Black Sunday (1960)

Black Sunday (1960)

Actors:

Barbara Steele, John Richardson & Andrea Checci

Director:

Mario Bava

Runtime:

87 minutes

Plot:

A vengeful witch and her fiendish servant return from the grave and begin a bloody campaign to possess the body of the witch's look a like descendant.

Trailer:

Review:

This movie came highly recommended by a lot of people. This is a classic atmospheric film that made Barbara Steele a Horror Scarlet. Director Mario Bava's finest work as well as his first credited work launching his career. The original title was "The Mask of Satan." Everything about this movie was incredible from the set designs and wardrobe to the lighting. 

This is a MUST SEE for horror fans and is one of the best made horror films to date.

Friday the 13th (2009 Reboot )

Friday the 13th  (2009 Reboot )  

Actors:

Jared Padalecki, Amanda Righetti, Derek Mears

Director:

 Marcus Nispel

Runtime:
1 hr 37 minutes

Plot:

A group of young adults discover a boarded up Camp Crystal Lake, where they soon encounter Jason Voorhees and his deadly intentions.

Trailer:

Review:

This version tells more of the back store of Jason, his mother and even his hockey mask than the original first 3 movies put together. if you read the critic's reviews of this reboot (not actual movie goers) you will see most of them hated it because it was just another "Slasher" film. HELLO it is Friday the 13th, the definition of slasher movies.

With that being said this was one of the many reboots of Horror movies past. Marcus Nispel, director, did a fantastic job retelling Jason's story.  Yes there's a lot of eye candy for both men and women to enjoy in this. Blood, gore everything you need in a horror.

This version whether or not you have seen the original will not disappoint you. The actors can act & special effects are pretty awesome, all in all a great reboot.

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter  (1984)

Actors:

Erich Anderson, Judie Aronson, Peter Barton

Director:

Joseph Zito

Runtime:

1hr 31 minutes

Plot:

 After being mortally wounded and taken to the morgue, murderer Jason Voorhees spontaneously revives and embarks on a killing spree as he makes his way back to his home at Camp Crystal Lake.

Trailer:

Review:

 Does Jason Finally meet his match in Little Tommy Jarvis?  This is one of my favorites in the franchise, still a bit campy but a tad step up from the first 3, with a different kind of hero in the end.  Jason is resurrected from his brief stint in the morgue. The gore and blood are turned up for this installment. Special effects are top notch (for its day) done by Tom Savini. The body count reaches a new high and the nudity and sex are on their way up as well. 

If you only see one sequal, The Final Chapter is the one to watch.

Friday the 13th part 2 (1981)

Friday the 13th part 2   (1981)

Actors:

Betsy Palmer, Amy Steel, John Furey

Director:

Steve Miner

Runtime:

1hr 27 minutes

Plot:

 Mrs. Voorhees is dead, and Camp Crystal Lake is shut down, but a camp next to the infamous place is stalked by an unknown assailant. Is it Mrs. Voorhees' son Jason, who did not really drown in the lake some 30 years before? 

Trailer:

Review:

In this film, Jason takes over where Mommy left off, killing everyone that gets in his way. This time it's a camp counselor training center on Crystal Lake. We even get to see the town crazy again. Jason, all grown up, wears a sack over his head, as he has yet to get his mask. And one of the few times in the series you actually see Jason's face.

This is a slasher film through and through that turned Jason into an horror icon.

Friday the 13th (1980)

Friday the 13th (1980)

Actors:

 Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King & Jeannine Taylor

Director:

Sean S. Cunningham

 Runtine:

1 hr 35 minutes

Plot:
A group of camp counselors is stalked and murdered by an unknown assailant while trying to reopen a summer camp which, years before, was the site of a child's drowning. 

Trailer:

 Review:

 This movie sets up the basis for the rest of the series, especially "Freddy vs Jason."

The music is iconic almost everyone knows it or has heard it as one time or another. Most of the kill shots are in the first person camera mode, making sure you don't really know who's killing until toward the end of the movie. The acting isn't bad, but the town crazy might have been a bit over the top. 

Keep in mind that Friday the 13th was a low-budget film. The movie spawned 11 movies including a reboot, which mean Jason's legacy will continue to live in the hearts of horror fans.Paying attention to the details is what I do. that being said, why is there a deadbolt on the inside of the pantry other than giving a character a place to hide?

If you have seen the reboot and not the original, SHAME on you! lol

 

Castle Freak (1995)

Castle Freak (1995)

Actors:

Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton & Jonathan Fuller

Director:

Stuart Gordon

Run Time:

1 hour 34 minutes

Plot:

A troubled couple and their blind daughter come to Italy to visit a 12th century castle they have inherited. Soon they are plagued by unexplained noises, mysteriously broken object sand  the daughter's claims of an unknown nocturnal visitor to her bedroom. When the housekeeper and a local prostitute and are discovered savagely murdered in the castle's dungeon, John must unlock the castle's secret to save himself from jail and his family from the castle's secret inhabitant. 

Trailer:

Review:

 Jeffrey Combs, plays a normal husband and father with a troubled marriage in this film, quite the opposite from many of the roles he ususally plays or is known for and its rather refreshing to see another side of his acting chops.

 There are some greatly gruesome practial special effects in the horror. If you get squemish this might not be the movie for you. There are not alot of squemish parts but just enough. This is for a select audience only or what I call "an under the covers" watcher. 

While the plot and special effects are fine, this film lacks something to make it great.

The Fly (Original vs Remake)

The Fly
Original	Remake
1958	1986
Actors: David Hedison, Vincent Price & Patricia Owens	Actors: Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis & John Getz
Director: Kurt Newmann	Director: David Cronenburg
Run Time: 1hour 34 minutes	Run Time: 1hour 36 Minutes
Acting: For me was not that impressive as a matter of fact it was ordinary for the 50s & 60s.	Acting: Jeff Goldblum shined in this version and played his role like only he could.
Effects: Not that the 50s had the best special effects but even for it's day this film lacked for quality effects.		Effects: In the 80s, special effects were starting to evolve and this film was (imo) very much in the forefront of that evolution.
Review: While both films had the same basic plot, the storylines itself separate these two movies. To me, there is a clear winner between them, the remake.

The Wolf Man (Original vs Remake)

The Wolf man
Original	Remake
1941	2010
Actors: Lon Chaney Jr., Claude Rains & Evelyn Ankers	Actors: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins & Emily Blunt
Director: George Waggner	Director: Joe Johnston
Run Time: 1hour 10 minutes	Run Time: 1hour 43 Minutes
Acting: This version has a lot of well known actors and it shows.	Acting: This film has an all-star cast and almost guarantees it's success.
The gradual transformation of human to  wolf man in this film was well done (for the 1940s). Atmosphere, lighting and such were the  major effects for this film and done well.		Lighting, sets, plot, storyline & effects were all on point. This film IMO is one of the best made horror films done in the past 10+ years.
Review: Both leading men played Lawrence Talbot in different ways but both played the part extremely well and made the part their own. The reboot kept to the original wolf man makeup look which speaks volumes. Both versions are worth seeing and I would recommend seeing both. In this reviewer's eyes there is no clear winner or looser between these two.

Nightmare on Elm Street (Original vs. Remake)

Nightmare on Elm Street
Original	Remake
1984	2010
Actors: Robert Englund, Johhny Depp & Heather Langenkamp	Actors: Jackie Earl Haley, Rooney Mara & Kyle Gallner
Director: Wes Craven	Director: Samuel Bayer
Run Time: 1hour 31 minutes	Run Time: 1hour 35 Minutes
Acting: IMO there will only be one Freddie (Robert Englund), he made this character an Icon. A few young up-incomers ,like Johnny Depp, made the teenagers real.	Acting: Being honest, I have never cared for Jackie Earl Haley and this film shows you why. Other than that we have some namers and up-incomers that for the most part played their roles well.
Effects: In terms of 1984, this film  accomplished wonders in terms of practical  effects.		Effects: Freddie makeup was jacked up plain and simple. A lot of the effects as the original were done via CGI and it shows in not such a good way.
Intensity: 30+ years later this film can still scare  a first time viewer.		Intensity: Not even intense on today's standards. Lack luster horror.
Review: Hands down over all the Original wins with Robert Englund defining the Freddie role, special effects team accomplishing new effects. When the original is this good it's hard to beat or even come close to replicate its success. I personally have been avoiding watching the remake since it's release and would not recommend anyone wasting their time on the remake.

The Haunting (Original vs. Remake)

The Haunting
Original	Remake
1963	1999
Actors: Julie Harris, Claire Bloom & Richard Johnson	Actors: Liam Neeson, Owen Wilson & Lili Taylor
Director: Robert Wise	Director: Jan de Bont
Run Time: 1hour 54 minutes	Run Time: 1hour 53 Minutes
While you don't actually see any ghosts in this version, all the lighting, sound effects make this a scary film with brilliant camera work.	The special effects on this film had their hands full with this one. The practical and cgi effects were near perfect in this version of the film.
Review: Both Julie Harris and Lili Taylor played the lead female character brilliantly. Casting on all accounts was outstanding. While the original was more so of the book the films were bases on than the remake. The remake is a visual movie while the original was more of a psychological movie. Both are good in their own rights.

          

Motel Hell (1980)

Motel Hell (1980)

Actors:

Rory Calhoun, Nancy Parsons  & Nina Axelord

Director:

Kevin Conner

Run time:

1h 41 min

Plot:

Vincent Smith (Rory Calhoun) and his sister Ida (Nancy Parsons) run a rural hotel, but they earn most of their cash operating a food stand that specializes in world-famous sausages. After years of success, however, the duo's upstanding brother, Sheriff Bruce (Paul Linke), eventually discovers the grotesque details of his siblings' booming business: Vincent and Ida are actually plumping up their hotel patrons, killing and dismembering them and then grinding them into frankfurters. 

Trailer:

Review:

A good old fashioned 80s cult classic horror.  This is a comedy as well, you'll laugh with this one. One person described this as "Texas Chainsaw" meets "The Beverly Hillbillies". It has  been underrated by critics but any horror fan will like if not love this film. I'm not saying it doesn't have it's faults but you overlook them.

Highly recommend watching.

The Mummy (1932)

The Mummy (1932)

Actors:

Boris Karloff, Zita Johann & David Manners

Director:

Karl Freund

Run time:

73 minutes

Plot:

During a British Museum-sponsored archaeological expedition to Egypt led by Sir Joseph Whemple, the recently discovered mummy of a high priest, Im-ho-tep, comes to life and walks away into the desert night. Ten years later a new expedition led by Sir Joseph's son, Frank Whemple, find the tomb of Princess Anck-es-en-Amon, Im-ho-tep's long lost love. In order to revive her completely, Im-ho-tep requires Helen Grosvenor to die so he can revive her and make her a living mummy like himself. 

Trailer:

Review:

This is a classic for a reason and still to this day  is the best mummy picture of all (IMO). Everything about this is at top performance even for this day in age. This movie is all atmosphere. The detail of focusing on Karloff's eyes and the way he pulled off the threatening character carry this film. To me this is the best of the classic horror genre.

If you have not seen The Mummy you must!

The Ape Man (1943)

The Ape Man (1943)

Actors:

Bela Lugosi, Henry Hall & Wallace Ford

Director:

William Beaudine

Run time:

64 minutes

Plot:

Conducting weird scientific experiments, crazed Dr. James Brewster, aided by his colleague Dr. Randall, has managed to transform himself into a hairy, stooped-over ape-man. Desperately seeking a cure, Brewster believes only an injection of recently-drawn human spinal fluid will prove effective. With Randall refusing to help him, it falls to Brewster and his captive gorilla to find appropriate donors. 

Trailer:

Review:

One of the rarer viewed Lugosi films. This is not one of his best films by far. Plot and stoyline (for lack of a better word) sucked. The only real effects are glued hair to Lugosi. Not worth the 64 minutes to watch.

King of the Zombies (1941)

King of the Zombies (1941)

Actors:

Dick Purcell, Joan Woodbury & Mantan Moreland

Director:

Jean Yarbrough

Run time:

67 minutes

Plot:

 On a spooky island, three stranded travelers find an evil doctor working with foreign spies and in control of zombies. 

Trailer:

Review:

For warning: zombie movies from this era are not flesh eating, they are more of the voodoo variety zombies. That being said, this movie should be more popular than it is as far as classic horror is concerned. Everything in this works well: acting, lighting and plot. This moved onto my must see classic horror list.

Frankenstein meets the Wolf Man (1943)

Frankenstein meets the Wolf Man (1943)

Actors:

Bella Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr. & Ilona Massey

Director:

Roy William Neill

Run time:

74 minutes

Plot:

Grave robbers open the grave of the Wolf man and awake him. He doesn't like the idea of being immortal and killing people when the moon is full, so he tries to find Dr. Frankenstein, in the hopes that the Dr. can cure him, but Frankenstein is dead and only his Monster is alive and this one wants to live, not to die like the Wolf man. 

Trailer:

Review:

A sequel to "The Ghost of Frankenstein" and "The Wolf Man", Universal's first clash of the monster films also considered to be the last great universal horror of it's time. You get the best of both Lon Chaney Jr. and Bela Lugosi in this film. The studio didn't hold back on special effects or makeup with this one. I loved the storyline in this MUST see classic.

House on Haunted Hill (1959)

House on Haunted Hill (1959)

Actors:

Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart & Richard Long

Director:

Robb White

Run time:

75 minutes

Plot:

A very wealthy man gives a haunted house party, offering to give each of his guests $10,000 - if they can survive the night. 

Trailer:

Review:

 Made popular by Vincent Price's stellar performance and use of effects, this is a cult classic if ever there was one. The lighting plays a major roll in the success of this film. This is available in both color and black &white. This is a must see as well as the remake. Both versions carry the same base story line but play out in two different ways.

 

Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

Actors:

Richard Carlson, Julie Adams & Richard Denning

Director:

Jack Arnold

Run Time:

1h 19 min

Plot:

After Dr. Carl Maia finds unique skeletal remains, a group of scientists led by David Reed head down the Amazon to see if other remains can be found. They have little luck at first until hearing that further downriver lies the Black Lagoon where other fossils might be found. They get more than they bargained for when they discover a living prehistoric creature - a half-man, half amphibious reptile - that doesn't take kindly to their attempts to capture him. The creature takes a liking to Kay Lawrence and kidnaps her but goes to war against the scientists and won't let them leave the lagoon. 

Trailer:

Review:

One of the original classic creature features. Cinematography and effects were great for its time. The creature makeup was innovative for its era. Must see creature feature.

A Bucket of Blood (1959)

A Bucket of Blood  (1959)

Actors:

Dick Miller, Barboura Morris & Anthony Carbone

Director:

Roger Coman

Runtime:

66 minutes

Plot:

A frustrated and talentless artist finds acclaim for a plaster covered dead cat that is mistaken as a skillful statuette. Soon the desire for more praise leads to an increasingly deadly series of works. 

Trailer:

Review:

If you're old enough you'll see some up-in-comers from that generation. This is the original to the remake in 1995 with Anthony Micheal Hall and Justine Bateman. A want-to-be artist finds a creepy, morbid way to find success. While this movie isn't much on the typical horror side, its in the watch once and move on category. It could have been better. The remake was a bit campy but had some comedy it it as well.

Nosferatu (1922)

Nosferatu (1922)

Actors:

Max Schreck, Gustav von Wangenheim & Greta Schroder

Director:

F.W. Murnau

Runtime:

1h 21min

Plot:

Count Orlok's move to Wisburg and brings the plague, this reveals his connection to the Realtor Thomas Hutter, and the Count's obsession with Hutter's wife, Ellen - the only one with the power to end the evil. 

Trailer:

Review:

This silent film, the most silent horror watched. This movie is what started our love of vampires in movies today. Must see for any horror fan. Great use of lighting makes most of the effects and scenes eerie.

Dog Soldiers (2002)

 Dog Soldiers (2002) 

Actors:

Sean Pertwee, Kevin McKidd & Laim Cunningham

Director:

Neil Marshall

Runtime: 1 h 45 min

Plot: 

A routine military exercise turns into a nightmare in the Scotland wilderness.

Trailer:

Review:

 Just Another Werewolf Flick? Think again!

Dog Soldiers should be on every horror movie must see list. I cannot say enough about this movie. Most everyone I know loves this movie.

I would call this an action horror. No running thru the woods with a werewolf chasing you, straight out action in a limited space (farm house), only you and your wits to beat the creaures. Dog Soldiers is considered a cult classic and for good reason.