Black Death Review by Samantha Mauney

Searching through a list of horror movies coming out this year (specifically this summer) to ward off studying for the LSAT, I came across this film listed as a 2010 favorite. So you can imagine how happy I was to find that Netflix offers to stream instantly for all of its customers.

Black Death is a supernatural, story-driven, period-piece horror flick about the effects of the bubonic plague in fourteenth century England. A local bishop's envoy and his entourage arrive at a monastery with tales of a place that the plague cannot reach. When they leave they take with them a young monk from the monastery as a guide, as he was raised in the marsh they are headed to. What the soldiers do not know is that the monk has a hidden agenda. He has sent his young lover to the marshes for her safety, with the promise to meet her there. However, it is revealed that the other men have a few secrets of their own. While they are looking for a village where there is no pestilence, that same village is a godless one that is said to be lead by a necromancer. The men seek to find it and "turn it's people back to God." With that goal in place, the story begins to move and breathe at a very comfortable pace as the search for the young monk's true love, as well as this mysterious village and its pagan sorcerer starts.

Most true horror fans will think that the film starts off WAY slow, with virtually nothing in the way of scare or suspence for the first thirty minutes. In fact, despite the fact that I was completely engrossed in the story, for a while I was wondering why both movie-moron.com and Netflix classified Black Death as a horror film to begin with. Roughly an hour into the movie, however, you'll think you're watching torture porn. While that aspect of the film doesn't last very long at all, from that point on the film is remarkably fast-paced, and amazingly compelling.

I cannot begin to state how remarkable the acting was in this movie. Eddie Redmayne (Pillars of the Earth, Elizabeth I, Glorious 39), one of my favorite young British actors, shines as a young man of the cloth who's having a hard time keeping to his vows. By far the character with the most growth, you see both innocence and cold-hearted malice in his performance, two qualities that Eddie Redmayne is a master at conveying, garnering him praise in Pillars of the Earth and Glorious 39.

However, most of you will probably recognize the great Sean Bean (Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, GoldenEye) more easily. It's no argument that Bean is a wonderful and highly-seasoned actor, and his performance here does not dissapoint. Unfortunately, his character, while it certainly has depth, has no real arc to it, so we see Bean once again playing the unchanging, honorable soldier. It would have been nice to see him in a role with more development. Other characters in the film are just as honorable, but are not given enough screen time to be as likable.

The cinematography in this film is fairly one-note, though quite captivating. The bleak color present throughout the movie helps to convey the atmosphere in England int he 1300's. The harshness of the landscape will never let you forget that there is death all around, as inescapable and as fast as the fog hovering above the marsh. Exactly what you'd expect from a Medieval action movie, but presented in a nice way nonetheless.

I try to be a fiercely anti-spoiler reviewer, but I don't think that I'm giving away too much by saying that religion is a huge theme in this film (but that doesn't by any means mean that it's preachy or any other negative connotation you associate with religion). With that come love, temptation, betrayl, lust, vengeance, and duty: all of which make a for great story, and that's truly what this film is. I disagree with Netflix calling it primarily a supernatural horror, but there are definitely parts of the story that are horrific. Unfortunately, the true scares only account for about 10% of the movie. I will say that the lack of jump-off-the-couch-scares and on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspense is due to the complete devotion to realism of Christopher Smith and Dario Poloni, the director and screenwriter. I really like and respect that there is no suspension of disbelief necessary for any part of the story, and that fact, more than any torturous scene, is the most horrific aspect of this film. Watch Black Death if you like original, extremely well-written, action films in addition to horror. Don't watch if you're looking for something to keep you awake when things go bump in the night.

Super 8 Review by Corbin Bond

Today, I had the amazing opportunity to go see Super 8 with my dad and older brother, and let me tell you one thing. This movie was an awesome experience! Before I get into an in depth review I do want to mention that there may be some minor spoilers but nothing too bad. Anyways, the film is about a group of kids that are just getting out of school for the summer in the late 70s/ early 80s. They plan to spend their summer filming a super 8 zombie horror film to be submitted to a Ohio Film Festival. Meanwhile the main character, Joe, who works with makeup and effects, is currently trying to move on following the death of his mother 4 months earlier and dealing with an especially distant father, who is a deputy in the local police force.
One night after, sneaking out to film a scene for their movie at a train station on the edge of town, they are witness to, and almost killed by, a massive train crash that later leads into many unusual and otherworldly occurrences in the small town. The military comes in and soon, these children are about to learn that their small little town is about to become victim to a dangerous government secret that could lead to the destruction of their town while a mysterious "thing" lurks in the shadows. It's a race against time as the characters must stand together against both the military and this unknown force that could easily destroy them if time runs out.
Okay, that was just the gist of what this Hollywood spectacle has to offer. Let me first start by saying that if you love the classic Steven Spielberg films, such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., The Goonies, Jaws, and even Jurassic Park, then you will undoubtedly love this movie as it is clearly J.J. Abrams (director of Cloverfield and Star Trek) love letter to the classic Spielberg films that made going to the movies fun. What Abrams does that makes this film so successful is he makes it very character driven. The characters can either make or break a movie, but Abrams cast amazing young actors and non-A-listed celebs to portray the roles in the film with realistic emotions and depth. Meanwhile, this film is also outstanding in how it keeps to the nostalgia. From beginning to the end, you literally feel immersed in 1970's/1980's culture all the way down to the most infinitesimal detail.
Speaking of Spielberg, who also worked together with Abrams on the film, Super 8 has many moments that look and feel very much like a classic Spielberg moment. There are moments that are shocking, touching, terrifying, violent, and powerful. The film succeeds very well in being an amazing Sci-Fi monster movie. Though it doesn't have the touching connection of child and alien like in E.T., there are those moments that feel like you are watching Elliot on his bike when it is really Joe or his friends. Furthermore, this film has some rather frightening and suspenseful moments that can easily make you jump. There is a lot of atmosphere in the night scenes of this film to easily consider it as Sci-Fi Horror. This idea may also relate to how Spielberg used to delve into multiple genres in his films. For example, though Jaws was a fantastic Horror film, it also had touching moments of a drama. This film is no different, there are some clever chills and thrills, and even some bloody moments to make any fan of classic Spielberg happy.
As for the actors, I was very impressed with the cast, especially with how they were not very well known actors. They were all very believable in their portrayal of 1970s/1980s life. The child actors are especially note worthy in that they are the ones that hold the movie together. The best ones in my opinion were the actor who played Joe and Elle Fanning (Dakota Fanning's younger sister), who played the role of Alice. Fanning really delivers a wonderful performance as a young and somewhat troubled girl and at times she literally had me on the verge of tears. As for the adult actors, Kyle Chandler was awesome as Joe's father and the deputy. There were moments where his character made me angry yet he had a way of subtly provoking pity due to his situation. Overall, the casting was impressive.
The most impressive part of this film though has to be in the cinematography and effects. One stand out scene has to be the catastrophic train crash at the beginning of the film. Abrams utilized the combination of CGI with actual sets to produce an amazing piece of eye candy in how this train crash was both extremely intense and frightening while also mesmerizing. Meanwhile, the night scenes and sound provided allowed for a lot of tension to be built up at a very good pace leading to some of the frightening moments of the film. Finally, the ending, which I will not get into too much detail with, is truly a spectacle that brings everything together and ultimately left me extremely satisfied.
Overall, I must recommend this movie to everyone. It is an amazing summer movie that will definitely gather following over the years and it should definitely be recognized as a revitalization of classic Spielberg with the right amount of scares, drama, and steady pacing to make this a movie that would be great to see in a theater. It is an awesome viewing experience, and it is also one that I shall definitely add to my movie collection when it arrives on DVD!

Eskalofrío (Shiver) Review by Samantha Mauney

This Guillermo Del Toro-produced Spanish horror/thriller packs a punch!

The film follows the story of Santiago, a photophobic/ photosensitive teenager whose condition gets so bad that his doctor recommends to his mother that they should move to the countryside, where there is less sun because of the high mountains and because the days are shorter.

At first Santiago and his mother think that their lives will finally have some sense of normalcy. Soon after the two arrive, however, strange things start to happen in the woods surrounding the small town. A farmer's sheep are found gutted on three seperate occasions, and later two people are murdered in the woods when Santi is near by. Fingers start pointing in the young boy's direction, and it is up to him to find out just what, or who, is causing all of this destruction. Is it a monster? A ghost? Someone in the town? Furthermore, why are they suddenly doing it? Finding the answer to such questions (refreshingly) takes the entire length of the film as you, the viewer, and Santi, the story's hero and underdog play detective in this 2008 horror/thriller.

A great amount of the cinematography will remind you of Twilight. A large number of sublime shots of the local landscapes are filtered through bleak but beautiful color correction to convey the perpetually overcast weather of the otherwise perfectly picturesque small town. The set designer of this film also did work for Pan's Labyrinth (Toro really does like to keep it in the family), and you will see touches of her handiwork on the many sylvian portions of the film.

The movie is definitely written with a set formula concerning characterizations and twists, but still manages to be unpredictable where it really counts. There are stock characters, but they are presented in a subtle (some others may say underdeveloped) manner. The symbolism of a troubled teen living in the shadows having to fight for what's right is also very striking, and is an important theme throughout the film. All things considered, Eskalofrío the perfect film for a lazy Saturday morning/afternoon/night.

New Promo Video and Blog Updates

Below is the Fall 2011 promo for the Virginia Horror Society called "Withheld!"

Check it out (in HD)! Rate it! Comment on it! Share it!

Also, for those of you readers who didn't know, the comment problem has been (finally) fixed! It is now possible to comment on the posts and reviews on the site.

Happy Hauntings,

Samantha M.

Blue Velvet Review by Corbin Bond

        After reading about it and hearing about how it is one of David Lynch's best movies, I figured that I had to somehow see Blue Velvet. I rented it from the library here at school, and after seeing it I was completely mesmerized. David Lynch is definitely one of the most macabre minds when it comes to adding horror to the most calm and peaceful areas. In this case, he targets suburbia. With gorgeous imagery mixed in with some of the most emotionally and physically horrific images shown on film, Blue Velvet proves itself to be a dark, realistic, beautiful, heartfelt, and horrific American masterpiece.
         The story of Blue Velvet introduces us to the character of Jeffrey Beaumont, played by Kyle Maclachlan. Jeffrey has come home to the quaint and peaceful town of Lumberton that looks like a area of suburbia straight out of an episode of Leave It To Beaver. Everyone is happy and knows each other in a place we may all perceive as a perfect place to live and raise a family. However, as with most of Lynch's films, there is always a dark side to everything. This is made apparent as soon as Jeffrey discovers a severed human ear in a field near his neighborhood. Soon we are given a lead thanks to help from Sandy, the sheriff's daughter, played by Laura Dern. Through clues we come to discover a disturbing underworld to this quaint town as we find a club singer held against her will by a psychopathic and drug addicted sadist. From then on, Jeffrey becomes intertwined in a mystery that is so shocking and terrifying that it could very much lead to him giving up his life to solve it.
         First of all, the most amazing part about this film is how gorgeously it is filmed. The imagery of Blue Velvet is absolutely mesmerizing as each shot seems to have some soft glow added to it. This is especially seen in the shots of the neighborhood. The opening scene of this film portrays a suburban town that seems absolutely timeless. Speaking of which, though this film was made in the 1980's, it is very ambiguous as to what period the film is based. There is 80's music as well as music heard in the 50's and 60's. Meanwhile, the town itself, and the people in it seem to be from another time. This is apparent from the buildings to the clothes and makeup. In fact, one might simply call this film a glossy dream that changes straight into a pitch black and horror-infested nightmare. When we get into the truly dark and disturbing moments of the film, Lynch does not hold back in showing the beauty of shots. The coloring, dim lights, and shadows all seem to add to this gruesome portrait of the uncanny.
         However, despite this beauty, it is important to know that moments of Blue Velvet are extremely hard to watch at times. There is moments of very intense atrocities that each character is sadly forced to suffer. The film is very much a film of emotional suffering. In addition, there are scenes that make viewers uncomfortable and uneasy. Although, these disturbing qualities easily add to the film's overall strength. By invoking emotional responses from its audience, this film is very capable of showing itself as powerful in its psychological horror as well as the beauty. There are moments that are realistically frightening to the point where you can literally taste the fear.
         Meanwhile, the cast in the film is brilliant. Kyle Maclachlan is very believable as the curious neighbor who gets caught in something he never thought he would. His portrayal of Jeffrey as a normal curious person with flaws makes him very similar to the tragic Faustian man. Jeffrey's curiosity literally drags him into a Hell he never knew existed. When you hear the phrase, "It's a strange world." you can easily see why from what he suffers to see. Next there is the character of Dorothy Vallens played flawlessly by Isabella Rosselini. She is extremely believable as a suffering woman under the rule of a complete tyrant. She is very much like the tragic Gothic female figure who is forced to suffer enormous atrocities constantly. Meanwhile, she is also a disturbing character in how she is very mentally disturbed. In addition, these characters develop a very interesting relationship - one that is driven by both fascination, friendship, and lust. However, despite these characters, they are no where near the level of the character that acts solely as Lynch's brush in painting this gruesome portrait - Frank Booth.
         The late Dennis Hopper is absolutely terrifying as the sadistic psycho, Frank Booth. His obsession with Dorothy and making her life Hell is absolutely horrifying. Meanwhile, we are never given a full explanation as to what his motives are making him much more frightening. Frank is much more terrifying; however, when he becomes a true monster by sucking on Amyl Nitrate gas from a mask. With each deep breath he degenerates further into an inhuman and unforgivable animal. In fact, the scenes with Frank are by far the darkest and most terrifying moments of the film making this film much more like a Horror film at times. Each line is like a knife coming closer to you as you want him to go away because he is so frightening. What's so ironic though is how Hopper was in rehab at the time he was working on the movie. With that knowledge we can see his sadism and drug addiction as much more horrifying and believable.
         Overall, Blue Velvet is the most artistic mixture of Psychological Horror, Romance, and Drama. It beautifully portrays a quaint suburban town that has a Hellish underworld hidden and waiting for victims. The actors are brilliant in their roles, and each moment reflects a large amount of thought on Lynch's part as each scene has an enormous power over human emotion an thought. It is a film that is on its own level and should not be missed.

Psycho Review By Erik Haley

        If you were going to ask 100 people what the first slasher film was, a lot of people would say Psycho. However, while Psycho definitely influenced the genre itself and has many of the same elements, it misrepresents the film to just label it as a slasher. In truth, the film does not play as a slasher or even completely as a horror film, but rather as a psychological suspense film. While the scenes when they came out were indeed intense, nowadays they have been overshadowed, for better or worse, by special effects that have dulled modern audiences response to gore and violence. Yet still, Psycho is still considered one of the best films of all times and as one of the most frightening. This distinction is rightfully deserved because Psycho scares us the old fashioned way: by making us fear for the safety of characters in a new situation.
        The story of Psycho is not obvious on first glance. We start off with a woman, Marion, in a hotel, having just had sex with her lover, Sam, whose divorce has not been finalized. As she wants to leave to start a new life with Sam, she gets the opportunity when someone gives her $40,000 to put into the bank through her job. She steals the money and leaves to meet her lover. However, paranoia about being followed makes her feel guilty, so she stops at a motel for the night planning to return the money. She meets Norman Bates, the hotel manager, who lives with his home-bound yet controlling mother. He seems nice and acts friendly to Marion, but he blows up when she makes the suggestion that he place his mother in a home. He apologizes afterwards, though, and Marion decides to return to her room to shower. During the shower, however, she is brutally attacked by Norman's mother in the film's famous scene. Norman finds the body and disposes of it. When other people, including a detective, Sam and Marion's sister also turn up at the hotel to unravel the mystery, there lives are also in jeopardy.
       The true strength of the film comes from two things: the suspense and the shower scene. The film does not focus on violence but rather makes us worry for when the violence will come. While the Bates motel may seem like a safe place, we the audience have this suspicion that it is not as safe as at first glance. This suspicion is confirmed as we witness Norman lift up the eye holes of a picture to spy on Marion getting undressed, clearly sexually obsessed with her. This seems to be her downfall, as it causes Norman's mother to savagely attack her in the shower. However, aside from that one scene, more on that later, the film is remarkably free of violence that would identify it as a horror film. Rather, we are afraid more about what will happen to the characters as they explore the house Mrs. Bates occupies, not of the scenes that occur when she does find her victims. The final scene of the film also leaves us with a sense of dread. Even though we have an explanation for the film's events, the killer still is more than willing to kill and is slowly biding their time until they are released.
        Of course, any one who sees Psycho will talk about the shower scene, and for good reason. That scene alone has made the actress, Vera Miles, scared to take a shower, and she is not the only person to make that claim. It may then surprise people when they look back and realize that the knife never enters Marion's skin. A quick series of cuts makes us believe that we see her being impaled, while in reality neither Marion nor her stunt double was in that scene. However, besides this, we all are frightened because we see Marion scream, a knife coming down and Marion fall in the tub with blood swirling around the drain. It also works well because it shows something we all fear: we are very vulnerable in the shower. If any of us were to be attacked in there, it is doubtful that we would end up any different than Marion. HItchcock's genius was preying on this fear as well as our fear of the violence that hides behind innocent faces.
        While the film owes a lot to Hitchcock, it also owes a lot to Anthony Perkins, the man who played Norman Bates. Anthony had previously played only nice boys down the street. Thus, people did not expect his character to be so timid around his mother, while also being so violent towards any one who even accidentally offends her. He is very convincing at shifting from weak and obedient to forceful and scary. While the other actors do a great job of playing their roles, in truth, it is Anthony Perkins who steals the show.
        Psycho was a film that revolutionized the industry when it first came out, making horror films a more respectable genre than it had been in many years. It influenced John Carpenter, who arguably made the first true slasher film of Halloween. It was condemned as being too violent and obscene on release; now people say they are disappointed in how little violence and sex is shown. But that diminishes what Psycho is actually about. It is Hitchcock doing what he does best; making the audience uncomfortable and nervous about what will happen. In that respect, Hitchcock succeeds admirably. Psycho, while neither a true slasher film or true horror film, is a masterpiece of a thriller.

Insidious Review by Samantha Mauney

The makers of Saw are returning to their low-budget roots with this supernatural horror flick that centers around a young couple trying to keep their family together after tragedy strikes.

At the start of the film, the Lambert family, composed of husband and wife Josh and Renai, two boys and a baby girl, has just moved into a new house. Soon thereafter, they begin to settle into their daily routines. One day, having realized that she has lost some sheet music, Renai journeys into the attic. Using a ladder to turn on the light, she breaks one of the wooden steps, and leaves without finding what she's looking for. Later, their son Dalton is exploring the attic and falls on the same ladder hitting his head on the floor. His parents, having evaluated him, think that everything is fine until the next morning when he is unresponsive. Doctors are baffled as Dalton remains in the same comatose state for three months.

Shortly after moving him home, strange events begin to occur around the house. Family members are besieged by visions of people and other things that go "bump" in the night. Tensions mount throughout, leading to a climax 

Overall, the film is a little too predictable for my taste, which is due in large part to the overbearing score that doesn't build suspense so much as it provides a warning of when the next big scare is coming. The music also does a great job of killing any subtlety that the filmmakers might have been trying to inject into the movie regarding certain Easter egg-type features.

This film takes the traditionally harmless, however supernatural, concept of the out-of-body experience and makes it, well, insidious. Whether or not this twist is a hit or miss is debatable. In general, if you're looking for a horror flick with a great story, then Insidious might not be for you. However, if you enjoy new twists and ideas inserted into conventional concepts, it's definitely worth a watch. I give it about 7 out of 10 stars.