31 Days of Horror 2: Carrie

October 31, 2009: Carrie
Happy Halloween everyone and today marks the end of 31 Days of Horror 2. I would like to thank everyone for making this very popular once again. But before we end it we still have one last movie to mention and that's Carrie.
This was Brian De Palma's breakout hit and of course it was based on the classic Stephen King novel of the same name.
The movie is based on High school girls played by Amy Irving (in her film debut), P.J. Soles and Nancy Allen plot to avenge themselves on ostracized fellow student and budding telekinetic Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) after they get in trouble for pelting her with tampons. When they get popular boy Tommy Ross (William Katz) to be her date for the prom, the stage is set for some cruelty and fiery retribution. De Palma uses split screens, slow motion, color filters and tracking shots to imbue the proceedings with a haunting, allegorical elegance. John Travolta has a memorable role as one of the girls' beer-guzzling boyfriends. There was a sequel in 1999 that was just awful and there was also a short-lived Broadway musical.
If you haven't seen Carrie, do yourself a favor and watch it.
Well that concludes my second year of 31 Days of Horror - so you now have 62 movies to watch if you combine my two lists together. That's a lot of movies and they all should be watched at least once.


Brian De Palma's commercial breakout, based on a novel by Stephen King, helped launch a whole slew of teen-based horror films, and Carrie the blood-spattered prom queen has taken her throne in the...

31 Days of Horror 2: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

October 30, 2009: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Don Siegel's cult classic, interpreted as an allegory of both McCarthyism and Communism, is undoubtedly one of the screen's most disturbing evocations of paranoia. The movie Kevin McCarthy as Dr. Miles Binnell, a physician whose arrival in the emergency room of a San Francisco hospital leads the staff to believe he's lost his mind. In a series of flashbacks, he unwinds a bizarre account of his last few days. After his return from a trip to rural Santa Mira, his nurse, Sally (Jean Willes), explains that his office has been flooded with patients who have made appointments yet never appeared. Former girlfriend Becky Driscoll (Dana Wynter) tells him that she's unable to rid herself of the belief that the man claiming to be her uncle is an impostor. Then a young boy refuses to return home, claiming that his mother is not his mother. Miles's concern over this pattern of incidents, temporarily allayed by some jargon from the town psychiatrist, is newly aroused when he gets a phone call from friend Jack Belicec (King Donovan), who begs him to come over and take a look at the strange mannequinlike figure that's suddenly appeared on his pool table. This exceptionally well written and directed fable, the ultimate comment on the subtly coercive conformity of the 1950s, may be Siegel's best film, and it is undoubtedly one of the most exciting science fiction films ever made.

31 Days of Horror 2: House on Haunted Hill (1959)

October 29, 2009: House on Haunted Hill (1959)

Vincent Price does it again in this amazing haunted house movie - House on Haunted Hill.

Vincent Price has one of his best roles as millionaire Frederick Loren, who invites five guests out to a genuine haunted house, offering them each $10,000 if they spend the night. Mr. Loren's wife (Carol Ohmart) comes along and wants to kill Frederick during the course of the evening. Severed heads, a skeleton, an acid vat, ghostly screams and a noose that creeps around on its own and strangles unsuspecting victims are just some of the treats in a film that has been spooking delighted audiences on late-night TV for decades.

By far one of the best haunted house movies ever made. Yeah, it might be a little corny and silly, but it's still great.

31 Days of Horror 2: Audition

October 28, 2009: Audition

One of the most disturbing movies of all time.

Audition is an art-house cult horror film that will be talked about for a long time to come. Ryo Ishibashi stars as Aoyama, a single father who has not dated since his wife died seven years earlier. To help find another woman to bring joy into Aoyama's life, his best friend, television producer Yoshikawa, convinces Aoyama that they should add a fake part to a show they are auditioning actresses for. After a series of comical auditions, in walks a woman whom Aoyama thinks is perfect--Asami, played by former model Eihi Shiina. But when Aoyama proves too tentative in his courting - and starts learning odd things about Asami's past - she decides to exact a revenge that filmgoers will never forget.

This film was directed by Takashi Miike's and is based on Ryu Murakami's novel. The movie starts off as a slow romance but is quickly changed up to a fast pacing horror movie. Violence that replaces love and the last section of the film is one of the most brutal torture scenes ever put together, and it is definitely not for squeamish.

31 Days of Horror 2: Storm of the Century

October 27, 2009: Storm of the Century

Not feeling the greatest so this one is going to be quick.

Stephen King's first original television miniseries ever, STORM OF THE CENTURY is the story of a small town's struggle against an invasive stranger who knows all of their secrets and threatens to harm them if they do not give him what he wants. Ultimately, they learn that he seeks to destroy the village if they do not sacrifice one of their children to learn his black trade.

This is actually one of the better mini-series that ever graced our TV sets.

31 Days of Horror 2: The Wolf Man (1941)

October 27, 2009: The Wolf Man (1941)

After returning home to his English village, Larry Talbot gets attacked by a werewolf in the forest. Although he kills the beast, Larry realizes he has received a bite during the struggle - a bite that passes along the monster's curse to him. Maleva, the gypsy mother of the dead wolfman, comes to Larry's aid and tells him that he too will now transform into a werewolf each time there's a full moon. While the story sounds ridiculous to Larry, he starts to believe it once more brutal killings occur in the village. Neither his father, Sir John Talbot, nor the woman Larry loves are willing to believe the truth... but soon they're forced to confront the nature of Larry's curse as well.

I think this is the last monster movie from Universal I'm going to mention but I wanted to get them all in there. These movies, like I said yesterday, are all classics and if you haven't seen them go out and get them.

They did remake this movie and it's coming out soon, but I don't think anything can ever surpass the original.

31 Days of Horror 2: IT

October 25, 2009: IT
The reason why I hate clowns.
A small town group of youngsters are terrorized by a malignant force that kills. Some thirty years later, they learn of another string of child murders back in their home town, and this time team... A small town group of youngsters are terrorized by a malignant force that kills. Some thirty years later, they learn of another string of child murders back in their home town, and this time they team up to fight back.
The first time I watched this movie, Pennywise really scared me. I always wondered why in the hell did it have to be a clown, why did they need to make clowns scarier?
I love how IT begins but when the movie gets towards it second half it really fails for me. So, what I'm recommending here is the first half of the movie and not the lackluster second half.
IT has become a movie that everyone talks about when the subject of clowns comes up. You would be surprised on the number of people who hate clowns after watching this movie and for good reason. Pennywise is most likely one of the scariest things in horror movies. He is evil, scary looking and a freaking clown which tops it all off.
If you haven't seen it, I suggest watching it. Yes, Pennywise will give you the creeps but this TV adaptation really didn't do the source material justice. Yet, if you haven't read Stephen King's novel then you might like it better.

31 Days of Horror 2: Creature from the Black Lagoon

October 24, 2009: Creature from the Black Lagoon

A research team digging in the Amazon comes across the fossilized hand of a human fish creature. That night, the creature emerges from the swamp to kill. So begins the classic science fiction and horror genres stories. Shot originally in 3-D, this has been a late-night TV hit for decades. The hand makes its way back to the oceanographic institute and soon conscientious scientist David Reed (Richard Carlson), greedy scientist Mark (Richard Cunha) and the beautiful girl they fight over, Kay (Julia Adams) are heading up the Amazon to find more fossils. Instead, of course, they run into the real thing, and terror begins. While Mark and David fight over what to do next, the creature falls in love with Kay, and makes plans of his own. Island diver Ricou Browning plays the creature in the spectacular underwater scenes, the highlight being a beautifully creepy scene of Kay going for a swim, while the smitten creature swims along below her, transfixed.

My biggest fear is that movies like this will not live on into newer generations, because kids now a days most likely don't even know this film exists and that's sad.

This movie I first watched when I was a kid and I was sucked right into it. I remember loving it and till this day still comes to my mind when people talk about horror movies. Yes, it might be dated but it's still great.

If you are a parent please show your kids this movie and don't let it die. Also, if you haven't seen this film don't hesitate go out and get it.

31 Days of Horror 2: Frankenstein

October 23, 2009: Frankenstein
Scientist Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) and his hunchbacked assistant, Fritz (Dwight Frye), embark on an unholy mission by stealing a body from a graveyard and a human brain from a medical college. Unbeknownst to Frankenstein, however, Fritz takes a violent and murderous abnormal brain. Henry's strange letters about his experiments worry his fiancée, Elizabeth (Mae Clark), and friends Victor (John Boles) and Dr. Waldman (Edward Van Sloan). They arrive at Frankenstein's laboratory to find the spectacular scene of creation under way--and Frankenstein intoxicated with his own godlike power.
This will forever be the defying Frankenstein movie. From the look, the atmosphere and the direction this is a classic that will forever be remembered.

31 Days of Horror 2: Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

October 22, 2009: Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

This movie is awesome, well awesome isn't even the word it's more than that. You will laugh, scream and jump and you'll have a blast with it all the way to the end.

The film adds elements of The Blair Witch Project (1999) and Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer (1986), and centers on a grad student named Taylor (Angela Goethals). Taylor is making a documentary about Leslie Vernon (Nathan Baesal), a killer-in-the-making who has a dark legend surrounding him in his small Maryland hometown. Leslie's plan incorporates all the necessary factors to put him in the same situations that allowed his heroes Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Michael Myers to continue killing through sequel after sequel, right down to singling out the virginal heroine who will be the one to stop him after he knocks off her promiscuous friends. Unfortunately, Taylor has a larger role in Leslie's plans than she knows, but when she finally realizes that she can't just sit back and film his killing spree, it may be too late to stop him.

This is simply one of my favorite movies of all time and still a lot of people have not heard of it. It's funny, gory and one hell of a ride through out. It makes fun of all the slasher cliches and then uses them to scare us. It's just great, this movie in my mind is a 10 out of 10.

Scott Glosserman was the director of this film and he does a tremendous job. Scott if by any rare chance you are reading this, you need to make more movies! You know exactly how to make a good slasher and make fun of it at the same time and I really would love to see a sequel to this one (put me in it, that would be awesome).

If you have not seen this movie, forget about every film I mentioned on this list and just go get this one. Don't rent it, buy it!

Oh and one more thing, why isn't Nathan Baesel in more movies? This guy is hilarious.

31 Days of Horror 2: The Silence of the Lambs

October 21, 2009: The Silence of the Lambs

To enter the mind of a killer she must challenge the mind of a madman in The Silence of the Lambs.

Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins will likely be forever associated with their roles in this bone-chilling masterpiece, based on the novel by Thomas Harris and directed by Jonathan Demme. FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Foster) is sent by her supervisor (Scott Glenn) to interview ferociously intelligent serial killer Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lechter (Hopkins) at his cell in a Maryland mental hospital. The FBI hopes Lechter can provide insight into the mind of killer-at-large, Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine), whose current abductee happens to be the daughter of a senator. Intrigued by Clairice, Lechter demands information about her personal life and in exchange for clues, and the two begin to form a strangely intimate connection, with a girl's life hanging in the balance. Starling is gradually revealed as a woman struggling out of her own darkness, bound to aid the dysfunctional males around her on their own paths of transformation, liberation, and destruction.

This movie a two hour thrill ride that will have you hooked from start to finish. Anthony Hopkins delivers his Oscar winning performance and he'll give you the chills.

If you haven't seen The Silence of the Lambs then you are really missing out so you need to get to the store or onto Netflix and get a copy.

31 Days of Horror 2: The Last House on the Left

October 20, 2009: The Last House on the Left

You want to watch a shocking movie? Then this is your movie. Not only is it shocking it brings a whole new meaning to horror.

Inspired by Ingmar Bergman's The Virgin Spring (1960), The Last House On The Left is a parent's worst nightmare come to terrifying life. Beautiful 17-year-olds Mari (Sandra Cassel) and Phyllis (Lucy Grantham) head into the city for a rock concert, but once there, they're kidnapped by three sadistic escaped convicts led by Krug Stillo (David Hess). After the gang drives the girls into the woods, where they rape and murder them, the disheveled crew ends up at the home of none other than Mari's parents, John (Gaylord St. James) and Estelle (Cynthia Carr).

This movie is shocking and hard to watch. Yes, there is gore but that's not the scene that will get to you. The scene in the woods with the two girls is the most horrible, shocking and brutal scenes in movies. This scene will make you feel sick and it's extremely hard to watch.

The reason I recommend the movie is because today it is a classic in the genre and it really stands alone.

They just remade this film and I was very impressed by it. I actually liked some aspects in the remake more then the original. So yes I am recommending you watch a remake.

31 Days of Horror 2: The Fly (1986)

October 19, 2009: The Fly (1986)

You think Jeff Goldblum is strange? Well he's really strange when he takes on the role of "The Fly".

David Cronenberg's remake of the 1958 classic becomes a moving portrait of a man and his lover attempting to come to terms with his physical disintegration. "The Fly" stars Jeff Goldblum as a spaced-out scientist who invents a genetic teleportation machine and accidentally transforms himself into a fly. In the horrifyingly graphic detail that is his trademark, Cronenberg depicts the scientist's painful mutation from human into insect. What gives the film its tragic dimension is the emotional depth of the relationship between the scientist and his journalist girlfriend (Geena Davis) as she witnesses his slow, painful metamorphosis.

Everyone must of seen this movie already, because it's just a genuinely creepy movie and it's awesome. This film sees the original and raises it one hell of a remake and it does it with such style and love.

31 Days of Horror 2: Dracula (1931)

October 18, 2009: Dracula (1931)

There have been numerous Dracula adaptations over the years, but the 1931 version is the one to beat.

A classic version of Bram Stoker's famous tale starring Bela Lugosi in the performance that made his name synonymous with Dracula. Displaying his trademark flair for the grotesque, horror-meister Tod Browning chronicles the blood-sucking count's sinister misadventures. While haunting London in pursuit of the white-necked maiden Mina, Dracula manages to sink his fangs into plenty of other victims -- until Dr. Van Helsing puts a stop to the blood-shed by driving a stake through the vampire's heart.

Bela Lugosi will always be the Dracula I think of and really its the Dracula everyone has come to know. His performance gave us the outline on how Dracula should sound and look like for years to come and till this day we still look at his interpretation as THE interpretation.

The movie follows Bram Stoker's novel and it does it well. This movie is one of the monster films from Universal and it is now a classic.

This film did everything right and it might seem a bit off by today's standards but it still does it's job effectively.

31 Days of Horror 2: House of Wax (1953)

October 17, 2009: House of Wax (1953)

As we get closer to Halloween its time to really get into the best of the best when it comes to classic horror movies, starting with House of Wax.

André de Toth's remake of MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM is one of the first and best 3-D (stereoscopic) feature films, an alternative technology (like Cinemascope, Cinerama) used by 1950s directors attempting to compete with the new threat of television. Professor Jarrod (Vincent Price) is a devoted wax figure sculptor for his museum in 1910s NYC. When his financial partner, Sidney Wallace (Paul Cavanagh), demands more sensational exhibits to increase profits, Jarrod refuses. The vengeful Wallace torches the museum, leaving Jarrod for dead. Miraculously, Jarrod survives (though his hands and legs are rendered useless) and builds a new House of Wax with help from threatening deaf-mute sculptor, Igor (Charles Bronson). The museum's popular "Chamber of Horrors" showcases recent crimes like the murder of Wallace, a victim of a cloaked, disfigured killer along with his fiancée, Cathy (Carolyn Jones). When Cathy's friend, Sue (Phyllis Kirk), visits the museum she makes a discovery that leads to the horrifying truth behind the House of Wax.

They remade this movie and it was awful, I mean they put Paris Hilton in it and they just spell disaster. Plus the remake lost everything that made the original genuinely creepy.

I first saw this movie as a kid and after I watched it I was creeped out for a week. It was so effective in really scaring me that I always remember sitting down for the first time and watching it. The effect of the film has changed over the years, but it still holds that creep factor that will make anyone feel uneasy after they watched it.

Vincent Price is the best, he truly is a legend and he is this movie. Price gives a stellar performance and I really do miss his on screen talent. We have no one like him anymore.

This movie is by far a classic and it should be on everyones must see list.

31 Days of Horror 2: An American Werewolf in London

October 16, 2009: An American Werewolf in London

American Werewolf is dark, funny and suspenseful and even after all these years it's still entertaining, actually it has become more entertaining with age.

In this black comedy, David Kessler and Jack Goodman (David Naughton and Griffin Dunne, respectively) are two American students on a backpacking tour of Europe. Wandering the backroads of gloomy East Proctor, England, they find a pub where the unhelpful locals act suspiciously strange. The unsuspecting boys flee the pub in search of lodging after being warned to avoid the moors. Lost in the dark countryside, the pair is attacked by a werewolf. Only David survives, waking up three weeks later in a London hospital. As David begins to regain his memory he is tormented by nightmares and is visited by his dead friend Jack, who warns David that he will turn into a werewolf with the next full moon--and that the only way to lift the curse is to kill himself.

Some people hated the fact that movie did lack a successful ending, but in my opinion it didn't. You get what you expect and that's not a bad thing.

The movie has a lot of laughs and also a lot of creepy moments. It successfully blends horror and humor which is accomplished a lot less than you might suspect, but this movie really pulls it off.

If you haven't seen this one, put this on top of your list of movies to see.

Also, this film has the best werewolf transformation.

31 Days of Horror 2: My Bloody Valentine

October 15, 2009: My Bloody Valentine

You want a graphic horror movie? Look no further because the original My Bloody Valentine had something the remake didn't, a sick and twisted tone that truly made it different from previous slashers.

Twenty years ago in the sleepy mining town of Valentine Bluffs, a fatal mining disaster occurred on Valentine's Day while key members of the crew were decorating for a party. The sole survivor of the accident killed the absentee crew members and warned the town never to have another Valentine's Day celebration. When a group of teenagers decides that the the town has gone without a party long enough and begin planning one, a murderous maniac in mining gear begins dispatching townsfolk in bloody and creative ways.

Yeah, the film takes from both Halloween and Friday the 13th and this is obvious but it doesn't make it any less fun to watch.

If you are into 80's horror movie then you really should check this one out. The remake was not bad either, it was actually a better horror remake then most and that one should checked out too.

31 Days of Horror 2: Hellraiser

October 14, 2009: Hellraiser

Demon to some. Angel to others. It's time for Hellraiser.
Clive Barker’s directing debut follows the tale of a couple (Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins) who move into an old house and discovers a hideous creature (Oliver Smith) -- the man's half-brother (and his wife's former lover) -- hiding upstairs. Having lost his earthly body to three demons, the man's been brought back to life by a drop of blood on the floor. Soon, he's forcing his former mistress to bring him human sacrifices to complete his body.

Hellraiser introduced pinhead to the world and he’s truly a creepy horror icon. He’s scary because he can basically do anything, and if you find yourself going up against him you’re done.

The movie was released in 1987 and so it was another great horror film that was given to us during the genre’s heyday.

The movie is gory, I warn you now, and this isn’t for everybody. Yet, if you want a truly great horror experience this is a film you should watch.

31 Days of Horror 2: The Hitcher (1986)

October 13, 2009: The Hitcher
Whatever you do, don't stop for the Hitcher!
The movie is about a Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell) who is transporting a car to another state is stalked along the road by a cunning and relentless serial killer, John Ryder (Rutger Hauer), who frames the driver for a string of murders. He is soon being Chased by the police and shadowed by the killer, the driver's only help comes from a truck stop waitress.
The movie plays out more like a thriller rather than a horror, but still offers horror elements to keep the fans interested.
The film is good, if you know what you are getting into before you watch it. If you think this is going to be the greatest movie of all time then you're going to be disappointed, but if you go into knowing its an '80s thriller/horror you'll love it.
I thought the story was very interesting and it kept my attention all the way through. John Ryder, in my opinion, is up there with the '80's classic slashers, he's scary and his presence on screen makes him very intimidating.
The movie is not for everybody and it might not scare you as much as other films on this list will but it is worth seeing in the month of October.
Do not get in confused with the 2007 remake if you go out and get this movie make sure it's the 1986 version (the original).

31 Days of Horror 2: Gremlins

October 12, 2009: Gremlins
Cute. Clever. Mischievous. Intelligent. Dangerous. Oh yeah it’s time to break the three rules and take a look at gremlins.
When a man brings home an adorable creature from Chinatown as a Christmas present for his son Billy, the shopkeeper's sage advice, no eating after midnight, don’t get him wet and keep him out of the sunlight – are broken and they suffer the consequences when green monstrous creatures spawn from their cute pet.
Gremlins is just a fun movie that everyone can enjoy. It’s not overly scary and it’s not gory. It’s a movie that fun and will also make you jump out of your seat from time to time.
This is a great movie to get the kids for Halloween, they will love it.

31 Days of Horror 2: Mothman Prophecies

October 11, 2009: Mothman Prophecies
Today we head over to Point Pleasant, West Virginia to find the Mothman in The Mothman Prophecies.
John Klein, a Washington Post journalist, has just lost his wife in a fatal car accident. John soon finds some sketches his wife made after the accident. They all show a winged creature. Two years later, John all of a sudden finds himself one night in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. He has no idea how he has journeyed the 400 miles in less than two hours. In the small town, local cop Connie struggles with many sightings of a moth like creature taller than a man being reported, while John believes that an explanation for his wife's death can be found. The deeper John digs, the clearer the mothman's purpose arises - only to leave his life in immediate danger.
I love this movie because the stories of Mothman have always intrigued me. I know this movie is more of a thriller, but it really does creep you out.
The movie has no gore and it relies on strange events to blow your mind and also to scare you.

31 Days of Horror 2: Pet Sematary

October 10, 2009: Pet Sematary

Sometimes dead is better and we learn that the hard way in Stephen King’s Sematary.

The film is about the Creed family, who’ve just moved into a small community. Not long after their move, their son is killed. The father becomes stricken with grief and finds a cemetery behind their house, where you can bury your loved ones and they will come back to life.

He takes his son’s body to the cemetery and, of course, he’s brought back to life. The father is thrilled to have his son back, only until he kills someone. The father is shocked about his son’s behavior and learns that “Not Everything that comes back is the same”. Now it’s up to the father to stop his son before he wipes out the small community.

When talking about Pet Sematary people usually fall into two groups – love or hate. In my case I would say I fall more into the loved category, because it has everything a good horror movie has.

The movie has true scares, gore and explores mortality and the even more complicated grieving process.

The film might seem silly to some but in my opinion it truly is an effective adaptation of Stephen King novel and should be mandatory viewing for any horror fan.

31 Days of Horror 2: Session 9

October 9, 2009: Session 9
Today we head on over to an insane asylum that has some restless spirits in Brad Anderson’s Session 9.
The film is about an asbestos abatement crew who wins a bid to clean out an old abandoned insane asylum. The job becomes rushed, when the crew learns if they get the job done quickly they will receive a large bonus.
Things start to get creepy when a would be lawyer, Mike, finds mysterious tapes in the basement of the hospital and starts to play them. On the tapes is a woman with multiple personalities, including a mysterious personality Simon who doesn’t show up until the tape titled Session 9.
The movie is really creepy and will leave you with a strange feeling long after it’s over. The filmmakers effectively replace gore with a scary atmosphere, that draws you in and doesn’t let you go until the disturbing ending.
One thing I want to say is that Session 9 is more effective than other horror movies because it doesn’t show you everything, it really doesn’t show you anything. You are given sounds and you hear terrible things happening, but without being shown your mind creates more fear than the filmmaker ever could.
Yet, I warn you that not everyone is going to be impressed with the story. The story is rather simple but everything else is effective so you can kind of forgive them for lacking in that department.
If you haven’t seen this movie, I strongly suggest it.

31 Days of Horror 2: The Frighteners

October 8, 2009: The Frighteners
Before Peter Jackson was conquering Middle-Earth, he was making some horror movies and one of those horror movies is one of my favorites.
The Frighteners is a movie that blends horror and humor together in a very successful way. It centers around a psychic detective Frank Bannister (Michael J. Fox), who uses his psychic ability to communicate with the dead to keep the funds rolling in for his business.
Things go terribly wrong when an evil spirit is unleashed and members of the community start to get killed off. Frank then joins forces with one of the victim’s wife (Trini Alvarado) and together they start to uncover the dark mystery surrounding the supernatural killings.
This is a fun, scary, and just awesome movie. Its light on the gore and it’s really a horror movie that anyone can enjoy. The story towards the end does get darker so I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone under thirteen.
I really enjoyed Jackson’s horror films and he really is getting away from it now. Yeah, the Lord of the Rings trilogy was great, but he was really talented when he blended humor and horror and I would love to see him do it again.
If you haven’t seen The Frighteners I strongly recommend it. I think it’s one of Michael J. Fox’s better performances. Yes, the special effects might not be that great, but who cares? The story and performances will keep you entertained until the end.

31 Days of Horror 2: The Ring

October 7, 200: The Ring
Today we look at Gore Verbinski’s remake of Hideo Nakata’s truly chilling film – The Ring.
The movie is about a videotape that shows some disturbing images. If you watch this tape, you’ll then receive a phone call and then die in seven days. This catches the attention of newspaper reporter Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) after four teens die mysteriously in one week, all of them having watched the tape.
Rachel is able to track down the tape and she of course, being the skeptic she is, she watches it and now she only has seven days to try to solve the mystery before she meets her end.
The Ring is a very well done movie. It doesn’t depend on gore to scare you it rather takes the route of creepy visuals that will really freak you out.
This movie is all about its visuals. Verbinski does a great job in scaring the audience by creating a truly unique and creepy atmosphere.
This is a great movie for people that are not into the gory horror movies but still love to get a good scare.

31 Days of Horror 2: Sleepaway Camp

October 6, 2009: Sleepaway Camp
We head to camp today to remember a classic slasher from the ‘80’s – Sleepaway Camp.
The movie is set at Camp Arawak, a place that lets teenagers explore nature and other things. Yet, these campers start to die off one by one in what is considered horrible accidents. They soon discover that someone is turning their summer into a real hell.
Has something from the camp’s past returned? You’re going to have to watch the movie to find out.
Sleepway Camp is a rip-off of Friday the 13th, there I said it but we all know it. That doesn’t make it any less of a movie; in fact it’s one of the better slashers from the ‘80’s.
The film has very high level of camp, which I love in these types of movies, and it also has one of the creepiest endings in this sub-genre of horror.
If you’re looking for a movie with gore, humor and one killer twist than look no further. Sleepaway Camp is a classic and it might be a rip-off of Friday the 13th but who hasn’t borrowed?

31 Days of Horror 2: American Psycho

October 5, 2009: American Psycho
Before Christian Bale was Batman he was something much darker – an American Psycho.
Bale plays Patrick Bateman, a broker in the 1980’s junk-bond boom, who seems to be the perfect yuppie, which also makes him the perfect serial killer. That’s the running joke throughout the movie.
Bateman takes pride in everything, from his Huey Lewis CD collection to his business cards to plotting his next victim’s death. Batman is a sick, twisted and really a loser who you follow through his very grim and disturbing life.
This film will make you laugh uncomfortably and when you walk away from it you’re going to feel dirty. There are some really gory scenes and also very disturbing scenes that will turn some people off and some people might not be able to watch The Dark Knight the same way again.
But when watching the film you need to remember, besides having horror elements it’s really a satire on the dark side of yuppie culture. My favorite part of this is Bateman’s demented lecture on Huey Lewis, if you’ve seen it you know what I mean.
American Psycho is not scary; it’s disturbing. This film will definitely make you cringe but it will also make you laugh at the most awkward moments.

31 Days of Horror 2: Prom Night

October 4, 2009: Prom Night
NO! I’m not talking about the 2008 remake that was so bad that it should just be forgotten about. I’m talking about the 1980 classic with Scream Queen herself – Jamie Lee Curtis.
The movie is about Kim Hammond (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her group of friends, who have been keeping a very dark secret. Six years before their prom, the kids antagonized another child, which resulted into her untimely death.
Now with their prom approaching Kim and her friends have been getting threatening phone calls from someone who witnessed the incident years ago. The killer then strikes on Prom Night and no one is safe.
Now Prom Night is not a great movie, but it’s still a classic in my eyes. Yes, it’s not as exciting or fun as other Slasher films and some might even find it boring, but the movie should still be viewed. If you just want to watch a horror movie that is light on the scares, has some gory scenes but all and all you can have fun with and laugh at then look no further.
I will not recommend the remake though; I mean what was Hollywood thinking when they decided to make that? They should have at least given Jamie Lee Curtis a cameo.

31 Days of Horror 2: The Hills Have Eyes (1977)

October 3, 2009: The Hills Have Eyes (1977)

Moving away from modern times, we head all the way back to 1977. This was the year people were introduced to a cannibalistic family living in the desert in - The Hills Have Eyes.

The movie is about a family heading out to California that meets their fate when they decide to take a detour off the main road, in hopes to find the silver mine that Big Bob Carter (Russ Grieve) and Brenda Carter (Susan Lanier) received as an anniversary present.

Soon after they leave the main road their camper breaks down and the family is now not only stranded but is also being stalked by a group of people that have a taste for human flesh.

This film was directed by Wes Craven (A Nightmare on Elm Street) and it is genuinely creepy but also extremely disturbing and twisted. The movie isn’t for everybody, I really want to stress that, but if you’re a horror movie fanatic this is definitely one you need to watch.

This was Craven’s second film after his really disturbing debut, The Last House on the Left, and it doesn’t disappoint. This movie sends people on a very intense journey that is not really for the faint of heart and really shows people what a horror movie can be.

The movie was remade in 2006 and it’s not a bad remake but a very rough one. The remake is good and it has all the elements of the original and amplifies them to extreme brutality. If you want to watch the remake I suggest you watch the original first, see if you can handle it, if you can watch the remake.

31 Days of Horror 2: Cabin Fever

October 2, 2009: Cabin Fever
Here is Cabin Fever, the movie that got Eli Roth (Director of Hostel) started in his horror film career and it’s also the only movie that I’ve liked out of his so far.
The movie is about five college friends, Jeff (Joey Kern), Karen (Jordan Ladd), Paul (Rider Strong), Marcy (Cerina Vincent) and Bert (James DeBello), heading off for a weekend of partying at a cabin in the woods. Things start to go wrong when a blood-soaked hermit finds his way to their campfire one night, who is clearly infected with some sort of flesh-eating virus. This virus soon spreads to the five friends, causing them to slowly be eaten away and hostility to grow between them.
If you thought that was bad, once the locals learn about the infected college kids they pose another danger to the group.
Yes, I liked Cabin Fever and I liked it because it plays homage to the classic ’70’s and ‘80’s horror movies. It does this by playing on the genre’s conventions; it doesn’t reinvent any of these, which isn’t a bad thing and is what caused me to like it.
The movie is light on the scares but heavy on the gore, which I usually hate but it works well for the specific subject matter this movie is exploring (flesh eating virus).
Cabin Fever becomes more of a black comedy in the end with a showcase of gory scenes, which made some people not like it. Yet, in my opinion the mixture of gore and laughs really makes for a decent horror film that succeeds on taking from the old and making it new again.
This movie is much better, in my opinion, than Roth’s Hostel and Hostel part II (I just don’t get into the torture horror films). I wish he would make another movie similar to this one, it could be great.
If you haven’t seen Cabin Fever I will warn you now that it does have some parts they might make you cringe. There is a specific scene in a bathroom, which I thought was the movie’s best and most disturbing scene and I guarantee it will creep you out.
Everyone who is a fan of horror movies or just wants to watch a scary movie should give this one a try.

31 Days of Horror 2: The Descent

October 1, 2009: The Descent
It’s really rare to find a decent horror movie nowadays but back in 2005 ‘The Descent’ hit theaters and it was a genuine creepy movie.
The movie centers on Sarah (Shauna Macdonald) who suffers a tragic accident in which she looses her husband and daughter. A year after the accident her five friends put together a pleasure caving trip, led by the thrill seeking Juno (Natalie Mendoza). Juno leads them into an unknown cave where they become trapped underneath the earth. With their oxygen becoming limited they start to panic and to make matters worse they’re being stalked by creatures that dwell deep inside the cave, and these creatures are out for human flesh.
The Descent accomplishes a lot, the feeling of claustrophobia you get when watching these characters slide through small cracks of rock miles underneath the ground will make you feel very uncomfortable.
Another great thing about the movie is how it has a story that mingles with morality, vengeances and the dark depths we will go for our own survival.
The only complaint I have about the film is the over use of the creatures towards the end. They do provide the movie with some really gory and creepy moments, but if we saw less of them, leaving more to our imagination, that would have been creepier.
All and all the movie has a plausible plot which really drives it forward. It’s a sadistic film that will satisfy any horror fan and if your not a horror fan but want a good scare I would definitely recommend picking this one up.