Proud to admit that I am a horror junkie.
However, my definition of what falls under the realm of horror entertainment is fairly wide. Horror is an emotion experienced differently by individuals.
These are short reviews of the movies, television series, novels, comics, albums, and any thing else which crosses my path if I feel like falls into the wide world of horror entertainment.
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The Rating System
All opinions are my own. We are all different. What I may think is great, you may this terrible. Don't let my opinios stop you from exploring the vast world of horror in all media.
~Mind Blowing: Search for this movie immediately. It can only be described as pure greatness and possible an instant classic.
~So Good: Highly recommended because for one reason or another it stands out above the usual fair. Put the movie on your radar as it wont disappoint.
~In the Middle: The movie is a nothing special, average affair. It may entertain in the short term but it will be easily forgettable in the long haul.
~Warning: This movie is a cliched driven slop of familiar territory. Only watch if you're really of fan of this type of material.
~Steaming Pile: The movie is absolute garbage, a complete bore, and not worth the time or effort.
Premise:
After their mother dies, her children gather for a week of mourning. They original thought she died of natural causes but soon start to believe something else may have occurred.
My Take:
A solid ghost story from the Philippines.
Starring: Kristen Stewart
Director: Olivier Assayas
Premise:
A medium/personal shopper for a rich woman awaits a message about the afterlife from her twin who recently died. She begins receiving strange text messages but it seems to be from another person.
My Take:
The movie tries to build up tension but ultimate it rather tame, as is the one true paranormal scene. It's sort of hovers around does it want to be about a sister in mourning or a stalker thriller. It's a slow paced film that wont be for all viewers.
Starring: Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara,
Director: David Lowery
Premise:
A man dies and comes back as a ghost wearing a white sheet. He observes his wife going about her daily life and trying to reconnect instead of moving on.
My Take:
An extremely slow, art house drama with a few horror elements added. It can be a tad difficult to set through but has a unique tale to tell.
Premise:
A woman must return to her family home, one a tragedy, after her abusive grandfather passes away. While there the horrors of the past start raising to the surface.
My Take:
The movie has a solid tale and mystery but would have benefit from a slight trimming of run time. There's definitely some things that could have been cut down. Still this and it's obvious low budget, it keeps the viewer guessing on what it really happening.
Starring: Angelica Panganiban, JC de Vera
Director: Jeff Tan
Premise:
A new girl at university is get tries to fit in but gets bullied by a group of peers. She discovers a dark past about another girl who was bullied and disappeared the year before. When those bullies start to die off she starts trying to find out why.
My Take:
What seems like a stand ghost story on the surface actually is not and provides a few good twists. It still full of standard characters and situations but there's enough here to keep the view watching to the end.
Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, Charlie Hunnam, Jim Beaver
Director: Guillermo Del Toro
Premise:
After her father is murdered, a young girl quickly marries and moves away from her home into the estate of her husband and his sister. Soon not all appears to be not as it should.
My Take:
The movie caught me off guard a bit as the ghosts theme is really a sidebar to the character's evil doings. Beautifully filmed and skillfully acted.
Starring: Tyler Mane, Derek Mears, Leslie Easterbrook, Muse Watson
Director: Anthony J. Rickert-Epstein
Premise:
After several years away from his home, a man returns to mourn the sudden death of his sister. His father practices magic and soon it's discovered the sister's death might not have been an accident.
My Take:
A slow moving thriller with supernatural elements and Viking lore. The cast is decent as is the story but it does get a tad boring in spots.
Premise:
A sculptor moves into a new apartment. She starts to carve a mask inspired by a shaman's mask for her class project. Plus every night she hears a knock at her neighbor's door. Could these some how be related
My Take:
Though it's sort of a typical J-Horror ghost story there is a decent mystery built up in the movie.
Starring: Veronica Ngo, Son Bao Tran
Director: Le-Van Kiet
Premise:
A woman tries to cope with her new house after a miscarriage.
My Take:
Like a lot of Southeast Asian horror movies this is another ghost possession tale. There's good acting all around but there really needed to more be depth to the story. It feels like only the surface is scratched on all the major points in the film.
Starring: Rupert Evans, Hannah Hoekstra
Director: Ivan Kavanagh
Premise:
A family moves into a new house. The man finds a film which shows heinous murders taking place at his new residence. He also discovers his wife is having an affair. When he wife turns up dead in the canal, he becomes the prime suspect. But is there something more sinister involved?
My Take:
The film and actors doe a great job of blurring the lines of reality and turning a standard ghost tale into a fine psychological horror flick. There are a couple of things which didn't quite jive with me but it's still worth watching.
Starring: William Shatner, George Buza
Director: Grant Harvey, Brett Sullivan, Steve Hoban
Premise:
A trio of stories about Santa battles zombie elves, a evil wood fairy possessing a child, and teens documenting a haunted school are intertwined by a radio DJ on Christmas Eve.
My Take:
All three stories are entertaining and two have a unique twist. Using the Shatner in the wraparound segment works well too.
Starring:
Director: Patrick Leung, Takahiko Akiyama, Tanit Jitnukul
Premise:
Three horror stories ("Next Door", "Dark Hole", "The Lost Memory") from three different Asian directors from three different countries in Asian.
My Take:
All three stories are watchable but nothing new. "The Lost Memory" is my favorite of the bunch as it hits all the right notes.
Starring: Sarah Lassez, Dustin Fasching
Director: Travis Betz
Premise:
A wedding photographer and an author of zombie novels are both burned out with their jobs. The yearn for something better. When one starts showing signs of a mental disorder things get more complicated. Too bad it is actually a ghost possessing her.
My Take:
It's a clever little movie where the songs dont take away from the story. The two leads are great and carry the film. It does take awhile for things to get going. If you looking for something a tad different this might be worth a watch.
Starring: Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Micahel Chiklis, Denis O'Hare, Angela Bassett, Finn Wittrock, Emma Roberts, Frances Conroy, Neil Patrick Harris, Lily Rabe, Wes Bentley, Naomi Grossman, Celia Weston, Gabourey Sidbe, Lee Tergesen, John Carrol Lynch, Matt Fraser, Jyoti Amge, Patti LaBelle
Premise:
Set during 1950's in Florida at one of the last remaining carnivals filled with human oddities. There are also other "freaks" in the town such as a murderous clown and rich psychopath and a con artist who specializes in procuring freaks for a museum.
My Take:
Well one cant say the show isn't packed full of unique and interesting characters. Sometimes I wonder isn't just weird for the sake of being weird. They way the stories are told, leaves lots of gaps if one is too think about it. Often, especially this season, it is a case of style of substance. think that is what keeps me tuning back in but I wasn't overly pleased with the season.
Premise:
A teenage girl is sent to a center for troubled youths to be evaluated by a psychiatrist. While there she discovers a spirit which appears when the wind blows.
My Take:
I have never seen the original movie and maybe something was lost in the translation, but this flick was rather boring and mostly fails with creating the suspense this type of story needs. While not completely horrible, it doesn't add much to the ghost genre.
Starring: Zhong Qing Dennis Chew
Director: Cheng Ding An
Premise:
A successful morning DJ steers off his competition by telling ghost stories. He is also battling the memory of his deceased girlfriend. Eventually he realizes the stories were real.
My Take:
It's kind of the story we've seen a million times... a ghost seeks revenge on wrongful death. At least the radio aspect makes it a little unique.
