The Unborn (2009)

'Evil will do anything to live' - Movie Tagline

Directed by David S. Goyer

Starring Odette Yustman, Gary Oldman, Meagon Good and Cam Gigandet.

Released January 9th 2009

Budget: 16M   Box Office: 76M

Casey is being followed and haunted by a strange, cold child. She suffers nightmarish visions about him but does not know why he is invading her dreams. As time goes on strange occurrences begin to emerge, leading her to find the truth.

Whilst in the womb her unknown twin unexpectedly died by suffocation from Casey's umbilical cord. She then believes her twin is possessed, and is trying to find access into the land of the living.

With help Casey attempts to stop this demon being born and continuing its darkness...

Suffering from negative reviews from critics this film is not exactly a hidden gem but more of a forgotten gem. Any fresh horror fan should watch this film it is perfect for casual fans who don't want to venture too deep into the horror library.

Similar to The Devil's Backbone, The Unborn is a supernatural film with plenty of cliches and scares. If you are looking for a casual supernatural horror film or a scary film you and your friends can shriek at The Unborn is perfect for you.

Stay Horrific!

Dread (2009)

'What is your strongest memory of feeling fear?'

Directed by Anthony DiBlasi

Starring Jackson Rathbone, Shaun Evans, Paloma Faith and Laura Donnelly 

Released 30th August 2009

Dread is a fantastic uncomfortable film, and the ending is both sickening and satisfactory. Another Clive Barker film this movie is psychological, but has the gore to keep you interested. It doesn't drag on with the details so much and gives you plenty of horror moments to keep you watching.

When Quaid was a child his parents were murdered by a guy with an axe. As you might expect this caused him some severe psychological damage. Seeing as how the homicides are his greatest fear he wishes to discover the fear of other for a school project, or so it seems...

With help from Stephen, another student who regrets how his brother died in a car accident and Cheryl, who was molested as a child and thus cannot eat meat due to her abusive father working in a meat factory.

Quaid then begins interviewing several people about their fears, and in turn begins to bring their fears to life...

As the movie progresses you really see Quaid become more and more unhinged, it seems like he takes a lot of enjoyment n the project and in turn the suffering he produces. 

Dread was released to mixed reviews but honestly if you like Midnight Meat Train, psychological horror and feeling uneasy Dread is the film for you.
It might make you feel a little sick to your stomach...steak anyone?

Doghouse (2009)

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'What you men have created here, are p*ssed off, man hating, cannibals.'

Directed by Jake West

Starring: Danny Dyer, Noel Clarke, Stephan Graham.

Released: 12th June 2009

Triangle (2009)

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'Everything that has happened has already happened before.'

Directed by: Christopher Smith

Starring: Melissa George, Michael Dorman, Henry Nixon, Emma Lung

Released: 16th October 2009

Budget: 12M   Box Office:1.8M

Concept

This is an underrated film that is a personal favourite. Several friends, our protagonist being a single mother go on a boating trip. The mother is quite troubled but is reassured by her friends.

They enjoy themselves until they encounter a storm in the distance, with no way of escaping they stay downstairs and brace the natural onslaught.

Once the morning arrives they climb on deck and come face to face with a cruise liner. Upon climbing aboard they find no-one, the ship is aged and rusted. They believe they are alone...until a masked figure begins attacking them.

And that's all folks, without ruining the film but I urge you watch the film even the trailer doesn't give everything away.

Review

This film is a mindf*ck. The ending perfectly captures the tone of.the film, there's gore, there's mystery, it's clever and all round a great ride.

Inspired by Memento and a greek mythology known as Sisyphus you need to watch this flick, it turns de'va-ju into a horror film

It is a British funded film but was sadly not released in the U.S, which is a shame because missing this film is criminal.

Dead Snow (2009)

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'We should have gone to the beach like I told you!'.

Directed by: Tommy Wirkola

Starring: Vegar Hoel, Charlotte Frogner, Lasse Valdal, Jeppe Laursen 

Released: 9th January 2009

Budget: $800,000    Box Office: $2M

The house of the Devil (2009)

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'you have to forgive me Samantha because, I've not been completely honest'. 

Directed by Ti West

Starring: Josh Braun, Derek Curl, Roger Kass, Peter Phok

Released: 25th April 2009

Budget: $900,000         Box Office: $100,000

Concept

Samantha Hughes is a college student in the 1980's and has a problem, her new apartment has a new deposit extension thanks to her landlady. In short of cash she decides to do some part time work babysitting. She eventually finds a client with the Ulman family, who agree to pay $400 for the one night. 

Samantha's friend Megan reluctantly gives her a lift to a remote mansion, concerned about the situation. Mr Ulman greets the two of them and welcomes them inside. The host then sits the girls down and tells them a small secret of what the job entails.

He and his wife have no children, and Samantha is to care for his step-mother, who is very frail and ill. Megan pulls Samantha outside to talk to her, saying how Mr Ulman is a liar and he and his wife are highly peculiar. Megan leaves, promising to return later to pick up her friend. 

In an isolated mansion, alone aside from an elderly lady upstairs, Samantha is dragged through a nightmare. Her life will never be the same again, witchcraft, Satan and the occult all play a part in the evening, can she survive the night in...the House of the Devil?!

Review

It's a shame this movie bombed at the box office, as it encapsulates the style of 80's horror. The plot is like a video nasty movie with the same pacing, the film itself is shot with 16mm film the same kind used in the 80's. The culture of the decade subtly is there too and isn't pushed in your face. Even the camera shots are the same such as the dramatic zooming in close up shot of the 70's and 80's 'check the climatic scene in Carrie for an example'. Hell the film was even released in early 80's VHS boxes, in which it was released on also. 

A homage to past horror that doesn't take anything away from the story, it is a slow burner but the story itself is enjoyable and will leave you with a chilling ending. If you love 70's-80's horror get yourself this movie on VHS or DVD and enjoy it, enjoy it as much as I did. 

A Haunting in Connecticut (2009)

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'There were seances. People not only made contact with the dead...but they made things appear'. 

Directed by Peter Cornwell

Starring: Virginia Madson, Kyle Gallner, Martin Donovan, Amanda Crew

Released: 27th March 2009

Budget: 10M        Box Office: 77.5M

The Hills Run Red (2009)

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'Everybody is expendable for the good of the film.'

Directed by Dave Parker

Starring: Sophie Monk, Tad Hilgenbrink, Alex Wyndham, William Sadler

Released Date: September 29th 2009

Concept

The Hills Run Red is considered by many to be the scariest film anyone has ever seen,at least according to the plot of this film. The film is so notorious that obsessive horror movie fan Tyler wishes to track down the director of the film Wilson Wyler Concannon (boy that's a mouthful). 

The film itself is a slasher film, a lost treasure that encapsulates the slasher genre of the 1980's. The murderer or 'bad guy' in this slasher is Babyface, a crude figure in a red jacket wearing the face of a doll. 

Tyler begins tracking down Wilson, and discovers his daughter works nearby as a stripper, named Alexa. Upon meeting it is discovered she has a drug habit, he weans her off it without her consent and forces her to help him. Tyler, Alexa, his girlfriend Serena and good friend Lalo venture into the woods to find the origin of this lost film and its director. In a matter of time they soon discover a much darker secret to 'the scariest movie ever made'...

Review

Screaming out onto DVD this slasher erupted out of nowhere in 2009. A time where, Rob Zombie was remaking Halloween 2 in all its gory fashion, Friday the 13th, the Hills Have Eyes and Nightmare on Elm St where coming out and when Paranormal Activity took control of the genre in the mainstream and has continued its washed up gimmick force for the past seven years. 

 Taking a little inspiration from The Blair Witch Project there are several 'interviews' in the beginning of the film where Tyler asks several civilians who watched the movie back when it originally came out. 

If you're a fan of the slasher sub-genre especially from the 80's you should check this movie out. The recipe is there, a fairly simple but more complex story as you get into it based around the deaths of teens, a horrific and rememberable villain, sex, nudity, drugs etc etc.  

The Hills Run Red is not to be discredited it deserves a rental at least, at a pinpoint time in horror movie history with bad remakes and 'found footage' this film is the wheat from the chaff.

Book of Blood (2009)

'The dead have highways, highways that lead to intersections, and intersections that spill into our world. If you should find yourself at one of these intersections you should stop and listen. Because the dead have stories to tell'. 

Directed by John Harrison

Starring: Jonas Armstrong, Sophie Ward, Doug Bradley

Released: 28th September 2009

Concept

Another film based on the works of Clive Barker. Book of Blood, based on the novel of the same name is a very dark and foreboding tale only a sick creative mind could create. 

The film follows a young man named Simon, who is kidnapped by a hitman. The hitman is hired to to take away Simon's skin, which he finds is horrifically covered in words carved all over his body. Curious, he offers Simon a quick death if he reveals how this happened to him. Simon begins telling the story.

Simon goes on to explain how a young girl was violated and brutally murdered by a supernatural force. This incident brings curiosity to Mary Florescu, a paranormal professor, and Reg Fuller, her partner. Mary then discovers Simon, a clairvoyant student, and though reluctant, the three of them eventually venture into the home to move in to begin a paranormal investigation. But things go from bad to worse.

Review

I love this film, it's original, it's dark, it's gritty. It's a great British horror movie and there's a few twists and turns including a big one halfway through which I won't spoil for you. It has an horrific ending that follows it and is a great underrated film people need to see. 

It's gory, atmospheric, it's aesthetic is Britain on a rainy day, all stony and gloomy. If you don't have this movie in your collection I urge you to get it you will not be disappointed at all. 

Clive Barker is such a great author and films based on his novels are just fantastic. If you haven't seen this film you should.

Cabin Fever 2 (2009)

'It's a skin disease man. It's a skin disease'.

Directed by Ti West

Starring: Rider Strong, Noah Segan, Alexi Wasser, Rusty Kelly

Released: October 24th 2009 (Screamfest Horror Film Festival)

Concept

In this sequel to the bizarre gorefest the original was, this time the infection has spread rapidly. Taking place after the first Cabin Fever the disease has spread from the desolate woods into a small town via the water supply, a company has bottled the water and it is now distributed at the local high school. 

It follows a roughly new set of characters aside from the creepy strange policeman from the first film (paarrty man). It contains the usual quirky guy trying to get the girl who's with the unflattering jock boyfriend and that obese friend who somehow manages to score with the popular girl. 

It is a lot more claustrophobic specifically because it is in a school soon locked down by authorities, there's no running through trees from wild dogs and hermits this time, but it does have that style with it.

A strange headmistress, a janitor that does something unforgivable to the punch, jock boyfriend who is a complete... well. And a scene in which uses a prosthetic penis that made me threw up in my mouth. Amputation is involved and diseased breasts. Oh boy, you best not eat before watching this.

Review

I watched this film before I watched the original Cabin Fever. And let me tell you, in terms of making your stomach churn, this is worse. This film is so grotesque I wouldn't be surprised if you felt uncomfortable watching it throughout. The trailer itself might put you off.

However if you are a gore fanatic you will enjoy this crude, ridiculous film. It is in no way a bad film in my opinion but it is not the best. It has the same elements as before, aside from a different crew working on it and just two members of the original cast this film is a good ride for gore seekers. 

I recommend this to anyone who likes the original, or the Human Centipede franchise, oh and zombies. 

If you have any suggestions please feel free to comment below, i would also appreciate if you followed me and shared me. Take care fiends.

Tormented (2009)

'It started out as...a joke'.

Directed by Jon Wright

Starring: Alex Pettyfur, Calvin Dean, Tom Hopper, April Pearson

Released: 22 May 2009

Budget: £700,000          Box Office: £280,000

Concept  

This BBC film that obviously bombed is a classic take on the revenge slasher. This time the premise is a social look at bullying, suicide and teenage social pressures. It is about an unpopular, overweight pupil named Darren Mullet, who by the time this film begins as already taken his own life.

He took his own life due to the extreme bullying he recieved from a certain group of people as well as the attitude and social neglect of the other students. And now he's come back back from the dead to take them out. One by one. 

This is an incredibly sad tale and as a slasher you really are on his side despite him barely speaking let alone not much screen time throughout. Each murder seems like a victory and it drives you as you hope he completes his conquest and receives the results of his bloodcurdling campaign.

Review

This film coincidentally came out on my 14th birthday, and at that time in my life I really identified with Mullet. This film is not a perfect film granted, but it's a fun film to watch if you want a cheap laugh, gory kills and a heart rendering side to it as well. It might take yourself back to a time where exploring sexuality, parties and other activities where your thing, or keeping your head down in the corridors. 

If you love slasher movies or quirky Brit films or anything to do with what this film is giving you I urge you to check it out. Watch it just the once and you will be amazed at this sad black comedy horror film. (Phew that was a mouthful).