Dark Circles

Ah, the first few months with a new baby. So much fun. So exciting. So... exhausting. A couple moves out to the country with their newborn son and are met with constant hammering next door and a creepy woman who just appears at random times, all while trying to survive their son's babyhood and all the sleepless nights that go with it. There's a creepy doll (I'm amazed I ever played with dolls, they creep me out so much now), a mysterious woman, and the usual weird happenings you find in scary movies. The opening scene was my favorite part; it was creepy, scary and anxiety-inducing. The perfect beginning to a horror movie. Too many horror movies start out slow and don't build to much. This one starts off scary and disorienting, then builds up the story and relationships, then gets to the scary stuff again. Some say the ending is a twist, but I'm not sure that qualifies as a twist. It's more of an explanation, which so few horror movies have these days. I was actually a little scared, which is hard to come by these days, and was creeped out for the rest of the night, so it did its job. Recommended!

Evil Dead (2013)

Ok... well, to start with: I can't remember if I've ever seen the original Evil Dead all the way through. This particular film series is one that I watched on TV at 3 a.m. when I was a teenager and don't remember a lot about. I can say with confidence, though, that this new one is great. So much blood! There are some cringe-worthy and somewhat disgusting moments (a word of warning to the squeamish) and some creepy scenes that almost had me freaked out (and we all know that nothing scares me anymore, what with the years of horror film viewing having had the usual desensitizing effect on me). I wasn't expecting much, since I didn't remember much about the original and am not a big fan of demonic-possession films, but this one is done right (there's a reason it's a classic). I was sucked in and held on until the end, and the final blood-soaked (literally) showdown was one of the best I've seen recently. Possible spoiler: if you stick around past the credits you get to see Ash (Bruce Campbell) for all of three seconds. It's worth it though, I suppose. On a side note, Bruce Campbell, Tony Todd, and Robert Englund are all in the same club: they make a living doing cameo appearances in horror films, strictly for the "Hey it's Bruce Campbell/Tony Todd/Robert Englund" effect. I have heard grumbles that there is no Ash character in this one, but I can understand why they went with new characters: who would they have found to play the new Ash, since Bruce Campbell is considerably older than the characters in this film are? And anyone new would have just disappointed the die-hard fans, no matter how good they were.

So is it as good as the original? Maybe, maybe not, but I don't think that's the point. I think you can enjoy both films equally, the original for the nostalgia and every reason you loved it when you first saw it, and this new one because it does everything right. See it! It's a fun ride, regardless of how you feel about the idea of remaking cult classics.

Autopsy (2008)

This movie feels like an episode of The Twilight Zone at times, but it has one of the best lines I've heard in a horror film lately. One guy asks for some antibiotics because a guy bled in his mouth (after an automobile accident) and the creepy nurse guy says, "Did you ask him to?" Awesome.

Oh, and Robert Patrick is in it. Yes, the T-1000. Also awesome.

This is, all in all, a sufficiently creepy little hospital horror movie. Weird things happen, the workers at the hospital are suspicious characters that make you wonder what's going on even as you realize that you don't want to know, and the mystery of exactly what the heck is going on is enough to keep you watching. There are a lot of horror movies set in hospitals, but most of them are straight ghost stories; this one is different and has a bit of mystery (which I think most horror movies could use more of, instead of just getting in your face with obvious situations and tired endings that you see coming a mile away). And one final tip? If you're taken to a hospital in the middle of the night and your friends start disappearing, you should run. Especially if you see the T-1000.

The Collection

Best beginning of any movie I've seen lately. I literally watched it with my mouth hanging open. It reminded me of the beginning scene of Ghost Ship, which was disturbing and fascinating at the same time, but this is more real. Then the movie gets going and doesn't stop. I liked the first movie, The Collector, but I was distracted by how the main character, Arkin, kept doing everything wrong. And the other characters, too; if they had just listened to Arkin they would've made it out. In this one, Arkin is trying to save a rich man's daughter who is the latest addition to the collection of the mad man, because Arkin is the only one who knows where the guy is and how he operates. He makes better decisions this time around, and the other players are really good, unlike the family from the first movie. There were moments where I was yelling at the screen; how does the guy with the big gun still end up dead, and did they just keep forgetting that every room is booby-trapped? But these are minor points, and again, necessary to keep the movie going. Lee Tergesen (an actor I love, but no one has heard of) is great as the kidnapped girl's guardian, and the girl herself pulls through at the end and didn't annoy me by screaming the whole time. I was literally tense with anticipation at what would happen next, and I wanted to watch it again immediately after it ended.That, for me at least, makes this one of the best horror movies of last year. Just trust me... see this one.

Smiley

OK, so there's a serial killer who appears online in anonymous chat rooms, a la Bloody Mary, and kills people after they type in "I did it for the lulz" three times. A fragile college student named Ashley who has some past mental problems (and whose mother just died) gets mixed up in this urban legend after hearing about it at a party and then trying it out herself. Of course, she types in the phrase three times and witnesses a poor, hapless stranger being violently dispatched by Smiley, a killer who cut out his eyes and sewed a smile into his own face. Now, is Smiley a real, supernatural being who is able to appear like Bloody Mary, or is Ashley just crazy?

I personally could do without the past mental health history and the possibility that it is all just one of her psychotic fantasies, but that adds doubt and keeps you guessing, so I guess it's necessary. But if you overlook the tired plot of is-she-crazy, this is a good horror film. I enjoyed the suspense, and it was perfect for watching on a rainy afternoon. So check this one out if you want a good horror flick with a modern twist.

Silent Hill: Revelation

Now here is a horror movie for the person who likes a little atmosphere and wants to be creeped out all the way through. To be honest, I didn't like the first one when it came out - let me explain. I liked the setting and it was creepy but the last half hour irritated me and I can't remember the last time I was so happy to see the villain die a terrible death. But that aside, I saw the preview for this sequel and was excited to see it. And it was in 3D. I am firm believer in using 3D in certain ways: most horror movies and kids Pixar movies are good in 3D. The Great Gatsby and the spectacularly underwhelming My Soul to Take? Not so much. But Silent Hill is exactly the kind of movie that should be in 3D. They use it to full advantage. (OK, that's it for my rant on 3D). This movie is dark and creepy with inventive bad guys and good special effects. Two words: spider mannequin. You'll see. The nurses? One of the best parts. The guy with the triangle head? Awesome. Trinity (AKA Carrie-Anne Moss) as an evil blond (who I didn't recognize until the movie was over and I saw her name in the credits)? Weird but good. There are so many good sequences in this film, and it has almost no slow moments that it kept my interest and was one of the best horror movies of last year (tied with Cabin in the Woods, in my opinion). See it for the spider mannequin, stay for Malcolm McDowell (I know, weird right?) and the killer nurses. Highly recommended if you like dark, colorful horror with at least some story and can overlook the fact that the main girl is obviously wearing the character's original outfit from the game (though I've never played the game so I'm just guessing). Enjoy!