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.
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