Author: holliegofrightly

Tourist Trap (1979)

Featuring Tanya Roberts (Sheena, View to a Kill, and That 70’s Show), Tourist Trap is a bit like the remake of House of Wax (2005) meets Texas chainsaw Massacre with a supernatural element. The teens get stranded when their jeejp breaks down and end up at this mannequin museum. The owner, Mr. Slausen, is recluse and definitely a bit off. He tells the teens not to go in the main house, but naturally they don’t listen and must be punished for snooping. He supposedly lives with his brother, who we see running around in a creepy mask. We soon learn he IS his brother and he is all alone with his mannequins which he manipulates through telekinesis to keep him company. Pretty freaky stuff.

★★★★

The Rite (2011)

The Rite is about Michael, the son of a funeral director who joins a seminary to begin a new life in the priesthood. At the last minute he changes his decision based on lack of faith. In exchange for acceptance of his resignation, he is sent to Italy to meet with Father Xavier, played by Anthony Hopkins, to observe exorcisms. Soon Michael’s faith is put to the test to save Father Xavier. I’m not a big fan of religious/exorcism movies. This was pretty decent, for the genre, but nothing particularly new or different.

★★

The Old Dark House (1963)

Old Dark house is one of my mother’s favorite William Castle films, so we took a trip down memory lane together. Tom Poston stars as a young American invited to his eccentric British roomate’s family home for a weekend. The house is full of quirky relatives and one by one each is killed. Tom has to dodge the killer and try to solve the mystery. It’s more comedy than horror. Reminded me of High Spirits or Clue. Very cute.

★★★★

The Howling (1981)

I was inspired to watch The Howling in honor of the latest Monster Mania convention. I only ever knew Dee Wallace Stone from E.T, Cujo, The Frighteners, and Hills Have Eyes. I’m not much of a werewolf movie fan but this was something different. It had this underlying sadness that just put me in a weird mood afterwards. The special effects were not like American Werewolf in London but still had an impact. I think I will avoid the sequels, but this was truly a great story.

★★★

The Hills Run Red (2009)

Tyler is a young and horny college kid becomes obsessed with a banned horror flick that was said to be “the scariest movie ever made”. All copies of the film and those involved in its making vanished. Tyler sets out on a road trip with his girlfriend and best friend to track down the film’s origin, simultaneously filming a documentary. He finds the deviant daughter of the director working at a strip club and its all downhill from there as he interviews locals and uncovers the truth. Hills Run Red was a bit predictable for this horror veteran, but it didn’t lack imagination and gore and a creepy villain. (there’s also some nudity in there if that will seal the deal for you pervs).

★★

The Haunting of Molly Hartley (2008)

Molly is a troubled girl starting over at a new school. I find it extremely hard to believe that Chace Crawford, one of the popular boys, would be interested in her. Her spidey sense should be tingling like Carrie White!! Particularly, since her own mother tried to kill her. Was Mom nuts? Or is there a reason Molly shouldn’t survive past the age of 18? The weirdo religious nuts in the town all want to “save” her but is it too late? The trailers were intriguing but unfortunately, the movie falls flat.

★

The Descent: Part 2 (2009)

This is definitely a great follow up to the first film. Sarah was the only one to survive the spelunking expedition from hell and is now in the hospital with no memory. The other girls are still missing and the police want some answers. Naturally the best way to get them is to bring Sarah back to the cave right? It works, but not before some of those cave creatures make a hot lunch out of a few officers. Sarah is the only one who knows how to maneuver around the monsters and find the way out. More of the same gore and effed up situations that make you savor daylight and the ability to breath. If you enjoyed the first, definitely check this one out.

★★★★★

The Cottage (2008)

The Cottage is a light horror movie- if such a thing exists. Two brothers kidnap a young woman for ransom money. They’re not professional thieves and run into some issues. Things go awry when their hostage escapes for help, taking one of the bumbling brothers with her. They come across a cottage in the middle of nowhere (always a great place to go for help right??). They soon discover that a deformed psychopath lives there and he’s non too thrilled with unannounced company. Great gore, laughs, and British accents. Something a little different for those fans of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Shaun of the Dead. The ending is pretty amusing.

★★★

Tenebrae (1982)

Tenebre is an Argento film about a killer who is murdering women using a fiction novel as a guideline. Naturally, the book’sauthor is the main suspect or at least expected to be able to shed some light on the murders. This isn’t s much a horror film as it is suspense, although there are some very stylish death scenes. Not my favorite, but John Saxon is great and I am looking forward to exploring his filmography further.

★★

Silver Bullet (1985)

I’m not a big werewolf movie fan, but was told this was a classic based on as Stephen King book so I gave it at shot. Corey Haim is not my favorite Corey, but he holds his own against (pre rehab) Gary Busey who plays his uncle. Haim plays a crippled kid who drives around in a suped up wheelchair his uncle built. He discovers a werewolf in the town and with the help of his uncle and sister (Megan Follows from Anne of Green Gables) discovers the werewolf’s human identity, destroys him and saves the day. Really liked this. Good acting, great suspense, and decent special effects. Also stars Everett McGill, the creepy guy from The People Under the Stairs and Twin Peaks.

★★★★