HORROR REVIEWS 3: NEW REVIEWS
First off, sorry this whole site has pretty much been abandoned. I have not touched it for about five years now, but still consider it my pride. My apologies that the "new movies" are really not that new, but I hope you enjoy them anyway.
Anyway....
Welcome to page 3 of the reviews pages! This page contains the All Things Horror's newest horror movie reviews! ENJOY!
House of the Dead
Okay, I have reviewed some interesting movies in the many days of ATH but never have I ever even considered reviewing a film like this one. This is the kind of movie that gives horror movies based on horror games a bad name. The movie it's self had a decent story line and excelent makeup effects... but that's about it. The script lacks to say the least and the acting brought poor a bad name. There were afew clever nods to horror icons that were a good touch like nods to zombie-god Ramero and a subtle wink to jaws. I enjoyed the action scenes but the problem is that every time something cool began to happen and you really start to get ibnto the movie, you see scenes from the game. I thought the title sequence was clever and gave a good reference to the game that the movie was based on and I thought that using the game shots as scene changes was also kind of neat, but after a while it began to ruin the movie. In fact I think that the over use of game shots was what shot this flick for me. I really had high hopes for this movie. I was sadly let down. I'm so pissed about how this movie turned out that I'm not even going to provide a link to any other site. This is, so far, the only movie that I haven't linked to an outside site. That says alot. In the end, this film had geat potential but was abused like a bad drug and made me want to cry like a little girl on acid laced Cherios. The gore was good, the nudity was over done as all horror nudity should be, and the makeup rocked but the thing that doomed this film was the game shots. Tip to Hollywood: If you're gonna make a movie based on a game, don't use the game to make the movie. 'nuff said.
Willard
Willard Stiles was a lonely man. He was kind of an out cast with little friends and only his mother for company, untill he meets a new friend in the most unlikly of places. Willard is a film about a man who befriends a white rat and soon descovers that the other rats follow his lead. Train one, you train them all. The movie is based on a 1971 screenplay and novel by Gilbert Ralston and if you ask most people over 45, they will tell you about Willard The Rat Man. The new film is amazingly done with a great score, and wonderful acting, but the film is slow and not really scary untill the climax ending. It has decent suspence which is a must for any horror flick, but with a kill count of only two, I'm afraid it was a minor let down. The movie is supposed to be about man-eating rats, and a loner psycho who leads them, or at least thats the impression that I got from the trailer. Aparently the trailer is slightly misleading, because it mostly drills home the fact that Willards only friend is a little white rat and other than his boss, his biggest nemesis is a huge fat rat by the name of Big Ben. The Second in command of all rats, below the beloved white rat, Ben hates playing seccond fiddle and eventually causes the death of Willards mother.
What a twisted little film. A minor let down in the gore department, but over all a delightfull little treat for any madman movie-goer. I suggest renting it with the film MAY for a real loner-goes-looney night. Check it out. If it wasn't worth a look, I wouldn't have reviewed it.
May
In my interview with Robert Englund he said that his favorite modern horror flick was May. When Freddy Krueger suggests a flick, you gotta see it. May is the tale about a friendless loner with a lazy eye named May, who has always believed that if you can't find a friend... make one. In the true sense of classic Frankenstein, this sleeper is a warped masterpiece that will make you think twice before calling someone a loser. May falls in love with a man, well not all of him really, just his hands. She also has a lesbian experiance with a co-worker who she loves... well not all of her really, just her neck. Then a guy at a bus stop is friendly to her so she befriends him untill he freaks on her after finding a dead cat in her fridge (long story...) so she no longer likes him, but she loves his tattoo on his arm, infact she likes both his arms... I think you get the point.
"So many perfact parts but no perfact whole." This is the kind of movie what really messes with your mind. Truly a surprising gem. I do suggest it as part of a triple rental with Willard and The Ugly. The only complaint that I have is that this two-and-a-half hour film uses up way too much time pounding home the fact that May has no friends, other than a wooden doll her mother gave her, and uses way too little time in her process of making one. I liked how we get to see May evolve from a loner who is afraid to say anything to anyone, to a confident egar psycho. I do have to say that the basic overall story line is awesome and the special effects and make-up were great. Definatly worth a weekend look.
Hannibal
Ahhh Hannibal. The only film in the Silence of the Lambs Trilogy that truly focuses on everyones favorite cannibal. Hannibal, seeing it for the second time and decided that it was time to review it. Hannibal, like all of the films in the trilogy, is not your average horror/gore fest kind of movie. It has a refined fear oozing out of every scene. Who will he kill, who will he let live, when will he snap? These are the questions that I found myself asking. People are facinated by Hannibal Lecter. Anthony Hopkins preformances as the killer doctor are in this film, as they are in most of his flims, almost hypnotic. Hannibal is clever to say the least, not likely to be caught again. Now on to the storyline, The story starts out following Clarice Starling and her mishaps with the F.B.I. It shows how she has seemingly out grown her fear of men in general and has become a more agressive woman in general. The film follows her and takes her back into her facination with Dr.Lecter as she is assigned to find and capture him. It also follows the life of a man by the name of Mason Verger, Lecter's only serviving victim, a horribly scared millionare obsessed with capturing Lecter and causing the doctor the same pain that he went through. Hannibal comes back to the states from vennice where he has been in hiding under a false name, to contact his favorite F.B.I. agent and escape the clutches of a bitter old friend. When caught in a rat like a trap, will Hannibal make a great sacrifice to escape or will he cause pain to his favorite toy instead? This is definatly a film worth seeing, however I suggest watching all three films together an one sitting. It may be five hours out of your life, but it is definatly worth it. By the way, This film makes a clever reference to the opening scene of Red Dragon... can you find it??
Red Dragon
So how was the good Dr. Hannibal Lecter caught? Finaly a film that shows just that. Red Dragon was a prequall for Silence of the Lambs (SotL), and a good one at that. Hopkins amazes, as always, as Lector while we follow his capture in the first few scenes. The F.B.I. agent who puts the good doctor behind bars suffers severe injuries, as does Lecter, in capturing him. He decides to retire and live out his life away from the serial maddness that his job brought. From then on the film mirrors it's "predisessor", SotL, as we follow the determined F.B.I. agent is called out of retirement to hunt down a new killer, nicknamed "The Tooth Fairy" for his horrible teeth. The Tooth Fairy has already slaughtered two familys in cold blood for a total of 11 people. Can the F.B.I. Agent who captured the infamous Hannibal Lector catch the new killer before he strikes again, or will his family be the next on The Tooth Fairy's to-do list? With the help of his old nemisis, the agent must race against time to capture a madman before time runs out. This film does a nice job of jumping right into Silence of the Lambs at the end as every good prequal should. The only thing I did not like was the lack of Lecter in the flim. Much like SotL, Lecter is in few scenes, but non the less leaves quite the impression. People love these films not only because they are great psychological thrillers, but because they crave Lecter. If you rent this film watch it, then Silence of the Lambs, then Hannibal for one hell of a wicked night. This film definatly delivers in true SotL style. Check it out!
The Ugly
Simon Cartwright is not your regular serial killer. Simon is The Ugly.
The Ugly is a film by Scott Reynolds about the twisted mind of a serial killer. I viewed this film after seeing the DVD Boogiemen, which showed Simon Cartwright, played by Paolo Rotondo, as one of the boogiemen. I figured that if The Ugly was good enough to make it next to the likes of Halloween, A Nightmare on Elmstreet, Hellraiser and all the other classics than it might be worth a look. Released in 1997, the film is hardly old enough to be called a classic, but still shows all the charcteristics of one. The story takes you into a mental hospital and into the mind of a madman to see what makes him kill. With kind of a "Silence of the Lambs" feel to it, we get to see poor Simon and what turned him into The Ugly. Reynolds (director and writer) did a great job of making the viewer feel sorry for Simon and see what drove him to kill. Simon claims that he kills because he is haunted by evil demons called The Ugly that take the shape of his past victims, which include his mother and the only woman he has ever loved. Can a new doctor save Simon from his inner demons in time to stop him from killing again? Although the film is slow at first, as many are, it does a great job of pulling you into Simon's world and keeping you there. This film is definantly worth a look and now I know why it was on Boogiemen.
WRONG TURN
We all have taken a wrong turn.
Wrong Turn was released in 2003 with poor reviews by critics. I viewed this film after hearing some gossip about great gore in the film. Being the gore fanatic that I am, I couldn't pass this one up. Now, let me just say that the critics almost always bash any new horror flick and are almost always wrong. That is the case here. This flick was called a "Texas Chainsaw rip-off". WTF? did the critic who wrote that even see TCM??? This film was nothing like TCM. The movie takes place in the back hills and mountians of West Virginia, where six twonty somethings are hunted down by some sick in-bread hillbilly psychopathic cannables. With no cars and no hope for escape, they must fight for their lives against some of the most twisted psychos ever put into the back woods in hopes to find help and find salvation. This film had everything a good horror flick should: Great suspense, Great shock value, awesome special effects, wicked make-up effects, and a nicely wrapped story line. I think that this movie would have done alot better had it been better advertised. This movie was the first in a while to make me really appreaciate the value of good suspense. I held my breath, I jumped out of my seat and best of all I lost myself in the movie. A must-see for any horror fan, I suggest you rent this with "Book of Shaddows: The Blair Witch 2" and "Night of the Living Dead".
This film will make you never want to go camping again.
Ted Bundy is a movie released in 2002 that tells the story of real serial killer Ted Bundy. I viewed this movie with some degree of caution, because another serial killer film was very untrue to the story. However I was both surprised and pleased to see that this movie was not only true to the case but incredibly accurate and entertaining. The movie starts off after his break up with his first love, Stephanie, but the viewer doesn't know that because she is never mentioned. It tells of his journey into the history books as one of the most vial and twisted serial killers of all time right up to his death in the electric chair. With a good blend of real news footage and film, this movie is a good movie to watch if you want to know about the man behind the myth. I do recommend this flick as a rental, perhaps with such films a Gacy, Dahmer, and Gein for a serial killer movie night. A film I donnot reccomend is one by the title of "The Night Stalker" which poorly tells the tale of Richard Ramirez. I have yet to see Gacy, Dahmer, and Gein, however when I do, I will review them and if they are half as good as Ted Bundy, then I, and the viewers, am in for a treat.
Here it is. The mother of modern horror. I have finaly found my favorite horror flick of all time and it is Freddy Vs. Jason. The basic story line goes something like this: Freddy Krueger has been forgotten. The children of Elm Street have been drugged up on a non FDA Aproved drug that renders the taker dreamless called Hypnocil. No dreams = No Freddy. The children have no clue that he even exists. While in hell, Freddy meets up with Jason, and through dream manipulation convinces him to go to Elm Street and kill the "Naughty Children" There. The reason for this is to make them remember Freddy and make them have nightmares again. The problem? Freddy can't turn Jason off. Jason wont stop killing, and he's taking Freddys kills. The other problem? Jason, slow as he may be, figures out that it is Freddy and not his mother who has been minipulating him, so sure enough the battle of the titans ensues and damn is it a good fight. I wont give any spoilers away, but I will say this: We see fighting action in Freddy's Dream world as well as the real one. This film has everything a good horror film should have: Drugs, Alcohol, Nudity, and you guessed it Gore Galore! With a strong storyline, a killer soundtrack, a wicked score, gore galore, and $36.4 Million in the bank opening weekend this movie is an instant classic, and was definantly worth the wait. Good God I loved this flick. Rent it, Buy it, Go see it now! You cannot miss this kick ass flick if you are any kind of a fan of the horror genere. I love the perfact mix of 80's slashers feel and new age special effects. God damn, what a good movie! I can't wait for the DVD!
Now, many have claimed that this film is nothing more than a rewritten, refilmed Texas Chainsaw Massacre wannabe, but I beg to differ. Although this film did not completely live up to my expectations, it was a good flick. This film was originally set to recieve an NC-17 rating due to exessive gore, but after much editing, got an R rating. I have seen the DVD and was dissapointed at the lack of features, (ie. deleted scenes) but an glad to hear that the ORIGINAL UNRATED VERSION will be released in October of 2003. Now that I will own. The basic storyline is that in 1977 four teens driving through Texas get a flat in a rain storm after visiting Captain Spaulding's Museum of Monsters and Mad Men, where they learned about serial killers Albert Fish, Ed Gein and local legend "Doctor Satan". Intregued by this myth they decide to find the tree that Dr. S was supposedly hanged from, but get the flat before they can find it. The hitchhiker, Baby, tells them that her house isn't far and that her brother could tow them if need be, so Baby and one of the guys hike back to her house, a house of horrors. This movie had great gore and a decent enough storyline that gave quite afew nods to the classic horror of the 70's and 80's, but I feel was hindered by the fact that all the good stuff got edited out. I can only hope that we see it in the DVD out in October. I do recomend this flick, as it did give quite afew twists, turns, and genuine scares. As a friend put it: "This flick is a total mind-fuck." I couldn't have said it better myself. The movie is obviously a tribute film to all of the classic horror out there and was influenced greatly by TCM, Last House on the Left and Charles Manson. Definantly worth a look, but I suggest waiting for the other release, as it will probably offer the story as it was ment to be told.
BOTTOM LINE: FREDDY VS. JASON AGAINST HOUSE OF 1,000 CORPSES:
Which has better gore?
FREDDY VS. JASON
This is the kind of movie that reminded me of a modern day "Omen". We've all heard the bible's stories about how Jesus Christ died on the cross so that the sins of all man could be forgiven, allowing them to get into heaven, and how he will one day rise again. But what if the oposite were true. What if there was an Anti-Christ, who, like Jesus, was born to a virgin? What if the Devil walks among us, posing to be God, or maybe not posing at all. Maybe hiding in plain site. Television reaches the entire world. What better prophet to tell of the comming of Christ, or the Anti-Christ, than something we all see? What do all these questions have in common? Watch this movie and find out. This was the kind of movie that makes you think of what could be. It makes you question what you know. Kind of gets in your head. Now thats cool. As for the technical aspect, this film picked some great locations, the scenes were well shot, and the score was, well I don't remember the score, which means it must have been pretty good. Check this movie out. You won't regret it.
What if you had dreams, nightmares of children being kidnapped? What if they wern't dreams and you started having them durring the day? What if your kid got kidnapped, and was later found dead, and you went crazy and got locked up, but durring that time you had a dream of your husband or wife being killed? These are the problems that face Claire Cooper (Annette Bening) in the film In Dreams. This was one hell of a psychological thriller. Claire's dreams are being controlled by a man named Vivian (Robert Downey Jr.) who wants just one thing... her. He can manipulate her dreams and visions and bend her will at his command. Then another child vanishes, and Claire has another vision. She knows the girl is alive, but for how long? Can she put the pieces of the puzzles in her visions together in time to save the little girl? Does the little girl want to be saved? Let me say this. You'll never look at apples, or hear an oldies tune the same way again.
A truly great film, however, I feel that there could have been more...Vampires. I mean, think about it... Dracula movie... vamps... kinda go together. This was a smooth and sexy film as any self respecting vamp flick should be. Of all the men to play Drac, It is my opinion that the man choosen was perfact for this role. He simply beamed with intensity! I will say this though, I liked the end. You will too. Trust me on this one. A new sequal has been released, but I have yet to see it.
13 Ghosts is a movie about a man and his family... who happen to inherit a huge mansion made of un breakable glass from their long lost uncle. The catch? Well the Uncle happens to be a mad man bent on collecting the Souls of these certian 13 spirits to open the gates of hell, Oh and did I mention that he keeps the unhappy spooks in the house. Oh yeah, and after they walk in the door,they get locked in. Kinda puts a damper on the whole multi-million dollar estate thing huh? 13 Ghosts was an awesome cutting edge special effects flick with more twists than there are in a box of Glad bags. The Makeup effects used in this film were nothing short of spectacular. If you're gonna rent it, get the DVD 'cause the bonus stuff is incredible.
This is the kind of movie your parents warned you about. You really have to think about it to get it and you never know whats next. Definatally an edge-of-your-seat kinda flick, but it did have it's dull moments. Alot of them. If you watch this movie by yourself, don't be supprised to find yourself talking to the TV. My wife was totally freaked out by this one, but it didn't really scare me. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being High, I'd give it a 6.5. ADDED REVIEW: What if there were a movie out there that killed everyone who watched it? That's the basic story behind "The Ring". You watch the tape, you get a call telling you that you will die in exactly seven days to the hour. A woman's neice watched the tape and at her funeral her mother asked the woman to look into it. She finds the tape at a log cabbin in the middle of nowhere, watches it and gets the call. As she investigates the tape she makes a copy and has a friend check it out. The phone rings but she doesn't answer it. Eventually her son wakes up in the middle of the night, finds the tape, and watches it. Can she be saved? Can she save her son? Check it out and see what you think. I thought that it was over rated, but that's just me. UPDATE 4/22/03: Since posting this review, a fan has asked for my comments on this film in the forum found on the "Rants" Page. I have since responded to the question and updated this review.
You need to go deeper into All Things Horror...
Horror Links 2: Banners and Webrings
™
