The Woman in Black(2012)

Being an avid fan of James Watkins' Eden Lake, it's only natural that I would be thrilled for his next film, The Woman in Black.  While it is a completely different picture, Watkins proves his versatility and that he can make a memorable movie of any genre.  It is is destined to be a horror favorite for the years to come and since the old fashioned style haunted house films aren't too common anymore, I'd venture to say that this is 2012's best of the horror genre.

Anyone who knows me knows that I despise jump scares.  They are cheap and add virtually nothing to the actual feeling of fear.  That being said, there are a few jump scares in this film but they aren't really used as a vehicle of fear.  It seems as though they are used to make the audience think the tension is over only to bring something much more frightening into play.  This movie relies on atmosphere and slow building suspense.

Anyways, let's get to the story.  Arthur Kipps(Daniel Radcliffe) is a lawyer sent to a remote village to take care of a deceased woman's estate.  After seeing things that he can't explain and experiencing the deaths of local children, he soon realizes that something awful is happening.  The conclusion is both terrifying and wonderful.

As you can see, I thought this film was wonderful and it really was a joy to see the old Hammer style brought back to life.  Daniel Radcliffe proves that there is life after Harry Potter and that he is a fine actor in general.  The script is beautiful and the direction is flawless.  Give it a go, you'll be happy you did.

9/10 stars.

The Wicker Tree(2010)

If you're a huge fan of 1973's The Wicker Man like I am(no, not that pitiful Nicolas Cage remake), then you have probably been eagerly awaiting this follow-up.  Its production was finished in 2010 but it didn't receive even a limited release until last Friday and a wide release is still pending.  Now, I know as well as anyone that lack of recognition doesn't make a bad film, but sadly, this is just that.  I wish I could tell you that that it's a worthy follow up to its predecessor but I would be blatantly lying to you.  Try to avoid this one.

Beth and Steve are two young Christian missionaries who are invited to a local festival in Tressock, Scotland.  Seeing it as an opportunity to share their love of Christ, they don't realize the resident's have a more sinister agenda.  Since this is a "re-imagining" of The Wicker Man, the story comes barreling toward one of the most predictable conclusions in the history of the silver screen.

The performances in The Wicker Tree aren't bad, and perhaps this is the fault of the script, but they aren't engaging enough to make you care about its characters by any means.  I thought director Robin Hardy would have had something much better up his sleeve but it has turned out to be a bust.  Word is that he is working on a third film in the series, hopefully it's better than this mess.

3/10 stars.

Take Shelter(2011)

As usual, I would venture to say that The Academy Awards are a joke this year.  So many films are overlooked because they're either not mainstream enough or they don't fit the perfect genre mold of the awards show.  I would say that Take Shelter is certainly one of those films.  It's not quite mainstream and its style won't necessarily appeal to the masses, but if this reviewer was in charge of the Oscar's, it would receive the best picture award.

Curtis(Michael Shannon) begins to have dreams and visions of an apocalyptic storm.  He becomes obsessed with fixing up his back yard's storm shelter.  Curtis' ultimate decision is whether he needs to work toward protecting his family or seek help for himself.  The conclusion will stay in your head for days after.

As I said earlier, this should have at least been considered for the best picture nomination.  Also, Michael Shannon's performance is incredible and should receive some form of recognition.  The direction and everything else is nearly flawless.  Since this film got a limited release and hasn't had its arrival on DVD announced yet, I hope you can see it soon, it's fantastic!

10/10 stars.

The Innkeepers(2012)

This slow building, crafty horror flick won't appeal to the modern ADD audience but any  true fan of the genre will be pleased with its throwback style.  When comparing it to other films, 1944's The Invited and the original version of The Haunting come to mind.  There are several other classics that The Innkeepers pays homage to, but I won't bore you with that.

Luke and Claire are the only two employees stuck with the task of working The Yankee Pedlar Inn's final weekend in business.  With only a couple guests and the second floor being the only one that hasn't been stripped, it seems that it is going to be a calm evening.  These assumptions are ruined when a strange old man checks in and refuses to sleep anywhere except a certain room on the third floor.  It all eventually leads to a frightening, ghost of a conclusion.

Director Ti West is really coming into his own with films like House of the Devil and now The Innkeepers.   I really hope he gets a chance to make dozens more films and that he isn't discouraged by the jaded, Tranformers fans out there.  Storytelling and actual suspense still matter to some of us!

8/10 stars. 

31-Day Horror Challenge Day Thirty One: Halloween III: Season of the Witch

I figured I would step away from being cliche reviewing 1978's Halloween and instead, review one of my other favorite films, Halloween III.  While I will still being watching Halloween and Halloween II, as I do every year, I figured this was the best option for review.  The original idea for the Halloween series was to create a completely different movie with a completely different story every year in an anthology style.  Great idea, right?  So why did it go wrong?  Well, because people were so mad that this film had nothing to do with Michael Myers that the producers were forced to go back to being unoriginal.  In fact, I have never heard a complaint about this film that didn't have to do with the fact that Michael Myers was not a part of it.  The hate is completely unfounded and people need to be able to look at this as the great standalone movie it is.  Now that that's out of my system, let's get to it.

After a strange murder/suicide occurs in a hospital ER, Dr. Dan Challis(Tom Atkins) decides to start an unofficial investigation into the matter.  After a lot of research and questions, he discovers that a crazy toy maker is plotting to kill as many children as possible on Halloween night by way of his special toy masks and a strange ancient ritual.  Will he stop the madness in time, or will thousands of people suffer?  It's thrilling and creepy right until the end!

It really is a shame that the producers of this series were thwarted from making a creative new movie every year.  This is a great taste of what we could have seen.  The script is fun, the direction is admirable and the acting is great.  Check this one out but please look at it as its own film and not a part of the other ones.  If you can do that, you're bound to enjoy it.

____  ____  8/10 Jack O'lanterns



Thanks to everyone who's been reading these.  I've had a blast watching all these movies and writing about them and I'll definitely be doing this again next year with 30 completely different films.  Be sure to stay tuned though, I will have plenty of reviews and fun stuff until then.

31-Day Horror Challenge Day Thirty: The Fog(1980)

John Carpenter followed up his hit Halloween with 1980's The Fog and I would say it's almost as good.  It has a great feel and it's just all around creepy.  I know I've said this a lot but this is another film I cannot go through a Halloween season without watching.

A small fishing town in northern California is planning to celebrate its turning 100 years old.  A strange fog that moves against the wind starts to roll toward the coast and it leaves the townspeople confused.  As it turns out, the fog contains the ghosts of the victims of the crime that started the town.  It's safe to say that they're back with a vengeance.

Though he's somewhat fallen off the wagon in recent years, John Carpenter is a great director and it shows here.  It is also written very well and the acting is passable.  I love the creepy atmosphere of the town.  It's definitely worth a viewing.

 
____  ____  8/10 Jack O'lanterns

31-Day Horror Challenge Day Twenty Nine: Quatermass and the Pit(1967)

No horror marathon would be complete without at least one Hammer Horror flick.  Quatermass and the Pit, a creepy little sci-fi/horror that is extremely well put together and thought out.  The atmosphere is nearly perfect and will leave you with a sense of dread.  I highly recommend it!

A construction crew unearths some strange skeletons and a large object that is at first thought to be a missile.  It soon becomes clear that it is not a missile at all but something that is not from this earth.  Once it begins to control people in an odd way, Professor Quatermass realizes something must be done.  It all leads up to a very bizarre and disturbing conclusion.

Hammer films are always great to escape from reality for a while with.  This one is no exception as its acting and story will almost think you are experiencing the whole thing.  Watch it, you won't be disappointed.

____  9/10 Jack O'lanterns