PopHorror Let's Get Scared
We’ve now reached week 3 of my 365 Horror Movie Challenge! To catch up on last week’s films, click here. In the meantime, this week was so close to being a week full of winners. I’ve been waiting a long time to see most of these films. Time to find out if they were worth the wait!
January 15 – The Devil’s Backbone
(Synopsis provided by IMDb.com):
After Carlos – a 12-year-old whose father has died in the Spanish Civil War – arrives at an ominous boys’ orphanage, he discovers the school is haunted and has many dark secrets that he must uncover.
I have to say, Guillermo Del Toro knows how to tell a good ghost story! The Devil’s Backbone is also a very good mystery, full of deceit and vengeance. I’ve never waited for the villain’s comeuppance more impatiently. i was distracted by the fact that most of the story would’ve played out in the same exact way even if there weren’t any ghosts in the film. Well, it’s not a fact, but I still couldn’t help but think about it. Other than that, the film tells a compelling and heartbreaking story that initially doesn’t seem to have a light at the end of the tunnel.
Verdict: I definitely recommend The Devil’s Backbone, just as long as you don’t mind subtitles.
January 16 – The Autopsy Of Jane Doe
(Synopsis provided by IMDb.com):
A father and son, both coroners, are pulled into a complex mystery while attempting to identify the body of a young woman who was apparently harboring dark secrets.
I’ll pretty much watch any horror film with Brian Cox in it. I loved his performances in The Ring and Trick ‘R Treat. I decided to give this one a chance because I didn’t hear a single bad review on it. I was happy I did! I love everything about this film. To start off, The Autopsy of Jane Doe provided such a creepy atmosphere. It made me get lost in the film and feel an eerie sense of isolation along with the characters. What happened to Jane Doe is a big mystery, and it’s honestly something I’ve never seen before. Even in the modern age, horror films can still find a way to be unique. I was very impressed.
Verdict: I definitely recommend The Autopsy Of Jane Doe!
January 17 – The Witch
(Synopsis provided by IMDb.com):
A family in 1630s New England is torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic and possession.
This one has really divided horror fans. I’ve seen mostly negative reviews for The Witch, but I wanted to see the film for myself. I have to say, I ended up loving this film! I found that it focused more on the story than on the usual horror effects fans were expecting. However, a film’s story can be just as terrifying as any special effects. The Witch starts out with one of the most disturbing scenes I’ve ever seen, and it wasn’t even graphic! It was full of dark, eerie atmosphere. Another complaint horror fans had about The Witch was that the audio and dialogue were very low. I had subtitles on, so it didn’t even bother me that much.
Verdict: I recommend The Witch if you’re looking for story more than graphic violence.
January 18 – Bubba Ho-Tep
(Synopsis provided by IMDb.com):
Elvis and JFK, both alive and in a nursing home, fight for the souls of their fellow residents as they battle an ancient Egyptian Mummy.
Bubba Ho-Tep was a very interesting film. I was expecting something completely ridiculous, so I had initially put off watching it. Don’t get me wrong, Bubba Ho-Tep is silly, but it was also very entertaining. For starters, I was blown away at Bruce Campbell’s performance as Elvis. He was my favorite thing about this movie. Other than that, the rest of the film is a little forgettable for me, unfortunately. It had its funny moments, but it was definitely a one time watch for me.
Verdict: It may have been a one-and-done film for me, but I still recommend Bubba Ho-Tep to horror lovers, especially Bruce Campbell fans!
January 19 – Frailty
(Synopsis provided by IMDb.com):
A man confesses to an FBI agent his family’s story of how his religious fanatic father’s visions led to a series of murders to destroy supposed “demons.”
Frailty is such a beautiful and tragic film. It tells a simple story about faith and family and is one of the best religion-based films I’ve ever seen. The ending of the movie was what really made me fall in love with it. It was somehow predictable yet surprising at the same damn time. Bill Paxton had some real talent as a filmmaker, and it breaks my heart that he didn’t create more films in his lifetime.
Verdict: I definitely recommend Frailty!
January 20 – It Stains The Sands Red
(Synopsis provided by IMDb.com):
In the throes of a zombie apocalypse, a troubled woman from Las Vegas with a dark past finds herself stranded in the desert with a lone and ravenous zombie on her tail.
I really enjoyed It Stains The Sands Red. It was a different take on the zombie genre. Instead of a group of survivors and hordes of zombies, you have one human trying to escape from one zombie chasing her through the desert. When it came to the main character, I kept having to go back and forth on whether or not to root for her. She honestly wasn’t very sympathetic until one particular scene that seemed to change her whole dynamic. One fault I do have is that, near the end, the film’s entire agenda changed. I won’t spoil anything, but the ending didn’t seem to fit the tone of the rest of the film. Other than that, I thought It Stains the Sands Red was very well made!
Verdict: I definitely recommend It Stains The Sands Red to zombie fans!
January 21 – All Through The House
(Synopsis provided by IMDb.com):
A deranged masked Santa-Slayer comes to town for some yuletide-terror. He leaves behind a bloody trail of mutilated bodies as he hunts his way to the front steps of the town’s most feared and notorious home.
I absolutely love holiday horror movies, particularly ones that are Christmas-themed. I don’t know what it is about them, but I can’t get enough! So, of course, I had to give All Through The House a shot. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed with this film. I will say that I did love the kill scenes, but that alone couldn’t carry the rest of it for me. All Through The House is supposed to be an homage to classic ‘80s slashers, and it definitely succeeded in that aspect with the kill scenes. Other than that, it could’ve been widely improved.
Verdict: I recommend All Through The House only if you like kills and special effects over story.
It’s definitely hard to choose a winner this week. My favorite film this week has to be… Frailty! I just fell in love with the story and the ending. So, what are your thoughts on these films? I’m always looking for horror movie recommendations, so if you have any you think I should see, let me know in the comments!
