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Posts Tagged ‘Horror movie posts’

Halloween Ends (Review)

Posted in Horror Movies, New Movie reviews, Reviews, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 29, 2022| Leave a Comment »

by LaTaeya Lane

Warning: Mild Spoilers Below

Halloween Ends, starring (Jamie Lee Curtis) and directed by David Gordon Green, takes place four years after the last battle, which left Laurie Strode and the residents of Haddonfield still reeling from the traumatic events after Halloween Kills.

We find Laurie once again attempting to pick up the pieces of her life. This time we see her and her granddaughter managing to fuse their lives as they try to move on. Things quickly spiral once Laurie’s granddaughter Allyson played by (Andi Matichak) finds a love interest, Cory, portrayed by (Rohan Campbell) who completely changes the narrative of Michael Myers.

Laurie Strode, portrayed by the legendary Jamie Lee Curtis, is a formidable force to be reckoned with. After all these years, she still has a lot of fight in her. However, Laurie is much older and is in a different place in her life as she continues her battle with Evil. On the other hand, the Shape has also weakened with time, and moviegoers will see the effects of that weakness and how it plays such a pivotal role within this storyline.

Without giving too much away, I think that the film presented a fresh take on the lasting impact that Michael has had on Laurie and Haddonfield. It also gave fans an interesting spin on how the magic of horror can be revealed without remorse or explanation. Finally, this film introduces dedicated fans to a new concept of energy transference to The Shape’s, aka Michael Myers’ persona.

To some degree, the film did miss the mark on providing a better conclusion to Michael’s and Laurie’s story but overall, I was very satisfied with how the way things ended with Michael. At one point, I got excited about Cory’s introduction, thinking he might take the reins as a new reincarnated version of Michael Myers.

After 44 years of screaming, running, chasing, hunting, hiding, fighting, haunting, struggling, hoping, believing, and persevering, the Halloween saga has pushed the limits of horror. It has transcended time as the ultimate Good versus Evil theme and will forever reign as a staple in cinematic horror history.

Halloween Ends is must-see for those fans dedicated to the franchise.

I gave this movie 4 stars

L.L.

Check out the trailer below:

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The Top Ten Horror Icons

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on October 18, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Top Ten Horror Icons of all Time

Here is my list of the top ten horror Icons in horror movie history, starting with my all time favorite, Freddy Kruger. Kruger is known for his comical antics, but he is most importantly known as the “nightmare” coming to haunt your dreams and kill your “reality.” If you cone across Freddy, most likely you won’t live to tell it.

Each one of these characters have that special element that makes them unique to the genre. Those elements can include supernatural powers from the depths of darkness or the power of insanity. Having the power to be an unstoppable killing machine, no matter how the average man tries to defeat him, they just keep coming back. Whichever one it is, the horror icon is looked upon as a strong entity that brings us fear and opens us up to a whole new realm of imagination. Another element that makes the horror icon so intriguing is the concept of evolution. My list of characters with the exception of “Norman” and “Hannibal” all made their appearance on the silver screen during the dawn of the classic 80’s horror age. Within that period, they each have passed the test of time, to evolve and become something more than just a phase of pop culture. The evolution of these characters have transformed into a phenomenon of creativity, that can be defined in one word as “ART.” The 80’s was the period or reformation of horror creativity, and it gave horror a new villian to look forward to, where fans could add fun to their fear experience.
1.Freddy Kruger
2.Micheal Myers
3.Jason Voorhees
4.Leatherface
5.Norman Bates
6.Chucky
7.Candyman
8.Hannibal
9.Pinhead
10.Pumpkinhead
11. (Bonus) Leprechaun
Honorable Mention
1.Dracula
2.Frankenstein
3.The Wolfman
4.The Mummy
Have a frightening weekend!!
L.L.

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Paranormal Activity 4 Movie Review

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 21, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Paranormal Activity 4 directed by Henry Joost and starring Katie Featherston takes place five years after Katie kills her family and kidnaps her nephew baby Hunter.  Hunter now known as Robbie, along with Katie are the new residents of a neighborhood in Nevada.  The moment Katie and Robbie move in across the street, Alice the teen that notices that Robbie is strange begins to experience paranormal events in her home.

The subtle noises in the night become elevated when Robbie is forced to stay a few days with Alice and her family.  Her friend Ben encourages Alice to video record all the strange activity.  Alice feels that Robbie is a bad influence on her brother Wyatt.  After viewing the tapes of recorded footage the teen is convinced that something maybe after her and her brother.  Alice ties to confront her mother about her findings, but her mother continues to not listen and ignore the signs.

Alice eventually discovers that Robbie may be linked to a coven of witches and a demonic force.  By the time she learns this information it is too late for her and her family.

The fast moving movie really was pointless and did not answer any of the questions franchise fans want to know concerning Katie and Kristi’s past that involve the demonic creature.  The movie was done the same way as the others.  A bump here, a crash there, then suddenly Katie pops into the home and randomly kills everyone.  Katie makes a statement at the end of movie telling the possessed Wyatt that “he will be ready soon.”

For those of you who still plan to see the movie, I will not give any more away, but to tell you the truth, I should have gone to see Taken 2, which I am three weeks late seeing.  I am not going to go over special effects or score, because this movie did not bring anything new to the franchise at all.  This movie should have gone straight to DVD and Netflix.  I cannot believe that the production company wasted money to release a movie like this.  I give Paranormal Activity 4 two stars.  I hope they do not make another one for next Halloween.

As a horror fan, I was disappointed and screamed only once.

Happy Reading!!

L.L

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Fall/Winter Movie Preview Introduction “The Apparition”

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on August 14, 2012| Leave a Comment »

I checked out my sources and it seems like this fall and winter is going to be great season for new movies.  There are so many good movies to be released that I decided to do a series of movie previews on my site.  As the summer officially comes to a close I get geared up for the fall and expect a nice array of horror flicks to be released in theaters and on DVD.  A few movies to put you in the scary mood are first and foremost a movie called The Apparition, starring some familiar faces from Twilight, Harry Potter and Captain America: The First Avenger.  This movie tells an interesting story about a group of students that set out to prove that supernatural and paranormal events can occur if you create them in your mind and believe in the idea that you created. Check out the trailer below.  This movie is to be released August 24th.  Just by watching the trailer I am sold on the whole idea and really hope that it does a decent job in theaters.  For those die-hard horror fans that appreciate the genre, I think that you will give it a shot and be happy that you did.  Enjoy the trailer and Happy Reading and Writing!! L.L

 

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Movies That Are Released Straight to DVD

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , on April 12, 2012| Leave a Comment »

I understand the whole idea behind production companies releasing movies straight to DVD, but at this point in the business, these companies need to let the public know when they are releasing a film directly to DVD.  They should if they want to make some kind of money and expose their creations.  Now I pretty much consider myself a movie buff and I think I am in the loop when it comes to viewing new movies, old movies and everything in-between.  Now I must admit that with writing my new book series I have been devoting a lot of my time working but that still does not mean that I am clueless in what is going on in the movie world.  Last night while I was resting and playing on my NOOK I decided to find a movie to watch on Netflix since there was nothing on television.  I stumbled upon a horror that was released last year called “Hellraiser: Revelations”  starring Steven Brand.   I knew nothing about this movie.  This movie is the ninth installment in the franchise.  It basically had the same concept as the other movies.  A couple of teens come across the box, one opens the box and then they are unwillingly sucked into the demonic world of the Cenobites.  As a fan of Clive Barker, the original and the sequel, I had to follow in suit and watch them all, just to stay true to the series.  It is an unspoken devotion to the genre and the craft as a whole to watch these movies even if the casts, directors and overall storylines are altered in such ways that may not appeal to the average movie goer.  Remember A nightmare on Elm Street: Freddy’s Dead?  That was horrible, but most of us who love classic horror had to see it.  I know there are so many more movies out there like that, but it can be hard to just turn your back on a series that you have invested years of faithfulness and devotion to.

I suggest that these companies invest more money and time in advertising.  A real movie buff is willing to give a movie a chance just as long as they are aware that the movie is floating on a shelf.  That shelf could be part of Netflix or Blockbuster or any other movie distribution company.

Cabin in Woods will be released this weekend and I am curious to how it will do considering Hunger Games has been on top for last few weeks.  Stay tuned for a movie review.

Happy Reading, Writing and Creating!

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Movies That Are Released Straight to DVD

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , on April 12, 2012| Leave a Comment »

I understand the whole idea behind production companies releasing movies straight to DVD, but at this point in the business, these companies need to let the public know when they are releasing a film directly to DVD.  They should if they want to make some kind of money and expose their creations.  Now I pretty much consider myself a movie buff and I think I am in the loop when it comes to viewing new movies, old movies and everything in-between.  Now I must admit that with writing my new book series I have been devoting a lot of my time working but that still does not mean that I am clueless in what is going on in the movie world.  Last night while I was resting and playing on my NOOK I decided to find a movie to watch on Netflix since there was nothing on television.  I stumbled upon a horror that was released last year called “Hellraiser: Revelations”  starring Steven Brand.   I knew nothing about this movie.  This movie is the ninth installment in the franchise.  It basically had the same concept as the other movies.  A couple of teens come across the box, one opens the box and then they are unwillingly sucked into the demonic world of the Centabytes.  As a fan of Clive Barker, the original and the sequel, I had to follow in suit and watch them all, just to stay true to the series.  It is an unspoken devotion to the genre and the craft as a whole to watch these movies even if the casts, directors and overall storylines are altered in such ways that may not appeal to the average movie goer.  Remember A nightmare on Elm Street: Freddy’s Dead?  That was horrible, but most of us who love classic horror had to see it.  I know there are so many more movies out there like that, but it can be hard to just turn your back on a series that you have invested years of faithfulness and devotion to.

I suggest that these companies invest more money and time in advertising.  A real movie buff is willing to give a movie a chance just as long as they are aware that the movie is floating on a shelf.  That shelf could be part of Netflix or Blockbuster or any other movie distribution company.

Cabin in Woods will be released this weekend and I am curious to how it will do considering Hunger Games has been on top for last few weeks.  Stay tuned for a movie review.

Happy Reading, Writing and Creating!

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The Woman in Black Review

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , on February 5, 2012| 2 Comments »

The Woman in Black Directed by James Watkins and starring Daniel Radcliffe is a story about a young lawyer who is plagued with the grief of his wife’s death.  Now a single father Arthur Kipp must do everything he can to keep from falling apart.  He is sent on a job to a small village to retrieve paper work for a house that must be put back on the market.  Little does he know that this job would open him up to a world of paranormal activity and capture him upon the border between life and death.

This Spiritual Horror is based on the novel written by Susan Hill.  Set in the late 1800’s in a dreary England, the slow-moving beginning opens with the scene of three young girls playing happily.  Their happiness soon turns into despair when they suddenly stop playing and make their way over to the window to jump out.  Obviously not in their right minds,  This scene does not do too much for movie goers but we were all eager to take the theatrical journey.  After the suicide the movie proceeds to introduce the main character and his purpose.

On the verge of loosing his job, Arthur arrives at the remote village to begin his work.  He finds that the towns folk are very distant and unwelcoming.  There is something terribly wrong with the atmosphere of this town, and there is no doubt that Arthur feels the tension that the town is giving off.  He eventually settles in and makes his way over the house.  Transported by horse and carriage he arrives at the eerie mansion.  All alone he is left with his thoughts and the work he must do.  Once he settled in he, familiarized himself with the property and automatically is distracted by suspicious sounds and the visions of ghostly apparitions.  The subtlety of the activity up to this point is not impressive to me.  Creepy bumps, and other noises just makes Arthur feel like he must investigate the house and property.  What is interesting about this part is that Arthur learns some valid information about the owner of the house and her family history.    Fortunately by the time things slightly intensify he is picked up and must return to the village for the night.

At this point in the movie things really start to pick up as the director fully takes you into the story deeper.  A child ends up dead and Arthur’s presence sets off a chain of events that makes the towns folk more fearful than ever.  The ghostly superstitions that the town holds slowly surfaces  and turns real the longer Arthur works in the house and stays in the village.  Determined to get his work done to provide for his four-year son he decides to spend the night in the house to get more accomplished.  This night is the most chilling and is the turning point where the director and writers as a whole step it up in their cinematic delivery.  The woman in black makes her presence fully known as this thriller now officially turns into a horror.  Things go pump in the night and the haunting of this woman deeply intensifies.  Screams heard near and far, the movie is filled with suspense and action and keep you interested.

I do not want to provide any more spoilers but The Woman in Black for me was a fresh take on an old recurring theme.  It was not the traditional hunted house movie, despite some of the traditional elements, such as the screams, or the anticipation building music, and the parts where you think something is about to jump out but it is something totally non threatening.   Daniel Radcliffe preformed very well considering this is his first on-screen movie role since Deathly Hallows part II.  It was hard to not see Daniel as Harry.  I felt like his glasses and wand were missing in some parts, but I feel that taking on new and exciting adult roles will be great for his career.

Over all I think that the movie was quite thrilling and the director  and crew did a wonderful job with creating and drawing you into the authentic element of the original novelist’s vision.  I give this movie a B+ rating.  I cant wait to see what Radcliffe has planned for his next project.

 

 

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