Tonight's Midnight Movie: "Hellraiser 4: Bloodline"

Year: 1996

Actors: Bruce Ramsay, Valentina Vargas, Doug Bradley, Charlotte Chatton

Director: Alan Smithee, Kevin Yagher

Formats: DVD

Price: £1.99

Mini Review

“Hellraiser: Bloodline” follows the bloodline of the Merchant family. Since the creation of the original box right through to the future the family has dealings with the box and the Cenobites. Each generation makes attempts to destroy what their ancestors created and set loose but will they succeed? The movie gives us a window on several historical time periods, each with their own chapter on how the box came to be and how the Cenobites can be destroyed.

Verdict

“Hellraiser: Bloodline” takes a real risk in being set in several time periods, a clear contrast from previous outings. Generally the movie gets poor reviews (having Alan Smithee as a director is not too encouraging). However, I’m not going to be too harsh on it. The plot involves the creation of the first box which is always good to see and also we receive a new Cenobite in Angelique. Personally I like the plot thread that the box haunts the bloodline of the Merchant family, for a fourth movie plot it’s not a bad concept at all. Thinking of another of my favourite mediums (video games) “Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem” uses the same idea and was applauded for essentially the same concept.

Time after time the Merchants are visited by the Cenobites throughout history and in to the future. This leads to an obviously plot floor in that if they so wanted I’m certain that the Cenobites could wipe out a bloodline if they really tried. Escaping the Cenobites for generations just seems to go against previous form. However, horror movies are generally full of these discussion points and I won’t hold it against what is generally an interesting movie.

As ever Doug Bradley’s return of Pinhead is excellent, he was simply made for the part. I’m not so sure about Angelique though, the idea of a female lead Cenobite is good but she seem to lack the on screen presence of Pinhead. A fourth Hellraiser movie was always going to be a real stretch in terms of keeping an audience. I’m pleased to say that the movie did re-invent the plot. Looking at Parts one to four, each movie is unique and not yet too repetitive on plot line. My personal opinion is that no more movies past part four should have been made, the franchise effectively died with this one.

My verdict on “Hellraiser: Bloodline” is that it is the last Hellraiser movie worth watching, especially if you are a fan of the first three movies. Past this point there can only be repetition, lesser directors and lower budgets. Inferno and Hellseeker are just dire attempts at generating money from the corpse of a franchise, I may not ever make time to write a specific blog about these. The can be summed up as “simply terrible”.

Pros: Interesting plot concept. Great acting from Doug Bradley.

Cons: The end of an era. Not ground-breaking enough.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 6 cursed bloodlines out of 10.

Should our review not be enough for you try these links.
IMDB: Hellraiser: Bloodline
Wikipedia: Hellraiser: Bloodline
Amazon: Hellraiser 4 - Bloodline [DVD]

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Your views: Watched this? Own this? Recommend this? Have a question about this? Please feel free to comment.

Tonight's Midnight Movie: "Hellraiser 3: Hell On Earth"

Year: 1992

Actors: Terry Farrell, Doug Bradley, Kevin Bernhardt

Director: Anthony Hickox

Formats: DVD

Price: £2.99

Mini Review

“Hellraiser 3: Hell on Earth” continues the franchise of Pinhead and the Cenobites. Pinhead emerges trapped in a block of concrete along with the box. Pinhead must convince young Playboy JP Monroe to help him escape the block by luring victims to their death (the blood regenerating Pinhead). Pinhead then seeks to destroy the box forever so that he can create a lasting Hell on Earth.

Verdict

Now here’s where the Hellraiser series takes its first wobble. Parts one and two are exemplary in terms of quality. Part three was always going to be a struggle to continue the form. The loss of Clive Barker’s direct involvement and a change from most of the original cast really show here. Since part three wasn’t penned as part of the original story it does seem a little disjointed from the first movies. Another issue is that we’ve seen the Cenobites and Hell close up already, part three was always going to suffer from the familiarity of the setup. The same can be applied to most horror movies, once you’ve seen Freddy Kruger kill in six movies the 7th really doesn’t leave much open for surprise.

So where to go with the plot? Well I think that the series did take a good decision here on focussing on the Pinhead character. The movie is much more revealing than the first two regarding his origins and a little bit more of the history of the box. This movie turns much more mainstream than he first two with an obvious emphasis on kill count and shock rather than the storyline.

The characters are at least memorable, Pinhead steals the show with his manic killing spree. We are also introduced to JP Monroe, he’s one of those guys that really needs a visit from a Cenobite. He’s rude, misogynistic, dumb and you just really want to see him get butchered in nasty ways.

Oddly enough though “Hellraiser: Hell on Earth” is a movie that I still enjoy. Seeing Pinhead rampage a nightclub with his chains is good viewing. There’s also some nice flashback scenes of the journey to becoming a Cenobite. Whilst I can’t support that this is a great classic I would defend that for a movie that is essentially the “cash in” movie it keeps true to the main ideas and is at least entertaining. It’s certainly better than Halloween Part 3 or Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3 and perhaps even Friday 13th Part 3. Keeping a good idea going is difficult and “Hellraiser: Hell on Earth” was a real test, I think it’s as good as I could have expected.

Pros: Pinhead is set loose. Story is progressed.

Cons: The new Cenobites are a little bit lacking in terror. Movie leaves the series open for more sequels.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 6 new Cenobites out of 10.

Should our review not be enough for you try these links.
IMDB: Hellraiser 3: Hell On Earth
Wikipedia: Hellraiser 3: Hell On Earth
Amazon: Hellraiser III - Hell on Earth [DVD] [1993]

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Your views: Watched this? Own this? Recommend this? Have a question about this? Please feel free to comment.

Tonight's Midnight Movie: "The Masque of the Red Death"

Year: 1964

Actors: Vincent Price, Hazel Court, Jane Asher, David Weston

Director: Roger Corman

Formats: VHS, DVD

Price: £3.99

Mini Review

“Masque of the Red Death” is one of the Poe/Vincent/Corman classics. Poe’s original work is a short story based in a plague hit time. Victims of the Red Death sweat blood and have horrific deaths. The slightly insane and ruthless Prince Prosperso (Vincent Price) attempts to ride out the Red Death behind the confines of his abbey walls caring little for those around him. Instead he holds a masquerade ball for the nobles and wealthy. Since this is an Edgar Allan Poe story you can expect death and decay as an unexpected visitor joins the party.

Verdict

I first saw “Masque of the Red Death” when I was about seven years old. I remember distinctly coming back from my grandparents’ house having stopped off at the Fish ‘n Chip shop on the way back. I remember looking up and seeing the intro of the Red Death. The creepy cloaked character handing out a rose. The whole thing was spellbinding in a creepy way. This was probably the first time I’d seen or heard Vincent Price or heard of Edgar Allan Poe. The experience was one of intrigue.

I have to say to a seven year old the “Masque of the Red Death” is not a great movie. It’s not particularly action packed or child friendly. I do remember the experience though. The slightly blurry camera lens, the washed out colours and Vincent hamming it up to epic proportions. Revisiting a few years later I’d already moved on to “The Pit and the Pendulum”, “Dr Phibes” and all the other gems that Vincent brought us. The revisit was well worth it. Having now read the works of Poe and seen a lot more of Vincent’s work I really enjoy “Masque of the Red Death”. Much of Poe’s work is allegorical and it’s nice to see that the messages from the original text do seem to be carried in to the movie.

This type of horror is not scary in the sense of shocks and jumps, it’s more of a psychological sickening. The idea of madness caused by the yellow room (my room was yellow as a child), the idea of disease and the on-going gloomy decaying outlook of the world. From start to finish the movie put you in a slightly depressed ill feeling tone. Since the movie can do this I’m impressed. I can happily walk in to a modern horror and forget the imagery and plot almost the second I leave the theatre. “Masque of the Red Death” however leaves a lasting impression and nauseating feeling. Now that’s something special. The movie does now look incredibly dated and the younger generations are likely to give this one a miss for that reason. For those of an adventurous mind I’d recommend this one for a dreary afternoon, I still slightly prefer “The Pit and the Pendulum” but this is still a true gothic horror classic.

Pros: Vincent Price, Edgar Allan Poe, Roger Corman.

Cons: Limited appeal to a younger audience. Really depressing.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 7 bleeding faces out of 10.

Should our review not be enough for you try these links.

IMDB: Masque of the Red Death

Wikipedia: Masque of the Red Death

Amazon: Masque Of The Red Death [DVD]

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Your views: Watched this? Own this? Recommend this? Have a question about this? Please feel free to comment.

Tonight's Midnight Movie: "The Pit and the Pendulum"

Year: 1961

Actors: Vincent Price, John Kerr, Barbara Steele

Director: Roger Corman

Formats: VHS, DVD

Price: £3.89

Mini Review

“The Pit and the Pendulum” is yet another Vincent Price/Roger Corman movie based on a short story by Edgar Allan Poe. Set in the period of the Spanish inquisition the plot regards and Englishman (Francis Bernard) that is investigating the death of his sister (Elizabeth). Since this is a Poe story this all takes place in gothic castle. Throughout the movie there are ghostly goings on, mystery and attempts to block his questioning. In particular Nicholas (Vincent Price) seems to be covering up the true nature of Elizabeth’s death by claiming that it was a rare blood disorder. There are ghostly sightings, harpsichords, mysteries and a climactic ending.

Verdict

“The Pit and the Pendulum” is yet another chance for Vincent Price to shine. He’s both creepy and mysterious. My verdict on the movie is that considering that this was originally a short story there was a lot of work done to adapt it in to an interesting enough full-length feature. As a result I think that the pacing of the movie suffers slightly in the middle. After all, the movie implies a pendulum and most people will already know the short story. Sadly, since I’m from the UK Edgar Allan Poe is not currently on our core reading list as part of our school literature education. I believe that for most American students though he must be quite engrained in the literature culture and be waiting for the pendulum scene.

The movie overall is a paradise for 1960’s horror movie goers. There’s suspense, good direction and a strong story line to follow. There are some excellent flash back scenes with Barbara Steele. For its time I can only speculate that this was quite a thought provoking movie. There are strong themes of murder, torture and the slight madness in Price’s character. As with many of the Corman movies I was left feeling slightly depressed and nauseated. It’s a tale well told and a very solid movie for anone looking to get in to 1960’s horror.

Pros: Great imagery (especially the iron maiden), solid story, Vincent Price.

Cons: Now looks slightly dated and slow paced at times.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 7 iron maidens out of 10.

Should our review not be enough for you try these links.

IMDB: The Pit and the Pendulum
Wikipedia: The Pit and the Pendulum
Amazon: Pit & The Pendulum [DVD]


Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Tonight's Midnight Movie: "Hellraiser 2: Hellbound"

Year: 1988

Actors: Kenneth Cranham, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Doug Bradley

Director: Tony Randel

Formats: DVD

Price: £4.20

Mini Review

Following on directly from the first Hellraiser movie, Hellbound takes us further in to the box and the Hell that lies beyond. Kirsty receives a blood soaked message that her father is in Hell, she decides to make a rescue attempt along with a mute girl. We are introduced to Dr Charnard, a psychiatric doctor obsessed with the study of the boxes. It isn’t long before he finds the secret of the bloody mattress that can bring Claudia back to life and so begin his own descent in to Hell. I don’t want to give any plot spoilers here, needless to say we see the return of the Cenobites (including Pinhead), the blood and gore also return.

Verdict

What I like about Hellbound is that it is written as a traditional sequel. Part 1 left several hooks and unanswered questions for part 2 to address (and it does). So many modern franchises have to shoehorn in reasons for a sequel, Hellraiser genuinely needed one. The story focuses much more on what is behind the box when it is solved. We get to see an actual depiction of Hell which is suitably disturbing. One of the stand out points here is the character of Dr Chanard, he’s creepy, he’s cooky, he’s altogether messed up in the head. As creepy as he is there’s something about Clive Barker’s story telling that helps us understand and even empathise with his character at least in the early stages of the movie. He’s obsessed with solving the riddle of the boxes and is taking a serious approach to his research. I think the reason we can identify with him is that he has a chance to answer questions through his research. Who hasn’t at some point been curious enough to make their own research projects?

Needless to say the backdrop of a psychiatric hospital is always going to lead to a bit of madness. The scenes are incredibly blood-laden but they are necessary on account of the story line.

The return of Pinhead (previously credited only as “Lead Cenobite” in part 1) is back and as sinister as ever. To be fair he doesn’t have too much to do in terms of the plot line but Doug Bradley delivers every line to perfection, this is how to make a character. His character is neither really bad nor really good “Angels to some, demons to others” as he describes the Cenobites. For him, the torture of those that open the box is a full time job. When I see him on screen I always get the impression he’s been busy elsewhere up until the moment we see him, in some ways he seems quite indifferent and very matter of fact. This is in great contrast to other horrors of the time such as Friday 13th, Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street where the protagonists are pretty much out for a high kill count as motivation. The other differential being that Hellraiser parts 1 and 2 actually have a plot rather than just a sustained massacre.

The plot works well as we see the return of many of the original cast and have a good stand-off situation between good and evil. There’s development of the main characters and also enough to leave questions surrounding the origins of the box. The movie is also quite arty in its own way. Clive Barker has a way of making ugly things look beautiful. Had the series stopped here at part 2 I think that the series would be a lot higher regarded than it now is due to the lesser sequels that followed.

On balance I really can’t decide if Hellbound is better than the original. It’s story is less contained than the first and certainly more bloody. Since part 1 and part 2 seem to come as a package I will recommend them both. Certainly if you like part 1 you will enjoy part 2 just as much.

Pros: A good overall watch with plenty of story and blood.

Cons: Left the series open to further sequels.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 8 psychiatric patients out of 10.

Should our review not be enough for you try these links.

IMDB: Hellraiser 2: Hellbound

Wikipedia: Hellraiser 2: Hellbound

Amazon: Hellbound - Hellraiser II [DVD] [1989]

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Tonight's Midnight Movie: "Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust"

Year: 2000

Actors: Hideyuki Tanaka, Ichiro Nagai

Director: Yoshiaki Kawajiri

Formats: DVD

Price: £5.49

Mini Review

“Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust” is an anime horror adventure set in a not too distant apocalyptic world where vampires are being hunted to extinction. The plot concerns a young girl called Charlotte that has been captured/eloped with one of the last remaining vampires. The hero of the movie “D” is a Dunpeal, half human, half vampire. He is hired to defeat the vampire and return Charlotte to her family for financial reward. Seeking the same reward are the Marcus brothers, a small group of humans with a speciality for vampire/monster hunting missions.

Verdict

First off I have issues in classifying this movie as a horror movie. It’s more of a gothic/dark themed cartoon rather than anything intended to scare the audience. I’d describe this movie as more of an action/adventure that just happens to have a vampire as a protagonist. It lacks the soul of a real horror movie. Having said that it doesn’t take anything away from the enjoyment. The obvious distinguishing feature of “Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust” is that is an anime. This drastically limits what can be done in terms of horror. There’s no make-up and limited possibilities of realism that add to the haunted house movies. The medium also relies heavily on the audience to get in to the story line.

As a movie “Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust” does work for the most part. It tells a story (or at least part of a larger one). The hero is frustratingly aloof for my liking though, he has a slow way of speaking and we are no further in understanding his character at the end of the movie than we were at the start. Perhaps this is intentional as we are seeing a very short time span of an immortals life. I find him quite forgettable though as a lead character.

The animation does work very well. Whilst some scenes look quite cheaply made (although they weren’t) others look great. It’s clear that the emphasis of the animators time was focussed on the showdowns near the end of the movie. Having seen only around 10 anime movies I’d still only put “Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust” in the middle in terms of animation quality.

This is a movie that I like quite a bit but would find difficult to recommend for several reasons. Firstly, if you expect scares or any traditional horror features they just aren’t here to be found. Secondly I think that the anime medium may put some viewers off the idea. Having said that “Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust” is certainly an interesting movie and a world removed from Frankenstein, The Wolfman and Dracula. If you are looking for some gothic monster action that is a little bit different, this could be the movie for you. I’ve posted the trailer below for your amusement.

Pros: An nice anime alternative to mainstream horror.

Cons: Lack of scares, slightly weak lead character.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 7 talking hands out of 10.

Should our review not be enough for you try these links.

IMDB: Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust

Wikipedia: Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust

Amazon: Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust [DVD]

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Tonight's Midnight Movie: "Devil"

Year: 2010

Actors: Chris Messina, Bojana Novakovic, Logan Marshall-Green

Director: John Erick Dowdle

Formats: DVD, Blu-Ray

Price: £3.49

 

Mini Review

A group of 5 strangers manage to be unlucky enough to get trapped in an elevator together. No problem, just call a mechanic right? Well, there’s a second problem, one of them is the Devil. Sure enough each person in the lift has something to hide and sure enough it doesn’t take long before the Devil claims his first victim? Who is the Devil?

Verdict

As soon as I saw the “M. Night Shyamalan” credit as a writer I was in two minds. I really enjoyed “The Sixth Sense” but really didn’t get on well with “Signs “ or “The Village”. I managed to pick the DVD up for £3 though at the local supermarket and took a gamble.

I’m pleased to say that “Devil” is actually a good movie. Contrary to what I’d imagined although the 5 actors are within the elevator for almost the entire movie there are plenty of scenes outside of it. It was a good choice as the feel of the movie would have been very different had the camera never left the elevator.

I don’t want to spoil any of the plot here regarding “who is the Devil?” The movie did keep me guessing which was really refreshing, I was convinced on one character from the start and nearly chose correctly. Actually working out the answer would almost be guesswork.

I was slightly disappointed that part of the final events were lifted straight from other movies in a movie that had up until the end been quite original. Despite that, this is still a movie worth seeing. It’s Shyamalan but without the annoying one trick pony twists of “Signs”, “Unbreakable” and “The Sixth Sense”.

Pros: Reasonably original, entertaining and will keep you guessing.

Cons: Several plot holes but nothing too disastrous.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 7 broken elevators out of 10. Well worth a watch.

Should our review not be enough for you try these links.

IMDB: Devil

Wikipedia: Devil

Amazon: Devil [DVD]

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Your views: Watched this? Own this? Recommend this? Have a question about this? Please feel free to comment.

Tonight's Midnight Movie: "The Cabinet of Dr Caligari"

Year: 1920

Actors: Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt, Friedrich Feher

Director: Robert Wiene

Formats: VHS, DVD

Price: UK £2.99, USA $7.98

Or watch for free at the bottom of this post! :-D

Mini Review

“The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” ("Das Kabinet des Dr Caligari") is best described as a Horror movie of the German Expressionist style. From start to finish the movie is highly stylised. The plot concerns a young man called Francis recalling a story of recent events to another man. He tells how a mysterious man called Dr Caligari comes to town. Whilst at the town carnival Caligari reveals the somnambulist (sleep walker to you and me). A man that has slept for 23 years and can tell the past, present and future. Sure enough it isn’t long before Cesare the somnambulist predicts a death which in turn swiftly occurs. Can the locals get to the bottom of the mysterious murders and is all as simple as it seems?

Verdict

“The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” has been on my list of movies to watch for a long time. I’ve been burnt so many time though when I’ve watched a highly acclaimed movie by the critics. From the trailers it’s difficult to work out what the fuss is about, it’s one that you have to see, there really is no other option.

I generally like the silent movies, although not strictly a horror movie I still rate Fritz Lang’s Metropolis as one of the best movies ever made. “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” hasn’t disappointed me either. For a 1920’s movie I was really surprised by the plot arc, it’s a movie way before it’s time in terms of technique. The sets are fantastic, I don’t think that there is a single right-angle in the whole move. Everything looks disjointed, abstract and gothic. I imagine that Tim Burton must love this movie, there’s so many of the stylings that seem to have influenced him. For those that remember the “Judder-Man” adverts by Metz back in the ‘90s I can’t help thinking that the character was modelled on the somnambulist. <--word of the day.

I’m happy that there is music to compliment the movie. Having watched several other “silent” movies with no soundtrack I did struggle to pay full attention. Luckily there is no problem here and there are alternate restorations to consider.

What stands out for me in the movie is that I just didn’t see the end coming. I really should have known better (having seen and read so much) but I was convinced that the movie would play out as I expected. For the most part it did but the last page turner made this movie for me. It’s like when you see a fantastic magic trick, you are convinced you know what’s coming but then the story takes you off on a rapid departure.

I can see now why this movie is regarded so highly and also why it is so important for the history of film. This not just a recommendation but a must see movie.

Pros: A clever plot, brilliant scenery and part of horror history.

Cons: The silent aspect may put younger viewers off. Some of the “restored” DVD editions are not as good quality as they could be considering the standard of the Nosferatu resoration.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 8 German Expressionist somnambulists out of 10.

Should our review not be enough for you try these links.

IMDB: The Cabinet of Dr Caligari

Wikipedia: The Cabinet of Dr Caligari

Amazon: Das Cabinet Des Dr Caligari [1919] [DVD]

"The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920)" Full Movie.

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Your views: Watched this? Own this? Recommend this? Have a question about this? Please feel free to comment.

Tonight's Midnight Movie: "Carnival Of Souls"

Year: 1962

Actors: Candace Hilligoss, Sidney Berger, Frances Feist

Director: Herk Harvey

Formats: VHS, DVD

Price: UK £2.99, USA $5.29 (Remastered Color $9.95)

Or watch for free at the bottom of this post! :-D

Mini Review

“Carnival of Souls” has a simple yet creepy. Shortly after a car accident a talented organist called Mary leave for Utah to take up a new job as a church organist. However, since the accident she has strange sightings of a zombie-like man. He appears to her several times but only she can see him. Mentally she links these sightings to an abandoned carnival and sets out to investigate the source of the visits by the strange man. There’s lots of what could be paranoia, hysteria or could it all be real. At time Mary is uable to communicate with the world around here. Can the local doctor, priest or neighbour help her? Can she help herself?

Verdict

“Carnival of Souls” is a genuinely interesting movie. I first picked this one up a few years ago. It was at a time when the £ to $ currency conversion was superb and how I built up my collection of US DVDs. On the first viewing I’d worked out the entire plot within minutes, so naturally I was initially underwhelmed by the rest of the movie. To anyone that has seen a horror movie before the plot is reasonably obvious. However, I decided to give this one another go as I did remember it at least as an interesting movie.

Second time round it was much more enjoyable. The acting is reasonably good, sometimes a little wooden but generally convincing enough. There’s some real issues in terms of continuity/plot holes, one of them big enough to have you asking yourself if you understood the movie correctly (I won’t mention any spoilers here).

Some parts of the movie seem slightly redundant. There is a sub-plot with Mary’s neighbour. A drinking, slightly rude pushy sleaze bag. Any modern girl would tell him to shove off but Mary just seems to roll with it. These segments add little in the way of pushing the story forward. For me that would be one of the key issues with the movie, the story moves reasonably slowly and it can seem like a bit of a chore at times to watch. Had this been a short story/shorter movie I think that the overall effect would have been greater.

Those are the downsides but there is a lot of goodness in this movie. It’s definitely a classic and did incorporate ideas not often seen before the early ‘60s. The production values also seem to be very good for this time period. In particular the abandoned carnival/pavilion is a very impressive setting for a movie and really works well.

Overall I do like this movie. I think that it could have been better but overall I did enjoy the re-watch of this one. I would recommend this movie. It’s not scary and so I really have no idea why it is classified as a 15 certificate in the UK. Summing up, this movie is low on scares but there is enough plot to squeeze out a good movie.

Pros: Good production, reasonably unique story, great sets.

Cons: A little low on scares and slow moving.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 7 creepy carnivals out of 10.

Should our review not be enough for you try these links.

IMDB: Carnival of Souls

Wikipedia: Carnival of Souls

Amazon: Carnival Of Souls [1962] [DVD], Carnival of Souls - Remastered Colour

"Carnival Of Souls" Full Movie.

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Your views: Watched this? Own this? Recommend this? Have a question about this? Please feel free to comment.

Tonight's Midnight Movie: "Sorority Row"

Year: 2009

Actors: Briana Evigan, Margo Harshman, Rumer Willis, Jamie Chung, Leah Pipes, Audrina Patridge, Carrie Fisher

Director: Stewart Hendler

Formats: DVD, Blu-Ray

Price: £2.49

Mini Review

I’ve been looking through the sales lately and came across “Sorority Row” for £2.49. Well, for that price you can’t really complain so I thought I’d give it a go. Even from the trailer I think the director was struggling to distinguish the idea from “I know What You Did Last Summer”. The basic plot is that there is a sorority prank gone wrong. A group of Theta Pi girls pretend that one of them is dead, this accidentally leads to the girl’s boyfriend making sure. The “making sure” bit involves stabbing a tire iron through her chest, this time actually killing her. The girls swear to secrecy about the accident and dispose of their sisters’ corpse down an unused well.

Then the fun begins, on the one year anniversary of the secret one by one the girls are being murdered by a hooded figure. In addition the girls receive phone messages of their the murder weapon. Has the dead sister come back for revenge?

Verdict

From start to finish this is an incredibly trashy movie. The trailer is reasonably accurate as a sampler of what you will be getting. There’s lots of half-dressed sorority sisters, alcohol and partying with a few murders in-between. There is absolutely nothing new about the movie in terms of ideas. There’s the girl going off on her own, a girl trying to hide in a wardrobe from the murderer, the unusually suspiciously guilty character and even the ultimate cliché of one of the sorority girls going down to the basement alone. The murderer for the most part is dressed in a black robe, this is literally identical to the Scream series.

Having said all that I will award some odd bonus marks. The soundtrack includes Dragonette and Franz Ferdinand which is always pleasant. The movie also has a small role for Carrie Fisher as the sorority mother. I have to say her scenes were much better than most. Overall I knew what I was getting when I picked this DVD. It’s not bad at all, I wasn’t bored and there was good energy on screen. The lack of originality left me a little disappointed though. This isn't the worst slasher you will see so I wouldn't want to put readers off too much.

IMDB estimates this one at a $16,000,000 budget with just $11,915,856 gross. For the life of me I can’t work out why this would cost so much to produce.

Pros: Good value for a £2.49 DVD.

Cons: Exactly the same plot as “I know What You Did Last Summer” with murderer from “Scream”.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 6 corpses in a mineshaft out of 10.

If you liked this try: “I know What You Did Last Summer”, “Scream”

Should our review not be enough for you try these links.

IMDB: Sorority Row

Wikipedia: SororityRow

Amazon: Sorority Row [DVD] [2009]

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Your views: Watched this? Own this? Recommend this? Have a question about this? Please feel free to comment.

Tonight's Midnight Movie: "Clue"

Year: 1985
Actors: Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, Lesley Ann Warren, Colleen Kamp, Lee Ving
Director: John Landis
Formats: VHS, DVD
Price: £2.49

Ok, so it's not ghosts, goblins, demons, paranormal, haunted houses etc. I thought that I would branch out today with a quick murder mystery/comedy, although it is directed by Horror guru John Landis. If it makes you feel any better there is a big old creepy house and murder!!!

Mini Review

Ah Cluedo, err I mean Clue. You see in the UK the game is known as Cluedo rather than Clue, see footnote for reasons why*. Our game, our rules since a Brit invented it. The movie however is American and most definitely called Clue. As you would expect it's an adaptation of the classic board game. There's Professor Plum, Colonel Mustard, Mrs White, Miss Scarlet, Mr Green, Mrs Peacock and of course Mr Body/Dr Black. In addition there's also Wadsworth the butler and Yvette the French maid. The guests all arrive one by one and get to know each other over a soup slurping, monkey brain scooping dinner. It sets the tone of the movie well. They are then joined by Mr Black who after dinner is revealed to have been blackmailing each guest for a different reason. Sure enough a light switch flips, the lights go out and we are left with one dead Mr Body as a result.

Wordsworth explains that he has already called the police with the intention of charging Mr Body with blackmail. However, since he is now dead there is a race on to discover how he died, where, with what and by who? Along the way the guests are interrupted by unexpected guests which lead to more murders. It's a delightful movie with plenty of running around and hysteria. The guests split up at times, use secret passages and generally all have reason to suspect each other. Only at the very end is the full solution revealed.

*Shortly thereafter, Pratt and his wife presented the game to Waddingtons' executive, Norman Watson, who immediately purchased the game and provided its trademark name of "Cluedo" (a play on "clue" and "Ludo", which is Latin for I play). Though the patent was granted in 1947, due to post-war shortages, the game was not officially launched until 1949, at which time the game was simultaneously licensed to Parker Brothers in the United States for publication, where it was re-named "Clue" along with other minor changes.

Verdict

Clue is a movie that really will keep you guessing until the end, even then you could be wrong. This is one of those movies I saw as a kid and have always loved. There's lots of slapstick running around, great word play and above all there's a relentless silliness to the proceedings which makes it so watchable. Along with Stephen King's "IT" this must be the one of Tim Curry's best moments. I'm guessing the director told Tim to just have fun and do things his way. The comedy timing is superb, every character seems perfectly crafted and all have great one-liners.

What really impresses me is that the writing allows for a real murder mystery story to run through the movie. There's red herrings, subtle clues and lots of far fetched motives for the murders. Take away the comedy and farce of the movie and the plot could have stood as a serious mystery movie in it's own right.

Pros: Just utterly silly and enjoyable. Tim Curry at his best.

Cons: There's a few continuity errors but it really doesn't take anything away from the viewing.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 9 bodies stacked in the lounge out of 10. This is the pinnacle of the murder mystery comedies.

Should our review not be enough for you try these links.

IMDB: Clue

Wikipedia: Clue

Amazon: Clue [DVD]

Clue (1985): Trailer

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Your views: Watched this? Own this? Recommend this? Have a question about this? Please feel free to comment.

Tonight's Midnight Movie: "Hellraiser"

Year: 1987

Actors:Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Sean Chapman, Doug Bradley

Director: Clive Barker

Formats: VHS, DVD, Blu-Ray

Price: £4.50

Mini Review

So, what's it all about? Hellraiser can be loosely categorised as an '80's slasher movie. In truth though I think it follows the gore/suspense formula a little closer. The story takes much from the original Clive Barker novel "The Hellbound Heart" which in turn took at least part of it's inspiration from Edgar Allan Poe's "Tell-Tale Heart" short story. The Hellraiser story has a clear set up. There is a puzzle box which when solved acts as a gateway to Hell. Those that open the box are greeted by the Cenobites, demons that deliver sadistic torture on the opener.

The main focus of the story surrounds Larry Cotton, a middle aged business man type. His daughter Kirtsy, his wife Julia and the evil uncle Frank. Having opened the box Frank is ripped to shreds by the torture of the Cenobites and his remains lie under the floorboards of Larry's house. Carelessly cutting his hand on a loose nail Larry drips blood on to the floorboards. For a reason never really fully explained the blood resurrects Frank in a horrifically gruesome scene. It is at this point that Frank enlists Claudia to help him complete his skinless body by luring men to their deaths in the house. Frank can then suck their blood and regenerate, if you listen closely there is actually the sound effect of someone sucking through a straw in one scene, it's very creepy.

With Frank back and having escaped the Cenobites there is much mischief and mayhem as you would expect. Kirsty becomes involved looking for her father and encounters Frank and uncovers his relationship to the box and Hell. I don't want to give any more detail in this review so as not to spoil any surprises. Needless to say though there is a lot of blood, the appearance of the infamous Pinhead and plenty more blood.

Verdict

From my perspective Hellraiser has a lot going for it as a Horror movie. There is well thought out pacing, the characters have depth and the movie is not fixated on the Pinhead character but rather the fear of the Cenobites and Hell. One of the highlights has to be the special effects. Often the effects can ruin a movie like Hellraiser if they are not believable. However, the skinless Frank Cotton is superbly disturbing and the images of tearing flesh are really well executed. Although we associate the character of Pinhead with the Hellraiser series he actually has less than 10 minutes of screen time in this first outing. This adds to the mystery of the character, his role is very functional and clearly not a demon to mess with. Lines like "Your suffering will be legendary!" are delivered with such conviction that what could come off as incredibly cheesy really doesn't.

The other characters feature heavily in driving the story forward. Uncle Frank is a complete bad guy, to him nothing matters apart from what he wants. Julia has a slow descent from being a slightly creepy mother-in-law figure to an all out evil sidekick, this idea is then later revisited in part 2. I think what I like most in the character work though is Kirsty Cotton. We're so used to seeing annoying blonde girls keep falling over when chased and being generally a bit dappy. Kirsty on the other hand reacts very much as you would expect someone to in real life. I'm particularly fond of the "Get the f**k off me!" line, it's exactly what you would say if an evil, skinless bleeding man was trying to kill you. It's also refreshing seeing Kirsty bargaining with the Cenobites, emphasising that from her perspective evil uncle Frank is actually more of a threat to her. This also has the benefit of revealing more of Pinheads character; he's not a mindless killer and does have a sense of right and wrong (or at least who should be punished in terms of the rules of the box). Pinhead is more of a functional character with a job to do, there's a sense that he is ageless and very composed in his line of work.

I'm not a professional critic but I will try to comment on the directing style. Clive Barker seems to have a real vision in to how the movie should look and feel. Gory scenes are nicely detailed with flesh and blood, lighter scenes of the movie have a normality feel about them. The light use of on screen Cenobite killings also adds to the threat. By "kill count" Hellraiser would not rank particularly high, however the menacing appearance of the Cenobites makes up for this. Hellraiser is a triumph for the genre. It plays with all our fears of curiosity in games like the Ouija board and also reveals and grim interpretation of what awaits us in Hell.

Pros: Well made, well directed, solid story.

Cons: If you don't like blood this one isn't for you. Also the very final 20 seconds of the movie is somewhat disconnected.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 8 blood soaked floorboards out of 10.

If you liked this try: Hellraiser II,

Should our review not be enough for you try these links.

IMDB: Hellraiser

Wikipedia: Hellraiser

Amazon: Hellraiser 1-3 Boxset [DVD] [1987]

Hellraiser (1987): Trailer

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.

Your views: Watched this? Own this? Recommend this? Have a question about this? Please feel free to comment.

Is "The Blair Witch Project" scary?

It's one of those movies that is incredibly divisive. There's the "That was pointless" response and also the "That was scary" response. Viewers really are split on this one as to whether "The Blair Witch Project" is worth watching. IMDBs current rating is 6.3 but the movie has a metascore of 81/100 so you can already see the inconsistency. So, is it worth watching? Is it as good as the hype? Is it completely pointless? Is it scary?

*No Spoilers*

 The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Back in my late teens I had heard of a movie coming from across the pond, "The Blair Witch Project". A supposedly rediscovered home movie that tracked a group of missing students. I had heard a lot of hype over this one and couldn't wait to see it. So that Halloween I set out with a couple of friends to watch the show. I'd seen the trailer so I was prepared for lots of blurry shots of foliage and poor camera work. The first thirty minutes flew by and I was really enjoying the movie, it really is like watching a documentary. From the start Heather's character annoyed me but there was always the chance that we would see her hacked to pieces by the end of the movie so I stuck with it. It was mainly her accent at first that did is for me, I should correct myself here and explain that it was more her dialect. Although I'm very British I don't mind American accents in general, Heather's character just seemed like one of those slightly obnoxious, moaning dim types right from the start. No offence meant Americans, I love your Twinkies, Peeps and Cheese in a can :-) Seriously though, you guys gave us Edgar Allan Poe and Vincent Price, we are in your debt.

 

Anyway, after the essential build-up of finding her two companions/film crew they set out in to the woods. I like the attempts here to talk about folklore and local legends; I would have liked more "real" material to be included here. The interview with Mary Brown seems quite creepy and I really liked the delivery of the ghost/folklore story. For me the movie then changes, it gets a little dull. There's the slow realisation that they might be lost and that they should probably camp the night etc. It's not scary in the least and I'm not actually sure that the film makers intended it to be. It's more of a "fill in the blanks" in your head to generate the scares.

Throughout the movie things go from a nice cheerful walking/movie making trip to a realisation that they are completely lost and there may or may not be the Blair Witch stalking them. For me this is the pivotal point that divides opinion. If you believe that this is just a movie then there really is nothing scary so far apart from a few leaves rustling, straw dolls etc. However, if the tape is genuine the movie will take on a different meaning. In this blog I'm not going to reveal the ending or any more of the detail as I don't want to spoil a viewing for you.

In regard to my initial question, "Is it worth watching?" My answer is "yes". The reason being is that regardless of whether you like the movie or not and believe it is genuine or not really doesn't matter to some extent. I think that many people viewing the first time did not understand the final scene where there is the real pay-off in terms of the story arc. Having a quick read of IMDB it seems that some people are still missing the point. Endless comments of "Nothing Happens" are still being posted all these years later. The elements that makes this movie are that you must listen to the documentary folk stories at the start and that in your own life you've actually had that slightly lost/stalked/frightened/haunted feeling.

If you are they type of viewer that needs endless ghosts, monsters and skeletons jumping out along with the scary music then this movie is definitely not for you. You will only be left disappointed, you won't be scared or entertained. If you’re the type of open-minded movie goer that will give most things a try there is a good chance that you will enjoy this movie. So, is it scary? Well, yes if you understand it and think about it long enough, it will all depend on the viewers interperetation and personal thoughts on the real life what if's of the story.

It’s cheap $60,000 by IMDB estimates with $248,639,099 gross earnings. Incidentally this was also the first DVD I ever bought, ironically it was possibly the only DVD out at the time that did not need to be on DVD since the original was filmed on tape.

Pros: Fairly original idea and something a little different.

Cons: Will not appeal to all.

The Haunted Cinema Rating: 6.5 straw dolls out of 10. I don't love it but I do appreciate it.

Happy hauntings, Jiblet.