I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

Believe it or not, I had never seen I Know What You Did Last Summer before now. I've seen it parodied in Scary Movie and probably other movies too, but never watched the actual film. Then the other day I was in the mood for something light and I finally watched it. 

The story follows four friends, Julie (Jennifer Love-Hewitt), Helen (Sarah Michelle Gellar), Ray (Freddie Prinze Jr.), and Barry (Ryan Phillippe). On their way home from a party on the beach, they accidentally hit and kill a man. After some arguing, they decide to dump the body in the water and never talk about what happened ever again. A year later, Julie returns home from college only to find a letter simply saying, "I know what you did last summer". Shocked, she reunites with her friends and tries to figure out who is after them. 

Curse of Chucky (2013)

After Seed of Chucky, directed by Don Mancini, just like this one, I was expecting the worst but Mancini was able to surprise me again. He left comedy to go back to the original trilogy’s dark tones, and it worked. Although it’s far from being the best horror or slasher movie, Curse of Chucky sure is a pretty entertaining one – and it kinda made me excited about Cult of Chucky.

The story is about Nica, a young woman in a wheelchair (Fiona Dourif, Brad Dourif’s real-life daughter) who is forced to deal with her sister (Danielle Bisutti), her brother-in-law (Brennan Elliott) and her niece (Summer H. Howell) after the mysterious death of her mother (Chantal Quesnel). The cause of death, however, isn’t a mystery to us since Nica and her mother received a package containing Chucky (Brad Dourif) not long before dying. What we don’t know is what score Chucky is trying to settle as he starts killing the members of the family.

Child's Play 2 (1990)

Genres

Horror, Thriller

Director

John Lafia

Country

USA

Cast

Alex Vincent, Brad Dourif, Christine Elise, Jenny Agutter, Gerrit Graham, Grace Zabriskie, Peter Haskell, Beth Grant, Greg Germann, Raymond Singer, Charles Meshack, Adam Wylie

Storyline

When his mother is admitted to a psychiatric hospital, Andy (Alex Vincent) is placed in foster care. But he won't be safe because Chucky is onto him and he's determined to claim Andy's soul.

Child's Play (1988)

Genres

Horror, Thriller

Director

Tom Holland

Country

USA

Cast

Alex Vincent, Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon, Brad Dourif, Brock Winkles, Dinah Manoff, Tommy Swerdlow, Jack Colvin, Raymond Oliver, Neil Giuntoli, Alan Wilder, Aaron Osborne, Juan Ramizer

Storyline

To escape from a cop (Chris Sarandon), a serial killer (Brad Dourif) transfer his soul into good guy doll Chucky, a doll that a single mother (Catherine Hicks) eventually gives to her son (Alex Vincent), clueless of it being possessed. And soon the doll starts killing people.

Opinion

Since I've already tortured myself with some of the most famous horror franchises, I thought it'd be fair to watch Chucky's franchise too, because who wants to be the target of a murderous doll? I sure don't. That, however, didn't prevent me from expecting Child's Play to be a terrible movie. Thank God it wasn't the case because I'd be pretty scared to write that review for the reason I mentioned earlier. I'm kidding of course. I'm not scared of a doll. The movie though, it was better than expected.

The story is pretty lame, clichéed and predictable but I have to admit that the whole doll possessed by serial killer thing is quite an original idea and it moves very well and it's overall enjoyable.

But the reason why Child's Play exceeded my expectations is the direction. The way Tom Holland set up the story and the creepy atmosphere he was able to build are the things that will engage you and keep you on the edge of your seat. The story itself (and the murders) isn't that scary, but the atmosphere is so good and the music fits so well, they easily make up for it.

Also quite impressive is the doll. There are some pretty good puppet effects, and the special effects are overall pretty good, especially for this time period. And Chucky's voice, although I was expecting it to be way creepier, fits the looks of the doll.

Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)

Genre

Horror

Director

Rachel Talalay

Country

USA

Cast

Robert Englund, Lisa Zane, Shon Greenblatt, Lezlie Deane, Breckin Meyer, Ricky Dean Logan, Yaphet Kotto, Tobe Sexton, Cassandra Rachel Frei, Lindsey Fields, Johnny Depp, Tom Arnold, Roseanne Barr, Alice Cooper

Storyline

Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) returns once again to haunt both the dreams of the last surviving teenager (Shon Greenblatt) and those of a woman (Lisa Zane) with a deep connection to him.

Opinion

If "A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child" was awful, I don't know what "Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare" is. Other than a ridiculous nightmare and an unwatchable film.

Unlike the previous entry, this film actually had some potential with Freddy's backstory. It could have been good. No, it should have been good. But the filmmakers decided to throw that potential away and write instead a story that is stupid, confused and so boring it makes you wish to be the one dying instead of Freddy.

As if that wasn't enough, that thing resembling a plot moves so fast you don't have time to process what just happened that something else happens. But don't worry, it's not important, after all nothing happens but stupid killings - trying to kill someone with a cotton bud? What's next? Brushing someone's teeth to death? - and Freddy still trying so hard to be a comedian.

And just like the other times, he doesn't succeed. He is just an idiotic joker who can't pull off a single joke, and that isn't scary at all. In other words, Krueger is the film's biggest (and only) joke.

Completing this pathetic film there are utterly annoying, irritating characters that are light years away from character development, atrocious acting and horrible effects.

Basically it's a great horror. In a different, bad way though.

Death Proof (2007)

Genre

Thriller

Director

Quentin Tarantino

Country

USA

Cast

Kurt Russell, Zoë Bell, Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Tracie Thoms, Jordan Ladd, Rose McGowan, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Quentin Tarantino, Marcy Harriell, Michael Parks, Eli Roth, Omar Doom, Michael Bacall, Jonathan Loughran, Marley Shelton, Monica Staggs

Storyline

Two separate sets of voluptuous women are stalked at different times by a scarred stuntman (Kurt Russell) who uses his "death proof" cars to execute his murderous plans.

Opinion

Back in 2012, Tarantino said "Death Proof" is the worst film he's ever made, not a terrible movie, still the worst. I can't argue with that. But I guess it was supposed to be. It's an homage to Grindhouse films after all. 

The plot is pretty simple: Stuntman Mike, a psychotic yet cool scarred stuntman who goes around in a death proof car - those automobiles used in TV Shows to simulate clashed - to pick up and kill girls based on their appearance. Nothing more.  

The style is totally Tarantino's: long and exhausting nonsense dialogue - maybe this time a little bit too long - served with futile and vulgar topics, typical camera movements of the sixties, spectacular chases, vibrant red blood splashing everywhere just to not take this whole thing too seriously. There is all of this. Unfortunately, if it wasn't Tarantino's, the film would have passed completely unnoticed because it doesn't really have anything special.

Okay, maybe the soundtrack is special. I mean, after all nobody manages to use popular music in the way Tarantino does. You gotta give him that.

The casting of Kurt Russell was perfect though. He finally has the opportunity to go all bad again, and man, he goes bad. Even when he is supposed to be friendly, he exudes a sense of menace that doesn't' leave until the end of the film.