Halloween Ultra Violet Giveaway

I'm pretty busy hurrying around getting things ready for the Overlook Theatre's Halloween party but that doesn't mean I forgot about the readers. I have an of Ultra Violet code to give away for "The Conjuring", so if you have yet to see it or are just dying to own it (without wanting to pay) leave a comment on this post with your email address somewhere in it and I'll pick a winner randomly on Halloween. 

"Redd INC" aka "Inhuman Resources"

6 of 6 viewers "Liked" "Redd INC" (2012, Japan)

Here's what the citizens of the Overlook Theatre had to say:

Lord Battle - "Redd is a classic slasher in the making, let's just hope for a couple sequels." - 4 Stars

Brewha - "Looking for justice in the most twisted way." - 5 Stars

The Berkeley Blazer - "I might describe it, if I were aiming for banality, as Jonathan Swift and the producers of "Saw" teaming up to make a horror movie. But that would do justice neither to Swift nor this charming satire whose Savinian-special effects managed to evoke welcomed revulsion in my desensitized palette, Loved it!" - 4 Stars

Ice Giant - "Very original idea with the potential to make an iconic slasher if they make more. The knife hand is awesome." - 5 Stars

The Great Hornito - "Very suspenseful. A cool mix of a slasher, thriller, mystery movie." - 4 Stars

Huntress - "All of the violent office-work related day dreams I could ever have were fulfilled by this movie." - 5 Stars   

The Overlook Theatre Final Review*

I wrote up some thoughts on this film a while back you can find that post here. For now I will say that I have been trying to come up with a name for the horror sub genre I think this film falls in but that is for another post too. So with that said, let me change the subject a bit and talk about how well this went over with the Overlook Theatre's citizens.

I'm surprised how well this movie was rated overall, not because I thought this film wasn't deserving but because no matter how good a horror movie is some people still rate it low. I won't call out any of the creatures that fancy themselves reviewers but I will say The Berkeley Blazer really surprised me with his kind words directed at the legendary Tom Savini, whom made his return to horror with this lovely film, and believe me it shows.

The American packaging of "Inhuman Resources" is pretty misleading and feels like it belongs on an up beat indie horror/comedy. That isn't very far off but just doesn't do this film justice. I would have liked to see a simple cover littered with taglines like all of our reviews feature. Still, Fangoria obviously trusts that their name will sell any film, which in this case it did. I literally purchased this film at full price because they put their logo all over it and added a mini Fangoria magazine. I have to say I am incredibly satisfied with my purchase, even though I would have appreciated some extra features. My parting words tonight are to please check this film out; Redd is an awesome character with a refreshingly original story, concept, and direction, so give him a chance and hopefully he'll come back again and again like the many other slashers we love so dearly.

- Lord Battle

*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating.

Maniac (2012)

7 of 7 viewers "Liked" "Maniac" (2012, France)

Here's what the citizens of the Overlook Theatre had to say:

Book Wyrm - "Although the gore was too much for me, I really enjoyed this movie. The music was awesome and the cinematography was top-notch. Did not expect to like this as much as I do." - 4 Stars

Math Mage - "Slasher film from the Slahser's POV, puts a fresh spin on all the classic tropes (slow killer, final girl, inexplicably empty streets, etc...)." - 4 Stars

Lord Battle - "Wow, Elijah Wood has found his true calling, stalking and scalping women. I hope future film makers follow Franck Khalfoun's lead and rethink classics, not remake them." - 5 Stars

Huntress - "This role has been waiting for Elijah Wood." - 5 Stars

Ice Giant - "Elijah Wood is a perfect maniac. I really liked the POV camera." - 3 Stars

The Great Hornito - "Almost as good as the original. The POV was pretty cool." - 4 Stars

The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*

The original "Maniac" was released back in 1980 and featured Joe Spinell, who looks a lot like Ron Jeremy, and special effects by the master Tom Savini. With those factors in place the film was destined to become a cult classic. I don't think anyone could have guessed that 30 years later, a remake would be made that not only recaptures the essence of  the original, but stars Elijah Wood! It also helps that the up and coming master of horror, Alexandre Aja ("High Tension, "Pirahna 3D") wrote the screen play. I personally will watch anything he works on, not just because I'm a fan of his movies but because I'm a fan of French film making. Those French are not afraid to get artsy!

So yes it's true, I loved this film, In fact once it was finished I felt like turning it back on and inspecting it for all the inter-titles and double meanings I undoubtedly missed. I do understand my love of film narrative isn't shared by most but "Maniac" was still an easy sell to the citizens since the casting of Elijah Wood seemed enough for people even if they are sick of seeing horror movies (Book Wyrm). Elijah Wood is amazing in this film by the way.

Since I could ramble on and on about this film, I'll try to keep it short. "Maniac" is 90% POV (Point of view) which was first used in "Peeping Tom", which in turn created the slasher genre. So, this could be considered the most pure slasher ever. It could, but it probably won't. The POV killings in the film end up feeling like an out of body experience, this really helps paint a picture of a disturbed man who is having identity issues. Throw in the fact that he rebuilds and lives with a ton of antique manicans and you get a lot of visual metaphor to play with, then add some truly gruesome kills and you get one of the best remakes ever.

Lastly Mondotees.com recently released "Maniac" in VHS format and I am beating myself for missing out on this! The reason I regret missing out on a new film being released on a dead medium is simple, it offers a totally different experience. One of the great things about the VHS format is how it changes what you're watching, the grain and tracking issues of a VHS tape can transform a standard horror film into something that feels a lot more like a home movie. Now imagine all the POV scenes in "Maniac" feeling "Real", that sounds too awesome to miss out on. I'll just have to keep an eye out.

- Lord Battle

*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating.

Adjust Your Tracking: The Untold Story of the VHS Collector

3 of 7 viewers "Liked" "Adjust Your Tracking: The Untold Story of the VHS Collector" (2013, USA)

Here's what the citizens of the Overlook Theatre had to say:

The Great Hornito - "Brought me back to the good ol' VHS days but I don't remember it like the "Adjust Your Tracking" guys. I remember the quirks and tracking problems to be very annoying, not cool like the guys portrayed it." - 3 Stars

Lord Battle - "A very unique look into the collectors and collections of VHS tapes. As a documentary, it doesn't cover much that a non VHS tape fan may find interesting, but if you're looking for a guide to obscure VHS tapes, this is a good start." - 3 Stars

Drumachine - "This film made me hate VHS." - 1 Star

Ice Giant - "I would give it no stars if I could. All the people are losers holding onto a dead dream. I have a new most hated film." - 1 Star

Math Mage - "What feels like two hours of anecdotes about douche-bags wasting money, universally inferior to "Rewind This"." - -1 Star (Default to 1)

Book Wyrm - "Aside from the music, the "Regular Show" clip was the best part because it wasn't the stupid video collectors anymore." - 0 Stars (Default to 1)

Huntress - "Collector's egos stunted this movie but it was still endearing to reminisce through the stories told." - 3 Stars

The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*

A very personal film about what seems to be a small group of VHS tape collectors. This film obviously angered half the reviewers, which I chalk that up to mob mentality as Drumachine voiced a complaint about the lack of versatility in the film and Math Mage and Ice Giant quickly joined in. I personally find most documentaries interesting simply because I get an insight into something I was not previously familiar with. Watching "Adjust Your Tracking," I felt like I was the only one that had a personal interest in anything going on. With that said, I was interested in hearing other bloggers and collectors speak about this niche group of VHS lovers. Now I, Lord Battle search through and buy VHS tapes purely because I love collecting films and deeply enjoy Cinema, and there are a lot of films, and I mean A LOT that have not and will never make the leap to DVD. What I'm trying to say is the collectors in "Adjust Your Tracking" are just very nostalgic as opposed to being film collectors. And I mean nostalgic, like nostalgic enough to choose their VHS tapes over their current girl friend...
Thanks again to Dan Kinem for sending us his film!
- Lord Battle

*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating.

Insidious Webisode 3

Here is the final chapter to the "Insidious" webisodes. It amazes me that more people have not seen this, given the fact that its part of a huge franchise that's popular at the moment... Go figure.
If you missed the first two webisodes here's a link to my previous post.

Baghead

5 of 5 viewers "Liked" "Baghead" (2008, USA)

Here's what the citizens of the Overlook Theatre had to say:

The Great Hornito - "Totally not what I expected. I was a little disappointed after seeing the trailer but it was still a good movie." - 3 Stars

Huntress - "This was a pleasant mix of faux-horror and comedy. Not what I expected but I'm not complaining." - 4 Stars

Lord Battle - "Part found-footage part a lesson in film making. "Baghead" is as fun as it is cleaver, what indie horror should be." - 4 1/2 Stars

Math Mage - "Not Meta-horror, but anti-horror, in a good way." - 4 Stars

Book Wyrm - "Although it's not what I was hoping for at all, it was still watchable. It made up for it's lack of horror with quirkiness. The trailer was defiantly misleading." - 3 Stars

The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*

Most of the reviews mentioned being mislead by a trailer, we all went to a triple feature a few days ago and saw the trailer for "Baghead" before a screening of "The Blair Witch". I think the fact that we saw it at a horror triple feature lead us to believe "Baghead" was a traditional slasher. To our surprise it was a very intelligent story that wasn't totally focused on horror but definitely had it. After the film had finished I was surprised to find that most of the citizens had not caught how truly intelligent the film was. Pay attention to the characters motivations and actions and then relate them to the fact that you're watching a film. 

I had a lot of fun with this film and if you find that film theory isn't as exciting for you (which is normal believe me) I promise this film is still worth watching.

*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating.

Scooby-Doo

4 of 6 viewers "Liked" "Scooby-Doo" (2002, USA)

Here's what the citizens of the Overlook Theatre had to say:

Book Wyrm - "This movie doesn't get old. A great spin on a classic cartoon. Fun for everyone in the family!" - 5 Stars

The Great Hornito - "Hella good cast. Made me feel like a kid again." - 4 Stars

Lord Battle - "I don't know if it's because I had no expectations or because of the nostalgia from the 90's actors playing characters from one of my favorite cartoon, but I loved this film. "Scooby-Doo" is self aware, containing lost of adult innuendo while maintaining a cartoonish narrative and it does this flawlessly. Oh, not to mention Matthew Lillard is Shaggy come to life." - 5 Stars

Brewha - "Full of has-beens & horrible special effects." - 1 Star

Huntress - "Matthew Lillard's face has never worked so perfectly for a role." - 2 1/2 Stars

The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*

I avoided seeing this film for years, but it wasn't until all my movies were in storage that I decided to screen "Scooby-Doo". I have to admit I was into this film by the first 5 min and knew I had been putting off a film I was going to love. Originally the thing that made this so repulsive was the CG Scooby and I still can't believe how much I ended up liking it. 

I myself am not a fan of "Shrek" and happen to hate when people say "But it's got adult humor!" and I know find myself saying that about "Scooby-Doo". I don't know how to make this movie sound appealing since I've heard so many different approaches from people and still avoided it like the plague. I guess you should just listen to the citizen that best suits your interests and take their lead. Even though this movie didn't seem to inspire much when it came to reviews. 

Just watch this film, I think you'll be surprised.

- Lord Battle

*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating.

Insidious

7 of 8 viewers "Liked" "Insidious" (2010, USA)

Here's what the citizens of the Overlook Theatre had to say:

Lord Battle - "This film is like "From Dusk Till Dawn" in the way it feels like two movies with an obvious transition point, just directed by Wan & Rami, not a bad thing. In fact I'll go as far to say James Wan has proven he is one of the new masters of horror." - 4 Stars

Ice Giant - "I enjoyed it even more the second time around, especially in an actual movie theater. Even knowing when the jump scares were going to happen didn't stop me from jumping each time." - 5 Stars

Brewha - "Genuinely frightening concept that had me at the edge of my seat." - 5 Stars

The Great Hornito - "I didn't like it at first but the second time around was much better. Really cool how it's like two different movies in one." - 3 1/2

Huntress - "Two different kinds of startling ghost movies sandwiching a somewhat jarring transition." - 4 1/2 Stars

The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*

I guess the Overlook Theatre like's it's campy ghost stories, I'm sure more people would have too but that jarring change of pace at the halfway point really got to people. I personally thought the worst part of the film was when they find the very detailed journal their son has been keeping via crayon drawings. I do hate that almost every time they do that in any film but "Insidious" lead you to believe that they were taken down and hung up in the new house before anyone noticed... It's funny how this film got a really high rating and I end up ranting about it, oh well James Wan will not suffer from my words and I'm sure we will be seeing a lot more films from him in the future.

- Lord Battle

*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating.

Getting Ready for Goblin

          Tonight is devoted to celebrating Goblin, as tomorrow they will be playing in San Francisco at The Warfield. October 20th will most likely be the only time I will ever be able to see them, so I am pretty excited. The line up tonight is as follows...

"Dawn of the Dead" European Version.

This version of course features maxim Goblin

Fulci's classic "Zombie".

A natural follow up to "Dawn of the Dead" since it is the unofficial sequel.

"Suspiria" 

Arguably Goblins best work makes up this soundtrack.

"Deep Red"

This ends the second half of the Argento films and the celebration. At least another review will be up before I leave to see Goblin tomorrow but thats it for now, I need to get back to the films!

A Change of Plans

          It seems almost all of the citizens are busy tonight, so instead of hosting the double feature I'll be heading out to one. I feel very lucky to live so close to an awesome city like San Francisco that has an awesome theater like the Castro Theatre and even luckier that they happen to have their own double feature tonight.

First up is a personal favorite of mine, "The Blair Witch Project". I remember I saw this the first week it opened and totally thought it was real, yeah I was a moron. Still its an awesome film even though "Scary Movie" might have ruined a scene...

The original Japanese horror that America remade into a block buster. I have not seen this for years and I'll admit I barely remember it, needless to say I'm very excited. 

I may  or may not be reviewing these films either way I'll post something when I get home.  

Youth Without Youth

4 of 5 citizens "Liked" "Youth Without Youth" (2007, Italy)

Here's what the citizens of the Overlook Theatre had to say:

Lord Battle - "Artsy and campy, this film is a visual adventure. The only complaint I have is that it runs long and lost me as it went on, not in a plot sense, but in an entertainment sense." - 3 Stars

Huntress - "It felt four hours longer than it was... Convoluted but had it's moments." - 3 Stars

The Berkeley Blazer - "A meditative dream of philosophy whose characters meanderings through consciousness and time are underscored by a deadpan camp." - 4 Stars

Ice Giant - "No Comment" - 3 Stars

The Great Hornito - Fell Asleep - Default 2 Stars

The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*

This film was screened a while back so I don't remember exactly how the audience reacted. I do remember that everyone was very caught up in the film, at first. The film requires a lot of concentration, as it's not quite as easy to digest as say "The Godfather". The main complaint voiced after the screening was that it ran a little long. 

My personal experience went like this; I was totally surprised by the beginning of the film as I thought it was going to be a quiet and slow film shot by an aged director. The Berkeley Blazer did not describe it very well before hand so when the film started out as vibrant and entertaining, I was not prepared. That feeling slowly faded away, and I'm not exactly sure when, but I am sure it was purely time related as the run time is 125 min. That may not be an incredibly long run time but this film requires so much focus that starting at 10PM left everyone burnt out.

I will say that this film is not for everyone and it seems that as Coppola gets older his films get more and more out there, I personally think this is awesome but from the responses "Twixt" and "Youth Without Youth" received, I'd think twice before recommending these films to casual movie goers.

*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating.

Cast A Deadly Spell

9 of 10 citizens "Liked" "Cast A Deadly Spell" (1991, USA)

Here's what the citizens of the Overlook Theatre had to say:

Lord Battle - "Imagine "Chinatown" but the main character is H.P. Lovecraft and he's traveling through a Shadowrun campaign minus the cyberware. This film is a lost treasure that succeeds at both being an interesting adult mystery and a campy adventure story filled with awesome special effects." - 5 Stars

The Berkeley Blazer - "A superb noir whose originality lies in having it's tongue and cheek magic-infused noir world never turn and wink at the camera." - 4 Stars

Johnny Ocelot - "Noir, magic, macabre,  Lovecraft, come on! Like I'm not gonna love this one. Unlike Hastur this is one you can talk about." - 4 Stars

Drumachine - ""Dead Alive" meets "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"." - 3 Stars

Book Wyrm - "A charming mix of magic and modern life, "Cast A Deadly Spell" kept my interest throughout." - 4 Stars

Bug - "I feel that this movie was actually very well done. I enjoyed the whole detective theme, definitely could be one of my favorites." - 4 Stars

Math Mage - "I wish that the "Call of Cthulhu" games I've played had been half as good as this movie." - 4 Stars

Huntress - "I loved the idea of a quick-witted detective movie with the magical realm detail just hanging out in the back round." - 5 Stars

The Great Hornito - "This movie had a really strong cast and wasn't a bad noir movie. I really just hate noir's." - 2 1/2 Stars

The Dungeon Master - No Comment - 4 Stars

The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*

I ended up screening this film 3 separate times, I just had to make sure most of the citizens were about to see it. The film is just executed perfectly, it walks such a fine line between serious noir and campy horror that I just can't stop praising it. In fact it's so good and so hard to find that I'm going to recommend heading to Youtube and watching the whole film before they remove it. If you end up watching it I'd love to hear what you think, so please come back and share your thoughts.

I think I'm going to start reviewing more obscure films like this one, I mean everyone should know about this movie and why review a film if not to generate conversation about it.

The image I used for the review poster is actually from a shirt design, you can find it at Rotten Cotten's web site and if you end up checking it out take a couple minutes and look around the site, it is filled with awesome stuff.

*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating.

Double F'n Feature Friday

Okay this double feature isn't really in stone yet as I may be starting a new job but I'm going to plan it for tomorrow anyway. The theme for this Friday will be documentaries so if you are getting a little burnt out on horror reviews here is the break you've been waiting for.

The First film "Adjust Your Tracking" is the latest screener I've received and it's also the first non horror film. This film is about the mighty VHS tape and the group of people that now collect them, I myself have started to and am really excited for this film.

I'd really like to have a lot of reviewers see this film so I might even cancel this if not enough people are free.

The Second documentary film is...

"The American Dreamer" is a must see. Hailed as the rawest star documentary ever this film follows Dennis Hopper as he attempts to make a sequel to "Easy Rider". From what I've read this film takes you on a drug fueled ride through Hopper's life, definitely a must see.  

Twixt

5 of 6 viewers "Liked" "Twixt" (2012, USA)

Here's what the citizens of the Overlook Theatre had to say:

Huntress - "I loved getting lost in the writers journey part of this; it didn't feel like an investigative film at all." - 5 Stars

Lord Battle - "Coppola sends Val Kilmer into Twin Peaks, this is something you wont want to miss." - 4 1/2 Stars

Ice Giant - "The dream sequences were amazing. Val Kilmer proves how versatile of an actor he is." - 3 1/2 Stars

The Berkeley Blazer - "Not for everyone, but a free-spirited dream-mare exploration with a strong horror beat. What it lacks in cohesiveness, it compensates for in anything-goes ambiance." - 3 Stars

The Great Hornito - "The dream sequences were really cool, they made the movie for me. Val Kilmer was great as well!" - 4 Stars

Brewha - "I didn't understand where this movie was going through most of it." - 2 Stars

The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*

Before I get into the film, this awesome poster was created by Sadobistom on Deviant Art.

"Twixt" is a very stylish film with a visual narrative that makes the film worth re-watching, I wouldn't recommend it to just anyone though. Earlier in the citizen reviews I mentioned "Twin Peaks", this is because the first 10min and the last act of "Twixt" felt like an homage to David Lynch. Now don't get me wrong, I constantly see references to Lynch in everything so either he's had a huge impact on film everywhere or I am just applying his work to everything I watch. The second seems more reasonable but there is a scene I might go over in the future, it takes place towards the end of the film so I wont elaborate here.

Val Kilmer was my favorite part of this film. I grew up talking to my friends about how cool Kilmer was, I mean "Tombstone", enough said. Val Kilmer used to be a badass and it totally translates in "Twixt". The way he carries himself is that of a beat down star who has seen the better side of fame but is now buried by it. The best part is Val plays it like a Bruce Campbell character, where there is a certain amount of camp but it doesn't ever take away from the seriousness of the moment. 

I really was surprised by this film and liked it a lot but as more reviews are posted I'm sure it's becoming clear that I like off beat, artsy, or just bad stuff. I swear that although this film may be off beat and artsy, it is not bad.

- Lord Battle

*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating.

Dead Hooker in a Trunk

3 of 6 viewers "Liked" "Dead Hooker in a Trunk" (2011, USA)

Here's what the citizens of the Overlook Theatre had to say:

Book Wyrm - "If you combine "Pretty Little Liars" and "Twilight" on drugs, you get this movie." - 2 Stars

Lord Battle - "I hated this film the first time I watched it, second time around it wasn't as bad. Expect nothing and you might enjoy yourself." - 2 Stars

The Berkeley Blazer - "Don't watch this and your life will probably be better, but if you have to, you'll be somewhat pleasantly surprised." - 3 Stars

Math Mage - "A surreal non-horror film starring a fighter, a rouge, a wizard, and a cleric." - 3 Stars

The Great Hornito - "I hated every second of this piece of trash. Thank god they are twins and not triplets cuz then it would have been 3 times as shitty." - 1/2 Star (Default 1)

Huntress - "At least it was bloody." - 2 Stars

The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*

With "American Mary" out and "See No Evil 2" on the horizon, I thought it be fun to screen the original Soska twins film. Now my first experience with Dead Hooker was pretty different since I found out about the film from a top 10 list of "New Masters of Horror" (you can see the list here). If you checked out the list you must have noticed the twins didn't make it, but it's below in the comments that I learned of them. In fact, when this list was released at least two others like it came out only to get the same kind of responses: "Really!? Not one woman on that list….." or "this is a total sausage fest!!" These comments were responded to with "What women do you think belongs on the list?", and the same response was always given, the Soska Twins!! Of course I had to check them out and you can tell from the responses above I wasn't impressed. Dead Hooker wasn't all bad, I did like the loss of limbs and the car was pretty cool. I just could not get into the twins' characters. They sucked at being both badass and nerdy, neither character felt slightly authentic.

I wont lie though, I really liked "American Mary" even though its third act was lacking (Expect to see that reviewed soon) and I am dying to see "See No Evil 2". So it goes without saying I see a lot of potential in the twins and will be following them closely. I just can't get into the feminist-camp that Dead Hooker prides itself on.

- Lord Battle

*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating. 

The Devil Knows His Own

0 of 5 viewers "Liked" "The Devil Knows His Own" (2013, USA)

Here's what the citizens of the Overlook Theatre had to say:

Math Mage - "A Lifetime/SyFy coproduction so awful neither network will admit participating." - 1 Star 

Huntress - "The handful of cool shots in this movie were just a tease." - 2 Star

Lord Battle - "This film should have been a silent, since I enjoyed 80% of the shots. In fact, I though some were deeply inspired and truly scary. I just could not get past the acting. I mean, I love "B" movies but this film took itself more serious, which is awesome, but then they would have a monologue and you would "B" reminded." - 2 1/2 Stars

The Great Hornito - "This movie tried way too hard to be artsy but it just came off as a self indulgent and sometimes lazy. A couple of the scenes in the movie were pretty good, that's the only reason I even gave it 1/2 a star." - 1/2 Star (default to 1)

Book Wyrm - "I would say something but I don't want to hurt the director's feelings. = ( " - 1 Star

The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*

The citizens really cut into this film and, as I promised, I didn't sensor any of it. I still feel like it was a bit much though; if this film could have cut down on the dialogue and shown more of the dark entity in the house I think it would have gone over a lot better. Also, everyone seemed to enjoy the music at one point or another, but no one chose to comment on that. I'd recommend this film to people who liked "The Poughkeepsie Tapes" not because it's found footage but because it offers the same kind of atmosphere.

Thanks to Jason Hawkins for sending me his film!

- Lord Battle

*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating.

Curse of Chucky

5 of 5 citizens "Liked" "Curse of Chucky" (2013, USA)

Here's what the citizens of the Overlook Theatre had to say:

Lord Battle - "Don Mancini has made a film for the fans and an awesome one at that. It really is how all slasher sequels should be made and by that I mean, reveal back story, reference previous films, and kill lots of people." - 5 Stars

The Great Hornito - "The creepiest Chucky I've ever seen. I can't believe this wasn't released in theaters. This is a crime against Chucky." - 4 Stars

Huntress - "This felt like the road Chucky should have taken in all the "Child's Play" movies, basically a less campy more scary "Child's Play"." - 5 Stars

Book Wyrm - "As someone who has not seen any other "Child's Play" films I missed a lot of references, however, I was told by fans of the franchise that this film was great. I myself enjoyed it even with all of the inside references." - 4 Stars

Ice Giant - "The new expressions Chucky's able to make are amazing, I'm usually against changing characters as established as him but they really hit a home run this time, really surprised this went straight to video while "Seed of Chucky" got a theatre release because this entry in the series might be the best one to date." - 4 1/2 Stars

The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*

It's been 9 years since "Seed of Chucky" and honestly for a long time I felt I was the only person who wanted more. I unlike many like Tiffany and I really loved the whole "Bride of Frankenstein" thing Mancini was doing, still I think many stopped really loving Chucky once Andy was gone. But then I started asking a lot of fans about their favorite Child's Play films and to my surprise many of them had never seen one, in fact most people were scared of Chucky based solely on his looks. The point of all this is, I thought it was incredibly ballsy of Don Mancini to change such an iconic face, and a face that was capable of scaring people that hadn't even seen any of the films. Still when you watch "Curse of Chucky" you will realize what a good decision it was. I should know to always trust Don, I mean this film is obviously made by a horror fan for horror fans. Oh and as a final thought, if you have ever watched or listened to Don talk about what he wanted Child's Play to be about you should know keep in mind that Chucky is a killer doll in a capitalist country... Yes, always with the film theory I know but you should keep things like this in mind no matter what film you are watching, you'll enjoy all films more this way!
- Lord Battle

*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating.

The Haunting of Helena Recap & an Explanation of "Pretty Girl Ghost Mysteries"

          A couple of weeks ago I said I would comment on "The Haunting of Helena" no matter what, and wow did I drop the ball there. I originally wanted to make a way for me to justify watching films without dragging 4 or more citizens out from their various lairs and it looks like it didn't work outy too well. 

          The reason this post was forgotten wasn't just because "The Haunting of Helena" had very little to offer other than the totally laughable car wreck scene that the picture above is taken from. No, in fact the main reason was one of inspiration. I know that doesn't really make sense but I'll explain a bit later after I  quickly recap this car scene.

         Here is where the scene starts, a mom and her daughter are driving somewhere unimportant.

There is a boring conversation I have decided not to elaborate on before we get to the image above. Yes that's the cars GPS acting up. It's not totally clear but I think it's connection is being distorted by a paranormal force named Mux.

The next few photos don't need much explanation...

Yes awesome special effects, I know.

This is mom right before her head smashes through her driver side window.

Still with me? Okay so after the vehicle corkscrews this happens...

Yes, she see's a ghost in her backseat, Mux the ghost that hates GPS technology!

And then all is calm as the SUV sinks and everyone dies...

 Well that's how I would have ended it, but the film goes on to be one of many other horror films that share the same plot structure. I've been thinking about it for a while now and my working name for them are Pretty Girl Ghost Mysteries.

Pretty Girl Ghost Mysteries all follow the same story arch... First act: a pretty girl somehow gets involved in a mystery, there is a number of reasons to initiate this and usually is the most unique part of the film. Second act: The mystery turns out to be a restless spirit acting out because the horrors it lived have been forgotten. Third act: With the mystery solved and the ghost at rest all seems well, until one final clue is revealed about the spirit which shows that its true nature has always been evil. This final clue is discovered by the pretty girl just as the final victim of the ghost is claimed.

Expect a list of "Pretty Girl Ghost Mysteries" in the future. And thanks to the "Haunting of Helena" for making me finally address this horror sub genre.