Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews) In recent years, the horror genre has been plagued by more duds than gems. For every decent slasher film, there are scores of movies that barely deserve a second glance, much less a full viewing.
The reason for this is a conflict of interests that rarely compromise with each other. On one end, we have low budgeted movies that try to bring us back to the golden age of horror(circa the 1970s and 1980s) with their gritty kill-shots, fountains of blood, and enough bare breasts to make Hugh Hefner blush. On the other end we have high-gloss production houses putting out cookie-cutter horror stories, many with the dreaded PG-13 stamp.
With the release of Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet, we are given the best of both worlds; a movie made by fans(in horror afficionado/director Frank Sabatella), for fans, and with a dynamic production value to capture the guts, glory, and breasts, of the film for a stellar visual effect.
The story is as follows: A young girl named Mary Mattock(played by Patricia Raven) butchers her family for no apparent reason. We later learn that this is due to a physiological problem called Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder which makes PMS look like a walk in the park. The young woman(now played by Samantha Facchi) is sent to the King's Park Psychiatric Hospital, where she is raped by a hospital night-guard. She becomes pregnant, but loses the baby in child-birth. This brings on another intense bout of MDD in which she slaughters what seems to be all staff and patients at the hospital, and is gunned down by police.
The story brings us to the present, where high school kids celebrate that night of butchery by calling it Blood Night, and proceeding to paint the town red in a night of vandalism and excessive partying. The movie focuses on one group of kids, who decide to visit Mary Mattock, or as she is now known as Mary Hatchet, at her grave, and unknowingly release the ghost to wreck vengeance once again. One by one, the group is dispatched in various, high impact slaughterings, as they try to lay the spirit to rest.
Sounds simple? It's not, but who am I to ruin it for you?
This movie lacks in nothing for entertainment. The kill-shots are highly detailed, thanks to the superb special effects of Monster in My Closet special effects artist Jeremy Selenfriend and Harrington Talents virtual effects artist John Morena. Dismemberments, spinal readjustments, and blood washes all become intensely realistic by utilizing Selenfriend's definitive prop functions, from custom sculpted heads(and brains) to mouth interiors. To make sure these effects lack nothing on-screen, Morena utilized digital enhancements to help make the kill-shots pop off the screen with the addition of blood enhancements that were shot seperately, and then transcribed into the final edit. With these talented artists and the fantastic camera-work, the film popped off the screen, much to the glee of fans of gore.
There is humor interlaced into the horror, as well. Graveyard Gus(played by Bill Moseley) is nothing short of the drunken graveyard-keeper who drinks way too much whiskey and yaps about Vietnam. A conversation about Tom Jones between Alex(played by Nate Dushku) and Chris(played by Anthony Marks) had me giggling out loud. A male virgin wiping his brow with a pink, "Princess" pillow while getting frisky with a hot chick? This movie has it. The comedy is just enough to help the viewer fall into the comfort trap before being shown a decapitated head flying across a room. By balancing these bits of comedy into the horror, the bar of suspense is raised, because you never become too jaded by seeing an overflow of gore. Not that either way would be bad, but for Blood Night, comic relief makes the suspense grow. And lets not forget Eric(played by Billy Magnussen), who is the pinnacle of every sex-crazed high school guy we've ever known.
What's amazing is that all of these actors and actresses are able to turn their clown routines off when director Frank Sabatella calls for it, with great results of suspense. Let us not forget that scream-princess Danielle Harris, playing her part impeccably in the storyline as the knee-socked Alyssa, who can never seem to hold her liquor and brings back some intense stories of her time in school.
So what defines this movie beyond all others? High production, an extremely gifted cast, and intense kill-shots, all embedded into a suspenseful story-line where even if you think you know what is going on, you really don't. At the same time it's just good, head-jerking fun, a horror movie with serious overtones, but doesn't take itself too seriously. Think Wes Craven's Scream meets Lucio Fulci's The House By the Cemetary, and out of that seemingly scandalous affair comes its offspring, Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet.

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A group of teenagers celebrating the anniversary of the death of a local axe murderer suddenly find themselves face to face with the realities of this haunting urban legend.Long Island, 1978: A young girl named Mary Mattock gruesomely murders her family with a hatchet and is locked away for life in Long Island's notorious Kings Park Psychiatric Center.Ten years later, Mary escapes from the asylum, leaving a grizzly trail of bodies and blood in her wake.Gunned down by the police, Mary meets her own demise outside the sanitarium walls.This incident gave birth to the legend of Mary Hatchet's walking ghost and the mischievous night named in honor of her death, BLOOD NIGHT! Stemming from the real life Long Island legend of Mary Hatchet, Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet tells the tale of a group of teenagers enjoying their annual Blood Night festivities, when they come face to face with the reality of this haunting legend.One by one, the teens begin to disappear and meet their fate. As the body count rises, so do the unanswered questions about their missing friends and the secrets of Mary's horrifying past.Is there more to this legend than the vengeful ghost of Mary Hatchet?And if so, who will survive to tell the terrifying tale? Fueled by intense and energetic performances from Nate Dushku, Bill Moseley, Danielle Harris, and Samantha Facchi as Mary Hatchet, audiences are in for a non-stop splatter fest filled with sex, guts, and heads that roll!Blood Night puts a neck-breaking spin on the gory and gut-wrenching "slasher" pieces from the legendary decade of 1980's horror!
This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

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Goosebumps -The Haunted Mask (1995) Review

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(More customer reviews)Well, i figured it would be much eaiser to use the kids reviw-less time spent, more wrighting! A message to everyone who has not seen this movie - Your missing out on a classic. The move is about a girl named carly beth ( Wich in itself is creepy) who is allways getting picked on. Chuck and Steve,two classmates, are allways playing jokes on her, trying to scare her. Which by the way allways works. Carly Beth Wants to get eternal revenge on them for thier crule tricks, so, she goes out to find a scary mask. One day she stumbles into a novelty shop and basicly steals a mask. By the way, allthough this movie was made from smaller childeren, I found the mask scary. The artsits did a great job. It really looks real! Im a teenager and i was scared! Well, slightly anyhow. The rest of the plot developes into a halloween night of revenge and the creepy thruth about the mask at the end.
I rememeber seeing this episode when i was small, and it was hard to follow the plot twards the ending at a young age. The part when the store keeper ( wich by the way is a pretty good actor) explains how the masked got to be, didnt make sence to me untill i saw it recently, and its still a bit fuzzy. I recamend this to anyone. Unless they are like 4 and get sacred by anything like I was. However, I have never read Further than the first chapter in this book, wich is written wonderfly. I have heard that twards the end it tends to run off course a bit.
Carly Beth and her friend are pertrayed perfectly, as are Chuck, Steve, and all the other characters.
A Few Complaints:
1. The Acting is overall OK. I understand this was made for Tv and they are child actors, but they coudl have brushed up a bit. ( espacially in the scene where carly beth in studdering uncontrolably to the store keeper)
2. Just a little something that bothered me- The canadian acent. Personaly, I think the Canadian acent is an awsome acsent within itself, but in the movie it was a bit odd. Ex. " TELL CARLY BETH YOUR SORRY(SOOWREY)" in the grave yard sene, but hey it wasnt anything big!
3. The graphics are halariouse! THE PART WHEN THE HEADS ARE FLOATING IS JUST TOO MUCH! but hey it add to the feel.
Over all the message is this - YOU NEED TO OWN THIS EPIC PEICE OF ART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THEY REALLY DIDI A GREAT JOB ON KEEPING EVERYTHING CREEPY!!!!

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Carly Beth is quiet and shy -- easily scared and overly trusting.She's never seen such a great Halloween mask -- really scary, really creepy, and really life-like.She has to have it -- to scare those boys who tease and humiliate her all the time!And when she does get it, the mask is every bit as weirdly spooky as she had hoped it would be. But wearing the mask seems to be causing strange things to happen to her and other people.Can the mask -- the symbol of her revenge -- be the cause of it all?What strange powers could a Halloween mask have?Unwilling to give up the mask, or to believe that it could be evil, she keeps on wearing it -- only to discover one day that she can't take the mask off.Carly Beth and the mask have become one.

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Halloween: 30th Anniversary Box Set (1978) Review

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(More customer reviews)Halloween. What a perfect title for a Horror movie. It's hard to believe back in 1977 that there had never been any movie, let alone a Horror film, that incorporated that title. And what good usage it got. Written, directed, and even musically scored by John Carpenter (with great assistance by then girlfriend Debra Hill), this was truly a film that brought Horror to it's roots, leaving an impact that only George Romero's Night Of The Living Dead did ten years earlier. Showcasing a deranged killer by the name of Michael Myers who in childhood murdered his sister in cold blood on Halloween night, only to escape his asylum to return to his Illinois home to hunt down babysitter (and eventually known little sister) Jamie Lee Curtis 15 years later, was truly an amazing film that never exploited the genre, keeping the imagination and terror flowing within the viewers mind rather than blatantly on the screen. For it's time it was the number one profitable independent film ever made, and after almost thirty years, it still terrifies and never grows old. A true classic film. Every single DVD collector should own it....
But which one?
Not in the sense of sequels, but rather in which version of the original should you add to your collection. You see, this film has had the DVD distribution rights by Anchor Bay Entertainment (now known as Starz), and they have re-released this classic now a total of six times. So I would like to compare the two most popular versions to see which one should be for you, the "Restored" or the "25th Anniversary"
Starting with the "Restored" version, this DVD was authored way back in 1999. However, it was personally restored by Halloween original cinematographer Dean Cundey, trying to preserve as much of the look of it's original theatrical run. This version has been released a whopping three times. But for the film's "25th (2003) Anniversary", Anchor Bay remastered the film yet again for another release "Halloween 25", this time taking the remastering process in their own hands, something of which Cundey was not happy with. You see, comparing the two's video, you'll notice that each are different. One point is brightness and sharpness. In the Cundey version, overall picture is dark and not as sharp while for 25 the white levels have been raised and it's overall color saturation has been lowered. To me, while the original with it's dark blue hue running throughout looks good, at times it's hard to see certain shots in the dark. The 25th version has fixed that, even going as far as making the film look more natural. As for sharpness, the 25th beats it by far. Audio wise, each film seems on the same level, so a tie there, but it's the video that should be considered when purchasing: the Cundey-more true to the original film/the 25-a sharper, more realistic picture.
Next would be the use of the disc space. Restored is one of those discs that wanted to cater to the early 2000's audiences of giving them both a widescreen and a fullframe on the same disc. Because of this, the bitrate is pretty small for both presentations. However, the 25th is a 2 disc set that only offers on Disc One the Widescreen presentation, and it's Divimax as well. But to be honest, it's bitrate isn't up to say Superbit quality. It's better, but with a total of four audio tracks to choose from, the entire dual layer disc is only used by 75%, and that other 25 could have went to more video bitrate, but alas it's not. But to me, the bitrate still is higher on the 25, not to mention it's compression is four years younger than Restored, so 25 wins again.
Finally is Extras, Restored has a 30 minute documentary called Halloween Unmasked 2000, narrated by Twisted Sister's Dee Snider. Why is he on here than just being a popular fan, beats me. But on 25's second disc is a whopping 87 minute documentary called A Cut Above The Rest which expands on the original and gives much greater detail on the film. 25 also includes another ten minute featurette called On Location, going back to view all the houses and such that were used in the film that Restored does not include either. And if that wasn't enough, 25 has the original Laserdisc commentary by John Carpenter with additional vocals with Jamie Lee Curtis and Debra Hill. This might be the best extra 25 has over Restored, because it's got to be one of the most personal commentaries I've ever heard. Carpenter doesn't hold anything back, a must listen. And sure, both have the same trailers, TV Spots, and such, but again to me 25th Anniversary wins this one too.
But the main reason why I'm writing all this is because back in 2007, Anchor Bay decided to stop releasing the 25th Anniversary and instead re-issue the Restored version. Why, I'm not sure. Dean Cundey was never happy with 25, and maybe his name on the back of Restored's box was a selling-point, I don't know. Maybe the 25's cover was confusing buyers because it looks a little like sequel H20's version? But I do know for your money, the 25th Anniversary is still the best way to go. What's sad is to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the classic film, Anchor Bay is yet again double-dipping it's audience by releasing a six disc collection featuring Parts 1, 4, 5, the NBC-TV edit, the 25 Years Of Terror special and a Blu-Ray version of the original. But again, both the DVD and Blu-Ray (BD version rumored to be a video-hybrid of both) are from the 1999 Cundey master (but the Blu does have the Cut Above special and commentary too). It would have been nice if the DVD was the 25 so fans could have both versions, but no, 25th Anniversary seems lost now.
In conclusion, if you want the best overall 1978 Halloween package, go with the 2003 25th Anniversary Edition. More extras, a more realistic picture, and a commentary to die for. Ratings-wise then from me is:
Restored: (8.5/10)
25th Anniversary: (9.5/10)
Thanks for reading,
RedSabbath

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Titles Included:Halloween Restored original 1978 filmHalloween Extended Edition Halloween 4 The Return Of Michael Myers Halloween 5 The Revenge of Michael Myers Halloween 25 Years Of Terror SPECIAL BONUS DISC Halloween release

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Halloweentown High (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Halloweentown Trilogy is just as entertaining for adults as it is for children. I began to wonder if Disney would or could tie up the Halloween tales with a third and final installment. I can honestly say that once I got over the fact that the young cast had grown considerbly, I was happy to note that the storyline was just as entertaining as the others. Much praise goes to their writing team!! Disney has truly made modern classics out of these. The special affect of Grandma Aggie's bag turning into a crocodile is quite a computerized jump from the less sophisticated bag in the first movie. But all the movies seemed to have their own area of computerized magic.
It would be hard to choose favorites out of the three. They are all so wonderful, but if I had to: Halloweentown would be my favorite with Halloweentown High second and Kalabar's Revenge coming in a very close third. Nothing beats the excitement and sense of childhood adventure that could be experienced in the premier movie. But, Disney has out done themselves on giving each installment it's own unique storyline to capture the viewer's attention.
This is a nice clean trilogy with no gore or verbal language to worry about. I do not consider it one of those teeny bopper High School movies, since High School is just the setting not the true story line. I do wonder why Sophie's character was cut back more and not involved in the problem solving part of this movie as compared to others. (Maybe her schedule was not as open for her to come back?) The storyline did NOT suffer from this though. It was a joy to see the entire cast back together again. I am very happy to finally get a dvd set of these movies, since the only way I have watched them is taped off Disney. I will watch them a hundred more times!!!! I highly recommend this trilogy to families and school Halloween parties everywhere!

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Back to school's never been so cool or supernatural for Marnie (Kimberly J. Brown), her grandmother Aggie (Debbie Reynolds), and her family of witches in this latest chapter in the ever-popular series of HALLOWEENTOWN movies. When Marnie convinces the Halloweentown Council to send several teenagers to her high school in the mortal world, she even promises to give up her magic if any harm comes to them. But soon, Marnie and her new friends are in trouble and out of luck when the evil Knight Of The Iron Dagger appears. He's determined to destroy all things magical, and it's up to Marnie to save her high school, the human world, and her magic. For a bewitching good time, HALLOWEENTOWN HIGH is the perfect treat.

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Return to Halloweentown (Ultimate Secret Edition) (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)I thought this movie was good although I agree that Kimberly was missed. I too was disappointed.. But the new girl (Sara) did alright--> big shoes to fill don't you think? As far as Debbie goes she could get as much screen time as she wants.. She obviously did not want anymore than what she had. Remember she is really up in age now.. I know I am 50.. I have watched her movies since I was a little girl.. I very much missed her too in this movie.. I was more disappointed that "Sophie" did not a part in this but I was glad "Dillon" did.. All in all I liked it.. I hope to see more of Halloweentown with Young Sophie...??

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Witches, warlocks and haunted hijinks are just routine as Halloweentown nears its 1000th Anniversary.This year Marnie Piper and lil’ bro Dylan return as students at the prestigious Witch University. Marnie's cauldron of trouble immediately starts bubbling over. Not only must she deal with the pranks of three wicked witch classmates - the Sinister sisters- but someone is plootting to use Marnie's magic to take control of Halloweentown forever.

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Alien - Predator Total Destruction Collection Review

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(More customer reviews)Ok, so all the other reviews are whining about the lack of special features. Personally, I love these movies, they were the definition of Sci-Fi horror, well, until the AVP wastes.
But I have never watched a special feature, nor have i listened to a director's commentary. I just don't care about those things. I simply want these movies. This pack has them. if you want to own these movies, this is a GREAT deal.
If you care about what the director ordered for lunch on the 5th day of shooting, then spend twice the money and get the special super pack. If not, this pack is for you!

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Disc 1: Alien 20th Anniversary WS Disc 2: Aliens Long Version WS Disc 3: Alien 3 WS Disc 4: Alien Resurrection WS Disc 5: Predator PS Disc 6: Predator 2 WS Disc 7: Alien vs Predator Unrated WS Disc 8: Alien vs Predator 2 Unrated WS

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Halloween II (1981) Review

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(More customer reviews)Going against what my gut instinct was telling me about the current crop of "remakes" that keep springing up, I went ahead and got a copy of Rob Zombie's Halloween 2, which after viewing is the equivalent of Vince McMahon's (Brainstorm!) XFL, meant to improve on the traditional NFL. Like Vince, Zombie falls flat on his face!
What a total waste of effort(??)! Forget the obviously lame storyline! Zombie has taken the BEST parts of what I & others loved of John Carpenter's masterpiece and has profoundly spat on them, transforming & transposing them away from what made them appealing- Laurie Strode from a straight-lanced, innocently appealing & ultimately doomed heroine who we ended up rooting for to a foul-mouthed, UN-likeable blithering mess. Sam Loomis has been remade from a truly concerned savior, determined to stop his quarry (while being believably terrified of him at the same time)from spreading death & destruction into a greedy, uncaring opportunist. And what a howler THIS Michael Myers is......! Where-as he was a terrifying, shadowy form of living darkness in total control of his actions without expression or remorse in the original, Zombie's version is laughably inept, just another thuggish brute without the cunning or resilience of a true screen villian, led only by his childhood/"inner-self" visions/images to explain his actions (oh, so T-H-A-T's why he does & is what he is!!!!! I d-i-d-n-'t k-n-o-w THAT!). I'm not sure how much effort was made by Tyler Mane to "get into character" but you never really truly believe he's Michael Myers, or at least I didn't. Dick Warlock ('the Shape' in 1981's H2) was more convincing, emerging out of a dark corner with the occasional creepy head tilt while remaining stoic was all that was really needed.
The way I see it, the only real excuse for these re-makes (or are they re-boots???)is a set-up for a future "Michael vs Jason" clash!

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Rob Zombie's H2 (Halloween) picks up at the exact moment that 2007's box-office smash, Halloween stopped and follows the aftermath of Michael Myers's (Tyler Mane) murderous rampage through the eyes of heroine Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor Compton). Evil has a new destiny. Michael Myers is back in this terrifying sequel to Rob Zombie’s visionary re-imagining of Halloween which grossed almost $80 million worldwide. It is that time of year again, and Michael Myers has returned home to sleepy Haddonfield, Illinois to take care of some unfinished family business. Unleashing a trail of terror that only horror master Zombie can, Myers will stop at nothing to bring closure to the secrets of his twisted past. But the town's got an unlikely new hero, if they can only stay alive long enough to stop the unstoppable.

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Halloween - The Curse of Michael Myers (1995) Review

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(More customer reviews)An okay transfer of the movie on a bare-bones DVD.
Unfortunately, the makers of this disc decided NOT to include the alternate version that contains VERY interesting deleted and alternate scenes.
Check out the differneces here:
http://www.stomptokyo.com/movies/h/halloween6-pcr.html
Hopefully a Special Edition of this film will be released that will feature both the Theatrical and Producer's Cut versions of this film.

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For pulse-pounding suspense and relentless thrills, nothing can match HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS -- one of the most frightening chapters in the chilling HALLOWEEN series! In a single horrifying night, Michael Myers' masked reign of terror changed Halloween forever! Now, six years after he was presumed dead in a fire, Myers has returned to kill again -- and this time there's no escape! As the homicidal fury builds to a spine-tingling cliimax, the long-hidden secrets of the screen's most maniacal murderer are revealed ... with shocking results! Starring a thrilling cast including legendary Donald Pleasence (HALLOWEEN, THE ADVOCATE) and Paul Rudd (THE CIDER HOUSE RULES, CLUELESS).

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Halloweentown/ Halloweentown II - Kalabar's Revenge (1998) Review

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(More customer reviews)My daughters and I just love the Halloween season and there's no better movie to watch than this one. We can watch it over and over and never get tired of it. We always say we'd love to live in Halloweentown year round.(Too bad it's not a real town...or is it?) We're so glad it finally came out on DVD so now we can watch it whenever we want and don't have to wait until the one time of year for The Disney Channel to show it. I can't say enough about this movie. If you love Halloween I know you will love this movie too. :)

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Join Marnie (Kimberly J. Brown) and her grandmother Aggie (Debbie Reynolds) as they stir up a cauldron full of comedy and adventure in two Disney Channel classics -- HALLOWEENTOWN and HALLOWEENTOWN II: KALABAR'S REVENGE. On her 13th birthday, Marnie learns she's a witch, discovers a secret portal, and is transported to Halloweentown -- a magical place where ghosts and ghouls, witches and werewolves live apart from the human world. But she soon finds herself battling wicked warlocks, evil curses, and endless surprises. HALLOWEENTOWN DOUBLE FEATURE will charm pixies, trolls, and families everywhere every day of the year.

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Monster House (Widescreen Edition) (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)I just saw this film today (after missing out on a sold out sneak preview last weekend) and the increased level of expectation was met with one of the most rewarding moviegoing experiences I've had in the last five years. Monster House gives us one doozy of a spooky antagonist, a decrepit domicile of living malice that gobbles errant toys and passerby with equal ingenuity and viciousness.
The house is plain old MEAN, and for really small children perhaps a little too scary to take in a gigantic room filled with strangers and darkness. But for those of us who are too grown up for a nighlight this is perfect, creepy entertainment.
The same motion capture technology used to create The Polar Express (a film which I have still yet to see) is a very interesting and appropriate choice for this film, where the only truly fantastic element is the demented house that will not suffer trespassers. It works so well because the eerie realism that depicts the characters is so starkly contrasted with the insanity that ultimately drives the Monster House to be, well, so monstrous.
Now I fully expected to be entertained by the antics of the house, but I didn't expect there to be much of a story. Again I was pleasantly surprised by what I think is a script that I believe is just as worthy of an Oscar nomination as the script for The Incredibles was. There is, beneath the floorboards of this film, more heart than horror. A tale of love, retribution, acceptance, forgiveness, and ultimately letting go.
Monster House is, beyond a doubt, one of the coolest Horror movies for kids ever made. A Halloween tradition in the making that dares to answer that age old question: Can a house be haunted?
The answer is a resounding yes with a disquieting post script.
Whatever is haunted may also be hungry!

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Even for a 12-year old, D.J. Walters has a particularly overactive imagination. He is convinced that his haggard and crabby neighbor Horace Nebbercracker, who terrorizes all the neighborhood kids, is responsible for Mrs. Nebbercracker's mysterious disappearance. Any toy that touches Nebbercracker's property, promptly disappears, swallowed up by the cavernous house in which Horace lives. D.J. has seen it with his own eyes! But no one believes him, not even his best friend, Chowder. What everyone does not know is D.J. is not imagining things. Everything he's seen is absolutely true and it's about to get much worse than anything D.J could have imagined.

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The Witches (1990) Review

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(More customer reviews)"The Witches" is one of my favorite films. The film combines the substantial filmmaking talents of Nicholas Roeg with the wonderworking of Jim Henson and an unforgettable performance from Angelica Huston. Every time I watch this film, I find something new to like about it.
Since I have seen the film numerous times, I was a bit disappointed that the DVD did not contain any special features, such as a commentary from the filmmaker or one of the actors. Other than the most basic chapter selection, the DVD does not offer any of the bonuses that one would like to see. Fortunately, the film itself is so good that it is worthwhile to buy this disc in spite of the substandard packaging.
From the very beginning of the film, we are thrown into an imaginative world where witches reside in literally every small village and where no child is safe in any country. As the credits roll across the screen, Roeg treats us to a ride on a broomstick, to a witch's-eye view of the frozen Scandinavian countryside.
The film then introduces us to Luke and his grandmother, the protagonists of this tale. We learn that the grandmother has long been fighting the witches and even has lost part of her finger in the struggles. After tragedy strikes the young boy's parents, the pair travel to England, which is literally infested with witches. Fortunately, Luke has been well-warned how to recognize them and can play safely in his tree house when other children would be in grave peril.
The delicious irony compounds when the grandmother takes Luke to a seaside resort hotel for her convalescence. It is the precise time when all the witches of England are meeting under the cover of the Royal Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Children. In a closed-door session, the witches remove their wigs and uncomfortable, yet practical, shoes, letting us see them in all their repulsiveness. The Grand High Witch (played to perfection by Angelica Huston) reveals her plan to turn all the children of England into mice. Of course, the witch's plan goes astray, and tables are turned on all the witches in one of the most delightful scenes in all of modern cinema. Every time I watch it, I think to myself how much fun it would be to make a film like this one.
This is a charming, delightful film with enough diversions to keep children fascinated, told with enough skill to keep adults interested. It is a keeper, worth watching many times.

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From the great Muppet creator Jim Henson comes this classic bursting with enchantment and adventure. Academy Award winner Anjelica Huston stars as the Grand High Witch in this exhilarating tale.Year: 1990

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Trick 'r Treat Review

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(More customer reviews)People all over the webbins have been talking about Trick r Treat for some time now - exploring conspiratorial notions on why the film has sat shelved for so long while rhapsodizing about just how well X-Men 2/Superman Returns scribe Michael Dougherty's directorial debut works. Having recently seen the film, I can tell you that I know why the film sat for years: It's one of the more ruthless studio-funded horror films ever made. It's not very gory or explicit at all - but it has a truly, deeply, bad attitude. If William Gaines penned morality plays this venomous - to hell with the Comics Code. He'd have probably served time. Trick r Treat is overflowing with the kind of anarchic, mean-spirited hilarity that never sits well with the suits.
One of the reasons the film feels so vile is that the people who populate the tale feel so utterly real. It's really hard to explain without spoiling a lot of what makes it work so well, but - to give you an idea - director Michael Dougherty explained to us that one of the notes he received during the production process was that the children he cast were "too young". Couldn't he make the kids older? Couldn't he cast hotter? That's not to say that elements of the cast aren't flat-out "foxy" (witness the sexi-sexi of Lauren Lee Smith and Rochelle Aytes) but there are sequences in the film that work perfectly because they're not about plasticine twentysomethings. Again - I can't explain exactly what I mean without doing you a disservice - but when you finally see the film, you'll understand completely.
Trick r Treat has been described in certain quarters as an anthology film - but that's not wholly accurate. In truth, the film possesses a non-linear narrative structure - it's more a Pumpkin Pulp Fiction than a Creepshow copy (though the EC Comics connection this film shares with Romero's classic make them kindred spirits - and a great double bill). The film moves back and forth between tales that, at first, seem to be related only by the presence of the mysterious, malevolent little creature seen in the film's promotional materials. Over the running time, we come to realize that the tiny creeper pops up for a reason - and even that detail is something I don't want to spoil for you.
Despite the aforementioned EC Comics vibe (wherein the table-turning reveal that hands the petty thief or adulterous couple their just desserts is par for the course), the twisted twistiness of Trick r Treat still manages to surprise. At different points during the running time, the audience could be heard to speculate on how they felt some swerve might play out - very early on, I had an idea of how I thought the tale featuring Dylan Baker should end - but I was convinced that there was no way my resolution would fly. That Dougherty was able to do exactly what common sense told me would be excised by an executive before it was ever filmed completely negated my anticipation of the last shot. The sequence ended the only way an understanding of the horror genre dictates it should - but instead of feeling "been there, done that" - the payoff plays like the reward for sitting through all of the committee-created genre projects that lack the spine to do it right. Another reveal - easily the film's most glorious - made me feel like a complete idiot. Thinking about it now, I still don't understand why I didn't call it with a chuckle the very moment True Blood's Anna Paquin awkwardly stepped out of her fitting room to face the derision of her friends. At least I wasn't alone - by the end of her character's arc, the audience I was part of sat in stunned silence...then burst into reverent applause - a response based on elements converging in a perfect storm: a beautifully-shot and edited sequence featuring a fantastic revelation, a flawless mix of practical and computer generated imagery, an awesome character beat - and one super-cool line of dialogue. You could sell the film with that single scene...if it didn't give so much away.
The most brilliant thing about Dougherty's film is how it uses Halloween holiday iconography to craft iconic visuals (if the film received the 3,000 screen release it so richly deserved, really cool parents would be dressing their kids up as "Sam" for years). It's Jack O' Lanterns and autumnal golds and vacuformed masks and flame retardant costumes that tie in the back and urban legends and classic monsters and tainted candy and everything else you know and love about October 31st. As so many before me (including Dougherty himself) have said, this is not a film that takes place during Halloween - this is a film about Halloween. It's about the reason for the season. Dougherty says his hope was that his film could become a Halloween holiday perennial - the one you watch every year. And trust me - it is. I'll watch Trick r Treat every CHRISTMAS - because the film is a gift.
Jason Pollock

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The doorbell rings, the cry goes out: Trick 'R Treat! But, wait. What's actually going on during this ghostly All Hallows Eve? Something eerie and unexpected. Something splattered and spooky. Something that brings ghouls, vampires and werewolves into the night. Answer the door – a shocking surprise awaits. From producer Bryan Singer (director of X-Men and Superman Returns) and writer-director Michael Dougherty (co-scripter of X2 and Superman Returns) comes a multitale bag of wicked yarns, four cleverly interlocked stories built on Shocktober admonitions like always check the candy and don’t extinguish the jack-o-lantern before midnight. So answer the door now: Experience horror made for today's fright fan.

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Jeepers Creepers (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)Boy, do I feel slow on the uptake...I've seen this film twice now, and I just got the 'other' meaning of the license plate on the Creeper's truck. I guess if it were a snake, it would have bit me...oh well...I may not get there the quickest, but I will get there...eventually. Jeepers Creepers (2001) is a fun, interesting, stylistic film that runs out of gas about halfway through, but still had enough going for it to earn critical and commercial success, spawning a sequel, Jeepers Creepers II (2003) which broke Labor Day box office records for that year. Written and directed by the controversial Victor Salva, who also did the chilling horror film Clownhouse (1988) and Powder (1995), Jeepers Creepers brings to life (or death) a new figure in the Hollywood creature pantheon with the Creeper, a demonic looking figure that awakens every 23 years and feeds for 23 days, according to legend.
The film stars Gina Phillips as Trish and Justin Long as her brother Derry, traveling together by car a lonely and desolate country highway on their way home from college. After a scary incident with an old truck, the two witness a sinister, cloaked figure unceremoniously dumping what appears to body sized parcels wrapped in cloth and rope down a large, corrugated metal pipe next to a boarded up church. Also parked nearby is the same truck that nearly ran them off the road earlier. Once past the old church, the two begin to question what exactly they saw, but are soon joined again by the mysterious truck, more intent than ever now to ram their car, and drive them off the road. After losing the truck, the two go back to the church, despite Trish's protests, to investigate. Derry proceeds to do something stupid, and see something no human was mean to see...oh, he did confirm what they originally thought, that the figure was indeed dumping bodies down this large drain, but that's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. What other secrets are uncovered? What is the nature of the creature? Do Trish and Derry survive long enough to get help?
I thought the makeup and such on the Creeper looked quite good and suitably malevolent. And the revelations revealed about this character came at a nice, even clip as the plot unfolded. There were a number of minor points where one could argue that the plot is weak or very thin, and I would have a hard time disagreeing, especially during the last half hour of the film. I really enjoyed the scenes that focused on something in the foreground, but provided enough leeway on the screen to see something in the background, even if it was fuzzy and out of focus, before the characters on the screen understood what was happening. Cheap scares are had here, as things pop out `and go boo!' but there is also a nice build up of real tension throughout the film, along with a smattering of comedy, usually of the sarcastic kind, to temper the horror. The weakness of the film comes from the predictability of the second half of the film. The original beginning had brought forth high hopes, but these hopes diminished slightly as the film eventually tread the path repetition as most end up doing, but at least this one did so with style and professionalism most uncommon with those in the same genre. You may recognize Justin Long from TV's Ed were he plays Warren Parker Cheswick. It's pretty much the same affable character played in this film, but a little bit older and a little more cynical. Gina Philips is quite lovely, with her flowing, brownish hair and doe eyed appearance that conflicts with her more cynical than her brother attitude. Both actors did a wonderful job, showing a mixture of inherent and hard earned talent, the kind gained through lots of work and dedication.
The picture here, available in both wide screen and full screen, looks wonderful and crisp. Special features include theatrical trailers, a photo gallery, deleted, extended, and alternate scenes, behind the scenes featurettes (six), and a commentary track with director Victor Salva. Many of these features are located on the flip side of the disc, with the film being on the other side. I guess the one thing I took away from this film more than anything else is if you see a darkened figure dumping what appears to be bodies down a sewer pipe next to an abandoned church, just keep on moving. You can make a report at the next town, for sure, but avoid actually crawling into the pipe to confirm what you already know.
Cookieman108

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You can keep your doors locked. You can keep your eyes closed. But still, he'll get what he wants and what he wants is you. Brace yourself for "90 minutes of steadily mounting horror [that] delivers more than its share of honest chills" (The Baltimore Sun). From "the scariest opening sequence of any horror picture in recent memory" (Los Angeles Times) to "one of the gutsiest endingsto a film this year" (Dallas Morning News), Jeepers Creepers is the real deal in terror!On a desolate country highway, two homeward-bound teens (Gina Philips, Living Out Loud and Justin Long, TV's "Ed") are nearly run off the road by a maniac in a beat-up truck and later spot him shoving what appears to be a body down a sewer pipe. But when they stop to investigate,they discover that the grisly reality at the bottom of that pipe is far worse than they could have ever suspected and that they are now the targets of an evil far more unspeakableand unstoppable 'than they could have ever imagined!

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Halloween H20 - Twenty Years Later (Dimension Collector's Series) (1998) Review

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(More customer reviews)It seems that the only reason people say that this is the best Halloween sequel, and that it matches the style of the original, yadda, yadda, yadda, is because Jaime Lee Curtis revives her role as Laurie Strode. It is WAY overrated, and it truly boggels me why so many people give it *** stars and up. It's not scary AT ALL, and it doesn't even LOOK like it's taking place on Halloween. And it's just BORING. But I really can't give it under two stars. It's just not THAT bad. I wouldint reccomend it unless you feel you must watch every Halloween movie.

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This smart and suspenseful thriller scares up a bone-chilling good time with original scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis (TRUE LIES, HALLOWEEN I&II) and a hot cast of hip young stars! Now the headmistress of a private school, Laurie Strode (Curtis) is still struggling with the horrifying, 20-year-old memories of the maniacal killer Michael Myers ... when he suddenly reappears with a vengeance! And this Halloween, his terror will strike a whole new generation! Laurie's rebellious son (Josh Hartnett -- THE FACULTY), his girlfriend (Michelle Williams -- TV's DAWSON'S CREEK), and the school security guard (LL COOL J -- WOO, B.A.P.S.) will become Michael's newest victims unless Laurie can conquer her greatest fears and put evil in its place once and for all! The time has come again for you to experience the frightening fun of HALLOWEEN -- the motion picture series that totally redefined terror!

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The Worst Witch (The Movie) Review

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(More customer reviews)There are several reasons to buy this video, but none of the reasons have to do with this being a high quality film. It isn't. This movie is of very poor quality. It has cheesy special effects, including blue screen flying scenes,poor sound, and stupid songs. Fairuza Balk is delightful as Mildred Hubble, the worst witch at Miss Cackle's International School for Witches. Halloween is approaching, and the school is preparing for the visit of the Grand Wizard, a powerful wizard as well as heart-throb to the witch community. Mildred's arch rival Ethel manages to sabatoge Mildred throughout the movie, and an embarassing encounter with the Grand Wizard is inevitable, especially since Mildred has made the broom squad.
Don't buy this if you want a good flick.
DO buy this if it reminds you of how much you loved it when you were a kid, if you are a kid who loves Halloween, if you are a die-hard Tim Curry or Fairuza Balk fan, or if you are desperate to have something that will tide you over until the publication of the next Harry Potter book.
I love this movie. I'm just not sure why.

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WORST WITCH - DVD Movie

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The Little Vampire (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)Witty, well-acted kids flick that parents will enjoy as well.
A very winning cast, great location, superb kids' story to work with, good production make for some campy scariness for kids with entertainment for mom and dad as well. Charming little movie that appeals to the kid in all of us.The predicament of the cows really did make me laugh out loud.
The acting by one and all was excellent, especially Richard E. Grant as the head of the vampire family. He brought a non-threatening, yet nerve wracking (well, for kids, anyway) presence to the movie. His charming powers over Mrs. Thompson were hysterical, and the entire cast did very well with this movie.
One for the kids that mom and dad will enjoy sitting through, which is a rarity anymore, except for the likes of Shrek.
Oh, and I can't omit Rollo Weeks, as The Little Vampire himself. He was so charming, so perfectly nailed the role of Rudolph. As well as the role for arguably the cutest kid in movies, Jonathan Lipnicki, as Tony Thompson. The crush Anna had on him was acted out adorably by Anna Popplewell, as well. There was just great acting all around in The Little Vampire.
A job well done by all involved. Entertaining, campy, scary enough for the little ones without freaking them out even slightly, and still entertaining for the adults.

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Jonathan Lipnicki (Jerry Maguire, Stuart Little) stars as 9-year-old Tony who befriends a young vampire named Rudolph who asks Tony to help him find an ancient amulet that will grant Rudolph and his family their ultimate wish ... to be human again.DVD Features:DVD ROM Features:Original theatrical website; Ability to jump from the script to the scene in the movieFull Screen Version:Widescreen and fullscreen versions of the filmInteractive MenusOther:Three interactive kid-friendly games; Hilarious vampire and monster jokes; Easy-to-make recipes for spooky snacks; 5.1 Surround Sound and 2.0 Stereo SoundScene AccessScreen Saver:Cool flying vampire cow screensaver

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Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)First Review by Kayla and JJ (ages 6 and 7):
We really loved this movie. We have seen a lot of the Scooby Doo movies and all of the cartoons, and we think this was the best animated Scooby Doo movie so far. We give this movie 5 stars.
This movie is a little scarier than most other Scooby Doo movies, so kids under 6 years old might be afraid.
The movie had a lot of action and a good story. While the rest of the gang was not in as much of the movie, they did appear in the movie, so it wasn't just Scooby Doo and Shaggy like some other movies. We like to see the entire gang in the movies and cartoons.
Thank you for reading our first review.
Kayla and JJ

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What a predicament! The Amazing Krudsky, whose carnival tricks are anything but, steals the light magic from Princess Fairy Willow and it’s up to Scooby-Doo and Shaggy to stop him or everyone will be turned into horrible Halloween monsters! Our heroes board the Grim Reaper Railroad bound for the fantastic world of Halloween Land to retrieve the powerful Goblin Septer from the Goblin King before Krudsky can. Along the way, the Mystery Inc. crew encounters the infamous Headless Horseman, the helpful Jack O’Lantern and a frisky broomstick that takes them on the ride of their afterlife. Your house will shake with enchanted creatures and weird worlds in this merry animated adventure where hobnobblin’ with a goblin is frightful fun!

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