Ju-On: Black Ghost / White Ghost (2009)

AKA: Ju-On Kuroi Shojo / Ju-on Shiroi Rojo

Director: Mari Asato and Ryûta Miyake


Premise:
Two short movies surrounded the myth of Ju-On, the idea that when a person with a deep grudge the curse can manifest and take on a life of its on and anyone who runs into a ghost killed by this curse is then killed which allows it to spread.


Black Ghost has a woman losing her unborn child then finding a cyst that is part of her unborn twin consumed in her mother's womb.
White Ghost sees a man murder his family then committing suicide with a recorded message.

My Take:
I love the concept of the Ju-On but it's starting to be a bit much. Both shorts have their issues and some good qualities including some nice scares.
If you're a fan of series then give these a watch, if not then move on. White Ghost is probably the better of the two.

Rating: In the middle





 
Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

House of Whipcord (1974)

Starring: Barabara Markam
Director:Pete Walker


Premise:
A secluded institution acts as a private court and prison for woman they feel have committed lewd acts against society.

My Take:
An unusual and stylish woman in prison movie.
Worth a watch.

Rating: In the middle






 
Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Haunted Highway, Season 1 (2012)

Starring: Jack Osbourne, Jael De Pardo, Dana Workman, Devin Marble


Synopsis:
Two teams of investigators set off only their equipment to explore some of the most unusual cases of paranormal activity in the US.

My Take:
I loved the cases these teams investigated as these aren't the normal cases seen and explored. These include Hell Hounds, Louisiana Swamp Monster, Skinwalkers, and the Darkman.  That's the biggest reason to watch.
The cast is likeable (even Ozzy's kid). But the outcome are always the same despite many interesting findings... inconclusive. And with only the team shooting all the video, the camera work can get a bit shaky. I also dont like they way the teams over use FLIR and heat signature devices instead of stationary cameras.


Favorite Case: 
Jael and Devin investigate a haunted hotel in an abandoned mining town. They find many creepy things.

Rating: In the middle

Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Snowtown Murders (2011)

AKA: Snowtown

Starring: Daniel Henshall, Lucas Pittaway
Director: Justin Kurzel

Premise:
A teenage boy falls under the spell of his mother's new boyfriend and his friends.

My Take:
This is one of the more disturbing movies a person can watch. Mainly because it's all portrayed in such a realistic fashion. The characters and their actions make almost every scene full of brutality.
You watch as this family comes under the spell of a serial killer. The young boys, who have endured sexual abuse from other adults, gravitate towards this man who provides them with a stable father figure, who is anything but stable.
This nihilistic tale is based on a the true events of killer John Bunting and the "Bodies in the Barrels" murders that occurred in Australia in the 90s.

Rating: So Good




 
Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Monsieur Hire (1989)

Director: Patrice Lacounte


Premise:
A woman is murdered and the police's main suspect is a strange man the neighborhood doesn't seem to like.

My Take:
A quirky tale which dances around horror mainly due to the main character's voyeuristic nature and the grisly murder of a young woman. The main character displays a sympathetic and creepy nature.
The movie is a nicely acted piece with beautiful camera work. 

Rating: So Good




 
Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Cabin In the Woods (2012)

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Kristen Connolly, Fran Kanz, Bradley Whitford, Richard Jenkins, Amy Acker
Director: Drew Goddard

Premise:
Five friends head off to a secluded cabin for a weekend of fun. What they get instead is far worse than they imagined.

My Take:
There are a few directors which I will watch anything they do and Joss Whedon is one of them (though he was only writer/producer on this movie).
The movie takes a generic premise and characters then flips the entire thing on its head with a refreshing and unique take on all aspects. To talk about the details too much will give away from the pleasure of watching the movie unfold. Let's just say it's a very smart script and a nod to the writers love of the genre.
Cabin is the best horror movie I've seen this year.

Rating: Mind Blowing




 
Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Darkness (2009)

AKA: T.M.A.

Director: Juraj Herz


Premise:
A man returns to his childhood home which hides it own horrific history. Soon strange things begin to occur.

My Take:
The set up for the movie is really good. It's suspenseful and a tad creepy with the awesome setting. Then towards the end you find out the house was a hospital for the Nazi's and the wrap up is kind of out of the blue.
This movie has one of the best eye gouging scene ever.

Rating: In the middle

 
Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

The Nightcomers (1972)

Starring: Marlon Brando, Stephanie Beacham
Director: Michael Winner


Premise:
A nanny and a caretaker for two wealthy children are having an affair and fail to notice the children's disturbing change of attitude.

My Take:
The movie is a prequel to the Henry James story "A Turn of the Screw". The kid's mimic the adult actions, take what they say literally, and devise a plan to keep their two mentors together forever. 
Great performances from the two leads in this offbeat and twisted tale. I found the children actors to be incredibly annoying though.

Rating: In the middle




 
Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Being Human, Season 4 {UK} (2012)

Starring: Lenora Crichlow, Michael Socha, Damien Molony

Premise:
A vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost live together.

Season 4 - The offspring of Nina and George is prophecized to be the savior of mankind after a vampire takeover. Annie is faced with protecting the baby with the help of new friends Tom and Hal.

My Take:
Mitchell met his demise at the end of last season. At the conclusion of episode one most of the old story lines are completed as are some major characters. We are left with Annie taking care of baby Eve with the help from werewolf Tom (a carryover from previous seasons) and a new vampire who lived in a similar situation named Hal. There is a myth surrounding Eve that she will end the reign of the vampires when they take over humanity in the near future.
There's a lot of flash forwards, flash backs, and alternate reality in this season. At times it got almost as confusing as Lost or Fringe to piece together. In a stand alone season it sort of works. I wasn't thrilled with the overall arc of the season but at least it neatly wraps up things for the characters we've grown to enjoy in the first three season -  Mitchell, George, Nina, and Annie.  
IT was an interesting season to say the least. By the end, all original characters are gone and we are left with a new trio of supernaturals as the leads. While these characters are compelling enough, it's almost like an entirely new series. Will this major reboot work? Only season five will tell.

Favorite Episode:
"Eve of the War" - The first episode of the season picks up a months after Mitchell's death. As George and Annie are dealing with being targets of the vampires.

Rating: In the middle

Being Human: Season 4 [Blu-ray]




 
Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

The Hunger Games (2012)

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Stanely Tucci, Donald Sutherland, Wes Bentley
Director: Gary Ross


Premise:
In the future, where the country is split up into twelve districts, each year sees the Hunger Games held by the Capitol as a reminder never to rise against their command again. The games have one boy and one girl from each district battle to the death.

My Take:
While the adaptation from the novel remains fairly faithful, the makers seemed to cut most of the horror elements out of the script.
It's not exactly terrible but I hoped for a bit more. But then again, I am not the demographic the movie is aiming for either.

Rating: In the middle




 
Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Daylight (2010)

Starring: Alexandra Meierhans, Ivan Martin, Michael Godere
Director: David Barker


Premise:
On their way to a wedding in the country, a couple picks up a hitchhiker who ends up kidnapping them with the help from his buddies.

My Take:
A familiar story is saved by a decent amount of suspense, great all around acting, and little non-typical nuisances in the script.

Rating: In the middle





 
Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Epidemic (1987)

Director: Lars Von Tier


Premise:
Two writers write a screenplay about an epidemic wiping out all humanity while an actual epidemic starts up around them.

My Take:
Like most of the director's films, the story moves very slow and requires concentration to watch. And if you make to the end, you be somewhat confused and entertained.It's interesting to see how the two linked tales play out. Sometimes in rather amusing fashion. Shot in black and white, the film has a very German Expressionism feel to it.

Rating: In the middle





 
Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

The Presence (2010)

Starring: Mira Sorvino, Justin Kirk, Shane West
Director: Tom Provost

Premise:
A woman returns to a remote cabin to work on her novel. A cabin inhabited by two spirits who fight for her possession.

My Take:
I didn't care much for the story. The viewer knows from the beginning one spirit is stalking her, but you dont know why. It borders on relationship drama after her boyfriend arrives. Then another spirit shows up and attempts to cause chaos on both.
However, the acting is top notch and the cinematography is quite excellent. Lots of wooded mountain shots.

Rating: In the middle


 


 
Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Detention (2012)

Starring: Shanley Caswell, Josh Hutcherson, Dane Cook
Director: Joseph Kahn


Premise:
After classmates start getting murdered the teens under suspicion get detention in order to figure out the killer.

My Take:
This movie is definitely original. You will either love or hate the way it seamlessly mashes up genres. At times it's a high school homage to the John Hughes teen films of the 80's, other times it's a slasher riff, then other times it's sort of a slapstick comedy. Throw in time traveling, and body switching there seems to be something for every one. Smartly written dialog. Well acted. Funny.

Rating: So Good





 
Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Kill List (2011)

Starring: Neal Maskell, Michael Smiley, MyAnna Burning
Director: Ben Wheatley


Premise:
Two hit men take on a job with a promise of a big payout. Each hit plunges them in a dark and sinister world

My Take:
I cant really say much about the film without giving things away.
The first part moves very slowly as it deals with the strained relationship between the main character and his wife due to money issues after he botched a hit nearly a year previous. The second part has the main character and his friend get the job and start taking out the people on the list. On this list are a priest, a snuff film ring, and pagan worshipers. The third part is a free for frenzy of horror as the main character fights for his life.
The amazing score and frenetic editing helps set the up the disjointed feel of the movie. And it is full of realistic gore and violence.
This movie requires the viewer to think and pay attention to details. The pieces are there for you to figure out and interpret.

Rating: So Good (bordering on Instant Classic)




 
Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Epitaph (2007)

AKA: Gidam

Director: Beom-sik Jeong, Jeong Sik


Premise:
In a hospital during the 1940's a series of strange events occur. 

My Take:
The movie contains three separate tales using the same locale and many of the same characters. Each segment has strengths but none of it really ground breaking material. However, the film is paced well and the cinematography is fantastic.


Rating: In the middle





 
Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Surburban Nightmare (2004)

Starring: Trent Haaga, Brandy Little
Director: Jon Keeyes


Premise:
One night a married couple, who also happen to be serial killers, turn on each other.

My Take:
A surprising well acted movie which is basically about a couple's marriage falling apart. The characters are enough to keep you engaged as their hatred for one another rises throughout and so does their tactics for revenge.

Rating: In the middle






 
Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.