The Evil Dead (1981)

GENERAL INFO:
Director: Sam Raimi
Studios: Renaissance Pictures
Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Hal Derich, Betsy Baker, Sarah York
Tagline: The Ultimate Experience in Grueling Terror; The Most Ferociously Original Horror Film of the Year
MPAA Rating: NC-17
Genre: horror, supernatural thriller, slapstick, black comedy, drama, action, gore
Scare score: B
Rating: B+

Plot overview: Five friends venture into a lonely cabin in the woods for spring break where they find an ancient text that awakens a terrible evil.

A cult classic in every sense of the word, this is the film that launched Sam Raimi (and Bruce Campbell)'s career as well as the first installment of the iconic franchise (of the same name). The story behind this hit horror franchise is really pretty interesting: Basically, producer Robert Tapert (married to Lucy Laweless) was roommates with Sam Raimi's brother in college, and over time the two became friends with a mutual interest in film and ultimately horror.  Match made in Michigan State heaven am I right? Two broke guys with useless degrees (or no degree at all) meet up with Campbell who has recently quit his job driving cabs, and the three young minds come together to write and produce this incredibly low-budget movie (~$375k) with a smash result.

Anyway, the gritty, difficult conditions the cast and crew had to suffer while filming this movie are what create the believable sense of dread and horror the movie boasts. In my opinion, it is a combination of this dirty, creepy cabin in Tennessee (where the whole cast and crew had to live and sleep during filming) plus the dangling, creeping, crawling, slanted camera shots that most unnerve us, leading to an overall uncomfortable and actually scary feeling while watching the film. Any time you have a small set to work in (aka a creepy, concrete, wooden, dirty, old cabin), small shots around doorways and hallways and cellars become your best friend to create a true atmosphere of horror and claustrophobia. Much like Ash (Campbell), the entire audience feels trapped during the movie, truly doomed with nowhere to escape to as the evil was just as much inside the cabin as without.

As far as plot goes, this movie follows some of the protocol of our well-known '80s flicks (this movie came out in the same year as both Halloween II and Friday the 13th Part 2) while simultaneously going so far as to truly coin the cabin in the woods as a horrifying and typical setting for the genre (perhaps with some kudos and inspiration going to Friday the 13th which was released a year earlier in 1980. Let's talk for a second about said cabin. Much like in other movies pertaining to the genre (Cabin Fever, Cabin in the Woods), the claustrophobic, old, and even grimy setting of such movies manage to play with our nerves from the very beginning. At least for me, being stuck in a small space that has already had the windows and doors broken down, unsure of where your assailant might enter through is one of the scariest situations— aka just about every scene of this movie.

The first installment of The Evil Dead has not yet entered into the overly absurd slapstick feeling that the sequels seem to rely on. I agree with the use of "black comedy" to describe this movie because at times you can't help but laugh, even if it is during a particularly gory scene. Speaking of which, one thing this movie certainly does and very much so is gore. Gore, fake blood, crazy (great!) makeup, puss/ milk, gore, ooze, goo, slime, muck, fake blood again, plus all other sorts of generally disgusting and disturbing substances (think Dead Alive at times)—cleverly paired with ('80s) humor, plenty of action, and a hero we find ourselves rooting for—was what put this movie on the map.

Fun fact: The now frequently used tagline "The Most Ferociously Original Horror Film of the Year" was coined by Stephen King when he saw this movie at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival. In an interview, King considered The Evil Dead his fifth favorite horror movie, resulting promotion and support from King propelled the low-budget film to great box office success worldwide.

*SPOILER ALERT*

The acting really isn't that bad here. We have the whole 'teenagers on break' thing going on, but without the typical sleaziness associated with those plots. While the acting in the beginning of the movie is pretty normal (random lines, small talk), the most impressive acting comes later from the possessed characters. I thought that the most unnerving (and equally most annoying) thing about this movie was the three girls—especially Cheryl (Sandweiss) and Linda (Baker)—when they were possessed. From the moment of their gruesome transformations, they do not ever stop shrieking and screaming, and their shrill noises frankly bug and upset the audience to the point that we, too, feel the psychological pressure that Ash and Scotty (Delrich) are dealing with. Campbell conveys a great sense of balance between true fear, emotional concern for his friends/ the loss of his girlfriend, and just the right amount of comic gestures.

The special effects are honestly not bad until the final scene. I was highly, highly impressed with the masks and makeup that characters had to wear especially after begin injured/ possessed. Unfortunately the climactic final scene becomes a bit hokey by modern standards when toiling claymation hurts the great progress that was made up until that point. Luckily, that same final sequence contains so much disgusting 'gore' (think various purees, goos, and bodily fluids) that we find ourselves squeamish enough to perhaps by distracted from the claymation (or not).

I'll briefly touch upon the infamous scene with Cheryl and the possessed, demonic tree branches and roots in the woods. That was a fairly weird sequence that disturbs a lot of viewers to this day. It makes us question was it necessary? Admittedly the scene was creepy and sensual, we're not sure of what we're seeing until it's too late maybe. It is perhaps the darkest scene in an otherwise not so dark (just bloody and creepy) horror movie.

Final critique: This movie is a fun and even disturbing watch. It is filled with plenty of action, screaming dead girls, pureed vegetables seeping from dismembered bodies, and a claustrophobic sense of doom. Then again, there's the pretty frequent one-liner or laugh that confuses us in our fear, making us question whether this is a comic book or true terror that we're witnessing. With just the perfect touch of literary inspiration stemming from H.P. Lovecraft, The Evil Dead explores both the teen and cabin in the woods genres of time period while drawing from hyper-hyper-animated Romero-esque zombie roots, all brought together with that uniquely '80s feeling. The result? An equally frightening and funny film sure to creep and gross you out no matter how many times you watch it.

American Horror Story - S3, E10 and E11 (2014)

"The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks" and "Protect the Coven"

Before I get started: hello and Happy New Year, horror fans.  Please excuse my month-long hiatus from blogging as I was back stateside for the holidays.  While I continued watching horror movies/ shows and put a lot of thought into blogging about them, the laziness and distractions that come with being home during the most wonderful time of the year proved too strong and I barely touched my laptop.  Now I'm back to my relaxed Euro lifestyle and eager to continue with The Horror Blog at full force.  New Year's Resolution?  Not to leave the blog behind for so long as I did last spring and summer.

GENERAL INFO:
Creators:  Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk
Producers:  20th Century Fox
Channel:  FX
Starring:  Jessica Lange, Angela Bassett, Sarah Paulson, Lily Rabe, Emma Roberts, Frances Conroy, Taissa Farmiga, Jamie Brewer, Gabourey Sidibe, Kathy Bates, Evan Peters; ft. Stevie Nicks, Patti LuPone, Danny Huston, Denis O'Hare, Michael Cristofer
TV Rating:  MA LSV
Genre:  television, horror, terror, drama, witches, magic, voodoo, serial killer
Scare score:  C+
Rating:  A-

Plot overview: Considering the imminent danger of the witch hunters and accepting that no magical woman is safe, Fiona (Lange) and Marie Laveau (Bassett) form a pact that seems to be more between the two of them than between their respective clans.  Laveau's presence as a welcome guest at Miss Robichaux's, however, widens the rift that continues splitting apart the Coven based on feelings of distrust and suspicion as well as on personal vendettas.  Practically all of the young witches in the household believe themselves to be the next Supreme, which leads to more bitterness between the girls - especially Madison (Roberts) and Misty Day (Rabe) - who begin to turn violent.  Several of the girls mysteriously disappear.

Queenie (Sidibe) and LaLaurie (Bates) return, shocking Laveau and the Coven by returning not only alive but in one piece (literally).  Tensions between Laveau and LaLaurie are as high as ever, and each makes attempts on the other's life.  Delia (Paulson) makes a sacrifice in order to regain her gift of sight and help the Coven.  Fiona and Laveau meet with the witch hunters headed by Harrison Renard (Cristofer) to reach a peace pact or other ultimatum.  One witch leaves the Coven for her own protection.

These two episodes have been really satisfying: filled with action and plot development.  In general, I'd have to say my least favorite thing that is continuously happening (and leading the Coven in a downward spiral) is the rapidly growing distrust and hate between the various witches (as well as Marie Laveau).  Not that the young and gifted ladies of Miss Robichaux's were ever besties, but still.  How do you discipline a hoard of young, powerful, hormonal girls?  Fiona does nothing, Delia has been all but totally absent, and we saw how Madison affronted Myrtle (Conroy) when she tried to lay down a firm hand.  This lack of discipline and increasing acceptance of the usage of violent magic might be the end of the Coven.

*SPOILER ALERT*

Is the Coven itself all I care about at this point?  Characters keep changing (a little too rapidly and without any basis, says me [I'm watching you, screenwriters]), and everyone is becoming too negative. This makes me prematurely conclude that the Coven will self destruct, save for one or two diva witches (Fiona…?)  I still like Fiona although we even saw from the creepy doorman of voodoo gods, Papa Legba (Lance Reddick) - who we should be expecting to see more from - that the woman has no soul.  Lange looks like she's really having fun this season, especially in the big bloodbath scene on E11.

Taissa Farmiga charmed me from E1, and Zoe is a character I think it's easy for us to root for.  We have the zombie Romeo & Juliet going on with her and and Kyle (Peters) who are now escaping for Disney World.  Questions Horror Buff- Will they live out their days in a separate peace?  Could there be a little zombie/ witch baby on the way or does Zoe's "curse" affect even those who have already died?  And did Myrtle send them away for their own good, as she said?  Or is this some plot to get them out of the house for unknown reasons?  Myrtle is still unstable at this point, although Conroy portrays a fascinatingly abstract and bizarre, colorful woman reborn.

Part of me still roots for Delia - if she regains the sight will they use her as some sort of arbiter to see who is worthy and honest within the Coven (not too many of those)?  Bassett continues her magnificent performance as a sassy, wizened black woman and queen of her dying race.  

Otherwise, I'm not loving anybody right now.  I never really liked Queenie or Nan (Brewer) this season and as I believe I called, both of them have been killed off at this point (or not, but you know how this season loves to play with necromancy and reanimation).  I hated Nan's random evil bender shortly before she died, even if she was reenacting revenge upon the wicked.  What is with all these moral-less witches?  Also I think the fact that each one of them seems to be gaining new powers ten-fold is a red herring that doesn't necessarily imply budding supremacy.  I cannot wait to see the Seven Wonders if the final episode does, as it seems, show them being performed.  

I suppose I have to comment on Stevie Nick's cameo on the show, playing herself but as a witch.  It has been an ongoing thing all season, and I've read about how big a fan the creators of the show are of her, etc etc etc.  While I don't know how I feel about bridging this real life fantasy with plot, she was really great on the program and her whole episode turned into something beautiful, musical, and nostalgic that we hadn't seen until now.  Her performances were great both on piano and vocally.

The entire exchange between Delphine and Spalding (O'Hare) was a bit bizarre this week; I'm still waiting to see what the whole deal with this kidnapped baby is; we're looking at the possibility of a witch and a voodoo queen being buried alive on the next episode; Papa Legba still has to come back and that is so creepy; and most importantly - there's only two episodes left.  So much to yet to happen.

Final critique:  This season is great.  Horror Buff is a big fan of witchcraft, and this season continuously delivers with fantastic spells and magic that enchants the audience just as much as its victims on the show.  For the final two episodes, I can only expect tons of treachery, a few more deaths,  some gore, and hopefully some beautiful displays of magic.  As I mentioned, I don't think it's likely that too many witches are going to walk out of this season alive, or at least not united in a Coven.  I do perhaps see the rise of a new Supreme in her glory, or perhaps the humble rise of one who has, for example, escaped to Florida.  A lot of revenge and witch-bitchiness remains to be seen, and I think the question on everyone's mind is: will Fiona maintain her order?

December Review

For your consideration:

1.  I Spit On Your Grave (1978): C-

American Horror Story - S3, E9 (2013)

"Head"

GENERAL INFO:
Creators:  Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk
Producers:  20th Century Fox
Channel:  FX
Starring:  Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Frances Conroy, Angela Bassett, Josh Hamilton, Jamie Brewer, Gabourey Sidibe, Kathy Bates; ft. Patti LuPone, Alexander Dreymon
TV Rating:  MA LSV
Genre:  television, horror, terror, drama, witches, magic, voodoo
Scare score:  C-
Rating:  A

Plot overview:  The recently revived Myrtle Snow (Conroy) will do whatever it takes to help out her beloved Delia (Paulson), regardless of what the Coven might sanction.  Faced with a witch hunter (Hamilton) on the loose, tension between the Coven and the vodouists seems to be stronger than ever, but will the assailant bring them even closer?

This is an episode about growth and change, life and death.  There was also a much more clearly established theme of I guess a sort of corporate chauvinism as well as a distinctly marked racial divide.  We were provided with a sort of backstory on li'l Hank, showing us some familiar and perhaps psychological reasons behind his masculine need to prove himself to his father and the company - an apparent semi-cover for the male witch hunters of North America.

Queenie's (Sidibe) education of LaLaurie (Bates) was perhaps the most poignant part of the episode.  Not only were we all faced with important images, but the pairing with music and the naming of wonderful movie titles really put us in Delphine's shoes… or at list it would if she had a body… and made us contemplate the struggle of African Americans, too.  This was really unexpected even though the racial motif has been strong all season.  I thought the end of the episode, played over the strong and moving music, resulted in a beautiful duet of sound and imagery that somehow tied in perfectly with the various subplots of the episode.

*SPOILER ALERT*

Myrtle's whole spiel was really interesting to me, and I totally didn't expect it.  Is she unstable?  Should we be worrying about her?  Or was she merely acting upon a well-deserved revenge?  I guess the Council wasn't doing too much anyway regarding the whole Voodoo situation.  We can only wonder what sort of problems other groups of witches are facing in other cities though.  Then again, how much do we know about witches nation and worldwide?  Are there any?  Are they only localized in the Big Easy?

Delia's gift is gone!  I don't like this!  What will she miss out on now that she cannot see the truth behind everyone she comes into contact with?  Also, I sense a lot of foreshadowing in terms of people expecting her to lead the Coven instead of her mother.

Queenie, Queenie, Queenie, Queenie, Queenie.  What an episode for this girl.  About two months ago I began my countdown for her to get killed off - either that, or I expected her to be the common ground between the witches and the Voodoo folk.  Again, I really thought the exchange between her and Delphine was nice on this episode, in spite of their rocky relationship.  It was obvious that Queenie had been doubting her choice to switch to Voodoo for a little while now, but while she certainly took a bullet for Laveau, she also (unknowingly) took a bullet for the Coven.  But will Hank's death provoke more wrath from the witch hunters?

Woah woah woah, Patti LuPone!  I guess it's not a surprise that this servant of God ended up having a dark side!  And did we just get treated to a free concert?  She might have been acting all sad and closed up after grieving her son, but there was absolutely some Evita behind that single-shot singing scene.

When Marie Laveau showed up on Fiona's (Lange) doorstep, I can't tell you how excited I was.  That is all.

Final critique:  This show really isn't scary at all, but it is compelling.  What's going to happen next in the world of these witches and vodouists following the attack at Cornrow City?  Can't wait until next episode to see where the dark, magical saga takes us.

American Horror Story - S3, E8 (2013)

"The Sacred Taking"

GENERAL INFO:
Creators:  Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk
Producers:  20th Century Fox
Channel:  FX
Starring:  Jessica Lange, Sara Paulson, Taissa Farmiga, Lily Rabe, Frances Conroy, Emma Roberts, Evan Peters, Jamie Brewer, Kathy Bates, Gabourey Sidibe, Angela Bassett; ft. Alexander Dreymon, Patti LuPone, Dennis O'Hare, Danny Huston
TV Rating:  MA LSV
Genre:  television, horror, thriller, drama, witches, magic, Voodoo
Scare score:  C
Rating:  A

Plot overview: The main plot of this action-packed episode revolves around the sickly Fiona (Lange) and her place within (or otherwise out of) the Coven.  Following the betrayal of Queenie (Sidibe), the remaining witches at Miss Robichaux's must put their differences aside and band together in order to combat not only the Voodoo Queen (Bassett) but a masked witch hunter as well. 

This episode struck me in many ways as being very different than previous episodes.  From the get go, camera angles were crazy, and simple plot was delivered in confusing, attention-grabbing ways (dreams, flashbacks, flash forwards), and even the very first scene was strange, dark, and unprovoked by previous actions.

I was such a big fan of this episode because of all the PLOT advancements; it was extremely fulfilling.  There was such beautiful witchcraft involved in this installment that I think others have severely lacked.  Is it so much to ask for a group of witches to provide us with some spells and rituals?  Either way, the Coven is getting a little stronger, characters are realizing the need to trust one another, death isn't even an obstacle, a new Supreme may or may not be rising, our pets' heads are falling off… ah, but I digress. 

Though we're halfway through the season at this point, the scariest thing happening so far has come as no surprise to me (seen here).  I'm talking about the lacking acting skills of some of our young witches, namely Gabourey Sidibe and to a lesser extent Jamie Brewer.   For a while now I've been doubting the static nature of Miss Sidibe, who has remained far inside the realms of her comfort zone: sass and moping.  I was frankly surprised by her first scene and the appalling lack of acting.  Ask a 12-year-old who does school plays to read Queenie's line from under the bridge, and chances are they'll at least do it with more heart. 

*SPOILER ALERT*

Quite a few shocking things happened this episode.  First and foremost we have the Coven's attempt to take the life of their Supreme.  I really enjoyed the inclusion of this ritual, although I didn't really get what the point of the magic was, being that the "push" from Madison (Roberts) and Myrtle (Conroy) seemed strong enough to convince any ill, guilt-ridden witch to want to end it.  I must say I am so thankful that at least Delia (Paulson) now realizes how important her mother is for the safety and preservation of the Coven.  Future crisis averted… for the time being.

Otherwise, a masked witch hunter we can only assume to be Hank Foxx (Josh Hamilton) is making moves against the - until now - unaware ladies at Miss Robichaux's - not to mention their neighbors.  This was a source of two major (and unpredictable) plot points:

(1) The sudden arrival of Misty Day (Rabe) and the recently revived Myrtle Snow at Miss Robichaux's.  While this was certainly a point of tension, it also means the Coven will be a little stronger should it need to actively defend itself. 

(2) All of the drama at the Ramsey household next door.  For the second time this season, we've seen a mother abuse her son - a perhaps less known, less-talked-about type of abuse that certainly must happen behind closed doors somewhere in, if not all over, the world.  I think it is interesting that AHS has chosen this genre of abuse (if only to scare people) because it simultaneously makes viewers more aware.  I also think we can now expect much more out of La LuPone considering what happened right at the end of the episode.  Will she be some evil person now?  Or will she be thankful to the Coven for their help?  I wouldn't even be surprised to see if she is a witch herself that has been hiding from her gifts by turning instead to religion.  Either way, I'm just not sure what the point of the capacity of Misty Day's gift is at this point.  Dead?  No problem.  #fixed.  Although, I think this is the first time we've seen Misty collapse after reviving somebody: what could it mean?

Finally, we can now expect some sort of funny, Adams Family-esque character from Kathy Bates as Delphine LaLaurie following Laveau's (Bassett) gift real special, so Fiona took off the top, took a look inside and it's…. her head in a box.  Call me crazy, but giving away Delphine's head seems like giving up the prisoner all together.  I wonder how magic and physics will come into play here.  Will she still be able to feel pain if her disconnected body is still tortured?  In the case that Laveau keeps sending body parts, it sounds like easy work for Misty Day and her swamp mud. 

Another thought on this whole "war" between witches and vodouists that we're supposed to be expecting.  I realize Laveau has a group of friends who serve doubly as hairstylists and assistants in her Voodoo rituals, but are any of them actually capable of powers?  It seems like Laveau is the one doing all the work.  In which case, what kind of war would it be between a handful of witches and only one Voodoo Queen and her cornrowed friends?  Maybe I'm underestimating Voodoo. 

Final critique:  This episode was one of the best ones we've had in a while, mainly because there was plenty of action and excitement.  Now that the Coven is smart to the work of (presumably) Hank, and now that daughter has accepted mother as an ally, we'll have to see where the increasingly powerful - and increasingly close - witches lead us next.

I Spit On Your Grave (1978)

GENERAL INFO:
Director:  Meir Zarchi
Studios:  Cinemagic Pictures
Starring:  Camille Keaton, Eron Tabor, Richard Pace, Anthony Nichols, Gunter Kleemann
Tagline:  After it was all over... she waited... then she struck back in a way only a woman can!
MPAA Rating:  X
Genre:  horror, thriller, psychological horror, drama, suspense, revenge
Scare score:  D-
Rating:  C-

Plot overview:  Aspiring writer Jennifer Hill (Keaton) takes a relaxing break from life in New York City in order to spend a peaceful summer working on her first novel upstate.  Little does she expect that her first few days at her rented lakehouse will become the most nightmarish of her life.

If you spend more than a day researching the horror genre, you will most likely read something about this film.  Some fans praise it for its grit and truth while others (including Roger Ebert) disregard it as depressing and disgusting garbage.  Personally, Horror Buff didn't love this film, but not necessarily because of the material it contained.  On the contrary, I disliked this film more because of what it lacked.

I didn't see the appeal to this film.  The sound was awful, the acting was bad, the filming quality was poor, the writing was both predictable and not believable, and then the main action of the movie was just uncomfortable to watch and suffer through.  Before you can judge a film's content, the basic features of sound and cinematography are going to affect your opinion: and in this case of this movie they don't help.  At several points throughout the movie I found myself speaking aloud with lines I hadn't heard yet simply because they were so cliche - although perhaps Jenny's writing was meant to be that way.  

Plot and progression-wise, I just didn't get it.  Girl arrives upstate (cough Connecticut cough), immediately skinny dips in broad daylight, proceeds to write bad literature in a wild hammock, and then some complete strangers decide to abduct and rape her?  Now I'm not saying that there aren't bad people in the world, but four men randomly kidnapping, assaulting, raping, and "killing" a young woman - mind you a published author - simply seemed too random and forced for me.  Obviously "idle hands are the devil's tools" and oftentimes bad things come from boredom, but it seemed to me that Zarchi just wanted to make a sexual/ violent picture along with some feminist social commentary, and that this movie was the result of the easiest way for him to do that.  That easy way being attacking women (physically, sexually) in order to attack men (sexually, socially).

Yes, I side with those who say that this is in fact a feminist movie.  While I mainly sat there bored and uncomfortable while watching this during dinner last night, the end of the movie was when things began to make more sense to me.  No - I didn't find the revenge realistic or practical (I'd like to see an average human hang another human like that), nor did I find her psychological reaction very believable - however, I did think the important message came from when her body changed from being a victim to becoming the weapon.  During her spree of revenge, Jennifer uses her looks, her words, her body, and sex as weapons against the very men who once used her looks and body as excuses to silence her words and take sex against her will.  The fact that the original title of this film was "Day of the Woman" seems much more appropriate to me.  While the main action of this movie is disturbing and perhaps unnecessary, the whole purpose of the movie comes together when Johnny (Tabor) is giving his reasons as to why they raped and beat her in the first place, citing typical and truly base excuses such as "she asked for it" based on her clothing and actions.  Suddenly all the characters came to represent feminists or chauvenists, intelligible or stupid, ignorant people (at least in terms of sexual assault and rape).  The men came to represent the most basic and brute stereotype of 'man,' who takes what he wants by force (and then weasles his way out of responsibility).  As Johnny said, he may be happily married with kids but at the end of the day he's just a man.  When Jennifer regains her senses and carries out her revenge, she emasculates (physically and otherwise) her victims by using her feminine wiles, taking their manhood and their lives in her stride.

Regardless of sociosexual commentary, I thought the movie was just not very good, regardless of taste and vulgarity.  There is an obvious criticism here not only of men and women but of society (violence, possession, anger) in general.  Yet while we watch an innocent woman brutally beat up and violated, the movie's denouement and final commentary still fails to overly attack men and male sexual behavior/ violence.

Final critique:  This movie is not for everybody.  It is certainly a violent movie filled with physical and sexual aggression and a definitive lack of clothing. Like honestly, why was nobody ever wearing clothes?  I don't even want to imagine what denim overalls and no underwear must be like in the summer or ever.  The quality is poor and the overall product is heavily sadistic.  At the same time, I think this movie goes places that other movies are afraid to directly go without being overly gory or entering into torture porn.  I won't watch this again, but I might consider checking out the sequel to see what they change.

November Review

For your consideration:

1.  Carrie (1976): A
2.  La maschera del demonio/ Black Sunday (1960): B+
3.  Would You Rather (2012): B-
4.  Friday the 13th Part III (1982): B-/C+

American Horror Story - S3, E7 (2013)

"The Dead"

GENERAL INFO:
Creators:  Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk
Producers:  20th Century Fox
Channel:  FX
Starring:  Jessica Lange, Taissa Farmiga,  Gabourey Sidibe, Kathy Bates, Sara Paulson, Angela Bassett, Emma Roberts, Evan Peters, Dennis O'Hare, Danny Huston
TV Rating:  MA LSV
Genre:  television, horror, thriller, drama, witches, magic, ghost, Voodoo
Scare score:  C-
Rating:  A-

Plot overview:  Zoe (Farmiga) deals with the confusion and stress of the regenerated Kyle (Peters) and Madison (Roberts), who are struggling to fill the emptiness within themselves.  Fiona (Lange), physically and perhaps emotionally weaker than ever, begins a romance with the recently released spirit of the Axeman (Huston), who admits that he has been watching over her ever since she arrived at Miss Robichaux's.  As the rift between (black) Voodoo practitioners and (white) witches grows stronger and more volatile, confused Queenie (Sidibe) wanders into Marie Laveau's (Bassett) store and later questions her allegiances to her 'sisters' as well as to her 'true friend' Delphine LaLaurie (Bates).

This really wonderful episode was all about revelations and realizations.  Not only were we as an audience treated to some major plot progression (so many questions answered!), but many of the characters themselves were taken out of their darkness and shown the light.

Primarily we have FrankenKyle and Madison, two lost souls filled with indescribable, dull pain and questions that they expresses either through flashbacks and muted fits of rage (Kyle) or very vocally and even, go figure, sexually (Madison).  I thought Madison's soliloquy at the beginning of the episode was extremely beautifully written (reminiscent of Fiona's monologue from several weeks ago) both with connections to young viewers (Generation Y represent) in a very real world, as well as to her own life of witchcraft and vice.  Either way, it put into perspective that some things that seem like life or death to teenagers today really are life and death for the recently revived Madison.  Our starlet reveals to us why she turned to drugs, sex, and alcohol during her lifetime, and why she continues searching for fulfillment in Round 2.  This search leads her to Kyle, who seems to manage to fill that hole.  Zing.

*SPOILER ALERTS*

As she continues to grow in power, self confidence, and even wrathful capabilities (apparently murder means nothing to young witches), Zoe simultaneously learns more about herself (and the Coven) while feeling more isolated and alone.  It doesn't help that Madison quickly beds Zoe's unlikely crush, and who knows if all three of them becoming bedfellows together will help anyone.

Fiona continuously realizes her own mortality, what with her hair falling out when she least expects it (or least wants its to).  To be perfectly honest, I must have missed the part where that became a thing; I know she was doing cancer treatments- but why?  If she has cancer, I missed that part.  I remember seeing her in the chair in the clinic, and I thought she was just doing it to get the drugs and enjoy that high, but now she's suffering these consequences.  When she whipped out the razor I was pretty shocked, and even though it seemed weirdly placed within this episode, according to the preview for the next episode, the hair will come off.  Our Supreme also realizes her need for companionship, and strangely enough her pairing with the reembodied spirit of a serial killer seems to be the right guy for her "final love affair" that she expressed a desire for before her time comes to an end.  One thing is for sure, and that's that Fiona is a complex character filled with both good and bad.  Unfortunately, as we the audience begin to see more of that good, it seems her own Coven is discovering the bad and wanting to kill her off for it.

Speaking of which, Laveau and her followers aside, this Coven is undoing itself.  Several witches have said so far that the Coven's biggest threat was right there inside the group, and they were right - only it might not be an individual person but rather a scared, vindictive attitude within each of them.  This frightened and fading democracy that is the Coven is faltering amid their own petty quarrels and differences, therefore allowing the autocracy of Laveau's Voodoo to grow stronger and stronger.

It comes as no surprise to me that Queenie has, for lack of a better term, come over to the dark side.  Queenie has always had an obvious connection to the Voodoo practitioners based on her being a scion of Tituba (read here), exemplified by her power of being a human voodoo doll (in case we weren't already convinced).  Unfortunately, Queenie seems to have showed us her true colors here by turning over her slave-turned-friend Delphine, who we've seen grow and even modernize a little bit since her excavation.  There was a lot of interesting talk about "true friendship" this episode, and a lot of examples of it being broken: e.g. Fiona promising to be a friend to Delia (Paulson) only to have Delia realize just what her mother is and has done; Madison taking Zoe under her wings and Zoe helping bring Madison back to life only for Madison to sleep with Zoe's crush; Delphine coming to create a equal relationship with Queenie, only for Queenie to trade her in to the Voodoo girls for a spot in their clan.  This might superficially be a critique of our own society, about the favors we try to gain with people and the relationships we try to maintain with people for our own gain.  It is also the very foundation of the growing fissure between the bonds of the Coven that will surely bring the sisterhood to its knees or otherwise towards some great change.

Do we think Laveau will fully accept Queenie now?  In terms of realistic horrors, this season has clearly had a lot of emphasis on racism, but not only vocalized and manifested racism, but subtle, unspoken, and ignored racism shown in small ways by the disconnect between Queenie and her white classmates and in big ways by the reminder of Katrina and all the truths it revealed about modern New Orleans and the situation in the 9th Ward.  Horror Buff still doesn't trust the Voodoo Queen, he just admires her beauty and respect-demanding nature.  Angela Bassett is easily one of the coolest actresses to grace this season.  Still, I think Queenie's role in this war between witchcraft and Voodoo has yet to be seen, whether it be as a doll subjected to the pains and horrors of either side or as a strong leader like her ancestor Tituba must have been.

As in the previous episode, Delia continues having her strong and shocking revelations in moments of sight and clarity.  Unfortunately, her sight might just be coming a little to late, and as it only comes in fractions, the whole truth becomes much harder to understand.  Justice may be blind, but the audience of AHS is not, and surely we are all rooting for Fiona to come to terms with her crimes and vices in order to save this Coven.  Delia seems to have embarked on her own witch hunt though, much as her loony hubby (Josh Hamilton) remains engaged in himself.  Who knows where she'll stop?

Are our witches realizing what's truly important in their own stories a little too late?  Where is Nan (Jamie Brewer) to save them all?  Will Myrtle (Frances Conroy) be vengeful and evil when she returns (next episode?)?  Will the unstable Misty Day (Lily Rabe) be an asset or hindrance to the Coven as it undoes itself?  Will Voodoo or witchcraft prove stronger this time around?

Final critique:  I love this show.  The horror has been subtle this time around, unless you're unnerved by things like 'blood' and enchanted, disembodied tongues.  This time around, the true horror seems to lie more within our characters, in their motives, their confusion, their need to fill the very human, very emotional emptiness within themselves in physical and material ways (not surprisingly, there are religious motifs in this season as well).  The biggest threat to the Coven at this moment is the Coven itself, and as tensions mount with Voodoo, it's only a matter of time before these great feminine forces find themselves in a confrontation of epic proportions.

Carrie (1976)

GENERAL INFO:
Director:  Brian DePalma
Studios:  United Artists
Starring:  Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Amy Irving, Betty Buckley, John Travolta, Nancy Allen; ft. P.J. Soles
Tagline:  If You've Got a Taste for Terror… Take Carrie to the Prom
MPAA Rating:  R
Genre:  horror, thriller, drama, supernatural
Scare score:  C-
Rating:  A

Plot overview:  Carrie (Spacek) is a social outcast in the senior class at Bates High School.  When asked to the prom by one of the most popular boys in the grade, Carrie thinks her dreams to fit in might finally be coming true, but her mother (Laurie), an abusive religious fanatic, warns her that she will be the laughing stock of the dance.  When some of the other senior girls pull a prank on Carrie at the prom, she unleashes a wrath that, until now, she had kept hidden inside.

Carrie is easily one of my favorite horror movies.  Ask me to find something wrong with it and I wouldn't know what to tell you.  Ask me to criticize it, and aside from some questions about the (im)balance between the unique exposition and the somewhat abrupt "horror" in the film, there isn't much to pick apart.  Overall, we have a great movie with a fun soundtrack, involved character development, terrific acting, and a sensational plot that will lure in any audience member.

Let's start with music.  This movie is a blast not only because of its pop music (a jazzy mix of rock and roll, soul/pop/Motown, and disco) but also because of the lovely score.  Especially Carrie's theme is a rather beautiful flute tune that mixes beauty and tragedy into some innocent drama that provokes us to question who is good and who is evil here.

Character-wise, we have a large ensemble of big names and even bigger personalities.  First and foremost we have Sissy Spacek (who we'd see down the line in An American Haunting…woof) - a naturally beautiful (but also slightly spectral), pale, freckly girl hidden behind uncombed, waist-length hair and frumpy, modest clothes.  While she plays the cliche victim-turned-offender, Spacek plays the part with a subtle strength, modestly commanding the audience's devout attention, respect, sympathy, and fear all in a very fast 98 minutes.  Piper Laurie made her return to film here as Margaret "Momma" White, and what a comeback it was as Carrie's mother is as iconic a character in pop culture as Carrie is herself.  The God fearing, God faring, overbearing, abusive, and dangerously unstable Mrs. White enthralls and thrills us, keeping us even more on the edge of our seats each time she appears in a scene. We watch this woman's fanatic and repentant beliefs spiral out of control during the film, surprising us with new twists and turns in her mania and adding actual fright to the movie.  Even though I'd seen this movie a handful of times growing up, I was surprised later on to realize that it is, in fact, John Travolta in the role of the boozy, douchey Billy Nolan.  Not surprisingly, Billy Nolan - while more delinquent - is almost identical in character to Danny Zuko, who would be born unto the silver screen two years later.  Speaking of identical characters, my girl P.J. Soles is on the scene wearing funny red hats, obnoxiously chewing gum, and all around having one great senior year (until, you know, prom) in the role of Norma… aka the precursor to Lynda from 1978's Halloween.  They are basically the same person, except Norma has weird bangs and Lynda always says "totally" while chewing like a cow… teenagers!  Lastly, I think Miss Collins (Buckley) is such a great character.  First of all she acts like a boss while slapping around b*tchy students like the thinks-she's-hot-stuff Chris (Allen), and then she shows off her big old heart by truly investing herself in Carrie's social isolation and ostracizing.  Unfortunately, she goes and blows it (and also totally breaks character…) when she laughs during prom.

Ah, prom, a pinnacle of teenage American culture.  While we may not realize it stateside anymore, prom is truly an iconic, coming of age dance that outside cultures see in movies and TV shows and wonder about in not-so-silent awe.  Having lived abroad for a few years, I can account that young and old people alike are always curious about this "end of course dance."  I mean, I'm not from Texas, and my East Coast high school bureaucracy didn't allow for hierarchical popularity contests such as homecoming/ prom king/queen - Horror Buff is all for tradition, but my high school administration didn't want people's feelings to get hurt… that's another story for another time, and another blog - so I don't know if prom is still the highlight of a teenage girl (or boy)'s life in some rural states.  For us it was more about the following weekend in Seaside Heights (#yolo), but hey, prom is prom and at this point why not celebrate four years you think are the most important of your life until you go to college 3 months later only to realize it all meant nothing?  This movie, most likely set somewhere in the Midwest, maybe Cali (although the actors feature a range of southern/ yokel accents with some Jersey accents), captures the feeling of an American high school during our nation's bicentennial (just imagine that while Carrie was getting her revenge at prom, Dazed and Confused was taking place a few states away).  That being said, I love that movies like Carrie and Prom Night play with this cultural icon and turn it into something terrible - blasphemous, even.

*SPOILER ALERT*

This movie is filled with beautiful religious motifs that only enhance the experience of Carrie's transformation.  The first scene of the movie - which is frankly kind of shocking as we don't see that kind of nudity in modern racy films - is a foggy, dreamlike, modern teenage portrayal almost of a Birth of Venus; a high school locker room filled with beautiful, naked sirens, lost amidst their laughter, the steam from the showers, and their own blissful ignorance.  Then we have Carrie, pure and sweet under her shower until her unexpected puberty hits her and frightens her out of her wits.

Carrie's growth as a teenager with telekinesis culminates at the prom when she is taken for a victim for the last time.  Her revenge is almost poetic as she turns prom "among the stars" (Heaven) into a fiery inferno (hell).  This is the most exciting scene of the movie by far, and while it isn't particularly 'scary' compared to what we're used to, it is certainly thrilling and even frightening, especially all the cut scenes of Carrie's eyes matched with striking strings or some other shrill sound as she causes each disaster.

-Quick question: what is the fate of blondie Tommy (William Katt)?  After being knocked unconscious by the bucket (which everyone including faculty laughs at which I don't understand because come on that's pretty serious), his body is taken off the stage but then I don't think we see it again as all the kiddies run from bleachers to doors to walls trying to avoid their imminent deaths.

-Also on the topic of the prank itself: who in the world does that?  Who goes through such crazy lengths to ruin a girl's life just because a teacher gave you detention on behalf of said student?  It's gross enough that Danny and Sandy I mean Chris kill a pig to collect all that blood, but then they try and run her over in Greased Lightning?  Like okay psychopaths.

Back to religious motifs.  Carrie returns home all sulky and bloody after her *disastrous* prom only to take a bath aka baptism and possible forgiveness for her sins.  A word of advice from Horror Buff though, Carrie, you're covered in pig blood.  That merits a shower and certainly not a bath.  Oh well she just gets bloody again shortly afterwards.

Then we have Momma again, who we come to find is experiencing the tragedy of men, herself the victim of all the things she warns Carrie about: temptation, lust, pride, and boys.  I think it's interesting that we learn that Carrie is a product of a little cheeky premarital sex (which is simply against the rules), which automatically makes her, as mother says best, born of sin herself.  Perhaps Mrs. White is right when she says "the devil has come home!"

-My other favorite line here spoken by none other than Momma is "Take that dress off - we'll burn it together and pray for forgiveness!"  Can you think of a better mother-daughter bonding activity?

All of this speculating leads us to one final question: is Carrie evil or is she merely a victim of her own circumstance?  And do we the audience sympathize too much with Carrie?  I know that I for one was rooting for Carrie this entire movie because she is a sweet and innocent girl who is tortured by her classmates simply because she is different (and because her mom is literally the worst person ever).  Not only is Carrie unfairly picked on, but people like Sue (Irving) and Tommy recognize the good in her and treat her like a normal person, and that gives us in the audience more hope for her case.  Then, to top it all off, Carrie has telekinesis which is pretty much the coolest (yet hardest to spell) power ever.  Like how cool is this girl?

Or, conversely, is she evil incarnate?  I would go with the former except for when, you know, the house unexpectedly collapses.  What is that about?  We know they are living in foreclosure of some sort because of a For Sale sign we see in the first scene of the White house (lol).  I could have sworn that in my previous experience with this film I saw some sort of foreshadowing (creaky walls or floors or something), but this time around it really took me by surprise.  Is this some Deus ex machina, proving to us that Carrie was, in fact, evil?  That her mother was somehow right?  This seems like the likely answer, especially considering that in death, Mrs. White looks rather like a martyr, eerily similar in that pose as the Jesus/ St. Sebastian figurine in Carrie's closet.  We'll never look a a round butter knife the same way again.

Basically, if movies like Halloween and Friday the 13th are criticized because they allowed audiences to sympathize with the murderer, I would say in your unhappy bickering, don't forget to add Carrie to the top of the list.

-Final thoughts, imagine if you were Sue Snell and (a) your name was actually Sue Snell and (b) your entire graduating class died at prom.  Just imagine those two things together.

-Fun fact: this was the first screen adaptation of a Stephen King work.

Final critique:  This is an excellently crafted, spooky, and haunting horror movie of the highest caliber.  I would highly recommend this movie for all audiences except for people that don't like blood (I went to high school with a girl who fainted at any sight of blood and one of my closest friends really likes pigs so she probably wouldn't be too happy with Travolta here).  While the movie isn't overly scary, it is both exciting and interesting; the 98 minutes fly by, culminating in an unforgettable prom sequence and a "shock ending" that I'm sure thrilled people at the time but now seems rather passé.  Anyway - go watch Carrie, and enjoy a shining example of the horror genre.

La maschera del demonio / Black Sunday (1960)

GENERAL INFO:
Director:  Mario Bava
Studios:  Galatea Film, Jolly Film, Alta Vista Productions
Starring:  Barbara Steele, John Richardson
Tagline:  Stare Into These Eyes…discover deep within them the unspeakable terrifying secret of BLACK SUNDAY… it will paralyze you with fright!
MPAA Rating:  Unrated
Genre:  foreign film, black and white, horror, terror, thriller, mystery, drama, witch, vampire, curse
Scare score:  C-
Rating:  B+

Plot overview:  In the year 1630, the witch princess Asa (Steele) and her evil lover Javuto (Arturo Dominici) are being putting to death by having satan's mask nailed to their face and then being burnt at the stake.  Moments before her death, Asa vows that her evil will live on through the centuries as she haunts and kills the descendants of her pious brother.  Two hundred years later, Dr. Kruvajan (Andrea Checchi) and his young assistant Dr. Andre Gorobec (Richardson) are passing through the Moldavian countryside when their carriage loses a wheel.  As their driver - who is frightened by the supposedly haunted area - makes repairs, the two good doctors enter an old chapel where they find Asa's grave: her face is still covered by satan's mask and a large cross on her tomb is said to keep her evil at bay.  As they leave the crypt, Dr. Kruvajan accidentally disturbs Asa's tomb; meanwhile, Andre encounters the beautiful yet distant Princess Katia (Steele) and is immediately smitten.  As the ghost of Javuto returns to haunt the castle and Katia's brother (Enrico Olivieri) and father (Ivo Garrani), Andre becomes resolute to rescue Katia from her cursed fate.

There was something oddly charming about this movie.  While the American version was almost bewildering at times with the English-dubbed-over-English bit, the mismatched speech and dingy atmosphere of the film became easy to overlook as a beautiful storyline and passionate although melodramatic acting took its course.

I watched this movie over the course of two nights before bed.  The black and white filming gave the whole film a sense of subtle fright with obvious allusions to a classic era of Hollywood horror.  The truth is I didn't take this movie entirely seriously - cheesy script, schmaltzy music, a few bad props, and I can't stress the word 'melodramatic' any more - until I found myself halfway through it and really invested in what was going to happen.  This was quite unlike most horror movies I have seen, with the main antagonist remaining physically dormant for the most part while spiritually and psychologically active.  Beforehand I had read that this movie was banned in the UK for about 8 years, that it was so frightening at its release because of its gore, yadda yadda yadda, so of course in watching this heavily edited American cut I was confused as to how (a) anyone would find this so scary (b) anyone would think this 'too gory.'  Mind you, the American cut did remove several scenes and sequences involving blood and gore.

Speaking of which, I think the whole mask of satan (think mini iron maiden) was a cool prop, but even cooler/ grosser was the mark it left (literally) on Asa's face.  Horror Buff admits he has an irrational fear of fleshy/ gory holes such as those we saw covering Asa's pretty face (as well as on innocent things like  orange navels or pomegranate membranes… yuck), so needless to say that hit close to home.  The whole motif of eyes (big and bright and moist and pierce-able) made Asa's face that much creepier.

I was not familiar with Barbara Steele before this movie (bad Horror Buff!), but she really was an intriguing actress.  I've been staring at pictures of her face now trying to understand why it's oddly beautiful somewhere beyond the full head of dark hair, the wide-set eyes, the delicate features.  While Princess Katia is supposed to be somewhat emo, I still liked her.  I actually liked all the actors in this film, regardless of how silly they were running around castles and whatnot.  Perhaps even scarier than masks and gashes-on-the-face was Javuto as he just strolled around the castle with his pasty face and piercing stare.  Like that was really creepy.

What didn't work for me: I'm pretty sure that they mentioned vampires like a thousand times, but that the whole concept of being a vampire was very different/ nonexistent in this movie.  I have read that originally Asa and Javoots McGoots had fangs when they started filming, but that they were later scrapped.  What I take from this is that Asa got to be a princess, a witch, AND a vampire.  Some people have all the luck.

I hate to say it, but this movie reminded me of The Terror.  As this film from the yesteryears of the Horror Blog is 3 years the senior of Black Sunday, Horror Buff has to wonder if whatever dull team brought us The Terror drew some inspiration from this Italian piece.  I mean, two horror protagonists named Andre within three years?

Lastly, a quick fun thought: is this the first movie to ever take place is Moldavia?  It's so nice to take a break from Transylvania for once, you know?

Final critique:  This is a pleasant watch with few scares but a good amount of scary thrills, if you catch my drift.  It was perfect as a late night movie, one I would love to catch on TV in the early hours of the morning when curled up on a couch.  The American cut really isn't too gory, and it's funny to think that at one time people were afraid of this movie.  Of course this falls under the 'too old to be scary' category, but hey, Black Sunday has got a lot of heart and some artistry in the sets and score (changed in the American cut.. mama mia).  This movie rightfully earns its spot as a cult classic.

American Horror Story - S3, E4, E5, and E6 (2013)

Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you the first three-for-one entry of the Horror Blog.

"Fearful Pranks Ensue" - "Burn, Witch, Burn!" - "The Axeman Cometh"

GENERAL INFO:
Creators:  Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk
Producers:  20th Century Fox
Channel:  FX
Starring:  Jessica Lange, Taissa Farmiga, Sara Paulson, Angela Bassett, Evan Peters, Frances Conroy, Lily Rabe, Gabourey Sidibe, Jamie Brewer, Kathy Bates, Dennis O'Hare, Josh Hamilton; ft. Emma Roberts, Alexander Dreymon, Danny Huston
TV Rating:  MA LSV
Genre:  television, horror, thriller, drama, witches, magic, Voodoo, zombies, serial killer
Scare score:  D-
Rating:  A

Plot overview: Madison's (Roberts) disappearance causing a strong sense of discomfort in the witching community, culminating in Nan's (Brewer) summoning of the Council of Witchcraft, headed by the always-suspicious-of-Fiona (Lange) Myrtle Snow (Conroy), to investigate the suspected murder.  The investigation, however, does not go in the pious Myrtle's favor.  Queenie (Sidibe) recovers from her minotaur attack under the care of her schoolmates as well as the socialite-turned-servant Madame LaLaurie (Bates), even as they are plagued by an army of Marie Laveau's (Bassett) zombies on none other than Halloween night.  We learn more about the secret life of Hank Foxx (Hamilton) as well as his true motives as Cordelia's (Paulson) husband.  Meanwhile, Cordelia is attacked during a night out with her mother, and is left blind but with the gift of sight through which she can read the minds of those she makes physical contact with.  Zoe's (Farmiga) powers continue growing as she tries balancing the whims of the regenerated Kyle (Peters) and the marginalized Misty Day (Rabe).  Finally, the young witches [un]intentionally set free the spirit of New Orleans serial killer the Axeman (Huston).

Well fiddle dee dee if I'm not three weeks behind.  Luckily Horror Buff has been jotting down notes while watch the past three episodes of this increasingly interesting yet decreasingly scary season of American Horror Story.  My general thoughts are as follows:

--So.many.questions.  Each episode has thrown more mysteries at us while only resolving some of our questions.  My biggest question at the moment is who was that hooded figure that tossed the acid into the lightweight (I thought maybe pregnant for a second there) Delia's face?  Stature-wise, they were mad short, so unless Murphy and Falchuk are about to introduce dwarves in the AHS scene, a far out suspect might be that warlock from the Council of Witchcraft (yes there are warlocks.. apparently).  Or even Nan!

--Speaking of which, is this witch becoming a bad actress?  Horror Buff is fearing for both Jamie Brewer and Gabourey Sidibe as far as acting goes; Nan sometimes speaks without any emotion (or at least not the correct emotion as she focuses too strongly on good diction); Precious relies on the grumpy sass that she seems to have become famous for… and I'm getting kind of bored of Quennie's negativity.  Can these young actresses step up their game?

*SPOILER ALERT*

--Myrtle Snow is an awesome, kooky, colorful, complex character.  Her scriptwriters are obviously having fun; after all they made her a "Guardian of Language" or something of the sort.  While Fiona is easy to love beyond her evil selfishness - minus that stunt she pulled with the stillborn *magnanimous* - I was a little upset to see Myrtle spurned again and again during the Council's investigation as well as years ago as a student and classmate of young Fiona.  But I guess we'll be seeing more of her...

--Now unlike the rest of the brainwashed world, Horror Buff is not a huge fan of zombies.  Obviously I love Night of the Living Dead and it holds a special place in my horror heart - but otherwise the undead bandwagon is not for me.  As all the zombies started appearing on Halloween ("great costumes" lolz) I got a little worried as to where we were headed regardless of Voodoo's close connection to these beings.  Aside from good makeup and interesting costumes, the return of LaLaurie's daughters, and good guy Luke's (Dreymon) major injury (although he's back at home so I guess he's okay…?) it was a pretty random plot twist, wasn't it?  What it did reveal to us was 2 major things: (a) Zoe is familiar with The Evil Dead and tried reenacting it and (b) our girl Zoe is getting strong!  Developing new powers all the time!  And really useful ones like making dead things die (again) and picking books off bookshelves.  Imagine how easy life would be…

--There's nothing to fear but fear itself, and also regenerated, crispy Myrtle (renewed enemy/ monster?), dangerously marginalized and unstable Misty Day (mind you she's now clad in red *pathetic wardrobe fallacy* and Stevie has been taken from her by that clumsy FrankenKyle), an enraged and Bastian-less Marie Laveau, a serial killer who we're not really sure is dead or not, a witch hunter, and of course Fiona even as she seems to be physically weaker than before.  Personally I think our biggest threats are Squirtle and Misty I mean Myrtle and Misty.

--A giant WHAT THE HORROR regarding Spalding (O'Hare) and Hank.  In just one episode, our perception of both of these 'men' changed entirely in Episode 4, and their back stories have been developing ever since.  The whole involvement of 'muggles' with witches is confusing in the first place - mainly in that these ladies and women have tons of powers but can't see through two schmucks who enjoy murdering or covering up murders, respectively, in their free time.  Really?  My guess is Hank will knock out another student or two before this season is done.

--The new Delia is great.  Earlier in the season I was worried that she might turn into some antagonist, but so far in her physical blindness and otherwise complete clarity has made her a much more mature person.  The makeup is a really cool touch.  Her wardrobe has also seen a change to darker colors.

Final critique: What else is there to say except boil, boil, toil and trouble - the plot is seriously thickening on this season of American Horror Story.  Our characters are each changing (developing, regressing, dying, coming back to life) in their own ways, which aside from the witch hunters and grumpy Voodoo queens is what's truly driving this season forward.  At the rate this show plays with life and death, what can we possibly predict?  Is a witch hunter - or even a good old burning at the stake - useless when Misty Day is around?  How much more important is magical power than common sense and a good heart?  Lots of questions to be answered and problems to be solved in the coming episodes.

Would You Rather (2012)

GENERAL INFO:
Director:  David Guy Levy
Studios:  Periscope Entertainment, Social Construct
Starring:  Brittany Snow, Jeffrey Combs, Enver Gjokaj, Sasha Grey; ft. John Heard
Tagline:  Tell Yourself It's Just a Game.
MPAA Rating:  Unrated
Genre:  horror, thriller, psychological thriller, drama
Scare score:  C
Rating:  B-

Plot overview:  Following their parents' deaths, Iris (Snow) has dedicated her life to supporting herself and her brother Raleigh (Logan Miller) who suffers from terminal leukemia.  Between jobs and out of school, Iris is desperate for help when her brother's physician, Dr. Barden (Lawrence Gilliard Jr.), introduces her to a rich philanthropist named Shepard Lambrick (Combs).  Lambrick invites Iris to a dinner party at which "a game" will be played, and as he explains, the winner of the game will have all of their problems - financial, medical, what have you - taken care of completely.  Although the offer seems too good to be true, Iris attends the party where she meets the other guests who also seem to be suffering from various afflictions and responsibilities.  As soon as the first course is served, however, the game and terror begin, and the bounds of human desperation are pushed to the extreme.

Before I begin, I'd just like to give a shout out to Bloody Brooklynn because I found this title on her blog, and it turned out to be a really fun watch for my Saturday late night flick.

The first thing that's going to catch our attention (or my attention, at least) about this film is Brittany Snow's bill.  Snow is an actress that never ceases to grab my attention because while I always feel like she's such a budding little starlet, is she really doing that much?  Yeah we've all seen Hairspray, Prom Night (which I have to review), and, of course, Pitch Perfect, but I wonder if Snow has quite broken out of her ingenue role in Hollywood.  What I'm trying to say is once you've starred in big name blockbusters, why *regress* to, say, a random horror movie like Would You Rather?  Then again I live abroad and have no idea what publicity for this film's release was like.  Either way, I think she consistently delivers in her movie rolls ranging from horrors to musicals, so I'm absolutely on the lookout for her to bring us bigger and better things in the future.

Continuing on my Snow spiel, her acting seemed pretty much the same to me here as it has been in the other movies I've seen her in.  Not that that's a bad thing, but maybe that explains why she hasn't burst onto the A-list scene yet.  She's cute, innocent (even if this movie pushes her no-more-misses-nice-girl altitudes), desperate, and I guess somehow finds her inner strength/ will here.  Not that her transition and development as a character is the most believable-

In fact, I wasn't sure about the reactions of the various dinner guests throughout the playing of the game, partially due to the script itself.  They all keep talking about "logic" when in several major accounts they don't do anything logical.

*SPOILER ALERT*

Example:  In round 2, each guest is giving a choice to stab their neighbor in the leg with an icepick or beat Travis (Charlie Hofheimer) with a sjambok 3 times.  When it comes round to Cal (Eddie Steeples), he doesn't want to stab anybody so he chooses to whip the down and almost dead Travis.  Everybody reacts as if this were the worst thing he could possibly do, and even though he doesn't necessarily kill Travis, everybody treats him as a murderer.  Cal even gives himself a really poorly acted guilt trip.  But let's look at the facts: Travis was down for the count, as butler Bevans (Jonathan Coyne) informs Lambrick (and I think as the remaining guests can assume).  Basically by choosing to beat Travis again, he is helping put the suffering ex-soldier out of his misery instead of injuring an otherwise healthy contestant.  What's the harm in that?  Logically, it was safer for all of them that he hurt a man who was already down instead of injuring or potentially killing a healthy person.  Come on, people.

Then again, this game isn't fair in general, and I would have walked out at the beginning when given the chance.  What they don't clearly explain while explaining the rules here is that before a contestant even gets a chance to play, he or she might be killed off or made to be considered unfit to play by someone else.  That's not fair at all (like the last round, ugh).  The only reason Iris does well here is because she was taken in by the gentlemanly Cal and Lucas (Gjokaj) who do their best to protect her quite unlike the ferocious, trashy, frustratingly unstable yet sexy Amy (Grey).  The cutie award goes to wheelchair-bound Linda (June Squibb) - who knows how such a dear old lady got tied up in such a dastardly dinner party.

Hands down the most important thing about this movie is the fact that Mr. McCallister, apparently down on his luck perhaps after a messy divorce and his fortune lost through alimony and grievous lawsuits from child wellness lawyers after forgetting his youngest son Kevin not once but twice on family vacations, is here to play the game.  Now a recovering alcoholic, Peter unfortunately leaves the dinner party rather unexpectedly because of his failure to understand the rules.  And to think that 50 g could have been his…. Okay, so I've had my fun, but I love John Heard and Home Alone 1 and 2 are the best movies of all time, 'nuff said.

Otherwise, I thought acting was decent enough to carry us through the movie (that progresses rather quickly).  The obvious star here is Jeffrey Combs who is a face I'm so familiar with but can't quite place (apparently he was in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer in a role I don't remember).  He was really fantastic as a quirky and easy-to-hate sadistic rich man with that terrible habit of munching on nuts or whatever he was always chewing on; I wanted to smack the snacks out of his cruel mouth.  I also thought that Robin Taylor in the role of Julian Lambrick was really excellent in an unstable, unpredictable kind of way.  His portrayal was toned-down and just right.

Let's talk about the scares.  I like movies like this because they're not unnecessarily gory (I guess this wasn't actually gory at all) but we're always set up to be made really uncomfortable, as much for the physical as for the psychological.  Now I'm more of a Never Have I Ever guy myself, but Would You Rather is a difficult game as it is (would you rather have sandpaper hands or hot dog fingers?  Impossible!) even without life and death consequences.  We don't like thinking about what we as humans are capable of doing to ourselves or other humans for the sake of a loved one, and this movie rubs it all up in our faces.  What would you do?

As far as the actual questions and rounds of the game went, I was rather surprised and found that the movie played it safe rather than branching into more disgusting things.  The fact that the first two rounds only provided us with two options each really caught me by surprise because I thought that each new question would be different and worse than the last.  In my opinion, the electrocution choice, and later the whip or stab choice made the movie more boring, or at least more tame.  Only the envelop round - which played with the unknown - was interesting to me.  By the end of the film, the only would you rather that was actually disturbing for me was when Lucas has to cut his own eye, which I don't think I would be able to do either.  And is it just Horror Buff, or does Lucas do that rather rashly?  Probably hurt himself a lot more there than he needed to.  Yuck.

The worst thing about this movie is not that people have to hurt or kill each other, but rather that the whole game is conducted under such pretenses of class and good manners - reminiscent of Paul in Funny Games - that really frustrates us as viewers while simultaneously adding to the terrible charm of Shepard and his staff.

Then, of course, we arrive to the end of the movie.  As soon as Iris leaves that place we're all asking ourselves how she's going to live with herself, and if helping her brother or even saving his life is worth what happened in that dining room.  Then given Raleigh's choice (was it on purpose?) kind of spins the whole previous night's events back in her face.  Sure she can live comfortably now - if she can live with herself.

Final critique:  This was a fun movie that flies by pretty quickly while putting it's own terrible twist on a classic party game.  There are plenty of thrills mixed both with drawn out or no suspense whatsoever, leading to plenty of unanticipated emotions and frights.  This is a good movie to watch with a group of friends as public reactions would spice up the various electrocutions, stabbings, shootings, beatings, and drownings.  Not my personal favorite, but definitely an enjoyable watch.

Friday the 13th Part III (1982)

GENERAL INFO:
Director:  Steve Miner
Studios:  Paramount Pictures
Starring:  Dana Kimmell, Larry Zerner, Paul Kratka, Jeffrey Rogers, Richard Brooker
Tagline:  A New Dimension in Terror...
MPAA Rating:  R
Genre:  horror, slasher, stalker, thriller, psychopath, masked murderer, serial killer, teen
Scare score:  D
Rating:  B-/C+

Plot overview:  Picking up on the same day that the last movie left off, Jason (Brooker) is now on the loose, roaming the area around his lake.  Unaware of the recent murders, a group of teens - including the kind but spunky Chris (Kimmell), the goofy Andy (Rogers), his nerdy roommate Shelly (Zerner), Andy's girlfriend Debbie (Tracie Savage), Latina friend Vera (Catherine Parks), and potheads Chili (Rachel Howard) and Chuck (David Katims) - take off for a relaxing weekend at Chris' family's lake house.  Unbeknownst to the group of carefree teenagers, Jason got to the lake cottage first.

So I'm still on my Friday the 13th binge, but I think I might have to take a break from Jason after this movie.  At this point the franchise is still enjoyable, but every movie is… uh… the same?  At least Part 2 and Part III are identical in the way the plot plays out.  It's becoming more and more obvious how horror film stereotypes developed in the '80s.

Before anything- Manfredini, what is with the music in the opening (and closing) credits?  We feel like we're at some '80s club and not at all in a horror movie.  Maybe teenagers liked it at the time, but oh my goodness was that music terrible (and secretly delightful).

One of the best things this installment had to offer was the cinematography that was made to be watched in 3D.  While I watched this on my computer and not in 3D, some of the scenes (like the yo-yo bit and some of the death scenes) really play with the image coming towards the camera/ audience, and it was certainly a lot of fun/ something different.

The characters in this movie really cracked me up, and while most of them were still pretty static as sitting ducks, we saw some more development than in prior movies.  The best thing about this movie - other than the hockey mask - was hands down the Chili and Chuck duo.  Starting with the gang thinking the Mystery Machine - I mean Chris' van - was on fire, the laughs never stopped.  Several scenes throughout the film of these two just sitting or lying comatose in their altered state made me laugh out loud.  Coming from a guy who doesn't typically love the dumb humor in horror movies, that says a lot.

Shelly was also a very interesting character here.  From the first scene where he begins pulling his dumb stunts, rocking that you-know-what-fro and an assorted array of costumes and props (what a weirdo), I practically convinced myself that we were going to have a final boy here due mainly to his virginal innocence and the amount of camera time this sucker got.  A guy with low self confidence like that should be lucky to spend his final day with girls like Chris, Debbie, and Vera (ow oww).  We root for him as he stands up to the biker gang - quick aside: why? why a biker gang? why random leather-clad bullies? that entire plot bit was the most random and frustrating thing.  did random bully gangs exist like that in the '80s? I'm going to say random one more time for good measure. - or wins the apple juggling contest, but even his loser charm isn't enough to save his life from Jayjay.  In fact, is Shelly the most tragic character we've seen in a horror movie?  Dumpy, overweight nerd with not enough self-confidence to accept that Vera has been set up with him for the weekend, doesn't even get a kiss out of her before having his throat slit.  Whoops, spoiler alert.

Chris was easy to fall for.  Although her tiny body and pitchy voice might be the source of annoyance for many viewers, Horror Buff fell for her rather quickly.  This girl was a fierce final girl, like not once did she let her guard down.  Girl played defense the whole game through the fourth quarter in the barn. Dead boyfriend thrown through the window?  No biggie, she grabs any household item and goes lethal on Jason's behind.  Car out of gas and falling through a non-sanctioned bridge while a masked murderer is chasing you?  Like borrringggg, girl runs through the woods expertly until finding safety.  Trapped in a barn about to meet your maker?  Nuh uh, girl grabs all kinds of weapons and axes Jason in the face.  This girl could survive any horror movie, hands down.

This has also been the movie in which we see the most of Jason, who takes on more of a bumbling Michael Myers persona as opposed to the silent, unseen stalker we've been used to up until now.  I guess we can ask ourselves why is Jason no longer confined to hiding in dark spaces and woods, and also has his MO changed?  We get that this new batch of teen victims are in the same area where the previous two films have taken place, but are they even really on Crystal Lake?  Aside from a news broadcast in the beginning of the movie, there's no mention of the camp, previous murders, or Jason Voorhees.  Is our killer still defending his turf here, or has he just been driven to some demented rampage?

Unfortunately, with Jason getting all this new screen time, he's a lot more open to criticism here - and I didn't really like him.  I'll admit that I was most excited to watch this movie to finally see the hockey mask, but otherwise I thought that Brooker portrayed Jason too heavily with a mental disability that we've been led to believe he has/ had as a child.  In earlier films, the scares depended on suspense coming from the killer hiding out in dark corners, throwing bodies through windows, or waiting under beds for some unsuspecting teens (come to think of it, all of those things still happen here).  Any confrontations in previous movies resulted in almost immediate deaths, save for the final girl who consequently engages in a drawn out series of cat-and-mouse where we see that the otherwise invincible Jason can, in fact, be temporarily knocked out by having various lumber and weapons thrown at him, only to watch him rise and attack again… oy this is getting repetitive.

*SPOILER ALERT*

This time around, instead of only hiding in his favorite spots, Jason also lurks and stalks in the open, and we as viewers become much more accustomed to his body language, fighting techniques, strengths, and potential weaknesses.  Not that I'm saying that an unseen killer is that much more interesting movie after movie, but I certainly think that Jason was really dumbed down here.  Especially towards the end of the film with the endless pursuit of Chris, we become aware of how clumsy he is in his brute strength, and the several times that we see his disfigured face we're reminded of a dopey, color version of Lon Chaney's famous monster.  I'm pretty sure there was a grin on his face, right?  Or is it just slanted that way?  Oh well.  Also, what's the mystery bit about Chris and Jason's rendezvous in the woods?  She blacked out after being dragged away by him - what was the point of including that episode and what are we supposed to assume happened there?  Or is it just a loose end?  Not my favorite.

The ended of the movie needs to be discussed.  We've seen the *surprise-dead-murderer-jumps-out-of-the-lake-and-grabs-final-girl-just-as-we-thought-it-was-safe-but-oh-no-wait-that-was-all-a-dream* in the first movie, and a similar on-land sequence in the second movie.  Like OKAY franchise, we get it.  You like the shocking endings (that are no longer shocking).  And this time they even had Momma Vorhees jump out of the water from beyond the dead, just for shocks sake (PS that slow-mo took way too long and made it not scary whatsoever).  But no, wait, it was a dream, AGAIN.  And then - as if Paramount would have ever dropped this franchise so young - we see Jason's body being completely ignored by the police because, hey, he's dead so why should we bother taping off a crime scene?  But no, boys and girls, the nightmare doesn't end here, nor did any other horror franchise of the '80s, so I say viva la teen slashers.

Final critique:  In many outdated ways, this movie begins to remind us of our favorite love-to-hate (or hate-to-love) teen slashers from the '90s and 2000s (think Freddie Prinze and Neve Campbell.. mmm).  While this movie isn't particularly scary (at all), it's the type of film that comes to mind every time we spend a weekend at the lake house, wondering what's lurking upstairs behind all the pine and tacky decorations, or what's creeping outside in the woods.  What this film certainly is is enjoyable.  We have a fun cast of characters getting slain one by one by a not-so-fun demented killer in an iconic mask.  The deaths are creative in their own way, and aside from this movie completing the very cliches its prequels established, it's a good watch, perfect for sleepovers and lazy summer nights.