John of the Dead's Horror Flick Reviews

Director – Victor Cook, Tad Stones

Cast – Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, John Hurt, Doug Jones, Peri Gilpin, Jim Cummings, J. Grant Albrecht, James Arnold Taylor

Release Year – 2007

Reviewed by John of the Dead

The animated Hellboy series continues after Sword of Storms with Blood and Iron, an equally enjoyable piece that once again gives us Hellboy & co. kicking supernatural ass in animated fashion.

We follow the crew as they investigate a large mansion purchased by a friend of the senator who funds the paranormal ass-kicking force. The mansion holds much significance to Professor Broom, who in 1939 defeated the powerful female vampire Erzsebet Ondrushko at that very mansion, and he joins the crew to ensure the the mansion is still safe. When it becomes apparent that someone is trying to bring Erzsebet back from the dead, Hellboy & co. aid the professor in finishing unsettled business after over half a century of waiting.

I really enjoyed this storyline, adapted by Kevin Hopps from Mike Mignola and Tad Stones’ story, thanks to it involving Professor Broom to a much higher level than usual. Told in the past and present time we follow Broom as he fought to vanquish a woman who believed that bathing in the blood of young beautiful women would keep her young. Of course, this dilemma was ultimately left unsettled and Broom saw the need to investigate the mansion before the senator’s friend turned it into a ghost-themed hotel. I loved watching the storyline develop with constant flashbacks to the events that Dr. Broom saw occur at the mansion, events that are now occurring all over again. Each of our characters was used positively, especially our main characters in Hellboy, Professor Broom, Liz Sherman, Abe Sapien, and newcomer Oliver Trombolt. There is plenty of action written into this piece, which I assumed would be so, and it was great in giving us numerous antagonistic character for Hellboy and his troops to destroy, including: ghosts, wolves, witches, harpies, a giant werewolf, and Erzsebet herself in several different forms. In addition to this Kevin Hopps defied cliches often associated with animated films and gave us fantastic dialogue that aiding in presenting and developing the characters so positively.

Directors Victor Cook and Tad Stones did a great job with this one, giving us awesome visuals, great sets, and the usual enjoyable elements associated with these Hellboy films. The vocal acting performances are great, and much like Sword of Storms Hellboy, Liz, Abe, and Prof. Broom are voiced by the same actors who portrayed them in the Hellboy live-action flicks, making this piece all the more enjoyable for that reason. And the action? The action was fantastic and consisted of awesome looking antagonists and plenty of brutal confrontation in this epic battle between good and evil.

Overall, Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron is an awesome animated flick sure to please fans of the Hellboy series thanks to it giving us all of the same sweet elements found in the live-action films.

Rating: 8/10

Director – Guillermo del Toro

Cast – Ron Perlman, John Hurt, Rupert Evans, Selma Blair, Karel Roden, Jeffrey Tambor, Doug Jones, Brian Steele, Ladislav Beran, Biddy Hodson, Corey Johnson

Release Year – 2004

Reviewed by John of the Dead

Anyone familiar with the comic book scene has to know of Mike Mignola’s highly successful and equally awesome “Hellboy” series.  When I first heard that this story would be turned into a full-length feature film I was beyond stoked, and when word came out that it was horror director Guillermo del Toro(Cronos, Mimic, The Devil’s Backbone, Pan’s Labyrinth, Blade II) himself writing and directing the film my mouth dropped, and I cannot say that I have fully recovered from the ordeal.  One of the most underrated superhero stories of all time, Hellboy delivers heavily on excitement and a loveable character with more balls than all other superheroes combined.

During the final days of WWII before the collapse of the Nazi empire, Hitler’s obsession with the occult lead him to conjure up dark forces to aid his dying cause.  The Allied forces managed to obstruct Hitler’s plan to use black magic, but not before a young demon made his way into our world.  The Allies deemed this demon “Hellboy”, and he has since worked for a secret sect of the US government as their front line defense against attacks from the supernatural.  When a mysterious and well-hidden artifact within a museum is stolen by creatures not from this world, Hellboy’s usual ass-kicking antics get the job done at first, but a sinister plan from an ancient evil with ties to Hitler’s occult holds the power to bring on an apocalypse of Biblical proportions.

Nearly all of us can relate to superhero stories and films, especially if you grew up in the comic book or graphic novel scenes.  While Hellboy may not be seen as the type of superhero that Batman or Superman is, I see him as a superhero because he does the right thing, and he kicks a lot of ass doing it.

Guillermo del Toro’s screenplay is air-tight, and despite coming in at a two hour runtime his film flows and moves smoothly without any delay or slow scenes.  The bulk of his storyline comes from the “Seed of Destruction” storyline, but el Toro throws in elements from the “Right Hand of Doom” and “Box Full of Evil” short stories as well, as well as several shout-outs to “Pancakes” and “The Corpse”.  He has always mentioned Hellboy as his dream film, and it is obvious that the guy is a fan with how well this film turned out.  From the get-go we are thrown into the unique storyline of Hellboy’s origins, which I found fantastic due to the mystique involved given Hitler’s influence on the matter.  Anything involving history will grab my attention, especially if it either rewrites history or shows us elements of history that are lesser-known to the general public.  I am also a fan of the supernatural, so when you mix both the supernatural and history, especially WWII history, you have my devout attention.  From then on out we are given the awesomeness that is Hellboy, and in more ways than one.  We watch him battle the supernatural with his slew of awesome weapons and diabolical wit, which includes many unique and horrifying villains sure to please those looking for a superhero film with a strong element of horror.  What surprised me about this film was the other way in which Hellboy is awesome…he has a heart.  There is always a romantic element thrown into every superhero film, but I really was not expecting one in this film simply because of how badass Hellboy is.  I mean, he is a demon for crying out loud.  Nonetheless, we are given a well-written love element involving Selma Blair(Can’t Hardly Wait, Scream 2, The Fog remake) as Hellboy’s love interest which adds a nice human touch to this awesome superhero.  Thankfully, the awesomeness of this storyline does not end there, and we are given several other positive characters that add to the film’s enjoy ability.  For a film to run for two hours there has to be several elements to keep the viewer engaged, and Hellboy’s friends do just that.

The biggest reason behind this film’s very positive rating is the fact that del Toro’s direction is as good as his screenplay.  I mentioned earlier that for a film this long to keep the viewer engaged there would have to be several elements required to do so, and del Toro’s visuals do the trick.  Right from the get-go we are thrown into his visual masterpiece that includes numerous incredible sets and incredible camerawork, as well as awesome looking heroes and villains.  His execution of every fight scene is invigorating, and was so well done that I never noticed just how little blood the film shows until after the climax, when I noticed the film was PG-13.  He gets great character performances from all, and I applaud him heavily for stubbornly fighting for Ron Perlman(Hellboy II: The Golden Army, I Sell The Dead, Cronos, The City of Lost Children, Alien: Resurrection, Blade II, The Last Winter, The Island of Dr. Moreau – 1996) to land the role of Hellboy.  Perlman was perfect in every aspect there is, including his physical features as well as his ability to show emotion and sarcasm.  We also get a great performance from John Hurt as Prof. Trevor “Broom” Bruttenholm, the man who raised Hellboy, and Selma Blair did a fine job as Hellboy’s love interest.  I do feel that a few characters were miscast, although their performances were as good as they could have been.  Rupert Evans played a strong supporting role as John Myers, but I never found myself giving much of a damn for him.  I do not really blame it on how his character was written, although that could be the case.  The other actor I felt was miscast was Jeffrey Tambor as Tom Manning.  I have loved Jeffrey Tambor(Hellboy II: The Golden Army) ever since he gave us the hilarious George/Oscar Bluth in “Arrested Development”, but I felt that he never really fit into his role in this film.  Nonetheless his and Rupert’s performances were good, so they did not detriment from the film in the end.

Overall, this is an awesome film that finally gives us a superhero with a strong element of horror and an even higher level of ass-kicking.  Fans of Mike Mignola’s comic series should be pleased with this film given Guillermo del Toro’s respectful treatment of the series, and Ron Perlman’s iconic performance as Hellboy.  A unique story and incredible direction make this a hour film an incredibly engaging watch that I recommend to all.

Rating: 9/10

Who says there are not good horror films anymore?  This decade(2000-2009) produced some of the best horror films of all time, and many other memorable ones sure to become classics someday.  The notion that there are no good horror films anymore lies in fault due to Hollywood passing over many of these films in favor of lesser quality flicks that only aim to make money and appease the moronic general public.  Be it as it may, these films are getting the recognition they deserve in this blog.  It’s the least I could do.  Now here I gave you numbers 25 through 1…

25. Frontier(s)

- Frontier(s) is one of my most enjoyed horror films of all time, and surprised me with how great it is given it came out with the mediocre After Dark Horrorfest films.  This French masterpiece comes off as their version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but with elements of Hostel and positive usage of Nazis.  Director Xavier Gens has gone on to make a career off his success of this film, and rightfully so.  We get great gore, tension, and some of the best crafted horror scenes I’ve seen in a while.  Read my full review for this film here: Frontier(s)

24. Pan’s Labyrinth

- Guillermo del Toro followed The Devil’s Backbone by giving us another beautifully shot and well told story, Pan’s Labyrinth.  Showing his love for fantasy, del Toro’s story is more fantasy than horror in following a young girl transferring between her fantastical world and her normal life, but the horror in this film is superbly executed and displays his genius in creating engaging tension.  The “sister” film to The Devil’s Backbone, Pan’s Labyrinth is one of the best overall films on this list, only held back by its low level of horror compared to the higher entries on this list.

23. Versus

- Before Ryuhei Kitamura(Alive) gave us the Clive Barker adaptation, The Midnight Meat Train, he gave us one of the coolest flicks I have ever seen in Versus.  Taking place in a forest where the dead cannot stay dead, Versus gives us a blending of two elements/sub-genres that I have never seen blended before…zombies and samurais.  Fast-paced and consisting of non-stop action, Kiramura delivers awesome gore, zany antics, and positive zombie and samurai action resulting in a unique experience that I have yet to see matched by anyone else.  Read my full review for this film here: Versus

22. The Ring

- The one that started in all when it comes to remakes of Asian horror films, The Ring is another remake on this list(along with The Hills Have Eyes remake) that is just as good or surpasses the original film(Ringu).  With one of horror’s scariest opening sequences and a chilling plot about a video tape that kills those who view it exactly seven days later, The Ring is an engaging and creepy watch thanks to Gore Verbinsky’s direction and gloomy atmosphere sure to scare the hell out of you.  Read my full review for this film here: The Ring

21. The Devil’s Backbone

- Guillermo del Toro gave us his “baby”, The Devil’s Backbone, at the beginning of the decade, and although this doesn’t give much in term of scares, it’s a great story sure to keep even the most ADD-ridden viewers glued to the screen.  The “brother” film to Pan’s Labyrinth, del Toro delivers his ever-awesome direction resulting in a great film accomplished with very little.  If you like ghost stories, this well-written sad revenge tale is an epic one. Read my full review for this film here: The Devil’s Backbone

20. Hellboy

- Continuing his stranglehold of horror last decade, Guillermo del Toro finally delivered filmgoers a superhero with a horror influence in his adaptation of the wildly popular Hellboy comic series.  A superhero born from evil, Hellboy battles the remaining counterparts of Hitler’s SS cult half a century after their defeat in WWII, and with horrific and awesome results.  Del Toro brings us lots of action and striking visuals in this watch, and an iconic performance from Ron Perlman(Hellboy II: The Golden Army, I Sell The Dead) leaves Hellboy one of horror’s few “good guys”, with a heavy side of ass-kicking abilities.  Read my full review for this film here: Hellboy

19.

- REC 2 took off right where its incredible predecessor left off, and continued the insane horror delivered in the first entry but at a much faster pace.  Running at a smooth 80 minutes, REC 2 blasts off quick and never relents as we are bombarded with constant infected action as well as new eerie developments leaning towards the supernatural realm, an idea that made this one of the more unique infected films out there.  The film is simple in nature, but the horror hits hard, and is a complimenting predecessor to the incredible REC.  Read my full review for this film here: REC 2

18. Hatchet

- Adam Green(Hatchet II, Frozen, Spiral)’s homeage to old school American horror delivered to us one of the decade’s greatest horror films…and one of the greatest killers the genre has ever seen in Victor Crowley(Kane Hodder; Friday the 13th VII, VIII, IV, X).  Filled with copious amounts of live-action gore and the zaniest kills possible, Hatchet delivers that campy 80s horror feel with modern day technology and the charm of an auteur respectful to the films he grew up adoring.  Good laughs, amazing kills, and Victory Crowley make Hatchet not only one of the best, but one of the most fun and enjoyable horror films of the decade.  Read my full review for this film here: Hatchet

17. Planet Terror

- It is obvious that Texan director Robert Rodriguez has a love for the splatterfest horror flicks he grew up watching, and I applaud him for keeping such films alive by giving us his own cheezy horror films.  From Dusk Till Dawn was excellent, The Faculty was a cool watch, and Rob Rod turned up the splatter meter with his most recent horror effort, Planet Terror.  In Rob Rod’s take on the zombie sub-genre we are given an awesome story that comes with high levels of “pulp” and a successful “grindhouse” feel thanks to his fantastic direction.  This fun and gory no-brainer was an excellent shout-out to horror fans, and along with kickass performances from Bruce Willis, Freddy Rodriguez, and Quentin Tarantino, gave us amazing zombie action as well.   Read my full review for this film here: Planet Terror

16. Them(Ils)

- Not nearly as well known as other French horror films such as Inside, Martyrs, High Tension, and Frontier(s), Them is an amazingly well-executed horror masterpiece that does much with very little.  Relying heavily on atmosphere instead of cheap gimmicks, this breakout film from directors David Moreau and Xavier Palud gives the viewer a taste of true horror that will leave you debating whether you and your significant other can ever be safe at night.  Why?  Because in this simple yet well-written/executed story ripped off two years later by The Strangers, home-sweet-home is the last place you want to be. Read my full review of this film here: Them(Ils)

15. Trick ‘r Treat

- Trick ‘r Treat came out of nowhere after sitting on the shelf for way too long(two years), and despite it’s non-theater release it proved to be one of the best horror experiences of 2009.  Written and directed by Michael Dougherty(writer; X2, Superman Returns) and produced by Brian Singer(X-Men, X2, Superman Returns) this film was an outright shout-out to horror fans with its numerous references to the genres most popular sub-genres.  The storied anthology was beautifully crafted and meshed together perfectly, blending different forms of horror into one cohesive story.  Werewolves, vengeful spirits, monsters, and a serial killer adorn the screen in this superb debut directing effort from Michael Doherty.  Read my full review for this film here: Trick ‘r Treat

14. The Orphanage

- This Guillermo del Toro(The Devil’s Backbone, Pan’s Labyrinth) produced Spanish horror flick is in my opinion the best supernatural horror film of this decade.  The Orphanage is a well told story of the never-ending love for a child, and despite being a beautiful film it manages to throw in some creepy moments as well, coming perfectly executed by first-time feature film director Juan Antonio Bayona. The story takes its time, and a well crafted screenplay from first-time feature film writer Sergio G. Sanchez proves that you do not need a strong resume to deliver a fantastic horror film, just creativity and maybe a little bit of del Toro’s influence.  Read my full review on this film here: The Orphanage

13. 28 Weeks Later

- In the horror scene we usually denounce sequels of great films normally because the sequel ruins the franchise, but not in this case.  28 Weeks Later takes off at amazing speed and never relents as we get massive infected carnage and are introduced to more elements than 28 Days Later gave us.  Juan Carlos Fresnadillo delivers a well-shot experience that comes with numerous engaging elements that thanks to great atmosphere and execution keep the viewer engaged from the get-go.  Read my full review for this film here: 28 Weeks Later

12. Inside

- The French have a stranglehold on making shocking horror films, and Inside is one of their most shocking and awesome films to date.  Coming off as a French FEMALE Halloween, this insane slasher film gives us something we don’t get too often in the horror genre, woman vs. woman.  Female antagonists are rare, so it makes this film all the more memorable watching a woman exhibit crazy acts of violence in her attempt to forcefully take the unborn child of another woman.  Finally, a horror film that women can delve into, with the utmost amount of gore to please us men as well.  Read my full review for this film here: Inside

11. Martyrs

- I do not think any film freaked me out the last few years more than Martyrs did.  This French sophomore film from writer/director Pascal Laugier comes with an interesting storyline because in a sense…it has TWO plots.  The first half of the film plays much like a gruesome horror film, and the second half comes out of nowhere and adds some very interesting elements to the plot, while upping the gore and brutality.  The second half not only threw me for a satisfying loop but was hard to watch as well due to what it consisted of, but when the climax hits realize it was all necessary, which says a lot given most films with lots of shock-value do it simply to shock, not with an underlying reason like Martyrs did.  Read my full review for this film here: Martyrs

10. The Mist

- After his very successful bouts with Stephen King adaptations The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption, director Frank Darabont upped the horror and gave us another Stephen King adaptation…The Mist.  This story brings the “afraid of what’s in the dark” mentality to us by making it so that what is in the mist is what is scary, and the fact that the mist is lethal in the daytime as well as the nighttime kicks the “afraid of what’s in the dark” notion in the ass.  The horror is expanded when we watch the social breakdown of the townsfolk stuck in the local market store.  Sides are picked, and thanks to an amazing performance by Marcia Gay Harden, it is easy to pick what side you are on(none of that Team Edward/Jacob nonsense).  But wait, there is more.  As if The Mist could not get anymore awesome, we are given one of horror’s most horrific endings ever.  Read my full review for this film here: The Mist

9. Shaun of the Dead

- Shaun of the Dead came out of nowhere in 2004 and shocked the horror scene with its numerous hilarious shout-outs to the zombie sub-genre.  Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright solidified themselves as horror geniuses with their witty humor and use of the all too important zombie elements: slow moving zombies, gore, and plenty of head-shots.  It is awesome to see great genre films make it and have good success in the public realm, showing the mass audience how good horror films are done.  Read my full review for this film here: Shaun of the Dead

8. Drag Me To Hell

- The biggest news in the horror realm last decade was not Jackie Earl Haley as the new “Freddy”, or even Robert Rodriguez being attached to the Predators remake/sequel, it was horror legend Sam Raimi(Evil Dead trilogy) finally returning to the genre after the success of his billion dollar Spiderman trilogy.  “The King of Demons” did what he does best and gave us a demon-filled ride full of just the right amount of slapstick and gross-out humor centering on a young woman suffering a gypsy curse in which she will be dragged to hell in three days.  Relying heavily on his trademark “what you DON’T see” scare tactics, true horror returned to the genre this year, from a true horror legend.  Read my full review for this film here: Drag Me To Hell

7. Feast

- Boy oh boy oh boy, if you know me then  you know I absolutely LOVE this film.  Feast gives us everything the great horror flicks of the 70s and 80s gave us, but with a modern look and unique direction from first-timer John Gulager.  This gory thrill ride is filled with awesome scares, great creatures, humorous dialogue, and lots and lots of that all-too-important element of horror…gore!  The only success of Damon/Affleck’s “Project Greenlight’, Feast takes off fast and it moves fast without letting up for more than a few minutes at a time.  Writers Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton toy with the viewers in that just when you think you have a hero to root for, THINK AGAIN.  The character play in this simple but well-written story about about bar patrons trying to survive a slew of bloodthirsty creatures outside their walls is amazing and speaking of characters, we get none other than Henry f*ckin Rollins in this one.  Feast is nearly flawless and should be a template and/or litmus test for future horror films.  Read my full review for this film here: Feast

6. Saw

- No since David Fincher’s 1995 masterpiece, Seven, had we seen a film horrifically employ a moral message into its story until Saw debuted.  Written by Leigh Whannell(a “nobody” at the time) and directed by James Wan(also a “nobody” at the time), Saw showed us that can make a highly effective horror film with a low budget as long as you execute it properly, and these guys did just that.  Throwing the moral complex into a film in ways Seven did not, the Jigsaws killer did not kill his victims himself, but allowed them to decide the cost of their life and whether or not it is worth living.  This film makes this No. 6 entry because of it’s sheer impact on the horror genre, and a new blend of horror we had yet to see.  Six sequels later and always potential for more in the works, it seems Mr. Whannell and Mr. Wan have created a monster.  Read my full review for this film here: Saw

5. The Descent

- UK director Neil Marshall(Dog Soldiers) defied “creature survival” odds with this film by casting nothing but women as the main protagonists forced to fight off against a slew of bloodthirsty creatures after finding themselves trapped in an unmapped cave system.  Without the macho strength of a male to save the day, these women were forced to toughen up and carry out unspeakably gory acts usually reserved for the men in horror films.  Just when you thought the “creature feature” horror sub-genre was dead, The Descent showed that the right director, writer, and producer can still put out great horror.  Read my full review for this film here: The Descent

4. Battle Royale

- Now I understand Battle Royale is not an outright horror film, but its plot is so utterly horrific it gets an inclusion into the horror genre.  Now…are you ready for this?  This Japanese film based on a popular graphic novel centers on an era in Japan where the youth have become so corrupt that every year an 8th grade class is sent to a secluded island in which only one student shall return.  How does that work?  Simple, the children must kill each other off and until only one is left standing.  Leave it to the Japanese to have the cojones to make a film like this, and execute it so perfectly.  To make matters even more awesome, the story covers its bases in that if a student decides he/she will just hide and wait till everyone else is dead….they are shit out of luck.  Each student wears an explosive collar around their neck, a collar that will detonate if they stay in a single area for too long.  With superb execution from director Kinji Fukasaku, Battle Royale is an experience you will never forget, whether you like it or not.

3. 28 Days Later

- Before he was accepting Oscar awards for Best Director and Best Picture, Danny Boyle revamped the infected scene and single-handedly brought the famous 70s/80s horror sub-genre back to life.  While not the first to do so, he brilliantly incorporated advanced motor skills(aka “fast running”) to the infected and gave us a film not only horrific but his amazing direction made it beautiful to watch as well.  Imagine this: You wake up in a defunct hospital, with no recollection of why or how long you have been there.  You walk the disheveled hallways and see no sign of human life.  You make your way outside to the typically booming city of London and find it completely deserted, with “missing” posters everywhere.  Scared yet?  Thank screenwriter Alex Garland(Sunshine), for one of the scariest scenarios imaginable.  Read my full review for this film here: 28 Days Later

2. Let The Right One In

- As far as technical aspects go, THIS is the best horror film of the decade.  So why is this Swedish gem No. 2 and not No. 1?  Simply because it is the 2nd best “horror” film of the decade.  Make sense?  Based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist and written for the screen by Lindqvist himself, Let The Right One In embodies the true horrors of real love and lets two young pre-teens teach us lessons beyond our adult capacity.  Beautiful cinematography and amazing character performances leave the viewer mesmerized at the amazing film experience they just endured, with an ending so beautiful, yet so direly horrific it will persist in your mind for weeks to come.  The only thing maybe scarier than zombies, werewolves, the “infected”, monsters, serial killers, and vampires is…love.   Read my full review for this film here: Let The Right One In

1. REC

- Yes, this is the greatest horror film of the decade.  This Spanish “infected” film came out of nowhere in 2007 and showed the world that the outlasted POV filming style can be used with effective consequences if it comes with great execution, and writers/directors Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza made sure of that.  The “nowhere to run” atmosphere provides the perfect setting to erect(haha…”erect”…) true horror and supreme scares in an era where Hollywood scare gimmicks have soiled the horror realm.  REC moves remarkably well thanks to its story following a TV journalist tailing firefighters to an apartment building in which horrific events take place as a result of an infection is full of thrills, great scares, and an element we have yet to see in the “infected” horror sub-genre…demon possession.  The aspect of demon possession only makes this experience all the more interesting, and its truly frightening conclusion is one of the best horror final sequences I have EVER seen.  Read my full review for this film here: REC

Before January 15th 2011 this series of posts contained the Top 50 Horror Movies of the Decade, it is now the Top 100 Horror Movies of the Decade.

Thanks for reading.

The Rest of the Top 100 Horror Movies of the Decade

- Top 100 Horror Movies of the Decade(26-50)

- Top 100 Horror Movies of the Decade(51-75)

- Top 100 Horror Movies of the Decade(76-100)

- Top 100 Horror Movies of the Decade(Honorable Mentions)