Review: Friday the 13th (2009)

First off, I was not going to watch this film because I didn't think a remake would be any good but... 

Despite the title of the film being "Friday the 13th," this is NOT a remake of the 1980 classic. It is more of a film based on the first four Friday the 13th films.

I was a fan of the older films and some were better than others, but nevertheless they were classic films that helped shape the way horror films were made. I was hoping that a remake would keep the same magic that the original series had.

This movie was amazing!! It had profanity, drug use, violence, gore, suspense, and nudity. These were the staples of the films in the 80s, so it was good to see that this "remake" didn't wander too far from its roots.

My understanding that the main reason anyone would watch a Friday the 13th movie are blood and boobs. This movie delivers both starting within ten minutes.

The main focus of the movie covers two separate groups of party hungry beer thirsty kids who wind up getting slashed to pieces by Jason Voorhees. The real story line of the film revolves around Clay who is searching for his "missing" sister Whitney. The search obviously leads right to the forest's legendary masked terror. The "remake" is well-done on all fronts, with a solid story threading through rip-roaring horror blood and carnage, and a high level of sexuality featuring a gorgeous female cast. The biggest change is with Jason himself.

The character has been changed. While he's still a machete wheeling figure but it's not the same Jason as was in the previous saga. Jason is faster, more brutal, and less bumbling. He seems to have lost some of that no thought killer instinct that made him such an icon back in the 80s.

I found Jason to be a bit more violent and foreboding in this movie than in some predecessors. The characters in this movie were routine, but still interesting, even the story was good. I am sure there are some people who will complain about this movie.

Here are a few things that I had issues with this film.

#1 shaky camera syndrome. (it is played out stop it)

#2 Jason burns one victim alive. Jason does not torture ... he is a cold, ruthless killer.

#3 Jason does not keep victims alive and hold them prisoner. Again he is a cold, ruthless killer.

#4 Jason shows a lot more intelligence in this movie. Jason is not smart enough to pull off some of the things he does in this movie.


Bottom line … gratuitous nudity, sex scenes (with morality lessons), someone wanders off by themselves in the dark, completely pointless deaths, corny jokes (requisite for fun horror movies), a solid amount of blood spatter and flying brain chunks, good shock/jump scenes, and pretty good special effects. Awesome!!

Why reinvent the wheel? (the reason it's not a 5-star)

Body count 14 (13 of which are killed by Jason).

If you are a fan ... WATCH THIS MOVIE! It will not disappoint at all.

I'll give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Review: Last House on the Left (remake)

Last House on the Left (remake)

By any other name this would be a great movie but for a remake it is just good.

I'll warn you up front, this isn't a film for all tastes, even the average horror fan may have a difficult time watching this one.

As a fan of the 70's horror movies, I had mixed feelings to learn that Wes Craven's landmark horror-thriller was going to be remade for modern audiences. I wondered just how they would tone-down such a violent and disturbing classic for today's audiences without just ruining the entire film. Much to my surprise though this polished-looking remake actually retained much of the violent brutality of the original film.

A man is being transported to prison when two people crash their truck into the side of the cop car freeing the prisoner.

Emma, John and Mari head out to their lake house on vacation. Shortly after arriving, Mari drives into town to spend time with her friend Paige. She and Mari meet Justin, a teenager passing through the town who invites them both back to his hotel room to smoke some weed.

(Almost the same plot line as the original)

Like the original film there's an effectively disturbing rape scene and some very bloody violence. While Last House (remake) does alter the story of the original somewhat, it stays fairly true to the shocking nature and gripping suspense that made the original a classic. It has some terrific action sequences and remains quite intense throughout the whole movie.

My only complaint about the remake is the fact that it shy's away from the bleak ending of the original in favor of a more routine ending. Overall it remains a bold and effective effort.

All in all The Last House on the Left is a very good horror movie. It's one the best remakes in years, boasting excellent visuals, great acting, and violence not to be reckoned with.

I'll give this one 4 out of 5 stars.