halloween 2020

Number 16 of My Top 31 Horror Movies : A group of people barricade themselves in an old farmhouse to remain safe from a bloodthirsty, flesh-eating breed of monster who are ravaging the United States. : “They’re coming to get you, Barbra!…” : There’s good zombie films and then there’s George A Romero’s 1968 ghoulfest NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD : crafted in black & white with a runtime of 96mins this slice of horror is pure suspense, alongside a towering performance full of energy & style by New Yorker Duane Jones & scares that would make most of today’s horror films blush Night of the Living Dead is high calibre filmmaking, by a director at his most raw & potent best : I recently rewatched the restored Criterion edition and was reminded (like I am every year) on how creepy the movie holds up, from it’s unique appearance, how fiendishly evil the undead look to the films unsettling graveyard and old farmhouse shot’s with it’s black-and-white filming only adding extra spice to the unnerving viewing experience : Judith O’Dea’s Barbra is terrific, the way she shows us her character’s shock after loosing her brother in the cemetary attack and the terror she’s overcome with is quite chilling : I love the scene in the movie which sees Harry coming up from the basement and arguing with Ben on why they should all be barricaded in down below, Hardman & Jones have the floor mostly to themselves and it’s all quite riverting, Tom & Judy’s ill fated trip to collect some gas from the barn is also one my movie highlights, from it’s chaotic build up, big explosion to the aftermath of Harry locking Ben out of the house to be breathtaking : since it’s release Night of the Living Dead has spawned a zombie franchise and countless other immitations but for me Romero’s original beats all others hands down and is still a spine-chilling masterpiece ★★★★★

Number 29 of My Top 31 Horror Movies : After Amelia looses her husband she and her child fall into a deep well of paranoia when a creepy children’s book titled “Mister Babadook” manifests in their home : Aussie Jennifer Kent wrote and directed THE BABADOOK after securing it’s budget of $2.5 million via Kickstarter : I must confess after seeing the movie for the first time I was terrified and struggled sleeping for days after, the imagery and the darkness that consumed the screen throughout the movie tugged deep into my soul and I couldn’t stop thinking of this poor family desimated by the loss of a father & husband, the mum then having to cope by herself with her imaginative & energetic young son was scary in itself, let alone this hideous, life sucking creature that invades their world : Essie Davis & Noah Wiseman give the film it’s heart, their chemistry playing mother & son is downnright believable, the old house in the movie was specifically built for the film and it’s fair to say that Jennifer Kent was influenced by the style of old horror movies and maybe even the Lon Chaney era whilst filming : along with the possession and what follows, one of my favorite scenes in the movie is when the Amelia visits the local police station to report being terrorised by someone or something, watching Essie’s performance in this scene her head swimming with fear and paranoia is quite special, like a character from an old Hitchcock movie : The Babadook is not only one of the finest horror movies I’ve seen, with one of the scariest adversary‘s but it’s also a draining experience, a hard watch that concerns the welfare of a young child, the evil that lurkes and the battle of a family torn apart by with what life has dealt them : interestingly Babadook is an anagram of A bad book ★★★★½

Number 30 of My Top 31 Horror Movies : In the sixteenth century, Francis Barnard travels to Spain to clarify the strange circumstances of his sister’s death after she had married the son of a cruel Spanish Inquisitor : for me PIT AND THE PENDULUM is the best of the eight movies that Vincent Price and Roger Corman worked on together, it’s certainly the most haunting and beautifully filmed by High Noon’s Floyd Crosby : shot in just fifteen days the film is a bonafied 60s classic, a horror that has no doubt been a point of influence for horror filmmaker since, from it’s weird & ghostly flashback scenes, the shots of the waves hitting the rocks, it’s eerie nerve pinching sound, Vincent Price’s trademark expressions and dramatic eye movements to those other impressive cast members including John Kerr, Barbara Steele, Luana Anders, Antony Carbone but what really makes Pit and the Pendulum such a fine horror film is it’s chilling suspense, sweeping sets and that devious, evil little twist at it’s end ★★★★½

Number 31 of My Top 31 Horror Movies : Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their new family home out in the country : Since the great John Carpenter gave up the director’s chair and Wes Craven left us for his new home in the sky, it’s my humble opinion that Australian filmmaker James Wan has delivered more consistent scares than most since SAW hit the screens back in 2004 : in typical James Wan style The Conjuring contains no sex scenes and when it came to the film’s rating the movie received an R for pure scare value alone, the film also contains very little violence just pure nerve jangling horror, filmed like a throwback to the 60s and 70s horror gems : Wan shot the movie in 28 days on a budget of just over $20 Million and to this day the film has grossed well over the $300 Million mark : The Conjuring (like most low budget pics) relies heavily on some creative storytelling and superb acting and there’s plenty of this on show with the reliable pair of Wilson & Farmiga along with The Haunting’s Lili Taylor who really does look like she belongs in the Hammer Horror era overpowering the screen with her unique beauty & ability to switch between playing a loving parent to a raving looney in a nano-second, the scene’s where her character is possessed and the demonic spirit won’t let her leave the house is amongst her finest work, I was also impressed by Ron Livingston’s working dad performance, truly believable and adds so much to the film’s ensemble : I really dug the way James Wan gives the viewer a little taste into Ed’s treasure trove of horror at his home including that creepy demonic doll Annabelle and other items taken from cases Ed & Lorraine worked on : overall The Conjuring is one of the creepiest horror movies in the last 20yrs, the camera work especially inside the Perron’s house is quite brilliant (those upside down shots and inside the walls of the bedroom are terrifying), the film made me jump out of my skin on more than one occassion, and if you have a wardrobe in your bedroom it might be an idea to invest in some locks before revisiting this masterpiece ★★★★½