Vinyan

Plot:

Paul and his wife Jeannine decide to visit Thailand and spend some of their vast fortune taking care of those who need help. When the 2005 tsunami hit, their young son disappeared, but because his body was never found, they never gave up hope. At a dinner party, they see a video of young children being held captive and Jeannine becomes convinced that she sees her son on the tape. Paul isn’t as sure, but he agrees to go off and try to locate the boy. They find a local guide, but quickly find themselves caught up in a world they don’t understand. Jeannine is obsessed with the idea that her son is just around the next bend and unwilling to give up.

Trivia:

Director Fabrice Du Welz was also responsible for the thriller Calvaire.

Thoughts:

I’m actually surprised that more people haven’t heard of Vinyan because it’s actually a fairly dark movie. I stumbled across it in the cheap bin at Big Lots and found it confusing, fascinating, annoying and sad all at the same time. The character of Jeannine wins my vote as one of the most annoying female movie characters of all time. She’s so obsessed with her own thoughts that she doesn’t notice anyone else and wrecks her relationships. Paul should have smacked her several times over the course of the movie. If you have yet to see it, take some time and you might be surprised. It’s not the typical horror movie, but it has a very dark and disturbing feel.

Desperation

Plot:

A group of random people are all arrested or attacked by a police officer in the Nevada desert. Among the trapped are a father and son and a famous writer. The cop seems a little off, talking funny and not making sense. The group realizes that he was possessed by a presence known as Tak, which came from a nearby mine shaft. Their only hope lies in one small boy and the two younger people who may know what’s going on.

Trivia:

Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name.

Directed by Mick Garris, who also directed the King TV adaptations The Shining, The Stand and Riding the Bullet.

Steven Weber also starred in the Steven King TV adaptation of The Shining and Matt Frewer had a major role in The Stand.

Thoughts:

This one isn’t a favorite of mine because Desperation is just too long and too confusing. I read the book again not too long ago and I kept thinking that the actors in the movie just didn’t match the characters that they’re meant to play. I find it hard to picture Weber for example, as a happy go lucky guy just riding around behind a major writer. Maybe back in the day it was a good fit, but not anymore.

After Dark Horror Fest: Dark Ride

Plot:

Two twin girls venture into a dark ride attraction at a boardwalk park. They’re brutally killed by a figure that comes out of the shadows. Years later a group of college students head off on a spring break trip to New Orleans. Cathy, her on again/off again boyfriend Steve, her friend Liz, Liz’s ex-fling Jim and their friend Bill are all along. They stop and discover a flyer for the dark ride and decide to stop. After picking up a female hitchhiker, they find themselves trapped in the dark ride, with a killer on the loose.

Trivia:

Jennifer Tisdale (Liz) had roles in Ted Bundy and The Hillside Strangler.

Part of the first After Dark Horror Fest.

Trivia:

I actually like Dark Ride, though I’ve heard that quite a few other people hated it. It has some good kill scenes, like one that takes place during a blow job and a funny little fake out scene, where you think one thing happens, when something completely different happens. It also has a nice little twist ending that you might not see coming. The friend I recently watched it with, thought it was surprising and so did the boyfriend the first time he saw it. It was one of the better releases for the first After Dark set.

Saw

Plot:

Adam and Dr. Lawrence Gordon wake up in a weird bathroom, chained to the floor, with a dead body laying between them. They find a tape recorder that when played, gives them messages about what to do. Gordon realizes that it’s the work of a serial killer known as Jigsaw for the way he traps his victims in puzzles. A man holds Gordon’s wife and daughter hostage, until he’s ready to play the game. Meanwhile, a police detective is trying to track down the killer.

Trivia:

Tobin Bell (Jigsaw) appeared in all seven of the films, as did Shawnee Smith as Amanda. Cary Elwes surprised many by returning for Saw 3-D, after only appearing in the first movie.

Thoughts:

I actually saw this one in the theater, without knowing anything about it. I left, thinking it was an okay movie, but little more. Then a few days later, I realized what a good flick it was. I think on its own, Saw is still a great horror flick and it has an ending that no one saw coming. I doubt anyone thought this would become one of the best modern day horror movie franchises.

Vampires

Plot:

A group of vampire hunters tracked by the Vatican, kill a house full of vampires in New Mexico. Later, the master vampire emerges and comes to the hotel where they’re staying. He turns a prostitute sent to the hotel, as well as most of the hunters. The hunters, along with the a young priest and the prostitute who hasn’t yet turned, set about working together to kill the master before they’re all killed.

Trivia:

John Carpenter was given two scripts by two different writers, based on the same book. He used a little of both to make the final film.

Thoughts:

I always have good thoughts about this movie, but when it came time to actually sit down and watch it again, I kept putting it off. I couldn’t seem to sit down and watch the whole thing through. The movie isn’t that long, but it feels long. There’s a lack of big surprises and it tends to drag at times. The one bright spot is James Woods. Seeing him as a bad ass vampire hunter, makes it all worthwhile.

Growth

Plot:

Once upon a time (i.e. the 1980’s), a group of scientists worked on an experiment on a small island, hoping to make better soldiers. The experiment backfired, the experiments attacked and most of the island dwellers died. Years later, a young girl goes back to the island with her boyfriend, brother and friend. Someone wants to buy her dead uncle’s house and she needs to clear it out first. Once there, they discover that whatever happened to the original residents isn’t quite over.

Trivia:

Director Gabriel Cowan also worked on Breathing Room, while Brian Krause appeared in Sleepwalkers and on “Charmed.”

Thoughts:

I have to admit that I was a little surprised to see this one rated so low online because I actually liked it. The DVD cover art got to me first and then when I read the back, I thought it sounded interesting. The movie gets going really fast, unlike others that try to build up suspense. Within the first few minutes, you get the first death and then it just takes off from there. Growth did have a few characters I could have lived without and some of the scenes seemed convenient, but it kept me entertained.

Pumpkinhead 3: Ashes to Ashes

Plot:

A group of local townspeople discover that the mortician is giving them all the shaft. Instead of cremating people, he’s stealing organs and tossing the bodies in a swamp. They track down Haggis, a local witch and force her to call forth the spirit of Pumpkinhead. Once he’s “alive” again, he sets about killing everyone. The doctor decides to kill all the people who called him, which will make him disappear again.

Trivia:

Lance Henrikson comes back to play the same role in had in the original movie.

Horror movie connection: Doug Bradley (Hellraiser).

Thoughts:

This is another one of those movies that my boyfriend walked in on, wondered what the hell I was doing and then proceeded to watch the whole thing. I’m not exactly sure what to say about this one because it kind of came out of left field. I watched the second one recently, then jumped to this one, which completely ignores the last one. It didn’t seem to have a lot going on. I was hoping for some more gore, but I guess you shouldn’t expect too much from a television movie.

Grizzly Rage

Plot:

Four friends decide to head into a marked off area of the forest, as a way to celebrate their recent graduation from college. Wes and his girlfriend Lauren are joined by his friends Rich and Sean. They accidentally hit something, which turns out to be a bear cub and in the distance, they can hear the sounds of the momma bear. They attempt to escape, only to discover that the car is severely damaged and in need of water. It’s a battle of wills, as the bear grows closer and their numbers diminish.

Trivia:

Part of the Maneater series, which had its premier in the United States on the SyFy Channel.

Thoughts:

I’ve heard a lot of bad things about this movie and I’m going to play devil’s advocate because this is by far not the worst movie I’ve seen. It’s easily one of the more entertaining movies from the Maneater series and I think I’ve seen most of them. The problem is that it isn’t really a horror movie. You have scenes of a bear in the wild and then scenes of people running from the bear or acting scared of the bear. It kind of reminds me of a 70s flick, where they mix scenes of nature with scenes of actors. It doesn’t really work, but the actors are some nice eye candy.

Slither

Plot:

Local businessman Grant is pissed off when his much younger wife refuses to fool around and ventures out to a bar. After heading outside with another younger woman, he’s attacked by weird snake like creatures and completely changes. A few animals start turning up missing, including pets and cattle and then people disappear too. The local sheriff, who secretly crushes on the man’s wife, gets involved when everything circles back to Grant.

Trivia:

Director James Gunn also wrote Dawn of the Dead and later went on to judge the first season of “Scream Queens” on VH-1, where the winner got a part in Saw 6.

Thoughts:

I can’t even begin to explain how much I hated this movie when it first came out, I mean really hated it. I thought it was stupid, not funny and not scary either. While looking for a completely different movie at my used store, I found a copy of this for $2 and decided to try it again, mainly because I like Nathan Fillion. Much to my surprise, I discovered that I actually kind of liked the movie this time. It had enough humor in it, to cut through the horror, without ruining the movie. It definitely feels like a tribute to the cheesy horror movies of past generations, without taking itself too seriously.

The Fourth Kind

Plot:

Dr. Abbey/Abigail Tyler is an Alaskan resident, who lost her husband in a freak accident and is now raising their kids. She begins working with patients who all claim that a white owl visited them at home and that weird things are happening. After one of her patients dies and another is paralyzed, the doctor begins having odd experiences of her own. Eventually she discovers that she and her patients all went through the same thing, but that she repressed her memories and somehow it’s tied into her husband’s death.

Trivia:

The studio actually paid money to an Alaskan group because of its negative portrayal of the state.

Supposedly based on a true story, but now revealed to be based only on a few cases of disappearances in the area.

Thoughts:

I wanted to see this movie for awhile and bought it pretty cheap. The BF and I planned on watching it one night, but halfway through it he decided to go to bed, rather than wait up to finish it. I kind of wish I did the same thing. It’s not necessarily stinky, but the movie is just lame. It didn’t have anything to capture my attention and I felt my mind drifting off and thinking about other things. I think this one could have been a lot better, especially with the cast it had.

After Dark Horror Fest: The Hamiltons

Plot:

Francis, a teenage loner, begins filming his family and documenting them after their parents die. His older brother moves the family, including twins Wendell and Darlene, to a new town. Wendell and Darlene keep themselves away from the family. While the family seems normal, though a little dark, we’re treated to scenes of what they do, including kidnapping, torturing and killing young women and men. Francis appears to be the only normal one in the family, but the others warn him that soon he too will change and become just like them.

Trivia:

Part of the After Dark Horror Fest’s first lineup of films.

Thoughts:

In honor of Halloween, I decided to blog about a horror movie that’s not very well know, but it pretty damn good. I have a list of movies I need to write reviews for and I skipped about four that are in line, just to review this one. I saw it when the first After Dark flicks were released and promptly forgot about it. Seeing it this time was like seeing it through fresh eyes, especially since I forgot the ending. This is the kind of twist ending that you should see is coming, but doesn’t and that ending is why I recommend it. You might be surprised to learn that the family isn’t just another group of serial killers.

So I made it through my goal of reviewing one horror movie a day for the entire month of October. My new goal is to list at least 15 reviews for November. I figure that if I start off with a small goal, I might hit another review/day like I did this month…

Zombie Strippers

Plot:

A group of scientists working on improving soldiers, accidentally creates a new breed of zombies. They call in a group of elite fighters to combat the zombies, but one gets bitten and runs off. He hides in a strip club, but accidentally infects one of the dancers. She’s such a popular dancer that all the other girls decide to turn into zombies too. Suddenly the shithole strip club becomes super popular, even though the dancers are quick to bite and feed off customers.

Trivia:

Horror movie connection: Robert Englund, man that guy sure gets around!

Thoughts:

We stopped by Big Lots because I heard that the stores had a new shipment of cheap horror movies. The boyfriend picked this one up and made a joke, but I put it right in my pile. I know it’s horrible and I think that’s why I like it so much. I saw it when it first came out and had some vague memories of it, but that was nothing compared to how bad it was when I watched it this type. Despite that, it had some fun scenes and made me laugh, so I guess it can’t be all bad.

Scream

Plot:

A young girl is taunted over the phone by a slasher who later appears, kills her boyfriend and kills her. The movie then jumps to Sydney, a teenage girl who lost her mother the previous year to a presumably different killer. She’s suddenly taunted by this new killer, who also taunts her friends and begins killing them off one by one.

Trivia:

References a number of other horror movies, including A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Exorcist, Prom Night, The Howling, Halloween and Psycho.

Thoughts:

Do I really need to write a review of Scream? I’ve had the boxed set pretty much since the day it came out on DVD and I’ve seen it a dozen times at least. I’d like to call it a new classic, but that sounds kind of cheesy. I’ve also noticed that it tends to lose something over time because it just doesn’t seem as much fun and different today, as it did back then.

I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer

Plot:

A group of friends play a prank at the local carnival, making guests think that the guy from the other movies is back for revenge. One of the group is accidentally killed during the prank and they decide to cover it up, rather than take responsibility for what happened. Despite keeping it a secret, the following year someone comes back, wearing the same outfit and killing off those involved. They learn that the dead boy told others of their plan and now they have more than one suspect.

Trivia:

Rumors exist that there *might* be yet another sequel to the franchise. This one is rumored to have some of the same characters and possibly the original writer back on board, or at least have some connection to the originals.

Thoughts:

There’s a nice attempt to kind of connect the movies, by explaining that what happened in the others is thought to be an urban legend. Later they explain that it actually happened, but no one in this movie was involved. What I hate is that they went overboard with the red herrings. Every time you turn around, there’s yet another person who knew about the “secret” prank and yet a new suspect. By the time it got to the actual reveal, I could care less.

Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever

Plot:

Poor Paul is struggling to survive the events of Cabin Fever and even though he’s diseased, he manages to make his way out of the woods and onto the road. Unfortunately, he’s hit by a bus and killed. Our loyal cop friend Winston, makes the bus driver think he hit a moose and covers the whole thing up. Yet the bacteria filled water is already making its way around the world, or at least to neighboring towns, as a water company fills up bottles with the infected water. The water is used by a local school at its prom and of course, whacky hijinks ensue. The group of teachers and students get trapped inside the school, even as the government attempts to stop the spread of the disease.

Trivia:

Both Rider Strong and Giuseppe Andrews reprise their roles of Paul and Winston from the first movie.

Director Ti West actually asked for his name to be taken off the movie because he was so disappointed with the end result.

Thoughts:

I was excited when I heard about this movie, in part because Rider Strong, who was presumably dead at the end of the first movie, was coming back. When he died within 5-10 minutes, I had a feeling that I would end up disappointed…and I was. This movie isn’t at all what I expected. It doesn’t really fit with the original Cabin Fever and seems like it was played more for jokes, than it was for horror. The way the virus/disease spread doesn’t fit with the original and it doesn’t seem to act in the same way either. Paul’s makeup at the beginning was a little too overdone and once it started hitting others, it was almost instant. Like one girl drinks the water and in the next scene, she’s completely infected and spreading it to others. That’s one fast acting virus!

The Mist

Plot:

David Drayton lives on a lake with his wife Stephanie and son Billy. After a huge storm hits the town, he starts cleaning up and runs into his neighbor Brent. He notices a weird patch of mist coming across the lake, but shrugs it off. When he, Billy and Brent decide to head into town and stock up on groceries, they realize that there’s something in the storm. Tentacles come from the mist and weird creatures attack the store. Those who survive barricade themselves inside and hope for the best, even while a smaller group looks to the “lord” for help.

Trivia:

Based on the Stephen King story of the same name, though it has a much bleaker ending.

Horror movie connections: Thomas Jane (The Tripper, Dreamcatcher, Laurie Holden (Silent Hill), Andre Braugher (“ ‘Salem’s Lot”) and William Sadler (Devour, Demon Knight, Bordello of Blood, The Hills Run Red).

Thoughts:

I drove the boyfriend pretty much insane when we watched The Mist recently because I read the story and had it stuck in my head throughout the whole thing, so I kept telling him crap about the story. I know I was highly annoying. That said, I really like this movie. I think that the CGI stuff is a little lacking and dare I say, a little lame? That ending though, makes the whole movie. It was completely unexpected and something that stuck with me well after seeing it.

The Final Destination

Plot:

Nick and a group of friends hit the local track for a race one day. An accident on the track spirals out of control, sending debris into the crowd and killing a number of people. Bobby realizes that he just had a vision, like the other people in the other movies. He freaks out and leaves the tack and a few random people follow. Not long after, everyone he saw die in his visions, starts dying in real life and the surviving members must find a way to cheat death.

Trivia:

Despite being called The Final Destination, there’s actually a new movie coming out in the franchise.

Horror movie connections: Nick Zano (Joy Ride 2), Krista Allen (Feast) and Justin Wellborn (Dance of the Dead).

Thoughts:

Expect to see a future review of the movie from the 3-D perspective. I made the mistake of renting the basic version of the movie (rather than buying the damn thing) and basing my review on that. Less than a week later I found the disc on sale, complete with 3-D glasses, for just a few dollars more than I paid to rent the thing. Anyway, it’s the typical Final Destination movie, complete with random deaths, but it didn’t really have anything that stuck out in my head. Yeah, the pool scene was kind of gross and I liked the car wash scene, but the overall feel was fairly bland.

They

Plot:

Julia’s friend Billy calls her and asks her to meet him. The two were friends as kids, but haven’t spent much time together recently. Billy warns her that the night terrors they had when they were kids have started coming out and he somehow connects those dreams to demons/ghosts from another world. He warns her to watch out and then kills himself. Not long afterwards, he kills himself and she begins experiencing night terrors of her own.

Trivia:

Horror movie connections: Marc Blucas (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, Thr3e) and Ethan Embry (“Freakylinks”, Vacancy, “Masters of Horror”, “Fear, Itself”).

Thoughts:

They is such as odd movie that has some good scenes and a kind of twist ending, but it’s hard to classify. There’s really nothing new or unique about the movie and at times it feels like a rehash of other flicks. I used to really like the movie, but it’s kind of worn off on me. When I watched it recently, I found myself looking for the remote and checking how much time was left.

Wishmaster

Plot:

The Wishmaster was a type of genie that granted wishes, but made people wish they never asked. He’s captured in a jewel and the movie then jumps to the present day, or present at the time anyway. The jewel is taken to an auction house and given to Alex, an appraiser. She accidentally releases the Wishmaster, who begins granting people’s wishes in dark and disturbing ways. Alex is the only one capable of stopping him before he turns earth into hell.

Trivia:

Horror movie connections: Robert Englund (Nightmare on Elm Street, etc.), Kane Hodder (Friday the 13th, etc.), Ted Rami (The Grudge, Evil Dead franchise), Tony Todd (Candyman) and Andrew Divoff.

Thoughts:

This is another one of those movies that I originally saw in the theater and I now think I own three different copies on DVD, which was an accident. I bought the movie originally because it was cheap, then found a copy with the first two movies and then I picked up one of those super cheap sets that included other movies I didn’t have. Wishmaster is kind of a bad movie. I have to give big props to all the horror movie icons that were assembled here, including Wes Craven who was executive producer. The movie just doesn’t seem all that interesting to me now.

Raging Sharks

Plot:

This is what happens when sharks meet aliens! Two spaceships collide and a vessel is accidentally dropped into the ocean. Mike Olsen and his wife Linda are on board a research ship, but Mike is called away. The sharks that lived in the water near where the vessel crashed, start attacking humans and boats that come into the water. Mike becomes determined to get back on the ship and save his wife, before she too becomes shark food.

Trivia:

The seventh film in a row from Nu Image Films that combined acting with stock footage of shark attacks.

Thoughts:

I really don’t know what to say about this movie. It was so bad that it kind of circled back around and became good again. Does that even make sense? The boyfriend wandered into the room, while I was watching it and made a comment about my taste in movies. Then he proceeded to sit down and watch the rest of the movie without moving. It cracked me up. It’s one of those movies that kind of sucks you in and you aren’t sure why. To top it off, it was the kind of movie that you don’t feel guilty about laughing at because it kind of seems like actors get the joke too.

Leprechaun

Plot:

A leprechaun has his pot of gold stolen (insert lucky charms joke here) by a man hoping to trap him for good. Decades later a man and his daughter Tory move into the house. Nathan and Ozzie are two men helping clean up the house. Ozzie, who’s “slow”, accidentally lets the leprechaun out. Then he and his friend Alex steal the leprechaun’s gold and Ozzie accidentally swallows one of the pieces. The leprechaun goes on a killing spree, attempting to find his gold and kill anyone who voluntarily took a piece.

Trivia:

The Leprechaun is roughly 600 years old, according to the first movie.

It was rumored that Jennifer Aniston (Tory) took the film off her resume after “Friends”. Watch this one to see her original nose!

Thoughts:

I have funny memories of Leprechaun because my older brother took me to see it (in the theater) when I was a kid. The friend who went with us was so freaked out that she kept hiding in the car and making everyone check outside, before she’d get out of the car. We had quite a bit of fun teasing her about the leprechaun coming out of the bushes. I have such clear memories of it and then when I recently re-watched it, I was kind of confused. Turns out that much of what I remember isn’t actually from the movie. To be honest, it’s just kind of your run of the mill, early 90s horror flick and it’s kind of surprising that they made so many (arguably better) movies later in the franchise.

Final Destination 3

Plot:

Wendy and a group of friends are celebrating their upcoming graduation at a local amusement park. There’s her best friend, her friend’s boyfriend Kevin, her own boyfriend Jay, a high school perv, a jock, two goth kids and two slutty bimbos. While riding the coaster, something goes wrong and the kids start dying. Suddenly it flashes back to Wendy and she’s had a vision, exactly like the ones had by others in the previous movies. She tries to stop the ride, but of course it goes anyway and some people die. Those that got off the ride start dying and she realizes that death is coming after them, in the same order they should have died.

Trivia:

A newspaper clipping shown/referenced in the movie shows that the two surviving characters from Final Destination 2, actually died in between the movies.

Thoughts:

With the exception of the last movie, the Final Destination franchise is one of my favorites! This movie gets a lot of flack because it supposedly was a rehash of the other movies, but I don’t buy that at all. The scene where the two bimbos get killed in the tanning beds was both gross and cool at the same time. My problem is that the roller coaster scene isn’t as good as it should have been. The other movies made me think twice about flying and driving on the highway, while this one didn’t phase me at all. Some of the deaths were kind of cheesy, but the tanning bed scene was worth a watch all on its own.

Pulse

Plot:

Mattie is a college student who worries about her boyfriend Josh, after he disappears for a few days and won’t return her calls. She and the rest of their friends are devastated to learn that he died, but are even more freaked out when they start getting messages from his computer. Mattie investigates and learns that all of his belongings, computer included, were sold to pay his back rent. Dexter, the guy who bought the computer, shows her that it’s buried in the trunk of his car. As the messages grow weirder and people in town start committing suicide, the two learn that some viruses aren’t just inside the computer.

Trivia:

Based on the Japanese horror film.

Written by icon Wes Craven.

Followed by Pulse 2: Afterlife and Pulse 3: Invasion.

Horror movie connections: Kristen Bell (Scream 4) and Brad Dourif (Child’s Play movies, Urban Legend, The Exorcist 3, etc.)

Thoughts:

Pulse reminds me of all the other PG-13 horror movies released for teens over the last few years, but that actually kind of makes me smile. Yes it’s horrible and yes it’s cheesy, but sometimes that’s exactly what I need to get through the day. Pulse is one of those movies I slip in the DVD player and zone out for a little bit. I know it’s lame and no one else likes it, but it could be worse…it could be one of the sequels.

Dreamcatcher

Plot:

Four old friends: Henry, Beaver, Pete and Jonesy are linked to a connection they share with another friend. Duddits is a mentally retarded boy that they helped out of a tough situation as kids and it bonded them together. After a bad year, the four guys reunite for a hunting trip together. The usual trip takes a dark turn when they discover people in the woods and learn of a possible alien invasion. It doesn’t take long for the boys to realize that the key to their salvation may lay in the boy they helped all those years ago.

Trivia:

Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name.

Horror movie connections: Thomas Jane (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Tripper, The Mist), Donnie Wahlberg (The Sixth Sense, Saw 2-4) and Timothy Olyphant (Scream 2, A Perfect Getaway, The Crazies).

Thoughts:

I’m kind of torn on this movie because I read the book (several times) and read it fairly recently. I’ll think of something really cool and then have to stop because I remember that the scene I’m thinking of actually came from the book. Plus I’m not too fond of the whole movie anyway. In my mind, I always think that the movie ran too long, but when I watched it this time, I realized that it isn’t necessarily long, it just feels that way.

Jason X

Plot:

Jason is trapped by a group of scientists in the present day (supposedly 2008) and frozen because the researchers basically don’t know what to do with him. Hundreds of years later, a space ship finds Jason, as well as a human frozen at the same time and brings them back to the ship. The girl (Rowan) thaws out and immediately warns the group of Jason’s abilities, but they don’t believe her. Of course it only takes about three minutes of thawing out for Jason to go on a mad killing frenzy.

Trivia:

Jason X was originally written and made when it became too difficult for the production company to get things moving on Freddy Vs. Jason.

Horror connections: Kane Hodder (Hatchet 1-3, Frozen, 2001 Maniacs, The Devil’s Rejects, etc.).

Thoughts:

It’s funny because I actually saw Jason X in the theater, but only remember a few scenes. It wasn’t until I started watching it this time that I remembered, “oh yeah, this is the one in space.” The whole idea of the movie is so ridiculously that it kind of makes my head hurt. There are a few scenes that stick out, but overall it’s nothing to write home about. I’m not at all surprised that this movie made less money than any others in the franchise.

The Crazies

Plot:

David Dutton is the sheriff of the small Ogden Marsh town in Iowa. At a local baseball game, a crazy man comes out of the woods and David is forced to kill him. That signals just the beginning, as more and more people start acting crazy and it becomes clear that some weird type of virus is taking over the town. David tries to cut off the water supply and stop the problem, but the government shuts down the internet, cable and phone lines in town and sends in the military. His wife Judy is seen as one of the contaminated because she’s running a fever and we learn that she’s actually pregnant. David, his deputy, wife and a few others attempt to escape the town, while the government is watching every move they make…

Trivia:

A remake of the George Romero movie of the same name.

Horror connections: Timothy Olyphant (Scream 2, Dreamcatcher), Radha Mitchell (Silent Hill), Joe Anderson (The Ruins) and Danielle Panabaker (Mr. Brooks, Friday the 13th).

Thoughts:

It’s funny that I wrote this review while The Girl Next Door played in the background and I had Timothy Olyphant talking. I love seeing him as a bad guy, so in this movie I was playing catch up. He does such a good job of kicking ass that sometimes it’s hard to see him playing the straight/good guy. That said, I kind of dug The Crazies. I’ve never seen the original so I wasn’t one of those rabid fans demanding something spectacular or asking for everyone’s head on a stick. I wasn’t even sure what the original was about, just that the name sounded familiar. I actually see this as one of those movies that I pull out once or twice a year, pop in and then remember how much I liked it.

Legion

Plot:

Bob runs a random diner in the middle of nowhere with his son Jeep, who’s in love with their waitress Charlie, despite the fact that she’s pregnant by another man. Over the course of a few hours, the diner fills up with random travelers, including a family with a teenage daughter and a man on his way home to see his son. An old woman comes into the diner and attacks Charlie, before climbing the walls like a spider. The archangel Michael appears and is quickly followed by a wave of assassins and angels, all of who want Charlie’s baby.

Trivia:

Actors with connections to horror flicks include: Lucas Black (“American Gothic”), Adrianne Palicki (“Supernatural”), Charles S. Dutton (Cat’s Eye), Jon Tenney (The Stepfather) and Kate Walsh (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer).

Thoughts:

Legion is one of those movies that’s kind of hard to classify because it falls under so many categories. I pretty much wanted to see it from the moment it came out, but by the time it came out on DVD, I had kind of forgot about it. The boyfriend picked it and we watched it, but he liked it a lot more than I did. Personally, I kind of thought Charlie was a bitch, which if she is the mother of god, I guess that means I’m going to hell. The movie seemed a little slow for my tastes.

Masters of Horror: Pelts

Plot:

Jake Feldman is a creepy fur trader, who buys pelts cheaply and has his workers turn the furs into gorgeous coats. John Saxon plays a fur hunter who traps several gorgeous raccoons and turns them into Jake, but not before dying a horrible death. Jake steals the pelts from his house, even after seeing the trapper and his son dead. None of his workers will touch the pelts because they know the legends surrounding the fur. He eventually finds one woman willing to help, but she eventually dies to. He becomes obsessed with the furs, even trying to get permission from the original landowner to hut them down, but she refuses. He does all this in the hopes of getting an exotic dancer to fall in love with him…or at least fuck him.

Trivia:

Directed by Dario Argento and featuring Saxon from A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Episode 6 from the second season of the show.

Thoughts:

I’ve seen a lot of horror movies/shows in my time and most of them tend to fade into my brain. Pelts was one of those…until I watched it again. Oh my god, how could I possibly forget this one? Seeing a woman sew her mouth, eyes and nose shut was excruciating, as was seeing Meat Loaf of all people, cutting off his skin to make a human vest. There was so much blood in this that I’m a little ashamed I didn’t remember it right away. My boyfriend had a friend over and he got so grossed out that I thought he might need to leave the room. Don’t miss it.

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Plot:

I don’t really know if I should rehash the plot here because you should know it. There’s basically a bunch of high school students who start dreaming of a man wearing a red and green sweater who attacks them. In the opening scene, Kris, Nancy and Quentin witness a boy named Dean kill himself by stabbing a knife in his throat. Dean is dreaming at the time and sees Freddy attack him in the same way. Oddly enough, Kris is the main character for a good portion of the film before it switches to Nancy and Quentin. Nancy confronts her mother about a man named Freddy Krueger, but her mom denies knowing him. Later the teens learn that Freddy was a man who worked in the same pre-school they all attended.

Trivia:

Some of the same scenes from past films were used here or inspired by the others, including a demon face coming out from Nancy’s wall and her mother getting pulled through a mirror.

Kyle Gallner (Quentin) had roles in The Haunting in Connecticut and Jennifer’s Body, while Katie Cassidy previously popped up in When a Stranger Calls and Black Christmas.

Wes Craven apparently wasn’t too happy with the decision to remake the movie, nor the fact that the filmmakers didn’t ask for his advice/guidance. Robert Englund on the other hand, gave the movie his full support.

Thoughts:

I really put off seeing this movie for far too long and I’m not sure why. I wasn’t thrilled when they remade my favorite horror flick (okay, top 5) My Bloody Valentine, but I saw it. This one though…I couldn’t really get excited about it. When I finally started watching it, I nearly giggled when I saw Freddy for the first time. There was something very…plastic about his face and fake, more so than the original. I also couldn’t get over Katie Cassidy playing yet another teenager. Is this 90210 the modern years or something? Everyone kept telling me that this movie was “so dark”, but I think I almost prefer the quipping Freddy, who made the ridiculous situations kind of fun. That’s not to say I hated the movie because I did like it. That first kill was probably the most impressive, though I was kind of hoping for a little more killing in the film. I’m also undecided on the new backstory of Freddy. I somehow prefer him as a child killer coming back for revenge on the parents who killed him, rather than a pedophile Freddy.

Dimension Extreme: Steel Trap

Plot:

A random New Year’s Eve party gets extreme when a group of party goers receive text message invites to a better party. The guests leave the party in the skyscraper and head to a lower floor downstairs. They find a mock tea party setup, including name tags with degrading names and a scavenger hunt promising a large prize at the end. Among the group is a couple who seemingly hate each other, a big deal cooking show host, a one-hit wonder with eyes for the cook, a celebrity publicist and a man who brings an uninvited guest to the party. Once the group separates, things take a dark turn and people start dying. Somehow the events are all tied together.

Trivia:

One of the earlier Dimension Extreme horror flicks.

Thoughts:

I’ve heard some bad things about Steel Trap, but that hasn’t stopped me from thoroughly enjoying it. I first saw it a few years ago and had it on my mental list of movies I wanted to pick up, but unfortunately haven’t come across it at a good price. When I found it for $2 at my local used movie store, I couldn’t pass it up. Steel Trap does have some slow parts, but it kept me fairly entertained. It was one of the few Dimension Extreme movies that lived up to the hype on the back of the box. Then again, maybe that isn’t saying a whole lot.

Frozen

 

Plot:

Dan and his best friend Joe have a ritual of skipping out on real life and hitting the moutain for the day. Dan’s been seeing this chick Parker and it’s causing a strain between the two because Joe rarely dates and Dan never does anything without her. Neither Parker nor Dan seem to have a problem with her tagging along, which is kind of insane. She can barely stand up for two seconds on her board without falling over and yet the two guys have been skiing/boarding for years. Instead of buying lift tickets, they bribe the attendant to let them ride. Later they convince him to let them go up the mountain, even though it’s closed for the night. When he switches with another worker, the new guy doesn’t realize they’re still on the lift and shuts it down for the night. The three wind up stuck, 50 feet in the air in -0 temperatures. As night falls, they make the dangerous decision to do whatever it takes to get off the mountain.

Trivia:

Kind of some nice horror movie peeps in this one. Shawn Ashmore (Joe) starred in The Ruins and the upcoming Mother’s Day, while Kevin Zegers (Dan) had roles in Wrong Turn and Dawn of the Dead. Add in Kane Hodder and the writer/director of Hatchet and Hatchet II, Adam Green.

Thoughts:

I’m a little undecided when it comes to Frozen because I liked it, but I wasn’t left overly happy. I read about the people “fainting” at the premier and I have a hard time believing it. The beginning of the movie is fairly interesting, but the tension is spaced out too much. It had some great moments, but in between those great moments, there was too many slow moments. I try to maintain some suspension of disbelief when watching a horror movie, but the scenes with the wolves drove me crazy. One guy hit the leader of the pack, which then ran off and the others went with it. Three seconds later the wolf is attacking. Wouldn’t something else showing dominance scare them off? Then you have to wonder about the wolves at all. Either they’re scared of people and avoid the mountain or they don’t. Are we supposed to believe that wolves roam free when the mountain is used fairly frequently? Not to mention the fact that no one bothers to come back to the mountain when it’s closed, not even to make sure no stupid kids are on the mountain or even to do paperwork. I also wasn’t too happy with the ending, nor was I that crazy about the Parker character, who did little more than whine and pout for 90 minutes. Yet some of the true horror scenes were disgusting! A guy breaks two legs and we literally see bone popping out. Not to mention some disgusting scenes of the after effects of frostbite. Even my former military boyfriend had problems with those scenes. I’m just not sure it was enough to counteract the slow pacing (at times).

Sorority Row

Why does everyone hate this so much?

PLOT

A group of girls decide to play a prank on one of their boyfriends because he’s cheating and as they say, you cheat on one Theta, you cheat on all Thetas. They give him something they say if roofies, he puts in her drink and she “dies”. The five girls and Garret the boyfriend, head out to an abandoned mine, where they make him think that she’s really dead. He freaks out and actually kills her, but they agree to cover the whole thing up. The movie then jumps to the end of the school year, where Cassidy, the only girl who wanted to call the cops, comes to their last party, though she spent the whole year ignoring them. Someone starts sending the girls weird texts and then makes it clear that someone hasn’t forgot what happened and that someone is going to make them pay.

TRIVIA

A kind of remake of The Last House on Sorority Row.

Plans were originally in place for a sequel, but no news yet on that.

THOUGHTS

I’m honestly not sure why so many people ragged on this movie and seemed to hate it so much. I actually kind of liked it, but then again, I have yet to see the original, which might explain things. I’m not some obsessive fan who thinks classic movies should be left alone because I know that some movies need a little updating. Sorority Row has some fairly inventive killings, including the alcoholic sister killed by a bottle shoved all the way down her throat. It’s not something that you see all the time. Personally I think it’s fun in kind of a good, cheesy way.

Silent Venom

Snakes…on a submarine.

PLOT

Luke Perry is a Navy officer that’s almost ready to retire and spend the rest of his many years with his young daughter. He’s called upon to pick up a scientist and an assistant who are working on a top secret project on an island in the middle of nowhere. Cut to Krista Allen as the scientist, who’s actually working on breeding several types of snakes to create a massive hybrid snake. Her assistant cunningly sneaks several specimens back onto the submarine, where of course they get loose. Allen offers up the anti-venom, but when it fails to work, the crew must locate all the snakes. Um and they’re being chased by the Chinese military for veering into their waters…

TRIVIA

Krista Allen previously starred in Feast.

THOUGHTS

I knew exactly how to explain this movie to my friends: It’s snakes…on a submarine…with Luke Perry. Suddenly my Facebook page was a hubbub of activity, as people came out of the woodwork wanting to know what it was called and where it came from. I have no doubt that Wal-Mart saw their inventory of Silent Venom drop by several copies. Silent Venom is one of those movies that you have to watch with friends because it’s nearly impossible to sit through alone. When you do watch it with your friends, I guarantee that you’ll have a good time.

Darkness Falls

Haters…

PLOT

Matilda Dixon was an older lady who lived in the town of Darkness Falls. The local kids called her tooth fairy because she rewarded them each time they lost a tooth. The town parents blamed her for the disappearance of two kids and went after her. She always wore a mask because her face was burned and she was so pissed when they tore it off, that she swore vengeance. Local legend says that she comes for kids who lose their teeth. The movie then jumps to Kyle, a loaner who secretly crushes on his neighbor Caitlin. He sees the tooth fairy and she kills his mom, but no one believes him and the cops sent him to a mental hospital. He returns years later when Caitlin appears, needing help with her younger brother who’s scared of the dark because of what he sees in it.

TRIVIA

I remember hearing that the makers of The Tooth Fairy sued the makers of Darkness Falls for stealing their idea, but I couldn’t find anything about it online. If anyone knows, send me a link.
Both stars of the movie (Emma Caufield and Chaney Kley) appeared on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, though at different times.

THOUGHTS

It wasn’t until I started writing the plot outline that I realized just how ridiculous this movie is at times. That’s sad because I was all set to complain about people hating it for no good reason, except that it’s yet another PG-13 rated horror movie. The story of Dixon took up most of the plotline, but that story is told in the opening few scenes. I think Darkness Falls is one of my guilty pleasure movies because I know that it’s not very good and that a lot of people hate it, but I still kind of like it. This was probably the fifth time I’ve seen it!

Candyman 3: Day of the Dead

He’s back, but why?

PLOT

Caroline is somehow related to Annie in the last movie and a truly terrible actress. Then again, did anyone from “Baywatch” really know how to act? She’s also related to Candyman and for some reason, he wants her dead so she’ll end up beside him forever. Of course he goes on a killing spree, getting everyone who’s close to her and making the cops think that she’s somehow responsible.

TRIVIA

Supposedly another Candyman movie with Tony Todd and Melissa Joan Hart will be filmed later this year.

THOUGHTS

I think my lack of a real plot description shows that I really didn’t give a crap about this movie. I watched it, I forgot about it; it’s as simple as that. The movie suffers from a low budget, horrible acting and forgettable death scenes. How many times do we need to see Candyman drag his hook across someone’s neck or stomach before it gets old? Apparently this one was more than enough for me.

The Changeling

So good!

PLOT

John Russell loses his wife and daughter in a car crash and moves to a new town, taking a new job and hoping to put that all behind him. One of the workers for the historical society offers him a great deal (I wish I had a deal like this!) on a rental property they own because no one else wants it. Weird things start happening that seem like a typical poltergeist. Russell learns that a young boy was murdered in the house and has ties to a wealthy local family, who’s other son is now a senator.

TRIVIA

Russell Hunter, who wrote the screenplay claims that he based it on actual events that happened to him. He says that the same odd things happened to him in a house he rented in Denver and that the poltergeist went with him when he moved.

THOUGHTS

I have to admit that I’ve never seen The Changeling before, but I couldn’t resist it when I saw it for around $3. Now I’m shocked that I waited so long because this movie is really good. I wish modern day directors could pick up some old tips and learn how to make a suspenseful ghost story that doesn’t rely on “shocks”. That said, there are some parts of the movie that aren’t so great and it gets a little slow at times. It also has some age and it doesn’t hold up that great to the years, but it’s still a damn good movie.

Dead of Winter

Not that bad, I guess.

PLOT

Kevin and Tiffany head to a New Year’s Eve party, where Kevin passes her an acid laced drink. After finding her with another guy, he grabs her and drags her off. The car crashes on the road and they wander into the woods, thinking that someone is following them. Kevin manages to use her cell phone to call the dispatcher at the police station and let her know what happened. Officers go out, only to find the car sitting on the side of the road, with the engine running and the doors opened. As the two stray further into the woods, they start seeing things and don’t know what’s real and what’s in their head.

TRIVIA

Also known as Lost Signal.

Based on a true story of two people who disappeared in the woods, after doing acid at a friend’s party. The two were eventually found dead.

THOUGHTS

I didn’t know what to expect because the movie was really low budget and I got it pretty cheap. I ended up being a little surprised because it was better than I thought. The supporting cast are the ones to watch, they have some great acting talent scattered in there. Too bad the same can’t be said for the two leads. At times I actually wanted to throttle them for their poor acting, which brought down some of their scenes. It also had an ending that seemed a little tacked on, as if the writer decided that a happy ending wasn’t enough, so he had to toss in another “twist” that didn’t really fit with the rest of the movie.

I Know What You Did Last Summer

You saw it, admit it.

PLOT

Nice girl Julie, working class Ray, beauty queen Helen and jock Barry hit the party scene before they plan on leaving town for college. Barry drinks too much and Ray agrees to drive, but gets distracted and hits someone on the way home. The group agrees to hide the body and pretend it never happened, with Julie being the only one who seemingly has a conscious. She goes away to college and at the end of the school year, gets a note saying I Know What You Did Last Summer. She heads home, telling everyone what happened, but no one listens…until the killer in a rain coat comes calling.

TRIVIA

Based on a book by Lois Duncan of the same name and written by Kevin Williamson, who also wrote Scream.

THOUGHTS

I Know What You Did Last Summer is one of those horror movies that came out right when horror movies were coming back into the mainstream. It was fun to pick on it and claim to hate it, but it made an ass-load of money for something that no one liked and did inspire a few sequels. It’s not the greatest movie in the world, but it’s a lot better than some of the crap made later. Compared to other movies starring the pretty teen TV actors, this is like Shakespeare.

Monkey Shines

You’ll never look at monkeys the same again…

PLOT

Alan loved running and almost any sport, until he was hit by a truck and paralyzed from the waist down. His girlfriend leaves him for his doctor (played by Stanley Tucci in an early role), his mother (Joyce Van Patten) won’t leave him alone and he hates his life. After he attempts suicide, his best friend Jeff decides to help him by getting him a trained monkey. The trainer Melanie doesn’t have any available so Jeff donates one from the lab where he’s experimenting on the animals. Ella becomes Alan’s best friend, but as her drugs take effect, she grows jealous. She eventually starts to kill off everyone close to him, so she can keep him for herself.

TRIVIA

Based on the book Monkey Shines and directed by horror movie icon George Romero.

THOUGHTS

I really love Monkey Shines. My brother let me watch it when I was a kid and I fully blame him for making me fear those stupid monkey toys for years to come. It hasn’t kept up that well in terms of technology, especially when it comes to the wheelchair he uses, but it’s damn good. I fear that this will end up being remade and star a CGI monkey instead of the real thing. It’s also a little sad at times and it’s funny because you end up feeling bad for the monkey sometimes.

Play Dead

Blah.
PLOT

Ronnie Reno was a big deal child star, playing the role of Blue on a Mighty Morphin Power Rangers type show. As an adult, he can’t catch a break and can’t get anyone to take him seriously. After his turned down yet again for a job, he goes on a drive and ends up stranded in a small town, run by drug dealers. The dealers plan on killing him, but he gets his old group of TV buddies to make the drive and put the old gang in action.

TRIVIA

Stars Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit.

THOUGHTS

I only watched this movie because I bought it in a two-pack at Wal-Mart for $5 and the main movie looked interesting; this one was kind of shoved in as a special feature. I honestly have no idea how this movie got made or why it was done so badly. Did Chris Klein and Fred Durst lose a bet or something? It also has some other fairly recognizable supporting characters, who seem like they’re taking things too seriously. I know it had a low budget, but that’s no excuse for this movie. Now that I know Chris Klein spent some long-ass time in rehab, this movie makes a little more sense...

Resurrection Mary

Why not?


PLOT

Jeff takes a drive one night and almost hits a gorgeous girl walking beside the road. He gives her a ride and makes plans to see her again, though she says some odd things like referring to a local bar by a name that was used before his grandma’s time. Mary shows up for their date, but there’s still something off about her. When his friends start dying in cruel ways, he realizes that Mary may be responsible and that his grandma knows the true story. He has to discover the truth before the cops arrest him for the crimes.

TRIVIA

Based on the Chicago urban legend/ghost story of the same name.

THOUGHTS

I thought Resurrection Mary was a well made movie, considering that it had such a low budget. It’s not your typical slasher type movie, but it does have some gory scenes. The movie works on building suspense and letting you learn more about the characters, fleshing them out instead of relying on stereotypes. It does stray from the original legend a little too much at times, but that didn’t bother me as much as it seemed to bother some others.

Scary Movie

Funnier than expected.

PLOT

Drew Decker is killed in much the same way as the girl in Scream. The movie then launches into a parody, following Cindy Campbell, Bobby, Brenda, Buffy, Ray and Greg. If you’ve seen Scream, then you pretty much know the plot of this one. Watch for Ray, who’s gay, but not gay.

TRIVIA

I Know What You Did Last Summer, Scream, The Blair Witch Project and The Sixth Sense are all spoofed in the movie.

THOUGHTS

I have a confession to make: I never saw any of the Scary Movie series until the last one was released on DVD. I watched the trailers, rolled my eyes and figured that they were pretty lame. They aren’t as bad as I expected, but I still don’t understand how they got away with the first one. There are entire chunks of dialogue ripped from other movies and used here and frankly, I’d be pretty pissed if I was Kevin Williamson!

Hindsight

Better than I thought.

PLOT

Dina gets picked up while hitchhiking and uses the time to tell the story of her life, particularly the last few months. She and her boyfriend Ron were hustlers, who stole from everyone and stayed on the run. When she found out that she was pregnant, they decided to use the baby as one last big score. Dina picked out Maria and Paul, a wealthy couple and began corresponding with her. Eventually they all meet, but things aren’t what they expected. Ron discovers a dossier of information on them and notices that Paul isn’t exactly trustworthy. When Paul realizes that the couple are trying to scam them, it turns into a game of cat and mouse.

TRIVIA

Jeffery Donovan also starred in The Blair Witch Project 2: Book of Shadows.

THOUGHTS

I usually don’t expect a lot from movies that come in a pack. This one was part of a four-movie set that I found for $5 and this was the best of the movies. That might not be saying a lot, given that the other movies were pretty lame. The movie sometimes drags and with the exception of the actress playing Dina and Donovan, the acting is a little poor at times, but it’s still entertaining. The best parts are towards the beginning and middle, when she’s talking about the big scam. Then it almost turns into a different movie.

Cruel World

Bad.

PLOT

Phillip appears on a reality show where a beauty (Catherine) chooses from a group of average looking guys. The producers switch things up, by bringing in some hot guys and Catherine ends up choosing one of them over Phillip, telling him that she couldn’t give him what he wanted. Phillip retaliates by later breaking into the house they set her up in and killing both her and her boyfriend. He and his brother then take over the mansion and build a reality show. The contestants don’t realize until too late that when they lose a challenge or get voted off, that they’re actually killed.

TRIVIA

Was filmed and released in other countries years before its American release.

THOUGHTS

My first thought when I saw this was, “what the heck is up with Jamie Pressley’s career?”. Then I learned that it was filmed before “My Name is Earl” and released a few years later and it suddenly made sense. There’s not a whole lot to say about this movie except that it’s pretty lame. All of the characters fall into a stereotype: the gay guy, the jock, the pretty girl, the survivor. I kept waiting for something different to happen, but it was just disappointing all around.

DARK REEL

Not that great given the cast.

PLOT

Edward Furlong plays Adam, a fan picked for a walk-on role in a studio’s pirate movie. Not long after he appears on set, some of the major players start dying under mysterious circumstances. Rather than shut down production and lose a lot of money, the studio head decides to expand Adam’s role. It doesn’t help when Adam starts seeing the ghost of a dead actress on screen and learns that she was killed under mysterious circumstances back in the 1950s.

TRIVIA

Mercedes McNaab played on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel”; also stars Lance Henriksen.

THOUGHTS

I’ve seen a lot of bad horror movies and reviewed a lot and this one isn’t the worst, but it certainly falls down on my list. The odd thing is that I saw three horror movies with Edward Furlong in the span of a week and this one kind of falls in the middle. I made it through the movie, but the ending doesn’t make sense. The killer is someone that couldn’t be the killer, based on the timeline. It also stars Tiffany Shepis, which should have been my first clue to pass it up.

HUSH

So-so.

PLOT

Helen and Jackson are a young couple, living in the city. He takes her home to visit his over protective mother, who doesn’t seem all that thrilled with Helen. She also makes it clear that she’s ready for him to move back and take over the horse farm. When Helen finds out she’s pregnant, they have a wedding at the farm and she meets Jackson’s grandma, who doesn’t trust her daughter-in-law at all and blames her for her son’s death. Then she’s attacked by a man outside their apartment and convinces Jackson to move back home. Once there, his mother makes it clear that she only cares about her son and would be happy to get Helen out of the picture.

TRIVIA

Jessica Lange received a Golden Raspberry nomination for Worst Actress.

THOUGHTS

I was honestly surprised when I saw how badly this movie was panned by critics because I think it tends to grow on you over time. It has some great actors and it even has a few jump worthy moments. I admit that when a bunch of rats falls out of the ceiling, I started feeling a little squeamish. I know this isn’t the type of movie I usually review on the blog, but it definitely falls under the thriller/horror category.

Razor Eaters

Eh…

PLOT

A young man named Zach leads a group of young guys on a crime spree, killing anyone they feel deserves to die, which naturally includes a few high ranking politicians, professional athletes and other famous people. A detective then goes on the hunt for the group, trying to find the killers before time runs out.

TRIVIA

Leigh Whannell filmed scenes that were later cut from the finished product.

THOUGHTS

Let me tell you about this movie: I was looking at Hollywood Video during their closing sale and had a friend grab this one, knowing that I love bad horror movies. I told him I had it, he asked what it was about and my mind went blank. I literally only saw the movie the night before and already had no idea what happened. I’ve read a lot of great reviews for the movie, which makes me think that I should give it another chance. On the other hand, I did pay less than $2 for it new, so I’m not sure if it’s as great as others say.

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD

PLOT

Barbara and her brother Johnny, stop by the cemetery to visit their father’s grave. Though she’s obviously uncomfortable, he decides to make her life a living hell by pretending that things are coming after her. Suddenly a pale man enters the cemetery, goes after them and eventually eats Johnny. She’s rescued by a stranger named Ben, who takes her to a seemingly abandoned house. As the zombie infection rages across the world, those in the house, fight for survival.

TRIVIA

The film cost just $114,000 to make, but grossed over $12 million in the United States and launched the zombie craze.

THOUGHTS

Night of the Living Dead is one of those movies that everyone talks about and every horror fan should see. Between the special edition copy I own and all the copies that come in the boxed sets, I probably have six copies of the damn thing. The part that always gets to me, no matter how many times I see it, is that ending. It’s something you have to see, to understand.

First Posting

After losing my original Horror Queen blog, thanks to Today.com going under, I've bounced around a little. I had a blog at Wordpress for awhile and even a blog on Blogger. The problem was that neither one could really hold my interest. I finally decided to drop the Horror Queen moniker and get a fresh start.

I'll be reviewing a wide range of horror movies on here, many of which I've seen before. Some months I may only post once or twice and other months I'll post every day. Hopefully I'll post at least one review a day from now until Halloween...starting tomorrow. Some reviews are of movies I've reviewed before, but the reviews are brand new. I'll watch as many as possible and hopefully you'll come along for the ride.