Krampus Movie Review

2015 has been very generous with quality  Christmas related horror films,  first we had A Christmas Horror Story and now Krampus.

Directed by Michael Dougherty who also co-wrote along with Todd Casey and Zach Shields; Krampus is a excellent blend of horror and comedy delivered perfectly by a great cast.

The movie starts of with a much more realistic feel of what Christmas is really like, being dragged and pushed about in overcrowded shops and spending time with people you wouldn't dream of associating with if they wasn't family.

The shit hits the fan for the family when a snowstorm cuts the power to the whole town but having no power is the least of their troubles.

The only downside I can see people having with the movie is the ending as they will either love it or hate it. Me personally thought it was a good ending and if you don't like the ending there is so much more you can take from movie that
it won't ruin the overall experience.

The movie feels in part as a much darker version of Gremlins with an isolation feeling similar to The Mist.

Apart from the blend of horror and comedy as I mentioned earlier another of the movie's great success comes with the fact that it doesn't rely on a over use of blood and violence which isn't missed one bit and gives a much wider audience the chance to enjoy it.

4.5 / 5

Book Review: 11.22.63

11.22.63 by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

11.22.63 is by far the best book I have ever read, not just my best Stephen King book (who by the way is my favourite author) but the best book I have ever read.

The story follows recently divorced Jake Epping who is given the opportunity to go back in time to the year 1958 and is convinced to stay there to try and stop the assignation of JFK.

This book has everything to the point it's hard to label what genre to categorise it as. I feel I could recommend this book to anyone as there is something for everyone. Yes there is horror elements in it, not from a supernatural prospect but from real people doing horrible things. It's about time travel so there is a scifi element to it. There's a great love story embedded in it along with the thrill ride of can Jake really change the past. There is also something for Stephen King's constant readers as we get to meet up with some old friends is Derry.

This book I didn't want to end. I'm not sure what more I could have asked for from Stephen King but I just didn't want to be away from the world he created. I've only been to America once and that was to New York fairly recently yet after reading this book I am convinced I was there during the late fifties, early sixties

5/5

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DEATHGASM Movie Review

DEATHGASM is by far the funniest horror comedy this year! From writer and director Jason Lei Howden the movie tells the story of misfit Brodie who unfortunately has to move in with his god fearing uncle, auntie and unpleasant bully of a cousin. He makes friends with like minded people who eventually start a band but when they play a piece of magical music that they come across they unleash a curse on the whole town.

Deathgasm has everything that makes the perfect horror comedy and if you like heavy metal you will love it all the more.  With brilliant one liners that will surely be quoted between friends time after time I can even imagine people wearing them on t-shrits. Along with great acting and makeup it also has some unforgettable action scenes featuring very imaginative zombie kills. I know this film will receive lots of repeat viewings and I can only score it top marks.

Along with Housebound and What We Do In The Shadows, New Zealand is becoming the go to country for horror comedy.

5/5

The Hallow Movie Review

The Hallow staring Joseph Mawle and Bojana Novakovic from director Corin Hardy tells the story of a tree surgeon who along with his wife and baby move from the city to an old millhouse in the Irish countryside where things start to go bump into the night. 

Visually the film is brilliant! The make up, special effects and locations all look great. Corin Hardy is definitely a film maker to look out for. The acting is also very good so I'm sorry to say that my only complaint is with the story.

Yes city folk moving to the country only to be greeted by disgruntled locals that make it very clear the family and his work in the woods isn't welcome has been done before but the film keeps it interesting and somewhat original by including some Irish folklore which keeps you guessing who or what is causing the disturbances to the new family. 

So what stops this movie reaching a four or five from me is some major continuity errors. I could explain what the errors are but can't without giving the last quarter of the film away which I won't do as I still recommend you go watch this as I'm sure I will go see it again when it's released. 

3/5

A Christmas Horror Story Movie Review

A Christmas Horror Story is a anthology horror movie where four different stories are all intertwined together through a radio station where William Shatner stars as the host DJ Dan.

The four stories features a group of teenagers that breaks into their school to create a documentary about a murder that happened a year ago, a couple that after a christmas tree hunting trip realise there's something seriously wrong with their little boy, Krampus terrorising a greedy family after their attempts to extort money from a wealthy relative is squashed and my personal favourite of the lot is Santa fighting zombie elves in his workshop.

The four stories are all pretty solid and totally different without a weak link amongst them. The directors Grant Harvey, Steven Hoban and Brett Sullivan have all done a great job in creating something for everyone with the four stories plus a twist ending which I never saw coming.

A Christmas Horror Story I am sure will become annual viewing for some households as I know it will in mine.

4/5

Book Review: The Ritual

The Ritual by Adam Nevill
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Ritual was the first book I read by Adam Nevill who is now one of the authors I always recommend to anyone who is looking for a new horror author to read.

The story is about four old university buddies that reunite to go on a hiking /camping trip in the unforgiving Scandinavian wilderness where a simple short cut suddenly goes very wrong for them.

Adam Nevill succeeds very well in creating an atmosphere where you can feel just how cold, wet and scared the four friends are while lost in the middle of nowhere. You really do feel trapped there with them and the scares are very well constructed. I also want to point out just how well he captures the strains that life can have on childhood friendships.

However what stops this book receiving five stars from me is the structure. The book is a story of two halves to the point where it could be two stories pasted together with a noticeable change of pace and setting which really lets the second half down. Without giving anything away the story becomes very repetitive and somewhat silly to the point that you just want it to end.

With that in mind I still recommend the book as the frist part has everything you need that makes a great horror story but just be cautious when you notice the change of setting as that when the book goes downhill.

3.5 / 5

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Cooties Movie Review

Cooties staring Elijah Wood, Rainn Wilson, Jack Mcbrayer, Alison Pill and Leigh Whannell is a horror comedy from directors Cary Murnion and Jonathan Milott.

The film follows Elijah Woods character Clint on his first day as a substitute teacher at an elementary school where the kids have turned into zombies after eating tainted chicken nuggets. One notable difference between this movie and other zombie movies is that the children can only pass the disease between themselves while the adults are there to be eaten. 

The movie achieves a good mixture of horror and comedy with a good cast although there is nothing original about the characters it is still well acted.

It's not the best zombie comedy out there but it is definitely recommended viewing. There's enough to keep you entertained for the 88 minutes runtime but not enough for repeat viewing. 

3/5