I usually try and find some kind of connection among the films in Bloody Streams (or one usually just forms as I write it), but I really don't think there is one this week. Maybe just randomness. Sometimes chaos is the only form of connection among things. However, there are some great films in store for you this week. A few I hadn't seen yet and a few more that I've seen numerous times each. Enjoy another dip in this week's Bloody Streams!!
Them (2007)
I’m not sure why I never saw this before or even really saw it advertised, because it’s really pretty damn good. Technically a home invasion film, it melds elements of The Strangers, You're Next with outdoors scenery and villains seen in the film Eden Lake. This time around it’s a young French couple being assailed by hooded figures that are constantly making animal noises in order to confuse their whereabouts. Supposedly “Based on a true story”, the film really shines in the quieter moments and shows just how intense these encounters really can be. The finale is nail-bitingly great and the “twist” at the end really kind of pisses you off if it was indeed a true story. If you have Hulu, I'd definitely give this one a go and, if not, keep your eyes out for a physical copy.
Haunter (2013)
The only reason I watched this was for the readers of Bloody Streams. Netflix has been pimping it out ever since its release. Every damn time that I open the app or my browser to Netflix – sitting there staring at me in my “Movies we recommend for you” area is this movie. I’ll say this: it could have been better and it could have been worse. It basically takes the concept of The Others and puts the twist right there in the opening scene. Yes, the family in this movie is dead, but, initially, only the daughter knows this fact. From there, we’re basically witnessing a normal ‘ghost needs help’ story in reverse. In this scenario, it’s a living breathing human being that needs help in order for this family to finally rest in peace. I wish that it would have been put into more capable hands, because that plot is a pretty cool and fresh take on the normal ghost story. Sadly though, the acting is really bad and the effects are made-for-TV worthy. This one sits firmly in the pre-teen zone.
Event Horizon (1997)
I absolutely cannot get enough of this movie. Since I was mesmerized by it in the theater, I’ve probably watched it 15 times. I read an article a few months back where the author was trying to rationalize his love for it. I was like, who the hell wouldn’t like this movie. Deep space, Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill, a shuttle that travels to hell, paranoia, ghosts, insanity, blood, guts; this movie has it all! If, for some strange reason you haven’t seen this (do so immediately), it’s about an exploration to find a space ship that vanished years back and has recently resurfaced. When they get on the ship they find out that some real bad shit went down. The further they dig and the longer they stay on the vessel, the more unstable the crew starts acting and the more dangerous their environment becomes. It’s a bloody and intense thrill ride so, climb aboard.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: A Family Portrait (1988)
With all of the talk lately concerning the release and re-mastering of the original The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I had to include the DEFINITIVE making-of documentary in this week’s streams. You all know that I love horror movies, I love documentaries and I love The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. So, because this movie mixes all three of those, it’s one of my favorites of that unique subset. Why is this the definitive doc on the subject? It features interviews with all of the main characters (Leatherface, Grandpa, Hitchhiker, Cook, etc.) and all of the amazing, behind-the-scenes stories from the set. Evidently, the shoot was a miserable, grueling, hot, messy experience, but one that was well worth the hard work. Possibly my favorite scene is a moment that was cut just before the dinner scene. Leatherface sneaks out of the dining room to freshen up his make-up and put lipstick on. It’s such a weird scene and one that I think could have stayed in the movie for an extra chill.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre – The Shocking Truth (2000)
If you didn’t get enough with the above doc, then this one should fill in some more of those gaps. This film is lower on my list, but only because I really enjoy the stories and detail that the other doc covers. There’s also a bit of a sour taste that this one leaves in your mouth concerning the monetary aspects of independent films. I’d much rather hear the anecdotes surrounding "the hook scene" than who didn’t get paid “what they were owed”; that’s just me. Like I said, though, they both offer great insight into the creation of one of the most intense and frightening films ever made.
Matt, Signing Out
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