Minimalist Horror Movie Posters

Minimalist movie posters seem to be pretty popular right now.  I just love how clever and subtle they are.  They're like an inside joke.  Sometimes less IS more.

What is Horror-Comedy you ask?  Well, it's one of my favorite genres.  It takes two of my favorite things (comedy and horror) and brings them together in marital bliss.  If it can make you laugh one moment and cringe in terror the next-that's horror comedy.  It may have a little bit of black humor in it.  You know, the type of humor that makes you laugh,  yet you feel a little guilty about finding it funny.  You feel kind of dirty for laughing. It's okay to laugh.  It's meant to be funny. If it's unintentionally funny, well, that's just a bad movie.  Every now and again, some genius walks that tight-rope between horror and comedy and makes movie magic.  Here's my list of

TOP TEN HORROR COMEDIES:

10.  Young Frankenstein (1974)-Directed by Mel Brooks, so you know it's quality comedy.  Really more comedy than any horror, it's actually a parody of the horror movie, but a loving one; which is why it's number 10.  Gene Wilder stars as the the descendant of the infamous Dr. Victor Frankenstein.  He becomes intrigued with Victor's experiment, and tries it himself.  Great scene with the monster dancing to Puttin' on the Ritz, complete with top hat and tails.



9.  Dead Alive (1992)-Directed by Peter Jackson.  There is a zombie baby, a Sumatran rat-monkey and a lawnmower bloodbath.  Need I describe more?  You just have to see it.



8.  The 'Burbs-(1989)- Tom Hanks is a paranoid neighbor out to find proof that the creepy new neighbors are murderers.  Hilarity ensues.  This one is not all that scary, but a good movie none-the-less.



7.  Behind the Mask-The Rise of Leslie Vernon(2006) – Ever wonder how guys like Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers learned their trade as movie psychopaths? Then watch this mockumentary about an aspiring serial-killer named Leslie Vernon (Nathan Baesel) and his efforts to prepare the perfect teenage slaughter. Angela Goethals co-stars as the virginal film student shooting his meticulous preparations, and Robert Englund makes a swell “Ahab.” One of the most clever comedy horror movies to come along in years.



6.  Fido(2006) – Set in an alternate timeline that looks a lot like the 1950s ,Fido follows the continuing relations between the living and the undead following the Zombie Wars (created by radiation from space causing the dead to reanimate). When a housewife (Carrie-Anne Moss) buys a domesticated zombie (Billy Connolly) to help with chores, her son quickly befriends the creature and names it Fido. But when his control collar malfunctions, Fido doesn't hesitate to take a bite out of the neighbors. Co-starring Dylan Baker and Tim Blake Nelson.

5.  An American Werewolf in London (1981) Directed by John Landis, who had the comedy chops of Animal House and The Blues Brothers under his belt, An American Werewolf in London is nothing short of brilliant. Starring David Naughton (yeah, the “I’m a Pepper” Dr. Pepper guy) and Griffin Dunne as two American tourists backpacking in Europe who are attacked by a werewolf. One pal dies, the other becomes a werewolf (in that stunning transformation scene) – with the dead friend returning throughout, in different stages of decomposition. One of the best mixes of comedy and horror at work.

 

 

4.  Evil Dead 2(1987) – Director Sam Raimi improved and expanded on his 1981 gore classic, this time adding better special effects and even more outrageous dark comedy. The plot is largely the same, as thick-chinned Ash Williams(Bruce Campbell) battles an army of demons at an isolated cabin in the woods. But there’s plenty of slapstick to be found amidst all the bile and demonic possessions, and the Three Stooges have been listed as a major inspiration for Ash’s on-screen antics.



3.  Zombieland (2009) – In a world overrun by the undead, a foursome of survivors (Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin) seek to reach a theme park that’s supposedly zombie-free. Meanwhile, one of the group searches for the last Twinkie on Earth. Bill Murray pops up as himself, and thirty-three rules for surviving a zombie apocalypse are revealed (including “Avoid strip clubs,” “Cardio,” and “Beware of bathrooms”).

2.  From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) -Directed by Robert Rodriguez written by Quentin Tarantino.It also stars George Clooney and Harvey Keitel this is one of the most fun action/horror flicks ever made. The first half of this movie is pretty straight action/crime drama. Then the vampires show up. I love Cheech Marin as a vamp.

 

1.  Shaun of the Dead (2004) – Shaun (Simon Pegg) is a working-class Brit who just got dumped by his longtime girlfriend, Liz (Kate Ashfield). To make matters worse, the dead are now rising from the grave. Luckily, Shaun and his tubby pal Ed (Nick Frost) have a plan: grab Liz, Shaun’s mum (Penelope Wilton), and Liz’s flat mates (Dylan Moran, Lucy Davis) and ride things out at the local pub. The laughs are plentiful, the gore non-stop, and it features the best use of a Queen song since Iron Eagle. Kudos to director Edgar Wright for helping revive both comedy horror movies and zombie films.

And here's a few honorable mentions:  Fright Night, Bubba Ho-Tep, The Frighteners, Severance, and  Slither.  If you haven't seen them, well, what other plans do you have this weekend?

What's your favorite scary-funny movie?

Horror Movie Remakes

As a rule, I think most of us cringe when we see the latest trailer and hear remake or (cringe) re-imagining.  However, if you're like me, you're gonna haul your'e cookies over to see it anyway, and see how it measure up.  If nothing else, it will gives us purists something to complain about.  And sometimes, a perfect storm will brew, right director, right actors, the right time and that "re-imagining" turns out to be pretty darn good, and sometimes, dare I say it--better than the original. It's really hard to admit that an already great horror movie can be made better.  Here is my list of the Best Horror Movie Remakes:

1.  The Fly-1986 Directed by David Cronenberg, Starring Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis.

2.  The Thing

3.  The Ring-not better, but close

4.  The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

5.  Dawn of the Dead

6.  Halloween....not better...but not bad at all either.

7.  House of Wax

Horror Movie Quotes--Which ones made chills run up and down your spine?

1.  - Body Snatchers

"Where you gonna go, where you gonna run, where you gonna hide? Nowhere... 'Cause there's no one like you left.

That one still gives me the tinglies.  This is from the made for t.v. version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, 1993.  Not the best movie, but when an abnormally subdued-ly dressed Meg Tilly says this....whew..chills!

2.  -Dawn of the Dead

"When there's no more room in Hell, the dead will

walk the Earth."

That's the excuse some televangelist has for the zombies overrunning the planet in George Romero's 1978 movie.

3.  - Night of the Living Dead

"They're coming to get you Barbara!"

Barbara's brother says this to Barbara in jest-right before he gets killed and zombified in George Romero's genre starter--1968s Night of the Living Dead.

4.  - A Nightmare on Elm Street

"1 - 2 - Freddy's coming for you

3 - 4 - Better lock your door5 - 6 - Grab your crucifix
7 - 8 - Better stay up late
9 - 10 - Never sleep again..."

ahhh...memories....I used to sing this to my little sister who would run away in abject terror.  I was merciless, sorry sis.  It creeped me out too.

5.   - The Poltergeist

"They're Here-e-e-e-e...!"

Little blonde girl says this to her parents while talking to the white noise from the television.  Right before she gets sucked in to her closet because of the angry Native American spirits who were disturbed by suburbia being built upon their graves....'nuff said.

I know that there are a lot more out there.  Feel free to comment and add more.

Long live the King

Okay, you can't have a horror blog and not mention Stephen King.  The man has inspired so many to hide under their cartoon character bedsheets and read by the light of a flashlight, despite our mom's having taken the book away because we were having nightmares, but still needed find out what happened.  Or was that just me?  What better way to start than with Stephen King, who was my first taste of horror.  Spoiler alert!  I think most horrorphiles have read this book.  It was published in 1981, so it's been out there awhile, but if for some reason you haven't-stop reading this, go buy it, download it, audio book it, Kindle or Nook it, whatever's your poison-you'll like it.

As a twelve-year old in 1990, I got my grubby little hands on Stephen King's It. Page after page, I could not put the book down, hooked from the beginning when little George has his arm ripped off by Pennywise the clown.  This clown inspired generations of new coulrophobes, myself included.  On top of that, It, as Pennywise is called by the Losers (the group of 7 friends the novel revolves around), are attacked by manifestations of their respective fears.  There are several horrific murders in the town of Derry, Maine.  And the Losers find out what's responsible.  As a twelve-year-old reader, I was put off by the lengths Beverly went to with the group to maintain the bond necessary for fighting Pennywise; however I can never stay mad at the King, and he did his best to represent that scene as non-perverse (for lack of a better word) as possible.  Ultimately, it's the friendship of the group that allows them to hurt Pennywise and escape....But that's just the first part of the story.  27 Years later, the group is contacted by Mike, the only one to remain in Derry, the murders have begun again.  Weirdly, the group has no recollection of It but come home anyway, because of the promise they made as children.  Long story short, some die, some live, but they reconnect and destroy It.