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 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!

Creepy Cinema 2014: Total Invasion | Week 1

I'm so excited that Creepy Cinema is back. This first week had a lot of great films and helped me once again become acclimated to scary movies. Despite having quite a bit of alien story lines, every film was different and had it's own unique story to tell. I hope enjoy my thoughts and opinions and continue to join me on this journey through the month of October! 

1. Phantoms - 1998

Originally, Phantoms was a book written by Dean Koontz. The film is set in a small town and something isn't quite right. Everyone in the town has disappeared and a force of evil takes over. The story is quite original and doesn't follow the same tropes you see in scary movies. It’s mildly Lovecraftian in the fact that it deals with a shapeless evil. The film was well acted with veteran, Peter O’Toole and relatively unknown actors Ben Affleck and Liev Schreiber. Every time I heard the song "I Fall to Pieces" in the film, I knew something bad was going to happen. As for Affleck, he was totally the bomb. (If you get that reference, you're okay in my book).

2. Them - 1954

Them was one of the first atom age monster movies from the 1950s and formed a cult following. The film is about giant radioactive ants that begin terrorizing human civilization. For a film made in the 50s, it was very impressive. The ants themselves looked amazing and very believable. The special effects team were even nominated for an Oscar. Despite being an older film, I was hooked from the beginning. I thought it was going to be a poor B-movie similar to Plan 9 from Outer Space, but it wasn't even in the same realm. Them is a clever movie which uses science fiction to it's advantage to create a world where giant ants could possibly take over the world.  

3. Evolution - 2001
This film is one of the funniest on this year’s list. I was so pumped to watch it again. Following the same tropes as its 1950s predecessors, a meteor crashes on earth and is, of course, infected with some sort of alien substance. Then, two community college professors, Orlando Jones and David Duchovny, investigate the meteor, only to realize that the substance is an extraterrestrial organism that evolves at an extremely rapid pace. There is so much to like about this movie. Jones and Duchovny are hilarious and carry the movie with great comedic delivery. I was surprised that even 13 years later, this movie still holds up and is a great popcorn film.

4. Night of the Creeps - 1986
This 80s classic is often overlooked and definitely one that I’ve never heard of. The film is an homage to 50’s horror films as well as some of the big names in the horror genre. The main characters are all named after a famous director like Romero, Raimi, Carpenter, etc. The film is a grab bag of all the things that make horror movies great.  It has aliens, zombies, axe murderers, you name it, it's in here. Surprisingly, this movie is a lot of fun and better than some of the movies that it pays an homage to. I think that’s partly due to the fact that it’s a comedy wrapped in horror. Sure the acting is a bit off, the lead female is hard to watch, and a lot of things don't make sense, but that’s 80s at its best. I enjoyed it immensely and it definitely deserves, at the very least, a one time watch.

5. Monsters - 2010
Of all the movies we've watched so far, Monsters is my absolute favorite. The film takes place in a world that has been invaded by aliens after an infected NASA probe crashes on earth. We follow the main characters, Sam and Kauler, on their journey from the "infected area," in Mexico, back to America.  It's an intense, intelligent, and dramatically moving film. The actors are brilliant and it’s their chemistry and character development that really drives the movie. If you only watch one movie from this year's list, I highly recommend Monsters. You won't regret it.

6. Invasion of the Body Snatchers - 1978

If there was one movie that was on all the lists of alien invasions movies, it would definitely be Invasion of the Body Snatchers. It’s one of those films that everyone knows about and has seen. The 1978 version is a remake of the original 1956 version and stars Donald Sutherland, Leonard Nimoy and a hunky Jeff Goldbum. The story revolves around an alien species that begins to replicate and replace human beings to form a conformist society. Despite the film being iconic and highly regarded, I didn’t really like it. It felt really long and suffered from what Markus calls “The 70s pacing.” The special effects were great, there were a lot of great scenes, and the story was well done...but it was just way too long. In the end it just fell flat for me. Unfortunately, this isn’t a film that I would watch again.

7. Invaders from Mars - 1986

This film follows David Gardener, a young boy, that watches as his parents those close to him slowly become overtaken by aliens. It’s similar to Invasion of the Body Snatchers. In order to overcome these aliens, he enlists the help of the military and his school nurse. Sounds a bit ridiculous right? Well it was! Out of all the movies this week, this one was probably my least favorite. The acting was horrific. The actor that played David was the worst. In fact most of his co-stars were just as bad, and I cringed so many times during the film. There were certain parts that were good, like the creature designs. I was really impressed and creeped out, but I thought that maybe the ending could’ve saved the movie. However it was the worst! I would rather watch Invasion of the Body Snatchers again than sit through this film.

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

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.