Poltergeist (2015) #419

Spoiler free review!   Oooohhh, Aaaahhh!


Sigh, another original, amazing horror "classic" has been remade, re-imagined, recycled, and repackaged; none other than 1982's "Poltergeist". Many fans and die hard horror fanatics were angered and called foul when this new project was announced and for good reason, the original is perfect as it is. In the quest to honor and enjoy creating a new version, as well as cashing in on a well known title, a new generation of film makers took it upon themselves to try anyway. Produced by horror heavyweights Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert, their new film fails to live up to the hype and expectations that were naturally and unfortunately made.

BUT....what if the original was never made? Would this film be any good? Yes, not great but it actually is enjoyable. Has many of the same beats that the original has, although some are used in different ways or times. I really liked some of the visual effects that are in the 2015 version, with the hands on the TV set being one of my favorite moments in the film (see picture below). The story is essentially the same, the family make-up is the same (you actually get to see the older sister do things!), and the different take on the psychic expert is acceptable. All of this makes the new "Poltergeist" worth watching.

BUT....this is a remake and comparisons will be made. The main issue for me is the lack of soul, complete pun intended, that the new film has compared to the original. I think Sam Rockwell is a talented actor but his concerned father figure roll felt empty and shallow compared to Craig T. Nelson's work. Craig was a father torn apart, desperate, and possessed to get his daughter back; Sam was like "meh", especially during the scene with the tree. Then there is the daughter who is taken to the other side, Carol Anne and Madison. Carol Anne comes across as more innocent while Madison feels more helpless. Both girls did great, don't get me wrong, but the original wins over again. I've already mentioned older sister so let's talk about the middle child, the son. Both versions are spot on, in my opinion. The new son, Griffin, plays a very different character than the portrayed in the 1982 original and I think it fits perfectly. At first I was a little concerned but the end result was great.

In conclusion, if you can, watch the 2015 version before ever seeing the 1982 one. If this proves impossible, give yourself some time between viewings. Enjoy!

Poltergeist Trailer

Unfriended (2015). #418

I'm going to guess that most people won't like "Unfriended" very much, but there will be enough people who will think it's great; I'm honestly still undecided. For everyone who was turned off by the webcam only point of view, those who didn't want to watch a group of teens play on Facebook or instant messenger, your time is better spent watching something more action packed. For everyone else who enjoys a very slow burn, decent character development, and subtle reveals, "Unfriended" delivers quite nicely. After watching this movie I felt both cheated of my time and yet entertained. Dear reader, I'm still confused by my feelings...

I want to applaud the filmmakers efforts in trying something new but I also want to smack them around for making it so boring! Granted, the film eventually finds its pacing but the journey there is slow and painful (for the viewer). The second half of the film is actually fun to watch and after the first few deaths, the story really takes shape. The actors do a great job of being a group of annoying suburban teens. And the film's on screen special effects are minimal and its best that way. The story line itself is simple and only needed a stern editing for the first half.

Worth checking out if you enjoy ghost stories told in an unique way.

Not the most compelling stills from a movie

Carriers (2009). #417

I love post apocalyptic movies and I love them even more when they're well made. We've been lucky that a few good movies have been produced in the past few years, and "Carriers" should be rated among them. It is a simple straight forward film that keeps the violence toned down, the action tense, and the relationships believable. I appreciate the fact that you know what destroyed the world we know, a very infectious and deadly disease, without having to be told how it began or spread; all that matters is how the current situation affects the four main characters.

Chris Pine leads the cast as Brian Green, the older brother of Danny Green. The two brothers, along with Brian's girlfriend Bobby and another friend Kate, are trying to find a safe place to stay and survive long enough for the current plague to die down. Once infected, death is guaranteed so the four have been very careful to avoid any situation that could get them infected. Unfortunately compassion gets in their way when they decide to help a man and his sick daughter. What unfolds is a  living nightmare for the four as they realize that their chances for survival become very unlikely.

The Houses October Built (2014) #416

I wanted to love this movie because of the name alone, but no matter what this film is called, it was a disappointing let down. The film is about five friends who who seek out various carnival style haunted houses that are set up and operated around Halloween, hoping to find something truly exceptional and scary. I like this idea and I believe that the movie would have worked if it wasn't presented in a POV, "found footage" perspective. The scenes in the traditional "haunted houses", also known as haunts, are fine but the real scares that could have taken place in the big climax are lost and wasted in a mix of cut scenes that are too dark and chaotic to process Asa viewer.

There are a few creepy scenes that work well that take place in the middle of the film. But before these happen, we are treated to watching a group of friends who have a genuine chemistry. The actors almost avoid the cookie cutter stereotypes so their characters come across as real and relatable. The same can not be said about the film's antagonists who are nothing more than the quiet, menacing type of faceless creepers that have been seen in countless horror movies already.

Maggie (2015) #415

The 2015 movie "Maggie" is a delightful surprise that finds a careful balance in being part family drama and part post-zombie apocalypse. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger (in perhaps his best role to date since returning to his acting career) as Wade Vogel, a loving father and family man who only wants to take care of his daughter Maggie. Unfortunately, Maggie has been infected by a zombie, and knowing that she is now contagious and will eventually "turn", she runs away to the city. She is caught breaking curfew and is brought to the hospital will Wade picks her from and brings her back home. Over the course of the next several days, the two are forced to deal with the realization of what's occurring to Maggie, as well as Wade's neighbors and Maggie's crush. The ending is inevitable but is filled with emotion and is very satisfying.

Several factors make this film amazing. First of all is Arnold; this is the most emotional that I have ever seen him in a movie and so he is completely believable as Wade. Although another actor may have been better suited for the emotional side of the role, Arnold is still emotionally and physically imposing for the moments of the movie that call it, such as dealing with the neighbors. Second is the restraint that director Henry Hobson shows by keeping the violence and gore to a minimum. Just because this movie is about zombies, they appear briefly and not over used, so their few appearances make a larger impact and justify the story line. Finally, Abigail Breslin's performance as Maggie is to be applauded. Again, not the best performance I've seen in this kind of role but still it's good, believable, and moving.

"Maggie" should be on the should list for any fan of zombie films.

Frailty (2001) #414

In his first role as director, Bill Paxton delivers a complex and haunting film about two young brothers who witness their father's decline into madness as he comes to believe that he is performing God's work by killing demons in the appropriately titled "Frailty". The movie is riddled with the perfect amount of tension and suspense, with outstanding performances that drive the film forward by both Paxton and Matthew McConaughey. What could have been a straight forward "realistic" slasher turns out to be more involved and chilling than it is at first glance, with twists and turns that make the viewers almost feel sympathetic for the various characters and the crimes that they commit.

Fenton Meiks visits the Dallas FBI office, asking for Agent Wesley Doyle. Upon meeting the agent, Fenton begins to tell him how his brother is the serial killer "God's Hand" and how his brother came to become this wanted criminal. The story's roots take place when Fenton and his brother where much younger and living with their father, who one night came home and told his sons that he had a vision from God, telling him that he was chosen to kill demons that were hiding as normal people. Fenton and his brother then join their father as he sought out those that were supposedly demons, killing them with an axe named "Otis". While Fenton thought that his father had gone, his brother Adam fully believed in their father's work, continuing to finish the job that Dad Meiks was given.

American Mary (2012) #413

"American Mary" is a stylish and sexy horror film staring Katherine Isabelle as Mary Mason,
a med student who begins performing extreme body modifications to pay her mounting debts. The film is directed and written by the Soska Sisters, who appear in the film as patients/customers of Mary's, spinning an interesting story that tastefully walks the line between torture porn and mad-scientist genres. Mary feels like a real character which makes it easy for the viewers to relate to her. "American Mary" keeps the audience intrigued throughout the film but feels like it sputters to an abrupt end with it's somewhat anticlimactic ending.

Mary Mason decides to become a stripper so she can keep up with her mounting bills that she is incurring while she is at med school to become a surgeon. While "interviewing" at the strip club, Mary is paid $5000.00 to save the life of a man who appears to have been tortured in the club's basement. A few days later Mary is approached by a dancer from the club who asks Mary to perform a body modification procedure on a friend of hers. Mary is reluctant but decides to accept the job and it's $10,000 offered fee. Mary soon becomes popular in the counter culture world of body modifications, meeting clients and making her art. But her actions have repercussions that come back to haunt her...

Katherine Isabelle as Mary Mason

Devil's Rejects (2005) #412

One thing that Rob Zombie is extremely gifted in is the ability to draw so many recognizable names to appear in his films; from Danny Trejo to Kane Hodder, to Ken Foress to even comic Brian Posehn. Sadly, he isn't nearly as gifted at creating a solid horror film. Granted, "The Devil's Rejects" was only his second feature film and is an obvious homage to the grindhouse films of the 1970's but it stands to argue that it is he weakest production, overly violent without a purpose, and it is simply not entertaining for the casual horror film viewer. Besides the fact that the movie stars three of the characters from Zombie's "House of 1000 Corpses", "The Devil's Rejects" barely functions as a horror movie in the first place.

Castle Freak (1995) #411

Director Stuart Gordon returns to familiar ground with his 1995 film "Castle Freak", which is inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's short story "The Outsider". "Castle Freak" sees the return of Jefferey Combs, as the character John Reilly, and Barbara Crampton as his wife Susan. All three professionals seem more mature and laid back in this film when compared to their earlier work such as "Re-Animator" and "From Beyond"; "Castle Freak" is a darker, has a a steady build of tension, and deals with themes more adult, such as the dealing with the accidental death of a child and alcoholism. Although the movie is only loosely based on Lovecraft's short story, the movie feels very much like a story he would have written. It follows themes that Lovecraft used several times including a lead character having a mysterious family past.

While the story is and performances are solid, the film quality of the movie is lacking, which is evident since this film went straight to the video shelf. My other complaint is the overly energetic score by composer Richard Band. His work for the "Re-Animator" series was perfect, matching the chaotic nature of the Dr. Herbert West and his ungodly creations, but in this film it stands out as a stark opposite of everything that is occurring on screen.

John Reilly, his wife Susan and his daughter Rebecca, arrive in Italy to take over an old family estate that he has inherited from an unknown duchess that he was related to. There is an immense amount of strain between John and Susan ever since he was responsible for a car accident in which their son was killed and Rebecca was left blind. As the family goes about their business of settling in and deciding what to do with the estate, the unknown and deformed inhabitant in the basement escapes and begins to watch the family. This "castle freak" begins to kill the locals and the deaths are blamed on John. As John tries to clear his name and prove his innocence, the freak sets his sights on Rebecca, resulting in a climatic fight with John on top of the roof in a rain storm.

Sanatorium (2013) #410

Cliches buried beneath cliches is the best way to describe 2013's "Sanatorium". It's yet another found footage movie about another group of film makers going into a closed down asylum/madhouse/hospital/haunted house to record the rumored ghosts that walk the hallways. First there's the typical "did you hear that?" or "did you feel that" moments followed by an obvious supernatural occurrences, which leads to the violent "run for your lives" panic that ends with the eventual death of everyone. There's also the young new couple that you're supposed to care about that's introduced in the beginning, the jerk, and the typical nice guy that's just there to do his job.

Chances are that you've seen this movie before even if you haven't; it feels that generic. The film "Grave Encounters" is the first film to come to mind. But even though it is that generic, I really enjoyed this film; this style really appeals to me and I could watch variations of this story line over and over. For everyone else, if this was the first time this type of film had been made, it would be great. It's a solid ghost movie with a spooky back story and a slow build of tension until thing go crazy at the end. But it's not and so I would suggest "Grave Encounters" instead, just for the freaky moments (ghost in the corner and the bath tub) that are in it.

Grace: The Possession (2014) #409

"Grace: The Possession" may seem like just another story about a sheltered naive young girl who becomes possessed by an evil demon who is eventually freed through the efforts of an exorcism, but there is more to this film than meets the eye. What sets this movie apart from films such as "The Exorcism of Emily Rose", "La Posesion de Emma Evans", and "The Last Exorcism" is how you watch the events unfold, through the eyes of Grace, the girl who is possessed. Everything in the film is seen from the point of view of Grace, giving the movie the feeling that you are watching a found footage movie, just like the recent remake of "Maniac". Beyond this clever and effective use of shaky-cam, "Grace" doesn't deliver anything new to this sub-genre. The movie hits the typical plot points that are common for this theme from the slow discovery of the possession, to the demon taking control, to the timing of the exorcism; even the "twist" ending is exactly what you expect. Alexia Fast gives a fine performance as Grace and I hope to see her in future horror films.

Come Back to Me (2014) #408

"Come Back to Me" is a clever and unique horror film that takes a few horror elements and spins them around, giving them a fresh new twist. I became very interested in seeing this film after I found out that it was based on the book "The Resurrectionist" by Wrath James White, a writer that I'm hearing a lot of good things about. The film is violent, unexpected, has a creepy character, and has a ending that is very memorable; the first half of the film is a bit slow and confusing but everything makes sense soon enough in the second half. This is another must see horror film is you like slow building tension that pays off in the end.

The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014) #407

One of the more intelligent POV films from the last few years, "The Taking of Deborah Logan" was a pleasant surprise that delivers intense thrills that involve characters that are you care about. What begins as a documentary about Deborah and the effects of Alzheimer's Diesease quickly spirals into something dark and supernatural, with the documentary crew and Deborah's daughter racing against the clock to save to her. Everything about this movie runs smoothly, from the acting to the story to the special effects; the plot twists were surprising and kept the movie felling fresh. Without giving anything away, I can say that this film is a must see for anyone who is looking for a solid horror movie.

Finders Keepers (2014) #406

"Finders Keepers" is a weak horror film that borrows heavily from both "Child's Play" and "Trilogy of Terror", where the focus of the story is about a evil, possessed doll that kills everyone. This doll, named Lilith, looks similar to the Zuni fetish doll from "Trilogy" and is just as violent. Lilith is also found and loved by a young girl, who she quickly possesses, and Lilith doesn't waste any time in her efforts to kill the people around her new friend. And like the original "Child's Play", various adults suspect that either the young girl or even her newly divorced mother is to blame for the body count. But unlike either film, the film is seriously lacking any scares or even scenes of the doll in motion killing people. The doll just sits there, the girl just screams when someone tries to take the doll away, an the girl just screams some more when someone tries to give her a new doll. My other complaint is this - why are all of the victims who are stabbed with a knife are stabbed so high in the backs; the doll is barely a 12 inches tall. The movie pushes good taste and patience and isn't worth the time to watch.

Deliver Us From Evil (2014) #405

Director Scott Derrickson is back with familiar material in his newest film, "Deliver Us From Evil". Unfortunately, this movie fails to find the nice balance between normal and supernatural that "The Exorcism of Emily Rose", or the truly frightening suspense and tension that was built up in "Sinister". I disliked the movie overall considering that the first half was much too slow. Also, the movie spends too much time in the dark with too many overwhelming shadows and sickly green backgrounds. Despite it's shortcomings,"Deliver Us From Evil" finds some interesting and entertaining moments late in the film concerning possessions and exorcisms.

Based on real experiences by New York cop Ralph Sarchie, "Deliver Us From Evil" follows his work with a castilin priest as they track down a possessed marine who is spreading his influence among others in the city.

Cabin Fever: Patient Zero (2014) #404

"Cabin Fever: Patient Zero" is another unnecessary sequel trying to capitalize on a successful, original film. Set as a prequel to the events in 2002's "Cabin Fever", "Patient Zero" fails to offer anything new the franchise and just feels like more of the same. Half of the movie follows a man named Porter (played by Sean Austin), who is immune to the infection that he is carrying. He spends most of the film locked in an unreliable quarantine system where he is able to infect others, including a mouse. During this time we still do not learn the cause of the infection (unless I missed it) but it is revealed that the doctor tending on Porter believes that he is close to coming up with a cure...which will ultimately make him rich and famous. The other half of the film focuses on a bachelor party that finds it's way onto the island where Porter is being kept. Party people and scientists are both exposed to infection and die in bloody messes, just like they do in the previous two films.

I could say that the movie's lackluster performance was due to the director, Kaare Andrews, isn't even really a filmmaker but a man who is better known for his contributions as an illustrator for Marvel Comics. But knowing that, I can't blame him because he didn't write the script or develop the concept, he was just working with what he had.

Annabelle (2014) #403

Taking inspiration from the real life files of Ed and Loraine Warren and the commercial success of "The Conjuring", 2014's "Annabelle" is a prequel/spin-off combination film that is entertaining and yet misses the (perhaps unfair) expectations set by the original film in this franchise. This film creates a back story for the possessed doll that was locked away in the Warrens basement collection room in "The Conjuring". I'm not a fan of over explaining scary or evil things but this is exactly why "Annabelle" was made. At times the story feels a little predictable and some of the visual effects reminded me of other movies I had recently seen. The movie did have some tense and scary moments so I would recommend this film to those who have not see "The Conjuring" already.


Inspired by Ed and Lorraine Warren's invesigations into the supernatural and paranormal, "Annabelle" is a story about a doll that becomes possessed by a Satan worshiper. The young family that owned the doll becomes haunted by it and their attempts to rid themselves of it prove nearly impossible.

Mercy (2014) #402

"Mercy" is another film that has been adapted from a short story by Stephen King originally titled "Gramma" ; these little gems will be coming to light for many more years to come. It has his feel about it, from the names of the characters to their familiar relationships. The movie stars Chandler Riggs (Carl from "The Walking Dead") as George, a young boy who is close with his grandmother Mercy. Chandler delivers a fine performance and carries the movie well while supported by Dylan McDermott and Frances O'Connor. What I liked most about this film is that it embraced the fact that it was dealing with supernatural elements unlike other movies in recent years that seem to through supernatural aspects into the plot for a surprise twist or for an easy ending.

George is the only relative that seems to love and get a long with his grandmother Mercy. George enjoys spending time with her and listening to her stories and advice, and then teasing his older brother with the stories that haunt their family history. After Mercy has a stroke and is forced out of the nursing home, George's mother brings George and his brother with her back to her childhood home to take care of Mercy. Strange events begin to take place that directly affect George's mother and her two siblings, as well as George's brother and even an old flame of his mom's. George discovers that witchcraft, spirits, and even a spell book are all apart of Mercy's past. But what will this mean for him and his family?

Author's Note - Films of 2014

2013 was a stellar year for horror movies, both mainstream and direct to video. So this week I'm focusing on seeing what 2014 has to offer, taking on such films as "Tusk", "Deliver Us From Evil", and a handful of films currently found on Netflix.

Tusk (2014) #401

"Tusk" is a difficult film to like but it does have some positive aspects to it.

1. It's better than "The Human Centipede".
2. Fleetwood Mac's song "Tusk" was played at the perfect time in the film.
3. This is the first time that I've enjoyed seeing Justin Long in a movie.
4. The end result of the transformation is gruesome and freaky.

That being said, "Tusk" is a train wreck of a movie that starts off fine, losing a bit of steam, finds a little steam, and then goes completely off the rails when Johnny Depp's character is introduced. Considering that the premise of the movie was derived from a joke during one of Kevin Smith's own podcasts, I can see how he didn't even take the concept seriously from beginning to end. It's a shame because the concept had potential and I enjoyed the steady line between comedy and horror that the film had during the first hour.