Topic: Jimmy's - 2012 Ooctober Horror Marathon

[Jimmy]

MOVIE / DVD INFO:

Title: Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)

Genre: Horror
Director: Tony Randel
Rating: NR
Length: 1h39
Video: Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English
Subtitles: English

Stars:
Clare Higgins
Ashley Laurence
Kenneth Cranham
Imogen Boorman
Sean Chapman

Plot:
Return to the domain of pleasure and pain as Kirsty Cotton (ASHLEY LAURENCE) is committed to a psychiatric hospital run by the strange Dr. Channard. But when the doctor uncovers the secret of the Lament Configuration, he resurrects the skinless corpse of Kirsty's evil stepmother (CLAIRE HIGGINS) and calls forth the legions of the damned led by Pinhead (DOUG BRADLEY). How, the doorway to Hell has been re-opened, the brutal Cenobites again walk the earth and the sweet suffering of evil has only just begun.

My Thoughts:

The sequel follow directly the event of the original (you even got a short recap of the first if you haven't seen it) and for the most part it countains the same good elements that made Hellraiser a must see movie. But it isn't perfect, in fact I think they want to do too much and the story goes at too many direction. Also the new Cenobite (of course I can't say who he/she is) is in the mold of Freddy Krueger with his/her bad one liner jokes. But you see the "birth" of Pinhead and the new Cenobite so it's a positive.

This one is recommanded too, just not as good as the first one as it happen often with the second part of a franchise.



Rating :

[Jimmy]

MOVIE / DVD INFO:

Title: Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992)

Genre: Horror
Director: Anthony Hickox
Rating: 18
Length: 1h33
Video: Widescreen 1.78:1
Audio: English
Subtitles: English

Stars:
Kevin Bernhardt
Terry Farrell
Paula Marshall
Doug Bradley
Ken Carpenter

Plot:
Joey Summerskill is an ambitious TV reporter whose life is changed forever when she witnesses the horrific death of a tormented teenage boy, torn apart by bloody chains.

Determined to find the truth behind this gruesome vision, she discovers the Lament Configuration Box which opens the door to the Cenobite's demonic world of pleasure and pain.

Once again Pinhead walks the earth, creating a new army of Cenobites from the transmuted flesh of his victims... his one desire - to reclaim the Box and free himself forever fro the powers of Hell.

My Thoughts:

Clive Barker have nothing to do with the franchise and that kind of show... Not that it isn't a good film, but the premise of the story isn't the same at all. So the Cenobites aren't bad or good anymore (in fact they aren't really there anymore) or come when they are summoned by the puzzle resolution, no it's the Pinhead show. As many franchise they took the decision to center on a principal character (who was by the way a really minor one in the two first films) for better and worse...

So we have to take it as a separate movie and it isn't that good. The heroine is uninteresting, the story is so-so, the new "Cenobites" are really cheap looking (common a camera guy and a CD guy...) and they use cheap comic one liner.

But they give a great openning at the end for the sequel... but from what I remember they didn't use it (I'll see soon as Bloodline is the next to watch).
   


Rating :

[Jimmy]

MOVIE / DVD INFO:

Title: Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996)

Genre: Horror
Director: Kevin Yagher
Rating: R
Length: 1h25
Video: Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English
Subtitles: English

Stars:
Bruce Ramsay
Valentina Vargas
Doug Bradley
Charlotte Chatton
Adam Scott

Plot:
Pinhead Is Back - And This Time, He's Out For More Blood...in the fourth terrifying chapter of the wildly popular "Hellraiser" series! Spanning three generations, this horrifying story chronicles the struggle of one family who unknowingly created the puzzle box that opened the doors of Hell - setting the diabolical Pinhead free to spread evil here on earth! Now, the family must fight to slam those doors shut again...but not before Pinhead wages one of his fiercest and most frightening battles ever!

My Thoughts:

I didn't remember that film at all before before I watch it and now I know why... my brain didn't want to. What a mess of a movie, seriously that doesn't make sense and the three generation idea is a stupid idea coming out of nowhere. Worst acting I've ever seen in a studio movie, Pinhead is so pathetic that I was sad for him, the "Cenobites" are dumb looking (two guys fusionned together... give me a fucking break) and, I think that say it all

It's Hellraiser in space!!!!
   
Fricking waste of time, now if I can forget it again soon



Rating :

Do you realize how the franchise got dumber after the Americans got the control of it after the first two...

[Jimmy]

MOVIE / DVD INFO:

Title: The Final Terror (1983)

Genre: Horror
Director: Andrew Davis
Rating: R
Length: 1h24
Video: Full Frame
Audio: English
Subtitles: None

Stars:
John Friedrich
Adrian Zmed
Ernest Harden Jr.
Lewis Smith
Rachel Ward

Plot:
A group of forest rangers go camping in the woods, and trespass into an area where a backwoods mama likes to kill people who come onto her turf.

My Thoughts:

Really tame movie with some big names in the cast : Adrian Zmed was certainly one at that time with TJ Hooker, Rachel Ward was in The Thorn Birds the same year, Darryl Hannah was in Blade Runner the year before (she will hit big the next year with Reckless and Splash) and Joe Pantoliano was in Risky Business the same year. So yes the cast is bigger than usual but nothing really happen in that film that feel much more like a "look the nature is beautifull" film than a horror film. Maybe it's because I've the TV version but I doubt it as from what I've found the theatrical and TV version are the same (except for the showing ratio of course).



Rating :

[Jimmy]

MOVIE / DVD INFO:

Title: Slaughter High (1986)

Genre: Horror
Director: George Dugdale, Mark Ezra and Peter Litten
Rating: R
Length: 1h31
Video: Full Frame
Audio: English
Subtitles: None

Stars:
Caroline Munro
Simon Scuddamore
Carmine Iannaccone   
Donna Yeager
Gary Martin

Plot:
Eight different people are invited to their 10-year high school reunion at their now-closed down high school where a former student, disfigured from a prank gone wrong, is there to seek revenge.

My Thoughts:

This one is known for two reasons : the oldest casting as an high school student (but it's Caroline Munro so who care?) and the prank victim (Simon Scuddamore) killed himself before the completion of the movie (and probably because of one scene in that film that brought back some childhood trauma). Also that film certainly used the most streched out utilisation of the "from the makers of Friday the 13th" tagline ever, the maker in that case is Harry Manfredini who did the score for Friday the 13th and this film...

Even if we know who is the killer the film is interesting and it's rare of those rare case where we support the killer (really those bullies deserve what they got). The effects aren't that bad (from what I was able to see as my copy is really dark) and some of the killings are original. In fact this movie made me tought a little bit at The Redeemer with a bigger budget and cast. The end kind of confuse me, but I guess I'm easilly confused

Too bad I can't get the region 2 release from Arrow Films because of the people involved in the DVD production as I would like to see it in a better way.



Rating :

[Jimmy]

MOVIE / DVD INFO:

Title: Zombie (1979)

Genre: Horror
Director: Lucio Fulci
Rating: NR
Length: 1h32
Video: Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: English and Italian
Subtitles: English

Stars:
Tisa Farrow
Ian McCulloch
Richard Johnson   
Al Cliver
Auretta Gay

Plot:
In Italy, it was considered the ‘unofficial sequel’ to DAWN OF THE DEAD. In England, it was known as ZOMBIE FLESH-EATERS and banned as obscene. In America, it was called ZOMBIE and advertised with the depraved tag line “WE ARE GOING TO EAT YOU!” 'Tisa Farrow' (MANHATTAN), 'Richard Johnson' (THE HAUNTING) and 'Ian McCulloch' (CONTAMINATION) star in this worldwide splatter sensation directed by the Maestro Of Gore 'Lucio Fulci' (CONTRABAND, CONQUEST, THE BEYOND) that remains one of the most eye-skewering, skin-ripping, gore-gushingly graphic horror hits of all time!

My Thoughts:

I've reviewed this one already four years ago.



Rating :

[Jimmy]

MOVIE / DVD INFO:

Title: Zombi 3 (1988)

Genre: Horror
Director: Lucio Fulci and Claudio Fragasso
Rating: NR
Length: 1h35
Video: Widescreen 1.78:1
Audio: English
Subtitles: None

Stars:
Deran Sarafian
Beatrice Ring
Ottaviano Dell'Acqua   
Massimo Vanni
Ulli Reinthaler

Plot:
A group of terrorists release a cloud of putrefying toxic waste, causing the local population to mutate into a mass of ferocious, flesh-chomping zombies! A group of young people led by Kenny and Patricia are barricaded in a hotel and seek refuge at an abandoned military base. Together, they must rely on their most savage instincts to survive the apocalyptic onslaught of blood-crazed ghouls.

My Thoughts:

Another one I've already reviewed here some years ago...



Rating :

[Jimmy]

And with that one I'm done for this year...

66 films total, not bad but one film short of my 2010 total who was my best year... But I feel I've seen more than enough horror and I want to watch other genre

I've tried to get a better mix of mainstream and obscure titles, so I hope you have appreciated my marathon and that some of the lesser known titles caught your attention.

[addicted2dvd]

Congrats Jimmy... I enjoyed reading your thread! 

[Piffi]

Yeah, congrats Jim! Nice number there!
 I too have enjoyed reading your reviews this month

[Achim]

Title: Hellraiser (1987)

[...]

Strongly recommanded, but who in his right mind would want to resolve that puzzle considering what is the reward for all that works

I guess they go by the promises of
"What's your pleasure, sir?" and
"I have such sights to show you." (or similar).
Great quotes.

While I mostly agree with your review of Hellraiser: Bloodlines, I always liked that reveal when

(click to show/hide)

the space ship eventually folds up and becomes the cube!