Alien (1979)

“In space, no one can hear you scream”

The perfect tag line for one of the best movies of all time, “Alien” set a new standard in horror. There are so many reasons why I and millions of other people love this movie. From the frightening landscape and look of the alien that was brought to us by the talented Mr. H.R Giger, to the Lovecraftian sense of dread and foreboding atmosphere, to the honest reactions and terror of the actors themselves, this movie has it all. Some may say that it’s just a cleverly done slasher flick where crew members are killed off one by one; and this is partly true but it is so much more beyond that. The alien is a monster from our nightmares. It is lithe, it drools, it’s huge, it changes, it screams, and it bursts out of your chest after you think the worst has passed. Just admit it, the face-hugger itself was enough to give you nightmares once upon a time. When you add in a killer cyborg that you thought was just the prerequisite prick of the crew, you have no idea who or what to trust at that point!

The ship Nostromo is heading back to Earth with its crew and a payload of millions of tons of minerals when it picks up a faint distress transmission. Following programed protocol, it changes course and heads towards the beacon and awakes the crew from stasis. The crew is thrilled at first because they believe that they are a week or so away from home but quickly find out that they are still in the middle of nowhere. The crew follows protocol as well, landing on the small planetoid and searching for the source of the transmission. What the rescue crew find, which is made up of Capt. Dallas, Officer Kane, and Navigator Lambert, is a large derelict ship. Inside they find a large alien corpse that has a damaged chest area as well as a vast chamber under the main cockpit room. Kane goes down to investigate and finds hundreds of large leathery eggs. One has movement inside and as he bends over to look at it, a face-hugger lunges forth and attaches itself to his helmet. Dallas and Lambert drag Kane’s body back to the ship but Officer Ripley refuses to let them on, following protocol and in fear that they could be infected with whatever is on Kane. The science officer Ash breaks the protocol and opens the door so they can board. Once inside and in the medical lab, Ash and Dallas try to remove the alien from Kane’s head but are unable to do so without killing him, but several hours later the creature let’s go and crawls away to die. Eventually Kane wakes up without remember what had happened to him. The crew has one last meal before going back into stasis but their joy of returning home is interrupted when Kane begins to spasm violently and as they are holding him down, a terrifying little baby alien bursts out of his chest, looks around and quickly runs away. Kane has died but he is not the last to do so….

Favorite moment - too many to list! But I would have to say at this point my favorite is the scene where Ash break downs and tries to kill Ripley.

Author's Note - Space

“In space, no one can hear you scream”

Outer space is a prime environment for a horror movie for a few obvious reasons. First of all, it’s vast and endless and we have no idea what is out there or if there isn’t anything at all (that concept really scares me). Second, if you are out there in space, you are trapped with whatever you find…or what finds you. So fear of the unknown as well as enclosed, small spaces and/or otherwise hostile environments set the stage for a pretty harrowing adventure. And don’t think for a moment that life is made any easier if the alien force comes from space and visits us on Earth!

The problem of trying to commit a week to horror movies taking place in outer space or having to do with beings coming to Earth is that I want to avoid the films that fall into the Sci-fi category. I did have some trouble finding suitable movies but that is because I don’t remember several of the ones that qualify that I saw when I was much younger. I could have easily done a week in honor of “Visitors” but I wanted to include two of my favorite movies that almost made my top 7 favorites list. Please feel free to let me know of any great movies I may have overlooked or have yet to discover.

Dog Soldiers (2002)

“Dog Soldiers” is a violent and fun werewolf movie that is brave enough not to rely on CGI. The werewolf bodies look odd as they are actors in spandex-like suits but I think the heads and arms look great and these beasts are still vastly superior to the werewolves in “Cursed”. This film was the directing debut for Neil Marshall, who would later go on to write and direct “The Descent”. The film costars one of my favorite supporting actors, Sean Pertwee, in a role that’s absolutely perfect for him.

“Dog Soldiers” is about a unit of British Army soldiers running through a training mission against elite forces deep in the forests of the Scottish Highlands. Notable members include Sgt. Wells, Pvt. Cooper, and Spoon. When they cross “enemy lines” and raid the elite forces campsite they find the camp ransacked and empty except for one wounded survivor, Capt. Ryan. A few weeks before, Cooper had tried out for a spot on a Special Forces unit under Ryan’s command but failed to get in when Cooper refused to shoot a dog. Suffice to say, the tension between the two is high. The team moves out with Capt. Ryan in two as they realize that whatever took out the Special Forces was closing back in on the camp. They manage to get to a road just as a local woman named Megan was driving by. She picks them up and takes them to the nearest house. No one is home and so they barricade themselves in for the night. From what Megan and Capt. Ryan reveal, the soldiers learn that they are being stalked by a pack of werewolves, smart werewolves. Before they can leave to get help, the car that Megan was driving is torn apart, forcing the soldiers to buckle down and fend of the monsters until daylight. In classic horror movie style, they are picked off one by one until the big finale.

Favorite moment – Sgt. Wells was wounded as he went back to look for one of his men, having his stomach sliced open and some of his intestines falling out. Once at the house, Cooper and Megan try their best to Sgt. Wells back together. I love how he keeps grabbing a bottle of whiskey and chugs it until it’s promptly taken away from him so he grabs a gun until it’s taken away from him so he grabs the whiskey again. It’s a very playful scene and you can’t blame him for trying!

Second favorite moment – The fight scene between Spoon and a werewolf in the kitchen is EPIC!

Cursed (2005)

Sadly, not every werewolf movie Grade A material. Some are actually quite horrible and should be avoided and “Cursed” is such an example. Directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson, the pair that created the film “Scream” clearly didn’t have the right chemistry this time around. I’ve read that that there were numerous reshoots and script changes demanded by the studio executives, but if the film was worth making in the first place, then I believe that these demands wouldn’t have been given in the first place. Now it I should say that Wes Craven is a director with a long history of creating both hits and utter failures so it shouldn’t be surprising that this was one of them. It doesn’t help that none of the actors seemed to give a damn about their work in this film except for Jesse Eisenberg. The movie was filled with actors that teens at the time loved and that was apparently good enough for Craven.  Another issue with this film is that it was way too predictable so it leaves the viewer with nothing to anticipate. Finally, the werewolves themselves look horrid and the transformation scenes are rendered in outdated CGI.

Ellie and Jimmy are siblings who hit a large creature and another car while driving home one night. They get out their car to see if the other car is alright only to see its driver killed before they are attacked. They manage to survive the attack and go home, where Jimmy starts to research werewolves since that’s what he thinks attacked them. The rest of the movie revolves around the two dealing with their their condition and finding out who to break their curse. It includes high school bullies and a cute girl for Jimmy, and a noncommittal boyfriend and his various ex’s for Ellie.

Ginger Snaps 2 : Unleashed (2003)

In 2003 two movies inspired by “Ginger Snaps” were filmed. The first was a sequel titled “Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed” and the other was a prequel called “Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning”. At the moment I’m going to focus on the sequel and as most sequels go, it’s decent but not nearly as strong of a film as the original. First of all the title is a bit misleading because Ginger died in the first movie and is still dead. She does make a couple of appearances as a ghost/vision that talks to her sister Brigitte. The movie also tries (half-heartedly) to compare her symptoms to those of a recovery drug addict. It doesn’t work but luckily it doesn’t interfere with the movie too much. I do want to point out that I really enjoy and appreciate the creative choice in this film series to have the change into the wolf form a permanent metamorphosis. They are unable to change back and forth so the stakes are drastically raised to keep their humanity and prevent the change as long as they can.

The film begins some time after the original. Brigitte is on the run across the suburbs of Canada. She is taking doses of monkshood to keep from turning into a wolf creature like her sister Ginger had. She is seen cutting herself and keeping a detailed record on how long the cuts take to heal. The quicker they heal, she realizes, the sooner she is doomed to complete the change into the beast. The monkshood is not a cure but only slows down the process, so she decides to take a second dose in one day…which turns out to be nearly fatal. After taking the second dose, she hears the male werewolf that has been stalking her (Ginger’s ex-boyfriend from the first movie), and runs out of her apartment but suffers from shock from her OD. When she wakes up, she finds herself in a drug rehab center. The staff believes she using the monkshood to get high and her cuts are the results are her being a “cutter”. She tries to escape and fails but is able to steal a piece of glass so she can continue timing her cut/healing rate.

At the hospital she meets Tyler, an orderly who offers her monkshood in exchange for sexual favors, which Brigitte promptly turns down. She also meets a young girl called Ghost who is at the hospital with her grandmother, who had suffered 3^rd degree burns over her body. Ghost comes and goes as she pleases throughout the clinic and quickly attaches herself to Brigitte. Ghost is clever enough, as well as imaginative enough, to figure out what Brigitte is. She tries to help by sneaking Brigitte some monkshood but they are caught by Tyler. Eventually Tyler gives in and lets Brigitte have some monkshood. Soon, Brigitte and Ghost escape from the hospital and drive out to where Ghost and her grandmother lived. There they prepare to fend themselves to kill the male werewolf that has tracked Brigitte down.

Favorite part – The last 15 minutes. Once the film changes scenery from the hospital to Ghost’s house, the pace picks up and becomes much more plausible and enjoyable.

Silver Bullet (1985)

I’m finally reviewing a second movie that’s associated with Stephen King. Don’t worry, there’ll many more to go over as the weeks go on. The film “Silver Bullet” is adapted from King’s novella called “The Cycle of the Werewolf”. It’s a good movie but not nearly as dark as some other werewolf movies from the 1980’s such as “An American Werewolf in London” or “The Howling”. “Silver Bullet” wasn’t as great as I remember when I first watched it in the late 1980’s and then rented it in the 90’s. It also has the distinct dialogue that most of King’s secondary characters tend to have; I’ve noticed that they all sound the same and if you are watching a film that he wrote the screenplay for, you can often tell it’s one of his stories by this trait. It stars Gary Busey and Corey Haim; two years later Haim would star in his best known film “The Lost Boys”.

The movie “Silver Bullet” is about Marty, a young boy who is paralyzed from the waist down, his favorite Uncle Red who makes motorized wheel chairs for him but isn’t the best role model due to his drinking, and his older sister Jane who he fights with but ends up becoming close to during the year when several people die in their small town. When four murders occur one after another, each in a very violent manner, a mob of locals form a vigilante group to go find the murder but some are killed during one night. The town’s Reverend Lowe had begged for them not to go and begins to have horrible dreams and it is revealed that he is the werewolf and responsible for the deaths in town. Marty discovers this as well when one night he shoots a bottle rocket into the beast’s eye and when Jane later sees Reverend Lowe with the same wound. They beg for help from their uncle who agrees to do what he can, first by sending their parents away on a romantic weekend and then staying with the kids until the Reverend Lowe comes to kill them all. There is a brutal showdown between the four but Marty is able to save his sister and uncle when he fires a single silver bullet to the werewolf’s good eye kills it.

Favorite moment – The nightmare sequence is probably the strongest horror moment in the film beside the ending itself.

The Howling (1981)

“The Howling” is another strong werewolf movie from the early 1980’s but where “An American Werewolf in London” is about one person who changes into a vicious beast, this movie is about an entire colony of them! The make-up and special effects for the werewolves is ok but I don’t particularly care for what the last werewolf in the movie looks like; reminds me too much of a poodle. I liked the plot, the pacing, and overall quality of the movie in general. Several sequels follow ranging from horrible (mostly) to decent but none of them reach the level of quality that the original set. Kudos goes out to director Joe Dante who co-wrote the script and went on to work on many other great films in horror and other genres.

Karen is a reporter who is working on a story about a serial killer. During a sting operation with the police, she meets the killer, Eddie Quist, in a porno theater. When things look like they are getting are out control, the police come in a shoot Eddie. The event is too traumatic for Karen and develops a case of amnesia. Her therapist sends her and her husband to a secluded countryside resort to recovery. There are other patients at the resort and one of them tries to seduce Karen’s husband Bill. When he turns down the advances, he is attacked by a werewolf as he is walking back to their cabin. Soon Karen’s friend Terri is attacked when she comes to visit, only after they discover that Eddie is still alive and hiding out at the resort. Terri’s boyfriend comes to Karen’s rescue, bringing along silver bullets in order to kill Eddie and any other werewolves they may encounter. As they try to escape, they realize that everyone at the resort is a werewolf, including Bill. After getting away and making it back to the city, Karen goes on TV during a live showing to tell the world that werewolves are real. To prove her point, she turns into one and Chris promptly kills her, as she requested. But the viewers are left to wonder if it was a hoax or not…

Favorite moment – The beginning is thoroughly creepy and gross.

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

American Werewolf in London is simply one of the most amazing movies of its kind. It has the best and possibly most realistic, pre-CGI effects style transformation scene and won an academy award for it that year. The movie blends comedy and horror with ease without being campy. It's original while honoring previous classics like "The Wolf Man".  I personally think it’s interesting that three wolf theme movies came out that year, the other two being “Wolfen” and “The Howling”.

David and Jack are two young Americans backpacking across Europe. The movie begins with them traveling through the distant countryside of England. They come across a small town just as night falls and decide to try to get something to eat at an inn aptly named “The Slaughtered Lamb”. As they enter, they are met with objecting stares from the locals. They become more unsettled when they see a large pentagram on the wall. When Jack asks about the pentagram, the locals become hostile so Jack and David decide to leave. Before they go, they are told to stay on the road…which of course they don’t. Before long they have lost their way and the road and begin to hear a creature pacing around them in the darkness. Suddenly Jack is attacked and brutally killed and before David can get away, he too is mauled. Before the beast can finish him off, the locals from the pub arrive and shoot the beast. And David passes out…

When David comes to three weeks later, he finds himself in a hospital. He is interviewed by police and a representative from the American Embassy, but he doesn’t remember much and is shocked to find out that Jack is dead. The doctor takes an interest in David’s story while the nurse takes an interest in David. As David heals, he begins to have weird dreams about Nazis and hallucinations about a decomposing Jack. Except Jack is not a hallucination, he’s a spirit caught on earth begging David to kill himself before the full moon comes. David dismisses Jack’s existence and moves in with the nurse, Alex. Everything is going well until she leaves him alone one night when the full moon is near and David goes through his famous painful and horrific change into the werewolf, where he then breaks out of Alex’s apartment and kills a couple going to a party, a few homeless bums and a man walking from the subway. When David wakes up in the morning, he is naked in a zoo. He is later visited by Jack and the ghosts of those he murdered. David’s sanity is tested as Alex and the doctor quickly try to find the truth from the locals at “The Slaughtered Lamb” before it’s all too late.

Favorite moment – the transformation scene!

Second favorite moment – The conversation in the porn theater between David, Jack, and the other ghosts. Some are nice towards him while others want him to kill himself and to be quick with it. 

The Wolf Man (1941)

“The Wolf Man” is the classic tale from Universal Studios about a man who returns to his homeland only to fall under the curse of a werewolf after being bit by one, turning into one himself and killing indiscriminately. The story is kept simple and straight forward, the actors are perfect for their roles, and it’s interesting to see how creepy guys pickup lines were back then.  Because this movie was filmed in 1941, the violence is brief and utterly tame compared to today’s standards. In fact, the most violent scene in the film is the death of the Wolf Man which during a prolonged beating from a cane. The make-up effects were impressive for the time and the film quality is amazing. Overall, this classic holds up and remains one of the great monster movies of the black and white era.

Author's Note - The Werewolf

The werewolf was my favorite kind monster when I was little. It looked cool, had awesome powers, and few weaknesses. The idea of changing into a werewolf also had its appeal because you know, when you're little you don't think about how painful it is to have your bones break and reset and your skin stretched to its limits and so on. No wait, you do know this if you ever snuck a peek at the greatest werewolf transformation scene in cinematic history in "American Werewolf in London". I'm saving that one for tomorrow night when the moon is full. So to kick this week off properly I'll begin with the original "The Wolf Man"!

Werewolf movies seem to be few and far apart, at least when compared to movies involving vampires or zombies. Is it because a werewolf is to fast and powerful and typically has the intelligence level of a rapid animal unlike the massive mobs of zombies that you might at least have a chance against? Or is it because a werewolf isn't nearly as sexy as a vampire and when they appear side by side, they tend to look mangy and uncouth? Damn it, a werewolf can be clever and sexy... just in their own way! I still have faith that a superior werewolf movie is coming. But until then, I'm going to share some of my personal favorites!

REC 3 (2012)

The final movie for my Spanish theme week is “REC 3”. I liked this one much more than “REC 2” for several reasons. First, it doesn’t take itself as seriously and actually has several great moments for some dark comedy. Second, it changes up the format; about twenty minutes into the movie, it drops the found footage/POV style that was used in the first two films are becomes a straight forward film. This was a great choice to make by director Paco Plaza (who wrote and directed the first two films) because it shows that he’s trying to break the mold and not make a copycat movie. That attempt clearly did not work for “REC 2” and the change of style and mood fits perfectly in the storyline for “REC 3”.

Koldo and Clara are getting married and all of their family and friends are there to celebrate, even Koldo’s uncle who was bitten by a dog at the veterinarian office that he works at. All of the standard wedding moments are caught on film including the ceremony, cutting of the cake, a groomsman sneaking off with a guest of the bride, but when the dancing is about to begin, Koldo’s uncle falls off a balcony and onto a table. His wife rushes over but it’s too late, he’s been turned and bites her in the neck. Infected people biting unaffected people chaos takes over and Koldo and Clara are separated. The film then follows Koldo and then follows Clara until there are finally reunited and many more guests are killed. It’s a fun bloodbath kind of movie with moments that seem inspired by “Dead Alive” and “Shaun of the Dead”.

Favorite moment – Koldo and a waiter sneaking around looking for Clara while wearing armor and carrying a morning-star that they found in a shrine to Saint George.

Second favorite moment – Clara killing infected guests with a chainsaw!

The Orphanage (2007)

In 2007 Guillermo Del Toro co-produced the movie “The Orphanage”, a film that continues the theme of children dealing with death or about the death of a child. This is a difficult movie to recommend because I found the first half slowly paced and not very interesting but I admit that the second half picks up and the story wraps up with an acceptable twist.

The film begins with Laura running around and playing with her fellow orphans. She is adopted and as next seen as an adult moving into the house that was once the orphanage. Laura and her husband plan to take care of 5 to 6 special needs children along with their own adopted son, Simon. Simon has imaginary friends, so his parents don’t find it odd when he meets a new “friend” names Thomas. One day, an agent from child services comes to the house with files about Simon. Laura sends the agent on her way when she starts talking about how Simon was adopted and how she can offer special treatments for his HIV; Laura later finds out that the there is no such woman working for the child services department.  Laura is shocked when Simon reveals the secret that he was adopted and explains that Thomas told him.

Simon soon goes missing after a fight with Laura about Thomas. Months go by and the police are unable to find any clues to where he might be. One day Laura and her husband see the woman who was pretending to be a child services agent but before they can talk to her, she is killed by a truck. The police go to her home and find old pictures and 8mm films. They discover and tell Laura that the old woman used to work at the orphanage. Laura doesn’t remember her or her son, a disfigured boy named Thomas. After more time passes, Laura grows desperate and seeks the help of a medium. This person explores the house and finds that it is haunted by the ghosts of five children who are begging for help because they have been poisoned. While everyone is willing and wanting to move on, Laura refuses and digs deeper into the mystery, following clues and finding more dark secrets.

Favorite moment – the ending.

Atrocious (2011)

The great part of this project is digging out old favorites that I haven’t seen in years and discovering new films that I haven’t heard about before. “Atrocious” is a very recent discovery and is now one of my all-time favorites. It’s a found footage style movie that takes place in Sitges, Spain, following two teenage siblings filming clips for their web-series about urban legends. It has a very strong likeness to both “The Blair Witch Project” and “Paranormal Activity”. This is also one of the very few films that has ever really gotten to me. The first half of the movie does a great job establishing the everyday relationships of the characters and their environment and when the action begins in the second half, it doesn’t stop until the movie is done! This film also has one of the better endings for a horror movie I’ve seen in a long time, because let’s be honest, that is one of the genres’ largest challenges.

Christian and his sister are being dragged to the family’s countryside summer home for the Easter holiday. Before leaving, Christian is given two camcorders from his friend David so Christian and July can record clips for their web-series about urban legends. The summer home is next to a forest where a girl named Melinda went missing in 1940. Since then, people who get lost in the forest are found by Melinda and she points the way out. The two days after they arrive, the pair sneak away from their parents and their younger brother behind, they sneak through a metal gate and find a large tree labyrinth. The siblings split up, get lost, and finally find each other. Before leaving on the second day, they find a small gazebo in one area and an old well in a different area. After the father is called back to work in the city, things start to happen. First the family dog goes missing and is later found by Christian and July. Then their little brother disappears in the middle of the night. Their mother, in a panic, runs into the labyrinth looking for him as the siblings try to stay together. Everyone gets split up in the dark and then the bad scary things happen….

Favorite moment – the last 15 minutes. This is a short film at only 75 minutes long, but it has wonderful pacing and this IS one the best endings I’ve seen in a long time. The pacing is perfect and the story is kept very simple.

Another favorite moment – I love the times when the tape is rewound or fast forwarded and shown again or is inserted with police reports or media coverage. This is a found footage movie after all, so the events have all happened in the past.

El Espinazo Del Diablo - aka - The Devil's Backbone (2001)

I was honestly surprised that I enjoyed watching “The Devil’s Backbone” now than when I first saw it several years ago. It’s not nearly as gut-wrenching as “Pan’s Labyrinth” is but it is still a powerful movie about children having to deal with their new realities as the result of the Spanish Civil War. It is a ghost story and although you see the ghost quite often, he is not the main focus of the movie. The story is about the living and how to live during the time of war.

"The Devil's Backbone" is an engrossing ghost story that takes place in a far off school that has become a refuge for orphaned children of parents that have been killed or are still fighting in the Spanish Civil War. It begins when Carlos is brought to the school, unaware that his father has died. He becomes friends with two of the other boys there but immediately attracts the attention of the resident bully, Jaime. Carlos causes trouble, or takes the blame of various acts, as he tries to settle in. At night, he begins to hear things, see shadows, and finally discovers that the school is haunted by a ghost named Santi and eventually learns that Jaime knows how Santi died. 

The movie is also about Jacinto, a former orphan who grew up at the school and his attempts to steal gold ingots that are hidden there and are meant to fund the Republicans efforts in the war. He uses the school’s principal Carmen, preying on her weakness for affection while making false promises to the school’s young teacher Conchita. His selfish acts, as well as the approaching enemy forces, sets of a violent series of events that will affect the school forever.

Favorite moment – When Carlos first walks into the school yard and sees that undetonated bomb in the courtyard. It is a quiet and foreboding image but brings a smile to his innocent face. From this scene you realize that as violent or horrible as the situation might be, it’s filtered through the eyes of the innocent children in the school.

Los Sin Nombre (1999)

"Los Sin Nombre" also known as "Nameless" is one of my favorite Spanish movies and one of the movies I recommend the most often. I feel it’s only appropriate to follow a discouraging review with an up-lifting, must see recommended review. “Nameless” is that kind of movie and to my surprise, I found out that this movie was written and directed by the same gentleman who directed “REC 2”, Jaume Balaguero! Just like “Red Lights” and “Apartment 143”, one movie had amazing strengths while the other was just a little bit (or a lot) weaker.

I first saw “Nameless” at the Lovecraft Film Festival one year. It was shown as one of two “mystery” movies that year and while it was inspired by Lovecraft, it has a very Lovecraft-like style; dark secrets that are better left untouched.

The movie begins with the brutal murder of a six year old girl. Her body is found mutilated and burned and is only identifiable by her legs and a bracelet that she wore; one is shorter than the other. Five years later, the mother of the girl, Claudia, begins receiving odd phone calls begging for help from woman who claims to be her daughter. Claudia does what she is asked and finds strange pictures at an old hospital that the woman asked her to go to. Scared but hopeful Claudia gets help a police officer named Massera. He begins to investigate the situation and finds out that things are not what they seem.

I would share more but this is a wonderful thriller, mystery that NEEDS to be seen to fully appreciate!

Favorite moment – the ending. Enough said.

REC 2 (2009)

“REC 2” is the sequel to the internationally acclaimed horror filmed “REC”, which in turn directly inspired the American remake known as “Quarantine” (reviewed 4/21/13). This film takes place immediately after “REC” ends, focusing on a small group of SWAT-like police team and their CDC-like advisor. Once they enter the building, they are only allowed back out with the voice command of their advisor. The advisor turns out to be a covert operative for the Vatican and is there to retrieve a blood sample of the girl who is ultimately responsible for the chaos that is occurring. When they lose the first sample they find, they eventually find the girl herself, losing team members in the process. The team also comes across a group of teens who snuck into the building…because that’s what teens do. Some more people die, the reporter is found, and shaky-cam moments continue non-stop.

It seems that the infected inhabitants of the apartment building are possessed by demonic powers because they were exposed to this girl. Note – this is where the American version and Spanish versions differ; the American version is about a biological virus and the Spanish version is about a religious based virus?!? Soooo, I lost interest in this movie pretty quickly when the teens were introduced. I also didn’t like the religious reasons for why everything was happening. However, what I did enjoy was the SWAT-like team and how they used their cameras in the movie. Overall I thought it was mediocre film at best and the weakest of the Spanish movies I’m reviewing this week.

Eskalofrio (2008)

"Eskalofrío", also known as “Shiver” in the US, is an entertaining movie about a high school student named Santi who is forced to move from the city to a small village in the mountains in order to have less exposure to the sun; he suffers from a server case of photophobia and had to deal with excessive bullying at school. Santi’s transition into the new school still involved bullies but it included the instant friendship of a younger boy and the interest of a girl in his class. During Santi’s second day at school, his young friend is called out as a liar when he tells the other kids that he saw a monster as he was walking the home the day before. Santi, the young boy, and an old student go into the forest with a hunting rifle to find the beast. They find something but run in different directions. The boy with the gun is killed and Santi becomes one of the main suspects by the cute girl’s father, the town’s lead detective. More murders take place and Santi is in the area each time. To clear his name, he does research on the people who had lived in his house before his mom and himself. He finds out that it was a home to a “wild” girl named Angela. He firmly believes she’s responsible and goes out to find the truth about what had happened to her.

Favorite moment – The ending wraps everything up nicely and answers all of the questions that needed to be answered.

Author's Note - Imported Horror - Spain!

I’ve been very impressed with the quality of horror films that have Spain has shared with the world recently. I have found most of the films I’ve seen to be very intense. One reason this might be is because the stories tend to focus on children; sometimes the child is dealing with issues of abandonment or helplessness, other times it’s about the parents’ loss of a child. For some reason these moments seem to hit my sensibilities more so than when I see similar situations in American made films. All I know is that some film makers, such as Guillermo Del Toro, have an incredible talent to take the fears that children have and make them into the most fascinating and gut wrenching movies around. Speaking of Del Toro, I am including a few of his movies that he has directed and produced in this theme week. Although he is Mexican and not Spanish, these movies take place in Spain and during time periods that directly affect the storyline. That means I’m going to save “Mama” for a later date!

Angel Heart (1987)

After years of wanting to see the movie “Angel Heart “ I was finally able to remember to look for it in the used section of a video store and buy a copy. It was a wise choice because I was instantly impressed with it and wished that I had seen it when I first read about it. It’s a lovely mixture of film noir and horror with beautiful scenery in both New York and New Orleans. It’s stylish and well-paced, keeping the viewer engaged throughout.

Harry Angel is a New York PI who is hired by a mysterious client named Louis Cyphre, who wants a performer named Johnny Favorite found so he can repay his debt. Angel is told that Favorite was last seen at a private hospital receiving treatment for trauma that he received while serving in the War (WW2). This is just the beginning of a long series of events that lead Angel to one former associate to another, all whom had dealt with Favorite at some point before the War but not since. This chain of events eventually leads Angel to New Orleans where Favorite had performed and had previous relationships before being drafted. As Angel is performing his inquires, various associates are found murdered, causing the local authorities to suspect Angel. Angel wants out after the first dead body shows up but is essentially bribed by Mr. Cyphre to continue until Favorite is found. Eventually the truth is uncovered as magic, voodoo, lovers, and shady business partners all collide in a delicious manner. Mmm, gumbo!

Favorite moment – Angel meets Mr. Cyphre in a small café in New Orleans to give him an update on his investigation. During this exchange, Mr. Cyphre (played by Robert De Niro) delivers the best statement in the entire movie. “There’s just enough religion in the world to make men hate each other enough not to love.” It’s the perfect sentence for his character say….

Slither (2006)

Watching the movie “Slither” had some unexpected challenges during my first viewing. First and foremost, I could not help comparing this film with one I saw many years ago called “Night of the Creeps”. It turns out I wasn’t the only one to think this as there was a small amount of controversy over the issue. Truth of the matter is that both films may sound similar but vary enough to be their own film.

Secondly, While I had high hopes for “Slither”, I was not expecting it to have such a dark comic side to it. When the scene where the town mob is hunting the “monster” because he’s been killing livestock, I had to turn the movie off and watch something else that night. When I came back to it and watched the second half, I was delighted by what I saw and I learned a valuable lesson; never expect anything. If I hadn’t finished the movie I would never have enjoyed how the dark comic moments really shine in the second half.

Before joining the Marvel team and directing and co-writer “Guardians of the Galaxy”, James Gunn’s directorial debut was the dark science fiction horror comedy “Slither”. Knowing more about him as an artist, as well as Michael Rooker as an actor, the film’s chemistry makes so much more sense. Nathan Fillion and Elizabeth Banks round out this talented crew. The make up team and special effects should also receive kudos for the outstanding work they did in this film.

“Slither” is almost your classic tale of alien life form falling to earth and takes over the first human that comes stumbling along and quickly spreads. We’ve seen this in “The Blob” and “Creepshow” and “Alien” (sort of) and others. But what is different is how it multiplies and once the nest is released, the movie really gets going!

Favorite moment – A teenager is hiding in a truck while her possessed family is asking her to come out. One of her younger sisters, who standing next to the driver’s side door, looks and sounds really creepy. What is it with scary little girls???

Red Lights (2012)

The movie “Red Lights” is the least horror-like film I’ve reviewed so far but it contains supernatural themes and is a great comparison to the movie I reviewed yesterday, “Apartment 143”. Both movies are about proving, or disproving, supernatural phenomenon. While “Apartment 143” the lead seemed a bit aloof, the investigators in “Red Lights” are believable and are deeply invested in their work. “Apartment 143” used fancy gadgets that seemed too fancy but “Red Lights” used techniques that make sense and that could be used in everyday situations. The funny twist to this comparison is the fact that both movies were written by the same man!

Dr. Margaret Matheson (Sigourney Weaver) and her assistant, physicist Tom Buckley (Cillian Murphy), spend their time disproving supernatural occurrences when they are not busy teaching a college course on the same subject matter. Examples include hauntings in an old house and the medium that is trying to make contact the spirit to a convincing but ultimately fraudulent miracle healer. In both cases, their tricks are easily explained and even demonstrated for the class. Whenever Dr. Matheson tries to ask why such a brilliant person like Buckley remains at the college helping her with her work, he always changes the subject. He is clearly passionate about this line of work because he is instantly fascinated by the sudden return of the famous psychic Simon Silver (Robert De Niro). After Dr. Matheson suffers a major medical emergency, Buckley becomes obsessed and tries everything he can to prove that Silver is a fraud. Silver claims that his powers are real and agrees to undergo testing at the very university that Buckley works for. After completing the tests, Silver announces his retirement and final show just as the test results are to be verified and publically announced. Buckley goes to the show for one last chance to reveal the truth and a final standoff with the psychic.

Favorite moment – I really enjoyed the process of how Dr. Matheson, Buckley, and student Sally (Elizabeth Olsen) uncovered how the miracle healer was working his magic. 

Apartment 143 (2011)

You can tell that some film makers really like the Found Footage format when the footage isn’t even lost! That’s the case in “Apartment 143”, a film where the events are captured on mounted cameras around an apartment as well as two hand held recorders. When the film wraps up, the film crew leaves one last camera rolling so they can explain everything later. Hmmm….. “Apartment 143” was a decent film but nothing special; it’s not the kind of movie that I would even throw into the DVD player and have on as background noise. The movie is full of complicated ghost hunting equipment that almost feels a little bit on the excessive side, but I think that’s the point they might have been going for. After everything is said and done, the big twist at the end leaves the viewer a bit confused and saying “that’s it?”

A doctor of some sort and his two assistants respond to a claim of ghost activity in a nearly abandoned apartment building. The residents of apartment 143 is a single father and his two children, a 16 year old girl and a 4 year old boy. The family is a bit dysfunctional and likes to fight in front of their guests. The doctor and his team interview the father and son and bring in various pieces of equipment. Throughout the film, the two assistants become excited when they begin to think that they might be onto a real ghost encounter, even if the doctor never really reacts to anything. Finally they figure out what’s going on and solve the issues. The End.

Yawn.

The doctor’s character was the main distraction for me. Even if he knew what was going on, he never really seemed that engaged in the situation. Too calm and collected and maybe there just to collect a paycheck? The other distraction in the movie was the ending; I’m not satisfied with how it ended and I wish they had chosen a different way to wrap everything up.

Favorite moment – the scene that had the only real scare, where they are all standing in the dark and….

Hunger (2009)

“Hunger” is about a guy who kidnaps five people and locks them in an underground cavern and watches them starve to death, waiting for the moment they turn on each other and result to cannibalism. This fascinates him because as a small child, he had to cannibalize his mother after she drove their car off the road and he was trapped in place. He had studied and profiled each of his test subjects before kidnapping them and he occasionally writes notes when happens. He is so obsessed with this experiment that he kills two young adults who come across the covering of the cave. People starve and people die and people do things that they would rather not do.

I’m not sure what to think about this movie. I like the concept but the execution of the film mostly fails. Most of the faults I saw had to deal with appearances. The walls of the cave looked to smooth to be rock and I really want to know what this carved out hole in the middle of nowhere was originally supposed to be. The actors’ clothes never look dirty and the guys barely grow any facial hair; by the way, the group is locked in the cave for over 30 days. The group looks lethargic but never hungry. In comparison, the character Cheryl from the movie “Dread” was completely believable and she was only without food for six days. These people lasted over thirty days and never looked as haggard or hungry as she did. 

"Do you prefer your doughnuts frosted or jelly filled?"

Expiration (2011)

“Expiration” is a low budget South African horror film that takes a unique look at zombie-like creatures and how they become that way. It’s a dark and gritty film that keeps the viewer mostly engaged considering some of its challenges. One of the most obvious obstacles that this film could not overcome was the limited space of where the story takes place. The movie is shot almost entirely in a rundown hospital so this means that there is scene after scene in the same rooms, in the same hallways, in the same stair cases. When there is finally a scene that takes place in a new location, the viewer is tempted to jump up and down for joy for finally seeing something new. Other reviews I’ve read about this movie agree with sentiment. But considering that the budget for this film was so low, an estimated $70k, I’m not be too bothered by the retentiveness as others might be.

The film opens with four strangers gathering in a plain white office and signing medical experimentation waivers. Two are there to find a cure for their ailments; one is paralyzed due to a car accident and the other has inoperable brain cancer. The other two are there simply to collect the payment fee of $50k for the five day study. The head medical examiner reminds them that once they sign the form, they are confined for the entire five days. Without hesitation they sign the form and swallow a pill that will sedate them. When they awake, they find themselves being carted through a dirty rundown hospital by military type gunmen who drop them off in a room before quickly exiting the premises. They quickly realize that more than five days have passed (2 months!) and that the two with medical issues are cured. They also realize that they are locked in and when two armed security arrive with guns blazing, they learn that they are locked in with the previous round of experiment candidates who unfortunately suffered dreadful side effects. The rest of the movie turns into a cat and mouse chase with each person fending for themselves.

Favorite moment – The opening scene grabs the attention of the viewer and sets the tone that these are volunteers and they themselves are ultimately responsible for what is about to occur.

Doghouse (2009)

“Doghouse” was another delightful surprise that I was expecting to be less than stellar. The first thing that won me over was the cast; it stars Stephen Graham (Snatch, Gangs of New York) and Noel Clarke (Dr. Who). The second was that it felt like the same style as “Shaun of the Dead” in that it was a fun, comical British horror. The movie is playful, although a bit misogynistic, and keeps the lighthearted tone for two thirds of the movie.

Five guys are taking their best friend out for the weekend for a divorce party, to prove to him that not every woman is out to get him. Taking the advice of one of the gang, they take a private bus out to the town of Moodley which happens to be out in the middle of nowhere. Minutes after they arrive they realize that something is dreadfully wrong; all of the women have fallen ill to a biological weapon and are acting like zombie-like killers. Actually, they were acting like various stereotypes, much like the different kinds of Gremlins in their two movies. The men get split up, get chased, suffer various wounds, finally get back together and find out what’s going on and why before they start getting killed. There are a couple of interesting death scenes and lots of various moments for gore. And Vincent, the one going through the divorce, is finally able to come to terms with his mid-life crisis and move on.

Favorite moment – I would share this but I don’t want to give anything away!

Favorite quote - “She’s like Evil Dead in your shop. Those things with the claws and the teeth.” The way this line is delivered and by whom is great!

Author's Note - Random Week #1

Every now and then I'm going to have a week without a theme just because. Sometimes there are not enough films to fill an entire week with a theme I want to write about and other weeks I just want to write about the movies that I could fit into a theme week but I'm in the mood to write about now. Random Weeks will allow me do both! The movies that I'll write about this time around are ones I've recently watched on Netflix or have rented from Red Box over the past two weeks.

Dagon (2001)

“Dagon” was the feature film at the Lovecraft Film Festival in 2001. I loved watching it on the big screen for the first time and then realizing the joy that I was about to see it again on the Sci-Fi channel a week later. “Dagon” is a fun but loose adaptation of one of Lovecraft’s best known stories, “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”. It was directed by the one and only Gordon Stuart, produced by Brian Yuzna, and introduces Lovecraft movie fans to actor Ezra Godden, who would end up working with Stuart again in the production of “Dreams in the Witch House”. Just like “From Beyond”, “Dagon” was filmed and produced in Spain in order to make most of their budget.

Paul and his girlfriend Barbara are out boating with another couple when the boat hits a reef and becomes stuck far off shore. Paul and Barbara take a life raft to find help at a small fishing village within sight. When they arrive, they find that the town is empty but eventually find help at the local church. Barbara stays behind to find more help while Paul returns to the boat with two fishermen. His two friends are gone so Paul returns to the fishing village but is unable to find Barbara. He rents a room in the rundown hotel. Paul is woken up from a fitful sleep by a mob of odd looking villagers in the middle of the night. This mob enters the hotel and Paul barely escapes and realizes that these fish-like people are hunting him down, for whatever reason. He eventually finds the local crazy drunkard who tells him what has happened to the little fishing village and the evil that has come. Paul is now faced with trying to find his way out before it’s too late….

Favorite moment – The mob attacking Paul in the hotel. It’s intense and well paced and watching the actor play Paul, you can see how he is a lot like a young Jeffrey Combs while being himself. 

Colour From The Dark (2008)

“Colour From the Dark” is an interesting take on Lovecraft’s “The Colour Out of Space”. It is an independent film that took top honors at the Lovecraft Film Festival in Portland Oregon in 2009. Filmed in Italy but in English, this low budget feature has a few differences from the original story while presenting the main themes that Lovecraft tried to convey. In this story, he wanted to write about a truly alien entity and the effects it has upon a small farming family.

In Italy during World War Two, there is a family on a farm who has a mysterious evil in the bottom of their well. Pietro releases the evil while attempting to retrieve a bucket that was knocked in but doesn’t think much about the smoke and odd smell that comes rising up. That night, Pietro and his wife Lucia and her sister Alice all drink the water from the well. At first everything seems great as the crops suddenly grow large and plentiful and Pietro’s bad knee is healed and Alice begins to talk for the first time in years. But just as quickly as their luck came, it sours and everything goes downhill. Lucia goes crazy, Alice becomes weird, and Pietro thinks the trees in his field are glowing at night. The family suffers as the fruit rots and their very life is sucked out of them.

The Resurrected (1992)

“The Resurrected”, also known more recently as “Shatterbrain”, is a mostly faithful adaption of the Lovecraft story “The Case of Charles Dexter Ward”. Because the story is about a family member from the 1700’s interacting with a future relative, the story is able to be updated to take place in 1990 without a problem. The only problem I had with this film is that I didn’t find it very entertaining. The slow pacing and uninteresting actors are to blame; even Chris Sarandon didn’t seem to be giving this project much effort even though he was the main character. Unlike many other Lovecraft themed movies, this one avoids any attempts at adding any humor and tries to stay true to Lovecraft’s style of exploring the unknown.

 A P.I. is hired by Mr. Ward’s wife after he is questioned by police about the weird smell around his farmhouse. She wants to know what he is doing in there with another doctor that she doesn’t trust. Mr. Ward had begun acting strangely ever since he inherited the farmhouse and found belongings from a long distant relative. Eventually the P.I uncovers the truth that Ward and his past relative are working on ways to bring back the dead and that somebody isn’t who they seem to be.

Favorite moment – I don’t have one. I found this movie dull and not very entertaining. It took effort not to turn it off and watch something, anything else instead.

From Beyond (1986)

“From Beyond” holds a special place for me for a couple of reasons. One reason is because the first time I saw it was on the big screen at the Lovecraft Film Festival around 2007. Seeing a movie like this surrounded by die hard Lovecraft fans allows you to appreciate all of the fun and over the top moments that you might otherwise judge as silly if you saw it by yourself. People cheer when Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton first appear on the screen and they cheer even louder with every gruesome death that takes place. The other reason why I’m fond of this movie is because I was able to meet Barbara at this showing! She gave a wonderful 30 minute Q&A session during the festival, talking about this film as well as the “Re-Animator”. She is every bit as wonderful and gracious as you could hope.

“From Beyond” is essentially a sequel to the original Lovecraft short story of the same name, picking up right before the story's climax. As I previously mentioned, this films stars Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton, who both starred in Mr. Stuart's "Re-Animator". Joining this stellar cast is another horror heavy weight, Ken Foree, best known for at the time for his role as Peter from "Dawn of the Dead". This film is an improvement upon the "Re-Animator", allowing each of the actors to grow and flesh out their characters. It's great to see Barbara's Dr. McMichaels as the lead, taking control and leading the narrative.

Dr. Pretorius has created a machine called the Resonator which stimulates the pineal gland and allows those near the machine to see creatures from other dimensions. During their first experiment, something comes and kills Dr. Pretorius and his assistant Crawford is blamed for his death. Psychiatrist Katherine McMichaels and police detective Bubba Brownlee take Crawford from the psychiatric ward that he is being kept and back to the house where the Dr. Pretorius died so they can recreate the murder scene and find out what really happened. The Resonator is rebuilt, and throughout the movie both Crawford and Katherine fall under its power and exhibit strange behaviors. The three end up fighting more dimensional monsters and the perverted beast that Dr. Pretorius has become.

Favorite moment - When Bubba is consumed by dimensional bees while saving Crawford and Katherine from the Resonator.

Beyond the Wall of Sleep (2006)

Whenever you rent a movie or watch one on Netflix that you have never heard of, you run the risk of picking out a horrible film or a pure gem. Sometimes you get lucky and it’s simply ok. That was not the case with “Beyond the Wall of Sleep”. I found this DVD at Scarecrow Video, a video store in Seattle that carries hard to find movies as well as the typical mainstream favorites. “Beyond the Wall of Sleep” is perhaps one of the worst movies I’ve ever tried to watch. I say try because I was unable to finish this. This particular piece of work feels like it was the first assignment of an A/V class…in high school. The acting is ridiculous, the script is worthless, but the most painful aspect of this is the editing and filming. Not even the presence of Tom Savani in a supporting role as the town sheriff brought any joy or entertainment to this disaster. Save yourself your time and money and skip this movie; Lovecraft would be proud of you.

Re-Animator (1985)

“Re-Animator” is perhaps the most famous Lovecraft film to grace the screen to date. Jeffrey Combs portrayal of Herbert West is one of the most entertaining and honest interpretations of a Lovecraft character in my opinion. He has the arrogance, stubbornness, and ambition of the Herbert West found with the original story. Mr. Combs and director Gordon Stuart are able to insert some dark humor into an otherwise grisly tale without ruining the atmosphere. While there are plenty of extra characters added and the overall narrative does not follow the short stories, enough of the theme from Lovecraft’s work is found within the movie; Herbert West is essentially a modern day Dr. Frankenstein who creates more than his fair share of monsters.

The movie begins when Herbert West transfers from The University of Zurich to Miskatonic University after learning all that he could. He quickly gets on the wrong side of Dr. Hill after accusing him of stealing the work of his professor in Zurich. West quickly convinces his roommate, Dan Cain, to assist him in his experiments in reanimating the dead. Dan’s girlfriend Megan doesn’t trust West and by the end of the movie she can pretty much blame everything that goes wrong on him. And Dr. Hill. As West and Cain perform more experiments, they have more monsters to explain and handle until the movie finally ends in a messy gory mess, all in a very 80’s, mid-range budget special effects style of course.

Favorite moment – The opening scene and when West declares “I gave him life!”; it does a wonderful job of preparing the viewer as to what kind of movie they are about to watch.

The Dunwich Horror (1970)

This 1970’s version of “The Dunwich Horror” stays pretty close to the source material that was originally written in 1928. There are a few added characters that were not needed but helped flesh out the story. There is a psychedelic dream sequence about twenty minutes in that feels odd and really out of place. And it stars Dean Stockwell as Wilbur Whateley and Sandra Dee as one of the extra characters, in this case, Wilbur’s love interest. Enough of the main plot points are present in the film to forgive those that are left out or for those that occur differently than in the story. Watching this film now makes me appreciate the fact that I wasn’t seeing it for the first time in 1970. It’s not a bad little film, but wow, we’ve made a lot of progress since then!

The basic premise of “The Dunwich Horror” film is that Wilbur and his family are outcasts from town, with good reason. Wilbur’s great grandfather was hung by a town mob after trying to perform a ritual to call forth “The Old Ones”. Wilbur wants to attempt this ritual now and goes to the Miskatonic University to retrieve a copy of the Necronomicon. He meets Nancy, who is nice enough to drive him back to Dunwich where he lives. When she doesn’t come home, her friend and Dr. Artimage go and try to find her. They discover that Wilbur had a twin sibling that was supposedly dead but in reality was locked away in Wilbur’s house. The movie ends with a busy and confusing ending with Wilbur’s brother, the “Horror”, killing a mob of town folk and Wilbur being struck by lightning as he was attempting to sacrifice Nancy and summon the Old Ones.

Author's Note - H.P. Lovecraft

In honor of the annual H.P Lovecraft Film Festival taking place in Portland Oregon, I’m dedicating the next batch of reviews on movies adapted from or inspired by the written works of Lovecraft. I’ve been to the festival eight different years and I’m sad that I’m unable to go this time. The festival offers an array of both professional and amateur films. Not all of the movies shown are inspired directly from Lovecraft; any material that is similar in nature is considered and I cannot tell you how many different variations of Poe’s “The Raven” I’ve seen over the years. The number one problem with movies based on Lovecraft’s work is that too many film makers don’t take the material very seriously. For every one solid movie, two horrible ones are made as well; from terrible acting, horrendous scripts, sloppy editing, and so on. Luckily the festival avoids these most of the time or when they do happen to land on the schedule, it’s to serve a purpose.

H.P. Lovecraft wrote most of his stories during the 1920’s and 1930’s. Because his stories took place so long ago, I feel that the simple matter of updating his works to take place in modern day is half of the problem of the films. Another obstacle is that most of the stories were written in the first person, typically by someone who has witnessed something so horrible that he can’t repeat what it was. This character is also usually highly educated, arrogant, and has some dark family history. This type of character is hard to relate with on film while in a book, it’s ok.

The films I’m going to review include samples of both the great movies made as well as ones that should never be rented or watched ever again. 

Hellraiser (1987)

Why did the 80's give us the majority of the horror movie icons that we have today? Was it really that messed up of a time period and I just didn’t notice? Was it a display of fiction reflecting reality because of the famous serial killers around the U.S.? I hope not, but you have to admit that plenty of movie villains came out that decade!

We already had Michael Myers and Leatherface from the late 70’s and they were soon joined by Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, and a psychopathic doll named Chucky. And lest we forget the Cenobite originally known as Priest, quickly renamed by the press and marketing teams as Pinhead. Pinhead was an instant fan favorite, the assumed leader of a band of summoned demons and the standard bearer for Clive Barker's professional directorial debut in the movie "Hellraiser". It what really makes the Cenobites unique in “Hellraiser” is that they are not the real villains in the film but are merely the consequence of opening a fancy puzzle box…

Frank wants to experience the ultimate pleasures and when he opens the mysterious puzzle box, that’s exactly what he finds. If you think being pulled apart of large hooks on chains is your idea of ultimate pleasure. A few months later, Frank’s brother Larry and his wife Julia move into the house where Frank performed his final acts. Larry accidentally cuts himself while helping the moving crew and the blood that falls onto the floor is just enough to summon Frank back from Hell. Julia, who was having an affair with Frank, discovers him and finds that he is just bone and muscle, and agrees to help him find new flesh.  Kirsty, Larry’s daughter, thinks something is suspicious when she noticed that Julia is bringing strange men to the house during the middle of the day. She goes in to see what’s going on but is attacked by Frank. Kristy is able to obtain the puzzle box, and while recuperating at a hospital, she accidentally summons the Cenobites. Right before they are to claim her as their prize, she tells them that Frank had escaped from Hell and that she could take them to him. And thus a deal with the demons is made…

“Hellraiser” was adapted from Barker’s novella “The Hell Bound Heart”. It’s pretty faithful to the original story with only a few minor details being changed. The only real change I remember off hand is that in the story, Kirsty was Larry’s best friend. I see why she was changed to be his daughter for the film but it wasn’t all that important.

Favorite moment – When the Cenobites first appear. They walk in cool and calm, each taking its place in the room and in order. The when Pinhead first speaks, it sends chills down your spine…at least the first time you see the movie.

Lord of Illusions (1995)

“Lord of Illusions” is perhaps one of the most stylish, beautiful horror movies I’ve ever seen. If I could have listed my top ten favorites instead of only seven, this would have been there. It’s dark, elegant, engaging, and totally Barker. This is the fourth and final film that Barker directed and it’s his finest moment as a film maker in my opinion. The mood and pacing is perfect, the cast is made up of strong known actors, the plot is eerie and feels true to Barker’s style, and the special effects are just right. Part film noir and part horror, "Lord of Illusions" is the perfect movie to watch over and over again.

There is a devoted cult who is following the “Puritan” named Nix out in the desert (a natural place for a cult of course!). Nix has a student named Swann, the only one from the cult who can perform real magic like himself. Unfortunately Swann doesn’t have dreams of godhood like Nix and betrays him with three other former followers when they learn that Nix is going to sacrifice a young girl. They save the girl and kill Nix, binding his soul within his body and burying him deep in the ground. Nix’s assistant Butterfield is able to get away but plans for the future…

13 years later private detective Harry D’Amour, who has a habit of working on cases that involve the occult, stumbles across the murder of one of Swann’s conspirators at the hands of Butterfield and a bald man. After seeing a new article about the murder and a picture of D’Amour, Swann’s wife hires him to find out if the Puritan and his cult were behind the murder and if her husband, now a famous illusionist is in trouble. D’Amour takes the job and learns the difference between illusions and real magic.

As I mentioned, the cast of "Lord of Illusions" is quite impressive. Scott Bakula stars as Harry D'Amour, Kevin J. O'Connoras Swann, and Famke Janssen as Dorothea. Besides being strong actors, each one was perfect for their role in this film. 

Favorite moment – I love how Nix is bound; heavy black pieces of forged iron with screws that turn by themselves when blood is applied. It’s medieval and gnarly.