2008 Horror Movie Rundown Part 2

So here we are again with even more movies rundown (randown? Rundowned?).  ( Part 1 is here ) Apparently in some kind of marketing ploy, the entertainment industry puts out a whole bunch of movies every year in order to maximize their profits (I know its crazy).  So what does this mean to you?  It means that I had to breakdown my 2008 recap into multiple parts so I can help guide you down the correct horror path.  So again in no particular order, I give you a rundown of even more horror movies from 2008.

Let the Right One In (Dir: Tomas Alfredson) Synopsis:    Oscar, a shy 12 year old boy is constantly getting bullied at school.  He then befriends a young girl names Eli and his life starts to change.  Oh yeah and it turns out Eli is also a vampire. 

  • Breakdown:   This is another one of those movies high in the running for the best of 2008.  It's a haunting tale about innocence, betrayal, growing up, and taking control all told thorough the eyes of a 12 year old boy and his vampire girlfriend.  It has a gripping story, a good amount of gore, and superb acting from a young cast.  It's a must see.
  • Verdict:   BUY the second it comes out, and don't bitch to me that you have to read subtitles.

Midnight Meat Train (Dir: Ryuhei Kitamura) Synopsis:    A New York photographer, in search of a new and raw look at New York City accidently stumbles on to a serial killer in the subway.

  • Breakdown:   After getting unceremoniously dumped into dollar theaters by Lionsgate, this film ended up being the second best film with the name Clive Barker on it (well, somewhere on the poster that is).  It's disturbing, gory, surreal, and in a way, a large scale mythological piece.  It's nice to see horror take a step outside of the obsession of reality to scare people and focus on engaging characters and a creepy aesthetic.
  • Verdict:   BUY, it may not be the best horror film ever, but it's still better than most of your collection.

Mother of Tears (Dir: Dario Argento) Synopsis:  The Mother of Tears is the finale to the saga that began with the international blockbuster SUSPIRIA and continued with the classic INFERNO from Italian horror maestro Dario Argento. Set in modern-day Rome, the film tells the story of Sarah Mandy (Asia Argento), a young art student who unwittingly opens an ancient urn that unleashes the demonic power of the world's most powerful witch, The Mother of Tears. As the Mother's minions and henchman wreak havoc, Sarah finds herself caught up in a vicious triangle - on the run from both the police, who suspect her of murder, and the Mother's minions who want to destroy her. When she discovers that she has a personal connection to the evil being, she realizes she is the only one who can stop her path of destruction.

  • Breakdown:  I pulled the synopsis from imdb because I haven't seen this one yet.  I'm not a huge fan of Italian horror cinema (unless your name is Mario Bava) but from what I have seen all over the .com, not too many good things have been said about the movie.     (only 48% on rottentomatoes.com)
  • Verdict:   ???? I would say if Giallo is your thing, check this one out

The Signal (Dir: David Bruckner, Dan Bush, Jacob Gentry) Synopsis:    A mysterious transmission turns 2/3rds of the people in the world bat shit insane and they start attacking the remaining 1/3rd. 

  • Breakdown:   Three directors, three different thematic stories, and somehow out of that madness came a great movie.  It's surreal, chilling and filled with dark humor involving the psyche of the human being during an completely insane crisis. 
  • Verdict:   BUY.  It's amazing, another candidate for the top of 2008 (do you think there might be a Poppascotch top 5 of 2008 coming?)

The Strangers (Dir: Bryan Bertino)Synopsis:    A youngish couple gets terrorized by three masked psychopath in the woods.

  • Breakdown:   Stuck somewhere in between a thriller, a slasher, and an art film lies the Strangers.  I thought it was a tense and moving film as well as perfectly shot and executed.  The only weak spot would be that sometimes it feels a bit repetitive, but honestly, it gets better with every viewing.  I fear that I may be in the minority in this one though….
  • Verdict:   RENT, and if you fall in love with it (I did) then BUY

Stuck (Dir:  Stuart Gordon) Synopsis:    After a night of drinking, a young nurse accidentally commits a hit-and-run lodging a homeless man into her windshield.  So in order to fix her mistakes, she leaves him lodged in her windshield for a day or two hoping that he will die.

  • Breakdown:   Based on a true story, the movie itself was good but was clearly the "Hollywood" representation of a true event.  Nevertheless, it was entertaining and engaging, just… well… I want to see another Reanimator… I guess…
  • Verdict:   RENT, its good buts it no Edmund

Teeth (Dir: Mitchell Lichtenstein) Synopsis:    A straight edge High School girl who preaches abstinence soon finds out that she has "Vagina Dentata".  And yes that is exactly what you think it is.

  • Breakdown:   Unless you have been living under a rock for the last year, you have probably heard about that movie about a girl that has teeth in her vagina.  The movie itself is a good time and it addresses issues including consent, growing up, and taking revenge while at the same time winning the award for most original film of 2008 (from me).
  • Verdict:   RENT – because if you are a girl then this movie is "hilarious".  If you are a dude however, it is one of the most disturbing films you will ever see.

Zombie Strippers (Dir:  Jay Lee) Synopsis:    A secret government virus accidentally spills into an underground strip club causing the strippers to become zombies. 

  • Breakdown:   What a piece of garbage.  It sounds like a fun concept about a movie that doesn't take itself seriously which can be enjoyed with a case of beer and some friends.  However the acting is atrocious, the story is ridiculous (which honestly we did see coming, but it is even dumber that I expected), characters appear for no reason what so ever, and for some reason 3rd grade level politics made their way into the film offering absolutely nothing to the plot. (Bush is evil!)
  • Verdict:   BURN (not the slang term for making an illegal copy, I mean set your copy on fire)

Quarantine (Dir: John Erick Dowdle) Synopsis: A remake of the Spanish film REC, a downtown Los Angeles apartment building is quarantined after a mysterious deadly and highly contagious strain of rabies breaks out. A reporter and her cameraman are among those trapped inside.

Television reporter Angela Vidal (Jennifer Carpenter) and her cameraman (Steve Harris) are assigned to spend the night shift with a Los Angeles Fire Station. After a routine 911 call takes them to a small apartment building, they find police officers Wilensky (Columbus Short) and McCreedy (Andrew Fiscella) already on the scene in response to blood curdling screams coming from one of the apartment units. Unbeknownst to them, a woman has contracted a rare strain of rabies.

  • Breakdown:   I saw [REC] a few months before this and the remake just left me feeling empty.  Not too much changed from the original so it felt to me like a Japanese toy that got repackaged and sent to me.  It seems so pointless.  It wasn't bad per se, there was just no need for it. Although if more people see [REC] because of this film, I will be happy.
  • Verdict:   RENT this one then BUY [REC]

Mirrors (Dir: Alexandre Aja) Synopsis:   In MIRRORS, Kiefer Sutherland is an ex-cop turned night security guard at a long-closed department store ravaged by fire. He discovers that the store's mirrors harbor a horrific secret that threatens him and his family.

  • Breakdown:   The odd thing about Mirrors is that it is a creepy little horror flick that will actually shock and scare you but at the same time, feel old and tired.  The ending is merely sustainable and the characters themselves fall into too many stereotypical roles.  It was a mediocre film made by an amazing talent who clearly took the job of directing a rejected M Night script for the payday.
  • Verdict:   RENT - it's worth a look but not a permanent spot in your library

The Wizard of Gore (Dir:  Jeremy Kasten) Synopsis:    Montag the Magnificent is an underground Magician who appears to kill his on stage volunteers.  The volunteers appear fine, but soon after they die mysteriously of similar wounds.

  • Breakdown:   I've said it before and I will say it again.  I think this one is a future cult classic even though I know it's a remake.  It's got alluring women, crazy characters, a less than realistic setting, and a plot that actually requires multiple viewings to understand what the hell happened.  Then again… that doesn't make it a "good" movie.
  • Verdict:   RENT – if planning on watching under the influence of anything that is (don't do drugs?)

Rogue (Dir: Greg Mclean) Synopsis: A gigantic man eating crocodile terrorizes a tour group in the Australian Outback.

  • Breakdown:   Coming off of the excellent Wolf Creek (what? I'm the only one who thinks that?  Whatever.) Greg Mclean makes a great monster movie that brings on the scares and populates the screen with believable and likeable characters.  The croc did look a bit "CGIy" (CGI-like?  Obviously computer made) but considering that the craptacular Primeval still stains our recent memory, this movie does a great deal to try and erase that.  I would go on record as saying that it pretty much does.
  • Verdict:   BUY – this is the good version of Primeval

So that's part two of the list but guess what?  PART III IS COMING soon!!! (next week) Note:  Part 3 will wrap it all up, I promise.  Well I promise the three of you that are still reading.