tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34309886452312260322024-03-14T14:50:42.142-04:00Movies At MidnightHorror movie blog Movies at Midnight features film and DVD reviews, photo galleries and trailers from new releases to classic favorites, plus coverage of exploitation, sci-fi, martial arts and cult cinema.Ryan Midnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199920052455322564noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430988645231226032.post-19506061797175841202010-11-21T10:25:00.000-05:002013-10-30T11:17:31.833-04:00SCREAM (1996) Movie Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<h1>
SCREAM (1996)</h1>
</center>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhH6J3ZeDN08_AkL4sN0oP0Tl29vTJE4vLaXcpCU-PTVck3OVmoPTWlrgPnooE8GE1_9-qyHFtz-G-3MxGr8dDNikeMYoLBzblSR64O860W8Vc72h4YFd8Oibh9j8YbJdMBNaexfO4Wck/s1600/scream-1996-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhH6J3ZeDN08_AkL4sN0oP0Tl29vTJE4vLaXcpCU-PTVck3OVmoPTWlrgPnooE8GE1_9-qyHFtz-G-3MxGr8dDNikeMYoLBzblSR64O860W8Vc72h4YFd8Oibh9j8YbJdMBNaexfO4Wck/s320/scream-1996-movie-poster.jpg" width="220" /></a></div>
Review by Bethany Ramos<br />
<br />
<i>Don’t answer the phone…</i> This is perhaps one of my favorite horror movie lines from the last several decades, and for good reason. SCREAM has a wonderful familiarity for many of us who enjoyed it in the 90s, yet it still has the ability to make you jump in your seat. As a side note, you may enjoy revisiting this film since it features Courtney Cox and David Arquette, who are now divorced. Blast from the past!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TOk5kDMhJqI/AAAAAAAABNw/0UE7sf0EuwE/s1600/scream-screenshot-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="139" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TOk5kDMhJqI/AAAAAAAABNw/0UE7sf0EuwE/s320/scream-screenshot-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
SCREAM starts at a classic high school campus somewhere in the United States, although we can’t overlook the fact that all of the students appear to be in their 20s, reminiscent of the adultS cast as students in 90210. No matter. The point is that a maniac with a knife is on the loose, and for Sidney (Neve Campbell), her fate may be in his hands. SCREAM is directed by Wes Craven, who created the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET series and brings the same unique perspective to this horror film.<br />
<br />
Yes, you will definitely find horror clichés in this movie, but you have to appreciate the self-awareness of the characters as they discuss what to do and not to do when a killer is on the loose according to classic horror movie "rules". In essence, you will get the “best practices” for a horror film, directly from the mouths of the lead characters. SCREAM, for that reason, brings a bit of cleverness to the horror genre, although you will still experience many of the same stereotypes and holes in the plot that seem almost ridiculous.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TOk5jRPmMpI/AAAAAAAABNo/bRJakLjN6v4/s1600/scream-screenshot-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="139" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TOk5jRPmMpI/AAAAAAAABNo/bRJakLjN6v4/s320/scream-screenshot-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Bottom line? SCREAM is an enjoyable slasher movie that’s fun to watch even 15 years later as we await the new release of SCREAM 4 (or is that SCRE4M) next year. Most of all, don’t miss the scene with Casey (Drew Barrymore) trying to spend a quiet night alone watching a scary movie, when she makes the mistake of answering the phone. It’s a wrong number, but the caller keeps calling again and again, until he reveals that he is watching Casey from outside as she is alone in her house. Casey then turns to see her boyfriend bloody and tied up outside, where he is disemboweled before her eyes after she gets the caller’s horror movie questions wrong over the phone.<br />
<br />
This is just a sample of what you can expect from the first in the SCREAM series, and remember, when watching this movie don’t answer the phone…</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><P>Read more <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com">horror movie reviews</a> and get the latest horror news updates on Movies at Midnight.</p></div>Ryan Midnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199920052455322564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430988645231226032.post-41371317233601281672010-11-14T11:25:00.000-05:002013-10-30T11:17:58.188-04:00THE LAST EXORCISM (2010) Movie Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<h1>
THE LAST EXORCISM (2010)</h1>
</center>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TOANH49O3-I/AAAAAAAABNQ/WT3CNfmuHHE/s1600/the-last-exorcism-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TOANH49O3-I/AAAAAAAABNQ/WT3CNfmuHHE/s320/the-last-exorcism-movie-poster.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
Review by Gunter Jameson<br />
<br />
Whatever THE LAST EXORCISM is, it is not predictable. Director Daniel Stamm and writers Huck Botko and Andrew Gurland came up with a great twist on a mostly dead horror sub-genre, exorcism movies, and made the tired material somewhat new again.<br />
<br />
In THE LAST EXORCISM, which is due on DVD January 4th, a former child preacher turned agnostic, Reverend Cotton Marcus (Patrick Fabian), receives a letter requesting his help with the exorcism of a teenage girl named Nell (Ashley Bell). Since Marcus no longer believes in the reality of demonic possession, he sets out to show that exorcisms are nothing but hoaxes by performing a fake exorcism as a film crew follows him, documenting his tricks and slight of hand. However, once he’s pulled off his fake exorcism, Nell begins to act in erratic and unexplainable ways, leading Marcus and the film crew to believe that she is in fact possessed by a demon.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TOANIGlbQNI/AAAAAAAABNU/2noog9GTCDc/s1600/the-last-exorcism-screenshot-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TOANIGlbQNI/AAAAAAAABNU/2noog9GTCDc/s320/the-last-exorcism-screenshot-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The film is shot in the shaky-cam, documentary style of THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT and CLOVERFIELD, which adds to the overall sense of claustrophobia and terror. And as the Reverend and the film crew dig deeper into each unexplained event, more and more questions arise. Each time the reverend feels that his job is done and that the possession was simply some sort of mental illness, his theories are obliterated, leaving more questions than answers.<br />
<br />
Although the exorcism genre has had doubting evangelists before, Marcus’s doubt is not melodramatic or overplayed, thanks to the superb acting by Patrick Fabian. And Ashley Bell is able to bring real creepiness to her character by deftly maneuvering between a sweet and innocent teenage girl and the demonically possessed in a way that draws the audience in and leaves them questioning, as well as Marcus, the true impetus behind her increasingly horrifying acts.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TOANHmmJLQI/AAAAAAAABNM/YnCkH4Csw7E/s1600/the-last-exorcism-screenshot-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TOANHmmJLQI/AAAAAAAABNM/YnCkH4Csw7E/s320/the-last-exorcism-screenshot-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
However, although both Fabian and Bell do a fine job and the initial setup is original, the balance of the film falls flat, especially the hugely disappointing ending which is par for the course for this type of fake documentary-style film. Although, at some points, the documentary style adds to the feeling of anxiety in the audience, at other times it is simply confusing, leaving the audience to sort out exactly what is happening rather than cringing in terror. The end result is a movie that is innovative in its approach to the genre and has great potential to transcend the usual teen horror fare at the box office, but ultimately doesn’t deliver on its promise due to its necessarily limited documentary-style point of view. All-in-all it’s not a horrible film, but it is disappointing, knowing that it could have been so much better.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><P>Read more <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com">horror movie reviews</a> and get the latest horror news updates on Movies at Midnight.</p></div>Ryan Midnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199920052455322564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430988645231226032.post-46646843167282266552010-11-14T11:08:00.001-05:002013-10-30T11:18:19.566-04:00THE MIST (2007) Movie Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<h1>
THE MIST (2007) Review</h1>
</center>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TOAI5apsZLI/AAAAAAAABNA/wCQLteC6xRk/s1600/the-mist-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TOAI5apsZLI/AAAAAAAABNA/wCQLteC6xRk/s320/the-mist-movie-poster.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
<br />
Review by Bethany Ramos<br />
<br />
THE MIST is yet another Stephen King theatrical adaptation by Frank Darabont, further proving that they both make a good match when it comes to creating a quality horror film. This movie will not only keep you on the edge of your seat, but it will take you on an emotional journey that will stick with you long after the credits roll.<br />
<br />
THE MIST begins with a storm, where David Drayton hides with his family in their basement to stay safe from the bad weather. When they wake up in the morning, they find that a tree has crashed through their front window, and they have lost power. David and his son go into town for supplies, leaving his wife at home. When they get to the grocery store, David realizes that something has gone horribly wrong. A bleeding man runs into the grocery store screaming about something in the mist, which is when David and the other grocery store customers see a thick mist rolling toward the city.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZhSaRz-W23BxCXVPE1yKfzAaas5zh4Nc39raMAwcJ4Spf0-mMva1-VaSirlVnbsqSZuoeBSWABXGjrrl_PXC1aPRmMLdBf722r14VJji-qcSaKS1WKlXsdftU86omMT-biOltJvpAsM/s1600/the-mist-screenshot-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZhSaRz-W23BxCXVPE1yKfzAaas5zh4Nc39raMAwcJ4Spf0-mMva1-VaSirlVnbsqSZuoeBSWABXGjrrl_PXC1aPRmMLdBf722r14VJji-qcSaKS1WKlXsdftU86omMT-biOltJvpAsM/s320/the-mist-screenshot-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
David soon discovers that he’s trapped inside the grocery store since he can’t go out into the mist and risk unspeakable horrors. David and the customers stay hidden inside the grocery store, with tensions mounting as time goes on. However, the survivors soon realize that there are creatures lurking inside the grocery store that are just as frightening as what may lie outside in the mist. These fears cause many of the cast members to unravel as they fight to stay alive, with David ultimately deciding to escape to get to his car and get free of the mist.<br />
<br />
Overall, the entire cast is compelling and shows different aspects of how human nature reacts in adverse circumstances. This movie is a unique horror film since you become truly invested in the characters until the bitter end. The only criticisms of this film would be that some of the plot points are utterly predictable, but the film offers a deep emotional connection that will leave you thinking about it days afterward.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TOAI4-kcslI/AAAAAAAABM8/q63GMfBpTSI/s1600/the-mist-screenshot-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TOAI4-kcslI/AAAAAAAABM8/q63GMfBpTSI/s320/the-mist-screenshot-2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
For those of you who can’t get enough of what Frank Darabont brings to the horror genre, he has now collaborated to bring the zombie epic <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com/search/label/the%20walking%20dead">The Walking Dead</a> to AMC. This is a show following the storyline of the zombie apocalypse, where you will again get to know a group of survivors and most certainly become emotionally invested in their journey along the way as they survive the zombie disaster that has hit their town. These days, many of the best plot lines have hit the small screen, giving you one more reason to become addicted to a TV show that you just can’t quit watching. As a whole, the series takes a few detours from the original graphic novels but remains true to the characters and the theme of the books.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><P>Read more <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com">horror movie reviews</a> and get the latest horror news updates on Movies at Midnight.</p></div>Ryan Midnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199920052455322564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430988645231226032.post-3311128808078929342010-11-14T10:51:00.000-05:002013-10-30T11:18:41.796-04:00AUDITION (1999) Movie Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<h1>
AUDITION (1999)</h1>
</center>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP7qgczNjS-Kp4R4d-P2W5ZYwLrOY_-KYeoqYL8Ov-ZkLRVotmig-vutQ8TsCRoZm3H0CAfr09SLIWNzM7zaHdhWwz_ZsQnXfllRChduVuVSt4-hTH4T4nHVjN6TzX0n7TzpMSn4UMmeo/s1600/audition-japan-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP7qgczNjS-Kp4R4d-P2W5ZYwLrOY_-KYeoqYL8Ov-ZkLRVotmig-vutQ8TsCRoZm3H0CAfr09SLIWNzM7zaHdhWwz_ZsQnXfllRChduVuVSt4-hTH4T4nHVjN6TzX0n7TzpMSn4UMmeo/s320/audition-japan-movie-poster.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Review by Tom Parnell<br />
<br />
What draws us to horror movies? Is it the feeling of being scared while in a safe and comfortable environment? Is it the heart-racing shock of imagining what could be lurking in the shadows? Or is it a kind of perverse schadenfreude as innocent victims suffer a fate worse than death on the screen in front of us?<br />
<br />
These may seem like quite weighty questions for a mere film review, but anybody intending to watch Japanese director Takashi Miike’s AUDITION should be prepared to find themselves pondering them.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TOAFHm1U9TI/AAAAAAAABMw/iga6CElGbyc/s1600/audition-screenshot-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TOAFHm1U9TI/AAAAAAAABMw/iga6CElGbyc/s320/audition-screenshot-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Prolific filmmaker Miike has explored cartoonish violence in films such as ICHI THE KILLER and the DEAD OR ALIVE series, but AUDITIO is all too real, which is where perhaps the horror is created. Everything that happens in AUDITI could happen; the main character is familiar and believable, his motivation understandable and his surroundings homely and comfortable. If Miike had chosen to add a ‘based on true events’ caption at the beginning I doubt few viewers would have questioned it.<br />
<br />
The film begins with widower Shigeharu Aoyama being encouraged by his teenage son to find love again. Shigeharu’s friend, film producer Yoshikawa, suggests they hold a fake audition for an actress to play Shigeharu’s wife in a fictional film, and from there he can woo the applicant of his choosing.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhllf-1mhpJoFF9qpFR-oYHhGKnNqb1FwrX1wVg2ix-nFoPNsy-3aW27BVxyO2C7EMCdzaSDwd__Fa6UlJeFU1U1Bx1ZvRiVeBeZNUQ83vENP430d7WWXj__Absrxds3AlgjqrXfE_dxLE/s1600/audition-screenshot-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhllf-1mhpJoFF9qpFR-oYHhGKnNqb1FwrX1wVg2ix-nFoPNsy-3aW27BVxyO2C7EMCdzaSDwd__Fa6UlJeFU1U1Bx1ZvRiVeBeZNUQ83vENP430d7WWXj__Absrxds3AlgjqrXfE_dxLE/s320/audition-screenshot-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Despite opening with the death of Shigeharu’s wife the beginning of the film has quite a positive feel and could easily have gone on to be a story of unconventional romance and clichéd ‘learning to love again’. Miike is not one for clichés and this is far from where the story is headed.<br />
<br />
What does happen is that into this seemingly innocent story an unnerving undertone is introduced, in such a subtle manner that at first the viewer would be hard pressed to say exactly what it is that is making them uncomfortable. Miike’s style is reminiscent of David Lynch’s as he slowly builds tension and makes the mundane seem somehow surreal. Our expectations are continually confounded and the sinister atmosphere increases, until the film’s dramatic, difficult and disturbing crescendo.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TOAFG1bshUI/AAAAAAAABMo/U8Mw6XsNQCQ/s1600/audition-screenshot-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TOAFG1bshUI/AAAAAAAABMo/U8Mw6XsNQCQ/s320/audition-screenshot-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
It is difficult to review this film entirely without giving something away, although I defy anybody to predict the ending accurately. What I will say is that AUDITION ends with one of the most difficult movie scenes I have ever had to watch and I’m still not sure how I should feel about it. What I would say is that I don't believe it is entirely gratuitous.<br />
<br />
AUDITION is a good film and I would definitely recommend it, it is engrossing, stylish and subverts the viewer’s expectations. What I would be uncomfortable in saying is that I enjoyed it all. Nothing is more tempting than being told something may be too extreme for you to see, but if you do watch AUDITION be aware that you may very well end up seeing more than you wanted to.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><P>Read more <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com">horror movie reviews</a> and get the latest horror news updates on Movies at Midnight.</p></div>Ryan Midnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199920052455322564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430988645231226032.post-53449643222293434372010-11-06T18:24:00.001-04:002013-10-30T11:19:02.573-04:00ANTICHRIST (2010) Movie Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<h1>
ANTICHRIST (2010)</h1>
</center>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TNXVJNVZRTI/AAAAAAAABMY/ckQBRWOsd_g/s1600/antichrist-french-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TNXVJNVZRTI/AAAAAAAABMY/ckQBRWOsd_g/s320/antichrist-french-movie-poster.jpg" width="233" /></a></div>
<br />
Review Joe Johnson<br />
<br />
ANTICHRIST, directed by Lars Von Treir, never made it to the big screen, at least at my local multiplex, and with good reason! It is difficult film to watch and therefore does little to appeal to a mass audience. Having seen the trailer for this in 2009 I was immediately excited at the prospect of seeing what looked like a pretty grim horror, somewhat of an understatement I later found out. I waited patiently for the picture to debut but it never materialized. This only added to my anticipation when I found it nestling lonely on a shelf in my local Blockbuster months later as I assumed it had been deemed too scary for cinema audiences!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TNXVJe1F1OI/AAAAAAAABMc/CApz8kTNdRY/s1600/antichrist-2010-screenshot-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TNXVJe1F1OI/AAAAAAAABMc/CApz8kTNdRY/s320/antichrist-2010-screenshot-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Scary is not really the right word to describe ANTICHRIST. Party poppers are scary when they make you jump, ANTICHRIST is downright disturbing. It follows just two unnamed characters, a husband and wife simply referred to in the film as ‘he’ and ‘she’, played by William Defoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg respectively. At the start of the film their son falls from his bedroom window to his death, neglected by his mother and father who are getting it on in a variety of locations around the house at the time.<br />
<br />
The couple are understandably traumatized and, in seek of some respite, they take a vacation in a deserted cabin in the middle of a forest (personally I’d have choose a sunny beach with a cocktail bar but each to their own). While exploring the forest he and she both experience odd visions and rather than becoming closer and helping each other, they actually become alienated, when they’re not romping that is! The film is, visually, a work of art and some of the images associated with death and decay are truly disturbing. A talking fox does lighten the mood, even if its monologue to Defoe is somewhat ominous.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TNXVJkt9G6I/AAAAAAAABMg/KX0Im_fNGko/s1600/antichrist-2010-screenshot-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TNXVJkt9G6I/AAAAAAAABMg/KX0Im_fNGko/s320/antichrist-2010-screenshot-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
As the film proceeds the pair become increasingly mentally unstable and ‘she’ performs unspeakable acts of genital mutilation on both herself and her once loving husband while he sleeps. These scenes are incredibly graphic and all the more harrowing, as they lack the melodramatic pomp of Hollywood hits like HOSTEL, instead presenting them in stark, full frontal reality. All the while the scenes are played out against a juxtaposing cacophony of an opera soundtrack. Even if you are a die-hard horror fan this is a difficult watch, and I find hard to fathom gaining enjoyment from watching ANTICHRIST. As an artistic, sensory experience however it is unparalleled.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><P>Read more <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com">horror movie reviews</a> and get the latest horror news updates on Movies at Midnight.</p></div>Ryan Midnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199920052455322564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430988645231226032.post-24172230775989770842010-11-06T10:32:00.001-04:002013-10-30T11:19:22.398-04:00PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 (2010) Movie Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<h1>
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 (2010)</h1>
</center>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TNVmlNLz-9I/AAAAAAAABL4/qB4BhJjKI_Y/s1600/paranormal-activity-2-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TNVmlNLz-9I/AAAAAAAABL4/qB4BhJjKI_Y/s320/paranormal-activity-2-movie-poster.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
Review by Joe Johnson<br />
<br />
For me, the original PARANORMAL ACTIVITY was one of the best horror films of all time. Fright fanatics may refute this, but I’m happy stand my ground and argue that the first offering stood amongst horror greats such as THE SHINING and ALIEN. Although many likened it to THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT owing to it’s handheld camera shooting style, I found it to be an entirely more visceral involving experience, simply because the framing was not influenced by seemingly artificial human intervention, rather we were seeing the events unfold raw and unedited.<br />
<br />
When the sequel was announced I felt a mix of excitement and in trepidation, the latter because part of what made the first film such a unique experience was the method of storytelling. Having become accustomed to this style, and assuming the second offering stayed true to its roots I convinced myself that it would lack the same edge that its predecessor orchestrated so expertly.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<center>
<object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/k5uY4uj8Zlk?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/k5uY4uj8Zlk?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object></center>
<br />
<br />
While PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 does indeed retain the format of its big brother, the content is just as, if not more, mortifying second time round. The film charts the events that lead to Katie’s demonic possession in the original, beginning two months before in her parent’s home. Rather than just two main characters, this time Katie’s whole family is subject to the supernatural goings on, the addition of a dog and baby to the fold certainly offer ample opportunities for the demon to wreck havoc.<br />
<br />
And wreck havoc it did, most notably on my constitution! As before, the film is a harrowing experience with expertly timed segments of high tension. The genuinely heart stopping moments are few and far between but when they come, they will rock you to the core, those of a nervous disposition need not apply, unless you have a sadistic tendency to test your thrill-threshold to the max, something which I’m guilty of!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TNVmkDujGYI/AAAAAAAABL0/WBleE3MDsYw/s1600/Paranormal-Activity-2-screenshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TNVmkDujGYI/AAAAAAAABL0/WBleE3MDsYw/s320/Paranormal-Activity-2-screenshot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The few criticisms I heard of the picture were that it was slow to start. This may test the patience of those with borderline ADD, but fans of the first will know that good things come to those who wait. It’s difficult to talk about the film without giving too much away but I can say with hand on heart that this is no shoddy, badly made sequel. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 builds on the success of the first film, toying with audience’s composure until it is frayed beyond all recognition. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 is recommended to any horror fan and is a worthy successor to one of the most nail-biting, edge-of-the seat examples of the genre.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><P>Read more <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com">horror movie reviews</a> and get the latest horror news updates on Movies at Midnight.</p></div>Ryan Midnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199920052455322564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430988645231226032.post-15916676406601614892010-11-03T21:18:00.000-04:002010-11-03T21:16:52.919-04:00THE DESCENT (2005) Movie Review<div style="text-align: center;"><h1>THE DESCENT (2005)</h1><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/moviesatmidnight/SKhmxn2n-mI/AAAAAAAAASw/ZY6LJHcK_HU/descent_poster.jpg" /></div><br />
After a tragedy one year before, six female friends gather in the Appalachian Mountains to explore a cave system together. Soon after they enter the caves, a collapse blocks the path behind them and they are forced to venture forward, hoping to find another way out. As tension and fatigue begins to put a strain on the group, they discover to their horror that they are not alone in the dark. That is all the synopsis you're going to get, and all that you need.<br />
<br />
This was bar none the best horror movie to hit the United States in 2006, even with its truncated ending (more on this later). Anyone who will try to argue this point simply hasn't seen this movie. It is that scary. So scary in fact, that your intrepid writer, who usually goes out of his way to keep the writing in third person and remain somewhat objective, is going to slip into full-on first person narrative for a moment.<br />
<br />
No movie has done to me what THE DESCENT did since I watched the Japanese film PULSE. That was in 2001. As I watched this movie, alone at night on my couch, I could not help but move from one uncomfortable position to the next as the tension ratcheted up and the carnage spilled out on the screen. When the screen went black, my heart rate was bumping, my fingers were shaking and gosh-darn-it if I didn't pause just a moment before going into a dark room to turn on the lights.<br />
<br />
This is Neil Marshall's second full-length outing as director. His first film, <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com/2007/06/dog-soldiers-review.html">DOG SOLDIERS</a>, was a unique take on werewolves and pitted them against a small band of military soldiers in the woods of Scotland. He returns again to the similar themes in his writing, only this time around six females discover what goes bump in the shadows and learn what goes bump within themselves. The film has a feminist agenda, without being preachy at all, and allows these women to let loose an inner strength that is too often in this world suppressed. <br />
<br />
Throughout the entire film there is some very active camera and sound work going into creating a very specific mood and subconscious feeling within the viewer. In the beginning of the film, great pains are taken to use as many full and wide angle shots as possible, to give an open and airy feeling. But once inside the cave systems, the camera closes in on the actors and thus closes in on the viewer which brings about an uneasy and claustrophobic sense.<br />
<br />
There are many shots where most of the screen is "dead" space, as the characters climb through the tiny tunnels, as if the blackness were swallowing them up. Speaking of blackness, lighting takes an interesting and sinister turn once they go underground. The second part of the film is lit purely from source light, i.e. torches, flares, glow sticks and a camera's infra-red lens, which washes entire scenes in strange hues of red and green, and can be quite disorienting at times.<br />
<br />
While watching this film, the average horror fan will be able to easily spot several references and nods to past horror films, which in include ALIEN, THE THING, CARRIE and even the not so horrific GOONIES. Marshall does not try to hide the fact that his film includes these references. It is almost as if to say: remember the terror you felt when watching those other movies? Well I'm going to try and give you that same visceral reaction.<br />
<br />
And now onto the "two" endings. This film was originally released in Great Britain, and the original end of the film had a much more bleak and somewhat open end. When Lion's Gate got the rights to the film, they literally stopped the movie halfway through the end. The truncated ending created a more happy ending for a movie-going American audience that would not be able to accept the true implied fate of what happened. Sadly this downbeat ending, which implied that no one made it out alive and was seen in full on the US DVD release, was overridden with the release of <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com/2010/07/descent-part-2-review.html">THE DESCENT: PART 2</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><P>Read more <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com">horror movie reviews</a> and get the latest horror news updates on Movies at Midnight.</p></div>Ryan Midnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199920052455322564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430988645231226032.post-10481036179096237792010-11-02T22:18:00.002-04:002010-11-03T21:18:01.963-04:00SAW 3D (2010) Movie Review<center><h1>SAW 3D (2010)</h1></center><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TNDGJJ6s_TI/AAAAAAAABLo/sTj4eRH9kXk/s1600/saw-3d-eyeball-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TNDGJJ6s_TI/AAAAAAAABLo/sTj4eRH9kXk/s320/saw-3d-eyeball-movie-poster.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>Halloween weekend seemed like the perfect time to wrap up the long, gruesome SAW series, but all of the loyal fans out there are asking, “Does it really have to end?” SAW 3D continues the story directly where SAW VI finished with main character Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) surviving the trap created by Jill (Betsy Russell).<br />
<br />
All the while, Bobby (Sean Patrick Flanery) has become quite well-known because he’s survived a trap set by Jigsaw, and using that fame to write a book and go on tour. This, of course, infuriates Jigsaw, meaning that Bobby will soon be walking into a new trap set by… You guessed it - Jigsaw! This leaves him in a fight for survival for his own life and the lives of those close to him.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TNDGJaEYHRI/AAAAAAAABLs/KPrvaoSEaE8/s1600/saw-3d-image-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TNDGJaEYHRI/AAAAAAAABLs/KPrvaoSEaE8/s320/saw-3d-image-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Even though many moviegoers may have been waiting in anticipation for the main character from the original movie, Dr. Gordon (Cary Elwes), he is barely in SAW 3D. You see him in a few early scenes, and then he seems to disappear altogether with little input throughout the entire storyline. You may also be confused to find that the actual Jigsaw has but a few cameos in this movie. He did die in SAW III, but in most of the other movies following, he still had quite a bit of screen time through videos and flashbacks. In SAW 3D, you will find that Tobin Bell is hardly seen, although he has top billing in the movie promotion.<br />
<br />
SAW fans may be split down the middle since SAW 3D brings the series full circle, and the movie features some seriously intricate and complicated torture chambers. However, movie fans may also be bothered by how little they see Gordon or Jigsaw, which are supposed to be the most meaningful characters in the series. What you will find most in this movie is a man moving from room to room, attempting to save people as usual. Unfortunately, this same scenario is quite played out by this point, with the traps not being as thrilling or gruesome as anticipated, especially compared to SAW VI. One trap involves pulling a key from a difficult location, and in another, a floor with huge patches missing has to be crossed which adds a bit of adventure to the quest. Moviegoers also may observe that the traps worked exactly as planned, although it would have been more believable to see at least one trap fail.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TNDGI3J5oZI/AAAAAAAABLk/BADkGtZ8RuA/s1600/saw-3d-image-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TNDGI3J5oZI/AAAAAAAABLk/BADkGtZ8RuA/s320/saw-3d-image-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Although fans may have some criticism of this movie, it was the perfect way to wrap up the series and celebrate Halloween weekend. The storyline itself is well formulated with quite a bit of plot to keep you on the edge of your seat, and even with his minimal amount of screen time, Jigsaw’s appearance is horrific to say the least. Don’t miss out!<br />
<br />
<i>Bethany Ramos is a lover of horror movies and co-owns The Coffee Bump. For a great selection of <a href="http://www.thecoffeebump.com/bunn-coffee-filters.html">Bunn coffee filters</a>, check out Bethany Ramos' website!</i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><P>Read more <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com">horror movie reviews</a> and get the latest horror news updates on Movies at Midnight.</p></div>Ryan Midnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199920052455322564noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430988645231226032.post-47791156739583912742010-10-30T18:11:00.001-04:002013-10-30T11:19:58.005-04:00THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (1972) Movie Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<h1>
THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (1972)</h1>
</center>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TMyXksnLP-I/AAAAAAAABLM/rbkMM29toFI/s1600/last-house-on-the-left-1972-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TMyXksnLP-I/AAAAAAAABLM/rbkMM29toFI/s320/last-house-on-the-left-1972-movie-poster.jpg" width="220" /></a></div>
Review by Tom Parnell<br />
<br />
Maybe it’s an indictment of the desensitizing of modern audiences, but I find that most films which were banned or heavily censored decades ago would probably attract no more than a PG-13 rating today. LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT is not one of these films.<br />
<br />
Made in 1972, it was part of the BBFC's infamous Video Nasties list. It wasn't until 2002 that this film was officially allowed to be released in the UK, and then it wasn’t until 2008 that a fully uncut version was passed by the BBFC. The film is still banned in multiple countries around the world. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzHgT_0qbHu_gQjrBW7i7iLs78TRm74t1l5O0-vUJYkPZ7XaaMQ-gKcQ8-58xooBhC7sYrXWLN3rx3zba0v1EUYZSQHzqy6TBB94x1lIYr0CbUS2AZrHmGKgQmAwGgzbb8peYh6iIn_0/s1600/last-house-on-the-left-1972-photo-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzHgT_0qbHu_gQjrBW7i7iLs78TRm74t1l5O0-vUJYkPZ7XaaMQ-gKcQ8-58xooBhC7sYrXWLN3rx3zba0v1EUYZSQHzqy6TBB94x1lIYr0CbUS2AZrHmGKgQmAwGgzbb8peYh6iIn_0/s320/last-house-on-the-left-1972-photo-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
If LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT had been about killer monsters or aliens I don’t think it would have had half the problems passing the censors, or half the impact on the viewer. However, the horror which director Wes Craven creates here is one that is so despairingly human that it becomes difficult to watch and for once I can understand why the BBFC might have wanted to protect certain people from seeing it.<br />
<br />
The film tells the story of an ‘as American as apple pie’ family who live out in the sticks, and begins with their celebration of daughter Mari’s sweet seventeen. Much to the concern of her protective parents, Mari is heading out to the big city to watch a rock band with her rebellious friend Phyllis. What’s going to happen to them?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TMyXlMuTHEI/AAAAAAAABLU/YnrcHwjd8DY/s1600/last-house-on-the-left-1972-photo-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TMyXlMuTHEI/AAAAAAAABLU/YnrcHwjd8DY/s320/last-house-on-the-left-1972-photo-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Meanwhile nearby, escaped criminals Krug Stillo and Weasel Podowski are holed up with equally disturbing partner Sadie and Krug’s junkie son Junior.<br />
<br />
On their way to the concert our young protagonists meet Junior in a shop and are lured back to the gang’s hideout on the premise of buying some drugs. So begins a horrific ordeal, both psychological and physical, which sees the girls kidnapped and driven out into the countryside, where their torment continues.<br />
<br />
LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT was horror big-hitter Wes Craven’s directorial debut, and even though it is of the same genre it is far from the cartoonish violence of A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET or SCREAM. The film is also arguably more intelligent than Craven’s later work, as the viewer is faced with a series of escalating nightmarish scenarios and we get a real feeling of the girls’ powerlessness in the hands of their captors. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TMyXkPBRsKI/AAAAAAAABLI/-bYSNmWvRI8/s1600/last-house-on-the-left-1972-photo-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TMyXkPBRsKI/AAAAAAAABLI/-bYSNmWvRI8/s320/last-house-on-the-left-1972-photo-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Craven also successfully uses Junior as a vehicle for a more human, nearly sympathetic witness to the girls’ torment, building a bridge between the viewer of the film and the character and pointing out the impotence of both in their ability to change the course of events.<br />
<br />
This is not the ludicrous and tasteless realms of more recent ‘torture porn’ horror trend, as seen in films like SAW or HOSTEL. LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT’s last act causes the viewer to turn from revulsion at the acts of the psychotic criminals to practically cheering on Mari’s middle class parents as they perpetrate similar horrors, which leaves you on very thin moral ice and is a powerful statement about the fragility of society.<br />
<br />
LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT is a difficult film to watch, but it is also an intelligent, thought-provoking film, which makes it a rare gem in the horror genre.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><P>Read more <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com">horror movie reviews</a> and get the latest horror news updates on Movies at Midnight.</p></div>Ryan Midnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199920052455322564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430988645231226032.post-23538675236395860012010-10-27T19:15:00.000-04:002010-10-27T19:15:16.986-04:00CANNIBAL TERROR Movie and DVD Review<center><h1>CANNIBAL TERROR (1981)</h1></center><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/SNxFJni9-ZI/AAAAAAAAAXI/YmkUX1fPxpI/s1600-h/cannibal-terror-poster.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="cannibal terror movie poster" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250147297143945618" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/SNxFJni9-ZI/AAAAAAAAAXI/YmkUX1fPxpI/s400/cannibal-terror-poster.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 225px;" /></a></div><br />
When two bumbling crooks and their prostitute friend hatch a plan to kidnap the young daughter of a car manufacturer, they think their money troubles are all over. But, these crooks can’t even get a simple kidnapping right, and when their plan falls through, the trio pull a few favors and quickly cross over into the next country to hide out, taking the little girl with them. There’s only one problem - the cottage they’re hiding out in is right on the border of cannibal territory!<br />
<br />
Though the crooks think they’re safe, tension mounts no doubt due to the fact that Mario rapes Manuela, the wife of the cottage’s owner. Manuela’s husband deals with Mario in his own special way, while the other two race into the jungle. On their trail though, are the parents of the little girl and the tribe of cannibals who have picked up their scent. As the chase turns into free-for-all battle for survival, the only question remains is who will be lucky enough to simply die and who will become the next sacrificial meal of the cannibals?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TMiyKu8wJnI/AAAAAAAABKY/_DBwTP9L4H8/s1600/cannibal-terror-screenshot-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TMiyKu8wJnI/AAAAAAAABKY/_DBwTP9L4H8/s320/cannibal-terror-screenshot-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>For bottom-of-the-barrel EuroTrash sleaze looking to cash in on a horror fad, look no further than this Alain Deruelle (directing under the pseudonym Allan W Steeve) French/Spanish co-production from 1981, as he tries to ride the coattails of Italian directors like Ruggero Deodato and his infamous CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST. However, Deruelle proves that his abilities to mimic a genre to make a few bucks are even worse than Jess Franco at his worst. Interestingly enough, Franco was thought to be the true director of this movie for years.<br />
<br />
The cannibal sub-genre is a particularly nasty offshoot in the realm of horror, and lends its perverse violence, often times demeaning stereotyping and lurid acts of sexual depravity to those with an acquired taste. And that is when the genre is done right. When done as a poorly cobbled together cash-in such as CANNIBAL TERROR, the results are a mixture of unintentional humor and boredom, interrupted ever so briefly with moments of stomach-turning disgust.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TMiyLGivKGI/AAAAAAAABKc/_876GvOdxns/s1600/cannibal-terror-screenshot-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TMiyLGivKGI/AAAAAAAABKc/_876GvOdxns/s320/cannibal-terror-screenshot-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Here, the laughter starts from the first scene with abysmal acting from everyone involved, magnetized by the canned and nearly-emotionless English dubbing, but really gets the guffaws rolling with the introduction of perhaps the worst depiction of cannibals the screen has ever seen. These cannibals, who for the most part are pasty white Europeans with sideburns, flowing locks of hair, and beerbellies who have painted their faces and can barely contain their giggles as they hoot and holler and dance around endlessly. Rather than try to exploit their “savage rituals” a la MONDO CANE, here it amounts to nothing more than a ridiculous updating of white guys pretending to be Indians in old Hollywood westerns.<br />
<br />
Now the highlight, if one can call it that, of any good cannibal films is of course the visceral display of flesh eating. Derulle’s version of that is to substitute a pig’s body for that of human, drape some clothes over it, and let a few extras tear it apart. We get two scenes of this grotesque barbarity, as a few fellows pull at and pretend to eat the organs of some piggy. Its a bit revolting, until you notice their smiles, as if it say, “look at us, we’re cannibals!” It is impossible to take anything even remotely serious after that.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TMiyKcFDgvI/AAAAAAAABKU/Xcr6kRwm71Y/s1600/cannibal-terror-screenshot-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TMiyKcFDgvI/AAAAAAAABKU/Xcr6kRwm71Y/s320/cannibal-terror-screenshot-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The rest of the film amounts to a few brief glimpses of nudity thanks to exploitation mainstay Pamela Stanford (BLUE RITA, GIRL SLAVES) in one of her final roles, lots and lots of walking, a few clips of jungle stock footage, and a rollicking African beat inspired soundtrack. In fact, there’s just enough footage of interesting and exciting scenes to be able to cut together a trailer that (as is often the case) promises much more than is ever delivered.<br />
<br />
It is a sure bet that if CANNIBAL TERROR had not been labeled a Video Nasty and briefly banned in the UK during the mid-’80s, the film would have long ago disappeared into obscurity. But now, thanks mostly to this infamous list it has lived on, and now the movie has finally been restored to all its uncut “glory” by Severin Films for its US DVD debut, where it will surely continue to provide laughs for a whole new generation of gut-munching fanatics.<br />
<br />
The DVD provides an anamorphic widescreen transfer of an uncut print, and has been remastered in Hi-Definition, though the quality varies from one scene to the next, and even one cut to the next. The sound retains glaringly obvious of its dubbed roots. The special features include a deleted scene, which is just a short clip of Pamela Stanford dancing around topless that should have been reinstated into the film and the theatrical trailer featuring a priceless voice-over, especially when the announcer exclaims “Cannibal Terror!”<br />
<br />
For genre enthusiasts this is worth a precursory glance just for the sake of curiosity and mocking, and for those that absolutely positively have to own every Video Nasty. For the rest, there is nothing to see here.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><P>Read more <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com">horror movie reviews</a> and get the latest horror news updates on Movies at Midnight.</p></div>Ryan Midnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199920052455322564noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430988645231226032.post-40479807541047848512010-10-25T19:10:00.000-04:002010-10-25T19:08:10.633-04:00GINGER SNAPS (2000) Movie Review<center><h1>GINGER SNAPS (2000)</center></h1><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TMYNa9WNGRI/AAAAAAAABKE/I2nlerg7o6s/s1600/ginger-snaps-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TMYNa9WNGRI/AAAAAAAABKE/I2nlerg7o6s/s320/ginger-snaps-movie-poster.jpg" width="219" /></a></div>Sisters and best friends Brigitte and Ginger Fitzgerald are inseparable teens who share everything together, and are never far from each others side. When the two decide to kidnap a fellow student's dog for attacking Brigitte, Ginger is attacked by a snarling monster in the woods. Was it just a big dog, or was it the small town's fabled beast, who kills and eats animals? The next day, Ginger's graphic wounds from the attack begin to rapidly heal, and Ginger starts to feel a primal change within her. She also finally gets her period, three years later than she should have.<br />
<br />
When Ginger's changing attitudes begin to drive the two sisters apart, Brigitte begins to suspect that Ginger was attacked by a werewolf. Ginger's physical changes, from thick coarse hair and a small tail protruding from her back, solidify her fears. She turns to the local drug dealer and horticulturist for advise on a possible cure. Ginger's changes appear to be from a biological virus, and if it is a disease, then there must be a cure. The only question is whether an antidote can be found before Ginger completely snaps.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicYXCDtewhpLMtdxGDxP9nJjt93o5AiA_1vQ-d3k8vwCi-XRj9curd-_nwfcpu-FWvHN7hhqDslIpj9yMneL2ouj46TztARUhhuumMZcCIjHm2QGE-CrhGqjxbAZH9C_KS4LxfVEwKCRU/s1600/ginger-snaps-screenshot-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicYXCDtewhpLMtdxGDxP9nJjt93o5AiA_1vQ-d3k8vwCi-XRj9curd-_nwfcpu-FWvHN7hhqDslIpj9yMneL2ouj46TztARUhhuumMZcCIjHm2QGE-CrhGqjxbAZH9C_KS4LxfVEwKCRU/s320/ginger-snaps-screenshot-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Horror, and to a slightly lesser degree science fiction, has always had the benefit to its writers to mean something else or to be seen as an allegory to a more serious or dangerous topic to discuss. The classic monsters of early horror cinema hid frail human emotions. Communist undertones were rampant in the 1950s, under the guise of cheap B-horror schlock. The "body horror" sub-genre was perfected by David Cronenberg and Shinya Tsukamoto to talk about contagious disease and the natural breakdown of the human body. Sometimes these topics can be overlooked, or not even noticed, by those who are just looking to be entertained or get a cheap scare. Sometimes they are seen by those with a keen perception. Sometimes however, the "real" topic of the film is so obvious that it almost becomes silly to hide it within another genre. Such is the tragic story about Ginger, written by Karen Walton and directed by John Fawcett.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"></div>Werewolves have always had the distinction of being a cover to talk about involuntary physical and mental changes or to serve as a juxtaposition to a spreading disease via blood. From THE WOLFMAN to AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON, the main protagonists become lycanthropes against their will, and must deal with their permanent curse. Such is the case in GINGER SNAPS, were Ginger's affliction is merely a red herring for puberty and all the unbalanced hormones that come with it. For Ginger, the slowly gestating lycanthrope virus is just the same as her new found primal desires for boys and her period - she can not control her desires, and is willing to do anything to make it stop. Karen Walton's script, which is laden with the terrors of womanhood, gives a feminine injected boost to a genre that seems permanently bulls-eyed at 18-34 year old males. For the men in this film, their horror comes from their inability to dominate and control a woman either through verbal put-downs or archaic parenting, in the face of her female ferocity.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzNVK2na3EbiGk7t1jbFgnePovVoYCsqwrSfpa_BgrQPamzXas8vCc12EsWJWAs9RVOXv3RDwxs6Y258R7lwEjoPmH7AQJpnXJTGVhp2NnR_WUaS8Kj_6Tl6JaZLp4NGolIggZo0qNR8/s1600/ginger-snaps-screenshot-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzNVK2na3EbiGk7t1jbFgnePovVoYCsqwrSfpa_BgrQPamzXas8vCc12EsWJWAs9RVOXv3RDwxs6Y258R7lwEjoPmH7AQJpnXJTGVhp2NnR_WUaS8Kj_6Tl6JaZLp4NGolIggZo0qNR8/s320/ginger-snaps-screenshot-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This is not to say that the film skimps on the actual werewolf story. It is quite the opposite in fact. Walton's biological take on the subject is well thought out, and it takes the entire film for Ginger to finally succumb to the virus. In between, make-up and creature effects designer Paul Jones (who previously worked on NIGHT BREED and the HELLRAISER series) slowly transforms actress Katharine Isabelle into an animalistic version of herself. The changes are very subtle, and his dedication to physical make up and latex, play integrally into the believability of Ginger's transformation. And when Ginger finally makes the full transformation, it is a violent and painful turn, recalling the transformation in AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON. The final creature, which again is a physical effect brought to life by an actor and animatronics, is a unique creature. And thanks to Jones' build up earlier on, one can easily make the connection, especially in the eyes of the creature, that this was once Ginger.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"></div>Under Fawcett's direction, the film gets a standard horror atmosphere as he brings his characters through dimly lit woods and drenching school hallways and the sisters' room with shadows, though there is nothing mind blowing in his approach to his suspense set-ups. During the attack sequences, the camera keeps with the characters witnessing the attack, or are hiding during the attack, rather than showing what is actually happening. Fawcett gives just enough of a glimpse to let the viewer fill in what is happening. Though this may have been done due to the budget constraints, Fawcett makes it work. What he doesn't skimp on is the aftermath, showing multiple half eaten dogs and the invariable dark-laced humor that follows during clean up, or Ginger's shredded victim when she has to protect her secret. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TMYNbgCbJxI/AAAAAAAABKM/nvgyAcKXcms/s1600/ginger-snaps-screenshot-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TMYNbgCbJxI/AAAAAAAABKM/nvgyAcKXcms/s320/ginger-snaps-screenshot-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Upon its release in the US in early 2001, it was completely ignored as a theatrical release (IMDB states it was shown on *one* screen) and then unceremoniously dumped on DVD in 2003 in a full-screen only version. Fortunately for those with a little hunting power, in Canada (the Canadian government funded this film as part of their film program) there is an incredible DVD release. It is a shame too, because this film deserves a much wider audience than it has received. Two decent sequels rounded out the Ginger "trilogy" in 2004.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><P>Read more <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com">horror movie reviews</a> and get the latest horror news updates on Movies at Midnight.</p></div>Ryan Midnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199920052455322564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430988645231226032.post-28560270604194057882010-10-23T10:15:00.000-04:002010-10-23T10:14:47.202-04:00BAY OF BLOOD (1971) Movie Review<center><h1>BAY OF BLOOD (1971)</h1><img alt="bay of blood movie poster" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/moviesatmidnight/SKhmw3ThluI/AAAAAAAAASY/z_AZsBZHwP4/bayofblood.jpg" /></center><br />
<br />
On a grand estate on the shore of a bay, an elderly woman clings desperately to the land so that it will not be bought and turned into a resort. However, her murder sets off a chain reaction that brings all of the potential heirs to the estate out of the woodwork, and more disturbing, an unknown killer who begins to systematically murder each of these heirs. The situation takes another turn for the worse when a group of teenagers decide to trespass on the estate, and are quickly targeted by a killer who knows no remorse, sympathy, or limits to their cruel imagination for slaughtering their next victim.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TMLtNYxQgFI/AAAAAAAABJo/U5hYL-EbVL8/s1600/bay-of-blood-screenshot-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TMLtNYxQgFI/AAAAAAAABJo/U5hYL-EbVL8/s320/bay-of-blood-screenshot-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>In 1970s Italy the murder-mystery, also known as a giallo, was coming into its golden age soaking the screen in blood, filling it with red herrings and sleazy sexuality and generally confusing the hell out of the audiences with complicated plots. But when famed director and writer Mario Bava brought BAY OF BLOOD to the screen, it was like nothing anyone had seen before. Starting off from a generic storyline that could be found in any run-of-the-mill giallo, Bava quickly amps everything up from the almost insane weaving of all the characters' relationships, to the one-after-another murders that are each committed in a more horrific way, to the gratuitous and graphic sex and nudity.<br />
<br />
<span id="goog_290624073"></span><span id="goog_290624074"></span>This film has become known as the very first official slasher film, and is (or at least should be) the water mark to compare all other films that compete for the slasher subgenre label. In America, it can be debated whether BLACK CHRISTMAS or HALLOWEEN was really the first US slasher film, though both owe all their screen credit to Bava's masterpiece. The early FRIDAY THE 13TH films in particular also borrow heavily from this film, right down to the first-person POV and some of the signature murders in the series. For better or worse (and for most fans it is probably the better), due to BAY OF BLOOD, sex and violence will always be married in the slasher genre.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06o-ES_6iCi2r30n3dBYekIrfmfabDpcZj0ekUk_EHIIv6OW9NWyr98Xn5L6mUj_B2bFGEeX1wpkw5J9qaczSlnnHcIylCsUQ6SKpMrE42N3fPNrmnfF26ebIHY6emC9M1O1pr0pv2Co/s1600/bay-of-blood-screenshot-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06o-ES_6iCi2r30n3dBYekIrfmfabDpcZj0ekUk_EHIIv6OW9NWyr98Xn5L6mUj_B2bFGEeX1wpkw5J9qaczSlnnHcIylCsUQ6SKpMrE42N3fPNrmnfF26ebIHY6emC9M1O1pr0pv2Co/s320/bay-of-blood-screenshot-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>It is not just that the film is the very first slasher, it is a great slasher and can still to this day hold up against any would be film adversary. The groundbreaking murder sequences within the film alone make the film worth seeking out, even if you are passive fan of the genre. The make-up special effects, helmed by Carlo Rambaldi (who would later work on E.T. and ALIEN among others) can still hold up almost forty years later, which is testament to their realism. It is truly a crime that as the years passed this film has become more obscure, fallen off the "must see" lists of some horror stalwarts, and may even be unknown to younger and newer faces to the horror scene. <br />
<br />
This was one of the last films that Mario Bava would make, and it is a culmination of a lifetime of work. Even though the movie's essence can be boiled down to a horror shocker, each of the film's individual parts are given the respect and professionalism that would be seen in a high art or dramatic picture. Bava has always been known as one who uses color to manipulate and enhance his films, and it is no exception here. The music plays a critical part in setting moods and building up suspense. Bava's camerawork pulls from the well established "unknown killer" motifs and makes them his own, which set the stage for future directors and cinematographers to mutate to their own needs.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTB6kqEfuFRxSCqfpvQVghWtJo-VVQtR2-mHJ3f-EKaWrHtIZgKQKP8EDQ9O8SrrAmLSeHSKhVYhdv5kkiK76eIxX3x6NehauySr1YUZRYcCdCMxSdO70gN1-3uOcrrKBBAD5O0PQYznE/s1600/bay-of-blood-screenshot-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTB6kqEfuFRxSCqfpvQVghWtJo-VVQtR2-mHJ3f-EKaWrHtIZgKQKP8EDQ9O8SrrAmLSeHSKhVYhdv5kkiK76eIxX3x6NehauySr1YUZRYcCdCMxSdO70gN1-3uOcrrKBBAD5O0PQYznE/s320/bay-of-blood-screenshot-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Any horror fan owes it to themselves to give this film, and Mario Bava, the full credit and respect that it deserves, and that even if it doesn't become a permanent part of your home collection, that it is seen at least once for historical purposes. When watching this, try to keep in mind when it was made practically no one had done anything like this before. And guaranteed, no one will see the ending coming, nor has anyone had the balls since to make an ending quite like BAY OF BLOOD. The couple being double-impaled on the bed while having sex is just icing on the bloody cake.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><P>Read more <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com">horror movie reviews</a> and get the latest horror news updates on Movies at Midnight.</p></div>Ryan Midnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199920052455322564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430988645231226032.post-43956775406120708192010-10-21T22:08:00.001-04:002010-10-21T22:09:55.185-04:00SUSPIRIA (1977) Movie Review<center><h1>SUSPIRIA (1977)</center></h1><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpnUUmUniF7ymH7z1x4EC9uUglmEDRM89SaY22K21G69Fllg53wDuiEVh8-Ah1AK1_fM4vTKc6PmdWAl-bTpsZ-87lUYuHBuUXGFCyGB-pB226cpVslwfHe7yPLTZr6vacHGaiJKvoeI/s1600/suspiria-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpnUUmUniF7ymH7z1x4EC9uUglmEDRM89SaY22K21G69Fllg53wDuiEVh8-Ah1AK1_fM4vTKc6PmdWAl-bTpsZ-87lUYuHBuUXGFCyGB-pB226cpVslwfHe7yPLTZr6vacHGaiJKvoeI/s320/suspiria-movie-poster.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>Review by Tom Parnell<br />
<br />
What exactly do witches do?<br />
<br />
If you think about it nobody has ever really explained this. From a very young age we are told there are witches, they have little pointy hats and broomsticks, throw frogs into cauldrons and cackle a lot. But nobody ever explains why they do all this. What is their goal? <br />
<br />
Dario Argento’s cult classic SUSPIRIA poses this question in a sort of Grimm fairytale for adults (if the brothers Grimm were sponsored by an artificial blood production company). Whether the film actually answers it is another matter.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHExV08w9AVxU0t9pOVbGIlwvvBVSHnxcozS7G4-Zs1wocsJ3RQGE1N0GcdzlMnCvNpuz3zQnz9w5hLi5n7y2hCsh7DTJEgI-07BH-DIFrU7LhyphenhyphenxoM2sAPxEazMIvCOhPLJndb3KLSPR4/s1600/suspiria-screenshot-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHExV08w9AVxU0t9pOVbGIlwvvBVSHnxcozS7G4-Zs1wocsJ3RQGE1N0GcdzlMnCvNpuz3zQnz9w5hLi5n7y2hCsh7DTJEgI-07BH-DIFrU7LhyphenhyphenxoM2sAPxEazMIvCOhPLJndb3KLSPR4/s320/suspiria-screenshot-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The movie begins with all-American stranger-in-a-strange-land Suzy Bannion (played by Jessica Harper) arriving in an unnamed European country where she has enrolled in a prestigious ballet school. What’s going to happen to her?<br />
<br />
We are less than five minutes in before the tension begins to build, driven in no small part by the EXORCIST-style theme performed by the aptly named Goblin. Although Argento goes to great lengths to build suspense throughout SUSPIRIA, we are left in no doubt as to the nature of what lurks in the shadows, as the phrase “Witch” is repeatedly whispered whenever the music grows to a climax. At points this can get somewhat irritating, as there are several moments when the characters are listening for specific creepy noises around them and it becomes hard to distinguish sound effects from the relentless repeating soundtrack.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-ygBONjQ41VkuiJcTAZZQ-46jwfmv_hyphenhyphenR6cpODAxwv0t5v3GA5FLYeERyXomib9ewcX6_K14lNH3LWqExJJhxYab51vX0c1LNq8Iu6DnFZIyPSfSzedIR6lkeozx7td-TLsw7ZOZ1Ik/s1600/suspiria-screenshot-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd-ygBONjQ41VkuiJcTAZZQ-46jwfmv_hyphenhyphenR6cpODAxwv0t5v3GA5FLYeERyXomib9ewcX6_K14lNH3LWqExJJhxYab51vX0c1LNq8Iu6DnFZIyPSfSzedIR6lkeozx7td-TLsw7ZOZ1Ik/s320/suspiria-screenshot-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>From the start the film’s set design and cinematography are stunning. Every building and room is bigger than life and decorated in a spectrum of coloors with wallpapers that appear to have been designed by an excitable descendent of William Morris. Argento continually finds unusual and exciting angles from which to frame shots, from distant headlights through a pitch-black woodland to the unusual spectacle of pouring a glass of wine practically straight down the viewer’s throat.<br />
<br />
Where this film falls down is in the plotline and dialogue. Suzy wonders around the mysterious dance academy doe-eyed and mouth agape, while the requisite number of friends and acquaintances are knocked off in a variety of gore-soaked ways. Then suddenly and inexplicably she starts talking about witches (I can only suspect that she somehow caught a snippet of the soundtrack) and the next thing you know she’s off consulting a ‘witch expert’ who happily knows an awful lot of plot exposition.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiek9h8kMuadhzFISvl0lYIk4svqQoPGOW0huLt4B6I9k_F0gbjGvnlH0x_piIMdVIuPDbHrEWVWTMu7sS7zJy1sAdno8bJjCEDm33qsM9aC1Hj2tSwN9Ef6twWMoWdIt5F2Ci-R9Nkl1M/s1600/suspiria-screenshot-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiek9h8kMuadhzFISvl0lYIk4svqQoPGOW0huLt4B6I9k_F0gbjGvnlH0x_piIMdVIuPDbHrEWVWTMu7sS7zJy1sAdno8bJjCEDm33qsM9aC1Hj2tSwN9Ef6twWMoWdIt5F2Ci-R9Nkl1M/s320/suspiria-screenshot-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I read afterwards that Argento had initially planned to populate the dance academy with 12-year-olds, but the studio wouldn’t let him so he kept the dialogue in protest. This would explain a lot, but if it is the case it seems a shame that he ultimately punishes the viewer for this censorship.<br />
<br />
In all SUSPIRIA is a stylish and well-paced horror, with some truly grizzly set pieces. But if you’re wondering what motivates a witch I still can’t tell whether it’s murder or whether they’ve just got to dance!<br />
<br />
<i>Tom Parnell is a writer and former journalist who is eagerly awaiting the DVD release of <a href="http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?sku=1744">Toy Story 3</a>.</i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><P>Read more <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com">horror movie reviews</a> and get the latest horror news updates on Movies at Midnight.</p></div>Ryan Midnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199920052455322564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430988645231226032.post-68876010123875859632010-10-12T23:52:00.000-04:002013-10-30T11:21:25.772-04:00DEAD SNOW (2009) Movie Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<h1>
DEAD SNOW (2009)</h1>
</center>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TLUsVubSFZI/AAAAAAAABIs/1vOqG839C6I/s1600/dead-snow-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TLUsVubSFZI/AAAAAAAABIs/1vOqG839C6I/s320/dead-snow-movie-poster.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
<br />
Review by Tom Parnell<br />
<br />
When it comes to monsters, Nazi zombies may not be a new idea, but they are up near the top of the horror food chain, along with ghost ninja pirates. It would be far too easy for a lazy director to rely on this epitome of horror squared to carry the whole film, while simply ignoring the basics of character development, or even just decent dialogue.<br />
<br />
DEAD SNOW however, with its snappy script, great direction and post ironic nods to its predecessors, happily avoids falling into this trap. This is a highly enjoyable movie which can have you laughing and wincing in the same moment, without relying on one gimmick to keep the audience enthralled.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TLUsWAVh9FI/AAAAAAAABIw/RQLjk1rs3YA/s1600/dead-snow-screenshot-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TLUsWAVh9FI/AAAAAAAABIw/RQLjk1rs3YA/s320/dead-snow-screenshot-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Norwegian director and co-writer Tommy Wirkola’s only previous feature film, KILL BULJO, is a bizarre Scandinavian parody of Quentin Tarantino’s KILL BILL, with murdered reindeer, racist police officers and a pastiche of the famous DELIVERANCE ‘squeal like a pig’ scene. Although it may not seem like the most natural step to go from there to a full-blown zombie horror, much of the humour is carried through into DEAD SNOW and you get the feeling that, like a smirking version of Tarantino, Wirkola is a man who likes his movies.<br />
<br />
DEAD SNOW has many of the classic cabin horror elements; a group of youngsters heading out for a ski holiday and staying in a remote shack, something evil lurking in the woods and a mysterious stranger with a tale of horror. What it doesn’t do is treat these as anything more than the clichés we all know they are.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TLUsVbAh7uI/AAAAAAAABIo/1JbHf4S2ask/s1600/dead-snow-screenshot-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TLUsVbAh7uI/AAAAAAAABIo/1JbHf4S2ask/s320/dead-snow-screenshot-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
For one of the first times since SCREAM the main characters actually exist in a universe where horror films are available; they know the rules (there is an excellent scene involving what to do if you’re bitten by a zombie) and they aren’t about to go quietly into the night. There are plenty of laughs and nods to films such as EVIL DEAD, but I still felt myself genuinely caring about some of the characters and willing them to survive. <br />
<br />
Wirkola does a great job of creating tension when it’s needed and going for full-on blood-spattered snow when the time comes. You may have been wondering why the fact that the walking dead are Nazis makes any difference, but the addition of SS uniforms does add a genuine extra element of sinisterism to the zombie hoard and the high quality of the zombie make-up perfectly complements this.<br />
<br />
In all, DEAD SNOW is funny, exciting, beautifully visual and genuinely terrifying in parts and with a the tagline “Ein, Zwei, Die” who could resist?</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><P>Read more <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com">horror movie reviews</a> and get the latest horror news updates on Movies at Midnight.</p></div>Ryan Midnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199920052455322564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430988645231226032.post-34179968509728479352010-10-12T18:52:00.001-04:002010-10-12T18:56:47.913-04:00MONSTERS (2010) Movie Review<center><h1>MONSTERS (2010)</h1></center><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><img height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSFbb5cHywbB3jq9cdbcK0aD4RoeRanunatF5P_zvrFiS-cpyeYOk8xAB2eav0Qk-MpULcRC8Fuquiq3hd-Xzp3PC5w3l_z8ZB6iBtXuuSjH6j7fVEV3k_Mn97I-L61LzhHaCdtYNQ-cc/" width="216" /></center><br />
<br />
Review by Michael Montenegro<br />
<br />
I recently watched MONSTERS as an early release on my FiOS Video on Demand; it's USA theatrical release is scheduled for October 29th. I went in to watching this movie with moderately high expectations since they are marketing this movie as "2010's DISTRICT 9".<br />
<br />
However, let me be the one to burst that bubble! In order for that comparison to be accurate DISTRICT 9 would need to remove 95% of their alien scenes, have the lowest common denominator plot devices and turn out to be a love story masquerading as a "monster" movie.<br />
<br />
MONSTERS' premise is that 6 years ago NASA found the possibility of intelligent alien life in our solar system. They launched a probe and instead of landing safely it crashed in the middle of Mexico and the region was quickly inhabited and over run with "strange creatures." The area was walled off and became the Infected Zone, with sections of Mexico (and presumably America) bordering the Infected Zone constantly under attack from said creatures.<br />
<br />
Now that sounds like a great idea for a movie about giant monsters! Sadly this is NOT a movie about giant monsters, it's a love story?! That's right, I watched and waited patiently for my big pay-off alien showdown and all I got was two of the most flat and uninteresting characters trekking across Mexico together and falling in love at the end. The offending characters are Andrew Kaulder, a photographer for a major US publication and Samantha Wynden, the "runaway bride" daughter of the publisher of said publication.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><img height="148" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TLTkzL1TxOI/AAAAAAAABIQ/4Ih7o5WLYtU/monsters-screenshot-1.jpg" width="320" /></center><br />
<br />
Samantha is caught in and slightly injured in an altercation between military forces and a wandering creature near her hotel in Mexico, where she is hiding out from her father and fiancee. Apparently her emotions around getting married are so confusing she runs to creature-infested Mexico presumably on daddy's dime to think things over. Really?! Not some tranquil far away European nation or some private island that fits your characters' background? Nope she picks the most ghetto areas of Mexico where alien encounters and devastation run rampant.<br />
<br />
Enter our photographer Andrew, who is tasked by daddy dearest to find and bring his daughter back safely to the US. He's hesitant at first since leaving the area to escort "Ms. Whiny rich girl with problems" home will likely derail his opportunity to get some real shots of these creatures, which is his job and the whole reason he's stationed down there in the first place. But after a somewhat "stern talking to" over the pay phone from daddy he agrees to get her to the harbor and on the last ships to the states.<br />
<br />
Arriving at the harbor they find there's only one company selling tickets for the last ship out and of course the price of admission is a steep one. They negotiate a little and get two tickets on the ferry leaving at 7am the following day. So what better to spend the night before your last shot of leaving the area for 6 months then shack up in a shady flee-bag motel and go out drinking like it's Cinco De Mayo!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><img height="136" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TLTkzDyBLgI/AAAAAAAABIU/7PxHpx-F-fA/monsters-screenshot-2.jpg" width="320" /></center><br />
<br />
We all know drinking leads to feelings and a "connection" but it doesn't lead to anything physical with unattached to Whiny rich girl so Andrew, being a guy, finds a local lady to end his night. The next morning Samantha, upon discovering Andrew's passed out bed mate, runs away upset and Andrew gives chase in his boxers to "apologize?"<br />
<br />
If you're confused by this don't worry, it's natural. So of course after working this apparent "tiff" out Andrew returns to find... the tickets and their passports have been seemingly stolen by his now absent lady of the night. Oh no!! Who could have foreseen such a plot twist?! Oh right anyone who has half a brain and knows the movie isn't even halfway over and they haven't entered the Infected Zone yet!<br />
<br />
They try to reason with the uncaring ticket guy who simply explains the price has now doubled! How could they possibly afford double... if only one of them had a super rich and connected father... but that only happens in the movies! So the the only option left is to go through the Infected Zone with "Mercs-for hire" and to cover the cost our heroine hands over her diamond engagement ring. Gasp!<br />
<br />
Well at least now I'll get to see the creatures attack people and run amok right?! Wrong! Our intrepid duo navigate the Infected Zone with their "guides" coming to rest for the night and hearing stories told around campfire of why the area is refereed to as Infected. Turns out the creatures mate and the female lays her eggs in the form of glowing toadstool growths on tree trunks all over the jungle.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><img height="162" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TLTkzan2XRI/AAAAAAAABIY/YHGJYTgLo8s/monsters-screenshot-3.jpg" width="320" /></center><br />
<br />
The group's night is interrupted by a radio squawk of an obvious attack in the area. As they try to escape the danger the first truck out of the two is picked up by some dark tentacles and dropped. Gunfire and screaming ensues and through a broken and flipped over truck window we see our first real, all be it quick, glimpse of the creatures. Back lit only by the moon we see basically a big Octopus on what appears to be stilt like legs, yep... that's all these new breed of Monster movie makers can imagine for us.<br />
<br />
So now alone Andrew and Samantha push on toward the "promised land" of America. They reach a very old temple and climb to the summit and look out across the jungle and see a massive wall signaling the border of Mexico and America. The scene, which could have had a really interesting effect, is ruined by the next few pieces of dialogue in which, with the subtlety of a sledgehammer to the head, drives home the point that America is something we take for granted while inside and how it's so different looking at her from the outside in.<br />
<br />
Wow! So on top of a love story it's also addressing the issue of illegal immigration! What can't this movie do... oh right, show me Giant Monsters being Giant Monsters! <br />
<br />
Thankfully we're reaching the end of this dribble. So as our couple reach the seemingly deserted and abandoned border wall, seeing only emptiness and hurricane like destruction, it appears all is not safe in America. They wander into the night finally finding a run down yet still functioning gas station equipped with lights and a working phone and pay phone. They quickly call the 911 and are told to stay put and a military unit is in the area and en-route to pick them up.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><img height="137" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TLTkzvkSi6I/AAAAAAAABIc/l9sRx8Giyyo/monsters-screenshot-4.jpg" width="320" /></center><br />
<br />
Now this has promise, our heroes are alone in the dark, the military is on the way and all signs point to a nice decent action sequence to close out the movie. Again Wrong!<br />
<br />
What we see on the final moments of MONSTERS is not one but two creatures, again back lit by sporadic lightning flashes, who stumble upon the gas station and come together and mate. They apparently lock tentacles and glow with bio-luminescence then walk away making almost whale like calls. As they walk away the military unit of twin Humvees show up and take our couple away separately. That's right, the final image we as an audience of MONSTERS see is our couple looking longingly at each other, knowing they can never be, that their just from two different worlds. Fade to black. The End. WHAT!?!<br />
<br />
The level of anger and sheer disappointment I felt at a movie that was billed as a return to the Giant Monster movie was epic! What we have here is a movie about two people from different worlds coming together and eventually falling in love with each other with the backdrop of creatures roaming around the jungles mating. The perfect words I can find to describe this movie are "Wasted Potential". However if the idea the entire time was to make MONSTERS a love story then why call it MONSTERS?<br />
<br />
I can't in good faith recommend this movie for any fan of legit monster movies. The ratio of monster to human drama is completely off balance. If you're looking for a love story that has an indie feel with very little monster parts this is the movie for you. But if you're a fan of old school GODZILLA or BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS movies stay away, unless you like to be teased and taunted with no payoff.<br />
<br />
<i>Michael Montenegro is an avid Horror/Sci-fi movie fan. He is also a hardcore comic reader and artist having graduated from The Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. He currently resides with his fiancee, two cats and a ferret in NJ.</i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><P>Read more <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com">horror movie reviews</a> and get the latest horror news updates on Movies at Midnight.</p></div>Ryan Midnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199920052455322564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430988645231226032.post-4030685385935268602010-10-10T10:50:00.000-04:002010-10-10T10:47:16.380-04:00THE WOODS (2006) Movie Review<center><h1>THE WOODS (2006)</center></h1><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhbg6Og1uBsWICBH1sEn7iHKCngLvMA08fatl_KioifVTbSHi1etRt6E4v66vW3XNCO_RR7dEYmf0T92Ow18m4eRFaUJQve_anmulNBFPvL1fph6ikG4_oE28mdn_NrVnUifBT9w6XXTE/s1600/the-woods-2006-dvd-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" alt="the woods movie poster" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhbg6Og1uBsWICBH1sEn7iHKCngLvMA08fatl_KioifVTbSHi1etRt6E4v66vW3XNCO_RR7dEYmf0T92Ow18m4eRFaUJQve_anmulNBFPvL1fph6ikG4_oE28mdn_NrVnUifBT9w6XXTE/s320/the-woods-2006-dvd-cover.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>Heather is a rebellious teen who has been brought to an isolated all-girls school deep within an old forest in an attempt for her to learn some control over herself. Heather is none too keen on the idea, and attempts to worm her way out of it, but to no avail. She meets the headmistress Ms. Traverse, befriends shy Marcy, and likewise becomes the object of torment by the school’s alpha student, Samantha. On her first night sleeping there, Heather has a horrific nightmare, as she has visions of the surrounding woods and begins to hear voices. And though no one will come out and say it, Heather feels an aura of the supernatural lingering around the school as days turn to weeks. When a student goes missing, and Heather learns of the legend of the school, she begins to suspect that there might be some truth behind it. As her intuitive nature leads her on, Heather comes to realize that school may in fact be run by a sisterhood of witches.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TLHRTF2p87I/AAAAAAAABHQ/xpb_gBgtTN8/s1600/the-woods-2006-screenshot-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="144" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TLHRTF2p87I/AAAAAAAABHQ/xpb_gBgtTN8/s320/the-woods-2006-screenshot-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Lucky McKee follows up his 2002 sleeper horror hit MAY with this supernatural ode to witchcraft, sisterhood, and rebellion. However, as McKee’s film is drenched in European-styled slow-building suspense and filled with three-dimensional fleshed out characters, rather than the long haired ghosts and torture chambers, fans had to wait almost three years for his film to be quietly ushered onto DVD. It is quite a shame, as McKee’s film seems an attempt to bring back into the horror spotlight a more lyrical and dreamlike tempo which has been widely absent from modern American screens, and has more than a passing resemblance and paid respect to SUSPIRIA.<br />
<br />
Throughout cinema's history and in storytelling reaching back into Shakespeare’s MacBeth and beyond, the woods and forests have always been a source of the unknown, of horrors untold, of mysteries waiting to unfold, of spooks and specters, witches and warlocks. In modern days, forests have housed unstoppable killers and unseen evil forces. McKee taps into this subconscious fear of the woods quite aptly here, sending his characters into the underbrush both in day and night, and allowing his camera to idle through the shadows and silhouettes of the treetops. The effect is both hauntingly calming and frightening. McKee even goes so far as to bring in Bruce Campbell in a supporting role, an actor who will always be synonymous with haunted forests, to ratchet up the viewer’s embedded terror of what lurks beyond the tree line.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiflBBQxDR2jqdnlFDCKyVq3eqdZTBu8mK7KRxrI2zRuw3uGYYSuhbChuyGhvvyVxfK8ND4q0ldMu7EkrfMj7RjtbE30WQBRHSEPVweEltGpLPGpOnpDvmvN3YhOY2HcILg5pA1yrQd9iA/s1600/the-woods-2006-screenshot-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiflBBQxDR2jqdnlFDCKyVq3eqdZTBu8mK7KRxrI2zRuw3uGYYSuhbChuyGhvvyVxfK8ND4q0ldMu7EkrfMj7RjtbE30WQBRHSEPVweEltGpLPGpOnpDvmvN3YhOY2HcILg5pA1yrQd9iA/s320/the-woods-2006-screenshot-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>David Ross, who makes his writing debut here, makes a stylistic choice to set his tale in 1965. This decision gives the film a unique twist on the story as it plays out. Given the year and the isolation of the school, the setting has a very natural and earthy feel to it. Technology is given very little screen time, and much of that is during Heather’s car ride in. The classrooms, and especially the dormitory, doesn’t look like they have been updated in the one-hundred plus years of the school’s operation, and give the setting more of a haunted castle aura than that of a learning institution. Second, is the dawn of rebellion that was blossoming in the mid-60’s youth, and the distrust for all authority. This subtext plays a crucial part of Heather’s being, and adds texture to her anti-authoritarian stance against both the teachers and her parents.<br />
<br />
Ross also takes his time to give depth to his supporting cast. He keeps the horror and suspense subdued through most of the first hour, limiting it to a few nightmares of Heather’s, and a fantastically paced goosebump covered ghost story that one of the students tells as a way to explain what lies in wait in the woods and its connection to the history of the school. But when he unleashes the woods in the final act, they are more terrifying and lifelike than ever before seen. Though most of the gripping, thrashing, and constricting plant life is CGI, it is wonderfully brought to the screen and meshes with the physical set and actors, serving to enhance rather than distract. And when Heather finally gets a hold of an axe, it brings forth a quick and satisfying bloodletting that plays not only for shock, but as a logical conclusion to the story that is multiple layers thick.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TLHRTTi8izI/AAAAAAAABHU/dCBf1MSeg4M/s1600/the-woods-2006-screenshot-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="139" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TLHRTTi8izI/AAAAAAAABHU/dCBf1MSeg4M/s320/the-woods-2006-screenshot-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Just as the extreme and graphic horror of the mid-2000s was a backlash against the watered-down “near beer” horror of the late 1990s, so too does it seem that character driven horror seems to be clawing at the throats of the James Wans and Eli Roths at the time of this film's release. And though THE WOODS did not get the widespread initial recognition it should have, perhaps it be looked back upon fondly as a forebearer of what was soon to come. Or it may just have to sit and wait patiently on the rental rack, waiting for the next unsuspecting soul to get too close, so that THE WOODS may grab its next victim.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><P>Read more <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com">horror movie reviews</a> and get the latest horror news updates on Movies at Midnight.</p></div>Ryan Midnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199920052455322564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430988645231226032.post-57004425170365862532010-10-09T18:00:00.000-04:002010-10-09T18:00:44.620-04:00THE UGLY (1997) Movie Review<center><h1>THE UGLY (1997)</h1></center><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TLDldFKuJWI/AAAAAAAABGk/fvzoCMVbWZM/s1600/the-ugly-dvd-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TLDldFKuJWI/AAAAAAAABGk/fvzoCMVbWZM/s320/the-ugly-dvd-cover.jpg" width="219" /></a></div>In a mental institution in New Zealand, where the sadistic orderlies look like they've just returned from a Korn concert and the voyeuristic warden looks like he would be right at home preaching at a black mass, resides deranged serial killer Simon Cartwright. Simon, who is about to go on trial for his crimes, personally requests psychologist Karen Shumaker for an independent evaluation of his sanity. When Karen arrives, she immediately gets the impression that she is not welcome, and her forward attitude is definitely not common place among the facility. Over the next two days, Karen interviews Simon, using her kind and sincere nature to get through to Simon and let him open up. <br />
<br />
But Simon, who as a boy was tormented by his classmates and beaten by his abusive mother, is not one to open up so easily. Simon, who now sees himself in mirrors as a horribly disfigured man, goes into detail about the murders he has performed over the years before being caught. His reasons for killing change with each inquisitive question, but seem to center around the vocal commands of The Ugly, who Simon can not disobey. Karen may never be able to uncover the "why?" she is so desperately seeking, but if she is not careful she may just get to experience the commands of The Ugly herself.<br />
<br />
Released in the US in early 1998, and buried alive with little attention given amidst the fashionable horror streaming from the pen of Kevin Williamson at the time, this debut from New Zealand writer/director Scott Reynolds melds together the "serial killer interview" dramatic style with the chaotic slasher style of the early nineties. What comes of it is a schizophrenic tale that can't decide if it wants to play it safe as a psychological thriller or fully commit to being a horror film. This unsure choice in genre somewhat resonates within the conflicted Simon, who never truly commits to deciding if his actions are forced due to circumstance or the choice of free will. Meek and innocent looking Paolo Rotondo, who bears a striking resemblance to Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale, was chosen to bring to life the conflicted Simon. His shy and introverted performance is so convincing and encompassing, that it is shocking to watch him lash out against his victims, and was a gambling choice that paid off.<br />
<br />
Scott Reynolds sets up two stylistic devices in his film to try and make his movie just that much more interesting to watch. The first is his choice to make blood in this film the color of jet black ink. Whether this is how Simon himself sees blood to help him cope with his killing, if it was a choice to get pasted censors or just a cheeky nod to PSYCHO is never explained, but it is certainly an artistic choice that is open interpretation. Reynolds' other key choice was in how he explores the frequent flashbacks as told by Simon. Past and current time overlap one another here, as present day Simon and Karen frequently wind up "appearing" together within his flashback as he tells the story. It shows that Simon's life is so jumbled and confusing that he is never able to commit to what time period to devote himself to, and a simple visual aid that draws you deeper into the story. <br />
<br />
For the creation of "The Ugly", a hive-like collection of Simon's victims that he claims follows him around and demands that he kill again and again, Reynolds tapped the shoulder of pre-LORD OF THE RINGS Weta, a New Zealand-based effects house. These gloomy corpses, that spew that same black blood that Simon sees when he kills, are dressed in white flowing rags and have eyes that penetrate from the screen. They resemble the "long haired ghosts" that America would become inundated with about five years later, and one might wonder if the Kiwis were just a bit too far ahead of their time. <br />
<br />
Not all is delicious and evil in Reynolds' tale though. He does resort to several invigoratingly aggravating scare pieces that unfold for several minutes before reverting back to real time to show the attack you just saw was only in Simon's head. While it does show that different thoughts are battling for dominance in his mind, it is not done well enough so as to not damage the narrative flow and credibility of the scares in the film. And, in an all out steal from THE USUAL SUSPECTS in one scene, we are brought for a brief moment to question everything that Simon has been telling Karen, but it is never touched upon again to prove the theory it places in the back of the viewer's mind.<br />
<br />
Had THE UGLY been embraced during its too-quick theatrical run and after being dumped onto the then fledgling DVD format, it would have been a slap in the face of the glossy horror that was coming out and certainly would have seen a needed sequel. Many films produced after this would step up to the plate to make that important slap to glossy horror, and with better films to boot. Because of this, THE UGLY falls into the ravine of the would've-could've-should've horror releases. The film has lost its importance and place in history, and while it is a solid watch with some memorable scenes and a good mind-twist, it remains solely as proof that Peter Jackson is not the only filmmaker in New Zealand.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><P>Read more <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com">horror movie reviews</a> and get the latest horror news updates on Movies at Midnight.</p></div>Ryan Midnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199920052455322564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430988645231226032.post-62701872399727698992010-10-05T23:59:00.003-04:002013-10-30T11:21:42.220-04:00BURIED Movie Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<h1>
BURIED (2010)</h1>
</center>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TKv0wTnRyeI/AAAAAAAABFU/VEd3yayXJig/s1600/buried-2010-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TKv0wTnRyeI/AAAAAAAABFU/VEd3yayXJig/s320/buried-2010-movie-poster.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
Review by Joe Johnson<br />
<br />
Of course there is nothing underground about this heavily promoted Hollywood hit staring heartthrob Ryan Reynolds. Billed as a horror/thriller hybrid the Hitchcock inspired teaser trailer eludes to some kind of retro murder mystery flick. Buried is far removed from these genre, with just one actor and one (very cramped) location.<br />
<br />
We learn at the start of the film that Reynolds character, Paul Conroy, is truck driver stationed out in Iraq who has been captured by insurgents and buried underground in a less than spacious wooden coffin. Equipped with just a mobile phone, a lighter, a torch and oddly, a couple of glow-sticks, Reynolds sets about trying to build a picture of what happened to him and how to get rescued.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCOXCuZNcSvY9X8VZhPf88cFguEP0mZbiVxAieUyqe6OeQ0DPxiW_ly2IP15lhPD0zyA983gKVKmhGZHaFYyVVvLbX85qEySWHh2jsB_n19Y1UEWJQo1Ya06oMMvQdwJoQgnZnahcT6Y/s1600/buried-movie-screenshot-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCOXCuZNcSvY9X8VZhPf88cFguEP0mZbiVxAieUyqe6OeQ0DPxiW_ly2IP15lhPD0zyA983gKVKmhGZHaFYyVVvLbX85qEySWHh2jsB_n19Y1UEWJQo1Ya06oMMvQdwJoQgnZnahcT6Y/s320/buried-movie-screenshot-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
In a bold move which injects an element of humor into the proceedings, the film plays with the frustrations of navigating endless layers of automated telephone options when trying to make contact with someone in a hurry about an important issue. None could be more urgent than this, Conroy is rapidly running out of oxygen and has been informed by his captors that he must raise 1 million dollars within the next few hours in exchange for his freedom.<br />
<br />
Paul goes about ringing the U.S emergency services who offer little help before being put in contact with a calm trustworthy voice from the Pentagon who talks him around and attempts to contain his desperate state of mind that triggers sporadic anxiety attacks. With assistance, Paul begins to make inroads into organizing a rescue for mission.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TKv0wyqZTJI/AAAAAAAABFc/0sKxjUnxfxA/s1600/buried-movie-screenshot-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TKv0wyqZTJI/AAAAAAAABFc/0sKxjUnxfxA/s320/buried-movie-screenshot-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Among the phone calls from the good guys, Paul is being constantly hounded by his captors who demand that he makes videos of himself pleading for mercy. Reynolds portrays a fallible character with an attitude that spirals from anger to disappointment and joy making the feature a believable and visceral experience.<br />
<br />
To reveal any more would be bordering on a spoiler but needless to say Conroy has a myriad of crucial decisions to make, each one influencing the next, culminating in the film’s end which, while satisfying, is wholly predictable. The singular location and the suspense factor that ebbs and flows is reminiscent of PHONE BOOTH, but BURIED has a unique style all of its own which will no doubt appeal to horror and thriller fans alike.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><P>Read more <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com">horror movie reviews</a> and get the latest horror news updates on Movies at Midnight.</p></div>Ryan Midnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199920052455322564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430988645231226032.post-29467246568432408262010-10-02T14:02:00.001-04:002013-10-30T11:22:01.529-04:00THE MAD MAGICIAN Movie Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center>
<h1>
THE MAD MAGICIAN (1954)</h1>
</center>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TKdzFDbM7WI/AAAAAAAABEA/9jMQyKv-mWk/s1600/mad-magician-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TKdzFDbM7WI/AAAAAAAABEA/9jMQyKv-mWk/s320/mad-magician-movie-poster.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
Review by Brian McGovern<br />
<br />
THE MAD MAGICIAN is Vincent Price at his deranged and diabolical best. After Warner Brothers created a hit with their 3-D production of HOUSE OF WAX Columbia Pictures decided to get in on the craze. They hired the writer from HOUSE OF WAX and brought back Price and his tortured-artist-turned-mad-man shtick in this 1954 3D horror classic.<br />
<br />
Mr. Price stars as Don Gallico, a frustrated inventor of stage illusions. Gallico toils in the magic prop studio of the cruel Mr. Ormond (played by Donald Randolph) and dreams becoming famous as “The Great Gallico,” once he has perfects his masterpiece of magic, “The Buzz Saw Illusion.”<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TKdzFpDt5zI/AAAAAAAABEE/DRk4m9c918w/s1600/mad-magician-screenshot-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TKdzFpDt5zI/AAAAAAAABEE/DRk4m9c918w/s1600/mad-magician-screenshot-1.jpg" /></a></div>
Gallico mounts a stage production to promote his new illusion. When Ormond sees the commercial potential of the buzz saw trick he shuts down the show on opening night with a court order. Gallico learns that his contract with Ormond gives him no right to his own inventions. We find out that not only has Ormond destroyed Gallico’s career, he’s also managed to steal his wife. Gallico flies into a rage. Greedy boss, vanquished dreams, jealous ex-lover plus buzz saw plus Vincent Price… I think you see where this is going. Cue the maniacal laughter.<br />
<br />
After the mad magician dispatches Mr. Ormond via a real buzz saw blade he has two problems; what to do with the body and what to do with the head? Gallico disguises himself as Mr. Ormond and drags his victim’s body to a convenient pre-game bonfire just about to start only a short walk from the scene of the crime. Disguising the body to look like a straw-filled effigy of a rival sports team member, he’s cheered as he dumps the body in full view of a crowd. Since the crowd believes he is Mr. Ormond, Gallico believes he’s pulled off the perfect crime. Tah-da!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TKdzEhS3vTI/AAAAAAAABD8/eeUPpOYtUjk/s1600/mad-magician-screenshot-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TKdzEhS3vTI/AAAAAAAABD8/eeUPpOYtUjk/s320/mad-magician-screenshot-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Now to dispatch with Ormond’s noggin, stashed safely away in a small satchel. Unfortunately Callico’s assistant drops by his studio and accidentally takes the satchel containing the head. Then she loses the bag in a cab. The cab driver gives the bag to a police officer and Gallico must race across the city to find the bag before anyone discovers what is inside.<br />
<br />
Just when Gallico thinks he’s covered his tracks, his ex-wife (played by Eva Gabor) shows up searching for her husband, the very dead Mr. Ormond. She discovers Gallico’s crime so he dispatches his unfaithful lover in pure Vincent Price rage. So many bodies, so little time.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TKdzGB7QoRI/AAAAAAAABEI/361fQpICDdQ/s1600/mad-magician-screenshot-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TKdzGB7QoRI/AAAAAAAABEI/361fQpICDdQ/s1600/mad-magician-screenshot-2.jpg" /></a></div>
A rival magician named The Great Rinaldi appears, trying to steal another secret from Gallico. Rinaldi stole credit for the Buzz Saw Illusion and wants another trick. Gallico shows him his new Crematorium Illusion, up close. Rinaldi vanishes in a puff of smoke. And so it goes up to the formulaic finale.<br />
<br />
In all, THE MAD MAGICIAN typifies the teenager targeted shock movie of the 1950’s. Full of plot holes, unbelievable coincidences and sophistic character motivations it’s a campy, fun and entertaining 74 minutes.</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><P>Read more <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com">horror movie reviews</a> and get the latest horror news updates on Movies at Midnight.</p></div>Ryan Midnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199920052455322564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430988645231226032.post-72932878651958992482010-09-29T19:51:00.001-04:002010-09-29T19:53:15.660-04:00SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN (1970) Movie Review<center><h1>Scream and Scream Again (1970)</h1></center><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TKPQAky1C4I/AAAAAAAABDU/a2S7Vt7szOc/s1600/scream-and-scream-again-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="scream and scream again movie poster" border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TKPQAky1C4I/AAAAAAAABDU/a2S7Vt7szOc/s320/scream-and-scream-again-movie-poster.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>Review by Tom Parnell<br />
<br />
A quick glance at the cast list of SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN should be enough to excite any horror fan.<br />
<br />
Featuring Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee and Vincent Price this 1970 film could easily have come from the Hammer stable if it wasn’t for the utterly bizarre, convoluted and ultimately confusing plot which encompasses vampire superhumans, oppressive Eastern European regimes and vats of acid.<br />
<br />
Adapted from a Peter Saxon novel by Christopher Wicking (who years later co-wrote the David Bowie flop/cult classic ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS) SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN is a film that constantly keeps you guessing and generally proves your predictions wrong.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TKPQBHgLlKI/AAAAAAAABDc/jcXS-VY-tz4/s1600/scream-and-scream-again-photo-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TKPQBHgLlKI/AAAAAAAABDc/jcXS-VY-tz4/s320/scream-and-scream-again-photo-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>As the opening credits roll we are treated to a serene scene of a jogger crossing a green somewhere in suburban England. The dramatic title freeze frames the action for a moment accompanied by an upbeat David Whitaker jazz number. So far, not so sinister. What’s going to happen to him?<br />
<br />
Not vampires, not violent dictators or rubber-masked monsters, but a sudden heart attack does for our jogger and suddenly we cut to him tucked up safe in hospital. Or is he? A nurse arrives and wordlessly attaches one of those weird suction pipes which drain your saliva to our jogger’s mouth. When she leaves he takes stock of himself. One arm. Two arms. No legs! Let the screaming begin.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-cc8EHxD-jEZuvQ7cJQuiI1PFap4C1k1v2Ct5aAW47PZGHoOUzKZYvXb0b6tLC4VXMm5YYn3xLCLyBk8ije2G-7m_gc5ZuFB-G0BEyVHh8GVX7PXYERlb8J-DWCGgy0ZT1pgzP-kvqo8/s1600/scream-and-scream-again-photo-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-cc8EHxD-jEZuvQ7cJQuiI1PFap4C1k1v2Ct5aAW47PZGHoOUzKZYvXb0b6tLC4VXMm5YYn3xLCLyBk8ije2G-7m_gc5ZuFB-G0BEyVHh8GVX7PXYERlb8J-DWCGgy0ZT1pgzP-kvqo8/s320/scream-and-scream-again-photo-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Now from here most watchers would expect the rest of the film to focus on the jogger’s ongoing torment and potential escape attempts, but actually the film’s focus shifts entirely to an unnamed Eastern European country ruled by some sort of Gestapo-like organization headed by Peter Cushing. This is where things begin to get confusing.<br />
<br />
I would like to say that I could give the plot away at this point, but having watched this film twice in quick succession I still can’t claim to fully understand it. One of the tricks which this film constantly manages to pull is, just as you start to get the hang of what’s going on and who everybody is, it suddenly changes location and story thread.<br />
<br />
Apparently Vincent Price repeatedly said in interviews that he didn’t understand the script at all and he had no idea what he was talking about in his final, supposedly explanatory, monologue. I’m with him.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNwfppX8uiiQLdC_ljrD5iUJP2lzgRG4RCDrj3KCWnktMw_17gALg3MxmLH-dm_e7rkHFkV0QFme1DAywiw4I8LqP12kz-utdRMDeZk6zaZ8iIQxA-gwCQUO42Q_Hqad_ZYVy1p1QImg/s1600/scream-and-scream-again-photo-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNwfppX8uiiQLdC_ljrD5iUJP2lzgRG4RCDrj3KCWnktMw_17gALg3MxmLH-dm_e7rkHFkV0QFme1DAywiw4I8LqP12kz-utdRMDeZk6zaZ8iIQxA-gwCQUO42Q_Hqad_ZYVy1p1QImg/s320/scream-and-scream-again-photo-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>If you sit back and let the various convoluted plot points wash over you however, you are left with a highly enjoyable, stylish and sometimes genuinely innovative film. Disappointingly Peter Cushing never appears with the other two main stars, but we do get to see Peter Sallis (Clegg from LAST OF THE SUMMER WINE) meeting an unfortunate end (and not in a bathtub rolling out of control down a hill).<br />
<br />
Bizarrely the best bit of the film has none of the top-billed stars in it, as the British police chase a (literally) blood-thirsty murderer around Betchworth Quarry and to a very surprising end.<br />
<br />
SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN may not have gone down in history as a classic, but for its uniqueness and elaborate plot alone it is worth a watch for any horror fan. <br />
<br />
<i>Tom Parnell is a writer and former journalist who spends too much time sitting around at home watching <a href="http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?sku=29541" target="_blank">Doctor Who DVDs</a>.</i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><P>Read more <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com">horror movie reviews</a> and get the latest horror news updates on Movies at Midnight.</p></div>Ryan Midnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199920052455322564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430988645231226032.post-70480606597550828742010-09-28T22:18:00.000-04:002010-09-28T22:17:15.912-04:00NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE Movie Review<center><br />
<h1>NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE (2006)</h1></center><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TKKhYSkYdeI/AAAAAAAABDA/rbJD92_Xv1E/s1600/nightmare-detective-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TKKhYSkYdeI/AAAAAAAABDA/rbJD92_Xv1E/s320/nightmare-detective-movie-poster.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>When a young woman is found dead in her apartment, her gruesome death appears to be a suicide, and the Tokyo Police Department are ready to close the case. But when a second death is reported, another suicide by a salaryman whose wife witnessed him as he brutally stabbed himself in the neck again and again while sleeping, the detectives become much more suspicious of the first death. When both of the victims’ cell phones show their last conversation was with a caller known only as "0", they fear the suicides may have been coerced.<br />
<br />
The detectives split off into two groups, with one taking on a traditional investigation attempting to hunt down "0", while newcomer detective Kirishima (J-pop star Hitomi) is assigned to approach from a more experimental viewpoint, trying to decipher what happened in their dreams. Her inquest leads her to a recluse known as the Nightmare Detective, a man who is cursed with the ability to enter people’s dreams. With his reluctant help, the Nightmare Detective enters into the dreams of Detective Wakamiya, who has since made contact with "0" and now is under suicide watch. Soon after entering Wakamiya’s dream, the Nightmare Detective discovers that there is a powerful entity in the dreamworld, whose desire to make others kill themselves rivals that of the Nightmare Detective’s desire to kill himself!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEJvY933AFDq17-zU2F6T0sxKm89TjzdXySXynMbYrOcusQXPod24pUWIXujzUkggUPJM37VttdleJqhhepjOxqWEOnVTC81PzDwPvOHfSksHzRMAlRzhM0PeeVweJWPVarhQsRChmP0/s1600/nightmare-detective-photo-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEJvY933AFDq17-zU2F6T0sxKm89TjzdXySXynMbYrOcusQXPod24pUWIXujzUkggUPJM37VttdleJqhhepjOxqWEOnVTC81PzDwPvOHfSksHzRMAlRzhM0PeeVweJWPVarhQsRChmP0/s320/nightmare-detective-photo-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>If the name Shinya Tsukamoto does not immediately put a smile on your face, then pay very close attention. Shinya Tsukamoto is an auteur in the Japanese film industry whose style is most commonly linked with the body-horror of David Cronenberg and the surrealist horror of David Lynch. Tsukamoto’s early film, TETSUO: THE IRON MAN helped to pave the way for the cyberpunk subgenre, and his influence can clearly be seen in the works of Takashi Miike and Darren Aronofsky. When Tsukamoto is not behind the camera making his own movies he is acting in his contemporaries’ films, and is most recognizable as the sinister Jijii in ICHI THE KILLER.<br />
<br />
With NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE, Shinya Tsukamoto once again takes on almost all key production roles including director, writer, cinematography, editor, art designer, and even the role of the mysterious "0". His singular hand in the creation of the entire film is paramount in giving the movie its unique vision. While at the very core of the film is a death-by-dream motif that is similar to A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, Tsukamoto takes his ideas of what nightmares would look like if they were caught on celluloid (well in this case HD video) further than Wes Craven would ever dare.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyboQ7DfrXyPacPdDxobJcR2aJPe81jO7-7vH8ZN6Gac71LkY-N_AKY56W513102w0CfyTOPTMmZWSF2_SHEI3U_ixLQW_h9aqx8ibjM8Vn7Sq6MAs8Ny8MGB0N0_RfD8xncpLaAYrOjw/s1600/nightmare-detective-photo-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyboQ7DfrXyPacPdDxobJcR2aJPe81jO7-7vH8ZN6Gac71LkY-N_AKY56W513102w0CfyTOPTMmZWSF2_SHEI3U_ixLQW_h9aqx8ibjM8Vn7Sq6MAs8Ny8MGB0N0_RfD8xncpLaAYrOjw/s320/nightmare-detective-photo-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Tsukamoto’s visions of what happens within people’s nightmares is truly horrific, and as with many of his previous films, he takes full advantage of the visual medium that is film and exploits it to the fullest, offering up imagery you’ve never witnessed before. His blending of reality and dream as the film progresses is subtly twisted through his editing, and at times pushes beyond arthouse horror into pure experimental terror. Tsukamoto’s bloodlust once again makes a welcome return as his victims’ necks are ravaged by box-cutters in the real world, while in the dreamworld victims are chased by a horrible monstrosity of cobbled together body parts and exposed intestines.<br />
<br />
But with the visuals being so utterly fantastic, the story itself and characterization suffers somewhat under the demands of said visuals. Tsukamoto does make a brave choice by making his titular character, played by Ryuhei Matsuda, hate the fact that he is able to enter into dreams, and doesn’t even want to help Kirishima. And while he may look cool with his straight-out-of-manga haircut, he is a completely introverted person who just wants to die, which makes it difficult to root for him despite his protagonist status. J-pop star Hitomi makes her feature film debut as detective Kirishima, and while she does a surprisingly good job as an actress with the bizarre material, the character itself offers little to care for. Shinya Tsukamoto does bring on the goosebumps with his portrayal of "0" with his natural facial features, including his emotionless and dead eyes, chilling the screen whenever he pops up.<br />
<br />
NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE is a difficult film to watch for its disturbing visuals and is at times difficult to follow due to the information heavy dialogue (the subtitles sometimes flash by at a brisk pace) and the interpretive way the story unfolds. Still, this is an incredible cerebral horror firlm and a breath of fresh air amidst the deluge of long-haired ghosts that have been plaguing Japan over the past decade. Shinya Tsukamoto, as he enters into his third decade of filmmaking, proves once again that he is still ready and willing to take chances with his movies, and has lost none of his dedication to making sure that cinema stays dangerous.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><P>Read more <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com">horror movie reviews</a> and get the latest horror news updates on Movies at Midnight.</p></div>Ryan Midnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199920052455322564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430988645231226032.post-75434868872541997482010-09-26T19:06:00.000-04:002010-09-26T16:17:56.634-04:00THE MORGUE Movie Review<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">THE MORGUE (2008)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/SMvWOrwracI/AAAAAAAAAWo/Eke32QcjKME/s1600-h/the-morgue-movie-poster.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245521738756483522" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/SMvWOrwracI/AAAAAAAAAWo/Eke32QcjKME/s400/the-morgue-movie-poster.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 321px; width: 214px;" /></a></div><br />
Life moves at a pretty repetitive rate for Margo, and that is just how she likes it. Every night, she rides her bike over to the local morgue and mausoleum to vacuum the rugs, give the night watchman his liquor and try once again to get that pesky stain off the bathroom floor that is said to be blood from one of morticians when they committed suicide. But tonight, her peaceful routine is interrupted when a dysfunctional family comes in looking for gas and to use the bathroom. Margo does her best to help them, but when a pair of men burst into the morgue badly injured, Margo knows that something is very wrong.<br />
<br />
Things go from bad to worse for the group when they discover that not only are the phones dead, but that there seems to be something stalking and hunting them in the shadows. Margo tries to take the lead of the perplexed and confused group, but whatever it is in the darkness seems to know their every move before they make it. With hours to go till the sun rises, will any of them live to see the day?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TJ-qL6XtPhI/AAAAAAAABC0/kZppq7p-n6w/s1600/the-morgue-2008-screenshot-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TJ-qL6XtPhI/AAAAAAAABC0/kZppq7p-n6w/s320/the-morgue-2008-screenshot-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>No matter how exciting this synopsis may sound, rest assured in knowing that THE MORGUE may just be the most boring haunted horror film of 2008. Even at just under ninety minutes, and with a denouement that begins a full fifteen minutes before the end credits role, waiting for this movie to finally fade to black is a chore. While it may have some reaching for the remote to fast forward to something that may be interesting, the majority of those who self-inflict this movie on themselves will be fighting just to keep their eyelids open.<br />
<br />
Najla Ann Al-Doori is a short story writer who makes her screenwriting debut here, and if she has any sympathy for the horror community, she will stay far away from cinema here after. Al-Doori’s story is completely uninspired, with wafer-thin characters and a plot that can be guessed by basically anyone within the first ten minutes. And this does not even take into consideration of the marketing, but perhaps we’re getting ahead of ourselves.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TJ-qMu1z16I/AAAAAAAABC4/dwzJYaWu6fQ/s1600/the-morgue-2008-screenshot-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TJ-qMu1z16I/AAAAAAAABC4/dwzJYaWu6fQ/s320/the-morgue-2008-screenshot-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>What little potential there is for some suspense and maybe one or two good scares is completely eviscerated by co-directors Halder Gomes and Gerson Sanginitto who take a stab at horror after each directing a few low budget action movies. Gomes and Sanginitto test their audience’s patience early on by going completely overboard with jump cuts and double exposures as if to warn us that there is something mysterious about this particular morgue, but only manages to irritate the viewer's eyes. If this is what they feel passes as spooky foreshadowing, then they need to hit the video store and do some more research.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, things aren’t looking to good for the cast either. Lisa Crilley takes her first shot in a lead as Margo and just barely holds the role. It’s not clear if it is the material or Crilley who is to blame, but at least she’s got a great scream, which certainly holds some weight. Poor Bill Cobbs is reduced to stumbling around, muttering a few words and taking long drags of liquor, while Chris Devlin shows off his abilities to make you want to punch him through the screen. And hey, is that Heather Donahue of THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT fame being completely wasted in a few scenes? Why yes, yes it is.<br />
<br />
The one thing that THE MORGUE does succeed in is having a set design that is too good for this movie. The labyrinth-like corridors of crypts and coffins that twist and wind seemingly for infinity offer up the only place where some interesting camera work and lighting is even attempted. So kudos to the production design team, who at least offer up something to keep our attention during the bleak emptiness of this movie.<br />
<br />
Now, a word on the marketing in conjunction with the Lionsgate DVD release. The whole point of a twist ending is that we are not supposed to know it is coming. In a post-Shyamalan world, if you put “There is an astonishing twist ending” right there are the back of the DVD box, chances are we’re going to spend the whole time trying to figure out what it is. And in the case of THE MORGUE, viewers will be abysmally disappointed when the <strike>astonishing</strike> mundane twist that Al-Doori has to offer can be deciphered mere minutes into the film.<br />
<br />
Need something to help fall asleep tonight and C-SPAN just isn’t doing the trick? Well then you’re in luck because Halder Gomes and Gerson Sanginitto have concocted the perfect remedy. Sweet dreams!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><P>Read more <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com">horror movie reviews</a> and get the latest horror news updates on Movies at Midnight.</p></div>Ryan Midnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199920052455322564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430988645231226032.post-22444219905829415632010-09-24T18:31:00.000-04:002010-09-24T18:31:28.053-04:00PSYCHO BEACH PARTY (2000) Movie Review<center><br />
<h1>PSYCHO BEACH PARTY (2000)</h1></center><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrzolIRHnO9ZYPRB_T-eF5Px1jwJH5_8nmozaXNpURbsQnp2MVyDVGon0IZ-ITSvyhokwk0VPOpNHZqI-n7_C4o6yu0Md-NeAUFBRO6yN6-nnT6HH1D3WCheHIsI78-KfOtweeGr9zJ0/s1600/psycho-beach-party-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrzolIRHnO9ZYPRB_T-eF5Px1jwJH5_8nmozaXNpURbsQnp2MVyDVGon0IZ-ITSvyhokwk0VPOpNHZqI-n7_C4o6yu0Md-NeAUFBRO6yN6-nnT6HH1D3WCheHIsI78-KfOtweeGr9zJ0/s320/psycho-beach-party-movie-poster.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>In a small town near Malibu Beach, innocent girl-next-door Florence becomes friends with the local surfers and quickly catches her eye on surf guru Kanaka. But no sooner does her friendship with the group start to solidify than they start dying off at the hands of an unknown killer. The group also meets up with a B-movie actress who has taken up residence in a beach house that is supposedly haunted. As residents continue to drop off like flies, each of the survivors becomes a suspect under the iron gaze of the militant police captain Monica Stark. When Kanaka discovers Florence's secret - that she has a split personality - Kanaka fears that she may be the killer but also finds himself inexplicably attracted to her dark alter ego. And at the annual beach luau, as the local teens gather to dance the night away hoping to stay alive, all will be revealed!<br />
<br />
This film, which is actually based on a stage play of the same name and rewritten for the screen by the play's writer Charles Busch (who also plays the police captain), has been touted as a mix of the 1960s beach blanket movies with the 1970s slasher. However, Busch is clearly more interested in sending up the beach party movies and their go-go style than making anything resembling a horror movie. Following Busch's script, director Robert Lee King explores the homo-erotic undertones of the surf movie culture, the commie fears of the McCarthy era, and the pure sexual energy of youth without fear of being blacklisted. King saturates his movie with a dripping and over-the-top style of the sixties beach movie with a loving tribute to the clothes, the cars, and drive-in culture of the era, and even goes so far as to have the actors "surf" in front of a projection screen.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TJ0mYpZL1EI/AAAAAAAABBg/bVPC-hBpkZM/s1600/psycho-beach-party-screenshot-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TJ0mYpZL1EI/AAAAAAAABBg/bVPC-hBpkZM/s320/psycho-beach-party-screenshot-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The horror elements, if one can even go so far as to call them that, are few and far between. The kills are practically bloodless and played more for laughs than scares. There is no sense of suspense or atmosphere, and the only thing resembling a tribute to the seventies slasher is that the unknown killer is shown wearing gloves. And by the time the killer is revealed for one last chase, King doesn't even bother to go for a sense of danger, and merely goes through the motions to resolve the film.<br />
<br />
Of the cast, each of whom look right at home in their bikinis, surf trunks and pastel dresses, are culled from mostly television productions. Lauren Ambrose (best known as the redhead in CAN'T HARDLY WAIT) plays the cute and innocent lead Florence. Ambrose knows exactly what King is looking for, and delivers a bubbly Sandra Dee-inspired performance to a T. The rest of cast perform their stereotyped roles admirably, and even their apparently weak and somewhat wooden delivery plays right into the movies they are sending up. Nicholas Brendon (Xander in "Buffy The Vampire Slayer") finds a role in the surfer gang, while Beth Broderick (of "Sabrina The Teenage Witch" and "Lost") plays Florence's mother. The movie also includes a killer surf music soundtrack, and features Los Straitjackets in a live performance during the luau scene.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TJ0mZniLqnI/AAAAAAAABBk/Y3z4E3XudD0/s1600/psycho-beach-party-screenshot-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TJ0mZniLqnI/AAAAAAAABBk/Y3z4E3XudD0/s320/psycho-beach-party-screenshot-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>For anyone without a firm appreciate of Annette Funicello, Frankie Avalon, GIDGET, or the surf culture, it is best just to stay away from this flick. The slashing horror is so watered down here that even getting to the best kill scene which ends in a cartoonish decapitation is a chore, and the rest of the thriller and horrific elements are a dud. However, if you've ever rattled off the Wipe Out drum solo on your car steering wheel while driving to the beach, do think about checking this movie out.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><P>Read more <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com">horror movie reviews</a> and get the latest horror news updates on Movies at Midnight.</p></div>Ryan Midnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199920052455322564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430988645231226032.post-11360898589578701552010-09-19T15:45:00.000-04:002010-09-19T15:38:30.692-04:00SHUTTER (2004) Movie Review<center><br />
<h1>SHUTTER (2004)</h1></center><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TJZmbamb71I/AAAAAAAAA_s/U7_xOgxfEtA/s1600/shutter-thailand-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TJZmbamb71I/AAAAAAAAA_s/U7_xOgxfEtA/s320/shutter-thailand-movie-poster.jpg" /></a></div>On their way home from a party, photographer Tun and his girlfriend Jane hit a woman with their car. Startled and afraid, they flee from the scene, and though they try to put the event behind them, Jane can not stop thinking about it. They decide to return to the scene, in hopes of finding out if the woman is alright, and discover that there was no reported accidents in any of the local hospitals the night of the crash.<br />
<br />
When Tun begins to develop photographs he has taken since the crash, he discovers that all of his negatives are damaged, and some even appear to have the faint outline of a woman's face in them. Though no one believes him when he shows the photos around, he is certain that it is the woman from the accident. When the spirit begins to appear before Jane as well, nothing can prepare her for the journey she is about to take that will open up one of Tun's deepest and darkest secrets.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpjlAND7EljBB90aWDYtadPmLmn4l6k04jVSxozZEepjNLyzrKx5VhhbXiCj6V3qcRLn9jv5sYKWzMfJhCznJyyCg9xocDwgYh2My4cuh5iQfALbGe8zAjdF4fldYmQu5dl1uzXWh2yMY/s1600/shutter-thailand-screenshot-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpjlAND7EljBB90aWDYtadPmLmn4l6k04jVSxozZEepjNLyzrKx5VhhbXiCj6V3qcRLn9jv5sYKWzMfJhCznJyyCg9xocDwgYh2My4cuh5iQfALbGe8zAjdF4fldYmQu5dl1uzXWh2yMY/s320/shutter-thailand-screenshot-1.jpg" /></a></div>Coming from the deeply spiritual and superstitious country of Thailand, co-writers and co-directors Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom make a huge splash with their debut film that draws heavy influence from Hideo Nakata's original RINGU and the theory of spirit photography. It is perhaps one of the best, but criminally under appreciated, films in the run of Long Haired Ghost movies that permeated the late 1990s to mid 2000s.<br />
<br />
The creative pair take what had at that time become a rather repetitive horror riff and breathed fresh life into by incorporated a much more archaic technology, the photograph, into the design of the story. Spirit photography has long been argued as a physical proof that ghosts exist, and we have all seen images in pictures at one time or another that should not have be there. Using this to draw the audience into familiar territory only heightens the tension and breaks down the barrier being fact and fiction.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TJZmiGu2LmI/AAAAAAAAA_8/z3eEDD4atg0/s1600/shutter-thailand-screenshot-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TJZmiGu2LmI/AAAAAAAAA_8/z3eEDD4atg0/s320/shutter-thailand-screenshot-2.jpg" /></a></div>The directing duo also tap into the time it takes to develop photos to draw out suspenseful moments to the point of nail-biting anticipation. Unlike more modern technology like the phone, video or even digital photography which has an instant connection time, traditional photography has a delayed reaction, as the film must be processed and developed. In several scenes in particular, a Polaroid camera is used to try and locate the spirit. With each shot, it takes a few seconds to learn what is on the picture, and each second is played into for maximum effect.<br />
<br />
After toying with the audience's fright that the spirit is just on the fringe of the screen, Pisanthanakun and Wongpoom of course let the vengeful wraith loose and ratchet up the scares even more. The duo's ghost physically shares much in common with her Long Haired Ghost cousins of Korea and Japan, as well as her ability to terrorize Tun and Jane. As Tun and Jane attempt to put the soul to rest, the spirit shows again and again that it has no intention of going peacefully. Through a series of jump scares, ethereal music cues, and terrifying reality-bending, Pisanthanakun and Wongpoom use their natural ability to induce fear to propel themselves toward the final curtain reveal that will leave goosebumps on top of goosebumps.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><P>Read more <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com">horror movie reviews</a> and get the latest horror news updates on Movies at Midnight.</p></div>Ryan Midnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199920052455322564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3430988645231226032.post-66484569621347082272010-09-18T23:35:00.001-04:002010-09-18T23:34:52.758-04:00KILL BABY KILL (1966) Movie Review<center><br />
<h1>KILL BABY KILL (1966)</h1></center><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TJWEw-5fr9I/AAAAAAAAA_U/zGc6sV-jhWg/s1600/kill-baby-kill-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TJWEw-5fr9I/AAAAAAAAA_U/zGc6sV-jhWg/s320/kill-baby-kill-movie-poster.jpg" /></a></div>After the death of a young woman in an isolated village in the early 20th Century, coroner Dr. Iswai is brought in by the inspector to do an autopsy to try and determine if the death was suicide, accident, or homicide. Circumstantial evidence rules out suicide, but the townsfolk are terrified to speak about what has happened. The town's burgomeister intones that the supernatural is involved, and that there is a conspiracy surrounded the local Villa Graps. After Dr. Iswai performs his autopsy, much to the town's disapproval, he returns to the inn he is staying at and witnesses a magical protection ritual performed on a young woman, who claims to have seen the ghost of the dead girl that haunts the village.<br />
<br />
After seeing the sorcery performed, Dr. Iswai becomes obsessed with bringing logic and reason to a town he believes is merely being crippled by poverty, ignorance and superstition. Meanwhile, the inspector has gone missing after taking a trip to Villa Graps, and Dr. Iswai follows in his footsteps to the crumbling mansion. It is there that he crosses paths with Melissa, a little blonde girl who seems to disappear before his very eyes. When he once again returns to the village, the story about the little girl is finally revealed. And as the night slowly slips by, with death floating through the foggy air, Dr. Iswai soon discovers that not all things can be explained with science and reason.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TJWEYIbrPbI/AAAAAAAAA-8/gzYChUKVUEc/s1600/kill-baby-kill-screenshot-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TJWEYIbrPbI/AAAAAAAAA-8/gzYChUKVUEc/s320/kill-baby-kill-screenshot-1.jpg" /></a></div>Filled with classic imagery of gothic horror, from cobwebs and candelabras to shadows and yellow light, KILL BABY KILL (originally released as OPERAZIONE PAURA which translates to Operation Fear) is made unique by director Mario Bava's use of color schemes and a perpetually moving camera, which swirls, pans and dollies through the scenes like an ghost. Bava also filmed mostly on location in several small Italian villages, which adds a level of creepy authenticity to the period piece, in that such places do exist, and such events could very well take place within the cracked and crumbling buildings.<br />
<br />
Beyond the set piece atmosphere, subtle practical effects play an important part generating and maintaining the uneasy mood that drifts along in the picture. It should be noted that Mario Bava's father, Eugenio Bava, was a cinematographer and the father of Italian special effects. Mario, who worked for Eugenio before making a name for himself, uses the many secrets of the trade he learned as a cameraman to create the full array of effects that seep into all of the viewer's senses, from reverse photography to swinging cameras, and colored gels to warped glass. They are inexpensive, yet effective tricks that create a very unnerving feeling.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TJWEbrP9KbI/AAAAAAAAA_E/EysjLq2YZW0/s1600/kill-baby-kill-screenshot-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TJWEbrP9KbI/AAAAAAAAA_E/EysjLq2YZW0/s320/kill-baby-kill-screenshot-2.jpg" /></a></div>Giacomo Rossi-Stuart, whose long and lustrous career has taken him across all of Italy's trademark genres from spaghetti westerns to gialli, is right at home here in the lead role. His crisp and striking features, coupled with the character's modern suits, fits the bill perfectly as the supernatural skeptic as he is set against his co-stars dirty peasant-like appearance. As the film goes on, he subtly brings out a spectrum of emotional nuances as his logic begins to lose out, before going for broke in the final sequences.<br />
<br />
Much like SLEEPY HOLLOW would do almost thirty-five years later, the story here pits a man whose heels are firmly dug into science and logic against a town where curses and the supernatural do exist, and it is hard to deny that this film had an effect on Tim Burton. Likewise, it is hard to deny that the story here, which was co-written by Bava, was influenced by 1963's THE HAUNTING. Indeed the first half of the film here is set-up with masterful ambiguity, so that it is quite unclear whether there is anything supernatural happening at all.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TJWEgfZhdLI/AAAAAAAAA_M/jUJDm5Rp6EE/s1600/kill-baby-kill-screenshot-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_74pU6eWmEHc/TJWEgfZhdLI/AAAAAAAAA_M/jUJDm5Rp6EE/s320/kill-baby-kill-screenshot-3.jpg" /></a></div>For those unfamiliar with Bava's work, KILL BABY KILL may be an ill-advised place to start. Despite the title, there is very little killing in the film, and despite the fantastic and grisly opening murder, almost no gore. Bava's more accessible <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com/2007/06/bay-of-blood-review.html">BAY OF BLOOD</a> or BLOOD AND BLACK LACE would be a good place to start, before returning to and appreciating this one. What this film does offer, however, is pure atmosphere that will have fans of ghost stories and slowly-unwinding plots sleeping with their lights on. Bava himself was a firm believer in ghosts, and his love of the supernatural permeates each oddly-angled scene and multi-layered image.<br />
<br />
Whatever title you may know this film as, with the film featuring several name including CURSE OF THE LIVING DEAD, it is an important piece of cinematic history and an influence of filmmakers over the last quarter century. Much of Bava's work was steeped in the supernatural and the unexplained, and among them this can easily be ranked as one of the highest. Bava made films that he would personally enjoy as a viewer, and thus was able to turn his movies into personal art pieces, regardless of the finance gain or loss. For that, he is truly to be respected and remembered as a filmmaker.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><P>Read more <a href="http://moviesatmidnight.blogspot.com">horror movie reviews</a> and get the latest horror news updates on Movies at Midnight.</p></div>Ryan Midnighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01199920052455322564noreply@blogger.com0