Author's Note - MOVIES YOU MUST SEE and my 200th Review!

Time flies by when you’re having fun and I am having an incredibly fun time watching and reviewing horror movies every day. Over the past 100 reviews I’ve discovered how amazing and freaky French Horror films can be (my newest love without a doubt!), I’ve seen many new films that have come out over the past couple of years, as well as having the chance to revisit some of my favorite horror movies from my youth. From zombies and vampires, to remakes and sequels, I feel like I’ve covered a lot of ground. But there are still many great titles left on my list of films to watch and review, so beware!

I also discovered that a friend of mine has her own horror blog! You should take a look a get a second opinion!
http://horrorhabit.blogspot.com/

Here are the films that I strongly believe that you NEED to see if you love horror! See these NOW!!!!

1.       “Martyrs” – Listed as one of Scarecrow Videos most disturbing movies in their collection, this gem explores the depravity that humans can inflict upon each other.

http://hauntingchillingthrilling.blogspot.com/2013/07/martyrs-2008.html

2.       “Inside” – A horrifying French film about a pregnant woman who is attacked ruthlessly by an unknown, scissor wielding stranger.

http://hauntingchillingthrilling.blogspot.com/2013/09/inside-2007.html

3.       “Insidious” – Another gem from director James Wan and Leigh Whannal, this time dealing with a little boy who becomes possessed.

http://hauntingchillingthrilling.blogspot.com/2013/08/insidious-2011.html

4.       “Insidious 2” – A thrilling non-stop ride that picks up right where the original leaves off.

http://hauntingchillingthrilling.blogspot.com/2013/10/insidious-2-2013.html

5.       “Rammbock” – A unique look at residents trapped in their apartments during a zombie apocalypse in Berlin.

http://hauntingchillingthrilling.blogspot.com/2013/09/rammbock-berlin-undead-2010.html

6.       “Dead Snow” – Zombie Nazis!!

http://hauntingchillingthrilling.blogspot.com/2013/09/dead-snow.html

7.       “We Are What We Are” – A dark and haunting story about a family who practices a cannibalistic ritual once every year.

http://hauntingchillingthrilling.blogspot.com/2013/10/we-are-what-we-are-2013.html

8.       “The Conjuring” – James Wan and his film about Ed and Lorraine Warren and their investigation of the hauntings at the home of the Perron family.

http://hauntingchillingthrilling.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-conjuring-2013.html

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"Martyrs"

"Inside"

"Insidious"

"Insidious 2"

"Rammbock"

"Dead Snow"

 "We Are What We Are"

"The Conjuring"

We Are What We Are (2013)

“We Are What We Are” is American remake of the Mexican film of the same name. This is a great remake where there are enough moments and parts of the original storyline in while having plenty changes to make this film unique and enjoyable. The first and foremost change between the two films is the fact that the gender of the family members is swapped, so where the father died in the original, the mother dies in the remake. This is a clever change that I’ve never seen before and it works out beautifully. The second most noticeable change is where the two stories take place; in the original the family lives in a poor section of Mexico City and in the remake, the family lives out in a rural town with a declining population. With those two factors in place and various cultural differences, the two movies are able to follow a similar story about a family of cannibals and how they try to carry one with their lifestyle after the family loses their “bread winner”. The remake earns bonus points because it addresses why the family has resorted to cannibalism, whereas the original never did.

The Parkers are a polite but reclusive clan who suddenly lose their matriarch, leaving behind her husband Frank, daughters Iris and Rose, and young son Rory. The timing couldn’t be worse for the clan because an important family ritual is only days away. Iris, as the oldest daughter, is now responsible for performing the ritual. Rose, on the other hand, is disgusted by the family’s history and wants nothing to do with it. The annual ritual turns out to be murder and consumption of a person that they’ve kidnapped and locked away in a cave like cellar under Frank’s work shed. The town’s doctor, Doc Barrow, becomes suspicious when he finds a bone in the creek one day. Having lost his own daughter after she mysteriously disappeared and the town’s high missing persons rate, Doc Barrow and Deputy Anders begin to follow the clues that lead back to the Parkers.  How the family reacts and responds is both thrilling and unsettling.

Favorite moment – The first act moves along nicely while the second act slows down a bit too much. I love the intensity and suspense that drives the third act to its thrilling conclusion. 

Rose...

Rose and Iris

Dinner time for Rose, Frank, and Iris

We Are What We Are (2010)

What would happen if a family of cannibals lost the sole provider of fresh flesh? That is the question that “We Are What We Are” examines. This Mexican film is about a standard family, a father, a mother, two sons and a daughter, who need a fresh body so they can complete a ritual before its too late. Father has been the one responsible for obtaining the bodies in the past but he dies in the beginning of the story, leaving his eldest son with this gruesome task. His younger brother tries to help but ends up challenging all of his decisions. The mother doesn’t have faith in him while the sister has nothing but faith and hope. He tries to make his family proud but a hooker is isn’t worthy and so the search continues. By the time someone worthwhile is found, the police have caught on to what’s going on and interrupts the ritual. Only one family member survives with the sole intent on finishing the ritual…whatever that might be.

Favorite moment – I have never been as delighted to discover such a rare and wonderful moment as this! There is a scene in a morgue where the corner is preparing the corpse while the funeral director watches. It took me only three seconds before I realized that I’ve seen this seen before, with the same actors repeating the same dialogue! I researched the actors and found out that they are indeed the same people who were in the same type of scene in Del Toro’s “Cronos”, another Mexican film from 1993. What a perfect tribute as well as a plot device for this movie as well!!