Top 10 Favorite Horror Novels

Anyone that knows me knows that I love horror and I love reading horror novels as well.  A lot of my favorite novelist work in the horror genre so it was easy putting together a list of some of my favorite novelist but picking just my favorite novels was a little trickier so if nothing more, I hope you enjoy this list and it makes you go out and seek some of these novels out to read yourself.  Enjoy this, what was one of my favorite “Top 10” list to put together and don’t forget to post your comments and put together your own list:

      1.       Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

      2.       Misery by Stephen King

      3.       The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker

      4.       The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

      5.       The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

      6.       World War Z by Max Brooks

      7.       The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

      8.       The Meg by Steve Alten

      9.       Ringu by Koji Suzuki

     10.   The Books of Blood (all volumes) by Clive Barker

Top 10 Favorite Fantasy Novels

I hate to say this but I’m not really a fan of fantasy novels. I’ve read a handful of your typical fantasy novels but I steer closer to the dark fantasy of Clive Barker than most of your typical authors so for the following “Top 10” list you will see a healthy percentage of Clive Barker titles.  I hope you enjoy this list and don’t forget to leave your comments and post your own list (so I know what I need to read):

      1.       Stardust/Coraline by Neil Gaiman

      2.       Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

      3.       The Thief of Always by Clive Barker

      4.       Sacrament by Clive Barker

      5.       Weaveworld by Clive Barker

      6.       Animal Farm by George Orwell

      7.       Watership Down by Richard Adams

      8.       The Green Mile by Stephen King

      9.       Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

     10.   Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Top 10 Favorite Sci-Fi Novels

I don’t read a lot of science fiction novels but when I do I usually really enjoy them but mostly near future sci-fi and not so much of the distant future variety.  This being said, unlike with horror novelists whom I kind of stick to, my sci-fi reading is all over the place.  For this “Top 10” list I’ve put together a list of novels many of which I’ve read several times and even if they are not all the best they are ones I really enjoy.  Make sure to leave your comments and don’t forget to post your own list:

      1.       Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

      2.       The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin

      3.       Sphere by Michael Crichton

      4.       Loop by Koji Suzuki

      5.       2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clark

      6.       The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells

      7.       Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

      8.       Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle

      9.       Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

     10.   Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

Top 10 Favorite Stephen King Novels

Stephen King is one of the first horror novelist I ever read when I was in middle school.  The first novel of his that I was exposed to was “It” but because the page count was astoundingly high I decided to go with “Misery” as the first novel of his I ever read.  My mother was a huge fan and had a variety of his works for me to choose from and “Misery” seemed like the perfect fit for me.  Ever since then I’ve been a fan.  No I can’t say that I’ve read all his novels and for a good decade I missed a lot but he’s always been one of the novelist I consider “comfort” food and therefore I thought would be a great person to highlight for a “Top 10” list.  The following list is in no particular order.  I would love to read your comments and feel free to post your own list:

1.       Misery

2.       The Shining

3.       The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

4.       Carrie

5.       Gerald’s Game

6.       Skeleton Crew

7.       Storm of the Century

8.       The Green Mile

9.       On Writing

10.   Thinner

Top 10 Favorite Black & White Horror Films

Because I love black & White (B&W) films and most of my favorite films of all time are B&W films I decided that a “Top 10” list of these films would be too large.  Instead, I separated Silent films and regular B&W films into their own lists while leaving an entire list dedicated to the horror genre!  I hope you enjoy this list and make sure to check out the other lists as well.  This list is in no particular order and remember to leave your comments and post your own list:

1.       The Haunting (1963)

2.       Carnival of Souls (1962)

3.       Vampyr (1932)

4.       Psycho (1960)

5.       I Walked With a Zombie (1943)

6.       Cat People (1942)

7.       Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

8.       Freaks (1932)

9.       Night of the Living Dead (1968)

10.   Spider Baby or, The Maddest Story Ever Told (1967)

Top 10 Favorite Monster Films

Now monster films is way too big of a category to just pick my favorite “Top 10” so with this list I decided to do only true non-traditional monsters therefore there are no vampires, werewolves, zombies, mummy’s, aliens (or creatures from other planets – i.e. Aliens, Predator), trans-dimensional creatures (i.e. Lovecraftian that are seen coming from another world – Re-Animator, From Beyond) or giant monsters caused by nuclear/toxic/etc. creation (i.e Them, Gojira, Toxic Avenger).  I also didn’t include any of your regular “natural” animals (i.e. Lake Placid, Alligator, Jaws) or man created monsters (i.e. Man’s Best Friend, Jurassic Park, The Fly) on this list as either.  This still leaves a ton of monster films to cover!  This being said, if the monster’s origin is unknown then it can be included on this list.  Monster films are some of my favorite so I hope you enjoy this list and make sure to leave your comments and post your own list.  This list is in no particular order and make sure to check out some of my other lists as well:

      1.       Deep Rising (1998)

      2.       Underwater (2020)

      3.       Nightbreed (1992)

      4.       It (2017)

      5.       Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003)

      6.       Tremors (1990)

      7.       Gremlins (1984)

      8.       Deep Star Six (1989)

      9.       The Stuff (1985)

     10.   Brain Damage (1988)

Top 10 Favorite Books

It is hard to create a list of favorite novels especially considering that I have more favorite authors than novels so some of my favorites will inevitably get left off which is why with this list of favorite novels I will explain why I love some of these novels and the writer that wroth it.  Enjoy!  I would love for you to list your own “Top 10” and post them and don’t forget to comment of this list.  The list is in no particular order and don’t for get to check out some of my other Lists:

      1.       The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

      2.       The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

      3.       Sacrament/Weaveworld by Clive Barker – I can’t really choose between these two as they are both some of the best written modern fantasy I’ve ever read!

      4.       Congo/Sphere/Airframe by Michael Crichton – He is my favorite author of all time so it’s hard for me to decide which of these three are my favorites but Airframe does get elevated a bit higher as it is the one I’d love to direct as a film

      5.       The Exorcist/Legion by William Peter Blatty – The Exorcist is the better novel but Legion was the first novel of his I ever read which prompted me to go out and look for his other novels.

      6.       Ringu/Loop/Dark Water by Koji Suzuki – All three are equally magnificent (as are pretty much everything he writes) but Loop does edge out the other just a little as it has such an amazing premise with some heady themes and ideas like a Crichton novel

      7.       The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

      8.       Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri – I absolutely love her writing and think she can do no wrong and even though I think all of her work are masterpieces this is one of the few anthologies I think every story is a masterpiece

      9.       The Stepford Wives/Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin – A tie with these two as it’s hard to decide which is the better novel.

      10.   Misery by Stephen King – This may not be his best novel but it is the novel from which if I had never read it, I would have never read anything else he did.  This is the first book of his that I ever read in high school and I’ve been a fan ever since.  Even after all the other novels of his I’ve read I can still remember my first experience reading this one when most of the other novels I’ve forgotten the experience.

Top 10 Favorite Stephen King Based Films

I’m a huge fan of author Stephen King and an even bigger fan of the films based on his work (and trust me there have been a whole lot) therefore I’ve decided to put together my own list of TOP 10 films based on the works by Stephen King.  Feel free to comment on this list and put together your own list and post here or on your own page.  Also, make sure to look up my other TOP 10 lists and post and comment on those as well.  This list is in no particular order:

     1.       Misery (1990)

     2.       The Mist (2007)

     3.       The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

     4.       Apt Pupil (1998)

     5.       The Shining (1980)

     6.       Pet Sematary (1989)

     7.       Carrie (1976)

     8.       Children of the Corn (1984)

     9.       The Dark Half (1993) 

     10.  Stand By Me (1986)

Film Review: THE PRODIGY (2019)

Sarah and John Blume (Taylor Schilling and Peter Mooney, respectfully) are about to be very happy new parents at the start of the film The Prodigy (2019).  Unfortunately for them, a serial killer is killed at the exact same time as their child is born.  As their son Miles (Jackson Robert Scott) grows order he starts to display strange and unusual behavior.  He not only grows up to be far more intelligent than most children but he also has a vile sense of violence that comes to a head when he assaults a fellow student.  Prompted by a specialist, Sarah begins that there is a supernatural reason for her son’s strange behavior which is solidified when he starts talking in his sleep in an another language.

Sarah learns that her son’s body may be inhabited by another spirit and she has a limited amount of time to get the spirit out of her son before her son’s spirit is gone for good.  The film is written by Jeff Buhler and directed by Nicholas McCarthy and they try really hard to present this old idea in new ways but it just simply lacks the drive of better thrillers.

Performances all around are actually quite good but the material itself just doesn’t break any new ground in terms of similar horror films and even with the R-rating the film lacks any real punch in terms of gore.  General audiences may not mind the ride as it is a solidly made film but horror fans may not feel up for the lack of any new ideas or something to say.

Film Review: ART OF THE DEVIL III (2008)

As a companion film to the previous film in the franchise Art of the Devil III (2008) sees Napakpapha Nakprasitte return as the vengeful Adjaan Panor, a school teacher cursed by black magic who must eat the flesh of the people who cursed her in order to alleviate that curse.  In this film, which sets itself up as a prequel to the events of the previous film Panor is a victim of a black magic priest who believes she possesses the “third eye” which will save him from himself being consumed by dark magic contained within himself.  If he cannot get the “third eye” from her his own life will end. 

This film has the distinction of being the best looking of the entire franchise as both the cinematographer, locations, and CGI effects all are top notch even for a film based from Thailand.  This goes a long way with showcasing what is a retread of the first two films in the franchise, so general audiences may not find as much enjoyment in this film.

This being said, the film gives a much more grounded view in its depiction of black magic since one of the main characters is a practitioner and you see him directly use it in the film.  These films (and this franchise in general) is an acquired taste so for those who have seen the previous film then this is a nice film that ends the franchise but for all others it may be a complete waste of time.

Film Review: COLD PREY 2 (2008)

Being a huge fan of the original film I was very much looking forward to seeing Cold Prey 2 (2008) a horror film from Norway that really feels like one of the best slasher films from America.  Screenplay by Thomas Moldestad (with Story by credit to include Martin Sundland and Roar Uthang) and directed by Mats Stenberg this film takes place directly after the events of the previous film where we find our lone survivor Jannicke (Ingrid Bolso Berdal) making her way back to civilization and being saved by Ole (Kim Arne Hagan) who takes her back to the local hospital where we meet nurse Camille (Marthe Snorresdotter Rovik), whom also happens to be romantically involved with Ole.    Jannicke tells the police what happened to her and her friends and while she recuperates in the hospital, the police send a team to search for the bodies of her friends and the man that killed them.

The police return to the hospital with the bodies of her friends and that of the man who tried to kill Jannicke.  Unbeknownst to all of them, the man isn’t quite dead yet and when he is fully revived he sets his sights on killing everyone in the hospital in order to get back to his own home.  Jannicke, on the other hands, sets out to finish what she started which is to kill the man and avenge her friends at any cost.  What happens next is a cat and mouse chase throughout the hospital corridors where no one is safe and there are no safe places to hide.

This film takes a page out of Halloween II (1981) by taking place almost exclusively in the hospital and having the police delve deeper into whom the man is and what is his history which actually makes for some interesting backstory.  This being said, there is still plenty of mayhem to be had in this film just like what was in the original film which will not disappoint audiences.  This is a much bigger canvas for the film to expand on and a great film to showcase the rising talent of Berdal who is the equivalent of Norway’s Jamie Lee Curtis.  You will not come away disappointed!

Film Review: MOM AND DAD (2018)

Brian Taylor writes and directs the Mom and Dad (2018) a film that answers the question of what would Nicolas Cage do if given free range to go totally off the rails?  Cage stars as Brent who is a man whose life has stalled.  He has a lovely wife Kendall (Selma Blair) and a daughter Carly (Anne Winters) and son Josh (Zachary Arthur) whom all undermines him.  When for no reason all grown-ups start to murder their children, Carly and Josh must band together to stop their parents from killing them while trapped in their own house.

Taylor does a lot with a little as the majority of the film takes place in the family home but he gets a lot of mileage out of the film even when he uses flashbacks to show the family before the total breakdown.  The film allows Cage and Blair to be at their most maniacal as they will stop at nothing to kill their own children while their children use everything at their means to save themselves.

This could have easily been a throwaway film had Taylor not gone the distance to show the parents before they turn homicidal.  The flashbacks show that Brent and Kendall have a marriage filled with problems where they can’t seem to agree on anything but surprisingly through the events of the film they come together for a singular goal…unfortunately, it’s to kill their children.  The overall concept is interesting and quite entertaining as you see parents throughout the film killing their children (or at least trying) which makes for some very funny moments.

Even with its serious undertones it’s an amazing engaging and funny film.

Film Review: UNDERWATER (2020)

When an underwater earthquake devastates a deep sea drilling and research facility, the survivors must band together to relocate to an alternate location before they can make their way to the surface in the thriller Underwater (2020).  Norah (Kristen Stewart) is one of a handful of survivors after the earthquake unexpectedly destroys their original facility.  Captain Lucien (Vincent Cassel) informs Norah and the rest of the survivors that they are going to have to make a deep sea walk on the ocean floor to an alternate facility that was originally used to build the state of the art drilling facility in order to find a vehicle that can get them safely to the surface.  Against a ticking time clock and other natural disasters that befell the main facility, Norah must help them all get their safely but they soon encounter something else in the ocean never before seen by mankind that they believe may have been released by the drilling in the ocean floor.

Time is running out as the facility around them crumbles apart and deadly creatures seek them out as if they were food. 

In less than five minutes from starting the earthquake happens and its go, go, go from there as the film never lets up from beginning to end.  It’s a disaster film that just also happens to be a horror film with an underwater creature that will not disappoint.  Stewart, who hasn’t done a horror film in some time, is at home in this film and does an admiral job leading the cast and crew through it all, which includes T.J. Miller, Jessica Henwick, Mamoudou Athie, and John Gallagher Jr..

There is also a third act reveal that is too good to reveal that has to be seen to be believed which will delight horror fans.  It’s a shame that the marketing campaign didn’t take into account to market the film as both a disaster film and a horror film instead of a disaster-thriller style film as they truly missed the mark with this amazing film.  Written by Brian Duffield and Adam Cozad and directed by William Eubank I’m definitely looking forward to what they come up with next.

Film Review: IN THE TALL GRASS (2019)

Writer/director Vincenzo Natali takes his first stab at Stephen King and Joe Hill material with the film In The Tall Grass (2019) for Netflix.  Siblings Becky and Cal (Laysla De Oliveira and Avery Whitted, respectfully) stop their car on a desolated road due to the fact that Becky is pregnant.  While on the side of the road they hear a call of a small child coming from the tall grass which adorns both sides of the road.  The voice claims to be lost in the tall grass and needs help so Becky and Cal enter into the tall grass to help.  But unbeknownst to them, getting back out of the tall grass proves problematic and once Cal and Becky separated from one another trying to find each other also becomes an even bigger problem.  As they wander through the tall grass Becky and Cal meet the small child Tobin (Will Buie Jr.) as well as his father Ross (Patrick Wilson), who has been “infected” with something that lies at the center of the tall grass.  It seems that fate has brought these two families together for something ancient and primal.

This is a concept that could have easily over stayed its welcome but Natali has crafted an engaging film with a talented cast that holds the premise together as it is presented in sections that progress logically from one section to the next introducing more characters while continuing to establish and elaborate on everything that came before.  I can’t reveal any more without revealing key plot points that are better left unrevealed. 

I have yet to read the original King/Hill short story on which the film is based but I will assure horror fans that Natali has crafted a film that holds its own against other King adapted films. 

Film Review: READY OR NOT (2019)

Family doesn’t get more sadistic than the one featured in the film Ready or Not (2019) from directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.  Grace (Samara Weaving) just married Alex (Mark O’Brien) at the family estate and it is tradition that on their wedding night that the family must play a game in order for the new member to be inducted into the family as part of initiation.  Unfortunately for Grace, she picks the game “hide and seek” which at first seems harmless enough but while Grace is “hiding” the rest of Alex’ family which includes his mother and father, grandmother, siblings and their spouses, gather up weapons to maim and kill.  Grace soon discovers that she is part of a ritual sacrifice that the family members believe will ensure their hierarchical status in the outside world. 

Grace must be sacrificed before sun up our all family members will die.  Unfortunately, for the family, Grace isn’t going to take it sitting down and she will arm himself and protect herself against anyone that gets in her way.

The film works as both a comedy and horror film in that the film can get graphic in its horror elements but it especially does a great job balancing the comedy both visually and through the characters and story as you never know whether the family members ever truly believe in the ritual they are doing or if they are just doing it out of tradition.  Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett do an excellent playing against horror conventions and expectations to deliver a suspenseful and action packed film that engages and entertains audiences from beginning to end.

There are some especially amazing performances from Adam Brody, Henry Czerny, and Andie Macdowell, to name a few.  It is the performances that hold the film together and which sets this film apart from other horror films as the entire cast is shooting their A-Game.  This is a fun and exciting film that also audiences will enjoy from beginning to end.

Film Review: COLOR OUT OF SPACE (2019)

Acclaimed cult director Richard Stanley tackles H.P. Lovecraft’s Color Out of Space (2019) which stars Nicolas Cage as Nathan Gardner who has moved his wife Theresa (Joely Richardson) and their two children (Madeleine Arthur and Brendan Meyer) to a country farm where he can raise Alpacas and she can work from home in her corporate job while recovering from an illness.  Nathan finds it hard to be a “farmer” while his wife is the true breadwinner of the household.  Neither of their kids enjoy living a solitary experience in the middle of nowhere forced to help their father.

When a meteorite crashes in their front yard releases an extraterrestrial organism which slowly corrupts and transforms everything around, Nathan and his family must contend with the corruption of their familial bond while everything around them falls apart.  Not only does the extraterrestrial organism affect the surrounding area but it also changes Nathan and his family both psychologically and physically transforming their lives into a living nightmare.

Written by Stanley and Scarlett Amars, the screenplay does a great job presenting a family under pressure due to the rift between Nathan and his wife who doesn’t believe that the alpaca farm will work and neither does his children, so when the extraterrestrial influence arrives it heightens these concerns and fears to tragic circumstances.  The film doesn’t shy away from the hardcore horror aspects either.  Although there is a slow build up as we get to know all of the characters there is a huge payoff by the third act that proves that Stanley still knows how to craft a captivating and boundary pushing horror film even after the long hiatus (he hasn’t directed a narrative feature film in over  thirty years).

Of note also is the fact that this is one of the best films adapted from Lovecraft’s work so fans of the novelist will enjoy this film in addition to horror fans and even general audiences (if you can get passed the few graphic moments).  Stanley is still a talent to be on the lookout for and I hope it doesn’t take nearly as long before he releases his next feature.

Film Review: ROSEMARY’S BABY (2014)

Agnieszka Holland directs the television remake of Rosemary’s Baby (2014) as a two-night four-hour event.  Holland does more than a capable job of handling the original novel from Ira Levin which was most famously brought to the screen by Roman Polanski in 1968.  Writing this version is Scott Abbott and James Wong and they’ve brought the story to the modern era with style and relevance.

Zoe Saldana plays Rosemary Woodhouse who has just experienced a miscarriage.  She and her husband Guy (Patrick J. Adams) are middle class citizens.  Guy suffers as a writer so he teaches as a university so that he has time to focus on his novel.  When her purse is stolen by a thief, she manages to catch the thief who happens to have been a habitual purse thief and she finds herself in possession with another woman’s purse.  When she returns the other woman’s purse, Rosemary meets Margaux Castevet (Carole Bouquet) a member of the elite class whom takes a liking to Rosemary and soon her husband.  Rosemary and Guy soon meet Margaux’s husband Roman (Jason Isaacs) and soon their lives are turned upside down.  The Castevet’s give them a new home completely furnished in their apartment building after a kitchen fire leaves Rosemary and Guy homeless.  Guy’s luck soon changes when he gets a better life at work and he soon gets his novel finished when he had previously been suffering from writer’s block.  And soon, Rosemary finds herself with child once again!  This would all seem great if Rosemary didn’t have suspicions that their good fortune comes at a cost which is usually other people dying.

The deeper Rosemary tries to discover the truth about the Castevets the more she discovers an elaborate ruse and she becomes to believe that the Castevets are part of o Satan worshiping cult that wants to kill her baby.  Rosemary will stop at nothing to protect her unborn child but the truth of what is going on won’t be fully revealed until after the baby is born.

Abbott and Wong craft a relevant and modern take on the material that actually works not only under the guise of a Satan worshiping cult (or as an secret cult society in general) but also with themes of class struggle and division and the motherly bond between mother and child.  The film also delivers the goods when it comes to the horror aspects as well but it is Holland’s assured direction that really allows this film to stand apart from Polanski’s original film.  This is one of the best remakes to come along and I suggest it to anyone who enjoyed the original.  There is enough contained in this version to fully be appreciated and there is no padding.  There was probably no real need for a remake but this version definitely makes a case for itself.  I would even be interested in Levin’s sequel novel “Son of Rosemary” to be made into a film as long as this same creative team is reunited.

Film Review: THE TURNING (2020)

Henry James’ “The Turn of the Screw” gets an update in The Turning (2020) from director Floria Sigismundi.  Written by Carey and Chad Hayes the film tells the story of Kate Mandell (Mackenzie Davis) who needs a job and is hired to teach and take care of the young Flora Fairchild (Brooklyn Prince) in an elaborate estate.  When Flora’s older brother Miles (Finn Wolfhard) unexpectedly returns home, Kate finds herself taking care of both the children who harbor deep and dark secrets that slowly play on her fragile psyche.  Kate soon witness’s strange behavior in Miles as well as unusual occurrences on the estate that force her to ask the question of what is real and what is just in her head.

The film starts off well enough as a thriller with ghostly overtones.  Of particular interest is David Ungaro’s cinematography which creates a foreboding atmosphere to the estate creating a character all its own.  Davis also gives a great performance but neither Wolfhard nor Prince can hold their own as their performances are all over the place (whether they are playing the young children they are supposed to be or children possessed by ghosts) giving you the impression that they don’t know what type of film they are it.  The film also quickly falls apart as it tries to by ambitious and too cryptic to the material to absurdity and by the time you get to the final reveal you’ve completely given up on the film.

I love ambiguous films when they work for the story and/or characters but this film tries so hard being different and edgy due to the fact that it’s telling a story that’s been told plenty of times before that it misses the mark of actually telling a good and logical story.  It also lacks any real suspense or horror relying completely on mood and suspense which would be fine if it delivered on everything else but this is simply one of the biggest missed opportunities to come by in a long time and you’ll leave thinking it’s simply forgettable drivel.

Film Review: ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP (2019)

I must say that I wasn’t really a fan of the original film but I wanted to give the sequel a chance since I liked the concept of the overall film but didn’t care for the execution.  For me, Zombieland: Double Tap (2019) suffers from the same problems that the original film does so only fans of the original will find enjoyment in this film.  In the original film Zombieland (2009) director Ruben Fleischer crafts a funny and entertaining film with characters that do questionable things just because it’s funny and not because it makes any sense character wise or plot wise.  For the most part, audiences didn’t care that the plot of the film by the third act became more ludicrous and ridiculous to the point of absurdity as long as it was funny but it ended up destroying the strong female characters that needed to be saved by the dumber male characters whom throughout the entire film were being duped by the female characters.  This is a similar characteristic of the sequel as a genuinely good story is sidelined for the joke and the laughs.

In this film our survivors Tallahassee, Columbus, Wichita, and Little Rock (Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin, respectfully) have been living the good life in the White House.  The only problem is that Columbus wants to marry Wichita and Little Rock needs some personal space between her and Tallahassee, who acts like her father, so Wichita and Little Rock hit the road in the middle of the night to make their own path in the world.  Tallahasse and Columbus try to make a new life for themselves without the girls until Wichita returns claiming that Little Rock ditched her for a man Berkeley (Avan Jogia).  Now the gang gets together for another cross country trip in search of Little Rock to bring her back home.  On their way they come across new and powerful zombies as well as other new characters to pay out the run time of the film which is virtually the exact same thing that happened in the original film.

A cross country trip with zombie madness and huge action sequences will appease most fans of the franchise as it is obvious that Fleischer got a bigger budget for this film but by the time the characters reach the third act where they all come together again in a community of non-violence where all weapons are melted down and it’s a party all the time you wonder how anyone in this community ever survived the apocalypse due to their stupidity.  There is the now required ludicrous zombie onslaught that occurs forcing the characters to be clever and come up with a way to kill the zombies without weapons.

On the surface, the film is quite entertaining and sometimes even funny (especially the scene where Tallahassee and Columbus meet their doubles in Albuquerque and Flagstaff) but the overall film suffers from an overall stupidity of characters doing dumb things just for the sake of the joke.  The action sequences are infinity better than in the original film and the cast is exceptionally good with a scene stealing performance by Rosario Dawson in the third act.    You’ll never be bored watching this film but it won’t leave an impression and if you think a little about it, everything seems to fall apart like the corpse of a zombie.

Film Review: BRAHMS: THE BOY II (2020)

Director William Brent Bell returns to helm the unnecessary sequel Brahms: The Boy II (2020).  I say unnecessary as if you’ve seen the original film, then you know there is no need or logical place for a sequel to go, so writer   The original film was very much related in the “real” world but this sequel obviously goes into supernatural territory.

Stacey Menear decides to rewrite a lot of what made the original film such a great, yet surprising, film.

Liza (Katie Holmes) and her son Jude (Christopher Convey) are assaulted in their home while her husband Sean (Owain Yeoman) is away.  Suffering from stress from that night, Jude has stopped talking and Liza starts suffering from nightmares so they decide to uproot their family and move out to the country to heal.  Unbeknownst to them, they move into the cottage next to the one that featured in the original film.  When the family goes for a walk in the woods and venture to closely to that house, Jude finds the doll Brahms buried in the ground.  They also meet Joseph (Ralph Ineson), the groundskeeper, who tells them about some of the history involving the house.

Back at home, Liza begins to notice strange behavior in her son Jude.  She discovers Brahms “rules” and Jude starts to dress and act like Brahms.  She starts to question where Brahms came from and her investigation leads to a slew of murders and stories involving Brahm’s original home and its inhabitants to the point where she starts to think that maybe her son is possessed by the doll.  Now she must find a way to save her son before it is too late.

The first two-thirds of the film is actually not that bad.  Menear does a great job creating characters that actually have a captivating story that is rounded out by a great cast to bring it to life.  The film looks great and the atmosphere of dread permeates the film.  It is the fact that the film ultimately takes a supernatural turn in the third act that destroys the good will built up to that point.  The explanation for everything borders on ludicrous especially considering the original film.  The film would have been better served as an original stand-alone film rather than a sequel due to the baggage.  Keeping this in mind it’s anyone’s guess if you will ultimately enjoy the film although it may be better enjoyed by audiences who have never seen the original as which point the film should have just been called “Brahms”.

Film Review: OOGA BOOGA (2013)

Charles Band directs the Full Moon Features production Ooga Booga (2013) which takes on police brutality and racism head on.  True to most Full Moon films, this film is overly blatant with its handling of controversial subject matters which is most of the charm of the studio’s most famous and entertaining films.  Ooga Booga is the story of Devin (Wade F. Wilson) who is given a doll dubbed the Ooga Booga from a co-worker trying to break into the action figure/doll toy line.  While at a convenience store he watches some Meth Heads rob and kill the store owner.  Devin comes out of hiding when the Meth Heads are gone and tries to save the store owner by calling the police. 

When the police arrive, Officer White (Gregory Niebel) accuses Devin of the murder due to the fact that he is racist and needs a “black guy” to take the fall.  Officer White kills Devin in front of his partner and it all becomes “case closed” due to the fact that the Judge over the case (Stacy Keach) is also a racist.  Unbeknownst to them all, Devin’s spirit enters the Ooga Booga doll and he seeks out revenge for his death.  With the help of Donna (Ciarra Carter), Devin’s girlfriend, the Ooga Booga doll will cut a path of death from the Meth Heads up to the Judge until everyone responsible is held accountable.

If you are a fan of Full Moon Features then there will be a lot to like about the film as it follows the same path as most of their most well-known films.  For those not familiar with the Full Moon aesthetics then this will probably be seen as a complete and utter mess.  The Full Moon empire has crafted a unique style and genre of films for the B-movie fan and if you know that going in then their films can be quite entertaining in their absurdity.  This film is no different than their Head of the Family, Puppet Master, or Gindgerdead Man franchises.

Film Review: REVENGE (2018)

Coralie Fargeat writes and directs the recent film Revenge (2018) which sees Jen (Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz) taking a vacation with her boyfriend Richard (Kevin Janssens) to a rich and secluded desert getaway for a week before his hunting trip.  It’s a beautiful palace in the middle of nowhere where you need a helicopter to get there (or some serious off road vehicles).  Everything is going as planned until Richard’s two hunting buddies show up at the house early surprising Richard and Jen, especially since Richard is married and Jen is supposed to be his secret mistress.    After a night of fun between them all, one of Richard’s friends rapes Jen while he is out getting hunting permits.

When Richard gets home he tries to settle the situation between his mistress Jen and his two best friends but things get out of hand and Jen goes on the run as Richard chooses to side with his friends.  When Jen falls off a cliff, Richard and his friends leave her for dead but Jen is far from dead and very resourceful.  When Richard decides that they need to clean up the mess they discover Jen’s body missing and they set out on a cross desert chase to clean up all lose ends.    With very little other than her wits, Jen must find a way to survive the elements of the desert while also trying to avoid detection from Richard and his men who are armed with guns and ready to kill her to keep their secrets.

Although this story is nothing you haven’t seen before Fargeat has crafted a very relevant film in the #MeToo era.  The film also hinges on Lutz’ performance which holds the find together especially in the final act that goes on for too long but still manages to captivate.  Also of note is the cinematography by Robrecht Heyvaert  which brings to life the mansion and the desert local to amazing life.  This alone elevates the film above other similar stories.  This is a film that is definitely worth a look!

Film Review: GRETEL AND HANSEL (2020)

Osgood Perkins directs a new take on the hold fairytale of Hansel and Gretel in his film Gretel and Hansel (2020).  In the tradition of the recent hit The Witch (2015) and Perkins’ own I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House (2016), Gretel and Hansel is a film built on atmosphere and mood rather than suspense and fright.

Gretal and her younger brother Hansel (Sophia Lillis and Samuel Leakey, respectfully) are thrown out of their home when their mother declares there is no more food for them to survive.  Now they find themselves wondering the woods on their way to a new town in order to start a new life but then they come across a home in the middle of the woods which they believe is uninhabited.   But when they enter into the home they come across food and drink and treats of all kinds.  They soon discover the woman inhabiting the house (Alice Krige) has been there a very long time.  Gretel manages to convince the woman to allow them to stay at the house as long as they help around the house.  As their stay looms on, Gretel soon starts to realize that the woman is more than she appears and that she might be a witch.  She also starts to experience strange and usual dreams that consume her and leaves her with the impression that she is where she should be. 

The Witch goes about teaching Gretel about her ways but at the same time Hansel begins to question everything around them believing that they been their long enough but can he get the courage to convince his sister to leave before they are both consumed by the Witch’s power?

Cinematographer Galo Olivares and art director Christine McDonagh’s contributions cannot be overlooked in this moody and atmospheric film.  The look of the film is fantastic but some audiences that may not be enough as it dispenses with suspense and any real horror elements for the most part.  I will have to say that Krige (as usual) steels every scene she is in and the film is worth watching for her performance alone.  If you’re fan of Osgood’s films then you’ll enjoy this one as it showcases a promising talent who wants to craft a different type of horror film.