Alien Abduction (2014)

Alien Abduction starts off like The Blair Witch Project, with documentary style clips of interviews with local people recounting their tales of the strange lights seen in the area and mysterious disappearances on the woods.

The rest of the film consists of footage filmed by a family of campers as they venture up into the hills. The filming is done by the youngest boy (who is autistic). The family soon become lost and run out of gas. Stranded in a tunnel, they find abandoned cars with no drivers to be found... then the aliens arrive.

The CGI and sound effects during the abduction scenes are chilling and scary, and the quick, flickering filming style all adds to the unsettling atmosphere. The film is perfectly paced, maintaining the tension throughout, and a mixture of great lighting effects and editing make the film genuinely scary, cover-your-eyes viewing.

Eventually the family take refuge in home of a local redneck. The young autistic boy uses the camera as a kind of alien detector (with picture distortions being the telltale signs of an alien presence).  The aliens terrorize the group in the small log cabin, forcing them out into the woods; this is were the film takes on the 'Blair Witch' style. The scenes when the kids are running around in the dark woods with a dimly lit camera were very suspenseful; I was waiting for one of the aliens to jump out at any moment.

After years of those crappy Paranormal Activity films, Alien Abduction is refreshing change; the best found-footage film I've seen in years, and is a must see.

Alien Abduction (2014)

Alien Abduction starts off like The Blair Witch Project, with documentary style clips of interviews with local people recounting their tales of the strange lights seen in the area and mysterious disappearances on the woods.

The rest of the film consists of footage filmed by a family of campers as they venture up into the hills. The filming is done by the youngest boy (who is autistic). The family soon become lost and run out of gas. Stranded in a tunnel, they find abandoned cars with no drivers to be found... then the aliens arrive.

The CGI and sound effects during the abduction scenes are chilling and scary, and the quick, flickering filming style all adds to the unsettling atmosphere. The film is perfectly paced, maintaining the tension throughout, and a mixture of great lighting effects and editing make the film genuinely scary, cover-your-eyes viewing.

Eventually the family take refuge in home of a local redneck. The young autistic boy uses the camera as a kind of alien detector (with picture distortions being the telltale signs of an alien presence).  The aliens terrorize the group in the small log cabin, forcing them out into the woods; this is were the film takes on the 'Blair Witch' style. The scenes when the kids are running around in the dark woods with a dimly lit camera were very suspenseful; I was waiting for one of the aliens to jump out at any moment.

After years of those crappy Paranormal Activity films, Alien Abduction is refreshing change; the best found-footage film I've seen in years, and is a must see.

Phantoms (1998)

Part of the 90's teen horror fad, Phantoms is one of the best teen horrors released in that decade. Starring a young Ben Affleck,  Liev Schreiber, and Joanna Going. The film is set in a small mountain town in Colorado. 150 of the towns folk are dead and 350 are missing. Joanna Going and her sister return to the small town (their home town) to find the place deserted. They soon find Ben Affleck (the towns sheriff) and Liev Schreiber his deputy.

The group roam around the small town trying to figure out has happened to its population. The film reminds me a bit of The Andromeda Strain -- with the eery , dark atmosphere of the deserted town. Strange things start happening to the group of survivors, they start finding piles of jewelry that appear from no where, receive strange phone calls, and a giant bat-like creature attacks them. 

Eventually the army arrives, along with Peter O'Toole. O'Toole is a journalist and paranormal investigator of sorts, he believes the town is infected by an ancient evil for that has existed inside the earth for million of years . 

O'Tooles performance, as always, out classes the rest of the cast. Affleck is good as well, and Phantoms remains my favorite Affleck performance. The army send a team of scientists and marines in to try and kill the creature. Things soon go wrong and the creature starts to infect the scientists by injecting them with a  black oil like goo that turns them into pawns of the giant melevilent creature. 

The special effects are quiet good, with some decent CGI for the time. The script was original and the acting from all is very good (for a teen horror anyway) O'Toole eventually comes up with a scientific method of killing the creature. It's a race against time for the few remaining survivors to kill the creature before the it escapes the town and spreads.

A few gory moments here and there but nothing to write home about. The film is more atmospheric then an gore-fest.

 

 

Phantoms (1998)

Part of the 90's teen horror fad, Phantoms is one of the best teen horrors released in that decade. Starring a young Ben Affleck,  Liev Schreiber, and Joanna Going. The film is set in a small mountain town in Colorado. 150 of the towns folk are dead and 350 are missing. Joanna Going and her sister return to the small town (their home town) to find the place deserted. They soon find Ben Affleck (the towns sheriff) and Liev Schreiber his deputy.

The group roam around the small town trying to figure out has happened to its population. The film reminds me a bit of The Andromeda Strain -- with the eery , dark atmosphere of the deserted town. Strange things start happening to the group of survivors, they start finding piles of jewelry that appear from no where, receive strange phone calls, and a giant bat-like creature attacks them. 

Eventually the army arrives, along with Peter O'Toole. O'Toole is a journalist and paranormal investigator of sorts, he believes the town is infected by an ancient evil for that has existed inside the earth for million of years . 

O'Tooles performance, as always, out classes the rest of the cast. Affleck is good as well, and Phantoms remains my favorite Affleck performance. The army send a team of scientists and marines in to try and kill the creature. Things soon go wrong and the creature starts to infect the scientists by injecting them with a  black oil like goo that turns them into pawns of the giant melevilent creature. 

The special effects are quiet good, with some decent CGI for the time. The script was original and the acting from all is very good (for a teen horror anyway) O'Toole eventually comes up with a scientific method of killing the creature. It's a race against time for the few remaining survivors to kill the creature before the it escapes the town and spreads.

A few gory moments here and there but nothing to write home about. The film is more atmospheric then an gore-fest.

 

 

The Thing (1982)

The Thing is one of my favorite horror films, and in my opinion John Carpenters best. The combination of groundbreaking practical special effects, and a great script and cast, make The Thing a true classic. I must have seen the film at least forty times, and every time I've enjoyed it just as much as the first.

The plot follows a scientific research team stationed in Antarctica; who find an alien creature buried in the antarctic ice. Over the course of the film the mysterious creature begins to absorb and duplicate the team members. The tension and suspense builds slowly as the team members begin to suspect each other. They all begin to loose the plot. he The lead scientist of the team, Dr. Blair, completely looses it and destroys all the radios leaving the group stranded.

The one thing that has made the film stand out over the years are the special effects, which still hold there own against today's CGI laden affairs. The animatronics in the film are some of the best ever seen. The only film that comes close to the The Thing in terms of practical effects is Tremors (1990), another classic.

Kirk Russell plays the strongest character, Helicopter pilot M.J. MacReady. Russell's performed is superb. He takes charge towards the end, and using a test devised by the teams doctor, Dr Copper, he forces the elusive creature out into the open. Slowly the remaining team members become victims of The Thing, leaving only two left at the end. The film ends on one of the biggest cliffhangers ever.

Thirty years on and The Thing is just as fresh,exiting, and trilling as ever, and is a must watch, both for horror fans and others alike.

 

Who bought that cheap soap!

There are some great gore effects in the film. The highlights being the transformations of the dogs in the kennels, and Palmer's transformation in the image above. The scene when they all cut their fingers open to draw blood always makes my skin crawl as well.

 

MacReady: If we've got any surprises for each other, I don't think we're in much shape to do anything about it.

Childs: Well, what do we do?

MacReady: Why don't we just... wait here for a little while... see what happens?

The Thing (1982)

The Thing is one of my favorite horror films, and in my opinion John Carpenters best. The combination of groundbreaking practical special effects, and a great script and cast, make The Thing a true classic. I must have seen the film at least forty times, and every time I've enjoyed it just as much as the first.

The plot follows a scientific research team stationed in Antarctica; who find an alien creature buried in the antarctic ice. Over the course of the film the mysterious creature begins to absorb and duplicate the team members. The tension and suspense builds slowly as the team members begin to suspect each other. They all begin to loose the plot. he The lead scientist of the team, Dr. Blair, completely looses it and destroys all the radios leaving the group stranded.

The one thing that has made the film stand out over the years are the special effects, which still hold there own against today's CGI laden affairs. The animatronics in the film are some of the best ever seen. The only film that comes close to the The Thing in terms of practical effects is Tremors (1990), another classic.

Kirk Russell plays the strongest character, Helicopter pilot M.J. MacReady. Russell's performed is superb. He takes charge towards the end, and using a test devised by the teams doctor, Dr Copper, he forces the elusive creature out into the open. Slowly the remaining team members become victims of The Thing, leaving only two left at the end. The film ends on one of the biggest cliffhangers ever.

Thirty years on and The Thing is just as fresh,exiting, and trilling as ever, and is a must watch, both for horror fans and others alike.

 

Who bought that cheap soap!

There are some great gore effects in the film. The highlights being the transformations of the dogs in the kennels, and Palmer's transformation in the image above. The scene when they all cut their fingers open to draw blood always makes my skin crawl as well.

 

MacReady: If we've got any surprises for each other, I don't think we're in much shape to do anything about it.

Childs: Well, what do we do?

MacReady: Why don't we just... wait here for a little while... see what happens?

The Colony (2013)

When I first saw the trailer for The Colony I got quite excited and I expected a new and original take on the post-apocalyptic sci-fi film.What I got was a condensed mixture of  The Day After Tomorrow, 30 Days of Night, 28 days later and The Thing, which was barely watchable.

The film is set in an ice age future where global warming has run a muck and whats left of mankind is barely surviving in underground bunkers. The leader of one such group of survivors is Briggs (played by Laurence "I should find better work" Fishburne), who must maintain his authority over his increasingly discontented second in command, Mason (played by Bill Paxton.)

I found the first hour quite interesting. The plot basically follows Briggs and a few members of his team trekking out into the wilderness to another outpost, which they lost contact a few days earlier. The trip basically involves Briggs taking on the stereotypical tough guy leader role, in which, every chance he gets, he reminisces about his tough past and the terrible things he's seen...etc..etc.truly tiresome stuff.

I don't want to give too much away, but there is a huge plot twist halfway through that completely ruins an already lackluster viewing experience. A twist so ridiculous and poorly conceived that it left me in shock and amused at the same time. To cut a long story short, there's nothing original here, only lots of snow, a shitload of climate change propaganda, a hot blonde with dreadlocks plus Laurence Fishburne.  If you've had few beers on a Saturday night and stumbled home with a kebab in hand, then this is the perfect film for you, otherwise stay well clear.

The Colony (2013)

When I first saw the trailer for The Colony I got quite excited and I expected a new and original take on the post-apocalyptic sci-fi film.What I got was a condensed mixture of  The Day After Tomorrow, 30 Days of Night, 28 days later and The Thing, which was barely watchable.

The film is set in an ice age future where global warming has run a muck and whats left of mankind is barely surviving in underground bunkers. The leader of one such group of survivors is Briggs (played by Laurence "I should find better work" Fishburne), who must maintain his authority over his increasingly discontented second in command, Mason (played by Bill Paxton.)

I found the first hour quite interesting. The plot basically follows Briggs and a few members of his team trekking out into the wilderness to another outpost, which they lost contact a few days earlier. The trip basically involves Briggs taking on the stereotypical tough guy leader role, in which, every chance he gets, he reminisces about his tough past and the terrible things he's seen...etc..etc.truly tiresome stuff.

I don't want to give too much away, but there is a huge plot twist halfway through that completely ruins an already lackluster viewing experience. A twist so ridiculous and poorly conceived that it left me in shock and amused at the same time. To cut a long story short, there's nothing original here, only lots of snow, a shitload of climate change propaganda, a hot blonde with dreadlocks plus Laurence Fishburne.  If you've had few beers on a Saturday night and stumbled home with a kebab in hand, then this is the perfect film for you, otherwise stay well clear.

Alien (1979)

Many hours of my youth were spent tucked up in bed watching Alien,  with my sheets in hand ready to cover my eyes. Like most kids, I'd watch films my parents told me not to watch, and Alien was one of my favorites, and still is.

This seminal sci-fi-horror released at the end of the 70's, the decade that produced some of the greatest horror and sci-fi films, Alien remains as unique, enthralling and dam right creepy as is was thirty years ago.

The plot is rather simple: a group of workers aboard a commercial towing vessel headed back home have their journey interrupted by a mysterious transmission from a nearby planetoid. They stop to investigate, only to end up bringing an extraterrestrial threat back on board their craft.

The film is basically like a slasher movie set  in space. Alien started an entire sub-genre we now know as sci-fi horror, and has influenced countless films with its effective blend both sci-fi and horror, and is a landmark in both genres.

The first hour of the film consists of a slow build up, concentrating on tone, mood and atmosphere. As would be expected on a deep space journey, tensions between the crew members would be inevitable, hence the rather amusing exchanges between Ripley, Brett and Parker. Ripley's relationship with Captain Dallas is also turbulent at times, stemming from Ripley's sometimes pedantic adherence to protocol, but despite their little tiffs you also get the feeling that they are also really good friends.

The film is basically like a slasher movie set  in space. Alien started an entire sub-genre we now know as sci-fi horror, and has influenced countless films with its effective blend both sci-fi and horror, and is a landmark in both genres.

The first hour of the film consists of a slow build up, concentrating on tone, mood and atmosphere. As would be expected on a deep space journey, tensions between the crew members would be inevitable, hence the rather amusing exchanges between Ripley, Brett and Parker. Ripley's relationship with Captain Dallas is also turbulent at times, stemming from Ripley's sometimes pedantic adherence to protocol, but despite their little tiffs you also get the feeling that they are also really good friends.























From special effects perspective, Alien was way ahead of its time. The use of practical effects is a rarity in today's world of CGI graphics. Alien along with 'The Thing,1982' are in my opinion the two greatest examples of the use of practical specials effects, and still hold their own even by today's standards. The chest-burst scene remains as shocking and unsettling now, as when I first saw it. If the same scene were filmed today, with cheap CGI blood added afterword, the effect would just not be the same.

The cinematography is dark, moody, and really adds a level of dread to the claustrophobic service tunnels and corridors of the ship. All the sets look fantastic and gives an authentic feel a space vessel, with computers, lights, beeping noises. Everything in the ship has a dark, scratched, worn look to it giving the realistic feel of a well living-in and overworked vessel..

Jerry Goldsmith's score is compelling, and the heart beat like thumping during key scenes is a real nice touch. Ridley Scott provides some superb, subtle directing, showing a real flare for building tension and mood. Alien was the precursor to Ridley Scott's timeless sci-fi masterpiece: Blade Runner, 1982, which shares the dark mood, tension and unique directorial style that has become synonymous.

Seldom has any film been so consistent in design, cast, direction, and out-and-out fear factor, the end result is powerful enough to bring it in at a full five skull rating.

Alien (1979)

Many hours of my youth were spent tucked up in bed watching Alien,  with my sheets in hand ready to cover my eyes. Like most kids, I'd watch films my parents told me not to watch, and Alien was one of my favorites, and still is.

This seminal sci-fi-horror released at the end of the 70's, the decade that produced some of the greatest horror and sci-fi films, Alien remains as unique, enthralling and dam right creepy as is was thirty years ago.

The plot is rather simple: a group of workers aboard a commercial towing vessel headed back home have their journey interrupted by a mysterious transmission from a nearby planetoid. They stop to investigate, only to end up bringing an extraterrestrial threat back on board their craft.

The film is basically like a slasher movie set  in space. Alien started an entire sub-genre we now know as sci-fi horror, and has influenced countless films with its effective blend both sci-fi and horror, and is a landmark in both genres.

The first hour of the film consists of a slow build up, concentrating on tone, mood and atmosphere. As would be expected on a deep space journey, tensions between the crew members would be inevitable, hence the rather amusing exchanges between Ripley, Brett and Parker. Ripley's relationship with Captain Dallas is also turbulent at times, stemming from Ripley's sometimes pedantic adherence to protocol, but despite their little tiffs you also get the feeling that they are also really good friends.

The film is basically like a slasher movie set  in space. Alien started an entire sub-genre we now know as sci-fi horror, and has influenced countless films with its effective blend both sci-fi and horror, and is a landmark in both genres.

The first hour of the film consists of a slow build up, concentrating on tone, mood and atmosphere. As would be expected on a deep space journey, tensions between the crew members would be inevitable, hence the rather amusing exchanges between Ripley, Brett and Parker. Ripley's relationship with Captain Dallas is also turbulent at times, stemming from Ripley's sometimes pedantic adherence to protocol, but despite their little tiffs you also get the feeling that they are also really good friends.























From special effects perspective, Alien was way ahead of its time. The use of practical effects is a rarity in today's world of CGI graphics. Alien along with 'The Thing,1982' are in my opinion the two greatest examples of the use of practical specials effects, and still hold their own even by today's standards. The chest-burst scene remains as shocking and unsettling now, as when I first saw it. If the same scene were filmed today, with cheap CGI blood added afterword, the effect would just not be the same.

The cinematography is dark, moody, and really adds a level of dread to the claustrophobic service tunnels and corridors of the ship. All the sets look fantastic and gives an authentic feel a space vessel, with computers, lights, beeping noises. Everything in the ship has a dark, scratched, worn look to it giving the realistic feel of a well living-in and overworked vessel..

Jerry Goldsmith's score is compelling, and the heart beat like thumping during key scenes is a real nice touch. Ridley Scott provides some superb, subtle directing, showing a real flare for building tension and mood. Alien was the precursor to Ridley Scott's timeless sci-fi masterpiece: Blade Runner, 1982, which shares the dark mood, tension and unique directorial style that has become synonymous.

Seldom has any film been so consistent in design, cast, direction, and out-and-out fear factor, the end result is powerful enough to bring it in at a full five skull rating.

Them! (1954)

Them! is a classic b-movie sci-fi horror directed by Gorgon Douglas. After strange goings on and several unexplainable deaths in the New Mexico dessert, the police and army call in a scientist to investigate.

The British scientist and his daughter soon discover that a race of gigantic ants are living under the dessert, and are mutations created from latent radiation left over from earlier atom bomb tests.

Them! is well acted, frightening, and engaging from start to finish. The cast is pretty damn good, especially James Whitmore as the pretty intelligent cop who found a five year old girl, aimlessly walking through the terrain of the desert— miles from her family's wrecked travel trailer—unresponsive by some catastrophe.

After a failed attempt to kill the ants in the dessert, they soon spread to the city and its a race against time to prevent them from breeding and spreading all over the country. Given the year this film was made, the special effects are very convincing, and a great soundtrack adds to the atmosphere. The last battle at the end of the film, between the army and ants in the storm drains of L.A. was the perfect ending, well acted and filmed.

Them! is one of the best monster films ever made. Certainly the best horror of the fifties, and is a must watch for all horror fans.

Them! (1954)

Them! is a classic b-movie sci-fi horror directed by Gorgon Douglas. After strange goings on and several unexplainable deaths in the New Mexico dessert, the police and army call in a scientist to investigate.

The British scientist and his daughter soon discover that a race of gigantic ants are living under the dessert, and are mutations created from latent radiation left over from earlier atom bomb tests.

Them! is well acted, frightening, and engaging from start to finish. The cast is pretty damn good, especially James Whitmore as the pretty intelligent cop who found a five year old girl, aimlessly walking through the terrain of the desert— miles from her family's wrecked travel trailer—unresponsive by some catastrophe.

After a failed attempt to kill the ants in the dessert, they soon spread to the city and its a race against time to prevent them from breeding and spreading all over the country. Given the year this film was made, the special effects are very convincing, and a great soundtrack adds to the atmosphere. The last battle at the end of the film, between the army and ants in the storm drains of L.A. was the perfect ending, well acted and filmed.

Them! is one of the best monster films ever made. Certainly the best horror of the fifties, and is a must watch for all horror fans.