Horror Movies 2009

It seems like we have alot of horror films coming out this year that are highly anticipated, and should I say, controverstial. Whether it is a remake of a classic horror film (Friday the 13th 2009 being the most discussed, debated, praised, and hated horror remake next to Halloween 2007), or a new cycle (Spider-Man's Sam Raimi returning to horror after almost 20 years with Drag Me To Hell).

We have a a variety of films coming up this year - from PG13 to 3D to remake (and sequel to remake) - and they all are getting mixed reactions (and some huge backlash) and some aren't even completed!

So far, we have seen My Bloody Valentine in 3D, a remake of a cult 1981 slasher film. The film, in my opinion, was the best remake of a horror film ever made (actually I thought The Thing and The Blob are the greatest remakes ever made). I wouldn't certainly say it's better than the original - they both have their strengths and weaknesses. But it's everything a remake should be - it shouldn't try to outdo the original, but either expand on the concept or provide a new twist on the story then be as entertaining as possible when executing the idea.

Then there was the Friday the 13th remake, which I was really looking forward too. The makers promised that the film was going to be a revamped version of the story, molded after the first four films. It was going to gory, scary, entertaining, and fun. The perfect remake. It simply wasn't. It really just recycled the cliches of the series (and slasher films in general), and added nothing new or entertained us with what we were eagerly expecting.

Now, here are the films I'm eager to see.

Drag Me To Hell: Sam Raimi is probably the icon when it comes to the quintessential horror/comedy. Evil Dead and its sequels (Dead by Dawn and Army of Darkness) are films that are simply just funny, scary, and entertaining to watch. Sam Raimi took a break from horror films after Army of Darkness in 1993 to pursue other projects. His closest thing to a horror film was the thriller The Gift in 2000. Then he entered the mainstream with the hit Spider-Man series. Now, aided by a strong lead (Alison Lohman), a hint of political commentary, and a mix of Raimi's trademark horror and humor, Drag Me To Hell promises to be the best new, original horror film that fans have been waiting for. And don't be thrown off by its PG-13 rating. That doesn't mean it's going to be a bad horror film. Poltergeist, one of the best, wasn't rated R.


Halloween II (AKA H2): I'm not going to call this a remake of the first Halloween sequel made all the way back in 1981. This is a completely new story, continuing the events of Rob Zombie's remake of the 1978 classic. While Zombie's film was essentially the same story as John Carpenter's film (with added backstory) the endings were totally different allowing for their respective sequels to go into different directions. While the first sequel was simply the first film set in a hospital, this sequel seems to take a psyschological approach to the slasher formula. This film deals with the mental and physical deterioration of Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor-Compton), after escaping death at the hands of her psychotic brother, Michael Myers. Meanwhile, Dr. Loomis (Malcolm McDowell) continues to hunt down the unstoppable killer. While Zombie's remake was a spin on Carpenter's iconic film, it was a REMAKE meaning that the fans of the original were expecting (and got) a film that has major set pieces from the original inserted into the new film. While, this film has a clean slate and can create something that can be a little more original and fresh while delivering the goods.

NOTE: I had a previous post (called H2: Halloween 2) voicing my own concern and backlash on the direction the new film was going in which is a completely different approach to the story and mostly the character of Michael Myers. But after reading intervies with the cast, crew, and mostly Rob Zombie I completely changed my expectations of the film. Why not see something new and fresh with Michael Myers? We've seen him so many times as this faceless, indestructible killer going around and stabbing people. While this film promises the visceral thrill of an intense horror film, it also promises to be one with a little more thought and attention to detail put into it. Rob Zombie is probably my favorite modern horror director. I never thought any of his films were anywhere near terrible, even though I didn't like his first film. But he seems to grow as a filmmaker and does seem to be a devoted fan of the genre. His approach to how he goes into his films is how every horror director should : a knowledge and love for the genre while adding your own style and twist on the conventions of the genre.


Sorority Row: While nowhere near being an absolute favorite of mine, I did enjoy the original film, entitled The House on Sorority Row. It was just a fun, creepy little slasher film. Along with 1980's Prom Night, this is one of the first REVENGE slasher films where the death of a character sets off this horrible killing spree so justice for the tragedy is served. This was once again popularized by 1997's I Know What You Did Last Summer. Since the original film is not very well known, everyone is claiming this is rip-off I Know... After viewing the trailer for this new film (which I thought was pretty awesome) this looks like a film that won't try to be better than the film... just a fun, thrilling companion piece and, may I say, a stylish approach to the 1980s slasher.


The Final Destination (AKA Final Destination 4: Death Trip 3D): Nothing new here... The Final Destination films are pretty entertaining to watch so putting the new one in 3D is definitely a huge draw to see the film.