Having divorced parents is not an easy thing for any child or teen to deal with.  As if that were bad enough, your mother or father gets remarried to someone that you don't know that well.  It just feels like that new person is trying to replace the parent that's no longer living in your home.  Sometimes, that individual may be a really nice person. Other times, a stepfather or stepmother could be an abusive and evil person that can make your life a living hell. What if the new addition to your family turned out to not only be a horrible person, but had brutally murdered his/her previous lover and children only a year before they became a part of your life?  In the 70s, such a situation was true when John List brutally murdered his own family and disappeared. He was eventually caught several years later when a picture of him appeared on America's Most Wanted and a neighbor recognized him. Police discovered that he had moved several states away, changed his identity, and had started a new family. This real life story inspired not only a film regarding the actual events, but also inspired a psychological horror movie classic in 1987 titled The Stepfather.  Jerry Blake wanted what every man wants, a great family but when they don't measure up to his ideal perfection then he gets a little knife happy.

PLOT

  The Stepfather opens with a man in the bathroom washing blood off his hands.  The man shaves his beard, packs his brief case, and walks downstairs where his family's bloody bodies are scattered through out the living room.  One year later, rebellious teenager Stephanie Maine has been having a hard time coping with her father's death and her disapproval of her new stepfather Jerry Blake.  Jerry seems like a kind hearted man that just wants to give Stephanie and her mother Susan all the love that he can. Everybody likes Jerry except for Stephanie.  At first, she thinks that her mother just married too soon but then witnesses Jerry flip out in the basement when he thinks nobody is watching. The only person that believes Stephanie is her psychiatrist Dr. Bondurant.  Soon, Dr. Bondurant is killed leaving Stephanie suspicious that Jerry murdered him.  Meanwhile, Jim Ogilvie is on a manhunt to find the man that murdered his sister and her children. When Jerry discovers that his wife and new stepdaughter are on to him, he begins to set up a new identity but first must dispose of Stephanie and her mother.

REVIEW

   The Stepfather happens to be one of my favorite late 80s horror movies. It's a classic in every sense of the word.  What makes The Stepfather a classic you ask? Well,  to start off it has a wonderfully crafted story and clever script.  Carolyn Lefcourt, Brian Garfield, and Donald E. Westlake did great in creating the story while borrowing a little bit from the John List case. Donald E. Westlake wrote an intelligent and clever killer thriller.  The thing that I believe truly works with Stepfather is that it is something that many people can relate to on one level or another. It's not only an adult's nightmare, but a child or teen's too.  The characters are also believable and realistic, which is what really makes a movie like this. 

        Stephanie's father has passed away and then her mom gets married to a total stranger not long after.  I can understand why she doesn't like Jerry and why she is rebellious. I most likely would too if something like this were to happen to me.  Susan believes to love Jerry even though her husband has only been dead a year. I'm guessing that she felt lonely and the first chance at having love in her life again that she took it even though it was too soon.  Jerry just wants a perfect family. Perfect house, perfect wife, and perfect kids. Is that so much to ask? Well, in reality nobody is perfect. We all have our flaws. Hell, every family has them. I love how we never fully understand why this guy wants the perfect family in the first place. We can just assume different possibilities. It's obvious to he clearly didn't have a happy childhood.  Also, we never learn what his real name is or where the hell he came from, which I actually found to be quite interesting.  I saw that originally, the opening would show him being beaten and locked in the closet as a child, but the director refused to give him any backstory aside from killing his previous family and moving on to another. Smart decision.  Dr. Bondurant was also a solid character who wanted to help Stephanie with her problems.  And then there was Jim Ogilvie who wanted to track down Jerry for killing his sister. All in all, believable characters.

       The Stepfather isn't an overly violent horror film, but does have a few graphic scenes. The opening of the movie is hands down the most shocking sequence in the entire film. We see the stepfather's previous wife and young children laying in a pull of blood and blood hand prints on the wall with the telephone laying upside down. Not a pleasant sight at all, which looks how it would in a real crime scene.  I love the part where Jerry kills Dr. Bondurant by bashing his brains in with the block of wood. Not because it is gruesome, but what Jerry says is darkly humorous in a twisted sort of way.   The fact that this guy feels no remorse for what he does and just whistles happily after brutally killing people is just creepy.  The stepfather is a smart guy when it comes to disposing of evidence and throwing the cops off track.  His one flaw is that he has changed his identity so many times that he accidentally spills out the wrong name.  My other favorite moment is his most famous line when he spills out the wrong name in front of his wife, "Wait a minute, who am I here?"  I also love the line, " You're a very bad girl."  Just really great stuff.

         The direction by Joseph Ruben is absolutely fantastic. Ruben keeps the movie at a steady pace where you are in suspense and entertained the entire time.  I loved the visuals that he provided and the look of the movie was brilliant. The Stepfather launched Ruben's career as a director making way for such thriller hits like Sleeping With The Enemy and another favorite of mine The Good Son.

           The Stepfather would not be half the classic it is with out the brilliant and charismatic acting.  Jill Schoelen is cute and really great at playing the heroine Stephanie.  Shelley Hack was pretty good as Susan. Charles  Lanyer was cool as Dr. Bondurant and Stephen Shellen was decent as Jim Ogilvie. This movie wouldn't be anything with out the classic and fucking creepy performance given by Terry O' Quinn as everyone's favorite psychotic stepdaddy Jerry Blake.  This guy was just absolutely amazing, creepy, humorous, and downright chilling to watch.  Mr. O' Quinn is a fabulous actor and has gone on to play in such hits as Silver Bullet, Tales From The Crypt, and Lost.

Overall, The Stepfather is a chilling and amazing horror classic that spawned two sequels and a remake.  I love this movie and also really enjoyed Stepfather II which also starred Terry O' Quinn. I find the made for video third installment to be so bad that it's still humorous and entertaining. Have yet to see the remake, but Dylan Walsh and Robert Wightman have NOTHING in comparison to Terry O' Quinn. Mr. O' Quinn is the real STEPFATHER and he ain't too happy. Watch out Nelson McCormick because Mr. Blake has his wooden board and ain't afraid to use it on you and your PG-13 remake!

RATING

4/4 STABS

If you were to ask any horror fan what their favorite time of the year is, Halloween would be the exact response. It's a night that everyone can dress up in costumes and masks to be someone or something else. Adults usually throw costume parties, teens usually have sex or get killed by some guy wearing a William Shatner mask, and kids go trick or treating for candy that probably has razor blades in it. The point is that the night brings great power. Halloween was seen as a night where the spirits would return to Earth.  It's also a night where scaring people is such a delight. I personally love scaring the hell out of trick or treaters. In the film Trick 'r Treat however, Halloween truly brings out the things that go bump in the night.

    PLOT

      Trick 'r Treat is basically a collection of four horror stories all happening on Halloween night. In the end, all of the stories come together. A school principal likes to masquerade as a killer. Some college girls are going to an outdoor party with some lucky guys that turns out to be more than they bargained for. Some kids arrive to a rock quarry to uncover the truth of the Halloween school bus massacre. And an old man is terrorized by a mysterious trick or treater.

REVIEW

  Trick 'r Treat has got to be not only the best horror anthology movie that I've seen in a very long time, but also the best Halloween movie in the last twenty years. The story and script by Michael Dougherty is fantastic.  I really dug all of the stories and thought that they all came together nicely.  This film is just a whole lot of fun. Also, I really enjoyed the eighties vibe of the film. This definitely seems like the kinda horror movie that we would have seen in that time.  It reminded me a lot of Creepshow and Tales From The Crypt.

       There's a lot that I loved in the film, but I'm afraid that I will spoil it if I get to rambling on with what I loved.  This review may contain minor spoilers, so I will try to steer away from some of the twists that happen. Yes, there are some twists and turns in Trick 'r Treat and I must say that they work really well.

       The story about the psychotic school principal actually had me laughing. I have to talk about this part of the movie. Okay, so the chubby kid from Bad Santa is in this story. He takes candy from the "friendly" Mr. Wilkins and it turned out that the candy is poisoned. All of a sudden, this kid starts puking. I don't know why and it's probably going to sound like I'm a really fucked up person, but I laughed. I don't know, but something about that sequence amused me. I guess because the kid was a vandal and plus he didn't check his candy before eating it.  A valuable lesson could be learned here.  It kinda reminded me of the end of Night of the Demons when the asshole old man ate candy with a razor blade in it.  Also, the ending was pretty twisted.

      I absolutely loved the story about the college girls going to a Halloween party. This story is actually in my opinion the best tale of the four mainly because of the twist ending that I found to be fucking awesome!  All I will say is that John Landis would love it.  Also Anna Paquin looked fucking hot even in the end before her "first time".  I dug the homage to the tale Little Red Riding Hood a lot in this one. Man, that wolf is for one hell of a hard on! Again, sorry if I spoiled this one. I really couldn't help myself.

The tale of the children trying to bring back the deceased children that were killed in the school bus was also a cool one. Man, that one little girl was a bitch. I loved the end of the tale though. What can I say? Payback is an even bigger bitch.

     The last story with the grumpy old man was a pretty good one too. I love how this guy scares trick or treaters away by dressing his dog up in a costume with glowing yellow eyes. I so have to try that one sometime.  Then, there's that toddler sized trick or treater with the weird mask on.  We do get to see what's under that mask, which was a cool surprise.  Chucky would be jealous. 

 The special fx for the movie were handled great. We get an awesome monster transformation sequence, kid puking, severed head, stabbing with a sharpened lolli pop, some undead children that are pretty creepy looking, and the greatest puppet monster since Child's Play. Great stuff in the fx department.

      The cinematography was also amazing with the low key lighting that gave the film a creepy atmosphere in the spirit of the holiday.  All of the Halloween stuff looked awesome too. I was also really digging the acting and thought everybody did a great job.  Michael Dougherty also directed the movie really well. I would have to say that everything worked in this movie for me. I can't think of any complaints I have.

Overall, Trick 'r Treat is a must see horror film. Best horror anthology and Halloween movie to come out in a very long time. We could use more fun horror movies like this.  This film is definitely a treat that is actually safe to sink your teeth into. Now, if you'll excuse me,  I have some Viagra  and Marijuana to place in the kiddies' candy this year. I fucking love Halloween.

RATING

4/4 STABS

                   The biggest fear for anybody is to lose someone they love. Whether it be a relative, friend, lover, and the worst one being the loss of a child.  Death can make a person do crazy things. Things they never would imagine themselves doing to relieve the pain of that loss. Losing a child is simply the worst thing that could ever happen to a parent especially for a mother losing her baby. The relationship between a mother and her child is the most powerful bond. In the new horror/ dark drama Grace, it can also be the most disturbing and deadly bond.

PLOT

  Madeline Matheson is eight months pregnant with the joy of her life.  Things aren't perfect since Madeline's mother-in-law doesn't seem to approve of her going to a midwife instead of going to a regular doctor at a hospital.  One night, Madeline and her husband Michael are in a car accident that kills Michael and causes Madeline to have a miscarriage. Refusing to believe that her baby is dead, Madeline decides to carry the dead baby to term since she only had three more weeks left in her pregnancy. Madeline gives birth to her daughter Grace with the help of her old friend Patricia and is shocked when the baby is miraculously alive.  Soon however, Madeline comes to realize that this miracle has a horrific and disturbing consequence leading to Madeline feeding her baby something other than breast milk.

REVIEW

Grace has got to be the most disturbing and shocking horror film that I've seen since Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door.  The gore and blood is quite disturbing, but the thing that disturbs me the most is the lead character Madeline.  I also have to mention how powerful this movie was and how smartly written it is.

       Paul Solet has crafted quite a unique horror story about how a simple relationship between a mother and her child can go too far. The characters are developed well, the dialogue is written realistically, and leaves a psychological angle that I find fascinating.  I love the fact that there are no villains in the film and where everybody wants something so deeply that they can't have. Which brings me to the characters.

The characters are so finely established where you care for all of them, which is rare in the horror community.  Madeline has always wanted to have a child of her own and has gone through two miscarriages before all of this happened to her. I firmly understand why she did the disturbing thing of carrying the baby to term because she had already had enough loss and couldn't take another one. All she wanted was a child of her own that she could love and cherish, only to have it all taken from her.  When the baby returns to life, she is over joyed and doesn't want anybody to take the baby away from her. Her husband Michael wants her, but at the same time is trying to please his mother like most guys do.  After her son's death, Michael's mother Vivian wants him back and to see her granddaughter safe. Madeline's friend Patricia wants her and the baby to be safe. It is implied that she too has had a loss in her life and is trying to prevent anyone else from losing someone they love ever again.  And Dr. Sohn is concerned about Madeline and her baby.  So yeah, the characters are well developed.

   I really have to mention the disturbing stuff too. Now, keep in mind that this baby is not a creature like in It's Alive or the Devil's child like in Rosemary's Baby. The reason all of these crazy things are happening is because the baby was not meant to be alive. It's like Madeline has to feed the child blood to keep her from being dead again.  There's some gross stuff where the baby rips off part of Madeline's breast during feeding. Flies seem to keep coming into the baby's room because they know that she is dead.  We get a disturbing scene where Madeline cuts open Dr. Sohn's wrist and pours his blood into the baby bottle.  And the final fight scene is pretty bloody too. Definitely a disturbing movie. Although, I do kinda wonder how the baby came back to life, but it's a horror film so anything's possible even though the characters are realistic with their emotions.

      Paul Solet handles the film great in the director's chair.  From what I've heard, this movie is a remake of a short film that he did back in 2006. Glad to see that I'm not the only filmmaker turning my short film into a feature length movie.   Adam Green who is famous for directing such genre hits such as Hatchet, Spiral, and the upcoming survival thriller Frozen produced this movie. You can also see Adam in a cameo appearance working at the grocery store. 

The acting is brilliant in my opinion.  Jordan Ladd is absolutely wonderful and convincing as Madeline. She was so convincing that I almost forgot that she was even acting.  Samantha Ferris was also great as Patricia. I also liked Stephen Park as Michael, Malcolm Stewart as Dr. Sohn, and Serge Houde as Michael's father Henry. Gabrielle Rose as Vivian was absolutely and positively marvelous. Very fine performances given here.

Overall, Grace was a nice surprise and is definitely ranking up a spot for best horror films of 2009.  Two grown men actually fainted during a screening at the Sundance Film Festival, which can give you a hint to how disturbing this movie can and does get. This film is in line with the Stephen King movies and stories as far as I'm concerned.  If you don't like psychological horror or adult horror then stay away because chances are this ain't your thing. But, if you're looking for a disturbing psychological take on the powerful bond of a mother and child gone horribly wrong then by all means see this movie now. I couldn't recommend a movie more!

RATING

4/4 STABS

                   In 1996, the horror/slasher hit Scream revived the horror genre by making the characters self-aware of horror movies. Scream was also the first horror movie to have cast actors from television and helped in jump starting their careers.  Taking notice of this, many new slasher films arrived that did just that such as I Know What You Did Last Summer, Urban Legend, Valentine, and many direct to dvd independent films.  The slasher film finally tired itself out after 2001's Valentine on having a masked killer murdering high school and college kids.  In 2003, New Line in association with Michael Bay put out their remake of the classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre that was financially successful at the box office. Again, Hollywood took notice and cashed in with a never stopping series of remakes ranging from 70s/80s horror films. Granted, we've seen some remakes that were actually good, but many have failed to stay a true horror film.  2009 saw many surprisingly good horror remakes such as My Bloody Valentine 3D, The Last House On The Left, and well Sorority Row.  Even though the 1983 slasher The House On Sorority Row was a fun horror film, it's remake Sorority Row falls into the Scream/I Know What You Did Last Summer trend making for while not perfect but still a fun and entertaining slasher flick.

PLOT

   The sorority sisters of Theta Pi are having a wild party one night when they decide to pull a cruel prank on fellow sister Megan's cheating boyfriend Garret.  Theta Pi's leading sister Jessica gives Garret some pills to put into Megan's drink to relax her. While making out, Megan acts like she is going into a seizure. Garret freaks out and tells the other sisters. Jessica tells Garret that Megan is dead, so they travel out to an old mine shaft in the middle of nowhere to dispose of the body. Unknown that the whole thing is a prank, Garret impales Megan through the chest with a tire iron.  Everybody freaks out that Garret actually killed Megan. Everyone decides to wrap her body up and toss it down the mine shaft except for Cassidy.   Scared of getting into trouble, the other girls force Cassidy into keeping their accident a secret.  Eight months later, the sisters have graduated from college and are prepping to have one last sorority party before going out into the real world. Their fun turns to fear as a vicious killer shows up to murder the Theta Pi girls one by one along with anyone that gets close enough to finding out their secret.

REVIEW

   I knew from watching the trailers that I would have fun watching Sorority Row because I was a fan of the mid to late nineties slashers well mainly Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Urban Legend.  Many have said that Sorority Row is just a rip off of I Know What You Did Last Summer, but it is a loose remake of the 1983 slasher flick The House On Sorority Row.  Maybe Mark Rosman who wrote and directed the original film got the idea from reading Lois Duncan's teen thriller novel I Know What You Did Last Summer that the 1997 slasher flick was based on.  We've seen this plot before, but the movie was still fun and entertaining to watch. 

   The screenplay written by Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger was not bad, but it did have some flaws and some horror movie cliches as well.  Since this is a remake in fact, the story is basically the same as the original House On Sorority Row. Sorority girls play a prank that ends in an accidental murder. They hide the body and keep the thing a secret. At their graduation party, a killer shows up murdering the girls one by one.  In this movie, the girls accidentally kill their own sister instead of their house mother like in the original.  The killer in this one uses a tire iron as a weapon with a knife attatched to it unlike the cane in the original slasher. 

        The characters vary quite a bit from each other. We get the bitchy Jessica, the scared and nerdy girl Ellie, the alcoholic Chugs, the sexually active Claire, and the good girl Cassidy.  Some of these girls you will like and there are some that you will hate (Jessica rings a bell). I truly liked Cassidy and Ellie mainly because I could sympathize with them.  Cassidy is the lead and I liked her a lot. Plus, she was very hot. I could really see how the guilt affected Ellie even though she got a bit annoying in areas when she was scared.   Jessica was the bitch that was hot, but I loved to hate for all of the right reasons. Fucking rich twat!  I actually felt bad for Garret since he actually killed his girlfriend. That would definitely fuck me up in that situation. We also get introduced to like three of the boyfriends of these sisters. The only one I knew was Andy who was Cassidy's boyfriend. The house mother Mrs. Crenshaw was cool too even though she wasn't in the movie a whole lot.  Overall, the characters were pretty well established to where you knew who they were and liked or hated them.

            The main reason I love to watch these slashers are of course the death scenes and the ones in this movie are pretty brutal. I thought that the killer's use of the tire iron as a weapon was great and how when you heard that thing scraping something that someone was about to get it. It reminded me of A Nightmare On Elm Street where Freddy would scrape his glove against something to tell the audience that he was lurking nearby. The killer's outfit was fucking creepy in my opinion. I loved the whole black hooded robe outfit, which just gives a creepy presence.  My favorite death in the movie is that of Chugs where the killer plunged the bottle of alcohol down her throat then rams his/her tire iron blade through the bottle. Just great stuff there. My other favorite death was that of Claire's boyfriend. Overall, good kills that slasher fans will enjoy.

        I do have some complaints about the movie though. There are a lot of red herrings in this film or in other words there's characters that the filmmakers want to trick the audience into thinking are the killer.  This kinda got distracting especially near the end. They basically have you believing this one person is the killer then they finally reveal who the actual killer is.  I know they also did this in I Know What You Did Last Summer and Urban Legend, but I think they went a little overboard here.  Also, why must the killer have to explain why he/she is killing everybody? Just don't talk and try to kill the heroine, fight, then the heroine kills the killer and walks away. I also didn't really understand why this person was killing everyone in the first place. I think they should have done it like in The Prowler where the heroine is fighting the masked killer, the mask or hood in this case comes off revealing who it is before they get killed by the survivor girl. I did like it when the sorority house catches on fire though. The other thing I didn't like is the very ending. It just felt too generic. Other than those flaws, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Oh yeah, there are some topless sequences for all you horny guys out there.

        The direction by Stewart Hendler is pretty good actually. He keeps the film paced well where you never get bored and are curious as to who the killer will be. Is it one of the sorority sisters? Is it Garret? Is Megan really dead? Or is it someone that you wouldn't expect?  

      The acting is pretty solid for the most part. I will say that some of the dialogue is pretty humorous at times.  Briana Evigan is great as Cassidy. This is definitely a "step-up" for her.  Leah Pipes steals the show here as the rich, hot, and bitch Jessica.  Call me. Margo Harshman is both sexy and funny as the party girl Chugs. I bet that bottle isn't the only thing she likes to suck on either hehehe. Jamie Chung made for a good flare kill as Claire. Rumer Willis did a decent performance as Ellie. Audrina Patridge did alright as the brief performance of Megan. Carrie Fisher fucking owns as the house mother Mrs. Crenshaw. Darth Vadar, you better back off because this Princess Leah has been living in a house with fifty crazy bitches!  Matt O' Leary is overly hysterical as Garret here, but that's understandable since I don't know he killed his own girlfriend. He's a good actor though. I liked him in Mom's Got A Date With A Vampire, Death Sentence, and Domestic Disturbance. And Julian Morris does alright as Cassidy's boyfriend Andy until the end of the movie.  He's probably glad to be working on a real slasher unlike 2005's Cry Wolf ( even though the ending to that movie was good). 

Overall, Sorority Row is a fun and entertaining slasher flick. If you're a fan of films like Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Urban Legend then chances are that you will more than likely enjoy this one.  This film is very different from the old 80s slashers including the original The House On Sorority Row.  It has its flaws and isn't perfect, but still enjoyable. Just go into it as if it were still the mid to late 90's and you may be satisfied with it.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some sorority bitches to kill with my trusty tire iron.  THETA PI MUST DIE!

RATING

3/4 STABS

If there is one thing about college that I just don't understand, it is the Greek system. Yes, I'm talking about the fraternity/sorority life style. What the fuck is the point of it anyways?  I just don't get why people would want to go through several weeks of hell just to prove themselves to be Greek material.  I understand that the Greeks have the wildest parties packed with horny sorority chicks that probably have STDs from having unprotected sex.   It's like back in high school when guys joined the football team and the girls joined cheerleading to fit in with the "cool" crowd. What the fuck is the point? The only way that you're getting my ass there is if the girls are topless or having a wet T-shirt contest.  But, one thing I will do is watch the 80s sorority slasher flick The House On Sorority Row. Why? Because it's just so much fun. They are sisters for life and sisters in DEATH!

PLOT

      The sisters that live on Sorority Row are planning to have their graduation party at the sorority house. That is until their house mother Mrs. Slater tells them no. Slater catches Vicki and her boyfriend having sex in the sorority house and pops the water bed with her trusty cane. Pissed off, Vicki talks the other sisters into playing a prank on their old grouchy house mother that ends with them accidentally killing her. Scared of getting into trouble, the sisters hide Mrs. Slater's corpse in the pool.  On the night of their graduation party however, a mysterious killer begins to murder the sorority sisters one by one. 

REVIEW

The House On Sorority Row is one of the hundreds of slasher films to come out during the 80s with the success of Halloween and Friday The 13th. I think what sets this one apart from the others is that it centers more on mystery and being creepy where the others centered on just gore/nudity.   Now, while I like my gore and nudity, mysteries always peak my interest and leave me wanting to know what's going to happen next.  This film is very similiar to Prom Night in dealing with an accident leading to death, the group keeps it a secret, and then it comes back to bite them in the ass because someone knows what they did. That someone gets revenge by murdering the group one by one.  So, while the story isn't exactly original, it still draws me into what's going on. It also helps that the film is well paced and keeps you entertained from beginning to end. The script by Mark Rosman while your standard slasher, it's still an interesting story and an even more interesting situation. It keeps you thinking what you would do if you happened to fall into this horrible situation.

The characters, while not fully developed except for the lead Katie and the bitchy Vicki, are still pretty humorous to watch. I believe the character that is developed the most is that of Mrs. Slater. We, the audience, knows exactly why she is acting so mean to these girls. The woman had a miscarriage when originally she thought she couldn't conceive a child. To have a miracle happen and then to have that miracle taken away would obviously make someone either majorly depressed or like Mrs. Slater.  I also found the doctor character to be very interesting even if his part was small.

         The House On Sorority Row focuses more on suspense, tension, and mystery rather than the slasher usuals like I mentioned before. It still has a few breasts exposure and some decent gory sequences. The severed head in the toilet has got to be my favorite part of the movie.  I also really enjoyed the scene where the blonde is playing a music box and then gets impaled with the cane from behind.  We also get a scene where the cane slashes into a girl's throat. Pretty decent but minimal on the gore in this film.

      I was definitely digging the theme song that is played through out. It's a musical chime that comes from this little toy music box and is creepy as hell.  The other music was okay. I fucking hated the music played by that band at the graduation party though. I seriously wish that guy got his through slashed to stop my ears from exploding.

Mark Rosman does great in the director's chair. He gives the sorority house a very creepy atmosphere and inserts the music chime in all of the right places keeping you a little on edge. I love the build up to some of the kills and especially love the part in the attic towards the end.  Just a nice job by Mr. Rosman.

The acting had its ups and downs here. I really bought  Kate McNeil as the "final girl" Katie and Eileen Davidson as the bitchy Vicki. Lois Kelso Hunt did the best performance in the film as Mrs. Slater. Christopher Lawrence was decent as Dr. Beck. Everybody else was just okay. Nobody else really stood out to me aside from these four.

Overall, The House On Sorority Row is  definitely worth a rental and a watch. Hell, I would even recommend I buy. Granted, I did kinda predict who the killer was about half-way through the movie, but it's still a suspenseful horror film nonetheless.  I'm very curious in seeing the remake Sorority Row coming to theaters Friday.  I read where this movie will definitely be re-released on DVD in November. I just love how misleading the poster art is since it looks more like a softcore porno than a slasher flick. Definitely worth a rental and a watch. Hell, even buy it if you really like it.  Welcome to the house on Sorority Row where nothing is off limits!

RATING

3/4 STABS

In the late summer of 2007, Rob Zombie unleashed his version of Halloween to movie theaters nation-wide. The remake of the 1978 classic received mixed reviews among horror fans, but it also received favorable box office success. This could only mean one thing, which was to make a sequel. While at first, Rob Zombie refused to make the sequel, he soon changed his mind when Dimension was not having much luck in finding the right person to helm the project.  It was soon announced that Rob Zombie was returning to write and direct his follow up Halloween II.  While fans of his remake were excited and very interested to see what he came up with, those that hated his first shot at Halloween lashed out at the announcement. I will admit that I was pretty interested and curious to see what Zombie would come up with. That of course was until I saw the first trailer in which it revealed that Michael Myers sees his deceased mother provoking him to kill. The theatrical release for Halloween II also happened to be the same as The Final Destination, which made for a box office tug of war between the two sequels.  Then the reviews started popping up being mainly negative, which left me with very bottom of the barrel expectations. Not because they were by haters of the remake, but because over half of them were by fans of it. Now, as many of you know from reading my previous review for Zombie's remake that I was an avid fan of it. Sure, it had some flaws and wasn't perfect, but I liked that Zombie added something new to the Halloween legacy. While, I can see where he was trying to go with Halloween II however, I felt that it was good ideas and poor execution leading to a disjointed mess that should have been so much better.

PLOT

Halloween II picks up exactly right where the remake left off. Laurie Strode has shot Michael Myers and is walking down the street covered in blood traumatized at all of the horrific events that she encountered. Sheriff Brackett shows up and Laurie is taken to the local hospital. Meanwhile, some paramedics pick up Michael's body and are taking it to the hospital when they accidentally hit a cow that's in the middle of the road. Michael soon awakes and murders the paramedic violently. He makes his way to the hospital where Laurie is and starts to massacre any and every person that gets in his way of finding his baby sister.  We jump a year later and learn that Laurie is currently living with her best friend Annie and Sheriff Brackett (Annie's father).  She has been going to therapy to try to stop the nightmares of Michael.  Meanwhile, Michael's old doctor Dr. Sam Loomis who survived last year's Halloween night massacre is now wealthy because of the success of his new book regarding Michael and the victims he has claimed. The families of Michael's victims all hate Loomis and blame him for Michael escaping Smith's Grove.  Laurie soon discovers from reading Loomis' book that she is in fact the baby sister of the man that has made her life a living hell. She handles this anger by going to a Halloween party and getting drunk off her ass. Meanwhile, we find out that Michael has been living in some shack in the middle of nowhere and is driven by visions of his deceased mother and child self. On Halloween, he returns leaving yet again another major body count of random people in search of Laurie. The thing is that Laurie and Michael have been both seeing their deceased mother and young Michael.  Michael finds his way to the Brackett's home and comes face to face with Laurie in a surprisingly interesting conclusion.

REVIEW

Halloween II is basically a mixed bag for me as both a Halloween fan and a Rob Zombie fan.  While I really like the idea of where Zombie was headed here, it just felt poorly executed. Some things that were interesting weren't explored to where they made sense.  First off, I will talk about what I actually enjoyed about Rob Zombie's Halloween II before getting into what I had problems with.

The first ten to fifteen minutes I thought were actually pretty good except for that ambulance driver that said the word "fuck" about twenty times before he was slaughtered by Michael. I liked where we open with Laurie traumatized about shooting Michael and of the horror that she experienced that Halloween night.  The whole hospital thing was solid in my opinion too and also a bit creepy. This was the only part of the movie that was kinda like the sequel to the 1978 classic. Now, many are saying that this Halloween II was a remake of the 1981 Halloween II and that is simply not the case here. The only part of the movie that you could say was like the 1981 Halloween II is the hospital scene at the beginning. Everything else is purely a sequel to the 2007 remake.  I liked the killing of the nurse where she's stabbed numerous times. Also, I enjoyed the chase between Michael and Laurie in the hospital. 

    In the remake, Annie and Sheriff Brackett barely had much screen time, but here I liked that they were more fleshed out especially Sheriff Brackett.  While, I hated the fact that Annie gets killed in this one where she actually survived the remake, but we all knew it was going to most likely happen that she would be killed off in the sequel. I really liked Sheriff Brackett in this movie especially at how you could see exactly how torn up he was as a father to find his daughter slain by Myers.  I know many have complained about how Dr. Loomis is a fucking money hungry douche bag in this movie, but I found it to be a quite interesting different direction for Zombie to go with the character. He's no longer hunting Michael down. Loomis came off probably more crazy than Michael in the original franchise in how obsessed he was in killing him for all that is good. I really wasn't impressed with Malcolm's portrayal of the character in the remake, but I actually thought he played greedy Loomis quite well. I know it's a like it or hate it direction for the character, but I found it to be quite an interesting character change. The guy is obsessed in killing Michael and stopping him from getting Laurie then writes a best seller that exploits Michael's victims and mayhem. Then he becomes hungry for cash because of his book's success. I guess I liked it because it was a change and not the same Loomis that we have seen in six movies.

     I found the murders to be quite brutal and love how he just comes out of the blue giving you a sudden heart attack.  There's also a scene where Michael kills a dog and eats it, which was implied in the original Carpenter classic. I mean the guy's gotta eat right?  The scenario where he hides out in a shack all year until around or on Halloween was quite interesting. I had always wondered where he was when it wasn't October and this makes plenty of sense even though it kinda reminds me a little bit of Friday The 13th Part 2 where Jason would live in a shack in the middle of the woods.  Many have complained about the dream/vision stuff and why Laurie would see the same visions as Michael does. I personally believe that what Michael is seeing is very symbolic.  Zombie has basically left it to the audience to make sense to themselves what these visions are and what they represent. 

  I've always believed that there are two sides to every human being. We have our good half and our evil half. I tend to look at Michael Myers in the sense that he slowly lost his human side at ten years old. The vision of young Michael represents the little kid Michael or should I say the actual person Michael Myers, while the vision of his mother represents The Shape (his dark and evil side). Now, his Shape identity is the killer that we all know and love, while Michael as a person is a nice guy that was taken over by his dark side and turning him into a monstrous killer that no longer has a soul. He sees things not as black and white or grey but just pure darkness.  I don't know, maybe I'm reading too much into him, but that's just my thoughts.  I'm still a little confused at what the white horse represents. I'm thinking maybe it's supposed to be like his legacy of The Shape.

I truly believe that Laurie was born with a little bit of The Shape in her blood, which is why she is seeing the exact same things as Michael. And not to mention the fact that they are blood related. It would actually make some sense.  I think that The Shape is in the form of the mother since she was the only person that Michael really loved aside from his baby sister.  I think towards the end of the movie, The Shape was trying to take her over completely so she would turn out to be just like Michael, a soulless killer.  This stuff I really liked if only it were explored more where it actually made more sense than leaving you guessing what it all means. Also, I really was digging the ending of the movie and liked how Laurie came out of the shack wearing Michael's mask and the very ending just before the credits I felt was good even though I think it should have had more time to build up to it.

Now, it's time for the flaws of the movie that really dragged what should have been a good follow up to the remake down.  I think the worst choice that Zombie made was not having the Halloween theme in the movie and just having it during the end credits. It just didn't fully feel like a Halloween movie with out the famous musical score.  There were plenty of places that Zombie could have inserted to like the hospital scene or during some of the vicious kills. Another thing that really bugged me was that the film felt disjointed. We go from a good first ten to fifteen minutes to Laurie hanging with two alcoholic party girls to Loomis being a douche to Michael killing random assholes back to Laurie and her friends to dream sequences all leading to the finale.  I also hated the over-kill stuff. Michael would sometimes stab a victim like thirty fucking times while grunting (?) and even after they're already dead, then he would continue stabbing the corpse. Alright, the guy is dead, I get the fucking point, let's move on already!

 Another thing that bothered me is the white trashy talk like with that ambulance driver who kept talking dirty then would say "fuck" about twenty fucking times before Michael finally gashed his throat open. What the hell was the point of him anyway? The major one is that strip club scene that I could have easily done with out. It felt so out of place and not to mention the characters in it didn't interest me one fucking bit. And then there was the two party girls (I can't fucking remember what their names were) that Laurie hung out with. These girls did absolutely nothing for the movie, but made for death scenes.  And the one that actually pissed me off was when Laurie finds out that Michael is her brother and goes to get drunk. Now, I can understand that when someone is messed up that they usually hit the bottle to forget about their problems, but this did absolutely nothing for the movie except create un-needed material.  Also, what was the point of that sequence between Loomis and Weird Al? That was not needed, but I guess Zombie wanted to sqeeze in more cameo appearances. 

      On a more positive note, I really thought the vision/dream sequences were shot beautifully and thought that the cinematography as a whole was more than decent.  I just wish that Zombie had kept the pacing on track like he did with the remake instead of going in many different other directions all at once.  I understand that he wanted to create his own thing, but he didn't have to add a bunch of nonsense in with actual interesting scenarios.

The script was jumbled up, but with in were very interesting ideas that should have been explored more than to just add random brutal kills for the sake of it and he should have used the Halloween music through out the film instead of waiting till the end credits.  His direction was good in some areas and confusing in others.

The acting was good and bad here for me. I thought Tyler Mane was fantastic as Michael Myers.  Granted, we do have some instances of Mane not wearing the mask, but his face is covered in a lot of shadows, which made him kinda creepy looking. I know many complain about the mask being ripped in half. But, I thought it actually looked interesting because it's like one side is human Michael and the other is The Shape. Pretty cool concept I thought. Scout Taylor Compton is good and sometimes bad as Laurie. I don't think it's her fault, but the way her character was written didn't really help much. But, she had me with her being traumatized, screaming, and definitely had me smiling at the very end of the movie. Danielle Harris is great as before playing Annie. At least this time we got to know her more asa character unlike the remake. I thought Brad Douriff was awesome as Sheriff Brackett here especially when he find's Annie has been killed.  Sheri Moon Zombie was alright as the vision of Deborah Myers. She's not anything like how she was in the remake though. Chase Vanek did okay as the vision of young Michael, but Daeg was way better in the remake. And Malcolm McDowell as Loomis was very different this time around as a greedy and money hungry douche bag. Since McDowell is best at playing villains or bad guys, I thought he made a good portrayal of a greedy asshole here. I actually clapped when he got killed by Michael, which is something I had never in my wildest dreams imagined that I would be happy to see. There were a few cameos like one being the lovely Caroline Williams from both The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and The Stepfather 2.  Zombie didn't go fully nuts with the cameos in this one like he did the remake.

     I will also say that I liked that the white trashy stuff wasn't used nearly as much as in Zombie's previous films.

Overall, Halloween II had some great ideas but landed in the middle because of poor execution and exploration of them. If you're a die hard Halloween fan or even a Rob Zombie fan then you'll most likely be disappointed. If you hated the remake then you definitely will want to stay away from this film. Here's hoping that the Director's Cut is actually the better movie.  Until next Halloween, Trick or Treat baby!

RATING

2/4 STABS

TRICK OR TREAT: THE HALLOWEEN LEGACY

In 1978, John Carpenter changed the horror genre forever with his simple story of small town babysitters stalked by an escaped mental patient who murdered his older sister on Halloween night at the age of six fifteen years ago titled Halloween. The movie seemed to be a bomb when first released to the public and many people didn't find it interesting. All of a sudden, the box office began to get more and more and more shocking Halloween's executive producer Irwin Yablans and the man behind the boogeyman John Carpenter himself.  The eighties brought on Friday The 13th and many Halloween immitators. Moustapha Akkad got the offer to make a sequel. Reluctantly, John Carpenter and his co-writer/producer decided to come on board to write the script that gave the original's heroine Laurie Strode a connection to the Shape by revealing her to be his younger sister. Halloween II was pretty successful and so it was established to make a third film. This time, Akkad wanted to dismiss the Michael Myers story and try something different that became known as Halloween III: Season of the Witch.  It was hated by the avid Halloween fans, so Akkad decided to bring Myers back with Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, which brought back Haddonfield, The Shape, and his arch nemesis Dr. Loomis. It was said that Laurie was killed in a car crash, but she had a daughter named Jamie Lloyd who became Michael's next target along with anyone that got in his way. The film is most known for its shocker ending and made tons of cash. Feeling over successful, Akkad and company rushed into making Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers before the script had been finalized. It came to theaters in 1989, exactly one year after Halloween 4. The film didn't go over too well with fans and introduced some things that raised more questions than answers. About four or five years past and Akkad had trouble finding the right story for Halloween 6. Meanwhile, Miramax's Dimension Films bought the rights to the franchise. A die hard Halloween fan came aboard to write the script and made a bold move by providing an explaination to why The Shape can't die. Unfortunately, they had a screening in which a 14 year old kid said that the ending sucked, so they re-edited and released Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers to theaters that pissed off fans and made for a confusing mess of a movie that made no sense. Sadly, soon after completing additional dialogue for the film, Donald Pleasance who portrayed Dr. Loomis in the franchise passed away in England in 1995.

        A few years later, Jamie Lee Curtis who played Laurie Strode in Halloween and Halloween II mentioned that she would like to come back into the franchise to make something fresh with it. This idea interested Akkad, which brought on Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later in 1998 that capitalized on the success of 1996's smash hit Scream. H20 was a direct sequel to Halloween II and ended with Laurie chopping off her brother's head with an axe. The film did massively well and could have been a great end to a loving franchise.

  Unfortunately for Halloween fans, Akkad and company got greedy and did the daring thing of making the god awful Halloween Resurrection. In that film, Michael finishes off Laurie at the opening and ends with Michael being karate chopped by rapper Busta Rhymes.  Resurrection was hated by a great majority of horror fans alike and the franchise seemed dead and buried.  Message boards discussed what Halloween 9 should be like. In 2003,  New Line in association with producer Michael Bay released their remake of the horror classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The remake did so well financially that other filmmakers decided to pitch in including Dimension for a Halloween reboot.  All Halloween fans were outraged when told the news since most of the remakes that came out were mere shapes of their originals.  Then, it was confirmed that rock musician/filmmaker Rob Zombie would be writing and directing the remake.  For Zombie fans and even some not familiar with his work, this was a dream come true that a horror fan was going to be remaking the most famous horror film of all time.  I know because I was one of them and will say while Carpenter's 1978 classic will always be the best Halloween and my personal favorite, Zombie's remake brought a new perspective of Michael Myers that nobody had seen before. While it does have a mixed audience, I won't deny that I was personally digging Zombie's exploration through the eyes of horror cinema's greatest villain.

PLOT

 On Halloween, ten year old Michael Myers brutally murders his older sister Judith, her boyfriend Steve, and his mother's alcoholic/abusive boyfriend Ronnie. He's sent to Smith's Grove eleven months later after being taken into custody. There, his doctor Sam Loomis tries to find out what would make such a young boy want to kill people and animals. One day, Michael snaps and murders a nurse violently. His mother realizes that he is no longer her loving son, but a totally violent monster and ends off killing herself leaving her baby daughter Boo to be taken in by the Police.  Fifteen years pass and Loomis can't reach Michael since he's become silent ever since murdering the nurse.  While about to take Michael to a maximum security prison, he snaps and violently murders the staff before escaping the mental hospital.  Michael returns to his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois and retrieves a blank white mask, a knife, and steals a jump suit he stole after killing a truck driver. Meanwhile, Michael's sister Boo is now a very good looking seventeen year old named Laurie Strode who happens to drop off a key at the Myers house which her father is selling. Michael sees her and realizes that she is in fact his baby sister. On Halloween night, Michael wrecks havoc on Laurie and her friends that will become a Halloween night massacre.

REVIEW

 Rob Zombie's remake of Halloween is pretty solid in many areas. Granted, the film isn't perfect and many will most likely hate it, but I won't deny that I like the direction Zombie took with Michael.  I still prefer the more boogeyman like Michael that Carpenter created, but Zombie's violent killing machine is pretty cool with me.  First off, I would like to talk about what worked before I get into my problems with it.  Zombie could have easily remade Halloween shot by shot like Gus Van Sant did with Alfred Hitchcock's classic Psycho, but he wanted to make something different than the horror classic and I truly respect the man for that.  Many will say that Zombie ruined Carpenter's Halloween. That's not true because you can still go watch the original classic over and over again. It ain't going anywhere. With Zombie's version, we get an entirely different look and feel of  Halloween. Hell, even John Carpenter told Zombie to make it his own and that's precisely what he did. He took many of the classic sequences from Carpenter's classic and added twists and turns to them while also adding his own stuff too. 

      Many were pissed because of Zombie providing a back story for Michael. Okay, well it ain't much of a back story, it's more like showing more of the day that he would commit his family massacre.  Most prequels ruin characters by providing motive to why they are the way they are. If you notice in the movie, Michael has a private hobby of killing animals. Okay, it's never explained how long that he's been doing this. He could have been killing animals since he was old enough to even pick up a knife. If that's the case then it wouldn't make a difference if he had the perfect family in the first place because either way he would have ended up being a vicious killer. The thing with him killing animals as a child is very true with real life serial killers. Most start out with something small then as they get older they begin to do the same to people. This is someone who was born to kill. He doesn't kill because his mommy's boyfriend beat him. He doesn't kill because of some bullies at school. He doesn't kill because his older sister is a bitch. And he doesn't kill because his mother is stripper. The guy has always had this dark side that was just itching to be unleashed on the town. I look at it more as he was a ticking bomb and the abuse unleashed the shape (his evil persona).

     I loved the scene in which he murders the sister in the hallway, which is pretty fucking brutal while wearing the mask that he will wear again as an adult. The death of Judith's boyfriend was also very insane where Michael just bashes the dude's brains out with a baseball bat and I cheered on the death of Ronnie where Michael duct tapes him to the chair before slitting his throat.  The killing of the school bully was cool too where Michael beats him to death with a tree branch. I also loved how Zombie included Carpenter's original score when young Michael is following the bully into the woods.  The scene after Michael kills his family and is sitting on the front porch with his baby sister is good too. I love that the camera does an overhead shot and we see the clown mask sitting up on his head and the way the light hits it the eye holes are completely black. Just a great cinematography moment right there.

    The Smith Grove stuff was pretty interesting too since we didn't get any of that in the original.  I also loved that Michael didn't remember the murders when talking to Loomis and that he made masks to cover up his real face. It's like he was trying to find the perfect face for his dark side to have. I also dug when his mom tells him to remove the mask, he said "It hides my ugliness."  The scene where he snaps and kills the nurse was really good. I love when his mom tries to remove his mask that he lashes at her like a wild animal and the expression on her face was like she didn't know who he was and was scared of him. She finally saw the evil side of him and took her life because she lost the people that meant the world to her being her kids.  I also liked that Zombie threw in a staff member that was good and one that was sadistic. I thought that was pretty interesting. Michael killing the guy that was good to him was a pretty funny scene but it also at the same time showed that this guy was really evil.  He feels nothing when he kills. He's like a rabid dog that kills because he loves doing it. He enjoys what he does and leaves nobody to talk about it.

      I really love the way he escapes too. Now, there are two different versions of how he escapes Smith Grove. In the rated version, some guards are escorting him in shackles and he breaks the shackles and kills the guards brutally. In the Director's Cut, the sadistic staff member Noel Kluggs and his cousin drag some woman into Michael's room and gang rape her which sets Michael off to kill the two rapists. Now, I love the Unrated version, but the escape scene in the rated was a hell of a lot better for me. The whole rape felt not needed to me and didn't feel like it belonged in the movie.

      Getting to the three teen girls being Laurie, Annie, and Lynda.  I love the way these characters were displayed because they felt like real teenage girls with their sexual dirty talk and joking around.  Granted yes, they aren't the same as in the original Halloween, but they worked fine for this remake in my opinion.  I like that Laurie is more spicy than just a virginal babysitter that's kinda book wormish. Totally different from the original Laurie, but I still dug it. And plus she looked fucking hot so I can't complain.  I think the one that was closest to the original character was Annie.  She's still a smartass and plus she's played by Danielle Harris from Halloween 4 and 5. Plus, did I mention we get to see her fucking topless? I gotta tell you, I was fucking cheering screaming "It's about fucking time!"  Lynda is kinda bitchy this time around unlike the giggly "totally" version in the original. But, she was pretty hot and sounded like a girl that got kicked off the cheerleading squad so it's cool with me.  I was also liking Tommy and Lindsey in this version. They sounded and acted like real kids much like how they were in the original. The scenes with Laurie joking around with Tommy were pretty entertaining too.

      I love the fact that Zombie casted Brad Douriff who played Chucky the killer doll to play Sheriff Brackett. He wasn't as great as Charles Cyphers' portrayal, but I thought he did alright. Dr. Loomis here was okay, but didn't engage me like Pleasance did in the original. One of my favorites was Deborah Myers. She seemed like a caring mother that was struggling to get by, but still loved her children.  I loved the scenes between Michael and his mom and thought that they were really strong.  

         The twists that Zombie added, I really dug like showing characters that were mentioned in the original but never really shown. For example, we get introduced to Laurie Strode's parents (well foster parents) and we get to see Paul (Annie's boyfriend who was just a voice on the phone in the original portrayed by Carpenter himself). 

      As far as what Zombie kept from Carpenter's version and some more twists of his own that he added, we got some interesting things. I really like that he kept that part where Bob gets killed and stabbed up on the wall while Michael slightly tilts his head. I also enjoy the insertion of a lot of Carpenter's original music that in some areas, Tyler Bates added something wicked to. I loved the scene where Laurie's foster dad gets killed mainly because it made me jump out of my seat.  I love how Lynda still gets strangled to death while talking on the phone. Oh and I loved that one character that was killed in the original survives in this one. Let's just say Zombie keeps some great stuff from Carpenter, but adds his own spin to where you are guessing what's going to happen next.

 Many have complained about the billion cameos through out the movie. I actually found it to be kinda cool seeing old faces again especially a Halloween movie nonetheless. From the Zombie usuals to Clint Howard, Udo Kier, Dee Wallace, and Danny Trejo. 

 Now, I do have some complaints about the film.  The whole white trash thing kinda got on my nerves a bit. I mean it works fine for films like House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects, but not so much in a Halloween film.  I love the good build up of young Michael and the Smith's Grove stuff, but the remake portion felt too rushed. As far as the characters go, we got to know  who Laurie was, but Annie and Lynda kinda felt like cannon fodder.  I just didn't have enough time to fully get to know Lynda before she was killed by Michael.  Some of the dialogue was kinda odd in areas and some of it became a bit laughable.  I didn't really like the idea of Michael's mom being a stripper and didn't like the Ronnie character at all. I just feel that it would have been even more effective to make it where he came from a normal household like in the original.  Loomis again, I wasn't totally feeling the character that much.  If Michael is a human being that's psychotic then how the fuck can he burst through doors. He must be pretty fucking strong. I also wish that Sheriff Brackett had been in the movie more than he was.  Just little flaws here and there that bothered me.

  The look of the film is dark and great. I know people have complained about the shaky cam, but I say it's like the camera guy is trying to run from Michael too. I was also really loving the ending to this movie. There was also an alternate ending on the dvd, but ti felt more like a rip off of Halloween 4, so I like that they stuck with the final ending. I love how after Laurie shoots Michael and blood sprays in her face, she begins screaming her lungs out as the picture fades showing an old family film of young Michael holding baby Laurie as the classic Halloween theme plays. Just great stuff there.

The script had it's problems, but wasn't a bad attempt at all by Rob Zombie. Zombie did a fine job in the director's chair in my personal opinion. My only issue really is that the remake half rushed by so quickly where the prequel portion built up so nicely.

The acting was good and okay here. I thought Tyler Mane and Daeg Faerch did good as both adult and young Michael Myers. Scout Taylor Compton was excellent as Zombie's version of Laurie Strode and man can that girl scream!  She definitely should have a good future as a horror Scream Queen and that's for damn sure.  Danielle Harris fit into the role of Annie perfectly. It was great seeing her back into the Halloween world even if it was as a different character and damn she has very nice breasts! Kristina Klebe was good as Zombie's version of Lynda. I just wish we got to know her more, but she did say the word totally a few times, so I gotta give her credit there. She too had very nice boobs and a nice lower region too in the Director's Cut. Malcolm McDowell was iffy as Dr. Loomis in my opinion. I mean the man is a marvelous actor, but I just wasn't really feeling his portrayal of Loomis here. Brad "Chucky" Douriff was good as Sheriff Brackett. Again, I wish we got to know his character more. One of my favorites though was Sheri Moon Zombie as Michael's mother Deborah Myers. I know a lot of people give Zombie shit for casting his wife in all of his movies, but this in my opinion was her best performance.  All in all, not bad casting here again in my personal opinion.

       Overall though, Rob Zombie's take on Halloween is actually a pretty interesting story. While not everyone's cup of tea, it still manages to do more right than wrong and has a place in the same universe as Carpenter's original classic. 

RATING

R Rated- 2.5/4 STABS

Director's Cut- 3/4 STABS

     In 2000, the horror films community was introduced to an original take on teen slashers with Final Destination where the villain was not a maniac in a mask, but the ultimate killer being death itself. The film made for financial success bringing on a new horror franchise with Final Destination 2 in 2003 and Final Destination 3 in 2006. Each installment kept the plot the same, but gave us different characters and even more creative death sequences. In all of the films, one of the teens have a horrific nightmare in which them and those around them are going to die at the hands of an accident whether it is an air plane, highway car crash, or by a rollercoaster. That teen freaks out and lets those around them know that there is about to be a huge accident that will kill everybody. After leaving the area, the accident happens leaving everyone shocked. Then one by one, the survivors begin dying in the same order as they would if they had not left the area. The films usually have something that tells the lead teen how and who will be next and ends with death coming back after them. The newest installment entitled The Final Destination has the same concept as the others, but is the goriest Final Destination movie and did I mention that it's in fucking 3D?

PLOT

Nick, his girlfriend Lori, and their friends Hunt and Janet are enjoying themselves at a race car track. All of a sudden, one of the race cars flips and crashes through the gate killing people. Nick realizes that it was a nightmare, but then discovers that he saw what is about to happen.  In a panic, he urges everybody that they are in serious danger. Soon after Nick, his friends, and a group of five exit the stadium, the crash happens just like Nick said.  Pretty soon, the survivors begin dying off one by one in bloody accidents.  This time, death not only wants these people dead, but he wants the audience to experience his mayhem literally right in front of their faces.

REVIEW

 The Final Destination was just a fucking fun and thrilling time for any fan of this franchise. Sure, it's on the same caliber as the two sequels that came before it, but what it does do is entertain you.  The biggest difference between this film and the other three installments  is the 3D gimmick and by having the craziest death scenes possible.  I personally believe that this film has Final Destination 2 beat with its creative death scenes.  I'll return to the goodies in which we get the pleasure of seeing, but first I want to discuss the characters and the script.

 The characters for The Final Destination are pretty shallow much like how many of the characters were in Final Destination 2. Nick, his girlfriend Lori, and the security guard at the race track named George were the only characters that I was actually interested in really. Oh yeah, Nick's buddy Hunt had some humorous moments so I give him credit for having a personality at least. Everybody else was more or less just cannon fodder for the awesome death scenes. We got Janet who was pretty hot yes, but she didn't do anything for me as a character.  Charlie was a fucking douche bag probably because he saw his wife get her head crushed by a flying race car tire.  We also get a hot MILF named Samantha.  And then there was that fucking racist prick who is upset because his wife didn't survive, yet is the most irritating character in the film and thank the lord that he was the first to go.  Getting back to  George the security guard, I truly felt for this guy since it is mentioned that his family was killed in a car accident in which he was driving. Nick and Lori were pretty likeable I guess and I will say that Lori was fucking hot. All in all, the characters should have been fleshed out more and have been three dimensional just like the film was.

  The script written by Eric Bress who also co-wrote Final Destination 2 does an okay job. The dialogue comes off a bit unintentionally humorous at times, but it could have been worse. I really love the fact that this film kinda pokes fun at itself and the franchise as a whole. For example, there is a coffee shop called Deadly Caffeine or something along those lines.  I was really digging the recap of some of the famous deaths from the first three films during the opening credits.  That race car accident was fucking insane especially in 3D! There's people getting fucked up all over the place and I loved it.  I did have some issues with the film though mainly being that it felt rushed. Don't get me wrong, it's quick paced and entertaining, but it felt like how fast a ride at the local theme park goes by. I just wish it were at least 91 minutes is all. The biggest problem I had though goes to the ending, which is definitely the weakest of the Final Destination endings. But overall, the script was not so bad.

Now it's time for the moment you have all been waiting for, the death scenes. The deaths as I've said before are quite possibly the best deaths of the franchise, well in my opinion anyway. We got a chick that gets her head knocked off with a flying race car tire, dude gets sucked all the way through a small hole at the bottom of a swimming pool, a flying rock thrown from a lawn mower into a woman's eye, hit by an ambulance, dragged down the street on fire, crushed, impaled by a flying missile looking thing, and my favorite being torn to shreds by an escalator.  While, I fucking love the race car accident at the beginning, my favorite has got to be the shopping mall/movie theater disaster scene. I love how one of the survivors is watching a 3D movie at the theater and in the film she's watching there's a bomb about to go off and when it hits zero, an explosion occurs that rips through the movie screen and fucking slaughters everybody in the audience. Gotta love the movie with in a movie routine! That's gotta be my favorite part of this installment and of the franchise so far.

The thing that made this movie thrilling alongside the deaths was the 3D gimmick, which works marvelously I must say. It just truly adds to the deaths and makes them even more insane. There's also some instances where the blood comes off the screen, which I thought was pretty cool.  And that topless chick looked nice even though it wasn't as great as the scene in My Bloody Valentine 3D.

The direction by Final Destination 2 director David R. Ellis is actually pretty good and I will say that it's actually a step up from Final Destination 2. The film looks nice and the pacing leaves you entertained all of the way up to the end credits.  I will complain that the film is too short for a Final Destination movie, but I still enjoyed myself nonetheless.  I could tell that some CGI work was used along with the practical stuff, but that's just a minor problem I had.

The acting much like with Final Destination 2 ranges from decent to okay here. Granted, these films aren't known for great acting except for the original. Bobby Campo did an alright job as the main character Nick. Shantel VanSanten was hot and decent as Nick's girlfriend Lori. Nick Zano was kinda funny as Hunt. The best actor to me was Mykelti Williamson as George. Krista Allen was just hot as the MILF Samantha. Haley Webb was hot, but was nothing special as Janet. Andrew Fiscella was a dick as Charlie. And Justin Welborn was the biggest fucking prick as the racist douche bag. The acting was nothing special here.

Overall, The Final Destination is still a fun and thrilling movie much like the two sequels that came before it. Sure, it's got its flaws, but don't most sequels  have them? If you're looking for a fun time watching a 3D movie with some creative and insane gory deaths then definitely check this one out. If you're a Final Destination fan and like the sequels then check this movie out. Whether or not this is going to be the end of the franchise is beyond me. Probably not because it looks like it's doing pretty decent at the box office. So I guess until the next time death comes to movie theaters, I'll see you at the end!

RATING

3/4 STABS