31 Days of Halloweennn.... Dear lord: VENOM, Terrified, Terrifier, Hellhouse; LLC parts 1 & 2

VENOM

 

Based on the comic book character from Marvel, SONY was somewhat compelled to abandon the Spider-man origins of the character in order to develop a stand-alone feature. When a manned research expedition in space goes horribly awry, some canisters holding a parasitic organisms find their way to a facility in San Francisco. These Organisms, called Symbiotes, are part of a genius entrepreneur’s plan to find a new planet for mankind. Some fairly typical mad genius sort of stuff.

 

Failed Investigative reporter Eddie Brock is infected with the creature, and hilarity ensues.

 

I’ll be honest, here.

 

Venom has never been my favorite character in the Spider-man Universe. In point of fact, I’m fairly ambivalent about him even after several decades. Eddie Brock, who just seemed like a whiner most of the time, later developed as more of anti-hero sort along the lines of The Punisher. With that said, I honestly preferred this version of Brock and enjoyed this incarnation of Venom. Seen as a “loser” among his own race, Venom finds a degree of compassion as he sees the world through Brock’s eyes. I thought the action and effects scenes were pretty cool, and the movie was just pretty fantastic throughout. A lot of plot holes, but ultimately I was just along for the ride.

 

7 out of 10, mild recommend.

 

Terrified

 

I was browsing through the selections and put it up on an evening where I was feeling under the weather. Not realizing the film was going to be subtitled (not normally an issue for me), I was on the verge of turning it off when an opening moment so shocking and violent immediately snapped my attention with a very loud “What the fuck?!?!” as I sat glued to my couch for the next hour and a half. I was hooked!

 

Demian Rugna directs this Shudder exclusive, an import from Argentina. On the surface, it presents as a fairly standard “haunted house” feature with the usual ghosts in the background and a paranormal research team. The material quickly spirals out from what we think we know. Police Commissary Funes and three researchers investigate the strange occurrences in a Buenos Aries neighborhood.  Three separate stories that merge into one incident that links them all. Something is banging on the walls, something’s crying in the pipes, there are figures under the bed, hiding in the closets, and waiting in the dark. A young child climbs from his grave for a glass of milk. A mother in despair, a detective with a heart condition, a former pathologist who spoke with the dead, and something that thirsts for blood.

 

My heart was beating fast through this nightmare of a film.

 

9 out of 10 and a definitive RECOMMEND!!!!

 

And, why not go with a similar titled film just to confuse the FUCK out of all you faceless readers.

 

Terrifier

 

Based off a short film of the same name, Terrifier is as mean-spirited a slasher film as you are likely to find in this day and age. Art the Clown is the titular character, a mute killer with an affinity for pantomime and awful violence. Art is out one Halloween Night when he encounters a young woman and her drunken friend just outside a neighborhood pizza place. Catching his interest, the ladies find themselves the targets of Art’s murderous intentions.

 

Look, I’m going to warn you right now- This movie is goopy as hell. A body WILL be sawed in half from the crotch on down and it will be in graphic detail with the guts hanging and the body left hanging there for the rest of the film. And while that’s definitely a highlight, that’s not nearly the finale to this gorefest from director Damien Leone. The film reminds me a little of “Laid to Rest”, going just as far with the gore and the kills as it possibly can.

 

6.5 out of 10. This was totally my cup of tea, but I can’t recommend it unless you have a strong stomach and a bit of a sadistic nature.

 

 

Hell House, LLC

 

What went wrong at the Abbadon Hotel? A haunted attraction was set to open and the first guests filed through when tragedy struck. Fifteen people were dead, many others wounded, and the town will not let anyone speak about it. A small documentary crew are prepared to dig deep and uncover the clues, piece together the footage, and expose the secret of what happened on that fateful evening.

 

I’m not normally the biggest fan of “found footage”, but this movie has a knack for presenting it as more than just a series of pieced together bits of footage. The story unfolds through interviews, footage, and investigative narration that ultimately reveals the truth about the night in question. But many more are

left….

 

6.5 out of 10. Mild recommend.

 

Hell House, LLC 2: The Abbadon House

 

Picking up a year after the events of the first film, the previous film’s remaining documentary crew are left to pick up the pieces. The mysteries of the House itself remain, and a new series of visitors have left behind additional footage for others to contemplate. The House is still accepting guests, despite the best efforts of the town itself.

 

6 out of 10. Mild recommend.