True Blood returns for a 6th season!

It's official, HBO's True Blood will be returning Sunday June 16! Nothing like blood, sex, vampires, werewolves, shifters and faeries to make your day! Here is a little teaser for the upcoming season of this amazing Saga. I'm really interested in what direction this season has in store for it's viewers with big, bad, and bloody Bill, a very sexy shirtless Alcide (Yum!), some Tara and Pam brawls, and much much more!

And if it is spoilers you crave, go here for more info: http://true-blood.net/spoilers/true-blood-season-6-spoiler-guide/ 

Personally I couldn't get myself to read it, I rather be surprised!

Evil Dead Remake Movie Review

Poofhawk Rating 1-10: 9 (above satisfactory thrill ride with a dash of greatness)

I admit, when I heard that Sam Raimi's cult classic movie Evil Dead was being remade, I died a little inside. The Evil Dead horror franchise is one of my favorites of all time. But after a while of hearing about it, some time before its release, I started to get a bit curious and excited. The original Evil Dead was an excellent film that was created on a very low budget. So, having it remade on a higher budget made me intrigued.

Evil Dead the remake was written and directed by Fede Alvarez. Fede Alvarez is an Uruguayan filmmaker, which before this movie, only directed short films. One of his short films called Ataque de Pánico! was released on YouTube in 2009 and became instantly popular. Because of the popularity of this film, Alvarez made a deal with Ghost House Pictures to direct a $30–$40 million sci-fi film. However, his first project with Ghost House ended up being directing the Evil Dead remake.

Fede Alvarez really made Evil Dead his own work of art. Some many people hold the original so dear to their heart that it is a very difficult movie to remake without stepping on any of the old fans toes. But, in my opinion, Alvarez was significantly smart in the writing of the script, as well as, the way it was directed. He took some elements of the earlier film, and changed it in a tasteful way. For example, there was still three girls and two guys (two in which are still siblings), but the character's personalities, names, and profiles were very much unrelated to the original. This was a clever change because characters such as Ash, are irreplaceable. 

Evil Dead the remake does stick closely to the original story line, however, Alvarez decided to provide us with more of a back story and insight to the Necronomicon (the book of the dead). I felt this addition to this horror classic was unexpected and abundantly imaginative. Also, this movie was filled with the right homages to Sam Raimi's masterpiece, in which if it was without, it would not be worthy enough to have the same title.

And the my favorite element of this film was......it was teeming with gore...

colossal amounts of blood...

and more frickin' gore!

Since the Saw movies, I haven't seen a movie in some time that is drastically blood soaking and graphic. Fede Alvarez did not repress any explicit havoc in this motion picture. You will cringe, tremble, and maybe feel a bit uneasy and nauseated by the amazing blood, guts, and gore. Where some films might turn the camera away, Evil Dead the remake, shows you EVERYTHING! 

In conclusion, Evil Dead the remake is an above satisfactory thrill ride with a dash of greatness. Of course it is nearly as fantastic as the original, but still worth a trip to the theaters. This is a film that I could watch over and over again and still be captivated by it's boldness.

Dexter Makes me Tingle in my Girly Parts

I know I'm way late to the punch on this, I mean the show Dexter has been out since 2006. But truthfully, I had only started watching the show only a few weeks ago after suggestions of so many friends. After the first season I thought to myself, " Why have I not watched this before? It's amazing!!". 

I have always been into criminology and serial killers, and if you have been reading my blog, you probably already figured that out. Dexter takes you into the mind of a serial killer and a "psychopath" and plays on different theories on the psychopathic disorder. But Dexter Morgan is no ordinary serial killer, he has a code of ethics with his killings. He only attacks murderers of the innocent.

Similar to the move Boondock Saints, Dexter gives you a character that is basically "ridding the world of evil", but with bit of a twist. Unlike Conner and Murphy MacManus, Dexter Morgan doesn't have any religious beliefs and doesn't kill for the soul premise extinguishing evil from his city. He does it because he has an actual desire to kill. He kills to feed his addiction to the act. That the fact he only murderers murderers, makes him feel his deadly activity is justified.

Dexter Morgan is carrying out his own form of capital punishment, and if you are like me, you support execution of murderers. However, you have to realize this character is still a very sick individual and a monster. No matter how much we want to like him, he still a a sadistic man. Identical to real life serial killers like Ted Bundy and Jefferey Dahmer, Dexter keeps mementos of his kills. The deed makes him feel powerful, and feeds his dark appetite. However, unlike most serial killers, it does not give him sexual pleasure. Dexter also demonstrates typical traits of a psychopath: antisocial, shallow emotions, and lack of fear. Which was traits that Jeffery Dahmer himself had.

Michael C. Hall plays the part of Dexter, which I was most excited about because I was a big fan of the show Six Feet Under. However, instead of a pale, skinny gay guy, Hall personifies a tan, handsome killer. I have to say, Hall does a phenomenal job capturing the essence of a serial killer. And the weird thing is, while watching the show, he makes me tingle in my girly parts. Which seems so disturbing since the person he portrays is a monstrous killer. And believe me, I am not a hybristophiliac, which if you don't know what that is, Google it, and prepared to be repulsed. Unless you are one, of course.

In conclusion, Dexter easily has become one of my favorite shows of all time. In my opinion, it is the best crime television show I have seen since CSI: Las Vegas. If you haven't seen it by now, your truly missing out!!

Warm Bodies Movie Review

Poofhawk Rating 1-10: 8 (considerably entertaining flick)

When I first saw the trailer for this movie, I was intrigued, but also skeptic. I thought the concept was very different for a zombie flick, but seemed a little too much like Twilight for my taste. However, after watching Warm Bodies, I was surprised by how much I liked this film.

Warm Bodies starts as a zombie apocalyptic movie that is narrated by a zombie who refers to himself a "R", because he doesn't remember his full name. During a conflict of zombies verses the living, R saves one of the human girls, Julie. The two soon form a relationship that starts to give R tendencies and feelings of the living. Which gives hope to the current lifeless world.

Now even though Warm Bodies is a zombie movie, I would not call it horror. I see it as more of a dark romantic comedy. If your like me, you first thought might of been: a zombie romance? Lame! But, I soon came to the conclusion that idea was pretty great. And lets face it, zombies just don't scare us anymore. I remember seeing Night of the Living Dead for the first time as a kid, and I had nightmares for weeks. But as zombie films became more popular in cinema, people started to become desensitized to the horror.  So why not take another approach at the movie sub-genre?

Warm Bodies is original, funny, and all together a charming flick. Even with some zombie movie cliches, it is filled with enough atypical ideas to keep you engrossed in the film. Along with some entertaining humor that other films like Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland have already brought to the genre years earlier. It does have a bit of a cheesy feel throughout, however, I feel it added to it's appeal. I'm a bit cheesy myself, and didn't mind the corniness of the movie. Also, the graphics were pretty decent for being more of a romantic comedy than a horror.

In conclusion, Warm Bodies is reasonably delightful movie, one I would recommend for a night out with your paramour.   

Why Do Movies About Real Serial Killers Always Suck?

I've come to believe that truth is scarier then fiction. Unless, you try to make a low budget film based on the real horrific events. I have been on a serial killer kick lately, for a little thrill, because scary movies aren't really frightening me anymore. And I got excited when I saw that Netflix had a few films based on these bastards.

However, my excitement quickly ceased right after I watched the movie Dahmer that came out in 2002 and was staring Jeffery Renner. I find that Jeffery Dahmer was one of the most interesting and sick serial killers. Especially because his methods of killing and his constant compulsion caused him to have sex with his victims after death, as well as, cannibalizing them. This film showed more of the shy and antisocial side of Dahmer. Which is fine, but the lack of gore was disappointing. Not to mention, the way the movie goes back and forth from his early life and his later life would be confusing didn't know the actual story of Jefferey Dahmer.

But even with Dahmer being a bust, I also watched Bundy, which was also released in 2002. Of course, this film was portraying the serial killer Ted Bundy. I felt this movie was horribly made, inaccurate, and just plain crappy! The lack of showing Ted Bundy's double life and deceivingly charming character was a real letdown. 

Lastly, I took a stab at Ed Gein that was released in 2000. I would have to say, this one was better than the others, but still terrible. You would think that this crazed man, who's story has spawned the creation of movies like Psycho and Texas Chainsaw Massacre, would make a terrifying true story flick. The execution of the story was boring and once again, lacked real gore.

Now Dahmer, Bundy, and Ed Gein aren't the only movies streaming on Netflix that are about real life serial killers, but I had to stop watching these monstrosities. Because frankly, reading about the real life events of these serial killers scared me more then watching the films portraying them. These movies took away my nightmares and that is just unacceptable. 

Now the other serial killer movies that are streaming on Netflix are: Gacy, The Snowtown Murders, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, and Albert Fish, but I'm warning you, don't waste your time. Watch a documentary instead.

Mama Movie Review

Poofhawk Rating 1-10: 7 (great to watch at least once)

 I finally was able to go see the movie Mama, and as promised, I'm going to provide you guys with my personal review of the movie! Mama is a Spanish-Canadian horror film co-written and directed by Andres Muschietti, and the film is produced by J. Miles Dale and Barbara Muschietti, with Guillermo del Toro serving as executive producer. Apparently, this movie was based on Muschietti's 2008 Spanish-language short film of the same name.

The basic synopsis of Mama is two young girls were left alone in the forest and were able to survive for 5 years before they were discovered. After they were found, and spent about 3 months in a mental facility, their Uncle Lucas and his girlfriend Annabel are granted custody of the children. The couple, being not really that financially stable, agree to live in a house provided by the girls therapist, as a research study. Soon after living with the couple, it seems these girls might of not survived by themselves in nature, and the being who have helped them, might have followed them.   

Even with this film basically being a  ghost story filled with a significant amount of horror cliches (frightening noises, cabin in the woods, mold on the walls,children in touch with the supernatural,etc), the storyline and outcomes throughout the movie were very unique, but timid. Mama isn't excessively scary, but is a very suspenseful flick and has a creepy factor that will keep you on your toes. It isn't just the fear of the unknown, but the children themselves were immensely disturbing.  

As for an artistic approach, Guillermo del Toro worked is normal magic as far as filming style and graphics. The actors, including the children, were absolutely wonderful and their performances really made this film. With that said, as intriguing as Mama was, it was quite "forgettable" as cinema is concerned. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the mysterious aspect and the dark approach of the movie, but it's not a flick I desire to see more then maybe few times. 

In conclusion, Mama deserves to be seen at least once, and I would even say is worth paying for in theaters.  The grim manner and fascinating thrill that Mama produces really benefits the viewer. However, it probably isn't a flick you would long to see repeatedly.

Evil Dead: The Musical

www.evildeadthemusical.com/

As I've said time and time again, the Evil Dead franchise is my favorite of all horror franchises in cinema history. But did you know that there was a musical based on this cult classic? Oh yes, guys and dolls, this musical first performed on stage in 2003 at the Tranzac club in Toronto, Ontario, the show instantly became a hit and eventually moved on to an off-Broadway run in 2006.

Of course for this musical version to be staged, the approval of both Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell was acquired. The New York off-Broadway production started previews on October 2, 2006. The Official Opening Night performance was November 1, 2006 and it ran, performing 8 times per week at the New World Stages. And still to this day, there are productions playing in certain parts of the globe.

The amazing thing about seeing this show live is there is an area called "the spatter zone". This is where in the first three rows, fans can count on becoming soaked in blood. Those who buy tickets in "the spatter zone" are advised to dress down. Most keep the shirts they wore as souvenirs.

The actual music for Evil Dead: The Musical was written by George Reinblatt, Christopher Bond, Frank Cipolla and Melissa Morris, who also was the creative team who produced the show itself. The songs are delightfully catchy and humorous! You can buy the tracks sung by the 2006 original Off-Broadway Cast on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Evil-Dead-Musical-Original-Off-Broadway/dp/B000N3ST7U. 

                                   

Unfortunately for me, this beautiful production is never playing in my area. However, if your like me, you can watch the whole show on YouTube! But I really hope someday I can see Evil Dead: The Musical live. Cause any show you can leave covered in fake blood, I am totally up for!

The Caller Movie Review

Poofhawk Rating 1-10: 8 (considerably entertaining flick)

For this Shivering Showtime Saturday, I'm giving you a review on the movie The Caller directed by Matthew Parkhill and written by Sergio Casci. Many times I looked past this film on Netflix thinking it would be a bust like When a Stranger Calls or the Scream sequels. However, one night a friend convinced me to watch the film and I was pleasantly surprised.

The story begins with a younger woman named Mary who is currently in divorce proceedings with her estranged husband and is moving into a new apartment. Everything starts alright, until she begins to receive phone calls from a mysterious older woman. This woman claims to be from the past, and it's not long before strange events begin to happen.

The Caller is not abundantly scary but is surprisingly a fine suspense movie. This film is like a horrific version of The Lake House and takes a somewhat old concept and puts a fresh twist that is both exhilarating and dramatic. It is a supernatural movie that will give you chills while filling you up with anticipation.

In conclusion, The Caller is considerably entertaining, one of the best thrillers I have seen in years, and deserves to be watched.

Resident Evil: Retribution Movie Review

Poofhawk Rating 1-10: 3 (really not worth your time)

For this Shivering Showtime Saturday, I'm giving you a review on the movie Resident Evil: Retribution written and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. As you probably already know, this film is the fifth of the Resident Evil franchise based on the Capcom survival horror video game series.

Now I'm personally not a "Gamer", the only video games I've really played are Pokemon and Zelda.  But ever since the first Resident Evil movie was released, I was in love. This was the amazing time in cinema history where the "undead" or zombie-like beings, were scary. They weren't just slow-walking mindless drones, they were quick, mutated viral monsters. Resident Evil really updated the zombie genre, providing viewers with heart-pounding action.

Now even though each Resident Evil movie following the first release was never "as great", they were still quite chillingly entertaining. However, as the series progressed, it seemed to go downhill. Which brings us to the current 2012 film: Resident Evil: Retribution.

The only reason I have even given this movie a number at all for a rating, is because it does have some great special effects, some cool costuming, and one kick-ass fight scene, but that's about it. The plot line is extremely remedial and the movie was overall, lazy!  Basically, the main character, Alice, fights to escape from being captured by the Umbrella Corporation. And.....that's it? Haven't we've seen this before?? Even though the franchise has been going downhill, you would think they would either stop making movies or deliver something actually watchable. Plus, even with this film being a total "BOMB", they still want to make a sixth? Please...just...quit!

In, Conclusion, Resident Evil: Retribution is definitely not worth watching. And if you are one of the people that spent money to actually see this monstrosity, I truly sympathize.

Todd and the Book of Pure Evil

So, I was cruising Netflix looking for a TV Show to watch since I don't have real television. And I came across the show Todd and the Book of Pure Evil. Todd and the Book of Pure Evil is a Canadian comedy/horror television series that follows a group of high school students who confront the effects of a demonic book that started in 2010. The show was created for television by Craig David Wallace, Charles Picco, and Anthony Leo.

Also, I saw that one for the characters was played by Jason Mewes. If you are unaware, Jason Mewes is a New Jersey born (respect) actor know for his role "Jay" in several of Kevin Smith's films. Which are ALWAYS entertaining no matter how many times you have watched them.

After all the research on the series, I thought I give it a whirl. And I have to say, I LOVED IT! It has the right amount of cheesy gore, teenage angst, and perverted humor. Todd and the Book of Pure Evil is like Army of Darkness and Metalocalypse put together! Unfortunately though, there were only two seasons with no renewal of a third. Leaving the show unfinished and relinquishing you with a few questions upon the ending of season 2.

Even with the series being short lived, I still suggest you watch it for some bloody and hilarious enjoyment.

Carrie 2013 Movie Remake

As you probably already know, Carrie is Steven King Novel that was published in 1974. Two years after the publication, a movie was released based on the story. It seems now in this coming March, a remake of this film will be making an appearance in theaters. When hearing this, I asked the same question that King asked himself: "The real question is why, when the original was so good?"

King actually suggested that Lindsay Lohan play the main role, but the actress Chloë Grace Moretz was eventually casted for the part. Which in my opinion, is a much better pick then Lindsay Lohan. I have enjoyed her in movies such as: The Amityville Horror (Remake), Kick-Ass, and Let Me In. However, Chloë does has big shoes to fill, following the great performance of Sissy Spacek in the original movie.

And, of course, what is the story of Carrie without Carrie's deeply religious and conservative mother, Margaret White. In the earlier version, this role was portrayed by Piper Laurie, but in the 2013 this character is played by Julianne Moore. Which will be very interesting to say the least.

Even though I always get a little stomach ache when I hear that a remake of a film I fancy will be coming out, I still bring myself to watch it. And to be completely honest, some movies are great for their time, and it always entertaining to see a modern adaption.