30 June 2009

WOLF CREEK

WOLF CREEK

Australia, 2005
Director: Greg McLean

8/10









Pretty frightening outback-horror, very brutal and violent, but also very tense and atmospheric with a very good cast, wonderful settings and some truly beautiful cinematography. A bit too lengthy in the beginning, but apart from that there's nothing wrong with this terrific genre gem.

2 COMMENTS!

THE DESCENT Part 1 & 2

THE DESCENT

German Title:
The Descent - Abgrund des Grauens

UK, 2005
Director: Neil Marshall

10/10






Modern horror masterpiece and probably one of the absolute greatest horror movies ever made. A completely flawless horror movie, unbelievably suspenseful, incredibly scary and frightening, with a really amazing cast, fantastic-looking settings, loads of awesome gore and a bunch of outstanding-looking creatures. An excellent masterpiece!
Wiki ~ Imdb



THE DESCENT PART 2

German Title:
The Descent 2 - Die Jagd geht weiter

UK, 2009
Director: Jon Harris

9/10







Absolutely amazing sequel which is surprisingly almost as great as Part 1. Extremely tense, creepy and terrifying with a shit load of fantastic jump-scares (2 or 3 really made me jump outta my seat), gallons of gore, wonderful cinematography and again a brilliant cast. I just love it!

0 COMMENTS!

DUEL

DUEL

German Title:
Duell

USA, 1971
Director: Steven Spielberg

10/10






Probably the best made-for-TV-movie of all time and undoubtedly Spielberg's best movie - yes ladies and gentlemen, it might be offensive but IMO this low budget debut is so incredibly awesome, it's even better than 'Jaws' or 'Schindler's List'.
Unbelievably suspenseful, breathtakingly thrilling and stunningly atmospheric, with an amazing Dennis Weaver (his performance is mindblowingly genius) an amazingly creepy-looking evil truck, terrific camera work, terrific settings and a fantastic script.
A masterpiece, one of the greatest movies ever made.

1 COMMENTS!

HIGH TENSION

HIGH TENSION

Original Title:
Haute Tension

Alternate Title:
Switchblade Romance

France, 2003
Director: Alexandre Aja

10/10



(Extended Review coming soon!!)

The one movie that reawakened my interest in horror movies after some dull years. The movie is true to his name: it is probably one of the most suspenseful, thrilling and powerful movies ever made, incl. a couple of incredible actors (especially the uber-fabulous Cecile De France), a high amount of terrific brutality, gallons of brilliantly glorious gore, an outstanding soundtrack (incl. 'Muse' AND 'Ricchi E Poveri'!!), wonderful-looking settings, great camera work and terrific atmosphere.
A masterpiece.
(If you like this one, you will like Inside and Martyrs too.)

1 COMMENTS!

The NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET series

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET

German Title:
Nightmare - Mörderische Träume

USA, 1984
Director: Wes Craven

10/10







A seemingly simple but brilliant concept that turned out to be one of the best and most original low budget horror movies of all time. Nearly everything is great about it: creepy atmosphere, beautiful cinematography, good cast, brilliant script, fantastic score, a bunch of stunning scenes and of course the mighty Freddy Krueger.
What a classic!



A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2: FREDDY'S REVENGE

German Title:
Nightmare 2 - Die Rache

USA, 1985
Director: Jack Sholder

2/10






Clearly the worst of all sequels. Lousy actors, laughable effects, an awfully bad plot/script, no suspense, no creepiness, no nothing - the only good thing about it is the cool opening sequence.




A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS

German Title:
Nightmare 3 - Freddy Krueger lebt

USA, 1987
Director: Chuck Russell

9/10






The worst sequel gets followed by the best. Part 3 is a fantastic film that totally makes you forget about the awful predecessor. The wonderful Heather Langenkamp from Part 1 returned and Wes Craven co-wrote the script (perfect preconditions). Great plot, brilliant actors, outstanding atmosphere and extremely stunning effects - all in all a magnificent franchise-entry!



A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 4: THE DREAM MASTER

German Title:
Nightmare On Elm Street 4

USA, 1988
Director: Renny Harlin

6/10






Far from brilliant but even so, it's highly entertaining. In return for the non-existent suspense/creepiness, the dull actors and the shit story, we get some amazing effects and a whole lot of hilarious ideas and unforgettable Freddy scenes (the flytrap, the time warp, Shark-Freddy etc).



A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 5: THE DREAM CHILD

German Title:
Nightmare On Elm Street 5 - Das Trauma / Nightmare 5 - Das Trauma

USA, 1989
Director: Stephen Hopkins

5/10





Could have been sooo much better if they would have used a plot that is not as stupid and tedious as the one they used, because the atmosphere/cinematography in here is brilliant and scary, and the special effects are mostly absolutely terrific.



FREDDY'S DEAD: THE FINAL NIGHTMARE

German Title:
Freddy's Finale - Nightmare On Elm Street 6 / Nightmare 6 - Freddy's Finale

USA, 1991
Director: Rachel Talalay

6/10






There's nothing scary about it and the storyline is also pretty dull, but fortunately it's packed with hilarious scenes (Freddy's game console, the 3D ending...), interesting details from Freddy's past and surprising cameo appearances (Johnny Depp, Alice Cooper, Roseanne...).



WES CRAVEN'S NEW NIGHTMARE

German Title:
Freddy's New Nightmare

USA, 1994
Director: Wes Craven

8/10





An incredibly clever story, Wes Craven back on the director's chair, Heather Langenkamp back in the spotlight, much suspense, much creepiness, great effects and a fantastic-looking Freddy - Part 7 is a really impressive sequel. Only flaw: the ending is a bit disappointing.




FREDDY VS. JASON

USA, 2003
Director: Ronny Yu

7/10








Pretty enjoyable clash of the titans. Plot is shit and most of the actors are average but seriously: when Freddy meets Jason, who cares about such trifles?
It's a fabulous gorefest, not very tense, but extremely gory and entertaining - a perfect popcorn film!

Wiki ~ Imdb




A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET
(Remake)

USA, 2010
Director: Samuel Bayer

4/10









They already destroyed Michael, Jason and Leatherface - and now they finally made it and destroyed horror's biggest icon Freddy Krueger as well. No, I'm not a purist. I was extremely excited about that remake and really looked forward to it, especially after watching the trailers. I really, REALLY wanted to like this remake, but unfortunately it was impossible for me to like it.
Of course, not everything is bad about it: Jackie Earle Haley is a pretty good Freddy and his make-up looks great. The first half hour is pretty tense and scary and full of nice jump scares.
Sadly, that's about it with the good stuff.
After the great opening it gets downhill pretty fast. Most of the time the movie's just tedious and boring. The actors are completely lackluster, the soundtrack is extremely sluggish, the dialogue is often just lame and there's also some terrible-looking CGI. No suspense, no atmosphere.
Most of all I hate the new story that turned Fred into a child-molesting gardener. Yep, according to the remake he never killed children, he' just' molested them. And it's getting even worse: all the teenies went to the same school but none of them can't remember about that time - wtf? Did the parents brainwash them or something? Come on.
A pointless and unnecessary remake.

4 COMMENTS!

The POLTERGEIST series

POLTERGEIST

USA, 1982
Director: Tobe Hooper

9/10









Wonderful and timeless horror classic with an amazing cast, brilliant special effects, beautiful settings, a fantastic soundtrack and loads of tense and superscary moments. One of these movies I could watch over and over without getting bored.


POLTERGEIST II: THE OTHER SIDE

German Title:
Poltergeist 2 - Die andere Seite

USA, 1986
Director: Brian Gibson

6/10





A solid sequel, unfortunately nowhere near as good as Part 1. Once again a great cast, fabulous special effects and a brilliant score, but there is just far too little tension and creepiness. The plot is also quite disappointing.


POLTERGEIST III

Alternate Title:
Poltergeist III: The Final Chapter

German Title:
Poltergeist 3 - Die dunkle Seite des Bösen

USA, 1988
Director: Gary Sherman

3/10




Very weak, very disappointing. Some great special effects but overall extremely boring and unscary. The dialogue is often pretty horrible and it's extremely annoying to hear the name "Carol-Anne" for about 120 times!

1 COMMENTS!

The HALLOWEEN series

HALLOWEEN

German Title:
Halloween - Die Nacht des Grauens

USA, 1978
Director: John Carpenter

11/10






One of the first horror movies I've seen (I was 9 years old) and for sure one of the best horror movies ever made. John Carpenter's masterpiece: the birth of Michael Myers, one of horror's most iconic characters. Unbelievably suspenseful, atmospheric and creepy with an amazing score, terrific actors, great editing, great camera work and loads of unbelievably intense and gripping moments. An outstanding and flawless horror masterpiece!




HALLOWEEN II

Alternate Title:
Halloween II: The Nightmare Isn't Over!

German Titles:
Halloween II - Das Grauen kehrt zurück / Halloween II - Die Blutnacht

USA 1981
Director: Rick Rosenthal

7/10


Solid sequel that may not have the same suspense and originality as the original, but still is entertaining and also a bit creepy. The extra brutality sure is completely unnecessary when compared to Part 1 but... well, at least some of the kills are just awesome.




HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH

German Title:
Halloween 3 - Die Nacht der Entscheidung

USA, 1982
Director: Tommy Lee Wallace

5/10





It's understandable that most Halloween-Fans hate Part 3 since it has got nothing to do with the first 2 parts - but if you just don't think about Michael Myers you'll get a proper 80s movie with an interesting story and a very good score. No masterpiece, but at least an entertaining time-killer.




HALLOWEEN 4: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS

German Title:
Halloween 4 - Michael Myers kehrt zurück

USA, 1988
Director: Dwight H. Little

8/10





Part 3 did not satisfy the fans, but Part 4 did - and how! A great sequel, very tense and creepy. Great new characters, interesting story, an impressive Michael, great kills and an amazing Donald Pleasance.




HALLOWEEN 5: THE REVENGE OF MICHAEL MYERS

German Title:
Halloween 5 - Die Rache des Michael Myers

USA, 1989
Director: Dominique Othenin-Girard

7/10




Ok, the story is lame, the Myers house for some inexplicable reason looks like the Bates mansion and some of the actors are terribly annoying. Apart from that Part 5 is a terrifically entertaining sequel full of really brilliant kills, suspenseful moments and loads of brilliant atmosphere. Highlights: the barn scene and the laundry chute finale, 2 of the most thrilling scenes from the whole franchise




HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS

German Title:
Halloween - Der Fluch des Michael Myers

USA, 1995
Director: Joe Chappelle

4/10





It could have been a really good movie (a solid Michael Myers, great kills, nice suspense...), but sadly the terribly confusing plot and thousands of reshoots and script modifications just fucked it up (see Wiki for more details).





HALLOWEEN 6: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS
"THE PRODUCER'S CUT"
(The original cut of the film which was shown during test screenings. It contains 43 minutes of alternate footage that was either cut entirely or replaced in the theatrical release of the movie.
It was never officially released but it's available on bootlegs and on the internet.)

Working Titles:
Halloween 666 / Halloween: The Origin Of Michael Myers / Halloween 666: The Origin Of Michael Myers

USA, 1995
Director: Joe Chappelle

4/10


The plot in here makes much more sense and the 'new' ending is definitely quite interesting but overall it has pretty much the same quality as the theatrical version.



HALLOWEEN H20: 20 YEARS LATER

German Title:
Halloween H20 - 20 Jahre später

USA, 1998
Director: Steve Miner

9/10








IMO this is truly the best of all Halloween-sequels. A fabulous plot which ignores Parts 3-6 and continues the story of the first parts - a terrific idea realized brilliantly. The magnificent Jamie Lee Curtis is back on board and Michael Myers is as impressive as in Part 1. The whole movie is very creepy, very suspenseful and full of atmosphere, the soundtrack is beautiful and the ending is a magnificent shocker.


HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION

USA, 2002
Director: Rick Rosenthal

4/10









Reasonable sequel with a breathtaking beginning (thanks to Jamie Lee Curtis) and a great showdown. What happens in between is sometimes entertaining but unfortunately mostly dull because of the lame script and the annoying characters (Busta Rhymes, go away).




HALLOWEEN
(Remake)


USA, 2007
Director: Rob Zombie

5/10










Highly controversial but merely mediocre quasi-remake which feels like watching 2 movies. The first half (back story of Michael and how he becomes evil) is absolutely thrilling and very tense. The second half (the story from the original Halloween) is just lame, no tension, unnecessarily brutal, lousy actors. Overall a bitter disappointment.




HALLOWEEN II

Alternate Title:
H2

USA, 2009
Director: Rob Zombie

3/10






Yes, this is undoubtedly the worst of all Halloween movies. Much too long, much too lengthy, much too boring. The story is shit, those unintentionally funny dream sequences are awful and the hobo-like Michael is just unbearable. What was Rob Zombie thinking?
The only good things in here are the fabulous opening sequence and some gorgeous kills.

1 COMMENTS!

The JU-ON / GRUDGE Series

JU-ON: THE CURSE 1 & 2

Original Title:
Ju-On 1 & 2

Japan, 2000
Director: Takashi Shimizu

9/10






Shimizu's first full-length Ju-On movie, and what a start it is! It's really hard to believe that this two-parter was only made for TV. Sure, the lack of budget is visible but it's hardly ever annoying because it's so disturbing and scary. Probably one of the best TV movies ever made?


JU-ON: THE GRUDGE

Original Title:
Ju-On

Japan, 2003
Director: Takashi Shimizu

10/10







This is undoubtedly the scariest horror movie of all time, there's no two ways about it. It scares the shit out of me everytime I watch it - and I've watched it about 10 times so far. An impressive but also very disturbing work of art, creepy, scary, haunting, thrilling. Perfect.


JU-ON: THE GRUDGE 2

Original Title:
Ju-On 2

Japan, 2003
Director: Takashi Shimizu

7/10






Not nearly as great as the original movies but still pretty entertaining, especially because of some scenes that are indescribably scary - unfortunately there are also some annoying and some unnecessary bigger-better-faster-more-scenes. Anyway, it's still always worth a watch.


THE GRUDGE
(US Remake)

German Title:
The Grudge - Der Fluch

USA, 2004
Director: Takashi Shimizu

6/10





Solid remake with some nice scares and a brilliant opening sequence, but overall it's just not scary or suspenseful enough to keep up with the Japanese movies - and Sarah Michelle Gellar is just mediocre.

Wiki ~ Imdb


THE GRUDGE 2

German Title:
Der Fluch - The Grudge 2

USA, 2006
Director: Takashi Shimizu

4/10






The more often you tell a joke, the unfunnier it gets - and the more often you tell the same old Japanese ghost story, the more boring and uninspired it gets. Some creepy scenes and eerie moments but overall rather pointless.

Wiki ~ Imdb


TALES FROM THE GRUDGE

Alternate Title:
Tales Of The Grudge

USA, 2006
Director: Toby Wilkins

7/10







3 impressive 2-3minute shorts ("Hotel", "School" & "House") in the vein of "Rings", relating to the events of "The Grudge 2".
All three are pretty tense and scary with good acting and great effects - and surprisingly all three are way better than the lame Part 2.


THE GRUDGE 3

German Title:
Der Fluch - The Grudge 3

USA, 2008
Director: Toby Wilkins

2/10






Wilkins totally disappoints with an unimaginative, boring and extremely unscary sequel, full of lame actors, dull dialogue and poor effects. Pointless and forgettable.

Wiki ~ Imdb


JU-ON: WHITE GHOST

Original Title:
Ju-On: Shiroi rôjo

Japan, 2009
Director: Ryûta Miyake

6/10








An ok entry in the Ju-On series, not as scary and atmospheric as the originals, yet better than the US flicks.
Most of the actors are mediocre and the dialogue is pretty cheesy, but there are actually some fabulous jump scares, eerie-looking settings, an interesting plot and surprisingly plenty of entertaining gore and violence.

Wiki ~ Imdb


JU-ON: BLACK GHOST

Original Title:
Ju-On: Kuroi shôjo

Japan, 2009
Director: Mari Asato

3/10








Extremely disappointing and lengthy ghost story, quite unscary and unsuspenseful with a terrible plot that just makes no sense. There are some ok scenes and in the last 10 minutes there's even some tension, but overall it's just lame and boring.

2 COMMENTS!

The EVIL DEAD series

UNDER CONSTRUCTION
- NEW EXTENDED REVIEWS SOON -
1 COMMENTS!
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