I’m Back!!!

Hello, ghouls! Your girl is back! Sorry for the hiatus, things have been crazy busy and I will admit to being lazy at times, but it’s time to get back to doing what I love: talking horror! I have watched so many new and old horror films and have gotten into a few horror tv shows, so trust me when I say that I have plenty to drone on about. I’m making my lists and checking them twice so these upcoming reviews read scary, but nice. (Ha!) I may interject a few rants here and there, but come on, some of the things going on in the world need to be ranted about. So gear up, horror geeks, and get your gore on!

The Atticus Institute

I picked up this film on a whim. I am a sucker for great horror movie covers and The Atticus Institute has a rather lovely one, a short-haired woman staring out at you with a completely black eye, looking as though she had been through a few things plus some. I wasn’t too sure what the film was about, I hadn’t really come across everything on my IG feed or on the horror sites I frequent.  Sure, I read the synopsis and the story sounded fine, but so did Muck. (We are not going to talk about Muck.) But as a horror fan, there is little that I will pass up and try at least once. So I bought Attitcus and prepared myself for a ride.

To be fair, I didn’t get to watch Atticus right away. I took it to my best friend’s house (who happens to love horror almost as much as I do) and he asked to watch it over the weekend. He’s usually good for a honest review, so I agreed. When I went back to visit, he told me that we would have to watch it together because…..it scared him too badly. Say what now? Now I have to see it if it freaked him out. In all honesty, I can truly say that this movie is brilliant. I was pleasantly freaked out and even jumped a few times. Bravo, best friend, you weren’t kidding when you said it scared you. I was not aware that Atticus was a found footage film and personally, I’m glad that I was not as I am growing a bit tired of the genre as many bad horror films in the sub-genre have been inundating the horror scene of late (V/H/S Viral and Demonic come to mind right off hand). Atticus has given me hope that the found footage film does not always have to be so lazy (Viral)or written so fast that the delusion is still maintained that it is a good film (Demonic). You won’t find any big names in Atticus, but it doesn’t need any. Chris Sparling, the director, has had some success before with Buried (2010) and not so much with ATM (2012), but I believe that he has made a huge accomplishment with Atticus. It was clever, it was intriguing, it gave you story without leaving you with so many questions at the end you just wondered why there was a movie in the first place. I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed the performance by Rya Kihlstedt who played the role of Judith Winstead, a young, mousy-looking woman who is brought to the Institute by her sister due to the extraordinary things that happen around Judith. I don’t want to give everything away in this post, but suffice it to say, that the Institute, who was looking for evidence of the paranormal, got much more that they bargained for when Judith came to stay. Sure, the military gets involved, but what’s a good paranormal activity story without a few military stick-in-the-muds here and there?

All in all, The Atticus Institute is a perfect paranormal story that delivers. It doesn’t hold back on the scares and doesn’t give you any cheap ones. It reels you from the beginning and refuses to let go. Is it a true story? Highly doubtful, but for those lovers of the supernatural, demonic or otherwise, this is one film to get into.

Forgotten Gems of Horror

 

So October is now gone and with it, the barrage of horror marathons and spooky tv that tv and horror networks usually reserve for the month. Granted before Halloween week is even started, the holiday decorations for Thanksgiving and Christmas are already out which drives us horror fans crazy. But as a horror fan, do you get tired of the “good stuff” on tv meant to scare us and send us under the covers? What exactly is the “good stuff”? I tend to find a lot of people, individual and networks alike, gravitate towards the same films year after year, every once in a while throwing in one that really isn’t on repeat every other day. Considering how wide the horror genre actually is, one not that familiar with the horror community would think that we like watching the same movies all the time. Yes, we have our favorites, but let’s be clear: I can still get bored watching Friday the 13th when you put it on a loop. So where do you turn when SyFy is playing Jeepers Creepers 2 once again? Remember, we as horror fans just don’t confine our horror watching to one month a year (blasphemy!) We may go crazy in October (it’s allowed), but we need our horror throughout the year and yes, that includes the holidays. Well, my horror freaks, allow me to introduce you to a few(ha!) films that aren’t played regularly (if at all) on our once glorious cable networks. Granted, I am partial to foreign horror, so any horror films you find on this list will be the original Asian movie. I very rarely find the remakes to be on this side of good. Here is my take on the forgotten gems of the horror scene. (Keep in mind that “forgotten” does not necessarily mean older/classic.) Let the viewing commence!

Helldriver (2011)

Subspecies (1991)

Vampire Girl vs Frankenstein Girl (2009)

Midnight Movie (2008)

Frankenhooker (1990)

Gothic Lolita Psycho (2010)

4closed (2013)

The Machine Girl (2008)

2ldk (2002)

X Game (2010)

Village of the Damned (1995)

Art of the Devil 2 (2005)

Hobo with a Shotgun (2011)

Ring of Curse (2011)

The Pit and the Pendulum (1991)

Sick Nurses (2007)

The Stuff (1985)

Whispering Corridors (1998)

Possession (1981)

Cronos (1993)

 

 

 

80s Horror Movie Project

 

As stated in an earlier post, I am personally taking on a movie challenge in horror by watching movies from the 80s that I have not seen before. Started on the first of September, I have been going nonstop with finding movies I haven’t seen and haven’t heard of. I have been fortunate enough to be able to find several enjoyable horror movies without resorting to having to buy. I am not against buying and building my horror collection, however, I enjoy watching movies first and then being able to make a well-informed decision on whether or not to purchase. (I only have so much room in my house, people.)

I kick-offed my project with George A. Romero’s Day of the Dead which is ironic in some ways as it was the last of his Dead Trilogy. I was quite impressed with the film.  I am not a zombie fan to say the least, but this is one zombie film that I enjoyed. The acting wasn’t terrible, the effects were good and gross and Joseph Pilato as Rhodes was fantastic as an overbearing asshole. I have seen too few Romero films and that is something that has to change. Next was Maniac Cop. I have already seen 2 and 3 and have been searching for the first one for some time. I count myself fortunate in being able to find it on Youtube. Bruce Campbell did his thing, no surprise there and I quite liked the creepiness of the plot. I had a bit of sympathy for both Cordell and his story, but not a whole lot.

As the month is nearly over, I will keep the post to shortening reviews and listing the movies that I have been able to work through as I have seen some good, some bad, and some horrible horror flicks. (Really horrible, too.)

Beyond Evil (skip it)

Redneck Zombies (was actually fun to watch)

Critters 2 (yes, I have yet to see the first one, but was still able to keep up with the story which I appreciated)

Xtro (bored me #sorrynotsorry)

Cheerleader Camp

He Knows You’re Alone

The Howling

Satan’s Blade (horrible)

Blood Theatre (just no)

New Year’s Evil (meh)

Creature (could have been better)

A Blade in the Dark (I wanted to like this one, but it was a disappointment)

Julie Darling (unexpectedly impressive)

Demons

Killer Workout aka Aerobi-Cide (mixed feelings on this one, but love the leotards)

Blood Diner (a little campy, but interesting)

The Boogey Man (Oh, Lommel, I will never love you)

Rawhead Rex (more enjoyable than I thought)

Intruder (a bit predictable by the middle, but still fun)

Invaders From Mars (silly, fun, gotta love Karen Black)

Return of the Killer Tomatoes (NEED for my collection)

The Howling IV

Touch of Death (not my favorite of Fulci’s work, but I did like it)

Mortuary

Blood Beach (bored me to tears)

Beverly Hills Vamp (a lot of fun to watch)

Pulse

Hell Night

The Toxic Avenger part 3

The Appointment (I do believe that the storyline/plot lost itself after the first 20 minutes or so)

Dark Night of the Scarecrow (was glad that I was able to track down this film, had me talking to the screen)

Dead of Winter (more suspenseful, but still had good shocks and a good story)

With only a few more days to go, I do expect both good and bad movies to be found and watched and in all honesty, this horror fan is looking forward to it. Stay tuned, horror fans.

 

 

 

 

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New Blog Take On

Hey, horror fans! I’m thinking of taking on a new project headlining my love for horror. As much as I love horror, there are sooooo many movies that I have not seen. So, in a better attempt to streamline what I have and have not seen, I am incorporating my horror notebooks which have complete lists separated by year and using them to watch movies not checked off. The goal: by the end of each month, I would have either seen or at least tracked down 50% of the movies originally not seen by year. For example, I have watched only 12 movies from the year 1989. There were 139 horror movies made that year, sooooo……yea.

I know that this will be a rather time-consuming hobby/project, but one I am happy to take on. I have a full life, yes, but horror is one of my passions and interests and I love watching the new and unknown (at least to me.) I know there will be good ones that I missed, I know that there will be some bad ones. I know that there will be some really, really, REALLY bad ones. I’m ok with that. Let the viewing commence!

The Raid: Redemption Remake

First, let me start off by saying that, no, The Raid: Redemption ( aka The Raid) is not a horror film. It is an action film and it is perfect. I want to apologize to Gareth Evans and all those involved with this film as I originally thought and told other people that it was Thai. It is actually Indonesian, so my deepest apologizes on getting the origin wrong. With that said, I want to be clear that I am taking a stand on this topic. I have heard news that The Raid would be getting a remake. My thoughts? Hands off.

The Raid is a wonderfully done, beautifully shot, makes you go “Holy balls, did he just kill him with a door?” movie. (For the record, yes. Yes, he did.) Starring Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian, Donny Alamsyah and Ray Sahetapy, The Raid brings all the elements of a good action movie. It is brutal, relentless, bloody and fast-paced with all of the excellent fighting sequences one would expect in an action movie. The Raid does not disappoint on any level. Even the storyline is fun as a raid is conducted on a crime lord’s apartment building where just about every person living there is a criminal renting a room. True, we have innocents in the building who are just trying to live, but they get caught in the crossfire as the police officers go in and the crime lord sends out the word that those who kill them will be granted free permanent residence. (Free rent? Hells yea.) The Raid does not waste any of the viewer’s time getting to the action and the script is so well-written that you don’t necessarily need a backstory to begin relating and feeling for the characters. Rama (Uwais) is the hero of the story, a young rookie with a pregnant wife at home. Following the orders of his lieutenant, Rama and his team storm the building, meaning to bring the crime lord, Tama, down. Only snag is when they find that they need help, the truth is revealed that the raid isn’t actually sanctioned and no help is coming. Go, Rama, go! (For those who have not seen this film, I highly recommend that you do. Forgive any spoilers that may have slipped out, but believe me, the film in its entirety would take much longer to talk/gush/rave about.)

Now onto the heart of the matter. Here are my questions/issues with making a remake of The Raid. First question: Why? It’s not needed or necessary to have a remake. The Raid: Redemption was released in 2011 and we just had Raid 2: Berandal earlier this 2014. We can afford to wait some years, decades even, before a remake is necessary. Second question: How arrogant are we? Seriously? If Patrick Hughes (director of The Expendables 3) is really thinking of making a remake for 2015, let me stop you now. What is your reasoning for this, Mr. Hughes? In all honesty, I really want to know. Many of us Raid fans are of the belief that since The Raid is an Indonesian film (i.e., not English), therefore we as Americans just have to put our own stamp on it. I sincerely hope that this is not the case. Our track record for remaking foreign films is not that great (Pulse, One Missed Call, Dark Water come to mind). Our film directors and producers sometimes lose focus on where to go with a remake, intending to make it “better” and falling short. Believe me, the original is worth having to sit and read subtitles. Stop being lazy, people. You can enjoy a movie while reading subtitles. It can be done.

While I am happy to hear that Evans and his fight choreographers would be involved with The Raid remake, I am of the opinion that the remake can wait. Let Evans continue on with the franchise until he can do no more, then ask him how he would envision an American remake. Give me Uwais and Ruhian going at it until someone’s knees give out. That would make me happy.

You can find The Raid: Redemption playing on the Crackle app and Raid 2: Berandel is set to be released on DVD July 8.

The Good of 2012

Lately, I have found myself working (albeit slowly) through the horror list of 2012. I like this year in horror. I was greatly surprised with a lot that 2012 had to offer fans during the year. Granted, I have not watched ALL of 2012’s selection of horror, but be assured that I will continue to work hard for you, horror babies. Good horror can be hard to come by sometimes. This will merely be a list of movies that I have seen and liked rather than reviews on them as that would get to be a very, very, very long post. If you are interested in reviews, please find me on Letterboxd at asterrose where I have several reviews posted on the movies listed below.

So, in no set order, here are my Likes of 2012:

Lovely Molly

[Rec]3: Genesis

The Loved Ones

Grabbers

The Awakening

The ABCs of Death

The Woman in Black

Stitches

Antiviral

No One Lives

The Bay

A Little Bit Zombie

The Cabin in The Woods

Cockneys vs Zombies

The Possession

Sleep Tight

V/H/S

Hotel Transylvania (Sidenote: Ok, not technically a horror movie, but it has a lot of classic monsters and it’s gothic kiddie cute. I’m not an Adam Sandler fan, but I am a Genndy Tartakovsky and I liked this one.)

So for now, this is my list of those that I liked in horror for 2012. I do expect to update this post when I have worked my way through the releases more, so stay tuned, beasties!

Top Fave 5 Horror Directors

When it comes to horror, we as fans want a good story. Yes, we want the blood and the gore, but like all genres of movies, the films have to keep our interest. We invest the time and money to see your film, you have to deliver. It’s not just about the actors on the screen either. They do a lot, of course, (and sometimes they don’t do enough), but in all honesty, can we always blame the actors? No, we can’t. Why? Because they were chosen by someone else, someone that we don’t (always) see. And that someone, the director, is one who brings all the elements together. A lot of horror directors get it wrong. Those listed below do not.

5. Ti West (House of the Devil, The Innkeepers)

I love West for his ability to weave a good story. House of the Devil was well made and well done. I loved the look of the film, very retro and throwback, giving you that 80s feel of the babysitter urban legends and general naivete´ of a young girl in a big house. West wields creepy like a well-honed sword. You don’t see the slash coming until you’re bleeding. West isn’t that bad of an actor, either. Check him out in You’re Next.

4. Adam Green (Hatchet, Frozen)

When I first laid eyes on Hatchet, I have to admit that I didn’t expect too much. Silly me. Green wove the bloodiest, goriest, swampiest story I have ever seen and I really don’t think that anyone else can replicate such massive amounts of red. Hatchet was one of the movies that I was actually upset ended and words can not express how ecstatic I was when there was a Hatchet II and then III!!!!!! The franchise is probably the craziest ghost/urban legend movie out there to date and if it’s good enough for Candyman, it’s good enough for me. Nuff’ said.

3. Eli Roth (Aftershock, Hostel)

There is blood and then there is just gross. Sometimes Eli Roth just goes for the ick factor and that works for me. Cabin Fever was one of the sickest movies I’ve watched to date and even just thinking about the bathtub scene makes me……ugh. However, I do like how Roth takes the everyday almost mundane things and turns it up……WAY up. Cabin Fever dealt with a disease. Aftershock is about an earthquake and how truly effed up humans can be when basic needs are limited. I am waiting on the release of The Green Inferno, just pins and needles right now. If it goes the way I think and is a reboot of Cannibal Holocaust……hohohoho…..YEA, BABY! ^___^ (This is my happy face.)

2. James Wan (The Conjuring, Insidious)

James Wan, you brilliant, brilliant man. You get your fans. You get what we’re after. You get that we want a good story, a great story, an interesting twist on the supernatural that we don’t know or haven’t thought of. You get to the personal side of horror. Saw was all about that. You make us horror fans do something we didn’t think as possible as horror fans: we feel for your characters, their experiences, their problems. The Conjuring did that, Insidious did that. I don’t think I was ever more scared than when Dalton whispered, “Dad…..he’s looking.” Oh hells naw.

1. Drew Daywalt (Red Clover, Bedfellows)

Known more for his Youtube horror video shorts, I suggest that you get to know Drew Daywalt. Bedfellows was the first horror short that introduced me to the genius that is part of Fewdio Horror and I have loved Daywalt’s work ever since. It was a pleasant shock to me that he directed Red Clover aka Leprechaun’s Revenge, which is actually part of After Dark Original. I need Daywalt to stay in this genre. I need good boogeyman stories like in There’s No Such Thing and I would love to see a followup to Bedfellows. For all you naysayers out there, watch Meat and tell me you still feel some type of way.

I’m not here to say that my favorites get it right all the time. I mean, Dead Silence lost me for a while and The Last Exorcism could have used some work, but these directors are my favorites for a reason. They seem to actually LISTEN to their fans. Those who know me well will tell you in a heartbeat how furious I was with Saw II. Why? Because Wan’s influence was nowhere to be found. When he came back for Saw III, my faith was renewed. I stick with those who give me what I crave in my horror movies: storyline, good characters, good effects, good scares. I’m a horror fan, dammit! Scare the hell out of me!!!!!

More reviews by me can be found on Letterboxd. Find me at Asterrose and follow me!

The Best and Worst…and the OK of 2013

Ok, horror babies, you knew it was coming. I know, I know, there are a ton of lists out there already with The Best of This and This is Why This Movie Sucked and yadda yadda yadda. Here is this list gets a little different. Not all the movies I saw in 2013 were bad or good, they sort of fell in between. You know the type, that movie that made you go, “Meh, it was okkkayyy…..” And you know what? That right there, that okkkayyy is what makes movie viewing so much fun. Granted, I have not had the opportunity to watch every last film of 2013, so this list is subject to change.

Alright, let’s start with the easy….the good movies of 2013

4Closed (surprisingly not that bad, I did enjoy myself watching this. Learned a little sign language along the way too.)

Curse of Chucky (I will admit that I did not expect much from this last installment of the franchise , but I was pleasantly surprised. Fantastically done.)

V/H/S 2 (much better done the second time around)

You’re Next (I had the opportunity to watch this before public release. Loved it.)

Hatchet III (I like my horror movies gory and bloody. Adam Green delivers every time.)

Aftershock (Once it got going, it got GOING.)

The ABCs of Death (Brilliantly done. Brilliant.)

Worst Movie Ever….Take Three

There are some bad horror movies, we all know this. I mean, some really bad, horrible, makes you want to ask why this was even produced kind of terrible. Sometimes that can be a good thing…..most times though, not so much. So keeping in the spirit of the previous postings of horrible horror movies you might want to avoid (unless you have nothing else to do), here are more to add to your list.

Zombie Nation (2004)

For some reason, I seemed to be hitting all the wrong notes when it came to watching horror movies lately and Zombie Nation was one of the worst ones I came across. It was late, I was bored, I don’t usually go for zombie movies, but as a horror fan, I decided to give it a shout. Zombie Nation deals with an insane cop who has a thing for stopping women traveling alone, brings them to an abandoned warehouse under false arrest, and then leaving with a body-sized duffel bag. Oh, yea, he has a partner that he tells to stay in the car. This movie was so bad, my Netflix shut it off for me in the middle of it. My Ipad has never done that before, so yea…..it was bad. Zombies can either be done right or not at all and director Ulli Lommel got it all wrong. The set was done half-assed, it gave the impression that the entire movie was shot in one building….and you could tell. The “police station” was, again, a warehouse with visible pipes and an open ceiling. Really, Lommel, really? The acting wasn’t quite atrocious, but it was close. The only actors I thought were worth their paychecks were the “voodoo priestesses” helping the zombies get their revenge. That’s right….helping the zombies. Moving on to the zombies and the heart of this story, let’s get one thing perfectly clear. Heavy black eye makeup does not make a zombie. Speaking in complete, lucid sentences also does not make a zombie. Have you seen Warm Bodies, Lommel? Maybe you should, some pointers for your next film might help you.

Axed (2012)

I wanted to like this movie more than I did. The premise was interesting, a man losing his job and in turn loses his mind, turning against his family. As much as the plot had potential, Axed was quite boring. There were some disturbing parts to it, such as when the father bought his daughter lingerie……ew. It was a rather average movie overall, no big scares, not a lot of blood as you would probably expect from a father gone nuts.  #icant

Camp Hell aka Camp Hope (2010)

Slowest moving movie I have ever seen. You have your predictable asinine religious zealots who probably have good intentions, but come off just straight dickish. Don’t look for anything remotely intelligent in this movie, don’t look for anything funny, amusing or even interesting. The camp is attended by the children of a cult of Christians, looking to teach their kids about the dangers of premarital sex and the Devil. Despite the interesting environment, the movie does nothing with the plot. It tries really hard to be a psychological horror, but this isn’t Identity and will never be.

Self Storage (2013)

Skip this completely. Don’t get me wrong, I love both Eric Roberts and Michael Berryman, but quite frankly, I’m starting to think that Berryman is just taking anything that comes his way and he is so much better than that. Self Storage is a rather pathetic attempt to scare people with a urban legend/serial killer/watch-yourself-at-night-because-someone-wants-your-organs plot that falls horribly flat. To give you a rundown, slacker Jake, a watchman at a storage facility, decides to throw a party because he thinks his boss is going to fire him. What he’s not aware of (and he will be soon) is that his boss is a nut job, killing people for their organs to sell on the black market. Self Storage would have been ok if it wasn’t for the unnecessary bad acting and boob shots.  And don’t get me started me on the terrible soundtrack. Loud rock music does not improve a movie. Self Storage could have been a good movie. With more time given to writing and directing it, it would have been so much better than what it turned out to be. Don’t add this one to your watchlist. I took this off my Letterboxd and Netflix lists as soon as I could. The cover art for this is more interesting.

Scream factor: Nope.