Amanda's Horror Years- 2008

So, 2008 was a pretty good year for horror movies. There were a few highlights and some films that I would rather forget! I will begin with the best ones. I realise that I will have missed some, but these are films that I have seen so if there are any that have been omitted, let me know!

The Strangers is the first film that I think was very good. I liked the premise and it was creepy in parts.There was a feeling of dread and isolation throughout and it works well, I think. I liked the cast and the ending was pretty decent. Another movie that I enjoyed was Cloverfield. I am not sure if this would be classed as horror or sci-fi, but I am including it here. I liked it a lot. It was fun. Next up is Splinter. I really liked that film. Midnight Meat Train stars Vinnie Jones and Bradley Cooper and it is based on a story by Clive Barker and I thought that it was interesting. I liked parts of the film and it was a highlight from this year. Martyrs was released in 2008 and this film can be difficult to watch in parts, but overall, I enjoyed it. It is not a feel good film though and be warned the ending is quite bleak! If you enjoyed the Spanish horror movie, REC, then the American remake, Quarantine, might interest you. This was another good movie from this year. I liked the original REC and I found the remake very entertaining. Pontypool was a very enjoyable film and there is not much to it at all but it really works. I liked it a lot and I highly recommend this one.

Now, onto the rest. I enjoyed some of these and some of them were just brutal and not in a good way!
Some middle of the road horrors are Swamp Devil, Backwoods, Eden Lake( I hated the ending), Let the Right One In, Long Weekend(remake), Midnight Movie and Train. Some of the worse ones are Mirrors(boring), Stag Night(average), Shutter, Seventh Moon(awful movie), Red Canyon, Prom Night remake(horrible), Pig Hunt, One Missed Call, Amusement, Babysitter Wanted, Dark Reel, The Happening(no explanation needed!), Lake Mungo. Now, I know some people might enjoy them, but I found a few of them boring and not good.

There were a few sequels in this year. The best of those was Saw 5. The worst was Return to Sleepaway Camp.That film was awful. Really awful. No Man's Land: The Rise of Reeker was okay.
The rest are Anaconda 3, Boogeyman 3, Feast 2, Lost Boys: The Tribe and Rest Stop:Don't Look Back. Nothing amazing there. So, that is my round up of the best and worst of 2008. All in all, this was a decent year for horror. There are some good titles there and lots to choose from if you need something to watch! As always, let me know your thoughts on this year!!!

Amanda's Horror Years- 2003

So, this time, we are going back to 2003 to see what horror movies were on offer. There were some good and some bad. Overall, this wasn't a great year for horror so there aren't loads of movies to include.

Let me start with the best of them. I liked Wrong Turn which appeared in this year. It was the start of a franchise which has two sequels and three prequels! The movie is about a group of people who go into West Virginia and end up being hunted by a weird group of cannibals. It is a good movie and the best of the lot. I enjoyed it and recommend it. There are a couple of other notable movies from this year. Underworld was released and it was a successful horror movie and has spawned four other movies. Dreamcatcher is based on a Stephen King novel. It didn't perform very well at the box office so it was a flop. Another movie that was released in this year was Darkness Falls. I didn't like this movie at all. It was boring and just not scary. I had heard about it and I wanted to watch it, but by the end of this film, I was irritated. I think it is just a bad movie. Another bad movie is Monster Man. This was a predicable, silly movie with nothing new to offer. Not worth your while really unless you like cheap movies.Some other movies you might like to watch are Dead End, Switchblade Romance and Open Water which I enjoyed. That was a good movie!

The sequels!! There were some pretty good ones this year. The best one is Freddy Vs Jason. This movie brought together two fantastic franchises and two fantastic horror icons. I really liked it a lot. It had some great scenes and there was the inevitable showdown at the end which was such fun. It is a really great movie which is a must for any horror fan.  I also liked Final Destination 2. This was a pretty good sequel and I found it a decent horror movie. Jeepers Creepers 2 was a decent follow up to the original, but it is nowhere near as good as the first movie. There was a yet another Leprechaun movie- Leprechaun:Back 2 tha Hood. This was the sixth film in the franchise and Warwick Davis hung up his boots after this one. Puppet Master: The Legacy was the eighth movie in the franchise and by far the weakest. I love the Puppet Master Franchise, but this added nothing new. Beyond Re-Animator is another sequel which popped up in this year.

Lastly is the remake of Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I am not a fan of remakes and this one was no different. I know people might enjoy them and that's fine, but the original movie is such a classic and is so hard to emulate that this pales in comparison. This ended up as a run of the mill slasher with nothing interesting or original to offer the viewer. Overall, 2003 was not very good for horror movies. My favourite film from this year would be Freddy Vs Jason and of course, Wrong Turn was enjoyable too. Other than that, there are a few decent movies, but nothing brilliant. Anyway, it has been enjoyable revisiting this horror year and of course, if you like any movies from this year, let me know!!

Amanda's Horror Years- 1991

So, this time, I am covering 1991. There were some good movies and some bad. I consider this year  not great for the horror genre but that is just my opinion.

Let me begin with the good- The People Under the Stairs was a Wes Craven offering starring Everett McGill and Wendy Robie. I liked this movie, even though it would not be my favourite Craven film. I think that it deserves to be included in this post. My next movie is Sometimes They Come Back. This is not one of Stephen King's well known movies, but I love it. I love the story of the man whose brother was killed by a group of bullies in the 1950's. They died in a train accident afterward but have come back into his life as ghosts and he has to relive the memories of his childhood and deal with the ghost bullies. This movie is one of my top King adaptations, but it seems that it is not revered which is a shame. Though strictly not horror, The Silence of the Lambs in included here as it is a classic movie. I read the book and I enjoyed the movie too. It is a worthy contender for best movie of 1991. Another thriller which I have to mention is Cape Fear. Now, I like the original movie so this one paled in comparison. I am not saying that it was bad or anything, it just didn't match up to the classic Robert Mitchum/ Gregory Peck movie.

There are some films that I felt were not brilliant, but not awful either and Popcorn was one of these.
 I did enjoy it in parts, but I wouldn't say that it was great. It is a mediocre slasher. Servants of Twlight is based on a Dean Koontz novel and it is about a young boy who is pursued by a weird cult who think that he is Satan. Another middle of the road one. The Sect was released in this year, but I have not seen that one yet, so I cannot comment. I wanted to include it here all the same. A few other lesser known movies released in 1991 are Dolly Dearest and The Unborn.

Now for the fun part- the sequels!!! So many for this year, I have to say. The first one is Freddy's Dead:The Final Nightmare which is great fun! I love the Freddy movies and this one was just great.
Chucky was back with Child's Play 3 and this was another fun sequel, I think. Puppet Master 2 was released in 1991 and it was straight to video. I liked this film. It was a lot of fun with some hilarious moments with the puppets, especially Torch! Bizarrely, Puppet Master 3 was released in this year too and I watched this today. I thought that it was really good and I loved the Nazi angle. Some not so great sequels from this year were Scanners 2, Critters 3,Omen 4, Howling 6, Silent Night Deadly Night 5 and 976-Evil 2.Wow, so many sequels and most of them, not all, are so so, in my opinion.

There you have it. I know that I will have omitted some movies from this year, but I can't fit them all in. If you have any that you would like to mention, let me know. I am always looking for new horror movies to add to my ever growing to watch list!!! I think that 1991 was an okay year for horror. There were a few decent movies, but there were a lot more duds. The 1990's as a whole were nowhere near as good as the 80's for horror, in my opinion. Anyway I hope you enjoy my movie selection from this year.

Amanda's Horror Years- 1999

So, 1999 was not the best year for horror movies, but there were one of two standout films. Let me start with the best of the horror movies from this year- The Blair Witch Project . Now, you can either love or hate this movie and I am certainly in the love camp here. I saw this in the cinema at the time and I remember all of the hype around it. I didn't know what to expect and it surprised and spooked me at the same time. I loved it. It was unlike the usual horror movies that I watched and I wanted to see it again and again which doesn't happen very often. Of course now, it has been ripped off by so many 'found footage' movies which are inferior and not scary at all. The Blair Witch Project was written and directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez and starred unknowns. The story seemed plausible and the way that it was shot in documentary style made you believe that this could happen. The ending stayed with me for many years and it is one of the creepiest endings to a horror movie, in my opinion. Your imagination makes this creepier than any special effects or CGI could and this movie started off a new genre of horror movies.

Anyway, another movie that is worth a mention is Lake Placid which is a fun monster movie with a great cast. I enjoyed it and I have watched it a few times. The Mummy is another big budget 'horror' movie. There isn't much in this to scare me and I would consider this more action/adventure than horror but it is worth a mention. Sleepy Hollow was more like it and this had a dark, gothic feel to it. I liked Johnny Depp in this and Christopher Walken was great as the Headless Horseman. This was a very well made movie with a great cast. Stir Of Echoes was released this year and I have reviewed that here. Kevin Bacon stars in the lead role as a guy who is hynpotised but brings back something sinister with him when he comes to. He sees visions of a murder and he has to solve it. It is an entertaining movie and Bacon is good as always. The Haunting is a remake of the 1963 movie and even though I don't normally enjoy remakes, this one was okay and that was just because of Liam Neeson being in it. If compared to the original, then this isn't great. 

On to the not so great movies. House on Haunted Hill was a mess.I have reviewed that here. End of Days was a weird one. It is horror but action too. I liked it and it has a great cast. It's gotten negative reviews but it isn't that bad at all. Stigmata was another religious themed horror movie but it wasn't that good. Deep Blue Sea was released this year and it wasn't great, but wasn't crap either. Camp Blood is a slasher from this year and one that I have yet to watch. Bats was another creature feature and it starred Lou Diamond Phillips. I saw this on TV a few years ago and it was pretty bad but I might give it another try sometime. Lycanthrope was released this year and it was a pretty low budget affair which could be sci-fi or horror. It isn't really great, so maybe avoid this one.

Lastly, the sequels, which are always inevitable.Candyman 3 was the final installment in the series.
Sometimes, these sequels are unnecessary and this one wasn't great. The Rage:Carrie 2 was a silly pointless remake and I don't think that it had much to offer. Children of the Corn 666 was just a sequel too far. It was pointless as well. Warlock 3 was released and Julian Sands did not return to the role which put me off a bit. It wasn't great, but it is worth a look if you enjoyed the first two movies. From Dusk Till Dawn 2 was released and it starred Robert Patrick. I haven't seen it and I don't really want to even though I like Robert Patrick. I enjoyed the first one and I will leave it at that. Retro Puppet Master was released and was the SEVENTH movie in the franchise. Seventh!!!! Lastly, Wishmaster 2 rounds off the sequels for this year. The less said about that, the better.

So, that was 1999. Some good, some bad and some awful entries here. This year wasn't the best for horror and I couldn't really say that I would add any of those films to my DVD collection except for The Blair Witch Project which I do own. If I have left anything out, don't hesitate to let me know!

Amanda's Horror Years- 1995

So, 1995. It wasn't the best year for horror related movies really, but there were some interesting films and some not so interesting ones, I will begin, as always, with the best of the lot.

Copycat is a thriller mostly, but I am including it here as it is a great movie and one of my favourites.
I love the story and the cast are great. This is one to watch if you have not seen it. Seeing Harry Connick Jr. as a serial killer is worth a watch. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself. That guy is good looking but here, he is nasty. Seven is another thriller which fits in here too. I never really loved this movie despite all of the praise that has been heaped on it. Brad Pitt is Brad Pitt but Kevin Spacey is good in this. Morgan Freeman is good too. Dolores Claiborne is a Stephen King penned novel which was made into a movie in this year and I did read the book and I enjoyed the movie, but not as much as the book, I have to say. Kathy Bates and Jennifer Jason Leigh star in this. Haunted is another novel that I read by James Herbert that was turned into a movie. Again, I liked it, and it starred Aidan Quinn who is a good actor. It is worth a look.

The Mangler is a Tobe Hooper directed horror movie which is based on a short story by Stephen King. It isn't great to be honest. I wanted to like it, but it is mediocre. Ice Cream Man is another
one that isn't great either. The Addiction is a vampire movie starring Lili Taylor but I wouldn't count it among my favourites. Lord of Illusions is a Clive Barker directed movie from his short story. It stars Scott Bakula and I liked it. It was pretty good. Night of the Scarecrow is a low budget affair
which had me confused as it was like Dark Night of the Scarecrow, another Scarecrow related movie. These scarecrows get around a bit! Vampire in Brooklyn was a Wes Craven directed vampire comedy.
It is not really my thing. I am not a huge fan of horror and comedy together so this isn't one that I would re watch.

So, where are we now?The worst movies of 1995. Hmm, there is some competition for this one. Village of the Damned was a remake of the original movie and even though it starred Christopher Reeve. Rumplestiltskin was not good at all. Hideaway which is based on a Dean Koontz novel was not good either. The less said about it , the better. Piranha was a remake of the original and it is bad.

There were plenty of sequels this year. I will begin with Leprechaun 3 which was hilarious. Those movies are so silly but great fun. Candyman 3 was the final in the series of movies and this was probably a good thing. I liked the first one, but the others were not great. Halloween:The Curse of Michael Myers is the sixth movie in the series. It is so so as most of the sequels are. The Howling:New Moon was the seventh film in the series- yes the SEVENTH! Enough said. Rubbish,
Witchboard 3:The Possession was released. I haven't seen this one yet but I'm not in a rush to see it.
Children of the Corn 3 came out his year and this was just OK.

So, 1995 was an okay year for horror. There is nothing very good here other than Copycat and I think that a lot of the films above could be forgotten about. If I have missed anything, let me know.

Amanda's Horror Years- 1990

The start of the 90's brought some great movies. On the whole, the 90's were not as good as the 80's for horror, in my opinion but there were some highlights. This year had some great movies and I will look back on them now.

To start with my favourites, I will begin with Flatliners. This film is one of my favourite 90's movies and the cast is great(apart from Julia Roberts). Kiefer Sutherland leads the group of med school students who decide to see if there is anything beyond death. Unfortunately, they bring something back from the dead with them. It is a great, tense movie which I did hear is going to be re made. I hope that this won't happen. Misery is another good movie from this year. I read the book by Stephen King first and I enjoyed it and the movie was entertaining too. I am not a huge Kathy Bates fan in general, but she was good as the psycho fan here. James Caan stars as the author who gets saved by Bates but she is not going to let him go back home... 

Another King adaptation was Graveyard Shift(avoid if you don't like rats) and IT which I really enjoyed. I loved the novel too.Of course, that is being remade too. A favourite movie of mine released this year was Arachnophobia. Anyone who knows me well knows that I hate spiders. That is why this movie is so scary to me, even though it isn't scary(you know what I mean). That big ass spider at the end made me hide behind my hands, I have to say. Tremors was a good, fun movie released this year starring Kevin Bacon. It is about some sort of weird creatures who are underground. It is not strictly horror, but it is a monster movie, so it is included. Clive Barker's Nightbreed was released too. It is kind of a monster movie, but not one of my favourites. Night of the Living Dead was a remake of the original 1968 movie which is a very good movie. I don't know about this. I am not a huge fan of remakes in general. There are always exceptions, but this isn't one of them.

Tales From the Darkside:The Movie is an anthology based on the TV series. I liked it as I am a fan of anthology movies. I liked the different tales. There was another TV movie called I'm Dangerous Tonight starring Anthony Perkins and directed by Tobe Hooper. It's not a bad movie about a girl who becomes a devil. It sounds worse than it is. The First Power is a horror/thriller starring Lou Diamond Phillips and it is about a shape shifting Devil who inhabits the body of a killer. It was a decent movie and Phillips was good in it. Whatever happened to him? Another few movies worth a mention are Buried Alive, Pledge Night, A Cat in The Brain, Two Evil Eyes, Brain Dead, Darkman(not strictly horror, but I threw it in) and Jacobs Ladder(kind of a horror movie so it's here).

Sequels were big business this year and the best of the lot was Psycho 4:The Beginning. I liked it as it showed us little Norman and how he got to be the killer that he became. Slumber Party Massacre 3 was out this year ( I must watch this one. I haven't gotten around to it yet),Predator 2,Prom Night 3, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3, Child's Play 2(good fun), Gremlins 2(great fun),Sorority House Massacre 2, Basket Case 2(Not bad),Maniac Cop 2(good movie), Silent Night, Deadly Night 4(enough already!), The Exorcist 3(Okay).

So, all in all, 1990 was a pretty good year for horror movies and movies in general. I liked a lot of these movies and there are some of my favourite movies here such as Flatliners and Arachnophobia.
As always, if you have any movies that you would like to add, let me know.

Amanda's Horror Years- 1983

So, this time around, we are in 1983 for more great films. This was a great year for the horror genre with some classic movies being released.

I will start with my favourites and go on from there. Christine is the first one that I will talk about. It is based on the book by Stephen King and is about a car who takes over it's owner. It is one of my favourite King adaptations. It is directed by John Carpenter and it is a classic in my opinion. The story is great and the actors are good in their roles too. Another King story made into a movie is Cujo. This is also based on a novel by King. Cujo is a large St.Bernard dog who terrorises a woman and her son who get stuck in a car when Cujo gets rabies and turns vicious. I love this movie too and I find that it is often overlooked when Stephen King adaptations are discussed. Last on my Stephen King list is The Dead Zone which is directed by David Cronenberg. I liked this too despite the sad ending. Sleepaway Camp is next and I liked this movie. It was a great slasher with a good twist ending. There are a few sequels, but they don't match up to the original.

David Cronenberg directed another great film in 1983 called Videodrome starring James Woods and Debbie Harry. I loved this movie too. It is so strange and weird but it is a classic. Another entertaining movie is The House on Sorority Row which is a slasher movie but great fun. Some more movies released this year are Mausoleum, A Blade in the Dark, Microwave Massacre,Curtains, Frightmare, American Nightmare and House of the Long Shadows with three horror greats- Peter Cushing, Vincent Price and Christopher Lee. The Keep was released this year and this was an interesting film. It has a good cast with Gabriel Byrne, Ian McKellan, Jurgen Prochnow and Scott Glenn. It is directed by Michael Mann so it is an atmospheric movie. There are some good scenes here and the keep is a creepy building. Twilight Zone:The Movie was a fun remake of sorts of the original series. There was a very good cast. I like anthologies so I did enjoy it. Another anthology movie that I liked was Nightmares. There are four stories in this and one of them stars Emilio Estevez.

Another movie from this year was Sweet Sixteen but there wasn't much sweet about this. It wasn't great at all. Sledgehammer is another dire movie. It was really bad. So, anyway, on to the sequels of this year. One of my all time favourite films was released and it is Psycho 2. I love this film almost as much as the original and it is exceptional. I love it and I have watched it so many times that I know it inside out. This is one of the few examples where the sequel is almost as good as the original. Jaws 3-D was also out but it wasn't great. Amityville was also 3-D which was big at the time. The third movie in the franchise was not too bad.

So, that is my selection of movies from 1983. I am sure that I have left some out so if you have any favourites, let me know!

Amanda's Horror Years- 1992

1992 was an interesting year for horror movies but I wouldn't say that it was the best. Firstly I will begin with a movie that I enjoyed when it was originally released. Bram Stoker's Dracula was directed  by Francis Ford Coppola and starred Gary Oldman in the lead role, with Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder co starring. There was a great cast and I really enjoyed it. It was a box office success unlike a lot of the other horror movies from this year, but, being a fan of the book, this was a good adaptation in my opinion. Keanu Reeves looked lost in this film, but apart from that, it was well made and enjoyable.Another favourite of mine from this year is Sleepwalkers based on a screenplay by Stephen King and directed by Mick Garris who has directed many King adaptations. It starred Alice Krige and Brian Krause as vampires who can turn into creatures. They are mother and son and they are living in a small town. Charles meets a young woman, played by Madchen Amick and he wants her so that he can drain her life force. She fights him and then all hell breaks loose. It is a good movie and I enjoyed it. It isn't one of the better known King adaptations, but good fun!

Another King story adapted this year is Lawnmower Man starring Pierce Brosnan and Jeff Fahey. I liked this, even though King did not and sued to get his name taken off of it. It is an entertaining movie nonetheless.Candyman was released this year and while it is not one of my all time favourites, it is a good movie. It is adapted from a story by Clive Barker and Virginia Madsen stars in the lead role. Dolly Dearest and Demonic Toys were released this year too. I find those weird dolls creepy anyway so this was a creepy movie, while not great. Demonic Toys had some creepy moments too and those toys are weird! It's not a brilliant film, but fun anyway. More movies released are Braindead, Dust Devil, Raising Cain, The Resurrected and Netherworld.

Sequels were many this year. Let's start with Army of Darkness. This is the third movie in the Evil Dead series. It is really entertaining and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Some other sequels which were not so great are Hellraiser 3, Pet Semetary 2, ,Waxwork 2. Amityville:It's About Time is the sixth movie in the Amityville series. It wasn't a bad movie, but as the sequels roll on, the quality declines. Stepfather 3 was so so and not one that I would watch again. House 4 was okay, but nothing special. Prom Night was still making sequels in this year and this time it was Prom Night 4- the last movie in the series. It was better to end it here as the movies got worse as they went along. The Gate 2 was not really worth watching. Basket Case 3 was not great either in my opinion.

So there you have it- my selection of films from 1992. Some good, some bad, some mediocre, but all horror! Enjoy!

Amanda's Horror Years- 1982

1982 was a great year for horror movies and movies in general. I could list all of the movies from this year, but I will just concentrate on the best ones or the good ones. Let me see, I think that I will start with some of my favourite films from the year. 

Firstly, Poltergeist. This movie is directed by Tobe Hooper who has made some fine movies over the years. I love this film as it is creepy and well written(Spielberg co wrote this). I really enjoy it and it is definitely a classic. There is no point going into the plot because you should have seen this movie! Next,Creepshow. I enjoyed this movie penned by Stephen King and directed by horror maestro George A. Romero. It is in the vein of The Twilight Zone. It is a classic combination of old fashioned story telling with modern creepiness. The Thing was directed by John Carpenter and starred Kurt Russell. This is a very good horror with some great scenes.A low budget horror movie called Basket Case was released in this year. It is a cult classic by now and it was a weird kind of movie about a guy who carries his deformed twin brother in a basket. His brother is violent and this movie is too. It is good fun though.

More great movies released in this year were Slumber Party Massacre, the classic Dario Argento movie(and a favourite of mine) Tenebrae, Unhinged,The New York Ripper, The Last Horror Film, Pieces(review of that here), Madman, The Dorm that Dripped Blood, The Slayer,Superstition,Alone in the Dark.Wow, this was some year for the horror genre. Death Screams, Honeymoon Horror, Visiting Hours, The Beast Within and The Entity are just some more names for you. I have to say that most of these are decent movies that you should watch if you get a chance. There were a couple of creature features this year, namely Swamp Thing by Wes Craven, Parasite, Cat People and Deadly Eyes a.k.a The Rats.

Lastly, but not least are the sequels that arrived. There were not many but they were good, especially Amityville 2:The Possession. I liked this movie. Of course it is not as good as the original, but I think that it is a good solid sequel. Halloween 3: Season of the Witch was not bad as sequels go. Friday the 13th, Part 3 I enjoyed. It was a by the numbers horror movie, but it kept me entertained.So, that is all in my synopsis of this year,. Yes, I have left out movies, but I included the movies that I liked. If you have any more that you think of, let me know!

Amanda's Horror Years- 1989

It's been a while, but my horror years is back. This time, I have decided to look at 1989 and the horror movies that were released this year. Some were good, some bad and some just okay.

I suppose that I should begin with the most popular ones first. Pet Sematary was released this year and it is based on the book of the same name by Stephen King. It is about a strange cemetery where people who are buried in it come back to life with awful results. I liked the book, so I also enjoyed the movie. It was one of the better King adaptations. There was a sequel, but the less said about that, the better. Puppet Master was also out this year and was full of weirdness and fun, especially with the doll who releases leeches on a poor unsuspecting man and a puppet with a tiny head and big body. Creepy puppets! Not a bad movie, but it wouldn't be one of my favourites.Warlock was a very good movie also out this year and I really liked it. Julian Sands is the warlock in this movie and Lori Singer is the waitress who falls foul of him. It is great fun. 976-EVIL is a movie about a guy who calls Satan direct!!!It is good fun. Shocker was a worthy offering from Wes Craven this year. 

Anthony Perkins starred in Edge of Sanity, a twist on the Jekyll and Hyde story and with shades of Jack the Ripper mixed in. It is an okay movie, but not great. I am a fan of Perkins, but this wasn't his best movie. After Midnight was a horror anthology with some interesting stories. Clownhouse was a horror movie featuring some freaky clowns. I find clowns creepy at the best of times but this makes for uncomfortable viewing. Another creature feature was Elves which is perfect for this time of year. Evil elves who want to start a master race! What is not to like about that?Killer Crocodile is self explanatory. Intruder was another horror/thriller about a killer stalking employees of a supermarket.

Some of the sequels from this year were A Nightmare on Elm Street 5:The Dream Child which I have reviewed here. Amityville 4:The Evil Escapes, Chud 2, The Exorcist 3, Friday the 13th part 8, Halloween 5 and Silent Night, Deadly Night 3 were all released in this year as was The Stepfather 2, which I enjoyed and Sleepaway Camp 3:Teenage Wasteland which was a good slasher flick. All of these sequels were pretty good with the exception of The Exorcist 3 and Howling 5 which I found a bit mediocre.

Lastly, the movies that I haven't seen yet or just didn't like. The Church was supposed to be a sequel in the Demons series but I didn't see much connection with the first two movies which I really liked. Night Life is a zombie movie but I haven't seen it yet.Society was a horror/sci-fi movie which was okay, but nothing special. That's all the movies that I have time for now. If you think that there are any I have missed or are worth a look, let me know!

Amanda's Horror Years- 1978

1978- Hmm. Was this a good or bad year for horror???Well, there were some great movies released and then some not so great.

Let's start with the best, of course. Halloween was released in this year and it changed the face of horror movies. The slasher was born and the guy with the mask and the knife became a horror movie staple. This wasn't the first horror to feature a stalker guy, but it made a huge impact. Jamie Lee Curtis was the unfortunate victim of the deranged Michael Myers. Her pals started to drop like flies and it led to the famous end sequence and who could forget that wonderful title music? John Carpenter gave us such a great film and it can be watched at any time of year- not just Halloween!!! Another cult movie, I Spit On Your Grave, was released in 1978 and this was very controversial because of the gang rape scene. A young woman, Jennifer Hills rents a cabin in the country to write her novel and she gets the local scumbags all hot and bothered. They decide to rape her and leave her for dead. They think that they have disposed of her, but she ain't dead and she is very angry! I liked this movie and for those who think that it is anti-woman, you should see how Jennifer gets her revenge on the men!!! George A Romero brought us the second in his zombie trilogy Dawn of the Dead. I liked this film. It was very entertaining and it is a precursor to The Walking Dead! Without this movie, there would be no Walking Dead, I think. A group of survivors hole up in a shopping mall but the zombies are hungry and they are in the mood for some shopping!

Other movies released this year were The Toolbox Murders- a video nasty which was a bad reputation, but is worth a look. Piranha was another low budget movie which was decent but not a great movie. Martin is a lesser known movie by George A Romero about a young man who believes himself to be a vampire. Are You in the House Alone is a made for TV thriller, but is worth a mention here as the story is solid and I liked it. Long Weekend is another horror/thriller and it was about a couple who go camping in the wild and find that their shabby treatment of the environment catches up with them. Attack of the Killer Tomatoes was a comedy horror about- well, killer tomatoes!!!! Damien:Omen II was a sequel to the original movie, but it lacked the greatness of the original. Jaws II was released with great success and was one of the highest grossing movies of 1978.

All in all, 1978 was a decent year for movies. Halloween was the highlight in my opinion and I still love it now! There were other good movies, but I think that Halloween will be the most remembered one! Let me know if I have omitted any of your favourites!

Amanda's Horror Years-1987

I'm back with another dose of horror for you. This time, I am digging in the vault for movies from 1987. Fortunately, this was a good year for movies, especially horror.

Let me begin with the best of the best. The Lost Boys was released in this year and it was a real treat. I love this movie and it never gets old. It is a mix of horror and comedy and it is done really well. It  is a favourite of mine and there was a great cast, including Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, Jason Patric, Kiefer Sutherland and more!Hellraiser was born this year and it is and will remain to be a cult classic. Clive Barker brought us Pinhead and there has been many sequels, but nothing matches this one. It is dark, disturbing and brilliant!Near Dark is another vampire movie and this is a cult classic. Adrian Pasdar stars as the young man bitten by a young woman who happens to be be travelling around America with a group of  vampires. It is atmospheric, dark and a great example of a vampire movie made well.Terry O Quinn was The Stepfather in this thriller from 1987. He was great as the man with no name and no past...Great movie, forget the remake!The Gate was a tame horror movie starring a very young Stephen Dorff. It was a fun movie.

Some other movies from this year were Peter Jackson's Bad Taste, John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness, The Believers,Bates Motel(this was made for TV and was meant to be the pilot for a TV series, but it never took off.), Blood Harvest, Blood Rage, Blood Frenzy(see a familiar pattern emerging here?) and Killer Workout. Dario Argento gave us the spooky Opera and Stuart Gordon brought us Dolls. Now, to the many sequels from this year. Let me begin with the fantastic Evil Dead 2:Dead By Dawn. This is a great sequel and it is almost as good as the first movie. Creepshow 2 appeared and it was good fun. Nightmare on Elm Street3:Dream Warriors was released and I have reviewed that here. House 2, Howling 3 and Slumber Party Massacre 2 were released too.Return to Salem's Lot wasn't great. Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 was okay too. 

So there you have it. There is a large selection of good and not so good horror movies. If you haven't seen the best ones, then I suggest you see them immediately. You won't be disappointed!!!Until next time....