Micky Flegel
Staff Writer
Welcome to part three of Flix Pix’s special Halloween edition.
Last week, we selected some back-burner treasures from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. This week’s journey transports us back to entertainment from the 2000s, 2010s and the current generation of terror treats.
Now let us set sail on week three’s adventures, the final chapter into the dark realm of entertainment for our readers who enjoy a good scare!
1. The first treat we have for you is “The Haunting of Hill House” (2018), a spooky thriller-chiller series. This 10-episode Netflix Original production is written and directed by Mike Flanagan (“Gerald’s Game,” “Ouija: Origin of Evil,” “Hush,” “Oculus”). This series is only loosely based on the Shirley Jackson novel “The Haunting of Hill House,” which has been the subject of works we’ve explored in the first two parts of this special edition of Flix Pix. The main characters are played by Carla Gugino, Michael Huisman, Timothy Hutton, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Victoria Pedretti, Elizabeth Reaser and Kate Siegel, with a special appearance by Annabeth Gish. The lead-in is a slow starter, but there are some shocking, frightful surprises which are worthy of the big screen, so sit back and enjoy the show!
This series is available to watch on Netflix for free as part of your normal subscription.
2. “Thir13en Ghosts” (2001) is a louder and more visually intense remake of the 1960 William Castle film “13 Ghosts,” which was featured in part one of this Flix Pix Halloween special. Although this film is on film critic Roger Ebert’s list of most hated films, I recommend you disregard that fact. This film is full of interesting special effects, and each ghost figure is very well detailed and interesting. Some very scary aspects to these demonic ghostly characters can really leave an impression on you. The part of Arthur Kriticos is played by the beloved Tony Shalhoub, who just a year later became the star the very successful long running television series “Monk.” The part of Dennis Rifkin is played by Mathew Lillard, who is well known for his role of Shaggy Rogers in the modern versions of Scooby Doo. Coincidentally, “The Thirteen Ghosts of Scooby Doo” (1985) was one of last week’s featured titles (Lillard, however, had not yet become the voice of Shaggy Rogers in 1985). This 2001 remake of Thirteen Ghosts also stars Embeth Davidtz (“Army of Darkness,” “Californication,” “Mad Men” and “Ray Donovan”), actress, composer and soundtrack artist Rah Digga (“Blade 2,” “Dr. Doolittle 2” and “Scary Movie”), Shannon Elizabeth (“American Pie,” “That 70’s Show,” “Scary Movie”) and F. Murray Abraham, who very convincingly portrays Cyrus Kriticos.
The film also stars Embeth Davidtz, Rah Digga, Shannon Elizabeth and F. Murray Abraham.
Be forewarned, this film has multiple scenes with continuous strobe effects, which have been known to cause seizures in certain people.
This film is available to rent on Google Play and Amazon Prime for $3.99 and Vudu for $2.99.
3. “I Am Legend” (2007) is a science-fiction post-apocalyptic remake based on the 1954 novel of the same name, “I Am Legend” by author Richard Matheson. Directed by Francis Lawrence (“Water for Elephants” and the “Hunger Games” films), the film stars Will Smith as Dr. Robert Neville and Alice Braga as Anna Montez, with a special appearance by Emma Thompson as the person who tragically found the cure for cancer, Dr. Alice Krippin.
Will Smith is a charismatic, remarkable and versatile talent. Newsweek magazine deemed him “the most powerful actor in Hollywood” in April of 2007, the year this film was released. A winner of four Grammy Awards, Smith has also been nominated for five Golden Globe awards and two Academy Awards.
Smith’s performance in this adaption of “I Am Legend” is stellar. If you have not seen this film, make a point to see it. I highly recommend this one.
This film is available to watch on Google Play and Vudu to rent for $3.99, or can be purchased for your collection on Amazon for $14.99.
4. The television show “Bates Motel” (2013-2017) is a five-season, 50-episode dramatic psychological horror series set in the modern age. This series is best known as the prequel for the famous 1960 film “Psycho,” directed by Alfred Hitchcock. “Bates Motel” is a well-done, gripping series with solid edgy performances by Freddie Highmore (“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “The Spiderwick Chronicles,” “Finding Neverland” and “The Good Doctor”) as a teenage Norman Bates and Vera Farmiga (“The Conjuring,” “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas,” “Orphan” and “Touching Evil”) as Norma Bates, Norman’s manipulative mother. The show takes you on a journey into the disintegration of young Norman’s mind as he descends slowly into madness. The evolution of how his mother affects this disintegration is a grand concept that works.
The characters are written well and there are interesting twists that easily can lead to the reasons why Norman turned out how he did in the 1960 film. Freddie Highmore presents a mind-blowing performance as the teenaged Norman Bates, but pay heed, this is not the same sweet adorable Freddie we came to know and love in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” Highmore is one of those rare cases when a child star crosses over to being a successful actor in adulthood. He transitioned exquisitely from child star to awkward teen actor and then into the star he is today at the age of 26. There was only a three day break for him from the last day of filming Bates Motel to when he began his new and current role in “The Good Doctor.”
This show is available to watch on Netflix, free with your subscription.
5. “Godzilla” (2014) stars Juliette Binoche (“The English Patient,” “Chocolat”), Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad,” “Malcolm in the Middle”), David Strathairn (“The Spiderwick Chronicles,” “The Sopranos,” “The Blacklist”), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (“Kick-Ass,” “Kick-Ass 2,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron”) and Ken Watanabe (“Last Samurai,” “Transformers: The Last Knight,” “Sea of Trees”). “Godzilla” (2014) is not the standard, English-dubbed cheesy Japanese monster movie, which is the relish of the Godzilla franchise of films (thirty films in all). This film is American-made, dark rather than cheesy and made with an actual plot. We will forgive that for the moment and remind ourselves that this isn’t a fun rendition, but a dramatic one. That doesn’t make it any less worth watching though. With a new Godzilla movie coming out in 2019, a look back to 2014 for this version is a fun idea considering the familiar faces who make up the cast of this film.
This film is available to watch on Vudu to rent for $2.99 or on Amazon Prime and Google Play for $3.99.
6. “Dracula 2000” (2000), another rendition of the Count Dracula films, has one of the best original concepts behind the legend than most films of this genre. Although nearly twenty years old, it can still hold its own against practically any modern vampire film available today. This film boasts a genuinely interesting cast and an entrancing ambiance. “Dracula 2000” gives us a very sensual and seductive, much younger Gerard Butler in the starring role. Other notable cast members include, as Van Helsing, a classic jewel in the form of Christopher Plummer (“The Sound of Music,” “The Lake House,” “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” “Must Love Dogs”), Omar Epps (“House,” “Shooter”), Jennifer Esposito (“Rescue Me,” “NCIS”), and Jonny Lee Miller (“Elementary,” “Dexter,” “Eli Stone”).
This Dracula rendition was directed by none other than legendary horror film writer/director/producer, the late, great Wes Craven. With nearly four dozen titles to his name, we will not elaborate. His name alone carries its own weight in the horror circuit. Definitely check this movie out, put it on your list and get ready to enjoy this treat.
This film is available to watch on Amazon Prime for $1.99 and Google Play and Vudu for $2.99.
7. The dramatic, horror-fantasy remake of the 1941 Lon Chaney, Jr., classic, “The Wolfman” (2010) is one of those underrated films that you really should see. Watch this gem of a dark fairytale from an artistic standpoint. Find yourself lost in the romance of the era in this period piece that takes place in 1891. There is a dark yet subtle elegance to this film that may not be appreciated by those who are simply seeking cheap “thrills” involving random sex, blood and gore. You will not be bombarded by low-end costumed characters. There is of course an “R” rating for some blood and gore as to be expected with the subject matter. The main character played by the fortuitously alluring and melancholically sensual Benicio Del Torro (“Sicario,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Traffic,” “Excess Baggage”),with the brilliantly ominous Sir Anthony Hopkins (“Thor,” “Westworld,” “Meet Joe Black,” the Hannibal Lecter films, “Human Stain”) playing a very strong co-lead. The film also hails a hauntingly beautiful Emily Blunt (“Into the Woods,” “The Huntsman: Winter’s War,” “Sicario,” “The Girl on the Train,” “The Devil Wears Prada”) as the female love interest. Turn the lights down low and prepare to get your heart broken.
This film is available to rent on Amazon Prime and Vudu for $2.99 and for $3.99 on Google Play.
8. Our eighth film treat today is an appropriate trick on numbers with the 2007 title “1408.” It would have been inappropriate not to include Stephen King in this three-part Halloween special edition of Flix Pix. “1408,” which has been acclaimed as the most successful and highest-grossing Stephen King film of all time, with an opening weekend intake of $20.6 million and an overall United States gross of $71.9 million dollars. The film eventually grossed nearly $132 million worldwide.
“1408” is a crafty psychological horror thriller adapted from the 1999 Stephen King short story by the same name. The film stars John Cusack (“Hot Tub Time Machine,” “The Frozen Ground,” “Igor,” “Martian Child,” “Must Love Dogs,” “Grosse Pointe Blank,” “Say Anything”) as Mike Enslin, a burnt out paranormal activity debunker and writer from Los Angeles. He complacently takes a job to investigate Room 1408 in a New York City grand hotel. Upon arrival, he is greeted by the hotel manager, Mr. Gerald Olin, perfectly brought to life by Samuel L. Jackson. Mike Enslin ends up being taken on the scariest, most sinister wild ride of his skeptical life. He is forced into several twists and rude awakenings throughout the film. Truly frightening and intense, this film will leave your heart pounding and have you begging not to have nightmares and is a must-add to your collection for serious horror film and Stephen King admirers. There is a memorable the tagline, “It’s an evil f…..g room!,” which is as accurate as can be.
This film is available to rent on Amazon Prime and Vudu for $2.99.
9. “American Psycho” (2000) is a supremely dark-humored, horror-crime film adapted from a book. It takes place in 1987 and is rated “R” for strong sexual content and strong violence. The film stars Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Josh Lucas, Chloe Sevigny, Justin Theroux and Reese Witherspoon.
This film is available to watch on Amazon Prime and Hulu with subscription or to rent from Amazon for $1.99.
10. “Let Me In” (2010) is a dramatic heart-filled teen angst vampire horror film. It is modeled after the 2008 Swedish horror film, “Let the Right One In,” which is adapted from a 2004 book of the same name. Starring Kodi Smit-McPhee and Chloe Grace Moretz, the film also includes Richard Jenkins and Elias Koteas in significant roles.
This film is available to watch on Amazon Prime with subscription or to rent from Amazon for $3.99.
11. “The Cell” (2000) is a visually stunning and dramatic criminal horror film starring Vincent D’Onfrio, Jennifer Lopez and Vince Vaughn.
This film is available to watch on Amazon Prime with subscription or to rent from YouTube or Google Play for $3.99.
12. “Split” (2016), splendidly directed by M. Night Shyamalan, is a psychological horror thriller starring James McAvoy, Betty Buckley and Anya Taylor-Joy.
This film is available for digital purchase on Amazon, Vudu and other streaming platforms for $9.99.
13. Last but not least, to end on a lighter note, we add another cult classic comedy horror rock musical, “The Little Shop of Horrors” (1986), a remake of the 1960 Roger Corman film of the same name. The film stars Jim Belushi, Tisha Campbell-Martin, Ellen Greene, Steve Martin and Rick Moranis as Seymour Krelborn.
This film is available to rent from Amazon for $3.99 or Vudu for $2.
Happy Halloween, boils and ghouls!
