Jiggy's Horror Corner

Stanley (1972)

Directed by William Grefé [Other horror films: Sting of Death (1966), Death Curse of Tartu (1966), Impulse (1974), Mako: The Jaws of Death (1976), Whiskey Mountain (1977)]

I last saw Stanley back in 2009 for my first October Challenge. In the many years that had passed, I forgot how much I enjoyed it.

Part of this may well be the fact the version I watched back in 2009 was a 90 minute version, whereas what I watched this time around was 105 minutes. Truth be told, I couldn’t tell you what scenes have been added, but the additions did seem to flesh out the main character’s motivations better.

The main drawback this movie possesses is the long set-up time. It takes 45 minutes, thereabouts, for us to really get introduced to the horror elements. Beforehand, we’re meeting various characters, most of whom who are killed in the last hour of the film. While that in itself may seem strenuous, with the 70’s music in the background, and the lack of editing out small things, it just feels grueling. But once it picks up, I think the pace sails along pretty nicely.

The kills are nothing overly special, but I do rather enjoy some of them. The freeze-frame when one of the characters jumps into a pool filled with snakes was overly ridiculous, and I loved it. Truth be told, while it’s slower at the beginning, once the kills come along, Stanley does well for itself. The ending is a bit to be desired, but I don’t fault it all too much. One last note – one of the characters, a pill-popping, cocaine-sniffing ‘psycho’ was consistently one of the funniest around for his short screen time. A sluggish pace, yes, but this movie, I personally feel, was worth it.

7.5/10

The Dark (1993)

Directed by Craig Pryce [Other horror films: Revenge of the Radioactive Reporter (1990)]

It’s been something like three years since I saw this last, and so I had forgotten the amount to which I enjoyed it.

First thing that came to mind watching this was the actors, a majority of which do a solid job despite the obviously low budget involved. Stephen McHattie (who played the main character in Pontypool over 15 years after this film) did quite well as this film’s protagonist. Dennis O’Connor, Cynthia Belliveau, Neve Campbell all do very well also (and seeing Campbell three years prior to Scream was interesting).

In fact, my favorite scenes early on was the believable chemistry between gravediggers Jake and Ed (played by Dennis O’Connor and Jaimz Woolvett, respectfully). Their friendship struck me as very realistic, and that surprised me in a movie of this budget. The actors I didn’t care for, including most prominently Brion James, were far outshone by those I did.

And that doesn’t usually happen – in fact, very rarely in most movies to actors stand out one way or the other to me. Here, they did. The actors really were the strong point of the film. That’s not to say the story was bad, but it wasn’t dripping in creativity. More so, the special effects, when need be, were lacking. And in fact, some of the scenes early on just felt wrong. That all said, I got a good feel for the characters, and deemed it enjoyable. In short, it’s low in quality, high in fun.

7.5/10

Piranha 3D (2010)

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Directed by Alexandre Aja [Other horror films: Haute tension (2003), The Hills Have Eyes (2006), Mirrors (2008), Horns (2013), Crawl (2019)]

Most of the characters are annoying idiots, but as half of them get eaten in the fantastic piranha rampage about halfway through the movie, I can’t rightly hold it against them. Some of the characters are solid, though – Sheriff Forester does all she can to both ensure the safety of her own children and her community. Deputy Fallon goes all out in trying to save people during the rampage. Jake’s valiant attempts to save Kelly, a character herself who sort of got pulled into this whole thing, show him a person of high worth. So we have some solid people, who I feel make up well for the Derricks of the world.

The gore in the movie, at least to me, is the biggest selling point, and I feel they did pretty well. The aforementioned massacre has long been a favorite scene of mine – the blood, the chaos, all done so wonderfully. The nudity’s a bit less captivating, but I can only imagine it’d help pull some more people in to watch the film. Overall, this second Piranha remake (after the 1995 failure few recall) is quite enjoyable for what it is. It’s not amazing, not to me, but it does what it set out to do, and that’s all I can ask.

7.5/10

Criminally Insane (1975)

Directed by Nick Millard [Other horror films: Satan’s Black Wedding (1976), Doctor Bloodbath (1987), Death Nurse (1987), Criminally Insane 2 (1987), Cemetery Sisters (1987), Death Nurse 2 (1988), Dracula in Vegas (1999), The Turn of the Screw (2003)]

I’ve long heard of this one, but I never knew how much of a hoot it’d be. Which is sort of ironic, as, at least in my opinion, there was very little in the film itself that was meant to be light-hearted. But the idea of a morbidly obese woman going on a rampage to ensure she can continue eating food at her own pace is definitely liable to raise some eyebrows and cause a chuckle or two.

The quality was what you’d expect of a grindhouse horror film, but I liked it all the more for that. The death scenes weren’t amazing – the blood is among some of the fakest blood I’ve seen in some time – but at the same time, they had heart. And this movie, with the short running time of an hour and one minute, certainly had the deaths to keep in interesting.

The story’s not particularly deep, and the acting isn’t always amazing (though our murderess, Priscilla Alden, does a very solid job in her role), but it is a very amusing flick. There was a sequel released in the late 80’s, starring Alden also, but I hear it lacks much of what this provided. If you’re a fan of 70’s grindhouse horror, and don’t mind iffy quality, I’d recommend giving this a go. Worst case scenario, you’d out an hour of your life. I found it worth it.

7.5/10

Pontypool (2008)

Directed by Bruce McDonald [Other horror films: Hellions (2015)]

I think, if I recall, this would be the third or fourth time I’ve seen Pontypool. And I’m still not sure how I really feel.

On one hand, I wish they had delved into the logic behind the infection/disease a hell of a lot more. On the other hand, the characters present didn’t know, nor had any idea how to really find out, and were more concerned about their own survival as opposed to the hows and the whys of this disease. The doctor, who’s personality was deeply amusing, was of little help, and seemed moderately unhinged himself, but still did what he could to help out the main characters.

The chaos in this film is very heavy, and coupled with the fact that we really don’t have an answer as to how this infection came about by the end of the movie, really makes it a hard one to judge. The idea of hearing second hand the horrors going on outside was pretty cool, which reminded me of another film, being Dead Air (2009, starring Bill Moseley).

Stephen McHattie was a decent actor in his own right, but there are the occasional awkward scenes/lines. And the post-credit scene, well, I still have exactly zero idea what to make of that, despite the various theories I’ve read online. Pontypool is a mostly-claustrophobic film, some high-level suspense, and contains a somewhat confusing premise. Even after three or four viewings, I’m still not sure what to make of it. It definitely makes you think, though.

6.5/10

Pumpkinhead (1988)

Directed by Stan Winston [Other horror films: Ghosts (1997)]

Personally, I never thought that Pumpkinhead got the love it deserved. For whatever the sequels were, the first Pumpkinhead, overall, is a damn solid film, and Lance Henriksen, an actor I generally don’t care for, put up a very good performance here. The set-up, showing a impoverished but loving father and son really allows us, as viewers, to understand why he wanted revenge after what happened to his son. And speaking of that, that scene in which he’s digging up the bones of Pumpkinhead has long been a favorite of mine, as the setting, a mist-covered, decrepit graveyard is truly a place you’d think twice before entering.

The on-going drama between the kids was less interesting, but as most of them die by the end of the film, such is life. Also, the fact that unlike many, if not most, 80’s horror films, Pumpkinhead is deadly serious has always struck me an interesting choice. There’s no humor to be found in this movie, not really even with the scenes featuring the kids. In many ways, it feels more like a 70’s movie than an 80’s one. One last note – the setting as a whole deeply intrigues me. Those people really look as though they’re living in 1920’s West Virginia poor communities. And yet, communities like that still exist, and certainly did back in 1988. Exaggerated a bit? Sure, but on the whole, that setting, for some reason, appealed greatly to me. Pumpkinhead’s a good film. Not perfect by any means, but a very solid title all the same.

8/10

Son of Ingagi (1940)

Directed by Richard C. Kahn [Other horror films: N/A]

This is an oddity, one of the first all African-American casted horror movies. As such, it’s as Poverty Row as one could imagine. Also, the version widely available seems to be missing a minute or two halfway through the film (which is already short – clocks in at just over an hour). Sound quality, or video quality, for that matter, wasn’t up to par for even my standards of the time period, but it was just about as good as I remembered it.

Really, it’s just a generic movie, with some okay light-hearted comedic portions provided by one of the characters (who was actually played by a writer of the script) and an almost-threatening atmosphere. It falls short, though, of it’s aims, and overall, seems an overly forgettable movie, especially as so many other horror films, some great, came out around the same time. The points I give it are mainly for the setting itself (a house, which, while generic, was used to good effect in the film) and some of the more humorous lines.

5.5/10

(Note: This was one of the reviews I wrote early on, so it’s shorter and far less in-depth than my more recent ones. Should I rewatch the film, I’ll update my review.)

Hellraiser (1987)

Directed by Clive Barker [Other horror films: Nightbreed (1990), Lord of Illusions (1995), Clive Barker’s Salomé & The Forbidden (1998)]

This is a good film, and it’s still a good film upon seeing it again, but some parts just rub me the wrong way, one of them being Kirsty’s first on-screen appearance. She seems agitated, and is acting, in my opinion, oddly, yet no reason for this is given (unless it’s just the stress of moving to London, which is possible). That’s another issue I had, though – while this movie is supposed to take place in London, most of the characters seem to have American accents. I realize that this was a decision by someone who believed that it’d help with American viewership, but still, it sort of took me out of the immersive experience I’d have preferred.

Lastly, the homeless man/demon is following Kirsty before there’s any real reason for him to do so. Again, never expanded on. Still, the movie is solid. Cenobites are fantastic, Kirsty is a decent (and easy on the eyes) character, and Frank/Julie are quite the threatening pair. And of course the special effects are extremely solid for the most part. Overall, it’s a good film with a flaw or two. Certainly worth the watch if you’ve not seen it before. Great 80’s horror.

8/10

Chucky (@ChuckyFE) and I covered this film in a ten-minute conversation on Fight Evil’s fifth podcast. Listen below if interested.

Horror Films Reviewed

Below are all of the horror films I’ve reviewed, organized by year of release.

I always try to use the original title of the film (as dictated by IMDb), meaning if it a film originally has a foreign title, I’ll be using that title (as opposed to a possibly more well-known English one).

I find this consistently more straight-forward than having to worry if people know Il paese del sesso selvaggio (1972) as Man from Deep River, Deep River Savages, or Sacrifice!

As I post more reviews, this will be updated with hyperlinks to each of the posted reviews.

Films reviewed: 938

1913: Der Student von Prag

1914: Der Hund von Baskerville, The Avenging Conscience: or, ‘Thou Shalt Not Kill’

1916: Pikovaya dama

1917: Malombra

1918: Die Augen der Mumie Ma

1919: Unheimliche Geschichten

1920: Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari, Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

1921: Schloß Vogelöd

1922: Häxan, Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens

1923: Schatten – Eine nächtliche Halluzination

1924: Das Wachsfigurenkabinett, Orlacs Hände

1925: Maciste all’inferno

1926: Faust: Eine deutsche Volkssage, Kurutta ippêji, Midnight Faces, The Bells

1927: The Cat and the Canary, The Unknown

1928: La chute de la maison Usher, The Last Warning, The Man Who Laughs

1929: Der Hund von Baskerville

1930: The Bat Whispers

1931: Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein, King of the Wild, Murder by the Clock, Svengali, The Mad Genius

1932: Doctor X, Freaks, Island of Lost Souls, The Monster Walks, The Most Dangerous Game, Vampyr, White Zombie

1933: Murders in the Zoo, Mystery of the Wax Museum, Night of Terror, Secret of the Blue Room, The Ghoul, The Invisible Man, The Vampire Bat

1934: The Black Cat, The Ninth Guest

1935: Mad Love, Mark of the Vampire, Ye ban ge sheng

1936: Dracula’s Daughter, The Devil-Doll, The Rogues’ Tavern, The Walking Dead

1937: Der Hund von Baskerville

1938: The Terror

1939: The Dark Eyes of London, The Face at the Window, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Return of Doctor X

1940: Son of Ingagi, The Devil Bat, The Door with Seven Locks, The Invisible Man Returns, You’ll Find Out

1941: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Horror Island, Invisible Ghost, King of the Zombies, Man-Made Monster

1942: Cat People, The Mad Monster, The Strange Case of Doctor Rx, The Undying Monster

1943: Dead Men Walk, I Walked with a Zombie, La main du diable, Revenge of the Zombies, The Leopard Man, The Mysterious Doctor, The Seventh Victim

1944: Bluebeard, Cry of the Werewolf, One Body Too Many, The Lodger, The Monster Maker, The Uninvited

1945: Isle of the Dead, The Body Snatcher, The Picture of Dorian Gray

1946: Bedlam, The Beast with Five Fingers, The Cat Creeps, Valley of the Zombies

1951: The Thing from Another World

1952: Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla

1953: House of Wax, It Came from Outer Space, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms

1954: Gojira, Phantom of the Rue Morgue, The Mad Magician, The Snow Creature, Them!

1955: Cult of the Cobra, Les diaboliques

1956: Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Sora no daikaijû Radon, The Bad Seed, The Black Sleep, The Werewolf

1957: From Hell It Came, Night of the Demon, The Black Scorpion, The Curse of Frankenstein, The Giant Claw

1958: Attack of the Puppet People, Curse of the Faceless Man, Dracula, Earth vs the Spider, Macabre, Night of the Blood Beast, The Blob, The Fly, The Return of Dracula, The Strange World of Planet X

1959: Beast from Haunted Cave, House on Haunted Hill, The Alligator People, The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Manster, The Mummy, The Wasp Woman

1960: House of Usher, Les yeux sans visage, Peeping Tom, Psycho, The City of the Dead, The Little Shop of Horrors, Village of the Damned

1961: Homicidal, The Innocents, The Pit and the Pendulum

1962: Beauty and the Beast, Maciste all’inferno, The Couch, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

1963: Black Zoo, Blood Feast, Dementia 13, House of the Damned, Maniac, The Birds, The Haunted Palace, The Haunting, The Raven

1964: Children of the Damned, The Earth Dies Screaming, The Gorgon, The Horror of It All, The Last Man on Earth, The Strangler, Witchcraft

1965: Devils of Darkness, Two on a Guillotine

1966: Chamber of Horrors, Death Curse of Tartu, Eye of the Devil, La lama nel corpo, Queen of Blood, The Plague of the Zombies, The Witches

1967: Dance of the Vampires, Die Schlangengrube und das Pendel, Hillbillys in a Haunted House, The Gruesome Twosome, The Shuttered Room, Torture Garden, Uchû daikaijû Girara

1968: Konchû daisensô, Kyûketsu dokuro-sen, The Devil Rides Out, The Green Slime, Vargtimmen, Yabu no naka no kuroneko

1969: Night of Bloody Horror

1970: Entertaining Mr Sloane, Guru, the Mad Monk, I Drink Your Blood, Il trono di fuoco, Multiple Maniacs, Trog

1971: Death by Invitation, La bestia uccide a sangue freddo, La corta notte delle bambole di vetro, La notte che Evelyn uscì dalla tomba, La tarantola dal ventre nero, Mais ne nous délivrez pas du mal, Sometimes Aunt Martha Does Dreadful Things, The Abominable Dr. Phibes, The Beast in the Cellar, The Blood on Satan’s Claw, Werewolves on Wheels

1972: Blacula, Child’s Play, Encounter with the Unknown, Night of the Lepus, Perché quelle strane gocce di sangue sul corpo di Jennifer?, Private Parts, Sisters, Stanley, Tales from the Crypt, Terror House, The Last House on the Left, Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?

1973: An Eye for an Eye, Forced Entry, I corpi presentano tracce di violenza carnale, Nothing But the Night, Sssssss, The House That Cried Murder, The Severed Arm, Warlock Moon, Welcome to Arrow Beach

1974: Black Christmas, From Beyond the Grave, It’s Alive, L’ossessa, Madhouse, Nightmare Honeymoon, Sugar Hill, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Young Frankenstein

1975: Criminally Insane, God’s Bloody Acre, I Don’t Want to Be Born, Jaws, Profondo rosso

1976: Burnt Offerings, Carrie, Communion, Die Hinrichtung, Drive In Massacre, Grizzly, Martin, Squirm, The Clown Murders, The Food of the Gods, The Omen, The Town That Dreaded Sundown

1977: Another Son of Sam, Cathy’s Curse, Dark Echo, Eraserhead, Hausu, Rabid, Suspiria, The Hills Have Eyes, The Incredible Melting Man

1978: Coma, Day of the Woman, Halloween, Jaws 2, Magic, Mardi Gras Massacre, The Evil, The Swarm, The Toolbox Murders

1979: Alien, Cardiac Arrest, Dominique, Don’t Go in the House, Phantasm, Prophecy, The Brood, The Orphan, Tourist Trap, When a Stranger Calls

1980: Death Ship, Demented, Friday the 13th, Humanoids from the Deep, Inferno, Island Claws, La casa sperduta nel parco, Prom Night, The Attic, The Changeling, The Fog, The Shining, Without Warning

1981: Dead & Buried, Deadly Blessing, Delusion, Die Säge des Todes, Eyes of a Stranger, Final Exam, Friday the 13th Part 2, Ghost Story, Graduation Day, Halloween II, Hell Night, Le notti del terrore, Leák, Murder Obsession, My Bloody Valentine, Night School, Night Warning, Quella villa accanto al cimitero, The Burning, The Evil Dead, The Howling, The Prowler, The Territory, Wolfen

1982: A Stranger Is Watching, Alone in the Dark, Cat People, Creepshow, Dark Sanity, Friday the 13th Part III, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, Humongous, Lo squartatore di New York, Mortuary, O Segredo da Múmia, One Dark Night, Poltergeist, Tenebre, The Entity, The Slumber Party Massacre, The Toxic Slime Creature, Trick or Treats, Turkey Shoot, Visiting Hours, White Dog, Yin ji

1983: Christine, Cujo, Curtains, Frightmare, Jaws 3-D, Mountaintop Motel Massacre, Screamtime, Skullduggery, Sleepaway Camp, Sweet Sixteen, The Hunger, Videodrome, 2019 – Dopo la caduta di New York

1984: A Nightmare on Elm Street, Children of the Corn, C.H.U.D., Day of the Reaper, Death Warmed Up, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, Inferno in diretta, Interface, Mr. Wrong, Rats – Notte di terrore, Scream for Help, Silent Night, Deadly Night, The Mutilator, Wild beasts – Belve feroci

1985: A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge, Blood Cult, Bloodstream, Cat’s Eye, Friday the 13th: A New Beginning, Fright Night, House, Howling II: Stirba – Werewolf Bitch, Lifeforce, Murderlust, Silver Bullet, The Nail Gun Massacre, The Return of the Living Dead, The Stuff

1986: Aliens, April Fool’s Day, Blood Hook, Camping del terrore, Chopping Mall, Crawlspace, Dolls, From Beyond, Ghost Stories: Graveyard Thriller, Neon Maniacs, Night of the Creeps, Ozone: The Attack of the Redneck Mutants, Sorority House Massacre, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Veneno para las hadas, Witchboard

1987: A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Backwoods, Blood Diner, Blood Harvest, Bloody New Year, Creepshow 2, Criminally Insane 2, Deliria, Faceless, Frenchman’s Farm, Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II, Hellraiser, Jaws: The Revenge, Killing Spree, Lucifer, Near Dark, Opera, Return to Horror High, Slaughterhouse, Stripped to Kill, The Gate, The Stepfather, Uninvited

1988: A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, Al filo del hacha, Amsterdamned, Cheerleader Camp, Child’s Play, Demon Warrior, Fright Night Part 2, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, Hard Rock Nightmare, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, Hide and Go Shriek, I Saw What You Did, Maniac Cop, Nightmare Sisters, Phantasm II, Pledge Night, Pumpkinhead, Return of the Living Dead: Part II, Shiryô no wana, Spellbinder, The Blob, The Brain, The Carpenter, The Unnamable

1989: B.O.R.N., Clownhouse, DeepStar Six, Family Reunion, Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, Heavy Metal Massacre, Iced, Offerings, Pet Sematary, Puppet Master, Redneck Zombies, Stepfather II, Stripped to Kill 2: Live Girls, The Dead Next Door, The Dead Pit, Things

1990: A Nymphoid Barbarian in Dinosaur Hell, Arachnophobia, Buried Alive, Child’s Play 2, Demon Wind, Due occhi diabolici, Graveyard Shift, Hardware, It, Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, Man hua qi xia, Maniac Cop 2, Meridian, Mirror Mirror, Night of the Living Dead, Non aprite quella porta 3, Pale Blood, Prom Night III: The Last Kiss, Sorority House Massacre II, Spontaneous Combustion, The First Power, Tremors

1991: Child’s Play 3, Dolly Dearest, HauntedWeen, Scary Movie, Sometimes They Come Back, Subspecies, The Borrower, The Silence of the Lambs

1992: Alien³, Candyman, Ghostwatch, Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth, Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence, Mikey, Pet Sematary II

1993: Body Melt, Body Snatchers, Kalifornia, My Boyfriend’s Back, Needful Things, Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings, Return of the Living Dead III, The Dark, The Dark Half, The Tommyknockers

1994: Death Machine, Mahakaal, Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead, The Stand

1995: Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh, Castle Freak, Embrace of the Vampire, Frostbiter: Wrath of the Wendigo, Hideaway, Ice Cream Man, Lord of Illusions, Mute Witness, Se7en, Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight, Tales from the Hood, The Mangler

1996: Bordello of Blood, From Dusk Till Dawn, Hellraiser: Bloodline, Scream, Shadow Zone: The Undead Express, Thinner, Tremors II: Aftershocks

1997: Alien: Resurrection, Anaconda, Bloodletting, Cube, Event Horizon, Jack Frost, Mimic, M.D.C. – Maschera di cera, Nightwatch, Plaga zombie, Scream 2, The Eighteenth Angel, The Night Flier, The Ugly, Wishmaster

1998: Bride of Chucky, Nightworld: Lost Souls, Psycho, Urban Legend

1999: Candyman: Day of the Dead, End of Days, From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money, From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter, House on Haunted Hill, Idle Hands, King Cobra, Lake Placid, Los sin nombre, Shan gou 1999, Silent Predators, Sleepy Hollow, Storm of the Century, The Rage: Carrie 2, Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies

2000: American Psycho, Batoru rowaiaru, Bruiser, Cherry Falls, Cut, Final Destination, Ginger Snaps, Hellraiser: Inferno, Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman, Killjoy, Lost Souls, Satan’s School for Girls, Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth, Spiders, What Lies Beneath

2001: Hannibal, Spiders II: Breeding Ground, The Attic Expeditions, Thir13en Ghosts, Valentine, Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell

2002: Cabin Fever, Carrie, Cube 2: Hypercube, Ghost Ship, May, My Little Eye, Nine Lives, Red Dragon, 28 Days Later…

2003: Beyond the Limits, Darkness Falls, Dead End, Deadly Stingers, Goo chak sam fong fong, House of 1000 Corpses, Identity, Monster Man, The Devil’s Tattoo, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Wrong Turn

2004: Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, Bell Witch Haunting, Cube Zero, Dawn of the Dead, Dead & Breakfast, Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed, Hellbent, Malevolence, Salem’s Lot, Satan’s Little Helper, Saw, Seed of Chucky, Shaun of the Dead, Wilderness Survival for Girls

2005: An American Haunting, Day of the Dead 2: Contagium, Hide and Seek, Hostel, Return of the Living Dead: Necropolis, Swamp Zombies!!!, Tamara, The Amityville Horror, The Beast of Bray Road, The Devil’s Rejects, White Noise, Wild Country

2006: Crazy Eights, Curse of Halloween, Dark Ride, Dorm of the Dead, Hatchet, In a Dark Place, Kuntilanak, Penny Dreadful, Pray for Morning, Salvage, Sam’s Lake, See No Evil, Silent Hill, Stay Alive, The House Next Door, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, The Tripper, The Wicker Man, Vampire Chicks with Chainsaws, Wicked Little Things

2007: Dark Mirror, Devil’s Diary, El orfanato, End of the Line, Fist of the Vampire, Ghost Mother, Green Eyed Monster, Halloween, Hannibal Rising, Hostel: Part II, Lake Placid 2, Naked Fear, Paranormal Activity, Rogue, Something Beneath, Spiker, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, The Attic, The Messengers, The Mist, The Poughkeepsie Tapes, Trick ‘r Treat, Urchin, Wrong Turn 2: Dead End, 1408, 28 Weeks Later, 7eventy 5ive

2008: Baby Blues, Bachelor Party in the Bungalow of the Damned, Bonnie & Clyde vs. Dracula, Broken Notes, Cloverfield, Copperhead, Day of the Dead, Eden Lake, Ghost Voyage, Gutterballs, Martyrs, Pontypool, Repo! The Genetic Opera, Slices, The Children, The Midnight Meat Train, The Strangers, Triloquist

2009: Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever, Deadfall Trail, Død snø, Fear Island, GoatSucker, Halloween II, Hit and Run, Hurt, Laid to Rest, Last of the Living, Malibu Shark Attack, Rise of the Gargoyles, Sorority Row, The Haunting in Connecticut, The House of the Devil, The Lights, The Shortcut, The Thaw, Triangle

2010: A Nightmare on Elm Street, Birdemic: Shock and Terror, Devil, Don’t Go in the Woods, Ghosts Don’t Exist, Goblin, If a Tree Falls, Insidious, Paranormal Activity 2, Piranha 3D, The Wolfman, Triassic Attack, Tucker and Dale vs Evil, Whistle and I’ll Come to You

2011: Cannibal Feast, Chromeskull: Laid to Rest 2, Donner Pass, Fertile Ground, Filth to Ashes, Flesh to Dust, Silent House, Swamp Shark, The Day, You’re Not Getting Out Alive

2012: American Horror House, Arachnoquake, Black Rock, Boogeyman, Hate Crime, Haunted High, Leprechaun’s Revenge, Shark Week, Silent Night, Sinister, Siodmak, The Facility, True Bloodthirst, V/H/S, 2-Headed Shark Attack

2013: Bering Sea Beast, Carrie, Curse of Chucky, Dark Skies, Evil Dead, Grave Halloween, Insidious: Chapter 2, Jurassic Attack, Mama, Sharknado, The Green Inferno, The Purge, Vampire Ticks from Outer Space, Weaverfish, Zombie Night

2014: Blood Widow, Cabin Fever: Patient Zero, Cooties, Dark Haul, Die Präsenz, Finders Keepers, It Follows, Kristy, Sharknado 2: The Second One, Stage Fright, The Babadook, The Hornet’s Sting and the Hell It’s Caused

2015: All Through the House, Almost Mercy, Cabin Fear, Cat Sick Blues, Exeter, Green Room, Hell House LLC, House of Whores, Kantemir, Krampus, Lavalantula, Loon, Night of the Wild, Ominous, Robert, Sinister 2, Some Kind of Hate, Stung, The Blackburn Asylum, The Devil’s Candy, The Hexecutioners, The Hollow, The Lesson, The Unspoken, The Visit, The VVitch: A New-England Folktale, They Found Hell, 3-Headed Shark Attack

2016: Better Watch Out, Beyond the Gates, Busanhaeng, Cabin Fever, Don’t Breathe, Fear, Inc., Fender Bender, Friend Request, Gehenna: Where Death Lives, House of Purgatory, Hush, Isle of the Dead, Jockstrap Slaughterhouse, Miles Before Sleep, Ozark Sharks, Pet, Scare Campaign, Seoulyeok, Shadows of the Dead, Split, Terrifier, The Amityville Legacy, The Autopsy of Jane Doe, The Belko Experiment, The Boy, The Crooked Man, The Greasy Strangler, The Night Before Halloween, The Void, Wolves at the Door, 10 Cloverfield Lane, 2 Lava 2 Lantula!

2017: Are We the Waiting, Cult of Chucky, Deadlines, Dementia 13, Dry Blood, Happy Death Day, House of the Witch, It, Little Evil, Night Howl, Stickman, Survivorz, The Bye Bye Man, The Sandman, The Stripper Ripper, Toxic Shark, 5 Headed Shark Attack

2018: Apostle, Camp Hideaway Massacre, Cherokee Creek, Cucuy: The Boogeyman, Dead in the Water, Delirium, Halloween, Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel, Hereditary, Karma, Killer High, No Escape Room, Slender Man, Snake Outta Compton, Summer of 84, Tales from the Hood 2, The School, The Strangers: Prey at Night, Truth or Double Dare (TODD), What Happens in the Mountains – Should Stay in the Mountains, What Keeps You Alive, You Might Be the Killer, 6-Headed Shark Attack

2019: Child’s Play, Clinton Road, Happy Death Day 2U, Haunt, Hell House LLC III: Lake of Fire, I Spit on Your Grave: Deja Vu, Investigation 13, It Chapter Two, Loon Lake, Ma, Midsommar, Recovery, Scarecrow County, Sea Fever, The Banana Splits Movie, The Furies, The Harvesting, The 27 Club, Zombie Tidal Wave

2020: Camp Twilight, Clownz R Us, I Think We’re Alone Now, Run, Sleepaway Slasher, Star Light, The Cattle Farmer, The Devil in the Room, The Dinner Party, The Hunt, The Invisible Man, The New Mutants, Tokyo Home Stay Massacre, Tribal Get Out Alive, We Are the Missing, Wolfwood, 8 Graves

2021: Broadcast Signal Intrusion, Candyman, Fear Street: 1994, Fear Street: 1978, Fear Street: 1666, Halloween Kills, Howard’s Mill, In the Earth, Jakob’s Wife, Malignant, Satan’s Servant, The Demon’s Waltz, The Land of Blue Lakes, The Power, There’s Something in the Shadows, Venom Coast, What Happens in the Mountains – Should Stay in the Mountains Part II, Wrong Turn

This is Jiggy, Reporting for Duty

Hello all,

My name’s Michael, better known by some horror communities as Jigsaw or Jiggy. In the last few years, I’ve been working on re-watching all the horror films I’ve seen up to a certain point, and decided to write some reviews on each one.

This started out as purely personal (the reviews I wrote weren’t meant to be published, but kept so I wouldn’t forget about any of the horror films I’ve seen), but as I wrote more, I decided to do just that, and using forums like HorrorMovieFans, or sites like MovieChat and Fight-Evil, I’ve been posting my reviews.

I’ve never utilized a personal blog before, though, which I thought might be fun, if not a bit daunting, to use. I can’t say that I’m overly technologically-advantaged, so trying to get into using new sites can be a bit of a challenge.

I’m putting my best foot forward, though.

Here I’ll be posting all of the mini-reviews I’ve written. Most of these reviews were first posted on Fight-Evil.com, a website I’ve been an on-and-off member of since 2006. While I will likely always post my reviews first on that site, this blog will act as sort of a repository of my writings.

I’m always open to suggestions of new horror films to give a shot – just let me know.

Jigsaw, out.

(Picture from Burnt Offerings, a 1976 classic of the genre)