Horror in Video Games

Horror, since the first developed mind had a nightmare, has been prevalent in any and all forms of art and media. Literature, film, music, fine art...all of these (and more) have been touched by fear. Unfortunately, we've come to a breaking point in film, as the horror genre in the US has become little more than cheap shock scares and remakes. Yet, at the same time, horror has found a new home in the video game market.

I'm a gamer. Have been my whole life. I remember my Commodore 64, my Atari 2600, my first NES, etc. I remember my youth as a mage/thief, sitting at a table, fighting alongside my friends against hordes of goblins and orcs. I remember ThAC0...

As horror in film becomes more and more tweenie (PG13 horror? If I start to even talk about this, I'm going to go on a rant and lose this post), horror in video games becomes a much more solid concept. Games like Bioshock and Left 4 Dead raise the bar of fun and excitement, in the horror genre, to levels that it could never be found in film.

The reason for this is immersion. You're not just looking through a window at some atrocious happening...you are in that happening. You control your destiny, you seal your fate.

I'd love to go on and on about horror games, about Resident Evil, Clock Tower, and Alone in the Dark. I'd love to talk about newer games, such as, the aforementioned, Left 4 Dead and Bioshock. I'd really love to talk about Silent Hill, with it's obvious homages to Session 9 and Jacob's Ladder...

...and I think I will.

Honestly, I spend more time playing games than watching films. So, I'm going to start incorporating game reviews and discussions about various franchises in gaming. I think I'm going to start with a review of a game that has grabbed me and my friends by the balls so much that we started a clan for it. A game that has people on forums crying for more DLC. A game that has revolutionized the concept of horror by simply not explaining itself...and that game is Left 4 Dead.

Christmas Evil - 1980

Reviewed by Sammi




Year: 1980

Director: Lewis Jackson

Starring: Brandon Maggart, Jeffrey DeMunn

Synopsis: Ready for this? Kid sees his Dad, dressed as Santa, coming on to his Mom. He grows up and decides that he's Santa. Gives good kids presents, terrorizes bad kids, kills grownups.

Screens:








Review: Whew...this one just gets better every time I see it! It's not a slasher, as much as others like to label it as such. It's more along the lines of "Maniac" or "Don't Go in the House". Basically it's a character study of one man's descent into madness. It's not terribly violent, and when it does hit a moment of violence, it's not too over the top on the gore...for the most part. The scene outside of the church kind of comes out of left field, but the rest is pretty tame.
The thing about this movie is that you actually feel for this guy. He's a bit of an anti-hero and really does just want people to be good. His methods may be a tad bit unorthodox, but whatever works for him, right? He does do a number of really nice things though. Like stealing a bunch of toys from the factory he works at and dropping them off at a children's hospital and leaving kids in his "Good" book presents under their trees.
Two of my favorite parts are: when he leaves one kid, who he caught reading Penthouse, a large sack of dirt; and when an angry mob is chasing him with torches. Really? People in 1980 had torches just laying around in case they needed to have a good lynching? I was four in 1980. I remember some things from when I was four...torches aren't one of those things. My parents must've felt really stupid whenever someone, in the neighborhood, needed to be hunted down and mobbed.
The one thing I'll give the torch chase is that it brings a "Frankenstein" kind of feel to the film, and that's kind of how you feel about Harry. It's not his fault he's batshit crazy, it's definitely a culmination of things (seeing your parents play "Naughty Girl on Santa's Lap" could do that to a fragile mind). He's kind of like the monster, more misunderstood than evil.
Add to this an ending that leaves you wondering if you just missed something. It took me a couple of viewings to get what the director was trying to get across. I think it really just comes down to bad timing, but it's cool. I've seen a lot worse.
Overall, this film is gold. I wish more people knew about it, and that it had a larger following. Harry tries so hard to get people to believe in Christmas and what it stands for. Good people have no reason to worry around this guy...it's the "bad" people that need to worry, and you really can't get much more "Christmas Spirit" than that.

Score: 8.5/11

Trivia: Not too much on this one, except for Jeffrey DeMunn. TV fans may know him as Professor Norman Rothenberg of "Law and Order". Horror fans definitely know him as Sheriff Herb Geller from the 1986 remake of "The Blob"...if you're a horror fan who doesn't like the 1986 remake of "The Blob", then you should just go become a Dave Matthews fan.

Availability: Amazon has DVD copies starting at $9.00 used. This film has been released multiple times by multiple companies, so it shouldn't be too hard to find.

The Zombi Conundrum (aka Why My Head Always Hurts)

The entertainment industry loves to rename things in order to cash in on past successes. This is a fact. We all have dealt with the paradox this creates at one time or another.Video game fans know all about the madness of the Final Fantasy series. Horror fans at least have a basic understanding of this. It seems that the horror and exploitation scene has dealt with this more than anything. Mario Bava's "Twitch of the Death Nerve" (aka "Bay of Blood") is one example. It was reissued in the US as "Last House on the Left: Part 2", even though it was made the same year as "Last House...". "Hitch-Hike", a sleazy little rape/revenge film from Italy, also gained the moniker "Hitchhike: Last House on the Left". At least this film had David Hess playing a character that was obviously a copy of "Krug", the character he played in "Last House"...but that's a whole different post.

Now, most horror fans can tell you at least a bit about the "Zombi" conundrum. That's what brought me to writing this. It could be the most mind-blowing list of unofficial sequels ever created. The more I checked into it, the more ridiculous it got. So, I figured I needed to list these films here. Hopefully, you'll find this as amazing as I did.

To start, you have to realize (and I know a lot of people out there already do) that the first "Zombi" film was actually Romero's "Dawn of the Dead". "Zombi" was the Italian title for the film and it was released in 1978. A year later, an unofficial sequel was made in Italy, by a certain Lucio Fulci. This film was titled "Zombi 2" in Italy, "Zombie" in the US, and "Zombie Flesh-Eaters" in the UK. So, now that that's been stated, let's dive into the madness!

Films known as...

Zombi 3:
- La Orgía de los muertos (1973) aka Orgy of the Dead; The Hanging Woman; Beyond the Living Dead
- Non si deve profanare il sonno dei morti (1974) aka Breakfast at the Manchester Morgue; Let Sleeping Corpses Lie; The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue.
- Incubo sulla città contaminata (1980) aka Nightmare City; City of the Walking Dead
- Zombi Holocaust (1980) aka Zombie Holocaust; Dr. Butcher MD
- Le Notti del terrore (1981) aka Burial Ground; The Nights of Terror
- Zombi 3 (1988) the actual sequel

Zombi 4:
- Christina, princesse de l'érotisme (1973) aka A Virgin Among the Living Dead
- Bakterion (1976) aka Panic
- Inferno dei morti viventi (1980) aka Virus; Zombie Creeping Flesh; Hell of the Living Dead
- Oltre la morte (1988) aka After Death

Zombi 5:
- Inferno dei morti viventi (1980) aka Virus; Zombie Creeping Flesh; Hell of the Living Dead
- El Hundimiento de la casa Usher (1982) aka Neurosis; Revenge in the House of Usher
- Uccelli assassini (1987) aka Killing Birds; Dark Eyes of the Zombie; Raptors

Zombi 6:
- Rosso Sangue (1981) aka Absurd; Antropophagus 2; The Grim Reaper 2; Monster Hunter

Okay...now, based on this list, 4 of the films listed as sequels came out before the original film! Not to mention that "Absurd" was also "Antropophagus 2", and had nothing to do with zombies; "Killing Birds" came out before both "Zombi 3" and "After Death"; and "Absurd" actually came out before all three of those!

By the way, yes...I know "Hell of the Living Dead" is listed twice. It was known as both "Zombi 4" and "Zombi 5: Ultimate Nightmare".

I have nothing more to say about this...you probably need time to wrap your head around it.

Stan Winston - RIP

I know this is supposed to be a horror review page, but this needs to be written about.

Stan Winston passed away on June 15th, at the age of 62. He was the effects wizard behind films such as the "Jurassic Park" series, "Edward Scissorhands", "Aliens", the "Terminator" series, the "Predator" series, John Carpenter's "The Thing", "Pumpkinhead", "Dead and Buried", "The Monster Squad", and countless other films.

A pioneer in his field, he will forever be an inspiration to anyone in the field of practical effects. He, and his genius, will surely be missed by all.

Rest in peace, Mr. Winston, and know that you have obtained immortality through your brilliance. We haven't lost an artist, we have gained a legend.

House on Sorority Row - 1983

Reviewed by Sammi



Year: 1983

Director: Mark Rosman

Starring: Kathryn McNeil, Eileen Davidson, Janis Ward

Synopsis: Katie and her sorority sisters simply want to have their graduation party at the sorority house. The problem is, their housemother has different plans, and wants them out of the house. So, they do the only thing they know how...they pull a prank on her.
When the prank backfires, and their housemother dies, they have to hide the body before the party starts. While the party rolls along, the body count starts to rise!
Did the housemother really die, or is she still alive and stalking the guests?

Screens:








Review: The reason I started working on this page is because I had become weary of looking up films online. There's a ton of "critics" out there who reduce the films I love to pointless drivel. This film is a prime example of this.
Allow me to quote the main user comment from the IMDb. "O.k., lot of alot of elements here! (scream, i know what you did last summer) but in early 80's fashion." Really? Could it have something to do with "Scream" and "I Know What You Did Last Summer" being films that were based on films like "House on Sorority Row"? How the hell does this film have elements of films that were made over 10 years later?! This film was part of the original line of slashers. Scream is tweenie schlock which attempts to satire the genre.
Whew...anyway...back to the film. I love this movie!! I've probably watched this film well over ten times and it never gets old. "House on Sorority Row" isn't original, whatsoever, and I'll admit that. But, how many slashers, post 1982, were? What this film is, though, is an absolute blast!! The plot's simple, and really easy to keep up with. The effects are decent, the killer's final outfit is mind-blowingly goofy, and there's a head in a toilet! What more could you ask for?!
If you want an intelligent film, don't look here (Hell, you probably shouldn't even look at this page!). If you're looking for a basic 80's slasher with an odd little hallucinatory ending, then you're in the right place. This film delivers basic slasherness in all of it's bloodstained glory!
Do yourself a favor, find a copy of this film, and expect to be entertained.

Score: 8.0/11

Trivia: Ummm...the director later did a number of episodes of "Lizzie McGuire", and this movie is being remade for 2009?! Will it ever end? Seriously?

Availability: Elite released a DVD of this, awhile back, and it's readily available. I've seen it new for as low as $9.99. Amazon has new and used copies starting at $15.88.

One Dark Night - 1983

Reviewed by Sammi



Year: 1983

Director: Tom McLoughlin

Starring: Meg Tilly, Elizabeth Daily, Adam West

Synopsis: I'll try to be as concise as I can. A famed occultist dies mysteriously and his corpse is laid to rest in the local mausoleum. His daughter finds out he was a psychic vampire and was draining energy from teenage girls that he was abducting.
Meanwhile, Julie is trying to become a "Sister" (a trio of popular girls in school who all wear matching purple jackets). Carol, leader of the sisters, wants Julie to fail because Julie is dating her ex, Steve. So, she decides that Julie's final test is to spend a night in, of all places, the mausoleum!!
So, Julie gets locked in the mausoleum and takes what she thinks is sleeping pills, but is actually Demerol. Carol and Kitty sneak into the mausoleum to scare her. What none of them realize is that the occultist isn't quite ready to lay down yet...

Screens:








Review: This was a fun little film. I didn't notice 98 minutes pass, which is always a plus. There were definitely some drawbacks, though. The animated dead looked like dolls being pushed around, there was practically no gore, except for a neat effect at the climax, and it almost seemed like too much plot. Fortunately, McLoughlin is a solid writer/director and he's able to hold it all together.
The acting is some of the best you can get in a low budget film from the 80's. Seriously...Adam West, Meg Tilly, and Elizabeth Daily? I have nothing more to say about that.
This is basically a ghost story. McLoughlin loves gothic horror, this much is obvious. Between this and "Jason Lives", he's gone out of his way to show the world this very fact. The downside is, the corpses...did they all have to look like they were just being hung from wires or stuck on poles? The end was pretty ridiculous, as well, but that's fine. I didn't realize it until later. At the time it made sense, I guess.
You do get to see a girl get killed by being smothered with corpses, though. That scene, alone, is worth watching the film. How many times do you get to see a girl die because corpses keep falling on her? Not often enough.
I'm going to say, if you can find a copy used, or for rent somewhere, pick it up. I don't think it's worth paying full price for new, though. This feels like a "watch once every year or two" type of film. You may want to see it more than once, but it's too story driven to be just thrown in whenever you need something on screen.

Score: 5.0/11

Trivia: Tom McLoughlin's first film, he later wrote and directed "Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives" as well as a number of episodes of both "Freddy's Nightmares" and "Friday the 13th: The Series".
Elizabeth Daily went on to play Dottie in "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" and was the voice of Mrs. Incredible in "The Incredibles". Horror fans may also remember her as Lana from "Bad Dreams".
Meg Tilly's following role was Mary Loomis in "Psycho 2".

Availability: Amazon has used and new copies starting at $10.

Delirium - 1979

Reviewed by Sammi and Belial



Year: 1979

Director: Peter Maris

Starring: Turk Cekovsky, Nick Panouzis, Debi Chaney

Synopsis: A vietnam vet is hired as a vigilante assassin, by an elite group of conservatives, who feel that criminals need to truly be punished for what they did and then they make the murder look like a suicide. Unfortunately, Charlie is just a tad bit unhinged, and decides to just start killing everyone he meets. Now, he has the cops and the right-wingers looking for him!

Screens:








Review: Okay, now, this film has a bit of a legacy behind it. It's one of the infamous "Video Nasties" of the UK. As with most of the Nasties, this film never truly deserved to be banned. It's relatively bloodless in comparison to other films, and the claims of misogyny, I feel, are unfounded. Delirium (aka Psycho Puppet), is more crime-drama than horror film. Charlie, our dear maniac, is pretty much a pawn in all of this. He's a tool, used by a group of rich, conservative vigilantes who use Vietnam vets to "take care of business". What they didn't realize is that Charlie is a loose cannon, and just starts killing everyone who crosses his path. So, now they have to take care of their "problem".
This film surprised me considerably. I've seen most of the Nasties at this point, and whilst some are classics (The Evil Dead, The Burning, Driller Killer, I Spit on Your Grave)...some are just pathetic (Human Experiments, Frozen Scream, I Love You Hugs and Kisses). This one found the middle ground of "Your Basic 70's Exploitation Film". It didn't drag, the acting wasn't wretched, there was a decent body count, and the film kind of descends into madness towards the end (which I always secretly hope for).
All in all, it's a watchable film. Not great, certainly not sleazy enough to get banned, and not worthy of being a Nasty. It's a fun idea, executed well enough, and paced perfectly. The film never drags, it trots along and serves up a good time. Recommended to fans of exploitation cinema.

Score: 6.0/11

Trivia: As stated above, this is one of the "Video Nasties". It was banned, along with 73 other films, on what was known as the DPP list. In 1987, it was allowed to be released, with 16 secs worth of cuts, under the title 'Psycho Puppet".

Availability: Available, used on VHS, on Amazon starting at $5.99.