scary movies

Blogtoberfest – Horror Movie Review – Unfriended

Title: Unfriended
Genre: Horror, Thriller, Drama
Director: Levan Gabriadze (as Leo Gabriadze)
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3713166/

Synopsis according to IMDB:
A group of online chat room friends find themselves haunted by a mysterious, supernatural force using the account of their dead friend.

I might be getting too old for this, I admit this up front. I did not enjoy this movie on any level. Though I thought the story and the premise was excellent, the thirty year olds playing high schoolers did nothing to elicit my sympathy. I couldn’t even enjoy it on the “so bad it’s good” level because there was little to no physical action. You couldn’t say “don’t go in there” or “stay out of the basement”. Nope. The entire movie took place on a laptop screen.

As I said, this was an interesting concept and on some level, it was well executed. Since I watched the movie on a laptop, it was easy watching and some intriguing things happened.

The actors themselves were annoying. The screaming, crying, cursing and yelling did nothing for the movie. I won’t spoil it here, but in the end the viewer is left unsatisfied.

I’d say see it once, just to experience it.

As always….YMMV.

Grade: D

Blogtoberfest – 10 Scary Movies in Black and White

Let’s be honest. Given the huge number of gross-out, slash ‘em up films that are under “horror movie” genre, watching someone get stabbed, or hung or cut apart gets a little tedious. Blood and guts can be scary, yes, but the real “horror” is sometimes only in our minds: the stuff we can’t see, or even worse, the stuff we imagine we see.

Following this, and based upon a comment from one of my Facebook friends, I compiled a list of horror/scary movies in black and white that you may enjoy. Where possible, I’ve placed the date and time it’s on the air, but otherwise, I’m sure you can find them on either a streaming service or even on YouTube.

When I was a seventies child, these movies were perfect for a rainy Saturday or Sunday afternoon, and were scary enough to keep you awake with some nightmares for sure! So without further ado, here’s my list.

The Thing from Another World (1951) – I actually didn’t see this movie until I was an adult, and while it wasn’t super scary, it really creeped me out. James Arness is the “Thing” and at his height of 6’6” he was able to tower menacingly over the rest of the cast. A must watch for classic movie lovers. Available on archive.org.
The Invisible Man (1933) – Long before Hollow Man with Kevin Bacon, there was Claude Rains as the Invisible Man. This was Rains’s American film debut. Available on vimeo.
Cat People (1942) – Built around a woman who is cursed to turn into a panther, this movie is said to be the origin of the “jump scare”. It’s a moody, atmospheric piece that is both well-acted and well-written.
The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) – The screenplay was written by Richard Matheson, based upon his novel of the same name. Exposed to both pesticides and radiation (poor fellow), the title character begins shrinking and no one can help him. I remember the battle with the cat as well as another “monster” that I won’t mention here.
House on Haunted Hill (1959) – The setup is simple. A millionaire offers 10k to be locked in a haunted house (presumably also located on a haunted hill) overnight. Seems simple right? But the house may have other plaaaaaans. It stars Vincent Price, which should be enough to compel you to watch it. Available on TubiTv.
Them! (1954) – Ants affected by none other than atomic testing, invade a New Mexico town with disastrous results. Great giant monster movie!
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) – Starring Frederic March. You know the drill. Available on archive.org.
The Uninvited (1944) – If you’re a fan of haunted house/ghost stories, then this film starring Ray Milland (of Dial M for Murder) is for you. Slow, creeping horror.
The Night of the Hunter (1955) – More Gothic horror than supernatural horror, The Night of the Hunter is full of dread and gloom, enhanced by its stark black and white presentation. Robert Mitchum is the supposedly “God-fearing” preacher with LOVE and HATE tattooed on his knuckles. Scary and picturesque.
Night of the Living Dead (1968) – No B&W horror movie list would be complete this super classic. Watch online here.

Horror Movie Review -Train to Busan (Busanhaeng)

Title: Train to Busan – Busanhaeng (original title)
Genre: Horror (Zombies), Thriller, Drama
Director: Sang-Ho Yeon
Writers: Sang-Ho Yeon
IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5700672/

NO SPOILERS

Me after seeing this movie on Amazon Video:

PLOT SYNOPSIS: (imdb.com) While a zombie-virus breaks out in South Korea, a couple of passengers struggle to survive on the train from Seoul to Busan.

Before I even begin, I’m going to say I loved this movie. A lot.

Many horror movie viewers are cynical and jaded. They claim that “they’ve seen it all” and “nothing can scare them now”. That’s all well and good, but once you claim that, where is the fun in watching movies? Movies are escapist creations, much like many fiction books. The point of any given movie is to immerse yourself in the experience, and in a manner of speaking, let the filmmaker have his way with you.

As a film viewer of the age that I am at now. (Don’t you love that sentence?) I can easily say, sure, nothing put on film can scare me any more than real life. I have children, a husband, and other loved ones, and believe me, if you asked me to answer truthfully what scares me, it wouldn’t be a random zombie outbreak or a killer stalking teens.

Movies are escape. That’s the name of the game. Claiming “nothing scares me” certainly takes the life out of viewing horror, doesn’t it?

But I digress.

I haven’t laughed, cried and been scared by one film in a while. That is to say, I’ve laughed at films, I’ve cried over films and I’ve been scared by films, but never all three in the course of an hour and a half. Train to Busan is a zombie film ride I sort of wished wouldn’t end.

The setup was great. For those who haven’t seen it, I won’t spoil it, but I was like whoa….this is how this is going to go? I rolled along with the cliched characterization, because, zombies. In addition, the actors did so well, I didn’t care that I’d seen the same character in other movies.

Even in the scenes where I KNEW a character was going to do this or that (and there were a few, because, you know, film-watcher of a certain age and all..) but again, I was so caught up in what was going on that I did not care.

Grade A: I literally laughed, cried and gasped in fear. Highly recommended.

Train to Busan: Trailer

Here’s to watching horror movies in the morning!

Dahlia

Horror Movie Review – Grave Encounters (2011)

Title: Grave Encounters
Genre: Horror, Found Footage
Director: The Vicious Brothers
Writers: The Vicious Brothers

NO SPOILERS

Plot Summary: (from imdb) For their ghost hunting reality show, a production crew locks themselves inside an abandoned mental hospital that’s supposedly haunted – and it might prove to be all too true.

How do much do I love watching “found footage” horror movies? I don’t know why…it’s a strange addiction indeed. Something about the first person perspective, the shaky cam and the odd angles appeal to me.

As a huge fan of those ghost hunter shows – I’m looking at you Ghost Adventures and Ghost Brothers – I was especially eager to see this film. Cynical “ghost hunters” who will pay people to say they’ve seen a ghost? Check. “Haunted” insane asylum? Check. Found footage? Whooo, baby! We got ourselves a movie!

Do not come to this movie expecting high art, a never-before seen twist or some other movie technique that will blow you out of the water. This movie is a horror movie, designed to scare you. It’s like those live haunted house experiences. You know something is going to jump out at you, it’s just a matter of when and how gross it’s going to look.

The plot is basic. Ghost hunters lock themselves in overnight to experience all that a haunted asylum has to offer. And boy, do they so get what they think they’re looking for. The movie begins with a producer explaining the found footage and how it mysteriously appeared, blah blah. You know the whole set up….now let’s get to the haunting!!

Don’t expect much from film angles and the like. This is found footage and surveillance camera footage. Most of it is in glowy black and white and shaky cam. However, when I compare it to other found footage movies, it’s pretty good! The jump scares aren’t over-done and there’s some serious creepy stuff going on.

For a good fright, watch this with the lights off and with no distractions. Being a scaredy-cat, I had to watch it in the morning, but I was still scared.

Don’t think too much about the how and why of the movie. Just let go and enjoy the ride!

I am not posting the trailer as I usually do, because it gives far too much of the movie away. Just watch it!

The Horror Movie Tag

It’s almost that time of year. We’re creeping up on Halloween, which seems to be fast becoming the most popular holiday out of the year! Being a lover of horror movies (in the bright light of morning and afternoon, that is), Halloween is a fun time of the year for me too. Although my children have now outgrown the need to dress up for the holiday–well, except for my youngest, who requested a gas mask to complete his costume–I still enjoy the spirit of the holiday.

I like to keep up with my horror movie watching with this cool journal I created… keeps all your horror movie reviews in a safe place:

As I mentioned, I do love horror movies during the day, so I found a YouTube Tag online that feeds my habit but good. I present to you the Horror Movie Tag.

Title: Train to Busan – Busanhaeng (original title)Genre: Horror (Zombies), Thriller, DramaDirector: Sang-Ho YeonWriters: Sang-Ho YeonIMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5700672/

NO SPOILERS

Me after seeing this movie on Amazon Video:

PLOT SYNOPSIS: (imdb.com) While a zombie-virus breaks out in South Korea, a couple of passengers struggle to survive on the train from Seoul to Busan.

Before I even begin, I’m going to say I loved this movie. A lot.

Movies are escape. That’s the name of the game. Claiming “nothing scares me” certainly takes the life out of viewing horror, doesn’t it?

But I digress.

I haven’t laughed, cried and been scared by one film in a while. That is to say, I’ve laughed at films, I’ve cried over films and I’ve been scared by films, but never all three in the course of an hour and a half. Train to Busan is a zombie film ride I sort of wished wouldn’t end.

Even in the scenes where I KNEW a character was going to do this or that (and there were a few, because, you know, film-watcher of a certain age and all..) but again, I was so caught up in what was going on that I did not care.

Grade A: I literally laughed, cried and gasped in fear. Highly recommended.

Train to Busan: Trailer

Here’s to watching horror movies in the morning!

Dahlia

Title: Train to Busan – Busanhaeng (original title)
Genre: Horror (Zombies), Thriller, Drama
Director: Sang-Ho Yeon
Writers: Sang-Ho Yeon
IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5700672/