A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)

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This film is a remake Wes Craven's 1984 film of the same title. Dean Russell commits suicide in the Springwood Diner. This leads his friends, Kris Fowles, Jesse Braun, Quentin Smith, and Nancy Hollbrook to face the forgotten man of their nightmares-Freddy Krueger. 

This re-imagining was directed by Samuel Bayer. This is Bayer's film directorial debut. This film is a retelling of the familiar classic slasher horror film. It is also filled with some fan favorites. Bringing several popular scenes and lines keeps it from feeling wholly original. This film adds much more back story to the legend. It does take away some of the mystery horror, but it provides a mental ride. This film uses less imagination and more psychology to its film. Naturally, Englund can't fully be replaced as Freddy. This film changes the image of Freddy slightly. He is less smart ass and more psychological. The new Freddy face is good, but it has a little too much computer animation to look realistic. There are several moments that make you jump and squirm. It is also full of blood.

The cast worked great together. Jackie Earle Haley played the role of Freddy Krueger. He was great in his role. Like I said, there is no replacing Englund. However, he was great reprising this role. He made his character less slimy and more psychological. Rooney Mara played the role of Nancy Hollbrook. She was good in her role. She created a new face for the female victim. Kyle Gallner played the role of Quentin Smith. He was good in his role. He carried the film in the ways Mara's character should have. Katie Cassidy played the role of Kris Fowles. She was good in her role. She was the stereotypical victim. She was the clone of her counterpart, Tiny Gray. Thomas Dekker played the role of Jesse Braun. He was great in his role. Kellan Lutz played the role of Dean Russell. He was good in his small role.

I give this film 4 out of 5 stars! It is a general good slasher film, but it does not live up to the original.

Answer to last blog: Director Tim Burton and actor Johnny Depp have worked together on 8 films.

Que: What other film has actor Jackie Earle Haley acted in?

Cloverfield

Jumper

The Ruins

Semi-Pro

Sweeny Todd: The Demon of Fleet Street (2007)

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This film is an adaptation from Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's 1979 musical; which retells the Victorian penny dreadful story The String of Pearls. After being forcibly sent away from London, he returns with the name Sweeny Todd. He returns to his old home with small hope, but is surprised to find Mrs. Lovett. He becomes consumed with vengeance against Judge Turpin.

This film was directed by Tim Burton. This film was director Burton's first musical, and it used his familiar cast. This film is also one of the few horror musicals to receive positive reviews. Mostly because it reminds several of the 1979 musical. This film does apply more to either musical lover, horror movie fanatics, or Tim Burton/Johnny Depp fans. This film has a very deep and great story. It is also very creepy and sinister  The music works perfectly to present the stories progress and the character development. The backdrop is Burton's usual gothic style-turning old Lodon streets into computer animated goth dream. The costumes and make-up affects reflect the similar style. This film also has tons of obviously fake blood. It does go over the top at times. The cinematography was well done. It really showed the descent into madness, and the chaos surrounding each of the characters.

The cast worked great together in film. Johnny Depp played the role of Sweeny Todd/Benjamin Barker. He was great in his role. He proved that he had more talents than just acting-he can sing. He really gave this character sympathy and insanity. Helena Bonham Carter played the role of Mrs. Lovett. She was great in her role. She created a sensible sympathetic lady. Alan Rickman played the role of Judge Turpin. He was great in his role. He created this just despicable character. Jaime Campbell Bower played the role of Anthony. He was great in his small role. He gave the film its hope. Timothy Spall played the role of Beadle. He was great adding to the despicableness of Rickman's character. Ed Sanders played the role of Toby. He was great in his role. Jayne Wisener played the role of Johanna. She was great in her role. She gave the film so much innocence. Sacha Baron Cohen played the role of Pirelli. He was good in his role. He played his familiar outlandish character style, but was able to act normal.

I give this film 5 out of 5 stars! It is a great horror musical. It has a great story even if it does go slightly over the top at times.

Answer to last blog: Director Christian Alvart, Pandorum, also directed the film Case 39.

Que: How many films have director Tim Burton and actor Johnny Depp worked together on?

8
10
5
6

Pandorum

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The space ship Elysium was created to transport billions of people from an overpopulated Earth to Tanis (an alien planet that can support life). Corporal Bower and Lieutenant Payton awaken from hypersleep and discover that something is wrong with Elysium. Corporal Bower sets out to restart reactor. Both Bower and Payton quickly discover that are more things wrong with Elysium than they imagined.

This film was directed by Christian Alvart, and produced by W.S. Anderson. Alvart is an upcoming horror director. This film combines the genres horror with science fiction. Genre mixed films tend to get horrible reviews. This film does a great job in manipulating its cinematography to visually tell the two stores of Payton and Bower. Since this film has such a small cast, it allowed for great character development. The story had some great plot twists, even if they were somewhat predictable. It was great watching this film manipulate the present story with the back story. Which was done through hints mostly. The creature make-up was great and creepy. It didn't present anything new to the horror genre as far as monsters go. There is great action sequences in this film. This film doesn't make you jump a lot, but it does have an unsettling story. This film is terrifying in its psychology.

The cast worked great together. They provided the unsettling edge the film needed. Ben Foster played the role of Corporal Bower. He was great in his role. He gave the film heart. It was great watching him slowly descending into madness. Dennis Quad played the role of Lieutenant Payton.  He was great in his role. He gave the film its dark tone. He was great in playing the calm kind of crazy. Antje Traue played the role of Nadia. She was great in her role. She got to play a badass survivor. Cung Lee played the role of Manh. He was great in his non-speaking role. He gave the film its action. Cam Gigandet played the role of Gallo. He was great creating the insane character. Eddie Rouse played the role of Leland. He was great in his small role.

I give this film 5 out of 5 stars! It is a great psychological thriller film. It can be predictable, but its does great with its small cast.

Answer to last blog: Actress Deborah Kara Unger, White Noise, played the role of Dahlia Gillespie in Silent Hill.

Question: What other horror film did Director Christian Alvart direct?

30 Days of Night

The Crazies (2010)

Case 39

My Soul to Take

White Noise

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Jonathan Rivers' wife mysterious became missing one night. Raymond Price appears and explains that his wife had died, and that she was speaking to him. Jonathan Rivers becomes obsessed with the idea of E.V.P (electronic voice phenomena), and speaking with his deceased wife. 

This film was directed by Geoffrey Sax. This film plays off the popular ideal of E.V.P., or electronic voice phenomena. That is that spirits will speak to the living through the static white noise of electronic devices. This film is a horror film, but it is more of a dramatical mystery horror film. This film does have some jump in your seat moments, but its mostly carried with dramatic tension. I think it gave a lot of audiences a misconception of its intent. Anyway, it has some truth to its supernatural horror. It is a good film for its dramatic tension. I really enjoyed how the established the villains in this film.

The cast worked great together. Michael Keaton played the role of Jonathan Rivers. He was great in his role. He kept his falling into obsession subtle, and he kept his character emotionally open. Ian McNeice played the role of Raymond Price. He was great in his small role. Deborah Kara Unger played the role of Sarah Tate. She was great in her role adding great dramatic tension to the film. Chandra West played the role of Anna Rivers. She was good in her small role.

I give this film 4 out of 5 stars! It is a great dramatic mystery film. It has great dramatic tension with great character development.

Answer to last blog: Actor Preston Bailey, Isaac from Children of the Corn (2009), also played the popular television role Cody Bennett (Dexter).

Que: Which character did actress Deborah Kara Unger play in the film Silent Hill?

Dahlia Gillespie
Christabella
Rose Da Silva
Cybil Bennett

Children of the Corn (2009)

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This film is a remake off the 1984 film which was based off the 1977 short story, of the same title, by Stephen King. In 1975, a young troubled couple, Burt and Vicky, are traveling through Nebraska. Burt and Vicky are caught by surprise when they hit a dying kid on the open highway. They enter the town of Gatlin to try and find someone who could help them. Instead the town is abandoned except for a group of violent pegan children who follow  the God known as "He Who Walks Behind the Rows". These children believe that all adults should be sacrificed.

This film was directed and written by Donald P. Borchers. This film is very different from it's 1984 original. This film follows the Stephen King's story more closely. It is very different in that it focuses more on the characters. The story made the children seem more lost in pretending to be the adults of their world. It also made the two leading characters highly undesirable. I still prefer the original even if it was Hollywoodized. This film has mostly weird, and lacked the true creepiness that the original possessed. It is interesting that this is the first remake, and that the original produced seven sequels. This film is still somewhat creepy, and is much more adult. It has a very unnerving sex scene and more blood than the original. 

The cast worked good together. It is great that they used real children for this remake. David Anders played the role of Burton Stanton. He was good in his role. He found a balance of survival and his own insanity. Kandyse McClure played the role of Vicky Stanton. She was good in her annoying role. Preston Bailey played the role of Isaac. He was good in his role. He did feel slightly forced in his role, but he did good. Daniel Newman played the role of Malachai. He was good in his revised role. He is wholly different from the original film. 

I give this film 3 out of 5 stars! It's a good horror film that diverges from the original film.

Answer to last blog: Director Terry Gilliam, 12 Monkeys, also directed the film The Brothers Grimm.

Que: Actor Preston Bailey plays what popular television role?

Cody Bennett (Dexter)
Carl Grimes (The Walking Dead)
Jake Harper (Two and a Half Men)
Porter Scavo (Desperate Housewives)

12 Monkeys

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This film was inspired by Chris Marker's short film Le Jetee or The Jetty/The Pier (1962). In 1997, there is a violent outbreak of deadly virus that murder off most of the human population. This virus outbreak forces humans to live underground allowing animals to take control of the earth's surface. James Cole lives in the dystopian future and is kept within a prison. He is chosen to volunteer to do research to help a group figure out how to better aid their future. Cole is sent into the future, for being a good observer, to find the pure form of the virus. He is sent to the year 1990. This sets him on collision course of past, future, and present and deciding on how he wants to live his life. 

This film was directed by Terry Gilliam. "Psychology is the newest religion, and I'm losing my faith", one of the great lines spoken from the film. This script has several one liners that open the mind to several questions, and fails to provide any answers to the questions it creates. Such as can you change the future by traveling into the past, or is it set in stone. It questions life, time travel, psychology, etc. This script carries the story as such. It opens up questions without any answers. This does leave the story with some flaws, mostly small flaws. There is enough mystery to make you wonder if the character's insane or if he really is time traveling. The future is very dystopian and often comes off as bizarre. The past is dystopian with some control to it. It is great to see how the dystopia in the past causes the chaos in the future. The camera angels really pull the stories chaos into perspective. This film is very bleak, and it manages to accomplish this bleak feeling through out the story. It especially makes the characters relationships feel emotionally desperate. I enjoyed it played ironic music through the film. There isn't a ton of action in this film since its mainly carried by its story. 

The cast worked great together. Bruce Willis played the role of James Cole. He was good in his role. Although his character was presented confusingly, he kept the character realistic. Madaeleine Stowe played the role of Kathryn Railly. She was good in her role. She gave the film much of its chaos and heart. Brad Pitt played the role of Jeffrey Goines. He was great in his role. He truly gave the film that psychotic feel. Jon Seda played the role of Jose. He was good in his small role.

I give this film 4 out of 5 stars! This film is a great time traveling film. It is also a great sociological film. However, it does have some small flaws and it is highly bizarre visually.

Answer to last blog: Actor Colin Farell and director Martin McDonagh worked together on the film In Burges.

Question: What other film has Terry Gilliam directed?

The Brothers Bloom
The Sixth Sense
The Imposter
The Brothers Grimm

Seven Psychopaths

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This follows Marty, a struggling screenwriter looking for some inspiration. He decides to write a script about seven psychopaths. Billy is attempting to help Marty find his inspiration to finish the script. Billy and his friend Hans kidnap Charlie's (a gangster's) Shih Tzu dog (Bonnie). Marty finds himself caught in an usual situation as Charlie begins attempting to murder Billy and Hans to take back his dog.

This film was written and directed by Martin McDonagh. This film has a very unique story that balances between character development and morbid satire with a hint of emotional turmoil. This unique story has a great script, but some of the filming sequences leave you with the question "what am I watching". There are moments when the script drags for Character development. Then there are random out of no-where moments that just make you laugh. These random moments make the film worth seeing once. The one lined satire is great for this film. There are moments when it makes fun of itself within the film. The sequences where it shows the stories of the psychopaths (not all of which are actually in the poster) didn't need to be in the film. The dog, Bonnie, was adorable to watch in the film. There are several great plot twists during the film generally presented by someone's murder. The violence was overplayed, and it gave the film a slapstick comedy feel. Some of the characters didn't feel necessary to the actual story. However, they did provide great humorous moments. This film feels more like a cult classic that audience's will enjoy.

The cast worked surprisingly well together. Colin Farell played the role of Marty. He was great acting with the subtlety of his eyebrows. He really created a great character full of self turmoil. Sam Rockwell played the role of Billy. He was great playing the most unpredicatable character in the film. He presented the character's innocence and insanity. Christopher Walken played the role of Hans. He was good in his role. His kept was very subdued through the film, but he wasn't dead. He also had some of the greatest lines in the film. Woody Harrelson played the character Charlie. He was good in his role. He played a familiar character type that worked for this film. Linda Bright Clay played the role of Myra. She was great adding some deep emotion to the film. Tom Waits played the role of Zachariah. He was great in his small role. He gave the film some amazing humor. 

I give this film 4 out of 5 stars! It's got some great humor, and fun characters. It doesn't full piece well together cinematically. 

Answer to last blog: Actress Jodelle Ferland, Jenny from The Tall Man, portrayed the character Patience Buckner in the film Cabin in the Woods.

What other film has actor Colin Farell and director Martin McDonagh worked on together?

In Bruges

Miami Vice
The Grand
Snow Angels

The Tall Man (2012)

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In a small ex-mining town in Washington State, children have been disappearing. The belief is that a monster known as the Tall Man has been abducting the children of this small town. Julia Denning is the towns doctor who lives on her own with Christine and her son David. Her son David is taken one night, and she fights to rescue him. In her plight discoveries about the town and about herself are revealed. 

This film was directed by Pascal Laugier. He is a new director to the horror genre. This fim differently makes him stand out in the genre, because this film is a thriller drama without any actual gore in it. The story does take you on an unsettling mind trip. The film begins one way, and then it starts to turn this way, and then it slams you into a different reality. It also tackles an unexpected sociological argument. This film is an chase film. This does give the film of how much more can the character survive through. This film was excellently cinematically manipulated to keep audience's guessing. Which is why is was great following the character Julia Denning through the story. It was great to see this characters constant struggles. I did enjoy how the backdrop for the film appeared to be unending and isolated. It appears small in the beginning, but as the film progress' it builds to a maze like backdrop. 

The cast worked great together. Jessica Biel played the role of Julia Denning. She was great in this film. She really carried the film with all of its craziness  Eve Harlow played the role of Christine. She was good in her role. She didn't do much to stand out, but it worked for the character. Jodelle Ferland played the role of Jenny (narrator). She has such a career in horror movies. It's easy to see why even in this film. She was great in her role. Stephen McHattie played the role of Lieutenant Dodd. He was good, but he definitely didn't stand out in anyway. He almost seemed pointless to the film. Jakob Davies played the role of David. He was good in his small role. 

I give this film 5 out of 5 stars! It has a great story, and it does bring something new to the horror genre.

Answer to last blog: James Whale's Frankenstein was first released in 1931.

Que: What character did Jodelle Ferland portray in Cabin in the Woods?

Floating Witch
Patience Buckner
Jules
Dana

Frankenweenie

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This remastering of an 1984 animated stop-motion short, of the same title, pays homage to James Whale's Frankenstein (based off Mary Shelley's novel).  Young Victor Frankenstein decides to re-animate his deceased dog, Sparky, after a terrible accident. His small experiment begins to affect the town in ways Victor couldn't have imagined. 

This film was directed by Tim Burton. The film is based from his animated stop-motion short. This film isn't his best in comparison to The Nightmare Before Christmas, but it does have a heartfelt story. It is interesting that this film has come out during a time when gothic animated films are coming out for Halloween. It follows a similar storyline to the others films, but it does remain unique with its characters. This film spends a great amount of its story parodying classic horror films.  At the same time, it also maintains respect for the classics. The story is very heartwarming, but it is predictable. It was great that this briefly took on the controversial philosophical arguments involving science and life and death. Watching the stop-motion was great. It is amazing to to know that there are directors who are still willing to take the time to create these style of films. It was also great seeing all the subtle jokes created with camera angle's and the background. It was also great seeing all the classic monsters with a twist. This film was made for children. But it might frighten small children, because it has the classic horror movie feel. So, yes this film is entirely in black and white.

The cast worked great together in creating unique characters. Charlie Tahan voiced the character Victor Frankenstein. He was great in his role giving the main character heart. Atticus Shaffer voiced the character Edgar 'E' Gore. He was great in his role creating a creepy character that was still lovable. Winona Ryder voiced the character Elsa Van Helsing. She was great in this role. It is good to see her name appear in theaters once again. Martin Landau voiced the character Mr. Rzykruski. He was great being the voice of reason. James Hiroyuki Liao voiced the character Toshiaki. He was great adding humor to the film. Martin Short voiced the characters Mr. Frankenstein, Mr. Burgemeister, and Nassor. He was great voicing all these different characters. Catherine O'Hara voiced the characters Mrs. Frankenstein, Weird Girl, and Gym Teacher. She was also great voicing all these different characters. 

I give this film 5 out of 5 stars! This film is a great animated film for the Halloween season. It pays homage to the classic horror films. 

Answer to last blog: Actors Dean Mauro, Tommy Lynch, and Tracilyn Jones (Deadly Renovations) all starred in the film One Long Day.

Question: When did James Whale's Frankenstein first appear in theaters?

1921
1931
1941
1951

Deadly Renovations

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This film follows the story of a family who work to renovate old run down buildings. They become the new owners of Hotel Del Sol, an abandoned run down hotel. The hotel is rumored to have thousands of dollars left behind from a failed bank robbery. The new owners decide to spend a night in the hotel. They soon find that the hotel has not been fully abandoned.  "Its all in the plans."

This film was directed by Robert H. Gwinn. I had to watch and review this film. This film was filmed at a real run down hotel in my hometown (Yuma, Arizona). I will admit, it was awesome to see parts of my hometown in a recent Hollywood film. This film was done independently and with a very low budget. The story has the basics for a good horror film. There are some moments where the story doesn't fully make sense. There are a bit too many small pieces left to mystery. The mystery does allow the film to have a fairly surprise ending. The story itself is creepy, but the film's sequences didn't allow for any horrific tension. The story also didn't allow for the audience to really get to know the characters on a personal level. The sound didn't come through correctly, having several moments of high and low sound. The camera angels were amazing to watch. It was unique to see a film experiment with various camera shots and angles. 

The cast worked pretty good together. Sometimes it did get a little cheesy though.  Tommy Lynch played the role of Barry. He was good in his role. Nathalie Ben-Kely played the role of Rosa. Dean Mauro played the role of George. Tracilyn Jones played the role of Lisa. DJ Perry played the role of Allen. Charlene May (Charlene May Khalaf) played the role of Deborah. They were good in very generic roles.

I give this film 3 out of 5 stars! It has all the fundamentals for a great horror film. But, it failed to present a truly terrifying film.

Answer to last blog: Bruce Willis, Looper, also stared in the film 12 Monkeys.

Que: What other film has actors Dean Mauro, Tommy Lynch, and Tracilyn Jones star in together?

Tax Day
Three Days to Vegas
One Long Day
The Howling: Reborn

(The Hotel Del Sol)