Horror-tober 18: The Psychic

A woman has visions of a room and a woman being entombed in a wall. Compelled by the visions she breaks down the wall in her husband's abandoned estate. When she discovers a skeleton in the wall, her husband is accused of murdering a young model. But she does not believe he did it nor that the woman found in the wall is indeed that young model (her visions were of an older woman). So she works with her psychiatrist to find the real culprit, but when she gets too close to the truth will it be the end of her search and her life?

Discovering the skeleton in the wall.

After I last posted about We Are Still Here and blasphemously replied to a comment from a friend saying that I do not like Fulci's Zombi 2, he recommended this earlier Fulci film. And because it was easy to find through the Multnomah County Library's digital service Hoopla, I was able to watch it for this year.

I actually quite enjoyed this film. It was suspenseful and the plot was interesting. I particularly liked the close-up shots of Jennifer O'Neill's eyes when she was having her visions. She has some very beautiful green eyes.

Those eyes! Although not the best screen capture of them

The soundtrack was also really enjoyable and the cinematography was quite striking with some really interesting shots and lighting.

One of my favorite shots in the film.

My friend was right, this was definitely a good one and unlike Fulci's later horror movies with little gore and a particularly good mystery and terrific soundtrack.

Horror-tober 12: The Voices

Jerry works in a factory in the small-town he grew up in. Not really noticed by most of his coworkers, he interacts with an accounting girl and finds himself smitten with her. When she doesn't show up for their "date", things get a little sour for Jerry. Oh, and he also thinks his animals are talking to him.

I'm a little on the fence for the rating of this one. I liked it because it did a dark comedy horror pretty well. But I was almost also rooting for Jerry to be OK and not make some of the decisions he did. So really it made me feel weird about "rooting" for the psycho killer but also wanting him to get caught and/or killed himself. Very conflicting feelings for this one. It is darkly funny and a bit macabre. Ridiculous but also really well written.

Not until a bit later did I realize that the voices Jerry was hearing were actually Ryan Reynolds doing them (which makes sense because they are the voices he creates as he dips deeper into his madness). I mean, Mr. Whiskers had such a good Scottish accent I kept trying to place it and thinking that it was Chris (Mark Bonnar) from Catastrophe (Amazon TV show that is pretty good). Bosco, the dog had a bit of a Billy Bob Thornton quality. All in all, Reynolds has been a favorite of mine for awhile, yeah mostly because he is pretty attractive, but seeing him in this role was so much different and he was actually really good in it. Also features Anna Kendrick. However, it does not get a much higher rating because the climax was a little dull and by that point I got a bit bored with the whole story. But then the credits ran. What was THAT?

So I also have to mention that tonight it was a choice between two movies, This one or The Neon Dead. I had originally had chosen Dead because it was shorter but I watched the first 10 minutes and decided it wasn't worth the time. But I wanted to see some of what originally attracted me to the movie, so I fast-forwarded through some of it to see if it got any better. Not. Don't watch it. Other than the movie being shot pretty much entirely in blacklight to create the neon element, it was definitely a B-movie that can be skipped. However, I do like this mask still and am considering how to make one. Maybe they were trying to make something with an Attack the Block feel? Who knows. But, remember folks, part of the reason I watch these is so that you guys don't have to, I got your backs.

The Voices rating:

The Neon Dead rating. Although I just skimmed through the whole movie, felt like I needed to give it something:

Horror-tober 8: Hush

A "home invasion" horror movie for this Slasher Saturday, but with a twist. Maggie is an author and has recently moved to a seemingly isolated spot in some wilderness to get away from the city to write her latest book. Or at least can be assumed. She also happens to be deaf and mute. Which becomes terrifyingly apparent when a masked man comes to her window after killing her neighbor.

I may have talked in the past about how I feel indifferent towards some of these home invasion horror movies. On one hand, it can be a real fear and some exhibit a sense of terror and hopelessness (Funny Games, Them). On the other hand, some are just poorly executed and mundane (I won't name names). This one sort of falls in-between but gets mad props from me for having a clever premise and unique idea on the trope. I particularly liked that it was filmed in a way where it is as if you are Maggie and there is no sound as you follow her from window to window watching the man outside her house. It was an edge of your seat type of horror/thriller throughout.

I need to watch more horror movies with Skyra, it was a hoot to hear her yelling at the TV. "What are you doing? Just run away. I don't like this. Why doesn't she run away? She's taking forever. He's going to kill her." Love it.

Again, Skyra and I agreed on a rating for this one:

Horror-tober 6: Tormented (Rabbito Hora)

I chose this one this evening because I wanted to watch something fairly short and Joey expressed interest in it and it is always fun to get him to watch horror movies, because I know how much he loves them.

After Kiriko's brother, Daigo, puts a dying rabbit out of its misery and with his tenth birthday approaching, he starts having weird dreams and visions of a giant stuffed rabbit that seem all too real. On top of that, Kiriko's father doesn't seem concerned for either of them. But he is also still distraught over losing Daigo's mother in childbirth, so you can't really be too hard on the guy.

I'm not going to lie, I was intrigued by this one because I wanted to see creepy giant stuffed animals do creepy things. It had that, but the overall story was kind of all over the place, and even though there is a psychological twist, it just didn't really help to explain the finer details of the story. Also pretty predictable. Without spoiling too much, I will say that it did have some good creepy moments. When the cutesy giant stuffed rabbit turns into a more realistic and menacing rabbit and at the end the smaller stuffed rabbit loses its head but then its body crawls off the screen; both of which were a bit unnerving.

Hey, there. Wanna play? Both of these scenes have nice yellow tones too

I just noticed the more realistic giant stuffed rabbit has nipples, that explains some things

The whole time during the movie, Kiriko's father is making pop-up books of The Little Mermaid, not the sweet Disney version, and when shown on screen they are really quite beautiful. It also ties into Kiriko's narrative. She is mute. She lost her voice at some point as a child and it is implied that it was caused by a traumatic event in the past which then affects her situation in the film. Again, don't want to spoil anything for anyone wanting to watch this so won't give away too many details.

The little mermaid creeps into the Prince's room to kill him and get her voice back

In the end she could not do it and dissolves away as sea foam in the ocean

Definitely had some nice visuals and cinematography, but all in all, a little drab and not enough of the creepy giant stuffed animals. Joey gives it 2 skulls and I give it 2.5 skulls, purely for the pop-up books (reminded me of The Babadook, although not creepy like that one).  

Joey's rating:

My rating:

Horror-tober 4: Creep

Last night it was actually a choice between Maniac and Creep. Since Maniac was disappointing I broke my schedule of days and chose to watch this one instead. And boy did I make the right choice.

Aaron (Patrick Brice) is a videographer called for a job to record a stranger's life for one day for a $1000. The stranger, Josef (Mark Duplass), is a little strange off the bat, but mostly just in a fun-loving and weird way. At least at first. As a videographer the film is shot in the "found footage" or handheld style. This style of horror movies has become sort of tedious over the years, but this one executes it so spectacularly. Written by both Brice and Duplass and directorial debut for Brice, this film has a good blend of weird and funny, but also has plenty of scenes that make you squirm in your seat. At least I did for a few parts.

Whereas with Maniac I could not believe Elijah Wood's portrayal of a maniac, Duplass is super believable. He is also very quirky and makes you believe he is lonely and just trying to reach out and make a friend, although in a completely, socially unacceptable way. It also, has the creepiest wolf mask in any movie ever. This film really had great moments and a super cohesive narrative that keeps you interested and engaged during the whole thing. Although, Aaron made some really dumb choices. Seriously dumb choices. Even dumber than most people in horror movies. But it was still really good.

Peachfuzz. Just a big old NOPE.

I really liked this movie and give it 4 skulls. Joey liked it so much he gave it 4.5 skulls. 4.5. From Joey. From the guy who "hates" horror movies. *Mind blown*

Joey's rating:

My rating:

Event Horizon

Science-fiction horror for a Throwback Thursday.

There is nothing I like more than a good Sci-Fi horror movie. To this day, the Aliens series is by far one of my favorites. But it could be said that many horror films have some element of science fiction, zombies created by a virus, futuristic and apocalyptic worlds where cannibals run rampant are a few examples. But often many don't actually take place in space or on another planet. Event Horizon is one of those that I haven't seen in a long time, but I can recall almost every little detail. It is a sign of a good film, especially for a horror film. One of Paul W.S. Anderson's (Resident Evil franchise) first feature length films (aside from Mortal Kombat), and it doesn't let you down on suspense or gore.

The "core" or engine of the ship

The Event Horizon is revealed to be a ship capable of folding space, like creating a wormhole, to travel to worlds yet unexplored. On its first test, it disappeared without a trace and after being lost for seven years it has reappeared. A team is unknowingly sent, with the scientist who created the Event Horizon, to recover it and its crew. When they arrive at the ship and go aboard they quickly find that there are no survivors among the crew. In fact one of the crew members is found to be a "corpsicle" as one of the characters calls it. Corpsicle. Ha. Anyway, stuff goes down when the core is reactivated and our team find themselves trapped on a terrifying ship. There is a solid cast in the film as well, with Laurence Fishburne as the captain and Sam Neill as the scientist. The effects are hauntingly disturbing and pretty well done and the set is very aesthetically appealing as well.

Inside the ship

A few notes about some scenes. Originally the doctor, played by Jason Isaacs, identified the transmission they had received as "liberate me" or save me in Latin. However, when s*** starts going down he reexamines it and realizes it is actually "Liberate tutame ex inferis," save yourself from Hell. I'm not a Latin expert and looking at discussions online, it is apparently incorrect. But for setting the mood of the movie, it works. Did the Event Horizon travel beyond into a sort of Hell for those seven years? Or did the ship itself become something else?

A scene of Hellish gore

Another one I somehow convinced Joey to watch with me, and he had this to say about it, "Not quite as good as I remember it, but it's got a nice slow build." He gives it 3.5 skulls and I give it 4.5. Maybe I am rating it so highly because I have such a fondness for it as a part of the formative years in my life for horror movies, but I don't care! It is still a solid horror film in my book, but the transition to the electronic music at the credits is a little laughable.

My rating:

Joey's rating: 

You're Next

A Slasher Saturday with an atypical home invasion story.

Another one I had high hopes for after reading some rave reviews. The majority of the acting was poor, and the plot was pretty predictable. I guess I've seen so much that not a lot surprises me or freaks me out anymore, but I always have hope that I will find that one that blows me away. Half way through this film I wasn't exactly blown away, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Home invasion horror movies seem to have had a resurgence in the last five or so years. Most are scary because it is one of those terrors that is all too real. Many people have home security systems and guns to protect themselves and their families based on some of those fears. In this film, a family gathers at a vacation home to celebrate the anniversary of their parents. A seemingly peaceful and happy occasion quickly turned to horror when the family is attacked by unknown, masked assailants both outside and inside the house. Then the revelers are picked off one by one. Basically your straight up home invasion type of flick, there is even one character that shines under pressure and fights back; our Australian heroine, Erin (Sharni Vinson). She was really the only decent actress in the whole thing. I literally cringed early in the film when the mother was saying that she heard someone upstairs and was imploring her husband to leave. It was just so unbelievable, but then Sharni carried the whole cast through a twisted and darkly humorous and gory romp.

Erin wielding an ax

When Erin is attacked by the man in the lion mask, she defends herself and makes quick work of him pretty gruesomely. This is about the time I started enjoying the movie more. Erin describes that she lived in a survival camp with her father in the Australian outback as she is hammering nails into boards. Later she lays those boards out beneath the window, a la a horror version of Home Alone. Not to mention the trap, an ax weighted with a brick, at the front door. The scene that really sealed the deal for me is when she dispatches one of the killers with a blender. That's right. She jams the blade with the base on the killer's head, plugs it in and turns it on. I couldn't help but think of Blendtec's "Will it Blend?" videos. "Will it blend? That is the question."

I imagine his voice in my head saying, "Killer's brain goop, don't drink this."

So even though half of the movie was kind of lame, it gets 4 skulls for impressing me with some good moments especially those that made me laugh out loud.

The Brood

I didn't really know how to fit The Brood into this years horror films, but knew I wanted to watch it. Even though it's not quite fitting for Supernatural Sunday, it had to do.

The Brood has been on my radar since I worked at Hollywood Video. We had a regular customer that showed movies at one of the second-run theaters here in Portland, and he called it "SuperTrash Film Festival." One of those days we were talking and he mentioned that I looked like the actress in this film, Samantha Eggar, and he was showing it. Sadly, I never did see it at his festival, but it is a good enough time to watch it now.

Samantha Eggar as Nola

David Cronenberg is probably one of my favorite auteurs. He is one of the main originators of the body horror genre. Body horror pertains to the graphic destruction or degeneration of the body, and playing on the fear of transformation and infectious diseases. One of his films, The Fly depicts body horror through mutation and in a way, The Brood is similar. As a psychotherapist, Dr. Hal Raglan treats his patients with "Psychoplasmics" that allow them to manifest their emotions into treatable lesions and boils on the skin. Nola is his star patient. She has so much pent up anguish and rage and she easily vents her fury in their sessions. Soon, people connected to Nola are brutally murdered by mutant dwarves outside the institute. These dwarves are somehow a real-life manifestation of Nola's rage against those she feels abused and hurt by but no one knows where they came from. Her husband tries to unravel the mystery of these deaths and their connection to Nola, meanwhile fighting to keep his daughter from Nola as she slips further into an abusive and weak emotional and mental state.

One of Nola's "brood" 

The Brood is terrifying, visually disturbing and a very interesting and original story. Samantha Eggar is creepy and amazing as Nola. I think this might now be my favorite Cronenberg film. It will make you feel uncomfortable, but the images and mood set a tension that will keep you engaged. It is also a metaphor on maternal abuses and quarrelsome custody battles - an interpretation of his own life, divorce and custody battle at the time. Surprise, surprise, another one Joey decided to watch with me! So I will also include his rating in this one like I did for Feast. 

My rating:

Joey's rating: 

Intruders

Ooooooooo...it's Supernatural Sunday. That was my attempt at a spooky, ghostly voice.

Intruders wasn't my first choice for this evening, but I was unwilling to compromise with my boyfriend and watch another movie on my computer, in my horrible "office chair." So, here it is. Clive Owen stars in this one. And that is about all this movie has going for it. I take that back, it also has Daniel Bruhl. Who knew this cute little German also spoke Spanish? Hooray! Although, he does play a Catholic priest, but not in a creepy way, so I guess that is alright. But I digress. Intruders is about two families in different parts of the world haunted by the same villain with no face, called Hollowface. The movie switches back and forth between both in a way that at times is a little confusing. We're first introduced to the family in Spain. The little boy writes a story about Hollowface, and later is attacked by him in his bedroom. Only to discover it was a dream, or was it? Cut to Clive Owen's family in England. It is almost his daughter's birthday and she discovers a box in a tree with a story about Hollowface. She copies the story and reads it to her class. Her teacher tells her it's good but she needs to expand upon it. As she does, she senses she is not alone.  

Yay, Daniel Bruhl!

Hollowface steals your face!

I don't know if I would call this one "genre bending," as the poster says personally. I found a lot of similar plot points to other films, and the "twist" is a little predictable. Otherwise, it set the mood well. It actually made me jump once - doesn't happen often. And I liked the styling of the "boogey-man" character so to speak. The two different stories both children write have a nice, classic ghost story feel - with a creepy monster man that could haunt anyone's dreams. But it wasn't enough to get a good rating in my book. 

My rating:

Hell

Hooray! It's Transcontinental Tuesday. (Man, that's a hard one to say.) And tonight, Hell was on the menu.

This film comes to us from Germany. In the not so distant future, Earth has become a barren wasteland as the sun scorches the surface. In the beginning of the movie, text reads:

2016 - The world as we know it has ceased to exist. In just four years, the Earth's atmosphere has heated up by 10 degrees Celsius. People are fighting for survival. Water and food supplies are running out. Social order is collapsing. 

I find there are infinite ways to show the human condition with post-apocalyptic movies. It's a reflection on how we react to extreme changes - how we struggle to survive. But also, how some cling to the past, and try to live as if nothing has changed. Their morals deteriorate to the point that they will do anything to keep that falsehood - anything to continue to survive as if their lives were normal. There are characters in this film that are like that. Most survivors, like our protagonists, are wanderers. Traveling to survive, but they encounter a group of people that are not nomadic as they are. They own a farm in the mountains that they can no longer grow crops on or have livestock - in fact, aside from occasional birds, it appears as if no animals have survived. This family can only find enough water to drink. Yet, they cling to their former lives, and without livestock they have found another source for "livestock."

Anyway, the idea of the movie was a little cliche, but I liked how it was done. It didn't delve too deeply in why it is like Hell on Earth - and I liked that. It went straight into the present and the action of the film. All the characters were believable and most were well acted. It was never too gruesome, which was good since it was more about the overlying story. It is definitely worth a watch if you are into post-apocalyptic movies or just want to see a movie that is interesting and will keep your attention.

My rating: