Mama (2013) : Maternal Instincts Are A Bitch

Haven't we seen enough CGI ghosts to last a lifetime? Guess not, as producer Guillermo del Toro lends his name and reputation to the latest spectral concoction of contrived story-lines and computer-generated frights.

Not to say that Mama isn't entertaining for the most part, but when we finally witness the horror that is the title character, I found myself sighing and wishing I'd have waited for DVD.  There are some requisite jump scares and some chilling moments here and there but for the most part I will have to admit I was not scared. And that, rather than body count or creative kills, is what I'm looking for these days, so I thought Mama would be firmly in my wheelhouse.

Monsters and ghosts that are computer generated just lack the finesse to produce any kind of visceral reaction from me. And if that sounds snobbish then so be it.  I am a practical effects junkie and for the most part detest CGI (unless of course it is very good CGI, read: Jurassic Park or Lord of the Rings - but hey, not everyone can get WETA to join their production!)

However, the basic story of Mama (based on a 2008 short film by director Andres Muschietti) is a compelling one.  It highlights the maternal instinct pretty hard, proving once again that a mother's love knows no bounds. And in horror films, that usually results in moms reaching out from beyond the grave to assist or protect their children.  Which is just what we have here.

A father whose life is upended by financial ruin kills his wife (off-camera) and steals away with his two young children, Victoria and baby Lilly.  He is so distraught that he drives off onto snowy roads and flips the car over an embankment.  Amazingly, the family of (now) three manage to survive the crash and walk off into the woods, happening upon a deserted cabin looking akin to the Evil Dead cottage. Not good.

After a few hours sitting around, Dad of the Year decides it's best to just off the family, so he attempts to distract Victoria by telling her to look out the window. Just before he pulls the trigger on the gun he has aimed at her head, someone -or something - attacks him from behind, effectively ending his macabre plan (and his life, apparently).  Hence the youngsters are left in the cabin to fend for themselves.

Moving ahead 5 years (yeah, right. Five years in the woods alone. Okaaaaay.), and we have the uncle of the two girls who has been actively pursuing leads and still searching for his brother - all this time.  Lucas (Game of Thrones' Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) definitely deserves Brother of the Decade, if we're not done labeling people.  He's even been paying people to keep up the search.

One day, the two men employed to hunt for his family find the wrecked car and eventually discover the isolated cabin.  What they don't expect to find is Victoria (Megan Charpentier) and Lilly (Isabelle Nélisse), living in squalor and filth and behaving like animals.  Probably the most frightening part of the film is seeing these two young girls acting like feral beasts. The scurry across the floor and jump from table to refrigerator like demented monkeys.  I've seen movies with feral children (Shiver, The Woman) but just one glimpse of these forgotten tykes had me shivering.  By far the creepiest moment.

Once Lucas and his rock-band girlfriend Annabel (Jessica Chastain, looking not unlike Joan Jett here) find out the girls are alive, they do everything in their power to make sure their nieces stay with them and not with a wealthy aunt from the "other side of the family". With the help of child psychiatrist Dr. Dreyfuss (Daniel Kash), the couple does indeed end up with the kids, and a new house to boot - provided by Dreyfuss for psychiatric research studies.  A long period of adjustment begins, with the older Victoria coming around gradually, in part because she was older and retained some memories of normalcy.  Lilly however, remains unapproachable - practically growling at every turn.

One of the troubles with this type of storyline is believability. It's truly hard to fathom that children taken from horrific conditions such as these, with no real grasp on the world, would be placed with anyone - let alone a couple who are 1) not married 2) not financially stable 3) seemingly irresponsible 4) have careers lacking any sense of accountability or future...the list goes on.  These children would need to be in a psychiatric setting for quite some time.  But alas, it's only a movie....

Soon we (meaning us, the audience) are privy to the fact that Mama has followed the girls to their new home and has no intention of giving them up.  After Lucas has a Mama-induced mishap and falls down a flight of stairs, he is rendered useless with a coma in the hospital- leaving poor Annabel to fend for herself with the unstable kids.  She does give it the old college try, eventually realizing that Mama was guardian to the children while they were alone in the woods, and that Mama has designs on sticking around.  She experiences frightening dreams which lead her to dig into the past of the mysterious guardian and finds some disturbing facts. Mama was an escaped mental patient who jumped off a cliff with her young baby (also called Lilly, if you can believe that) in tow.  Mama has developed an unwavering attachment to these children and will go to any end to keep them with her.  Unfortunately, Victoria begins to become attached to Annabel, causing Mama's wrath to unfold as only a long haired vengeful ghost's can.

So many of the standard ghost story tricks apply here. Mama's long dark hair flows out from the walls and closets, scurries across the floor like a weasel, and wraps around people menacingly.  Strange moldy-looking stains appear on the walls, and with further inspection seem to be a portal for the ghost that produces black moths that crawl out and fly about the room.  The new house is rife with electrical problems, with lights flickering constantly.  Information is easily obtained from the little old lady who works in the records room.  The good doctor's flashlight fails just when he needs it the most and he employs his camera flash to see the real Mama.  Ghostly creatures shuffle and walk with those jerky movements that are so overused these days... Like I said, not much new here.

What is at the heart of the story is whether or not the punk-rock Annabel (who did the dance of joy at the beginning of the film after getting a negative pregnancy test) will give enough of herself to entertain the idea of raising these children as her own.  Will she become attached enough to fight tooth and nail against forces unknown (or known, in this case) in order to save their souls (and their lives)?  Annabel isn't really a very likable person, so it's hard to imagine that happening.

Now. Back to the CGI.  As previously stated, I'm not a fan.  I'm tired that every damn movie made these days has to use this technique at some point.  Though there was an actual actor (Javier Botet, the creepy dude at the end of .Rec) playing the role of Mama, it was still obvious where the CGI was added - Mama's face was a little too fakey looking to me, and her hair was simply everywhere - flowing every which way and then some. Her crazy walk/crawl/run was totally CGI. What happened to just doing it the old fashioned way?  Like in the original '89 version of The Woman in Black, seeing the title character standing across the graveyard - it was a real damn person.  Not a caricature of one. And it was scary. Not cartoonish.
Same goes for Ghost Story, The Innocents, etc.  Please forgive my bitchiness, I'm just sick of everything looking like this:

Regardless, the actual amount of CGI in this movie really isn't too bad.  I've seen worse.  Much worse (i.e. Van Helsing). But I still feel like this film could have been done with practical effects.  It does however, lack a serious amount of chills and thrills.  There are a few jump scares that shook up the teenaged girls sitting in front of me (though I don't know how thy had the time to notice with all their texting), but as far as genuine fear, there was very little.  The story was weak (perhaps due it the film being expanded from short format) but the acting was decent. I had hoped this would be my first favorite movie of 2013, but to be honest I was left in the cold after watching it.  For all its good moments, it still failed to illicit any serious scares and I nearly fell asleep in a few of the quieter scenes.

So while it isn't a bad film, I would have much rather waited for DVD on this one, and will be wary of del Toro's endorsements in the future, having been terribly burned on Don't Be Afraid of the Dark and getting what I would call a little brush burn with Mama.

"Mothers are all slightly insane." ~ J.D.Salinger

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Let Me In

Excision

Wrong Turn 4

Ghost Ship

Sinister

Midnight Son

Mindless Movie Monday: The Apparition (And The Sad, Sad State Of Ghost Stories Today)

It has become increasingly apparent to me that there are no good ghost stories anymore.  I'm sick as hell of renting (and at times purchasing) horrific examples of supernatural films that are infinitely less scary than the DMV on a Monday morning.  Case in point:  The Apparition. 

Even though I knew it was going to be awful, I still rented this flaming sack of cow dung just to see how bad it really was. Well, it's a boring, utterly ghastly (and not in a good way) movie about a couple that are house sitting a property that belongs to the girl's parents. Said girl - Kelly - is played by the very pretty Ashley Greene of Twilight fame, with boyfriend Ben (Sebastian Stan) hanging the moon for her pleasure. 

At the very beginning of the movie we see Ben, doing his best ghost hunter impression with a few other like-minded folks...except they bring something back (from beyond....um, yeah - that's original) that is now following them, including our guy Ben. Which means Kelly is in trouble too, as it has emerged as a force to reckon with at their current living space.

"Stand back! I won't allow them to steal your teddy!"

When the neighbors loveable dog finds his way into the couple's home, lies down in their laundry room and promptly dies, I knew this film was not for me. (What makes filmmakers feel the need to off the family pet? Do they think that serves some purpose in the film - as if "Wow! They killed the cat/dog/horse/bunny/gerbil, etc! I'm REALLY afraid now!" - It's more like, I'm pissed and probably never going to watch your crappy excuse for a movie again, god dammit!)  And that only served as proof that The Apparition was bound to get worse.  The couple does so many stupid and ill-advised things, acts that are so clichéd it's nearly unwatchable. No originality and lack of plot plague many films these days, but I would be hard-pressed to find one so blatantly trite and unimaginative as this dud.  I really can't say much about it because though it's trying to be a ghost story, it's failing miserably and NOTHING IS HAPPENING!

The two leads are trying here, and it can be said that they did give it the old college try. But though they may be good in other films, they struggled to hit the mediocre mark here. It was almost laughable how many ridiculous facial expressions Ashley Greene delivered.  Funny thing is, they all ended up virtually the same. All looking somewhere in between constipated and bored to tears.  LIKE ME.
Thankfully for the male viewers of the film, she showed a bit of skin.

The Many (?) Faces Of Ashley Greene

Plainly said, this movie is so outright boring that I was actually writing this review as I suffered through it.  All we were subjected to were loud noises, lights flashing off & on, some carefully placed shrieking, doors opening by themselves, and strange molds growing on the floors, ceilings, and of course in the basement. (Why do spirits these days feel the need to manifest as MOLD?  Try something less icky next time!) Kelly finds out Ben was lying to her (which in all actuality he just 'didn't tell her' all about his past spook hunting and "scientific supernatural studies") and she swiftly kicks him out of the house - leaving her alone to face the ghost/demon/entity of the week all by her lonesome. Have we learned nothing from watching past horror films!?

"No! We can't watch this crap anymore, dammit!'

Friends, we can do so much better than this. We HAVE done better. See The Changeling, The Haunting, The Legend of Hell House... Christ I'll admit even The Grudge and Paranormal Activity were better.  I just don't get why studios keep green-lighting dumb-ass movies like these ones. I was so disinterested in this about ten minutes in that I nearly turned it off. Figured I'd keep  watching so I'd have something to write about! Shitty crap like this, Pulse, The Fog (2005), The Unborn, and the vast array of junk available that are trying to pass themselves off as scary are doing nothing but killing the sub-genre.

Now THIS is what I'm talking about....
(The Innocents, 1961)

Where are movies like The Woman in Black (1989)? The Innocents?  The Devil's Backbone? Though a rare gem breaks through occasionally, such as The Awakening, most ghost stories are just bullshit.  Why aren't studios trying to find someone who will adapt something truly chilling, like any number of works by Ambrose Bierce or M.R. James??  I read two awesome books by John Harwood last year - The Seance and The Ghost Writer (not the one adapted into the Ewan McGregor film)- both if which seem fairly adaptable to me, and would translate to film fantastically. The Seance would be a wonderful period ghost story that would float the boat of any fan of the supernatural.   But instead we are forced to watch this regurgitated dreck that wouldn't scare a two year old. Gah!!
So believe me when I tell you - don't watch this movie unless you are faced with making the decision to either watch this film or watch paint dry. 
I know what I would choose.

John Dies At The End (2012) : Please Pass The Soy Sauce!

Do you like dogs that can drive a car? Have you ever thought of using a bratwurst as a cell phone? Do you like basement monsters made of meat? (Yes, you heard me - and I'm not talking about Lady Gaga's meat dress, either!)
How about doorknobs that turn into penises before your very eyes? If you said yes to any of the above then by all means, you need to check out John Dies at the End. 

I've not read the source material - a novel by David Wong, so I was coming into this one rather blind.  Generally I like to read a book before seeing the film but in this case it was not to be.  Though I have looked at the book several times in the book stores.

But seeing as how it was adapted for the big screen by Don Coscarelli of Phantasm and Bubba Ho-Tep fame, I was definitely interested in seeing this so-called horror-fantasy-comedy.  And that is just what you get. At times feeling a little bit like a cross between a Hunter S. Thompson adaptation and a Sam Raimi movie, it really does jump all over the place - and kind of made me feel like perhaps it would have been more enjoyable if I were stoned out of my mind.
That's not to say that I didn't enjoy the movie.  It has its own weird charm. Kind of like an acid trip - if only I knew what that was actually like.  I get the feeling I was pretty close.

Meet Dave. 
Dave (Chase Williamson) is a likable twenty-something slacker who's got a tale to tell. 
Meet Arnie.
Arnie's (Paul Giamatti) just the guy to tell it.  These two meet up in a creepy, dark-lit Chinese restaurant to discuss recent events in Dave's life that are almost too insane to believe. Apparently there is a new type of street drug known as Soy Sauce, which causes wild hallucinations and the ability to not only talk to the dead but to be able to experience alternate universes & realities.

By using this "sauce", Dave is able to tell Arnie the amount of change he has in his pocket and the dream he had the night before.  When Arnie seems slightly more agreeable to listening to Dave's story, Dave relates how the night before, he met up with his friend John (Rob Mayes) at a party and they were introduced to a Jamaican named Robert Marley (seriously...) who was coincidentally bitten by their friend Amy's dog, Bark Lee.  Robert gives them some of the sauce and kabam!  Their whole world and their reason for being is completely changed. Well, they are still dudes who like to get laid and get high, but now they have the world to save!

The bulk of the film is Dave and John moving in and out of otherworldly dimensions, trying to come to terms with the weirdness that is their life and save the fucking day.  It all pans out in unbelievable moments and a shit-load of one liners and if I'm honest, confusing interludes. Absolutely nothing is as it seems. There are giant leeches, magic "ghost-doors", eyes popping out of their skulls like a Fulci film, demon possession, talking dogs, exploding heads, portals to other worlds, the aforementioned monster made of deli-meats, giant spider-crab creatures, a girl with a horrific-quality artificial arm/hand, and a weirdo tv paranormal expert (the excellent Clancy Brown).  The main villain (if we can call it that) is a conscious and responsive computer intent on destroying society in this dimension as we know it. Say whaaat?
Holy hell, we even get an Angus Scrimm (The Tall Man, for those who have led a Phantasm-less life) cameo. 

I do have to mention that it was fairly obvious that budget constraints really wreaked havoc on their ability to have decent CGI effects, but that said, the practical effects are quite good.  There was a lot going on in this movie - a whole lot of unique and interesting creatures and monsters - and the lack-luster CGI didn't harm the end product too much, if truth be told.  The acting was good - in particular by newcomer Williamson, who despite the bizarre premise and circumstances makes this freak-fest seem like a buddy film of the horror-friendly kind. Paul Giamatti (one of my very favorite actors) is not given a whole lot of screen time, but what he does have was wildly entertaining and very "him".  He's one of the producers of the film so he obviously had his heart and soul into his performance.

All in all, I doubt it's a film I'd want to watch over and over, as my kind of horror comedy leans a little closer to Shaun of the Dead than Bubba Ho-Tep, but I can understand how the word in genre circles seems to be that this film will gain cult status quickly. And I'm not sure they're wrong.  For everything I didn't understand, it was rectified with preposterously funny segments and ridiculous comedic moments. Which more than made up for the confusion that wracked my brain throughout most of the running time. Again I say, it may have been easier to swallow if I'd had several shots of Jim Beam prior to viewing. 
But give this one a chance - it would be fab on the big screen.
Opens Jan 25.

End of the year run-down: Goodbye 2012..(and Good Riddance!)

 2012 was really a mixed bag for me.
Personally, outside of horror my year was kind of distressing. And while I won't get into those boring details, I will say it caused me to have a very uneven year as far as entertainment goes. 

While I think I've finished some of the best books I've read in years,  I have to admit I think I may have seen more awful films than good ones, or at least less original ones.  Television was pretty damn good though, so it probably all evens out in the end.  And let's be frank, thank heavens it's THE END.
I'm ready for 2013, how about you?

One of the best things that happened in 2012 here at Fascination with Fear is the addition of a fresh new writer.  Due to life getting in the way more oft than not, I needed a bit of help to keep FWF from gathering dust bunnies. After a bit of poking and prodding around the interwebz, I was absolutely blessed with meeting someone who has become like a little sister to me - a kindred soul who has been kind enough to take a spot at my side and help me out more than words can say.  So to Marie I say a great big THANK YOU, and I hope that you lovely readers have enjoyed her stellar articles and posts over the course of the last several months!  Please, stick with us:  we have such sights to show you!

The Walking Dead

Best Horror Experience of 2012:  Hands down, The Walking Dead.  While there has been an unbelievable amount of horror this year, in particular on television, I have no choice but to single out this utterly fan-fucking-tastic trip through apocalyptic walker-land. The emotions displayed within the realm of this show are really far and above most other scripted television these days. AND IT'S A SHOW ABOUT ZOMBIES.  This. Is. Epic.

Coming in a lukewarm second would be True Blood.  I loved the Bill-Eric bromance this summer, and was happier than tits on a bull that Alcide showed off well...everything...as much as he did this year.  More of that, please.
I haven't been as big an advocate for American Horror Story as last year, but don't get me wrong - it's still one of my favorites. 

Sinister

Favorite theater experience:  Sinister - I saw this on Halloween day, in a darkened theater, alone.  That made everything about it perfect, and the film itself was one of my favorites of 2012.  It really reeked atmosphere, had a terrific lead actor, and was truly chilling.

Eighteen Horror Purchases I'm Happy With:
*Absentia - Probably one of my favorite indie films, maybe ever. Just one of the creepiest little films I've seen in years.
*Lovely Molly  - Somewhat flawed with confusion at times but eerie and tense and right on the mark.
*Murder by Decree - A 1979 film with Christopher Plummer (one of my faves) starring as Sherlock Holmes investigating the Jack the Ripper case. A fellow horror pal recommended it - much appreciated!
*Alfred Hitchcock: Legacy of Suspense (2011) - A bargain DVD that includes some of Hitch's older flicks such as The Man Who Knew Too Much, Sabotage, The 39 Steps....among others.
*The Walking Dead: Complete Second Season - Goes without saying...
*The Woman in Black (2012) - While I still prefer the 1989 original version, I did like this one a lot. It still managed to capture the isolation of Eel Marsh House and the dread when the volatile title character appeared.
*Spider Baby - The 1964 (do we say) classic about one fucked-up family. A must see!

Event Horizon

*Event Horizon - Seriously one of the weirdest yet intriguing sci-fi films of the 90's, with a stellar cast.  Almost like Hellraiser in space.
*Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) - Funny enough, I didn't own this one till this past October. So glad it's finally on my shelf!
*Diabolique (Criterion) - The 1954 masterpiece of murder and suspense.  It's said Hitchcock was rather irked that he didn't get his hands on the classic novel first.  And this Criterion edition is superb.
*The Yellow Wallpaper (2012) - Though at times an uneven film, the heart of the story is unnerving, to say the least.
*Gosford Park - Robert Altman directed this period mystery starring some of Britain's best.
*Wendigo - I've been looking for this 2002 film on DVD for quite a while.  While not the most stellar film, there is something inherently spooky about a family spending time in the winter woods and happening upon a scary Native American myth that has apparently come to life. Little seen, but I like it loads.
*The Entity (1983) - While parts of this one don't hold up well nearly 30 years later, Barbara Hershey's performance is undeniably fantastic.
*Eden Lake - Because I love Michael Fassbender. Period.
*Jaws (1975) - Um, yes I have several editions of this, my favorite film, on both VHS and DVD, but hey - this is the just released Blu-Ray.  Never mind that I don't even own a Blu-Ray player yet...
*Prometheus - A Christmas gift from my astute hubby.  (Of course I did give him a list, but still....)
*Vertigo - Because my love for this film knows no bounds...

Excision

Seven favorite Netflix rentals this year:
*Excision - AnnaLynn McCord totally embodies the role of a misfit with a penchant for blood and sex fetishes.
*Grave Encounters - Generally I detest the found footage sub-genre, but this one really did light my fire and caused some actual chills.
*Trollhunter - Another film that used the shaky-cam to induce fear, I happened to enjoy this romp in the Norwegian woods. It never gets too serious, which is part of its charm.
*Martha Marcy May Marlene - Elizabeth Olsen is very good in this film that just goes to show cults are still alive and well and taking control.
*Rabies - Those Israeli's know how to make a horror film!  Who'd have thought???
*Dream Home - As opposed to Dream House, this one just rocked. Josie Ho was unreal. Watch this film!
*The Loved Ones - Just a seriously fun horror film that proves if someone asks you to the prom, just go. Take my word for it.

Dream House

Six "why the hell did I rent this?" rentals from Netflix -
*Beneath the Darkness - Just a god-awful piece of crap starring Dennis Quaid. Guess I should have known.
*The Woman - Everyone loved this. I did not. Matter of fact, I DISliked it, a lot. Just redundant and lame.
*Don't be Afraid of the Dark - Just not scary at all. Completely pointless remake. I cannot believe Guillermo del Toro wrote this screenplay and produced this lemon. Ugh.
*Dream House - Oh Daniel.  Really? All I can say is thank heavens you found your future wife while making this film or it would all be for naught.  Really, REALLY bad.
*Wrecked - I wish I could say I could give a valid opinion on this film, or understand just wtf was going on.  But I think I may have fallen asleep from boredom.
*Atrocious - STOP WITH THE FUCKING SHAKY-CAM ALREADY!

The Tall Man

Three "I wish I'd have rented this first so I'd have known not to buy it" purchases:
*The Tall Man - The new Mrs. Justin Timberlake in a massive fail with a great premise. I mean, who hasn't heard stories about "The Tall Man"?  See:  Slender Man. See: Marble Hornets. Please.
*The Cabin in the Woods - While I didn't dislike this one, I didn't love it like everyone else seemed to.  I feel like I could have just rented this and not bought it outright. Not sure when I'll really want to watch it again.
*Outcast - Though the atmosphere was really spooky, with celtic legends and witch-hunting and all, but parts of it were too damn slow. Could have rented and would have been happy.

Chernobyl Diaries

Eight films I'm pretty glad I DID miss and have no real intention of seeing in the future:
*Chernobyl Diaries
*House at the End of the Street
*Paranormal Activity 4
*Piranha 3DD
*Snow White & The Huntsman
*The Devil Inside
*The Collection
*Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

My thoughts on films I was looking forward to in 2012:
*The Woman in Black -  Many people didn't like this one, but I enjoyed it a lot.  I love the original story and certainly have been an advocate of the story as well as the 1989 version (still vastly superior), but I thought this one held its own, and showed that Harry Potter can move on to adult films. And I don't mean that in the porno sense. (Though there was that play with naked Daniel and the horse, right??)
*The Yellow Wallpaper -Not quite as creepy as the short story, but it has its moments.

The Awakening

*The Awakening - Very effective ghost story that I am still waiting on a DVD release
*Dunderland - Still unable to find this film anywhere
*The Raven - John Cusack is a funny guy. It shows here, with him playing Poe and lightening up the mood with witty banter amongst the dead corpses.  Interesting.
*The Silent House -  Yeah. Um. Pretty much the same as its Uruguayan counterpart, so I didn't see much reason to have re-done it.  But then again, I feel that way about most films.
*The Grey - It's Liam Neeson, folks. A very good man vs. nature adventure film. Wolves can be downright scary. But I think we already were aware of that after Frozen.
*Prometheus - Even if I hated this film to its core (which I didn't), I could not put down a film that I get to see Michael Fassbender act in.  I think you all know how I feel about him.

Rabies

*Rabies - Lived up to my expectations and more, really.  Israel can do horror. Nothing wildly original, but I really did enjoy this one.
*The Dark Knight Rises - Holy crap! This was made in my backyard of Pittsburgh and I haven't even seen it yet.  I haven't rented or bought it yet....so I reserve judgement until 2013. But I have heard it rocks.
*Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter - Yet to see, not sure I'm going to anytime soon.  The book was fun but the film just looked flat to me. Hard to adapt that kind of silliness.
*Dark Shadows - Um. Okay, not my favorite Johnny Depp film. Was expecting (hoping) for a true gothic film,  at least more along the lines of Sleepy Hollow than what we were given.  I did like the use of Nights in White Satin over the opening credits. That's something, right?
*World War Z - Still not released yet, but I honestly haven't heard very good things about it, so I'll obviously be waiting for DVD in this one.
*The Expendables 2 - I love me some Jason Statham. The film was nothing but shooting guns and testosterone, but hey - I'll take it.  Again, I can't hate a Statham film. Bring on Expendables 3.

Mama

Fifteen upcoming 2013 films that have peaked my curiosity -
*Mama - This will certainly be my first horror experience in the theater in 2013, as it opens in January. I am loving the trailer and the television spots, so we shall see! Looks awesome!
*Pacific Rim - del Toro brings monsters from the sea back into the limelight?  Count me in. I hope the monsters kick the robots asses. Call me a sadist if you will. The added bonus of SOA's Charlie Hunnam makes it even more worthwhile.
*Stoker - Hey! The dude from Prison Break (Wentworth Miller) wrote a screenplay! And this is it. Oh, and apparently it is not a vampire film.
*Warm Bodies - A zombie rom-com based on a book and poised to be the next Twilight. Wait a tic....do I really want to see this?
*Horns - Based on the book by Joe Hill, it stars Daniel Radcliffe as a man who grows horns out of his head. Yep, it sounds weird. So it should be fab.

The Evil Dead (2013)

*Paranoia - A thriller with Gary Oldman and Harrison Ford.  How can we go wrong?  (Oh yeah, Amber Heard is in it.............crickets.........)
*I, Frankenstein - Not exactly sure what is going on with this one....but Bill Nighy is in it, so I'm on board.
*Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters - This could be fun, right?  I'm not much for horror comedy, so I'll have to wait and see how this one goes...
*Oz: The Great & Powerful - Sam Raimi makes an adventure film that's a prequel to the age-old favorite about the Wizard.  I'm just not sure how I feel about this one....
*Jurassic Park 3D - Normally, I don't go in for the 3D phenomenon. In fact, I hate it. But goddammit, it's dinosaurs!  I'll put on those annoying glasses one more time!
*The Conjuring - Dude from Saw and Insidious decides to make a film with two words in the title.  He's really changing things up, folks! Look out!
*The ABC's of Death - Sounds like a pretty big project: 26 horror shorts packaged in one film. Um...?
*Carrie - WHY this needed remade is beyond me, but I do like Chloë Grace Moretz a lot, so I'll give it a chance.
*The Evil Dead - Another remake. Sigh. But I think this one might be worthwhile. And I feel sure it will kick some ass at the box-office.
*The Lords of Salem - Satanic witches and Rob Zombie. Yes, I am interested.

Favorite Book I read in 2012 - The Seance (by John Harwood) - Though written in 2009, I just got my paws on it this year and I have to say it's one of the best gothic/victorian ghost stories I've ever read.  I loved it.

Non-Fiction: Reel Terror - A great book on the history of horror. I couldn't put it down.

Runner up -  The Wicked (by James Newman) - Originally published in 2007 but re-released in 2012, you can read how much I loved this book right here.

Book I'm most looking forward to in 2013 - Doctor Sleep by none other than Stephen King.  It's been a long time since I've been truly excited about a King release, but seeing as how this is the sequel to The Shining (my fave King title), I'm over the moon and anxiously awaiting.... (projected arrival 9/2013)

Favorite Movie Score: The Woman in Black by Marco Beltrami.  Moody enough to evoke chills and dark enough to make me happy.

Favorite Movie of 2012:  Skyfall. Yes, it's a non-horror entry but hot DAMN was it a fine film! I really can't say enough about the latest 007 installment, and it is actually speaking for itself by hitting the BILLION dollar mark this weekend.  I love Daniel Craig. Apparently everyone else in the world does as well...

Random Year-End Awards:

Wrecked

*The "I can't believe I sat through the whole movie" award:  Wrecked. I'm sorry Adrien Brody, this was all over the place.  I may have even snored.

*The "Surprise! This remake was actually good" award: The Woman In Black. While not crazy-fantastic, I still loved it.

*The "When the hell is this title going to get a domestic release" award: The Awakening....though last year's winner of this award (All The Boys Love Mandy Lane) STILL isn't available.  Ditto that to Cold Prey 2. You cut me deep, Norway. You cut me deep.

*The "What the hell is this movie about, anyway" award: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Oh heavens. I was waaay too tired when I put in this DVD. I know it's a good, critically acclaimed film, and maybe someday when I'm loaded up on caffeine and have a couple hours to kill, I will check it out again.

*Bloodiest movie I saw in 2012:  I watched Martyrs again, so...

Cabin in the Woods

*The "It better be as good as everyone says because I'm damn sick of hearing about it" award: Cabin in the Woods.  And while I liked it well enough, I have to say I didn't think it was the next coming of Christ or anything.

*Most curious title of an upcoming film:  John Dies At The End.  I guess it begs the question of how he arrives at that point.

*The "SO didn't live up to the hype" award:  Dark Shadows. Oh Johnny, it was only mediocre, hun.

*The "I really don't give a shit whether I ever see this" award: Piranha 3DD. Ugh. Spare me, please. I've seen enough titties and blood for a lifetime, I don't need them all condensed into one movie.

A Christmas Carol

*The "I can't wait for a sequel" award:  Prometheus. As long as Fassbender shows up, I'm in.

*Movie I'm most looking forward to in 2013:  Mama.  And I don't have long to wait. (Jan 18, 2013)

*The "This is what I'm watching tonight so I have to get off the laptop" award:  A Christmas Carol (the George C. Scott version, natch) - because the hubby and I were too damn tired on Christmas night to watch it.

All I Want For Christmas Is A Good Ghost Story: Part 1

~ by Marie Robinson

Happy Holidays, everyone! Christmas is drawing ever near… There are some people who just love Christmas. Perhaps the most famous literary Christmas-lover was the great Charles Dickens.

Not only did he adore the holiday, he was a huge influence on it. I’m not kidding, this guy shaped Victorian Christmas. Tell me of a person who has never seen, read, or heard of A Christmas Carol and I will personally slap them. It was first published on December 17th, 1843 and sold over 5,000 copies by Christmas Eve. Over fifty film, theatre and television adaptations have been made. It is no wonder that Dickens considered A Christmas Carol to be his greatest achievement.

Before A Christmas Carol, Christmas in the mid-Victorian era was all about the Christ. And the mass. Come on, let’s be honest, no one wants to sit in church all fucking day. Of course, people were thrilled when Dickens came along and brought some secular fun to the season. He believed Christmas was all about being with family, dancing, laughing, giving to charity, and of course, telling stories.

If you don’t believe me that Dickens influenced Christmas, listen to Professor Hubert Lamb’s argument on the matter. He says that Dickens birthed the popular notion of a “white Christmas”. He went so far to prove his point and documented that a white Christmas occurred for the first eight straight years of Dickens’ life. Our bibliophile climatic researcher says that white Christmases are actually uncommon, but we have come to cherish them because of Dickens’ classic.

After the release of A Christmas Carol, the quintessential Christmas ghost story, Dickens decided to write a handful of others. He penned what were titled, “The Christmas Books” which included the short stories The Chimes (1844), The Cricket on the Hearth (1845), The Battle of Life (1846), and The Haunted Man (1848). Some are these are more supernatural than others, and most are hardly terrifying but he was determined and inspired to keep up the tradition. A few other Christmas ghost stories Dickens wrote are The Haunted House, Christmas Ghosts, The Trail for Murder and The Signal-Man which was adapted for the 1970 BBC mini-series A Ghost Story for Christmas. In reference to these tales author Peter Straub calls them, “A lively mixture of comedy, pathos, and the supernatural.”

A prototype of sorts to A Christmas Carol is The Story of the Goblins who Stole a Sexton. Released in December of 1836 it tells of a man named Grub, who is near identical to Scrooge, and chooses to go mope around in the graveyard on Christmas Eve. There he meets a ghostly figure who tells him how much his life is gonna suck if he doesn’t cheer up. If you wanted to take a simple moral from these stories it would be “Christmas is awesome!” But we know that Dickens was trying to say a little more than that. We get the Scrooge archetype yet again in A Haunted Man, where a grouchy old man is forced by a frightful apparition to reexamine his life. Dickens used this plot device to encourage a reassessment by his characters and his audience. He believes that the Christmas season is not only for nostalgia but also for change.

“…for we are telling Winter Stories—Ghost Stories, or more shame for us—round the Christmas fire; and we have never stirred, except to draw a little nearer to it.” –Charles Dickens, Christmas Ghosts

The Croning Review ~ Part Deux‏

~ by Marie Robinson

So last week I wrote up a review on Laird Barron's new novel, The Croning.  In relation to that review (which I seemed to have posted a bit prematurely), Mr. Barron, himself, was kind enough to answer a few questions for me!!

FWF:  What research did you do for this book?

LB:  I researched the history of the Olympia, WA region, and the Pacific NW in general; something I do for most of my stories that are set in those areas. I also looked into several international intelligence agencies--chiefly the CIA and Nation Security Agency.

FWF:  What is your favorite occult film?

LB:  The Exorcist and Session 9.

FWF:  What sparked your fascination with fear?

LB:  I’m not certain what the root cause might be, I only know that the attraction began in early childhood. My family read voraciously. We also entertained ourselves by telling stories--I discovered I had a talent for spooking my brothers with tales of the macabre and the uncanny. Perhaps I took a bit too much encouragement from their fright.

FWF:  A few of your stories feature a strong bond between protagonist and canine companion. We here at FWF are certainly huge animal lovers, would you say the same for yourself?

LB:  I love animals and have a soft spot for dogs in particular. My loyal companion Athena is a ten year old pit bull mix I rescued as a puppy. She’s been with me through thick and thin this past decade.

*Again, check out his new novel, The Croning, or any work of his if you haven't yet!! In my review I attached a link where you can read his story featured in Nightmare Magazine for FREE!!!

I would like to thank Mr. Barron for doing this for our humble little blog. Stay scary, dude!

Excision (2012): AnnaLynne McCord Deserves An Oscar.

It's not that Excision is an Academy Award-caliber film. It's really not. But AnnaLynne McCord (of Nip/Tuck and 90210 fame) puts forth one of the bravest and disturbing performances I've seen in quite some time.

Pauline (McCord) is a socially awkward eighteen year old with some pretty strange fetishes, and not just for someone her age.  She is obsessed with blood and has wild, unrestrained dreams at night about dissecting people, sex with naked corpses, bathing in blood - well, you get the picture.

By day she is a caustic teen with a terrible grudge against her dad (because he gave her herpes by giving her mouth to mouth while saving her as a drowning child - gee, what WILL they think of next?) and an even worse attitude with her mother (played to acerbic perfection by genre fave, Traci Lords).

It must be said, it's really hard to believe that McCord could actually be uglied up so much. I mean, she played a cold-hearted vixen on Nip/Tuck, and it's my understanding she played the same on the new version of 90210. It's almost hard to recognize her here and to be honest, her transformation is just about as impressive as Charlize Theron in Monster. To prove my point, I give you a pic from Excision and a pic of McCord all dolled-up, side by side >>

So anyway, Pauline goes about her daily life, which consists of attempting to find someone to take her virginity while she's having her period, trying to gain her controlling mother's love while at the same time pummeling her with vicious commentary, and dreaming of sexual gratification through the mutilating of human flesh.  This is a girl who pulls out a tampon and studies it fervently, while we watch.  I'm serious.
Yeah, nice girl.  And you thought May had problems...

The one thing Pauline does love is her younger sister Grace, who has cystic fibrosis and is in need of a lung transplant sooner rather than later. This piques Pauline's interest and her desire to become a surgeon no doubt stems from the need to help her sister. However, Pauline doesn't pay attention in class, and becomes violent enough on one occasion that she gets expelled from school - hence ending her surgical aspirations.

Traci Lords is very good as Phyllis, the struggling mother who finally admits that she can't love Pauline.  Try as she might, she just cannot accept her for anything other than the disturbed and potentially sociopathic head-case that she most certainly is.  She doesn't want to give up on her daughter, and attempts to normalize her by having her go to a cotillion (you mean they still have those?) and sending her to counseling with the local minister (a delicious cameo by John Waters!).  But Pauline always finds a way to ruin her mother's bid for structure and balance.
Roger Bart (Hostel 2, The Midnight Meat Train) is equally as commendable as Pauline's herpes-laden pops, Bob. You can tell he wants to help his older daughter but wrestles with conflicting emotions regarding her mental health and ability to actually love.

On the outside, Pauline doesn't even seem to want to fit in, as she behaves unspeakably in nearly every situation. She asks bizarre sexual questions in class, vomits on one of the "popular" girls and shoves another's head into the lockers. She talks to God on a regular basis, but not to pray - instead she tries to justify her wrong-doings and asks for forgiveness in advance of her bad deeds.  At first she seems to not even believe in a higher power, but as time goes by it really seems like deep down she is just trying to get his "okay".
She constantly schemes new ways to be unstable - and this becomes abundantly clear when we see her find a dead bird on the sidewalk, take it home, and proceed to dichotomize it and take out its organs.  You know something bad is imminent at this point.
But as much as Pauline seems like a hard-ass on the surface, deep down I think she just wants to be loved. She unfortunately hears her mother's breakdown and verbal admission that she is unable to love Pauline, and we see that this realization affects her fiercely, perhaps sending her even further down into the rabbit hole.

I'm not sure how much more I can say without spoiling the ending, so I'll just stop the synopsis there. To say this is a strange film would be an understatement. At times a very black comedy, Excision at its core is a story of a very disturbed girl with underlying mental issues brought to the surface by the stressors in her life and the realization that she will never fit in due to her weird fetishes and crazed obsessions.

And when I say AnnaLynne McCord deserves an Oscar, I mean it.  Of course the fact that this film is horror completely omits it from any end-of-year honors - but we don't need high-end prizes in horror - we know what's good when we see it.  And though Excision isn't a thoroughly amazing film - and in fact drags at times...sometimes a film is as good as its talent.  And the talent here shines.