Tag: halloween

Movie Review

31 Days of Halloween: Creep (2014)

Tiffany Renee Harmon

My pick for Day 3 of 31 Days of Halloween is Creep. This is a fascinating independent film that focuses on just two characters: Aaron and Josef (played by the two writers of the film). This is a fascinating piece of psychological horror.

Creep Poster

IMDB’s description: “A young videographer answers an online ad for a one-day job in a remote town to record the last messages of a dying man. When he notices the man’s odd behavior, he starts to question his intentions.”

One of the greatest strengths of this movie is the atmosphere. The encounters with the creepy man are unsettling throughout the movie, but the whole time, you’re wondering if he’s just creepy or actually dangerous. It’s almost too realistic for comfort because I’m sure we’ve all met people who seemed “off” but you’re not sure if you should be scared or just compassionate. Until the very end, you’re left wondering what is going on inside the mind of this man. This is a pretty short film (77 minutes) but it packs in so much psychology and the feeling of dread.

 

Movie Review

31 Days of Halloween: The Lords of Salem (2012)

Tiffany Renee Harmon

Witchcraft is a theme that has appeared over and over again in horror movies. It seems like there are no more fresh takes that can be done on the subject. Enter: Rob Zombie. Rob Zombie’s The Lords of Salem is my pick for Day 2 of 31 Days of Halloween.

The Lords of Salem Poster

IMDB’s description: “Heidi, a radio DJ, is sent a box containing a record – a “gift from the Lords”. The sounds within the grooves trigger flashbacks of her town’s violent past. Is Heidi going mad, or are the Lords back to take revenge on Salem, Massachusetts?”

Rob Zombie has been criticized for being all style and no substance, but he’s still one of my favorite filmmakers. His style is so unique. The last 10 minutes of this movie are practically art house and feel like a waking dream. It’s one of the best movie endings I’ve ever seen.

The flashbacks and the present-day are all loaded with interesting imagery and symbolism. The witchcraft seems very literal, but there’s also a quality in the atmosphere of the film that makes you question this perception. The film closely follows recovering addict Heidi, and since it’s kind of filtered through her, there’s a question about the reliability. Either way you interpret it, this one is one creepy roller coaster ride of emotion.

Movie Review

31 Days of Halloween: Paranormal Activity (2007)

Tiffany Renee Harmon

Welcome to 31 Days of Halloween! Every day in October, I’m going to post about a horror movie that I love. First up, is Paranormal Activity.

Paranormal Activity Poster

This supernatural found-footage film came out when I was still in high school. It was such a big deal when it came out, and it really seemed to reinvigorate the found-footage trend again. It’s the beginning of a 6-film franchise, and each film seems to move the mythos forward and reveal more about the origins of the supernatural occurrences. This is one of my favorite horror franchises!

The general plot according to IMDB is, “After moving into a suburban home, a couple becomes increasingly disturbed by a nightly demonic presence.” This, of course, describes literally every haunted house movie ever made, which is why I was initially hesitant to get my hopes up about this one. However, the found-footage style and the unique background story that continues through each of the films really sets these apart from other horror movies.