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28 Days Later (Rated R in the US for strong violence, gore, language, nudity and because Cillian Murphy is FREAKY-looking)

Summary (from IMDB):

Animal activists invade a laboratory with the intention of releasing chimpanzees that are undergoing experimentation, infected by a virus -a virus that causes rage. The naive activists ignore the pleas of a scientist to keep the cages locked, with disastrous results. Twenty-eight days later, our protagonist, Jim, wakes up from a coma, alone, in an abandoned hospital. He begins to seek out anyone else to find London is deserted, apparently without a living soul. After finding a church, which had become inhabited by zombie like humans intent on his demise, he runs for his life. Selena and Mark rescue him from the horde and bring him up to date on the mass carnage and horror as all of London tore itself apart. This is a tale of survival and ultimately, heroics, with nice subtext about mankind's savage nature.

RB Wood's Rating (out of 5): 4.5 British character actors

Yes, it's another zombie flick (of sorts).  But this one is different. The other films focus too much on extensive, special-effects-controlled, gory action sequences between infected and normals, with heavy background music. But here there's always a tinge of sadness, emptyness, helplessness. Consider that empty London scene with that background music. We found out there's much else to show than just electrifying action or gore to describe the picture of life in this condition that these movies talk about.

Twenty-eight days after being hit by a car, Jim, a bike courier and our film's hero, wakes up to find London deserted. He eventually meets two other survivors and then encounters another two. After picking up a radio broadcast that calls all uninfected people to Manchester, the survivors fight off the infected and make their way to what seems like the promised land. Complications follow is all I'll say.

Some have compared this film to George Romero's "Night of the Living Dead," giving some people the wrong impression that this is the British take on the zombie flick. Wrong. The infected aren't zombies-- but they are terrifying. They can be killed and the director doesn't gross us out by showing the infected feasting on human flesh. (All in all, "28 Days" isn't visually disgusting. It's the thought of what's going on that bothers you.)

The acting in this film is really first rate, with Cillian Murphy giving an emotionally compelling performance. As in most Boyle films, the camera work also is exceptional and in the first part we are shown some phenomenal long shots of an evacuted London with a soundtrack devoid of sound. The effect is gooseflesh raising. Boyle also adds in other nice touches, like a bunch of goldfish swimming in about five inches of water. (Symbolism?) And a scene with wild horses is another fine moment.

The story too goes beyond what we might expect. We get the jumps associated with zombie films - they come out of no where and travel in packs - and yet the heroes don't come off too much better. One character suggests that the virus, by killing off humankind, returns things to normalcy. Christopher Eccleston, a terrific actor, retorts that before the virus man killed man and now he's still doing it. So what's changed? The film also suggests that to save yourself, you would have to kill anyone - child, adult; family member, stranger. And these characters do. But what's noteworthy is we see how having to make those sorts of decisions affects them, particularly Jim.

Like Lord of the Flies, the film strips away the civility we all think we possess and demonstrates that we, too, are bound by the laws of the animal kingdom - it's survival of the fittest and to have a future we need to reproduce.

Tomorrow: Vampires done RIGHT.

Peace

Turistas (2006 Rated R in the US for strong graphic violence and disturbing content, sexuality, nudity, drug use and language. All in all, a good Halloween college party)

Summary (from IMDB):

While traveling on vacation through the country of Northeastern of Brazil by bus, the American Alex Trubituan, his sister Bea Tribituan and their friend Amy Harrington meet the also foreigners Pru Stagler, Finn Davies and Liam Kuller after an accident with their bus. They follow a track through the woods and find a hidden paradisiacal beach. They decide to stay in the place drinking beer and dancing funk and parting with the locals and they meet the amicable Brazilian teenager Kiko. They are drugged with "Boa Noite, Cinderela" (Ruffies, literal translation: "Good Night, Cinderella" - a trick used by smalltime crooks to steal naive people) and when they wake up, they are practically naked, with all their belongings, clothes, money, jewels, passports, backpacks etc. stolen. They walk to a small village trying to find a police station, they get into trouble with the dwellers and they are helped by their acquaintance Kiko...

RB Wood's Rating (Out of 5): 3.5 Carnival scantily-clad women

This really isn't a bad picture, despite some of the reviews out there.  In fact, I'd say the only disappointing aspect is the ending which, for me, feel flat.  The Tension-building and setup are superb, and the acting much better than I'd expected--even upon last night's repeat viewing. John Stockwell's "Turistas" mines territory explored by "Hostel", but it substitutes Brazil for Europe. A bunch of young tourists from Australia, the UK, and the US, are left high and dry when the bus they are traveling in is destroyed and their personal effects are stolen. There are no points for guessing what happens next. There are elements of "Dr. Butcher MD" in this beautifully shot horror pic that lavishes attention on the hot bodies of its female stars. It is not  violent or as gory,but director Stockwell (who played Arnie's best friend in "Christine") does a great job of building the suspense by intercutting the situation the turistas are facing with what the bad guys are up to. There is one gory scene in which a stomach is cut open in graphic detail and organs are removed, but as an avid CSI watcher, this has less impact now than it did back in 2006. Some of the underwater material is gorgeous to look at, recalling the mood of Argento's "Inferno", and the jungle setting is unsettling. Although the film runs out of steam towards the end and spends a bit too much time underwater, it is, nevertheless, a very decent horror pic set in an exotic milieu and enhanced by some gruesome, realistic scenes of violence.

Tomorrow: "Plans are pointless. Staying alive's as good as it gets."

Peace 

The Omen (1976 - Rated R in the US for disturbing images, gore and violence.  Oh, and the antichrist shows up)

Summary (from IMDB):

Robert and Katherine Thorn seem to have it all. They are happily married and he is the US Ambassador to Great Britain, but they want more than to have children. When Katharine has a stillborn child, Robert is approached by a priest at the hospital who suggests that they take a healthy newborn whose mother has just died in childbirth. Without telling his wife he agrees. After relocating to London, strange events - and the ominous warnings of a priest - lead him to believe that the child he took from that Italian hospital is evil incarnate.

Between Jerry Goldsmith's award-winning score and the masterful direction of Richard Donner, this movie is frightening for what is implied more that the violence shown on screen. From the claustrophic feel of the ancient tombs to the gray skies over London, the tone of this film has dread woven into it from the opening credits.

Born into the world of politics and wealth, little Damien Thorn (Harvey Stephens) is the darling of the beautiful and privileged Robert (Gregory Peck) and Katherine Thorn (Lee Remick). Mysterious accidents and the overall feeling of death begin to shadow their lives until the horrifying truth of Damien's birth is uncovered millions of miles away in a grave in a decaying pagan cemetery in Italy. Gregory Peck gives a fine performance as ambitious politico Robert Thorn, a man who slowly discovers that his fate is interlinked in ancient biblical prophecy. With escalating horror, he uncovers a grand design that's unfolding under the unsuspecting eyes of the entire world - and he and his perfect family are at the centre of it. His search for the truth is one of the best in films, taking him to the farthest reaches of the globe and climaxing in an exciting and bizarre confrontation between himself and the face of evil.

Lee Remick is ethereal as his beautiful and tragic wife. The rest of the cast - Billie Whitelaw as the creepy Mrs. Baylock, David Warner as the doomed Jennings and Leo McKern as the mysterious archaeologist Bugenhagen - give the movie its singular dark and moody quality. The Omen has a few disturbing moments that shock rather than disgust, but the film is loaded with memorable scenes that are ingenious. It's the 'feeling' that the film incites that makes this movie unique. The haunted performances of the actors, the creepy-crawly musical score, the insinuation that doom is slowly creeping into the world with the birth of one lone child, all succeed in making The Omen one of the truest horror films.

Sometimes it's the knowing that something is going to happen that is more frightening than actually seeing it happen.

I also need to mention the weird 'curse' that followed the cast and crew through post-production, making the film that much more creepy:

• Star Gregory Peck and screenwriter David Seltzer took separate planes to the UK...yet BOTH planes were struck by lightning.
• While producer Harvey Bernhard was in Rome, lightning just missed him.
• Rottweilers hired for the film attacked their trainers.
• A hotel at which director Richard Donner was staying got bombed by the IRA and he was also struck by a car.
• After Peck canceled another flight, to Israel, the plane he would have chartered crashed...killing all on board.
• On day one of the shoot, several principal members of the crew survived a head-on car crash.
• Special effects artist John Richardson was injured and his girlfriend beheaded in an accident.

Scary Shit.

Tomorrow: Turistas are in trouble...

Peace

The Sixth Sense (1999 - Rated PG-13 in the US for a freaky kid, wine dringing Bruce Willis and seing dead people)

Summary (from IMDB):

Malcolm Crowe is a child psychologist who receives an award on the same night that he is visited by a very unhappy ex-patient. After this encounter, Crowe takes on the task of curing a young boy with the same ills as the ex-patient. This boy "sees dead people". Crowe spends a lot of time with the boy (Cole) much to the dismay of his wife. Cole's mom is at her wit's end with what to do about her son's increasing problems. Crowe is the boy's only hope.

RB Wood's Rating (out of 5): 4 ghosts

Okay, it's looking more and more like M. Night Shyamalan is a one hit wonder, and this is his one hit. Haley Joel Osment is brilliant in his first real role as Cole Sear, a child with a special gift.  Bruce willis plays Malcolm Crowe, an man who survives an attack in his home by his expatient.  His next client, Cole Sear, has the same issues as the man who tried to kill the psychologist, so Willis' character redoubles his efforts to try and cure the troubled child.

Osment's portrayal of the young boy who sees the dead...not only sees them but is like a beacon for them to visit, is brilliant.  The creep factor is enhanced by Willis trying to hold his life together while his marriage falls apart.  His wife seemingly won't speak to him after the attack.  The chilling scenes with the ghosts Osment sees are well done and are still scary even upon multiple viewings.  The twist, of course (SPOILER) is that Willis' Crowe never survived the attack in the beginning of the movie.  While trying to help Osment, he ends up being helped by the child in turn.  While Osment can finally admit his problem to his mother, Crowe's unfinished business rectifying his failure to understand his attacker is finally complete. Recalling Cole's advice, Crowe speaks to his sleeping wife and fulfills the second reason he returned, saying she was "never second," and that he loves her. Releasing her to move on with her own life, he is free to leave behind the world of the living.

The direction and soundtrack are spot on and the acting all around is well worth it this holiday season.  Trust me, you'll see dead people.

Tomorrow: “Look at me, Damien! It’s all for you!”

Peace