Let Me In

Wow. Just wow. This movie was not what I expected, but this was in a good way. Apparently it was based on an older film that I have not seen, so I don’t know how it compares and will not talk about that. This movie is really a love story, with a vampire – who does not sparkle – and is deeply enthralling. Remember when you first saw My Girl? It was as beautiful and pure a romance as that, but had enough gore and killing to draw in the horror fan. This movie will probably be more appreciated by the females in the audience, but even if you are not a fan of love stories, the soundtrack and cinematography are impressive.

I know I’m jumping around, but I wanted to mention how well the vampirism is woven into the love story. The way the relationship/understanding with the boy (Owen) is shown it is obvious what he must do and how he must go with her. The girl (Abby) knew from the beginning what would happen if she let him into her life. It leaves you to wonder if she was merely manipulating him, but her seeming innocence and her protection of Owen shows that maybe she loves him too. You want it to be true so much, that you ignore the typical cunning and charm of the vampire of legend and see beauty of young love. It is an amazing clash of innocence and understanding that leaves you wondering if a twelve year old vampire has the mind of a child or the wisdom of the ages. Can something so powerful be so fragile?

The story progresses as it should and you know what will happen before it does, but it happens so beautifully that it doesn’t matter. The way the story is written you will feel what Owen does, you will fear for the vampire’s safety and be on her side of the fight for survival. I highly recommend this film to anyone who likes love stories or vampires; there is enough to keep both fans fascinated. I have never seen a film that explores childhood vampirism so well. I have not seen a film with love story that I enjoyed so much in years.

Check it out: http://www.letmein-movie.com/

Let Me In - Winners

Thank you to everyone who entered the random draw for tickets to Let Me In. We actually ended up with 3 double passes to give away and the lucky winners were: Heather Andrew Dunbar, Joanne Taylor, and Jeff Campbell.

I hope to see everyone who didn’t will this time at future screenings. Keep entering because you’re bound to win eventually!

Good Luck!
Mary-Anne

FREE TICKETS - REPLY BY MIDNIGHT

We got more free tickets from Alliance for a pre-screening of Let Me In tomorrow (Thursday) at 7pm at Empire 7 in the World Exchange Plaza! I have two double passes that I'll be giving away by random draw come midnight. Email mhartlin@gmail.com to enter!

Hallowe'en Ideas

Hey everyone!

We need input on what people want us to do for Hallowe'en. It will not be on the 31st because we want to be with our families or have other things to do, but we can host things that Saturday or anytime before.

The ideas we have so far are: Canmore Orchards, Saunder's Farm, holding a Zombie walk, trying to get a Haunted Walk of Ottawa tour (might be too late to book that), or just having a bash. Please let us know which one you would like to do and when or give us more ideas.

Thanks!

Devil: the review a little late, the movie a little lame …

So this is a review of the movie Devil. Being an M. Night Shyamalan movie you expect a twist, but this movie had none. From watching the trailers you know that the movie is about people trapped in an elevator and one of them is a devil. The movie is a ‘ten little indians’ remix with one character dying at a time until only one is left and you have to figure out who the devil is.

It’s a fun movie if all you are looking for is a straightforward, semi-suspenseful date flick, but it’s definitely not deep and meaningful. The moral is that you should be held responsible for what you do and that God/the Devil will get back at you if you don’t fess up. I didn’t really appreciate the fact that it was so in your face about the devil being real. If the movie had left the question of what the creature was it would have been a much more interesting ride than “God and the Devil exist and the devil wants your soul”. It seemed more like a lecture from my ultra-conservative parents rather than a horror movie. That being said, I didn’t hate the movie. I was actually disappointed that there was no twist.

Teaser for Human Centipede 2 in the Wild.

Well that title pretty much says it all... Not sure about this, looks like they might have fallen prey to "sequel-itis". And who the hell is that voice? Anyone who's heard interviews with Tom Six will tell you that's not his voice.  Some might even ask if it's racist. But without further ado I give you "Human Centipede - Full Sequence".






Thanks to Lydia for pointing this one out.

Update: Thrill the World workshop times announced

Getting geared up for Halloween? Stoked to shamble around town like a zombie? Are you wearing out the refresh button on old Michael Jackson videos or mucking about in a puddle of stove-top flesh-tone latex gone terribly wrong?

Tireless volunteers at TTW Ottawa have released a workshop schedule. Check their blog for times, locale and dates.

Movies - for free!

If you follow tech news, you may already know about this, but YouTube now has full-length movies - for free - on the site.

That's right, streaming "Hollywood" movies are available for streaming on YouTube, and not in 10 minute clips either. And they have a neat selection of some classic "bad" horror films, including the Original "House on Haunted Hill" starring the inimitable Vincent Price, and the classics "Wasp Woman" and "Attach of the Giant Leeches". Speaking of Corman films, there's also the original "Little Shop of Horrors" featuring a very young Jack Nicholson - sadly no "The Terror" though..

You can watch these on your computer right now here: http://www.youtube.com/movies/horror?p=1

Taming The Human Centipede

Fans lined up at the Mayfair in anticipation of The Human Centipede premiere. Some of the 200 attendees had already seen the film, perhaps during the small theatrical run in Toronto. Just as many people in line were pleasantly unprepared for what they were about to see.

There was a lot of laughter as the film is surprisingly comedic, and the laugher continued throughout with any mention of the ‘beloved 3-dog’. The demented surgeon role was so vile and elegantly crafted, that without his adoration of his deceased pet, he would have been far too unsettling as a character. Inspired loosely by ‘Angel of Death’ Josef Mengele, there is no other way to feel anything resembling sympathy for him other than the loose association that he truly loved his dog(s).

Applause erupted during many scenes, but none compared to crowd cheering along with the mad doctor when he wakes his creature, and it stands for the first time. In the glory of his full-on Dr. Frankenstein moment, actor Deiter Laser captures manic pride in a wholly electric performance.

In conversation with Ottawa Horror and friends after the show, Laser was referred to as the new Udo Kier. Certainly, there are similarities; however, Laser has his own impressive body of work and it is far too soon to lump them together based on appearance and genre. For the uninitiated, if you liked Laser, you will love Kier.

Further conversation debated the medical accuracy claim. Medically accurate and medically possible are two different things. The operation itself being a ‘success’ is definitely up for interpretation.

The introduction of the two girls is classic horror movie style in that you nearly want them to die. They describe much of what is wrong with the world with helplessness, plastic personalities and annoying voices. Approaching the movie with a hint of the plot line, you know the villain does not want to kill them. Quite the opposite, you know the goal is to keep them around. It is an interesting mind-twist and soon enough, you forget their need of high heels and cell phones - they quickly become 'everyman' by nature of their torturous confinement. One would not fear their death in this situation, and as the male ‘lead’ proves, remaining alive is all too terrifying.

Thankfully, the story is not over-sexualized. With the neat omission of any genitals and only very brief glimpses of breasts, it is by grace and good taste alone that they did not go there. Where The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) will take us in 2011 is anyone’s guess. Internet Movie Database lists Seth MacFarlane as the narrator in the upcoming sequel leaving much to the imagination.

Controversial, certainly. Thought provoking, yes. Warped, wrong, sick, waste of time – not at all. At the end of the day, it is thoughtfully filmed and perfectly scripted. The actors involved certainly bring every ounce of talent imaginable to every moment on screen. ‘Turn Brain Off – Insert Movie’ does not apply. This one makes you think, whether you like it or not.

The Winners are...

And the winners in our "The Human Centipede" contest are:

Cameron Delory and Elaine Scovill!

They've both won two tickets to see the Premiere of "The Human Centipede" this Friday at the Mayfair Theatre.

Even if you didn't win, come on out. We've got more prizes to give away at the show!

Hatchet II - Trailer

Adam Green is back with a sequel to his 2007 straight to DVD slasher flic Hatchet. The first film was a lot of fun, starring Kane Hodder (best known for his role as Jason Vorhees from Friday the 13th Part VII and up) as Victor Crowley. Hatchet is a throwback to early 80s slasher films and is one of the few films responsible for the resurgence of this sub genre of horror film. Hatchet II is due in theatres October 1st, 2010, and its unrated!

"Adam Green’s Hatchet II picks up at the exact moment that 2006′s Hatchet ends, wherein the quiet but hot-tempered Marybeth (Danielle Harris) is in a small boat in the Louisiana swamps, screaming for her life as she tries to free herself from the clutches of the deformed, swamp-dwelling killer Victor Crowley (Kane Hodder). Crowley has murdered Marybeth’s family and other fellow vacationers who had come together on a tourist excursion in the swamplands outside of New Orleans.

Marybeth escapes from Crowley and manages to make it back to civilization, where she once again encounters voodoo shop proprietor Reverend Zombie (Tony Todd), who had helped to arrange Marybeth and company’s earlier, ill-fated tour of the area. To help Marybeth and also serve his own secret agenda, Reverend Zombie recruits a hardened pack of hunters to head back into the swamp to seek revenge on Victor Crowley."

Head over to IGN to see the newly released RED BAND Trailer!

Thrill the World, yes. Zombie Walk, not yet

Thrill the World Ottawa headquarters will be releasing their upcoming Thriller workshop schedule on their website soon. There will be two zombie-infested, Jackson-inspired, Thriller dances, with the larger and more public event happening at 7:00 p.m on Sat. Oct. 23, 2010. Check the world headquarters too, as information may change.

Last year, the event was successful, and the accompanying zombie walk from the Beechwood Cemetery drew fascinated onlookers. Although the two events shared some participants, they were coordinated by separate groups.

At this time, no official walk is running outside of the massive Thiller event. With a little luck, fake blood and a whole lot of planning, we will see the undead hoarde march again.

In previous years, some storefronts in the Byward Market were reportedly defaced. Though 2009 zombies learned to keep their hands to themselves, it does show that sometimes the only thing on a zombie walkers brain is... more brains.

Walks and mobs do require permits from the city, and from what we have been told, no permit was obtained last year. We will be posting more as updates roll in, and if you have walk news, let us know.

Learn the moves and get coordinated in the upcoming Thrill the World Ottawa workshops, and if you wish to volunteer, feel free to drop them a line!

Win a chance to see "The Human Centipede"

Don't forget, Ottawa Horror presents the Ottawa Premiere of "The Human Centipede", this Friday Sept. 17th at the Mayfair at 9:45 PM. Want to win tickets to see it? Here's how - Ottawa Horror is giving away two sets of tickets to the screening. All you have to do is email us at contests@ottawahorror.com with the answer to the following question:

"What is director Tom Six's "claim" about this movie?"

We'll take entries until Wed. Sept 15th, and then draw the winners. Simple, huh?

And if you don't win, don't worry - we've got prizes to give away there too!

Rare Exports - Trailer

Brilliant!!!! Came across this early this morning while perusing through my regular sites. Rare Exports is a Finnish film thats due to hit the Toronto International Film Festival this year. It's release overseas is set for early December, but I think, much like Dead Sno, we'll get it as a direct to DVD\Blu Ray early next year.

"Way up north in Finland, right on the border with Russia, lies one of Santa Claus’s ostensible homes. For the last couple of months an international team of “archaeologists,” working for Subzero Inc. and led by a weird Brit (who bears an unsettling resemblance to the Nazi officer in Raiders of the Lost Ark), has been mysteriously digging away at a large hill, wreaking havoc on the environment.

The locals, mostly Samis and Laplanders, are furious. The annual reindeer round-up, which happens a few days before Christmas, has been ruined, dealing a devastating blow to the local economy. Especially annoyed is Rauno, a single father who’s struggling to make ends meet and deal with his imaginative, physically underdeveloped son, Pietari. Though he doesn’t totally fit in with the community, Pietari is insatiably curious and notices things that others don’t. Specifically, he’s realized that the dig is somehow related to Santa Claus, but this isn’t exactly the Santa from animated Christmas specials or nineteenth-century American doggerel. This Santa is, to put it mildly, a little harsher."

Make sure to visit the Official Rare Export Website for more information!

The Official Trailer:

Also, if you think this is cool (which I did!), check out the 2 shorts by the director Jalmari Helander which are what the film is based on.

Short #1

Short #2

Sources: Twitch, Slash, TIFF

Resident Evil: Afterlife - Review

Well, I got out to see an advance showing of Resident Evil: Afterlife last night. Before I tell you what I thought though, let me explain what Resident Evil is to me. Resident Evil is the longest running zombie killing video game franchise, a franchise I'm very fond of. The movies, although far from perfect, have always been a guilty pleasure... I mean c'mon, hot chics, big guns and lots of the undead. Each of the films had its own merits and was fun for what it was. The first film was written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, and was a triumph for video game to big screen adaptations. The second film however, fell of the tracks with first time director Alexander Witt (hasn't qactually taken the director's chair since). The third film arguably my favorite, was directed by Russell Mulcahey (Highlander). So what did I think of the fourth installment? Once again Paul W.S. Anderson writes and directs what I can easily call a close to perfect 3D zombie epic!

In a world ravaged by a virus infection, turning its victims into the Undead, Alice (Jovovich), continues on her journey to find survivors and lead them to safety. Her deadly battle with the Umbrella Corporation reaches new heights, but Alice gets some unexpected help from an old friend. A new lead that promises a safe haven from the Undead takes them to Los Angeles, but when they arrive, the city is overrun by thousands of Undead - and Alice and her comrades are about to step into a deadly trap.

First lets address the 3D. We all laughed when Anderson stated that Afterlife was going to be a high calibre 3D piece, filmed in true 3D, not converted. On top of this, if you know me, you know I absolutely hate the 3D trend. So here's the thing... yeah I'm gonna say it... Resident Evil: Afterlife's 3D is as good, if not better than the 3D in Avatar! The 3D in Afterlife is as close to perfect as I can hope to ever

expect from film. It's at that point where you don't even feel the glasses anymore that you realize that the film has hit a home run (technically). I can't stress enough that this film needs to be seen in 3D!

Next, the performances... excellent on all counts. I mean c'mon Ali Larter and Mila Jovovich, they're very easy on the eyes, but they really took to their parts. Noteable performances from Shawn Roberts (as Wesker),Boris Kodjoe (Luther West), and Wentworth Miller. Resident Evil is supposed to be cheezy fun, but I found myself actually caring about a lot of the characters... and when a certain somebody comes walking out of the sewer at the end (no matter how improbable), I cheered inside!

The FX work was also top notch. Some of the CG on the wormy mouth stuff was a little rough in areas, but really not noticeable if you let yourself be taken by the film. The gore isn't over the top, which is a little disappointing, but the film itself makes up for that. Axeman is fantastic, and even the dogs were well done. The zombies looked great, but the action was so intense, you really didn't have time to study any great detail. The horde scenes looked friggin amazing... and I have to say, everything I thought looked super cheezy in the trailers... well, it all really came together, and worked great in the film!

Oh, and I can't not mention the score... WOW, the score is an adrenaline boost from start to finish. Remeber the first Resident Evil... the distorted heavy tracks that really helped complete the experience. Afterlife has one of the best scores I've heard in a long time! It's heavy, fast, and it totally fits the pace of the film!

I'll be honest, after the first 20 minutes of the film I wanted to push "pause" because I just couldn't wait to talk about what I was seeing! I haven't felt like that in a long time. Resident Evil: Afterlife is by far the best genre film to be released this year... easily, and dare I say its definately in my top 5 for the year... and also the best of the series! If you liked any of the past films, you will absolutely love this one! Resident Evil: Afterlife is not just another zombie flic, its also a kick ass action flic!

Warning: I'm gonna kinda give you a little spoiler here... Afterlife clearly sets you up for a sequel, in fact it ends abruptly, just as something big is starting up. Fortunately though, I was so satisfied with the overall experience, I felt nothing more than a pinch of excitement at the thought of more to come!

I enjoyed the hell out of this film and am giving it a 4.5 out of 5

Resident Evil:Afterlife - We've got your pass!

Four words: Milla kicks Zombie Ass!

That's right, Ottawa Horror and the good folks at Alliance films have five double passes for you folks to go see Resident Evil: Afterlife in 3-D, this Thursday, September 9th at 7:00pm at Silver City.

So here's how we'll play it. The first five people to email or DM us on twitter with the answer to our skill testing question, win the tickets. And our skill testing question is:

Ali Larter returns in this instalment play which character, who is also a recurring character in the  RE video game franchise?

Send your answers now to contests@ottawahorror.com or DM us @ottawahorror!