Nightmare on Elm Street 1984

Freddy's first outing, picking off teens in 'Nightmare on Elm Street'. It's been called intelligent and horifing, but was it enough to convert a Hard-core Jason Fan? (Spoiler, no.)

Let's start with the teens themselves, well the two of note anyway. Nacy is a pretty fantastic character. I enjoy her head on approach for dealing with Freddy. She may be afraid of him (for very good reason) but that dosen't stop her from actively plotting to take the guy down. Although I'm not a huge fan of the guy, even I had to smile when the intro credits read “Introducing Johnny Depp” It's always a treat to see early work of an A-list actor. Especially when it's in something like this. He gives a really solid performance.

The blood effect used for Depp's death was puzzling to me. It was so over the top, Evil Dead II territory. Which in that movie it is for laughs, but it seems Nightmare was trying to play it straight and it just felt really silly. The best death was Tina's. It was brutal enough to be effective without becoming over the top.

The ending left me more confused than anything. I've seen enough horror flicks to see the False happy ending coming. I also understand the concept of leaving the ending open ended to keep the folks guessing. But the endings contradict each other and leaves you with no idea of how things really ended.

Now onto the man himself, Freddy. I love how he operates on this plane between reality and the world of dreams. It opens the door to all kinds of things that you don't see in a typical slasher. The thing that was the real let down to me is that Freddy is capable of so much -off screen- but when he is on screen he's kinda lame, neither creepy or intimidating or even goffy in a intentional way.

Rating 3/5

Evil Dead II 1987

Evil Dead II takes the sequel concept of “Let’s do the same thing as last time, multiplied by 200” and absolutely nails it. Less a sequel and more of Remake-quel, Rami and Co saying “This is the movie we WANTED to make but didn’t have the budget.”

Being the second go around comes with some advantages. A more seasoned Bruce Campbell, higher budget. Last time around seemed more like a cross between a traditional ‘woods, teens, slaughter’ and the actual vision, where this time around everyone knows what to do and runs with it.

There are some things that I enjoy about the original.  It had better make up effects,  the non-Ash characters were a little less bland last time, and it was a significant bit more creepy. But what we get from the  tradeoff has a higher entertainment value in my mind than what was lost.   It expands on the mythos and delves deeper into the back story this time around as well.

It almost feels like a dash of a superhero origin story sprinkled on top of everything else this movie has going for it.  Considering that even though Ash is more what I expected this time around, he really doesn’t  get to the chain-saw arm, hacked off shoot-gun toting Ash of Legend till the end. Speaking of the end, I would have loved to have seen the reaction to people that didn’t know where this was headed, and how out of nowhere it must of felt to the Audience back in 87. It’s so unpredictable, gutsy and BEGS for a sequel.

Horror takes a back seat to off the wall effects.  The thing is a cartoon and that is by no means a bad thing. In fact it’s a good thing, a very very good thing. What else more is there to say besides ‘Groovy.’ 

Rating 4.5/5

Death Of a Superhero 2011

Thomas Brodie-Sangster plays Donald a cancer kid who is obsessed with drawing comics and sex. The movie deals with his daily going ons, his relationships, and his battle with his terminal illness.


The thing that really separates this from the rest of it's kind is that we get glimpses inside his mind via some rather stellar animation. Of course being inside the mind of a dieing teenaged boy all the baddie have medical motifs and all the girls are buxom and scantily clad, which could turn some people off.


He starts to see a Cool shrink played by Andy 'Gollum' Serkis,and you know he's cool because he looks like he has'nt shaved in weeks, smokes, and has a French Press. The chemistry between these two is another highlight. Towards the end of the movie Donald's buddies are trying to get him laid for the first and last time (as any good friends would), and Doctor Coolshrink helps.

The dichotomy of the parents is interesting . The mom would do things like make him carrot juice and other health things, talk about his future, that kind of thing. Where as his Dad would let him drink, and even after a really bad turn of events the two of them and the older brother smoked weed together.

There is a love interest and she's not bad. I liked her well enough but she, as well as their relationship, felt a bit lacking, due to the fact that she really isn't in it that much of the film. Considering I was expecting her and the romance to hi-jack the plot, it was kind of a breath of fresh air that it didn't. I really enjoyed how they did the stero-typical end of movie kiss, but it was done in a very non-cinematic way.

'Death of a Superhero' is a not too stale sick kid drama that I wouldn't recommend watching with Grandma.

Rating 3.5/5

The Evil Dead 1981

Some friends head for a weekend at a cabin in the woods, and wouldn’t you know things go bad. Evil spirits haunt and posse the group and things kind of down hill from there.

This thing is creepy, at the moment, the creepiest thing I have seen. Though I have just gotten into horror and gore flicks this is definitely my new benchmark. Both the atmosphere and gore are top-notch. The final scare is -really- bogus but the transition to the credits made me giggle. Which is good because for a movie that is praised for being equally humorous as it is thrilling I didn't really see that. It did make me laugh a few times, just not as much as I thought I was going to. If the 'dark humor' is meant to be in the acting and the over the top effects those are things that are a necessity for the kind of film it is, not something that it should be praised for having. When I hear Horror/Humor I think of Friday the 13^th part 6, where the laughs are very much your face. Maybe the laughs are else where and the subtlety was lost on my for my first viewing. I was also let down by, Ash Williams who isn't as fantastic as a hero as his reputation lets on. Then again this is the first of 3 and I am positive that this will change however as for this movie, he's kind of lame.

But all that is nit-picky in the grand scheme of things, and none of that really takes away from the suspenseful blood soaked masterpiece this ting is. The best practical effects from 30 years ago will always date better than the best CG effects from 10 years ago. It really is a must see for anyone interested in the genre.

Rating 4/5

The Crow

Eric Draven (Bradon Lee)is brought back from the dead, and hunts down those responsible for the murder of him and his fiancée. 

 I knew going into this that it was a Goth-Kid porno with a Cult Classic reputation. You know that Girl in high school you thought was really hot. You know the one who wore black dresses and red lip stick. Then finally you got the stones to go talk to her and found out she wasn't nearly as interesting as she let on, ya that's this movie. 

 Don't get me wrong, I do -like- this movie. Lee's performance is steallar and you really have to wonder what else he could have done. Ernie Hudson is fantastic and adds some dark-humor to it. The fact that this was made before the huge comic adaption boom also is something of note. Yeah you had your Burton Bat-Man films, Dark Man, and a handful of others at the same time. But there are moments in this that feel ahead of it's time. Draven almost channels Jason Vorhess as he hunts down and artistically executes those that wronged him. I love the balance this movie achieves. It is dark without being gritty, morbid but never depressing. However the lack of meat hurts it. The villains are pretty lack luster. The fact that Draven is invincible until a Kryptione-level silly weakness is pulled out of the air in the last 20 minutes bothered me. However, I can forgive Kryptione for being a 70 year old concept, I don't let it slide for something this modern. 

 If you can fully immerse yourself in the style, and the characters and not let the lack of plot, character development, stakes, bother you then you are set. I can see why this is a cult classic but I personally will have to pass on the Kool-aid.  Rating 3.5/5

Fanboys (2007)

The Year is 1998 and a group of life long friends, and Star Wars fanboys,plan a trip from Ohio to Skywalker Ranch in California to brake in and steal a cut of Episode 1 before it hits theaters.

Obviously if you are not a fan of Star Wars, or geek culture this movie isn't for you. If you are the kind of person that would not Freak out over Billy Dee Williams showing up in the middle of a movie, can point out the sound an Ewok makes, or be amused by a debate if Luke and Leia had a thing for one another, you won't get any mileage out of this.

The entire cast just shines, especially the lead guys. If I had to pick just one I'd say Dan Fogler gave my favorite performance. He has one of the more serious tangents and just nails it. All the while phrasing it in a way that a fanboy would. Ya, it's kind of silly but it's so authentically written and delivered.

All the cameos are brilliant, and they never feel forced. It seems like every 10 minutes someone pops up that just them being there and giving a damn about the role made me glow. It's filled to the brim with reference but once again it never feels forced. These are the kind of things these characters would say, and the conversations they would have.

My only complaint with the films is that there are times of forced drama. Two of the guys use to be best friends,one of them drifted from the group(that's fine it happens) , and the other one has cancer and won't be around for when Episode 1 hits theaters. That part always makes we raise an eyebrow.

This movie is near perfect and is a fantastic tribute to not just Star Wars, but fandom in general. (oh and it has the best closing line of all time.)

Rating 4.5/5

Red State 2011

Red State entertains, but doesn't work on  the genres it falls into.

Three teens set out to have sex with a middle aged woman one of them meets online. (Hold on don't leave yet!) Once arriving at her home she drugs them. They are now prisoners of  “Notwestboro Baptist Church”, lead by “That Isn't Fred Phelps”. Events unfold that lead to the involvement of John Goodman and the ATF, who have been ordered to wipe-out the military grade gun toting  congregation,  now labeled a terrorist cell.

The three main teens are fine. I would not go as far to say that i particularity -liked- any of them, but I didn't groan  anytime they opened their mouths. Though outside of Smith's typical comedy schitck ,you can tell that this is his hand writing. His trademark  snark shines through anytime it's called for. My major issue though is that it is meant to be a “Straight up Horror film” but it isn't. The first act feels like it's building up to it, but the shoot out and siege hi-jacks the plot. Goodman is solid as Agent Keen. An ATF agent who is frustrated with the organization that he works for, and his  place in it. What holds this movie together for me is Abin Cooper  aka“That Isn't Fred Phelps”. Michael Parks knocks this role out of the park.   He's slime coated in gold with a silver tongue.  He isn't selfish like most roles like this, he isn't doing it for personal gain. He LOVES his flock and would  skin alive and then burn anyone he thinks would bring blemish to their purity. He is a master manipulator but at the same time fights on the front lines.


All in all it is kind of lack luster, and doesn't deliver on some of the promises that it makes. However, if you are like me the magnetism of the characters will make it well worth the watch.

Rating 3/5