John of the Dead's Horror Flick Reviews

Director – Adam Wingard

Cast – Forrest Pitts, Lindley Praytor, Tiffany Shepis, Will Akers, Matt Lero, Brandon Carroll, Tom Towles, Jeff Dylan Graham, Bill Mosely

Release Year – 2007

Reviewed by John of the Dead

This is a film that I came across randomly one day, and after digging its plot I figured I’d give this low-budget DTV effort a watch.  I admit that I went into this flick with moderate expectations given it “starred” Bill Mosely(The Devil’s Rejects, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Repo! The Genetic Opera, House of 1000 Corpses), but in the end I was left with a very unsatisfying watch despite some truly awesome Hatchet-esque gore and kills.

A group of young adults partying in a small Alabama town are greeted by a mysterious uninvited guest carrying a suitcase full of razorblades.  He asks each person to name someone they hate and would like to see dead, and upon doing so unleashes a powerful supernatural being to kill each of the participants in his sick game.  As the friends are brutally killed off they shack up with a heavily armed outdoorsy chili enthusiast to fight off the demon.

Home Sick not only looks like a low-budget film, it looks like a low-budget film from the 70s/80s.  By low-budget I don’t mean Evil Dead low budget, I am talking a very amateurish Killing Spree low-budget.  Some of you may not see this is as a fault, I am just dishing the facts and letting you decide on that.

The story was an interesting one to me mainly because of Bill Mosely’s character, the mysterious man carrying the suitcase full of razorblades.  I enjoyed the idea of such a person crashing a party and giving our drunk and not-critically thinking protagonists the opportunity to set themselves up with untimely death, and it worked good with setting up the events that would ensue.  The rest of the storyline follows the usual standard where each of the characters goes their own way, realizes that others involved with what happened are being killed off, then band together at the end to finish what they started.  I never mind this slasher-esque template because it provides me with the conflict and tension that I enjoy seeing, however things must be properly executed for this to work well…and they weren’t.

For one, the screenplay is horrendous, with pathetic dialogue and horrible character play.  I never once felt engaged in what was going on between our characters, and it came as a result of a lazily written script.  As you may have guessed. Bill Mosely’s character’s screen time is limited to the first sequence only(yet he received top billing), so the only worthwhile character for us to marvel at comes and goes in a matter of minutes.  Thankfully, writer E. L. Katz at least took the time to write in some good gore.

While the story is in the negatives, so is the film’s direction.  The young Adam Wingard failed to capture my interest in the vast majority of his film, leaving me to only marvel at the film’s awesome gore.  Mr. Wingard completed this film back in 2003 at the age of 19, shooting the film in 16mm, which should be taken into consideration.  For such a low-budget watch I was very impressed with the gore scenes we were given, and it seems either Wingard got very creative, or all of his money went towards the film’s special effects.  Either way, the gore is up there with the gore we see in Adam Green’s Hatchet and Hatchet II, which I hope says something about the future of horror filmmaking, that young and upcoming directors are relying on live action effects and not CGI usage.  His demon was also pretty sweet to watch as well, although we did not see much of him until the film’s final act.  I will not knock Adam Wingard for that though, because this film plays off like a slasher, with us not seeing the killer’s identity until the final act of the film.  I really wish that the rest of Wingard’s direction was this good, and it may be due to the low-budget that he had to work with, but it is what it is.  We get terrible performances from nearly everyone involved, with only Bill Mosely and Tom Towles(Uncle Johnny) delivering performances worth my time.  The film tends to drag at multiple times due to the uninteresting scenes going on, and while that falls on the film’s story and writing, good direction can improve that and possibly even turn it into a positive for the viewer…but that was not the case.

Overall, Home Sick is a very low-budget film that despite some fantastically awesome gore fails to capture the positives its overall plot has to offer.  A poor script left the film doomed after the opening sequence, and from then on out less-than-favorable execution of everything but the gore left me sad that this film was not the hidden gem that I thought it could be.  Not recommended.

Rating: 4/10

Director – Ryan Little

Cast – Corri English, Sandra McCoy, Michael J. Pagan, Corey Sevier, Alice Greczyn, Eliot Benjamin, Kelvin Clayton

Release Year – 2007

Reviewed by John of the Dead

This is another unworthy film that my curiosity fell victim to because of its fairly interesting plot and that ever-long hope that this “I should know better” horror film could actually turn out a fairly decent watch in the end.  Unsurprisingly, I was wrong, and despite the film showing some potential to deliver some good scares the entire watch was a waste of time.

House of Fears follows a group of friends who sneak into a haunted funhouse set to open the next day.  The funhouse, titled “House of Fears” centers on the 9 most common fears people have, and exploits them in a very hands-on fashion to the patron.  While the friends plan on having a few good hours of fun tonight, they soon find themselves locked in the house and falling victim one by one to a supernatural entity.  Little did they know, a rare artifact from Africa that was to be used as a prop in the home provided a much more “authentic” experience when a demon within the artifact was released.  With the ability to manifest itself within anything inside the House of Fears, the dwindling number of survivors must determine what is real and what is not in an atmosphere where anything can kill them.

I must admit that this borderline-unbearable watch did come with some elements that showed some promise, especially the film’s first act.  Fans of Tobe Hooper’s The Funhouse should find themselves reminded of that great film when we are first introduced to the House of Fears, decorated with numerous animatronic monsters/clowns/etc. used to scare the patrons of the home.  The look and visual feel of the film is actually quite impressive, which came as no surprise to me when I noticed this one comes directed by Ryan Little, who did a remarkable job in regards to cinematography with Saints and Soldiers.  I can only imagine the genuine look of shock on my face when I noticed his name attached at the end of the film, mainly due to the fact that he is a fairly good director, and this was a huge load of crap.

While Little’s visual tone is good, the sets used in the film are very impressive and were definitely the highlight of this flick.  This allowed for much potential for the film to amount to a good watch, but it just did not happen.  The rest of Little’s direction is sub-par, with horrible camerawork, pathetic edits reminiscent of Saw V(ouch), and worst of all…horrendous acting from everyone involved.

The screenplay did not help Little, and aided in worsening the sour taste already in my mouth over what was happening on-screen before me.  Despite heavily enjoying the idea of a haunted funhouse focusing on your fears, everything else going on with the storyline went downhill.  Writer Steven A. Lee had a decent story to build off of, but instead of the film progressing to anything worthwhile we are instead just given the usual horror clichés that I can only enjoy if properly executed, and as you can tell by now…they weren’t.  We do get a mix of colorful characters, which is supposed to aid in keeping the viewer’s interest due to their diversity and the fact that it adds more potential kills to the film, but they really did not do anything for me due to how they were employed in the story, and the fact that the actors portraying them were possibly to “scared” to act.

Overall, this is a film that despite coming with a cool story suffers from a terrible screenplay and equally terrible direction.  The next time your drunk friends won’t leave your home just put this film on and thank me later.

Rating: 4/10

Director – Joe Lynch

Cast – Erica Leerhsen, Henry Rollins, Texas Battle, Aleksa Palladino, Daniella Alonso, Steve Braun, Matthew Currie Holmes, Crystal Lowe, Kimberly Caldwell, Wayne Robson, Ken Kirzinger, Ashlea Earl, Clint Carleton, Rorelee Tio

Release Year – 2007

Reviewed by John of the Dead

Wrong Turn remains one of my favorite horror films of all time, mainly because of Rob Schmidt(The Alphabet Killer)’s amazing execution of an often-used plot, but simply because the film is awesome.  Because of the usual crapiness we get with horror sequels, you can imagine my distaste when I first heard word that Wrong Turn 2: Dead End was in the works, however I gave this one a chance when it debuted ONLY because Henry Rollins was in it, and I am glad that I did.  The film is by no means even close to the greatness of Wrong Turn, but for fans of these “backwoods killer” flicks as well as fans of awesome gore this is one definitely worth giving a shot at.

Retired military commando Col. Dale Murphy(Henry Rollins; Feast) is hosting the newest, hottest reality television show, one in which its contestants must survive post-apocalyptic scenarios in the backwoods of West Virginia.  The show is going well and according to plan, until an inbred family of cannibals shows up and causes all hell to break loose.  As the contestants fall victim to the family one by one, the remaining survivors realize they are no longer playing for $100,000, but for their lives.

Well, if you liked Wrong Turn then there is a chance you may like this one.  Only a “chance”?  Yes, because this film really does have a different look and feel, and also comes with a story that may be a bit silly to some.

I personally hate reality television, so at first I really did not like the idea of the film employing such a tactic, however, I did love seeing reality show contestants being gutted and eaten, so in the end the reality element is evened out.  The majority of the story is much like I explained it, we watch the contestants try and survive being killed and eaten by the cannibals.  It sounds simple, and it is, but I found it fun-to-watch and quite engaging given we have the usual ditsy girls who have no clue how to survive in the wild, and of course a few badass males and females who have what it takes to fight off their attackers.  The contestants were forced to enter the show without any personal belongings aside from the clothes on their backs, so they are truly defenseless against their attackers, which not only adds a strong sense of helplessness, but forces the strong ones to get creative if they want to survive.  Oh, and did I mention Henry Rollins is in this one?  His character was very fun to watch, and while we don’t get as much screen time from him as I wanted, the screen time we do get from him is awesome and written to please the fans.

Earlier I mentioned that if you love gore then you might enjoy this one, and I meant it.  Director Joe Lynch(who acted in Terror Firmer, Frozen, and Hatchet II) does a fantastic job bringing some campy live-action gore to the screen, and while we do get some lame CGI gore during some very gory scenes, the CGI gore came in high dosage, which made it bearable given the nature of what was happening.  His pacing is well done, mainly because of his ability to sell the film to the viewer visually, as well as the non-stop antics and mayhem that are going on throughout the film thanks to its screenplay.  We do get some different film tones going on due to Joe Lynch giving us many scenes that come via the cameras set up throughout the forest to record the actions of the contestants, but overall I did not find this to really be a bother to me.  Your mileage may vary on this, because it really only adds to the “sillyness” of the reality-television based plot.  The look and mannerisms of the inbred cannibal family was well done, and they deliver some good bloody carnage as well as the best human BBQ you can find.

Overall, this is a fun watch that I recommend to fans of the “backwoods killer” flicks who would like to see a different take on the sub-genre.  If you enjoyed Wrong Turn then there is a chance you will enjoy this one, just don’t go in expecting the same level of seriousness, but more of a campy watch.

Rating: 7/10

Director – Franck Vertiel

Cast – Clovis Cornillac, Vimala Pons, Zohar Wexler, Sifan Shao, Arben Bajraktaraj

Release Year – 2007

Reviewed by John of the Dead

This is a film I had been wanting to see for quite some time, thanks to what seemed like a really cool plot.  After making amendments to my horror queue I was finally able to give this flick a watch, and while it was not as great as I expected it to be it still came off a pretty fair watch in the end.

The film begins with Tolbiac(Clovis Cornillac; Malefique) awaking deep within a dark and wet cave system.  He has no recollection of how he wound up where he is, and much to his distaste he has no time to ponder his whereabouts.  Tolbiac is vehemently chased throughout the cave system by some horrendous creatures, which leads him to a world within his underworld that he never knew existed.  A secret organization referred to as “Eden Log” appears to be the former inhabitants of the underworld, and if Tolbiac wishes to learn why he was left in this hellish underworld he must make his way to the surface, a daunting task that leaves him the focus of attention of a powerful deity.

Boy does this flick have some amazing atmosphere.  Director Franck Vestiel, assistant director for the epic French film Them(Ils), does an amazing job creating awesome visuals with superb cinematography and top-notch lighting.  For such a low-budget film it is truly amazing that Vestiel got the look that he did in this flick, and it goes to show that a lack of funds forces creativity, as said by Sam Raimi(The Evil Dead) himself.  The look and feel of this film reminded me much of a film that debuted a few years later, Chistian Alvart’s Pandorum.  Both focus on separate stories, but the look and feel is near identical, although Eden Log debuted first in all fairness.  The rest of Franck Vestiel’s direction is great, especially the usage of the monsters chasing Tolbiac.  I will always be a fan of live action creatures, regardless of how they look like, and Vestiel does a great job bringing on some good creature action.  I would have preferred that the fight scenes between the creatures and Tolbiac be executed a little better and less choppy, but nonetheless Vestiel got the job done.

So if the direction is so great then why only a borderline-positive 6-rating?  Well, the story comes with some problems.  I thought the overall storyline was pretty cool, especially because I love films in which our protagonist is thrown into a situation he/she has no knowledge of, rendering them very helpless to their surroundings.  Keeping us in the dark about what is going on makes things fun as well because the protagonist is also in the dark over what is going on, which puts us in his/her shoes.  What turned me off to this film was the somewhat confusing elements thrown into the film, having mainly to due with the reasoning behind why Tolbiac is thrown into the situation he is in.  This idea of keeping us in the dark went on for way too long, for nearly all of the film’s runtime, which forced the film’s pacing to slow down to somewhat unbearable levels.  I have no problem with a film moving slow as long as I am given something for it aka something interesting to latch onto.  Sadly, that was not the case with this film’s slow development, as all we were given consisted of some not-so-interesting scenes that could not keep things going despite good direction.  Despite all of this, we do get a beautiful and engulfing climax that turned out better than I expected, so at least things end well with this one.

Overall, this is a film that contains much potential but only delivers in segments.  The look and visual feel of this flick is amazing, and the rest of Vestiel’s direction is mostly positive.  We do get some somewhat confusing scenes thrown in throughout the film, which in the end will be up to the viewer to decide whether they work for the film or not.  This is one that you will have to decide on.

Rating: 6/10

Director – David Slade

Cast – Josh Hartnett, Melissa George, Danny Huston, Ben Foster, Mark Boone Junior, Mark Rendall, Amber Sainsbury, Manu Bennett, Megan Franich, Joel Tobeck, Elizabeth Hawthorne, Nathaniel Lees, Craig Hall, Chic Littlewood, Peter Feeney

Release Year – 2007

Reviewed by John of the Dead

Based on the  successful 2002 comic series by the same name, 30 Days of Night gives us one of the better recent vampire experiences and comes with a sweet story as well.  One year before the Twilight film bombardment began we were given an original take on the vampire sub-genre that also comes with some hard-hitting action, gore, and REAL vampires.

30 Days of Night stars Josh Hartnett(Halloween H2o: 20 Years Later) as Sheriff Eben Oleson, who is preparing his northern Alaskan town for the unusual phenomena in which they will experience 30 days of no sunlight, just darkness(a real phenomenon).  When a series of heinous acts suddenly plague the town, Sheriff Oleson knows that something is not right, but he has no clue for what lies in store for the town.  A gang of menacing vampires have made their way into the small town to take advantage of the month-long darkness and feed on the townsfolk.  Undermanned and underpowered, Sheriff Oleson, with the assistance of his separated wife Fire Marshall Stella Oleson(Melissa George; Triangle, The Amityville Horror remake, Turistas), must band together whatever few survivors are left in the town and try to survive the longest month of their lives.

We horror fans always appreciate new ideas thrown into old horror sub-genres, and the vampire sub-genre is one of the oldest around.  The idea of centering this film on the Alaskan phenomena of suffering a month-long delay of sunlight was a genius idea that really surprises me given I had never seen this used in previous horror films, despite this being the PERFECT atmosphere for some vampire carnage.  We all know they cannot handle UV radiation, so the conditions could not be any better for some great vampire action.  Thank screenwriters Steve Niles(original creator), Stuart Beattie(Hard Candy), Brian Nelson(Hard Candy, Devil) for this awesome story.

The rest of the storyline plays out well thanks to this unique idea, providing for many thrills, chills, and constant developments.  By now you should all know that I am a huge idea of nowhere-to-run scenarios, and a small sleepy town plunged into darkness and miles from any other sign of remote civilization provides a nice nowhere-to-run scenario, and I loved it.  None of our characters were safe, at any time, thanks to the vampires having free reign due to the lack of UV radiation, so once the vamps show up the tension is high and it never truly relents.  We experience our protagonists resorting to hiding out in attics for extended periods of time, much like what Anne Frank went through, except she of course experienced a different breed of monster.  Don’t think that for this film taking place in an isolated area that the film does not “move” very often, because it does.  Our characters are constantly forced to relocate here and there, which is not only an anti-boredom technique but brings on some good tension as well given they must put themselves out in the open to do so.  The ravaging gang of vampires were cool to watch, and even came with their own completely original language as well.  We do not get much background information on them, and in this case I did not mind that one bit because simply put…it worked.  Sadly, we do not really get many characters worth fighting for in this one, however that may fall more on acting and casting than the actual storyline.  We do not get much character drama either, which came as a surprise to me given the circumstances they are facing.  Usually in such dire situations there is a lack of social order and people begin arguing and going amok, but for some reason we do not get much of that in this film.  It is not a requirement, but it sure does make for some added conflict that we could have used.

Director David Slade is no newbie to the horror genre thanks to his well-received breakout film Hard Candy(which I did not care much for), and it shows in this film.  Is cinematography is awesome, providing a beautiful visual tone to the watch that only exemplified the vast amounts of gore he threw into the carnage.  Slade provided some of the best vampire action I have ever seen, giving us maniacal vampires who stop at nothing to satisfy their bloodthirsty needs.  I was really surprised at just how mean-spirited these vampires were, not merely just killing for blood but aiming to inflict as much pain as possible on their victims, something we rarely see employed but an awesome and well executed idea in this film.  The look and mannerisms of the vampires rocked, and at times they seemed more like a mix between vampires and the high-speed “infected” from films like REC and 28 Days Later, except with the acrobatic abilities that vampires tend to possess.  I mentioned that this film “moves” well thanks to its constantly changing sets, and I must commend Mr. Slade for using some awesome and creative sets which definitely helped with the film’s pacing.  For a film just a few minutes shy of a two-hour runtime, good direction is key if you want to keep the viewer’s attention.  At times the film did tend to slow down a bit, but thanks to the film’s captivating visuals you should not find yourself dozing off with this one.

Overall, this is a fun and cool vampire watch that delivers heavily on the action and gore, and comes with a unique story thanks to some ingenuity as well.  Fans of real vampires giving real carnage should find this a fun watch, and it comes recommended from me.

Rating: 7/10

- This film made the #10 spot on my Top 10 Horror Movies of 2007 post.

Director – Frank Darabont

Cast – Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden, Andre Braugher, Toby Jones, William Sadler, Jeffrey DeMunn, Frances Sternhagen, Nathan Gamble, Alexa Davalos, Chris Owen, Sam Witwer, Robert C. Treveiler, David Jensen, Melissa Suzanne McBride

Release Year – 2007

Reviewed by John of the Dead

The Mist is one film that managed to so awesomely portray its horror to me that I have never forgotten my film experience when I first saw this in theaters years ago.  After giving this another watch I am able to reaffirm my confidence in this film, thanks much to the multiple types of horror we have in this watch.  This is not just your usual run-of-the-mill monster film, but one that involves sociological horror that we all can relate to, and should maybe be afraid of…

After a violent storm ravages a small Maine town, Hollywood artist Dave Drayton(Thomas Jane) takes his son and arrogant neighbor, lawyer Brent Norton, to get supplies from a local supermarket.  They notice a strong mist making its way across town, but think nothing of it despite numerous personnel from a local military base heading directly toward it.  After arriving at the supermarket they learn the true, horrific nature of “the mist”.  Something not of this world lurks in the mist, and Dave, his son, Brent, and the local townsfolk are forced to hole up inside the supermarket, which proves to be a bad idea.  The true horror does not lie in the mist outside of the supermarket, but in the drastic measures human beings will take when faced with unbeatable odds.

It is not very often that we get horror films that come with a punch like The Mist.  Based on Stephen King’s 1980 novella of the same title, writer/director Frank Darabont(The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile) took King’s novella to new levels by bringing us a first-hand visual experience of this awesome tale, and with many additional unique elements that make for a truly memorable, and haunting watch.

Right from the get-go Frank Darabont throws us into his dark and gloomy atmosphere, with excellent sets that truly resemble a small, isolated, sleepy Maine town despite the fact this watch was filmed in….Louisiana?  Yes, great direction allows you to work wonders with whatever you have, and Darabont did just that.  His visuals and camerawork make for a visually engaging watch, especially his unique sets and usage of “the mist”, which was downright creepy and well employed.  Quite similar to John Carpenter’s The Fog, there is just something about a pale and ashy tangible presence on the move, one that includes many horrors within it, that makes for some good horror.  I really loved that Darabont brought on some sweet looking creatures to occupy and come forth from the “mist”, giant creatures that were Lovecraftian in nature, and smaller ones reminiscent of those mentioned in The Bible’s book of Revelation.  Most of these creatures came to us in the form of some moderate CGI, but I found myself quite forgiving given that most of what was required of the creatures would have been very hard to accomplish live-action, so it accepted them as they were.  Thankfully, the aftermath the creatures left was given to us mainly through live-action FX, with some great gore and awesome kill sequences sure to affect the squeamish.

Despite all of these awesome elements regarding Darabont’s direction, his TRUE achievement in this film is the true sense of horror this film brings…the social breakdown of our characters.  His execution of his actors was top notch, with each one of them delivering a solid performance and bringing the utmost tension with them.  The hideous Marcia Gay Harden delivers an Oscar-worthy performance as a psychotic religious zealot who manages to gain a following when some of her predictions come true, a true testament to how a great actor/actress coupled with good directional execution can completely engulf a film and give you an experience you will never forget, whether you enjoyed it or not.  The chaos going on inside the supermarket feels real, and I must commend Mr. Darabont for expertly executing some very hard to watch and infuriating scenes sure to work up 99.9% of all those who have seen this film.  Yes, he is THAT good.

Story-wise this film excels greatly, and rivals Darabont’s awesome direction.  I really loved the idea of a strange mist coming seemingly out of nowhere and occupying a small town, then delivering some heinous creatures to add to the horror.  There was much mystery involved regarding the origin of the “mist” at first, and once things get going we slowly receive more and more info, which made for a pretty interesting and relatable revelation regarding the origins of the evil that dwells in it.  To make things even sweeter, the written usage of the creatures made for some great horror as well, given they did not just merely aim to maim their victims, but infect them and even lay eggs inside of them, which provided some pretty sweet and freaky scenes thanks to Darabont’s direction.

Of course, most importantly…the story excels mainly because of its usage or character conflict, horror, and drama.  When it comes to horror most horror films tend to focus on what visually scares viewers, but this watch goes much further than that and uses normal human beings as the source of the true horror in this watch.  The social breakdown shows just how vile, selfish, and pathetic humans can be when they are faced with a situation they have no control over.  One small snippet of dialogue between Amanda Dunfrey and David Drayton(Thomas Jane) explains this quite well; Amanda: “People are basically good; decent.  My God, David, we’re a civilized society.”, David: “Sure, as long as the machines are working and you can dial 911.  But you take those things away, you throw people in the dark, you scare the shit out of them – no more rules.”.  Many worthwhile social statements are made regarding how human beings react to such things, about how we naturally search for a savior, ANYONE, to save us when we reach hard times that are beyond our control, and we get such antics from the characters in this film.  Basically, King and Darabont gave us a story that pits Shakespeare’s “people fighting people” into the horror genre, and coupled with some traditional horror regarding the monsters in the mist…makes for a fantastic and hard-hitting watch.

I must also say that thanks to Darabont adding in a few unique elements of his own we get one of the most horrific horror climaxes of all time.  This climax is guaranteed to leave you with your jaw on the floor, a feeling of strong remorse deep within your chest cavity, and whether you like it or not…one of horror’s greatest scenes in which you will NEVER forget.

Overall, this is an amazing horror film that is much more than just an amazing horror film.  Frank Darabont once again expertly delivers a Stephen King story with his superb direction, great writing, and excellent horror at the hands of both traditional horror as well as social horror, which we get little of in the genre.  If you are looking for a unique horror film that delivers more than you could ever ask for, this is your watch.

Rating: 9/10

Often overlooked nowadays due to the awesome Let The Right One In debuting in 2008, the year 2007 provided some great horror films, including several that made my Top 50 Horror Movies of the Decade list, including the No. 1 spot.  Each of the horror films listed comes with their own unique elements of horror, many of which will leave their mark on the genre for eons.  I now give you the top 10 horror movies of 2007, and 5 honorable mentions.

10. 30 Days of Night

- Based on the successful 2002 comic series of the same title, 30 Days of Night brought some great TRUE vampire action one year before the Twilight onslaught of crap hit theaters.  Taking advantage of a unique phenomena that occurs in northern Alaska in which they are exposed to a month of complete darkness, this film provides the perfect atmosphere for unrelenting vampire carnage, and that is exactly what we get.  The vamps are ruthless, vile, and deliver the utmost amount of gore in this watch from David Slade(Hard Candy), who in fact went on to direct…of all films…Twilight: Eclipse.

9. Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer

- This film simply came out of nowhere in 2007, and proved to be one of the most fun and genre-esque films of the year.  Weighing in heavily in the revenge department, we watch Jack fight off a slew of awesome monsters in this pseudo shout-out to The Evil Dead as he seeks vengeance against any and all monsters after witnessing one slay his family at a young age.  Co-starring Robert Englund and bringing on awesome live-action FX, Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer is a film fans of 80s horror are bound to enjoy, and who doesn’t love 80s horror?  Read my full review for this film here: Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer

8. My Name Is Bruce

- Bruce?  Yeah, BRUCE!  Bruce Campbell and his chin have graced numerous horror films since his epic debut in Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead, so it was only fitting that a film simply about Bruce, being mistaken for the horror hero that he IS, would come about.   Directed by Bruce Campbell himself this film provides all of the hilarious and classic Bruce chatter that has made him a household name in the horror community.  Coupled with a fun story and numerous shout-outs to his crappiest films, this is an AWESOME watch for fans of his, which is pretty much the entire world of horror.  Read my full review for this film here:  My Name Is Bruce

7. Frontier(s)

- The French have been putting out some great horror this past decade, and Frontier(s) was one of the first French films that I truly fell in love with.  Definitely the greatest Horrorfest film of all time(I still cannot believe this is a Horrorfest film), Frontier(s) is France’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and comes with excellent direction from breakout director Xavier Gens.  The gore is prevalent and reigns high in this piece, and the film’s closing sequences are some of the most awesome, artistic ending sequences I have ever experienced.  Read my full review for this film here: Frontier(s)

6. 28 Weeks Later

- The obvious sequel to Danny Boy’s epic 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later ups the “infected” chaos and throws in a heavier action element to make for one hell of a horror experience.  The film takes off quick, and thanks to some well executed “infected” action the tension never truly relents.  What would be worse than an outbreak of the “rage” virus inside a large city?  I’ll tell you what is worse, being quarantined inside that large city, with no way out, and bloodthirsty savages at every corner.  Read my full review here: 28 Weeks Later

5. The Orphanage

- Spain seems to have a fascination with ghost stories involving sick, battered, or orphaned children, and this flick plays on that.  Thankfully, Spain also has a knack for putting out great horror films, and this is one truly great horror film.  This beautifully shot and very atmospheric Guillermo del Toro produced film comes complimented with a great story, and includes some genuine chills that add some originality to this often used sub-genre.  Read my full review for this film here: The Orphanage

4. Inside

- Inside gives us horror fans something we RARELY see in the genre EVER…female vs. female horror.  Countless times we are given a female being stalked by a male, but in this film we get a devout slasher film with a woman vehemently stalked by another woman who wants one thing…her victims’ unborn child.  Filled with insane gore, and the utmost tension possible, Inside is a rare treat that will stand the test of time as one of the better slasher films ever made thanks to the unique elements thrown in.  Read my full review for this film here: Inside

3. Planet Terror

- Horror “cool” veteran Robert Rodriguez’s zombie shout-out to the old drive-in grindhouse films of the 70s turned out to be possibly the most fun horror film of the year.  The “cheeze” reigns high, the gore is prevalent, and we get many memorable scenes that come as a result of the insane antics from our insane and colorful characters.  Oh, and his zombies don’t run either, always a good thing.  For a no-brainer film to be so high on this list it must be damn awesome, and it is.  Read my full review for this film here: Planet Terror

2. The Mist

- Frank Darabont’s film adaptation of Stephen King’s 1980 novella of the same name brought us one of the greatest experiences of true horror imaginable, and in unique fashion.  Much like John Carpenter’s 1980 classic, The Fog, there is just something overly creepy about an ashy presence appearing out of nowhere, and harboring many horrors within it.  This film is so much more than just a monster movie, and while the element of horror in regards to the creatures in the “mist” is high, the real horror lies in something we can all relate to…human beings.  We are exposed to the true horror of what goes on when we humans are faced with circumstances outside of our control, and Drabont expertly portrays the chaos that would ensue if we were faced with such a dilemma.  When 911 is useless, and the machines stop working, we will all look for a leader to “save” us…and that is when the horror begins.

1. REC

- This Spanish horror film shocked the horror realm by giving us the greatest horror experience of last decade, as well as for the year of 2007.  We have been given multiple films using the POV style filmmaking, and none of them have hit nearly as hard as this film has.  Excellent direction from the Jaume Balaguero/Paco Plaza duo makes for great and truly genuine scares, and delivers a fast-moving watch.  REC gives us an interesting take on the “infected” horror sub-genre by throwing in a fantastic demon possession element, thereby mixing two awesome ideas into one cohesive and truly scary film.  Read my full review for this film here: REC

Honorable Mentions

(Close But Not Good Enough)

1408

- Once again a Stephen King adaptation makes the list, and once again it comes with great execution and good horror.  Hotels can be scary places due to the mystery involved of what potential horrors may have occurred previously in the very room you are in, and this watch takes that to all new levels with John Cusack starring as a haunted hotel novelist looking to debunk the horror behind the infamous room 1408 hidden atop The Dolphin hotel.  The horrors in the hotel are truly horrific if you put yourself in his shoes, and the psychological torment reigns high in this one.  Read my full review for this film here: 1408

Vacancy

- Once again, another HOTEL oriented film.  Well, this one leans more towards a motel, which most would say is even creepier.  Horror films with hotel owners moonlighting as killers are not new to the genre, yet director Nimrod Antal(Predators) managed to give us an engaging watch that kept the tension high and expertly executed all of the right clichés.  Most of the times these films do not center around making snuff films and merely focus on a deranged owner, so that ups the ante with this flick and provides for some good chills at times as well.  Read my full review for this film here: Vacancy

Dead Silence

- Finally, a horror film that focuses on one thing sure to scare anyone and anything…dummies.  These types of horror films are truly rare, so my anticipation for this film was high, and coupled with the fact it comes to us from Saw director James Wan and Saw writer Leigh Whannel I expected a good watch…and it was.  The horror clichés are fun and used properly, and while we did not get as much dummy action as I wanted the dummies provided a nice high level of creepiness and of course thanks to this filmmaking duo…we get a climax you never see coming.  Read my full review for this film here: Dead Silence

End of the Line

- End of the Line is the only truly independent horror film to make the list, and it got no preference for being in indie film, just a sweet horror film.  Apocalypse films have been done before, but this one gives much tension regarding Evangelism and the “end times” and comes with some nice spooky creature action as well.  Much like The Mist, we get a strong social breakdown element that comes as a result of human beings having no control over the end of the world, which some would argue is not a bad idea.  Read my full review for this film here: End of the Line

The Signal

- While I did not enjoy this film as much as many others did, I have no problem admitting that it is a unique and creative watch, and that earned it a spot on this list.  Broken up into three segments, each with a different director, The Signal really does come off as three separate films, but with one cohesive story.  I do believe that the first act is one of the better apocalypse/infected opening sequences I have seen in the genre, and while the film did not continue that look and feel(as I wished it would have) the rest of the film places heavily on society’s love/need for the television, and how warped we can become as a result of it.  Social commentary is high, and thankfully, we get some good horror as well.  Read my full review for this film here: The Signal

My Other Top 10 Horror Movie Lists:

- Top 10 Horror Movies of 1980

- Top 10 Horror Movies of 1981

- Top 10 Horror Movies of 2005

- Top 10 Horror Movies of 2006

- Top 10 Horror Movies of 2008

- Top 10 Horror Movies of 2009

- Top 10 Horror Movies of 2010

Director – Dario Piana

Cast – Mike Vogel, Jaime Murray, Christina Cole, Michael Feast, Charlie Anson, Michael Dixon, George Dillon, Marnix Van Den Broeke

Release Year – 2007

Reviewed by John of the Dead

The Horrorfest films we have been exposed to have mostly been mediocre at best, but this is one of the few films to stand out from the slew of mediocrity.  The Deaths of Ian Stone gives us a unique plot that I really have not seen employed in the genre, and coupled with some very cool effects from horror FX maestro Stan Winston this flick comes out a positive watch.

Mike Vogel(The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake, Cloverfield) stars as Ian Stone, an all-American male who is brutally killed each day by a group of violent pursuers.  Each time he is killed he awakes in a different life, and things once again get awry for Ian when he remembers the events that occurred in his previous life.  The cycle is ongoing, and the closer he gets to the truth behind what is going on, the more times he has to die to find it.

Don’t you just love it when you come across a horror film that gives you a story you rarely, if ever, see used?  The Deaths of Ian Stone is not a magnificent piece, but right from the get-go we are thrown into a storyline that really is truly horrific in nature, especially when you put yourself in Ian Stone’s shoes.

The idea of Ian being killed everyday for reasons unknown to him is an awesome conflict to watch, and I commend writer Brendan Hood(They) for delivering such a sweet premise.  To make matters even cooler his deaths are not painless, and come at the hands of some maniacal beings with powers beyond our world.  Because he is thrown into another life after every one of his deaths, this flick comes with many twists and turns and takes us to many unique settings because of that.  At a runtime of 88 minutes, the pacing is fantastic, and comes much in part of this film’s ever-developing plot.  The background information on what is going on to Ian was interesting and definitely made for a unique watch.

Direction-wise Dario Piana did a positive job with this one, giving us some very dark and moody atmosphere throughout the film.  We get some awesome looking antagonists in the film that despite their heavy dose of CGI came off as pretty sweet in their killing methods, most likely thanks much to Stan Winston’s FX company.  As I mentioned earlier, the pacing is great, but this film does tend to lose “it” towards the end of the second act.  I blame this mostly on execution, namely regarding the usage and acting job of our lead antagonist Medea(Jaime Murray; Botched), which I did not find as a credible character at times thanks to how she was employed.  Other than that, this flick comes off pretty solid in the end.

Overall, this is a cool watch and definitely one of the better Horrorfest films.  We get a unique plot that I have never truly seen used in the genre, and positive direction gives us some sweet antagonists and genuine action.

Rating: 7/10

Director – Adam Green, Joel Moore

Cast – Joel Moore, Amber Tamblyn, Zachary Levi, Tricia Helfer, David Muller, Annie Neal

Release Year – 2007

Reviewed by John of the Dead

Immediately following the success of his 2006 slasher masterpiece, Hatchet, director Adam Green teamed up with Hatchet co-star Joel Moore in which they both directed a film written by Moore himself, titled Spiral.  Completely abandoning the campy and cheezy horror of Hatchet these two brought us a slow moving character study that despite its slow pacing manages to be a genuine effort in the realm of psychological horror.

Spiral stars Joel Moore as Mason, a lonely and reclusive telemarketer with only one true friend in the world, his boss and only friend since high school, Berkeley(Zachary Levi; Chuck of “Chuck“ fame).  One day at work Mason meets Amber(Amber Tamblyn; The Ring, The Grudge 2, Blackout), an equally shy yet adorable girl who finds an interest in Mason’s innocent personality.  Amber has noticed Mason is a profound artist and painter, and quickly becomes Mason’s next model for his paintings.  This proves to be a tragic event for the both of them, as it triggers disturbing memories for Mason, who must act on the ill-fated voices in his head.

Well, I was iffy on whether or not I even wanted to give this one a watch.  I have remained a fan of Adam Green due to Hatchet, but nothing about this film overly interested me enough to warrant putting this ahead of other films in my queue.  Why?  Well, the storyline seemed a bit tame and boring to me(and it was, in fact), and its PG-13 rating left me to believe I probably would not see anything relative to Hatchet in this film, which I was OK with but lead me to take my time on this one.  After viewing this piece I can say that I was actually surprised at how well this film turned out.  I went in expecting Adam Green’s direction to be superb, and it was.  His camerawork and atmosphere was fantastic, the visuals and lighting were good as well, and his soundtrack is bright and captivating.

What I did not expect to come off so positive was the screenplay, and for a while I was right on my expectations.  The first 60 minutes of the film play off as a quirky indie drama, with little excitement and only random tidbits of mystery horror thrown in here and there.  I did enjoy the little hidden bits of horror thrown in here and there because they let me know that despite this film’s fun tone there is definitely something sinister going on with Mason, and that hopefully this film’s climax would be an epic one.  Well, after the first 60 minutes the film really kicks into high gear and I got everything I wanted to see and feel.  We see the true depravity of Mason’s downward “spiral”, and along with that comes some subliminal commentary on why we should take people seriously with problems such as this and do what we can to keep them from spiraling to drastic measures.  Personally, I thought this film’s climax was awesome, and I enjoyed the unanswered questions it left, and created as well.  I am usually hit or miss with such unanswered questions in films, but in regards to Spiral I enjoyed the mystery this film left in its wake.

Overall, this is a well written and well directed film that gives a great watch if you can sit through its slow pacing and 60-minute developmental period.  If you are a fan of psychological and character-study horror then Spiral comes recommended for you.

Rating: 7/10

Director – DannyPang

Cast – Qi Shu, Ekin Cheng, Rain Li, Siu-Ming Lau, Suet Lam, Tommy Yuen, Lawrence Chou, Cub Chin

Release Year – 2007

Reviewed by John of the Dead

I have been a strong fan of the Pang Brothers ever since their epic debut horror film, the original version of The Eye, as well as another film I really enjoyed from them, 2006’s Re-Cycle.  A year later Danny Pang decided to put out a horror film without teaming up with his twin brother, Oxide Pang, and gave us Forest of Death, which I had high hopes for.  Why?  Well this film brings me a plot that contains elements I would enjoy, and it was given to me by a director I respect.  Sadly to say, this film was one I enjoyed from the get-go but slowly worsened as the film went on and did not stop until the end credits kicked in.

This flick focuses on a beautiful yet mysterious forest that has become a hotspot for many suicides over the years.  Some believe the forest to be haunted, and that each person who commits suicide suffers the horrible fate of having to repeat their suicide everyday for eternity.  When a detective investigating a rape/murder he believes was disguised as a suicide suffers a mysterious death while in the forest, the young hotshot Detective C. C. Ha(Qi Shu; The Eye 2) is assigned to finish up the case.  She believes the forest can tell her what happened to the young girl, but she cannot do it alone.  She enlists the help of renowned botanist Shun Shu-hoi(Ekin Cheng; Re-cycle) to help her understand what clues the forest’s ecosystem can offer her.  The two manage to get the forest to tell them what happened, but not without exposing themselves to the horrible effects the forest has to offer.

I really wanted to like this film, and for the majority of the film I did just that.  Right from the beginning we are thrown into beautiful cinematography and atmosphere delivered to us from Danny Pang, and his direction proves great throughout the film.  His editing and beautiful sets are a true treat to watch that left me feeling as if I were watching a film with the sole purpose of displaying nature’s beauty.  The character performances are top notch as well, and this flick had my devout interest for at least the first 2/3 of the film.

So what is the problem with this film?  Well…once the third act kicks in the storyline crumbles quicker than poorly placed Jenga blocks.  What WAS an awesoem story turns into a lame and cliché outro that left me dissatisfied and very disappointed that a film with so much potential took such a poor route.  For one, this flick takes place in a creepy yet beautiful forest that has much potential in setting up great scres butis only used to give us the poor outro and a few interesting scenes thrown in here and there.  I expected to really enjoy the biological science aspect in this film at the hands of the botanist and for the most part, I did.  I did have problems with this element from time to time simply because it came off to me as something just to watch, and not understand.  The cool lab scenes and science that Shum Shu-hoi brings to us was never fully manifested but seemed to just be thrown into the film for aesthetic purposes, and with very little to no substance whatsoever.

But wait…there is more.  The character usage was a letdown to me because once again there was much potential that was not tapped into.  We get hints here and there that Shum’s girlfriend is going to cause a ruckus over the fact that he is spending so much time with Det. C. C. Ha, but not even the slightest of ruckuses every occurred.  Normally I care little for this type of jealousy character play, but I found myself yearning for in it in this film simply because we get NO character conflict whatsoever.  If a film leaves me seeking even a cliché and overused “jealous girlfriend” element due to the lack of character conflict then the script has some major problems in that area.

Do not get me wrong though, this is a finely executed piece that just unfortunately comes with a storyline that cannot hold its own.  Up until the story-crumbling third act kicked in I was really enjoying this film, but everything that I was enjoying never manifested to anything special in the third act, which left me to feel that this film is simply nothing more than wasted talent and effort.

Overall, this is a mediocre watch that could have been really great but ultimately amounts to nothing special thanks to a poorly written story.  The direction is great, but even this film’s great direction can only amount to so much with a storyline that does nothing but hinder the experience.

Rating: 5/10