Childs Play (Classic Horror)

Childs Play

Directed by Tom Holland

Starring Catherine Hicks, Brad Dourif & Chris Sarandon

Personally one of my favourite franchises in horror this film clocked up an impressive 4 sequals,  comics, toys and due to a court case in the states was BANNED in some parts of the world! This film is certainly made is mark on the world and is yet another victim facing being re-made next year.

So whats the deal with this film? Charles Lee Ray (aka Chucky) a mass murderer after years is finally tracked down to a local toy store where the police are forced to shot Chuck before he can escape, luckily for him his friend told him how to transport his soul into the body of another but being there is no one around for him to swap with he ends up trying his luck with a good guy doll! everyones dream birthday present. Of course we are lead to Andy Barclay an innocent kid being bought up but his single mum Karen who can't afford his ideal gift gets told of a dodgey man in the alley with official dolls (he stole from the store after the police raid) so Andy gets his dream gift only to find its more than realistic friend he can walk talk and kill but of course everyone thinks Andy is insane which leads to a story spanning 3 movies!

I cant even begin to tell you what happens without ruining it at some point so i wont!

Chucky might seem an unlikely horror start but he is one of the best out there his one liners are funny and always pack a punch the sustained damage to his plastic skull and the worse for wear he gets throughout the movies make him look even more sinister but... one thing makes him even better Brads voice the tone the speed its so creepy but yet everybody sits trying to do that voice they have even got him on board for the remake! no one else could even attempt at being chucky. (if you buy the blu ray or 20th birthday version of the film watch the documentary it makes chucky even more impressive!)

The stories like Nightmare on elm st get sillier and sillier until the final one which is more like a Scarey movie affair but the first 3 are all BUY IT's in my eyes Tom Hollands ability to mix black comedy with gritty horror is some of the best in the business ill be posting my review of another classic by him very soon!

Paranormal Activity

Paranormal Activity

Directed by Oren Peli

Starring Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat

I avoided this movie for a long long time because of all the hype surrounding it and the fact i dont think i have ever been scared by this type of movie with added shakey cam i thought i was in for nothing but a hellish ride of jump scares but i bit the bullet and sat through what turned out to be a pretty good movie?

firstly this was done on like the lowest budget EVER there are no real special effects there are no stars in this its all set in one house even! this is a true indie film so onto the story a couple constantly have the feeling they are being watched/haunted so one day Micah (yep used their own names) decides to get a video camera and tape EVERYTHING so if anything happens he can rewind and check it out. Then of course they start seeing doors move and weird noises etc. they call in a spiritualist who says that it may infact be a demon and by him being there and the camera rolling that it could anger the beast so they should stop investigating at once. Micah continues even tho Katie begs him to stop which leads to things getting worse and worse until the end... which i wont spoil

The acting is at a pretty high standard considering they aren't proffesionals and the camera work isnt shakey to a headache standard (like cloverfeld or blair witch) it progresses at a nice pace and kept my attention with added moments of humour and the couples drama. It's not a terrifying movie like the adverts and tv spot make out it just so you sit up at night looking around checking you haven't got the same problems as them more of a head fuck than a gruesome blood bath.

I gotta say there wasnt much to dislike apart from the fact this isn't typically my type of film i think if you like all those Ghost Hunt/Most Haunted you would get a real kick out of this tho!

SEE IT everyone i know has a different opinion on this film so its just to actually get yours dont just judge it by trailers it may just suprise you!

A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010 remake)

A Nightmare On Elm St

Directed by Samuel Bayer

Starring Jackie Earle Haley, Rooney Mara & Kyle Gallner

So it's finally out a film that was actually eagerly awaited people excited to see how they would update and what they would change! but wow we never could of expected this they changed virtually EVERYTHING making this nearly original but does that make a good thing? Not in this case they virtually spoilt everything i loved about the first but there was some things i liked just not enough to make this picture work.

The story in this version we follow four people 2 guys 2 girls (one of the girls being nancy) as all 4 are having these weird dreams it follows the same kind of patterns as the first as they get picked off one by one they start remembering the story of freddy (yep remembering because this time they knew the dude!) instead of remembering it all tho Freddy makes them remember with dreams. Until of course they start working on a plan how to stop him a sort of plot change in this version tho as they are unsure in the memories if his death was called for or not as they were five year old telling parents a man abused them.

so what did they change?

1. 
   
   He was not a child murderer he was a peadophile / child abuser
2. 
   
   Nancy is not the main focus but four of the children he abused
3. 
   
   The parents in this one seem to not care at all about their kids

In my eyes these changes RUINED the film but what did they change that worked?

new Freddy played by Jackie Earle (Watchmen) so they said no one could replace Robert Englund by my god he was insaney creepy actually looking like a burns victim was a HUGE step and to add a deep groaning voice was another but to have him making jokes about raping/killing/crushing them showing them their dead friends. This Freddy came across as one not to be taken to lightly! Secondly the dream sequences in this were intense ok they were riddled with annoying jump scares loud bursts of music and cameras spinning which tended to make them annoying but the look and feel of being in a post apocalyptic version of where you were already well.... it really worked for me.

As much as i would hate to say this but a sequal to this if they could sort all the mistakes they made out could possibly make a pretty decent film! the look of this film was great! the music was awesome! the story was where they went wrong adding twists and turns when we all know the outcome just dont work! the acting left ALOT to be desired felt more like typical teen american  drama acting. only two people stood out Jackie Earle and Clancy Brown (starship troopers/Shawshank Redemption) who played the father who led the mob to Fred Kruegers death both the most known actors in them film too which says it all really.

Deffinately a RENT i would say avoid but films like this linger if you dont see it you will always see and think how bad can it be? Its worth it just for the few good performances.

Freddy vs. Jason

Freddy Vs. Jason

Directed by Ronny Yu

Starring Jason Ritter, Robert Englund, Ken Kirzinger & Monica Keena

Lets just start by saying 2 of the longest running horror franchises, 2 of the biggest names in horror and 1 of the weirdest ideas for a film in forever! but does it work ? sure it pays perfect homage to both! but that is about all it does.

So the story Its actually pretty clever? Freddy has been forgetting all his victims locked away from the world and he loses all his powers so in hope to regain that power he re awakens Jason Voorhees crystal lakes finest a mindless drone who kills anything in his path with a machete. Using images of Pamela Voorhee (Jason's mother) convinces him to terrify all of Springwood in hope people would be scared once again! But Jason being Jason takes out all the kids literally walking around hacking through them so people don't know who to fear Jason or Freddy and the battle begins!

opening scene giving huge amounts of background on both characters so the rest can be pure action, this film is pretty intense full of laughs one of best outings for both parties probably the third best Freddy film! i can see why a lot of FT13th fans wouldn't appreciate as there is loads of humour to be found and doesn't follow the usual style of the films and is way more favoured towards a Wes Craven style a very Scream/Final Nightmare style but some slick directing, great dream sequences Robert Englund on top form there isn't much to dislike in this film! (aside from the case of 20 somethings in high school)

a great update for both without remaking a clever use of story the only problem being that it feels very modern don't forget both characters were started in the 80's so its a big jump forward but if you are a horror fan or someone just into gore and laughs on a Saturday night you couldn't go far wrong here.

SEE IT NOW! 

Jack Frost

Jack Frost

Directed by Michael Cooney

Starring Scott Macdonald, Shannon Elizabeth & Christopher Allport

So before i start this is a film I personally have seen a 100 times so this review is bias! So you can stop reading now if you like.... Lets just start by saying this is a BAD film in every sense over the top acting really bad effects he doesnt even look like a snow man!? but sometimes things get so bad they become good again and Jack Frost is a prime example!

The story begins with a young girl being told the story of Jack Frost a killer travelling across america killing people and ends with his capture then skips forward to Jack being taken to his execution, on the way there an accident occurs in which an acid hits jacks skin melting him down into the snow. Later he discovers an ability to freeze himself back into snow taking on the form on a snow man and goes after the man who arrested him! simple really?

Ok the story is dumb but most monster movies are right? this is a film where even the director went overboard using sound clips and skipping to shots earlier in the film when characters are thinking about them as if they are dramatic but instead just make you go ive seen that scene 5 times already haha, seriously even thinking about this film makes me laugh repeated jokes YES characters instead of being funny tell jokes like "whats the difference between snowmen and snow women? snow balls" literally christmas cracker jokes.

But like I said I love watching this its face paced its not trying to be anything its not the acting isn't bad just the script that fails them, well that and the fact they are fighting a huge snow man. The kills are rad jokes are bad, characters are fun and so much to just enjoy when you are bored if you can just shut your brain off for 90 mins you will get something out of this movie I garantuee it!

I'm gonna stick my neck out and say SEE IT! i really dont think youll regret it long as you have some mates with you and a couple drinks your set for a great night in.

A Nightmare On Elm Street (Classic Horror)

A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

Directed by Wes Craven

Starring Robert Englund, Johnny Depp & Heather Langenkamp

Ok ok so I want to mention classic these will majoritly be must buys! and what better way to start it than a film thats getting released this week in another attempt on cashing in on classics altho the remake does look snappy! this original is gonna be a nightmare to top! (oh dear)

So where do i start Wes Craven Horror LEGEND! Johnny Depp earliest lead roll now hollywood superstar and Freddy Krueger possibly in the list of most memorable horror villians EVER. You put all that in a pot of blood and nightmares and you get a legend of a movie.

premise of the movie is this freddy was a child killer and the locals of elm st wanted more than to see him in prison so they toke it upon themselves to burn him alive and bury the body. unfortuanately he is BACK and in the the remaining children of the elm st. dreams! so its up to all the kids to stay awake and think of a plan to get ridd of him but without parents help (because of course no one believes them) this is a hard task for anybody.....

this film is filled with great laughs, great characters, great gore and great actors! ill admit it hasn't aged well so maybe the remake will be a nice homage but lets not forget where all stories start tho

deffinate BUY IT! but avoid most of the sequals 3 aka dream warriors is possibly the best of all of them but even them most dont compare to the original.

Triangle

Triangle (2009)

Directed by Christer Smith

Starring Melissa George

I heard so much about this last year at fright fest i had to see it! so i went to great lengths to get a screener copy... then I heard a few bum reviews but this film is a HEAD FUCK and that is why I love it.

so the begining/middle/end of the film is a bunch of people going on a boat for a summers day sail the captain of the ship knows everyone but not everyone knows eachother when a storm hits and the the ship is left upside down with everyone on top except one when a cruise liner picks them up. When on board they realise there is no one around but themselves.... then you realise the whole story is on loop when they die from the previous versions of the themselves or kill them old versions a new batch arrive.

you think its confusing reading what im writing? try watching the movie! Melissa George seems to be the only person who has memory of whats going on so she is trying to solve this puzzle

i really can't say much about else about the story because to be honest im still trying to work it out ive watched it 3 times now im still not 100% all i know is everytime i watch it i find a new reason to love it small details on walls, sounds in the background it was all thought out so well its truely amazing alot of people say it ripped off TIME CRIMES and altho similar but this really does stand out as a modern classic to me.

The way this is shot and re shot planned over and layered etc. it truely is a polished well cut epic horror! as for the acting Melissa George in another great movie? stand out character in 30 days of night and paradise lost now this i hope this lady keeps in business!

DEFFINATE BUY IT altho you may hate it for confusing you, ive never watched a film that is so easy to re watch!

Review scores

• BUY IT - kinda my highest score because this means it needs to be in your collection
• SEE IT - if you see this it means its deffinately worth seeing! maybe just not essential
• RENT IT - looking for something to watch and just wanna chill to some gore n guts then maybe thisll fit!
• AVOID - dont watch to even touch

all you need to know!

Wolf Creek

Wolf Creek (2005)

Directed by Greg Mclean

Starring John Jarratt, Cassandra Magrath & Kestie Morassi

I had heard mixed things leading up to finally watching this movie some amazing reviews and some awful ones so after seeing this Aussie horror in a bargain bin i toke the plunge and i gotta say this is right up my street!

It toke a while to get into the story and what was going on but the amazing surroundings of the outback and the suprisingly likeable characters kept me watching! the basic story is 2 english back packers and their Australian friend are travelling across Australia when they are travelling through miles of outback.

when all of a sudden there newly aquired car just stops working complete as does there watches so just as they plan to spend the night in the car and look for help in the morning a toe truck pulls up with mick who is a seemingly nice bloke willing to help them for no cost.

so the 3 follow him to his local shack where he promises to fix the car and save the day only to wake tied up gagged and ready for slaughter...

this is when i was like wow and the film really does flip you on its head it has a very chainsaw massacre feel to it and alot of twists and turns also the violence is a little more than graphic! while it all seems like a normal day at work to ol' mick shamefully the ending isnt as exciting as it could of been but as its based on true events they had to end it how it happened which in many ways makes a grim film feel even more horrible!

the way its shot is great real 70s dirty cheap nastey feel! and from all the Australian horror movies ive watched this is by FAR the best acting wise too.

THIS IS HORROR tho this is DEFFINATELY not for everyone but if you like late 70's horrors this is deffinately a BUY IT in my eyes this is one of the best horrors ive seen in recent times.

Stag Night

Stag Night (2008)

Directed by Peter A. Dowling

Starring Breckin Meyer & Kip Pardue

I watched this purely because Breckin Meyer (Clueless/Road Trip) was in this and FrightFest had it on the list for the Scottish showing I had no personal history with this film whats so ever...

It starts with a group of guys getting kicked out of a club on a stag night (couldn't see that coming could you) when they decide to get the train they end up getting in a little bit of cheeky trouble with some ladies on the train when all of a sudden it stops and they all get off only to find there shouldnt be another for an hour if at all.

so what do you do in these situations apparently you go investigate only to find there is some Wrong Turn/Hills Have Eyes style Tramps that in habbit the subway of america who want your possesions and your life. Which leads to the battle of surviving in an unknown place with even lesser known bad guys as per usual in these movies you see them one by one get picked off in gruesome ways both the good and bad guys that is.

altho the camera man didnt want you do see alot so all of a sudden it goes into EXTREMELY and it mean that EXTREMELY shakey cam while action happens altho there are a couple you see closely enough to screw your face up too!

the film is dumb and its not the best but if you want to just shut your brain off and watch people getting killed this is well worth a few bucks for a RENT sure its not the best but i'm pretty sure it was never meant to re invent the wheel and in some ways that was the strongest point of the film just good ol fashion late night viewing

The Strangers

The Strangers (2008)

Directed by Bryan Bertino

Starring Liv Tyler & Scott Speedman

So I'm reviewing this after watching it for a second time and i have to say i liked it alot more this time, inspired by true events annoys me because no one really knows what happened therefore how could it be inspired its just another way of trying to say this could happen to you which i really dont agree with putting on a case...

Alas after getting past that the sound and visuals on this film are incredible the shock value is stupid if i was in the cinema i can imagine people bopping up every few minutes in their seats so many sudden bursts of noise and people jumping out etc. this film takes it to the extreme 2 people being tortured in a house that pretty much is the story.

seriously thats it.

no real background except the couple were having some problems but thats got nothing to do with them being in a house and 3 menacing characters wearing masks are doing everything to scare the shit out of them..... this and funny games had a very similar feels altho this is a hell of alot less artsy this is straight up old school horror.

but is it any good? the acting is great! but lighting and mood is great! but lack of story and the ending are both VERY weak i mean this relies on you going home and bolting your door in fear you could have this happen to you.

like i said tho i liked this ALOT more when i knew what i was gonna get so id say if you have seen this maybe re watch or its deffinately a SEE IT but go in knowing what you are gonna get.

THE RUINS

THE RUINS (2008)

Directed by Carter Smith

Starring Jonathon Tucker & Jena Malone

Before watching this movie i had no idea of the story and hadn't really heard much about this film just that Ben Stiller (as in Zoolander) was the producer which kinda intrigued me what with Feast having Matt Damon and Ben Affleck on board! So I thought what the hell

The film jumps straight in introducing you to a group of early 20 somethings on holiday when they meet a german who tells them of an Aztec pyramid he will be meeting family at, Of course the friends want to tag along! When they arrive they find themselves trapped within a quarantined zone and the local villages wont let them leave and are forced to stay on the pyramid.

This probably doesn't sound very interesting but trust me its really fast paced at this point then it all slows as they realise its a plant that lives on the land that the villagers really fear and they should too as it tries to inhabit your body!

This film work on how grim and evil the violence is alot of cutting and bone breaking as they fade away as people and slowly go insane it kind of reminded me of cabin fever but alot more serious and the visuals on the violence were alot more extreme.

speaking of the visuals this film looks STUNNING i watched the blu ray of this and let me tell you its really clear and colourful which is unusual for a fairly dark and depressing film... which it one of the main reasons this film stood out to me.

the acting was ok no stand out characters or performances but it certainly wasn't a bad effort on anyones part.

all in all this is a good effort at being original but a film about a killer plant i guess isn't for everyone so i can only say SEE IT for this title its well worth it especially if you want to see some truely grim deaths.

An Introduction

So I'm 24 years old and over the last 5 years i've spent most of my time watching movies, I did film studies at college and I just thought this could be a fun way to share my opinions and let everyone see what I've been watching maybe you can enjoy or avoid some of these films.

Lately I've been sort of obsessing over the fact of women being better heroes in horror movies everything from HALLOWEEN to DRAG ME TO HELL watching women fend off evil is way more interesting so at times i will be going into that too.

so here we go im gonna post up films soon as i review them also include blurbs about what i felt before and after the film!

im not gonna do stars... or out of ten just rent see it buy it avoid etc.