Category Archives: Saturday is Horror Day

Saturday is Horror Day #118 – Amusement

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Amusement

Shelby’s (Laura Breckenridge) boyfriend Rob (Tad Hilgenbrink) is fascinated with the concept of being part of a convoy, so when the opportunity presents itself while they are on a road trip, he goes for it, despite having no idea who the other people are. Shelby sleeps intermittently while Tad drives but wakes enough to see a girl’s face at the back of the semi they are following. Wait a minute, didn’t he say he’s alone? Tad tells her not to worry, but then a moment later, a girl’s body is flung onto their windshield. Tad tries to get the trucker’s plates as he tears off into the night, but worse is in store for them when Shelby is kidnapped.

Tabitha (Katheryn Winnick) agrees to watch her two young cousins, but oddly enough, when she arrives, the babysitter she expected to see is nowhere to be found. The boys assure her that the girl left, but they seem far too amused by the situation. Tabitha shrugs it off, but when she goes to the guest room where she’ll be staying, she finds the clown motif a bit much. Especially the life-sized one in the rocking chair. When her aunt calls, she tells her how creepy it is, but her aunt is confused. She doesn’t have a clown like that. Kidnap Victim #2.

Lisa (Jessica Lucas) doesn’t believe her best friend Cat (Fernanda Dorogi) just went to a hotel with a random dude, that isn’t like her. But when Lisa approaches the decrepit-looking place, she is informed that all the beds are taken. Concerned, she sends her boyfriend Dan (Reid Scott) to find out what’s going on, using his authority with the health department. Hours later, he hasn’t returned, so Lisa sneaks into the hotel herself.

*****SPOILERS*******  I am going to spoil this because this movie is so bad, I’m going to save you the trouble of watching it. The three young women are all childhood friends who haven’t seen each other in years. The guy behind all this mayhem and murder is another child they knew, one with a sick and twisted sense of humor that they never found funny. He calls himself The Laugh (Keir O’Donnell). He kidnaps the first two girls and sets them up in a pseudo diorama resembling one he did as a kid that they thought was sick (spoiler alert – it was).

The only people I recognize in this film are Katheryn Winnick, who played Lagertha in Vikings, and the psychiatrist played by Rena Owen, who was Helen in Siren. This movie looked like it was written by a child and was left over from a fever-riddled dream, only half remembered, and making no sense. It is horrible. Not scary, not creepy, just bad. The best thing about it was that it was only an hour and a half long. Even Katheryn Winnick can’t save horrible. I’m going to give this film 1 Star, just for her, but I recommend you avoid it entirely.

Saturday is Horror Day #117 – Rigor Mortis, Otis

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

 Rigor Mortis


A washed-up actor at the end of his rope moves into a dilapidated tenement building. Feeling he has nothing to live for, he attempts to take his life, but a neighbor intervenes. A woman who cannot deal with the death of her husband discovers a way to bring him back to her, thanks to a practitioner of the dark arts. But he warns her to never remove his mask. A child seeks the attention of his neglectful mother. Twin girls seek revenge for what happened to them in life. 

 

Living here will not be easy…

This beautifully filmed and well-acted movie will give you the chills. Chock full of spirits, who run the 


gambit of Chinese mythology, this is a must-see for those who love horror. Maybe even more than once, to catch everything.

Pay close attention to the special effects and the sound track, which are crucial to the setting of each scene.  I highly recommend this and give it 4.5 Stars.

 

Otis


A classic high school story – boy meets girl, boy loves girl, boy asks girl to be his date at the prom…except this is no boy, this is an obsessed 40 year old serial abductor/killer by the name of Otis (Bostin Christopher) who keeps kidnapping pretty girls. He chains them up in his specially equipped torture chamber, forces them to go by the name of Kim, and then wants them to relive with him a time of his life that never existed.

The Lawsons are a somewhat typical dysfunctional family, led by parents Will (Daniel Stern) and Kate 


(Illeana Douglas). Riley (Ashley Johnson) is the golden girl who can do no wrong while son Reed (Jared Kusnitz) is the fuck-up who can’t be bothered to do anything he should. He and a friend get caught making a video of Riley in her underwear in the privacy of her bedroom, and the parents are incensed. However, their video attracts Otis’ attention, and he begins to peep on her himself. Luckily, the parents aid in his plans by ordering pizza from the pizza parlor where he works as a delivery driver. The game is on!

When Riley comes outside to pay him for the pizza, he kidnaps her and introduces her to his secret room. Meanwhile, the FBI have been called in and the investigation is being led by an obnoxious agent, Ralph Hotchkiss (Jere Burns), who is more hindrance than help, and doesn’t let a little matter of truth get in his way.

 

The savvy Riley knows the only way to survive is to “play along” with Otis, answer to the name of Kim, and pretend they are on a date. Unbeknownst to her, Otis has a brother, Elmo (Kevin Pollak), who is thoroughly disgusted with the way Otis lives and who is unaware of his brother’s extracurricular activities. When Otis tries to speak about Kim, Elmo warns him to never speak his wife’s name again…ever.

 

 

Riley manages to escape, and even remembers the address where she is held. But when she tells her mother, Kate tells her to tell no one else, especially Hotchkiss. She and Will and Reed have plans for Mr. Otis….

Otis is a dark horror/comedy, but mostly a horror film, which will keep you wondering from beginning to end how everything will plan out. You’ll remember Daniel Stern from the Home Alone films, where he was one of the bad guys terrorizing Macaulay Culkin. This film feels like a bit of a twist in that he is defending something/someone, not the other way around. Jere Burns is wonderfully obnoxious as the FBI agent you can’t wait to hate, and I also loved the stoner son who stood up when it counted. Hooray for family solidarity!

 

Remember this is ultimately a horror movie, and does get graphic. There is an alternate ending which is quite different than the original. All in all, a good watch. I give this film 4 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #116 – The Orphanage, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Saturday is Horror Day

Raised in an orphanage for handicapped children, Laura (Belen Rueda) and her husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo) purchase the now vacant building and move into it with their adopted son Simon (Roger Princep). Simon is not only unaware that he is adopted, but that he is HIV positive as well. Concerned that Simon’s only companions are the invisible friends he insists he plays with, Laura and Carlos arrange a get together for other parents of special needs children and their children. Simon tells her of his special friend Tomas, insisting he is real, and wears a cloth sack over his head. At the gathering, Laura sees such a child but he disappears. And suddenly Simon has disappeared, and Laura is beside herself, anxious to get her son back. Who are these invisible children, and could they hold the key to Simon’s disappearance?

In an effort to find Simon, Laura calls in a team of parapsychologists, led by Aurora (Geraldine Chaplin).

The Orphanage is a Guillermo del Toro film, and as such is beautifully crafted, less of a horror story than a ghost story. Laura must deal with the ghosts of her past even as she searches for her missing son. She refuses to give up, even when her husband insists they need to go. She is sure she can find him, given enough time. It’s a testament to the strength of a mother’s love, and the lengths to which one mother will go to get her child back.

The movie is well-written and acted. While not terrifying, it is haunting and tragic and worth watching.

I give this Film 3.5 Stars

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

A documentary crew led by Taylor Gentry (Angela Goethals) receives the opportunity of a lifetime when a man who claims to be the next great slasher/serial killer offers to let them film his story, from beginning to end. The man’s name is Leslie Vernon (Nathan Baesel), and he has a reign of terror planned for the sleepy little town of Glen Echo. He considers himself to be a worthy successor to such greats as Michael Meyer and Jason Voorhees. He takes the filmmakers on a practice run of what he intends to do before revealing his actual target – a waitress at a local diner, Jamie (Bridgett Newton). He’s been stalking her for some time, and he reveals how everything is going to go down, including how and where everyone will die. Except for Jamie. She will be his Survivor Girl. The one who will take him down. Why? Because she’s a virgin.

Leslie lays down certain rules that Taylor and the crew must obey, and one of them is that they must not talk to Jamie. They are observers, nothing more. They follow him as he silently terrorizes the poor waitress, leading up the grand finale at the party.

This film is both a mockumentary and an homage to horror films, including references to such films as Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street. There’s even a detective played by Robert Englund, and Zelda Rubinstein, whom you might remember from Poltergeist, is there too. Leslie is very matter-of-fact in the way he tells Taylor et al what he intends to do and how he intends to do it. Even they come to realize there comes a point where they cannot remain passive witnesses to such horrific events and have to step in.

It’s not a bad film, and I do appreciate the intention behind it. However, and maybe this was just me, but I felt my attention wander from time to time, and I felt it was fairly predictable. Including the ending at the end of the credits. Not bad, just not memorable in my book. I’ll give it 2.5 Stars.

Saturday is HOrror Day #115 – The Witch Files

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

The Witch Files

Five teenage girls meet during a shared detention period, and become fascinated by the idea that one of them,  Jules (Britt Flatmo) has special witchy powers. She tells them she can show them how to harness their powers, and that together they are stronger. So Claire (Holly Taylor), Brooke (Alice Ziolkoski), MJ (Tara Robinson), and Greta (Adrienne Rose White) agree to meet with her. But it has to be late at night, which means lying to or ducking out on parents and or boyfriends. They sit in a circle and Jules tells them to chant. At first, nothing happens. But then they find themselves able to cause a book to lift into the air, and then one of them. The girls are elated, and decide to test their powers in the real world, which includes stealing from a store by convincing the clerk they paid, and eating for free at a restaurant the same way.

Aspiring documentarian Claire films what they do, as well as doing a little research into some past strange events in the town. What she finds is rather disturbing, and the incidents seem to run in a seventeen-year cycle. Even more disturbing, the girls themselves are starting to feel the effects of their usage of this power, or whatever it is, and their bodies seem to be aging at an inordinate rate, showing signs of arthritis, macular degeneration, and more. Things are going horribly awry, and they begin to wonder who or what Jules really is.

This film has definite echoes of The Craft, but without the heavy vibes and taking itself too seriously. Not surprisingly, one of the writers is Larry Blamire, who brought us The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra films as well as Dark and Stormy Night. The Witch Files is funny and dark without being heavy-handed. I think they channeled the Craft for sure. I know there is a transgender character in The Craft, and one of the girls in The Witch Files makes such references about herself such as needing to “drain the snake” which leads me to wonder if she is transgender as an homage to the other film.

I read some reviews in which people complained about the lack of realism (in a movie about witchcraft? Seriously?) And some said it wasn’t as good as The Craft. Personally, I liked it better. It was fun to watch. I’ll give this film 4 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #114 – Terrifier 2

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Terrifier 2

Siblings Sienna (Lauren LaVera) and Jonathan (Elliott Fullam) haven’t had it easy since the death of their father, and living with their mother Barbara (Sarah Voigt) is no picnic. She shows a distinct lack of understanding for what her children are going through, and never believes them, even when they’re telling the truth. Jonathan is blamed for things that happened at his school, such as the presence of a dead animal, and no one believes him when he says he’s seen Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton), the supposedly dead serial killer.

Halloween is coming. Sienna has been working hard on her costume, based on a character her father drew

in a book of sketches. Jonathan plans to go as Art the Clown, although his mother insists that he not do so. But strange things are beginning to happen, including the destruction of Sienna’s costume wings in an unexplained fire in her room that her mother blames on her. But Sienna knows she never lit the candles. What is going on? She is forced to find a cheap replacement, as there is no time to make a new set, and while at the Halloween shop, she spies someone who resembles the clown. And he is creepy as hell. She leaves the shop safely but the clerk is not so lucky.

Both Sienna and Jonathan have seen Art with a companion – a young girl in similar clown make-up, who looks just as crazy as he does. But no one else seems to see them. Sienna tells her mother she is going to a friend’s house on Halloween, but she dresses up and goes with her to a bar, where not only is she drinking, but her friend slips some molly into her drink, so she is not exactly thinking clearly. Jonathan’s mom berates him harshly again for something he never did, and he runs out of the house.

The body count is rising. Sienna freaks out at the club with her friend and her boyfriend at the sight of the little girl, so they decide to take her home. But she gets a call from Jonathan, asking for her help, and telling her to go to the old carnival…to the Terrifier ride. The boyfriend offers to drive her, and while she looks for her brother, they wait in the car…

The second movie is every bit as gory and visceral as the first, but we see more of Art, who is a strange and yet compelling character. Not likeable, certainly not. I can honestly say I like Hannibal Lecter, despite his unusual culinary habits, but Art the Clown? Never. Creepy beyond belief, and well played by David Howard Thornton. How creepy is it that he can convey his creepiness without speaking a single word?

This movie is certainly not for the faint at heart. One scene involves handing out Halloween candy to unsuspecting trick-or-treaters in a hollowed-out human head! I am still left wondering about so many things. Where did Art come from, and why does he do the things he does? I think the little girl was explained somewhat. But there is also the question of Sienna and Jonathan’s father, who supposedly killed himself by running his car into a transformer and burning up. I wonder if he really died? And how did he come up with the sketches in his book, including that of the clown and his daughter in her costume? Look for the woman from the first film whose face was torn up beyond repair. She’s living in an institution now, and we are not done with her by any means. In fact, from what I understand, there will be a third and fourth movie, which should conclude the series. That remains to be seen.

I have to say also that the film took a bit of an unexpected left turn toward the end, one I still don’t get, and for which I am rating it down. I’ll give this film 3.5 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #113 – Dark and Stormy Night, Dead Snow 2: Red Vs Dead

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Dark and Stormy Night

It’s a dark and stormy night when reporter 8 O’Clock Farraday (Daniel Rockbuck) arrives in a taxi driven by cabby Happy Codburn (Dan Conroy). Apparently, the reading of Sinas Cavinder’s will is to take place, and Farraday plans to nab that story for himself. On arrival, he’s short 35 cents of his fare, so Happy follows him up to the door of the mansion, despite the dire weather. They are unexpectedly joined by a third party, who enters with them when the butler Jeens (Bruce French) admits them, even though none of them have a real reason to be there. The newcomer is none other than rival reporter Billy Tuesday (Jennifer Blaire), also there to get the scoop on the reading of Cavinder’s will.

Unbeknownst to homeowner Burling Famish Jr (Brian Howe), his wife Pristy (Christine Romeo) is

having  an affair with Teak Armbruster (Kevin Quinn). Suddenly, people continue to appear as out of nowhere, including Sabasha Fanmoore (Fay Masterson), Lord Partfine (Andrew Parks), Seyton Ethelquake (James Karen), and others. An unexpected twist occurs when it is revealed tha tthe bridge leading to the house in the middle of nowhere has been washed out, and now everyone is trapped there.

Despite long-winded delays and boring stories, the lawyer Farper Twyly (Mark Redfield) gets to the actual reading of the will.  Oddly, there is a random bequest for total stranger Ray Vestinhaus (Larry Blamire) whose car broke down in the middle of nowhere and he wanted to attend the reading of the will. The bulk of the estate goes to Sabasha, but should anything happen to her, it will then go to Burling Famish. However, there is a separate envelope, which was intended to be read after the will. It seems there was a codicile, stating that a change has been made, and that everything is to go to…. and then the lights go out.

And of course, this is when mayhem ensues as somebody is picking off the occupants of the house, one by one. But who… and why? This is a classic dark and stormy night murder mystery that is also a damn funny comedy, from the same guy who brought us the Lost Skeleton of Cadavra, including many of the same faces. But there are also people you might otherwise recognize as well, including Jim Beaver, Marvin Kaplan, Betty Garrett and James Karen. Alison Martin is hysterical as so-called psychic Mrs. Cupcupboard, and the seance scene is beyond funny. Look for a gorilla in the house, too. The back and forth between the two reporters reminded me a lot of the banter of the Three Stooges. Everyone in this film is wonderful.

I’m sorry I didn’t discover Larry Blamire sooner. His films are great. I’m trying to find more. If you like mysteries that make you laugh, this is the film for you. I give this film 4.5 Stars

Dead Snow 2: Red vs Dead

Martin (Geir Vegar Hoel) is the sole survivor from his group of friends who only wanted to enjoy a skiing vacation but were brutally attacked and killed by… Nazi zombies!  But just when he thinks he is home free, Martin realizes he has one of the gold coins the Nazis wanted inside his car, and the Nazi commander, Herzog (Organ Gamst) is right there to get it. They end up fighting for it, and Martin speeds away with the Nazi zombie clinging to the car, one arm trapped inside the window. Martin avails himself of a semi passing in the opposite direction to remove his problem, although the arm flies onto the floor of the car. Martin tosses the coin out the window and figures he’s seen the last of them. However, road conditions are poor and Martin ends up in an accident.

Martin awakens to find himself in the hospital. But his nightmare has just become worse, for the police

have discovered the bodies of his friends and think he is responsible for their deaths! Even worse, he is approached by a surgeon who wishes to give him some good news. Noticing his missing limb (Martin cut it off after being bitten), the police searched the car and found his arm, and they have successfully reattached it. Isn’t that good news? Poor Martin is horrified as he realizes that this arm is actually Herzog’s.

While he’s held captive in the hospital, he gets a visit from a young man who snuck in to see his arm. Turns out he is a member of a Zombie Squad, and he is excited to find evidence that what they believe to be true is true – that zombies are real! He takes pictures of the arm and sends them to his friends in the US.

Things go from worse to worser as Martin discovers that the arm has a mind of its own, and it isn’t good. It goes on a killing rampage, including the boy. Martin finds himself with the boy’s phone when the Zombie Squad calls, and he reports that the boy was killed by zombies. The leader of the squad, Daniel (Martin Starr) assures him that they are professionals and they are on the way. That’s good news, right? Except Martin doesn’t realize that the entire squad consists of Martin and Monica (Jocelyn DeBoer) and Blake (Ingrid Haas). Daniel tells Martin to find out what Herzog wants before they arrive.

Martin goes to a World War II museum where he meets Glenn (Stig Frode Henriksen), who is a little intimidated by him. He shows him what they have regarding Herzog, and what his original mission was – namely, to destroy the town of Talvik, because of their anti-Nazi sabotage. When Glenn shows him the map, Martin realizes to his horror that where they are lies between where the Nazis were and Talvik. Sure enough, looking out the window to where a bus of tourists had arrived and were disembarking, the two men witness a scene of carnage and chaos.

Cue the arrival of the Zombie Squad. Somehow, Martin isn’t reassured at the sight of the three. He’d expected more help. But this is the reality. That, and his arm, which he has begun to learn to control. Will this be enough to stop the Nazi horde once again?

Honestly, I liked the second film even more than the first. I liked the first, but this one doesn’t have all the relationship bs that clouded the first one, plus no one is having sex in an outhouse (just ick). The Nazi zombies are unique and different from other zombies in other zombie films, they are actually worthy adversaries. The Zombie Squad aren’t as foolish as they first appear, and they don’t hesitate to jump into the fray. I really liked Glenn, too. And the Norwegian police, who can never quite seem to figure out what’s going on. If you watch this, stay until the end of the credits for a final scene.

Sadly, there will probably not be a Dead Snow 3, as the actor who played Martin passed. Too bad, there was supposed to be a zombie Hitler. That would have been epic. Nonetheless, this was worth watching. I’ll give it 4.5 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #112 – The Lost Skeleton Returns Again, Final Destination 5

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

 The Lost Skeleton Returns Again


Jerranium 90 – the little rock that everyone wants, but can only be found buried in the heart of the Amazon. What lengths will evil people, as well as good people, go to in order to locate this rock? As luck would have it, Dr. Paul Armstrong (Larry Blamire) is actually in the Amazon, has been for two years. His wife Betty (Fay Masterson) isn’t concerned, even thought she hasn’t heard from him in two years, not since the telegram he sent upon his arrival. Reet Pappin (Frank Dietz) is a government agent assigned to located the elusive element. He goes to the home of the scientist, only to learn that he is missing. He announces his intention to go to the Amazon to find Paul, and Betty insists on coming with.

Dr. Roger Fleming, evil scientist, is dead, but his twin brother Peter (Brian Howe), a TV repairman, lives. 


He has his brother’s personal effects, including a creepy skull. Peter’s wife Sandra (Christine Romeo) finds it abhorrent and is in favor of getting rid of it. But the skull begins to talk to Peter, and he finds himself under its control. He must go to the Amazon to seek out an idol called the Dalp of Anacrab, in order to restore its body. So off to the Amazon Peter goes, to the confusion of his wife who wonders why, since he’s a TV repairman.

Handscombe Draile (Robert Deveau) is also after the elusive element and teams up with a cheap hood named Carl Traeger (Kevin Quinn) and it’s off to the Amazon for these two as well. Meanwhile, our favorite alien couple, Kro-Bar (Andrew Parks) and Lattis (Susan McConnell) are back on earth in their new ride, having gotten the impression that their friends the Armstrongs are in trouble. They too head off to the Amazon, which is rapidly becoming everyone’s favorite destination.

 

If you enjoyed The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra, you will certainly enjoy The Lost Skeleton Returns Again, with pretty much the same cast, most of whom are wearing their original costumes. Goofy plot, goofy monsters, and general all-round silliness sets the tone for this sequel. And don’t worry, Animala (Jennifer Blaire) is back, and we have a new evil scientist villain in the form of Dr. Ellamy Royne (Trish Geiger), and we have Chinfa, Queen of the Cantaloupe people (Alison Martin)

 

And let’s not forget the titular character, the Lost Skeleton itself, now reduced to a mere skull, But that doesn’t stop him from planning and dreaming, and using humans for his own evil purposes! Quite the adventure and lots of fun! I’ll give this film 4.5 Stars.

Final Destination 5


Sam (Nicholas D’Agosto) and a number of his co-workers are headed by bus on a business trip. Sam is down in the dumps because his girlfriend Molly (Emma Bell) has dumped him. How awkward is it that she works for the same company and is on the bus as well? But he’s determined to win her back, if he can figure out what the problem is. However, as the bus is about to cross over a bridge, where construction is going on, Sam has a… wait for it… premonition in which he sees a whole lotta death when the bridge collapses. Naturally he wants off the bus, and some of his co-workers end up getting off as well. Just in time, too, as the bridge proceeds to self-destruct.

The fortunate survivors are both grateful and shaken, and naturally they want to know how Sam knew 


what was going to happen. But Sam has no idea. And that is what he keeps telling the suspicious FBI Agent Block (Courtney B. Vance), who is sure Sam had foreknowledge due to some sort of complicity on his part. But then the survivors also begin to die, and they begin to wonder if there is some order to this madness. Or is it at the ME Bludworth (Tony Todd) told them, that Death can’t be cheated.

Here we go again… and if you’ve seen the first four films, you pretty well know what to expect. Survivors of a near-catastrophe who begin to die in gruesome ways. In fact, the best thing about most of the films is watching the unique forms of death. But the fifth film is actually better, and obviously had a bigger budget because we’re getting stars of the caliber of Nicholas D’Agosto and Courtney Vance, plus some pretty cool special effects.

 

The other thing that lifts this film above the others is that there is a twist…a very cool, very unexpected twist. And no, that would be a spoiler if I told, you have to see it for yourself. But it is worth it. I think this is my favorite film in the series (I think there is a sixth film planned but it’s just in pre-production now, according to IMDb). At any rate, if you’ve made it this far, you have to watch this one too. You’ll be glad you did. I’ll give this film 4 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #111 – The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra, It Comes at Night

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra

Dr. Paul Armstrong (Larry Blamire) is a man of science. He and his wife Betty (Fay Masterson) are seeking a meteor which has fallen to earth, in search of the rare element atmosphereum.  He must study it, so he can do science.  Another couple, Kro-Bar (Andrew Parks) and Lattis (Susan McConnell) are new on the planet earth, having come from outer space. Their space ship is broken, and in order to fix it, they require atmosphereum. Also, it seems as though their pet Mutant (Darrin Reed) has escape and is on the loose somewhere. Dr. Roger Fleming (Brian Howe) , unlike Dr. Armstrong, is an evil scientist who is seeking the legendary lost skeleton of Cadavra. And when he finds it, the skeleton instructs him to find atmosphereum for him. He follows the lost aliens and observes them as they find their way to a cabin in the middle of the woods, where the Armstrongs have gone. Following the aliens’ lead, Fleming makes himself a companion from a few woodland creatures, a woman he names Animala (Jennifer Blaire). And then there is Ranger Brad (Dan Conroy), who simply wants to help someone.

If this plot sounds a bit far-fetched, believe me, it’s meant to. This film is actually a cleverly made B

movie where the actors are so intentionally bad they are good. Borrowing on elements of sci-fi films of the 50s and 60s, Larry Blamire has created quite a little gem here, up to and including the skeleton. (Look carefully when the skeleton is climbing down the rock face and you’ll see the wires).

The scene where they share a meal is hysterical, as is the way the alien couple tries to behave like regular human-type Earth people. Unfortunately, they chose to copy the wrong “person” at the dinner table! I love to hear Paul Armstrong talk about how he loves to do science. And his wife is the quintessential housewife!

This film is very low budget and yet in a creative way. The skeleton was actually bought off of Ebay.  If you get the chance, I recommend watching the special features which includes a Q&A and bloopers. This film was hilarious, and I loved it. I’ll give it 4.5 Stars

It Comes at Night

A mysterious illness is consuming the world. Paul (Joel Edgerton) takes his wife Sarah (Carmen Ejogo), his son Travis (Kelvin Harrison Jr) and Sarah’s father Bud (David Pendleton) to a remote location, far from everyone. But tragedy strikes when Bud dies.

The family have isolated themselves, far from everyone. Therefore, the knock on their door is

unexpected. Will (Christopher Abbott) approaches them for help. They are reluctant, but he is begging, saying he has a family. They put him to the test before admitting him into their home, along with his wife Kim (Riley Keough) and young son Andrew (Griffin Robert Faulkner).

Everything seems fine at first, but Travis begins to have terrible dreams. And he sees and hears things. His father is fearful that the newcomers have brought the sickness with them. What should they do?

It Comes at Night is more psychological thriller than traditional horror film. The monsters aren’t

immediately visible, but they are there, the products of paranoia and fear. The viewer is kept wondering what is real and what is imagined, and what would I do in this situation when the slightest mistake could mean death for my family.  The pace is slow, but deliberately so, even as the tension builds to an unforgettable climax. Well done and well acted, it will make you examine yourself and wonder what would you do. I give this film 4 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #110 – Final Destination 4

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

 Final Destination 4


Nick (Bobby Campo) and his friends go to spend some time at the racetrack. The young people have different motives, whether it’s spending time with friends or wanting to see an accident. But Nick has a disturbing premonition of a horrific accident. Upset, he wants to leave, and causes an uproar, during which he and his friends and some of the people around them end up leaving the stadium, as well as the security guard George (Mykelti Williamson) …just before a terrible accident occurs.

Nick and the others are understandably upset by what almost happened to them and would love nothing 


more to forget all about their close brush with Death. But Nick has another vision, and then one of the survivors of the raceway accident dies, and Nick begins to wonder if they have actually cheated Death at all, or will they all die as they were meant to.

Same movie, new title, new cast, same basic plot. Let’s cheat death and come up with some cool and innovative ways to “accidentally” die. If you’re looking for something scary, this really isn’t it because you know people are going to die. I will give them this. They do tease you a bit with what you think will be someone’s death, only to pull back and say gotcha! only to kill the character right afterward.

 

We still don’t know why these premonitions happen, or why certain people are chosen to have them. This film also feeds into the idea that if your number’s up, it’s up and you can’t change that. My best advice is to simply watch it for the deaths and don’t worry about the plot. Also, don’t get too attached to any of the characters. Just not worth it. As for what I said about this one wrapping the series up, I was wrong. There is a FD 5, and allegedly the sixth installment could be coming out next year. I’ve requested the fifth one, so we’ll see. I’ll give this film 3 Stars. Just not memorable, but some decent ways to die.

Saturday is Horror Day #109 – Final Destination 3

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Final Destination 3

End of the year, time for graduating seniors to blow off steam before becoming adults. What better way to do that than at an amusement fair just for them? Wendy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is chronicling the night’s events with the use of her trusty camera. Everyone is having a great time, when some of them decide to go on the rollercoaster. Wendy is reluctant, but agrees to come for the sake of her boyfriend, Ian (Kris Lemche). But she refuses to sit up front, so ends up at the back, with Ian’s friend Kevin (Ryan Merriman). Ian asks Kevin to look out for Wendy for the duration of the ride, and he reluctantly agrees.

Just before the ride is about to start, Wendy has a terrifying vision involving the rollercoaster and the

gruesome deaths of her friends. That is the final straw for her and she screams to be let off. The ride operators try to hustle her away before she can alarm the other patrons, and some of her friends get off as well, but when Ian tries, they refuse to allow any more people to exit. And just as predicted, the ride goes horribly wrong.

The school is devastated, of course, and Wendy finds herself alone and scared, thinking something is wrong with her. When Kevin comes to her with the story of Flight 180, and the class of French students who were killed both on and off the plane, she doesn’t listen. Not until more of the survivors of the rollercoaster tragedy begin to die. Is this a repeat of what happened then? If so, who will die next, and is there any way to predict how, so they can prevent the death? Or is Death inevitable?

Once again, we find a single person’s premonition of violent death at the heart of this movie. This time there is no plane involved, but a fair. The accidents are every bit as outlandish and gruesome as the first two films. And that is the heart of why people watch them. Not for the plot, which is barebones at best, but for the gorefest that takes place on the screen. No lack of blood in this movie for sure.
But the overriding question is why is this happening? Why do certain people get premonitions? And if they end up dead anyway, what’s the point of having a premonition? There is a certain supernatural feel, as if some entity or other is at work here, orchestrating these happenings. Maybe Death itself, if you believe in the Grim Reaper? If so, there are no answers here. But there is one more film. Maybe they’ll wrap it all up there. I’ll give this film 3.5 Stars.