PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Here are my choices for week 6 of my 365 Horror Movie Challenge! To catch up on the previous week’s choices, click here. This week, I’ve decided to add a new rating system. I’m giving points to whether or not I love these certain factors: acting, story, special effects, scares, protagonists, antagonists, ending, death scenes, atmosphere, and overall impact – 10 factors, 10 points. Check out my choices below!
February 5 – Candyman: Farewell To The Flesh
(Synopsis provided by IMDb.com):
The Candyman moves on to New Orleans and starts his horrific murders once more. This time, his intended victim is a school teacher. Her father was killed by the Candyman, and her brother was wrongly accused of the murder.
Why I chose this film:
I absolutely loved the first Candyman film. I didn’t gain any interest in the sequel, however, until I started seeing clips of it in YouTube videos.
My thoughts:
Candyman: Farewell To The Flesh immediately earned its place in my top 10 horror sequels! It was a fantastic continuation of the Candyman legend. It added more to Candyman’s story, gave plenty of gore, and it was all just very well executed. Tony Todd was excellent and Annie was a very sympathetic protagonist. If you loved the first Candyman as I did, Farewell To The Flesh is a must!
Rating: 9/10 points.
Verdict: I will be adding Candyman: Farewell To The Flesh to my collection, and I definitely recommend it!
February 6 – The Lazarus Effect
(Synopsis provided by IMDb.com):
A group of medical researchers discover a way to bring dead patients back to life.
Why I chose this film:
I’ve had a few people tell me I need to see this film, so, after reading the synopsis, I finally decided to give it a chance.
My thoughts:
One thing I absolutely love about this film is its story. It plays around the religion/science debate without being completely on one side and against the next. It seemed like a mix of Re-Animator and Pet Sematary. It had a genuinely creepy atmosphere and a hell of a cast! Olivia Wilde’s performance was incredible. The ending was unfortunately a little disappointing.
Rating: 7.5/10 points.
Verdict: The Lazarus Effect is definitely getting added to my collection, and I definitely recommend it.
February 7 – The Dentist
(Synopsis provided by IMDb.com):
An extremely successful dentist goes off the deep end after he catches his wife cheating on him.
Why I chose this film:
I’ve been pushing this film off because even thinking about dentists gives me anxiety. I figured I’d give the film a watch in order to see if it was as bad as I imagined.
My thoughts:
Oddly enough, The Dentist wasn’t as anxiety-inducing as I thought it’d be. Maybe if it wasn’t so goofy, it would’ve made me look away from the screen more. That being said, this was actually a pretty entertaining film. It was really cool seeing so many familiar faces in like this, including Mark Ruffalo and Ken Foree. I think it would’ve been a much better film if it focused on his revenge against his wife and her lover, instead of him taking his anger out on his patients.
Rating: 5/10 points.
Verdict: The Dentist was most likely a one-and-done film for me, but I still recommend it.
February 8 – The Bye Bye Man
(Synopsis provided by IMDb.com):
Three friends stumble upon the horrific origins of a mysterious figure they discover is the root cause of the evil behind unspeakable acts.
Why I chose this film:
Come on, after everything the horror community said about it, I just had to check it out for myself!
My thoughts:
Let’s be honest, The Bye Bye Man never stood a chance with a title like that. They could’ve named this entity anything, and they went with a name that turned into a meme way before the film was even released. That being said, the film isn’t as terrible as I thought it would be. It has a very interesting concept that had the potential to be fantastic with a little more work. The Bye Bye Man is just deeply flawed. For one, it has elements that potentially led to an interesting backstory but they are never addressed or explained. The only thing I really loved about this film was the song that played over the end credits.
Rating: 6/10 points.
Verdict: When it comes to The Bye Bye Man, the only thing I recommend is the end credits song. You can listen to it here! As for the movie itself? No, I don’t recommend The Bye Bye Man.
February 9 – Event Horizon
(Synopsis provided by IMDb.com):
A rescue crew investigates a spaceship that disappeared into a black hole and has now returned…with someone or something new on-board.
Why I chose this film:
I admit, I’m not a huge fan of sci-fi films. They really have to have horror elements in order for me to be interested in it. Event Horizon is held in very high regard by the community, so I pushed myself to watch it.
My thoughts:
Event Horizon was okay. I was surprised by all of the star-power: Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill, and Sean Pertwee. I was pretty disappointed that a lot of the horror footage had to be cut from the film. Based on the footage they actually kept in, I’m very curious about just how far they took things in that extra footage. I was a little bored, but when things got going, things really got going! It got very disturbing, for only a few parts, but I loved those few parts. The rest of the film was just okay.
Rating: 7/10 points.
Verdict: I don’t see myself watching Event Horizon a second time, but I probably would still recommend it.
February 10 – Prince Of Darkness
(Synopsis provided by IMDb.com):
A research team finds a mysterious cylinder in a deserted church. If opened, it could mean the end of the world.
Why I chose this film:
John Carpenter and Donald Pleasence are the reasons I chose this film!
My thoughts:
I’m ready for the wrath of the horror community… Prince Of Darkness was pretty forgettable for me. For the longest time, I couldn’t even remember how it ended. The music was superb (as it always is with Carpenter) and it has a hell of a cast involved! However, the story had a hard time keeping my attention, and not even Pleasence and a cameo by Alice Cooper could save this one for me.
Rating: 5.5/10 points.
Verdict: I might give Prince Of Darkness another chance someday, but for now, I honestly can’t say I’d recommend this film.
February 11 – Predator
(Synopsis provided by IMDb.com):
A team of commandos on a mission in a Central American jungle find themselves hunted by an extraterrestrial warrior.
Why I chose this film:
I wanted to give this film a chance because I’ve already seen AVP: Alien Vs. Predator and all of the Alien films.
My thoughts:
I’m officially a part of the majority that loves this film! The predator is such a cunning and ruthless hunter. It might be considered more of an action film than a horror film to fans. It’s definitely an action film, but it has plenty of horror elements and formulas that classify it as horror, too. First, you have the skinless corpses, spine trophies, and a group getting picked off one by one. Also, we don’t see much of the antagonist until near the end of the film, which used to be a very common element in the horror genre. It has a clever and epic showdown, and Dutch is such an awesome protagonist, I was rooting for him every second of this film.
Rating: 8/10 points.
Verdict: Predator is definitely collection-worthy and I definitely recommend it!
It’s no surprise that my favorite film this week is Candyman: Farewell To The Flesh. It was a sequel done right, and it needs more recognition. Which film from this week is your favorite? I’m always looking for horror movie recommendations, so if you have any, let me know in the comments!
