Well we've made it through another year! We lived through the Mayan Apocalypse, survived a cut throat election and managed to avoid being swept off the face of the earth by tornadoes, hurricanes and wild fires. So, what's left to do except nail down our best and worst horror films of 2012!
When a madman begins committing horrific murders inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's works, a young Baltimore detective joins forces with Poe to stop him from making his stories a reality.
A true-crime writer finds a cache of 8mm "snuff" films that suggest the murder he is currently researching is the work of a serial killer whose career dates back to the 1960s.
Five friends go for a break at a remote cabin in the woods, where they get more than they bargained for. Together, they must discover the truth behind the cabin in the woods.
A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.
During the final days at the Yankee Pedlar Inn, two employees determined to reveal the hotel's haunted past begin to experience disturbing events as old guests check in for a stay.
An imprisoned vampire, Barnabas Collins, is set free and returns to his ancestral home, where his dysfunctional descendants are in need of his protection.
In Italy, a woman becomes involved in a series of unauthorized exorcisms during her mission to discover what happened to her mother, who allegedly murdered three people during her own exorcism.
When I first heard that my favorite holiday slasher was being remade I was none too happy. I'm not a huge fan of remakes in the first place. As it got closer to the release of the Silent Night remake I saw previews and read reviews and put it together that it really was not a direct remake of the original. In fact it's basically just a title remake. So with that being said I thought I would give it a shot and see how well they were able to put this together.
Starting off quite different than the original. No childhood experiences for our santa killer, they get right into the killing. The first 2 victims of Santa have been claimed. A man and a woman who were having an affair. The man thinks its her husband and he is going to kill him for revenge. Right before Santa pulls the switch he realizes this is just a madman who is going to kill him for no reason. Our main character of the movie Aubrey (Jaime King) is awoken by a call from her boss, the Sheriff (Malcolm McDowell), that she has to come into work on Christmas Eve. The day she has specifically asked to be off to spend with her family. He does not take no for an answer and she is on duty. Meanwhile there is a killer Santa still on the loose claiming victims around town leaving little clues to his identity. The hardest part of catching a killer Santa in this town is on Christmas Eve every year there is a Santa parade were more than 50 Santa's will be dressed up and parading around town.
I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised with this film. Silent Night sets itself apart from the original all together with a totally different story line. So this could be considered more of a re-imagining rather than just a direct remake. I thought the cast is what really sets this movie apart from the original. A few big names in this one Jaime King, Malcolm McDowell and evenLisa Mariehas a small role in the movie. Malcolm McDowell adds the comic relief with some great one liner's. Jaime King plays the lead role and she did a great job but something about her character I really did not like. Her demeanor was too weak for most of the movie, too weak to be a Deputy. The best parts about the movie are the deaths. The are all bloody, gruesome and very sadistic. There is something about the Santa that is just creepy. The mask that he is wearing adds alot too it, and who doesn't love a killer Santa with a flamethrower.
Steven C Miller deserves a huge round of applause for his work on this movie. I really thought it was fantastic and exceeded all my expectations 100%. While I cannot say I like it more than the original, because it's a classic and nothing in my mind can top that. This remake comes awfully close though. It has been a while since I watched a new slasher movie with a killer that was so sinister and evil as the Santa was in this one. I did read a couple reviews on this movie that said the backstory to the killer Santa was not needed. I disagree totally! I am someone that needs to know the killer's motives and likes it somehow to make sense to me. The backstory to the killer in this one is not real elaborate and is really only flashbacks 2 or 3 times throughout the movie, but it was enough. Did not drag it out too much and got right to the point. This is definitely a must watch for the holiday season. Stay twisted everyone!
