NOTE: As he passed away at the end of August 2015, this review is dedicated to you, Mr. [Wes] Craven. Thanks for all the Nightmares, and for creating what I consider my all time favorite horror franchise.

Something I used to hate when I was younger, that I really enjoy now is getting the chance to go to sleep. After a hard day’s work or even a day filled with nothing but movies and video games, nothing feels better then lying down and catching some down time.. That is, unless you’re being plagued by a sleep-demon who is trying to kill you in your dreams! Worse yet – if he succeeds; you die for real!

So here we go, ladies and gentlemen, assuming you haven’t caught on yet; [which if you haven’t, we need to have a discussion about your lack of horror knowledge] today’s movie is the first in a franchise that went on for seven films: [and that’s not including a mashup film and a [[terrible]] remake!] we’re talking about A Nightmare On Elm Street!

Everyone, and I mean Everyone has at least heard of our villain: Freddy Krueger. The easiest way to describe him is that he’s a psychopath who murdered several children with a custom glove fitted with straight razor blades attached to each one of the fingers. Oh, and he attacks/kills you in your dreams, all while making really amusing puns [at least I appreciate the puns] as he cackles! Here’s a lengthier explanation of just what happens in A Nightmare On Elm Street:

It all started when a judge set him free of his charges, that Krueger is burned alive in the boiler room of a school [where he worked] by the [obviously] angry group of parents whose children he terrorized! However, the actual film takes place years after his death, when the children whose parents were responsible for Krueger‘s death – including Nancy Thompson, who is the daughter of the police officer who arrested Krueger all those years ago- start experiencing terrifying nightmares involving a dirty dressed, and burnt man wearing a glove with razor blades on it’s fingers. [sound familiar yet?] As it turns out, it’s actually the ghost of Freddy Krueger haunting their dreams; and when Nancy‘s best friend Tina dies in her sleep with 4 straight cuts across her chest, Nancy realizes that she [along with the other kids] must find a way to stop the evil psychopath’s dream terrors – or risk never sleeping again…

What makes A Nightmare On Elm Street so clever is how it creates an entirely new way of representing dreams sequences on screen. In the movie, the scenes that take place during a “dream” are filmed within an airy and murky atmosphere, but the catch is; so are many of the waking scenes. This makes it very difficult to tell whether a character is awake or asleep. [which is ideal considering the plot!] While the movie never actually shows any character actually fall asleep, as a result we are constantly questioning whenever characters so much as close their eyes – even for a moment. In some of the more crucial scenes, it is impossible to tell whether what we are seeing is real or happening only in a character’s mind. But the movie ultimately suggests that the difference doesn’t matter. That, one way or another, Freddy will get you.

The actual premise of the movie, which has a child-killer haunting a group of teenagers’ dreams and has the capability of killing them while they’re asleep, ends up turning the whole “It was all just a dream” convention over on its head: according to Nightmare, the real world is safe, and the dream world is extremely dangerous. I mean, think about it: Unlike any other movie – where you can run and hide in the closet – Freddy attacks when you’re most vulnerable; when you’re sleeping.. how can you not sleep?

Director Wes Craven – RIP – understood that the anticipation of danger tends to be more frightening than the actual attack; and he shows us some great visual shots using that effect, including one where Freddy‘s arms becomes unnaturally long in an alleyway, and another where the stairs literally turn into a gooey glue-like substance, almost as a nod of the common nightmare where it is hard to get away from someone chasing you. The movie constantly finds ways to tease the audience, never resorting to a red herring, which let’s be honest: is becoming a very tired convention used in almost all other slasher films. Especially in recent horror.

A fun fact about Nightmare is that this was actually Johnny Depp‘s first role, playing the character of Glen – Heather Langenkamp‘s [Nancy] boyfriend, and although he does get a few neat lines, his personality is not overly fleshed out, and because it’s the 80s, there is no sense of the great actor Depp would go on to become in today’s age.

also, Johnny Depp dies quite brutally in the film; sorry, ladies.

Ultimately though, A Nightmare on Elm Street is really all about Nancy. As fans know, the film mainly focuses on Nancy‘s troubles, mostly Nancy‘s dreams and Nancy‘s responding actions. The ending of the film becomes a bit confusing, but it’s meant to be – basically asking us to answer the question: did all this happen? Or is this yet another dream? The booby traps that Nancy sets when Freddy finally comes into the “real world” are unfortunately a bit ridiculous, and Freddy does seem kind of helpless [almost to the point of lame] chasing Nancy around her home as he’s trying catch her, and it’s something the film could have done a little better. But that’s just a tiny complaint. I can live with it! Overall, it is a great mixture of horror, thriller and fantasy. A Nightmare On Elm Street taps into two hardly recognized everyday events in human life: sleeping and dreaming, and makes them into something we can learn to fear. Craven‘s ability to realize this unknown fear in a movie is something that hadn’t been done before, and it worked perfectly. A Nightmare On Elm Street still stands as a great movie [even with it’s terrible remake – and another remake on the way] and for horror buffs it is a must-see and for those that aren’t into horror, there is still a fair amount of other things to keep one’s interest on the screen. [and I’m not just talking about Mr. Depp‘s extremely dreamy – see what I did there? – appearance]

So seriously go and watch A Nightmare On Elm Street. It’s my favorite franchise of all time, and even if the sequels did suffer from sequelitis and there was that garbage remake, they’re some of the most entertaining films you can ask for! Also, if you want me to review the second film in this franchise, let me know in a comment! If you have an idea for the next weirdo’ween review[s], please let me know which movie[s] you’d like to see next! If you found yourself to enjoy this particular review – and want to see more – then take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 120+ likes almost at 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; as well as links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends! Join me tomorrow morning when I talk about weirdo’ween #20! – So STAY TUNED!

THANKS FOR READING.

While in retrospect, this review would have made sense for #13, today’s movie involves a boy who drowned and his angry Mother. It all starts one summer at Camp Crystal Lake, where a group of young counselors begin to get ready to lead campers. Unfortunately for these teenagers, someone isn’t happy about what’s going on in the camp and enjoys playing a game of “kill the counselor.” As bodies fall to the ground and the number of deaths keeps rising, it becomes quite apparent that no one is safe. Like yesterday‘s review, Everyone has heard of the movie I’m about to talk about; if not only by title.

Also, like yesterday’s review, today’s film had numerous sequels – some better than others – and a remake. So without further ado, let’s talk about a series that I enjoy, just not as much as Nightmare: Friday The 13th

The movie takes place in and around Camp Crystal Lake: the site of the drowning “death” of a young boy, several fires, and a double murder. For this reason, it earned the nickname “Camp Blood“, and has been closed for decades, only now being renovated in an attempt to reopen it and turn it back into an relaxing summer getaway. Ramblings of the town drunk, Crazy Ralph, tells the new group working there that they are all “doomed”, though they go on ignoring his drunken ways. But when a series of murders begin during a torrential rainstorm, who is responsible? Could it be Crazy Ralph from earlier, since he seemingly always is prowling the campgrounds? Or is it an unseen killer?

For a movie with such a low budget, [only $550,000] the film has a brilliant, and old fashioned sounding soundtrack, with it’s violins screeching at key moments in the action, just like Psycho did 20 years earlier. One of the most memorable and effective uses of soundtrack on film I can think of. The girls are cute without being overly pretty, and the guys are able to joke around without being complete assholes; unlike the movies of today.

Even when characters are outside at the actual lake, or out in the woods, Friday still has that claustrophobic feel, with the action taking place in tight, and often crowded feeling corners. The thick woods prevent them from getting very far away, and with the night time rainstorm only seals them in tighter, making escape almost impossible. If you were to go back and look at the 1980 critical response for the Friday The 13th, you’ll notice that the film was widely panned by critics, with many taking exception to the more over the top gore and camera angles of the film.

It’s fair to say that Friday The 13th may not be original in its own right, with Halloween having only been made two years earlier, and borrowing things from Psycho. But as a whole, it’s actually not a typical slasher movie, since it’s villain isn’t revealed until near the end of the movie, and then we ultimately find that the antagonist is far from a Michael Myers clone, but more of a psychopathic killer. This film is infinitely more cerebral than its typical “slasher” movie counterparts, even if it did get a ton of sequels; which happened to be a thing in the 1980’s. And as much as the camera angles might have been controversially irritating at the time, the first-person views from the angle of the killer and the conventions with it marked the start of a new movement in cinema, one that certainly has often been imitated even if it’s rarely done as effectively as it is in the opening scene.

also, Kevin Bacon shows up..and dies. sorry, ladies.

Then there’s the special effects. Friday The 13th was a landmark film for Tom Savini. As if he wasn’t already great, he further proved his ability to get the most effect out of the least financial situation. Savini will go down in history as one of the greats in special effects – and Friday The 13th helped him prove his mastery of the art.

One thing this movie handles well that I really appreciate is it’s pacing. It isn’t slow, but it also doesn’t move too fast; making it easy enough to follow. It takes roughly 20 minutes to get to an actual death scene, but this gives the movie enough time to flesh out some characters without taking too long to add unneeded exposition or add too much than what is actually needed. I feel like the movie did a good job of focusing on what was really needed, while fleshing out the kill scenes in an orderly fashion. That’s something that makes a horror movie “good.”

Overall, Friday The 13th‘s story telling is exceedingly well crafted and works greatly with it’s pace. While the story may be somewhat basic and straightforward, it’s the execution that really helps the final pay off. Not only is it well made, but it’s fun to watch, and like Nightmare, it’s important to the horror genre – without it, we wouldn’t have some of the great films that we are now familiar with in the horror category. There’s a reason it spawned ten sequels and a remake. People like these movies. As long as there’s a Friday The 13th on the calendar, the tale of Camp Blood will almost always continue.

So although I’m clearly a bigger fan of the Nightmare On Elm Street franchise, Friday The 13th is just as important as a film series. It has fear, it’s violent, and it’s got everything you could want from a horror film. Although this one went on for ten sequels – that did suffer from sequelitis – the films are more than just violent, hockey masked killers.. they are legitimately fun to watch; even if they are laughable by today’s standards. So check Friday The 13th out, and enjoy watching teenagers getting slaughtered by hockey masked villain!

If you have an idea for the next weirdo’ween review[s], please let me know which movie[s] you’d like to see next! If you found yourself to enjoy this particular review – and want to see more – then take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 120+ likes almost at 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; as well as links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends! Join me tomorrow morning when I talk about weirdo’ween #21! – So STAY TUNED!

this ending always makes me jump..screw you, Jason.

THANKS FOR READING.

To conclude our “slasher trilogy” of sorts, let’s play with imagination for a minute: the year is 1963, and the night: Halloween. Police Officers are called to 43 Lampkin Lane only to discover that 15 year old Judith Myers has been stabbed to death – by her 6 year-old brother – Michael. After being placed in a psychiatric ward for 15 years, Myers breaks out on the night before Halloween. No one knows, or wants to find out, what will happen on October 31st, 1978 besides Myers‘ psychiatrist, Dr. Loomis. He knows Michael is planning to head back to his home town of Haddonfield, but by the time the town realizes it, it’ll be much too late for many of it’s people.

For today’s movie we look at a staple in horror cinema. One that feels so important, that many tried to imitate it’s stylistic atmosphere, music, and even it’s killer! It’s presence in the horror genre today still makes it something that has fear in people’s eyes when they hear the name Michael Myers. Today, ladies and gentlemen, we’re going to review that only makes sense to review on Halloween:

The story line is perfectly simple, Michael stalks and kills babysitters. Nothing else, just the basic man kills people. But, it’s Carpenter‘s almost over-powering atmosphere of dread that generates the tension we feel as we’re watching. Like any other great horror film, events are telegraphed long in advance, yet they still seem to occur when we aren’t expecting it, therefore never allowing us as the audience the chance to second guess what the film is about to do. With it’s dark lighting, the long steady-cam shots, and [most importantly] that damn eerie music, gives it the ability to create one of the most claustrophobic and uncomfortable scenes in horror film history. There is a body count, but compared to the slashers that came after this it’s actually not that many people who get killed. One of the interesting thing is that Michael‘s murders are nearly bloodless: The fear is not the kill itself, but in knowing that it happened. That he does it without a second thought.

If you really think about it, John Carpenter made a low budget film and ended up scaring a generation of movie goers. He proved that you don’t need budgets in the 8 or 9 figures to produce fear in an audience. Because, as he shows us in Halloween, sometimes the best element of fear is not what actually is going on, but what is about to happen.. He makes the movie watchers worried, almost to ask themselves: what was that shadow? Or, What was that noise upstairs? He knows that these are some of the best ways to scare someone and he uses every element of textbook horror that you can use. Unlike movies that have come out in recent years, we’re numb to giant special effect monsters that makes loud noises and jumps out of a wall. It’s when we have moments when the killer is lurking, somewhere, and you don’t know where that is, that can truly scare you. Halloween succeeds like no other film because of this.

What makes Myers so effective is that we get the very briefest of introductions to who [or what] he is, just showing him as some kid who killed his sister, without ever saying why, just made it “work”. Even without any explanation, when he does escape, you know right then and there that someone is going to get hurt. The teens he stalks come off as normal and have the look of everyday people. People that you could know, in a town that you could live in. Only on this night, Halloween, Evil has come home. I mean, yes – It’s simple, but it’s the simplicity of is what makes it so scary. Would this have been as frightening if say, there was some giant monster with four arms running around killing people? Not as much. Because Michael is just a regular person in a mask, [although the “very face of evil”] this story feels like something that could actually happen.

The best way to look at it is Michael ceased to be a person once he first killed. He is not a serial killer, a human being or even a psychopath: He is an unstoppable force. The bleached-white Shatner mask, and lack of any dialog other then some breathing, helps to dehumanize and complete Michael‘s loss of humanity. This comes off as the source of all his power: He is faceless, speechless and unremarkable in any way other than as a source of unrelenting chaos. The over the top performance and uneasiness sells Michael as a character. This is helped by Carpenter‘s cinematography and the lack of information/motivation/explanation given to us by Doctor Loomis.  This is also the first film performance by Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, the innocent girl who tries to stop chaos in the face of overwhelming odds [at least for a little bit]

Ultimately though, this is John Carpenter‘s movie: He Directed it, co-wrote it, co-produced it, and wrote the chilling score for it! This is a man of brilliance, and his later movie The Thing supports this. [I did a review on The Thing over here!] The famous opening scene is disturbing, but not very scary by today’s standards; and not many of the scares work for the first part of the movie. It’s not that it’s a bad movie, it’s just that there’s reason to fear “The Shape” anymore. Luckily, Carpenter mostly uses this time to set up a relationship between the characters and the audience. We grow to get to know the characters, but not so much that we feel like absolute garbage when they get killed. But once the film gets to Halloween night, that’s when Carpenter kicks things into high gear, proving that this is the movie He came home!

Halloween still holds up as one of the most important films in the horror genre; especially because it helped redefine the term “slasher”. As for Michael Myers, while he too got many sequels and a remake, [and a sequel to that remake] He still stands as an important character – because without him, we wouldn’t have gotten characters like Jason and Freddy. How do you like your slasher villain? Are you a fan of the silent, stalk-y types like Jason and Michael? Or do you prefer wise cracking killers, like Freddy? As I mentioned yesterday, I’ve always considered myself a Krueger fan boy, because they’re the ones I grew up with. Which do you prefer? Let me know in a comment or two!

Also, If you have an idea for the next weirdo’ween review[s], please let me know which movie[s] you’d like to see next! If you found yourself to enjoy this particular review – and want to see more – then take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 120+ likes almost at 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; as well as links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends! Join me tomorrow morning when I talk about weirdo’ween #22! – So STAY TUNED!

“have you checked the children?” [wait, that’s the wrong movie isn’t it?]

THANKS FOR READING.

Because nothing is scarier than a film that claims to be based on a true story, right? When it comes to marriage, newlyweds generally move into a large house, raise a family, and live happily ever after..right? But what happens when the house you bought had a group of mass murder happen inside? Or what if there were spirits of the dead who still remained inside, wanting you out? That’s what happened to George and Kathy Lutz [and their three children] when they move into the colonial house on the river’s edge seemed ideal: quaint, spacious and amazingly affordable. They had hoped this amazing home would become their dream, only for everything to end up in terror!

As if this movie isn’t already terrifying enough – I mean, I used to hate it for how scared I’d get – Stephanie and I actually watched a documentary on the house itself earlier last month, and everything I knew about the story went from scary to fear. Although there has been multiple versions of this film/story told; today, we’re going to talk about The Amityville Horror:

Everyone knows the legend about that house in Amityville, New York – the Dutch Colonial on 112 Ocean Avenue. The movie version of the story begins in 1974, when Ronnie DeFeo Jr. murdered his family inside the family house, shooting them all in their sleep. Not even a year later, George and Kathy Lutz bought the house and moved in with their three children and the family dog. Even though they were aware of the tragedy that occurred in the home, George had made plans to fix it up and start a new life with his family, especially after their recent marriage. After all, “houses don’t have memories”..right? But then, things went wrong – Horribly wrong. After only living there for 28 days, the family left the house and fled Amityville, never to turn back.

Of course, the story was first a book, Jay Anson had written a retelling of what happened inside during the month that the Lutz family lived there; and his novel was a bestseller. Because of this, there are several different variations on what happened during those 28 days, even with George and Kathy Lutz themselves. So, for those of you who already know the story, you’ll notice that it’s hard to distinguish what is and isn’t true facts. Some of you may not even believe it at all – assuming it’s a senseless cash-grab. However, I am one of those people that has started to believe in this account of a haunted house, after watching rather intelligent interviews with the Lutz family and paranormal investigators on scene; especially in that documentary I saw a month ago, But that’s besides the point. What matters most about The Amityville Horror is how it translates itself as a horror movie.

For starters, the setting in the movie means everything. The movie itself was filmed in New Jersey, and not actually filmed in Amityville, but the house chosen is particularly creepy to look at, especially during scenes that take place at night. Those two windows on the top floor start to become characters of their own. They stare out aimlessly into the night, giving the viewer this horrible feeling that they’re being watched.. at all times. There is also enough ghost-like activity [Paranormal Activity? No. we’re not going that route!] going on to keep you interested in what’s going to happen next. Just don’t expect the evil inside to start right away. In fact, it builds slowly, creating this wonderful sense of dread..It’s as if you know it’s going to happen, but you can’t tell when. You truly have to appreciate a good build-up without that much special effects to appreciate what the movie is trying to accomplish, and it works surprisingly well! When it finally picks up – more on this later – the film brings restless terror with great piles of blood caused by the curse and the usual ghastly situations that come with a movie about a haunted house.

I really appreciate the creepy atmosphere that finds itself present in many scenes. The use of dark lighting in the house along with the music felt like it was effective and certainly made me fear the house. On top of that, the house that was used looks just like the real house in Amityville. I really enjoy knowing that the filmmakers really put the very most effort into the Lutz family’s claims onto the big screen – making it as realistic as possible: the walls dripped with ooze,  ‘Jody‘ was often mentioned and briefly seen, George woke up at 3:00 AM all the time, the flies were appearing seemingly at random, and supernatural voices were heard. It was great to see them make a film adaptation that was accurate to the claimed events, especially in such a well done manner!

And then there is the things I didn’t like in the movie..

Firstly, the acting feels wooden. Margot Kidder and James Brolin aren’t what one would call very good actors, and what’s worse is that their chemistry is quite ineffective. Unfortunately, this is proved by the fact that some of the dialogue for the George and Kathy Lutz [as characters] feels kind of cheesy and therefore; laughable [“You make me feel like a kid in the back seat of a car.” I mean, what?! who says that?] It doesn’t help the fact that these two are supposed to be the main characters, it’s really off putting and it just draws your interest towards waiting to see something creepy to happen in the house even more. Which brings me to my next issue. [I did like Rod Steiger‘s performance as The Priest, though!]

The film moves rather slowly, especially in around the middle mark. The film wastes a lot of time on [not so interesting] drama sequences, and sometimes forgets that it is supposed to be a haunted house movie. Seeing this newly married couple argue makes sense, [what couple doesn’t argue?] it’s just that it isn’t why I’m watching this particular film. Also, the editing came off as amateur as it gets, almost to the point of hilarity! These are arguably the most important flaws, because they’re the ones that should be done right – except they aren’t.

Overall, The Amityville Horror is a slow-burner for sure. Unfortunately, what we get in the end is barely worth the 28 days of build-up [or in our case, 2 hours] While you’re watching, your common sense tells you that leaving the house a few weeks earlier would have probably been the smartest move, but I guess you just can’t walk away from a “killer” deal, right? For a movie that used to scare me, it isn’t nearly as terrifying as I remember it. Sure, it’s an effective film, but being as it’s trying [and sometimes failing] to be a haunted house film, most people will probably just watch the next Paranormal Activity film for cheap scares, instead.

Also, If you have an idea for the next weirdo’ween review[s], please let me know which movie[s] you’d like to see next! If you found yourself to enjoy this particular review – and want to see more – then take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 120+ likes almost at 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; as well as links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends! Join me tomorrow morning when I talk about weirdo’ween #23! – So STAY TUNED!

THANKS FOR READING.

I sure hope you’re all excited because for today’s review, I’m writing something special: something that isn’t released until October 27th, 2015! This means, it’s a film I received in the mail, and it’s not just a horror movie – it’s a horror comedy. [and not a boring, generic one either!] I watched it yesterday, and I can hereby say it’s crude, dirty, inappropriate, and down right hilarious! [fun for the whole family?] It makes fun of contemporary issues involving freedom of speech, has a romantic sub-plot that isn’t boring, and some very special effects. Oh! and it’s also a Canadian film, so that earns it points in it’s own right! This movie, is none other than Bloody Knuckles!

Bloody Knuckles follows Travis, an underground comic book artist who happens to enjoy drawing anything, and everything; that could be considered obscene. But, when one of his comics insults a Chinatown crime boss, a gangster punishes Travis by sawing his his drawing hand clean off – leaving him with nothing but a stump. Naturally,  this leaves Travis to retreat into a life of alcoholism, and it seems that he’s given up on drawing comics. After all, the last thing he needs is his other hand cut off! But suddenly, his hand returns from the grave..and wants vengeance! Although I had heard nothing about this movie prior – not even the trailer! – but after watching it in full; I was really glad to receive this one – because it’s quality entertainment! I know what you’re thinking: a cut off hand, running around and causing havoc.. sounds a lot like a certain other horror movie, doesn’t it? Something like..Idle Hands? While some aspects may seem similar, Bloody Knuckles stands as it’s own film, and it’s one hell of a ride!

First of all, it goes without saying that this film delivers a strong moral to each and every one of it’s viewers: don’t draw an underground comic about a Chinese crime lord or you’ll get your hand severed with a portable band saw! [as if this wasn’t already obvious] It’s an easy enough thing to learn, since that’s the lesson learned by our ‘hero’, Travis, when the latest issue of his indie comic – titled Vulgar Invasions – catches the eye of a Mr. Leonard Fong: a ruthless businessman and the head of a violent street gang. There’s a ton of nods back to older 80s horror, such as the over the top acting and the excessive blood spilling. However, the most 80s thing about this movie is the gang members, who look awesome while being decked out in tank tops, dragon bandannas, and other “hood” attire. If you look carefully enough, one of them even wears chain-mail! It’s absolutely ridiculous, and it’s so awesome to see in action!

It all starts when Fong doesn’t like what he sees in Travis’ comic. Naturally, like every other crime boss you can think of, Fong has him abducted and responds in kind by sawing his his drawing hand off – as a “warning.” The severed hand is then thrown into the nearby sewer and Travis is left physically – and emotionally – crippled. He turns to malt liquor [a lot of it] for comfort. After one particularly drunken night out on the town, after getting kicked out of his local bar, his lost hand returns to try and persuade Travis to get revenge on Fong and continue work on the comic series together that they started so long ago. With a somewhat crude mind of its own, Travis’ undead hand is both a friend and an enemy, who seems to always have the best intentions in mind ..maybe.

One of the cool concepts this movie plays around with is the idea that when the undead hand first arrives, it makes it way to communicating with Travis through a Text-To-Speak program on the computer. It makes it seem quirky, and almost unexpected. But, I guess if you’re a sentient hand; [kind of like The Addams Family‘s Thing] you have to find ways to “talk”. The humor in the movie feels like it’s a finely tuned blend of absurd, gross, and surprisingly clever; though at times the film does try to be too inappropriate. For example, there’s a character that’s like who looks like Lord Humungus’ homosexual brother – though I feel like that was intentional. [the character in this movie goes by the name of Homo Dynamous: see the similarities yet?] But, aside from the gory and funny aspects, Bloody Knuckles has a story to tell and it tells it well. Travis’ relationship with his stepbrother is genuinely endearing, and his blossoming romance with Amy, a young journalist doing a story on his comic is just plain adorable! [let’s be honest though, Amy – is pretty damn hot]

In the end, Bloody Knuckles is a really fun film to watch. I’m so thankful to Artsploitation Films for sending me a copy on Bluray, and I’m hoping to see more from the Director, especially being a Canadian myself! It’s a crude, gory, and enjoyable movie to watch with friends, or even to laugh at on your own. It’s definitely not for everyone [some of those jokes will offend someone] but if you can handle racist jokes that result in someone’s hand being chopped off; you’re in for a special treat this Halloween!

If you have an idea for the next weirdo’ween review[s], please let me know which movie[s] you’d like to see next! If you found yourself to enjoy this particular review – and want to see more – then take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 120+ likes almost at 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; as well as links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends! Join me tomorrow morning when I talk about weirdo’ween #24! – So STAY TUNED!

THANKS FOR READING.

Let’s revert back to movies that everyone knows, shall we? Last night, as I was looking for black pants for work at Giant Tiger, [for you that aren’t in Canada, it’s a discount store that sells a bit of anything and everything] I came across a familiar title on DVD. What’s better, is it was a steelbook cover of the film, and it was only $10. Naturally, I felt compelled so I picked it up.

When I got home, I opened the shrink wrap – to check the disks inside, since Giant Tiger generally sells pre watched DVDs – and they were pristine. I was so excited to have found, not only a movie, but The Omen in Steelbook format! [click here to see what my copy looks like!]

The Omen is a strange sort of film: it’s been remade a few times, it’s had two sequels, [which show Damien as he grows from child – to teenager – to adult] and it’s been considered one of the scariest films ever made; ranking up with The Exorcist. I mean, this movie has one hell of a reputation attached to it!

Let’s play around that last comment: that the movie has a reputation. This movie is one that plays with your mind, and I don’t mean for the extreme violence! I mean it’s real scary, and that’s because of what you don’t see on screen.. From the grey overcast that are seen overhead in the skies of London and the empty stillness of the great Pereford mansion where the destined to be doomed Thorn family lives, to the deep and hollow underground ancient excavation site; the film is really effective at capturing the viewer’s interest and ends up drawing them into a world that is on the verge of what can only be described as the ultimate disaster – the birth of The Anti-Christ.

in His defense, Damien didn’t ASK to be the Anti-Christ. He just kind of ended up being it.. [am I defending the wrong person again?]

The movie revolves around our little devil, who goes by the name of Damien Thorn, who is born into the world of politics and wealth and is the darling child of Robert and Katherine. It’s when mysterious accidents [and the overall feeling of dread] begin to shadow their lives, the horrifying truth of Damien‘s untimely birth is uncovered millions of miles away.. in a grave in a Pagan Cemetery found in Italy.

Gregory Peck gives a damn good performance as ambitious politician Robert Thorn: a man who slowly discovers that his fate is linked to an ancient biblical prophecy. When he finally starts to figure out what’s really happening, he discovers what can only be described as a grand design that’s unfolding under the unwatching eyes of the world.. to make it worse, his “perfect family” are at the center of it all! His search for truth is one of my absolute favorites in film, as we see him going to the farthest reaches of the globe, begging for the answers before it’s too late; and ending with an exciting face-off between himself and the Devil, himself.

Lee Remick is beautiful as his tragic wife. The rest of the cast – Billie Whitelaw as Mrs. Baylock, David Warner as the photographer Keith Jennings, and Leo McKern as the archaeologist Bugenhagen; they’re all so good at helping the movie ‘feel’ its dark and moody atmosphere. The Omen has a few more disturbing moments that shock us, rather than that of disgust, but the film is loaded with memorable scenes! It’s the ‘feeling’ you get in the pit of your stomach that the film gives you; it’s what makes this movie unique. With the performances of the actors, the creepy music score, and the inevitable feeling of doom that is slowly creeping into the world all because of the birth of one child, make this movie one of the truest horror films ever made. Like a few other movies I’ve reviewed lately – this movie succeeds in making you realize that sometimes it’s the knowing that something is going to happen that is more scary, than actually seeing it happen.

When we do see violence on screen, it’s choreographed almost perfectly, each one being more compelling than the one before it. From a Priest being impaled by a church spire, to a reporter being decapitated by a pane of glass. These events all build to the overwhelming finale. By the end of the film, we see a little boy: clearly Damien, holding the hand of the President Of The United States, turning around and smiling at his father’s funeral – For a movie about the Devil’s son; that to me is the definitive ending. Making this movie go from amazingly well written, to downright terrifying.

So if you haven’t seen The Omen, I highly recommend it. [it’s almost a horror rite of passage!] The important thing to remember though, is that it’s from the 70s, which means it might feel dated in it’s acting/script. But with a cast as great as this one, you forget when this came out, and you feel sheer terror as Damien becomes nothing more than the Anti-Christ! But maybe you’re not a fan of horror movies that involve demon-children. Maybe you have a choice for a different movie review? If so, read on!

If you have an idea for the next weirdo’ween review[s], please let me know which movie[s] you’d like to see next! If you found yourself to enjoy this particular review – and want to see more – then take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 120+ likes almost at 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; as well as links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends! Join me tomorrow when I talk about weirdo’ween #25! – so be sure to STAY TUNED!

THANKS FOR READING.

In today’s review, we talk about a movie that I remember putting off seeing because it was another haunting film, not to mention it was done by the same people as all the other haunting movies that had come out recently! I told myself that it was going to be generic, and boring. I groaned, but hey, it’s a horror film. Finally, Stephanie and I watched it, and was it not what either of us expected. at all. I was genuinely, and positively surprised.

Without reading the title can you tell what movie I’m talking about? Let me give you a hint: it involves some killer 8mm tapes, and a family who move into a house where a family was murdered. Nothing? Okay, one more hint: a family of five get hung from a tree outside the family home in the very first scene. No? Okay, fine. Today, ladies and gents, we’re talking about none other than Sinister – a movie that even Robert Ebert somewhat enjoyed..and that’s saying something!

Sinister follows Ellison, a true crime novelist who is looking to publish a new bestseller novel more than ten years after the release of his first hit book, “Kentucky Blood“. Ellison moves his family [his wife and two young kids] into a house that was once the scene of a horrible crime that left a mother, father, and two children dead, with a third child missing! Upon moving in, Ellison finds a box of super 8 films in the attic. On these tapes are the murders of the family who previously lived in his house and four other murders dating back as far as 1966! I mean, talk about a welcoming gift! It seems that the only connection between the murders is a symbol found in all the videos. With his marriage slowly deteriorating and his children’s behavior becoming increasingly strange, Ellison is feels determined to connect the dots and possibly even solve the string of gruesome murders.. Who knows? Plot for a new book, perhaps?

Anyone who is familiar with the popular ‘scary maze game’ online knows how this kind of thing works: even if you know what is going to happen, you will most likely be scared in the moments leading up to the ‘big scare’. You aren’t scared of what is on the screen, but you’re more likely scared of what is about to be. As expected, this is what we could consider the difference between surprising elements and legitimate horror. If the moments leading up to a jump scare are suspenseful, the actual scare is considered “worth it”. Too many horror movies nowadays have worthwhile jump scares. The thing is though, Sinister is not one of those movies. Sure, it has it’s fair share of jump scares, but after the initial shock and fear you feel, you don’t feel better. It’s as if the scares stick with you [in your mind] and you will go back to being just as tense as you were before the scare. It’s use of fear is really well done, and deserves to be recognized as such. It’s a really tense feeling film – and I love it for that reason!

One of my favorite ways Sinister differs from most modern horror movies is that it actually focuses on it’s plot. Scott Derrickson, the Director, spends just as much time focusing on plot development as he does on scaring us, this is something people need to pick up on. Many modern horror films rely on loud noises to almost make it feel like it’s laughing at you, saying “I’m scary cause you jumped!” but is it? Since the characters are more developed and have more depth in Sinister, we can relate to them that much easier. It almost feels like it’s more of a drama film about family relations than it is a horror movie. We learn so much about each individual, that when something is going to happen to them; or actually does..we feel bad, we grow attached to this characters.

Then you get the actual “behind the scenes” stuff. The technical team on this movie really didnt’ miss a beat. The top-notch effects are always key in a film like this, but the common flaw, especially in the horror genre, falls when people end up overdoing it. CGI and post-production “magic” can certainly advance the narrative when it’s needed, but in this film, old school camera effects, which were done while shooting, enhance the believability of the action; as it’s happening!

Cinematographer Chris Norr used a ton of stationary shots and what felt like Hitchcock‘s slow camera pans, to allow the audience to sense the protagonist’s growing paranoia. The occasional subjective POV angle, where the character looks at the camera, effectively makes us, as the viewer, feel like we’re actually  in the scene. It’s a great effect, and added to the fearful feelings of being scared.

also, the main villain – Buhguul – is creepy. I know I didn’t mention much about him, but just know he’s scary, okay? okay.

So check Sinister out if you – like me – ignored it, figuring it’d be a typical horror film. Because in all truthfulness, it’s really not. It’s something more: it’s genuinely terrifying, with each 8mm tape showing us something more and more scary as the film progresses. I’ve read a lot of complaints about the films end, which I guess I get, but come on guys..I feel like that’s what they were going for. I didn’t end up seeing Sinister 2, so maybe that’s where the ending of this film gets explained better? [if you know, let me know in a comment or two!]

Also, If you have an idea for the next weirdo’ween review[s], please let me know which movie[s] you’d like to see next! If you found yourself to enjoy this particular review – and want to see more – then take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 120+ likes almost at 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; as well as links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends! Join me tomorrow when I talk about weirdo’ween #26! – so be sure to STAY TUNED!

[and just cause he can, Buugul comes for one final scare at the end of the film! Thanks, pal]

THANKS FOR READING.

Having been preoccupied with a little thing called the Spider-Man trilogy, Sam Raimi didn’t really get a chance to relive his days of horror, did he? Yes, the trilogy of Spider-Man movies were a lot of fun, but we all love Raimi for his original trilogy – the horror series known to the world as The Evil Dead. It wasn’t until 2009, that we got classic Raimi back with a fun house of a ride surrounding a demonic gypsy curse. It’s no Deadite, but I could accept it. I was curious, and almost felt like I needed to know what this movie was going to be, because almost every review I saw online, was negative, and talked about how bad it was.. I was planning on seeing this movie and taking it with a grain of salt, because I was worried why such negativity surrounded a movie. I planned on finding out; and that movie, was Drag Me To Hell!

Now, maybe I’m just a big fan of Raimi‘s, but from the intense opening scene to the shocking finale, Sam Raimi gave us a movie that feels like he’s finally returning to the horror genre with vigor and spark! Starring Alison Lohman in the leading role, [Ellen Page was originally cast as the lead but dropped out of the project early in production] Drag Me To Hell feels like it’s much more than your average, predictable horror popcorn flick. Even if it’s not. It’s filled with twists and turns and, like any good ride, a satisfying conclusion to keep you happy by the end of the credits. Also, about the PG-13 rating? Don’t even worry about it! One thing that helped was the story telling, to the point where you hardly notice it’s rating because of how immersed you become in the story.

The movie follows Christine, a loan officer at a bank with a boyfriend who absolutely cares for her and her well being. Christine ends up being considered for a promotion at work, so – like anyone else – decides that she should jump at the opportunity! [I mean, who wouldn’t?] We meet our “villain”, when she comes across an old gypsy woman [who has one of my favorite movie names: Mrs. Ganush] who requests a third extension on her house. Her boss tells her it’s a tough decision, but that it’s her call if she’ll grant the extension. In an act of showing her boss that she isn’t afraid to take risks, Christine refuses the woman’s payment. Unfortunately, this leaves Mrs. Ganush absolutely infuriated, to the point where this woman stalks Christine to her car after work and puts a supernatural curse on her, one which she claims gives her only three days to overcome before the spirits from below will come, and drag her soul to hell.

Perhaps the most shocking thing about the movie is how well it’s made technically. It had all sorts of interesting shots and the real work of a someone who knows horror. Having both written and directed the film, Sam Raimi more than proves his worth to the genre, despite disappearing from the horror scene, since Army Of Darkness. In ways, Drag Me To Hell felt like a sort of revival of what people with think of PG-13 horror movies. It’s one of the more intense films to come from the Raimi brothers, despite the PG-13 rating which is why I think most people tagged it as garbage without a second thought. Unfortunate, really.

As a whole, the movie is full of its shocks, and the less you know about it, the better. I could go on for hours about the movie and spoil everything, but that would ruin some of its ‘magic’. Which is certainly not to say that it is lost after a first viewing, just that it’s an experience unlike any other going into this movie watching virtually no clips and reading very little about it. It becomes a truly rewarding experience for the viewer.

Mrs. Ganush is one of the best villains though, as she provides plenty of jumps. Lorna Raver, who plays Ganush, infuses the role with an enthusiasm that is rarely seen in big-screen baddies. She has more personality than some other horror villains I can think of.. Clay – Christine‘s boyfriend – provides a much-needed balance between the overly goofy and the horrific, and helps make the film’s heroine, Christine, all the more believable. Clay was played by Justin Long and despite the nature of his role, I really liked him in this movie. He made the sincerity of his character feel “real”. Lohman had a lot resting on her shoulders with this movie, and she totally pulled it off! She plays the terrified, but headstrong and determined female lead really well, to the point where you feel her pain. She proves her worth over and over again in this movie. She totally has a career ahead of her, even if we don’t see it yet.

Overall, I wouldn’t call this movie terrifying, but it is extremely enjoyable! It has horror, it has gore, and it’s very over the top; like the old Evil Dead days. It’s something that people discredited too quickly, and that’s unfortunate – because it’s not as terrible as everyone likes to claim. So watch Drag Me To Hell, you won’t be disappointed..unless you have really high expectations. It does feel over the top, and strange at times; but that’s all what Raimi is known for – you really have to like this kind of style to truly appreciate this film for what it is!

Also, If you have an idea for the next weirdo’ween review[s], please let me know which movie[s] you’d like to see next! If you found yourself to enjoy this particular review – and want to see more – then take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 120+ likes almost at 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; as well as links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends! Join me tomorrow when I talk about weirdo’ween #27! – so be sure to STAY TUNED!

THANKS FOR READING.

Growing up, I had a dog that I can safely say I considered my best friend. He was there for me in the hardest of times, and he was always excited to see me. His name was Lucky and he was someone who was always part of everything I did. That’s like young Victor in today’s movie review: which follows Victor‘s pet dog Sparky [who stars in Victor‘s home-made movies] after he is suddenly hit by a car. As a fan of monster films, Victor decides the best bet is to bring him back to life, in the only way he knows how. But when the bolt-necked Sparky wreaks havoc and terror in the hearts of the neighbors, Victor has to convince them that despite his appearance, Sparky is still the good loyal friend he’s always been. This movie has a lot of heart, and as a fan of Tim Burton, I was really happy when I saw it in theaters back in 2012! It’s a tad bit depressing though, so take that with a grain of salt. This, is Frankenweenie.

Before this one was released, I am actually a huge fan of the original 1984 short film of the same title, so naturally, news of a feature length feature was very exciting to me. When you watch this “version”, it’s obvious from both Frankenweenies that director Tim Burton holds this story very close to his heart. The obvious assumption is that young Victor Frankenstein has much in common with the Burton‘s childhood experiences.. being as both claim to be social misfits who find joy in less than popular ways; such as science, sci-fi/monster films and film making.

The story begins simply enough, Victor – a socially awkward boy – whose only ‘real’ friend is his loyal dog Sparky, quickly connects with his new science teacher, Mr. Rzykroski. [who you can tell is based off the late, and wonderful, Vincent Price] Sadly, Victor‘s parents try to get him more engaged with others his age, which leads to a tragic accident that ends with the death of Sparky. [that..got depressing really quick!] Like anyone, Victor is heart-broken but fear not! He takes the lessons he learned in Rzykroski‘s science class, as well as his scientific mind, to make a contraption to “spark Sparky” thanks to a lightning storm outside. Soon enough, Sparky is back! But, of course, being as they’re in a small town; the secret gets out and school Science Fair takes on quite a competitive nature – I mean, this kid just brought his dog back from the dead! That’s pretty damn impressive!

I absolutely love this shot!

What makes this movie so great is that Burton treats the film as an homage to old monster, horror and sci-fi films – and it’s obvious too! We get nods to Frankenstein, The Mummy, Dracula, [who’s even voiced by the late, Christopher Lee!] Godzilla, Bride Of Frankenstein, Gremlins, and Jurassic Park. And those are the ones I noticed! But this movie is just – so much more. Mr. Rzykroski gives a speech to the local townspeople explaining the situation, and though it is straight to the point, it’s lost on these fine folks. The importance of science and accepting the differences of others is all mentioned in one of the greatest ways, but best of all: it’s not in a preachy way!

The voice work is fantastic thanks to the likes of Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Winona Ryder, Charlie Tahan, and Martin Landau; just to name a few. [that’s right, one of Burton‘s greatest films, has no hints of Johnny Depp or Helena Bonham Carter! Blasphemy, I know!] The style and textures that are visible in the film are beyond extraordinary! Seeing the shadows and lighting effects provide an atmosphere that adds just enough creepiness, but not to the point of ever feeling like it’s overdone.. The details involved with each of the characters is remarkable for a film that’s entirely stop-motion animation. If that doesn’t get your attention, how many movies have you seen recently that include a cat-bat, sea monkeys, and a giant turtle that echoes the idea of Gamera? I didn’t think so! The suburban setting of New Holland is almost identical to the neighborhood seen in Burton‘s Edward Scissorhands, another of my favorites, just without the colors, obviously.

As you can probably tell, I love this movie. It’s an excellent choice of entertainment for both adults and children alike. But the problem is, being in black and white, has meant a heavy lack of interest from today’s kids. It has some dark humor to it, but the PG rating, and Disney name means you should probably not expect anything too heavy. Either way, this is Tim Burton at his very finest.. and without Johnny Depp or Helena Bonham Carter, this makes it even better! [and I’m a fair sized fan of both of them!] Also, with Danny Elfman‘s score perfectly complimenting the story and characters, it adds to the quirkiness that is Frankenweenie. It’s something that needs to be seen to believe. It’s crazy, it’s fun, and it’s adorable. Though, as I said, by the films end: it feels somewhat depressing. Especially having to see Victor move on from the loss of his best friend.

So please, check out Frankenweenie. It’s arguably one of my favorite Tim Burton films, and the stylizing is beyond beautiful. It’s got a great message to it, and with many hints to other horror films; how could you say no? Now I ask you: what do you think of Frankenweenie? Is it a family friendly film that everyone should see at least once? Or is it far too depressing? Let me know your thoughts in a comment or two! Also, if you enjoyed this review, I actually wrote about a popular theory that’s been passing through the internet lately, that claims Frankenweenie is part of a trilogy! [but is it?] Be sure to read that, over here!

If you have an idea for the next weirdo’ween review[s], please let me know which movie[s] you’d like to see next! If you found yourself to enjoy this particular review – and want to see more – then take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 120+ likes almost at 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; as well as links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends! Join me tomorrow when I talk about weirdo’ween #28! – so be sure to STAY TUNED!

THANKS FOR READING.

As we near the end of weirdo’ween, I figured it was time to talk about a certain movie that I actually had a difficult time finding on DVD, until a friend of mine ordered it for me from the video store where he work[ed]. [He actually writes sci-fi, video games, and comic book reviews; as well as personal posts. read his stuff! He doesn’t post as often anymore though, sadly] It’s a colorful movie about a girl [named Suzy] who moves to a fancy ballet academy to learn all sorts of new dance moves [I mean, that’s what a ballet school is for, right?] only to gradually realize that the school is nothing but a front for something far more evil and supernatural; where a series of grisly murders have – and are – taking place in the academy’s very walls. When it was released on DVD, back in 2002, it was actually nominated for best Classic Film Release, but unfortunately didn’t win.. Which is unfortunate, because this film can only be described as: a masterpiece. It’s colorful, the music by Goblin is mesmerizing, and the atmosphere will draw you in. Well, friends; let’s go to school at the Ballet Academy and uncover the truth behind the murders in: Suspiria!

Given its cult status in the movie-making world, [partially due to the extreme uses of colors] the colors in Suspiria gives it an artful feeling that makes the movie beautiful to experience. Director Argento uses different shades of blues, greens, reds, and yellows each in their own unique way to show us different emotions. Using the old technicolor technique that was used in 1950s films such as Alice In Wonderland, gives this movie a magical, and fairy tale like appearance.

In the first 20 minutes of screen time, Dario Argento builds up suspense and tension in a way that is usually reserved for the climax of a film. We’re shown the main character and the story of the entire film are built up in a really well played out sort of way. When we see Suzy [our main character] inside a taxi cab, it gives a feeling of claustrophobia and dread. Dread, that you know is only the beginning. The images and music played in the opening moments add a high level of suspense, adding to the film’s pounding intensity.

The double murder sequence is one of the most bloody scenes in modern horror films. [which the DVD boasts] It’s a scene that still keeps its shock value after all this time. This single scene makes any murder scene in a teen horror film today look tame; though, that’s not difficult to achieve. The murder of the first victim is extremely violent, is done in first perspective and yet; it feels like it’s stylishly filmed. Feeling like an almost art piece. The tagline to the movie reads, “The Only Thing More Terrifying Than The Last 12 Minutes Of This Film Are The First 92.” and while I’m not really sure what that’s supposed to mean, it seems that they are implying the end is boring compared to the rest of the film. Actually, the whole movie is great!: some parts are slower, and there is a lot of character development, but this is not a bad thing.

Speaking of the murder scenes – as you can tell during the movie – the Director wanted to make them feel so intense, that the horror wouldn’t let up. It’s clear that he wanted to create scenes of fear that would be carried by visuals and ear pounding music. On doing these murder scenes, Argento has said “Fear is a 370 degree centigrade body temperature. With Suspiria I wanted 400 degrees.” The death sequences are one of the main reasons this film has such a special place within the genre.  The first girl being dragged through a window, stabbed repeatedly, and then hung after she was already dead..and for quite some time, too! In the most simplistic of terms, Suspiria is a story about witches, but you’d probably be having trouble to tell, and to find the imagery that comes to mind when you hear the word “witch.” There are no pointy hats, broom riding, black cauldrons, or even stake burnings in this movie, instead we’re given a more modern take on the popular archetypes of one of Halloween’s favorite characters; such as magic, and evil looking [and acting] women.

Overall, Suspiria stands out among the best of its form for it’s intensity of the experience of watching – and hearing – it. From beginning to end, this is a nightmarish, hallucinatory world filled with grotesque murders, a blaring score and beautiful and artistic imagery. It’s a true horror film and a huge achievement in cinema. It was way ahead of it’s time, proving that it’s deserving of all the praise and love you hear people giving it..So if you haven’t experienced it, you deserve, and owe, it to yourself. Though it might be harder and harder to find these days, as I said above – I had to ask a friend to order it for me. Though, maybe I’m just really bad at finding cult horror films on home video.

By the way, If you have an idea for the next weirdo’ween review[s], please let me know which movie[s] you’d like to see next! If you found yourself to enjoy this particular review – and want to see more – then take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 125+ likes almost at 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; as well as links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends! Join me tomorrow when I talk about weirdo’ween #29! – so be sure to STAY TUNED!

this STILL creeps me out..

THANKS FOR READING.

For the third last review for this year’s weirdo’ween, I wanted to write something special: a review of a movie that’s so damn bad, it’s great..like really enjoyable. It’s a movie that I’ve never talked about on here, and it’s one that almost everyone has heard of. It’s not good at building suspense, it’s not well pieced together, but it does feature our lord and savior himself: Nicolas Cage!

Surprisingly, I actually really enjoy this movie, though probably not for the reasons I should.. I think the main reason is because of how laughably bad it is. It has nearly no reference to the original, the acting isn’t that great, and it tries to be something it’s not – scary. So let’s put on our wicker masks, and start screaming at CGI bees, because today: we talk about the one, the only; The Wicker Man remake!

While recovering from a accident while on the road, an officer by the name of Edward Malus receives a letter from his former fiancée Willow, who left him a few years ago without any sort of explanation, telling that her daughter Rowan has gone missing. This event has lead Edward to travel to the distant and private island of Summerisle, where Willow now lives among a community that plants fruits all the time. As he continues his investigation with the hostile and unhelpful dwellers, Edward comes to the conclusion that the locals must be pagans, as proven by their practicing of old rituals to try and improve their harvest, and Rowan, who turns out to also be his daughter, is probably alive and being prepared to be sacrificed – y’know, for reasons.

Summersisle, as it turns out, is a female-dominated place, and has conceived itself as nothing but a haven for women and refugees from the Salem witch trials. Here, the matriarchs observe the Olde ways, and the few male that are on the island are more or less there for breeding purposes..otherwise, they’re useless to these women. Another important thing to note is that Summersisle‘s main export is honey – a symbolic and literal headache for Edward, considering he’s allergic to bees. “Beekeepers!” cries Edward. “They seem to be everywhere on this island!” Well, spoiler alert: that’s probably because Summersisle‘s main export is honey.. Did I mention the dialog in the movie is just as terrible?

he may as well tell the Pagan folk that he FOUND that badge, not that it’s his..

As he continues making his inconclusive conclusions, Edward overhears a group of these Pagans talking about an oncoming “Mayday ritual” known as “time of death and rebirth.” It’s then he learns that the previous year’s crop failed; nearly dies from bee stings – in the best possible scene – wears a bear suit and punches a woman, and eventually comes to the overbearing conclusion [which admittedly, couldn’t be more obvious if the locals had tattooed a timetable of events on the back of his hands] that Rowan has been planned to be burnt alive in a Pagan rite, all to make sure that this time, they have a bountiful harvest. He also meets the Queen Bee of the group: Sister Summersisle, who seems to have her own plans for him involving the title’s Wicker Man: all while stating “The drone must die.” I’m gonna go out on a whim and say she probably means Cage.. I mean Edward.

To make matters worse [if that’s even possible] I don’t think I’ve ever seen a movie filled with so many plot holes. I found myself constantly asking questions like: Why did they kill the pilot that brought Edward to the island if they wanted him brought to the island? Why does Malus come across the beehives so easily when they were in plain sight and he knew he was allergic? Why were four dream sequences important? Where were they keeping Rowan throughout the movie up until they found her? How come Malus didn’t ask about why that woman was covered from head to toe in bees? Is the movie seriously not going to address anything? It’s…very confusing, and it’s unfortunate. Because it makes The Wicker Man go from bad to worse in a matter of seconds. A lot of times, these scenes got really stupid really fast. For instance, Edward walks into a classroom and pleasantly says “Wow. School’s changed since I was a kid.” How does the teacher react? She screams – as in literally screams – at him stating: “Why are you frightening my students?!” Wait. Hold on, I’m sorry.. why exactly was what he said considered “frightening?” Did I miss something? Where did that come from?

I do love this scene though. 10/10

So let’s recap: Nicolas Cage‘s fate was sealed the very moment he set foot on Summersisle island. The lies and half-truths he was told by the women while searching for the little girl were an elaborate “presentation” that had no necessary meaning. If you think about it, the Pagan women could have easily just tied him up [or even drugged him, they did have plants that they obviously knew about!] and proceeded with their plans WITHOUT such an elaborate show off-y presentation.

To end this abomination of a film – even if it is “so bad, it’s good” – let’s look at the DVD/Blu Ray version of the film. look at the move’s cover itself: [here] See that little girl with evil eyes? Based on her “evil look”, she should have a central role in the film, right? Far from it. You don’t even see her character until the end of the film – and she has no evil eyes! [or dialog] The only “evil thing” she does is start a bonfire with a torch. So scary.

Secondly, the DVD claims to have an “unrated” version of the film along with the theatrical version. Usually, when “unrated versions” of movies are released, it implies there should be more violence, or gore in the case of horror movies than what was shown in the ordinary version; but not The Wicker Man. Both versions are exactly the same with three exceptions:

#1] The unrated version shows Cage having his legs broken at the kneecaps using a trick that appears to be stolen from the Misery. In Misery though, the ankles were broken, not the kneecaps. Certainly, this is nothing to be “unrated” about.

#2] In the unrated version, we see Cage have a cage-like mask put over his head, with angry bees poured into the mask. [like the GIF above!] No blood or gore though, just bees. In his face. Again, this scene has nothing to make it “unrated”.

#3] Finally, the unrated version of The Wicker Man has a scene that was cut out of the theatrical version, where we see the last scene showing two of the island “sisters” going to the mainland to find new “recruits” for their sacrifice ritual. Maybe it’s just me, but cutting out a scene that implied sexual situation from a film makes it less likely to be considered “unrated.”

Unfortunately, The Wicker Man is more laughable than it is scary. As I said above, I enjoy it for this reason, it’s just unfortunate that it became something it’s really not. I’m sure I’m not alone in saying it, but when it first came out a lot of people weren’t impressed by it. It’s strange, it’s not scary, but with Nicolas Cage as a main character, it becomes a classic “so bad, it’s good” film. He’s really the only reason to watch it.. So if you like that kind of film, I guess I recommend it.. just don’t go in expecting something to land on The Criterion Collection – I don’t even want to imagine that. Even the trailer is bad, check it out below!

Considering how bad this movie was, If you have want to help out, and have an idea for the next weirdo’ween review[s], please let me know which movie[s] you’d like to see next! If you found yourself to enjoy this particular review – and want to see more – then take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 125+ likes almost at 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; as well as links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends! Join me tomorrow when I talk about weirdo’ween #30! – so be sure to STAY TUNED!

God, this movie is just so great! 10/10

THANKS FOR READING.

Call it following the norm, or doing what I expect people to want to read, but surprisingly – I’m not exactly a large fan of the movie franchise we’re covering today. Don’t get me wrong, the first one [which is the one that will be reviewed today] was really well done for what it was. But like so many other movies – it got a ton of sequels..one of which just came out! Yes, it’s true. I’m hardly a fan of these movies. but, I do enjoy the first film in the series: it’s a genuinely creepy film that managed to capture the fear of so many with such a tiny budget of $15,000. [and then making $77,873!] So as our second-last weirdo’ween review, let’s take a look at movie, known as Paranormal Activity.

Everyone, I mean Everyone has heard of these films. They’re insanely popular among the found footage crowd for being “revolutionary” in horror. While I’m not a huge fan of them, I remember the first night I saw the first one. It was with my family, and it was completely black in the living room. We watched it because my sister had claimed to have seen it at a friend’s house. It wasn’t until the ending that she screamed, stating it wasn’t the ending she remembered! [apparently there were three different endings to this movie] If that isn’t enough to scare you away, I don’t know what will.

Our story follows a young couple, Katie and Micah, who move into a new home, while Micah records their life on his video camera. [which starts to feel old really quick] After a strange event in the middle of the night, Katie admits to Micah that when she was a child, she had experienced a ghostly presence in her room. She claims to have sensed its evil and now worries that it possibly has followed her to their new place. Of course, Micah is skeptical, so to be sure, he sets up his camera in their bedroom to record any overnight activity. After a few days of almost nothing, they see their bedroom door move on the camera, proving how clear it is that there is a presence in their house. And it’s only about to get worse; much worse is yet to come..

our “lovely” couple of the hour.

The heart that was put into this film lies in the realism of the performances of really only two actors. The two who portray the couple are convincing and natural, so you feel as if you are watching an actual home video. Thankfully, they do not follow the usual “shaky-cam movie” model of acting in which the performances often try so hard to be “real” that they are usually over-done and therefore come off as a cheap acted thought of what the actor assumes would be somebody else’s reaction to that same scenario. But Paranormal is different, we believe as an audience, that these characters are more true to themselves, and the decisions they make and the things they say to one another feel like true expressions of how these people would feel if they had been placed in the same situation. This is awesome because then, instead of feeling like you are watching actors in a movie portraying someone else, you feel as if are watching two actual people in an actual haunted house. It feels real, because it’s not forced. You can recognize that everything they say and do as an actual reaction, one you could probably imagine yourself giving in response to what’s happening at that exact moment. This gives an extremely uneasy atmosphere which you feel like you can’t escape, because in this world; you feel like you are in it.

The other important thing to mention is the downright agonizing, yet wonderful use of suspense and the imagination of one’s mind. It’s clear to see that the Director didn’t assume that his audience is a thoughtless group of horror fans, who rely on cheap scares and loud noises deafening you to get the reaction of fear. Instead, he uses the concept of imagining what’s going to happen is far more terrifying than seeing what’s happening! The movie does a great job at forcing us to constantly think about what we just experienced, giving you just a few inches, and leaves your imagination to finish the mile. It even leaves you wondering if you just saw something, where if you blink, you will miss something. Subliminal shocks are hidden everywhere within the film, making not only are your senses attacked, but your psyche is also terrorized. One particular instance, viewing a completely empty room in dead silence for 30 seconds [or more] will feel like one of the most horrifying scenes in the entire film..and nothing happens. If you think about it – an empty, and silent room does not seem scary at all, but that’s what makes it so clever: something that simple, so familiar, can scare you down to your deepest core; and as the film continues, the haunting [naturally] gets worse. So is the movie worth it? I mean, this first film was really well done; especially for such a small budget, and only two actors. It’s creepy, and it’s definitely not something everyone will appreciate. Unfortunately, this was the only “good” one, as the sequels were all but ‘alright’ [though Paranormal Activity 3 did touch on the haunting of Katie when she was a kid! Kind of like a pre-sequel?] Paranormal Activity should be a message to Hollywood that originality is still what the people want in the movie industry. We, as horror fans, have grown [quickly] tired of having our favorite classic movies butchered and pointlessly remade more than a dozen times. Directors and producers shouldn’t deserve the revenue coming from these remakes, especially if all they’re doing is just upping the violence and sexual nature of old horror movies and calling it “a grittier version”. [I’m looking at you A Nightmare On Elm Street 2010!] It legitimately makes me happy, at least to some degree, knowing that tension based horror movies still have the chance to make it big. Especially on such a small budget, like this movie did. Seriously, well done for only $15,000! That’s impressive if I ever heard it.

So here we are, at the second last review of weirdo’ween. Be sure to join me for the finale tomorrow, when I review my all time favorite Halloween movie: Trick ‘r Treat. Have you been enjoying the reviews this past Month? Which was your favorite? Why? Let me know in a comment or two! After tomorrow’s review, posts probably won’t be as frequent [every two days give or take] but that doesn’t mean reviews are gone for good! It just will go back to also being horror news, and Friday Fun Facts, etc.

If you found yourself to enjoy this particular review – and want to see more – then take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 125+ likes almost at 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; as well as links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends! Join me tomorrow when I review the final weirdo’ween movie review – so be sure to STAY TUNED! It’s gonna be a good one!

wait…this isn’t the right castle!

THANKS FOR READING.

Well, it’s official: this review marks the finale weirdo’ween post for 2015! We’ve reviewed all sorts of movies over this past month, and even though I tried to look at films I haven’t talked about before; some obviously overlapped. Today though, our review is special, being one that I had in mind since I did the first review for weirdo’ween. It’s a movie that I consider the definitive Halloween movie, and I try and make a point of watching it every year. [although I can’t tonight because I have plans, plus I work] It’s an anthology film, with four stories interwoven into one big “super-story”. It has demon children, werewolves, and even the little spirit of Halloween himself. So let us move on to the one, the only: Trick ‘r Treat.

As I said, Trick ‘r Treat is a horror anthology which interweaves stories that all take place on Halloween night, kind of like genre classics as Creepshow and Tales From The Darkside. Our stories involve: a costumed couple who learn to respect tradition.. the hard way, a group of girls who head out into the woods for a “howling” good party, the school principal has a [literal] taste for blood, four kids attempt to play a “trick” on someone they know – only to end up becoming “treats”, and a grumpy old man gets a visit from a holiday visitor who has been looking to settle a decades-old grudge.

Like most anthology films, these stories are best watched when viewed on an empty mind. Without any context. The twists are less predictable than most horror films are these days; and half the fun is wondering just where – and how – the hell these characters are going to end up. Keep an eye open though, the one constant throughout the stories is a costumed, little guy named Sam, who appears to come off as the Spirit of Halloween, in order to remind people why they should take care in following the traditions set forth hundreds of years ago for All Hallows Eve. Trick ‘r Treat is filled with tradition, reminding the audience of just why we celebrate the Halloween in the first place. It manages to be effectively creepy and blood-soaked, yet it never goes over-the-top with gratuitous gore. It’s always “just enough”, which I love about it! There is also a very obvious helping of black comedy laced throughout the film, so if it feels like too much – which it really isn’t – there’s enough jokes to keep you laughing.

But, I think the most impressive aspect of this film is the filmmaker’s incredible attention that has been paid to detail. Every single shot of the film is beautifully framed and composed, coming off as looking more like a cryptic painting we’re meant to decipher, rather than a frame of film. The dark and broody look of Mr. Kreeg‘s dark house, the ghostly palette of the rock quarry, the incredible werewolf shape-shifting sequence around a roaring fire in the woods.. everything in this movie feels, and is gorgeous. The cinematography is so well put together, that it manages to make you feel like you’re a part of the celebration; and not just someone watching on. As someone who is as big a fan of the Halloween holiday, this was especially important, and it was done right! It’s been far too often when a film actually does take place on the holiday but ends up lacking the depth that is given to us here. and then there’s the cast of the movie..

For such a large ensemble cast, there isn’t any one performance that stands out above the rest – everyone here is perfect. From characters such as Anna Paquin‘s “virgin wolf” of her female group, to perhaps my favorite role of Mr. Kreeg, played really well by veteran character actor Brian Cox. His look was even inspired directly from another person known for horror, John Carpenter, and there are a couple of well-placed nods to his work that were fun, so long as you caught them. Also providing great support throughout the film is newcomer Quinn Lord who plays Sam, our little sack-headed fiend who “stiches” the film’s stories together.

But let’s face the real problem with this movie. It isn’t that it has too many jump scares, or that it’s a terrible film but something more meta: there was NO set distribution deal lined up when it was first released. Initially, it was set to be released in October 2007, then it was pushed to February 2008, then October 2008 and, then finally, placed on the shelf indefinitely. Eventually, in Canada anyway, it ended up being a direct-to-DVD release in October 2009, which I can only say that is disappointing for something this genuine to it’s genre. I mean, that’s two years after the movie was made.. But, I suppose that’s what the problem is; because this is a movie that goes to uncharted territory, the studios were probably clueless about how they were going to try and market it to the public. I mean, I guess I can understand some of their hesitation, [since a good majority of the film features children either killing or being killed] but knowing they waited two years after the movie was made to release it, makes me upset..especially because for the fans: that feels like it took itself an eternity.The bottom line is, I still don’t completely understand why Trick ‘r Treat didn’t get a theatrical release, and I probably never will, but even if it was a direct-to-DVD title, it deserves some much-deserved exposure. The only disappointment here is in the bonus features, where they’re almost none, but the film itself is good enough to make up for it. If only I wasn’t working tonight, I’d take advantage of today to watch it again on this Halloween night, with a Jack-o-lantern lit and bowl of candy at the ready – just in case.

So now I turn to you, what are your thoughts on Trick ‘r Treat? Have you seen the movie? If so, what were your thoughts; mindless Halloween film, or one of the greats? Let me know in a comment or two! As noted by the big “#31” at the top title, this is the last weirdo’ween post so be sure to check out the other reviews I wrote during this month! Also – for those in the know, the universe of Trick ‘r Treat recently expanded with the publication of the graphic novel Trick ‘r Treat: Days Of The Dead, and it was while discussing the book with the series creator that we learned some key details about the upcoming sequel: Trick ‘r Treat 2. Director Michael Dougherty was hesitant to offer too much information, but he did explain that a big part of his goal with the sequel is to dive further into the history of Halloween.

But, If you found yourself to enjoy this particular review – and want to see more in the future – then take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 125+ likes almost at 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; as well as links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends!

always check your candy!

So have an awesome Halloween everyone, be safe, be smart, and keep an eye out for Sam; he could be anywhere. I hope you enjoyed Weirdo’ween as much as I enjoyed writing it. As expected with this being the last review of this month, posts won’t be as frequent now, coming out every other day or so. Especially with work, I’m going to be caught up feeling slightly more busy, but that doesn’t mean I’m gone for good; just that I won’t be writing something every day. I’m not entirely sure when my next post will be, but hopefully it’ll be sooner than later; and it won’t be a review either – I’ve done enough of those for now ;)

STAY WEIRD, and as always:

THANKS FOR READING.

Now that Halloween has ended, [and so has weirdo’ween] one of the things I can talk about now is my love for masks. It’s become one of – if not the single most obvious – facts of horror movies: when you hide the face of the killer behind a mask: the fear, terror, and inhumanity goes through the roof. Sometimes, the mask itself becomes a legend, and turns into the stuff of nightmares for entire groups of people.. Sometimes, they’re used in order to hide the killer’s identity, while other times they hide a disfigured face underneath. Other times, well, let’s be honest: the production team just thought it’d look cool on screen. The idea is that it’s what hides beneath that’s scary, but a good horror movie mask is frightening in its own right.

As you could probably expect, there’s clearly many different types of masks – for different movies. I couldn’t help but think of some of the more memorable masked killers in film. Everybody knows the big name contenders, guys like Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, Leatherface and Ghostface. But if you were to dig a little deeper, you’ll find plenty of fearsome faces, and chances are – you saw a few of these on Halloween.  So let’s look into it: a list of my personal top five favorite masks in horror, and why I like them. Also, because characters like Jason, Myers, Leatherface and Ghostface are extremely recognizable – and I’m planning on going the unique route today – they will not be featured on this list; even if I am a fan of their masks as well.

the wind up frog:

as worn by: Dr Hargreaves in The Abominable Dr Phibes:

Even if this frog mask isn’t that scary to look at, it’s what it does that gives it a sinister presence on this list. Rather than being used as a disguise for the killer, like most of the masks on this list will incorporate, this particular mask is designed for a victim: the way it works, is that it has a built-in mechanism causes the mask to tighten [around the head] until it crushes the skull of the one who wears it. Think of it as an early Reverse Bear Trap..kinda.

Vernon‘s mask:

as worn by: Leslie Vernon in Behind The Mask: The Rise Of Leslie Vernon

[First and foremost, if you haven’t seen this movie – get on that!] Leslie Vernon knows better than most about how important a good serial killing mask is: he’s studied the classics and is working on building his own serial killer story. I’m a huge fan of the sunken in eyes, and the deeply cut mouth. Not to mention he chose a great shade of greenish-grey for the mask itself!

the bunny mask:

as worn by: Frank in Donnie Darko

Although not technically a killer in the movie, but Frank more or less pressures Donnie into committing all the crimes he did, so I think that counts for something. Imagine seeing that looking back at you from inside the mirror: you’d probably never want to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night again!

the haunted mask:

as worn by: Carly Beth in Goosebumps: The Haunted Mask

While  not the scariest thing ever anymore, this specific mask used to scare the hell out of me. Besides the obvious fanged grin, I was always terrified by the idea that the mask would attach itself to Carly Beth‘s face; and not want to be removed. If it wasn’t creepy enough, they made the TV version [as seen above] into a two-part episode – making you wait to see if the characters ever got it off.

Tomás‘ mask:

as worn by: Tomás in The Orphanage

Let’s get one thing straight: kids in horror movies are already creepy. In the case of The Orphanage though, it really steps the game up by having one of the kids [Simón] claims to be seeing a ghostly child who is only ever seen wearing a bag-like mask with rosy-red cheeks and darkened eyes.  It gets depressing when you realize that the other children stole a mask that he wore to in order to hide his deformed face.

Now clearly these are just five of so many masks that have been featured in horror films. There’s creepy ones, but a lot of them have psychological reasoning behind them [okay, maybe not the wind up frog] which makes them more interesting than anything. Which mask was your favorite? Was it mentioned on this list? Maybe you had a different one in mind? If different, which one is it and why? I’d love to discuss the many styles of them, and who knows – Maybe this post gave you an idea for next Halloween!

Also, if you found yourself to enjoy this film review, please take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 100+ likes – only 10 more and we’ll have reached over 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; and I also share links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends!

THANKS FOR READING.

Let’s be honest: every horror fan should be at least aware of The Evil Dead and it’s crazy antics from movies, to comic books, to TV series? It’s a cult classic, and it has not one, but two sequels: both that are some of the most entertaining horror films out there. After the end of Army Of Darkness – which is technically Evil Dead 3 – there was even talks of a fourth movie! However, it ended up never coming out. Instead, we got a movie that became the 2013 remake, which was still a fantastic film! [taking away the humor, and making it full fronted horror!] Now, they opted to do a TV series with Bruce Campbell back as Ash, and although it’s been a while, it’s good to have the King himself back at the wheel of what I will always consider his franchise. So today, after finally watching it [even if it did premiere on Halloween] I’m going to be talking about Ash VS Evil Dead: episode 1.

yeah – this buffoon..

Directed by original Evil Dead creator Sam Raimi, this first episode of Ash VS Evil Dead is exactly what Evil Dead fans had been waiting for. It’s funny, it’s bloody as hell, and you get yourself more Bruce Campbell then you ever thought you needed; it’s perfect.

Of course, Since this is technically taking place 30-ish years after Army Of Darkness, a lot has changed in the Evil Dead movie and TV world, so some fans might find themselves to be disappointed with the end result, but myself; I think that we are in for something special with this series. An almost expanded look at the mythology of what the Evil truly is in the term “Evil Dead.”

This series premiere starts off as you would probably imagine: Ash being his old lazy, sexy [and maybe a little bit larger than life, if you get my meaning] self, working in a little store [ValueMart, no longer S-Mart] and just watching as the days pass him by. But, in true Evil Dead fashion, things don’t take long to go wrong – once again, all because of Ash – and the Deadites are coming back.. with only vengeance on their mind! We get some nice homages to the old movies, some intense Ash VS Deadite action, and typical over the top situations. Also, Ash; a lot older Ash, which makes you wonder why it took so long to have him back. It felt great to have Bruce Campbell back in the role I fell in love with him in, and with all the hints and nods to the classic films, it really made me appreciate what this series is beginning to set up. I would say this should have come sooner, but I’m glad they waited to get it right, and with newer forms of “evil” present, [see the GIF below] and new friends to help Ash along the way to stop the Evil, I think we’re in for something special with Ash VS Evil Dead – especially if after one episode, they’ve already renewed it for a second season!

even if we haven’t seen this guy yet – other than in the trailer – I’m excited to learn just who – or what – he is!

Seriously though, this first episode is a blast to watch, if not nearly perfect! I’m just hoping the level of intensity it had keeps up throughout this entire season, which with Bruce Campbell at the helm, I’m sure it will.

So, I know I say it a lot but if you’re a fan of Evil Dead and/or Bruce Campbell PLEASE check out Ash VS Evil Dead. It’s just so much fun to watch, and it’s bound to be something to keep on eye on – especially as horror fans. I know it’s on Starz, which may make it difficult, but fear not! I got you covered: because of the huge positive response it received, Starz media is actually streaming the first episode for free on their website over here, [if that link struggles, try this one. just make sure you change the quality to 480p for best results] so do yourself a solid and watch it. You won’t be disappointed!

so is Ash VS Evil Dead worth catching on Starz? Well, if you can’t tell by my positive response above, I’d say the show is shaping up to be something pretty damn groovy. I simply cannot for episode two to come this Saturday, which I’ll be sure to be watching before heading out to work, though I’ll no doubt be raving about it to everyone!

Also, if you found yourself to enjoy this film review, please take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 120+ likes – only a few more and we’ll have reached over 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; and I also share links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends!

THANKS FOR READING.

If you’ve been following warrenisweird for awhile now, you probably have noticed that there’s one category of post that doesn’t come up as much as it used to: Journals. They used to be more frequent, and they used to be a ‘once and a while’ sort of thing, to keep you – the readers – up to date with what I have been up to outside of the blogging world. However, I hardly post these anymore; and they’re something that I feel doesn’t fit the general theme of my blog; even if it is about myself. So as an effort to use it more, and a way to steer away from that kind of post here, I plan on not posting any Journal posts on here anymore, though the ones I’ve already written; will remain..and the Journal posts will cease to exist. Or will they? What I mean by this is that, I’m not saying that I’ll never writing anything about myself and updates about myself again, I just mean that they won’t be featured on warrenisweird, and that’s where Medium comes in..

Medium works in a way that makes anyone feel like they’re an author of their own story, without the hassle of feeling like they need to build an audience in the blogging atmosphere [blogosphere?] It’s been called “a new place on the Internet where people share ideas and stories that are longer than 140 characters and not just for friends.” Which makes sense, since one of the co-founders of Twitter designed it. Although it’s a blogging platform designed for smaller stories that “make your day better and manifestos that change the world,” it has it’s way of helping you find the right audience for whatever you have to say. I think that’s what attracted me to it – I could say what I want, how I want, and whoever is interested; can read it. If not, they move on in their lives and it doesn’t affect them. Which, in turn, doesn’t affect me. It’s pretty great for that reason. Surprisingly, I’ve actually been on Medium for awhile now – check my profile here –  but I never ended up using it, since I’d tend to write elsewhere: whether Facebook or warrenisweird. Don’t think I’m going anywhere, because I’m definitely not; I’m just trying to say that warrenisweird is going to be strictly horror related posts now, and personal things – like what I’ve been up to outside of blogging – will be on Medium. With all that said and done , I just wanted to share this, I know it’s probably not the post you expected from me today, but here it is. I promise come the next post, it will be horror-related, but I just wanted to share this in case someone was wondering why there hasn’t been any Journals as of late. In fact, be sure to catch up on what I’ve been posting over on Medium by reading my most recent post, titled “A Twist Of Fate.” It’s essentially an update on one of the biggest things happening in my life right now, which has me both excited and nervous. [but also, something that’s been a long time coming]

Also, if find yourself to enjoy what I do here – whether it’s updates like this or movie reviews/news – please take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 120+ likes – only a few more and we’ll have reached over 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; and I also share links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends!

THANKS FOR READING.

Like many horror fans, artist Sean Hughes is a big fan of the Evil Dead film series. Like all of us, he no doubt probably believes that these movies are highly entertaining, with some of them offering a few scares and definitely a damn near endless supply of blood and gore in order to satisfy even the hardened horror fan.

But what about the people that want to share those kinds of experiences with their younger children or siblings? I’m not talking about 9 or 10 year olds, but even younger: The ones that you are still tucking into bed, who are barely out of their strollers; the ones that you plan to read a bedtime story to every night. Well luckily for us, that’s where Hughes comes to the rescue, with his latest story, which he calls: The Littlest Deadite.

Although technically not available in book-form, [which if it was, I’d be all over the idea of buying a copy!] Hughes has put together his own take on Evil Dead II by drawing and creating an almost “child friendly” version of the movie’s plot, giving it an adorable – yet still faithful to the original story – creepy twist to what we could have expected if Evil Dead was rated G.

Although you can’t expect to find Ed [above] or even Ash in The Littlest Deadite, it features a new, unnamed Deadite who wants to find himself a soul to swallow, and his wandering adventures as he tries to find one. There’s definite throwbacks to Evil Dead which include the Oldsmobile, the [infamous] tree, and cabin from the film.

Now I know what you’re thinking: if this isn’t a book, [yet?] how am I supposed to read it? Luckily for you, I have you covered. Hughes actually posted the entire story online for free on his blog and it’s pretty damn exciting. I feel that there should even be a Kickstarter for it to become a book – in which case I’d buy it in a heart beat. However, for now, we have to deal with it being only an online ‘picture book’ of sorts. But, in order to save you the wall of pictures – ten in total – I found an album on Imgur which has all of them, in order for your reading convenience. I promise, it’s totally cute, and totally worth your time. [read The Littlest Deadite here]

yet another Deadite you shouldn’t expect to see in the story..

So now I look to you: what do you think of The Littlest Deadite? Is it the greatest ‘fan art’ you’ve seen in a long time? Or do you think Evil Dead should be left to the adult, horror fans? Let me know in a comment or two what you think.

Also, if find yourself to enjoy what I do here – whether it’s movie reviews or news kind of like this – then please take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 125+ likes – only a few more and we’ll have reached over 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; and I also share links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends!

THANKS FOR READING.

As we slowly come to the end of 2015, we’ve seen a lot of franchises come back to life lately. Movies like Sam Raimi‘s The Evil Dead has been revived as Ash VS Evil Dead, [read my thoughts on the first episode here!] the Goosebumps series has gained itself a full-length film that was big enough to land in theaters; and Phantasm, Alien, and Friday The 13th are all finding their way back into theaters, with either reboots or sequels. [eventually..] But nothing could have prepared anyone for the news that the original 1978 I Spit On Your Grave is getting a sequel.. what’s more is that it’s already finished it’s shooting! Wait, seriously?!

Seriously. As it turns out, the new film, which has nothing to do with the surprisingly popular three-film franchise that came from the 2010 remake, will be featuring the original film’s Director Meir Zarchi and Camille Keaton, who is reprising her role as Jennifer Hills. With the title I Spit On Your Grave: Deja Vu, the film’s plot is as follows:

“Following her brutal rape, Jennifer wrote a best-selling account of her ordeal and of the controversial trial in which she was accused of taking the law into her own hands and ruthlessly killing her assailants. In the small town where the rape and revenge took place, the relatives of the four rapists she killed are furious that the court declared her not guilty and resolve to take justice into their own hands.”

In this next chapter, Jennifer Hills will be joined by her daughter Christy, as well as a variety of new characters, including Maria Olsen who will playing the role of Johnny’s wife, who was the gas station attendant Jennifer castrated; Jim Tavare will be in the role of Herman, whose son Matthew was hung by Jennifer, as well as by actors Jonathan Peacy, Jeremy Ferdman, Holgie Forrester, Roy Allen and Alexandra Kenworthy.

What I find surprising is that for a sequel that we didn’t hear was even happening, [until now] Zarchi has already wrapped the movie’s filming and is currently – and/or already – in post-production. He’s come forward saying “I always envisioned Camille Keaton returning to continue the saga of Jennifer Hills. Getting together with Camille to film the sequel was a surreal, deja-vu-like experience”. Could this be the reason for the title? Or could it be because the family members of the original men who attacked Jennfier want revenge? That’s a question we’ll have to wait to find out, because we don’t have a trailer or screenshots of any sort yet: HOPEFULLY SOON.

Sometimes, the world has surprising twists. It’s pretty damn awesome to know that the cast and crew from the original film have kept in contact all this time, and formed a familial bond that seems to have endured over three and a half decades. To the point where we’re actually getting a sequel to a film that when first released – was banned for it’s content.

So even though there’s not much to go on yet, this sequel is shaping up to be something to look forward to! What to expect is left to the mind, because we can’t assume it’s going to follow the same plot as the first film; [though it is likely] maybe the family members of the original captors are going to go after Jennifer‘s daughter? Who knows; this is just my guess! Check out these pictures of Zarchi and a few others on the set of I Spit On Your Grave: Deja Vu below!

So now I look to you; how do you feel about this sequel to the film I Spit On Your Grave – are you excited for more of Jennifer Hills? Or do you feel that the original was so controversial that it should have stayed as one film? Let me know your thoughts in a comment or two below!

Also, if find yourself to enjoy what I do on here – whether it’s movie reviews or upcoming horror news kind of like this – then please take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 125+ likes – only a few more and we’ll have reached over 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; and I also share links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends!

you know what they say: “cleanliness is next to godliness.” Good on you, Jennifer.

THANKS FOR READING.

Hey everybody; Guess what day it is? How bout you, Jason? Can you tell us what day it is? Is it really Friday The 13th already? Okay, let’s do something different: today is Friday, so this can technically be counted as a Friday Fun Fact; so what better film to talk about than the one with the same title as today’s date: Friday The 13th. If you’re a fan of slashers, You probably love the entire Friday The 13th library – even if they got a little over the top after a while or maybe you’re just curious about how the movie got it’s title. Either way, Unlike most Friday Fun Facts where I only post a few pieces of trivia, today we’re talking 13 things that you [probably] didn’t know about Friday The 13th – as a franchise.

In case you haven’t seen the movies, and you’re worried you might get confused later, here’s the list of the Friday The 13th movies – in order. Think you’ve got it? Okay when you’re ready, let’s begin! [this is gonna be a long one]

1. Friday The 13th
2. Friday The 13th Part II
3. Friday The 13th Part III
4. Friday The 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter
5. Friday The 13th Part V: A New Beginning
6. Friday The 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
7. Friday The 13th Part VII: The New Blood
8. Friday The 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
9. Friday The 13th Part IX: Jason Goes To Hell
10. Friday The 13th Part X: Jason X
11. Friday The 13th Part XI: Freddy VS. Jason
12. Friday The 13th Part XII: the remake

[01] Jason’s name was originally Josh:

According to the original script for the movie, Jason’s name was planned to be Josh. If things had worked out the way Director Sean Cunningham had initially expected, the name Josh Voorhees would have quickly been forgotten. [which was the plan all along] Cunningham didn’t plan for sequels, let alone so many, and besides – in the first film, “Josh Voorhees” wasn’t even the real killer! At least this saved us from getting a movie known to the world as “Freddy VS Josh,” am I right?

[02] Freddy Krueger almost ‘attacked’ Jason earlier:

In 1987, if things had gone as they were planned, one of The Nightmare On Elm Street films was supposed to include a flashback scene showing Fred Krueger as a counselor working at Camp Crystal Lake. Fred was going to be shown molesting a young Jason Voorhees, which would therefore add more to the sympathy for Jason that tends to be something we, as horror fans, feel for him.

[03] 13 different actors played Jason Voorhees:

1. Friday The 13th – Ari Lehman as the boy who jumped out of the water at the end
2. Friday The 13th Part II – Steve Daskawisz played the murderous Jason with the sack on his head
3. Friday The 13th Part II – Warrington Gillette played the unmasked Jason near the end of the film
4. Friday The 13th Part III – Richard Brooker plays Jason, and becomes the first man to wear the iconic hockey mask
5. Friday The 13th Part IV – Jason was played by stuntman Ted White
6. Friday The 13th Part V – Wait, the killer wasn’t Jason in this film. He wasn’t in this movie, was he? He was actually; in a few flashback scenes where he was played by Tom Morga
7. Friday The 13th Part VI – C. J. Graham reprises his infamous night club impersonation of Jason for this movie
8. Friday The 13th Part VII – This film marks the first appearance of Kane Hodder as Jason, a role he would hold for three more movies in the franchise
9. Friday The 13th Part VIII – Tim Mirkovich plays Jason after he was reverted to a boy by the toxic waste bath.
10. Friday The 13th Part XI – Ken Kirzinger stars as Jason for most of the Freddy vs. Jason action
11. Friday The 13th Part XI – Stuntman Glenn Ennis stands in for Ken Kirzinger for some of the more physically difficult portions of Freddy VS. Jason
12. Friday The 13th Part XII – In the remake film, Caleb Guss portrays Jason as a little boy..
13. Friday The 13th Part XII – Derek Mears performs the role of adult/murderous Jason throughout most of the film.

[04] Camp Crystal Lake is a boy scout camp:

This one is more well known but for those of you who didn’t, the filming location for Camp Crystal Lake is Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco – a Boy Scout camp near Blairstown, New Jersey. The camp still serves as an active Boy Scout camp to this day.

[05] Jason was going to wear an umpire’s mask:

Until the umpire mask was dropped because of the time it would take to create the visible portion of Jason’s deformed face beneath the mask. Instead, a hockey mask was used because it covers the entire face – no makeup required! Good thing too, cause that hockey mask is just so damn iconic.

[06] Several ‘Parts’ do not take place on Friday The 13th:

With a movie series like this one, it’s easy to assume each and every movie takes place on Friday the 13th, but that’s not exactly the case. Friday The 13th and Friday The 13th Part II both take place on Friday the 13th. However, Part III takes place immediately after the end of Part II and continues through to Saturday [the 14th] and Sunday – the 15th. Part IV begins immediately after Part III, which means it begins on Sunday the 15th and mostly takes place on Monday the 16th. In Part VI, one of the deputies says that the date is Friday the 13th…I hope I didn’t lose you there, I pretty much lost myself for a second as well!

[07] Jason’s Mother only showed up for a new car:

Betsy Palmer, who played Jason’s mother, only agreed to appear in the original Friday The 13th because she needed to buy a new car. Already a movie and television personality, Betsy Palmer didn’t just appear back in the 1970’s. When Betsy’s agent offered her the role of Pamela Voorhees, Betsy’s first thought was to reject the offer. Luckily for us, her car broke down and a new one was going to cost her around $10,000 – which, evened out as that was the exact amount she was offered for the honor of getting her head chopped off by the character of Alice.

[08] Camp Crystal Lake is rarely the setting:

Quickly. Right off the top of your head: what movie setting do you think of when you think “Friday The 13th”? I’m betting you said “Camp Crystal Lake,” didn’t you? Well, you’d be wrong [for the most part] because if you watch and think about it, very few of the movies take place at the infamous death camp.

Of course, the first film in the series takes place at Camp Crystal Lake, but it’s not until Jason Lives that we finally return to Camp Blood. That, and the remake from 2009.

[09] The forever lasting hockey mask:

It’s a rare thing in movies to carry the same prop forward from one movie to the next, yet that’s exactly what happened with Jason’s hockey mask from Part III through VI. Pretty impressive stuff if you ask me!

[10] an actor from the movies was also in the TV series:

Remember this guy? It’s older Tommy Jarvis from Part V! Oddly enough, after all the movies were finished, he appeared in the Friday The 13th TV show as a constable in the episode titled: “The Baron’s Bride”. [see him in the show here]

[11] Freddy Krueger appears in two Friday films:

Although technically one of these films is a spin-off, [Freddy VS. Jason] Freddy also appeared at the end of one of his own films – snatching away the mask, dragging it to Hell!

[12] Kane Hodder played Jason, Krueger, and a victim:

Did you know there was an actor that played Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and a victim of Jason‘s all in one movie? Seriously: Kane Hodder, mostly known for his portrayal of Jason in Parts VII through to X, also played both Freddy Krueger [the gloved hand, in as seen above – in 11] and an unnamed security guard who gets slaughtered by Jason.

[13] Jason seems to prefer Blondes:

As a movie with this many sequels will tell you, it’s worth dyeing your hair and putting on a dress if Jason is killing everyone around you. Almost every ‘final girl’ in the Friday franchise has been blonde or some deviation. Don’t believe me? Here’s the list of [blonde] survivors:

1. Friday The 13th – Alice Hardy [well, it was kind of a blondish brown hair color, but still!]
2. Friday The 13th Part II – Ginny Field
3. Friday The 13th Part III – Chris Higgins [her hair is more brown than blonde, but at least it’s a light brown]
4. Friday The 13th Part IV – Trish Jarvis
5. Friday The 13th Part V – Pam Roberts [it wasn’t Jason doing the killing, but she was still blonde]
6. Friday The 13th Part VI – Megan Garris
7. Friday The 13th Part VII – Tina Shepard
8. Friday The 13th Part IX – Jessica Kimble
9. Friday The 13th Part XI – Lori Campbell

Needless to say, if you’ve made it this far, you’ve done quite well for yourself! This is arguably my longest post yet, and I swear they won’t be this long all the time. I just figured why not mention 13 things for Friday The 13th? Even if these movies got extremely cheesy over time, they’re still some of the greatest slashers in the history of 80s films.

Though, I still stand that Freddy won the battle – just saying – I hope by the end of this [very long] Friday Fun Fact, you learned a thing or two about our masked monster who truthfully – isn’t really a monster at all: Just misunderstood. What was your favorite piece of trivia? Did you know Jason had an infatuation with Blondes? Perhaps this means that they really do have more fun?

THANKS FOR READING.

Although my first love is horror, sometimes I’ll watch something involving superheroes, or science fiction. One series in particular [which is one of, if not my, favorite] has been there for me for as long as I can remember: Star Wars. I remember it being something that left me in awe and inspiration as one of my strongest influences in watching the ultimate ‘good VS evil’ trope on screen. Although I absolutely love the series of films now, I actually wasn’t a fan at first: when I first watched The Phantom Menace, I was bored and wanted it to end, though this might be because it’s part of the prequels.. Now, more versed in the world of Star Wars, I can healthily say that it’s my favorite series outside of horror, and even though this IS a horror blog – we’re switching it up for today..kind of.

For a sci-fi series, you have to admit: a lot of people lost their lives in the Star Wars films. Others lived, but with serious injuries. So, With The Force Awakens coming to us faster than The Millennium Falcon doing the Kessel Run sequence in A New Hope, let’s delve into The Dark Side of the series and look at my five scariest/goriest moments in the Star Wars film-universe. Because, let’s face it: Star Wars can be downright terrifying at times – both on screen, and in context. Even in space, no one can hear you scream..wait, wrong movie.

     Attack Of The Clones – Slaughter Of The Tuskin Raiders:

Remember when Anakin tries to rescue his mother from a troop of Tuskin Raiders, but ends up being a little too late? [with his mother consequently dying in his arms] If you do, you probably also remember that out of his frustration and anger, [which Jedi aren’t supposed to feel] angst-ridden Ani goes on a rampage; killing the whole group of Tuskin nomads – including their children who were with them! This, along with other situations he finds himself part of, help his inevitable journey towards The Dark Side.

Return Of The Jedi – The Rancor Beast:

Let’s be honest: Luke‘s face-to-face showdown with Jabba The Hutt‘s precious little demon pet is both inspiring and completely exciting to watch! I mean, who doesn’t like watching an insignificant Gamorrean Guard get eaten alive? It’s violent, gruesome, and just all around good family fun – right?

Revenge Of The Sith – The fall of the Jedi Temple:

Do you know who I consider a terrible person? Anakin Skywalker. Seriously. When Palpatine requests of Anakin [though by this point, he may as well be Vader] to execute a plan known as Order-66. This plan involves going to the Jedi Temple and killing all the kids who are training to become Jedi themselves. It gets more depressing when you consider that one of the young Jedi boys asks Anakin for help, as Lord Vader takes out his lightsaber.. for murder.

A New Hope – The deaths of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru:

Need something to motivate you to go on an adventure? Why not coming home to the scorched bodies of the people who raised you? At least, this is what happened to Luke. The sight of Luke‘s aunt and uncle’s remains at the front door of the place he calls home across the sun burned plains of Tatooine is a scene that will forever stick with you when you first watch helplessly..

Revenge Of The Sith -The “birth” of Darth Vader:

In order to save the newly titled Darth Vader, we get one of my favorite scenes from the prequels [blasphemy!] showing little Ani‘s “birth” into Vader. It’s definitely chilling watching the burned, living husk of [what’s left of] Anakin Skywalker being encased in that iconic black armor, and his mask descending toward the camera reminding us of the new face of evil! Even if Lucas does blow it at the very end with that “Nooooooo!” [it’s just so good, for a movie that was so ‘meh.’ Check it out here!]

Needless to say, Star Wars is pretty great. It’s a series that I always return to with it’s iconic music, it’s atmosphere, and it’s views on violence: only use it when necessary. Something like The Force can be a strong tool in the hands of a mad man, just ask Vader! With The Force Awakens coming sooner than ever, I’m planning on revisiting the series [and possibly write reviews of all six on here?] because let’s be real: In a galaxy far, far away; Evil looms around every corner.

Also, if find yourself to enjoy what I do on here, then please take a minute and follow me over on my Facebook page [it’s at over 125+ likes – only a few more and we’ll have reached over 130!] By clicking that “like” button, you’ll see every post from warrenisweird the very moment it’s been posted online; and I also share links to articles and pictures/videos that will not be featured here on the blog. Every “like” helps me a ton, giving me the ability to write more posts for you to read, so be sure to tell the horror enthusiast in your life to do the same, and share The Facebook Page with your family and friends!

you and me both, Solo.

THANKS FOR READING.