Silent Hill (2006)

Based on the computer game of the same name, while I have heard that the game is super creepy and one of the best scary games out there, however I have never played it. So I went into this adaptation with nothing to compare it to, so no idea if it is a good adaptation or not. You follow Rhada Mitchell who is married to Sean Bean, they adopt a daughter who sleepwalks and ends up going missing and through connecting some clues she ends up tracking her to Silent Hill.


On the way she is stopped by a policewoman played by Laurie Holden, they end up together trying to find her daughter and trying to sort out what is happening in the world of Silent Hill. There is a side story that lets you understand a bit more what is happening as you see Sean Bean in and around the same places and you can understand what is going on. Within the world there are lots of viscious twisted creatures and there are also people hunting witches and you have the two female leads making their way through the world and the creatures trying to survive and find Rhada's daughter.


Understanding this is from a game helps but would have preferred to have some level of context and perhaps there could have been a little exposition at the start that helps and explains what the situation is as it is very confusing. I can see no reason for it other than it has to happen as this is what the game is all about. Overall it was fine in the fantasy horror genre of films and the effects were not to bad. I give it 5 out of 10, not terrible but not great and not really worth tracking down unless you have a connection to the game.

The People Under the Stairs (1991)

From Wes Craven you follow Fool played by Brandon Quintin Adams as he is roped into a robbery by Ving Rhames and Jeremy Roberts. They decide they are going to rob the home of Everett McGill and Wendy Robie who are living in a huge house as Mother and Father. They think there has to be a lot of money in the house due to the locks and bars.

I love this film, from the first time I saw it, the people under the stairs are held within the house and they come into play further into the film. With Sean Whalen as Roach with  Wayne Daniels and Michael Kopelow. The effects that are used are good enough and the characters of Fool and Alice played by A J Langer are thrown together and they develop a positive bond that I think is very visible.

This is one of these films that comes under horror without the real gruesome gore or the real violence but there is a dark edge to a film that has some levels of comedy. This film has its flaws but I have a real soft spot for it and will always watch it given the opportunity so a 4 star recommend for me.

Hallowed Ground (2007)

Another of the multitude of random low budget horror films I have chosen to subject myself to. This follows Liz Chambers played by Jaimie Alexander as she arrives in a small town and soon discovers that her arrival was forseen 100 years previously by the towns crazy preacher. The most interesting thing about this is an early outing for Chloe Moretz as a youngster caught up in what is going on in the town.

This has some interesting points with Ethan Phillips of Star Trek Voyager fame playing the Preacher of current times. You have a common enough theme with a cult within a small town and somebody who at the outset you think is a random and then turns out to be expected or needed there. There are elements of the supernatural with scarecrows coming to life and the power of foresight.

Overall though this film is nothing special with very little to really make it memorable, overall I would say 2 stars bout not really worth seeing.

The Wizard Gore (2007)

Starring Kip Pardue and Crispin Glover this is a weird twisted little film that sees Pardue a reporter investigating Glover who plays Montag the Magnificent, a magician that selects women from the audience gruesomely dismembers them and then shows it to be an masterful Illusion, that is until the women start turning up dead.


This film is pretty stupid and is another of the cheap bulk horror films that are thrown out about once a week and are barely worth the paper they are written on. This one drew my attention as it starred Crispin Glover and Kip Pardue who are not terrible actors. Jeffrey Combs and Brad Dourif also make an appearance but ultimately it is not enough to make that much of an impact on me other than the fact that I thought it was a pointless piece of trash.


Overall apart from the execution of the story there really is not that much to write home about the acting is adequate and the effects are passable but unless you are massively into watching any old horror film I would give this one a miss, 1 star from me. 

Carrie (1976)

From 1976 from the mind of Stephen King and Brian De Palma comes the high school horror film Carrie. Starring Sissy Spacek as Carrie, Piper Laurie as her religious mother, Amy Irving and Nancy Allen as the girls that torture Carrie and John Travolta as Nancy Allen's boyfriend. The film follows Carrie White as she reaches womanhood and as her mother does not communicate with her in a proper manner when she bleeds for the first time she has no idea what is happening and her school colleagues being unsympathetic tease her you get the first glimpse of the pent up power within Carrie.

Another of the "Horror Classics" that I had not seen I watched this with fairly high expectations and while it was not as bad as I thought or hoped it was going to be I have to say that knowing there is some serious stuff going to happen it is quite tense and you are waiting for the scenes you possibly know about. The tension is quite good and is surely a mark of Brian De Palma as the director, as really this is a very simple story about bullying and what their actions bring them.

This was an excellent film and especially if you are into horror films and enjoy revisiting the "Classics" of this genre then this film is one for you. It also carries the trademark of the "B-Movie" ending which is always good with one final scare, this is a 4 star recommend from me, let me know if you have seen it and what you think of it. 

The Monster Club (1981)

Starring Vincent Price, Donald Pleasance and John Carradine this is an anthology film that has 3 short films about cross bread monster creatures and the interlinking story has some musical interludes. This film is strange, I thought that it would be a horror film but did not know that much about it but with Vincent Price I was looking forward to it. It is based upon the stories of R Chetwynd-Hayes who I learned all about listening to Hypnobobs episode 18. 


This film is aimed at children and I will be honest and say that I was not aware of this as I watched it and I was very disappointed as it was not what I thought it was going to be. So if you watch it go in knowing it is aimed at a younger audience. The first story is about a vampire and the squad lead by Donald Pleasance who come to get him. The second story gets a bit creepy about a couple that try to rob a creature who whistles and the final story is about a film director that goes to find a location for his film and he finds trouble. The surrounding story is an enjoyable part with Vincent Price and John Carradine, however weirdly there is a musical segment between every story and there are 4 songs played out in full.


Overall this film is not great perhaps it will be better with better set expectations, however it is worth seeing if you like anthologies or enjoy seeing horror from the eighties aimed at a younger audience this is a low 3 stars from me.

Deathwatch (2002)

Starring a very British cast this is a First World War horror films that follows a platoon of British Soldiers who get cut off and end up in a German trench and they first discover some issues when they notice how the German Soldiers had died. Starring Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Hugo Speer, Rhuaidri Conroy, Mike Downey, Kris Marshall and Laurence Fox it follows them as they try to get back in touch with their commanders and try to stay safe in hellish conditions.


This is quite an atmospheric piece and there are some creepy things going on but very quickly in the trench as the viewer you know something supernatural is about. They are not teases in anyway and very quickly it becomes about seeing how everybody will die, as you know they will and seeing how they are each going to snap. There is an attempt at the end of the film to give a moral and there is a point that the evil is non-discriminatory as it has taken down Brits and Germans a like.


The acting in this is excellent and really has an effects on you. You feel wet cold and muddy after watching the film. It falls into the typical horror film realms of you have no where to go for whatever reason, therefore you are stuck. There is some okay tension but I watched this for a second time and was half way through before I remembered what had happened and that I had even seen it before. I would say that there is very little appeal in this film and it is a 2 star avoid from me. I will say if you want to see British Horror then it is worth checking out, presuming you have lots of time to see different movies as there are better offerings out there. 

Orphan (2009)

The ending of this film was spoiled for me and all I will say is there is a twist in the ending that makes the whole film make sense, it is all in the advertising. You join a family of Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard who lost a child and even though they have two children decide to adopt a Russian Orphan, Esther played expertly by Isabelle Fuhrman. There is something going on with Esther and as the story progresses you get a picture of her and what she is like and you know from the promotional material that there is something not right with her.


This is a thriller with an interloper coming into a family, a family that you soon discover have their own set of problems and you even wonder if they should be adopting at all, even if they are taking the older child out of the system. This story is well done, even if you do have some sort of idea about what is happening. What would have been really good would be seeing this film totally from the Mother's point of view and you as the viewer could consider that perhaps she is just going mad and you can watch the breakdown as the husband would see it.


However apart from some flaws and delivery and really needing to see it unspoiled by not knowing the ending, this film is passable and an enjoyable enough thriller and even knowing the ending there is some joy from watching how the film is put together. Overall this is a 3 star recommend especially if you enjoy thrillers and some horror and a very dark element.

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

This horror film from the swinging sixites, follows Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes as a young couple who move to a new apartment. When they meet their new neighbours they discover some strange goings on and when Mia Farrow who play's Rosemary falls preganant she soon becomes paranoid and worried that her neighbours maybe after her baby. Through her panic and half remembered dreams you get a picture of what is happenineg and with her you try to piece together what is actually real and what is imagination.


This film is considered a horror film but as some commentators have said it is more dark thriller with a possible supernatural element, depends how you view the film. I felt tense when watching the film and was eager to get to the end to see how Roman Polanski would end the film, I have to say that the ending blew my mind and I was very happy with the way that story went. Adapted from a book I think I may actually look the book up and give it a go.

This film is hard to rate as I normally only ever give 5 star ratings to films I have seen many times and know I will go back to, or that I have a soft spot for due to more than just the film by itself. I think for the first time I will give a film I have seen for the first time a 5 star recommend. I think that anyone who enjoys the darker side of film should give this film a go and let me know if you enjoyed it as much as I did the first time I saw it. 

Stag Night (2008)

Film of 2012 #72


A strange little horror film that I saw because it had Breckin Meyer in it and I have always thought of him as quite funny and an interesting actor. However the story which sounded appealing soon became quite boring, 4 guys out on a Stag Night end up leaving a subway train early with 2 ladies after the Breckin Meyer character plays the douche and causes Mace to sprayed making them leave the train. From there they discover an underground way of life that would probably not go un-missed if it really existed.

So you follow them getting lost in the underground while they are being hunted by a brutal band of men/creatures who kill mercilessly and probably eat there victims and while this sounds thrilling it really is so contrived how they get stuck and how they fail to get out of the trouble which they got into quite easily. The ending as well while is what normal horror films portray is cliched and a bit disappointing and not worth the effort.

Overall this film is not worth seeing at all, even the acting is not that great, certainly not the worst I have seen but nothing that special, I give it 2 stars and that is simply for the efforts on the character design and the sets are really good and there is obviously some budget there but overall not worth seeing at all.

The Fly (1986)

Film of 2012 #67


The David Cronenberg remake of the 1958 body swap horror film, sees Jeff Goldblum as Dr Seth Brundle a genius who is creating the next big thing. He meets Geena Davis at a party, they get together and she sees what he is creating. In his hurry to show off and impress her he uses his machine and he tele-ports from pod 1 to pod 2 in the first human tele-portation, however something goes wrong. You follow him in his discovery as he realises what has happened and he tries to come to terms with it.

This is a classic, from the master of body horror and it sees the transformation from Dr Brundle to the Brundle-Fly of the Jeff Goldblum character and you have him trying to understand it and document it. The best part is the fact that he does not actually do that much to try and fix the problem. You have that realisation from the Geena Davis character and the fact that she can do nothing as Jeff Goldblum does not want any help. This captures the horror of science gone wrong and is really gory and think that it is a modern classic.


I am disappointed in myself that it took that long for me to get around to watching this film but I am really glad that I finally did. If you enjoy David Cronenberg's other films or just horror in general then it is really worth seeing and a 4 star recommend from me.

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)

Film of 2012 #65


I think I had heard of this film and this is why when I saw it on the TV I decided it would be worth a watch, but I think all I had heard was the name and a very basic premise, this made it so much better. Leslie Vernon invites a university film crew to document him, as he tries to become the next supernatural serial killer. The film starts with a brief history of Jason Vorhees, Michael Myers and Freddy Krueger and it sets the tone for the whole film. 

It starts as a documentary with your female lead interviewing Leslie and trying to find out what he is trying to achieve and he takes them on a tour and shows them his plans. This film is an excellent idea and take on the slasher film, it is from the point of view of the killer and what he is hoping that his antics will achieve and how he thinks out everything, so that what you see in the slasher film from him knowing where people will go, to weapons not working. It really is well executed. There are some flaws especially with the acting but there is a couple of really nice touches that appealed to me as a fan of the slasher genre. 

Overall this is a fantastic new take on the slasher film genre, I highly recommend it to you if you have any love for the slashers and the horror genre, not perfect but still a solid 4 star recommend.

My Bloody Valentine 3D (2009)

Film of 2012 #63


The First of the 3D horror spectaculars that came out at the start of the new Digital 3D revolotion and was part of the catalyst for all of the horror films that followed in the vain of Final Destination. I did not see this in 3D at the theartre and watched it as I had been meaning to and I do enjoy a good slasher film. This is a remake of a 1981 film and is a common idea behind a slasher film with the main protaganist returning 10 years after the slaughter of 22 people in a local mine by Harry Warden. The main character is Tom Hanniger played by Jensen Ackles, his old flame is Sarah Plamer played by Jaimi King and her husband Axel Plamer played by Kerr Smith who is also the local sheriff. 

This film is slightly different from your typical 80's and 90's slasher as the targets of the slashings are not your typical teen victims, they were teenagers at the time of the original attacks and when the film is set they are in their late twenties so that is the first small twist. It is funny as the characters still behave like they are teenagers, the difference being a couple have kids and are married but they react like teenagers. The film in itself tries to throw red herrings at you but you realise they are pointing so firmly in one direction that it has to be wrong and you then know exactly who is the killer. 

The 3D effects, as they normally are in horror films of this ilk are obvious and easy to see when the 3D is off and I think that this falls into the fun with a few drinks and friends category. I like what the film tried to do with the story twists and the idea but I think they got to carried away with the idea of the 3D and forgot the rest of it. This is a 2 star avoid unless you are a fan of the horror/Slasher genre then it is a film that is enjoyable enough within this genre.

Christine (1983)

Film of 2012 #61


Stephen King's Christine brought to Life by the master of Horror that is John Carpenter, however this happened I am very happy to have seen the outcome. The story follows Arnie Cunningham played by Keith Gordon, who is bullied. He has nothing other than a friend who is on the football team Dennis played by John Stockwell. That is until passing a garden they see Christine for Sale, she is a beat up, broken down, junker that Arnie falls in love with and decides to restore so he has a cool car. However there is something supernatural about Christine and things start to happen.

I have read this book and it is better than the film but then this is usually the case when books are made into films. However this film still holds up to me, the story follows Arnie to begin with and then as things start to happen you switch to Dennis and the Girl that Arnie hooks up with played by a very Young Alexandra Paul as they try to figure out what is happening and what they can do to sort the situation.

This is a fun horror film with some good effects, some great music and an interesting story I really like the film a and would say that if you like Carpenters early works or the the writings of Stephen King then it is worth a look, it is 4 stars for me.

The Thing (2011)

So what did I want from a remake/sequel/prequel to the 1982 John Carpenter's The Thing, which I reviewed here, nothing I did not want the 1982 film touched at all but as I said in my review of the 2011 trailer here, I was not looking forward to it. The biggest issue i have is the fact that we know how it has to end as it has to tie in with the original start. The biggest thing they could not resist that the original could not do was using CGI at least it was done fairly well still not a patch on the effects of the original.

Now trying to be honest I have to say that I enjoyed this film from the stand alone point of view, they do not remake the film but there a certain scenes that they have to make decisions about and they cannot just do what they want, I think that a film in the universe of The Thing with no tie to the original film would have been interesting. A big issue I have is that there are enough questions about the motivation of the creature from the first film and this film just raises some more regarding what where and why and really the tension and enjoyment of the film do not need these concerns to make them a  good tense film.

So the cast were fine it was good to see Mary Elizabeth Winstead in the lead role and the supporting cast were good as well. I liked the differences between it and the original, it took it's own way and had the check points that all prequels have to indulge in but overall it was a solid film and one that i would recommend whatever you think of it the 1982 film is still there. This is a solid 3 star film for me.

The Thing (1982)

The 1982 classic from the master of suspense John Carpenter, a film that I have seen several times and will watch many times again, I have listened to fan commentary's and dissections of this film and there is nothing that will make me dislike the film. It is a remake of the 1951 film  The Thing From Another World, so it goes to show that remade films can be better than the original, that however is not an excuse to go around remaking them all though. With the soon to be released prequel, the trailer which I reviewed here I decided to re-watch the film for the first time in a while on Bluray.

One of the things that this film is famous for is the effects back in 1982 they were all practical and I was worried that watching it on Bluray might destroy the memory of effects that are truly believable and fantastic. But from the Dog to the spider head they all hold up as well on Bluray as they ever did on VHS or DVD.

This is a classic of the horror genre and a must see for all fans of the genre and all movie fans in general I give this a solid 5 stars and say that everybody should give this a go at least once if you have a love of film.

Troll Hunter (2010) Trailer

This film was first brought to my attention by the guys at www.bloodygoodhorror.com and their podcast and since then I have been keen to see this film. It is a hand held film from Norway where they go hunting for Trolls, now really do you have to know anything else?

I have watched a few trailers for this film and there are a couple out there that seem to show an awful lot of the trolls so i am even more intrigued to see where this film goes, in all honesty it is the sort of film I am starting to really appreciate and look forward to. The best ideas and best delivery seem to be coming from countries outside the UK and US. Some great examples have been Timecrimes and REC from Spain, Let the Right One In from Sweden and Ip man.

I am really looking forward to seeing this film and I just hope it gets a wide enough release that I get to see it locally.

UK Release Date - 9th September 2011

Tucker & Dale vs Evil (2010) Trailer

A fun trailer for me to review as I have seen the film but i have to review it to show everybody else how much fun it is and that you should see it, i saw it at Horror Hound Weekend in March and here is my original review here.

The trailer is a good and honest appraisal of the film, you can see the trailer and the website here.

I have to say that I hope this film gets a wide release and i hope that everyone that enjoys horror films and comedies should go and see this film if it is in a cinema near you or find a cinema it is in.

UK Release Date - TBC

The Thing (2011) Trailer

So the 1982 classic from John Carpenter is getting a somethingm from what I understand it is a prequel and is based in the Norwegian camp, so anyway we know how this will end up. Why on earth do we have to have a sequel to the classic, why not have an original idea to the original film (I know Carpernter's is a remake) but why not just leave the original and steal the idea and create a stand alone story that has nothing to do with the Thing but uses the same basic idea. The problem is that the film is tied to what is shown in the original also it is a group in the Antartic how different a film can it be without changing some of the rules.

Anywy the trailer does look good and I will probably see the film at the cinema as the original this is a prequal to is one of my all time favourite films. You have Mary Elizabeth Winsted invited to the antartic to investigate what the Norwegians have found and the creature comes through, I do wonder if they will actually finish where the John carpenter film starts with the helicopter, that would be fun to see.

So overall another film that is not needed at all but I will go and see it at the cinema.

UK Release date - 21st October 2011.

Final Destination 5 (2011) Trailer

You have to love this series but after the 4th film I was like no way can they make another and no way can they make it any good, however from the trailer I have to say that I am won over. The rules have changed in this film and no longer it is about saving each other to make the pattern skip but the trailer makes you think that they kill each other to survive which makes the whole thing a lot more exciting.

I am actually really looking froward to seeing this film after seeing the trailer and i just hope that it gets a chance to live up to the expectations that i ma now placing on it. It is in 3D but I think I will just give that a miss as there is just no need for paying the extra and even though I have my Shrek 3D glasses which I love I am not that bothered about 3D any more.

So I will see this in the cinema and let you know if it is worth seeing at all.

UK Release Date - 26th August 2011