Atomic Fangirl

Story: Lucille Bluth was a controlling psycho even in the 70s. Case in point? Here she calls herself Evelyn Draper and stalks a DJ until he sleeps with her. She gets crazier and crazier until he cuts her off. Think that’s gonna stop her? Bingo!

Scares: Evelyn is one creepy chick, and as her psychosis grows so do the chills. Though I’m guessing that if you’re a guy? This is seriously scary shit.

Splat factor: More thriller than flat-out horror, this movie doesn’t have much blood.

Closing scene “shocker”: Nup.  It’s 1971, and endings are endings.

Remake, Sequel or OG (Original Ghoul): This is Clint Eastwood’s first time directing a movie, and it’s a one and only.

Trick or Treat?: Something that everyone says is good that actually is good? Hell-o! I’d heard about this film from many horror fans, and it’s been touted as a successor to Psycho. But I hadn’t seen it yet. And more than a successor to the great Norman Bates, Evelyn (and this film) remind me more of Alex Forrest in Fatal Attraction. Play Misty For Me is a horror film in that niche; real world spooky. It’s effective as hell, and definitely should be on your watch list if you haven’t seen it yet.  It’s choppy in a few places, and the editing during the climax is so quick that it’s one big spin, but all in all the film holds up, and is a definite classic in the genre.

Eastwood doesn’t shy away from a gorgeous shot of Carmel, CA; it’s a mini travelogue. Thank you, Clint. Donna “Knots Landing” Mills as Clint’s former-maybe-on-again girlfriend is crazy young – I almost didn’t recognize her – and rocks a Klute hairdo like nobody else. (Sorry, Jane Fonda.)  Which reminds me, some of the 70s styles the characters are sportin’ are terrifying in and of themselves.

Play Misty For Me shows that Eastwood knows how to do suspense just as well as straight drama. Here’s hoping he’ll do another one. Hey, a gal can hope. Y’know, as long as you don’t get all psycho about it….

Score:  out of 5 pumpkins.

Ein! Zwei! Die! – tag line

Story: Nazi zombies! In the mountains! No cell phones, no way in or out without a long hike! Our group of 8 friends who came up for the weekend are probably gonna meet ’em before the end. Uh-oh.

Scares: Plenty. This Norwegian film knows how to slowly twist the unease into flat out fear, and then to dripping, gory horror. There’s a nice bit of joking and goofy goings-on to break up the tension, and the switches from humor to horror are believable. Aaaaaaand the group doesn’t act like idiots; once the sheisse goes down, they don’t dumb down. And that’s refreshing y’all.

Splat factor: A hand is chopped off, a head is ripped in two, and that’s just the halfway point! Yowza!

Remake, Sequel or OG (Original Ghoul):  Original. Though a sequel is in pre-production.

Closing scene “shocker”?: I said clichés are all over the place here. So guess for yourself.

Trick or Treat?: A definite treat from our Norwegian friends. There’s a ton of scares here, but for me the scariest scene was when two of the gang have sex in the outhouse. A freezing cold, old, icky outhouse. Eek. (But one of the best attack scenes ever happens in that same outhouse, so it balances out.)

Dead Snow takes the usual slasher film tropes and gives them a tweak. And there’s a ton of ’em here. Old Man Who KNOWS, the ever popular First Death As Prologue, All Knowing Movie Nerd, Creepy Cabin…. Still, this film works. The zombies are also well done, from the minimal but effective makeup to the way they move and interact. But where did that one zombie get his white hunting jumpsuit? Inquiring minds wanna know m

One thing though; director Tommy Wirkola also helmed Hansel And Gretel: Witch Hunters. Which means the sequel to this film – tentatively called Red Snow 2: Red vs. Dead – better be amazing, because he’s got lot to answer for.

Score: 

out of 5 pumpkins