HorrO's Gory Reviews

HOUSE CALL REVIEW

2012-02-06T17:16:00.000-05:00

Janice (Aimee Bello) is in an abusive relationship with her husband Dave (Brad Egger). As some people do in an unhappy relationship, Janice finds herself a lover, Steve (Michael Shepherd Jordan). She has had just enough of Dave, and is strongly considering leaving him for Steve. Actually, the audience gets the feeling that she is willing to do a little more than just leave him, but that may not be the best decision in the end.

The opening sequence to this short supernatural horror film sets the tone for the rest of the movie. Janice and Steve are lying in bed discussing the circumstance they are in, which gives the audience a clear picture of the situation at hand. The reality of the situation then comes to life when Janice returns home. The audience gets to witness Dave’s behavior, which leads to Janice electrocuting him in the bathtub. There is an excellent shot of Dave’s fried body before the story moves on.

Four months later, Janice and Steve are now living together. Everything seems fine to Steve, but Janice keeps having a strange feeling that Dave’s mother (Janet Gawrys) is watching her. Well, she is right. The real creepiness of this film sets in when the audience gets to see his mother conjuring up a spell on the night of the couple’s one-year anniversary. The scene displays a great contrast of the mother’s evil intentions, and shots of the couple making love.

From this point on the real fun begins, and I don’t want to ruin it for you. Let me just say it has enough to make horror fans happy. A creepy atmosphere set by the background music, and whispers from the mother. There is tension that leads to some scares, and an ample amount of blood spilled. The story comes to a satisfying ending, including a very interesting call from the next-door neighbor.

Overall, I’m happy that filmmaker Erik L. Wilson gave me the opportunity to view “House Call.” It accomplishes a lot in its brief screen time. The story is set up well, and has a strong finish. There is tension, some scares, and blood. The film is shot using a Red One camera, and they capture some really nice shots with it. If this short film comes to a film festival near you, I suggest you take the time to see it because I give it 3 pools of blood.

HorrO

THE WOMAN IN BLACK REVIEW

2012-02-02T12:32:00.000-05:00

Oh my God, Harry Potter is married and has a 4-year-old son! Ok, that is my one and only weak Harry Potter joke. I won’t fill this review with references, and jokes about Harry Potter. The days of Harry Potter are over, and it is time for Daniel Radcliffe to move on. Instead, let me get into the movie at hand, “The Woman in Black.”

A struggling lawyer, Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe), is on his last straw at his law firm. He is sent to a house just outside a small village to go over the paperwork of a recently deceased woman. If he can’t get the job done, he will most likely be fired. Being fired might be the least of his concerns when strange things start happening after his arrival.

Let me start by stating the obvious: Daniel does a great job of acting. He actually doesn’t have too hard of a job when it comes to lines because there are stretches of the movie when he is alone. That is when he is just as sharp reacting to the odd occurrences in the house. The rest of the cast does a nice job as well, including Roger Allam, who plays Kipps’ only friend in the village, Mr. Bentley.

All right, now onto more important things such as, how scary and creepy is this movie. Well, it does a decent job in both departments. There are some good attempts to scare the audience with noises, and things jumping out before the woman in black makes her first appearance. Later, the woman in black does her best to pop up from time to time, which apparently scared the casual audience, but might not bother hardcore horror fans.

As far as creepy, the house covers it. It plays just as an important part of the movie as the woman in black. It is full of strange stuff, particularly the toys of the child that lived there. There is a cemetery on the grounds, which I still don’t understand why anyone would want one on their property. The most unique thing about the house is that it is basically an island all by itself. There is one road that leads there, but can only be accessed at low tide. Once high tide hits, Kipps is stuck in the house.

The scares and creepiness had me “thinking” “Insidious,” but not quite at that level. Really, they would be nothing without the tension. They build tension effectively throughout the movie leaving the audience waiting, and waiting for something to happen. There are times where he gets lost in his own thoughts while sorting through paperwork, and something is going on behind him. Other times he might be walking down a long hallway after hearing a weird noise. Overall, nothing matches what the kids do to themselves, but I will leave that for you to see.

As mentioned, the woman in black really isn’t that scary by herself. Yes, when she pops up here, and there it may scare some people, but she really is just a woman in black. In a way, she kind of reminds me of Mary Shaw (Dead Silence). The woman in black was a scorned woman, who has come back for revenge as a ghost. She has the whole village on edge, and certainly gets her revenge. Of course she has a history, which the audience learns about as Kipps figures everything out. There is nothing too complicated going on, and you might even be able to figure it out before Kipps does. I realize they could only go into so much detail, but it might have been nice to learn a little more about her. For example, did anything special happen to give her special ghostly power, or is it just a part of being a vengeful ghost?

Sometimes I catch things in movies, and I just feel the need to mention it. There is one scene where Kipps takes a candle into a room, mind you he hasn’t carried one up to this point in a dark house but that is besides the point. He ends up placing the candle on a shelf before eventually leaving the room. Little time passes and he enters the room again with another candle. This time the candle goes off, falls, and he goes after it like it is the only one he has. Well, what happened to the first candle? Yes, this is what I notice! Nothing major, just felt the need to point it out.

It is still early in 2012, but audiences have already had some interesting endings to movies. There is the sudden ending to “The Devil Inside,” which had a lot of audiences booing. “The Grey” left some audiences crying out for one more scene. If they followed the way the movie was going, it was inevitable that it would end that way. I’m not going to give away the ending, but at some point in this movie it might become apparent to the audience that the movie can end in one of two ways. Just as the movie heads into the final scene there is a big tip off to what is about to happen. This ending might not be as controversial as the two aforementioned movies, but it will still get the emotions flowing.

In the end, I’m happy this movie did not turn out to be another “The Devil Inside.” The scares and creepiness exceed “The Devil Inside” by far. While the woman in black herself might not be all that scary, she will appear from time to time giving a good scare to some people. The house is perfect for a creepy setting, and the whole imagery of the village adds to it. The story is easy to follow, but maybe could have offered up a few more details. The ending will bring out some emotions, but probably not the same ones felt at the end of “The Devil Inside,” and “The Grey.” So Harry Potter, I mean, Daniel Radcliffe helps get this movie 3 pools of blood.

HorrO

LIVESTOCK (2009) REVIEW

2012-01-24T14:35:00.000-05:00

The movie opens in the back of a car with Edgar (Robert Hines) telling Victor (Flore Leo) that he has a chance to move up in the company. Victor just needs to continue proving that he is a value asset, including taking care of the business at hand. As the opening scene unfolded I wondered is this a mob story? It comes off that way early on, and slowly gets more and more into horror as it goes on. It is one of the things that work so well for the movie.

After the mob like opening, the audience gets to meet three women, Annabel (Johanna Gorton), and Tina (Christina C. Crawford) in particular. This introduction seems a little odd, but it is still early in the movie. Annabel is having trouble in the dating world, while Tina is looking to move up in the business world. Annabel hopes Jerry (Matthew Phillion) is the answer to her dating woos, as they are set for a second date. Tina meets Victor, who has an opportunity for her in his line of business.

Anthony (Michael Reardon), who works under Victor, isn’t on top of things like Victor. His task is to capture someone who might not be missed such as a homeless guy, or prostitute. Instead, he kidnaps Annabel and Jerry while they are out on their date. Apparently they are kidnapped for some kind of ritual that is going to take place. When Victor finds out that Anthony picked the wrong kind of people, he is the least bit pleased. What is pleasing for horror fans is what eventually happens to Annabel and Jerry.

The story comes together when Tina joins Victor for an important dinner. Edgar welcomes Tina, and hopes that she will become a valued member of their team like Victor. I’m not going to give away what happens, but it definitely puts an exclamation mark on things. My only problem with is that it feels like only the beginning to the story. It leaves you wanting to see what happens next for this group of people.

Overall, this movie does a good job of creating a gangster like atmosphere while including enough horror. It keeps the audience on their toes, as they aren’t sure where this is all headed. The acting isn’t too bad with a strong performance from Flore Leo. While the ending is satisfying, it kind of felt like this is only the beginning, at least for Victor and company. With that said, I give this movie 2.5 pools of blood.

HorrO

FAMILY SECRET (2009) REVIEW

2012-01-14T12:55:00.000-05:00

Does every family have a family secret? I don't know about that, but this family sure did. That is what Geno McGee tries to figure out after the death of his grandmother. The death sparks a string of murders in his family. The problem is his dead grandmother is apparently committing the murders. How can that be? Maybe the family secret is the answer.

While there is a major family secret in this movie, there is one thing that isn’t a secret… this is an absolutely crazy family. There are so many of them, I can't get into describing each, but here are some you need to know. Obviously there is Geno played by Forris Day Jr. Forris does one of the better acting jobs in the movie. It may take some time, but I think you will come around to rooting for him to solve the crime. Then there is Gary (Alex Pierpaoli), a crude character that isn't afraid to tell anyone what he thinks of them. Trust me, he doesn’t have too much nice to say.

Most importantly, there is the killer grandmother. What is there not to like about a grandmother that goes around killing her wacky family members? Grandma's favorite tool is a meat cleaver, which she makes good use of. There are some descent kills, including a multi-kill scene I call, "Massacre at the Bowling Alley!"

Overall, the family alone makes this an entertaining movie. Yes, some get more screen time than maybe they deserve, but their clear annoyance for each other is fun to watch. They say everything that sometimes you wish you could say. Grandma McGee is a pretty scary looking grandmother that makes good enough use of her meat cleaver. Ultimately it is all about figuring out how grandma can be the killer when she is supposedly dead, and what she has to do with the family secret. I give this movie 2 pools of blood!

HorrO

THE DEVIL INSIDE REVIEW

2012-01-09T12:18:00.000-05:00

A couple of years ago, there was some excitement for “The Last Exorcism.” Some people liked it, but the ending turned others off. There was some hope for “The Rite” when it kicked off 2011. Unfortunately, it currently appears on several lists of the worst horror movies of the year. Enter 2012, and "The Devil Inside." Could it start off 2012 with a bang?

Found footage… here we go again! The movie is a documentary, which follows Isabella Rossi (Fernanda Andrade), on her search for what really happened to her mother years ago. Apparently her mother, Maria (Suzan Crowley), killed three people during her own exorcism. At some point after her trial, Maria was taken to a facility in Italy, where they continue to insist that she is just crazy, and not possessed by a demon. Now Isabella wants to see for herself.

The movie basically boils down to two parts: when exorcism type stuff breaks out, and boring documentary talk. It opens with footage of police documenting the crime scene where Maria apparently killed those people. The people are left brutally beaten, and in a bloody mess. It is a good start to the movie, which could have been better if the audience got to see it happen.

After a quick glance at Maria going to trial, Isabella is introduced in the documentary. There is plenty of boring set up until she arrives at the facility where they are holding her mother. As the doctor explains Maria’s condition to Isabella, the audience gets to see Maria go nuts in her room. Interesting, but nothing great until Isabella actually visits her mom alone in the room. While there are other attempts to build tension, nothing topped this scene. After seeing what Maria is capable of, the audience is left thinking Isabella is nuts for going in there alone.

From that point on, there isn’t much more in the movie that horror fans haven’t seen before. After two priests are introduced, there is an attempted exorcism, which contains the typical exorcism stuff: priests hitting the wall, fowl language, and the demon revealing something about someone in the room. If you don’t fall asleep while all the documentary talk is going on, you can quickly pick up on what is about to happen after the exorcism. The characters are completely oblivious to what is happening, which is so obvious it is almost unexplainable how they can’t figure it out.

All of that leads to the much talked about ending. No worries, I won’t give it away just like I haven’t given away the obvious thing that happens after the exorcism. I guess I’m in the camp of people not liking the ending. It is easy not to like it after feeling that nothing special has happened throughout most of the movie. For the fun of it, let me pretend I liked the ending. I would say, “what did you expect with this being a found footage type movie?” There wasn’t going to be a nice reunion of Maria and Isabella, as they live happily ever after. The movie needed to end suddenly just like say, “The Last Exorcism” did. Maybe if they picked a different sudden conclusion, people wouldn’t be complaining as much.

Apparently “The Devil Inside” did kick off 2012 with a bang after making over $34 million on opening weekend. Too bad it was all about the marketing, and not about the movie. I would have loved nothing more to say this movie deserved the $34 million, but it just didn’t. It lacks anything new from an exorcism, and found footage standpoint. There are a few bloody moments, but has a lack of scares, and too much boring talk. It really did need a special ending to save it, and that never happens. Maybe “The Last Exorcism” really should have been the last exorcism because I give this movie 2 pools of blood.

HorrO

TOP 5 BEST AND WORST HORROR MOVIES OF 2011

2011-12-31T17:06:00.000-05:00

Looking back at 2011, it seemed like it was a slow year for horror. Without looking at the official box office numbers, I’m guessing most horror movies didn’t do too well, especially if the movie wasn’t named “Paranormal Activity 3.” I know, there were several remakes, which some people just refused to see. Too bad for the Occupy Remake Movement because there were some descent remakes this year like “Fright Night,” and “The Thing.” Ok, “Fright Night” turned out not being exactly the same, and “The Thing” was a prequel, but still. (The Thing Review)

Besides some of the major releases, there were some pleasant surprises such as, “Tucker & Dale vs. Evil,” and “Attack the Block” Both of those movies were very fun to watch. There probably was no bigger surprise than “Insidious.” I remember it scaring the hell out the teens in the theater, which was an added bonus to an already great movie. It also proved that maybe there should be some more original horror in 2012 (wink wink). Also, there were some straight to DVD releases, which I enjoyed like “Wrong Turn 4,” and “Quarantine 2,” and some I didn’t such as, “The Howling Reborn.” (Attack the Block Review)

So now that I have tipped you off on how this list might turn out, it is time to wrap up the 2011 horror movie season, and move on to 2012. Here is my list of favorite, and least favorite horror movies of 2011. As with my list from last year, this list includes only the movies I saw, so if I left out your favorite movie, “sorry.” Trust me, I wish I could have seen them all. Also, I decided to give out a few awards, so without further delay:

My Top 5 Favorite Horror Movies of 2011:

#5 Final Destination 5: Was this the end of the franchise? For some, I know they hope it is. For me, I have enjoyed the 3D element in the last two movies. I don’t expect much more than just a bunch of bad actors dying in a horrible way, so there isn’t much to complain about anymore. (Final Destination 5 Review)

#4 Paranormal Activity 3: What can I say… it’s growing on me. I’m still not sure if I liked it more, or less than part 2. While it has the usually theme going on, there are still enough decent scares to please me. With how much money it made, I’m sure we will see a part 4. I would hope they start a new storyline, but that isn’t likely to happen. (Paranormal Activity 3 Review)

#3 Fright Night 3D: I like the Fright Night part of it, and not really the 3D part. It has a good mix of humor, and horror. Colin does a better job as a vampire than I thought he would. And the few changes they make are enough for me not to feel it is just another boring scene for scene remake. (Fright Night 3D Review)

#2 Tucker & Dale vs. Evil: This isn’t exactly your typical horror movie, or is it? It appears that way to start off, but soon becomes more of a horror comedy (an absolutely hilarious one). There are also plenty of deaths, and blood for horror fans. It kind of has the best of both worlds.

#1 Insidious: Well, no surprise here after I basically gave it away in the opening. This was the creepiest movie I have seen in theaters in a long time. I almost didn’t see it because I didn’t know much about it. That would have been a mistake. If you haven’t seen this movie for whatever reason, go get it now, turn down the lights, and enjoy! (Insidious Review)

No, Super 8 didn’t make the list for two reasons. One it isn’t really horror, and I tried hard not to include borderline horror/sci-fi movies on the list. Two, I just wanted to see more of the creature than they showed. Good story, and I liked the kids though. And Rise of the Planet of the Apes… also more sci-fi, but you will find a comment on that below. Hobo with a Shotgun was good, but while it did have a lot of blood, it felt like more of an action movie. (Super 8 Review)

My Top 5 Least Favorite Horror Movies of 2011:

#5 Dylan Dog Dead of Night: Apparently the comic is a lot better. It seems like a good movie idea, but it doesn’t translate on screen. The acting isn’t great, and the little twist at the end isn’t a big surprise. The only thing really memorable about it is when Marcus becomes a zombie.

#4 The Roommate: Ah I’m sure you forgot this was even released this year. Good for you. Too bad I remembered. This is no “Single White Female.” (The Roommate Review)

#3 Vanishing on 7^th Street: Too bad this movie just didn’t vanish. The preview gave me such hope that it would at least be interesting. The darkness came, and you were gone. That is about all that happened with an especially stupid ending. (Vanishing on 7th Street Review)

#2 11-11-11: What a disappointment for a movie with the perfect opportunity to do something special with the whole 11-11-11 thing. It is like you get this opportunity all the time, although next year we could see the sequel 12-12-12. You never know. (11-11-11 Review)

#1 The Howling Reborn: This movie almost escaped this list, as I just recently saw it. At least an hour and a half wasted watching this movie turned out to be of some use. There is just too much time spent on the boy and girl having feelings for each other. It almost reminded me of Twilight, which isn’t a good thing. And when the wolves finally fight, all it amounts to is a bunch of growling, and camera shaking!

I know, what a weak pick for number 1. Of course a straight to DVD movie, especially of a franchise that hasn’t done anything special in years, is more likely to suck. Oh well, that is what they get for releasing a movie late in the year so that I can easily remember how bad it is. I missed Hellraiser: Revelations, but from what I’ve heard, that might have made the list too. And yes, The Darkest Hour just barely escaped this list! (The Darkest Hour 3D Review)

And now for a few awards:

Honorable Mention for Favorite Movie- Again, it is more sci-fi than horror, but Rise of the Planet of the Apes was one of my favorite movies of 2011 (Rise of the Planet of the Apes Review)

Best 3D in a Horror Movie- Final Destination 5

Worst 3D in a Horror Movie- Fright Night

Best Horror Remake- Fright Night

Worst Horror Remake- Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark

Most Disturbing Horror Movie- Red State (upsetting The Human Centipede 2) (Red State Review)

Biggest Disappointment- Priest (Scream 4 was close) (Priest Review, Scream 4 Review)

Most Blood- Hobo with a Shotgun (yes I just said it wasn’t horror, but I had to give it credit for something)

Horror movies I wanted to see but haven’t: TrollHunter, Rubber, Atrocious, and I Saw the Devil

Horror movies I didn’t really want to see, therefore are not on this list: Beastly, and Red Riding Hood

Horror movies I am most looking forward to seeing next year (if they are released as planned): Halloween 3D, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D, World War Z, and Prometheus

And I can't end the year without again mentioning how much I liked American Horror Story! If I was giving out awards for TV shows as well, they would clean house!

HorrO

HOSTEL 3 REVIEW

2011-12-27T11:59:00.000-05:00

Scott (Brian Hallisay) is only a week away from getting married to Amy (Kelly Thiebaud). Carter (Kip Pardue), as any best man is suppose to do, sets up a bachelor party, which is a trip to Las Vegas. When they arrive in Vegas, they meet up with two other friends, Justin (John Hensley) and Mike (Skyler Stone). Then the parting, and drinking leads to the craziest day of their lives, in what becomes one of the best comedies of the last few years. Wait a second, something is wrong here. Am I reviewing “The Hangover” or “Hostel 3?”

Apparently the writers of “Hostel 3” are fans of “The Hangover” because the storyline is very similar. I’m a fan of “The Hangover” too, but it makes a better comedy than horror movie. I’m also a fan of the Hostel franchise, so I was disappointed to find out part 3 would be a straight to DVD release. I figured it wouldn’t measure up to the previous movies, but was I right?

The first complaint about this movie, besides my obvious dislike for the similarity to “The Hangover,” is that it goes over 30 minutes before there is a death. This is Hostel, where is the blood? Instead, the time is spent setting up "The Hangover" theme. There are several times where they make it appear like something bad might happen, but it never does.

There are a couple of other changes they made, which I didn’t care for. One is changing the setting to America. It felt somewhat wrong not being in Europe. It was always a good change of scenery, and I miss that crazy gang of kids. They also made the deaths about gambling. Instead of bidding on people for you to kill, they are betting on aspects of the kill such as, how long it will take before some mentions they have a family. I guess this is just the way Hostel is done in America.

Making the deaths more about gambling than the deaths themselves takes away from some of the creativity the audience sees in the previous movies. The people doing the killing were enjoying it, even making it almost like their artwork. This time it is about entertaining the gamblers. Some of the things they gamble on are funny, but that is not what Hostel is about. I don’t want to give away any of the specific deaths. I’ll just say that the first death is all right, but they get weaker from there. Yes, there is some blood, and body parts chopped up, but it isn’t all that creative. The final death of the movie might have been fun if the audience got to see it happen.

There are some twists and turns, which you may or may not see coming. As with the other movies, the prisoners get a chance to escape, and that sets up some excitement. It is also where probably my favorite death occurs, which is one that is not even part of the game. Not giving away who it is, but one character’s body is used to help a car escape the garage. Now that is the kind of creativity I’m talking about.

So yes, this straight to DVD release didn’t measure up to the first two Hostel movies. Partially because it went straight to DVD, and partially because of the changes they made. The problems start with “The Hangover Gone Tragically Wrong” storyline. The biggest change for the worse is a lack of creativity with the deaths. They please the gamblers more than the audience. With that, I give this movie 2.5 pools of blood.

HorrO

Win A "Hoyt for Sheriff T-Shirt" From Tshirtbordello.com!

2011-12-24T12:53:00.000-05:00

With 2012 knocking on the door, election season is about to kick into full gear. There are plenty of politicians who are not going to be re-elected. Well, how about we support someone who should be re-elected… Sheriff Hoyt! The first step in showing your support is by entering this contest, and winning a great "Hoyt for Sheriff T-Shirt" from our friends at Tshirtbordello.com.

There are 2 ways to enter. 1) In the comment section below, post your best campaign slogan for Sheriff Hoyt. Be sure to include your name, and email address in the message. 2) Email me at horrosreviews@aol.com with the subject line “HOYT T-SHIRT CONTEST” and include your best campaign slogan for Sheriff Hoyt along with your name. If you can’t think of a good slogan, it is all right just to include just your name, and email address. Please only enter once per person! The contest will end on January 4th, where I will randomly pick the winners who will be notified via email. Good luck to you, and good luck to Hoyt in his re-election campaign. And don’t forget to please check out Tshirtbordello.com for a great inventory of Horror, Sci-Fi, and just plain old hilarious t-shirts!

Happy Horrordays,

HorrO & Tshirtbordello.com

THE DARKEST HOUR 3D REVIEW

2011-12-23T13:18:00.001-05:00

“Survive the Holidays!” Not a bad tagline, but the movie has nothing to do with the holidays except the release date. Oh well, onto the point. I had two concerns while watching the preview. One, hopefully the previews didn’t show all of the disintegrating human tricks. Two, hopefully it wouldn’t be as bad as Skyline (what a nightmare). So did The Darkest Hour send 2011 off with a bang?

Sean (Emile Hirsch), and Ben (Max Minghella) land in Moscow in order to pitch a big business idea. To their surprise, they are beaten to the punch by a colleague, Skyler (Joel Kinnaman). Losing out on the deal, the two head off to do the next best thing… drink and look for women! That is where they find a pair of American girls, Natalie (Olivia Thirlby), and Anne (Rachael Taylor). Just as the flirting begins the power goes out. Everyone exits the club to witness these beautiful glowing lights coming down from the sky. Ah, so pretty, yet so dangerous!

Once the crowd gets a demonstration of what the lights can really do, the chaos begins. Everyone runs for their life, as the audience gets to see several people turn to dust by these sometimes glowing, sometimes invisible aliens. Our main characters make it safely into the basement of the club. It is here that the audience gets the first of several attempts to show how time lapses. There are quick flashes of the group in the basement, as the days appear at the bottom of the scene. I’m sorry, it did nothing but make me laugh at this ridiculousness. Just end the scene, and pick it up when they are ready to leave. The audience doesn’t need to see them eating, and arguing. There are other moments in the movie where they flash scenes advancing the characters ahead. It just didn’t work for me.

From here on out the plot is pretty standard for this type of movie. The group fights its way through Moscow looking for other survivors, and a way to fight off the aliens. There is a lot of talk about electricity, and how that affects the aliens. I have no idea if any of it makes sense to anyone, so I just rolled with it. If they say they can shoot microwave waves at the aliens, so be it. There is one scene where a few of the characters are standing there ready to fight the aliens with these makeshift guns in their hands. I really wanted to yell out, “Ghostbusters!” If you see it, you will know what I mean.

It would be easy to come out and say the acting is bad, in some cases it is, but the writers are probably more to blame. There are just some really bad lines, which are even worse when they come from some of the Russian characters. Then there are things that don’t make any sense. At one point, the characters find a radio that is in a small cage. Instead of taking it out to use it, Sean slides a stick into the cage to turn it on and off. Moments later they need to leave the room in a hurry, so Anne just opens the cage, and takes the radio. What did I miss?

Later on, they are on a boat, which eventually gets knocked over with the characters falling into the water. Most of the group comes out in one place, but one girl ends up miles away. How in the hell did she end up so far away when she knows where they are going? Oh, and the ending. It is like “well we are out of money and ideas, so this looks like a good place to stop. That’s a wrap!”

All right, let me talk about a more positive aspect of the movie, the special effects. The disintegrating human trick looks pretty nice in 3D. It’s good to see they didn’t give away all of the tricks in the previews (at least the previews I saw). The audience eventually gets to see more of what the aliens look like, which happens in a crazy special effect. Speaking of the 3D, it isn’t too bad, except there is a part where stuff explodes, and it would have been nice to see the stuff come at me.

So I probably made you think I hated the movie, and you will see it on my list of top 5 least favorite movies of 2011. Spoiler alert… it’s not on the list. Yes, it has plenty of flaws, but it isn’t as painful to watch as Skyline. Instead, I just sat, and let the movie happen, with a few chuckles at some clearly ridiculous moments of course. The special effects are good enough, and it is good to see there is a little more to the aliens then what is shown in the previews. The Darkest Hour may have sent 2011 off with more of a flicker than a bang, so I give it 2 pools of blood.

HorrO

SHORT FILM SERIES: "SLASH-IN-THE-BOX"

2011-12-19T11:03:00.000-05:00

“Slash-In-The-Box” is the second film in this short film series. This film is only about 5 minutes, and I think you will like it. Remember, watch the film, and post your review in the comment section. You will find my review below as well. Watch the film first, as my review will have spoilers. Enjoy!

Slash-In-The-Box from Nick Everhart on Vimeo.

(Click here if it doesn’t play above)

The opening scene reminds the audience there is nothing like a boy and his toy. The husband thinks the jack-in-the-box is so cool, but the wife says it is creepy. Don’t you guys hate when women prove they are always right? There is some decent humor to start off after the jack pops out of the box. It sets a good mood, and keeps the attention of the audience.

Of course the husband hears a sound, and has to go check it out. Who knew the jack-in-the-box likes baseball? Again the husband couldn’t resist playing with his toy. He really should have been more concerned with why the baseball is rolling around by itself. There is some good blood splatter there, but it would have been fun to see what the jack-in-the-box did to him exactly.

Now it is the wife’s turn. The silence raises the tension, but it might have been a little more realistic if she called out for her husband at least once. When she sees box playing by itself I was thinking… “Um run!” That is a great terrifying look on her face. I’m not sure how his head fit in the box, but I love the imagination in putting it there. This is definitely one of those films that end with a bang.

HorrO

For more information on this film, please visit http://www.PopGoesTheEvil.com

SHORT FILM SERIES: "ANNA"

2011-12-10T16:51:00.000-05:00

Thanks to PromoteHorror.com, I have had the privilege to promote several short films. While I hope most of you had an opportunity to see them, I’m sure some of you missed them. So I thought I would try something a little different, and give you a chance to review some movies along with me. Posted below is the first film in this short film series, "ANNA", which is followed by a short review. What I would like you to do is watch the film first, as the review will include spoilers, and then post your review in the comment section. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW__oMfQS64&feature=youtube_gdata_player

As you noticed, the short film is only of the video chats. It is actually very interesting that the entire film is shot via Skype. I certainly would like to see if there are any other movie ideas out there that could be shot this way. It would be almost like an added challenge to filmmaking.

Obviously this is a “Paranormal Activity” type film. It isn’t on a grand scale like “P.A.”, but it does just enough in a short time. One of the better moments, besides the ending, is when Laura receives a phone call, and there is no one there. Just as she is turning it off, the audience gets to see something move that she clearly doesn’t notice.

Lisa-Marie Long (Laura) and Matthew Solomon (David) do a good job acting as the loving couple at first, even hinting at some long distance sexual activity. It is a good angle to start with before the situation quickly changes. They perform just as well when the stress builds, particularly Matthew.

It is good that there is just enough back-story of Anna squeezed into the film. I don’t know much about Skype, but I’m guessing the ending might have been the hardest part to shoot. It adds to the creepiness to see Anna kind of flash to the front of the computer screen. They also do a good job giving her that glowing look.

So there are a few of my thoughts on “ANNA.” Now it is your turn. Please post your thoughts in the comment section below.

HorrO

For more information on “ANNA” and writer/director/actor Matthew Solomon, please visit http://matthewsolomon.weebly.com/

Holiday Horror Wish List

2011-12-01T14:13:00.000-05:00

So I thought we would have a little fun to kick off the holiday season. Basically I want all of you to come up with a Holiday Horror Wish List. It could be something that you could really get like a DVD of your favorite horror movie of 2011, or a collection of Stephen King books. Your list could also be something you would like to see happen in the world of horror for 2012 such as, a sequel to your favorite horror movie, or no more remakes! To give a few more examples, here is my Holiday Horror Wish List:

-More episodes for season 2 of American Horror Story!

-For another network to do a zombie show! Hell more zombie movies and less vampire movies!

-The release of Jeepers Creepers 3 already!

-For horror movies not named Paranormal Activity 4 to make over $10 million on opening weekend!

-Supernatural to be renewed!

-The strength to see 1 more Twilight movie!

-The Insidious DVD please!

-Continued support for HorrO's Gory Reviews, The Dog Days in Zombieville, and PromoteHorror.com!

Now it is your turn! Please post your Holiday Horror Wish List in the comment section below, and we will see if Horror Claus will make it come true.

HorrO

Unmasking the Horror Tour (Behind the Scenes of HHN's)

2011-11-21T14:36:00.001-05:00

I hope my post on Halloween Horror Nights 21 gave you a good look into what this event is all about. Now I want to give you a look behind the scenes of HHN’s, and what goes into making these haunted houses so great. Before I get into the houses, let me tell you a little about the Unmasking the Horror Tour, which gave me the opportunity to bring you all this great information. Prior to going in the houses, everyone got to watch a video giving a brief history of HHN’s. It was a good reminder of some of the past events, and what made them so awesome.

After the video, they separated us into two groups of 12. Then our guide gave us an explanation of this year’s event, and how Lady Luck was tied into the story behind each house. Yes, the houses aren’t just there simply to scare us. Each houses has a story, which is connected to the horror icon. When she finished with her explanation, it was finally time to see the houses.

Like last year, we got to go into three houses. I already gave you some information in my HHN’s 21 post, so I thought I would show you some more pictures, and give a brief explanation as to what is going on.

The first house we went into was "Nevermore- The Madness of Poe." The first pictures here are of the first room in the house. Basically the scaractor Poe is sitting at the desk working on his writings. He wasn’t really scary, but certainly was frustrated with how the writing was going.

The next room was one of the most interesting rooms of all the houses. Here Poe is knelled over a hole in the floor containing some body parts. What makes the room so interesting is that this small scene is replicated several times. There is one Poe on the floor, one on the side of the room, and even one on the ceiling. The scare comes from finding which Poe was the real one.

When some people think Poe they think ravens, so of course there had to be a room with ravens. Here there are some ravens in a tree behind what is suppose to be a window. However there is nothing really there, and instead they simulate an effect where it appears the window glass is shattering.

In this video below, the guide gave us a little detail about another part of this room.

Where are the blood and guts in this room you ask? Well, here you go. What you see in these pics is what you get. Some hanging heads, and a pendulum going through a body.

Next was a ballroom style room where they had people dressed all-nice dancing in front of some mirrors. Obviously they are fake, but the trick here is finding the real dancing scaractor.

The grand finale in the house was at the top of this stairway. The scaractor Poe was at the top right in front of this painting. If you were lucky enough to be in the room at the right time, the lights would flash, and you could see a woman named Victoria appear behind the painting.

Now to the next house, which is "The Forsaken". This house got right into the blood and guts. As you can see from the pics and the video, there were several dead bodies, and plenty on weapons in this house. They made for a great photo opportunity if you were on the tour.

In the next pic, I’m standing where a scaractor crewmember would be standing. Behind me is a hole in the wall that has a projection of more of these crewmembers coming through it. Basically they were trying to take a page from the church scene from the original "Fog" movie.

I know you don’t really what to see anymore of me, but here is a pic of the me on the slanted floor I mentioned in my other post.

Now for a video and some pics from the amazing final room of the house. As you come in the room, you are walking under three men who have been hung. One of these men has a wire attached that simulates his body shaking while being hung. When you come out from under there, you are met with some wind, and smoke, as you see a stairway with a few crewmembers on it. Again, the trick here is finding which crewmember in the room was real. The open space in the room really helped you soak up everything that was going on in the room.

The last house we went into was "Winter’s Night: The Haunting of Hawthorn Cemetery." This video shows the really cool entrance to this house.

Sometimes in some of the houses they use props from movies, which they did in this house. The stagecoach you see was the one used in Van Helsing.

Here is a pic of a nice creepy statue. Why am I showing it to you? Well on the opposite side is the same space in the wall for the same statue except this statue is actually a scaractor.

Here is a pic of two bodies in a coffin. Not a big deal right? Well if you walked through here and had any thoughts of jumping inside, you might be interested to know that someone already laid to rest in this coffin.

Does that stagecoach in the next pic look a little small? Well, that is because it is a small model of the cemetery. It is actually behind this brick wall that you see. There is suppose to be a scaractor behind the wall popping out every once in awhile when you are peaking through the hole.

You might be thinking this next pic is just a pile of bones. Yes, and no. Yes there is a pile of bones, but if you closely you can see a small place to sit. They had a scaractor sitting here that looked like they were part of the pile. Of course they would jump up at those who weren’t paying attention.

Now here is something you probably missed if you went in this house. I looked for it, but it was too hard to see when the room was dark. It is the tombstone for Mary Shaw from "Dead Silence". I thought that was cool except most people probably didn’t know it was there.

Right after that is another stagecoach with these creatures standing in front of it. I think you get the point, which one is the real one? And in case you are wondering, it isn’t always that easy to tell who the scaractor is.

Well I hope you enjoyed this look behind the scenes of HHN’s. They put great effort, and detail into putting on the event, which you can really appreciate on a tour like this. For anyone that really likes haunted houses, this is a great tour to go on, and see how they pulled off everything. You can visit the Halloween Horror Nights 2011 Pictures and Videos page for more pictures and videos from the event, and tour. Also check out my post on Halloween Horror Night's 21.

HorrO

HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS 21 (2011)

2011-11-16T14:01:00.001-05:00

Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando, Florida is an event I look forward to every year. For its 21^st year, the horror icon was a newcomer, Lady Luck. I can’t say she struck any fear in me, but that wasn’t going to stop me from attending this event.

As I have done the past couple of years, I went on the R.I.P. Tour to ensure that I got to see every haunted house. For those not familiar with the tour, it is a small private tour in which the guide gives you background information on the houses, and leads you right to the front on the lines. Trust me, not waiting in those long lines is a big deal.

The R.I.P. Tour wasn’t the only tour I went on, as I also went on the Unmasking the Horror Tour. This tour gives you a behind the scenes look at three of the houses. I will have more on that in a separate post. In between the two tours I had about two hours to spare once the event opened. And what did I do you ask?

Well, I raced through each house, and by a miracle made it through all eight of them. Tiring yes, but it allowed me a chance to see each house twice. It isn’t always easy to visit houses more than once, but if you get the chance, I say go for it. You will usually have a different experience each time. You might see something you missed, or get a scaractor that does their job better than the previous one.

All right, finally to the good stuff. Below find a brief description from the event guide of the haunted houses, scare zones, and live shows they had along with some of my thoughts on each of them. Enjoy!!!

Haunted Houses:

The Forsaken: “Within an abandoned Spanish fort, the mutinous undead crew of Columbus’ missing fourth ship has returned with a vengeance.”

My thoughts: The dead crew had some cool looking green glowing eyes. Sometimes it tipped you off to where they were if you were paying attention. One of the different things about this house was that one of the rooms had a slanted floor, which was suppose to be part of the ship. It was a good addition to the house because it made you watch your step, and not see where the scaractors were hiding. Also, this house had one of the better final rooms. As you entered the room, you were under three men that had been hung. Once you came around the corner there were real and fake crewmembers waiting for you (more on this house in my behind the scenes post).

The In Between: “An ominous portal reveals a 3^rd dimension where fiendish creatures collide with our world in a phantasm of terror.”

My thoughts: I was definitely excited about going into a house wearing 3D glasses somewhere besides the movie theater. They did a good job making the most out of the 3D. Not too far into the house you have to walk through a spinning tunnel. By the time you get across the walkway, you have become dizzy as the 3D effect sets in. This made everything that followed even crazier. The rooms were full of lights and different colors with creatures standing still in the backgrounds until they came at you. I really hope they do at least one 3D house a year from now on.

Nevermore- “The Madness of Poe: Step into the mind of author Edgar Allan Poe, where every turn of the page takes you closer to insanity.”

My thoughts: Poe is an interesting person to base a house on, but I wasn’t too sure he is exactly scary. I was right, as the Poe scaractor in the rooms wasn’t that scary. However, this house had one of the more interesting rooms. There was a really dark room with Poe sitting in a certain pose with a heart in front of him. This pose was duplicated in several different places in the room. The trick here was finding which Poe was real. Another cool room had Poe standing at the top of some stairs with a huge picture behind him. If you got luck to see it, the lights would flash ever once in a while, and you could see Virginia behind the picture (more on that in my behind the scenes post).

Saws N’ Steam: “Spinning blades and crushing pistons threaten your every step as you’re forced deeper into the bowels of a mechanical nightmare.”

My thoughts: After talking about HHN’s with people this seems to have been a popular house. I liked it, but I didn’t think it was the best. It might have been the best at trying to be disgusting. The theme here was that they were killing people in order to take the water out of your body. One room had cool machines in the wall that were squishing the water out of flesh. Similarly, there were fish tanks in the wall that had flesh, eyes, and fingers. The last room was interesting, as it featured a guy with a weird device over his head standing behind some water. Ever once in a while it would seem like he was shocked or something, and come through the water as you walked by. He definitely got me wet.

H.R. BloodenGutz Presents Holidays of Horror: “Join creature feature host, H.R. Bloodengutz, in his final televised broadcast as he presents a SCARE-athon of holiday-based horror.”

My thoughts: Every year they always have a house that they kind of just have fun with. Sometimes it works and is entertaining, and other times it becomes just a waste of a house. I would say this house kind of worked. Each room in the house was dedicated to a holiday, such as the 4^th of July, Easter, and Thanksgiving. The names of the holidays were slightly changed to television shows. Some of the names were Thankskilling, and Feaster. H.R. BloodenGutz was in the first room greeting everyone as they walked in. He wasn’t too scary, and neither was the Easter Bunny that tried to scare people. He needed to be in a better hiding place. Grandma being cooked as the Thanksgiving turkey was cool.

The Thing: “Inspired by the new thriller, paranoia spreads among a group of Antarctic researchers as they encounter a creature that has the ability to turn itself into an exact replica of any living being.”

My thoughts: This was by far my favorite of The Thing houses that they have done. In the past, I just did not like how they went about presenting the Thing. There was a good feel to this house, almost like you were in the movie. Basically you are entering the same outpost that is in the movie. As you make your way through the rooms you see the researchers hiding in fear of the Thing. A couple of them were armed with guns, and would open fire when a Thing appeared. I made the mistake of looking right at one of these guns when it was fired, and was blinded for a couple of seconds.

Nightingales Blood Prey: “Patrolling WWI-era trenches, you discover you’re more than just as war… you’re being hunted by savage, shape-shifting banshees.”

My thoughts: This was my favorite house. Just like The Thing house, it really made you feel like you were in a war zone. As you made your way through the house you would see soldiers being killed by these banshee women. One of the best kills of the entire event happened here when they simulated a soldiers being ripped in half. Basically he would be standing in a spot and just as he calls out, a banshee comes from behind and takes off the soldier’s torso. I kind of ruined the effect for me by looking over the side, and seeing the two scaractors hiding in the background. It was still cool though. Another favorite of mine was a banshee on the top of the wall eating one of the soldiers. Both times I went in this house I told her what a great job she was doing eating the soldier, and I got squirted with water. Damn banshees!

Winter’s Night- “The Haunting of Hawthorn Cemetery: As snow falls on this serene gothic cemetery, spirits of the deceased rise from their graves… their ghostly sights firmly set upon you.”

My thoughts: This house really proved why you have to go in each house more than once. I had different experiences each time I went in the houses, but this one stood out the most has having a different experience in each room. For example, one room had a graveyard, where a zombie scaractor was suppose to crawl across. Well, the first time I went through there he was more like bouncing than crawling across. It totally ruined the effect. The second time there was probably a different scaractor, and he was doing a much better job of making it look like he was crawling. Another example was in another room where they had a brick wall with some holes in it. When you look inside, there was a small cemetery scene. The first time there was someone behind the wall scaring people, and the second time there was no one there to scare people (more on that in my behind the scenes post).

Scare Zones:

Your Luck Has Run Out- “Enter if you dare into the lair of the LUCKY. Your choices will determine if you make it out alive!”

My thoughts: Surprised that this was in a small space with it being based on Lady Luck. It was probably the zone that gave you the best chance for pictures. The fun part was the exit, where guys with chainsaws were waiting for you. It is so much fun watching people run in fear.

7- “By day, these seven Temptresses appear as a spectacle of beauty. But by night, they show their true fatal evil forms.”

My thoughts: These Temptress represented the 7 sins. At the beginning of the night, they showed their true beauty. By the end of the night, they represented their sin to the max. This was fun for people that saw them during the different stages of the transformations.

Acid Assault- “Degrading from the effects of acid rain, those that have survived the blistering decay are all alone in the city.”

My thoughts: This zone had one of the coolest effects of the night. On the side of the buildings, there were projections simulating as if the buildings were slowly collapsing. Even though it was the same thing over and over, it was something you just couldn’t take your eyes off of it. Later in the night, the rat lady made an appearance.

NightMaze- “Journey through the ever-changing maze of darkness. You won’t be scared the same way twice!”

My thoughts: This maze was basically a series of fences covered in black cloth. As people walked through it, the fences swung to a new position changing people’s direction. In some places there were scaractors dressed completely in black to blend in, and scare you. It was a good idea, but not that scary.

Grown Evil- “Nature has taken this once well-manicured garden back from the humans who once kept it.”

My thoughts: This zone probably had the scariest creatures out of all of the zones. It was dark, and smoky as you walked through here for the creatures to surprise you. There were some pretty cool nasty looking bats hanging from the trees as well.

Canyon of Dark Souls: “An overwhelming sense of death surrounds you, and the creatures that dwell within the Canyon are not welcoming.”

My thoughts: This zone had several creatures dressed all in black with oversized heads, and walking on hidden stilts. They hid against a background that looked similar to them. They weren’t that scary, but were fun to look at.

Live Shows:

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure- “Party on as those two most excellent dudes return to skewer the biggest names in entertainment and pop culture.”

My thoughts: The show that packs the stadium every time. If you have never seen this show, it is worth seeing at least once. It is a basic formula every year. A bad guy recruits an evil team to get rid of Bill and Ted. Bill and Ted form their own to team to put a stop to them. These teams are made up of famous people, and characters that have been in the news over the past year. This year included, Smurfette, Papa Smurf, Sucker Punch Girls, Presidents Bush and Obama, and True Blood characters. There was also some singing and dancing by half-naked men and woman. The show was funny, but not as funny as in the past. I don’t know, maybe I have just seen one too many of them.

Death Drums- “A seductive, hard hitting and raw extreme drumming experience. Three different shows nightly.”

My thoughts: This was a new show for HHN’s. This one was filled with more half naked men and women dancing to the beats of the drums. They rolled out these giant platforms filled with guys drumming from different levels. There were three different shows, which unfortunately I was only to see the first one. It was entertaining, but I’m not sure it fit the HHN’s theme.

So I hope this gave you a good look into what HHN’s is all about. I strongly suggest you visit this event if you are presented the opportunity to do so. You don’t have to go on the tours like I did, but I recommend it. If you have any questions about HHN’s I would be happy to try to answer them. Also check out my post "Unmasking the Horror Tour (behind the scenes of HHN's)", and more pics and videos.

HorrO

11-11-11 REVIEW

2011-11-11T12:07:00.000-05:00

So today is finally 11-11-11! Some think the world is going to end today, but so far so good. It can’t end until you at least get to finish reading this review. After that you are on your own. The question here isn’t: is the world going end today? The question really is: is it the end of the world if you don’t see this movie?

The movie starts of with a scene of a burning hallway, and a boy trying to reach his mother on the other end. The mother desperately wants to save him, but can’t make it through the fire. Joseph, (Timothy Gibbs), then wakes up from this nightmare that continues to plague him. Actually, it isn’t just a nightmare, but a reality that he just can’t get over. It is just one of several key events in his life that will lead him to 11-11-11!

The movie basically starts off on Nov. 8, and counts down to the big day. Joseph is in a support group in order to help him get over the death of his wife, and child. While there, he meets Sadie (Wendy Glenn), who he randomly talks to for support throughout the movie. In other words, she is a waste of a character like several others in this movie. After talking with her, he pulls away in his car, and miraculously survives a car crash. Why… because the world has bigger plans for him. And what are those plans?

Nov 9: Joseph takes a trip to Spain to visit his dying father, and brother, Samuel (Michael Landes), who he has pretty much been ignoring over the years. Apparently his father and Samuel ran a church, which has lost its favor with people. Samuel has high hopes that he will be able to get people to return to the church. Being a pastor, he has a strong belief in God unlike Joseph, who has given up on God. Things start to get weird, as there is more and more talk about religion, and 11-11-11. Samuel, and this strange woman, who is there to take care of their father, tries to convince Joseph to come back to God.

They don’t really do a good job of it. Instead, Joseph gets engulfed in the madness of 11-11-11. He does some research and finds out that it has something to do with a doorway, and these messengers. Shockingly, the messengers have a message, and they are trying to deliver it to him, which happens time after time. It really becomes the only thing they try to scare the audience with. All that happens is the room gets dark, music is pumped up, Joseph looks aimlessly around, and a shadow pops up.

Nov 10: One of those messengers is his father, who seems to be possessed when he wakes up from his deathbed to mumble at Joseph. One of the few important things that come from the conversation is that Joseph must protect Samuel from the messengers that want to sacrifice him on 11-11-11. Joseph is skeptical about this because he is still having a hard time getting over some of his father’s past actions.

There is a church service where another unusual character, Vavier (Lluis Soler), is introduced. After the service Vavier approaches Samuel with a gun. He makes some threats before Joseph disarms him. It is all good except that the threats are in Spanish and there are no subtitles. Great, he could be telling him how awesome his haircut is and the non-Spanish speaking audience wouldn’t know what he is talking about.

Nov 11: Unsurprisingly, the big day doesn’t go well. Sadie comes to see how Joseph is doing (woo!). Then more tragedy when their father passes away. At this point, I was extremely ready for whatever big event that was going to happen to happen already. I’m not going to give it away, but the ending is just as unsatisfying as the rest of the movie. I was hoping something interesting would finally happen, but in a way what turned out happening is somewhat predictable. Actually it would have been more fun if the doorway opened up, and suck them all inside. The only cool thing about the ending, besides the fact that the movie ends, is that the audience finally gets to see the messengers in their true form. Too bad they didn’t show them like this throughout the movie.

Let me go ahead and just wrap this review up so that the world can end after you finish reading. There is just too much talking in this movie, and the whole mystery involving 11-11-11 never becomes that interesting. The attempts to be scary are weak, and too repetitive. As you could hopefully tell, I wasn’t fond of the acting, and the use of the characters. The twist isn’t that shocking, and they really miss an opportunity to push the limits of the whole 11-11-11 thing. So because it isn’t the end of this world if you miss this movie, I give it 1 pool of blood. Now go run and hide until 11-11-11 passes!

HorrO

HALLOWEEN LIGHT SHOWS

2011-11-01T13:32:00.000-04:00

This is not a review, but if it were I would give it 5 pools of blood. You MUST check out some of these videos I found on YouTube. I’m not even going to describe it for you, just pick at least one and watch it. I wish my neighbors did this because there is no way I would be able to!

THE THING (2011) REVIEW

2011-10-28T13:10:00.000-04:00

How do you get around the hate for remakes? Your answer is probably stop making them right? Well, that isn’t the route Universal chose. They opted to make the latest version of “The Thing” a prequel. In reality, it is more like they disguise their remake with a prequel. It is an interesting route to take, but did it turn out to be an effective one?

For those that have seen John Carpenter’s 1982 version, there is a Norwegian outpost that the Americans investigate. Well, this prequel takes the audience through exactly what happens on the outpost before the Americans get there. Norwegian scientists discover an alien ship, and an actually alien that has been frozen in the ice. They bring the block of ice with the alien in it back to their outpost in order to investigate it. Kate (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), one of the researchers, thinks it is a bad idea when one of her fellow researchers decides to try to draw a blood sample from the alien. Unknown to them, the alien is still alive, and the experiment ultimately leads to its escape.

Let me first expand on what I mean by them disguising this remake with a prequel. Yes, the movie clearly takes place before the events of the 1982 version, and ends right where that version begins. However, instead of the events of the movie being different, they are very similar to what happens in the 1982 version. What they have done here is basically slap on a beginning where the audience gets to see them discover the Thing, and then follow closely with what happens in the 1982 version. The Norwegians battle for their lives as the Thing tries to replicate itself, and escape.

Is this a bad thing… not at all. I mean that is what The Thing is all about. I’m just pointing out the whole “prequel” thing, and why those that hate remakes weren’t fooled by it. It doesn’t really bother me because you know I typically like some back-story. This movie doesn’t add much, but it is good to see them make the discovery, and why the Thing attacked the Norwegians in the first place. The audience gets to meet Lars (Jorgen Langhelle), the Norwegian that gets off the chopper in the 1982 version, and sees how he knows to shoot at the dog.

Ok, let me try to focus on this movie without too many more comparisons to the 1982 version. One of the important themes of the movie is the mystery of “who is the Thing.” They do a pretty good job of hiding that from the audience, as I never seemed to guess right. At one point, Kate figures out that the Thing can’t replicate anything artificial that humans put in their bodies such as, a person’s dental fillings, or a metal plate. This is a very interesting detail they added, which makes a lot of sense. This narrows down the possibilities, but the mystery is still there.

As far as the Thing itself, it is enjoyable watching it shed the human body, and just become a crazy looking “thing.” The first couple of times they show the Thing the CGI didn’t seem to be that great, but it seems to get better as the movie goes on. I’m not a special effects expert, but sometimes it feels like CGI is in the eye of the beholder. Some will enjoy it, while others see it as being too fake. While the 1982 version did a great job with the effects, especially at its time, there are still moments when the audience can tell how fake it is. The CGI isn’t perfect, but it doesn’t ruin the experience.

The best transformation and appearance of the Thing is when it merges two people together. It is truly disgusting, and awesome at the same time. It would have been nice to see it in this form causing chaos a little earlier. My only real question about the Thing in its alien form is: how exactly does it fly a spaceship? It would have been interesting to see how it accomplishes that.

If nothing else, it appears that the ending of the movie has won over fans of “The Thing.” This movie concludes showing the audience the opening scene from the 1982 version. I’m kind of curious what fans’ opinion of the movie was right as they thought it was over, and if it kind of changed when they showed chopper come into the screen. It is a great tribute to the 1982 version, but also a last attempt to remind the audience that this is a prequel and not a remake.

So Universal tried to hide their remake, and I tried to write a review with as little comparison to the 1982 version as possible. I’m not sure how successful either of us was, but it was worth a try. At the least, I don’t think this movie disgraced it’s predecessor like some of the other remakes have. So because Universal was somewhat successful in doing something different, I give this movie 3 pools of blood.

HorrO

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3 REVIEW

2011-10-20T13:03:00.000-04:00

***Spoiler Alert***

I thought I would start off this review with a quick recap of my reviews of Paranormal Activity 1 and Paranormal Activity 2 . As far as part 1, I was buying what they were selling up until Micah started doing research, and found a woman who went through a similar experience as Katie. I was not happy that they introduced back-story, and created a “Hollywood” ending. As far as part 2, some of the scares actually got me, and my opinion of the back-story changed. Now it is time for the tiebreaker.

This movie starts off briefly in 2005 where a pregnant Kristi (Sprague Grayden/Jessica Tyler Brown), and her husband are getting the house ready for a new baby. Of course Katie (Katie Featherston/Chloe Csengery) makes an appearance, as she is preparing to move in with Micah. She leaves some boxes that their grandmother left her in Kristi’s basement. One of the boxes holds some old family videos, and is the only thing that goes missing when Kristi’s house is apparently broken into. From there the audience gets to view exactly what happens to the sisters, their mother, Julie (Lauren Bittner), and her boyfriend, Dennis (Christopher Nicholas Smith), on those video tapes.

While you probably want me to start off telling you if the movie is scary or not, I will hold off on that for the moment. Instead, let me start off with a few thoughts on the franchise. Besides the focus on the scares, there are a couple of things that make Paranormal Activity unique. One is how the story goes backwards instead of forward. The audience starts off thinking that Paranormal Activity is just about some poor girl getting haunted, but it turns out that there is a whole history of events that lead to the reason why the demon is there. With each prequel the audience gets to learn something new about the sisters’ past. I questioned this move at first, but it seems to have worked for the most part, even after two prequels.

The other interesting thing about this franchise is that while part 1 is all about Katie, the focus of everything turns to Kristi the further the story goes along. It turns out that Kristi is the more important sister because she is the one that has a baby boy. If you remember, Katie wouldn’t have even been haunted if Kristi’s husband didn’t point the demon in her direction. In this movie, the young Kristi plays a more important part than Katie mostly because she is the only one in the house that can see the demon, or as she calls it “Toby.”

That brings me to the all-important back-story. As mentioned, I have gone from hating it to eagerly wanting all of my questions answered. My biggest questions going into this movie were: where does Katie take Hunter, and what does she have planned for him? Unfortunately, those questions are left unanswered. After the quick opening in 2005, this movie sticks to what happens to Kristi and Katie in 1988 to start all of this paranormal activity.

The audience gets a more formal introduction to the demon that haunts them with the introduction of the aforementioned Toby. At first, Kristi appears to be just one of those kids that say they have an imaginary friend. The audience knows better, and the people around her soon find out there is nothing imaginary about Toby. As the movie goes on, she is repeatedly asked questions about Toby. The audience gets some clues about how it looks, and acts towards Kristi, but in the end there is still plenty of things to wonder about Toby.

Besides Toby, the audience does find out some interesting things about their family. There is the introduction of their mother, but no father. As the movie begins, it appears that Dennis is the father, but it is soon revealed that he is just Julie’s boyfriend. There is a quick mention of their father, but only enough to keep you wondering what really happened to him. The biggest revelation and important piece of the back-story happens at the end of the movie, but I will leave that for you to see.

Finally, let me talk about the scares. Yes, there are some similar techniques used in the previous movies most notably the cameras. Dennis is the one responsible for recording everything. He carries one camera with him, and sets up a few others in the house. Probably the most effective use of the camera scares is the one that he attaches to the base of an oscillating fan. It works similarly to the effect in part 2 of the constant skipping through camera views, except this time the view goes from one side of the room to the other. It does an excellent job of creating suspense as it pans back and forth from the front door, through the living room, and into the kitchen. It makes the audience stare at the room trying to figure out when, and if something has changed from a moment ago.

Another thing that works well is how the sisters’ room is set up at the top of the stairs. Their room is basically the second floor of the house. The camera is set up to catch anyone that comes up the stairs along with a good view of the girls’ beds. It is an interesting added twist that Toby happens to like hanging out right behind where the camera is placed. And on a funnier note, remember the pool cleaner that is constantly shown in part 2. Well, this time there is a fish tank that has a treasure chest in it that blows bubbles every once in a while.

There are also some new and different techniques used to try to scare the audience. My favorite and most effective one is how the demon has a physical presence. No, the audience never really gets to see it, but it is clearly there because of what happens to the girls. Lets just say it is like a bird that can’t tell there is a glass window in front of it. Another good thing about some of the scares are that they are not all produced by the demon. There are some created by people in the movie that serve as a form of tension breaker, and comic relief. In case you are wondering, I don’t think I ever jumped like when the kitchen exploded in part 2, but there is one scene that kind of gave me the chills.

One of the reasons I didn’t like part 1 was the ending, but I thought they made up for it in part 2. I might have spoiled a few things for you, but I don’t want to spoil this ending. Again, it does answer some questions about what is going on, but sure as hell opens up plenty of new ones. And no, I didn’t have any major issues with how this movie ends.

It is simple to say, but if part 1 and 2 scared you, then I see no reason this movie won’t be able to do it again. This prequel to the prequel doesn’t hurt what the previous movies accomplished. It answers some questions, but still leaves some unanswered ones, such as what ever happened to that fire Katie mentions. More importantly, if the tapes are supposedly stolen, who has apparently put them on for the audience to see? Honestly, I hoped this movie would close out this trilogy, but I can see room for another one. Yes, I said it, another one. With that said, this movie breaks the tie, as I give it 3.5 pools of blood, and give the franchise my stamp of approval (for now).

HorrO

Spooky Empire 2011

2011-10-13T13:24:00.000-04:00

Not even the rain could keep people away from Spooky Empire 2011. People kept coming into the convention like zombies hungry for some brains. And why not with great guests like Doug Bradley, Gunnar Hansen, Malcolm McDowell, Tony Todd, Kane Hodder, and Clive Barker to name a few. I can’t forget to mention the terrific authors like Rob Fox, Scott Kenemore, Sean Hayden, and Kevin Ranson. Then there are the fabulous artists and merchandisers. Throw in the Freak Show Horror Film Festival, and Zombie Walk, and you have a can’t miss convention.

As usual, I’m going to take you through my adventures at Spooky Empire to give you a taste of why you should attend next year’s show. Once again I failed to get there in time for the Zombie Walk, but I heard it was another great showing even though it tried to rain. I did see plenty of people dressed in some awesome zombie costumes as usual.

The first event I got to attend was “Horror Blogs & Ghouls of Social Media.” Perfect for me right! Authors Scott Kenemore, Kevin A. Ransom, Doris Ross, L.J. Gastineau, Laura Reuther, and Christian Jensen hosted this. The panel was on point with everything they said. They made recommendations to post articles about current topics and movies, discussed why authors should have a blog, and to be sure to make the most out of social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.

After a tour around the convention, I made my way to the “Doug Bradley” Q & A. Doug was an absolute pleasure to listen to, and very entertaining. He wasted no time in addressing the new Hellraiser movie, and his opinion of remakes. I strongly suggest you check out this video to hear what he had to say. Also, after seeing the video, visit www.dougbradley.com to get one of the T-shirts he mentioned.

From there it was time for a quick dinner. I only mention it because I got to sit a few tables away from Sam Tramell, Kristin Bauer, and Mariana Klaveno of True Blood. It was funny watching people walk up to their table, and say how much they love them (yes I resisted).

Later on that night, it was time for the “Rocky Horror Picture Show-Shadowcast.” What a wild and crazy show this started out to be. There was a special appearance by Barry Bostwick (Brad Majors), who got a well-deserved standing ovation. After he spoke for a few moments, they had several members of the audience come to the stage for a game of spin the bottle. This was a special game because they would bring two people to the front of the stage. For every dollar they collected was a second the two had to kiss. In order to get the most money, they paired girls with girls, and guys with guys. Lets just say the guys got the most money, and were the most reluctant. After that exciting game, they finally got to the shadowcast, which was really well done.

Day 2 saw rainfall all day long, but it did not stop people from coming to the event. My day kicked off with a Q & A by “Tony Todd.” It started a few minutes late because he apparently had a little too much fun at the pool party the previous night. It was funny when he first came out because he was really concerned about not shaving for some reason. Besides that, it was great to listen to some of his experience as Candyman, and in Final Destination. Also, he let us know that he will be in a movie called “Sushi Girl,” and will soon be directing a movie for the first time.

From there I tried to see the discussion called “Zombie Outbreak: How to Survive,” but it was packed. The convention was definitely filled with zombie fans. So then it was onto the “Malcolm McDowell” Q & A. As I expected, he was very well spoken, and had plenty of great stories to tell. One of the funnier moments was when he engaged in a conversation with 7-year-old boy, who he eventually brought on stage.

Next was yet another Q & A, this time “Leatherface- Saw is Family.” This was a terrific event because it featured the actors who played the first three Leatherfaces: Gunnar Hansen, Bill Johnson, and R.A. Mihailoff. When the three of them came on stage, it was easy to see one of the reasons they got the part was that they are all big men. It was interesting to hear how they all got the parts, and some of the things that went on behind the scenes.

The final Q & A I attended was “Ghosthunters.” This was the third time I have heard Steve Gonzalves and Dave Tango speak at Spooky Empire. The two continue to play off of each other so well on stage. They have great stories to tell, and the audience always has some interesting questions to ask them.

After all the Q & A’s, it was finally time to take a walk through the autograph rooms. Last year I started on my quest to get some “Horror Icons” to sign my HorrO’s Gory Reviews official shirt “I’m a Horror Icon.” Robert Englund was the first to sign it, and this year I started with Gunnar. What an extremely nice guy he was. He was happy to sign the shirt, and an autograph picture. As the tradition has become, if you sign the shirt you get a shirt. Gunnar was excited to have a shirt, but my only regret was I didn’t have one in his size. He told me that his girlfriend would wear it. What was really awesome was that the next morning I saw him at breakfast, and he told me he had the shirt packed in his bags. I’m sure he was tipped off by the fact that I was wearing the shirt, but it was still nice that he mentioned the shirt to me.

After that amazing experience, it was over to the exhibitor room to see what the merchandisers, and artists had to offer. As usual, the merchandisers had plenty of awesome items for sell such as, funny shirts, movie posters, and signed memorabilia. I got to meet Don from T-Shirt Bordello again, who was dressed up as a zombie. I was particularly impressed with some of the artwork. One of favorites was a table that had Care Bears, Hello Kitty’s, and a Homer turned into zombies.

After making it through the rain again, and having breakfast with the stars, it was time to get a photo with Sam, Kristin, and Mariana. Seeing them around the convention, and then meeting them convinced me that they are really nice people. I never thought I would be taking a picture with anyone from True Blood. There were a couple of other pictures I wanted to take, but couldn’t squeeze them in.

Now for the moment that truly made the weekend for me. I went to get an autograph from Doug Bradley, of course wearing my Horror Icon shirt. Even though I had passed him in the halls a couple of times, I guess he hadn’t noticed the shirt. When I gave him the shirt to sign I could tell he like it, and was pleased when I told him I had one for him. So pleased that he paused then proceeded to put on the shirt. I got him to sign my autographed shirt with him wearing a Horror Icon shirt, and took a picture with him as well. Then he gave me one of his shirts that he mentioned in the earlier video with him. To top everything off, he kept the shirt on for the rest of the afternoon taking pictures, and signing autographs. Thank you Doug Bradley!!!

With an autograph from Freddy, Leatherface, and Pinhead, it was time to get one from Jason, or in this case Kane Hodder. He hadn’t arrived at his booth yet, so I stood in line waiting. Behind his booth were two doors that took you in the back rooms of the hotel. Two staff members were standing there talking when there was a sudden slam at the door. Go figure, 30 seconds later Kane opens the doors to see who he scared. Something told me he did that everyday.

Keeping with the tradition, I gave him the shirt to sign along with one of his own. After almost getting choked out by him the last time I got an autograph from him, I was definitely a little nervous. I was very surprised that he thought it would be a little “presumptuous” for him to wear the shirt. For all that he has done for horror, I say no way, he deserved it. He also joked about scratching out some of the names on the shirt. Again, he almost killed me!

From there it was onto another Q & A, this one being the “True Blood Panel.” This Q & A was absolutely packed. I made the sacrifice, and opted to sit up front on the floor to get some good pictures and videos. Sam, Kristin, and Mariana were a blast to listen to. They must have so much fun of the set. The audience did take advantage of them, as one girl asked if she could sit on stage with them because it was her birthday while another asked for an autograph because she was a poor college student who couldn’t pay for one at the table. The three True Blood stars were very nice to them, and of course said yes. How could they not with all of the cameras on them?

While all of the things I mentioned were things that I chose to do, there were plenty of other things going on; some of which I wish I had time to do. One of those things would have been to meet, and get an autograph from Clive Barker. There was a line to meet him the entire time. Overall, I had another great time at Spooky Empire, and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for Spooky Empire 2012!

HorrO

*Be sure to check out the Spooky Empire 2011 page for more pics and videos: Spooky Empire 2011 Pictures and Videos

RED STATE REVIEW

2011-10-05T12:03:00.002-04:00

***Spoiler Alert***

When I sat down to watch this movie I had no idea it was going to tackle the issue of gay rights, religious freedom, and government interference. I was expecting to see a good old horror movie, but this movie has a message to send, and it barely holds back. The way the issues are presented made me think twice about even reviewing it. After thinking about it, a movie like this is made to get a conversation started, so here we go.

Jarod (Kyle Gallner) has been in contact with an older woman online about having sex. He finally gets an invitation from her, but also gets the ok to bring along his two high school buddies, Travis (Michael Angarano), and Billy-Ray (Nicholas Braun). Still not sure exactly how they are all going to have sex with the same woman at the same time, they set off to meet her. However, the problem isn’t how to have sex with her, it is that she belongs to a local religious group that has other plans for them.

I’m not even sure where to begin, so I guess I will discuss how the issues are brought up in some of the more important scenes. Only a few minutes in, the anti-gay side of the story is presented. Abin Cooper (Michael Parks) leads a protest against gay people outside a funeral home, where there is a funeral for a local boy who is gay. There are some pretty powerful signs saying things such as, “Damnation for gays,” and “Anal penetration = eternal damnation.” It isn’t what I expected to see at the beginning of the movie, but certainly grabbed my attention.

The protest causes Jarod to be late for class, and a discussion on what other than the 1^st amendment. The students and teacher fill in the audience on a little history of the Cooper family, and their hatred as well. The protest signs followed by the 1^st amendment talk immediately got me thinking. While the signs are hateful, they do have the right to protest, and have those feelings. Not only do they have the right to harbor such hate, the movie also points out that they have the right to arm that hatred with guns. While the movie isn’t necessarily a horror film, that is definitely a picture of horror.

Then there are the three boys and their decision to attempt to sleep with a woman at the same time. Now the boys aren’t gay or against gays, but they make it clear they aren’t gay. That is something they think about before the decision to drive over to this woman’s place. Again, this situation makes you think, especially depending on your point of view. Are they gay for getting naked in front of each other in order to have sex with a woman? Surprisingly, Cooper points out that while that might not make them gay, their thoughts and actions make them sinners. The woman even mentions that their intentions are “the Devil’s business.”

All of these things lead to the source of the problem, Abin Cooper. The audience gets an inside look at him, and his preaching inside a small church on his property. Right or wrong, freedom of speech and religion allows him to have these views, and spread them to his followers. As expected, a good portion of his speech is filled with hate for gays. He says things such as, homosexuals are Satan’s tools against God, “God doesn’t love you unless you fear him,” and that gays recruit because they can’t have kids. Agree or not, it is a very interesting speech, that to be honest, scares me to think people can take things to such extremes. Even scarier is that he has these people thinking that getting salvia on you from a gay person could turn you gay.

Speaking of extreme, what these extremists do to gays is just horrible. They wrap them up in plastic to a cross, and put a bullet through their head. Of course, one of the reasons for the plastic is to protect themselves from the salvia. It really makes me think how some people can call themselves religious, and then do things like this in the name of God, or in the name of anyone. Sadly it happens in the real world every day.

Despite disagreeing with his views, I found Cooper to be an intriguing character. It is so easy to hate him because of his views, and what he has put in these people’s heads. However, in his own crazy way, the audience can see some good in him. He loves his family, comforts his daughter when her husband dies, and appears to do well with the children.

When he mentions that he comes from a family of preachers, it made me think of Cotton, the Reverend from “The Last Exorcism.” Both are born from a line of preachers, and have good and bad in them. Both are very good preachers, as they successfully convince their followers to believe whatever it is they are talking about. Cotton knew of his power over people, while Cooper never expresses it, but has to know it. You could argue just how much faith Cotton has in what he preached, but there is no lack of faith from Cooper. Obviously there is a big difference in what they preach about.

Events in the movie eventually lead to a show down between Cooper’s religious group and government agents. To be fair, the religious group is shown to be extremists, and so is the government. Once things break out into an all out gunfight, agent Joseph Keenan (John Goodman) is faced with a tough decision. His superior makes the call to have all the extremists killed. Joseph is uncomfortable with the call, and wants something in writing to protect him from the consequences of mass murder. Government bureaucracy at its finest! He then argues with one of the other agents about it, but they end up going ahead with the assault on the property. Even though this agent disagrees with the call, he goes all out to follow the orders. You could say he is an extremist for the other side.

So now there is the government basically putting an end to these people’s right to freedom of expression, and to bare arms. Is it right to do that to them? Shouldn’t the government protect the law of the land, and its citizens instead of just killing them? What gives them the right? Well, the Patriot Act does of course. Another hot topic over the last 10 years is introduced just before the movie ends. Joseph is interrogated over his decision to break the chain of command, and not kill everyone. In the hearing, it is revealed that the Patriot Act allows the government to kill these type of people just by declaring them terrorist. The two Federal employees show that they could careless about killing these people, and clearly like abusing the power of the Act. Again, another scene that frightens me. I don’t agree with much of what Cooper said, but in this case, he might be making a point when he says “G for Godless, G for government.”

While this movie didn’t really turn out to be a horror movie, it does a fantastic job of pointing out the horror in the real world. It raises plenty of questions, and gives the audience a lot to think about. It brings up issues that many people are faced with every day: the freedom of speech, right to bare arms, government interference, abuse of power, and gay rights. They do a great job of weaving all these issues together, even if some might think it is a bit extreme. Besides the issues, the acting is good, particularly from Parks and Goodman, and there is some blood in the shootout. Even though the movie isn’t what I expected to see, I give it 3 pools of blood.

HorrO

ATTACK THE BLOCK REVIEW

2011-09-27T12:00:00.000-04:00

Here is a review of a movie I didn't expect to be writing about, “Attack the Ghetto.” I mean, “Rave on the Block.” No, that's not it either. How about “Party on the Block?” Oh yes, “Attack the Block.” How could I not know the name of the movie I'm reviewing?

Sam (Jodie Whittaker) is walking through “the block” when she comes down the wrong street. Unfortunately for her, Moses (John Boyega) and his gang of fellow teens are waiting for the right person to cross their path. They have this robbery under control until something crashes into a nearby car. Moses goes to investigate, and is attacked by a strange creature before it takes off. This doesn’t sit well with Moses, as he leads the teens in a chase after the creature. They finally catch up to it, and make it pay for attacking Moses. The teens celebrate not knowing what they killed, and that it is not alone.

So what is with all the stupidity over the name of the movie? Well, for those that have seen the movie, you may know what I’m talking about. For those that haven't seen it, let me explain. First, throughout most of the movie there is constant upbeat music being played. A little mix of party and rap. They even play an old school favorite by KRS-One. I have never wanted to dance so much while watching a horror/sci-fi movie. Now don't get me wrong, it's fun and definitely a welcome change to the usual boring background music.

The movie takes place on “the block.” It is basically the neighborhood where these teens are from, which they take pride in defending. If you're from the block, you’re like one of the family. If you aren't from the block, you better watch your back. The first alien that lands on the block learns that lesson the hard way, but what about the other aliens. Well, when they land on the block they are ready for a rave. Yes, they are perfect for a rave because they are all black and have glowing teeth. Simple, but they're very cool looking aliens. If they would just bang their heads a little more, and get into the music.

Ok, the creatures aren't there to rave. They are actually there for a pretty interesting reason, which is revealed late in the movie and won't be revealed here. It is good to see a meaningful reason for them being there other than that they just randomly fell from the sky to attack the block.

Besides the music and glowing alien teeth, this group of teens really makes this a fun movie to watch. They have a funny group dynamic going on, and come up with plenty of clever things to say. The beginning of the movie starts to paint them as bad kids, but they're far from it. Their pride in the block just gets them in trouble at times, but also makes them heroes. There's even a pair of younger kids, who want to join in on the fun, and are just hilarious in their short screen time.

When the teens and aliens aren’t raving, they are actually fighting. Both aliens and teens are killed, as the aliens chase the teens around the block. There aren’t any amazing kills, but there is a decent amount of blood. The way the aliens are designed, the audience never really gets a great look at them killing anyone. There is more to the story, as the teens not only have to worry about the aliens, but are also being pursued by a local drug dealer. This is a welcomed storyline because it just adds to the craziness of the teens’ adventure.

This movie was being screened at local theaters before the official release. I had no idea what it was about so I past on it. Ops! I guess you can say I didn’t RSVP to the party on the block. I’m just not much of the partygoer, but had I known that it was going to be so much fun, I definitely would have been there. Thanks to some good reviews, I decided to see the movie, and now I hope you will too! I give this movie 3 pools of blood.

HorrO

SHARK NIGHT 3D REVIEW

2011-09-22T10:46:00.000-04:00

Many people asked me why I would waste my money to see Shark Night 3D. Well, the answer is simple: I’m a sucker for shark movies. I have an extreme fear of sharks so for some reason that makes me want to watch shark movies, and of course Shark Week! I didn’t have high expectations for this movie. All I could hope for is some good shark attacks, and minimal mistakes.

Sara (Sara Paxton), Nick (Dustin Milligan), Beth (Katherine McPhee), and a few other college kids decide to take a break from school, and head out to Sara’s family lake house. After a run in with Sara’s ex, Dennis (Chris Carmack), and then the local sheriff, Sabin (Donal Logue), they finally make it to the house. They get their swimsuits on for some fun in the sun. However, some unexpected visitors in the lake, and unfriendly locals cut the fun short.

I went to see this movie because of the sharks so let me start there. One of the unexpected things about them is that there are several different types. There is a Bull, Great White, and Hammerhead amongst others. They even come up with some smaller ones that are almost piranha like. It is interesting because audiences are use to seeing one type of shark like a Great White in Jaws, or Makos in Deep Blue Sea.

Of course this is a mistake. It is hard enough to believe that sharks are in that lake, nonetheless all different types. They try to explain how the movie’s villains brought them there. That it isn't very believable either. If you know anything about sharks then you know how hard it is to catch a shark like the Great White. It is even harder to transport them. I kind of wondered why they didn't release the movie around Shark Week, and now I know why. The mistakes would be even more obvious.

As far as the kills, they are all right. One of the reasons some people past on this movie is that it is rated PG-13 instead of R. That obviously has an effect on how detailed the kills are. The small piranha like sharks are the ones that the audience gets to see in the most detail while killing. There is some blood in the water at times, but there are times when the shark strikes and that's it. The sharks jumping out of the water is cool, but it would have been nice to see more of them ripping people apart. It is also somewhat disappointing that they didn’t make better use of the 3D with the attacks. The best thing about the 3D is the bubbles.

I could go on and on about the sharks, but there are actors in this movie too. Ok, at least they try to be actors in this movie. Yes, as expected, the acting is bad. I still don't understand the need to push young actors into dramatic situations. Being scared of the sharks is one thing, but all the drama over how to handle the situation is too much for them.

It also doesn't help when parts of the story don't make sense. Once, if not twice, they seem to take the boat far away from the house, but somehow end up right back there. When they first got on the boat, Sara tells Nick he doesn’t know how to drive the boat yet not long after that he is driving like an expert. Also, one of the kids tries to escape on a Jet Ski, but how in the hell does he know where he is going if he has never been there before. I can go on about the mistakes, but I will call it a day right there.

In the end, there are some descent shark kills, but way too many mistakes. However, even with all the mistakes, I still had fun watching it. Again, I'm a sucker for shark movies. I can’t say it is one of the better shark movies that I have seen. I can’t even say it is better than Piranha 3D. If they modeled the movie after Piranha 3D, this movie could have been a whole lot better. With that said, I give this movie 2 pools of blood.

HorrO

X MARKS THE SPOT (SHORT FILM REVIEW)

2011-09-14T13:52:00.000-04:00

One of the primary reasons I really use Twitter and Facebook is to talk horror, and promote my sites. I try not to use them for personal use that much. I particularly stay away from the check-in option on Facebook. And why is that you ask? Well, I think “X Marks the Spot” is the perfect answer to that question.

Abigail (Aley Kreinz) has fallen in love with a tracking application on her phone. She checks in as her friend, Chloe (Melissa Reveis), warns her of the dangers of letting people know where she is all the time. Abigail, like most people, basically says that will never happen to me. All right Abigail, if you say so.

This short film wastes no time in getting out the message. Chloe makes it perfectly clear the dangers of too much social media for a girl like Abigail. It can only end in getting raped and/or killed. It is good to see a horror film that has a message, and is very blunt about. It would be nice to see this kind of message on the big screen.

The early message of the film sets a tone that is carried throughout the film. There is plenty of tension, and suspense even though you know the girls will eventually find themselves in some trouble. Trouble’s name in this film is Patrick (Ty Yaeger), the local nut job. I won’t give away how the ending unfolds, but just say that I wish there could have been a little more blood to match the suspense. I particularly like the finishing act, as it really drove home the point.

I assume Aley and Melissa are new to acting, but they did a pretty good job of handling everything that is presented to them. Although the audience doesn’t see much of Patrick, he does a good job of being creepy enough. Tammy Dupal (Twisted Central) did an excellent job writing this film, and delivering an important message. If you get a chance to see this film, it will be well worth your time.

HorrO

MY THOUGHTS ON TRUE BLOOD SEASON 4 EPISODE 12

2011-09-12T12:42:00.000-04:00

Tick, tick, tick… hmm what is that sound? Oh yea, that is the bomb that typically drops in a show’s season finale. Going into this episode, I was very curious to see when that bomb would drop, and what would it be. So here are my thoughts on episode 12, “And When I Die”, and sadly my thoughts on the season and what is to come.

Jesus and Lafayette were having breakfast with Jesus really looking forward to the future. He wanted to move on without magic, but he didn’t know a big ball of bad magic was sitting right in front of him. Moment’s later, bam! Fork to the hand… ouch! Poor Jesus was tied up, and Marnie wanted his bad magic.

Just when I spent last week praising Jesus for being a new hero on the show, they go and take him away from us. You can say he went out a hero because if he didn’t do what Marnie wanted, she was going to slice Lafayette up. I guess I can throw out my hopes of a good vs. bad witch battle between him and Lafayette. It was kind of shocking that they killed him off, but it wasn’t the bomb.

Jesus and Lafayette weren’t the only ones with a bad start to the day. Sookie was making coffee when she had a flashback of seeing her grandma dead on the floor. That was kind of unexpected. She then talks with Tara about missing her grandma. While this was going on, Sam was at the cemetery saying goodbye to Tommy. It really was quite a depressing start to this episode.

I didn’t think he would do it this season, but Jason actually told Hoyt that he slept with Jessica. Not only that he slept with her, but how he did it. Oh Jason, you are still too funny. By the way, telling someone that kind of news at a construction site is not a good idea! Hoyt gave him a quick beating, but I thought it would have been worse. He let Jason off the hook for now. Tick, tick… still no bomb yet!

Sookie made it out of the house, and to the bar only to be surprised by zombies! Ok, it was only Arlene and Terry dressed as zombies, but it was still cool. Such a bad joke, but I loved it… hand sandwich! For a show that is about vampires, they sure took some shots at them early on. Arlene said zombies are the new vampires, and Jesus even yelled out “vampires suck.” They better watch out because “The Walking Dead” is coming.

Then for a moment you all know I liked, Sookie had a surprise visitor at the bar, Alcide! That’s right, just opening that door for the two of them to be together. I wish he would have just come out and told her he loved her, but he kind of did it in a backwards way. I still think she got the hint… hopefully. Ring, ring! Hey, who the hell is interrupting their moment? Come on now! But who was that if it wasn’t Deb…hmm?

Was it me, or did it seem like it went from morning, afternoon, and then night awfully quick? Tara went to see how Lafayette was doing only to find a dead Jesus. She then raced to the bar to let Sookie know Marnie is back! Sookie just happened to be talking to Holly, a witch dressed as a fairy! The three of them then raced to find Eric and Bill. That is when we find the two of them tied to a pole ready to be set on fire. Of course the two of them are arguing. It was funny when Bill said he liked brain damaged Eric better.

Sookie and friends to the rescue! Lafayette appears and sets the vamps on fire only to get blasted by Sookie. This allowed the three to start a spell putting up another shield and raising the dead. Again, I really need to learn these spells. The shields are awesome, and to raise the dead… yea probably not a good idea.

Then some disappoint sets in. Antonia, and Sookie’s grandma basically do away with Marnie after listening to more of her whining. It really wasn’t an exciting end to Marnie. I also didn’t like not seeing how Bill and Eric end up on the pole. It was kind of like they spent so much time on this storyline throughout the season, they rushed to end it and move on. Speaking of rushing, can someone get the extra crispy vampires down?

So now that the whole witch thing was over, it was time for some unexpected visitors. First, Arlene gets a visit from her worst nightmare, her ex. That was awesome how she had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. Interesting, the ghost of Terry’s past. I wonder where that is going. Tick, tick…

Then Jason got a couple of unexpected visitors. The first one was a welcome visitor, as Red Riding Hood herself made her first appearance on True Blood. Oh, that was Jessica. Of course it was Jessica. Imagine what little kids would think if they saw what Red Riding Hood did before visiting grandma’s house. So the two of them had there fun on the couch, and it was good to see Jason still has his Miller Lite sponsorship. They really had a weird conversation. I think they are right; they should just have sex for now. It is too confusing when they start talking.

After Jess leaves, there is another knock on the door, the Reverend! What the hell? Where did he come from? It has been a while. Can someone fill me in on the last time we saw him? I don’t remember what happened to him last. Jason better not invite him in. Did the bomb just go off? No, false alarm!

Then a scene that comes almost out of nowhere. They had to throw it in just to have Pam appear, but it wasn’t necessary except to give me my favorite line of the night. That is right, Pam wins the last one of the season when she says, “I’m so over Sookie and her precious fairy vagina…and her unbelievably stupid name. Fuck Sookie!” Wow, that is a lot of hate for Sookie, and two weeks in a row someone saying F’ Sookie!

Good thing Pam didn’t see Eric and Bill sucking on Sookie’s arms. That was definitely an interesting site, especially with the two of them in the same pj’s. Then Sookie crushed the vamps in a way that only she could. She would lift their hopes of being by her side, and then drive a stake right through those hopes. And the best part, she did it to the both of them more than once. Bring on Alcide!

Tick, tick… woo looks like that bomb is so close to going off. So it turns out one of his construction friends was the one who called Alcide. Very, very, interesting! Was that supposed to be a hole in the concrete? Some chains on the floor, and a glamed construction worker. No reason to get excited, it is probably nothing…NOT!!!

My head was spinning with ideas, especially when Nan walked in with her stormtroppers. Then she said she quit the Authority. Oh man, so what does she want now? Ugh, you had to go and mention Sookie. Heads will roll for that! I really really didn’t expect that to happen. Hell, it happened so fast I missed it as I took notes. I only caught Bill putting an end to Nan. Love that blood splatter!

Anyone knows where I can get some more blood splatter. Boom! What the hell was that? Oh shit, Tara just took a bullet for Sookie. What a good friend. Damn, that Deb! When will see the end of her all ready? Boom! Yes, now that is what I’m talking about! No more Deb! What a joyous ending!

Boom! What another gun shot? No that was the bomb going off! But did you notice it wasn’t as loud as the gun shoot? More like the bomb fizzled out. While this was a good episode, I can’t say it made for the best finale. I mean, someone getting shot at the end of the season. Why do shows feel that makes for a good ending to a season finale? It has been done so many times now. Plus, like I have been complaining about all season long, why do they keep trying to make us think characters, that we know are not going to die, seem like they are going to die? It was great how they killed off Nan and Deb, but they aren’t major characters. Jesus dying was a little more of a shock, but he isn’t that major a character and he can come back as a ghost. If it turns out that Tara really is dead, I will give them more credit for this ending.

Really, I think the previous episode would have made for a great ending, and this episode would have made a great season premiere. The only thing the previous episode lacked was opening up more storylines for next season, which they did with this episode. But as far as the shock value that you want with a finale, I think having Marnie appear over Lafayette was crazier than Tara getting shot. Oh well, it was an absolutely great season of True Blood, and I can’t wait for next season.

Speaking of next season let me finish off this novel by giving my thoughts on some of the characters and storylines for next season. First, it will be interesting to see what they come up with to battle the vampires now that they have done wolves, and witches. I’m kind of disappointed that it appears the whole thing with Arlene’s baby is over, but they did open the door for Terry turning bad. That is hard to believe, but could be interesting. Something they didn’t expand on in this episode is Andy and his fairy friend. He has to have a bigger role next season with whatever this fairy wants from him. I’m kind of surprised at the lack of fairies they had this season, but that is a good thing.

So who is the wolf behind Sam? Could Marcus be alive, or was it one of his friends? I thought maybe it was Deb, but that was quickly shot down. And not that I care, but will Emma be a wolf or shifter? We need more shifters, so I say shifter. My guess is Jesus will take on a role similar to what Godric is to Eric. We will see him when Lafayette gets in trouble, which probably won’t take long. I wonder if Lafayette will ever let Jesus possess him.

What kind of trouble will Jason and Jessica cause? They can’t be good for each other. I have no clue what is up with the Reverend. I think we might see a bad Hoyt next season. He had too much go wrong for him that it would be a nice change seeing him get some of that frustration out. Poor Pam! Now that Sookie isn’t with Bill and Eric, will she finally get her hands on Sookie…probably not but it would be a fun fight. I think Bill and Eric should work as a team next season. They did so well getting rid of Nan, and they are actually pretty funny when they argue.

Tara will be fine, so I’m not worried about her. Sookie, well I think you know what I hope happens with her. I just worry that if killing Deb will actually be something that makes it hard for Alcide to get over. Damn Deb may ruin things even from the grave. And what I’m most excited about…my friend from the cement of course!!! Now back to “Waiting Sucks!”

HorrO

MY THOUGHTS ON TRUE BLOOD SEASON 4 EPISODE 11

2011-09-05T12:52:00.000-04:00

Oh, hey there True Blood fans! I was just sitting here sipping some blood from a heart. I like to celebrate another great episode in that way. I can’t believe this is going to be the second to last “My Thoughts…” of the season. This season definitely needs more episodes. Oh well, let me put this heart down and get to my thoughts on episode 11, “Soul of Fire.”

So after a little confusion about who arrived to stop the witches, I figured out that it was the vamps, and I was ready for an all out attack. Instead, they did a little more talking. Where are all the explosions? You think I really had patience when Jessica was holding a bazooka? I guess Jason kind of saved them by warning them before they walk right into the shield.

They didn’t waste too much time getting to my favorite line of the week. It is also another first for line of the week, as it goes to several people all for the same line. You guessed it, “Fuckin’ Sookie,” “Fuckin’ Sookie,” “Fuckin’ Sookie!” Hell I think I even threw in a “Fuckin’ Sookie!” Come on, you know you said “Fuckin’ Sookie” too!

Inside we saw Marnie take a step further into the dark side. She tells the witches that they can take a knife, and fight through the vamps. Casey takes the offer, but only gets a knife to the stomach. That was a pretty cool flip of the wrist. Again, Antonia is upset by Marnie’s actions, and comes out to complain about it. This time Lafayette is there to give everyone the play by play. I liked when he said she “just pucked out a bitch.” I thought Antonia was supposed to be the more powerful witch, but I guess not.

Quick thinking Jesus tricks Marnie into thinking Casey is alive so that he could bring her to the bathroom. Lafayette and him are going to use her blood for a spell. When Jesus first hit the scene, I didn’t take him for the hero type. However, he has proved to be a take-charge kind of guy, as he saved the baby, and now everyone else.

A couple of episodes ago I mentioned how Andy really didn’t have a big role this season, and his character seemed to be going nowhere. Well, I think that all changed in this episode. In the weirdest moment of the night, Andy is walking home, and having a great conversation with… himself! That is when a light appears followed by a fairy. She makes him swear to protect her in return for some fun in the grass. I guess I should have known they weren’t done with fairies, but a guy can hope right? Looks like Andy might have a larger role next season.

So in the only other storyline of the night, Sam and Alcide are still questioning this guy about Marcus. I thought it was more fun when they were beating the crap out of him. Surprisingly Luna comes in demanding to know where Marcus is because he has taken Emma. Apparently he is at Alcide’s house putting the moves on Deb. Oh, I just couldn’t wait for Alcide to walk in that bedroom.

When they finally get to the house, Luna takes her daughter because it is go time. I got to give it Sam, he could have just shot him, and moved on but he handled it like a man. You know I hate the pack master so I was rooting for Sam to get rid of him, but unexpectedly Alcide finished him off. It was a very interesting scene because you have two guys who are generally good, maybe not Sam all the time, put in a situation that wasn’t going to end well. Alcide was obviously not happy, and took it out on Deb. So long Deb, thanks for coming! Don’t let the door hit you on the way out! Such an enjoyable moment, no more Marcus, and hopefully no more Deb.

Back to the exciting stuff. Marnie tried to sick the robot sheriffs on Bill and Eric, but that failed. One sheriff got his heart ripped out, there was a lot of that going on, and the other had her necklace stolen by Pam. Oh Pam! So maybe they were short on explosions to start, but there were fireworks to come. It was awesome when Bill threw that sheriff into the shield. Burn, burn, burn, and then splat!

One thing I got tired of this season is Bill and Eric being put in situations where we are suppose to think they are going to die. It is just not happening so knock it off. Bill wasn’t going to shoot Eric. Instead Pam did the shooting, as she fired the bazooka right at the shield. In another awesome shield moment, it held off the shot, and then exploded sending a ball of fire back at them. Man, if that shield holds of that kind of shot, I definitely need a shield!

Everyone was fine except poor old Jason. Yes poor because not only was he fried, but also had to drink more of Jessica’s blood. The two of them are going to be inseparable soon. That is unless some witch cast a spell to drag the vamps into the shield first, but what are the chances of that happening? What… and there they go.

Seeing her certain death, Marnie convinces the witches to chant one last time in hopes of changing the future. I couldn’t believe Sookie joined the circle. She looked confused the entire time she was in there. Almost like she didn’t know whose side to take. At the last second, she breaks the circle in a way only she can, and saves the vamps. This pissed off Marnie, and she cast a circle of fire around Sookie.

At this point, I was getting dizzy because someone needed saving every few minutes. I guess I can’t complain because it keeps the action rolling. With everything coming down to the wire, our new hero Jesus works to complete the spell as fast as he can. Again, was Sookie really going to burn to death? Jesus breaks the bond between Antonia, and Marnie, as we see Antonia pull away from Marnie and then disappear. How come she just didn’t disappear earlier?

And now for the moment we have all be waiting for… Bill and Eric vs. Marnie! The two speed inside, and come face to face with Marnie and… Roy. Yes Roy, not really a fair fight. Not even a chance as Eric rips Roy’s heart out, and toasts to what is going to be Marnie’s death in a matter of seconds. What was a little disappointing was that earlier Bill said he wanted to rip out the witch’s heart, but instead he just shot her. I guess it would have been hard to top what Eric just did.

The two organize a little clean up while Sookie keeps looking at them. A penny for your thoughts? Could this be the end of her and vamps… again? I heard there is a wolf that has just become available!

Ding-dong the witch is dead! Woo time to celebrate! Wait… that wasn’t the season finale! Something is not right here. If she is dead then what the hell is going to happen in the season finale? Then just as I was making notes about something not being right, it is the return of Marnie! Oh shit, that gave me chills! Poor Lafayette, he is just getting used and abused.

So there will be plenty of questions to be answered in the season finale. Can Jesus be a hero one last time, or will Marnie get revenge on him? Will Andy see his fairy friend again? Will Hoyt find out about Jessica and Jason? Just who is patrolling the streets of Bon Temps when Andy and Jason are not around? Will Emma blame Sam for the death of her father, and keep Sam and Luna apart? Will Pam and Eric make up? And Sookie, it won’t be a season finale if she isn’t faced with some kind of decision over which man to have by her side. So I leave you those questions as I go looking for another heart to suck on. Eric is such a hog!

HorrO