All Cheerleaders Die: Please more cuddling!

ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE: 2013: HORROR:  Sometimes preconceived notions can preclude you from watching movies simply because of their covers, titles, etc.  This was almost the case with Cheerleaders.  


"As if",,,,

While the movie has a slight ramp up period where it's all jocks, cheerleaders, and awkward high school teens not fitting in, it shifts gears quickly to embark on a black magic tinged look into the world of spells, energy stones, lesbianism, and strong sexual content.  That sounds like the ingredients for a spicy casserole.  (I think I mixed my metaphors there)


Black magic women..

You shouldn't worry about the fact that this movie does show gratuitous "school spirit" because if you aren't a fan of cheerleaders, as the title so aptly points out, they die, and if you want them to live, they do, in a way.  I don't want to spoil it, but believe me, it's interesting to watch.


"Feedings, nothing more than, feedings"

If you've seen Heathers, it surely has that sort of dark and twisted sense of humor to it.  The death scenes are all entertaining and some are actually quite gory.  A few come to mind, but I won't give them away,


Killing is so over rated these days.

This was actually re written by the same director that wrote the first one in 2001 by Luck McGee.  Yes, I know you can't make that name up.  The cast was pretty on the mark, with Caitlin Stacey leading the way.  She has an almost earnest realness to her that makes her character stand out even in the most mundane phases of the movie.



So as I indicated, if you want a lighthearted, tongue in cheek horror movie that pleases and definitely doesn't bore, this one is worth a watch.  It's sexy, violent, and has some interesting elements of the supernatural that will keep you coming for more.  I had no issues watching it twice.  82%

Come BACK I WANT TO CUDDLE!!

ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE

Home Invasion Horror: Kidnapped VS. You're Next

     VS.  

The thought of having intruders interrupt your normal day to day life in your home is a pretty disturbing and frightening situation. Often times you assume that you are safe in a home because you have alarm systems, cameras, neighborhood watch and even an aggressive watchdog.  These two movies will show just how wrong you are..

  

NOT exactly your ideal watchdogs.

KIDNAPPED: 2010: Horror:  Kidnapped, which was originally released as Sequestrados in Spain, is an interesting movie because it uses some distinctive use of camera angles and some slick editing to keep the story of a family invaded by thieves interesting.  The premise is simple, as it is in the other movie(s) in this comparison, so it helps to have a director infuse some original elements in it.  


Don't look know, its an home invasion movie.

The home invasion premise is a fairly common one and I had no problem finding at least three movies that fit this comparison. The aspects that end up separating these movies are the invaders and whatever type of personalities or unique factors make them memorable, their reasons for the invasion, and how the family either conquers them or is conquered.  Kidnapped, while it had some interesting interactions between the kidnappers and the family, really didn't give you a solid reason to hate the invaders. Also they were very bland and unassuming.  If you're going to make an invasion movie, at least give the invaders some personality. Black ski masks just do it for me.  

  
Backpacks and black ski masks just don't cut it for interesting kidnappers.

The other movies you will see in this comparison excel in this category, while Kidnapped  fails.  This has huge ramifications on the movie with regard to the overall image and also whether or not you care if they kidnappers are killed or not.  It goes so far to make the kidnappers generic as to call them Head Thief, Strong Thief, Young Thief etc.  That being said, the movie did take a violent turn in many areas which did give it some substance.  It also displayed some cool killing scenes.


Some of the killing scenes in Kidnapped  were pretty impressive.

Another element in these movies is whether or not you associate with the family that is being kidnapped and want them to beat the kidnappers or kill them.  This is one of the most important parts and if not given proper attention, the movie can lack some substance and cause the viewer to lose interest.  Kidnapped gave you adequate amounts of interaction of the family before the invasion, so you get to know the people before the movie starts moving.  The only problem in this movie, is you tend to dislike the family.  In this sense you actually want the thieves to win.


You better want us to win, otherwise we'll come to get you!

Regarding pace and length of the movie, this movie was a little on the long side, but after awhile, the director made clever use of split screen to show two pieces of action simultaneously taken place. At first this seemed a little distracting, but then it actually was effective and I caught myself wondering how this could have been done without two screens.


Kidnapped used dual screen shots to convey more action at the same time.

The music was average in this movie and I felt that it could have given some of the scenes more of an impact.  When it came to the ending, was surprising and I won't give it away.  I felt the ending was one of the better parts in the movie and had one of the only twists in the movie, although it's hard to define it exactly as a twist.  It's just a hard ending to stomach:  64%

Kidnapped Trailer



YOU'RE NEXT:  2013:  Horror:  There were some elements in You're Next that actually make it humorous in many ways. Sometimes horror movies can take this sort of angle, especially slasher movies because the action that takes place is so over the top that it defies logic and just becomes a caricature of itself.  Don't think that this movie is scary.  It had some pretty eerie and dreadful aspects of it.  Sometimes Adam Wingard just infused some comedy in the movie for balance.  An example of this is when one of the killers sits down next to one of his victims, and admires his word while listening to music.  


Some scenes in Your Next are actually pretty amusing.

The characters in this movie are much more interesting, at least for most of the movie, because they wear masks.  A simple unifying element like this, that is more than just ski masks, can have a huge impact on your view of the killers and on their overall efficacy in making the movie scary.  The irony of being barnyard animals while killing is what makes the masks great.  


The masks that the killers wore made the killing more interesting .

The actual family that is invaded is developed somewhat and the viewer definitely has ample time to get to know them and since there are at least 8 people, the death count is more numerous than in Kidnapped.  This gives the movie much more innate ability to show more killing and murders, which in a horror movie is like currency.  In addition, some characters are genuinely annoying and it's easy to hope that "so and so" gets it before "so and so".

 
Some of the characters in You're Next just beg to be killed.

In addition, the use of the "You're Next" when characters are killed was a pretty good touch and gives the movie a great idea that you can encapsulate the movie by.  It gives it character.  In home invasion movies, character is important, I've said.  Without that, these movies can simply fall into the generic killer/ slasher film.


The lead female character was intense and a huge reason to like this movie.

One of the elements in Kidnapped and You're Next  that are similar is that they both had strong female roles.  The daughter in Kidnapped goes ape shit on one the thieves, crushing his skill repeated with a blunt object.  The female role Erin in You're Next takes on a Rambo sort of function and kills more of the killers than the killers kill people.  She was nothing sort of awesome.  Her accent was also pretty exotic.  She is a huge reason to like this movie and want to watch it again.  


Erin contemplates who the next victim will be.

I liked this movie and it will be a movie I see again because it flowed well and I would want to watch it with someone that hasn't. The music was there but almost indistinguishable and the scares in the movie weren't distinctive, but made me jump a few times, especially with the bed scene.  That was one of my favorite parts in the movie and a high water mark overall.


The bed scene was excellent and gory.

This is a movie I would recommend but don't expect it to change the way you think of horror.  If you are in the mood for a movie that has some comedy elements, violence, and a strong female role to rile your interests as well as your libido, watch You're Next.  It was an enjoyable, easy to watch and enjoy horror movie:  72%

You're Next Trailer

BONUS BONUS BONUS BONUS BONUS BONUS


TORMENT: 2013: Horror:  Did I mention that the home invasion genre is jam packed full of movies?  Another movie I just recently watched is Torment which takes the story a step further by infusing some psychological elements that distinguish this from the other two movies reviewed.  This ultimately makes it the better of the three and I will explain why.


Torment had some psychological elements that differentiated it from the previous two.
No it's not Deadmau5, maybe after a long set..

The character development in Torment was probably the weakest element at first glance, but as the movie progresses, it fills in the gaps, or should I say kills in the gaps.  It quickly jumps into the invasion scenario and gives you very little chance to get acquainted. This actually helps the movie because it makes the pacing very smooth.  It also gives it a sense of urgency.


Torment doesn't waste any time getting to the killing.

This movie also gives the killers personality and unifies them with the masks of the little boys stuffed animals.  This was a great touch and it was funny how similar it was to the masks in You're Next. The killers themselves had traits which were divulged to the viewer through their actions and their interactions with the family.  They function as a cohesive team and inspire dread and terror more effectively than the two previous movies.


The killers in Torment were the scariest of all the movies reviewed.

Not only were they the scariest, but they had the most twisted and demented reasons for kidnapping the family.  I won't give too much away from the movie, but the scene where the eldest killer is questioning the father of the family was both a highlight as well as the scariest part of the movie.  


The scene in which the father is questioned is very unsettling.

I do have to mention that the music resembled the theme from Halloween.  I didn't like that at all... It's hard to go into the movie much more without giving it away.  This is a movie I recommend, perhaps the most of the three. The ending was a little suspect, but overall it scores higher than the previous three, although it was close to the overall score of You're Next:  74%

Torment Trailer


Not a very cuddly character is it?

Horror Double Feature: Devils Pass and Wake Wood

DEVILS PASS: 2013: HORROR:  Sticking to my steady diet of horror movies every night since October 1st, I've been trying to find some obscure ones to recommend.  It's been somewhat difficult but I dug into Netflix and kept cuing up different types of horror movies and came across two which were interesting.  The first is Devils Pass, directed by Renny Harlin, who also directed Die Hard 2.


Line 'em up and let's get to some horror..

It takes on a psuedo documentary style in which the characters are trying to uncover the mystery of the disappearance of scientists in the Dyatlov Pass incident, which is a true story about an expedition that turned into a catastrophe.  As the movie progresses, the viewer gets to see the action both in third person and as first person.  In some ways this gives the movie more of a direct impact.  This style, while nothing new, presented some excellent effects during the end of the movie.


Sure, they look happy now, but guess how many are still alive at the end.

The character development was acceptable, letting you know just what you need to know about the characters in order to actually care when they go through the terror that awaits them.  One of the positive aspects of Devil's Pass is that it doesn't waste any time getting the players to Russia where the action takes place.  Since the location of the incident is high in the mountains, they are forced to hike up on foot.  The scenery was excellent at this point and there are many great shots. As soon as they start, things go awry.


Up they go, but will they come down?

Ignoring all the warnings of various locals on their way to the mountain region, the college students start to realize that perhaps they made a mistake after their first night of camping.  They find a huge foot mark that seems inhuman.  While I was watching this, I thought this part was a little cliche, but as the movie progresses, it becomes an important plot development.  


After the first night, things start to go wrong for the students.

Since they are filming a documentary, the shift becomes largely first person now, with one of the main characters, JP, doing the filming. At first, it was a little abrupt switching between third person to first, but it became smoother.  The second day proves worse for the expedition, because unexpected phenomena manifests making their GPS, compasses, and other instruments fail. In addition, there is radiation on the mountain. 


Their equipment starts to malfunction when they arrive at Devils Pass.

After the second night, an avalanche kills one of the students and injures another one.  It appeared like it was intentionally done by others trying to keep the students away, but away from what?  It turns out that there is a bunker hidden at the site.  At this point, this is all I want to say about the actual movie, because it has some unexpected plot twists and the ending is pretty good.  This is where the movie really gets it teeth though, so it's worth mentioning what impressed me.


They find a bunker and are forced to go inside.

The part in the bunker was intense.  It starts out completely dark and they are locked in from the outside by the military who was trying to kill them outside.  Now, all the filming is done in first person, which make the scenes even more creepy.  The lights start to go on but often blink on and off, creating more tension.  As they go deeper, they start to realize that they aren't alone in there.  


The scenes in the bunker were well done.

This was the high point in the movie and I dare say one of the better uses of light/ darkness with aspects of being chased and claustrophobia that I have seen in awhile.  The director took advantage of the first person perspective here.  Once the creatures come out, the movie takes on its true horror element with bravado. The creature looked gruesome and had some interesting abilities.


The creatures looked gruesome and their abilities were a nice touch.

At this point, the director gives us an interesting explanation governing the demise of the scientists in the Dyotlov Pass incident because the students discover some items hidden away in the lab. While it was very far fetched, it made for an unforeseen twist in the movie.  It also set the stage for a great ending.  


As they start to find out what happened, they start to die.

Since the whole point of the movie is trying to understand what happened to the lost scientists, I won't give anymore of the plot away.  While this movie didn't blow me away, I can recommend it, since the ending was so compelling and it was based on actual events:  63%


WAKE WOOD: 2011: HORROR:  Once I started watching Wake Wood, I immediately thought that it was very similar to Pet Semetary.  In many ways, I wondered if it was a complete copy of the movie or if it was different enough to stand on its own.


Wake Wood was similar to Pet Semetary

Ignoring the similarities though, I tried to watch the movie on its own merits but kept wondering just how far this apparent plagiarism was going to go.  Although the director David Keaton presents a good movie with some great special effects and camera shots, did he think that no one was going to notice this?   


The scenery in Wake Wood set the stage.

One of the things that stands out immediately in watching this movie is the scenery.  Keaton has a keen eye for setting the stage for a suspenseful, scary movie.  A couple lose their daughter and they tempt fate by delving into a pagan ritual to bring her back.  But is she going to be the same? Ok, at this point, I have to ask, isn't this the EXACT plot of Pet Semetary?  



After losing their daughter they want to bring her back to life..

The movie takes a bit of a different turn here, instead of having to bury the girl in a grave, they have to use a fresh corpse and artifacts of the actual body of the deceased child.  The parents dig up the girl's grave in the rain and take off one of her fingers.  I will note that the ritual portion of the movie demonstrated an over the top element of gore that will be displayed later in the movie as well.  It was gruesome.  


A pagan ritual brings the girl back to life.

The little girl does indeed return, for only three days, and after that she is to return to the grave.  The only issue is that there were some elements that the parents didn't disclose about the girl that cause dire consequences for the parents and the inhabitants of the small town in Ireland called Wake Wood.  Once an innocent looking girl who seemed like she couldn't hurt anyone, the young girl becomes a killing machine.  


Sure, she looks innocent now, but what will happen after she returns for the dead?

The killing during the last stages of the movie were over the top with gratuitous gore and displayed a complete lack of abandon. Keaton went off the deep ending with some of the deaths, especially the one of the woman who initially warns the family about the ritual.  


The little girl gets some new found strength when she returns from the dead.

Looking through some of the reviews of this movie, no one seems to acknowledge the similarities between this and Pet Semetary, released in 1989. Both movies involve parents who lose a child and decide to bring it back and the child tries to kill them.  Period. What also surprised me is that overall, the movie was well received with some above average ratings.  Again, this is due to Keaton's excellent direction, but I still can't get over the fact that it was too similar to King's novel and the movie on which it was based:  61%


Pet Semetary was much better anyway...

The Pact: Bring on the Nightmares!

THE PACT: 2012: --: HORROR:  I had this movie in my cue on Netflix for awhile, but never got around to watching it because I hadn't heard a lot about it.  I'm glad I watched it though because it had some great scares and an interesting plot.  Sure it was about a serial killer and the victims haunting a home (a common theme) but it had some scenes that were done really well and made my skin crawl.


Focus on the scares, not the trite circumstances.

Sometimes when movies don't have recognizable characters/ actors, they become more engaging, almost as though you are watching real events unfold before your eyes.  The camera shots and structuring also enhanced this feeling because they were straight forward, without any fancy parlor tricks or gimmicks.  The Pact is a good movie worth watching and here's why.

The lead actress is easy on the eyes and it doesn't hurt that she is almost entirely in her underwear for the first few segments of the movie.  Sorry ladies, I am a guy after all..She's beautiful and there's nothing wrong with that.  Having a pretty leading lady is common in horror movies and let's face it, the other leading male wasn't hideous, so there, it's a even mix..

  
The two leads were charismatic.

The premise of the movie is simple and it doesn't lead the viewer many things to assume.  There is a serial killer involved in a murder and the leading lady, Caity Lotz is related to him.  One of the victims is harassing her in the afterlife, causing her to seek out a medium played by Haley Hudson.  She has to be one of the most interesting women I have seen in awhile.  She definitely fit the role perfectly.  

  
The medium was very exotic looking and fit the role perfectly.  I enjoyed her performance.

The scares in this movie were pretty effective and actually startled me a few times, which says a lot since I am pretty hardened to horror movies by now.  Currently, it's been 8 days straight, only horror movies, not to mention my 3 month horror movie binge last year, which I'm sure you're all tired of hearing about..


A cup of tea with your blood fest anyone?

One of the best scares is when the medium is in the home, trying to detect the presence and starts repeating the name Judas and gets dragged under the bed by an unseen force.  The music heightened this effect and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed that part.  I was already in the mood because it didn't take long for mysterious forces to plague the lead character in the beginning segments.


When the medium gets pulled under the bed made my skin crawl.

Although I've seen this type of mystery force move people along the way, it was what happened next that really frightened me. Floating on the roof was a dead body and that literally made the hairs on the back of my neck rise; a true sign of a great scare!  Well done Nicholas McCarthy!  Then after that, a trap door is revealed and a severed body appears right before her head turns in an extreme close up.  This freaked me out.  Maybe it was because it was 3 AM and I was alone in the dark but it did. Period.

 
This was a grade A scare based on great timing and music which crescendos perfectly.

The plot line was decent and moved along very well without any periods of downtime.  It was almost too quick and deliberate but it made for a "Quicky" horror movie that you didn't have to invest too much time in.  Plus there were the gratuitous scenes of a half naked girl.  


The female lead was a badass, no doubt about that.

I won't give away too much more of the plot, because it has a semi-interesting and engaging ending, so watch the movie.  The one thing that made my cringe was the music at the end and that displayed the title of the movie.  Why?  Other than that, it's short and sweet and delivers some nice paranormal/ supernatural related scares:  79%


"Only a 79%, lock your doors Damien!"


"Don't mess with me!"


What a great pic for a dating profile!  "Wink ++