Winter Horror Part 3

Dead Snow
Dead Snow is a fun, silly film concerning a group of college students holidaying in a remote cabin. They unearth a box of treasures, which they soon discover is linked to a local legend involving undead Nazis. The surprisingly tough youth proceed to take on hoards of angry Nazi zombies, and it's this unexpected badassery of our main characters that gives this movie its best scenes. I haven't watched the sequel yet, but I've heard it's bigger and better in every way. As this first film's set the bar pretty high, I could only imagine what joys #2 will bring.

Unnatural

A genetically modified polar bear escapes its Alaskan lab and heads for a small, isolated tourist lodge in southern Alaska. It proceeds to massacre year round residents and obnoxious guests alike. The acting in this one is better than expected, particularly from veterans James Remar and Twin Peak's Sherilyn Fenn. Ray Wise also has a small role, although it's little more than a cameo. Unfortunately, the saying's true: a monster movie is ultimately only as frightening as its monster. And this polar bear is oddly cute even when dispatching its victims in bloody manners. Ultimately, I never bought into the idea that this bear was particularly big, smart, or vicious. Thus the characters' fear was never really palpable to me, making this film just so-so.

It's got a really neat poster though.

The Brood

The Brood is typical early Cronenberg, and I mean that in the best way possible. Oliver Reed is as beautifully over the top as always as a psychiatrist treating Nola (Samantha Eggar, Curtains), who begins gruesomely birthing (they grow from sacs on her skin) "children" (actually small, demonic homunculi). These creatures are manifestations of repressed rage at those in her life whom she believes have let her down or betrayed her. Her estranged husband, Frank (Art Hindle, Black Christmas), must protect their daughter, Candice, from her mother and new "siblings."

The Brood is classic Cronenberg body horror through and through, and the director makes great use of snowy Canadian settings which add to the overall chill of the film. The rage children are legitimately creepy creatures and the menacing climax where Candi tries to escape a room full of them is nail biting.

The Brood is easily one of Cronenberg's best features and perfect for fans of the director or body horror in general.