Goodnight Mommy Review (2015)

Goodnight Mommy (German title Ich seh Ich seh, which translates to “I See I See”) feels like if Michael Haneke set out to emulate early Roman Polanski films. There’s something cold and calculated about the way the movie plays out, both on a visual and narrative level, but it’s an entirely human story. And that’s part of what makes it so freaking disturbing. Realistic, violent and detached, it plays out like a home invasion movie, but where any character could be the intruder in their own home.

It Follows Review (2015)

There may not be a sensation on the spectrum of human emotion creepier than the feeling that you’re being followed. While walking home after seeing It Follows, I had a minor panic attack on the street as I kept looking over my shoulder to find the same man walking directly behind me. The rational thought would have been, “Right, because that’s how sidewalks work.” Instead, my mind was saying, “I hope he doesn’t do weird stuff to my body after he murders me.”  So if you enjoy the excitability that comes with imminent death, then this movie is for you.

Evil Dead (2013)

Evil Dead, a modern re-imagining of Sam Raimi’s classic horror franchise, lacks the tongue-in-cheek humor and tone of the earlier films.  But what it lacks in laughs, it makes up for tenfold with gut-churning gore sequences and unrelenting tension.  It’s sick.  It’s repulsive.  It’s a bloody good time for horror fans.

HORRORFEST: Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)

By now I’m sure you have realized that these movies are a one-trick pony.  That being said, the trick is still just as effective as ever.  We’re three films into the franchise, and while things certainly aren’t as fresh as they were in the original installment, Paranormal Activity 3 has more than a few surprises in store for you.

HORRORFEST: The Burning (1981)

The Burning has everything you could possibly ask for in a slasher flick.  Gratuitous nudity, a bad-ass murderer, and lots of blood and severed limbs.  Despite its uneven pace, it just might be my new favorite 80’s slasher.

HORRORFEST: Phantasm (1979)

And it begins.  I’m starting off Horrorfest with this low-budget cult horror flick from the 70’s. Phantasm has some interesting ideas, but its nonsensical plot and slow pace in the beginning prevent it from being considered great.