Hello, WORLD!! Smokkee, natch. While I still feel 2013 sucks movie-wise, there have been some bright spots. Guillermo Del Toro's MAMA comes to mind; many people feel like its the best horror movie of the year so far. I agree... but by default. Unless you're counting STOKER as horror (not to far from it) or you feel like THE CONJURING was better (another great argument), I'm hard pressed to name a better one. I can name a ton of dissappointments like DARK SKIES though, none more so than EVIL DEAD. E D wasn't bad but it coulda been so much more.
I blame my current disdain for current horror movies on 2012's love letter to horror flicks CABIN IN THE WOODS, the title itself a nod to one of the most overused conventions of horror. What CITW did wasn't game changing. It was different, refreshing even, and the fact that it was done using one of horror's most overused plot settings is even more awe inspiring. If you haven't seen it.... you know what I'm about to say right?
Of course you do and THAT'S my point! Or rather the point of CITW and this new movie from Adam Wingard, YOU'RE NEXT.
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| A family in the woods is stalked by killers but there's a twist... |
Lately Hollywood has felt it has got to go to extreme violence and gore to make a great horror movies. Most of the great horror movies of the past came from very few genres. Exorcisms, zombies, monster movies and slasher films are all what use to scare us. They still can when used right, said CITW and now YOU'RE NEXT.
Here's the premise and please stop me if you've heard this before: a family gathering at a cabin in the woods turns deadly when strangers decide to party crash it. You haven't heard of anything like this? Really? Sounds like you're in denial then. But what I didn't see coming here was how this movie decides to flip this genre to another level. I'm sure if you've read enough web updates you know might know what the twist is. I went in knowing the twist and it still managed to surprise me. Not scare me, though. I know I can still be spooked by horror movies, 2005's THE DESCENT proved that a few years back. But I was more than just a lil entertained by this movie. I don't think I've laughed so hard at a movie all year and I wasn't the only one laughing either. In fact, most everybody in the theater was cracking up at the exact same stuff I was.
I know I haven't gone into any kind of details but this is one of those movies where the less you know, the better it will be for you. I can tell you that Wingard is getting to be one of those directors whose movies I look forward to seeing. He directed one of the best shorts in the horror anthology V/H/S and had one of the better shorts out of the 26 shorts in another horror anthology called The ABC's Of Death. although his short in V/H/S/2 was somewhat of a let down. Here he displays a great sense of comedic timing. What he doesn't do, even though he invokes the spirit of those 1970 horror classics like the original HALLOWEEN and TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, is terrify you like the earlier movies did. I'm more than sure this is being marketed as a horror movie; marketing did not do it's homework. But I digress. I still feel like this is one of the Top Three horror movies of 2013...but by default; everything but MAMA, THE CONJURING, and THE EVIL DEAD sucked. And even EvilDead wasn't as good as it coulda been. C
Bottom Line,
See this movie if :
You want to feel that old school horror movie vibe. It's most certainly felt here. Oh, and you wanna laugh. Yes, there will be cackling.
Skip this movie if: You want to be spooked. You're gonna leave dissappointed.
seriously never knew Armmageddon could be so funny. This movie is definitely worth watching. Trust me. 
