Night of the Living Dead (1990)

As I sit down tonight, I wanted to finish with the last movie I watched last week that I haven’t had time to review. While many people will shun this one because it is a remake (and I was one), it does deserve to be seen. That movie is the 1990 zombie flick Night of the Living Dead.

Plot/ The unburied dead return to life and seek human victims.

I will be one of the first to admit that I had stayed away from this one for a long time. As a fun of the original masterpiece, it was difficult for me to even consider watching a remake that in my opinion was not needed. However, after the tragic passing of George Romero, I wanted to venture back into this influential world and give the remake a shot. Directed by Tom Savini, this one was actually much better than I expected, and I am disappointed that I waited so long to give it a shot. Clearly made for a different generation of viewer, this version does off many of the same social commentaries that made the original so powerful. The zombie make-up is amazing, the updated characterizations (especially Barbara) work really well, and it is fun to watch everything come to life in color. Yes, the colorization does take away from some of the darker atmosphere and there was much less gore than I would have expected with Savini at the helm (but, I do understand because the film stayed true to the original), but those are but minor flaws in the overall world of the living dead. In the end, this movie was much better than I anticipated and it is a movie that is worth watching (at least once). If you have not seen it, give it a shot.

The Possession Experiment (2016)

As I said in one of my last entries, I have been focused on finishing After the Static over the past few days and haven’t had the time to switch gears into review mode. While that has been the case most of this week, I did have a chance to watch a few different movies to help keep the motivation up. Next up for review is the 2016 entry The Possession Experiment.

Plot/ When a student takes on a theology project, he taps into another side that had been hidden away from him.

This was an extremely frustrating film to both watch and review because of the amount of unevenness that’s on hand. The opening sequence was amazing and really sucked me in. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there with uneven production values, flat and underdeveloped characters, too many clichés and flashbacks, and rough performances throughout the movie. The opening scene with the exorcism was amazing and had the film maintained that quality and depth it had the potential to be something much better than it is. Yes, I do understand that it had a lower budget, but even with that, the movie could have been much better. In the end, there are much better films out there for you to watch and I would recommend you finding one of those instead of venturing into this one.

Almost Mercy (2015)

With today being the final day in my transmedia class, I can finally turn in the final portion of the group project and make Wisdom From Beyond go live. Of course, that is a little depressing as well, working as a group allowed the project to grow to a much larger scale, and took the storyline to a new level. While working on stuff last night, I decided to go a different direction with my movie selection, 2015s Almost Mercy.

Plot/ Jackson and Emily aren't like the other kids; they are two burgeoning sociopaths on the brink of total meltdown. Ticking time bombs seeking revenge. Who will unravel first?

While not a straightforward horror flick, Almost Mercy succeeds in taking on a simplistic approach and crafting a horrific tale. Most importantly, the movie tackles some very controversial topics in a way that makes them standout in a comedic manner that really sinks in. The characters are tremendous and the performances to bring hem to life were solid, the storyline was intriguing, and the mix of black comedy/horror was perfect. Of course, there were a few clichéd and incoherent moments, and the twist ending was somewhat predictable, but those minor flaws can be found in every movie, and do not detract from the overall feel and impact of this film. In the end, this movie is a unique look into some dark topics that should be addressed. More of a dark comedy than horror movie, this movie must be seen. Check it out!

Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)

After watching some gore and violence from one of the Saw films, it was time to find something different tonight. Having some alone time with the girls in acting, it was nice to not have to worry about what I put on. What did I decide on? I picked out the 2008 musical Repo! The Genetic Opera.

Plot/ In the year 2056 - the not so distant future - an epidemic of organ failures devastates the planet. Out of the tragedy, a savior emerges: GeneCo, a biotech company that offers organ transplants, for a price. Those who miss their payments are scheduled for repossession and hunted by villainous Repo Men.

Repo The Genetic Opera is my second favorite horror musical next to Rocky Horror, but it is an extremely close second. This one is definitely not for everyone, with the dark almost Sci-Fi backdrop mixed with graphic gore and an amazingly diverse soundtrack; it will surely turn some away. Fortunately, the creativity, solid performances, and interesting storyline only added to this unique and ambitious project. Yes, some of the singing was off (Bill Moseley comes to mind) and some of the characters lacked depth, but that matter’s naught. In the end, this is one of the most entertaining and visually captivating films I have seen. Is it Rocky Horror? No, but in many ways it is a far superior film and one that should live on in the same manner. If you have not caught it, check it out!

House of 1000 Corpses (2003)

After kicking back with the rage filled zombies and spending most of Sunday at the softball field, it was time to find something to watch. With my mind still full of the visual experience that was Lords of Salem, I decided to continue down the Rob Zombie spiral with the 2003 entry House of 1000 Corpses.

Plot/ Two teenage couples traveling across the backwoods of Texas searching for urban legends of murder end up as prisoners of a bizarre and sadistic backwater family of serial killers.

Having watched Lords of Salem over the weekend, I ended up being in a Rob Zombie mood. Zombie is definitely a polarizing figure in horror, some hate him and some love him. Personally, I love what he has created on the screen and it all started with this flick. While this was not the typical movie of the day, it definitely struck a cord with fans of exploitation horror of the 1970s. The cinematography in this film is awesome, as the art house influences, and divergent characteristics really work. More importantly, this created a world that true horror fans would understand and enjoy full of blood, effects and a disturbing storyline. Yes, it may lack some character depth and the acting is not perfect, but those were the same problems that haunted most of the exploitation craze in the 1970s. In the end, this movie does more than pay homage to some horror classics; it opened the door for many of the more twisted entries of the past decade. If you have not watched it, check it out!

Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet (2009)

As February starts winding down (still waiting on a picture of my Exorcist Birthday Cake), I decided to take a couple days away from the computer.  However, with it being Friday, and snow in the forecast, I ran to the video store for some flicks for the upcoming week. Before I get to those, it was time to finally sit down and finish the last movie from the previous group, the 2009 slasher starring Bill Moseley, Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet.

Plot/ A group of teenagers celebrating Blood Night, the anniversary of the death of a local axe murderer, Mary Hatchet, suddenly find themselves face to face with the realities of her haunting. As they run from the bloody rampage left behind, they will need to survive the night to expose the truth behind the legend of Bloody Mary.

Ahhh, hitting the low budget horror section again (one of my favorite venues). By now, anyone reading about this (or interested in) this movie should already know that it is a B-movie, and it suffers from many of the flaws that permeate through this genre. Really, this one follows the low budget blueprint to a T, featuring a clichéd story, predictable scares, blood splatter and gratuitous nudity. Yes, the opening sequence is decent (and bloody) and the flick is rather entertaining, but it is really nothing to get excited about. The acting is uneven, the gore (while bloody) is rather tame and the ending was unsurprising (although the parts leading up to it was actually funny). In the end, this one is nothing new and fits right into the genre. While not for everyone and far from perfect, I have seen A LOT worse. Check it out if you want, I am sure you will feel the same.  

Evil Bong (2006)

I decided to stray from my normal movie selections and venture into the horror / comedy arena. My selection was Full Moon Pictures Evil Bong from 2006 from Charles Band.

Plot/ Straight-laced nerd Alistair moves into a college dorm with hardcore marijuana users Brett, Larnell, and Bachman. Larnell orders an old giant bong that proves to have strange magical powers. When smoked said bong sends a person to a bizarre drugged-out alternate realm from which there is no easy escape.

This was actually funnier than I expected. True that is not saying much, but there were a few laughable moments (especially when Tommy Chong shows up). Do not get me wrong, this flick is far from great, full of stupidity, plot holes, subpar effects, uneven acting and stereotypical undeveloped characters. However, it is actually entertaining and has enough eye candy to make every man smile. More sitcom than horror, but if you are looking to waste a couple hours with mindless stoner humor, check it out!

House (2008)

After spending the day with my oldest daughter Genesis, who is in for the weekend, I decided to unwind tonight be watching something other than vampires (or whatever was next on the Undead set. After some debate, I decided on the 2008 flick House starring Michael Madsen on FearNet.

Plot/ In rural Alabama, two couples find themselves in a fight for survival. Running from a maniac (The Tin Man) bent on killing them, they flee deep into the woods and seek refuge in a house. They soon realize the killer has purposely lured them to this house and that they are now trapped. As they huddle around an old fireplace, a tin can falls through the chimney. Scrawled on its side is a message from the killer, establishing his House Rules. The rules call for their deaths unless they kill at least one of the four. They have less than 12 hours to find a way to survive. At sunrise the game is over and everyone dies if the killer's demands aren't met. What they quickly learn is that the only way out, is in. But going further into this house--where unknown challenges await them--is equally deadly.

Unfortunately for me, I have now picked back-to-back snoozers (with Prime Evil on Wednesday).If you haven't seen this movie yet, do not waste your time. Really, just stay clear. The cast is mediocre, the acting is sub-par, and the plot and story are just bad. Too much of the film is retread ideas from movies of old and really comes across disjointed and predictable. Honestly, from start to finish, House is boring, overwrought and actually pretty bad. If you are a real enthusiast, Stay Clear!