Tag: horror

The horror renaissance , 2015

A good list has been compiled by the AV Club about how to make good horror..

And it’s good horror that has been lacking for too long of a time, besides a few gems that have popped up through thebyears..

This article linked here could help any upcoming writers or directors create a new masterpiece of our time and genre..

I am perfectly fine that the Era of torture porn appears to be coming to a close..

Of course as I say that a popular Go fund Me still exists for 30, Rob Zombie’ upcoming film. .

The masterpieces of yesterday may never get repeated–even though we keep on trying to recreate them over and over again with remakes and redos.. Instead, directors and writers should update the standards, refocus on what is scaring this new generation.. And what isn’t.. Slashers lost their effect.. Our reality is comprised instead of trustworthy men in business suits ruining the world. That’s scary..
Equally scary: The future of robots and nanotechnology.. science fiction and horror can merge in a beautiful and well-made with under the direction of the right producer.

And maybe even more, horror movies should teach lessons again. Become societal commentaries again. Like DAWN OF THE DEAD. That movie held a revolutionary message. Even some say the same for FRIDAY the 13th, calling it a commentary on the Reagan era and the rise of the Religious Right. The SAW films capitalized on America’s newfound love of torture after 9/11..

And now today, as this is written, IT FOLLOW and BABADOOK are celebrated not only in alternative sources but also mainstream press as horror films worth seeing.

That’s a positive.
Horror can be as important as drama or any other genre.. As a matter of fact, even more so: It’s the primal fears, the instincts of humanity, the hopes and prayers of survival.. the scares of what we cannot control. All rolled into one hour and a half (or more) of visual and emotional scares.

Today, IT FOLLOWS is released in a number of theaters–but not nearly as many as I wish. With success, of course, that could change.

Earlier this week, I wrote about the high praise of IT FOLLOWS. And the positive press hasn’t stopped there, the shower of love of this movie has only continued. And that’s a good thing if you’re a fan of what this genre SHOULD be about.

For years I have been the anti-horror movie horror fan, usually celebrating movies opposite of what pop culture says they love.. as an emotional and loving father, I am disturbed by many of the films in the horror genre that some praise. I get a little queasy when other sites write stories talking about the ‘best death scenes’ and the ‘kills’ of films.. But please don’t get me wrong, there’s enough room in any genre for subsets of the best.

The real reason that horror, to me, is still important and worthwhile to follow: Because when done right it can put a spotlight on pop culture or societal troubles, drench it with attention, and change the world.. I really do believe that.

March 13, 2015
IT FOLLOWS: Heard from a review, who heard from a review, who heard from a review this is going to be a good movie

The IT FOLLOWS heat is on..
The upcoming horror movie, much anticipated, is being heralded by some reviews as not only the best of 2015 but also the best in a long while..

A Samuel Zimmerman review on SHOCK TIL YOU DROP sets the stage:

How they converge is, brilliantly, in this aforementioned post-coital curse, one which carries the everlasting anxieties over where your lover’s been before, but pushes farther into all of life’s stresses. Where am I? Where will I go? Who will I become? There’s a deliberate dread in “It’s” rules. Once you’ve got “it,” there it is, walking slowly, assuredly your way. This is where Mitchell has fun composing wide, confident frames— your eyes engaged, always under attack, searching for “It.” At more reprieving moments, he acknowledges the absurdity of the accursed characters and elicits huge laughs. When more explicitly a threat, the director and cinematographer Mike Gioulakis still employ symmetrical, centered stunning visuals. This time, they’re less paranoid and more confrontational, immediately assaulting. Sometimes, “It” is in your face. Others, it’s throwing electrical appliances at it.

As the review goes on–in my humble opinion–it shares too much of the premise and gives a little too much away of the ending, you may want to shield yourself from the final paragraph that spoils without warning. But the essence of the Zimmerman story yields the result that this film is going to be a bit different. There is a message here.. one that may need to be explored with a deep mental journey.

The plot would be laughable in a movie that doesn’t script it very well, but it seems that IT FOLLOWS makes it work. A entity, paranormal and foreboding in nature, is spread through teenage lust and sex. There is something similar when compared to 80s slasher flicks–such as JASON and FREDDY ruining the lives of the sinning children who act out teenage passion in pre-marital sex. But IT FOLLOWS brings a new darker presence to it: The shadow is cast on the woman by this sexual entity, this curse which is handed down through the false love that happens when you’re a tender teen tot not yet experienced with what love really means..

A DIGITAL SPY look at the movie jokes that you may never look at swimming pools or sex the same again. Again, even with this DIGITAL SPY review, author Ben Rawson-Jones gives some spoilers (this time we were warned, though) .. He writes,

This strange affliction can only be picked up and passed on through sex, which throws up some fascinating dilemmas. Digital Spy caught up with the movie’s writer-director David Robert Mitchell to find out what inspired the tale, whether a franchise is on the cards and how tricky some of the key plot twists were to pull off…

DIGITAL SPY goes on to interview Mitchell, who says some interesting things about his horror flick that could, including the fact he had a nightmare since youth of entity following him .. the sexual allegory was added to IT FOLLOWS. Mitchell also downplays the idea of a sequel, joking that “IT’S STILL FOLLOWING” just doesn’t sound right..

Reviews for the film have been overwhelmingly great–something that does not happen for movies, but especially for those of the horror genre too often. Even the old grey lady has positive words to say, with a Mekado Murphy interview of the star of the film in the NEW YORK TIMES: Maika Monroe.

Monroe is already being called the 21st century scream queen–a champion role that many stars of the 20th century still hold dear to their hearts, even after their careers moved on from horror..

iDigitalTimes says it’s a horror movie like you’ve never seen..

Roger Moore says it’s a dead teenager movie that gives teenagers a deep idea to ponder..

Another review calls the movie horror boiled down to its bones…

Review that says the movie is ‘made with love,’ not something said often about horror flicks..

The site ROTTEN TOMATOES has the movie with 98% positive–something else that rarely happens for horror.

The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive for Mitchell and Murphy..
The ideas presented in the film seem to force questions over sexual morality and the often false safety of suburbia–and even, some say, a certain GATSY like vision of the collapse of the American dream.

This movie has a lot to offer.. a deep meaning, jumps and scares, and perhaps, just perhaps, a brand new scream queen for a new generation that needs horror movies to make a difference again.

Follow it FOLLOWS now.. The world has been watching it, and on Friday the 13th, it’s going to get a limited release–that could equal a big sensation and sleeper hit of 2015.

THE 21ST CENTURY’S SCREAM QUEEN

March 10, 2015
THE ABCS OF SENTENCING

THE ABCS OF SENTENCING

THE ABCs OF DEATH case settled..

AP:

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A former substitute teacher convicted of showing a movie including graphic sex and violence to a high school class was sentenced on Wednesday to 90 days in jail.
Sheila Kearns, who was convicted in January of four felony counts, apologized in court, saying she hadn’t watched the movie before showing it to her Spanish classes at Columbus’ East High School in April 2013. The movie, “The ABCs of Death,” consists of 26 chapters, each depicting some form of grisly death and representing a letter of the alphabet, such as “E is for Exterminate,” ”O is for Orgasm” and “T is for Toilet.”

She faced a greater amount of prison time than this..
I still don’t even understand how she is getting prison time for showing a movie that released in various venues and one that most people in the class probably already saw in some form or another at home.. A firing justified? Yes. Prison time? I still don’t get that..

We previously reported about the Kearns case on this website and have continuously questioned why the outcry over the case even took place.

Now, the chapter is closed with the sentencing today.. One I still don’t get completely.

But no one else seems to be a little queasy with an African American teacher being thrown into jail for showing a horror movie–a legal horror movie–to a class.

AS a matter of fact, media sources are busy playing up the ‘horror’ of her crime, as evidenced by insane headlines running across the NET:

March 5, 2015
A HORROR MOVIE FOR A SNOWY THOR

Another snowy night.. potentially a housebound day tomorrow for lots of folks in the eye of THOR.. So why not turn off the lights, close the blinds, and entice your mind with a movie about the surreal, unreal, and paranormal. DARK SKIES is one of those films. Try it on for size—an abduction movie with dark shadow aliens, the Greys, evolves quickly into what I think was one of the most legitimately scary and good movies I’ve seen in quite some time.

There are some memorable scenes.. memorable characters. Specifically the idea that the other worldly suddenly presents itself into the lives of mundane people is freaky.

Besides one annoying scene I thought was plagiarism—a family sitting down to a dinner prior to an alien invasion like in SIGNS—the movie was strong and had a good alien premise. If you like alien movies. Or scary ones..

Add to the agenda a dark room and healthy snacks..I think it’s worth it.

Find it on NETFLIX if you can’t find it anywhere else..

After the movie, lighten the mood with the Ballad of the Greys.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu7bmvkgWEg?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1&origin=https://safe.txmblr.com&wmode=opaque]

March 4, 2015
THE TRUE HORROR OF ‘LAZARUS EFFECT’

The LAZARUS EFFECT showcases the newfound popularity of reanimation horror.. WIRED’s Jordan Cruccihola examines this premise in an article posted today, saying

“Reanimation horror is not the most populated of sub-genres. We’ve surely had more cabins in the woods, unbeatable super killers, and haunted houses. But reanimation has a special place in our hearts thanks to its scientific roots. Sure, it’s all ridiculous science with little to no connection to reality, but there are still a lot more lab coats than in your standard-issue slasher. And if there’s one thing we wish there were more of in horror flicks, it’s lab coats..”

An the author is dead on right! The LAZARUS EFFECT, being released this weekend for public consumption, has an interesting premise: A group of medical students find a way to bring the dead back to life. It’s a horror classification, but easily travails into the science fiction category as you read more about the idea.. And really, we are living in this world.

This horror encapsulates perfectly our fears about future shock, the advancement of medical technology, and how we are on the verge of some amazing but possibly scary things.. The movie is getting intensely bad reviews, not only from the paid informants in entertainment rags, but also the masses who have already been privileged to see and write about it.

The common thread is that this is a rip-off of FLATLINERS. Maybe that’s true, but it’s also bringing to theaters the concept of the future and how it can be dangerous if in the wrong hands.. there’s a cultural allegory here if you pay attention. A commentary on society..

LAZARUS is not expected to rise to the top of the heap in the movie theaters over the next few days, but it is predicted to do fine for its genre for a winter weekend..

February 27, 2015
The message of IT FOLLOWS explored

IT FOLLOWS trailer lays out rules for upcoming horror film.

The movie is highly anticipated.. it’s a modern movie about the dangers of teenage sexual promiscuity. Instead of exchanging bodily fluids that lead to an STD, the couple involved will become victims of a sexually transmitted CURSE.. that follows.

I have read a number of accounts and early spoiler information about this movie–it looks to be one of the freshest and most creative horror movies that we will be getting in 2015.Some have even called it a ‘masterpiece‘!

Reviews like that often don’t happen in the mainstream world for this genre..The UK INDEPENDENT’s Geoffrey Macnab reviewed the movie with a positive four out of five star conclusion.. Macnab wrote,

“The ingenious new teen horror film It Follows will intrigue, puzzle and trouble audiences by turns.”

And this:

“This may be a horror movie but it has some of the same feel as Larry Clark’s cautionary tales about mixed-up, laidback American kids. It is shot as artfully as Clark’s films and, like them, portrays a self-enclosed teen society in which parents and teachers don’t intrude.”

For many years, any watcher of horror either random or astute would know that films often play on the fears of the youth.. Jason Vorhees killed the immoral, in a sense he was the ultimate champion of religious fervor–slaughtering the promiscuous party animal teens that skipped foreplay and went right to the deed at Camp Crystal Lake.

Perhaps no one saw the irony in his kills, the idea that he was the biblical old testament God reigning judgement down on those who sinned.. This new film seems to keep with that same idea: Sin and sex.

In IT FOLLOWS, the predator and villain can only be seen by those who have been cursed with the sexual relations that spread it.. An keeping with my long held notion that horror movies, in any given time (and professional wrestling), perfectly symbolize the current state of modern pop culture for that generation, Macnab paints a similar picture in his INDEPENDENT review, writing:

“It Follows plays not just on the kids’ ambivalence about their own sexual desires, but also on their disgust at the idea of their parents’ sexual lives. The Freudian elements sit alongside action sequences (a car crashing in a cornfield, an explosive final-reel stand-off at the local swimming pool). This is also a love story of sorts. Paul (Keir Gilchrist) is besotted with Jay. He is just a little too geeky for her to consider as a suitor but he is persistent and loyal. His innocent devotion is in very stark contrast to the depravity that surrounds the teenagers..”

February 27, 2015
How wayward are the Pines?

TWITTER and all things entertainment exploded a bit today with a surge of news about a director who made his star shine bright at the end of the last century: M Night Shyamalan.. His newest conquest is not over movie theaters or strange SIFI ‘documentaries’ but instead prime time television..

Shyalaman’s bringing WAYWARD PINES to FOX.. and with it comes a strange and elusive trailer for the show.. Matt Dillon stars in the show. And quite obviously the trailer, as well.

It speaks for itself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o51W3_QyXGM

The official description:

Imagine the perfect American town, beautiful homes, manicured lawns, children playing safely in the streets…Now imagine never being able to leave. You have no communication with the outside world. You think you’re going insane. You must be in Wayward Pines.

For those who don’t know much about this soon-to-be hit series (I predict) it’s based on a novel by Blake Crouch and the series, with M Night Shymalan shepherding it, will feature Matt Dillon as a secret service agent on a mission to find missing federal agents..

The immediate and overwhelming reaction online has been critical of Shyamalan but receptive of the trailer for the May 14th premiere of the show.. even the description on the trailer poster deeming this an ‘Shyamalan event’ rather than a ‘series’ has some scoffing.

Shyamalan has had a series of love-hate relationships with fans after several of his movies were criticized as stinkers following after the hit SIXTH SENSE.. while some lament the fall of his star, I still believe SIGNS and even LADY IN THE WATER had appeal..

It remains to be seen how many fans, or former fans, go into the journey to WAYWARD PINES..
But for me, it can’t be any worse than UNDER THE DOME.
Or could it!?

February 20, 2015
Poltergeist then and now

A few months ago, I introduced the classic film POLTERGEIST to someone younger in my family.. She was born in the late 1990s and did not have a notion of pop culture of the 1980s or the reason the Stephen Spielberg film changed everything. I really played the movie up to her, as well. I mentioned the spooky scenes, the scary clown, the bizarre tiny psychic, and the tree that came to life during a thunderstorm. By the time she had made it through the movie she was unimpressed.. It wasn’t scary compared to the compelling gory snuff films of today. And among the horror of our modern world, you can find a few gems, don’t get me wrong. But I still find the original POLTERGEIST compelling, deeply frightening, and yet amazingly beautiful and a story about how love perseveres.

Enter into the fray the newest incarnation, or should I say reincarnation, from Hollywood: Poltergeist is back. With iPhones and flatscreens.. no fuzzy TVs in this version.

I saw the trailer a bit ago for the film. Every fiber in my being wanted to hate the remake. I wanted to loathe the trailer.. But I ended up being a little more enthusiastic about it than I imagined myself to be..

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCmAaNk_iIQ?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent]

There’s a few things to contemplate here.. The 1980s’ version was amazing because it took on the ‘feeling’ of pop culture of the 1980s and made it the very essence of the film.. take for example the television set going to fuzz after the nightly NATIONAL ANTHEM played.. That scene, more than anything, constantly stuck with my as I grew up. Because I recalled the time when TV did that–when channels signed off for the day and networks would give people their Star Spangled Banner, complete with the video featuring lots of creepy subliminal messages. Beyond that, there’s the nostalgic feeling I still get when I watch the original movie.. There’s something deeply troubling, now as a parent, thinking about the loss the main characters were feeling during the film. And then the amazing miracle of love bringing them back together at the end. This movie is as much a drama as it is a horror. Spielberg created an immense classic..

So while I figure nothing will ever diminish his work with this movie, the newest trailer put me in a much different place than what I assumed I’d be in after watching it..

Let me first say, I dislike remakes for the most part. The Rob Zombie HALLOWEEN films were simply trash worthy of a garbage heap.. the newest NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET had no meaning in my life.. Sometimes there’s a score but for the most part it’s Hollywood rehashing old ideas and attempting to get some street cred with the use of modern gadgets and phrases.

While I think the new POLTERGEIST may still do that, I sort of changed my tune when it comes to this movie.

I think this generation needs that ‘pop culture’ fit .. I think it needs a film that one day, when they go back and watch, they too will become nostalgic for the 2000 teens. Maybe this movie will do it. It could, and it should.. If it sticks to the Speilberg concept of keeping a family together with love, ensuring the triumph of good over evil, and reinforcing the notion that you don’t busy yourself conjuring up demons under your bed, then it may have an impact.

There are a few notable things in the trailer. First off, the use of a flat screen TV is an obvious thing.. no more big giant boxed versions with antennas on. The is the new world.. There will be more cellphones and technology will be showcased–just as it was in the original .. What seems missing is the enigmatic 4-foot-tall psychic Tangina Barrons.. Maybe we will have a new memorable character in the latest..

There is debate within circles of fanboys and horror sites as to whether this movie will be a kids’ story or an R-rated horror.. back in January, there were rumors that this movie was going to be a 3D family friendly child abduction film *(if that is possible)*.. But the new trailer looks a bit more intense than a family friendly film.. The inclusion of a clown makes it even more worthwhile of horror..Even BLOODY DISGUSTING thinks the trailer looks ‘bonkers’ ..

Time will tell as the who will be happy seeing this movie and who will not be.
But as far as remakes go, POLTERGEIST may finally be one I deem worthy of viewing.

In the mean time, I went back in time and found the original trailer for POLTERGEIST in 1982.
I dare stay no matter what Hooper and company do in 2015, nothing will ever defeat the classic or the theme song, one of the scariest and yet most beautiful scores ever written:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ytjaMfoF2M?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent]

February 8, 2015
BLACK MIRROR to get a United States adaptation..

….and with that, the helium was just let out of my balloon..

I am not a big fan of UNITED STATES versions of amazingly great shows.. There is something so fresh and deeply inventive, disturbing, and scary about the BLACK MIRROR shows I have seen..

There actually not been enough of them in my opinion.. and quite frankly each one could be a must see three hour film, in my opinion..

Here is the news, as reported in major trade publications tonight: BLACK MIRROR faces a US adaptation..

Paul Harris writes this in a VARIETY report:

A U.S. rendition of “Black Mirror,” the British sci-fi series that has been a buzzy hit for Netflix, is in the works, the new leaders of Endemol Shine North America said Wednesday at the Real Screen confab.

The keynote session at the Washington Hilton marked the first major public appearance by Cris Abrego and Charlie Corwin since they were tapped co-CEOs and co-chairmen of Endemol Shine North America.

Corwin confirmed that “there is a plan” regarding a U.S. version of the “Twilight Zone”-esque series created by Charlie Brooker and produced by Annabel Jones for Endemol U.K. He declined to elaborate other than to say that Brooker and Jones “have really touched on something and I agree – we need more.”

There are other shows that may get some US versions.. You can find those more in that Harris report in VARIETY.. my focus was clearly and solely on BLACK MIRROR.

I have not done any official reviews of the programs for this website, but certainly should. There is something compelling and additive about each one of them, and when one program is over you’re leave searching for more.. yearning for just another half hour, or longer..

BLACK MIRROR is heralded as the TWILIGHT ZONE of our age. I think that’s accurate and I can’t add more than the praise already showered by so many on this series..

I just don’t trust any US version of it.. But certainly will give it a try to see how it holds up compared to the original series from Brit land..

In the mean time, NETFLIX if your best bet if you actually want to catch some episodes. Hold your nose for the first one, but be amazed by it as well.. and each one thereafter..

January 29, 2015
HOW TO MAKE A WALKING DEAD FAN ANGRY ON THE WEST COAST

The WALKING DEAD show had a major development last night in its midseason finale.. a major character died. And the East Coast knew it first.

Unfortunately in our wired world of uber connectivity, it’s tough to keep things of the pop culture category secret for very long.

Normally its fans that spoil the show.. last night, though, it was the show itself..

After the EAST COAST airing of the was complete, someone thought too fast and posted this image on the official WALKING DEAD Facebook page:

The response was immediate–and angry. The entire West Coast audience just had the major plot twist revealed with a photo and an “RIP BETH” underneath..

At the time of this post, the image has garnered 190,000 shares, 540,000 likes, and 140,000 comments–most of them negative and containing humorous memes insulting the people behind THE WALKING DEAD for revealing by accident such a major affair on the program..

One demanded to ‘fire your social media manager.’ Another posted these

There were countless others–countless in the hundreds of thousands now–that most people cannot humanly have time to read..

But that’s the net..

There is a report circulating in the UK press that the image was pulled from the Facebook page–probably an OH S&*T moment occurred in a dark office somewhere, or a badly timed pre-written update went viral too quickly.. While the image may have been pulled quickly, the UK TELEGRAPH reports accurately that far too many people saw it already for the sudden pull down to become effective..

And with that: You have a PR disaster for a program that has a dedicated fan base who defends it to the death. Even Beth’s death.. Except the West Coast. They’re a bit angry..

December 1, 2014