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Certificate: 
Director: John Carpenter
Release Date: 25 October 1978
Tagline: The Night HE Came Home!
Main Cast:
Donald Pleasence … Dr Sam Loomis
Jamie Lee Curtis … Laurie Strode
Nancy Kyes … Annie Brackett (as Nancy Loomis)
P.J. Soles … Lynda van der Klok
Ah… The quintessential horror film and, arguably, the daddy of all stalk & slash movies (see my review of Black Christmas for a comparison between these two films).
Halloween is a masterclass in how to make a truly scary horror. It’s power comes not only from the increasing tension but also from the score (I only need to hear the first few bars and I get the chills!) It’s not a gruesome film (barely a drop of blood is spilled) but this just makes it even better. There’s an eerieness about the whole thing. The streets and houses seem to be largely empty and this adds to the feeling of isolation and helplessness that Laurie finds herself in.
If you were to watch it for the first time now, you may be tempted to think of it as rather clichéd. Please bear in mind though that the modern clichés come from somewhere, and that somewhere includes Halloween.
For the ultimate experience make sure you watch it alone on Halloween night with the lights turned off. It just can’t be beaten!
Rating: 
Certificate: (Originally rated X)
Director: Roy Boulting
Release Date: December 1968
Tagline: Cleaver. Cleaver. Chop. Chop. First the mom and then the pop. Then we’ll get the pretty girl. We’ll get her right between the curl.
Main Cast:
Hayley Mills … Susan Harper
Hywel Bennett … Martin Durnley
Billie Whitelaw … Joan Harper
Whilst not gripping, Twisted Nerve is an enjoyable thriller with a strong performance form Hywel Bennett. It’s certainly a product of it’s time though, as it is now rather politically incorrect!
I’m not really sure how to review it as it’s fairly unremarkable. It’s just a solid British film that is certainly worth a look.
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Director: John Hillcoat
Release Date: 10 March 2006
Tagline: This land will be civilized.
Main Cast:
Guy Pearce … Charles Burns
Ray Winstone … Captain Stanley
Richard Wilson … Mike Burns
I’m finding it hard to be articulate about The Proposition. It’s such a powerful and intense film on so many levels that it’s a tough one to do justice to. It’s brutal, gritty, bloody and beautifully acted.
What initially attracted me to this film was Guy Pearce. He’s one of my favourite actors and is on top form here. I’m not a fan of Ray Winstone, and I think that Captain Stanley could have been better played by a different actor. Having said that, he does a decent enough job and doesn’t really detract from the film.
The costumes, hair and make up are worth mentioning. The clothes look like the most grungy, sweaty and stinking clothes I’ve ever seen in a film and Pearce looks so revolting that it made my skin itch just to look at him! The filth of the fly ridden sweatbox of the Australian outback is heightened even further by the finely dressed wife of Captain Stanley. She’s like an oasis of cleanliness in a desert of grime.
The Proposition is not for the faint-hearted. Its stark brutality is not easy to watch but it’s not violence for violence’s sake.
Civilize the land? The authorities are as brutal as the outlaws.
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Director: Chan-wook Park
Release Date: 10 February 2006
Tagline: All she wanted was a peaceful life… they didn’t give it.
Main Cast:
Yeong-ae Lee … Geum-ja Lee
Min-sik Choi … Mr Baek
I’m a big fan of Asian horror so was hoping for another treat with this. However, I was somewhat disappointed. Whilst many Asian films can be rather confusing at the start, this one remained confusing for the first half or so. It’s not until you understand what’s happened that you can back track and piece it all together. Now, I don’t need everything set out on a plate for me, but I just wasn’t getting any sense of where it was going which resulted in a steadily increasing lack of interest.
Anyway, I found SFLV rather slow and plodding and with no real satisfaction at the end. I know that many people will probably disagree with this review, but this is easily the most boring Asian horror that I’ve seen.
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Director: Patty Jenkins
Release Date: 2 April 2004
Tagline: Based on a true story.
Main Cast:
Charlize Theron … Aileen Wuornos
Christina Ricci … Selby Wall
Charlize Theron deservedly won the Best Actress Oscar in 2004 for her portrayal of Aileen Wuornos – America’s first female serial killer. She’s absolutely superb and is so like Aileen that it’s eerie.
I’m going to be fairly controversial here, but I have a large degree of sympathy for serial killers. All are born from a combination of events and life experiences that, thankfully, the vast majority of us will never know. Almost all have had atrocious childhoods and have been failed by either the adults in their lives or by the authorities. And in many cases, both. Aileen Wuornos falls into this criteria.
The film is not your standard Hollywood overblown affair. It’s a hard film to watch, and I defy anyone to not feel even a shred of sympathy for her. Of course, I’m not condoning serial killing, but rather than judge these people out of hand and dismiss them as monsters is unduly harsh.
Do I think Aileen was a monster? No. I think that she’d gone over the edge after a lifetime of abuse and degradation. I also think that had she not been assaulted, raped and faced certain death she never would have killed anyone in the first place. It is widely accepted that the first kill was done in self defence. Yes, she then *chose* to go on a killing spree, but how many of us know what our own breaking point is – much less anyone else’s?
Monster does not demonise her. That’s what I love about this film.
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Director: Ryuhei Kitamura
Release Date: 10 May 2003
Tagline: From the ravages of war rises the ultimate assassin.
Main Cast:
Aya Ueto … Azumi
Kenji Kohashi … Hyuga
Azumi is a great looking film and very entertaining. The fight scenes are great, which is just as well because there’s plenty of them! And it’s pretty gory too.
The plot is kind of standard fare; nothing too complex. This isn’t an issue though, as I tend to think that this type of film needs an uncomplicated story.
It’s an interesting mix of history and comic book heroes, and I really liked that about it. It also has the best gay goth ninja magician that I’ve ever seen (“magician?” I hear you ask. It’s the roses. Where does he produce them from? My guess is from up his sleeves).
One thing that I couldn’t grasp though was whether it was supposed to be semi-comical. There are funny moments, and it seems to descend into madness towards the end. One of the funniest moments (to me) was the odd sounds made by the above mentioned gay goth ninja magician at the end. They’re reminiscent of Paul Burrows’ sounds of terror during the Bush Tucker Trials in “I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!”.
Overall, Azumi is good entertainment if you like this genre of film.
Rating:
Certificate: (original rating: X)
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Release Date: 23 May 1980
Tagline: A masterpiece of modern horror.
Main Cast:
Jack Nicholson … Jack Torrance
Shelley Duvall … Wendy Torrance
Danny Lloyd … Danny Torrance
Scatman Crothers … Dick Hallorann
The Shining is a perfect example of what makes a horror film great, and is one of my all time favourite films. Films just don’t get better than this. It’s also one of those rare times where I prefer the film to the book. The film is a perfect example of increasing tension and this is something that you just can’t experience with a book. I also like the changes that Kubrick made, especially the ending.
There has long been a debate about who ’shines’ and who doesn’t. I have my own opinion on this, and I hope you get as much fun as I did trying to work it out. There’s one other thing that I’d like to mention, but I can’t as it gives away the very end!
Finally, if you’ve ever wondered what happened to Danny Lloyd you may be interested to know that he became a science teacher.
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Directors: Yoshiaki Kawajiri & Jack Fletcher
Release Date: 28 September 2001
Tagline: When the sun sets… The hunt begins.
Main Cast: (Voice, English)
Andrew Philpot … D
John Rafter Lee … Meier Link
Pamela Adlon … Leila (voice) (as Pamela Segall)
Wendee Lee … Charlotte
I’m a fan of Japanese animation, and I haven’t seen a bad one yet. Vampire Hunter D is beautifully crafted. The animation is superb and very atmospheric and the story is also very good. However, it is not a traditional vampire movie. It’s a dark film that has depth. The characters struggle with their own personal demons, and Meijer Link is depicted as a vampire with a heart – he loves and is loved in return.
However, I find myself somewhat ambivalent about it.
Personally, I don’t want to see vampires that are capable of love. I want to see them as evil and predatory creatures. I also found it a bit dull and slow at times. I also disliked the talking hand. Yes, it provided a bit of comic relief, but I don’t think the film needed it. However, all of that is just my opinion and it doesn’t mean that the film is bad. Indeed, it is a very interesting take on the subject.
Overall, even if you are not a fan of anime you should find this film entertaining.
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Director: Bob Clark
Release Date: 20 December 1974
Tagline: If this movie doesn’t make your skin crawl… It’s on too tight!
Main Cast:
Olivia Hussey … Jessica Bradford
Keir Dullea … Peter Smythe
Margot Kidder … Barbie Coard
If you’re a horror fan like myself, then you are probably very frustrated at the lack of good horror films made over the last 20 years or so. If, however, you think that modern horror flicks like Wrong Turn, or the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre to name but two are good, then you need to get out more.
Now, I’m not easily scared or made to feel uneasy, so when I find a film that does either or both (I’m rarely scared!), then it’s quite an achievement!
Black Christmas (and I don’t mean the 2006 remake!) is regarded by many as the first stalk-and-slash horror film. It’s genuinely creepy and unsettling and the level of tension grows at a steady pace until you find yourself beginning to sweat. The obscene phone calls received by the girls are particularly nasty. It’s not your average heavy breather on the line either. It’s some deeply disturbed individual who spews all sorts of filth, and it even sounds like he has multiple personalities. Whatever the case, he’s obviously a very disturbed individual.
It is also devoid of all the post 1980 stereotypes such as stupid characters and endless gore. There is one moment of stupidity from one of the characters (near the end), but I understand that it has to be there for the sake of the film. And it has the most unusual ending. I’m not going to give anything away as I’d really like it if you watched the film yourself, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a horror film end in this way before.
There are times when I like a bit of gore, but all the best horror films have a less is more approach. They rely on suspense, tension and the terror of the unknown. If you ask any serious horror fan to name some of the best films, they will probably include Halloween, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Alien, Psycho and Ringu amongst them. I’d put Black Christmas up there too.
We’re always safe as long as we’re behind a locked door… Right?
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