The slasher with the best twist ending in the history of umm..ever?! Campy, over-the-top, and lots of fun with a nice little mean streak. Finding out that Angela was the killer was no surprise but finding out that Angela was really Peter certainly was. There was already a boy in Aunt Martha’s house. No need for another one, right? This ending still gives people nightmares. Creepy as hell.
The Witches comes to us from across the pond as director Nicolas Roeg displays his creativity in this fantasy film that is a great October treat. If you are gearing up for Halloween, but want to save the slashing and gore for another night, then The Witches may just the the lighter film to fit this niche. You will follow the little boy, Luke, and his grandmother, Helga, as they take off on an adventure with some less than desirable witches. The European shot film is one that should be watched for a few different reasons.
The effects and work by Jim Henson are amazing. This was sadly his final film, but his work will live on forever. The puppetry and make-up effects were out-of-this-world and adds a lot of production value to this film. The witches have a great look and I wold love to know more about the design process and how long it took to create these creatures. Along side these Jim Henson creations can be found some fun and quite memorable actors. The witch of all witches is played by the very talented Anjelica Houston. Her performance is top notch as always as she is the perfect fit for her character. We also have a Mr. Bean sighting with Rowan Atkinson playing the role of Mr. Stringer. I kept thinking of watching him on PBS playing his well know Bean character. I was definitely taken out of the film a few times with flashbacks, but overall I was just fine with him being featured in the film.
The cinematography is by far my favorite part. I am a huge fan of the shot selection and choices made by the filmmakers and could witch this over again just for inspiration. Although it was released in 1990, I enjoyed the zooms as it gave it more of a vintage feel. The dutch angles and just all-around odd camera positions helped give The Witches a distinct look. I would love to hear from seasoned DP’s on their thoughts on the cinematography. The shots used will not be for everyone, but I found them to be creative and fun.
So, as we near Oct. 31st, try out The Witches and enjoy some great visuals and have a fun time with it. Don’t expect blood and guts, save that for Michael and Jason to deliver.
In the remake of the original Brian De Palma film, and based off of the novel by Stephen King, Carrie tells the story of young Carrie White (Chloe Grace Moretz) who goes through life being tormented by classmates and teachers. The only person she feels close to is her religion-obsessed mother Margaret (Julianne Moore). After a cruel joke, one of the popular girls, Sue Snell (Gabriella Wilde) decides to provide an act of kindness to Carrie by allowing her boyfriend to ask her to prom. But along the way, Carrie starts to develop telekinetic abilities that could bring disastrous results if she’s pushed too far.
I believe that to compare this remake with the original and say which is better would be completely wrong and impossible. Both films have very strong aspects of their own that make them both able to stand on their own. But to discuss this version as a remake itself, I would definitely have to say it was VERY well-done. The film really gets into the emotional side of the story, we really get to know Carrie and get a sense of her loneliness. This in part is due to an excellent performance by Chloe Grace Moretz in what I really think is her best performance to date. She portrays the emotions of Carrie with such ease that you really feel for the character and think of her as a real person. But when it switches gears and her evil side appears, Moretz provides a very chilling performance. We are also given Julianne Moore as Carrie’s mother. From the start of the film and until the very end, Moore shows just how unhinged Margaret White is, and she does it perfectly. Her performances leaves the viewer really unsettled with her dead and haunting performance. As for the effects, unfortunately this remake is filled with a lot of CGI. Does it completely ruin the film? No. But it does take away a lot of the effect. The prom scene for example, while much more violent (which I was pleased about), the CGI was really noticeable. But despite this, some of the effects combined with amazing camera shots is very well-done. One example being when two characters are involved in a car crash, the impacts in the crash were very cool (and slightly disturbing) to watch.
So overall, Carrie is a very well-done and perfectly modernized remake that lets us get in touch emotionally with our lead, plenty of bloody moments, and most of all, amazing performances by Moretz and Moore.
–Cody Landman
I know that most horror fans seem to despise this movie but I find it to be a beautiful shot, misunderstood gem of a horror film. I admire Zombie for not doing a straight up remake of the original sequel and I like how you actually are able to see the emotional grief that the first travesty has caused its characters. We are able to see Laurie and Annie as real, flesh and blood characters that are each trying to deal with this travesty the only way that they know how. It’s not a perfect film (the horse imagery is out of place to say the least) but it is an ambitious film and that’s more than you can say about most horror movies today.
“The Pact” centers around a young woman named Annie and her struggle to piece together mysterious happenings in the home she lived in as a child. With the death of her mother and the disappearance of her sister shortly after, Annie, played to perfection by Caity Lotz, returns home only to realize that she is not alone. With strange bumps in the night, she flees the house, but returns later and is forced to take a closer look into dark past of her family.
With stunning cinematography and effects, The Pact, gives more spine tingling chills than most of the supernatural films that have been released lately. With suspense setting in just minutes into the film and not letting up until the credits roll, audiences will be holding onto their seats for the entire ride. With the disturbing imagery coupled with some excellent editing and direction, the hair will stand up on the back of your neck throughout the film. The film contains minimal gore, but the blood comes not only as a pleasant surprise, but also as an eye-opening and well done effect. You’re not getting the bloody goodness of the slashers, but some very well timed suspenseful scares.
Not having seen a decent supernatural horror film in a while, I am delighted to praise The Pact. With the music revving up at all the right times and the cuts being dead on, the mystery is to die for. I would be happy with a ending that cuts to black a few minutes earlier, but honestly, this film still holds up with the additional running time and does not seem to drag on. Be on the look out for this film, written and directed by Nicholas McCarthy.
In October, Slasher Studios will be featuring a horror movie each day. Play along at the Slasher Studios Horror Film Club.
This week:
Day 11: Most psychotic killer
Day 12: The goriest movie
Day 13: Favorite foreign horror
Day 14: The cheesiest horror
Day 15: Great 80’s horror
Day 16: Great indie horror
Day 17: Fav horror franchise
Listen in live or check out an archive: Horror Movie Challenge (Part III)
(mini reviews of all 4 in order from best to worst)
1. Scream 2 (1997)
Although at times I feel as though I am in the minority, I truly believe that “Scream 2″ is the best film in the Scream franchise. This is that rare sequel that takes everything that works about its predecessor and manages to take it to another level. The deaths are suspenseful, the characters are charming and likable, and the twist ending works better than it has any right to. I also truly believe that this is some of Craven’s finest directing and the “cop car†scene is a hide-your-eyes-behind-your-fingers chiller of a scene. More than that, this film is just a hell of a lot of fun from beginning to end.
2. Scream (1996)
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. Scream 4 (2011)
“Scream 4″ is executed with an artistic flair of wit and style that long time fans and film buffs alike will love. While I sometimes wished there could have been a little more genuine tension and suspense, the final twenty minutes are just so off-the-wall that it makes up for any slow patches. All in all, this is bloody, fun, and very entertaining. The cast is clearly having a ton of fun, and most of them really put on a good show. This may be cinematic junk food but it sure is tasty.
4. Scream 3 (2000)
“Scream 3″ is the kind of movie that has a lot of great ideas mixed in with a few mediocre ideas. The film spends far too much time with Sidney away from the group, alone in the cabin. We want to see Sidney take on evil and put on a good fight. Something that doesn’t happen here until the final act. That being said, Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers has never been better. Given a bitter rival to play against, played by a deliciously witty Parker Posey, she shines in every single scene that she is given. Overall, I think “Scream 3″ is a fun film. It may be the worst installment of the franchise but it is still a hell of a lot better than 90% of the horror that is released today.
I can’t dare to begin a classic 80’s horror conversation without talking about The Burning. This 1981 work of near perfection really does fire on all
cylinders and keeps the audience enthralled throughout the duration of the 91 minute runtime. The kills are spectacular, the locations are to die for, the cast has the perfect 80 vibe.
The blood and gore within The Burning is top notch as Tom Savini works his magic and gives us some of the most memorable deaths ever to grace the silver
screen. The raft scene is produced with out a flaw and everything from the blood, to the shot selection, to the editing pace was well meshed to create
something very special. Location, location, location. We have all heard this phrase before and so did the locations scouts for The Burning. We are set in a summer camp near and lake and forest. Very classic 80’s. I have always loved the camp feel for a slasher/horror location and is one doesn’t disappoint.the water adds such a boost the the production value and gives great backdrops for the beautiful cinematography.
This is always a fun film to watch because we can look back and see the film debuts of the young Jason Alexander, Fisher Stevens, and Holly Hunter. They all give great performances and who can forget Larry Joshua as the classic jock, Glazer. Glazer adds a ton of fun to this movie and is always great for some comedic relief. I hope this film receives more of a following that it deserves. True horror fans know and appreciate this project but the general public has no clue this film even exists. Personally, I always make it a point to bring up The Burning during a movie conversation with a non horror fan in hopes to convert them to the world of Cropsy!
With it being October and only 2 weeks away from our favorite holiday, there is only one movie that comes to mind when speaking of classic indie horror films; the one and only, Halloween. This 1978 slasher from the great John Carpenter helped changed horror as we know it and had an effect on fans young and old. We all know the story of Michael and Laurie and the mayhem that took place, but the people outside of the horror community really don’t understand the importance this film and it’s characters. The fan following Halloween has earned after all these years is extraordinary and has few rivals. Grade school age kids have found this film and fallen in love with it as if they were there opening night to see it the first time.
People young and old gravitate toward this slasher flick and are some of the most dedicated fans around. Slasher Studios has been around the festival circuit and Halloween t-shirts can be found on fans everywhere. Michael Myers art and apparel can be found at almost every other booth and fans dressed up and the Michael himself have become a standard. If you have been to a horror convention, you more than likely saw horror actors signing autographs. Well, when Jamie Lee Curtis attended last year’s HorrorHound Weekend, she took over and was the primary, and most likely the only focus of the of the attendees. This was her first and last horror related appearance and she did it all for charity. The fans stood for ours and days just to get that minute of Jamie Lee time. The dedication was undeniable. So, whether you are a fan or not, and I hope you are, Halloween is more than just a movie. For many slasher fans, it’s a way of life. Halloween has been there for them and they will be there for Halloween. Will there ever be anything like this again? Probably not and that is what makes this film so special. Hard to believe it all started as just an indie slasher..
