The Haunted Cinema

Tonight's Midnight Movie: "Hellraiser 4: Bloodline"

2011-10-10T18:31:00.000+01:00

Year: 1996

Actors: Bruce Ramsay, Valentina Vargas, Doug Bradley, Charlotte Chatton

Director: Alan Smithee, Kevin Yagher

Formats: DVD

Price: £1.99

Mini Review

“Hellraiser: Bloodline” follows the bloodline of the Merchant family. Since the creation of the original box right through to the future the family has dealings with the box and the Cenobites. Each generation makes attempts to destroy what their ancestors created and set loose but will they succeed? The movie gives us a window on several historical time periods, each with their own chapter on how the box came to be and how the Cenobites can be destroyed.

Verdict

“Hellraiser: Bloodline” takes a real risk in being set in several time periods, a clear contrast from previous outings. Generally the movie gets poor reviews (having Alan Smithee as a director is not too encouraging). However, I’m not going to be too harsh on it. The plot involves the creation of the first box which is always good to see and also we receive a new Cenobite in Angelique. Personally I like the plot thread that the box haunts the bloodline of the Merchant family, for a fourth movie plot it’s not a bad concept at all. Thinking of another of my favourite mediums (video games) “Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem” uses the same idea and was applauded for essentially the same concept.

Time after time the Merchants are visited by the Cenobites throughout history and in to the future. This leads to an obviously plot floor in that if they so wanted I’m certain that the Cenobites could wipe out a bloodline if they really tried. Escaping the Cenobites for generations just seems to go against previous form. However, horror movies are generally full of these discussion points and I won’t hold it against what is generally an interesting movie.

As ever Doug Bradley’s return of Pinhead is excellent, he was simply made for the part. I’m not so sure about Angelique though, the idea of a female lead Cenobite is good but she seem to lack the on screen presence of Pinhead. A fourth Hellraiser movie was always going to be a real stretch in terms of keeping an audience. I’m pleased to say that the movie did re-invent the plot. Looking at Parts one to four, each movie is unique and not yet too repetitive on plot line. My personal opinion is that no more movies past part four should have been made, the franchise effectively died with this one.

My verdict on “Hellraiser: Bloodline” is that it is the last Hellraiser movie worth watching, especially if you are a fan of the first three movies. Past this point there can only be repetition, lesser directors and lower budgets. Inferno and Hellseeker are just dire attempts at generating money from the corpse of a franchise, I may not ever make time to write a specific blog about these. The can be summed up as “simply terrible”.

Pros: Interesting plot concept. Great acting from Doug Bradley.

Cons: The end of an era. Not ground-breaking enough.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 6 cursed bloodlines out of 10.

Should our review not be enough for you try these links.
IMDB: Hellraiser: Bloodline
Wikipedia: Hellraiser: Bloodline
Amazon: Hellraiser 4 - Bloodline [DVD]

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Your views: Watched this? Own this? Recommend this? Have a question about this? Please feel free to comment.

Tonight's Midnight Movie: "Hellraiser 3: Hell On Earth"

2011-10-10T18:18:00.000+01:00

Year: 1992

Actors: Terry Farrell, Doug Bradley, Kevin Bernhardt

Director: Anthony Hickox

Formats: DVD

Price: £2.99

Mini Review

“Hellraiser 3: Hell on Earth” continues the franchise of Pinhead and the Cenobites. Pinhead emerges trapped in a block of concrete along with the box. Pinhead must convince young Playboy JP Monroe to help him escape the block by luring victims to their death (the blood regenerating Pinhead). Pinhead then seeks to destroy the box forever so that he can create a lasting Hell on Earth.

Verdict

Now here’s where the Hellraiser series takes its first wobble. Parts one and two are exemplary in terms of quality. Part three was always going to be a struggle to continue the form. The loss of Clive Barker’s direct involvement and a change from most of the original cast really show here. Since part three wasn’t penned as part of the original story it does seem a little disjointed from the first movies. Another issue is that we’ve seen the Cenobites and Hell close up already, part three was always going to suffer from the familiarity of the setup. The same can be applied to most horror movies, once you’ve seen Freddy Kruger kill in six movies the 7th really doesn’t leave much open for surprise.

So where to go with the plot? Well I think that the series did take a good decision here on focussing on the Pinhead character. The movie is much more revealing than the first two regarding his origins and a little bit more of the history of the box. This movie turns much more mainstream than he first two with an obvious emphasis on kill count and shock rather than the storyline.

The characters are at least memorable, Pinhead steals the show with his manic killing spree. We are also introduced to JP Monroe, he’s one of those guys that really needs a visit from a Cenobite. He’s rude, misogynistic, dumb and you just really want to see him get butchered in nasty ways.

Oddly enough though “Hellraiser: Hell on Earth” is a movie that I still enjoy. Seeing Pinhead rampage a nightclub with his chains is good viewing. There’s also some nice flashback scenes of the journey to becoming a Cenobite. Whilst I can’t support that this is a great classic I would defend that for a movie that is essentially the “cash in” movie it keeps true to the main ideas and is at least entertaining. It’s certainly better than Halloween Part 3 or Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3 and perhaps even Friday 13th Part 3. Keeping a good idea going is difficult and “Hellraiser: Hell on Earth” was a real test, I think it’s as good as I could have expected.

Pros: Pinhead is set loose. Story is progressed.

Cons: The new Cenobites are a little bit lacking in terror. Movie leaves the series open for more sequels.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 6 new Cenobites out of 10.

Should our review not be enough for you try these links.
IMDB: Hellraiser 3: Hell On Earth
Wikipedia: Hellraiser 3: Hell On Earth
Amazon: Hellraiser III - Hell on Earth [DVD] [1993]

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Your views: Watched this? Own this? Recommend this? Have a question about this? Please feel free to comment.

Tonight's Midnight Movie: "The Masque of the Red Death"

2011-10-10T17:47:00.000+01:00

Year: 1964

Actors: Vincent Price, Hazel Court, Jane Asher, David Weston

Director: Roger Corman

Formats: VHS, DVD

Price: £3.99

Mini Review

“Masque of the Red Death” is one of the Poe/Vincent/Corman classics. Poe’s original work is a short story based in a plague hit time. Victims of the Red Death sweat blood and have horrific deaths. The slightly insane and ruthless Prince Prosperso (Vincent Price) attempts to ride out the Red Death behind the confines of his abbey walls caring little for those around him. Instead he holds a masquerade ball for the nobles and wealthy. Since this is an Edgar Allan Poe story you can expect death and decay as an unexpected visitor joins the party.

Verdict

I first saw “Masque of the Red Death” when I was about seven years old. I remember distinctly coming back from my grandparents’ house having stopped off at the Fish ‘n Chip shop on the way back. I remember looking up and seeing the intro of the Red Death. The creepy cloaked character handing out a rose. The whole thing was spellbinding in a creepy way. This was probably the first time I’d seen or heard Vincent Price or heard of Edgar Allan Poe. The experience was one of intrigue.

I have to say to a seven year old the “Masque of the Red Death” is not a great movie. It’s not particularly action packed or child friendly. I do remember the experience though. The slightly blurry camera lens, the washed out colours and Vincent hamming it up to epic proportions. Revisiting a few years later I’d already moved on to “The Pit and the Pendulum”, “Dr Phibes” and all the other gems that Vincent brought us. The revisit was well worth it. Having now read the works of Poe and seen a lot more of Vincent’s work I really enjoy “Masque of the Red Death”. Much of Poe’s work is allegorical and it’s nice to see that the messages from the original text do seem to be carried in to the movie.

This type of horror is not scary in the sense of shocks and jumps, it’s more of a psychological sickening. The idea of madness caused by the yellow room (my room was yellow as a child), the idea of disease and the on-going gloomy decaying outlook of the world. From start to finish the movie put you in a slightly depressed ill feeling tone. Since the movie can do this I’m impressed. I can happily walk in to a modern horror and forget the imagery and plot almost the second I leave the theatre. “Masque of the Red Death” however leaves a lasting impression and nauseating feeling. Now that’s something special. The movie does now look incredibly dated and the younger generations are likely to give this one a miss for that reason. For those of an adventurous mind I’d recommend this one for a dreary afternoon, I still slightly prefer “The Pit and the Pendulum” but this is still a true gothic horror classic.

Pros: Vincent Price, Edgar Allan Poe, Roger Corman.

Cons: Limited appeal to a younger audience. Really depressing.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 7 bleeding faces out of 10.

Should our review not be enough for you try these links.

IMDB: Masque of the Red Death

Wikipedia: Masque of the Red Death

Amazon: Masque Of The Red Death [DVD]

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Your views: Watched this? Own this? Recommend this? Have a question about this? Please feel free to comment.

Tonight's Midnight Movie: "The Pit and the Pendulum"

2011-10-10T17:35:00.000+01:00

Year: 1961

Actors: Vincent Price, John Kerr, Barbara Steele

Director: Roger Corman

Formats: VHS, DVD

Price: £3.89

Mini Review

“The Pit and the Pendulum” is yet another Vincent Price/Roger Corman movie based on a short story by Edgar Allan Poe. Set in the period of the Spanish inquisition the plot regards and Englishman (Francis Bernard) that is investigating the death of his sister (Elizabeth). Since this is a Poe story this all takes place in gothic castle. Throughout the movie there are ghostly goings on, mystery and attempts to block his questioning. In particular Nicholas (Vincent Price) seems to be covering up the true nature of Elizabeth’s death by claiming that it was a rare blood disorder. There are ghostly sightings, harpsichords, mysteries and a climactic ending.

Verdict

“The Pit and the Pendulum” is yet another chance for Vincent Price to shine. He’s both creepy and mysterious. My verdict on the movie is that considering that this was originally a short story there was a lot of work done to adapt it in to an interesting enough full-length feature. As a result I think that the pacing of the movie suffers slightly in the middle. After all, the movie implies a pendulum and most people will already know the short story. Sadly, since I’m from the UK Edgar Allan Poe is not currently on our core reading list as part of our school literature education. I believe that for most American students though he must be quite engrained in the literature culture and be waiting for the pendulum scene.

The movie overall is a paradise for 1960’s horror movie goers. There’s suspense, good direction and a strong story line to follow. There are some excellent flash back scenes with Barbara Steele. For its time I can only speculate that this was quite a thought provoking movie. There are strong themes of murder, torture and the slight madness in Price’s character. As with many of the Corman movies I was left feeling slightly depressed and nauseated. It’s a tale well told and a very solid movie for anone looking to get in to 1960’s horror.

Pros: Great imagery (especially the iron maiden), solid story, Vincent Price.

Cons: Now looks slightly dated and slow paced at times.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 7 iron maidens out of 10.

Should our review not be enough for you try these links.

IMDB: The Pit and the Pendulum
Wikipedia: The Pit and the Pendulum
Amazon: Pit & The Pendulum [DVD]

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Tonight's Midnight Movie: "Hellraiser 2: Hellbound"

2011-10-10T17:23:00.004+01:00

Year: 1988

Actors: Kenneth Cranham, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Doug Bradley

Director: Tony Randel

Formats: DVD

Price: £4.20

Mini Review

Following on directly from the first Hellraiser movie, Hellbound takes us further in to the box and the Hell that lies beyond. Kirsty receives a blood soaked message that her father is in Hell, she decides to make a rescue attempt along with a mute girl. We are introduced to Dr Charnard, a psychiatric doctor obsessed with the study of the boxes. It isn’t long before he finds the secret of the bloody mattress that can bring Claudia back to life and so begin his own descent in to Hell. I don’t want to give any plot spoilers here, needless to say we see the return of the Cenobites (including Pinhead), the blood and gore also return.

Verdict

What I like about Hellbound is that it is written as a traditional sequel. Part 1 left several hooks and unanswered questions for part 2 to address (and it does). So many modern franchises have to shoehorn in reasons for a sequel, Hellraiser genuinely needed one. The story focuses much more on what is behind the box when it is solved. We get to see an actual depiction of Hell which is suitably disturbing. One of the stand out points here is the character of Dr Chanard, he’s creepy, he’s cooky, he’s altogether messed up in the head. As creepy as he is there’s something about Clive Barker’s story telling that helps us understand and even empathise with his character at least in the early stages of the movie. He’s obsessed with solving the riddle of the boxes and is taking a serious approach to his research. I think the reason we can identify with him is that he has a chance to answer questions through his research. Who hasn’t at some point been curious enough to make their own research projects?

Needless to say the backdrop of a psychiatric hospital is always going to lead to a bit of madness. The scenes are incredibly blood-laden but they are necessary on account of the story line.

The return of Pinhead (previously credited only as “Lead Cenobite” in part 1) is back and as sinister as ever. To be fair he doesn’t have too much to do in terms of the plot line but Doug Bradley delivers every line to perfection, this is how to make a character. His character is neither really bad nor really good “Angels to some, demons to others” as he describes the Cenobites. For him, the torture of those that open the box is a full time job. When I see him on screen I always get the impression he’s been busy elsewhere up until the moment we see him, in some ways he seems quite indifferent and very matter of fact. This is in great contrast to other horrors of the time such as Friday 13th, Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street where the protagonists are pretty much out for a high kill count as motivation. The other differential being that Hellraiser parts 1 and 2 actually have a plot rather than just a sustained massacre.

The plot works well as we see the return of many of the original cast and have a good stand-off situation between good and evil. There’s development of the main characters and also enough to leave questions surrounding the origins of the box. The movie is also quite arty in its own way. Clive Barker has a way of making ugly things look beautiful. Had the series stopped here at part 2 I think that the series would be a lot higher regarded than it now is due to the lesser sequels that followed.

On balance I really can’t decide if Hellbound is better than the original. It’s story is less contained than the first and certainly more bloody. Since part 1 and part 2 seem to come as a package I will recommend them both. Certainly if you like part 1 you will enjoy part 2 just as much.

Pros: A good overall watch with plenty of story and blood.

Cons: Left the series open to further sequels.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 8 psychiatric patients out of 10.

Should our review not be enough for you try these links.

IMDB: Hellraiser 2: Hellbound

Wikipedia: Hellraiser 2: Hellbound

Amazon: Hellbound - Hellraiser II [DVD] [1989]

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Tonight's Midnight Movie: "Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust"

2011-10-10T17:07:00.001+01:00

Year: 2000

Actors: Hideyuki Tanaka, Ichiro Nagai

Director: Yoshiaki Kawajiri

Formats: DVD

Price: £5.49

Mini Review

“Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust” is an anime horror adventure set in a not too distant apocalyptic world where vampires are being hunted to extinction. The plot concerns a young girl called Charlotte that has been captured/eloped with one of the last remaining vampires. The hero of the movie “D” is a Dunpeal, half human, half vampire. He is hired to defeat the vampire and return Charlotte to her family for financial reward. Seeking the same reward are the Marcus brothers, a small group of humans with a speciality for vampire/monster hunting missions.

Verdict

First off I have issues in classifying this movie as a horror movie. It’s more of a gothic/dark themed cartoon rather than anything intended to scare the audience. I’d describe this movie as more of an action/adventure that just happens to have a vampire as a protagonist. It lacks the soul of a real horror movie. Having said that it doesn’t take anything away from the enjoyment. The obvious distinguishing feature of “Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust” is that is an anime. This drastically limits what can be done in terms of horror. There’s no make-up and limited possibilities of realism that add to the haunted house movies. The medium also relies heavily on the audience to get in to the story line.

As a movie “Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust” does work for the most part. It tells a story (or at least part of a larger one). The hero is frustratingly aloof for my liking though, he has a slow way of speaking and we are no further in understanding his character at the end of the movie than we were at the start. Perhaps this is intentional as we are seeing a very short time span of an immortals life. I find him quite forgettable though as a lead character.

The animation does work very well. Whilst some scenes look quite cheaply made (although they weren’t) others look great. It’s clear that the emphasis of the animators time was focussed on the showdowns near the end of the movie. Having seen only around 10 anime movies I’d still only put “Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust” in the middle in terms of animation quality.

This is a movie that I like quite a bit but would find difficult to recommend for several reasons. Firstly, if you expect scares or any traditional horror features they just aren’t here to be found. Secondly I think that the anime medium may put some viewers off the idea. Having said that “Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust” is certainly an interesting movie and a world removed from Frankenstein, The Wolfman and Dracula. If you are looking for some gothic monster action that is a little bit different, this could be the movie for you. I’ve posted the trailer below for your amusement.

Pros: An nice anime alternative to mainstream horror.

Cons: Lack of scares, slightly weak lead character.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 7 talking hands out of 10.

Should our review not be enough for you try these links.

IMDB: Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust

Wikipedia: Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust

Amazon: Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust [DVD]

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Freddy Vs Jason Vs Michael

2011-09-30T14:59:00.001+01:00

Tonight I thought that we would debate the long running "Which is the best slasher franchise?" It's a Horror Battle Royal between "A Nightmare on Elm Street", "Friday 13th" and the "Halloween" franchises.

Now the answer is obviously "Nightmare on Elm Street" but that's just my opinion. Instead I thought that I would take a more empirical (if what a little simplified) look at the highs and lows of the genre. It may be appropriate at this point to let on that my day job is as a finance data analyst, previously it had been a retail analyst so I will use a few simple industry standard techniques to see which franchise and movie is the king of the slashers. For this little mock up. Any results and conclusions are based on the data for fun. Please know that there's great movies in all 3 franchises and I could have used alternative analysis methods to look at the success of the movies (however, the raw data is very much real).

I will be analysing by three main dimensions:

Budget ($)

Gross Profit ($)

Ranking (/10)*

*I will be using IMDB as a data source as it's reasonably impartial.

The aim here is a very simplistic way to establish the below:

What’s the highest Ranking?

Well, as you can see below I’ve plotted the ratings for each movie on the charts below. In terms of rating the original in each series is considered the best. Each franchise seems to deteriorate in quality over time. “Halloween 3: Season of the Witch” and “Halloween: Resurrection” received just 3.9 rankings on IMDB. Although the original Halloween movie tops the rankings chart at 7.9. Overall though there’s very little to choose from in terms of IMDB rating. The average rating chart shows a spread of just 0.58 between the franchises.

What’s the most profitable?

Interesting here how the 3 franchises made their profits. Friday 13th went low budget but high on quantity. Nightmare on Elm Street was generally declining in profit until reinvented as “Freddy Vs Jason” and the remake. Halloween generally increases profitability after movie 6 “The Curse of Michael Myers”. Looking at the franchised as a whole the data suggests that Friday 13th is the overall most profitable, then Nightmare on Elm Street, followed by Halloween.

What’s the most expensive to make?

The budgets of each franchise are a story in themselves. Nightmare on Elm Street took a simple strategy of building on past success, incrementally increasing the spending. This seems to have worked well and the cash cow keeps giving. Friday 13th took the thrift option of the lowest budgets of the 3 franchises. Only for “Freddy Vs Jason” and the 2009 remake do we see the budgets rise to compete with the other modern movies. These last 2 movies also returned some of the highest gross profits of any of the franchises showing that the budget increase was a good step to take financially. Halloween made an interesting decision after movie 6 “The Curse of Michael Myers” the budgets leapt from $5m to $17, for “Halloween H20: 20 Years Later”. Overall the budgets were the highest for the Elm Street franchise (mostly due to the £35m remake).

So, which series is best?

In terms of High Budgets and Overall Ratings “Nightmare on Elm Street” is our winner.

I will give a special award to the original Halloween that converted a budget of $320,000 in to a $46.7m profit for a single movie. In turn leading to a franchise of 10 movies plus another in the filming stage right now.

I will also tip my hat to the “Friday 13th” franchise. 12 movies so far and all made at a cheap budget but capable of getting cinema goers through the doors.

Hopefully you enjoyed this little look in to “Freddy VS Jason Vs Michael”.

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Tonight's Midnight Movie: "Devil"

2011-09-30T11:26:00.003+01:00

Year: 2010

Actors: Chris Messina, Bojana Novakovic, Logan Marshall-Green

Director: John Erick Dowdle

Formats: DVD, Blu-Ray

Price: £3.49

Mini Review

A group of 5 strangers manage to be unlucky enough to get trapped in an elevator together. No problem, just call a mechanic right? Well, there’s a second problem, one of them is the Devil. Sure enough each person in the lift has something to hide and sure enough it doesn’t take long before the Devil claims his first victim? Who is the Devil?

Verdict

As soon as I saw the “M. Night Shyamalan” credit as a writer I was in two minds. I really enjoyed “The Sixth Sense” but really didn’t get on well with “Signs “ or “The Village”. I managed to pick the DVD up for £3 though at the local supermarket and took a gamble.

I’m pleased to say that “Devil” is actually a good movie. Contrary to what I’d imagined although the 5 actors are within the elevator for almost the entire movie there are plenty of scenes outside of it. It was a good choice as the feel of the movie would have been very different had the camera never left the elevator.

I don’t want to spoil any of the plot here regarding “who is the Devil?” The movie did keep me guessing which was really refreshing, I was convinced on one character from the start and nearly chose correctly. Actually working out the answer would almost be guesswork.

I was slightly disappointed that part of the final events were lifted straight from other movies in a movie that had up until the end been quite original. Despite that, this is still a movie worth seeing. It’s Shyamalan but without the annoying one trick pony twists of “Signs”, “Unbreakable” and “The Sixth Sense”.

Pros: Reasonably original, entertaining and will keep you guessing.

Cons: Several plot holes but nothing too disastrous.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 7 broken elevators out of 10. Well worth a watch.

Should our review not be enough for you try these links.

IMDB: Devil

Wikipedia: Devil

Amazon: Devil [DVD]

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Your views: Watched this? Own this? Recommend this? Have a question about this? Please feel free to comment.

Will there be another “Nightmare on Elm Street” movie?

2011-09-29T17:06:00.003+01:00

“Nightmare On Elm Street” is a horror series that just keeps on going. So far there have been nine Elm Street movies if you include the remake and “Freddy Vs Jason”. For the purpose of this blog I’m going to ignore the TV series and other related spin-offs).

So, here’s the question: Is the series any good and why so many sequels?

To investigate I’ve pulled data from IMDB for a quick piece of analysis.

Are the movies getting better?

Here I’ve taken the IMDB rank for each movie and plotted a linear trend. From a solid 7.4 for the original, the series drops to a woeful 4.6 by part 6 and recovers to a very average rating of 5.1 for the eventual remake. Overall the trend is negative, people just aren’t enjoying the series as is progresses. My observation here is that the story really doesn’t progress, from start to finish Freddy kills teenagers in their sleep. Ok Freddy Vs Jason set him against an opponent and Wes Craven’s New Nightmare mixed up the formula a little. Overall though there was little in the plot that progressed.

Are the Nightmare on Elm Street movies profitable?

Since the audience becomes more underwhelmed overtime with the series why would New Line continue to make them? Well, money could be the answer. In the chart below I’ve marked user ratings against gross profits for each movie. Part 7 (Wes Craven’s New Nightmare) had budget issues and “The Dream Child” was simply a bad movie. Overall though there is profit in the series which always creates a temptation for the studio to put out another. Interestingly there’s not a particularly strong correlation between user rating and profits. “Freddy’s Revenge” has a generally low rating but a decent box office profit. Conversely “Wes Craven’s New Nightmare” is one of the better movies statistically but turned a low profit.

Will there be another “Nightmare on Elm Street” movie?

The short answer is that I don’t know :-) Looking at the profit margins though I will make a guess. What’s important for a studio is the % markup of their movie. Essentially, for the budget given, how well did it turn a profit. The chart below show you how any possibly why New Line keep financing the series.

The original Nightmare on Elm Street had just a $1.8m budget but delivered a $23.7m gross profit, that’s a 1317% mark up. This means that the studio struck gold, of course a sequel at that point was inevitable. Made on a similar budget it too realised a mark-up greater than 1000%. Generally the movie is rated poorly though so it was the momentum from part one that got people through the doors.

As we progress on to movie 5 the returns are dropping radically despite the budgets ballooning. Statistically movie 5 (The Dream Child) looked like the end of the cash cow. However, the movie has no concrete ending. So, New Line came up with the concept for movie 6 “Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare”. In the UK we have a saying, “In for a penny, in for a pound”. Since you’ve seen the previous 6 wouldn’t you just love to see “The Final” movie where well before the release it was known that Freddy would be killed off in 3D. With the biggest budget to date and the promise of the end people bought in again and the movie saw a 310% mark-up.

Then we come to an interesting junction in the life of the series. Freddy’s dead, you can’t undo that otherwise you will alienate the fans that will now feel cheated. However, there are clearly fans that will see all 6 movies to date, surly 7 couldn’t hurt. Here’s where Wes steps in and transforms the series. Set in “The Real World” Freddy returns as a sort of urban legend/know evil. The idea was actually not bad (considering the options) and the reception was generally good. The budget of $25m was a real risk though, close to double that of any Elm Street movie before. The profits were terrible but I do feel that Wes put the integrity back in to the series here.

So, what next? Freddy’s dead in the movie world and dead in the real world. It’s clear that a movie of either type would not really be worth the risk. Well, at this point we start to see the series fracture with a spin-off. Having newly acquired the rights to the Friday 13th series it’s was time for a match up between Freddy and Jason. Having a fan base from 2 classic 80’s slashers was always going to get people through the door. A huge $57m gross profit saw “Freddy Vs Jason” top the most profitable (gross) of the Elm Street series to date.

So with the original series gone, the real world option gone and a spin-off where would the series go next. Well, disappointingly there was a £35m remake. At 19 times the budget of the original the remake only made a mark-up of 80% and around only half the gross profit of “Freddy Vs Jason”. Replacing Robert Englund was never going to work in my opinion, he simply is Freddy. Also, the idea by the very nature of a remake has been done before (and again and again in the sequels).

So, will there be another movie.

I believe that yes there will be. Although not announced it would make sense for the studio to keep going. The only real viable option is a concept for “Freddy Vs Jason 2” or even “Freddy Vs Jason Vs Michael Vs Ash Vs Pinhead”. Who knows?. As long as the series is turning profit there will be a producer to make the Elm Street movies. The real question is, Will Robert Englund return as Freddy? Withought him Freddy really is dead and buried.

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Tonight's Midnight Movie: "The Cabinet of Dr Caligari"

2011-09-28T11:42:00.003+01:00

Year: 1920

Actors: Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt, Friedrich Feher

Director: Robert Wiene

Formats: VHS, DVD

Price: UK £2.99, USA $7.98

Or watch for free at the bottom of this post! :-D

Mini Review

“The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” ("Das Kabinet des Dr Caligari") is best described as a Horror movie of the German Expressionist style. From start to finish the movie is highly stylised. The plot concerns a young man called Francis recalling a story of recent events to another man. He tells how a mysterious man called Dr Caligari comes to town. Whilst at the town carnival Caligari reveals the somnambulist (sleep walker to you and me). A man that has slept for 23 years and can tell the past, present and future. Sure enough it isn’t long before Cesare the somnambulist predicts a death which in turn swiftly occurs. Can the locals get to the bottom of the mysterious murders and is all as simple as it seems?

Verdict

“The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” has been on my list of movies to watch for a long time. I’ve been burnt so many time though when I’ve watched a highly acclaimed movie by the critics. From the trailers it’s difficult to work out what the fuss is about, it’s one that you have to see, there really is no other option.

I generally like the silent movies, although not strictly a horror movie I still rate Fritz Lang’s Metropolis as one of the best movies ever made. “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” hasn’t disappointed me either. For a 1920’s movie I was really surprised by the plot arc, it’s a movie way before it’s time in terms of technique. The sets are fantastic, I don’t think that there is a single right-angle in the whole move. Everything looks disjointed, abstract and gothic. I imagine that Tim Burton must love this movie, there’s so many of the stylings that seem to have influenced him. For those that remember the “Judder-Man” adverts by Metz back in the ‘90s I can’t help thinking that the character was modelled on the somnambulist. <--word of the day.

I’m happy that there is music to compliment the movie. Having watched several other “silent” movies with no soundtrack I did struggle to pay full attention. Luckily there is no problem here and there are alternate restorations to consider.

What stands out for me in the movie is that I just didn’t see the end coming. I really should have known better (having seen and read so much) but I was convinced that the movie would play out as I expected. For the most part it did but the last page turner made this movie for me. It’s like when you see a fantastic magic trick, you are convinced you know what’s coming but then the story takes you off on a rapid departure.

I can see now why this movie is regarded so highly and also why it is so important for the history of film. This not just a recommendation but a must see movie.

Pros: A clever plot, brilliant scenery and part of horror history.

Cons: The silent aspect may put younger viewers off. Some of the “restored” DVD editions are not as good quality as they could be considering the standard of the Nosferatu resoration.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 8 German Expressionist somnambulists out of 10.

Should our review not be enough for you try these links.

IMDB: The Cabinet of Dr Caligari

Wikipedia: The Cabinet of Dr Caligari

Amazon: Das Cabinet Des Dr Caligari [1919] [DVD]

"The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920)" Full Movie.

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Your views: Watched this? Own this? Recommend this? Have a question about this? Please feel free to comment.

Tonight's Midnight Movie: "Carnival Of Souls"

2011-09-27T12:17:00.002+01:00

Year: 1962

Actors: Candace Hilligoss, Sidney Berger, Frances Feist

Director: Herk Harvey

Formats: VHS, DVD

Price: UK £2.99, USA $5.29 (Remastered Color $9.95)

Or watch for free at the bottom of this post! :-D

Mini Review

“Carnival of Souls” has a simple yet creepy. Shortly after a car accident a talented organist called Mary leave for Utah to take up a new job as a church organist. However, since the accident she has strange sightings of a zombie-like man. He appears to her several times but only she can see him. Mentally she links these sightings to an abandoned carnival and sets out to investigate the source of the visits by the strange man. There’s lots of what could be paranoia, hysteria or could it all be real. At time Mary is uable to communicate with the world around here. Can the local doctor, priest or neighbour help her? Can she help herself?

Verdict

“Carnival of Souls” is a genuinely interesting movie. I first picked this one up a few years ago. It was at a time when the £ to $ currency conversion was superb and how I built up my collection of US DVDs. On the first viewing I’d worked out the entire plot within minutes, so naturally I was initially underwhelmed by the rest of the movie. To anyone that has seen a horror movie before the plot is reasonably obvious. However, I decided to give this one another go as I did remember it at least as an interesting movie.

Second time round it was much more enjoyable. The acting is reasonably good, sometimes a little wooden but generally convincing enough. There’s some real issues in terms of continuity/plot holes, one of them big enough to have you asking yourself if you understood the movie correctly (I won’t mention any spoilers here).

Some parts of the movie seem slightly redundant. There is a sub-plot with Mary’s neighbour. A drinking, slightly rude pushy sleaze bag. Any modern girl would tell him to shove off but Mary just seems to roll with it. These segments add little in the way of pushing the story forward. For me that would be one of the key issues with the movie, the story moves reasonably slowly and it can seem like a bit of a chore at times to watch. Had this been a short story/shorter movie I think that the overall effect would have been greater.

Those are the downsides but there is a lot of goodness in this movie. It’s definitely a classic and did incorporate ideas not often seen before the early ‘60s. The production values also seem to be very good for this time period. In particular the abandoned carnival/pavilion is a very impressive setting for a movie and really works well.

Overall I do like this movie. I think that it could have been better but overall I did enjoy the re-watch of this one. I would recommend this movie. It’s not scary and so I really have no idea why it is classified as a 15 certificate in the UK. Summing up, this movie is low on scares but there is enough plot to squeeze out a good movie.

Pros: Good production, reasonably unique story, great sets.

Cons: A little low on scares and slow moving.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 7 creepy carnivals out of 10.

Should our review not be enough for you try these links.

IMDB: Carnival of Souls

Wikipedia: Carnival of Souls

Amazon: Carnival Of Souls [1962] [DVD], Carnival of Souls - Remastered Colour

"Carnival Of Souls" Full Movie.

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Your views: Watched this? Own this? Recommend this? Have a question about this? Please feel free to comment.

Tonight's Midnight Movie: "Sorority Row"

2011-09-26T16:24:00.001+01:00

Year: 2009

Actors: Briana Evigan, Margo Harshman, Rumer Willis, Jamie Chung, Leah Pipes, Audrina Patridge, Carrie Fisher

Director: Stewart Hendler

Formats: DVD, Blu-Ray

Price: £2.49

Mini Review

I’ve been looking through the sales lately and came across “Sorority Row” for £2.49. Well, for that price you can’t really complain so I thought I’d give it a go. Even from the trailer I think the director was struggling to distinguish the idea from “I know What You Did Last Summer”. The basic plot is that there is a sorority prank gone wrong. A group of Theta Pi girls pretend that one of them is dead, this accidentally leads to the girl’s boyfriend making sure. The “making sure” bit involves stabbing a tire iron through her chest, this time actually killing her. The girls swear to secrecy about the accident and dispose of their sisters’ corpse down an unused well.

Then the fun begins, on the one year anniversary of the secret one by one the girls are being murdered by a hooded figure. In addition the girls receive phone messages of their the murder weapon. Has the dead sister come back for revenge?

Verdict

From start to finish this is an incredibly trashy movie. The trailer is reasonably accurate as a sampler of what you will be getting. There’s lots of half-dressed sorority sisters, alcohol and partying with a few murders in-between. There is absolutely nothing new about the movie in terms of ideas. There’s the girl going off on her own, a girl trying to hide in a wardrobe from the murderer, the unusually suspiciously guilty character and even the ultimate cliché of one of the sorority girls going down to the basement alone. The murderer for the most part is dressed in a black robe, this is literally identical to the Scream series.

Having said all that I will award some odd bonus marks. The soundtrack includes Dragonette and Franz Ferdinand which is always pleasant. The movie also has a small role for Carrie Fisher as the sorority mother. I have to say her scenes were much better than most. Overall I knew what I was getting when I picked this DVD. It’s not bad at all, I wasn’t bored and there was good energy on screen. The lack of originality left me a little disappointed though. This isn't the worst slasher you will see so I wouldn't want to put readers off too much.

IMDB estimates this one at a $16,000,000 budget with just $11,915,856 gross. For the life of me I can’t work out why this would cost so much to produce.

Pros: Good value for a £2.49 DVD.

Cons: Exactly the same plot as “I know What You Did Last Summer” with murderer from “Scream”.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 6 corpses in a mineshaft out of 10.

If you liked this try: “I know What You Did Last Summer”, “Scream”

Should our review not be enough for you try these links.

IMDB: Sorority Row

Wikipedia: SororityRow

Amazon: Sorority Row [DVD] [2009]

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Your views: Watched this? Own this? Recommend this? Have a question about this? Please feel free to comment.

Tonight's Midnight Movie: "Clue"

2011-09-22T17:34:00.002+01:00

Year: 1985
Actors: Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, Lesley Ann Warren, Colleen Kamp, Lee Ving
Director: John Landis
Formats: VHS, DVD
Price: £2.49

Ok, so it's not ghosts, goblins, demons, paranormal, haunted houses etc. I thought that I would branch out today with a quick murder mystery/comedy, although it is directed by Horror guru John Landis. If it makes you feel any better there is a big old creepy house and murder!!!

Mini Review

Ah ~~Cluedo~~, err I mean Clue. You see in the UK the game is known as Cluedo rather than Clue, see footnote for reasons why*. Our game, our rules since a Brit invented it. The movie however is American and most definitely called Clue. As you would expect it's an adaptation of the classic board game. There's Professor Plum, Colonel Mustard, Mrs White, Miss Scarlet, Mr Green, Mrs Peacock and of course Mr Body/Dr Black. In addition there's also Wadsworth the butler and Yvette the French maid. The guests all arrive one by one and get to know each other over a soup slurping, monkey brain scooping dinner. It sets the tone of the movie well. They are then joined by Mr Black who after dinner is revealed to have been blackmailing each guest for a different reason. Sure enough a light switch flips, the lights go out and we are left with one dead Mr Body as a result.

Wordsworth explains that he has already called the police with the intention of charging Mr Body with blackmail. However, since he is now dead there is a race on to discover how he died, where, with what and by who? Along the way the guests are interrupted by unexpected guests which lead to more murders. It's a delightful movie with plenty of running around and hysteria. The guests split up at times, use secret passages and generally all have reason to suspect each other. Only at the very end is the full solution revealed.

*Shortly thereafter, Pratt and his wife presented the game to Waddingtons' executive, Norman Watson, who immediately purchased the game and provided its trademark name of "Cluedo" (a play on "clue" and "Ludo", which is Latin for I play). Though the patent was granted in 1947, due to post-war shortages, the game was not officially launched until 1949, at which time the game was simultaneously licensed to Parker Brothers in the United States for publication, where it was re-named "Clue" along with other minor changes.

Verdict

Clue is a movie that really will keep you guessing until the end, even then you could be wrong. This is one of those movies I saw as a kid and have always loved. There's lots of slapstick running around, great word play and above all there's a relentless silliness to the proceedings which makes it so watchable. Along with Stephen King's "IT" this must be the one of Tim Curry's best moments. I'm guessing the director told Tim to just have fun and do things his way. The comedy timing is superb, every character seems perfectly crafted and all have great one-liners.

What really impresses me is that the writing allows for a real murder mystery story to run through the movie. There's red herrings, subtle clues and lots of far fetched motives for the murders. Take away the comedy and farce of the movie and the plot could have stood as a serious mystery movie in it's own right.

Pros: Just utterly silly and enjoyable. Tim Curry at his best.

Cons: There's a few continuity errors but it really doesn't take anything away from the viewing.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 9 bodies stacked in the lounge out of 10. This is the pinnacle of the murder mystery comedies.

Should our review not be enough for you try these links.

IMDB: Clue

Wikipedia: Clue

Amazon: Clue [DVD]

Clue (1985): Trailer

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Your views: Watched this? Own this? Recommend this? Have a question about this? Please feel free to comment.

Tonight's Midnight Movie: "Hellraiser"

2011-09-22T17:12:00.007+01:00

Year: 1987

Actors:Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Sean Chapman, Doug Bradley

Director: Clive Barker

Formats: VHS, DVD, Blu-Ray

Price: £4.50

Mini Review

So, what's it all about? Hellraiser can be loosely categorised as an '80's slasher movie. In truth though I think it follows the gore/suspense formula a little closer. The story takes much from the original Clive Barker novel "The Hellbound Heart" which in turn took at least part of it's inspiration from Edgar Allan Poe's "Tell-Tale Heart" short story. The Hellraiser story has a clear set up. There is a puzzle box which when solved acts as a gateway to Hell. Those that open the box are greeted by the Cenobites, demons that deliver sadistic torture on the opener.

The main focus of the story surrounds Larry Cotton, a middle aged business man type. His daughter Kirtsy, his wife Julia and the evil uncle Frank. Having opened the box Frank is ripped to shreds by the torture of the Cenobites and his remains lie under the floorboards of Larry's house. Carelessly cutting his hand on a loose nail Larry drips blood on to the floorboards. For a reason never really fully explained the blood resurrects Frank in a horrifically gruesome scene. It is at this point that Frank enlists Claudia to help him complete his skinless body by luring men to their deaths in the house. Frank can then suck their blood and regenerate, if you listen closely there is actually the sound effect of someone sucking through a straw in one scene, it's very creepy.

With Frank back and having escaped the Cenobites there is much mischief and mayhem as you would expect. Kirsty becomes involved looking for her father and encounters Frank and uncovers his relationship to the box and Hell. I don't want to give any more detail in this review so as not to spoil any surprises. Needless to say though there is a lot of blood, the appearance of the infamous Pinhead and plenty more blood.

Verdict

From my perspective Hellraiser has a lot going for it as a Horror movie. There is well thought out pacing, the characters have depth and the movie is not fixated on the Pinhead character but rather the fear of the Cenobites and Hell. One of the highlights has to be the special effects. Often the effects can ruin a movie like Hellraiser if they are not believable. However, the skinless Frank Cotton is superbly disturbing and the images of tearing flesh are really well executed. Although we associate the character of Pinhead with the Hellraiser series he actually has less than 10 minutes of screen time in this first outing. This adds to the mystery of the character, his role is very functional and clearly not a demon to mess with. Lines like "Your suffering will be legendary!" are delivered with such conviction that what could come off as incredibly cheesy really doesn't.

The other characters feature heavily in driving the story forward. Uncle Frank is a complete bad guy, to him nothing matters apart from what he wants. Julia has a slow descent from being a slightly creepy mother-in-law figure to an all out evil sidekick, this idea is then later revisited in part 2. I think what I like most in the character work though is Kirsty Cotton. We're so used to seeing annoying blonde girls keep falling over when chased and being generally a bit dappy. Kirsty on the other hand reacts very much as you would expect someone to in real life. I'm particularly fond of the "Get the f**k off me!" line, it's exactly what you would say if an evil, skinless bleeding man was trying to kill you. It's also refreshing seeing Kirsty bargaining with the Cenobites, emphasising that from her perspective evil uncle Frank is actually more of a threat to her. This also has the benefit of revealing more of Pinheads character; he's not a mindless killer and does have a sense of right and wrong (or at least who should be punished in terms of the rules of the box). Pinhead is more of a functional character with a job to do, there's a sense that he is ageless and very composed in his line of work.

I'm not a professional critic but I will try to comment on the directing style. Clive Barker seems to have a real vision in to how the movie should look and feel. Gory scenes are nicely detailed with flesh and blood, lighter scenes of the movie have a normality feel about them. The light use of on screen Cenobite killings also adds to the threat. By "kill count" Hellraiser would not rank particularly high, however the menacing appearance of the Cenobites makes up for this. Hellraiser is a triumph for the genre. It plays with all our fears of curiosity in games like the Ouija board and also reveals and grim interpretation of what awaits us in Hell.

Pros: Well made, well directed, solid story.

Cons: If you don't like blood this one isn't for you. Also the very final 20 seconds of the movie is somewhat disconnected.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 8 blood soaked floorboards out of 10.

If you liked this try: Hellraiser II,

Should our review not be enough for you try these links.

IMDB: Hellraiser

Wikipedia: Hellraiser

Amazon: Hellraiser 1-3 Boxset [DVD] [1987]

Hellraiser (1987): Trailer

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Your views: Watched this? Own this? Recommend this? Have a question about this? Please feel free to comment.

Is "The Blair Witch Project" scary?

2011-09-19T17:24:00.003+01:00

It's one of those movies that is incredibly divisive. There's the "That was pointless" response and also the "That was scary" response. Viewers really are split on this one as to whether "The Blair Witch Project" is worth watching. IMDBs current rating is 6.3 but the movie has a metascore of 81/100 so you can already see the inconsistency. So, is it worth watching? Is it as good as the hype? Is it completely pointless? Is it scary?

*No Spoilers*

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Back in my late teens I had heard of a movie coming from across the pond, "The Blair Witch Project". A supposedly rediscovered home movie that tracked a group of missing students. I had heard a lot of hype over this one and couldn't wait to see it. So that Halloween I set out with a couple of friends to watch the show. I'd seen the trailer so I was prepared for lots of blurry shots of foliage and poor camera work. The first thirty minutes flew by and I was really enjoying the movie, it really is like watching a documentary. From the start Heather's character annoyed me but there was always the chance that we would see her hacked to pieces by the end of the movie so I stuck with it. It was mainly her accent at first that did is for me, I should correct myself here and explain that it was more her dialect. Although I'm very British I don't mind American accents in general, Heather's character just seemed like one of those slightly obnoxious, moaning dim types right from the start. No offence meant Americans, I love your Twinkies, Peeps and Cheese in a can :-) Seriously though, you guys gave us Edgar Allan Poe and Vincent Price, we are in your debt.

Anyway, after the essential build-up of finding her two companions/film crew they set out in to the woods. I like the attempts here to talk about folklore and local legends; I would have liked more "real" material to be included here. The interview with Mary Brown seems quite creepy and I really liked the delivery of the ghost/folklore story. For me the movie then changes, it gets a little dull. There's the slow realisation that they might be lost and that they should probably camp the night etc. It's not scary in the least and I'm not actually sure that the film makers intended it to be. It's more of a "fill in the blanks" in your head to generate the scares.

Throughout the movie things go from a nice cheerful walking/movie making trip to a realisation that they are completely lost and there may or may not be the Blair Witch stalking them. For me this is the pivotal point that divides opinion. If you believe that this is just a movie then there really is nothing scary so far apart from a few leaves rustling, straw dolls etc. However, if the tape is genuine the movie will take on a different meaning. In this blog I'm not going to reveal the ending or any more of the detail as I don't want to spoil a viewing for you.

In regard to my initial question, "Is it worth watching?" My answer is "yes". The reason being is that regardless of whether you like the movie or not and believe it is genuine or not really doesn't matter to some extent. I think that many people viewing the first time did not understand the final scene where there is the real pay-off in terms of the story arc. Having a quick read of IMDB it seems that some people are still missing the point. Endless comments of "Nothing Happens" are still being posted all these years later. The elements that makes this movie are that you must listen to the documentary folk stories at the start and that in your own life you've actually had that slightly lost/stalked/frightened/haunted feeling.

If you are they type of viewer that needs endless ghosts, monsters and skeletons jumping out along with the scary music then this movie is definitely not for you. You will only be left disappointed, you won't be scared or entertained. If you’re the type of open-minded movie goer that will give most things a try there is a good chance that you will enjoy this movie. So, is it scary? Well, yes if you understand it and think about it long enough, it will all depend on the viewers interperetation and personal thoughts on the real life what if's of the story.

It’s cheap $60,000 by IMDB estimates with $248,639,099 gross earnings. Incidentally this was also the first DVD I ever bought, ironically it was possibly the only DVD out at the time that did not need to be on DVD since the original was filmed on tape.

Pros: Fairly original idea and something a little different.

Cons: Will not appeal to all.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 6.5 straw dolls out of 10. I don't love it but I do appreciate it.

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Scary Children’s Movies

2011-09-18T14:21:00.001+01:00

Ever see something in a kids movie and thing "That's a little bit scary!" It is rare but there are a few examples of this, they tend not to be the obvious monster jumping out or the in-your-face ghost. They tend to be the moments where there is a slightly sinister undertone. Overall I think there’s very few moments in children’s movies that would cause lasting fear. You may disagree with me completely but here's 3 of my nominations for things that would certainly creep most kids out.

Disney's Pinocchio: Jack-ass Scene

Now, I know what you’re thinking, unless you have a phobia of singing crickets or marionettes come to life Disney's Pinocchio can't contain any element of horror? Well consider this scene. It's the part of the movie where Pinocchio visits Pleasure Island along with a group of other boys. They are allowed to drink, gamble, smoke, play pool and hang out having fun all day etc. Generally experiencing the vices of the older adolescent. All in all it's not very politically correct for children but hey, it was the 40's. The particular section I'm nominating is Lampwick's transformation in to a donkey. If seen in the correct frame of mind this is a really traumatising scene. As Lampwick mutates in to a Jack-ass he is literally begging Pinocchio for help, the scene is just really graphic and distressing. The movie has already established that crates of donkeys are being loaded away to some unpleasant future such as working in the salt mines. There's full transformations and sort of half formed talking donkeys like Alexander who is flung back in to acorner with the rest of the chil-donkey creatures begging for his mother. If I was in marketing I would use this as a very potent anti-alcohol and tobacco campaign.

Disney's Pinocchio: Jack-ass Scene

Les Maitres Du Temps (1985): Curing the non-conformers scene

Again, I know what you’re thinking. You thinking "What the Hell is Les Maitres Du Temps?". Well if you are in the UK or USA you are more likely to know this one as "The Time Masters" by Rene Laloux. Straight off the bat I'll let you in on a secret, this is a brilliant movie! It's generally classified as a sci-fi children's cartoon but it has many undertones of political and social ideas, something I admire of the French culture. The story tracks the rescue mission of a young boy called Piel that is trapped on a dangerous planet of Perdide after he fathers land buggy is involved in an accident in which his father dies leaving Piel to fend for himself.

There's a scene where Piel is attacked by giant bugs trying scoop out his brain and also a scene where a friendly creature is absorbed by tentacles in a really distressing way. The scene that I'd like to pick out though is the scene on the planet of "Gamma 10". The two space travellers landing on the planet soon meet some white angel-like creatures with no faces. The space travellers are quickly captured and taken to what appears to be a hive-mind society. The scene is in what looks like the inside of a cave shaped as an amphitheatre. Hundreds of the sinister white faceless angels gather round and chant in unison to cure the non-conformers. It a proper alien communist nightmare of a scene. The audio here is fantastically creepy. A lone course French voice screams out the chants. It's one of those movies you really have to see to appreciate the creepiness although the trailer below will give you a good impression.

Les Maitres Du Temps (1985).

Return to Oz: Headless Mombi

I'm sure you all know the scene I'm going to suggest here. It's the scenes where Mombi has no head on and also the scenes where Dorothy is attempting to retrieve the key from the head boxes. For a children's movie "Return to Oz" is phenomenally dark in tone. From the Wheelers to the Gnome King, it's all very creepy. I've chosen the headless scene though as it's the most all out horror of the movie. When Mombie shouts "DOROTHY GALE!" and the disembodied heads start screaming it's a real departure from our regular world of Disney.

Return to Oz: Headless Mombi

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

So, what are your nominations for scary scenes in a children’s movie? There's many more I'm sure.

Horror Movie: Guilty Pleasures

2011-09-16T18:04:00.001+01:00

There's a whole spectrum of horror movies out there and although I focus on the great ones don't be fooled that I don't watch absolute garbage movies (and enjoy them). I do warn you up front that there are some really odd choices in here but I will explain my reasoning. I'm classifying my guilty pleasures as films that I really shouldn't enjoy but just can't help it.

Zombie Movies

Resident Evil

Ok, some people like this one a lot and consider it successful on it's own merits. Looking at it though it is a really trashy flick aimed at the video gamer that enjoys lots of things going boom. It's exactly what it is and doesn't pretend to be anything else. For that reason I wasn't disappointed with Resident Evil as a movie. As far as video game to movie adaptations go it's actually rather good. Much better than Silent Hill anyway. It's a guilty pleasure because I saw this one three times at the cinema :-o

Cheesy Vincent Price Movies

Dr Phibes/Theatre of Blood/House of Wax

... you know the type.

Vincent Price in his own right has to be a guilty pleasure. I can't imagine any of the above working if it wasn't for Vincent. Typically they have all dated horribly, the scripts are really corny and there's a really cheap feel to them. For some reason it works though. It's not horror made to shock, it's more cheesy entertainment with a slightly dark theme. These I clearly separate from Price's serious Poe works such as "The Pit and the Pendulum", "Masque of the Red Death" and "Fall of the House of Usher".

Teen Horror

Scream

Now it's actually debatable if Scream is a horror movie or just a teen movie with a murder theme. The classification doesn't really bother me too much. It's a movie that I shouldn't really like, the idea of teenagers running around, splitting in to groups being picked off by a masked psycho has been a standard horror plot since Sorority Row. It's just a modern take on the slasher movie. The reason Scream is a guilty pleasure for me is that it is entertaining, it's not sophisticated in the least but it is a good alternative to similar movies.

Gore

Hellraiser Part 3/4

Well parts 1 and 2 are a given. They are well directed and there is a genuine story to hang the gore from. Clive Barker had a vision and it worked. Parts 5 onwards are just an awful sell-out and it pains me to see the franchise give up on it's great start. Parts 3 and 4 are my guilty pleasure because I actually enjoy watching them where many people don't. They often receive very harsh criticism on the forums but in reality I think this is slightly more to do with a backlash at loosing Clive Barker rather than the movies themselves. Parts 3 and 4 both have reasonably solid story lines (no worse than other movies of the time) and the special effects are mostly up to scratch. Part 3 also was the start of Pinhead developing a bit more of a sense of humour, there are some great one liners in there. Had they stopped at part 4 I think the franchise would be remembered more fondly. The farce of part 5 onwards is a real pity.

Haunted House

House On Haunted Hill (1999)

The original "House On Haunted Hill" is obviously a William Castle/Vincent Price classic and one of the best of it's kind. Out of curiosity I watched the remake not expecting much, the trailer clearly set out that there would be CGI and a modern Hollywood approach to proceedings. I actually ended up really liking this one though. Geoffrey Rush is fantastic and holds the movie together. Although there is a lot of CGI which I usually want taken out of Horror movies, it actually seems to work for the most part here. OK, so it's not the original but I think the purpose of a remake should be to offer something a little different.

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

So, what are your Horror Movie Guilty Pleasures? Please leave a comment below.

Were Horror Movies Better in the Old Days?

2011-09-15T14:10:00.001+01:00

It's something I've often wondered to myself. It seems that I like less and less new horror films being released this days. Is it just me or did horror movies used to be better? Well I've made a quick piece of analysis to investigate. I've taken IMDB's 50 top ranked Horror movies, sliced and diced the stats and come to some firm conclusions.

The Time Trend

A quick grouping shows that 1960-1969 was the golden age of horror. IMDB users rating 14/50 (28%) in the Top 50. In comparison 1940-1949 has just one entry (Dead Of Night).

2000-2010 produced just 6 of our top 50. That's less than half of 1960-1969. So on the surface it does seem that there was a distinct period in which horror films were better than today. When averaging out the scores (excluding 1960-1969) it seems that 2000-2010 fared reasonably well against with 6 top movies vs 5.14 average.

So What's so Special About 1960-1969

Eyes Without a Face (1960)

Hour of the Wolf (1968)

Kwaidan (1964)

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Onibaba (1964)

Peeping Tom (1960)

Psycho (1960)

Repulsion (1965)

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

The Birds (1963)

The Cremator (1969)

The Haunting (1963/I)

The Innocents (1961)

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

One thing is very notable in the list. It's the variety of movies. "Night of the Living Dead" is considered as the first of it's kind and any Zombie movie lover will have to reference this one as a best in class. There's also a Hunted House entry with "The Haunting" which I reviewed recently, again it is a classic with great production values and solid directing. There's also Hitchcock's "The Birds" and Psycho", these too are often widely referenced as Hitchcocks style was something a little bold and new. Finally there's a couple of others that broke the mould, "Peeping Tom" caused outrage over its content and "Rosemary's Baby" that showed a new spin on demon possession. I can't be more specific why this era produced such a number of great movies but it does seem that many movies were being produced around this time in a variety of styles. It's also the era that the post war baby boomers would have been teenagers in so it could be that users are rating these movies highly as they would be prominent memories at this time of life.

Greatest Horror Movie Period: Quantity or Quality?

So 1960-1969 wins hands down for quantity but how about overall quality?

Interestingly based on average ratings it is 1980-1989 that scores as our highest decade. I have to say I'm pleased as these were my childhood years and always believed that there was some good work going on. Only 3 movies 1980's movies make it in to the Top 5.

Evil Dead II (1987) 7.80

The Shining (1980) 8.50

The Thing (1982) 8.10

Looking at these titles it's easy to see what gave the 80's a small edge, all three movies are certainly in my collection. Raimi, Kubrick and Carpenter are all household names in the horror world. It's interesting that we have a slightly wacky Demon movie, a Psychological thriller and a Monster movie. It's always nice to have a variety.

Psycho (1960) takes the overall top spot with an 8.7 rating. This surprises me a little. Although it is a Hitchcock I wouldn't rate it as his best work, I may have to re-watch this one to see if I change my mind.

2000-2010 produces the lowest overall average of 7.7 making it the lowest rated decade by a wafer thin 0.03 difference between the 1940’s and 1950’s. Statistically this is insignificant taking in to account the data source. However, it is an interesting take on how the viewer’s think about modern horror. My prediction is that we will actually see the 7.7 of the 2000’s creep up a little over time as more people discover the gems in there. Overall there is a slight positive trend from 1920 to present indicating no sudden crisis for the horor movie industry.

So, in conclusion. If you are looking for quantity try the 60’s, if you are looking for quality you may find what you are looking for in the ‘80’s. On another slant though it’s worth noting that 4 of the top 10 movies are pre-1940.

However we cut this one I think it’s safe to say that horror films are in no dramatic decline in quality no matter how much some of us believe. Styles change as do audiences and the opportunity to be innovative and fresh will be a constant challenge. I can happily pick a decent movie from every decade of the last 100 years of horror.

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

See below for the full IMDB Top 50 Horror List. Agree with the list? Are they missing your favourite? What's your favourite Horror decade? I'm interested in your thoughts, please leave a comments below.

IMDB Ranking: 14/09/2011

Rank	Rating	Title	Votes	Year
1	8.7	Psycho (1960)	173,329	1960
2	8.5	Alien (1979)	216,582	1979
3	8.5	The Shining (1980)	221,288	1980
4	8.1	The Thing (1982)	99,866	1982
5	8.1	Nosferatu (1922)	33,157	1922
6	8	Faust (1926)	5,222	1926
7	8	The Exorcist (1973)	129,780	1973
8	8	Rosemary's Baby (1968)	63,889	1968
9	8	The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)	19,064	1920
10	8	King Kong (1933)	43,999	1933
11	8	Frankenstein (1931)	26,065	1931
12	8	What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)	14,605	1962
13	8	Bride of Frankenstein (1935)	17,302	1935
14	8	Dawn of the Dead (1978)	48,945	1978
15	8	Kwaidan (1964)	4,992	1964
16	8	Night of the Living Dead (1968)	45,401	1968
17	8	Shaun of the Dead (2004)	163,225	2004
18	8	Onibaba (1964)	4,957	1964
19	7.9	Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)	16,676	1956
20	7.9	The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933)	4,738	1933
21	7.9	The Innocents (1961)	8,295	1961
22	7.9	Halloween (1978)	73,092	1978
23	7.9	Freaks (1932)	16,152	1932
24	7.9	The Cremator (1969)	1,988	1969
25	7.9	The Phantom Carriage (1921)	2,001	1921
26	7.9	The Unknown (1927)	3,053	1927
27	7.9	The Birds (1963)	61,205	1963
28	7.8	Repulsion (1965)	15,533	1965
29	7.8	Eyes Without a Face (1960)	5,902	1960
30	7.8	Dead of Night (1945)	3,996	1945
31	7.8	The Man Who Laughs (1928)	1,710	1928
32	7.8	Evil Dead II (1987)	51,185	1987
33	7.8	Grindhouse (2007)	93,309	2007
34	7.8	I Saw the Devil (2010)	12,900	2010
35	7.8	Peeping Tom (1960)	11,026	1960
36	7.8	The Invisible Man (1933)	9,038	1933
37	7.7	Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)	4,622	1931
38	7.7	Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922)	3,475	1922
39	7.7	Zombieland (2009)	126,248	2009
40	7.7	Hour of the Wolf (1968)	5,535	1968
41	7.7	The Phantom of the Opera (1925)	6,496	1925
42	7.7	The Haunting (1963/I)	12,988	1,963
43	7.7	Island of Lost Souls (1932)	1,718	1932
44	7.7	The Wicker Man (1973)	23,379	1973
45	7.7	The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939)	4,276	1939
46	7.7	Saw (2004)	138,373	2004
47	7.7	The Devils (1971)	3,490	1971
48	7.7	Night of the Demon (1957)	4,197	1957
49	7.6	[Rec] (2007)	48,174	2007
50	7.6	Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)	12,494	1975

Tonight's Midnight Movie: "The Haunting"

2011-09-14T19:18:00.003+01:00

Year: 1963
Actors: Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson, Russ Tamblyn
Director: Robert Wise
Formats: VHS, DVD
Price: £3.49

Mini Review

Do you believe in ghosts? Well a stay at the house on the hill will help you find out. A psychiatrist invites three guests to take part in supernatural research. The guests are given the run of the old Hill House and are asked to report on any goings on. As you can imagine it isn't long before things start going bump in the night. The activities seem to be targeting the most nervous guest, Nell. The mystery of the knockings and banging continue throughout the movie and create quite an oppressive feel. I did find that I wanted to know the source of the occurrences but was not overwhelmed by the "solution". What will the verdict on the ghost be? True, false or something else. Whether you are a seasoned mystery/haunted house movie goer or just venturing in to the genre, this is a great example of a well made movie.

Verdict

I'm always in two minds about this movie. On one hand it is a great watch and would definitely recommend for haunted house movie lovers. There's a strong plot development and the "ghosts" are an interesting take on what should make us afraid. The acting is also rather good for this genre. It's all too easy to put some strangers in a big empty house and the whole movie go very dull, thankfully the actors keep the plot going at a nice pace.

The reason I hesitate in getting too excited about this film though is that it is a little bit predictable. As I had such high hopes for this movie based on other reviews I think that it doesn't quite live up to the ground breaking reviews that it often receives. However, I can honestly say it is a good movie and very cheap to pick up on DVD these days. Give it a go, you may really like this one.

Pros: Very solid movie, good acting and good old fashioned story telling.

Cons: The character of Nell tends to annoy me a bit due to the persistent whining. Overall the story is reasonably predictable if you are familiar with haunted house movies.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 7 unseen ghosts out of 10.

If you liked this try: The House On Haunted Hill,

Should our review not be enough for you try these links.

IMDB: The Haunting

Wikipedia: The Haunting

Amazon: The Haunting [DVD] [1963]

The Haunting (1963) Trailer

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Your views: Watched this? Own this? Recommend this? Have a question about this? Please feel free to comment.

Tonight's Midnight Movie: "The Woman in Black"

2011-09-14T19:05:00.003+01:00

Year: 1989
Actors: Adrian Rawlins
Director: Herbert Wise
Formats: VHS, DVD
Price: £17.99 (due to a limited production number)

Mini Review

It's a simple set up. A young lawyer (Arthur Kidd) has been appointed to take care of the estate of a recently deceased lady. Her estate just happens to be in one of the most isolated and creepy marshes ever! Arthur soon arrives to the conclusion that something isn't right with the house, especially after an early encounter with the Woman in Black overlooking her own funeral. Arthur continues his business in the isolated house, trapped by both the incoming tide as well as the fret (sea fog) that surrounds the house.

As you can imagine, there's not too much dialogue but there is a lot of haunting music and silence. Can Arthur get to the bottom of the mystery that surrounds him? is he mad? is their a ghost? It's a gripping movie that delivers genuine spine-tingling thrills.

Verdict

Pros: Yes, yes, yes! This is ghost story telling at it's best. There's elements of suspense, story development and above all it's easy to feel the same sense of unease that Arthur Kidd is experiencing throughout the movie. Do not hesitate, this is a best in class ghost story.

Cons: I nearly s*it my pants I jumped so much at one scene in particular (you all know which one). My advice is not to sit too close to the TV in the dark with the sound on high the first time you watch this one.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 10 night terrors out of 10.The best of the best ghost story adaptations.

If you liked this try: The Haunting,

Should our review not be enough for you try these links.

IMDB: The Woman In Black

Wikipedia: The Woman In Black

Amazon: Woman In Black

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Your views: Watched this? Own this? Recommend this? Have a question about this? Please feel free to comment.

Tonight's Midnight Movie: "The House on Haunted Hill"

2011-09-14T17:05:00.003+01:00

Year: 1959
Actors: Vincent Price
Director: William Castle
Formats: VHS, DVD
Price: £2.99 ($6)

Or watch for free at the bottom of this post! :-D

Mini Review

I reccomend buying the DVD as you will want this in your collection in decent quality. There's many editions, various cheap options, the re-mastered versions and very excitingly a re-mastered coloured version! It's a little "Pricey" but the re-mastered colour edition is worth the money.

I have all three but for this review I'm watching the re-mastered black and white edition as it's perhaps how the majority of viewers will see this for the first time. I first saw this one as a young boy back in the '80s and have had a lasting love of Vincent Price's work and haunted house movies ever since.

Vincent Price plays the role of a rich businessman who will financially reward his five guests ($10,000) provided that they can survive a night in the House on Haunted Hill. Price and his wife Annabelle hold a dinner party with a difference. Guests are given "Party Favours" in the form of hand guns (only in America). The guests themselves are a collection of locals, there's a pilot, a secretary, a psychiatrist, a writer and the house owner. All of which have a reason for wanting the cash reward more than most. Can they survive the many ghosts that are said to haunt the house?

The plot plays out with a creepy mystery/who dun'it/haunted house vibe. As the film is so story driven I don't want to give anything away here. There are jumps and scares along the way. It all hangs together very pleasingly as Vincent Price camps it up but at the same time seeming utterly convincing in the role. There are moments when you want to shout out "Don't separate in to groups you fools!" but it's all part of the nature of the film.

Verdict

Pros: It's well written, has solid pacing and above all it is story driven. The lack of special effects and the setting of a creepy looking house are what gives this film a delightful classic feel that is as watchable today as it was back when it was released.

Cons: I'm really struggling. There is one small nag I have regarding an event with a rope that looks/behaves supernatural yet isn't really explained how this happened. Overall though I'm literally picking at the most minor of film quirks.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 9 disembodied heads out of 10. An absolute must for any haunted house fan.

If you liked this try: The Haunting, House on Haunted Hill (1999),

Should our review not be enough for you try these links.

IMDB: House On Haunted Hill

Wikipedia: House On Haunted Hill

Amazon: House On Haunted Hill [1959] [DVD]

"The House On Haunted Hill" Full Movie.

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Your views: Watched this? Own this? Recommend this? Have a question about this? Please feel free to comment.

Tonight's Midnight Movie: "The Last Man on Earth"

2011-09-13T17:03:00.004+01:00

Year: 1964
Actors: Vincent Price
Director: Ubaldo Ragona
Formats: VHS, DVD
Price: UK £2.99 (Remastered Colour £3.24), USA $3.98 (Remastered Color $11.63)

Or watch for free at the bottom of this post! :-D

Mini Review

Not strictly a horror movie but more of a post-apocalypse movie. I'm reviewing today as my personal view is that the theme of the movies does fall in to the boundaries of the Zombie genre. Vincent Price play the role of Dr Morgan, the sole survivor of an apocalyptic outbreak of disease. However, the bodies of the dead re-animate and seek death to the living. To get round this problem Morgan must burn the bodies of the infected that pile up at his door each night. Each day Morgan must carry out his life in a new way to survive, there are the daily tasks of collecting gas, burning bodies in the pit, gathering fuel etc. By night he must barricade himself in his home and fend off the infected horde.

Throughout the movie we get small fragments in to life before the apocalypse including seeing Price's family, colleagues and general impressions of the time. It adds a nice roundness to the story telling and puts the disaster in context. As the plot progresses we see Morgan's state of mind come to terms with the new world. I don't want to give away much plot here so it is suffice to say that Morgan establishes communication with the zombie-like humans and raising the interesting dilemma of what life is.

Verdict

The idea has been played out in a number of movies such as "The Omega Man", "Last Man On Earth" and more recently "I am Legend" and all adapted from the same book. Having seen all three movies I still favour "The Last Man On Earth". Perhaps because I'm slightly biased towards Vincent Price as an on screen presence but also because I feel that it's the most rounded of the movies. As always Price is timeless in the role of Dr Morgan. The routine nature of his new life is played out to perfection and you really get the feeling that the start of the film is more like a documentary rather than a feature film. Where "The Last Man On Earth" really triumphs though is in it's simplicity, no special effects save for a couple of interesting camera techniques and no high budget sets. It's not needed and wasn't included which I think is it's greatest strength against "I Am Legend". Overall this is a movie that won't scare you but it will make you think about the nature of humans and disease.

Pros: Vincent Price in a serious and jaded character role yet accessible as a character.

Cons: For me the ending just doesn't work as well as it could but this is really down to personal taste.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 7 burnt corpses out of 10.

If you liked this try: The Omega Man, I Am Legend.

Should our review not be enough for you try these links.

IMDB: Last Man On Earth

Wikipedia: The Last Man On Earth

Amazon: The Last Man On Earth [DVD] [1964], The Last Man on Earth (Digitally remastered in colour) [DVD] [1964]

"Last Man On Earth" Full Movie.

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Your views: Watched this? Own this? Recommend this? Have a question about this? Please feel free to comment.

What is the worst horror movie ever made?

2011-09-12T17:06:00.004+01:00

For my first post I thought I'd get the worst out of the way first (something better tomorrow).

This is a category that is wide open. Certainly looking at my collection I've got some that are real contenders. Leprechaun 4: Leprechaun in the Hood, some of the early "B" movies and of course there's many to choose from the Hammer Studios when things started going wrong. All of these I can excuse though for various reasons. Leprechaun 4 was obviously a joke, the "B" movies don't usually set out to impress you on budget or acting and the Hammer Studios offset their poorer outings by their classics.
However, there is no excuse for tonight's midnight movie. I speak of "Troll 2". It's one of those movies that has no reason to exist. It ticks all the major boxes of poor story, low budget and some of the worst acting imaginable. Some movies are so bad that they're good, Troll 2 is just so bad it makes you feel ill. The sum of it's parts create a movie of bewildering proportions far worse than you initially expect. From start to finish I was asking myself, "How did this get made?", "Why was this made?" and "What the heck is going on?".

My best guess is that someone said "We've got some Troll costumes lying around and a cheap camera, let's throw them at passing students and out of work actors and see what happens!". It's appalling in every sense of the word. What really gets me is how the movie is clearly called "Troll 2" yet the creatures are never once referred to as Trolls, they are always called Goblins?!?!? That's how bad it is in terms of continuity, a two word title and it's neither a proper part 2 nor about Trolls! (Yes I realise there is a film called Troll but it's really nowhere near as bad nor closely related to this title).

So, what's it all about? I hear you ask. Well, I'll break it down in to a summary (a detailed description would make me too upset). Grandpa Seth tells his grandson of the legend of the ~~trolls~~ goblins. To feed on human flesh the goblins must first convert the humans in to a plant like creature. This is done by feeding them their special mixture, primarily "Nilbog" milk, leading to the terribly acted "Nilbog is Goblin spelt backwards!!!". Shortly after consumption the humans start leaking green goo and are ready to eat. It's ridiculous in every sense of the word. At some point towards the end of the movie someone decides that the head goblin must be destroyed. This is perhaps one of the few things in the movie that made me laugh. It was a laugh of despair though. Imagine being utterly bored and disgruntled for what seems like an eternity, then the head goblin pops up. Just as you think that acting can't get any worse, there it is. Troll 2 manages to step it up a gear on the crap-o-meter. You can't understand how bad the acting is until you see it for yourself. Part of the time the "actors" are clearly reading from off screen q-cards and they aren't even doing that well. The phrase "They're eating her and then they're going to eat me! Oh my God! AAAhhhhh!" is perhaps the low point of movie history. Some kind person has put up an extract on youtube (please watch with low expectations).

In a short review like this I can never convey how bad this movie is. At the same time I strongly recommend that you don't ever watch it even out of curiosity. Just believe me that the is no and can never be as film as bad as this. Troll 2 stands in my collection shunned by the rest of it's DVD brethren. I find perhaps the most disturbing issue about Troll 2 is that after all this time the evil of their movie has not been forgotten. Unbelievably it is now available on Blu-Ray! For the life of me I cannot imagine the type of twisted individual that would be able to stomach the shame of taking the purchase to the counter. Even buying anonymously through the internet is likely to put you on "some sort of register" with the credit card companies. Personally I feel dirty just handling the DVD version and somewhat violated whilst I'm watching the movie.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 0 Nilbog Milks out of 10. It's just upsetting that things like this happen.

Do you know a movie worse than Troll 2? I would genuinely love to hear your suggestions in the comments box. For me Troll 2 is so far out ahead I've never found anything close to challenging it for shocking quality. "Troll 2" makes "Santa vs the Martians" look like it was directed by Scorsese in comparison.

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Your views: Watched this? Own this? Recommend this? Have a question about this? Please feel free to comment.

The Haunted Cinema

2011-09-09T17:44:00.001+01:00

The Haunted Cinema

Good evening all! Welcome to the Haunted Cinema. A fine look at the spooky world of the movies.

I hope the blog will be a not so serious look at some of the best (and worst) late night movies. Whether it be Haunted Houses, Ghost Stories, Mysteries, The Supernatural or 80's Slashers, I'm sure that they will all be covered in the blog at some point. Since my childhood I've loved the creepy movies so I thought I'd share some of my recommendations here.

I would love to hear your favourite scary movie gems too. The blog will tend towards older films but I will be sure to cover topical cinema too from time to time.

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.