One of my favorite hobbies is doing crossword puzzles. They’re a lot of fun, but they also keep the mind sharp. I’ve tried my hand at creating some crossword puzzles, and while I’m still learning a lot, I wanted to make one to celebrate Friday the 13th. I published it on Eclipse Crossword, so if you want to give it a try, it is available here! It should be pretty easy for the average horror movie lover!
If you decide to give it a try, please let me know how it goes! Was it too easy? Too hard? Too niche? Feedback is more than welcome in the comments.
And now, in honor of Friday the 13th, I’d like to list all 12 Friday the 13th movies in order from greatest to worst (in my humble and possibly controversial opinion):
Friday the 13th Part 2
Friday the 13th Part III
Friday the 13th (1980)
Freddy vs. Jason
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
Friday the 13th (2009)
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood
Friday the 13th: A New Beginning
Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
Jason X
Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday
I do feel like quite the expert since I just spent the last week binge-watching the franchise! If you’re a fan, I’d definitely recommend the documentary Crystal Lake Memories – it is long (like 6 hours and 40 minutes) but a lot of fun with tons of interviews and interesting trivia.
It makes me wonder when/if the 13th movie will emerge on the scene. I definitely have a great idea for the next movie, so maybe I’ll have to find a way to get to Paramount!
I’m a sucker for horror movies that are polarizing audiences, so when I heard about the new Netflix movie, “Things Heard & Seen” I had to see what all the fuss was about for myself!
First, the IMBD Description: “An artist relocates to the Hudson Valley and begins to suspect that her marriage has a sinister darkness, one that rivals her new home’s history.”
I must say, I was a little daunted by the fact that the movie is 2 hours long. Since horror and suspense are difficult things to maintain, I prefer these types of movies when they’re on the shorter side (ideally 80-90 minutes), but this one did not drag at all for me. I was fully entranced by the careful character studies in this film – no one is quite what they seem and each character (except perhaps the villain) is painted in a way that shows a lot of depth.
The setting was perfect – a haunted house that seemed to serve as a metaphor for the protagonist’s own unsettled feelings.
I wouldn’t say that this one is scary. It feels more like an artful mystery which analyzes gender roles and toxic relationships. Amanda Seyfried does a great job as the main character with understated loneliness and repression. James Norton is also fantastic at playing her husband and foil, a man whose secrets and darkness seem boundless by the end.
To avoid giving too much away, I will say that this one has a weird ending that leaves a bit to the imagination. For those who have read the novel the movie is based on (All Things Cease to Appear by Elizabeth Brundage) the ending is a bit different from its source material. In fact, this is a rare occasion where I think I actually enjoyed the movie more than the book!
Overall, I would definitely recommend this movie to people who like character-driven psychological suspense. Horror purists might find it a bit too mellow, and action-lovers may find it too leisurely paced.
Christmas is coming! But there’s still time to watch a few holiday movies or read a fun Christmas mystery. Here are my top favorite Christmas movies:
Krampus (2015)
IMDB Description: A boy who has a bad Christmas accidentally summons a festive demon to his family home.
My thoughts: I love the folklore surrounding Krampus, and while this movie does not stay true to the details of that folklore, it absolutely captivates the spirit of the holiday. This is a fun but slightly dark holiday movie.
Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997)
IMDB Description: Astonished to find the Beast has a deep-seeded hatred for the Christmas season, Belle endeavors to change his mind on the matter.
My Thoughts: This sequel to Beauty and the Beast actually takes place in the middle of the first movie’s story. Still, it’s a really fun and festive movie that fills me with nostalgia.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)
IMDB Description: A grumpy hermit hatches a plan to steal Christmas from the Whos of Whoville.
My Thoughts: This one is obviously a classic for a reason. I definitely think it is the best version of this story!
The Ref (1994)
IMDB Description: A cat burglar is forced to take a bickering, dysfunctional family hostage on Christmas Eve.
My Thoughts: This movie is absolutely hilarious! Anyone who has ever dreaded holiday family drama will be sure to relate to and enjoy this one.
Home Alone (1990)
IMDB Description: An eight-year-old troublemaker must protect his house from a pair of burglars when he is accidentally left home alone by his family during Christmas vacation.
My Thoughts: Another classic that takes me back to childhood! This one is fun to watch at any time of year.
What have you been watching this holiday season? Have you been reaching for nostalgia, gravitating towards the Hallmark channel, or avoiding Christmas altogether? Be sure to let me know in the comment section!
Halloween is less than 2 weeks away! In between prepping for a wedding (not mine) and a Halloween party (mine), I’ve been watching so many horror movies again this year. Of course, I think horror is a great genre year-round, but for those of you who only dabble in the black arts during Autumn, I thought I’d share my top 10 picks!
IMDB Description: “Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse.”
I think this is one of the greatest modern horror movies. It’s based on a fascinating true story, and the cinematography is top-notch. It’s moody/atmospheric and the jump scares are kept to a minimum (which means that you’re always on guard and aren’t able to get used to them). There’s a reason that this film was successful enough to launch a huge franchise (The Conjuring 2, The Nun, Annabelle, etc.)
IMDB Description: “Five years after an unexplained malfunction causes the death of 15 tour-goers and staff on the opening night of a Halloween haunted house tour, a documentary crew travels back to the scene of the tragedy to find out what really happened.”
This is for sure one of my favorite independent horror movies. Again, instead of being replete with jump scares, there are lots of subtly creepy things that gradually build into a great ending. I highly recommend this one (but I do not recommend its two sequels). Bonus: creepy clowns.
IMDB Description: “A caving expedition goes horribly wrong, as the explorers become trapped and ultimately pursued by a strange breed of predators.”
This movie has multiple things going for it: female friendship, claustrophobia, and weird underground creatures. My favorite thing about it really is how well it manages to make the viewer to feel trapped as well. This is a fascinating, unique film (which did not need a sequel – don’t watch the sequel).
IMDB Description: “A journalist must investigate a mysterious videotape which seems to cause the death of anyone one week to the day after they view it.”
I watched this film in junior high so it has a special place in my dark heart as being one of my first real horror movie experiences. Fun fact: I had a friend who was terrified of this movie. One day, she left her locker open and I put a note that said, “Seven Days” inside the locker and closed it. To this day, I think that’s one of the meanest things I’ve ever done. Overall, this is just a well-done horror movie with a surprisingly heartfelt plot and some stylistic cinematography.
IMDB Description: “A year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl is terrorized by a new killer, who targets the girl and her friends by using horror films as part of a deadly game.”
I love that this is a self-aware horror movie. Fans of horror will love the references to various horror tropes that pervade this film. I love the entire Scream franchise (including the spin-off TV series). These movies are great slasher flicks which don’t take themselves too seriously.
IMDB Description: “American seminary student Michael Kovak travels to Italy to take an exorcism course.”
Inspired by a true story, this is a great movie about faith. The acting is also superb since it stars none other than Sir Anthony Hopkins! This is the kind of movie that has plenty of scares but also makes you think about your own beliefs.
IMDB 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.”
This is a groundbreaking movie that deserves a place in history for causing critics to start taking horror more seriously. This film, through its fantastic and nuanced discussion of race in America, proved that horror can have something to say. I highly recommend this one!
IMDB Description: “A woman, Rose, goes in search for her adopted daughter within the confines of a strange, desolate town called Silent Hill.”
This is definitely my most controversial pick as it was panned by critics and horror-lovers alike. But I don’t care – I love this movie! Yes, it’s cheesy and based on a video game, but I think the special effects are great and some of the monsters (the nurses, pyramid-head, etc.) are super cool!
IMDB Description: “Five interwoven stories that occur on Halloween: An everyday high school principal has a secret life as a serial killer; a college virgin might have just met the guy for her; a group of teenagers pull a mean prank; a woman who loathes the night has to contend with her holiday-obsessed husband; and a mean old man meets his match with a demonic, supernatural trick-or-treater.”
I don’t often like anthology films, but this is a really good one (which is also perfect thematically for Halloween). What sets this film apart is that the five stories are actually connected in a loose but organic way which makes it feel really complete. This one is definitely worth a watch!
IMDB Description: “Suspecting that people around him are turning into evil creatures, a troubled man questions whether to protect his only friend from an impending war, or from himself.”
I love psychological horror and this one kept me guessing until the very end – is this guy crazy or are evil things lurking about? This one is dark and suspenseful but more disturbing than scary. Overall, it’s one of the best low-budget horror options out there.
Well, I hope I’ve inspired you to give horror a try this Halloween season! Are you already a horror fan? What are some of your favorites? Please, let me know in the comment section!
I love discovering weird, unique horror movies. Too often while I’m watching a movie, I feel overwhelmed by the familiarity – let’s be honest, most zombie and exorcism movies play out the same way every time. So, I get really excited when I stumble across something different. Last night, I took a chance and watched a lesser known Russian film The Mermaid – Lake of the Dead, and it far exceeded my expectations!
Here’s the IMDB Description: “An evil Mermaid falls in love with Marina’s fiancé Roman and aims to keep him away from Marina in her Kingdom of Death under water. The Mermaid is a young woman who drowned a few centuries ago. Marina only has one week to overcome her fear of the dark water, to remain human in the deathly fight with the monsters and not to become one herself.”
Honestly, I think that the description does this film a disservice. It’s extremely basic, while the film itself is rife with complexities. Rather than the mermaids I’ve been used to (thanks to Disney, of course), this type of mermaid is actually based on the Russian folklore about the rusalka. Also, the film focuses a lot on Roman’s family, which is very much linked to the Mermaid. His sister is a very dynamic, complicated character (actually, far more complex than his fiance Marina).
I was expecting something extra cheesy, but this was actually quite artsy in terms of cinematography. The repeating images of water (in all types of situation, with all different camera angles) were masterfully done. Originally shot in Russian, this was dubbed in English. I would almost always rather read subtitles, but I was actually pleasantly surprised at how organic the dub felt for this particular film. It wasn’t at all distracting.
In terms of the plot and writing, there were a few clarity issues, but they weren’t glaring. Mostly, if you’re familiar with the rusalka folklore or if you really pay attention to the black and white illustrated prologue which quickly explains the folklore, it should be easy to fill in some of the gaps. While mostly predictable, I still enjoyed the uniqueness of the story and the beauty of the cinematography.
In terms of the scare-factor, this was not the kind of horror movie that’s going to keep you up at night or make you afraid to swim in a lake (though, for the record, I’m already afraid of swimming in lakes – who knows what kind of bacteria is lurking!) However, there are some effective jump scares and creepy imagery for sure. I definitely recommend this film to horror-lovers with a soft spot for dark fairytales!
If you’ve seen this one, I’d love to hear your thoughts too! Feel free to share them in the comment section.
Last weekend, I decided to do something I’d never done before: I saw a movie all by myself. Now, I know that may seem like something really small (I mean, movies are basically just sitting in silence in a dark room – which seems like the perfect solo activity) but this was something I’d always been nervous to do. However, with the release of Jordan Peele’s Us, I really wanted to see it before someone had a chance to slip me some spoilers, so I went out to see it right away!
Here’s the IMDB description of Us: “A family’s serenity turns to chaos when a group of doppelgängers begins to terrorize them.”
A lot of people are very excited about Us because of Peele’s directorial debut Get Out (2017). While Get Out was a nearly flawless movie filled with great metaphors about race in America, Us is perhaps too ambitious. While I definitely enjoyed Us, it was much messier from a craft perspective than Get Out. I was entertained as we followed this family, and I loved that this was more of a traditional horror story than Get Out (which some critics still refuse to acknowledge was also horror). Still, there were things that made me feel a bit disappointed in the film overall.
Here are my pros and cons for this movie!
PROS:
Great cinematography!
Superb acting from many characters, especially Lupita Nyong’o (even when the dialogue wasn’t doing justice to the acting).
While the plot had many classic horror tropes, it managed to feel like a very fresh take on the genre.
The tension continually increased throughout the movie and there were many twists and turns that kept the plot from slowing down in the middle.
There were a few moments of dark humor that definitely added to the experience.
CONS:
Some of the symbolism and metaphors were REALLY heavy-handed. Whereas the symbolism and metaphors in Get Out served the larger plot and added an element of social commentary that greatly enhanced the movie, the symbolism and metaphors in Us seemed to be the sole driving force with the plot acting in service to the theme of the movie.
Other metaphors and symbols of the movie weren’t clear enough, which seemed to take a lot of people out of the movie (based on my experience, the experience of several people I know, and the general eavesdropping I did after the movie).
The “twist” at the end added confusion and radically changed how the movie is viewed. While there were elements I liked about the twist (which I don’t want to give away in case you haven’t yet seen the movie), it seemed gimmicky to me. It didn’t make the overall film stronger (the metaphorical parallel drawn between the characters was already clear), but it did leave many scratching their heads and wondering how to literally interpret and explain the feasibility of what they just watched.
Overall, I’m really glad that I watched Us. I think my expectations might have been a bit too high based on how much I loved Get Out, but I’ll absolutely watch whatever Jordan Peele’s next horror movie ends up being…and I’m very excited for his reboot of The Twilight Zone which debuts Monday 4/1.
Have you seen this movie yet? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section.
Welcome to 2019! As part of my resolutions for the year, I want to make sure I’m posting a book or movie review every Sunday. While I work on my own writing, I think it’s important for me to continue supporting other writers and creators. First up for the year is a movie review of “Summer of 84” – an excellent horror film that is much heavier towards mystery/suspense than gore.
Here’s the IMDB description: “After suspecting that their police officer neighbor is a serial killer, a group of teenage friends spend their summer spying on him and gathering evidence, but as they get closer to discovering the truth, things get dangerous.”
I found this film through my Shudder subscription, and I’m so glad I did. What we have here is more of a coming-of-age film than anything else. The band of friends who decide to investigate all of the disappearances are a motley crew of boys all trying to find their roles in the world. They’re dealing with the transition of being children and becoming young adults. It reminded me a lot of “Stand By Me” in terms of tone and the style of character development.
As for the plot, it felt more like an adventure with a dark end rather than consistent horror, and that was a refreshing change for the genre. There’s plenty of suspense and a clear mystery to be solved, but the jewel of this movie is the exploration of character rather than antics of the alleged serial killer.
Without revealing too much, I would like to still comment on the ending. I’m of two minds. On the one hand, it seems very fitting. On the other, there was something that felt too resolved and convenient. Of course, I don’t want to spoil anything since I hope anyone reading this review might choose to watch and form their own opinions.
Overall, this was a really great movie that I think will appeal to both horror lovers and non-horror lovers. It’s a great movie for those just starting out in the genre or those who are fans of dark coming-of-age stories.
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.
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!
Tiffany Renee Harmon 