Dead Snow: Død snø (2009)

The most highly anticipated movie of horror month last year. Somehow I ran out of time and had to table it for this year. Not an easy task because it has grown a cult following and was even suggested to me by someone.

So I ventured out and watched the original cut with Norwegian audio, I'm highly apposed to dubbing films that aren't meant for a audience that SHOULD be able to read. Basically I'm only ok with Anime dubbing. Anyways, there are so few spoken lines in this film it shouldn't be the reason for stopping you. With a 90 minute runtime including credits it isn't a huge commitment, and like the Evil Dead films they are worth saying you've seen.

So a group of college kids are on winter break and decide to spend the weekend at a friend's cabin. First off this isn't like the Friday the 13th remake where they have a 4000 square foot mansion for a cabin in the woods. We are talking a two room shake with an outhouse, something that seems a lot more realistic for a group of kids to be staying at. The film opens with zombies chasing a girl through the woods, and is pretty action packed. There are also some very unique kill scenes, a zombie splits a guys head in half like cracking open an egg with a fake brain falling to the ground.

Cheesy lines, an unexplained machine gun on a snow mobile, hanging from a cliff by intestine, this film is full of cheesy kill scenes. Most of it is just bad, if you want to watch a BAD horror movie... almost so bad it is good.... check this out. I'm glad I watched it but I still have to suggest that the average person avoid it.

Vote: 4/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1278340/

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Manhunter (1986)

This film is a prequel to The Silence of the Lambs and was actually remade in 2002 as Red Dragon, the title of the book it is based on. The remake stars Anthony Hopkins and Edward Norton and I gave it a 7/10, so I wasn't sure how much I would like an older film with weaker actors.

In The Silence of the Lambs Dr. Hannibal Lecktor is already in prison, many people that haven't seen the series think that the first is about Lecktor's capture. However, the star of the film is a man who caught Lecktor and is hired by the FBI to catch another serial killer. So much like The Silence of the Lambs, the FBI specialist leverages Lecktor in pursuit of the killer.

William Petersen, the leading actor, ruined this film for me. He is cheesy and over-the-top throughout the film. This is a very typical 80's film, with cheesy music, vivid colors, and over acting. I instantly thought when seeing Petersen... I bet this guy does cheesy detective TV shows now... sure enough he is one of the stars of CSI. I hate CSI, or I probably would have recognized him.

Pass on this one.

Vote: 6/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091474/

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Shutter Island (2010)

Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, and Ben Kingsley star in this
Martin Scorsese film about a disappearance at a mental institution on Shutter Island.

I don't have a designation for "Suspense" instead of "Horror" for my genres. So let me say that this very loosely fits in this category. DiCaprio and Scorsese are a great combo, and the film did very well early in the year. It broke into the imdb top 250 for a while and still has possibilities for this years Oscars, namely for DiCaprio for Leading Actor... we'll see.

Set in the 1950's, DiCaprio and Ruffalo go to the island as U.S. Marshals. Kingsley is the lead doctor at the facility, and we learn that DiCaprio may have ulterior motives for taking this case on. I fear saying too much about this film or giving hints that might change someone's viewing experience. Let's just say it is a great storyline, good character development, and has the viewer unsure about things throughout.

One of my favorites of the year. Not really a horror month film.

Vote: 9/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1130884/

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The Last House on the Left (2009)

The original was actually the 8th movie I reviews on this blog almost a full year ago. (HERE) Both are Wes Craven films, the first is much different and better than this one. Kind of funny to say since that was a 6/10 and this is a 5/10.

The way Wes handles the girls in the original was much colder and more realistic. I wished he would have stuck with that. The parents were actually pretty good also Tony Goldwyn was good, and it has been a long time since I've seen Monica Potter ( Patch Adams and Without Limits).

I just didn't care for how this played out compared to the original. It was more predictable, and there was no comic relief. watch the original first.

Vote: 5/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0844708/

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The Wolf Man (1941)

This was definitely an era of pretty cheesy horror films. There is very little that is scary about this one, and the transformations are nothing new. I was much more impressed with the ones in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

It was interesting to me to see that this was the same leading actor that was in the Abbott and Costello film (I'm sure Lon Chaney Jr. was in this one first). Makes me think slightly higher of the Abbott and Costello movie if anything. It would be like Scary Movie actually getting the real Freddy or Jason in their film.

Back to this movie, Bela Lugosi, Evelyn Ankers, and Lon Chaney Jr. were all actually pretty good, but I just wasn't thrilled about this one. It seems like it has been redone enough that a newer version would be more worth watching. I'll have to check out The Wolfman, which came out earlier this year.

The cast gets a just average, the slow and dull plot development gets an avoid watching...

Vote: 6/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034398/

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The Old Dark House (1932)

The horror genre in its infant stages really didn't have many start. So a couple stars seemed to make everything. Boris Karloff is the star of this classic.

The plot: Three friends drive through a monsoon-like storm, they take refuge at a big dark house when the road gives out. A second couple shows up a little later and they encounter a mentally handicapped relative, followed by the crazy brother that lives in the attic.

Overall a little boring, with a few scary scenes. It is hard to really get scared by an 80 year old grainy black and white film, so I'd skip it if I were you. Just ok, but not really bad...

Vote: 6/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023293/

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The Collector (2009)

I can't remember how I stumbled across this independently release horror film. The independent releases tend to be more gory, and this one definitely is. The plot is simple, a crook cases a home while working for a security company. When he breaks in to steal jewelry from the safe he finds that a serial killer is already in the home with the family tied up with the house booby trapped.

It was interesting enough that I watched it in a single sitting. A cross between Saw and Halloween, the killer is creative yet still a giant indestructible man. Some pretty weak performances from an amateur cast, but still a fun watch.

If you want a good non-mainstream horror film check out this one, or The Deaths of Ian Stone.

Vote: 7/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0844479/

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