Cannibal Hillbilly

Horror Movies - What to See and What to Avoid

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The Exorcist (William Friedkin 1973)

An absorbing and well-made film about a little girl suffering under demonic possession, though not as terrifying as legend would have it.

One of the most famous of all horror films, The Exorcist kick-started the possession sub-genre and, while it is still the yardstick against which other possession films must be measured, it must take responsibility for many of the clichés inherent in the sub-genre. We have the troubled young priest, the elderly mentor, the rasping voice of the possessed, the demon who feels the best use of his power is to make little girls swear at priests. In fairness, though, these weren't clichés at the time, and many scenes remain powerful after multiple viewings.

What it lacks, though, is that which makes scary movies scary: the feeling that this could happen to you. It's too overwrought and melodramatic, and, like Rosemary's Baby, strives too hard for immediacy and modernity, rendering it more dated with each passing year. It must be conceded, however, that in both of those films modernity was half the point, and they might not have made the impact they did without it. And The Exorcist did make an impact. It regularly tops the polls of the best and scariest horror movies and, while it hardly merits that position, the last few decades of horror cinema owe it a huge debt. 

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Follow (Owen Egerton 2015)

An annoying film that wastes its potential by refusing to choose a path between pure horror and cute indie spoof. The genuinely disturbing subject matter - madness, suicide, more madness, murder - is pushed aside in a misguided attempt at quirkiness. Of course, lightness of touch is no bar to brilliant horror (see Cabin Fever 1 & 2), but only if the balance is maintained. Also, many horror films portray events as real, only to subsequently imply that they might be products of the protagonist's fevered imaginings. This can work to brilliant effect (see Candyman), but is handled poorly here.

The film starts quite strongly, and if handled seriously, could have achieved greatness; by the end however, the viewer hardly cares what happens and you get the impression the main character and the director have also lost interest.

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Don’t Look Up (Fruit Chan 2009)

A film crew begin shooting in an old castle - that's all I remember. Not a classic,

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The Demon (Percival Rubens 1979)

Very poor effort about a man obsessed with tracking down a mysterious serial killer. The plot is so baffling and the lighting so bad that it is often hard to make out what is going on. There are some quite effective scenes nonetheless. 

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The Day (Doug Aarniokoski 2011)

Post-apocalyptic drama that is probably one of the first films to be directly influenced by The Walking Dead. A band of survivors take refuge in an abandoned farmhouse only to find themselves the target of bloodthirsty bandits. One of their number, a tough and enigmatic young woman, arouses suspicion when it turns out she is known to the attackers. As in the iconic television series, and indeed most modern post-apocalyptic/zombie movies, the biggest threat is other people, and The Day takes a typically pessimistic view of human nature. There is some clunky, scene-setting dialogue early on, but once the action starts it doesn't stop. The film is exciting and fairly interesting, but it is largely carried by the charismatic Ashley Bell, who dominates the film to the end. The final scene, by the way, is worth staying up for.

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Dark House (Victor Salva 2014)

A trashy but surprisingly watchable film about a young man who inherits a creepy old house from the father he never knew. He, his friend and his pregnant girlfriend, having teamed up with a surveying team who claim to know the locality, search for the house but are warned off by the current occupant, a hirsute hillbilly with a threatening demeanour. They leave, but are pursued by demonic axe-wielding creatures. After a couple of violent deaths, everyone's place in the mystery becomes clear. Also released as Haunted.

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The Devil’s Rejects (Rob Zombie 2005)

Gritty and gruesome sequel to The House of 10,000 Corpses, that lacks the dubious charm of the earlier film. Captain Spaulding and his clan have been rumbled and are now on the run from a psychotic lawman. This doesn't put a stop to their murderous shenanigans, however, as they hole up in a remote motel. This is not a pleasant film, but it is made both watchable and memorable by another scorching performance from Sheri Moon Zombie, along with the saturnine presence of Sid Haig. As is to be expected from Zombie, there’s a brilliant soundtrack too.

[cannibalhillbilly]

Don’t Breathe (Fede Alvarez 2016)

Three young friends break into the home of a blind and reclusive army veteran who they believe has a large amount of cash stashed away. They discover, however, that the former soldier is more than capable of defending himself, and has more than cash hidden away. The plot owes a lot to Livid, in which the elderly inhabitant is comatose.

Don’t Breathe is a tight, nervy thriller, as lean and devoid of frills as you would expect from a film set mostly in a single house. Stephen Lang is convincing as the strange, austere loner whose adaptation to a lightless world is remarkable without veering into the improbable.

[cannibalhillbilly]

Don’t Look Now (Nicolas Roeg 1973)

Haunting psychodrama that at times has a surreal, nightmarish quality. A couple, still grieving the loss of their young daughter, travel to Venice, where the husband has a job restoring an old church. Left on her own, the wife falls prey to dark imaginings and disturbing visions. The couple are warned of impending danger by a strange psychic woman, and must avoid threats both real and imagined as they navigate the twisting streets and canals of the city. Like any nightmare, the film is replete with moments of helpless desperation and of awful realisation; it is also, like any nightmare, laden with symbolism, from the dark imagery in the old churches to the iconic red duffle coat worn by the doomed little girl and again by a more sinister figure that haunts the dark places of Venice as their daughter haunts the couple's thoughts.

This is a profound and serious film and deserves a much deeper analysis, but it may be enough for the moment to say that there are few better explorations of grief and fear in the horror canon, and few films that capture so well the horrible, leaden inevitability of a real nightmare.

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Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever (Ti West 2009)

Brilliant development of the subject of Cabin Fever, the spread of a highly infectious disease with very unpleasant symptoms. The action has moved from the eponymous cabin to a high school full of hormonal teenagers. Inevitably, the virus fills the infected with uncontrollable rage (is there actually a virus that does this in real life?), adding to the sexual tension already in the air. The sinister elements introduced at the end of the first film play a larger part here, and the central group of friends must face multiple threats.

Despite the rich possibilities inherent in the plot and the fact that the first film was very well made, it's still surprising just how good Cabin Fever 2 is. Everything is perfect: the action and suspense scenes are terrific, the humorous scenes are very funny (and often gross) and even the love interest in the relationship between the male and female leads is genuinely touching and real. A hugely enjoyable experience.

[cannibalhillbilly]

Cabin Fever (Eli Roth 2002)

A bunch of teens hire a cabin in the woods for fun and frolics, but fall victim to a horrific disease. The film is unashamed of its cheesy premise and indeed plays with the audience's assumptions of how the plot should develop. The changing dynamics within the group, as they turn against each other out of fear and anger, are well rendered. These interactions, along with the brutal nature of the infection and the isolated setting, efficiently carry the film through to its eerie denouement. Very few films pull off the feat of being funny and scary at the same time - this is one of them. Not a work of art, but a triumph of craftsmanship. 

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Cursed (L Gustavo Cooper 2013)

A young honeymooning couple visit a spiritualist in Cassadaga and are targeted by an obscure Romanian cult. While at the spiritualist's house, the husband absent-mindedly takes a necklace with a sinister symbol - it's not clear (to me) if this is the reason they are targeted or if the wife has been cursed from birth. She is certainly reticent about her childhood and family. 

The film can't seem to decide what sub-genre to inhabit, and alternates between the Satanist cult and possession camps. It also can't seem to decide on its own format, and this is the most interesting thing about the film - the first half is found-footage, while the second half is conventional invisible-observer stuff. A film that wants to be gritty but lacks the necessary commitment.

[cannibalhillbilly]

An American Haunting (Courtney Solomon 2005)

A dramatisation of the Bell Witch events in rural New England. Donald Sutherland plays a patriarch whose home is under attack from an unseen force, with the focus seeming to be his young daughter. As the incidents increase in intensity, suspicion falls on a local woman with cause to resent the family’s wealth. The selling point is that this is based on the only case in US law where a death was officially attributed to supernatural causes.

Well made and with a stellar cast, but repetitive and lacking originality. The twist at the end  is unexpected, but only because it is out of place in a genre film like this. 

[cannibalhillbilly]

The Apparition (Todd Lincoln 2012)

A weak attempt whose very title promises more than the film delivers. A college experiment goes wrong, and an ancient evil is unleashed on the world. The survivors of the experiment seek to contain the irate entity before it does any more harm. 

[cannibalhillbilly]

As Above, So Below (John Erick Dowdle 2014)

Intriguing fable about a bunch of tunnel junkies lost in the Paris catacombs. Each must face painful memories, drawing clues from their past lives to find their way out. While much of it is standard "trapped in cave/tunnel" fare, the supernatural element adds a frisson of dread. A satisfying mashup of horror tropes, with a little originality.

[cannibalhillbilly]

The Babadook (Jennifer Kent 2014)

A stressed single mother struggles through life even before a sinister character in her son's book comes to life. Silly, clichéd, but fun. Similar in some ways to Intruders but not as good. Having said that, I am resolved to watch it again, as it seems to be very highly thought of and to have gained cult status. Maybe I missed something.

[cannibalhillbilly]

Be Afraid (Drew Gabreski 2017)

A family move into a remote house where they are plagued by strange alien-like entities that appear at night. Forgettable film that toys with sleep paralysis and abduction tropes. There are some effective scenes in an abandoned railway tunnel, but too often the film takes the easy path and drifts into cliché.

There are surprisingly few genre films that reference the eerie subject of sleep paralysis, so an opportunity was missed to make an original and scary film.