Abandoned facilities such as mental institutions are an often used location in horror films .  It wasn't much different with the recent " What Movie Wednesday " winner, " Room 33 ". When their vehicle runs out of gas, a female roller derby team, and the couple they offered a ride to are forced to take shelter for the night in an abandoned mental institution .  They soon meet Roxy - a scared teenager with a mysterious connection to the facility... and the killer that is now stalking them from the shadows ... The premise, while not what one could call "original" these days is still one that promises potential.  The actual story used, however is pretty shallow and amounts to tedious repetition of characters being scared, concerned for Roxy, being bitchy and being killed.  There is very little in the way of emotionally engaging moments... or scares even.  The opportunities to explore the reasons for what was happening were wasted- rather than clear t

Two of the creatures of the night that seem to be pitted against each other in horror movies are werewolves and vampires.  This was no different back in the 1970's than it is now... Elvira and Genevieve are searching for the grave of a medieval murderess and alleged vampiress when they are stuck in the middle of nowhere.  Fortunately, Count Daninsky lives nearby in a secluded castle.  He offers to help them search for the tomb... but only because within it may lay the key to curing of his curse.  It seems the Count is an immortal werewolf ... " The Werewolf vs Vampire Women " (original title, " La Noche de Walpurgis ") is a Spanish horror film that helped to create a horror movie boom in Spain . The premise is actually one that kinda makes me shake my head.  Not because it's stupid or anything- but rather because such pairings tend to lead to a rather silly movie.  And when one stops and examines this movie, it is rather silly... or course, tha

One of the perennial favorites when it comes to horror in general is Edgar Allan Poe.  His tales of the macabre and the unusual provide fertile soil for directors and actors when it comes to cultivating the heebie jeebies in people... Edgar is a quiet, retiring sort of person- much too shy of a person to ask his beautiful neighbour out for a date.  On the advice of his friend Carl , Edgar asks Betty out... only to find out later that the two have started an affair behind his back.  Taking matters into his own hands, he soon discovers that the heartbeat of guilt is a difficult one to stop... This " What Movie Wednesday " winner (part of last Wednesday's double feature), is a loose adaptation of Poe's famouse short story .  While there are several major differences between this movie and the source material, the spirit and core premise is still there.  For such a simple movie, the story is strong and solid.  Normally, the ending (similar to that of " Point

  This past " What Movie Wednesday " was a double feature (something that seems to be rather common here in The Corner), and the first one I'll be reviewing is Dario Argento 's " The Hatchet Murders " (originally titled " Profondo Rosso "- " Deep Red ").   Marcus is a pianist who becomes a witness to a grisly murder.  Soon, he finds himself following a trail of clues that will lead him to a shocking confrontation with the killer... but may cost him his life .   Dario Argento is well known in the horror community for his movies " Suspiria " (1977) " Opera" (1987), and " Dawn of the Dead " (1979 as producer)- and deservedly so.  His movies tend to have a quality about them that sets them apart from most horror films .   The premise of " The Hatchet Murders " is simple and effective.  The story is well paced, interesting, and engaged my mind nicely.  Not once did I sit there not want

Sometimes, I wish I had a twin to take my place at things I don't want to attend- like meetings, lectures, work, etc.  But sometimes, I'm rather glad that I don't have a twin... Jennifer has a great life: a boyfriend who loves her, a good job, a nice home, and a baby on the way... and she recently discovered that she has an identical twin sister.  Too bad her twin wants to steal Jennifer's identity and life ... " Twisted Sisters " is one of those films that has moments of interest, but is seriously flawed in pretty much everything else.  The premise is okay, but the actual plot has some serious holes in its logic... and characters. Mostly the characters... especially the cops. I really did not like the cops.  For one thing, considering that Jennifer's boyfriend's dad is a well known Barrister, you'd think the cops would do everything they could to operate within the law.  Unfortunately, these cops don't.  They barge into her apartment w

Zombies are the big rage right now.  Movies, protests in the form of Zombie Walks, games, and books... " Zombies: The Complete Guide to the World of the Living Dead " by Zachary Graves explores they history and evolution of zombies- from their Voodoo origins as undead slaves through to the hungry undead rising up due to a virus or other causes.  It covers the myths and superstitions surrounding zombies, as well as real cases of purported voodoo creates zombies.  This book also discuss how movies and books have helped the zombie to evolve into one of our favorite monsters- including a look at Frankentein's monster. This book isn't very long, but is full of interesting information and is a great starting point for zombie afficionados, who wish to learn more about this genre of monster mythology.  It's logically broken down into sections that are laid out in an easy to read and digest fashion.  While far from being a truly "complete" guide to zombies

Hey folks, Jay and Shawn (from "We Came From the Basement") asked me to check out this short film called "Hunter", which was written and directed by Ryan Shovey.  So, I decided to take a look see. Well, I'm impressed- nicely impressed.  I'm not going to dissect this film, for the simple fact that this is actually the first eleven minutes of a proposed feature length version.  If the full movie gets made, I will certainly be keeping my eyes open for it so that I can review it here. So far, this film has been shown at two film festivals, will be shown at another... and are awaiting approval for screenings at four others.  I'm hoping they do get shown and bring more attention to the crew's work. Ryan's goal is to raise $50,000.00 in order to produce the full length feature.  if you want to help out, visit him at his KickStarter page, and pledge some money in order to get this awesome short extended to a wonderful full length film!

When I do my " What Movie Wednesday ," I find myself struggling to find witty, funny, or informative things to tweet as I'm watching the winner.  Other times... the movie provides fuel for tweets that have people crying from laughter... A serum that could help transplant patients has been stolen and beautiful women are being murdered- with their organs removed.  An investigative reporter becomes involved in the case and finds that a respected doctor has a dark secret to hide ... This was a fun movie to tweet along to- but mostly because there was so much to poke fun at.  This reworking of the classic " Frankenstein " story does a decent job storywise, but does suffer from some serious holes in its logic.  For instance, if the serum is so important, why is it kept in a beaker in an unlocked fridge in  its creator's office?  How did Frankenstein manage to construct a secret lab in the hospital where he works? How was he able to get the body parts withou

During my life, I've only come across ONE movie that enraged me, and made me so angry that I literally growl and mutter profanities at the mere mention of " Mulholland Drive " (2001).  Well, I recently found another movie to add to the "Rage List".. A nightclub singer has been having nightmares about beautiful women he knows being killed.  Soon, however, he discovers that they may be more than nightmares ... " Point of Terror "- one of this week's " What Movie Wednesday " winners, is a crap film.  That's right, a crap film.  Other than two of the women- the redheaded lady friend with the nice butt and the music exec's wife's daughter, I didn't really give a rat fart about the characters.  They were shallow, callous, and melodramatic.  I wanted them all to die, pretty much. The acting was melodramatic and soap operatic.  Dyanne Thorne (the music exec's wife), Lory Hansen (the daughter), Paula Mitchell (the redh