Day 31 of my 31 day horror film binge.  1988 classic.  Child's Play

Well I wanted to finish my binge with a horror classic and this from 1988 definitely fits the bill.  

The first film in the franchise and I still think the best.  The story is that a notorious strangler who is cornered and shot by police takes refuge in a toy store.  Upon his death he transfers his spirit to a child's doll.  When the doll finds itself in the hands of a six year old boy and his single mother, the doll known as chucky (it was the stranglers nickname) sets out for revenge on those that have wronged him.

When he finds out that he is turning human and will spend the rest of his life as a talking doll he realises that there must be some way to transfer to someone else.  Lots of clever photography and awesome animatronics (no CGI back then) make this film creepy even now.  Starring the excellent Brad Douriff as the strangler first and later the voice of Chucky, be prepared for a journey into a child's nightmare.

I would give this a 9 out of 10

Day 30 of my 31 day horror film binge.  John Carpenter's.  Vampires

 

John Carpenter has done some awesome horror films and this is definitely up there with the best.  Starring James Woods it centres around a group of vampire hunters who go from town to town destroying vampire nests and killing masters.  When they encounter a being like no other that they have fought before all hell breaks loose.  The vampire they have managed to anger is none other than the first vampire and he will stop at nothing in his quest for an ancient relic that will give him the power to walk in daylight.

Gruesome in places but with a good story and cast.  I would give this an 8 out of 10

Day 29 of my 31 day horror film binge.  Cant believe this is a 15 cert !!.  The Amityville Horror

Watching Ryan Reynolds in a horror film is strange to say the least.  I kept expecting him to put on his deadpool outfit and kick the demons ass.  Well first of all let me say that this is almost a sequel to the original, being that is set in the same house.  The story is that Ryan Reynolds and his wife Melissa George along with their children move into the house where only a short time before a man killed his wife and children stating that voices told him to do it.  At first everything goes ok for the new family but things take a supernatural turn when the youngest daughter claims she has a new best friend and it turns out to be one of the children murdered years before.

    As Ryan Reynolds mind deteriorates and he starts hearing voices other events lead Melissa George to question whether the house is haunted or is it just her imagination.

    This goes along at a nice steady pace and some of the scenes are quite gruesome for a 15 certificate.  I would give this a good 7 out of 10.

Day 28 of my 31 day horror film binge.  Japanese terror.  The Grudge 2

I am a massive fan of Japanese horror and this is a great series.  I think Japanese horror is scarier and creepier than its American counterparts.  Without using too much blood and gore this film manages to chill you and make you look behind you in equal measure.  The story follows on well from the first.  Basically a group of television reporters who specialise in hauntings decide to investigate the original house.

    I love how each persons story is told separately but together they come to a terrifying conclusion.  Lots of stop motion and close ups coupled with the creepiest sounds you can possibly imagine means that this is up there with the classic 'Ring' series of Japanese horror movies.

I would give this an 8 out of 10

Day 27 of my 31 day horror film binge.  An under-rated horror that I love.  End of Days

A great horror film with an unlikely hero in Arnold Schwarzenegger.  The film centres around a young woman called Christine who, unknown to her was chosen at birth to one day be the mother to the antichrist.  Its set in the last days of 1999 when it is prophesized that Satan will walk the Earth and take a woman to bear his child.  Into this story Arnold arrives as a security expert who is assigned to protect Satan as he tries to find the mysterious Christine.

With an excellent cast including Gabriel Byrne as Satan (boy is he creepy in this), Kevin Pollack as Arnie's fellow security associate and best friend, Miriam Margolyes as Christine's Step Mother and Rod Steiger as the head of a group of priests that are sworn to protect Christine from Satan, this is an all action and quite gruesome in places horror film.

I watch this every few years and I would give it a 8 out of 10

Day 26 of my 31 day horror film binge.  I love this series.  Wishmaster

I saw this many years ago and loved it that much I bought the boxset.  Starring Andrew Divoff this is a great horror film.  The story relates to an ancient being, a djinn, that is imprisoned by a sorceror in a jewel that is hidden from the world.  When a freak accident breaks the figurine which holds the jewel a series of events unfold which if they are not stopped could mean the end of the world as we know it.  Loosely based on the 'genie in the lamp' idea, this films delves into the reality of having your wishes come true.  Be careful what you wish for.

I would give this a 7 out of 10

Day 25 of my 31 day horror film binge.  First of a trilogy.  The Prophecy

First of all let me just say that Christopher Walken is one of my favourite actors.  I like this film because once again it challenges the assumption that all angels are good.  The story goes that the war in heaven which has been raging for years (some angels believe that humans were a mistake) is still at a stalemate and the angel Gabriel takes it upon himself to come to Earth and by any means necessary acquire the darkest soul on Earth.  The angel Simon bestows it to a little girl called Mary shortly before his death.  A failed priest now turned detective takes it upon himself, along with the girls teacher, to protect the girl and ensure that Gabriel can not fulfil the prophecy.    

    I like this one and its the best of the three, I think.  I would give this a 7 out of 10

Day 24 of my 31 day horror film binge.  Very under rated this one.  White noise

I had seen this before but forgot that Michael Keaton was the star.  I find this quite under-rated as I think its a good creepy, supernatural chiller.  The synopsis is that Michael Keaton loses his wife who is pregnant with their child in what appears to be an accident.  He is approached by a man who claims that his dead wife has been trying to communicate with him.  At first sceptical he dismisses the man as a mad man.  As time goes by strange things start to happen such as his dead wife's mobile calling him and hearing voices over the airwaves.  After contacting the man again so begins the real story.

    I wont give too much away other than saying that all is not as it first appears and there is more to the voices than meets the eye.  What I love about this movie is in some ways it mirrors my own life.  I lost my wife suddenly and I kept hoping for some sign from her to say that she was happy and that she missed me.  I know its all fantasy but this will hit with some people who, for whatever reason, can't accept someone is gone.  I would give this a firm 7 out of 10.

Day 23 of my 31 day horror film binge.  Very watchable.  Fear dot com

 

    Another film I thought I had seen.  I was wrong.

    Starring the excellently under rated Steven Dorff this centres on a detective and a health official who are investigating a series of deaths where the victims appear to bleed from their eyes. When it is discovered the victims deaths are not virus related the pair realise something much more dark is happening/ 

    As the story becomes more complex the detective realises its connected to a killer whom he has been unable to find, simply known as 'the doctor' who takes great pleasure live streaming his torture and subsequent murders of young women live on the internet.  It gets a lot darker when it appears the victims are all tied to a website that gives you 48 hours to play a game.  If you lose, you die.  

    Definitely a good supernatural horror film and I would give it a 8 out of 10

Day 22 of my 31 day horror film binge.  Not what I expected.  The Ruins

How this started I had the impression it was going to be a familiar story.  Four Americans on holiday in Mexico, stranger offers to take them to some ruins, mad doctor is about, organ harvesting commences.  I was so wrong.  It starts out this way with a German tourist offering to take the four Americans to some ruins that his brothers girlfriend is apparently excavating.  When they get there they are forced at gunpoint to not leave the ruins.  They have to stay on top of the ruins and whilst they are there they realise the true horror of their situation.  Try to escape and die, stay where you are and die.  As the story comes to its conclusion it becomes apparent why they are not allowed to leave.  A good watch with a few recognisable faces.  There were one or two moments when I found myself laughing and If you watch this then it wont take you too long to figure out why.  I would give it 6 out of 10 for the way it was filmed and the scenery.

Day 21 of my 31 day horror film binge.  Definitely different.  Camp Blood II

Well what can I say about this. hmmmm.  Ok lets start by saying that if this was meant to be a over the top, hilarious parody of 1980's slasher movies, it would be passable.  The problem is its meant to be taken as a serious horror film.  This is where it falls flat (as a pancake).

I must confess I have not seen the first one, and if this is anything to go by, I have not missed much.

The synopsis is that a woman has been put in an asylum because she has been charged with murdering nine people at camp Blackwood (Camp Blood as its now known) and telling a story of a killer clown that did it.  All making sense.  This is where it gets bizarre.  Enter a cheap movie producer who wants to do a film about the killings using the woman as some sort of advisor to the actors.  Along come a group of people that are going to play the parts of the murdered nine.  You will not like any of them and if, like me, you are praying for each of them to die, you will get your wish.  

The special effects are laughable and the over the tope gore and blood scenes just made me laugh even harder.

If you want a laugh at how bad this is, go ahead, just don't expect to take it seriously.  Two scores for this one.  If its for the comedy and how bad it is I would give a 9 out of 10.  If its on the basis of a good horror film I have to give it 1 out of 10.

Day 20 of my 31 day horror film binge.  Not a good one at all.  Spiderhole

Ok so this was a complete disappointment.  The premise is that four English students who dont want to have to pay student rental fees decide to squat in an old abandoned building.  During their first night they wake to find that all the exits have been sealed and there is no way out.  Someone doesn't want them to leave and one by one they are killed.  The story itself sounds feasible but the way its done is dreadful.  The killer appears to be some random doctor (think Creep) and their seems to be no logic to anything in the film at all.  The acting is terrible, the story is ridiculous and the camera work is brutal.  Its a complete waste of ninety minutes of my life.  I am sorry to those involved but this gets a 1 out of 10.  Worst film I have seen so far.

Day 19 of my 31 day horror film binge.  Not bad.  Wake Wood

I did not realise until I started watching it, that I had seen it before.  Its aa clever British horror,  Cilian Murphy and his wife Eva Birthistle tragically lose their daughter when she is killed by a vicious dog.  Needing to get away they move to the rural village of Wake Wood where they encounter a slightly creepy but well meaning Timothy Spall.  They soon find out that the village holds a secret that if anyone who has died within a year, they can be brought back to life, but only for three days.  Certain rules must be obeyed and when these are broken then the consequences can be deadly, as they soon find out.  A good little horror that keeps you watching.  Well worth 6 out of 10.

Day 18 of my 31 day horror film binge. A good Stephen King one.  Needful Things.

When you have Ed Harris, Max Von Sydow and Bonnie Bedilia as your main cast you are getting a good film.  Set in Castle Rock this centres around a mysterious individual who opens up what appears to be a run of the mill antique store, but the items are unique and are exactly what people are looking for.  Rather than accepting cash payments he sets each individual a task.  Each task seems innocent enough but the man has an ulterior motive and what starts out as a game soon descends into murder as each individual turns on another.  Ed Harris is the sheriff who has to find out exactly what is happening in the town, and try to put a stop to it.  A firm 8 out of 10 for this one.

Day 17 of my 31 day horror film binge.  Good sequel.  The Rage - Carrie 2

I have seen this a couple of times and I think its good.  Dubbed as a sequel to Carrie, this is set some twenty years later.  At a college campus several boys run a book and points system awarded for anyone they get to sleep with.  When a girl commits suicide the game becomes more sinister. A reclusive girl name Rachel has to come to terms with the fact that her anger causes strange happenings.  She has it perfectly under control, but when her college classmates play a horrible trick on her, the rage comes out with deadly consequences.  I would give this a good 7 out of 10.

Day 16 of my 31 day horror film binge.  A British horror that is quite good.  Panic Button

Well to say I was pleasantly surprised at how good this was, is an understatement.  Synopsis is that a group of four individuals have all won a competition run by a social media company.  The prize is a trip to New York and also the chance to win other prizes with in flight games arranged.  It soon becomes obvious that this is to good to be true and what follows is a very decent horror that will make you question your use of social media.  Some clever plot twists and the fact that ninety per cent of the film takes place in a plane make this a very dark but watchable film. 

I would give this a good eight out of ten just for the storyline and the way its done. 

Day 15 of my 31 day horror film binge.  Quite funny in places.  Attack of the Werewolves.

I did not actually realise that this was a Spanish film with English subtitles until the starting credits came up.  That said its quite an enjoyable film with a good mix of horror and humour.  Almost mirroring what it says on the cover, this is Shaun of the Dead in Spanish and instead of zombies, its werewolves that are everywhere.  The film is about a young Spanish man who returns to his Grandmothers house and village only to find out it is under a curse that only he can lift.  What follows is a very tongue in cheek film that made me chuckle in places.  Some of the humour is definitely not going to be everyone's cup of tea, that is for sure.

Add in to the mix an assortment of weird and wacky characters and you get a weird and wacky film.  For me the dog Vito steals most of the scenes.  I would give this a 5 out of 10 mostly for the over the top situations.

Day 14 of my 31 day horror film binge.  Another one of my favourites.  Event Horizon.

When you take a cast that includes Sam Neill, Laurence Fishburne, Joely Richardson, Sean Pertwee and Jason Isaacs then you know you are in for a treat.  This film is one of my all time favourites.  Its a sci-fi, horror set around Neptune.  The synopsis is 7 years before the main part of the film a space vessel (fully manned) disappears.  It then returns seven years later and no-one knows where it has been.  The man who created the Event Horizon accompanies a group of space explorers who are sent to find out what happened.  The Event Horizon was made to create a black hole in space but no one knows what is on the other side.  So the question is not just where has it been to, its a question of what has happened to the crew and what has the ship brought back with it?  Well worth a watch and an excellent story that, for me, is as good as the original Alien film.  I give this a resounding 9 out of 10.

Day 13 of my 31 day horror film binge.  Been done before but clever.  Fertile Ground

This starts with a usual synopsis.  Pregnant woman miscarries.  Wife and husband move to new house to begin a new life.

Where this one differs is that the house in question was once owned by the family of her husband.  After being told that she can no longer have children, she is surprised to find herself pregnant.  Soon ghostly apparitions and apparent accidents enter the film and we see that the house has a history and not a pleasant one.  Over the years people have been murdered and others disappeared.  As the situation gets worse the woman starts to see even more terrifying things.  As the film speeds to the climax the ending is clever and will leave you thinking.  This one is a 4 out of 10.

Day 12 of my 31 day horror film binge.  Not bad this one.  Skinwalkers

Once again we have a film that is supposed to show real footage of an incident, though this one is quite well done.  The title leaves a lot to be desired and only just has a bearing to the actual film content.

At the start of this film we see a ranch where a young boy disappears right in front of his parents eyes.  Is it trick photography or is it something more sinister.  A group of men and women are sent to investigate the ranch where the disappearance happened.  What follows is quite a good film that shows everything from moving objects, strange creatures, weird alien figures to ghostly apparitions, bright lights and cattle mutilation.  Its all well done but will leave you with a lot of questions.  I would give this a 5 out of 10.