Lake Placid (1999)

6.5/10

What do you get when you throw interesting/wacky characters, chopper, gun fire, action, endless sarcasm, and one big croc? One fun Saturday movie night.

Here are the pros of this film: it almost feels like a wildlife documentary, lingered with a slight tone of horror, classy yet gross use of gore, and hilarious dialogue. I felt myself chuckling at the many sarcastic remarks and bantering of Shieff Hank and Mrs. Delores Bickerman. This film differs it self from many other creature features in the sense that the writers put focus on the characters of this film instead of just the 'horrifying monster'. OH and Betty White probably is the gem....

Starring Bill Pullman, Oliver Platt, Brendan Gleeson, Betty White


Cons of Lake Placid: Bridget Fonda's character kelly was a bit of a nag, I found her more peeving at times. If you were looking for horror, this film doesn't really make you jump (I dont do horror well, so this is a pro for me hehe) but it does make you not want to go swimming in a lake for a while. Some action taken in this film doesn't really have much common sense, but then again that's what makes it fun


Overall, it was fun ride. Not overly epic, but has some funny as well as gross moments.

Rogue (2007)

5/10

Its bark scarier than its bite

plot: An American journalist on assignment in the Australian outback encounters a man-eating crocodile.

It is a very mundane creature feature, not much in storyline or in graphics. BUT it does have some amazing and stunning landscape sceneries of Australia.

The acting is not bad, with the at-the-time-not-discovered Sam Worthington and Michael Vartan.

 Rogue, although thin in terms of storyline/material, it is still an entertaining creature feature. I would recommend this to those who enjoyed Anaconda I and II. If you want something that mixes horror/creates/comedy, then I would recommend: Tremors, Eight Legged Freaks and Lake Placid.

Harper's Island (2009)

7.5/10 [recommended]

Great mini-series that will keep you engaged (though predictable but still very thrilling)

PlOT: Harper's Island was once the scene of a gruesome series of murders. Now, seven years later, family and friends gather on the island for a wedding, but one by one they begin to die.

I watched this mini-series a few years ago. It is such an exciting series that I watched all 13 episodes in less than 5 days. It's a horror shot in BC, where (spoiler alert) a character dies per episode. This mini-series is fairly predictable at times, but it definitely does not disappoint with the horror/thrills/excitement.

Parents (1989)

8/10

A morbidly creepy yet funny film that will make you think twice about eating meat again.

Parents is set in 1950's about a boy who began to question where his parents is getting their dinner meat from. A comedy/mystery/horror/drama, the entire story is told from the perspective of the little boy, Michael.

Acting is superb! Bryan Madorsky is very genuine in his portrayal of the confused/scared Michael who is unsure who to trust. Madorsky's only acting gig and he gave a fantastic performance. I wish I could have seen him in more films. The parents, played by Randy Quaid and Mary Beth Hurt, are very believable and very creepy...I had the chills every time they smiled....

Parents is very deceiving as it uses sit-com music and a warm family appeal giving viewers a false sense of safety and just when your guards are down the film will plunge into the horrific scene. The realization that you are actually watching a scary movie comes so quickly that it is chilling.

The cinematography creates the horror and element of fear. The film focuses on using high and low angles to give the illusion of the petite-ness of Michael and the towering built of the grown ups. The film also uses a lot of spins and turns emphasizing the idea of confusion and loss that Michael feels. In the scene where Michael is tied to a chair, the entire room is turning but the camera remain fixed on the people-- this shot is quite entrancing. The film has many short cuts, blending dream and flashback sequences and reality together further creating a sense of confusion and fear.

The blending of scenes into scenes and scenes into a solid screen of red makes this film really scary. Red has been contrasted and saturated quite a bit in this movie, making it loom over all other colours. The scenes are not overly gore, but is able to gross you out nevertheless.

I highly recommend this film to horror/comedy/mystery lovers. It is not your typical slasher or ghost film. It uses the element of safety (your parents) to create the sense of fear.

Cloverfield (2008)

6.5/10

flawed, at times lacked in common sense but intensely engaging

Revolves around a monster attack in New York as told from the point of view of a small group of people.

After watching Super 8, I continued the marathon of sci-fi thriller / creature feature with Cloverfield. I gotta say, Super 8 had better character development, but Cloverfield had more action packed scenes.

The shaky hand held camera made the entire situation feel realistic and, at times, extremely dizzy. The guy Hudson (TJ Miller) who was holding the camera could be hold reacting to the situation around him but we don't get to see much of him throughout the entire film.

I enjoyed Troll Hunter, also a hand held camera type film, much more then Cloverfield because it had a more solid storyline. We learned a bit about trolls and why they were hunted. Cloverfield, though great action and thrilling, lacked in some sort of an explanations. I felt that at the end of the Cloverfield I was still left at the same plateau point that was reached when we were first introduced to the monster.

The action and intensity were all there. I love the casting of Lizzy Caplan (from Mean Girls) and TJ Miller (comedian).

The CGI is good, especially having to deal with such a shaky hand held camera. But it helps things that most of the monster we see are through quick pans and blurry monsters in the distance.

Few things that bothered me the most about Cloverfield is the purpose of the 4 friends running off. Also during a few scenes the 4 knew there was something dangerous out about the city, yet no one grabbed a weapon. I know a weapon might not have made a difference against the big giants but it would ahve done wonders against those the spider things. Another thing is when the group of friends reached the mall with the soldiers, NO one seem to have thought getting help first for their friend Marlena, who at that point of the film was hurt.

The relationship between Rob (Michael Stahl-David)and Beth (Odette Annable) are also a bit shaky and weak. The friendship wasn't explored that well to fully allow me to buy that the friends were so willing to go with Rob on his wild goose chase.

Overall, very intense and engaging film that is can keep your attention.

Troll Hunter (2011)

8/10 [Highly Recommended]

Surprisingly good Norwegian film that gives creature features a new twist

Troll Hunter Plot: A group of students investigates a series of mysterious bear killings, but learns that there are much more dangerous things going on. They start to follow a mysterious hunter, learning that he is actually a troll hunter.

I was initially scared to watch this film thinking it would be horror film that is filled with cliche horror moments, dramatic music and gory images of monsters. Troll Hunter put an entirely new twist on creature horror films. I didn't, at any time during the film, cover my eyes in fear BUT I found myself holding my breath in anticipation and eyes glued to the screen. The film is shot in similar style as Cloverfield and Blare Witch Project, using a shaky hand held camera and shot in a documentary fashion.

The acting is above par by this unfamiliar cast. Every moment of tension and action was captured perfectly by this cast.

The CGI of the trolls, felt real. The shaky hand held and documentary filming fashion only helped to emphasize the realistic appeal.

Troll Hunter's story line and held true to the myth of trolls. I learned quite a bit about troll myths from this movie. Too many bad movies nowadays (movie saga that must not be named) moved so far away from the myth of the creatures (vampires) that it lost its core element. Troll Hunters brought the myths of trolls to life, such as trolls turning to stone and exploding with sunlight.

This film also dabbles now and then in a bit of humor, which really help make this film refreshing. I fairly enjoyed the final scene of the film, as the absurdity made me laugh.

Troll Hunter is a creature features aimed at documenting a myth of a monster (oxymoron, I know) and NOT just a horror film directed at scaring you. It seems almost educational in a sense.

I highly recommend this film. It is not that scary but it is uniquely thrilling. Trolling just found a whole new meaning.

The Witches (1990)

7/10

Incredible special effects make up that still scares me even now.

plot: A young boy stumbles onto a witch convention and must stop them, even after he has been turned into a mouse. 

I remember having watched this when I was in elementary school and left pretty much sleepless that night. Well re-watching The Witches, it still gives me chills. What a timeless film in that regards.

Anjelica Huston is outstanding in her portrayal and definitely highlight of this movie.

This film does an incredible job in mixing slap-stick humor, legend of witches and terrifying looking witches together. Definitely worth watching!

Vanishing on 7th Street (2010)

5.5/10

Flawed but not a horrible film.

I wanted to discovery for myself why Vanishing on 7th Street had such poor reviews so I decided to give the film a shot.

The reviews weren't lying when they said this film will leave you with more questions than answers as I was fairly confused toward the end. The film was also riddled with flaws. There's the issue with how flash lights can't be controlled but all the other electronic light sources can be controlled by the mysterious shadow/darkness. And also the extremely short life span of car batteries.

However bad the ratings were for Vanishing on 7th Street, this film is still fairly thrilling and keeps you engaged. Though confusing and flawed, I was still watching this film on edge wondering what was going to happen next. So for the thrilling element, this film succeeded. For plot, character development and dialogue elements, this film failed to deliver.

Overall, my impression is that Vanishing on 7th Street is engaging with great concept that had potential but failed to come together in the end.

The Frighteners (1996)

7/10

More frightened than humored.....

After a car accident in which his wife, Debra, was killed and he was injured, Frank Bannister develops psychic abilities allowing him to see (imdb)

I thought this film would be like Ghost Town, filled with ghost but more funny than scary. The title should have been a tip that this film would not be what I had expected. The Frighteners is well done with twists, scares, a couple laughters sprinkled throughout, and a ton gore. Only down side is that I didn't prepare myself for the horror elements.

The special effect is top notch for 1996. At times the graphics were a bit off, but overall, the ghosts and 'plasma' are convincing and real.

Michael J Fox, again gives a great performance. I love him in Back to the Future, so it is great to follow his journey in The Frighteners as Frank, a man is able to see spirits. Jake Busey also deserves some praise as he played the perfect crazed villain.

Peter Jackson, who will follow this film with directing Lord of the Rings,  (as well as King Kong, and the Hobbit) did a fantastic job co-writing and directing The Frighteners.

The Frighteners is entertaining, thrilling, intriguing and scary film. I was hoping for a bit more comedy to balance out the horror, as I am not great with horror films...

If you want a horror film that has bits of comical elements that will leave you on edge and jumpy...The Frighteners will do just that. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go watch a rom com to try and calm myself

Scream 4 (2011)

6.5/10 Remake of an original...and the best one yet.

Scream 4 is a continuation of Sidney Prescott and the Ghostface killer. This time ten years passed since the killings and Sidney, who has put herself back together thanks in part to her writing, is visited by the Ghostface Killer.

Now for those who are aware of this series should know that Scream is both a horror movie as well as a parody of horrors. The movie tells its audience and characters that it is a horror movie. Scream references many other horror films from House of Wax, Shaun of the Dead, Friday the Thirteenth to Psycho while using telling us frankly of the techniques used to create elements of suspense, surprise and twists in a movie. "Bet you didn't see this coming?" was part of the dialogue in Scream 4 and it is very true. I did not see it coming.

The main, supporting and cameo cast of this movie made it more awesome. We have our original cast from the previous films Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox and David Arquette. Supporting cast joins some well known faces such as Alison Brie, Hayden Panettiere, Emma Roberts and Adam Brody. But my favourite bit was the beginning of the film where the illusion of a film within a film within a film is created. During this beginning segment we are treated to cameos by Lucy Hale (Pretty Little Liars), Anna Paquin (X-Men, TruBlood) and Kristen Bell(Verionca Mars). I really like this ensemble cast, made this film all the more interesting.

The scare level was well driven by the music and sudden shifts of camera. I was surprised at the prompted moments despite knowing that it was coming.

I don't usually like scary movies unless it is horror/comedy, as the comedy balances out the horror element. But Scream 4 seems to not be that scary...but then again it's light out and I'm not home alone anymore.

In scary movie series I like Scream 4 and Final Destination 3 the best. SO if you wanted to know what all the fuss is about with these series just watch Scream 4 and Final Destination 3...rest can be skipped. If you're brave...watch them all

Final Destination series

I have seen the FD series individually and in an odd span of time and felt I should watch them in order. Not recommended for everyone.

Final Destination I

7/10

Being the first in the series, FD1 is very thrilling and captivating. My second favourite in the series.

The acting is good and fairly realistic. I felt attached to the characters and enjoyed the subtle humor that comes.

The use of gore will make you cringe and veer away from the screen for a moment. Audience sees the universe moving on its own then skips right into a pool of blood leaving viewers feeling discomfort.

Final Destination II

3.5/10

This is by far the worst of the series, the acting is mediocre and the storyline is weak. The gore is there, but was not able to save this film.

FD2 is trying hard to connect to the first FD, whilst bringing in bits of new pieces into the storyline, but fails to delivery. I didn't feel connected to any of the characters and am not impressed with the plot line.

The only positive part of this film is the action sequence of the car pile up at the beginning of the film. This scene is action pack despite the fake and overly exaggerated the explosions and fire balls.

Final Destination III

8/10

The best of the series!

Solid storyline, great casting and the prefect use of gore.

Great acting from an amazing cast! Love Mary Elizabeth Winstead in the lead role. She is never shy with her facial expressions, making it easy to connect with her character. Out of the entire series, Winstead has the best performance.

The storyline (thankfully) veered away from the first FD and went it's own course.

The gore is prefect---disgusting and believable. It will leave you feeling both intrigued and gagging.

The ending wraps up the idea of "final destination" idea nicely, not cheesy or over done.

The Final Destination (IV) 
 

5/10

The Final Destination could have been done much better.

The acting is very flat, no emotions shown. I didn't feel any connection to the characters.

The gore is not very good in FD4, especially the escalator scene. I understand the want to use lots of blood for the gore, but it is so far-fetched how she started excreting blood...

The ending is mediocre, and not memorable at all.

Dylan Dog (2010)

6.5/10

Funny, scary and better than IMDB's rating.

I loved most of the movie as it was very entertaining with scary and funny moments.

Brandon Routh isn't superman but nevertheless is still very eye catching as Dylan Dog, the centre man between the monsters and the 'breathers' aka humans.

The make up resembles that of Buffy the Vampire Killer, which I felt worked perfectly to create a world with hidden monsters and undead.

My only complaint is that the storyline is a bit flawed and the ending climax wasn't at all satisfying. I imagined the ending to be a bit different and that it would be able emphasize the relationship between the female lead and Dylan Dog. Nevertheless, the comedic appeal to Dylan Dog makes this film very enjoyable and corky.

This movie, based on the comic book, has a different approach to presenting a monster/gore/vampire/werewolf/zombie story delivering an entertaining hour and a half.I recommend this to those who would like to kick back and enjoy an action packed horror/thriller that can also create humor without being vulgar.

The Thing (1982)

8/10 (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!)

Thrilling, repulsive and horrifying

The Thing is about scientists in the Antarctic are confronted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of the people that it kills.

A great horror/sci-fi/thriller movie with fantastic special effects, especially for its time. The horror element in this film is not only created by the repulsively disturbing graphics of the alien life form but the distrust that is created amongst the people. A shape-shifting creature that can take over human form makes it impossible to discern who is human and who has been infected, generates the horror in The Thing.

The special effects of the alien is mind-blowing, gut wrenching and disturbing. The acting is perfect. And the over idea of the shape-shifting alien is absolutely brilliant. All of these elements together makes The Thing a must see horror film.

Highly recommended to horror fans! Not a film for the weak-stomach and the
squeamish. Warning: try not to watch while eating (trust me, I learn the hard way).

A prequel of The Thing 1982 is currently in production, release date for sometime this year. The prequel will have same title, The Thing 2011, starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead. I for one am excited about the prequel because I am a huge fan of Mary Elizabeth Wintead and how the creature was found.

and Soon the Darkness (2010)

4.5/10

Suspenseful but forgettable.

And Soon the Darkness revolves around two American girls on a bike trip in a remote part of Argentina split up and one of them goes missing, the other must find her before her worst fears are realized. (imdb)

The beginning of the film was suspenseful and very intriguing that it caught my attention. However, as the movie progressed, it became predictable and the plot slowly fell flat.

This film is labeled 'horror', which I take as sarcasm. Don't get me wrong, And Soon the Darkness is thrilling but if you are hoping for a scare than this is definitely not the movie. It uses the classic intense music accompanied by view of something hiding in the bushes attempting to create the horror element. It was creepy but not so much jumpy scary.

Amber Heard was believable in All The Boys Love Mandy Lane and again does a good job here. She gave a convincing performance in the lead role as the scared but determined best friend. I'm eager to see her future roles :)

The cinematography and landscapes are worth noticing in the film. The beautiful saturated landscapes are used very well in contrast to the desaturated grayish tone of the run-down deserted town in the latter half of the film. The camera angles are also worth noting.

If you are looking for an entertaining mindless Friday night thriller/suspense movie but don't mind the flat storyline...then this film will not disappoint.

Let the Right One In (2008)

8/10 [HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!]

A classic; perfect mix of horror, romance and stays true to vampires

Let the Right One In is about Oscar, an overlooked and bullied boy, finds love and revenge through Eli, a beautiful but peculiar girl who turns out to be a vampire. (imdb)

Let the Right One In is a fantastic horror film with vampires. During the current vampire fad, every time a vampire movie is mentioned, it is automatically compared to Twilight. Let the Right One is a classic and SHOULD NOT BE COMPARED to Twilight. Let the Right One embraces the horror of vampires, tight focus on forbidden love and stays true to the myth of vampires.

Let the Right One does not rely on the use computer generated effects to create the horror elements. The film is able to capture the atmosphere of fear and horror despite the low budget. Using sound effects, sights of gore and the audience's imagination, Let the Right One succeeds in becoming one of the best vampire horror/romance I have seen in a long time.

The entire movie is desaturated and has a gray overtone, however it is noticeable that the colour red is deeply saturated and brighten to stand out in the gray overtone. This slight colour re-touch has made the gory scenes very frightening. However, the film is not over done with gore scenes, but rather uses the element of silence and sounds to create the fear.

One of the best elements in Let the Right One is the fact that the film steers away from the typical "Hollywood film appeal". It avoids too much CGI, and over use of unnecessary action scenes. The film portrays vampires not to be the perfect, fit and attractive creatures that is of the current belief. The film stays true to vampire myths such as: burns in sunlight and needs to be invited in.

I highly recommend to those who enjoys Underworld and Interview with a Vampire. Let the Right One mixes subtle gore with an in-depth storyline resulting in a sensational and mature film about a vampire and a human.

Pandorum (2009)

6/10

Memorizing, scary but flawed

Pandorum revolves around a pair of crew members aboard a spaceship wake up with no knowledge of their mission or their identities. (imdb)

Pandorum revolves around deep-space travel and the madness that entails the long term isolation in space. This madness is expressed in a few ways in this sci-fi/thriller/horror.

Ben Foster has always been one of my favourite B-listers and he gives a spectacular performance in this film as a troubled crew member.

The film succeeds in creating an eerie atmosphere and creating many chilling/scary scenes that I like to forget. Pandorum also has a few plot twists towards the end that is quite captivating.

Not for everyone....Pandorum is for those who like a scary sci-fi film with creatures and madness that revolves around outer-space travel and isolation.

Zombieland (2010)

8/10
(HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!)

LOVE IT

Zombieland is a very smart film that intertwines many genres with the outcome of pure awesomeness. It is action packed, scary, thrilling, hilarious and heartwarming.

Zombieland offers you tips on how to survive in the event of an actual Zombie epidemic and if you follow the guidelines...you should be ok. The cinematography and sound effects works perfectly to create an eerie atmosphere with humor and romance sprinkled throughout. At times I wasn't sure whether to laugh, awwww or just jump (horror elements).

Great cast! Emma Stone, Abigail Berslin and Jesse Eisenberg all had fantastic performances. Absolutely love these three. My favourite was the cameo of Bill Murray, who plays none other than himself--Bill Murray.

Two parts that bothers me; a) why did the girls jump out of the car?? they could have drove gotta there. b) Bill, dressing up as a zombie and scaring the sh!t out of someone during a zombie epidemic...not smart...but hilarious!

If you enjoyed Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz then Zombieland is perfect for you!

I Sell the Dead (2008)

6.5/10

Scary and funny at the same time.

I Sell the Dead is about a grave robber reflects on his life of crime. (imdb)

Interesting editing technique plus golden performance made this film quite appealing.

Dominic Monaghan (played Charlie on the TV show Lost) did a superb job in this film finding a perfect balance between when to be serious and and when to be comedic. He is quite brilliant in moving this film forward.

I Sell the Dead mixes humour with horror so well that at points during the movie I was laughing in fear. With so many movies about zombies/vampires/ghosts/slashers, this movie felt rather refreshing. It focus on ghouls and grave robbers told by a man on death row.

I Sell the Dead is great for those who wants to watch a horror but, like myself, cannot handle the intensity and need some humor. Light subtle humour mixed with thrillingly scary moments.

The Village (2004)

7/10

Suspense..check
Mystery...check
scary elements that make you jump...check
Surprise ending...Check!

Fantastic movie that kept my interest from beginning to end...and also kept my nerves on edge.

I should have watched The Village a long time ago, but I am not one for horror so I left it alone. After watching Devil (2010) also by Shyamalan I decided to give The Village a shot.

Devil does not hold a candle to The Village.

Each character in the film is carefully developed to work with the storyline. Bryce Dallas Howard in the lead role is amazing and very believable. The film wouldn't be without her. Adrian Brody gave me goose bumps with oddness of his character.

The score and cinematography in The Village are absolutely top-notch. The entire suspenseful-fearful atmosphere relied on the score and sound effects...and they both delivered. The shots are perfect, never revealing too much and always presenting interesting angles to support the suspenseful mood.

The storyline is fascinating! Hats off to Shyamalan. I will not say much because I don't want to give anything away.

M Night Shyamalan is great with his genre. My favourite would always be Sixth Sense(1999), followed by The Village (2004), then Unbreakable(2000). I have yet to watch Signs (2002) and The Happening(2008)

However, I felt Devil (2010) fell flat...the storyline is not as well knit and lacked in the jaw-dropping surprise ending.

If you love Sixth Sense, then you must check out The Village. Be forewarned, it has its share of jumpy/scary moments!

Identity (2003)

8/10

More than meets the eye...

Starring John Cusack and Amanda Peet, Identity is a thriller/mystery/horror revolving a group of strangers at Nevada Motel in the mist of a storm, and slowly one by one starts to get killed off.

Plot line sounds simple right? Well there's more to this film than meets the eye...a lot more. Like the tag line says "Secret lies within," so if you want to know what happens...watch it.

Identity, isn't as scary as you would presume. The moments of fear are set up so you know it is coming. Doesn't catch you completely off guard, but does give you chills as the right time.

The editing in the first 20 minutes or so, is quite brilliant. Going back and forth between shots sets up how each character is connected to the film.
Brilliant film, however, could have done more cuts of flashback during the latter half of the movie.

If you like thrillers/mystery with a touch of scary element attached, then I would recommend you take a tour through Identity.