user-11512 Reviews

Zodiac (2007)

Disturbing and unfortunately Truth based

[8/10 · 1 November 2007]

This movie was to as it was to many others: a blind sided shovel to the face type feeling. The plot itself is based on the real life Zodiac killer of the San Francisco Bay area. Throughout his career, Director David Fincher knows just how to jolt his audience into intense feeling relays. He combines soundtrack with certain actions and positioning of his actors. The murder scenes in this film are at the very least utterly disturbing and unnerving. I gave this film 8 stars because Fincher set out to tell this real life horror story and he truly achieved the paranoia, fear, and terror of this tragedy. Also on a side note, the Zodiac killer was never caught... Beware...But this movie is worth your time. Obvious comparisons will be cast to S.O.S. Summer of Sam however the change of location, type of murders, and lack of closure make these films very different despite the similar subject matter of two real life serial killers. I do not recommend this film for children or young adults due to the fact that this is based on actual true events and it cannot be deferred as just a movie but rather a portrayal on sick and sadistic acts on real people. I am a horror fan since age 3 and honestly its movies like this where they are fact base that terrify me, not fiction fables such as countless films in the slasher/occult genre such as The Birds, Friday the 13th, Alien, etc. Please go into this movie with the thought that this really happened and you'll fully weigh the total terror of this motion picture experience.

The Hills Have Eyes Part II (1984)

Unfortunately Wes Craven was just making some quick cash with this one

[6/10 · 20 November 2006]

Admittingly Wes Craven claimed he made this sequel to disturbing and scary hit The Hills Have Eyes for some quick cash. This being said, the movie was made very fast and effort was minimal at best or so it seems. A plus is that the same music score director from Friday the 13th is aboard for this sequel. Only drawback is this film compared to Friday the 13th in a lesser sense, as death scenes were comparative and most of them were un-exciting. Parts I found interesting were Ruby's return to the desert as a civilized human now, the number of remaining mine cannibals, and the amount of buildings. This film was far less brutal than the original however many flashbacks and references connected the two well enough to be franchised. I physically burst out laughing to the canine flashback scene, I wont spoil it and tell you what happened but I will remind you its infamous and applaudable. This was a somewhat entertaining 87 minutes of an 80s horror sequel and may be valuable to have viewed for the upcoming The Hills Have Eyes 2 (2007). 80s horror sequels comparable to this film include: The Return of the Living Dead Part II, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge, Friday the 13th Part II, and The Howling II. I gave this film 6 stars because I am a true fan of Wes Craven and his horror masterpieces even if this one is a pull it out of his behind piece of work, I also enjoyed the remake tremendously and look forward to the forthcoming sequel.

The Amityville Horror (2005)

in the age of classic horror Hollywood remakes this film delivers

[9/10 · 17 November 2006]

In the age where creativity is a thing remanufacutred or remade from 40 years or less, this film breathes sheer terror into its final product. I was an enormous fan of the original The Amityille Horror for two major reasons. One, this a very scary film, a young couple trying to create a nice family life together in a new home only to be terrorized by spirits of the past within the house, spirits that possess and almost tear the family apart literally. Second and this reason fully supports the first reason is that this really happened!!! Although its not quite as Hollywood as the film projects. I personally have visited the site of this American tragedy in Amityville, Long Island, New York, during our visit we visited a private beach on the same lake the protagonists sailed away on in the end, we saw the house, although remodeled to eliminate "the eyes of the home", also the neighborhood was much closer and normal looking than the film made out to be, there was no seclusion out in the woods, it was in fact a very normal suburban looking neighborhood. We even asked around the town and they all knew exactly which house it was and where it was, very nice people. Back to the movie. The 2005 version of this film combined Ryan Reynolds intimidating and calculated acting role as the stepfather being affected most by the house's evil was perfect to distill fear into his own family and the audience. The creepy aura and constant feeling of something just not quite right brings the film even moreso together. Now I acknowledge this is just a modern remake, but this movie featured very disturbing images and its own twist on the tragedy in Amityville. I fully recommend this, however, I think not only homage and respect should be paid to the masterful original, but that it should be viewed first, afterall it is the original, and making a judgment on the remake would be very unfair unless you had all the information to make that decision. In common interest with the modern remake issue are the following films that provide horrifyingly well done remakes: The Hills Have Eyes (2006), The Omen (2006), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003),King Kong (2005). And remember The Amityville Horror really did happen.....

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

creative effects and ideas with a semi-serious dialouge combines great to form a modern werewolf classic

[8/10 · 17 November 2006]

An American Werewolf in London takes dazzling special effects of the time being 1981 and used a semi-serious half comedic script to make this movie both charming and chilling. Fans of the werewolf horror movie genre mark a bulls eye with this motion picture. The effects all from talking deceased past victims to the incredible werewolf morphing effects during the full moon phase have and will continue to awe audiences. This film gave the perspective of the werewolf very well, weaving even better with the post perspective of its victims. The werewolf himself as a human enjoys a warm and endearing relationship with the British nurse who helped take care of his original medical problem. Overall this film packs a hint of comedy however not enough to drown out the scares and hunt scenes. Overall, there are now films that compare however if you want films that weren't atrocious of the genre (still none rise above this film)try watching: The Howling, The Wolf Man,Underworld, Cujo (I know its a dog but K-9/wolf close enough), and the sequel (although tremendously lower in quality) An American Werewolf in Paris. I rated this film and 8 because it delivered a full and complete compelling werewolf film with creative additives. If you want the suspense, comic relief, and terror of a werewolf film this is the best film to get i from and is in my opinion the current benchmark for werewolf horror films.

The Howling (1981)

The underdog v.s. An American Werewolf In London

[7/10 · 8 November 2006]

To be honest I enjoyed this rivalry werewolf flick that went against the release of An American Werewolf in London. The more horror movies the better it keeps competition fierce which both heightens the level of fear soaked horror films and causes greater effort and creativity to outlast each other. Although I believe An American Werewolf in London (AWL) tops this film with better effects such as the dead haunting ghost victims of the American werewolf, this film utilizes a different and also scary plot line. The werewolf effects in this film all but equal those of AWL> The Howling introduces the idea of werewolves having bases in nature and wondering into cities during its cycle, a scary thought for anyone from the city or from the city and visiting the woods, as if they weren't already petrified of Jason voorhees now they got howling werewolves too. The one differing werewolf feature in The Howling compared to AWL is the apparent timing in which the werewolves change over, i wont ruin any secrets. If you enjoy werewolves and/or have seen An American Werewolf in London i recommend this film as a alternative and supplimental hit, after all this film spawned 5 sequels compared to only one sequel for AWL. Also the director of this film brought you both Gremlins and Pirhana, both semi-serious horror flicks that gathered underground praise, The Howling follows suite and does not disappoint.

Undead (2003)

not quite as good as dead alive (brain dead) but a damn fine effort

[8/10 · 8 November 2006]

To start off the movie critics themselves compare this film from 2003 to peter Jackson's's cult classic Dead Alive (european title: Brain Dead) and rightfully so. The film presents a quite unique combination of aliens and zombies, as again i must reiterate if you've read any of my other recommendations or reviews that original ideas go a long way even more than a large budget. The story although not complex or elaborate keeps you in a constant state of what the **** is going on? There's even a few scenes where I found my self shocked and overcome with laughter. I do not want to divulge as I urge you to enjoy this film for yourselves easily worth a rental or if you see it used for $7 or less, i found it for $5 and it was way worth it. But as i said this film is basically a low budget combination of the original Night of the Living Dead and Critters with a hint The Forgotten thrown in there. See this if your a Dead Alive, zombie movie, alien movie, or horror survival fan. I gave it 8 stars because this movie achieved all it could with the resources it had, it had decent acting minus the two police officers, and pretty much kept me guessing not necessarily through technique but just because it gave me the feeling of what are they gonna do next.

It's Alive (1974)

where did this come from

[7/10 · 6 November 2006]

This film literally came out of no where. On that blatant and somewhat generic statement, I'll explain what is different about this movie and what made it a unique and random horror hit of the 70s. First of all the premise of this film is based on a murderous baby, incredible and almost unimaginable. It takes the probably most single innocent stage and helplessness of a baby human infant and gives its powers of a murderer. Great movies come on original ideas and this certainly is a one. The film even employs some original film lenses for different character point of views. I recommend this film if your a fan of such movies as Child's Play, Poltergeist, and the Basket Case series. As its a movie pertaining to the horrific children/infant genre. This film and its two sequels Its Alive 2: It Lives Again and Its ALive 3: The Island of The Alive, on a triple feature single DVD, i recommend it as the viewer may find purchasing each not worth the price, its certainly worth ten dollars for all three films. I gave this film a 7 out of 10 because the acting wasn't atrocious, some of the murder scenes were very well, and it had that 70s horror feel that you remember if you grew up watching the horror genre as a child in the 80s.

American Psycho (2000)

as a business major in accounting and finance this movie is disturbingly realistic

[8/10 · 24 October 2006]

I am majoring in accounting and corporate finance and this movie sorta hits home in the fact of how fast-moving and emotionally detached the business world is from love, happiness, and consideration. Christian Bale accurately plays a businessman involved in world where money is taken for granted, massive amounts of money, appearance is everything (read The Prince by Machiavelli), and no one cares to even know each others name, nonetheless look each other in the eyes. No one looks out for each other as each businessman essentially looks out for himself and little else. This type of environment allows sociopaths, OCD manics, and psychopathic and serial tendencies to thrive. The treatment Christian Bale receives and more so dishes out to middle and poor classes and even his own rich class is ruthless and horrifying. The movie leaves you feeling very uneasy and distrusting of the big business corporate world, i take this personally too since i am heading into this corporate nightmare. I recommend this film very much, don't watch it as a date movie if your trying to get close to your partner, it kills moods because the film most likely will not leave you feeling any type of good. In a nut shell this film will leave you thinking heavily about how sick and disillusioned the prisoners of corporate America's world can become.

Jason X (2001)

this movie achieved what its 80s contemporaries did, pure Friday the 13th murderous fun and a lil suspense

[7/10 · 24 October 2006]

Being the 10th film in the franchise (Friday the 13th Part X), this film followed the exact same formula of its prior films. The difference was the change of scenery, last scene in Crystal lake (Part IX), before touring Manhattan for a Part VIII haha you'll definitely have to tune in for my review on that...i don't even want to call it a movie but i don't know what else to call it haha...Anyways Jason X mixes in a little history of Jason just to refresh everyone's memory of how brutally ruthless and maniacal this demon deformed man is. Another welcomed technique in this installment is how it remedies and takes pokes at the stupidity and simplicity of the 80s genre itself. I found this film very entertaining and although its not overwhelmingly scary by any means, it delivers and exciting and fun-filled horror film starring one of the stable mass killers of the 80s. If you enjoyed this, then you can catch more of Jason as he battles Freddy in Freddy V.s. Jason, in which its story plays out in similar style to Jason X rather than Freddy's most recent Film New Nightmare (1994). See this movie you'll appreciate it for what it was meant to be, a reminder that we haven't forgotten about Jason Voorhees and the minions of sex, drugs, and rock n roll teens hes decimated.

Ghost Ship (2002)

sea evil? riggggghhhhhttttt

[4/10 · 24 October 2006]

this movie was i can't say huge disappointment because i never had faith in it to begin with, was even more of a letdown then i had anticipated. The first ten minutes holds a shocking scene that will surprise and most likely sicken your senses, otherwise the movie floats on without really testing my paranoid fear that i might have if i was actually on a "ghost ship" It's funny i can always discover a bad horror movie when i see it, because of random guys such as my gf's ex that just go yea that was awesome, without questioning why it was or wasn't. This being said to me true horror is a concept that you can legitimately imagine and feel the fear of the characters within the third dimension of the film itself. This movie certainly does drop anchor in your sense of fear and danger, it drops anchor in a much different way. I gave this film a 4 because it acknowledge the attempt to be original with a not so much rehashed idea, but there are better haunted sea and boat movies out such as the wildly entertaining Deep Rising which never makes sense but gives you a sense of danger, however Ghost Ship does surpass the lame and very unsavory Virus, but if you want the best for fear in an ocean, look no further than Steven Spielberg's classic, Jaws

Alien (1979)

if your generation X this was one of many masterpieces of fear during the 80s (i know it was released in 1979)

[10/10 · 24 October 2006]

how do you write about a masterpiece that was released before you were even born? well you start by watching the film many many times and when you've watched it a few times too many and your still scared, well you have yourself a sci-fi/horror classic. H.R. Giger's exotic and modern Gothic designs are what bring the setting of this movie to life. The viewer can't help but feel uncomfortable upon the sight of all that has to do with the alien in an otherwise bland factory-like merchandise transportation ship in outer space. It is a beautiful and uncomforting contrast, this coupled with the seemingly blue collaredness of the actors, it became easy for me to relate this to my parents and their friends, just people doing there job. What befalls them is an incredible foreign and never before encountered evil and predatory life force. With memorable scenes galore from this movie, its no surprised it turned 3 sequels, 4 if you include that outrageous AVP.Ay how this film defined what most horror movies of the legendary horror decade of the 80s. It set a new precedent of fear and accomplishment, using settings, camera angles, and decent acting and props, rather than just a man in a cape or some face paint and extra hair to scare the audience. Only a few films before this employed the deranged and bizarre concepts to scare rather than the what i call cheap scares, which is the scare achieved just for a temporary and quick jump or scream by the audience, those films all classics in their time and today include: Psycho (1960), Last House on The Left (1972), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Carnival of Souls (1962), Halloween (1978), Night of the Living Dead (1968), and Dawn of the Dead (1977)

Alien vs. Predator (2004)

slightly entertaining but as a true horror fan I am offended

[4/10 · 24 October 2006]

I grew up with all the 80s and early 90s horror/ sci-fi franchises which of course included the well done Alien and Predator series. Obviously I was both nostalgic and excited upon hearing the release date of this movie. After leaving the theater i must say i was disgustingly disappointed, not just about the movie, but how ignorant and commercial the director, film studio, and distributor attempted to make this film. Right off the bat, PG-13!!!! are you kidding me? You'd be very hard-pressed to find any great horror movie with a lowly child rating such as that, why not make a wicked scary horror movie with a G rating? second of all, this movie was of as the title stated the "war" of two legends. This was not a war, it was a scuffle, no different then you might have over a foul in a basketball game. My suggestion for the sequel, which i expect they'll make, would be some very silent and gruesome violence of aliens and predators slaughtering humans and each other, no ridiculously cheesy dialog, affectionate understanding predators, PREDATOR: the word means kill, not work together for common goal and peace and survival, NO!, Predator means your still gonna try to kill even if all of your limbs have been slaughtered, that was the true Predator of the original two and also the aliens of the first 3, exclude the weird genetic touchy feely alien: resurrection, the sequel will achieve success if its epic and horrifyingly not bad or generic but original and based close to its rich and uneasy roots