Nightmare on Elm Street, 3/5
REVOLTINGLY GORY, VIOLENT, and disturbing, the 2010 remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street is sure to frighten the socks off the most avid horror-flick lover. This adaptation of the 1984 original stays relatively true to the original story line—Freddy Krueger (Jackie Earle Haley), a child killer who was burned alive, haunts the teenagers of Springwood, Ohio in their dreams. But instead of just being a child killer, the 2010 Krueger is a pedophile who has come back to finish what he started.
The film revisits a number of famous parts from the original Nightmare, including Freddy’s glove popping out of the bathtub, his face stretching through the bedroom wall, and some memorable quotes. These flashbacks are quite successful and are sure to appease any diehard Nightmare fans.
The addition to Krueger’s back story takes the movie to a new level of disturbing. Although pedophilia was alluded to in the original, the scene where a character named Nancy is restrained on the bed while Freddy discusses the “fun” he is going to have with her seems an unnecessary addition to an already gore-filled movie.
The movie was grisly, violent, and certainly made you jump—it was just a little over the top.
—Kiera Obbard
Friday the 13th, 1/5
SOME MOVIES ARE so well done they’re begging to be remade—others aren’t. Friday the 13th falls into the latter category. Borrowing the name of the 1980 original film, there is absolutely nothing in this franchise that is new or exciting. Boasting 12 slasher movies under its belt, this is one series you wish would just die with its victims already. Sadly, the public must be subjected to a new instalment every couple of years, and in 2009, filmmakers resurrected the film once more to make a quick buck.
In terms of plot, there is nothing innovative or original. Jason Voorhees is still, for some inexplicable reason, alive and sporting the same hockey mask, which is supposed be scary but is really laughable at this point. All you need to know is that Jason is still killing people in this series—what else is new?—and you have the basic plot. Who really cares who he kills? It’s been done again and again.
The script is so boring, it makes you wonder if a child a wrote it. Friday the 13th wouldn’t even make an eight-year-old child, who wets himself, pee his pants in fear! This is the type of film that makes people abhor remakes so much. It’s not even so bad that it’s good—it’s just plain bad. For those tempted to see it, don’t. The lack of originality, thought, and talent in the film are the only things that will make you scream and run in the other direction.
—Sofia Hashi
Fright Night, 5/5
Remade from the 1985 horror flick of the same name, Fright Night is one vampire movie with bite. Set in the suburbs of Las Vegas, the 2011 version stars teenager Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin), who ditches his old friends for a much cooler crowd, including new his girlfriend Amy (Imogen Poots). Things take a terrifying turn when Charley’s classmates start disappearing and he suspects his neighbour, Jerry (Colin Farrell), of foul play. The movie becomes a quick-paced, suspenseful, and nail-biting game of cat and mouse between Charley and Jerry.
Over the years, the original Fright Night gained a sizeable cult following. While the recent instalment hasn’t had much time to garner admirers, long-time fans of the franchise will not be disappointed. Despite the height of Twilight-mania at the moment, director Craig Gillespie set out to make a vampire movie that is in no way cheesy or lovey-dovey.
A large part of Gillespie’s success with the film relies on superb casting. Farrell steals the show as the menacing Jerry, inspiring goosebumps at every turn. Toni Collette, who plays Charely’s mom, Yelchin, and Poots give convincing performances and are solid throughout the movie.
Fright Night is entertaining and frightening. Twilight haters can also rest easy knowing that no werewolves make an appearance. This dark and creepy movie is just as good as the original. In fact, it may be even better.
—Sofia Hashi
Dawn of the Dead, 4/5
ZOMBIES HAVE BEEN a mainstay of the horror genre for a long time now, but rarely has there been an undead flick so fear-inducing as Dawn of the Dead. The 2004 film is a remake of the 1978 George A. Romero film of the same name. It depicts a handful of human survivors in a mall as they try to fight off a large swarm of zombies and the threat of becoming flesh-eating monsters themselves.
The film is enjoyable and will keep your heart racing throughout. This time around, the zombies are fast and agile—not painstakingly slow like in the original film. The plot is also very well developed, in the way that the survivors bond and work together during their time of desperation makes for a more convincing performance.
The movie manipulates audiences into emotionally investing into the main characters. I was thoroughly disappointed to see a character I really liked succumb to the zombie virus.
All in all, I enjoyed the film. I think it accurately portrays how a zombie outbreak is possible in this day and age, so I better store up some weapons and learn to aim for a zombie’s head when the time is right!
—Anthony Wan
