Halloween Favorites: #1

Halloween is here which means we've reached number one on the list. Hocus Pocus starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Bette Midler takes the top spot.

This Halloween movie is perfect all around. It's meant for little kids, but is enjoyable to adults. It's fun. It's not too scary so even the little ones can watch it. It's got the Halloween spirit. Definitely one of the better Halloween family movies that are out there.

That concludes the countdown of favorite Halloween movies, but I must say that it was hard to narrow it down to 31 favorites so I have some honorable mentions to list:

The Faculty, a good alien movie with great music. The Craft, a great witch movie with some solid performances. Cry Wolf, can you create a monster? These kids did. Turistas, it could be my love of Olivia Wilde that makes me like this movie or it could be that I just love the idea because it could happen. Still worth a look if you haven't seen it. Any of the Harry Potter movies are worth watching this time of the year (especially if you want to remember all the details before going to see the latest edition when it hits theatres) and my final mention is Jack Ketcham's The Girl Next Door. Don't get this confused with the teen comedy The Girl Next Door. They're very different movies. Jack Ketcham's The Girl Next Door takes place in the 50s and deals with parental abuse (before CPS would do anything about it). It's gritty and hard to watch at times, but it's a great movie.

Happy Halloween everybody!

Halloween Favorites: #2

Today's pick is Stephen King's It. This movie was a made for TV movie starring Tim Curry as Pennywise. It scared the crap out of me when I was a kid. I couldn't sleep for many nights after watching this.

Most of the time I feel that movies made from Stephen King's books are pretty terrible. They just can't figure out a way to adapt them well. This is an exception. Yes, the ending is super cheesy, but overall the movie is great and that is mainly due to Tim Curry. He embraced the role and made a truly freaky clown.

Halloween Favorites: #3

Number 3 is perhaps one of my favorite movies of all time. Dee Snider's brainchild, Strangeland, is next on the list. Dee Snider wrote, directed, produced, and starred in this film as Captain Howdy.

Captain Howdy is an internet predator. He finds high school girls online, invites them to party and then kidnaps and tortures them. The scary thing about this was that the movie came out before the idea of an internet predator was part of an everyday language in our society.

This movie turns into a cat and mouse chase when Captain Howdy kidnaps a detective's daughter. Linda Cardellini and Robert Englund also star in this movie.

Halloween Favorites: #4

1993 brought us The Good Son, which is number four on the countdown. This was the role that Macaulay Culkin was born to play. He is Henry Evans, a creepy little kid with a lot of psychological problems. Whether it's killing animals or attacking family members, it's downright disturbing.

Everybody expected this to be Macaulay's usual type of role and thought of this as another family film. It's definitely not that. I don't think I'd let my niece or nephew watch this, although I was really young when I first saw it.

Elijah Wood won an award for his performance in this, but really this movie deserved more recognition. It's unappreciated for what it is, a really disturbing movie. Everybody knows how I feel about dolls and creepy little kids, and that's why this made the list.

Halloween Favorites: #5

So it's hard to believe that we're already at the top 5 but it's true, Halloween is this weekend so everybody should be in the mood by now if you're going to get into this holiday.

Number 5 is one of my favorite TV shows, Dexter. Dexter Morgan is the perfect serial killer. He blends in with everyday life (we can all imagine when he gets caught, the news report featuring a friend or neighbor saying that they had no idea he was that kind of monster). His struggle with feelings like normal people have is some of the best acting Michael C. Hall has done.

Each season (up until the current one) has focused on some other serial killer that Dexter (and the rest of Miami Metro) is trying to find. The ice truck killer started things off right and last season having John Lithgow play the Trinity killer was brilliant.

This show continues to surprise me and leaves me wanting more each week which is a sign of the greats. I'm hoping that Dexter can continue for years to come because it's one of the few shows that are worthwhile anymore.

Halloween Favorites: #6

Halloween is next on the list at number 6. I'm talking about the original with Jamie Lee Curtis. This movie has everything that anyone could ever want. It took an unknown actress and made her into a scream queen. There was an incredibly scary monster. They knew that you didn't need to use gore to scare the crap outta people, and John Carpenter created one of the best horror movie scores imaginable. No one can listen to that music without getting a little chill.

Not only does this movie show people what good horror is, they managed to do it with a really small budget. It has the look of a big blockbuster movie but it was efficient with its costs.

I don't think we could really ask for anything more from this. It was near perfect for its time.

Halloween Favorites: #7

Zombieland is number 7 simply because this is one of the better zombie movies that I've seen lately. It's fun, their rules are some of the best ever, particularly #32: enjoy the little things. I think we'd all do well to remember that.

This movie goes beyond what Shaun of the Dead did and created something that everyone can enjoy. Besides that, Bill Murray had one of the best cameo roles that I've ever seen.

So before Halloween gets here, go enjoy the undead.

Scream 4 Trailer

For those of you who want to see the first trailer for the next Scream, here it is.

There have been a lot of rumors surrounding this movie since they announced it, and some of them I have liked a lot. After watching this trailer though, I feel that I'm going to be disappointed. I'll still see this in theaters but only because I'm loyal to the series. I liked all of these movies, even the third which so many fans hated. I am really hoping that this will be better than what that trailer looks like.

Halloween Favorites: #8

Okay number 8 is probably one of the most disturbing movies I had seen in awhile. 2005 brought us Hard Candy. Then unknown Ellen Page starred opposite Patrick Wilson.

Page played Hayley Stark, a young girl who suspects Wilson's character of being a pedophile. She started by chatting with him on the internet and then goes back to his place. The twist is that when they get to his house she turns the tables on him.

Page was down right creepy in this role and she acted wonderfully especially because 90% of this movie was just the two of them on-screen.

If this is something that you haven't watched yet, you might want to bump this one up on the list. It's definitely worth it.

Halloween Favorites: #9

Number 9 is Wes Craven's New Nightmare. This movie alone made up for the series that had numerous sequels that were just terrible.

Heather Langenkamp returns as Nancy. Robert Englund continues to play Freddy and Wes Craven came up with a fresh idea for this movie.

Heather is playing herself for a good portion of the movie. She's working on a new nightmare movie and doing promotions for it when it seems that Freddy starts to return. Wes plays a small role because he's penning this new script and what he writes is what starts to happen.

Heather's son in the movie is one creepy little kid which makes this even better. This is definitley one of the better Nightmare movies.

Halloween Favorites: #10

Okay so we've finally reached the top ten. Coming in at number 10 is Casper. This friendly ghost is one of the best Halloween movies for little kids. It's timeless, enjoyable for adults so go ahead and watch it with your family.

Halloween Favorites: #11

Next on the countdown is Jaws. This movie was enough to keep an entire generation out of the water and with good reason. The musical score alone is enough to fill someone with dread. It's simple, and evokes emotion which is why it's one of the best out there.

There's a reason this one can scare generation after generation. It's a brilliant concept. A shark attack could actually happen to someone, which is a far more scary thought than something supernatural coming after you.

This is one of those movies that people aspiring to be in the business need to look at and figure out why it's so good so they can try to aspire to do something equally great.

So go ahead, grab some popcorn, pop in the DVD and whatever you do get outta the water.

Halloween Favorites: #12

Friday the 13th part 4 is number 12 on the list. This is perhaps my favorite Jason movie. It has everything that an 80s movie should. Corey Feldman has an important part and Crispin Glover takes a meat cleaver to the head. He also has a ridiculous dance scene that is just perfect.

I like that this was out in the woods. There was plenty of nudity and gruesome deaths. I just wish that they could have been counselors or doing something at a camp instead of just renting out a house.

There are huge gaping plot holes throughout this, but that's expected from these movies. The plot doesn't really matter. It's all about Jason's kills. This is a fun movie that everyone can enjoy

Halloween Favorites: #13

Next on this list is Silence of the Lambs. Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster are the perfect pair for this movie. It relies more on their interactions and the story than any specific actions.

Really is there anything creepier than when he says "Hello Clarice." It's one of those things that can give you the chills.

This is one of those movies that everyone will continue to watch for decades to come. It's a classic and with good reason.

Halloween Favorites: #14

A Nightmare On Elm Street comes in at number fourteen on the list, and this is referring to the original from 1984. This is a cheesy 80s movie at its best. Sure, you can see exactly where Nancy needs to step to have her foot go through the stairs, and if you look really carefully you can see the mattress that Freddy had to land on when he fell over the stairs, but it doesn't matter because this movie is amazing. The reason for this is simple: the plot.

I don't care if you have the best actors in the world, if the script sucks then they will too. This script though had everything you could want in a story. It had a scary monster with an even scarier idea that he could come after you in your dreams. You weren't safe. Then they added the backstory that made it the parents fault that your friends were being killed off. It's such a solid story that people will forgive all the mistakes that the movie had. This is when Freddy was really scary. He didn't rely on jokes. This is what I wish they would have stuck with, and they easily could have pulled the series back when it started to get ridiculous. All they needed to do was make a prequel. The rest of the series already gave you the backstory but the fans have been dying for a prequel for years. They could make Freddy pure evil again. It would be brilliant.

As it nears Halloween, if you're not watching A Nightmare On Elm Street then you're really not a fan of horror.

Halloween Favorites: #15

The Strangers is next on our countdown. This movie is everything that I think a good horror movie should be. Normally I am weary when a horror movie has a big name attached to it. The best movies have unknown people involved in it and they rely on the story and good acting to make the movie and that's what makes that person a star (like Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween). So knowing that Liv Tyler was in this, I was a little nervous but I was still excited to see it.

The story wasn't exactly the strongest that I have seen but the acting was good. The atmosphere was creepy and this movie proved that you don't need to have 10 gallons of blood to make a horror movie. Suspense and fear are far better emotions than trying to make someone feel sick to the stomach by the amount of blood used.

The other thing that I liked about this movie is that it went back to the 70s movies feel where there were original scores for the music not just some big band's latest single in it. It's creepier that way.

Halloween Favorites: #16

So today's favorite is another Wes Craven classic, Scream. I know that people have mixed feelings about this series, and this movie in particular. The fact of the matter is that it gave a fresh start for a stale genre when it was released.

It was unexpected. I mean killing Drew Barrymore off within the first couple of minutes. That took guts. It shocked the audience. Nobody knew what was going to happen for the rest of the movie. Not if you killed off the biggest name attached to it in the first few minutes.

This movie was gruesome, funny, charming and it made a whole new generation into horror fans. Whether you like it or not, you should at least give it some respect.

Halloween Favorites: #17

Number 17 on my countdown is True Blood. This show does cash in on all the vampire success as of late, but they do so in a new fresh way.

Vampires have become a way of life in Bon Temps, and they are trying to become part of a mainstream society. It's a curious mix of politics, sex, drama, violence. With an ensemble cast that delivers good performances every episode this is one show that everyone should see, but be warned this is an adult only show. There's a lot of nudity, violence, and foul language so be sure to keep the kids away.

Halloween Favorites: #18

Coming in at number 18 is a little gem that came out back in 2007, Trick r Treat. This movie is a great horror movie for the family. It's not really too scary but it is fun and gets the atmosphere of Halloween perfect.

This didn't get a theatrical release in the states, which is a shame that more people didn't get a chance to experience this. It's almost the perfect Halloween movie with four mini stories that all weave together in some way. The only thing that I wish for from this was that it was longer, or that Anna Paquin was in it for more of the movie since her acting is really underappreciated.

Halloween Favorites: #19

It's no secret that I love the 80's slashers and I could easily make an argument for every one of them to be on this list, but that would make it a pretty weak list so I have tried to limit myself, but Friday the 13th part 2 has to make this list.

The second installment in the Friday the 13th series was the introduction to Jason who has now become an icon, but I think it was his scariest part before he got the iconic hockey mask. He wore a simple potato sack over his head with one eye hole and it was pretty creepy.

This movie has everything that I could want from an 80s slasher. The counselors tell the legend of Jason while sitting around a campfire, there's a lot of gruesome deaths, there's a brief spot with nudity, there's a loveable survivor girl, and it has one of the creepiest scenes in a Friday the 13th movie. Is there anything better than when Ginny yells out "Paul there's someone in this f---ing room." I know we've all had that feeling when we've watched into a dark room and get the feeling that someone is there. How terrifying would it be if that someone was Jason?

I know that people are very opinionated about whether they like Jason or Mrs. Vorhees better. Personally I like Jason even though Mrs. Vorhees was a terrific serial killer, and that's why I think people should watch his introduction.

Halloween Favorites: #20

Today's favorite is perhaps one of my favorite go-to horror movies, A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. I say that I am a fan of this series, but really I'm just a fan of Freddy. The majority of the sequels sucked. This one has grown on me over the years. I hated it when I was a little kid, but now I find myself watching it more than any of the others.

Patricia Arquette comes off whiny throughout a lot of this movie, but it's only noticeable if you're paying attention for it. Heather Langenkamp returns as Nancy and Freddy isn't quite as ridiculous as he becomes in later installments (he does borderline it at times though).

Freddy is a joke, or a jokester, whichever way you'd like to think of it. He had the potential to perhaps be one of the scariest villains ever. They went a different route with him. Once I got over that disappointment, I learned to love him for his puns.

This movie isn't full of the blood and guts that some of the other Nightmares have and it won't scare you, but it will entertain.

Halloween Favorites: #21

A new day, a new movie, and for this one I'm taking you back to 1975 to watch The Rocky Horror Picture Show. This movie is perfect in so many ways.

It pokes fun at the cheesy science fiction classics of the past by creating Dr. Frank-n-Furter, played by the wonderful Tim Curry. It borderlines cheesy for most of the film and one must be reminded not to take it too seriously because the movie itself doesn't even take itself seriously.

There's outrageous costumes, great songs, a good cast, and it remains a timeless classic while so many movies are forgotten along the way. So everyone, let's do the time warp again.

Halloween Favorites: #22

There are two things that really scare the crap out of me even as an adult: creepy little kids and dolls. That's why Child's Play is next on the list at 22. This probably could have been ranked even higher because Chucky still creeps me out, but most of the movie is utterly ridiculous.

Brad Dourif's voice is the main reason that I get the heebie jeebie's every time I watch this movie. Chucky is a great villain. The plot of the movie is original in that an evil serial killer's soul is trapped in a doll. This is really a great movie that should go down in horror movie history as one of the better ones.

If you're a parent, I wouldn't recommend letting your kids watch this. It's extremely violent, has bad language and will likely keep your kid awake for many nights.

Halloween Favorites: #23

The newest film that makes this list is Piranha 3D. It comes in at number 23 and there's a big reason why it even makes this list. It brings back the 80s horror in a big way. For any of you that have been missing this, go see it if you haven't already.

Not only is this the goriest film I've seen in awhile (without being just bloody gross), it has a terrific cast. Elisabeth Shue stars as the sheriff, while other 80s stars, Jerry O' Connell, Christopher Lloyd, and even Richard Dreyfuss show up.

While everyone in Hollywood is trying to cash in on the remakes craze and remakes in 3D no less, it seems that Alexandre Aja is one of the few that truly get it. His use of 3D is amazing because it seems so cheesy which was its exact intended use.

Gore, boobs in 3D, and a trip down memory lane to the great 80s movies but in a movie set in modern day, this is a must see for any horror fan.

Halloween Favorites: #24

The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre from 1974 comes in next on our list. Tobe Hooper created a brilliant monster in Leatherface. Nobody knew quite what to make of it. The opening voice over warned that this was based off of true events and that made people unsure of how to think about this. Was that part of the movie, or was it really true? Did some maniac really kill people and wear bits of their faces sewn together as a mask?

Hooper knew then what many filmmakers now still need to learn: that gore means nothing if you don't have suspense and pacing. He took us to extremes with this movie. It was so revolting at points that most people didn't make it through a special screening, but just as he pushed the limit then he scaled back and let us breath again.

Leatherface should be up there with the likes of Jason, Freddy, and Michael but he seems to be lost in the mix. Make sure you add this to your Netflix queue for this Halloween.

Halloween Favorites: #25

Shaun of the Dead ranks 25 on the list. This film admittedly would have been higher up if not for the release of Zombieland. It makes this pale in comparison to a true zombie comedy.

While Shaun doesn't come across as a typical hero, that's part of what makes this appealing. If this guy can manage to survive a zombie apocalypse then we all have a chance to survive.

This movie is fun, quirky and a good introduction to zombie films for your teenagers.

Halloween Favorites: #26

Coming in at 26 is Session 9. This movie falls through the cracks for most people. It never really hit a mainstream audience like it deserved to. Brad Anderson wrote and directed this film from 2001. This movie was a pleasant surprise for me. It stars David Caruso which was one of the main reasons that I expected to hate this. I can't stand Caruso. I don't think he's a good actor and most projects that he works on bore me to death. Yet I gave this a chance because of the plot.

An asbestos removal crew is sent to an old insane asylum. While they're supposed to be working they stumble across some tapes of the sessions of an old patient suffering from multiple personalities.

This movie is more psychological than anything else and it proves that you can get a creepy atmosphere without needing a ton of blood and guts to gross you out.

Halloween Favorites: #27

Number 27 is Saw. This movie often gets overlooked at being a truly great movie just because the entire series has become a joke. It's a shame that it diminishes the effect of the original. Released in 2004, this was an original idea at a time when all horror movies were just becoming stale.

Saw created a great serial killer, and put people in situations that made them decide whether or not they really wanted to live. It was brutal and gory, and at some points hard to watch (can anyone really watch him cut off his own foot?) but it is a great movie that gets lost because every year comes another sequel that basically imitates the same storyline and same traps.

Halloween Favorites: #28

Labyrinth makes number 28. Released in 1986, this Jim Henson classic should make everyone's list. Starring David Bowie as the Goblin King, this movie is a must see for every family.

Jennifer Connelly has just 13 hours to navigate Bowie's labyrinth and save her little brother. It's a fantasy tale that doesn't frighten but is entertaining just the same. While at some pionts it's just utterly ridiculous, that's exactly what we've come to expect from Jim Henson. It's over the top, and casting Bowie as a flamboyant dark lord is just brilliant. The fact is that more people should be aspiring to match Jim Henson's talent at creating enjoyable family films.

Halloween Favorites: #29

Wrong Turn comes in at number 29 on the list. Most people will argue this selection. They'll say that there's nothing scary about the woods and if I'm arguing that there is, why isn't the Blair Witch Project on this list? The woods themselves are not scary. At least not in the daylight. Anyone who has been alone in the woods late at night when you know someone is creeping around watching you knows that unnerving feeling. Pair that with the laughter of that one freak and that's good enough for this movie to make the list

Halloween Favorites: #30

Coming in next on my Halloween movie countdown is Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. This movie was released in 2006, and for the most part failed to live up to my expectations, but it was still enjoyable.

This movie follows a film crew making a documentary about a serial killer, Leslie Vernon. The first half of the movie is documenting him becoming the legend in the likes of Jason Vorhees, Fred Kruger, and Michael Myers.

SPOILER ALERT!!!!

The big twist is that his intended target is really the film crew not the target that he tried to convince them that it was.

My biggest problem with this movie is that they tried to make the first half fun and almost a comedy along the lines of Shaun of the Dead or Zombieland, and it failed to reach that certain point that it needed to be. The second half was intended to be a truly scary movie and it didn't elicit any chills whatsoever.

While this should have just put it in the list of terrible movies, it's still fun to watch. I just wish they would have taken this storyline and actually just tried to make it incredibly creepy from the start. It certainly had the potential for it.

Halloween Favorites

My original plan for this October was to post a review a day for my 31 favorite Halloween movies. Obviously I'm a bit behind but I plan on catching up. I will post 10 reviews today and then continue on with a new one each day all the way through Halloween. I should clarify that these are personal favorites, and involve family Halloween specials, horror movies, a couple TV shows, and a thriller or two.

Coming in at number 31 is It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Released in 1966, this is a classic and a must have every Halloween.

This story follows the Peanuts gang. Charlie Brown is invited to a Halloween party but that pales in comparison to Linus's storyline. Linus decides to spend his Halloween in a pumpkin patch waiting for the Great Pumpkin to appear to him.

This is a great family Halloween special that everyone should enjoy each year. It's part of the tradition.

Time to Scream Again

Scream was part of the post modern horror movies that dominated a decade. As it had been stated, it was a trilogy. That remains true, to a certain extent. Instead of a remake of the trilogy that was initially rumored, they are adding another trilogy to the series. Scream 4, 5, and 6 are set to be made. Kevin Williamson is already signed on for four and five and he is in talks for six. Wes Craven is signed on for the fourth.

Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Courtney Cox Arquette are all set to come back for the fourth. There's no telling what sort of role each of them will have. The only thing for sure is that Jamie Kennedy will not return.

The latest rumor, and at this point that is all this is, is that Adrienne King might have a cameo in this film. For Friday the 13th fans that is good news to see Adrienne get back onto the big screen.

The rumor mill doesn't just end with Adrienne's appearance. The supposed storyline is that the Ghostfaced killer will be recreating old slasher kills (which could tie in to letting horror fans see Adrienne die in the same way again).

While this storyline could tie in nicely to how the series has been so far, I wouldn't count on it just yet. This movie isn't even being filmed yet. So the script will change several times, and I wouldn't put it past Williamson to change the storyline (if this is what he was planning) just so they could keep an element of surprise in there.

As usual, when I find out more news, you will find out.

Elm Street Update

The trailer for the Nightmare reboot has been out for a couple of days now, but if you haven't seen it. Here ya go.

I'm not too sure about what I see here, but I'll still give it a chance because I am a huge fan of the series.

Poltergeist

The Poltergeist remake has been given the green light by MGM. They haven't cast anybody yet. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I like the original. I thought the special effects were excellent considering this came out in the early '80s. I'm just not sure that I want to see this return to the big screen. As usual, as I know more about this, you'll know it.

H2

Halloween 2, or H2 as it is being called, comes out August 28th. I tried to avoid making any comments about it until I actually see it, but that has proved impossible.

Sherri Moon Zombie returns in H2 even though she died in the first one. That's complete s---. I hated when Scream brought back Dewey from supposed death and I'll hate that Rob brought her back.

Now this isn't a complaint on Sherri's acting or the fact that Rob hires his friends and family for his films. I have no problem with that. Everyone does it. Nobody complains when Judd Apatow casts the same people for each of his films so I don't understand why Rob Zombie takes so much crap for doing it. The fact remains, if you decide to kill someone off, live with that decision.

Back on Sorority Row

I let you know months ago that The House on Sorority Row was being remade and now I come back to let you know my thoughts on the topic.

The original was good fun and had great entertainment value so I was a little skeptical when I heard that Rumer Willis and Audrina Patridge were to have a hand in the remake.

This new movie is set to come out on Sept 11th. All reports say that they're keeping this rated R. After Prom Night they debated making it PG 13 but decided against it. Thank God. And from what I can tell from the trailer, Audrina Patridge looks like she's the first to die. There may be hope for this yet.

Elm Street Update

So it seems that they've finished casting (I'll give my thoughts on that at a later time) but I wanted to show you the first photos from the Nightmare on Elm Street redo.

Bloody disgusting first brought us these shots of the high school. It seems like they're going for a more modern look.

Take a look and let me know what you think. You can find the photos by going to http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/16149

Remake News

The only news that I have on the Rocky Horror Picture Show remake is that they intend to make it directly for TV. This could go either way. Generally made for TV movies are crap but some of my favourites have been exceptions to this rule. Look at Stephen King's IT. That movie terrorized me as a little kid. It was brilliantly done. Lets hope that The Rocky Horror Picture Show at least keeps some of the fun that the original brought. And remember, lets do the time warp again.

As for The Thing, they've decided against a remake and instead have decided on a prequel to the 1982 movie.

1 2 Freddy's Coming for You

Freddy Kruger is heading back for the big screen on April 16th, 2010. While this news has been known for awhile, I wanted to make sure I had a bit more info before I commented on it.

It seems that Jackie Earle Haley of Watchmen fame is set to sign on for the iconic role made famous by Robert Englund. Now in my mind nobody can replace Englund as Freddy, but at least Haley should make a decent attempt at it.

While no other actors have signed on, it's rumoured that Kyle Gallner is ready to join the cast.

Rumours are circling the web that they plan on making Freddy a victim of society instead of the child killer we all know and love. At this point I have no confirmation that's true.

I'll post more when I get new info and if there's anything that you'd like me to review or find something out about, let me know.

Attack of the Remakes

Hollywood has long been cashing in on old ideas. That doesn't seem to be changing any time soon. 2009 is the year of the remakes.

My Bloody Valentine

The Birds

Friday the 13th

Sorority Row

The Last House on the Left

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

The Wolfman

Thing

That's just a partial list of remakes coming out in 2009 with other notables like a Nightmare on Elm Street set for release in 2010. They're not all bad, but I'm ready for an original idea to pop up.

Friday the 13th 2009

This revamped Jason plays out like another sequel instead of a re-boot to the series. With plenty of sex, drugs, and deaths, this Friday satisfies most Jason lovers.

Like any movie, there were things that I liked and things that I hated. A stronger, faster, and more brutal Jason is what Derek Mears brings to the role, which I like. Then they had to go make him more intelligent. The basis of Jason is that he's a retarded deformed child trapped in a man's body. Thinking and planning is not what he'd do. He's a killing machine out for revenge. Period.

That being said, I enjoyed it enough to watch it again, which judging by the strong box office numbers so did many others. They're starting to talk about making a 2nd so maybe it actually did reboot the series.

Countdown to Crystal Lake

It's less than a month away now before Jason is reborn. I'm getting more and more excited for it. There are a ton of pictures on the net already from the set of Friday the 13th.

I think that Jason with the sack looks awesome. It's a really creepy look for him which I wished they would've stayed with instead of trading it in for the mask.

Some of the casting choice has me a bit worried because some of those people can't act, but lets hope that those are the people killed early on in the film.

I'm hoping to get the chance to go see it opening weekend and I'll be sure to let you guys know what I think when I finally see it in its entirety.

The Strangers

I've been waiting for The Strangers to come out on DVD for a long time. This is the type of movie that I love. It didn't really disappoint.

***SPOILERS***

If you love that gory horror movie then The Strangers isn't the movie for you. In fact, you'll be really disappointed. The majority of the gore is from his friend's head being blown off.

Liv Tyler does a great job showing a hysterical woman being terrorized by these people. Hearing scary noises in the night is far more scary to me than the gore that today's torture porn consists of. The Strangers delivers some good tense moments so turn off the lights and sit down and enjoy it.

Exorcist Overrated?

For years I've heard about how great The Exorcist is. It's a horror movie classic, and yet I've never seen it. So for this Halloween season, I decided to do my 30 days of horror, and I included The Exorcist into my Netflix queue.

I'm now on attempt number four to get through this movie. It's so boring. I just can't sit through it in one shot. The only reason I keep attempting is because it's a classic, but I just don't understand why.

Maybe I'm the only one that just doesn't seem to get it, but this movie neither scares me or entertains me. If I want a movie about exorcism I'll just put in The Exorcism of Emily Rose.

Sorority Row

Sorority Row is also due to have a remake come out later this year. While the original was good fun, this remake has all the makings for a suck-fest waiting to happen. With Rumer Willis and Audrina Patridge starring do you need more explanation?

Wolfman

Well, casting news has come out for the Wolfman, which is due out later this year. I'm liking the fact that Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, and Benicio del Toro are all involved.

It has recently been said that they're adding more action scenes to the movie, which I'm skeptical of. I was never a big fan of this type of movie and I doubt that I'll like this one, but I am intrigued by it. The casting could make all the difference for me.

When It Goes too Far

I spend a fair amount of time searching the internet, either for news about upcoming horror movies or for fans feedback on some of the movies I've reviewed. It's always interesting to me to hear others opinions.

What I found recently actually surprised me. There was a thread about The Last House on the Left remake. While some people really liked the movie, I was surprised that even more people were expressing displeasure about the rape scene in this movie. This isn't the first time that a movie containing rape has gotten people upset. Rob Zombie's Halloween had a rape scene (in at least one of the versions that got released on the internet) and people trashed it. They said that it had no reason to be a part of the movie.

So here's my question. When do the filmmakers take it too far? Surely this is a taboo, even for horror films, but do they stop using it? Do they just imply that it happens or do they cross the boundaries and graphically show it? The biggest question of all is why is this such a taboo? I'm talking about a genre where watching some people get their throats slashed is an average day and no big deal.

As always, I want to hear your thoughts and opinions on this topic.

Last House on the Left

The remake on the Last House on the Left is a lot like in the original in that it was pretty disappointing.

The acting was at times good and at times horribly bad. I was glad when the one friend died because her acting was actually painful to watch.

The plot itself had some gaping holes. I think that unless you're a diehard fan of the genre then I'd think twice about seeing it.

Return to Camp Blood

Many movies have returned to the big screen lately, but none has me more excited than the Friday the 13th "reimagining" set for release on February 13th.

I grew up with the counselors and feared Jason just as much as they did. Crispin Glover's dance (Friday the 13th: the Final Chapter)  was one of the great moments in a horror movie. His death scene was also great.

About a year ago the news came that they were going to remake the movie. In the months to come they confirmed that they were indeed giving a new start to the series. They're taking elements from the first four movies to make this.

This can only mean great things for the series. They can take the best parts of the movies and get rid of the crap. While it's already been said that Pamela Voorhees will only be seen briefly (possibly for her beheading?) the film will also show Jason wearing the sack before he finds the legendary hockey mask.

The rumor mill is still swirling around about what will or won't be included in the film. I'm hoping that they'll include the scene from the second movie where Ginny and Paul are searching through the cabin and Jason is hiding in the dark. Is there a better line in that movie than Ginny yelling that there's someone in that room, and Jason attacking with the pitchfork?! How cool is that.

Of course there's been a lingering rumor that they're going to create a series of tunnels for Jason to travel through, allowing him to get from one side of the camp to the other quickly. This would make sense since in the comics, Jason's father was a miner so he could be traveling through the coal mines. None of the filmmakers have confirmed or denied this possibility, but it could give Jason a more human aspect. I'm torn as whether this would add to or take away from the movie. Some of the best Jason moments are when he's more human (as opposed to zombie Jason who showed up after part 5), but it could hurt the integrity of the film.

We all know that keeping the film like the first could make or break this reimaging. Rob Zombie add his own backstory to Halloween and many diehard fans of the series hated his take on it. That's one of the hard things to do. They should be smart to remember that you can never please everybody all the time.