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Mr. Christmas
Book
One day Mr Christmas receives a call from his uncle asking for help. Can Mr Christmas help Father...
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated A Creepshow Animated Special (2020) in Movies
Nov 15, 2020
This Halloween Special of the Creepshow Shudder series is a nice pitstop whilst we patiently wait for the second season of its main run.
It consists of two 20-ish minute shorts based on Survivor Type by Stephen King, and Twittering from the Circus of the Dead, by King's son Joe Hill.
The animation used is not much more than a motion comic, but it still manages to be quite striking, and gets the job done. I certainly managed to stay engaged in it.
The stories are exactly the type of material that one would come to expect from Creepshow. Short, sharp, to the point, usually with some sort of underlying message. Like Aesop's Fables but with more entrails.
Survivor Type was my favourite of the two, and focuses on one man's descent into madness when he's washed up on a desert island. Kiefer Sutherland lends his voice talents to this tale, and makes it sound like a proper campfire horror story. It's pretty grim in all honesty, but it's just the right kind of grim for a Halloween Special.
Twittering is the sillier of the two, focusing on a young girl Tweeting her experience of a family getaway. They end up at a circus which proves to be more deadly than originally thought. This one was a little more difficult to get on board with at the beginning. It starts off with a typical "social media is bad" kind of vibe, but when the horror starts, it flips nicely, and ends on an entertaining, and quite horrific note. It's all good stuff!
I've really taken to the Creepshow series, and although this special isn't quite up there with the same level of quality, it's still a fun 45 minute horror trip that's worth a visit.
It consists of two 20-ish minute shorts based on Survivor Type by Stephen King, and Twittering from the Circus of the Dead, by King's son Joe Hill.
The animation used is not much more than a motion comic, but it still manages to be quite striking, and gets the job done. I certainly managed to stay engaged in it.
The stories are exactly the type of material that one would come to expect from Creepshow. Short, sharp, to the point, usually with some sort of underlying message. Like Aesop's Fables but with more entrails.
Survivor Type was my favourite of the two, and focuses on one man's descent into madness when he's washed up on a desert island. Kiefer Sutherland lends his voice talents to this tale, and makes it sound like a proper campfire horror story. It's pretty grim in all honesty, but it's just the right kind of grim for a Halloween Special.
Twittering is the sillier of the two, focusing on a young girl Tweeting her experience of a family getaway. They end up at a circus which proves to be more deadly than originally thought. This one was a little more difficult to get on board with at the beginning. It starts off with a typical "social media is bad" kind of vibe, but when the horror starts, it flips nicely, and ends on an entertaining, and quite horrific note. It's all good stuff!
I've really taken to the Creepshow series, and although this special isn't quite up there with the same level of quality, it's still a fun 45 minute horror trip that's worth a visit.
A perfectly creepy Halloween treat.
Well, the spiced pumpkin lattes are out so it must be time to hit the scary reading lists and I would recommend putting this one high on the list this spooky season if you are looking for a truly unsettling, dark supernatural tale that has a good dose of mystery and intriguing characters.
Inspired by notes by Bram Stoker this prequel to Stoker’s classic Dracula was always going to have high expectations to live up to and for me, I wasn’t disappointed. Telling the tale of the young Bram Stoker, we meet his childhood caretaker, Ellen Crone whose odd behavior sparks the interest of young Bram and his sister Matilda who of course decide to poke their noses into her business little knowing they are just at the start of what will be an ongoing nightmare for the family. With many chilling discoveries, the tension builds and an unsettling tale is revealed.
It’s a very well written book that doesn't get bogged down in trying to use too much language and style of the period it is set in, instead focusing on successfully creating the gothic atmosphere to creepy perfection. Despite different POVs and timelines, it’s never hard to follow the action. The characters are gripping, in particular, Bram’s sister Matilda comes across as a superb character with brains and determination that are not expected of a lady of the time
This is not a tale for those of a squeamish disposition but it makes a great Halloween fix and has made me want to go and re-read Dracula now.
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.
Inspired by notes by Bram Stoker this prequel to Stoker’s classic Dracula was always going to have high expectations to live up to and for me, I wasn’t disappointed. Telling the tale of the young Bram Stoker, we meet his childhood caretaker, Ellen Crone whose odd behavior sparks the interest of young Bram and his sister Matilda who of course decide to poke their noses into her business little knowing they are just at the start of what will be an ongoing nightmare for the family. With many chilling discoveries, the tension builds and an unsettling tale is revealed.
It’s a very well written book that doesn't get bogged down in trying to use too much language and style of the period it is set in, instead focusing on successfully creating the gothic atmosphere to creepy perfection. Despite different POVs and timelines, it’s never hard to follow the action. The characters are gripping, in particular, Bram’s sister Matilda comes across as a superb character with brains and determination that are not expected of a lady of the time
This is not a tale for those of a squeamish disposition but it makes a great Halloween fix and has made me want to go and re-read Dracula now.
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Prom Night (1980) in Movies
Sep 19, 2019
Halloween 1.5
Fairly forgettable slasher/horror film with a lot of similarities to the original Halloween which had been released only 2 years earlier also starring Jamie Lee Curtis. Maybe at the time, all the now predictable horror cliches had not been overdone as they have been these days, but it was still mostly a bore.
After several children murder another girl in an abandoned building, they decide to keep their crime as a secret. Years later the children are now in high school when a mysterious stranger now decides to look them up and make them pay for the dastardly deed. They don't notice subtle clues immediately as the stranger starting calling them with his "spooky voice". The night of the prom is different though, as he decides to take his revenge on them one at a time after there is plenty of disco dancing of course.
Were audiences easier to please back in 1980? Clearly this was a cash grab of a film coming right on the heels of a much better ground breaking entry into the horror genre. This killer is pretty boring in comparison to others even of the same time period. No Captain Kirk or hockey masks here. The guy just wears all black with a black ski mask.
The soundtrack of disco tunes and the prom dancing scene with Jamie Lee strutting her stuff with her date was the highlight for me. It was also funny, yet not funny to see Leslie Nielsen in a dramatic role. It's hard to believe his career would change forever the same year when Airplane! was released.
I would pass if I were you.
After several children murder another girl in an abandoned building, they decide to keep their crime as a secret. Years later the children are now in high school when a mysterious stranger now decides to look them up and make them pay for the dastardly deed. They don't notice subtle clues immediately as the stranger starting calling them with his "spooky voice". The night of the prom is different though, as he decides to take his revenge on them one at a time after there is plenty of disco dancing of course.
Were audiences easier to please back in 1980? Clearly this was a cash grab of a film coming right on the heels of a much better ground breaking entry into the horror genre. This killer is pretty boring in comparison to others even of the same time period. No Captain Kirk or hockey masks here. The guy just wears all black with a black ski mask.
The soundtrack of disco tunes and the prom dancing scene with Jamie Lee strutting her stuff with her date was the highlight for me. It was also funny, yet not funny to see Leslie Nielsen in a dramatic role. It's hard to believe his career would change forever the same year when Airplane! was released.
I would pass if I were you.
Madbatdan82 (341 KP) rated Hell Fest (2018) in Movies
Mar 5, 2019
This generations scream? No - but still ok!
Not to be confused with the very similar 'Blood fest' this slasher has a group of teenagers who go to a horror theme park at Halloween where they start to get picked off my a masked killer. This film is better than 'Blood fest' mainly due to better/cleverer gore and death scenes and a much better killer. What let's it down is highly forgettable and annoying characters (yes - I'm looking at you Bex Taylor Klaus) so you don't really care who survives. The real highlight is the killer and the film keeps them wrapped in mystery and hands us one of the most interesting endings in a long time. Nowhere near a game changer but definitely worth a watch.
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Halloween (2007) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
Rob Zombie was an inspired choice to helm the 2007 reboot of the series and the resulting film was very good indeed. Opting to focus more on Michael’s backstory was an intriguing change to the formula and a risky one at that.
Many fans concluded that it lessened the impact of Michael’s murders. Showing him as an abused child took away the supernatural elements that made Carpenter’s masterpiece so terrifying in 1978.
Nevertheless, I thought the idea worked well, and although Zombie’s film is a case of style over substance in some sequences, it’s a good reboot and one that manages to raise itself well above its horror stablemates at the time of release.
It also had an absolutely cracking soundtrack, but the less said about the disappointing sequel the better.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/10/28/halloween-movies-top-5/
Many fans concluded that it lessened the impact of Michael’s murders. Showing him as an abused child took away the supernatural elements that made Carpenter’s masterpiece so terrifying in 1978.
Nevertheless, I thought the idea worked well, and although Zombie’s film is a case of style over substance in some sequences, it’s a good reboot and one that manages to raise itself well above its horror stablemates at the time of release.
It also had an absolutely cracking soundtrack, but the less said about the disappointing sequel the better.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/10/28/halloween-movies-top-5/
Andy K (10823 KP) created a poll about in Movies are the shiz!
Jul 11, 2018
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998) in Movies
Oct 5, 2018
Jamie Lee returns!
Coming off the pukefest that was the Curse of Michael Myers, filmmakers had nowhere to go but up.
Seeing Jamie Lee Curtis back as Laurie Strode alongside younger versions of Michelle Williams, Josh Hartnett and Joseph Gordon-Levitt gave me a thrill. Unfortunately, the screenplay is substandard and doesn't really give the characters much to do.
Since she was last seen, Laurie has gone into hiding with her teenage son and is now a teacher at a private school in California still haunted by the events on Halloween 20 years ago.
The last act redeems the film a little with the family reunion and final confrontation being enjoyable and nostalgic; however, when the film ends I still had the feeling like an opportunity to make a truly great horror film was wasted.
Seeing Jamie Lee Curtis back as Laurie Strode alongside younger versions of Michelle Williams, Josh Hartnett and Joseph Gordon-Levitt gave me a thrill. Unfortunately, the screenplay is substandard and doesn't really give the characters much to do.
Since she was last seen, Laurie has gone into hiding with her teenage son and is now a teacher at a private school in California still haunted by the events on Halloween 20 years ago.
The last act redeems the film a little with the family reunion and final confrontation being enjoyable and nostalgic; however, when the film ends I still had the feeling like an opportunity to make a truly great horror film was wasted.
Barry Newman (204 KP) rated A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) in Movies
Feb 1, 2020
The original and by far the best of the Nightmare series. Wes Craven’s film is like most 80’s movies looking a little dated in 2019 particularly in its special effects but to me still holds up very well as an original and unsettling horror thriller that puts a unique supernatural spin on the well established slasher formula. The film’s ace is in it’s boogeyman Freddy Krueger, coming after the silent killers of ‘Halloween’ and ‘Friday the 13th’ Robert Englund’s iconic Freddy actually had a personality and the sequels realising his popularity put him front and centre with much more screen time and subsequently making him considerably less scary . Craven conjures up some memorable kill scenes here and the concept of being vulnerable somewhere seemingly as safe as in your dreams makes for a great horror movie.
Paper Dandy's Horrorgami: 20 Gruesome Scenes to Cut and Fold
Book
Paper Dandy's Horrorgami features 20 kirigami (cut-and-fold) designs based around haunted houses and...