Halloween Movie Kick

Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year. In order to celebrate the season this year, I have been really wanting to watch some scary movies. So, I have recently filled my Netflix list up with scary movies I have never seen before in an effort to enjoy Halloween for all its worth this year. Here are some mini-reviews of movies I have recently watched:

Slither (4 of 5): This movie is the perfect mix of horror and fun, never taking itself too seriously, but also not diving too deep into B-movie territory either. Slither is a total throw-back to the horror films of the 1980s. It has a lot of good gross outs and some good scares too. Best scene: birth of the slugs.

Night of the Living Dead - 1968 (3 of 5): This is a horror classic. Black and white and very creepy at some points, especially the music. I liked this movie, but it couldn't quite eclipse the impression that the 80s remake left on me. This is the way horror movies should be - the characters should convey a total loss of all hope and forget about happy endings! Best scene: when the zombies are munching on char-broiled human.

Saw II (2 of 5): If you liked the first, the second is pretty much the same, except less personal with more of a funhouse atmosphere. If not for being in the mood to watch this type of movie during Halloween, I probably would give this movie 2 stars instead of 3. The minimal amount of psychological horror present in the first movie is largely gone in the sequel, replaced with more visual horror and gross-outs. I think it was a mistake to delve into the roots of the Jigsaw killer - why do horror movie franchises always do this? It ruins the mystery! Best scene: combing through a pile of used hypodermic needles to find a hidden key.

Well, that is all the scary movies I have gotten a chance to see recently. However, I will have three more to watch very soon. Next up: Dawn of the Dead (1978), High Tension and The Vanishing.