Sunday, October 31, 2010

31 Days of Horror 3: Nosferatu

DAY 31
Happy Halloween! We did it, another 31 horror movies and I end this year with F.W. Murnau's silent German horror classic - Nosferatu.
One of the most grotesque looking vampires haunts this movie that borrows heavily on Bram Stoker's 1897 novel, Dracula. The movie starts off when a real estate agent, Hutter (Gustav Von Wangenheim) begins conducting business with Count Orlok (Max Schreck). The Count soon goes on a rampage and becomes obsessed with Hutter's wife (Greta Schroder).
Yeah it sounds a lot like Dracula, because it is basically Dracula. Yet, Murnau didn't have permission from Stoker to use material so he was sued by Stoker's widow, which led to all known prints and negatives to be destroyed under the terms of settlement. The movie would survive this and start resurfacing in other countries.
Now, before the lawsuit, while they were filming, Murnau knew that he must change his ending so it wouldn't completely copy Dracula. So, what he did is he made the vampire be killed by sunlight at the end of the film.
This is where we get the legend that vampires can be killed by sunlight, it came from this movie and has carried on into vampire stories for years.
After all these years Nosferatu still proves to be frightening. It went beyond the simple chills that most horror movies had gave into and went it did its own thing.
It's a masterpiece of German cinema and definitely the most creepy version of Dracula ever created.

I would like to thank everyone who followed the list this year. It's been three years of putting together lists of horror movies. After this year I have listed 93 horror movies between the three lists. Every film I've mentioned is worth checking out, even if your not a fan of horror.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

31 Days of Horror 3: Phantasm

DAY 30
Now here is another icon from the 1970's independent horror cinema that's not for the inpatient.
This film was directed by Don Coscarelli and it follows two boys, Jody (Bill Thornbury) and Mike (A. Michael Baldwin), in their chase of a scary looking grave robber. They soon discover that the Tall Man/ grave robber (Angus Scrimm) is able to walk on the Earth but lives in the afterworld. I can't really say anymore without spoiling it.
The movie has it's silly moments and it can move slow for some people. Yet, if you stick with it you can see how well it can mix horror with laughs.
The horror comes in the form of imagery that is terrifying and also really impressive for a low-budget movie. That goes to show you that if you have imagination, having a small budget will never slow you down.

Friday, October 29, 2010

31 Days of Horror 3: Eraserhead

DAY 29
David Lynch's first film is a disturbing look into a man's fears of parenthood.
The film is set in a town that is an industrial wasteland. This is where we meet Henry Spencer (Jack Nance) a young factory worker. Spencer faces challenges such as meeting someone of the opposite sex, meeting her parents and then having a baby. Henry's girlfriend, Mary X (Charlotte Stewart) then gives birth to a deformed baby and leaves it in Henry's care.
This is very challenging movie that can be frightening in some areas and completely sensitive in others. It has brilliant imagery pulling from Gothic horror and sound that creates a completely eerie environment.
I also love, in Lynch fashion, that nothing is ever explained. The movie is left open for your own interpretation. I think it's great when filmmakers leave their work open, because it shows how brave and confident the director is in the story they have told and also have faith in the intelligence of the audience.
One thing about the film I didn't like is areas where the story can be flat. This doesn't hurt the movie, because when it does go flat it quickly picks itself back up.
The film can be disturbing and repulsive but the truth about this film is that it is a true masterpiece. If you do watch it just be prepared to be challenged and disturbed but ultimately satisfied.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

31 Days of Horror 3: Bubba Ho-Tep

DAY 28
Wonder if the Elvis Presley that died was just and impersonator and the real one was still alive, what do you think he would be doing? Well according to this film he would be hunting down an evil Egyptian entity.
Bubba Ho-Tep is a film that is a mixture of black comedy and horror. The movie stars Bruce Campbell as the King himself, Elvis Presley. Presley is in an elderly resident home in East Texas because he switched identities with an impersonator years before his so called death. Because the other Elvis dies the real Elvis was never able to reclaim his identity and now he's stuck in a home with John F. Kennedy played by Ossie Davis. Soon the home is under attack by an evil Egyptian entity that sucks the life out of people and it's up to Elvis and Kennedy to stop him.
I know it sounds weird and it is, but it's also original. Something that is disappearing more and more nowadays.
Campbell gives an outstanding performance, he is really able to disappear in his character. Because of that the movie has some surprisingly moving scenes, which make the film all the more interesting.
This movie is a cult classic in every sense of the word and is something everyone should see.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

31 Days of Horror 3: The Night Stalker

DAY 27
Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin) is the man. He is the reason we have series like The X-Files and Supernatural. The Night Stalker was a made-for-TV movie that spawned an awesome sequel and one of my favorite series of all time.
The movie is about Kolchak a newspaper reporter who has a sharp personality that has gotten him fired ten times from a host of city newspapers. He then gets a job with a small-time paper in Las Vegas and also gets a the story of his life. He starts to chase down a vampire, which poses many dangers.
The Night Stalker is one of those movies that is campy but it's a grade A vampire story. Nothing like that Twilight stuff, this is a REAL Vampire movie.
Also, for a made-for-TV movie it's actually creepy. McGavin gives one of his best performances and it's a role I always remember him for. Kolchak is awesome.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

31 Days of Horror 3: Dark Night Of The Scarecrow

DAY 26
A 1981 made-for-TV horror film that I thought was actually decent.
The movie is about mentally challenged man, Bubba Ritter (Larry Drake) who is wrongfully accused of attacking a local girl (Tonya Crowe). He is then hunted by some towns people, led by Otis P. Hazelrigg (Charles Durning). His mother hides him in a field as a scarecrow, but they find and kill him but his spirit can't rest and returns to go on a killing spree to take his revenge.
The movie isn't gory (it's a TV movie), yet it does imply a lot of gruesome events. You might like it and you might not, but I did find it to be entertaining and the story isn't that bad.
Finding a copy isn't that hard. I know Amazon has it for sale and Netflix has it for rent. I don't think you can find it in a store, but I can be wrong, they did just release it on DVD.
It's definitely creepy and worth a watch.

Monday, October 25, 2010

31 Days of Horror 3: Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn

DAY 25
Full of gore and slapstick, Evil Dead 2 steps out of the shadow of the first and becomes its own classic.
Ash (Bruce Campbell) is stranded in a cabin in the woods. In the first one his girlfriend accidentally used a summoning spell to raise the Evil Dead. He is now the lone survivor and he is up against hordes of Evil Dead.
Director Sam Raimi, who would go on to do the Spider-Man movies, and star Bruce Campbell are able to put together a bizarre, funny and scary movie that might be demented in places but is a lot of fun.
I know this is a sequel but to me this almost felt like a retelling, which isn't a bad thing, it worked. All in all this is horror at its best.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

31 Days of Horror 3: Suspiria

DAY 24
Well it's definitely not a film for everyone, there is a lot of gore, but the imagery in this film is so unique and scary it will haunt you for awhile.
The movie follows Susan (Jessica Harper) an American girl whose talents have brought her to a European ballet school. She soon discovers that there is something strange going on and is haunted by strange happenings. I won't give much away but the strange happenings are tied to the school in someway.
There is a lot of stomach turning scenes in this movie that will get under your skin. Yet, what makes this movie so interesting is it's ability to merge an art house picture with a slaughter movie.
The bad thing about the film is its script. It's hard to follow in some places and others it just doesn't make any sense. So your brain can't comprehend what's going on but your eyes are going to be treated to some strange, gory and unique images.
This is NOT a film for everyone, if you are not a regular horror movie watcher then I would watch something else on my lists. If you are a die hard horror fan or just a fan of horror then, if you haven't already, give this one a try.

31 Days of Horror 3: Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein

DAY 23
It's Abbott and Costello and Universal monsters, I mean why not.
The film is about two friends who are railroad baggage clerks. They receive a strange shipment, that ends up being the remains of Dracula and Frankenstein's monster. These monsters, of course, aren't dead and they escape to a remote island. Abbott and Costello then follow them and run into a mad scientist who wants to switch Costello's brain with that of Frankenstein's monster.
The film does merge horror and comedy very well, but it's better not to think about this one being an actual Universal monster movie.
Some of Abbott and Costello's funniest bits are in this film and the great thing about this movie is its ability to still be funny years later.
I strongly recommended this film to not only horror fans but fans of film.

Friday, October 22, 2010

31 Days of Horror 3: Sleepy Hollow (1999)

DAY 22
It might lack an award winning script, but the film is still able to capture the horror of the legend and also make it beautiful looking with top notch production design.
This version is a little different then Washington Irving's 18th century classic. In this one Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) is no longer a school teacher but a New York detective. He is sent to Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of mysterious deaths where the victims are found beheaded. When he arrives he learns that the locals believe that murderer is the ghost of the Headless Horseman.
Like I said above, this movie is beautiful to look at but it lacks any real emotion. In my opinion that didn't hurt the film for me, because going into the movie I wasn't expecting a deep story. I knew at best it was just going to be a ghost story.
So if you could get over that the movie takes a lot of liberties with the original source material and the script lacks, then you'll have a really good time with this one.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

31 Days of Horror 3: The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

DAY 21
I loved the first Frankenstein movie but this one I find to be so much better.
In the movie it is revealed that Dr. Frankenstein and his monster are alive! Dr. Frankenstein wants to get out of the evil experiment business (I didn't know that was a career path), but trouble rises when another mad scientist, Dr. Pretorius, kidnaps his wife. To get her back, Dr. Frankenstein agrees to help him create a new creature to be a female companion for the monster.
I would have to say that this was the peak of the Universal monsters. Director James Whale does a great job in creating such a classic and most likely the best horror sequel ever made.
The movie has you from start to finish and it will keep you long after that.
If you want to see a classic then look no further, The Bride of Frankenstein is one of the ultimate classics in the horror genre.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

31 Days of Horror 3: Trick 'r Treat

DAY 20
Writer-Director, Michael Dougherty brings back good old fashion suspense in this very well crafted Halloween anthology story.
This movie weaves together several stories, each posing their own unique dangers. We have a group of school kids finding a dark secret, a school principal that is a serial killer and other story lines I can't really discuss or I would ruin the fun for you all.
I will go as far to say that this is the best Halloween movie in years. It's beautiful to look at, the performances are strong and the stories are all very interesting.
I can't say anything bad about this movie, I loved everything about it. Some people say that it lacked conflict and resolution, but I don't think it did.
The movie also had Sam, as seen in the picture above. Sam is all about Halloween and if you break the rules of the Holiday, he'll make sure you pay. He is as cool as Jason, Michael and Freddy.
What makes me mad is that they didn't believe in this movie enough to release it into theaters and it's a lot better then most of the recent horror films that have come out.
I strongly recommend this to everyone who loves horror and Halloween movies.

31 Days of Horror 3: Aliens

DAY 19
Alien was all about the slow build up and the tension, which made is a classic, but when it comes to James Cameron's flawless sequel we get a much faster and scarier movie.
The film is about the lone survivor (ok ... the cat survived too) Lt. Ripley (Sigourney Weaver). She is awaken from cryo-freeze only to met by skepticism when she tells her story about the Aliens. This skepticism starts to dissolve when colonists disappear on LV-426. A team of Marines are sent to investigate, along with Ripley, and what they find is of course the acid spitting Aliens.
This is what a sequel should be. This movie got everything right and it's because Cameron understands plot. He stages the action around what's going on in the story and never falls to a mechanical approach, which makes this movie superior to all the Alien films that came after it and films of this type.
Now, is it better then the first? Well, that's a very hard question, but I would say that Aliens is slightly better. Alien is an amazing movie, don't get me wrong, and it really set the template for other films in the franchise and of its kind. Cameron then came in, took that template and evolved it and the result was a much more adrenaline filled film that sees one of the best performances given by Weaver.
I strongly recommend this movie and the first one to everyone. They are both true classics.

Monday, October 18, 2010

31 Days of Horror 3: Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives

DAY 18
I'm a huge Friday the 13th fan, if you haven't noticed by looking at my blog. I love the series, even if it has some low points (Jason Goes to Hell and Jason X). Yet, my favorite films are the ones that were made when Paramount still owned the franchise. That would include movies I through VIII.
I picked Part VI to be included on this list because it was the first in the series to really be obvious about it's campiness. Yes, the installments that came before it had their fair share of tongue-in-cheek humor but nothing like what part VI accomplished.
The movie brings back Tommy Jarvis (Thom Mathews), who, as a kid, killed Jason Voorhees. Ever since then he hasn't been so sure if Jason was truly dead or not. This is where the film begins, we see Tommy with his friend driving to a graveyard to dig up Jason. They do end up digging him up and one thing leads to another and lightning resurrects Jason and now he's back and ready to kill.
I love how they use a very Frankenstein way in bringing Jason back from the dead and I also like how the movie pulls off a James Bond opening with Jason. It's these things that make this installment so much more special.
The film has a sense of humor and also a decent story, I still think the original Friday the 13th had the best story, but Part VI knows what it wants to accomplish and it does.
Now, I can't talk about Jason Lives without mentioning the infamous Alice Cooper song, "He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)", the song is just pure '80's but it fits so well with this movie.
Jason Lives isn't the best Friday the 13th film but it's the most entertaining. Director, Tom McLoughlin took the Friday formula and changed it up a bit. Some things worked better than others but it was refreshing to have some new things added to the franchise.
I recommend this movie to everyone; I recommend this entire franchise to everyone. Friday the 13th is most likely my favorite horror franchise and I think everyone should watch them at least once.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

31 Days of Horror 3: The Howling

DAY 17
The Howling is a classic when it comes to werewolf movies.
TV reporter, Karen White (Dee Wallace) has a traumatic experience at work so she checks into a California resort called The Colony to relax. On the first night she hears howling outside and then she soon discovers she is staying in a colony of werewolves. She then fights for her life, so she can expose their secret.
The movie is filled with horror movie references, listen to some of the character names, and real scares.
This is no American Werewolf in London but it's a pretty close second. I love these old werewolf movies, because they stick to the classic formula. You shouldn't mess around with movie monsters such as werewolves or vampires, I mean you can tweak them or add something new, but I always think that they should stick to what made them classic.

31 Days of Horror 3: The Crazies (1973)

DAY 16
Another George A. Romero film, which isn't the best, but still good.
In a small town of Pennsylvania, a government plan crashes carrying biological weapons. This deadly weapon seeps into the water supply and anyone who drinks it becomes crazy and murderous. David (Will McMillan), a firefighter and his wife, Judy (Lane Carroll) and a few others attempt to escape the town.
Romero is able to take away the living dead and replace it with ordinary people and it works very well. He is able to keep the nightmare going throughout the entire film.
They did remake this movie and I didn't get a chance to see it yet, but I heard nothing but great things about it.

31 Days of Horror 3: The House of the Devil

DAY 15
Sorry about the delay but I'm back with a movie that its reminiscent of old fright flicks.
Samantha (Jocelin Donahue) is a college student who needs some money. She soon takes a job babysitting on the night of a full lunar eclipse and ends up in a fight for her life. Her employers, Tom (Tom Noonan) and Mary (Mary Woronov) are hiding a dark secret.
The themes of the movie are very familiar. Yet, the film had the guts to get rid of all the horror cliches and stand on its own two feet and it does it well.
It might be slow building for some people and the narrative, at times, can be uneven, but there is no denying that this is a great modern horror film.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

31 Days of Horror 3: The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms

DAY 14
A 1950's monster movie at it's best. Yeah it's cheesy and the story might never get exciting but the special effects are classic '50's monster movie.
The movie was directed by Eugene Lourie and it stared Paul Christian, Ross Elliott and Cecil Kallaway. It was based off of Ray Bradbury's short story "The Fog Horn."
The film is about a rhedosaurus, who has been frozen in ice, being awaken by atomic testing in the Arctic. The creature then gets mad, rises out of the sea and takes revenge on the city of New York.
That's basically it. The story is nothing special but this film set the template for Atomic Age Behemoth movies that would come after.
I recommend this movie to anyone who can appreciate monster movies and the cheesy special effects that they were capable of back in the 1950's. Just look at the picture above of the movie and that's basically what you're getting for special effects. It's great.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

31 Days of Horror 3: Creepshow

Day 13
Satirical and creepy, Creepshow is one of those horror anthologies that actually works.
The movie is based off of the E.C. comic books of the 1950s. George A. Romero took the directors chair as Stephen King wrote the screenplay and the end result was a movie about radioactive meteorites, an odd Father's Day party, cockroaches and a monster in a crate. It sounds odd, and it is, but trust me when I say it's a good odd.
The movie has performances by Ed Harris, Ted Danson, Adrienne Barbeau, Hal Holbrook, E.G. Marshall and even Leslie Nielsen.
The only bad thing about this movie is that it's uneven in some places. Yet, this is still a great movie that is simple and and scary at the same time.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

31 Days of Horror 3: Killer Klowns from Outer Space

DAY 12
There is nothing funny or fun about Clowns and when they are in horror movies it just makes them even more creepier. Killer Klowns from Outer Space might be a cheesy B-movie but there is no denying that the clowns are scary and the movie is an ultimate guilty pleasure.
The movie is about a group of aliens that are killer clowns. They come down to earth to start harvesting a small-town, they place their victims in a cotton candy cocoon and then eat them later. The authorities don't do anything about this clown invasion, so it's up to two teens, Mike Tobacco and Debbie Stone (Grant Cramer and Suzanne Snyder) to fight the klowns and save their friends.
This movie is great on how it is able to blend a monster movie with an alien movie and have it come out well. It also has a great sense of humor about itself.
With that sense of humor does come a lot of goofiness, which is not a bad thing. I recommend this movie all the time and it's not overly scary or gory and it's something everyone should check out at least once.

Monday, October 11, 2010

31 Days of Horror 3: The House on Sorority Row

Day 11
Not the best movie by any means but has that '80's horror B-movie charm.
Housemother (Lois Kelso Hunt) has a falling out with seven sorority sisters who then plot revenge. This plot leads to an accidental death. The girls cover up the crime and then are targeted by someone who knows what they did.
This film falls in the same category as Troll 2. These films are so bad that you just need to experience them once. Some parts of the movie are interesting and it does try to add something new to the slasher films but it's not Halloween or Friday the 13th.
I wouldn't recommend this movie to everyone but for those of you who love really low-budget '80's slasher movies, this is definitely for you.

31 Days of Horror 3: Bram Stoker's Dracula

Day 10
Dracula has been in a number of films but it's this one that pulls the character back from being campy and made his a force to be reckoned with.
Gary Oldman is the man in the cape this time around and he leaves his prisoner, Jonathan Harker (Keanu Reeves) in Transylvanis as he ventures into London to find Mina Harker (Winona Ryder). Mina Harker looks exactly like Dracula's dead wife, Elisabeta. Then comes Dr. Van Helsing (Anthony Hopkins) sets out to kill Dracula and end the curse.
First thing the visuals in this movie is great, but the flaw the film does have is the overcrowded story. Somethings should have been trimmed down.
Francis Ford Coppola directed this time around and truly made a film that brings Stoker's novel to life with style.

31 Days of Horror 3: Zombieland

Day 9
It's new and I try to stay away from really new films but this one is sharp and entertaining that it must be mentioned.
I still say that Shaun of the Dead is the best comedy or romantic comedies with zombies. Yet, Zombieland comes in at a close second.
The movie starts with Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), who isn't your typical zombie movie kind of guy. He is one of the few survivors of some sort of zombie invasion in the United States, which got the United States the new name - The United States of Zombieland. He soon joins forces with Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), yeah their all named after states they are from, who loves to take on the zombies. Then we have Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) and Wichita (Emma Stone) who are journeying to a "safe" amusement park.
The movie does have it's scary moments but there is more laughs than scares here. This movie is destined to become a cult classic and I recommend it to everyone. Also, there is a great cameo in this movie, I won't say who it is but it's one of the best cameo's I've seen.

31 Days of Horror 3: The Host

Day 8
Monster movies run from really good to just bad and this one, out of Korea, is very good.
It's about a giant squidlike monster, which is the product of toxic chemical dumping. The squid monster soon takes the daughter of a snack bar owner, Hie-Bong (Hie-Bong Byeon). He doesn't take this lightly and tracks down the monster.
This is one of the best monster movies ever made. It's full of all the things that made the 1950's monster films fun and exciting to watch. It also works well as a satire.
I can't really find flaws with it's very well rounded.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

31 Days of Horror 3: Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer

DAY 7
Well ... it might not be the cult classic it set out to be, but it's heart is in the right place and if you give it a chance you will be surprised on how good it actual is.
The movie is about Jack Brooks (Trevor Matthews) who, as a kid, witnessed his family murdered by a monster. Because of that he developed a uncontrollable anger problem, which his girlfriend, Eve (Rachel Skarsten) hopes to cure his anger problem. The class is being taught by Professor Gordon Crowley (Robert Englund) who soon goes through some strange changes, which forces Jack to rise up as the hero and defeat the evil that rests inside Crowley and others.
The monsters in this movie are fantastic. They aren't CGI, they are people in suits, which, with the right lighting, look amazing. The creature that kills his family in the beginning is one of the scariest looking things I've seen.
The movie is also very refreshing because there is no CGI in any shot. This is a CGI free movie and it still looks amazing, which only proves that CGI is not needed in everything.
The story could have been stronger though. It definitely knows where it wants to go and just goes, which is good and bad. I wish there was a little more character development.
With all that said this is really a throwback to '80's style horror films and is worth watching.

NOTE: There will be a slight delay in these heading into the weekend, but will be back to normal by Tuesday.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

31 Days of Horror 3: The Faculty

DAY 6
Here is another Robert Rodriquez film, one that is not as good as From Dusk Till Dawn and it might not have the deepest story but its still a great popcorn film.
The movie is about a group of teens that attend Herrington High and they believe their teachers are from another planet. Soon the students do discover that there is an alien infection but they might have the solution to the problem.
First, let me get the negative out of the way. Yes, all the students are stereotypes, it's not the most original and some scenes can drag on. With that said, let's look at the positive. In areas of the film it can be very smart, it's entertaining and it has a lot of Rodriquez charm in it.
If your looking for a fun horror film, that you can turn your brain off for, this would be it.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

31 Days of Horror 3: From Dusk Till Dawn

DAY 5
Here is a movie that is, at first, a crime drama and then transforms itself into a vampire movie. That made a lot of people mad but there is no denying that this is B-movie greatness.
The movie is about two brothers, Seth (George Clooney) and Richard Gecko (Quentin Tarantino), who are robbers the police are hunting down and they are racing them to the Mexican border. During their great escape they take ex-preacher, Jacob Fuller and his daughter, Kate Fuller and his son, Scott Fuller hostage. They all get into Mexico and then the plot switches once the group settles down in a bar that turns out to be the home of vampires.
Many people hated how the plot totally brought them into a new direction when the movie was already half over. I can understand this, because for the first half it's a really good crime drama and really didn't need the vampires to come up at all but I'm glad they did.
Robert Rodriquez is a great director and really pulls this one together. He plays tribute to the 1960s Mexican horror movies and he does it well. Yeah it can get tongue-in-cheek, but that's what I like about it the most.

Monday, October 4, 2010

31 Days of Horror 3: Fright Night

DAY 4
Here is a movie that I missed the first two times I did these lists and I don't know why, because this movie is awesome.
Fright Night came out in 1985, so it has all the 80's horror goodness, and centers around Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale) who discovers that his next door neighbor, Jerry Dandridge (Chris Sarandon) is a vampire! Soon Dandridge starts to stalk Brewster, so he turns to a washed up actor, Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall) to help him defeat Dandridge.
This movie is great! I loved every minute of Fright Night and it's a film ever horror fan should watch. Everyone does a fine job in their performances but it's McDowall who steals the show.
I just re-watched this film, while I was putting together the list, and one thing I did notice this time around is that it really spoofs things in the style of Scream, way before Scream did it, which makes it a true original.
It's goofy, scary and one hell of a good time. Go pick up a copy of Fright Night!

31 Days of Horror 3: The Monster Squad

DAY 3
Think The Goonies meeting the Universal Monsters and you would have The Monster Squad. A film that has a cult following but never got the mainstream attention it deserved.
The movie is about Dracula who, of course, wants to rule the world. He goes about this by finding legendary monsters such as Wolf Man, Gill Man, the Mummy and Frankenstein's Monster. Yet, he didn't plan on a group of kids foiling his plans.
The movie is not scary, but it's awesome and a good Halloween movie for families to sit down and enjoy.
I do believe that the script could have been much stronger and we could of went without Gill Man. I still like the movie, but it does seem to try and fit together so much and in the end it doesn't all work.
With that said, that's all the negative that I really have to say about the film. It defiantly caters to those who enjoyed the horror classics but that is not a bad thing ... for anyone.
The film was released on DVD and Blu-Ray and it's not that hard to find. If your interest is now sparked, don't hesitate and pick this one up.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

31 Days of Horror 3: Swamp Thing

DAY 2
It might feel cheesy now, but its still fun to me after all these years.
Swamp Thing was directed by Wes Craven and a few of his movies have made it onto these lists in the past. I wouldn't say this is Craven's best work but it's not bad and it's entertaining. Plus it has Carnivale's Adrienne Barbeau in it.
The plot revolves around Dr. Anton Arcane who survived an incident with a special chemical, but now he is not a man anymore but a swamp plant monster!
In my opinion there is a lot of similarities in this film that are also in other monster movies, such as King Kong and Creature from the Black Lagoon. Those two movies I enjoyed more but Swamp Thing has its own kind of charm.
After the original movie the series continued in a sequel, then a live action TV series and then an animated TV series. So, Swamp Thing continued living long after 1982.
If you haven't checked out Swamp Thing yet, you should. It's a fun movie.

Friday, October 1, 2010

31 Days of Horror 3: Troll 2

DAY 1
Welcome back to the third year of the 31 Days of Horror. Remember these movies are not in any order. Also, this year sequels will also be making the list starting with the classic bad movie - Troll 2.
The film centers around a kid named Joshua Waits, whose family vacation is being brought down by plant eating goblins. Yes, goblins not trolls. He tries to stop these goblins with the help of his dead grandfather - yeah it's weird.
You might be thinking if they're plant eating goblins then why are the humans afraid of them? Well, they, the goblins, give humans this green substance, which you have to eat, and then the humans turn into this green plant like substance.
The movie is bad, but it's good, if that makes any sense. I will admit when I saw this movie as a kid it scared me, I wouldn't eat anything green. Now its just hilarious.
The film is considered to be the worst if not THE worst movie of all time, which has also made it a legend. The best thing for this film was to be called the worst movie of all time, because it triggered people's interest. Now on Oct. 5, 2010, it will be re-released on DVD and Blu-Ray and I would say everyone should pick up a copy.