The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

Now to take a step back in time, much further than usual to be precise. To the era of silent cinema. Silent movies are often ignored by my generation, whats the point sure? We have movies with talking and in colour as well. let the past be the past. Not really, to understand the present you must appreciate the past. And as a die hard horror fan, there is two silent movies that are an important part of the history of horror. These were The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari from 1920 and Nosferatu from 1922.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a German expressionist film. The plot i find a bit difficult to explain as with most silent films so do bear with me. Its set in the German mountain village of Holstenwal and tells the story of a deranged Dr. Caligari and his sleepwalking sidekick named Cesare (who he keeps in a cabinet) who are connected to a series of murders in the town. Its told in flashback form. That's just putting it very bluntly.

Visually, this film looks like something out of a dream, really far out and trippy for its time. Really tall doors and windows that are bent in really weird ways and accompanied by a very haunting soundtrack. Silent movies relied heavily on the music to keep you drawn into the story and this is a very good example.

Gonna cut this review short as i know very little about silent movies to give any real insight into this but i will say, if your a fan of horror, its worth checking out as its one of the first horror movies and very good for its time.

8/10

The Last House on the Left (1972)

To avoid fainting, keep repeating, its only a movie. This is the best description to Wes Cravens 1972 debut, The Last House On The Left. Now available on DVD in its fully uncut glory. What can i say about this movie that hasn't been said already? For a film that caused such uproar upon it release, it was also a film that set the groundwork for future slasher flicks.

As you may have seen in my Cannibal Holocaust review, i spoke of an era known as the video nasties, which took place in the UK in the early 80's. This film made that list as it was refused cinema release in the UK in the 70's, but then the home video boom of the 1980's made it possible to be released in the UK, among others. This lead to the founding of the Obscene Publications Act. The film remained banned for the remainder of the 80's and 90's and only got an uncut release in 2008, and the following year a remake was made.

Mari Collingwood is off to celebrate her 17th birthday with her friend Phyllis Stone by attending a rock concert in the big city. Mari's parents show some concern at the band shes going to see and her friendship with Phyllis, but still allow her to go. Meanwhile, four violent criminals have escaped from prison. While in the city, Mari and Phyllis try to score drugs and happen to meet the criminals and ask them. The criminals then kidnap the two girls and head out to the country, where they run out of gas, ironically, near Mari's house. The horror begins when the criminals proceed to beat, rape, humiliate and eventually, and very violently kill the two young girls. After they clean up, they look for refuge in none other than Mari's parents house, and eventually the parents find out what they did and they enact a very brutal revenge.

The monsters in this movie are not Vampires, Werewolves or Zombies, but the monster within some people, in this case the criminals, and the monster that can be created when these monsters hurt a loved one, in this case the parents. This was the first time anyone dared to tackle this issue (To my knowledge) in a horror movie. The very low budget and grainy production values add to the already dark plot of the film (Some comic relief is provided in the vein of the police officers, who are very funny).

As nasty as The Last House on the Left was, it really spoke of the period of American history in which it was made. The late 60's and early 70's saw alot of darkness in the vein of The death of the flower generation, the vietnam war and the tragedy at Jackson and Kent state. It came out at a time when America was waking up to the real life horror that was in everyone's back yard. That is what makes a good horror movie, when you dwell in the fear of a society. And this movie is a very good example. highly recommended.

9/10

P.S. Look out for a review of the remake in the future.

Avatar

Avatar, the must see film of 2009? Yes, it does add to the hype if not more. Visually its just specular and the storyline is nothing short of gripping, and its even more amazing in 3D. The story is set in the year 2154 and the human race have stripped earth of all its natural resources and is on a mining operation on the moon of planet Polyphemus called Pandora, which is occupied by Na'vi, blue skinned humanoids with feline characteristics and bear resemblance to the native Indians. (in fact, Was Studi of Dances with Wolves and The last Of the Mohican's fame plays the leader of the tribe). In an attempt to communicate with the Na'vi, scientists grow Na'vi bodies modified with human DNA called Avatars.

Jake Sully (played by Sam Worthington) is a paraplegic former marine who must replace his murdered twin brother in the Avatar program, headed by Dr. Grace Augustine (played by Sigourney Weaver). Once he gets control of the Avatar he starts to get a bit cocky, which you can't blame him for as he now has the ability to walk again. However, it does cause him to get lost on his first mission. He then get rescued by Neytiri (played by Zoe Saldana) who brings him back to the village, here he starts to learn about Na'vi culture and soon become accepted by them. However, when hes not in Avatar form he is forced to make deals with Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) and this does start to cause problems.

Storyline is very complex so i don't want to give too much away. I do have alot to say about it. Is it original? No. But really, what is original theses days (as myself and my friend were saying, he did a video review, check it here -

It does borrow themes from other movies like Dances With Wolves (the theme of learning new cultures and personal journey's), Fern Gully: The Last Rainforest (the theme of environmental issues), Pocahontas (love theme) and the visuals are very Final Fantasy inspired. This is not a bad thing at all, James Cameron did an amazing job of of mixing these themes together.

Another theme that i've seen alot of in recent Science Fiction films (District 9 for example) is the concept of the aliens being portrayed as the victims rather than the invaders or 'baddies' to put it bluntly. In this the humans (especially the Military) are portrayed as heartless and greedy, the best example being Colonel Miles Quaritch. I really like this theme as it portrays humans more realistically. However, there is a message in there that there is still good out there.

To finish off, The characters are likeable (well, some), the story is very inspiring and the Jungle and its Flora and Fauna is amazing. Avatar is not just watchable, but also very re watchable and once the credits roll you are left with an amazing feeling that i can't even describe. Go see it.

10/10

The Exorcism of Emily Rose

For my next review i'm going to talk about the often overlook (well now) demonic horror movie of 2005 called The Exorcism of Emily Rose. When i say overlooked i mean when i'm in decisions weather it be online or with real people about horror movies, The Exorcist is always discussed when it comes to the theme of demonic possession. And sure, the Exorcist is a classic but i wouldn't list it as one of my favourites. Why? Well, i thought is was over hyped. People saying it was the scariest movie in the world, i disagreed. Had more black comedy than horror. but anyway, i'll talk about it in another review and get on with this one.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose is based on true events (loosely based on the story of Anneliese Michel). Father Richard Moore (played by Tom Wilkinson) is on trial for the murder of Emily Rose (played by Jennifer Carpenter) who was a devout catholic girl who was possessed by demons. The movie is done court room drama style, kinda like a very long episode of Law and Order. But don't let it put you off. Trough the witnesses testimonies we watch flashbacks of the possession and exorcism, which are very terrifying. And scary scenes and suspense are not just in the flashbacks, as Erin Bruner, Father Moores lawyer (played by Laure Linney) is also staked by the very demons who possessed Emily.

I'll conclude with, first why the review is so short. Well, the film does go into some very interesting topics which i find a little hard to explain, so your going to have to watch it, plus i find that i put a few spoilers in my reviews so i won't go into the plot of this one too much. It is very suspense filled, very scary, very good plot twists and character development and more importantly no black humour which makes it easier to take seriously (don't get me wrong, i do love black humour) So if your looking for an alternative to The Exorcist, i highly recommend this one.

8/10

Halloween Series

Now to review not just one but an entire series of horror movies. Halloween started as a low budget slasher movie in 1978 by horror master John Carpenter, and over the years has become a Franchise which includes sequels, Comic Books, Novels and Action Figures. Of course it also brought horror icon Michael Myers into the world. But i'm only here to talk about the movies so lets get on with it shall we.

The first Halloween was released in 1978 and tells the story of a little boy named Michael Myers from Haddonfield, Illinois, who on Halloween night 1963 stabbed his sister Judith to death. He was then committed to Smiths Grove Sanitarium under the care of Dr. Sam Lommis (played by Donald Pleasence). After his many failed attempts to reach Michael he just gives up as all he can see is evil in his eyes. Michael is also mute which made attempts to reach him very difficult.

After 15 years of being locked up in Smiths Grove, Michael escapes. Dr. Lommis goes on the trail of the crazed killer, who is returning home to Haddonfield to kill again. after that were introduced to Laurie Strode (played by Jamie Lee Curtus) who is a high school student and babysitter of Tommy Doyle, who always asks Laurie about the Bogey man and does he exist. Throughout the day she is staked by Michael and meanwhile Dr. Lommis is running around haddonfield looking for Michael. Than night the killings start and Dr. Loomis finds him just as he's about to kill Laurie and shoots him just in the nick of time, but looks out the window to see that hes gone. So yea, i kept that a bit blunt because it is a classic and i'm sure you know the story by now. Just gonna say that the suspense is amazing and the build up will have you on the edge of your seat.

Halloween 2 is a direct continuation of the first one and was released in 1981. Laurie is taken to hospital and Dr. Lommis continues on his wild goose chase. Here we learn that Laurie is actually Michael's sister and thats the reason he went after her. This instalment had more blood and gore than its predecessor but is still as amazing and suspense filled.

Halloween 3 is one that i'm yet to see. I know its the only entry in the series to not have Michael Myers and i've heard mixed reviews. i will write a review of it once i see it. One fact i will tell you is they planed on making the Halloween movies all different, like a Halloween story for every year but this was a flop at the box office so in 1988 we see Michael Myers return in Halloween 4, entitled The Return Of Michael Myers. This one shows Michael return from a 10 year coma after his 1978 killing spree of the first two movies. He learns that Laurie Strode is Dead but also that she has a daughter Jamie, so he returns to Haddonfield to kill her. Dr. Lommis also makes a return in this one to stop Michael.

Halloween 5 is perhaps the weakest entry in the series, but i actually enjoyed it as it introduced this mysterious man in black and the curse of thorn symbol, and it shows Jamie has a sort of teleaphatic bond with Michael. Still worth checking out.

The next instalment Halloween 6 or just Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers is just amazing, perhaps in my opinion, the most underrated horror movie ever. It goes into the curse of thorn symbolism and how its the source of Michaels evil. Also Tommy Doyle, the boy being babysat by Laurie Strode in the Original makes a return and is played by Paul Rudd. There is two cuts of this movie and i would highly recommend the producers cut as it goes into the Thorn Symbol and reveals who the mysterious man in black is, you can find it online or get bootleg copies on ebay. I highly recommend it. This is also the last movie to star Donald Pleasence as he passed away shortly after its release. May he rest in peace.

Halloween H20 is set 20 years after the events of Halloween 2 and sees Laurie Strode return. She is living in California under a new name and has a career and a son but is still haunted by the events 20 years ago. Michael Myers has found her file and knows of her location and is now returning to finish her off. All in all, its not a bad movie, but not a masterpiece. Also the curse of thorn sub-plot is completely ignored. Weak in places but still watchable.

Halloween Resurrection? hmm? not great. but if your looking for some cheesy fun, i'd recommend it. Starts off great as Michael finally finishes Laurie Strode, but after that it just gets silly and trys to appeal to the MTV generation. One scene really stands out, Busta Rhymes dressed as Michael Myers shouting at the real Michael Myers. Watch it for that scene alone, its hilarious.

After that i sort of lost interest in the Halloween Series. Then in 2007 a remake was made. heard about it and ignored it. then i realised who made it, Rob Zombie. I am a huge fan of his music and i heard of his exploition horror movies House of a 1000 corpses and devils rejects (which i've seen sense), so i thought i'd check it out. and yes, it was awesome. he made both a prequel and a remake, and made it in his own style. The way he painted Michael's childhood is just spectacular and disturbing. And Malcom McDowell did the character of Sam Lommis alot of justice. Alot of people complained about it but i say it was a different take on the Halloween story and deserves respect. Not alot of suspense which made the first one good but the shocking scenes are amazing.

Rob Zombie also made a sequel to the remake which was a flop and got alot of negative reviews from critics and fans alike. But me, i actually didn't think it was that bad. Its all over the place though, i will say that. Like he tried to squeeze elements of all the Halloween sequels into one, and made Dr. Lommis a money mad author rather than pursue Michael. But despite these flaws its still watchable and has a couple of cheap laughs. Not amazing but not bad either.

So in conclusion, Halloween is without a doubt one of the greatest horror franchises ever. To start as a low budget slasher flick to a series of sequels that spanned three decades is quite a success story and Michael Myers is a household name among horror fans and it set the ground work for all future slasher flicks.

Halloween 10/10
Halloween 2 9/10
Halloween 3 (haven't seen)
Halloween 4 9/10
Halloween 5 6/10
Halloween 6 10/10
Halloween H20 6/10
Halloween Resurrection 4/10
Rob Zombies Halloween 9/10
Rob Zombies Halloween 2 5/10

Paranormial Activity

Now for a more recent film. Was hearing alot about Paranormal Activity trough word of mouth, some saying it was good, others saying it was bad, you know, the usual crap. One description i heard from someone had me a bit spatial at first was 'Big Brother on the big screen'. If you don't know me, i despise Big Brother alot. But i thought i'd check it out as really, when it comes to movies you shouldn't trust the opinions of others, you should make up your own mind.

So yea, enough life lessons and on to the review. Paranormal Activity was made in 2007 by director Oren Peli. It spent 2 years on the film festival circuit before it got a nationwide cinema release this year. The story centres around a young couple called Katie and Micah, who have just moved in together. After a couple of strange occurrences, Micah decides to document everything on video.

They consult a Psychic who sits and talks with them. Here is where we learn about Katies past, and the Psychic tells them its a demon who follows Katie, and that they should consult a deamonoligist as the psychic can only deal with ghosts. All he knows is that demons feed of negative energy. Micah tells Katie not to call the demonoligest.

Micah is without a doubt the stupidest character i have ever seen in any horror movie. I mean, to be fair, i know he wants to protect his girlfriend and getting an outsider to fix their problems makes him uncomfortable, okay fair enough, almost every man is like that. But the fact that he trys to communicate with the demon trough an Ouija board, ignoring his girlfriends pleas to turn off the camera and making her angry, hmm? Remember the whole demon feeds of negative energy thing? And yes, because of Micah's arrogance things only get worse.

Don't want to give too much away so i'll conclude with this. The scenes while there sleeping and the haunting occur are very terrifying, mostly you have to deal with boring dialogue scenes and silly soap opera drama, but the shocks do get you when you least expect it and its very suspense filled. so all in all, not a bad horror movie at all.

7/10

Cannibal Holocaust

The early 1980's, an exciting time. Home video was a new thing and small video companies could release unknown directors work without a theatrical release. This caused panic when it came to horror movies and the obscene publications act was put into place. This marked the era known as the video nasties.

Now, i wasn't around at the time, but i was able to see most of the films on the list. So not to bore you with a history lesson, one movie that caused the most controversy was Cannibal Holocaust. Italian director Ruggero Deodato unleashed this monster of a movie in 1980 to a unsuspecting public. Okay, gore movies have been around as early as the 1960's with Blood Feast being the first, but no one was ready for this gem.

The story starts in new york, with a news report about cannibal tribes in the amazon, and about four student documentary film makers who went missing there. Harold Monroe (played by Robert Kerman) is a famous anthropologist who embarks on an rescue mission. There he witnesses the most unimaginable horror any human could ever experience as he witnesses first hand the rituals of the very primitive tribes.

He then learns of the deaths of the four film makers but retrieves the footage and brings it back to new york. But the horror is just about to begin, as the footage he and his collages are about to see will go beyond their wildest nightmares. The rest of the film is that footage shot Blare Witch Esq (or more likely, Blare Witch completely ripped it off).

Upon its release, director Ruggero Deodato was brought to court accused of making a snuff film. Which he was cleared of as he payed the actors to disappear for awhile once the film was made. However, the scenes of animal deaths were real and were removed from most versions of the movie ( i watched the full uncut version online, and believe me, those scenes are nasty). The most famous scene in the film is the scene where a women is impaled, it looked so real that people at the time thought it was, and Deodato had to get the actress to testify.

So in conclusion, despite being a fan of gore movies myself, i found this movie to be a very rough watch, but still a very good watch at the same time. It makes you question how civilised we are in the Western world and shows how savage in nature the human race really is. Cannibal Holocaust, highly recommended, but you were warned.

9/10

Clerks

This here is my first review, so i thought I'd start with my favourite movie ever. That movie is Clerks. Kevin Smith's 1994 debut. The story revolves around a man called Dante Hicks (played by Brian O'Halloran) and his best friend/worst enemy Randall Graves (Played By Jeff Anderson). Dantie works in a small connivance store and Randal works in a video rental store next door. It is also the debut movie of cult classic duo Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith) who are two wasters who just hang around the store playing music, selling drugs and fooling about.

So what is it that's so enjoyable about this movie? well, you can relate to the characters so well. Kevin Smith brilliantly mixes comedy with drama. Anybody who is in their mid twenties or younger or older can relate to them. Dantie first of all, is your typical stuck in a dead end job mess of a man. Always complains about his situation yet lacks the enthusiasm to change. He also makes a lot of bad decisions and digs himself a deeper hole, in romance for example.

Randal on the other hand, is the opposite. Hes shows up to work late, spends most of work dossing and being rude to the customers and is always getting Dantie into trouble. Hes your typical asshole who has a quality about him that you like, at least according to Dantie. That explains my best friend/worst enemy comment i mentioned above.

Jay and Silent Bob are just classic. Your typical wasters that every town has. They spend their day hanging around the block of stores, making money by selling drugs yet still shoplift when Dantie's back is turned. Jay is the foul mouthed yob and Silent Bob is, well, the quiet one. In this film and in future ones bob would have one piece of dialogue, usually near the end, and its usually a piece of good advice.

The film also have a few small characters such as strange (or just your typical annoying) customer, which adds to the appeal of the film. Anyone who has worked in retail can relate to it. Also old school friends who would make fun of Dantie or Randell because of where they work at their age.

Another thing i love about the film is the references to popular culture it makes. Scenes where Dantie and Randall are talking and in other scenes, they make references to Star Wars (alot), Jaws, etc, And despite the low budget, being in black and white and the deadly risk Smith took in making this movie (maxed out 8 to 10 credit cards to get the money together) the movie is still watchable and re watchable, and the Clerks legacy lives on. There is comic books, and short lived animated series, a sequel and talk of another sequel. This movie is in simple terms, a classic.

10/10