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Halloween 2013: Sleep Terrors ~ Whatever You Do....Don't Fall Asleep!

October 29, 2013, 6:00 am
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Sleep is one of the things that many of us take for granted. Life can be a real bitch when you can't fall asleep. But in horror, sometimes falling asleep can be one of the very worst things you can do.  God help you if you fall into a coma or are a sleepwalker - those are even worse than settling in for a long winter's nap...

Marie starts us off with the most glaringly obvious entry here, then I take you on a tour of films you shouldn't expect to sleep well after seeing.

NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET(1984)
Perhaps the most obvious example of a sleep-themed horror movie, I have included it mostly for my emotion connection to it. If you don't know, please make note that I am a HUUUUUGEE Nightmare on Elm Street fan. Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) was a real creep in life; a child murderer who wore a glove of four steel claws on his hand as his weapon. After the local parents on Elm Street burned him alive, Freddy just wasn't done terrorizing the youths. In death he has the ability to invade peoples' nightmares, and any harm he does to you while you're asleep actually affects you in waking life. So when you die in your dreams, you die for real! The answer to this predicament seems simple, right? Don't go to sleep. But a human can only stay awake for a few days before they go into a coma, making every conscious moment full of dread./MR


BAD DREAMS(1988)
 When Cynthia (Jennifer Rubin of Dream Warriors fame, ironically, because this is such a paltry rip-off) nearly dies in a gruesome fire started by the leader of a cult she was unfortunate enough to be a part of, she wakes up after 13 years in a coma to find herself smack dab in the 80's, institutionalized, and being pursued (haunted) by the very same crazed - and very dead - cult leader.  While the film doesn't have much to actually do with bad dreams, it does feature a deep sleep that it is actually scarier to wake from. 


SLEEP TIGHT(2011)
A wonderfully creepy and downright disturbing film, this thriller brought to us by Jaume Balagueró [.REC] tells the tale of Cesar (Luis Tosar), a man who as a concierge at an upscale apartment building, knows the residents inside and out. He's got an unseen mean streak though, and spends his days making the tenants completely dispirited and miserable. But he's got a soft spot for Clara (Marta Etura), and by that I mean he sneaks into her apartment before she gets home, hides under her bed, waits for her to fall asleep, then knocks her out with chloroform and crawls into bed with her. Not surprisingly, you'll be checking under your bed before you lie down to sleep after watching this one.

PHENOMENA (1985)
When student Jennifer Corvino (Jennifer Connelly) sleepwalks and witnesses a murder, it sets off a chain of events in which a bizarre connection she has with insects has the headmistress thinking she is evil.  She demands medical testing regarding her sleepwalking habits and declares her mentally ill, trying to force her into an asylum. But Jennifer escapes her clutches and befriends an entomologist who instead claims she has a gift, and the two use this psychic talent to try to discover the murderer.  Sleepwalking is unusually beneficial in this film, but is still unpredictable and at times, chilling. 


ADDICTED (2002)
This excellent South Korean thriller has Dae-jun (Lee Byung-hun, I Saw the Devil) and his brother, Ho-jun (Lee Eol) suffering a terrible tragedy at the same time but during different activities. Dae-jun is a race car driver and wrecks his car at the same time Ho-jun is also in a car accident rushing to get to Dae-jun's race. The two end up in comas, in the same hospital, on life support. Dae-Jun eventually comes to and is taken home to recuperate by his brother's wife, Eun-soo (Lee Mi-yeon). Soon she starts noticing strange similarities - Dae-jun is acting exactly like her husband is - so bizarre are the occurrences that the brothers' doctor finally comes to the assumption that the spirit of Ho-jun has entered Dae-jun, possessing him.  Those South Koreans really know how to confuse and entertain us.

ROSEMARY'S BABY (1968)
When you're in a horror film, there's no doubt bad things are going to happen.  However, in Roman Polanski's masterpiece, young Rosemary (Mia Farrow) gets more than she bargains for when she closes her eyes: she is raped by a demon in front of her husband and their eccentric neighbors. Was it all a dream? Apparently not, as she then becomes pregnant...and her hubby explains that he had sex with her while she was unconscious so they could conceive a child.  Grounds for divorce as far as I'm concerned.  As if that wasn't bad enough, the neighbors turn out to be Satanists and her child is the spawn of the devil.  Now if it really were only a dream...


THE CELL (2000)
I'm not sure messing around in the minds of coma patients is what I would call good medicine, but that's exactly what we have in the unusual film, The Cell.  Jennifer Lopez stars as Catherine Deane, a psychologist that is using a virtual reality device to try and help patients when she is convinced to enter the mind of a serial killer who has lapsed into a coma.  Naturally this does not bode well and it takes all her skill and finesse to wander around in the killer's mind and try to locate his latest victim. She becomes stuck in the dreams of the killer's altered state and it becomes a race against time to save both the victim and herself.  With bizarre imagery and even stranger plot points, The Cell is a beautiful work of art, besides being a valid thriller.


FLATLINERS (1990)
While not directly about sleep, this eerie film transports its characters into a realm that is between life and death, making it a valid entry here.  Five medical students take it upon themselves to put each other into a state of near-death in order to experience what it is like - is there a bright light? A tunnel? Are our loved ones there?  Well something is there, and in their experiments they discover something is quite possibly returning with them when they are shocked back to life. Flatlining, as they call it, causes hallucinations of the most horrifying kind and forces the students to own up to horrible things they have done in their past. With an all star cast including Kevin Bacon, Julia Roberts and Kiefer Sutherland, this is a mostly-forgotten creepy flick from the early nineties that deserves another look. 

DARKNESS FALLS (2003)
The tooth fairy has never really seemed like a frightening concept, but nothing is safe in horror. In the town of Darkness Falls, there is a legend of Matilda, an elderly woman who always gave out gifts when the children in town lost a tooth.  Unfortunately, after she is burned and disfigured in a fire, she develops an extreme aversion to light and always wears a creepy porcelain mask, causing the adults in town to distrust her.  They blame her when some kids go missing and she ends up dying of a broken heart, not before cursing the town to fear darkness. It's hard to imagine an entire film revolving around the fear of going to sleep when you lose a tooth, but here it is folks.


STIR OF ECHOES (1999)
Another excellent film starring Kevin Bacon, this film based on the story by Richard Matheson pits Tom Witzky (Bacon) against his own mind when his sister-in-law hypnotizes him at a party. When he awakens, something has changed and Tom starts having hallucinatory episodes in which he seems to be getting clues to the case of a missing neighborhood girl.  Obsession is not a strong enough word for Tom's mindset, as he tries to solve the case by putting together the fragmented pieces his mind shows him.  Hypnotism is a state of heightened awareness in which the hypnotized person appears asleep, but most certainly is not.  Perhaps one of the worst "types" of sleep, as you never know what your mind will bring back with you.


AWAKE (2007)
I can't imagine anything more horrifying than being put under anesthesia for surgery and not going under - having to live through the pain of having a scalpel cut you again and again while you lie on an operating table, seemingly in a surgical state. Anesthesia awareness is a medical term used when someone is not given an adequate amount of anesthetic for a surgical procedure and can feel what is going on, and it is the topic in the film Awake, starring Hayden Christensen and Jessica Alba.  Unfortunately for Clay (Christensen), he experiences this rare event during heart surgery and uncovers a devious plan formulated by his doctor and fiance to have the surgery fail to collect insurance money.  Awake was not well-received at the theater but it doesn't make the thought of actually being awake during surgery any less appalling.


DEAD OF NIGHT (1945)
This absolute gem from 1945 is one of the best anthology films in horror.  Walter Craig (Mervyn Johns) arrives at a country estate for a party and soon has an uncanny feeling that he knows everyone at the party and has actually even been having recurring dreams about each of them. The party-goers attempt to write off the man as having had a bit too much of the sauce, but when Walter seems able to predict events yet to come, the group breaks out with several stories of their own, all linked to the supernatural.  The stories are all of top-notch caliber, in particular the one involving the ventriloquist dummy (isn't that always the case, damn dolls!), and there is a twist ending that ties it all together in a nice neat bow at the end.  The question remains: is Walter dreaming, or is he just living a nightmare? (I'm still hoping for a Criterion DVD release on this one!)


SHADOW PEOPLE (2013)
Supposedly based on a true phenomenon, Shadow People is about a radio personality that delves into the idea that there is a presence lurking in the shadows - waiting for us to fall asleep so that they can attack. Apparently these victims wake up unable to talk or move, almost in a catatonic state.  Charlie Crowe (Dallas Roberts, The Walking Dead) gives a decent performance of a man obsessed, he cannot stop until he convinces everyone that the shadow people are real.  In the real world, shadow people are blamed as perpetrators of SUNDS (Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome), a phenomenon that is soaked in superstition and disbelief.  While it's hard to write off the nighttime death of a relatively healthy person, it's also hard to imagine that there is a preternatural reason for the event. 

IN DREAMS (1999)
After the murder of her young daughter, Claire Cooper (Annette Bening) begins to have terrifying dreams in which she sees visions of the serial killer responsible for the death of her daughter planning the murders of other children.  Thought to be completely off her rocker, she is committed to an asylum but manages to escape so that she can attempt to foil the deadly plans of the killer (convincingly played by pre-rehab Robert Downey Jr.). Her premonitions are actually one of the most believable things in this mediocre film, though, as there are way too many preposterous turn of events here to make it enjoyable. 


INSIDIOUS (2011)
Even though it goes off the rails a bit in the last act, Insidious is a hair-raising entry here if only for the dread-filled first half.  The Lambert family moves into to a  new home and at first, all seems fine. Until one day parents Josh and Renai (Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne) find their son unable to wake in the morning. Young Dalton (Ty Simpkins) is in a coma for no apparent reason. Turns out he is astral projecting into the "further" and unless his equally as gifted dad can go and retrieve him from the strange limbo he's in, the ghostly souls of the dead will keep Dalton there eternally.  Insidious: Chapter 2 hit theaters this fall and takes us further...into the further.

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS

  No discussion of sleep in film would be complete without a shout-out to Dream Warriors. Though we've already mentioned the original A Nightmare on Elm Street, this third installment is a franchise favorite and one of the best Freddy films. Kristin Parker (Patricia Arquette) is admitted to a mental ward after she dreams of Freddy slashing her wrists and when she wakes it looks like she was trying to commit suicide. In the hospital she meets several kindred sleepless souls, all plagued by Freddy in their dreams.  She also is comforted by Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp reprising her role) who is now a dream therapist and tries to help the group defeat Freddy. Some of the best dream sequences are in this film, especially when the others in the group experiment with group dreaming and hypnosis. Dream Warriors is really an exceptional installment in the NOES series, and can really stand on its own if necessary. 



INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1978)
In what is probably the most frightening of all sleep terror films, this highly regarded remake of the 1956 original makes sleep the deadliest activities due to an alien life form replicating you when you are asleep. Health inspector Matthew Bennell (Donald Sutherland), his colleague Elizabeth Driscoll (Brooke Adams), and their two friends Jack and Nancy Bellicec (Jeff Goldblum, Veronica Cartwright) have discovered that the people around them are all starting to lack personalities and have become secretive and detached from the activities of daily living.  They soon learn that aliens have arrived in the form of a flower, and that the pods are the host in which people are duplicated to become passive, complacent, unemotional members of society, hence allowing the aliens to take over without any fight or complications. As Veronica Cartwright's character so fiercely warns: "They get you when you sleep!"
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Halloween 2013: Kinky Sex And Horror: Part Two

October 30, 2013, 6:00 am
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On this day before the big holiday, Marie and I are coming at you with another round of what we all love best: kinky sex and horror.  In combination, of course.  If you missed the first part of the fun, you can go HERE and check it out.  If you're already caught up, then away we go!

Let's start out with a David Lynch classic. Seems appropriate...

BLUE VELVET (1986)
Dennis Hopper delivers another bizarre and compelling performance in David Lynch’s 1986 film. He costars as Frank, a creep who has kidnapped Dorothy’s (Isabella Rossellini) husband and child and now subjects her to his very weird idea of sex. Let’s just say it involves a blue velvet robe and Frank breathing heavily through a gas mask while wielding a pair of scissors. It is an extremely intense scene, one that has you writhing the whole painstaking time, but in a good way. /MR


BRAIN DAMAGE (1988)
When Brian (Rick Hearst) allows himself to be a willing host to a brain-eating parasite named Aylmer that looks perhaps unsurprisingly like a diseased penis, all bets are off.  Director Frank Henenlotter (Basket Case) balances humor and gore quite well here, as the parasite has Brian searching endlessly for victims that he can suck the brains out of.  The most amusing bit has Brian and a sleazy slut in an alley getting their groove on....until blowing your brains out takes on a whole new meaning. Aylmer shoots and scores! You've got to see this one to believe it, kids./CH

JACOB'S LADDER (1990)
Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins) has been going through a tough time as of late. After returning from the Vietnam War, there is no line drawn between nightmares and reality. His life is one grotesque hallucination after another. While all of Jacob’s visions are terrifying, one of the more memorable moments is when he finds himself on the dance floor of a party with his wife, who he turns to see dancing with some creature that’s somewhere between a dinosaur and an insect. A long stinger then impales his wife, coming out through her mouth. The whole thing is weirdly sexual, and a difficult visual to get out of your mind. /MR


HELLRAISER (1987)
Frank and Julia were already in a wild, forbidden relationship with apparently lots of kinky sex when Frank disappeared for a spell.  He messed around with an enigmatic puzzle box and bit off more than he could chew with the sadomasochistic Cenobites. When Julia and her current husband Larry (Frank's brother) move into the family home, Frank's remains are unintentionally (at first) reanimated by some spilled blood.  Julia discovers Frank in an upstairs bedroom and though he is in various states of reanimation, it doesn't stop her from wanting him back, kinky sex and all.  Hellraiser is a highly sexual film, combining pain and pleasure for the ultimate high./CH


THE SHINING (1980)
I’d like to make light of two scenes in Stanley Kubrick’s film. The first is probably obvious if you’ve seen the movie. The seen where Jack (Jack Nicholson) goes in to room 237 and finds a beautiful naked woman climbing out of the bathtub to embrace him. Things are getting steamy when Jack glances a look in the mirror to find that the woman in his arms is now elderly and in an advanced state of decomposure. The second is just a fleeting moment when the Overlook has unleashed all its ghosts on the Torrance family. Wendy (Shelley Duvall) is fleeing from her axe-wielding husband when she rushes past a hotel room where the door is ajar. Inside there’s a man in a dog suit giving some guy a blowjob. Pretty weird stuff, Kubrick…/MR


TEETH (2007)
Teenager Dawn belongs to an abstinence group and wears a purity ring. When she finally meets a boy she likes and he takes things too far one night, she bites off his penis with her vagina.  Yes, that's what I said.  After a heavy bout of Googling, Dawn realizes she has vagina dentata, a condition in which the vagina contains teeth.  Needless to say, Dawn begins using her bizarre malady to exact revenge on the too-eager boys and men in her life.  American Horror Story: Coven also boasts a story line this season on a young girl with the same condition. She too, becomes vengeful in her sexual endeavors./CH



THE ABC'S OF DEATH (2012)
While The ABC’s of Death is an anthology film that consists of 26 different segments (one for each letter of the alphabet), I am focusing on one in particular. It’s called “L is for Libido"and is directed by Timo Tjahjhanto. The concept is that a man finds himself strapped to a chair in a strange room; within the room are masked onlookers, another man strapped in a chair beside him, and a stage before them. The two men are part of some sick form of entertainment where they must watch various scenes sexuality and masturbate to them. Whoever gets off first lives another round. What’s even more fucked up is that the scenes that are intended for arousal become more and controversial with each round, eventually becoming downright disturbing. /MR

ANGEL HEART (1987)
Never one to back down from a sex scene, Mickey Rourke gives it his all in this chilling voodoo thriller. Not only does a man die of suffocation from having his own penis cut off and shoved down his throat, but Roarke's character Harry Angel has an utterly WILD sex scene with (Cosby girl) Lisa Bonet. It is probably some of the craziest, most realistic sex on film that you're likely to see in a film not rated X.  It was said that the bloody, graphic scene had to be trimmed for the R-rating and also that it was not simulated - that the two stars did indeed have sex during the scene. As an owner of the unrated version of the film, I'd have to agree with that thought. If not, those are some world class film editors and choreographers./CH



SPLICE (2009)
Clive (Adrien Body) and Elsa (Sarah Polley) are a husband and wife team of genetic engineers who are on the brink of something incredible. They are creating a life from using spliced DNA from various animals in hopes to make a medical breakthrough. However, they just can’t get it right, so Elsa decides to add some of her own DNA to the mix; and thus Dren is born. Dren is a rapidly developing humanoid creature that is one part sympathetic and five parts unsettling. When Elsa insists that they raise her like a daughter, it’s clear that this isn’t going to be a conventional family. However, what is completely uncalled for is one of the weirdest and more morally challenged sex scenes I’ve ever seen. /MR


CAT PEOPLE (1982)
So have we talked about incest yet? Maybe a little, you say?  Well here's a little more. Or a lot more, really.
In this remake of the vastly different original film, Irena Gallier (Nastassja Kinski) reconnects with her brother Paul (Malcolm McDowell) and discovers the hidden truth about her family heritage: they are a family of werecats - and her parents were brother and sister. Confused, Irena begins a relationship with Oliver (John Heard), conveniently a zookeeper. She pushes him away, knowing that if she consummates the relationship she will turn into a leopard. Eventually though, Oliver knows what he wants and ties Irena down to the bed and has his way with her. A very erotic film from start to finish, Cat People earns a spot on this list with very little effort. /CH


RE-ANIMATOR (1985)
Stuart Gordon’s classic campy adaptation of an H.P. Lovecraft story concerns Dr. Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs), who is fascinated with the idea of bringing the dead back to life through scientific means. His roommate, Dan (Bruce Abbott), and his girlfriend, Megan (Barbara Crampton), are concerned about the nature of West’s experiments; but not quite as concerned as their anatomy professor, Dr. Hill (David Gale). When Dr. Hill tries to put a stop to West, West ends up decapitating him and using him in an experiment. It works, and Dr. Hill takes the opportunity to act on his desire for Megan, strapping her down naked to a table, his body carrying his severed head in its hands… Now that’s what I call good head!/MR


*Editor's note:  There are still a slew of kinky films that we haven't touched upon as of yet, which can only mean one thing....Part Three.  Watch for it.
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Halloween 2013: Claustrobic Horror ~ Anxiety In Tight Quarters

October 31, 2013, 6:00 am
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Happy Halloween, all!  For our final post of the holiday month, Marie and I have chosen to spotlight films that are claustrophobic.  Movies that give us that horrible tense feeling of dread - of closed in places, of being locked in a building, of being stuck somewhere you can't get out of, or in a situation that gives you that extreme feeling of panic until you think you could just possibly lose what is left of your sanity.

Not a definitive list, mind you. Perhaps there is even room for a part two?

Can't you just feel the anxiety rising?  Aren't your palms starting to sweat just thinking about it? Let's dig in....

CUJO (1983)
I'm not sure anything could be more claustrophobic (or terrifying for that matter) than being stuck in a crappy Ford Pinto with a screaming child and a rabid St Bernard beating down your door. Dee Wallace should have had an Academy Award for her portrayal of Donna Trenton, a woman who, when dropping her faltering car off at a backyard mechanic's, comes in contact with a rabid house pet who just happens to be a two-hundred pound purebred with a raging case of rabies. Worse yet, she has her young son with her, making it all the more imperative to get the hell out of there. But the broken-down car, blazing hot sun, and a devastating case of rabies has something else in mind. Utterly harrowing! / CH


NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968)
A home is where you are supposed to feel safe. At the end of the day a roof, four walls, and a locked door are what you inevitably rely on for protection. Certainly, we assign responsibility to houses; you find yourself thinking, “Nothing could ever happen to me in my home!” In George A. Romero’s black and white classic, a group of people have all sought refuge from an increasing horde of zombies in a large house. However, feelings of sanctuary quickly diminish, as all attempts to barricade the doors and windows prove futile at the hands of the hungry horde. On top of that, tension is building between the refugees, making the air thicken with each knock and slap on the door. To make matters even worse, they weren’t ever safe in the house in the first place, for something is in there with them! / MR

BURIED (2010)
The ultimate in claustrophobia, Buried gives us the tale of Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds), an American working in Iraq who is captured and wakes up buried alive in a coffin, with only a lighter and a cell phone. Even though he does reach the US State Dept, he is told there is a firm policy of not negotiating with terrorists, who have asked for a 5 million dollar ransom for Conroy's release.  In the course of the grueling 94 minute running time, we as an audience feel as helpless and terrified as Paul does, in particular when bombs explode nearby and his coffin begins to fill with sand. Right up to the shocking ending, Buried takes its audience on a suffocating thrill ride from which there is no conceivably good result. /CH


THE DESCENT (2005)
Let me get this through to you: I hate caves. The very notion of them gets my skin creeping. I think a lot of people share this fear, or can at least very easily understand it, and that is what really made The Descent a truly terrifying film. A multi-cultural group of thrill-seeking female friends gather to explore an uncharted American cave. What kind of idea of fun is this?! They delve deeper and deeper, scrabbling through the smallest of openings before they are trapped by falling rocks. It is then revealed that the leader of the group has tossed away the map in the spirit of true adventure. I think all audience members experienced the same two emotions on first viewing: piss yourself then wring her neck! What’s worse is lurking in the dripping darkness are grotesque cannibalistic humanoid monsters! The tight spaces aren’t the only thing that inspires claustrophobia in The Descent; it’s also the notion that there quite possibly is no way out. /MR


CUBE (1997)
Five people trapped in a cube-type room struggle to understand both why they were taken and how they know each other. Rather reminiscent of an early Saw, the cube itself has multiple confusing colored rooms and deadly traps in store for the guests, but the film differs in that it requires some serious thought and even some mathematical skills to try to escape. While not the gritty (and gory) film that Saw is, it still has a very claustrophobic, helpless feel to it. /CH



DEVIL (2010)
I'm sure we've all been in an elevator at one time or another when we've felt a little bump, a sudden jolt perhaps. But there are probably very few of us who have actually been stuck in an elevator for any length of time. In this film, a group of five strangers become trapped between floors together - but that's not even the worst of it.  The lights go out, and when they come on, one of the five is dead.  And it doesn't stop there. The title is relevant because there is an old notion that the devil watches sinners and after taking human form he proceeds to entrap them in closed spaces and have them off one another. An interesting theory, no? /CH


SAW (2004)
An unimaginable scenario: you wake up in an unfamiliar room with a stranger and a dead body. Your shackled there and an ominous voice tells you that they only means of escape is to kill the other person or saw through your own leg. Like I said, it’s a completely unrealistic situation, and one that you will (hopefully) never find yourself in. All the same, it is incredibly easy to conjure feelings of dread, panic, and hopelessness. This isn’t the only scene that inspires that gnawing feeling of being trapped in Saw; nearly every scenario the sinister serial killer Jigsaw places his victims in can give anyone that “closed-in” sensation, for all have them quite literally trapped until they can complete the macabre task within a time limit. James Wan’s Saw is an essential and intense example of claustrophobia and body horror. /MR


THE MIST (2007)
Hey, at least they are trapped in a grocery store, right?  When members of a small town in Maine are besieged by unknown predators, the tight quarters of a local business tests the resolve - and the morals - of everyone inside.  Something, no- lots of somethings, hover outside the walls of the market and will do anything to get inside, leaving the group nearly helpless against the wrath of said interlopers. They start fighting amongst themselves, and it becomes more of a battle against each other instead of the menacing creatures preying on them from the outside. With as bleak an ending in horror as I've ever seen, this is one film that boils your nerves from the inside out. /CH

THE LAST WINTER (2006)
Very much like The Thing in theory and freezing locale, a group of environmentalists in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge are working at a drilling base, far from civilization. When one of the team is found dead out in the snow, the team blames sour gas, but in fact it may be something much more sinister. The extreme Arctic tundra seems like it would be a wide open canvas and difficult to be smothered in, but the feeling of hopelessness and pure fear put the entire team on edge, and that claustrophobic feeling of dread eases its way into the camp. Snow is almost always stifling, and in this case even more so with the alienation of the extreme location. /CH

GRAVE ENCOUNTERS (2011)
A group of filmmakers are shooting a paranormal reality TV show called “Grave Encounters”, in which they explore allegedly haunted buildings. This found-footage style film puts us in the perspective of those filmmakers as they are filming an episode in an abandoned Canadian mental hospital. For dramatic effect they lock themselves inside the spooky old building after nightfall and begin to explore. They are surprised to find that not only is the place actually haunted, it seems to have its own form of intelligence. The building begins playing tricks on them, changing its layout, creating dead ends and making doors disappear. The pitch-black asylum, which once seemed almost labyrinthine, has suddenly become very small and close. Panic rises in the steadily depleting survivors as they come to term with the idea that they may be trapped there… forever./MR


MISERY (1990)
Number One fans aside, Misery is one claustrophobic bitch of a film. We all know the story: Paul Sheldon wrecks his car and is miraculously saved by one Annie Wilkes, a beastly woman that takes him back to her humble abode in the middle of nowhere and nurses him back to health. Only thing is, she has designs on keeping him there forever.  Trapped by his injuries in a small upstairs bedroom, Annie forces him to write a novel bringing back the heroine he killed off in his last book. She locks him in with a typewriter and little else and her moods change as quickly as the chapters fly by.  A godawful predicament to be in, and a seriously panic-inducing dread hovers over the entire film. /CH


PANIC ROOM (2002)
Jodie Foster and Kristen Stewart play a mother and daughter whose new home is invaded by burglars, causing them to hide inside the panic room of the brownstone. The previous owner had installed it and hid a fortune in a safe - inside the panic room. An action-packed thriller from the word go, it has a terribly claustrophobic feel to it because of them being stuck in that godforsaken room for so long. Add to that the feeling of intrusion and invasion and you've got a tense, taut film that rivals anything of its kind./CH

THE SHINING (1980)
Surely you are all familiar with Stanley Kubrick’s classic tale of harrowing isolation. The Torrance family, headed by Jack (Jack Nicholson) are employed to stay at the sprawling Overlook Hotel during it’s closing of the winter season. The reason it closes is because it is set high up in the mountains and it is nearly impossible to access after a heavy snow. Unfortunately for the Torrances’ it is a deadly place to be stuck, as evil supernatural forces make themselves known in various forms. The already tightly wound Jack develops cabin fever, and is manipulated by the spirits to chase his family around the seemingly empty hotel with an axe. With no way of contacting the outside world, and fewer and fewer places to hide, the tension and terror is as suffocating as the piling snow. /MR


REPULSION (1965)
Carol (Catherine Deneuve) is a naturally nervous person. She lives in a London apartment with her sister, Helen (Yvonne Furneaux), who spends most of her free time banging her married boyfriend. Carol’s fear and revulsion of men grows with each interaction, and even materialized into disturbing nightmares where a man breaks into her home and molests her. Rather than leave the damned apartment or seek help, Carol locks herself inside of it and descends further and further into madness. What makes this film all the more harrowing is that Carol almost compels her own torment, trapping herself in the apartment while one monster after another attempts to claw its way in. / MR


ALIEN (1979)
Yes it's true: in space, no one can hear you scream.  One of my all-time favorite films is a sure pick here. Alien is just as suffocating example of horror as I can possibly think of.  Many sci-fi films depict a group of adventurers/astronauts/etc. having some kind of horrible accident or space monster making their lives miserable, but no film before and certainly no film after is able to capture the unbelievable dread of being helpless in space like Alien. While it would seem like space is a vast frontier and it would be impossible to feel closed in, when you are on a spaceship that has been invaded by an alien creature and there's no where left to run, you can only feel a choking sensation of horror and panic.  This, my friends, is the essence of Alien.  Be afraid. /CH

[.REC] (2007)
Television reporter Angela Vidal (Manuela Velasco) and her cameraman (Pablo Rosso) are following the local fire department on their night shift. They film them answering a call about an old woman trapped in her apartment. However, when they breakdown the door they find her in a deranged state, and she lunges forward and bites one of the fireman. A violent infection spreads quickly through the building, and everyone inside is forced to be quarantined. Angela demands that they keep rolling throughout the entire ordeal, not knowing the hell they are about to endure. What in essence is more horrifying than the zombies in REC is the notion of being locked up in a building of strangers, and basically being told that you must wait there until everyone dies! / MR


THE THING (1982)
The Thing is one of my favorite movies, and can be used as a great example for a number of things, and claustrophobic is certainly one of them. A group of researchers stationed in Antarctica are in for a night of survival when an alien life form begins to wreak havoc. A very tense and creepy film, it isn’t hard to feel what the characters are feeling—trapped by the small area they are given, surrounded by impenetrable tundra. Survival is little more than a game of hide and seek until someone can step up and destroy that which wants to consume them. /MR


THE VANISHING (1988)
A film of profoundly good standards, The Vanishing stands as one of my favorite thrillers of all time, but it is just one part of the film that lands it on this list.  I would never give the most important plot points away, so I don't have much to say here except: SEE THIS FILM.  It will stick in your head forever, I'm warning you.
Oh, and forget the American remake, not worth a bit of your time. /CH


DAS BOOT (1981)
I'm well aware that Das Boot is not a horror movie. But this German war film is not only one of the most impressive films ever made, but one of the most frightening examples of claustrophobia, ever.  The crew of a German submarine during WWII endures some of the most brutal conditions known to man - horrific storms, enemy attacks, food rationing, cramped quarters, no light for weeks on end... it is a never ending case of cabin fever and a terrifying look at how many soldiers - from both sides - dealt with war-time conditions and a slowly deteriorating outlook on war and life itself.  Altogether depressing and yet oh-so brilliant.
Note: The horror film Below (2002) also explores claustrophobic horror on a WWII-era submarine, but throws in a ghostly angle that makes it a must-see. It's not well known but is truly creepy and worth a look!/CH

*So that's all we have for you at the moment, but there are a bunch of films running through my head that fit this bill as well - so be prepared, part two is imminent.


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Haunter (2013): A Supernatural Groundhog Day

November 9, 2013, 8:41 am
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~review by Marie Robinson

For those of you who are fed up with the lack of originality in recent horror cinema, consider Haunter a beacon in the darkness. This Canadian supernatural sleeper comes to us from director Vincenzo Natali (Splice, Cube), and writer Brian King (Night Train).

It stars Abigail Breslin (Zombieland) as Lisa, a moody teenager with a music taste pretty similar to mine. What is really troubling her, though, is that she is stuck reliving the same day in 1985 over and over again, while her parents and little brother are seemingly oblivious. She tries desperately to break the routine and bring her family members to the realization that they are all dead.

When Lisa challenges the monotonousness she is threatened by a grim entity credited as the Pale Man (Stephen McHattie). He warns not to meddle with his arrangement, or try and contact the living, as she has been trying to do by way of an Ouija board, or she will suffer a fate worse than death.

Unfortunately, this is really all the plot information I feel comfortable giving you. However, let me reinstate that this is a very original concept and there is plenty more storyline to follow where I left off. It is a slow-burner, so events take place very gradually over the course of the film, but I don’t fear you’ll have trouble staying interested in Haunter.

While an unconventional storyline, well-developed characters and lovely cinematography are a few qualities that make Haunter a good film, the performances are what truly bring it to life. Abigail Breslin has been a promising actress from the start, and at age 17 she is only getting better. Her acting is flawless, compelling, and extremely impressive from a performer her age. I sincerely hope she continues to do more genre work—we could use a few new scream queens!

Another favorite of mine is Stephen McHattie (Pontypool); his face is so deliciously expressive he could easily give an entrancing performance without speaking, but then you would be robbed of his wonderful voice. McHattie has been in a fair amount of genre work in his day, such as Tales from the Darkside, The Twilight Zone (1980’s series), The X-Files, and plenty of others, and it looks like there’s only more to come. His upcoming films include the disturbing and psychological Torment (2013), and Hellmouth (2013), which is directed by John Geddes (Exit Humanity, also featuring McHattie), and written by Tony Burgess (Pontypool).

So far I am quite the fan of Natali’s work and I’m very excited to see what he has next—which is apparently a segment in the ABC’s of Death 2, set for a 2014 release.
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Skinwalker Ranch (2013) : Superstition, Folklore, And Yet More Found Footage.....

November 22, 2013, 1:53 pm
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~review by Marie Robinson

The 2013 found-footage film Skinwalker Ranch, directed by Devin McGinn, is inspired by the real-life location of the same name.

Skinwalker Ranch—originally Sherman Ranch—located in Utah in a place called Bottle Hollow is believed to be the site of various paranormal phenomena. Among the claims are UFO’s, mysterious lights, disembodied voices, and enormous wolf. The ranch was popularized by journalist George Knapp, who penned several articles concerning peculiar activity on the ranch and later co-authored a book with research scientist Colm Kelleher.

"Navajo skinwalker"
Kelleher was Deputy Administrator for the Las Vegas based organization, National Institute for Discovery Science, which researched the paranormal before it disbanded in 2004 after only nine years. In Knapp and Kelleher’s book, Hunt for the Skinwalker: Science Confronts the Unexplained at a Remote Ranch in Utah, they chronicle the supposed unexplainable events they encountered when they brought a team from NIDSci onto the ranch.

I should also briefly explain where Skinwalker Ranch gets its bizarre name. A skinwalker is a creature from Native American folklore, particularly among the Navajo. More specifically it is a person, usually described as a witch, who has the ability to take the form of animals—they are able to do this by wearing the pelt of the animal. Skinwalkers are extremely feared among Native Americans as they are considered to be evil and are known to terrorize innocent people. The ranch received its name from the belief that a skinwalker is responsible for all of the strange activity that surrounds it.

The film draws loosely from the ranch’s history and superstition. We are introduced to a band of amateur investigators who have been given permission by the ranch’s owner to explore the mysterious property. The owner, Hoyt (Jon Gries), has been driven to desperation after the tragic and curious disappearance of his young son, who one day simply vanished without a trace. Since his loss Hoyt has isolated himself on the ranch and become the local nut job, but welcomes the team of investigators, whom he believes are there to help find his son.

The team, led by Sam (Steven Berg), a field scientist for a research organization called MDE (Modern Defense Enterprises). Joining him is an old friend, Cameron (played by the director, McGinn), an investigative reporter acting as a third-party. The other members of the team are a local veterinarian, a couple techies, and a cameraman. Cameron, the resident skeptic, is quickly faced with a terrifying epiphany, as the supernatural activity on the ranch grows more frequent and more bizarre while remaining inexplicable. With each passing night the crew witnesses everything from the apparition of Hoyt’s missing son, mutilated livestock, mysterious idling vehicles, and the giant wolf of legend, and it isn’t long until it isn’t just the UNNECESSARY dog being killed.

While I’m aware that all the supposed paranormal activity at Skinwalker Ranch is so intriguing because it fails to be explained by science and logic, this film asks more questions than it answers. Piling weird events and creepy scenes on top of each other does not make a good movie, and that’s really all Skinwalker Ranch accomplishes. Sure, there were some chilling moments in the film and perhaps even a touch of good old-fashioned tension, but it fails to create any depth, and even gets shallower as it rambles on. In fact, I even thought it started out pretty interesting, and appeared to be a somewhat researched film as theories on the paranormal are introduced along with each occurrence. But then it just boiled down to cheesy UFO conspiracy theories with absolutely no reward at the end.

Although Skinwalker Ranch failed to impress me, I would like to welcome new director Devin McGinn. A debut is a tricky thing, and pretty much impossible to do perfectly, so I will gladly keep McGinn under my radar and check out what he has coming next.
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Jug Face (2013) ~ The Pit Wants What It Wants

November 24, 2013, 6:00 am
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Movies about "backwoods horror" seem to be a dime a dozen these days, with films that echo the feel of Deliverance with dashes of The Hills Have Eyes peppered throughout...so it's hard to find something that is truly different within that sub-genre.  At first glance, Jug Face may not really catch your eye as something unique, but after viewing it I've pretty much decided it's the most original film I've seen at least all this year.

Writer/director Chad Crawford Kinkle has created a tale that besides fitting into the horror genre really gives us a slice of life that most of us thankfully aren't privy to and perhaps even have a primal fear of on many levels.  Many of us consider ourselves poor - complaining that we don't have enough money to take that vacation to Jamaica or even to make this month's rent.  But I'm talking destitute here. Not enough food to eat.  Defecating in a bucket.  Washing clothes in the local river by hand.  Scraping up road kill off the highway for dinner.

In the poverty-striken back woods of an unnamed location (could be Tennessee, could be eastern Georgia...who knows?), several families make up a community that live by their own set of rules and principles. Strangest of all is their primary focus on what the "pit" wants.  Yes, a real pit.  A hole in the ground with a deep, percolating puddle of muddy goo that apparently speaks to one of the townsfolk, demanding human sacrifices on random occasions to keep the little colony of residents "safe". Said resident is Dawai (Sean Bridgers, The Woman), who has a keen understanding of what the pit is asking for and in turn makes a jug face - quite literally he crafts a piece of pottery with the face of the requested sacrifice on it.

Because they have dwindling numbers, there is little to pick from in the gene pool as far as mating goes. Hence, that is perhaps the excuse we are to believe when we meet Ada (Lauren Ashley Carter), who is shamelessly attracted to Jessaby (Daniel Manche) - whom we are soon to find out is her brother.  One of the first scenes is the two of them having sex against a tree, and it's obvious (before we even know their connection) that the tryst is forbidden.  And even though we should be repulsed by the copulation, for some reason it just doesn't seem that awful. 

Once we meet Ada's parents - the hardened Loriss (Sean Young) and community leader and lead moonshine-maker Sustin (Larry Fessenden, a legend in the genre!), it's obvious that Ada has a rough time. She is their only daughter and has been promised to one of the only men left to choose from - a chubby dolt named Bodey (Mathieu Whitman). As preparations are made for their "joining", Ada finds out two things. One, she's pregnant with her brother's child. And two: she is the next ritual sacrifice.  She finds the jug with her face on it and promptly stows it away in the woods, hiding it so it cannot be used. 

Dawai, the maker of the jugs, is sweet on Ada, and when the jug comes up missing he says nothing and crafts another, this one with the face of Bodey.  But the pit will not be fooled. And that's when things go terribly awry.

I hate to give away more plot details, as the story itself is sparse. But meager as it may be, it packs a punch in the short running time.  There are frights in here that have nothing to do with the ominous pit of death.  In one scene, Lorris is determined to make sure Ada is still a virgin and hasn't disgraced the family before her joining. She forces her to sit on the toilet and spread her legs while she does an exam ten times more thorough than the gynecologist ever thought of.  And as Ada hesitates and squirms, her mother burns her inner thigh with a cigarette.  And the scene when Sustin and Ada are in town selling their moonshine to a local store -Sustin stops to pick up a dead possum off the road for supper....Gah!

Most of us cannot imagine living like this. Without our comfortable houses and apartments, countless mobile devices, that new Jeep Wrangler, and a drive thru at Taco Bell in our lives it would be unthinkable.  To scrape together a dinner of roadkill and a romp with a sibling? Unheard of.  These are the things that made me the most uncomfortable watchingJug Face.  Oh yes, there is blood. The pit demands sacrifice to keep things in the community in line, and when we do get that there is some nice gore for the blood-hounds out there. 

And it is in these moments that I though it was the only place where the film slipped a little bit.  The sacrifices are "told" to Dawai - and later through Ada - by a seizure-like possession, in which the camera shakes and we get characters with milky eyes and screaming.  There is also a ghostly character that the community has named "the shunned one" that in my opinion could have been completely eliminated and the film would have still worked.

There is much to be said about the truly excellent performances by the lead roles here.  Lauren Ashley Carter is perfect as Ada, a down-trodden teenager with no future but a big heart.  Scenes in which she cares for her mute grandfather are touching and yet difficult to watch due to the reprehensible conditions the old man is living in.  I can't imagine Carter not having a nice career in front of her. Her unusual yet pretty features make her like the girl next door. (Albeit maybe the anorexic book-worm next door, but you get my drift.)

And you can certainly tell Fessenden had fun with this one.  The man behind such films as Habit, Wendigo, and The Last Winter didn't let low budgets hold him back from playing the role with flavor.  Additionally, both Sean Young and Sean Bridgers were flawless in their portrayals of the callous matriarch and prophetic lunkhead, respectively.

Part of the film's charm, if we can call it that, is the fact that the characters aren't caricatures of backwoods hicks. Of course there is the obvious "village idiot" language that screams hillbilly, but the people are genuine, not freaks ready to cut your heart out if you cross onto their property. You can feel honest sympathy for them and the gloomy lifestyle that they lead because regardless of their tax-bracket, they are earnest in their poverty and never once take on a woe-is-me attitude. They just accept life as it comes. Oh, and they worship and live by the rules of a supernatural pit of doom.  But hey, to each his own.

I'll be interested in seeing what Chad Crawford Kinkle has in store for us next.  It's obvious his heart and soul went into Jug Face, and if his next idea is as original as this one, we should be in for a real treat.


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Thanks Be To Horror, Part 1

November 26, 2013, 5:00 am
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All over social media, I've been seeing these posts throughout November in which people post day by day things they are thankful for, as in "Nov 15: I'm thankful for Starbucks gingerbread lattes, they make my entire existence worthwhile!" Now, I'm not one to look down on that, and I'm certainly all about joining in any kind of meme or list-a-thon, so I thought I'd do something similar here on Fascination with Fear.  But I'm not going to do day-by-day postings, I'm just doing the whole damn thing at once.  As in, there are thirty days in November - hence, I'm posting thirty things I'm thankful for, with a horror twist.

I'm already eternally thankful for the big three: my husband, family and friends. And everyone already knows how much I love my cats, Bob Marley, spaghetti, and the Outer Banks. That's all common knowledge, so I'm not boring you with any of that.  What follows is a list of things that make me the happiest about horror, whether it is a single film or a sub-genre, a character or a book I love....it's all here.  This is how this horror fan says how grateful I am to be a part of this wonderful genre we all know and love.

1) Stephen King ~ Yes, I thought I'd start with one of the biggies.  King shaped my love of horror at a very tender age. I was probably eleven or so when I first picked up The Shining and I'm not kidding you when I say it changed my life. And he keeps upping the ante. This year's Joyland only goes to prove he still "has it" and the release of Doctor Sleep (the long-awaited sequel to The Shining) shows he still has a love of the game. So, thank you Stephen, for being your warped, twisted, brilliant self.  Thanks also for being a truly stand-up guy who gives back, as well.  Things like that do not go unnoticed.

2) Indie Horror ~ While I always ramble about the big name movies that everyone else does (because yes, Psycho, Jaws and The Exorcist really ARE that good), I still love to find an independent film that knocks my socks off and is unlike anything an obnoxiously over-hyped major studio film puts out.  For instance, films like Lake Mungo, The Pact, Absentia, Midnight Son, and Jug Face are just a few of the many movies that have blown me away in recent years and it is the independent filmmaker that I most admire, toiling over his tiny production with the heart and soul that is missing from most big productions. Thanks go out to every indie writer/director/producer that makes strides to entertain us.  I for one, appreciate the hell out of it.

3) Norman Bates ~ Might as well get this one out of the way because you all know it was coming anyway. Norman is my absolute favorite character in film, any genre. And though I enjoy young Freddie Highmore as the younger version of the ultimate mama's boy in television's Bates Motel, the brilliance in which it is played in the Psycho film series by Anthony Perkins is chillingly awesome. I've come to realize I think I would have fallen dangerously head over heels in love with Norman if he were real. And that's the scariest thing of all.

4) Horror television ~ While we're talking about Bates Motel, I may as well thank the television gods for the plethora of amazing genre shows that are on these days.  Is it just me or is horror on TV becoming extremely fashionable in recent times?  With the undisputed king of television The Walking Dead pulling in insanely high numbers (beating all other shows, even the basic channels), someone out there is finally getting it.  And the shows continue to pile up: Bates Motel, Dracula, The Vampire Diaries, Hannibal, True Blood, Hemlock Grove, Game of Thrones, Witches of East End, The Following, Sleepy Hollow, Supernatural, The Originals, Being Human, The Returned, Grimm, Under the Dome, and of course the fabulously delicious American Horror Story....there's no end in sight.  Which is awesome. My DVR can't keep up!

6) Jimmy Stewart ~ It might seem strange to put an actor who was so famous in film, in general, up here on a horror list. But his films with Alfred Hitchcock are the stuff of legend.  Rope (1948), Rear Window (1954), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956 ), and Vertigo (1958) are four of Hitch's best, and I'm certain Stewart was the reason for that.  Rear Window is sheer brilliance, and one of my favorite films.  But Vertigo is the one I seem to come back to most often for another look. It's captivating and mysterious, with Stewart doing some of his best work. On a side note, Stewart was born only 25 miles away from where I live. I've seen where he grew up and live in the same area, so I feel closer to him somehow. It sounds sappy and it is, but it makes me happy, so there.

7) The Shining ~ As I indicated above, The Shining has been one of the biggest influences on me in horror, all around. The book is my second favorite of anything I've read (Straub's Ghost Story is first) and the palpable fear within that book just spreads like wildfire till the exciting conclusion.  Likewise, Stanley Kubrick's The Shining (1980) is such a slow-burning, tension-filled film that had me at the opening credits. I haven't really rambled on about it any any length on the blog because everyone already knows what a brilliant piece of filmmaking it is (even though King dislikes it I feel it stands alone well too, without telling the exact same story King penned).  And even though many say Jack Nicholson went over the top in his performance as Jack Torrance, I think it is the perfect mix of crazy and controlled.

8) The Theater Experience ~ I'm thankful that I still feel a need to entertain myself by going to the movies and seeing horror on the big screen. I generally go see horror films alone because my hubby never feels the need to spend his hard-earned cash on something he can watch in the comfort of his own home in three months. That said, I love going to see a film a few weeks after its release, just about when they are ready to stop showing it.  I can generally have the whole theater to myself.  I've seen tons of films this way and it's a creepy but rewarding experience. This year, among other, I saw The Conjuring and You're Next alone.  I totally dig the feeling of isolation and fear.

9) Dark Jewelry ~ By dark I mean things like bats, crows, and owls.  I'm very much into these kinds of expressions of horror and own several pieces. I'm always looking for something new, and this year I bought a spiderweb necklace with dangling spider. I also love those skull bracelets that are popular and I have a penchant for crescent moons as well.  While I never go huge and cumbersome and I'm not much for coffins, crosses, dragons, or big skulls, I do like subtle accents here and there. It's the real me.

10) The Criterion Collection ~ In the last few years I've been collecting some of the great films Criterion is offering, and they have plenty of horror to choose from.  These editions of classics are top-notch special editions that generally have a nice selection of bonus features and are quite frankly the definitive version of the film. This year I splurged on myself and bought five: The Uninvited (1941), Carnival of Souls (1962), Eyes Without A Face (1960), The Vanishing (1988) and Sisters (1973). I also own Diabolique (1955), Kwaidan (1964), Rosemary's Baby (1968), and The Devil's Backbone (2001). The film I am most waiting for a Criterion release?  1945's Dead of Night!  Hopefully someday!

I'll be back with part two......

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Thanks Be To Horror, Part 2

November 28, 2013, 5:00 am
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Happy Thanksgiving!! As we Americans celebrate turkey day, I hope everyone has at least one thing they are thankful for in their lives. I've got tons, including my humble list of horror thank you's!  If you missed part one, click HERE.
And here's the second of three parts...

11) Ghost Stories. This could go two ways.  I'm a huge fan of both the written word and the silver screen when it comes to ghosts.  It doesn't even have to be dark out, if I'm watching or reading a ghost story I am completely immersed. I can look up and see shadows in corners and just simply freak out. This sub-genre branches out in so many ways.  While I'm not as big a fan of the ghost hunting shows as Marie, I appreciate the spookiness of it.  It's the found footage that I can live without.  But if there is anything that will get me to a theater fast, it's a ghost story.  I'm always looking for the next best one...


12) Mainstream starsdoing horror. I'm talking people like Paul Giamatti (John Dies at the End), Julianne Moore (Carrie), and most certainly Angela Bassett and Jessica Lange in television's American Horror Story, among many others.  At last, it doesn't seem like such a career-ending move as it used to be.  I could sit and watch Lange chew scenery for hours on end. Horror isn't quite the red-headed stepchild anymore. Things are on the upswing. Respect is at hand! Now all we need is someone to call Meryl Streep and offer her the next Chucky movie and we'll be all set!


13) The return of Hammer.  As someone who thrived on watching old Hammer films on Saturday afternoons as a kid, all I can do is thank the powers that be for raising that studio from the dead. With filmslike Let Me In  (2010), Wake Wood (2011) and the remake of The Woman in Black (2012), I think they are well on their way to being a force to be reckoned with in the future of horror.  And it's so nice to see their name on the opening credits again.  I know Marie agrees with me on this one, we're both psyched to be here for the ride.


14) Vampires are still alive and well.  Yes, True Blood is ending next year. I do realize that. But I don't think there's ever a time when vampires aren't popular in horror crowds. The unfortunate business that was Twilight didn't do the fanged ones any favors, but TV shows like Dracula, The Originals, True Blood and the upcoming series based on Guillermo del Toro's trilogy The Strain, as well as movies like Byzantium and Midnight Son are making it safe to like vampires again.  As if there was any doubt!


15) The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh~ I saw this film for the fist time a month or so ago and if I'm being honest, I loved it.  It is written and directed by Rodrigo Gudiño (of Rue Morgue fame) and tells the tale of a man who was estranged from his mother but goes back to clean out her home and settle her affairs but finds more than he bargains for.  It's a slow burn, and many people might become bored with it before the wings of this butterfly unfurl.  The home in which it was filmed is packed full of unusual and even creepy artifacts and mementos (which is part of the story itself) and this makes it one of my favorite houses in horror.  And speaking of mainstream stars...Vanessa Redgrave plays the title character, and though we really only hear her voice - what a voice it is.  Give this one a chance.


16) The horror classics.  I don't think I've ever praised the stories that started it all. Frankenstein, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dracula, The Phantom of the Opera, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Turn of the Screw, The Tell Tale Heart, The Case of Charles Dexter Ward..these are some of my favorites, but I also love Jane Eyre and The Woman in White....Anything by Lovecraft, M.R. James, Edgar Allan Poe. The more recent The Haunting of Hill House, The Woman in Black, I Am Legend..... There are so many wonderful authors out there and their stories are timeless. Probably why I've read all of them several times.


17) Italian horror ~ Anyone who's read this blog for any length of time would have to know of my love of Italian genre films. In particular the films of Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, and Mario Bava. I love not only the giallo films, but stand alone films as well as Fulci's popular zombie films.  The gorgeous, artistic talent of Argento, the so-called godfather of giallo Mario Bava, and the gory beauty of Fulci's zombie flicks have long been favorites of mine. While many other foreign countries have films I love (France and Japan among them), the Italians strike a nerve of mine...and I've never looked back.


18) JAWS - It's not a secret that Jaws is my favorite film. The perfection of the script, the brilliant direction, frighteningly good cinematography and of course, the impeccable casting all comes together for an experience of sheer terror unsurpassed in most of film. It's not the first scary movie I saw, certainly not the last...but definitely the film that left the biggest impression on my psyche. Even though I vacation there every spring, I am still terrified of the ocean. Only one guess why.


19) My personal DVD collection ~ I have a ridiculously large collection of horror DVD's. I'm not trying to win a medal or get special recognition, I'm just stating a fact.  I own a ton of films. And this, to me, is comfort. When I'm feeling down or having a bad day at work, I want to know that I can go home and pull Martyrs off my shelf and feel ten times better about my own situation (because of the profound horror the main characters go through), or I can grab up Psycho - one of my "comfort horror" films - throw it in the DVD player, and relax with a movie I know line for line and never tire of watching. It might sound weird, but it works for me. My only problem is that I'm running out of room to store them....


20) GODZILLA (2014) - As a huge fan of the original monster, I'm fairly psyched to see this new version, which is saying a lot because I'm not a big fan of remakes. I don't think I need to say more, as this trailer pretty much speaks for itself. Go here:  http://vimeo.com/80439501
(If the link doesn't work I'm sorry, it seems this film is top secret and all the links to the teaser trailer are constantly being taken down all the time.)

*Stay tuned for the final third of my thank you's!!

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Thanks Be to Horror, Part 3

November 29, 2013, 6:37 pm
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We've reached the final part of my thankful posts here in part 3.  I'm thankful for all the blessings in my life, but certainly one of the things I hold most dear is my love of the genre that defines who I am, makes me happy when I'm down, and gives me the fulfillment in life that many people lack.  Horror in its many forms is the light at the end of my tunnel and the very marrow of my existence.
And with that sentiment, I give you the remainder of my list of gratefulness....

21) 80's Horror ~ I wouldn't be where I am today without having seen such films as Friday the 13th, April Fool's Day, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Creepshow, Night of the Comet, The Evil Dead, Pumpkinhead, The Lost Boys....the list goes on and on.  I was a teenager in the eighties, so I saw a lot of classic horror films at the theater, where they formed my love of the genre and had me seeking out more.  Though many of my favorite horror films were made in the 70's, if I hadn't seen those 80's standards, I may not have been as drawn to the genre and god forbid - might be writing a blog about bad romantic comedies.... Gah!


22) Screeners ~ Ordinarily I wouldn't think to say thanks for receiving screeners of films in the mail from production companies, but here's my chance to be grateful. I've discovered a lot of hidden gems (and a bunch of throwaways, truth be told) this way, and I have to give a shout out to anyone and everyone that has ever sent me a movie in the mail.  Don't be discouraged if I didn't review your film.  I get a lot in the mail and I watch a ton that I never get a chance to write about for one reason or another.  In any event, thank you for sending me your work. It's always appreciated.  This goes for all the ARC books I've gotten as well.  Like I said, chances are I've read your work, but I don't have enough time in my day to get up reviews of everything.  It could still happen though!!  Regardless, thank you!


23) Hitchcock ~ To my favorite director:  I love you and thank you for making my life complete. I don't own all your films yet, but I'm working on it. Thank you most of all for Psycho. I know it wasn't easy getting that film made, but damn if it wasn't worth it. Appreciative thanks also for Vertigo, The Birds, Strangers on a Train, Dial M for Murder, Rear Window, and Notorious.  While I like pretty much everything of yours I've seen, those seven movies are my favorites. I've heard a lot about you being one weird bird, but I'm guessing that craziness served you well. It certainly helped me fall in love with your work. Thanks again, Hitch!


24) The Top Secret Eli Roth Project ~ While I can't say a lot right now, I will say that I've been given a profoundly exciting writing opportunity to be a part of something that is going to change horror substantially in the future. Both Marie and I will be writing for this special project, and just knowing that Eli Roth is behind it and has his people hand-picking the writing staff has me pretty psyched. We'll be working with some awesome fellow writers and friends, and believe me when I say this is going to be big.  Coming VERY SOON.
*For now, follow us on Twitter: @fearthecrypt, Facebook, and online at http://www.fearthecrypt.com/


25) Quiet Horror ~ I'm in love with the quiet horror film.  Movies that are subtle, slow-burners that although they don't have chainsaws, car chases, or people screaming while running through the woods, still pack a punch. Films like Session 9, The Abandoned, The Orphanage, The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh, Dead Birds, Let's Scare Jessica to Death, The Eclipse, The Woman in Black, The Eye, The Innkeepers, The Ninth Gate, even The Strangers...films that don't scream at you but still make you think.  Many ghost stories are like this, which probably goes hand in hand with the fact that ghost stories are my favorite sub-genre.


26) Fellow Horror Bloggers ~ I couldn't let the opportunity pass me by to say thank you to all the bloggers out there toiling away on their blogs, writing about their passion for horror.  I read so many blogs that I couldn't possibly list them all. And I've made some truly wonderful friends in this crazy community, some of which I consider extended family. And even though there is a lot of fighting and reprehensible behavior at times within this genre and those who write about it, there's a love and understanding that reaches far beyond the bad vibes.  So thanks to all my friends out there, keep up the great work!


27) Nox Arcana & Midnight Syndicate.  I think the first time I heard Midnight Syndicate was on vacation at the Outer Banks. There is a gigantic Christmas store in Manteo, N.C., and their top floor is a Halloween shop. I was perusing the wares and was suddenly aware of the most enchantingly creepy music playing in the background. Low and behold, I'd found the soundtrack to my life. Discovering Nox Arcana soon afterwards only added to my glee. Believe me, if you haven't experienced the haunting, gothic music that both of these artists bring to the table, you're really missing out.  Check out their websites with samples: NOX ARCANA and MIDNIGHT SYNDICATE. And of course you can buy both on Amazon.com and iTunes.


28) Michael Myers ~ Jason and Freddie don't have anything on my main man Michael.  Nor does that ugly sumbitch Leatherface or the S & M pretty-boy Pinhead. I'm thankful for Michael because the dude taught me fear. He taught me that blood and guts do not necessarily a suspenseful movie make. I love his no-nonsense attitude. He's pissed and he doesn't really have to tell you why. He just kills. I realize that when Halloween part II came out it introduced the whole sister angle, but I prefer to think of Mikey as simply, The Shape. No rhyme or reason to his killings, he is just pure and simply, evil.  By far the most intimidating slasher, period.


29)  Anticipation.  In the horror genre, I sometimes feel like the anticipation of the latest book, movie or television show is almost as exciting than the show itself.  When it was announced that The Walking Dead would be a television show, I was at first in a state of disbelief. First of all because it would be on AMC, which is so obviously NOT a premium cable station. How could they do it? Zombies on TV? Bloody, gory, violent zombies....? But then the hype started...and kept going until it was at a fever pitch.  The waiting for the series to start was agonizingly fun.  The same goes for a new novel (who wasn't beside themselves when Stephen King announced he was writing the long-awaited sequel to The Shining?) or the latest film to start a commotion...like The Conjuring - or the remake of Oldboy?  While finally realizing the dream and reading the book or seeing the movie....or that first episode of TWD...is usually great, I still feel the promise of the next great thing is almost better than the actual experience. It's what we horror fans live for!


30) And finally, I'm so very thankful for my partner in crime here on Fascination with Fear, Marie. Not only is she like a little sister to me, but she keeps the blog up and running when I am unable to post when life gets in the way. She's insightful, smart as a whip, and well versed in all things horror. I'm thankful every day that we happened into each others lives. And I don't think there's really any way to thank her for everything she's done and for being a wonderful friend. (But thanks anyway, Ms. Robinson - you rock!)
I'm also hoping she doesn't flip out for my posting her pic! :)

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Mindless Movie Monday: Nothing Left To Fear (except mediocrity)

December 2, 2013, 5:00 am
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~ REVIEW BY MARIE ROBINSON

Ever heard of Stull, Kansas? Probably not, but this small town just a stone’s throw from Topeka was the inspiration for the 2013 film Nothing Left to Fear, produced by Guns N’ Roses guitarist, Slash; although you’d probably never guess that after watching it.

Nothing Left to Fear follows a picture perfect family of two daughters, Rebecca (Rebekah Brandes) and Mary (Jennifer Stone), a young son (Carter Cabassa), and sunny mother Wendy (Anne Heche) and her husband Dan (James Tupper, Heche's real-life partner as well) who has been chosen as the town’s new pastor. The family is instantly welcomed into the tight-knit community, receiving almost a little too much hospitality.

Dan is replacing the revered Pastor Kingsman, played by one of my favorite genre actors, Clancy Brown (Pet Sematary 2, Hellbenders, TV's Sleepy Hollow). While Kingsman takes Dan under his wing as he predecessor, Rebecca is getting to know the town hottie, Noah (Ethan Peck). Behind closed doors we are able to see that things are not as pleasant and peaceful as they seem, and Kingsman is encouraging some dark task upon Noah, who, naturally, plays it cool around his sweetheart.

At the same time, sister Mary has become the target of some strange events, and is being plagued by nightmares of the neighbors crowding silently outside her windows, and slack-jawed, hollow-eyed demons. It isn’t until she is kidnapped from the local carnival and subjected to a mysterious occult ritual that she becomes one of these hellions, and the sinister nature of the town is revealed.

The “real” legend of Stull condemns it as one of the seven gates to hell. The diabolical portal resides in the cemetery, founded in the late 1800’s. In Stull Cemetery there’s an old stone church (well, was, it was torn down in 2002) that is the rumored location of occult gatherings, rituals, and a hidden staircase that leads straight down to Hell, itself.

That is pretty much the extent of the legend, other than a few additional creepy little tidbits that will vary from whom you hear the story. The Hellmouth of Stull has also inspired the 2001 film Turbulence 3: Heavy Metal and an episode of Supernatural.

Upon hearing of this legend I was instantly drawn to Nothing Left to Fear because of my love of urban legends and modern folklore. However, the film turned out to be quite a disappointment, and not only for the fact that the legend serves no greater purpose than a “based on a true story” tagline. Rather than explore the ins and outs of life in the Hellmouth, we are forced to watch a boring film progress very slowly with no tension, texture, or terror developed.

Nothing Left to Fear is both director Anthony Leonardi III and writer Jonathan W.C. Mills' first feature film, and this could be the reason why the whole movie felt very awkward to me. The editing (sight and sound) left me feeling confused and detached from the narrative—which is easy to do when there is hardly a plot to grasp, at all.

A myriad of interesting ideas are neglected and the result is a bland, muddled mush with cheesy CGI and flat characters.
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The Invoking (a.k.a. Sader Ridge) ~ Indie Horror Done Right

December 9, 2013, 7:52 pm
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In horror, there must be a gazillion movies about a group of people heading to a cabin in the woods only to find themselves hunted down by a mass murderer/supernatural being/evil presence.  So what makes a film different enough to make an impression on a seasoned horror fan?

One word: Atmosphere.

For whatever reason,  a film that started out as Sader Ridge ended up with the much more horror-centric, cinema-friendly"The Invoking".  I for one, prefer a title that isn't so obvious, and therefore found the Sader Ridge title more to my liking.  That said, whatever the title may be, it is a film that should be sought out and watched - and one that I was pleased to have the opportunity to see while it is still on the festival circuit.

Written and produced by John Portanova and directed by Jeremy Berg, The Invoking  is an independent film that was made for peanuts but certainly doesn't appear any less impressive. Shot in a matter of days, it is the tale of Sam (Trin Miller), who has inherited a house in the country from an aunt she knows nothing about. She's brought along three friends, Caitlin (Andi Norris), Roman (Josh Truax), and Mark (Brandon Anthony), to explore the property and have a little vacay.  The trio is a relatively typical (or should I say typecast?) group, with Caitlin being the eccentric, fun friend, Roman reeking of jealousy because Caitlin is flirting like crazy with Sam's ex, Mark - who by all accounts is pretty much the asshole of the gang.  Sam herself is quickly established as your average, pretty girl-next-door type who is by far the most down to earth of her friends.

Adopted at age five, Sam has no recollection of her heritage, so when they roll up to the gate to the property nothing seems familiar. Even after meeting the caretaker to the property, Eric (D'Angelo Midili), who claims to have been a playmate of hers when they were little, Sam still can't recall anything.

A few words about Eric. At once peculiar, his quiet demeanor and reclusive nature is unnerving, only adding to the dread that seems to creep up on you throughout this quiet film. He seems to know more than he is telling, and even with prodding by Sam, he is still reluctant to say much.  He makes himself available to the group even when it's more than clear that the two other men aren't too thrilled with him being around.

Almost immediately after arriving, Sam begins to have some distracting and downright disturbing feelings being in the house.  She hears Caitlin saying prayers out loud at night, and witnesses on several occasions arguments and interactions between her friends that don't actually happen. Is she realizing repressed memories? Or is something in the house trying to tell her something?

While checking out the grounds, the four visitors run into the property line adjacent to what is called Sader Ridge and though Mark and Sam aren't too enthused, Caitlin and Roman talk them into crawling over the barb wire fence and checking things out.  As darkness falls, the group somehow gets separated and Mark ends up lost in the woods and Sam's visions take on a life of their own.

With a bare-bones film like this, the less said the better.  What makes The Invoking uniquely different from all the other "cabin in the woods" movies is the fact that we are only given tiny tidbits of information at a time to try to piece together the story.  We want so badly (perhaps because we are so used to this gimmick in most horror films) to have things explained to us that we almost feel frustrated when nothing here is black and white. There is no demon to contend with, no menacing killer outside the door- just a woman struggling to put together the story of her youth and find out what happened to her biological parents, as well as the reason she was given up for adoption at age five.  What she discovers is handed to us soooo slowly that fans of action-horror and gore will likely be disappointed here.  But for those of us who enjoy a slow burn, this is just the type of film that will get inside your head and plant itself there with no intention of leaving.

The cast, in particular Midili, is really effective here. They bicker amongst themselves and appear, for all intents and purposes, like a bunch of old friends who are so close they have basically all slept with each other and formed lasting friendships that are certainly peppered with relationship issues and raw feelings. Midili's Eric is downright creepy at times, but we're never really sure of his intentions until the climax sneaks up on us.

There are eventually some moments of sheer terror that are shocking and unexpected yet deserved. In a film like this there feels like there has to be a reward for waiting for something to happen, and we are compensated nicely here. When a plot isn't completely obvious and holds back on gruesome effects (there is very little gore), it really is so much more focused and effective.

But although the ending doesn't completely tie things up in a nice neat bow, it feels right.  A short running length helps things move along, but again I have to mention we are trucking along at a turtle's pace.
 
But the ominous sense of dread that wraps itself around the entire film more than makes up for any lack of action and gore.  In my book, atmosphere far outweighs blood and guts, and we've got the former in droves.

Keep your eye on this production company, The October People. I have a feeling we'll be seeing more quality work from them in the future. At least I certainly hope so!


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Keep Calm And Say Goodbye To 2013: A Random Recap

December 28, 2013, 2:20 pm
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Another year has come and gone, and though 2013 was a really rough year for me outside of horror, I made it through and am looking forward to 2014!

The horror genre saw some really good strides, with tons of horror on the small screen (more on that in a bit) and some decent films as well.  I'll be the first to admit I didn't see as many as I'd like, but for the most part what I did see I generally did enjoy.

This is by no means your normal countdown of the yearly best.  Some of these films are not even from this calendar year, that just happened to be when I saw them. (So no nasty comments, please.) I just wanted to say goodbye to 2013 by giving my thoughts of what I saw, enjoyed, and could have lived without!

So here's my random rundown of what impressed me the most (and what made me throw up in my mouth a little bit, too!)


BEST HORROR EXPERIENCE OF 2013:   Seeing The Shining on the big screen.  I was just a little too young to see it in theaters when it came out in 1980, so the opportunity to see it this year (on the day before Halloween, no less) was one I couldn't pass up.  To see Jack's face that close when he exclaims, Heeeeere's Johnny! probably made my whole year.

In second place would really have to be The Walking Dead.  I have never looked forward to Sunday nights (because of their place in the week that is eversoclose to Monday morning and the ugly thought of going back to work). But at least I have TWD to make me forget about it for an hour or so.  This season, though great, had me in tears more than once when we lost several main characters.  Can't wait for February when we see where the story goes then! Onward!

The Conjuring
FAVORITE THEATER EXPERIENCE (BESIDES 'THE SHINING', OBVIOUSLY):  The Conjuring.  I saw this one a few weeks after it came out and was lucky enough to be the lone person in the darkened theater.  Love that feeling! And I was rewarded with a pretty solid spooky flick.  More, please.

Byzantium
TWELVE MOVIE
PURCHASES I'M HAPPY WITH:
1) Carnival of Souls: One of my all-time faves, I got the Criterion edition this Halloween. It never fails to creep me the hell out. One of the best ghouls ever.
2) Eyes without a Face: Another Criterion edition I picked up this year. With a ghastly plot like this one, you've got to have it on your horror life-list.
3) Sleep Tight: One of the more disturbing films I've seen in a while.  A quiet creep fest that will have you looking under your bed for sure.
4) Evil Dead (2013) : While not the best film of the year by far, I still think they did a decent job with the content. However, it doesn't hold a candle to the original. 
5) The Awakening: Old fashioned ghost story that has good atmosphere and a great score.
6) Byzantium: And it's back to real vampires, finally! Great relationship-vampire film, if that makes sense.
7) Maniac: This was the best remake I've seen in years, hands down. Gritty, grimy, and great.
8) The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh: From the founder of Rue Morgue magazine comes one of my favorite films of the year.  Just an ever-so-quiet movie with loads of atmosphere and an affecting story.
9) Oldboy: The original. Because I never owned it until now. Woot!
10) The Uninvited: The 1944 classic ghost story, Criterion edition of course! Waited for this release forever!
11) The Rocking Horse Winner: A pal from the UK turned me on to this oldie but goodie.  And when a film involves horror AND horse racing, it's a surefire winner (no pun intended) for me! (Thanks Pauline, btw!)
12) Cold Prey II: Because I'd been waiting FOREVER for this one!

Stoker
TEN FAVORITE NETFLIX RENTALS THIS YEAR:
1) Jug Face: From writer/director Chad Crawford Kinkle comes a backwoods tale of a community that worships a pit.  No, seriously.  And you have no idea what you're missing if you write this one off.
2) Dark Skies: Wasn't really expecting much from this one, but was surprisingly entertained and thoroughly spooked out. Finding a good movie about aliens or alien invasions is rather difficult to do.  This film will do quite nicely.
3) Kill List: From 2011, this British film seems a little all over the page, and has a rather surprising ending. But the violence is good, the story is wild, and the acting is very credible. Oh, and did I mention the ending??
4) Julia's Eyes:  A Spanish thriller from 2010, this one was recommended to me by The Mike of From Midnight with Love.  It's a bit of a slow burn, but it gets under your skin and is really a solid film.
5) The Bay:  Holy shit was this film disturbing.  I have this thing...this innate FEAR of creepy crawly things inside your body, and this movie almost did me in.  Everyone should see it - it makes a political statement while telling a ghastly story of a small town that has a growing problem...
6) Citadel:  I loved this movie. While I don't think it's for everyone, this little Irish film packed a punch and Aneurin Barnard's turn as main character Tommy may be one of my favorite performances in horror. A feeling of quiet, impending doom surrounds the entire film, an atmosphere which I can't get enough of.
7) The Call: Maybe I'll get some smack talk for putting this movie on this list, but I think it was a tight, exciting thriller with the added benefit of getting to look at Halle Berry (ever-important when trying to keep a husband awake through an entire film).
8) Stoker: This film really snuck up on me, and I think it was one of the best releases this year.  I certainly think it would have benefited from a different title, for I - like many I'm sure - originally thought it was a film about the author of Dracula. Just a beautiful piece of film making from Park Chan-wook.
9) World War Z:  Pretty shocked that I actually liked this one, considering I heard it was so different than the book, and the fact that I blatantly detest almost everything Brad Pitt has done.  But this one was fun!
10) All the Boys Love Mandy Lane: While I don't think I was as enamored with this 2006 release that finally made it to our screens in 2013 as many others were, I did appreciate the ending, as well as the music. It wasn't really all that unique in horror, truth be told.  But yeah, Amber Heard is all kinds of hot.

The Black Waters of Echo's Pond
SEVEN "WHY THE HELL DID I RENT THIS" MISTAKES FROM NETFLIX:
1) The Black Waters of Echo's Pond:  Lotta pond scum here, folks.  Sorry Danielle Harris but this one reeks of stinky excrement.
2) Evidence: Though I hear it was a decent film, I almost immediately got sick from the found footage-type effects.  I just cannot watch those films anymore.
3) The Purge: I wanted this to be decent.  Ethan Hawke's Sinister topped my list last year. But this film was an uninspired, prosaic addition to the home invasion sub-genre. I could see the ending coming a mile away. Very dull.
4) My Amityville Horror:  While I can't say I wasn't semi-entertained with this semi-autobiographical mess, watching Daniel Lutz make a case for himself for an intense need of counseling made for some pretty insipid viewing.
5) The Tortured: We just didn't need another movie that combines revenge horror with intense Saw-esque elements. Stop. Now.
6) The Possession: I was a little late to this party, and I should've skipped it altogether.  If you want a movie about a box, watch Hellraiser, not this ridiculous waste. Sorry Jeffrey Dean Morgan (you beautiful man!). Sorry producer Sam Raimi (I still love you) but.....UGH.
7) The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Which took place in.....Georgia?  Why in the name of all things good and sacred would someone use an awful sub-title like Ghosts of Georgia? In fact, why would they even use any of that title? I'm still trying to figure it out.

Mama
THE 'WHY THE HELL DID I BUY THIS' AWARD:
Mama: While it did have some creepy moments, I would have been satisfied renting from Netflix or watching it one of the three hundred times they have played it on HBO.

SIX FILMS I'M PRETTY GLAD TO HAVE MISSED AND HAVE NO INTENTION OF SEEING:
1) Carrie: Heard nothing good about this remake, sorry.
2) I Spit on Your Grave 2: Capitalizing on a film title assures us this will be crap.
3) Hatchet III: While I didn't hate the first one, I didn't lose my mind over it.  Never saw the second one, so there you go.
4) Bad Milo: I have enough stomach problems that I really don't need to see a flick about an intestinal demon that kills its host's enemies. Say what?
5) The Last Exorcism Part 2: Why was this necessary in life?
6) Pacific Rim: Heard nothing good, but how can they say that when Charlie Hunnam is the star? I'll just stick to Sons of Anarchy I guess.

Curse of Chucky
ELEVEN FILMS I MISSED SO I CAN'T CRITIQUE YET:
1) American Mary
2) The Complex
3) Insidious Chapter 2 (just bought it so we'll soon see!!)
4) Warm Bodies
5) Curse of Chucky (want to buy it since most people loved it)
6) We are what we are (remake, and I hear it's really good)
7) The Battery (another I can't wait to see!)
8) Antiviral
9) Oldboy (2013)
10) Berberian Sound Studio
11) Sightseers

The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh
MY FAVORITE THIRTEEN FILMS OF 2013:
1) The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh - As stated above, I really loved this movie. Atmosphere, atmosphere, atmosphere!
2) Byzantium - Vampires have returned. With teeth and without conscience.
3) The Conjuring - The clap game? No thanks!
4) You're Next - Compared to The Purge, this home invasion film is the I-Ching.
5) Stoker - What a stunning piece of film-making, profoundly affecting.
6) Maniac - Hands down the best remake in nearly ten years.
7) The Lords of Salem - Stop hating Rob Zombie and just watch this damn movie!
8) The Invoking (aka Sader Ridge) - Independent horror at its best. Just a creepy, persistent film.
9) Jug Face - Another indie winner that will keep people out of the backwoods...again.
10) Dark Skies - I really liked this X-Files-ish aliens-among-us movie. Give it a chance!
11) Resolution - One man tries to save his drug-addled best friend in a run-down crack house in the woods. With unusual results.
12) Evil Dead - Admittedly, it's nothing close to the original and yet it still managed to entertain. Gotta give it props for that.
13) World War Z - Brad Pitt saves the world. Or at least tries to. Great popcorn horror. 


 

EIGHT FILMS I'M MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2014: 
1) Godzilla
2) 7500
3) The Green Inferno
4) Horns
5) Devil's Due
6) Oculus
7) The Quiet Ones
8) I, Frankenstein

Bates Motel
MY FAVORITE HORROR TV EXPERIENCES OF 2013: Even though it has been an absolutely banner year for horror on television, as mentioned previously I don't think anything could top my enjoyment of The Walking Dead this year, but two series came DAMN close.  American Horror Story and Bates Motel.
Finishing up in early 2013, AHS: Asylum was a rollicking good time thanks mostly to Jessica Lange's turn as Sister Jude.  She amped it up a little more in the fall as witch supreme Fiona when AHS: Coven came to the small screen to bring witches back to the forefront where they belong.  Throw in some voodoo tricks by Angela Bassett as Marie Laveau and Kathy Bates as the torturous, racist Delphine LaLaurie and it's a fine recipe of devilishness.
Bates Motel is the critically acclaimed series developed as a prequel to the 1960 film and stars Freddie Highmore as Norman and an excellent Vera Farmiga as his nurturing smothering mama. It's obviously a character-driven show, with enough frights to keep the viewer panting for more. I love this show!


MY FAVORITE BOOK I READ IN 2013: Joylandby Stephen King. 
King is my favorite author, so it was great to have him back at his best with this release in the summer of 2013. I still have Doctor Sleep on my nightstand to read and when all the hubaloo of the holidays is over I will get serious about this sequel to The Shining.  But Joyland was wonderful.  My review isHERE.

NON-FICTION READ:  Horror Films FAQ: All that's left to know about Slashers, Vampires, Zombies, Aliens and More by John Kenneth Muir.
Muir is one of my favorite genre critics. He's a great writer/blogger and a helluva nice guy. And this is an awesome book with loads of info and even a few tidbits that seasoned fans may not know. Makes a great gift, too!

FAVORITE GENRE MAGAZINE: Gorezone! Back from the dead, this red-headed stepchild of Fangoria serves up a heaping helping of gore, violence, sex, and shock in every blood-soaked issue.  Available only by subscription, it is two tons of fun.

FAVORITE MOVIE SCORE:  Byzantium by Javier Navarrete.  Sometimes chilling, sometimes just plain beautiful. A perfect accompaniment to an afternoon of writing....or whatever you may be doing!  The version of The Coventry Carol and the pieces that sample it and weave around it are just haunting. 

Moonrise Kingdom
FAVORITE NON-HORROR FILM I SAW IN 2013: Moonrise Kingdom.
I didn't get to see this one until January 2013, and watched it countless times this year.  It is one of the best movies I have ever seen.

Random Year-End Awards:

*THE "I CAN'T BELIEVE I SAT THROUGH THE WHOLE MOVIE" AWARD:  The Black Waters of Echo's Pond.  Gah! Nothing more I can really say about this bomb.

Maniac
*THE "SURPRISE! THIS REMAKE IS ACTUALLY GOOD" AWARD:  Maniac. An excellent, excellent redo of the 80's classic. Good job Elijah Wood! You made me forget Frodo for 90 whole minutes!

*THE "WHEN THE HELL IS THIS TITLE GOING TO GET A DOMESTIC RELEASE?" AWARD: All The Boys Love Mandy Lane - A movie made in 2006 FINALLY makes it to American shelves.  Was it the almighty second coming of Christ? Nah. But it was a solid flick.

*THE "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS MOVIE ABOUT, ANYWAY?" AWARD: Evidence. As I mentioned before, too much found footage. I couldn't sit through it and never really figured out what was going on.

Evil Dead
*BLOODIEST MOVIE I SAW IN 2013":Evil Dead (2013).  There was so much bodily fluid and blood in this one I doubt anything could compare.

*THE "IT BETTER BE AS GOOD AS EVERYONE SAYS BECAUSE I'M DAMN SICK OF THE HYPE' AWARD:  The Conjuring.  For weeks, no - months, I'd heard about this movie. Over and over. It was going to be so scary! Have you seen the trailer? Oooh, James Wan has done it again!  Well folks, it was pretty much alltrue.

*MOST CURIOUS TITLE OF AN UPCOMING FILM: Oculus.  I really have no idea what it's about but if it is the same Mike Flanagan that brought us Absentia, I'm there.

The Purge
*THE "SOOO DIDN'T LIVE UP TO THE HYPE" AWARD:The Purge. They advertised this film like a raped ape but it fell totally flat for me and countless others.  On the opposite side of the coin: The Conjuring, which did indeed, live up to the hype.

*THE "I REALLY DON'T GIVE A SHIT WHETHER I EVER SEE THIS" AWARD:  Again I say: Bad Milo.I know a lot of people have it on their year-end lists in the "like" column, but you'll have to forgive me this one.

*THE "I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE SEQUEL" AWARD:Honestly I can't think of a single film I would want a sequel for. But I'm sure there are several already in the works.... I know The Purge has one coming, among others. And that film was mediocre at best. Ugh...

Godzilla
*MOVIE I'M MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2014:  Godzilla. Premieres May 16, 2014. Bring it!

*MOST EXCITING NEWS OF 2013: Both Marie and I were asked to join the writing crew at Eli Roth's new horror app, which is bound to change the way we experience horror forever! So, go to the App store and download the new (FREE) app for iPhone (Android access is right around the corner!) and keep an eye out for our contributions amongst some of the best writers in horror! It's interactive, too - so anyone can post on the community boards and get involved!  Do it now!


*THE "THIS IS WHAT I'M WATCHING TONIGHT SO I HAVE TO GET OFF THE LAPTOP" AWARD: Insidious: Chapter 2.  Time for a trip further into the further. /ch
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Mindless Movie Monday: The Secret Village (Warning: You'll Fall Asleep Before The Secret Is Revealed!)

January 6, 2014, 5:00 am
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While the premise of The Secret Village (beautiful young journalist seeks headline story by investigating the sinister history of a small town) seems intriguing, this film is pretty much a dud from the word go. I truly believe that anyone that would give this film an outstanding review is either related to someone who worked on the film or has quite possibly fallen and hit their head.

Rachel (Ali Faulkner) is a journalist that is staying in a small western Massachusetts town so she can look into some apparent ergot poisonings and other strange happenings that occurred as recently as a few years ago. (Of note is the fact that back in 1692, ergot poisoning was thought to be the cause of the apparent "bewitchments" of several young girls that eventually led to the deaths of proclaimed witches in Salem village.)

 No one in the village wants to talk to Rachel except Paul (Richard Riehle), who warns her people will not want her snooping around. He agrees to give her some back story but almost as soon as he starts talking, he winds up dead.

There are lots of folks walking around in black ritual cloaks, a freaky ghost-type woman who is in desperate need of a hair appointment, and mysterious strangers leaving notes on Rachel's door warning her to leave town. Borrring!

Rachel has a new friend, Greg (Jonathan Bennett) - a screenwriter who at the beginning of the film moves into the adjoining room of her rented house to work on his script. By the halfway point they are kissing and getting to know each other better, which feels just a little too convenient. When she divulges the mystery she's working on to him, he soon disappears, leaving her alone to face the "pure evil" alluded to on the cover of the DVD. Yeah, not so much.

The film just meanders on at such a ridiculously slow pace that you could probably could read a magazine or even do your taxes and not miss anything. There's a lot of walking around in the woods, searching houses for clues, mundane chase scenes, people injecting others with mysterious liquids in syringes, and basically a whole not of nothing going on. Not in the least bit frightening, I honestly could have fallen asleep several times. Zero zero zero thrills!

The acting is completely wooden, with sadly not one actor really having any redeeming quality about them. I really think most of the problem is the lame script, but the cast didn't seem to be able to pull themselves out of the abyss and make the material any better.  The lead actress is doing her best to look like Kristen Stewart, and perhaps she's hitting her mark in her quest to emulate her, for there are countless surprised expressions and rolling eyes, but no actual depth of feeling or acting chops to speak of.

Perhaps the worst element of the movie is the ghastly soundtrack.  With polarizing blasts of sci-fi-esque tones that have no real theme, it is just awful.  It matched nothing going on in the film, and the sound editing was awful as well, with loud and obnoxious noises combining with quiet dialogue you can barely hear.

I won't discuss the twist at the end because it's just not worthy of a mention.

I seriously had trouble getting through this movie. It was SO lackluster that when my husband came home from work and saw me trying not to pull my hair out he asked why I didn't just turn the damn thing off.  But I have sat through this crap-fest so that you don't have to.  Take my word for it.
Two thumbs down.
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Upcoming Must-Read: James Newman's 666 Hair-Raising Horror Movie Trivia Questions: Test Your Horror Acumen!

January 8, 2014, 5:00 am
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I'm not generally the type of blogger that makes a big deal about press releases and I almost never post the one sheets and DVD covers of upcoming films or books, etc.  There are news sites that are custom-made for things like that, and I typically leave them to their business.  But when an author I really like has something new coming out, I tend to make an exception.

James Newman - author of one of my favorite books in the last several years, The Wicked (review here) - has a new book coming out the end of this month, and I think it's something every horror fan will want to get their hands on.  I have a copy of said book that I am just getting down to reading, so a review will be forthcoming, but I wanted to make mention of the formal press release, as it does explain a bit of what you're in for. 

From the official press release: 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

NEW TRIVIA BOOK CHALLENGES GENRE FANS:  “THINK YOU KNOW HORROR MOVIES?  PROVE IT.”
666 HAIR-RAISING HORROR MOVIE TRIVIA QUESTIONSby James Newman

Ever been called a “weirdo” because you know more about Night of the Living Dead than you know about current events?  Do people look at you funny because you have no interest in reality-TV but you can name every film in which Vincent Price appeared?  Do you feel like an outsider because you’ve never cared about sports, yet you cheered at the top of your lungs when some kids played soccer with a severed head at the end of Hostel, Part 2?  If you would rather visit Count Dracula’s castle than take a trip to the beach . . . if you’d prefer hanging out with Pinhead, having lunch with Leatherface, or babysitting for Rosemary instead of spending time with your real friends and family . . . this book is for YOU.  Test your film knowledge with 666 Hair-Raising Horror Movie Trivia Questions compiled from over a century of genre cinema!

Now available from Post Mortem Press, 666 Hair-Raising Horror Movie Trivia Questions guarantees hours of fun for trivia-loving film fanatics who welcome a challenge.  Covering the history of the genre from silent movies like Nosferatu to modern-day blockbusters like The Conjuring,no bloody stone is left unturned in this collection of questions divided into seven categories:  Vampires, Zombies, Werewolves, Ghosts & Demons, Maniacs & Madmen, It Came From Another World, and Miscellaneous Madmen.  In the end, fans will grade themselves against the “Who Will Survive . . . and What Will Be Left of Them?” scoring system, proving once and for all whether they’re “Just Another Victim” or a true “Master of Horror”. 
  
Fangoria Editor Chris Alexander called 666 Hair-Raising Horror Movie Trivia Questions“a chump-stumping shock cinema party book of the highest horror order!”.  Adam Minarovich (“Ed” from AMC’s The Walking Dead, screenwriter of Chop and Pawn Shop Chronicles) said “(it’s) a must-read . . . worth crawling out of your grave for!”

About the Author:  James Newman has been obsessed with horror since he was just four years old, when his father took him to see The Incredible Melting Man.  His published works include the novels Midnight Rain, The Wicked, Animosity, and Ugly As Sin, and the collection People Are Strange. 
666 Hair-Raising Horror Movie Trivia Questions is scheduled for release on January 28, 2014.  For more information visit:  http://www.postmortem-press.com/666.php/, or the author’s official website:  www.james-newman.com.

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This is James' first non-fiction outing, and it looks to be something special.  After just reading the first few introductory pages, I know this is written by someone just like me: a crazy-obsessed horror fan whose life revolves around the next great horror film or novel.

I know this from comments like this one:  "I’d be willing to bet my entire DVD collection that nobody here in my little hometown in North Carolina lives, breathes, eats, and sleeps horror movies and horror literature like I do."  And this one, which I think encapsulates the reason that many of us watch horror in the first place:  "When things get to be too much in the real world . . . when the bills pile up, or the boss just chewed out three-quarters of your ass . . . what better way to push it all aside than losing yourself in Seth Brundle’s infinitely worse problems in Cronenberg’s remake of The Fly? Or to laugh at Ash’s splatstick escapades in the Evil Dead series? Step away from the real world for a while, won’t you, and pray that a van full of harmless hippies guilty of nothing more than believing in astrology and picking up hitchhikers ultimately survive The Texas Chainsaw Massacre . . . ."

When someone that feels this passionately about horror gives fans the gift of something a little different, a book that challenges us fans to see just how much we know about the genre we love so much, well that's what I call a must-read.  I love trivia, and when you combine that with horror, well I'm just over the moon.
After answering the first ten trivia questions (in the "vampires" category) correctly, I knew this was the book for me!

 It's going to be a blast, and I hope you'll join me!

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We Are What We Are (2013): And Today's Special Is.......

January 10, 2014, 2:32 pm
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I've expressed my undying indifference to remakes many times in the past on this very blog, even trashed several along the way.  And though I'm always hoping against hope for filmmakers to come up with original ideas (i.e. Jug Face, thank you very much!), I have witnessed  some very good - perhaps even excellent - remakes over the years.

Movies such as The Thing (1982), Dawn of the Dead (2004), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), The Fly (1986)...all of these are downright smashingly great, there's no doubt.  And even to some extent, films like 2010's Let Me In showed that a re-envisioning of a movie can work, even if it's only a few years since the film has been done. 

I do tend to find that sometimes if the film is foreign it's easier to experience as a remake, as Let Me In did, as well as a film from this past year that is ending up on quite a few year-end honors lists, with good reason.

We Are What We Are, directed by Jim Mickle (Stake Land, Mulberry Street), is a prime example of how to do a remake right.  I was so impressed with this film from start to finish. It presents a subject so taboo in such a way that we ultimately feel sorry for the family involved, and truly hope it all works out - when in reality we should be locking them up and throwing away the key.

If you've already seen the first-rate original, then you'll know what subject I'm talking about. I don't think I'm giving anything away by telling you that the Parker family has a disturbing secret. A fairly nasty one that is steeped in their family's old-time traditions and apparently one that they (at least the father) are unwilling to deviate from.

Suffice it to say, daughters Iris (Ambyr Childers) and Rose (Julia Garner) are becoming increasingly more disenchanted with the family's customs and even more so when tragedy befalls their mother as she gathers supplies at the local market.  She suffers what appears to be a stroke and meanders outside the store. Meanwhile, a serious rainstorm whips through the small town, causing flash flooding. In her confusion, she slips and falls, hitting her head and lands in a drainage ditch that swiftly fills with water, effectively drowning her in quick order.

Even as the family grieves, Iris, as the eldest child, is expected to assume the matriarchal duties of the household. This includes preparing the family meals - which unfortunately does not consist of just opening a box of Kraft macaroni & cheese.   As her father Frank (Bill Sage) spews his religious bullshit and directs his impressionable younger not to be afraid and to follow Jesus, Iris is busy getting reacquainted with a local boy she went to school with who is now the sheriff's deputy.

As the Parker family grieves and makes their own special blend of homemade soup, the town doctor begins to investigate and furthermore becomes suspicious after his dog uncovers a bone that has washed up from the constant deluge plaguing the town. Naturally, it's not an animal bone, causing Doctor Barrow (the always impeccable Michael Parks, Red State) to realize there's something fishy going on in his little town. Add in the fact that there have been several people that have gone missing within a thirty mile radius of the town over the years (including the Doctor's own daughter), and he is forced to consider what the facts are blatantly telling him.  He also discovers something else too bizarre to comprehend.  The Parker family mother, upon autopsy, was showing signs of a rare disease known as Kuru - which is prevalent only in tribal regions of Papua New Guinea.
Google it, people.

We Are What We Are is honestly fantastic. Even though the story is nothing if not incredibly bleak, and the material is certainly beyond the pale, anyone watching the film won't be able to look away.  The performances are all stellar, but Childers and Garner are just sublime. I haven't been that impressed with acting in a horror film in years (though again, mention must be made of Jug Face and in particular Lauren Ashley Carter). The depth of feeling they exude so effortlessly makes them seem well beyond their young years. It would be hard to choose one over the other, but if pressed I'd have to congratulate Julia Garner for her stunning and honest portrayal. She is assuredly a blossoming talent and one to watch.

Also thrown in for some relatively important pivotal scenes is Kelly McGillis in a supporting role as a caring neighbor helping the family through their grief.
The littlest Parker family member Rory (Jack Gore) is a bright little spot in an otherwise morose and weather-beaten (yet excellent) storyline that rivals any depressing period film. His life seems relatively unchanged, even without his mother. And to hear the poor little guy always complaining of being hungry certainly pulls at your heartstrings. Until, that is, you find out what's for dinner.

So don't write off this remake because it came so soon after the original 2010 Mexican thriller.  If you've seen that one (as I have) you may have reservations, thinking you don't need to see another re-telling so soon. You'd be wrong.  The stories differ very much,  aside from the premise. And both are quite worthy of a look.  But if I was being completely honest (and why wouldn't I be?), I think I prefer this Americanized version about twice as much.
 Definitely one of the best of 2013. Hands down.

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Sunday Bloody Sunday: Evil Dead (2013) Edition

January 12, 2014, 5:00 am
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 Thought I'd try something new with the Sunday Bloody Sunday feature. Every once in a while I would put up a week dedicated to one theme or film, and that's what we have here.  The newest Evil Dead movie was chock-full of the red stuff. (Hard to pick just six pics!)
So here's one of the first new theme weeks: 








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The Banshee Chapter (2013): Drugs And Techno Don't Mix, But Create Great Suspense!

January 14, 2014, 3:24 pm
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Review by Marie Robinson
 
I had good feelings about The Banshee Chapter (a.k.a. simply Banshee Chapter) from the moment I heard about it, and my gut was not wrong.

The film begins with footage of James Hirsch (Michael McMillian, True Blood), an aspiring writer who becomes fascinated with an alleged hallucinogenic drug that the U.S. government once tested on unwitting patients, with disturbing results that have been kept secret ever since. James acquires the drug, which is described as a pure—and therefore much more potent—batch of Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) from “friends in Colorado” and gets a buddy of his to film him as he ingests it. It isn’t long until James and his sober friend are visited by some mysterious malevolent entity, which results in the disappearance of the pair.

After hearing about the incident, old college friend and investigative journalist Anne Roland (Katia Winter, Sleepy Hollow) decides to embark on a mission to uncover the truth not only about James’ disappearance, but also the truth about the drug. Nothing could ever prepare her for what she finds, which include sinister government experiment tapes, cryptic radio broadcasts, and the horror of the cosmos. She is joined by a Hunter S. Thompson-esque character named Thomas Blackburn (Ted Levine, The Silence of the Lambs) who can help her piece together the rest of the mystery; but finding the answers could be deadly.

Dimethyltryptamine, also known as DMT, is a hallucinogen that when ingested offers an intense and immersive experience. While on the drug one may feel completely separate from reality, and many have reported seeing strange, celestial beings. There is a subculture that believes that these sights and experiences are not merely hallucinations, but actual transcendence. Such was the subject of the 2010 documentary DMT: The Spirit Molecule. DMT is found commonly in mammals, and has been located in the human brain where it acts as a neurotransmitter. Since DMT has been discovered in the pineal gland, it is thought to be one of the chemicals released when one dreams… and dies.

A few years ago a friend of mine turned me on to a very peculiar variety of shortwave radio broadcasts called “number stations”. Number stations are characterized by an artificial voice reciting numbers and/or letters. The voice, played only against crackling static, is more often than not female, and sometimes sounds like that of a child. Sometimes the voice gives way to a stream of choppy music that sounds similar to me like that of an ice cream truck. The nature of these encoded broadcasts is essentially unknown, but is often speculated as being government-run stations used to transmit messages to spies. Whatever they really are, they are downright eerie.

The Banshee Chapter is an impressive directorial debut from Blair Erickson that incorporates elements from both found footage and mockumentary subgenres in an intriguing and creative way. The film is smart, entertaining, and—oh, yes—scary. There were plenty of chilling moments that had my skin crawling, and I jumped out of my seat more than once. The story is not only presented in a stimulating way, it is also a compelling story with feelings of Arthur Machen’s “The Great God Pan” and overtones of H.P. Lovecraft. A particular story of Lovecraft’s, “From Beyond”, is directly referenced in the film, but the similarities go deeper than just that.

Treat yourself to something different than all those possession films flooding the box office, and maybe even get unnerved by The Banshee Chapter.

*And below is a sample of one of the many "numbers stations" out there....


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Sunday Bloody Sunday: À l'intérieur Edition

January 19, 2014, 5:00 am
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(Because it sounded ridiculous to say "Inside Edition", I chose to use the French title.)

Poor Sarah (Alysson Paradis) - she really had a horrible Christmas.







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Sunday Bloody Sunday: The Burning Edition

January 26, 2014, 5:00 am
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Sunday Bloody Sunday: Maniac (2012) Edition

February 2, 2014, 5:00 am
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