Don't Go in the Woods (1981 film)

Just don't do anything!  That's the lesson I've gathered from this week.

The last of our Don't Week coverage is a film that I saw at the video stores but never got to see until last night.  I purchased it just so I could review it here, so had no real idea what I was going into, outside of the description of someone stalking travelers in the forest and picking them off one by one.  Boy, did I get my money's worth with this one!

The film starts with an idyllic, perfect shot of a forest stream... the lovely trees, the babbling water, the... submerged camera..., the... screaming girl?  Yes, our first victim comes in within seconds of the start of the movie, and she doesn't last very long at all.  We cut from her to a group of four who are backpacking through the woods.  This is our main group, and we get shots of them interspersed with random other people running afoul of... someone or something that's stalking them.  It soon becomes clear that the woods are not a safe place to be.

This one was an alright time.  The acting could've been a bit better in places.  The dialogue seemed a bit forced at times, there were certain parts where it was hard to tell what was going on, even a couple places where it seemed like someone should've seen an obviously placed dead body.  Another spot was near the end, where, in between shots of the search party sent to find the killer, we get scenes of a  guy in a wheelchair struggling up the hill trails set to wacky music that just made me shrug my shoulders.

The film was alright, the acting not so good, the setting was beautiful.  I give the film a 3 out of 5.  It was a fun time, and I'm tempted to watch the commentary on the DVD soon, but for now, this is the last of Don't Week, and this is Red Hawk signing out!

Don't Go in the House (1979-1980 film)

Can't tell any of the fiery death that awaits in there, can you?

So, here we are, at the second to last article for Don't Week.  It's been an interesting journey, through zombies and madness, but there's a small light at the end of the tunnel.  But is it a light we want to approach, or is it something a bit more dangerous?  We find out here, not all lights are safe!  We meet Donald, a mother's boy with a dark secret.

The film starts at a waste disposal facility, where Donald is watching the flames in one of the furnaces.  One of his co-workers sees him and pulls him away from the open furnace door, warning him to wear his mask, then moves to another furnace and starts raking the coals, not realizing an aerosol can is inside, in the middle of the flames.  As it cooks, it suddenly explodes, coating Donald's coworker with flames.  Donald stands there, watching the flames dance over the asbestos suit, as others run in and put the flames out.  Later, Donald's boss, Vito, grabs him in the locker room and asks him what his problem was, why he just stood there, until Donald breaks free of his grip and rushes out.

Donald leaves, driving home and calling out to his mother that he was home and making her tea.  After putting it all together, he brings her tea up to her room and finds her dead in her chair.  At first, Donald reacts with sorrow, then starts hearing a voice in his head, telling him that he's free, he's now able to do everything his mother would never let him do.  He starts by putting on music and cranking up the volume, then jumping on a chair downstairs in the living room before lighting up a cigarette and putting it out on a small, white statue.  Suddenly, Donald's mother's voice comes calling from up the stairs, scolding him, so he hurriedly puts everything back.  The other voice returns, telling him that it'll protect him, that it'll help him.  He goes back up the stairs to his mother's room with a lighter to burn her... just like she burned him to punish him for so many years.

The film follows him building a special room in the house... a room with metal walls, where he'll take women to burn the evil out of them, just like his mother did to him.  But will his insane plan, born of his trauma, bear fruit, or will he cave under the weight of his madness?

This was an interesting one, and I was glad to add it to my collection.  I saw it in one of my Horror Hound magazines and looked it up online, wondering what the film was about.  When I conceived the idea of Don't Week, this was definitely one of the films in the forefront of my mind.  This was definitely a good addition to my site.

Playing Donald was Dan Grimaldi, and he brought the perfect blend of slight creepiness and insecurity to the role.  This was his first listed film role (he'd done stage acting beforehand), but he's been in a lot of stuff since, including playing the Parisi twins on The Sopranos.

All in all, I give this one a 4 out of 5.  It was entertaining, but it wasn't the best film out there.  For my next article, we'll get kicked out of the last remaining area left after the other titles... Don't Go in the Woods!  See you there soon!  Until then, this is Red Hawk signing out!

Don't Open the Door! (1974 film)

Don't open the door... it could be a creepy shadow!

So, yesterday, we reviewed Don't Look in the Basement.  Today, we'll be seeing a few familiar faces, because Don't Open the Door! was brought to us by the same director, using some of the same actors as before (some directors like to use talent again and again... look at Tim Burton with Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter!).  Out of the three I recognized, two of them get a bit larger roles, while the other only appears in a couple scenes.  So, let's get into it!

The film starts off with a man and woman discussing whether to call "her" or not.  The woman wants to call, while the guy doesn't.  Finally, she leaves and places a call to Amanda to let her know her grandmother's not doing well, and to come back, but not let anyone know.  After an opening credit sequence with a bunch of dolls and doll heads (and a very abrupt music halt), we cut to a flashback to when Susan was a little girl and her mother was murdered.  Thirteen years later, and she hasn't gone back there since.

She arrives to her grandmother's mansion and finds her grandmother in bed, and three men in the house... Judge Stemple, Claude Kearn (a museum curator), and Dr. Crawther, her physician.  Upset over both how her grandmother's been treated and how Stemple and Kearn are both trying to get ownership of the house once she's gone, Amanda orders all three of them out, then calls her friend, Nick, to try to get some help for her grandmother.  Later that evening, however, she starts getting strange, breathy phone calls from an unknown man...

This film was interesting, in how it deals with mental strain and the consequences of it.  The stress of suddenly needing to help her grandmother, plus the repeated phone calls and pressure from the other two to sign over the house to them all drive Amanda to the breaking point.  As for how this happens... well, I can't tell you that, it'd be spoiling!

All in all, a pretty good film, another representative for the Grindhouse style.  Not a whole lot of blood in this film, but a lot of suspense.  I give it a 4 out of 5.  Up next, well... we've been warned not to open the window or door, and not to look in the basement.  Now, we're not even allowed in the building!  It'll be Don't Go in the House!  Until then, this is Red Hawk signing out!

Don't Look in the Basement (1972 film)

Wow, talk about minimal art design!

We're going back even further with today's entry for Don't Week, with a low budget classic called Don't Look in the Basement (aka The Forgotten).  This one's a bit all over the place, especially near the end, but it was an interesting film that keeps you on edge for a while.  I originally watched it on a double DVD set with the William Castle classic House on Haunted Hill, starring Vincent Price.  The film actually stands up pretty well, considering its age and the attention it probably got over the years (or lack thereof).  And so, without further ado, here's my review for Don't Look in the Basement!

The film starts in an old farmhouse where a motley crew of people are living.  It's serving as a home for the criminally insane, the Stevens Sanitorium, where Dr. Stevens has some unusual theories on treating mental illness.  We follow the nurse, Jane, as she makes her rounds, but then she gets threatened by one of the inmates, Harriet, when Jane tries to touch her "baby" (really a doll).  Whether this is just the tip of the iceberg, or the breaking point for her isn't clear, but Jane decides to move on to another pasture.  She goes out to the doctor, who's working with an inmate called Judge who's using an ax to pummel a log.  While the two are talking, Judge turns with the ax and whacks Dr. Stevens in the back.

When this happens, another medical figure steps out of the house.  This is Dr. Geraldine Masters, and she takes charge of the situation rather quickly.  When told that Jane's going to be leaving soon, something weird happens to her...

The rest of the movie follows new nurse Charlotte, who arrives shortly afterwards, and manages to befriend most of the inmates.  But, as she gets closer to them, someone else is watching her, and people end up in a bad way when they get close to informing her of something...

This was a pretty fun movie.  There isn't a whole lot of blood, despite the era it comes from, but the subject matter itself is rather intense.  All of the actors playing the inmates give a LOT to their performances, and it adds to the watchability of the film.  I liked it, and really do recommend it to anyone interested in this period of horror film.

All in all, I give it a 4 out of 5.  It's a good film that keeps you guessing till close to the end, with interesting characters all over the place.  Next, we have a film with a Double Don't title... the way I'm reviewing it, it's called Don't Open the Door, but another title for it was Don't Hang Up.  Until then, take care, and this is Red Hawk signing out!

Don't Open the Window (1974 film)

Don't Open the Window: Whatever's Out There Will Wait!

One of the many ideas I had last year that I never got around to for Happy Horrorween was Don't Week.  I got the idea from the Grindhouse films' fake trailer "Don't," which was, in turn, inspired by many British films that would have a different title when released in the US, often with trailers that didn't have any of the film's dialogue (the belief being that American audiences wouldn't intentionally go to see a film from another country with British-accented English).  As I was thinking about this, I noticed a lot of films with that word, Don't, in the title and thought it would make an excellent subject for a special week.  So, one year later, we're finally starting Don't Week!

Kicking the week off, we have Let Sleeping Corpses Lie!  Now, I know what your thinking, the article title says Don't Open the Window.  This film was released under numerous titles over the years, and in different markets... at least fifteen titles in all.  Don't Open the Window, Let Sleeping Corpses Lie, The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue, Brunch with the Dead... all titles for the same movie!

The film starts with George, an art dealer, leaving his office in the city (filmed in Manchester) and heading for Windermere (complete with glimpses of people wearing masks, shots of pollution in the air, and even a woman streaker running through traffic at a stop light).  Along the way, he stops at a gas station and ends up getting his motorcycle creamed by the car ahead of him.  The wheel's shot on his bike, so he leaves it with the station mechanic and rides with the woman, Edna, who's driving the car and going close to George's destination.

After a brief argument over whose destination to go to first, George agrees to go to Edna's sister's place first.  Getting lost along the way, however, George goes to a nearby field to ask directions while Edna stays at the car.  George stumbles across a farmer and a pair of scientists experimenting with a device that emits "sonar radiation" to wipe out insects and parasites.  Meanwhile, Edna sees a figure walking from the direction of a nearby stream.  The figure stops and turns its blazing red eyes towards her and starts immediately advancing on her...

This film was pretty good.  It works on a lot of suspenseful buildup.  We don't get your typical "horde" of zombies, like you'd see in films nowadays, but there are a few.  Makeup is somewhat minimal, outside of a few wounds and zombie munchings.  Locations were excellent, including a beautiful waterfall Edna's brother-in-law was setting up a photoshoot for.

I first heard about this film from my mother.  She told me about how it was one of the scariest movies she'd ever seen, and about having to walk home alone, at night, after seeing it, past an empty barracks building (she was in the army then).  When we first got Netflix, I made sure this was one of the first films we received.

I give this movie a 5 out of 5.  It's an interesting movie, a fun ride, and I can't recommend it enough to fellow zombie fans.  Tune in next time for another entry in Don't Week.  Until then, this is Red Hawk signing out!

Victor Frankenstein (2015 film)

Copyright: 20th Century Fox

Our final Frankenstein Week post, we have the most recent big budget film, Victor Frankenstein.  A bit of a change-up in this one, as we get a different point of view.  Not from the Doctor himself, not from the creation, but from the traditional assistant, Igor.  In this version, however, we find that the assistant is as intelligent as the Doctor, if not more so at times.

We open on the circus where the unnamed hunchback has been working all his life as a clown.  In his spare time, he's swiped medical books and tried to learn something about medicine, despite his roommate's ridicule.  One night, while the trapeze performer, Lorelei, was doing her act, the trapeze rope breaks and she falls to the floor of the tent, critically injuring herself.  The hunchback rushes to her side, along with a spectator from the audience, a doctor, who assesses her injuries and says there's nothing they can do for her, as her injuries are preventing her from breathing.  The hunchback, not to be balked, asks to see the doctor's watch, as he needs it to help her.  With the doctor's help, the hunchback is about to set both the broken bone and the dislocation, freeing up her airway and saving her life.  The doctor, Frankenstein, helps the other workers take her to the hospital.  Meanwhile, the owner and ringmaster locks the hunchback in one of the animal cages to prevent him from leaving, along with burning his medical books.

A little later, Frankenstein returns and uses a magnet to pick the lock on the cage, then leads the hunchback through an action packed chase through the circus, dodging away from the workers who the ringmaster's sent to try to stop them.  Eventually escaping, Frankenstein takes the hunchback back to his quarters and then assaults him... or so he thinks.  He actually drains the fluid from his back, caused by an abscess, then gives him a back brace he says was originally for "Gordon".  The last thing he does for the hunchback... he gives him a name, Igor, telling him that the name belonged to his roommate, who's disappeared.

The film goes on to show the interactions between Igor and Victor, at first just on a sort of student/mentor relationship (respectively), but when Igor shows his own aptitude towards understanding both how the human body works, and how to manipulate the energy needed towards Frankenstein's work's needs, Victor upgrades their relationship to master and assistant, then to full partner before they reveal Gordon to the school.

This movie was pretty fun.  There was a lot of action in places, and I found the interactions between Igor and Victor, and later Igor and Lorelei after she recovers, really interesting.  Victor was hilarious at places, trying to push his views on anyone who will listen, especially after he's had a little to drink (and after telling Igor not to embarrass him!).  The two actors work off pretty well.  The nemesis to Dr. Frankenstein, Inspector Turpin, was an interesting case, also, sort of like a mix of Inspector Javert from Les Miserables with a witch hunter: he believes in God's righteous fury against those with blasphemous views, and he'll stand at nothing to bring that wrath to whoever he feels holds them.

Playing as Igor is Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe.  He did a really good job here.  He was also in Woman in Black and Horns, along with the recent release Swiss Army Man.  Playing Victor Frankenstein himself is James McAvoy.  He was pretty funny here, at times, especially when playing the drunk at the party.  He was in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, as well as portraying Professor X in the recent X-Men films from First Class up to Apocalypse.  In a scene, portraying Victor's father, the Baron, was Charles Dance who we saw in last week's Dracula Untold as the Master Vampire.

All in all, a pretty fun movie, one I was happy to watch and review.  I happily give it a 4 out of 5.  Well, with the end of Frankenstein Week, we'll have a different subject next week, but I don't want to let you know ahead of time.  Until then, take care, and this is Red Hawk signing out!

I, Frankenstein (2014 film)

Copyright: Lionsgate Entertainment

Day 4 of Frankenstein Week and we're going a little more modern, with Frankenstein's creation living into the modern day and becoming reluctantly involved in a battle between good and evil, with the fate of humanity hanging in the balance.  But where does the newly christened Adam stand?

The film opens with a brief summary of the original story, ending with the creature giving Frankenstein a proper burial (better than he deserved, according to his narration).  In the middle of covering his creator's casket, he's attacked by several mysterious figures whose features shift into something monstrous. Attempting to capture the creature, he instead impales one of his attackers with their own weapon, causing the figure to up in a fireball that drives into the ground.  This attracts the attention of a pair of gargoyles from a nearby church, who fly over and help dispatch the creature's other attackers before assuming human form and attempting to talk to him.

After "persuading" the creature to come with them (by knocking him out and carrying him), he comes to at their fortress, a cathedral, and meets the queen of the gargoyles, Leonore, who gives the creature the name Adam (since Doctor Frankenstein never gave him a name).  She then tells him of their fight: the gargoyles, who represent the forces of good and light, have been fighting the demons, who represent evil and darkness, to protect humanity at the behest of the Archangel Michael, then ask him to join their cause, and offers hims shelter.  Adam still feels bitter over how humanity has treated him, so turns her down.  The gargoyles let him take some new weaponry from the armory (he takes a pair of bludgeoning staffs over something lighter) and send him on his way... not telling him they also kept Frankenstein's journal, as protection against proof that God is no longer the only one to be able to create life.

The movie follows Adam's attempts to distance himself from humanity, the demons' continued attempts to capture him, and his further existence in the modern day, when he decides to bring the fight to the demons.  But will Adam find what he's been looking for his entire life?

This was my first time seeing his film, even though I received it for Christmas two years ago.  I thought it looked good form the trailers, and I wasn't disappointed.  There was a lot of action, a few scares, and a really good story tying it all together.  Adam's makeup was effective, as was the looks of the demons.  The gargoyles were sort of noticeably CGI, but the effect worked nonetheless.

They had a good crop of actors for this film.  First off, playing Adam himself, was Aaron Eckhart, who brought a suitable mood to the role.  He also played Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight, as well as having roles in The Core, Suspect Zero and Battle: Los Angeles.  Bill Nighy played the Demon Prince Naberius and seemed like he was having a good time with the part.  He also plays Davy Jones in the Pirates of the Caribbean series, Shaun's stepfather, Phillip, in Shaun of the Dead, Viktor in the Underworld series, and Slartibartfast in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy film.  Playing Gideon, commander of the gargoyles and Leonore's second in command, is Jai Courtney.  He was also in Terminator Genisys as Kyle Reese and Suicide Squad as Captain Boomerang.

I really enjoyed this movie, and thought it was a fun ride.  Lots of action happening in it, a pretty decent storyline, and some really good makeup and special effects work.  I give it a 4 out of 5.  My next article should be coming a little later tonight, to make up for lost time.  Until then, take care, and this is Red Hawk signing out!