Remakes: Sometimes You Win

I've noticed a very strange phenomena when it comes to remakes. Eight out of ten are in the horror genre.

Why?

On the whole, I will agree with a lot of horror fans that remakes suck. But sometimes a remake will utterly shock and surprise, and become bigger and better than the original.

I remember when word originally got out that John Carpenter of Halloween fame announced he was going to remake Howard Hawks' classic The Thing. People screamed. Me, I remembered the original black and white version (in which James Arness of TV's Gunsmoke played the titular character). But I also knew that movies had come a long, long way since the 1950s. Plus it was going to be in color - way cool!

I followed any news I could get my hands on regarding the production aspect of it, right down to the fact that one of my all-time favorite actors was starring: Kurt Russell.

There were no CGI effects back in those days. Everything was done by animatronics and hands-on special effects. As a result, the film scared the crap out of me when I went to see it in the theaters.

Now it's rumored there will be a third Thing, another remake, and all I can think of is that that CGI will be an integral part of the movie. Frankly, I don't mind CGI as long as it doesn't overwhelm the story, but recently I think Hollywood has been relying too much on the computerized horror and not enough on the emotional gut punches to make a movie memorable.

Does this mean I won't like the new remake? To be honest, I'm willing to give #3 a try. But the moment I see the seams and zippers showing on the creature, and the wires to my suspension of belief are cut, I will do what a lot of other horror lovers might do... pull out my Carpenter DVD to help get the bad taste out of my mouth.

You Gotta Read Reviews Gives EENIE MEENIE Its Highest Praise!

Rating: You Gotta Read
Reviewer: Laura

Something lives in the big black plastic garbage bag. Something that isn't human. Something that depends on the goodwill of others to provide it with food. Fortunately, it's not particular if its meal is dead, long dead... or alive.

Ms. Smith definitely knows how to write a story. I was reading along the first page or so not expecting at all what came next. I am a great reader of horror stories. Never have I been grabbed by the throat and so thoroughly scared within a matter of a few pages. The fact that this writer can generate that kind of emotion in a reader in a story that is less than 20 pages speaks volumes. There is build up; there is anticipation; there is speculation, and there is a whopping, power-punch conclusion. This is one story not to be missed by any fan of great horror stories.

http://yougottareadreviews.blogspot.com/search?q=eenie+meenie

Movie Review - PLAGUE TOWN

When a horror movie ends and leaves me with more questions than answers, sometimes that's a good thing. Unfortunately, with regards to this movie, it's NOT a good thing.

No spoilers (outside of the theatrical blurb), but I would have liked to have found out what the beginning of the movie had to do with the rest of the movie. Or why the family chose to go to Ireland for a family vacation. Or why people feel it's okay to walk into a strange house without knocking when they need help (manners, anyone?) Or why the movie's called PLAGUE TOWN.


Let's look at the basics here:

Blood - yep, there's lots of it
Grisly deaths - a couple are pretty darn good Monster makeup - some of the best I've seen, especially with regards to the main character (see poster)

Acting - very good, very credible

Yet for all its positives, this movie didn't "do it" for me. I'm sorry. I wanted it to be as fresh and innovative as reviews I've read promised it would be.

Nope. Didn't happen.

When a friend asked me what I remembered most about this movie, I told her, "Running. Lots of running. And screaming."

My recommendation?

Want to Know What's New in the Horror Movie World?

This site will keep you up on all the latest horror movie news, releases, etc. Better yet, it has tabs at the top which divide the movies into genres: zombies, werewolves, vampires, demons, killers, etc.

Upcoming Horror Movies is definitely one site you'll want to bookmark!

Games! The Bloodier, the Better!

Nothing like a few flash games to dispel a murky, rainy day. Or any time the weather forces you to stay inside.

On those days you don't feel like watching another rerun on TV, or anything from your DVD stash, go here.

REALM OF DARKNESS is chock full of neat flash games, and best of all they're FREE!


So whether you're into zombies (Meat Mansion, Zombie Run), TV or movie icons (Escape From Crystal Lake, Shaggy's Midnight Snack), or you just like to celebrate Halloween 365 days a year (Haunted House, Ghosts and Goblins), there's FOUR PAGES of playtime waiting for you!

Movie Review - AUTOPSY

After having a grand ole' time during Mardi Gras, five twentysomethings end up crashing their car on a deserted backroad in the middle of nowhere. When they crawl out of the wreck with little more than a few bumps, cuts, and bruises, they discover they've run over a man -- a man dressed in a hospital gown.

From out of nowhere an ambulance shows up. They've been looking for the missing man. The paramedics end up taking the group to Mercy Hospital that seems a mite understaffed.

What follows is a very gory and somewhat decent horror movie. Although it's said to have some "black comedy" in it, I found those kinds of scenes very few and far between.

What I never understood is why the title, when the focus of the film has nothing to do with autopsies.

Is it bloody? Well, it definitely has its moments. The acting is very credible, and Robert Patrick as the infamous Dr. Benway (google up the family history) literally hacks up the scenery.

This little flick is part of After Dark Horrorfest III. It comes with an alternate ending which I personally felt would have been a better choice. But, no, the ending you get makes the film weaker, in my honest opinion.

My recommendation?

3D Horror - “They’re coming to get you, Barbara!”

I read a lot of horror stories. Although many managed to send shivers up my spine, I still know that I’m safely ensconced within my sofa/bed/chair/bathtub. And no mean beastie/perverted slasher is going to get me. Ditto for horror movies. No matter what happens on the screen, in the back of your mind you keep reminding yourself it’s all fake. The hero and heroine will most likely appear in the sequel, and the victims will find another acting role someplace else.

I think 3D is about to change that.

3D movies aren’t new. They’ve been around since the ‘50s. Yet for all their innovations and failures, I truly believe that 3D will most benefit horror movies.

Why?

Because they’re going to break that "4th wall". They’re going to jump into your lap, plunge a knife into your intestines, and chop off your head. And you’re going to duck and scream because your brain is going to tell you that the thing coming after you is real. Fear and the survival instinct will take over, and you won’t be able to stop it.

(Alert! Small spoiler!)
When the US version of The Ring first came to theaters, the scene with the wet girl and the television gave me nightmares. It broke that 4th wall, and to this day people who’ve seen the movie will never forget it.

That’s what 3D technology will do to horror movies. Three dimensional water creatures or flowers will delight you. Bubbles and snow will enthrall you. Serial killers exploding out of the screen just might give you a heart attack.