Psycho II

For my return after a 3-year absence from blogging, I decided to select this year's movies by dice roll. 2 24 sided dice were thrown to choose a Style of Horror-movie, and a "scare" type. This is adapted from an idea shamelessly stolen from Random Number Generator Horror Podcast Number 9.

For today's movie, I threw a 16 for Sequel, and a 24  for Psychopath.

22 Years after his killing spree Norman Bates is released from the Asylum, a cured man. Moving back into his home at the motel, Norman takes a job at a local diner, where he befriends young waitress Mary, and offers her a place to stay following the breakup of her boyfriend.

But Norman starts getting worrying notes and phone-calls; it seems that "Mother" is back...

---

Shadow: Dead Riot (2006)

Sentenced to death by lethal injection, serial killer and rapist Shadow (Horror icon Tony "Candyman" Todd) prepares himself by sharpening his teeth, and carving arcane symbols into his body. During his execution there is a riot, and the bodies of all the inmates killed that day are thrown into a mass grave on the prison grounds.

20 years later the prison is now a private one used to house female inmates, and run a shady research program.

Shortly after the arrival of tough new inmate Solitaire, blood is accidentally spilled on the mass grave... and Shadow's curse is finally complete.

---

Prologue aside, the movie's first act is every inch the women's-prison exploitation movie, complete with an unnecessary and gratuitous group-shower scene, cat-fights, a (male) prison doctor who obtains drugs for the inmates in exchange for 'favours', and a (female) guard who coerces prisoners into sexual relations in exchange for protection - something which the governess apparently knows about and is disapproving of... but not disapproving enough to start disciplinary procedures of any kind.

I saw quite enough women-in-prison movies when I was watching the Video Nasties list, and I'm not a fan; coupled with the lousy production, lazy writing, and sub-par acting, I was more than ready to hate this movie.

But at around the half way point, something changes; when the ridiculously bad mutant-baby, and army of zombies shows up, and the details of the research program become clear, things go so batshit crazy that the shoddy production (right down to Tony Todd's laughable dreadlocks), Halloween-outfit grade costumes, and film-school special effect become part of the fun.

By the final act, when the film finally becomes the over-the-top kung-fu women vs zombies movie you never knew you needed, my disdain had completely dissipated.

Yes, it's badly made, terribly scripted, and just out right stupid; but if you can ride out the uncomfortable exploitation of the first half hour or so, and look past the over-lit and over-saturated look captured so poorly on consumer grade digital video, it becomes just the right kind of batshit crazy shitty-movie... and you'll have a riot.

---

Disclaimer:
If you look through the archives, you'll see that I've been using "Bought from Poundland" as a tag since at least 2011.

In March 2014 I took a part time job at Poundland.

In accordance with the companies social media policy, in September 2014 I contacted Poundland's social media team to check that I would be okay to carry on with my plan to use the "bought from Poundland" tag.

I have been given the go-ahead on condition that I make the following clear:

All the reviews on this blog are entirely the opinion of Will Tingle, the reviews are not endorsed by Poundland in any way and (as should be obvious from some of the more scathing ones) are certainly not reviews I have been paid to write.

In short: The views expressed in this blog are mine alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Poundland or it's owners, shareholders, or  management.

Pathology (2008)

A medical student, Teddy (Heroes' Milo Ventimiglia) is accepted onto the nations leading forensic pathology program.

He is quickly inducted into a secret society of some of the class' leading students; a society who exist to test their skills with a game.

The game is simple; each member, in turn, tries to create the perfect, untraceable, murder; Then they put it into practice, and the other players must try to determine a cause of death. 

---

Lizzie Borden Took an Axe (2014)

In 1892, Lizzie Borden came across the axe-murdered bodies of her parents.
The only suspect is Lizzie herself.

---

Devil (2010)

---

According to legend, the Devil from time-to-time takes on human form, gathering a group of people he wishes to torment, trapping them, and hiding amongst them, posing as one of them.
Stranded in a broken down elevator, 5 strangers are about to find out that some legends are true...

---

I do love a claustrophobic film, and 5 people in an elevator certainly delivers on that front; combined with the idea that one of their ever decreasing number is a killer (Satan himself, no less) there's no shortage of tension, and the movie does a great job of keeping you guessing, right down to the end. As with all good whodunnits, you'll suspect each and every cast member at some point or another in the movies runtime.

Psycho (1960)

---

Desperate to get some cash together so she can finally be with her fiancé, secretary Marion Crane makes off with €40,000 of her companies money.
Taking back roads to avoid the police, she winds up at a run-down and near deserted motel, run by Norman Bates a quiet, slightly odd, man who lives under the thumb of his supposedly feeble mother.
Norman takes an instant shine to Marion; but mother senses trouble... Women always bring trouble...

---

Scared Shrekless (2010)

Fed up with the Ogres never being scared of anything, the rest of the Far Far Away gang challenge Shrek to a scary-story contest, with the last to flee in terror being crowned The King Of Halloween.

---

Berevement (2010)

Minersville, Pennsylvania, 1989; Martin Bristol, a young boy with Congenital Analgesia (a condition which prevents him feeling pain) is kidnapped from outside his home by psychotic maniac, Graham. For the next 5 years, Martin is forced to help Graham around the house, and watch as he tortures and kills women he kidnaps and brings back to the run-down meat packing plant he calls home.
In 1994, Following the death of her parents, Alison moves in with her overprotective Uncle and his family in Minersville. While out running, she becomes curious when she sees the now 11 year old Martin watching her from the derelict building.

---

Silent Night, Bloody Night. (1974)

Aka: Night of the Dark Full Moon, Death House

In 1950, William Butler ran from his house on fire, apparently self inflicted (possibly by accident). He leaves his house to his Grandson, Jeffery, on condition that the house be left exactly as it is "As a monument to inhumanity".
Over the years the house lay empty, and developed a reputation for being haunted.
Eventually in 1972, Just ahead of coming back to the small town himself, Jeffery sends a lawyer to visit the towns elders, who have wanted to buy the house for some time. At last Jeffery is willing to sell - for a fraction of the market value - provided that can pay, in cash, by noon the next day... And suddenly a killer is on the lose.
Is Jeffery the killer? Has William returned from the grave? Why is the killer, clearly a man, calling himself 'Marianne'? And what other secrets does the house hold?

---

Cry_Wolf (2005)

On Owen's first day at his post boarding school, he is immediately accepted by his new room-mate's clique.
When a dead girl shows up in the woods around the school, the group decide it would be funny to convince everyone that a serial killer is on the loose, and so they send an anonymous email about  a made-up serial killer "The Wolf" who, they claim, strikes boarding schools, killing a list of people in a specific order, starting with a townie (someone who doesn't go to the school) and then, come the full moon, different types of student.
Except, since sending the email, the kids start getting stalked by someone matching The Wolf's description... is it one of the group playing a joke? Has whoever killed the girl in the woods hear about the email and not taken to it kindly? or is it something else all together?
All we know for sure, is that next week is Halloween... and a full moon!

---

Elfie Hopkins (2012)

Aka:  (spoiler in alternate title, Highlight to read) Elfie Hopkins: Cannibal Hunter

---

Elfi Hopkins is a 22 year old slacker and animal lover, who lives in a dull little village where the only thing people to do to pass the time is hunt.
Not one for the hunting, Elfi, With her best (and only) friend, Dillon, occupies her self with the 'detective' games she's played since she was little.
When big city family, The Gammons, move to the village, they soon have the other villagers abuzz with tails of bespoke holiday packages (the Gammons's line of work), and before long the residents of the sleepy hamlet dashing off to the four corners of the globe.
Or do they? Elfi Hopkins is on the case...

---

Theatre of Fear (2014)

Aka The Midnight Horror Show.

Meet ringmaster Dr. Deimos Moreau, his daughter Venus, and his sons Apollo, Janus, and Trinculo, a traveling family who tour thier underground adult cabaret act, The Midnight Horror Show, around Britain.
Venus and Apollo can't stop bickering. Trinculo, who wears his clown make-up per entangle to hide his scars, is desperately trying to start a relationship with a girl he's just met. Janus, who is either unbalanced or his ventriloquist dummy really does talk to him, has secretly signed with a talent agent and is looking to break out of the family business and make it big. To make matters worse, the rich father of one of the families previous victims has sent a detective/hitman to track them down and kill them slowly.

---

Madison County (2011)

---

As part of a college project, James arranges an interview with author David Randle. Randell's book is about Damien Ewell, who the author claims is Americas biggest untraced serial killer, having killed at least 30 people over the last decade.
Along with 4 freinds, James travels to Madison County, Upon arriving at the town the locals, clearly not keen on outsiders, tell them that Damien is fictional, and that David Randle left the area years ago.
Determined not to waste the trip, the teens go searching for Randle, but are picked off one by one, by a man wearing a pig mask.

---

The Bagman (2002)

Not to be confused with, The Bag Man (2014),or  Bagman: The Movie (year unknown)

---

5 years after Jack Marshall's house burned down, killing both his parents and disfiguring Jack, he is chased into the woods by classmates bulling him, one of the bullies gets carried away, and kills Jack.
10 years later, the friends have a get together... And one by one they start disappearing.

---

The Midnight Meat Train (2008)

A silent and unnamed man (Vinnie Jones) is killing people on quiet, late night trains in the New York subway, but with no bodies are turning up, the victims are listed only as "Missing People".
A photographer photographs a woman minutes before her disappearance, and his investigation leads him to the killer.
Unable to convince the police, he becomes obsessed with the man, and is determined to find proof.

---

Maniac (2012)

By day, Frank (Elijah Wood) runs his own business restoring mannequins; by night he murders women, taking their scalps to adorn his personal collection.
When Frank meets photographer Anne, she becomes the latest object of his obsession.

---

Curse of Chucky (aka. Child's Play 6) (2013)

A paraplegic woman, Nica, takes delivery of a parcel addressed to her mother, Sarah.
The parcel is found to contain a 'good guy' doll; a talking doll of a little boy "Chucky", popular in the 80's. Neither of them knows who could have sent it, or why.
The next day, Sarah is found dead, having apparently killed herself.
When Nica's sister and family come to stay for the funeral, it isn't long before more people start dying, because (as fans of the franchise already know), Chucky isn't like other dolls...

---

The Cellar Door (2007)

When Rudy goes to her friends house for a 'girls night in' they both end up passing out drunk.
She wakes up in a wooden crate, in a basement, as the prisoner of a socially awkward man, named Herman.
All Herman wants to do is keep her happy in her box, but sometimes she says mean things to Herman, or won't co-operate with him, and when she upsets Herman, she makes him do bad things...

---

The movies prologue sees Herman's previous obsession escaping, and her subsequent murder. I get that they wanted to give the movie a dramatic lead-in but later, when Rudy realises she is not the first woman that Herman has 'kept', it's a big thing for her, and it's lacking some of its punch for us as we already know. Another small thing is that his previous victim was blonde, whereas Rudy is a redhead... To me, I'd have liked to have seen Herman always kidnap a similar looking woman, but again, it's a minor gripe. 

Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror (2006)

A VERSION OF THIS REVIEW IS ALSO POSTED AT THE BLOG I CONTRIBUTE TO YEAR-ROUND.

Head to HorrorMovieAWeek.co.uk to see what my freind Lisa thinks about this film, and the rest of the 52 movies we review each and every year.

---

When Devon (Snoop Dogg) accidentally shoots his kid sister during a gang fight, he makes a deal with the devil, His sister can return, but he must become a Hound of Hell; A gatekeeper of the underworld, who tells stories and collects souls.
In this Urban pistache of "Tales From The Crypt", We are lead through 3 short stories: A street artist given the power to kill through Graffiti,  A wealthy redneck who abuses his power when he inherits the house his daddy's old platoon live in, and a rapper whose meteoric raise to fame may have been more than just good luck...

---

The Collection (aka The Collector 2) (2012)

The Collector's MO of killing a building full of people to kidnap one continues... But this time his trophy is the daughter o a very rich man who sends a team of mercenaries to retrieve her.
And if you think he makes his victims houses deadly, wait until you see him on home turf...

---