I have given myself a horrorific weekend. Notice I did not say “horrific,” so there is no need for pity or sympathy. It has been a very fun horror infused weekend thus the term “horrorific” for “horror-filled terrific.” What can I say, I love horror movies and there is no better month for them than October.
This weekend I treated myself to some of the best and worst horror has to offer and I plan to continue this trend every weekend until the big night. I watched House of 1000 Corpses, Devil’s Rejects, Crawlspace, a Starz Slasher film documentary, Return of the Living Dead part II, and as much as I could stand of something called Session 9. I want the minutes of my life back for Session 9 and Crawlspace.
Crawlspace had a decent chance of being creepy. It starred Klaus Kinski who is pretty much freaky in every role he plays. In this movie he was the son of a Nazi war criminal who grew up in Argentina. He attended medical school and became a very good doctor, but found he had more fun killing his patients. If this was the plot of the movie instead of the character’s back story it might have been good. Instead the movie followed the misadventures of this doctor as he lives in America and runs an apartment complex that he only rents to women. His hobby now is crawling through the air ducts, watching the women eat and talk, and killing their male friends and visitors.
For some reason the movie never lets us in on he snaps towards the end and kills all the women in his complex but one. He instead leaves the other bodies about for her to run into as she runs from room to room. The girls’ deaths are never shown on camera nor are their purpose ever explained. The “final girl” shoots him with his Russian roulette gun on the sixth try and he dies. The end.
Session 9 is even worse if you can believe that is possible. It involves some old insane asylum where some weird studies of weird people were performed in the past. It is now being remodeled and a crew is brought in to remove the asbestos from the building. One of the crew finds some hidden tapes recorded during sessions with some weird person from the building’s weird past. As he gets closer and closer to playing the tape for session 9 weird things start happening around the asylum I think. The movie is never too clear on what exactly is supposed to be happening at any given time. I admit to not seeing more than 45 minutes of it, but after that much time I should have at least a clue of some description.
Article comments
1 - Ian Woolstencroft
I rather enjoyed Session, it made a nice change to see a horror film that relied on atmosphere rather than over the top gore effects for its scares. The acting was of a pretty high caliber for a horror flick to.
I also much preferred Devil’s Rejects over House of 1000 Corpses and for all the resons you didn’t I think.
Each to there own though
2 - Mat Brewster
I saw Return of the Living Dead Part II at the Etrange Festival in Strasbourg France. It was dubbed and I couldn't understand a word that was said. But it was still a blast.
3 - brad schader
I like the horror movies were the victims are guilty of thier own demise. Not to the extent of Saw, but in that same vein. I like the cliche' Friday the 13th style over the Wolf Creek type. It is just a style preferance for me. I do not want to see real horror in a movie. I like the rollercoaster type instead.
4 - Douglas A. Waltz
In Devil's Rejects I never felt sorry for the main chracters. Not once. They were bad and got what they deserved. I was actually sorry that the sheriff got whacked before finishing the job.
5 - Iloz Zoc
Session 9 held a lot of promise. Unfortunately, it petered out really fast, and the script reverted to an oft-used ending. No surprise there.
Keep the popcorn warm for me!
6 - Baronius
I'm looking forward to your review of Shawn of the Dead. I've been meaning to see it. BTW, I love the idea that you watch these movies for a month, then vote. There's no way you're legally sane by November 7th.
7 - brad Schader
A good 90% I have seen before and watching them is the tradition, but I am always eager to see new films as long as they are not part of this new crop of torture movies.
The gore films were huge in the 60's as well. It seems that people want more blood and less scares during times of war.