Tormented (2009)

This is a pretty fun “teen scream” type of flick from the U.K. that was pretty entertaining. It’s about a high schooler who is mercilessly picked on by the popular clique until he commits suicide, but returns to pick off his classmates one by bloody one. The film starts with the overall “good girl” and class president-type Justine (Tuppence Middleton) giving the eulogy at Darren Mullet’s (Calvin Dean) funeral. However, she can’t even remember who he was. Soon after, popular dude Alexis (Dimitri Leonidas) asks Justine out and she quickly falls in with the popular clique, who used to harass Darren endlessly. Before long, students start dying grisly deaths and it appears that Darren Mullet has returned from the grave for revenge against those who bullied him.

Tormented has entertaining characters, grisly deaths, ocular horror, a nice revenge story and a surprising ending! It also looks slick and polished and there is a fair assortment of characters (the popular kids, the nerds, the goths, etc.). The tense relationships between cliques are nothing new, but Tormented keeps things interesting with witty dialogue and colorful characters. Even though the characters seem to be stereotypical, writer Stephen Prentice gives each of the characters a distinctive voice and keeps things fun and light.

Offsetting the laughs is the gore…and I gotta say that there are some pretty inventive deaths here! There is plenty of spatter and a high body count in Tormented, and my favorite, most squirm-worthy death scene in one involving ocular horror! Ouch!

The cast all does a fantastic job and director Jon Wright really brings out the best in every single one of them. Wright also gives us a very pretty, very visually stimulating film. Tormented looks great and has that slick look, however it’s not so slick that it detracts from the actual story.

I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed Tormented. It’s a fun flick that I think most horror fans will enjoy. Check out this British film if you get the chance!

Available from Amazon!

Vindication (2010)

In Bart Mastronardi’s debut feature film, Vindication,the theme of all-consuming guilt is explored by the lead character of Nicholas (Keith Fraser), a troubled and depressed young art student. After a failed suicide attempt, the lines between reality and fantasy begin to blur and madness overtakes Nicholas. As he tries to conquer his guilt and discover who he really is, this path leads him on a murderous and bloody journey of self-discovery.

Vindication is a very creative indie effort and has some pretty effective scenes, but it is not without flaws. One of its most glaring flaws is the running length, which is far too long, especially in regards to the nightmarish, languid way the narrative is constructed. Many of the film’s scenes feel drawn out, repetitive and unnecessary. Plus, it took its sweet time getting to the meat of the story after Nicholas’ attempted suicide.  Character development is important, but it shouldn’t be done to the extent where the audience loses interest in the actual story! When the film finally got around to the horrific part of the story, it lingered too long on unnecessary characters (like the bickering couple at the masked rave) or drew out scenes that should have lasted a few seconds or minutes. I think if this had been condensed into a short film it would have been much more effective, because as a feature length the film just doesn’t work, especially since I spent most of my time watching the clock instead of the movie.

The story and the way it was portrayed was pretty clever, but the script is cluttered with Shakespearean-inspired speech and quotations. At first I enjoyed this device, but by the end of the film I had grown tired of it. Like a play, the film is very dramatic, over-the-top and theatrical, reminding me of a classical Greek tragedy. Mastronardi uses lots of symbolism throughout the film, but like the dramatic Shakespearean-isms it sometimes comes on too strong. Mastronardi also utilizes some very interesting characters throughout, and while I enjoyed most of them (the blind seer, Nicholas’ personal demon, Nicholas himself) some of them just appeared (or disappeared) with no apparent explanation. Again, the story is in need of some serious editing to straighten out its more convoluted points.

Despite its flaws, I enjoyed the artistic and philosophical nature of Vindication. At its best, it reminded me of the superior indie films The Psychomanteum and Mercy, both which feature the same surreal atmosphere of Vindication. It has some nice photography, even though at times shots aren’t as clear as they should be. Still, it’s a well-composed film that shows some creative use of camera angles, especially for it being Mastronardi’s first feature.

Another one of the film’s strengths lies in the actors, especially the lead of Nicholas as played by Keith Fraser. Fraser really makes us care for his troubled character, even when he starts hacking up his buddies and random strangers. Through Fraser’s performance we feel Nicholas’ pain and really feel where he’s coming from (especially during the scene where he confronts his dickwad of a father, played viciously by Jerry Murdock). I also enjoyed performances by Zoe Daelman Chlanda as Nicholas’ dead mother, Cassandra, and Alan Rowe Kelly as Urbane, the blind seer (both references to Greek mythology). I also loved the small cameo by Raine Brown and Joe Zaso as an expectant couple. The performance that stole the show, though, was whoever played the demon throughout the film. I believe it was filmmaker Bart Mastronardi, but I’m not positive. Whoever it was, though, did a fantastic job at creating an eerie and unforgettable character!

Vindication may have its flaws and its avant garde feel may not be for everyone, but there is no denying that it is an ambitious project that is worth a look for fans of more psychological, artsy films.

Vindication will be released by R Squared Films in April 2010.

Visit Vindication on Myspace, Facebook and its Official Site!

Diagnosis: Death (2009)

The big selling point of Diagnosis: Death is that it features the trio from cult comedy show Flight of the Conchords (Bret McKenzie, Rhys Darby and Jemaine Clement) but fans of the show shouldn’t get too excited…each are only in the film for less than a few scenes and none of them play pivotal characters.

Perhaps a better selling point for horror fans is that the official synopsis compares it to Peter Jackson’s early films like Dead Alive and Bad Taste…too bad Diagnosis: Death doesn’t remotely live up to this comparison. Perhaps a more precise title of the film would have been Diagnosis: Zzzzzzzzz, because it nearly put me to sleep.

Teacher Andre (Raybon Kan) and student Juliet (Jessica Grace Smith), both with terminal disease, are both undergoing experimental treatments at a drug-testing facility, lead by the Nurse Ratchet-type Nurse Margaret Bates (Suze Tye). A side effect of the drug is hallucinations, but when both Andre and Juliet start experiencing the same sinister visions of a horrific double murder that may have occurred at the facility, they decide to get to the bottom of the mystery…even if it threatens their lives.

Diagnosis: Death does have its moments of laugh-out-loud quirky humor, but that is the only part of the film that actually rings true. The horrific elements of the film fall severely short, complete with stereotypical Ju-On/Grudge-type scares (a creepy kid, suicide/murder, watery footprints, etc.) and horrendously rendered “ghosts” (including a ridiculously out-of-place scene where ghostly skeletons are boning…ok, that scene alone might be worth a rental). I will say there are some disturbing scenes, including a hanged woman and said creepy kid hiding under a desk, but they were too far apart and the rest of the film dragged.

The film felt unbalanced and at times it felt like I was watching two different movies – a comedy on one hand and a B-horror film on the other – and it just didn’t feel like the elements of horror and comedy ever melded together to create a cohesive film. It’s a pity that the pacing and storyline were so off, because the actors all did a good job. The film is based in New Zealand, and I believe most of the actors are from there. Raybon kan and Jessica Grace Smith were great in their roles, though their age differences made things a bit awkward at times. I especially enjoyed Suze Tye’s performance as the no-nonsense Nurse Bates. And, of course, The Flight of the Conchords guys all did a great job in their brief performances…but seriously, we are talking mere minutes of screen time, so don’t get too excited.

Despite a few positives, Diagnosis: Death arrives DOA and unfortunately can’t be resuscitated with even the quirkiest of humor. Unless you wanna see a couple of wispy, CGI skeletons doing it doggy style, steer clear!

Buy it on Amazon!

Book Review: Shadows by Joan de la Haye

Sarah is struggling through her estranged father’s recent suicide while trying to maintain her relationship with cheating boyfriend Kevin. Unbeknownst to Sarah, Kevin is seeing Denise, who in turn is seeing Kevin’s sister, Carol. Things get complicated in the love triangle when Denise asks something of the siblings that is unfathomable to most people.

Meanwhile, Sarah is falling into despair at Kevin’s neglect of her in her time of need. She falls further into a downward spiral when she starts hallucinating and starts seeing a demon that shows her horrible scenes of carnage. The lines between reality and fiction become blurred as Sarah is tormented by the demon.

Shadows is from South African author Joan de la Haye, and it’s fun to read the Johannesburg slang that pops up in her writing. The rest of the book is just as engaging, making it a quick, nail-biting read that is hard to put down!

I really enjoyed the two storylines, one told from Sarah’s first-person perspective and the other alternating from Kevin, Carol and Denise’s perspectives, but all told in third person. The switches in voice made things interesting and let you know right away whose perspective you were seeing things from.

The characters, while not remarkably likable (the cheating, incestuous Kevin is especially vile), are all very engaging and you can’t wait to see how they will unravel next. The calculating Denise is almost as bad as Sarah’s demon, manipulating both Kevin and Carol at the same time. Carol has her own motives, but follows wherever Denise leads. And Sarah is a needy, dependent woman who gains the readers’ respect later in the book when she decides not to take it anymore and fight back! Sarah’s demon is quite entertaining, though I definitely wouldn’t want to get on his bad side!

The issues in the book are appropriately disturbing as it deals with everything from rape, suicide, incest to poor healthcare systems. Sarah’s demon takes gruesome delight in tormenting her, showing her effectively gory scenes of bloody death of her loved ones. There are plenty of passages filled with grue in the novel, but these never overpower the truly scariest aspect of the novel, which is the cruelty that people can inflict on each other and themselves.

Author Joan de la Haye has crafted a darkly entertaining book with Shadows and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for readers next!

Available from Amazon!

Savage Harvest 2: October Blood (2006)

It’s usually hard to follow up a horror movie, indie or otherwise, with a substantial sequel. Most sequels exist only to exploit the popularity of the first film and to plunder its creativity without coming up with anything original. When there is a change in writer and director (which is usually the case) the problem is further compounded. The heart, soul and essence of the first film are discarded in pursuit of one thing, and one thing only…money.

Luckily, we have smart independent horror sequels like Savage Harvest 2: October Blood to make up for those other soul-sucking sequels. Instead of exploiting the source material, new writer/director Jason Christ reverently stays true to the original while adding his own improvements.

Thirteen years have passed since a group of six friends awakened evil demons on a rural farm. The last remaining survivor, Mikki (Lisa Morrison), committed suicide several years ago. Her younger sister Ashley (Emily Haack), receives an unmarked video of a blood-drenched Mikki that reopens all the old wounds from her sister’s suicide. This video throws Ashley back into a deep depression and she returns to her and Mikki’s hometown to try and heal her wounds. Once there she runs into her old high school sweetheart Tyge (Benjamin Gaa), who’s running from his own personal demons. Tyge is staying with his old friend Zack (Eric Stanze, the writer/director for the first Savage Harvest film), who is enthralled by Native American folklore, especially that based on the native tribes of the area. When Ashley becomes determined to discover why her sister committed suicide and why she made that video tape, the friends head back to the isolated farm where Mikki survived a massacre and unwittingly re-release the very same evil spirits that turned Mikki’s friends into demons!

Savage Harvest 2: October Blood is an impressive sequel, one that works closely with its source material but tweaks things just enough to make them interesting. It also takes the time to improve on the original’s weak spots, including character development. Writing and directing duties have been handed over to Jason Christ, taking over for Eric Stanze who stars in the film. Christ does a fantastic job creating an engaging story, well-developed characters and a foreboding atmosphere.

The pace of the film comes in sharp contrast with its predecessor; while the first wastes no time in getting to the gory action, October Blood wisely takes its time building up the story and characters. Though some might say it takes too long, I believe that in the end it benefits the overall film. The actors do a great job of carrying the first part of the film solely on their performances. Emily Haack as Ashley conveys an emotional depth that is rarely seen in low-budget horror films. I also enjoyed watching Benjamin Gaa as Tyge as he and Ashley’s relationship deepens (and then turns nasty!). The real delight, though, came from Eric Stanze. I never expected him to be as great an actor as he is a writer/director, but he proved me wrong! He was an absolute joy to watch as Zack and brought some quirky and funny moments to the film.

Fans of the fast-paced Savage Harvest might need to be a bit more patient for the bloody pay-off in this film, but their patience will be well rewarded. The special FX are back in October Blood, with the infamous chainsaw making a nice comeback. Gorehounds will be pleased, though they’ll be waiting an hour plus for the bloodbath to begin.

Released in 2006, Savage Harvest 2: October Blood has been a long time coming since the original Savage Harvest was released in 1995. Despite the long wait, fans will be well pleased by the sequel. It may run a little long for most genre fan’s likings at nearly two hours, but those that appreciate well-constructed characters will think it’s worth the wait. Even those who haven’t seen the original Savage Harvest will easily be able to enjoy the film – the first film’s mythology is cleverly laid out at the beginning of October Blood.

Wicked Pixel Films continues to produce quality, independent horror film and Savage Harvest 2: October Blood is no different. Check it out today!

Available from Amazon!

City of the Living Dead (1980)

I picked up City of the Living Dead (aka The Gates of Hell) on my last jaunt to my favorite store, Second Spin. I was convinced I already owned a copy or had at least watched this Fulci flick, but I was delighted to find I had NOT seen it.

City of the Living Dead has pretty much been slammed by critics, much to my chagrin. Why this sweet little supernatural/zombie flick packed to the teeth with gory goodness has been so lambasted is simply beyond me, for I thoroughly enjoyed it.

In the town of Dunwich a priest (Fabrizio Jovine) commits suicide in a cemetery and opens up the gates to hell. Meanwhile, a psychic (Catriona MacColl) has a vision of this priest and the hell on earth that will ensue after his suicide. This psychic seems to die from fright during the séance, but awakens after she’s been buried alive. A newspaper reporter (Christopher George) poking around her grave for a story rescues her. She then convinces him the world will end in 48 hours unless they find this mysterious town of Dunwich and stop the undead priest from unleashing hell on earth. Back in Dunwich, the undead priest is hard at work and zombies are rising from graves and killing people. When the psychic and reporter finally find Dunwich, they team up with a few others, including a psychologist (Carlo De Mejo) and a young child (Luca Venantini), to fight off the impending zombie apocalypse. Can they stop it before it’s too late?

I am really surprised more people didn’t dig this movie, because I thought it was abso-fucking-lutely fantastic! When you go into a Fulci flick, you have to realize that you won’t get a very well-developed story or even one that makes sense. What you will get, however, is a highly atmospheric and stylized, gore-filled treat! City of the Living Dead is no different, packed with eerie shots of a fog-filled cemetery, a creepy, undead priest and some cringeworthy gore!

The visuals are outstanding, with Fulci creating some seriously nightmarish images. Characters keep seeing the creepy priest appear and disappear, zombies begin stumbling around the nearly-deserted streets and the city of Dunwich begins to take on a very apocalyptic feel. Fabio Frizzi’s dark score helps to heighten the atmosphere and kept me on the edge of my seat!

Besides the sinister visuals, Fulci gives us a heaping plateful of his trademark ooey gooey gore. Once the priest puts the impending apocalypse into motion, people start behaving a little…oddly. In one very memorable scene, a father catches his daughter hanging out in the garage with a guy and suspects the worse. He punishes the man (who in earlier scenes we see is a disturbing sexual deviant, played by none other than Italian horror icon Giovanni Lombardo Radice) by drilling right through his skull in a fantastically shot scene! In another legendary scene, the priest appears and makes a girl cry blood tears and slowly regurgitate her own intestines. Truly a sick, sick sight, but oh so worth it!

Now, no matter how much I enjoyed this flick it still has some very serious flaws. The most glaringly obvious is the poor storyline. The story itself is pretty nonsensical and there are plenty of plot holes to jar your enjoyment of the film. Believability MUST be suspended quite a bit to believe the sequence of events portrayed in the film. Example – without any explanation, the zombies in this film, including the undead priest, can teleport. Pretty handy for freaking people the fuck out! Also, the psychic coming back to life after nearly being buried alive is pretty implausible…didn’t they stuff corpses with embalming fluid and whatnot back then?

The dialogue is pretty horrendous as well, with the characters endlessly babbling about Dunwich being built upon the remains of Salem, going back and forth on how they must stop the priest and on and on. The film gets a lot better towards the end when there is more screaming than talking. Yet, I found myself being able to overlook the bad dialogue and just enjoy the action happening on-screen.

While City of the Living Dead certainly has its flaws and isn’t the best Fulci flick around, it still has a certain charm that made me love it. For those that haven’t experienced Fulci’s unique style of filmmaking (shame on you!) I would NOT recommend this film. It’s a little too all over the place for a starting point. Instead, I’d suggest first checking out Zombi or The Beyond. Still, those that haven’t yet peeped this gorelicious treat are truly missing out on an atmospheric and grue-filled flick!

Available from Amazon!

Shutter (2004)

Shutter is a film from Thailand that was one spine-tingling good time! With the slew of Asian horror films that came out after the success of Ringu (The Ring), Ju-On (The Grudge), The Eye, and so on, it is nice to see one that actually SCARES you!

After a night of drinking with friends, Tun, a photographer, and his girlfriend Jane hit a girl with their car. Panicked, they flee the scene without checking if the girl is alive or dead. After the accident, each suffers nightmares from the guilt, and soon strange things start appearing in Tun’s photographs. A ghostly figure appears in the photographs and soon she is terrorizing both Tun and Jane. Tun’s friends also start mysteriously committing suicide. Is the apparition the girl whom they hit with their car? Or is she someone from the past, seeking revenge for a long-forgotten memory?

Shutter is one of the better Asian horror films out there right now. At first, it appears to be very cliché, with a long-haired ghost creeping around, but it is so intelligently and elegantly presented that you forget about the clichés almost immediately. The story draws you in and holds you rapt as it unveils more and more revelations that draw the story together. As the story progresses, the tension gets ratcheted up. This is one of the few horror films in recent memory that has actually made me yelp out loud more than once.

Directors Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom do an excellent job with this film. The tension and scares in the film are genuine, and I can’t recall any cheap, fake scares that were used. Each scene is lit beautifully, from the red-lit dark room to the dingy florescent lighting in the disorienting stairwell chase scene to the tense scene where a dark room is only lit by the bright bulb of a camera flash. The scares are very effective; even the ones I saw coming or were cued by the score managed to make me jump!

The acting is right on par as well. Ananda Everingham as Tun does a wonderful job playing a loving boyfriend with a dark past. He is gorgeous as well, and reminds me of Orlando Bloom (but with better acting). Natthaweeranuch Thongmee as Jane also does a competent job, but the Thai language isn’t a very melodious sound and because of this I spent the beginning of the film cringing at the screechiness of her voice. Yet, as I became involved with the story, this minor annoyance just faded into the background.

While the story is not entirely original, it still manages to frighten and entertain. It has enough twists and surprises that are flawlessly woven into the storyline that you won’t suspect a thing until it hits you over the head. The creeptastic ending itself warrants a rental or a purchase of this film. Those last images will haunt you for days! Hauntings can sure be a real pain in the neck!

Fans of Asian horror will no doubt enjoy Shutter, but other horror fans will also enjoy this suspenseful, scary treat!

Shutter is already being remade as an American film starring Joshua Jackson, so catch the real thing before viewing the Americanized (and otherwise bastardized) film (currently filming).

Available from Amazon!

Purgatory House (2007)

Purgatory House is a feature length film written by 14-year-old Celeste Davis. Its compelling, intriguing and original story is painfully honest to the feelings of teenagers. While not quite a horror film, this insightful, independent production is a must-see.

Purgatory House tells the tale of young teen Silver Strand (Celeste Davis), who commits suicide to escape the pain and hurt of her life. Instead of finding the love she is seeking though, she is sent to spend eternity in Purgatory House, a place for wayward teens that have lost their way. Here she spends her days under the care of Saint James (Jim Hanks), watching her friends and family on EarthTV, reflecting on her earthly life and forming a relationship with another teen stuck there, Atticus (Devin Witt). The focus of Purgatory is to relive the pain they felt on Earth, so they have ready access to drugs but must forever wear the same clothes, makeup and hairstyle that they died wearing and repeat the cycle of hurt and abandonment.

Told from the unique perspective of a teen, Purgatory House is a brutally honest, raw and realistic look at the problems and feelings teens face every day. It tells the tale of the misunderstood, alienated and unhappy youth of today. Facing an uncaring school system, parents who don’t understand, fair-weather friends, easy access to drugs and the constant pressure from peers and society, Silver falls into a depressed state, finally deciding on taking her own life. Teens like this character face these challenges every day, and are mostly overlooked or not seen at all by society. It’s no wonder they feel so disconnected and lost from the world. Davis takes her own experiences as a teen and infuses them into this well-written and superbly directed movie to reach out to both teenagers and adults.

The script, written in its entirety by Davis, is realistic and doesn’t shy away from the truth. The dialogue is convincingly written and faithful to the way teens interact. It is also quite impressive and sophisticated coming from a 14-year-old. The story, set mainly in Purgatory with flashbacks to Celeste’s life counting down to the moment of her death, is interesting and original. The setting of Purgatory is quite inventive, especially to explore Silver’s life and how she came to commit suicide.

The direction, by Cindy Baer, was surprisingly excellent for it being her first feature directorial debut. Everything stayed true to Davis’ script and portrayed the right amount of emotion and intimacy that Davis was going for. The look of the film, both gritty and otherworldly, spoke volumes and added more depth to the film. The compositions of some scenes were breathtakingly beautiful. Just from the look and feel of the film it is apparent that a lot of love went into it. I don’t think the film would be the same if it were polished and slick looking. It would just lose too much emotion and realism.

For an independent film, the acting was surprisingly good. Celeste Davis played the lead of Silver Strand and no one could have done a better job. This was Davis’ first experience acting, and wow, does she put on a powerful performance! I never would have guessed she didn’t have any acting experience! The rest of the cast doesn’t shine as bright as Davis’ (this is her film!), but does a great job anyway. I particularly enjoyed Jim Hanks (brother of Tom), who does a wonderful job as the stoic and wise St. James, dressed in a dapper white tux.

This film is truly a revelation and is worth a watch just to see what a lot of love, passion and dedication can produce. Celeste Davis seems to have a very bright future ahead of her and I can’t wait to see what she does next. If you want a peek into the world of a teenager, check out the compelling, raw and realistic Purgatory House.

Available on Amazon!

Dark Remains (2005)

As mentioned in a previous post, Friday night I set out to watch Dark Remains, Brian Avenet-Bradley's new film. I had previously watched Ghost of the Needle, and had been blown away by the creepiness that film contained. I couldn't wait to watch his next one. Though I don't think Dark Remains surpassed the storyline or creepiness of Ghost of the Needle, it was still a well-done, scary ghost story.

Julie and her husband, Allen, retreat to an isolated cabin to mourn the loss of their young daughter, who was brutally murdered in their own home. Julie is severely depressed and Allen encourages her to take up photography again. Julie begrudgingly agrees, and finds an old prison that was shut down. She begins photographing the bleak building, but when she develops the photos Julie finds ghostly images of her child. She begins taking more and more photographs which lead to more and more ghosts showing up in the prints. Meanwhile, Allen does some research on their cabin and finds many people who have lived there committed suicide. Is their child trying to warn them to get out before it is too late? Why are the other ghosts tormenting them? What secrets lie in the cabin and the old prison?

With lots of ghosts popping up at unexpected times, this movie definitely succeeded in giving me the creeps. As usual, Avenet-Bradley definitely knows how to scare the audience with a disturbing images and a haunting score to compliment them. Yet, the flash-ghost scares (much like Japanese horror movies like Ringu or Ju-on) become overused as the film progresses and lessen its impact. Also, the last third of the movie tends to drag and the ending wasn't as powerful as I'd hoped.

The acting is pretty decent, especially from the actor playing Jim (Scott Hodges), Julie and Allen's hick neighbor that seems to know more about the ghosts than he lets on. Those familiar with Ghost of the Needle will recognize Cheri Christian (Julie) and Greg Thompson (Allen) as having been in that film as well. The story is well thought out and extremely engaging, though, as mentioned previously, it does lag a bit towards the end.

Avenet-Bradley succeeds again in crafting creepy shots, along with the help of his wife, Laurence Avenet-Bradley, who reprises her role as cinematographer. Some scenes will make you ask, did I just see that? Avenet-Bradley wisely keeps things slightly hidden or slightly out of frame to give the audience maximum jump scares.

While the film does have its problems, I would highly recommend Dark Remains as a chilling alternative to the typical hack 'n' slash movies that are so prevalent today. It is a well-crafted, engaging and scary ghost story.

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The Woods (2006)

The Woods was quite a pleasant surprise, though the film did have its problems. The film, especially the answer to the mystery, is predictable and some parts are a bit baffling. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the film very much.

In the 1960s, Heather (Agnes Bruckner) is dropped off at an isolated all-girls boarding school by her unfeeling, selfish mother (Emma Campbell) and doormat of a father (Bruce Campbell). Heather is sent here because she tried to burn down her own home. Her mother is exasperated with her behavior and wants to be rid of her. Heather is taken in by headmistress Ms. Traverse (Patricia Clarkson) and given a special test, which contains many strange markings and symbols, to obtain a scholarship. Heather just blows it off, but to her surprise, she passes the test and is given a scholarship.

Heather soon befriends strange outcast Marcy (Lauren Birkell), and makes an enemy of the popular girl, Samantha. Heather soon begins to hear strange voices that seem to originate in the woods that surround the school. She has nightmares of a student that attempted suicide as well as visions of girls in old fashioned garb being chased through the forest. She learns that many years ago, three girls appeared out of the woods and were taken in by the school. The other students tormented them and it was discovered that they were witches. After being mercilessly chased through the forest and beaten, the three witches gain control of the other students through witchcraft and chop the headmistress to bits with an ax.

When Heather's friends begin disappearing and strange things occur, she wonders what evil is at work in the school and the woods and sets out to uncover the mystery.

Again, this movie has some flaws, but I still enjoyed it. The small details used throughout, like leaves in the teacher's hair and vines that permeated the school grounds inside and out, really add to the mysterious atmosphere. I also like the fact that the cast was mainly female. The actors all do a good job, especially Patricia Clarkson as the icy headmistress and Lauren Birkell as Marcy. Bruce Campbell's portrayal as Heather's father is very different than what most people are used to seeing him in, but, it's Bruce Campbell and I think he makes anything more enjoyable just by his presence.

There are some definite creepy moments in the film, but hardly any big scares. I prefer a pervading creepiness to cheap, jump scares, though, so it works just fine for me. The ending is a bit of a mess and I wish Heather's powers were used more in the film, but the strong acting, characters and eeriness won me over in the end.

Lucky McKee is the director of this film, and he also directed the quirky and disturbing May. I loved May, and while The Woods doesn't have its black humor, it is still a very fine film by McKee. If you are a fan of May, or enjoy atmospheric horror, I would definitely check The Woods out.

On Amazon!

The Booth (2005)

Another Japanese horror movie, but definitely not a typical one.

Via Netflix:

When he's forced to evacuate his regular studio for renovations, Shogo (Ryuta Sato), a popular radio disc jockey, temporarily moves into the building's mysterious Studio 6, which has stood empty ever since its last occupant committed suicide. Trouble is, it doesn't take long for strange things to start happening inside the new booth, prompting Shogo to wonder whether he's losing his mind -- or seeing ghosts.

This movie was pretty intense, with a caller phoning in to Shogo's radio show to quietly but repeatedly call him a "liar." From there, things began to get even creepier. As Shogo begins to question his sanity, so does the audience, as we aren't quite sure what is real and what isn't.

The story is told from Shogo's perspective, and each time he is called a liar from the mystery caller, we are treated to a flashback of him being especially nasty to someone, usually his coworkers. Shogo slowly starts to lose it, as he suspects his coworkers to be seeking revenge, while more and more of his listeners want to know about the paranormal activity happening inside The Booth.

I liked this movie much more than I anticipated I would. It stayed far away from the typical J-Horror scares dealing with small children or women with long, black hair, and instead sent a slow, but progressive shiver up my spine.

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Whispering Corridors (1998)

Wow, I just realized that I had never reviewed this Korean film. I'm pretty sure I didn't like it, since I didn't take the time to even write a review, and I gave it two stars in Netflix. Hmmm...I'm not sure exactly what I didn't like about it, though.

Here's the Netflix synopsis:

This groundbreaking Korean film stars Kang-hie Choi as Se-yeon Choi, an intrepid teacher at an all-girls school whose prying ways are awarded with a murder-mystery she now must unravel. After a handful of students begin to turn up dead, administrators scramble to cover up the deaths and pass them off as suicides, a betrayal that spurs Se-yeon to action. But, like the proverbial cat, the curious educator may be marked for death.

It begins strongly enough with a teacher being murdered and strung up, suicide-style, for students to find. It seems the vengeful ghost of a student is killing off teachers and students, one by one. A teacher and student try to solve the mystery and stop the ghost. The movie drags a little in the middle, and though I don't exactly remember the ending, I must have hated it since the beginning and middle weren't all that bad.

I'm surprised they haven't done an American remake of this movie, since it's supposed to be one of the first horror movies that kicked off the Asian craze. This is a relief, because I'm usually not too fond of remakes, reworkings, reimagings, or whatever those crazy kids call it these days!

If you've got a rainy afternoon to kill, rent this movie to see where the Asian horror craze came from.

Check it out on Amazon!