The Crazies (2010)

The 2010 remake of "The Crazies" is a more enjoyable and creepier version than the original. There are several reasons why this movie is an overall stronger film and the main reason is because this version focuses solely on a group of survivors who are trying to escape the town; trying to follow both the residents and the military broke the tension too much, having to keep track of several characters rather than a small handful. The talent of the actors is higher, the budget is heftier, and the suspense and pacing are kept tight. This version also shows the survivors having to defend themselves from their "crazy" neighbors who only want to kill.

David is the local sheriff of the small town of Ogden, Iowa. During a local baseball game, a local resident comes stumbling into the field with a shotgun in his hands. David asks then orders the man to drop his gun and is forced to kill him when the man raises the weapon at him. This is the first of many such occurrences that David and his deputy Russell begin to notice happening around town. The two soon find a military aircraft that had crashed in a nearby swamp, and that it's payload has been introduced to the town's drinking water, contaminating it. Within hours of the discovery the military happen to show up and place the town under martial law and take all of the residents into quarantine at the high school. The camp is overrun with "crazies" and David and his wife Judy escape with the help of Russel and a teen named Becca. They spend the rest of the night trying to hide form both the military who are now shooting anyone who might look infected on sight as well as trying to survive the onslaught of assaults from their former neighbors.

Silent Hill (2006)

"Silent Hill" is a fun and visually enticing horror film that was adapted from the the game series of the same name. Knowing that is it adapted from a video game allows for enough room for the movie to move along and get to the heart of the story without having to explain all of the little details that might be demanded for in a typical horror flick. Who and what are these different creatures that are stalking the heroine isn't important, just the fact that she is being chased by such creatures is. Never having played the game before, my only impression is purely what the movie provides and I liked what I saw. The cast is solid and delivers an entertaining performance while the eye candy is tasty and delicious.

Rose and Christopher are the adoptive parents of nine year old Sharon. Sharon sleepwalks, draws eerie pictures, and talks in her sleep about a town called Silent Hill. Looking for answers, Rose takes Sharon without Christopher knowing to Silent Hill...where things quickly go out of control. First Rose has a car accident and awakens to find that Rose has wandered off, and then she is confronted with police officer Cybil (played by Laurie Holden from "The Walking Dead"). They are suddenly attacked by one of the creatures that roam Silent Hill. Rose continues her quest to find Sharon and the mystery that surrounds her daughter and the curse that haunts Silent Hill. What are those air sirens about? How many demons are there to hide from? Why are there demons? And why does ash constantly fall from the sky?

Pitch Black (2000)

"Pitch Black" was one if the best horror movies I've ever seen in the theater. I knew very little about it beforehand, I went in opening night with a few friends, and the theater was sold out with energized and excited people. And every one left pumped. Awesome monsters, a great and simple story, and a breakout movie making moment for Vin Disel. 

A transport ship in deep space enters an unidetified asteroid field and is badly damaged, being sucked into the gravity pull of a nearby planet. The captain is killed so two other flight crew members hustle to save the ship and themselves. The woman who takes the controls has no choice but to begin purging extra weight...including sections of passengers. She jettisons two sections and is about to release the third when they finally crash land on the planet. The remaining survivors thank her, not knowing that she killed the others and was seconds away from killing them. 

She's an ethical villain and so is the cop/bounty hunter and his "cargo", the dangerous criminal Riddick. Their petty differences quickly lessen in importance when the survivors learn that they are stuck in a planet with a very mean, very vicious creature that comes out only in the dark. And the planet is about to become a very dark place once its multiple suns set. 

Favorite moment - I love how quickly Claudia Blacks character is eaten alive as one of the first victims.