The Crazies(1973)

6.5/10 

George A. Romero is one of the most iconic directors in the horror business.  Being the creator of "Night Of the Living Dead" and many other hits, you could almost call him a pioneer in horror. He was one of the first directors to really make gruesome movies, and even though they're tame to today's standards, it is quite apparent that a mark was made in history with all of them.  This classic from 1973 is a little more obscure than the films I have watched so far.  I find it to be a good film, but not great. There's so many things that are awesome about it, but there are some weaknesses that really brought down my opinion on the film. 

Like the last film I reviewed "Children of the Corn" this film starts with a mindblowing beginning. It shows children witnessing the highly violent and destructive behavior of their father. It is not known why he is being so erratic, but he killed his wife, and set his house on fire.  I really love the terror of this scene, because there really is a mystery of what is happening, and the performances by the people portraying the family is great. The father is very aggressive, and brings a lot of suspense as he throws things around.  The children are very good, because they're kind of oblivious to what is happening, and it brings a chilling feel to the scene. 

The next scene goes to a couple in bed together. Judy is a nurse, and David is firefighter, and they are both sent off to their jobs because of emergencies arising. I find both of these characters to have a great chemistry with each other, and they're a totally realistic couple. The two of them are also pretty strong people, and smart too, which is a refreshing change to how the protagonist of horror often are.

After dropping off David to the fire station, Judy goes to the hospital she works at, and gets information from a doctor.  The problem is a virus called "Trixie," and it either kills a person, or makes them a homicidal maniac.  This now gives us an idea of why that man killed his wife, because it is very possible that he was a great man, but this virus took over his mind.  I really like this plot line, because it is very true to real life in a sense. It's not that viruses often make people kill, but the idea of a plague taking over a town is very relevant to now, being we have had many outbreaks, whether it's Ebola or H1N1. This is also a very original plot, because instead of people having a motive to killing, they don't have a choice. This really sets the film apart from many other horror movies, because it's not just some psycho going after people, but loved people being controlled. 

One of the things that really works in this film is the isolation. This virus is dangerous as can be, yet there is no way of escaping. After news of the outbreak comes out, the army takes over Evans City, and they put it on quarantine.  No one is allowed to leave, even if they are healthy.  The other part of this isolation that makes things crazy is that the army brings nuclear weapons about the town in case they have to destroy it.  That is absolutely genius for this film, because it brings so much terror. The idea that this disease makes people homicidal, yet people are forced to stay in the town it is spreading in is a whole different kind of horror. No this is not a graphic slasher film, but the psychological horrors really kick in, and make this a chilling film nonetheless.  

Most of this film's violence is done by guns. A lot of it is soldier shooting 'Crazies' and this isn't exactly horrifying. There are a couple slasher moments in the film though. One of the most shocking is when an old lady takes a sewing needle and stabs a soldier to death.  While the film doesn't hit the gory heights of other films I love, it does the violence very well, especially since the film was in 1973. Another scene that surprised me was a shooting scene where blood flew out of a soldier's eyes. This scene was extremely graphic, and it blows my mind that the censors weren't all over it. 

The 'Crazies' were portrayed very well in this film. Rather than just being angry people, there is an insane happiness that comes from them. In the scene I mentioned before with the old lady, she seems like a kind grandma with a huge smile on her face, and then she just stabs. This shows that the virus makes people sadistically violent. This is much more frightening than if she had a mean look on her face, or if she ran at him like a zombie. Some of the other 'crazies' are shown as very hyper and paranoid people that desperately complete the bad actions they do. 

I feel that the portrayal of the army was well done.  The guards of the quarantine were good most of the time, because they were very brutal at their job.  I really like the fact that they were the emergency suits, because you don't see their faces at all, which almost takes any emotional connection you could possibly have for them away. This works well, because you aren't really supposed to like them at all. You are supposed to feel bad for the townspeople, and partly because these guards are suppressing them.

Though the film is horror for the most part, I love that it also has traces of other genres, because it really gives the film a great amount of diversity to the films. You have the moments of terror that make horror iconic, you have the journey that the main characters go on that gives us the action, and then the whole technical side of the virus that gives us a scifi feel.

So far, I have given the good aspects of the film, but there are some big weaknesses too.  The first one being that there are quite a few dry scenes.  The worst of all is some of the dialogue scenes, whether it's between the main characters, the army generals, or the scientists, the scenes really drag on at times, and it makes me lose interest in the movie temporarily. Thankfully, this doesn't completely ruin the movie, because right after these boring scenes, something shocking will happen. Another problem I have with the film was that a lot of the supporting cast were weak. They weren't likable, and often their performances were monotonous.  Once again, this doesn't ruin the film, but I really wish that the casting would've been done a little bit more carefully. 

Honestly I thought the ending was mediocre. If they would've cut off the last two minutes, the film would've ended on a totally shocking turn, but they had to add more military dialogue, and I felt that was weak in a sense.  A film like this doesn't need a closing scene to sum everything up, it would've been better to just have that sudden "what the heck" ending.  

Overall, I liked this film. It had some really great scenes, and a fantastic plot. I just can't say I loved it, because there was too many times where it went too slow for me.  I would recommend it to people that like this kind of thing, but if you're looking for a more engaging film of the era, definitely watch Romero's original "Night of the Living Dead." 

Children of the Corn(1984)

8.5/10

Everyone knows that little kids can be pains in the butt sometimes, but who would've thought they would be vicious adult killers?  This 1984 film based off of of a story by Stephen King is one of the most morbid films of the 80's.  I am currently in watching it for the first time, and I can tell you for a fact that I was blown away in the first five minutes.  With Linda Hamilton as a lead, you could either have a fantastic film, or A disaster(King Kong Lives).  It is more than great though, because it is as freaky as you can possibly get(if it freaks me out, then it is bad), and if you're a horror fan, then you definitely need to watch this right away. 

The movie starts in a diner, as a bunch of elderly folks socialize.  Things seem completely normal, until a bunch of children start to suspiciously stare around the joint.  In just a minute, things turn into a brutal murder fest.  I was not expecting this scene to get nearly as crazy as it did. There was blood flying all over the place, and they even out a man's hand into a blender-like tool. I always look for a film that can really hook you in a beginning, because if the introduction is dry, a viewer really starts to lose interest in watching the film at all. This film most definitely did this, and in a better way than I have seen in a long time. 

The film then picks up in a hotel, as a couple played by Linda Hamilton and Peter Horton as they prepare to leave for further travels. I really like the two lead roles in this film, because they have a fantastic chemistry together.  Hamilton was very different in this film if you compare her to bigger performances like Sarah Connor in the Terminator franchise.  Instead of being the ultra tough hero to women of the world, she is much easier to frighten, and almost a little helpless at times.  This helplessness definitely works well for the film, because she is much easier to have sympathy for. Horton is also very likable, because he portrays a male character that is extremely caring for Hamilton, and is also very capable in keeping them alive. 

As the Burt and Vicky drive down a rural road, they run into a child and kill him.  They are both horrified by the accident, and they wrap him up and put him in the trunk. What they find out as they wrap him up was that the child was already dead.... But by who?  This is where the mystery begins.  The cool thing is that although the audience knows that it was one of the vicious teenagers that was responsible; we don't know why it was done, and Burt and Vicky have no idea of who even did it. 

The killings in this film are quite disturbing if you ask me.  I wasn't expecting much being the film is about children, but right from the first bloodshed, my eyes flew out of their sockets, and I was actually quite shocked. Even though not every kill is on screen, they're still extremely brutal, and there is quite a bit of blood shed.  One of the cool things about the gore in this film is that it is very realistic. Instead of being a pool of blood, it is a gash, or a slow sprinkling of blood.  One of the greatest examples of this is when the young boy is murdered in the beginning, because the blood just comes out a little at a time for each time he is slit, and it is actually extremely disturbing. Another thing I really like is that many times they don't even show the specific child that is doing the killing, because it gives more of a disturbing factor to the events. 

The evil children are played very well in this film.  You almost get the feeling that they aren't even humans anymore because of their heartless nature.  The leader of the cult Isaac is played extremely well by John Franklin.  Franklin was 25 at the time the film was made, and I find this to be fantastic, because even though his small stature made him look like a child, his attitude makes him seem bigger than the rest. The other standout child of the film was Malachi, whom was played by Courtney Gains.  Gains is the best actor of the entire film, because he makes his scary nature seem super easy.  The way he moves his mouth as he speaks is even terrifying.  He also has the perfect look for the role, with his long red hair, and his tall stature, because it makes him more intimidating than the others. His voice is also piercing as a knife, and every word he speaks is full of terror. 

The cult and satanic aspect of this story really adds to the disturbing nature of the film.  It is a social norm to stay away from these practices, and the fact that these little children have basically been taken  over it is frightening as hell.  I think the worst thing of all about it is that some of the kids are still innocent children, not yet possessed by this horrible nature yet, and that they're surrounded by the evil constantly. 

You can definitely tell that this film is based off of a work by Stephen King, because it is extremely tense.  Bad happenings are not instant in this film, and they are dragged out in a very stressful and disturbing way.  If you look at films like "Cujo," the dog doesn't attack them, but they sit in the car for most of the film at the risk of it.  In this film, Vicky and Burt aren't killed right off the bat, but they have the risk of it throughout the whole second half of the film.

If there was one thing I would change in the film, it would be the narration.  The young boy Jobe tells certain parts of the story, and his voice is so high pitched that it makes the film feel like a children's film at those moments. I understand why they chose him, being he was a witness and runaway of the situation, but I wish they would've done a more evil narrating, as it would bring more fear to the viewer. While this doesn't ruin the movie in any way, I just think it could've been done better. 

Watching this film, a big breaking point in my movie life was made.  I have never been phased by a horror movie before.  While I won't be having nightmares or stuff like that, this film was definitely freaky. I highly recommend it to any fan of horror cinema, because it is the second best Stephen King horror film I have seen so far, and it is one of the best horror films ever.

A Nightmare on Elm Street(1984) Review

9/10

The year is 1984, the slasher genre has been filled with Jason, Michael, and many other conscious killers.  Never in our dreams could a person imagine a villain like Freddy Krueger, except Wes Craven, and the poor poor teenagers he decides to terrorize.  "A Nightmare On Elm Street" was a film of its own.  It wasn't another film about camps or a guy running around in a mask, but it was a "dead" child murderer climbing into the minds of children in their sleep, and torturing them to their eventual death.  This movie was groundbreaking in American cinema, and it was a huge hit to audiences and critics alike.  It is definitely something special when a slasher film can get 96% positive on Rotten Tomatoes. This film spawned sequels for the next two plus decades, and I don't see the legacy halting anytime soon. Even though I can't call this my favorite horror flick ever, I definitely see it as a masterpiece that will never be forgotten. 

The film begins with a nightmare. A nightmare in the mind of a teenage girl named Tina.  In this dream, a grotesque man with burnt skin and knives for fingers chases her, and claws her stomach.  Tina wakes up in shock. She sees this as just a dream as usual, but she looks down and sees the knife marks on her stomach.  Her mother doesn't see the injury as anything other than scratching in sleep, but something is definitely wrong.  Tina then spends the night with her friend Nancy, and their boyfriends Glen and Rod.  Rod and Tina spend a night together, and a frightening event takes places that changes the lives of these four teenagers forever.  

The originality of this film is priceless.  Outside of the fact that the killer Freddy is in the dreams of these children, it is even more brilliant that anything that takes place in the dreams also happens in real life. I have never seen something like this released before, and regardless of the sequels, spoofs, and wannabes, nothing will ever capture this horrific plot better than the original. Wes Craven definitely had a stroke of genius when he made this film, because he made the single most complex and intelligent slasher film in history. 

The cast in this film is really perfect. The acting was so realistic, and possibly better than I have seen by any complete cast in a horror film.  Heather Langenkemp was perfect in the role of Nancy. She was an extremely likable person. A very cute, and almost innocent girl.  She is also very strong willed though, and gives Freddy one heck of a battle.  Johnny Depp is really cool in the role of Glen, because unlike Rod, he is a very nice guy, and is good to Nancy.  This was one of his first roles ever, and I think it might have been one of his better performances. He was very charismatic in the role, and he brought him a lot of the laughs to the film with just natural lines.  Robert Englund was absolutely awesome in the role of Freddy Krueger. He fits almost every characteristic of a horror villain. Creepy, brutal, and he can have a really great sense of dark humor.  I usually like a silent victim, but Freddy's one liners really help his darkness, and make it more convincing that he is a child murderer. 

The horror scenes in this film are quite impressive if you ask me.  There is a lot of gore in some of the scene, and even though the body count is very small in this movie, you never forget the scenes.  When I first watched this at the age of 13, I was so mindblown by the blood explosion scene of a character I can't name because of spoiler alerts. I actually watched the scene like ten times in a row it was so perfect.  Even though the movie is bloody as can be, it was actually possibly the tamest horror movie I've ever seen. There is only about 3 death scenes, and there is only a small amount of profanities. There are no drugs used at all, and there is only one implied scene of making love.  This movie really proved that you didn't have to make a horror film trashy to make it good.

Outside of the gore, the other special effects were really well done for a slasher film.  The way that characters were thrown around on the ceiling and such was so cool, because it looks extremely realistic.  Another really neat special effect was Freddy stretching the ceiling as he tries to get through it.  This scene was extremely unique, and I hadn't seen cgi that good until "Terminator 2: Judgement Day." A lot of the slasher films before this were low budget, and they didn't have any special effects, but this one was the first, and it was another way of proving this film as a pioneer in the genre. 

I really liked the ending of this film. I won't give away what happened just in case readers haven't seen the film, but it is cool, because it is unexpected, and it isn't just a happy ending like you'd want it to be.  I actually laughed super hard at the scene, because it is immensely random, and it was staged perfectly. 

Overall I find this film to be really great!  It was my first slasher film I ever saw, and watching it again today has actually been super refreshing. While I like series like Halloween or Friday the 13th more, it is nice to see something different. I highly recommend it to any fans of horror, and I also believe it is a great starter for anyone that wants to explore the genre. 

Friday the 13th Part 9: Jason Goes To Hell Review

8/10

WARNING! WARNING! There is a very high chance that you will disagree with this review.  

Paramount was done with the Friday the 13th series.... They were ashamed of the film's, regardless of how big of hits they were.  The eighth film in the series had been a mass failure for the company, so it was a parting for them. The world thought the iconic franchise was done for good.  But then New Line Cinema bought the rights to the series, and this was the first product.  This 1993 film has been the subject of much division between fans.  A small number of fans really loved it, and many hated it.  I happened to be one of the people that really liked it.  I understand completely that this movie is flawed, because whether it is continuity errors, or mistakes in the movie itself there are small things that drag the movie down. If you overlook these small problems though, you get a very fresh look to the series.  

The movie starts out like no film in the series before, because in the first five minutes, Jason is dead.... Jason is dead?  You might wonder how this is possible.  I know that part 5 is without Jason too, but still.... They kill Jason in the first five minutes of this film. At first, I was dumbfounded by this, because I didn't know where the film was possibly going to go from there. Even with this doubt in the further plot of the film, I knew something crazy was going to happen.  This crazy thing was that even dead, Jason's heart still beat while at the morgue, and a zombie worm jumps out and turns the coroner into a murderous monster too. I was so mindblown when this happened, because this movie took things to a place the films never even thought of going to.  That's what I really love about this film. Even though it is still a Friday the 13th film, it doesn't follow the same formula that most of the film's before did. Another thing that I really love about this beginning is the fact that it takes place in Youngstown, Ohio, because that's my birth town, and it brings a lot of nostalgia for me. 

This film was great, because it had a great amount of balance between darkness, and humor.  One of the greatest examples of this is the scene where the main character Steven is driving the teenagers to Camp Crystal Lake, and he says asks them if they're going to participate in bad behavior and then get slaughtered.  I laugh every time at this scene, because it is basically making satire of the series, and the whole slasher genre. Scenes like this really help the movie work, and it shows that even a new company had the film, they still knew the things that made the best of the series great.  Even with this humor, there is still some crazy stuff.  The shaving part makes me cringe every time. It is so dark and awkward, and much more morbid than any other movie before in the franchise.

As I mentioned before, the film's killers are people that are possessed by a worm that came out of Jason's heart.  I really like this idea, because it brings a whole new feeling for the film.  Instead of this one evil person killing everyone, you have beloved people of the town becoming ruthless killers. In this, the people surrounded by the killings and such have such a hard time believing that anyone coud be responsible, and it actually gets put on Steven many times.  I also think many killers brings a lot more intensity to the film, because you never know who is next. 

I like the characters a lot in this film.  Steven is a very cool person, and John D. LeMay did a fantastic job playing him.  You want to root for him the whole time, because you know he's good, and innocent of all accusations put on him. Creighton Duke is another awesome character, because he is really the tough end of the movie, and he gives you the hope that this possession by Jason can be finished. The main girl of the movie Jessica Kimble is another great character.  You can really sense the fear she has towards Steven at first after an event that takes place. She is a great final girl too, because she is pretty capable of surviving, and she is really the only one that can control the fate of Jason's soul. The only cast members I really disliked was the family that owns the diner. They were more annoying that funny, and parts with them are some of my least favorite scenes of the movie.

On the topic of Jason, even though he is only part of the film for a small fraction of time, I have some opinions on him. I think personality wise, Kane Hodder did another great job. He's big and hulking, and a little quicker than usual. This really helps with the fear factor, because he's obviously more dangerous. Look wise, he is absolutely awful.... I hate the fact that he has hair in this film, because he just looks like Peter Boyle with a mask on. Another thing that rubbed me the wrong way was the extra bumps on his head. I think the makeup artists went a little overboard with this.  He was always disfigured, but now his face looks like a rotten pizza.

When you watch this movie, make sure you buy the unrated version. It is so much more action packed, and it is actually the one that's worth watching. This film is the goriest in the series. There is a scene where a character is literally split in half onscreen, and it is just mindblowing. The mpaa originally cut a lot of the blood and gore out because of its explicit nature, but if you buy the unrated version, every little drop is back.  I love the other scenes of action too. My favorite is probably the part in the cop station. It was extremely well done, because slow motion was perfectly used without being overbearing. 

One of the problems with this movie is that there are many continuity errors in the film. The first was a pathetic mistake, and it was that Voorhees was spelled wrong. If you're making a sequel to a film, then the least you can do is get the main character's last name right.  While this isn't a movie ruiner, it is very stupid, and it disappointed many fans like me. There are many other things like this that go against everything we ever knew in the originals, but they happen to be big spoilers, so I will refrain from giving those away.  I just feel that the filmmakers should've been a little bit more careful at some points, because a lot of these blemishes really turned people off. 

The ending of this movie was completely insane. The event that takes place was one of the craziest horror scenes ever, and it gave such a foreshadowing to a huge part of this serie's future. I think this ending really shows why it was great that New Line got the series for the time they did, because they would've never been able to pull it off under Paramount.  Many of you may be wondering why I'm building this up so much without even saying what happened, but I guess you'll just have to watch the movie....

Overall, I find this to be one of the most underrated films ever.  People have been bashing on it for so long, but I find it to be great. It's not perfect at all, but it is extremely entertaining.  If you want a gore fest of a horror film, then this is definitely the way to go. Think back to the very first line of this review where I said there is a high chance you will not agree with me.  Was that true? Was this film a great addition to the slasher genre's gem? Or was it an embarrassment to the series? Feel free to comment this opinion. 

Happy New Years everybody, and expect a lot more reviews. Remember that if you're on facebook, like my page a Slasher Movies Uncovered, and it will be much easier to see when new articles are released. 

Friday the 13th Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan

8/10

This is the film that marks Jason's acting debut on "The Love Boat."  Oh this film, a financial flop in every standard, and one of the most hated films by fans and critics alike.  Many of you are probably expecting me to hate it too, but you'd be wrong. I absolutely love this film. Yes it is flawed, yes it doesn't take place in Manhattan for more than forty minutes(if we're talking about the real Manhattan then it's even less), and yes it is a lot less gory than other films in the series, but this film still kicks a lot of butt. I think the boat is an awesome venue for Jason's slaughter fest, and I think this movie is a heck of a lot of fun. 

The first thing I love about this film is the fact that the film is just good fun.  It's a rock and roll filled, and hilarious film.  I love the Rock and roll score that is used in a lot of the film, because it gives a much more hop and brutal feeling to some of the scenes. A great example is when Jason kills Eva in the dance room. The difference between this film's light mood and the humor of "Jason Lives" is that this one isn't nearly as cheesy and annoying. This one blends it in well as the way the teens behave, instead of stupid things like a paintball team.  I literally laugh out loud at certain parts of the film in a completely genuine manner. 

I like really the cast in this film.  The characters are all really funny, and the acting is fairly good for the most part.  The main girl Rennie(Jensen Daggert) is a very interesting character, because we feel a lot of sympathy for her, being we know she is being treated wrong by her overbearing uncle.  We can sense the insecurities she feels on the boat, especially with her aquaphobia.  She is really one of my favorite Friday girls, because she is just a very likable person. I think Kane Hodder did an extremely great job in this film. He brought an even darker light to the character than in "The New Blood." The camera really filmed him to make him look exceptionally strong, and he was much more intimidating.  

The kills in this film are much less graphic than the other films.  There is some gore, and one beheading, but overall, the mpaa literally slashed this film. So much of the violence is quick cuts, and done off screen.  This could've really hurt the film if not done correctly, but I think they did a good job with this tamer entry. The sounds that take place, and the aggressive actions of Jason really make the film keep its brutality.  One of these examples is the bathroom kill. Even though it's not even shown, it is still insane!

One of the things that is most oftenly trashed with this film is the fact that only a small portion of the film takes in Manhattan.  Personally, I don't mind this, because I think the boat idea was genius. The best thing about the movie taking place on a ship is the fact that the people are isolated.  In the previous films, it's easy to escape the area Jason is at, but now they're locked to the sea. It is absolutely one of the most intense ideas for the series.  The parts in Manhattan are also great, because even though most of it was taped in Canada, it still feels like New York. The best scenes are in the slums, because the people are really rough, and there is the accurate use of gang violence and heroin(a first for the series). One of my favorite scenes is when the characters are being chased by Jason in the sewer. It is such a dark scene, and the terror of Jason's walk as the water comes down from the ceiling was absolutely priceless.

This film was the last Paramount film of the series, and it was supposed to be the end overall, and I don't feel that the ending was as strong as it could've been.  It was definitely cool in a sense, but it still leaves the viewer a little dumbfounded.  You would think that the filmmakers would want to do something unforgettable, being it was their alleged goodbye to the biggest horror franchise in history.  The ending product was just Jason getting "killed" once again, and it wasn't even that special to be honest. 

Overall, I really like this film. I can't call it a masterpiece in any sense, but it is definitely worth a watch. I feel it has been unfairly shamed by people since its release, and I just don't get why it is so hated. I feel that it was one of the most fun entries, and I really get a kick out of watching it.  If you haven't seen this film, you should definitely give it a chance, because it will surprise you, regardless of what the mass media says. 

Friday the 13th Part 7: The New Blood Review

8/10

The year was 1988, and the makers of Friday the 13th wanted to change things up a little more.  The product of this became what my mind calls "Carrie Vs Jason."  This is the breaking point of the film series, because in all of the movies before, the teenagers have been completely normal.  Now the idea of supernatural characters came in, and the audience got a fresh film. I personally liked this film a lot.  While it isn't a fan favorite usually, I found it to be an extremely entertaining movie.  The cast is likable enough, the storyline is very interesting, and there are some great kills.  

The intro to this film was done very well.  I love how everything was tied together in the story, and the way everything was edited together was extremely snazzy.  After the flashbacks, the story starts with tragedy, as the main character Tina uses her powers to break a bridge on her father after he hits her mother in a drunken stupor.  This really gives us an idea of the potential this girl has in killing Jasòn right away.  

The film then goes into the present, where a Tina is brought to a doctor to help her with psychological problems.  They go back to the house she lived in as a child to figure things out.  I really like Tina, because she is easy to have sympathy for her.  You can really tell the guilt she has in causing the death of her father. Even if he was a bad man, that wasn't what she ever wanted to do to him.  The rest of the cast is also extremely likable.  Tina's mother is very good, because you can tell all of the support she tries to have with Tina, along with some great frustration.  The teenagers in this film are very cool too, because they're extremely wild and mischievous.  They're extremely funny, and they're perfect at making the film enjoyable. 

One of the my favorite parts of the film is the fact that it marks the first performance of Kane Hodder as Jason. He plays the role amazingly, because of the way he moves, and the aggressive nature that he captures.  The look of Jason is also exceptionally amazing. The mask is so cool, and the whole figure of him is just perfect.  Jason is definitely at his peak in this film. He was also extremely strong, if not at his strongest starting with this film.  One of the best examples was when he literally used his hand to punch a hole into a boy's back. 

The kills in the movie are fairly good.  Even though they were definitely slaughtered by the MPAA(no pun intended), they still have a fairly intense nature to them. I feel another reason why this one was a little less violent is the fact that the telekinesis played a major part of the film, so there was a little less room for gore and such.  

The telekinesis aspect of the film is bittersweet for me.  I like it for being different, because it really makes things fresh in the series. The problem that I do have with it is the fact that it takes away from reality side of the movies.  Yes zombie Jason is also fake, but now they have a girl basically using "the force" on everyone.  It is cool, but it's also weird.  The thing that the powers did really well was make one heck of a great ending battle.

Overall, this film is a great watch.  It may not hold the same reputation as more outrageous films like part 4, but it's a lot of fun and I highly recommend it.  I feel like it was actually one of the better made films of the series, because there was a lot more craft in the filming, and acting was actually very good. 

Halloween II(1981) Movie Review

10/10

To start this review off, I didn't have high standards for is movie.  Only one person I know told me they like it, and I didn't think it was going to be anywhere near the first one.  I think I honestly like this one a little more though.  This movie is brutal, tense as can be, and at times even funny. It's everything I could want in a horror movie.  There's a great cast, great killings, and just a great direction for a movie.  

The first thing I can say about this movie is that Michael Myérs became much more creative with his killings.  In the first film, he was more of an ax and strangling guy, but in this movie he does way more.  I think the fact that the film had a lot more opportunities for this, since it takes place in a hospital.  This film also upped the gore, and really became all the more shocking. 

The film also has a great cast.  As said in my review for the first film, Jamie Lee Curtis was perfect for the role of Laurie Strode.  She has so much dynamic in showing her fear, and even though she isn't on screen as much, she is still memorable.  Donald Pleasance is once again brilliant too, and I like his character even more in this film.  The whole hospital staff is great too, because they can be really funny, but then they are terrified at the same time. The portrayal of Michael is great in this film too, because he is much more menacing.  The only thing I will say is that his mask is a little annoying in this film.

If there is anything I can call a weakness in his film, it would be that it lost some of the subtlety of the first film. This one is a much more open, and closer to a typical slasher flick; while the first one was really one where you appreciated the small things. While I don't see this as bad, I can see why a lot of the fans of the series and critics didn't like it. 

Overall, I think this movie can be much more easily understood by horror fans.  It is big, gory, and brutal, and it's what everyone wants in a film like this.  I highly recommend it to anyone who loves slashers, because it is loads of fun!