Horrorfest: Starring Tom Hiddleston's Ass.

BACKCOUNTRY
(Adam MacDonald, 2015)
A young couple goes camping in the Canadian wilderness and comes face to face with a bloodthirsty black bear. A realistic horror film, it's sort of like last year's Willow Creek in that there's some tension that grows steadily between the pair and there's a lot of terror to be had in a tent. Claustrophobic direction alternately helps and hinders the film's effectiveness. Likewise, the cinematography is a little too lush and there's too much shakey cam and blurring going on. A grittier, less showy approach would have been more suitable. That said, there's still a lot of suspense. Missy Peregrym (Stick It!) and Jeff Roop star. GRADE: B

CRIMSON PEAK
(Guillermo del Toro, 2015)

After her father's death, a young woman moves into a rundown mansion in the middle of the British countryside with her new husband and his creepy sister. Big budgeted, old fashioned and stylish as can be! I'm hearing most people are disappointed this isn't the big horror film it was marketed to be, rather it's a gothic romance with ghosts and a bloody final act. (Not liking a film because it was different than what it was marketed to be is dumb.) I'm glad we live in a world where del Toro gets money to make something like this. I'd say in 10 years or so people will probably consider this a classic. If there's a major flaw it's that the actors are a little bland in their respective parts, though Jessica Chastain in the last act is pretty terrific. Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston and Charlie Hunnam star. GRADE: B+


DARK PLACES
(Gilles Paquet-Brenner, 2015)
Adaptation of Gillian Flynn's novel about a woman forced to reexamine what happened 30 years prior when her mother and several others were murdered in their Kansas farm house. Oooh boy, this is a mess. There's like four different movies happening here, and only one of them is of any interest. Of course, that's the one that the film spends the least amount of time with. Charlize Theron is given almost nothing to do other than assert to everyone how tough she is, while Nicholas Hoult makes puppy dog eyes at her. (Yeah, this union fared much better in Mad Max: Fury Road.) The plotline about the group that is obsessed with real life murders is the one that should have been at the forefront. Christina Hendricks, Chloe Grace Moretz and Corey Stoll co-star. GRADE: D+

MAGGIE
(Henry Hobson, 2015)

Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as a man in the post apocalyptic Midwest dealing with his daughter's infection, an infection that will slowly turn her into a zombie. Arnold is very understated in this bleak and morose drama, quite a departure from what we're used to seeing him play. Abigail Breslin is good as the soon-to-be undead girl, and there's a nice scene where she hangs out with her friends that felt more authentic and emotional than anything in The Fault In Our Stars in its depiction of teens nearing the end of their young lives. The film's monochromatic look is a giant cliche by now. Despite aiming for a more dramatic, less suspenseful tone, the film doesn't seem concerned about the fact that zombies are still roaming the planet. GRADE: C+



PUMPKINHEAD
(Stan Winston, 1989)
One of the only features to be directed by Winston, an Oscar-winning makeup and special effects artist who worked on everything from The Terminator to Aliens to Jurassic Park. Lance Henriksen stars a southern man whose son is accidentally killed by a group of hell-raising teenagers. With the help of a local witch, he unleashes a demon called Pumpkinhead to seek vengeance. This doesn't really turn into a horror movie until the last act and it's rare to see a movie from this generation that takes its time to build up to a bloodbath. I'm kind of surprised this hasn't been remade, but there are several sequels. There's very little joy in this film, even if its an entirely watchable entry in the late 80's horror era. GRADE: B-


STARRY EYES
(Kevin Kolsh and Dennis Widmyer, 2014)
An actress may have found the breakthrough role she's been waiting for, but it comes at a steep price. Indie horror film combines witchcraft/the occult, slasher and body possession for a shrewd take on the "price of fame" or "star is born" subgenre. Actress Alex Essoe is very good as the lead, and I suspect for both her and the filmmakers that their work here will lead to bigger - though not necessarily better - things. I'm not sure I like the film turning into standard slasher fare as I wish it had kept with the creepy occult and expanded on that aspect of the storyline. Nonetheless, this is a good film that deserves to find a cult following. Noah Segan and Pat Healy also appear. GRADE: B