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Woman in Black-UK-1989

(Not Rated)(No Subtitles)

Made-for-TV Movie

This version of Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black is technically a made-for-tv movie, but I just had to add it because it is one of my favorite ghost stories of all time and similarly, one of my favorite movies.  

The Woman in Black begins with Arthur Kidd, a young lawyer who has been given the task of going through the papers of a recently deceased, elderly client of his law firm.  The elderly client, Alice Drablow, had no living relatives and lived alone in an old home isolated from the rest of her village by a causeway that in the past had proven deadly.  While attending the funeral of Mrs. Drablow, Arthur spots a woman dressed in black and assumes that she is a mourner.  Arthur asks the villagers about her and his inquiry is met with fear and suspicion.  The villagers tell Arthur that he has seen the spectral Woman in Black, and believes her to be a harbinger of death in that every time she appears a child dies. Arthur does not believe the villagers and to prove this, he endeavors to spend the night in the remote Drablow home. What he encounters is an evening of isolation and terror, and is soon convinced the the Woman in Black is very real.  

I can’t say enough that this is one of my favorite ghost stories...EVER! The first time I read this book, I thought that it had been written in the 19th century.  It had that quality about it.  I was amazed to learn that it was written in the 80’s...the 1980’s. Also, the made-for-tv version stays pretty true to the book, except for a few instances.  It also stays true in the sense that, for me, it evokes that same bygone feeling, while still giving you the chills.  So if you are looking for a truly spooky movie for a dark and stormy night, The Woman in Black (1989) is a definite must!

Side Note:  The feature film version that came out just a few years ago was produced by Hammer Studios.  In the new version Daniel Radcliffe stars as Arthur Kidd.  In the 1989 version Adrian Rawlins plays Arthur Kidd.  Adrian Rawlins would later play the deceased James Potter in the Harry Potter films, which as everyone EVERYWHERE knows stars Daniel Radcliffe.

And now you know.  

Devil’s Pass-UK/Russia-2013

(R-for some violent/disturbing images and for a sexual reference)(No Subtitles)

Genre- Horror, Found Footage

So my latest obsession is Devil's Pass.  It is one of the latest in the "found footage" genre that seems to have permeated the world of horror films.

Devil’s Pass was originally called The Dyatlov Pass Incident and was directed by Renny Harlin, who is known for directing many movies including Die Hard 2 and Exorcist: The Beginning.  It is the story of five American college students who recreate a failed 1950’s expedition in the Ural mountains in Northern Russia where nine hikers mysteriously died.  With cameras in hand the college students embark on their adventure, interviewing various people involved with the original group, along the way.  Once the students get to the mountains and begin their arduous trek, things begin to go wrong.  They discover that they are not alone and soon fear that their fate may be the same as the group who died fifty years earlier.

I liked this movie much more than I thought I would.  It combines the found footage aspect, which when done well is very provoking, with events ripped out of Unsolved Mysteries.  There actually was a Dyatlov Pass incident where nine hikers died mysteriously.  Their bodies were found near their campsite, each with various injuries that were inconsistent with how they were found to have died.  Several of the hikers were found not wearing sock, shoes or any outerwear.  Some said it  was as if they fled their tents in haste. In addition, a couple of the hikers were found with internal injuries consistent with a major fall, yet had to external trauma.

Over the years there have been numerous theories on what actually happened, including Bigfoot, angry natives, aliens and a military cover-up.  What I liked the most about this film is that it is essentially Renny Harlin’s theory on what happened to the nine hikers.  I can’t say that I 100% agree with him, but found his theory to be interesting, thought provoking and asks the viewer to expand their perspective on the paranormal just how much governments are willing to cover up.  

The Haunting of Helena-US/Italy-2013

(UNRATED)-No Subtitles

     The Haunting of Helena is the story of Sophia. A recently divorced woman who moves with her young daughter, Helena,  into an old apartment building in Italy.   Sophia soon becomes concerned when Helena, after losing her first tooth, becomes obsessed with her loose teeth and says that the Tooth Fairy wants them. Helena then gets into trouble in school when she buys teeth from her classmates. At the same time, Sophia discovers the dark history of their new home, which includes a murder that took place in the 1940's. Before too long, it becomes clear that Helena's obsession with her loose teeth and the macabre history of the house are intertwined. And when the full scope of the haunting is revealed, the results are deadly.
     In the most frightening scene of the movie, Sophia pushes a heavy bureau against the closet door before going to bed because she hears a strange banging coming from inside the closet. Several hours later she wakes up when she hears the bureau being dragged away from the closet and into the hallway. When she gets up to move it, unseen hands push the bureau against her and pinning her against the wall.  She then watches helplessly as the ghost of a murdered woman makes her way out of the closet and slowly moves down the hallway toward her.  Sophia is able to move the bureau just in time to escape the ghost, grab Helena and run out of the house. The next scene picks up 18 months later.  Sophia and Helena are struggling mentally and still trying to come to terms with what they saw on that frightening night.
     Overall, I  liked The Haunting of Helena.  I can't say it's the scariest movie that I've ever seen, but it did have it's moments. The sound quality was not great, but so many horror movies are now made that way. The conversations are barely a whisper, so when you turn the volume up the action/scares are are so loud you jump out of you seat!  I hope that people watching this movie will get past the fact that even though it's not an original story-line (single-mother-with-peculiar-child-living-in-a-haunted-house), it has enough scares (and a twist at the end) to keep them interested and wanting more.  

The Conjouring

So I finally got to see, The Conjouring.  I was not able to see it when it was in the theaters, so as soon as it was out on dvd I bought it knowing that I was going to really like it and want it as part of my permanent horror collection.  I was not wrong!   I think part of my affection for it was that it was based on a story from the New England area.
For those of you who don't know the story it is about a family in Rhode Island who in the 1970's, purchase a house dating from the 1800's.  Strange occurrences begin to happen, some violent which are toward the mother. Things progress to a point where the family needs outside help.  They contact Ed & Lorraine Warren, who are well-known demonologists.  The Warrens come to the house and immediately sense an evil presence. They quickly do research on the house and discover a disturbing history.   It was originally the home of a woman named Bathsheba.  She was a descendant of a woman who had been hanged as a witch in Salem. Bathsheba gives birth and is caught by her husband sacrificing the child.  She then commits suicide, but not before she curses (naturally) the house and the surrounding land.  She proclaims that anyone who tries to steal her land will die.  The Warrens then discover that over the decades various home owners have died mysteriously.   By this point, the family is so tormented by the spirit of Bathsheba that the mother has been possessed and has tried to harm the children.  The Warrens decide to exorcise  the spirit and are successful. All is well after that.
The movie was pretty true to the story with just a few minor changes.  I found one of the most disturbing scenes in the movie to be one where one of the children describing to the parents what she had seen in her bedroom.  The young actress played the part so well, she was able to imbue the audience with the utter terror that she felt. I can't say the movie was one the best I'd ever seen, but do really like it and am glad that I own it since I'll probably watch it again and again.  I hope you do, too!

Secrets & Hauntings

I watched a really good movie a few weeks ago on Netflix called Crooked House.  I loved it. It is the story of a man who finds an old door knocker in the backyard of his recently purchased townhouse.  He takes it to the local historical society to find out its history.  The curator tells him several tales, each one creepier than the one before. This movie had everything I look for in a ghost story; the skeptical protagonist, an old house, a stranger and a mysterious and/or tragic back-story. Also, what it DIDN'T have is just as important: not a lot of blood and not a lot of sex...nothing gratuitous.  And to me, the mark of a truly well-developed horror story does not have to rely on blood, gore and sex to make it interesting. After watching Crooked House, I wanted more like it so I took to the internet in search of similar titles.  What came up was James Herbert's book, Secret of Crickley Hall

. This story centers around a family touched by tragedy who move to an old manor and discover that the ghostly events plaguing  them are connected to the time when the manor was used as an orphanage during World War 2.   I read it, loved it and discovered that it, too was a movie that will be released in the U.S. on dvd in October.  I cannot wait!  I guess you can say that I re-discovered the author, James Herbert.  Many years ago I watched a movie called Haunted starring Aidan Quinn, a very young and often topless Kate Beckinsale and Anthony Andrews.  At the time I thought it was an OK movie.  It had a decent story line; which includes a pretty creepy plot. Fast forward a few years and I came across a book called Haunted

by James Herbert.  I discovered that the movie was based on the book and because I liked the movie well enough, I decided to read the book.  The book was better.  Of course.  This story is about a paranormal researcher summoned to the home of three adult siblings who are concerned for the well-being of their former nanny who insists that she is being tormented by ghosts. SPOILER-ALERT...she is!!   So there you have it, my recommendations for good, old fashioned ghost stories...part 1.   What are yours?

Evil Dead

     So, I went to see Evil Dead this weekend fully expecting to have to cover my eyes at the "scary" parts (yes, I do that), but I didn't.  Don't get me wrong, I found the movie to be every bit as frightening as it was predicted to be, I just think that I have finally become so desensitized to the blood and gore that I can watch a movie where a girl slices her tongue right down the center without batting an eye.  I blame The Walking Dead. 

     I thoroughly enjoyed Evil Dead and will probably see it again.  The story line stayed true enough to the original, but must be judged on its own for its noticeable differences.  For example, no Ash. However there was a female version that I thought was pretty comparable.  Now now, I'm not saying I prefer this to the original...COME ON, you think I'd prefer anything WITHOUT Bruce Campbell???  I just think that the two versions stand on their own without having to be compared to one another.  This new version was pure horror, no slapstick, no camp.  The original was campy.  It had it's moments and did come off as "scary" with the humor.  Personally, I think that's what made it genius. As I said before, the new Evil Dead stayed close enough to the original story about five friends on a weekend getaway in a creepy, old cabin in the woods.  In this updated version though, one of the friends has asked the others to come to the cabin to help her get off drugs, "cold turkey".  While at the cabin, the friends find the book, read from it, awaken Evil, get possessed and mostly die. The gore was there in buckets, yes I made that joke.  The Deadite/demon was just as creepy as in the original.  In fact, the woman who voiced it in the original did it in the version, too,  (Ellen Sandweiss, who played Cheryl).  Bottom line, make all the comparisons that you want to the original Evil Dead, but enjoy the new version for what it is, a horror movie made for the sake of horror.