The Spooky Hoot

The Body Parts of a Good Horror Movie.

admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:03:06 +0000

In 1945, Ealing studios released a film that would make a lasting impression on the Horror movie genre. Not only was, ‘Dead of Night’ a frighteningly good movie to watch, but it also pioneered the anthology idea. Showcasing five separate tales within one main storyline really was a stroke of genius. And not only did it appeal to cinemagoers… but also to many up and coming filmmakers.

A few more anthology Horrors would appear over the next two decades, but it wasn’t until Amicus films arrived on the scene that things really took off. Suddenly, the anthology formula was the hottest formula of all when you were putting together a creepy flick. Needless to say, a long list of these movies quickly came about; ‘Dr Terror’s House of Horrors’, ‘Torture Garden’, ‘The House That Dripped Blood’, ‘Vault of Horror’, ‘Tales From the Crypt’… And these all proved to be enormously popular.

Over time however, the Horror film industry has latched onto other ideas and moved a long way away from the anthology blueprint… There have of course been a few fleeting returns to this tried and tested formula (most notably, ‘Creepshow'and ‘The Monster Club’), but little else has happened with the ‘collected creepy tales'thing for quite some time…

Hopefully, at some point, the film industry will remember just how successful the anthology idea was. And then they will send some of their finest directors to pull it back out from behind the biodiesel storage tanks in the yard, dust it down and drag it back (screaming) into the daylight. Things may now be far more high tech when it comes to Horror films, but the anthology idea would still work a treat. Twenty-first century bells and whistles are all well and good… but they are a whole lot more effective when attached to a top-notch idea!

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Fright Night 2011: Not All That

admin — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 20:33:04 +0000

The ’80’s horror flick Fright Night got itself a remake and was released in August this year. Now lets us be clear here, Fright Night the original was easily one of horrors best vampire movies ever made. It had very good special effect especially for that era and it was filled with a horror and comedy. Considering the success of the original movie one would think that it was a big budget movie but it was not.

The original movies cost about $9 million to make and it grossed close to $25 million at the box office. It was by far the highest grossing horror film of 1985. The current remake had a budget of about $30 million and to date it has grossed just over $37 million worldwide in box office receipts.

For those of us in Manchester who have seen the movie and had gone to our tailors Manchester for a new casual pants to wear prior to going we were a bit disappoint with this new version.

This version follows the original to a Tee and the only noticeable change was Amy who plays Charlie’s girlfriend and also it appears that for this version Charlie’s friend evil Ed is the brains of the movies.

Ed notices the disappearances and points it out to Charlie, and he is also the one who suspects that Jerry, Charlie’s neighbour (Colin Farrel) could be the bad guy.

David Tennant, who is a British Actor, plays Peter Vincent a magician turned vampire hunter. He along with Charlie, Charlie’s mother, and Charlie’s girlfriend begin a kind of cat and mouse game with Jerry.

For me the movie really did not do too much and was a bit short of the fright and humour of the first instalment. If you did not see the original then chances are you will like this one.

From Hell

admin — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:33:04 +0000

Nowadays it seems easy to create a horror film dedicated to the modern era - different concepts can be invented in almost all spheres including even R4i Card data storage unites. However, it seems difficult to create a credible movie related to older ages such as the Victorian times. And From Hell is a movie just brilliant, probably among the best horror-thrillers ever created, that depicts exactly the times of Victorian London and the murders committed by one of the most famous serial killers - Jack the Ripper.

‘One day someone would look back and say that I gave birth to the twentieth century.’

Jack the Ripper

Directed by the famous Hugh brothers and starring Johnny Depp (a police inspector) and Heather Graham (one of Jack’s targeted victims), the film tells the story of the investigation of the famous Whitechapel killer.
The movie is a brilliant mixture of Gothic elements, freemasonry rituals and trends among the high class British society. Inspector Abberline is the only capable police officer in Scotland Yard able to discover and successfully investigate the monstrosities of the Ripper. Despite being overcome by drug addiction and alcohol use, his abilities to foresee and analyze the steps of the murderer lead him to the path of finding the true identity of the Ripper.

Filled with blood, mystery and darkness, the film is a perfect representation (according to many the best ever made) of the events in 1888 when London was hit by the notorious serial killer. Combining brutal scenes of murder, depicting the true self of a mentally disturbed man obsessed with the ritual of murder, the Hugh brothers managed to create a horrific and yet somehow different film. The perfect play by the actors makes the spectator almost feel as a part of the mystery, the brutal ways Jack dealt with his victims would make even a completely calm person shake. Using true facts and slight bits of fiction, the directors have managed to produce one of the most accredited horror movies of Hollywood.

Fear and wonder: The House of The Devil

admin — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 11:07:30 +0000

In 2009, a film came out which actually did unsettle me; more than that it made me consider the direction of modern cinema and wonder back to the days of old when horror films were, for me, an intense fascination and something to marvel at. I wouldn’t say it scared the pants off me, but what I will say is this: if you’re the kind of person who rarely watches horror films, this will be one that proves why…

Imagine you reply to an advert for a babysitting job; you’re a student and this? It seems like what you’ve been waiting to find for ages, and it should just about save you from being late to make your rent. This is what you think it is, until you finally meet the person who placed the ad – after a strange series of events such as them not meeting you where they said they would and not answering their phone – and discover that it isn’t what you thought it was. You’re slightly anxious about this…not so much worried as a bit weirded out. But, despite your friend telling you this is too bizarre and begging you to leave with her, you go to the job: the house which is in the middle of nowhere, in the dead of the night…

Rather than going for cheap gags and shock value, it opts for a minimalist approach

What’s really fascinating about this film, other than the fact it looks almost identical to the B movies of the 1970s and 80s, is that it is such a slow burner. Much of the film is shrouded in mystery and questions: what is really going on? Why is nothing happening? Will anything ever happen?

At least, until things DO start to happen. It is at this point when things take a turn for the worst…and when the horror of what really lies inside the dreaded house is finally exposed…what has been lying in wait all along…

Like a tailor made suit website , the film is taught and well made. It is clean, precise, and realistic. Rather than going for cheap gags and shock value, it opts for a minimalist approach where, as stated before, large periods of time are spent showing us very little. In these respects you might think it a boring film, but this is, in fact, where it succeeds: by making plot points out of the mundane and immersing the viewer in normality which we can all associate with, we see things from the main character’s pint of view. It is this which is ultimately more frightening than an assortment of special effects and blood & guts.

When will Grave Encounters be released in the UK?

admin — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 12:33:16 +0000

A friend of mine showed me the trailer for a film called Grave Encounters the other day, another one of those films that is shot in a documentary style to create that Blair Witch “is it real?” fashion. As much as I meet a lot of people who groan about these types of films consistently being made I have to say I do enjoy them. They are kind of becoming their own sub genre of horror and they always have that guaranteed appeal.

The trailer itself has definitely grabbed my attention. It is a film based around a group of documentary making paranormal investigators, similar to real television programmes like Ghost Hunters and Most Haunted. They find themselves investigating an old disused mental asylum, a location that takes them way over their heads. The footage from the trailer looks terrifying enough as it is and I can’t wait to see it. From what I see the acting is also really good, something that can sometimes be a bit neglected with these types of films. Paranormal Activity managed to hit it on the head with the cast they got but if anyone is told to try and act terrified for the camera it can fail quite easily.

The only problem is I can’t find any information on when it might be released in the UK. I can see there are dates for selected theatres in the states but nothing in England. Am I to believe that I won’t be able to see this film for even longer? I’d even consider getting laser hair removal Brentwood for my girlfriend if she would agree to getting hold of and watching this film with me.

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‘Avoid the Remake #3 - ‘Quarantine’

admin — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 07:39:06 +0000

Definitions –

· ‘REC'- a ground-breaking Spanish Horror movie made in the ‘shaky camera'vein.

· ‘Quarantine'– a very good American remake of ‘REC'except for one big problem…

As far as American cinema goes, remakes of foreign language films can be a very lucrative business. You take a good, solid story with plenty of imagination, couple it with a bigger budget, add oodles of CGIs and turn it into a blockbuster. Of course, this can sometimes go horribly wrong and you will simply end up with a super-expensive turkey instead…

However, ‘Quarantine'is by no means a turkey; it is actually very well (re) made film. The only problem is (and it’s a major one) that the (re) makers removed a fundamental part of the story. As a single, one-off movie, this does not matter too much. But if they were planning on doing remakes of ‘REC’s sequels (one of which has already been released whilst two others are in production), then they have effectively shot themselves in the foot! The lesson? ‘Part-of-a-story removal'is just as delicate a procedure as bikini hair removal!

SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!!! Stop reading now if you have yet to see ‘REC'or ‘Quarantine’!!!! SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!!!

The whole idea behind ‘REC'was a fusion of science and religion. The ‘virus'actually came from the blood samples of a possessed girl. Perhaps the (re) makers did not deem this to be appropriate viewing for an American audience, but I do not really see why. After all, there are certainly far more controversial and disturbing Horror flicks out there which involve religion in their main theme.

So, if you were hoping to see a trailer for ‘Quarantine 2’, you could be in for a very long wait indeed!

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‘Avoid the Remake #2 - ‘War of the Worlds.’

admin — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 07:39:02 +0000

There are certain things in life that YOU SIMPLY DO NOT do! Here are 3 quick examples –

1. YOU SIMPLY DO NOT ask for a new pair of shoes in a fish and chip shop.

2. YOU SIMPLY DO NOT buy a bikini hair removal kit for your grandmother.

3. YOU SIMPLY DO NOT create a remake of ‘War of the Worlds’.

Unfortunately, Steven Spielberg was totally unaware of these fundamental ‘wrongs'(or at least one of them) and that is why we are all here now…

Tom Cruise: super-smooth pretty boy and one of this generation’s biggest sex symbols; not the ideal choice for the leading role in this sort of movie, but there you go. And why oh why did a good director like Mr Spielberg feel it necessary to make a rubbish movie like this? The only bigger mystery is that of why the pyramids are aligned with the stars!

There is very little to say about the 2005 version of ‘War of the Worlds'because it is just so appallingly bad! Sure, it will keep younger viewers quiet with its big budget special effects and it does have a certain ‘entertainment value’; just not in the way that it was intended… Right from the off, there is one blatant mistake after another. For instance, early on in the movie there is a total loss of power; no electricity, no cars, no batteries, nothing, nada. But then we see Mr Cruise filming the extra-terrestrial goings-on with his video camera…

If you want a, ‘War of the Worlds'that sticks closely to H.G.Well’s brilliant novel, then it is the 1953 version you are after. It may be a little bit dated, but it is certainly a lot less silly!!

‘Avoid the Remake #1: ‘The Hitcher’.’

admin — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 07:38:58 +0000

Back in the mid-1980s, everyone with a love of scary films had seen ‘The Hitcher’. It’s just the way things were; like using a bikini hair removal kit (if you were female) or wearing a ‘Frankie Says Relax't-shirt!

After its release in 1986, ‘The Hitcher'rapidly became a cult classic. Rutger Hauer had finally found his niche and all was well in the world of Horror. Until 2007 that is… when some ‘bright spark'decided to create a remake of this landmark in modern cinema (never a good idea).

Okay, so replacing Rutger Hauer with Sean Bean was forgivable; after all, he certainly looks like a roadside nut-job and he has also done some pretty good films. However, after that there are precious few good things to remark on. I’m not quite sure where it actually went horribly wrong, but the fact of the matter is that it did!

The tension and suspense of the original movie appear to be completely absent from the 2007 effort. Mr Bean plays John Ryder well enough whilst Zachary Knighton and Sophia Bush are borderline-acceptable in their roles of (as-yet-still-animated) road-kill. However, the film just seems to lumber along at a painful pace without creating much of an atmosphere at all. And was it really a good move to use a David Gray song in the film??? Surely there was something a bit more suitable…

If you want to watch a genuinely scary movie about a psychotic hitchhiker, then have a look around the charity shops for the original, that’s my advice!

‘The Genius of Doktor Caligari.’

admin — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 07:35:16 +0000

If you thought that Horror movies were a modern idea, then you most definitely need to think again. They have actually been in existence for a whole lot longer than you would have imagined; right from the earliest days of cinema in fact!

‘Okay, but surely any vintage Horror flicks are not going to be any good….' Wrong again! Of course, there are some really crappy ones to avoid (much as there are some really crappy modern ones), but there are also plenty of absolute doozies. And one of the finest examples of all is the silent German classic, ‘Das Kabinett des Doktor Caligari‘ from 1920.

There is something undeniably eerie about this movie, even by today’s standards. It tells the story of a mad doctor (Caligari) who controls a sleepwalking man to carry out a series of murders. A creepy idea you may agree, although it may not sound super-scary up to now. Well that is because you have yet to see the imagery of the film…

To describe the black and white sets of ‘The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari'as being ‘a wee bit unsettling'would be a gross understatement. The stark, elongated shadows and sharp, exaggerated angles really are the stuff of nightmares. German Expressionist cinema was always striking and this movie encapsulated it all better than any other. It really is a case of ‘you have to see it to believe it’!

Unsurprisingly, ‘The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari'has had a huge impact on cinema since the 1920’s and it is one of the cobweb-covered ‘granddaddies'in the world of Horror. It does not need to concern itself with CGIs, big budgets and sexy stars who advertise beer or bikini hair removal in their spare time. ‘Caligari'deals with the fundamentals of Horror and it is a movie that should be in any connoisseurs DVD collection!

’28 Movies Later…’

admin — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 07:35:12 +0000

Okay, so ’28 Days Later'may now be nine years old, but it is still one of my most favouritist Horror movies ever. When Danny Boyle created this masterpiece, he got everything in exactly the right place; ace photography, a superb story, an excellent cast and that music!!! Wow, it simply has to be one of the best soundtracks for any Horror film; ever! But when ’28 Days Later'was first released, I was actually a little bit hesitant about watching it at all… ‘Zombies that can run? What???? That’s just wrong!’ However, after I finally got around to watching it on DVD one night, I realised just how big a mistake I had made. This film was an absolute corker and the sprinting undead idea worked wonderfully (especially with the ‘fill-your-pants'camera-work; those brief flashes of cannibalistic nut-jobs really is scaaaary!!!).

Of course, we then had the inevitable sequel, ’28 Weeks Later’! And, although it was still very good, it didn’t quite have the same impact as the first movie had. Perhaps we were now all far more accustomed to the idea of ‘high-speed flesh-nippers'leaving us in need of cosmetic surgery! And now there is talk of a third film in the series (entitled, ’28 Months Later'which is no great surprise!). I just hope that Danny Boyle climbs back into the director’s chair for this one or it may turn the whole thing into a bland and repetitive franchise. Because there are more than enough of these in the world of Horror movies as it is!!!