Day 7: ABC's of Death 2 Via: Netflix Release Date - 2014 Synopsis: Twenty-six filmmakers from around the globe helm stories that detail 26 ways to meet your maker, each one corresponding to a different letter of the alphabet. SPOILER ALERT - No plots given, only my like and dislike. A friend of mine sent me a link with 14 great horror movies to watch on Netflix, so I decided to take a gander at ABC's of Death 2. I'll eventually watch the first one tomorrow. Ok, so I'll start out by saying that unlike my other posts, I will not give away the plot on any of these. ABC's of Death 2 has 26 plots so short in length, that it is better to watch them all for yourself or find them on Youtube. So I have just put stars next to the ones I liked and loved. This isn't a terrible collection. Not as good as the VHS series, but still very creative. *Liked *Loved! **A is for Amateur - funny, great beginning to the whole film. B is for Badger - meh, kind of funny. Good gore. *C is for Capital Punishment - Not bad plot, great gore. **D is for Deloused - Awesome. Creepy and reminds me of early Tool videos. *E is for Equilibrium - Humorous ending and plot. F is for Falling - Meh. Story is a bit weak. G is for Grandad - This one is just disturbing because of the actors used. Not very good though. *H is for Head Games - Pretty entertaining animation piece. I is for Invincible - A bit too cheesy with the killing scenes. J is for Jesus - This one was weird. Torture scenes seemed good but main monster was lame. *K is for Knell - Plot seemed a bit confusing but the effects were really amazing. L is for Legacy - Bad all around. Confusing plot, bad acting and worse special effects. *M is for Masticate - Effects were OK, but editing and pace were good. N is for Nexus - Weak plot and effects. O is for Ochlocracy - Interesting idea but weak execution. P is for P-P-P-P SCARY! - Dumb, just dumb and not creepy. Q is for Questionnaire - Good idea but looked cheesy at the end. R is for Roulette - Acting wasn't bad but the very end seemed very stupid. S is for Split - Pretty good plot and camera se but fell short with the acting and effects. T is for Torture Porn - Just bad all around. U is for Utopia - Gattaca poorly made. *V is for Vacation - Entertaining but effects were lame and characters lacked substance. *W is for Wish - The over-the-top use of puppets and toy sets made this original and entertaining. *X is for Xylophone - Small idea incredibly dramatized. Good effects but poor acting by the parents. *Y is for Youth - Pretty good plot and effects were so bizarre it made it enjoyable. **Z is for Zygote - The effects in this were SO gorey and the plot so weird that it was my favorite. I enjoyed Zygote so much that below is the short:
Synopsis: Lacy (Keri Russell) and Daniel Barrett (Josh Hamilton) share a peaceful life in the suburbs with their sons, Jesse (Dakota Goyo) and Sam (Kadan Rockett). However, that peace soon shatters with a series of disturbing events that escalate. When it becomes clear that their family is being targeted by an unimaginably terrifying, deadly -- and possibly alien -- threat, Daniel and Lacy draw on their courage and determination to protect their family and identify what is after them.
SPOILER ALERT - If you have not seen the movie do not read. E.T. is a bit of an asshole, preying on children and what-not. This film is what "Signs" should have been. Less is more. Let's explore. This is the first creature feature I have on my list so far and it didn't really disappoint. In fact, these movies keep surprising me with their endings. You have to take this for what it's worth in terms of subject matter. If you don't believe in aliens or the idea of outsiders in our universe it might be a bit harder for you to swallow. *Two quick side notes. 1 - As a designer and musician I am nit-picky about my sounds and websites. As you have already noticed, using stock sound effects is a big no-no in my book. It kills the creativity of the entire film. What's worse is poorly made websites used in movies that look like a small step up from a power point presentation. The Taking of Deborah Logan had an array of horrid websites explaining the origins of the killer in the movie. Well, Dark Skies had similarly horrible sites used in the scene where Lacy finds the truth of their situation. Now, I get it, some sites that showcase the paranormal may appear lame and shoddy but they are believable. The ones used in Dark Skies look like a bad cut and paste job in Photoshop. 2- I started with low budget films and seem to be watching more big budget films as the days go by. It appears that with the massive amount of technology and talent available to the big budget films, they tend to have to work harder to create a dark and gritty atmosphere that will envelop the audience. Amateur low budget films, however, need not to go through this circus of chaos within the grandness of their project. The financial boundaries put forth on the amateurs gives them an advantage that a mainstream film lacks. Back to the tunes... Ok, so we are presented with a typical suburban family going through some financial ordeal. The mother, Lacy, is a real estate agent trying to do her best to sell a fixer-upper to various clients. Meanwhile, the father, Daniel, has recently lost his job as an architect and is desperately searching for a new avenue. We are introduced to their two sons, Jesse, 13 or so, and Sam, 8 or so. They look like good kids and the whole family seems to be decently happy. There are a few scenes where Jesse is shown hanging out with his older friend who is teaching Jesse the "finer things in life". I.E. Sex and drugs. There are several touching scenes where we see the boys interacting with each other at night through their walkie talkies. This interaction will come back later. Most of the film revolves around the same type of scenes only building up more and more as time goes on. There seems to be strange behavior coming from Sam at first with him having symptoms of seizures or some form of psychotic blackouts. The family as a whole starts to show symptoms of odd behavior themselves. The culprit seems to be some other factor that affects the household at night. Ok, so this part of the movie was a bit dull since it mimicked the Paranormal Activity series in terms of camera use and footage. It wasn't overdone so I just shut my brain off and enjoyed the movie. Daniel and the family experience various "break-ins" that are unexplainable, even by the police and by the security system company whose equipment is in the household. There is even an instance where 3 different types of flocks of birds fly into the house as if possessed by something. As the unexplained activity increases, Daniel decides to install cameras all around the house. Which leads us to the Paranormal Activity-like footage. The tone of the film seems patiently slow that later leads us to a chaotic second half. Lacy begins to panic more as they all begin to show physical injuries. She decides to search the web for some type of explanation which leads her to various sites detailing the source of the strange behavior, injuries and unexplainable - Aliens. This makes sense to her, but when she explains this to Daniel, he is taken back and thinks it's too crazy of an idea. The night shots of found footage and scenes with Sam show slight parts of the Aliens. They are not cheesy looking but you can tell the CGI lighting is too much. I believe had they taken the lighting down even further, they would have been more mysterious and even creepier. Well done, nonetheless. Lacy and Daniel end up meeting with a man, Mr. Pollard, who is supposedly an expert on this sort of stuff. Daniel is hesitant at first and once they see Pollard's place he is convinced Pollard is a nutcase. They see his walls covered in news articles ranging from UFO sightings to clippings of missing children. He questions them about their experience to make sure they're not the wackos. Which, after Pollard reveals some very specific questions and information, the couple is relieved but scared of the reality of things. Pollard tells them that "The Greys" have been doing the same to others around the world for years. They victimize anyone they please and eventually abduct the children. The family prepares themselves by boarding up windows, buying guns, an aggressive dog and taking all measures to make sure Sam doesn't get abducted. Since he is the youngest and weakest, it is presumed he will be the victim. As the night goes on, the usual strange activity occurs and The Greys eventually take their victim, but not without a fight from the rest of the family. Much to their surprise, Jesse is the one taken. We see Pollard add the "missing" news article of Jesse to his wall of lost children. We flash to 3 months after the ordeal and the family has moved to a new place. They are seen semi-happy and ready to move on. As the camera pans to various rooms of the house it focuses on Sam and a pile of his toys. There is a noise coming from the walkie talkie within the toys. Sam grabs the walkie talkie and calls out to "mission control" as he did to Jesse before. Only static can be heard. He tries again and we get a slight voice coming through. It sounds like Jesse. Sam calls out a third time and we hear Jesse on the other end. Fade to black. The obvious: Like I said before, editing and cinematography are excellent. Even for a big budget film, they do a pretty good job at creating an environment that feels small, creepy and confined. The acting from the children is outstanding and the ending was not what I expected. Good elements of surprise. I felt the tension as the family suffers at the hands of The Greys and slight fear when the night scenes came up. A few good jump scares and no over-the-top acting once the family encounters The Greys one-on-one. I would watch it again, but so far, I am not really blown away by any of these films.
Synopsis: Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe), a lawyer, is recently widowed and grieving the loss of his wife when he is sent to a remote village to put a deceased eccentric's affairs in order. Soon after his arrival, it becomes clear that the villagers are hiding a terrible secret. Kipps discovers that his late client's house is haunted by the spirit of a woman who is trying to find someone and something she lost, and that no one -- not even the children -- is safe from her terrible wrath.
SPOILER ALERT - If you have not seen the movie do not read.
Woke up with a nasty migraine, alas I have to write this to keep my goal. Better late than never. Ok, so let's get right into it. Harry Potter 9 - The Bitchy Witch! We see Harry as a father and apparently Ginevra Molly and their two other kids have died or gone missing, or somethin'. Harry has to visit a village haunted by a dementor and the only way to get rid of it is by swimming in mud. Wait, um, I'm being told by my producers this is not Harry Potter 9. My bad, sorry. Nothing sets the tone to a film more than children leaping to their deaths. Arthur Kipps (Harry Potter), is a lawyer who is dealing with financial issues as well as still grieving the loss of his wife. He has to prove to his boss at the firm that he is willing and capable of being successful. He takes a case that seems simple on paper; get all paperwork from a deceased woman's household regarding her will and other legal matters not finalized. He leaves town for a few days in order to get the paperwork himself. Arthur seems determined but also worried for his future and that of his son. A warm but quick sendoff captures the love Arthur has for his son. He arrives at his destination but is met with hostility from the villagers. His presence angers and frightens them. Arthur makes several attempts to get his work resolved but is quickly met with villagers trying to get rid of him. Arthur ignores their behavior and insists he be able to do his job. He bribes the man who is supposed to take him back to the station to take him to the house of the deceased woman. It's very island-like and access to the house is limited according to the tide. He visits the house and encounters some odd activity. When finished he returns to the village only to find out there has been a a tragedy involving one of the village children. The villagers look at Arthur with heightened anger as he walks through town. He doesn't know how. Arthur befriends a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Daily. They seem to be the only people in town who are sympathetic to Arthur's work. They reveal to him the nature of the house and the woman who lived there. The woman had a son out of wedlock and was forced to give him up for adoption to his wealthy sister. The boy's new family was involved in a carriage accident that left the boy drowning to his death and never knowing his true mother. The mother kills herself and haunts the village to take her revenge on the families. If she can't have a family, no one can. The story is that if anyone disturbs her at her house, a child will die. There are a lot of good moments throughout the film that create a deep and depressing atmosphere as well as some good jump scares. I felt the tension, I felt the sadness, the sympathy for Arthur, the desperation and his fear. Until...it got cheesy. Yet another film that seemed to be so good towards the beginning, but then turned predictable and unimaginative at the second half. As soon as I found out the woman's back story, I knew she would have to be reunited with her son to get the closure she craved, or at least Arthur would have to do something to please the spirit. At the end of the film we do get to see an ending not fit for American audiences, which was good. However, it was done so fast and without real narrative that it just felt forced. Our protagonist and his son die in a train incident caused by the woman in black. Arthur is reunited with his deceased wife and they all live happily ever after even if it's the after life. This leaves an open door to a bad sequel.
Ok, so a quick blurb as to why I am doing this whole: 31 Days of 31 Horror Movies for Halloween. To get my writing juices flowing. These aren't really meant to be reviews or summaries of the films, even if they are. I just love the horror genre and need some inspiration to get going on my upcoming zombie graphic novel. My writing has always been pretty good, but in order to really dive in and get my brain used to the idea of writing something long, I need to put more words down on paper and on the screen. Secondly, I want to share my passion for the horror genre. Just making my list of horror movies watched made me realize what a great challenge it would be to see 31 new ones. I hope these 31 days help stimulate my style and my artistic personality.
Synopsis: Mia records the daily lives of Deborah and her daughter Sarah as part of her thesis. As the days progress, strange things happen around Deborah, and it becomes apparent something has taken control of her.
SPOILER ALERT - If you have not seen the movie do not read. Right away we know this is a found footage/documentary style of film, very reminiscent of The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity except the cameras aren't crappy. The film begins slow and steady creating a sense of fear just by the content, alzheimer's. We are introduced to a PhD student (Mia), who is shooting footage for her thesis/documentary regarding alzheimer's. She is hoping her subject will be Deborah Logan, a woman who is in the beginning stages of the disease. Deborah's house in the midst of being taken away for financial reasons and the documentary offers a solution to the problem at hand. Deborah's daughter, Sarah, knows that without their participation in the film, their chances of keeping the house is slim. Deborah is hesitant at first, but with a little convincing from her daughter, the documentary is underway. We are introduced to the main characters Sarah, Deborah and Mia. The only other secondary characters that will matter are Deborah's neighbor, Harris, and Deborah's personal physician, Dr. Nazir. The explanations and effects of alzheimer's given by Mia's documentary plus the initial footage of Deborah set the tone for the entire first half of the film. Deborah appears to be a traditional, gentle, sweet, courteous woman who is trying to cope with her disease with the help of her daughter. It isn't hard to feel sympathy for Deborah. She seems frail and fragile but we can see her kind eyes and heart as she tells her story and reminisces about her life. We find out Deborah used to operate a switchboard from her home that catered to the local townspeople. We also see Deborah's disease affect her more and more as the days go by. She begins to forget faces and can't recall memories such as a visit to France years ago. The film focuses on Deborah's struggle and the impact it has on Sarah. As Deborah's condition suddenly worsens, there comes a new factor into play that turns the film into an actual horror movie. Footage taken from the house by various cameras installed by the crew, record Deborah's every move throughout the house. As her state of mind declines, her behavior and actions appear to take a turn towards the unnatural and bizarre. The first account of this behavior is seen when Deborah unexplainably jumps from the floor of her kitchen to the counter without actually moving. One moment she is walking around, the next she is suddenly standing on the counter. The film crew shows this to Mia, but she brushes it off at first. Deborah's paranormal behavior and symptoms of alzheimer's increase exponentially by her screaming uncontrollably, walking outside at night to dig holes, ripping her skin off, attacking others, and having weird skin legions on her back. It gets to be so bad that after a self-harming incident lands her in the hospital, Dr. Nazir suggests she stay for observation. At this point of the movie, Sarah, Mia and the film crew know there has to be something more to Deborah's condition. It has to be of a paranormal nature. They seek help from a priest, an anthropologist and dig up information regarding Deborah's past. We find out that years ago when Deborah was a small girl, she was almost the fifth victim of some diabolic killer by the name of Dejardins. He had killed four young girls and Deborah would have been his fifth in order to finish his ritual. Deborah kills him with her gardening trowel and buries the evidence. The evil spirit surrounding those events are to be the culprit for the erratic behavior of Deborah, which we now know is really just a possession. While we find out all of these new details, Deborah escapes the hospital and kidnaps a small girl who has pretty advanced cancer. The fully possessed Deborah kills and injures various people during her escape and the (wo)man-hunt is on. At this point of the movie, I lost interest. The first half was so well done. The narrative was very adult and somber, while the second half turned into a cheesy, predictable creature feature. The special effects were OK once we see Deborah possessed. The dramatic but very obvious ending, falls short to what could have been an amazing thriller. They took a good, real-world subject matter, alzheimer's, and paired it with an overdone genre. As soon as Deborah kidnapped the little girl, I knew the spirit would somehow transfer to the girl. Oh wait, that's exactly what happened. Yet another great start to a movie that fails to finish as great as its first half.
Day 3: Mockingbird Via: Netflix Release Date - 2014 Synopsis: Three people receive an anonymous package with a camera and instructions inside it: If they stop filming, someone will die. SPOILER ALERT - If you have not seen the movie do not read. The Shining meets Gacy, meets Blair Witch, meets Saw, meets "IT", meets Pulp Fiction. Yeah, all of those, in a weird way. Also, a Nickelodeon show makes an appearance.
I will first recap the movie as a whole, then dissect it according to the films it may have borrowed from. We follow three plot lines. One from The Woman, The Family, and The Clown. All plots follow the same structure at first. All receive strange packages notifying them they have all won a prize; a camera. They all receive envelopes and instructions regarding the use of the camera. They are under the impression that whomever has the best footage, will be eligible to win a cash prize.
The Woman: She is a lonely, college gal just happy to have something to do to break her monotony. She seems like a bit of a loner and not much else is known about her.
The Family: Typical suburban family with 2 kids, I believe, they only show up once or twice throughout the film. They don't necessarily take the filming seriously, it's more like an accessory within their narrative.
The Clown: Geek living with his mother sees this opportunity to win some cash as the greatest thing that has ever happened to his sad sap life.
Overall the pace is smooth and slow and the found-footage-like of atmosphere is not overdone. We get glimpses of each story that look to be intertwined. The Family and The Woman have the same basic goal of following orders from the packages that are delivered to them. Meanwhile, The Clown has to go out of his way to do some pretty over-the-top type of activities as the envelopes instruct him to. The geek who is The Clown gets more and more excited as his tasks get bigger. He really starts to feel the character of The Clown and is not afraid to be loud and rambunctious while in the costume.
Before I get any further I'd like to say the acting is good, the editing is great, sounds are solid and the atmosphere can get pretty, damn creepy. The scary parts that make you jump are a tad predictable but are still pulled off very well. I jumped 4 times which is rare for me. The color palette used for the dramatic scenes really draws the viewer in. The props used are not cheesy and are quite disturbing in many cases.
So as the film continues, we learn from a video sent to everyone (but The Clown), that whoever has a camera has to keep filming or suffer the consequences. We see the tone of the film change and the packages sent are dark in nature and hint at a more sinister outcome. There are various scenes of The Family and The Woman being stalked by unknown persons, presumably whoever is in charge of the game itself. There is a doll left with a box for The Woman at her door that is really freaky. The package has instructions to go to a certain house on Mockingbird Dr. The others have been given these instructions as well. Once they arrive they all come in at different times from different doors. The house is filled with red balloons. This scene was visually appealing because it creates this feeling of confusion and panic. Eventually The Family and The Woman find each other among the red chaos and an emotional ordeal ensues. They believe each other is responsible for this game which makes for a tense situation, more-so because both parties are holding guns. The Clown makes his grand surprise appearance as instructed but to his shock, he winds up in the middle of the confrontation of the other two parties, who, rightfully so, respond with a violent act. Everyone is shot dead and we see everyone's demise through the cameras they so eagerly wanted to use at the beginning.
As the last scene unfolds, we see the reveal of the true masters behind the sadistic game. Children. Yeah, lame ending. Ok, so several things I noticed that reminded me very much of other movies:
The Shining: The music used during some of the home video sequences is the exact same piece used in the intro of The Shining. Also, the titles that introduce the different chapters is very reminiscent of the ones used during the dates of The Shining.
Gacy: Look at the picture above. That is John Wayne Gacy to a T.
IT: The focus on balloons, lone presents, seeing children as the victims and the playful but dark scenes of The Clown.
Blair Witch: The use of the "found footage" and angles looking up toward the characters. As well as the constant moving of the cameras whilst walking, running, etc.
Pulp Fiction: Taking various characters and plots, showing hints of each individual story but bringing them all together in the end for a dramatic ending.
Overall, not bad. I would watch this again.
Stock sound children scream - are you afraid of the dark Not exactly the same as the one used in the movie, but I know I have heard it somewhere before.
Day 2: The Babadook Via: Netflix Release Date - 2014 Synopsis: A troubled widow (Essie Davis) discovers that her son is telling the truth about a monster that entered their home through the pages of a children's book. SPOILER ALERT - If you have not seen the movie do not read. Netflix kept insisting I watch this, as did several friends. I wanted to see what the hype was all aboooot, so I made it a point to watch this for my "31 Days of 31 Horror Movies". So, let's dive in. Also, The Power Rangers make an appearance. Ok, so already it's been less than a minute and the narrative of the film is dark, depressing and real.
There is an accident/dream sequence that takes place at the very start that may or may not end up being real later. We are introduced to a single mother (Amelia) who is clearly tired and disheveled from taking care of her rambunctious son (Sam). He seems to have a great imagination and lots of energy, which for the most part, seems to annoy his mother. However, there are several times that we see Amelia backing off from her child's displays of affection. Why so cold, mama? I guess we'll find out. So we find out that 7 years ago, Amelia and her husband were on their way to the hospital because Amelia was in labor. That night, there was a big rain storm which caused the terrible conditions for an automobile accident that killed the father but not Amelia or unborn Sam. The accident scene sets the tone for the doomed relationship between mother and son. Amelia is a good mother; she takes care of Sam but does not go out of her way to show much affection towards the child. Sam, meanwhile is overbearing with affection but is a troubled boy. He gets into a good amount of trouble at school and seems wired all the time. Tension seems to build throughout this introduction to the main characters and we get a peek of The Babadook. As Sam gets suspended from school for bringing a weapon, we see the repercussions of his actions affecting his mother to the point of madness and exhaustion. To make matters worse, both start taking medication to relax and sleep. Meanwhile, we see that Sam has an obsession with having to hear his favorite book (The Babadook) read. Even though it clearly upsets him. Ok, just a quit rant about the book itself. The craftsmanship and artwork of the book seen in the film, is amazing. Subtle and creepy with a limited color palette. The handmade aspect really gives the book a life of its own, which I believe helps sell the idea that this may be haunted or have an evil nature. All is well throughout the first half. Sound effects, cinematography, acting, editing, mood setting, writing; all of it, solid. Amelia reminds me of Carrie through her demeanor and overall look. Essie Davis (Amelia) and Noah Wiseman (Sam), are phenomenal. You really feel the tension between a woman who feels guilty for wishing her son was dead and a child who just wants to protect and love his mother unconditionally. They suck you in with their subtle gestures and facial expressions while their tone of voice and mood illustrate a deep undertone of sadness, confusion and despair. This movie was really amazing until The Babadook "entered" Amelia. After a chaotic uphill and warnings from Sam about The Babadook, we finally get to see hints of it and its dark nature. Here, is where the mood changes. It's almost as if the director wanted to do the first half of the film European-style, and the second half, like an American horror flick. By that I mean that the second half seemed lazy and cheesy. The acting went from subtle and rich, to obnoxious and over the top. Granted, she's supposed to be possessed or whatever, but it was too much. Amelia seemed to scream like a banshee every time she got the chance and her creepy laugh needed practice; it seemed forced. Not to mention the sound effects used were even horrific, and not in the good, spooky way. The Babadook's growls sound like some amateur, death metal singer trying to do a pig squeal. In addition, there is nothing more annoying to me than lazy sound engineers. I was deep into the movie, but once I heard The Babadook's scream, I immediately turned my brain into humor mode and the scare factor was gone. The following is why my brain turned to humor: The exact moment we see Amelia's eye open wide after The Babadook enters her body, we hear the screech that was made famous by none other than the Dragonzord from The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Go ahead, take a listen from the Youtube video. CHEESE! Even if they had used a different sound here, the plot falls short and ends like a typical American horror film. It turns into a lackluster yet quick sprint to the end. The film spent so much time creating this somber atmosphere but it did the exact opposite to finish out the story. We don't find out exactly why The Babadook enters the mother, we don't know where the book came from, or its origins, we don't really have closure since Amelia is seen feeding worms to The Babadook. (Why it eats worms, I have no idea). Plus, at the end of the day, The Babadook isn't even scary looking. Everything wraps up into a nice, neat, little package with The Babadook looking like an ill-tempered pet ghost. For an evil being, this thing is mighty whipped. Now watch me WHIP, watcha me...oh wait, sorry. The obvious: The film is beautiful. Shots and edits really set the mood and the color palette throughout is used wisely to enhance the scenes. I already mentioned how much I loved the craftsmanship of the book and the first half's plot and acting. The bad: Falls short of even an "OK" ending. As much as I enjoyed part of it, I would not re-watch this.
Synopsis: A mentally fragile college student (Caitlin Gerard) believes that she will be the next victim of a serial killer who can be summoned through the Internet.
SPOILER ALERT - If you have not seen the movie do not read.
Well, for starters I chose a movie suggested by Amazon after my history of Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal were put into consideration.
Psychotic breakdowns, a weird love story between a pretty girl and a nerd, internet gibberish and kids getting killed through a rip-off of Chatroulette. Yeah, it sounds interesting, but because it lacked good writing and acting, it was subpar at best.
Our protagonist (Ashley) is some big-boobed, young blonde who has issues from the get-go. She is moving away to college and is presented as this innocent, little thing that has been dealing with mommy issues. She is seen throughout the film talking to therapists, talking about her therapy or mentioning her therapy to someone else. It’s like they really want you to know this gal is insane. She’s the typical awkward new kid in town trying to make friends. She befriends some brunette (Proxy...get it? It's an internet thing) who is clearly the one to help her break out of her shell by being the "bad-chick". They end up going to a college party where Proxy introduces Ashley to some of her friends. Enter the cult-like group of hackers who are surprisingly handsome, social and cool. A dweeb crashes the party, gets kicked out, but not before grabbing the attention of our blond beauty. They have a "moment" and shortly after gets thrown out. Nothing really happens for about 20 minutes besides a few kids being killed by Smiley, Ashley acting "cray" and the dweeb getting closer to her. The premise of the “scare factor” is that some unknown killer goes around slicing kids after they type “I did it for the lulz” three times while doing a video chat. It's like signing in to your Facetime or Chatroulette and the person on the other end wishes death upon you and it happens. Swiftly, I might add. Let me tell you right away how ridiculous this idea seems. Even if you knew the exact IP address of the person on the other side, you still have to factor in location, travel time and the skills of a ninja to pull off a Smiley-type of murder. Granted, boogieman stories aren’t supposed to be logical...which explains the lack of urgency from anyone, including the police regarding the murders of all these kids.
Our poor, little, innocent Ash is clearly developing some "cojones" and wants to put an end to the senseless violence so she takes action. I won't go into details, but I'll say this...the ending seems like a rip-off of Scream with the “reveal” of the cult-like group being the ones behind the murders all along. There are several typical horror scenes where our big-boobed girl walks in the wrong direction, gets surprised by the killer walking slow and screams for her life without anybody noticing. Even the surprise at the end showing the “real” Smiley killing the hot friend, Proxy, seemed predictable. This flick wasn’t even good for background noise. Not very exciting for the first of 31 flicks.
The obvious: Writing is weak, acting is poor, plot has holes and is predictable, special effects are cheesy.
The only good thing about the movie was the cinematography; well edited and shot.
I would steer clear from this one and watch Unsolved Mysteries instead.
I LOVE HALLOWEEN! It has to be one of the funnest holidays out there. Candy, costumes and gore galore! In celebration of October being my birthday month, and Halloween, and the fact that I love the horror film genre, I will take on a new month-long activity. 31 Horror Movies in 31 Days. I need your favorite horror movie suggestions to fill my list. Comment for suggestions. I will write my own little blurb, nothing professional, to keep track of my spooky journey. I will try to stay away from films* I have already watched like: *All films listed also include their remakes. Silence of the Lambs - all of them in the series including the shows Poltergeist The Exorcist - most Human Centipede 1 & 2 28 Days/Weeks Later Killer Klowns from Outer Space Scream - all of them Friday the 13th - all of them Nightmare on Elm Street - all of them Aliens - all of them Psycho The Shining Texas Chainsaw Massacre Blair With Project Insidious Paranormal Activity Let the Right One In The Conjuring The Grudge - Japanese Original The Ring - Japanese Original Saw - all of them Jaws - all of them The Thing The Omen Rec Carrie The Fly Deadsnow The Birds The Orphanage VHS - all of them Night of... - all of them Cabin in the Woods Rosemary's Baby Frankenstein Young Frankenstein Dracula Hellraiser - all of them Freaks Shaun of the Dead Zombieland Drag me to Hell Paranormal Activity - all of them Tale of Two Sisters Beetlejuice Nightmare Before Christmas World War Z Tusk Tucker & Dale vs Evil Zombeavers Escape from Tomorrow Candyman Jeepers Creepers Fido Exorcism of Emily Rose House on Haunted Hill Children of the Corn - Most of them Frankenstein's Army Devil's Rejects Tales from the Darkside Cujo IT Event Horizon Pet Sematary May Pontypool Interview with the Vampire From Dusk till Dawn Teeth Cabin Fever Hostel The Hills have Eyes Braindead/Deadalive Eraserhead Mirrors 6th Sense Se7en The Others Evil Dead -1 & 2 The Descent An American Werewolf in London House Grotesque Lost Boys Army of Darkness Rocky Horror Picture Show The Woman High Tension Child's Play - most Last House on the Left Amityville Horror Puppetmaster - most Tremors Gremlins Planet Terror Annabelle Resident Evil - most Final Destination - most Misery Cabin Fever Gothika Signs Oculus The Strangers Cabin in the Woods EAT Deathtube
Here's what Stanford has to say on the topic of zombies...
Zombies in philosophy are imaginary creatures used to illuminate problems about consciousness and its relation to the physical world.
Unlike those in films or witchraft, they are exactly like us in all physical respects but without conscious experiences:
by definition there is ‘nothing it is like’ to be a zombie.
Yet zombies behave just like us, and some even spend a lot of time discussing consciousness.
Click here to read the full article.
