25 Halloween Horror Films You May Not Have Seen That You Should

It’s Halloween! One of my favorite times of the year! I was going to post a Top 100 Horror films or something like that and list the films that everyone has seen.. You know.. Halloween. The Shining. Alien.  Dawn Of The Dead. American Werewolf In London. The Howling. Psycho. The Omen. Phantasm. A Nightmare On Elm Street. Nosferatu. The Ring. Hellraiser, The Exorcist. Salem’s Lot. Christine. Henry:Portrait Of A Serial Killer. I could go on and on and on., but I decided to put films that I think a lot of people have not seen. I’m not claiming these are all ‘classics’, but they have something good enough about them that I put them on this list of sleepers and semi-sleepers.

If you’re in need of a Halloween horror film to watch tonight, you might try one of these. Repulsion is even playing on TCM in the wee hours tonight.

25 The Ward (2010)(John Carpenter has made some REALLY mediocre flms in recent years… No, he’s made some real crap, what am I sayying. I had heard nothing about this one before I saw it recently and it surprised. It’s better actually knowing nothing about it. I spent most of the film thinking how far the old master has fallen until he throws in a little twist right at the end that changed my opinion on everything that had occurred in the film. It’s shlocky and a little mean spirited at times, but Carpenter has a purpose here. Plus there’s a load of hot chicks in the film. Nothing wrong with that. It’s interesting though,  to compare this to Zack Snyder’s all CGI FX, absolutely no substance  ’Sucker Punch’. There are a lot of similarities while being at polar extremes)

24 Black Christmas (1974) (Bob Clark’s other Christmas movie.)

23 The Beyond (1981, Released in the US in 1983) (Italian horror filmmaker Lucio Fulci was a fan of the surrealist movement, so all of his films don’t always make sense, but this one holds together enough for a passable story about a New Orleans hotel built on the gateway to Hell. One thing you can also expect is some hardcore gore and Fulci delivers in The Beyond. Some of the FX are not so well done. The Tarantula attack on the paralyzed guy comes to mind. However, there are some scenes that are of the “I might need to turn my head so that I won’t have that gruesome image in there for the rest of my life” variety. And that poor little red headed girl! For me, that particular killing (of the possessed girl) ranks among the most gruesome horror killings of all time. It even crosses the line, given that it’s a kid. This film isn’t for everyone. If you’re not a hardcore horror fan, forget I recommended this.)

22 Waxwork (1988) A fun film if you love monsters of all varieties. Tongue is firmly in cheek in this one, but there are some dark, dare I say ‘twisted’, scenes in this. Review pending for this one.)

21 Let Sleeping Corpses Lie (1974) (A European zombie flick from the 1970s! Do I need to say more? Yes? Okay… This film actually has several titles depending on where and when you are seeing it. ‘The Living Dead At The Manchester Morgue’ is one title, for instance. I didn’t care for this the first time I saw this, but it grew on me. There is an ‘environmental’ message/warning  in the subtext (and a bit subversive, too), but the main draw of a zombie flick is the zombies. This one does a great job at creating a very powerful feeling of dread. You never have a sense that things are going to ‘work out’ for anyone in the film.

20 Pumpkinhead (1988) (FX GENIUS STan Winston makes his directorial debut with Pumpkinhead and it’s a pretty good film. There is some bad acting here. The main characters do an adequate job, but it does feature the worst actor I’ve ever seen in ANY film… The “Dooon’t— make — me — haff — ta’—keeeel— you.” guy. But even if the entirefilm was filled near bursting with sub-par, nay, crap actors, the FX, and a modest budget at that, STILL bring this movie up to respectable levels. Has one of the better movie witches, not to mention an AWESOME demon that is the title character. How often do you have a movie monster… of the ‘creature’ variety… that has such a sick sense of humor? Pumpkinhead toys with his victims, even checking the pulse of one to make sure he’s done the job. GREAT, GREAT movie monster. It’s a shame the sequels sucked so bad.)

19 Bunny Lake Is Missing (Horror of the  psychological variety. The crazy person at the end is a little bit of a letdown, going into cliched crazy person territory, but its still an excellent film. The paranoia that the film creates is very well done.)

18 Frailty (2001)(Bill Paxton’s film directorial debut and it’s a good one. The commentary is interesting on this one, though, especially about Jim Cameron’s suggestions. They’re so obvious and the film would have failed miserably without them. With them, this is a classic horror film with a brilliant twist. Probably worked better when Matthew McConauhey  was still relatively unknown.

17 The Lair Of The White Worm (1988) (Just a weird movie. That’s my whole recommendation for this one.)

16 In The Mouth Of Madness (1994)(My second Carpenter film on the list. This time he takes on H. P. Lovecraft style horror with the film having the story within the story become the story if that makes any sense. This one is creepy to the point of not being entirely enjoyable. It’s rather sadistic with a capital ‘sadist’.)

15 Lord Of Illusions (1994)(Clive Barker’s second best film? I really like this movie. Sure it’s flawed, but it while it doesn’t always deliver on scares, it’s still a fun film. Scott Bakula is surprising in the lead and he gets much help from his supporting cast even if he doesn’t need it. Kevin J O’Conner is great in this as he usually is and Famke… Ohhhh Famke. She is spectacular in this. See also ‘Deep Rising’ for the pair in supporting roles in a great horror flick.)

14 The Night of The Hunter (1955) (This is Charles Laughton’s only credited film, which is a shame. It’s a brilliant film. Mitchum plays one of his all time best heavy roles as the diabolical Harry Powell. There is something about some films where the ‘monster’ is menacing children and no one believes them when they try to illuminate the threat. There are some outstanding visuals that I know HAD to have influenced later horror flicks like “What Lies Beneath”. Great movie.)

13 The Vanishing (1988) (AKA Spoorloos… And this is the ORIGINAL, not the sucktacular remake. It’s hard to believe the director was involved with both.)

12 The Blob (1988)(Not quite eclipsing the original classic film as thoroughly as John Carpenter’s The Thing overshadowed that original, but still a good remake. It does end up with maybe the roots of the ‘GRRRRirl POWER!’ films that later began cropping up in the late 90s and 00s, but doesn’t detract from this as a solid horror flick.)

11 The Body Snatcher (1945)(I think this is my favorite Karloff film. The ending has a considerable amount of  ghoulishness to it that makes the entire film worthwhile. Karloff was the master of playing creepy characters and he is really creapy here as a grave robber who steps it up a few notches. He had a great horror movie voice and delivery. I think I liked Lugosi here as much as I liked him in any other film, also.)

10 The Hunger (1983)(Tony Scott’s stylish pseudo-vampire flick featuring David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve. She has two on this list. I think I got the film’s metaphorical element, but it sells enough ‘creepy’ that you don’t have to completely understand it to enjoy it. This definitely isn’t for kids, though. It’s polished, but is gruesome in some ways. )

9 The Funhouse (1981) (My favorite Tobe Hooper film, I think. Still extremely subversive, but I think Hooper understood that the teens were the protagonists in this one, unlike his earlier work.)

8 Silver Bullet (1985) (Not the best werewolf flick, but as much fun as most any horror movie you’ll find. Combines some 80s style tongue in cheek humor with a few genuinely scary moments. As much flack as Corey Haim got as being one half of the Two Coreys, he was a pretty good actor. He is at his best here as the paralyzed protagonist. The film is far more suspenseful than most in this sub-genre of werewolves.)

7 Repulsion (1965) (Roman Polanski’s first English speaking film and it’s a doozy. Like the Ward, this is probably best if you don’t know anything about it. Holds up surprisingly well for a 60s film. Could be used in college film study courses.)

6 Something Wicked This Way Comes (Another ‘kids in peril but no one will listen to them’ story, this one being written by legendary genre scribe Ray Bradbury. It’s a Disney film, but works as an all ages kind of horror film. The theme of fathers and sons plays a very large part in this. Jason Robards was always one of my favorite actors, playing one of the two boys’ father in this. Jonathan Pryce makes a pretty good Mr. Dark, too. Speaking of ‘Dark’…)

5 Don’t be Afraid Of The Dark (2011) This didn’t burn up box office ticket sales, but I thotoughly enjoyed it. Not surprisingly, it’s another film with kids running from monsters.)

4 The Night Flyer (1997) {Based on a Stephen King short, this is quite good for such a low budget endeavor. Miguel Ferrer plays the rare lead role (for him) as a burnt out reporter for a sleazy tabloid, with the very cute Julie Entwisle playing his understudy. It’s too bad they give away the biggest secrret on the poster/DVD cover, though. For worst SPOILER ad campaign this is just a notch below Planet of The Apes that features the big twist (the Statue of liberty) on its DVD cover.)

3 Apt Pupil (1998)(ANOTHER Stephen King film, this taken from another short story. I have to say this is that rare occasion where the movie blows the book out of the water. The film is far more subtle and insidious. Where the novella goes for an over the top  and somewhat illogical ending, the film fully illustrates what the pupil has learned in a far more chilling manner.)

2 Nosferatu (1979) You may have seen the original film, but how about the Werner herzog remake? Klaus Kinski steps in for Max Shreck, looking a lot like him given that the director recreates the look and atmosphere at times almost shot for shot. It’s a grand beautiful film shot on true widescreen 70 mm film. Isabelle Adjani is  both beautiful and heroic even in the face of what seems inevitable. Herzog expands the scope of the original as well as making subtle changes to shift the original film’s themes to a more pragmatic one.)

1 May (2002) Quirky, weird, tragic, creepy, oddly funny and above all fun, May is one of the better recent horror flicks out there. A rare tragedy that isn’t a downer to watch. You feel sorry for the central character and are horrified by where her story goes, especially where her friend Polly is concerned, but there’s enough off the wall antics that make it appealling. Angela Bettis is phenomenal in the title role. I completely bought into the idea of a lazy eye causing so much psychosis. Bettis is great here, too, proving she’s better than the material she’s most know for. Writer-director Lucky McKee knocks this one out of the park. He did so much out of practically nothing that I even liked Jeremy Sisto in this. I had never cared for him in anything before May came along. Great film. Worth seeing.)

And Happy Halloween!

Phantasm (1978) Review (R)

Ambitious and inspired, Phantasm is one of the best low budget horror flicks ever made. Don Coscarelli is a master of doing a lot with very little and here manages to create a very original story. Iconic even. It’s an entertaining ride.

A. Michael Baldwin plays Jody, a kid being raised by his brother Mike (Bill Thornbury), who spends his time riding his dirt bike and hanging out in the local graveyard. Right at the beginning he begins to notice things aren’t right at the graveyard and that  a mysterious (and very creepy looking) man (played by Anguss Scrimm) is up to no good.

At first his brother and friend Reggie, the uh… the ice cream man… don’t believe him, but when people start dropping like flies, they all converge on the mausoleum to get some answers. That’s about all you need to know.

I don’t think I can explain the story and have it make sense. There’s weird puppet bugs and Jawas  and shape changing and nightmares and interdimensional gates and flying metal balls equipped with power tools….  To be honest, I don’t know if it actually makes any sense even to the director. All I know is it works for me. The definition of Phantasm is ‘an illusory mental image’ and the film lives up to that in some way or another.

Jody (Thornbury), Reg (Reggie Bannister), and Mike (A. Michael Baldwin)...

It’s not a ‘trippy’ movie, but I would say that it’s something like childhood dreams and fears.  Jody is never quite sure of when he’s awake or dreaming. Coscarelli’s script kind of alludes to the ‘fear’ part early on, but I really couldn’t tell you if there’s a payoff at the end. I like the ending, but the elements don’t quite add up.

I like that the film doesn’t try to explain itself, though, and that it sometimes jumps in editing so that you’re not quite sure whats going on. Thats usually a bad thing, but in this case it’s effective in disguising what is really happening. I just enjoy the explanations that the characters give and that it’s just speculation on their part. The only thing of importance is that the Tall Man and his diminuitive feral minions are killing people and Jody, Mike and Reggie are next.

Maybe Coscarelli's greatest gift to the world...

It has scares, but is far more interested in just having fun than other more serious 70s horror flicks like the Exorcist or The Omen.  It does manage to create a  somewhat ominous atmosphere for a low budget horror flick, but it allows for seeing through the eyes of its young protagonist. Part of that is from the shot selection and editing, but an even bigger part might be the distinctively creepy soundtrack. It’s a horror film that I find myself coming back to every so often.  I think this film is best if you see it first at a young age. The film probably owes some of its success to that.  Nostalgia probably also plays a part in its continued popularity.  But its a great low budget horror film success story. If you’re a fan of horror films (or would like to make one), this is a must see. As I said, it’s a lot of fun for horror fans.

Phantasm made my Best 10 Films of 1978.

4.5 of 5

College Football Week 9 Aftermath

Week 9 was a wash. I went 3-3. So did The Evil One, who I pick against. At least FSU won (Go ‘Noles!)…

My Top 4 remains unchanged. ‘Bama and LSU had the week off. Stanford held off USC in triple OT. Boise State didn’t play anyone… No, I’m not commenting on their schedule. They have a week off to prepare for 2-4 UNLV. And Clemson pulled a Clemson and decided not to show up for the Georgia Tech game. K-State also lost, so there’s two less unbeatens this week. Okie State steps in for the fifth spot, but  I think they may be just holding it for someone else. I think they’ll be unbeaten going into the Oklahoma game.

#1 Alabama

#2LSU

#3 Stanford

#4 Boise State

#5 Oklahoma State

Looking forward to ‘Bama and LSU this week, but nearly as much as I am to FSU rolling BC Go ‘Noles!.

 

Week 9 (?… I Don’t remember…) ACC Picks

I’ve been getting them all wrong lately it seems…. Miami got upset by Virginia on Thursday. I had a feeling about that, but went safe… Anyway, there are still some chances for me to catch back up to FSU Hatin’ ESPN blogger Heather D… As always, her picks are in bold.  Please, no wagering.

Maryland over BC

North Carolina over Wake

Va. Tech over Duke

Clemson over Georgia Tech

FSU over NC State…

Go ‘Noles!

 

… Roloc Ni Annataz

Thursday Night Lights

Almost forgot the game was on… Going with Miami over Virginia.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) Review (R)… And Not Recommended, Even for Halloween…

Continuing my Halloween reviews, I figured I would take on what’s a perennial Halloween favorite. Not one of MY favorites. though.

I have mixed feelings on this one.  The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre had to have a number of good things about it, or it wouldn’t have been the low budget success story that it was… Or could it? I think the real fascination about this film (to some) is of the geek show variety. This was director Tobe Hooper’s second film (I believe) and he has a great eye for visuals. He also knows how to create truly gruesome, sometimes terrifying horror scenes. He claimed this was a reaction to the state of contemporary society, but that’s a load of crap. This is just exploitation (and a bit misogynist) for commerce.  I consider it to be maybe the first big torture porn film to make its way into at least the edge of the mainstream consciousness. For that I find the film of dubious character.

The story starts out with a statement that this is somehow a true story and that a group of young victims (traveling to the grave of a relative of two of them) will face unimaginable horror, the likes of which they will never see if they had lived long, full lives. Hooper frames the opening shot in grand morbidity. There has been a desecration of  some bodies and some vandalism at the graveyard. From there the film deteriorates.

The victims are introduced with Paul A. Partain playing Franklin, distinguished from the others because he’s overweight and wheelchair bound and complains a lot. He relates the necessary information of  how cows are killed in slaughterhouses. That’s so when the retarded serial killers in the film are killing their victims, you’ll have the necessary information that they’re slaughtering the victims like cows are slaughtered. That’s the only thing the director felt that’s important to know in this film. That’s really, the whole thing, though, I guess.

First there’s some gratuity with Franklin, having him urinate in a can on the side of the road before falling down a hill. Then the group picks up one of the retarded hillbilly killers, called simply ‘the Hitchhiker’ (played by Edwin Neal).  Okay, there’s NO WAY that anyone picks this guy up. He’s the worst actor you’ll ever see in a film for starters and he already has blood on his face when he climbs in the van.

It’s only after he pulls out one of those freaking scary straight razors that barbers used to use when EVERYONE was insane, and cuts his hand open while continuing his conversation that the group decides…

Yeah, it’s time for the hitchhiker to go.

Then, they go to get gas at apparently the only station in town, but there’s no gas. The gas station attendant is another member of the crazy hillbilly killers, but you’re not supposed to know that yet. So, while the group waits for gas to come in, they visit the dead relative’s old homestead. When they get there, two of them want to go swimming and Franklin directs them to a swimming hole. On the way they come across the Sawyer house, which at least on the exterior is fairly well kept. I imagine Leatherface does the hedges. As victims in horror movies often do, they go in some stranger’s house because no one answers the door (“Hey! The door’s unlocked. Let’s go in.”)

And Leatherface… a very large retarded guy that dresses in slaughterhouse gear (and wears someone else’s face) immediately kills the guy. And then… well, much like the Zodiac killer, Hooper is far more concerned with depicting the women’s ordeals in the film than the men’s. The male victims in this are quickly dispatched. “Bam! Dead!” The women… Well, the first female victim screams, is chased screaming by Leatherface, is placed on a meathook screaming and watches while screaming as Leatherface cuts up the first victim. Later, the others come looking for her. The second male victim is also quickly killed  (“Bam! Dead!” ). The girl, though… the first victim…  is still alive and she’s quickly stuffed back into the meat freezer where she’s being kept by Leatherface, to be carved up later.

Then, the other victims show up in the dark. Leatherface is waiting for them, of course. He jumps out of the dark aaaand… No more Franklin (“Bam! Dead!” or “Buuuuzzzzzz! Dead!” actually). This is where the second female victim (played by Marilyn Burns) starts screaming. She does not stop screaming until the movie’s over. You hear her screaming and crying to the tune of a chainsaw until film’s end… So, I don’t know… 45 minutes of that? I’ll admit, it’s pretty unsettling. The idea from here on, is to have her running (and screaming), having her become increasingly injured and mistreated as she goes. She escapes from one horror crazy only to end up in the clutches of another, as she encounters the entire family. She runs (screaming) from the chainsaw wielding Leatherface (while screaming) and encounters the corpse-like Grampa. She eventually escapes Leatherface’s chainsaw (briefly) by jumping (screaming) through a glass window from the second story of the house and outpaces the killer to the gas station. Leatherface is in great shape, too. He manages to gain on her, despite being a very large, overweight man wearing a mask in the dark, in jeans, weilding an industrial sized chainsaw. He must cross train or something.

Leatherface gives up the attack to allow the gas station attendant (part of the extended family) to beat her with a broom (while screaming), ties her up (moaning… she only stops screaming when she’s beaten unconscious) and puts her in a burlap sack which I found maybe as distasteful as anything in the film. Then, he takes her back to the house to  ’have dinner’ with the entire Sawyer family. I have to add right here, though, that the Sawyers are never called that in the film, as far as I know. It’s also why I believe Hooper’s defense that this was a reaction to the climate in a America at the time is all bullshit. He was just trying to justify the film against critics who were blasting the film because of the violence (especially towards women). But I digress, again…

So, the entire family traumatizes Burns’ screaming character. There is much juvenile taunting with the screaming Burns assaulted especially by  Neal’s atrocious acting as the Hitchhiker. She escapes (screaming) when after having Grampa sample her blood in sick fashion (while she screams), the group tries to allow him to ‘get a kill’ ‘like he used to in the good ole’ days’. So with Leatherface’s help, Grampa begins cracking her in the head with a hammer (while she screams). She manages to escape… screaming…again by jumping through a glass window. She limps away screaming with the Hitchhiker and Leatherface giving chase. Did I mention she’s screaming and that power tools are being utilized?

Here’s where Hooper decides that  things have been far too subtle so far.  At this point, Neal looks like he’s in a Benny Hill skit, even when he gets run over by a passing semi. Another truck stops to help the screaming Burns, but Leatherface now chases Burns (screaming) and the pudgy truck driver until Burns (screaming wildly) throws herself (still screaming) in front of yet ANOTHER truck (a pickup) in order to stop the driver. She escapes in the back of the truck screaming crazily, covered in blood. I would  like to read the script for her lines in the last half of the film. It probably reads like “Victim #5: Screams loudly… Next scene… Victim #5: Screams loudly, with feeling… Next scene…Victim #5:Ditto, the last scene” And so on…

And the final shots of Leatherface spinning around with his chainsaw is both the dopiest ending I have ever seen in a horror film and makes it clear to me that they were all high on something when they made this.

I have never found this to be ‘fun’ Halloween fare. To me, horror films are supposed to scare you a little, not to disgust you, and above all entertain. It’s hard to be entertained when there aren’t really protagonists in the film, just victims to be tortured, terrorized and slaughtered, not necessarily in that order. As I said in the beginning, it’s a geek show where you’re paying you’re money to go behind the curtain and see a man bite the head off of a live chicken. I don’t find that entertaining. It has an infamy that is slightly more palatable than even more irresponsibly made brutal films like Cannibal Holocaust.  However, this movie does partially explain the career of Rob Zombie, though, and where he got his sensibilities from. Dammit. There’s another digression…

I do credit the film with its ability to unsettle and for Hooper’s abilities to frame a scene for maximum brutality. It’s so low budget, that you don’t get the impression of the filmmakers being ‘responsible’ or having any restraints put on them. You never know how ‘far’ the film is going to go.. It is somewhat surprising that Hooper did allow for a lot of what occurs onscreen to occur in the mind of the viewer. There is a surprising lack of blood shown, but it’s the idea of what’s presented. The persistent screaming and the chainsaw sound effects are very off putting, not to mention the complete lack of any kind of empathy by the killers for their victims or that one of them wears someone else’s face.

I didn't get this guy, either...

The best horror films have some kind of subtext. Invasion of The Body Snatchers was about the fear of spreading communism. The Thing was the fear of the unknown, Frankenstein, at its core is about the arrogance of man to play God. Despite what Hooper has said about this film (and I actually like many of Hooper’s movies), is that this is about the fear of being killed slaughterhouse style by deranged retarded cannibal hillbillies.

2 of 5

So I Was Downtown, Again…

They’re still there. The Pensacola Chapter of the Envy Movement is still ‘Occupying’ ( Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Plaza)…. I have no idea what they think they’re accomplishing, though. I once again had lunch with friends and somehow wound up downtown checking out the Occupy Pensacola crowd.

There certainly were a few more tents set up than last time. I think I counted 5 last time. There might have been twice that earlier this afternoon.

They’ve got a couple of Porta-Potties now, too. That makes things official right? And that can’t be a bad thing for anyone. I’m still not getting this whole ‘Occupy’ thing, though.

It seems to be an odd mix of people. Hippies… Homeless people, apparently… Ron Paul supporters. Yeah, that’s what I said. I noticed on the Mac laptop set up by the Martin Luther King Jr. bust,  there was a Ron Paul sticker. Attached to the Mac were some rather large speakers playing some kind of political rhetoric (Ron Paul maybe?). It was so low, though, I couldn’t hear any of it. Aren’t they supposed to be upset with corporations like Mac? I digress…

They all began to wave, yell and flash peace signs once they spotted the camera.  I didn’t have my camera with me, so all of these were taken by a friend of mine, Mr. Assertive,  with his Droid.

This guy was awesome. Don’t think I’m going to make fun of him. He looks like he could kick the crap out of me. And I don’t need him coming looking for me… But he had a pen through his ear. An ink pen. Through his ear… Not ON his ear. THROUGH his ear.

Maybe I’m just behind the times.

There really wasn’t a whole lot to see, admittedly. I did enjoy seeing a hammock, though. I don’t know what part of any protest involves a hammock. I really wish we had been there when there was someone in the hammock. That would have made the entire ‘Occupy Pensacola’ movement a win in my eyes.

The Occupiers seemed to have spent an awful lot of time doing chalk drawings on the sidewalk, too.  Lots of art and weirdness. Again, I can’t complain there. Art and weirdness pretty much sums up my blog.

I don’t think anyone driving by is going to see this stuff, though. Like I said, I’m a little confused by what they think the purpose is. It just seems like they’re squatting to me.

28 Days Later (2002) Review (R)

Continuing my Halloween Horror Reviews…
This isn’t a horror film per se, but it certainly has horror elements. It’s a contagion film and a well done one at that. But, whereas other contagion films concentrate on the science of a virus spreading (and the politics involved), 28 Days Later concentrates on what I think is the sociological ramifications of a fast spreading virus.

The story begins with animal rights activists breaking into a research lab. They discover  animals (chimps) being used for research animals. As they attempt to free the chimps, a science type discovers them and there’s a quick standoff. The trespassers in their zeal to free the chimps ignore the frantic warnings of the scientist who warns that the animals are all infected with a virus. Okay, here’s where the genius of the story is… The virus is called ‘Rage’…. See where this is going? Okay, maybe you think you do, but the point is that the entire film is encapsulated right there. It’s literal and figurative.

So the activists free  one chimp and the apocalypse begins. Boyle attaches another brilliant plot device to the virus. Once bitten (or scratched or whatever), the victim has about ten seconds before they are reduced to mindless aggression themselves. You can almost do the countdown when someone falls victim to an attack.

After the quick prologue… the satisfactory yet simple explanation… Then the film cuts to… 28 Days Later…  A man named Jim (Cillian Murphy) wakes in a hospital having had a bike accident where he landed on his head. The hospital is completely empty and looks like it’s had a tornado come through. This will be extremely familiar to Walking Dead fans which was produced the year after this. Anyway…

Jim strolls through the halls looking for signs of life along with the basic necessities. It isn’t long before he discovers what the audience already knows has happened. And as I normally do, I’ll leave it at that so if you’ve never seen the film, you can discover all of the surprises for yourself. The thing I like most about the film is that there is always a glint of optimism through the eye of Danny Boyle. A lot of apocalypse films dwell on the cynical side of humanity, this one has a sense of humor to it.

I’ve seen this repeatedly since it came out (maybe twice a year or more) and it never ceases to entertain. Often erroneously referred to as Danny Boyle’s reinvention of the zombie flick (there are no zombies in the film), it does deliver an apocalyptic setting that is rarely seen on film as well done as this. It does borrow a little from earlier films such as the 1980s New Zealand apocalypse flick “The Quiet Earth”. Some of the scenes like the opening of the main character waking up to an apocalypse that has begun without him along with scenes of the empty city seem lifted shot for shot in some cases. Don’t think I’m accusing Boyle of ripping off another film, there are some scenes that must appear in certain films. He certainly puts his own spin on them.

The shots of the empty London streets are what really sell this movie, IMHO. Boyle is a great storyteller and while I don’t think this is his best film, it’s right up there. He does a terrific job showing the audience what’s happening instead of having the story explained verbally. The 4 principle players are enjoyable to watch, especially Cillian Murphy in what was the film role that put him on the international map.

Besides the amazing visuals in the film, you can always expect Boyle’s films to have an outstanding soundtrack and this one is exceptional. The instrumental pieces add to the atmosphere of impending doom for all of mankind, especially the piece that underscores the events in the  finale. Boyle uses the music to echo the increasing violence that comes to a head with the central character… well, wouldn’t want to give anything away…  However this is not as gruesome as some critics have claimed. It is a tense film if you have not seen it, partly because it’s not predictable in the way most Hollywood films are; but, again, this is NOT a zombie flick. There’s a lot of blood splashed around in the film, but there aren’t people being pulled apart or eaten alive onscreen as there are in the… um… best zombie flicks like the original Dawn or Day of the Dead. Boyle wouldn’t do that. He focuses on characters and is what I would call a ‘responsible’ filmmaker.

What a great movie, though. 28 Days Later is a lot of fun for a ‘quite possibly the end of the world’ flick. And despite its flaws (and it does have some) I still give it…

5 of 5

It also made my Top 20 of 2002…

 

A Little ‘Pick Me Up’

One of my favorites at least, by the always amazing John Williams…

Thanks to concertbandland for posting this…