11.18.2014

The past year the horror genre seems to have let down its beloved fans. Big Hollywood films getting by using simple story-lines, less appealing characters & going no where near above or beyond expectations. Still, as a fan-base we continue to watch these movies just hoping that it will gain some spark, interest or breath new life for future films or projects. Hoping to go home entertained & feel their hard earned money is well spent. Rather we are let down by most of the films that are talked up so much when the majority rarely ever live up to the hype. This past October was pretty crappy for horror fans. I remember some of the best times seeing a good horror flick was of course a given during October. Fans honestly got nothing new except for one of the worst films I’ve seen in a while Annabelle. I feel the film could have been so much better than it was in all honesty. I didn’t expect much truth be told, but I still thought it would bring some good edges. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Annabelle the doll itself is just plain boring, she doesn’t have a personality, nor any character, she’s visually just scary you could say. The whole film felt very rushed & forced. I hope 2015 has a lot more in store for horror fans, it seems like indie-horror is really taking over which is awesome.

Title:Going Crazy/Writer:Chaz Weisenstein

                               
Your mind was racing, everything settled with pure darkness, silence is very key at these type of moments in life. You were nervous and anxiety had settled in. The cold wind was blowing upon everyone’s faces. The blank stares of the friends and foes glaring each and every way. Darkness had taken over and you knew it had won. The control you contributed was none on your part as you let it ease you over. The guilt filed with emotion and pain will suffer for eternity. This world makes you a bad person, and honestly it wasn’t your fault. Everyone’s to blame here, darkness has been here and wont ever be going away…..

Scream(1996) Director:Wes Craven/ Writer:Kevin Williamson

One of the first real “slasher” movies I ever saw Scream(1996) as a kid and boy did it ever terrify my little mind. The famous first “15” min of the film has more than enough to draw you in. Everyone needs to understand that this film was set on its own and really started the whole caller ID/slasher age. I’ve read plenty of articles stating that after “Scream” was released everyone was getting Caller ID. The first glance we get of “Ghostface” is him stalking a poor high school girl Casey(Drew Barrymore)that turns out quite tragic. That first scene will forever stick in your mind, and really sets the tone for this classic Wes Craven flick. The cast brings so much to the table as we get to understand there is a killer with a motive stalking the small town of Woodsboro. Everything about this movie is really fun and the mystery aspect starts to kick in immediately. Since there are 4 installments in the series everyone knows by now that “There are rules to survive” and “Everybody is a suspect” Spoken by the fan favorite Randy(Jamie Kennedy) as he tends to always be right. This movie will take you on a ride of cold blooded murder, revenge, thrown in with a mix of comedy. I really admire the story work and the effort by everyone that was involved in this film as why this it’s one of my favorite slasher/horror movies of all time and honestly re-amped the whole horror genre by itself. One thing that really intrigued me about this film is the voice of “Ghostface” was actually a real voice done by Roger Jackson and not a voice box that many so thought existed. Wes Craven stated that “The Voice” was never seen by anyone on set. His lines were played out loud as he was not present but still talked on the phone to the actors, which I thought was pretty creepy and clever at the same time. I honestly could go on forever talking about how much I love the Scream Franchise as it still sits high today with 4 installments and the only horror film of its kind to keep the same cast mates so far in the series! If you love horror movies in general then you cannot miss “Scream” as it’s one of the best films of its time. “What’s Your Favorite Scary Movie?”.

Childs Play (1988) Director:Tom Holland/ Writer:Don Mancini

Every grow up thinking how scary it would be to have one of your favorite toys in the world come alive? How about that toy being the soul of a serial killer from Hackensack, New Jersey. Childs play(1988) was indeed the first horror movie I ever saw, and I still remember being young always thinking my toys were alive because of this movie. It truly is one of the best movies in the horror genre, we don’t even get a glimpse of Chucky(Brad Douriff) the talking killer-doll speaking anything until approximately forty-five minutes into the film, just about half of the movie’s run-time. Which shows this movies uses a build up unlike any of the other films in the series. This is the darkest and scariest one of them all by a long shot. We come to learn that Charles Lee Ray(Brad Douriff) was gunned downed in a kids toy store as he possesses the Good Guy Doll with his soul. The acting in this film is pretty fair, I think Karen Barkley(Catherine Hicks) did a great job screaming in fear, and the little boy who isn’t so little anymore Andy Barkley(Alex Vincent) does a great job at such a young age still remembered today as a horror icon. Not to mention Brad Douriff who’s done all of the voice overs for Chucky in all of the movies delivers a fantastic personality for “Charles Lee Ray” the good-guy doll. A lot of people think this franchise is cheesy even with its great reviews, which goes to show the movie is very well looked over which I will never understand as a fan. I’m one of the biggest horror movie fans and this movie creeps in my top 5. What’s interesting is the (1988) script was not Mancini’s first choice for a movie or the actual title they intended going with. Overall this movie will keep you on edge and creep you out leaving you with a great sense of red hair dolls forever. Always will remain as one of my favorites if you love horror movies this is a must see! Don’t miss Childs Play(1988) “He wants you as a friend, till the end”.

Top 3 Horror Remakes Ever

Remakes for the Horror Genre have never been that great to say the least, as fans we always have high expectations because it’s something miraculous when a film we grew up loving comes back into theaters edging us back to the original. Sadly many remakes I have watched have been quite poorly made and sometimes go a completely different direction than the original or just taken too overboard. I thought long and hard on this list and did my best to give you The Top 3 Horror Remakes Ever Enjoy!

 

1.)Evil Dead (2013) Director:Fede Alvarez/Writer:Fede Alvarez

   

If you’ve never seen The Evil Dead original I don’t know where you have been the last 30 years. The original Evil Dead(1981) Was made back in the early 80’s starting out as a horror movie which seemingly turned in a comedic acid trip down the stretch with its gruesome violence and scares. The film gained great fan base which is why the series continued into Evil Dead 2(1987) as well as Army Of Darkness(1992). Moving now to 2013 we landed the infamous return of the Evil Dead with its remake. I personally love the original one but the remake is honestly gold. The setting is a cabin with a group of friends trying to help there good friend Mia battle a drug addiction and stay clean, what better way then going to a creepy cabin out in the middle of nowhere right? The nights get dark as the group begins getting possessed and attacked by the lifeless demons which are drawn to the cabin itself and will do everything making sure no one gets out alive. This film brings a ton of gore play into act and adds fantastic music to most climatic scenes sending that creep factor down your spine. The acting is fantastic and drives you in as each moment gets much more intense than the previous,this film has it all and does not disappoint in any shape or form. If your looking for one of the best original horror movies remade in the same type of manner but much more brought together do not miss this one.

 

2.)The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) Director:Marcus Nispel/Writer:Kim Henkel, Tobe Hooper, Scott Kosar

       

Couldn’t keep this one of my list if I tried to, produced by Michael bay and released in 2003 and still one of my all time favorite movies and remakes; The Texas Chainsaw Massacre(2003). We meet a young group of friends traveling in  the backwoods of Texas that tend to run into a very large problem that consists from a family of inbred psychopaths lead by a man called Leatherface. This film brings back many memories when I was younger, but never understood it until I got older. The first one that came out in 1974 was considered one of the most distributing movies of its time. Oddly not noted so much because of the gore or murders, but because of the actual family and Leatherface himself is a terrifying back story. We come to understand that this family is cannibals and have killed many people as well as eaten.The movie does well in like scenes just like in the original, but knows when to add its own mix on the take. I love how this movie was shot, and how fantastic looking the Hewitt’s house looks. By far one of the creepiest visuals I’ve ever seen in any horror movie known to man. The gore really hits hard throughout the whole entire movie as it gets worse and hopeless for the survivors.  I think the acting was far superior than any of the older films to be honest, Jessica Beal has a show down with Leatherface in this one and it keeps you on your seat, she did a fantastic job throughout this whole movie, as well as the rest of the cast. If you love old classic slashers reamed with amazing production and acting that give you a good scare be sure to check out The Texas Chainsaw Massacre(2003) I promise you will not be disappointed.

 

3.)Halloween (2007) Director:Rob Zombie/Writer:Rob Zombie

This is My favorite remake of all time, I don’t care what anybody says Rob Zombie I think nailed this movie with his sick and twisted mind and made his own version in a sense that still ties on with the original, but in a Rob Zombie sense of  dark fashion. This one goes way back when we first meet Michael Meyers(Daeg Faerch) at the younger age of 10 and what his home life actually was like. We learn what events turned him into the monster he is as we see him grow and destructs killing anyone in his way. I absolutely love this film in every single way possible, its so amazing to see a horror movie that started slasher films itself be tied into to a remake so well succeeded. Zombie really takes you inside a the mind of a young Michael Meyers and shows you the hard ships and heartaches he suffered not to mention abuse and neglect from everyone except his mother. The acting is done very well as Zombie always includes familiar cast mates from all his films in his movies, such as his wife Sherri Moon Zombie. The violence is over the top, as we see Michael viciously murder throughout the whole movie with pure hatred and anger. It truly is a violent film and really shows the older versions who’s boss in the gore category. The storyline has been bashed at times because it messes a lot with the first movie as I’ve heard, but don’t let that fool you, this movie really deserves a go. It really made me think how talented Zombie is and how a creative mind succeeds at many things they love, kudos to him. If you like any of the Halloween movies be sure not to miss this one despite what anyone says. This movie lives up to the hype and was done in a greatly fashion, be sure to bring your barf bag and enjoy the flick!

So there you have it folks The Top 3 Horror Remakes Ever Please leave a comment or give me your top 3 remakes as well

The Strangers (2008) Review:Director:Bryan Bertino/Writer:Bryan Bertino

I saw this film in theaters back in 2008 and forever has stuck with me, lets just say things don’t end happily ever after as the mood gets tarnished from the start. The movie Claims it’s inspired by true events that occurred to James Hoyt(Scott Speedman) and his girlfriend Kristen Mckay(Liv Tyler) on the night of February 11,2005 as the couple left a friends wedding reception returning to the Hoyt’s family home.  In reality The Strangers(2008) was loosely based on various home invasion murders, including The Manson Murders, as well as the Austrian couple that was murdered by three teenagers in their vacation home in The Czech Republic. The movies carries on as we met a young couple just arriving at the family home late at night seemingly just getting in a very verbal argument as both are very distant to one another. The night moves slowly as Hoyt calls for a ride from a friend to leave as we come to find out everything was perfect with Kristen the whole night until he popped the question. Things start going very weary and noises start to endure, mixed with knocking and a mysterious visitor that was already once there before. Watching this movie made me very nervous for the characters as I hoped they would make smarter decisions, the 3 masked intruders tended to live up to the hype and were very frightening and realistic on the screen. This movie is a bad case of what could go really wrong being out in the middle of no where getting harassed by psychopaths all leading up to the famous line of the movie “Because You Were Home”. The film itself is shot fantastic and I love that they filmed the movie at an actual farm house. The acting I believe is sub par and I truly felt scared for the characters in the house fighting for there life’s as you could say things couldn’t get any worse for them. This movie is shot the whole time inside the house as they start to invade the couple. Overall I enjoyed this movie and thought it was made very well, being that it also is a film I wouldn’t watch for awhile. Considering it’s very depressing and takes loads of time to build up until the ending which makes up for the whole movie you could say. If you love dark horror/cult movies then this is the one for you, it truly is one of the scariest films I’ve ever seen, and will make you think twice to check all your locked doors at night. I overall give The Strangers(2008) a 3.5/5.

Out Of The Furnace (2013) Review:Director:Scott Cooper/Writer:Brad Ingelsby, Scott Cooper

This is one of my favorite movies of the year for 2013, where do I even began. It would be wrong for me to not excite you with what this movie brings to the table, with an all-star class lead by Christian Bale and Woody Harrelson, along with Forrest Whitaker and Casey Affleck. Going into this film I didn’t know what to expect considering I didn’t see much advertisement , but I couldn’t of been more wrong. The story follows two younger brothers Russel Baze(Christian Bale) and Rodney Baze Jr(Casey Affleck) going through life’s book in Pennsylvania steel town trying to find a way to a better life for themselves as Russel works at the local Mill and has a healthy relationship with his girlfriend Lena (Zoe Saldana). Younger brother Rodney has a different vision being a war veteran and thinks he deserves better than the mill, added on with a very bad gambling problem and hanging with the wrong crowd of people. Led by the man Harlan DeGroat(Woody Harrelson) we learn that he owns a strip joint and is to not be messed with in any shape or form as we watch him condone violence to everyone throughout the film. This film relays solely on its acting performances by this cast and it makes the movie worthwhile keeping you glued to your seat. The scenes are shot very nice and you really get a feel for these men’s lifestyle and survival ways to make it by. The film turns quite sour when we Learn Russel is going to prison for something that wasn’t much his fault. We watch as he has to survive in the prison world day in and day out, while the film very well darkens. Younger brother Rodney picks up Russel after we learn that he was in for 5 years, but everything is much different than it ever has been. The boys widowed father has since passed away, Rodney has been fighting for Degroats underground fights to pay off his gambling debt and is very unstable as well as Rodney’s Girlfriend leaving him for another man. I think this film really shows how far you would go for family understanding when you come to gripes that the law will not help and you need to take matters in your own Hands. I think this Is Christian Bales best performance hands down in any of his films and delivers a stellar performance in every aspect. If you like gritty action and defeating adversity this is the film for you and is one of my favorites, I give Out Of The Furnace(2013) a 5/5.

Rise Of The Planet Of the Apes (2011) Review:Director:Rupert Wyatt/ Writers:Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, and Pierre Boulle

Hello again and thank you for viewing my page and Enjoy!

It all started in 1969 when the world first saw the apes take over on the big screen Planet Of The Apes (1968) Fast forward to (2011) and times have very well changed in the movie world. This is the first movie in the reboot series next to the upcoming Dawn of the planet of the Apes (2014). This story follows a very motivated man Will Rodman (James Franco) On his quest to find a cure for the alzheimer’s disease devoted to help his father. We learn at the lab of his profession that a very special Chimpanzee has a unique gift inherited from his mother and is taken in by Will Rodman (James Franco) to his own home. We watch as our very eyes vision this ape come to life in every way, swinging  like “Tarzan” and swaying from ceilings to platforms and having what I would call a perfectionist type home for a chimpanzee. Things turn for the worst as Caesar (Andy Serkis) ends up in the local primate shelter because of a bad accident in the neighborhood. Caesar begins to understand that he is a animal but it takes him a good vivid trip down memory lane to understand his purpose as he is the only one of his kind with outstanding IQ and abilities. If you want a movie that is full of action and surprises this is the one for you, the acting itself was very memorable considering I think Serkis is one of the best in the business in motion capture acting. Through out the film we watch Caesars human like qualities and emotional vibe really connect to Will Rodman (James Franco) as we take in every mood the ape is and have a understanding on how smart he really is becoming really did interest me throughout this whole film. (James Franco) Himself i think did a fantastic job bonding with Caesar and connecting to him throughout the whole film showed how great and surreal the film really is. Overall if your a fan of the series and haven’t seen this one be sure to check it out you won’t be disappointed, I give Rise Of The Planet Of the Apes (2011) a 4.5/5