Tuesday, October 30, 2012

House (1977)


Introduction:
Don’t confuse this with the 1986 horror comedy with William Katt. Although this movie has a cat in it, it is not the Greatest American Hero. Instead, this is a Japanese movie that may be scary, may be funny and most often is one of the weirdest things you’ve ever seen. I don’t use that phrase lightly, but I can honestly say, there are things in this movie that you’ve never seen before. Scared yet?

Summary:
Seven teen girls are off to the country. Each of them has a cute nickname based on their personality. They are lead by Gorgeous (Kimiko Ikegami) who always looks good. Her aunt has a neat old house and plenty of room. But Gorgeous just wants to get away from her dad’s new girlfriend. At first all the girls are excited by the journey and the nifty old house. But soon things start to get weird. The white cat seems to be watching them all the time. The piano seems to nip at anyone who plays it. And Gorgeous’ aunt is just… well creepy. Soon one by one, the girls start disappearing, and it comes down to the daydreamer, Fantasy (Kumiko Ohba) to figure out what’s going on. I should also mention there are dancing skeletons, singing cats, whole musical numbers, floating body parts, kung fu battles, every in-camera special effect imaginable and the catchiest main theme since Suspiria. This is one House where anything can happen, and it actually does.

Good Points:
  • Visually exciting and surprising
  • Absurd humor that warps easily into horror and back
  • A sense of fun all around the movie is infectious

Bad Points:
  • So filled with “What the Hell!?!” moments it will scare viewers away
  • The horror is so over the top it never gets scary
  • The plot is really, really bare 

Overall:
What a fun blast of craziness! From the opening moments of the film you know you’re in for something so unique you’re a bit afraid. But once the random musical number kicks in you’ll either be hooked or turning this off. If you’re intrigued by this mini review, then go check this flick out. I don’t want to spoil any of the surprises. This is perfect mix of trick and treat, for anyone who doesn’t mind a wacky movie with subtitles and a really catchy musical theme.

Scores (out of 5)
Visuals: 5
Sound: 4
Acting: 4
Script: 3
Music: 4
Direction: 5
Entertainment: 5
Total:  5

Bonus fun!
A trailer that only hints at the bizarre antics to be found in this movie:


Saturday, October 27, 2012

Innkeepers (2011)


Introduction:
This movie has gotten a lot of good buzz in horror circles and the director Ti West has been called one of the best horror directors to come around in a while. His previous film, The House of Devil was considered one of the best of the genre in 2009. Is The Inkeepers as good as the buzz says or is this one haunted inn to stay away from?

Summary:
Claire (Sara Paxton) has a pretty dull job at the Yankee Pedler Inn, a picturesque old building that is just about to go out of business. She minds the place with Luke (Pat Healy), both of them going through the motions, goofing off and keeping the few guests as happy as possible. They also spend some time hunting ghosts. You see the inn has a history and a ghost story or two tied to it. Luke has actually encountered the supernatural in the inn and Claire wants to have some spooky fun too. This all leads to some “be careful what you wish for” especially when a psychic (Kelly McGillis) sees some trouble in Claire’s future. Will our Innkeepers see some ghosts or become the ghosts?

Good Points:
  • Excellent acting by the leads makes you like and care about them
  • Wonderful atmosphere builds the tension up to a boiling point
  • Some funny and fun dialogue

Bad Points:
  • Gore fans will be very disappointed
  • Anyone looking for lots of scares will be disappointed
  • Some may find the quirky characters annoying

Overall:
What a surprise this movie turned out to be. It’s an old fashioned ghost story with some fun and quirky characters. The first two thirds of the movie establish your leads and their personalities, and slowly build up the ghost story and history of the inn. The final third brings everything into play – including the guests to create some really good jump scares and some solid tingles for your spine. An easy winner for a spooky evening for fun. I’ll certainly be looking forward to more from Mr. West.

Scores (out of 5)
Visuals: 4
Sound: 4
Acting: 5
Script: 4
Music: 4
Direction: 4
Entertainment: 4
Total:  4

Curious about a full review, sent me an email and I’ll make additional thoughts to this review.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

The Devil Within Her (1975)


Introduction:
This is one of those movies with a bunch of different names. It’s also known as Sharon’s Baby, I Don’t Want to be Born, It Lives Within Her, or simply Evil Baby. That’s right folks, it came out in the middle of the horror movie craze that encompassed evil children and possessions by the devil. Is this a wonderful hunk of cheesy good fun, or one of those movies that slogs its way to the finish. All I can say is that the plot contains an evil dwarf and a man beheaded by a shovel-wielding infant.

Summary:
You’d think that Lucy Carlesi (Joan Collins) would be skipping through London with her husband Gino (Ralph Bates) now that they have a healthy baby boy in their lives. But alas, Donald Pleasence is in the movie, so you know things are going to get sinister. Turns out that back when Lucy used to be a stripper, she spurned the advances of a little person named Hercules (George Claydon). The frustrated man cursed her, saying that her first born would be evil! And wouldn’t you know it, the curse comes true with the baby growing abnormally fast and scratching everyone in sight. Has Lucy gone mad? Can her friend Mandy (played by a badly dubbed Caroline Munro) help with her awesome ‘70s fashion sense? Or will the helpful Sister Albana (Eileen Atkins) be able to use holy powers to purge the infant of Satan’s wicked ways?

Good Points:
  • Takes the premise of the evil baby and just runs with it
  • The whole cast is committed to making an entertaining film
  • Moments of pure cheese make this a hilarious viewing experience 

Bad Points:
  • Uh, yeah… the main antagonist is a possessed baby
  • Actual horror or terror is no where to be found
  • The 1970s fashions, hair and decorating will be the scariest thing for some viewers.

Overall:
No, this isn’t a good movie, but it is a really fun one. I love that the baby looks like he’s too busy drooling on himself to kill anyone. The music is so dated and mod that it hurts. Then there’s the scenes where the dwarf appears wrapped in a blanket and grinning in the playpen. Hilarious stuff! And once you try to imagine what a baby welding a shovel would look like the whole thing makes for fun viewing on bad movie night.

Scores (out of 5)
Visuals: 3
Sound: 3
Acting: 3
Script: 2
Music: 2
Direction: 3
Entertainment: 4
Total:  3

Curious about a full review, sent me an email and I’ll make additional thoughts to this review.   

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)


Introduction:
After checking out Hellraiser and enjoying it, I figured it was time to catch up with the sequel. Now I’ve heard the films get progressively worse and worse, but that the second film was worth checking out. Is this true, or is this flick more like a torture worthy of Pinhead himself?


Summary:
Kirsty Cotton (Ashley Laurence) is recovering in a mental ward after the horrific experiences of the previous film. Dr. Channard (Kenneth Cranham) seems very interested in her story and helping her, but in truth he’s well versed in the world of the Cenobites and the puzzle box. He’s seeking out the final pieces so he can open the dark dimensions himself. It does take long for Channard to rip open a door and unleash the Cenobites and a really pissed off Julia (Clare Higgins). Now Kirsty must shut the dimensional door and save her father, whose bloody corpse is begging or help. But will Pinhead and his crew let anyone leave their hell?

Good Points:
  • A true followup story that builds off the events of the first film
  • Greatly expands the scope of the story and characters
  • Julia is one badass woman!

Bad Points:
  • Budget limitations keep some concepts from really taking off
  • Some changes are made to the rules set up in the previous film
  • Really damn gory, not for squeamish

Overall:
The dimensional door that we only glimpsed in the Hellraiser is thrown wide open in this film and Kirsty is like a dark Alice in Wonderland with Julia acting as the hate filled Queen of Hearts. The scope and ambition of the film are impressive and it almost pulls it off. But a few missteps and a sloppy script keep it from besting its predecessor. But it is well worth seeking out for fans of dark twisted horror.

Scores (out of 5)
Visuals: 4
Sound: 4
Acting: 3
Script: 3
Music: 4
Direction: 3
Entertainment: 4
Total:  4

In Depth Review
I was not expecting this to be a direct sequel to the previous story. Too often in horror, do we get more than one story with the same characters. Usually only the featured killer is preserved. But director Tony Randel and screenwriter Peter Atkins decided to take some of the elements that Clive Barker hinted at in Hellraiser and flesh them out. On top of that, they knew they had a couple great characters with Julia and Kirsty. The result is watching the last of this ruined family finally destroy themselves and provide a disturbing vision of the world the Cenobites inhabit.

The first half of the film is a lot like the previous one, focusing on Kirsty’s mental anguish and fear. Her visions of her bloody and helpless father torment her, and Dr. Channard’s questions seem to only reopen the wounds instead of heal. Some solace comes in the form of the young girl Tiffany (Imogen Boorman), who never speaks but can solve any puzzle given to her. Guess where she fits into all this.

Meanwhile Channard resurrects Julia, using some spilled blood. Her skinless body erupting and devouring a helpless victim is a horror lovers dream come true. Deborah Joel, who doubled as “skinless Julia” does a great job of being repellant and alluring all at the same time. She and Channard work overtime to return Julia to her proper form and she’s just raring to get some sweet revenge on Kirsty.

Then the movie takes its left turn down the rabbit hole as Channard gets Tiffany to open the puzzle box and the dimensional door. Kirsty goes after Tiffany. Channard explores this new world until he is delivered to the Cenobites by Julia. This second half of the movie is both impressive and a little bit of a letdown. Barker left plenty to our imagination in the previous film and it made things a lot creepier. Here, we are shown the dark twisted world and whole it visually interesting, you just wish they had a bigger budget to make it a little more believable. More interesting concepts are hinted at, and the whole thing seems like a bigger puzzle to play with.

But most of the money is spent on the gore effects and the new cenobite in the form of Channard. He’s a horrific creation, but a little silly too, with his tentacles ending in surgical interments. He also spouts groan-inducing one-liners that even Freddy would avoid. Luckily he’s so demented that he does provide a menace to the human characters.

Sadly, Pinhead and his cohorts are almost supporting cast in this film. They have a few lines, appear from the shadows a few times and threaten everyone, but the payoff is weak. We get an interesting prologue sequence that hints at the origins of Pinhead. But it doesn't play into the overall story too much. In the end the Cenobites face down the disturbing Channard Cenobite but it ends so quickly that it’s anticlimactic. If the series was going to finish off Pinhead in this film, that would have been a serious disappointment.

And yet, we get Julia, with Clare Higgins just going for broke in the role. She’s twisted, evil and over the top. Her interaction with Kirsty, Tiffany and Channard is really fun stuff, and I wish she had taken over as the main villain of the film. She ends up getting sucked into some kind of wormhole partway through the film, and disappears for a bit. But rest assured she has one more appearance to make. You can tell Higgins was having a blast and it really makes her scenes work.

For me the big problem is Tiffany. Boorman is fine in the role, but it is so obviously a writer’s construct, and not a character. If the script had a few more passes it could have really sizzled. As it stands, it gets a bit bumpy here and there. A few plot points from the first film are ignored or altered (like the fate of Frank and Larry) to make this plot work, and it feels like cheating.

Of course I have to mention the music. Christopher Young returned to provide the sequel score and with the expanded settings and new villain, he goes for broke. A twisted carnival theme is added for a house of mirrors sequence, but all the main themes from the original are retained and given even greater color and exploration. This is a huge gothic style score with lots of power behind it. Truly one of Young’s best horror scores and up there with the scope and power of Jerry Goldsmith’s work on The Omen III: The Final Conflict.

I enjoyed the film quite a bit. Hellraiser worked better overall, but Hellbound was a solid follow-up and opened the doors to delving into the cenobites and their world even more. But that may not have been as good in practice as it was in theory.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Return to Horror High (1987)


Introduction:
With a title like this, you’d think this was a sequel. But it’s not. Instead you it’s a horror comedy with a few familiar faces. I caught about fifteen minutes of it one night and it intrigued me enough to remember the title. It was like a humerous prototype for The Blair Witch Project. But was it worth seeking out?

Summary:
Crippen High School was the site of a bloody massacre, and so the building was shut down. A few years later, a film maker, his cast and crew decide to shoot their own version of events, but at the same location. 

You and I both know this is a horrible idea, but these folks (including a very young George Clooney) aren't that bright. Soon corpses start piling up and young Callie (Lori Lethin of Bloody Birthday fame) finds herself the center of the killers attention. Will she live to regret her decision to Return to Horror High?

Good Points:
  • A innovate premise for the time
  • Has a few clever kills
  • Has a few clever lines

Bad Points:
  • Relies a bit too much on the premise to mine laughs
  • Not very scary
  • Never finds it’s footing 

Overall:
Overall the movie never really takes off. The horror moments end up stopping the comedy cold and some of the bad and limp jokes keep anything from being really frightening. I did like Maureen McCormick as the twisted police officer who seems to really enjoy blood. But most of the other characters are pretty annoying. Worth checking out for anyone who wants to see where something like The New Nightmare and Scream might have been inspired. But don’t expect to have your pom poms blasted off. And sadly no skeletal cheerleaders to be found here.

Scores (out of 5)
Visuals: 3
Sound: 3
Acting: 2
Script: 2
Music: 2
Direction: 2
Entertainment: 2
Total:  2

Curious about a full review, sent me an email and I’ll make additional thoughts to this review. 

Saturday, October 13, 2012

The Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981)


Introduction:
Sure The Omen gave us one of the creepiest kids in movie history, but what if you want to make sequels, you gotta do something with the character. Damien: The Omen II explored his life as young man. But this flick dives into his actions as a full fledged tool for his father Satan! Hell vs. Heaven!  Beelzebub vs. Jesus! Sam Neil vs. um… well…

Summary:
Damien is all grown up and now he looks like Sam Neil with bad hair. He’s a powerful businessman in control of the Thorn corporation. Of course they spend most of their time helping the needy and working with world governments to spread joy and happiness. 

But in his off time Damien holds satanic meetings, plots the deaths of innocent children, attempts to outwit God, and corrupt anyone he can. But this won’t stop Father DeCarlo (Rossano Brazzi) from gathering a group of monks armed with sacred daggers to destroy Damien and help bring about the second coming of Jesus Christ. Prepare yourself for more bizarre death scenes, one hell of a fox hunt and another evil kid in this final film of The Omen series. The Final Conflict indeed.

Good Points:
  • The movie goes with the premise and never backs down
  • The idea of the crazed “hit monks” is awesome
  • Jerry Goldsmith provides an amazing follow-up score


Bad Points:
  • Subtly is no where to be seen in this film
  • Sam Neil doesn’t quite pull it off
  • The final conflict is more of a whimper than an explosion


Overall:
I see a lot of hate for this movie and it doesn’t really deserve it. Yeah it’s kind of goofy, but by this point the whole premise was over the top. For the most part everyone is along for the ride. Neil is really great in some scenes and seems to be struggling in others (maybe repressing his accent). Creative death scenes help this film a bit. The deadly monks aren’t used to the best advantage. But that didn’t stop Goldsmith from making one hell of a score with excellent themes for Damien and the second coming. If only the finale had been as over the top as it promised this could have been as good as the original. A fun flick if you go in with appropriate expectations.

Scores (out of 5)
Visuals: 3
Sound: 3
Acting: 3
Script: 3
Music: 5
Direction: 3
Entertainment: 3
Total:  3

Curious about a full review, sent me an email and I’ll make additional thoughts to this review.   

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

The Omen (1976)


Introduction:
While this flick didn’t start the whole evil children genre, it was probably the inspiration for all the evil kids we did see in the ‘80s. Sure Bloody Birthday and Children of Corn tried to be terrifying. But honestly could they compete with the son of the devil himself?

Summary:
Robert (Gregory Peck) and Katherine Thorn (Lee Remick) are the proud parents of little Damien (Harvey Stephens). The dark haired child is adored by all that meet him, especially his first nanny who hangs herself yelling to the adoring birthday crowd “It’s all for you Damien”. Well sure that’s kind of creepy, but good help is hard to find. 

But then all kinds of strange things begin to happen around Damien. Animals fear him. He can’t stop screaming when brought in sight of a church. Then there's the little issue of  people dying when they find out too much about him. Suspicion drives Robert to join forces with a wild eyed priest (Patrick Troughton) and a journist with some of the worst hair of the 1970s (David Warner) to determine if his child really is the antichrist.

Good Points:
  • Director Richard Donner builds the story and tension really well
  • The cast is going for it with all their might
  • Jerry Goldsmith’s musical score is a classic

Bad Points: 
  • Tends to push things just a bit over the top
  • Folks with no fear of the devil will find the whole thing silly
  • Folks who hate evil kid movies will hate this one

Overall:
Yes, it goes a bit over the top, and I end up chuckling a bit at some of the histrionics, but all told, this is an entertaining horror film. Donner creates a creepy atmosphere and allows it to sink in. With Goldsmith’s score picking up the slack, the movie has some good scares in it and plenty of creepy moments. Fun viewing for the Halloween season.

Scores (out of 5)
Visuals: 4
Sound: 3
Acting: 3
Script: 3
Music: 5
Direction: 4
Entertainment: 4
Total:  4

Curious about a full review, sent me an email and I’ll make additional thoughts to this review.