Winter Horror Part 2
Shredder
A lot of people really don't like this movie, and I honestly understand why. It's clearly just a late-to-the-game post-Scream slasher cash grab with bad acting, paper thin and (generally) unlikable characters, and a painfully not scary killer (whose motive appears to be that they prefer skiing to snowboarding...). Still, I enjoyed it. There was an interesting portrayal of female friendship, one that deserves a more in depth review than I plan on giving today, and a few good kills, plus that snowy setting I always love. Sure it's inept and soulless, but it's a goofy and fun watch if you keep your expectations in check.
Dreamcatcher
Dreamcatcher is a weird film. Based on the novel Stephen King wrote while recuperating from an accident that almost took his life, it's expectedly uneven. Still, there are a few high points, including the acting. The central cast of four (played marvelously by Thomas Jane, Timothy Olyphant, Jason Lee, and Damian Lewis) is strong; they have good chemistry and are believable as life-long friends. The flashbacks to their childhood and their mysterious friend, Duddits, are also strong points. Honestly, if the entire story could have just consisted of those flashbacks plus the friends' winter cabin reunion, I would have loved it. Unfortunately, the military/alien plot comes along and the film suffers when the story shifts to this grander scale. Still, I recommend watching it at least once, if only for the glimpse of the story it could have/should have been.
Curtains
Curtains is another film that could have been a lot better than it turned out. That being said, this 1983 slasher is still pretty entertaining. Its plot revolves a group of actresses gathered at the secluded estate of a sketchy director to vie for the starring role in his next film. Flaws and all, I find it to have lots of rewatchability value. Although the film featured many behind the scenes troubles that led to it not reaching its full potential, Curtains still features one particular great kill at a frozen pond as well a terrifying hag mask worn by the killer that make it worth a view by slasher fans, especially now that it's available in a cleaned up print on blu ray.
Devil Times Five (aka Peopletoys)
I'll be honest with you. I don't love this movie. It's the second movie on this list that was a hot mess behind the scenes, and I don't think it turned out nearly as well as Curtains. That being said, this killer kid flick is a snowy winter-set horror film and a lot of people do like it, despite its flaws. I always wonder if maybe I was just in the wrong mood when I watched it and eventually plan on giving it another shot...maybe. It does feature a young Leif Garret and the recently deceased Shelley Morrison, most famous for her role as Rosario on Will & Grace.
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| Terrible box art |
Dreamcatcher
Dreamcatcher is a weird film. Based on the novel Stephen King wrote while recuperating from an accident that almost took his life, it's expectedly uneven. Still, there are a few high points, including the acting. The central cast of four (played marvelously by Thomas Jane, Timothy Olyphant, Jason Lee, and Damian Lewis) is strong; they have good chemistry and are believable as life-long friends. The flashbacks to their childhood and their mysterious friend, Duddits, are also strong points. Honestly, if the entire story could have just consisted of those flashbacks plus the friends' winter cabin reunion, I would have loved it. Unfortunately, the military/alien plot comes along and the film suffers when the story shifts to this grander scale. Still, I recommend watching it at least once, if only for the glimpse of the story it could have/should have been.
Curtains
Curtains is another film that could have been a lot better than it turned out. That being said, this 1983 slasher is still pretty entertaining. Its plot revolves a group of actresses gathered at the secluded estate of a sketchy director to vie for the starring role in his next film. Flaws and all, I find it to have lots of rewatchability value. Although the film featured many behind the scenes troubles that led to it not reaching its full potential, Curtains still features one particular great kill at a frozen pond as well a terrifying hag mask worn by the killer that make it worth a view by slasher fans, especially now that it's available in a cleaned up print on blu ray.
Devil Times Five (aka Peopletoys)
I'll be honest with you. I don't love this movie. It's the second movie on this list that was a hot mess behind the scenes, and I don't think it turned out nearly as well as Curtains. That being said, this killer kid flick is a snowy winter-set horror film and a lot of people do like it, despite its flaws. I always wonder if maybe I was just in the wrong mood when I watched it and eventually plan on giving it another shot...maybe. It does feature a young Leif Garret and the recently deceased Shelley Morrison, most famous for her role as Rosario on Will & Grace.
Bonus!
I just watched Cold Prey 2, and it is fantastic. Set mostly in a soon-to-be-abandoned hospital, it's possibly even better than the first. Definitely check it out.
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