Halloween Challenge...~*The Continuation*~...

~*SPOILER ALERT*~

Continuing my October Halloween Horror Film Challenge

 with more classic movies! 

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers~

The Halloween series continues with a whole new story, and some new, yet old, faces! A Brief movie Synopsis: Six years after the events of Halloween 5, Michael is alive. It seems that the stranger dressed in black that was seen throughout the entire previous film rescued him, kidnapped Jamie, and has kept them hidden away for all these years. Jamie, now 15years old, opens the film as she attempts to escape from her prison with her son who she had just given birth to just hours before. She is being pursued by her uncle, Michael, as she makes her way into a deserted bus station where she hides the baby before fleeing to an empty barn house. Meanwhile, Dr. Loomis, now retired and writing a book, overhears Jamie's plea for help when she calls into a local radio station. After DJ Barry Simms ignores her call, Jamie hangs up and leaves the bus station, only to be followed and murdered in the barn house by Michael. Back in Haddonfield, Tommy Doyle, the boy Laurie Strode babysat in the first film, now lives in a boarding house across the street from the Myers house. Relatives of the Strode family have just moved into the Michael's old home without any prior knowledge as to its history. After hearing Jamie on the radio the night before, Tommy finds her baby at the bus station. As he attempts to find the baby help at the hospital, he runs into Dr. Loomis and tells him that the Strodes have moved into the Myers house- they both believe that Michael is back in Haddonfield. Dr. Loomis visits Mrs. Debra Strode and reveals to her whose house she is now living in. Before Debra is able to pack and leave the house, Michael returns home. When Debra's daughter, Kara, gets home, she finds her son, Danny, in his room with Tommy. Tommy warns them of the danger they're in and brings them across the street to his home. There, he tells Karen all that he's discovered about Michael Myers, the murders, the house, and that he believes Michael is under the curse of Thorn by the Druid cult. Thorn is an ancient Druid symbol that represented a demon that spread sickness and caused destruction (the same symbol that he found written in blood on the baby earlier). To prevent this, a child from each tribe was chosen to inherit the curse of Thron to offer a blood sacrifice to its next of kin on the night of Samhain, Halloween. The curse explains why Michael is out to kill his family and his superhuman abilities. Tommy believes that the baby, Steven, will be Michael's final sacrifice. While Tommy goes to meet Dr. Loomis, he leaves baby Steven in Kara's care. Kara learns from the Mrs. Blankenship, the owner of the boarding house, that she was babysitting Michael Myers the night that he killed his sister and the Danny hears the same voice Michael heard that night. During the night, Kara's brother and his girlfriend, Tim and Beth, are killed by Michael. After witnessing their murders across the street, Kara follows chases after Danny who has just entered the Myers house. Kara struggles with Michael to protect Danny, but is able to escape with Tommy's house. Just when they believe that they're safe, the man in black is found in Mrs. Blankenship's house and is revealed to be Dr. Wynn, a friend and colleague of Dr. Loomis. Kara and Danny are abducted while Tommy and Dr. Loomis are drugged and left behind to follow them to Smith's Grove. Once inside, Dr. Loomis confronts Dr. Wynn who has credited himself for bringing about the new cycle of evil in Jamie's baby. Tommy, meanwhile, rescues Kara and together they watch in horror as Michael slaughters a whole team of doctors, including Wynn. After retrieving the children, Tommy and Kara search desperately for an exit with Michael in pursuit. They hide themselves inside a lab where Kara notices tanks containing human fetuses with a chart of runes and scientific letter codes; both connected together by the Thorn symbol. Michael breaks into the room where Tommy injects him with tranquilizers and continues to beat him into unconsciousness with a lead pipe. The group find their way out of the lab where Dr. Loomis tells them to leave without him. The film ends with Michael's mask lying on the floor and the screams of Dr. Loomis as the screen goes black. I've become accustomed to the back-and-forth pull of these movies: Michael "dies," and returns to kill more innocent victims in the next film, and the cycle continues over and over. However, this movie decided to take a little twist! The creators decided to make sense of Michael's killings and superhuman strength: a cult curse! Of course, I should have seen that... Although the filmmakers did a fantastic job in the all-around, I personally don't think that the supernatural and these slasher films ought to be mixed up... Can't we just keep it to the original idea of "Michael Myers has snapped, turned mentally insane, and just wants to kill everyone"??? I do like how Michael has become so clever in his means of killing people in the past few films, and this one did not disappoint! Still, my favorite part was seeing an old character like Tommy make a return more than 15years later! The worst part?

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later~

We take an interesting journey through time with this film as the sibling rivalry intensifies! A Brief Movie Synopsis: This film takes place 20years after the events of the original Halloween movie. We open on Marion Chambers, friend and colleague of Dr. Loomis, as she returns home to find that it has been broken into. She recruits the help of a neighborhood boy to do a quick walkthrough before entering herself. After just a few moments inside, she realizes that she is not alone Marion crosses the yard into the boys' house where she finds their bodies and soon becomes another Michael Myers victim. The police arrive just as Michael leaves the house with a file on Laurie Strode and her whereabouts. Two days later on Halloween, Laurie awakens from her nightly haunting of her brother. Since that night, Laurie has faked her own death, relocated, and assumed the alias "Keri Tate". She is now the headmistress of a private boarding school where her son, John, attends. Because of her constant fear of Michael's return, Laurie is overbearing and immensely protective of her son, especially on Halloween night; this causes for the two to constantly be butting heads. After an intense mother-son battle, Laurie gives her son permission to leave with the rest of the students for a weekend camping trip; however, John remains behind to celebrate with his girlfriend, Molly, his best friend, Charlie, and Charlie's girlfriend, Sarah. Without knowing that Michael is stalking the school grounds and that John has stayed behind, she makes plans to spend a romantic night with her boyfriend, Will. That night, the kids sneak out to the kitchens. Michael gruesomely murders Charlie and Sarah and pursue John and Molly back to the main campus. Meanwhile, Laurie has revealed her true identity to Will just as she discovers a gift left to her by Michael. Laurie searches John's room and realizes that he never packed for the weekend; she and Will leave to find the students. John and Molly narrowly escape Michael's grasp when Laurie opens the locked door, permitting them entry into the building- Laurie and Michael come face-to-face for the first time since their last encounter 20years ago. With John injured, Laurie hides the kids in a room while she and Will pursue Michael. After mistaking Ronny, the school's security guard, as Michael and shooting him down, Will is killed by Michael. Laurie grabs the kids and helps them escape off the school grounds. She returns with a fire axe, set on killing her brother. After several intense moments of struggle, Laurie stabs Michael in the chest multiple times and he topples over a balcony. Laurie goes to his body, raises her axe and is ready to deliver a final blow, but Ronny stops her. The police arrive and load Michael's body into a body bag. Laurie, unwilling to believe that Michael is really dead, grabs her axe and an officer's pistol and steals the van. While she is driving, Michael lets himself out of the body bag. Laurie slams on the breaks, throwing him through the windshield and follows-up by trying to run him over. The van tumbles down a cliff. Laurie survives the crash. As she looks at the wreckage, she sees that Michael has been pinned in-between the van and a tree. Laurie approaches him with her axe as Michael reaches out for her hand. At first Laurie seems to accept his compassion for forgiveness, but then she pulls down the axe and with one swing, decapitates Michael. His head rolls down the hill. Laurie watches in relief knowing that Michael is finally dead. First of all, thank you for someone finally deciding to chop his head off! It was great to finally see Laurie's character being badass and taking no prisoners! She knew full-well that Michael wasn't dead, so she took matters into her own hands! The only part that really confused me was the timeline: If it's been 20years since the first film, that would mean that Laurie Strode gave birth to Jamie Lloyd about 10years ago, sparking the events of the 4th and 5th films, and eventually the 6th. And with that, first of all- why the hell did Laurie have her first child and then just abandon her??? Especially when she knows that her murderous brother may, or may not, try to kill her??? And secondly, the 6th film takes place 15years after the end of the 5th film, placing its timeline at 25years following the events of the original Halloween movie... Uhmmm... Didn't Laurie just chop his head off?? I mean, sure, there is still an 8th film to watch, but still. Even if he is cursed, how did Michael come back?? Maybe I'll just have to find the final film to understand it all?? Or maybe it's just a timeline error the change in writers overlooked?? Anyways, again, fantastic job on the all-around on this film! I absolutely loved the death scenes of Charlie and Sarah, hers even made me cringe. My least favorite part, however, was watching little Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character die so soon! Poor baby! (>.<)

>>From this point on I'm totally just taking the Synopsis' from Wikipedia kuz I'm lazy (-u-) <<

The Exorcist~
Started on my next major series! Another major classic I just don't remember, SO, here we go: In Northern Iraq during an archeological dig, archeologist and priest Father Lankester Merrin discovers a small amulet, and after studying it discovers it resembles a statue of Pazuzu, a monstrous demon in the form of a man, falcon, serpent and lion. Merrin suspects Pazuzu, whom he defeated many years ago, will return. In Georgetown, Washington D.C., actress Chris McNeil begins noticing strange and frightening behavioral changes in her daughter Regan such as constant swearing and abnormal strength. When medicine fails, Regan is given a few unpleasant tests, but X-rays results prove "negative" much to the confusion of the doctors. In reality, Regan is now possessed via a Ouija board by Pazuzu, who pretended to be her imaginary friend "Captain Howdy." 

Burke Dennings, Chris's British director, dies mysteriously after falling from Regan's open bedroom window while Chris' secretary Sharon Spencer was out. His murder is investigated by detective William Kinderman, who questions both Chris and a young priest named Damien Karras (Jason Miller) who has lost faith in God after the death of his ill and elderly Greek mother, with only Chris suspecting Regan. After Regan assaults a psychiatrist, the doctors finally decide an exorcism may be Regan's only hope. Chris, however, is tentative as she and Regan have no religious beliefs. 

Karras agrees to see Regan for Chris but refuses to perform an exorcism; however, further supernatural phenomena force him to accept Regan needs an exorcism. Karras is given permission by the bishop, who, at the request of the university's president, also hires Merrin to help, since he has prior experience with exorcisms. 

Working together, Karras and Merrin attempt to exorcise Pazuzu from Regan, but the demon taunts them, especially Karras for his weak faith and guilt over his mother's death. Karras is dismissed after a break, as Merrin knows he is not mentally fit for a second attempt. Despite this, Karras returns to the room where Regan is now free from her binds and Merrin lies dead. In a fit of rage he assaults Regan and orders the demon to take him instead. Pazuzu obeys and Karras throws himself from the window. He then dies of his injuries, but not before receiving last rites from his friend Father Dyer. 

Days later the McNeils leave for Los Angeles. They meet Dyer and say goodbye. Regan remembers nothing, but embraces him after noticing his white collar. After missing the duo, Kinderman decides to befriend Dyer by inviting him to see a movie with him.  All I remember about watching this previously was that I was already old enough to not be freaked out. Why/How?? Because my mom refused to let us watch any exorcist movies, fully believing that it would bring evil spirits into our house! So, my sisters & I snuck this into our house when she wasn't home & watched it! Haha. So, now that I'm about 10years older, I can really understand how this film became such an epic classic! Sure, it's not scary, but it is creepy! The make-up is fantastic, and the acting wasn't that bad. Also, for a film during this time period, the graphics were pretty good! I couldn't help but laugh sometimes (watching this in 2013), but overall, it's a good film. I guess it would be a little more scary, perhaps, if I was more religious & actually believed this could happen. I mean, you never know, right?? My only major complaint about this movie would be the amount of cursing and sexual references that were made! Like, who was the person that decided demons were just rude little whores??? Some of the things the demon said/did were immensely ridiculous &, personally I believe dumb & out-of-line. Also, this face is freaking scary, doesn't matter how brave you are! 

Exorcist II: The Heretic~
  Philip Lamont, a priest struggling with his faith, attempts to exorcise a possessed South American girl who claims to "heal the sick". Afterwards, Lamont is assigned by the Cardinal to investigate the death of Father Lankester Merrin, who had been killed four years prior in the course of exorcising the Assyrian demon Pazuzu from Regan MacNeil. The Cardinal informs Lamont (who has had some experience at exorcism, and has been exposed to Merrin's teachings) that Merrin is up on posthumous heresy charges due to his controversial writings. Apparently, Church authorities are trying to modernize and do not want to acknowledge that Satan as an actual evil entity exists. Regan, although now seemingly normal and staying with guardian Sharon Spencer in New York, continues to be monitored at a psychiatric institute by Dr. Gene Tuskin. Regan claims she remembers nothing about her plight in Washington D.C., but Tuskin believes her memories are only buried or repressed. Father Lamont visits the institute but his attempts to question Regan about the circumstances of Father Merrin's death are rebuffed by Dr. Tuskin, believing that Lamont's approach would do Regan more harm than good. In an attempt to plumb her memories of the exorcism, specifically the circumstances in which Merrin died, Dr. Tuskin hypnotizes the girl, to whom she is linked by a "synchronizer" — a biofeedback device used by two people to synchronize their brainwaves. After a guided tour by Sharon of the Georgetown house where the exorcism took place, Lamont returns to be coupled with Regan by synchronizer. The priest is spirited to the past by Pazuzu to observe Father Merrin exorcising a young boy, Kokumo, in Africa. Learning that the boy developed special powers to fight Pazuzu, who appears as a swarm of locusts, Lamont journeys to Africa, defying his superior, to seek help from the adult Kokumo. Lamont learns that Pazuzu attacks people who all have some form of psychic healing ability. Kokumo has since become a scientist, studying how to prevent grasshoppers from becoming locust swarms. Regan is able to reach telepathically inside the minds of others; she uses this to help an autistic girl to speak, for instance. Father Merrin belonged to a group of theologians who believed that psychic powers were a spiritual gift which would one day be shared by all humanity in a kind of global consciousness, and thought people like Kokumo and Regan were foreshadowers of this new type of humanity. In a vision, Merrin asks Lamont to watch over Regan. Lamont and Regan return to the old house in Georgetown. The pair are followed by Tuskin and Sharon, concerned about Regan's safety. En route, Pazuzu tempts Lamont by offering him unlimited power, appearing as a succubus doppelgänger of Regan. Lamont initially succumbs to the demon but is brought back by Regan and attacks the Regan doppelgänger while a swarm of locusts deluge the pair and the entire house begins to crumble around them. However, Lamont manages to kill the Regan doppelgänger by beating open its chest and pulling out its heart. In the end, Regan banishes the locusts (and Pazuzu) by enacting the same ritual attempted by Kokumo to get rid of locusts in Africa (although he failed and was possessed). Outside the house, Sharon dies from burn injuries after she immolates herself and Tuskin tells Lamont to watch over Regan. Regan and Lamont leave and Tuskin remains at the house to answer the police's questions. Before now, I never even knew that this sequel existed. So, it was actually really interesting to watch! I really think it was an interesting twist on the idea of a demon, the fact that Regan wound up being a "good demon," well, for lack of a better term. Also, as an overall viewpoint, I think the acting got much better from the first to the second film, so that's good. So did the graphics, mostly, so it was more eye-pleasing to the audience. I might even recommend this movie more than I would the original. Wow, a sequel that was actually better than the original?? Well, for me it was! And, lastly, my major complaint was still the immense cursing & sexual references; thankfully, there was less than the previous film.

The Exorcist III~

  The film begins with the point of view of someone wandering through the streets of Georgetown, a voice informing us "I have dreams... of a rose... and of falling down a long flight of stairs". The point of view shows a warning of evil about to arrive later that night at a church. Demonic growls are heard, leaves and other street trash suddenly come flying into the church as a crucifix comes to life. It then cuts to Lieutenant William F. Kinderman at a crime scene, where a 12-year-old boy named Thomas Kintry has been murdered. Kinderman takes his friend, a priest named Father Dyer, out to see their mutually favorite film It's a Wonder Life. Kinderman later relates the gruesome details of the murder of the young boy he was investigating that morning, including his crucifixion. Another murder soon takes place; a priest found decapitated in a church. Dyer is shortly hospitalized and found murdered the next day, with the words "IT'S A WONDERFULL LIFE" written on a wall in Dyer's blood. At each murder scene, the fingerprints at the crime scenes do not match up, indicating a different person was responsible for each. Kinderman tells hospital staff the reason for his unease; fifteen years ago the vicious serial killer, "The Gemini", was executed; with every victim he cut off the right index finger and carved the Zodiac sign of Gemini into the palm of their left hand. Kinderman noticed the hands of the three new victims and verified that the Gemini's sign has been there. The Gemini Killer also always used an extra "L" in his notes sent to the media, such as "usefull" or "carefull". Furthermore, to filter out false confessions, the original Gemini Killer's true mutilations were kept a secret by the Richmond police's homemade department; the newspapers were made to wrongfully report that the left middle finger was severed and that the Gemini sign was carved on the back of the victim. Kinderman visits the head of the psychiatric ward, Dr. Temple, who relates the history of a man in Cell 11, that he was found wandering aimlessly fifteen years ago with amnesia. The man was locked up, catatonic up until recently when he began to be violent and claim to be the Gemini Killer. Kinderman sees that the patient resembles his dead friend, Father Damien Karras. However the patient brags of being the Gemini Killer, expressing ignorance over who Father Karras is, and boasts of killing Father Dyer. The next morning, a nurse and Dr. Temple are found dead. Kinderman returns to see the patient in Cell 11, who claims to be the Gemini Killer's spirit, revealing that after his execution his soul entered Karras's dying body. The demon Pazuzu, who had possessed the girl Regan MacNeil, was furious at being pushed out of the child's body and is exacting its revenge by putting the soul of the Gemini Killer into the body of Father Karras. Each evening, the soul of the Gemini leaves the body of Karras and possesses the elderly people with denial dementia elsewhere in the hospital and uses them to commit the murders. The Gemini Killer also reveals to have forced Dr. Temple to bring Kinderman to him or he would suffer in unspeakable ways — Temple believed his apparent bluff, however, he couldn't take the pressure, and so he committed suicide. The Gemini possesses an old woman who makes a failed attempt to murder Julie, Kinderman's daughter. The possessed patient attacks Kinderman, but the attack abruptly ends when a priest, Father Paul Morning, enters the corridor leading to cell 11 and attempts an exorcism on the patient. It goes wrong when Pazuzu intervenes, taking over the patient's body, and the priest is all but slain. Kinderman arrives in time and attempts to euthanize Karras after finding the body of the priest, only to be hurled into the wall by the possessed Karras. Father Morning manages to briefly regain consciousness and tells Karras "Damien. Fight him." Karras regains his free will briefly and cries to Kinderman "Bill, now, shoot now, kill me now!". Kinderman fires his revolver several times, hitting Karras in the chest, fatally wounding him. The Gemini is now gone and Karras is finally free. With weak breaths, he says "We won, Bill, now free me". Kinderman puts his revolver against Karras' head and fires. The film ends with Kinderman standing over Karras' grave. This movie was a major twist from the original two, but it was also fun since it had an air of a "murder mystery." But it was also interesting because it still had a connection to the original storyline. It was also fun of to watch the acting had gotten a lot better so it was perfectly dramatic. 

Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist~ 
  Many years before the events in The Exorcist, the young Father Lankester Merrin travels to East Africa. Merrin has taken a sabbatical from the Church and devoted himself to history and archaeology as he struggles with his shattered faith. He is haunted especially by an incident in a small village in occupied Holland during World War II, where he served as parish priest. Near the end of the war, a sadistic Nazi SS commander, in retaliation for the murder of a German trooper, forces Merrin to participate in arbitrary executions in order to save a full village from slaughter. In 1947, Merrin is an archaeologist in the Turkana region of Kenya excavating a Christian Byzantine church built around the 5th century — long before Christianity had reached that region of Africa. He meets up with Father Francis, a Maryknoll missionary appointed to ensure that the church is not desecrated, and Major Granville, the British military officer overseeing the dig. In the village, Merrin meets Rachel, a doctor who spent time in a concentration camp during World War II and is haunted by what happened to her there. Merrin's translator and guide is Chuma. Merrin takes Francis on a tour of the dig site. Only the dome is uncovered; the rest of the church is yet buried beneath the earth. Merrin discovers to his surprise that the church is in perfect condition, as though it had been deliberately buried immediately after its construction was completed. Merrin hires more men to uncover the church's walls; as excavation continues, one of the diggers inexplicably experiences a seizure, which was however dismissed as simple heat-stroke. On the site, Merrin meets a shy, physically-deformed young boy named Cheche, shunned and mistreated by the local tribespeople for fear that he is cursed. Although dissuaded by Chuma, Merrin attempts to make contact with Cheche, eventually finding him again at the village, sleeping outside in the rain. He brings the boy to the infirmary, where Rachel looks after him. That night, Merrin has a disturbing dream featuring several nightmarish images (one of which is the face of Pazuzu's 'true form' from The Exorcist). Once the door is uncovered, Merrin, Francis, and Chuma go inside the church, finding it to be also in near-pristine condition. Francis however points out an oddity: churches were built to honor God and thus, usually reached up to the heavens, whereas this building seems as if it is restraining something below it. They find a passageway leading to an underground crypt beneath the church, where they find demonic icons and signs of human sacrifice. Merrin deduces that the church was built and then buried in order to hold this older pagan temple down. On their way back, they find that hyenas (who have appeared out of season) were somehow killed and then eaten by a herd of herbivorous cattle. The chiefs of the local tribesmen, fearing that the church is evil, demands Merrin to stop the excavation. Father Francis then contacts Major Granville to send a detachment to guard the dig from potential robbers, despite Merrin's objections. Two British soldiers attempting to loot some precious stones from the church are then found murdered the next day in a strange fashion (one was beheaded, the other crucified to the altar head downward). Granville blames the tribesmen for the attempted robbery and the murders. Meanwhile Cheche, who had just received an operation in his right leg, is healing at an unusually quick pace. Granville then appears at the village in a rage, demanding the local chiefs to give up the purported murderers, even shooting an innocent civilian in cold blood. Francis is wracked with guilt for summoning the British troops to the village. Things get worse when a tribesman, Jomo, assaults Francis and slaughters the children attending the village school under the pretext of stopping the 'Christian evil' from spreading but is caught in the act and shot. Francis and Rachel note Cheche's speedy recovery and think that it must be a miraculous sign. As Francis prays over the boy, however, he quickly realizes (to his discomfort) that it was not a sign from God but something sinister. He then considers the idea of baptizing Cheche; the boy accepts on the condition that it be held at the church. Meanwhile, the visibly disturbed Granville shoots himself, but not before saying about how he finally knows what Merrin had been going through and that there was no way out for him except to commit suicide. The Sergeant Major relays this message to Merrin, noting at the same time how Grenville's actions at the village were strangely out-of-character. As the locals prepare to wage war against the British troops, Francis, assisted by Rachel, attempts to baptize Cheche at the church but is prevented by the demon controlling Cheche from doing so. Realizing that an exorcism is in order, Francis leaves quickly to fetch his copy of the Roman Ritual. The demon then gains full control of the boy, transforming him into a hairless, androgynous being. An earthquake then seals off the entrance to the church, trapping Rachel and Cheche inside. Merrin asks for the doors to be cleared, but the Sergeant Major (who had assumed command of the troops after Granville's death) postpones his request for daybreak. The next morning Merrin and the British find Francis tied to a tree naked, shot with arrows. The dying Francis reveals to Merrin that Cheche is being possessed and requests that he conduct an exorcism. As Merrin makes his way back at the excavation site, another earthquake shifts the rocks blocking the doors, allowing him to go inside. At the crypt, Merrin finds Rachel – who runs away under a trance – and the now-possessed Cheche. When the demon confronts Merrin over his doubt and offers him a chance to clear himself of his guilt, Merrin dashes back to the infirmary to get Francis' vestments and the Roman Ritual, having regained faith in God. Returning to the crypt, Merrin, now garbed as a priest, begins the exorcism, as the demon once more promises him a chance to change his past. In a hallucination, Merrin finds himself reliving the incident at Holland: despite attempting to change what happened by refusing to cooperate with the Germans, his efforts are proved to be in vain as the troops kill Merrin and all the villagers in retaliation for his defiance. Back to the present, the demon mocks Merrin for his futile attempt. As Merrin attempts to proceed with the exorcism, an aurora appears in the sky as the entranced Rachel attempts to kill herself and the tribesmen charge to battle. Despite the evil spirit's attempts to thwart Merrin, the latter eventually succeeds in driving him out, ending the madness; Cheche regresses to his former condition as the demon leaves his body. At the end of the movie, the British troops are packing up to leave the village, as the locals finally live in peace. As Merrin himself prepares to depart, one of the local chiefs wishes him strength, while warning that the demon is now his enemy and will continue to pursue him. Merrin then makes his way to the infirmary (briefly stopping by Francis' grave) to bid farewell to Rachel and Cheche, now serving as Rachel's assistant. After receiving a rosary from Rachel as a parting gift, Merrin, now an active priest once more, leaves for Rome. This was another interesting movie in the franchise. Of course, as I learned from the Scream series (teehee) the 4th installment of any horror franchise usually deals with a Prequel. This one was a good one to watch since we'd already been seeing images of Pazuzu, and the whole story's beginnings since the very first film. I also loved the ending twist that the girl, not the boy, was actually the person possessed by a demon. Overall, fantastic acting & generally good graphics to watch. 

Pet Sematary Two~

  Totally had no clue that this movie existed, so it was absolutely necessary to watch before anything else! Following the accidental death of his mother, Renee, during production of her latest movie, thirteen year old Jeff Matthews and his father, Chase, a veterinarian, move to Ludlow, Maine. Jeff soon learns about the Creed family and the cursed Indian burial ground. After his friend Drew's dog, Zowie, is shot by Drew's stepfather, Gus Gilbert, the town sheriff, Jeff and Drew bury Zowie at the burial ground in an attempt to bring him back to life. The dog returns from the dead, but is unusually fierce, and his eyes have an unnatural glow to them even in daylight. Zowie is treated for his gunshot wound by Chase, who finds that the wound is not healing and Zowie has no heartbeat. Chase sends a blood sample to a lab and learns that Zowie's cells have completely deteriorated and are no different from those of a dead canine. Jeff and Drew go to the pet cemetery on Halloween for a night of horror stories about the Creed murders when Gus comes looking for Drew and punches him. Before Gus can hit his stepson with one of the gravemarkers, Zowie rushes out of the shadows and kills the abusive, overzealous sheriff with a bite to the jugular. The boys bury Gus in the burial ground. Gus returns to life, but now exhibits stiff movements and treats Drew more fairly, but remains mostly silent and in a zombie-like state. Soon, he becomes more crude and sadistic, such as when he raped Drew's mother, or when he brutally skins his pet rabbits for supper. Zowie breaks out of the veterinary clinic and kills three cats before entering Chase's home and attacking him. Chase survives with an injured arm, but is shaken. Jeff and a bully, Clyde Parker, get into a fight in a ditch. Jeff is about to have his nose cut off by the spokes of his own bike when Gus shows up. Gus orders Jeff to go home, then kills Clyde with his own motorcycle (his scarf gets caught in the moving rear-wheel, pulling his head and face into the spokes, tearing it apart) and notices that Drew witnessed the whole killing. Gus traps Drew inside his house with Zowie, who has gone completely savage. Drew escapes through an upstairs window and gets in the car of his arriving mother. Gus chases them down the highway with his police car, killing them by forcing them to collide with a truck. Gus returns to Clyde's corpse with a police shovel and body bag, saying "I'm takin' you up the hill, Clyde, buddy. That's the way the Indians did it." Later the News talks that there`s a funeral for Amanda and Drew and that Clyde was "missing" and that his motorcycle was found. Jeff becomes obsessed with reanimating his mother. He has Gus exhume her corpse, and meets him at the Indian burial ground to re-bury her. His father is told that his wife has been removed from her grave by Gus. Chase rushes to Gus' house and is attacked by Zowie but manages to kill the undead dog. He enters Gus' house only to find the dead man waiting for him. Shooting Gus in his chest has little effect on him, and just as Gus is about to kill Chase with an electric drill, Chase retrieves his gun and shoots Gus through the head, killing him. Jeff's mother has come back to life. She stabs and kills Chase's housekeeper, Marjorie Hargrove, in the attic. Chase arrives and finds Marjorie's body as well as his son embracing his undead wife. He is unmoved by Renee and tells Jeff to get away from her. Renee then asks Jeff to go downstairs so she and Chase can "talk". An undead Clyde then arrives armed with an ax, and fights Jeff. Chase gets knocked out by Clyde`s ax, and Renee locks everyone in the attic and sets the place on fire. Before Clyde can kill Jeff with an iceskate, Jeff defeats the undead bully by sticking a severed electrical cable in his mouth, causing his head to explode. Jeff then grabs Clyde`s ax and chops down the attic door and grabs his unconscious father. As they escape Renee tries to convince Jeff to stay by muttering, "I love you," but Jeff gets himself and his father out of the attic, leaving his mother to die in the flames. As Renee burns, she screams out "Dead is better!". Jeff and Chase move out of Ludlow to start a new life back in Los Angeles. As Jeff and his dad leave Ludlow, the film ends with pictures of everybody that died like Gus, Marjorie, Clyde, Amanda and Drew and also Renee along with an earlier conversation between Jeff and Drew before Gus kills Drew and his mom. Another great sequel. Just as the original, an animal is freaking KILLED & it's so depressing, this time a cute/pretty dog! And, the owner, a young boy, has to bury it! It was just so depressing. I was pretty pissed that the school kids were so rude to everyone, and the the officers was an asshole- I was so happy he died- too bad they brought him back to life. Sadly, in the end, the best friend and his mom were killed. It was also pretty sad when the main little boy had to kill his own mother in order to make things right. But everything ended happily! Well, except that one of the kids was brought back to life and he never made a reappearance. Hmm, so what happened to him?? Overall, great, yet sad movie with good acting. 

These past couple weeks of Horror Films were all about the classics! And now that that's taken care of, it's time to move onto some more interesting movie choices (for me)!

Sincerely Yours,

Lisette Monique Diaz

ৎ꒰ ¯ิ̑﹃ ¯ิ̑๑꒱ુ ୭ ~Sweet Dreams~ ৎ꒰ ¯ิ̑﹃ ¯ิ̑๑꒱ુ ୭

Halloween Marathon...*~The Classics~*

*~SPOILER ALERT~*

What better series to watch for my Halloweeny/Horror Movie Marathon than the Halloween series??

During my search for the movies, I accidentally ended up STARTING with the Remake, but still, at least it was the first one, right??

Halloween (2007 Remake)~

Although I may be the only person I know that hasn't seen this series, I'll still include a general synopsis: Michael Myers, a boy of 10years old, has lived most of his young life bullied and abused mentally and verbally from everyone around him, with the exception of his mother and his baby sister. Finally, on Halloween day, he snaps. He beats a school bully to death in the woods, he slits the throat of his mother's boyfriend, beats his sister's boyfriend with a metal bat, and stabs his sister to death. Michael is sent to a mental institute where the kindly Dr. Loomis attempts to treat him. Months later, after Michael has spent months drifting farther and farther into a mental abyss and developing a strange infatuation for masks, he kills a nurse. His mother, who witnessed her son's breakdown, commits suicide that night. 15years pass, it is again Halloween night, and Michael is still locked up. It's Dr. Loomis last day as his doctor; however, that night, the idiotic new guard on-duty forces himself into Michael's room where he and his cousin brutally rape another patient on Michael's bed. Moments later, Michael has the guard pinned against the wall. Realizing he now has a way out, Michael escapes the institute, killing everyone who has the misfortune to cross his path. In one night, Michael makes the 100mile walk back to his hometown, Haddonfield. There, he slowly starts killing off the friends and family of local high-school senior, Laurie Strode. Not until near the end of the movie is it revealed that Laurie is the orphaned baby that was Michael's sister. After chasing Laurie and bringing her to their old home, Michael shows her a picture of the two of them when they were younger, wordlessly attempting to communicate with her. Laurie doesn't understand, but she takes this opportunity to grab his knife, stab him, and try to escape. Dr. Loomis who has been called to find and return Michael to the institute, rescues Laurie after shooting Michael down. Just when they thought they were safe, Michael appears at their car door and drags Laurie back into the house. Dr. Loomis tries his hardest to protect the girl, but Michael attacks him as well. After an intense struggle between brother and sister, Michael and Laurie tumble off the edge of a balcony. After coming-to, Laurie finds the gun they had fallen with, tries to shoot the unconscious, masked Michael, but when the gun finally goes-off, Michael grabs her and the screen blacks out on Laurie's piercing cries. Unlike the previous movies of my October marathon, this movie was an intense psychological journey. It's actually a bit ironic: we open the story on the colorful Autumn leaves, but inside the household, the atmosphere is dark and colorless. It's the same with Michael himself, a young, sweet looking, lightly-skinned boy wearing the vibrant clown costume, but his eyes are black and we can see the dark and hallow mentality come to light as he starts killing that night. The sets, colors, effects and actors were all amazing, and the music score by Tyler Bates was perfection! Never having seen these movies, it was nice to hear the renowned Halloween soundtrack under the proper circumstances. I don't feel sorry for saying it, but I actually applauded Michael when he finally killed his mother's boyfriend- is that weird?? I mean, the guy was pissing me off from the get-go! I hated the whole intro because of how horribly the poor boy was treated by everyone! Could you blame him for being mentally off-kilter?? But when he grew up and became a more animalistic killer, showing no remorse for the innocent, just wordlessly killing people, that was when he became terrifying. But it was interesting, when he was with Laurie, he seemed sad. It was as if he wanted her to kill him, or for them both to die together? It's really hard to say...

Halloween II  (2009 Remake)~

This movie takes a surprising turn following the end of the previous movie; here's a general synopsis: Laurie is she trying to deal with the memories of her last encounter with the serial killer, Michael Myers. She is now living with her friend, Annie, another survivor, and Annie's father, the town's sheriff. While Laurie deals with her trauma through therapy, Dr. Loomis has chosen to turn the event into an opportunity to write another book. Meanwhile, Michael, who survived the gunshot and has been missing for the past year, has been having visions of Deborah Myers's, his mother, ghost and a younger version of himself, who instruct him that with Halloween approaching it is time to bring Laurie home; so he sets off to Haddonfield. When Dr.Loomis's book is released, Laurie discovers the truth that she is really Angel Myers, Michael's younger sister. Laurie panics and decides to let loose and party on Halloween night with her new friends, Mya and Harly. That night, Michael kills Harley at the party then makes his way to Laurie's home and attacks Annie. Laurie and Mya find Annie's dying body in the bathroom, and as Mya attempts to contact the police department, she is attacked by Michael and killed. Laurie escapes from the house but is taken by Michael while on the road. She wakes up in a shack where her hallucinations come to life. For weeks, Laurie has been seeing mirrored visions of Michael's past, his murders, and the vision of their mother with a white horse. Sheriff Brackett discovers Michael's location, driven by revenge for the death of his daughter, he sends the whole police department to surround them. Dr. Loomis, trying to repent for his book, runs into the shed and attempts to reason with Michael. Dr. Loomis is thrown through the wall, seemingly dead. As Michael attempts to finish him off, the police force is able to shoot him down. Laurie walks out onto the scene carrying Michael's bloody knife. She stumbles towards Dr. Loomis and just as she is about to plunge the knife into him, someone shoots her. Sheriff Brackett is shocked and calls for a cease fire as he runs to Laurie's aid. The scene shifts to Laurie in a while room where she sees her mother and the white horse coming towards her. This was a great follow-up to the previous film! I loved that it took place directly after the events of the last film; however, it was surprising that it was just Laurie's dream. This film focused mainly on Laurie's psychological development over the past year and how she has struggled to deal with her near-death experience. She has taken a drastic turn from being the sweet teenager to a crazed party-girl. Laurie and Annie are continually at each other's throats; Annie having gotten past her own hurdle and Laurie struggling to move on. This film had much more fantastic usage of blood, gore, and violence along with the amazing ventures into both Michael's and Laurie's mind. The most terrifying moment for me was the intense scene where Laurie had an attack and was seeing numerous visions of Michael's past along the way. I never quite understood how she and Michael were able to have the same visions, but it was still such an intriguing concept! However, the saddest part was when Annie's body was discovered: not only when she died in Laurie's arms, just aster they had been arguing hours earlier, but also when Sheriff Brackett had to see her lying on the floor. This film was more heightened than the previous one, which kept me glued to the screen. It also had a more complex theme. All of the make-up and effects were eye-pleasing, the acting was phenomenal, and overall, I really enjoyed watching it!

Halloween (1978)~
Usually remakes aren't as good as the original, but in this case, I would have to disagree. Here's a  general Synopsis: Young Michael Myers is found one Halloween night after he has killed his older sister. 15years later, he escapes the psychiatric hospital, steals a car, and drives himself home to Haddonfield. It is now Halloween morning. Laurie and her friends, Annie and Lynda, are stalked throughout the day by Michael who is hidden under a mask. That night, Laurie and Annie are babysitting while Lynda is hanging out with her boyfriend. Dr. Loomis, Michael's long-term doctor has followed him to Haddonfield and searching the streets with the help of Sheriff Brackett, Annie's father. While babysitting, Annie leaves to pick-up her boyfriend; however, Michael gets to her first and kills her. Soon, Lynda and her boyfriend arrive at the house where Michael kills them both. Having not heard from her friends for a while, Laurie decides to investigate- she crosses the street into the house and is attacked by Michael. She escapes and returns to protect the kids. Michael follows her and they struggle. Laurie manages to knock Michael out briefly, giving the kids time to run for help. Dr. Loomis, who has been walking the streets searching for Michael, sees Tommy and Lindsey running from the house and runs inside to help. As Dr. Loomis climbs the staircase, he sees Laurie being strangled by the now conscious Michael. Dr. Loomis shoots him down. Michael falls over the second story balcony and when Dr. Loomis checks, Michael's body has disappeared.  Overall, a pretty decent film; however, I'm a bit biased towards the remake. First off, I don't think I've ever seen Jamie Lee Curtis at such a young age, so that was weird. But seeing as this was her debut film, she did a fantastic job. Compared to its remake, this film had much less gruesome details, but more dramatic acting- the death scenes were very funny to watch. I wish that there was more blood throughout the whole movie, even though it's an older film, it would have been totally possible. The musical score was fantastic, as always with these movies. Another feature I disliked was the lack of character development. Unlike its remake counterpart, none of the characters were very interesting because I didn't really know their story. In the 2007 remake, we got to see Michael drop into the darkness, Dr. Loomis seemed to have genuine feelings for him, and there was an actual connection and reasoning for Michael to pursue Laurie; in this original, none of that existed. Perhaps his lack of reasoning is what made Michael even more terrifying during this time period; however, as human beings, we like to make sense of things an dot make stories, and this movie was lacking a lot of previous action information. I would definitely recommend watching the movie; however, just because it's the original, but one time is enough for me!

Halloween II (1981)~
It seems the remake got the idea for its intro from this film. Here's a general synopsis: Opening in the midst of the previous film's ending scene; Dr. Loomis shoots down Michael who tumbles over the balcony and disappears into the night. Laurie is taken to the hospital where she is bandaged up and told to rest. Dr. Loomis, on-the-other-hand, seeks the police department's aid to search for Michael. During the hunt, a person who is suspected to be Michael is hit by a car and goes up in flames. Although everyone now believes Michael to be dead, Dr. Loomis is persistent that this beast of a man is still out there. Sheriff Brackett leaves the search when it is discovered that one of the murdered teenagers was his daughter, Annie. While searching for Michael, the police receive a report that an elementary school has been broken into, it is there that they find a bloody message left by Michael, "Samhein". Dr. Loomis persists on continuing searching for him although Marion claims that he has been summoned out of Haddonfield by the governor; however, it is brought to his attention that a secret document pertaining to Michael's past has been found. This document states that Michael's baby sister, Angel Myers, was adopted and renamed, Laurie Lode. At this news, Dr. Loomis pulls out his gun and forces the driver to take him to the hospital where Laurie is. Throughout the movie, Michael slowly makes his way to the hospital, killing every adult that gets in his way, including basically all of the hospital staff. Due to her medication, Laurie continues to drift in-and-out of consciousness and stumbles through the hospital attempting to hide herself from any dangers. Jimmy, Laurie's school friend, spends most of his time trying to cheer up Laurie and promises to keep her safe; however, he slips in a puddle of blood and knocks his head, leaving Laurie to fend for herself. There are several close calls for Laurie as she struggles to keep away from Michael. Finally, Dr. Loomis and crew arrive at the hospital and help the injured Laurie to escape. While Marion calls 911, the State Trooper is killed by Michael and Dr. Loomis and Laurie escape deeper into the hospital. They trap themselves into an operation room that Michael easily breaks into. There, Laurie picks up Dr. Loomis's fallen gun and shoots Michael directly in the eyes. As Michael starts to swing blindly attempting to make any kind of contact, the pair release the valves of a couple nearby ether and oxygen tanks, filling the room. Dr. Loomis instructs Laurie to run. He chooses to sacrifice himself to take out the monster and flicks on a lighter causing the room to explode. Laurie, who has barely escaped the blast, turns to see Michael's enflamed body walking out of the room. Just as she begins to panic, Michael collapses- dead. I'm going to assume that Rob Zombie took every one of the original Halloween movies and compiled them into his remakes, because there was more of a character development in this sequel. (I can only assume since I haven't watched the rest of the series yet). This movie was still kind of slow, but there was more blood and dramatic killings, just like I wanted! It seemed that Michael was getting more creative with his murders- my favorite was, of course, the most gruesome one when he drowned the nurse in the boiling water of the hot tub. There also seemed to be an attempt at more romantic elements in this movie, which seemed a bit out of place. 

Halloween III: Season of the Witch~
To be honest, I didn't see the point of this movie. Here's a general synopsis: In the days leading up to Halloween, Dr. Challis is given reason to suspect the curious on-goings of a renown mask company, Silver Shamrock. After the mysterious murder of his patient, Grimbridge, Dr. Challis teams up with Ellie, Grimbridge's daughter, to find out what series of events led up to his death. While in the small company town, Ellie and Challis witness several odd events from the death of an inn neighbor, running into a quirky sales family, the robotic-like company security guards, and street cameras; all-the-while, picking up clues along the way. On their second night, just when they have decided to leave, Ellie gets taken. Challis sneaks into the company where he is shown by its owner, Cochran, the behind-the-scenes of the Silver Shamrock Masking Company. Cochran explains, through a live demonstration, that each of his masks contains a computer chip that has come from Stonehenge. On Halloween night, when their commercial airs, the chip will activate and kill its wearer and unleash a lethal swarm of insects and snakes. Cochran continues to explain his plans to resurrect macabre aspects of the Gaelic festival, Samhain, which he connects to witchcraft. Challis escapes and rescues Ellie. They destroy the factory and Cochran, then flee the town. While driving away, Challis is attacked by Ellie who has evidently been turned into one of Shamrock's androids. Challis crashes the car and struggles with the android. He is eventually able to escape where he finds a gas station and attempts to contact the television studios airing the Shamrock commercials. The commercials continue to air and the movie abruptly ends. This 3rd film had no reason to be apart of the Halloween series. The only references to the previous movies was the fact that the movie took place during the Halloween season, and that the television channels were airing the movies that night. The death scenes were more gruesome than the past films' but they were hilariously well-done. However, for an early 80s film, you would expect it to have been better done. This film was very out of place compared to the rest of the franchise, and was confusing throughout most of time. Not exactly a movie I would watch more than once... 

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers~
Thank you for bringing Michael back!! Here's a general synopsis for this film: It's been 10years since the end of Halloween II. Michael Myers survived the hospital explosion and has been in a coma since. After overhearing that his only surviving relative is his niece, Jamie Lloyd (the daughter of his now deceased sister, Laurie Strode), Michael escapes and returns to Haddonfield. Dr. Loomis, who also survived the explosion, hears that Michael has escaped and pursues him to the town. Meanwhile, 8-year old Jamie Lloyd is living with her foster family in Haddonfield. Jamie is picked-on by the school kids for having the serial killer, Michael Myers as her uncle; however, Jamie does not realize that Michael is the Boogeyman that she's been having nightmares about. After school, Jamie's step-sister, Rachel, and her friend (the now-teenaged) Lindsey, take Jamie costume shopping. Jamie decides on a frilly clown costume. That night, while out trick-or-treating, Rachel learns that her boyfriend, Brady, is cheating on her with the sheriff's daughter, Kelly- during their argument, Jamie wanders off and gets herself lost. Dr. Loomis, by this time, has already teamed up with the police department and is hunting down Michael. While searching, Michael murders an electrical plantation worker and plunges the town into darkness. He also takes down the whole police department, causing sheriff Meeker to initiate a town curfew, as well as causing the formation of a lynch mob thirsty for Michael's death. Unknowingly, Rachel is being chased by Michael. She eventually finds Jamie, and the Sheriff and Dr. Loomis arrive on scene to take them to a safe-home. They return to Sheriff Meeker's house and with the help of Kelly and Brady, the board up the home. Dr. Loomis leaves to check on Jamie's home, and after Sheriff Meeker makes contact with the state police on an old radio, he leaves to calm the lynch mob, leaving his deputy in charge. Michael sneaks into the house and begins killing everyone: the deputy is killed off-screen, Kelly is pinned to the wall by a shotgun, and Brady's skull is crushed inward. Throughout the carnage, Rachel takes Jamie to the attic where they escape out of a window and onto the roof. Michael follows them upward, causing them both to stumble off the roof- Rachel is briefly knocked unconscious, but Jamie, who was tethered to a rope, escapes. Down the street, she runs into Dr. Loomis and the two escape towards the school-house. Michael follows. He throws Dr. Loomis through a glass door and continues to chase Jamie. Just when Michael corners her, Rachel appears and sprays him in the face with a fire extinguisher. They run out of the school where they meet with the mob. Rachel convinces the mob to drive them out of the town and to wait for the state police. On their way out of the town, Michael climbs up from under the truck and kills off all of the men. Rachel takes the wheel and while trying to shake Michael off the roof, they crash into a ditch. The police arrive and as Jamie approaches Michael's body, he rises. The police shoot him down until he falls into the nearby abandoned mine-shaft and is presumed dead. The girls are taken home to their parents. Their mother goes with Jamie upstairs to run a bath. While the others are consoling Rachel, Jamie dons her clown mask and stabs her foster mother with a pair of scissors. Everyone runs to the bottom of the stairs after hearing a scream. There, Jamie is discovered at its top covered in blood, holding the pair of scissors. Dr. Loomis panics and the rest stare in horror as the film blacks out. I loved this sequel, and was so happy to see Michael back! Although, I was surprised to see that he and Dr. Loomis survived the hospital explosion- but I suppose the show must go on! Everything was fantastic, from the blood and gore to the graphics, make-up, music, colors, and acting. Jamie, who was played by Danielle Harris (Annie in the Halloween remakes) was amazing to watch! Definitely the best actor in the whole film! Little Jamie was also, sadly, was the smartest horror film character I have ever seen! She knew when/where/how she needed to escape Michael unlike every other horror film character that exists! The best part of this film for me was 1- the fact that Jaime chose a clown costume for Halloween, and 2- the ending twist when she killed her foster mom! Such a great twist that I never saw coming! Yes- the family legacy continues! 

Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers~

Let's just get straight into the general synopsis: The film opens as the previous film ends- Michael has just fallen into the mineshaft and the girls are taken home. The state troops tossed dynamite down the mine to make sure that Michael was dead; however, Michael's body is seen drifting down a nearby river where a local finds him. Michael falls into a coma for a year and upon awaking, he kills the man and returns to Haddonfield. Meanwhile, Jamie is living in a children's psychiatric ward and has been rendered mute due to psychological trauma. Jamie has also been exhibiting a psychic link with her evil uncle- Dr. Loomis is aware of this and tries to convince her to help him convince Sheriff Meeker that Michael Myers is still alive. Throughout the day, Michael is sneaking around Haddonfield, eventually killing Rachel, and starts stalking her friend Tina. During the Halloween night, Michael kills Tina's boyfriend, Mike. After panicking during a psychic link, Jamie regains her ability to talk. She tries to warn Tina that she is in danger, but Tina leaves for a Halloween party ignoring her. At the party, Tina's friends, Samantha and Spitz are murdered, as well as a pair of deputies. Jamie disappears from the hospital with her friend, Billy, and the children appear at the barn just as Michael begins chasing Tina. Jamie draws Michael's attention and he follows her in a car through a nearby forest. Just as Michael is about to kill Jamie, Tina appears, taking the fatal blade wound. Dr. Loomis discovers Jamie and Billy and gets them to safety. Now Jamie agrees to put herself in danger to help Dr. Loomis stop Michael for good. With her help, Dr. Loomis is able to lure Michael back to the abandoned Myers house. Meanwhile, a mysterious stranger dressed in all black, seen throughout the film, causes an attack at Jamie's hospital, drawing the police guard  away from the house just as Michael appears. Dr. Loomis attempts to reason with Michael- while trying to take his blade away, Michael attacks him. He then finds Jaime who is able to escape and hide throughout the house. She is forced into an old laundry chute and Michael stabs at it repeatedly trying to get her out. Jamie is able to climb out of the chute and hides in the attic and finds the dead bodies of her Rachel, Mike, and her dog, Max. Michael follows her upstairs. Jamie tries to comes very close with appealing to her uncle's humanity, but when she tries to see his face, Michael attacks her. Jamie runs around him and down the stairs and into Dr. Loomis's arms. Dr. Loomis draw Michael into a trap where he is able to weaken him with a tranquilizer gun and beats him with a wooden plank. In the end, Michael is locked up in the police station. Just as Jamie is about to be taken away to safety, the stranger in black arrives, causes an explosion, and helps Michael escape. Jamie walks inside, sees all of the dead officer bodies, and discovers Michael's empty cell as a shadow approaches her. I felt so bad for poor little Jamie! She went through so much to only have Michael escape in the end. As all of the other films, this one is another well-done piece! I loved the killing scenes, all of the make-up, gore, music, and great acting. Tina pissed me off- but that was because she was an idiot! And I absolutely adored little Billy and his relationship with Jamie. Danielle did another fantastic job with this movie. My only major complaint would be that I didn't quite understand how, or why, Jaime and Michael were having a psychic connection. Each of this film series (minus the 3rd installment) have all had realistic themes, but this one is the first to touch into the super-natural, which was both intriguing and odd. 

No wonder this series is famous- it's fantastic! Too bad there are so many films! I still have 3more to watch before I'm officially done with this great Halloween series! 

Sincerely Yours,
Lisette Monique Diaz

ৎ꒰ ¯ิ̑﹃ ¯ิ̑๑꒱ુ ୭ ~Sweet Dreams~ ৎ꒰ ¯ิ̑﹃ ¯ิ̑๑꒱ુ ୭

October Wishlist...

And again, I am so behind on everything in life!!

Buuuuut, I refuse to fall too behind on my Blogging! One thing I learned from this weekend's Extravaganza, was to never give up and to just keep working, it will all work out in the end! So that's what I'm going to do! I'll just have to have a 2week's worth of a Horror Movie Marathon! But for now, I really wanted to post this: My month's Wishlist!

 

I don't usually post about "Wish Lists," but I realized that there were so many things coming out in October that I want so baaaaad!! Firstly, Ariana Grande's 1st Album, "Yours Truly," was released in September & I have yet to go out and buy it!! I listen to it all of the time on Spotify, but I need to buy the CD for car rides! I love Ari's powerhouse voice so much, and her music is so gorgeous! I can't wait till I finally have it! 

Miley's new CD came out at the beginning of the month as well! I honestly don't care what anyone says, I absolutely love Miley's music, and I always have. I have yet to listen to the whole album, but I need this one to add to my collection! And kudos to you, Miley, for being you no matter what anyone says!

The next big release was Rick Riordan's The House of Hades! You can only imagine how upsetting I was when I realized I currently didn't have the funds to preorder a copy! I have been waiting for a year to read this & I CAN'T! Also, Riordan needs to STOP posting on Instagram about his book tour, because it just continues to depress me!! (>__<)

And we can't forget the release of this fabulous game!!! This is all my friends have been talking about all summer and I can't believe I don't have the money to go buy it right now! This is also the only game I've followed from its announcement, sneak-peaks, and everything! Everyone has theirs already, and it is driving me crazy that I can't play it!! (T - T)

The new line of Herbalife SKIN was announced this weekend at Extravaganzaaaaa!!!! It looks so amazing and I can't wait to place my order!! And it's so reasonably priced for all that it offers!!

And lastly, this beauty is back!! The Pumpkin flavored Formula 1 for Herbalife is so amazingly delicious, but it's only available during the holiday season! This year, I plan on buying a couple of canisters in order to keep a stock on-hand!

There you have it, my October Wishlist! I really hope I can raise enough funds to get it all!! Of course, my bills should always come first, and there is always Christmas... But I would still love to be able to work my butt off these next few weeks and just buy it all on my own!

Sincerely Yours,

Lisette Monique Diaz

ৎ꒰ ¯ิ̑﹃ ¯ิ̑๑꒱ુ ୭ ~Sweet Dreams~ ৎ꒰ ¯ิ̑﹃ ¯ิ̑๑꒱ુ ୭ 

Halloweeny/Horror Movie Challenge...*~The 1st~*...

*~SPOILER ALERT~*

 The Scream Series is rumored to be one of the most popular slasher film franchises to date; therefore, it was with this series that I chose to begin my journey into my Halloweeny/Horror Movie Challenge!

Scream 1:

  First off, I would like to say how much I absolutely adore Neve Campbell's performances in every one of these movies. And I'm not being biased just because she voiced Kiara in Simba's Pride, she really did a fantastic job with these movies! I always love to watch actors grow and mature throughout the filming process of a series. So, Scream 1- for a film made in the 90s, it had same great murder scenes and effects! Ok, quick synopsis: Sidney Prescott, a high school student, is harassed by a psycho-killer who keeps phoning her and threatening to kill all of her friends, which he does. As the story progresses, the main characters are investigating who the killer is by comparing the real-life killings to the horror movie genre (which I personally thought was a clever story point). In the end, we find out that the man, Cotton, who Sidney had accused of murdering her mother the previous year is innocent and that the real murders were Sidney's psychotic boyfriend, Billy, and his best friend, Stu. The boys attempt to kill Sidney and to get away with all of their murders, but with the help of the annoying and nosy reporter, Gale Weathers, and her friends Randy and Dewey, Sidney is able to shoot them down. I really liked this movie! Although I knew from the beginning that the killer was Billy, I was surprised that Stu was apart of the plan. ((This was kind of upsetting kuz I liked him, also that he was played by Matthew Lillard, Shaggy from the Scooby-Doo movies!)) It's said that the Scream franchise revived the horror genre, and I'm not surprised. It was intense, suspenseful, and hilarious! It was also refreshing to see Sidney being a badass female hero, which is uncommon in American films, especially during this time-period.

Scream 2:

 It is common knowledge in the movie industry that sequels are never as good as the original, as discussed in the movie, but this movie was actually pretty good! The only major problem I had with it is the idea that it's still, basically, the same killer, "Ghostface." Here's a synopsis: 2years after the original film, Scream, the story takes off running after a couple is murdered during a screening of the new hit horror film, "Stab." The film is based on Gale Weather's book she wrote about Sidney Prescott and the Woodsboro murders. Meanwhile, Sidney has moved on and is attending college as a Theatre major along with her friend and fellow survivor, Randy. Naturally, people around Sidney's life (though none of any major importance) are killed in order to unsettle Sidney and her friends. Gale and Dewey arrive from their normal lives and work together- sort of- to solve the murder mysteries. Besides the random murders, this copycat murderer attempts to finish off the Woodsboro survivors and winds up succeeding in brutally killing Randy. Sidney and her roommate, Hallie, are taken by the police to a safety-house; however, mid-trip, the killer attacks them- both police are killed as well as Hallie. Sidney runs for help on campus and finds herself in the Theatre's auditorium where Sidney was planned to be playing the lead in the school play. Ghostface appears and attempts to kill Sidney behind-the-scenes. At the same time, Gale and Dewey are also being attacked by a second Ghostface in the Broadcasting department. Dewey protects Gale long enough for her to escape, but getting himself very close to death himself. Gale is brought to the auditorium, where the murderers reveal themselves: Mickey, a school friend of Sidney's, and the mastermind, Mrs.Loomis. Gale is knocked-out during the struggle, and Mrs. Loomis shoots down her psychotic partner, Mickey, and plans to kill Sidney for revenge of Billy's death. Suddenly, Cotton, who has been stalking Sidney all movie trying to get a double interview with her, appears and helps save Sidney by killing Mrs.Loomis. Gale follows Dewey to the hospital, and Sidney, who is tired of her publicity, pushes off reporter questions to the "real hero," Cotton. This sequel seems to follow the basic "rules" of movie sequels, which is of course the point! But there is also an emphasis of the character's love-lives: Dewey and Gale arguing back-and-forth, Randy's continued infatuation with Sidney, and Sidney slowly adjusting to the idea of opening herself up to her boyfriend, Derek. This movie also seems to have more comedic levels than the first. The effects and blood & gore are also as well done as the previous movie. All the acting was fantastic and very nice to watch, with the exception of the overly dramatic death of the girl at the very begging- I don't know if it was purposely done that way, or if it just happened, but I just couldn't stop laughing. There's also the point of the big reveal at the end: maybe I just wasn't paying attention, but Mickey's character just didn't stand out too much for me, so when he pulled off his mask, the effect wasn't there because I didn't know who he was, haha! And, of course the crazy news reporter that was stalking Gale the whole movie, I knew she was apart of it all, but, of course, no one knew her true identity until it was revealed, since it was the first time the character had appeared in the story. Still, one of my favorite points of the whole movie, was its continued references to the horror movie genre cliches and being sure to stick to them the whole way through the film!

Scream 3:

  The greatest part about this movie, as is stated within the film, is the fact that it is revealed that we although we believed to be done with the story, it is brought to our attention that we are dealing with the rare horror film trilogy! A quick synopsis: In order to escape her fate of forever being followed by crazed killers, and stalkers following her life from the Stab movie series, Sidney Prescott is now living in hiding away from the world. However, the new killer won't stop until he finds her and is willing to kill as many people necessary for her to come out into the open. Cotton, now a famous spokesperson, is killed along with his girlfriend during the movie's opening. Throughout the rest of the film, actors portraying characters in the new "Stab 3" movie are being murdered in the same order that their characters are killed onscreen. Of course, Gale and Dewey join the hunt for the mysterious killer along with the help of local Hollywood police. We learn that their relationship has hit a rocky point, and they spent most of this movie arguing. An old movie is found of Randy giving a 101 about movie sequels and explains the new rules for the trilogy our characters have found themselves in: Ghosts from the past start appearing and what we thought was true in the past no longer matters. It is revealed that Sidney's mother, Maureen Prescott, about 20years previously, had come to Hollywood to work as an actress in horror movies; however, while at a party, she was brutally raped and never mentally recovered. The killer, this time, Maureen's bastard son of that night, Sidney's abandoned half-brother, Roman- Stab 3's director. There's an intense struggle between Roman and Sidney, but of course, Sidney comes out on top. In the movie's conclusion, Dewey proposes to Gale, and we see that they are now living with Sidney and her ?boyfriend? Detective Mark. Ok, so my main problem with this film was that it was never officially stated that the Detective (whom I really liked) and Sidney actually started dating! Also, the fact that this movie seemed to have an increased emphasis on comedic elements. However, oddly enough, this movie seemed to be one of my favorites because it made me laugh so much! All of the actor characters were hilariously dumb, and Randy's short video commentating on the rules of a horror trilogy was fantastic! Another favorite part was the makeup, blood & gore, and settings- it was interesting to watch a film within a film and how each killing was much more elaborate than in the past. However, my absolute favorite parts of the movie was seeing that billboard: "100% COTTON!" Haha! I just couldn't stop laughing!!

Scream 4:

  Just when we thought the "trilogy" was over! But, of course, this is the movie industry, so there just had to be a a final fourth movie! Here's a quick synopsis: It's the 15th anniversary of the the legendary Woodsboro murders when Sidney Prescott returns home. She is promoting the release of her book that tells of her journey out of darkness; however, on the day of her homecoming, the murders begin again. First it's just a couple of local girls, then it comes a little closer to home. Sidney is staying with her aunt and cousin, Jill. Just after Jill's friend, Olivia, calls Sidney the "Angel of Death," she and two cops are brutally murdered, as well as Sidney's publicist. Gale and Dewey, happily married for 10years, reach a rocky patch when Gale claims to being going rogue, desperate for a good story. Gale is attacked and hospitalized. The same night, Jill leaves home to spend time with her friends and her mother, Kate, is killed in their home. Sidney finds Jill at her friend's, Kirby's home where they are attacked. Robbie, amateur blogger, is the first killed in his drunken-state. Kirby, who is the first to win Ghostface's phone challenge, is killed by Charlie, president of the school movie-enthusiasts club, when she tries to save him. In the grand reveal, we learn that Charlie has teamed up with Jill to commit these murders and compile them together to put on the internet for the world to see. However, after Jill shoots her ex-boyfriend, Trevor, she turns on her partner, claiming that only a "sole survivor" is necessary. Everyone presumably dead, Jill throws against the furniture, glass tables and stabs herself, all to stage her crime scene. Dewey and the rest of the police force arrive on-scene and Jill and Sidney are rushed to the hospital. Jill is delighted to hear reporters calling her a hero, but when Dewey tells her that Sidney is still alive, Jill leaves her room to finish the job. In the midst of their struggle, Dewey comes to the realization of Jill's guilt and rushes to Sidney's aid. His Deputy, Judy Hicks, attempts to help, but it's Gale's distraction that gives Sidney time to activate the nearby defibrillator and on Gale's signal, "Clear," Sidney shocks Jill's brain. However, like all the past films, the bad guy always come back! Judy sends one last bullet and kills her. The movie ends with reporters relaying to the world that Jill Roberts is the new "hero of Woodsboro for being the sole survivor of these killings." Another good movie, but it was obvious that this one was not in the original plans of the "Scream Trilogy." This movie's opening was the most clever of all: a movie within a movie within a movie! We start off with Lucy Hale playing a girl who is home alone with her sister and both are killed by Ghostface, and then, "Stab 6" appears on-screen. Apparently, these two friends were just watching a movie, right? Wrong. One of the girls stabs the other and suddenly, "Stab 7" jumps on-screen, and the movie officially, officially starts! Very well done. One of the worst parts of their movie, personally, was the fact that it seemed like Detective Mark had never existed! Uhm, hello! What happened to him?? The best part of this film, alongside all of the effects, blood & gore, and brilliantly dramatic acting, was the final twist! Not until just before the reveal did I think that it was possible that Jill was the murderer. Charlie, however, was an off-and-on suspect from the moment we met him. But, beyond everything else about these movies, my absolute FAVORITE part was watching the technological development! We went from having home units only and giant cellphones only on those who could afford it, to more phone availability, then flip-phones, and finally to modern-day cellphones! It was just so funny to watch.

Rosemary's Baby: 

  My first horror movie choice was quite a change from the past Scream movies! Even though Rosemary's Baby is a classic of the horror movie genre, here's a quick synopsis: We're in New York City, in the late 60s. Rosemary Woodhouse and her husband, Guy, are just moving into a beautiful old apartment. Immediately after they move-in, their nosy neighbors, Minnie and Roman Castevet, an elderly couple, become very close to Guy. The day after Rosemary meets the Castevet's house-guest, Terry, in the laundry room, she is found dead on the side-walk. Minnie uses Terry's death to become closer to Rosemary, seemingly using her as a daughter replacement. Soon after they have moved-in, Guy receives the lead role in a play after the man originally cast suddenly becomes blind. A few months have passed and Rosemary finds out she is pregnant. Guy insists on using the Castevet's personal friend as her doctor. After Rosemary's first meeting with Dr. Sapirstein, Minnie is instructed to make Rosemary daily "health drinks," and a pain develops in her stomach. It's been months into the pregnancy and Rosemary is thinner than before and looks deathly ill. After a visit from an old friend, Hutch, Rosemary stops taking her drinks and tries to return to her original choice of doctor, Dr. Hill, but after a heated argument with Guy the pains go away and Rosemary returns to her daily routines. It's nearing her due date and Rosemary looks healthy and very pregnant. She receives news that Hutch has passed away after a long-term coma; however, his final wish is granted and Rosemary receives his book on witchcraft that, inside, he has left clues and messages for her. Rosemary pieces everything together: she begins suspecting that Minnie and Roman are apart of coven and that Guy has promised them their baby for some ritual. Rosemary seeks help from Dr. Hill, but he doesn't believe her and he phones Guy and Dr. Sapirstein who drag her back home where she goes into labor. When she awakes, Guy tells her that the baby was delivered dead; however, as the days pass, Rosemary insists she can hear a baby's cries from next door. After secretly refusing her medication, Rosemary sneaks into the next room where her suspicions are proved to be true. It revealed that Satan had chosen Rosemary to be the mother to his son and that the coven was to protect the baby and raise him for their lord. At first, Rosemary is horrified of the news, but when the baby starts crying hr motherly instincts kick in, and she agrees to be a proper mother for her son, Adrian. This movie was beautiful to watch with its stunning setting, story, and amazing acting. Mia Farrow was gorgeous throughout the whole film and she did a fantastic job as the sweet and naive Rosemary. There were, of course, those moments of realization that this film was made in the late 60s, but most of the time, I was drawn into Rosemary's world and into the story unfolding before me. I am going to have to assume, however, that the reason this film is classified as a horror is because it was one of the first of its kind, because nothing about it was scary in the slightest. Again, looking at the time-period, this film must have been terrifying. But it is still proclaimed as a classic horror even in today; therefore, I must make the assumption that it is such because it was the forerunner of the satanic films to come.

Pet Sematary:

  This movie was fucking horrible for me to watch! It was the worst out of all of the others, which is also fantastic, since it's actually the second oldest out of them all! Based off of Stephen King's book, naturally the Pet Sematary was going to be a thrilling horror film with all the right twists and turns! A quick synopsis: A doctor, Louis, and his family move into a new home- his wife, Rachel; his young tomboyish daughter, Ellie; her cat, Winston Churchill; and toddler son, Gage. Their older and kindly neighbor, Jud, walks with them down a hidden path behind their house and down into a "Pet Sematary." Past children of the area built it up on their own over the years, burying their pets that had died. One day, while the family is away, the cat, Church, is run over by a speeding truck; however, feeling that it was too early for Ellie to have to learn about death, Jud shows Louis a secret Indian burial ground hidden beyond the "Pet Sematary." Dead bodies buried here are brought back to life, but their spirits are changed, or damaged. Months later, while the family is outside playing, Gage wanders near the road and is killed by a speeding truck. After his family leaves for a weekend, Louis sneaks away to the burial grounds to bring his son back to life. Jud tries to persuade him against the idea, retelling a story of a father who made the same mistake before; Ellie tries to warn him and her mother about dreams she'd been having; and the spirit of a boy who had died earlier in the movie, also tries to warn Louis against going to the grounds. Gage comes back to life and kills Jud and Rachel. Louis takes matters into his own hands and is forced to bring his son back to death- but he didn't learn his lesson. The movie ends with Louis burning down Jud's home, and taking Rachel's body to the burial grounds. She comes back in the end, and the movie closes with her reaching for a knife. Soooo, yaaaaa.... I did NOT like this movie! ( ; ; ) I was crying and screaming the whole time! They can't kill off the animals &&& the babies!! That's just the movie rules! Well, it didn't help that I kinda already knew parts of the movie, so even before Gage was hit by the truck, anytime he went near the street, I freaked out... And when he came back???? That freaking Chucky-like Gage giggling and killing everyone??? Just. No. And then Louis doesn't learn his fucking lesson and revives Rachel & they MAKE-OUT??? That was just.... EEEEEEWWWWW!! Well, besides all that, it was a great movie! That ghost-kid freaked me out a bit, but he was very much the comedy relief by the end of the movie. The make-up, setting, and music was all so well done! My favorite actor was definitely the little girl, Ellie. Every time she was crying or hurting, I believed it. I loved that little girl and was so pissed at how the movie ended!! Her dad didn't even stop to think about her when we buried Rachel's body! Jeeze, that movie really got me, and now I know why people still talk about how great it was, or is...

  I've realized something about myself: blood & gore and gruesome murders don't bother me in the slightest, actually, the more dramatic the better, I think! But when it comes to paranormal, I will be hiding under my covers, watching behind my fingers... I also continue to be impressed by these classics. I mean, they basically created the genre, but I was prepared to be laughing due to bad CG attempts (like the first Exorcist) but that hasn't really been the case. Only a couple times with these stories have I had to remind myself the time-period that these movies existed; otherwise, the story is just so well written, or the movie so well directed, that I become engrossed in the whole world of the story! And that's how a good horror movie is supposed to be!
 And so, this was only the first installment of my October Halloweeny/Horror Movie Challenge!! I'm so excited to get my wits scared out of me the rest of the month! I haven't a clue what I'm going to watch next! Maybe the Halloween series?? The Grudge?? The Omen?? It all depends on what I can find!

Sincerely Yours,
Lisette Monique Diaz

ৎ꒰ ¯ิ̑﹃ ¯ิ̑๑꒱ુ ୭ ~Sweet Dreams~ ৎ꒰ ¯ิ̑﹃ ¯ิ̑๑꒱ુ ୭