HALLOWEEN 2016

Hi readers. Hope everyone had a spooky but safe Halloween. How did you celebrate? What did you watch? As I have mentioned on this blog in the past I have something of a ritual on the night of October 31st of having a little mini horror marathon, to enter into the creepy spirit. I normally choose what to watch myself but this year I held a poll over on our Facebook group page (do check it out and join us by the way... "join usss"). Anyway the 3 winners of the vote to decide which films I'd watch and write about, as you may have guessed from the picture above, were [•REC], The Cabin in the Woods and John Carpenter's original Halloween.

What follows is a spoiler-y discussion about these 3 movies. It's not a summary and won't take you through every inch of the films, but if you haven't seen them and don't want to be spoiled at all then don't say I didn't warn you, and please watch these films. They are all most definitely worth your time. Now, to the movies.

[•REC] 

 This one I don't want to get too in depth about as Mr Butterscotch and I had a discussion as to whether this film or it's sequel is better which we're hoping to have pieces about up on the site soon. What I will say is that the movie is great but didn't hold up as well as I'd hoped or remembered. That said, this is probably the fourth or fifth time I have watched this movie and I put the DVD in at around 3 in the afternoon whilst it was still a bright and glorious day outside so the atmosphere was hardly conducive to horror. The positives are still very much present, however. The movie maintains it's central conceit of the found-footage trope/genre extremely well, even coming up with the clever reason of needing the camera light to explain it's continued usage at the film's end and thus leading to one of the most iconic images of modern horror as the protagonist, bathed in green night-vision, is dragged off screen into the darkness.

I would also commend any foreign language horror film for even getting noticed in our English speaking countries. It is also, remarkably, a very fresh take on the zombie genre, inventing a fascinating and clever reason for their existence which seems wholly original despite it's heritage potentially being traceable back to the "when there's no more room in Hell..." speech in George A. Romero's original Night of the Living Dead. The sense of claustrophobia and dread is palpable, achieved by a combination of the set design, plot devices like literally sealing us in and the aforementioned fact that we are viewing everything through one camera. It does place the viewer in the thick of the action without release, but all good found-footage movies should.

 And now, the negatives. Unfortunately the characters, outside of our protagonists Angela and Pablo, can be quite hard to follow. I genuinely found myself not knowing when certain people had been bitten or had turned and become zombies. The cavalier attitude to killing these people with a savvy awareness that they are no longer human or salvageable does also betray that this is a movie a little too jarringly to be fully effective. The film becomes a little jumbled in it's hectic middle section and at only 75 mins long could perhaps have used a few minutes to better establish characters and events here. The breakneck pace racing to the film's climax would still be something that I'd keep though, as it's a great tension builder before the appearance of perhaps the most terrifying creature I've seen on film, as the protagonists, and we, work our way to that ending in the dark.

 ***1/2 (3.5/5)

THE CABIN IN THE WOODS

I love this film. I suppose I was pre-disposed to love it given that it is produced and co-written by Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly etc). As such it has all the whip-smart sassy dialogue that I love (but which could easily come off as smart-ass and annoying to others, I appreciate that). More than that however the film is an absolute horror geek's treat and a solid commentary and deconstruction of the genre.

 "Society is binding. Right? It's filling in the cracks with concrete. Everything's filed or reported, logged, right? Chips in our kids heads so they won't get lost. Society needs to crumble. We're all just too chicken shit to let it.... You will come to see things my way." ' - Marty

 I really dig it when a movie sneaks it's central plot and ending into an early line of dialogue that goes completely unnoticed at first. It's done to great effect in Shaun of the Dead and the dialogue above shows that this movie does the same. By the end the film's protagonist and potentially the audience will indeed agree with Marty. The film starts out showing the odd clash of worlds that will inhabit it as we watch a scene of what seems like office banter which leads abruptly into a clever and unique jump scare, which only shows the title. Lol indeed. Next we set up our teen archetypes (whore, jock, scholar, fool and "virgin"/final girl). It's only through the course of the movie that we learn that the characters have been forced (via drugs, mind control etc) into these archetypes.

 Pretty soon our teens have to stop in a lonely, desolate gas station to meet the stereotypical creepy old man with a warning. This is also brought to our attention in dialogue as this "Harbinger" calls the office that we are following, which acts as both a filmmakers and audience substitute, and he is told:

 "Well, you're doing a great job out there. By the numbers, man. You got us started off just right..." 

 This cleverly draws attention to this trope but then subverts it with a very post-modern bit of humour:

 "Cleanse them, cleanse the world of their ignorance and sin. Bathe in the crimson of .... am I on speaker phone?"

 You either hate this subversive humour or love it, and I love it. We then see the teens develop into their roles as the office workers behind their eventual sacrifice explain the limits of their power, again channeling the horror screenwriter:

 "If they don't transgress..."
 "...they can't be punished." 

 The film then explicitly draws a comparison between the office drones watching events play out and the horror film viewer. They watch intently but unfeelingly as a girl shows her breasts, even remarking that they aren't the only ones watching when someone displays disgust at this (referring to their demonic masters AND the horror audience). They then continue to watch, totally desensitized, as the girl, Jules, is brutally offed by a zombie, despite Marty's post-modern protests that they should not have read the Latin in a book they found in the cellar (Evil Dead fans will appreciate this). The cellar, the betting board and the cages seen later are a wealth of geek thrills with references to the monsters eventually seen here, as well as multiple other horror films (I especially noticed the puzzle sphere and demon being a nod to Hellraiser but there are multiple easter eggs).

I also love that the teens are initially forced into making the poor decisions of stereotypical horror characters, such as using mind-altering gas to lead them to think it's a good idea to split up. The direction too, I find, enhances the post-modern connections, I noticed at one point that the director made a scene change by the camera going through/into a TV screen. I don't want to go into too much detail about the film's final act, because it should really be experienced rather than spoiled. Suffice to say there are a lot of monster cameos and a final great one by an appropriate horror actress.

The only negative I could personally give the film is that I don't truly appreciate the nihilistic ending. I realise it is the central points personified but it's just such a bummer and a little too weird for me.

 ****1/2 (4.5/5)

HALLOWEEN (1978) 

What's left to say about John Carpenter's seminal classic? It's a masterpiece, a perfect film to watch on dark, spooky nights. It arguably kick-started the slasher genre (though I'm aware that Psycho, Peeping Tom and Black Christmas all came before but I'd argue were less successful). It has a sense of atmospheric dread that's never been bettered, and it created our very first Scream Queen in Jamie Lee Curtis (who continues to play up this role in the appropriately titled Scream Queens TV show).

 The film opens with a minimalist but extremely effective opening credits sequence. This sets the mood beautifully with just a Jack-O-Lantern, orange text and the iconic and exceptional musical theme. This still gives me chills and evokes so much in me so perfectly. In the films opening scene Carpenter deftly employs an early pov shot to place the audience in the mask of the killer and continue bringing the horror closer whilst showing very little of Michael Myers' murder of his sister Judith.

 The film then builds up tension brilliantly as our final girl heroine, Laurie, increasingly sees "The Shape" (as Myers is described brilliantly in the end credits) behind bushes, in the corner of her eyes, small but shockingly scary in fleeting frames. The boiler suit and William Shatner mask here just add to the other-worldly menace and fear. We hear throughout the film as Doctor Loomis uses dialogue to dehumanise Myers, something which the mask and costume also achieve. He is evil incarnate, the "boogeyman" of our irrational nightmares.

 And this leads me to the only flaw in this near perfect film as we briefly see Laurie unmask Myers and reveal the person beneath. Sure, he looks dead-eyed but it's a bit like when Darth Vader took off his helmet to reveal a pasty old white guy. Not knowing what's under the mask is scarier. This is a small niggle though, as Carpenter expertly uses the camera, sets and even the shadows to make the masked killer so effectively, chillingly scary.

I adore this film. It has a mass appeal (even my mum loves it), and just feels eerie and compelling at the same time. Aptly enough the film is perfect for dark Halloween nights. And it's led me to discover and finally order the sequel.

   ***** (5/5) 

 MM

Halloween round up

So how did everyone enjoy their night? Sadly a combination of illness, tiredness and indeciseveness prevented it from being such an event as I would like, and has previously been the ritual. I did still watch a couple of television specials (as is my tradition) and part of a movie. Here's the brief blow by blow.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Season 6 Episode 5 "All The Way"

Included mainly because of the atmosphere of the day evoked. I usually watch the series 4 special (Fear, Itself) but opted for this one for a change. As a stand-alone it's a bit too bogged down in continuity, which is to be expected for an ongoing show. Did have a brilliant cliche reversal though as an old man is set up as crazy and even given a horror film style back story, lures in children and is then killed by them as they are revealed as vampires, the show's twisting of such established formula being displayed in a microcosm. The seasonal touches were nice and give a great feel, particularly of the U.S love for Halloween, there is one hilarious joke moment but the whole thing is let down by a plot which, now, is culturally overdone and detestable, the whole "Twilight/Vampire Diaries" teen girl pining for a monster schtick which I have no tolerance for. Still a great show though with good acting, believable characters and a sense of fun.

*** (3/5)

The Simpsons
Treehouse of Horror 14

Sadly the opposite of that last sentence. Nowhere near as good as some of this show's specials, relies now on doing crazy things which the show proper couldn't do, and homaging films quite poorly, some great (The Dead Zone), others not even horror (Fantastic Voyage? seriously?). Crucially not very funny or imaginative, a real shame.

* (1/5)

Halloween

O.k, honesty time, I fell asleep about half an hour in. I will do a proper review, with scoring, at a time when I can watch the whole thing properly. What I did notice is the bold and unsettling nature of where Carpenter places the camera, adding to the disturbing feel. Point of view shots in the place of the killer, or even nobody in particular mesh with glimpses of the bogeyman far scarier than the excesses of modern horror, including the remake. Struck me as just a good film, outside of it's generic and historical background. I genuinely look forward to seeing it again properly on the DVD I bought over a year ago, and still haven't watched (though I have seen the film before, I like my opinions to be fresh though).

Hope the weather isn't getting people too down where you are, hope to catch up again soon...

MM

Halloween 1 and 2 - On T.V Tonight

Somewhat obviously John Carpenter's classic (and still so superior) seventies slasher (some argue the original slasher) is getting an airing tonight. It will be featuring on BBC 2 at 11.20pm, immediately following a showing of a Simpsons "Treehouse of Horror" special on Channel 4 at 10.50. The original Halloween will be immediately followed by it's vastly underrated sequel if you can stay up that late (I will be taping). Halloween 3, the one with the cult following but without Michael Myers, replaced by a plot involving mind controlled children, will be shown tomorrow by the same channel at midnight. Tonight is, again unsurprisingly, an embarassment of riches for we horror fans. Whilst Simpsons and the first Halloween will be forming part of my horror night others can take their pick from these, the aforementioned Dead Set or:

Ghost Ship on ITV1 at 11pm
The Watcher on Film 4 at 11pm
Prom Night on Five USA at 9pm (oh I wish this didn't clash with my plans)

and a variety of other options to satellite, cable or other viewers. Let us know what you watched and what you thought of it and enjoy the scares...

MM

Halloween part 2 - GhostWatch

I had originaly planned to do a list of top ten t.v horrors (it may still happen at some point) but this would have been top, it was all inspired by and comes down to this small BBC1 show, aired one Halloween when I was younger. Billed crucially as a serious documentary, featuring all the names you would expect from that, not fiction, the sense of realistic dread has never been matched. Did anyone else see this? For those that did it remains in the memory, lodged like a nightmare made real, more effective than many horror films, all the more so because we believed it. In this way it was like a precursor to the likes of The Blair Witch Project. The sad fact is it would never be allowed to happen now, misleading the viewers in such a way. Still it worked fantastically and may have even scarred a generation a bit, in a good kind of way.
To those unfamiliar the show as it was had been billed as lasting a whole night, featuring a man in the studio (I remember Sarah Greene's husband and Michael Parkinson both doing this) linking to outside broadcasts of reporters, including Ms Greene (leading to a chillingly terrifying moment later as husband and wife were separated by a power loss), Craig Charles and others. These people were supposedly investigating "real" supernatural occurences and interviewing the families of supposed hauntings, filming things and collecting evidence. Nobody expected what came next, as I said it's worthy of a horror movie. We had a frightened group of children claiming that a ghost named "pipes" (even the name and thinking about it still makes me shudder) was haunting their house, causing weird noises and appearing at times. Nobody would have thought it serious at first but gradually we were sucked into this world of odd occurences, children's drawings of the ghostly creature, his back story and then, the piece de resistance, the outside link was cut off by an unseen, unknown force, Parkinson began acting strangely, Auntie had been taken over for one night only (though we didn't know that). I was too young to truly appreciate it at the time but looking back what a brave experiment and a great little narrative, if you haven't seen it think yourself lucky and try and hunt it out, maybe for this weekend.

**** (5/5)

Special mention to the other shows that would have featured including the seriously scary Childen of the Stones, great episodes of The X Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (you may snigger but Der kindestod and The Gentlemen are monsters who springs to mind here as genuinely disturbing) and various anthologies like Tales From The Crypt.

I would say more but there is a monstrous figure leaning over me, that's weird, no, wait, I was kidding, what's that? aaaggghhhhhhhhh!!!

Happy Halloween!!!

I'm sorry, couldn't resist.

MM

Halloween's coming...

The perfect holiday for this site is almost upon us and I just wanted to share my own recollections and odd rituals to do with this (admittedly Americanised) day. It only really started when I was a kid watching t.v specials but a few years ago things really stepped up and the importance became greater. I was working at a cinema to help get me through university. On that fateful night of October 31st the cinema was having a special "Halloween Horror Night" where they stayed open all night long (from 11pm to 5am) showing 4 movies. Customers could pay to take part, ideally in costume, but we staff could stay for free. The four films on offer I still remember clearly, they were:

Ring

The original Japanese version, thankfully up first. Made me realise how slow and foreboding it is, working in airs of menace and not as captivating nor over the top as most U.S horror including its remake but with a suitably iconic last moment that was awesome to experience at all, let alone in a crowd of like minded fans. It was also parodied by a girl in Sadako fancy dress crawling from the cinema screen. Fun times.

The Evil Dead

Sam Raimi's original low budget classic, held the attention admirably as I fought to stay awake. I still remember being jarringly awoken by the card-reading sequence and loving how creeped out and messed up it was. Also reminded me that whilst it's often overlooked in favour of its sequel this is an excellent movie, a wild, fast ride with scares, shocks, gross moments and freaky atmosphere all in spades.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

I'd be lying if I said I was awake during this, due to a combination of the mid-morning time and the fact I'd seen it in class a couple of months previously. My opinion is well documented elsewhere on the sight (good, solid movie if not a five star classic) but I will say that the annoying last half hour is the best and worst thing to happen to a sleeping cinema patron wanting to be alert for the next movie. Like the worlds most irritating alarm clock.

Friday The 13th

The very first in the now looong running franchise, surprisingly tame and very steeped in a time and cultural place but holds the viewer well enough, with a few surprises, some oddly quaint horror moments and the best last minute scare of the night.

I slept in the staff room the morning after these movies finished and always remembered it as a great time, we all dressed up (I bought a Scream costume for it which I still have) and ever since then I have tried to keep up that tradition of watching a Halloween Horror Night, usually involving two or more movies on DVD and possibly Halloween specials of t.v shows (Buffy being a mainstay in recent years). Yes, even for a guy who doesn't label himself as a huge horror afficionado, this time of year changes all that, brings out my love of the darker side and I will be doing the whole ritual again this Saturday, probably with similarly toned movies as that first night, like always. Stay tuned to hear how it went and what makes the cut and enjoy your own horror themed fun this weekend...



BOO!!!

MM

Twitter Round-Up

Hey there readers. If you're not folowing the site on Twitter then seriously it's worth doing, at least check it out, we are now following and being followed by various horror alumni, both famous and not so, just follow the link here.
If you haven't been following the tweet feed then there were a couple of short news items you may have missed, they were as follows:

Next Resident Evil sequel to be "Batman Begins" style reboot. Isn't everything these days?

Patrick Lussier (My Bloody Valentine 2009) to replace Rob Zombie and helm next installment of the Halloween franchise... in 3-D!

First reviews of "Zombieland" and "Jennifer's Body" are hitting the web (scoped some on AICN), apologies I haven't read them yet.

I'd also like to give a special mention to Lion's Gate Horror, who sought out and added OUR page, through them I got a lot of sneak peeks at the next Saw movie (the sixth!), which really surprised me how much it whet my appetite and reinvigorated my interest in that franchise, a great page well worth your time, access it here. You might want to also head over to the Saw Facebook page if you have an account there, it's chock full of Saw related goodness including first shots of posters, trailers, quotes, talkbacks, and killer competitions (excuse the pun). Find that here. I'm not a sell-out I promise, just sharing something I enjoyed and that some of you might too, that said the shameless promotion is officially over for now. Look out for related upcoming blog posts though.

MM