Candyman (1992)

Today, I started to go back through some classic horror films to brush up before a trivia contest on Sunday. One film that I watched (and one of my favorites) is Candyman from 1992.

Plot: The Candyman, a murderous soul with a hook for a hand, is accidentally summoned to reality by a skeptic grad student researching the monster's myth.

This may be the best horror movie of the 1990s and incredibly, it continues to hold its own even after all these years.  A faithful adaption of Clive Barkers' short story,  this one has a tremendous atmosphere, outstanding performances,  and a worthwhile ending that adds to the overall feel of the movie.  Most importantly,  it has a very creepy storyline that draws you in and keeps you engaged throughout. If you haven't seen this original version, check it out.  It is one of the best and it started a franchise that continues to draw in followers. 

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.

Jack the Reaper (2011)

After watching the Ninth Gate over the weekend, I decided it was time to get back to some of the flicks that I picked up at Family Video. While I did not rent anything groundbreaking, I did pick up a couple of interesting looking titles. The first one I watched in the 2011 slasher, Jack the Reaper.

Plot/ A group of unsuspecting teens face a railroad reaper in his desert carnival.

This movie is one of those rare no-budget indie flicks that is both original and cliché at the same time. While that is the case and there is really nothing new here, there is a lot of stuff to like about it. The killer is awesome visually, the effects are solid, and the director actually succeeds at creating an atmosphere and does not cheapen the flick by using a ton of CGI. Sure, the acting is so-so, Tony Todd is wasted in his cameo and some of the dialogue does not work, but that is somewhat acceptable due to the budgetary restraints. In the end, it is not an overwhelming flick by any means, but it is also not the worst of its kind. If you like off-beat slashers, you will likely enjoy this one.

Hatchet II (2010)

After watching Hatchet the other night and enjoying the graphic violence and gore, I decided to search out the sequel and see what Victor Crawley had in store. Luckily for me, Hatchet II was on one of my premium channels and I was able to DVR it.

Plot/ Marybeth escapes the clutches of the bayou-butcher Victor Crowley and returns to the swamp with an army of hunters and gunmen, determined to end Crowley's reign of horror once and for all.

Sequels are usually a mixed bag, some are successful at capturing the momentum of the original and some come up way short. This flick had some hits and misses when comparing it to the original. The gore in this one was graphic, intense and truly was a highlight and the storyline and character development was outstanding. While by and large the acting was solid, especially Kane Hodder’s dual role, some of the casting decisions (like changing out Marybeth) took something away from the original, not to mention lacking the great comedy that was a blast in the first one. Overall, this was definitely a decent sequel and a horror movie that is worth watching (especially if you enjoyed the original).

Hatchet (2006)

After a couple of days away from the blog recovering from my interview at the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics, it was time to settle in and watch something after the finale of American Horror Story. My choice was the gory slasher entry Hatchet from 2006.

Plot/ When a group of tourists on a New Orleans haunted swamp tour find themselves stranded in the wilderness, their evening of fun and spooks turns into a horrific nightmare.

Being a child of the 1980s, slashers played a huge role in developing what I love in horror movies. Unfortunately, those days are long gone, replaced by teen-driven franchises and censored horror. That is where Hatchet succeeds, paying homage to those classic days with a tremendous mixture of gore, violence and just enough comic interludes. The storyline is solid and the acting is decent, but it is the graphic violence (and nudity) that set it apart from others in the genre. In the end, this one is an entertaining endeavor and one definitely made for true gore hounds and horror fans.