Tag Archives: Horror movies

Movie review: Leatherface

26 Thursday Oct 2017

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Arguably back in 1974, the first iconic horror villain was born in the guise of Chainsaw wielding, human mask wielding psycho we come to know as Leatherface.

Director Tobe Hooper brought him to the screen along with other members of his deranged family who set out to terrorise a group of travellers in the middle of Texas.
Unwittingly, the final shots of Leatherface wielding said weapon of choice as the Sun begins to rise and our final girl makes good her escape has been embedded into the psyche of horror fans across the world.
The fact that it has resonated with so many has lead to numerous sequels and reboots. (7 in total)

This latest effort from directors Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo was to do the inevitable origin story. (Yawn)
When will creative’s realise that there is nothing to be gained from unearthing the make up of these classic horror villains other than to destroy that mystery and the magic that made them so special to begin with?

The warning signs were already there when the production studios kept pushing back the release date despite Lili Taylor and Stephen Dorff being attached to the project.
Taylor more than held her own in James Wan’s The Conjuring and although Dorff has fallen out of favour in Hollywood and no longer considered A-list material, he still in my mind had plenty of gravitas on screen.
None of this can prevent this movie from feeling like being fed through the meat grinder using nothing but gristle.

There’s so much focus on trying to show how Jedidah Sawyer becomes the titular character that the filmmakers lose sight of any real substance.
As such we’re spoon fed Jedidiah’s journey from a brutal mother (Taylor) who is forcing him to tow the line with the family way, which just so happens to include brutally murdering a guy with (wait for it…) a Chainsaw.

When he and his brother (who in my opinion looked more like our signature Leatherface than Jedidiah did) are separated from their family by a vengeful Texas Ranger (Dorff) and whisked away to a mental hospital.
What follows is a riot that leads to Jedidiah escaping with a few other inmates and a nurse as hostage to make his way home.

The result feels like a story ripped from the pages of The Devil’s Rejects which is absolutely ridiculous when you consider that film has whispers of TCM throughout as something of a nod from Zombie.

Of course Jedidiah will have his fall from grace but this transition seems so sudden and out of left field, which is a shame as once again we’re left with poor character development in the screenplay.

The Diagnosis:
More PVC than Leatherface as this latest instalment struggles to make an impact on this already loose franchise.

  • Paul Farrell 

The Babysitter

25 Wednesday Oct 2017

Posted by in Movie review, Sydney Underground Film Festival

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Directed by McG and a Netflix original, The Babysitter is one of those films you could easily watch while scrolling through Facebook or feeding the dog and still get the general idea.

Twelve-year-old Cole (Judah Lewis) has the world’s best babysitter, Bee (Samara Weaving). She’s got her sci- fi trivia- down pat, hot tips on beating bullies, and she’s a drop dead gorgeous American dream. As in, pass me the Blu Tack and stick her poster up on my wall kind of hot.
Cole and Bee are the best of friends (go Cole) until one day his parents are away and he stays up past his bedtime. He discovers Bee is eeevilll and plans to use him as a blood sacrifice in a magic ritual (Noooo we thought you were perfect, Bee).

The Babysitter isn’t trying to be brilliant, it tries to mirror your eighties teen slasher flick.
A little bit of horror and a little bit of comedy mashed up with a side of teen titillation. We see a cheerleader get shot in the boob, we see a nerd get his first– kiss, a girl on girl make out sesh and stacks of cheesy graphics.
If the full frame “what the fuck” graphic doesn’t alert you that the plot is taking a turn, then maybe Thomas the Tank Engine might be a better choice for you.
Those who aren’t into McG’s male gazy lens better steer clear too.

If we wipe away the blood and teen slasher film cliché’s the film is really a coming of age story about a twelve-year-old that overcomes his fear of needles, bullies and not being accepted.
Judah Lewis does a great job of pulling on our heartstrings and doing the whole nerd -becomes -hero thing.
The early scenes with Lewis and Weaving are the film’s strongest. Bee and Cole have real chemistry. Even the other villains do what they can to make their cliché characters dance.
McG nails slowing down the background action whenever the pair are together. These scenes provide much needed depth balancing out the one-dimensional horror to come.

The Diagnosis:

Look, you’re probably not going to be talking about this one over drinks at the pub or even remembering what it was about next week (caution: you may lose a few brain cells throughout). However, respect for not trying to be something it’s not and giving us a few cheap laughs along the way.

– Breana Garratt

Movie review: The Limehouse Golem

24 Tuesday Oct 2017

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It’s Victorian London and there’s a serial killer on the loose leaving all sorts of cryptic messages written in the blood of the victims.
In comes inspector Kildare (Bill Nighy) with a suspicion that he has been set up to fail.
He must rely on the help of witnesses to crack the case and bring the lunatic to justice.

This nasty little horror ticks all your, ‘Gee I’m-scared-but-boy-they-have-lovely-accents’ type film with a few blood-drenched charms of its own.

Speaking of charming, can we get a round of applause for Bill Nighy as a Scotland Yard Detective?
Bill Nighy trades his cheeky smiles and winks for a straight one eighty performance. A nice move from Nighy.
As bizarre as The Limehouse Golem is, it’s pretty serious stuff.

Nighy holds our hand and takes us on an ethereal walk through the streets and music halls of Victorian London (Don’t worry he’s cool with it)
We explore the pubs, the court chambers, the apartments, and offices of the period. The verisimilitude is bang on, it’s a fully realised world where you feel like you might bump into Sherlock Holmes or have a few brews with David Copperfield.
No drinks for you Sherlock. Get back to work!

Another charming aspect of The Limehouse Golem is the way it blends fact and fiction.
The Golem is fictional, but music-hall star and key suspect Dan Leno (Douglas Booth) is a real historical character, and how many times have you seen Karl Marx cast as a suspect in a penny-dreadful thriller?
That was a rhetorical question.

The whodunnit/murder investigation-ish aspects of The Limehouse Golem are its weakest elements. The murder investigation becomes a little, well, boring and generic.
You may find yourself more interested in the films other major storyline, the life and career of music hall performer, Lizzie (Olivia Cooke), as the use of flashbacks unlocks the secrets of her past.

The Diagnosis:

Look, the murder scenes are probably not grisly enough for us horror fans, and those who like deliberate, cozy murder mysteries may be deterred the graphic displays of gore.

The Limehouse Golum wouldn’t likely pack out a movie theatre but from the view of the living room couch provides an unsettling two hours of atmospheric charm.
Why not? Team with a bowl of ice-cream and you’re set.

– Breana Garratt

 

Movie review: The Eyes of My Mother (2016)

18 Tuesday Apr 2017

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The short running time of 77mins belies the amount of substance to be found within this movie.

Shot entirely in black and white, The Eyes of My Mother tells the story of Francisca, who lives on a farm with her mother and father.

Her mother is a trained surgeon and teaches Francisca to remove the cows eyeballs, a curious practice that Francisca adopts throughout the movie with questionable methods.

Their lives are turned upside down though when a door to door salesman, Charlie arrives at their house.

A struggle ensues that results in Charlie killing Francisca’s mother. Her father walks in on the act and over powers Charlie and chains him up in the barn.

As Francisca’s father becomes a shell of his former self, Francisca practically raised herself and constantly looks for the affection from her father.

Alone in the world, she spirals into a warped sense of reality where she removes Charlie’s Eyes and vocal chords and keeps him locked up as her ‘pet friend’.

When her father eventually passes away, Francisca becomes truly lost, preserving his body in the bath and reaching out for some sense of love and identity with the world.

It’s a beautiful shot piece with plenty of questions asked around nature vs nurture.

Are we the subject of our surroundings?

And because of this, there is genuine emotion attached to Francisca’s journey.

It packs a hefty punch which had been classed its graphic nature too hard to watch, but Nicolas Pesce’s directorial debut as a must watch and all eyes (hopefully intact) will be on his sophomore outing, Piercing, which is due out next year.

– Paul Farrell

Movie review: Train To Busan (2016)

12 Wednesday Apr 2017

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CRITICS AND AUDIENCES have been praising this film for sometime now.

And I may be a little late to the scene, but I finally managed to board the Train To Busan recently to see what all the fuss was about.

And boy did it live up to my expectations.

Not only was it enjoyable and action-packed, it also left you feeling satisfied as a result.

This film will stand the test of time and become a modern classic and should be on every horror fans must watch list.

Here’s 5 Killer reasons why…

  1. Plenty of heartThe first two points are all about character development.

    It’s the core to any good storyline. Make the people care about the characters by building up the relationships they have with each other and in doing so cement our relationship with said character before ripping out our hearts when they inevitably die.

  2. A lot of soul

    Continuing on the character theme, it’s also important to establish flaws in the key characters in which they will be punished for accordingly – death by zombie horde, or overcome and redeem themselves but sub sequentially meet their demise anyway, because  in horror, only the pure of heart and soul will survive.
  3. Stamina to stay the distance

    The perfect recipe for any decent horror is to establish the rhythm and build up the tension to the nth degree by the time you reach the climax.This is when of the key strengths in Train To Busan.

    Most horror films can find themselves derailed by the halfway point, but we’re kept well on track, thanks to the brilliant pace depicted by director Yeon Sang-ho and his crew.

  4. Fucking sick zombies

    When dealing with the big ‘Z’, you’re generally dealing with the archaic shuffling zombies from George Romero’s ‘Dawn of the Dead‘ or the kick-ass-quick in ‘28 Days Later‘.And although Train To Busan does lean more towards the latter, it does add another element to the mix – Mass.

    When these zombies strike, they come as a group and and hunt down their prey with viscous abundance.

  5. Killer instinctAnd finally, to top it off.

    If you’re gonna have a cracking zombie flick, you’ve got to deliver the gore and kills with as much relish and glee as possible to salivate the hungry horde.

    And in this instance I’m referring to the audience.

    It’s not just the methods of the kills that count here, but the brutal reality of it all as our heroes fight blood tooth and nail in the name of survival.

    It raises questions about how we would face such a dire situation, stares humanity in the face and shows us for the savage creatures that we are.

 

  • Paul Farrell

Movie review: Scare Campaign (2016)

20 Monday Feb 2017

Posted by in Australian Horror

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AUSTRALIANS HAVE A CERTAIN knack for delivering successful horror films throughout the ages.

One only need to look at the likes of Wake In Fright, Razorback, Saw, Wolf Creek, to name but a few to see how influential this country is at producing Horror gems.

So, when I heard that the Cairnes brothers, Cameron and Colin were returning behind the camera following their hugely delightful bloody romp, 100 Bloody Acres, I eagerly anticipated where this new direction would take them.

At first glimpse, the premise behind Scare Campaign sounds awesome.

A TV prank show that delights in scaring the bejesus out of unsuspecting participants only to come a cropper when they prank the wrong person.

All the right ticking points are in place for what should be a great movie.

There’s an old mental asylum that hosts the location of the prank itself which adds the perfect sense of eeriness needed for atmosphere.

There’s the girl with a heart, Emma, who cares for the people being pranked, perhaps a little too naively, and played brilliantly by Meegan Warner.

There’s the absolute tool of a guy, whose arrogance and lust for success which can only lead to ruin, Marcus. Again played really well by Ian Meadows.

Add a psycho on the loose chasing down our victims and you’ve got a good chemistry to play with.

So why did this movie not elevate itself into the mainstream?

Instead it slipped under the radar a little with very little impact at all.

The problem that I see is that the premise in itself.

It’s a prank show where the audience are supposed to be in on the joke, so they are already expecting or suspecting that all is not as it seems.

So when the reveals occur along the way, we (the audience) have already guessed the outcome.

I did read one review that proclaimed that we don’t see the twists coming, but I completely disagree with this statement.

The twists are evident and it’s a shame, but you need to be extremely clever to pull off the storytelling device that the Cairnes brothers were going for.

It’s a tough ask and in my opinion they fall short in this area.

Likewise the menace isn’t as impactful as you hoped it would be.

The introduction of the Masked Freaks at the beginning holds a lot of promise and if more focus were aimed at this tribe, then we might have been in for a genuine scare.

The masks look fucking fantastic and the special effects team are pulling some crazy effects in here that it’s a joy to watch each character face a unique and grisly demise.

So, it’s not all doom and gloom despite my negative declaration.

The film is enjoyable to watch and if you allow yourself to be taken on that journey, the cast (including the supporting players, notable standouts being Sigrid Thornton and Olivia De Jonge) and the SFX allow for a fun and gore-filled story to unfold.

So if you did instinctively skip this movie based on initial feedback from critics or lack of cinema screenings, or if it merely slipped you by, I would recommend watching it. It’s a far cry better than some movies out there and deserves a lot more attention than it actually received.

  • Paul Farrell

Movie review: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923)

20 Friday Jan 2017

Posted by in Universal Horror

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IN 1923 Universal Pictures embarked on a series of horror movies that would stamp their mark on the genre for decades to come.

Their choice of story to launch them into a world of Gothic Horror and literature would be in the guise of Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel, The Hunchback Of Notre Dame. And considering it we’re still talking about a movie in the silent era, the success that the movie received was enormous and understandably would Universal would capitalise on this success.

With every great story though, a great actor would be needed to portray the lead role.

In this instance Universal would score big with “The Man of a thousand faces” Lon Chaney as Quasimodo.

Part of Chaney’s appeal was his devotion to his craft, dedicated to transforming himself physically, particularly with the aid of make up, which helped style his performance of these dark, twisted, and tortured souls.

The movie itself can feel incredibly slow in the first half as Quasimodo is ordered by his master, Johan to kidnap the fair Esmeralda only to be thwarted by the dashing Phoebus, who instantly falls in love with his damsel.

The result leads Quasimodo to be tortured and ridiculed by his captors and the townsfolk.

It’s only in the latter half of the movie when the people start to revolt against the regime and free Esmeralda once again that it really does start to gain enough momentum to keep your interest.

Essentially it’s a tragic tale and if it were not for Chaney’s performance, this would be instantly forgettable.

As such, he carries the movie and his attention to detail and characterisation is a journey worth the wait.

  • Paul Farrell

Podcast: Full Moon Sessions: The Howling (1981)

12 Thursday Jan 2017

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THIS YEAR, the Surgeons of Horror team would like to raise our heads to the power of the moon

With the power of the full moon, it’s time to bask in it’s cool glow in honour of all things lycanthropy with a monthly feature called the Full Moon Sessions.

Each month, the team will look into a werewolf movie and dissect them with some warm-hearted discussions to delve into the reasons why the film was a success and it’s overall appeal.

This month we launch with The Howling, one of three movies released in 1981 centred around the werewolf alongside An American Werewolf In London and Wolfen.

The Howling directed by Joe Dante who would spore a career out of creature features would initially turn heads with Piranha, a self-admitted Jaws rip-off.

Off the back of this, The Howling, would be his launchpad to success with The Gremlins, The Burbs, and Innerspace to name but a few.

The movie itself, based on a Gary Brandner novel of the same name, follows Karen White (Dee Wallace), co-anchor and on field reporter who through an investigation involving a serial killer unearths a dark cult immersed in American society.

The traumatic confrontation with the serial killer leads Karen to seek psychiatric help through a retreat known as ‘The Colony’, but all is not as it seems.

A cult following gathered from the back of the movie’s release at the height of the horror movie bang in the 80s and the home video boom, but after 30+ years, how does the movie stand up?

Does it still have an impact today? And can it stand out in it’s own right and away from the long shadow of An American Werewolf In London?

Check out the Full Moon Sessions podcast below to get the point of view from The Surgeons.

https://player.whooshkaa.com/player/episode/id/99898?visual=true

Also available on iTunes

  • “Howling Mad Moon” MacGuire

A look ahead at horror in 2017 pt.2

05 Thursday Jan 2017

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It

Release Date: 7 Sep
The story of a group of kids who take on a killer clown entity only to face their demons once more in adulthood.
Prediction: It’s the Stephen King tale that confirmed my love for his work and as much as people praised the mini-series, in particular that of Tim Curry’s performance, (of which I concur) there was a slight lacking in the fear factor that the entity creates that is captured in the book.
If they can do that then they’ve hit a winner in my book.

The Mummy

Release Date: 8 Jun
As Universal Pictures look to resurrect their horror movie franchise, they turn to the familiar tale of the Mummy.
In this instance keeping the action adventure feel but dialling it up to 11+ and casting Tom Cruise in the lead.
Prediction: Someone described this online as Mission Impossible with a supernatural twist which I feel is an adequate description.
This movie will probably be a case of all style and no substance, but will be a hit regardless.

Patient Zero

Release Date: 17 Feb
A pandemic outbreak in the form of a mutated version of rabies turns humans into a new species called ‘the infected’.
Stars Doctor Who’s Matt Smith and Game of Thrones’ Natalie Dormer, this definitely has a British vibe and will tread that line of drama and realism with adequate aplomb.
Prediction: Better than your average movie and could be a surprise hit as a result.

Raw

Release Date: 10 Mar
The French film and television industry are starting to generate some deliciously disturbing stories of late and Raw is the latest to fall into that mix.
Following the story of a vegetarian who takes part in an initiation ritual that leads her to becoming a cannibal.
Prediction: Believe them or not but there have been reports of medial services being called out to attend to audience members fainting over the graphic nature involved.
This merely piques my interest further and leads me to believe that this could be the sleeper hit of the year.

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

Release Date: 26 Jan
Alice and friends must team up one last time against the evil Umbrella organisation and save humankind.
Prediction: There are fans of the series who will love this film and the makers will give them all they what they expect and more.
For other mortals, this will be yet another exercise for Paul WS Anderson to delve into the franchise that he has dedicated most of his career to by taking one last bow.

Rings

Release Date: 23 Feb
It’s starting to feel like the year of the franchises and there’s a couple more to come yet.
The American version of the J Horror success gets its third outing.
Set 13 years after the last movie, but the twist this time is the discovery of a movie within the movie of the cursed videotape.
Prediction: More of the same with nothing new on the table will make this a tired exploration of a tried and tested genre.

Saw Legacy

Release Date: 27 Oct
Another film franchise set to return with its traditional Friday before Halloween.
Prediction: Most people will want the gore factor heightened and the traps to be extravagant and near on impossible to escape.
With the Sperig brothers at the helm, I feel that this could a triumphant return for Billy The Puppet.

Split

Release Date: 26 Jan
An American psychological horror thriller film from M. Night Shyamalan.
His last film The Visit showed signs of his former glory but can the story of three girls being kidnapped by a guy with multiple personalities continue his upward trajectory?Prediction: Shyamalan may only be saved by James McAvoy’s performance. That’s a lot of pressure resting on his shoulders.

Suspiria

Release Date: 14 Oct
All is not as it seems behind the walls of a prestigious Dance Academy in Berlin.
What lies behind the grisly murders?
Prediction: What can I say about this remake?
It’s hard to shake the attachment I have for the original, which is one of my favourite horror movies ever.
But IF I were to remove my snob hat for a moment, the leafs hold a lot of potential, with Chloe Grace Moretz, Dakota Johnson, and Tilda Swinton.
Let’s pause judgement and say that this could prove to be one of the surprises of the year.

World War Z 2

Release Date: 8 Jun
The Zombie outbreak that was based on a pretty good novel only to disappoint with its massive snooze fest of a film.
But it managed to gain a wide release and success which only means one thing. A sequel.
Prediction: Despite Brad Pitt apparently coming back and the promise of a whole new direction, I can’t help but feel that this movie is going to be yet another let down.

Back to Part 1

A look ahead at horror in 2017

05 Thursday Jan 2017

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2016 PROVED TO BE quite a big year for Horror films with the successes of Don’t Breathe, The Conjuring 2, and The Witch to name but a few.

But can this year prove to be as fruitful in delighting our senses and twisting our minds?

Let’s take a look at the movies that lie ahead…

Alien: Covenant

Release Date: 18 May
Is it me or is there more hype around this movie than Prometheus?
It might have something to do with the return of our beloved xenonorph and its predatorial instincts that once again see humans in a fight for survival.
Prediction: With Michael Fassbender reprising his role as the ‘synthetic’ David, along with a strong cast, this looks and feels like the Alien franchise is back on form.

Amityville: the Awakening

Release Date: 30 Jun tbc
This marks the 18th entry into the Amityville franchise, which by my reckoning makes this the most in a  series.
This time the story focuses on Belle and her twin siblings, one of whom is comatose until strange paranormal occurrences awaken him.
Prediction: With the movie changing hands through the selling of Miramax plus poor preview screenings have seen this movie delayed on several occasions.
If this movie does see the light of day, I expect that it will be yet another poor addition to the franchise posing the question why bother returning to it at all.

Annabelle 2

Release Date: 10 Aug
The sequel to The Conjuring spin-off that sees the possessed doll wreak havoc on an orphanage.
Prediction: Another weak entry. The plot line seems farcical.

The Belko Experiment

Release Date: 17 Mar
Think of this as Battle Royale set in a high-rise building as 80 participants are told by an unknown voice that they must play a game of kill or be killed.
Prediction: Brought to the screens by the visionary mind of Australia’s Greg McLean (Wolf Creek, The Darkness) this could be a pleasant surprise albeit using familiar territory. Expect a gruesome battle of survival to occur.

The Bye Bye Man

Release Date: 13 Jan tbc
The concept behind this movie sees three college students find themselves stalked by an entity that can take control of your mind simply if you think or say his name.
Prediction: Sounds like a shit version of The Candyman.
Shitty title, shitty premise doesn’t bold well in my opinion, but hey, I’m happy to be proven wrong.

Chucky 7

Release Date: Dec
Not much is known about this movie yet other than writer of the all six instalments and director of the last two, Don Mancini has resurrected the killer doll for another on-screen outing.
Prediction: If this heralds the right kind of comedy this could be the best version since Bride of Chucky.

A Cure For Wellness

Release Date: 16 Mar
When a young executive goes to retrieve his CEO from a wellness centre, he finds himself spiralling into a world of secrets where his own sanity is tested.
Prediction: Director Gore Verbinski can be a bit hit be miss and if we’re honest more miss of late.
Judging by the trailer though, this could well be a return to form and perhaps one of the better horror movies of 2017.

The Dark Tower

Release Date: 27 Jul
The science fantasy western horror book series from the mind of Stephen King gets the movie treatment.
The film in this instance has been described as a ‘quasi-sequel’ to the books.
Prediction: With a lot of big names producing this movie and the likes of Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey taking the leads there is a lot of high expectations on this being a success.
I for one feel that they won’t be disappointed.
A hit that will likely bring more from the universe in further outings.

Flatliners

Release Date: 28 Sep
Again not much has been announced around the details of this movie other than it being a sequel to the 90’s classic with Kiefer Sutherland set to reprise his role of Dr Nelson Wright.
Prediction: This movie sits on the precipice of success or failure.
With Ellen Page attached I have a feeling this could be better than your average flick and could take this franchise into bold new territory and reawaken a tinge of nostalgia. “Today’s a great day to die.”

Friday the 13th

Release Date: 13 Oct
Another reboot is on the horizon marking this as the 13th instalment.
Not much else has been announced other than it being delayed til later in the year.
Prediction: This needs to be delivered with the right blend of humour and horror in order for Jason to truly terrorise the screens again.
I so want this to be a success but I feel like this might be the final nail in Jason’s coffin.

Get Out

Release Date: 24 Feb
A horror satire from the insatiably brilliant mind if Jordan Peele sees Chris, an African-American man, try to escape from an estate where its black residents go missing.
Prediction: The comedy horror hit of the year.

Insidious: The Last Key

Release Date: 30 Oct
The latest chapter of supernatural horror franchise continues this time with James Wan’s previous partner in horror, Leigh Whannel at the helm.
Prediction: Better than the previous outing but not a par on the original.

Horror Movies in 2017 pt.2