Fright Night vol. I ep. IV

Hello ghosts and goblins!

We are onto another post about horror movies!

Despite this being the last Friday in October, next week will be our final post. So, if you want to talk about any specific horror movies or see my review of your favorite, make sure to let me know in the comments below.

Pumpkinhead

Directed by Stan Winston

Released 1988

Scare Level: 😱

Gore Level:🩸🩸

Over-all Rating:💚💚💚

Review:

  This is a classic 80's horror movie on a few different levels. Iffy acting by today's standards, voice-overs, simple yet innovative to the time special effects. The fact that the monster is a grotesque monster make this a beautiful classic in it's own right. It falls in the same vein as The Lost Boys, but not nearly as popular. I can't flesh out this review much more than that. If you are looking for a horrific yet simplistic. 

As Above So Below

Directed by John Erick Dowdle

Released 2014

Scare Level: 😱😱😱

Gore Level: 🩸🩸🩸

Over-all Rating: 💚💚💚💚

Review:

   This is another 'found footage' type of movie. This time we are following a girl who is trying to fullfill her fathers legacy by finding his lifes work. Basically, Beauty & The Beast meets Harry Potter meets National Treasure but in Paris and with more horror. 

  As somebody who is claustrophobic, I was certainly uncomfortable the entire movie. I've been in caves before and it's certainly been the most uncomfortable feeling of me life. The idea of not having an easy to access exit is terrifying beyond anything else. The part when the entrance to the tunnel they were in closed is like 1000% what my nightmares are made of.

  Scarlet was your typical annoying smart hot girl. I dislike people who have no regards for others boundaries which is exactly the type of person she is. Especially as she kind of asks others to respect her father and his legacy. 

   The details of the story are fairly vague, which keeps the movie from feeling disjointed. Thats fairly common in horror movies since the point is more about how to scare you than flesh out a story. For once I wish there was more details, because the lore around why they are down there is stuff I like learning and hearing about. The jump scares were a little predictable, though some of the deaths weren't. 

Cabin Fever

Directed by Travis Zariwny

Released 2016

Scare Level: 😱

Gore Level: 🩸🩸🩸🩸

Over-All Rating: 💚

Review:

   First of all, this is a remake of the iconic 2002 film by the same name. Unfortunately, it seems to be relying heavily on the success of the first movie because the beginning is cringe-y.

    Bert is a prime example of giving gun owners a bad name. He is irresponsible with his weapons, any sane gun owner should have far more respect than what he displays. I am ashamed to be associated with him in any way as a fellow hunter, gun owner, and video game lover. It seriously irks me that this was displayed and is part of the reason for the super low score.

   I don't think that the OG Cabin Fever was old enough to need a remake only 12 years later. I think we are in an unfortunate era of film making that lacks any creative writing. We either settle for remakes, book-to-movie adaptations,  or cling to superhero movies since they are the only thing with any effort truly put into them by the production team. This is a rant for a different time though.

   The over-all scare factor of the movie is meh. The gore is up there, as it was in the OG. The old lady with the knife is the highlight of the movie and she seems like somebody pulled her from a craft fair and told her to get extra on a pig carcass. 
   I would not suggest bothering with this movie, the original is better in my opinion. 

1st Summoning
Directed by Raymond Wood
Released 2018
Scare Level: 😱😱😱😱
Gore Level: 🩸🩸
Over-all rating: 💚
Review:
  This is another found footage POV, however it's a bit off from normal. The "videographer" view definitely sounds like it's just a voice over that was added later. Like obviously so.
   The story is meh, it's a little more original than most paranormal movies shot in found footage POV but not much. Theres a church, someone is possessed, there is a haunted building. We get a nice love triangle, and instead of being an old haunted house it's a giant warehouse and most of our location is mobile, rather than in one truly set location.
   There are a ton of jump scares and the pacing is a little bit disjointed between the research and then the group searching the haunted warehouse. 
  Over-all feelings, I didn't care for the movie and wouldn't suggest it to others. The flow of the entire movie was meh, and although it's far more popular, I'd rather suggest a movie like The Conjuring or Amittyvile Horror to watch if you are as into possession/haunted buildings. If you just want to jump the entire movie, this one is fine.

Next friday I'm hoping to do more classic movies, so let me know your favorites below. I wont be able to do a lot of them, so if I don't get to yours I'm sure I will next year.