Creepy Cinema: Grab Bag | Week Four

I can't believe that this is the final week of Creepy Cinema! I feel like it was only yesterday that I watched Tales from the Darkside. I hope that you enjoyed all my reviews and look forward to doing this again next year! 

1. What We Do in the Shadows - 2014

For a while now, Markus and I have heard nothing but great things about this vampire mockumentary from New Zealand. When I heard that Jemaine Clement wrote and directed the film with his co-star Taika Waititi, I knew we had to watch it. We’re huge fans of Flight of the Conchords mainly because Clement is a comedic genius. The film follows four vampires that share a flat in Wellington, New Zealand. They range in age and have very different ways of doing things, but they’re best friends. Since it’s a mockumentary, we get to see all aspects of their lives and it’s fun to see all their weird quirks, insecurities, and shortcomings get dragged into the light. It was a refreshing take on the vampire genre and awesome to see something different. I also loved seeing the mini-reunion with Jemaine and Murray, from Flight of the Conchords. If Brett showed up, it would’ve been even better!

2. Harbinger Down - 2015

Every Creepy Cinema, there is one movie that Markus and I look forward to, but then ultimately disappoints us. Markus is a huge fan of John Carpenter’s The Thing because of its brilliant use of practical effects and intense storyline. In 2010 StudioADI, the creators of Harbinger Down, were hired by Universal Studios to do the practical effects for a The Thing prequel. Once the film was finished, the post-production department covered all of Studio ADI’s practical effects with CGI enhancements, which virtually replaced all of ADI’s hard work. Later they released a YouTube video that sparked a Kickstarter campaign, which helped fund Harbinger Down. Sadly, the most interesting part of the film is the backstory of it’s production. The plot was clumsy, the direction wasn’t strong, and the acting is so stilted that it makes watching the movie unbearable. There were moments that should make you emotional and sympathetic to the antagonists, but they just end up being laughable and make you want the movie to end. I will say the practical effects are incredible and well executed, but it’s not enough to hold up the entire movie.

3. White Zombie - 1932

It’s been awhile since I’ve seen a Bela Lugosi film, I think the last was Plan 9 from Outer Space from a previous Creepy Cinema. I’m a huge fan of classic movies and always enjoy watching those from the horror genre. White Zombie is a 1930’s voodoo zombie film set in Haiti. I found the premise actually quite intriguing and thought the ambience only added to the eeriness of the film. The film almost puts you in a dreamlike state, much like that of a zombie. The pacing is very slow and there isn't much action, so I did start to lose interest. However as usual when Lugosi would enters the scene, it became much more interesting and I really perked up. White Zombie was good, but it wasn’t great and I probably wouldn’t watch it again.

4. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night - 2014

Of all the films this year, this film surprised me the most. I had a feeling which films I would and wouldn’t like, but A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night was a bit of a revelation. I never heard of it before, but Markus watched it a while ago and raved about it. I was eager to watch what has been described as, “the first Iranian vampire Western.” The film is set in a small Iranian town named “Bad City” that follows the goings on of a lonely vampire. There is very little dialogue, thus causing the actors to emote everything. The leads, Sheila Vand and Arash Marandi, are fantastic and really make you feel everything their characters are going through.  I’ve never seen anything like this movie and I loved it. It’s like watching an old movie, but with modern sensibilities and is absolutely so beautiful in its simplicity.

Creepy Cinema: Grab Bag | Week Three

1. Crimson Peak - 2015
Of all the films on this year’s list, this was the one I anticipated the most. If you don’t know, I’m a HUGE Tom Hiddleston fan. Not only is he dreamy, but he’s a brilliant actor and fantastic in anything he does. I couldn’t wait to see Crimson Peak for Hiddles, but also because it features so many things I enjoy. I’m a sucker for anything with a gothic romance, an old crumbling mansion, and  a Byronic hero with deep, dark secrets. This was by far my favorite Guillermo del Toro film. I do think that he is an excellent director and creates incredibly intricate and beautiful films, but for some reason they just don’t strike my fancy. I think it’s because the story or acting in those movies never really resonated with me. However in this case, from the minute the film began until it ended, I was completely and utterly captivated. I felt as though del Toro reached into my soul and created this movie from what he found. All the actors were incredible in this film, Hiddles goes without saying, but Mia Wasikowska and Jessica Chastain were just as good. Although, I do feel that the real hero of this film was the set design. I haven’t seen such a visually stunning film since Atonement, which for me, is the end all be all of beautiful movies. If you had to choose one film to watch from this year’s list, this would be the one that I recommend. You won’t regret it!  

2. The Collector - 2009
This film was my living nightmare. I know what kind of scary movies I don’t like, and it’s movies like The Collector. I can handle scary movies when there is some of kind of supernatural element. This was not the case for The Collector. It was basically a demented version of Home Alone, but instead of a lovable elementary school kid, it’s a sociopathic killer that has booby trapped the home of a family to torture and kill them. The main protagonist of this film is an ex-con/cat burglar who happened to case out the same house The Collector booby trapped. Now trapped inside, this thief must make a moral decision to either escape from the house and save his own skin, or save the innocent family trapped inside. I can’t watch movies that involve torture or suspense of this caliber, so this was hard for me to get through. I know Markus meant well when we decided to put this on the list, however the film was so intense that I had to pause it three times to take a break from the intense fear. Finally, I gave up and stopped the movie all together. I do feel a bit bad about not finishing it, but it was just too much. In the future, I’ll be sure to steer clear of any movies like The Collector. 

3. Nightbreed - 1990

This was a really strange film. It’s almost as if the director didn’t know what he wanted the film to be, so he just threw together a bunch of things hoping it would work. One of the things that was hard for me to wrap my head around was the soundtrack. As soon as the movie opened, I immediately recognized the style of music from Danny Elfman. It’s both good and bad that his music is so recognizable. Unfortunately, the soundtrack did not go well with Nightbreed. The score is whimsical and you half expect Edward Scissorhands or Jack Skellington to make an appearance. Sadly they do not and you’re stuck with the most depressing bunch of monsters in film history. The movie begins with a troubled young man and his search for a place he continuously dreams about called Midian, the land of monsters. When he finally makes it there, nothing is explained, but he somehow becomes the savior of Midian, and the whole affair culminates in the killing of an entire police force...also there’s a psychopathic killer antagonist that looks just like The Collector...the film basically goes off the deep end. I wish that the director just decided on a tone and stuck with it. If they had done that, it’s quite possible that Nightbreed could’ve been a great cult classic.

4. The Host - 2006

Can you believe that The Host is the first Asian horror movie in Creepy Cinema history? You would think that I would’ve had heaps of them on the list, but I think it’s because most Asian horror films involve ghosts or some form of torture, and as you can tell from the above review, I am not a fan. Thankfully The Host was a classic monster chase film that follows a family trying to save their youngest member, Hyun-seo, a young girl that was kidnapped by a crazy mutated monster. Even though the family faces countless obstacles, the love they feel for Hyun-seo drives them to find her against all odds.  I really enjoyed this movie and loved that it was set in Korea. It was like catching a glimpse of my second home, even though there is a crazy monster running around killing people. Like most Korean films, this one runs a bit too long at 2 hours. Although I didn’t feel the length as much as I normally do. Overall The Host had a lot of heart and I really connected with the theme of family-bond that strung the whole film together.

Creepy Cinema: Grab Bag | Week Two

1. Candyman - 1992
When I was a kid, I walked in on my brother’s watching Candyman. It was a scene where he was brutally killing someone. Ever since then, I promised myself I would never subject myself to that horror. I was traumatized for life. Cut to this year and somehow it ended up on the list. I have to admit, I hesitated the night we were going to watch it. My old childhood fear took over and I sat with a blanket on my head and hands over my ears. As the story progressed, the blanket eventually came off and my hands fell to my lap. In the end, Candyman surprised me. It was entertaining, and I really enjoyed it. The fact that it was set in Chicago was both exciting and unnerving. The film mostly takes place in Cabrini Green, an infamous housing project that was well known for being rife with gang activity, rape, murders and other unspeakable horrors. It was definitely the perfect setting for a film like this. The movie was creepy as hell, but the story was both intriguing and interesting, which is all I can ask for a Creepy Cinema film.  

2. Puppet Master - 1989
In addition to being terrified of anything that goes bump in the night, I’m especially scared of puppets or dolls. There is something unnatural about them that makes me feel uneasy. So for these obvious reasons, I wasn’t eager to watch Puppet Master. Apparently I wanted to torture myself this year and watch things that terrified me as a child. Unfortunately, this film wasn’t worth the wait like Candyman, which was sad for me. I really thought it would deliver but instead it fell flat. The film opens in the 30’s with a stunning hotel set, however 20 minutes later, we jump ahead to the 80’s, where it all goes downhill. The acting was stilted and much of the story was convoluted. Also, it took forever for the puppets to make their reappearance from the 1930’s opening scene. I realized that in the end, I just wanted to see some puppets kill people, and boy, did they kill people. Those puppets were real freaky, ranging from a pale faced Nazi puppet with blades for hands to a creepy leech girl. Overall, I was really disappointed because the story had so much potential but the execution caused the entire movie to fall flat. 

3. The Awakening - 2011
I was really excited that it this film was on the list, and was looking forward to watch this film. It has everything that I adore, the 20’s, creepy ghost boys, an old mystery, the English countryside and amazing vintage fashion. The Awakening reminded me of a film that we watched a few year’s back, The Woman in Black. The set design, costumes and cinematography are incredible and absolutely stunning, which was the part I enjoyed the most. The film was well cast with Rebecca Hall as the lead. Her performance was believable and sympathetic. It also stars a young Bran Stark, and all I wanted to to do was pinch his cute little face. I liked The Awakening, however it moved quite slowly. I think if they trimmed down some of the fat, it could’ve been virtually flawless. Like Puppet Master, it had so much potential to be everything I wanted, but in the end it just left me unsatisfied.  

4. The Brood - 1979

This movie is really freaking weird, like ridiculously weird. I kept asking Markus to describe the premise before we watched it and he kept saying it was hard to describe and that if he did it would ruin the movie. After watching The Brood, I have to agree. It’s a typical David Cronenberg movie and really out there. I have to confess, after doing Creepy Cinema for four years, I’ve learned something about myself: I’m not a big fan of 70’s horror films. I’m not saying that all films from the 70’s are terrible, there are exceptions like Alien and Jaws. However the pacing of a lot of the films from this era seem too slow, consisting of scenes where not much of anything is happening. It makes it hard to focus, and I find that I’m always slightly confused. This was the case for The Brood. The plot itself was interesting, and I really wanted to know what the mystery was behind all the deaths and the main characters’ marriage, but man did it drag. I kept saying over and over, “get to the point!” Visually, I liked the look and feel, but it wasn’t enough to make it a great movie. Also, there are genuine moments where I was like,”Whuuuuu?” Actually, the whole movie was one long “Whuuuuu?” moment for me. So this one definitely was not my favorite.  

Creepy Cinema: Grab Bag | Week One

I have to admit that I've been looking forward to Creepy Cinema. It's become such a staple in our lives and a wonderful tradition. The first three films were all very good and I can't wait to share my thoughts with you!

1. Tales from the Darkside - 1990 

This film is a little known horror anthology which is comprised of three short stories and a subplot. The first story, Lot 249, was a delightfully creepy tale of an archaeology nerd’s revenge. I loved seeing a young Steve Buscemi play a young intellectual who becomes consumed with vengeance. The short also stars Christian Slater and he gets a bit crazy, which is when I enjoy Slater the most.  The second story, Cat from Hell, started off a bit campy, but the ending was terrifying. It only further confirmed my distaste for cats. I just can’t trust them and you wouldn’t either after watching this. The third story, Lover’s Vow, was by far the weirdest of the three, and was on it’s own level of horrifying. The plotline was predictable, but the visual effects were incredible. The last scene is so haunting that it will forever be etched in my memory. I was less interested in the subplot, but it was nice to see Matthew Lawrence. Overall, I enjoyed Tales from the Darkside and it was the perfect start to Creepy Cinema! 

2. The Babadook - 2014

For a while now, I’ve heard Markus and a few friends sing the praises of The Babadook. I knew from his comments that it would be on this year’s list, which only added to my fear and trepidation. I watched the trailer and I could tell it would be the kind of movie that would make me cover my ears and close my eyes. After watching, I have to say, that it was spectacular and lived up to the hype. There is so much to love about this movie. The acting is amazing by both the mother and young boy, Essie Davis and Noah Wiseman. In the beginning of the film, you really begin to hate the boy and don’t understand why his mother let’s him act out. Then throughout the course of the film, things begin to subtly change and become more clear and more sinister. What I loved most is its simplicity. The film relies heavily on the acting and not on jump scares or tactics. There were moments that were so intense and that I had to pause the movie. Despite being terrified most of the time, I can’t deny that The Babadook is a great film that I would recommend to anyone.

 3. Carnival of Souls - 1962

I really enjoyed watching this independent horror film from the 60s. When Carnival of Souls was originally released it wasn’t well received but over the years it gained popularity and became a cult classic. I read somewhere that this film influenced horror titans David Lynch and George A. Romero, which totally makes sense. The ambiance and imagery is hauntingly beautiful, and there’s something off kilter about the main character, Mary Helen. I was so invested in her life and wanted to know more about her. She seemed lost and in search of something. When she finally moves to her new town and begins her new life, I desperately wanted her to succeed. I felt bad for her when her next door neighbor kept forcing himself on her. What a creep. More importantly though, why does a creepy, pale man keep following her? The twist was predictable, but it didn’t reduce my enjoyment. The film was quite refreshing and not like any I’ve seen in awhile. 

Creepy Cinema 2015: Grab Bag

It’s finally October and the beginning of my favorite season. If you’re a long time follower of Ganda-Ganda, then you know that it’s time for Creepy Cinema!

For those of you that don’t know about Creepy Cinema, it’s a wonderful tradition that began in the Cruz household in 2012. Markus loves watching scary movies and unfortunately, I do not. Anything slightly suspenseful freaks me out. Since he truly enjoys them, I decided to compromise and devote the entire month of October just for watching horror films.    

This year, due to unbearable work schedules, we’ve decided to reduce the amount of movies from 31 to 15. It’s sad for Markus but a little better for me. I wont be screaming in terror so much this year. We also decided on a theme, Grab Bag! We’ve chosen completely random movies that do not follow a specific topic. I’ll try and post my reviews once a week and in the meantime, check out Creepy Cinema from the past!