Tag Archives: horror movie reviews

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

Leave a reply

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

Leave a reply

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

Leave a reply

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.

Saturday is Horror Day #108 – The Order, Final Destination 2

Leave a reply

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

The Order


Alex Bernier (Heath Ledger) is a young priest with special talents he uses in the service of the Church. He is devastated to learn of the death of his mentor, Dominic (Francesco Carnelutti).  They belong to the dwindling order of the Carolingians. A priest named Driscoll (Peter Weller) sends Alex to Rome to investigate the death. Before he leaves, he is visited by Mara (Shannyn Sossamon), a young woman whom he exorcised a year before. She attempted to kill him and has been in a mental institution ever since…until she makes her escape and rejoins the priest she has a crush on. He lies in order to hide her presence and take her to Rome with him.

In Rome, he is reunited with an old friend and fellow order member, Thomas (Mark Addy). Alex does not believe the official story that Dominic committed suicide. He bribes a morgue attendant to allow him to view the body and discovers unexplained wounds which may be the sign of a Sin Eater. Alex turns to a mysterious hooded figure, head of a pagan cult, who reveals that this man is William Eden (Benno Fürmann), who was born during the Renaissance. His duty is to perform the last rites for those the Church deems unworthy of more traditional rites.

 

Alex is a priest in conflict, having feelings for Mara that he should not have. Eden reveals his life as a sin-eater to Alex, in the hopes that he will take his place. But he decides to take a chance on love instead and leaves the priesthood instead in order to be with her. Will this decision place the ones he cares about in harm’s way? Is this really an offer Alex can refuse?

 

To be honest, I watched this because it has Heath Ledger, and I have to say he does very well. Shannyn Sossamon does okay. I don’t think she’s a particularly good actress, but she isn’t terrible either. I loved the relationship between Alex and Thomas – you may recall Mark Addy as Robert Baratheon from Game of Thrones. These two have done at least one other film together, A Knight’s Tale. Peter Weller, of Robocop fame, is chilling as Driscoll. However, that being said, the film isn’t really all that interesting. I’m including it as horror, but using the term loosely. There are a lot of slow parts, and I didn’t feel particularly engaged other than with Ledger. Would I recommend it? Not really. I’ll give it 3 Stars, and that only because of Heath Ledger. If you aren’t a fan of his, give it a pass.

Final Destination


A year after the events in the first movie, Kimberly (A.J. Cook) is headed off to fun in the sun with a few friends over their break. Just before getting on the highway, AJ experiences a strange vision, involving a horrific chain accident set off by a truck bearing huge wooden poles, one that culminates in many deaths. Freaked out, Kimberly blocks the highway entrance, refusing to move, much to the annoyance of other drivers. A passing state trooper,  Officer Burke (Michael Landes) stops to see what the problem is. She tries to explain, but he is understandably skeptical. Just then the truck she saw passes by and before their eyes, the accident occurs, with Kimberly, her friends, the officer, and the people she blocked all surviving. But does that mean they’ve only postponed the inevitable?

Knowing this was the anniversary of Flight 180, Kimberly is determined to figure out the meaning 


behind what happened. The only survivor of the crash still alive is Clear Rivers (Ali Larter), so Kimberly goes to visit her. The paranoid Clear isn’t very forthcoming with either sympathy or answers, so Kimberly leaves. But people are still dying, and Clear can’t ignore the facts.

 

Okay, so maybe the premise is a little lacking and doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense. Death making a list? Then what, checking it twice? The personification of Death is a little weird. Also the premise that when your number is up, it’s up, and Death will still get you. But beyond that, it’s entertaining, especially seeing all the innovative “accidents” that culminate in some rather gruesome deaths. One definite plus is the all-too-brief appearance of Tony Todd. I hope he returns in the next two films. I think it’s worth watching, so I’ll also give this film 4 Stars.

 

Saturday is Horror Day #107 – Final Destination

Leave a reply

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Final Destination

Alex Browning (Devon Sawa) is going to Paris with a group of classmates, including his best friend Tod (Chad Donella). As they settle themselves onto the plane, Alex has a vision that unfolds before him, which ends in an explosion which destroys the plane and kills everyone. A panic-stricken Alex tries to warn everyone to get off the plane, but only ends up getting himself and a few of the students ejected from the plane, and one of the teachers accompanying them. The students are upset with Alex, watching the plane they were meant to be on take off without them…until it suddenly explodes before their very eyes, killing everyone on board. Now the question is, how did he know?

People are upset with Alex for what they perceive as his foreknowledge of the fatal event. The FBI are 

even called in, and they question everyone, especially Alex. He insists he wasn’t on drugs, he just saw a vision, but the agents are skeptical.  Tod’s father doesn’t want his son around Alex, to Alex’s dismay. But he gets a warning in the form of a piece of paper with Tod’s name, rather than a vision, and he hurries to his friend’s home, but he is too late.

Everyone is giving Alex a wide berth now, except for Clear (Ali Larter). She shows up to Tod’s house the same night as Alex, having felt something through him, as if they are connected somehow. One of the surviving students, Carter (Kerr Smith) has never been a friend, but he is openly combative now and tries to fight Alex at every turn. But Alex only wants to figure out what’s going on and save everybody. Is death pre-ordained? Or is there a pattern, and if you figure it out, you can change it and avoid death?

 

I found this to be an interesting watch, even if Alex’s theories didn’t always make sense, and some of the accidents seemed really farfetched. But even so, it was entertaining, although if you are looking for answers, you won’t find them here. Luckily, this is just the first film in the series. It remains to be seen how good the others are. But I did like this, so I’ll give it 4 Stars and look forward to the next one.

Saturday is Horror Day #106 – One Missed Call

Leave a reply

Reviewer: 

One Missed Call

People begin to received mysterious missed calls that leaves messages containing the person’s date and time of their deaths. Nobody will listen to Beth (Shannyn Sossamon) who is explaining about the phone calls and how they tie in to the deaths. But Detective Jack Andrews (Edward Burns) believes her, because of the death of his sister. Together, they are going to get to the bottom of this!

That may sound like an oversimplification of the plot, but it’s not. In fact, it makes it sound more interesting than it is. The story goes from person to person, one missed call after another, followed by two days of hallucinations – centipedes and ghostly figures – before death ensures. Even that is more interesting than this film. This is a remake of a Japanese film of the same name, and even that wasn’t particularly well received. This version is so bad it received a score of 0% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Far from being frightening, I found this film boring and couldn’t wait for it to end – and it’s only an hour and a half long! The writing isn’t good, neither is the direction, the acting is so-so, and the characters are forgettable. Would I recommend watching this? Hell no! I’ll give this film 1 Star and that’s all I have to say on that.

Saturday is Horror Day #105 – Phantasm V: Ravager, Dead Snow

Leave a reply

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Phantasm 5: Ravager

Reggie (Reggie Bannister) is trying to find Mike (A Michael Baldwin) and rescue him from the Tall Man (Angus Scrimm). And also save the world.

I know, that’s an oversimplification of the plot, but seriously, this is the plot for every entry in this series. And this is the last one (I don’t believe, at least I hope there will not be a sixth Phantasm. No reason there should be to be honest).

How does this one compare to the others? The series has been going downhill after the second one. This one is no exception. It’s terrible. We have Reggie who yo-yos back and forth between the future where he is an old man in a nursing home and Mike tells him he has dementia and none of what he knows is real and a present where he is fighting the Tall Man.

The only redeeming quality of this film is that someone figured out that Reggie Bannister is a better actor than A Michael Baldwin and they made the plot Reggie-centric. I do use the word plot loosely. And, of course, Reggie being Reggie, there has to be a girl involved. Cause he’s this chick-magnet, don’t you know? And hey, we even get to see Jody (Bill Thornbury), Mike’s brother again.

All in all, a terrible film. I only give it 2 Stars because Reggie amuses me. Unless you’re compelled to finish the series, I would skip it.

Dead Snow

A group of medical students are taking a ski vacation at the cabin in the mountains. Fun and friends, the recipe for a fun vacation, right? Well, unfortunately for these medical students, they’re not only in the middle of nowhere, but they are about to enter a nightmare they could never have dreamed of before

The group reaches the cabin, anticipating the arrival of its owner, Maria. But unbeknownst to them, Maria has met with foul play and she won’t be coming. Everyone decides to relax, drink, and play games, including Twister. This cabin is so rustic that it has no indoor plumbing, necessitating the use of an outhouse.  An unexpected knock on the door frightens them, but it turns out to be an older man, who asks for a cup of coffee. Familiar with the area, he is dismissive of the young people and their lack of preparation for their trip. Do they even know the history of this area? He tells them a story about German occupation and how the locals fought back after three years of oppression. But, he concludes, there is an evil here, a presence that can’t be denied. He drinks their bad coffee, smokes a hand-rolled cigarette and is on his way. They dismiss his words as so much nonsense.

But then they begin to hear things. When one of the young men goes to the outhouse, he is joined there by one of the women, and more fun ensues. Afterward, he returns to the cabin first…but she is not so lucky. Attacked in the outhouse, she tries to make her way back to the cabin, but never makes it. While they try to figure out what is going on, they find themselves under attack…by Nazi zombies! The fight is on!

At first, I admit, this film is pretty much the standard young people in a cabin in the woods terrified by a menacing presence they have to overcome. As such, it’s a little slow at first. But the difference is – Nazi zombies! That’s something you don’t see everyday. The make-up on these guys is great! And they are pretty terrifying. Not sure what I would do if faced with this bunch.  And they turn an okay film into a more terrifying and interesting. Be aware, there is a lot of blood and guts and such, so not recommended for the squeamish. But it was definitely worth watching, and I’m looking forward to the sequel. I’ll give this film 4 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #104 – Green Room

Leave a reply

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Green Room

Punk rock band The Ain’t Rights consists of four friends – Pat (Anton Yelchin), Sam (Alia Shawkat), Reece (Joe Cole), and Tiger (Callum Turner). The band is touring the Pacific Northwest, but to say they’re not getting good gigs would be an understatement. They’re kind of forced to take what they can get. Which is how they end up in a bar in the middle of nowhere, filled with all sorts of creepy neo-Nazi sorts. What the heck, it’s just one night, and it’s more money than they’ve been getting lately, so why not?

Their set goes about as well as expected… more or less. The friends just want to get their money and move

on to the next gig. But things don’t quite go as planned, when they become witness to something they weren’t supposed to see. And now they are being held in the Green Room, while it’s decided what will happen to them. Can this possibly end well?

This film is really gritty and very visceral. Imagine being at the mercy of young violent skinheads, not knowing if they intend to kill you for what you accidentally saw, or even just for their own pleasure. It’s hard not to sympathize with the members of The Ain’t Rights, and there is nothing even remotely sympathetic about the people who hold them hostage. Not even their leader, Darcy, played by the inimitable Patrick Stewart. This film does not hold back, be warned of that. Explicit and gory, it’s not for the faint at heart. Green Room explores the seamier side of human nature. It’s scary to think that people such as this exist, but I’m sure they do. I’ll give this film 4 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #104 – Phantasm IV: Oblivion

Leave a reply

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Phantasm IV: Oblivion

The saga continues as Mike (A Michael Baldwin) and Reggie (Reggie Bannister) chase down the elusive Tall Man (Angus Scrimm), determined (as always) to take him out once and for all. And yet for all their good intentions and machinations, they never manage to do so, do they?

In the fourth installment, our heroes are separated, but working toward the same goal. Mike is driving a

hearse, and Reggie a muscle car. Naturally, the Tall Man appears to both of them at different times, toying with Mike. He continues to call him boy (though he ceased to be one long ago) and tells him what he can and cannot do. Mike’s brother Jody (Bill Thornbury) makes his appearance as well, although there is some confusion as to just what he is, as he supposed died years ago.

Their individual pursuits lead Reggie and Mike to Death Valley where they find the same weird gateway they found in the mausoleum in the first film. Mike enters it and finds himself in what he believes to be a different time, and there he encounters a different incarnation of the Tall Man, a much nicer version. Meanwhile, Reggie, as usual, manages to pick up a girl, because we know what a chick magnet he is.

Seriously, there is not a lot to this one. Mike is not only depressing, he’s suicidal, and who can blame him? He’s spent his whole life in this nonsensical pursuit of the Tall Man. Who wouldn’t be psychologically disturbed? Reggie is Reggie, and for the most part oblivious to a great deal, but I will say he’s a great friend, and someone who won’t ever give up. Still, this adds little to the sage, except for the possibility that maybe Mike and Jody can go back to the beginning and change things. But that remains to be seen. There is one more film in the series. I’ll give this film 2.5 Stars

Saturday is Horror Day #102 – Terrifier

Leave a reply

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Terrifier

It’s Halloween night, and Tara (Jenna Kanell) and Dawn (Catherine Corcoran) are out having a good time. But they have a bit too much to drink, so they decide to get a bite to eat to eat at a small diner. There they see the same creepy clown (David Howard Thornton) that was annoying them earlier. Did he follow them? Dawn doesn’t let him get to her and cheekily asks for a selfie while sitting on his lap.

 

After he leaves, they return to the car only to find one of the tires has been slashed. Distraught, Tara calls 

her sister Victoria (Samantha Scaffidi) for a ride. Although she’s studying for midterms, she agrees to come get them when her roommate returns unexpectedly with a male guest, and it’s obvious they are going to be noisy. While they wait, Tara has to use the bathroom, but where? Dawn smiles a man stepping out of a building and asks him on Tara’s behalf to let her in. Mike (Matt McAllister) is an exterminator and he’s reluctant, but finally agrees to let her in while Dawn waits in the car.

The building is disgusting and filthy, and it has rats, but beggars can’t be choosers. But then Art the Clown makes his appearance and everything goes downhill from there…

 

This film was… I guess torture porn would be a good description. The little plot there is only serves to bring everybody together in this location in order to be killed. Why? I have no idea what this guy’s problem is. He never speaks, remaining mute throughout the entire film. Why? No clue. Maybe we’ll find out in the sequel. Is there gore? In spades. One scene after another. This movie is not for the squeamish, not at all. There is one scene where a girl is hung upside down, naked, and split open, down the middle, starting between her legs.

I had many questions, but few answers. One of the biggest was why this scummy building would even need or call for an exterminator. It looked to be abandoned. So why was he there? Or is that just bad writing? The guy playing the clown did a great job. Definitely gave up very creepy vibes. Did I enjoy this movie? Not really. Am I going to see the sequel? Of course I am. So, I’ll so that if you know what you’re in for going into this, you’ll be fine. I wouldn’t blindside anyone with this though. I’ll give this film 4 Stars for doing what it meant to do pretty well.