Tag: horror (Page 3 of 4)

Scary Movie Month – Day 13 – Rosemary’s Baby

October 13, 2011 / Jared Cash

If I hadn’t already known what Rosemary’s Baby (iTunes) was all about, I would have been quite disturbed by the events. Many movies deal with pregnancy and the fears that a woman faces while pregnant, but this film goes above and beyond. I love conspiracy movies, especially those with supernatural undertones. It’s difficult to tell a story like this one and maintain a sense of realism, but Rosemary’s Baby does an excellent job.

While not exactly scary, it’s a very creepy movie and the climax is nightmarish for any pregnant woman. The reveal in the finale is quite shocking.

Thankfully, the movie came out when it did. Had it been made today, the ending would have been given away in the trailer.

Scary Movie Month – Day 12 – Psycho

October 12, 2011 / Jared Cash

Psycho (iTunes) is an iconic film and is my second Hitchcock film for Scary Movie Month. PsychoÂ is often considered to be where “slasher” films began, due to a number of filming techniques and the way the plot is structured. Most slasher films, which became very popular in the late 70s and throughout the 80s, continue to use the same techniques, themes, and plot-twists while presenting the viewer with a “mystery” that the characters (and sometimes even the audience) are trying to solve.

While The BirdsÂ is a better movie, and North by NorthwestÂ is my favorite, PsychoÂ is still a remarkable movie and any fan of cinema should check it out for the performances alone. Anthony Perkins is phenomenal as Norman Bates, and the way the plot unfolds, twists, and turns before the end makes it worth watching to everyone.

Also, if you’re just “tuning in” to Scary Movie Month, be sure to check out the calendar to see what’s coming up. Also, be sure and check out the new episode of Dead-Wait, the zombieÂ web-seriesÂ filmed and produced in Kansas City, which is available today.

Scary Movie Month – Day 11 – The Birds

October 11, 2011 / Jared Cash

I think I’m in love with Tippi Hedren. Not really, in love, since I’m married and love my wife dearly. And of course, she’s 50 years my senior. But still, she is fascinating to watch. Alfred Hitchcock was a genius in recognizing her talent and casting her. Thank goodness that he did, as her success was likely a huge encouragement for her daughter,Â Melanie Griffith,Â to pursue acting.

I had seen the climax of The Birds (iTunes) when I was younger, but never had the opportunity to watch the whole thing. I can honestly say, that had I seen this movie as a child, I would have felt very differently about birds the rest of my life. As it stands, I’m still disconcerted when I see large numbers of birds congregating.

There are a number of moments in this movie where it feels a bit like an apocalypse movie. But, instead of zombies or an expansive, radioactive wasteland, birds are the unstoppable force standing between our heroes and hope. Hitchcock did an excellent job of making the entire city of Bodega Bay feel as though it is under attack from angry avian assailants. The ending is a little ambiguous, though. Several alternate endings were considered, some of which were even darker than this one. However, there is a sense of either hope or hopelessness at the end, depending on the viewer, which is a nice touch.

Scary Movie Month – Day 10 – The Haunting

October 10, 2011 / Jared Cash

“An evil old house, the kind some people call haunted, is like an undiscovered country waiting to be explored. Hill House had stood for 90 years and might stand for 90 more. Silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked thereâ€¦ walked alone.”

I first saw The Haunting (iTunes) in high school, in one of my English classes (thank you, Mrs. Rockey!). While the movie was remade (iTunes) in the ’90s with lots of scares and frights and special effects, the atmosphere of the original was superior. The cinematography was much creepier than most other movies of the time, and surpassed most movies of the time altogether, regardless of genre. Eleanor “Nell” Lance is portrayed remarkably well by Julie Harris, whose nervousness (and possible mental illness) really heightens the tense and sometimes claustrophobic feeling of the film.

One of the oft-analyzed aspects of the film is Theo’s implied lesbianism, which was just subtle enough to be ignored by those that wouldn’t have been able to handle the concept at the time. Some even go so far is to imply that Dr. Markway and Luke also appear to be in a homosexual relationship, but I feel as though that might be reaching just a bit.

My favorite scene in the entire movie is one in which all horror is left to the imagination, rather than explicitly showing the audience what is terrorizing the characters. In the scene Theo and Nell are in their locked rooms while something outside in the hall is seeking a way in, making a terrifyingly loud knocking and scraping noise. Nothing is more frightening in the dark than unexplained sounds, and The Haunting makes certain to play on those innate fears. It is a fantastic movie, and should be required viewing for any fan of horror.

Also, doors that look like faces are terrifying.

Scary Movie Month – Day 9 – The Mist

October 9, 2011 / Jared Cash

The Mist (iTunes) is one of the rare moments where a Stephen King story translated to the screen actually surpasses the source material. The first time I saw the movie, I watched the studio release in 2007. I was rather impressed, but always felt as though something was a little off about the movie. I could never quite place it. Then, Justin over at Happy Underground FilmsÂ (of Dead-Wait fame) suggested I watch Darabont’s original vision for the movie (in black & white) from the retail DVD release. So I did.

Oh. My. God. It’s absolutely fantastic.

You may recognize Frank Darabont as the writer/director of two other Stephen King films, The Shawshank Redemption (iTunes) and The Green Mile (iTunes), as well as hit series The Walking Dead. His handling of this story is nothing short of brilliant, as you’d expect.

Let’s start with the fact that the movie opens on the protagonist, David Drayton (played by Thomas Jane), painting the cover art for Stephen King’s Dark Tower Book VII. This is just one of those nice little touches that I always love from talented directors. In the black & white version, it is just the start of a stunning opening scene in which the Drayton family approaches the window to see a massive storm approaching. The stark contrast in the cinematography is just incredible.Â Darabont shot the movie on color film, but lit the entire set in such a way to allow him to post-process it in black & white, really making every shot pop. It’s all very reminiscent of horror movies of the ’50s and ’60s, but with a greatly improved acting and directing style that adds a staggering realism to the film.

But the real beauty in the film is in the way Darabont’s film parallels and makes reference to both McCarthyism and the post-911 terror era. One of the most poignant lines in the film feels like a direct reference to the way a number of Republican politicians began using fear and blame as a motivator after the towers fell:

“You scare people badly enough, you can get ’em to do anything. They’ll turn to whoever promises a solution.”

I don’t want to spoil this movie for you, because its finale is just gut-wrenchingly amazing. You simply mustÂ see it for yourself. Please do yourself a favor and buy or borrow the black & white release. You won’t be disappointed. Sit through the credits for another amazing subtlety as the score ends well before the credits do. The film has a lovely soundtrack, by the way, with very few moments actually scored, making those that are really stand out in your memory.

Scary Movie Month – Day 8 – Scream

October 8, 2011 / Jared Cash

“My mom and dad are gonna be so mad at me.”

ScreamÂ was one of my first exposures to the slasher genre. My parents didn’t let us watch true scary movies growing up, so aside from a brief 30-minute experience with Halloween II (iTunes) (where Michael Myers drowns the nurse in a boiling hot tub), Scream was it. Coincidentally, it also coincides with my first non-publicÂ make-outÂ session. Don’t tell my wife.

The best parts of this movie are all the little details they’ve added for horror movie fans: the Freddy Krueger look-a-like janitor, the oft-repeated conversations and “Rules” about scary movies, and especially the trivia game in the opening scene. I also loved the way it told you the “Rules” for surviving a scary movie and then violated every single one of them. The best thing about Scream, of course, was the way it redefined the genre, adding a sense of humor that was often missing from horror movies at the time.

Also, I didn’t have time to watch The Faculty today, so I’m gonna have to move it to another day. Maybe the same day I watch Invasion of the Body Snatchers, as it’s essentially the same movie.

Scary Movie Month – Day 7 – Village of the Damned

October 7, 2011 / Jared Cash

A number of the movies on my calendar have two (or more) versions. Often, the original is considered to be the best. Unfortunately, the older ones are often not scary, simply due to the time frame in which they were filmed. Village of the DamnedÂ (iTunes) is a good example of this. Everywhere I looked on the Internet indicated that the original 1960 release was superior to the 1995 remake (iTunes). However, it’s not scary at all. It’s a fantastic story and is a prime example of quality filmmaking of the era. However, I wish that I had watched the remake instead. There’s no scare factor in the original, but that doesn’t stop it from being entertaining. I highly recommend checking it out. But, if you’re looking for a scare or two, watch the remake instead. Plus, it’s from John Carpenter, who will be making an appearance later this month.

Scary Movie Month – Day 6 – Arachnophobia

October 6, 2011 / Jared Cash

I hate spiders. I hate them with a passion. I appreciate the service that they do for us in keeping the insect population down, but that doesn’t alleviate the animosity I have for them as individual creatures. I don’t know where my hatred comes from, I only know that it exists. And while I have a general dislike for all creatures with more than four legs, spiders get the brunt of it. So ArachnophobiaÂ (iTunes)Â is, essentially, my nightmare. And yet, I love it. It’s creepy, crawly, and ooky. I know that the events from this movie could actually happen, which makes it all that more disturbing. John Goodman is hilarious as the exterminator and I remember when I was younger, watching this movie for the first time, that I distinctly liked his character.

The first time I watched this movie, I wouldn’t go anywhere that might harbor eight-legged freaks. I still don’t like to go into the crawlspace under my house. I refused to reach my hands into a box of cereal unless I opened it myself. Even then, I checked it thoroughly beforehand. My brother tells the story of watching this movie and having a spider crawl out of the chair he was sitting in during a particularly tense scene. I remember the story, only when I recall it, I was sitting in the chair the spider from which the spider emerged. It doesn’t matter which of us is right, what matters is that the fear was so powerful that we both remember it having happened to us, and one of us was merely a spectator.

Sure, it’s not as frightening as most other movies I’ve seen since then, but at the time it was very powerful. And that fear of something so alien to me as a spider has stayed with me throughout my life. I can kill them. I can function knowing they’re hiding in various places in my house. But ask me to reach my hand into a dark space under a cabinet, and I promise that I’ll hesitate before doing so. And spend the entire time waiting for something to brush across my hand and cause me to scream.

Jeff Daniels does a fine job of playing a big-city arachnophobic doctor in a new, small town. But as I said before, the real treat here is Goodman. Plus, you’ll find Kathy Kinney (Mimi, from “The Drew Carey Show”) playing the wife of the town mortician, in one of my least favorite scenes in the movie. Honestly, try to get me to eat popcorn after. I dare you. Of course, the scene where Daniels comes to get his family out of the house only to be trapped in a bathroom teeming with spiders really is the worst nightmare I could possibly imagine.

If you can sit through a movie about spiders, then watch it simply for Goodman. If you can’t, try to watch it anyway for a good scare.

Great, now my skin is crawling all over.

Scary Movie Month – Day 5 – Eraserhead

October 5, 2011 / Jared Cash

Eraserhead isn’t scary. It’s disturbing. It’s uncomfortable to watch. It’s crafted in such a way to make your skin crawl without evoking any true fear. All those weird dreams you have that are completely surreal and leave you wondering what they were all about after you wake up make up the very essence of this movie. Watch this movie as a child, and you’re likely to have nightmares for the rest of your life and never be able to explain to anyone why a specific image or scene frightened you so much as to create a complex. Watch it as an adult, and you’ll still probably wish that you could scrub various parts from your mind.

Director David Lynch did a masterful job of poking the parts of your brain that are rarely used to elicit a response. Especially if you have ever had fears about becoming a father. This is more of an “art house film” than anything else. Unfortunately, that means many people won’t have the patience for this movie. I wouldn’tÂ recommendÂ this movie to more than maybe 2 or 3 of my friends. However, if you consider yourself someone who really appreciates art or loves surrealism and want to see a film that really breaks the mold, check out Eraserhead.

Scary Movie Month – Day 4 – The Frighteners

October 4, 2011 / Jared Cash

The Frighteners (iTunes) is another movie that’s less scary and more ghastly. But, it’s from the brilliant mind of Peter Jackson, which makes it a treat in both the visual and script departments. I’ll be honest, the primary reason that I chose this movie is because I’ve been meaning to watch it for some time and I love supernatural comedies like this and Ghostbusters (iTunes). Of course, there are parts of this movie that were still creepy for the time, but really the comedy is what makes it worth watching again. The best part of the entire movie, though, is Milton Dammers, the mentally damaged FBI agent.

My only real complaint is that Michael J. Fox‘s character, Frank Bannister, makes some of the dumbest decisions I’ve ever seen in trying to figure out what’s going on and save the lives of various characters, only convincing others that he’s guilty of murder. But, it’s also these actions that make us truly invested in his character.

I highly recommend you see this movie if you haven’t before. And if you have, then I recommend you watch it again. It’s great fun and is an excellent way to get into the Halloween spirit. Besides, it’s got a hundred-plus-year-old ghost humping a mummy. How do you beat that?