Dog Soldiers (2002)

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'Ryan, you tried licking your own balls yet?'

Directed by: Neil Marhall

Starring: Sean Pertwee, Kevin McKidd, Emma Cleasby, Liam Cunningham

Released: 10th May 2002

Box Office: 3.2M

Concept

This tongue in cheek British horror is about werewolves. It follows a band of troops with Cooper as our main protagonist, he fails a trial to be part of a special forces unit on grounds of morality, and now he, his sergeant and several others are in Scotland. They are in the Highlands in a training mission against the SAS, and end up only coming across a massacre. Here they find the SAS Captain Ryan who is critically injured.

Attacked and hunted down by something unknown they run into a zoologist named Megan, who then takes them to an unknown home isolated from civilisation. Now they must stand their ground, barricade the doors, observe the ammunition and fight off these predators until sunrise. 

Can the troopers hold back against these attackers? Can Captain Ryan survive his wounds? Will England win the World Cup Final against Germany? Well you had better add this funny and explosive film to your horror collection.

Review

A proper British horror film with Brit sense of humour, surprising really as most of the filming was done in Luxembourg. With its rich dense forests this film makes you feel that paranoia that you're not alone in the great outdoors. The atmosphere and setting of this film are fantastic especially with the jokes thrown in.

The special effects in this movie is absolutely superb, using animatronics, digital effects, excellent and I do mean excellent psychical effects bring the werewolves to life. The acting is great and over the top, the humour will make you laugh and the horror really makes you invest your time into these characters,

The werewolves were made to look taller because the feet are actually massive stilts the stuntmen would stand into, and the effects are just great, a real special effects homage to A Werewolf in London. If you do not have this in your collection you should. It is an absolutely unmissable film and just enjoyable. 

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If you love horror to bits!

Cabin Fever (2002)

'I don't want to get sick. I don't want any of us getting sick!'

Directed by Eli Roth

Staring: Rider Strong, Jordan Ladd, Cerina Vincent, Arie Verveen

Released (Toronto International Film Festival): September 14th 2002

Budget: 1.5 million          Box Office: 30.6 million

Concept 

From a directing debut from Eli Roth you have to give him credit. This film took those early noughties slasher gore films such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Jeepers Creepers and those endless Scream sequels, and produced something original. A clash of Evil Dead atmosphere mixing with a little bit of Dawn of the Dead and turning it inside out. This film is right off the bat weird and doesn't take itself too seriously.

A group of highly sexual and wacky teens go to a cabin in the woods (cliche) and whilst there on holiday because of spring break weird things begin to happen to them. And they find themselves in an unwinnable situation with one another, each paranoid of the other.

To start off we have a child named Dennis, who sits outside his families store. Silent and emotionless he has a tendency to bite people and start using Kung Fu. A hermit that dies a horrible death by stupidity, a police cop who just wants to party is absolutely stupid, and a racist grandpa. 

Yet with all these weird side characters there's a powerful psychological edge to this film that, like said before; doesn't take itself way too seriously. A flesh eating virus begins running rampant, and it's not long until everyone is freaking out and taking matters into their own hands for survival. 

It delves into deeper and darker sides to the human psyche. Not wanting someone you care deeply enough dying but your own life may be at risk, and surely enough each character shows their true colours.

Review

Based off Eli Roth's own experience of getting a skin infection in Iceland, that inevitably gave him the strong inspiration for this commonly forgotten piece of film. 

This film has it all, great horror. The scenery and atmosphere is down to a tea of isolation and paranoia. The gore is stomach churning (honestly people don't watch after food) and the psychology aspects make you wonder what you would do. A classic recipe for horror. It's got a lot of laughs drawn from it as well to temporarily distract you from the horrific situation our protagonists have found themselves in.

In my opinion you will be giving yourself a great disservice if you skip over this film. It is a tearaway from the typical early noughties films that were produced at the time.

I hope you are all sitting uncomfortably, because soon we will be diving into the infested rivers of... Cabin Fever 2!