The Ninth Gate (1999)

So I did watch a SyFy Channel original creature feature in Killer Mountain, but did not feel it was even review worthy, trust me, there was a lot not to like. Trust me, it was bad! After that, I kicked back and decided to watch one of my favorite flicks from the 1990s, the 1999 thriller The Ninth Gate.

Plot/ A rare book dealer, while seeking out the last two copies of a demon text, gets drawn into a conspiracy with supernatural overtones.

This is definitely one of those films that is so layered, that you pick up new things every time you watch it. There was so much to like about this flick. The acting is solid, the cast starting with Johnny Depp works, the storyline detailed and spot on and the atmosphere is tremendous. Director Roman Polanski created one of his best, and possibly darkest works. Of course, this psychological thriller / mystery is not for everyone, as the story driven work lacks a ton of action and does have some slow moments, but that adds to the atmosphere. In the end, this is an often-overlooked piece of cinema and a brilliant film. Yes, some people will hate it, but if you can handle a detailed and intricate storyline, you should love it as well.  

Needle (2010)

February has arrived and with it, my first retirement check from the government; truly an awesome moment… February is an important month to me, as my birthday is on the horizon and I am sure to have another amazing horror themed birthday cake (definitely one of the highlights of the year). February 1st is also National Signing Day for college football teams, and I have to say my Mountaineers had a very impressive class, one that should help keep Morgantown rocking as we head into Big 12 action. Enough on that though, to start the month out, I decided to kick back and review the interesting flick Needle (2010) prior to heading off to bed.

Plot/ After the death of his father, archaeology student Ben Rutherford inherits an 18th century mechanical device known as "Le Vaudo Mort". At a college party, he flaunts the machine in front of a group of his closest friends and later discovers that the machine has a sinister past and may harbor supernatural powers. After class, he returns to his dorm room to find that the contraption has been stolen. One by one, Ben's friends begin to die in strange and horrific circumstances. Now he must reunite with his estranged half-brother, Marcus, a forensic photographer, and delve deeper into their father's past to work out who is behind the grisly murders. As the terror mounts and the clues seem to suggest the unthinkable, a surprising twist will reveal the identity of the killer.

This teenage / college driven flick is definitely more of a mystery / thriller than straight horror movie. Overall, there are a lot of good things to say about this, the acting is solid, character development good, effects are decent and the storyline is decently original (at least the implement of death). Yes, the pacing is a bit slow as it focused on the characters and story more that the killings, there is little gore and the ending was rather anti-climactic.  In the end, if you like character or story driven thrillers give it a shot, you can do worse. If you are a gorehound, stay away.