Tag: horror

Movie Review

31 Days of Halloween: Get Out (2017)

Tiffany Renee Harmon

Sometimes, a horror movie is just so good that even non-horror fans can get behind it. That’s exactly what happened when Get Out came to theaters. This is my Day 6 pick for 31 Days of Halloween, and it’s one of the BEST horror movies I’ve ever seen!

Get Out Poster

IMDB’s Description: “A young African-American visits his white girlfriend’s parents for the weekend, where his simmering uneasiness about their reception of him eventually reaches a boiling point.”

There’s just so much to unpack in this film! There is a cultural critique of racism and tokenism that emerges in this movie in both subtle and overt ways. I don’t want to give anything away just in case you haven’t already seen it, but there are so many images reminiscent of the days of slavery that will make you question how far we’ve really come as a society and show how much work there is left to do.

Like many people, I was intrigued by the fact that this was written and directed by Jordan Peele, who is well-known for more comedic works. However, this movie was near perfection! This is clearly his true milieu, and I can’t wait to see the next horror movie he comes up with. If you only watch one movie on my 31 Days of Halloween list – this should be the one!

Movie Review

31 Days of Halloween: The Darkness (2016)

Tiffany Renee Harmon

Mythology and folklore are often the basis of horror movies. I’m fascinated by urban legends and ancient monster tales. Sometimes the source material is even more interesting than the horror movie itself. A while ago, I watched The Darkness, which deals with Native American folklore in a fascinating way. My expectations weren’t very high, but this one really stuck with me afterwards, which is why I’ve picked it for Day 5 of 31 Days of Halloween.

The Darkness Poster

IMDB’s Description: “A family unknowingly awakens an ancient supernatural entity on a Grand Canyon vacation, and must fight for survival when it follows them home.”

On it’s surface, it seemed like this was going to be just another ghost/demon story rife with jump scares, but I was so pleasantly surprised. While this wasn’t the perfect horror movie by any means, I really appreciated the fresh take on Native American folklore and mythology. This movie has been skewered by critics and other reviewers, but I honestly enjoyed it just for the explanation of the backstory and origin of the supernatural events.

Movie Review

31 Days of Halloween: Hush 2016

Tiffany Renee Harmon

I’ve seen hundreds of horror movies throughout my life, so I’d like to think that it takes a lot to impress me at this point. I’m pretty familiar with the common tropes, so I was thrilled to find a movie recently that just sucked me in with its originality: Hush. This one is my pick for Day 4 of 31 Days of Halloween.

Hush Poster

IMDB’s Description: “A deaf writer who retreated into the woods to live a solitary life must fight for her life in silence when a masked killer appears at her window.”

This movie was absolutely fascinating. It was the first horror movie I’d ever seen where things were almost always eerily silent (and yes, this one came out before “A Quiet Place.”) The film is shot in the style where we’re closely following the protagonist, Maddie who is deaf. Because of this, almost everything is silent. In fact, there’s about 70 minutes without a single word of dialogue (plus about 15 minutes with dialogue as other characters enter the scenes). This one is a complete rush of adrenaline as we watch Maddie’s silent struggle for survival. She’s obviously a character you want to root for, but the odds are definitely stacked against her.

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.

 

Book Review

My Favorite Horror Novels

Tiffany Renee Harmon

Halloween is about a month away. To celebrate, I’ll be doing a “31 Days of Halloween” series where I talk about my 31 favorite Halloween movies. Since that’s going to be taking up all of October, I thought I’d end September with mentioning some of my favorite horror novels:

 

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‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King

This is King’s take on vampires, and it’s for sure one of his best works. I love that he took the traditional vampire mythos and allusions to Dracula while still putting his original spin on it. It feels very familiar to those who like classic vampires, but there’s still a whole second layer.

 

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Ring by Koji Suzuki

It’s commonly known that the Ring movie franchise was inspired by the Japanese movie, but that movie was actually inspired by a book series! This is the first in an excellent series of Japanese horror novels (which deviate quite a bit from the films). I just couldn’t put them down.

 

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We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

While this may not traditionally be considered horror, it talks about a realistic horror: school shootings. This is one of the most interesting books I’ve ever read, and it deals a lot with the psychology of evil, specifically nature versus nurture.

 

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The Ruins by Scott Smith

In this unique horror story, some vacationers encounter killer plants in the Mexican jungle. Yes, I admit that that sounds ridiculous, but this was actually a super interesting book about much more than external horror. It had a surprising amount of character development too.

 

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Help for the Haunted by John Searles

This book is classified as both mystery and horror. It’s about a girl named Sylvie whose parents were traveling paranormal investigators who helped spirits cross over. After their deaths, Sylvie copes with their loss as well as the loss of her own childhood. As she tries to come to terms with everything that has happened, she must discover whether her parents were truly gifted or were just clever con artists. Is she being haunted by something otherworldly or hunted by someone very much alive?

 

Well, I’ll be back tomorrow with the start of “31 Days of Halloween” so stay tuned for more spooky recommendations!

Thanks for reading,

Tiffany

Movie Review

Movie Review: Witch Hunt (2017)

Tiffany Renee Harmon

Well, it’s nearly mid-August, so my mind is already wandering towards Halloween! Summer is great, but my favorite season has always been Autumn – from the crisp air to the cardigans to the horror movies. So, as I’ve been gearing up for the upcoming changing of the seasons and trying to decide what my costume will be (all suggestions welcome!) I’ve been thinking a lot about horror movies. One that I saw recently on Amazon Prime that has really stuck with me is Witch Hunt, an independent film that just came out last year. You can watch this one FREE on Amazon Prime if you’re a member.

Image result for witch hunt movie

I’ll admit that when I first turned this one on, I was a bit hesitant about the acting in the beginning, but overall, I’m so glad that I stuck with it. It was so well-written and fresh for a horror movie. Let’s dissect some of the elements:

*Plot – The plot of this one was really interesting. Five young women gather for a birthday party and end up playing a nostalgic board game from their youth. But the board game, called “Witch Hunt,” may not be quite the innocent experience they remember. There are plenty of twists and turns here, as well as paranoia befitting of the Salem Witch Trials (of which there are several clever allusions).

*Characters – Viewers learn about the characters very gradually in this movie, and that is a big strength. It’s rare for a horror movie to be truly character-driven, but that’s what we have here. In this movie, there are so many psychological elements to unpack: female friendship, childhood trauma, religious fervor, sexuality, and more.

*Style – I adored the stylistic way that this movie unfolds. With each round of the game, we learn more about a specific character. It has a very unique but defined structure. I actually finished the movie and immediately wanted to watch it again because it was such a refreshing take on the genre.

*Scare Factor – For a horror movie, this one is extremely light on fright. There is very little gore or jump scares. Rather, this movie is propelled by its suspense and evocative atmosphere.

* Final Verdict – I loved this movie! I would definitely recommend it to those who like psychological or character-driven horror. And, since it’s not really scary, I think this would be a fun movie for anyone to watch for Halloween!

Thanks for reading!

-Tiffany

Movie Review

Movie Review: Hell House LLC

Tiffany Renee Harmon

I mostly review books on this website, but I also really love horror movies. As I continue working on my own horror screenplay (details to come!) I’ve been watching all types of horror movies as inspiration and research. Recently, I stumbled upon one that I absolutely loved: Hell House LLC.

Hell House LLC Poster

This is a low-budget indie film that was just as effective, if not more so, than a lot of mainstream flicks with larger budgets. The premise is simple but fantastic and fresh. This is a mockumentary-style found-footage film about a film crew that is making a documentary about a tragedy that happened at a Halloween haunted house attraction a few years before. As they piece together what happened, they learn that something sinister might have been lurking in the house well before the  haunted house crew set up their theatrical props.

One of the things I loved about this movie is that there are very few jump scares. They are used judiciously and effectively, and the general ambiance of the film and the tension as the viewer is waiting to see what is going to happen next create a genuine feeling of dread. This film works because it has a fresh concept, builds tension well, and doesn’t rely on excessive slasher-like gore to create the feeling of horror. It’s just genuinely creepy and contains characters whose lives you really start to care about. There’s also an element of mystery pervading the storyline.

This film came out in 2015, and I just learned that they are working on a sequel. I’m so excited to see what is in store next!

Have you seen this one, or do you have a great indie film you want to share? Be sure to let me know in the comment section!

Book Review

Book Review: They Thirst 

Tiffany Renee Harmon

I know that vampires aren’t really a big trend anymore, but I still really love them in my fiction. Recently, I read a really great vampire horror novel: They Thirst by Robert McCammon.

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I love that this book seems to blend classic vampire expectations with more modern ones. It was like the perfect blend of Stoker’s Dracula and King’s ‘Salem’s Lot. There is plenty of horror, suspense, and intrigue to be had in this novel, and I really think it will appeal to lovers of horrors, especially those with a soft spot for vampires.