Best Horror Movies

Stir of Echoes is one of the best suspense/horror movies you will see. The storyline is not the most original in the world, but the acting and plot more than make up for it. Stir of echoes deserved more acclaim and hype. Why didn’t it get it? A little movie called “The Sixth Sense”. Had The Sixth Sense came out a year later, SOE would get much more well deserved credit.

Kevin Bacon plays a working class stiff. Like many thirty somethings, Bacon seems to work the daily grind. As Bacon lives his same humdrum life, he apparently laments his “ordinary” existence. Bacon and his wife(Kathryn Erbe) move their young son into the perfect neighborhood. Everything seems well as they live it up in as they believed “The best damn neighborhood in Chicago”.

It all changes when at a party his New-Age sister-inlaw(Ileanna Douglas) begans hypnotizing the skeptical Bacon. The resulting “awakening” of his perception brings haunting visions. Soon he even begins to physically see the source of all the visions, a ghost. Bacon’s character learns that not only his son, but many others seem to have this perception power. He begins to dedicate his entire life to the whims of the ghost, as his sanity(and marriage)begins to deteriorate.

Bacon soon realizes that the ghost will stay restless until he learns its terrible secret. While his marriage, sanity, and even his surroundings begin to fall apart, Bacon’s character slowly learns the terrible secret the ghost is trying to tell. A secret that threatens not only him, but his entire family. To say more would spoil a good suspense film(which is downright criminal).

Give this one a try. It won’t bore you in the first 45 minutes like The Sixth Sense did to me. This one is a constant thriller that if you get up to get a drink, you might miss something. Also it mixes just enough humor to make it both fun and scary. Ileana Douglas in particular gives a good performance as Bacon’s sarcastically funny sister in law.

Cast

• Kevin Bacon …. Tom Witzky
• Kathryn Erbe …. Maggie Witzky
• Zachary David Cope …. Jake Witzky
• Jennifer Morrison …. Samantha Kozac
• Illeana Douglas …. Lisa
• Kevin Dunn …. Frank McCarthy
• Conor O’Farrell …. Harry Damon
• Liza Weil …. Debbie Kozac, the Babysitter
• Lusia Strus …. Sheila McCarthy

I was surprised when I first heard the rave reviews and witnessed how much money this film was making… it seems to me, that it would’ve been much more a “sleeper” The reason is that, compared to most horror/pyschological horror films, this movie is “slow”. It moves more like a 3-hour long movie, than an hour and a half or so, and it contains only sparesly, albeit well-placed, bits of gore. On the whole, the violence in this movie is only included to tell a story, not give a cheap thrill. For this reason, and because it seems to me to be a sensitive, thoughtful look at the possible existense of “ghosts”, I highly recommend this movie. If movies were assigned personalities, and if “ET” was cutsie, and “Exorcist” was loud and profane, then “The Sixth Sense” by M. Night Shyamalan is quiet, pensive, brooding and clever.

As for Haley Joel Osment, the 12 year old who plays 9-year-old Cole Sear… there is only one word to describe his acting abilities: AWESOME. Never, and I mean never, have I come across a youngster who is as capable of giving such a realistic performance, and of influencing the mood of the audience to such a degree. Haley has a way of claiming the screen, and is coupled well with a quickly-maturing Bruce Willis, who was darkly-mysterious as the tenacious, caring child psychologist, Malcolm Crowe.

By now, you probably know that this movie is about a young boy who has the very-real ability to “see” dead people. Consequently, if a child really was capable of seeing such things, they would be terribly frightened and probably give the impression that something is very wrong, without necessarily stating what the problem is. This is where Malcolm comes into the picture… he wants to “help” Cole because, at the beginning of the movie, Cole appears to be living the life of an emotionally abused child. And also… Cole represents the chance to ‘redo’ the past; a past that has one, rather large, error in it for Malcolm (one of his patients had a mental breakdown and committed suicide, after shooting Malcolm in the solar plexus).

Even if you don’t think this movie will satisfy your need for constant ‘blood, gore and shocks’, see it anyway. It is almost a calming experience, when compared to the gaudy, LOUD horror movies that are flooding the market, and, to me, a welcome change.

Congratulations, Bruce and Haley, on this awesome landmark film!

Cast

• Bruce Willis as Dr. Malcolm Crowe
• Haley Joel Osment as Cole Sear
• Toni Collette as Lynn Sear
• Olivia Williams as Anna Crowe
• Donnie Wahlberg as Vincent Grey
• Glenn Fitzgerald as Sean
• Mischa Barton as Kyra Collins
• Trevor Morgan as Tommy Tammisimo

That was my first reaction after watching the film. Although people call it a Spielberg film, director credit goes to Tobe Hooper, man responsible for Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Unlike that film though which is creepiness galore, this film is a bit more streamlined with memorable spookiness. With Spielberg you’ll get kiddie friendliness although how this managed to pull off a PG(apparently hard fought) is beyond me.

The film can accurately be described in one sentence: a family tries to get back their daughter after she’s abducted into the TV. There’s nothing else really besides the occasional thing that goes bump in the night that happens to have teeth or can move around. Usually these kind of films don’t have much of a plot anyway but we’re not looking for novel-like twists and turns, just a good scare or 2.

The film contains many memorable moments such as the classic line “they’re here”, and probably the fastest facial surgery you’ll ever see(which to be honest I think Stir of Echoes “borrowed” from). Not to mention the film had a great pace. As co-star Heather O’Rourke(Carol Anne) said: “The first one really kept you going. It was exciting. Well, after you see it a lot of times, it isn’t so much. But the first time you see it, it really jumps you.” No arguments here.

Gimmick theme park owner/builder Geoffrey Rush throws soon-to-be ex-wife Famke Janssen a birthday party, with a theme and gimmick of its own: the guests are each given a loaded .45, and a million dollar check in their name – should they survive the night. The party occurs in a locked-down, now-abandoned asylum on an isolated seaside hilltop, where fifty years ago mad doctor Jeffrey Combs performed vivisection’s on his patients. Funny thing is, neither Janssen or Rush recognize the guests who arrive – each blames the other for some secret shenanigan, which is no surprise since they blame each other for everything else, anyway. Neither they nor their unwitting guests realize that the house has a guest list – and an agenda – of its own.

This is a slick, handsomely mounted production. It benefits from excellent atmosphere, augmented by good cinematography, clever tricks and angles, and a terrific soundtrack which includes Marilyn Manson’s cover of “Sweet Dreams.” The plot is often unbelievable, but it’s good and gory and scary as hell. The cast is great, including Peter Gallagher, Ali Larter and the underrated Bridgette Wilson among the menaced guests.

The shocks are varied, but effective. There’s an excellent psychotic break/nightmare sequence involving faceless and indescribable monsters, who multiphase-jitter at undercranked speed a la Jacob’s Ladder. Combs’ part is small but important as the chief ghost of the haunted house, and he plays it well.

What is most prevalent throughout is an aura of evil, fueled more by the current of hatred running between Rush and Janssen than anything else, which infuses and infects everything around it. There’s some nice comic relief, and the dialogue is credible and up-to-date. The script is pretty good, overall.

This is a great movie for a Halloween party, or just a chilly night indoors.

Cast

• Geoffrey Rush as Steven H. Price a multi millionaire fair owner
• Famke Janssen as Evelyn Stockard-Price the seductive wife of steven and wants all of his money
• Ali Larter as Sara Wolfe/Jennifer Jenzen
• Taye Diggs as Eddie Baker
• Bridgette Wilson as Melissa Margaret Marr
• Chris Kattan as Watson Pritchett
• Peter Gallagher as Donald W. Blackburn
• Max Perlich as Carl Schecter
• Jeffrey Combs as Dr. Richard Vanacutt a doctor who performed……….
• Lisa Loeb as Channel 3 Reporter
• James Marsters as Channel 3 Cameraman

The Grudge is the American remake of the Japanese horror film. What’s different about The Grudge is it’s non-linear story line. At first you think it’s three separate stories, then just two, and finally you realize that your seeing interspersed story lines from the past and from the present and they meet at the end of the film — filling you in on the curse and what’s happening. (Think Momento and Identity)

The scariest part of the story, and it is pretty creepy, is that because the curse born as a result of the first murder kills indiscriminately anyone who enters the house. Not immediately. Not in the same way. No matter what you do, you can’t outwit it. If you were in the house, it’s got your number. The scariest thing is most of the people involved were innocent — they had nothing to do with the original killing, when seeing the ghost while shocked, they tried to help. Yet, still they died. There might have been a way to avoid the curse but unfortunately, it didn’t get carried out.

There’s no CGI/FX — everything is low key and creepy. I’d almost say this is more psychological horror than monster coming to get you horror but never the less — you’ll probably end up sleeping with the lights on and wondering if you should ever go into a house you don’t know anything about again.

This movie starts almost like an episode of  Love Boat. The music is light and nearly romantic as you zoom into the Antonia Graza cruising the high seas with well-dressed crew and passengers. However, no sooner do you zoom onto the ship with dancing passengers than a really bad thing happens, and there is blood and horrible death.

We fast forward 40 years and meet a salvage ship crewed by a variety of nearly stereotypical characters. After a brief introduction showing how dedicated the crew members are, the salvage ship heads out to sea. During a storm the salvage ship runs into, literally, the Antonia Graza. Naturally the crew members see a huge salvage opportunity and the money to be made from that opportunity. Thus the plot of the movie is reasonably simple: return the Graza to running condition and take her to port to be able to make a fortune. Of course, a variety of eerie events occur that let you know that the Graza is not just a derelict ship waiting to be salvaged.

As the movie progresses, the wonderfully spooky atmosphere enhances what would otherwise be a run-of-the-mill ghost story. There are portions of the movie that are terribly predictable, always an annoyance in any movie, but fortunately there are nearly as many unpredictable scenes that overcome the predictable ones. Perhaps the most interesting part of the movie is the last 15 or 20 minutes, when the fate of the ship and crew 40 years earlier is revealed in great and gory detail. Furthermore, I was not expecting what happened at the very end of the movie.

This movie is not likely to win any awards. However, the sets, the cinematography and portions of the plot made this movie worthy of a bowl of popcorn and a future re-watch. There are probably no points in the movie where I jumped or my heart leapt, but I was intrigued by the periodic hints of what happened to the ship 40 years earlier, and during the time from 40 years ago to today. I recommend this movie for a dark and stormy night with the wind howling and rain pouring.

In honoring the past, we celebrate the present. In front of the historical museum, the mayor and his assistant dedicate a memorial of the four founding fathers of this pretty little town on an island off Oregon. The four who are remembered with statues had made a pact to protect the island, after they arrived there on the clipper ship ‘Elizabeth Dane.’

A killing fog moves in to engulf everything as the past descends to wreck revenge for their demise. Strange things start happening in this happy, bright town full of pretty old houses. Most of the action centers around the young female deejay of KAB in the lighthouse where she rules with some weird kind of music; “I play what I want to hear, and since this station is mine, I can do that.” She is a single mom who depends emotionally on Nick, who is involved with Elizabeth (the soap opera duo take a shower together when she returns after a six-month absence.)

There is a deserted church and cemetery where the Malone crypt stands tall among the other monuments. It takes a while to figure out what is going on, but after finding odd symbols of the past, Patrick Malone’s journal is found which proves that he had been the turncoat who stole other inhabitants’ treasures. And the present mayor, a descentant of Malone, must pay the price for his betrayal. It is a living nightmare, and one said that “liquor relaxes you” (ha).

The return of Elizabeth is the pivotal point as she is the avenging angel who must save the town, what there is of it. It appears that this town had been built by Jamie Bourke in 1871 based on lies, as the lepers were put on a Ghost Ship which was sunk out in the ocean. Elizabeth is the living emodiment of the angel statue out in the cemetery and the figurehead on the death boat.

The scary sound effects turned this horror movie into a modern ‘urban legend.’ The artifacts which carried the leprosy germs had the marine symbol which was also above the door of the town hall. In flashbacks, we saw the mernants of a gracious lifestyle as the flocks of geese fly over and the MASTHEAD pub has some noisy dogs. They all eventually see the apparition of the Ghost Ship, and the hysterical woman drives her old car down from the lighthouse to look for her son. There were never any other vehicles on the road until Nick and Elizabeth in his old pickup truck have saved him after his daffy grandmother meets her doom at the hands of the avengers. Revenge or justice, you be the judge?

Dahlia (Connelly) is a newly divorced mother in a bitter custody battle with her ex (Scott) over their daughter Cecilia. Dahlia finds an apartment on Roosevelt Island. The apartment’s cramped and the building on the neglected side but the school is excellent. The ex threatens to sue for custody unless she moves to his neighborhood. So Dahlia is trying to find a lawyer, get the plumbing in the upstairs apartment, which is leaking into her bedroom fixed, and deal with Cecilia’s sudden development of an imaginary friend, and finding a new job.

Dahlia suffers from severe and frequent migraines and her ex is charging that she is mentally unstable and unfit to care for their child. Finally, getting a lawyer she begins to take charge of her life. She tries to find the source of the water leaking from upstairs and learns that the family moved out and the daughter has the same name as Cecilia’s imaginary friend. The lawyer takes each issue at face value as Dahlia seems to be degenerating into insanity.

The audience can see things going on that the major characters don’t see and so you’re left wondering what is going to happen next. The film is dark and creepy but far more psychologically creepy than scary for most of the film. Of course, just when you think things may turn out okay there are several twists that pull the rug out from under the viewer. But this is a bleak film about love and family — it may be hard to watch not for the violence, horror, or whatever but because in spite of the supernatural aspects it hits close to the heart for many people with less than ideal family situations.

I’ve always believed that it’s not what you see that scares you in a horror movie, but that which has not yet presented itself. Few movies serve as a better example of this idea than “The Amityville Horror,” which sits unshakeably near the top of my all-time horror movie list.

This is a brooding movie that unnerves the viewer with some of the spookiest scenes in horror history. But, wild-eyed monsters don’t lunge from the screen. Instead they reside in closets or in the room at the top of the stairs, unseen and yet powerfully menacing.

When the camera forces you to stand inside that empty room with the priest, as flies gather on the window sill and the door slams shut, you want to hurl yourself through the window to escape. When you see the closet door swing shut on the babysitter, you want to burrow your way through the wall with bloody fingers to flee that claustrophobic darkness. This is a movie that places you directly in the center of the nastiness and won’t let you go. The haunting music doesn’t help, either. What is more terrifying than the singing voices of children in the darkness?

Another strength of the flick is the witnessing of Brolin’s character slowly coming unraveled as he seeks to maintain control out of the growing terror around him. Brolin is every man, with a strong desire to take care of his family and to confront things that scare him. But the wickedness of the spirits that live with him is stronger, and the thing beneath the basement, well… That’s something you should see for yourself, through a first or tenth viewing of this frightful film.