Swallow your Soul: 2018

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Top 10 Horror Movies of the Past Decade

Ok , here is a list of the top ten horror movies of the past decade. If you are trying to get caught up or in need of an education that there have been great horror movies made post- Blair Witch Project. There are some movies like "the Human Centipede 2" that could make the cut , but since they are propelled by a great deal of gore rather than sheer scare factor I left it off. In fact being the Horror Gentleman that I am, I put an asterix next to the movies that I would not recommend watching if you are easily disturbed by more blood shed than the Jurassic Park movies due to a crazy christian upbringing, there is no shame in that. In fact it's my job to corrupt such souls for the devil and the top 10 horror movies of the past decade seems an appropriate vehicle for that. I also left off movies that are not scary enough to be horror like "The Only Lovers Left Alive" while a vampire movie is not scary enough to make the cut. The other stipulation which is more my personal taste is it has to be pretty to look at or in some way have an interesting cinematic quality. But it also has to be scary, so "Mandy" almost made the cut for being a beautiful movie, yet it is not pure horror and more of a revenge film, but if you don't know these movies you are not going to know "Mandy" either. Any way I am letting the trailers do the talking and if you don't think you can make it through these on your own I do run a horror escort service where I will bring you a six pack of beer and hold your hand so you can make it through horror movies, unhappy endings are extra.

10-Frankenstein's Army * (2013)

9 - Split- (2017)

8-What We Become (2015) *

7- Southbound-* (2016)

6-Cabin in the Woods (2012)

5- Maniac-* (2012)

4-Byzantium (2013)

3-Devil Inside (2012)

2- Let the Right One In (2008)

1- the VVitch (2016)

Monday, September 17, 2018

Film Review : "Mandy"

It's been 3 months since the last post here. While factors like the number of blogs I juggle might work into this , I think it's no mystery there has a been a lack of horror coming out. Ok lack might suggest none at all and people will argue 'the Nun" did excellent box office so that's good for horror. Yes and No. It continues to show Hollywood there is a demand for it. The no is due to the fact it gives them the false impression that people will flock to any piece of shit that hits the screen, like it's the "Fast and Furious". Perhaps horror fans might though I would like to think they have a sharper , mind there are still plenty of Juggaloos and other white trash willing to watch anything. So when a movie like "MandY' comes out and makes the most of it's low budget, it's somewhat frustrating to know all the money is getting poured into some shitty "Conjuring" off shoot rather than this.As a result who knows if this movie will make it to a theater near you. The buzz about this film revolves around Nicholas Cage, when it should be around how surreal and beautiful this movie can be. It's like watching the cover of a Micheal Moorcock book come to life. Who ever did the cinematography for this movie should have handled "Dr. Strange". It's going to get lumped in as a horror, when in fact it's more of an action movie.

If I used my friend who saw it with me as a barometer I guess it could as he had to look away a few times . My 8 year old daughter handled it pretty well. It does manage to create a creepy mood similar to what Rob Zombie set up leading into "House of a 1000 Corpses" and visually the movie struck similar notes to what Zombie goes for . Though more savvy horror fans will note Zombie was pulling from 60s exploitative horror. This film mixes that with a nod to the 80s as well. The Charles Manson like cult which used LSD as part of it's operations , works off the more late 60s vibe. The leader is not just crazy for the sake of crazy, though aside from "Ascending" his motives for what he wants in the bigger picture are not clear. The go to a great deal of work to summon cenobite like bikers to deal with Nic Cage when they break into his house. Though they were already around according to urban legends Cage gets later in the film.

While it turns into a revenge flick , the film works best when it is creating a mood to make your skin rather. There are no jump scares and the bloodshed is very vivid and cartoonish, my 8 year laughed at it. I like the fact it did not follow the path set down before it , while still taking influence from those eras of film. In tone it might bear some similarity to "the Void" though much less Lovecraft and much more hippy. It's unclear how much supernatural elements are actually involves. Sometimes the hell bikers seem like they might be other worldly but then they do things like snort a plate of cocaine. I like my horror to not just be bloody , but to look good as well. I think the torture porn undercurrent in one part could have been taken further while they are at cobbling together bits of varied eras. Overall I think it was fun and much need break from Blumhouse crap.

Monday, June 11, 2018

Film Review : "Hereditary"

I would tell you not to read this review since reviews are part of the problem here. seem to always fall for the movies that are supposed to be the most disturbing film ever. But it is unlikely that those reviews come from fans of the horror genre. This movie got a buzz at festivals like Sundance so it drew in critics who wanted to see it for it;s artful guise, So I might be a little jaded with 35 years of watching horror movies under my belt.The threshold for what I need to be scary is high. This one benefited from a smoke screen of clever marketing . I was well made. Well written? that's another story, since it follows some pretty predictable “hollywood witch” troupes Now the scariest film of the year ...so far, mmm I might have argue "the Strangers : Prey at Night" was more intense.Based off the trailer I would have told you the movie was going to be about a little girl who plays with weird dolls and makes things happen. This could not be farther from the truth. There is magic. The little girl plays more of a role off screen than on. The little model houses look like the are going to play a bigger role in the plot than they actually do.

When the movie begins to pick up it’s stride , the depressing tone is very tangible. I would have liked to have seen this played off of more.It could have captured the same kind of heavy bleakness “It Follows” had. Instead the tone sometimes doesn’t take itself as seriously. Now this movie also served as an interesting test of how the demographics of where you go to see the movie influences the experience. This is not the first time I have seen a horror movie in an urban theater where they talked and laughed when they became uncomfortable. Though I think the movie played off a few beats of comedic relief for similar reasons.

>Hereditary has a great deal in common with the VVitch in terms of pacing. The end found the occult themes thickening, but not what I would call climatic or scary. I think this was done more effectively in how things were brought to a boil in “Rosemary’s Baby”. This was foreshadowed, to the point that some of the reveals felt more like the “Paranormal Activity” sequels. Toni Collette’s acting pretty much carried the movie as she became a Shelley Duvall level basket case. I also liked the fact that this movie doesn’t have a happy ending .It also used a real demon from the Goetia, so maybe it will inspire a trend of people trying to summon him. This is not the kind of movie that needs a sequel. So I was disappointed that would could have turned into a very uncomfortable and gut wrenching tale of a family being torn apart like the “the vvitch” was turned out to be art house horror for the “Final Destination” Generation. The first thing I said when the movie ended was “Well that could have used Black Phillip”.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Film Review : "Strangers - Prey at Night "

Jump scares are a dime a dozen. A horror movie can not live off those alone. Horror is most effective when there is a state of constant tension. This feeling of unease is what should be keeping you at the edge of your seat. The sequel to "the Strangers" succeeds at this. While it is based on true events. It is a compilation of true events as the director of the original film who wrote "Prey At Night" Bryan Bertino claims the Tate Murders and the Caddie Cabin Murders as his inspiration. One of the most important elements the original and the sequel have in common is creating the feeling of isolation. Where the first film felt more like a remake of the French film "Them", this movies stands more on it's own two feet. The masked teen killers are really the only thing the two movies have in common aside from the premise.

This time around Johannes Roberts is directing. With the film set in a trailer park rather than the confines of a single house gives the killers a wider play ground to toy with their victims. The lighting and cinematography in this film is more interesting than the rather straight forward camera angles of the first film. While it is full of the "oh, my god how stupid can you be" style horror movies , with characters running into what you can easily see as dead ends, only one of these is that cut and dry. My only complaints about the film was how it asks how far do you have to pushed before you at at the breaking point and willing to fight back and how Christina Hendricks exits the film so soon. This is not torture porn, as torture leaves more of a motive than the killers in this film. The just because attitude takes away the underlying sexual under current I prefer in these types of movies and wold have made for a more enjoyable casting of Hendricks. This leaves Bailee Madison to carry much of the film's weight. She shows a great deal of potential as a budding scream queen. At 19 she convincingly plays a little girl much younger and it's not until the films third act she really comes into her own and gives her character more shades than the typical rebellious brat.

The use of music and lighting in the story and in the production go hand in hand in giving the film enough of a quirky edge to bring art to what if left to less capable hands. Things like the neon pools lights with "Total Eclipse of the Heart" playing in the background, firmly sets the scene in your mind after you leave the theater. There were enough elements in play this time around to give this movie it's own feet and set it part from both the original film and "Them" which in someways makes it better than the first film. The first film might have benefited from Tyler's performance and a more intense and grim tone, this movie feels fresh in a time when on-screen horror seems to be content with Blum House inspired eye candy.

Saturday, February 3, 2018

Film Review : "Haunters-the Art of the Scare"

Don't normally cover many documentaries on here , but I think this one is worthy. It tells the story of haunted attractions and the people who make them. The history of haunted houses is briefly touched on the main focus are the more DIY haunts with emphasis on the more extreme. Since I work in this industry I found it particularly interesting It had people I have worked with like John Murdy in it, so that was cool to see, but you do not have to be involved in the industry to enjoy this film. It made some interesting points about the rise of torture porn and how that is now reflected in the current state of haunts which are getting more intense as culture changes.

I have seen the parallels between bdsm and haunts before , in fact have purposefully worked them into the act. But with the craziness that is Mckamey Manor the concept of having a safe word for patrons had never really entered my mind. McKamey Manor was not the first haunt to have more immersive physical interaction with it's guests, but it does take things as far over the line as it can for the sake of filming patrons reactions. After seeing this movie I want to go work for Black Out, but McKamey Manor seems more like a smut film. Here they are in control with no safe words. In BDSM this would be called RACK or risk aware consensual kink. Given the present climate of the world today when the definition of what is consent is called into question by the #metoo generation, what goes down at the Manor could be called into question, in fact I am as open minded as one gets and adhere to the mantra...whatever works for you and there is no right or wrong only effective or ineffective. Is what happens there effective? I think the fact this made me feel anything about it or think on this after the movie is over says a lot about this film.

It did make we want to further explore bdsm in the context of a haunt. It does touch on horror movies and has the big Blum from Blumhouse Films who is dominating horror as we know it for better or for worse these days in it. It looks at this from many different angles and doesn't really try to prove a point in how it is edited. After all it's the editor of a documentary who is really telling the story here. I highly recommend this movie it's on Netflix and came out last year, but release dates on movies have pretty much become arbitrary at this point.

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

The Top 10 Horror Movies of 2017

It is still a rough time for horror. I am not a fan of the horror lite Conjuring sequels and tired special effects blow outs and teen movies. Here there are plenty of psychopaths, cannibals, aliens and even mer-maids. So the formula has not be reinvented. Hyper realism worked well this year and I was looking for something different that drew me in. There are a few classic franchises that showed up strong. Some of these the release date on can be iffy in the case of Foreign horror movies. In the past few years foreign horror movies did better than the Hollywood fare , however the tide changed this year as only 3 of the top 10 are foreign . So here are the top 10 horror movies of 2017.

10-the Lure

Almost did not make it and had me in the same debate I was stuck on for "the Shape Of Water" while this one was more malevolent in it's intentions with these mer-maids, and "Shape of Water' could have stood for it's creature to have been more menacing. This was also a musical which complicated things.

9-Hounds of Love

This movie was inspired by true events and I liked how it made you dread seeing how bad things were going to go. It flirted with being trashy exploitative torture porn and I wish it had been more committed to really going there. It handled things almost too tastefully, but it made you feel uneasy about how this was all going down so it gets props for that.

8- The Cult of Chucky

When asked about this movie I found myself saying it is better than it has the right to be. Cult of Chucky in terms of cinematic quality or eye-candy is exceeds the previous film. There a moments of camera that are quite pretty, some slow motion scene and bright vibrant blood. Yet there is never a sense of menace. I am not sure if I just could not get invested in the characters. But the stakes never felt high enough to get scared. This was an entertaining movie

http://nastiferateau.blogspot.com/2017/10/movie-review-cult-of-chucky.html

7-Alien -Covenant

I liked this way better than "Prometheus". It was not as massive in scope , but a return to the feeling of the classic monster movies with all the sex and blood of the 80s. It kept Scott's mythos going, explained a few things and kept going. I am not tied to this franchise emotionally so I might be more excepting of somethings than people who need a more slavish canon, if that is you I understand I am that way with comics. This was fun , dark and bloody that what I need from these movies.

6- Raw

Horror needs to make you uncomfortable in some way. There is a tension to the movie. Sometimes they hyper realism, adds to this and makes you feel like you can't look and want to crawl out of your skin, that is success. As far as the French art house fare this can be it certainly succeeds when not being full of it self in the way you almost expect french films to be.

http://nastiferateau.blogspot.com/2017/09/film-review-raw.html

5-It

This movie did not limit itself to just being about a scary clown and the bigger more sinister picture is well painted . itself among the some of the better Stephen King adaptations to film, this movie falls short of the Shining or the Mist in terms of scares , but has a lot of heart.This is only the first chapter so if you go in wanting to for them to return to Derry as adults then you better stock up on pop-corn and wait for the next movie.

4-Mother !

This one was up for debate and I finally conceded that I a- liked this movie more than I would admit and b-it works off of the same kind of unease and tension that "Rosemary's Baby" does but in a more chaotic manner. I liked the middle finger it gives Christianity and as a movie think it was more layered and unnerving than "It" which played to a more mainstream lowest common denominator crowd.

http://nastiferateau.blogspot.com/2017/10/movie-review-mother.html

3-Life

This movie was a better Alien movie than Alien Covenant. Just a well made movie that also happens to be a horror movie rather than trying hard to be one. The horror hits you on many different levels. It is more of a bleak now you are fucked feeling that builds rather than playing off the same old tired tropes most movies resort to.

2-Split

Not too far removed from "Silence of the Lambs" in terms of the depth of horror. It is a much more intense character study than the Hannibal films. The intent is unclear where Hannibal is more calculated and some of this uncertainty is what makes the movie more unnerving.Pound for pound a better made film than the one occupying the number one spot , but more of a thriller and less horror than the movie taking the top.

1-Leatherface

It did give me what I expected and kept me watching.Reboots, and Prequels are normally not worth a shit. This movie however was fun, well-written and did not re-spin the same shit some of the other Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies have. We have even been done somewhat of an origin story before with the re-make. I think this movie falls in line with the established mythology of the character and doesn’t try to to give it any kind of a spin or shove some modern message down your throat. They gave just enough of the perverse twist this movie needed without trying to hard or playing it too Hollywood. I think the endearing nature of how it respected the legacy of the character helped put it here.

http://nastiferateau.blogspot.com/2017/09/movie-review-leatherface.html