Crimson Peak

Story: In the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider. Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds - and remembers.

As with every Halloween there are family horror and then there is ghostly frights, Crimson Peak is such a ghostly thriller. While light on the scares, Peak does not disappoint. The film follows a young girl as she falls in love with a handsome widower but once she enters his home she realizes all may not be as it seems.

Mia Wasikowska plays Edith, a young entrepreneur who falls in love with a mysterious man by the name of Thomas, played magnificent Tom Hiddleston. The film is more of a gothic romance with some fantastic visuals, makes one feel they are watching a film by Tim Burton as there is a fair amount of blood (reminiscent of films such as Sleepy Hollow and Sweeny Todd). Jessica Chastain plays Thomas' sister Lucille, she plays the part with dark mystery. The film is the first gothic type film that I have seen and it was fantastic.

Other actors such as Charlie Hunnam and Supernatural's Jim Beaver play the parts of friend and father. While Jim (spoiler!!) doesn't last too long Charlie steps in to become a protector of sorts for Edith. Charlie holds back from being overly heroic and plays the part of the gothic type hero perfectly. Jim, with what screen time he has, plays Edith's father with his usual vigar that he had on supernatural. Mia is a little dimwitted as the heroine but eventually earns her smarts.  But my favourite is Doug Jones, who plays the part of a few ghostly ghouls. Edith's dead mother and the ghost that haunts the home of Thomas. He plays the parts with his usual ghoulish flair and it is perfect.

Visually, Crimson gives off a darkly haunting atmosphere. The set designs are tremendously beautiful. Designed to perfection Guillermo can do no wrong.

Crimson Peak is an excellent visual masterpiece wrapped around a hauntingly gothic tale with a talented cast. For fans of gothic horror this is a must see.  

Rating: A-

Goosebumps

Story: A teenager teams up with the daughter of young adult horror author R. L. Stine after the writer's imaginary demons are set free on the town of Madison, Delaware.

Its Halloween and its time for some Halloween treats. For this film I am writing a shorter review as I want to just get to the basic point of the film and not reveal to much as it is a fun filled adventure. I consider this both a horror and regular film (by regular I mean more of an adventure)

Goosebumps starts off with our young adventurer Zach coming to a new neighbourhood with his mother, who has obtained a job at the local high school.  Zach, on his first day at the new school, meets Champ, a brace faced popular kid who was named Champ by his parents. Zach falls for the neighbour's kid but is eventually banned from seeing her. Said neighbour is R.L Stine, played brilliantly by the always hilarious Jack Black.

The film was directed by Rob Letterman, who directed Jack in the lackluster film Gulliver's Travels, surprises here as the film does an excellent job at balancing the comedic elements with the cheesy horror aspects of the material.

Goosebumps is the family halloween treat with a great lead performance and for those who fell in love with the books and TV series they will be treated with fond memories.

Rating: B+

Maggie

Story: A teenage girl (Abigail Breslin) becomes infected, during her transformation her loving father (Arnold Schwarzenegger) stays by her side.

One can say that zombie movies can never be good movies, but over the past few years I think people should change their tune. Back in 2013 we got what was thought to be a disaster turned out to be an extremely, entertaining blockbuster. The film I am referring to is the Brad Pitt staring vehicle World War Z. An amazing, entertaining blockbuster from the director of Quantum of Solace. While it had its issues (PG-13 seemed forced) it was still a fun ride.

Now, a different type of zombie film has come around, and it is a masterwork. While the film with Brad Pitt was an energetic, action romp, the Arnold staring vehicle is a slow burn of the eventual infection of a loved one.

Its great to see Arnold (The Terminator) stretch his acting chops and do a film where he is really restrained in the action department. He stars as a father who must deal with the aftermath of his daughter's infection. His daughter is played by the amazingly talented Abigail from Little Miss. Sunshine. She has grown into an amazing actress and goes toe to toe with Arnold. Their chemistry is extremely strong and that is a huge plus with a film like this.

 And here is the big surprise, the film is also rated PG-13. The difference here though is that its not forced. While in WWZ there were moments that needed the gore effect, here its all natural. They don't end up in a corner where they have to show gore, much like World War Z kept doing. When Maggie chops her finger off, we see blood, we see the finger all bent out of shape. In World War Z, we cut away from a woman's hand being chopped off. PG-13 ratings can be pushed, the only limit would be explicit language, intense gore (zombie chewing), etc. What also should be said is the zombies in Maggie are by far the most horrifying creations you will ever see. You will have nightmares after seeing some of the dead creatures seen here.

A scene I refer to is when Arnold has to kill his infected neighbour and his daughter. The effects and detail are so realistic and life like it is truly horrifying. The little girl was also a terrifying sight to see. It just proves that if you are told to make a PG-13 horror movie, it doesn't mean you have to lessen the mood. PG-13 has a good long limitation, you can push the rating pretty far. I was surprised to see the film was rated PG-13 as I firmly felt it was an R-rated picture, that is how good the director worked within the rating to create a film with such a dark and unsettling mood. However, he does provide the film with a very heartfelt ending that will most certainly earn both a tear and a cheer.

Maggie is a true horror masterpiece that retains what I feel is a must in horror movies of this type need, showing the humanity of its characters and what they go through during such harsh times. The film felt real, it pulled at your heart strings and made you really care for these characters. Arnold is by far the best part of the film as here he puts everything into it, he really got into the role. With him and Abigail and the unique portrayal of its zombie inhabitants Maggie feels more like a real zombie film than any that have come before.

Rating - A+

Insidious Chapter 3 Review

James Wan and Leigh Whannell started a horror franchise that I have come to really enjoy, the insidious series. Its becoming unique in its take on ghosts, paranormal activity and PG-13 horror. Never has there been a more creepier franchise than Insidious. 

The first film, titled simply Insidious, was the start of this horror franchise and brought the spookiness of PG-13 horror and ghosts back to cinemas with startling success. While the sequel was less than original, it still filled you with a sense of dread and terror. The latest chapter is probably the best one out of the two follow-ups as it matches the first film in originality and depth. 

Chapter 3 tells the story of a girl (Quinn Brenner) who wishes to speak to her mother, concerning unanswered questions. She goes to the psychic Elise (played once again by Lin Shaye) in order to make contact, but since loosing her husband to suicide Elise has decided to discontinue her psychic readings. She further tells Quinn to no longer try and contact her mother on her own and leave it to another professional. 

With the stress of school, her family, and a future career in acting, Quinn tries contacting her mother again in hopes of reaching her, but sadly, as things go sometimes, someone else reached out to her. A new ghostly apportion nick-named the face breather and played by the actor who played Sloth in Se7en. This villainous ghost is by far the most intriguing ghost in this franchise and finally is the most terrifying. Even Elise has trouble confronting this dark spirit, who pricks at her own emotions at one point. 

Insidious 3 is by far the best chapter in this franchise as it develops new and old characters alike to give us a very emotional undercurrent throughout the film where each character is at risk (either physically or mentally) Elise especially goes through a hard path of becoming a psychic again and as such seeks out an old friend of hers for advice. Steve Coulter makes his return to the franchise as psychic Carl to push Elise to help the people who can't help themselves, especially in situations such as this. 

I did think for a time that Tucker and Specs would not be in the movie, or at least Specs (played by the amazing Leigh Whannell) as he has taken over directing duties this time round. I was wrong as the film also develops the growth of the two high-tech nerd ghost explorers to become the famous ones we know from the last two films. 

As for Leigh's direction, he does a super fantastic job and even tops the last film in every manner. I mean, he was the writer and creator of the complete franchise and he really digs into the mythology this time out. We also get some ghostly surprises from the past. One being the initial frightener with the red face and then the eerie woman dressed for a funeral. 

I enjoyed this instalment because it is essentially a perfect reboot to what could have become an age old franchise. Leigh Whannell breathed new life into the series with this third instalment. I very much enjoyed the development of the characters and the slight references to some of the great horror films, such as The Exorcist and Poltergeist. 

Insidious Chapter 3 is an essential instalment and a must watch for any fan who was slightly disappointed by the first sequel. With strong direction, nifty scares, some solid acting and a very sinister and spooky villain, Chapter 3 earns its medal for being just as good as the first film, even topping it in certain places. 

Rating: A- 

Poltergeist Reboot Reviewed

Remakes are not a thing of the past, while this year sees only one real remake, Point Blank, hitting movie screens remakes still do keep getting turned out. With Poltergeist, the producers behind The Grudge and Evil Dead remakes brought back Spielberg and Hooper's ghost house classic into present day, adding more visual flare and giving the new film a different twist. 

Gil Kenan, the director of the animated monster feature Monster House, directs this remake of a family who are haunted by unhappy spirits. The cast is peppered throughout with excellent talent, from Sam Rockwell,  Rosemarie DeWitt to Jared Harris and Jane Adams, the cast is perfect and effective. They convey their characters with perfect conviction, including new comer Kennedi Clements, who plays Madison just like Carol Anne in the original, constantly conveying that sense of innocence. Actor Kyle Catlett is a great addition but I cant help but feel he has barely aged since I saw him on television in The Following two years prior. The visuals are eye-popping in 3D and the design of purgatory is done with such a high creep factor, had me cringing the whole way through. 

One flaw with the film, and sadly this is a major one, is it is hardly scary. The film really is portrayed as more of a creepy thriller than an actual horror movie. Their are moments where certain characters are put in jeopardy, one such great moment is when one of the ghost hunters tries installing a heat detector in the primary closet, bad idea as he almost gets drilled through the head. 

No one was really seemingly at risk, it seemed like the ghosts were kind of tame. The film is well made and deserves a watch. Some may want to see the original though as this remake pretty much follows the original to a T, though there is a better ending that has less of a cliffhanger like most horror films and concludes that story better. A short, creepy, well crafted thriller, the new Poltergeist is tame in comparison to the original, in parts, but as far as a viewing pleasure goes it was a pretty good time at the movies. 

Rating: B 

The Heart-throb next door

Story: A newly divorced woman falls for a younger man who has recently moved in across the street from her, but their torrid affair soon takes a dangerous turn.

The movie, for all its worth, is a movie vehicle for Jennifer Lopez and thats not a bad thing. I have not seen a lot of Jennifer Lopez in film lately and I found her to be terrific here. I really did. Its funny how no matter how bad the script sounds you can just feel the meaning that whats in the script is trying to convey through her ability to express those inner turmoils and emotions. 

Another huge surprise was Ryan Guzman, this guy plays sadistic and psycho to a T. Ryan and psycho roommate Leighton Meester should play as duo villains in a movie. Ryan does a great job at playing cat and mouse with J.lo and he just plays the bad guy so well. He is beyond terrific and you can just feel the crazy seeping out of him. Ryan shows such a turn around here, he plays the part with such great intensity, he's beyond amazing in the part. 

As for the rest of the cast the only other standout is Hunger Games player Ian Nelson. He had a bit part in the first Hunger Games movie and has seemingly grown into a very capable actor. I have not seen him in anything since then but I feel he's working up strongly. 

The one thing really wrong with the film is its script. Writing a good screenplay is of course the hardest thing to do. Issues with the script would be how certain scenarios are breezed over and character arcs are never fully developed. I would have liked to have seen a better effort for the writer to try and make some points about society, the way we live, the digital age. Our world is full of great ideas, someone just needs to jot them down. 

No worries though, Rob Cohen makes the film worth every cent. As the budget is not huge Rob is able to do the impossible and make a very exciting set pieces. Once we get into the second act the film starts rolling and building towards an inferno of a finale. It was so adrenaline pumping. While some character moments don't seem to work all to well, the director get by with some solid pacing and good twists. 

The Boy Next Door does not break any new cinematic walls. In fact I would call it so bad its good! Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Guzman and Ian Nelson are the best here and the story, while cliche and messy, can be ignored for Rob's excellent action direction. 

Rating: B 

The Woman in Black 2

I was a huge fan of the first film, as it was Daniel Radcliffe's dive into new thematic territory. A sequel seemed like a no brainer, until I realized (spoiler alert) Daniel dies in the end. So how do you follow up a terrifying chiller such as Woman in Black and still be just as good.

The Woman in Black 2 has kept the same atmosphere and setting of the first film and does go over again events from the previous film, involving the ghostly woman. What 2 sets itself up differently is that it takes place over a 100 years later in 1941 when London was being bombed. Now, the concept and themes of that time would have made for interesting new material for the sequel. Sadly, one of the sequel's major faults is its excitement factor. There are too many parts in the film that just drag the film down. Seriously, even some of the characters look bored. What was interesting in the first film was trying to figure out how to stop the ghost from killing all the children and watching Daniel slowly unravel at the thought of spirits being real. Angel of Death, as the sequel's second title, makes the Woman in black seem more desperate than terrifying. Now look I am not for killing children but if thats where the scariness factor comes in, you better deliver. Here only 2 children and a grown up die, half of the children of the orphanage survive. I'm going to rant for a sentence or two here and say why is she so fixated on the one boy. If the woman in black is a vengeful spirit she would of taken all the children, but she didn't. This is what led to the film being very dull and uninteresting. The leads are fine, Jeremy Irvine does a good job with what he's got but even then, the backstories are murkier than the water near the house. Speaking of which when did the water become so clear. If I recall it was more like mud in the first film. I guess by film 3 they'll need a boat to get to the island.

But with all due respect to the material, if this is the best they can come up with than I say let the place stay dormant. No need to go back again if next time we'll be retreading again and no kids perish and everybody lives happily ever after. The Woman in Black 2 sadly does not live up to the title. I've seen some badly rated horror films in the past and I loved them (99's The Haunting and 2011's The Thing)  but what did those films have that this one doesn't, the adrenaline rush. The Woman in Black: Angel of Death is a weak entry into this series. While all of it is there, it just seems like we're staring at a black and white photo and nothing is happening. Let's hope this year can bring out some more exciting horror than this.

Rating - C +

Horror films anew

Hello all who read this blog. This new year I am determined to write more on my blogs and upload more art on others. That said I never got out to seeing Ouija or Before I go to Sleep. The first really deterred me from seeing it when the reviews came in and the second seemed to not have gotten a release date. I will see these films when they hit dvd/iTunes and I also plan to catch The Babadook. Its going to be another exciting year in horror.