The Evil Dead (1981)

Plot: Five friends travel to a cabin in the woods, where they unknowingly release flesh-possessing demons.

Review:

This was absolutely brilliant and exceeded all the hype I’ve heard about it. I enjoyed it even more than part 2 as it keeps the comedy dialed down. It’s an all around excellent horror film, probably one of the best I’ve seen. I sincerely hope Raimi makes another one just like this some time.

Sidenote: One could make the argument that the Evil Dead movies are really about a violent schizophrenic who takes people to the woods and dismembers them because he’s under the delusion that they are demons.

Rating: 8.0/10

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Seance (Korei) (2000)

Plot: A psychic housewife and her husband become burdened with a kidnapped girl who escaped her assailant.

Review:

This isn’t a horror movie, but a Coen/Park-esque happenstance crime caper that happens to have a few creepy ghosts in it. It’s fairly good for a TV movie but not near the brilliance you’d expect from Kiyoshi Kurosawa. This is a film for KK completists, like myself, but I wouldn’t suggest anyone else go out of their way to see it. You absolutely should go out of your way to see Pulse (Kairo) and Cure (Kyua) though.

Rating: 6.5/10

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Last House on the Left (2009)

Plot: After kidnapping and brutally assaulting two young women, a gang led by a prison escapee unknowingly finds refuge at a vacation home belonging the parents of one of the victims — a mother and father who devise an increasingly gruesome series of revenge tactics.

Review:

This is a gritty, intense, sad, terrifying and very well made film. It can be quite shocking but, aside from a misplaced final scene, always has a lot more going for it than just violence. The victims are easy to sympathize with,, the victims interesting, but when the roles are switched the films takes on a break neck pace that doesn’t allow for a whole lot of reflection, but keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Rating: 7.0/10

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A Perfect Getaway (2009)

Plot: Two pairs of lovers (Zahn & Jovovich, Olyphant & Sanchez) on a Hawaiian vacation discover that psychopaths are stalking and murdering tourists on the islands.

Review:

This was not much of a horror movie, but it was a very good thriller. There’s a bit mystery, a nice twist, and a satisfying resolution to it all. The film is worth watching just for the incredible shots of Hawaii.

Rating: 7.0/10

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The Uninvited (2009)

Plot: A scientist sends a man with extraordinary psychic powers to hunt others like him.

Review:

This is a remake of one of my favorite films and while it is not nearly as scary as A Tale of Two Sisters, it’s quite a good film of it’s own. If you go in expecting straight horror you will be disappointed, but if you go in expecting a typical evil step-parent thriller, you will be pleasantly surprised by the disturbing turns this film takes.

Rating: 7.0/10

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Automaton Transfusion (2006)

Plot: Three teens find themselves in a town over run with zombies. Deciding to fight back, they go on a punch you in the throat, action packed, non stop ride through the city, woods, and schools.

Review:

This is a fun, gory, low budget zombie movie. It’s a bit like an R-Rated episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which is fine by me. Nothing spectacular, but still quite enjoyable.

Rating: 6.0/10

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Paranormal Activity (2007)

Plot: After moving into a suburban home, a couple becomes increasingly disturbed by a nightly demonic presence.

Review:

I don’t understand how people found this scary or exciting. The only thing I really liked about this film were the daytime scenes of the couple interacting. All the supposedly supernatural elements were cliche and the “scary” moments generally boring. This was far from the next Blair Witch Project.

Note: I watched the original cut of this, not the one currently in theaters. What I’ve read about the theatrical cut doesn’t suggest anything in it would change my mind.

Rating: 5.5/10

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Mirrors (2008)

Plot: An ex-cop and his family are the target of an evil force that is using mirrors as a gateway into their home.

Review:

Aside from one gory scene, which was spoiled with pics well before the film’s release, there is nothing to this movie. It’s too long, not scary, and Kiefer’s character turns into Jack Bauer halfway through (he was much more interesting in the beginning as an alcoholic loser that no one listens to).

Rating: 5.5/10

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Evil Dead II (1987)

Plot: The lone survivor of an onslaught of flesh-possessing spirits holds up in a cabin with a group of strangers while the demons continue their attack

Review:

Now this was awesome. Even though Bruce Campbell has been my hero since Brisco County Jr. I have never seen any of the Evil Dead films, in spite of all the praise I’ve heard. This one totally lives up to that hype. Yes it’s cheap, disjointed, and a bit silly at times but it works. It’s a definite classic that I will surely watch again.

Rating: 7.5/10

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Drag Me to Hell (2009)

Plot: A loan officer ordered to evict an old woman from her home finds herself the recipient of a supernatural curse, which turns her life into a living hell. Desperate, she turns to a seer to try and save her soul, while evil forces work to push her to a breaking point.

Review:

About as scary as the Spider-Man films but not nearly as funny. It’s an average movie that gets a slight bump for a decent ending. I was totally not impressed with Sam Raimi’s horror game, until….

Rating: 5.5/10

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