October 18th
 

House of 1000 Corpses (2001)

As with many rock stars Rob Zombie is known for his love of old horror films so it comes as no surprise that his directorial debut is a warped trip into B-movie horror, riffing on the likes of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) and it's 1986 sequel.

Never moving out of classic grindhouse territory, House of 1000 Corpses plunges two young couples into a nightmarish Halloween back woods tale where they fall victim to a family of sick deviants and deformed grotesques including Karen Black, Bill Moseley, a demented Sid Haig in the now iconic role of Captain Spaulding and Zombie's wife to be, Sherri Moon.

Whilst the film is derivative it's also a homage to classic horror as we witness scenes from Universal classics such as The Wolf Man (1941) and House of Frankenstein (1944) thrust into the insanity of the Firefly family's chamber of horrors. In fact Zombie's direction is inspiring, at least to me. Witness the scene where Walton Goggins, sheriff is shot in cold blood. Moseley holds his gun to Goggins head and we wait for the shot to ring out. It doesn't. Zombie edges his camera out still focusing on the pair, again nothing. It's not until we get a birds eye view and you begin to check to see if the dvd counter is still running and the film hasn't froze before the inevitable finally happens. It's a sequence that takes about thirty seconds to play out but seems like an eternity. The cinematography is superb as is the mind bending use of film stocks and random weird clips that assault the viewer every so often, such as Moon sticking her tongue into a rotting corpse's mouth, along with various freaks and absurdities, whilst giving the impression of being an MTV style horror music video it also makes it seem even more disturbing than it is.

The film is similar to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in you think you are seeing more blood and gore than you actually do. Yes it's a relentless assault on the eyes but often it's all so quick that it really is a case of blink and you'll miss it. So yes, whilst it is practically a reworking of 70's films it's also fresh meat with outstanding performances and memorable new characters. So much so that it was inevitable we'd see them all again in sequel The Devil's Rejects (2005)

An American Haunting. 2005.

In 1817, The Bell Family are being taunted by a ghost they believe they were Cursed after a dispute with a woman who was to be a witch.

I haven't seen this film for a while, this one has had so many backstories to it that muddles up everything, Donald Sunderland plays John Bell who's appearance looks rugged and tired even at the start, SISSY Spacek plays the wife and devoted who apparently knew what went on but decided enough was enough.

If you are familiar with the story watch this movie with a very open mind and the jump scares are a bit predictable, there is a few alternate endings which seem to change the plot around.
4-5 out of 10.

Halloween

10/10

Not much to add other than anyone ever noticed how much JLC's pals are absolute fannys towards her. Like every line they have is putting Laurie down in some way. That and a lot of the acting is pretty shite.

Pet Sematary

7/10

Cannae beat Zelda for childhood nightmares. Creepy as f*ck. That doctor just doesn't learn about that graveyard.

The Witch Who Came From The Sea

7/10

Really good film about a woman who's abused as a child who gets a bit stabby. Much better acting than the previous two I've mentioned and nice cinematography.

Zombie flesh Eaters. 1979.

Reporter Peter West teams up with Anne to find her father who's boat was seen abandoned except for a zombie on board. They travel to Matul and team up with a couple Brian and Susan. On the island they find Doctor Menard who blames the locals of a voodoo Curse.

This is still a classic Zombie movie from Fulci who never fails at a good gorefest, the plot of the story flows well, bit slow at the start but does pick up the pace quickly. The acting and dubbing isn't great but who cares, Ian McCulloch, Tisa Farrow and Richard Johnson, Al Cliver and Auretta Gay play their roles brilliantly

The special effects are fantastic aswell as the death scenes, an eye meeting a broken window frame, you know it's coming but can't turn away and Susan meeting her death, and the dead slowly rising from the ground was filmed perfect with the score from Fabio Frizzi. 10 out of 10.

Plague of the zombies.

People are mysteriously dying in a small village in Cornwall. Doctor thompson is at a loss to what is causing it and asks for help from the former tutor professor Forbes(Andre Morell) for help. He and his daughter Sylvia travel there and find more than they bargained for with zombies, fox hunters, a evil squire and voodoo.

Very good Hammer film indeed, with a decent cast, including Andre Morell as the lead in a role that you would normally expect to see Peter Cushing do, but he's not bad at all and gives a pretty good turn. Diane Clare i liked too as his sweet daughter. and Jacqueline Pierce who co stars as the wife of Doctor thompson who ends up having her head chopped off by a shovel in order to save her from being a zombie forever. :lol: and Hammer regular Michael Ripper as Sgt Swift.

although tame when you compare this to Lucio fulci zombie films this was still a highly entertaining film for its time and what it lacks in gore it makes up with a good story and spooky atmosphere, and i liked the fact that it was something different from Hammer films as well. 85 out of 100.

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From the last few days!
I really enjoyed Jess Franco's Bloody Moon, I'd never seen it before, even though I bought the bluray 18 months ago! It's pretty funny, and intended comedy too if the interview with Jess is anything to go by. I seriously can't understand how this was on the video nasty list, pretty tame, and the famous scene with the mill saw was very obviously a mannequin :lol:

Yesterday I felt a little run down so I got into bed straight from work and had a double bill of comedy-horror classics, great fun! I've actually not watched Ghostbusters for well over 10 years, quite a bit of it I had comepletley forgotten about.

Then this afternoon I watched Brainscan, again first time viewing and thought it was pretty cool. Not perfect in any way but thoroughly entertaining and very 90's which I got off on. Why did every teenager in the film have an Aerosmith poster on their wall though? At one point Furlong's character was reading the newspaper and there was an Aerosmith advert on the back of it :lol: pretty weird haha.

Dracula(1958).

Jonathan Harker travels to Castle Dracula on the pretence of working as his librarian. But in reality, he has gone to stake Count Dracula and put an end to his reign of terror. After he tries unsuccessfully to destroy him, it is then left up to Dr Van Helsing to save the day.

This is probably one of the greatest Dracula films ever made. Christopher Lee was born to play this role, with his imposing frame and air of menace. And Peter Cushing as Van Helsing is fantastic in the role that he excels at in every way. And when these two actors are on screen together their chemistry is remarkable.
Melissa Stribling also gives a strong performance as the beautiful Mina Holmwood. And Carol Marsh as Lucy Holmwood is very good as well when she turns into the animated vampire.

All in all an excellent, well recommended film with brilliant direction from Hammer legend Terence Fisher, who keeps it moving along nicely in an atmosphere dripping in gothic style and period set pieces. 9/10.

Wind Chill
A student takes a ride with a guy to get home for Xmas, he takes a detour and they get trapped after an accident.
Yeah, I thought this was quite enjoyable. However I hated the Emily Blunt character, especially at the beginning when she's a bitch. Still a good film.

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Fear in The Night.

Peggy(Judy Geeson) is a bit mentally unstable after recently recovering from a nervous breakdown. and is attacked by a unknown chap with a wooden arm just as she is about to move with her husband Robert(Ralph Bates) to a boys boarding school out in the country were he works. But her husband doesnt believe her and thinks its all in her mind.

Very enjoyable psycho thriller indeed from Hammer films, and quite underated. Judy Geeson is fantastic as the naive and Innocent Peggy, and much more attractive than the overated Joan Collins who also co-stars in one of her usual mean spirited bitch roles, blasting poor bunny rabbits with her shotgun. :scared: Ralph Bates is also very good as her husband with a hidden agenda. and the great Peter Cushing is as usual in top notch form as the creepy headmaster eventhough he does take rather a back seat in this film.

excellent film overall, with a great cast, nice settings in the country, and slow but suspenseful 82 out of 100.

The Orphanage(2007).

Laura and her family move to an orphanage that she grew up in as a child, and plans to reopen it for disabled children. But when her son disappears after he starts to talk to invisible friends things start getting weird.

Directed by Juan Antonio Bayona and produced by Guillermo del Toro, this is a well done and acted Spanish ghost story that relies mostly on psychological horror and suspense than gore. Belen Rueda, who is also superb in Julia's Eyes, gives an amazing performance as a woman who will do whatever it takes to get her son back.

A well recommended slow burner with loads of creepy atmosphere. And a nice antidote to modern day Hollywood's CGI obsessed rubbish. 8/10.