Love in the Time of Monsters (2014)

While I have been swamped with school and softball, I decided to jump back into the blog today after hearing the devastating news the Sir Christopher Lee passed away. Lee was a trailblazer, and for many horror fans he served to indoctrinate us into the genre, we have grown to love. He will definitely be missed. In catching up on some of the movies I have recently watched, I am going to stick with the horror/comedy theme with  

Plot/ Two sisters travel to a cheesy tourist trap where they battle toxic monsters dressed in Bigfoot costumes in order to save the ones they love.

After Zombeavers, I wanted to keep the horror comedy train rolling, and with this one, I definitely made the right choice. While in many ways this schlockfest was an amazing journey, the fact that everyone ebraced the homage to the cheesefests of the 1980s was incredible. Between the costuming, the dialog, the characters, and a perfect atmosphere everything worked to bring this film to life. What made this one special though is the way the movie was choreographed with just the right blend of horror and comedy, enough to keep you entertained through the schlockiest moments. Yes, there were some CGI issues and some of it was predictable, but those flaws are easily overlooked. In the end, this is one of the best horror comedies I have seen, and a movie that must be seen. Yes, it is not for everyone, but if you love cheesy B-movies, check this one out!

Muck (2015)

Metropolis was an awesome movie, and in many ways, I am still fascinated by how well the restoration of the print translated. However, one can only live inside the mind of a silent film for so much time. Getting back to the modern horror entries, I decided to dive into a slasher for the next review. A clear throwback to the 1980s, 2015s Muck.

Plot/ After narrowly escaping an ancient burial ground, a group of friends find themselves trapped between two evils, forcing them to fight, die, or go back the way they came.

This is an interesting flick that transported me back to my teen years and the direct to VHS no-budget horror of the 1980s. In fact, in many ways, that is exactly what this movie is, a no-budget kickstarter funded throwback slasher, and because of that, many will be unable to understand the draw to the film. While the film is nowhere near a masterpiece, it fits into the genre featuring all of the elements that made me want to run to the video stores in the 1980s. There are random murders, nonsense dialog, uneven cinematography, boobs, cardboard characters that make terrible decisions, unreal killers, and did I say boobs? Honestly, this one will in no way be mistaken for a masterpiece, but it could have easily been a cult classic had it been released during the era of big boxed VHS slashers. In the end, this movie will not appeal to the modern horror fan that thinks that the slasher craze started with Scream. However, if you are a child of the 1980s and remember some of the schlock filled slashers that made that decade great, you should enjoy this as much as I did. Not for everyone, but it does have some entertaining moments and will be enjoyed by some audiences.

The Afflicted (2010)

After an interesting day at work, and a unfruitful trip to the lake, I decided to kick back and watch something a bit different. This one was more of a drama or thriller than clear-cut horror entry, but who cares. It is always good to change things up. The selection from 2010 is The Afflicted from Midnight Releasing.  

Plot/ This is a  story of incomprehensible abuse delivered by an explosively violent mother of four and a journey through the mind of a child that experiences a living hell, defined and defended by the twisted religious beliefs of her mother.

Let me start by saying this was a dark, twisted and unsettling journey into a disturbing topic. As a parent, I could never imagine falling into the trappings of abuse in any way, and was quite disturbed. This was a interesting flick, with solid cinematography, good acting and a dark storyline. More of a thriller or drama than horror, it definitely seems to cross genres and may not have a true target audience. It is truly unbelievable (especially if it was a true story). Kane Hodder did have a bit part, but was underutilized in his cameo. Yes, it had its flaws and some of it was extremely disturbing, which makes it not for everyone. To me, if you can handle a dark and disturbing flick with realism, check it out.

Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)

Today is Friday the 13th, one of the days I look forward to every year. There is so much going on with different superstitions, creepy programming and of course, the ever popular visit from Jason Voorhees. When I was young, I can remember seeing the original Friday the 13th in the theatre. I truly believe that the moment Jason came from the depths changed my life and sent me on the path I am on today. I loved it. With that thought fresh in my mind, I decided to revisit the franchise with Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood.

Plot/ Years after Tommy Jarvis chained him underwater at Camp Crystal Lake, the hulking killer Jason Voorhees returns to the campgrounds when he is released accidently by a teenager with psychic powers.

I am a huge Friday the 13th fan, and love every time it pops onto the calendar as it allows me a chance to revisit at least one of the flicks without hearing any crap. This entry, the seventh in the series, was probably the last one that did not go truly overboard. Yes, it is a typical slasher from the day featuring a low budget, unknown cast, some nudity and gore. But, it is an important entry in the series as it marked Kane Hodder’s debut as Jason, and a somewhat original idea coupled with some outstanding special effects. Hell, they even give Jason some power tools to play with… In the end, if you are a fan of the series, please revisit this one it is awesome. If you are not, or have not seen it, check it out for the first time. It may be dated and a bit campy, but it is a fun romp through Camp Crystal Lake.

Born (2007)

 After some trips to the backwoods, it was time for me to watch something different. One genre that I have not ventured into lately is the demon or satanic driven horror flick that is usually something controversial and entertaining. While I was searching the video store, I found the selection rather slim. What I did find was the Kane Hodder flick Born from 2007.

  

Plot/ Mary Elizabeth goes to bed alone one night, still a 21 year old virgin, and wakes up the next morning...pregnant. Possessed by the demon fetus growing within her womb, Mary Elizabeth obeys her homicidal cravings to kill...for the sake of her unborn fetus. Mary Elizabeth's dark transformation, controlled by her unborn demon child, is driven by its dark cravings. Once the child is born there will be hell on earth. From this apparent immaculate conception comes edge of your seat terror.

  

Wow, this flick definitely combined a vast mixture of material. Sure, much of it is absurd, but that is OK, after all, it is only a movie, right (albeit a B movie to the finest extent of the word). While it does suffer from many of the same trappings of the Low Budget B movie genre, it actually has some decent moments. The acting is decent, the story interesting, there is some comic elements and some of the prosthetic effects are eye catching (the pentagram with heads is awesome). Those good points aside, some of the movie lies on the opposite spectrum. The CGI looks cheap and unimpressive, the pacing off, the characters uneven and the storylines are all over the place and very unbelievable.  In the end, while far from perfect, this low budget B movie a lot of the characteristics that at least makes it tolerable (gore, nudity, and violence). Yes, it is not for everyone, but fans of demon driven horror should at least get a laugh out of it.

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.  

Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)

I was doing some reading the other day about a movie and I discovered something that I never remembered seeing. Kane Hodder (the best Jason ever) played Freddy Krueger’s arm in Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday. I really do not remember that (although it has been almost 20-years since I saw this movie). So, what is any horror fan (especially Friday the 13th fan) to do? Go back and watch the flick to see where / when it happens, absolutely… That is exactly what I did with the unrated directors cut of Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday from 1993.

Plot/ The secret of Jason's evil is revealed. It is up to the last remaining descendant of the Voorhees family to stop Jason before he becomes immortal and unstoppable.

It had been years since I had watched this one and really I had very little memory of it. What I found when turning it on again was both graphic and somewhat hilarious. Honestly, I feel that this was misplaced as a Friday the 13th entry, and the director should have created a new character for the lead. If that would have happened, I doubt it would have been panned as much as it has been.  For all of the flaws like poor soundtrack, crazy storyline (biting a heart, really?) and way too many subtle horror references, this one actually has a lot of finer points that are often overlooked. The special effects are graphic (and possibly some of the best in the series), the acting is decent and there is a hint of character background and development. In the end, this one is entertaining in its own way and would have been better if it was a stand-alone or start of its own franchise. Unfortunately, as part of the Friday the 13th franchise, it fails miserably when holding it next to the early entries that started the entries.

Jason X (2001)

After meeting Kane Hodder this past weekend at Monster-Mania, I decided to watch some of his action as my favorite horror character. Last night, I stumbled onto Jason X, the outer space, end of the Earth gorefest.

Plot/ Jason Voorhees returns with a new look, a new machete, and his same murderous attitude as he is awakened on a spaceship in the 25th century.

Jason X, I think the title speaks for itself! If you have not seen this and watch it expecting something even close to the classic original, you should definitely think again. This is not a horror film, it lacks suspense, the acting is uneven to bad, and really the plot is poor even for one of the last Friday the 13th installments (come on outer space, really?). However, what it lacks with all of those flaws, it makes up for it with sheer brutal death and gore. This is just a fun escape from the misery of the surrounding society and pretty laughable (especially the hologram scene at the end). In the end, this is NO classic, but it is a fun way to pass 90 minutes when there is nothing else to do!

Pictures from Monster Mania

While this week has sucked pretty bad as I have been suffering from this flu. Honestly, I shouldn't complain, it could have been worse. However, I had to pull it together as I had promised Jillian a trip to Monster Mania in Cherry Hill. So, suck it up I did... Here are some pictures from the day.

The Batmobile

Doug Bradley (Pinhead)

With our friends at Bad Zombie

With Stella and Hives

With Kane Hodder (Jason)

The Malachi and Issac from Children of the Corn