Creepy Cinema 2017: Week 3

I cannot believe how fast this month went by! The older we get the faster the days go by, it's crazy. Thank you for sticking with me this month and I hoped you enjoyed the movies and my thoughts on them. Check out the last four films of this year below and don't forget to let me know what you think in the comments below!

It is definitely one of my favorite movies from this year. I’ve been spreading the gospel of It to anyone that will listen, and I think people are getting sick of me talking about it. I’m actually quite surprised at how many people find clowns terrifying. I get it, I don’t really like clowns either. A grown man with a painted face and a permanent, sinister smile - it’s unnerving. This film definitely draws from that fear and turns it up more than a notch.

It was an incredible film that 100% met expectations and lived up to all the hype. This movie had everything: an interesting storyline, great actors and most importantly, a terrifying monster. Pennywise is the epitome of what I think a monster should be. He completely lacks humanity, preys upon all your fears and is downright scary. Bill Skarsgård did an incredible job portraying Pennywise, so much so that you forget how hot he is in real life. Pennywise will forever haunt my dreams. The cast of main characters (all kids), also known as the Losers Club, was phenomenal. They all had great character development, and being a “loser” myself growing up, I definitely empathized with them so much. In the past few years, there has been an influx of 80s nostalgia in media, and this movie really cashed in on it, much like Stranger Things did last year. However It wasn’t nostalgic for nostalgia’s sake, and hits all the right notes an incredible film should. I can honestly say, this is quite possibly one of the best horror films I’ve ever seen.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this movie. Markus has been going on and on about this franchise, and we purposefully waited till this year to watch it so that we could make it a double feature with the sequel. As you may know, I love Unsolved Mysteries and other shows that deal with mysteries and investigations, so this movie is right up my alley. The film is based on the real life husband and wife paranormal investigative duo, Ed and Lorraine Warren. This film is loosely based on their investigation into the Perron Family Haunting in Rhode Island.

I really liked The Conjuring, I thought it was a well done supernatural horror movie. It didn’t feel like the typical film of its genre. Sure it’s draws on the familiar trope of a family being terrorized by some malevolent spirit, but it still felt fresh and interesting thanks to some great acting and direction. There were some genuine scares as well as jump-scares, but the film didn’t heavily rely on those elements. I also enjoyed that the story is told from the point of view of the Warrens instead of the family. It felt more personal and we delved a bit into their other stories and what drives them to do this type of investigative work for a living. The actors that portray Ed and Lorraine, Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, deliver a genuine performance. Their chemistry is on point and you can really feel how much this pair needs each other -  they really compliment one another on screen. The backstory of the spirit that haunts them was also a really cool mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat. So much so that I was ready to watch The Conjuring 2!

Unfortunately this sequel wasn’t as good as the first, which is usually the case. I still think the concept of these movies are really good and I love Wilson and Farmiga in these roles, but something seemed a bit off. The film opens with the Warrens mid-investigation into the Lutz Family murders, otherwise known as the Amityville Horror. During the investigation Lorraine sees a horrible vision that puts her family in danger, and convinces Ed to stop investigating in order to prevent it from coming true. Of course the Warren’s can’t stay away from their work, and end up traveling to Enfield, England to investigate a series of strange occurrences.

I did like that this film moved the setting to England and focused on a haunting occurring overseas. Most of the famous true crime mysteries are based in the U.S., so it’s always refreshing to watch something that’s set in another country. I also really enjoyed the actress that played the young protagonist, Janet Hodgson. She was a real emphatic, human character and the best part of the film. There was just something about this movie that rubbed me the wrong way, and truly can’t put my finger on it. I had to watch this film in 4 separate parts - I don’t know if it was my fear of that creepy nun at the beginning, pure disinterest, or if I just couldn’t connect with the story itself. Probably just the creepy nun. (shudder)

I couldn’t think of a better film to end Creepy Cinema with, and ease us into the holiday season. The Krampus is an Eastern European Christmas monster from folklore. I first heard about the Krampus when I was younger. Being someone named Noelle, you get curious about all things yuletide. No one knows when and how the Krampus originated, but one thing is sure, he is definitely not Saint Nick. He’s the complete antithesis of the jolly old fellow. He’s described as a horned demon that punishes wicked children and drags them away in chains. When Markus and I first saw the preview for the film, we were so excited and couldn’t wait to watch the movie.

The film follows a very dysfunctional family as they come together for Christmas. It mainly focuses on the younger son, Max, who wants to keep all his family traditions alive, while his parents and relatives fight amongst one another. The tension is quite strong between the family members, and when they’re all finally under one roof, everything goes wrong. A blizzard overtakes the town trapping residents in their homes - and this is when the film becomes a classic bottle movie. We watch as the family tries to survive the terrible weather conditions, handle the growing tensions amongst themselves and inevitably, the arrival of the Krampus. I think for most of us, we know that Christmas time can be a time of great joy, but also stress. So it was fun to watch a familiar situation turn into a horror film. I thought the movie was really enjoyable and entertaining, and the Krampus was totally scari-fying. If you want to hold onto Halloween for just a little longer but still get into the Christmas mood, I most definitely recommend the Krampus! It’s the perfect segway!

Creepy Cinema 2017: Week 2

It's Week Two of Creepy Cinema and one of my favorite Korean movies is on the list! Can't wait to share my thoughts on that as well as the beauty of Gong Yoo! Keep scrolling for this week's films and don't forget to let me know what you think in the comments below! 

4. Train to Busan (2016)

Disclaimer, this film stars my favorite Korean actor of all time, Gong Yoo, so there might be a lot of gushing in this review. The film follows a group of strangers that board a cross country train bound for Busan. Fun fact, the two years that Markus and I lived in South Korea, we lived in Busan! So we’ve actually taken the same route in the film, which made it even cooler and realistic, at least for me.  As someone who is absolutely obsessed with Korean food, music, shows, etc., I’m not the biggest fan of their films. Korean films tend to be too long and often flounder in their storytelling at the beginning of the third act. At that point I often find myself feeling the length and losing interest quite quickly. Every Korean film I’ve seen thus far seems to be plagued with these two things. Thank goodness Train to Busan proved me wrong and is the best Korean horror film I’ve seen so far.

I cannot express to you how much I loved this movie. It’s chock full of action and the acting was on point. Gong Yoo is pretty dreamy even though he’s playing an absent father, but I kinda loved that he was terrible at the beginning of the film because it gave his character the opportunity grow into a protagonist we actually care about. A real revelation was Kim Su An, the girl playing his daughter. She was such an incredible actress for her age. Actually, the entire ensemble was great and I enjoyed all of their performances, each holding a good amount of character development for a film with such a large cast. Of course no character was safe, and just when you start to get attached to one of them, in true horror movie fashion, they perish along with your heart. Train to Busan manages to be both an incredible Korean film, but also a fantastic survival horror film. Honestly, if there is only one movie you watch from my list this year, please watch this one. If not for me, at least for Gong Yoo, because he’s my fave.

5. Alien Covenant (2017)

I will forever be haunted by my first viewing of Alien back in 2012. It was one of the scariest films, I’ve seen to this day. So much so that when we watch any other films in that universe, I get a bit of anxiety. In regards to the sequels, nothing has been more frightening than the first and I’ve started to lose that initial fear along with interest. I know that it’s hard to meet the standards of the first film in a franchise, but my golly, do we really need this new iteration?

I’m not 100% sure why they made another movie in the vein of Alien prequels when the response to Prometheus was so mixed, but who knows why people make movies these days anymore. (Ahem, money.) Either way, at least this one attempted to get back to the roots of its predecessors. It follows a ragtag crew of people who face the unknown, only to end up being trapped with a killer alien. Who’s going to survive? Who cares, because I sure didn’t. I couldn’t tell you much about the character except that they all possessed some jerk-like qualities and did a lot of senseless and reckless things. Also Michael Fassbender’s weird accent--No. The film also seemed to have tonal issues. The first half of the film was what I feel audiences wanted, explorers discovering a strange land full of mystery and danger. Then we run into a big slow-down where the film starts rambling via creepy Fassbender-bot about the genesis of this world, evolution, blah blah blah. Then out of nowhere it turns into a monster-chase film! I really felt the length of this movie, and I would pass on this one to just re-watch Alien.

6. The Babysitter (2017)

This movie was a last minute addition and I never heard about it before Markus suggested it. I think not knowing anything about it was an advantage because it was a really fun movie.  It definitely felt like an homage to classic 80s horror flicks but with a fun twist. The story follows Cole, a twelve-year old boy, who is having a rough time in middle school - who didn’t have a rough time then? Cole is quite book smart, but when it comes to people, he’s a bit awkward and is often bullied and overlooked in life. To add insult to injury, he still has a babysitter, that stays with him when his parents go out of town. It's okay though because she’s real hot and they have an amazingly geeky and almost sibling-like relationship. The montage of all their inside jokes was actually really cute and one of the best parts of the movie.

The first 20 minutes or so didn’t feel like a horror movie at all, then when you least expect it the rug gets pulled out from under you-and you get beaten with it. Things get a bit crazy when Cole decides to spy on his babysitter and see what she does when he’s asleep. Then the film ramps up and it’s a non-stop action horror until the very end. In these sort of movies, you usually expect the women to be the damsels in distress, but not in this movie. The Babysitter was tough as nails and pulled no punches. However what I think makes this movie so strong is that at it’s core, it’s really just a coming of age story and those are always my favorites.

Creepy Cinema 2017: Week One

Hello boils and ghouls, October has finally arrived and you know what that means! It's time for Creepy Cinema on Ganda-Ganda! I honestly can't believe it's been five years of horror movies. I didn't think I was going to last one year, but here we are half a decade later and we're still doing it. If this is the first time you're hearing of Creepy Cinema, I'll give you a quick rundown. I'm terrified of scary movies, I just can't do them. I get scared by anything and have been known to scream quite loudly at the littlest things. My husband Markus on the other hand, has loved them since he was a kid. His knowledge of horror films is so vast and since he's an incredible husband every day, I decided to give him October to indulge in all things creepy. Thus the beginning of Creepy Cinema.

This year, I'll be watching and reviewing ten movies created from 2010 to this current year. I will say that I've gotten better with some genres of scary movies, but in some cases, I'm still the same and can barely watch in one sitting. There have been some incredible movies this year and some stinkers. This year Markus suggested that I implement a rating system to help separate the tricks from the treats. I hope you guys enjoy the offerings this year and don't hesitate to leave me your thoughts on the films below! 

1. Get Out - (2017)

I’m obviously super late to the party on this one, but wanted to include it because it was such a great movie and truly one of the most terrifying ones in so many ways. So if you’ve been living under a rock and have no idea what Get Out is about, I’ll give you a quick run down. Basically, the story revolves around a young, interracial couple, Chris and Rose. Chris hasn’t met Rose’s parents, so they decide to spend a weekend at her parent’s country estate. From the start, everything seems a bit off. Let’s be real, her family is real WASPy and there are major Stepford Wives-vibes happening. As the viewer you know that these people are doing something awful and that something terrible is going to happen.

The thing I loved most about this film was how relevant and real it was. There was no sugar coating on anything. It tackles the race issue head on. It was so much more than a “horror movie”. Get Out is not only clever and well acted, it makes you think about the social issues of today. It becomes a conversation starter and hopefully sparks the change for something good. At least, that’s what I think. Either way it’s an incredible film.  Usually with these sort of horror movies, I can guess or make predictions and I’m dead on. I was close with this one, but they managed to surprise me with another layer to their horrifying twist. If you haven’t seen Get Out, please do.

2. Beware the Slenderman (2016)

For the first time in Creepy Cinema history, I’m going to write about a documentary, but this documentary is based off of something truly terrifying and worst of all, very very real. Not sure if you know this about me, but I am a huge fan of true crime. I watch tons of crime shows like Dateline, 48 Hours, etc., and listen to lots of podcasts that cover murderers and mysteries. I attribute it to the fact that I watched Unsolved Mysteries with my dad when I was little girl. True crime and mysteries were also so interesting to me, because I always wanted to know why someone could do something so terrible. Also, I don’t trust people, so it’s always good to be educated. So when I heard that they were making a documentary of the horrible story of two 12 year girls that attempted to murder their friend in the spring of 2014, I knew I had to watch.

I don’t want to give too much away, because I think it’s really interesting to know the story and motivation behind why these girls did what they did. It wasn’t something as simple as jealousy or monetary gain, like most true crime stories. It was something completely different, it had to do with the modern day Bogeyman better known as Slenderman. Those that are current with memes and pop culture know who he is and most know that he’s a fictional character meant to scare people. However for these two girls, he wasn’t make-believe, he was very real. The documentary tackles issues of adolescence, parenting, bullying and mental illness. For me, I had problems with the way they tried to downplay the crime that these girls committed. However it does give us an inside look from the point of view of the parents of the two accused girls, and sheds a light on some really tough issues. Of all the things I’ve seen this year, this was by far the scariest and truly hard to watch.

3. The Girl with all the Gifts (2016)

We watched this film on the recommendation from our friends from the U.K. They knew that Markus and I do Creepy Cinema every year and suggested we check it out. Fun fact, scenes were shot in Stoke-on-Trent, the little town we spent Christmas 2016 in. The Girl with all the Gifts is based off the 2014 book of the same name by M.R. Carey. I didn’t know much about the novel or film before watching, and sometimes that’s a good thing. The film is set in the near post-apocalyptic, dystopian future. Everyone pretty much speaks British English except for Glenn Close. Humanity was wiped out by a type of fungal disease that causes everyone to lose their minds and suddenly crave flesh, so this brand of zombies are dubbed “hungries”. The hungries remain dormant, until disturbed by the scent of uninfected humans, at which point they attack you crazy-fast. The only hope for humanity is a small group of gifted children and most importantly one specific girl named Melanie.  

Overall, I thought The Girl with all the Gifts was just okay. It wasn’t terrible by any stretch, but it wasn’t great either. In the past five years or so, there has been an onslaught of these female-driven, post-apocalyptic films as well as heaps of zombie films. So for me, the market is just too saturated with movies that contain a lot of the same tropes. I definitely got some 28 Days Later vibes when I was watching, which was refreshing. I also like that the main character was different from most protagonists, however the storytelling was a bit awkward and slighty unmemorable.

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.