Cloverfield (2008)

IN SHORT: It's not groundbreaking, but if you are a sucker for mockumentary-horror, it hits the spot.

Cloverfield (2008) USA 

Yes I know, I have a soft spot for mockumenty/shaky camera horror which is probably why I liked Cloverfield so much when so many others haven't. In fact I only just watched it this year because I thought it would be rubbish - oh silly me. Putting aside the love story, the last 15 minutes and the annoying camera guy, I was rather satisfied. As always, the monster is never as good as you hoped it would be but I'm willing to let that one slide and say I had a very enjoyable (albeit predictable) 70 minutes.

IMDB: 7.3/10

ROTTEN TOMATOES: 77%

AMAZON: 3.1/5

I Saw The Devil (2010)

IN SHORT: One of the best revenge horrors around with plenty of super sick serial killer action.

 Akmareul Boatda/I Saw The Devil (2010) Korea

Both beautifully scripted and wonderfully grotesque, like really really grotesque (very creative at parts I must say) this is a must-watch if your into really great horror films. Once more, a Korean horror film that totally kicks ass and makes you wonder why anyone else even bothers. Plus just became available to stream on Netflix.

NETFLIX

IMDB: 7.8/10

ROTTEN TOMATOES: 79%

AMAZON: 4.5/5

Gothika (2003)

IN SHORT: Watch it if you want but your not missing anything.

Gothika (2003) USA 

I think Gothika is a horror film for people who don't really watch horror films- I first saw it when I was 15 and thought it was super scary - but I was used to watching rom-coms and pixar. My thoughts on it now are that its sort of got everything (even Halle Berry for goodness sake!) but its just not very good. Sure, its mostly set in a mental institution and theres a big dark secret and a dungeon and an epic showdown, but its just doesn't really press the right buttons. There is something missing and I don't intend to watch it again, certainly not for the 3rd time... 

IMDB:5.7 

ROTTEN TOMATOES: 15%

AMAZON

The Exorcist (1973)

IN SHORT: An essential in any movie collection.

The Exorcist 1973 USA

The perfect exorcism film and one that I have often seen topping horror review charts. What it is about The Exorcist that makes it a really great horror film, I cannot say, but the awesome 70s graphics certainly help. I guess creepy possessed children and vicars are just a winning combination (well that would be true if it weren't for the many, many knock-off exorcist movies that just miss the mark - more to come of those unfortunately..). Put simply, there is nothing more satisfying than a really good exorcism movie and nothing worse than a bad one. Thank you, The Exorcist, for giving us the best. Now go buy it.

NETFLIX

IMDB:8.1

ROTTEN TOMATOES: 83%

Black Water (2007)

IN SHORT: One mean-ass Ozzie crocodile - suspense guaranteed

Black Water (2007) Australia

 The film gets going pretty quickly and moves along nicely and speedily. We get some wonderfully suspenseful moments as you would expect from a crazed-animal-predator movie. Oh, and its 'based on true events' which means it obviously must be good. Rent it if you have a soft spot for nice people being stalked by over-sized water species.

NETFLIX
IMDB: 6.0/10

ROTTEN TOMATOES: 79%

AMAZON: 4.2/5

Alien (1979)

IN SHORT: If you haven't already seen it, you should be ashamed.

Alien (1979) USA

I have never been able to look at Sigourney Weaver the same after the Alien movies, but thats OK since she was only ever meant to play a badass super awesome alien slayer. Alien has everything to make a really great horror film - guts, crazy people, aliens, big guns, suspense, more blood, Sigourney Weaver - you know what I mean. And I don't usually like Sci-Fi...

IMDB: 8.5

ROTTEN TOMATOES: 96%

AMAZON: 4.6/5

Dumplings (2004)

IN SHORT: Kinda gross, kinda interesting. Worth the watch

Gaau ji/Dumplings (2004) Hong Kong

This one's about the pursuit and consumption of unborn fetus dumplings - so it doesn't exactly shy away from taboos. The plots good and steadily moves deeper in to ridiculousness until you reach the point where your like 'reeeally? your actually going to eat that??'. So give it a watch if your not squeamish - it's like no other. I personally can no longer consume dumplings.

NETFLIX

IMDB:6.8

AMAZON

Nosferatu (1922)

IN SHORT - 98% on Rotten Tomatoes? sure it's not perfect but it's close.

 eine Symphonie des Grauens/Nosferatu (1922) Germany

How I miss the days when vampires were actually fairly terrifying. This film is close to my heart - I wrote my dissertation on it and have seen it far too many times (is there such a thing?). If you haven't seen many (or any) silent films - do please see this. It's good I promise. And like I said, here is a vampire who would probably not want to meet.

NETFLIX
IMDB- 8.1/10

ROTTEN TOMATOES - 98%

AMAZON- 4.4/5

28 Days Later (2003)

IN SHORT: The zombie apocalypse as it ought to be - such a classic.

28 Days Later (2003) U.K.

Not much to say about this one. I personally think everyone should see it. It's a British horror which means its probably going to be good and yeah, it is. Such a classic. Great soundtrack.

NETFLIX: No 

IMDB : 7.6/10

ROTTEN TOMATOES: 88%

AMAZON: 3.4/5

Cube (1997)

IN SHORT: Don't like gore, don't watch. But otherwise worth the watch.

Cube (1997) Canada

Turn away if you don't like gore - if your not sure whether you do or don't, it will probably take you about 30 seconds to decide. On the other hand, the sick scenes don't take up the whole film and what is much more interesting is the plot. 7 strangers wake up in a cube shaped room and have to find their way out amongst a maze of cubed shaped rooms (hence 'Cube'). It pretty gripping and makes you hope to God you will never ever wake up in a Cubed shaped room in a maze of cube shaped rooms. Worth the Watch.

NETFLIX: No

IMDB: 7.5/10

ROTTEN TOMATOES: 59%

AMAZON : 4/5

Planet Terror (2007)

IN SHORT: Great characters and kick-ass females killing zombie-type things - very awesome.

Planet Terror (2007) USA

A well shot, well written zombie-massacre film. Rose McGowan is THE hottest, sluttiest most kick-ass zombie killing female that I have had the delight to watch. So re-watchable and thus totally worth buying for those days you just need to see some zombie slaughtering.

NETFLIX: No

IMDB: 7.4

ROTTEN TOMATOES: 74%

AMAZON: 3.9

Blair WItch Project (1999)

IN SHORT: A must-watch for any horror fan.

Blair Witch Project (1999) USA

Oh The Blair Witch. I am such a fan of the low budget, hand held camera horror flicks and I know I have the Blair Witch to thank for that. So thank you. You have to watch it. Even it's just so not your thing, you have to at least appreciate how original it was at the time. The more vivid your imagination, the more you will gain from this one. So DO IT if you haven't already done so. 

NETFLIX: No

IMDB: 6.3/10

ROTTEN TOMATOES: 85%

AMAZON: 3.1/5

Shrooms (2007)

IN SHORT: The teen camping trip gone wrong - seen it before, and seen it better.

Shrooms (2007) Ireland 

Such a tried and tested formula. This time college kids go to Ireland to get high on shrooms and have some wicked fun. The will-they-won't-they relationships are there, the strong female lead, the party scene, the morning after, the creepy house. It's got it all, but unfortunately that doesn't mean it's any good. Watch it for fun if you really have nothing better to do and thats about it. 

NETFLIX: Yes

IMDB: 4.7/10

ROTTEN TOMATOES: 24%

AMAZON: 3.3/5

Battle Royal (2000)

IN SHORT: Japanese horror at its best.

Batoru rowaiaru/Battle Royal (2000) Japan 

The film that got me hooked on to Japanese horror. Such a fascinating premise - school kids put on an island with some pretty crazy weapons and the last one standing - well wins (I forget what, but that's not really the point). 120 minutes of brilliant gore, some excellent drama and its just awesome - definite must watch. 

NETFLIX: NO

IMDB: 7.9

ROTTEN TOMATOES: 83%

AMAZON: 4.3/5

Drag Me To Hell (2009)

IN SHORT: Watch it for the sound track- if only the actual film was quite as good...

Drag me to Hell (2009) USA

This is a good one - a tried and tested equation of someone doing something silly that results in them being cursed and hunted by the devil. The sound track is just brilliant and totally makes the film. Sure, the whole-old gypsy-hag thing is slightly ridiculous at times (you will see what I mean), but honestly the music makes up for it. Also comes with a great moral - i.e. careful who you screw over because they may possibly be minions of the devil and get your ass dragged to hell even if you are a pretty, blonde 20 something. 

NETFLIX - No 

IMDB - 6.9/10

ROTTEN TOMATOES - 92%

AMAZON  -3.6/5

(REC) (2007)

IN SHORT- Amazing - buy it, borrow it, get it, watch it 

(REC) (2007) Spanish

I found this film by total accident- it was in the sale section of my watch on demand thing years ago. I watched it with no real expectations, but it is now my 'have you seen this amazing movie?' go-to. I won't say much about it other than never in one movie have I seen so many genres turn up but also done so damn well and so re-watchable.

NETFLIX- No

IMDB - 7.6 Stars

ROTTEN TOMATOES - 96%
AMAZON - 4.1/5

Atrocious (2010)

IN SHORT: If you want a fairly predictable but good-cos-its-a-foreign-film on watch it on Netflix.

Atroz/Atrocious (2010) Spanish

Simple set up - family, vacation home, teens trying to make a movie, ghost stories and a spooky labyrinth. We know how it works and its alright. Again the Spanish demonstrate their love of the hand held camera motif and give us a couple of good scares - which are all mainly based on prolonged periods of them running through the woods with their infrared. Takes a while to really get going and when it all goes down, its not crazy-amazing, but what you expect, no more no less. Although it has a good little twist at the end (which again is what one expects from a one of these amature-look films). 

NETFLIX -  Yes

IMDB - 5 stars

ROTTEN TOMATOS - 56% 

AMAZON - 2.4/5

Welcome to Nightmare Vacationing

Welcome. More often than not when I am asked about my movie taste and I respond 'horror' I am received with raised eyebrows and a 'really??'. I can understand why this may be, I am a sweet girl. I am a vicar's daughter and have always been a fairly non-rebellious type and non-intersted in violence type, and do not on the surface look like your average horror junkie. I bet you know one of these oxymorons of a person - they may love kids, fuzzy puppies and crafts but lurking behind the addiction to pintrest lies a rather interesting love of the horror genera. Be it Vampires, Zombies, Exorcisms, Psychotic Serial Killers or Nightmare Vacation movies, we just love ourselves a good, gory, wonderfully suspenseful 90 minutes of blood and guts (or at least a good fright). 

So, this is a blog about that - scary films for nice people. I hope to provide you with some movie reviews, some recommendations and hopefully you will go on to have some fabulous time taking a vacation nightmare, at least via the TV screen.