"Superhero Movie" (2008)

Orphaned high school student Rick Riker is bitten by a radioactive dragonfly, develops super powers (except for the ability to fly), and becomes a hero.

I had low expectations for this movie, so I was surprised when it turned out to be better than I thought. It wasn't great or anything, but there were a few chuckles, and I even laughed out loud twice!! Still, to me, this movie would have worked better as a straight movie. It was certainly entertaining, and, except for all the fart jokes, it didn't reach into the bottom of the barrel for laughs. As far spoofs go,this was probably in the middle of the scale. Not great, but not torturous either. Would I watch it again? Probably not, but it's a good movie to watch if you're feeling like watching something stupid. 

I'll give it 1 out of 10 stars.

"Carrie" (1976)

Carrie White is a shy young girl who doesn't make friends easily. After her class mates taunt her about her horrified reaction to her totally unexpected first period one of them takes pity on her and gets Tommy Ross, her boyfriend and class hunk to invite Carrie to the senior prom. Meanwhile another girl who has been banned from the prom for her continued aggressive behaviour is not as forgiving and plans a trick to embarrass Carrie in front of the whole school. What she doesn't realise is that Carrie is ... gifted, and you really don't want to get her angry. 

If there was something wrong with this film, it would be hard to pick out. It is amazingly acted, greatly scripted and everything a good film is supposed to be. It's one of my favourites films of all-time, and I couldn't stop talking about it for weeks after I first watched it. Sissy Spacek was amazing, every scene with her in was special, she made Carrie White an emotionally-charged psycho. And what about Piper Laurie, she was just the most irreplacable character there will ever be, and I'm sure Sissy was scared of her just a tiny bit. The rest of the cast, Amy Irving, William Katt and Nancy Allen were amazing teens. I didn't like John Travolta's performance, it just lacked what the rest of the cast had going for them. Carrie has a sparkling script with added funny bits to remember it's a teen movie not a blood-sucking horror!! The moment Carrie gets soaked in blood, it's just so weirdly unreal to watch. So I'm going to end this with my favourite tag line... IF YOU'VE GOT A TASTE FOR TERROR...TAKE CARRIE TO THE PROM!

I'll give it 9 out of 10 stars. =)

"A Haunted House" (2013)

Malcolm and Kisha move into their dream home, but soon learn a demon also resides there. When Kisha becomes possessed, Malcolm - determined to keep his sex life on track - turns to a priest, a psychic, and a team of ghost-busters for help.

I was so excited to see this movie because I am a huge Wayan's fan and I have not had a good laugh in a long time!! Well, I will still be waiting on my laugh because seeing this only made me upset. This should have gone straight to DVD. I don't know if they were in a huge rush to release this mess but this was not well planned and there were only about twenty people in the whole movie. Marlon could have done a much better job than this.  I was so disappointed and think the name should have been "A Sex House" not "A Haunted House". 

I'll give it 1 out of 10 stars. :(

"The Evil Dead" (1981)

Five friends go up to a cabin in the woods, where they find unspeakable evil lurking in the forest. They find a tome called the "Necronomicon", Book of the Dead, and the taped translation of the text. Once the tape is played, the evil is released. One by one, the teens are possessed. With only one remaining, it is up to him to survive the night and battle the evil dead. 

The Evil Dead is, without a doubt, one of the greatest horror movies of all time. Made on a shoe string budget as a labour of love, it still remains Raimi's best movie. He has subsequently worked on bigger projects with bigger names but it is arguable whether he has ever surpassed the invention, thrills, energy and sheer fun of this. And why Bruce Campbell never became a genuine movie star after his debut here, and not just a much loved cult figure, is a complete mystery to me. This movie is a modern horror classic and absolutely essential viewing for any self-respecting movie buff! It doesn't get much better than this! =)

I'll give it 9 out of 10 stars.

"Suspiria" (1977)

A young American dancer travels to Europe to join a famous ballet school. As she arrives, the camera turns to another young woman, who appears to be fleeing from the school. She returns to her apartment where she is gruesomely murdered by a hideous creature. Meanwhile, the young American is trying to settle in at the ballet school, but hears strange noises and is troubled by bizarre occurrences. She eventually discovers that the school is merely a front for a much more sinister organization.

Dario Argento's crowning achievement in stylish film-making. 

Suspiria is the most beautiful horror film ever made. Every single frame of this film is expertly lit and colorful. With this technique Argento manages to create an almost unbearable amount of tension and the extremely brutal and bloody murder sequences look so good one can only admire their beauty. The music score by Goblin is one of the most effective score ever to grace a horror movie.

Not much of a story here, but that's really not the main thing. Style and atmosphere is the main course here, and it's execution is completely flawless. Acting and dubbing are okay and the dialogue is a bit stiff. But these are minor flaws in an operatic horror ride...one is not likely to forget that easily.

So, sit down, turn off the light, and watch this movie in surround sound, 'cause the music alone will totally give you the creeps. ;)

I'll give it 9 out of 10 stars.

"Excision" (2012)

This film is about Pauline, a young woman who lives with her family and her younger sister Grace who has Cystic Fibrosis. Pauline has some delusions of being a great surgeon, and she also has some horrific dreams that she actually finds "stimulating" to say the least. Her family put up with her delusions and her school classmates find her annoying. But as this is all happening around her she has a plan, a plan that will leave them all shocked, and some people may not survive. 

At first, I thought this movie would be purely splatter and gore but it turned out to be quite good, yet, a tragic film. AnnaLynne McCord and Traci Lords gave strong performances that really carried the movie, particularly Lords who successfully left the Adult Industry and became a credible actress. I mentioned it was tragic as I really felt for the family struggling with a delusional elder daughter and a dying younger one. Credit to the makeup artist(s) who worked on McCord making her character (Pauline) look like a really out-of-sorts teenager. There were scenes (in the Unrated version) where a lot of blood was involved with some perverted scenes, but it worked in looking inside Pauline's mind. 

I'll give it 8 out of 10 stars. =)