2013 - The year of horror

 2013 - The year of horror

I've said it before, 2013 was the year of Jason Voorhees. Here is my own personal list of why 2013 truly was a year filled of horror.

1) Hannibal, Bates Motel, Under The Dome, and The Walking Dead.- Terror on TV

2) 8-bit Jason and Freddy

3) Hatchet III

4) The return of Stephen King

5) Coolest Psycho dolls e-v-e-r

6) You're Next

7) Camp Crystal Lake Memories

8) Gremlin toys!

9) The Conjuring/Insidious Chapter 2

10) Curse Of Chucky

Top 15 highlights of 2013

 Top 15 highlights of 2013

Ah, 2013. The year of Jason Voorhees. Like every New Years, I honestly can't believe the past 12 months have gone by so fast. So here is my own personal list of my top moments from 2013.

1) Got Christine on blu-ray

2) Went to HorrorHound and met John Carpenter and the bullies from Christine.

3) Got Sam Raimi's autograph tattooed on my leg.

4) Flew to Florida for the first time in twenty years. 

5) Met Zach Galligan.

6) Won Zach Galligan's personal Waxwork II crew shirt.

7) Saw all three Hatchet movies with the cast and crew.

8) Saw Jason Takes Manhattan and The Monster Squad on the big screen.

9) Turned 25.

10) Began getting support in trying to get Waxwork/Waxwork II released on blu-ray.

11) Finished my second book.

12) Went to Rock N Shock/Chiller.

13) Got amazing artwork done for myself. 

14) Still working on my effects work and writing. 

15) Spet time with my friends and family.

Top 10 favorite movies of 2013

 Top 10 favorite movies of 2013

 1) Hatchet III

Why was it awesome? - The epic conclusion to Adam Green's Hatchet trilogy that began back in 2006. With an all star cast, this movie picks up directly after part II this time with the local police, FBI, and SWAT on a resuce mission to Honey Island Swamp. With Mary Beth in custody, it finally becomes known on how exactly to stop Victor once and for all. Lots of gore, laughs, cameos, and Zach Galligan? What else is there not to love. Great ending to a very fun and bloody film series.

2) You're Next

Why was it awesome? -I'm sure my friend Melissa won't agree with me, but I really enjoyed You're Next. This was a fun little movie that played back to the good old days of late 70's, and early 80's horror. With a perfect setting and cast, the film is a slow burn that once it gets cooking is truly insane. Taking little nods from classic other movies, along with a killer score, You're Next truly puts a whole new spin on the phrase "Looking for the magic." = Home invasion is the scariest thing e-v-e-r.

3) The Great Gatsby

Why was it awesome? - As a huge fan of the novel (one of the few books in high school I actualy enjoyed reading.) I found this new updated flashy take on the classic romance/drama fun and the perfect fit for such a tragic story. With his crazy, over the top, glitter explosion of a film, Baz Luhrmann is able to keep an American classic sstunning, and fun for new generations to come. Leonardo DiCaprio as always steals the show and in my eyes this is his best film since Inception.

 

5) The Collection

Why was it awesome? - The action packed, over the top, crazy follow up to The Collector that was released back in 2009, The Collection is pretty much the Hatchet III and Aliens to this film series. With returning characters, and a better look into The Collector's warehouse of pain, this movie didn't pack the punch the original had, but honestly had one of the best endings to a horror movie I've seen in a while. Fingers crossed for a third film, Collected.

 

6) Curse Of Chucky

Why was it awesome? - Nearly nine years after the release of Seed, Chucky returned this time to a direct to video release that had hardcore fans wondering when exacly this movie was going to take place, and why did Chucky look so...normal? Our prayers were answered with a much darker take on the series with a creepy house, and the Mr. Good Guy doll looking just as he did before he got chopped into bits back in part III. With a strong cast, bloody kills, and great pacing, this is now one of my favorite films from the series. Also wait until the ending!

 

7) Insidious Chapter 2

Why was it awesome?- I wasn't a huge fan of the original film, but I still did love James and Leigh's films. Starting with the Saw series (well the first three films) and then of course Dead Silence, I loved their movies for the storytelling and the great visuals and style they gave to us. This year I was pretty susprised by this wondeful treat in the form of Insidious Chapter 2. Taking the story one step further, this movie had tons of great moments with flashbacks, linking the first film to it's sequel, and and a pretty awesome ending. Leigh, James...hope to see you for chapter 3!

 

8) The Conjuring 

Why was it awesome?- Believe it or not I had all ready known about the Warrens before seeing this film. I had been interested in Wann's take on this story, and really felt he did an amazing job setting it in the 1970's. With plenty of scares (that doll!), a great use of a song from Dead Man's Bones, and a killer ending that opens for a sequel, I feel this isn't the end for this film.

 

9) This Is The End 

Why was it awesome?- I saw this on the 4th of July, and it was exactly what I needed. With tons of laughs, great moments, and a perfect ending, This Is The End will forever change the way you look at end of the world movies forever. My favoirte had to be poor McLovin getting the coke blown in his face.

10) The Impossible 

 Why was it awesome?- I can't believe it's been a year now since I've seen this movie. With a great cast, based off real events this movie honestly is a heart stopper. With plenty of moments that makes you wanna break down and cry, The Impossible takes the worst thing that can happen and really show a different side towards humans. With tons of moments that turned my stomach, made me cry, and be unable to stop watching, The Impossible was one of the best movies I've seen all year!

Silent Night Deadly Night (1984)

 Silent Night Deadly Night (1984)

PLOT - After his parents are murdered, a young tormented teenager goes on a murderous rampage dressed as Santa, due to his stay at an orphanage where he was abused by the Mother Superior. 

LOWDOWN - I'm a little stunned that I've never reviewed this movie before. Looking back on past posts, the Silent Night Deadly Night series is a favorite of mine. I've reviewed part III, and part V in the past, and now it's time to focus on the original. The movie that started it all.

I have a fond memory of being in the third grade. It was black history month, and each student had to pick an African American who made a difference in history. I chose Percy Julian (why is beyond me, but I guess I felt it was a good idea) Well, I remember I made it my mission to memorize the entire speech of facts I was given without having to look at my note cards since parents were watching the day we had to get up and talk. For hours, over and over again I studied the speech and as a reward my mother went to the video store and rented Silent Night Deadly Night for me. I'll never forget how awesome the video cover looked with the killer Santa climbing out of the chimney with the axe. Well long story short, I ended up being the only kid in the 3rd grade who didn't need to look at their notes AND Silent Night Deadly Night quickly became one of my favorite slashers to re-rent over and over again.

Cut to me in the 8th grade, I was shopping with my then boyfriend and best friend and we strolled into Suncoast. There I noticed the double pack for Silent Night Deadly Night 1 &2! Not believing my luck I bought it and had the pleasure of watching them every holiday season, even though I was a little floored by how awful part 2 was. Guess my young brain just couldn't adjust to how truly awesome it was. 

Years later I sorta made it a tradition of watching the original Silent Night Deadly Night over and over again around the holidays. In fact for the longest time I would always watch it Christmas Eve. I found the stories of how much trouble it got when it was first released interesting, and loved pretty much every single thing about it. As time passed and I watched and fell in love with the sequels, my heart stayed true to how awesome of a horror movie the original truly was. 

What makes Silent Night Deadly Night work is that first it was 1984, the first round of the slasher era was coming to a close as another began. This was the year A Nightmare On Elm Street was released and slasher movies were trying to pick new ideas that were flesh, but still worked. Having all ready done Halloween, and birthdays with Happy Birthday To Me, they decided to cash in on another famous holiday.

Christmas.

I love holiday themed slashers (Halloween, Terror Train, New Years Eve Evil, Bloody Birthday, Happy Birthday To Me, ect) so it would only make sense that Christmas was the next holiday to get the treatment. In fact before the only other movie to tackle this day was Black Christmas in the early 70's. Silent Night Deadly Night was smartly written. Going into the psycholigical way with this movie, it opened with how a series of horrible tragic events truly twisted and turned a young innocent boy into the murdering blood thirty psycho he would grow up to become. I'm sure I'm not the only person who was scared to death of the crazy grandfather who told the tale of how Santa punishes anyone who is naughty. 

The entire orphange segment in the movie was very tough, here are these two young boys who pretty much witnessed their parents get murdered and are now left under the abuse of a nun who doesn't see how truly disturbed they can become. The rest of the movie shows one of the boys, now 18 on his own and working at a toy store. Well of course when it's Christmas time, and he starts seeing guys dressed as Santa, and decerations hanging everywhere he begins to loose it. Flashes and memories come back to that night he saw his parents killed and after being forced to play Santa for his job, he snaps and goes on a bloody rampage, punishing anyone who gets in his way.

I felt they could have maybe added in a few more deaths if that makes any sense. I did like the famous Linnea Quigley scene who has the most memorible death, or of course the kid getting his head chopped off while sledding. I honestly could have watched a three hour movie with this guy running around in the Santa suit killing anyone he felt was being naughty. I loved the shot after the kid gets his head cut off, and how Billy is just standing there in the woods smiling.

With some great deaths, gore, and a wonderful build up, Silent Night Deadly Night is a great horror movie as well as a wonderful slasher. Like I said it was very well written, unlike so many slasher released at that time. There was a good reason why this killer snapped, and the backstory fit why this series of events happened. Sadly due to marketing, and a bunch of parents with sticks up their asses, the movie pretty much got black listed. Thankfuly, now it's a cult classic that we all know and love.

In fact it got the remake treatment just last year! (still haven't seen it but heard great things!) 

With four sequels, and plenty of fan love, Silent Night Deadly Night remains as one of the best slasher films released it in's era, which also has one of the best cliffhangers ever, sadly the pay off for it's sequel...not so great.

4 stars!

Thoughts on Mercy...aka Gramma by Stephen King

 Thoughts on Mercy...aka Gramma by Stephen King.

PLOT - A single mom and her two boys help take care of their grandmother with mystical powers. 

LOWDOWN - Just this past summer I read for the very first time Skeleton Crew, the second collection of short stories by Stephen King. One of my favorites was Gramma, which told the story of a single mother of two boys, one of which who has just broken his leg and spending some time in the hospital. On a windy Autumn afternoon, she leaves her younger son to look after her bed ridden elderly mother who both boys are terrified of.

I really enjoyed some of the stories of Skeleton Crew, not as many as Night Shift, but the ones I did like packed a punch. Gramma was one of them. This short story was made onto the small screen in 1985 for the revamp of The Twlight Zone. I ended up watching the entire episode via Youtube and was blown away by how much it captured how creepy the short story was. The best was how they transformed the grandmother into a huge monster, pretty much what I imagined when I first read it. Well, much to my susprise, I guess Gramma is getting the full length film treatment (somehow with the backstory King wrote, I feel this could work, worse short stories have been made into films and still worked) this time around it's being renamed Mercy, and has an all star cast! Joel Courtney and Chandler Riggs will star as the two boys.

As of right now, I'm interested. I've just finished re-reading Night Shift and I was just thinking about how so many of King's short stories still haven't gotten film treatments yet. So fingers crossed!

Tales From The Darkside - Season's Of Belief

 Tales From The Darkside - Season's Of Belief

PLOT - On Christmas Eve, a father ends his two children's boredom by holding them spellbound with a scary story about a fearsome beast known as the Grither. 

LOWDOWN - With less than 5 days till Christmas, I decided to try and milk this blog with as many holiday horror themed movies as I can do. Sadly last year I pretty much reviewed every single one, and I have a strange feeling by next year I'll have to do something completely different, who knows maybe just a whole month of drinking games and me trying to bake cookies. We'll see.

Anywho, since yesterday I reviewed And All Through The House from Tales From The Crypt, I decided to take a second and express my love for the Tales From The Darkside episode Seasons Of Belief. 

Now last year I was given the chance to review this episode, along with the Monsters episoder Glim-Glim, so instead of a typical review, I decided to just express my thoughts on why this truly is one of the best episodes Darkside had ever done.

My review of Seasons Of Belief on Shit Movie Fest

I first watched this episode back in 2007 or 2008 I believe, this was back when Chiller was still awesome, and showed reruns of suchs shows as Friday the 13th the series, Freddy's Nightmares, Tales From The Crypt, Twin Peaks, and Tales From The Darkside. I still remember what a lasting impression this episode gave to me even though I was 19 or 20 when I first watched it. First off, I really need to say I love whenever horror blends with the holidays, mostly Christmas. Taking what is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year and making it to polo opposite is awesome, with Seasons of Belief, this is exactly what they did. In fact, I feel it's a shame (not really) that I never want children, because if I did I know for certian I would just HAVE to tell them the tale of The Grither. 

This is an episode I feel could believe it or not be turned into a play. In fact, with the right set, and props I feel this would be amazing to see live on stage. This is why I like this episode, it was simple, and focused on the storytelling, which the actors sold 100%.

I liked the idea of this non tridational family, trying to be tridational and old fashion. First off, the father, played by E.G Marshall, who we all know best from Creepshow, must be at least twenty or thirty years older than his wife. In fact the first time I watched this, I tuned in after the first break, and could have sworn it was the grandfather. Then the two children, wonderfuly played by Sky Berdahl and Jenna von Oy. It isn't often where child actors can really sell it and carry a story, thankfuly they did here. 

I liked the whole idea of these kids acting as if they knew better, I loved the borning gifts they got, and how they sorta acted like know-it-alls, knowing that there was no such thing as Santa, and laughing at first at the tale of The Gritter.

Like I said before details in the storytelling by the parents, telling the children every time they say his name outloud he will travel from the South Pole and begin his way towards whoever doesn't believe in him, the audiance can't help but feel a little uncomfortble as the climax of the story comes.

The best is the payoff, such a simple and over the top effect that truly is one of the scariest things I've ever seen. Loved the ending shot, and like I said pretty much the complete opposite of holiday cheer.

So if you're looking for a classic 80's holiday tale of terror, check out Seasons Of Belief from Tales From The Darkside, and remember never to say the monster's name outloud!

5 stars!

Tales from the Crypt - And all through the house...

 Tales from the Crypt - And all through the house...

PLOT - A greedy woman makes the mistake of murdering her husband while an escaped mental patient dressed in a Santa Claus outfit is on the loose. 

LOWDOWN - Oh Tales From The Crypt, honestly in my eyes one of the most brilliantly made shows. Based off the the classic comics from the 1950's and 60's. For seven long seasons our pal the crypt keeper told us tales of the undead, zombies, ghouls, vampires, killer puppets, double crossing, murder, sex, werewolf's, and more! In the first season of Tales, director Robert Zemeckis (Back To The Future) directed an episode called "And All Through The House..." based off one of the comics, and a segment from the 70's movie. This tale featured Robert's then wife Mary Elllen Trainor as the fed up wife who murders her asshole husband (Marshall Bell) on Christmas Eve for insurance money dunning a snow storm. Making it took like an accident, she quickly discovers that a crazed psycho has escaped a mental hospital and has stolen a Santa Clause suit, carrying and axe and murdering families that are home. Here the wife thinks up an almost brilliant plan, dump the body outside and make it took like Santa did it! Sadly for her, the killer is stalking around, looking for his next victim. 

I have fond memories of always remembering this episode out of all the others growing up. Having caught reruns on HBO and Chiller in the past, it went down as one of my favorites. With an all star cast (love Larry Drake, who we best remember as Bubba from Dark Night Of The Scarecrow) this movie has a tounge in cheek sorta spin on it, and packs one hell of a punch for an ending. In fact this is the show's only holiday themed episode!

So if you're looking for a blood soaked episode that will put you in the holiday mood, check out And All Through The House!

4 Stars!