Archive for Zombies

The Most Underrated Horror Movies on Netflix

Posted in List with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 6, 2016 by Xander Woolf

horror netflic

Guest Post By: Cassie from Culture Coverage

Are you a fan of the things that go bump in the night? What about the ones that creep in the woods unnoticed? If you are, Netflix has got you covered with all things spooky and creepy to add to your queue and have a scream stream fest.

From an anthology of horror shorts to art house films on a super budget, these Netflix scary stories are sure to put a little jump in your step, and a just a tad of fear into your next Netflix & Chill session.

1. The ABCs of Death
Starting off with this delicious anthology, The ABCs of Death is like a giant kid’s storybook full of goodies, except these goodies come in the horror contingency from more than two dozen directors and spell out (literally) how to kill. For anyone looking for a good couple of shorts to bring big scares, The ABCs of Death is beautiful, deadly, and most of all, a horror flick lover’s dream.

2. The House at the End of Time
Spanish language horror flicks have never had a better run and The House at the End of Time is in the same vein that makes del Toro’s the most lauded (and awarded) horror flicks of all time. The main protagonist, Dulce, is a mother who learns of apparitions in her house, and after getting attacked, leaves the house. But later in her old age, she comes back to confront the demons who plagued her there and finally settle the score. For fans of thrillers like The Haunting in Connecticut and The Messengers, The House at the End of Time is a foreign masterpiece that belongs on your list of must-sees.

3. Monsters
A little bit of genre mixing goes on in Monsters, as this tiny indie horror flick takes place in a disease ridden post-apocalyptic world inhabited by alien creatures. As one road weary journalist seeks to take an American tourist to the safety of the US on the other side of the US-Mexican border. Premiering at South by Southwest in 2010 and being made over three weeks, in 5 countries, with a $500,000 budget, you can’t get much more homegrown than this—and it all pays off in a directorial debut by Gareth Edwards. For viewers that like the scare to be unpredictable, authentic, and deliberate, this is the flick for you.

4. Dead Snow
Nazi zombie movie? Check! Dead Snow is one of those traditional horror flick set-ups; medical students hoping for a break head into the icy woods for peace and relaxation only to come across stories of a band of Nazis getting lost in the woods and becoming the undead (sounds awesome, right?). For fans of zombie flicks and excellent historical epics, this just might be the movie to convert you into sitting down for the every zombie-historical crossover, and certainly for the next two movies in the Dead Snow trilogy.

Pro Tip: Not sure if you’ll be able to stream this wherever you are? Take into consideration a Virtual Private Network. It’ll work out all the kinks of wondering whether you’re going to get offered the same Netflix selection everywhere. Perfect for disabling geolocation, a VPN saves you from having to fret, and at the same time protects you from data stealing identity thieves on public WiFi. It’s a win-win.

5. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Vampires never had such a creepy awakening as in Ana Lily Amirpour’s Iranian flick self-labeled as a vampire Western. With the main character known only as “The Girl,” this story is as much about bloodsucking as it is about defining the human characteristics of the undead as the main falls head over heels for a mortal boy who’s embroiled in the care and keeping of his addiction rattled father. In the vein of vampire movies that speak as art house films, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night might be more terrifying, not for its inclusion of the extraordinary, but because of its humanity.

Still looking for more horror to binge on? Check out this list for great finds of the scary kind, or even just of the thriller sort. Great horror doesn’t always have to leave you shaking in your boots, but it’s generally a great sign if it surprises!

Happy watching!

About the Author: Cassie is an entertainment and online security blogger, who specializes in all things movies and getting around geo-restrictions. She is always open to new suggestions for which flick to watch next. Leave a note in the comments about a movie (or movies!) you love, and she’ll get right to watching or debating its finer points!

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Fear the Walking Dead

Posted in Review with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 17, 2015 by Lilliandra Winters

Fear the Walking Dead (2015-)

This show satisfied a sick need I have to know what happened. I am sure that more than myself was wondering just how the world turned to shit while Rick was asleep and it drove me insane that we had no idea. I was so excited when I saw this was making its way to TV. My loathing for spinoffs was set aside in the anticipation that I might actually have some idea what the hell happened.

After just half a season, I am not entirely disappointed. Let me explain. So we are there at the beginning of the outbreak in Los Angeles with Nick the Drug Addict (Frank Dillane). As much as I want to feel for Nick in all of this, it was brought to my attention that he is young Tom Riddle, so we know how the apocalypse started.

Anyway, so Nick sees the first ‘walker.’ That’s great and all, but how the hell did she become a walker? So far, I know how the world ends but not what started the ‘infection.’ Well yet, I can’t judge what they are going to tell us after just 7 episodes. Maybe they plan on getting to that later in the series, but it is going to be an interesting trip considering that there is no comic book for them to bastardize while writing the script.

At this moment, I am rather entertained. Of course, Madison Clark (Kim Dickens) is just Laurie all over again. Making the worst decisions possible. Of course, I’m irritated that it’s a woman always making the shit decisions. The guys that make the same decisions usually just end up being evil in the end.

I have extremely high hopes for the series. The Walking Dead is going to have to end at some point and this might be what continues after. It could just be spinoff after spinoff of different groups surviving. If you haven’t already seen it, I suggest binge-watching to get caught up.

It, of course, is pointing out the one thing most of us already know: during the zombie apocalypse, humans are the real enemy.

WintersOver4

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Review of Cabin in the Woods (2012)

Posted in Review with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 31, 2015 by Xander Woolf

Dir. Drew Goddard; Starring Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchinson
Currently on Rotten Tomatoes’ Top 100 Horror Movies list

Cabin in the Woods is one of the best movies I’ve seen. Not just one of the best horror movies I’ve seen, but one of the best in general. It presents itself to us as horror parody, then, though twists and turns, ends up becoming a story worthy of Lovecraftian merit. It’s truly brilliant.

And funny.

And so very graphic.

The story of Cabin in the Woods may seem familiar. A group of college kids go on a trip to a cabin located in the middle of a large wooded area. These kids embody the stereotypical archetype of young people in horror: the jock/alpha male (Hemsworth), the “slut” (Hutchinson), the token person of color/beta male (Jesse Williams), the stoner (Fran Kranz), and the virgin (Connolly). They break every single rule that Winters and I have come up with and end up summoning a bunch of hillbilly, incestuous zombies.

If that seems cliché to you, you’d be correct, but that’s the beauty of a movie as completely self-aware as this one. As I said before, it’s basically a horror parody. Not only is everything about this movie completely typical of movies of it’s kind, but it does it in such a way that it becomes funny. On purpose. I don’t want to give away the ending, in case you haven’t seen it, but I can assure you that it doesn’t end the way you think it will.

The script is beautifully campy, as can be expected from the great Joss Whedon (who co-wrote the script with director Drew Goddard). Each character embodies their role in a way that works perfectly with satire. The zombies are gruesomely amazing and the sub-plot is both hilarious and horrifying at the same time.

I honestly could talk about how amazing this movie is all day, but I’m too afraid I’m going to accidentally spoil it for you guys. In short: the acting is superb, the script is amazing, the cinematography is on point and the ending is so spectacular… and bloody.

Unless you’re uneasy with blood in movies, this film is a MUST WATCH.

Highly recommended. It definitely earned it’s spot on the Top 100 Horror Movies list.

Let me know what you think in the comments!

wolfout

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The Walking Dead

Posted in Review with tags , , , , , , , , , on June 9, 2015 by Lilliandra Winters

The Walking Dead
TV Series
**Spoilers **

Being a fan of zombies and comics, I automatically felt drawn to this show. Of course, the production quality also had a lot to do with it. When your zombies look like full-on zombies, it makes the illusion of the television show more real and that much easier to get lost in.

If you have read the comic and watched the show, you already know that the two don’t go hand in hand; however, this doesn’t offend me. I’ve always had the ability to separate book from movie and appreciate each for the works of art that they are (Unless we are talking about Anne Rice, but you don’t want to have that conversation with me).

By the by, interesting fact: they are called walkers because, in the universe of The Walking Dead, the notion of zombies never existed like it does in our universe.

I just finished binge watching the latest season and, I have to admit, this season was better at keeping my interest than most. Of course, there were a few times that my mind would wander and I’d just be listening to what was going on, but I paid more attention than usual.

I do appreciate how much they are trying to parallel the dangers of zombies and humans. Both are equally dangerous and deadly, just for different reasons. The apocalypse will always present you with the people who break, who become the psychopath their middle school guidance counselor always thought they would be. And yes, I believe they are equally dangerous. The only difference is that you know the motive of the zombie, but humans are bitches. I‘d rather be stuck with the zombies.

As for this season, I am woefully disappointed in Rick leading them into yet another community. I feel we need to make this a rule: Thou shalt never join a community during or after the apocalypse… Maybe we need to do a few new lists… (Xander, get on that).

As I was saying, I’d never join a community. Xander agrees, even if she is a filthy zombie hater, that you can build a community, but you can’t join one. It’s a stupid death wish. If you are already traveling with a group, then don’t be even further slackers and join a premade community. Make one your damn self. I’m not saying it won’t be hard, but it will save you a lot of trouble in the end. You know, no one to answer to, no rules to learn… no crazies eating human flesh. Also, if you’ve simply got to kill every motherfucker that tries to join you, accept no substitutions and only go with the people who already agree with your crazy ass.

You see what I did there?

I’m really pissed about the deaths this season, too. Seriously, what do zombies have against black guys on this show? Of course, the stupid preacher is still alive. I mean, I don’t wish him dead as hard as I wished Joffery dead on Game of Thrones, but oh, it is getting close. He is one of those idiots who should have died a long time ago, but is only alive due to sheer dumb luck. When did ‘Survival of the Fittest’ become ‘Survival of the Lucky Motherfuckers?’ There are several who earn the right to live, and I agree that they all have some manner of luck, but there are those who I just don’t get. Mainly the preacher. As useless as Eugene may have been in a fight, he has his usefulness, and I get it.

I don’t know. This season seemed to be about psychopaths, trying to fit a round peg into a square hole (putting them into a pre-existing community), PTSD (the preacher, Sasha, and Rick (to a lesser degree. but he has been bat-shit crazy for awhile now. They just seem to keep forgetting this tidbit)), and abuse. That last one was an interesting turn of events, and an interesting notion. How much are you willing to let ‘useful’ humans get away with for the sake of the greater good? Can a surgeon drink and beat his wife so you can have a surgeon? Nope, rubber band and razor blade that shit (that means cut off his balls) and that seems the gist.

Overall, I enjoy the Walking Dead, it is by far not my favorite case of zombies. I’ve been a zombie lover for a long time. I could delve into each zombie flick and why I love or hate them, but then I’d run out of other shit to talk about in blog posts.

The one thing that people seem to forget is that zombie stories speak to us more about human nature than they do about the supernatural or even of zombies. Killing zombies is one thing, but trying to outsmart them, build around them, keep them out is something entirely different. How we respond to what they do to us is the real story. Do we fight? Do we break? Do we turn on each other? Does it bring out our natural talents, drive us to kill, eat each other, rape, murder, steal? Zombies, much like becoming rich, magnifies who we are as a person. Are we strong enough? Do we care enough? Do we have the skills or the determination? I feel that how we respond to shit like that is who we truly are in the end. When it comes down to it, when it really comes down to it, can we be extraordinary? Or are we just sheep? Leaders or feeders.

So, think about it. Would you be the crazed hero trying to save everyone, but at the expense of your own sanity? Would you be the psycho, killing everyone that moves, just to survive or for some sick pleasure? Would you have even made it that far… or would you be one of The Walking Dead?

WintersOver4

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