FRIGHT FEST: SMALLS INVITES YOU TO BECOME ONE OF US WITH FREAKS

"Gooble Gobble, Gooble Gobble. We accept her, we accept her. One of us, one of us."

In Freaks, we follow a group of circus performers (including quite a few "freaks") as they go about their difficult lives, trying to find love and happiness. Dwarf Hans (Harry Earles) falls head over heels for the beautiful, but greedy and evil Cleo (Olga Baclanova). She almost immediately has Hans acting as an almost man-servant of sorts, buying her expensive gifts and waiting on her hand-and-foot. When she discovers he's even richer than she would have guessed, Cleo hatches a plan to marry him, poison him, and steal his fortune. Luckily for Hans, his fellow freaks won't allow such madness. There's also a subplot involving clown Phroso (Wallace Ford) and his girlfriend Venus (Leila Hyams).

Freaks is directed by Todd Browning, and actually stars real circus "freaks". For a film that runs at a swift 62 minutes, it does drag its feet at times. Luckily the scenes that follow the main plot of the film and any that include the "freaks" are actually fairly interesting and are fun to watch. Some of the "freaks" are unsettling to watch, but the film portrays these people as more than just sideshow attractions. They are regular people with their own lives, and their own hopes and dreams. In this way, Freaks is actually kind of progressive. 

The actors in Freaks aren't the best you'll see, and some words are hard to make out (due to some accents). That said, it's still cool to watch actual circus performers act in this film. They are all likable and relatable. The film has a strong atmosphere (it really feels like a circus), and some memorable scenes (like the wedding feast). It's also a bit freaky and creepy at odd moments (like the scene where the "freaks" start to gang up on Cleo).  

Freaks is a film where it's the "freaks" who are the normal ones, and it's two of the "normal" people that are really the freaks. It's also got a great message about tolerance and acceptance. It's certainly not a perfectly made film, but it's fairly charming, I LOVE it's message, and I was surprised at how much I emphasized with the "freaks". Freaks easily emerges as one of my new favorite films, and is an easy Halloween recommendation. 

4 STARS

And so ends another Fright Fest. As the creatures of the night go back into their slumber, I wish you all a very Happy Halloween and a pleasant rest of the year.

FRIGHT FEST: BLAIR WITCH FILMS

As part of the ongoing celebration of Halloween, I've decided to post my reviews of The Blair Witch Project and Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2.

The Blair Witch Project:  Simple, effective, creepy, and quite scary (There were a few parts that sent chils up and down my back). Perfectly captures the terror of being lost in the woods. Add onto that some seriously creepy, supernatural shit going down and you have a film that works surprisingly well. It's a plus that it moves at a pretty good clip, and doesn't overstay it's welcome. I also have to give props to the sound design which is great and effective. For a film that was only made on a budget of $60,000 (and that made a domestic gross of $140 million, worldwide total was 248 mil), I'm shocked at how well it holds up even 17 years later and at just how well made it was. The performances are believable (There are some bad lines though, not many), and the setting is a simple but terrifying. The Blair Witch Project may be the most successful film experiment I can think of, and it still stands as the best found footage horror film I've seen (They really should have stopped making found footage after this beauty). It's like a really good, scary, late night campfire story....one that I don't mind re-visiting. Naturally, it's highly recommended (There is also a good deal of shaky cam, so if you get motion sick maybe you should sit this one out....or just close your eyes when these parts happen and listen to the proceedings, trust me, you'll be just as scared).

5 STARS


Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2- You can tell that there may be a good film lying in here somewhere, but the studio done fucked it up! The film is edited to shit (so many cuts to the present and the past), the characters are unlikable, and the whole thing is confusing. There are some genuinely interesting ideas here (One example: If a group believes in a fictional thing hard enough, can that fictional thing be brought to life?), and the mystery at the heart of the film is actually an intriguing one. Unfortunately, the film throws all the puzzle pieces in a jumbled heap on the table and tells you to get to it. Figuring out what's really going on is just about impossible. It's clear that the group is suffering from severe hallucinations (sometimes even shared hallucinations), and that one or more may be possessed by The Blair Witch at different times. I suppose the simple answer is that the group is slowly being driven mad by The Blair Witch (which begs the question: Was The Blair Witch real all along, did the group inadvertently bring her to life by believing in her, or have they all been driven crazy by their love of The Blair Witch Project and it's folklore?). Either way, the film leaves you with many, many questions and tons of almost answers (and the film is assembled in such a way that finding the truth is a herculean task). Hopefully one day we'll get a directors cut, but as it stands now Book of Shadows is interesting, frustrating, and maddening. On the plus side, I actually kind of dug the score and I liked the setting of the warehouse.

2.5 STARS

FRIGHT FEST: OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! Every year, during the Halloween season I search for a film good enough to watch in theaters during October. This year, we got Ouija: Origin of Evil and Boo! A Madea Halloween. I chose the film that seemed to be the most Halloween-y, and sat down to watch Ouija: Origin of Evil. How was it?

It's 1967, and the Zander family (mother Alice, played by Elizabeth Reaser, and daughters Lina and Doris, played by Annalise Basso and Lulu Wilson respectively) has a pretty decent business going as fake mediums. When Alice purchases a Ouija board to spice up their act things start to turn sour fairly quickly. It would seem that youngest daughter Doris actually has psychic abilities, which sinister spirits are preying on. Can Alice and Lina, along with the help of Father Tom (Henry Thomas, aka Elliott from E.T.), rid Doris of her spiritual problem?

Ouija: Origin of Evil is actually a full fledged prequel to 2013's awful awful awful Ouija. Essentially, the studio is trying to legitimize that film posthumously. It's clear that Mike Flanagan (from hidden horror gem Oculus) is having a ton of fun here, and indeed Ouija: Origin of Evil is a pretty fun film though it gets pretty dark and bleak in it's last act and is never all that scary (There were a handful of scenes that gave me a few chills though).

The actors all do pretty good jobs. I like that we get the return of Annalise Basso, who was previously Young Kaylie in Oculus. She was one of the standouts in that film, and she's pretty great here. Henry Thomas is also fairly great and is in the film a good deal as Father Tom, the principal of the school the daughters attend. I'd say the standout (for me at least) was Lulu Wilson as Doris. She sold both of her roles perfect (cute, innocent little girl and creepy possessed medium/psychic), and was very likable and quite creepy and freaky when she needed to be.

As I said before, this IS a full fledged prequel to 2013's Quija, showing us the events of what happened in the Ouija house that led to Doris' angry vengeance in the first Ouija film. I don't understand why the studio didn't just decide to do an original story instead of try to breathe life into a failed film....but that said, Mike Flanagan and crew did a pretty good job with this prequel. Flanagan brought with him Jeff Howard (Co-writer of Oculus), The Newton Brothers (composers for Oculus), and Michael Fimognari (Cinematographer for Oculus). With Ouija: Origin of Evil essentially being an Oculus reunion, you would hope the film would be at least as great as Oculus. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Ouija: Origin of Evil isn't great, it's not even really super good. There isn't much death in the film, and most of the action takes place during the last 30 minutes or so of the film. It also doesn't help that the script just isn't all that good either.

All the negatives aside, Ouija: Origin of Evil is still entertaining and fun. It's certainly eons better than the first Ouija. While I didn't love this film, I certainly liked it and will gladly admit I enjoyed my time with the flick. It's not super memorable, but for a fun, creepy time I'd say it fits the bill fairly well. Ouija: Origin of Evil makes for a decent Halloween treat.

3 STARS

SMALLS VENTURES INTO NEW ADVENTURES AT ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE

 I'm a BIG fan of Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. I just recently got the chance to travel back to IOA to check out some of their newer attractions. Below are my thoughts.

Skull Island: Reign of Kong- This ride takes place in 1931, two years before the famous expedition led by Carl Denham in the film King Kong (That's right, this ride is kind of a prequel). We are part of The 8th Wonder Expedition Company, which has landed on the mystical Skull Island in an attempt to chart the island, record their findings, and hopefully discover the mythical Kong himself. As we wind our way through the dense, elaborately detailed queue we catch tidbits of info via radio communications and radio news broadcasts. It seems many strange things have been happening on Skull Island, and our expedition has fallen on turbulent times. We are tasked with assisting a supply run. Sounds simple and safe enough, right? WRONG! It doesn't take long for things to escalate from bad to worse and before we know it, we are battling various creatures which call Skull Island their home before coming face to face with the mighty Kong himself.

The queue itself is an impressive feat in it's own right. It's large and richly detailed. Right from the second you step foot in line, the story starts. The queue easily rivals Forbidden Journey. It gave me flashbacks to the queue for Indiana Jones Adventure in California, except more intense. In the first area, we wind through a dense jungle as the occasional expedition vehicle careens past us (Wave hi to the happy passengers, you'll be joining them shortly). Having the ride vehicle pass the queue is an ingenious way to ignite hype in the line, it certainly did exactly that for me.

The first interior room of the queue is pretty large with an animatronic native witch chanting a spell or curse in an attempt to reach out to Kong. The longer she chants, the more things start to intensify in the room. There are flashing lights, fire effects, tribal drums, chanting from the natives, screams, and more. It's quite a cool mini-show. The witch herself is extremely fluid and realistic. She's easily one of the best AAs I've seen. The remaining rooms in the queue include scareactors dressed as island natives (I passed several boo-holes, but didn't encounter any natives. I don't know if I just passed through at a bad time, or if Universal has already removed the natives from the queue due to complaining parents), and a supply room that comes complete with a realistic and freaky AA slug. The queue helps to tell the story of Kong, and is itself part of the experience of the ride. It's an odd thing to say, but the queue itself is far scarier than the actual ride.

Now, onto our expedition vehicles. These babies are a brand new ride system, rolled out specifically for Kong. The vehicles are trackless and self guiding (using wi-fi). They are 13 feet tall, 40 feet long, weigh 17 tons, the wheel height is 45 inches, and each vehicle can carry up to 72 people at a time (They also come with their own AA driver in the front carriage). In short, they are beasts. Each vehicle is highly detailed so they look like rough, rugged, expedition trucks that have been through a good deal. Riding in one that is filled with guests is quite a cool, surreal experience and the cars themselves help to add to the illusion that you are on Skull Island.

The ride itself is very cool and impressive. I wasn't in love with the 360 potion, but everything that came before and after was tops. I'm not going to go into much details about the ride portion, all I'll say is expect impressive sets, some good 3D/motion simulator portions, occasional water blasts, and one hell of a top notch Kong AA at the end (It feels right to have an AA Kong here, especially one that's as fluid, detailed and realistic as the one we got). All in all, I had spent years researching this ride and following the development of it. The hype for this bad boy was very much real, and the actual experience from the queue to the ride itself easily lived up to the hype. I was blown away by what I experienced in this ride, and would gladly ride it again. Expect long lines (I'd say the longest I would be willing to wait would be 70-75 minutes. The wait I encountered was only an hour), but to experience the next game changer, I'd say it's worth it.

Hulk 2.0- Hulk was a ride that changed my life. It is because of Hulk that I finally conquered my fear of coasters. Well, around a year or 2 ago, Universal tore down the old Hulk and re-built it. It has the same exact track layout as before, but with a new plot and updated queue. The story this time around is that General Thunderbolt Ross has been testing a new gamma radiation experiment on hapless volunteers (that would be us). He's dubbed it "Hulk-ification" (Yes, he's basically turning people in Hulks). The queue itself has never looked better. The music that plays throughout is super cool and kind of Rock-y. It's clear that there are constant experiments being performed as we wind our way up to the coaster (every time an experiment starts, there are lighting effects and a loud bass that plays. It does really feel like they are experimenting stuff in here). The layout of the queue is essentially the same, but the old familiar elements have been upgraded (The gamma core thingy at the front is now enclosed and redesigned so that it's constantly flowing with lines and sparks of electricity, and the old wires in water with bubbles have been turned into spiraling DNA Helixes that glow green). The Hulk coaster cars have also been completely redesigned (as has the launch tunnel. It still blasts off like before, but the inside of the tube looks more hi-tech and cool). The cars look like miniature beasts with glowing white eyes/headlights at the front. They look sleek, super-modern, and very cool. The ride also has a brand new on-board rock soundtrack composed by Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump (played via blaring floor speakers that blast the music towards your face). I was tossed around a little bit more than I remember being previously (I was sitting close to the back, so that could be a reason), but the coaster was pretty much exactly like how I remember it being, just enhanced a bit. If you loved the original Hulk, you'll likely love this updated version too.

Hot Butterbeer: Looks like coffee, has the consistency of Hot Chocolate, tastes like Butterbeer. This is how the beverage is served in the books, so I had to try it out for myself. What did I think? Well, it was weird and different, but not bad. As it stands, I would probably still opt for Frozen or Regular over Hot. I could see it being refreshing on a cold day, though.

So, there you have it. My review of all the new stuff I experienced while at Islands of Adventure. Remember, The Adventure Lives On!

FRIGHT FEST: CHUCKY IS SMALLS' FRIEND TO THE END IN CHILD'S PLAY

"Hi, I'm Chucky! Wanna Play?"

In Child's Play, notorious killer Charles Lee Ray (Brad Dourif) is gunned down in a toy store by detective Mike Norris (Chris Sarandon). In an act of desperation, he manages to transfer his soul into the closest item he can find: A Good Guy Doll. It isn't long before Karen Barclay (Catherine Hicks), a struggling single mom, purchases him as a birthday gift for her son, Andy (Alex Vincent). Seeking revenge against those who attempted to stop him, "Chucky" sets out on a new murder spree.

Child's Play is the film that introduced audiences to the psychotic Good Guy Doll known as Chucky. The character has become a horror icon, and is beloved by horror fans the world over. The movie itself is not as fondly remembered as Chucky himself though. Chris Sarandon (who voiced Jack Skellington in The Nightmare Before Christmas and portrayed Jerry Dandridge in Fright Night) plays the "good guy" of the film and does a fairly great performance. I'd still say his above-mentioned roles are easily more memorable and iconic than his role here though.

Alex Vincent's performance as Andy continues to get better as the film progresses onwards, and Catherine Hicks does a good job as his mom. Easily the standout performance here belongs to Dourif as Chucky. While we only see him in human form for around 5-10 minutes of the film, his voice work is phenomenal (plus, I love his yells/screams). It's super easy to buy him as "Chucky". The animatronics/stop-motion for Chucky are fairly fluid and believable, and clever camerawork is used at points when live actors are utilized for the doll.

Child's Play's is not ever all that scary, and tends to border on cheese a good deal of the time. The film itself is nowhere near as memorable as the horror icon it birthed (though it does have some good lines and a great death at the end). I'd still say it is easily worth a watch for Chucky alone, and it does have a pretty decent sized fun factor to it. Yes Chucky, I would love to play!

3.5 STARS

FRIGHT FEST: LET'S ALL GO TO THE LOBBY WITH DEMONS

In Demons, people are invited to a special screening of a horror film in a snazzy, renovated theater. Unfortunately, their evening of popcorn munching fun turns into a night of terror when audience members begin to turn into demons and attack the other patrons. Trapped in the theater with no escape, it's not long until an all-out bloody massacre commences.

This film was AWESOME! I'm getting it out right now: I loved this film. I have been a fan of film, theaters, and horror since I was young, so it's like this movie was tailor made for me. The idea of a movie theater beset by demons is a novel one, and it's a strong and cool enough premise to keep the fun rolling until the end credits. Yes, this is a movie that's set almost entirely inside a movie theater, and it's all the better for it. It definitely takes full advantage of it's cool setting.

If you like your horror films nice and bloody, Demons is the film for you. Gallons upon gallons of blood flow freely, and the deaths are brutal but fun. The demon designs are gnarly (but not of the highest quality), and there are tons of insane, fun action scenes. The action and kills are constant, so it's pretty hard to be bored here. The film itself is also extremely well shot with a ton of impressive, cool looking scenes.

The actual story is pretty simplistic but cool, and the characters aren't super well developed. The actors also tend to over-act a good deal of the time, and the dubbing is decent at best. While these aspects are normally pretty important in a film, I'd say that's not what Demons cares about. Demons just wants to show us an awesome, bloody, gory, cool time at the theater.

As if good kills, lots of blood, and a great setting weren't enough, Demons also provides us with a rockin' soundtrack consisting of nothing but rock and roll. While the ending is a little sudden and disappointing, everything that came before is so unapologetically awesome and fun that I'm willing to forgive this film most of it's flaws. Demons is pure B-movie goodness. If only there were some way I could actually watch this in a theater. Now THAT would be a meta experience!

4.5 STARS

FRIGHT FEST: SMALLS FALLS INTO A NIGHTMARE WITH PHANTASM

"You play a good game, boy. But the game is finished. Now you die."

Phantasm: 1. An apparition or specter.
                  2. A creation of the imagination or fancy; fantasy.
               

In Phantasm we follow Mike (A. Michael Baldwin), his older brother Jody (Bill Thornbury), and Jody's best friend Reggie (Reggie Bannister). After the funeral of one of their pals, Mike sees a strange and frightening sight: The Tall Man (The director of the funeral parlor, played by Angus Scrimm), picking up a heavy casket with ease. It quickly becomes clear that there are some strange events surrounding the funeral parlor and The Tall Man himself. When Mike and pals go to investigate, they are sent spiraling into a surreal, bizarre world where they struggle to find a way to defeat the Tall Man and escape with their lives.

The chemistry between our three heroes is quite strong, and it's easy to buy them as best friends. They all do great performances and are super likable. Angus Scrimm as The Tall Man is an imposing figure indeed that feels supernatural and threatening. He doesn't speak much, but stalks around the screen. Make no mistake about it, this is his film and he is in control. Scrimm easily emerges as a horror icon to remember.

Phantasm is bizarrely structured, but is done so on purpose. There is a reason this movie is called Phantasm, and that's because the film is meant to resemble a nightmare. The way it's shot and edited helps to drive this point home. Phantasm is a master class in creating a strong, rich atmosphere and a good deal of tension. I wouldn't go so far as to call it genuinely scary, but it is without a doubt very creepy, suspenseful, and weird.

Phantasm is a film that doesn't waste any of our time. It hits the ground running and doesn't let up until the end credits roll. Yes, it is campy, silly, and nonsensical but in my own opinion this helps add to the film's odd charm (it also oozes 70's style). With strong performances from the cast, a palpable atmosphere (and some really pretty shots), and a cool, creepy villain, I'd say Phantasm is definitely a film you should check out.

4 STARS

FRIGHT FEST: HALLOWEEN H20 IS THE ENDING THIS FRANCHISE DESERVES

In Halloween H20, we pick back up with Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) twenty years after the events of Halloween and Halloween 2. Still living in fear of her older brother, Laurie has changed her name and become the headmistress of a posh, gated, secluded prep school (she has essentially holed herself up there). Her son, John, lives there with her and attends the school. As Laurie struggles to overcome her growing paranoia (which always gets worse on Halloween), Michael returns one final time in an attempt to finish the job he started twenty years ago. Get ready for the final battle.

Jamie Lee Curtis is back in peak form (even getting to show she is still a Grade A scream queen in her opening scene). Curtis steps back into her iconic role with ease and finesse. Her role is meaty one, with plenty of internal conflict and psychosis she must battle (along with her brother, of course). Josh Hartnett is at his most likable here as her teenaged son, who only wants to go outside of the walls of the school. Laurie, naturally, strictly forbids this. Chris Durand steps effortlessly into the shoes of one of the most iconic slashers in film. His mask is kind of bad, but he is completely believable as Michael here. This is the return of Michael as we saw him in the first two Halloween films. Michael in this film is smart, fast, incredibly strong, and pretty cool. It just feels great to see the return of THE Michael Meyers. I've missed him dearly.

It's pretty awesome that they managed to rope Nancy Chambers back into the franchise. She reprises her role from the first Halloween, Marion Chambers (The nurse from the beginning that's first attacked by Michael, but survives. She wears the same outfit as she did in the original film. This a visual que to the audience as to who she is). It's also a nice surprise to see Joseph Gordon-Levitt pop up as Jimmy, a next door neighbor of Marion's. Both of these actors get very minimal screen time, but it feels good to have them here.

The beginning and ending of Halloween H20 are the strongest parts of this film, unfortunately the middle lags a good deal as we spend a decent amount of time focused on the prep school students. The characters are likable enough, but just aren't interesting. It also hurts that there aren't many Michael antics until the last 30 minutes or so of the film. That said, all the waiting pays off as the last battle is thrilling, epic, and pretty awesome.

Halloween H20 is not a perfect film, it often feels more like your typical 90's teen slasher than a Halloween film. Luckily, the characters of Michael and Laurie are perfect, and the film is filled with cool nods to the original (one example: Janet Leigh appears for one brief scene as Norma. Not only is this a nod to Psycho, which inspired the original Halloween a good deal, but in real life Leigh is Jamie Lee's mother). Halloween H20 sends the Halloween franchise off on the perfect note. Thank God they didn't make another awful, insulting sequel after this one.

3.5 STARS

FRIGHT FEST: SMALLS GOES FOR A RIDE WITH THE HITCHER

"I want you to stop me."

In The Hitcher, Teen Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell) is tasked with delivering a car to California. On the long drive there, he picks up a hitchhiker (Rutger Hauer) from the pouring rain. Unfortunately for Jim, this simple act of kindness has unforeseen, nightmarish consequences. Winds up that The Hitcher is a crazed psychopath who has been killing off whoever is unlucky enough to give him a ride. He almost immediately starts up a new game with Jim: Kill him, or be killed by him. Now, Jim must dig deep to find the strength (and maybe even the darkness) within himself if he is to survive the Hitcher's crazed game.

The Hitcher is a film with clear Western influences . It's set on a dusty, desolate highway and our hero is on his own for most of the film. It has numerous chase scenes (the police are on a manhunt for Jim because he's been framed for The Hitcher's various murders), the locations all feel empty and dead, and it even has a few cool shoot-outs. The film itself is essentially a tale of good man vs. bad man, and it's made clear that Jim is likely the only person who can stop The Hitcher.

C. Thomas Howell is absolutely perfect as Jim. He makes Jim a relatable, sympathetic everyman who is stuck in a never-ending nightmare where things keep getting progressively worse. I really loved Jim in this film, and felt for his difficult plight. Rutger Hauer is terrifying as The Hitcher. He manages to imbue his character with a supernatural quality. It feels like he could pop up just about anywhere at any time. C. Thomas Howell and Rutger Hauer work very well off of each other, and the scenes they share together are powerful.  Jennifer Jason Leigh co-stars as Nash, a waitress at a roadside diner who joins up with Jim later on in the film. She's also quite likable, though her screen time is minimal.

The film is pretty intense for most of it's run-time. We get very little breathing room, as things continually build until it's satisfying and cool climax. The Hitcher is a movie that has a smart script (by Eric Red), great direction (by Robert Harmon), and cool cinematography (by John Seale). It also makes many smart character decisions. The Hitcher is scary, thrilling, tense, super cool, super bleak/dark, and just all around awesome. I'd say it's easily one of my favorite horror films I've seen, and naturally it comes highly recommended.

5 STARS

FRIGHT FEST: SMALLS FIGHTS FOR HIS LIFE WITH ROB ZOMBIE'S 31

Why is it that I keep watching Rob Zombie films? I like the guy, but his films more often than not are terrible. Luckily, this is one of his better films.

It's October 31, 1976 and a group of traveling, foul-mouthed, redneck carnies are kidnapped by warped aristocrats and forced to play a game called 31 where, for 12 hours, they must survive against a murderous horde of psychopaths.   I have to give Zombie some credit here. While his characters all start out as disgusting, ugly people by the end I was surprised to find I had grown to like some of them (including some of the psychos too). These characters would be victims Venus (Meg Foster) and Roscoe (Jeff Daniel Phillips), and psychos Sick-Head (a bilingual Nazi midget who speaks mainly Spanish with some English interspersed throughout played by Pancho Moler) and Doom-Head (A truly despicable character played by Richard Brake. He looks pretty cool in his get-up during the last act and has some of the film's best lines). It's a tough feat to start out with unlikable characters and find a way to bring the audience somewhat onto their sides, but Zombie kind of pulls it off (Here's a pat on the back Zombie). I also have to give Zombie props for using Aerosmith's Dream On and The Mama's and Papa's California Dreaming on the soundtrack.

As for the film itself, the script is pretty bad (par for the course for Zombie) and it's one of his ugliest films to watch. All the kill scenes are punctuated by shaky cam shots so it's kind of hard to make out what's going on on-screen (confusing and frustrating). There is basically no plot and our characters are thinly developed (including the psychos). The first 24 minutes are pretty tough to get through as we are introduced to our victims (This part is just the group talking worse than a 5 dollar hooker and making many sexual references). I was also shocked that almost all of Zombie's usual surreal/imaginative visual imagery and atmosphere was absent here. That said, I did find the film entertaining in a bad B-movie/ Grindhouse flick kind of way (I also will never understand why Zombie keeps featuring his wife in his films. Sheri-Moon is pretty bad here, which is confusing because I saw that she could actually act in his previous flick: Lords of Salem).

Rob Zombie's 31 is filled to the brim with blood, gore, some of the foulest language ever sampled, murder, lots of nudity (We see everything here, and I was none too impressed by it honestly), bad lines (sometimes so bad they're funny), and general chaos and anarchy. Naturally 31 won't be for everyone, but if you are a Zombie fan then I'd say it may be worth a watch.

2 STARS

FRIGHT FEST: SMALLS TAKES A LOOK BACK AT CASPER

In Casper, Kat Harvey (Christina Ricci) and James Harvey (Bill Pullman), a father and daughter who are still reeling from the death of their mother/wife, move into the old Whipstaff Manor (loacted in Friendship, Maine. *insert Stephen King pun here*). James is a Ghost psychologist who specializes in helping the dead tend to their unfinished business so they can move on. Whipstaff manor is haunted by four ghosts, Casper (Malachai Pearson), Stretch (Joe Nipote), Stinky (Joe Alasky), and Fatso (Brad Garrett). Since Casper died when he was 12 and Kat herself is just a young teen, it doesn't take long for Casper to fall, um, head over heels (?) for the girl. Little do they know, the evil Carrigan Crittenden (Cathy Moriarty) and her lacky Dibbs (Eric Idle, who I quite like here) are using James to rid the house of the ghosts so the two can find the treasure that is supposedly hidden inside.

Casper is one of the films I grew up with. I absolutely loved it when I was a kid, but how does it hold up now that I'm 26? The answer: It holds up ok, I guess. There isn't any real solid through-line or story for the film. Instead, we get a bunch of threads that are wrapped up by the end. The characters are likable enough, and most of the actors do decent jobs (except for Cathy Moriarty, who is like nails on a chalkboard). Christina Ricci's Kat was my childhood crush for quite some time, and she is still pretty lovely here (no pedo). Bill Pullman's James is pretty doofy and dorky, but still enjoyable. Fatso, Stinky, and Stretch are mean-spirited but never to the point where they aren't likable (Though they aren't funny....most of the jokes aren't funny. There are also quite a bit of bad cameos. ) and Casper is very sweet. The romance between Kat and Casper is cute but also fairly creepy (How would one react if a somewhat hormonal 12 year old ghost fell for you? I'm not sure, but I think the emotion of horror would fit in there somewhere).

The CGI for our main ghosts is pretty decent and holds up well enough, and the interior sets are pretty cool (I wouldn't mind staying for a while in Whipstaff Manor). There is a good deal of whimsy and silliness in the film (most of which feels VERY 90's). The soundtrack is one of the strong points of the film as it is hauntingly beautiful at time. Casper also has some moments that sent chills up my back (in a good way. One example would be Casper remembering his death).

I can't say Casper has much for anyone over the age of 13, but for kids and pre-teens/young teens it's a pretty decent, sweet little flick. I'm not sure I'll go back and re-watch it often, but maybe if/when I have kids I'll sit down and show it to them.

2.5 STARS

FRIGHT FEST: THE SHAPE RETURNS IN HALLOWEEN 4

While I personally liked Halloween 3, most audiences at the time did not. They demanded more of the adventures of Michael Meyers, and Hollywood listened. In Halloween 4, Michael has been lying unconscious in a mental asylum for ten years, both Loomis and him barely survived being set ablaze at the end of Halloween 2. While being transferred to Smith's Grove, he awakens and escapes back to Haddonfield where he commences his usual Halloween hunt. This time, he has a new target in his sights: Jamie (Danielle Harris), the daughter of Laurie Strode who is living with a foster family. Can Loomis track him down in time? Will Jamie survive with her sanity intact?

Halloween 4 is definitely better than Halloween 3. The film has an atmosphere that feels reminiscent of the ones in the first 2 Halloween films, and Michael still retains some of his supernatural qualities we are so familiar with. Danielle Harris does a great job as Jamie (for a child actor, she's pretty impressive), and Ellie Cornell holds her own as Rachel, Jamie's foster sister who is tasked with protecting the girl.

Donald Pleasence just about outshines everyone else as Loomis, putting on a superb performance that is on par with his previous outings as the beloved character (He has some scars from his burning in the 2nd film and walks with a limp). As for Sasha Jenson, I started out not really liking his Brady (he's kind of a douche) but by the time he has his quick fight with Michael I had grown to actually quite like his character. I also liked Beau Starr as Sheriff Ben Meeker, who actually acts pretty sensibly throughout the whole film.

Halloween 4 is a little uneven, but it certainly feels like we are watching a Halloween film and the darkness that pervaded the first film is back here (thankfully). It's not as good as the first two Halloween films, but it's certainly better than the third outing. Halloween 4 is the rare 4th-quel that is a worthy predecessor to the previous films and is definitely worth a watch if you are a fan of the franchise. Complete with a pretty cool ending, Halloween 4 makes for good viewing during the haunting season.

4 Stars

FRIGHT FEST: SMALLS IS SUCKED INTO THE GOTHIC WORLD OF BLACK SUNDAY

In Black Sunday, a traveling doctor and his assistant inadvertently awaken the spirit of a centuries old witch and her lover, who immediately set out for vengeance. The ancestor of the witch, a beautiful princess, is their main target and only the dr.'s assistant may stand in their way.

Black Sunday is an old-fashioned Italian gothic horror film. The dubbing isn't great and there is some silliness on occasion (like the romantic scenes), but everything else in this film is fan-freaking-tastic. The sets are elaborate and lush,  the atmosphere is chilling, rich, and all encompassing, and the cinematography is superb. It feels like we are in the middle of a classic, creepy ghost story. Barbara Steele commands the screen with her presence as both the princess and the witch. She oozes sexuality and is indeed breathtakingly beautiful ( She's hot enough to make any sane man join Satan just to be with her). The other actors all do fine jobs, but she is easily the standout.

Black Sunday is also surprisingly gnarly, gruesome and grotesque. There is a good deal of material that made me cringe. I was impressed by just how far the film goes at times. It's not hard at all to see why this film has earned it's classic status. The story may not offer many surprises but the film itself is still creepy, chilling and atmospheric as hell, plus our heroine is super easy on the eyes. Filmed in glorious black and white, Black Sunday is a certified classic that is a must see for any horror buff.

4 STARS