Category Archives: Horror Movies

Willy’s Wonderland (2021)

23 Friday Jul 2021

Posted by in Binge this Movie, Horror Movies, Movie Reviews, Movies

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Even horror fans who aren’t satisfied with Nic Cage will enjoy this movie. No spoilers, but watch it to see what I mean.

Tagline: 2020 Isn’t Over Yet Kids! Fitting for those of us still surviving the pandemic. Willy’s Wonderland (2021) stars Nicolas Cage as a drifter named The Janitor who is tricked into cleaning a condemned arcade where a mass killing took place years before. It’s a horror movie making The New York Times “Five Horror Movies to Stream Now” article, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/25/movies/horror-movies-streaming.html. No spoilers here, but stream it!

It’s streaming on Hulu, which is glitching when you access. Instead of searching and linking, go directly into Hulu and find it listed as a newly added movie. The movie is a cross between Five Nights at Freddy’s and Chuck E. Cheese. In fact, on my handful of visits to the Chuck, I’ve imagined myself trapped much like the Janitor.

Phobias (2021) Delivers

08 Thursday Jul 2021

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Movie poster for Phobias (2021) and movie still of Macy Gray.

The New York Times’ article “Five Horror Movies to Stream Now” came at the perfect time. Okay, I didn’t actually read the article; I jotted down the titles and streaming services to get me through Tropical Storm Elsa. I figured the films would be palatable, if not great. I viewed Phobias (2021) first. Initially, I expected a knockoff B grade film, but I was quickly proven wrong. This horror film delivers.

You can take my word for it and stop reading now. Go stream it. Then read the reviews.

The film is divided into short vignettes that are linked by a deranged governmental doctor, who has imprisoned patients who exhibit extreme phobias in an effort to exploit their fears. Each vignette details how the patient came to the facility.

I enjoy opening and closing credits. I play a game trying to link names with prior roles. When Macy Gray’s name appeared, I was confused—was she the same R&B singer? (Answer: It is!) The opening credits also show each writer and director for each segment. This raised a flag. Many films attempting to bring together distinct stories often fail. But I continued watching.

This film is not a slasher film. The gore is minimal, which seems to be the largest complaint about the movie, but present. The film is rated R. The acting is consistent, the other complaint, but may come across as choppy due to each director’s vision—the main issue with these anthology attempts.

The final story stars Macy Gray. And boy does she shine. Phobias fills the void created by COVID binging. It is currently streaming on Hulu.

Dead Still Returns October 11th

10 Thursday Oct 2019

Posted by in Halloween, Horror Movies, SyFy Channel, Uncategorized

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Dead Still Returns

Dead Still returns on SyFy October 11th. Part of the 31 days of Halloween programming, Dead Still is a nice addition to the line-up. It stands out for not relying on CGI special effects to force the plot. Schedule your DVRs and watch this movie. In the meantime. read my review from 2014:

Dead Still Worth Viewing

I love horror movies. I’ve watched them since I was a teenager. My favorites include the classics: The Exorcist (1975), Jaws (1975), and Poltergeist (1982). However, I like the B-movie horror films, namely The House on Haunted Hill (1959), The Monster Squad (1987), and The Tingler (1959), too. I grew up watching Dr. Paul Bearer on Creature Feature on WTOG. Horror movies transcend decades and act as social commentary. The Booth Brothers’ new film Dead Still incorporates the Victorian practice of taking mourning portraits into a fictional modern-day inheritance issue. Dead Still, an original SyFy movie, is worth viewing.

The Horror film genre remains popular. Box office rival Annabelle nearly toppled Gone Girl this past weekend. Even though each film generated over $37 million in ticket sales, Annabelle was the money winner. Produced for under $7 million dollars, Annabelle’s return in one weekend was five times its production costs. Wow! Low-budget horror films produce huge profits. This applies to films released exclusively on television with DVD sales later.

 

Dead Still’s estimated production costs were $2 million dollars. That’s extremely low for any film project. Moreover, the film shines with beautiful cinematography, haunting music, and A-list acting.

Filmed on location in Baton Rouge, Dead Still features an incredibly spooky house. Philip Adrian Booth captures the moody ambiance of the house, as well as, the Negative world. Remember: This is a low-budget film. Philip does a lot on a tight budget.

Equally impressive is the eerily evocative soundtrack. Twin brother Christopher Saint Booth assembled a soundtrack heavy with strings—quite appropriate for a horror film. Working as “Saint,” Christopher has assumed the role as music scorer for their productions. Christopher delivers.

Producers landed three strong actors. Ray Wise is absolutely wicked. Mr. Wise’s transformation into the crazy “Wenton Davis,” great grandfather and original owner of the antique Victorian camera, is creepy. Creepy weird and chilling. Ben Browder as “Brandon” is convincing as the relationship-challenged heir to the camera. He’s at his best in the Negative world. Gavin Casalegno portrays “Bobby,” Brandon’s son. His facial expressions convey what words cannot. Already boasting an impressive acting resume, Gavin has a long career ahead of him.

Graphic scenes are limited; however, I could have done without the sexual scene with the newlyweds. It didn’t add any real content and could have been achieved without the nudity and hand-gripping bedrail close-ups.

The antique Victorian camera is an amazing prop. The claw-footed, custom-made stand is intricately detailed and gorgeous. Reproductions of mourning portraits are impactful. They realistically represent the type of photographs popular in America and Europe from 1840-1891.

Dead Still is entertaining and gruesome. The Booth Brothers have expanded their filmmaking collection and have made the jump into the fictional horror movie genre. I look forward to their next film. Until then, stay still—Dead Still.

“Yarn Darling” Shanell Papp Loves Knitting and the Macabre

14 Friday Jun 2019

Posted by in Artists, Artwork, Historic Places, Horror Movies, Hotels & Motels, Uncategorized

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“Yarn Darling” Shanell Papp Loves Knitting and the Macabre

Shanell Papp’s upbringing fostered an interest in death and the macabre. She spent part of her childhood on a farm where she took part in caring and slaughtering the animals. Down the street was a cemetery. That alone provided ample content for her artistic endeavors. Her grandmother, owner of a thrift store/flea market, taught Papp how to knit and to crochet. Papp’s 2008 labor-intensive show Lab (Skeleton) was an instant hit and still discussed ten years later.

Papp, born in 1980, was enrolled in an MFA (Master of Fine Art) program at the University of Saskatchewan (Canada) when she began to crochet the life-sized skeleton. It took 4 months to create. Add another 4 months to create and to assemble the internal organs, and Lab (Skeleton) was born—much like Frankenstein’s Monster, a huge influence on Papp’s work.

Creating anatomically correct crochet skeletons is labor-intensive. Papp refers to medical textbooks, visiting college classes, and looking at real skeletons to maintain the accuracy in each piece. She even purchased a gurney to hold one of her creations. Papp says her art is an act of “patience, skill, and commitment.” She sees the pieces as conversation starters. Once completed and installed, Papp enjoys walking amongst the crowd and watching their reactions.

“Lab #4” depicts a skeleton on a table draped with a white tablecloth. The life-sized skeleton is made with yarn and thread and is crocheted and sewn together. It was created in 2006.

shining-banff

In 2013, Papp created “The Shining/Banff” comparing different rooms from King’s Overlook Hotel with one of the Banff Hotels. Needless to say, The Shining is one of Papp’s favorite horror movies.

To see more of Papp’s work: https://shanellpapp.com/

5 Things to Know about Us (2019)

25 Monday Mar 2019

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Slide1

Jordan Peele’s second film Us shattered box office expectations this weekend. Here are five things to know before you go see the movie. No worries: no spoilers are discussed.

  1. The film’s budget was $20 million, relatively low for full-length feature films. The film was expected to earn between $38-45 million in the U.S. Instead it brought in a cool $70 million. Global total is nearly $87 million.
  2. The film’s code name was “Deep Cuts.” Film canisters mailed to theaters contained this code name.
  3. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk was used for a lot of the filming. Since it boasts numerous vintage arcade games and rides, the boardwalk was an ideal location. Dummies were used to represent people on the rides, and CGI graphics used to add people’s bodies. By the way, the boardwalk was the set for another horror film: The Lost Boys (1987).
  4. Look for the number sequence 11:11 as it appears throughout the film.
  5. Jordan Peele’s cameo is the voice of the fun house narrator.

Look for Us at your local cinema. With it’s strong opening weekend, it should be around for a few weeks. The movie is rated R and runs 1 hour and 56 minutes.

Suspiria (1977)

08 Saturday Dec 2018

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SuspiriaPoster

Suspiria (1977)

“Always, everywhere, some are believed by all.”

In 1977, Dario Argento’s Suspiria exploded onto the screens worldwide. The R-rated horror film was the first in his Three Mothers Trilogy. Co-written by Daria Nicolodi, the movie became an instant cult film classic. The 2018 remake is still in theaters; however, before seeing the latest, experience the original.

An American ballerina (Jessica Harper) enrolls in the Tanz dance academy in Germany unaware that a coven of witches operates the school during the day and communes with Helena Markos, the supreme deifier of God, at night.

According to urban legends, Nicolodi’s grandmother, Yvonne, inspired the film by retelling stories of her experience at an arts school where she claimed to experience black magic. Argento dismissed the story by stating inspiration sprung from the fantastical English collection of short stories Suspiria de Profundis (1845) written by Thomas De Quincey. Regardless, this film merges fantasy with horror.

The cast is an international ensemble, which causes the strange yet satisfying dialog. The actors spoke their native tongue, which was dubbed over in English in post-production. Carefully watch the exchange between Jessica Harper’s character “Suzy Bannion” and Udo Kier’s “Dr. Frank Mandel.” While it is obvious that Jessica is speaking English, it is unclear what language Udo is speaking. (Spoiler: It’s German. A crew member fed Udo his lines off-camera) It’s practically bewitching to watch.

Udo--Jessica

This would be iconic screen legend Joan Bennett’s (1910-1990) final full-length feature film appearance. She exudes sophistication and glamour as Madame Blanc, head of the Tanz academy.

The set design is equally captivating. Argento based the color scheme off Disney’s 1937 classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Each scene is purposefully and beautifully designed.

The creepy music performed by Goblin, an Italian progressive rock band, enhances the horror experience and can be called hypnotic. Over the years several well-known bands have covered Goblin’s music. Listen to the film’s soundtrack here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkZ2rdbDHM4. (Note: Do you hear Harry Potter when listening like I do?)

Goblin

The art-house horror movie appears on numerous Top Horror Film lists including #28 Cinema Blend, #18 Thrillist, #6 The Guardian, and #5 Mental Floss. It certainly is a top 5 on mine!

Suspiria is streaming for free with limited commercial breaks on Tubi.

October 21st: Best Ghost Story

23 Tuesday Oct 2018

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TheOthers

October 21st: Best Ghost Story

Writer/Director Alejandro Amenabar based The Others (2001) off an episode on the British TV show Armchair Theatre. Nicole Kidman plays Grace, a mother of two anxiously awaiting the return of her military husband from World War II. The children suffer from a debilitating disease where sunlight makes them violently ill. Grace spends her time toiling within the dark mansion and admonishing the staff to keep the curtains closed. But then the curtains open, doors open, and sunlight is let in.

Originally written in Spanish and then translated into English, The Others was a box office hit. The budget of $17 million was easily recouped with US gross at $96 million and worldwide gross at $209 million. It remains the highest grossing film in Spain, where most of the scenes were shot. This traditional ghost story does not disappoint.

October 20th: Best Slasher Film

23 Tuesday Oct 2018

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TexasChainsawMassacre

October 20th: Best Slasher Film

Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) revolutionized the horror genre with his low-budget slasher film. Initial reviews were tepid at best. With an incredibly low budget of $300,000, this film grossed over $30 million in the US alone.

The plot was simple: Cannibalistic psychopaths feast off 5 teenagers on a road trip to visit a grandfather’s grave. The film is entirely fictional; however, it was loosely inspired by infamous killer Ed Gein. It was the subject of lawsuits and mafia ties. After all these years, it remains an iconic slasher film. The movie is part of the permanent collection in the Museum of Modern Art, where it has found newfound praise and criticism.

October 19th: Best Movie with a (Supposed) Curse Attached

21 Sunday Oct 2018

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Poltergeist

October 19th: Best Movie with a (Supposed) Curse Attached

Steven Spielberg’s entry into the horror genre is genius. In Poltergeist (1982) unknown forces kidnap the Freeling’s youngest daughter, Carol Anne. After its release, urban legends circulated that the movie was cursed. Several people associated with the film died unexpectantly. Most notable were 1) Dominique Dunne, who played older daughter “Dana,” was strangled by her ex-boyfriend days before her 23rd birthday and shortly after the movie was released and 2) Heather O’Rourke, who played “Carol Anne,” died on the operating table at age 12. Both are buried near one another at Westwood Memorial Park in L.A.

This film grossed over $123 million worldwide and has generated 2 sequels and a reboot. It is an iconic horror film classic with other films referencing it.

Spoiler: By the way, there is only one death in the film: Tweety the Bird.

October 18th: Best Made-for-TV on SyFy

19 Friday Oct 2018

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DeadStill

October 18th: Best Made-for-TV on SyFy

In October 2014, I reviewed the made-for-TV SyFy original film Dead Still. It was the first fictional feature-length film from the Booth Brothers, twin brothers who produced several nonfiction films based on paranormal themes. Four years later, the movie remains enjoyable. The movie will be aired again on October 21st on the SyFy Network. Plan to DVR this one.

Here is the original review:

Dead Still Worth Viewing

I love horror movies. I’ve watched them since I was a teenager. My favorites include the classics: The Exorcist (1975), Jaws (1975), and Poltergeist (1982). However, I like the B-movie horror films, namely The House on Haunted Hill (1959), The Monster Squad (1987), and The Tingler (1959), too. I grew up watching Dr. Paul Bearer on Creature Feature on WTOG. Horror movies transcend decades and act as social commentary. The Booth Brothers’ new film Dead Still incorporates the Victorian practice of taking mourning portraits into a fictional modern-day inheritance issue. Dead Still, an original SyFy movie, is worth viewing.

The Horror film genre remains popular. Box office rival Annabelle nearly toppled Gone Girl this past weekend. Even though each film generated over $37 million in ticket sales, Annabelle was the money winner. Produced for under $7 million dollars, Annabelle’s return in one weekend was five times its production costs. Wow! Low-budget horror films produce huge profits. This applies to films released exclusively on television with DVD sales later.

Dead Still’s estimated production costs were $2 million dollars. That’s extremely low for any film project. Moreover, the film shines with beautiful cinematography, haunting music, and A-list acting.

Filmed on location in Baton Rouge, Dead Still features an incredibly spooky house. Philip Adrian Booth captures the moody ambiance of the house, as well as, the Negative world. Remember: This is a low-budget film. Philip does a lot on a tight budget.

Equally impressive is the eerily evocative soundtrack. Twin brother Christopher Saint Booth assembled a soundtrack heavy with strings—quite appropriate for a horror film. Working as “Saint,” Christopher has assumed the role as music scorer for their productions. Christopher delivers.

Producers landed three strong actors. Ray Wise is absolutely wicked. Mr. Wise’s transformation into the crazy “Wenton Davis,” great grandfather and original owner of the antique Victorian camera, is creepy. Creepy weird and chilling. Ben Browder as “Brandon” is convincing as the relationship-challenged heir to the camera. He’s at his best in the Negative world. Gavin Casalegno portrays “Bobby,” Brandon’s son. His facial expressions convey what words cannot. Already boasting an impressive acting resume, Gavin has a long career ahead of him.

Graphic scenes are limited; however, I could have done without the sexual scene with the newlyweds. It didn’t add any real content and could have been achieved without the nudity and hand-gripping bedrail close-ups.

The antique Victorian camera is an amazing prop. The claw-footed, custom-made stand is intricately detailed and gorgeous. Reproductions of mourning portraits are impactful. They realistically represent the type of photographs popular in America and Europe from 1840-1891.

Dead Still is entertaining and gruesome. The Booth Brothers have expanded their filmmaking collection and have made the jump into the fictional horror movie genre. I look forward to their next film. Until then, stay still—Dead Still.