Minutes Past Midnight

"Minutes Past Midnight" (2016, Robert Boocheck, Lee Cronin, Francisco Sonic Kim, Ryan Lightbourn, Marc Martínez Jordán, Kevin McTurk, James Moran, Christian Rivers, Sid Zanforlin, Rue Morgue Magazine, Indiecan Entertainment, Unstable Ground Productions) is a horror anthology built up of selected shorts.

There are nine shorts in total comprising of (but not in the order of): Horrific; Ghost Train; Awake; Roid Rage; Timothy; The Mill at Calder's End; Crazy for You; Feeder; and Never Tear Us Apart.

The shorts each enjoy a different flavour of story telling and medium with some going for a more gory style and others entertaining a more ominous dread. The shorts each have their own merits, however, for me the "Ghost Train" stood out as a firm favourite both due to its intriguing plot and really nice setting.

Due to the diversity in the story telling, the film as a whole benefits from a varied and fresh feel, despite not really having a wraparound story to bring everything together.

I would definitely recommend giving it a try if you're looking for something snappy and interesting to watch.

[Image: Rue Morgue Magazine, et al]

Hani

Julia's Eyes

"Julia's Eyes" aka "Los ojos de Julia" (2010, Guillem Morales, Rodar y Rodar Cine y Televisión, Double Dare You, Universal Pictures) is a Spanish thriller about blindness. 

Julia (Belén Rueda) is a twin, whose sister, Sara, has committed suicide shortly after becoming blind. Sara's blindness was caused by a hereditary condition from which Julia is also suffering, and she and her husband, Isaac (Lluís Homar), are already preparing for her own inevitable fate. 

Julia becomes convinced that Sara's death was not a straightforward suicide, and she begins to investigate herself, as her own sight begins to slowly diminish. Alas, time is running out and she is assigned a care worker, Iván (Pablo Delqui). Can she avoid the fate of her sister?

A fun thriller with some good effects and some chilling scenes dotted throughout what is otherwise a slow-burning mystery, more than a horror. Julia’s slow, but steady march towards blindness is effectively portrayed through lighting and skilfully keeping other characters just out of sight.

An effective thriller that packs possibly too many twists, but delivers with a fun, but straight-faced style that makes our heroine’s sense of loss and hopelessness palpable. 

Hani 

Mama

"Mama" (2013, Andrés Muschietti, Guillermo del Toro, Toma 78, De Milo Productions) is a supernatural horror based on a 2008 short called "Mamá".

Jeffery D'Asange has lost everything financially in the banking crisis and, in a fit of despair, he kills his business partners and his wife and runs off with his two young daughters to a cabin out in the woods where he plans to kill them and himself too. Unbeknownst to him, the cabin is already occupied by something otherworldly, and this otherworldly thing (which calls itself Mama) is all about the crazy maternal instinct, so you can bet your boots that old Jeff doesn't get to off his kids.

The kids are still missing five years on and Jeff's twin brother, Lucas (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), has been looking for them with the help of a search party. They're eventually found still residing in the cabin, but are now completely feral.

After a battle over rights with his sister in law's mother, Lucas and his rock chick girlfriend, Annabel (Jessica Chastain), bring little Victoria (Megan Charpentier) and Lilly (Isabelle Nélisse) to live with them. The only thing is, Mama also tagged along with the girls and she doesn't like to share....

I'm going to jump in first and say that I enjoyed this film, but I wasn't scared by it. It's nicely shot. Annabel and Lucas were relatable and were rounded enough characters. Although, speaking as a rock chick myself, I was a bit disappointed that Annabel was painted as non-maternal quite so much at the start with her 'rock 'n' roll lifestyle' being blamed primarily for this. Thanks for playing to the stereotype, guys, but I don't see anything wrong with enjoying Slipknot and being a mother!

Some of the scenes with Mama are great. She is hidden most of the time and I enjoyed her sneaking about in the background. There are scenes where she quickly crawls about and it is very effective. However, the end scenes showed too much of her and she comes to the same fate as the monster in Jeepers Creepers; less scary. Although there is a hella dark end to this film.

The kids nailed it. They were great. Victoria made a realistic and sympathetic character and Lilly was very convincing and freaky as the feral child. Child centred horror is almost always effective, but the scenes with the kids playing with Mama are haunting in their creepy, creepy innocence.

So yes, it didn't make me wet my pants and it didn't make me check under the bed for creepy, skinny monster mothers, but it was an engaging hour and forty-odd minutes, and I would happily watch it again in the future.

[Image: De Milo Productions, et al]

Hani 

INSPIRACION

"INSPIRACION" (2014, Antonio Clemente, Barry's Kidnapping Films) is a Spanish short suspense film about a writer who is struggling for inspiration for his next book.

His... hooker(?) recommends a person to contact who can guarantee that he will find inspiration. But he might not like what he is asked to do to inspire his imagination.

A very quiet, film noir-esque piece which makes good use of light and fills the 16minute time slot well without trying to be too clever with the budget.

The entire piece is filmed in black and white, but it lends itself well to the kind of suspensful story being told. If you don't mind subtitles, and, like me, you're not scared of independent lower budget pieces, it's a fun international short that I hope will make its way to the UK for some film festivals.

[Image: Antonio Clemente]

Hani

 

Mindscape

"Mindscape" (2013, Jorge Dorado, Ombra Films, Warner Bros., Studio Canal, Antena 3 Films) aka "ANNA" is a fun and intriquing futuristic psychological thriller.

John (Mark Strong) is a detective with the ability to see into people's minds and memories. He's coming back from forced retirement after a traumatic incident in his own life.

John is given the case of 16 year old Anna to work on. Anna (Taiisa Farmiga, who you may recognise from American Horror Story) is a clever, odd and maniulative teen. It is John's job to enter her memories and decipher whether she is the victim of terrible sexual abuses or a scheming and dangerous sociopath.

A slow burner with a wonderful score and some really artistic but fun to watch 'memory' sequences. The plot keeps moving and growing, keeping the audience's interests piqued as we try to guess the next turn in the tale.

Excellent acting and a quiet but strong script makes this film stand out from other futuristic, mind bending thrillers out there.

[Image: Ombra Films]

Hani

Beyond Re-Animator

"Beyond Re-Animator" (2003, Filmax International, Lionsgate Entertainment, Castelao Producciones, Fantastic Factory, Brian Yuzna) is the third Re-Animator film.

We find Dr. Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) in prison using meagre scraps in order to continue his experiments on rats. A young new doctor, Howard Phillips (Jason Barry), joins as prison MD and reveals himself as interested in West's research for personal reasons. His personal reasons get a load more personal, however, when the pretty young journalist he's dating, Laura (Elsa Pataky), is killed and reanimated.

West's rat experiments have opened the door to him to allow him to control his reanimated creations further, but the results can be messy when he is reunited with his neon green concoction....

Soon the prison is overrun with violent reanimated zombies and under the control of the psychotic reanimated Warden (Simón Andreu). Oh, and there's also a vicious zombie rat cutting about with a severed human zombie penis....

Yes, this is a OTT, hilarious, gore-soaked splatter romp, just as its predecessors were. No complaints here. It's brilliant. Not a cerebral film, but wonderfully silly. Combs brings back West in all his glory.

 

 

[Image: Castelao Producciones]

Hani

28 Weeks Later

"28 Weeks Later" (2007, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, Fox Atomic, DNA Films, UK Film Council) is the sequel to the British zombie blockbuster, "28 Days Later".

Following the usual 'zombie' outbreak sequel formula we have a much bigger story and a lot more to deal with after the outbreak is now supposedly under control. This time we follow a small family, that is becoming increasingly smaller as the plot develops...

Sadly for the family, and also for the rest of the 'safe zone', the mother and son have some mutated genes which make them carriers of the Rage virus so... yeah... things escalate... quickly.

Much gorier and faster than the previous film it also has a level of grim that manages to be innovative in the bloated market of traumatic zombie horrors. The main issue is that it lacks its specifically British identity and becomes just another action zombie film.

However, the acting is great, there are a few good jump scares and the plot is nicely paced. I also enjoyed the presence of Robert Carlyle and Jeremy Renner.

[Image: UK Film Council]

Hani

The Horror Express

"The Horror Express" aka "Pánico en el Transiberiano" or "Panic on the Trans-Siberian Express" (1972, Gene Martín, Scotia International Productions, Scotia Barber Distributions, Ltd.) is a Spanish and British horror about the panic caused on a train when an anthropologist's scientific discovery, an ape-like man, comes back to life and wreaks unnatural havoc.

I picked this film up at Comic-Con thinking it would be cheesy and fun and I wasn't disappointed!

Christopher Lee gives an intense performance as the anthropologist responsible for the discovery and Peter Cushing plays his mild-mannered rival wonderfully.

The action is daft, if slightly over explained, and helps recreate the fun Hammer-esque feel. An ape man with super powers, which allow him to drink the essence of and then become anyone, is running around loose on an old fashioned train and then a group of Cossacks, lead by Kojak himself, Telly Savalas turn up to join the party.

It's like a budget version of "The Thing" but on a train and with some of the best horror icons hamming it up with glee. What is not to like?

 

 

[Image: Scotia Barber Distributions, Ltd]

Hani

The Others

"The Others" (2001, Alejandro Amenábar, StudioCanal, Warner Bros., Las Producciones del Escorpion, Cruise/Wagner Productions) is a haunted house movie and a psychological thriller.

Grace (Nicole Kidman), a devout Christian, is raising her young children Anne (Alakina Mann) and Nicholas (James Bentley) alone in her large country manor home in Jersey while her husband, Charles (Christopher Eccleston), is away fighting in World War One. Both children suffer from an uncommon disease and are photosensitive so the curtains are always closed.

Just as she needs them, three new servants turn up at the house hoping for work: a maid and nanny, Mrs Mills (Fionnula Flanagan), a gardener called Mr. Tuttle (Eric Sykes) and a young mute girl called Lydia (Elaine Cassidy).

The children are determined that the house is haunted by several spirits, especially that of a young boy called Victor, but Grace pooh-poohs this. That is until she begins to suspect something is wrong herself.

A quiet and slow-burning film that has the feeling of an older horror-thriller. Well paced and intriguing enough not to become boring, but it doesn't make use of many jump scares and uses very few effects.

The child actors are terrific and really give an excellent performance. However, perhaps having seen too many twist endings in my time, and regardless of clever suspense building techniques, I guessed what was coming a lot earlier than I would have preferred.

Regardless, it's a good story and has a darker element to it than you might expect.

[Image: StudioCanal & Warner Bros.]

Hani

Apartment 143

"Apartment 143" (2012, Werc Werk Works, Kasdan Pictures, Likely Story, Carles Torrens) is a 'real footage' (not really 'found footage' in this particular case) film about a family who think that their apartment is haunted.

Alan White (Kai Lennox) and his children Caitlin (Gia Mantegna) and little Benny (Damian Roman) have had to move home to try to escape the violent ghostly manifestations that appeared after the untimely death of Alan's wife, Cynthia (Laura Martuscelli). Unfortunately, the ghost appears to have followed them to their new home.

In a desperate attempt to rid themselves of this menace, they have called in a paranormal investigation team who are setting up for a few days in the apartment to get to the bottom of things. But what will they uncover?

Following a lot of ghost movie jump scare conventions almost completely to the letter of the book, I wouldn't say this film was original. It does kind of cross lands from ghosts to poltergeists to The Exorcist territories, but on the whole it's not really that creative a film.

In its merit, however, the banter between the characters is quite realistic, if often dull. And the jump scares are well orchestrated, if you can bare the long-winded wait for it. Some of the scenes were a little too like those emails you used to get where you watch the little car drive along and then BOOM! Regan McNeil's little demonically possessed face is suddenly on the screen and you've let out an entirely embarrassing squeak of surprise!

On the whole watch-able with some entertaining jump scares, but I wouldn't go out of my way to see it again.

 

[Image:  Werc Werk Works & Kasdan Pictures]

Hani

Slugs

"Slugs" (1988, Juan Piquer Simón, New World Pictures) is a nature-bites-back B-movie so latter day 80s, you could die.

Mike Brady (Michael Garfield) is the health inspector of a small town which becomes overrun by mutated, flesh-eating slugs. It is up to him, an English scientist and his sanitation department friend to put a stop to the epidemic before it's too late.

From the rocker teens to the terrible dress sense, this film is just delightfully B-class. The slugs are pretty gross and I'm pretty sure in one scene they really do cut a real one in half...!

It might put you off eating salad for a while, and there's certainly some fun 80s gore to enjoy. Slugs have to be the least threatening of all the gross legless things out there, but this film does pretty well to make them into an entertaining 'threat'.

There are explosions, a gardener who pulls an (Evil Dead) Ash (replacing chainsaw for another cutting tool), unconvincing biting slug puppets, naked chicks being eaten alive, gouged eyes, flamboyant restaurant death scenes, buckets of fake blood, screams, a lake scene, half-eaten corpses, lab hamsters, incredibly flawed action plans and terribly 80s B-movie dialogue. What more can you ask?

Hardly scary, but definitely bad-movie fun. So underrated and definitely not to be taken seriously!

[Image: New World Pictures]

Hani

Open Graves

"Open Graves" (2009, Álvaro de Armiñán, Alchemedia Films Manufacturas, Open Pictures, Voltage Pictures) is basically "Jumanji" with college students and horror.

A group of friends are enjoying life in the Spanish sun. Jason (Mike Vogel, who you may recognise from the Texas Chainsaw remake or from "Cloverfield") is a fresh college graduate enjoying some gap year opportunities, Tomas (Iman Nazemzadeh) is a photographer who is sleeping with as many models who are willing, Lisa (Lindsay Caroline Robba) is an aspiring model and girlfriend of Tomas, Elena (Naike Rivelli) is another model who is more than happy to give Tomas what he wants, and Miguel (Ander Pardo) and Pablo (Boris Martinez) are local guys who are good friends with Tomas and Jason.

Jason has also found a love interest in the form of Erica (Eliza Dushku), an American surfer chick out to explore the world and 'find herself'.

While wandering around the shops, Jason comes across a strange place peddling trinkets and spooky knick-knacks. He is convinced to take a game called "Mamba" as a 'gift' from the shop's owner.

At night, the gang and Erica are enjoying a beach front fire party, when a storm suddenly begins. Heading to cover inside, only to find that the power is out, they decide to check out the strange board game which Jason was given.

Each player rolls their turn and is put out of the game via a creepy 'Epitaph' card. They all dismiss the game as nonsense, but it isn't long before each 'player' begins dying in real life, and in ways ever so closely matched to their 'Epitaph' card from the game!

As the remaining friends frantically try to stop their impending doom reaching them, their number becomes increasingly small as the grisly deaths pile up.

A nice little yarn which is passable for a one-view-only, but not really what I'd call a 'good horror movie'.

The CGI isn't the best, but that's relatively forgiveable. There's a lot of would-be gory scenes ruined by it, though. The film's not scary, but it did a bring a smile to my face once or twice with the death scenes which are creative to the point of hilarity.

The game prop itself is quite impressive, though! English-written cards not withstanding... 

Really, this is just a film made to showcase the ever awesome Eliza Dushku as a sexy surfer lady, rather than a particularly serious horror film. There are a lot of good plot points hinted at and just never brought to fruition, and generally, didn't add any depth to the film.

It has potential and could be fun as a drinking game, but really next time I'll just watch "Jumanji" and then an episode of "Dollhouse"...

[Image: Voltage Pictures]

Hani

REC 3: Genesis

"REC 3: Genesis" (2012, Paco Plaza, Canal+ España, Filmax) is the third installment in the 'REC' franchise. This sequel takes the setting out of the house in Barcelona, and instead to the wedding of Clara (Leticia Dolera) and Koldo (Diego Martin) in a large country estate. The film setting is in parallel with both first and second "REC" films.

The first thing which struck me about this film was that it has taken an almost "Evil Dead 2" turn into gory comedy! The film does still use the 'Found footage' film technique, whether it be by mobile phones, the professional wedding camera man's footage or Koldo's cousin Adrián (Àlex Monne)'s camera. However, for some of the film, they have resorted to a normal third person filming style.

I liked this film. It was funny, gory, linked and yet completely separate from the other films in the series. You could happily watch this film as a stand alone. The two main characters are good fun and the action remains high energy. Although, they maybe tried a little too hard to create a "Resident Evil" 'Alice' character in the form of Clara.

I would say that this film loses something for the franchise, but as a film alone, it's pretty entertaining but not really very scary.

[Image: Canal+ España]

Hani

REC 2

"REC 2" (2009, Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza, Magnolia Pictures, E1 Entertainment) is the sequel to the 2007 Spanish found footage masterpiece, "REC".

The film takes place 15 minutes after the first, when Dr. Owen (Jonathan Mellor) from the Ministry of Health and several members of a GEO team enter the house in order to control the outbreak of the zombie infection.

While the first film primarily went for the virus and enzyme explanation for the outbreak, "REC 2" plays more upon the demonic and religious side of zombies (this was, however, alluded to in the first film on the tape recorder, so it's not that much of a leap), having the doctor shouting bible readings at the infected to control them, or talk to the main infected girl/demon through the others "Exorcist"-style.

This film also consists of 'found footage', but is this time split into 3 areas, the GEO team cameras, the camera of a group of teens who have found themselves inside the building and Pablo's camera from the first film.

This film goes down a more supernatural path, making new rules for the zombies as demonic creatures. While this kind of changes the game in regards to the plot, it doesn't diminish the high energy pace and scares in the film. The gore is in a greater abundance and the ending is yet again, scary and also gross to the point of sickening.

Worthy of your time.

[Image: Magnolia Pictures]

Hani

REC

"REC" (2007, Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza, Filmax International) is a Spanish 'found footage' zombie-esque horror.

Ángela Vida (Manuela Velasco) is a TV reporter for a local show in Barcelona called "While You're Asleep". She and her cameraman, Pablo (Pablo Rosso), are following the local Fire Crew for the night. The first segment of the film primarily consists of her interviewing firemen and complaining about how boring it is, and how she'd like an emergency call to come in. Lucky her, one does!

They set off with firemen Manu (Ferrán Terraza) & Álex (David Vert) to the house where an old woman has become extremely aggressive and the police have shut down the building with all other tenants trapped inside. The crew enter along with a couple of policemen, an officer (Vicente Gil) and a younger cop (Jorge-Yaman Serrano). It soon becomes apparent, however, that even the policemen aren't completely aware of the situation.

When they try to confront the woman she attacks them, and we delve into a zombie house of horrors.

While the story itself isn't anything new, the confined space of the building, excellent shaky-cam work and disjointed filming work really well. A lot of the jumps happen in the dark when either the camera comes back on just in time of an oogie-boogie moment, or when Pablo sticks on the nightvision, showing us the full grotesque image of the creatures.

I'm not usually a found footage fan, but 'REC' really kicks the action up a notch and makes for quite a thrilling ride! The ending is also very effective and leaves the audience wanting more. Just remember, it's in Spanish so expect to have to read some subtitles!

[Image: Filmax International]

 

Hani

Pieces

"Pieces" or "Mil gritos tiene la noche" (1982, Juan Piquer Simón, Grindhouse Releasing) is a completely nutty gore-slasher-sleaze-fest from Spain.

I first came across this movie at an 'All-night-Horror-madness' movie night at the Grosvenor Cinema in Ashton Lane in Glasgow's West End. I've been to a few of these now and I have to say, I have never been bored :)
 Plus there's nothing quite like a horror movie night to meet other like-minded people and enjoy a cinema full of screaming, laughing, applauding, enthusiastically crazy people! Really an experience I would recommend! (Also this girl brought muffins; it was a great night)

I went to the movie night with a handful of horror-loving buddies (and a few friends of theirs who I had not known beforehand). We chuckled our way through this amazing flick and then blearily (and ever so hungoverly) made our way home after another 3 bat-shit-crazy movies.

Pretty much this movie is about a kid who loves jigsaw puzzles (of naked women) and also killing people (mainly women), and how when he grows up he decides to merge his two favourite things together.

There's screams, chainsaws, OTT gore, naked women, creepy people, bloody suspicious characters, red herrings, tits, inappropriately racial stereotyped martial arts instructors, awkward teenage love and... an unrealistic end scene. What more could you want?!

Also watch out for Willard (Paul L. Smith), he's bound to make you laugh with his wild, suspicious and very intense facial expressions!

[Picture: Grindhouse] What a charming scene!

Hopefully will be returning to the "Creepshow" theme tomorrow night!

Hani

The Orphanage

"The Orphanage", or "El Orfanato" in Spanish, (2007, J.A. Bayona, Guillerma del Toro, Warner Bros. Spain) is a chilling Spanish film about a haunted orphanage and the family who come to live there.

Unlike in "The Awakening", Laura (Belén Rueda) knows that she is moving back into her childhood home, an old and now disused orphanage next to the sea (remember the sea and also lighthouses, these are important).

She moves in along with her husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo) and their adopted and ill son Simón (Roger Príncep). Simón does not know that he's adopted and also does not know that he has HIV.

As in all good ghost stories surrounding young children, Simón soon begins to talk of imaginary friends, in particular a boy called Tomás who wears a creepy mask made from a sack, and enjoys playing treasure hunts (commonly known as stealing your stuff and hiding it).

Tomás is the one with the big connection to the sea...

Laura and Carlos hope to open their new home as a place for disabled children, but alas their dreams are shattered when during an open day, Simón goes missing and they cannot find him.

In distress Laura slowly begins to unravel, and Simón is missing for months before she finally turns to confronting ghostly Tomás and her own past in order to get her son back. But the main question is, will it work?

A nicely jumpy movie with a slow burning, tense pace which quickens periodically and keeps your interest. Ghostly children movies are always a big hitter with me, kids are creepy! But the film is artfully done and connects the beginning to the end very nicely.

There's not a lot of gore, but there are some very horrific injuries. This isn't a slasher, so don't expect bucket loads of blood.

My only issue with this movie's plot is that Laura didn't know Tomás... I won't give too much away, but if the other children knew of him, surely he wasn't hiding too well! You'd think she'd remember a creepy kid in a mask!

I do feel for poor Carlos though.

Again, if you can't abide subtitles this is probably not the film for you, but if you can it's a good watch!

(Picture: Warner Bros. Spain)

Hani