The Haunting of Hill House (2018)

I love HILL HOUSE in all it's iterations.

The films to date have been solid. Two out of three were fantastic. One was a train wreck, but still fun to watch. The books are fantastic. The concepts in all are fun and engaging. So, when I heard that they were doing another version I was super excited. That is, until I saw the trailer.

"What?! Gawd damn it - they changed everything. What....it's about a family now? Bet it'll be packed with jump scares, clowns, nuns, and dolls. Stupid people changing a great thing. Just give me the Jackson or Matheson book. BOO!"  And, I stomped off to sulk.

But...holy cow....this is a fantastic vision for the Hill House legacy. Complex and super engaging, this new version had me talking and talking about the show and wanting to just sit and watch the whole thing in one sitting!



Do yourself a favor - Don't watch any trailers for this. Don't Google-up any images. Just watch. The images I have in this post are spoiler free. 

Avoiding spoilers....
The story is about a family. Not ghosts, but a family. I believe that's what makes it so strong. The parents move into homes, redo them and get them looking grand, then sell them for profit. The kids are used to the whole show and are eager to get the Hill House done so they can move on to their final new home - a dream home they will never have to move from again. This is the big score, the Hill House. Once it's done, they'll be all set. But as is the case with films when people start talking about the bright snd shiny future, things have a tendency to fail and not go the way plans state.

As the children grow up and face their adult dramas, they remember life in the Hill House and see how it's affecting their adult selves.



Now, that seems simple and very Little House on the Prairie, but it's not. My simple breakdown of what's happening has been super simplified. The storytelling here is complex and smart. We see present day all the way back to the first day they moved in. Non-linear scenes blend timelines and story arcs expertly as the stories - both past and present, unfold. We're shown, not told which I completely loved! Basically, Mike Flanagan's writing says, "Ok...here are the players. Let's go. Keep up, ok?" and it leads you forward flashing back and forth in a beautiful dance. The story moves along going from the present day back to various stops in the past to tell the tale and I never once felt lost or confused. It all just makes sense the way it's laid out.

Am I making this sound like I loved it? Oh, that's only because I did love it. With my whole heart. :) 
The acting really made it here. The kids and their adult selves feel like they really are matched perfectly. Using Henry Thomas as the young father Hugh Crain and Timothy Hutton as the older Crain was amazing. They both take on little character traits that make the transition perfect. Carla Gugino is mesmerizing. The entire cast is rock solid and never feels like they are going to far over the top dramatically, but they nail every emotion throughout.

Ghosts from one scene in the first episode
CLICK TO SEE LARGER

And ghosts. There are some amazing ghosts in here and they all have grand looks. My wife saw one scene (she's not a horror lover) and her comment was, "Jesus....that's...just so scary..." before leaving the room with a BYE tossed over her shoulder. hehehe . And the fun thing is that there are hidden ghosts throughout the Hill House moments that I completely missed on first viewing. ((I've started it over again from the beginning)) I'm keeping more of an eye out now as I watch and I'm literally muttering "How the hell did I miss that the first time?" as I watch. It's a fantastic game that makes a rewatch even better.

The look and feel of the house is amazing as well. There are family scenes that are light and bright in the day - nothing to fear. But, the night scenes.... whew....those are a different story all together.

I'm not going to say much more. I don't really want to let anything slip about this series.





If you love a good drama, great storytelling, and some fantastic, gothic chills, you're going to want to drop everything, head over to NETFLIX, and fire up The Haunting of Hill House ASAP. It's a fantastic journey.

Exeter

Another quickie review.

I remember seeing the trailer for this and saying, "Hmmm...that looks interesting. I'll have to keep an eye out for it." Well, as these things go, it came and went and I missed it. I eventually forgot it.

Then, :::POP:::  ....my friend NETFLIX suggests it. Almost like it KNEW I'd like it. hehehehee  And, I did!

EXETER is a fun, formula film with a few well written twists. Here we are in the asylum-like, empty, abandoned old wreck of a building. (Yup...again.) Here we're having a wild party. (Check.) Everyone goes leaving a select few. (Uh huh....again. Go on.) Here we are performing a ritual we should NOT be performing. (Nope...you shouldn't even be in there. You'll get tetanus!) 

But then, it swerves a bit. I mean, even the standard formulas were well executed. No one was too cartoonish or blank. Good acting. Well shot. It already brought a bit more to the table. But then it starts to get interesting and fun in a bit of a new way. It adds a bit more to the possession tale, tossing in some well written intrigue as it plays out - something many of the cranked out possessed films miss completely these days.

Solid story and acting make this film a real hoot. I was riveted and actually gave a shit about the characters. This was no mere "Set 'em Up and Knock 'em Down" cast list. These people were actually developed and engaging.

Interesting. The Director took on the FRIDAY THE 13TH remake, the TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE remake and the CONAN the BARBARIAN remake.  Those are tough arse rows to hoe!

"Yeah...these are classic cult films with a HUGE and RAVENOUS fan base that will literally EAT YOU ALIVE if you fuck it up. Give it a go...THREE TIMES." 

Not really fair odds for Mr. Marcus Nispel. I'm glad he was able to direct something without the sort of past those other films had. He also wrote the screenplay along with Kristen McCallion - who had written TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D. hehehe  Wow.

And, you like gore? It's got it including a scene where I literally said, "Whoa...I haven't seen THAT before!" And, I've seen A LOT.

Definitely check out Exeter!  It's a fun and thrilling ride. 

Mine Games

2012's MINE GAMES...what a turn around this film was for me. Sadly, one can't say much about this film without giving things away, so my short review will be even shorter.

This was set up to be a bore, tell you the truth. Another "cabin in the woods" (the cliché, not the AWESOME film, mind you) post-college grads getting killed film that we all know and sleepwalk through. I tossed it on in the background while dealing with some yawner work tasks I had to do today.

Then, suddenly, something dawns on me. These folks are not your B-teamer gang. There's some talent here. I had to pay a little more attention while the story unfolded out of the corner of my eye. Some of the items here were actually interesting, causing a little more thought and effort. I was resigned to expecting more out of the film. And, lo and behold, it was warranted.





The writing credits are strange....
Robert Cross     ...     (story) 
Michele Davis-Gray   ...  (writer) 
Richard Gray     ...     (story) 
Richard Gray     ...     (writer) 
Ross McQueen     ...     (story) 
Ross McQueen     ...     (writer)




We have people who were involved in INSIDIOUS, SAW, the Director and writer of 2015s AUDITION (fingers crossed that they don't mess that up...). The story is pretty darn tight, interesting and had a few "Wait....whaaaaaaaaat?!" moments in there that I really enjoyed.

That's all I'm going to say for fear of messing something up.

Break the cycle. See the film!  :)

Contracted

I recently re-watched CONTRACTED from Director / writer Eric England. I'm happy that I did.






My first viewing was fine. I watched and took it all in and enjoyed the film, but I wanted more. I won't say much about the plot here. Suffice it to say that a one-night-stand sends the lead - the wondrous Najarra Townsend - on one bad, bad health issue filled ride. But, I found myself wanting more and railed against certain aspects of the film. I liked it, but wanted to re-write parts.

Here's where the Internet got cool again for me.

I posted my thoughts on Twitter.

"Watching CONTRACTED. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to laugh or not. Odd."  Something like that.

"Some Guy" replied with "You can laugh - there's humor in there for sure! :)"

We had a little "chat" about the film there on Twitter and he seemed really invested in backing the film. Why? BECAUSE IT WAS THE DIRECTOR - ERIC ENGLAND!!!! HA! Pretty cool. He was bringing things up and I was agreeing, then I looked him up and had a laugh. I had no idea. His points were solid and I bookmarked it for a re-watch.



When I did re-watch recently, I got it. England kinda nailed this film and, as a genre fan, I was happy with the results once I was key'd into what England was trying to do.  When I checked out other comments, I could see that I just didn't "get it" at the time and I was one of the few who didn't, really.



Townsend is great as the lead Samantha. Not fully seasoned, as it were, but pretty solid throughout.
Veteran Caroline Williams is Sam's mother and nails that role, of course.


I guess the doctor role and writing is the last bit I didn't like even on second watch. Minor, really, but it just came off silly with lines tossed out like, ":::odd pause::: You have a sexually transmitted disease.:::blink:::"   :)   All in all, not a deal breaker.


This is a must see. Check it if you have not already. Chime in in the comments if you dug it or hated it. I'd love to hear from you!

All Cheerleaders Die

 Well, Lucky McKee and Chris Sivertson make a heck of a directing team. I've always dug McKee, but Sivertson had me shying away, to be honest. Just because of the negative buzz around I KNOW WHO KILLED ME. (...which I still need to watch. It sounds like a wondrous wreck! :) )  But, man, this is a fun film!

  There are these films out lately (JOHN DIES AT THE END, CONTRACTED, DETENTION) that are running free from the norm and it's working really well. They are blazing some new ground on familiar trajectories and I like it. ALL CHEERLEADERS MUST DIE takes a rather standard magical return tale - with cheerleaders - and spins it a little in a fun way. I like.




There are some fun twists and some odd ones, but all in all it was a fun, strange little ride. If you liked items like GINGER SNAPS or JAWBREAKER or HEATHERS - or would like to see what the baby would look like if these three films got together - you'll want to check out ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE. :)

Devil

Well, color me surprised. I liked DEVIL. It's not without it's faults, but they are outweighed by what the film has to offer.

The plot is super simple. There is a group of people trapped in an elevator. No one can get it working again despite the efforts of the security staff and maintenance people. The lights flicker...dim...and go dark. And that's when the incidents start to occur. Will the detective on the scene be able to calm them down enough so they won't hurt each other so he has time to sort out what's going on? And, will that one security guy STOP going on about...the Devil?





This is a classic "lifeboat" situation with a twist. We're not just dealing with trapped people on edge here. It's a pressure cooker with a supernatural bent. A great "Who dunnit?" plot line with some great reveals and fun edit work. There's a flickering light element that is a lot of fun. It was a fun gag that had me giggling at one point.

The detective work within the film works, too. There's nothing flying in from left field. Everything seems to work and flow naturally. And the way the story unfolds really had me engaged.

Now, the film isn't without it's "faults". The screenplay was based on an M. Night Shyamalan story, so it has some heavy handed themes about good and evil. But, that aside, the story is also a lot of fun and packed with great, rolling set pieces that lead the viewer along nicely.

John Erick Dowdle's direction is pretty dern good as well. Looking back on his other efforts, he does have some shining moments in the darkness. 2007's The Poughkeepsie Tapes was all the rage. In 2008, he was handed Quarantine. While the film SHOULD have worked due to the success of the original...released in the same year...it didn't have the same success as the amazing Spanish original. Two years later, Devil came and received ok reviews, but I think people were not ready to see this claustrophobic horror mystery unfold - a tale told in one space, basically.



Much of what works here is Brian Nelson's script. It's a lot of fun and moves quickly. Seeing as he was involved in HARD CANDY and 30 DAYS OF NIGHT - two more films that take place in basically the same area in a closed in way, it's not surprising that this film worked so well. 

I had this in my list on NETFLIX for a while and hovered over it several times. But...to be honest...M. Night being involved made me shy away. It's sad, but true. I was so into him when he first showed up on the scene and now I see his name on something and shy away. Personally, DEVIL has me back in the M. Night camp.


If you're in the mood for a good story, interesting situations and some fun acting, give DEVIL a go.

Recent Anthology Films

I love a good horror anthology film. Love love love 'em.
Some past faves have been...


 BLACK SABBATH - The Drop Of Water still haunts my subconscious. So grand. Fantastic Bava.

TALES FROM THE CRYPT (1972) - Cushing. Peter Cushing. :)

 THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD - Waxwork love. Oh...and more Cushing, Lee and Pitt! 

CREEPSHOW - "Where's my cake, Bedelia?! It's Father's Day...and I want my CAKE!"

I'm sure I could go on if I wasn't being sleepy and lazy, but you know the drill. You have a central tale and several small tales wrapped within it. When done properly, you get a "campfire tales" feel going. Scary stories told to get the goosebumps going. I love them.



Well, this recent crop of campfire tales that we have rolling in now fills me with a similar feeling. Sure, the general feel has been updated and usually involves some sort of tech - smartphone or hand held cameras all the rage, of course. But, when the story is solid and the overall tale is well told, it can be a lot of fun.

There is a bit of backlash going against them now. I, of course, blame the internet in general. People are safe behind their computers and tick-tack their hate behind a mask of anonymity. I admit it - I've done it myself, but I've cured myself. How? I simply say, "Well, at least THEY have something completed and out in the world to VIEW. You can talk crap about their work when your work doesn't consist of corporate logos and business magazine adverts, Johnson!" That seemed to do it for me and I have far more compassion for creative works now. :)

The VHS movies make me happy. I mean, come on. You have the creepy house thing going for the wrap stories, then you have a series of nightmares that unfold one after one telling tale after tale of horrific goodness. Hell, nothing wrong with that. Now, I get that some people can't take the camera work and that's fine. But...just don't watch it. To me, it's like someone saying, "I fucking HATE movies about dogs!" Then, they watch Benji and just rail against it. LOL!   They point out that there is a Skype conversation in the film and wag their fingers at it and say tisk tisk. Um...do you mean the same segment that has a woman thinking her house is haunted and seeing some HELLA CREEPY CRAP in her apartment?!?!?!  WHY are you bringing the format into play here? It's creepy ghost coolness! Gimmie more and stop bringing formats into it. What if one of the segments was really BETA and not VHS? Who gives a shit?  :)

Sign me up for more of these, man.

And THE ABCs OF DEATH was a lot of fun as well. I'll be right there when the second one comes out. 26 letters. 26 Directors. Numerous, nasty ways to die with very creative story lines and styles. Awesome. Yet, there were people that said, "There were 26 little stories in this film - some were like five minutes long!" Uh...yeah....2 hour film....26 films based on the alphabet....get it?  Did they expect a 13 hour film packed with 30 minute movies? Again, I loved this format and thought it was energetic and interesting. My only regret was that I didn't make it out to a theater to see it with a crowd...though watching it on VOD at home around 11pm with my home made popcorn and a glass (...or two...) of good whiskey was a fun way to watch as well.

The Theater Bizarre was a fun ride as well. A slightly odd wrap segment with fun and entertaining short tales unfolding for us to view. Sure thing - give 'em to me.
 

While I do love a 90 minute story format, these small anthology films allow for some fun horror exploration on a smaller level. This allows for a story to get in, tell it's tale and get out. Tight ideas that are in and out like nightmare ninjas. I totally dig the format. It also allows for a different flow. A faster delivery of the message or punchline.

Long and the short - you have some super talented folks making films. They love making these films and love that we love to watch them. They long to entertain us. They make a real effort to create things that we like while holding on to the spark that makes them who they are.

You have the right to dislike the work, sure. You could hate it as well. However, keep in mind that these are just works of fiction meant to entertain. Save the venom for people who beat people and animals, perhaps.

Let's celebrate the fact that people can give us genre goodness and that we can see it in the theater or the comfort of our homes. I, for one, love that...so very much.

I'll hop down off my soapbox now. I think I'll go stream some of the VHS segments again.

VERSUS: Maniac

It's the return of VERSUS!  
 

I did a MANIAC double feature Saturday and Sunday and while I may have been disturbed by the content, I wasn't disappointed in either film.  Both Maniac features were great, genre fair.

I had seen most of the original Maniac ages ago, so I started with the remake so I wouldn't be directly comparing it to the original while watching. I was happy that I took this route - it seemed like the way to go for sure.

The plot of both films is simple. An abused child grows up to be a very mentally disturbed man who slays women to deal with the damage incurred from his toxic mother as a boy . Short, not so sweet and to the point. A point usually found at the tip of a knife blade.

Frank Khalfoun (High Tension) did a marvelous job with the retelling of this little terror tale in the 2012 version. Alexandre Aja and Grégory Levasseur also did a great job updating Joe Spinell's original script. This was key to the whole thing coming together. And the main gimmick of having the film be in first person unless we're seeing a reflection is an amazing feat. It never came off as forced or contrived, which I was sure I was going to be finger wagging about at some point. The execution was spot on. And the one time we drift away from the first person shot really makes sense from the story perspective.



Elijah Wood is no mere Hobbit in this, either. He's really...crazy looking. In that creepy, "tears the wings off of flies" way, too. He's a menacing force that knocks it out of the park. It's a role that many would most likely run from, honestly. Who wants to be "that guy"- the vicious, serials killer of women.






And, that's something that almost had me switching the film off. I knew what the content was and I was familiar with the story, but the violence and visuals associated with the acts are hard to take at times. I'm getting older, I think, and I'm losing my desire to see things like this. I'm leaning more towards unreal ghosty flicks and creatures instead of these real world monstrous humans. However, there was something to the film that transcended the violence for me and I was able to hang in there. I guess it was the strong storyline and fantastic acting. Still, this was not one for the weak of heart. There is some really brutal stuff in here. I'm just not feeling the violence these days....but...you know...I still watch these films. I'll just file that under habit. Or, a bi-polar nature. Not sure. :)


Now the original 1980 version is no cake walk either. It's angry and grungy and gritty with that same violence factor, but it's watchable for other reasons. Joe Spinell's performance as Frank Zito is pitch perfect. While Wood is somewhat charming and "cute", Spinell is just large and chubby and sweaty. He's the unwashed, greasy haired guy you see waiting for a slice on the street or sitting in the subway across from you. The guy you just don't want to be around.



The film has the grindhouse grit of the time and it's a fantastic time capsule for the era. William Lustig's direction is of the era as well and it's a lot of fun to watch. This has to be his top rated film. And Tom

Savini's effects work was top of the line at this point as well. Some of the effects work in Maniac is amazing. (The shotgun scene - whew)

 

Both films hold their own for various reasons and both should be watched and enjoyed (...as much as one can enjoy them...:::grin:::) on their own merits. While the films are the same overall as far as the story goes, they are also very different and I think this makes a strong case for remakes of classic genre films. There were updates made and very interesting takes and changes on the original film. Nothing super major, but the small changes were enjoyable and interesting. The 30 years between the films really helps here as well. When you have 30 or more years between films, there is a lot that can be updated and altered in a very positive way. Again, we are not seeing a remake made of a film made in the same year ::::cough:::  REC  :::cough::::   We have space to play with a major update with a new tone.

I'd still love to see some of my old favorites done in this same, big budget update way. NIGHT OF THE DEMON, THE NIGHT WALKER, and THEM! redone like THE THING? Sign me up! But, it would have to be done well and with some seriousness. That might make the likes of THEM! difficult because you need 50s black and white charm to sell giant ants attacking people. 

This is no NIGHT OF THE DEMONS situation here where the original is clearly the way to go IMHO. Both Maniac versions are well worth checking out. So, I'm calling this a tie.

The Haunting of Whaley House

"If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all."

This phrase came to mind when I thought about writing something about THE HAUNTING OF WHALEY HOUSE. It's somewhat straight forward, low budget ghosty horror. The lifeboat plot has a group gathered by various ways and means, then locks them in the haunted Whaley House where they are systematically released from life. You could do far worse on Netflix streaming, that's for sure. The film had it's moments.

It did get me thinking - it's really easy to sit back, watch and shred the HELL outta something. I do it often. ::::grin:::  However, when I see how hard friends of mine work on films and see the effort it takes to not only complete a film, but to put it out for the world to see (...and, in some cases, shred...) it makes me take a step back and give films like these a bit of a wider range of acceptance.  I don't have a film, book or even a short story out there in the world on this level, so why am I bashing things?

WORLD WAR Z was panned by many, but it has still made $198,854,941 as of Aug 25, 2013. Not a bad haul and even at a cost of $190mill to make, it'll do just fine. None of my work projects cost as much to make. :)

So, if you are looking for a little light ghost horror with some gore and more than a thimble full of plot, you might want to make up some popcorn and toss on The Haunting Of Whaley House on Netflix streaming to support the efforts of Jose Prendes, his actors and his crew. It's ghosts, it has some nice PRACTICAL effects work and it's not a friggin' found footage film! It should be viewed based on that alone. 


And, you'll get to see one of the most...random...breast exposure shots ever filmed. hehehehe  Money well spent, Ms. Mindy Robinson. •ahem•  I had to re-watch her scene (yeah yeah...I know) just now because after writing this, I realized that I had looked away for a moment and had NO idea how her and her screen boyfriend got into the mix in the film and what happened to her after her big...uh...her flashing thing. It turns out I missed a rather good line. (Spoiler?)
After she flashes her man to get him to take her to dinner instead of frucking around in the garden of a haunted house (what he was trying to do is still unclear), she delivers the line, "Fine. Well, I'm getting out of here before I get killed." And, SHE DOES! She just walks away and that's the last we see of her! LOL! 

From http://www.insidethemagic.net/

 


Another fun nugget is being able to see a little of the still utterly striking Lynn Lowry (The Crazies 1973) - a personal Horror Crush that a swoon over. :)  She's slotted for ten films in 2013! TEN! And she already has another four coming for 2014. I really need to catch up! :)