Top 50 Favorite Horror/Scifi/Fantasy Movies

I have reached 50 followers now, and this site is growing like crazy. I love everything that is going on, and I just hope I can continue to feed you baby birds. So I decided to create a list of my top 50 favorite movies of this genre. There are multiple problems to this situations. The first, I created a list of 100 movies I love, and then narrowed it down to 50. I should have left it at 100. I had to leave out so many amazing movies. Second, I didn't really gauge the list on the films themselves necessarily. Some on the list are movies that just had an impact on me at some point in time. Most of the movies that are in a series, I just left them in the series, and viewed it as a whole. I really hope everyone enjoys my list, and feel free to tell me your thoughts. I am always up for a discussion.



50. American Psycho (2000) Dir. by Mary Harron

A wealthy New York investment banking executive hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he escalates deeper into his illogical, gratuitous fantasies.

This one had to make my list. I have bought this movie three times now on DVD. If something happens to one copy, I get another. This movie is so brilliantly made, that I could watch it over and over again. The story by Bret Easton Ellis is absolutely amazing and extremely entertaining.



49. Pitch Black (2000) Dir. by David Twohy

A transport ship containing 40 passengers heading to other worlds for, among other reasons, settling, New Mecca, and for one passenger, Riddick, another cell. The ship encounters a tiny meteor storm and crash lands on a barren planet with only 1/4 of its complement surviving. Survival is tough with Riddick on the loose and no water in sight. However, come nightfall, they have even more to fear... Written by Jeff Mellinger {jmell@uclink4.berkeley.edu}

Pitch Black is the the ultimate science fiction movie. It has everything you could ever want out of scifi movie, including Radha Mitchell. It was so amazingly filmed on such a low budget. It was back when Vin Diesel was still a bad ass, and not a pawn. Twohy is so brilliant in his writing, almost everything he does. I don't put the sequel because I didn't care for it as much. Original story, and awesome action, make for a superb movie.



48. Razorback (1984) Dir. by Russell Mulcahy

A wild, vicious pig terrorizes the Australian outback. The first victim is a small child who is killed. The child's granddad is brought to trial for killing the child but acquitted. The next victim is an American TV-journalist. Her husband Carl gets there and starts to search for the truth. The local inhabitants won't really help him, but he is joined by a hunter and a female farmer to find the beast. Written by Mattias Thuresson {mattias.thuresson@mbox300.swipnet.se}

If you really want to know how I feel about Razorback, read my recent review. I have always loved this movie. The way it is filmed sets it apart from other large creature movies of the 80's. Mulcahy doesn't always get the credit he is deserved. Saw this movie first on TNT Monstervision.



47. Dracula (1931) Dir. by Tod Browning

The ancient vampire Count Dracula arrives in England and begins to prey upon the virtuous young Mina.

Still not my favorite vampire movie, but it is Bela Lugosi. He is the utility player of Universal monster movies. The guy is amazing, plus this one really helped paint vampires as not just mindless creatures.



46. Zombi 2 (1979) Dir. by Lucio Fulci

Strangers looking for a woman's father arrive at a tropical island where a doctor desperately searches for the cause and cure of a recent epidemic of the undead.

Lucio Fulci is an amazing Director. He has such a unique way of filming zombies, and it tends to add a lot of tension to his films. Then there is the popular Shark vs. Zombie battle. Who the hell thinks of that? One of my favorite moments in zombie history.



45. The Shining (1980) Dir. by Stanley Kubrick

A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where an evil and spiritual presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from the past and of the future.

I'm a huge Stephen King fan, and The Shining is one of the best King adaptions that have been on the big screen. What do you expect with Kubrick though? Great acting, desolate location, and a great script, not to mention the kid himself is a little creepy looking.



44. Puppet Master Series (89,91,93,99,2003,2004,2010) Various Directors

Puppet maker Andre Toulon shoots himself at the Bodega Bay Inn before his Secret of Life can be stolen by the Nazis. 50 years later in 1989 the secret is discovered by Neil Gallagher. Soon he sends messages to his psychic friends Alex Whitaker, Dana Hadley, Frank Forrester and Carissa Stamford who arrive to find his wife Megan who claims Neil to be dead. As the night goes by, the murderous puppets are awakened and unleashed on the group, only for them to discover that evil comes in all sizes. Written by Wallace Entertainment

And that's just how it all begins. I remember watching these movies on USA Channel late nights. These were some of the first horror movies I ever watched, and they are amazing.



43. The Last Man on Earth (1964) Dir. by Ubaldo Regona

Dr. Robert Morgan (Vincent Price) is the only survivor of a devastating world-wide plague due to a mysterious immunity he acquired to the bacterium while working in Central America years ago. He is all alone now...or so it seems. As night falls, plague victims begin to leave their graves, part of a hellish undead army that''s thirsting for blood...his! Written by Jeremy Lunt {durlinlunt@acadia.net}

It was either this or Omega Man, but personally I prefer this one. Mostly because it is Price and not Heston, and also I feel this one is a better portrayal of the story. This could have directly led to my love of apocalyptic movies.



42. House on Haunted Hill (1959) Dir. by William Castle

An eccentric millionaire, Fredrick Loren, who is throwing the "party" for his fourth wife, Annabelle, invites five people to a secluded mansion with the offer to spend one night in his house which is haunted, with the stipulation that the power will be out and all doors will be locked at midnight, allowing no accessible escape. Anyone who stays in the house for the entire night, given that they are still alive, will each receive $10,000.

This movie is so superior to the remake, and once again the Price is right. Vincent Price that is. While being scared when I was younger, this movie's comedic themes tend to shine through as I am now an adult. It hasn't lost its appeal though, and that solidifies it in my top 50.



41. The Hitcher (1986,2007) Dir. by Robert Harmon(86), Dave Meyers

A young man(or woman) who escaped the clutches of a murderous hitch-hiker is subsequently stalked, framed for the hitcher's crimes, and has his(her) life made into hell by the same man he(she) escaped.

I had to include both the original and the remake. I was pumped for the remake and it didn't let me down. I know it's not as good as the original, but should that stop me from enjoying it? If you ask me Sean Bean gives as strong of a performance as Rutger Hauer. It was the supporting cast that fell a bit short on the remake. I recommend both to everyone. The original is probably the more scary one, and the remake is more funny with action.



40. Critters Series (86,88,91,92) Dir. by Stephen Herek, Mick Garris
Kristine Peterson, Rupert Harvey

A Kansas farm is attacked by a hoard of hungry flesh-eating monsters from outer-space with razor sharp teeth and a witty attitude! The family who inhabit the farm must seek the help of a local drunk and his critter-fighting bounty hunting pals before its too late... Written by Joe Collins

I had to include this in my top 50. These movies scared the shit out of my when I was younger. Now days I find them more funny than scary, but entertaining none the less. Creatures created by the famous Chiodo Brothers Productions(Killer Klowns from Outer Space), are basically what makes these movies must owns. While the third one lacks a bit and is clearly the least favorite, the second one(directed by Mick Garris) makes up for in sheer genius. With great actors on board before they became famous(Billy Zane, Dee Wallace, Barry Corbin, Leonardo Dicaprio, Aimee Brooks, Angela Bassett, and Brad Dourif. Last but not least, Critters 4 might be responsible for starting the "lets take our failing series" in to space technique carried out by many film franchises today. Everyone should own these movies.



39. Children of the Corn (1984) Dir. by Fritz Kiersch

A young couple wander into a mid-western town where all the adults are apparently dead and the children participate in a cult that worships a malevolent force in the corn fields. Based on a Stephen King novella. Written by Keith Loh {loh@sfu.ca}

I know what you are thinking. There sure is some Stephen King on this list. Yes, he is my favorite author of all time, but his books are often turned into great movies. In this case a novella is at the core. This movie made me not want to have kids ever when I watched it in my late teens, and yet I only waited until I was 24, haha. Linda Hamilton and Courtney Gains(as Malachai) really make this a solid film, supported by a great cast of young children giving above normal performances. I haven't seen the made-for-tv remake yet though, but I will.



38. The Exorcist (1873) Dir. by William Friedkin

When a teenager is possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother seeks the help of two priests to save her daughter.

This movie itself is flawless on a number of levels. One, having Max Von Sydow in it , haha. I'm not a deeply religious person by any means, but watching this movie still makes me want to sleep with a bible for a few nights afterwards. Don't give me that Jennifer Carpenter as Emily Rose is just as good as Linda Blair bullshit. We both know its not true.



37. Poltergeist (1982) Dir. by Tobe Hooper

While living an an average family house in a pleasant neighborhood, the youngest daughter of the Freeling family, Carol Anne, seems to be connecting with the supernatural through a dead channel on the television. It is not for long when the mysterious beings enter the house's walls. At first seeming like harmless ghosts, they play tricks and amuse the family, but they take a nasty turn- they horrify the family to death with angry trees and murderous dolls, and finally abduct Carol Anne into her bedroom closet, which seems like the entrance to the other side. Written by Thomas O'Rourke

Tobe Hooper, while dormant lately, used to make amazing movies, and this is one of them. Hundreds of times a year, I still hear people quoting Poltergeist. I didn't really care for the sequels that much, but the original is definitely solid. It doesn't hurt that it was written by Steven Spielberg. Heather O'Rourke's passing generally takes over most conversations about Poltergeist, and yes it was sad she didn't have a chance to grow up and branch away from the Poltergeist series, but I don't think the Poltergeist curse should shadow over a great film. I don't really know what to think about the remake coming out next year either.



36. The Thing (1982) Dir. by John Carpenter

Scientists in the Antarctic are confronted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of the people that it kills.

Another movie being remade in 2011, this movie was originally a remake as well. It was loosely based of The Thing From Another World (1951), and the short story, "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell Jr.. The special effects by Roy Arbogast were creative and disturbing at the same time. It is just a really fun movie to watch.



35. Drag Me To Hell (2009) Dir. by Sam Raimi

A loan officer ordered to evict an old woman from her home finds herself the recipient of a supernatural curse, which turns her life into a living hell. Desperate, she turns to a seer to try and save her soul, while evil forces work to push her to a breaking point.

I know this movie is pretty new to be on the list, but WOW what a return to directing the horror genre for Sam Raimi. He is one of my favorite directors, but almost always falls short as a producer. It was really nice to see him direct a solid and sometimes very scary horror movie again. The story of the curse was an extremely original and entertaining one. Performances were right on the spot, and I'm glad to see it is getting the attention it deserves.



34. In the Mouth of Madness (1994) Dir. by John Carpenter

With the disappearance of hack horror writer Sutter Cane, all Hell is breaking loose...literally! Author Cane, it seems, has a knack for description that really brings his evil creepy-crawlies to life. Insurance investigator John Trent is sent to investigate Cane's mysterious vanishing act and ends up in the sleepy little East Coast town of Hobb's End. The fact that this town exists as a figment of Cane's twisted imagination is only the beginning of Trent's problems.... Written by Tad Dibbern {DIBBERN_D@a1.mscf.upenn.edu}

Yes, another John Carpenter movie on the list. Personally, I think this is by far the scariest John Carpenter movie ever, well maybe Ghosts on Mars is scary, but for very different reasons. This movie messes with your mind, and throws multiple forms of fear at you, including crazy ass creatures. Sam Neill is flawless as John Trent, and so is Charlton Heston.



33. Jacob's Ladder (1990) Dir. by Adrian Lyne

A traumatized Vietnam war veteran finds out that his post-war life isn't what he believes it to be when he's attacked by horned creatures in the subway and his dead son comes to visit him.

This movie instantly made me a huge fan of Tim Robbins. His performance is amazing, and really adds to the confusing, yet awesome plot to the film. Adian Lyne did a great job of making sure you only know as much as the lead character does, and it makes the movie twice as creepy.



32. Tremors Series (90,96,01,04) Dir. by Ron Underwood, S.S. Wilson, Brent Maddock,

Natives of a small isolated town, defend themselves against strange underground creatures which are killing them one by one.

The one thing I really love and respect about this series is its ability to be completely original. They could have just made lame sequels that basically follow the same formula as the original, but they didn't. The second spawns the same creatures that now have the ability to walk on land, and the third one gives them flight. It automatically adds a new element to each film. I don't really care for the prequel that much, but it is definitely an interesting take on an origin story for the worms. I hear there is a fifth one coming out, and that scares me a bit, but we will see. The first one was the best, but I enjoy all of them.



31. Orca: The Killer Whale (1977) Dir. by Michael Anderson

A hunter squares off against a killer whale seeking vengeance for the death of its mate.

I absolutely love this movie! I don't think it is entirely impossible for a mammal such as a killer whale to be imbued by an emotion such as vengeance. I rank this up there with Jaws as far as water creature movies go. This one felt realistic and paced to perfection. A strong story and strong acting is really noticeable as the movie progresses to its ultimate showdown.



30. An American Werewolf in London (1981) Dir. by John Landis

A hunter squares off against a killer whale seeking vengeance for the death of its mate.

This movie is singlehandedly responsible for giving my love for werewolves birth. It is the first werewolf movie I ever saw, and it left an impression. The creature fx are amazing, and the transformation gives me chills. There are so many awesome shots in this movie. Thank you John Landis.



29. Hellraiser 1 and 2 (1987, 1988) Dir. by Clive Barker and Tony Randel

An unfaithful wife encounters the zombie of her dead lover, who's being chased by demons after he escaped from their sado-masochistic Hell.

I only wanted to include the first two Hellraiser movies, as the rest of them get kind of crazy and stupid. While they are mildly entertaining, the first two are the strong ones that stand out to me. Their gory nature is something of a beautiful sight, and could only be directly from the mind of Clive Barker. The first two are filled with such a great plot, it really sucks the rest weren't able to hold up to these two.



28. Friday the 13th series (80,81,82,84,85,86,88,89,93,2001,2009)
Dir. by Sean S. Cunningham, Steve Miner, Joseph Zito, Danny Steinmann, Tom McLoughlin, John Carl Buechler, Rob Hedden, Adam Marcus, James Isaac, Marcus Nispel

Thought to have drowned in Crystal Lake, Jason Voorhees returns with an arsenal of weapons to exact his revenge on the unknowing campers of the lake. Written by Michael Silva {silvamd@cleo.bc.edu}

Wow, that is a lot of people to work on one series of movies. I thought about leaving Jason X out of this, but it takes place in space, and that always wins over anything else. This series used to bring me a lot of fear. The Jason mask is recognized by all, and feared by most. Now I laugh a lot at it, and it's extremely creative kills. I put the remake on there because I think it is one of the better remakes over the last few years, and unfortunately helped more remakes to be put on the calender. I never like talking about the first one, because I am afraid I will reveal the biggest secret that everyone should know by now. These movies are not stand out amazing by any means, but they get the job done.



27. Nightmare on Elm Street series (84,85,87,88,89,91,94,)
Dir. by Wes Craven, Jack Sholder, Chuck Russell, Renny Harlin, Stephen Hopkins, Rachel Talalay

In the early 1980's, a psychopath named Freddy Krueger - known as the Springwood Slasher - murdered several children with a glove outfitted with straight razor blades attached to the fingers. When a foolish decision by a judge sets him free, Krueger is burned alive in the boiler room where he worked by an angry mob of the parents whose children he terrorized & murdered. Years after his death, the children whose parents were responsible for Krueger's death - including Nancy Thompson, daughter of the police officer who arrested Krueger - are experiencing terrifying nightmares involving a burned man wearing a glove with razor blades on the fingers. The ghost of Freddy Krueger is haunting their dreams, and when Nancy's best friend Tina dies in her sleep violently during a dream confrontation with Krueger, Nancy realizes she must find a way to stop the evil psychopath's reign of terror - or never sleep again... Written by Derek O'Cain

This series has always been one of my favorites. The wise cracking Freddy Krueger can be hilarious and terrifying at the same time. The kills are so original and creative. A kid who has a hearing aid gets his hearing aid turned all the way up, and dies because of a pin(s) drop. That is amazing! Wes Craven returning for New Nightmare was pretty creative as well. I'm a little excited for the remake out soon.



26. Halloween series (78,81,88,89,95,98,2002)
Dir. by John Carpenter, Rick Rosenthal, Dwight H. Little, Dominique Othenin-Girard, Joe Chappelle, Steve Miner

A psychotic murderer institutionalized since childhood escapes on a mindless rampage while his doctor chases him through the streets.

No I did not forget Halloween III. I excluded it because it is garbage. I know they didn't think there were going to be any more Mike Myers movies, but that doesn't give it an excuse. I didn't include the remakes either, but that's because they were pretty much worthless. The original Halloween will always be the best, and I feel it most like gave birth to a whole slew of other slasher movies. John Carpenter truely is a master of horror.



25. The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927) Dir. by Alfred Hitchcock

A serial killer known as "The Avenger" is on the loose in London, murdering blonde women. A mysterious man arrives at the house of Mr. and Mrs. Bunting looking for a room to rent. The Bunting's daughter is a blonde model and is seeing one of the detectives assigned to the case. The detective becomes jealous of the lodger and begins to suspect he may be the avenger. Written by Col Needham {col@imdb.com}

Basically a story of Jack the Ripper. This movie has been remade a couple of times, and I haven't seen those, but I am a firm believer that Hitchcock movies should never be remade. Let Psycho be an example to you. One of the best Directors of all time, Hitchcock manages to put fear in you even if the film is in black and white and silent. The man is a genious. This is one of my favorite Hitchcock films and one of his earliest.

Survival of the Dead Trailer!!!

Thanks to The Moon Is A Dead World blog and Bloody Disgusting, I just saw a trailer for Survival of the Dead, and it almost made me cry tears of joy. I won't get my hopes up too much after Diary of the Dead, but it really looks like a return to the old school zombie flicks we loved from Romero!

Martyrs (2008)

Martyrs (2008) Dir. by Pascal Laugier

First I was like Wow, then I was like ah cute, then I was like Huh?, then I was like What the f**k?! That's about how my viewing went. What a movie! I have spotted a couple reviews of this movie, and some said they could predict the ending from the very beginning. Those people are liars. That movie was so intense. Just when you think you have a grip on what is going on, they slam you with some new piece of information.

The movie is essentially about two girls, Anna (Morjana Alaoui) and Lucie (Mylene Jampanoi). Lucie escaped from torture when she was little, and still haunted by the things that happened to her. Anna is basically her best friend, and wants to be there every step of the way for her. Fifteen years after escaping, Lucie has tracked down the people that tortured her, and wants to take her well deserved revenge. The results of her actions, pulls the two girls deeper into something they never saw coming.



First off, the acting in this movie is some of the best acting I have ever seen. The two girls especially, as they are as close to flawless as I think you can get. The loving caring Anna almost polar opposite to the angry tortured Lucie, and yet they fit together like a screwed up jigsaw puzzle. They pretty much carry the film, which is a good thing since the entire film is basically just about the two of them. There is something about the way they play off each other. Lucie believes she is doing the right thing, and has a one track mind toward her vengeance. She believes it will free her. Anna is terrified at what Lucie is doing, but she feels so strongly about Lucie (Love, and maybe lover?), that she will do anything it takes to save her.

Im pretty tired of this movie being compared to Saw and Hostel. The only thing they have in common is there is a bit of gore. This is an emotional roller coaster of what humans are capable of, only set to the background of torture. There are no bounds when dealing with human depravity, as this movie will show you. Everyone always has the capacity to create and destroy. This movie may cover the extremes on both ends, but it does it in a believable manner. The pain and suffering that someone will endure to remain alive is breathtaking. Watching this movie I felt like a deer in the headlights. I just couldn't look away. While most of the scenes are not actually that gory, I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. The emotion put into the story and characters kept butterflies in my stomach. I wanted to know what was going to happen next. There was no way I could ever guess what was going to happen.



The movie threw twist after twist at me. There was a point around fifty minutes into the movie where I felt like the movie had ended. I thought how could this possibly continue after the events that had transpired. I was blown away by what happened next, and this happened multiple times. Martyrs seemed to cover action, romance, horror, drama (oh lordy there was drama), and even a hint of science fiction. Martyrs is like a messed up movie pot pie, and those were the ingredients.

The writing on this movie seemed to be close to perfect. My only bone to pick with it is the main character in Pascal's last movie Saint Ange was Anna Jurin, and in this movie if you combine Anna with Lucie Jurin, look what you get. I don't know, I just don't like repetition of characters names from film to film, if they are not the same character. The pacing on the film was brilliant, just when it started to slow down, it picked back up again. I will admit some of the gore was done pretty well. Not once did it ever feel overboard. Yes, the stuff they were doing was outrageous, but it was done extremely believable. Pascal's ability to turn a general everyday newspaper title into a disturbing film really shines through here. Some refer to the film as Clive Barker-ish. Which is funny because I heard that he was originally slated to direct the upcoming Hellraiser remake, but dropped out for some unknown reason.



All and all, from beginning to end this movie was a beautifully violent dive in to human boundaries, and I am sure as hell glad I read all the reviews that hyped it up for me. I look forward to seeing Mylene Jampanoi in the upcoming supernatural thriller hereafter, directed by Clint Eastwood. I really hope everyone gives this movie a chance and checks it out. I don't feel you will be disappointed. If you feel confused, try and perservere. The ending is messed up in so many ways, but completely answers all questions but one. I can't say what that question is. You will understand.

Entertainment Value: 9/10 Barber's Razors
Cinematic Value: 8/10 Barber's Razors

Holy Crap!!!

Wow! I have over 40 followers now. When did that happen? I haven't even been blogging for two months. That is awesome. It makes me really happy to see that people are at least enjoying what I have to say a little bit. Thanks to everyone for all the support. It is so much fun meeting new people who share similar interests as me. I hope everyone enjoys reading my blog as much as I love reading theirs. Thanks again to everyone for showing interest in Dead End Drive-In. I shall find some way to reward you guys one of these days!

Pandorum (2009)

Pandorum (2009) Dir. by Christian Alvart

Don't fear the end of the world, fear what happens next. Fear is what happens. I had wanted to see this movie since it was in theaters, but never found the time or money to go. I wish I had gone, as I feel the movie might have been amazing in a theater setting. The setting Alvart creates with Pandorum is outstanding! Bower and Peyton (Ben Foster and Dennis Quaid) play two guys who wake up out of cryogenic sleep around the same time. They don't remember much of anything, and are trying to figure out what has happened to the ship they are on, and the people that were with them.



I split this film up into two parts. The first part is discovery/confusion in which the characters spend most of their time trying to figure out what happened to them, as Ben Foster ventures out into the ship. The half has much confusion, which I don't generally like that much, but in this case it sort of works. It is very much needed as a building block for the plot and characters to grow on. This is also where much of the fear from the movie comes, as you don't see as much of the creatures, and they are much scarier when you don't know everything about them. I really hate when everyone else's blog is exactly right about this movie, but it really is a mixture between Event Horizon, Alien, and The Descent. I don't feel like it was stealing though. It felt more like paying homage to the movies.



The characters on this film are what really makes it exciting. It's complete madness, as you can't seem to tell who is crazy and who isn't. I think they are all crazy. I will say it again and again, Ben Foster is the most underrated actor in the business. He is outstanding no matter what he touches. It doesn't matter if the movie is insanely bad. Take Alpha Dog for example, as he puts in a great performance much unnoticed because of a crappy film. Most people never know that it is him doing the acting. He is that good at acting, people don't know it is him. Whether it is Mars in Hostage, Eddie in 11:14, Dave(pierced guy) in The Punisher, Angel in X-men 3, The Stranger in 30 Days Of Night, Charlie Prince in 3:10 To Yuma, or I think everyone should check out his role as Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery in The Messenger. This guys is amazing, and if he doesn't win an Oscar within the next five years I will be surprised. Unfortunately, his counterpart, Dennis Quaid is one of the major downfalls of the movie. His character never really develops until the last twenty minutes of the movie, and by then you don't really give two hoots about him. The majority of his performance is scarce jabbering over a radio, just trying to find out where Bower is, and it's quite annoying. I never felt like Cam Gigandet's character really had any weight until a much needed confrontation with Quaid's character. Cam's acting was on par for what he usually pulls. It started off really bad then got better as the movie progressed. German born actress Antje Traue as Nadia, and Vietnamese born Mixed Martial Arts fighter Cung Le were amazing additions to this cast, and gave it a strong diversity in character. And finally a pleasant surprise I didn't see coming was Norman Reedus (Boondock Saints) in more of a short cameo role. It's always nice to see him doing stuff.



I'm interested in what this movie would have been like in one of those DBOX motion controlled technology cinemas I keep hearing about. A decent script by Travis Milloy gave Alvart a lot of room on this one. He really pushed the envelope on claustriphobic fear, and that always seems to be a crowd pleaser these days. I can't say that I cared that much for the creatures of the film, but I will say that they didn't really take anything away from the strengths of the film. If you can get past the creatures being extremely unbelievable, then I think you would enjoy it. This movie was originally supposed to have a budget of $200,000, so when then found out there was going to be a big budget, I think they went a little wild with all they could do. They had fun, and it really shows. With this only being Alvart's fourth film, and only his second in English, I look forward to watching his previous films along with his films in the future. I see he is already made himself known as the new face of German cinema, and looks to be strong in the Horror/Thriller department. I look forward to him remaking one of his German Films Antibodies into an English film soon. With all things considered, I think Alvart did an amazing job on Pandorum.



I think the major downfall here is that Pandorum was the first of a proposed trilogy, and because of box office mediocrity, we will likely never see the other two done. That is just sad. Pandorum is a good strong movie, not as good as Event Horizon or Alien, but better than The Descent. It's definitely a must see.

Entertainment Value: 8 Needles in Arm out of 10
Cinematic Value: 8 Needles in Arm out of 10

The Crazies (2010)

The Crazies (2010) Dir. by Breck Eisner

I got the chance to see this movie today with my good friend The Mike (From Midnight With Love), and a couple of other good friends, and I must say I was presently surprised. Having seen the original, I was a little worried going into this one. It had essentially the same plot as the first one. Town goes crazy, finds out it is biological, army quarantine, and then people are forced to try and escape. As amazing as I feel the first one was, it did have many holes in not only it's plot but the characters as well. I didn't feel that way about this one. It starts off with a bang and keeps going, filling in the holes with random acts of violence and sometimes funny dialogue. With the plot being almost exactly the same, I felt the movie had some room to play with it. They showed more of the towns people killing other people, and I thought that really brought up the fear factor of the movie. Yes the movie is semi-predictable, but is that really all that bad. This movie wasn't out to win an Oscar, it was out to please. In my book, it did just that.

The character development in this movie is what really drives it. The original was extremely lacking in that department, and I felt like it was a much needed focus for the remake. I finally got to feel for the characters, especially the town's people. I could have went without the unnecessary romance between a couple of unimportant characters, but I can see how they were just trying to build emotion to the film. I do think they could have filmed the scene a little less cheesy, and I would have asked for a little better acting, but I let it slide. I really had a chance to feel for the main couple. Baby on board, it was a chance to feel they were a real couple, defending a real problem, not just for themselves but for their child as well. Judy and David Dutton ( Radha Mitchell and Tymothy Olyphant) were definitely still the main focus of the film, as well they should be. The story follows them as they try to leave the town along with the Deputy Russell Clank (Joe Anderson) and Becca Darling (Danielle Panabaker). Giving the Deputy more character in this film is something I thought was an excellent touch. When Joe Anderson was on the screen, I couldn't stop watching. He has only been acting for six years, and I already feel he is only going to get stronger. I'm guessing he may become a well established actor in the near future. Sure this isn't a real killer of a role for him, but I think people will start to see his talent, and the emotions he puts into each character. I enjoyed him in the Ruins as well. Not being shy to scary movies herself (Pitch Black, Silent Hill, Rogue) Radha Mitch once again gives an amazing job. At times it felt like she might have been overacting a bit, but it seemed to fit right in. I look forward to her dabbling more in the realm of Horror. Last, I just want to say great job to the supporting cast, without the Crazies we would have no movie.

Breck Eisner, what am I supposed to say about Breck Eisner. He hasn't directed that many films so far, and they are usually hit or miss. Technically, I would view him as a nobody. Invisible the the rest of the movie industry. Thoughtcrimes (2003) was insanely boring, and Sahara (2005) was mildly entertaining at best. His direction of T.V. episodes was definitely his strong suit, having done an episode of "Taken" for Steven Spielberg. The one big thing that bothers me about him is he produced perhaps the worst short story science fiction adaption in history when he produced the atrocity Sound of Thunder in 2005. With all that considered, I do think he might have made his mark among filmmakers. If anyone out there is as nerdy as me to pay attention to camera angles, rotation, lighting, and editing, they should have seen the excellent work Eisner did on The Crazies. I hope I'm not spoiling anything when I say the shot of the plane discovering is one of the best I have seen in a long time. The use of aerial shot was magnificent, used often, but not too much. The film was bathed in seas of perfect dim lighting. It really added to the atmosphere of the film. Combined with a simple, yet effective score, this film was a pleasure to my eyes and ears.

Now that it seems like I am praising this film, there were some problems with it as well. It tried to use the same choppy editing and almost time traveling speed the original movie managed to make use of, but fell short on this film. There were moments where I felt there needed to be a little more to the conversation in progress, and it cut away to the next scene. These new scenes at times where sometimes hours ahead. It really put a choke hold on my ability to imagine the things that might have happened between then. At times, the death sequences were beyond the acceptable cheesiness. I can't say that I didn't crack at least the slightest grin when they happened, but they could have been toned down a bit. The movie was filled with laughable moments, and I can't deny that. I just want to make it a point to educated people before they go to see this movie. There are semi-scary moments, times you might jump, times you might laugh, maybe even feel sorrow, but do not go into this movie expecting an award winning film, and you will not be let down.

The military's involvement in the film was actually it's downfall, compared to the original (which it was it's strength). The military rushes into a town of over 1300 people in the middle of the night and sets up a giant quarantine area in the middle of the town's football field. I think someone would have noticed that. There is absolutely no character development with any of the military members at all. This displeased me very much, especially since some of the best characters of the original were part of the military. The make them seem like more of an enemy than the crazies themselves. They appear to be mindless, servants of a higher power, which might as well be a crack at the military in real life, and that I can understand. That is all followed up with an ending that shocked me a bit, and excited me as much as it let me down. With some of the movie clearly displaying landscape not actually located in Iowa (yes i understand it was essential to the plot), I felt a little let down. Not to mention, I know for sure The Mike is going to take a crack at destroying the Iowa Hawkeyes or something, haha.

All things aside, I loved the movie, and I can't wait to see it again. My thoughts for the future are as follows- I really dislike it when filmmakers make a footprint in the business with a remake, but this was acceptable, and with Breck Eisner's upcoming remake of The Brood, and remake of Flash Gordon, I really hope he doesn't upset my friend The Mike. To Mr. Eisner- No one has ever made that many remakes in a row and managed to keep their pay grade above poverty, so best of luck to you.

Entertainment Value: 9 Pitchforks out of 10

Cinematic Value: 7 Pitchforks out of 10

Razorback!

Razorback (1984) Dir. By Russell Mulcahy

Having grown up watching Razorback, I feel like it is one of my favorite horror movies from the 80’s. Unfortunately, others don’t agree, and it goes as one of the most unappreciated horror movies of the 80’s. When producers for Razorback saw the music video for Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like The Wolf”, they knew they had found their director. That director was Russell Mulcahy, and from a B-movie stand-point, he filled those shoes perfectly. For being his first feature film, Mulcahy did a marvelous job creating a creature and environment that should scare any person. He did have quite a bit of help considering the special effects guys brought us Mad Max, Dead End Drive In, Pitch Black, and many, many more. They even spent $250,000 on a fully animatronic boar, that is only seen in the movie for just over one second. That’s overkill and worth it!

The movie starts off with a little back story of Jake Cullen (Bill Kerr) losing his grandson due to an attack by the giant boar. It shoots ahead two years to an American journalist taking a job in Australia, some piece on how workers there are grinding up kangaroo meat and putting it in their dog food. We run into Jake again and he now hunts boars full-time, and has been since the incident. No one in town believes him about the boar, and they even tried a trial to convict him of murdering his own grandson. He was let off due to lack of evidence. The American journalist Beth Winters (Judy Morris) doesn’t last long, as she goes missing, and that prompts her husband, Carl Winters (Gregory Harrison) to come looking for her. From there, it is a race to stop the beast before it can kill anyone else.

There are stories from around the world of people being killed by wild boars. This just adds to the story, and surrounded by the desolate land of Australia, it really brings everything together. Sure the boar looks like it is built like a rhino, but you barely see it, and the fear of the unknown kicks in. There are a few subplots, but they are not overwhelming, and almost add to the terror. The subplots have action as well, and when you are getting all excited about what is happening, then that boar comes bursting back into the movie. Plenty of blood fills the screen, and the ending is one that will stay in your mind forever. A sharp and beautiful way to end the movie.

First time film director Russell Mulcahy hit the nail on the head with this one. In one attempt, he did better than some do their whole careers. That’s probably why he went on to make such amazing movies as: Highlander, Highlander 2, The Shadow, 4 episodes of Tales From The Crypt, and Resident Evil: Extinction. Ok, Resident Evil wasn’t that great, but it was better than the second one. I decided to revisit this movie when I heard his upcoming movie, Bait, was going to be his return to true horror. It features people stranded in a flooded Australian supermarket, being attacked by tiger sharks! If it has any of the beautiful elements that made Razorback great, I’m sure I will enjoy it. In Razorback, you can see what makes him a great Music Video Director. His transitions are so beautiful and flawless. Each scene flows smoothly into the next. He showed just enough of the beast to make it a creature feature great, but not too much to keep it semi-believable. Great job to everyone involved in this film, and I hope some day it gets the credit it deserves.

Entertainment Value: 8 little piglets out of 10
Cinematic Value: 7 little piglets out of 10

Its a Debate!!!

What is the worst Horror movie ever?! I want to know what everyone thinks is the one movie to stay away from.

The Blob

The Blob (1988) Dir. By Chuck Russell

My original intentions were actually to watch the original, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. My next acceptable move was to watch the remake. Just like the original, it had been over a decade since I last saw the movie. I enjoyed it back then, but I might view it a little differently now. That actually wasn’t the case. I viewed it as even better than the first time I watched it. The Blob (1988) is a great movie in so many ways, although in many ways, it owes all of it’s credit to Kevin Dillon’s hair. It should have got best supporting actor. Since I didn’t get to watch the original again yet, I’m not going to do any comparisons to it.

After watching a meteor crash down into the forest, a homeless guy travels to see what it was. What he finds is a purple goo that latches on to his hand. After consuming the rest of the man, the blob gets bigger and starts its path of destruction on the rest of the town. Only two kids, Brain Flagg (Kevin Dillon) and Meg Penny (Shawnee Smith) know about The Blob, but nobody will believe them. It is up to the to warn the whole town before the unstoppable Blob swallows them all.

With a Director like Chuck Russell, I remembered why I liked this movie in the first place. This is the same guy that brought us amazing movies like The Mask, Eraser, and Nightmare on Elm Street 3! His approach to directing is awkward, unorganized, and really, really works. Thanks to Chuck, we have an extremely good remake which essentially does fit into my rule- you can only remake movies that are 30 years old. If you watch this movie, you will understand why I say this had to be the inspiration for Ghostbusters II. The Blob must be the identical twin to the River of Ooze. The Blob is supposed to be an organism from outer space, but if you ask me it has Viggo written all over it. On a more serious note, this movie as all sorts of good things going for it. It has a strong storyline, the fear of the unknown, and the fear of the government. The acting is good enough to carry the story. There isn’t too much over acting, and I really appreciate that. The biggest downfall of The Blob is Paul McCrane, who always overacts. I can’t think of a time I have ever enjoyed watching the guy. From Robocop to The Shawshank Redemption to E.R., I have pretty much despised him. His most enjoyable moment came on the small screen. That was on E.R. when a helicopter crashed and happened to land directly on top of him as he was outside the building. That was an absolutely awesome ending to his character, which was an ass anyways, he always is. Paul’s portrayal of Deputy Bill Briggs wasn’t enough to bring the movie down.



The real winners of this film are the special effects people. They did an amazing job with the Blob and really made it extremely scary. The way it devours people is always awesome. It makes me want to watch the original even more. All parts of the movie put together like the actors are the glue. This movie is actually extremely good, and I still find it very entertaining.

Entertainment Value: 8 Stick Poking Hobos out of 10
Cinematic Value: 8 Stick Poking Hobos out of 10

50 Pack Horror Classics- Disk 2- Side A

Black Dragons (1942) Dir. By William Nigh

Prior to the beginning of World War II, the Nazis, at the request of Japan's Black Dragon Society, sends Doctor Melcher to Japan to transform six Japanese into identical likenesses of six prominent Americans. The Americans are done away with and Melcher, on the orders of High Dragon Yakhamea, is imprisoned so his secret will die with him. In his cell, Melcher switches places with the soon-to-be-released Colomb and, when he is freed, follows the six Japanese to America, where they have assumed the positions of the industrialists and are causing sabotage in the Monogram defense plants that didn't exist yet as the war hadn't started. One by one Melcher kills the impostors, despite the fact they are performing for-free work for his employer Adolph, and dumps their bodies on the steps of the Japanese Embassy, which still existed as the war hadn't started. FBI Chief Colton and agent Dick Martin finally piece together what the five murdered men had in common---aha, a visit to Japan---and stake out the sixth man as bait for Melcher. Written by Les Adams {longhorn1939@suddenlink.net}

It seems to me that a lot of these Horror Classics really aren’t horror at all. I’m not saying they aren’t good movies, just not horror. Black Dragons is more of a drama. The only scary part of the movie is how Bela Lugosi is a scary good actor. I can see how this movie may have played off the fears of the 1940’s. The fear of the Nazis, the Japanese, imposters, and murderers. This movie has the most complex plot I have ever seen in an hour long movie. Sometimes it is a little hard to follow. I caught up about midway through the movie. Had the supporting cast been anything more than mediocre I might have enjoyed this movie a little more. Lugosi is really the only strong point of the film. The movie gets progressively better as the movie goes along, but it wasn’t enough to keep me terribly interested. The Story was choppy and riddled with holes. Editing was atrocious and lacked anything reminiscent of a decent transition. A few amazing camera shots and a slight amount of action keep it from becoming a snooze fest.



After some interesting plot twists, and a hilariously unnecessary flashback, I’d say that Black Dragons is watchable, but I can’t say I would care to see it more than once. I would actually nominate it to be remade though.

Entertainment Value: 5 Jap Daggers out of 10
Cinematic Value: 5 Jap Daggers out of 10




Invisible Ghost (1941) Dir. By Joseph H. Lewis

Bela Lugosi stars as Charles Kessler, a man turned to homicidal maniac due to desertion by his wife. Old western extraordinaire Joseph H. Lewis does an excellent job directing this tense thriller.

The movie starts off by giving you almost all the facts off the bat, and allows you to put them together yourself. Ernie Adams ( of 1932’s Freaks) gives a strong but short performance as the man hiding Mrs. Kessler. The extremely inventive direction by Lewis is as breathtaking as the dignified treatment of the black Evans the Butler (played by Clarence Muse). Then there is Bela, and his amazing ability to play two different sides of the same character, the vicious killer, and the respectable town citizen. He is the glue that holds this movie together. Sound recorder Glen Glenn adds to the tension with a good music background, very subtle and not too overused. Lewis uses one of my favorite Hitchcock style lighting schemes. The half light, half dark lighting portrayed when Lugosi is on the screen implies the collide of his good and evil side. The ending really makes the story all come together, and really leaves you thinking about the events that lead up to the dramatic finish.



All in all, great written story, good acting, and nearly perfect execution make this an amazing movie, and truly a classic.

Entertainment Value: 9 Burning Candles out of 10
Cinematic Value: 10 Burning Candles out of 10

DVD of the Week! - Zombieland

Zombieland (2009) Dir. Ruben Fleischer

It's not far off when people say this is America's answer to Shaun of the Dead. Two men, Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) and Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), find themselves in a zombie filled post apocalyptic world, and decide to ride together for a short amount of time. After running into two girls, Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), the four carry on together doing whatever it takes to survive. Showing itself as not just a horror comedy, but an emotional ride through action filled character driven scenes. I saw this movie in the theater when it came out and watching it a second and third time(with commentary), it never looses it appeal. I could sit here and rattle on about how amazing this movie is, but most people already know. Then again, this isn't a movie review, this is a DVD review.



First off, is the commentary. The commentary on this movie comes from Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Ruben Fleischer, Rhett Reese, and Paul Wernick, and not only is is extremely hilarious, but it is also extremely insightful. When they are talking, you actually feel like you are there making the movie with them. You learn so much about the film through them discussing it scene by scene. One of the best commentaries I have ever seen.

In Search of Zombieland- this documentary short about making Zombieland starts of with an amazing montage of zombie kills with heavy metal music in the background. It has essential interviews as to how Zombieland came to be. It started off as a T.V. show that never got picked up, and the writers discuss the process to making it into a feature film. Then it takes off with a discussion about each individual character and how the creators feel then have the ultimate cast for a zombie film. Then they throw in interviews with a zombie that just cracked me up. Everyone does seem a little obsessed with Emma Stone, but then again who wouldn't be? The zombie auditions are outstanding! It is the first time I have ever really seen a DVD dive into the zombie auditions.

Zombieland Is Your Land- is more of how the movie was made, but shows more of a behind the scenes theme. A real focus is on the environment, or the sets. The showing of the fake supermarket is amazing. They show how they made the grocery store scene without actually filling the store with real groceries! Then they talk about the theme park itself in great depth.



Deleted scenes- It really sucks that these clips didn't make it into the movie. Most of these clips are amazing, but I can also see how they might have slowed the movie down a little bit. It always pisses me off when I get a DVD that doesn't have any special features, because I live for them. This DVD did not disappoint. Even the deleted scenes are not some short three second clips that really add nothing to the film. These clips are deep with emotion and story, but couldn't be kept in because they slowed the movie too much.

Visual Effects Progressions. This just shows how they developed a couple of the huge visual effects scenes of the movie. Slow and boring, but kind of interesting to see how they were developed step by step.

Woke Up Dead Episode- An episode about a guy who wakes up dead, played by Jon Heder. I looked it up, and apparently its a TV series that has had one season. I wasn't really impressed by the show, and it's small implications that it was about a zombie were almost insulting, but it still doesn't bring down the value of the DVD.

All in all, this movie is essential to every one's collection, whether you like zombie movies or comedies. I give this DVD a big ol'