Behind the Couch

2015 Dir. Adam Egypt Mortimer Part ghost story, part slasher film, Some Kind of Hate is an interesting if at times slightly formulaic tale of revenge. However, with its bleak karmic mantra and themes concerning the unique pain of adolescence, the devastating impact of bullying, self-harm and revenge, it’s a frequently intense viewing experience. Mercilessly tormented by bullies, troubled high-school loner Lincoln (Ronen Rubinstein) eventually snaps and violently retaliates. He’s packed off to a desert commune for young misfits, only to again suffer at the hands of bullies. His rage summons an undead avenger, herself the victim of bullying, who begins to wreak bloody havoc on his behalf... Head over to Exquisite Terror to read my full review .

2014 Dirs. Jen & Sylvia Soska Slasher films are infamous for instigating a seemingly unending chain of sequels. Cynically speaking, slasher sequels are generally inferior titles (though there are exceptions) that simply rehash the plot of the original in a desperate bid to capitalise on its success. Speaking as the owner of various slasher franchise boxsets, some sequels can of course surpass expectations and actually enhance the impact of the original, fleshing out characters, exploring back stories and expanding mythos. Of all the slasher films you’d expect to spawn a sequel - and a rather belated one at that - See No Evil  (2006) probably wouldn’t be high on your list. A conventional, if rather unremarkable affair, it featured WWE star Kane (Glen Jacobs) as a reclusive psychopath brutally murdering a group of young offenders who, as part of their community service, are sent to clean up the old abandoned hotel he resides in. While commercially successful, it was essen...

Dir. Patrick Lussier A remake of the classic 1981 slasher of the same name, My Bloody Valentine actually improves upon the original with a decent script, likeable cast (including Jensen Ackles, Jaime King, Kerr Smith and Tom Atkins) and buckets of atmospheric tension. While released well after the post- Scream slasher boom of the late nineties/early noughties, but in the midst of a (still on-going) classic horror remake phase, My Bloody Valentine attempted to set itself apart by filming in 3D - it arguably initiated the current trend of 3D films. While it boasts irresistible retro-slasher leanings, it doesn't do so in a smug, post-ironic manner; it takes itself seriously and at its core is a decent mystery regarding the killer’s identity. Various red herrings are successfully established and Todd Farmer’s screenplay is mindful enough to examine the effect of the ensuing paranoia and mistrust on the residents of the small town community, vulnerable and isolated as it is. A...

Dir. George Mihalka Slasher films typically feature a cast of teenaged characters cavorting in an isolated location and falling victim to a (usually) masked psychopath brandishing various sharp implements. The teens are systematically picked off until only one (usually) female character is left. She’s nearly always someone who abstains from indulging in drugs, alcohol and pre-marital sex - unlike her peers - and must use her resourcefulness to defeat the killer. Highly conservative in their morality, many slashers feature a sex equals death formula, with killers avenging past misdeeds committed against them or someone close to them, and sating their bloodlust by offing copulating couples. For hardened horror fans such as myself, they offer a strange sense of comfort due to their familiar structure and conventions, which rarely change from title to title. Of course, it’s always great when a slasher deviates from the rigid formula, but as long as there’s tension, atmosphere and a su...

2006 Dir. Rick Bota Two years after the death of their friend, who died while playing an online game based on the Hellraiser mythology, a group of teenagers find their own lives endangered. Accepting an invitation to an underground rave party at an isolated mansion, they’re told by their sinister host that the Cenobites and the puzzle box of Hellraiser infamy are actually real. Before long, the gamers are picked off one by one as nightmarish fantasies become entwined with disturbing reality... The eighth instalment of the on-going Hellraiser series, Hellworld , like Deader before it, didn’t actually start out as a Hellraiser film. Based on a story by Joel Soisson (writer of Mimic 2, Hollow Man 2 , and various Prophecy sequels) called The Dark Can’t Breathe , Hellworld unfolds as a strange and rather bland fusion of slasher flick and creaky haunted house yarn. The narrative essentially consists of teens partying at a spooky mansion, splitting up to explore said mansion, ve...

2012 Dir. Franck Khalfoun Just a steel town girl on a Saturday night  Looking for the fight of her life  In the real time world, no one sees her at all  They all say she's crazy  She's a maniac, maniac on the floor  And she's dancing like she's never danced before! Sorry! Wrong Maniac . The Maniac I’m actually referring to is Franck Khalfoun’s remake of William Lustig’s 1980 ‘video nasty’ of the same name. Despite its higher budget, slick production values and the presence of a star name in the titles, this update - co-written by Alex Aja ( Switchblade Romance/Haute Tension ) - is every bit as unsettling, extreme and confrontational as its predecessor. And it's all shot from the perspective of the killer. While aesthetically far removed from Lustig’s cult sleaze-fest, Khalfoun’s slickly lensed take on the tale of a young man who hunts, scalps and murders women on the cruel, grimy streets of downtown LA, is still an immensely vicious and unsett...

2013 Dir. Calum Waddell Ever since Alfred Hitchcock filmed Janet Leigh being stabbed to death in a shower in Psycho (1960), stories of knife-wielding madmen - stalking and slaughtering unsuspecting victims - have become a permanent fixture in horror cinema. Hitchcock humanised the monster and made audiences think twice about being alone in the company of that nice looking, quiet guy from next door. You know, the one who lives with his mother?    Slice and Dice: The Slasher Film Forever takes an often irreverent look at the often maligned and misunderstood slasher films which came in the wake of Hitchcock’s masterpiece. Made by Calum Waddell and Naomi Holwill of High Rising Productions, who have been widely acclaimed for their work with Arrow Video and other labels, it is a knowing love letter to stalk and slash cinema. Amongst those discussing the appeal of the slasher are the likes of Tobe Hooper ( The Texas Chain Saw Massacre ), Adam Green ( Hatchet ) Jeffrey Reddic...

2012 Dir. Gav ‘Chuckie’ Steele A group of friends head into the local woods to try and score some weed. Unbeknownst to them, a madman has been running amok, bumping off anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path. Their only salvation lies with a local cop-obsessed oddball who soon realises he’s as out of his depth as they are… What Steele’s debut feature film lacks in budget, it makes up for in outrageous humour, decently developed characters and group dynamics, assured direction and a plethora of increasingly splashy but well realised effects. Low budget indie horror can sometimes be tedious and flat, but the imagination on display throughout The Shadow of Death demonstrates the considerable talent - and imagination - of its makers, and it unspools as a cheap and cheerful – though thoroughly innovative – throwback to grindhouse splatter flicks of yesteryear. While the scenario may be very familiar – group of friends terrorised in dark woods by rampaging psycho – the likeable...

2010 Dir. Johannes Roberts A number of teachers and pupils staying late in a suburban school are menaced by murderous youths. The problems faced by teachers in British schools have been fairly ubiquitous in mainstream media for a number of years now. As well as having to contend with an overwhelming abundance of bureaucracy and red tape on a daily basis, in increasingly extreme cases they’re also even having to deal with violence from pupils and parents. A number of cases have been well publicised in British newspapers. To ensure I don’t digress, just go here to read about the many trials and tribulations facing those in the teaching profession today. F , along with a number of recent similarly themed films such as Eden Lake and Cherry Tree Lane , as well as the French home invasion shocker Ills , and the American slow-burner The Strangers, have been exploiting a seeming wariness and fear of today’s youth. And in what better location to weave a tale of ‘hoodie horror’ than ...

1980 Dir. Roger Spottiswoode A group of college kids responsible for a prank gone wrong several years prior, are menaced by a masked killer as they throw a New Year’s Eve costume party on-board a train. The early Eighties is now regarded as the Golden Age of the slasher film. From 1978 to about 1985, cinemas were saturated with gory flicks featuring masked psychos stalking teenagers in lonely locations, gruesomely killing them off one by one. The popularity of these movies was ignited by John Carpenter’s Halloween , and their rigid template was confirmed by Friday the 13th . Each successive title layered on the violence, gore and nudity, neglecting to realise that what made Carpenter’s film so effective was its use of suspense, mood, and the anticipation of violence. Terror Train was one of the first (and in my humble opinion, best) slashers to be produced in   the wake of Halloween’s success. It epitomises the sub-genre, sticking to its conventions as tightly as Jam...

2003 Dir. Ronny Yu With the memory of Freddy Krueger suppressed and vanquished from the youth of Springwood – rendering him powerless and incapable of claiming any more victims - the dream-dwelling killer resurrects the brutish Crystal Lake marauder Jason Voorhees and manipulates him into going to Springwood to carve up a few teens and strike fear and chaos into the community. As the bodies pile up, talk of Krueger once again haunts the suburban homes of Springwood, gradually increasing the dream demon’s powers. He soon realises however, that Jason’s bloodlust can never be quenched, and once the hockey-masked maniac starts killing, there’s just no stopping him. There’s eventually a big show down between the pair and some unfortunate teens get stuck in the middle of it all… I reviewed Freddy vs. Jason a couple of years ago when I trekked through the Friday the 13th franchise . After re-watching it recently, I concluded that my opinions hadn’t really changed. You can read m...

1994 Dir. Wes Craven An unspeakably evil entity, first given form by the character of Freddy Krueger in the A Nightmare on Elm Street films, has chosen that particular character as its avatar and portal into the real world. All that stands in its way is Heather Langenkamp, the actress who played Nancy Thompson; the first person to ever defeat Freddy Krueger. Can she play the part of Nancy one last time to stop the evil from entering our world? After they killed off Freddy Krueger, thus bringing an end to one of their most lucrative cash-cows, New Line began thinking maybe, just maybe , they’d done it prematurely. They requested a meeting with Wes Craven to reconcile their differences and ensure the aggrieved director was satisfied with the business side of the Elm Street franchise. Once all was fine and dandy, head of New Line, Bob Shaye, asked Craven if he would ever consider helming one more Elm Street film, dangling the carrot of free reign and creative control under his ...

1991 Dir. Rachel Talalay Freddy Krueger finally succeeds in killing all the children of his hometown by invading their dreams and slaughtering them while they sleep. By tracking down his estranged daughter, a resilient youth councillor, he plans to escape the confines of Springwood to claim fresh victims. When she discovers who he is, and his demonic past, she vows to put a stop to his reign of terror once and for all. Will Krueger finally be defeated in the climactic (3D!) showdown between father and daughter? " Do you know the terror of he who falls asleep? To the very toes he is terrified, because the ground gives way under him, and the dream begins ..." - Friedrich Nietzsche " No screaming while the bus is in motion! " - Freddy Krueger Despite its decline in returns, and its lacklustre reception, The Dream Child still earned enough money at the box office to convince New Line that a further instalment of the Elm Street series might be a hit. The st...