Don’t Lose Any Sleep Over Missing “Psycho Sleepover”

Slasher StudiosPsycho Sleepover

Like all good Troma films, “Psycho Sleeover” begins with a horny guy, an unwilling girl, and attempted sex. Of course he doesn’t get any and she is forced to sulk about her new boyfriend’s assholeness. She doesn’t have much time to sulk because before she knows it she is attacked by a killer clown with a knife. No points for who the killer clown turns out to be. Nonetheless, she kills the clown with a shot to his junk and is finally free…well, at least free from the opening five minutes.

Of course, she just knows her year just can’t get any worse. I mean high school student Debbie Dicky (Rachel Castillo) is having a really bad year. Not only did she discover her father AND her boyfriend (Paul Rust) are both deranged serial killers, but her out-of-touch mom (Lenore Cutler) decided to uproot them and move to Murderton [hahahahaha–the movie thinks this is funnier than I did], California. With a background like that, Debbie’s having some trouble making friends. All that changes, however, when the most popular girls in school (Emilia Richeson, Ariel Teals Toombs, Frankie Frain) unexpectedly invite her to a wild and crazy sleepover party. Thanks to a group of horny boys, escaped mental patients, and plenty of sex and drugs, this is one sleepover that Debbie will not forget… unless she gets amnesia or something.

Believe it or not, the first thirty minutes of “Psycho Sleepover” are pretty flawless. The movie is actually genuinely funny and the gore is fairly impressive. This film’s problem? Way too many frickin’ characters. What sleepover has a dozen girls, a dozen guys, and two dozen crazies outside looking to kill them? It just becomes redundant to the point where you don’t care who lives or who dies. It’s a shame too because Castillo is gives a promising performance as our final girl and there are some serious laughs in the first act (the stuff between Debbie and her boyfriend is priceless). Nonetheless, don’t be surprised when you get up to do other things half way through your rental. This movie should have been a short.

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Slasher Studios: Horror Movies of 2012

Slasher Studios*Slasher Studios Podcast

On this week’s episode of Slasher Studios, Kevin Sommerfield and Steve Goltz will be discussing the horror movies of 2012. Movies that are coming out this year that they are excited for, ready for, or just out-and-out dreading. Click on the link below and listen to the show live tonight at 10PM or listen to an archive using the same link after the show has aired.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/slasherstudios/2012/01/16/slasher-studios-horror-movies-of-2012

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Slasher Studios: Best Horror Movie Posters

Slasher Studios*Top Ten

We here at Slasher Studios get as excited for a new movie poster as we do for the film itself. A poster can have a huge impact on the film as audiences-to-be make first impression decisions when they see the artwork. Below is a list, in no particular order, of some of our favorites throughout the years.

Halloween
The way the hand and knife was incorporated into the pumpkin was pure genius. It’s simple, yet complex, as the two graphics flow together into one iconic image. Dozens of horror movies have tried to imitate this poster and all of them have failed to one degree or anything.

Scream
One of our all-time favorites right here. Another brilliant, clean and simple execution to this poster. Upcoming audiences are shown a close up of Drew Barrymore. This plays with their minds by planting a thought that she may one of the characters to last. The blue eyes stand out within the black and white photo and the fact she is taking more of a gasp than a scream, creates a nice contradiction.

The Blair Witch Project
This is a very unique poster. It doesn’t have a whole lot going on, yet our eyes are pulled to all over the work. The black trees with the white sky draws us to the top. The red log brings us to the center and then of course, the well know close up, brings us to the lower half before we make our way down to the credits. This is one of those posters that is greatly recognizable and indeed had an impact on the film.

Friday The 13th
A true classic horror poster! This was the little movie-that-could and of course was in the need for a great poster. The silhouette of the killer was an amazing idea. It doesn’t give away who the killer is and it definitely helps in keeping the audience guessing throughout the film. The landscape artwork within the silhouette helps get two things done at once. We get the killer on the poster in great fashion as well as the the rest of the cast and the world they live in. Having the bloody knife drip over the blood cover 13 is a great aspect to this piece.

The Devil’s Rejects
The main difference about this one is the fact that we are given a horazontal poster to help please the eyes. There is a reason that films are in widescreen (we see more picture and it is closer to how humans see the world) and the poster below mimics the format. Beyond that, we again have a fairly simple set up. Blood covered hands being dragged on a road gives us a sense of what we are in for. Even the little detail to the skin on the fingers is A+++.

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Why “Friday the 13th” Truly Matters to Film

Slasher Studios*Horror

Happy Friday the 13th everyone! Today at Slasher Studios we decided to present you with a piece not only defending the Friday the 13th but telling you while they are important in the history of film. So sit back, relax, and enjoy. Just don’t let Jason get you.

Looking at Friday the 13th, it’s easy to see why the film was so controversial. Many feminist groups were so angered by these types of movies in the 1980’s. After all, aren’t these films merely an excuse to show a topless girl running through the woods waiting to get impaled on a killer’s “long blade”? The references to death and sex aren’t exactly subtle. As Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film states, many feminists were downright disgusted by Friday the 13th finding it repulsive and borderline offensive that every female in the film, with the exception of the “final girl” (which I will go into detail on later), is killed because of her sexual experience and independence. What kind of message does this send to the female youth of America? Stay subservient to your male partner and everything will end up being okay for you?

Does Friday the 13th add to the “media’s representation of women as passive, dependent on men, or objects of desire” as many feminist film critics have stated? Well, that is left up to debate. For example, a select group of feminists actually applauded this film and other slasher films like it. In fact, while most feminists theorists label the horror film as a “male-driven/male-centered genre”, feminist critics like Carol Clover pointed out that in most horror films, especially in horror films like the Friday the 13th series, the audience, male and female, is structurally ‘forced’ to identify with the “innovative and resourceful young female” (“the final girl” as described earlier) who survives the killer’s attack and usually ends the threat. She argues that “while the killer’s subjective point of view may be male within the narrative, even the male viewer is still rooting for the “final girl” to overcome the killer.”

Nonetheless, many key film critics disagreed with the argument that horror films like Friday the 13th are “pro-feminist.” In 1981, Roger Ebert, film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, launched a “famous diatribe against the subjective point-of-view killing mechanism” of the slasher film which, as he argued, “placed viewers in the position of ‘seeing as’ and, therefore, ‘identifying with’ the maniacal killers.” Nevertheless, many filmmakers and other critics disagreed with the “simplistic association of subjective point of view shooting with audience identification by believing in point-of-view cutting as a stronger way of achieving audience identification with a character.” If anything, it could be argued that this point-of-view shooting makes horror films forces the audience to identify with the female protagonist that much more. Or, as feminist critic Clover calls it, “masochistic rather than sadistic.”

Looking at Friday the 13th, it is not hard not to see why the criticisms were made. The film is poorly acted, poorly directed on a minimal budget with a core story that, at best, rips off the Halloween franchise frame by frame. However, this would be avoiding the very essence of why these horror films are so popular. People don’t go to Friday the 13th expecting a great, cinematic movie going experience; they are going to Friday the 13th to have fun. It can be argued that films like Friday the 13th are escapist entertainment at their very best. There is nothing fundamentally great about these films but that’s really the point. They are fun, they are scary (if, by today’s standards, cheesy and tame), and they are very entertaining.

The feminist critics that attack these films don’t seem to see the power these films contain. Here, in Friday the 13th, is a young woman who must put all the pieces of the mystery everything together and save her friends in order to survive the night. And survive she does, something that not a single other male does in the course of the film. In fact, looking at the series as a whole, it takes the franchise until Part 4 before it even allows a male to survive in the end. It should come as no surprise that this male is survived with a female who, once again, was forced to save the day on her own. Whereas in other film genres, such as romantic comedies and dramas, where females are pushed aside to “girlfriend support” roles, Friday the 13th tries to do something different with gender roles by making the males the “supportive partner” and forcing the young female teenager to go take charge and same the day. In essence, the female in this film, as in many other horror films, is the hero.

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80’s Slasher Throwback: “Humongous”

Slasher Studios*80's Slasher Throwback

Like all great horror movies, today’s overlooked 80’s slasher “Humongous” begins on a holiday. It is Labor Day weekend, 1946. Young, virginal Ida Parsons innocuously plays with her German Shepherds as her father hosts a raucous party inside their small island cabin. Amid the festivities, an older, drunken man named Tom Rice staggers outside and propositions Ida. When she refuses, he chases her into the woods and brutally rapes her; her dogs, hearing her muffled cries for help, break out of their pen and track her down in the woods, where they attack and fatally maul Ida’s rapist. As Tom lies dying, Ida beats him to death with a log.

The movie then picks up in present day (well…1982). Preppy brothers Eric and Nick are borrowing their father’s yacht to take their girlfriends, Sandy and Donna, on a weekend outing along with their sister, Carla. At the outset of the trip, Nick demonstrates his intent to be the “alpha male” of the trip, insisting that he be the one to pilot the yacht and at one point pulling a gun on Eric to demonstrate his authority. As the tensions rise between Nick and Eric, Donna and Carla engage in girl-talk, and geeky Carla silently laments that she is the sole member of the cruise who came along without a significant other.

That night, fog settles in; Eric and Nick, hearing cries out on the water, discover and rescue a shipwrecked fisherman named Bert. Bert informs them that he wrecked offshore Dog Island, the home of lumber baroness Ida Parsons, who has used her family fortune to hole herself up on the island for the past thirty-five years; now she only makes two annual voyages onto the mainland for necessary supplies, and has never spoken to anyone during these trips. Recovering from the onset of hypothermia, Bert tells the quintet a campfire story about the savagery of the wild dogs which roam Ida’s island, acting as her sentries. The story, coupled with the cries of wild animals coming from the nearby island, startle Nick enough that he runs on top of the yacht and tries to speed back to the mainland; instead, he wrecks it, damaging the fuel line and causing it to explode. Little do they know that once they get to the island, their problems have only begun.

“Humongous” is a fun, homage filled 80’s slasher that rips off a dozen other, better slasher films but still manages to be a lot of fun. Remember the scene at the end of “Friday the 13th Part 2” where Amy Steel pretends to be Jason’s mother? This film sure does as the exact scene is repeated here to lesser effect. That being said, the kills are fun and characters are a tad bit better developed than most of the other 80’s slashers out there. David Wallace is particular is quite strong as our lead twin Eric. Most of the time in 80’s slasher, guys are given nothing to do but not so here. He almost becomes the film girl by being smart, likable, and even given a chance to emote. Lead Janet Julian possesses similar qualities and has a lot of fun with her “last girl standing” appearance. This is a must watch for fans of the early 80’s slasher genre. I can’t say that everyone is going to enjoy the film as much as I did as the film is quite slow and repetitive at times. Nonetheless, it is one of the better examples from the under-appreciated genre.

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Top 5 Favorite Slashers of All Time

Slasher Studios*Top Ten

5) Friday the 13th (1980)

Looking at Friday the 13th, it’s easy to see why the film was so controversial. Many feminist groups were so angered by these types of movies in the 1980’s. After all, aren’t these films merely an excuse to show a topless girl running through the woods waiting to get impaled on a killer’s “long blade”? The references to death and sex aren’t exactly subtle. As Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film states, many feminists were downright disgusted by Friday the 13th finding it repulsive and borderline offensive that every female in the film, with the exception of the “final girl” (which I will go into detail on later), is killed because of her sexual experience and independence. What kind of message does this send to the female youth of America? Stay subservient to your male partner and everything will end up being okay for you?

The feminist critics that attack these films don’t seem to see the power these films contain. Here, in Friday the 13th, is a young woman who must put all the pieces of the mystery everything together and save her friends in order to survive the night. And survive she does, something that not a single other male does in the course of the film. In fact, looking at the series as a whole, it takes the franchise until Part 4 before it even allows a male to survive in the end. It should come as no surprise that this male is survived with a female who, once again, was forced to save the day on her own. Whereas in other film genres, such as romantic comedies and dramas, where females are pushed aside to “girlfriend support” roles, Friday the 13th tries to do something different with gender roles by making the males the “supportive partner” and forcing the young female teenager to go take charge and same the day. In essence, the female in this film, as in many other horror films, is the hero.

4) Scream (1996)

Growing up in a small town with not a lot of friends, you have to do what you can to make the time pass. For me, my friend past-time was horror movies. I devoured them as a kid. I remember going to the local video store with my mom and running to the horror aisle to see what new releases might be in stock. But even more than the new releases, it was the 80′s style horror movies that really caught my eye. The box art was normally quite grotesque with a naked girl here and a body part here. I always thought to myself, “This is awesome!” Hell, the Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors back box art (Kristen in the “Freddy snake”) scared me so much that it would take me years to watch it. Of course, I would always check out the back cover art just to freak myself out.

My view of horror as an art form all changed on one cold winter day in 1996. December 20th, 1996 to be exact (and no, dear viewers, I didn’t need to look that date up). A little movie called “Scream” opened and terrified moviegoers everywhere. It was the first film of its kind. A horror movie in which the characters in the movie had seen other horror movies. It could have been confusing and overly meta but it was all part of the fun.

“Scream” made horror movies scary again with a brilliantly constructed plot. One year after the death of Sidney Prescott’s (Campbell) mother, two students turn up gutted. When a serial killer appears, Sidney begins to suspect whether her mother’s death and the two new deaths are related. No one is safe, as the killer begins to pick everyone off one by one. Finally, something the horror genre was missing: a good old fashioned murder mystery. The performances all around are first rate from Neve Campbell as the vulnerable to Courteney Cox as the bitchy journalist willing to do whatever it takes to get a story Gale Weathers to David Arquette as the sweet, slightly dimwitted Deputy Dewey to Drew Barrymore’s doomed Casey Becker.

3) A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

A Nightmare on Elm Street is an unbelievably original, terrifingly realistic, and overall terrifying that, despite a weak ending, is one of the best horror flicks of the quarter of a century. The film deals with a deceased child molester who now lives only through the dreams of the children of those who burned him alive. Robert Englund is truly frightening as Freddy Krueger. Wes Craven delivers a surprising amount of tension that still holds up today.

Nancy is having nightmares about a frightening, badly-scarred figure who wears a glove with razor-sharp “finger knives”. She soon discovers that her friends are having similar dreams. When the kids begin to die, Nancy realizes that she must stay awake to survive. Uncovering the secret identity of the dream killer and his connection with the children of Elm Street, the girl plots to draw him out into the real world.

The film goes for suspense, drama, and gore and delivers for the most part. Heather Langenkamp gives a very solid performance as Nancy Thompson, the young woman is the “leader” among her friends and the only one who may get out alive. Forget about Jamie Lee Curtis’ whimpering performance in “Halloween”. Here Langenkamp is the real deal and she kicks ass. A great horror film that still delivers today. Look for a young Johnny Depp who, arguably, has the best death scene in the flick.

2) Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)

After the dismal “Freddy’s Dead”, Freddy seemed to be dead and buried for at least a few years. It, however, was in 1994 that Wes Craven came up with the radical idea of bringing Freddy back for another nightmare…a “New Nightmare”. Gone was funny Freddy and the fresh looking 80′s MTV teenagers and in was a concept so unique and groundbreaking that it just couldn’t work? Or could it…

But..let us start back at the beginning. In 1984, horror director Wes Craven created “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” It was acclaimed as one of the scariest movies ever made and made unknowns like Robert Englund, Johnny Depp, and Heather Langenkamp huge stars. Ten years later, Heather is living happily with her husband, Chase, and her son, Dylan. But her life has now been turned upside down because she is being stalked by a person who sounds like Nightmare villain Freddy Krueger. Chase has just been killed in a car accident after he accidentally fell asleep behind the wheel. Dylan refuses to sleep any more, and New Line Cinema has just offered her a part in “the ultimate Nightmare.” But some other strange things have been happening, including earthquakes and Craven being tight-lipped about the script. The ultimate truth is that Freddy Krueger is actually an ancient demon breaking out into our world, but in order to do that, he must go through Heather. And he knows he can get out by harming those near her.

Sound convoluted? Pretentious? Overly meta? Shockingly, no. “New Nightmare” is that rare horror film in which everything works. The performances are pitch perfect, lead by a tour-de-force performance by the amazing Langenkamp. The script is full of twists and turns and the movie is quite possibly the best looking of the entire series. What starts out as a maze of mirrors becomes something much more than your typical nightmare. The film examines the role film plays on those who watch it. Something that Wes Craven’s “Scream” would play out to great effect two years later. I really can’t say enough about this film and homages to the original are expertly placed. It is one of my all time favorite horror films and a modern classic.

1) Black Christmas (1974)

Forget about the 2006 version, THIS movie is where the terror really started. It’s time for Christmas break, and the sorority sisters make plans for the holiday, but the strange anonymous phone calls are beginning to put them on edge. When Clare disappears, they contact the police, who don’t express much concern. Meanwhile Jess is planning to get an abortion, but boyfriend Peter is very much against it. The police finally begin to get concerned when a 13-year-old girl is found dead in the park. They set up a wiretap to the sorority house, but will they be in time to prevent a sorority girl attrition problem?

“Black Christmas” is that rare horror movie that gets everything right. This is a movie that just oozes atmosphere. Every frame is dripping with dread and setting the film on the Christmas just adds to the excitement of it all. Not only this but the film is also scary as hell with some excellent performances and an ending that is sure to give every horror fan chills. What is the most incredible aspect of this groundbreaking slasher film? Throughout the entire film, we see various sorority girls getting hacked to death and receiving strange telephone calls. What we don’t see is our psycho, Billy. No motive, no reason, no face, no man..Billy could be anyone of us. If that doesn’t make a true psycho, I really don’t know what does.

“Black Christmas” is quite simply the best horror movie I’ve ever seen. Some give the credit to “Halloween” to being the first real American slasher film but that simply is not fair. “Black Christmas” did it first and did it better. It is the grandmother of the slasher film, four years before “Halloween”. “Black Christmas’” power is impossible to deny; its characters are compelling, the imagery poignant, and the acting top-notch. If you haven’t seen it yet, you are in for one scary “Christmas” treat.

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Another Bloody Good Review for “Teddy”

Slasher Studios*Teddy

We here at Slasher Studios are pleased to bring you another review of “Teddy: It’s Gonna Be a Bear.” The word of mouth has been incredible for our little “80’s slasher in woods” homage. The Funhouse says Teddy “is 11 minutes of pure fun. It’s made in homage to a genre the filmmakers clearly love and that aspect shines throughout it. It wears its love of 80s slashers on its sleeve without feeling dated. The filmmakers have talent and I can’t wait to see more from. I really enjoy Teddy and I hope you do too.” A HUGE thank you for the awesome review Funhouse! To read the whole review click on the link below. Also, make sure to check out the other reviews and horror segments they have on The Funhouse blog. They are definitely a blog that Slasher Studios will be watching to see how it evolves into all its bloody gory.

To check out the review:
http://fistfullofboomstick89.blogspot.com/2012/01/teddy-its-gonna-be-bear-2011.html

To order a copy of Teddy with a FREE autographed mini poster:


Teddy DVD




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Slasher Studios Webcast: Best Horror Movies of 2011

Slasher Studios*Slasher Studios Podcast

While 2011 wasn’t a very memorable horror year, there were several horror movies that we thought stood out from the crowd by either living up to expectations or handily succeeded them. We have two sequels, a wholly original comedy-thriller, and two remakes. All in all a fairly interesting year for horror. On this week’s episode of Slasher Studios, we will be talking about the best horror movies of 2011. Airs tonight at 10PM, click on the link below to listen to the show live or to listen to an archive after the show has aired.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/slasherstudios/2012/01/09/slasher-studios-best-horror-movies-of-2011

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Hostage Slasher “Mother’s Day” Proves Mother Really Does Know Best

Slasher StudiosMother's Day

Going into the remake of “Mother’s Day”, I was a bit apprehensive. The original, while fun, is hardly a classic and I was afraid they were going to play up this remake with every camp value that most horror fans love in the original. It was to both my delight and my shock that this remake is played deadly straight. Whatever comedy here is of the blackest kind and dark comedy fans will be delighted.

The film begins after a bank robbery has gone wrong, three brothers, Izzak “Ike” (Patrick Flueger), Addley (Warren Kole), and Johnny (Matt O’Leary) are on the run from the law. The three brothers travel to their mothers house, however find it occupied by young couple Beth (Jaime King) and Daniel (Frank Grillo), who are hosting a birthday party in their basement. The guests include Anette (Briana Evigan) and her fiance Dave (Tony Nappo), married couple Treshawn (Lyriq Bent) and Gina (Kandyse McClure), George (Shawn Ashmore) and Melissa (Jessie Rusu) and Julie (Lisa Marcos). As the three brothers enter the house, the partiers are watching a storm warning of a tornado that is soon to hit, however Daniel reassures everyone that the basement is secure. He then heads upstairs where he encounters the brothers who think Daniel is trespassing in their mothers home. He tells them they got the house months previous in a foreclosure. While the brothers begin to beat Daniel, Beth comes upstairs but is unable to escape. The brothers threaten to shoot the couple, however Beth informs them that George is a doctor and he will be able to help the dying Johnny. Beth calmly summons George upstairs since she does not want to alarm the other guests. After Ike and Addley refuse to take Johnny to the hospital, George begins to try to save Johnny. Meanwhile, Ike receives a phone call from his sister Lydia (Deborah Ann Woll) who is with the siblings “Mother” (Rebecca De Mornay). Ike tells the pair to come to the house.

Julie soon emerges from the basement but is chased back downstairs by Addley who holds the guests hostage, removing the groups cell phones and wallets and begins to torment them. Soon after, Mother and Lydia arrive. Mother is extremely unhappy with her sons after they failed to successfully keep in contact with her, so she was unable to tell them she lost her home. She angrily tells off her sons and proceeds to be nice to the hostages, telling them no one has to get hurt and the family would leave once Johnny’s condition has stabilized. However, Mother soon discovers that the sons had continued sending money to the house after she had moved out, meaning Beth and Daniel must have received it. Both deny knowing about the money, but Mother does not believe Daniel and has his hand broken by her sons. Despite this, Daniel still denies knowing. Mother proceeds to rob the hostages, taking their credit cards and pin numbers. Melissa attempts to escape by running upstairs, however she is shot by Addley. Can the rest of the crew survive the night and does mother really know best?

“Mother’s Day” is one of the craziest, most fucked up suspense horrors that I’ve seen in a while and this is coming from a guy who watched “Human Centipede II” less than a week ago. The kills are quite extreme. Wanna see a girl shot in the face in extreme close up? It’s here. The film may be nearly two hours long but not a single scene seemed the slightest bit padded. The performances are all around excellent with special acclaim due to Rebecca De Mornay who is perfect in the role as the cunningly evil mother. She could have played this role over-the-top but not a single bit of her performance feels mannered or theatrical. She plays this as a real mother. A real psycho mother, yes, but a real mother none-the-less.

To order from Amazon: Mother’s Day (DVD)

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Slasher Studios Checks In to “The Innkeepers”

Slasher StudiosInnkeepers

After waiting nearly two years, Ti West’s follow-up to his critically acclaimed genre masterpiece, “The House of the Devil”, is finally here. Giddy with excitement like a child ready to rip open his biggest Christmas present, my expectations were sky high. The movie just had to be a masterpiece, it had to be a unique, one-of-a-kind thriller, and it had to be perfect. I am one of the horror faithfuls that believes that “House of the Devil” is THE best horror movie of the last decade and this movie had better come close to that sort of greatness. Does “The Innkeepers” reach those lofty heights or does it vanish into thin air like the ghosts it portrays?

“The Innkeepers” tells the story of The Yankee Pedlar Inn. After over one hundred years of service, The Yankee Pedlar Inn is shutting its doors for good. The last remaining employees -Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy) – are determined to uncover proof of what many believe to be one of New England’s most haunted hotels. As the Inn¹s final days draw near, odd guests check in as the pair of minimum wage ghosthunters begin to experience strange and alarming events that may ultimately cause them to be mere footnotes in the hotel¹s long unexplained history. Along with them for the ride is a actress turned psychic who may know more than she lets on and an old man who will stay in nothing less than the Honeymoon Suite and may have a connection the a devastating murder that took place years before.

“The Innkeepers” is terrifically moody with some of the best cinematography I’ve seen in a movie in a long time. The Inn comes alive in a fresh way that never feels phony or cheap. The actors are also quite good, particularly Paxton as Claire who is headstrong and determined but also has a shy, vulnerable side. The being said, the movie is a lot a buildup for a conclusion that seems fairly ho-hum. I know people bashed HOTD for the same thing but the ending here seems both too delayed as well as rushed, if such a thing is possible. It all just plays kind of false and lessens the stylish chills of the film’s first two acts. I don’t want it to seem as if I didn’t enjoy this movie. I liked it, in fact I liked it a lot. Maybe it was my fault holding this film up to an impossible standard that no film could possibly live up to. HOTD was a masterpiece, this one is a pretty good thriller. Nonetheless, in today’s horror market, pretty good is definitely good enough. Just keep your expectations in check.

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