Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday The 13th (2013) - REVIEW

Finally what every Friday The 13th fan has been waiting for ever since the release of Never Sleep Again, the documentary on Nightmare on Elm Street, a complete documentary on the Friday The 13th film series.  Back in 2005 a book was released by the same name to serve as a complete behind the scenes history of Friday The 13th.  This served as a fantastic piece of reading for any Friday fan but would not be enough.  There needed to be something on the big screen for fans to get their Friday fix.

Here was have the most complete and in depth look at every film in the Friday franchise that fans have been itching for.  Spread over 2 discs and 2 discs of bonus material totaling well over 6 hours of viewing, enough to give an horror nerd a big ole geekgasm.  From the same creators of Never Sleep Again they have broken down each movie one by one and interviewing countless Friday alumni including some interviews that were not featured on the original book.  As a Friday fan I can say we have all been waiting for this a long time and finally we have something to sink our teeth into.  I guess I should also mention that it is hosted by Corey Feldman and that's all I am going to say about that.

I was very impressed with how thorough this documentary was in detailing every little thing about the franchise that has dominated the horror industry since 1980.  The set comes with 2 blu ray discs and 2 dvd discs as well as 2 more discs loaded with bonus material and I have to be honest I have yet to check out all the bonus material as of yet.  The first disc covers Friday 1-7 plus a small segment on Friday The 13th The Series.  I was a little disappointed with the little amount of time they spent talking about The Series because it is one of my favorite TV Shows but I guess there wasn't much they could say.  Although an interview with Robey would have been a nice add on to it.

The second disc starts with part 8 and goes till the end of the franchise to date.  I have to admit that from part 8 on are not my favorite of the series so needless to say the first disc is were it is at.  Once New Line took over the series I really could give a shit about those movies.  Jason Goes to Hell was terrible as well as Jason X.  The only one that really kept my interest on the second disc was Freddy vs Jason which we all know was fucking awesome.  Just to add something to F VS J, what the fuck happened to Monica Keena.  She looks like a totally different person and I don't mean that in a good way.  There is plastic surgery then there is I have too much money and going to totally make my face look like an alien.

All in all I really enjoyed watching this and have to say my favorite segment was the breakdown of Friday The 13th Part 3.  While it is not my favorite movie of the series it's my 3rd favorite as a matter of fact but knowing so little about the behind the scenes to this one and the interviews with the always gorgeous Dana Kimmel, as well as Paul Kratka, Larry Zerner, and the late Richard Brooker made this what I thought was the most informative segments of the doc.  Don't get me wrong each segment is awesome and the segment on the first film shows how it came to even be.  I would rate this 9 out of 10 stars, can't quite give it a perfect 10 because it was hosted by Corey Feldman.  I really think they could have found a better host than that.  Stay twisted everyone!

Left in Darkness 2006 - REVIEW

I found this film the other day on Chiller TV and I was apprehensive to say the least. Chiller is known for highlighting the lower budget B-movie but I've seen some pretty great ones on there as well. After a day or two I was finally able to sit down and watch it. I was extremely excited to see that one of my new favorite directors, Steven R. Monroe (I Spit on Your Grave 2010)had done it. What's more, composer Corey A. Jackson was also involved in this straight to DVD thriller.

On her 21st birthday, Celia (Monica Keena) and her friend Justine (Jessica Stroup) head out to a frat party. Celia is still struggling over the death of her Grandfather Joe (Tim Thomerson) and blames herself for the death of her mother during delivery. While at the party, she is drugged, raped and murdered. She awakens in the spirit world alone and understandably scared. Once she returns back to the main room, she is met by her Grandfather. But is it really him or is it a "Soul Eater", creatures that roam around outside the house who look human but can transform into a zombie type creature that corrupts innocent souls. Aided by Donovan (David Anders), her guardian angel, she tries to learn the rules of the spirit world, however as she goes on, she realizes that things in the spirit world aren't as they appear to be and she just may be in a place far worse than hell itself.

Anders is impressively precise and mature throughout. He delivers his lines with confidence which makes him extremely believable. Not to mention how well he pulls off the "Am I good or bad" part of his character. He was one of the best things in this film. The other? Why Tim Thomerson of course. He steals the show as the Soul-Eating Grandpa and commands the scene every time he's in it. Or maybe I'm just a huge Tim Thomerson fan... could be. Keena does her usual horror damsel thing well. I don't remember ever seeing anyone in a horror movie that is quite as good at crying as she is. This kinda makes up for her laughable running scenes. I was literally LOL'ing every single time she went running down the road. And WTF is up with her lips?? Monica, Monica why would you do that to yourself?? I had to rewind a couple of times to hear the dialogue because I was so distracted by her HUGE upper lip that never seems to move.

I'm sort of on the fence about this film. It was enjoyable and somewhat interesting, but I couldn't help but feel that it could've been so much more. Maybe with a higher budget or a better script we could've seen something really special. The plot structure was good but I think the dialogue really hurt it. There were several things I didn't understand AT ALL. We're taught (or at least I was) that when you die you pretty much stay at that age in your afterlife yet Anders character aged significantly since his death when he was eight.

Also are writers Philip Daay and Jane Whitney trying to tell us that everyone who dies is thrust into this limbo and given a choice between heaven and hell? I would hope death is a little more fair than that... On one hand you have Keena who is the victim. She's guilty of nothing more than too many botox injections and yet she still has to pass the tests put before her. On the other hand there's Doug (Chris Engen), a rapist and murderer who is given the same chance for redemption? I'm not sure that part was thought out well enough. The good news? Jackson excels at his part and does a great job at creating a tense and disturbing score. Monroe does his thing and as usual makes a lower budget film seem as if it had a budget of 4 million. He keeps it moving at an exhausting pace and creates a disorienting, nightmarish atmosphere. He is clearly becoming a master of darkness and shadow and does a great job at creating an ambiance of dread with little more than some incredibly effective mood lighting. As the lights go out, the suspense is amped up through what is happening and the race to get moving generates some good moments.

I'd say this one is good for a one time watch. It's nothing fantastic and it's not perfect (like me) by any means but it's entertaining. Don't go into it expecting to be scared or gross out. It's not really a horror film for gore hounds or those looking for a huge monster fest but it you want to see something a little different than the usual blood bath then it should do the trick. Just keep that in mind if you decide to watch it.

Night of the Demons 2009 - REVIEW

The original Night of the Demons came out when I was 14 and I remember watching it so much I could recite almost every line. Yes, it was a cheese fest of Pont l’Eveque proportions but it was fun. It was the perfect example of how good a low budget film can be. So of course hearing they were remaking it sent me running to the nearest pharmacy for a giant sized tube of blistex to rub on my severely chapped ass.

Maddie Curtis (Monica Keena) and her friends Lily Thompson (Doria Baird) and Suzanne Reed (Bobbi Sue Luther) are ready for a great Halloween night. They're going to a party thrown by their friend Angela Feld (Shannon Elizabeth) at the notorious Broussard Mansion in New Orleans. Over eighty years ago, six people disappeared from the mansion without a trace and the owner, Evangeline Broussard, hung herself. Maddie and Lily run into their exes, Colin Levy (Edward Furlong) and Dex Thrilby (Michael Copon), while Suzanne parties it up. Good times end, however, when the police bust up the party. After the rest of the guests leave, Angela, Maddie, Lily, Dex, Colin, Suzanne and their friend Jason Rogers (John F. Beach) discover a horrible secret. Their cell phones don't work. The mansion gates are now mysteriously locked. Soon it becomes clear that supernatural forces are at work at the Broussard Mansion, and that there may be more to the tale of Evangeline Broussard than anyone knew. As it turns out the Broussard Mansion really is home to something evil, demons that need to possess seven vessels to break free of an ancient curse. One by one the guests fall victim, transforming into hideous creatures.

The script wasn't anything overly fantastic but the cast does a decent job at picking up the slack. I'm not a huge fan of Edward Furlong and now I remember why. He was such a better actor when he was younger... you know, when he actually tried instead of just showing up to collect a paycheck. You'd think the overweight drug addict/dealer would come a little more natural to him but alas, it seemed he spent more time trying to yank up his pants than actually focusing on his character. Speaking of drug dealers, what was up with the foreign drug lord? I didn't get it AT ALL. Linnea Quigley, Suzanne from the original, made a cameo or at least her cooch did anyway. While there really wasn't any one performance that stood out for me I think they all did a decent job with what they were given. And low and behold, who did I spy with my little eye?? None other than Victor freaking Crowley! I had to rewind it to make sure I wasn't seeing things.

Adam Gierasch said from the get go, he wanted to make a film that he would've wanted to watch as a teenager. If that's the case, I guess he pulled it off. The original was a pretty cheesy teen film and this one follows suit. It's what some would categorize as a party film. Gierasch and Jace Anderson stuck pretty close to the original only veering off in a few places. They kept the infamous lipstick scene and even went so far as to ramp it up a bit. The effects for the most part were pretty good. The first couple of demons were pretty bad ass and there's a face rip that rivals others I've seen. I don't think fans of the original will be disappointed, as far as remakes go, this is one of the better ones.