Bone Tomahawk (2015) #428

Is it a western? Is it horror? Whatever it is, "Bone Tomahawk" is a dark and gritty film that holds and builds the tension from beginning to end. This isn't the first rodeo for horror veterans like Kurt Russel (x) and Patrick Wilson (x) who help drive the action and story forward. Note to viewers, the action that I speak comes much later in the movie than one might expect; the first two acts are filled character driven conversations that fill in the mundane gap of cross country travel. This film feels real throughout because of the scenes on the first two acts, and it becomes easy to forget that the film is about cannibals; it's this particular dark element that has the film crossing the genre line from western to horror after all. When the story reaches the third act, the action shifts from realistic to horrific while maintaining a true sense of realism. I don't want to spoil the surprise so I'll just admit that I was impressed with one action sequence in particular.

Writer/director S.Craig Zahler tries to make a clear separation between Native Americans and the cannibalistic tribe of Troglodytes, relying on a theory people actually had in the 1800's. The town of Bright Hope is seen as being very inclusive for the time period, and every opinion and voice is heard and considered. The Troglodytes themselves are represented as being under developed and basic while having some very interesting advancements of their own.

After their burial ground is disturbed by two thieves, a tribe of cannibalistic troglodytes seek retribution by kidnapping a town's doctor and deputy sheriff. It's up to Sheriff Hunt, his second deputy sheriff Chicory, the doctor's husband O'Dwyer, and a gunslinger named Brooder to go into the mountains and rescue the two before it's too late.

John Brooder, Deputy Chicory, Sheriff Hunt, and Arthur O'Dwyer

Scream 2 (1997)

"Scream 2" is a delightful follow up to the hit that resurrected Wes Craven's career just at the right time. He's back with writing partner for the sequel, one that proves to be just as effective as the first. It has more scares and more victims but it also has too many faces with too little screen time to ever clearly suspect who the killer or killers are this time around. The opening scene is fantastic and sets up the mood perfectly for the rest of the film.


The film takes place two years after the Woodsboro Murders from the first film. After a gruesome double killing at a preview showing of the movie "Stab", which was based on the Woodsboro Murders, news reporters flock to Sidney Prescott once again to see what she thinks about the situation. She wants nothing to do with the media circus, preferring to focus on her college studies and her boyfriend Derek and her friends Randy (from the the first movie) and her best friend Hallie. It's not long before Dewey arrives on the scene as well as Gale Weathers, who attempts a one on one confrontation between Sidney and Cotton Weary, the man Sidney accused of being her mother's killer. After all of the stress and awkwardness of the day, Hallie convinces Sidney to come to a party with her. Of course the new Ghostface Killer/s shows up and kills one student before attacking Sidney. She escapes and the movie becomes a cat-and-mouse game as Sidney tries to figure out who the killer is while trying to stay alive.

Scream (1996)

By the 1990’s, stalker films had become a joke and the genre was filled with movies that only cared about killing people in more and more unusual ways and forcing a twist or concept that wasn’t very convincing. Somehow writer Kevin Williamson and director Wes Craven came up with the perfect formula that made the stalker/slasher film relevant and entertaining, introducing the sub-genre to a new generation. “Scream” is a smart movie, a movie willing to point out the formula of a horror movie in bullet points and follow each one exactly. “Scream” had an amazing cast filled with young actors that would go on and have impressive careers. “Scream” would also become its own franchise that for the most part remained somewhat clever.

“Scream” is about Sidney Prescott, a teen who has already dealt with tragedy when her mother was killed the year before. Now someone is killed off two of her classmates and comes after her the next evening. She escapes and her boyfriend Billy is arrested because he is caught at the scene of the attempted murder. When his cell phone history clears his guilt, Sidney is still unsure if she can trust him or not. She is attacked once again at the high school, prompting the principal to suspend classes until further notice; the principal is then killed in his office. One of Sidney’s friends throws a house party and there carnage escalates as more people are killed and the mystery of who the killer is becomes more blurred, because at this point anyone (except Sidney) could be the killer.

Favorite death scene – The best death scene in this film is easily the first one which involves Drew Barrymore. What makes this movie great is that the killer is human and sometimes a klutz, so when you hear each moan or see them fall or get hit, it gives a real sense of believability to it. And with Drew, your heart drops because she was so close to getting away but you knew that she woulnd’t….