Sunday Bloody Sunday

Bride of Re-Animator



Phantasm



House of Wax (2005)



The Relic



The Blob (1988)

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Night of the Demons



The Burning



Maniac



Frozen



Demons

Horror's Sentimental Journey

In the world of horror, there isn't much tenderness or expression of feeling. Why not? Because it's a damn HORROR movie, that's why.

But there are some instances of actual emotion and warmth.
Behold, my favorite sentimental scenes in horror:



Frankenstein (1931)
Never mind that he's going to throw her in the water five seconds from this moment.
Frankie met a friend, and couldn't we all use one of those?



The Village (2004)
My favorite romantic scene in a horror movie comes at this moment of quietness on a porch.
Not a lot of dialogue, but a boatload of emotion. Well played, and yes, I did tear up during this scene.



Pumpkinhead (1988)
Aww, this scene is so poignant. Poor little Billy Harley. As his daddy holds him one last time, it's hard not to choke up a bit. And wish for vile vengeance against those a-hole teenagers.



The Others (2001)
Grace's husband comes back from the war - or does he? The two share a long overdue reunion, only to discover he may have never been there in the first place. A sorrowful bit of film that always gets to me.



The Sixth Sense (2001)
I still get a lump in my throat when Cole finally tells his mom about his ability - and then proceeds to mention something that was said by Lynn's (dead) mother that only she would know. A powerful, yet tearful few minutes in film.



The Evil Dead (1981)
Who else thinks it's hokey yet sweet when Ash gives his beloved the necklace? Try to forget you've seen the rest of the film, in which Ash has to kill Deadite Linda when she succumbs to Kandarian demons. Yeah, makes that necklace seem all the more important.



Let the Right One In (2008)
When you love someone, age isn't usually a barrier. But being alive usually helps. In Eli and Oskar's case, however, love knows no bounds. This scene above is proof, even though the entire movie is a love letter to sentiment - you just have to know where to look.



The Shining (1980)
In a rare moment of tenderness, Jack Torrance (already under the influence of the Overlook) gives Danny a loving hug. Danny, however, does not seem to reciprocate. Hmm....



I Am Legend (2007)
Because I couldn't put a pic of the moment when Sam died - because it gets me right in the gut - I instead chose this pic of the two friends bedding down for the night, to the sound of the roaring Darkseeker crowd outside.



Stephen King's IT (1990)
"Your hair is winter fire. January embers. My heart burns there, too."
Enough said.



Ghost Story (1981)
After a lovely sundae for two and a stroll in the rain, Alma and Don come back to her place for a little rendezvous. Too bad she is a vengeful ghost. Always spoils the fun.



From Hell (2001)
In a movie as dark as this one, it's really hard to see anything even remotely affectionate, but Johnny Depp and Heather Graham manage one steamy moment in a grungy alley, and it's the only true emotional moment in the film.



Friday the 13th (1980)
Steve likes Alice. See the way he touches her face when he says 'thanks, Alice'. What a tender moment... Too bad Alice has the hots for Bill instead. Too bad both Steve and Bill end up dead anyway.



Carrie (1976)
Didn't you just for a minute....think things might work out okay? That Carrie and Tommy might just fall in love and everything will be coming up roses? When they stand on stage, holding hands and accepting the king and queen crowns... And then all hell breaks loose.



Dawn of the Dead (2004)
One of the calmest moments in the thrill ride that is DOTD is Frank, accepting his imminent death and saying good bye to his daughter. Touching, depressing, intense, and hard to watch.



Psycho II (1983)
My favorite moment in one of my favorite movies is when Norman, realizing he is slipping into insanity again, turns to Mary for comfort. He relays a story about his mother making him toasted cheese sandwiches, which sounds ridiculous, but it works. Cue the violins.



Jaws (1975)
Winner of my Most Sentimental Moment in a Horror Movie award, this scene from Jaws is what got me thinking about this post to begin with. It's such a touching segment in the film, when father and son do their little copycat routine, and end with Brody asking for a kiss, to which his son asks why? He responds with "cause I need it". And he does. After all, he's got one big mother of a shark to hunt.

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Hatchet



Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me



Masters of Horror: Sick Girl



Bad Taste



House by the Cemetery

Random Notes For A Late Monday Evening...

So here we are again with more rambling nonsense from yours truly.

First things first, I now have over 200 followers. That may not seem like much, but to me it's crazy. To imagine that 200 people actually (pretend to) give a shit about what I write - well, that's pretty exciting. After all, I started this blog in March of 2008 as an outlet for myself to write about what I was most passionate about. Not only did I have no clue yet how many blogs about horror were out already there, but I didn't expect anyone but my family and friends to read mine. And lord knows only a select few of them even care about Pirahna 3D or the upcoming fourth Scream installment.

Horrorblips is dead. This does sadden me, not because I believed in their ratings system. It was pretty much crap (even though I did at one point hit number 3). But because many of us bloggers went there on a daily basis to see what was new, to find what our favorites were blogging about at the moment, and to discover new blogs. It is disappointing that one day it's there, the next - kaput. I don't know of any other sites that list individual posts/articles like that one, and if there is one, kindly let me know.
For now, discovering new blogs must be left in the capable hands of the Horror Blogger Alliance.

I've been asked to write for Fangoria.com!
I didn't want to start this post out by saying that, at the risk of being completely pretentious and obnoxious. But there it is. Thanks to my very good friend Kristy Jett (who took it upon herself to hype me) I am lucky enough to now be associated with one of the biggest names in American horror journalism. No, I will not be in the print magazine (that's a dream for another day) but I will be adding my two cents to the Fango Flashback section of the website. Hopefully my first review will be up soon - a nostalgic trip down memory lane to...
Nope, not gonna tell you just yet.

In another fantabulous, awe-inspiring, and certainly shameless self promotion: I've been asked to contribute to an upcoming issue of Paracinema magazine.
Now this one really means a lot to me, because I am so taken with this magazine you can't imagine. It's so well written and has truly unique and interesting articles about cult films, horror, exploitation cinema and much more. There is no way I'm leaking what I'm writing about, so don't ask. I only hope to live up to the talent and brilliance of the other contributors of this fascinating publication.
If you've never read an issue, get off the couch and get your credit card - cause now is the time. Go here and get them before they are gone!

I have actually been to three movies in the last month - at the theater. This is an amazing feat to be sure. I've been working too many hours at my day job (they took my day off away from me, dammit!) and it's been hard to find the time. I hate the movies on the weekends, it just drives me mad to sit with an entire theater full of numbskulls (read: ignorant teenagers) and have to watch their cellphones flashing the entire time or the inappropriate laughter which fully indicates they aren't watching the film, they are getting their rocks off. Ugh.

Anyway, I've been to see Piranha 3D, The Last Exorcism, and my favorite of the three, Machete. I have a review of Machete in the wings, I just can't seem to formulate the right words about it yet. Suffice it to say I think it's been my favorite film so far this year, and it isn't even a horror film. Exploitation to the max, and Danny Trejo kicked major ass!
Oh, and drifting away from relevancy somewhat: Robert Rodriguez is one hot property. Whoa.

Recently The Mike, over at From Midnight, With Love, did a feature on his blog about The Most Essential Cult Films Of The 70's. He actually asked anyone who was interested to send him a list ranking their top five cult films of that decade - and the votes/rankings came pouring in. Being a mostly straight forward horror fan, my list was pretty much all locked into that genre, and you can view it here. There were some great votes out there - and some differing opinions on just what makes a film "cult". But I stand by my list, and in the end, I think the final results speak for themselves. Great job, Mike. Highly entertaining!

Over at Zombo's Closet of Horror, the illustrious John Cozzoli ran a month-long+ feature called "My Halloween", in which he asks five simple questions about the favorite holiday of most of us bloggers out there.
To read my answers, click here. But definitely check out the answers of the vast assemblage of contributors as well, to find out just what makes us love October 31st so much.

Oh dear lord, this Sunday brings a sadness upon me that I only feel once a year. The season finale of True Blood. Despite what others have said about it being an uneven year for the wildly popular vamp & tramp show, I think it's been a whoo-yea type of year, and I'm looking forward to season 4 more than ever.

Unanswered questions abound, like what kind of trouble will this whole "fairy" revelation bring to Sookie's life? Will Lafayette succumb to the voodoo that his boy-toy obviously has him dabbling in? Will Sam ever catch a goddamned break? Have we seen the last of his wayward redneck family? Does Bill's secret ever come out? Will Jessica and Hoyt live happily ever after - or not live, as the case may be? Will Arlene's child be the spawn of Satan? Will Tara ever stop whining? Does Jason turn into a were-panther or simply another pussy? Will Pam get a love interest or just another new pair of Christian Louboutins? What happened to Lettie May? Who will replace the soon-to-be-toast Russell Edgington as the go-to villain? Will Eric finally bed Ms. Stackhouse? How long will it be till Sook sleeps with the hot (literally) werewolf Alcide and realize he is by far the nicest (and most alive) of the bunch?
And my biggest question? Did I really see Godric in the season finale trailer?

And lastly, I have to thank Unkle Lancifer over at Kindertrauma, one of my favorite blogs by the way. Upon his gracious invitation, he and I recently did a two-part post about our favorite (and least favorite) horror homes.
So if you think you might like the house from Let's Scare Jessica to Death as much as the two of us do, or if you get chills just thinking about Cabrini-Green, then follow the links and check out our lists. Go here now: Kindertrauma / Fascination With Fear .

Okay, I'm done rambling for now.

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Hostel




The Stink of Flesh




Otto (Up With Dead People)




Triage




Guinea Pig 2: Flower of Flesh and Blood

Open House: Big Names For Ten Minutes, Big Mess For Seventy-Eight More...

The main draw to this movie for most who see it on the DVD shelf at their local Wal Mart- in particular because of the DVD cover, is the presence of Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin of True Blood fame. However, don't get your hopes too high. I'm here to tell you they are only in the film for maybe a combined ten minutes. Hell, one of the main stars of the film isn't even on the cover!

Open House is written and directed by Andrew Paquin, and yes- of course that is Anna's brother. What do you do to get attention thrown at your first film attempt? You get your wildly popular sister and her co-star/significant other (now spouse) to give up about a half hour of their time to make cameo appearances.
What we have here is a thriller/horror film that works only marginally well. I doubt I'll ever see it again, due to the fact that if I ever need a Moyer fix I can just pull out my True Blood DVDs.

Alice (Rachel Blanchard) and Josh (Moyer) are in the midst of a divorce, and when we first meet Alice she is attempting to sell the house they lived in to be rid of the bad memories. A real estate agent has been showing the house on a regular basis, though Alice still lives there for the time being.
One day, Alice becomes the victim of a strange sort of home invasion. While the house was being shown, someone enters the house and hides in the basement. Bad thing is, this someone is one half of a serial killing couple. The good news? He has decided to spare her life. When Alice is finally home, David (Brian Geraghty, whom I recognized from The Hurt Locker) springs out from nowhere and hides Alice away in the basement crawl space. Soon we meet Lila (Tricia Helfer, Battlestar Galactica), the other half of the psychotic pair. They settle into the house as if it's theirs and make themselves comfortable.
Seems a strange way to find a house, but hey - to each his own.

When Josh comes by to pick up his golf clubs and to check the hot tub (because apparently all exes are still required to come fix broken down appliances and such...?) he finds the mysteriously beautiful Lila taking a plunge. As you can only expect, she easily seduces Josh and while they are doing the nasty, David brings out a Michael Myers-esque knife and hands it to Lila so she can promptly stab Josh in the neck, killing him. (Seriously? They couldn't have finished first?) The next line of business? Dragging the body to the basement and dismembering it with a saw (off camera) while Alice has to listen. She sees that it's Josh through the cracks in the wall, and has a silent sobbing spell.

David's character takes a page right from The Strangers. His affect and mannerisms are so detached, so limp - immediately reminding me of the three apathetic sociopaths from that home invasion flick. He doesn't even have the chutzpah of the nutjobs from Funny Games. There's just nothing there. His vapid personality is actually rather well played, as he shuffles randomly around the house, always shifting his eyes as if bewildered by what he has become.

It quickly becomes obvious that Lila wears the pants in their relationship, and that all is not as it seems. When she isn't traipsing around in her four inch spike heels, she orders him around and tells him what to do with nearly every breath, yet she snuggles up to him and beckons him to follow her "upstairs" to her bedroom, as the two are not using the same sleeping quarters for some reason. She continues to say things like "aren't you glad I'm back?" and "We both have to change, David"... confusing at times for those of us watching them interact.

Lila seemingly works outside the home for a living, always heading out in the morning. David (who is always typing away on his laptop when not making dinner or stabbing people) decides to allow Alice to get out of her basement confines and hang out upstairs with him (in chains of course). Naturally Lila tries to use psychology with him, tempting him into thinking she just might leave with him if he lets her go and leaves Lila for good.

David isn't stupid though, and when Alice's housekeeping staff comes to the door, he's not fooled when Alice tries to ask them to leave, telling them she'll still pay them. She writes them out a check, which of course has 'call the police' written on it. Just as you think her ridiculous plan is going to work (as one of the mexican employees does speak and read English and sees her plea), David shows up and stabs the man several times, then slits the housekeeper's throat as well. Immediate guilt for the murders afterward and his anger because of Alice's deception prompts David to beat the hell out of her with his belt and take her back to the basement.

There are several moments in the script where you know they meant to scare you. But it was all just so darn predictable. Once, when David allows Alice upstairs to shower, Lila comes home early and they have to hide Alice in a closet. Of course that is when the realtor comes back and is unable to find Alice. When he finds Lila instead and she tries to woo him unsuccessfully, Mr. Century 21 bites it as well.

Eventually though, Alice seems to convince David that he is stronger than he thinks, and that he should be able to leave Lila and never look back. She lays it on thick, even making David believe her lies enough to pack a suitcase for the both of them. He truly begins to have feelings for Alice, and yet we can see right through her charade. We know when she gets the chance, she's gonna retaliate. David even tucks a video of Alice and her ex-husband in happier times into the suitcase, so we are to assume he is regretful for his actions and wants Alice to have a reminder of her dead (and packed away in pieces in a cooler in the basement) hubby.
Unfortunately, Lila finds the suitcase.

Honestly, there isn't much more I can say to actually convince you to give this a try. The acting really isn't bad, it's just that the script is hollow and pointless and has been done in a hundred different ways and a thousand different scenarios. Nothing new. Even Anna Paquin's five minutes on screen as a friend of Alice's aren't life-changing in any way shape or form - as a matter of fact her entire sequence was utterly meaningless. As for Moyer, as usual he is electric for his few minutes on screen, but if you're looking for something of his to get excited about (besides his bloody turn on True Blood), go rent Restraint. A much better thriller.

Assuming the ending was intended to be a bit of a twist, it really had no effect on me at all. I figured it out about fifteen minutes in, and you will too- it's not rocket science.
That being said, if you're a fan of the ever-popular Lifetime Movie of the Week, you're in for a real treat.