Open Windows and CHUCKY ALERT!

CHUCKY ALERT! CHUCKY ALERT!

The most wonderful woman in the world, Jennifer Tilly, has been tweeting up a storm as she begins filming Cult of Chucky out in Manitoba. And the photos are amazing:

The one of Tiffany made me so happy I cried a little bit. GODDAMNIT I CANT WAIT FOR THIS MOVIE!!!!!!!!

Anyway, we've had like four major snowstorms over the past few days which is some complete bullshit and we have another happening right now. So I watched Open Windows because I've put it off for a long time thinking it would just be another version of The Den. But I was wrong! Let's talk about it....

OPEN WINDOWS (2014)

Written and directed by Nacho Vigalondo, Open Windows came out in 2014 and stars Elijah Wood, Sasha Grey and Neil Maskell.

Nick Chambers (played by Elijah Wood) runs a fan site for his favorite actress, Jill Goddard (played by Sasha Grey). Nick has won what he believes to be a contest where he will get to have dinner with Jill after her convention appearance for her new movie. When Nick is set up at the hotel he is watching the live stream of the convention when he gets a facetime call from a stranger named Chord (Neil Maskell). At first, Nick believes Chord works for Jill’s team and is cancelling the dinner meet and greet. But soon things get quickly out of control after Chord gives Nick access to Jill’s iphone and they start tracking her phone calls. Jill is headed to the hotel where Nick is staying at to meet her agent (and secret boyfriend) and Chord convinces Nick to set up a camera that watches their hotel room.

But when the agent spots Nick spying on them, things turn haywire very quickly and Nick finds himself wrapped up in a fight for his and Jill’s life.

Overall?

This film is…ambitious.

It’s very “Rear Window” like at the beginning but obviously plays on pulling this off with modern technology. Are we not all “rear window-ing” each other nowadays? The first part is also sort of commenting on that pop culture instinct that we see every day that celebrities “owe” us something. Chord complains about the lack of breast shots of Jill in the media and blames her for that.

The film takes place using various screens like Nick’s webcam, Jill’s phone, a dashboard cam, Chord’s equipment etc. But again, this film is ambitious and so comes off a little ridiculous really quick. There’s so many twists in this movie that it gets confusing and if you even stop for a second to think through the logic it quickly falls apart. And considering I was multi-tasking while watching this movie, I actually got more annoyed by the “logic” instead of just watching it straight through.

It’s edited in a way though that keeps the movie moving fast and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Elijah Wood’s performance is really great and believable which helps. But Nick as a character is questionably flawed – who accepts a random call on their computer and then does everything that person says no matter how ridiculous?

And again, with the lack of logic, I’m left with a lot of questions.

I did have a good time watching it, it plays more like a fast paced thriller than a horror film, and will most likely watch it again.

6/10

Stay spooky!

Chucky, Rings, and my lump

Well hey there! I sort of bailed on everything but let me explain - instead of New Years Scream, Mitch's flight got screwed up. He flew all the way to Vancouver only to have the plane fly all the way back to Edmonton and then BACK TO VANCOUVER AGAIN. All because we had a little snow fall. Our city doesn't handle winter well. We're actually in a salt crisis right now and all the sidewalks are icy as fuck. I digress, I went and surprised Mitch at the airport with beer but because of all the delays and what not we didn't get home until 11. So we played two games of crib and then went to sleep.

THEN I went back to work and had an appointment with a doctor to take a look at a lump that's growing out of the side of my face. I'm convinced it's the twin I absorbed in utero coming back for revenge. But the doctor does not agree and I will be getting it surgically removed from my face on the 19th. (I'm still convinced they'll find teeth and hair inside of it)

SO clearly I've been distracted with my body continuously falling apart BUT I have some time now as I'm at the brewery while Mitch does a Saturday brew, so let's talk about some of the horror news that's come out:

RINGS

We've got a final trailer, we've got a new poster, and we are creeping ever closer to the premier of Rings.

How great is that poster? LOVE IT.



And there's the trailer. I have to say I'm more on-board after seeing this trailer. I can tell I'm going to enjoy it but I can also tell the CG is going to annoy me. There's a lot in that little trailer.  BUT I'm still here for it and you can watch it in theaters February 3rd.

Mitch will not be watching this with me as his school took him to see The Ring in the theater when he was young and it traumatized him. Which, by the way, what kind of school takes young children to go see The Ring????? And why didn't I go there? Also it's ironic as he's dating me and I am basically Samara's body double. But okay.

Speaking of Samara, coming to Shudder on January 26th is the face off we've all been waiting for.....

SADAKO VS KAYAKO

Coming exclusively to Shudder (go subscribe to them if you're not already. $4.99 a month for basically a netflix of curated horror...it's amazing.) They did a quick review of this film on Shockwaves the other day and it sounds like it will be a tone of fun. The Grudge vs. The Ring...I mean....come on...
And remember how great the marketing campaign was? The instagram family photos? The baseball game? So great.

You can watch the trailer over at Vulture

CULT OF CHUCKY

My boy is back.

We've heard the rumors, we've seen the photo, and now we know it to be completely true. Chucky 7 is happening and Don Mancini is about to start filming in Manitoba. Oh, and best news, it will arrive in time for Halloween!!!!!!!!!!!! Filming begins on January 9th and Alex Vincent will be playing grown up Andy again, and Nica will be back played by Brad Dourif's daughter Fiona. AND...AND...Tiffany is back. JENNIFER TILLY IS BACK. And not just a cameo, seems like she's playing a pretty major role in the plot.



Universal released the announcement video and it's pretty great.

I'm already planning some sort of Chucky themed month long party for October.

Continuing on the Chucky route....Bloody Disgusting just brought attention to a great video that's popped up on youtube. It's a VHS Screener from 1989 when Child's Play was headed to VHS. See, back in the day studios would send VHS Screeners to video shops to convince them to buy their VHS and sell it in their store. But Child's Play went above and beyond and made a great video where Chucky himself brags about how much money the movie made, takes shots at Freddy and Jason, and reads all the great reviews it got back in the day. There's some footage from the movie and some behind the scenes footage and a song.....there's a song...and it's about Chucky...and I can't believe I'm just hearing it now. My life is changed.

Watch below


Alright, that's it for me today. I've got an idea for an upcoming challenge but I'm still working on it.....i'll be right back....

Stay Spooky!

DAY ELEVEN - Child's Play (horror movie challenge - 31 days of horror)

What a weekend I've had. For once. Mitch's show on Saturday, Friendsgiving on Sunday - which was a lot of food and a lot of dogs running around in the best way possible. Had to wake up early yesterday morning to watch Curse of Chucky and then make a post about it. Didn't get to watch Child's Play until late at night when we got back from Friendsgiving. Mitch said he'd watch it with me but fell asleep twenty minutes in after making some grumpy comments about how annoying children are. We are one in the same. Finished Child's Play this morning and now it's onto Day 12. For some reason I am so much organized during the week.

Anyway, enough rambling...onto the movie!

DAY ELEVEN - CHILD'S PLAY (1988)

Back to the original ya'll! And what a great trip down memory lane it was. The first time I saw this film was when I was 12. My friend had told me all about Chucky and it sounded terrifying. I finally sat down and watched Child's Play by myself and was scared shitless. That little doll was just popping up all over the place. Of course that was over ten years ago and I've seen it many times since then. Chucky and the Child's Play movies no longer scare me, but have become something like a comforting old friend. It's been a few years since I watched the original though.

Child's Play, written by Don Mancini and directed by Tom Holland, stars Catherine Hicks as the single mom raising her son Andy, played by Alex Vincent. In Chicago there's a voodoo worshiping serial killer named Charles Lee Ray who has escaped from custody, but hero cop Mike Norris (played by the wonderful Chris Sarandon) tracks him down and corners him into a toy store. In a moment of panic, wounded, and about to be arrested, Charles performs a ritual and puts his soul into a Good Guy doll. Lightning strikes, destroying the toy store, and all the evidence.

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The events following are over the period of a few days, the first being Andy's birthday. All he wants is a Good Guy doll, but his single mother can't afford one. Luckily she is told about a peddler in a back alley selling one of these dolls for cheap and she manages to grab it. Andy is thrilled but instantly things start to go wrong. Chucky (Charles Lee Ray's nickname) is going on a rampage, killing those who have wronged him, and making sure he never gets caught. The cops believe it's Andy somehow doing these things and puts him in a hospital. But his mother searches to find the truth, and with the help of the handsome and heroic Detective Norris, manages to eventually kill Chucky by shooting him, chopping off his head, burning him alive, and shooting him some more. Chucky doesn't go down easy ya'll.

This movie was pretty groundbreaking considering. The puppetry was stunning and even watching it over 20 years later, it still holds up. And the idea that your toys can be possessed by serial killer's souls...well that shit will haunt you for years.

Brad Dourif plays an amazing Chucky and truly brings him to life with his unique voice and characteristics. Little Andy never gets annoying, as I find most children in movies to be, and the mom is a bad ass, taking names kicking ass type of woman.

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The movie started a great franchise that never got old. And is filled with great lore and fun facts. Like Charles Lee Ray - his name is based on three different killers; Charles Manson, Lee Harvey Oswald, and James Earl Ray (weirdly enough...I'm watching Selma as I type this). Also, Catherine Hicks who played the mother met the creator of Chucky (and many other great horror things like Freddy's makeup) Kevin Yagher and the two fell in love and are still married to this day.

Child's Play is just a great, classic 80's horror film that holds up to this day. I'd recommend it to any new horror fan, and I recommend any veteran horror fans to re-watch it often. I absolutely adore this franchise and Chucky is a great villain you love to be scared of.
10/10

Alright, tonight I'm watching a newer film I haven't seen before and then tomorrow it's back to work and back on schedule. Hoping next weekend the grocery store near me will finally have pumpkins so I can get some carving done!!

Stay spooky!

DAY TEN - Curse of Chucky (horror movie challenge - 31 days of horror)

Well we had a little switcharoo because the movies we'd originally planned for the next few days were too hard to find. So I dug through my Netflix list and chose some different ones. Today's movie is Curse of Chucky. I am a MASSIVE fan of Chucky and all his movies. So obviously I've already seen this movie and own it on DVD but it was actually only my second time watching it. I threw on my Chucky t-shirt, grabbed my Chucky doll and got down to business.

DAY TEN - CURSE OF CHUCKY (2013)

This movie is so great. I love when franchises really pay attention to the original films and put in tiny details that franchise fans can obsess over. This is the reason I love the Final Destination franchise so much. Curse of Chucky was a straight to VOD written and directed by Don Mancini who created the franchise we know and love. Brad Dourif returns as the voice of Chucky and as the human version of Charles Lee Ray, whose soul is trapped inside of the doll.

The family in this movie are actually tied to Charles Lee Ray as we find out later on in the film that Charles knew the mother and kidnapped her while she was pregnant with her second child. In modern day, Chucky gets mysteriously mailed to this family and the mother mysteriously dies. The night before the funeral Chucky is unleashed on the house and goes on his murderous rampage.

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Our final girl is played by Fiona Dourif (daughter of Brad Dourif!), and she does a great job of fighting off Chucky. Unfortunately at the end she succumbs to insanity and is blamed for all the murders. The deaths in this film are far more subtle and less violent than the original films which is surprising. But overall the story is super fun and full of great easter eggs. The ending is amazing, with Jennifer Tilly showing up to rescue Chucky from the police and then mailing him to the little girl he was trying to put his soul into before our final girl stopped him.

My favorite part about all of these movies is how damn long it takes the family to realize the doll is moving on its own. Anytime anything in my house is out of place I notice it instantly and am convinced there's a ghost. Chucky wouldn't get past me. The only part I didn't love about this film is that Chucky doesn't even talk until about 40 minutes in. Chucky's one-liners and his evil giggle are the best parts about these films, so this one felt lacking. Although my absolute favorite part of this film is when the little girl goes, "Chucky, I'm scared." and he responds with "you fucking should be."

Don announced on twitter that there will be a Chucky 7, I haven't heard anything else about it so we'll see. I'm always down for more of my favorite franchise films. I honestly don't care how bad they are, I'll keep watching.

BTW if you watch this on Netflix they're actually missing the post credit scenes which is almost the best part! I'll post it below:

I love the Chucky films, always have, always will and this is just a great addition to the family. Although it's not the best one, it's nice to have a new movie so many years later that was put into the right hands to create it. 8/10.

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I'll post Sofia's review when she sends it over. Happy thanksgiving fellow Canadians!!!

Horror Movie Challenge Day 19 to 21

Horror Movie Challenge DAY 19-21

(Where I am challenged to watch a horror movie 31 days in a row)

DAY 19

Bride of Chucky

This is such a cheat and I'll admit. I did this movie last year for my challenge. And I watch it like four times a year regardless. BUT this year I got the opportunity to watch it with two people who had never seen it before and it was almost like watching it for the first time again. Such a great, fun, violent, cheesy, hilarious film starring our favorite possessed doll: Chucky. Also there's doll sex....soooo.....I mean, I don't know why you're not watching it right now tbh. And if anyone is stuck on what to get me for Christmas, it's a Chucky doll. It's always a Chucky doll. (Someone please get me a Chucky doll.)
9/10

DAY 20

See No Evil 2

This perfect and wonderful movie was directed by two of my role models; The Soska Twins, the writers and directors of American Mary (if you haven't seen this movie yet, you are so missing out). It stars scream queens Katherine Isabelle and Danielle Harris and wrestler Kane, along with a wonderful cast of delightful people. The movie is a sequel (obviously) and picks up right where the last left off. This movie is literally set like two hours after the last movie ended. All the kills were creative, violent, gross enough to enjoy but not too gross to feel uncomfortable. Katherine Isabelle is addictive to watch and actually kind of drowns out Danielle which sucks for Danielle. But I loved the ending a lot, which I obviously won't go into here.
Overall it had a very comforting 80's slasher flick vibe to it and I'm extremely proud of those incredibly smart and clever women who keep inspiring me with every film they make.
9/10

DAY 21

American Horror Story: Freak Show

Episode 3: Edward Mordrake Part 1

It's getting close to Halloween which can only mean American Horror Story two parter Halloween episode tiiiiimmeeeee. This is the first part and introduces us to a whole bunch of exciting new characters. We're also introduced to our central theme for these two episodes; Edward Mordrake who is an evil spirit that comes to a freak show every time they perform on Halloween, which is apparently not allowed. This episode overall has been the weakest of the three. It was slow and dramatic and emotionally heavy and not what we usually see for these two part Halloween episodes. Not saying I didn't enjoy it, a bad AHS episode is still better than 99% of TV, but it definitely felt lacking of a certain something. I'm sure part 2 will come in like an atom bomb and blow us all away though.
7/10