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Monday, December 31, 2012

TOP 5 BEST AND WORST HORROR MOVIES OF 2012



  Last year I didn’t look at the box office numbers before making my list. So I thought I would take a peak before making this year’s list just to see how my picks measured up with the box office. Obviously that does no good for DVD or limited releases but still. So here’s a quick look at some domestic box office results from Box Office Mojo (as of 12/28).

#15 Snow White and the Huntsman $155,136,755
#16 Hotel Transylvania $143,923,820
#19 Prometheus $126,477,084
#33 Dark Shadows $79,727,149
#45 Underworld Awakening $62,321,039
#51 ParaNorman $55,980,775
#54 The Woman in Black $54,333,290
#55 Paranormal Activity 4 $53,851,000
#56 The Devil Inside $53,261,944
#59 The Grey $51,580,236
#61 The Possession $49,130,154
#63 Sinister $47,977,484
#72 Resident Evil: Retribution $42,345,531
#73 The Cabin in Woods $42,073,277
#78 Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter $37,519,139
#85 Frankenweenie $34,485,378
#87 House at the End of the Street $31,611,916

  Interesting right? Yes, I included a movie or two that might not have been exactly horror, and animated horror movies as well. And no, I didn’t want to look at the number of theaters. That’s just digging too deep into it. I’m sure you’re already scratching your head at where some of these movies landed. So let’s see if any of these movies landed on my lists.

My Top 5 Best Horror Movies of 2012:



#5 ParaNorman: It’s a little unusual for there to be several animated horror films in one year, so I feel as if I need to include one. Yes, they are kid movies, but still. This is certainly one the kids will like, maybe because they can relate to Norman. The supporting characters aren’t half bad either. The movie gives audiences a taste of ghosts, a witch, and some hilarious zombies. My only complaint is the story feels like it’s missing something. On a side note, "Hotel Transylvania" is a pretty funny movie.


#4 Juan of the Dead: Ok, I have to give some love to some lesser-known horror movies, so here’s my surprise pick. This movie is simply hilarious, especially for a guy from Miami. Yes, there might be some political jokes that not everyone might get, but there are plenty of jokes for everyone. Speaking of plenty, there is plenty of zombie kills for those who are looking for zombie deaths as well.
 

#3 The Tall Man: This movie is brought to us by Pascal Laugier, who did “Martyrs” (a must see). It might not be as horrifying as “Martyrs,” but it holds its own. While it starts off more of a horror movie, it becomes a good thriller/mystery movie. The acting is solid, and the best thing about it is all the twists and turns. It definitely keeps the audience on their toes. 


#2 The Cabin in the Woods: Here’s the movie that promised to be original while looking like the typical horror movie. It created a lot of buzz, and had everyone hiding the big secret in the movie. By the way, can we talk about that secret yet? Anyway, it’s that secret that makes the movie different as promised. Besides the typical horror stuff, the movie also includes a good amount of comic relief. I’m sure I will see this movie at the top of many of lists. It was looking like number 1 for along time, but was overtaken late in the year by…


#1 Sinister: For me, this was an easy choice. I love everything about this movie. It has suspense, tension, scares, and plenty of horror. I appreciate the different use of found footage, the acting is great, and love the look of Mr. Boogie. No way did I expect it to be this good before seeing it, so I’m glad I got a chance to see it. I will look for a movie to top this next year!


My Top 5 Worst Horror Movies of 2012:



#5 The Apparition: Unfortunately for this movie I just watched it so I know how much it sucks over others I might have forgotten about. To start off, all the experiment talk is just too confusing. They went too fast for my slow mind. The audience will never care about the couple because they are just thrown into the middle of the couple’s lives. They give it a decent attempt to scare audiences, but fall short. And it has a common theme with several of the movies on this list... a terrible ending.


#4 The Innkeepers: I should have known there would be nothing interesting about a pair of innkeepers (sorry people who are innkeepers). Really, this movie just tries and tries to build to something spectacular happening, but all the audience gets are two people babysitting a hotel with almost no one in it. And when the so-called spectacular event happens, it amounts to whatever you want to call is the opposite of spectacular. The only thing about this movie that haunts me is how I wasted my time watching it. (Yes, technically this came out at the end of 2011, but was released in limited theaters in 2012 so I included it)


#3 Paranormal Activity 4: Just when Paranormal Activity was starting to grow on me they had to give us this waste of a movie. It’s as if they waited to the last minute in order to make another movie. The scares are weak, the story is full of holes, and audiences won’t care about this new family. Worst of all, they just don’t include anything new and special about the previous movies. If you look at the box office numbers above, you will see why there will be a 5th part.


#2 Chernobyl Diaries: This movie has a similar theme to say “The Hills Have Eyes” or “Wrong Turn,” but it certainly doesn’t live up to those movies. I had some hope for it because the setting seamed to make sense, and the story tried to be different. However, the scares are weak because they let the audience hear more of the deaths than see them. Actually, the random use of animals is more scary. And yes, a predictable ending.  


#1 The Devil Inside: This movie certainly didn’t start 2012 off with a bang. Just because it’s a found footage exorcism movie didn’t mean it brought anything else new to exorcism movies. There are a few bloody moments, but is lacking in scares. Since it’s a documentary, there is way too much boring conversation going on. And let’s not forget the dreadful, and much talked about ending.

Interesting how I didn’t review many of these bad movies. I guess that is a good thing for me although I did watch them.

Horror movies I wanted to see but haven’t: Frankenweenie, Grave Encounters 2, Resident Evil: Retribution, and The Bay

Horror movies I'm most looking forward to seeing next year: Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D, Evil Dead, and Insidious 2.

If you are curious about my list from last year, here it is:

Friday, December 28, 2012

SILENT NIGHT REVIEW


  Ah the holidays. Time to decorate a tree, and put up some lights. Time to do a little shopping, and prepare for a Christmas feast. And don't forget to leave Santa some milk and cookies for when he comes down the chimney. That's if he does come down the chimney. If he knocks on the door, you might have a problem!
  Aubrey (Jaime King) is part of a small police force in a remote Midwestern town. She’s struggling to believe she will ever be a good cop. Things don’t get any easier for her when a guy dressed as Santa decides to kill off everyone on his naughty list. With the help of Sheriff Cooper (Malcolm McDowell), she follows the trail of bodies in search of this Christmas criminal.
  So I'm all in on watching a rogue Santa. This Santa is pretty crazy, and shows no mercy for the naughty. His unusual mask makes him scary enough, but doesn't make it so obvious he's a bad Santa until it's too late. They do a pretty good job of hiding the motive for his killing spree. It had me curious throughout, and ends with a decent twist.
  Going back to the no mercy part, there are plenty of death scenes. If audiences are looking for a movie where a guy simply goes on a killing spree, this is it. Everyone including myself really seems to enjoy seeing Santa with a flamer thrower. It’s definitely one of the more memorable scenes.
  I guess you can’t have a killer Santa without killing a child. I admit I was a little surprised by that. There is one kill that is a good idea, but poorly executed. It’s when the girl is put in a wood chipper. She can’t possibly still be screaming, as half her body should be chopped to pieces.
  While the killing spree is fun, the rest of the movie isn’t. With the exception of the foul-mouthed Santa Jim (Donal Logue), there isn’t another character that is interesting. Aubrey’s struggles didn’t make me feel sorry for her, and remainder of the police force were just clowns waiting to be killed. That might be the result of some poor dialogue, and bad acting. I expected more from Malcolm, who is way too dramatic.
  There aren’t many Christmas themed horror movies so sometimes you just have to take what you can get. This rogue Santa is brutal, and the deaths scenes surely will please horror fans. There’s a high enough body count, and plenty of blood splattering moments. However, bad acting, and dialogue make you want to fast forward to the next kill. I would certainly give this more pools of blood if I found the story as fun as the killing spree. In other words, I give “Silent Night” 2 pools of blood!

  HorrO  

Friday, December 21, 2012

WARM BODIES REVIEW


  So “Warm Bodies” begins and one of the first things that come up on the screen is the Summit Entertainment logo. Panic mode… as I suddenly realize there’s a chance I'm about to watch Twilight for zombies! I already had concerns that this might be a sappy zombie movie. Summit wouldn’t try to kill zombies like they did vampires would they?
  The story follows a zombie, who is eventually named R (Nicholas Hoult). Early on he can't talk, but the audience gets to hear the voice inside his head. R and a group of zombie friends go on the hunt for some food, and find some humans searching a lab. A fight occurs, where R sees and surprisingly saves Julie (Teresa Palmer). This becomes only the first step in R's transformation from zombie to human.
  This is a different zombie movie because it’s refreshingly from a zombie’s point of view. The opening scene shows R walking around an airport with the audience hearing his thoughts. It's a tremendously funny scene hearing what a zombie could be thinking. He's not sure why he's there, what he's doing, and can't remember his life as a human.
  It’s not just from any zombie’s point of view; it’s from R’s, who proves to be a very intriguing zombie. Most zombies don’t want anything more than brains. Well, R wants a lot more than that. The audience sees how R is just a little different than the zombies around him. He lives in an airplane, and is a collector of things. One thing he collects, and surprisingly plays are old records. The music choices are perfect for R’s situation, and add some extra entertainment to the movie.
  R’s life as a zombie changes forever when he saves, and basically collects Julie. She quickly becomes his most important possession, as if it's zombie love at first sight. He's adamant about keeping her safe, and even tells her that. Yes, the transformation starts with R being able to say words. From this point on, the more time he spends with Julie, the closer he becomes to turning back into a human.
  Of course, Julie isn’t so sure about living with a zombie, as she has been taught that they want nothing more than to eat you. However, after R proves he isn’t a threat to her, she becomes as intrigued in him as the audience. As R and Julie spend sometime getting to know each other before their real journey begins, the on screen chemistry between Nicholas, and Teresa really bring these characters to life. Nicholas does a great job of selling that R’s in love with Julie, but not over doing because he’s still a zombie after all. Teresa equally does a suburb job of showing how Julie handles the awkwardness of the situation, and balancing her feelings for R while wanting to return home.
  There are two other things worthy of note about this movie. One is what happens to zombies when they eat brains. While not giving it away, it’s a very fascinating idea if that’s something that really could happen. Seriously, that could open the door to other great zombie movie ideas. Maybe it has been done somewhere else that I’m unaware of, but it certainly grabbed my attention.
  Besides this just being about zombies vs. humans, the other note worthy thing is that they introduce a third party to this equation: the Boneys. Not the most creative name, but that’s what they are, bones. Actually, they do a good job of making these skeleton guys pretty creepy for skeletons. While zombies are out for brains, the Boneys are out for anything with a heartbeat.
  While “Warm Bodies” has similarities to Romeo and Juliet, it certainly isn’t just a sappy love story. It’s a different kind of zombie movie about a very special zombie. Allowing audiences to first hear R’s thoughts and later speak, makes him a likeable character from the start, and provides plenty of humorous moments throughout. There is also just enough action, and yes romance to complete this story full of interesting ideas. The great chemistry between the lead actors makes this movie complete. Because Summit didn’t ruin zombies as well, I give this movie 3.5 pools of blood.

  HorrO

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

HOLIDAY HORROR WISH LIST



  I did this last year, and I think several of you had some fun with it, so I'm bringing it back. It's very simple, just imagine you are a little kid again, and are about to write a letter to Santa telling him what you want for Christmas. Except think of it as if you are writing to the Santa from "Silent Night," and are only going to be asking for things that are horror related. Basically I want all of you to come up with a Holiday Horror Wish List. It could be something that you could really get like a DVD of your favorite horror movie of 2012, or an autograph from your favorite horror icon. Your list could also be something you would like to see happen in the world of horror for 2013 such as, a sequel to a horror movie, or no more remakes (not happening by the way)! To give you a few more examples, here's my Holiday Horror Wish List followed by a look out how some of my wishes from last year turned out.

-Showtime to decide that season 8 will not be Dexter's last!
-For everybody who hasn't seen Sinister to see it!
-The motherf***ing release of Jeepers Creepers 3 already!


-Will settle for 2 out of 3 to be good (Texas Chainsaw 3D, Carrie, or Evil Dead), and 1 out of 2 to be good (Insidious 2, or The Last Exorcism 2)
-More screenings of independent horror films, and horror conventions to come to Florida!
-For Paranormal Activity 5 to be the last one unless they finally take my advice and Start A New Story Line!


-Was going to wish for a certain character from The Walking Dead to die, but it looks like I got that wish early. Got a 4th season coming. How about a poster signed by the whole cast (living and dead)?
-For the real life horror in the world to end!
-Continued support for HorrO's Gory Reviews, The Dog Days in Zombieville, PromoteHorror.com, and all things horror!


Now it's your turn! Please post your Holiday Horror Wish List in the comment section below, and we will see if Horror Claus will make it come true. 

Holiday Horror Wish List 2012:

-More episodes for season 2 of American Horror Story: got a 2nd season and a 3rd on the way
-For another network to do a zombie show! Hell more zombie movies and less vampire movies: Well looks like 2013 might be the year
-The release of Jeepers Creepers 3 already: As you could tell, I'm still upset about not getting this one
-For horror movies not named Paranormal Activity 4 to make over $10 million on opening weekend: Some movies did pretty well
-Supernatural to be renewed: Done, now we need another
-The strength to see 1 more Twilight movie: I survived, and glad it's over
-The Insidious DVD please: Never got it, but maybe I'll get a 2-pack after the sequel
-Continued support for HorrO's Gory ReviewsThe Dog Days in Zombieville, and PromoteHorror.com: You guys gave me this one... thanks!!

  HorrO

Sunday, December 16, 2012

THE WALKING DEAD: VIDEO OF FUNNY PICS!


No Walking Dead… no worries! Here’s a little video that will hopefully make you laugh, and remember some of the good times from the show until it returns. Enjoy…


Sunday, December 9, 2012

SILENT HILL: REVELATION 3D REVIEW


  Finally the long awaited sequel to “Silent Hill!” What an injustice to the original that they took so long to make a sequel. There is a lot to like about the original, and plenty of craziness that I'm sure it couldn't have been that hard to put together a sequel sooner. Just look at how many Resident Evil movies they managed to put together. So after the inexcusable wait, did they do any justice with "Silent Hill: Revelations?"
  The story take place many years later, as Heather (Adelaide Clemens) is all grown up now. She’s on the run with her father, Harry (Sean Bean), from the evil forces of Silent Hill. What seem to be nightmares becomes a real life nightmare when Harry is kidnapped, and taken to Silent Hill. That’s when Heather teams with an unexpected new friend Vincent (Kit Harington), in order to get her back to Silent Hill.
  So let me start with the real injustice… the acting. The combination of Adelaide and Kit just doesn’t work. Watching the two together actually made me wish I were in a room with the pyramid guy. There is no chemistry between the two, especially when there is suppose to be. That is kind of surprising because Kit actually does a decent job on "Game of Thrones."
  Now to the good part, which is the Silent Hill creatures. Starting with the nurses, they are awesome as expected. There are only two things I didn't like about them. One is that they only had one scene. Come on, you can never have enough of the Silent Hill nurses. The other is in their only scene; the scene ends with the nurses posing. Yes, I know they are supposed to stop, but the way they end the scene is too staged. It’s almost like they stopped for someone to take their picture.
  Then there is the pyramid guy. It’s good to see they make more use out of him then the nurses. However, he just didn't seem as scary and/or intimidating as in the original. Maybe spinning the carousel didn’t do him any favors. There is a good fight scene between another creature, and him.
  While the usual creatures are great to see, there is a mannequin creature that steals the show. Think of it as a robot looking mannequin spider. I’m not sure if that makes any sense, but that’s what it looks like to me. The way it moves around the room is terrific. It’s also fun watching how it incorporates a new piece of itself.
  It turns out that mixing 3D with the Silent Hill creatures is a good combination. It’s good to see that there is actually stuff popping off the screen instead of 3D just to make the movie look a little better. There is nothing earth shattering, but still enough to keep the audience on their toes. I’m actually still amazed at how ash falling from the sky is one of the better 3D effects. I’ve seen it now in several movies, and it just seems so real.
  In the end, “Silent Hill: Revelations” doesn’t match the mystery and suspense of the original. The bad chemistry between the actors certainly doesn’t help matters. However, if you are a sucker for the Silent Hill creatures like me, then you might find some enjoyable moments. There are also some decent 3D moments thrown into the mix. Overall, this movie doesn’t do the original enough justice so I give it 2 pools of blood.

  HorrO
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