Horror-movie marathon: Dead Snow, Death on Demand and The Thing From Another World

Nothing tops a cabin in the woods with a fridge full of beer as the perfect setting for a horror-movie marathon. And although Mike S. and Jason didn't get to catch The Evil Dead (the best cabin-in-the-woods horror movie ever made) there were still a couple of good selections to view, and one piece of utter shite! Read on for the details.

Dead Snow:

Jason: This is the the most energetic movie about mowing down revenants with a chainsaw since Bruce Campbell said "groovy." And groovy this movie is, at least for the most part. This is a homage to the horror genre and, especially, Sam Raimi's Evil Dead movies. There's blood and gore a plenty and, for once, the human's do a damn good job of fighting back against the zombies . . . which are Nazis. It's all in the name of grue, and there are some real creative death scenes which are equally horrifying, complex and comical.A Good review from The Basement for me.


Mike S: A pleasant and fast paced zombie films with a couple of differences from the norm in the genre. First of all, the zombies are Nazis. Secondly, these are your run of the mill dumb, unthinking zombies. They actually think- capable of realizing that their prey is up a tree... and decide to climb up after them. Their commanding officer especially gives an aura of thought, and calculation as it forumlates a plan on how best to pull your spleen from you. The dark humour is reminiscent of Sam Raimi's "Evil Dead", while the gore is right out of George A. Romero's Zombie Guidebook. The two are blended beautifully to create a fun zombie filled ride.A Good rating for me.


Death on Demand:

Jason: Fuck this movie. Ugly, Ugly Ugly.


Mike S: What can I say about this film? Not much really. At first, while watching it, I thought it was a Family Channel movie. The camera set-up, the lighting, the music, and the acting made me feel as if I was actually watching something made for the Family Channel, that's how bad it was. Then the killings started. The contrast between the killing scenes, and the "plot development scenes" was shocking. The actual scenes where the killer did his thing were actually well done. The rest however, was just utter crap. While there were kernels and potential, the overall movie was close to unbearable. 

The Thing From Another World:

Jason: Not John Carpenter's classic, but the classic that inspired it. This 1951 sci-fi/horror is tame by today's standards and should best be viewed as a historical document instead of absorbed as pure entertainment. It's fun and at times still scary stuff if one get past how dated it is. And budding film makers should make note of how well crafted the film is and the reliance on character and story over gory and violence. A Bad review on this one.


Mike S: This movie is the basis for John Carpenter's "The Thing", including the flaming title sequence. Although it's a black and white film, and cheesy by today's standards, this movie is still quite enjoyable, and effective in the way it was executed. Unlike many movies today- especially in the horror genre, this movie actually develops the characters, and their relationships to the point where you "know" them, and like them. The sets are simple, but sufficient enough to tell the story, and create a sense of tension and suspense. This is only enhanced by the play of shadows and light on the sets as well. The acting, while not the most realistic is still solid and enjoyable. This movie is one to watch with good friends, and a well made bowl of chili on a late night movie fest. A Bad rating, but the high end of Bad.