DEEP RED (1975) Review

Directed by: Dario Argento

Starring: David Hemmings, Daria Nicolodi, Gabriele Lavia

As far as Giallo films go, I don't really have a lot of experience. I've watched maybe three or four. And as far as Dario Argento movies go I'm even more inexperienced, having only watched Susperia. So when this movie was suggested to me I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.

Deep Red, (or Profondo Rosso in Italian) is hailed as Dario Argento's masterpiece, and after watching it, it's easy to see why. It's been only 16 hours since I watched it and I already consider it to be one of the finest horror films I've seen.

Marcus Daly (David Hemmings) is a pianist who witness the brutal murder of a famous psychic through the window of a motel. After venturing into the room he subconsciously notices a vital clue, but the exact nature of the clue eludes him for much of the film. He teams up with reporter Gianna Brezzi (played by Argento's partner at the time Daria Nicolodi) and before long they find themselves on the hunt for a serial killer.

That's the general story, but there is so much more to it than that. The movie is full of suspense, mystery, gore, humor, style, twists and turns. The technical aspect is also amazing, from the vivid colors to the great tracking shots. I don't really like it when people start speaking of movies as art, but with this particular film it's hard not to. And the soundtrack performed by Italian progressive rock band Goblin, is perfect. From the bass driven opening theme to the funk rock atmospherics, it perfectly matches the film.

If there is one criticism I have it is with the dialogue constantly switching between English and Italian. At one moment two characters will be conversing in (what sounds to me like) fluent Italian, and then all of a sudden they break into perfect English. It was a little distracting, but definitely not enough to stop me enjoying the film. A brilliant blend of horror and mystery, Deep Red is a movie all horror fans need to see.

Clive Barker CABAL Book Review

Cabal was the first Clive Barker book I ever read, and is definitely one of my favorites. I've been wishing for a sequel ever since, and according to Clive, there just may be one on the way. I've been a bit hesitant to see the film adaptation Nightbreed because after reading the book I already have images of all of the characters, scenarios and the mythical Midian firmly in my mind's eye. I'm afraid the movie will be a disappointment.
But anyway.
The story centres on Aaron Boone, a very troubled man who is having very gruesome and bizarre dreams which he discussed with his psychiatrist Dr Decker. But Decker convinces Boone that they are not dreams, but in fact memories of terrible murders he has committed. He even pulls some crime scene photographs from the police which match up to Boone's dreams.
After a bad trip, Boone throws himself in front of a truck and winds up in hospital where he encounters a patient who asks to be taken to Midian. Midian is a word Boone recognizes from his dreams, but before he can get any information, the patient takes some hooks and rips his face off.
Boone escapes from the hospital and goes looking for Midian, and he finds it. A cemetery, seemingly empty. Until he comes face to face with the Nightbreed.
Eventually Dr Decker arrives at the cemetery with the police, who shoot and kill Boone. He later awakens in a morgue with his gunshot healed, and flees.
Boone's girlfriend Lori makes a trip to Midian to see where he was killed, and to try and understand why. She doesn't believe that he could have done those terrible things. If only she could see Midian maybe she could get some answers. When she arrives she saves a young Nightbreed girl from the deadly sun and returns her to her mother. This is when she discovers what lies beneath the cemetery.

Cabal is definitely a satisfying read for Barker fans, and is written in his typical fashion, blending gore with fantasy. It explores his common themes, primarily of the darker urges of humanity and the seduction of the sinister.

HALLOWEEN 2 (2009) Review

Directed by: Rob Zombie

Starring: Scout Taylor-Compton, Tyler Mane, Malcolm McDowell, Danielle Harris

Even though I am still under the belief that Rob Zombie's first Halloween remake was too harshly judged, (I'll admit it wasn't great, but as far as remakes go it was definitely above average) I will agree with the majority that this sequel is a big steaming pile of crap.

Whereas the first film succeeded in bringing something new to the story, (focusing on Myers' childhood) this movie had nothing fresh and was quite frankly boring. There was no suspense, no surprises. Just a body count. And when that's the only thing that matters, there is something really wrong. And the dream sequences with Michael's mother? And the white horse? What the fuck was all that about? That crap is more suited to the music videos that Rob Zombie directs.

Scout Taylor-Compton was annoying with her whimpering voice, and did no justice at all to scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis. Malcolm McDowell did perfectly fine with what he was given, but that didn't really amount to much. The muted atmosphere (more so than in the previous film) was good, but the killing scenes weren't even satisfying, horribly edited and not shocking at all. Even Danielle Harris couldn't make this film bearable for me.

I'll admit that I liked the first remake, but this sequel was entirely unnecessary. Do yourself a favor and give this one a miss. And if you do see it, don't hope for too much. I'm probably doing it a favor by giving it two stars.

Stephen King News

Apart from the recent revelation that Stephen King would like to see Lindsay Lohan cast as Carrie White in the upcoming Carrie remake, there is also some good news regarding the master of horror.

First of all is the announcement that his newest novel 11/22/63 will be hitting the shelves on November 8th 2011. A story revolving around time travel and the JFK assassination, it sounds like a great read. More info here -
http://www.stephenking.com/promo/11-22-63/announcement/

Then there's the news that his most recent novel Full Dark, No Stars is out in a paperback edition with an unreleased short story titled Under the Weather -
http://www.stephenking.com/library/story_collection/full_dark_no_stars.html

The 25th anniversary edition of his amazing novel It, is also available for pre-order in an Oversized and special Slipcased Gift Edition -
http://www.stephenking.com/promo/IT_25th/

Also, the next book in the Dark Tower saga is set to be released in Spring 2012 with illustrations by Jae Lee - http://www.stephenking.com/promo/wind_through_the_keyhole/announcement/

20 Upcoming Horror Remakes - Part 2

11. Pet Sematary (1989)


It seems like Stephen King has become hot property again in Hollywood, with remakes of It, Carrie and The Stand on the way. A franchise is being built around his Dark Tower series, and Pet Sematary is getting a makeover. Screenwriter Matt Greenberg (1408) has turned a draft in to Paramount who are looking for a high-level director for the project. All I can say is, it won't be the same without Fred Gwynne.

12. Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959)


John Johnson and Darkstone Entertainment were set to start filming this remake on the 25th of March in Virginia. Widely hailed as the worst movie ever, Ed Wood's masterpiece will make a very interesting remake indeed. I loved the original and I'm definitely not looking forward to this remake at all.

13. Shocker (1989)

Rumors of a remake of Wes Craven's Shocker and The People Under the Stairs have been around for a few years now. But it's starting to look like we may not see them any time soon. This is what Wes has to say

"You know, I think there was a little [period] where we were kind of doing remakes - [though] the 'Nightmare on Elm Street' remake was made by totally different people - but part of that was just the result of discovering that we owned those projects again after 30 years," said Craven. "But definitely by the end of the second 'Hills Have Eyes' film remake, I felt like, you know, I'm spending too much of my time and energy doing this, and I need to get back to directing. And so...I wrote 'My Soul to Take' and then signed up for ['Scream 4']."

14. Hellraiser (1987)


What, no more sequels? Thank fuck for that! This is apparently going to be more of a reboot than a remake. I've personally had more than enough Hellraiser to last a lifetime with the first two films being the only ones I actually enjoyed. For more details here's a link:    http://www.movieweb.com/news/hellraiser-remake-wont-be-retelling-clive-barkers-story

15. Suspiria (1977)


Dario Argento's classic film (and embarrassingly the only film of his that I've seen so far) is being remade. David Gordon Green has a new script written and wants to make it his next film. The good news is that the script is said to be very faithful to the original, and the remake will even be using the original score by Italian band Goblin.

16. Total Recall (1990)

Yeah I know it isn't a horror film, but this is my list and my blog, so fuck you. While this remake will not be starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, there are a few big names in it. Colin Farrel, Kate Beckinsale, Ethan Hawke & Bill Nighy. Apparently it will be sticking closer to the original novel, and will in fact skip the entire trip to Mars which will be interesting. Scheduled for release August 3 2012.

17. Motel Hell (1980)

All of the info I've found on this is fairly old, but apparently MGM has sold the rights to Twisted Pictures and they are planning to make it into a franchise... (sigh)

18. Re-Animator (1985)

Reportedly a 3D remake, this will be brought to you courtesy of producer Ray Haboush and Brian Yuzna, director of the Re-Animator sequels and producer of the first entry. The question of when this remake will come around is still not clear though, with Brian Yuzna being busy with other projects at the moment.

19. Poltergeist (1982)

IMDb has listed Production company MGM, as well as writers Scott Derrickson and Stiles White. Tobe Hooper's original film grossed over $122 million worldwide and earned Oscar nominations for it's effects. This is another prefect example of a movie which just doesn't need to be remade.

20. Another Stephen King adaptation being remade. Even after the terrible sequel and the horrible made-for-TV version, MGM and Screen Gems are teaming up to remake this classic film. My first impression is that this is a very bad idea, especially since I can think of nobody else who would be convincing in the role of Carrie. I have a feeling this is really going to suck. Big time.

UPDATE: Ok, now i know this is going to suck....   http://www.nerve.com/news/movies/stephen-king-wants-lindsay-lohan-to-play-carrie-in-upcoming-remake


I was considering continuing this list but I really can't be bothered at the moment. So here is a quick list of even more horror remakes.

An American Werewolf in London
Battle Royale
Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things
Firestarter
Frankenstein
Godzilla
Hell Night
Martyrs
Maximum Overdrive
Rosemary's Baby
The Blob
The Fly
The Crow
The Howling
The Toxic Avenger
The Stand

And plenty more...

THE THING 2011 Prequel Script Leak

Ok, so I'm still not 100% sure that this is genuine. But from what people have been saying in forums, it seems like the real deal. It has the correct name (Ronald D Moore) and it is in correct script format. I have not had the time to read the entire script (and I'm not even sure if I want to) but from what I've heard it is done in a very professional manner and could possibly be the final draft. If it is real I don't want to spoil it by reading the script before the film comes out, but like a kid who finds out where his parents have hidden the Christmas presents, it is rather tempting. So if I do indeed read it, I will post my own personal opinion on it. Anyway, below is the link to download the pdf file, and you might want to hurry before the copyright Nazi's get to it. And I doubt I have to tell you this but, MAJOR SPOILER ALERT! If you do not want to spoil the film then do NOT download this, even on the off chance that it isn't genuine. Other than that, enjoy!

UPDATE 02/28/2012: Sorry guys but I've just received a cease and desist in regards to the link I had posted so I have taken it down.

20 Upcoming Horror Remakes - Part 1

1. The Monster Squad (1987)


The Monster Squad is one of my all time favorite movies. Period. I never owned a copy until quite recently, but my cousins had it on VHS when I was a kid and I would watch it every time we went to visit. This upcoming remake is being produced by Brad Fuller, who worked on the shitty Friday the 13th remake and the shitty Nightmare on Elm St remake. I don't like to be a pessimist, but I have no doubt that this is going to suck.

2 Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1978)


The cult classic film about a group of scientists banding together to save the world from mutated, killer tomatoes is getting a makeover. Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine, the guys behind the popular web series 'Ask a Ninja' are writing the adaptation, with Nichols making his directorial debut. This was one of those films which are so bad that they are good, so I actually think a remake could work. I guess we'll just have to wait and see!

3. The Birds (1963)


Platinum Dunes is apparently re-doing this classic Hitchcock thriller. It won't be a true remake though, with the story taking a different path than the original. It would be interesting to see what they could come up with using modern technology and effects. But this isn't a remake I'm looking forward to at all.

4. Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954)


No official director for this one, but here's what producer Marc Abraham had to say - 


"We’ve gone through a bunch of different incarnations of scripts, and none that me and my partner were satisfied with. Gary Ross is involved with us as a producer [along with] his wife, Allison [Thomas]. None of us have been satisfied. I think we have a really cool take on the movie now – [a] much hipper, [more] interesting version of it, and we’re looking for a new writer who’s after that. And, in fact, I just had breakfast and I was writing down my notes about it, about how I think it should go. I think we have a really cool take on it. Still set in South America, really a more 'not-a-guy-in-a-rubber-suit'…[it's a] much more psychological transformation, more literary transformation. I think a really interesting idea."

5. Child's Play (1988)


Well at least it's not another sequel. The original film was super creepy, but with each sequel this franchise just kept getting deeper into totally stupid territory. MGM is planning to reboot the series, and the upcoming remake is supposed to take on a more serious darker tone, with a less comedic approach. Also, Brad Dourif is returning to voice Chucky. I'm not getting my hopes up for this one, but maybe it will surprise me.

6. Day of the Triffids (1962)


Rumor has it that Sam Raimi and Mandate Pictures paid 7 figures for the rights to remake this film, which is apparently one of Raimi's favorite childhood movies. This story about intelligent, carnivorous plant could actually be a really great remake, especially if Raimi is as passionate about it as he sounds.

7. Escape From New York (1981)


Breck Eisner, who directed the recent remake of The Crazies, is set to helm this remake also. Personally I don't think this film should ever be remade. I can't see it being improved in any way. But I did enjoy The Crazies so I will give this one a chance, I guess. Rumor has it that Timothy Olyphant will be playing Snake Plissken, which is a totally horrible idea and I hope it is not true.

8. The Evil Dead (1981)


I know, this news makes me feel sick to my stomach too. But maybe these quotes direct from Bruce Campbell will comfort you, at least a little.


"We are remaking Evil Dead. The script is awesome. I will be one of the producers and possibly play the milk man."


"In all honesty, we would all love to make another 'Evil Dead' movie. When that will happen? Who can say - we're all working on other jobs right now. We're not trying to dodge anybody's questions, there just isn't that much to talk about. The remake's gonna kick ass—you have my word."


The big question though, is who will play Ash? There have been a bunch of names kicked around including Sean William Scott and Ashton Kutcher (Oh dear god, please no...)

9. I Walked With A Zombie (1943)


Before George Romero gave us reanimated corpses, this is what a zombie film was. Supernatural evil, voodoo curses and strange rituals. The remake will be titled The Plantation and has been written by Adam Marcus and Debra Sullivan. Producer Oren Koules (Saw I - VII) is also attached.

10. It (1990)


The well known miniseries with Tim Curry as Pennywise the clown is being remade. And I think it is actually a great idea. The good news is that it will be R-rated. The bad news is that they're going to try and squeeze Stephen King's 1000+ pages into a single feature film. I still think it will have a hard time being worse than the original.




Part 2 of this list will be posted soon.

Good Stephen King Adaptations

Stephen King texts in a majority of cases get the absolute shit beaten out of them by crappy-assed directors, poor production values and inadequate budgets. Very rarely a highly acclaimed director would come along (with a suitable budget) doing the books some much needed justice. David Cronenberg for instance (amongst my favorite film makers) is the director of many psychological thrillers and more prominently the godfather of the genre known as "physiological terror". Stanley Kubrik... well... enough said. There's also John Carpenter who is a trail blazer in terms of the horror genre and last but most definitely not the least is Brian 'motherfucking' De Palma, the king of suspense. Nail biting frustrating suspense.

The Shining (Stanley Kubrik): This particular film is not completely faithful to the text. Although it is a magnificent re-imagining. This film still retains the power to scare the shit out of people many decades after its first screening. Kubrik's directing coupled with dream-like surrealism is really necessary for the adaptation. Thankfully I read the book after watching the film. I'm thankful because the film lost its loving touch after reading the much superior book. Still a magnificent film.

Christine (John Carpenter): John Carpenter brilliantly works Kings book to the screen, this film (as all of John Carpenters movies) is a special effects bonanza. It was very appropriate that Carpenter directed this, as special effects laden films are his specialty. Plus that schmick red Plymouth is fucking gorgeous.

The Dead Zone (David Cronenberg): This particular adaption wasn't very well received. It does stand as an excellent 90 minute condensation of the book. Even better is the fact they perfectly cast Christopher Walken as the stories accidental psychic. Again the paranormal thriller is completely in Cronenberg's ball park and he does a brilliant job. The only real changes is the violence being toned down a considerable amount to that of the text.

Carrie (Brian De Palma): This film is so taut. The prelude to Carrie destroying the high school is one of the most suspenseful endings to any film ever made. De Palma's revolutionary 'split-screen' effect has a brilliant advantage in being able to faithfully transcribe the chaos in Kings book to the screen. It again is an excellent adaption of a King text.

Maximum Overdrive (Stephen King): This movie is a timeless classic. King turns his own short story 'Trucks' into a homage of 50's B-grade science fiction trash. There are many nods to the likes of Ed Wood in terms of its absurdity and implausibility. Plus the sound track is by AC/DC, what the fuck else could you ask for? Emilio Estevez? Yep, he's in it and he is a total bad ass. Conversations with inanimate objects like road trains and cars with machine gun turrets? Yep, that shit is in this movie as well. All in all, this movie fucking rocks. Sadly the filmed flopped and as expected King got black listed as a director.
Also watch out for the blatant AC/DC cameo.

Here is a shortlist (other wise I'd carry on forever and besides I really need to do some stuff around the house):

Misery
Pet Cemetery
Children of the Corn
The Running Man (the book was written under Kings pseudonym 'Richard Bachman')

I think that just about covers it. The rest are absolute putrid shit. The worst would have to be Sleep Walkers and IT. IT is one of the best books I've ever read and the best Stephen King book (with The Stand coming in as second best), I really wanted the film to be at least a little bit like it BUT instead I got a 3 hour mass spectacle of shit being smashed by shit. Besides if anyone has read IT, IT'S easy to see that a majority of the best material in the book is totally and completely UN-FILM-ABLE.

LAID TO REST (2009) Review

Directed by: Robert Hall

Starring: Bobbi Sue Luther, Kevin Gage, Lena Headey

I'm not quite sure why, but I have a real soft spot for this movie. I know that it's nothing new or spectacular in horror, but I love it all the same. Every now and then I like to watch a horror film that doesn't require too much thinking, or even your full attention. In fact this is the kind of movie that you could miss quite a large chunk of and still have a pretty good idea what has happened.

The film starts off with a disoriented young girl waking up in a coffin. She has no idea where she is, who she is or why she is lying in a casket inside a funeral home. Before long we meet the man who put her there. Chromeskull. True to his name, his only really distinguishable feature is the chrome skull mask he wears over his face. He also has a video camera perched on his shoulder. So although the unknown female (Bobbi Sue Luther) has no idea what is happening, she realizes quite quickly that Chromeskull is not a nice guy. The rest of the film is rather generic (but not in a bad way) with the girl being chased by the villain, meeting some people who try and help her along the way, and narrowly avoiding death while realizing her ultimate goal. Defeating Chromeskull.

I loved the fact that the villain's motives are unmentioned, rather than trying to be explained by some type of sob story about his upbringing or treatment by society. A lot of horror fans might not be too impressed with Laid to Rest, but if you're looking for a fun horror film with a simple plot and some gruesome death scenes, then this is the movie for you. And as far as horror film villains go, I think if given a chance, Chromeskull could be up there with the likes of Jason, Freddy, Michael and Pinhead.

Laid to Rest II is also coming. Direct to DVD on September 20th.

HALLOWEEN (2007) Review

Directed by: Rob Zombie

Starring: Scout-Taylor Compton, Tyler Mane, Malcolm McDowell, Daeg Faerch

Alright, here goes. It seems like I am one of the few people who actually like this movie. As far as remakes of films that don't need to be remade go, this is a hell of a lot better than most of the trash out there (ie The Wicker Man, Psycho, The House of Wax, and countless others). It is also a lot better than most of the shitty Halloween sequels which have been churned out over the years.

I'm pretty sure every horror fan has seen the original Halloween and therefore know the plot. There is not a lot of difference with the remake except for the fact that it focuses more on Michael's dysfunctional and disturbed childhood, how and why he started killing, and just how he transformed into a monster. This is the main reason that I think this is a good remake (not fantastic, but definitely not terrible), the fact that it brings a fresh element to the film. It doesn't try to change the story, but rather shift the focus and show a different aspect. Obviously the film does have it downsides. The second half is definitely the weaker, degenerating into a generic gore fest that doesn't really shock or surprise.

I know I'm at risk of receiving a bit of abuse for this positive review, but please don't bother because I couldn't care less. And as I've noticed, a lot of people with a negative attitude towards this remake are those who haven't even seen it yet. I can honestly say that if you haven't given a movie a chance, then your opinion counts for nothing. Feel free to give me your honest opinion, but ONLY if you've watched it. 

And one more piece of advice. Don't bother watching the sequel, it really did suck.

THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE (FIRST SEQUENCE) (2009) Review

Directed by: Tom Six

Starring: Dieter Laser, Ashley C Williams, Ashlynn Yennie, Akihiro Kitamura

Well I can honestly say that this was definitely one of the more interesting horror films of recent years. With a fairly grotesque and unique concept, this will definitely not appeal to everybody.

A new twist on the mad scientist story, The Human Centipede follows a retired surgeon as he lives out his sick, lifelong fantasy. After a pair of young American women are left stranded during their trip through Germany, they come to an isolated villa where the creepy German Dr Heiter (brilliantly played by Dieter Laser) invites them in so that they may use his phone. But of course that doesn't happen. Instead, the two girls Lindsay (Ashley Williams) and Jenny (Ashlynn Yennie) awaken in a makeshift surgery located in Dr Heiter's basement, along with a Japanese man. Eventually the doctor reveals his ultimate plan. Before he retired he specialized in separating conjoined twins, but now he wants to be the first ever surgeon to connect humans via their gastric systems, creating a human centipede!

Yes the concept is disgusting but strangely enough rather than being repulsed, this movie actually had me laughing a lot. Especially when it dawned on me that the person who was the 'head' of the centipede would no doubt need to take a dump sooner or later, and there was only one place it could go...

The movie is very well written and the actors do a superb job, especially Dieter Laser. And you have to give Ashley, Akihiro and Ashlynn credit, seeing as they are surgically joined from ass to mouth for a large chunk of the film. In my opinion this a definitely a must-see film for all horror fans, although I do admit they will either love it or hate it. I loved it.

And keep your eyes out for the sequel coming soon, The Human Centipede - Full Sequence. Apparently it has a 12-person centipede this time!

THE DESCENT (2005) Review

Directed by: Neil Marshall

Starring: Shauna McDonald, Natalie Jackson Mendoza, Alex Reid

I was pretty excited to see this movie. I'd read plenty of positive reviews and it was written and directed by Neil Marshall who was responsible for one of my favorite werewolf films Dog Soldiers. Unfortunately The Descent didn't really do it for me.

A group of female friends get together for an annual adventure vacation. Sarah (Shauna McDonald) has been lured to the United States along with her friend Beth (Alex Reid) to go on a caving (or spelunking, if you prefer) trip with their old friend Juno (Natalie Mendoza). After explaining that the cave is an exceptionally easy and safe descent, they arrive to find that Juno has lied. It turns out that the cave is actually unmapped and as far as everybody knows, unexplored. But they decide to go anyway.

Not long after the enter the cave though, there is a rockfall and they find themselves trapped with no map and limited supplies. But that isn't the worst part. It turns out that they're not alone in the cave, and the other inhabitants are hungry...

If you've seen Dog Soldiers, then you'll know the general outline. The film starts off with a couple suffering a traumatic event, (in this case a car accident) then the film flashes forward to a group of people in a remote location (although this time it's women and they are in a cave) and then they soon find that they are facing a terrible non-human enemy (not werewolves this time). But that is where the similarities end. Not only do the women have to battle monsters, but they also have conflicting personalities which causes trouble. Juno is the strong fearless leader type, whereas Sarah is a traumatized woman trying to get her life back together (how ironic).

The cave sets the right kind of atmosphere for a horror film, dark, claustrophobic and creepy (I found it to be a little too dark at times). The acting is fine, but nothing spectacular. There is plenty of tension. All round it is a good solid horror flick, but I think after all of the hype it just seemed to fall a bit short of my expectations. It's definitely worth a watch but don't expect too much.

EDEN LAKE (2008) Review

Directed by: James Watkins

Starring: Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender, Jack O'Connell

I first watched Eden Lake about a month or so ago, and was so pleasantly surprised that I actually watched it again during the same night. I honestly can't remember the last time I've done that. The plot definitely isn't very original, nor is any other aspect of the film really. But the fantastic acting, along with the mindless violence and bleak atmosphere makes this one of my favorite horror films of the last decade.

Steve (Fassbender) has organised a surprise for his girlfriend Jenny (Reilly). The plan is for the both of them to take a peaceful, relaxing vacation at a small isolated lake in the midst of a vast forest, where Steve can propose. But things take a turn for the worst when they come face to face with a gang of teenagers who harass the couple before stealing their car. 

Steve finds the teens and confronts them, but during the fateful encounter he makes a mistake that changes everything. The couple escape in their newly recovered car, but following a crash Steve is trapped and Jenny must leave him behind to go and get help. Meanwhile the teenagers stumble across Steve, and when Jenny returns, she realizes that if she doesn't save him, they will kill him. From there the film descends into a fast paced and dramatic quest for survival, and ultimately revenge.

As I already said, the acting was amazing, especially from O'Connell, who played the psychotic gang leader Brett. The visual effects were outstanding, and the sense of hopelessness from the couple lost in a seemingly never ending forest was brilliant. And I have to say, I definitely did not expect the movie to end how it did. I'm not saying that the ending was disappointing, as a matter of fact I thought it was the perfect ending. It's just an unexpected one.

Ruthlessly violent and spectacularly bleak, Eden Lake is the most enjoyable and disturbing British horror movie in years.

Minimalist Horror Posters

And now for something completely different!
Yesterday I saw this link posted by Horror-movies.ca about minimalist horror posters. The simple yet instantly recognizable designs are amazing. In fact I was so taken by them, that I decided to try my hand at designing a few of my own. And here they are!   (Click on the posters for larger image)

Friday the 13th

The Mist

Children of the Corn

Hellraiser

Halloween

The Blair Witch Project

Last House on the Left

Misery

Sure they're not fantastic, but I'm happy with the way they turned out! Oh and by the way, I actually despise the Blair Witch Project. It just seemed like a quick and easy design.

And one final note: These are all my original designs and if for any reason you would like to use them, please ask and I will most likely say yes.