Suggestions for Getting in the Mood for Halloween
Movie reviews by Andy Moseley - reprinted with permission from the October 1999 Mariners' Log
I know exactly what you are thinking: it's late October, Halloween is drawing near, the trick-or-treaters will be coming by any day now, and you just aren't in that Halloween spirit. (Get away from the candy bowl! That's for the little monsters, not you!). I've got the perfect solution for you: Halloween movies! To help you with your movie selection, I have taken the time to sit down, watch, and review three October fright-fests. For those of you into the scary, slasher movies, there are Scream and Scream 2. For those who prefer laughs over blood, there's Dracula, Dead and Loving It. As far as the infamous ARS (Andy’s Ratings System), I rate movies on a scale of one to five stars, with five being the best and one being a real stinker. Let's move along, shall we?
First, we'll start with the two movies from the '90s version of the "Scream" series. Scream stars Neve Campbell (my favorite actress, just to let you know) as Sidney, David Arquette (the guy from the 1-800-DIAL-ATT commercials), Courtney Cox, Drew Barrymore, and Rose McGowan, among others. It's a cast that definitely appeals to the youth of America, like yours truly. The main plot is actually quite complex. Sidney (Campbell) is being pursued. Sidney's mother was killed years earlier, and now a killer is after the daughter. I found myself getting really caught up in the story, a lot more than I thought I would. I won't give the ending away, but the killer is not anybody who you are led to suspect.
All ages who can legally view an “R”-rated movie might enjoy this, though. However, if you don't like bad language, either don't rent or buy the movie, or mute the sound and keep the closed captioning off. And if you don't like blood and guts, sister, have you got the wrong movie! Scream is not for those with weak stomachs. I'm not usually one for the whole blood- and-guts idea, so I ended up diving under my blanket a few times when it was a little too gruesome. For example, one character tries to run from the killer by climbing through the doggy door on the garage door. The killer raises the garage door, and we end up having a pretty nasty looking hanging on our hands. Nevertheless, as far as my rating, I give Scream four very bloody stars.
Scream 2 offers more of the same, except in heavier portions. Your cast includes everyone who lived through the first Scream, along with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Rebecca Gayheart. I went with a few friends to the Island Cinemas the night it opened, so this movie isn't entirely new to me. It might as well be, though, since a theater full of screaming people made it a chore actually to hear the movie. Anyway, this basically picks up where Scream left off, except it’s a few years later and the survivors are in college. Courtney Cox, continuing her role as a reporter, has written a screenplay based on Sidney’s trauma the first go-around. Out of nowhere, a killer is once again after Sidney (played by Neve Campbell again). Maybe Sidney should move to another state. Scream 2 seems to have more of a storyline to it than the first. There is plenty of blood, even more than in the first movie, in fact, but the plot does not rely entirely on gore, which is nice. The writers again hint at who they want us to think the killer is, but as usual it's not that person. I'll give Scream 2 four stars as well. I'm very much anticipating Scream 3 now!
You don't like scary, blood-filled movies? How about a vampire movie then? Yes, there's still a little blood, but this time, it's used sparingly. Dracula, Dead and Loving It stars the always funny Leslie Neilson as Count Dracula. Mel Brooks also has a starring role and also directs this movie. I laughed like crazy the entire movie. It's your typical Dracula story: Dracula wants to drink blood and find a wife. This vampire goes a-courting in a manner different from that of other blood-thirsty maniacs, using the humor route. Dracula is very accident prone, which you can imagine is pretty funny when it's a vampire. I give Dracula, Dead and Loving It three dull-pointed stars (we don't want to kill any vampires with these stars or anything). If you are tired of the same old Dracula movies, go rent this one today.
Do you agree or disagree? Any ideas on any movies I could review for the December edition of the Mariners’ Log or in the future? What would you like to see reviewed? E-mail me at andy1278@hotmail.com or visit me online at Andy Online and let me know any and all comments you may have, whether they are good or bad. Happy haunting!
