South of the Border

Stone takes us South - but he doesn't take us deep.

Paranormal Activity 2

The original Paranormal Activity was a great revisionist horror. Adapting Val Lewton’s classic less is more philosophy, the film dealt in suspense rather than cheap pay-offs, in drama rather than violence and in fear rather than gore. In short, it worked because the audience cared about the characters and didn’t know what was coming next. Wanna take a guess at why the sequel fails?

Knight and Day

One expects this film’s curious title to be a weak pun on the surnames of the lead characters. One would be wrong. The name, ‘Knight,’ is tenuously linked to Cruise’s character but other than that there is no explanation for it. This lazy and incomprehensible title becomes rather apt for a film which does not require you to leave your brains at the door but rather put them in a lead lined box from which there is no escape.

Film 4 Frightfest: The Last Exorcism

The Last Exorcism is the horror film chosen to close Frightfest 2010. The film trailer for The Last Exorcism suggests a horror mockumentary but this witty, funny and scary horror film makes for an entertaining and thought-provoking Frightfest finale.

The Human Centipede

Even as a hardened horror fan, I sat down to watch The Human Centipede with a therapist on speed dial. I need not have worried. Yes, the film is disturbing, but ultimately The Human Centipede is a pretty lifeless creature, that neither makes you think, fear or even laugh enough for it to gain the cult status it so clearly craves.