My Top 10 Favorite Horror Sequels

This took a lot longer than it should but I attempted to make a top 10 list of horror movie sequels that I completely enjoyed. With it being ‘sequel’ weekend with Halloween 2 and The Final Destination coming out I felt it wo9uld be time to make a list of my favorite #2′s of any horror movie series. Not just any list but one that ignores the major horror franchises that have 10,000,000 sequels. Friday the 13′th. Nightmare on Elm Street, Saw, Halloween, Child’s Play, Children of the Corn, Scream, Hellraiser, etc. When you factor those out and want to insert ‘good’ into the mix this gets extremely difficult very quickly.

10. Critters 2: The Main Course
Who knew such cute and fluffy little fur balls could be so dangerous, even a second time around? It really is easy to overlook this film with how cheese filled it is and this doesn’t rank because it is a horror film but because it is a good sequel that claims to be a horror film. This comes from the 80′s era of horror that are good in that bad kind of way. If you enjoy a strong plot with your horror you may be a bit disappointed at this one but if your just looking for some cheesy fun you should get a kick out of this one.

9. Gremlins 2: The New Batch
I can never really decide if I love or am annoyed by Gremlins 2. The plot itself is a mess where a giant corporation gets a hold of Gizmo to use for experimentation which on itself seems forced and annoying more than fun. The flip side though is that the movie is full of so much humor, pop culture references, and Gremlins inside jokes that if your a fan of the series or the time period you can’t help but find yourself laughing at so many moments in the film. While enjoyable on it’s own you should really have seen the first one prior to watching it for some of the humor… oh and because if you were alive in the 80′s and haven’t seen Gremlins you should be ashamed of life.

8. Phantasm 2
Phantasm 2 takes place a few years after the first ends. Mike has been in a mental institution due to his claims that The Tall Man is real listening to doctors who constantly nod their head and smile at the nightmare world he clearly lives in. Finally Mike bites the big one and is able to convince his doctors that everything he has said was clearly in his mind and he isn’t really insane. Out and free again he meets up with an old friend to track down The Tall Man and stop him before he can continue with his taking the dead and turning them into his army of evil… dwarves. Really though any movie that has a duel done with chainsaws has to be seen by as many people as possible!

7. Bride of Reanimator
West and Cains are back to create more human/hybrid animals for all of our entertainment. How is Cain convinced to continue the madness? From the woman that West creates using Cain’s dead girlfriend’s heart to keep her alive. While there is clearly a lot less humor in the sequel the gore count is on part if not higher than the original to balance which horror audience the movie is catering to. While there are a few plot loopholes (how exactly does Cain go back to really working with West again?) The ending is a gorefest display of creature creations that will put almost any other monster movie to shame.

6. Damien: Omen II
The sequel to The Omen almost didn’t make the list with how many movies have come out in the series now but knowing that it wasn’t planned, it was never truly made into a franchise, and that the most recent one was a remake I was willing to let it slide. Damien, the Antichrist, not killed in the original movie is being given a formal training at a military school while forces working for his future are aiming to build his father’s empire to expand both financially and in power. The original Omen was my first experience with the ‘creepy kid’ syndrome that has been popping up more frequently in movies as of late (really kids are creepy when they are pure evil) and while he’s not ‘as young’ in this one it’s a great way to continue the tale.

5. The Devil’s Rejects
A perfect sequel to add to the list when Rob Zombie‘s current sequel hits the theater this weekend. This is the movie that made Rob Zombie’s career solid in the horror industry. (Early reviews of H2 predict his fan base is about to evaporate but having not seen it I can’t comment.) Not only does this take the characters from House of 1000 corpses but it gives them all unique personalities, huge character development, and ends in a perfect way where everyone gets what they deserve. With a great soundtrack, scenes filmed at great perspectives, and characters who are all flawed to one extent or another that just mesh perfectly in this orgy of insanity that brings forth the worst aspects of the south in one movie.

4. 28 Weeks Later
I really hate when both this and the original are called zombie movies. While it is an infection spread by blood or bite these aren’t the undead. Rant aside the 28 * later movies have done both amazingly well at both the box office and with fans and if you’ve seen either you know exactly why. Good character development, well written plots, great special effects, a perfect post apocalyptic setting yes these movies have it all. While focusing on the ‘aftermath’ of the first movie instead of the initial outbreak it happens exactly how you would imagine it would. A country eradicated by a virus that appears to have disappeared so of course it’s time to move back in. Next time we might want to make sure the virus is gone first? Perhaps have a solid plan to contain it in case there is another outbreak?

3. Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn
Really? Do I need to explain to any of you why the sequel to Evil Dead makes this list? (OK we all know this is so close to the original it could be considered a reimaging.. but technically a sequel so it get’s to slide by and be here!) Sam Raimi really knew how to hit it out of the park with horror days prior to Spider-man and you have to regret that he’s still not making horror movies full time. If you haven’t seen the sequel to the original Evil Dead and want it to be a bit more full of horror this one works a lot better for most audiences out there. And honestly, who can ever get enough of Bruce playing Ash?

2. Dawn of the Dead
I really hope that no one reading this list for even a second thought that I wouldn’t include a bit of love for the man, the myth, the legends, the father of zombies- George A. Romero. Clearly I’m a ‘small’ fan of the zombie sub genre to horror and Dawn of the Dead stands out both as an amazing sequel in the world that Romero built as well as is able to stand on it’s own as one of the best zombie movies of all time. (Why else was it of all of Romero’s movies picked to be recreated by another director. Oh that’s right money. But money from a movie that was known to be a winner!) This ranks as my favorite Romero movie and one I always suggest to any horror fan who hasn’t seen it. (Wait.. you call yourself a horror fan and haven’t seen Dawn of the Dead?!)

1. Aliens
As Alien was the original movie that got my appetite wet for all horror it is only fitting that Aliens makes this as my favorite horror sequel. While Aliens does go a slightly different route than the original, focusing more on the action end of this masterpiece it still has more than enough science fiction based horror to make any fanboy love the film even after all of these years. Not only does it stand the test of time for being a fun film to watch but it is a quick paced action ride that still knows when to slow the movie down enough to give proper build up for every scene to stand out on it’s own.

[header pic via: random Photobucket find on Google.]

BuyZombie Featured!

Little extra bonus in the day. BuyZombie got some extra exposure as Freddy in Space featured my site on his current monthly post that has 31 Days of 31 Horror links! Being a specialized site it’s always a plus getting the added attention, specially from an all around horror blog that I read weekly. Thanks!

What Happens When Matt Asks For A Raise

So my friend Matt (not the one that works with me) was complaining about not getting enough fundage from his job. He informed me of how he was planning to speak with his manager about it and I gave him my scenario on what to expect… here it is!

[15:36] Matt: This is going to be interesting…
[15:44] Stu: ?
[15:44] Matt: Just sent my boss an email asking him if we could have a discussion regarding my responsibilities.
[15:45] Stu: hahah
[15:45] Matt: Do you think that clarifies what I wanna talk about?
[15:47] Stu: no
[15:47] Stu: *grins*
[15:51] Matt: Cmon seriously
[15:51] Matt: does it? lol
[15:54] Stu: kind of vague
[15:54] Stu: could mean you have too many or too few
[15:54] Stu: could mean (probably) you don’t feel your being compensated for them
[15:55] Matt: ding
[15:55] Matt: lol
[15:55] Stu: could mean your a crackpot and feel like harassing your boss because your bored or last grasp of sanity is in place
[15:55] Matt: lol
[15:55] Stu: knowing that with the economy in the shitter that now is not the time to bitch about your pay and instead of that phatty phatty raise will soon be attempting to collect unemployment but soon realize your boss found a way to beat the system and get it denied for you
[15:56] Stu: turning you into a raging alcoholic born from depression, a will that has been sucked out of you by corporate america, and a lack of money to do anything fun with your sudden decrease in fundage
[15:56] Matt: Subconsciously I must want to get fired and play MMOs all day.
[15:56] Matt: Too late to turn back now after saying that though lol
[15:57] Stu: soon the car is up for sale since your broke.. buying the cheapest booze you can to have it last longer… the stench of it seeps into your poors and between that and the lack of income or mobility aside from a broken down bike with a flat tire you have no way to aquire a new source of income
[15:58] Stu: finally those funds go away too and you realize you’ve fallen in with a bad crowd.. your into drugs.. no job.. no future… you start stealing to feed the addiction.. chasing that high that is the only thing left getting you out of bed each morning
[15:59] Stu: you meet a girl in this drug hazed world you’ve found yourself in.. you think your in love.. you think she’s your savior .. soon you realize she’s even worse off than you when you realize you’ve in a tub of ice with your kidney gone
[16:00] Matt: lol how bored are you right now sir?
[16:01] Stu: i actually did all of that while taking 3 calls
[16:03] Matt: terrible
[16:03] Stu: i was entertained
[16:34] Stu: ahh work is over
[16:34] Stu: 1 hour to kill until i go see Inglourious Basterds
[16:34] Matt: die
[16:34] Matt: Damn, I want to see that

I swear I don’t have too much time at work.

Who Says He-Man Can’t Be Funny?

Since I posted a trailer for The Wolfman the other day I felt I could scrape by with another video. This is quite possibly one of the greatest mash-ups that I have ever seen. Take 1 part He-Man and 1 part Bohemian Rhapsody from Queen and you get this most amazing of videos. I’ve watched this possibly 10 times over the past week and can’t help but crack up each and every time I hit play. It is quite possible I’ve just finally lost my mind but honestly this is hilarious. At least I think so!

Why Are Clams So Happy?

So my friend Rick mentioned last night that he was as “happy as a clam” in a conversation and that got me thinking. Why exactly are clams so happy? After a quick Google search I found phrases.org.uk which gave me this reasoning:

Why would clams be happy? It has been suggested that open clams give the appearance of smiling. The derivation is more likely to come from the fuller version of the phrase, now rarely heard – ‘as happy as a clam at high water’. Hide tide is when clams are free from the attentions of predators; surely the happiest of times in the bivalve mollusc world. The phrase originated in the north-eastern states of the USA in the early 19th century. The earliest citation that I can find is from a frontier memoir The Harpe’s Head – A Legend of Kentucky, 1833.

So there you have it. Clams are happy because they “LOOK” happy at a certain angle. I’m not convinced of this though. When it really boils down to it (mmm boiled clam….) hundreds of thousands of clams are massacred on a yearly basis for our culinary delight. They are a species whose very existence has come down to being grown and exterminated by humanity for two purposes- food and money. The money end of things of course being forced out of the water so that those wonderful pearls that are found within them can be harvested and turned into jewelry. Oh the proud mollusk is a great creature and one of them was even found to be the oldest living creature on the planet (until I assume it was sauteed before the pearl it had within was raped from it.) One of these days this noble species will rise up from our starving need for all things tasty and overthrow the shackles that we have placed upon them! Until then I will of course gladly munch on their succulent meat on any occasion I am out for seafood. (I wonder if Attack Of The Killer Clams has been made into a movie yet? …and if not why not?)

[picture via: a random flickr search.]

Usually I don’t Show Trailers On My Personal Blog…

I just couldn’t resist showing this one off though. Part horror movie and part thriller we have a werewolf movie that I actually am really looking forward to. This movie looks as if it will be miles ahead of the majority of werewolf fluff that has come to the big screen over the past few years (that focus just on were’s.)

Cast wise: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Hugo Weaving all can have extremely powerful performances in the right roles and with this being a combination of an epic, horror, period piece, and drama I think we may have quite a few moments that just shine. This is being added (at least off this trailer) as one of my must see movies for next year.

Review: Trick ‘r Treat

In my last post I mentioned that I was at Terror In The Aisles 2 in Chicago recently for a fun little night of horror movie loving. The highlight of the show was clearly the Midwest premiere of Trick ‘r Treat! A movie that was made in 07 and due out in 08 but due to constant delays on release never was able to make a mass market of theater screenings finally was able to be shown in all of it’s glory on the big screen. The best bonus of the night? The writer and directory Michael Dougherty was on hand for some Q&A and autograph signing. Extra bonus: They screened the short Dougherty made years ago that was the basis for the movie.

Back in the days before True Blood turned Anna Paquin into a more mainstream name all I could think of when I saw the first trailer was “oh… Rogue is going to be in a horror movie that just looks fun!” Those trailers, ancient now in my mind, never could have done this amazing horror film justice. In my mind I want to call it the Pulp Fiction of horror. I know there are a lot of movies shown out of order with big reveals at the end and at various aspects of the movie but Pulp Fiction always set that standard in my mind. Trick ‘r Treat was able to show 5 tales that would have all been great as stand alone stories but were much better when cut together to be in one form or another related to each other.

The movie itself revolves around it being Halloween and what that actually means. Everything we do on the holiday- handing out candy, dressing up, jack-olanterns, EVERYTHING has an ulterior meaning. On top of that this is the one day that Sam comes out and makes sure everyone follows the rules. Sam, whose true nature you will not see until the end of the movie, is a fun little costumed character who keeps walking around and having his way with everyone that does not respect the rules that are in place. While not necessarily the main character he is the one reoccurring character in every section of the film.

So the 5 plot’s outlined without spoilers?
- It starts with a tale of a young couple (Helo from BSG) wherein the wife has no respect for Halloween as a holiday to the point where she starts taking down decorations before it’s over.
- The second story shows a school principal who ends up having his own outlook on what should occur on Halloween.
- The third shows Anna being followed by a man dressed as a vampire. (I wonder if the True Blood casting agent saw this movie…)
- A group of children decide that they want to harass another child who has a special affinity with the holiday and how she understands it.
- Finally an old man is visited by Sam with an interesting ending.

I would go into further details on the exact plot but would hate to spoil the slightest portion of it for you as I feel anyone who watches this (and you should) needs to experience everything firsthand. The best part though is all of these events are tied together in multiple ways and you cannot help but love how things come to a close. From well thought out story telling to unique special effects to a great cast this is a horror movie that even those who wouldn’t usually watch them will be able to enjoy. It’s a shame there was not a true theatrical release as this one is a must watch. I have no doubt the DVD release will give the movie a huge cult following from horror fans across the globe. Speaking of, when this is out on DVD I suggest skipping renting it and go straight for the purchase.

Terror In The Aisles 2

So over the weekend I attended Terror in the Aisles 2 with Rose. When I got there we met up with Rick Romanowski who writes for Buy Zombie, one of his friends, Erin Tollesfen of Blackthorne Rose Creations, her husband, and Charlie Athanas of The Devil’s Candy Store and WildClaw Theatre to settle in for a fun night of horror. Also had a chance to briefly meet with Mitch of Horror Society.

The Plan? 7 hours full of fun!
Films:
The ever classic, The Evil Dead
The original, My Bloody Valentine
AND the midwest premiere of Trick R’ Treat!

Shorts:
Gay By Dawn, a humorous spoof of combining Evil Dead styled filming with the southern homophobia.
Hellcat and Tala, an entertaining little romp of a vampire and werewolf who are living together and find out each other’s secret.

As well as vintage trailers, dealer tables, prizes, surprises, and live charity auction for Vital Bridges and guest appearances. What kind of guest appearances? Well the director of My Bloody Valentine as well as thespecial effects artist for The Evil Dead.

Battlestar Galactica REBOOT To Happen. Frak.

You may or may not know this but I find Battlestar Galactica to be some of, if not the best science fiction to come out in years. Both standing by itself, as a TV show, or compared to movies. I’ve been following the show since Season 1 and have watched the characters evolve through an epic tale of… well there are so many issues touched upon. Religion, Spirituality, The Human Soul, Racism, Torture, Growing Up, Family, Love, Lust, Hatred,LIFE.

At any rate. You would think that hearing about more BSG would be good? Of course it would. IF IT WASN’T BEING RESTARTED. Bryan Singer was a god with X-Men 1+2. As far as reboots go? Superman was very disappointing to a LOT of people. Even that not being the case? It’s the cast and story we were JUST told that made BSG such a wonderful universe. Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Jamie Bamber, James Callis, Tricia Helfer(yum,) Grace Park, Katee Sackhoff, Michael Hogan, Aaron Douglas, Tahmoh Penikett, Donnelly Rhodes, Michael Trucco, Richard Hatch, Kate Vernon- without these actors and the rest of the cast there is NO movie to be made.

Whoever thought this was a good idea should honestly be shot. I’m not exaggerating. I take my entertainment seriously and whoever decided restarting what has become such an amazing show as a movie isn’t worth breathing the same air as me. Frak you! So say we all!

[via: SciFi Squad.]

So I Won ANOTHER Movie

One great thing about being a blogger in the horror community is following all of the events that go on in horror and related genres movie and book wise. Following said sites? Tons of contests to enter in! Quiet Earth, a site that specializes in post-apocalyptic movies, recently ran just such a contest to win a copy of Night Train! I was fortunate enough to be one of the three winners of the contest.

How far would you go to have everything you desire? Christmas Eve… when a veteran conductor (Glover), a young pre-med student (Sobieski) and a struggling salesman (Zahn) discover a dead body onboard a night train, the three strangers find themselves on a collision course with destiny.

Among the deceased man’s possessions is a mysterious box, which fascinates their attention. Upon looking inside, they see a treasure so valuable that the three conspire to hide the body and split the fortune themselves. This decision sets in motion a tense game of obsession and deceit, where greed betrays reason and morality gives way to temptation. With local authorities at every stop and an assortment of suspicious passengers along for the ride, can the three strangers overcome their fixation with the coveted box or will they delve even deeper into the trenches of depravity?

Thank You Quiet Earth!