My wife is a huge fan of Halloween and I enjoy a good scary movie so this year, like every year, we spent the month of October watching spooky movies. And I figured I would share my thoughts on each of them. I hope you enjoy it!
The Final Girls (2015): A film that I never heard of until a random movie search by my wife found it and boy, I am glad she did. The story is about a group of teens, one of whom's mom was the star in a classic horror film, who find themselves somehow transported into the film during a screening of it. Don't ask. The film doesn't bother explaining it either. The film is homage to all the classic slasher films of the 80s and it has a ton of fun with it. From the lame dialogue, flashback scenes, nudity leading to deaths and needing a virgin to become the "final girl" to defeat the killer. It's all so much fun to watch. The film also has some great scenes of the lead girl, played by Taissa Farmiga and the teenage version of mom, played by Malin Åkerman sharing some more emotional and heartfelt moments. For a dumb horror spoof they managed to make these scenes matter and for you to care about the people dying which makes it better than your average slasher film. ***3/4
What We Do In The Shadows (2014): A mock documentary about real life vampires living in the modern era, this film was a joy to watch. They take full advantage of the idea and even throw in some clever reference to classic vampire films. There are some legitimately funny moments all throughout the film and the actors all kill it on screen. I also enjoy that they have more supernatural creatures in the film besides the vampires. The werewolves are only in like 3 scenes but are one of the most memorable parts. I will be sure to check out the series later on when I have time but this should be on everyone's watch list. ****
Little Shop of Horrors (1986): This review is going to piss some people off... I didn't really like this movie. I have seen a version of the play and enjoyed that so I figured the movie would be as good. Well... it has its moments. Rick Moranis, like in every movie he is in, is great. Steve Martin steals the fucking show as the dentist boyfriend of Audrey. The puppetry on Audrey II is fantastic and so is the voice for the plant. Some of the songs are very catchy and well done. And then we have Audrey... I am sure that the original play always calls for a woman with a soft voice and such but My God! She is awful in this film. I hate her voice. She is annoying and her singing stinks. Sorry, not sorry! Also I don't know what is with the audio on the film but I have a hard time making out the lyrics of a lot of the songs. I don't know if it was just my streaming service or what. Lastly, the ending is lame! The original ending was much like the play: a dark ending with Audrey II taking over the planet after eating the two leads. That's hilarious, dark and more fitting with the vibe of the film. But the film ending has the leads kill the planet and run off to get married. It feels so sudden and random for the film to end this way. Still worth seeing for sure but I am not going to be returning to this film. **
Muppet Haunted Mansion (2021): I am a sucker for the Muppets so this was a fun watch. Barely 50 minutes long, some nice song numbers and a lot of the classic Muppet humor. Honestly no issue with this short film as it is clearly for kids. **1/2
Freaky (2020): Imagine Freaky Friday (or The Hot Chick if like me you unfortunately watched that shit sandwich years ago) mixed with Friday the 13th. That's Freaky. An underrated film that came out in the wrong year. If this film came out during non-COVIID times, I am sure it would have been a hit. Vince Vaughn playing a highschool girl is hilarious and Kathryn Newton is great at playing both an average high school student and a psycho killer. Tons of laughs in this dark comedy and some very creative and gory kills. Plus the ending was creative and a nice twist on the typical horror movie ending. Well worth a watch. ***3/4
Malignant (2021): Another modern movie that had a lot of buzz to it. The first part of this movie is a typical horror movie all the way. Mysterious deaths and a seeming possession or demon or something supernatural. A lot of bad dialogue and investigating the mystery behind all the deaths. And then the third act happens and MY GOD! I refuse to spoil this ending for anyone. It needs to be seen. This generic, run of the mill horror movie took the hardest of hard left turns into madness and it was amazing to watch. This is a film destined to be a cult classic and watched with friends over and over again because this ending is glorious. I have nothing else to say. You need to see this film to believe it. ***1/2
You're Next (2011): I remember watching this film back in 2011 in theaters and was happy to come back to it all these years later. Typical family staying in the woods in a big house only to be attacked by masked murderers. You know, the usual holiday getaway. Family members are picked off one by one. Traps are set for them. There is one hiding in the house. All great stuff. The highlight is the lead actress Sharni Vinson as Erin who is a badass who was raised in a survivalist compound, which is just so random and awesome that I love it. A nice twist about halfway through keeps the story interesting plus the dark humor and investive gore and kills are really nice. An underrated gem that not enough people talk about. ***1/2
Halloween (2018): A very fun "reboot/sequel" film. I love that they make something totally new with this sequel while still paying respect to all the other films. Seeing Laurie becoming a hermit and a person obsessed with survival preparation while still being haunted by the events of the original Halloween is super well done. Michael Myers is back in full glory! He is the Boogeyman here and we get a LOT of awesome kills and creative moments. The finale is phenomenal and the final twist is great. A great modern slasher film that old and new fans can enjoy. ****
Halloween Kill (2021): First off, I love how well this movie picks up right after Halloween (2018). I watched these two back to back and it was fun to see how well they did that. The flashbacks to the original Halloween were great and I loved how they made the film look older for those moments. I also liked that they take time to see more of the survivors of the original Halloween and how they coped with the murders as well as showing the effects that the last film had on Laurie's daughter and granddaughter. Nice touch to show how powerful trauma can be. Michael Myers runs wild again here! And it's glorious! Tons of creative kills and just violence! The town coming together as a mob to go after Myers was cool but a little too "we are the monsters" for a film with legitimately one of the best horror icons in it. Maybe not the film for that. The film has a big lack of Laurie but it does give time for others to shine and sets an awesome finale for Halloween Ends next year, so I will allow it. Also a legit shocking moment at the end. ***1/2
Night of the Living Dead (1968): Well it's time to piss some more people off: I don't care for this movie. Don't get me wrong, I am well aware of how much of a game changer this film was for not just horror but for film overall. Hell, it invented the zombie genre. A genre that is still going strong over 70 years later. As for this film itself, it is very slow and downright boring at times. There are a few highlights; I especially enjoy Ben's story about driving through a herd of the undead and some of the action is pretty decent for the time period. However, this film spends a lot of time trying to explain how the zombies happened and less trying to do anything with them. We also get a lot of time dedicated to slowly exploring the house they are hiding in and preparing it to keep the zombies out. And then there is Barbara. Barbara is one of the worst characters in a horror movie ever. She becomes a useless shell of a person for most of the film, which does sell the trauma of the the attacks, but it feels less like a victim of a violent attack and more like a child that is scared stupid. Hell, the actual kid in this film has an awesome moment that is still a creepy scene all these years later. So do I think no one should watch this movie? Well, no. I do think anyone that enjoys the modern zombie genre should watch this film just to see where it all started. It does have a lot of historical impact on cinema, however it is important to remember what this film is: a classic B horror film, not some amazing cinematic masterpiece that holds up all these years later, because I don't think it does. In a lot of ways this is the Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant from Wrestlemania 3 of movies. Not good as a standalone viewing but more important for the impact it had as a whole. **1/2
Crawl (2019): A fun creature feature. The set up is very basic: A girl and her dad are trapped by alligators in their basement that is being flooded during a hurricane. Honestly the film shines with how basic of a set up it is. All the people act like rational and thinking people and try to use basic survival skills and ideas to escape. It's actually refreshing to see actors on screen act like how people would act during this situation. Maybe with a few moments of characters doing dumb things because the film does need a body count. The effects are well done and all the alligators look good. I do feel like at times they don't take full advantage of the neat location of a flooded basement or even do a good job of mapping it out for us, the audience, to understand the layout of it, but minor issues. Also the "emotional" moments of the film are just there. You do end up not wanting the characters to die but you don't really care about their family drama and it doesn't add much to the film. Still a fun movie to watch that isn't insulting to your intelligence like so many movies in this genre do. ***1/4
The Thing (1982): This film is fantastic! The set is amazing as a team of researchers trapped in Antarctica with a shape shifting creature that can be anyone or anything. It's so simple but works in every way. The aura and mystery of the film is great! You feel the isolation and the film never gives away who's real and who's The Thing. We even question our main character at one point. That takes skills! The effects for the Thing are insane! The Thing looks gross, disgusting and so twisted. It's a work of art! Practical over CGI every day of the week! Some great jump scares, tense scenes and a phenomenal ambiguous ending that leaves you wondering if the Thing is really gone. It's the perfect ending to this film. I recommend this movie for any horror fans. If you have a weak stomach, maybe pass. ****1/2
Corpse Bride (2005): This film is Tim Burton to the bone. Gorgeous animation, creepy shots and atmosphere. The decision to have the land of the living be dull and colorless while the land of the dead is bright, colorful and lively was a clever idea and the songs were enjoyable. Plus again, the animation is so beautiful. However, the plot and characters are very cut and dry. None of the leads are very memorable and the villain is so generic. Honestly this is a film I can watch once or twice every few years and not miss it much. **3/4
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997): This film and Scream are more or less given credit for bringing back the slasher genre in the late 90s. Well I think Scream deserves the credit cause this movie SUCKS! While the plot and set up is classic urban legend, the rest of the movie is cliche as it comes. The characters are awful! They don't act like people, they act like stereotypes and the worst kind of horror movie stereotypes. The look of the killer is blah but worked for the location of the film I guess. The film has no real suspenseful or scary moments. It's just not good. I will give them credit for a neat set up and a good twist too but I am also annoyed at them for wasting it. There is a reason this movie is parodied so much, it already feels like a parody of an 80s slasher movie with a 90s setting. Not worth your time to watch. *1/2
Trick 'r Treat (2007): A modern Halloween classic! A series of short stories all taking place in a small town on Halloween. We get a mix of serial killers, scary stories/urban legends, creatures and things going bump in the night and they are all fantastic. This film oozes Halloween in every scene. The colors, the look, the atmosphere; it all screams Halloween. The stories are well written and acted. The effects are all great, with a lot of them being practical. It's scary and has a lot of amazing creepy shots. It's just a joy to watch. This is a film I will be coming back to every Halloween to watch again and again. Plus it has a scene featuring Marilyn Manson's cover of "Sweet Dreams" that is just awesome. Go and watch this one. ****
The First Purge (2018): I really don't know why I keep coming back to this series. I have seen all the previous Purge movies before this one and I have never really liked them. They are enjoyable trash movies about violence and bloodshed but take themselves way too seriously. And maybe that is the charm of these movies: taking an idea and concept so stupid and so ridicoulous and making it serious and terrifying like this shit could happen to us. Anyway, this film is about the first time the Purge took place but instead of nationwide, it was just on Staten Island in New York. We get our usually creepy imagery and people along with a nice mix of violence and racial themes and symbolism. These movies are not subtle with it either as we literally get a scene of KKK members murdering dozens of minorities hiding in a church. Yep... The characters are nothing special. You have seen all these same characters before and nothing new is brought to the table. This is just another film in the Purge series. If you like these movies, you will like this one. Hell, people like me who watch these movies for no good reason might get a kick out of this but not worth rushing to go see. **
ParaNorman (2012): This is an unusual film. First off this film, like almost any of these stop-motion films, is gorgeous! The animation is beautiful to look at. It has a perfect mix of creepy and weird while also being stunning to look at on screen. There are some scenes that look like straight up art pieces. The story is simple but has a real nice mature edge to it. It would have been so easy to make this a typical "weird kid is misunderstood and saves the day" but they went a different way and a much deeper way. It's not just about misunderstanding people but about prejudice and grief and how negative acts can turn kind people into evil people. It's pretty intense for a kid's movie but it is handled very well. The rest of the film is good as well. The characters are all enjoyable and well acted even the cliche bully character has a few moments I enjoy. The humor is also very funny. Honestly, I only have a few issues with the film, for example, the main character Norman is able to talk to ghosts and after the neat opening scene, a few moments in the middle and the climax, they never explore it more. Feels like a missed opportunity. Also the film does drag at the end a little bit for me. I am sure younger people than me will get more out of this film than me, which is great and should be the purpose of most kids movies: teach them difficult but important life lessons, and I think this film does that. Adults will get a kick out of this movie as well, just maybe not as much. ***
Train to Busan (2016): It's rare today to find a zombie movie that does something new, original or even makes a lasting impact after I am done watching, but Train to Busan does all of that. A South Korean film about a group of people traveling on a train when a zombie outbreak starts, and makes its way onto the train and quickly spreads. This movie takes full advantage of the setting with a ton of great scenes of people fleeing train cars into new ones, battling from one to the other and even sneaking past the zombies. Almost every scenario you could think of with zombies on trains, they do and very well too. They do a great job of showing the abilities of the zombies too; they are fast and swarm their victims but they need to see people to attack them, something the film uses super well in an intense scene involving tunnels. They also showcase the swarm part of the zombies well too. We get a lot of scenes of a horde of zombies creating almost a wave of the undead that looks so great and creepy. Think War World Z but better. There is also a phenomenal scene involving the survivors running after a train and a massive horde chasing them, grabbing onto the train and making what can only be described as a chain of zombies being dragged by the train. It's amazing! On top of the great usage of zombies is the acting and characters. These are some amazingly well acted characters. My personal favorite is the father of an unborn daughter, named Sang-hwa, who is basically a badass. I was rooting for this guy all through the film and was legit neverious when he was in dangerous situations because I thought he would end up dying. The main story of a father, Seok-woo and his daughter, Su-an is also great and you find yourself sucked into their story and wanting to see this father get his daughter to safety. It's rare in these zombie films to be so wrapped up in the story of the characters that you are scared for their safety. That's some strong writing. The ONLY issue I could see anyone having with this film is it is in Korean, so you are either reading subtitles all film or listening to an average but passable dub and honestly that isn't a major issue that should stop anyone from watching this film. A must-see for zombie fans but anyone that is a fan of great movies should watch this too. ****1/2
Coraline (2009): I know that a lot of people have their favorite when it comes to stop-motion films, and mine is Coraline. What can I say about this film that hasn't already been said about all the films created by Henry Selick? The story, while simple, is about a girl named Coraline who moves to a new town and is bored with her life. She finds a small door hidden in her new house, which leads to a seemingly magical world with her "other mother and father", who give everything she wants and all the fun and games she wants. It's the perfect world for her until the layers start to be pulled back and Coraline, along with the audience, finds out this new world isn't all it seems to be. The great thing about this movie is how well the visuals play into the story as well. Coraline's real world is dull, bland and gray. But when Coraline goes to her "other world", it is beautiful, bright and vibrant and more alive. That is until the truth behind the world is revealed and the world turns dark and twisted and feels like something out of a nightmare. Plenty of movies do these same things but the way and style this film does it still stands out. On top of that, the people in Coraline's life are all unique, interesting characters that are fun to watch but in the "other world" they are even more exaggerated and wacky, until again the layers of the world are pulled back and they turn twisted and disturbing. It's a joy to watch every time. I highly recommend everyone check this movie out because for me this is my must-watch for every Halloween. ****1/2
Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016): A prequel to a movie I never saw but I heard good things about this film, and they were right. This is the typical haunted house/possession movie but the film does a good job of using the cliches well and has a unique style to them. The acting is so well done, especially the younger actresses that play the daughters. They have to carry the more powerful scenes and do a fantastic job of it. I would recommend this film for anyone that enjoys a good scare. It's not the best but it does good with what is given. ***
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