[REVIEWS] Films: Horror
Oct. 19th, 2011 02:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thewlisian_aferI am way behind on my October movie-watching goal. This isn't the first review set I've started, but it's the first one I finished, and I should be working on my fourth one by now. OOPS. Gonna have to seriously step it up here.
The Cry (2007)
Director Bernadine Santistevan's supernatural chiller explores the Latino fable of La Llorena, a tortured spirit who roams New York City's Central Park seeking revenge and causing young mother Maria (Adriana Domínguez) to fall under her fateful spell. When children begin disappearing, the desperate Maria tries to convince police detectives that La Llorona is real -- and that there's only one way to stop her. Christian Camargo also stars.
This movie had so much potential. La Llorona is a great (read: sad and/or disturbing) legend. But the film fell short in its execution. I was so bored I dozed off at one point and had to go back and try again. For the first twenty minutes of the film, I felt like half the time was dominated by pointless fly-over shots of NYC. Now, I love the city, but ... come on. We understand where it's taking place! Stop showing it! And, actually, that brings up another good point. La Lorona is from Mexico. What's she doing in Central Park? I'd also like to take a minute to gripe about the painfully boring one-dimensional characters. It was just ... bad. [Rating: 1 star]
The Woods (2005)
Set in 1965 in the buttoned-up world of an all-girls private boarding school, this horrifying tale features the acting chops of Oscar nominee Patricia Clarkson, who appears as the chilly headmistress. Based on the nightmarish visions she's been having since her arrival, new student Heather (Agnes Bruckner) knows that the woods surrounding the school aren't normal. And when her classmates begin disappearing, she has no choice but to investigate.
There was some really good acting here, and I was pleasantly surprised by it. I was also pleasantly surprised by Bruce Campbell's small role! He was my favorite! There were a lot of problems with this movie -- plot holes, uneven pacing (nice and steady through most of it, and then so fast as to be slightly confusing), characters that could/should have been developed a little more... But I was interested as I watched and while I didn't love the ending, I also didn't feel disappointed by it. [Rating: 3 stars]
Splinter (2008)
Kidnapped by an escaped convict (Shea Whigham) and his young accomplice (Rachel Kerbs), Seth Belzer (Paulo Costanzo) and Polly Watt (Jill Wagner) are thrust into the fight of their lives when the four of them become the prey of a bloodthirsty splinter parasite. Trapped inside an abandoned gas station, the foursome is forced to band together to thwart the monster's vicious attacks and make it out alive.
This movie was way better than I was expecting it to be. My only complaint is DOESN'T ANYBODY USE STEADYCAM ANYMORE? But other than that, I found Splinter ... rather delightful. Good acting, great chemistry between the actors, interesting characters who actually develop (individually and together), fantastic creature effects (the way it moves, ohmygod)... It was suspenseful and freaked me out while I was watching, but didn't leave any lasting psychological damage. XD It was just ... the perfect monster movie, really. I truly loved it. [Rating: 4 stars]
Trick 'r Treat (2008)
In writer-director Michael Dougherty's fright fest, Halloween's usually boisterous traditions turn deadly, and everyone in a small town tries to survive one night in pure hell … but who will still be alive in the morning? Several stories weave together, including a loner fending off a demented trick-or-treater's attacks; kids uncovering a freaky secret; a school principal -- who moonlights as a serial killer -- poisoning his candy; and more.
I'd heard so many good things about this movie that I made myself go into it with some skepticism. It's always so disappointing when movies don't live up to their hype. I needn't have worried about this one, though. When you get down to it, there's really nothing very special about Trick 'r Treat. It's half anthology and half interlocking puzzle, with stories overlapping but still standing perfectly well on their own. None of the stories are anything new; they're all tried and true genre tropes. There isn't even much of a new twist to any of them. They're just ... unapologetically what they are, and they're done well. The music is great, which definitely adds something, and the acting is good, too. Dylan Baker made me laugh a lot, but I have to admit my very favorite thing was when Britt McKillip's character went trick-or-treating at Christine Willes's character's house. Mini Dead Like Me reunion! :D [Rating: 4 stars]
Don't Torture a Duckling (1972)
Tomas Milian and Barbara Bouchet star in one of director Lucio Fulci's most disturbing horror films. In rural Sicily, Italy, a psychotic killer is on the rampage, performing a series of shocking child murders for which there are many suspects. Among the potential culprits are a gypsy, a prostitute and a priest, but despite the plethora of possible perpetrators, the gruesome case proves baffling.
Every now and then I feel the need to watch a little giallo to make sure I still don't really like it. And ... yep. I still don't really like it. The first twenty minutes of this film were confusing, the next hour was boring, and the last twenty minutes were good. [Rating: 2 stars]
The Cry (2007)
Director Bernadine Santistevan's supernatural chiller explores the Latino fable of La Llorena, a tortured spirit who roams New York City's Central Park seeking revenge and causing young mother Maria (Adriana Domínguez) to fall under her fateful spell. When children begin disappearing, the desperate Maria tries to convince police detectives that La Llorona is real -- and that there's only one way to stop her. Christian Camargo also stars.
This movie had so much potential. La Llorona is a great (read: sad and/or disturbing) legend. But the film fell short in its execution. I was so bored I dozed off at one point and had to go back and try again. For the first twenty minutes of the film, I felt like half the time was dominated by pointless fly-over shots of NYC. Now, I love the city, but ... come on. We understand where it's taking place! Stop showing it! And, actually, that brings up another good point. La Lorona is from Mexico. What's she doing in Central Park? I'd also like to take a minute to gripe about the painfully boring one-dimensional characters. It was just ... bad. [Rating: 1 star]
The Woods (2005)
Set in 1965 in the buttoned-up world of an all-girls private boarding school, this horrifying tale features the acting chops of Oscar nominee Patricia Clarkson, who appears as the chilly headmistress. Based on the nightmarish visions she's been having since her arrival, new student Heather (Agnes Bruckner) knows that the woods surrounding the school aren't normal. And when her classmates begin disappearing, she has no choice but to investigate.
There was some really good acting here, and I was pleasantly surprised by it. I was also pleasantly surprised by Bruce Campbell's small role! He was my favorite! There were a lot of problems with this movie -- plot holes, uneven pacing (nice and steady through most of it, and then so fast as to be slightly confusing), characters that could/should have been developed a little more... But I was interested as I watched and while I didn't love the ending, I also didn't feel disappointed by it. [Rating: 3 stars]
Splinter (2008)
Kidnapped by an escaped convict (Shea Whigham) and his young accomplice (Rachel Kerbs), Seth Belzer (Paulo Costanzo) and Polly Watt (Jill Wagner) are thrust into the fight of their lives when the four of them become the prey of a bloodthirsty splinter parasite. Trapped inside an abandoned gas station, the foursome is forced to band together to thwart the monster's vicious attacks and make it out alive.
This movie was way better than I was expecting it to be. My only complaint is DOESN'T ANYBODY USE STEADYCAM ANYMORE? But other than that, I found Splinter ... rather delightful. Good acting, great chemistry between the actors, interesting characters who actually develop (individually and together), fantastic creature effects (the way it moves, ohmygod)... It was suspenseful and freaked me out while I was watching, but didn't leave any lasting psychological damage. XD It was just ... the perfect monster movie, really. I truly loved it. [Rating: 4 stars]
Trick 'r Treat (2008)
In writer-director Michael Dougherty's fright fest, Halloween's usually boisterous traditions turn deadly, and everyone in a small town tries to survive one night in pure hell … but who will still be alive in the morning? Several stories weave together, including a loner fending off a demented trick-or-treater's attacks; kids uncovering a freaky secret; a school principal -- who moonlights as a serial killer -- poisoning his candy; and more.
I'd heard so many good things about this movie that I made myself go into it with some skepticism. It's always so disappointing when movies don't live up to their hype. I needn't have worried about this one, though. When you get down to it, there's really nothing very special about Trick 'r Treat. It's half anthology and half interlocking puzzle, with stories overlapping but still standing perfectly well on their own. None of the stories are anything new; they're all tried and true genre tropes. There isn't even much of a new twist to any of them. They're just ... unapologetically what they are, and they're done well. The music is great, which definitely adds something, and the acting is good, too. Dylan Baker made me laugh a lot, but I have to admit my very favorite thing was when Britt McKillip's character went trick-or-treating at Christine Willes's character's house. Mini Dead Like Me reunion! :D [Rating: 4 stars]
Don't Torture a Duckling (1972)
Tomas Milian and Barbara Bouchet star in one of director Lucio Fulci's most disturbing horror films. In rural Sicily, Italy, a psychotic killer is on the rampage, performing a series of shocking child murders for which there are many suspects. Among the potential culprits are a gypsy, a prostitute and a priest, but despite the plethora of possible perpetrators, the gruesome case proves baffling.
Every now and then I feel the need to watch a little giallo to make sure I still don't really like it. And ... yep. I still don't really like it. The first twenty minutes of this film were confusing, the next hour was boring, and the last twenty minutes were good. [Rating: 2 stars]
