RINGU (1998)

'Ringu' or 'Ring' for us English folks is the original 1998 film that would go to inspire many many bad remakes here in the US. Luckily, the original film is quite the creep fest and well worth your time. The film has the same plot as its American counterpart with a supernatural video tape that once viewed will lead to your death within seven days. A young reporter and her child become caught within a web of horror, conspiracy, and death as the seventh day gets closer and closer. The film at the time was considered very extreme and while much of it is pretty tame when comparing it to modern horror flicks, it still contains very disturbing subject matter involving child murder, vengeance, regret and sorrow so yeah still not for the extremely squeamish.

The film has a very uncomfortable silence to it, meaning that the sound design, the pacing, and even the cinematography itself is very subtle, very quiet, and very dimmed until the horror moments come with no warning, putting this film high above other thrillers of its kind. The film may be considered too slow for many, but even they should be able to appreciate the overall bizarre feelings one gets when viewing 'Ringu'. I'm not exactly sure how to describe it properly, but I think of it like this: This film feels so much creepier to me because of its foreign nature. Being unable to speak the language on screen, the locations being unfamiliar to me, and the overall tone of the film being unknown, mysterious, and alien is what truly makes these original J-Horror films better than their US remakes.

It may just be the modern YouTube age that has jaded me so on this, but the film can look like an Internet parody at times. When the film works though, hot damn does it work as you can see in the photo above this paragraph. The fact that they achieved that effect with practical means and that it works better than the remake just goes to show less is more. Holy crap that scene is creepy.

Overall, I present this to you: If you think these images throughout the review are creepy, unsettling, or unnerving in any way, you should check out 'Ringu' you'll get all of this in spades. Is the movie perfect? No, not very many films are sadly however its well worth your time, especially with the Halloween season looming over us. Check this one out if you plan to see 'RINGS' this October as well. The film has nothing to do with this film, but I recommend it so that you can have a good comparison and make a better judgment for yourself.

5 Films To Watch on Halloween

Do you find yourself watching the same horror flicks every Halloween? Perhaps this list will help a little bit. Since you all seemed to enjoy my list for kids Halloween films, I thought I'd give the big kids something as well. Without further ado, let us begin below:

FRIGHT NIGHT (1986)

No, not the recent film starring Colin Ferrell put that out of your mind forever and check out the Tom Holland original. This film gives the feeling of living within an episode of a late night monster movie show, back when the horror hosts were kings. The film also brings back those old days where you watched one two many movies late at night and assumed that dog outside was something more sinister. 'Fright Night' takes the vampire tropes and gives them some creativity and vigor while still keeping the spirit of those films of old. Check this one out with a group and you'll have fun.

THE EXORCIST III: LEGION (1990)

Yes, I am going outside the norm and bringing a sequel that deserves much more attention than it gets. The lack of publicity was likely due to the dry valley that was 90's horror flicks and its a shame 'Legion' got lost within the decade because it's almost on equal footing with the 1973 classic. George C. Scott, Brad Dourif, and Jason Miller are some of the best actors in film history and they all pull off their very best here. 'Exorcist III' has a very dark and quiet tone to it, making even the quieter moments so unsettling that your just wishing for something to happen so the uncomfortable silence will end. Dare I say, 'The Exorcist III' is creepier than the original and I highly recommend it. And the director this time around is the author of the novel himself, what more do you want?

HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH (1982)

Everyone knows John Carpenter's 'Halloween' is possibly the best modern horror film of all time, so I really don't want to put it here as I hope most people have seen it by now. What I would like to put here is one of its highly underrated sequels. Yes, I know about all the complaints: No Michael Myers, No connections to the series however when going over the franchise as a whole, 'Season of the Witch' stands out as a much better film than most of the other sequels. The film tells a solo tale of a creepy small town where masks are being manufactured to kill all the children of the world, giving the film almost an alien invader scenario mixed with the background of Halloween. The film captures the holiday perfectly, from its costumes, to its set design and even its creepy synth score by Carpenter himself. Please ignore anyone who wants to be negative about this film, check it out for yourself. I think you'll be surprised.

EVENT HORIZON (1997)

'Alien' meets 'Hellraiser' in director Paul Anderson's 'Event Horizon' a surprise film that I checked out on the television one afternoon back in the day and have fallen in love with it ever since. The film has been notoriously butchered and edited heavily due to its content, but what is there is still enough to fuel those nightmares at night. I will admit the film has many flaws, possibly due to the editing but its hard to ignore the choppy story and lack of interesting characters. Still, the film's visuals and short length is more than enough to warrant a late evening viewing. If only Anderson could make the 'Resident Evil' films as well as this one.

THE HAUNTING (1962)

The final pick here is one that is a little bit older, but doesn't lose any of its charm or horror. A much more psychological horror film than its 1999 remake which I wish to forget about, 'The Haunting' shows the slow break down of a troubled young woman who may or may not be experiencing paranormal activity all leading up to a well executed climax. The film is very much about the visuals rather than a straight story. Do not expect non stop sequences of action through this one, its meant to be appreciated and to give you a discussion afterwards with your friends. I simply love this film, and why shouldn't it be a great film? Robert Wise (Sound of Music) is the director after all.



HONORABLE MENTIONS:

INSIDIOUS:

James Wan is the best horror director of the modern age bar none and 'Insidious' is his masterpiece. This film genuinely terrified me, and those who know me know that is a hard feat indeed. There's so much to discuss here, however we will be getting into this one later next month.

DEAD SILENCE:

Mr. Wan again in his second effort about a deadly ventriloquist ghost. 'Dead Silence' is a precursor to what would become 'The Conjuring' and 'Insidious' but this one doesn't quite have the same polish. Still, worth checking out.

THE WOMAN IN BLACK:

Daniel Radcliff, Hammer Films, a Haunted House and a creepy old lady ghost. What about this combination of things is a negative in any way? Great flick, but recommended to those who can handle slower paced films.

THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL:

Ti West's 2nd outing is his best effort to date. Set in the 1980's, the film gives that nice retro feel that brings you back to the days of renting old monster movies from the video store every weekend. The film is also a beauty to look at as well but it is not for the squeamish. Be forewarned.

CRIMSON PEAK:




Guillermo Del Toro brings Gothic horror and romance together in this recent effort. The film is beautiful in both its gore and its visuals, with every scene detailed and set up expertly. It may lack some of the precision of Del Toro's other films, however its a perfect choice for the holiday.

Blair Witch (2016)

'Blair Witch' is directed by Adam Wingard, who has become one of my favorite modern horror directors of this generation. With this long-awaited sequel, he clearly shows love for the source material and expands upon the mythology, however its not without its missteps. The film follows the brother of Heather, the original film's protagonist who went missing along with her friends while filming a documentary in the Black Woods and after seeing a recent Internet video from said woods, her brother is convinced that Heather may still be alive and sets out into the woods with his own friends with similar horrible results.

The film doesn't add much in terms of its opening scenes, we meet the kids, we know they're screwed and its all a matter of waiting for the filler and exposition before we get to the creepy part and this is 'Blair Witch's' worst flaw. The film feels slower than the original at the beginning because I didn't like these characters anywhere near as much as the original kids. They were all developed well enough that you could feel something for them throughout the film. With this sequel, these guys are pretty unlikable except for Heather's brother and they act like jackasses or they just complain the whole time. The film's other major problem is the overuse of audio jump scares, which are not scary, not clever, and unbearably annoying. Adam Wingard is a better director than that.

Where the film shines is in its building upon the myth of the Witch herself, and man did they make her much more terrifying in this one. To be fair, the original film did what it could with a small budget and in its own ways is a very creepy and unsettling film. I even keep an old VHS copy for proper mood but the higher budget works wonders with 'Blair Witch'. The sound design is freaky and grotesque, with squishy and creaky noises that leave a chill up your spine. I will not spoil the ending to the film, however I must say It is insane. I have a better appreciation with the film as a whole after this ending and it made the film worthwhile for me. I also enjoyed that they give some answers but keeping the wizard behind the curtain. The stick figure that has become so iconic has its powers revealed in a violent and shocking matter that you don't want to miss.

'Blair Witch' I put on par with the original, and by that I mean if you absolutely hated the original film, don't bother here you're going to hate it. For anyone else who needed something that expands upon the original and wanted a proper sequel, this is the best you can get for now. Man, this one was a hell of a ride.

Black Roses (1988)

A rock band comes to a small town and brings a reign of terror and violence with them in 'Black Roses' a film I came across due to fellow film reviewer Eric Harrison and I wasn't disappointed. The film is a fun movie with lots of cheap monster costumes and heavy metal music throughout and its 80's cheesy goodness. The film's hero is a high school English teacher who is trying to save his students from the titular rock band before they take their souls. He is one of the blandest protagonists ever, with his classy porn 'st
ache and flannel shirts every other scene.

Even the kids themselves are a laugh riot, with one in particular clearly being at least 35 years old yet they don't try hard at all to conceal that fact. Every time I look at the guy he makes me laugh my ass off, he might have been older than the teacher himself. It's all part of the film's charm however. Films like this you either love for its cheese or you hate, therefore it really makes the film difficult to review its cons and pros, since they tend to be the same. The film itself is very cheap, down to its poor acting, camera work, and special effects. One of the scenes in particular has the hero fighting in a one on one punching match against a giant lizard monster that looks painfully stupid, even down to the Styrofoam denting in when its kicked in the crotch.

The film does have some notable cameos from 80's band King Kobra and Lizzy Borden and the music is the best part of the film, especially if you love this kind of thing. The music is catchy as hell and I would love to find the soundtrack someday. You also have a cameo from Julie Adams of 'Creature from the Black Lagoon' fame as a cranky church lady who very much disapproves of the Black Roses band. The director also made 'Rock and Roll Nightmare' which is another film I recommend to 80's horror fans as it provides the same fun.

Overall, I really enjoyed 'Black Roses' due to its fun and quite frankly stupid nature which leaves me in a very hard spot. Do I really rate this movie on the same scale as others on this blog? I don't believe that is really fair when it comes to a movie like this, but at the same time it's not really fair to review it differently than other bad films I've seen and reviewed. Let's label this film as a 'Best Bad Movie' and rate it on that shall we?

FUN FACTOR:

THE FILM ITSELF:

I would like to personally thank Eric Harrison at Horror Twitch Review for showing me this film. You can check out his YouTube site HERE. Thanks again and thanks for reading.

Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000)

'Blair Witch' is officially out today, and while I would love to review the original that started it all, I forgot that I already did that for my first review here on the blog. So I guess I should talk about the rushed sequel 'Book of Shadows' and try to figure it out. The film revolves around a group of tourists looking to find anything about the infamous legend of the Blair Witch. Once there, they begin to experience bizarre and disturbing phenomena that may lead to their deaths.

That is honestly the best I can explain 'Book of Shadows' because quite frankly the film's biggest flaw is that it makes absolutely no sense. Never mind that the film only mentions the titular witch by name and little else, I am under the impression that this film started as something else, before being butchered and re-edited into a 'Blair Witch' sequel to capitalize on the 1999 hit film. The film attempts various twists and turns throughout in an attempt to be clever, however it comes off as lazy, confusing, and poorly constructed. Scenes seem to jump between flashbacks and various scenes with the main group, with no explanation even when the film's "twist" is revealed It still leaves you scratching your head.

'Book of Shadows' also doesn't have the titular book within the film at any point, nor does it even really have witches other than a character claiming to be wiccan with very little proof of such. In fact, this could have just been a boring slasher flick with a weak ending and you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. I really don't have a whole lot to say about the film really, despite its reputation of one of the worst films of all time, there's not a whole lot to it. It's a rushed out film with a sequel number slapped onto the marketing to sell it. Thankfully, the audiences didn't fall for it and it ended up in the dollar bin where it belongs. 'Blair Witch' is in theaters today, and I highly recommend it, as it's a true sequel and brings back the dread of the original. Be sure to check back here for the review.

RATING:

The Disappointments Room (2016)

'The Disappointments Room' stars Kate Beckinsale as a troubled woman who hopes her move to a new home in the country will help her cope with her past. The house however, brings with it more demons that she must struggle with while protecting her family and her sanity. The movie is said to be based on a true event, but I hope the true story is less boring and bland than this film. Director DJ Caruso has made some flicks that I did enjoy such as 'Disturbia' a nice Hitchcock tribute I highly recommend but here, I think there was some kind of clash of ideas.

On one hand, you have a deep drama about a disturbed and sorrow filled mother who is using the renovation of her new home as a way to ignore her problems. While on the other, you have this strange ghost story about the titular room and these two things just really do not go together at all. It should have been a ghost flick or a drama and because of this, the film comes off as a very mediocre 'Babadook' knock-off when it had more potential than that. Beckinsale does well as our heroine and you genuinely feel for her and she does get to have a full arc unlike most characters in a film such as this but I can't say that for anyone else unfortunately.

Her husband for instance, really adds nothing to the film even when he's supposed to be that guy who she can rely on he really just amounts to the cliche character who tells her nothing is wrong the whole film. I would say the two strangest and most aggravating characters are two of the local townsfolk who seem to appear for five seconds before going the way of the dinosaurs faster than you can say "Huh?". One is an elderly woman who gives exposition about the room and then during her final scene she attempts to call the house and warn them of danger, they never answer the phone, she hangs up, and we never see her again...What was the point of that?

The second character is a young man who attempts to work on the house and along the way strikes up a friendship with the mother before he's seemingly killed by the ghosts...until he vanishes and they never tell us he really died. In fact, that is how the entire ghost storyline goes as well. Nothing ever gets resolved or really explained beyond the basics of the haunting leading to migraine inducing frustration.

What I can say about the film that's positive is that it has a very nice old Gothic look to it, much like an old Hammer film and that's always a plus in my book and its not just the old house that shows off that style. We have an evil ghost dog straight from 'The Omen' that actually creeped me out and the dark wooded area just really gives a good atmosphere that I wish made the film better than it is. This movie is just confusing, and really doesn't know what it wants to tell its audience, which is a shame because I went in without any knowledge or even a trailer to guide me and I had hoped that would give me something better to go on when reviewing. Unfortunately, 'The Disappointments Room' just doesn't cut it especially when coming off one of the best streaks of horror flicks in years it's just a dare I say it? 'Disappointment'. There, I said it.

MORGAN (Quickie)

'Morgan' is directed by Luke Scott and stars Kate Mara, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Brian Cox. The story stars a character named..well Morgan, a genetically enhanced young girl who is kept in a top secret facility within the woods. A representative of the company (Mara) arrives to initiate Morgan's termination due to her being too dangerous, something the titular character doesn't take very kindly and proceeds to murder all the staff in an effort to escape her prison.

Director Luke Scott is the son of Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner) and he has shown some big strengths here, unfortunately he and the film are let down by a bland script that wastes its own potential. The cast here do their jobs well enough, however they do seem quite interchangeable with Paul Giamatti's role being little more than a cameo. I never understood why you would hire such high talent for such small roles but hey, I didn't make it. The film is also a slog to sit through despite a relatively short running time, it feels too focused on holding on shots as long as possible and the environment around Morgan and her captors when they should be focusing on the characters.

One thing I can say that is a huge positive with 'Morgan' however is that while the film seems more preoccupied with nature footage than its plot, at least the cinematography on hand is beautiful and well done. I love looking at the lake and the mountains during the film, but I came to see a gritty sci-fi horror flick, not a documentary about the forest.

Overall, I reduced the size of this review mainly because I just couldn't find anything to really talk about. 'Morgan' is forgettable, from the moment you get out of your seat and trust me you'll never look back. However, the film is also not terrible either, I really don't know what the deal was. I don't hate the film, but I definitely will not remember it, nor will I even consider a RedBox rental in the near future. It's just a bland buffet of 'Meh' but here's hoping for a great career for Luke Scott, as the boy's got visual talent and knows what he's doing. He just needs a better script to work with.

Rob Zombie's 31 (2016)

"The Most Dangerous Game" meets "The Running Man" in Director Rob Zombie's latest film, which is an improvement over some previous efforts but tends to stay on a rather rocky road. The story involves a traveling carnival act who are kidnapped and subjugated to the worst horrors imaginable in a sadistic game known as '31'.  If they can survive 12 hours against their captors, they are free to go however the odds are drastically against them. The story is a simple but well done concept and Zombie seems to be comfortable with the director's chair this time around.

"Halloween" and its sequel had very conflicting reactions and I include myself in that group as I felt that Zombie was not entirely comfortable with these films, which may be due to studio interference and a major franchise basically on his shoulders at that point. His last film "Lords of Salem" was a very positive step in the right direction, with visual finesse being shown off and some real talent shining throughout. "31" continues the right path for sure, but also takes a few steps back towards his earlier efforts, for both good and bad.

The film doesn't feel like a Rob Zombie music video, nor does it feel like that grimy remake brown color scheme. Despite the dirty settings and the gruesome nature on screen, it does feel unique from his previous work. It feels grounded completely in reality rather than an old home movie or a fantasy location and it really makes the scenes stronger. The acting is also much better this time around, particularly from Sheri Moon Zombie who I think did even better than in "Lords of Salem". You also have some great performances from Meg Foster, Jeff Daniel Phillips, and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs. Richard Brake does the best of them all as the sinister Doom Head. Here, Brake is able to really show off what he can do, rather than his previous work with Zombie and is really the showstopper of the film, and its kind of a shame he doesn't appear quite as much as the adverts would have you think.

Where "31" falters is that it feels rather scattered at times, and also many puzzles are left unsolved and while some films really do work with an open ending, I don't believe that this one does. A lot of the imagery throughout gives some clues, but it all ends up becoming a huge tease that left me frustrated. Why does "31" occur? What is with the satanic images and symbols? Is it connected somehow? They never tell you, its apparently deleted from the story entirely or they are just there for visual flair. I never accused Rob Zombie of making the most intellectual films out there, but some kind of explanation or hint would have been nice.

The film is also explained really well by Doom Head himself: "I am not here to brighten your dismal day" and nothing could be more true here. Be forewarned folks, most of you will NOT enjoy this film or even understand why it exists. It is not for everyone, but not everything needs to be. Movies are meant to be diverse, otherwise why bother when you know what you're getting every time? I'll let you judge for yourself, but I think this is one of Zombie's better efforts and hope his revival train into film is not far off.