Countdown To Halloween....

As I prepared for my annual October Horror filmfest I decided to pick the movies I would be watching in advance and then went a step further and organized them in descending order (I got a lot of free time, folks).  But being a horror fiend, I had trouble whittling it down to only 31 movies in 31 nights.  So I even have an "honorable mention" top 10, which didn't quite make the cut.  Here they are, also in descending order...

10. SWEENY TODD   2007
Tim Burton's bloody adaptation of the stage play is helped by a strong cast, but would be a good time either way, as the material is right up his alley.
9. 28 DAYS LATER   2002
Danny Boyle re-invented the Zombie film with supercharged, rage fueled non-zombies and a stellar cast.
8. THE 'BURBS   1989
Joe Dante's light-hearted dark comedy (is that possible?) hits all the right notes as Tom Hanks and his bumbling neighbors try to figure out if the newest residents are murderers.
7. NIGHT OF THE CREEPS   1986
Fred Dekker throws everything but the kitchen sink into this Horror/Sci-Fi amalgam that clearly (and heavily) influenced James Gunn's Slither.
6. THE LOST BOYS   1987
Vampire. Jack. Bauer.*
5. THE CONJURING   2013
Not much new ground is covered here as a family is terrorized by "vengeful spirits", but the performances are top notch across the board and James Wan knows how to dial up the tension and exactly where to place his camera.
4. HATCHET 2   2010
Adam Green's new breed of Slasher peaks in this gore-soaked middle chapter of the refreshingly not-so-serious and well made Hatchet series featuring Horror legend Kane Hodder as Victor Crowley.
3. DAWN OF THE DEAD   2004
Likely taking a cue from 28 Days Later, Zack Snyder ramps up the zombies to speed freak levels and lets his tale of survivors hold up in a mall plays out like an exhilarating and terrifying action flick.
2. DEAD ALIVE   1992
Peter Jackson's splatter-fest has plenty of heart to go with the absurd zombie killing, rat smashing, puss consuming, and kung-fu ass kicking (for The Lord!).
1. SAW   2004
James Wan and Leigh Wannell crafted an original tale of twisted morality that, sadly, spawned the awful torture porn sub-genre.


*- Also, the Corey's in their prime!

James Wan Is My Master Now...

There are a lot of great Horror directors out there.  Wes Craven, Tobe Hooper, Dario Argento (though, to be honest, I've never seen any Argento flicks), George Romero, and many others.  But few in my circle, and I dare say any circle of intelligent cinephiles, would argue against John Carpenter as the undisputed master of the genre.  This could be in part because he's not just a great Horror director, but a great director in general.  Aside from horror/thriller flicks, he has Assault on Precinct 13, Escape from New York, Big Trouble in Little China, and They Live to name a few.  All great fantasy/sci-fi/undefinable classics in their own right.  But it is the Horror genre where he has truly shined.  Halloween, The Fog (haven't seen that yet, either. Arg!), The Thing, Christine, In the Mouth of Madness.  Hell, even Vampires can be thrown in there.  Sure, it's not on the same level as those masterpieces, and it plays out more like an action film than Horror, but I'm feeling generous.  And Carpenter isn't just a director, he writes/co-writes many of the films as well, and almost always composes the music.  Jack of all Trades, Master of One (Horror movies is the one, if you're confused).  But the Master has gotten up there in age a bit and hasn't graced us with many new films of late.  Since the box office disappointment Ghosts of Mars in 2001, he's had only one theatrically released film: The Ward in 2010.  (The Ward is not a great movie and that's all I'll say about it.)  These days Carpenter seems content to produce less-than-stellar remakes of his classics.
He'll receive no judgment from me for it, though.  Count those monies, sir, you have earned it.

Without him around to create new classics, there is a void that needs to be filled.  Thankfully, several young Horror auteur's out there have caught my eye the last few years.  Adam Green has the gore soaked splatter-fest Hatchet franchise.  Adam Wingard's recently released You're Next, is an expertly crafted take on the "home invasion" sub-genre that takes a turn to survivalist thriller, with a score that would make Carpenter proud.  Ti West has shown great promise with House of the Devil and The Innkeepers, both throwbacks to an era when tension was the key to Horror, rather than gratuitous violence (hey, I love both, don't get me wrong).

But one guy has stood out as the next "great one": James Wan.

Wan first garnered attention for the original Saw film.  While I pretty much despise what's become known as the "torture porn" Horror sub-genre that Saw kick started, I still have an appreciation for the movie.  Upon its release, it seemed to come out  of nowhere and turned into a big smash hit.  no big stars (sorry Danny Glover) were carrying it, but it was unique, and inventive, and gory, and pretty terrifying at times, to be honest.  After it blew up I was quick to point out how it was pretty good, but overrated (cuz I'm THAT guy).  After the first one, Wan stepped away as director, although his frequent collaborator Leigh Whannell is credited as working on the story for the first few sequels.  I gave up on it after Saw 3, which was dreadful.

According to Wan, his next feature came about due to pressure from his agent sort of forcing him to get a new movie in the works immediately.  He later called the experience "creativity at gunpoint", and the result was Dead Silence: The story of possessed puppets that kill people.  Or something. I don't really remember.  Anyway, it's bad.  Not god-awful or anything, but certainly a low-point for Wan.  Even in this lackluster example of his work, there's stuff to admire.  Puppets are creepy as hell, and Wan manages to get some good mileage out of them.

That same year brought Death Sentence, the Kevin Bacon revenge-thriller which has no connection to the Horror genre outside of kinda looking like a Horror movie.  Based on the novel of the same name, it's remarkably dark, gritty, and violent.  More so than any mainstream film you're likely to see.  Bacon's son is murdered by gang members and then it's him that's out for blood.  And there certainly is blood.  Not a favorite of mine, but a serviceable effort, which I enjoyed for what it was.

Wan took about three years away from the camera before returning to Horror with Insidious.  And what a return it was.  Insidious sort of flew in under the radar, looking like a run-of-the-mill haunted house story leading up to its release.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that wasn't the case.  Sure some of the familiar tropes are in place, but it's produced in such a way that it all seems fresh.  Wan's excellent use of eye-widening suggestion and gasp-inducing reveals keeps people on edge.  When one of the leads ventures into "The Further" (an astral plane, and yes, the name is cringe worthy), it twists with almost sci-fi elements, while still staying grounded to its Horror base.  To me, this was Wan's coming out party, and while I thought it would be best left as a stand-alone, it would be a lie to say I'm not excited about the sequel.

This past summer (yes, it's somehow Fall already) Wan went back to the haunted house well with The Conjuring, which had me a bit nervous.  I sort of thought he already made his contribution to the sub-genre, albeit with his own unique spin, and this seemed a pointless exercise.  And maybe those thoughts have some validity, but The Conjuring was still a great film.  It's based on "real case files" of Ed and Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigators notable for their involvement with the events on which The Amityville Horror is based, among others.  The case in question is that of an old farmhouse recently moved into by a family of seven, and the paranormal activity that followed.  Wan again wow's the audience with deft camera movement and eerie tension, but the film is elevated by the cast, who top to bottom, deliver fantastic performances.  Patrick Wilson (also of Insidious) and Vera Farmiga portray the Warrens, and their love for and faith in each other is the heart of the film.

This weekend brings us Insidious Chapter 2, which again, I find unnecessary, but can't wait to see.  After that Wan is drifting back out of Horror, at least for awhile, starting with Fast and Furious 7 (that's right, 7!).  I'm not a huge fan of the franchise, but I don't dislike it either.  For the most part they are fun movies, although I didn't care much for the sixth installment.  I fully expect Wan to bring us the best one yet, and if I had any doubts about that (I didn't), they vanished after the casting of Tony Jaa and (frequent Carpenter star) Kurt Russell.  Wan has been quoted as saying he's not just a Horror guy, and that's great, neither is John Carpenter.

Anyway, that's about all I've got.  It seems the original Master of Horror may have finished his run, and I'm just about ready to crown Wan the new Master.  Of course when John Carpenter decides to return to the director's chair, I'll be among the first to see his next effort.