In honor of today's DVD release, we are having a CRAZIES giveaway. We've thrown out trivia questions on both Facebook and Twitter and got winners from each. So, let's see who's paying attention.
There is a quick cameo by one of the cast members from the original film. Who is it and what was his/her part?
Comment below with your answer and a winner will be chosen at random.
Just four days before Wes Craven's upcoming Scream 4 was going to start shooting in Ann Arbor, Michigan, actress Lake Bell has had to drop out of the movie due to scheduling conflicts. Bell was going to play Deputy Judy Hicks, a police officer who knew Neve Campbell's Sidney from high school, a character described as "decidedly sexy but a bit off." (Shouldn't be hard to find another actress who fits that bill in Hollywood.)
As Bell posted on her Twitter feed last night:
Sucks: Scheduling conflicts with my current gig means I cant do #Scream4! (Hey horror bloggers, I know who the killer is...) #i'llnevertell
With shooting set to begin on Monday, expect another name to be attached to the role very quickly.
Nothing impresses me more than someone who proves they're not just a "one hit wonder". I became a fan of Adam Green after seeing his "Old School American Horror" Hatchet. I've also had Joel David Moore on my radar since Dodgeball. He's such a great actor and he has that whole sexy geek thing going for him. I'm thrilled to see the depth of his talent come to the surface.
Spiral centers around Mason (Moore) a reclusive telemarketer with a knack for painting. Every day life for him is depressing. He's an outcast at work who is prone to bursting into panic attacks that end with 4 a.m. phone calls to his only friend Berkeley (Zachary Levi). When he meets Amber (Amber Tamblyn), a cute, quirky coworker, Mason slowly starts to open up about his past. But as Amber digs deeper and deeper into her new friend's history she realizes just how disturbed Mason is.
I will do my best NOT to give away any plot points of this film as discovering them while watching is kind of like a journey you have to make on your own. Kind of like a right of passage. Miss them and you won't know what's going on. Know them ahead of time and it spoils the whole story. What I can tell you is that writers Jeremy Danial Boreing and Moore have created a film that can easily be compared to the likes of Alfred Hitchcock and Roman Polanski. The tension in Spiral starts from the opening scene and continues throughout the entire story. No matter how much you THINK you've seen this story before, think again. No element of this story overstays it's welcome. It is unusual, creative and provocative.
The biggest surprise for me was the performance by Moore. His character is developed with such love and empathy that by the end, you're torn between loving him or being horrified by his actions and Moore pulls it off with perfection. In fact, every one of the main characters does a terrific job. Tamblyn is great as the vivacious, bi-polar love interest. Some viewers may not like that her character wasn't explored deeper but I think in terms of story progression it had to be done that way. Levi portrays Berkeley who in some ways is the big brother type to Mason and in other ways he's more of an enabler. His motives for keeping such a closed off person as a friend are never quite clear. Is he using Mason to keep himself from being alone or does he really care about what happens to him?
The cinematography is great as well with the back drop of rainy Portland, Oregon enhancing the dark mood of the film. While some might find Spiral a little slow going, I personally enjoyed everything about it and would definitely recommend it to others. If you're looking for tons of gore or an in your face horror, I'd suggest a viewing of Hatchet instead. This is more of an 80 minute mind fuck. Is what your seeing real or fake? Did he or didn't he? Spiral is a new spin on an old twist. ENJOY!!
As all of you know, I'm a huge horror fan (DUH), probably the biggest in this little town I live in. BUT, I'm a horror fan to a fault. I watch everything, EVERYTHING. From classics like Frankenstein and The Fly to crappy remakes like RZ's Halloween (Hey, it's my blog, don't judge me). I've sat through the best and the worst horror films imaginable and I've watched every single second of them. That's a lot of time invested in horror. I scour Facebook and Twitter and sites like imdb.com to find horrors of all creed and color. Why am I telling you this? Because when I run across films like Inside, I want people to know that I didn't just base my opinion on the first 30-45 minutes. I watched every SECOND of it. And you're probably still saying "And I care why?" Let me run it down for you then I'll get into why.
Four months after losing her husband in a violent car crash, Sarah (Alysson Paradis) is due to give birth on Christmas day. As she settles in for the night, a strange woman (Beatrice Dalle) knocks at her door asking for help. After Sarah refuses to help, the woman continuously bangs on the door and we soon find out that she doesn't want help at all, she wants Sarah's child. Freaked out (rightly so) Sarah calls the police and a search of the grounds and house reveal the woman has gone. Yeah right. They assure her, someone will come around again to check on her during the night then leave.
As Sarah is sleeping, the woman suddenly appears in her bedroom and attacks her with a pair of scissors. Sarah manages to fight her off and locks herself in the bathroom. Our Femme Fatale tries and tries to get in, banging and kicking the door, stabbing it with the scissors. Screaming that she wants Sarah's baby. She torments Sarah through the night and kills anyone who tries to stop her.
I was told by my horror buddy @johnnyhorror30 that this was one of the goriest films he'd watched in a while... He was right! The gore quotient was definitely high and I'll give Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury props for making even MY stomach turn a little. BUT, can the film hold up on gore alone? That's the real question and I'm sure most of my "friends" won't too much care for my answer. RUH ROH! Hmm, would they want the good news or the bad news first? Let's go with the good news.
The performances by Alysson Paradis and Beatrice Dalle were superb and convincing. I felt for Sarah and what she was going through. She portrayed desperation to a tee. Beatrice Dalle was frightening (her actions, not her looks) and unrelenting. The world of horror is more than familiar with psychos and creepers but little can rival that of a woman scorned and she totally pulls it off. As far as protagonist and antagonist they were totally on point.
Inside is kind of like taking a trip back into the 70's and 80's being that the simplicity of it all carries the movie so far. It's set in a very confined place which enhances the claustrophobic atmosphere and the plot is fairly simple so it's easy to stay on point with what's happening.
Now the bad news: What irritates me are directors and writers who suck you in with a story that has such great potential and then they throw something in that's so off the beaten path that all you can do is go "What the fuck just happened?!?" Don't get me wrong, a WTF ending can be great... if it's done right. I like unanswered questions and forming my own conclusions but it was just downright depressing what they did to this film. It was like just as you're getting pulled in by the action, you're suddenly ripped out by something that draws attention to the implausibility of it all.
Character after character kept showing up and the audience knew nothing about them. They were pretty much just fodder to connect one gory scene to another. I wanted this movie to be great. And it was, up to a certain point and then came the ending. I didn't get it. If I'm promised an in your face psychological horror, that's what I want. Don't fuck it up by throwing in something so pointless and off story that it ruins the whole film.
What it comes down to is... Would I watch it again? Yes. Would I recommend it to others? Yes. Simply put, it is a good film and worth watching but be warned, this movie will bring you up then tear you down.
With Father's Day right around the corner, we thought it only appropriate that we remember the Fathers who don't normally receive the recognition they deserve. Even an average Joe turned nut job or the offspring of cannibalistic inbreeders need love too. So, without further ado and in no particular order, here is our list of the greatest dear old Dads.
Robert Carlyle stars in the second part of this epic zombie/virus flick as Don. He did what I'm sure most men probably dream of doing every night of the week... leaving their helpless wife in a house full of zombies to save his own ass. Then when she's found alive he does everything but strut in with an "It's all good" hoping she'd forget he abandoned her. Once he becomes infected he goes after his son and daughter like they'd taken the car out for a joyride and wrecked it.
Bill Paxton takes on what I think is his darkest role to date. His idea of outdoor games is a little different than that of the ordinary Dad. Teaching his kids to catch involves sinning strangers and an axe. Let's just hope he's nowhere near the next time I go to the grocery store. Eek!
Is there anything scarier than a Dad who goes bonkers for no apparent reason? James Brolin plays George Lutz, a man who gladly becomes the head of a blended family then gets possessed by a house dwelling demon. Kinda reminds me of my stepdad but without the demon.
Talk about demon possession, Jack Nicholson stars as Jack Torrance, a struggling writer who drags his family off to a mountain resort and ends up kissing corpses, drinking with dead people and trying to murder his family. And they considered that a vacation?
Unlike the Dad's on our list whose sole mission is to mame and murder their children, Ken Kirzinger only wants to protect and feed his. Yes, he's gotta kill normal people to do it but wouldn't we all do that for our kids if we had to?
Probably one of the most sadistic Fathers on the list Terry O'Quinn scared the pants off us all as he searched for the perfect family leaving a trail of bodies along the way.
Last but not least on our list for this year is Everett McGill who portrays an abusive father in this stylish Wes Craven flick. Mean to the bone for no other reason than he can be, no list would be complete without him.
Horror films are known for being over indulgent and sometimes a little dramatic with the cliches and one could argue that such films are merely one recycled idea after another. Especially with writers/directors having such a hard time coming up with new ideas and studios being content with bringing remake after remake to the screen.
Saw burst onto the screen in 2004 with a completely new idea of terror. BUT, with six movies under it's belt and a seventh in the works, it gets a little tiring. I'm sure there are other films that "changed" the face of horror but we won't get into those in this discussion.
With all that said, tell me YOUR best/worst horror cliches. It can be anything you want, but it must be something that's just totally over used. For example -- running in the woods and OOPS he/she falls down -- for me that's almost the worst.
C'mon, what are you waiting for?? Join the fucking conversation!!
I may be a little behind on this news but as expected, the rumor that Jennifer Aniston would be making an appearance in Scream 4 has been quashed. A spokesperson for the Weinstein Company insists that this casting report is "not true".
Star magazine had reported earlier this month that Aniston's role would've been similar to that of Drew Barrymore's in the original.
Aniston, who hasn't appeared in a horror film since 1993's Leprechaun (FYI: her first movie role) has stuck mostly to romantic comedies most recently The Switch with Jason Bateman. I say "GO FOR IT JEN!!" Scream is a very successful horror franchise and would definitely open her up to a whole new audience. C'mon, it's what like 5 minutes, if that? I'd like to see her do it and I have no doubt Angelina Jolie would have no problem watching her get her "ass cut-the-fuck-up."
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Spiral centers around Mason (Moore) a reclusive telemarketer with a knack for painting. Every day life for him is depressing. He's an outcast at work who is prone to bursting into panic attacks that end with 4 a.m. phone calls to his only friend Berkeley (Zachary Levi). When he meets Amber (Amber Tamblyn), a cute, quirky coworker, Mason slowly starts to open up about his past. But as Amber digs deeper and deeper into her new friend's history she realizes just how disturbed Mason is.
I will do my best NOT to give away any plot points of this film as discovering them while watching is kind of like a journey you have to make on your own. Kind of like a right of passage. Miss them and you won't know what's going on. Know them ahead of time and it spoils the whole story. What I can tell you is that writers Jeremy Danial Boreing and Moore have created a film that can easily be compared to the likes of Alfred Hitchcock and Roman Polanski. The tension in Spiral starts from the opening scene and continues throughout the entire story. No matter how much you THINK you've seen this story before, think again. No element of this story overstays it's welcome. It is unusual, creative and provocative.
The biggest surprise for me was the performance by Moore. His character is developed with such love and empathy that by the end, you're torn between loving him or being horrified by his actions and Moore pulls it off with perfection. In fact, every one of the main characters does a terrific job. Tamblyn is great as the vivacious, bi-polar love interest. Some viewers may not like that her character wasn't explored deeper but I think in terms of story progression it had to be done that way. Levi portrays Berkeley who in some ways is the big brother type to Mason and in other ways he's more of an enabler. His motives for keeping such a closed off person as a friend are never quite clear. Is he using Mason to keep himself from being alone or does he really care about what happens to him?
The cinematography is great as well with the back drop of rainy Portland, Oregon enhancing the dark mood of the film. While some might find Spiral a little slow going, I personally enjoyed everything about it and would definitely recommend it to others. If you're looking for tons of gore or an in your face horror, I'd suggest a viewing of Hatchet instead. This is more of an 80 minute mind fuck. Is what your seeing real or fake? Did he or didn't he? Spiral is a new spin on an old twist. ENJOY!!
Four months after losing her husband in a violent car crash, Sarah (Alysson Paradis) is due to give birth on Christmas day. As she settles in for the night, a strange woman (Beatrice Dalle) knocks at her door asking for help. After Sarah refuses to help, the woman continuously bangs on the door and we soon find out that she doesn't want help at all, she wants Sarah's child. Freaked out (rightly so) Sarah calls the police and a search of the grounds and house reveal the woman has gone. Yeah right. They assure her, someone will come around again to check on her during the night then leave. 
I was told by my horror buddy @johnnyhorror30 that this was one of the goriest films he'd watched in a while... He was right! The gore quotient was definitely high and I'll give Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury props for making even MY stomach turn a little. BUT, can the film hold up on gore alone? That's the real question and I'm sure most of my "friends" won't too much care for my answer. RUH ROH! Hmm, would they want the good news or the bad news first? Let's go with the good news.
Now the bad news: What irritates me are directors and writers who suck you in with a story that has such great potential and then they throw something in that's so off the beaten path that all you can do is go "What the fuck just happened?!?" Don't get me wrong, a WTF ending can be great... if it's done right. I like unanswered questions and forming my own conclusions but it was just downright depressing what they did to this film. It was like just as you're getting pulled in by the action, you're suddenly ripped out by something that draws attention to the implausibility of it all.
Character after character kept showing up and the audience knew nothing about them. They were pretty much just fodder to connect one gory scene to another. I wanted this movie to be great. And it was, up to a certain point and then came the ending. I didn't get it. If I'm promised an in your face psychological horror, that's what I want. Don't fuck it up by throwing in something so pointless and off story that it ruins the whole film. 
Robert Carlyle stars in the second part of this epic zombie/virus flick as Don. He did what I'm sure most men probably dream of doing every night of the week... leaving their helpless wife in a house full of zombies to save his own ass. Then when she's found alive he does everything but strut in with an "It's all good" hoping she'd forget he abandoned her. Once he becomes infected he goes after his son and daughter like they'd taken the car out for a joyride and wrecked it.
Bill Paxton takes on what I think is his darkest role to date. His idea of outdoor games is a little different than that of the ordinary Dad. Teaching his kids to catch involves sinning strangers and an axe. Let's just hope he's nowhere near the next time I go to the grocery store. Eek!
Is there anything scarier than a Dad who goes bonkers for no apparent reason? James Brolin plays George Lutz, a man who gladly becomes the head of a blended family then gets possessed by a house dwelling demon. Kinda reminds me of my stepdad but without the demon.
Talk about demon possession, Jack Nicholson stars as Jack Torrance, a struggling writer who drags his family off to a mountain resort and ends up kissing corpses, drinking with dead people and trying to murder his family. And they considered that a vacation?
Unlike the Dad's on our list whose sole mission is to mame and murder their children, Ken Kirzinger only wants to protect and feed his. Yes, he's gotta kill normal people to do it but wouldn't we all do that for our kids if we had to?
Probably one of the most sadistic Fathers on the list Terry O'Quinn scared the pants off us all as he searched for the perfect family leaving a trail of bodies along the way.
Last but not least on our list for this year is Everett McGill who portrays an abusive father in this stylish Wes Craven flick. Mean to the bone for no other reason than he can be, no list would be complete without him.
