Film review: The Haunting in Connecticut 2

I used to be a lot better about staying up to date on new movies, but the fact of the matter is, it's a hell of a lot of work and I sort of gave up the past few months. I have a feeling I'm missing out on a lot by being passive, and waiting for this information to work its way to me via the few channels I still use on a semi-regular basis. So it wasn't until recently that I realized a) The Haunting in Connecticut 2 was out and b) on DVD and c) on Netflix. Yep.

I really liked the first film, I've watched it maybe three or four times now. It's got some of my favorite story themes: spiritualism, haunted house, horror of physical disease, historical content, a mystery demanding to be solved. I find it creepy as hell, and appreciate the hopeful ending. So I gave the sequel a shot, hoping beyond hope.

Film review: The Innkeepers

THE INNKEEPERS has been out for a couple of years, and my most recent viewing was not even the first time I had seen it. But I feel compelled to write about it for a couple of reasons: one, I think it gets a bad rap for the pacing. Two, my opinion of it has evolved over time. I feel better about discussing it now, rather than writing some review back when it first came out without the benefit of hindsight.

The Unquiet Dead

While horror is my main passion, I have a lot of love for other genres like sci-fi and fantasy. It's not so far-fetched really, there's a lot of cross-over. Horror appeals much more to an emotional response, while the others focus on the characters, plot details or setting. But they share an interest in the fantastical or speculative.

Right now I'm allowing myself to get hooked on Doctor Who. I had never watched it before, but the only Doctor Who I've ever been familiar with was this guy:

Film review: The Apparition

(Even after seeing the movie, I still have no idea what that tag line means.)

More than anything else, I love a good ghost story. THE APPARITION tries to give the viewer one, but falls short in terms of plot and character while going for creative scares and creepy imagery.

It opens in 1973, with a group of parapsychologists attempting to make contact with a deceased colleague. They appear to be successful. Years later, a group of college students recreate this experiment with the benefit of modern technology that boosts their brain signals, making them over 400 times more powerful. The students are able to unleash an entity that attacks the group and pulls one the participants into a wall.

The story jumps to couple Ben and Kelly, who are moving into a subdivision to look after the house for Kelly's parents. Cue the spooky happenings, and our movie is officially off and running.

5 Favorite Video Game Ghosts

Growing up in a video gaming household, I've played on a lot of different platforms and consoles, all the way from the Atari and DOS games through my current blood red Resident Evil 5 edition Xbox 360 Elite with Jasper chipset. While I am often drawn to horror games and have played many over the years, today I'm going to talk about five favorite video game ghosts that generally, have not been part of a proper horror game (the Seventh Guest is my only exception)

Guillermo Del Toro's Haunting

Earlier today Deadline.com reported that Guillermo del Toro's next film "Crimson Peak" is going to be a haunted house movie. In the article,  he cites films like THE HAUNTING, THE INNOCENTS and THE SHINING as inspiration for the type of film he wants to make. He says:

"I think people are getting used to horror subjects done as found footage or B-value budgets. I wanted this to feel like a throwback."

Be still my black little heart! This is truly my favorite sub-genre of horror, and THE HAUNTING is one of the best films in the entire genre, as far as I'm concerned. Not to discount THE SHINING or THE INNOCENTS, the former is also one of my favorites and I think the latter doesn't get enough credit, which makes me happy that he mentioned it. I've just taken on THE HAUNTING as one of my personal crusades, especially after that crummy remake. The original version is amazing on so many levels, and I want the entire world to know!

I'm so excited that there will be a new, lovely, grand film to add to the haunted house canon in the near-ish future. Thank you Mr. Del Toro!!

Guillermo Del Toro To Helm "Crimson Peak" As Next Feature via Deadline.com

Guillermo Del Toro Is Making A Haunted House Movie! via AICN.com