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Showing posts from 2011

Halloween (1978 & 2007)

I'm doing something a little differant today in order to celebrate Halloween... I'm doing a Double Bill Review of the classic John Carpenter movie " Halloween ," and Rob Zombie's 2007 remake. First up, let's look at the original John Carpenter movie from 1978.  Simply put, this is classic horror movie storytelling at its finest.  The story is tight, interesting, and well crafted.  It's simple and bare bones- it doesn't try to bring in unnecessary plot twists or even try to make the world complicated.  It knows what it wants to do- and does it.  It scares you. The acting is great in this movie.  Donald Pleasence was simply a pleasure to watch as the Dr. Sam Loomis.  His eyes at the end express so much that it's just amazing.  P.J. Soles as Linda and Nancy Loomis as Annie were well cast, and looked great in the roles.  Their characters were unique, well formed, and likable.  Nick Castle, who played Michael Meyers, was simply awesome.  With no

Insidious (2011)

  I'm a real fan of ghost stories and ghost oriented movies- which would explain why movies like, " The Woman in Black ," " Poltergeist ," " The Amityville Horror ," " The Changeling ," " The Others ," and the " Paranormal Activity " franchise appeal to me.  I'm always interested when I hear a new one is coming out, and get really excited when I find one that is really well done.  But that's not to say that all of them are great.  Some do have some flaws that are hard to ignore. Josh and Renai Lambert have moved into a new house with their three children when their son, Dalton suffers a fall and slips into a coma.  When strange phenomena begin to occur, the family moves again in the hopes of escaping the haunting.  Unfortunately, things get worse in their new home until a paranormal investigator reveals that Dalton is lost in the astral plane, and that spirits are attracted to the house by the possibil

The Amityville Horror (1979)

When it comes to movies, the horror genre is one of the few where houses are as much a character as the humans.  Certain houses are immediately identifiable with certain movies: The Meyers house from John Carpenter's " Halloween "; Nancy's house from Wes Craven's " A Nightmare on Elm St "; Norman Bate's house from Alfred Hitchcock's " Psycho "; and The Lutz home from any " Amityville Horror " movie. George and Kathy Lutz have just moved into 112 Ocean Ave- where a brutal mass murder had occured just the year before.  Soon, however, their dream house becomes a house of horrors and the couple must fight to protect their children from the evil that resides with them... and keep it from causing history to repeat itself... There has always been controversy regarding the background for the movie, since it's based on a book documenting the experiences of the real-life Lutz family.  Because of this controversy,

"Carol Ann's Theme" From "Poltergeist" (1982)

I think when people think of the word "poltergeist," they automatically think of the 1982 classic, the phrase, "They're heeere!" and this song. Why do I like this "Carol Ann's Theme" from the movie, "Poltergeist"?  Well, it's a beautiful melody- almost a lullaby that echos the sweetness and innocence of the little girl Carol Ann, who was played by Heather O'Rourke.  It's soothing, and gentle... but haunting at the same time- hinting at the supernatural elements circling around Carol Ann.  You're lulled into a sense of comfort and ease, before having that comfort disturbed by the errie laughter of children at the end.  When I hear that part, I always shiver, since I can't help imagining the darkened hallway outside my room being inhabited by ghostly children playing tag up and down its length. Simply put, it's a piece of music that deserves its place in horror movie music history.  This is one of those songs I

Xquisite Corpse 2011 Chapters 6 to 8

Some of you may be wondering where last week's summary was... and possibly where ANY of my posts have been the past week.  Well, due to technical difficulties inside and outside the corner (e-mail, having to re-install Windows), and beginning a graveyard shift job, it's been a little crazy here.  So, without any further ado, I bring you the lastest summary of William Castle's 2011 Xquisite Corpse story! The story so far: Johnnie Moon has a gift- a gift that winds up costing him a leg and his Harley.  A mysterious woman with black hair calls out to him through the gift... but to what end?  What importance does she and Johnnie have to the fate of the world?  While allowing Johnnie the opportunity to avoid disaster at one turn, will the gift bring him nothing but horror at the next?  Having just barely escape death, Johnnie is now forced to take the long road to his destiny with the black haired woman in his visions.  On the way, he comes across the auburn h

Kenneyville (2010)

I tend to favor independently produced horror films over the larger Hollywood studio ones... and I tend to favor Canadian independently produced horror films even more.  They tend to offer more in the way of potential for original ideas and underappreciated talent.  Of course, some show potential, but don't necessarily reach its fullness of being. While investigating the disappearance of a Toronto woman, Kelly and Charlie discover a clue that leads them to the small town of Kenneyville.  Things turn ugly and desperate when the pair is jumped, and Kelly is kidnapped.  Now, her partner, aided by a local named Donovan, must find her before she suffers the same fate as the woman they set out to find... I found " Kenneyville " to be a bit of a hit and miss type of movie.  There are some elements that are spot on and extremely well done, while there are others that are just less than stellar.  When creating a surreal, dream-like feeling, or a real feeling of unease, they

Dog Soldiers (2002)

In this era of vampire soap operas (ie- " The Vampire Diaries "), and emo teen vampires (ie- " The Twilight Saga "), it's nice to see that at least the werewolves still tend to be pretty bad ass. Private Cooper and his squad are on a training exercise when they come across another squad that's been brutually slaughtered.  The lone surivivor- a Captain Ryan, hints that there was a secret agenda to the exercise as the group flees from a vicious attack. Soon, they're stuck in a cabin with a zoologist name Megan, as they're stalked one by one by werewolves... " Dog Soldiers ," simply put is a fun film to watch. There is some excellent camera work and shots in this film.  One of the best shots is when three werewolves show up behind Megan.  The lighting and the use of shadow made the shot just gorgeous to look at.  During the action scenes, there are some fabulous camera angles and movement that really helped to create a sense of urgenc

Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001)

As a horror fan, I love when a movie incorporates history into its story. Gregoire de Fronsac and his Iroquois partner Mani are sent to the french province of Gevaudan to hunt and capture a beast that has been attacking people.  During his investigations, Fronsac meets Marianne and the mysterious Sylvia.  As clues start to gather and Fronsac gets closer to learning the truth, he and his friends find themselves trapped in the clutches of a conspiracy that could shake the foundations of the nation... " Brotherhood of the Wolf " centers around a very famous and very real "beast" case from France.  Between 1764 to about 1767, a series of attacks by some beast were recorded around the very real province of Gevaudan.  By the end of the creature's reign, 113 people were killed, and 49 injured.  Many claim that it was a pack of wolves, a hyena... and even that Jean Chastel- who is famed as the slayer of the Beast of Gevaudan, WAS the beast. I'm not normall

The Presence (Heather Graham)

Normally, I wouldn't read books by authors primarily known for writing romance novels.  However, there are two that I do read- Catherine Coulter, because she her "FBI Thriller" series is well written, and Heather Graham's supernatural series. When Toni and her friends buy an old castle so they can operate tours of the place, they decide to create a fictional laird of the manor and reenact his brutal murder of his adulterous wife.  Unfortunately, the real master of the house arrives and interupts their well intentioned plans.  This wouldn't be so bad if Toni wasn't be haunted by a ghostly figure... who looks exactly like the real laird.  Soon, Toni, laird MacNiall, and her friends are drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse as a killer stalks the forest nearby... a killer that may be getting too close to Toni... " The Presence " is the second in Heather Graham's supernatural themed, " Harrison Investigations " series.  I enjoyed

"Tubular Bells" From "The Exorcist" (1973)

  Not too long ago, I discussed the theme from John Carpenter's " Halloween " .  Well, today, I'm going to put down my thoughts on another easily recognizable theme song from another easily recognizable horror movie.  The song is titled, " Tubular Bells ," and is from the 1973 classic, " The Exorcist ".  The song was composed by Mike Oldfield, and is another one of those simple, yet extremely effective pieces of music that create a real atmosphere in a movie. The scoring is essentially what the title says- tubular bells repeating the same melody- almost like a music box... but overlapped by a simple repetitious piano melody as well with some wood winds and an electric guitar added for spice.  The bells give the song a real etheral feel- and almost ghostly and dreamlike feel to it, while the guitar solo brings an almost sinister discord to the piece.  The grinding sound of the guitar contrasts excellently with the softer sound of the bells

The Shining (1980)

If you listen to " Film Reviews From the Basement ," on Friday night (07 Oct 2011), you will have heard my verbal review of Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film, " The Shining ".  If you're a regular reader of my blog, then you would've read my review of Stephen King's book- which this movie is based on.  To round things out properly, I'm going to do a bit of a recap and expansion of my movie review today... simply because I can. I just want it known right off the bat that I DON'T hate Kubrick's films.  In fact, there are a few that I actually enjoy: " Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Bomb " (1964); " A Clockwork Orange " (1971); and " Full Metal Jacket " (1987) As you can probably guess (if you didn't hear the radio show Friday night) from its absence, " The Shining " is not one of the ones I liked.  Now, before I get lynched by Stanley Kubrick and Jack Nich

Xquisite Corpse 2011 Chapters 4 & 5

Monday rolls around and thoughts turn to work... and my latest summary of William Castle's 2011 Xquisite Corpse project .  No need to wait, because here it is! The story so far: Johnnie Moon has a gift- a gift that winds up costing him a leg and his Harley.  A mysterious woman with black hair calls out to him through the gift... but to what end?  What importance does she and Johnnie have to the fate of the world?  While allowing Johnnie the opportunity to avoid disaster at one turn, will the gift bring him nothing but horror at the next?  Having just barely escape death, Johnnie is now forced to take the long road to his destiny with the black haired woman in his visions.  On the way, he comes across the auburn haired Raven and a child that will die if Johnnie doesn't act to deflect fate's fatal shot.  But Raven, her boyfriend, and the child may be more than he thinks... and could very well mean trouble he doesn't need... Rich Orth- who also wrote Chapter

The Shining (Stephen King)

I have a very special place in my heart for this particular book.  I first read it at my Aunt's isolated ranch in Vanderhoof, British Columbia.  Her and my Uncle lived about ten kilometers past the last hydro pole on a dirt road.  The house was essentially a log cabin at the base of a mountain.  I remember her giving me the book one night since she knew I enjoyed reading... and it introduced me to the world of horror. For that, I am forever thankful. Other than the fact that it was my primary experience with the horror genre, there are other reasons I liked it. Jack Torrence, his wife Wendy, and son Danny move into the Overlook Hotel as winter caretakers.  Having lost his job due to alcoholism, Jack hopes to start rebuilding his family's life- and to write a novel during the winter.  Soon, however, Danny and Jack learn that the hotel has a sinister past... and plans for them both... The characters in " The Shining " are very well crafted.  You came to care

It's a Classic!

We often hear movie critics (and advertizers) describing a movie as a "classic"- often with the descriptive "timeless" added onto it.  But what makes a horror movie a true "classic"? Is there a scale that details the criteria that needs to be met before a movie can be classified as a "classic"?  Are there mathematical equations that when tabulated and cross-referenced with a chart of quality to help us in naming a movie a "classic"? Nope. The truth of the matter is, the designation of "classic" is somewhat subjective- the definition varies from reviewer to reviewer.  With that in mind, I will do my best to give you my definition of what a "classic" is... First, let's consider the influence the movie had on the industry and genre.  Did the movie change how people looked at horror movies?  Did the movie change the way director's, etc shot and edit their films?  Did the movie change the way that techno

The Theme From John Carpenter's "Halloween" (1978)

It's day four of my first annual "Spookapolooza", and I felt like bringing you something a little different... a song. Music is often overlooked when assessing and reviewing a movie- but is often one of the key elements to creating the right mood and atmosphere... especially in horror movies.  In addition to the books and movies I'll be reviewing this month, I'm going to be bringing you specific songs from various horror movies, and letting you know why I like them. October, and Halloween wouldn't be the holiday we know and love if it didn't involve today's theme... from the classic 1978 horror movie "Halloween".  John Carpenter composed the music for the movie using a 5/4 meter, and a piano.  While it's been called, "relatively simple and unsophisticated," it is one of those themes that is effective and stays with you. Why do I like it personally?  Probably because of it's simplicity and how effective it is.  With

Xquisite Corpse 2011 Chapters 1 to 3

Some of you may be going, "HEY!  It's Monday!  Isn't this supposed to be the weekly summary of William Castle's 2011 " Scare It Forward! " stories?  What's this ' Xquisite Corpse ' stuff?"  Well, the answer to that is, quite simple:  For the third tale of terror this year, Mr. Castle is changing things up a bit.  Instead of having a unified theme in regards to the pictures accompaning the chapters- such as the postcards found in the other two this year, each picture will be completely different from each other... creating a macabre collage of words and images.  A Frankensteinian approach to story telling and illustration, if you will.  With the change in approach, comes a change in name.  So, without further ado, allow me to cobble together the first of my Xquisite Corpse 2011 summaries for you... The story so far: Johnnie Moon has a gift- a gift that winds up costing him a leg and his Harley.  A mysterious woman with black hair calls

The Company of Wolves (1984)

I have to thank my friend Jay (from " Film Reviews From the Basement ") for introducing me to this film years ago.  Not only is it an interesting look at the Little Red Riding Hood story, but an interesting werewolf anthology as well. On the cusp of entering womanhood, Rosaleen dreams that her family and her live in a fairtale forest... but one with hidden, dark secrets that will change her life forever.  For in the forest lives a wolf would wants to have her... and her grandmother who wants to warn her about "the wolf with no fur..."  " The Company of Wolves " is based on a short story by Angela Carter, with Carter co-writing the screenplay.  She'd also done a radio version of this story as well. This is a fantastic film in my opinion.  The camera work is very creative and interesting.  The editing creates a great pace for the story.  The lighting and colours are well done and really create a dream-like feel to things.  The costumes are well

Spookapolooza 2011 Begins!

  When my friend Jay (from " Film Reviews in the Basement ") and I were younger, we would throw some pretty mean Halloween paries.  We even did up posters to hand out to our friends advertizing our annual " Spookapolooza " festivities.  In honour of those great memories, I'm proud to introduce " The Corner of Terror's " first annual " Spookapolooza "! As part of the fun, I will be posting EVERY SINGLE DAY of October.  That's right- every day this month, there WILL be a post by me.  Won't that be fun, eh? Every Monday, you can expect my regular summary of William Castle's 2011 "Scare it Forward!" project - with one of the chapters actually being written by myself! On October 7th, I'll be appearing on the " Film Reviews From the Basement " radio show as a guest reviewer- and I'll be doing their live Twitter feed as well- check it out!  On the 8th, I'll be posting a special rev

The Monster of Phantom Lake (2007)

When I'm feeling down, I enjoy popping either an animated film, or a B-movie into the machine and watch it while nibbling on popcorn or cheesy poofs.  I was in that sort of mood when I sat down to watch, " The Monster of Phantom Lake "... Professor Jackson, and his assistant Stephanie are studying the local ecosystem of Phantom Lake, when they come across a new species of algae- algae that seems to have somehow combined with human DNA.  While they struggle to find the cause, a group of teens are having a campout nearby... only to be attacked by a plant-like humanoid figure.  Is THIS the source of the strange algae... and who will it kill next? " The Monster of Phantom Lake " is not intended to be a scary movie.  It is a humourous tribute to the classic, cheesy B-movies of the 1950's- and does it quite well. Like most of the B-movies of the 1950's, the camera work isn't complex- though there are some decent shots.  The editing was good at cre

Scare It Forward! (Tale Two) Chapters 11 & 12

Well, the final two chapters of William Castle's second 2011 "Scare It Forward!" tale have been posted... and I'm here with the final summary of this tale! The story so far: Rod "Hot Rod" McIntosh, is a guitarist with a taste for cocaine, liquor, and fast bikes.  During his band's performance one night, a mysterious woman gives him a note and a kiss.  Soon, Rod is faced with a growing horror as the woman stakes a claim on his soul.  Is this hellish nightmare a bad trip... or a fast trip to Hell? A night of passion turns into a nightmarish vision of shadowy death and and an creepy mystery for Rod after he meets, "Mindy".  Kisses land like feathers, and blood flows like wine in the fog of his memories from that night.  Who  IS  this mysterious woman... and what does she want with him?   Seeking answers to the fragmented questions about the strange night with "Mindy," Rod is on a journey to find

Bloodsucking Babes From Burbank (2006)

I am a fan of low budget horror movies.  I'm also af an of B-movies.  I also really enjoy some humour mixed with my horror.  When a movie combines these three things, I can be often found to sit, contented like a kitty cat with some catnip.  Unfortunately, not all of the horror movies that try to fit these three categories manages to do it effectively... Gary is helping his girlfriend Samantha with an archeology excursion to find a jewel box that was supposed to have been the property of a real life witch.  He finds the jewel box, and offers it to one of Samantha's rivals when Samantha refuses to show him the "proper appreciation" for it. Soon, however, Gary is on the run as women throughout Burbank start turning on men and eating them.  It's up to Gary, Samantha, a drifter and his girlfriend to retrieve the box and stop the carnage from spreading. This is actually going to be a pretty short review, since there isn't much to say about " Bloodsucking

Shadows of the Dead (2004)

Over the past decade, Vampires and Werewolves have been given a "humanized" treatment in movies and TV.  Rather than being the cold, sinister blood thirsty creatures of the night they used to be, they are now more human.  They have feelings, and a culture now- so much so that they're almost soap operatic in nature... and not as scary as they used to be when Mom would warn us about the vampire in the attic... One creature of the night that has pretty much stayed the same has been the zombie... except for one film that I found that looks at the zombie in a whole different light... John and Jennifer are a young couple hoping to enjoy a weekend away at their cabin.  After getting lost in the woods, they are attacked by a stranger who bites John.  Managing to escape, they reach their cabin and safety.  Unfortunately, they soon realize that some changes are taking place in their lives ... This movie presents us with an intellegent, and even thought provoking look at the

"Scare It Forward!" (Tale Two) Chapter 10

Well, gang- Monday has rolled around... another long start to a long week.  Fortunately, we have my weekly summary of William Castle's second " Scare It Forward! " tale to make the day go a little bit easier! The story so far: Rod "Hot Rod" McIntosh, is a guitarist with a taste for cocaine, liquor, and fast bikes.  During his band's performance one night, a mysterious woman gives him a note and a kiss.  Soon, Rod is faced with a growing horror as the woman stakes a claim on his soul.  Is this hellish nightmare a bad trip... or a fast trip to Hell? A night of passion turns into a nightmarish vision of shadowy death and and an creepy mystery for Rod after he meets, "Mindy".  Kisses land like feathers, and blood flows like wine in the fog of his memories from that night.  Who  IS  this mysterious woman... and what does she want with him?   Seeking answers to the fragmented questions about the strange night with

Red Riding Hood (2003)

Fairy tales have often provided inspiration for horror movies- being rather horrific when you read the original, un-Disneyfied versions (I can't forgive Disney for butchering the classic " Hunchback of Notre Dame ").  Sometimes, the influence is very direct, and other times a little more obsure. Jenny is a young girl left to her own devices in Rome after her father is killed, and step-mother leaves for whatever reason meets her fancy at the time.  She sees this as the perfect opportunity to bring Rome a bit of street level justice with the help of her canine friend, "George".  Unfortunately, a crush on her tutor, and her meddling grandmother are in the way of her dispensing her special kinda of justice... At first glance, you would expect the title to refer to a more direct adaptation of the story of Little Red Riding Hood... but you'd be wrong.  There are references to the story, but they aren't a major part of the story.  There is a grandmother, an