Topic: Weekend Movie Marathon: Unseen Horrors

[addicted2dvd]

Twice Dead (1988/United States) Shout! Factory Director: Bert Dragin Writing: Bert Dragin (Screenwriter), Robert McDonnell (Screenwriter) Length: 87 min. Rating: R Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: None

Stars:
Tom Bresnahan as Scott
Jill Whitlow as Robin / Myrna
Jonathan Chapin as Crip / Tyler
Christopher Burgard as Silk
Sam Melville as Harry
Brooke Bundy as Sylvia

Plot:
A family moves into a mansion in a crime-infested urban neighborhood, but the ghost of an actor who died in the mansion isn't the only thing they need to watch out for: there's also a punk street gang roaming the area looking for trouble. Tom Bresnahan (Ski School), Jill Whitlow (Night Of The Creeps) and Todd Bridges (Diff'rent Strokes) star in the haunted-house thriller Twice Dead.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Bonus Trailers
• Interviews

My Thoughts:

I figured while I have the disc in I may as well watch this one too. The first thing I did... as I usually like to do... is watch the trailer for the movie I am about to watch. That is when I notice that Todd Bridges is in this movie. Who I know as Willis on Diff'rent Strokes which it says right in the overview... but I wasn't paying that close of attention to it. I had no expectations what so ever on this one... as the people that I asked about this (mostly who recommended The Evil to me) didn't seem to remember this one.

After watching this one I must say... I enjoyed this one just a little bit more then I did The Evil. I just found the storyline a little more fun. The ghost antics / horror is really keyed down in this one... but that didn't bother me at all. I liked that not only did we have the brother and sister protecting their home while their parents were away... but also at the same time had the ghost protecting it's home. Definitely worth checking out for a more fun type of horror.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

[Jimmy]

Not calling Marathon Man a Horror though doesn't dilute it's effect. It should be considered one of the scariest films precisely because of how real he is.

Henry : Portrait of a Serial Killer isn't an horror movie and this is the scariest film I've ever seen. Reality is way more scarier than vampire, zombie, ghost and other fictional monsters... at least for a grown-up

BTW Pete I'm not surprise you have appreciated Twice Dead more than the other one, but it was a chore for me to watch it... that kind of horror isn't really my thing.

[addicted2dvd]

Mama Dracula (1980/France) Mill Creek Entertainment Director: Boris Szulzinger Writing: Boris Szulzinger (Screenwriter), Pierre Sterckx (Screenwriter), Marc-Henri Wajnberg (Screenwriter) Length: 91 min. Rating: NR Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: None

Stars:
Louise Fletcher as Mama Dracula
Maria Schneider as Nancy
Marc-Henri Wajnberg as Vladimir
Alexandre Wajnberg as Ladislas
Jimmy Shuman as Professor Van Bloed
Jess Hahn as The Superintendent

Plot:
A female vampire must bathe in the blood of a virgin in order to maintain her youthful appearance. In spite of the aid of her sons in recruiting prospective young candidates for their blood, the countess discovers that in this modern era it is difficult to find a virgin. Her only hope for survival may be found in a doctor's research into synthetic human blood.

Extras:

• Scene Access

My Thoughts:

This is one of the movies that I got in that cheap Mills Creek 100 Classic Horror Movies boxset. So naturally I went into this one with extremely low expectations. The only reason  I decided to watch this one today is that it stars Louise Fletcher in the title role and today (July 22nd) is her 77th birthday. Which means she made this movie when she was 46. So while expecting the worst... I couldn't help but to watch this today.

I am not surprised... but I couldn't even make it all the way through this one! A couple of times I thought it would catch my interest to only get unbearably ignorant. This being a Mill Creek release I wasn't expecting much quality wise as well. But this one wasn't too bad there... felt like I was watching an old VHS tape. Oh well I gave it a shot... do not bother with this one!

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

[Najemikon]

Pete, I've heard that the last 20 minutes of Mama Dracula are the finest scenes ever done for a horror film. Never seen it myself, but the first half is apparently terrible and then it goes properly awesome.

[addicted2dvd]

  Now Jon... why are you trying to get me to turn that mess back on? What did I ever do to you? 

[Najemikon]

Damn it! Thought I had you there.   

[addicted2dvd]

 

[Jimmy]

Damn it! Thought I had you there.   

It's french horror. The French don't really know how to do horror without being boring (Jean Rollin is one of the few exception).

[addicted2dvd]

Alone in the Dark: Unrated Director's Cut (2004/United States) Lions Gate Entertainment Director: Uwe Boll Writing: Elan Mastai (Writer), Michael Roesch (Writer), Peter Scheerer (Writer) Length: 100 min. Rating: Unrated Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital EX: 5.1 (Matrixed 6.1), English: DTS ES: 5.1 (Matrixed 6.1), Commentary: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Christian Slater as Edward Carnby
Tara Reid as Aline Cedrac
Stephen Dorff as Commander Burke
Frank C. Turner as Fischer
Matthew Walker as Professor Hudgens
Will Sanderson as Agent Miles

Plot:
Edward Carnby (Christian Slater) is a private investigator specializing in unexplainable supernatural phenomena. His cases delve into the dark corners of the world, searching for truth in the occult remnants of ancient civilizations. Now, the greatest mystery of his past is about to become the most dangerous case he has ever faced. With the help of his ex-girlfriend, archaeologist Aline Cedrac (Tara Reid), and his bitter rival, government agent Richard Burke (Stephen Dorff), Edward is about to learn that just because you don't believe in something doesn't mean it cannot kill you!

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Bonus Trailers
• Featurettes
• Storyboard Comparisons
• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

I have to admit I was a bit apprehensive about watching this one. I only seen 2 other Uwe Boll movies before this one (BloodRayne & House of the Dead)... and they didn't go all that well for me. I rated both of them at only 2 stars. I found this one cheap... so thought I would give him another chance to impress me. . and it only took me nine months to pop it into my player!    I never really been a huge fan of Christian Slater... but at the same time he never bothered me either. He was pretty good in this one. And I even enjoyed the movie more then the first two I tried. I have read many times if Uwe Boll's name is on a movie to basically forget about it... not worth the time. And with the first two movies I watched I started to believe that. But with this movie I feel I can at least give others a chance. No... I don't think this one is a great movie. But I would say it is a good one. Worth the time I put into it. There is a fair amount of gore in this movie too. Not what I would call realistic looking.... but at the same time not cheaply done either. I would say this one is worth checking out if you can find it cheap. Which shouldn't be a problem.... after all I got mine for $3 at Big Lots.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

[Achim]

I know strictly speaking Marathon Man might not qualify.

But if you need monster to qualify as horror, this film has a human monster.

"Is it safe."

Apparently test screening caused the scene to as short as it is now. When it went on any longer people would start to walk out...

Henry : Portrait of a Serial Killer isn't an horror movie and this is the scariest film I've ever seen. Reality is way more scarier than vampire, zombie, ghost and other fictional monsters... at least for a grown-up

If a "human monster" makes it horror, then it might very well be...

Seriously though, it's the same difference as seeing someone shot on screen or cutting themselves in the finger; the first one most people shrug off but latter makes us cringe...

[addicted2dvd]

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920/Germany) Mill Creek Entertainment Director: Robert Wiene Writing: Hans Janowitz (Writer), Carl Mayer (Writer) Length: 67 min. Rating: NR Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Mono Subtitles: None

Stars:
Werner Krauss as Dr. Caligari
Conrad Veidt as Cesare
Friedrich Fehér as Francis
Lil Dagover as Jane Olsen
Hans Heinrich v. Twardowski as Alan
Rudolf Lettinger as Dr. Olsen

Plot:
The arrival of a traveling carnival coincides with a string of mysterious deaths in a small German town. When the friend and romantic rival of one man is found murdered, suspicion falls immediately upon him. The man looks to prove he is innocent and begins to investigate the strange hypnotist and his somnambulist at the carnival, discovering a horrifying secret.

Extras:

• Scene Access

My Thoughts:

This is another movie out of the 100 Classic Horror Movies boxset that I have. I was a little cautious about going into this one. I have heard some good things... as well as some things that were not so good. I personally found it entertaining, though a little strange. I also found it to be a bit on the slow side. Almost felt longer then it had to be to tell the story. But over all I found it to be worth watching. a nice addition to my silent movie collection.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

[addicted2dvd]

Dead Snow: 2-Disc Special Edition (2009/Norway) IFC Films Director: Tommy Wirkola Writing: Tommy Wirkola (Writer), Stig Frode Henriksen (Writer) Length: 92 min. Rating: NR Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: Norwegian: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Vegar Hoel as Martin
Stig Frode Henriksen as Roy
Charlotte Frogner as Hanna
Lasse Valdal as Vegard
Evy Kasseth Røsten as Liv
Jeppe Beck Laursen as Erlend

Plot:
Get ready for the film that shocked Sundance, rocked Europe and knocked American horror fans out of their seats: When a group of medical students take a sex-and-booze-fueled ski vacation to a remote cabin in the Norwegian Alps, they uncover a dark secret from WWII that resurrects a battalion of uncontrollable, unstoppable and extremely undead Nazis. What follows is a blitzkrieg of bloodshed, body parts and action-packed zombie carnage that The New York Observer hails as "relentless thrills, unimaginable horrors and a shock ending guaranteed to make you scream out loud!" Writer/director Tommy Wirkola spares no amount of flesh-chomping, intestine-ripping, and chainsaw-slicing to deliver perhaps the finest Nazi Zombie movie of our time and one of the most ferocious, outrageous and over-the-top horror hits of the year!

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Feature Trailers
• Bonus Trailers
• Featurettes
• Outtakes/Bloopers

My Thoughts:

On one hand I have been looking forward to this movie since it was given to me... but on the other hand I was kinda thinking another zombie flick... they aren't going to show me anything new. But I must admit... I was wrong there! I enjoyed every minute of this movie. And more then once I was surprised with them doing something I never seen on a zombie movie before. Not only that... but it is just plain fun to watch! This one has plenty of gore (as most zombie movies do)... and even a laugh here and there. This is definitely one I feel comfortable recommending. Best one I watched so far this weekend!

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

[addicted2dvd]

Hack! (2007/United States) Allumination Filmworks Director: Matt Flynn Writing: Matt Flynn (Writer) Length: 89 min. Rating: Rated R : Strong Horror Violence and Gore, Nudity, Sexuality, Language and Drug Use Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround Subtitles: None

Stars:
Kane Hodder as First Victim
Jay Kenneth Johnson as Johnny
Travis Schuldt as Tim
Gabrielle Richens as Sylvia
Danica McKellar as Emily
Justin Chon as Ricky

Plot:
Reality filmmaking can be murder. Just ask Vincent King (Sean Kanan) and his wife Mary Shelley (Juliet Landau), two passionate horror fans determined to create the ultimate slasher movie...with the unwitting help of a cast to die for! Led by deceptively bookish biology major Emily (Danica McKellar), a group of horny college students visits the Kings' remote island to study the local flora and fauna, clueless that they're about to end up on the cutting room floor – literally! – as they are gruesomely dispatched in the style of both classic and contemporary shockers. Who will survive the Kings' insane homage to horror? Anyway you slice it, Hack! will keep you laughing, guessing and gasping right until the credits and/or heads roll.

Extras:

• None

My Thoughts:

This is a movie that is on a Triple Feature DVD called Gritty Horror Tales. I got this disc in a box of DVDs that a friend gave me. This movie has several familiar faces in it. Of course Kane Hodder who played Jason Vorhees in several of the Friday the 13th movies. Then there is Danica McKellar Who I am sure a lot of people would remember as Winnie Cooper on Wonder Years. any fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer knows the name Juliet Landau... she of course played the absolutely crazy vampire Drusilla. And finally there is Burt Young who played Paulie in all the Rocky movies.

Watching this one... I was loving every minute of it. I was enjoying the storyline... loving all the horror film references... and it has some pretty decent killings/gore. Being such a lover of all things horror as I am.... I didn't think this was possible... but they crammed so many film references into this one that it just plain became too much. So much so that it just couldn't help but effect my rating. I still feel I enjoyed it quite a bit... but in this case a little less would have been more. I realize this was one of the main points of the storyline... but it got to the point that almost every killing and every other thing coming out of someone's mouth was a film reference. By the time I got to the last half hour of the movies I was thinking... Come on! Enough is enough! Other then that one problem though... I enjoyed it quite a bit.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

[addicted2dvd]

Rest Stop: Dead Ahead (2006) Warner Home Video Director: John Shiban Writing: John Shiban (Writer) Length: 85 min. Rating: Unrated Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Jaimie Alexander as Nicole
Michael Childers as Father
Jennifer Cormack as College Student
Gary Entin as Twin #1
Edmund Entin as Twin #2
Joey Lawrence as Deacon

Plot:
Unrated/Uncut terror ahead - don't miss the off-ramp! En route to Hollywood, runaway lovers Jess and Nicole make an unscheduled pit stop into the lair of a madman who has his ripping, slashing, drilling tools at the ready. Stop awhile, but don't expect rest as director John Shiban (writer/executive producer of Supernatural) keeps the shocks and twists coming in Rest Stop: Dead Ahead (Side A). There's no rest for the wicked as more unsuspecting young travelers exit into the killer's domain in Rest Stop: Don't Look Back (Side B). The roadtrippers are not alone. The roaming RV of living corpses is back, and the vengeance-seeking ghosts of Jesse and Nicole show up too!

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Feature Trailers
• Bonus Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Gallery
• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

This movie is pretty good. It was enough to keep my interest through-out... and proved to be an entertaining way of wasting an hour and a half. There is a bit of decent gore... but not a whole lot. I think most people would be able to handle it without any problems. There is a family traveling in an RV that were just plain weird. While it didn't explain it fully... it did show that they were at least somehow involved. I also checked out the alternate endings. They added 3 alternate endings on the disc. The first alternate wasn't bad... would have been a satisfying ending at least. The other 2 alternate endings I didn't care for at all... but in the end they definitely used the best ending for the movie.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

[addicted2dvd]

Rest Stop: Don't Look Back (2008) Warner Home Video Director: Shawn Papazian Writing: John Shiban (Writer) Length: 89 min. Rating: Unrated Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Kelly Albanese as Party Girl #1
Michael Childers as Father
Brionne Davis as The Driver
Edmund Entin as Twin #2
Gary Entin as Twin #1
Joey Mendicino as Jesse

Plot:
Unrated/Uncut terror ahead - don't miss the off-ramp! En route to Hollywood, runaway lovers Jess and Nicole make an unscheduled pit stop into the lair of a madman who has his ripping, slashing, drilling tools at the ready. Stop awhile, but don't expect rest as director John Shiban (writer/executive producer of Supernatural) keeps the shocks and twists coming in Rest Stop: Dead Ahead (Side A). There's no rest for the wicked as more unsuspecting young travelers exit into the killer's domain in Rest Stop: Don't Look Back (Side B). The roadtrippers are not alone. The roaming RV of living corpses is back, and the vengeance-seeking ghosts of Jesse and Nicole show up too!

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Bonus Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes

My Thoughts:

After watching the first part I figured I may as well watch part two as well and get this DVD complete out of my unwatched pile. This one I didn't care for quite as much as the first one. That could be because I didn't care for the one character in this one. The guy that went with them to search for Nicole and Jess... driving his own car. Other then that... not a bad movie. Like the first one... this one has a bit of decent gore... but not a whole lot. There is one alternate ending this time... which is not bad... but think they went with the right one once again. Over all.... nothing really great here... just an average horror movie.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5