Texas Chainsaw Massacre(1974) Review

10/10!!!!

When people, including me think of the first slasher movie, the first that comes to mind is "Halloween." What isn't always noticed is that there were films that lead to the genre, and really influenced the formula of the films greatly. One of the greatest examples of this is the 1974 classic "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre."  This highly controversial film of the time depicts a horrifying story that was inspired by the real murders at the hands of Ed Gein.  The film was ahead of its time, and people really didn't know what to do at its release.  In recent decades, it has been hailed as a masterpiece by critics and audiences alike, and it is known to be one of the scariest films ever made.

The film starts in a way that many horror films don't choose to do. Being it is based on a true story, there is a brief announcement that tells the events that will take place, and even though they aren't the real events that happened, you get the feeling of it by the way that they are told.  I like this a lot, because it gives a much darker feel to the film, and sets you up for crazy things to come. In the next moment, we see the brutal aftermath of a murder. As we see a skinned body propped up like a statue, a radio tells the nature of the crime.  This is also very cool, because we get an idea of who this mysterious murderer is, and what they do, without giving away any identity.

One of the first factors in this film that influenced slasher films is that the teens were stupid, and they picked up a hitchhiker.  The ironic thing is that this slasher is about the last person I'd ever let into my car. He is super creepy, and is later found to be violent and sadistic. Edwin Neal was fantastic in this role, because his freaky laugh makes his scenes all the more weird, and he has a perfect way of delivering his words and being violent without seeming phased at all. 

The five main teens were all cast very well. They are likable, and often very funny. They aren't your big stars, in fact I have never seen them in films before. This really helps a lot, because it gives a much more authentic feeling to their performances. They also aren't you picture perfect gang, with the exception of the girls, and this also helps diversity fall into the cast, and it shows that the filmmakers didn't care about appearance at all.  My personal favorite of the teens was Paul A. Partain's role of Franklin, because he was hilariously insane, and just an awesome actor. 

One of my favorite things about this film is the cinematography. There is a grainy, bright yet dark look to the movie, and it gives such a creepy vibe to the entire thing. I also like the way the shots that the camera did, because they give so many views to whats going on, and it sometimes follows the characters as if the camera was a stalker. 

As I read reviews saying that this was one of the most terrifying films ever made, I was skeptical, not fully believing that it would be too bad.  I was wrong... This movie is the first I have watched that I will actually call scary.  It's not a gory mess like many others, but it has more suspense, and it is more brutal than any movie I have ever seen. It was such a brilliant tactic to make the first forty minutes of the film pretty slow, because it made the last half the craziest thing ever.  Once the first kill from Leatherface happens, it's like a domino effect of how insane the film got.

 Leatherface is by far my favorite horror villain ever after watching this film. He has everything that is needed.  He wears a mask, he is mainly silent except for the noises he makes, he is a big hulking character, and he is fast.  Never before have I seen this combination done this well before. Jason and Michael are awesome villains, but neither of them are scary in anyway.  Leather face is not one to mess with though. He is so brutal, and he is extremely intimidating. One of the best things about him is that he can really keep up with his victims as he chases them. Michael Meyers is pretty slow, and while Jason is a little faster, neither of them are anywhere near Leatherface.  The other thing about him is his obvious mental impairments. You can tell by the movements by his mouth, and the noises that he makes that something is wrong. This almost makes everything scarier, because there is the possibility that he doesn't even know what's happening as he tortures these people. 

Later in the film, after Leatherface does a lot of killing, we meet the rest of his insane family. This makes the film even more bizarre, because they are all complete psychos. The father is a mean and abusive man, Leatherface dresses up as a woman at home, and the siblings are all complete creeps. The topic of cannibalism also comes up in these scenes, which makes it all the more scarier. I think this family factor raises the levels of scariness in the movie much more than if Leatherface was the only villain, because you get to really see how their lives function, rather than just killing.  The weirdest thing is that a lot of the time, they don't even do violent things to the victim/s, but they poke and stuff, and it's so morbidly filmed that it is just as frightening as a killing. 

The ending of the film was perfect, because it left you at the peak, it didn't give a crappy sum up the story ending, but it left you right at the moment where you are like "what the heck?"  It honestly left me with such a frightened feeling, and I have never felt it before. 

I will just say that this may be the best horror movie I've ever seen. It was sick, twisted, and brilliant all at the same time, and it was the first movie to ever scare the heck out of me. I was actually shaking by the end.  All my life I have watched horror movies and just laughed at them, but now I saw something that was truly horrifying. It is truly amazing that forty years after a film's release, it can still be scarier than anything made after it, regardless of all the skills people have learned over the years. Definitely check this film out, but be warned that you will be scared, and you will never forget. 

An American Haunting(2005) Review

9/10

Okay so this review marks a couple important landmarks in my writing history. This is the first article I did on a paranormal film, and it's also the first new horror flick I've reviewed. This film is extremely enjoyable in my opinion, and while it was not popular with other critics at all, I saw something special in it. This film looks fantastic, it was cast perfectly, and it is one of the best paranormal films I have ever watched.

The film starts out in a way I appreciate very much.  It shows a young girl in modern day America running away from something in the woods. This scene was filmed very well. The snow gives it a chilling feel(no pun intended), and the quick movement of the camera makes the running feel much more authentic. 

After the present time is shown for a few minutes the film goes into its main setting of 1817. Not many horror films go back this far in time, but being this one is based on an allegedly true story, they had to.  This film did a great job of bringing the viewer back two centuries. One of the best factors of it all is the costumes. Every character looks the time perfectly, and I give major props to all of the costume designers for a job well done. The scenery is also beautiful in this movie. The woods look fantastic, and the buildings look very at the time. Some of the looks remind me of the 1992 film "Last of the Mohicans," because it has a very relaxing look in some scenes. On the complete other hand, a lot of the scene were done perfectly because of the dark feeling they cause. In the end, whether it's capturing the time, or just the film itself, the movie looks fantastic in all ways possible. 

The acting in this film was pleasant for sure, mainly because of the safe picks in cast members. First of, Donald Sutherland plays the main character John Bell. Sutherland is one of those actors that can't do me wrong, and this role was just another effortlessly amazing role by him. He gives such a dark performance, because even though he is portrayed as a nice guy, the delivery of his words, and his sinister smile give a hidden persona in him. Sissy Spacek was another pick that couldn't go wrong in the role of John's wife Lucy. She does a great job in capturing the fear and tensity needed in frightening moments, and then in the next scene she can go back to being a kind and loving mother and wife.  The standout in this film for me was Rachel Hurd-Wood in the role of Betsy Bell.  She gave a better performance as the victim of paranormal torture than I have have seen in a long time. She captures so much terror and emotion in her performance, and the viewer really feels so much toward her.  The way that she shakes around and freaks out is just priceless, and I feel that she did near as good as Linda Blair in "The Exorcist."  This was such a mature performance for young actress like her, and I give humongous praise to her. 

In the past, I haven't really been a fan of paranormal films. I watched "Poltergeist" a few years ago, and I just couldn't dig it at all. About two years ago, I watched "The Exorcist," and while it was a very well made film in all standards, I just couldn't get into it fully. The problem I had was the fact that I couldn't be convinced of anything like those films happening in real life.  This film really changed my opinion for me.  I could really see a happening like this taking place, because it doesn't just depict a ghost or the devil taking over someone, but much much more. I almost feel that while curses are still mildly a part of this film, that the happenings are much more psychological, and because of past trauma or sins in life. I really feel that Betsy is having a lot of these attacks because of a horrible experience that is revealed near the end of the film.  I feel that her mind was scarred, and that she became very paranoid in life. On the other hand, I think John has attacks brought to him because of his wrongdoings of his past. I feel like that his guilt ate him up the point that he felt that these horrible things were happening to him, while in the end it is just his paranoid mind playing games with him.  So in the sense that this film is called a true story, I could totally believe that in a sense.  While I'm still skeptical on the idea of ghosts physically being real, I totally believe in the psychological aspect of it 100%.

In the last section, I talked about the ideas of paranormal activities in the film, but there is a whole different side to the plot, and that's what we see in these occurrences. The scenes of the hauntings are absolutely amazing in this film. The way the camera moves, the flashing lights, the dark nature, the screams, and just everything makes the scenes amazing. I love how the stress portrayed in the character is brought of to the audience, because it really gives us the ride of the terror, and makes the film all the more freaky. Another thing I love is that you can see how these occurrences really take a toll on people like Betsy. You see her get angry more frequently, you see her asleep in class, and you see the physical ailments coming on to her. One of the best examples of this in my opinion was when she lays down at one point, and you can see that her eyes have circles of black all around them.  This is what makes a paranormal film great, because while it isn't a quick violence movie like a slasher, they portray the terror in a much slower and chilling way. 

Overall, there really wasn't anything I could complain about in this movie. It surprised me that I enjoyed it so much, but I could honestly call it the best paranormal movie I have seen so far. It was freaky, interesting, and extremely well made.  I mentioned earlier that many critics hated this movie. Only 12% of the reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes liked it. I can confidently say that I can be added to this 12% because I have become a huge fan.  This is the first horror movie I have liked from the 2000's, and it has inspired me to be more open to the genre itself, and more recent films. Definitely check this out, because you will not regret it one bit.

Children of the Corn II: the Final Sacrifice

5/10

In 1984, people all around the world were shocked by the insane film "Children of the Corn."  The brutal nature of the movie was unlike any before, and it made a lasting impact on the cinema for decades to come.  Who would've ever thought that the film could have a sequel? I honestly didn't; but in 1992 this became true with "Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice."

This film begins in a basement, as a couple of men walk down for investigation. As they come into the basement, they discover multiple gored bodies of adults. This beginning was cool, because more people were beginning to find out about what these children are doing.  It will never live up to the introduction of the first though, because that was a shocking five minutes that I will never forget. 

The film then goes to the center of town, where people(including some of the children) are being interviewed.  Just by looking at these kids, you can tell right away that they are evil.  In these next few minutes, we are also introduced to a father and his son. Their names are John and Danny Garret. The two of them have a very hard relationship, because of the fact that both of them are hardened by the fact that John had Danny when he was 17 years old. John is trying to get a story about the killings, and the two of them decide to stay in the town for a little bit. Another character that is introduced is Micah. He is a young local, and John and Danny stay the night at the inn that him and his sister own. Micah starts out good, but he is cursed, and he becomes the new leader of the corn. Ryan Bollmann was cast very well as Micah, because he has a very good way of giving his lines in a very evil way, and he even has a dark look to him.  He was not nearly as frightening as Malachai or Isaac, but he was definitely a refreshing character.  

One thing that I noticed about this film was that it was trying to be much more of a mainstream film. There is a romantic subplot with Danny and a local girl named Lacey, and later a romance between John and Angela.  I think that in some senses this worked, because instead of a constantly depressing movie like the first, you have those moments to make you forget, and then complete be shocked the next moment.  Another part of this mainstream quality it's an increase in jokes.  The funniest is when Danny is told, "these kids watch too many horror flicks." I really love thee kind of jokes, because bring up the genre in a horror movie, and even if it has been done many times, it's still funny. 

One of the things I really like about this film is that they upped the gore big time.  This movie has so much blood in its killings, and it's absolutely shocking.  One of the best scenes of this is when Micah uses a voodoo doll to make a man bleed to death out of his nose.  This scene has gallons and gallons of blood, and it's one of the most gory scenes I've ever seen. The only thing I can say negatively about the increase in graphic violence is that it makes the killing less terrifying. In the original, the offscreen violence made your imagination flow more as to what might be happening, but in this you lose that mystery. 

I feel that the acting in this film is a little weak in this film.  A lot of the actors like Paul Scherrer(Danny) and Terence Knox(John), and Christie Clark(Lacey) are super likable people, but you can just tell that their performances were thrown together. It's quite apparent that they just strictly went from the script, because it shows that every line had been practiced to be perfectly like that. While this is there job, I like when an actor can be more convincing, and give the feeling that I am watching real life. The worst actor of the film was definitely Ned Romero as Frank Redbear.  I feel that he might as well had the script in his hand, because not at one moment did I feel he was doing anything but reading. His performance was so fake, and even though he was likable, I just couldn't even stand it.  As I stated before, Micah was done very well, and most of the other children were great too. They do such a great job of being mindless drones, and they give off a very creepy performance.  It bothers me a little that teenagers were light years better than veteran actors, but I guess for this film it's okay being the film is all about them. 

Being a sequel, it is very hard to stay true to an original without giving a déjà vu.  I feel this film did that at some points, but it also did a good job with being different.  There is a whole different plot line, being this one is about an investigation, rather than just two people being stranded.  Some of the plot lines are quite absurd though, especially the whole poison corn thing.  I do like that there is some talk of how the children are becoming this way, because even though we got a glimpse of it in the first, we never truly understood.  In this film, they tell some more of these details, and it's a good way of being different. 

This film was still pretty low budget, only costing about 900,000 dollars.  This was more money than the original though, so there was some more room to do crazy things.  The killings are much more than just stabbing, and they are more in the field of houses falling on people, fires, telekinetic powers, etc.  While this is cool, I really liked the simplicity of the original. It made the film much more terrifying, and this one reminds me more of Wes Craven's killings, which are much more humorous. So while this isn't a weakness by my standards, it's also not a strength, and I wish they would've kept it a little more simple. 

The last quarter of the film is super intense, and it really gets the heart rate going, just like in the original. The fields are surrounded by fire, and the pressure that the protagonists go through is thrilling as can be. The problem is that it the fate of Micah is EXACTLY like Malachai and Isaac. I don't just mean that he died, but he died EXACTLY like them.  I really wish they could've changed it up a little, because basically I just watched the same ending in a lower quality movie. Then to make matters even worse, the last 30 seconds of the film is about the cheesiest thing I have ever seen. I was hoping that the ending would be better than the original, because it left us not understanding why it was even put in, but this was that multiplied by a thousand.... 

Overall, there was some entertaining factors in this film. There was a lot of gore, and some really great scenes.  I just could never say that this film was even close to the original. It lost a lot of the quality in the acting, writing, and originality, and I can only call it mediocre at best. Horror fans should watch it for the kills only, but other than that there is not much to look forward to. 

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.