Halloween

John Carpenter's infamous Halloween was released in 1978

This film is considered to be one of the first ever slasher films and it predates the Friday the 13th saga. It's a bench mark in horror cinema and sets up the conventions of a typical slasher movie. Does it still appeal to today's audience? Well its still very iconic for sure but I feel that perhaps it has now become very predictable and doesn't pack quite so much of a scare as it once did.
What makes these films scary is the fact that it's not a monster it a person, a mad man with a knife. This is still a frightening concept and in the 70s it would have been even more of an impact.

Can I come in?

   
There is no motive to Michael Myers' killings other than the fact he is completely mad. The film opens with his very first murder as a small child, he kills his sister with a knife. Years later Michael returns to his home town having escaped from the mental hospital he was being kept at, Doctor Loomis (played by Donald Pleasence) is in pursuit of Michael Myers and is the only one who knows what Michael is capable of. Meanwhile our heroin Laurie Strode (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) is babysitting and unfortunately enough encounters Michael.

Doctor Loomis

The film is wonderfully shot, with Myers often lurking to the side of the frame half in darkness. Whenever Michael Myers strikes he seems to come out of no where, as the film progresses you start to feel that he could be hidden in any shadow or behind any door. For one of the first slasher films this is excellent and has indeed stood the test of time, when I first watched this film I did find it quite scary but the ending annoyed me. Having watched it again recently I no longer find it scary and I find the ending mysterious yet rather stupid at the same time.

Die!

The most frightening aspect of this film is the look of it, the creepy mask is still scary even if the massive knife is a little over the top. The dark and shadowy cinematography works wonders too. I would recommend this film, however I think that by today's standards people are unlikely to find it scary... but then again, perhaps if you turns out the light.

Re Makes

There have been many remakes of classic horror films in recent years. The fantastic Gothic horror film House of Wax for example, which was remade as a teen slasher film in 2005. The wonderful Gothic horror film The Pit and the Pendulum, which was also remade as a teen slasher film in 2009.




Films are made by people who care about the art of story telling and understand the power that cinema can have. Films are 'remade' by people who care about money and understand how to cash in on movies that are already successful.
The original versions of classic films like The Omen, Friday the 13th, Halloween, The Thing and The Evil Dead (all of which have now been remade) have all stood the test of time. These films remain an important part of popular culture and represent landmarks in cinema. There was absolutely no need for any of these movies to be remade other than for financial reasons, these films were already really good and personally I find it hard to understand the love some people have for remakes.

Some argue that remakes are good because they're bringing old films to a modern audience and keeping them alive, but in actual fact these films are already very alive and that is the reason they've been remade. No one remakes a film that they think people might one day forget or stop caring about. If a film is to be remade it has to be one that's popular already because other wise it wouldn't make heaps of cash on it's release. The only reason they choose not to make something original is because if they say it's 'Halloween' or 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' then they know people will pay money to go and see it. 

My advise would be to watch the original, go and see the remake too if you want but make sure you've watched the original first. There's a reason it's being remade and that's because the original was a success, so whatever you do don't let these remakes ruin the old films for you.

Drive

Drive is a crime drama directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and released in 2011.

The Driver

So, I finally got round to watching Drive and it was not what I expected at all. What I thought was going to be a pretty standard action film, with cars crashing and guns shooting, actually turned out to be something worth watching. Although there are a few car chases, this film has an edge that others do not and this made it refreshing to watch, especially after having had to endure Taken 2!
There is very minimal dialog in this film, in fact entire segments of the film have no speaking what so ever, what the characters feel is told instead through body language, music and cinematography.

He's as quiet as he sounds in this photo.

You might wonder why this film was rated 18, until about half way in when it starts to get violent. The violence is graphic but bearable, not too much but still enough  to make you cringe at times. Despite being quiet, and only uttering a few words in the entire film, the main protagonist (played by Ryan Gosling) turns pretty nasty suddenly and unexpectedly. Although he essentially has good motives The Driver becomes an extremely violent man, spurred on by the thought of his new found love Irene (played by Carey Mulligan) who has been put at risk.

Irene (The Driven)

This is a stylish film and one of the things that stands out most, more than the actual story, is the overall look. The film is beautifully shot, a lot of time has gone into getting the color, lighting and camera angles exactly right. The filming style and lack of speech sometimes make it feel as if you're watching a music video or a car advert. The film isn't too slow but it doesn't have the pace of an action film, it carries with it a gritty and slightly somber mood as well.   

scene # : They look at each other

One scene that stands out most is when The Driver and Irene are stood looking at one another, there is very little dialog and instead the two characters just stare at one another and smile. It's one of the most romantic moments in the film and everything they need to say to one another is said, but through smiles. 

sexy man

I would recommend this film, perhaps not quite as amazing as people make it out to be but still certainly worth a watch. 

Them!

Them! is an American SciFi film that came out in 1954 and was directed by Gordon Douglas.

Poster.

Although this film is essentially about an invasion of giant ants, it is in fact far better than you might think. Sure enough the large rubber ants are cheesy and over the top but the story, theme and the acting make this film a very gripping and enjoyable watch. 

Set during a time when the threat of nuclear bombs seemed imminent and no one really knew what the effects of radiation would have on people (or ants), this film is all about entering into the fearful abyss. The threat of atomic bombs and the paranoia surrounding new technology created an air of the fearful and ominous 'unknown', in the 1950s this scary new step into the atomic age was here personified by giant ants. The opening to the film is scary and eerie even by today's standards, it starts when two police men find a caravan in a remote stretch of desert. The caravan  has been torn apart from the inside, they then find a little girl who is wondering the desert all alone, her face is wide eyed and staring and she is unable to speak. The police realize she is in shock and take her away to get help.

Her doll is dead

In the 50s this was a far more terrifying experience, especially when we learn that the cause of the horror is back ground radiation from the first atomic bomb. As with a lot of films of this era there is a heavy focus on the military who are called upon to fight the ants, this movie wasn't long after the war and so it would have been a popular theme to have soldiers fighting monsters in an attempt to 'save America'. This has become steadily less of an occurrence in film today as the army are seen less as a defensive and more as an invading force who are violent and greedy (Avatar is a god example of this) but in this movie there's no oil to be had just a nest of large and dangerous killers. 

The army enter the ant nest

Once the first nest has been destroyed it seems like the threat is eliminated, until the scientist points out that the queen ants (or flying ants) will have flown across the country and started new ant nests. It then takes a lot of searching and a lot of gun power to save America and the world from the ants. The first half of this film is definitely better than the second and many of the initial opening scenes set in the desert hold an air of creepy and unknown danger made all the more suspenseful by the strange sound the ants make. This eerie noise echos across the desert and serves as a warning that the ants are near by. 

You must be joking!

We're not going down there!

Perhaps not as famous as some other atomic age monster movies, e.g. Tarantula, this one is is still definitely worth a watch. I found that when I saw this film it was incredibly immersive and despite being rather dated it never became dull or boring. All in all it's a pretty good SciFi classic that is engaging but unsurprising,  does what is says on the tin.   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mVwsAAsdOY

  

   

Dr. Terror's House of Horror

Released in 1964, Dr. Terror's House of Horrors is an Amicus production directed by Freddie Francis.

Original Poster.

Dr. Terror's House of Horrors was the first portmanteau film by Amicus, it would lead the way for films such as From Beyond the Grave and Tales from the Crypt. A portmanteau film is a film that is comprised of several short stories, in this case five, that are in some way connected to an overall narrative/situation. In this film the passengers on a train are each told their future by the mysterious Dr. Terror, their train journey finally arrives at the station but something is wrong... If you want to know the twist then you're just going to have to watch it yourself I'm afraid. Although now very dated in terms of style and special effects the tales each possess a lot of character and although I wouldn't describe them as scary perhaps 'spooky' would be a better term.

Six men on a train.

As each passenger takes his turn in letting their fortune be told we leave the train and enter into a strange and sometimes rather ridiculous short story. The first of these stories is that of an old house haunted by the unforgiving spirit of a previous owner whose coffin is concealed in the cellar, this is the most Gothic of the five stories and is reminiscent of an Edgar Allen Poe tale. It's a great story to start off the film and I'd put it at joint second place if I was to order the films in accordance to their mysterious and captivating quality. 

This is followed by the worst tale of the five, a rather cheesy attempt at scifi horror in which pants have grown intelligent and hostile. It's entertaining but not for the right reason, I'd be very surprised if anyone was on the edge of their seat when the 'killer vines' attack the house. One huge advantage to portmanteau films is that if their is a story that isn't to your taste then there'll be another story along in a few minutes time.

Get the weed killer!

  

The third story is probably the most interesting and original, it's set in the West Indies and involves a jazz musician stealing the music of a voodoo god. This is the most humorous tale and isn't quite as spooky until nearer the end when the voodoo curse begins to become more imminent, although no harm actually comes to the protagonist. Some of the acting seems a little wooden although on the whole it's not too bad, unsurprisingly the best performances are from Peter Cushing (Playing Dr. Schreck AKA Dr. Terror) and Christopher Lee (Playing Franklyn Marsh) who do well in bringing their characters to life.

Lee and Cushing.

The penultimate tale is by far the best, in my opinion, and stars Christopher Lee as a bad tempered art critic called Franklyn Marsh who is very rude about an artist's work. In the story the artist takes issue with Marsh and starts to wind him up, Marsh then retaliates by running the artist down in his car severing his hand in the process. The artist is now left unable to paint and weeps at the though of never being able to create his art again, he shoots himself. Franklyn Marsh is then perused by the artist's dismembered hand which comes after him in revenge. This is by far the darkest of the five stories, as well as the most exciting and scary. 

Need a hand?

   

The last story is a rather cliched vampire tale that is typical of many vampiric movies of the time. The man is led to believe that his recently betrothed wife is in fact a vampire and is told by the doctor that the only chance they have is if he drives a stake through her heart. The police then arrest him for murdering his wife and it is left open to interpretation as to whether she was really a vampire or whether it was in his head the whole time. 

The dialogue is incredibly cheesy and the acting is a little wooden, it seems a bit of a shame to end the film with this story, although at least there weren't any killer pants. Considering this was the first portmanteau film of it's kind it pulls it off incredibly well but as is so often the case I would question whether it's really as terrifying than it's name would suggest.

Her life's at stake!

     

Killing them Softly

An American Crime film directed by Andrew Dominik and released in 2012.

Gritty and brutal with a dash of dark humor, this film is a grim tale of high end, american criminal activity set during the 2008 presidential elections. The movie is essentially a gangster film but without the glamour, it's a down right nasty tale of some hapless criminals who are hunted down and killed by a hired hit man (Played by Brad Pitt). Initially the film seems a lot lighter than in fact it is, what with the two bumbling criminals robbing the money from a poker game while wearing kitchen gloves and wielding a ridiculously small sawed-off shotgun. The film turns dark and horrific once Markie Trattman (Played by Ray Liotta) is savagely beaten in the street by two paid thugs, the film is bleak and aggressive from this point on with a smattering of humor to help it along. 

This is not a comedy film, it just has moments of comedy embedded in it and if you're expecting to see something funny or light harted then you're in for a shock. In your average gangster movie when someone's shot that's the end of it, in this film you see them tagged and freezer drawed in the morgue. There's no happy ending and no positive message, the film's harsh subtext seems to be making the point that we can't get along and we do everything for money because life is just another job. And I'm sorry but Brad Pitt doesn't even take off his top this time :(

This is another film that certainly requires it's 18 cert, it doesn't tip toe round any issues and instead gets straight to the point. It's one of those heavy films that you only watch once. 

The cinematography is really good and provides a wonderful look for the film, with slow motion shots similar to those in Dredd. You could say that the visuals and overall feel of the film are both very beautiful and also so goddamn ugly. Not sure I can really recommend this film but if you do go to see it be aware it's ruthlessly unforgiving and doesn't hold back.   

    

Bram Stoker's Dracula

Bram Stoker's Dracula an American film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and released in 1992.

The scene in which Dracula and Mina are both in clothing.

An arty and flamboyant take on the Gothic tale of Dracula by Bram Stoker, surreal and make believe. This film's overall style is one that is Bohemian and experimental with a good helping of pornography mixed in, the acting is intentionally camped up and the costume and lighting are amazingly colorful and elaborate.   

Keanu Reeves trying to act.

Gary Oldman's interpretation of Dracula is interesting and original, it certainly contrasts with the lack of performance from Keanu Reeves whose absence of any facial expression and awful fake British accent are unbearable to behold. This movie is worth a watch but may not be to everyone's taste, depending on what the viewer takes away from the artistic and  avant garde aesthetic of the film, the appearance of a naked pair of breasts every few scenes can seem either gratuitous or in keeping with the romantic/Gothic style. Sex and death are of course two strong themes of the Gothic genre and Bram Stoker's Dracula is the most sexed up version of Dracula you're lightly to find.    

Lucy rises from her tomb.

Although an interesting and entertaining film, it does feel as though it's trying a little too hard to be 'arty' and is very much an over kill. If you want a film that is camp and slightly pretentious then this is the one for you, however if you're looking for a good Dracula film then I would much sooner recommend Tod Browning's 1931 film Dracula or the numerous Dracula Hammer films from the 1960s. I did enjoy watching Bram Stoker's Dracula but it wasn't nearly as good as it could have been had the acting and plot not suffered in favor of the visuals.

Blood!

Dead Snow

Dead Snow a Norwegian horror/comedy directed by Tommy Wirkola and released in 2009.

Nazi Zombies!

This film is horrific and frightening but is far too over the top to seem scary or in anyway realistic. The excessive gore is coupled perfectly with the absurdity of the films premise, the overall idea of a film featuring nazi zombies is in its self crazy and ridiculous. Dead Snow shares a similar style and humor to films such as Brain Dead, Black Sheep, The Evil Dead etc. in that the situation and violence are taken to such an extreme that they become comical.

A copious amount of blood. 

Like many other slasher films of this ilk, the movie starts when a group of young adults decide to go and spend their holidays in a cabin off in the middle of no where. After arriving at the cabin the gang are visited by a strange local guy who warns them that there is evil lurking in the hills. The stranger gives a long ex-positional speech all about how the nazis were stationed in the area and were nasty to the locals and stole their possessions. The cabin, the stranger and the talk of an 'evil presence' are all so cliched that it becomes hard to take the film seriously and instead the viewer is dragged into a tongue and cheek horror romp, this is made all the more funny when the nazi zombies start to appear.

These natzis are pissed!

This film is fun to watch  and still packs quite a punch in terms of sheer horror and gore, the plot and characters development are fairly obvious and straight forward, there are no big surprises in this film. Early on we discover that one of the characters is scared of blood and another has claustrophobia, rather unsurprisingly one ends up covered in blood while the other becomes trapped beneath an avalanche.  

The group find a box of gold that the natzis stole from the local community.

Beyond the interesting and original idea of nazi zombies in the snow the rest of the film is very average. There are far better horror/comedy films out there to enjoy and although this film is good for some easy going and pretty mindless entertainment, it doesn't hold a candle to such films as Shaun of the Dead, The Cottage, Tucker and Dale Vs Evil etc. If you don't want a film that's too challenging and you'd rather not have to think much about the plot then give it a try, it is a fun film to watch although I would not rank it too highly. You may wish to watch it so you can tick it off your list.

 

Dredd

Dredd is an action film directed by Pete Travis film released in 2012.

Don't mess with Judge Dredd!

Dredd has been certified as 18 and for good reason. The film is extremely violent with graphic depictions of people being flayed as well as having large bullet wounds blown into their bodies in super slow motion. The blood and guts spray through the air and if you see this film in 3D, as I did, then you may feel safer with an umbrella. The film is based on the original comics and is set in a crime and poverty ridden city some time in the distant future. This movie is dark and gritty, and in some ways I prefer it to the flood of superhero films which are all together more tame and cliche.

Dredd attacks some gang members on a stairwell using gas grenades. 

Dredd is a judge whose job it is to up hold law and order with his fists and his big gun. Dredd is the law, and with no mercy or remorse he will see that the law is followed in anyway possible, no matter how violent. Dredd is the polar opposite of superheros like batman as he is certainly no vigilante and kills lots of people, he is there to do a payed job and for him it's just that, a job. Dredd is there to administer not his own justice but the justice of the law, he is tough and not to be messed with.

Anderson and Dredd

In the movie, Dredd (Played by Karl Urban) is teamed up with new trainee judge Cassandra Anderson (Played by Olivia Thirlby) who has psychic abilities. The two go to investigate a homicide at 'Peach Trees' which is a large tower block filled with hundreds of families all ruled over by the leader of a vicious gang called Ma-Ma (Played by Lena Heady). Ma-Ma's gang have created and distributed a new illegal drug called 'slo-mo', which slows down time perception. Dredd and Anderson are trapped within Peach Trees and slowly work their way upwards killing people as they go, anyone who is in the gang or assisting the gang in any way is up for execution and as it turns out there are many who fall under that description.

Dredd is certainly not for the faint heated and anyone who has an aversion to violence or a fear of heights may be best watching a film about talking rabbits instead. Not the best film ever but edgy, gritty and action packed, if there is a sequel to this film I will be tempted to see it.  

The Artist

The Artist is a silent, black and white French film written and directed by Michel Hazanavicius and released in 2011.

The Artist poster.

The film tells the story of the transition from silent films to 'talkies' and what impact this had on actors of the time. The main protagonist, George Valentin (Played by Jean Dujardin), begins the film as a hugely successful movie star of the silent era but as the film moves into the late 20s and early 30s he is quickly cast aside to make room for new actors who talk. Valentin cannot adjust to the new style of acting and attempts to direct his own independent silent film 'Tears of Love' which sadly goes down like a lead balloon, Valentin's life goes completely down hill and he becomes an alcoholic.

This film captures the mood of early Hollywood, with it's mean and unforgiving movie producers trying to make as much money as possible and ruthlessly laying people off along the way. From the period costume and sets, to the pompous sounding music score, this film does well in creating the illusion of a film from the 20s but with much better quality and smoother special effects.  

George Valentin and his dog.

  
Sound is used in this film very sparingly, one memorable instant is when George Valentin has a frightening anxiety dream about the switch over from silent films to films with sound. In the dream sequence everything around him is making a noise but he remains silent, this is very effective as by this point in the film the viewer is used to the absence of sound and so it comes as a shock to suddenly hear people laughing, doors slamming and busy traffic. The only other moment in which sound it used is at the end of the film when Valentin finally embraces the future and teams up with his old co-star Peppy Miller (Played by Berenice Bejo) to form a tap dancing duo. This is the first time we hear the character's voices and it makes the ending of the film interesting as well as representing the evolution of film making.

Valentin has a nightmare about a world of sound.

 
Valentin's love interest the sweet Peppy Miller, starts out as a big fan of Valentin and this is what inspires her to join the film industry. Valentin then breaks up with his wife and becomes depressed as a result of plummeting from number one star to nobody, meanwhile Peppy Miller becomes a huge star as the new face of talking films. There is something rather sad about this film as it is essentially about the death of an old art form and times changing so fast that people are left behind, we see audiences enjoying the silent films immensely but only to tire of them.

Peppy Miller being made up for camera.

The story is heart warming and emotional, the overall theme is interesting and imaginative but it is difficult to say whether this film deserved all the awards it got. 2011 wasn't an amazing year for films, although amidst Jack and Jill and Season of the Witch were some brilliant films such as Captain America, Sucker Punch, The Muppets etc. but The Artist is certainly one of the best, had this film been released in 2012 it would probably not have won as many award as it did. One thing's for sure, watching this movie has made me want to see some more silent films, 1920s here I come...

Valentine and Miller first meet.

 

What is Horror?

It's often difficult to define what genre a film is, based on it's content, because most of the themes associated with the various genres overlap. A scary film is rarely 'just a horror' as it may contain comedy, romance, action and drama. Films such as Trainspotting or Pulp Fiction have moment that are quite horrific but they're certainly not horror films. People know when they're watching a horror not necessarily because of the content but because of the feeling they get, a rush of dread, the feeling of waiting for something to jump out. Some horror films display a sense of horror but don't actually contain any blood, gore or death.

Hannibal Lector from The Silence of the Lambs 1991

I have always considered the film Silence of the Lambs to be a horror movie and yet other serial killer films like Zodiac clearly aren't because the focus of the film is less on the horrific aspects and instead concentrates on the investigation. Then you have films such as Seven, a serial killer film that is often placed in the horror category but is considered by many to be a thriller. The problem with the thriller genre is that it encompasses nearly every film, whenever someone is unsure what genre a movie is they say it's a thriller. Personally I have always felt that thriller is a branch of horror anyway and as any true horror movie fan knows, the horror genre is in many ways as diverse as cinema itself. There's gothic horror, slasher horror, scifi horror, comedy horror, romantic horror, psychological horror, body horror, action horror etc.

Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett from Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street 2007

   

Tim Burton is a director who has made horror films in the form of musicals, this demon-straits how far horror has managed to spread as a genre. I have always been drawn to what I would describe as 'spookiness', skeletons, bats, candles and cobwebs the things people associate with horror films but which don't necessarily have to involve any gore or violence. Some times the scariest thing about a film is the overall concept or ideology behind whats happening in the story and this can conjure up a dark urge or morbid curiosity that keeps you glued to the screen, dramatic irony is often used to great effect in gothic horror of this nature 'we know she's still alive inside the coffin but he doesn't'.

Paranormal Activity 2007

I believe that, like most films, to enjoy a horror film you can't just watch it you have to feel it and live through it. Only then do you get a proper sense of what the characters go through and amerce yourself into their world.