I am your Average Joe and this is my forum for everything that sparks my interest. Baseball cards to wrestling, UFC to horror movies, and everything in between.
Merry Christmas All. As a horror fan I have to make mention of one of, if not the, most controvesial movies of the 1980's, Silent Night Deadly Night. Was happy to add this to my collection and give it a watch prior to this festive holiday. Let's start with a brief synopsis of the movie.
A young boy watches his parents killed by a thief in a Santa suit. He spends his youth in an orphanage, staying quietly to his self, but his mind is further bent by an ironhanded Mother Superior. He finally gets a job at a local store, where he finally snaps when he is required to wear a Santa suit, and goes on a killing spree that leads him slowly back to the orphanage.
This movie created quite the stir in 1984 when released due to the killer being dressed as Santa Claus. The PTA fought the release of this film due to it's subject matter and it's Christmas release. Siskel and Ebert even went as far as to read the film's production credit's on the air and saying "Shame, Shame" after each one. Large crowds (mostly angry families) formed at theaters and malls around the nation to protest the film. TriStar Pictures, its original distributor, pulled all ads for the film six days after its release (November 15). The film itself was also withdrawn shortly thereafter due to the controversy.
It was later re-released by an independant distributer, Aquarius Films, beginning in Spring of 1986, with an ad campaign which replaced the original "Twas the Night Before Christmas" audio track with a new one that centered around the controversy surrounding the film and edited out all the close up shots of Billy in the Santa suit with weapons.
Despite the controversy, it became a cult classic among horror fans. Myself on the other hand, I thought it was just okay. The movie is very tame by today's standards. Not that that is a big issue with me. Some of my favorite films are old school B & W films. But to be honest I personally felt sorry for the character of Billy.
As much as I love horror and the more gore and craziness in a horror movie the better. Just seeing someone in a Santa suit shooting someone or chopping them up with an axe actually did disturb me, and that takes a lot. It is a decent movie but just a little disturbing at the same time. The acting is so-so and the story does actually seem like it could happen. Overall it gets 3 burning skulls out of 5. Please enjoy the trailer below and again, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.
No that is not a typo and yes you read the title correctly. Today's review is for the Troma Feature, Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead. I like to pride myself on being able to find some obscure titles but this one takes the cake. I am constantly on the look out for movies outside the public eye and to do this I check websites such as Upcoming Horror Movies, read magazines like Fangoria (US), Gorezone (UK), Horror Hound (Canada, Bi-monthly and by far my favorite) as well as read books such as Zombie Movies: The Ultimate Guide. However I may as well be a nube when it comes to horror because only recently was I introduced to Fulci and this is the first Troma film I've ever seen. That even includes their classic Toxic Avenger. But enough about my shortcomings, lets give a little info about Troma followed by a plot of this film.
Troma is a film production and distribution company founded by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Hertz in 1974. The company produces very low budget movies, many of which have garnered cult followings. Their films are most known for their shocking imagery. They typically contain overt sexuality, graphic violence, gore and nudity to the point where the words "Troma Film" have become synonymous with them. You may then be surprised to hear that many actors and actresses were actually involved in these films before they were "discovered". They include Vanna White (Graduation Day), Kevin Costner (Sizzle Beach, USA), Samuel L. Jackson (Def By Temptation), Marisa Tomei (The Toxic Avenger), Vincent D'Onofrio (The First Turn-On!), James Gunn (Tromeo & Juliet) and Trey Parker and Matt Stone (Cannibal! The Musical). Troma's most recent release is Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead. The following is a plot summery written by Troma Entertainment.
When the American Chicken Bunker, a military-themed fried-chicken chain, builds a restaurant on the site of an ancient Indian burial ground, local protesters aren't the only ones crying fowl! The previous tenants, fueled by a supernatural force, take "possession" of the food and those who eat it, and the survivors discover that they must band together before they themselves become the other white meat! Film lovers have been starved for sustenance. The relentless diet of predictability and pretense Hollywood has been serving up just doesn't cut it. Poultrygeist is hearty food for thought. In Poultrygeist, Troma takes on the the fast-food industry-skewering the soulless restaurateurs-in the world's first horror-comedy film to feature zombie chickens, American Indians and a bit of singing and dancing! It's Poultrygeist!
Ok, first things first this movies gets 5 Burning Skulls, hands down, no questions asked and I'll tell you why. Let's start with the movie's great tagline:
Humans... the other white meat... Unless you're black, then it's dark meat... Or if you are Asian, then it's yellow meat... Or if you are Native American, it's red meat...
This movie absolutely has it all. It is a funny, gorey, love story, musical about zombie chickens!!!! Those words don't even sound like they belong in the same sentence! Now don't get me wrong here, the acting, not the best, the effects, definitely no CGI in this one, and the plot, I mean c'mon its about ZOMBIE CHICKENS! But Troma still manages to put together what is fast becoming one of my favorite movies. The first time I watched it I wasn't convinced but this movie grows on you like a fungus. It is awesome.
Even the characters names are great. The love story revolves around Arby and Wendy. That's funny. (Wendy, played by Kate Graham, is absolutely beautiful in that girl next door kinda way and is a riot) But it doesn't stop there, also in this flick we have Humus, Carl Jr., Jose Paco Bell, Micki and Denny. Denny wants to "one day leave American Chicken Bunker and open up my own place. I'll call it.........Denny's.........oh Shit!!!!" Another great bit is some of the protesters being a group of lesbians that call themselves C.L.A.M. which stands for Collegiate Lesbians Against Megaconglomerates. They are hot as hell too. They need their own movie.
I will warn anyone who attempts to watch this that it is definitely not for everyone. I originally typed a couple reasons but I decided against it. You watch it and tell me what you think. That is a challenge to every reader of my website!!! Enjoy the trailer and Pleasant dreams!
After the eight grueling days were over, shooting wrapped and the arduous task of editing material began. In all, Ed and Dan had over 19 hours of usable footage. They kept their promise to John Pierson by producing a segment for the second season of Splitscreen. The piece, now featuring a new cast appeared on Bravo in April of 1998. The discrepancies in the cast seemed to matter little to the fans who were so enthralled by the plight of these students.
Throughout the Summer and Fall of 1998 the picture played in a handful of smaller film festivals across the country. Those successes eventually led to their acceptance into the Sundance Film Festival in 1999. In the early morning hours of January 22nd, 1999, The Blair Witch Project was the first film to be picked up from that years festival when a young company called Artisan snatched up the rights for reportedly between $1 and $1.5 million.
The next six to seven months before the film was released in theatres became a blur for the duo. They appeared on magazine covers, talk-shows, and even went to the Cannes Film Festival in France, perhaps the most prestigious place on earth a filmmaker can have their work shown. On July 16, 1999, Artisan floated the film out in a limited release. Reports quickly came in of lines around the block and sold-out theatres everywhere it was playing. Two weeks later, on July 30th, the film went wide across the country.
America had a severe case of "Blair Witch" fever. Despite Artisan's backpedaling on the "true story" angle as the release approached, large numbers of moviegoers were still confused as to what was reality and what wasn't. This created a fog of mystery and intrigue around the film, which only helped catapault its numbers even higher. In its opening weekend the film took in almost $30 million. It went on to make almost the same the next weekend, a feat almost unheard of with theatrical releases. When it was all said and done the film grossed over $140 million in the U.S. alone, the worldwide total was somewhere in the neighborhood of $248 million.
As for me personally, I love this movie. I watch it every couple of weeks. It never gets stale for me. I love the concept, though not original as many might think it be. More hardcore horror fans know this movie is very much like the 1980 film Cannibal Holocaust, which is quite possibly the most shocking and controversial film ever made. Due to graphic violence and actual animals being killed, the film is still banned in many countries. However the plot is essentially the same. A group of people go out in the woods, this time the jungles of the amazon to prove cannibals do not exist. (more on this film in a later post) When they dont come home, their footage is found and viewed. Ed and Dan claim to have never seen the movie prior to making the Blair Witch Project.
However with its amazing marketing campaign, how little the movie cost to make and what it pulled in this movie by far gets 5 Burning Skulls. Was it the scariest movie? No. Was it the goriest movie? Absolutely not. But the acting was so good to the point that even though most of us knew it was fake we thought the reactions were real. And the way the characters played off each other, everything in this film from pre to post production was done beautifully and will be appreciated by many for years to come. Again, Happy Birthday Blair Witch Project. Please enjoy the trailer below followed by some brief where are they now's with the actors. Pleasant dreams!
Heather Donahue: Heather has continued to pursue acting, mostly in television. Recent roles include the sci-fi original Manticore and 2008's The Morgue. In recent years Heather has sought to distance herself from anything Blair Witch related.
Joshua Leonard: Josh has remained active as an actor in both independent film and television. He recently made the jump to directing, and is currently helming a drama titled Everything's Alright.
Mike C Williams: Mike took a three year hiatus from acting but returned to positive reviews in Ed Sanchez's film Altered. He has also worked with Dan Myrick again, co-starring in the film The Objective. Mike has his own website, www.dearmrspielberg.com
The casting process was very important because all of the "found footage" had to be shot by the actors themselves. Because of this they not only needed people who could act but also people who could work cameras and sound equipment or were at least willing to learn.
One actor who was all but cast even before the auditions started was Josh Leonard. He learned about the project about a year earlier while living in New York and working for a Documentary production company. After seeing a listing and getting in contact with Ed, the two remained in sporadic touch. The casting notice that went out made no bones about what potential the actors were getting into. As Heather Donahue recalled during an interview on the Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn in 1999, the notice said something to the effect of "Completely improvised film, shot in a wooded location, shooting is going to suck as much as you can possibly imagine."
Even after reading that over 2,000 people came out to audition for the roles of the final 2 campers. Josh read with many of the hopefuls. When Heather entered the room, Dan Myrick walked up to her and said "You've served 7 years of a 9 year sentence, why should we let you out on parole?" Her impromptu performance won her the role of the director.
Rounding out the cast was a young, trained actor from New York City named Mike Williams. He was fresh out of college and looking for his first film role. Williams background was strong and improv and personally believes he got the part because himself and Josh became fast friends at casting and that initial chemistry won him the role. The Blair Witch project was shot over the course of eight days in October 1997. The scenes in the woods that make up the majority of the movie were shot in Seneca Creek State Park in Maryland, with much of the interviews and documentary footage being shot in the real life nearby town of Burkittsville.
Contrary to popular belief, the trio of actors were not simply sent out into the woods without direction or any idea of what was happening. they were equipped with a GPS and each day were given a set of coordinates. In addition, each was given a small film canister with their name on it, with character directions for that day that were to be kept to themselves.
During the day, Dan, Ed and Greg Hale would stalk the actors using Hale's military training. All of the actors stated they stayed in character for the vast majority of their time in the woods and only occasionally would the producers make themselves known to assure the actors that everything was going according to plan.
Nightfall was when all bets were off. The producers would ascend on the actors while they slept and begin their harassment. This including, stalking, pre-recorded noises, physically messing with their tent and belongings. It's a common misconception that at these points in the film what you see on screen is not acting but rather genuine reactions to the frightening things happening around them.
Unlike most narratively traditional films, the conditions and setup required that the picture be shot in chronological order. This led to the final scene at the house in the woods, which turned out to be the one major exception to the hands-off policy. Due to some technical issues on the first pass, the final scene was actually shot over multiple nights and required a little more direction by Ed and Dan in order for everything to appear seamless in the final cut. Once that was finished, the real story had just begun.
Check back tomorrow for the conclusion of my review of the Blair Witch Project.
Let me start by wishing The Blair Witch Project a Happy 10th Birthday. Thats right. Ten years ago the world was swept up by Blair Witch Mania. You could not read the paper, watch television or even talk with your friends without someone bringing up this movie. This was thanks to the excellent marketing campaign the creators, Dan Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez. Including a special one-hour show that appeared on, the then, Sci-fi Channel, entitled Curse of the Blair Witch which included friends and teachers, along with TV spots from news shows all to create further realism for this movie. Hell, there are still people out there today who actually believe this is a true story. When I went to see it in the theatre's I even stayed through the credits just to see that little note at the end that says this is a work of fiction, any resemblance to actual people or events, blah blah blah.
Dan and Eduardo met in film school in the early 90's while attending the University of Central Florida in Orlando. While bonding over their mutual love of horror films they discovered they shared and interest in one particular sub-genre, the grainy, documentary-style films and television specials from the 70's. This was where the idea for the Blair Witch Project was born.
The initial concept was simple. A film crew gets lost in the woods, and their footage is found some time later. At the start, their idea was to have the film be shot and edited like an actual documentary, showing the students footage, but also cutting back and forth between other interviews and expert analysis. This additional footage would later become the Curse of the Blair Witch special. With inspiration but no money the project was put on the back burner.
After graduation Ed moved back to Maryland and Dan stayed in Orlando where he began working in the production industry. While there Dan formed a relationship with a young producer named Gregg Hale who liked the project so much he put up the money for Dan to rent a production office and shoot what he describes as an "investor reel." It was just a short proof of concept video, shot with different actors than who would appear in the actual movie. What happened next is hard to dismiss as anything but pure fate.
John Pierson, a long time independent film guru was in town shooting a segment for his show Splitscreen on Bravo and needed a local camera crew. Dan got the job and over the course of the shoot became good friends with John. Myrick sent him the investor reel once Pierson got back to New York and almost immediately received a call back asking if the footage was real.
Pierson decided he wanted to show the footage during the last segment of the first season of his show as a cliffhanger and he would provide the money for a second segment to premiere his second season. It aired in the Fall of 1997 and after the initial airings the message boards at Splitscreens official website lit up with people wanting to know more about the students.
Ed now joined Dan in Florida and created a web page of their own. Creating an entire mythos and history along with message boards of their own. With the internet buzz going and funds coming in from Pierson and what Dan and Ed were able to get together it was time for them to put their money where their mouths were. They knew they had to find their actors.
I'm going to start first by saying, I like Rob Zombie. I like his music, I like his other movies, House of 1000 Corpses & The Devil's Rejects and I love his wife. Sheri Moon is hot. But I just do not like his vision of the Halloween series. I absolutely hated the first one. My major problem was the original revolved around Jamie Lee Curtis's character where as in Zombie's version her character doesn't even show up until almost an hour in and the character is just plain forgettable and seems almost like an after thought. So when I heard there was going to be a Zombie sequel I expected the worst. However after seeing the trailer I thought it looked a million times better than the first one so I figured I'd give it a shot.
Picking up right where the first film left off, Laurie is taken to the hospital after supposedly killing the man who was responsible for the deaths of several people in the town of Haddonfield, Illinois. However, her stay at Haddonfield General becomes very brief when a very much alive Michael appears once more, brutally murdering everyone in the hospital to find his sister. Michael disappears, and Laurie survives the infamous Halloween massacre, but is still haunted by it a year later. Laurie struggles to come to terms with her dark past, or at least forget it. But the supposedly dead Michael Myers has other plans, and as the anniversary of his massacre approaches, he returns to Haddonfield once more, with a family reunion planned that Laurie will never forget.
While the film starts off looking like its going to be a remake of the original after about 10 - 15 minutes you see that just like the first film it is definitely a completely different movie. Maybe its because of the original being a horror movie classic or maybe its because Jamie Lee Curtis was so great in her role but I cannot stand Scout Taylor-Compton in the role of Laurie. I think she is a horrible actress and does a horrible job playing a once great heroine.
The movie was however, as I expected, better than Zombie's first shot at the Halloween series. Some great death scenes, great gore and sound effects really add to this movie. Overall though its not something that I think you should dish out X amount of dollars to see in the theaters it isn't a bad movie. But definitely one you wait to see on cable. 3 Burning Skulls. Enjoy the trailer and pleasant dreams.
Here is another great card that I got from Night Owl.
Why am I putting up a card of Mary Shelley you ask? Because this is the very talented woman who penned the classic, Frankenstein. Which is today's movie of the day.
Dr. Frankenstein is trying to create life from death. After being shunned by the medical community he previously worked with he has been reduced to stealing bodies from local graves and putting his creature together piece by piece until there's only one piece left, the brain. His assistant (not Ygor, he doesn't show up until a couple movies later) steals a brain from the local university. However the brain he steals is actually a murderer's brain. Once pieced together Frankenstein's monster is brought to life but Dr. Frankenstein and his colleagues are unable to contain the monster and he breaks free. Once out in the open the town mobs together to destroy the monster, but can they destroy what is essentially already dead?
This movie is definitely a classic and Boris Karloff is amazing as the monster. You may be wondering why I keep calling him the monster and not Frankenstein. Well that is because that was his name, the monster. In all of the movies he is never actually named. The name Frankenstein comes from his creator, Dr. Frankenstein. I'm not to sure what I can say about this film that has not been said over the years but it is a great movie to see.
The thing I love most about this film is the pity you feel for Karloff as the Monster. The more you watch the more you realize that this movie is a parody on society. Frankenstein himself does not act out at all unless someone treats him bad. Which is evidenced by his interaction with the little girl. Frankenstein himself even with a killer's brain was not a killer, more of a misunderstood soul. The film shows how we as a society try to destroy and hate all that we do not understand.
I will say this is not my favorite of the Frankenstein films. To be honest I think the best was the sequel Bride of Frankenstein. You felt even more for the monster and the special effects, yes thats right I said special effects, for a movie made in 1935 are amazing.
The original though still is a landmark in cinematic history and gets 4 burning skulls from me. Please enjoy the trailer below and again thanks to Night Owl for the card. Pleasant Dreams!
My horror collection is not just American films. I also love foreign films as well. To be honest right now Asia is putting out much better horror films then the U.S. by far. We just keep stealing them and making our own versions of them instead of releasing the originals, which is a shame.
I don't mind sub-titles. I know a lot of people hate them but they have never bothered me. Currently I have horror movies in Spanish, Korean, Japanese and now I have just added French, with the amazing movie Them. (French Title: Ils)
Clementine is a French teacher living in Romania. She lives there with her husband Lucas, who is a writer. One evening Clementine is awakened by the sound of music coming from their driveway. Her and Lucas head outside where they see that Clementine's car has been moved. Lucas heads for the car when the headlights flash on and the car drives away. Back inside the lights suddenly go out, the phone is dead, eerie sounds and flashlights come from the windows and a night of terror has begun.
From the moment they wake up to the noises in the driveway the tension is turned up to 11. You are on the edge of your seat the entire time not quite sure who is there or what is happening. It is similar to the 2008 film The Strangers in the fact that they are trapped in their own home by an unknown person or persons. This film however came out in 2006 so one has to wonder if it played any part in The Strangers being made in the first place.
Clementine and Lucas are played beautifully by Olivia Bonamy and Michael Cohen. They are believable characters and they suck you in to the situation. You sympathize with the characters and hope they will make it out ok.
The lighting is great, the writing is great, as a matter of fact the only fault I can find in this movie is its length. At only 77 minutes the film is very short. I wish it was longer. I cannot fault the movie for that though. Everything else outweighs the fact that it could have been longer. The movie gets 5 Burning Skulls and is a definite must see for any horror fan. I am very happy to say I was able to find a U.S. trailer for this film, please enjoy below. Pleasant Dreams!
When I speak of this movie I do not mean the 1999 remake, I mean the 1959 original. Don't get me wrong, I actually did not mind the remake. I thought it was definitely one of the better remakes I've seen. Good casting, acting, and it followed the original almost to a T. Maybe that will be a future review but today I speak of the original. Please enjoy a plot summary below.
Millionaire playboy Fredrick Loren hosts a party for his 4th wife Annabelle Loren at the "House On Haunted Hill," a house that has seen seven murders, Fredrick invites 5 guests: Lance Schroeder,a pilot, Ruth Bridges, a journalist, Watson Prichard, the owner of The House On Haunted Hill, Nora Manning, a worker for one of Fredrick Loren's companies, and David Trent, a psychiatrist. Fredrick will offer each of them $10,000 to spend a night in The House On Haunted Hill. They all want the money. At midnight, the caretakers lock to doors, and the terror begins! Who, if anyone, will make it out alive?
I have to say this is one of my favorite movies ever! The remake was alright but the original is a horror classic that should not be missed. The movie, starring horror icon Vincent Price, is a must see for any horror fan. One of the first horror movies I can remember as a kid was the 1953 classic House of Wax, which has been replicated numerous times including a remake in which Paris Hilton is killed in extraordinary fashion. That right there makes the re-make great. But I digress.
Vincent Price is one of the biggest names to ever grace the screen in the horror genre. His name is up there with Boris Karloff & Bela Legosi as well as later horror names like Christopher Lee, and even later legends like John Carpenter, Stephen King and many others. Vincent was one of the originators of horror. He has been involved in more horror movies and television broadcasts than one can count. From movies like House on Haunted Hill and House of Wax, prior to his death being involved in cartoons that some of us grew up with. From Scooby Doo episodes in 1985 to Tiny Toon Adventures in 1991, prior to his death in 1993.
The rest of the cast is great in this movie as well. Including Richard Long who appeared in a couple Twilight Zone episodes, playing David Gurney in the episode Person or Persons Unknown and as well as Uncle Rick/Dr. Rex/Doctor Sigmond Friend in the episode Number 12 looks just like you where in your teenage years everyone is given plastic surgery to make them beautiful. You have a book to look through to see how you want to look. It's like a Fingerhut catalog of faces. You are not forced to get the surgery, its your decision, or is it?
The movie is a black and white classic for all horror fans. This is one of the movies that helped to make the entire horror movie genre. This movie helped scare the hell out of our parents before the gore-fest films we have today. But it is also a pre-cursor to the films of today as well. While there is no gore and very little blood to speak of, even though you could not tell in black and white film anyway, it is a classic that helps to bring the horror community to where we have come. This movie is my first 5 burning skull film and I definitely recommend it to a horror fan who may not have seen it or to a classic movie buff looking for a film to take them back in time.
It amazes me, a guy born in 1980, that this once scared the life out of people but between the great acting and the great story its an amazing film for anyone horror fan or not. Please enjoy the trailer below, and pleasant dreams.
When I say Black Sheep I don't mean the Chris Farley & David Spade comedy. Through the years there have actually been over 10 films American and Foreign with the same name, Black Sheep. The movie I am speaking of however is the 2006, Johnathan King directed horror film from New Zealand. Check out the poster below. This movie is a riot. If you want a "bloody" (yes I know thats British, so shoot me) good laugh you should definitely check this one out. Beneath the poster is a brief synopsis.
On a farm in New Zealand three young boys, brothers Angus (Eli Kent) and Henry (Nick Fenton) Oldfield and Tucker (Sam Clarke) are rounding up sheep. Angus, who wears a leg brace and walks with a limp, kills Henry's pet sheep Dudley and terrifies him by dressing up in the dead sheep's carcass. Years later Angus comes back to the farm, with a sheep phobia, only to find out his brother, Henry, has been genetically engineering sheep leading to horrific consequences.
This movie is very funny and will give you one hell of a laugh. I mean, think about it. A horror movie where you are scared of sheep because they will turn you into zombie/sheep creatures. Do I really need to say more? I mean that right there tells you it will be hilarious. The actors do a great job at being believable in this crazy horror/comedy. The effects are great for a film not getting a major theatrical release. And not to ruin anything but lets just say there is a scene with Henry (Nick Fenton) with his pants down locked in a room with a sheep. Its classic! "You wouldn't understand"
The movie gets 4 Burning skulls as a great underground horror/comedy which has lately been seen on the IFC channel. I definitely recommend it if you're looking for a good laugh. Get ready for the "Violence of the Lambs!" Enjoy the trailer below. Pleasant Dreams.
If you have not seen this movie by now, I highly recommend it. Lets start with a little plot summary and then I'll tell you what makes this such a great movie.
Life isn't too good for Shaun (Simon Pegg). He lives with his best friend Ed (Nick Frost), neglects his girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield) and despises his step-dad (Bill Nighy). When Liz dumps Shaun, he vows to get his life back on track. Unfortunately, this is the day that the dead have decided to come back to life. With a cricket bat and Ed by his side, Shaun sets out to rescue those he loves and those he doesn't love, and heads to the safest place he knows...the Winchester Arms Pub.
This is a classic horror comedy. Mixing horror and comedy usually makes for a great mix. I absolutely love this movie. I decided to sit down and watch it, for the um-teenth time, so I figured I'd put a post up about it. All of the actors do a very good job and having Bill Nighy definitely gives legitimacy to this movie. The bar scene with the zombies coming in is one of my favorite movie scenes ever. The zombies are coming in to kill everybody and suddenly the juke box "on random" plays Queen's Don't Stop Me Now. It's hilarious. There is only one part that is slightly gorey so it's definitely a movie you can watch with your lady friend. The movie is great. And how much does the actor playing David look like a grown up Harry Potter? That just cracks me up! I give it 4 and 1/2 burning skulls.
I know I have yet to give out 5 burning skulls but when I think of a 5, I think of the Exorcist or The Shining. A classic. This is a great parody and definitely deserves a watch. If you haven't seen it you should definitely check it out. Horror fan or not you will definitely get a kick out of this great British comedy. Later this week I will throw up a review of another British Horror/Comedy, Black Sheep so check back. Enjoy the trailer below. Pleasant Dreams.
Today's movie is another straight to DVD feature, All The Boys Love Mandy Lane. This one I definitely understand why. First let me give you a plot summary of this crappy movie and then I'll tell you why.
The orphan Mandy Lane is a beautiful, virgin and pure teenager raised by her aunt, desired by her schoolmates and a close friend of the outcast Emmet. After the death of their high school mate in a pool party, Mandy befriends Chloe, Marlin, Red, Bird and Jake. Red invites the group for a weekend party in the isolated ranch of his family, with all the boys disputing who would succeed in having sex with Mandy Lane. They meet the henchman Garth that takes care of the ranch and he asks the group to go easy on the drugs and booze. In the middle of the night, a stranger wearing a hood attacks Marlin in the barn; when Jake seeks her out, he faces the killer, beginning a night of bloodshed and terror.
This movie took forever to get going. And when it finally did there wasn't much to it. They tell you who the killer is half way through it and you don't really care. One of the major flaws with this film for me is the characters. None of them leave any type of lasting impression with the exception of Anson Mount who plays the ranch hand, Garth. To me he was the only believable character in this movie. It also does not help that Mandy Lane is supposed to be this beautiful girl that everyone wants and personally I believe her co-stars Whitney Able and Melissa Price are better looking than her. To be honest I didn't see the fascination with this girl at all and isn't that supposed to be the premise of this movie in the first place?
Very little gore in this flick. But as i've said before, horror movies don't necessarily need it but this film needed something thats for sure. There was no tension either. You knew when the killer was coming and what was going to happen when he did, that is except for the ending. I give this movie 2 Burning Skulls and the only reason its not a 1 or even a 0 for that matter was the twist at the end. I will not spoil it for you but it is a good one. Unfortunately that is the movie's only redeeming quality. Enjoy the trailer below and again, Pleasant Dreams
Today's horror movie is not a Fulci film. This film was written and directed by Jeff Buhler. I chose this film because one of its stars is "The Girl at the Video Game Store" herself, Olivia Munn. Other actors include Jesse Metcalfe, Kiele Sanchez, Peter Stormare and Kevin Sussman. So as you can see, nobody special and it was a direct to DVD film. I was very surprised by this movie, I was thinking it would be a low budget suck fest. (According to many movie sites, a lot of people did feel this way) But, personally I disagree. The effects were great and the story was pretty good too.
Metcalfe plays Jack, a man who pretends to be crazy in order to save his sister Lily (Sanchez) from being involuntarily hospitalized. Once inside the institute, the siblings discover that a doctor (Stormare) is using his patients like lab rats, forcing them to take a drug that turns them into flesh-eating psychopaths.
The thing is, the reason I don't think people like this movie is they don't notice that this movie is an homage to the entire horror genre in general. There is a killer in the film who is obviously a play on Hannibal Lector, Olivia Munn is a nurse named Nancy ala the Nightmare on Elm St series, a crazy guy named Loomis ala Halloween, hell the main characters name is Jack ala Cuckoo's Nest. I think the movie is actually genius. It is so simple and yet goes right over most people's heads. I definitely recommend it, if you've heard bad things don't believe them, check it out. 4 Burning Skulls. Enjoy the trailer, and again Sweet Dreams!!!
This is another Fulci film I was able to get my hands on. I gotta thank my friend Justin for this. Just about daily he brings me a new movie or wrestling/MMA pay per view on dvd to watch. Today's movie however, after watching Cat in the Brain was quite a disappointment.
City of the Living Dead, first and foremost, has nothing to do with the very successful George A Romero dead series. Though I do wonder if this was Fulci trying to capitalize on their success. The movie itself falls flat. The whole movie feels like a big build up but in the end doesn't build up to anything special. Here's a brief plot of the movie.
In the small New England town of Dunwich, a priest commits suicide by hanging himself in the church cemetery which somehow opens the gates of hell allowing the dead to rise. Peter, a New York City reporter, teams up with a young psychic, named Mary, to travel to the town where they team up with another couple, psychiatrist Jerry and patient Sandra, to find a way to close the gates before All Saints Day or the dead all over the world will rise up and kill the living.
So pretty much All Saints Day shows up and it is a big let down. Nothing really special happens. On the horror scale I give this movie 1 Burning Skull. After Cat in the Brain this movie was just too slow and not nearly as much action packed. Don't get me wrong a horror movie to me doesn't necessarily need a lot of gore but if you're not gonna do that you gotta go the thriller route and this film didn't do that either. I wont give it a zero because I have seen some atrocious horror films in the past and it certainly wasn't the worst thing I'd ever seen. Check out the trailer below, and again pleasant dreams
As a horror fan I always had heard of the name Lucio Fulci. I never saw any of his movies but I certainly knew the name. Many horror buffs swear by him. Recently I took a look at my collection and I realized, I have a lot of slasher films, a lot of new stuff, some Japanese stuff, and a lot of black and white classic but the one thing that was missing from my collection were some good ol' Grindhouse films. The films from the 70's/early 80's that were rarely seen outside of drive ins and late night theatres.
In 2007, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez tried to bring Grindhouse films back with their double feature of Planet Terror and Death Proof, otherwise simply known as Grindhouse. Unfortunately only a select few went to see the movie. But I am sure those who did loved it just as much as I did.
Which brings me to today. I finally watched my first Fulci film, A Cat in the Brain, and all I can say is I am hooked on Fulci. The movie was great! I don't want to ruin anything for anyone interested but here's a quick breakdown of the movie.
Within the first 5 minutes of the film we have a woman having every single limb being severed from her body and her head decapitated. Her flesh is ground up into ground "beef" and her entrails are fed to pigs. (You still with me? I promise I'm not a psycho) Then suddenly we hear "CUT" Its a movie within a movie. Fulci plays himself. A horror director. However, in the movie he makes us ask the question, Can we actually see too much horror?
Fulci starts seeing scenes from his movies in everyday life. From food in a restaurant to a girl in a wheelchair to even just simply running water and just looking out the window. He decides to see a shrink to deal with his problems. Unfortunately for him the shrink is dealing with a wife who hates his guts and wants a divorce which drives the shrink to kill. He hypnotizes Fulci into believing he is killing people while it is really the doctor. This is not a spoiler, they tell you in the film. As Fulci slips deeper and deeper into madness the shrink has a field day killing one person after another. The whole time Fulci believing he is the real killer.
Its a great film for any horror fan. The effects are just what you'd expect from this type of movie, not the greatest but that's part of its charm. From a wheelchair crushing a persons larynx to a person face being melted clear away. It was great. I am going to steal a rating system here, any good horror fan knows exactly where this comes from.
5 Burning Skulls - Excellent 4 Burning Skulls - Great 3 Burning Skulls - Good 2 Burning Skulls - OK 1 Burning Skull - Poor 0 Burning Skulls - Horrible
I give this movie 4 Burning Skulls. I was definitely hooked and I loved it but I will save a 5 for the films that just absolutely blow me away. I highly recommend it to any horror fan.
Please enjoy the trailer below. And just a warning make sure there are no kiddies in the room, the trailer contains partial nudity and gore. Pleasant dreams!
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