Goosebumps (2015)

If you were a kid like me growing up in the 90’s, you’re likely familiar with the Goosebumps series of books written by R.L. Stine. They were horror fiction books intended for kids and were practically everywhere. I was really into the series and read more of the books than I could count, losing just as many nights of sleep in the process (yes, I was easily scared back then). When talks of a film adaptation came about, I was certainly interested and once the first trailer hit, I was more or less sold.

Jack Black plays R.L. Stine, the author of the popular Goosebumps series who now lives in seclusion with his daughter in the small fictional town of Madison, Delaware. Zach Cooper, a teenager moves in next door with his mom and makes friends with Stine’s daughter. Inadvertently, they unleash the imaginary monsters from Stine’s books into the real world. Together with Stine, they must return the monsters to the confines of their books to put an end to the terror.

As a whole, the film’s family friendly fun and sticks true to the spirit of the books. It features some of the most memorable Goosebumps monsters such as Slappy, the evil Dummy from Night of the Living Dummy and the blob from The Blob That Ate Everything. Considering there were so many monsters in the book series, they did a good job of featuring as many as they could. The CGI effects are phenomenal and visually, it’s a treat. Jack Black is great as Stine (he even voices Slappy too!). The rest of the cast is decent, but Ryan Lee is irritating as Champ, Zach’s new friend. He overplays the whole “best friend of the lead character” role and isn’t that great of comic relief. Speaking of the comedy, it’s one of the film’s weak points. It works in certain parts, but feels forced and awkward in other parts. It would’ve helped to tone it down.

While the film’s not perfect, they took a different and creative approach with the material and it succeeds. It’s definitely worth at least one watch for any Goosebumps fan.

Evil Dead Trilogy Ranked

With Ash vs. Evil Dead premiering on the Starz channel this Oct 31^st (what a perfect day, am I right?), it’s an excuse to revisit the trilogy. Hell, there’s never an excuse required to revisit the trilogy. All three films are quite awesome too, so ranking them is tough, and here I go:

The Evil Dead (1981) – Tie

I’m so back and forth between whether this or Army of Darkness is my favorite of the trilogy, so it’s a tie. As far as low budget, 80’s horror goes; it doesn’t get any better than this. The isolated cabin in the woods setting is utilized perfectly (satirized perfectly in Cabin in the Woods too), and the premise of a group of young adults being terrorized and gradually possessed by a demonic force is simple, yet effective. The small cast is able to carry the film thanks to some solid and convincing performances, especially from a young Bruce Campbell who plays Ash, the main protagonist of the film and later the trilogy as a whole. The gore and make up effects are mostly convincing and have that unique low budget charm to them. Technically, the film is practically flawless, primarily the camera work because it’s so effective and doesn’t feel amateurish or sloppy. It’s up there with John Carpenter’s Halloween as being one of the best shot horror films of all time (in the author’s humble opinion). The editing is also effective with quick and frantic cuts during intense moments, leaving you agitated and uneasy, just like the characters in the film. Overall, it’s a perfect horror film and it remains one of Sam Raimi’s best films.

Army of Darkness (1992) – Tie

Okay, so this one is way less of a horror film compared to the previous two films, but damn if it isn’t a fun flick. It can definitely be argued that it’s the most well-paced and most re-watchable film in the entire trilogy. Also, it’s easily the most quotable. The comedy is goofy and slapstick and works like it did in Evil Dead II, but again it's not for everyone. The medieval setting is well utilized and Ash being stuck in a different time period really gives way to a lot of funny and clever moments. As with the previous two films, the camera work is once again phenomenal. The climactic battle between the deadites is pure gold, entertaining,and funny with some awesome stop motion skeletons paying homage to Jason and the Argonauts. Not a single moment in this film is wasted or dull, and who can forget that classic final line?

Evil Dead II (1987)

The first Evil Dead is a straight up horror film with a few moments of dark comedy where this sequel is a straight up horror comedy. It’s goofy and slapstick approach to the comedy isn’t for everyone and can inhibit your enjoyment of the film if it’s not your thing. Also, there’s been the lively debate over the years as to whether this is actually a remake as opposed to a sequel. Considering II is in the title, it’s not fair to say that it’s not a sequel because of course they intended to make a sequel. In addition to this, there were rights issues surrounding the first film, so Raimi and crew had to film new footage which went on to serve as the recap of the first film at the beginning. The recap distorts the continuity, which ignited the whole “it’s a remake!” argument. Raimi himself has stated that the film really begins after the recap when Ash is charged by the fast moving deadite force (just like how the first film ended), so going off of his word, it’s a sequel. Personally, I’ve always considered it a sequel and always will. Anyway, the film once again makes effective use of the isolated cabin setting and throws in some new twists and ways to torture Ash, the protagonist. The possessed hand bit and Ash being forced to get rid of it by extreme means is both brutal and memorable. Chainsaws come in quite handy, don’t they? The amount of blood & gore is upped too; making it all the more entertaining and the ending is a perfect set up for Army of Darkness.

Knock Knock (2015)

It’s great that we got two Eli Roth films in one year. The first was his long awaited cannibal film The Green Inferno, which was originally supposed to be released last year, but legal & distribution issues delayed it. The second film we got was Knock Knock, a satire of home invasion films more or less with the right dose of Roth’s trademark dark humor.

Keanu Reeves plays Evan Webber, a family man who stays home to work while his family goes away for the weekend. When two gorgeous girls in need of help show up at his door, Evan finds himself seduced and a victim of their cruel and sociopathic behavior.

The film sets up Evan as a decent guy, although it’s made clear he’s not completely happy. He’s struggling to balance his workload with his family and him and his wife have not been intimate in a while. When the two girls, Genesis and Bel arrive at his door one night in need of help, it’s not too much of a surprise that Evan lets them in and makes a big mistake. You might find Evan reprehensible for what he does and not feel sympathetic towards him for the rest of the film, which is understandable. Lorenza Izzo and Ana de Armas are great as Genesis and Bel, exaggerated femme fatales. They play annoying and evil so well and the fact that they’re remorseless the entire time they torture Evan is horrifying. Keanu Reeves is good in his role and hams it up quite brilliantly towards the end, but if you’ve never considered him to be a good actor, his performance here won’t change your opinion. What really made the film fun for me is that it was tense throughout. There’s great sexual tension early on and the general tension continues as the film progresses. If you’re sympathetic towards Evan, you desperately want him to get out of his predicament that grows more hopeless by the minute.

Overall, it’s a fun home invasion satire, but it’s not for everyone. It’s campy and over the top, which will kill your enjoyment if you don’t like that sort of approach. If you’re not a fan of Eli Roth, you won’t like it either more than likely.

Tremors Franchise Ranked

This is a franchise that’s so much fun to watch. They may not be perfect films per se, but they’re damn entertaining at least. Here’s how I rank them:

Tremors (1990)

It’s an excellent mix of horror, comedy, and sci-fi and still the best in the franchise. The premise is simple; a group of townsfolk have to defend Perfection, their small Nevada town from a Graboid invasion. Graboids are monsters that live under the ground and hunt their prey via seismic vibrations made on the surface. They’re a unique type of movie monster and they work thanks to some great special effects. It’s tense, funny, entertaining, and features some great acting, especially from Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, and Michael Gross.

Tremors II: Aftershocks (1996)

This one was worthy of a theatrical release because it really doesn’t feel like a DTV film at all if you ask me. It helps that they got Fred Ward back in the lead role and Michael Gross returns too as Burt Gummer, one of the coolest movie characters of all time. It’s cool to see the evolution of the Graboid because it makes for such a fun final act.

Tremors 5: Bloodlines (2015)

This was totally worth the wait. It’s easily the best in the series since II. Michael Gross is as fine as ever as Burt Gummer and the South African setting is well utilized. Jaimie Kennedy is great in his supporting role and how his character fits into the series is quite interesting and unexpected. It’s all around fun.

Tremors 3: Back to Perfection (2001)

Michael Gross returns once again as Burt Gummer, and this time he’s in the leading role and totally nails it. Some characters from the first film return too and there are some new ones as well, including “Desert” Jack Sawyer, a carefree con man who must team up with Burt to take on the new Graboid infestation. This film introduces the “ass blaster”, a new monster totally ridiculous in concept, but hell, it works. The only major flaws are that film’s low budget really shows at times (the CGI can be rather awful), and the final act drags a bit, but it’s still a lot of fun and Gross is enough to carry it.

Tremors 4: The Legend Begins (2004)

A lot aren’t big on this one and I can understand that. Personally, I like it, but it’s easily my least favorite of the franchise. The prequel approach, while a cool idea isn’t utilized as well as it could’ve been. The western elements don’t add much of anything and the features a surprising lack of Graboid action, which kills the fun factor. Burt’s ancestor, Hiram Gummer being written completely different than Burt was an ironic touch and even kind of funny, but he’s not very likeable for most of the film. The last act is when the film really gets fun and is enough to save it from being a total letdown.

Tremors (2003) - TV Series

Figured I had to mention it because it’s still canon with the series since it takes place after the events of 3. It features everything that’s great about the films and adds some new elements and conflicts as well. It’s worth checking out if you love the films, but unfortunately it only had one season because the Sci-Fi channel canceled it (expect anything different from them?).

A Nightmare on Elm Street Franchise Ranked

Sadly, Wes Craven passed away back in late August and left us with an uneven, but mostly impressive filmography. A Nightmare on Elm Street, his stab at the slasher subgenre went on to become not only one his best films, but also one of the greatest horror films of all time. Several sequels inevitably followed and here’s how I rank the franchise (potential spoilers ahead!):

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

If you ask me, it’s still the best film in the franchise. Even if you’re not a fan of slasher flicks, you can’t deny it has an original and unique premise. What’s more terrifying than Freddy Krueger, a deceased & vengeful child murderer killing teens in their dreams where they’re so vulnerable? Robert Englund is convincingly scary and funny as Freddy and is one of the main reasons why Freddy has become one of the most memorable horror film villains of all time. The rest of the cast is pretty damn good, including Johnny Depp in his film debut. It’s easily one of the most innovative slasher films of all time.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)

Wes Craven returned to write this one, and the film really benefits from it. The whole concept of the teens (aka the “Dream Warriors") teaming up to fight back against Freddy was a great one. They’re all pretty likable and well developed, especially Kristen, a girl who has control over who she can bring into her dreams. Heather Langenkamp also makes a welcomed return to the series as Nancy, who teams up with the Dream Warriors to fight Freddy. The film also gives us a disturbing backstory for how Freddy came to be and is by far the best sequel in the franchise.

New Nightmare (1994)

This sequel brings Freddy into the real world and it works quite well. Instead of going for another by the numbers sequel, Craven was way more creative and ambitious. The whole cast is great with the material, basically playing themselves and their characters from the first film, although Miko Hughes can be a little irritating as the kid. Overall, it’s a great entry in the series that really kick started the whole “meta-horror” subgenre in the 90’s.

Freddy vs. Jason (2003)

It’s not a perfect film by any means, but it sure is damn great entertainment. It helps to be a fan of both the Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13^th franchises in order to really get into this one and appreciate it. If you find yourself favoring Freddy over Jason or vice versa, you’ll likely be disappointed. They did a good enough job I thought of not making one more powerful than the other. The characters are actually quite memorable and fun to watch. It helps that they got Monica Keena and Jason Ritter especially. Who wins in the end is made cleverly ambiguous and a sequel would be great, but chances of it ever happening are zero to none, unfortunately.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985)

This one gets a lot of hate, but I like and enjoy it even though it’s not perfect. Having Jesse, a teenage boy being possessed by Freddy and doing his bidding was a different approach and works in regards to the film’s homoerotic tone. This one also features Freddy at his creepiest and some cool nightmare sequences.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)

My biggest gripe with this sequel is that they kill off the surviving dream warriors from the previous film in the first half hour. It felt cheap to bring them back only to kill them off so early on. Also, Patricia Arquette didn’t return to play Kristen for whatever reason, which was a bummer. Otherwise, it’s a lot of fun and not too bad actually. It features some creative and gruesome kills, one of them so disturbing that it’ll stick with you and make you dread cockroaches all the more.

Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)

This one is way more comedic than all of the previous entries. Who knew Freddy could have so much fun with the Nintendo Power Glove of all things? It goes deeper into Freddy’s past too and there’s quite a shocking revelation halfway through. You’ll like this one whether or not you enjoy a lot of comedy with your horror. Personally, I enjoy it despite not being big on it.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)

It picks up where The Dream Master left off and while it’s not terrible, it’s not particularly good either. The story and the characters are dull for the most part despite some strong special effects. Overall, the concept just didn’t quite work.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)

Ugh, this one really sucks. To be fair, Jackie Earle Haley is better as Freddy than most are willing to give him credit for. Filling the shoes of Englund was no easy task. The main problem is that it feels so pointless and unnecessary. When it’s not copying the iconic moments from the original, it’s dull and doesn’t seem like they were trying to do anything new or very creative. It’s the prime example of how NOT to do a horror remake.

Crimson Peak (2015)

Guillermo del Toro is a visionary director who’s gotten a lot of undeserved hate over the past couple of years. Many seemed to hate Pacific Rim and Crimson Peak has had its share of detractors so far too. Personally, I dug Pacific Rim and consider it to be one of my favorite films of 2013. Where Pacific Rim was del Toro’s love letter to Kaiju and monster films of the past, Crimson Peak is his love letter to haunted house/gothic horror films of the past.

The film follows Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska), an aspiring author from a wealthy family who falls for the charming and mysterious Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston), an English aristocrat. After marrying him and moving to his family home in England, Edith gradually uncovers the dark past of the Sharpe family.

The film plays as a gothic romance/murder mystery more so than a horror film, but it still has plenty of horror elements to satisfy. The story, while predictable is still compelling and the gorgeous set design and visuals are enough to keep you engaged. Del Toro never disappoints in terms of visuals. The actors are all great, especially Tom Hiddleston and Jessica Chastain. Chastain plays Lucille Sharpe, Thomas’ peculiar older sister. Charlie Hunnam has a great supporting role too as Dr. Alan McMichael; a childhood friend of Edith’s who’s there to look out for her and help crack the mystery behind the Sharpe family. The ghosts are effectively convincing thanks to some great effects work and serve a symbolic purpose to the story and the climax is bloody fun!

In spite of some shortcomings with the story, it’s still an impressive film from del Toro. While it’s not ground breaking or perfect, the phenomenal visuals and solid acting are enough to allow me to recommend it.

Tales of Halloween (2015)

This film was extremely hyped, so much so that people were comparing it to Trick ‘r Treat, the superb horror anthology film from 2007. My expectations were high and while I enjoyed it overall, I couldn’t help but feel a little underwhelmed. The segments are hit and miss and it lacks the strong narrative structure and meshing that Trick ‘r Treat had.

Basically, it’s an anthology film with ten segments from ten different directors that are all set in the same town. They’re all loosely tied together by a radio DJ, who’s played by Adrienne Barbeau. The film does a good job of capturing the spirit of Halloween in spite of some of the segments missing the mark. My personal favorite segments are “The Night Billy Raised Hell”, directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, and “This Means War”, directed by Andrew Kasch and John Skipp.

It’s an uneven horror anthology film overall, but it’s entertaining and I recommend it. It features just enough of everything that makes anthology horror and Halloween fun.

Halloween Franchise Ranked

It’s October now, and that means it’s the perfect time to go back and revisit this franchise. Be warned, because there are spoilers ahead!

Halloween (1978)

The first and still the best film in the franchise I say. Not only is it one of the best horror films ever made, it’s one of the best films ever made too. It’s earned those claims because of how impressive it is on both technical and creative terms. The cinematography is flawless (that opening tracking shot is a thing of beauty), it’s well-acted (especially for a slasher film), it’s well written, and is both suspenseful and bone chilling. While it’s not the first slasher film, it’s easily the most influential and later horror franchises such as A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13^th, and Scream wouldn’t exist if Halloween hadn’t laid the foundation for the slasher subgenre. Michael Myers himself is such a creepy and awesome slasher villain. With his appearance, his prowl, and his ambiguous motivations, it’s easy to see how he became so iconic. Donald Pleasance also kills it as Dr. Sam Loomis; Michael’s doctor. He’s as crucial to the franchise as Michael is IMO. Also, who can forget Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode? She followed perfectly in her mother’s footsteps by becoming a horror scream queen. Can’t thank writer/director John Carpenter (one of my personal favorite directors) enough for giving us an all-around awesome film.

Halloween II (1981)

Picks up where the first left off and uses the same technical elements and approach almost perfectly IMO.  Okay, so maybe it has some plot holes and the reveal of Laurie Strode being Michael’s sister is a little mind boggling, but at least they initially intended for this to be the last film to feature Michael Myers. It also incorporated more blood & gore (the first had little of it) and a higher body count to keep up with the other slasher films being made at the time, but it doesn’t hurt the film at all. The cat and mouse game between Laurie and Michael in the hospital is suspenseful and parallels the climax of the first film. Dr. Loomis making the heroic sacrifice was a fitting end to the Michael Myers storyline­­…until they brought him back in Halloween 4.

Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

This was unfairly mangled by viewers and critics alike at the time of its release mainly because Michael Myers was absent. Luckily, it has quite a cult following and appreciation for it has grown over the years. It was ambitious of Carpenter and crew for wanting to go the anthology route with the franchise, but the disappointing box office returns prevented that, unfortunately. Personally, I love the film and enjoy it more and more with every repeat viewing. It captures the spirit and atmosphere of the Halloween season so well. The Silver Shamrock theme is simple, yet catchy and sticks with you and the small town of Santa Mira most of the film takes place in? Talk about creepy. It also boasts some of the most creative and brutal kills in the franchise with some great gore/makeup effects to boot. Tom Atkins kills it as the film’s protagonist, Daniel Challis, and Dan O’Herlihy is delightfully ominous as Conal Cochran, the owner of Silver Shamrock who has equally ominous intentions. Also love how it effectively ends on an ambiguous and abrupt note. While it’s technically still part of the franchise, it helps to think of it as its own beast entirely.

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)

So the events of 4, 5, and 6 never happened according to this film…okay, I’m cool with that. It pays great homage to the first two films and is a great follow up to them as well. Jamie Lee Curtis makes a welcomed return to the series and really steps up to kick ass. It also features Josh Hartnett and Joseph Gordon Levitt early in their respective careers. Nothing really feels contrived and the ending seemed to close the book once and for all…until Ressurection came out…*sighs*.

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)

So Myers is back in this one after the poor reception of the third film. Would’ve preferred they left him dead, but forget it, Rob, it’s Hollywood. Otherwise, the film’s good...good enough anyway. It doesn’t have the best plot or memorable characters, but it’s a fun watch from start to finish. Pleasance is as great as ever as a returning Dr. Loomis and Danielle Harris is solid as Jamie Lloyd, Laurie’s daughter. The disturbing ending is really what stands out and makes the film IMO.

Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)

I don’t have too much to say about this one; it’s a fun albeit flawed film. The story, plot, and characters are pretty lame for the most part, with the exception of Dr. Loomis and Jamie. It also sets up the “Curse of the Thorn” explanation for why Michael is evil, which is further explored in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers.

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)

A flawed film overall, but I don’t hate it like I used to. I was never completely sold on the “Curse of Thorn” explanation for Michael’s need to kill, but at least they somewhat tried to tie it in with Samhain folklore. You’ll like this one or not depending if you can buy that explanation. The characters are better this time around, but once again, not very memorable. It’s great that they brought Tommy Doyle back to the series, but Paul Rudd felt super miscast. As much as I love him, he seemed too awkward and wooden in the role. Pleasance is once again superb as Dr. Loomis and it turned out to be his final film due to his death shortly after production. Personally, I think the Producer’s cut is better mostly because it has a stronger ending.

Halloween: Resurrection (2002)

It’s ironic how Rick Rosenthal has the distinction of directing both the best sequel in the franchise (Halloween II) and the worst sequel…this. First of all, it feels like a middle finger to the fans with its retarded and contrived explanation for how Myers survived what was quite easily his death at the end of H20. Second of all, the plot and characters just suck. The reality TV show approach is stupid and you find yourself not caring for any of the stupid, one dimensional characters. Third of all, Busta Rhymes ruins it, especially during the cringe worthy climatic fight scene between him and Michael Myers. Those one liners and kung fu moves…ugh! There was really no reason for this to exist other than that the producers got greedy, I hate it.

Halloween (2007)

My expectations for this were actually high considering Rob Zombie’s previous film, The Devil’s Rejects was awesome. It seemed to be in good hands…or so we thought. Making Michael’s family white trash and unlikeable was a poor choice on Zombie’s part. A more in depth backstory for Michael wasn’t a bad idea, but he screwed it up. It also suffers from wasting the talents of Bill Moseley and Ken Foree. They’re just throwaway characters. The biggest fault of all is that it’s really dull overall.

Halloween II (2009)

I don’t have much to say about this one, other than that it’s bizarrely bad (can’t bring myself to re-watch it either).  As for Rob Zombie, it’s 0-2 for him trying to make a good Halloween film. On the bright side, the new reboot that might be coming out next year can’t be any worse…

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)

Almost 50 years later, this TV special has held up quite well. I loved it as a kid and still find myself watching and enjoying it as an adult.

It follows the Peanuts gang celebrating Halloween with trick-or-treating and a Halloween party, except Linus because he insists “The Great Pumpkin”, a holiday figure similar to Santa Claus will appear in the pumpkin patch on Halloween night.

The plot is easy to follow and it has plenty of lighthearted and fun moments. You find yourself feeling sorry for Linus because he’s just a gullible kid who doesn’t know any better. He regretfully convinces Charlie Brown’s younger sister, Sally to join him in the pumpkin patch to wait for the Great Pumpkin. Poor Charlie Brown doesn’t have a good Halloween night either as he ends up getting nothing but rocks when he goes out trick-or-treating with the gang. The bits with Snoopy fantasizing about being a WWI pilot really give it a creative edge too.

Overall, it’s a fun, family friendly TV special that features everything that makes Halloween such a great holiday.