A HAUNTED HOUSE 2 falls short on the laughs

RATED- R
RUN TIME- 86 Mins
WRITER(S)- Marlon Wayans and Rick Alvarez
STARRING- Marlon Wayans, Jaime Pressly, and Cedric the Entertainer
DIRECTOR- Michael Tiddes



Synopsis taken from IMDb
Having exorcised the demons of his ex, Malcolm is starting fresh with his new girlfriend and her two children. After moving into their dream home, however, Malcolm is once again plagued by bizarre paranormal events.




This second installment in the "A Haunted House" series starts immediately where the first film left off, and packs in the laughs. Within the first five minutes I laughed several times, it opens strong and goofy. I've always been a sucker for stupid humor, and I've liked the Wayans brothers for a long time. Their movies are usually right up my alley.

Once Malcolm (Marlon Wayans) and his new girlfriend move into their home, it's simple things like ad libbed dialogue that gets the giggles out of you. Such things as referring to his new dog as Shiloh the sequel (since his first dog, Shiloh, died in the first film) got laughs from me. It's intentionally dumb, and that stuff usually gets reactions out of me.

Once Malcolm and his girlfriend Meg (Jaime Pressly) discover a weird doll's in their house by the name of Abigail, things get really out of hand, leading to an elaborate but funny sex scene between Malcolm and the doll. Once again, Marlon Wayans pushes the ratings barrier with raunchy and downright explicit humor.

Then if that isn't enough, the doll becomes obsessed with Malcolm, and sends him a friend request on Facebook. Again, the stupid things like this are what I find to be ridiculously funny. There's another scene that takes a page from "The Conjuring" where the infamous wardrobe scene is imitated. This also resulted in my laughter.

Malcolm's ex, Kisha shows up and disrupts the new life he's build since splitting on her in the beginning of the film. Once Malcolm has to explain his relationship with Kisha to his new girl Meg, we see some more raunchy humor and a hilarious head spin referring to "The Exorcist". And this is where things go from bad to worse for Malcolm, and leads to an exorcism scene.

Basically, although the first and second act are amusing and downright funny at parts, it's really just more of the same. It's just a lot of parodying cliches along with other films such as "The Conjuring", "The Possession", "Sinister", "Paranormal Activity", and the "Evil Dead" reboot. There's also an abundance of racist jokes that are stereotypical, and just aren't that funny. The movie almost becomes a mockery of itself for the third act.

At about 50 minutes into the film, I knew that I liked the previous movie more. Although I was laughing here and there, I wasn't laughing as hard as I had in the first film. And I wasn't enjoying myself as much. I even found myself getting bored and checking my cell phone, increasingly losing interest in the film as it neared its end.

This movie just seems so recklessly put together and sloppy. A lot of scenes drag on far too long and rely on ad libbed babbling to be funny, and it's just senseless and a waste of time. There's usually a lot of deleted and altered scenes in spoof films like this, so I'm sure there's a lot of stuff that didn't make it into the movie. But it makes me wonder if they really couldn't have used some of that footage instead of relying on so much randomness. What a waste.

Not even bringing back Cedric the Entertainer and adding Gabriel Iglesias is enough to save this flick, which is a shame. I was one of the few people who backed the previous film up, and argued its humor. But there's nothing to defend on this one. I am completely let down. I can only hope that if there's a third film, that it rebounds with a big win. Otherwise, this series is about as useless as the "Paranormal Activity" films. I've seen a lot worse, but I expected a lot better.

2.5 stars out of 5

Shout! Factory Collector's Edition NIGHT OF THE DEMONS blu-ray review

"Night of the Demons" is easily my favorite 80's horror film. I fell in love with this one the night I first watched it. It's scary, funny, has nudity and sex, some bad acting, and some gore and cool makeup FX. If that doesn't sum up the entire 80's era, I don't know what does. This movie is everything that made movies awesome then, balled up into a nice little terrifying package. So, when I had gotten the news that Shout! Factory were the ones to be releasing the blu-ray, I couldn't have been happier. Shout! has done incredible jobs on all of their releases, and I've found myself to be quite the addict when it comes to collecting their movies.
I couldn't have asked for anyone better to release this blu-ray.

Cover/packaging: Shout! Factory always provides the coolest covers you can imagine, and this one is no exception! Their artwork by Nathan Thomas Milliner always sums up the film with the cover, which makes the covers newer and cooler, yet done in a way to look old-school and retro. The slipcover is presented with his beautiful artwork, and the jewel case has a reversible cover where you can pick between the new cover or the original cover art of Angela holding the invitation. The artwork on this particular release is probably my favorite one to date. So no complaints from me on this front, other than the fact that I think Angela should have been front and center, and not Suzanne.

Picture quality: From the start you can see how crisp and restored the picture is. The colors are very rich and vibrant, and the clarity is amazing. This is by far the best way to view the film ever. The makeup FX are showcased better, and certain scenes really stand out as almost astoundingly crystal clear. Most notably, the scene where Angela and Suzanne are ripping off the convenience store is pristine. The overall quality is fantastic, and it's like watching the film all over again for the first time.
If you're like me, you still have a soft spot for VHS tapes and their quality, if only for nostalgia's stake. But, there's no denying the epicness of seeing a film you cherish updated to this kind of quality. Truly impressive.

Sound quality: The fact that this is a collector's edition and not some cheap hack copy just for the sake of releasing it on blu-ray, says it all. The sound is incredible! Now, it's hard for me to say whether or not it's perfect, but it's damn close. Crank this baby up and watch it with total clarity, it's amazing. The voices of the possessed, and the screams, and running is all amplified and updated very well. Again, I've got no complaints. I particularly noticed the sound in the scene where Angela is dancing. For some reason, even though I knew it was coming, I still got creeped out. Go figure.

Bonus features: I had previously owned the DVD version that's out of print now, and all of the features that were on it, are on this blu-ray plus tons more. It's a crazy feeling when the excitement you once felt for a film hits you again, and you have hours of bonus material to watch that you've never seen before. Needless to say, I've watched this blu-ray from back to front and didn't skip a thing.

For starters you get two (2) commentaries now. You get the same one that was on the DVD with director Kevin S. Tenney, executive producer Walter Josten, and producer Jeff Geoffray. And you get a new commentary with the director Kevin S. Tenney and actors, Cathy Podewell (Judy), Hal Havins (Stooge), Billy Gallo (Sal), and FX artist Steve Johnson. Both commentaries are informative and insightful and absolutely worth a watch.

Next there's some new interviews with director Kevin S. Tenney, writer/producer Joe Augustyn, and my favorite scream queen Linnea Quigley. I was surprised because most films that have two commentaries and a surplus of bonus stuff including interviews tend to become redundant and repetitive. Not the case with this blu-ray. All the information you hear on both the commentaries and interviews are fresh, and never gets boring or repetitive. So yes, watch them and learn!

There's also a promo reel, video trailer, theatrical trailer, TV and radio spots, still galleries, and more!

Final thoughts:  I really don't have a single bad thing to say about this release. As a huge fan of this film, I'm completely happy. Aside from wishing there was a statue or action figure of Angela included, there's nothing negative I can say. I'm a satisfied customer. If you have second thoughts about buying this, don't hesitate. With good packaging, picture, sound, and hours of bonus material, there's nothing to think twice about. Shout! Factory knocked another one out of the ballpark. 

5 out of 5 stars

Finally Speaking My Mind About "Evil Dead" (2013)

When the film hit in April, I went to a premiere screening of it. However, at that point I was taking a break from writing for a few months. So I never did a review for it. But I figured now, since it's been out a while and it hit home video, that I'd finally touch up on the subject of what is the remake of one of the biggest and most iconic horror films ever filmed.

The day of the premiere I had my close group of horror friends over, and we watched the original Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell trilogy and had a good ol' time. I don't think there's a chance of not having fun when you watch any or all of the original 3 films. Though 2 remains my favorite, they're all perfect in their own ways and for different reasons.

Before we left, I had to dress in fashion, so I got out my limited edition t-shirt of "Evil Dead 2" and headed to the event.

Watching the film, I remember feeling very tense and on edge, ready for anything to happen. I had a lot of hope going into the movie, and watching it was a thrill. I loved the way the possessed looked, they were creepy as hell! Definitely some scary makeup effects.

The violence and sheer brutality of the film had me guessing as to how it managed to get away with an R rating. Not to mention the gore! This has to be the goriest horror film I've seen in a cinema in a long time. Usually you don't get blood like that until the unrated version hits video.

Leaving the theater, the one part that stuck with me the most is the nail gun scene. That is the most terrifying scene in the film in my opinion, it is just non-stop, relentless terror. Then there's the bathroom scene with the syringe, which was the other part I kept thinking of. Once the scares started, they never really let up!

I felt something else leaving the theater as well; disappointment. Not because I disliked the film, but because aside from the 2 scenes I mentioned above (although I knew most of the bathroom scene already), all of the good parts of the film were already showed to us in the awesome red band trailers. So really, seeing the film was just filling in the gaps of what you weren't shown in the trailers. I remember thinking upon first viewing them, that if they let that much out in the commercials, what are they saving for us in the movie that they aren't showing us? And it was a letdown to find out that there really wasn't that much else to it. It would have been  much better had they not released all that footage and saved it, and I think it would have gotten even more positive reviews than it did.

There's two things that I really didn't like about the remake, and I'm not comparing it to the original when I say this, but I felt that the possessed were dulled down. I think for a remake you're supposed to go bigger and badder, and instead, they died way too easily. In the original film, you had to cut them up into pieces in order to stop them. Now in the is one, one of the possessed loses both her arms and dies. I don't like that. Being a balls-to-the-wall remake, they should have gone better and made the possessed even more resistant and unstoppable as opposed to making them easier to kill.

The other thing I disliked is the tree rape. I'm not sick or perverted, well, okay, maybe I am. But I'm not going to bash a film for having a bad rape scene, because saying there's such a thing as a good rape scene is a bit twisted. But, yet again, I felt that this was dulled down and lessened as well. Now that I've watched the film on my exclusive Target steelbook blu-ray 5 times since I bought it on it's release date, I realized that the branch that penetrates Mia is covered in thorns! This makes up for the scene being lackluster a bit, but it still could have been done better.

It wasn't really rape, it was just something that crawled insider her like a snake.

With these two major flaws, I know why that one critic said "A near perfect experience". It's very close to being a great film, it just doesn't deliver on all fronts like we were lead to believe it would. And something else that I thought that made the original superior was that, even though the remake had more of a story and character history to it than it's predecessor, there wasn't as many likable characters. If the film wasn't so short, it could have changed that by not feeling so rushed and allowing true character growth. Which is why so many of us crave for an unrated edition!

I know it seems as though I'm only mentioning things about the film that I don't like, but I actually loved the movie! As a stand alone film it's awesome, and it's a nice nod to the original and fits in with the series rather lovely. It's a modern day take on the original, and it's extreme. Overall I rate the film  3.5/5. And had there not been so many hiccups, I would have gladly given this film a 4. Remake or not, this is a real horror film, and we haven't had a movie like this that's mainstream in a long time.

As I mentioned above, this movie does have more story to it than the original 1981 film. It's not just some college kids going to hang out in a cabin, the 2013 version has a back story that's simple, yet relatable and fitting. One of the major things that I've heard people criticize the reboot for is that there's no character development which is false. And there's hardly any in the original, so to bash this one for being no different doesn't make a lot of sense.

People were really saying that horror is dead when they didn't like this remake, and they think they're being taken seriously when they say this. I'm convinced that some people only bash movies just because it gets them attention. To say a genre is dead over one film? Unheard of. And besides, most of the people who harshly criticize things and make idiotic statements are so used to giving out bad reviews that they don't even know a good film when they see it anymore.

For more on why and how horror isn't dead and never will be, read my critically appraised article for MoviePilot.com, that will about sum it up for you. Why some say Horror is Dead

Ultimately, this film is not the original. But guess what? It wasn't supposed to be! This is it's own film, and it's a really good one at that. Those who don't like it, and say that it ruined the integrity of the original need to pull their head out of their ass. Remakes don't tarnish originals, and if you don't like it, you don't like it.

Nobody's forcing it on you! Hell, I hated Rob Zombie's "Halloween" remake, does that mean the original isn't the same to watch anymore? Hell no, that's moronic!

I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and cannot wait for the sequel! Let's just hope this time that they don't put too much in the trailers and spoil the best parts for us again.

Evil Dead (2013) 2ND REDBAND TRAILER UP NOW!

Evil Dead Official Teaser Trailer (2013)

Evil Dead hits theaters April 12th, 2013 and is my most anticipated horror film for next year. This trailer shows us what we're in for. Hardcore, gory and terrifying as well as gross. Can't wait to see this!

Beyond The Door (1974)

RATED- R
RUN TIME- 109 MINS
WRITERS- OVIDIO G. ASSONITIS AND ANTONIO TROISO
STARRING- JULIET MILLS, RICHARD JOHNSON AND GABRIELE LAVIA
DIRECTOR- OVIDIO G. ASSONITIS



Synopsis taken from IMDb
Juliet Mills plays a young pregnant woman in San Francisco who is going to have the devil's baby during her strange possession. Richard Johnson shows up to help her...but what does he really want?



Beyond The Door is an Italian-American horror film also know as "Chi Sei". It's most commonly found in the UK under the title "The Devil Within Her", and in this version you get 15 minutes of extra footage not shown in theaters. Luckily for me, I got to see it under that presentation. So it was no holds barred.

Due to the film being about a possessed woman, the film got labeled as a Exorcist rip-off. Warner Brothers even filed a lawsuit against this film for copyright infringement. The lawsuit failed. However, Beyond The Door is held accountable for paving the path for several other Exorcist rip-offs.

If there's one thing that scares me above all others it's possession. Possession scares the hell out of me, it's the one thing that (if done right) will make me cringe and even have trouble sleeping. I'm certain that part of this is due to me being traumatized by The Exorcist as a child. When I was about 5 or 6 years old I snuck out into the living room where my parents were watching The Exorcist, and I watched some parts of it. And I kid you not, I didn't sleep at night for the whole summer. I'd stay up until 7 or 8 o'clock in the morning or until it was daylight and then I'd sleep.
Since then I've been terrified of possession, especially since I came from a religious family.

I actually have never heard of this movie until a couple of weeks ago. I was looking for some posters online and stumbled into some posters for movies I haven't seen, and when I saw the poster for this film I knew I had to watch it. If the poster creeps me out, I'm down to give it a watch. Then I got the idea to watch the trailer for this film and within 20 seconds I was creep'd out. I knew this movie meant to scare you, they weren't going for cheese or easy going, they were going for the balls. Luckily Netflix delivered the movie soon after and I was able to torture myself with one more possession movie.

Now as I mentioned, this movie is said to have ripped-off a few scenes from The Exorcist, but I liked this movie and I liked the way it was done. Yeah, some scenes were close to what happened in the movie, like the head turning scene, but it was done in it's own way. They took the idea and did their own way of doing it, it wasn't a direct rip-off. Some similarities, but not a rip-off. They borrowed a few tools from The Exorcist to do this movie but the story was all new.

The scene where she's throwing up didn't really look green to me, it looked more black. But supposedly it was green pea soup although in The Exorcist the puke was alot lighter in color. So either it was the lighting making the throw up look dark or it wasn't green pea soup.

The thing that I think scares me the most about possession movies is the voice. That raspy, sick sounding voice. That cackle of a laugh. You can hear it whenever you think of this film or any other possession movie with a good sound voice to scare the hell out of you. In this movie the line that stands out in that voice is one Jessica repeats several times; "Whooooo aaare youuuuu?"

Jessica looks creepy as hell, she looks sweaty, dirty and in need of a shower as well as a good brushing of her teeth. She's taunting and malevolent, and she scared me pretty good. Something about women being possessed always makes it scarier. For some reason possessed men just don't do anything for scares or entertainment.

I liked how we saw the progression of her possession. She was a good, loving mother of two and then she starts to become angry and aggressive. We see her take it out on her family and they all know something funny's happening to their mommy. And her husband doesn't know what to do, but to me, he acted a little light. If it were my wife and mother of my children acting that way I would have gone for the best help possible right away. I wouldn't have waited around in a stupor for things to progress.

When she becomes full-on possessed is when the movie starts to really pick up and get scary. She's a vile woman when she's possessed, as most possessed people are I guess. Then her ex-boyfriend and Satan worshiper it makes the plot twist a little, questioning what was going to happen.

The climax is satisfying and the ending was pretty good. Very unsettling. I didn't see the final shot coming. Totally shocked me. I'm a fan of this movie and will be looking to own it. Exorcist rip-off or not, I didn't mind this film at all, and it scared me.

This film 2 sequels but neither of them are official sequels. They're other films marketed under the name "Beyond The Door" title to cash in on the name. Mario Bava's Italian horror film, Shock, was put under the title Beyond The Door 2 (1979). Beyond The Door 3 (1989) was shot in Serbia and has Ovidio G. Assonitis is credited as a producer. But neither sequels have any ties into the first Beyond The Door, the sequels are stand alone films that are added to the first film as sequels. They have no connection to each other.

THIS FILM GETS 3 REAPERS OUT OF 4

The Possession (2012)

RATED- PG-13

RUN TIME- 92 MINS

WRITTEN BY- JULIET SNOWDEN AND STILES WHITE

STARRING- NATASHA CALIS, JEFFERY DEAN MORGAN AND KYRA SEDGWICK

DIRECTOR- OLE BORNEDAL

Synopsis taken from IMDb

A young girl buys an antique box at a yard sale, unaware that inside the collectible lives a malicious ancient spirit. The girl's father teams with his ex-wife to find a way to end the curse upon their child.

This was a film I was extremely excited to see. Going to see it was actually a late birthday present, so I'm thankful for that. And it didn't turn out to be a bad gift at that.

Anything with Sam Raimi's name tagged on it in any way has my vote and I'm bound to go see. So for this one I was hoping I could see a good possession movie for once.

The movie starts off with us seeing a wooden, creepy box and we're hearing a raspy old woman's voice coming from it. Speaking in what appeared to be a muffled language.

There's an old woman starring at the box in terror. She proceeds to grab a baseball bat and attempt to sneak up on the box. However, the box senses the attack and causes a gust of wind to throw the woman across the house and slam her face into tables and making her fold in unnatural ways.

Her son arrives at her doorstep only to see the aftermath and we here him scream.

The movie picks up with us seeing the Dad, Clyde, (Jeffery Dean Morgan) pick up his two daughters for the weekend and thus introducing us to the fact that the family is broken and separated. Dad is then told not to feed his daughters pizza, only healthy food. He swears to follow instructions.

That night they have pizza and have fun as a family making shadow puppets on the walls and laughing, enjoying the time together.

The next day after stopping at a yard sale, Em,  Clyde's youngest daughter is intrigued by a wooden box and wants it. We learn that the yard sale is from the house in the beginning with the old woman and her son is the one selling the stuff. Clyde allows her to get it thinking it is only a simple wooden box. Not knowing it's power. This part was particularly because after buying the box Em looks in the window of the house to see the old woman from the beginning of the film in bandages from head to toe. And when the woman sees the box she starts flipping out requiring having to be restrained.

That night Em is restless and tries to open the box although it appears to have no seems, it wasn't intended to be open. She finds the way to open it and does so. Searching through it's contents to see weird trinkets and miscellaneous items. She closes the box and goes to sleep.

The next day almost as if it were instantly, Em starts to feel ill and not like herself. And we start to see some strange behavior.

Clyde walks in on Em looking into her new mysterious box, only the reflection isn't hers. It's of what looks like an older lady with white eyes. Clyde turns Em around to see she's normal and fine and you can see in his gut that he knows somethings wrong.

Em's behavior starts becoming out of control. They start to see horrible attitude from her and know she's not feeling like herself.

She stabs Clyde in the hand with her fork at breakfast for him raising her voice at her for how rough she was being with eating her pancakes. He sends her to her room.

Then Em's older sister, Hannah, sees the house infested with flying insects I believe they say is moths but they don't look like moths. And after getting Clyde they both discover the source of them infesting the house is from under Em's door. Upon opening the door they see Em sitting on her bed calm as the bugs fly all around her. Clyde gets her out of the house and calls the exterminator.

Her next act-up is when she starts smacking herself and blaming Clyde of doing to to make Hannah believe her and turn against Clyde since Clyde decided that Em shouldn't have the box. Em runs from the house in the middle of the night and is mysteriously heading toward the box's direction, only there's no way she could know where he put it.

We see her open the box and talk to an invisible being and she begins to sound panicked and scared. We then see her scream as a moth flies down her throat.

After this incident the girls' mom and Clyde's ex- wife Stephanie, files a claim to refused visitation rights against Clyde and blaming him for this incident.

Clyde takes the box to some Jewish men who can identify the box for him. He goes to them after researching some possession videos and articles online. The Jewish men are scared and intimidated by the box and are unwilling to help him. They do say however, that the box is from the early 1820's and that the box contains a demon that wants life and that was held in that box as prisoner. That's also why it wasn't intended to be opened. The demon is known as the taker of children.

Clyde then goes by the house, against the registrations regulations and goes into Em's room and reads her a passage from the bible. After she turns and looks at him the bible is then thrown from his hands and into the wall.

Em takes her anger out on her mom's new boyfriend who's making himself to comfortable for her. So she gives him an evil, aggressive stare and causes his teeth to fall out. He gets in his car and drives off.

Stephanie takes her daughter to get some tests done on her to figure out the problem, alot like in The Exorcist (1973). However, these test results show that their is someone else inside Em and it shows up on the X-ray machine looking sinister and threatening. It is taking claim of Em. It wants her life.

There's a particular scene in this movie that stands out as creative but it's also one that's been shown on the commercials where Em is looking in her mouth with a flashlight and we see fingers come up her throat and touch her tongue.

The son of the old Jewish man Clyde saw decides to help him get the spirit out of Em and back intot he box.

Stephanie joins side with Clyde and they all work as a team and family with their other daughter, Hannah. And their friend Tzadok. Together they manage to threaten the demon and cause a violent outrage from the demon and it runs loose in the dark hospital. Clyde chases after her leaving the others behind and this led to the creepiest scene in the movie to me.

There's no light in the room but a red tint from an EXIT sign. Em is standing under it making weird noises and repeating "You hurt me daddy." over and over again until the light goes out completely and we get to the film's climax.

I loved this movie and I was so, so thankful that a good possession movie was made to try and ease the hurt The Last Exorcism and The Devil Inside left. This a good horror movie and a good possession movie. Especially for a PG-13 rating.

I thought the special effects were good and the story was totally original and it was good to see a fresh take on the possession angle. The acting was well done and sympathetic as well.

THIS FILM GETS 3 REAPERS OUT OF 4

The Guardian (Book 1979)

After reading The Sentinel there was absolutely no choice but to read The Guardian. I had heard great things about this book from my dad, he had read it when he was a teenager. So I impatiently awaited my book to arrive from Amazon, and when it did I read it in only a few days. From the start I knew I was in for a good story.

Upon opening the book I see an illustration of men and women with white eyes and it says:
You are about to experience the most paralyzing terror ever unleashed...the final hour of evil. One step beyond the very boundaries of belief...it has already begun.

This book was amazing. It is without a doubt one of the greatest horror fiction books I have ever read, even beating alot of Stephen King books. This book is severely underrated and forgotten, people don't know what they're missing.

The story centers around Ben and Faye Burdett and their life together. When they move into an apartment and start to witness weird things it becomes apparent that they're going through what Alison Parker went through. And when Ben finds out his wife is picked as the new Sentinel/ Guardian to guard the gates of hell from hell leaking onto earth. What will Ben do to save his beloved wife?

This story was particularly better than its predecessor The Sentinel because this one was higher stakes and more on the line. Satan is on earth and waiting his time to take over. It's up to Ben and the help of Father McQuire along with the Catholic church to stop Satan from claiming the thrown. But how can they do that when Ben is protecting they're chosen Guardian, Faye, from being picked as the new Sentinel? He must find another way. But is there one? Or is he fighting a hopeless battle?

This book is filled with non stop suspense and twists. It leads you in one direction and then bangs a sharp right and switches on you with jaw dropping turns of events.

The Characters were well written and genuine, alot of character development as well. It's heart racing speed and adrenaline makes you feel in the moment and you're scared for the characters.

The ending of this book is absolutely amazing. One of the best endings ever written. I won't give it away but lets just say that so far this gets my Book Of  The Year Award. I wish I was into this book sooner. My heart dropped to my feet when the ending unraveled.

Now as I mentioned in last months The Sentinel review, The Guardian was never made into a movie for whatever reason. I think this would make a great movie and would love to see it happen. I'd go opening weekend for this one. It deserves the movie treatment as much as The Sentinel did, and if The Sentinel did as well as it did then the fanbase for The Guardian has got to be there as well.

If they do do the movie at some point in the movie I can only hope that they do it as close to the book as The Sentinel. If they do it'll make a fantastic horror film.

I would prefer to have the movie made as a direct sequel to The Sentinel and I'd like it authentic, really looking old and in the same fashion as it's predecessor. One thing I can't stand is when a movie is a sequel or prequel to an old movie and they don't try to keep it true to the other film, they don't pay attention to detail and it always ends up looking more modern. And so it doesn't fit with the other, just like with Prometheus and Alien. The ship in Prometheus was way more high tech and definitely didn't look older than the ship in Alien which is was supposed to be. I'd want this movie to fit right in with the other.

But on the other hand, if a remake of The Sentinel is what it takes to make The Guardian an authentic film to The Sentinel then bring it on. I'll be iffy of a Sentinel remake but I'm a supporter if it'll get The Guardian made.

Read this book if you want a good horror read that'll keep you on the edge of your seat. It's highly recommended.

THIS BOOK GETS 4 REAPERS OUT OF 4

Grimm Reviewz Remembers: Night Of The Demons (1988)

Night Of The Demons is one of the greatest 80's horror films made, to me, it's at the top of the list of best 80's movies when you think back on it. This movie was the pure definition of that particular era, it is everything about 80's horror we love inside one scary little box.

It has bad acting, an annoying cast of misfits, cheese, gore, lots of bloody awesome gore and it's entertaining as hell and one hell of a watch. The scares are top notch and the entertainment value is on the same level. If you're a fan of the genre in that time period then you're conditioned to alot of the things mentioned above, and you more than likely feel the same way about another movie or several.

Night Of The Demons tells the story of two girls, Angela and Suzanne who are throwing a Halloween party in the local haunted house. Supposedly the house belonged to a family using the home as their business, a funeral home, and they were practicing Satanism. They all died in a car crash. But something goes wrong when the group of misfits and troublemakers find the house to be holding an evil presence from the previous family. And one by one they begin to become picked off...and possessed! From there on it's a fight for survival.

Stooge: Ang, you can't really believe this place is possessed.
Sal: Nah, just repossessed!

I remember when I first saw the film the part that scared me the most was definitely seeing Angela turn for the first time. She was scary looking! I remember being over my neighbors house when I was a small child and they owned a copy on VHS, and I remember seeing Angela on the cover and it scared the hell out of me! I swore to never watch that movie after that. But that of course is before I grew up and could watch all the horror films I want.

It's crazy thinking how a movie can have that effect on you at such a young age and yet it ends up becoming one of your favorite movies in the genre. Same thing happened to me with The Evil Dead.

I think the most suspenseful part for me was when you knew Angela had become possessed and she's dancing in the strobe light. The anticipation was nail biting. I had to look away a few times trying to avoid being startled by a sudden movement or action causing me to jump.

DID YOU KNOW?

LINNEA QUIGLEY HAD TO COME IN AND PRACTICE EYE GOUGING

The cast in this movie was undoubtedly annoying, but they were a fun cast and even if they did get on your nerves they still gave you plenty of laughs. And you still cared for them, knowing the grave night that was ahead of them wasn't deserving.

And the opening scene was amazing and totally struck a chord to the inner kid in me, instantly showing me that this movie was going to be fun and enjoyable. I also loved the theme.

DID YOU KNOW?

PRODUCED FOR A VERY MODEST 1.2 MILLION, THE FILM RAKED IN OUTRAGEOUSLY LARGE GROSSES IN ITS LIMITED RELEASE. DEBUTING IN DETROIT, IT HIT NEW YORK CITY AT THANKSGIVING AND EARNED 3.109M, HOLDING SCREENS UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR.

How could you help but not hate Stooge but turn around and laugh at him the next. I knew this dude was trouble and he proved me right. I remember him turning into his demon form the first time and it startled me. He made such a nasty looking demon and you knew he was a dirty, gritty character, and that's never good in a demon movie.

Stooge: Festering ****wads! You cannot take this bitch anywhere, man.

DID YOU KNOW?

HAD THE FILM OPENED NATIONWIDE WITH THE NUMBERS IT EARNED IN DETROIT, IT WAS PROJECTED TO HAVE EARNED $13 MILLION DOMESTICALLY IN ITS OPENING WEEKEND- WHICH WOULD HAVE RANKED IT AMONGST THE TOP GROSSING HORROR FILMS OF ITS DECADE.

The old man in the film that we see in the beginning ended up playing out brilliantly! And his closing scene was a great salute to fans of the genre, not only ending on a high note, but making it bloody and demented. Satisfying the horror fan in us. It was particularly good to me because I didn't see him playing a part in the movie as he did. Good stuff.

Now lets get to the most memorable scene in the movie- the lipstick scene. WOW. No one saw this coming and it was especially impact-full because the effects were so damn good! It looked real. Totally shocking and brilliant scene. It was one of those scenes where you go out of the movie talking about it.

Suzanne (Linnea Quigley) uses her lipstick in the proper way- on her lips to 'freshen up'. She then shoves the lipstick into her boob. Right dead center in the nipple. And like I said, it looked very real.

DID YOU KNOW?

LINNEA QUIGLEY (SUZANNE) AND SPECIAL EFFECTS ARTIST STEVE JOHNSON MET WHEN SHE CAME IN TO GET THE MOLD FOR HER FAKE BREASTS FROM. THEY WERE LATER MARRIED.

Angela: Blessed be the sinners, for the day of atonement is at hand.

Sal: Say what?

I remember the ending of Angela's party when daylight arises and I loved it. I thought it was so scary seeing these dead friends/ possessed friends coming at you and wanting you dead. Being only two survivors of the movie, you know so serious crap went down. I loved seeing the demons turn to fog and disappear. It was a simple trick but was done tactfully and not cheesy.

The gore in this movie was top-notch and lovable to any fan of the genre. They were very well done, and the possessed looked scary as all hell. Like I mentioned earlier, Angela scared me as a child and that's why it took me so long to see the movie. The most memorable is the eye gouging scene. It looked unbelievably painful.

Angela: Oh don't tell me you're leaving? Sal wanted to go...but he decided to stick around! 

[shot of Sal with a wooden stake through his heart]

DID YOU KNOW?

NIGHT OF THE DEMONS WAS SHOT IN 4 WEEKS

Angela: [shouts] Come on! Your face looks fine. I have never seen anyone spend so much time in a mirror!

Suzanne: Relax! I just wanna look good for the boys. You did remember to invite some cute boys to the party I hope.

Angela: Of course I did, and we're gonna scare the sh*t out of them.

In conclusion I'd like to encourage anyone viewing my page to see this movie for their own sake. If you love horror and love 80s horror then do it. You can't go wrong. You'll enjoy it. If you don't find it scary you'll find it funny, if you don't find it funny you'll find it scary. It's entertaining and a true underrated gem.

Night Of The Demons was one of the last horror movies of the 80s and it reminded us by slapping us in the face with everything we love from that era and genre in one fun, gory and extraordinary horror film dedicated to fans like us. For those of us who get it, we love it.

This movie is cemented as one of my all-time favorites and frequently comes up in almost any horror conversation I have. I could watch it over and over. 

I later heard that there was a 6" cardboard stand-up that was made available for fans of the movie when the movie was released. I wish I had one of those...I may hunt one down and get it for the mancave.

Coming Next Month

Grimm Reviewz Remembers

The Sentinel (Book 1974)

In 1974 author Jeffry Konvitz made a landmark novel in the horror genre that was passionate, enthralling, compelling, gracefully written and brilliant. It was chilling to the core and it was one of the greatest books I've ever read. It keeps you guessing and doesn't let up on plot twists and shockers. It's a book any fan of horror fiction can easily fall in love with. It's smoothly written and paints the picture perfectly.

I actually was introduced to the movie adaptation (1977) of the book starring Chris Sarandon and Burgess Meredith years and years ago when I was a young kid. I remember the movie scaring the hell out of me but it left such an impression on me that I became obsessed and it remains my favorite Haunting movie to date. It wasn't until years later that I realized the movie was based on a novel, so I bought the book and just read it. I don't know if I was happier that the movie was identical to the book or vise versa. There are a few minor differences but at their core they're one in the same.

The Sentinel is about a young and gorgeous model Alison Parker, who is still overcoming her emotional situation after her father passes. She decides to pick up her life by moving out of her boyfriends apartment and into a New York Brownstone building that's just what Alison needs to get away from her issues and clear her head. But things as usual, are too good to be true as Alison starts to realize how weird her neighbors are, an old man named Charles Chazen and a lesbian couple living below her. She also starts to get woken up in the middle of the night by heavy footsteps in the apartment above her.

After complaining to the landlord she comes to discover that there is no one else in the apartment building but her. But she refuses to believe the people she met are mere figments of her imagination and decides to investigate what's going on. But as she does she starts to get splitting migraines that eventually start making her immobile. Is she crazy and haunted by the guilt she has over her fathers death? Or is she being toyed with by greater forces involving heaven and hell, good and evil?

I suggest you watch the movie if you haven't seen it and if you haven't read the book I highly recommend it. This book is a 1 million copy bestseller and is a staple in horror literature.

It starts slow, steady, and builds up gradually and takes you through every cloudy thought and illusion Alison has, eventually leaving you with no option but to not put the book down and keep reading. The suspense is fantastic and the chills and creeps are good, they keep you scared of what's to come next and yet you're excited to get there and find out anyway.

As the story unwinds and it all adds up I was also very impressed with the characters and how well written they were as well as their character development.

So do me a favor, if you're in the mood for a good book and don't have one yet picked out to read, pick this one. You won't be let down.

After reading The Sentinel I jumped right into The Guardian (1979) which is the sequel to The Sentinel, and I was shocked to see that it was even better than it's predecessor. Why it was never made into a movie I have not idea but I consider it one long over do. But more on that next month when I review it...

THIS BOOK GETS 3 1/2 REAPERS OUT OF 4

Demons 2 (1986)

This movie was more entertaining to me in almost every way, but I still didn't like it. It was part 2 of a gorey music video. I really wanted to give these movies a chance but these were misses, not hits. I can only hope to make up for it with the next movies I get from Netflix, The Howling 2 and 3. Look for my reviews!

Synopsis taken from IMDb
A documentary is shown on TV of group of teens who investigate the legendary forbidden zone, in which once took place a Demon infestation (see Demoni I). When finding a lifeless corps of a demon, one of the teens causes the resurrection it, and the demon makes it's way into the nearby world by TV-broadcast... An unlucky girl, having her birthday-party at that time, gets posessed by the demon while watching the documentary and soon the complete building in which she lives turns into a living nighmare....

1 1/2 stars. Check out the trailer below.

Demons (1985)

Let me start off by saying that I finally was able to squeeze in some new horror in between my girlfriend making me watch the Harry Potter's (which aren't bad by the way). And the movie I finally got around to watching was Lamberto Bava's Demons.

Synopsis taken from IMDb
Art imitating art is the basis of this demonic tale of a group of invited guests who are granted a free lunch in the form of a screening of a horror film that brings naturalism to life. Baited and penned in, this walled-in feeling quickly turns to screams and fear as those who are dead lust after the flesh of those living. The free lunch has turned full circle in the cinema of hell and it is only a question of time before the demons from the abyss are asking for second portions.

I had alot of hype and excitement behind these movies and was severly disapointed. It was a 90 minute gorey music video. The whole movie was people running around like idiots while they played 80's metal the entire movie as background noise. Now I love 80's metal, I like alot of movies with bad effects and bad acting, I also like movies that tend to be just so horrible that I kind of like it for a reason I can't put my finger on. But put all those things together and it is not a good combination of tricks.

I know this movie has a huge fan following, and this is one of the movies where I say to fans and to the movie itself "I don't get it. I don't think this movie was entertaining in the least bit."

I give this 1 star for the fact that I was able to laugh through it. Check out the trailer below.

Night Of The Demons 2

Let me start off by letting you all know how much I loved the original Night Of The Demons. It is one of my favorite horror movies,just very well done. It's the definition of 80's horror, it's got gore,nudity,sex,scares,cheese,violence and bad acting. Everything that 80's movies were made up of just rolled into one movie. If you haven't seen it GO GET IT ON NETFLIX NOW!

Night Of The Demons 2 was a definite let-down. They went way overboard on the cheese and made it a little over the top. While I agree it's alot better than the remake it's still nothing like the first one. I can say that there was a good scare or two and I loved seeing Angela's character back. But it just did nothing for me. If you've seen the first it wouldn't hurt to check this out.I still found it entertaining though it wasn't even close to the first one. However, I won't be watching 3, no interest.

2 stars from me. Check out the trailer below.