Evil Dead 2013 Review

I fully admit that when I first heard there was a Evil Dead remake in the works I felt the exact same way most old school Horror fans did:  Oh no!  not another remake!  Then word started to get out that Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell were on board as producers and that the film was not going to rely on CGI but use practical effects instead.  So I slowly started to come around, and think maybe this is worth checking out.  By the time the trailers were released, I was sold.  In fact, Evil Dead became my most anticipated film of the year.  

The original Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2 are genuine cult classics with a huge following of devoted fans.  Think about it...How many lines can you recite from those movies?  I bet you can even recognize the most obscure screenshots from them too.   So why mess with a classic that is so universally loved by the fans?  Why not come up with a new concept instead?  Why keep remaking movies that we all know and love inside and out?  We fans seem to enjoy picking apart and analysing the remakes when they come out and naturally comparing them to the originals.  But, the thing is...the remakes will never live up to their originals.  The original movies are a product of the times they were made in.  They are a snap shot of an earlier time that we look back on with nostalgia.   The other inherit problem with remakes is that most of the time the actors in them have gone on to become cult heroes.  This is especially true with the Evil Dead movies.   Let's face it Bruce Campbell is practically a God in the Horror universe.  So who is going to fill those rather large shoes?  Even with all of  that running through my head, I thoroughly enjoyed the remake.  I decided to go into the theatre with an open mind and leave all my prejudices behind me.

Evil Dead starts out with a group of twenty-somethings going to a family cabin in the woods.  Unlike the original movie, they are not there for rest and relaxation.  Instead, they are there to help a friend kick her Heroin addiction.  She ceremoniously declares that she is starting a new life and dumps out all of her stash.  However, her friends are hesitant to believe her because they have been through all of this before and failed.  This was a rather clever addition to the storyline because when she starts to see Demons, naturally no one believes her and blames her behaviour on the withdrawal process instead.  It also means that they have committed to staying for the long haul or until she breaks her habit.  It doesn't take long for the group to discover the Necronomicon in the creepy basement, and against their better judgement the nerdy guy opens the book and begins to read the incantations.  By the time he realizes his mistake, it is too late to get out.   

There are several reasons this remake is well done.  First, it is gory as hell!  Even more so than the original was and the effects are very well done.  It is by far the goriest movie I have seen in wide release at my local theatre.  Second, there is no humour to lighten the mood.  It is a straight up old-fashioned Horror movie.  A roller coaster ride of blood and guts.  But don't get me wrong, there are very few outright scary scenes.   Third, there are several Easter Eggs from the original movies sprinkled throughout.  If you are an Evil Dead fan, you will enjoy picking them out when you see them.  Several scenes and props are reused from the originals, but they are all slightly tweaked or changed a bit.  Like the writers did a shuffle between all of the characters,  resulting in a very interesting mix.  Things just don't quite line up the same way as before.   However many of Raimi's original ideas are there... the Chainsaw, the shotgun,  the tree rape scene, and even the Oldsmobile.  

The one part I found a bit strange was that I kept thinking of  Cabin in the Woods during several opening scenes.  Yes, I realize that CITW was spoofing Evil Dead, but the characters were eerily similar.   However, the dialogue was lacking in comparison to CITW.  Which is a shame, considering Diablo Cody (writer for Juno and Jennifer's Body) was involved with the script.

As a whole, I thought Evil Dead was an extremely clever remake.  It paid homage to the original movie without copying it exactly.  Even the gore was over the top and cringe worthy yet still not exploitative like some of the more recent torture porn movies.  The remake updates the story while remaining true to the Indie, low-budget feeling of the original.  All of this makes it a must see for the big screen in my opinion.  So get to the theatre because the Deadites are calling for you...

Top 25 Greatest Monster Movies of all time

Monsters are the things that nightmares are made of. They are the things that go bump in the night. They are the reason why small children (and perhaps some adults) sleep with the lights on. I know many of us grew up watching these classic monster movies. I am sure most of them are some of the first horror movies you remember seeing when you were a kid. Remember those days? Staying up past your bedtime on a Saturday night to catch the late show? Maybe you even had a local horror host introduce it? Anyway, here is my list of 25 Monster Movies that are absolute must sees for any Horror fan. What better way to spend a lazy afternoon than watching a good old fashioned creature feature?

25. Them! (1954)

During the 50s the threat of the cold war and nuclear war created an entirely new sub-genre of monster movies. Big Monster movies were very popular in the 50s. A few examples include The Black Scorpion, Tarantula, and It Came from Beneath the Sea. Them! was one of the most popular of the big bug movies. The story is about a colony of Ants that get irradiated during some early nuclear tests and grow to an enormous size. Yes, the giant rubber Ants seem pretty cheesy now, but Them! is still a really fun film to watch.

24. Humanoids From the Deep (1980)

Roger Corman's Humanoids From the Deep has a lot going for it... plenty of violence, nudity, gore, and monsters. The creatures are a result of some military experiments that involved blending Salmon and Humans together. The Humanoids escape and try to kill all the local men and rape the women in order to get them pregnant with fish babies! The final scene with the Humanoids attacking and killing or raping everyone at the Salmon Festival is really something.

23. Trollhunter (2010)

I guarantee you will never look at natural rock formations in the same way after seeing Trollhunter. This found-footage movie shows giant Trolls living in the Norway countryside. A film crew follows a Troll Hunter as he tracks and kills as many Trolls as he can. He finds them under bridges, living in caves, and hiding in forests. Trollhunter is hilarious and the CGI Trolls are amazingly life-like and well done. However the real star of the film is the beautiful Norwegian scenery in every shot.

22. Slither (2006)

Slither is something straight out of an H. P. Lovecraft story. A meteorite crashes into a small town and tons of space worms invade the locals. The first person (played by Michael Rooker) that is infected slowly turns into this giant tentacled monster. But all he wants is to get his wife back. Slither is full of some really great special effects including a balloon like woman that explodes into thousands of space slugs! EWWWww!

21. Monster Squad (1987)

Monster Squad is like watching The Goonies with the Universal Monsters mixed in. The kids have to battle the Monsters, led by Count Dracula, in order to stop them from taking control over the world. The monsters have an updated 80s look thanks to Stan Winston. The Gill-Man (Creature From the Black Lagoon) gets a whole new scary look. What makes Monster Squad really special are all the funny one-liners including "Wolfman's got Nards!" and the nostalgic look back at what it was like to be a kid in the 80s.

20. Nightbreed (1990)

Clive Barker's Nightbreed is about a group of mutants that hide away in an underground city called Midian. The mutants are monsters that must hide from the Humans that want to destroy them and their home. Nightbreed is actually one of my favourite movies based on Barker's work along with Hellraiser and Candyman. Nightbreed is based on Novella called Cabal by Barker. Clive Barker has talked about a television series that is in the works for Nightbreed, saying that it will be made for cable TV so it has a chance to be as sexy or as graphic in terms of violence as it needs to be.

19. Q the Winged Serpent (1982)

Q the Winged Serpent is directed by Larry Cohen, the same guy who gave us God Told Me To, Maniac Cop, The Stuff, and It's Alive. The Q stands for Quetzalcoatl, an ancient Aztec deity that is brought back to life by an evil cult in New York City. Michael Moriarty plays a thief that stumbles upon Q while running from the cops after a robbery. Q is in fact a girl and has set up her nest in the Chrysler building by laying a giant egg. The monster resembles a Harryhausen style of rubber stop motion monster. It might be slightly on the cheesy side of the FX scale, but the performances by Moriarty and David Carradine more than make up for it.

18. Super 8 (2011)

Super 8 tells the story of 5 friends that are filming a Zombie infection movie on a Super 8 camera. While filming, they witness a spectacular train derailment, and soon realize that someone was trying to stop that train on purpose. After the train accident, people all over town start disappearing, all the dogs run away, and soon the military marches into town. Super 8 feels like an old time movie. You would swear it was from the early 80's instead of the 2000's. JJ Abrams has been compared to Spielberg a few times in his career and much like Spielberg before him, Abrams tells a charming coming of age story. The best part of Super 8 is the movie that the kids made at the end. Apparently Romero chemical was to blame for everything!

17. Nosferatu (1922)

One of the first Monster movies ever made was Nosferatu. Even to this day Max Shreck's portrayal of the famous Vampire is one of the most chilling to watch. Rumors are that Max Shreck was actually a real Vampire and that is why the film is so haunting. In reality though he was a well known Theatre actor and went on to do many more films after Nosferatu. For an interesting and very entertaining movie about the "real" Max Shreck check out The Shadow of the Vampire starring William Dafoe.

16. The Host (2006)

The Host is a bit of a throwback to some of the classic monster movies also on this list. The Host is a giant mutant killer amphibian that wreaks havoc on a South Korean beach. However the Monster isn't the real story in The Host. The movie centers on a dysfunctional family that is trying to survive the Monster mayhem around them. A small girl is kidnapped by the monster and the rest of her family has to organize themselves enough to rescue her. Sometimes oddly comical and sometimes heart breaking, The Host has some strong messages to tell about politics and family.

15. Gremlins (1984)

All Randall wanted to do was bring home a cute little Mogwai named Gizmo for his son for Christmas. Gizmo was the perfect present, all he had to do was follow three simple rules... Do not get him wet, do not expose him to bright lights, and whatever you do, do not feed him after midnight Unfortunately Mogwais have a way of getting into trouble and when they go bad, they really go bad! They are not that hard to control when there are only one or two of them, but any more than that can quickly get out of control. Gremlins is one of my favourite Christmas movies, but it is fun to watch any time of year.

14. Cloverfield (2008)

There are only a couple of found-footage movies on this list. I have to admit I am not really a big fan of the genre, but I know a good one when I see it. Cloverfield is a modern version of the 50's B-Monster Movie. It tells the story of a group of people on the run from the monsters. They really don't know what is going on and only get fleeting glances of the giant monster that is attacking their city. Of course they have to get to the other side of the city in order to rescue a friend, and run into all sorts of trouble doing so. Cloverfield is a great example of when the found-footage style of movie is done right.

13. The Mummy (1932)

A group of archaeologists accidentally revive an ancient Egyptian Priest when they read aloud a life giving spell. The Mummy comes alive and searches for a way to bring back his lost lady love. The Mummy was the second monster movie for Universal, after the huge success of Frankenstein. Once again Boris Karloff plays the lead role. Unlike the Universal Monsters, The Mummy didn't have a sequel. However, it has had a few remakes... The Mummy's Hand, The Mummy by Hammer Studios, and The Mummy (1999)

12. The Mist (2007)

Who better to write an amazing Monster movie than Stephen King? The Mist takes place in a small town, where a group of people get trapped in a grocery store because a mysterious mist has rolled in. Anyone who attempts to go into the mist is quickly killed in a violent way. Giant Bugs and other miscellaneous Nasties show up making life hard for the people left in the Grocery store. The Mist definitely has some Lovecraftian overtones to it. Ancient tentacled monsters invade earth through a porthole to another dimension. Like most Stephen King movies, the story focuses on the characters and how they deal with each other and the impending apocalypse.

11. Jurassic Park (1992)

Who doesn't find a giant T-Rex or a Velociraptor chasing you scary? If you are one of those people who don't consider Jurassic Park a horror movie, I suggest you watch the scene with the two Velociraptors in the kitchen again. I love the idea of an amusement park filled with all sorts of dinosaurs. As a child, I was fascinated and at the same time terrified by dinosaurs. Maybe that's why I loved Jurassic Park so much, it was one of my favourite movies of the 90s.

10. The Fly (1986)

Brundle is a brilliant and eccentric scientist that is working on teleporting humans through Telepods that he invented. After several failed attempts at trying to transport animals, he thinks he has ironed out all the kinks. Brundle decides to transport himself, but unbeknownst to him a fly is in the Telepod with him. David Cronenberg's The Fly is truly horrific to watch. I loved the original The Fly starring Vincent Price, but this version is one of the best remakes ever made. The special effects are incredibly gory and is one of the best body horrors by Cronenberg. You truly feel bad for Brundle and his girlfriend and what eventually happens to them. At the very core of the film is a very tragic love story.

9. King Kong (2005)

There's no denying the original King Kong from 1933 was great. Fay Wray screams her head off as the stop motion monster King Kong comes after her. Peter Jackson remade King Kong in 2005. The remake is much more scary and of course the special effects have come along way since the original. But the touching love story between King King and his lady love was still there. I loved the remake! Why can't all remakes be as good as this one?

8. Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954)

Some scientists discover a skeletal hand with web fingers and decide to go further into the Black Lagoon in order to find more evidence of the ancient creature. They soon discover that the creature is still very much alive. The creature becomes infatuated with Kay and abducts her and brings her back to his underwater cavern. The best scenes in The Creature From the Black lagoon are the underwater scenes of the creature stalking and mimicking Kay while she swims. It is very apparent, even without any dialogue, that the Gill-Man is falling in love with her. Originally the film was released in 3D as one of the first Horror films of the 50s to use the gimmick. The Gill-Man was played by Ricou Browning in the underwater scenes and Ben Chapman on land. The latex suit was extremely difficult to swim in for Browning even though he was a very skilled diver.

7. Godzilla AKA Gojira (1954)

Godzilla was one of those movies I remember watching as a kid. I loved the big monster when he stomped his way through Tokyo, taking out half the city. And let's face it, half the charm of Godzilla is the incredibly bad dubbing and the rubber suited monster shooting out flames. And when you think of the great movie monsters of the past, Godzilla should be one of the first ones to pop into your head. Godzilla went on to fight many monsters... King Kong, Mothra, and Ghidorah just to name a few in the sequels that followed.

6. The Blob (1988)

A blob from Outer Space invades a small town and devours everything it comes in contact with. The Blob continues to grow as it consumes and even the military can not stop it! Here we have another remake of an earlier classic horror movie. The original Blob from 1958 starred Steve McQueen and although the original was great the remake has much better effects. Kevin Dillon may not be Steve Mcqueen, but he still does a good performance as the Rebel that none of the adults believe.

5. The Wolfman (1941)

The Wolfman stars LonChaney Jr. as the tortured and guilt ridden Wolfman. I love all the Gothic scenery when they are running through the trees with all the fog rolling about. Such a classic horror movie! The Wolfman is not the first Werewolf movie, Werewolf of London was actually the first one. However most everything we know about werewolves comes from The Wolfman including that he can be killed with a silver bullet, he changes form during a full moon, and that he was infected from a bite of another Werewolf. Jack Pierce created the make up for The Wolfman and all the Universal monsters. It took 6 hours to make up Chaney and 3 hours to take it all back off again.

4. The Thing (1982)

John Carpenter's The Thing is one of the scariest monsters on this list. The Thing is able to take on the exact form and shape of any organic creature. It can easily hide in plain sight by seamlessly blending in and only attacking when the moment is right. Anyone around you could be the Monster and you would not even know it until the moment the monster was attacking you. The Thing is a great character drama and shows how quickly people can change under unusual and frightening circumstances.

3. Alien (1979)

While returning to Earth, the spaceship Nostromo and its crew detect a distress call. They stop to investigate the signal and find a very large corpse that appears to have been killed by something inside it. Eventually they find a nest of Alien eggs. One of the eggs hatches and a creature attaches itself to one of the crew's face. Against their better judgement they bring him back to the Nostromo with the facehugger still attached. The chest bursting scene in Alien is by far one of the most famous scenes in Horror movie history. Alien is full of suspense and incredible characters that hold your interest. I never get tired of watching it over and over again. Alien also has one the best female protagonists of all time. Ripley kicks Alien butt in the first Alien and all the sequels too!

2. Jaws (1975)

I am sure most of you can remember the first time you saw Jaws. Did you seriously consider never swimming again afterwards? Even in a lake or a pool? Jaws is one of the best thrillers ever made. The plot is actually quite simple though. A small seaside town is being terrorized by a giant shark. The local police chief is a shark expert and tries very hard to get the mayor to issue a warning. Of course no one believes him until it is too late and the shark has had several good meals. My favourite part of Jaws is on the boat when Brody gets a good look at the shark, slowly stumbles backwards, and utters the now famous line "You're gonna need a bigger boat."

1. Frankenstein (1931)

What Monster movie list would be complete without Frankenstein's Monster? The most famous of all the monsters listed here. Frankenstein's monster was sewn together from corpses and then reanimated by Dr. Frankenstein. Even though my favourite version of Frankenstein is actually the Hammer version, The Curse of Frankenstein, I still really love the Universal film starring Boris Karloff. Unlike the Hammer version, the Universal movie is more focused on the Monster rather than the doctor. The iconic make up by Jack Pierce is by far the most famous version of the monster that we know and love. Unfortunately for Karloff, the make up took up to 4 Hours to apply everyday and was quite painful to wear. The makeup would melt into his eyes by the end of the day and he has said that some days he didn't think he would make it to the end of the shoot.

Warm Bodies Review

Forget everything you know about zombies.  None of the normal Zombie rules apply in Warm Bodies, except that they still enjoy some tasty brains for a snack.  Warm Bodies is about Zombies that drive, collect classic vinyl, talk,, and fall in love.  Yes I said fall in love.  Essentially Warm Bodies is a Romantic Comedy with Zombies thrown into the mix.  A classic tale of Romeo and Juliet.  Two star crossed lovers from opposite sides of the tracks. There is even a balcony scene where "R" comes to rescue his Juliet.   It has the classic elements of a romantic comedy which makes it perfect for a date night.   There is even the required makeover in it.  It is sweet, romantic, and will make you smile.

Warm Bodies focuses on the daily life and routine of a zombie simply named R.    We follow R as he shambles through a zombie infested airport that he calls home.  He even has a friend called M that he attempts to have a conversation with daily.  R has flashes of memories of when he was human, but he can't quite remember everything from his former life.  He lives in an airplane and collects vinyl records that he enjoys listening to every night.  Maybe this is why R is able to change the way he does?  Doesn't music calm the savage beast?

When Julie and a group of friends break into the airport  in order to find supplies, they are attacked by R and other Zombies.   R falls madly in love with her from across the crowded room and saves her from being eaten by the other zombies.    He takes her back to his airplane home, and they get to know each other.  But Julie has to go home eventually and let her Father know that she is alive and well.  She knows she can't take R with her because her family will kill R without asking questions.  A bullet to the head.  Love story over.

Even though Warm Bodies was fun to watch, I am not going to say I absolutely loved it.  It definitely had it's flaws.  It was pretty silly and you really have to tell your brain not to over analyze it while watching it.  And yes there are some of the typical Zombie movie metaphors in it.  One scene not so subtly reminds us that we act like zombies already on a daily basis.  How many of us walk around with our faces buried in our cell phones?  Not noticing the world around us?  Only communicating through texts and tweets?

Warm Bodies even adds on to the Zombie mythology by attempting to explain why Zombies love to eat brains so much.  Return of the Living Dead gave us a little bit of an explanation from the half Zombie Lady on the table...When Ernie asks "Eating brains, how does that make you feel?"  "She replies it makes the pain go away"  Warm Bodies explains why it makes the pain go away because it also makes Zombies feel more alive.  This was one of my favourite parts of the movie.

If you are a hard core purist when it comes to Horror or Zombie movies then this is not the film for you.   There is hardly any gore or even scary parts to be found here.  I knew it was going to be a light comedy going in so I took one of my non- horror friends to see it and we laughed and had a good time the whole movie. The whole story line is pretty much ridiculous but that is what made it so funny. I mean really...a zombie driving a car? a zombie collecting Vinyl? Kissing a Zombie after he just had brains for breakfast? Pretty ridiculous actually. If you don't take it so seriously and you just might enjoy it.   But it isn't Twilight either.  Recently, I keep seeing this comparison all over the internet.  Which just confirms my suspicion that all the people that don't like this movie, haven't even seen it yet!   I suggest you go and see the movie and form your own opinion on it.   No Warm Bodies is not going to ruin the Zombie genre any more than Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland, or Deadheads did.  It is just another extension to a very popular genre...the Zom-Com!   If you enjoy a light comedy filled with a lot of laughs then enjoy!

  

The ABC's of Death Review

I love a good Horror Anthology.  The anthology has been making a comeback lately with the success of V/H/S.   In fact it is one of my all time favourite types of  Horror movies.  So, when I heard about The ABC's of Death last summer, I was very excited to see it.  In fact I tried to get tickets for it at TIFF last summer but it was already sold out.  Along with the Lords of Salem and John Dies at the End, It was one of my most anticipated movies for the TIFF line up.

For those of you who don't know what it is about, it consists of 26 short films by different directors.  Each director was given a letter and $5000.   He or she had to come up with a word that describes the death depicted in their segment.  In theory that sounds like a great idea that any Horror fan would love.  26 unique death scenes all strung together by some of the best directors the genre has to offer.  Unfortunately that is also where the movie falls flat.  Because there is no theme or even any story line to tie them all together, it just comes across as a jumbled mess.  Even all the different styles of directing create too much unevenness throughout.

This movie proved something to me.  Gore alone is not what makes a movie good!  The story line and characters are really what matters most in a film to me.  I think it was an interesting concept but I hope it never is repeated again.  Instead give us well written anthologies with a good wrap around story to finish it off.

Now I am not saying there weren't a few segments I thoroughly enjoyed.  There were a couple that really stood out for me.  The quality of the shorts vary from really good to really, really bad!  Here is a run down on the 26 segments...

A is for Apocalypse by Nacho Vigalondo-  About a couple facing the end of the world together.  One of the best segments in the film.

B is for Bigfoot by Adrian Garcia Bogliano- A couple teach their child to go to bed early.

C is for Cycle by Ernesto Diaz Espinoza- Didn't make a whole of sense to me?

D is for Dogfight by Marcel Sarmiento- Entertaining and well done even without any dialog.

E is for Exterminate by Angela Bettis-  God how I hate spiders!  Made my skin crawl.

F is for Fart by Noburo Iguchi- Silly over the top Japanese dream sequence about farts.

G is for Gravity by Andrew Traucki- Made me a little sad actually.

H is for Hydro-Electric Diffusion by Thomas Cappelen Malling- Funny and definitely weird!

I is for Ingrown by Jorge Michel Grau- Torture Porn

J is for Jidal-geki by Yudai Yamaguchi- Samurai Torture Porn?

K is for Klutz by Anders Morgenthaler- Animated and kind of cute.

L is for Libido by Timo Tjahjanto-  Pretty disturbing on many levels.

M is for Miscarriage by Ti West- More toilet problems...seems to be a theme.

N is for Nuptials by Banjong Pisanthanakun- A cute story about a parrot and a couple getting engaged.

O is for Orgasm by Bruno Forzani-  Pretty disturbing on many levels.

P is for Pressure by Simon Rumley-  A woman and a small kitten.  Ok... this one just pissed me off.  WTF??!!

Q is for Quack by Adam Wingard-  Two guys and a duck.  Pretty funny turn of events.

R is for Removed by Srdjan Spasojevic- Maybe a metaphor for directors?

S is for Speed by Jake West-  Sci-Fi action with pretty girls and guns.  One of the better segments

T is for Toilet by Lee Hardcastle- Claymation and and toilet...need I say more.

U is for Unearthed by Ben Wheatley- Shaky cam Found Footage involving Vampires.

V is for Vagitus by Kaare Andrews-  Sci-Fi action movie that was interesting.

W is for WTF? by Jon Schnepp- Funny psychadelic and definitely WTF?

X is for is XXL by Xavier Gens-  Actually one of my favourites of the film.   It has a political feminist statement that speaks to most women.

Y is for Youngbuck by Jason Eisener- Kinda feel sick after seeing that one.

Z is for Zetsumetsu by Yoshihiro Nishimura-  Just weird!  I don't know what more to say!

So to sum up my thoughts on this film....  I would just skip this mess of an anthology and watch a classic one like Creep Show, Tales From the Darkside,  Mario Bava's Black Sabbath, or any of the Amicus ones from the 60s and 70s.  Take your pick, they are all good!

  

DirtyGirl's Top 15 Halloween Horror Movies

October is by far my favourite season of the year.  Here are just a few of the reasons why...Walking my dog is much more enjoyable with colourful fall leaves fluttering all around, I can wear cozy sweaters and boots once again, I can get away with wearing my little bat necklace and nobody thinks I'm weird (well...they still kind of do), I can talk about Horror movies and my Non-Horror friends join in the conversation, Toronto Zombie Walk  is right around the corner, Starbucks is serving their Pumpkin Spice Lattes again (Yummy!),  and Halloween decorations fill all my favourite stores and take over every square inch of my house.

However the absolute best part about October is watching all my favourite Horror movies with friends leading up to Halloween night.  Long evenings spent with a glass of red wine and scary movies fill my weekends.  Not all of these films are truly Horror but I do have a special place in my heart for all of them.   I don't necessarily have an order in which to enjoy these films, I just try to squeeze them all in every October as best I can.



15- Halloween Tree (1993)-  
I have a love affair going on with Ray Bradbury right now.  I just finished watching his anthology TV show The Ray Bradbury Theatre a few weeks ago, if you haven't seen it yet I highly recommend it!  All his stories are fantastic, a nice  Scifi and Horror mix to the series.    Halloween Tree was a made for TV animated special that is narrated by Bradbury and stars Leonard Nimoy.  I love how the origins of Halloween are explained by the characters.



14- Satan's Little Helper (2004)- 
A low budget black comedy about a serial killer wearing a mask that befriends a small boy obsessed with a video game called Satan's Little Helper.  The boy thinks that his favourite character has come to life and that all the murders are make believe.  It takes him a while to realize that Satan is actually killing people, but by then it is too late to stop him.



13- Night of the Demons (1988)-
Late on All Hallow's Eve, a group of rowdy teenagers get together for an all night party at the local abandoned funeral parlour.  However during the course of the evening all the girls start to turn into Demons.  This 80s movie is best known for the scene involving Linnea Quigley and a tube of lipstick.  However my favourite scene is the one where Angela is dancing in front of the fireplace.




12- Ginger Snaps (2000)- 
A very unique take on the Werewolf tale about two outcast teenage Gothy Girls going through puberty.  The two girls have a morbid fascination with all things death including artsy photography depicting their own violent demise.  Ginger is accidentally bitten by a Werewolf on the night of her first period that coincides with the Full Moon.   She soon starts to slowly evolve into a terrifying Werewolf that is bloodthirsty for Human flesh.  The movie ends with a Halloween dance at the High School.



11- Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981)-
A mentally challenged man named Bubba  is wrongly accused of a small girl's death.  Hiding from the angry small town mob, he dresses as a scarecrow in the field to avoid them but the lynch mob finds him finds and kills him anyway.   Realizing too late that  Bubba was actually trying to save the girl, the mob try to cover up his death.  That isn't the end of this tragic tale because his spirit returns to seek revenge on those who wronged him.  Dark Night of the Scarecrow is one of the better made for TV Horror movies of the 80s.

10- Pumpkinhead (1988)- 
Pumpkinhead stars Lance Henriksen as a grieving Father, Ed Harley, that wants revenge for the death of his young son.  Ed Harley's need for Revenge sends him to consult a Witch that can conjure up a Demon that will kill anyone who had a part in his son's death.  However, Ed soon realizes he has made a terrible mistake conjuring Pumpkinhead and now he will pay for his mistake dearly.  Pumpkinhead is a very dark and Gothic tale, but what makes this Revenge Slasher stand out from other movies of the time is the excellent performance by Lance Henriksen as a grieving father and the amazing Creature design by Stan Winston.



9- May (2002)- 
May is a shy and introspective girl that had a tragic childhood because of her over bearing and suffocating Mother.   May has grown into a very strange woman who is extremely lonely and seeking the perfect companion.  Every person that she meets never quite lives up to her expectations, even though she finds at least one thing special about them.  In the end, May is determined to find a perfect friend even if she has to make one for herself!

8- The Crow (1994)- 
On Devil's Night Eric Draven, played by Brandon Lee to perfection, and his fiancé are celebrating their upcoming wedding when they are viciously attacked and killed by a local gang.  One year later a Crow taps on Draven's tombstone and he is awakened to exact his revenge on the men that killed him and his fiancé.   Deliciously Gothic and beautiful to watch, The Crow is one of my go to favourites for the Halloween season.

7- The Lady in White (1988)-
On Halloween night a young boy witnesses a murder of a young girl that happened many years before.  The Girl's Ghost and the boy become fast friends while he helps her search for her long lost mother.  The Lady in White is filled with tragedy and is a classic Ghost story filled loads of atmosphere.  It seems like a simple children's film at first but there is so much more to it than that.

6- Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)-
Ray Bradbury's classic tale of  an evil man named Mr. Dark and his Carnival that can make your fondest wishes come true but usually with a terrible price attached to it.  Disney might have thought they were making a children's film, However Something Wicked This Way Comes is decidedly dark and filled with the usual Bradbury symbolism and allegory.  I read somewhere that Bradbury had wanted Mr. Dark to be played by Christopher Lee, but Disney rejected the idea because of budget concerns.  No offense to Jonathan Pryce, but oh how I would have loved Lee in that role!

5- Sleepy Hollow (1999)-
Tim Burton's version of the classic tale of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow.  I love everything about this film... It's Gothic scenery and fashion, The typical cast of Burton characters, How terrifying it is when the Horseman is chasing someone, and of course the way Johnny Depp portrays the timid and often frightened Ichabod Crane.  If you are not a Burton fan like I am, you might also appreciate the Disney version...The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1949)

4- Halloween 3: Season of the Witch (1982)-  
The third movie in the Halloween franchise is very unique in that there is no sign of Michael Myers in it.  Instead, it is actually a thriller about a Halloween Mask factory that is secretely run by an evil male Witch that wishes to kill all the children he can.  Why does this movie get such a bad rap?  So what if Michael Myers is not in it?  it is still an excellent 80s thriller starring Tom Atkins in one of his best roles! (I loved him Night of the Creeps also).  And it even has it's own catchy little theme song!

3- Trick R Treat (2007)-  
A fantastic anthology of Halloween related stories all set on the same Halloween night in a small town.  I love how well all the stories are woven together with only Sam being the common denominator.   It is the perfect Horror movie to watch on Halloween, and then I dare you to go take down your decorations on Halloween night after watching it...  My only wish is that they would make a sequel and turn Sam into a Horror Icon!

2-  Dracula (1931)-
"Listen to them, Children of the Night...What Music they make"   Dracula is directed by Tod Browning and stars the iconic Bela Lugosi as Dracula.  What better way to spend a Halloween night than with Dracula?  Hmm.... maybe follow it with Frankenstein?  No other film is as classically Gothic and true Horror than Dracula.  Before Lugosi, Vampires were fiendishly scary monsters (Max Schreck in Nosferatu).  He was the first gentleman Vampire that made the ladies swoon in fear and lust.  However Lugosi is not my favourite actor to portray Dracula, that place is held for Christopher Lee in Horror of Dracula.

1- Halloween (1978)-
What Halloween night would be complete without a viewing of this classic Horror film while handing out candy to the Trick or Treaters!  John Carpenter's Halloween is about Michael Myers, a Psychotic killer, that is institutionalized at the age of six on Halloween night for killing his older sister.  At the age of 23, he escapes the Mental Hospital and returns to the hometown where he killed his family long ago.  Donald Pleasance plays Michael's Psychiatrist that is trying frantically to save any innocent people he can from Michael and his knife.   Halloween is full of suspense and has one of the most iconic Horror characters of all time.

I should also mention a few Fall favorites that are not Horror movies but I always watch them this time of year none the less...Practical Magic, Beetlejuice,  Hocus Pocus, and Nightmare Before Christmas are always a must watch in the Fall!

DirtyGirl's Top Ten Christmas Horror Movies

To most people Christmas is about spending time with friends and family, shopping for that perfect gift for a loved one, or perhaps making the perfect Christmas Dinner for special guests.  That all sounds like a lot of fun, but if you are a Horror fan it is also about sitting down to watch a few serial killing Santa Clauses, little green cackling Gremlins, and maybe even a homicidal Snowman.
Check out my Top Ten Christmas movies to get you into the Christmas spirit...


10. Jack Frost (1996)
On the way to his execution, Serial Killer Jack Frost is killed when his transportation truck crashes.  Jack is resurrected and turned into a Snowman by a chemical spill.   Let's face it Jack Frost is a really terrible movie, but it is also pretty funny.  The deaths are really creative and over the top especially the bathtub scene with Shannon Elizabeth.  Besides what says Holiday Cheer more than a homicidal serial killing Snowman!



9.  Dead End (2003)
On Christmas Eve a dysfunctional family decide to take a short cut in order to get to their relatives house a little faster.  Instead they end up living the nightmare before Christmas on an endless road to nowhere.  A Lady in White appears and slowly the family is killed one by one.  Then a mysterious driver in a large black antique car takes them away.  Dead End is very creepy and effective Thriller.  Dead End is a low-budget film that is well written with a fantastic cast including Lyn Shaye.



8.  Santa's Slay (2005)
A not so jolly Old Saint Nick is out for revenge against an angel that beat him in a curling contest long ago so he slays everyone and anyone he comes in contact with.  It is a rare and magical thing to find a movie that is so bad that it is actually good.  I am not saying that it is a great movie by any means, but it is a good bad movie!  There are many flaws but a movie where Santa burns and drowns Fran Drescher can't be all that bad!



7.  Don't Open 'till Christmas (1984)
Who doesn't love a good cheesy slasher from the 80s?  Don't Open 'Till Christmas has all the typical 80s slasher components...bad 80s hair and fashion, an 80s synth score, nudity, and bad acting.   From the makers of Pieces, Don't Open 'Till Christmas won't let slasher fans down.  It is filled with lots of good gory deaths...14 in fact, including a Santa Claus castration!



6.  Christmas Evil (1980)
Christmas Evil AKA You Better Watch Out is about a young boy that gets traumatized by seeing santa Claus and his mother sharing more than just a kiss on Christmas eve.  For whatever reason this triggers him to become obsessed with all things Christmas.  He even keeps a Naughty and a Nice list of the neighborhood kids.  Harry eventually goes off the deep end and leaves a bloody trail behind him on his Christmas rampage.  Yet, somehow you still feel a little sorry for Harry, because he just wants everyone to be as crazy about Christmas as he is!



5.  Tales From the Crypt (1972)
Joan Collins plays the disgruntled housewife that kills her husband in cold blood on Christmas Eve.  Little does she know that an escaped homicidal maniac in a santa suit is on the loose!   Amicus anthology movies are always enjoyable and Tales From the Crypt does not disappoint.  All through the House is the first story in the anthology.  Also Tales From the Crypt TV Series did a gorier and more comedic remake.  Both versions are just right for the Christmas Season!



4.  Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010)
An archeological dig turns up the long-lost "real" Santa.  This isn't the Jolly Old Elf in a red suit but the darker and more sinister Krampus that kidnaps naughty little children and eats them.  Rare Exports is a very dark Comedy set in Finland that is definitely not intended for the kiddies.   It is definitely one of my new holiday favourites!



3.  Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
Next up is another Evil Santa that was traumatized by what he saw as a small child.  He witnesses his family being brutally slaughtered by a madman dressed as Santa Claus.  When Billy grows up he goes crazy and kills people with his axe at Christmas time.  Silent Night Deadly Night was blasted by the media when it came out in 1984.
The Parent Teacher Association condemned it and outraged parents protested the movie because it depicted Santa killing people even though Christmas Evil did the same thing.  Check out the famous review of SNDN from siskel and Ebert...

2.  Gremlins (1984)
So anyone that has seen Gremlins knows the 3 rules for keeping a Mogwai as a pet:  don’t expose them to sunlight, don’t get them wet, and whatever you do don’t feed them after midnight!  of course rules were meant to be broken and the consequences are Gremlins wreaking havoc all over town.  Gremlins has become a christmas tradition in our house.  I even have Gremlins as decorations at christmas.  Who can resist Gizmo when he makes the pouty face?



1.  Black Christmas (1974)
Black Christmas is by far the scariest movie on this list.   A group of  Sorority Sisters are being harassed by a series of strange phone calls over the Christmas Season.  After most of the girls go home for the holidays, the remaining girls are picked of one by one by a heavy breathing Maniac named Billy.  Black Christmas was the first in a long string of 70s and 80s slashers, Halloween followed 4 years later and became the most famous of them.  Black Christmas is full of suspense and genuinely creepy.  The remake from 2006 was gorier but had none of the charm of the older version and the addition of a back story for Billy ruined it for me.


So...  with a list of Christmas movies like this, how can you not feel in the mood for a little eggnog and roasted chestnuts?     Have a very Merry Scary Christmas!