The Wicker Man (2006) #466

The 2006 remake of “The Wicker Man” is an example of what not to do when making a movie but the end result still ends up as a cult classic. “The Wicker Man” has a painfully awful script, bizarre costumes, and stars an unhinged Nicholas Cage as police officer Edward Malus.The film also has the dubious honor of having won the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Remake. 

The first 15 minutes of the movie are the worst, in my opinion; so much do that I almost turned it off. The dialogue is so terrible throughout the film, but the beginning is by far the hardest part to get through. Once Edward gets on the island, the dialogue and story improve slightly, thank god. The acting is also a bit cringe worthy, but ultimately it is the narrative of the story that pushes everything forward and keeps the whole film from becoming a complete dumpster fire. 

This remake shares inspiration from both the novel “The Ritual” by David Pinner and the original film. Edward is personally motivated to solve his missing persons case, unlike Sergeant Howie who was just following up on an assigned case. This simple change makes the viewer more invested in the character’s journey in this instance; it gives the story deeper emotional stakes. The leader of the island, Summerisle, is a woman in the remake and the majority of the population is female; this is an important detail for the remake’s narrative.

Edward Malus is a police officer who is suffering PTSD after a deadly accident that he witnessed. He is finally coded out from his apartment when he learns that his ex-fiancée needs his help to find her missing daughter. He travels to a remote island in the Pacific Northwest in search of the young girl and his ex. The island is shrouded in mystery and he is unable to get a straight answer from anyone. When Edward begins to piece together what’s going on, it may already be too late.

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006) #458

 

There is no reason I can come up with to guess or explain why it took me so long before finally watching “Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon”. I loved the concept and execution of this film from beginning to end. It’s look at a typical slasher movie from the inside out; a very meta experience from the perspective of the villain. It’s a well made movie with surprise cameos of some of the biggest names in horror. 

The movie follows journalist Taylor and her two cameramen Doug and Todd as they work on their newest documentary; the origin of new local “slasher” styled killer, Leslie Vernon. Leslie seems like a charismatic, intelligent young man who just happens to be ready to join the ranks of famous slasher killers like Jason, Michael, and Freddy. Leslie explains to Taylor that he is the young boy from local legend that had killed his own family before being presumably killed by his neighbors. With his origin in place, he goes on to explain all the ends and outs of becoming a great slasher killer which includes how to pick a final girl, how to orchestrate his first kill, and how to create a climatic showdown. For Leslie, it’s all a test for the final girl to see if she can survive his assault; if she does, then they both win.

Nathan Baesel plays Leslie Vernon, the charismatic killer. He plays the role full of vest and energy, someone who is fully invested in his project. Even after he makes his first kill, he still comes across as friendly, although the film crew is clearly on edge. It’s a shame that he hasn’t appeared in anything else related since this film. Angela Goethals is Taylor Gentry, the host of the documentary crew. She was a delight to watch as she interacted with Leslie, trying to get all that she could out of him and then coming to her senses and her desire to help save the final girl after he begins his killing spree. Robert Englund has a small but important role as Doc Halloran, a Dr. Loomis type character who knows about Leslie’s past and his plan, attempting to stop him before it’s too late. Zelda Rubinstein even shows up in a cameo as a librarian.

What I loved about this film is the balance it finds between being a very dark comedy in the first half before turning into a full on slasher flick. Both halves are so good at being what they are and the transition is very smooth. During the first half, Leslie explains what he plans to do during the Big Night, and the second half of the film has him doing just that. It’s such a joy to see the different aspects explored and explained from the killer’s point of view. It’s absurd and it works. I highly recommend this film, even more so to those who enjoyed “The Cabin in the Woods”.

Final Destination 3 (2006) #433

When the first "Final Destination" came out in 1999, it was obviously apparent that a new horror franchise had been created. The series was able to stay fresh and intriguing, from the mass death scene in the beginning of the film that's avoided due to a premonition to the grisly and creative death scenes that took out the survivors one by one. In "Final Destination 3", the conceptual twist that is introduced is that each character's death is captured on film, with each picture showing vaguely how the victim will be killed off. It's an interesting plot device that works pretty well in a movie like this. Once this clue is discovered, the remaining survivors are warned to no avail. If someone knew who you were going to die, would you want to know how?

As with most horror movies with a high death toll, the large cast of characters are underdeveloped and paper thin stereotypes of various teen cliches, more so this time around than the two previous films...but not nearly as bad as "Final Destination 4". The exception to this are the characters played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kris Lemeche ("Ginger Snaps" and "The Frankenstein Theory" ), and Ryan Merriman ("The Ring 2"); being the main characters, these three do receive more screen time to flesh out their personalities and motives. 

Accidents at amusement parks are known to happen, so this having the grand catastrophe in "Final Destination 3" take place on an old wooden roller coaster is brilliant. The death's in this scene are not as simple and realistic as those found in the original "Final Destination" or as gruesome as in "Final Destination-2" but they are still terrifying in the fact that any of them could happen in real life. It's also a great way to kill off a group of people who know each all at once. Of course, the survivors escape this tragedy for equally painful and horrific ways to die later on in the film.

One of my favorite moments in this film is when Kris Lemeche's character, Ian, raises the question of what would happen if one of the survivors who cheated death decided to commit suicide? His question is left unanswered but it raises an interesting point; would it break the cycle? It's a dark question and I'm thankful that the writers did not explore what could have happened, but it's a great plot point in showing how dark Ian's character is. This conversation takes place while the most improbable mousetrap style death in the film slowly builds to it's eventual climax.

The "V" Word (2006) #388

I must admit that I thought that the "V" word was going to be video games because that seemed like the focus at the opening of the this episode of "Masters of Horror". But I was wrong and halfway through the piece I realized that it stood for vampire, and I was sorely disappointed. The first half was unique and different; focusing on two friends who grow bored of playing video games and decide to find something more thrilling to do in real life, so they break into a funeral home and run quickly run into trouble. The second half wasn't nearly as interesting and readily fell into typical vampire territory, with one friend embracing the change while the other struggles. I was also disappointed with the small role the Michael Ironside was given, although he did a great job with the time he had.

Imprint (2006) #373

If anyone was going to create an episode that was going to be considered too outrageous and inappropriate for a Showtime Channel original series, it would be the famed Japanese director Takashi Miike. His entry in the "Masters of Horror" series proved to be too much for Showtime executives to air as planned, so instead this episode is only found on DVD. The content within is a bit graphic at times and the torture scene is overly gratuitous to the point that I feel that this particular production could be as offensive as the material seen in "A Serbian Film". Some people may disagree with that conclusion but I would say that "Imprint" is at least darker and more horrific than his well known film "Audition".

An American is travelling across Japan in the 1800's looking for a woman who he promised to come back to an marry someday. His journey takes him to an island populated with whores and their masters. The American is forced to stay the night on the island so he agrees to the company of a whore, choosing one that stays in the shadows while the others clamour for attention. The whore begins to tell the American that she knew his bride to be, Komono, and that Komono had recently killed herself. He refuses to believe the story, so the whore tells him more about her own history and the reasons that led to Komono's suicide. The whore repeats the story several times, adding new details and truths with each telling until the American can't take anymore and acts upon his grief, a grief that haunts him for the rest of his life.

Pelts (2006) #372

"Pelts" is Dario Argento's second entry in the "Masters of Horror" series, a piece that has an equally creepy cast of characters but an even stronger story than his first offering with "Jenifer". Singer/actor Meatloaf stars as Jake Feldman, a fur trader and craftsman who is obsessed with an erotic dancer who won't give him the time of day. When one of his trappers calls him with an offer of a lifetime for a stock of perfect raccoon skins, Jake is forced to see what the old man is offering. But when Jake and his assistant arrive to buy the skins, they find that both the hunter and his son have died very gruesome deaths. Jake takes the pelts and brings them to his shop and has his team begin creating the perfect coat. But one by one the employees die horrible deaths as well. This does not stop Jake in his quest and takes the completed coat to the dancer's apartment where he coaxes her into having sex with him in exchange for the coat and the chance to model it at an upcoming fashion event. Afterwards, Jake falls victim the the pelts curse and soon the dancer is claimed as a victim as well.

Morale of the tale - never trap and kill a raccoon on scared land.....

What made this episode standout, in a positive way, is that each death was related directly to how the character was involved with the raccoon pelts. Watch for the connections!

Retribution (2006)

"Retribution" is a truly unique ghost story, at least when compared to the typical American/British kinds. In this detective story, an older detective is starting to believe that he is a suspect in a series of murders that he's investigating. A missing button is found at the crime scene, the kind that matches his coat, and his finger prints are sound on one of the murder victims. He also begins to see glimpses of a woman in a bright red dress. As the story progresses, more people are killed in the same fashion, by being drowned in salt water, by their loved ones over minor offenses. A father kills his son because the son owes a classmate $4500 and a wife kills her young husband because he was sexually aggressive with her when she wasn't in the mood. The detective soon learns that the first victim was killed by her boyfriend when she broke up with him. Cleared of any suspicion himself, the detective is still haunted by the ghost in red. The one clue connecting all of the killers, and the detective, is that they all rode a ferry daily fifteen years ago, and passed an old asylum where the girl in red was kept and evetanully died. Because none of them tried to help her, she is now causing them to kill. Will the detective solve the ghostly riddle before he kills someone hie loves or is he already too late?

Rest Stop (2006)

"Rest Stop" was touted as being  "hauntingly realistic" on the DVD cover but I didn't feel that that was quite accurate. Very little about this film felt realistic and that's ok, it's a horror movie after all! There are plenty of times throughout the movie where you get to, or have to, suspend your sense of reality to enjoy the horrific moments that are taking place. Part "The Vanishing" and part "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", "Rest Stop" is all about being stranded alone and completely helpless in the middle of nowhere while being emotionally prodded by a twisted individual in a yellow truck. While Jaime Alexander is recieving rave reviews for her performances in the "Thor" series, her acting in this film is rather inconsistant and I expected more from directed John Shiban (who worked on "X-Files" and "Break Bad") to ensure that his actors would be up to the part. Jaime's character does have moments of expressing her fear and hoplessness but she lacks any sense of being drained and exhausted after how long her ordeal lasts.

Jess and his girlfriend Nicole are skipping town and heading towards Hollywood. The road trip is full of loving glances and teasing insults. They leave the main highway shortly after crossing into California and find a lonely derersted road to have sex, which they film, and sleep through the night. The next day their moods have completely changed as Nicole accuses Jess that they're lost and are running low on gas. A old yellow truck almost runs into them as it barrels down the road in their lane, the same truck that drove by the couple while they were having sex the day before. Their fighting contiunes until Nicole demands that they stop at a rest stop so she can use the restroom. Jess begrudgily does so and waits at the car. Nicole goes to the restroom and when she returns, Jess and the car are gone. Nicole gets pissed off, stomps around for a while, and waits for Jess to come back. Soon the yellow truck returns and almost hits Nicole; as it drives past the driver throws out Jess's cell phone and speeds away. Nicole now realizes that the truck driver has done something to Jess and realizes that the trucks license plate number was written on the door of the restroom stall she used. She goes back to the rest room and sees that other people have left warnings about the same truck, some dating as far back as to the 1970's. An insane family in an old winnebago, an escaped victim trapped in the broom closet, and a highway patrol officer all prove to be useless in saving Nicole from the truck driver's relentless cat and mouse game.

Good times for Nicole and Jess

Bad times for Jess

Very bad times for Jess and the Highway Patrol Officer

Extremely bad times for the yellow truck, Burn, baby, burn

Black Sheep (2006)

"Black Sheep" is one of the most original, comic/horror hybrids I've ever seen. In the same style as the other famous New Zealand horror flick "Dead Alive", "Black Sheep" fully embraces the absurd and doesn't shy away from intense gore or violence. It should be noted that Weta Workshop created all of the special effects for the film, the same company that Peter Jackson uses for films. The characters are likable, the story is kept simple and easy to follow, and hilarious action is non-stop.


Henry lives on a sheep farm in New Zealand. One day his older brother Angus kills Henry's prize sheep and uses it as a prop to scare his little brother. Right after Angus plays his cruel joke, the brothers find out that their father had died in an accident. This leaves Henry traumatized and he leaves the farm. 15 years later Henry returns to the farm to officially sell his half to his brother, but even after all the years, Henry is still terrified of sheep. And during that time, Angus had begun conducting genetic experiments on the farm's sheep. Henry's fear of sheep is justified when the animals become blood thirsty and try to kill him and the others on the farm, including two environmental activists that are trying to find out the farm's secrets. Grant, one of the environmentalists is bit by one of the test subjects and begins to turn into a sheep-man hybrid. The other environmentalist, a girl named Experience, is saved and joins Henry and his farm hand Trucker. Together they try to figure out what is wrong with the sheep while trying to stay alive. Matters are only made worse after Angus is bit and he holds a business presentation where the guests are attacked and "killed" by a huge flock if infected sheep. At the end, it's a showdown between brother versus sheep-monster brother as the fate of the farm hangs in the balance.

Angus and his prize sheep

Experience and Henry surrounded by blood thirsty sheep

The Hills Have Eyes (2006)

The 2006 remake of Wes Craven's "The Hills Have Eyes" was set in motion by Craven himself after he saw how commercially successful the reboots of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "The Amityville Horror" were. The updated version is clearly more violent, gory, has a larger mutant family, is set at a quicker pace to keep the action going. What I liked best about the cast was that the actors looked their ages unlike the 70's version where the teens do not look like teens at all (it's how they did things back then). The mutant family actually look like possible mutants instead of just being extras from the "Road Warrior".


"The Hills Have Eyes" is a simple story about a family that is on a cross country road trip who, after following the advice of a local gas station attendant, become trapped within a former nuclear test site. With their vehicle badly damaged, the family is left vulnerable to the murderous blood lust of a family of mutants.

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?

Fritt Vilt (2006)

"Fritt Vilt", also known as "Cold Prey", is a beautiful and suspenseful Norwegian slasher film shot on top of Jotunheimen. Because of this location, over 20 tons of equipment had to be flown in and the filming process took over two years to complete. The end result is well worth is because if you're going to do something you might as well do it right. The visuals and the sense of isolation is real and intense; I love movies and stories that involve snowy locations and this is perfect.

Five friends (it's always five!) are on a snowboarding trip in the Jotunheimen range. Morten badly injures his leg and the group is forced to find shelter for the night. Luckily they find an abandoned ski lodge nearby, unknown to them that it's the home of a very large, very violent hermit who is responsible for more than his fair share of murders of other skiers and snowboarders. The movie focuses Jannicke, whose boyfriend Eirik volunteers to go back to the car only to become the first victim. Jannicke does her best to protect the wounded Morten after the come to realize that they are being stalked and killed by the hermit. 

Haeckel's Tale (2006)

"Haeckel's Tale" aired during the first season of "The Masters of Horror" series in 2006. It was adapted from a short story originally written by Clive Barker and was supposed to be directed by George A Romero who was replaced due to a schedule conflict. The actual director, John McNaughton, is best known for directing "Henry: A Portrait of a Serial Killer". This episode feels rather meh when compared to the other installments. There is really nothing great or horrible about it and it feels more like a place marker for the series more than anything else.

Ernst Haeckel is a young medical student who is fascinated by the theories of Dr. Frankenstein. When he tries to copy the procedure he fails miserably and ends up taking the advice of a grave robber to pay a visit to Dr. Montesquino, a necromancer. Haeckel visits the Doctor but leaves convinced that he is nothing but a charlatan. On his way home he, takes refuge form a storm with an elderly man and his young wife, Elise. She keeps looking out the window in the middle of the night and when loud yelling is heard off in the distance, she leaves the house in a hurry. Haeckel follows her to a nearby grave yard and finds that she is having sex with her first, and now dead, husband. The elderly man had paid Dr. Montesquino to bring the first husband back to life so Elise can be sexually satisfied. Disgusted, Haeckel demands that Dr. Montesquino stops his "magic" but it's too late. Haeckel fatally shoots him before passing out from a hit to the head. When he awakes in the morning, he finds Elise and her baby back at the house, but to his horror, he finds out that the baby has also been resurrected, and the zombie baby kills him.

Deer Woman (2005)

"Deer Woman" aired during the first season of "The Masters of Horror" series. This episode was directed by John Landis, the famed director of "An American Werewolf in London", and is perhaps the funnest one to watch; the episode is not out right funny but is very whimsical in parts and is very reminiscent of his famous movie, there is in fact a part when a large wolf running amok in London is brought up during this production.

Detective Faraday is in charge of investigating animal attacks and other related incidents after accidentally killing his partner. One day he's sent out on a call to investigate a body that's found in the back of a semi-truck bed. Between his guesses and that of the coroner they determine that that the victim was killed by hoofs from a deer or some similar animal but they can't explain how it got into the truck. Two more bodies show up around town and has Detective Faraday making some wild assumptions about who the killer is. He eventually hears a tale about the Deer Woman, an Native American story about a creature that has the top half of a woman and the bottom portion of a deer who seduces members of a tribe and kills them one by one. Since this is the only lead that Detective Faraday has, he follows it until he discovers the truth.

Favorite Quote - "Why does everything have to have a “why” with you people? You know, it’s a woman with deer legs; motive really isn’t an issue here."

Pro-Life (2006)

Sometimes you can watch the work of a particular director and say to yourself that “that was amazing” while other times you are left scratching your head wondering why they were involved with such a horrible production. The episode of “Masters of Horror” titled “Pro-Life” is such an example of a horrible production. This episode was directed by John Carpenter and stars Ron Perlman; both are artists who had been connected to some sup-bar films. “Pro-life” comes across as too preachy without believing in what its saying, the actors are too generic, and the storyline itself is ridiculous. Perlman does a great performance with the time he’s on screen but other than that, this episode is a waste of time.

Two doctors are on their way to work when they see a teenage girl run out of a forest and into the street. They stop after nearly hitting her and find out that she’s in danger. They take her to their place of employment which happens to be an abortion clinic. While they are interviewing her after she demands that they give her an abortion (how convenient!) they learn that she’s the daughter of a very vocal and anger pro-life activist named Dwayne (Pearlman). He wants her daughter back or otherwise he and his three sons will take her by force but the doctors believe that he is the father of her unborn child. In reality, she was raped by a demon and that demon begins telling Dwayne what to do. Dwayne attacks the clinic and sends his sons into harm’s way because he thinks that God is telling him to do this. The ending a violent, messy, and awkward and not worth the buildup or the 55 minutes leading up to it. 

The Screwfly Solution (2006)

“The Screwfly Solution” is a short story written by Alice Sheldon and was adapted into an episode for the Showtime series “Masters of Horror”. This installment was written by Joe Dante and stars Elliott Gould and Jason Priestly. Due to the nature of the story, I found this episode difficult to watch.

The story is about a plague that is first identified in the US South and after all attempts to figure out a cure and to contain it, the plague over takes the world’s population. The plague only affects men, causing them to become irrationally violent towards women. The story follows Anne and Amy as they try to hide from Alan, their husband/father, who becomes infected with the plague. Their mutual friend Barney discovers that the only cure is chemical castration. Alan ends up killing his daughter and Anne is forced to dress up as a man and hide in the Canadian wilderness. The cause of the plague is revealed and feels suitable to end this vicious tale.

Valerie on the Stairs (2006)

“Valerie on the Stairs” was adapted from a short story by Clive Barker and aired on “Masters of Horror” during its second season. The story was adapted and directed by the series creator Mick Garris and stars Christopher Llyod and Tony Todd. It’s a fairly effective production that was fun to watch.

Rob is a struggling author who is finally given a break in life when he becomes eligible to move into an apartment house where unpublished writers are allowed to stay rent free. He moves in, meets some of the odd tenants, and focuses on his writing. During the first night there, he encounters a naked woman crying on the staircase but she disappears into the walls. Rob sees her again the next day and this time the ghost interacts with him briefly before she’s scared away by her unseen tormentor. When Rob asks the other residents who Valerie is, they all play dumb. He can see through their charade and begins searching for the truth, but since this is a horror story, that’s not always a good idea…

Saw 3 (2006)

Third entry of the "SAW" series is once again directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and written by Leigh Whannell from a story by James and himself.

In “Saw 3”, John Kramer, aka the Jigsaw Killer, is literally on his death bed as his brain tumor continues to slowly take his life. Lynn Denlon, an ER doctor, is kidnapped and taken hostage via “game” to operate on John to ease his suffering and prolong his life. She has a bomb around her neck and it will explode if John dies. In a subtle turn of events, John warns Amanda that her life is in Lynn’s hands. Throughout the movie, Amanda’s jealousy grows as she watches John appreciate the work that Lynn is performing while under duress. Amanda is nearly pushed to the edge during a scene where Lynn is operating while John is having a memory flashback of his wife; when become conscious, he whispers “I love you”.

The first “game” in the movie is a man named Troy, a repeat convict, who wakes up and finds himself in a class room. He has nearly a dozen chains hooked in to his body. Like most Jigsaw “games”, the victim had two minutes to rip each chain out of his body before the timer went and a bomb with nails as shrapnel goes off. Only problem with the trap is that the door to the room was wielded shut, so even if Troy beat his “game”, he would still have been killed by the bomb. This is NOT a part of Jigsaw’s modus operandi. Also, this crime scene introduces Detective Mark Hoffman, a character that would appear in each following sequel.

The second “game” in the movie involves Detective Allison Kerry, the only other character besides John and Amanda to appear in the first three films. Amanda wakes up and finds that she is trapped in a device that will rip her chest open if she doesn’t get it unlocked. The key is placed in a glass jar in front of her. All she has to do is grab the kill and unlock the device. She manages to get the key and unlock the lock but finds that the device has impaled her thoroughly and there is no possible way for her to escape in time. The timer runs out and she is killed. It’s another trap that looks like a Jigsaw “game” but wasn’t designed by him…. (This was the second “game” that made me gasp because I loved her character. The first “game” was the syringe scene in the second film…shudder…).

The main “game” involves an angry and vengeful father named Jeff, whose young child was killed by a hit and run. His anger is all consuming to the point that his daughter is “nothing” and he neglects her and becomes angry when she is found sleeping with one of her brother’s stuff toys; a perfect candidate for Jigsaw. When he wakes up, he begins his own “game” by finding those responsible for the death of his child and the injustice that he believes that took place.

First is a witness to the accident who didn’t testify at the trial. Jeff finds a naked woman in a freezer, and when her “game” begins, coolant is sprayed over her and slowly kills her. All Jeff needs to do is to reach behind some painfully cold pipes to grab the key that will unlock her chains. He yells at her asking her why she did what she did before finally grabbing the key. By then it’s too late and she’s dead.

The second victim that Jeff finds is the judge that ruled so lightly against his son’s accidental killer. All Jeff needs to do is to incinerate his son’s stuffed toys in order to get a key and free the judge. While he makes up his mind on what to do, the judge is laying on his back in a large vat that is being filled up with sawed apart rotted pig corpses, slowly drowning in the filth and maggots. Jeff finally burns the toys and saves the judge.

The third victim on Jeff’s journey is the killer himself, a medical student who accidently hit Jeff’s son. Timothy is attached to “The Rack”, a device that will twist and snap each limb one by one until it snaps his head around full circle. The key to this trap is attached to a shotgun.  Jeff has dreamed of shooting Timothy, so Jigsaw’s question of “Will you do onto others as you will do onto yourself” is taken to a literal level. Jeff finds a way to unscrew the key from its string but the gun still goes off, hitting the judge in the face and killing him. With key and hand but not knowing where to use it, Jeff sadly watches Timothy die.

THE TWIST –

After Jeff finishes the third test, John tells Amanda to let Lynn go. Amanda refuses and John repeats the fact that Lynn is more important to Amanda than shall ever know. Amanda still refuses and shoots Lynn right as Jeff walks in. Jeff uses the gun he found and kills Amanda. John was always testing Amanda to see if she was worthy of his legacy. She was a murderer and John hates murders, the people who played her unwinnable games were just victims.

Jeff, who hasn’t learned anything, slits John’s throat and kills him which in turn makes the bomb around Lynn’s neck explode. The final victim is Jeff and Lynn’s daughter who ends up being locked alone within the complex with a limited supply of air. John was Jeff’s last test and he failed.

Favorite moment – the scene where John and Amanda prepare the bathroom where “Saw” took place. John is applying makeup to make himself look like he shot himself in the head while Amanda locks Adam up and places him in the tub.

Amanda and Lynn

Detective Kerry

Lynn after the bomb!

Troy the Convict

Ils (2006)

"Ills" aka."Them" is essentially the French version of the movie "The Strangers". It's all about a couple who live in a gorgeous house out in a wooded area who become the targets of a group of hooded individuals intent on inflicting harm. Both movies relish in the suspense they create and the build upon the feelings of helplessness and desolation throughout the film. In "Them", the couple are able to hurt, perhaps kill, one of their assailants before trying try to escape from the house. They eventually discover who is trying to kill them and the fact that the killers are played in a straight, non-unrealistic manner makes them come across as truly scary. 

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???