Month of Horror 2010: Splice

Splice

I don't recall a lot of Science Fiction Horror movies that I generally like.  There are definitely a few.  Alien, Aliens, Pandorum, are among my favorites.  Now Splice takes a completely topical idea and gives a nice what-if scenario that, while highly improbable using the naked-eye test, is completely entertaining to watch unfold.

The story introduces two successful research geneticists just as they are finishing up an experiment that brings a whole new species into the world.  The blobby species looks like a slug, but what it represents is a new door opening, and a glimmer of "what if" in the eyes of their experiments.  "What if" we can cure all the world's diseases by splicing human DNA in with other DNA to farm out healthy parts and cells to be used in sick patients.

Being a movie, of course they follow this "what if" into the next realm of "doing", and create a new species with a combination of human and other animal DNA.  What the movie does well, it does exceedingly well, and that is make the characters feel real.  Including DREN (nerd backwards).  There are a couple of twists (minor, nothing too ridiculous) that help move the storyline along.  All in all this was completely entertaining and a good Science-Fiction Horror movie.  If you like that genre, then I would highly recommend picking it up.

Omen? Or coincidence?

While opening my Blu-Ray version of The Exorcist today, I got a paper cut.  Odd?

2010 Month of Horror: After.Life

After.Life

I saw this in a preview for another movie I was watching from Netflix and after looking it up on IMDB added it to my movie queue.  It finally came and I must say, this was a great movie that I highly recommend.  I am not normally a fan of Chrstina Ricci, however I really like Liam Neeson and most things that Justin Long is in.  I'm not sure what it is, but between this and Drag Me To Hell, Justin Long seems to be enjoying playing an assist role in some current horror films.

The premise is pretty unique.  Christina Ricci plays a girl dealing with death from a relative.  Justin Long is her longtime boyfriend.  Liam Neeson is the embalmer at the funeral home.  After an argument between Anna (Ricci) and Paul (Long), Ricci leaves a restaurant during a storm, has a fatal car accident and ends up on the table of Eliot (Neeson) at the funeral home.  What appears to be another "I see dead people" movie quickly plants the seed of doubt in your movie-watching head and starts making you wonder if Anna really is dead, or if Eliot is just playing a game of "let's bury this girl alive".  Without ruining the movie, all of the main actors' performances are completely spot on, and the director (Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo) does a great job of setting the tone.  The movie moves along at a steady pace and does a great job of keeping the viewer guessing as to the outcome of the movie.  

2010 Month of Horror: Frozen

Now I love Halloween. Trina and I have a difference of opinion on how to celebrate Halloween. I think Halloween is a tacky (totally in a good way) holiday, that needs to be celebrated with tacky decorations, tacky pranks and gimmicks, and tacky parties. She understands that it is tacky, but prefers the fall harvest aspect of decorations as opposed to the horror themes. So with my love of the tacky, and the horror, I love horror movies. I know fully understand that most horror movies are garbage and not worth the price of admission. However, once in a while you come across one that is worth a good viewing in the dark, in your man-cave, and preferably by yourself.

So I saw a brief review of the movie Frozen on Ain't It Cool News and figured I would go pick this up to bring in this year's Halloween season. Boy was I in for a shocker. It's been a long time since I have seen a truly good horror movie. This one blew me away by 45 minutes in.

The story is a simple one. Three skiers go skiing on a Sunday at a resort in the Northwest U.S. and end up getting stuck on the ski lift as the park closes. To make matters worse, there is a storm coming in and the park does not open again until the next Friday. Emma Bell, Shawn Ashmore, and Kevin Zegers all hand in totally believable performances. The writers succeed in taking the audience through a progression of isolation, fear of heights, etc. The odd thing, and what really makes the movie work, is that the story does a great job of making you care for the characters. It makes good use of the isolation to get to know the characters, which makes the movie all that more gut-wrenching.

While I was watching it, I could not help but think of similar situational movies like Lifeboat, Open Water, and other movies that isolate the main characters. If you have ever been a fan of those types of movies, and enjoy feeling uncomfortable during your horror movies, then this is a must see.

Brylans first football practice tonight. He's getting pretty excited.

Sitting in BWs with Shawn.

If Oregon State could keep Boise State from starting their drives from the 50, they might win this game

Is at OSU game with Brylan.

Taco Truck = excellent!!!

I hate the word relationship. It's almost like the word climax.

TGI... WTF?

Just found out Brylan will be playing for the Raiders this fall