Dir: Frank Darabont
Cast: Thomas Jane, Laurie Holden, Nathan Gamble, Toby Jones, Marcia Gay Harden, Jeffrey DeMunn, Andre Braugher

Well here it is, October 31st, All Hallows Eve! A time of the mischief and the macabre, oh yeah and candy. I decided to end this year with Frank Darabont’s The Mist for several reasons. 1. Tonight marks the premiere of AMC’s The Walking Dead which Darabont developed for television 2. Despite positive reviews and a modest run at the box office, I think The Mist is an overlooked and underrated horror film and 3. It’s one of Stephen King’s favorite adaptations, that’s good enough for me.

So it’s the classic “A bunch of scared people trapped in a small place” premise (In this case a group trapped in a small grocery store) that I’ve always been a fan of. I find for these kind of stories to excel they often need some strong characters and an intriguing, ever building conflict to keep it interesting. The Mist checks out in both of those categories and then some. The cast is fairly large but every role here serves it’s purpose no matter how small, like the quote often attributed to Stanislavsky, “There are no small parts, just small actors.” I don’t know who to acknowledge first. You have Marcia Gay Harden as the crazed Bible nut, Toby Jones as the resourceful store clerk, Andre Braugher as the doubting neighbor, not to mention some of Frank Darabont’s skilled regulars William Sadler and Jeffery DeMunn, there’s a little something for everybody.

Really it’s more about the struggle inside than outside, though it is a blast to watch hordes of creepy crawlies come out of the mist and have their ways with the townsfolk. The death’s are grisly as it could get and it’s safe to say that this film earned it’s R-rating. Really the only downfall in mind (Though I’ll address an issue other viewers have had soon enough.) is the effects feel cheap. The CGI is some of the weakest CGI I can recall seeing in a mainstream movie in awhile, though it somehow finds it’s way around it. LIke I said it’s not really about the monsters, more about the townsfolk acting like monsters, you see what I’m getting at?

So what did i mean when I claimed there was a certain “problem” many have had with this film? Well it’s the ending and even I agree it’s a make it or break it ending. I thought it made perfect sense but many find it far too depressing of a finale. The way I see it is that if Stephen King is all about it, I’m all about. I’ve read the short story as well and really that didn’t even have an ending, so really what were they supposed to do? Well I’m not sure how much more I can write after doing these reviews 31 days straight, so happy haunting everyone, I’ll see you next year!

Dir: Gore Verbinski
Cast: Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, David Dorfman, Brian Cox, Daveigh Chase
Basically this one follows the same plot as Scary Movie 3 except it’s not an abomination against god, but seriously The Ring has become one of the few horror highlights of the last decade with it’s disturbing images and mysterious franchise mascot Samara (Daveigh Chase.) Based off of the Japanese film, based off the novel by Koji Suzuki, The Ring is the ultimate moody thriller that when released felt fresh and unique in a genre that so often goes stale.

Set in and filmed around Washington state including such locations as; Seattle, Bellingham, Whidbey Island, Monroe, Port Townshend and even Stanhood (Stanwood) The Ring will always have a place in the hearts of Washingtonians like myself. I never realized how endlessly depressing and terrifying Washington looked, but it’s all there on screen.

For those who don’t know, the film concerns a video tape that when watched kills you seven days later. Naomi Watts is investigating the taboo ape when uh oh, her son watches it! So now she must break the curse and discover what these bizarre images mean. Who is this girl on the tape? What happened to her? It’s a thrilling mystery that’ll constantly keep you guessing and on the edge of your street.

The Ring would go on to popularize Japanese horror films or “J-Horror” is it’s sometimes referred to on Wikipedia and there’s been a whole slew of remakes since then; The Grudge, Dark Water, Pulse, One Missed Call. The only other one I’ve seen is The Grudge which sucked, although it did have Bill Pullman playing a guy named Peter Kirk (The same name of the founder of Kirkland, WA). The Ring had a sequel but it’s attempt to clarify more things in the series only made it less interesting. You always have to keep some of the mystery, keep em guessing even after it’s over.

Dir: Robert Rodriguez
Cast: George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis, Ernest Liu, Cheech Marin. Salma Hayek, Tom Savini, Fred Williamson
Hot off of the success of Pulp Fiction what was Tarantino going to do? Another hard boiled pulp crime film? How about a gory a vampire fest? I don’t think anyone was expecting that to happen. Joining forces with Robert Rodriguez, Tarantino penned this supernatural thriller that’s half crime drama/monster movie and all kinds of awesome.

What’s really strange about From Dusk TIll Dawn is that it’s almost like it’s two movies. The first half involving the Gecko Brothers (George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino) kidnapping the Fuller family (Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis and Ernest Liu) lasts for quite awhile and it’s actually really engaging. Personally I think it’s even better than the purposefully off-the-wall second half, but that is what makes it a horror film and it’s undeniably entertaining. Basically I like to think of it has two half finished moves that got crammed together, it could’ve been more cohesive but it’s still fun for what it is.

Tarantino’s dialogue as usual is a delightful array of witty insights and well placed profanity that comes to life through the larger than life characters. You got Seth Gecko (Clooney) as the badass antihero, Harvey Keitel as the Preacher who’s lost faith, Fred Williamson as the hardened Vietnam vet, Tom Savini as the biker warrior… And they’re all up to their knees in blood, guts, and vampire strippers.

I have the screenplay to this one at home and constantly reference it to remember clever scenes and monologues. Reading a Tarantino screenplay is almost as good as watching an actual Tarantino movie. He would of course revisit horror to some extent teaming up with Rodriguez again to do Grindhouse, which although a little tiring was still entertaining. So will Tarantino ever do horror again? I don’t think he really needs to, he’s made his contributions and they won’t be forgotten.

Dir: Jonathan Demme
Cast: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Ted Levine, Scott Glenn, Anthony Heald
Out of all the film’s on this list none have as much gold to flaunt as this thriller, by which I mean “Oscar Gold.” Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director, Best Picture… Damn, this is one helluva of a heavy hitter! I guess it’s the first horror film to ever win best picture but then I start to think “Is there a difference between the thriller and horror genre?” It’s one of those movies that kind of defies one definite genre. Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Crime Drama, whatever it may be I think we can all agree that this is one disturbing foray into some very dark places.

Based off of Thomas Harris’ bestselling novel, Silence of the Lambs is a story of murder, cannibalism, wearing people’s skin and all that good stuff. It’s definitely more subtle thriller than a violent “in your face” affair and uses it’s fascinating characters to suck you into the mayhem. Jodie Foster is fully absorbing as the heroine FBI agent Clarice Starling while Anthony Hopkins is even more engrossing in his most famous and possibly best role to date. What is there to say about Hannibal Lecter? He’s an excellently crafted portrait of a villainous mastermind and yet he’s behind bars. What a concept that is and even with a mere 16 minutes of screen time he steals the show. Really he’s just a supporting character and yet he’s the most memorable part of the movie, a marvelous performance.

Though you can’t count out Buffalo Bill’s (Ted Levine) portions of the film. The infamous dance to Q Lazzarus’ “Goodbye Horses” has to be one of the most striking sequences of the whole film. Not to mention that pit he’s got down there and his whole “lotion talk”. That reminds me of all the great quotes in this movie. Almost too much to talk about so I’m going to cut this short, I’m hungry.

Dir: John McNaughton
Cast: Michael Rooker, Tom Towles, Tracy Arnold
There’s hundreds of serial killer movies out there but you’d be hard pressed to find one that’s more disturbing and realistic than Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. A controversial indie thriller based on the crimes of the real murderer Henry Lee Lucas, Henry is significantly scarier than any Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street. This as a real a portrayal of malevolent violence as you’ll ever see on the screen.

Henry (played marvelously by Michael Rooker) is a quiet, cold man who enjoys killing people, most notably his own mother. Living with his equally disturbed roommate Otis (Tom Towles) things get awkward when Otis’ sister moves in. It’s not long after this Henry introduces Otis to his way of life and soon enough the two begin to indulge on a spree of sorts, what follows is simply chaos.

This film was no stranger to controversy when repeated disagreements with the MPAA held it back from release. Technically Henry was complete by 1986 but it’s content made it a hard sell until it finally achieved a limited release in 1990. What happened when it did finally surface? Critical acclaim and a cult following, just goes to show that the MPAA knows nothing. This isn’t just another slasher it’s actually closer to a brooding drama with it’s complex emotions and excellent performances, check it out if you’re feeling brave.