Everyone has at least a few obscure films that they fell in love with as a child and can’t let go of as an adult. If you’re lucky, these films show up on DVD so you can enjoy them whenever you want. I was thrilled when Disney released “Escape to Witch Mountain” and “Return to Witch Mountain” on DVD, and was surprised when they were special editions with some pretty decent extras. I can’t even describe my shock and excitement when I learned Disney was making a new “Witch Mountain” film. Now I’ve seen the first trailer for “Race to Witch Mountain” and my excitement is off the charts. It is most certainly a modern take on the original films but it has a few great winks to the original films. Sequels and remakes often can’t live up to people’s expectations but a new “Witch Mountain” movie starring the always incredible Carla Gugino is a slam dunk. It will be a miracle if I don’t love this flick , but will anyone else?
Inspired by Live Journal’s Writer’s Block Question of the Day “‘Tis the season for scary movies. Some rank The Evil Dead as the best horror film of all time. What is your favorite scary movie?” http://justinluey.livejournal.com/
I read today’s “Writer’s Block” question, and smiled. I read the question again and my brain started to hurt. How can I possibly pick my favorite scary movie? I love horror movies and it is very rare that I don’t like a horror movie, so it’s going to be impossible to pick a favorite. As far as Evil Dead goes I can’t say it’s the best of all time but I can’t say it isn’t either. I love all three, in fact Ash is one of my favorite characters in all of film. The Evil Dead films are hilarious but at the same time don’t become parodies.
I’m a big of the “Nightmare on Elm Street” series, the original film and “New Nightmare” are brilliant films. Number 3 and Freddy Vs. Jason are great, the rest are pure cheese but still worth viewing. I also love the “Friday the 13th” series and I honestly have no idea why. They are all virtually the exact same movie, however, I can’t help but watch them over and over again. In fact, I have an uncontrollable urge to go watch one right now. I’ve started down franchise road so I might as well continue on. Halloween is clearly one of the best horror films of all time and I really enjoy most of the sequels, especially number 2 and H20. Rob Zombie’s re-imagining was also fun. Speaking of remakes, that reminds of something important. There is nothing wrong with remakes and sequels, especially in the horror genre and they have no effect on the original. I hate when people say “it ruins the legacy” or whatever, wether a sequel is great or total crap it doesn’t change the original at all. Black Christmas is a perfect example, the original is one of the best horror films of all time and was groundbreaking at the time. The remake doesn’t compare in quality but is still an entertaining horror flick. It gets trashed because its called “Black Christmas” and doesn’t live up to original, if it was called something different I think it would have done better. This is actually the case with most of the recent remakes. Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes, Prom Night, Amityville Horror, and House of Wax are all classics and their remakes all pail in comparison but judged on their own they are fun horror movies.
No discussion of the Horror genre is complete without mentioning zombies. I love me some zombies. There is just something so compelling about watching the living dead stumble around. George Romero is the king, all his Zombie flicks are stellar. My personal favorite is “Dawn of the Dead”. As you already know I’m pretty tolerant of remakes, but I didn’t have to be with “Dawn of the Dead”, the remake is a kick-ass flick that totally stands on its own. “Shaun of the Dead” and “28 Days Later” are also great, it’s a good time to be a zombie fan.
I started off this post by saying I could never pick a favorite horror film, and I still can’t give you a definitive answer but if forced to, I would pick “The Shinning” 7 out of 10 times. Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” is a masterpiece, the cinematography, the performances, the music, and the atmosphere are all perfect. The film is so haunting and stays with you long after you’ve watched it. It is impossible for me to see a single frame of the film and not continue watching it. I have watched it many times and it never gets old. It always amazes me how many people I meet that haven’t even seen it, if that is you, make sure you watch this Halloween.
Today is the 10th Anniversary of the theatrical release of the film Armageddon, and I may be the only person left on earth that is celebrating it. Armageddon is one of those films that has a very different reputation online then it does in the real world. In real life, it was a huge hit both theatrically and on home video and everyone I know likes or loves the film. Online it is widely considered one of the worst films ever made and its the butt of many jokes. I personally enjoy the hell out of it. I don’t think it’s a great film, but it’s a fun, over-the-top, and very entertaining summer movie.
Do yourself a favor and forget the science, believability, and the plot holes and concentrate on the great characters and performances. Steve Buscemi’s character and performance steals the show, but Owen Wilson, Michael Clarke Duncan, Billy Bob Thornton, and Peter Stormare all play great characters as well. Another positive aspect of this film is the chemistry between the cast. You really get the feeling the guys on the oil rig are great friends. Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler also have great chemistry, its a sweet relationship worthy of its power ballad moment.
The most surprising aspect of the film is that despite how silly and over-the-top it can be, it still has some real emotional impact. The scene at the end with Ben Affleck and Bruce Willis gets to me every time and many people tell me it has the same effect on them. There is also a nice moment between Ben Affleck and Billy Bob Thorton when he gives him the N.A.S.A patch. The bottom line is take this occasion, the least celebrated film anniversary of all time to watch the film again. It might surprise you. If you still hate it, blame Canada who shares an anniversary with Armageddon.
