DEMONS!!! Oh... and Satan...

Demons

Lamberto Bava's (Mario Bava's son) Italian gore-fest. Dario Argento produced it so you know it is gonna be good. Actually, a lot of Dario's stuff is bad, but not back in the '80's when Demons came out. This movie has a really cool premise. People go to a mysterious new movie theatre to see a movie, where the events on screen start happening in real life. What happens? You ask? Demons. That's what.

Just like most Italian horror fare, you can't get too wrapped up in the plot, or acting. The movies are mainly all about imagery, atmosphere, and the goods. The goods here are gore, gore, and more gore. We get demon claws sprouting through fingers, demon teeth sprouting through normal teeth, eye gouging, and all sorts of other nastiness. 

The movie takes a great turn at the end. I had always heard of this one, but it was my first viewing. Love finding new favorites during the challenge! Definitely a recommend! BTW, watched this on a beautiful Blu-Ray steelbook edition.

Demons 2: The Nightmare Returns

 Alrighty. Now on to the sequel. The plot is basically the same with 3 major changes. Instead of a movie theatre, we are in an apartment complex. Instead of a movie bringing the demons to life, it is a cable tv show. And, we get to add in kid demons. 

There are some great scenes in this one. We get some gym rats fighting demons with gym equipment. Awesome. A kid demon...

chases a pregnant lady, falls down, then gives birth to this thing.

Again, does it make sense? No. Is it Awesome? Yes. Another recommend. Also watched on Blu-ray.

Night of the Demons (1988)

Great Halloween flick. Set on Halloween night, a group of punks and preps head to an old funeral home to party down. An impromptu seance brings out the highschooler possessing demons.

Awesome practical effects and throw away characters really make this one shine. I love the bizarre stuff that happens as well. Let's just say you won't look at lipstick the same way again. This movie just clicks for me. I love the 2 surviving characters, and how they are totally not badass mofos at all. I love the very cool animated intro. Also, the crabby old guy at the beginning who gets his comeuppance at the end.

I could post more gifs, but I don't want to ruin any of the fun. Recommended!!!

Night of the Demons (2009)

Remake alert!! I read that this remake actually is almost as good as the original. Spoiler alert....It isn't.

Same basic premise, only modernized to take place in New Orleans. Now, while we do get boob tentacles, a face ripped off, and a better take on the lipstick trick, this one just doesn't have the spirit of the original. It is filmed in an erratic, "MTV" style, and is way to glossy for me.

There is more back story here, but it doesn't really add anything. There are some familiar faces though. Linnea Quigly has a nice cameo. The main actress was also in Freddy vs Jason, and looks just as good. We also see what Shannon Elizabeth and Edward Furlong has been up to. Watch this one if you are bored. Otherwise skip it and watch the original.

Satan's Little Helper

A little indie flick that starts out having heart, but loses that charm quickly.

A little boy obsessed with a video game about being Satan's helper has found a real life psychopath to follow around a help with various crimes. The actors at the beginning do a great job at being likable and real. I really did like them. But then the movie just turns into a series of misdeeds by the dude in the mask up there, and the little kid. This movie sucks. Skip it.

This is what I think about it.

More Movies that Go Bump in the Night...

Dead of Winter

I was sort of tricked by Amazon Instant into watching this one. It was listed under Horror, but it is more of a Movie of the Week type Thriller. It stars Mary Steenburgen, who you might recognize from her many roles in other movies, such as Back to the Future 3 and Step Brothers. 

She stars as a struggling actress who takes a gig where she must audition in a reclusive house where a snow storm hits.  

They say she is perfect for the part because she looks so much like the lead actress in the film who stormed off the set. Long story short, it turns out the two men who got her there are using her as a pawn in a blackmail scheme. There is some legit tension in the movie, but overall it is mostly a bust.

I suggest skipping this one.

The Sacrement

Ti West's newest film is a take on religious cults. A crew from Vice magazine/website go to visit one of the crew member's sister, a drug addict who has found clean living with a secretive religious group. It is filmed entirely in documentary style, which works for the most part. I am usually not a huge fan of this "found footage" type of movie, but there isn't much shaky cam as most of the shots are set up by the crew. 

They have to go into the 3rd world somewhere to get to the camp, where initially everything seems peachy keen. The whole thing is lead by this guy:

A charismatic SOB, as most cult leaders are. Well, the back stories of the characters are pretty tenuous, as the whole film seems more focused on creating a long tension then anything else. It does this very well, and when things finally go south, the craziness ensues. The one other funny thing about this movie is that even though it is found footage, it has a soundtrack. Now again, I like the soundtrack, and it really adds to the atmosphere, but where the heck did it come from? This one is on Netflix, and I recommend checking it out if the found footage angle doesn't bug you.

Shivers

A recent addition to Netflix, this is David Cronenberg's first feature film. So, Cronenberg loves making movies about sexual and body issues. Both are present here in a big way.

This takes place in a living community which is isolated form the surrounding community. A mysterious murder/suicide kicks things off, as a nefarious plot is uncovered. Turns out the Scientist who committed suicide had developed a parasite that infects humans and causes them to be sex crazed, murderous fiends. The girl he killed was infected, but had also been spreading the parasite around unbeknownst to anyone. 

There are good effects that are really gross and creepy. Another trademark that Cronenberg is known for. The parasites are basically like large worms. We get to seem them slithering around outside of the body some, but also crawling within the bellies of the victims. They tend to get in through your mouth, but they also find other ways as well...

Yeah, gross. The local Doctor becomes the hero, along with his nurse/girlfriend. As most of the complex becomes infected, they have to defend themselves from the oncoming hordes. I really enjoyed this one, even though it is a little rough around the edges, being Cronenberg's first. Recommended!

A Belated Update...Piranhas, Knock Offs, Head trips, and Rednecks.

Roger Corman's Piranha

Ok. A classic in the wake of the Jaw's phenomenon. I like the leads in the movie. They are both pretty funny characters. The female lead is a tough and sassy, but maybe a little oblivious. The male lead is a dunken mountain hermit, with a heart of gold. They play like this dude is completely isolated, but he has a daughter that he has enrolled in summer camp. Well, at least she is isolationist like her daddy. She is a total outsider at the camp, who hates murky water. This will come in handy when the man-eating fish come her way.

The movie starts out in the only way it could. A couple of horny hikers come upon an abandoned government outpost in the woods. They decide to go for a dip and become quick fish food. The two leads end up looking for the lost kids, and unknowingly flush a bunch of genetically altered piranhas into the local river. They then eat their way down stream.

One great part about this, is that the two leads, along with the mad scientist go down river Huckleberry Finn style.

A couple of other funny takeaways: -evil government agents with an evil Brit (damn those Brits)
- A brand new river fun park knows the piranhas are coming, but decides to roll the die with if their guests will be attacked (spoiler: they do)  - the main way to kill these things are to poison the water, undoubtedly killing everything else in the water with them.

The effects are iffy, but this film has heart, so it is definitely recommended! Also, directed by Joe Dante of Gremlins and The Howling fame.


 Resolution

This was a great little Indie film distributed by Tribeca Films. Stumbled upon it on Amazon Instant Video so you can check it out there. The premise seems simple, but this one is far from straight forward. A low life junkie sends a video to one of his only friends as a cry for help. The friend decides he is going to make his buddy quit cold turkey, so he heads into the boonies to hand cuff him to the wall and force sobriety. 

While there, weird stuff starts happening, as the line between reality and hallucinations becomes blurred. Something keeps leaving clues and "stories" on outdated media such as records, slides, old reel film, and even cds! This movie is really great and a definite head trip. If you are looking for blood and boobs, skip this one. But if you want a little intellect with your horror, give it a watch. The other thing I really like about it is that the characters are very critical of what is going on. They ask all the questions you would be asking at home.

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil

You can watch this one on Netflix or Amazon Instant. I have heard about this one for a long time and finally decided to watch it. Tucker and Dale are two lovable hillbillies who are mistaken for killer rednecks by a bunch of obnoxious college kids. As the misunderstandings keep happening, the body count increases just as fast. 

This is a horror comedy that really hits on all levels. Really smart writing combines with gore to make this a really fun ride. Alan Tudyk, Tucker, and Tyler Labine, Dale, each feel really at home in their character's shoes. The kills are great, and most of the jokes work. The ending gets a little long in the tooth, but other than that, this is  a recommend for sure!

The Horror Show

I watched this because The Displaced Kentuckian said it was sweet. Well, it is in its own way, but I won't be rewatching it anytime soon. I actually find this movie's background more interesting than its plot. It is brought to us by the producer/director of Friday the 13th. Also scored by the same composer as Friday the 13th. It came out the same year as Wes Craven's Shocker. Both of these movies have the same basic plot: murderer gets the electric chair, but instead of dying, he turns into metaphysical/electrical energy. Then, outside of the states, this was marketed as the 3rd sequel in the House series of movies.

This came out about 6 months BEFORE Wes Craven's Shocker, but that doesn't matter, as it is very derivative of Wes Craven's masterpiece, Nightmare on Elm Street. The bad guy, last name Jenke, which makes for an odd name to be repeated so often, has really crazy eyes and a very annoying laugh. But he kills by getting into your head and spouting off quips. Sound like Freddy? Yes it does. Lance Henrikson is just over the top as the hard boiled cop who is being tormented by his enemy. 

This just feels like a way to make money more than anything, as it has almost every annoying horror trope. Overall, skip it and watch something better. Caught this one on Netflix.

Movie #3: Insidious 2

Insidious was a really great movie that came out of nowhere for me. I saw previews, which didn't impress me. I heard about all the buzz. Yawn. Then my buddy Mike was raving about it, as did that Ol' Displaced Kentuckian. I finally watched it and loved it. James Wan and Company are really damn good at ghost stories at this point.


The follow up, Insidious Chapter 2, immediately follows the events of the first one. It in general delves into the back story of the father, his abilities to travel into the "Further," and the origin of his maleficent spirit which likes him so much. I dug the beginning, but the middle lost me a little. It got into shakey cam/hand held ghost hunter mode. Of which, I am not a fan. It came back around though, and the end was very effective for me.

I kept thinking of this towards the end of the movie. There are a few parallels of the Insidious "Further" and the Black Lodge/Red Room from Twin Peaks. Anyone who knows the current me, knows I am a huge Twin Peaks fan. I don't want to spoil anything Twin Peasksy, but one obvious one is the use of the color red. The Red Door in the Further, and the Red Curtains of the Black Lodge.

Anyways. The first Insidious is definitely better, but this one is far above average and gets a recommended viewing from me! Oh, and this one is also streaming on the Netflix.

Movie #2

The next movie on my list is Almost Human. No, not the failed tv show. I remember hearing about this indie flick a year or two ago, so once I saw it was on Netflix, I decided to give it a whirl. 

We happen to have our second film with aliens in it within two days. But aren't we all aliens deep down?

The thing I really like about this film is that it is not confused at all about what it is. It is a slasher film with a taste of alien abduction horror. No messy plotlines, no boring character arcs, and no feel good ending. This movie takes a lot from the classics. There are obvious influences from Halloween, Alien, Night of the Living Dead, and The Thing. 

This is by no means the best horror film I have ever seen, but it is filled with gore, and the pacing is fast, so it makes for a really fun watch. Recommended! Oh, and the movie poster is pretty cool too.

The Horror!

It is that time of year again.... September!!!! Actually, it is only two weeks until October, and if the trick or treat candy in the grocery store is any indication, Halloween is just around the corner. That means Horror Movie time.

Started this year with Night of the Creeps. I was thinking to myself, "Self, I have started this movie a couple of times, and never finished it. The Displaced Kentuckian really likes it. I need to watch this dang movie."  So I started it again. Then I realized. I had that same internal conversation last time, but actually finished it. Who cares. Watched it again.

This movie is a real gem. Never takes itself seriously, which makes it a really fun ride. The goofy sidekick legitimately makes me laugh quite a few times. His character has a really sympathetic turn as well. I cried a lonely tear.

Amazing start to the film with midget aliens. When I watched it this time, it is funny, they don't need to be midgets. But they are, and are better for it. Also, these aliens have mastered interstellar travel, yet are naked. Maybe the more advanced we get, the more naked we will get.

Then we get the split plot lines of homicidal maniac and alien zombie slugs. This movie is highlighted by great one liners and great effects. Tom Atkins basically reprises his role from Halloween III, but instead of a doctor, he is a disgruntled cop. Just as drunk though. I love when he literally stops and smells the roses.

This one is a definite recommend!

Horror Challenge 2013!!!

Well it is that time of year again. Or at least it has been for the past 16 days...
I have been a slacker. A combination of traveling and being busy has put me behind the 8-ball on the Horror Challenge this year. It will be tough to fit in 50 before the 31st, but I will give it a try. Also check out my good buddy The Displaced Kentuckian's Blog as well for his reviews. This year we started watching movies on Friday the 13th of September.

Deathdream
-Vietnam commentary from Director Bob Clark. Clark directed Black Christmas, as well as Porkies and A Christmas Story. Talk about a varied career.
- this film isn't effects driven, but the images it does show are creepy. 
- interesting show of a mother being blind to her son's sins. Also favoritism of a son over a daughter.
- this one gets pretty dark at the end. Shows the disillusion of America with the war
- recommend for horror aficionados, but not for casual fans

The Howling
- Joe Dante's classic werewolf take that has spawned many (7!!!) sequels
- great effects here overall. Not necessarily realistic, but I enjoy the aesthetic they have. The animated shot is out of place though
- Two great cameos. Look for Roger Corman, who started Dante's career with Hollywood Boulevard and Pirhanna, waiting to use the phone booth, and Forrest J Ackerman reading his own magazine, Famous Monsters of Filmland.
- good gore with a little nudity and A healthy dose of humor. We get a little of everything here.
- highly recommended for all types of fans

The Serpent and The Rainbow

- Wes Craven's tale of voodoo and zombies in Haiti

- Bill Pullman plays an American outsider who gets in over his head while trying to find the secret to zombies for a pharmaceutical company

- I got a real sense of authenticity when watching all the scenes in Haiti. Especially after my trip to New Orleans and the VooDoo museum there..

- Intense torture scene with Bill Pullman. Also some great surreal stuff towards the end.

- Recommended for all types of fans

Black Rock

- Three women travel back to their childhood vacation island to rekindle their broken relationships. Their trip is interrupted by a group of ex-military hunters with bad intentions. 

- Directed by, story by, and starring Katie Aselton. Written by Mark Duplass. You may know these two from the FX series The League.

-  Not much gore. A little nudity but in a non-sexy way.

-  The characterization of the 3 friends is really good in the short amount of time we spend with them, and that makes the hell they go through all the more effective

- Highly recommended for any thrill seekers.

I Saw the Devil

- A secret service agent seeks revenge against a psychopath who murders his Fiancee.

- This korean film has some pretty intense gore and violence. Not for the weak at heart.

- If you have seen Old Boy, you will recognize Min-sik Choi. If you haven't seen Old Boy, go watch it. Byung-hun Lee has a great screen presence as well.

- The line really gets blurred between good and evil. Well, good and super evil.

- Highly recommended to Genre fans and fans of crazy cinema.