Vampires, killers, and demons, oh my! If you want to get geared up for Freakfest 2009, you’re your teeth into some of these Halloween movie releases.
Released on Oct. 23, Antichrist is the story of a couple who isolate themselves in the woods to try and get over the death of their son. To those with sensitive stomachs and emotions: beware! This confusing film combines sex, death, and mutilation in ways that are truly gruesome.
If you’re feeling a lighter movie, The Vampire’s Assistant (Cirque du Freak), rated PG-13, provides just that. 16-year-old Darren (Chris Massoglia) is fed up with his boring, everyday life and decides to become a vampire. Salma Hayek (Madame Truska) calls it, “Vibrant, mysterious, and dark at the same time.” The familiar John C. Reilley (Stepbrothers), Darren’s vampire mentor, provides comic relief throughout this family-safe Halloween flick.
Of course, no scary holiday would be complete without another addition to the Saw series. Saw VI will satisfy your penchant for cringe-worthy gore (and for sadistic, cancer-ridden old men with the nickname Jigsaw). The tagline of this one is: “The Game Comes Full Circle”, and rumor has it that we will finally see the horrific full scope of what the warped serial killer has in store.
Released on Oct. 25, Paranormal Activity is the one film that has everybody talking. Shot in the same home video camera style of the Blair Witch Project, and produced on a miraculous budget of only $15,000, its grassroots marketing scheme has been a huge success, with the film garnering over 60 million since its original release date on Sept. 25. Get sucked into the lives of Katie and Micah as they attempt to deal with a sinister demon that has attached itself to Katie. Oh, and do not see it alone!
On Oct. 30, check out The House of the Devil, a film about 1980s teenager Samantha Hughes (Jocelin Donahue) who lands a well-paying babysitting job and winds up getting sucked into the satanic ritual nightmares hosted within the house. Reminiscent of Halloween classics such as “A Nightmare on Elm Street”, the film is said to have a marvelously well-crafted mood combined with terrifying shock-action images. Think Stephen King’s “The Shining” with the benefit of modern-day special effects.
Although its release date on Nov. 6 sets this movie a little past the big day itself, the supreme fright factor of The Fourth Kind gives it a spot on this list. An investigation into mysterious civilian disappearances in Alaska leads to identical testimonies about the “fourth kind” of alien encounters–abduction. Although the topic of alien abduction may seem a little overworked, the mixing of actual audio and visual tapes from the 1960s, new film techniques, and a fresh storyline infused with fear makes this movie one you will want to investigate yourself. So grab your best friend (and a box of movie candy), hunker down, and enjoy the thrills!