Father to be Jack learns that his father has been killed in a gruesome car accident and he travels home to go take care of things and help his mother get better. Once home, he discovers long buried secrets about his family and himself. Written and directed by actor Thomas Dekker, the film centers around the character of Jack as he comes to grip with his father’s passing and his past as he discovers bits and pieces of it while working on getting his mother back into shape. The character of Jack is nicely complex and he is a good representation of what a man may go through when losing his father. This is of course not as simple as it seems, especially given that it is considered drama, thriller, and horror. The film develops themes that fit all three of those categories and themes that connect with audiences.
Category Archives: Halloween Horror Month
Boy Eats Girl (2005)
“Boy Eats Girl” derives many elements from “Shaun of the Dead” as a romance comedy with a horror and zombie twist, all the while adhering to a lot of the classic teen romance tropes. There’s the alpha female, and geeky best friends, while our hero is a reluctant protagonist thrust in to an extraordinary situation that rekindles his love for his girlfriend. Nathan is a student at a local school where he constantly fawns for the love of his life Jessica who may or may not have the same feelings. After a misunderstanding, Nathan gets drunk, and accidentally hangs himself. His mom brings him back from the grave (When are people going to learn not to use mysterious books to do magic?), and all seems too good to be true.
Repossessed (1990)
I guess if you’re going to try to spoof a hit horror movie, you might as well bring with you the star of said film. For better and for worse, Linda Blair is now and will always be associated with her star making turn as Regan in “The Exorcist.” Sadly, she’s more known for the movie, than being a strong actress who gave a strong and compelling performance. Blair uses the chance starring in “Repossessed” to burn the whole motherfucking kit and caboodle to the ground hamming it up big time in a role that’s basically Regan 2.0 if Regan became a doting housewife revisited by Pazuzu. This time, though, she’s named Nancy. Get it? Nancy Regan?
Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)
In 1977, James Earl Jones co-starred in what is arguably one of the greatest movies ever made, and what is arguably one of the worst movies ever made. “Exorcist II: The Heretic” is a fine example of what could have happened if the original “The Exorcist” ended as an ill-conceived pseudo-spiritual mess. A bad idea from beginning to end, it’s one of the iconic bad sequels that is famously recollected by its producers as the movie that literally got them chased out of a theater by angry movie goers. Four years after being victimized by a demon, Regan MacNeil has somehow managed to put her life back together and live some semblance of normality. Sadly after the demonic possession, everyone’s life was just about ruined, and Regan’s life remained basically the same, as her mother Chris is frequently out of town. Does a girl have to get possessed again to get your attention, Chris?
The Exorcist (1973)
William Friedkin’s treatment of William Peter Blatty’s groundbreaking novel thankfully translated in to a groundbreaking horror film that continues to be the standard for the dismal “possession” movie sub-genre. Friedkin’s take on Blatty’s novel is a masterstroke of horror and dramatic cinema, and is easily one of the most intelligent horror films ever made. Ellen Burstyn plays Chris MacNeil a woman still reeling from a bitter divorce who is tasked with a heavy work schedule filming a movie and attending to her young daughter Regan. Linda Blair is brilliant as Regan, a young girl longing for attention, especially from her estranged father, and begins to make contact with an imaginary friend through a Ouija board she called “Captain Howdy.”
We Go On (2016) [Philadelphia Unnamed Film Festival 2016]
Miles Grissom wants to know what comes after death to help ease his crippling fear of it and other phobias. With the help of his mother, her go through tons of submissions to his ad in the newspaper offering $30,000 to whoever can prove to him that there is something after death. Written and directed by the team of Andy Mitton and Jesse Holland, they create a simple premise, fear of death, and work it into an appealing story with a lead character that is representative of many people with crippling fears or even anxiety. This character feels like a person some of the viewers might know, having issues and trying to overcome them. His mother is a by nagging and overbearing but she does feel like many people’s moms. She wants what is best for him and will stop at almost nothing to make sure he is not swindled in his search for the truth.
The Wraith (1986)
“The Wraith” is goofy nonsensical eighties fun and it’s a childhood favorite that hasn’t aged much at all. The mix of punk rock and Mad Max gear head aesthetic has worked in the favor of “The Wraith” for a long time, making it a really unusual oddity of the mid eighties that embraces its absurdity. It has a good time as a revenge thriller with a supernatural bent that uses cars as a means of inspiring some chills. Whenever our avenging angel or “Wraith” comes rolling up in his supernatural black hot rod, it’s a surefire indication that no one is going to come out of the experience alive. I’ll be the first to admit that not a lot of “The Wraith” makes too much sense.