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!

Toei Kyoto Studio Park | Kyoto, Japan | 1 of 4

Since Kyoto is amazing and there was so much to do, we almost missed out on an amazing attraction. As you all know, Markus and I are very geeky. In my last post, we visited the Kyoto International Manga Museum. On our last day in Kyoto, we visited the Toei Kyoto Studio Park, the only film set theme park in Japan. It also had heaps of exhibits that included anime, manga and Super Sentai. For our first post about the theme park, we walked through the sets and traveled back in time to Feudal Japan. I had a great time walking through the sets and we even came across a camera crew filming a fight scene. It as incredible and something I will always remember! 

Creepy Cinema 2014: Total Invasion

It's October and you know what that means over here at Ganda-Ganda, Creepy Cinema! This month is probably both my favorite and dreaded time of the year. I love that I can spend 31 days overcoming my fears and watching scary movies with Markus. This year's theme is Total Invasion, and we selected movies that are strictly focused on humanity being invaded by some inhuman element. I can't wait!

At the end of every week, I'll be posting reviews and informing you of the best and worst (in my opinion) of the lot. For your convenience, I've included the list of films that we'll be watching. Feel free to watch along with us, and enjoy this year's installment of Creepy Cinema! 

1. The Day the Earth Stood Still - 1951
2. Them - 1954
3. Attack of the Killer Tomatoes - 1978
4. Invasion of the Body Snatchers - 1978
5. The Fog - 1980
6. The Deadly Spawn - 1983
7. Day of the Dead - 1985
8. Night of the Creeps- 1986
9. Invaders from Mars - 1986
10. Critters - 1986
11. They Live - 1988
12. Seed People - 1992
13. Starship Troopers - 1997
14. Phantoms - 1998
15. The Faculty - 1998
16. Dark City - 1998
17. Evolution - 2001
18. 28 Days Later - 2002
19. Signs - 2002
20. War of the Worlds - 2005
21. Slither - 2006
22. Planet Terror - 2007
23. The Mist - 2007
24. Cloverfield - 2008
25. District 9 - 2009
26. Zombieland - 2009
27. Monsters - 2010 
28. Attack the Block - 2011
29. Big Ass Spider - 2013
30. Pacific Rim - 2013
31. I, Frankenstein - 2014

Gunkanjima | Hashima Island, Japan

Markus and I are a fan of films, which makes sense since Markus is an animator. When we travel, for some reason, I always tend to look for filming locations. We've been to Pemberely, Hogwarts, and 221B Baker Street. When I was planning our trip to Japan, Skyfall was just released in the theaters. When I saw the film, I remember being intrigued by the abandoned island that was featured. I've always wanted to explore a ghost town or an abandoned theme park. After a bit of research, I learned that it was in Japan. So, I made sure to include Hashima Island on the list.

Hashima Island is known by so many different names such as Gunkanjima, Battleship Island and Ghost Island. It's located off the coast of Nagasaki. The island was primarily used as a coal mining facility from 1887 to 1974. It was bought by Mitsubishi in 1880 and people lived and worked on the island. In 1974 the mine was closed and Hashima has been abandoned since then. Due to several typhoons, the buildings have taken a beating and the island was closed off to visitors. It's popularity has risen in the past few years and it was decided to open Hashima for supervised tours.

Markus and I used to watch a lot of those "ghost hunter" like shows. I'm really intrigued by places that are supposedly haunted and for some reason always end up watching shows like that on TV. I was a huge fan of Unsolved Mysteries when I was a kid, so I think this fascination stems from this. What can I say? I'm a bit of a weirdo, but at least it makes for interesting posts and travels!

I was a bit sad that we weren't allowed to freely explore the island, but I can understand the reasoning behind it. The tour took us to three different spots on the island. The tour was completely in Japanese so Markus just wandered around. It was also extremely hot that day, so by the time we reached our third stop, I was pretty over it. Despite the heat and not understanding the tour, I enjoyed being able to visit the island. It was really cool to see something so unique and unlike any other place. Maybe Markus and I will start searching for more abandoned places we could explore on our own.

Creepy Cinema: Cult Camp | Week Three

This week, I watched one of my favorite movies. Even though I'm not a fan of horror movies, there is one film that holds a very special place in my heart. I like this film so much that it's definitley in my top 5 movies of all time. Also this week, I saw one of the worst made films, but wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I would probably watch it again! I thoroughly enjoyed this week and I'm a bit sad that we're past the halfway point. There are only ten more films left this year. I can't believe how fast time flies. Hopefully the final ten films will be just as good!

1. Mars Attacks! (1996)

If you know me, you know I’m a huge fan of Tim Burton’s earlier work. Some of my favorite movies were written and/or directed by Burton. I hate to say that his recent work hasn’t been as good, but Mars Attacks is from the 90s when he was still making quality movies. I’ve never seen it before and I was excited to possibly watch a hidden gem. The film pays homage to the sci-fi and horror B-movies from the 50s. There is definitely a heavy Ed Wood influence throughout the film. Mars Attacks is an ensemble film of many famous actors. The film is about aliens that come to America and how their invasion affects people from many different walks of life.

I hate to say it, but this wasn’t a great movie. There were some good parts, but it wasn’t what I expected from a Burton film. I will say that for the time that it was made, the CGI was really good. Most of the actors were enjoyable to watch, but there were a lot of really awkward scenes. I watched Plan 9 from Outer Space, earlier this month and this film was meant to be a tribute to that. Personally, I think Plan 9 is much more enjoyable to watch. 

2. Hellraiser (1987)

This movie is the main reason why you don’t mess with joo-joo. Hellraiser has always been one of those movies that I purposefully avoided, and not something I would ever watch by choice. Even the cover of the VHS/DVD always freaked me out, but I guess Creepy Cinema is the perfect time to try new things? Right? Well Hellraiser is hard to describe, but it’s basically about a man that unlocks a mystical box which unleashes demons or other-wordly beings that torture people. Although, the demons are only part of the movie, while the crux of the film focuses on the main character preying on people for their flesh.

I have to admit that while I was watching this movie, I was pretty freaked out. It was intense and quite deranged; definitely something that gets under your skin. I wasn’t really a fan, and I don’t enjoy movies like this. In fact when it comes to demons and things like voodoo or torture, it’s just too much. There is just something about that kind of stuff that I don’t ever want to deal with or experience in any way shape or form. This movie was a bit too much for me, so I’ll pass. 

3.  The Equinox (1970)

This 70s flick is well known for being super long and campy. Dennis Muren, the creator and an award winning special effects artist, decided to create a horror film with his friends. This film actually has been noted for its similarities to Evil Dead, which I don’t 100% agree with.  Yes, there are many similarities. Both films involve young couples that go on an outing that ends in disaster. They both unknowingly unleash an evil force and experience the terrifying consequences. However I think that’s where the similarities end.

The Equinox is an interesting movie to say the least. It’s obvious why it’s a cult classic, but its not that great. The acting is flat and melodramatic. It comes across that Muren enabled the help of his friends and not professional or even budding actors. The villain, disguised as a park ranger, is such a creep and constantly makes this strange twisty-face throughout the movie. The film is really long and becomes quite taxing, and I lost interest about halfway through. I will say that the special effects are pretty cool, which was the only part of the movie that I truly enjoyed.

4.  Horror Express (1974)

This film is a moody cult classic that stars one of last year’s Creepy Cinemahotties, Peter Cushing as Dr. Wells.  The plot revolves around an English anthropologist, played by Christopher Lee, who has discovered a frozen monster in the wastes of Manchuria, which he believes, may be the Missing Link. He brings the creature back to Europe on a trans-Siberian train, but during the trip the monster thaws out and starts killing the passengers.

My initial thought was…SO MUCH FACIAL HAIR. But once I got over that, the story was quite interesting. The movie is a bit slow, but many of the films this year have been slow. I really enjoy both Cushing and Lee. I loved watching them last year in The Mummy. I was a bit surprised at the real culprit in Horror Express. I thought it was going to be something very simple, but it ended up being something completely different and that was a nice pleasant surprise. I was happy to finally watch something that wasn’t what I thought it would be. 

 5. Troll 2 (1990)

I think this movie is the epitome of a cult classic. It has all the qualities of what would be expected. The film is called Troll 2, but not once do they say the word troll in the movie. The movie takes place in the fictional town of “Nilbog” where strange things start happening. Creepy goblin like creatures start turning humans into plants and eating them. This is the source of that famous clip, starring Darren Ewing, that went viral on YouTube a few years ago. “They’re eating her…and then they’re going to eat me…OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOD…”

Even though this is probably one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen, it was so good. I really liked it. It’s so bad it’s good. I read a bit about the movie and learned that the director was Italian and didn’t speak a word of English. The entire crew also didn’t speak English. They cast inexperienced actors who had to read their script verbatim. The director wrote the film because many of his friends were becoming vegetarians and he wasn’t too keen on that. It’s pretty incredible and a movie that I suggest everyone sees at least once. 

6. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

This film is the George A Romero classic that kick-started the zombie genre for years to come. It’s an undead legacy that’s inspired generations of moviemakers, most notably Edgar Wright with Shaun of the Dead. The film focuses on one night and the “living dead” that terrorize a small group of people.

Since Markus is a huge fan of zombies, I’ve seen almost all of the zombie movies out there. It was pretty cool to finally see the film that started it all. Even though Night of the Living Dead is from the 60s, it still holds up. It was fun to watch and it was really interesting. I loved finally knowing where the famous line, “They’re coming to get you Barbara,” came from. Speaking of Barbara, she was incredibly annoying in this movie. She spends the entire movie in a catatonic state, and even manages to get punched in the face. This is definitely a must see.

7. Shaun of the Dead (2004)

I cannot express how much I love this movie. Even before Creepy Cinema, this was the one film that I’ve watched so much that I could quote it to you in its entirety. I really, really, really adore this movie. It has tons of gags and dialogue that tips its hat to great cult classics like Night of the Living Dead and Evil Dead. I love the comedic take on the zombie genre. The film is about a lazy loser who becomes a bit of a hero during a zombie apocalypse in London.

As I said before, I love this movie. I remember that the first time I saw I instantly fell in love. Edgar Wright makes such great films. They’re always witty, tightly edited and have great comedic timing…just fun to watch.  Somehow it manages to combine comedy, romance and horror. Even after watching it multiple times it never gets old. To me it’s as close to a perfect movie as you’re going to get.