sad part of the world, and they just want to be in the rich areas.
Much like the problems in economics today around the world, we are placed into a science fiction world where time is monitored by police, and there are banks that only cater to the rich, and loans that charge 30% interest on time. It’s an interesting world, but the lackluster futuristic options got to me. For instance, there are scenes where keys are used instead of any sort of high tech gadgetry. Even in 2012 we have keycards for hotels etc. Keys? How archaic. Not only that, a great deal of “futurisms” are placed into the backseat and we must just “believe” that the world that is presented is a plausible future. I don’t buy it, but that’s ok.
The movie flows fast, with our main hero looking more like superman than an average desperate person. He goes through the highs and lows in this very formulaic ride through what may or may not be in our near future. (of course it’s not in the near future, death has a 100% ratio of success) Visually the show is great, with lots of fighting, and interesting moments, but the attempt at being some sort of James Bond is lost on me, even though Timberlake tries really hard to fit that role. I didn’t really like the overall imagery, but there were some highlights in the way the director of photography framed the images. A lot of the backgrounds, colors, and actions were vivid, making for a lavish display of beauty amidst a lot of chaos.
Science fiction has a way of molding several genres to make their point heard. This film makes for an interesting take on currency, economics, and much more. I enjoyed the overall premise, but by the 4th act, I had already given up on the whole thing. I tried to rationalize it all instead of enjoying the show. Science fiction does that to me a lot; it will start with a great premise, then turn into a mess in the end. The end is a mess, and maybe that’s the whole point. In Time is a cool flick; I recommend it for its visual design, not the plot. The plot falls flat, but the visuals are somewhat great overall.
Well folks, it's the end of May, and that means I post a list of reviews I did this month. Here are the reviews I did, and you know you like it. If you missed anything, here you go. For June, I'll be reviewing as much as possible, as I'm making a commitment to not only review more Twilight Zone, but also anything horror I can get my hands on.
You can always link to this page, send me a message, recommendations and so much more via comments or my email sir jorge at gmail dot com. Thanks for reading, thanks for patronizing the sponsors, etc.
Just when I see one of the best movies of the year, I go back to the doldrums of reviewing terrible movies, and one such instance is this one, Man’s Best Friend. The 1990’s film stars a hot Ally Sheedy and badass Lance Henriksen amidst a cast of idiots that I don’t care to name, in a dog eat man world. Except for J.D. Daniels, he was in the Mighty Ducks, which is quite awesome, if I do say so myself. In this science fiction horror movie, we get to see what happens when science and terror meets head on!
The movie starts up quite swiftly; a lab where animals are being tested on gets broken into by a rogue team of investigative reporters. Amidst their journey into what should be a more closely guarded plant, they let loose one of the horrors of the building, Max. Max is a mutated dog that has the powers (I know, it’s insane) of a leopard, an owl, a snake, and a monkey! The dog forms a bond with one of the reporters and then the movie really goes nuts when she takes Max home.
The movie is laughable at first, then gets even more insane as things go on. Max, for the most part is a sympathetic animal in this film, being abused and having to deal with life away from his natural habitat, which I’m not sure exists. Being a composite of all the other animals in order to be a living weapon makes him the villain, at least to me, especially after he attacks a poor defenseless mail man….whom just happens to shoot Max in the face with pepper spray. Max goes forward with some interesting points, mostly killing people, burying them or eating them, and Lance Henriksen has to try and chase him down and catch him, or kill him!
The movie moves from a sad dog story to a cat and mouse type of film where the whole town (including the police) are chasing this super dog. The film progresses and the final showdown between badass Lance and the dog come to full frame. The two should’ve charged each other to a freeze frame like in the Rocky movies, but instead we get some of the most ludicrous moments. I didn’t know who to cheer for, so I just started to root for all characters dead. I got half a wish in the way the film ends, and then abruptly flashes to dark and the credits roll. Oh right, before setting up what seems to be the most impossible of sequels, and something I hope doesn’t exist.
Man’s Best Friend is one of the worst movies to come out of 1993, but the face pacing and constant blood shed made for a watchable experience. I don’t recommend this one, but then again, I don’t’ recommend much. I liked it enough to see it yet again, and while it doesn’t look that old, it definitely isn’t the better of “dog” based horror movies.
I was taking a shower yesterday and it hit me, I want to compile a list of the best top 5 cannibal movies ever made. Now, this is going to cause some controversy, especially for those that are either purists or just don’t like the genre. Here is a list that I had to fight over to consider writing and making into a list. These moves are hardcore, and not for the faint of heart.
5. Cannibal Holocaust – This Italian film is the go to film when you want to throw a cannibal viewing party. The film was made for roughly $200,000 and it has to have made the money back by now. It was released in 1980 and then came to video stores all over the world in the mid-1980’s. The insanity was banned, censored, and edited for content. The movie is still one of the more controversial films simply because of the subject matter. It’s got some sick gore, but the pacing lacks luster, which is why this is #5.
4. Jungle Holocaust – Based on a true story? Yeah, the title card says this really happened, but who knows if it really occurred? This jungle film came out in the late 1970’s and it is just as poorly paced as the other films in the genre. This Italian film featured a lot of animal violence and was censored until now. While Peta is not going to enjoy seeing wild animals trampled, severed, and killed, many purists will say it’s nothing more than anything that you’d see on the National Geographic channel. This film features lots of weird nudity, and well, cannibalism. It’s a bit better than the more famous later film.
3. Cannibal Apocalypse – Some call this Euro trash, others just call it what it is, a straight up zombie/cannibal film. I thought this film was actually one of the best options coming out of the Italian horror films. The movie features graphic brutality, and it’s not just cannibals, its police force, wild doctors, hospitals, and so much more. I love this film, and love the poster, and it’s really worth checking out. Mix zombies, cop films, and even a little military action, and you’ll see why this one is awesome.
2. Eaten Alive – While this isn’t a pure sick film, it features some amazing pieces of gore. The film features Crocodiles and Cannibals and well…is an interesting take on the gore filled shock flicks of the 1970’s. The most important thing to remember here is that Robert England stars! Before he was Freddy, he was in this low budget B cannibalistic, monster flick featuring killer crocs!
1. Ravenous – My favorite cannibal film is not something that most people have seen. This film is about a cowardly military officer that gets punished and sent to a remote campsite in the dead of winter. When a mysterious man shows up to the campsite, things start going awry, as we find out that cannibalism has taken hold of everyone, and this thing goes off the rails. It features one of the best endings, and wow, what a way to go out.
There you have it, my 5 top cannibal movies. They are hardcore, they have gore, nudity, and only now are they presented uncensored if you buy them. You'll enjoy them if you like the harder side of cinema. These aren't movies to watch with your children or parents, so make sure that you set aside a few hours for just these things.
Have you ever seen a movie where the company you see it with is far better than the movie itself? This happened to me during my viewing of this film. The production company sent me The Dead and the Damned, and wow, it wasn’t half bad upon first glance, but it wouldn’t be the greatest movie told, especially as the story and plot unfolded. I do recommend seeing horror movies with a woman, especially one that is lovely enough to put up with bad cinema, I am very blessed to have found someone willing and cheery about watching such a film.
The movie opens with a gunfight, and immediately starts to get on my nerves. The unfortunate part about the film is that they use cg blood throughout. It’s painfully obvious that they aren’t using real blood effects, which plagues the production and visualizations during the scenes here and throughout the zombie scopes.
The Wild West is no place for zombies, and that’s what we see as the film progresses. There are a few plot points, mainly dealing with a bounty hunter searching his next bounty. This sequence, the journey to the bounty, the process of getting bait, and traveling is painstakingly shown in what seems like slow motion. There are a lot of points in this film that have no dialogue, and despite the “Western” theme, the music is modern, rock, and samples that just seem way too forced.
The good stuff starts amidst the bounty being taken, as a weird rock emits a gas that turns everyone in a small mining town into flesh eaters. The zombies are fast, relatively dumb, and range from insane to smart. They go down differently than some zombies. At one point a zombie is punched in the face, and that kills him…yep!
As far as zombie movies go, this is a lackluster attempt to capitalize on the genre. However, mixing western with horror is great, and there are some great points with the cinematography in tact. I liked the locales, and liked a few of the shots, but the whole monologue section between the Indian and the cowboy just seemed forced, and with no flash back type frame set, the character building seemed tired.
The Dead and the Damned was not a great movie by any stretch, and is one of my least favorite zombie films. However, the director and writers tried their hand at a unique slice of horror pie. I for one, at least watch the whole thing, and it was made a little better by my amazing friend, that sat with me through this, and made me popcorn too. She’s dreamy, this film is not.
Ah yes, a third film in the series of The Lost Boys. I really liked the original, but the second film sucked, and the third one didn't really strike mas something I wanted to watch, until now. I finally sat down and watched Lost Boys: The Thirst and I was write on a few levels, and wrong on another.
First and foremost this film is an interesting take on the series. Right off the bat we get some flashbacks to the original film. We catch up with Edgar Frog and he's not exactly doing so hot. He's living in a trailer home and it's about to get foreclosed on. He is approached by some random hot chick, requesting that he help her save her brother from turning into a vampire at a rave. When he agrees, all hell breaks loose as he tries to gain weapons and help to fight the oncoming vampire party (rave). Of course, we get to see a battle of the ages, and we are treated to gore, violence, and lots of "deep voice" Corey Feldman.
The film's plot sucks. It's very light, but where the plot is light in plot, it makes up for in gore and gratuitous shots of women's boobs. I know for a fact there are some fans of the series that will praise the nudity rather than any other merit of this film. I will at least make mention of it.
The look and feel of this movie is a tad higher than the previous film. The film doesn't look completely like a made for dvd movie and has some serious cinematography, at least at the beginning of the film. There is even some nice shots taken from an aerial view, and something that has to be a plus to an otherwise crappy visual film. Aside from the higher quality film making, there is a decent soundtrack that not only makes use of the classic "Cry Little Sister" but throws around some techno, punk rock, and even screamo nicely.
There are a lot of things I didn't like about the film, especially the over use of "slow down" and "slow motion" that plagues a lot of mainstream action films. There are many instances where the action is slowed down and sped up, as if I wouldn't be able to see it the first time in full motion. There are also some bad CG effects that just don't need to be there. When Frog kills some vampires they burst into blood vapor rather than bleeding out into the scene. That has to be the worst of it, and really makes this film look low budget.
The stunt work impressed me. I wasn't expecting the amount of stunts that were in this film, and I was further impressed with the martial arts action at some stages of the film. It's not the greatest, but when you consider the star of this movie, you'll at least understand why I would be impressed.
One thing that really made me hate the film was the constant "flash backs" to the original film, and consistently using Corey Haim. I felt it was just not needed, and the character could've drummed up more sympathy by simply mentioning him and showing the scene where Frog drops of a Batman #14 at the grave site. For those of you not following Haim's career or life, he died in 2010...yep...so there won't a Weekend at Bernies 3 after all. (what? too soon?)
The movie is fast paced, has some nice one liners, and good overall action towards the end of the film. Fans of the series will most likely appreciate this one, as it is far better than the second sequel was. I didn't completely hate this one, I liked the gore, I liked Corey Feldman's deep voice, even if it seemed force, and I did enjoy the premise, albeit thin. I even appreciated the ending, where we are teased that there will be fourth film that will have Frog fighting not vampires, but Werewolves! Lost Boys: The Thirst is not amazing, but it's actually half-way decent, and I'd watch it again.
Sometimes horror movies aren't really scary, or filled with gore and sex. They are filled with dark comedy and satire. Such is the case for this Larry Cohen classic film. Is it a classic? I might be over stating The Stuff.
The Stuff is a film about a world where everyone starts eating this mayonaise looking ice cream yogurt thing and it starts to kill them slowly...or quickly...I'm not sure. As the plot thickens, there are some cool death scenes, and if it weren't for an industrial saboteur "Mo", The Stuff would take over....
This film is NOT scary, in fact it's a slow moving, light weight horror movie that would probably or should get played on television, not cable mind you, but regular broadcast television. The movie feels like a "Goosebumps" made for tv or made for dvd film, rather than a full theatrical release. The quality isn't always there, and there is only some windows into the gore scenes.
Overall, this film is NOT very good. I didn't like it. I think it's an important film to see once, but repeated viewings? I'm not into it. I also don't think that The Stuff deserves a whole essay for a review, so I'll just say it was worth a once over. I don't know what else to say, The Stuff didn't really grip me like I thought it would. Yep.
We begin our journey this with a science fiction film and boy was it creepy. Val Kilmer stars in this horror film and I must admit, it wasn't run and gun, nor was it full of similar things. I fell asleep during the previews, but once the movie started, I was ready with a cup of coffee.
The Thaw starts out with a confessional from Val Kilmer's character. Throughout the opening of the film, we are not given a full explanation of what's going on, and throughout the views we see what is going on. On a glacier, a wooly mammoth is discovered and inside it are some eggs with parasites that pose no immediate threat, at first.
The movie is a slow moving ride. To say that this is slow, is an understatement. This thing was quite slow, and will most likely have people throwing in the towel, until the second act leads to one of the best gore scenes I've seen in a long time. Sure, the gore in "The Ruins" was sick and left me uncomfortable, but nothing like this one. In this film there is a sequence so sickening and realistic that they should win an award for realism and effects of the moment. Let's just saw "Saw" has nothing on limb execution, and I will leave it at that.
The film quality is similar to that of a UK BBC production. It's more than just straight to dvd, but the "green/blue" tone of the film really makes things interesting. The way it was filmed leaves me to think that I'm watching a soap opera and the more twists and turns that occur the more I was interested in this film.
When you strip away the gimmicks, this film can be easily plotted and written about as another "Cabin Fever" type film with bugs. The premise is simply that Global Warming is thawing out fossils and some parasitic bugs can wipe out the planet because they can stay in below freezing temperatures. That's not too unlike recent news reports that certain spiders can have sub zero venom! Anyways, the film essentially locks a few scientists in a cabin as they are slowly dying, and when hope comes, it turns into an explosive scenario of "who lives and who dies", and before anyone is warned....act four goes into high gear.
Is The Thaw a Scary Film?: Yes.
The longer the movie played out, the more tense it got. The limited soundtrack, and the gore levels were quite scary. The sound that the bugs make, is eerie to me because there are bugs here in Moscow, Idaho that sound exactly like them. The idea that a bug can lay eggs inside your skin and eat you out and kill you, is a scary notion, and furthermore, if Global Warming is in fact real and there could be a thawing out of fossils in the tundra, leading to an epidemic, that's a scary notion and therefore this film is scary.
Even though the acting leaves much to be desired, I found the film effective in its minimalist approach, and I can't get over the gore sequence that nearly made me throw up. Sure the acting was odd, but the sheer terror of drastic measures and non-comedic blood flow made this film quite a scary production.
I recommend The Thaw as a very horrific film, but only to those that like slow burners. You have to invest a lot of time into this one, but once things start to break down it starts getting really good, and dare I say, Val Kilmer actually did a great job with the character. The final sequence also makes me like the film, but you'll have to watch it to find out. Click here to buy The Thaw, or rent it or something...it's worth it.
Here we go, I haven't done one of these in a while. I take a second look at films that I've reviewed before, and I try to give it one more shot. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't, and most of the time I forget to write the posts. Because today is a holiday, I decided to take a second look at cabin Fever, the first directed film by Eli Roth.
The story revolves around a skin disease that is transmitted through the tap water in a nearby camp ground.
Cabin Fever follows an easy model of slasher film lore. A group of twenty-somethings go out to the woods to stay at a cabin and enjoy a good time. As their trip progresses, the realize that things are going sour through the water. As the skin starts to take their lives, they must figure out how to get away from the camp ground and get to safety!
The visuals aren't half bad. The photography is clean and neat, the progression of scenes actually resembles far more eery films. It's interesting to note that the transitions between death and life, night and day, are done with such great timing. You really think you're watching an expert film director, instead of a first timer. Roth really does a good job pushing through the horror, but not before setting up the premise slowly and evenly. The visual aspects really help you with the rest of the film, so by the time you start seing the body count, you are in for full throttle.
There are some random comedic parts and there are portions of the film that make no sense. For instance, there is a kid that does karate screaming for pancakes, he bites a victim and therefore gets the virus, but it makes little sense.
There is an obviously racist joke made in the beginning of the film, but it ties in at the end nicely, so watch out for that.
The movie also has some overt sexual situations. They involve casual sex, but moreover desperation sex. While I appreciate gratuitous sex scenes, these seem a it forced. I did in fact enjoy them the transitions, one which included using mouthwash to clean the penis. Cabin Fever, upon second look, really has a lot of flaws. I didn't really think that the film had a lot to offer the first time around, but I really liked it. I saw it originally on vhs through my local video store, and somewhere along the ways I ended up liking it quite a bit. However, looking back at the film, I don't really know if I can recommend it with full heart. I do enjoy Cabin Fever for sentimental reasons, since it was one of the first films I bought on dvd...I'm a slow adopter.
So as for today, enjoy your memorial day, and maybe dust off your copy of Cabin Fever on dvd, and check it out for a second look. Also, read my previous review of Cabin Fever, and see if there's any news on the sequel...which has a special star from Boy Meets World coming back for some more.
**Note, since it was a holiday and I had a day off today, I decided to do a "second look" post. We're heading towards the end of the month, so enjoy another couple of reviews and the end of month post. Indeed!
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Sam Raimi directed this somewhat lower budget film, and upon its release everyone I knew was telling me how good it was. I refused to believe it and didn't really go to the movies, and decided to just wait for dvd. I think in someways I was justified, with the pg-13 rating and the weak story, I can safely say that Drag Me To Hell is not as good as people wanted to say it was, however, that's not saying it was terrible.
Drag Me To Hell is a slick horror film, that moves fast, and takes no prisoners. It starts off with one of the horror taboo's I've talked about in the past. A lot of horror films stray from showing children being killed on camera. Well, Drag Me To Hell, jumps the gun and pushes you over the edge by showcasing the taboo in such a graphic way that you'll swear you're watching a different movie.
The movie's premise is simple. A young woman is after a promotion at her work, and when she refuses to give a loan to an elderly gypsy she is cursed and her soul will be taken from her, if she doesn't follow some instructions. The movie then progresses through the panic of the main character as she realizes that she has in fact been cursed. There are moments of jump scares, and there are great effects shown in regards to the spirit that is chasing her. The demon is reminiscent of the demons that attack evil people in the movie "Ghost". I know, it's a hard reference, but it's true, the demon is mostly in shadow and manifested in humans only when it over takes the body.
There is CG blood, which I thought was done poorly at times. The other CG is done crisp, and you can barely tell that there's been touch ups done for dramatic effect. Like I said in the beginning, this is a slick film with fast moving plot and good overall effects. While I thought the liquid cg was not done well, I did find it creepy enough of an addition to the story to make things worth watching.
Is Drag Me To Hell A Scary Film ? : No.
I didn't find Drag Me To Hell that scary. I found it entertaining, but definitely not scary. The film has a distinct vibe to it that makes me want to think that it's too long. It feels and progresses like an episode of Tales From The Crypt. It also ends exactly like one of thoe films or television shows that featured the Crypt Keeper, because you are almost shoved with a moral. The ambiguity of the ending and response to the overall tone is done with a bit of comedy, which makes you realize that you're not necessarily watching a Wes Craven film or something along the lines of Clive Barker.
The movie has some gripping moments of suspense, and while I wasn't scared, some people might find the supernatural elements extremely scary. I was surprised to see that the main characters didn't immediately ask a priest or a pastor for an exorcism or anything like that. They seem to trust Easter philosophical arts instead of Christianity, which is fine, but in Horror there's definitely a bone thrown towards Priests and others that fight supernatural elements.
Drag Me To Hell is a good movie. It's not a great movie, like many people said, but it's a good and tight horror movie. It features everything you want in a horror film, sans the blood. There is some blood, but no real gore, and everything is done to quite a disturbing effect. The ending was definitely a classic, the twists and turns are done in time, and you never really get bored, even though I said it was a bit on the long side. Sam Raimi really did a good job with this one as it feels like a bigger film, it has that "mainstream" movie feel, and while I didn't think it deserved as much praise as it did, this film does pack a serious punch to the horror nerve. Just like "The Exorcist" hit many people strong, Drag Me To Hell has some legs, and it will probably shock a new generation of horror movie fans.
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Well, no time to beat on the old drum to ask you guys for money, because it hasn't been working. In fact no one buys crap from this site, so that's always nice. Anyways, there's more to life than my problems and therefore you should come with me on this new journey. Quarantine is a film that is a shot for shot after a Spanish Horror movie named Rec. REC couldn't get here in time so US film makers did what they always do, they remade this one...another remake, and not that great overall.
I'd post a trailer, but guess what, YOUTUBE WILL NOT LET ME EMBED! That's right, once again they screw me on this site...man...oh well...pretend that I put a trailer here.
The film is shot in the worst style ever. It's shot first person view in what some call "cinema verite" in which the camera is constantly moving and faster than hell. I hate that. Other films that I hate in this style aren't really coming to mind, but I know I hated "Miami Vice" for doing the same stupid thing with the cameras.
As for this film it stars Jennifer Carpenter, and Jay Hernandez. The film is about a news anchor and her camera man, they are filming some highlights at a fire station for television when they are called into a fire.
The fire is non existent, and upon arriving in an apartment complex, they end up finding out something incredible...for us. They find zombie like creature, just like the ones that are found in 28 Days Later, or 28 Weeks Later, and things go awry fast. The complex is locked down and the future is uncertain for our crew and anyone else locked inside.
What makes this movie insane, is the fact that the outside world has trapped the people in the complex inside. There are times when they are about to get out, but to no avail, at one point in the film a sniper shoots out someone that is trying to get out of the building and hysteria goes nuts.
Is Quarantine Scary?: NO.
This movie is not scary to me. It actually is on rails, like a first person shooter. It's a sad story with a feeble ending, but to get there you have to go through the most predictable turns.
I heard REC was amazing. This film isn't that, and I'd much rather see this film in spanish. Sure the film has a few moments, but mixing "The Blair Witch Project" and "28 Weeks Later" inside an apartment complex doesn't really do it for me.
Quarantine doesn't even look rated R to me. This thing was boring. I don't recommend Quarantine, as it is a frigid piece of remake history that once again fails to capture the buzz that got REC into many screens.
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The Japanese are consistently making better gore films than America. I'm almost ashamed at the American horror movie scene because while people praise new films like "Drag Me To Hell" with its pg-13 glory, the Japanese are pushing films like this one. Vampire Girl vs Frankenstein Girl looks like a hybrid of Machine Girl and Tokyo Gore Police. Both of those films are a bukkake fest of blood and this one is beyond that.
I also find some of the scenes racist.
The film is going to be a cult and I do mean cult classic.
However, I wonder if there is a social merit to these films beyond laughable scenarios. I am assuming that by watching this film you admit that you're so desensitized that normal horror films no longer apply to your thirst for gore. Is this the natural progression for us?
Consider what we were watching as kids, here is a clip:
Within the first few seconds of this clip we have Tom shooting a shotgun at a flock of ducks, striking a young one in the arm and creating a plot point for the rest of the episode.
My problem with grown up horror and gore is not that it seems gratuitous at all, it seems to be that people forget that it's a natural progression of our own psyche. Maybe the point of the cartoons were that the progression in each episode Tom never really caught Jerry and killed him.
However, there is absurd violence in these stories, and furthermore in the stories of Coyote and Roadrunner. It's made "childish" because Coyote doesn't die due to his various infractions.
Maybe I'm just pushing tin here, but come on, we have grown up in such violent imagery. G.I. Joe, Transformers, Thundercats, Inspector Gadget, Batman, and so much more have images and themes of violence yet we don't realize them.
Is this the natural progression into gore and violence?
Maybe.
Maybe I'm just trying to over compensate for forgetting to watch a horror movie last night. Just saying....here's the trailer:
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Well, I’m back to watching horror now that my in-laws are gone, and me and my wife aren’t driving around town or anything along those lines. The dvd said this was “Beyond Re-Animator", but it wasn’t. So the film we are going to be reviewing this morning/afternoon or whenever it is you’re reading this, will be none other than Bride of Re-Animator!
Bride of the Re-Animator came out in 1991 and was written and directed by Brian Yuzna. (Yuzna had help though, from Rick Fry, Woody Keith) However, this is a reworking of an H.P. Lovecraft tale. This film is a direct sequel to Stuart Gordon’s Re-Animator and is followed of course by the Sci-Fi original “Beyond Re-Animator”.
Here is a trailer for the early 90’s film Bride of the Re-Animator:
The story revolves around Dr. Herbert West and Dr. Dan Cain who are medics in a Peruvian war. These guys are experimenting on casualties of war, and right when the green serum is once again shown on screen, a melee forces them to move back home.
The setting to the rest of the story is Arkham, Massachusetts (not to be confused with Batman: Arkham Asylum comic book), as one of the guys is a real doctor while the other is in a basement lab continuing his research on reanimation. The film takes about an hour to set up, and is really slow moving. There are some new characters introduced too, and nothing really is interesting to note. Sure, there are some set ups, including some medical gore, but nothing really worth while. It’s really a slow moving movie.
By the time the movie starts getting good, a zombie plot seems to brew, but more of a Frankenstein monster not necessarily a zombie. It’s a combination of the two, without brains being eaten. The movie then goes from slow moving drama to all out horror gore fest. The gore levels are laughable, and are really tame for the first half of the film. We see body parts and things along those lines, but never does the blood flow until an arm is cut off inducing fountain like gore, then in an accident one of Cain’s patients isn’t revived and we see some major blood pour out. The blood is thick and dripping, and it’s a deep red color.
One must note that color in this film is very interesting. The director contrasts red and green with an olive, European Exploitation, coloring. I thought that this film was a European cult film not an American production.
The movie gets really scary in the obsession of the two doctors. While one doctor wants to bring life by way of saving it from death, the other doctor wants to bring back to life the dead. It’s crazy the way obsession plays into the duality of the film. The scary notions deal with this obsession to bring back the dead and to be better than God.
Dr. West says a line of dialogue that is chilling. He talks about how he has created life after God has created a loathsome thing in his image. West considers himself above God for recreating that which was believed to be dead. He even brings back Cain’s original girlfriend and this part is sickening.
The second part of the scary parts of this film deals with raising the dead. Not so much the act of raising the dead, but moreover what to do when they are alive. This is a scary thing because the reanimated bodies portray a horror element that resembles zombies. They don’t seem to act as a part of society, but rather they begin to attack and get nightmarish in tone.
Bride of the Re-Animator is an interesting film. I recommend it in the series of the Re-Animator films, however it’s not the best. I liked it, and I think it’s worthwhile. It has some good gore, some pleasant nudity, and an overall obsession that is really nice. However, this is NOT the best film in the world. It is long, it has some pacing problems, but it’s a good film in regards to horror. Horror fans will eat this up, however casual fans will find this film a bit too tedious for constant viewings.
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In 2004 a movie came out that would introduce the world, better yet reintroduce the world, to Christian Bale. His amazing performance in this film elevated him far beyond simply a character actor or "American Psycho" and put him on many radars worldwide. Including Christopher Nolan, who has really done great things for Bale in the way that he is now a household name for good acting and a "batman voice". The Machinist is a slow moving, very still nightmare of identity and depression. The film deals with so much in such a little time that it creates a mood that is not easily replicated.
The Machinist starts like many other identity crisis movies. It starts off with a character that is having trouble sleeping. This insomnia takes a part of Trevor Reznik's life to the point that he is losing his mind. He is living in a dreamworld at times and is in trouble at work, as a machinist, because he is directly involved in a machine accident that costs a man his arm. The scene is dramatic and well shot, but it doesn't force gore down your throat, it is done with a sense of class.
The movie moves forward with character development, and Trevor visits a kind prostitute that falls in love with him. I personally hate this idea, but it happens. Trevor then moves forward and visits a friendly waitress at an airport diner, and the movie really moves forward.
Bale's weight loss is the crux of the praise of the film. I really think that anyone that sees this film will be nearly disgusted with the amount of weight Christian Bale loses. This is not a CG effect he actually loses weight to near skeletal amounts for this film. It is an incredible process that demands attention, even when the plot falls apart in the third act.
The film quality is nice. I loved the visuals in contrast to the deep emotional psychosis that Bale evokes with his character. You really start to feel as though you're there, in first person, witness the deconstruction of the mind. It's an interesting take on identity, until we find out that the whole plot and villain are fabrications of insomnia, and that our protagonist is the antagonist and fails to control the viewer's attention in the closing moments.
Is The Machinist Scary? : No. The movie tries to be scary, however it is not. The movie pushes forward this idea that someone is chasing Trevor, but it's not so. There are scary moments in this film if you really think about how far the mind can fabricate things. The scary moments, if any, are surrounded by paranoia and contrast with how lack of sleep could create deep cisterns that will not allow you to function as a human being.
The Machinist seems way longer than 102 minutes. It has a lot of dry moments and feel that some people will fall asleep during this film. The Machinist should be seen by all Bale fans, but overall lit's not the scariest film, nor is it really that good after a few viewings. It's interesting to see how much weight Christian Bale loses, but it's just a novelty.
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Here we go, I haven't done one of these in a while. I take a second look at films that I've reviewed before, and I try to give it one more shot. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't, and most of the time I forget to write the posts. Because today is a holiday, I decided to take a second look at cabin Fever, the first directed film by Eli Roth.
The story revolves around a skin disease that is transmitted through the tap water in a nearby camp ground.
Cabin Fever follows an easy model of slasher film lore. A group of twenty-somethings go out to the woods to stay at a cabin and enjoy a good time. As their trip progresses, the realize that things are going sour through the water. As the skin starts to take their lives, they must figure out how to get away from the camp ground and get to safety!
The visuals aren't half bad. The photography is clean and neat, the progression of scenes actually resembles far more eery films. It's interesting to note that the transitions between death and life, night and day, are done with such great timing. You really think you're watching an expert film director, instead of a first timer. Roth really does a good job pushing through the horror, but not before setting up the premise slowly and evenly. The visual aspects really help you with the rest of the film, so by the time you start seing the body count, you are in for full throttle.
There are some random comedic parts and there are portions of the film that make no sense. For instance, there is a kid that does karate screaming for pancakes, he bites a victim and therefore gets the virus, but it makes little sense.
There is an obviously racist joke made in the beginning of the film, but it ties in at the end nicely, so watch out for that.
The movie also has some overt sexual situations. They involve casual sex, but moreover desperation sex. While I appreciate gratuitous sex scenes, these seem a it forced. I did in fact enjoy them the transitions, one which included using mouthwash to clean the penis. Cabin Fever, upon second look, really has a lot of flaws. I didn't really think that the film had a lot to offer the first time around, but I really liked it. I saw it originally on vhs through my local video store, and somewhere along the ways I ended up liking it quite a bit. However, looking back at the film, I don't really know if I can recommend it with full heart. I do enjoy Cabin Fever for sentimental reasons, since it was one of the first films I bought on dvd...I'm a slow adopter.
So as for today, enjoy your memorial day, and maybe dust off your copy of Cabin Fever on dvd, and check it out for a second look. Also, read my previous review of Cabin Fever, and see if there's any news on the sequel...which has a special star from Boy Meets World coming back for some more.
**Note, since it was a holiday and I had a day off today, I decided to do a "second look" post. We're heading towards the end of the month, so enjoy another couple of reviews and the end of month post. Indeed!
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The cannibal genre isn't something that a lot of people want to see. Most people will immediately shrug off cannibal movies as too gorey for any good. However, in 199 a horror film was released that detailed a cannibal in 1840. The story has a little resemblance to the Donner Party but it took things seriously and presented one hell of a scary movie, without glorifying the gore aspect. The acting was well done, the story was written nicely, but the marketing killed this film and if I didn't drag my stepfather to this movie I might have missed it. The movie I'm talking about is Ravenous, a real cannibal movie that you probably haven't seen yet.
Ravenous is an interesting bit of film because it deals with a subject matter that no one really discusses in a serious tone. The movie is one of my personal favorites and stars Guy Pearce, Robert Carlyle, Jeremy Davies, Jeffrey Jones, and David Arquette. They put on a show, and this film seems like a good thing to put in front of a live audience in play format.
The movie starts in the Mexican American War, we follow a US Army officer in the midst of battle. As he sees his unit getting killed he pulls himself under a slew of dead bodies and pretends he is dead. After the dust settles he infiltrates the enemy hq and captures them! He is promoted for his bravery and then we get to some strange brew. Our hero sits amidst a platoon and they all are eating huge steaks, with blood flowing and he starts to squirm. This somehow tips off the commander of the unit and transfers Boyd (our hero) to a remote fort in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Here is where things start to slowly boil over.
The film is filmed in such a beautiful way. You feel the cold and you feel the winds, you are really placed in the middle of the setting. The actors all have their own attitudes and really bring their roles to life. Things seem to be going well for Boyd until a strange little man shows up. This man tells the camp about how his party was taken refuge and that there might be more. Calhoun also mentions that they had to turn to cannibalism at one point.
The cool part for me was that there was a Native American in this film that did a great piece of foreshadowing. He tells the group about the Wendigo myth, and this plays a huge part in the film later on.
As the film progresses we see that Colqhoun is a cannibal and he's uncontrollable. He slowly starts eating the party, but the camera's do not glorify the gore, they make it seem real. Colqhoun then sets his eyes on Boyd, Boyd runs for his life and in an awesome turn of events jumps off a cliff! That's right, he jumpes off a cliff!
Colqhoun and Boyd play a cat and mouse game for the rest of the film. The camp turns into cannibals and then each of them are killed and eaten through out the film. The climax of this film is obvious, with the two fighting each other in a barn, however, the ending really punches you in the mouth and gives you a major intellectual situation. I won't reveal it, but man does it haunt you. The ending and the sounds, the noises the quiet, the last lines of the film as the camera moves away and shows you the whole picture is frightening beyond so many other things you could imagine going on.
With an awesome piece of film and story, an officer arrives to smell stew...he eats...the film closes.
Is Ravenous scary? Yes. This film is psychologically and physically scary. The director really makes a very sick idea of Cannibalism and turned it into a dark and serious situation. The movie doesn't play up the comedic values of earlier cannibal films, nor does it glorify the gore that so many other films play out. This film uses very smart and clever acting to portray cannibalism in a serious manner.
That being said, I understand that there are comedic moments, and I see how this film could've been pawned off by critics. However, upon second viewings I see the seriousness of the story. The final moments of this film is just amazing. It is scary to think of the lines that are uttered by Colqhoun. His lines haunt you for as long as you think about this film. This film should've gotten more credit, but unfortunately, it just fell through the cracks.
Ravenous can be slow to some. It is a slow burner, it has a lot of moments that could bore some horror movie fans. It relies heavily on acting and camera motions, and it does seem longer than it should be. However, as a fan of slow builds and literature, I can see why the movie plays slowly to a final fight and then prolongs the magic with such a subtle stroke of horror. Ravenous is psychologically startling more than it is gorey. I like it, I think it does the same thing that The Jacket does in a lot of ways, and really like this movie.
However, I must warn you, it can get slow. This is a period piece and is a cannibal movie at heart. If you're open minded you're going to see the depths of the film's satire and obvious points. Check it out if you can, as it is one of my personal favorite cannibal movies. I really hate the marketing of this film, it is NOT too funny if you think about it, but I see the humor.
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I should have a month set just to comedy horror movies. It seems that I've been running into more comedy based horror movies than anything serious. While I don't mind the horror comedy genre, it seems that there are a lot missteps in these movies. The 80's brought us a lot of terrible movies, and if you've seen CHUD, you might find this to be repulsive. Another unorthodox movie review has to be made for this film, and with that in mind, I present to you a 1989 sequel that ruined the CHUD name and liking; C.H.U.D II: Bud The C.H.U.D review.
We start off right where we left off from the last film. The United States government has decided to stop the "CHUD" program and closes down shop. However, the last specimen is placed in a small town in the U.S at a Center for Disease control. We then move forward with the story as a couple of teenagers steal the body, only to accidentally reawaken it and turn things loose on the world.
There are some great moments in this film. I liked the Barber CHUD scene, that was cool. Bud killing some random woman working out was funny too. The whole movie is just a big joke, and if you've seen it, you'll know exactly what I mean. Some of the kills were worthwhile, but as a whole this one was tough to sit through.
The movie is terribly lit, terribly filmed and overall sucks. Seriously, this movie is not that great. The plot moves from body snatching to zombie movie. Seriously, the movie turns into a zombie film as Bud "the Chud" starts biting people and they in turn begin acting and moving like Chuds. Seriously, that's the rest of the film! The majority of the film involves an army of CHUDS uprising to eat the flesh of different people. There is not much else to this terrible movie, and I can't even slap a "what if" label.
CHUD II: Bud The Chud is a movie that you want to see to tell people about, and to laugh at with friends. This movie is awesome, in such a bad way. Just like many other horror comedies, this thing is made for laughs and it works on that level. It really doesn't work on a horror level. So if you have some time and want a good horror comedy to laugh at, here you go. Chud II: Bud the Chud gets honorable mentions for a funny movie and a cameo from Robert Englund, nothing else.
P.S. if you are clever you can find this whole film on youtube in its entirety. The movie doesn't have an official U.S dvd release right now. You can find it on vhs if you know where to look but youtube has it for free too.
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Today, I decided to review a film that was just beyond the scope of my usual reviews. Once again, I have tested my personal limits of viewing, and trying to understand horror as a subject matter beyond comedy. I really had to fight myself to get involved in this film, and guess what? I think I've met my intellectual and comedic match. Today, for your reading pleasure, I present one of the most goriest, ridiculous, and overall stupid movies ever made. Of course, I am referring to the third installment of the Basket Case trilogy. This is NOT going to be my normal templated review, as this movie doesn't really provide much in the realms of psychology and reasoning. This film takes the horror comedy genre and plays favorites. This film is just a marvelous piece of shiny poop. Good shiny poop, terrible, I know, I'm not doing well in this introductory paragraph. For your reading pleasure, enjoy Basket Case 3.
First, here is a trailer for Basket Case 3:
The Basket Case movies are not exactly the first things people think of when thinking of horror comedies. However, I find them to be an interesting take on the genre for a lot of different reasons. The story involves two brothers, one full bodied man and his twin brother who just happens to be a bloody attachment of his side. It is sickening, and he's repulsive. Imagine if you had a wax mannequin and melted it down, but only 75% down, and you will get the idea. We have two brothers, Duane is the normal one and Beliel is the bloody, disgusting stump of a being.
In this third film we join the brothers in a house of deformities. (A throwback to the second film) This house of freaks, is an astonishing array of mutated creatures that are insanely designed. The make up effects on these creatures is nothing short of brilliant. We're talking about alien heads, mutated half heads half bodies, big earlobe looking things. Some look like brains with no skulls, Cthulu throwbacks, and all sorts of latex rubber suit monsters. If you have a good imagination, it wouldn't be a match for these creatures, that are so greatly designed and created. I liked them.
We start the movie with a sex scene. This has to be the most vile, disgusting sex scene of all time. We see two alien stumps, barely with craniums, and weird looking ghouls making human sex sounds while rubbing on each other. I kid you not this is the sickest, genre bending sexual situation that I've ever seen in a horror movie. But at the same time, it wasn't the most explicit, someone has one heck of an imagination, I'll tell you that much.
We move on to find out the main story. The story revolves around these two lumps of mass that are going to have a baby. Yep, a weird alien humanoid stump of a baby. Weird. So the freak house goes on a little road trip to try and get the alien woman person thing to a hospital or delivery room or something. Trust me, the movie really doesn't help with the storyline, as it is just so weird at times.
The movie continues in the grotesque department by showing you a birth of several babies, that are ridiculous. We're talking about complete and utter Inseminoid quality Alien births, with the goriest of situations. It's so bad that I contemplated turning off the movie.
I stuck with it, out of sheer curiosity.
The second half of the film involves a kidnapping scheme, with the local law enforcement stealing the baby aliens and trying to hold them for ransom, while the freak house gives chase. This was after the mother was shot to oblivion with a 12 guage shotgun, in another gorey film effect, proving that this film might as well win the crown for gore.
Basket Case 3 is available on dvd, and it's an interesting look at horror comedy. It has a lot of serious gore though, and I was surprised that it didn't get to "Meet the Feebles" type of comedic gore. It is weird.
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