Up Coming Screamers: My Soul To Take

Now before I get to the horrific preview I just want to say that I am back to updating Mindset a little more regularly. I've been dealing with some personal horrors of my own that would turn any one's hair white.

OK... On with the show.

Click the poster to go to the film's IMDb page.

Wes Craven returns to the sub-genre that made him very wealthy, the teen-scream slasher film.
Something feels very familiar here, like I've seen this before. Here's the trailer. See if you also feel a bit of the ol' De Ja Vue...


I'm sensing a really strong Nightmare on Elm Street vibe. What's worse it's not even a decent Nightmare vibe. It's like Nightmare part 2... The killer's soul is in one of you! Oooooooooh.

Maybe I'm being a little harsh or maybe I've just be jaded with the crap Hollywood is trying to pass off as horror. Who's to say? This may be worth watching. After all, Wes Craven is the master of supernatural killers who hunt down innocent teens that really had nothing to do with the killer's demise.

But did he have to make the Slasher look like Hagrid?

Sigh...

This one single section was all the horror dvds at Best Buy in Buford, GA. That's it.

I wept.

I don't know if this speaks to the lack of horror or the fact that the internet has brought us downloads and the instant watch/deliverable by mail services of Netflix and subsequently the death of retail dvds?

Or the fact that this Best Buy sucks and that the horror section is much more massive in other locations. If someone knows, enlighten me.

Just a thought.

Up Coming Screamers: A Look at Let Me In

Click the poster to go to the film's IMDb page.

I've been a bit nervous about the release of this movie since I first caught wind of it. The original Swedish version was so powerful and moving I was speechless after I saw it. You can read my review of Let The Right One In here. The original is actually what I like to call a "Holy Grail" movie. It's a treasure that you didn't expect because it didn't look like it would be as amazing as it is. It's one of my top 10 flicks of all time and that is why this Americanized remake has me worried. Here's the trailer...




The fact it is directed by the guy that did Cloverfield, Matt Reeves doesn't help it's case either. It seems that Mr.Reeves has problems with originality. Look at Cloverfield, it was basically a knock off of The Host, Godzilla, and The Blair Witch Project all rolled into one. So I guess I shouldn't be surprised that he would helm this remake. At least J.J. Abrahms didn't stick his grubby hands in this... or Michale Bay.

Thank the gods for small miracles. Yet, I digress.

The trailer is impressive. The story looks spot on. The two lead actors look like they may have it down. Lets just hope that Chloe Moretz can live up to Lina Leandersson as Abby/Eli. She was fantastic as Hit-Girl in Kick-Ass but this role is going to be a tough one. She is going to have to put all of her emotions into Abby, yet she is going to have to be very stoic at the same time.

Then there is Kodi Smit-McPhee having to walk in the shoes of Kåre Hedebrant in the Owen/Oskar role. He's going to have a tough job as well. Oskar was a roller coaster of a boy. Kinda psycho and yet so caring for Eli. I just hope the choices were good ones.

Then there is THE scene. If you've seen Let The Right One In, you know what scene I'm speaking of. I won't spoil it and I ask no one else will either. I am just wondering if they cut it out or not, no pun intended.

I guess we shall find out in October.

RAH RAH REE! KICK THEM IN THE KNEE!

You know, ladies & gentlemens, there are somethings one must not do while one is in an "altered state". I'm not going to go into how my "state" was "altered" but let's just say I was. One of those said things is choose what movies sound like a good idea.

This is the results.

Me and Poot were sitting on the Nanny couch scoping out the ol' Netflix instant watch when, in our "altered state", we saw a movie that we knew would be just so AWESOMELY BAD we had to watch it. Cheerleader Autopsy.

(Cue music sting now!)

As some of you may know I love B movies. I really do. It comes from my long time obsession with Troma and a heavy influence from my Dad. This movie really does embrace B-ness so much it is unfathomable.

Directed and written by Stuart Doge... Well... This is the only thing by Stuart Doge! For god sakes, it was shot on what looks to be a HD camcorder! Poot and I knew it was going to be bad! SHE EVEN SAID "This is going to suck." AND WE STILL WATCHED!!!

*ahem*

Cheerleader Autopsy actually has a plot, believe it or not, Mr. Ripley. It's the story of The Fighting Beavers cheerleading squad! A squad consisting of 5 whole members. One who I think is Australian and might be a Suicide Girl. I think I've seen her naked. The first thing they do is shove the most obvious joke down our throat with a sign that said "You can't lick our Beavers." I saw the SAME damn sign 5 times. Making sure that those people who are complete simpletons get it too.

How nice.

The squad are on their way to regionals or nationals or something. It really doesn't matter. None of this matters. All you have to know is that they all get horribly killed in a freak bus accident. All but one. She is like the topless B-movie actress highlander. Only missing both legs, an arm, and she looks like Two-Face.

SIDE STORY!!! There is some frat dude who gets kicked out of college and goes to work for his uncle in a small town. His uncle is the coroner and sheriff. Guess where the cheerleaders died? Come to find out his uncle is selling unclaimed bodies to a dog food company. Did I mention there is also a creepy janitor who has a baby dick and likes to play like Dr.Frankenstein in his spare time. He also has a childhood grudge against the nephew?

It just keeps getting better!

As I said before, this doesn't matter. You do not watch this movie for plot or acting. You watch it for the sheer absurdity that is Cheerleader Autopsy. You watch it for the obviously fake rubber cadavers. You watch for lines like "She has grass in her snatch." You watch cause it was filmed in Georgia and you can tell! You watch for stupid sound effects. I swear they used a slide whistle. Then again I may have imagined that.

So in conclusion I have to say that this wonderful movie shouldn't be viewed seriously unless you seriously love crap. However, if you want a good laugh might I suggest you pick this, Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter, and the classic Redneck Zombies up and just have a B-Movie fest.

It wouldn't hurt to visit an "altered state" either.

RATINGS:

ACTING: (It really was bad.)

GORE:

HUMOR:

OVERALL:

Up Coming Screamers: A look at The Last Exorcism

This is a new thing I'm trying out. I am hoping that with this new batch of horror that is on the horizon I could at least feature some of the trailers and my thoughts on them. I would also love to hear what you think of them as well!

Think of this as your sounding off platform for what may or may not be good horror.

click the poster to go to the movies IMDb page.

To start this new feature off right I figured I would present the latest film produced by Eli Roth. Originally called Cotton, The Last Exorcism is a faux documentary that follows evangelical minister Cotton Marcus on his last exorcism. Directed by Daniel Stamm, a relatively unknown director, and produced (along with Roth) by the same team that produced 2004's remake of Dawn of the Dead, The Last Exorcism looks like it may have potential. I'm just leery about the "Documentary style". We've seen it done to death and it's getting about as cliche' as 3d.

Check out the trailer & judge for yourself. I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Kill the TV, Before it Kills You.

When I was but a wee lass around the age of 12, my best friend, Beth and I had a Saturday night ritual. We would hole up in my bedroom, stuff our face with junk food, and watch our three favorite shows. Monsters, Freddy's Nightmares, and Tales from the Darkside. It was bliss for my 12 year old horror loving heart!

Flash forward to the 33 year old horror vixen I am today. Just recently, I "acquired" season one of Freddy's Nightmares. This was the short lived series based on, what else, The Nightmare on Elm Street movies. Watching it now that I'm older I spot the people who are famous today like John Cameron Mitchell, Mariska Hargitay, Bill Moseley, Brad Pitt and Bob Goen. I also realize that my 12 year old self's taste in horror wasn't nearly as "refined" as my 33 year old self's taste. Some of these could be called crap if they aired today! If you haven't ever had the privilege of viewing this show it's basically Tales from the Crypt with Freddy serving up tales of his torment in dream land. He's terrorizing everyone in Springwood and we get to watch.

Now, 1988 was banner year for horror television! Not only did you have the three shows mentioned above, we also had Friday the 13th: The Series, which had nothing to do with Jason Vorhees and everything to do with cursed antiques. Another awesome horror anthology show!

This really got me thinking. Why don't we have great horror television like this anymore? We have our The Vampire Diaries, True Blood & Supernatural but these aren't truely horror. The Vampire Diaries are nothing more than this neutered vampire fluff that is so popular. True Blood is soft core vamp porn, granted much better than the fluff but too much boinking and not enough killing. Now I have to give props to Supernatural. It's not really fluff and it has some cool story lines but it's not really what I would love to see in horror television.

The last good horror show, in my opinion was Masters of Horror. But really, how can you top something like that? All the greatest horror directors & writers given free reign to create amazing tales of terror. It was like giving this fat girl the keys to the horror candy store!

Mmmm horror candy...

If you were to ask me what my top 5 horror tv shows were I guess it would break down like this:

5. Monsters
4. Freddy's Nightmares
3. Masters of Horror
2. Tales from the Darkside
1. Night Gallery

I know most people would expect The Twilight Zone but it wasn't just horror, it was also fantasy & Sci Fi. Night Gallery in my opinion held true to the art of telling tales of horror & suspense.

Maybe one day I will get my horror anthologies returning to the tube. Till then it's my Tales from the Darkside dvds and a glimmer of hope.

Show me Top 5 Horror Video Games.... *DING DING DING*

If you know me you know that I am not just obsessed with horror. I am also a gamer. I love video games. I have ever since I was a wee tyke and I got my hands on an Atari 2600 joystick.

I love when my obsessions cross over, so I decided that my horror blog needed to meet my gamer side.

Here's the setup. About 3 to 4 days ago I posted this as my facebook status...

"Calling all of my video game brethren and sisteren! I am looking for your top 5 horror video games! It can be for any system or pc, just as long as it's horror. It's for my blog, and if you have a link to whore out post it with your top 5 and I'll link you."

I was curious to see what people thought of the horror genre in video games. What I got was a bunch of lists from my friends and a few from some awesome Nerdcore rappers (second in my heart next to horror)

Shael Riley-
Resident Evil Outbreak
Resident Evil Outbreak: File 2
Resident Evil 1
Resident Evil 2
Super Castlevania IV

Quartz Relic-
Eternal Darkness
Silent Hill 1/2
Resident Evil (Gamecube Remake)
Siren
Fatal Frame 2

Kyle Wertz aka MC Coolwhip-
Condemned 2
Silent Hill 2
House of the dead 2
DOOM 3
Dead rising

Caine Chaffin-
Parasite Eve
Silent Hill 3
Shivers 2
7th Guest
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth

Michael Walker-
Fatal Frames 1 and 2
Silent Hill two
The Suffering
Dead Space

Steven Naslund-
Silent Hill 2
Resident Evil 1
Fatal Frame
Clock Tower
Dead Space

Matthew Parrish-
Eternal Darkness
Condemned
Deadspace
Resident Evil 1
Resident Evil 4

Mike Herron-
Splatterhouse
Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night
Resident Evil (original PS1 version)
Return to Castle Wolfenstein
Doom

James Keith Colburn-
Silent Hill 1
Fatal Frame
Silent Hill 3
Fatal Frame 2
Kuon

Everyone used my status to discuss the differences in all the sub genres. Is survival horror better than puzzle or action horror? Which is scarier? I'm interested now in delving into this subject matter a bit deeper.

As for my top 5?

Robin Thompson-
Parasite Eve
11th Hour
Bioshock
Resident Evil
Silent Hill

I kinda like this list thing... Look for more lists comming soon & if you have any suggestions in movies, books, or video games email me at huddlehouseninja (at) hotmail.com