Spectacular Cinema: From the Classics and Into the Beyond

RIP Roger Ebert

2013-04-08T19:29:00.001-05:00

As most of you probably know, Roger Ebert passed away on April 4th from his long battle with cancer. I'm already missing his tweets. He was always posting on Twitter and I always thought it was funny how he'd always try to win the New Yorker caption contest. I also loved reading his movie posts, even if I didn't agree with some, but I did agree with him most of the time. Even if you weren't a fan of his reviews, you can't deny that the man knew how to write. Rest in Peace, Roger, see you at the movies.

Bond: My New Found Love for Agent 007

2013-04-07T19:40:00.002-05:00

Ok, apparently I had been introduced to Bond movies by the wrong person because after Skyfall (2012), I decided I needed to rethink my stance on James Bond films. This past week, I was able to checkout some of the originals with Sean Connery. Why the person who showed me my first Bond film didn't start with Dr. No (1962) is beyond me.

Sean Connery is so sexy as Bond, it's ridiculous. The movie is enjoyable because the storyline is fun because it's so goofy. I do think that seeing all the Austin Powers movies prior to Bond movies is what made the movie so humorous, but I think that's why I was so entertained by it. I'm in the middle of watching Goldfinger (1964) right now and I'm loving it. His wardrobe is great and the inappropriate names for the characters are fantastic. I can definitely tell that the premise of Bond was influenced by the dashing Cary Grant. He would have been a wonderful Bond, which I think is obvious if you've ever seen Notorious (1946), North by Northwest (1959), or Charade (1963).

I've been a big fan of Daniel Craig for a while now. He's a brilliant Bond. I like how manly he is, with his chiseled abs and rugged facial features. He's in fabulous shape, so all those action scenes were fun to watch. The casting of Javier Bardem as the villain Silva was a wise choice. That guy is so good at playing creeps, that'd I'd probably be afraid of him if I met him in real life.

James Bond is a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to watching more of the movies that have already been made and those that are coming in the future.

EVIL DEAD: The Evil and the Not So Evil

2013-04-06T00:42:00.002-05:00

I went to see the remake of Evil Dead tonight. I found it to be disgusting with loads of unintentional humor. There was some believable acting, mainly by Jane Levy, but she didn't have much to go off. The remake takes the film into a different direction than the original, focusing more on a gross overuse of blood and guts. Overuse of gore does not scare me, it just grosses me out. I actually gagged a few times and I wasn't the only one. People were not screaming often watching this movie, only gagging and laughing. Due to this, I prefer the 80's version.

I love the original from the 80s, it's disturbing, yet oddly hilarious at the same time. Fantastic horror movie on a small budget. Yes, it does get a bit gross as well, but not to an extent of what the new version has. I did not gag watching the original because the blood and guts didn't seem as nasty. I'm sure when that movie first came out, it was gag worthy, but not if you see the gore they come up with today. However, it was rated NC-17 for a reason...

I like horror movies that have humor in them, so both versions have that working for them. Who knew duct tape was so damn useful? I liked the way the woods and the set looked in the new film because it looked crisp and dark. The old one has a nice creepy look to it, as well, but with a drastically different budget. If you are a fan of the original, don't go to the new Evil Dead expecting something similar. The demons in the original were a lot more fun than the ones in the new version. The old demons were big time tricksters, whereas the new demons were just extremely gross. I did not hate the new version, but I do think it's a big downgrade from the original.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2013-03-17T21:31:00.002-05:00

I hope that you did something Irish today or at least yesterday! Whether it was eating some delicious Irish cuisine, drinking something green, doing an Irish jig, or watching an Irish-themed movie, it doesn't matter, anything Irish is necessary on St. Patrick's Day! I watched a bit of the old Disney movie, The Luck of the Irish (2001). I also celebrated with friends yesterday and wore green both days. I even had some luck because I found a dollar! Would have been more exciting if it was a higher bill amount, but I'll take it! Now, to end the night, I'm watching part of The Quiet Man (1952) on TCM.

American Horror Story: Season 3 News!

2013-02-26T22:48:00.002-06:00

I have completed Season 2 of American Horror Story, which was incredible. I can't decide which season I enjoyed more because both are deliciously horrific and very different. I can't believe that we have to wait so long for Season 3, but fall is my favorite, so I guess it's fitting!

Before, I mentioned that Frances Conroy and Taissa Farmiga were returning for Season 3. I didn't realize, until I was watching American Horror Story: Asylum, that Frances Conroy was a character! I try not to look too much at the IMDB page when I'm watching something for the first time because I'll accidentally figure out if a character dies by looking at how many episodes they'll be in. That's why I try not to do that anymore. She plays the Angel of Death and that character is very interesting. I like the music they play when she appears and I like the dark wings!

Evan Peters, Jessica Lange, Lily Rabe and Sarah Paulson are all returning to Season 3, as well! Along with a new addition, which I'm so excited about I can hardly stand it, Kathy Bates! Thankfully, Misery (1990) was not the first movie I watched with Kathy Bates in it because I would have been terrified of her forever. It amazes me that a character who uses the word "cockadoodie" could be the least bit frightening, let alone one of the most psychotic characters I've ever watched on film. If Kathy Bates was capable of delivering Annie's cockadoodie line so well and making her beyond terrifying, then I'm convinced she could end up being one of the scariest characters American Horror Story has seen so far!

Now, if they announce that Denis O'Hare, Kate Mara, Naomi Grossman, Jamie Brewer or Zachary Quinto are returning for this season as well, I might pass out from excitement. Bring on the fabulous acting and the killer horror!

Fearful February: American Horror Story

2013-02-16T00:34:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Netflix, I have discovered 'American Horror Story' and have become an 'American Horror Story' addict. I'll admit it! At first, I was opposed to watching the show, but not I don't even know why I was opposed to it. Maybe I thought it'd be like the usual horror movies of today, which aren't, in my opinion, as frightening as older ones. Too much gore, too little of psychological horror. I'm a psychological horror junkie! Nothing is scarier or as attention grabbing as that sort of horror!

The opening credits scare the hell out of me, much like the opening credits of 'Are You Afraid of the Dark?' frighten me, and I'm in my twenties. Unfinished, dark basements in older homes are so scary! I grew up in a house that had one of those and I always felt like something was lurking in the shadows down there, which is why the basement in season one of American Horror Story scares me so badly. Of course, deformed monsters weren't lurking around in our basement, unless you consider mice deformed monsters... The opening credits were created by the same guy who made the opening credits to Se7en (1995). The theme song is awesome and it was created by sound designer Cesar Davila-Irizarry and Charlie Clouser from Nine Inch Nails, who actually collaborated on Se7en's theme song. All around genius choices for ensuring great opening credits!

The horror stories about the house and the characters are something else. They remind me a bit of 'Are You Afraid of the Dark?' mixed with pieces of various horror movies, such as Rosemary's Baby (1968) and It (1990). There's even some hitchcockian homage in the show, which is always appreciated. I was impressed by all of the actors in the show. I already knew how talented Jessica Lange, Frances Conroy and Denis O'Hare were before I started watching, but it was great to see that they weren't the only ones giving damn good performances.

I've just started watching 'American Horror Story: Asylum' this past week. I'm addicted to this season as well and I don't think the show lost any of its momentum, in fact, I think this season might be even better. I like that they switched from the stories of the Murder House to an insane, insane asylum. Definitely was a smart move to do this and keep a lot from the cast of season one. They'll also be keeping on some for season 3 and a couple from season 1 who didn't return for season two will be coming back! Frances Conroy is one of them! Taissa Farmiga is talented as well, but her character in season one bothered me with the overly sulky teenager bit, which isn't her fault. The character was a sulky teenager and, let's face it, overly sulky people are annoying, especially when they're hormonal teenagers.

I'm hoping that American Horror Story continues its excellency. I think it has the chance to stay along for a long time with its horror focus changing every season. There are plenty of opportunities for horror focuses besides haunted houses and insane asylums!

Looper (2012)

2013-02-03T23:33:00.001-06:00

If you're looking for a Sci-fi action movie that's well done, then look no further than Looper. I really liked this movie. It has an interesting storyline, action, but not too much blood.

Looper is set in the future around the year 2042. Time travel has been created and a lot of shady business goes down because of it. By the year 2074, mobs begin using the time travel devices to capture those who they want to murder and send them back to an assigned Hitman (the Looper) who shoots and kills whoever is sent back. However, things start to get weird for some of the hitmen if the mob decides to transport hitmen's future selves back to their present selves, which is called 'closing the loop.' Joe the Looper has to deal with this experience, but his experience gets a bit out of hand when his former self arrives.

I don't want to go too much into the story because I don't want to ruin it for anyone. I hardly knew anything about this movie before deciding to watch it. I had watched a few trailers, but didn't read any reviews before watching and I'm happy I did that. All I'm going to say is that the little kid in the movie who plays Cid gives a brilliant performance. One of the best I've ever seen and I've watched a ton of movies. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Jeff Daniels, and Emily Blunt all give great performances, too, but not as great as the kid. He was the star!

Freezing Outside: Time for Movies!

2013-02-01T19:44:00.000-06:00

Earlier this week, it was 67 degrees out with rain. A couple of days later, it's 12 degrees outside. This is bullshit weather! I think that means it's time to watch more movies! Recently, I watched ParaNorman and Frankenweenie. I was in the mood for some stop-motion animation, obviously. I enjoyed both movies, but Frankenweenie was better, in my opinion, because I liked its storyline more.

ParaNorman is funny and kind of creepy. It's from the same people who made Coraline, so I was expecting it to be creepy, but it wasn't as scary as Coraline. The storyline was good, but it got boring in some places. Norman is a cute character, misunderstood by his peers because he has the ability to converse with the dead. Naturally, everyone thinks that he's mental because he's talking and interacting with things that are not there. However, one night this all changes when the dead come to life as zombies due to a curse put on the town centuries ago. Since Norman has the ability to speak with the dead, it becomes his responsibility to save the town.

Frankenweenie is fantastic. I've watched Tim Burton's live-action short of Frankenweenie that came on one of my DVDs, I think the Nightmare Before Christmas one has it. I loved the short, so I was really looking forward to watching the animated version. I loved it! I liked that it was filmed in black and white. Both the scenery and the style of the characters reminded of Edward Scissorhands (1990).

Sparky the dog is my favorite character. I love animals from both the real and animated world. I cried a few times watching it because of little Sparky. If any of you have lost a pet, you know how awful it feels and I bet that if there was a way to bring him or her back to life, you'd do it, even if they ended up looking a bit different...

I read that Sparky was the most difficult puppet that they had to make for Frankenweenie. Not surprising, since he has a bunch of joints and is very energetic. With stop-motion, that had to be extremely difficult and time consuming to film, but they did a wonderful job with it.

Welcome 2013!

2013-01-02T22:08:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year! Time is still flying by! Before the first of the year, I was finally able to go to the movie theater and watch something. I saw Silver Linings Playbook and it was fantastic. Great cast, excellent script, perfect amount of humor and drama. I want to go see it again, but I probably won't see it again until it comes out on DVD. I still want to see Skyfall because I'm a fan of Daniel Craig, but I haven't really gotten into the James Bond films. Oh, I also want to see Lincoln and Django Unchained, too. I guess there are a lot of movies I want to see on the big screen!

I'm looking forward to seeing The Great Gatsby this coming spring. I like the majority of the films Leonardo DiCaprio is involved with. From the recent trailers, it looks like he'll be giving another Oscar worthy performance, but will he actually ever win one? 2013 might finally be his year! I think he's deserved an Oscar since his performance in What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993).

The Holidays

2012-11-26T18:22:00.001-06:00

Time has been flying by! Halloween came and went by, then Thanksgiving snuck up right behind it. I'm not sure where this month went to! I'm ready to get into the holiday spirit, though. Macy's has been trying to get me into the Christmas mood since the day after Halloween, which is a bit unnerving if you think about it. Yeah, I know that they want us to spend our money there when we're buying gifts, but I don't want that shoved into my face the day after my favorite holiday.

I have been getting more into the holiday spirit after all the Christmas specials have started and some fun holiday festivals are going on by me. I've already watched Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966), and part of Frosty the Snowman (1969). It won't really feel like it's Christmas until It's a Wonderful Life (1946), though.

Happy Birthday: Gene Tierney

2012-11-19T16:57:00.003-06:00

Happy 92nd Birthday to Gene Tierney! I like a lot of her movies, but I have yet to see Leave Her to Heaven (1945), which I've heard a lot of good things about. My two favorite movies with Gene are The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947) and Heaven Can Wait (1943). If you haven't watched these before, then you must! They're both so good!

Happy Birthday: Grace Kelly

2012-11-13T23:18:00.001-06:00

This was meant to be posted yesterday, but my Internet was acting up. I blame the little flurries outside for the problem! Happy Birthday to my favorite Hitchcock blonde, Grace Kelly! Not sure I'll be able to get around to watching Rear Window tonight, but I'm definitely going to be watching it soon. It's been too long! I love the dresses!

31 Days of Horror: Day 18: La maschera del demonio 'Black Sunday' (1960)

2012-11-05T17:17:00.002-06:00

Black Sunday is one strange movie. I'd describe it as gothic horror. It's about a witch, who while being burned at the stake and smashed in the face with a mask of the devil, puts a curse on the royal family claiming that she will one day return.

Centuries later, two doctors, Dr. Andre Gorobec and Dr. Thomas Kruvajan, are traveling into the city for a medical conference when their carriage breaks outside a crypt, the one containing the old witch's remains. There is glass over the coffin, showing the mask over the woman's face and a cross to ward her off if she were to reawaken.

For some reason, Dr. Kruvajan decides to break into the coffin, destroying the cross and stealing the mask. Clearly, this was an enormously stupid thing to do. His blood drops onto the corpse and reawakens the witch. She will do everything in her power to possess the body of her look-alike descendant, Princess Asa Vajda, no matter how many people she and her servant murder along the way.

I love the atmosphere of this film. The use of light and dark makes scenes extra creepy. You never know what could be lurking around the corner! Especially when you're in a graveyard or a gothic castle with hidden passageways! I also liked that the witch wasn't just a witch, she was a vampire-witch. Vampire-witches are extremely evil! Capable of doing both witchcraft and conniving vampire tricks! She's one villain you don't want to mess with.

This is the first Mario Bava film that I've watched. I plan on watching more because I like his style. If you have Netflix, Black Sunday is currently on instant. The dubbing is a bit horrific at times, but it's still possible to enjoy the film.

Happy Halloween

2012-10-31T19:30:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween! I hope you're watching a horror movie or at least watching Hocus Pocus or It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. I wasn't able to finish 31 Days of Horror yet, but I'm going to continue posting. October isn't long enough for all the horror movies I want to watch! Also, as I anticipated, my schedule was very busy with two accounting courses, work, and other stuff. Busy, but good! Enjoy your Halloween!

31 Days of Horror: Day 17: Tower of Terror (1997)

2012-10-31T17:41:00.002-05:00

Disney original TV movies were awesome! I still can't get over how much the Disney Channel has bombed over the years, compared to how it used to be. I mean, not playing Don't Look Under the Bed or Tower of Terror now is crap! I think they played Don't Look Under the Bed around 3:00 am on a weekday, which is an asshole move. Come on!

I loved Tower of Terror when it came out. The story came about because of the Tower of Terror ride at Disney. I'm very afraid of elevators dropping though, which is why I have never been able to go on the ride. I refuse to believe that it's fun!

The movie is fun though! Yeah, it's pretty cheesy, but I think it adds to its character. The movie focuses on the story of the death of 5 people who died in the elevator 60 years ago. The hotel is now abandoned, with the rumor that the ghosts of the 5 people now haunt the building. No one seems to know why the elevator collapsed to the floor, but a reporter Buzzy and his niece Anna end up trying to solve the mystery of what really happened that night.

This is definitely a campy movie, so don't expect to watch it and be scared. Some children's horror movies are still scary, like Don't Look Under the Bed. Although, the characters in the movie do seem legitimately scared at times. The scariest thing is the creepy old woman.

31 Days of Horror: Day 15: New Nightmare (1994)

2012-10-29T21:46:00.001-05:00

I'm a huge fan of A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). I think it's the movie that got me into the horror genre more than any I had seen before. It made me laugh and it scared me at the same time; it also had a young Johnny Depp. Hard not to like something like that!

I've already included Nightmare on Elm Street in a previous year of 31 Days of Horror. My love for that movie led me to check out some others involving Freddy. The second one is unwatchable, but there are some that are still fun to watch. I liked Dream Warriors and I included that one in 31 Days of Horror last year.

I really enjoy New Nightmare! It's not really part of the Nightmare series because it's mainly connected with the first installment, instead of the series as a whole. It's different then other horror movies that I've watched before. It's filmed like it's a documentary, catching up with some of the actors during the 10 year anniversary of the release of the first Nightmare. However, all of that changes when Freddy becomes real and Heather Langenkamp has to fight him once again by being Nancy.

By starting the movie out as more of a documentary, it successfully made Freddy Kruger as scary as he was in the first Nightmare. I was very creeped out! Made me think Freddy was real while I was watching it, even though I know it's not possible! The real life mixed with a fake world is what made it so frightening. Watch it late at night when it's pitch black!

31 Days of Horror: Day 14: Rebecca (1940)

2012-10-28T01:30:00.002-05:00

Yeah, yeah, I know some of you are saying, "Rebecca?! That's not a horror movie!" False! It is a horror movie! How can you go an entire movie without the lead female having a name?! How can people like Mrs. Danvers be allowed in the movie?! Obviously, it's because it's a psychological horror movie!

Rebecca is an incredible movie. I have yet to read the book, but since Selznick was the producer, I think it's safe to say that the movie followed the book fairly well. He was a stickler to that, due to the fact that he understood an audience's love for a well written novel. I wish that people like him were still around...

Anyway, to get to the horrific elements of Rebecca, just look at the lead's whole situtation. She meets this handsome man, quickly falls in love, moves on from that mean woman that she had to take care of, and ends up in a mansion. Unfortunately for her, she isn't nearly as interesting or as glamourous as the original Mrs. de Winter, Rebecca. Pretty sad to never be called by an actual name, isn't it?

Mrs. Danvers really didn't care for the second Mrs. de Winter, but she sure had a thing for the original one. A little too obsessed if you ask me. Why would someone talk so lovingly about someone's hairbrush and leave their room exactly the way it was before they passed away? A creep! That's who would do that! Creep!

If you haven't already watched Rebecca, you are seriously missing out. It's one of Hitchcock's best movies. It's full of suspense, horror, and drama. There's even a bit of humor mixed into it! Fabulous movie! Great acting and great story over all!

31 Days of Horror: Day 13: El laberinto del fauno Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

2012-10-24T23:25:00.003-05:00

I remember watching this movie for the first time and it was both disturbing, sad, beautiful and scary at the same time. I consider it a fantasy/horror. I watched it when it was in theaters and I think I even wrote an essay about for my Spanish course. It's a wickedly twisted nightmare of a fairytale and it's spectacular.

Pan's Labyrinth takes place in fascist Spain of 1944, following the life of a young girl, Ofelia, whose life changes drastically after her pregnant mother marries a brutally ruthless army Captain, Vidal, and they move in with him. Ofelia is crazy about fairytales and escapes to the fantasy world. One night, she meets a fairy who takes her to an old faun, who is located in the center of the labyrinth. He informs her that she is a princess, but in order to prove that she is truly royal, she must survive three dangerous tasks. If she succeeds, then she will be able to be reunited with her real father, the king, again.

This is not your ordinary fairytale movie. It is NOT for children or the easily startled. It is very brutal and violent at times. Also, there is a very messed up monster, called the Pale Man, who still haunts some of my dreams. He is extremely freakish. His skin sags and pulls away from his body. His fingers have large claws extending from them. It's sick! He also is very quick when he starts chasing that poor little girl. Ah! No!!!! I hate the Pale Man!

Vidal is also frightening because he is such a bloodthirsty bastard. If I were the little girl, I would have preferred the horrific fantasy world, too. Ok, maybe not if I saw that Pale Man, but Vidal is so vial and cruel that he's almost as scary.

31 Days of Horror: Day 12: Burnt Offerings (1976)

2012-10-21T21:56:00.002-05:00

Haunted houses have been one of the main focuses of horror films for a very long time. It's scary to think that something in a house can be malevolent and against human existence. This could occur in any house, especially if it is old and a death has taken place within it. I know of a house in the area I lived in as a kid that required a priest to come and exorcise it, due to some unknown force that kept turning on vacuums even when they weren't plugged in. I'm not even kidding. The priest solved the problem, so the family decided to stay.

The house in Burnt Offerings seriously needed to be exorcised. I'm still confused why the family agreed to stay in it because it was obvious that something was up with it, what with the weird owners having them only pay $900 to stay there and then asking them to watch over an old 85 year old woman, Mrs. Allardyce, who'd be staying there. Hello! Who'd leave an 85 year old woman in the care of complete strangers? Also, why the hell is her room the one at the very top of the house? We all know old people aren't capable of going up and down staircases once they hit a certain age! It's too hard on their hearts!

Yet, the morons, Marian and Ben Rolf, decide to stay there with their son, Davey and Ben's Aunt Elizabeth for the summer. Marian instantly starts to feel attached to the house, working hard to fix it up on a daily basis. She also takes the task of caring for Mrs. Allardyce very seriously, despite the fact that she's never actually met her and won't allow anyone else to attempt to meet her.

The house begins to negatively affect Ben fairly quickly. Causing him to experience horrific nightmares involving a creepy chauffeur that he witnessed laughing during his mother's funeral when he was a child. Gradually, as the house continues to approve in appearance, the sanity and safety of the family begins to deteriorate. Why is this? What's wrong with this house?

Burnt Offerings is a decent haunted house horror film. It reminds me of a mix of The Shining (1980) and The Changeling (1988), but the other two are more frightening. That's not to say that this film isn't scary, it definitely is at times, particularly when the house starts getting to Aunt Elizabeth. Bette Davis plays Aunt Elizabeth and even though her part isn't huge, she gives her all to it. She had me believing that something terrible was going on! Her voice is kind of scary, too. Honestly, when wasn't Bette Davis awesome?

31 Days of Horror: Day 11: Dolls (1987)

2012-10-20T00:36:00.001-05:00

I've never understood what makes someone love dolls. I am very girly, but dolls have always scared me. I remember when I received a porcelain doll for Christmas one year and it terrified me. Dolls have vacant eyes, which makes them look like dead children. Take a look at one! Their eyes never shut! They're always starring and smiling! It's terrible, especially if you look at a doll when you're sleeping and it's facing you! They're evil and Dolls makes me think it even more!

Dolls is about a little girl's vacation with her horrible father and stepmother. The three of them are traveling, when their car breaks down during a terrible storm and they are forced to look for shelter. They end up going into an old house that they find close to the car, which is owned by a mysterious older couple who end up being magical toymakers.

After they arrive, a man and two gross girls show up. It's clear that the two girls are not kind and are equally as unpleasant as the little girl's father and stepmother, however, the man is a genuinely nice guy. The older couple offers all of them a room to stay in until the storm passes over. They are extra nice to the little girl and give her a Punch doll, which she loves.

Once everyone is given a room, things start to get weird. One of the gross girls decides that she wants to rip off the people who just gave her a place to say and a meal. Once she's in the act of stealing, she notices that the dolls in the room aren't normal. In fact, the dolls seem to be alive! Naturally, the dolls start attacking her and the little girl witnesses the woman being dragged by the dolls down the hall. She immediately informs her father and stepmother, but the won't believe her and shove her away. However, the man decides to listen to her and realizes that she's telling the truth. Who else will the dolls attack? Do they only attack evil people or are the innocent at risk, too? Watch and find out!

Dolls is hilarious and extremely weird. I laughed so hard during some of the scenes, I almost thought it was a comedy. Yes, what I was laughing at was very messed up, but I don't think someone could deny that this movie is incredibly funny. There were a few points where I was freaked out, especially when one of them was turned into a doll!

31 Days of Horror: Day 10: The Mummy (1932)

2012-10-15T18:22:00.000-05:00

It is necessary to watch at least one horror movie with Boris Karloff in it at some point during your lifetime. Frankenstein is my favorite, but The Mummy is pretty good as well. The man sure knew how to play creepy monsters.

Karloff plays Imhotep, an evil mummy who comes back to life after a field expedition in Egypt uncover his tomb and one of the young members reads the Scroll of Thoth. Imhotep was an ancient Egyptian prince who was condemned and buried alive by his people. He believes that his true love has been reincarnated into a princess and he decides that he'll do whatever it takes to be reunited with her, including murdering some who dare to step in his way.

I love the part of the film when the mummy returns to life. The reaction of the man who reads the Scroll of Thoth is absolutely horrifying. It puts him into hysterics and shock. People who laugh like maniacs are usually creepy, but this man takes it to a new level. Scared the hell out of me because I was watching late at night and was getting water when it started. I thought there was a psycho in my apartment! That glass of water wouldn't have been a very good defensive weapon.

The pace of the movie is a bit slow at times, but the atmosphere is great and so is the acting. I really like the makeup they did for the mummy.

31 Days of Horror: Day 9: The Wolf Man (1941)

2012-10-14T01:56:00.004-05:00

The Wolf Man is one of the best werewolf movies I've ever watched! It's awesome! It might be my favorite. I love the atmosphere of the film. The spooky setting in the woods of dark trees with claw-like branches and an eerie fog that sweeps along the ground and up into the trees. Why anyone would be walking around there in the middle of the night is beyond me. Definitely didn't look safe, you never know what's lurking around in the woods, even without werewolves!

The film is full of fantastic actors, Claude Rains, Lon Chaney Jr. and Bela Lugosi being some of my favorites. Evelyn Ankers gave one hell of a performance, too. They make the story seem believable. The gypsies help add to the horror factor of the film with their creepy stories about werewolves! Especially the woman who'd randomly show up in the wood when the werewolf was roaming around, looking for someone to attack!

The first kill scene and the transformation scene are two of my favorites. Nothing like watching someone get blindsided by a werewolf attack without him realizing that it's a werewolf and not a regular wolf!

The transformation is fun to watch, too. When all the fur starts to grow, the feet and legs start to bend, and he's half wolf, half man. Oh yeah, spooky werewolf! I love the classics!

31 Days of Horror: Day 8: Don't Look Under the Bed (1999)

2012-10-13T23:42:00.000-05:00

I'm so happy that I was a kid during the 90s. That was the prime time for Disney Channel and Nickelodeon! Both channels have taken severe nosedives since then, which is very sad. The old shows and made for TV movies were fun to watch, even by adults! I wish Disney would play their fun original movies more often, since their incapable of making ones worth watching nowadays. Don't Look Under the Bed is a classic and it was actually frightening!

Don't Look Under the Bed made me afraid to look under my bed for about a week and to put my feet down by it whenever I got into bed or out of it. I used to have imaginary friends when I was growing up, good old Charles and Paige. As I explained in prior posts, I had an overactive imagination. I was convinced for a bit that the two were going to come back and haunt me like the Boogeyman did in Don't Look Under the Bed. That Boogeyman was not nice! All the pranks that he played were vicious; they made Frances look like a psycho who was desperate for attention! It definitely did not help her image in high school, which was probably already strained since she skipped a grade, poor girl.

I loved Larry Houdini! The actor was great and the character was so energetic, sweet and funny; it's hard not to love him. He adds comic relief! Kids wouldn't be able to handle this movie at all if it weren't for Larry. Well, until when he get's a bit scary by the end. I can still remember that Boogeyman's creepy voice and hands. His spooky hand with extendable claws emerging from under the bed in order to drag that kid into the depths of the Boogeyman world was beyond terrifying!

Not all kids will be able to handle this film. Actually, the majority of them will not be able to handle it. It's still a fun one to introduce them to it, if you're certain that he or she can handle scary moments. It's also fine to watch this as an adult. I know people who are adults who are still terrified from this movie and blatantly refuse to watch it. I heard that Disney actually got in trouble for showing it because of how many children were freaked out just by the commercials. Fear is instilled at a young age, which is why childhood movies that frighten you during that time are so memorable. If you haven't watched it before already, you should definitely give it a try! If you have watched it, I don't need to convince you that it's awesome!

31 Days of Horror: Day 7: We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

2012-10-11T21:32:00.003-05:00

We Need to Talk About Kevin is one of the strangest films that I have ever watched, but I couldn't stop watching it. It's about a woman, Eva, who has a strained relationship with her son, Kevin. It's clear that Eva isn't fond of Kevin, even during her pregnancy with him. She loved her life before him, traveling the world, being a successful writer, and having fun.

Once Kevin was born, she resented him even more for constantly crying. As he grew older, his behavior became increasingly worse. He would take things out on her, he'd purposely disobey, and his father enabled his behavior because he never witnessed Kevin being that awful. He didn't realize it because he refused to recognize the truth about Kevin, that he's an evil psychopath.

Kevin was one freaky kid and an even more terrifying teenager. He did so many awful things, it's incredible that his parents didn't put him into some severe psychotherapy sessions right from the beginning. Maybe they could have prevented him from becoming so vicious. His final act is beyond appalling, that I'm feeling uneasy about having watched the film. It's definitely a psychological thriller that deserves to be considered for it's horrific qualities. Tilda Swinton and Ezra Miller both give stellar performances.

31 Days of Horror: Day 6: The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1993)

2012-10-07T18:18:00.003-05:00

Never, I repeat, NEVER let a child watch this movie! I snuck and watched it when I was around 5 or 6 years old when my grandma was taking care of me. I was at her neighbor's house and the kids were around my age. We saw the tape lying around and decided that we had to find out what all the fuss was about. I still remember going to the movie theater around the time this movie was being released. They had huge dinosaur heads and dinosaurs hanging from the ceiling with a tropical forest! Who wouldn't remember something that awesome?

We were all sitting there, enjoying the movie a lot at first. It wasn't until the T-Rex came along and was ripping up the Jurassic Park jeep that we all freaked out, but we couldn't stop watching! No, we continued to watch, despite being petrified. I'm still not sure where the kids' parents were when we were watching this movie. If they were at home, we would have scared the hell out of them the way we were screaming!

I remember how scared I was to go to sleep after watching that movie. I was convinced that a T-Rex was going to come around and tear the roof off of my house! I can still imagine it, seeing a glowing T-Rex eye in my window, it's sharp teeth and massive head! So scary!

The scene with the raptors really got to me, too. Together, they're equally as frightening as the T-Rex. Just look at the speed those raptors have when they jump! They've got huge spiky claws that could easily rip you to shreds! Keep away, raptors, keep away!