Favorite Horror Movie(s) # Two

  For me to call one of these better than other would be a disservice to...the other. They are brilliant stories of love and loneliness. The setting and score are both perfectly blended together. The biggest difference for me is what may have been lost in translation in, "Let the Right One In". I was still able to catch the emotion of the film. Its rare that a "re-imagining" can live up to its original counterpart but "Let Me In" does so flawlessly. 

  We are not told anything of back story of the little girl vampire in the movie. It almost seems like she doesn't remember being a human. She just knows that she's been 12 for a "long time". In many ways this really isn't a horror movie. Its a love story and should be watched as such. Not only are these a favorite horror movie, they're also a favorite movie of all time. I probably should have given this movie a synopsis because if you haven't seen it you won't quite understand what I'm getting at. If I have ever stressed that someone watch one of my favorite horror movies this is the one to start with. Make sure you see them both. Oh and watch them with a friend. It's a movie that will remind how important they are.

Favorite Horror Movie # Three

This movie is a "bloody" good time. You really can't have a better laugh and see so much blood in any other movie. Shaun of the Dead has become a cult classic. Its easy to see why. It's labeled as "a romantic comedy...with zombies". That's covers it just about right. Shaun is a lovable loser about to lose his girlfriend so he decides to win her back. In the process England becomes infested with zombies. Not an ideal time to sit and have a chat about your relationship. It does happen to be a great time to be a hero and save the day. Could there be better way to prove your love? Not really... just don't get eaten in the process. This movie has plenty of laughs and an equal amount of gore. The great thing about this movie is that it has plenty of staying power. Its fun to watch whenever and you'll still enjoy it as much as the first time. If you haven't seen this movie check it out then watch the buddy cop comedy, Hot Fuzz. Its got a similar cast and is the second in a trilogy. Not sure what the third's about yet but I heard it might be an alien flick. I would suggest having a few pints while watching this one and keep you cricket mallet ready, you never know when the zombie apocalypse will begin.

Favorite Horror Movie # Four

It's an instant classic. Halloween has changed the past 7 years thanks to the first Saw. This year brings us (supposedly) the final of the series. The original stands out amongst the rest. We were first introduced to Jigsaw, nothing more than an ominous voice over a P.A. and of course a small wooden puppet. The great thing about this horror movie is that the villain never actually kills anybody. The fate is left to the victim alone. Of course it can be argued that death would be an eventual event given the circumstances. The characters are placed into "games". They have many choices to make mostly based on their moral fabric. Would you retrieve a key to the lock around your leg if it meant digging it out of the stomach of the guy in the cell with you? Perhaps you'd wait it out a bit. Sooner or later you'd have to choose. Maybe there's another option. Cut your own leg off? Maybe. I don't really do the spoiler thing. I'm a little bummed this is Halloween brings the last Saw ever but pretty psyched its in 3D. The whole series is intertwined into each previous movie. Anymore story lines and my head would probably explode from a "flashback attack". Its been a lot of fun though and even though I've basically been sold the same movie 6 more times I'd do it all over again. The original was great and its been a decent trip since. Saw reminds me of what Halloween is all about. Thats why its number four. 

P.S. Flashback Attack would make a great band name. If you're interested, hit me up.

Favorite Horror Movie # Five

This movie has it all. I feel this is John Carpenter's best work. It's got a perfect setting for a horror movie, the Antarctic. The basic story is that a search and rescue team head to a research lab to find everyone dead. Something really bad happened. They find that an alien creature that can assimilate humans has taken over the station and paranoia becomes and overwhelming problem from everyone on site. Who do you trust? No one. The audience can only guess who is human and who is ready to change into a hideous alien and bite an arm off an unsuspecting victim. These were also the days before over the top CGI. The special effects are fantastic even by todays standards. When someone loses a head the alien parasite just becomes a human head creature with razor sharp teeth and spider-like legs. Here's a picture to help my lame description...

Cool, right?

 If I were to redo this list in a couple of years this movie would probably be higher (maybe # two) This time I'll have to settle on five because I got four more in mind that I can't deny this time around. The gore is great and creature effects are spectacular. If you're a fan of sci-fi horror go out and rent this right away. There's some old advice about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. In this case, lock yourself up in a quiet place and don't open the door. Not even for your mom.

Favorite Horror Movie # Six

A movie about torturing innocent people. This movie is not for the timid. It is dark and twisted but you don't have to be to enjoy this movie. If you sat through, "The Passion of the Christ" then this is actually a piece of cake. The idea is that tourists travelling through Europe are lured into hostels by attractive individuals and promised hard partying and promiscuity. Easily deceived by such promises, 3 young men follow pretty girls into the hostel only to later be drugged and taken to an unknown facility. There customers join an underground society that pays to kill hapless victims in the way their darkest desires can be met in whichever way they see fit. This is not one of my favorite horror movies because of the violence. It has a great story throughout and it keeps you on the edge of your seat hoping the guys somehow survive. It's also believable enough to make you feel a bit wary about stay when traveling abroad. For me the real horror is in the very intense events leading up to the violent acts. Really I enjoyed Hostel II a little better but this makes the list for its originality in the genre. So I'll sum this up with a little advice. If travelling through Europe and a bunch of hot girls tell you they've know of a great place to stay. Tell them you're already booked at the Marriott.

Favorite Horror Movie # Seven

This movie is gory. Very gory. It's also one of the funnest horror movies you'll see. It is the result of the documentary series Project Greenlight. The documentary follows contest winners through the process of making a film. I didn't see it.
The plot is pretty simple. Nasty creatures are hungry and eat anyone or anything they feel like ingesting. Its one of my favorite's because of the slick humor that is added in. Upon a characters entrance to the screen is followed by a pause and a description of them and chances of survival. For instance, a "bad ass hero-type" comes through the door carrying the head of one of the creatures. The shot pauses and we are told he is the HERO and his chances of survival are "very high". 30 seconds, later creatures jump through a window and rip his head off. The blood and carnage begins and doesn't let up until the final frame. The blood and gore is over the top and at times is unbelievable that there could be that much blood in a human. It will jump you and gross you out but you'll have fun. You don't have to worry about nightmares or checking the closet before bed.
They followed up this one with two more movies. All equally gory but failing to meet up to the story of the first. Feast has a strong cult following and fans are eagerly awaiting a fourth installment. I'll be ready for it and would ready for five more. There has never been any closure to the film. (where do they come from?, how can we stop them?) This isn't important to me. I just enjoy the bloody ride.