Cult of Chucky (2017) #481

 

Movie preview here!

Chucky is back and ready for action. "Cult of Chucky" resumes right where "Curse of Chucky" left off with wheelchair-bound Nica placed in a mental institution and framed for the murders caused by the psycho possessed doll. The mood is similar in tone as the previous film, opting for a more serious and tension building atmosphere instead of the over-the-top zaniness and black comedy elements of the films in the middle of the franchise. Brad Dourif, Fiona Dourif, Jennifer Tilly, and Alex Vincent all reprise their famous roles and Don Mancini continues to write and direct the films.

The nightmare that Nica finds herself in continues as she's transferred to a medium security mental institution after she finally admits that she was responsible for the murders of her family and not a small, scary looking doll. Dr Foley believes that being in a group setting may help her heal. Nica is quickly introduced to the staff and some of the other patients at the institution. Some seem nice while others are hostile to her being there. Much to Nica's chagrin, Dr. Foley introduces a Good Guy doll during a session, which is quickly claimed by a patient who had killed their own child. 

Nica becomes suspicious when she has a mysterious visitor stop by a present here with a second Good Guy Doll, a gift from Alice, Nica's niece. The visitor tells Nica that she was Alice's legal guardian but Alive had recently passed away. Distraught, Nica tries to kill herself that night. One of the dolls is actually Chucky, and when he finds Nica passing from her self-inflicted wounds, he decides to torment her, calling for help but leaving a message for her to find. Knowing that one of the two dolls is alive, Nica and her friend Malcom try to discover which doll is the real killer before it's too late. One by one the patients and staff die before Nica finds out the truth about the Cult of Chucky.

 

Mr. Mancini delivered a fantastic looking film for having a budget of $5 million. I found some scenes to be very beautiful and effectively filmed, and the updated effects to Chucky's facial expressions worked out well. Due to advances in technology, Mr. Mancini was able to film some aspects that he has been trying to use since "Child's Play 3".

 

Favorite moment - The movie begins with Andy trying to live a normal life and is out on a date. When it ends suddenly but not surprisingly so, he goes home and begins his usual routine...torturing a disembodied head of Chucky!

 

 

Final Destination 5 (2011) #461

 

A return to a favorite series, “Final Destination 5” follows in the exact foot steps of the previous films. The main character has a premonition about a massive disaster and how several people experience a gruesome death. The main character then warns everyone before the disaster occurs, temporarily saving those several other people before they end up dying in some other horrible fashion. The disasters include a plane explosion, a massive traffic pile up, a roller coaster falling apart, a racetrack speedway accident, and finally a suspension bridge under construction falling apart.

Like part 3 and 4, the survivors in “Final Destination 5” are simple character tropes that don’t have their moment to become fully developed as actual people. They have there one outstanding trait to lead them narratively to the situation that will cause their death. Since this is a horror movie, there’s nothing inherently wrong with this but I had high hopes since this felt like possible jump start to the series after part 4 was named “The Final Destination”. 

Nicolas D’Agosto stars as Sam, an inspiring chef as well as a sales associate at a manufacturing plant. He is the lucky one to experience the premonition this time around, convincing half of his coworkers to leave the bus that they were on before the bridge falls apart. He saves his girlfriend Molly, played by Emma Bell  “Frozen“, his best friend Peter, coworkers Nathan, Candice, Olivia, Issac, and his boss Dennis. He then spends the rest of the movie trying to figure out why people are still dying and how to save them. A new idea on how to stop the cycle is suggested by Bludworth, once again played by the amazing Tony Todd ("Candyman"and "Night of the Living Dead").

The main appeal to the "Final Destination" series is watching the huge disaster in the beginning and the jaw dropping crazy ways that people die afterwards. In comparison to the other films, this one does not disappoint. What doe set this one apart from the other is the fact that this was released during the most recent era of 3D movies, a time when almost every film that was released in theaters had a more expensive 3D version to watch. You can tell early on that this is the case as the film makers took every chance to use the 3D effect through the movie. This isn't too distracting if you know about this before hand and have had previous experience with such films. 

Favorite moment - Besides the main disaster scene in the beginning of the film, my favorite moment is watching Sam walk through the restaurant that he works in, seeing each and every kitchen that could be used to kill him. So, so many different ways to die in in kitchen!

Second favorite moment - Each film references the previous films, usually the original, and I love how this film does the same thing.

Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors (1987) #444

Nightmare on Elm Street 3 Trailer

A total 80's classic, "A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors" is a solid movie that truly represents the horror genre at that time; a big name franchise with a well known villain, complete with "witty" one liners and catchphrases, a returning final girl, and numerous victims killed off in bloody and gruesome ways. Original cast members Robert Englund Heather Langenkamp reprise there roles as the unforgettable Freddy Krueger and survivor Nancy, and are joined by a new cast of potential victims including Patricia Arquette and Laurence Fishburne.

"A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors" picks up right where the original left off. Nancy Thompson is now a psychologist specializing in dream therapy. She begins working with a group of teens at the local hospital, all of whom are experiencing nightmares with a common theme, Freddy Krueger. She also discovers that a new patient, Kristen, has a unique ability to bring others into her dreams. When the patients begin dying, supposedly by committing suicide, Nancy teaches the teens how to fight back within the dream world. With help from Kristen, her father, and Dr. Neal Gordon, Nancy is confident that they can finally destroy the spirit of Freddy Krueger.

While watching this film, I noticed a few details that made me truly appreciate the experience. First was the dialogue, it wasn't Oscar worthy but it wasn't as dreadful as so many teen slashers were during this time period so that's a plus. What really impressed me about the dialogue were Freddy's lines; it seemed that  he didn't really talk as much in this film as he did in the other films. He still delivered some one-liners to his victims, and these weren't too cheesy or cringe worthy yet. He felt more reserved with his speech and reminded me of Pinhead from the first two "Hellraiser" movies. 

Another aspect I appreciated were the practical and special effects used. The make-up ascetics used on Robert Englund are top notch and clean looking. Some of the special effects hold up decently well considering that the movie was produced in 1987 and look comparable to some effects used in today's movies. One scene near the end of the film uses some very outdated stop motion animation, but instead of looking horrible, I found it nostalgic and endearing; I'm sure I wouldn't have been so kind while watching this ten years ago.

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.

Contracted: Phase 2 (2015)

It's sometimes difficult for a sequel to keep the spirit of the original film while adding something new so it's not repeating the same beat over and over. "Contracted: Phase 2" manages to honor the original movie while advancing the story forward; it feels like it stumbles at times but the overall production works. The first movie was nice and subtle and the viewer didn't know, but could guess, where the story was going. "Contracted: Phase 2" shows the aftermath and advances the narrative forward.

                      Spoilers below

If you've seen "Contracted", then you know what might be happening in this movie; it's easy to connect the dots. This series is about the start of a zombie outbreak plain and simple and you are reminded of this in the very first scene of this sequel. The virus is slowly beginning to spread and the authorities are now looking for the bio-terrorist that started it. By the end of the film a hospital has been quarantined, so it's interesting to see how large of scale the next film, if there is one, will take the story. 

The one detail, if details are important to you, that bothers me about this movie is how quickly the virus/infection spreads. It took 6 days for the main character Samantha in the first film to become fully infected, and 6 days for Riley to become fully infected, but only a matter of hours for everyone else? Samantha had sex with the source of, let's say contamination, and then Riley had sec with her a few days later; both of them suffered for nearly the same amount of time. But a girl that Riley kisses deeply and his grandmother who he gives a quick peck on the cheek change in less than a day makes it difficult to take seriously. 

Overall, "Contracted: Phase 2" is a fun little zombie film that focuses more on the infection and becoming rather than fighting of the hordes of undead that we're all so used to seeing.

The Conjuring 2 (2016) #432

Three years after the stellar original hit the theaters in 2013, the highly anticipated sequel to "The Conjuring" has finally arrived. Although we were given "Annabelle" to whet our pallet until now, that film ultimately left viewers feeling somewhat disappointed. So does "The Conjuring 2" live up to expectations? The answer is yes and almost; "The Conjuring 2" is a great horror film but didn't hit the adrenaline as hard as the original did. When directly compared to the original, there are fewer and less effective scares. As a stand alone film, which the movie is able to do if you have not seen the original, "The Conjuring 2" is still successful at adapting a story based on true events and a great way to be introduced to Ed and Lorraine Warren.

One of the best parts of watching "The Conjuring 2" is seeing Patrick Wilson ("Insidious" and "Bone Tomahawk") and Vera Farmiga ("The Bates Motel" return as Ed and Lorraine Warren. They have such great chemistry together and can really believe that they are the famous pair. Patrick is easily one of my favorite horror movie actors and I would love to see Vera in more big screen horror films as well. Joining the cast is Frances O'Connor ("Mercy"), who plays the single mother with four children, one who is haunted by an spirit. Another great part is having James Wan ("Saw", "Insidious", and "The Conjuring") return to the horror genre after directing the action film "Furious 7" (another great film!). He kept the film at an even pace and tried to push the story just enough, having admitted that there is only so much you can do when the story is based on real events.

That story that inspired "The Conjuring 2" is none other than the Enfield Haunting, one of the most documented supernatural occurrences ever. In 1977, Janet Hodgson, was possessed by a spirit who claimed that it's name was Bill Wilkins, an old man that had died in the house that Janet and her family now lived in. Various supernatural events took place in the house which involved family before Ed and Lorraine were requested to help determine if those same events were a hoax or not. The Warrens were recently in the limelight after being a part of the investigation with the Amityville Haunting. 

The film does a wonderful job in telling the tale of the Enfield Haunting while fleshing out further backstory for the Warrens and the dangers that their profession held. I'm excited for when I get to watch both films back to back at home and really compare notes.

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.

The Exorcist 3 (1990) #395

Although the idea of a sequel to the "The Exorcist" seems like a very horrible idea (and "The Exorcist 2: Heretic" was an extremely horrible idea), the 1990 film "The Exorcist 3" is perhaps the best that we could have ever hoped or expected. The writer of "The Exoricst", William Peter Blatty, wrote and directed this decent follow up, completely ignoring the events in the horrid original sequel. The film suffered the usual demands and re-shoots from studio executives which forced Mr. Blatty to deliver a film that was not his original vision. Even so, this movie is effective and has it's fair share of scares and tense moments. With an all star cast that includes George C. Scott, Brad Dourif, and the surprise return of Jason Miller (who played Father Damien Karras in the original film), the movie is interesting, scary, and highly worth watching.


Lieutenant William Kinderman is drawn into the realm of the supernatural while he is investigating a string of gruesome murders that involves a young boy who was crucified, a priest that was decapitated, and the murder of his close friend who had most of their blood removed and placed in same containers next to their bed in a hospital. Signs at the scenes remind the Lieutenant of a series of murders committed by the Gemini Killer, a murderer who was put to death 15 years earlier. Lieutenant Kinderman soon tracks down a mysterious psychiatric patient in a mental ward who may hold the answers to the recent murders....

Bride of Re-Animator (1990) #394

"Bride of Re-Animator" is a sad, sorry roll of film that should never have been produced. The reasons for the harsh criticism are numerous; characters that were killed off in the original film are back without any explanation or acknowledgment of their previous demise, the main characters return from the original film but fail to have any further development, and a plot that seemed unmotivated and directionless. There were a few elements that reminded me of events from H.P. Lovecraft's original story, so I find that somewhat redeeming as well as Jeffrey Combs reprisal of Herbert West, but overall I was not impressed by this addition to of the Herbert West "trilogy". The film quality was poor, the special effects were tired, and watching this film was more of a chore than it should have been.

Quarantine 2: Terminal (2001) #390

Like many sequels in the horror genre, "Quarantine 2: Terminal" just doesn't live up to the expectations that were set by the original film in the series. This is not to say that this is a poor movie, only that it would have been stronger as a stand-alone original idea rather than as a sequel. "Quarantine 2: Terminal" breaks from the original in two important ways; first, it isn't shown from a found footage style perspective and second, it is an entirely different story than "REC 2", the Spanish version that "Quarantine" is inspired by. Given all of the source material and expectations that were built from the three films that preceeded this one ("Quarantine", "REC", and "REC 2"), "Quarantine 2: Terminal" was bound to struggle. I feel that this film comes across as a knock off of a "Resident Evil" sequel more than one from "Quarantine". The best part of the film is the first 15 minutes as you watch and try to figure out who exactly on board the plane is the person responsible for spreading the rabies-like infection.

The Purge: Anarchy (2014) #383

Warning: Subtle spoilers ahead!


What makes the concept behind "The Purge" movies so interesting is the fact that each film is able to explore and expand on various ideas and perspectives that various characters may have. In the original film, we see a regular family under siege by a group of young adults who want to exercise their national right to kill and torture whoever they wish. The original "The Purge" was an interesting, effective, and still somehow am underwhelming film, but it had set the stage beautifully for other stories to be told about this new and horrifying national holiday.

"The Purge 2: Anarchy" takes the concept that was presented in the first film and dives right in, expanding on several characters from different walks of life who are brought together by circumstances outside of their control, who are left to try to survive the night while trapped in the city. The film's five main characters are easily relatable and you can't help yourself from hoping that they make it through the night.

The film touches on political, economical, and social issues on a deeper level than the original film while still being a truly effective horror movie. The scenes are intense, gripping, and chilling. Even though some events in certain scenes could be figured out before they occurred, nothing felt forced or cheesy; ok, maybe the scene that felt a bit too much like "The Road Warrior" might have been a little cheesy but at least it was still fun.

For the next sequel, I would love to see what the first annual "purge" was like and how it came about. Was it civil/class warfare that had gotten out if hand? How accepting was the general public, knowing that they could suddenly kill, maim, and torture whomever they wanted? Or seeing how certain events played out in the third act of "Anarchy", does the "purge" continue and how has it evolved?

Sadako 3D (2012)

"Sadako 3D" is another chapter in the "Ringu" Japanese saga, this time focusing on a cursed video clip that makes the viewer commit suicide after hearing the words "You're not the one". The film has it's scary moments and tries to return to the powerful chilling level that "Ringu" first brought to audiences around the globe. This is outright horror film and doesn't try to be anything but that. The story is an interesting take on the "Ringu" saga and freshens up the Sadako mythology. The film was shot in 3D and the scenes are beautiful to watch on a non-3D screen. The acting is solid and the CGI effects are not nearly distracting as they can be in other films. I'm excited to see the sequel, "Sadako 3D 2" that was filmed and released last year.


Everybody is talking about the hot new "cursed video" that is out. Rumor has it that if you find it and watch it, you'll end up killing yourself immediately afterwards after hearing the words "You're not the one". No one really believes this and the thrill of seeing it is too much for some, including s high school student. The student's teacher, Akane, finds out that the student had looked for the cursed video on her phone earlier that day. When another student begins watching the video, after she found an Error 404 message, the video pops up once she's alone. She watches as a man is killed by a woman with long crazy hair, but when the ghost's arm reaches out of the video screen, Akane saves the student in the nick of time. The ghost grabs Akane and says that "You are the one". Meanwhile, two police detectives are working on the series of suicides, with the younger one believing that the cursed video is the reason behind it all, going so far to prove his point by watching the video and falling prey to it's curse. The older detective then tracks down the creator of the film, Kashiwada. Kashiwada's home looks like a movie set but the detective discovers that Kashiwada was trying to resurrect Sadako Yamamura by throwing women with long black hair down the well. By doing so, he only created imperfect versions. To find the perfect host for Sadako's spirit, he created the cursed video. Now Akane and the police detective must put a stop to Kashiwada's twisted plan before Sadako becomes flesh and blood once more!

Freddy Vs. Jason (2003)

For years horror fans had speculated that Freddy Krueger would go toe to toe with Jason Voorhees, especially after Freddy's trademark glove came up through the floor and grabbed Jason's hockey mask at the end of "Friday the 13th part 9". That was in 1993; it wouldn't be until an additional "Friday the 13th" was made and ten full years had passed before the world was given "Freddy Vs. Jason" in 2003. The movie....is what it is. It takes elements from both franchises, dozens of teens to kill, and a story that finds a way to blend the two together easily. The best scenes are of course when the two villains are going at each other but the teens deaths are fun as well. This film is more about action and satire than horror and that's ok. This is the last appearance of both title characters before each series was rebooted.


Freddy Krueher is trapped in Hell and can't escape unless the teens on Elm Street believe in him. Since no one remembers or knows of him, he decides to trick Jason Voorhees into going to the suburbs and killing on his behalf, hoping to stir up some memories. Eventually someone does, a patient in a mental hospital, and Freddy is released. But Jason keeps on killing Freddy's victims, so the two go head to head in Freddy's dream world. During this time, some teens are able to drug Jason long enough to return him to Crystal Lake where he and Freddy have a final showdown in the real world, where Jason has the upper hand.

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

"Bride of Frankenstein" is often touted as being the ultimate horror sequel, while many consider the film to be superior to the original. It's difficult for me to pick which one is better because these films had a different style than modern movies. Overacting was the norm, the scenes were kept short and brief, and the scripts were overly scrutinized by various censorship committees. What I do know is that I appreciate both films and that director James Whale and his crew were able to mine useful parts from Mary Shelly's novel that they skipped during the first movie.

The movie picks up immediately after the events from the original film. The mob of angry villagers are satisfied that both Henry Frankenstein and his creation have been killed. After they disperse, the old man who's daughter was killed by the Monster demands to see the creature dead and while climbing through the debris of the burning mill, the man falls into the cellar. The Monster is there, still alive, and kills him. The Monster then wanders the countryside, being attacked from various hunters and mobs who don't understand that the Monster just wants to be treated with kindness. The Monster soon meets a blind hermit who shows that kindness and even teaches the Monster some simple words like "good" and "friend".

Meanwhile, the body of Henry Frankenstein is delivered to his estate where he is discovered to still be alive as well. While he's being nursed back to health, he is visited by Doctor Septimus Pretorius. The doctor convinces Henry to continue his research and help create a mate for the Monster. After their work begins, the doctor finds the Monster and brings him back to the laboratory, setting up the climax that will determine Henry's fate and that of his Monster.

Author's Note - Show Us More!

We know quite well that horror movies love to spawn sequels. Just as often as there are rushed, poorly conceived, low budget, poorly acted pieces of crap that are thrown out into the universe to capitalize on the surprise success of an original film, there are those sequels that actually strive to be a decent or even great movie on their own accord that also stands up to comparison with the movie that it is following. They might not be as great but they are still fun and scary and hopefully build upon the elements that were introduced in the original film. This week I will be focusing on such films, the ones that you were thrilled they made after you begged for more!

Candyman 2: Farewell to the Flesh (1995)

It’s another sequel, it’s another guilty pleasure, and it’s from the 90’s; “Candyman 2: Farewell to the Flesh”. While most people hate this movie, I really enjoyed it. It doesn’t try to repeat the same story as from the original but it manages to stay honest to it and expand on the history of the Candyman and explore a different motive for his killings. And the film takes place in New Orleans, so that alone gives it extra points and character! It occurred to me today that the Candyman, of all of the famed killers/slashers/insane franchise characters, to come across as a bully. He tends to kill the victims that haven’t called for him in front of his “emotional victim” that he uses to frame his murders around, all in order to fulfill whatever ends he wishes to achieve in that movie. Tony Todd is less commanding in this film than in his earlier appearances but he still has an ominous presence and one of the best voices a horror movie villain could wish for.

Annie Tarrant and her family become deeply involved with the mystery of the Candyman after her father is killed in the same fashion as other Candyman victims. The local authorities believe her brother Ethan is the killer but when more murders occur while he’s in jail, their sights are narrowed on to Annie. Annie makes the mistake of summoning the Candyman while looking into a mirror and saying his name five times, and now that she has his attention at last, he’s going to do everything he can to make her learn the truth about her dark family secret.

Child's Play 2 (1990)

“Child’s Play 2” is a surprisingly strong sequel that follows and repaired Chucky who continues his quest to possess Andy, the young boy who was given Chucky as a birthday present. Andy has been placed in a foster care program since the authorities think that his mom has gone insane after she tells them all about Chucky. Andy is taken in by a couple who are also taking care of a rebellious 17 year old girl. When Chucky finds out where Andy is and starts his attempts to get to him, all of the adults believe that Andy is behind the trouble. The movie is clever, has suspenseful moments, and has only a glimmer of the cheesy dialogue that would soon turn the franchise into a lame horror spoof.

Insidious 2 (2013)

See this movie! “Insidious 2” picks up exactly where the original left off at, keeping the intensity that was steadily built throughout the film and finds a way to take it up a notch. Nothing is subtle in this ghost story because it doesn’t need to be and that’s what makes this film so much fun. It’s intelligent, it suspenseful, it has moments of comic relief that doesn’t feel forced, it’s still PG-13, and it has some freaky moments. The entire original cast returns, including the incredible duo of director James Wan and writer/actor Leigh Whannell.  Go see this movie!

At the end of “Insidious”, it appeared that Josh Lambert was possessed by the ghost of an old woman that had been following him since his childhood and that he/she strangled the spirit medium Elise. In “Insidious 2”, the police suspect Josh of being Elise’s killer. While he’s free until being charged of the crime, Josh and his wife Renai move their young family in to the childhood home that Josh and his mother Lorraine lived in. During the first night there, Lorraine, Renai , and Dalton see ghostly visions. Josh doesn’t believe them and warns his mother to not get his family worried about such nonsense. While Renai stays at home and has another encounter with a ghost, Lorraine goes and gets help from Elise’s partners, Specs and Tucker, as well as a medium named Carl. Together they discover who the old ghost woman who is haunting Josh is. In the meantime, Renai and her two sons are attacked by a possessed Josh. Will Lorraine and the others make it in time to save Renai and her family before it’s too late?

The old ghost woman

 Lorraine, Josh, Dalton, and Renai

Dalton is not having a dream...

Angry, angry ghosts