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MOVIE REVIEW: The Mist (2007)

The killer creatures lurking in The Mist, a scarily good horror flick based on the Stephen King short story, are nothing compared to some of the people.

Take Mrs. Carmody, for instance.

Carmody, Marcia Gay Harden’s character in the Frank Darabont-directed film, is a religious zealot convinced the ominous mist that enshrouds her small town and the horrible havoc that follows represents the end of the world, God’s punishment for the sins of humanity. She takes it upon herself to convert other survivors, and dispatch anyone who won’t adopt her beliefs. Harden delivers a chilling performance that helps elevate The Mist above much of what passes for horror in theatres these days.

MOVIE REVIEW: Murder Party (2007)

So you’re walking home from work on Halloween when you come across an invite to a “Murder Party” that advises you, in creepy font, to “Come Alone.” What do you do?

If you’re Chris Hawley (Chris Sharp), a likeable loner whose best friend is a cat named Sir Lancelot, you go of course. Unbeknownst to Chris, the name of the party is to be taken literally, and his decision to attend could very well result in his demise.

Such is the concept of Murder Party, a dark and wickedly clever horror-comedy from writer-director Jeremy Saulnier.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Tripper

David Arquette’s acting career has been an eclectic one to say the least. He’s achieved a modest success doing a little bit of everything – drama, horror, comedy, kids’ films, you name it, he’s done it.

Arquette’s directorial debut, The Tripper, is similarly scattered – parts slasher flick, political satire, and stoner comedy – and, unfortunately, suffers for it.

The Tripper’s deal is this – a group of hippies are headed to a music concert in the woods when they’re set upon by a serial killer in a Ronald Reagan getup (I’m guessing the title is a reference to Reagan's nickname 'Gipper’). He's accompanied by an aggressive dog named, you guessed it, Nancy.

Halloween: From Best to Worst

With the release of Rob Zombie’s Halloween, there is now a total of nine movies in the Halloween franchise. I’ve sat through all the good, bad, and ugly moments, and this is how I see them rank against each other.

Halloween (1978)

The original Halloween not only launched the careers of Jamie Lee Curtis and John Carpenter, it started the slasher-horror genre. From the first introduction of the uber-creepy Michael Myers mask (William Shatner-inspired I might add), to the tension building soundtrack - the original Halloween has some of the creepiest, most memorable scenes in horror movie history.

Jamie Lee Curtis begins her career

MOVIE REVIEW: Halloween (2007)

One of the charms of John Carpenter’s Halloween, about a psychotic killer named Michael Myers who goes on a homicidal rampage on October 31, was that he employed loads of low budget trickery to create a cinematic treat that has helped elevate the movie’s status beyond the horror genre.

Released in 1978 on a shoestring budget, $300,000, the little compromises director Carpenter had to make to get his movie finished are what give it personality. From the spray-painted Captain Kirk mask Myers wore to the fake fallen leaves carried from scene to scene because the budget only allowed for so many, the film was in every way indie. But it was also scary as hell, and upon its release became the highest-grossing independent film ever made at that time.

Fast-forward 29 years to 2007 and director Rob Zombie’s Halloween, a re-imagining of the classic horror film. The budget? $20 million. Small by current standards, true, but still well beyond what it took to create the original. And though it’s obvious Zombie is a fan, his version lacks the rough-around-the-edges, DIY spirit of Carpenter’s original.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Invasion (2007)

The irony is not lost on me that in a film where the characters are warned at every turn not to fall asleep or risk becoming a “body-snatched” alien I dozed off. But it was only for a moment, really.

So, The Invasion, the latest Hollywood re-imagining of a classic horror film. I have no problem with remakes if they show at least a spark of creativity or inspiration - unfortunately very few do. And this Nicole Kidman/Daniel Craig thriller, compared to the 1956 original, has about as much personality as the dead-faced creatures that inhabit it.