I've been listening to Adam Green and Joe Lynch's podcast The Movie Crypt pretty religiously for the past week or so. It is currently on its 105th episode and I have been desperately trying to play catch up - I'm only on episode 29, though, so I'm not sure that I'll ever be truly caught up unless I listen to it in my sleep. Where I'm at, Joe has left and come back from filming his new movie Everly in Serbia, and has been working on post-production. And every little bit of information that he's been giving listeners has been making me so, so excited to see it that, finally, I just couldn't take it anymore.

Everly is the story of a woman (her name is Everly) trapped in her apartment, who must fight off the constant barrage of assassins that are sent after her by a sadistic mob boss. Joe (I feel like I'm on a first-name basis with him because I've been listening to him so much - I'm even listening to the Everly commentary right now) does an amazing job with what I have said many times before is one of my favorite types of films - ones that take place in a single location.

The small twist that Joe puts on this gimmick, for lack of a better word, is that Everly is a pretty hardcore, violent action movie that all takes place in basically one room of a loft apartment. And that doesn't limit the film at all - there are just as many guns and bodies, and just as much blood and gore as any other action/thriller out there. There is never a dull moment, never an unimportant scene, and never a line of dialogue that doesn't add something to the plot and the characters. Plus, Everly is just a really, really fucking fun movie to watch. Look at Salma Hayek on the poster up there - that alone should make you excited to watch the movie.

Joe, who also came up with the story of Everly, brilliantly adds in a healthy dose of comedy throughout the film as well. This almost doesn't seem possible when the first scene in the film is Everly stumbling into the bathroom naked after a violent gang rape. But the fact that the rest of the movie's violence is so unrelenting, and the amount of bad guys that come after Everly is almost kind of absurd, that it's easy to fall into the comedic side of the story. Most of the comedy is situational, where the gore and action are used for gags, especially one part where Everly opens the door and immediately blows someone away with a shotgun.

Then again on the other side, there's a very serious story to deal with here. Not just the assault at the beginning (which is never shown but only heard, if anyone is weary) but also the whole world that Everly has to live in. She's in an apartment building filled with other prostitutes under the control of the boss, Taiko - not to mention the fact that Everly has a five-year-old daughter and a mother that she has not been in contact with for a long time. They are featured pretty prominently in the movie, as they become Everly's main motivation for surviving and enduring all the shit that is thrown at her over the course of this night.

Going back to the gore for a minute: though this is probably looked at mostly as an action movie, Everly definitely has moments that show Joe's love of horror films. There's a nice almost-Shining moment with an elevator and blood, but mostly it is the deaths of two characters that were really fun for a gorehound to watch. I don't want to give too much away because the movie is still fairly new, so I'll just say that one death involves acid, and the other one involves a samurai sword. Yessssss.

Now, Salma Hayek. I mean, she fucking kills it in this movie. Literally. Of course we've known for years, ever since Desperado, that she could handle herself like a boss in an action movie, but I really think she shines so brightly here. First of all, she's just as gorgeous as ever. It's not hard for anybody, male or female, to watch her kicking ass in an apartment for 90 minutes. She is a true action star in Everly, handling weapons and also doing some hand-to-hand combat. But Hayek also brings a lot of heart and sympathy to the character of Everly, and in a roundabout way, to some of the rest of the cast of characters, like the other prostitutes and a character known only as Dead Man. Hayek makes Everly so likable that you might find yourself cheering out loud at the last frame of the film, like I did.

I also had to cheer for my new buddy Joe (who also gives a nice cameo at the end of the film) for really bringing Everly to life. The film is action-packed and visually interesting - there're some really cool lighting and camera work - and they could not have gotten a better actress to see this whole thing through. Loved this shit, see it soon!

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From what I remember, this might be the end of the good when it comes to the Hellraiser films. Gah, why can't I remember any of these save for the first two? I did randomly watch part 7 a while ago, and that was only because Kari Wuhrer is in it and she's also in Eight Legged Freaks and I love that movie so I was curious to watch her in a Hellraiser flick again. Anyway, Hellbound starts things off very well for the Hellraiser sequels.

The sequel picks up right after the ending of the first film - actually, it starts with a montage that sums up the entire first movie which is totally cool with me because of course that movie is awesome. After the events of Hellraiser, Kirsty is back in the psych ward, which is run by Dr. Channard. Unbeknownst to Kirsty, he has quite the obsession with the Cenobites and the Lemarchand Boxes. Channard uses Kirsty to bring her stepmother Julia back from hell, and he uses another mental patient, Tiffany, to open the box and bring forth the Cenobites and enter hell.

The sequel's story begins with a quick glimpse into Pinhead's past. It's around the 1930s, 1940s and there is a soldier in a room, solving the puzzle box. The chains and hooks appear (more less-than-stellar effects shots like before but I still love it), and then he's shown in hell supposedly, having his skull cut on and the nails being hammered home. This becomes important later on, so pay attention. Having read The Scarlet Gospels recently, which is the concluding chapter in Pinhead's story, I don't think this is the background that Clive Barker had in mind for his character. But we're talking about the movies here, so I guess I'm going to have to let that go.

Again, there is a great cast of characters - except for one guy who is unfortunately not given that much to do. Steve from the first film has been replaced by Dr. Channard's assistant, Kyle, and frankly, he is rather boring. His only real purpose in the film is to spy on Channard, help Kirsty out a bit, and then get killed because he's an idiot. Dr. Channard himself is quite the interesting villain. We first meet him while he is performing some kind of freak-ass brain surgery, which immediately makes the audience weary of him, and you can definitely tell that he has ulterior motives when he is seemingly trying to "help" Kirsty. He does the things that he must do to achieve his goals, yet he seems horrified by it. Then again, by the end when he becomes a Cenobite, he seems to embrace his evil side. So yeah, interesting guy. The only thing that still niggles at me a little bit is the fact that Julia never asks this guy who he is or why he brought her back. Technically, they were both using each other but that's not a strong enough connection for me.

Julia herself is actually much more likable to me here, despite her villainy. She's stronger and more manipulative, instead of the one being manipulated. And of course her revenge at the end is fantastic. Though the film takes place directly after the first one (and was released just one year after the first one), Kirsty also seems to have grown. She's still incredibly brave and formidable, but there's something about her that's just slightly different and more mature this time around. Also, she puts on Julia's skin suit. That's really gross and really rad at the same time. Imogen Boorman as Tiffany is incredibly sympathetic, innocent, and does a wonderful job with practically no lines of dialogue. Her obsession with puzzles was a nice, though obvious, plot and character choice for the film and works well.

Hellbound is definitely one of those movies that I would describe as gore-geous. In the scene where Julia is resurrected, there is buckets of blood and oodles of nastiness. It starts off with the delusional mental patient slicing the shit out of his flesh because he imagines that he is covered with worms, and his blood on the mattress where Julia died is what brings her back. She is skinless like Frank was, and spends the rest of the scene rolling around in blood, trying to get the nourishment from the mental patient. Non-horror fans would perhaps watch something like this and be grossed out, but I watch it in utter fascination every time. It's beautiful. The full-body effects work on Julia where you can see the bones, tendons and muscles is amazing, and the blood is so shiny! Its darkness and richness also plays in great contrast to the whites of her eyes. And I love, love, love Channard as a Cenobite. His look reminds me of one of the monsters from the video game Resident Evil 4 (the best video game ever, by the way) and he's so wicked and "punny." It's fantastic.

Ah, this has already gone on long enough, and I think I hit most of the high points, but this is one of those movies where I could really discuss every single scene. Hellbound is a really solid sequel to one of my favorite horror films. It plays up the strengths of the original, and then takes it just a step further, which is what I think any good sequel is supposed to do.

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There are a lot of different kinds of zom-coms out there, and this short, "Drop Dead Famous," takes a nice to a subgenre that has really been beaten into the ground by this point. In this short, there's obviously been a zombie apocalypse, and two girls happen upon one of the undead who is one of the girls' celebrity crush. It was presented to me as mostly a comedy, but I think this one has a lot more heart to it - but it's still kinda funny with the serious approach. Did that make sense? No? Watch the short and tell me what you think.

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Let me start off by saying that this was by far the least painful theater-going experience that I've had in a while. Normally for me when there are other people in the theater (and sadly that's pretty much always the case considering we're out in public and all) some douchebag has got to ruin it for me by either making noises or just being in my general vicinity. I realize that makes me sound douchey as well, but seriously. People cannot keep quiet in a movie theater sometimes. But thankfully there were no (big) problems this time so I could relax a bit more. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but I really liked the movie.

But, Michele! Isn't Poltergeist your FAVORITE horror movie ever? Yes, it is. Well, that and Child's Play, of course. I've been having a really hard time not calling that one my favorite too lately so I think I'm just going to have two favorites. ANYWAY. I did not want to be judgmental going into the remake of Poltergeist at all. So I haven't even watched the original in a few months, and I only watched one of the trailers once and avoided all others and all TV spots after that. And overall, though I could tell it was Poltergeist and though some things were obviously changed around and different, I truly think that this remake was very successful and is quite possibly one of the better ones out there. I came out of the theater feeling really good, and that is always a good sign.

At first I was weary. One thing I've always liked about the original film is that it was not like almost all other haunted house movies where it starts off with a family moving into a new house. They were already established in the house and the neighborhood before anything started. Also, the family was well established. The Freelings were just normal people that were suddenly hit out of nowhere with all this crazy supernatural stuff. The new movie has a new family, the Bowens - Eric and Amy, and their three children that mirror the children in the original - Kendra, Griffin, and Maddy. Sadly, no E. Buzz, but there was a line about how they should get a dog. It's not enough that they are moving into a new house, but they also had to give the family some problems, like the dad being laid off recently. However, this ends up being completely unnecessary because you don't need that plot point to sympathize with the family.

Which brings me to one of my favorite elements of the remake, and frankly, the thing that I was most worried about before going to see it. I've always loved that Poltergeist was like your family-friendly ghost movie, and that it was funny and that there was a wonderful family dynamic. Would this new family be just as wonderful as the laid-back, funny, pot-smoking Freelings? Indeed they are! There is no pot-smoking, but Sam Rockwell and Rosemarie DeWitt are perfect as the parents, as they are so light-hearted, relatable, and absolutely lovable. The new Carol Anne is really amazing, and I loved that she had the same hairstyle, just a different color. Griffin is a bit of a dork like Robbie was but is again played by a wonderful little actor. Sassy Kendra is the annoying teen who thinks a new iPhone is the most important thing in the world - however, when things get bad, she shows a genuine love for her younger siblings. The only place where the remake falters on the family element is at the end when they switch around Maddy's rescuer from the Other Side. Though I get what they were trying to do with the Griffin character, I missed the complete motherly devotion and sacrifice of Diane Freeling that the original gave us.

The new paranormal investigative team is headed up by Dr. Brooke Powell, played by the underrated Jane Adams, and her two assistants that I don't think I ever got the names of. Instead of Tangina, we have Carrigan Burke, a sort of Peter Vincent character, if you will. He's played with a wonderful amount of snark and playboyish charm by Jared Harris, whom I freaking love. It was so refreshing and wonderful to see that these side characters were not forgotten in development, and that I was able to love them just as much as the family members they were trying to save. I was so afraid that this remake was going to shortchange the characters in favor of flashy special effects and jump scares. And I was so elated to find out that this was not the case.

Speaking of the special effects, I was really impressed with those as well. There are a few things that don't work out as well - like the comic book stacking and that weird sequence with the drill - but overall, the remake did enough to honor the original film while still throwing in a lot of its own new stuff. Of course the clown sequence probably got the most attention in the marketing (like I said, I didn't watch any of it but that big clown face on one of the posters was a giveaway) and it was handled really well. There was actually more than one clown doll, if you need me to frighten you more. I really liked the toned-down version of the tree sequence, and the addition of one very cool little scene where all the lights come out of the lightbulbs in Maddy's room and go into the closet. Reminded me of the part in the original where they see all the different spirits on the staircase.

Though in this fan's eyes, the remake was a little bit unnecessary, it certainly was not pointless. They treated the classic story with respect, making totally appropriate changes where they felt it was needed and did a good job at it. I still got the same vibe that I love so much about the original Poltergeist from this remake and, honestly, that's all I was really hoping for.

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That's right, guys. IT HAS BEGUN. Welcome to the beginning of my journey through all nine of the Hellraiser movies! I do have vague memories of some of the sequels, but I haven't watched any of them in a long, long time, so a lot of this will be like a first-time viewing for me. The original film, however, is still one of my favorite horror films of all time. And I have never really talked about it much on here, so I'm excited to get the chance. AND Clive Barker's new book about Pinhead, The Scarlet Gospels, comes out in a few days so it's perfect timing. Shameless plug: Be sure to look for my review of The Scarlet Gospels on Wicked Horror.com!

As most of you already know, Hellraiser is based on Barker's short novel, The Hellbound Heart, and Barker both wrote and directed the film adaptation. I don't think it's wrong to assume that that is one of the reasons why the film is so good, and why it has stood the test of time. Anyway, you all hopefully know the plot of Hellraiser so we'll forgo that. Let's just say that there's a box, there's a skinless guy, there're Cenobites, there's a chick saying "GO TO HELL!" Basically, it's awesomeness personified.

Hellraiser is a unique film for me because it is one of two films that I absolutely love and have seen a million times, but that also completely grosses me out still. Cronenberg's The Fly is the other one. That whole sequence of Frank growing out of the floor is fucking disgusting, you guys, and his evolution after that really doesn't get any better. I guess it's because both of those films showed me that humans really are nothing more than meat and bones, really, and that kinda sucks. That's what horror films do well. In Hellraiser, there is beauty in the horror, and logic in the fantastical, and intrigue in the deceit.

I hardly know what to say about Hellraiser because there is so much to say. Let's just go with some of the reasons why I love the movie so much. One of those reasons is Clive Barker's story. I admittedly have not read much Barker (which I will remedy eventually - I bought a bunch of his books recently) honestly because I didn't ever think that I could follow his stories because they are so out there and fantastical. But I get Hellraiser. Pushing the limits of human endurance with pleasure and pain, getting more than what you asked for, relationships fueled by lust and desire, a daughter trying to save her father - Hellraiser could be a hundred different movies with these same themes. It just happens to be gory good horror story with rad characters, created by one of the most imaginative minds of our time.

Another reason I love Hellraiser is the gore and special effects, which go hand-in-hand with Barker's filming style. That sounds like three reasons rolled into one but I don't care. Some of the effects are fairly rudimentary - most notably, the closeup shots of the hooks impaling Frank's skin - but overall, the practicality of the effects makes them so much more effective and wonderful. The aforementioned sequence of Frank's body growing and rebuilding itself out of the floor is my favorite/least favorite part (it's SO GROSS) but there's also Julia's death, Frank's death, and all the demons. Pinhead is just awesome, there's no need to go on for too long about him; the Female Cenobite is graceful and elegant despite her odd appearance; the Chatterer is deceptively amusing and I love the design of him (I have never understood the fingers in Kirsty's mouth - was that just to be a freak or what?); and Butterball always reminded me of one of those fat Italian guys in Mafia movies so I have a hard time taking him seriously. The Engineer (the monster that chases Kirsty down the hallway) is also a great design, and looks like one of those monsters that would come out of a child's imagination.

Another credit to the film is the great casting. Andrew Robinson as Larry is great at first as a typical dad, but then makes a wonderfully creepy turn as Frank when he takes his skin. Clare Higgins has a gorgeous face and a grace to carry it (damn those 80s fashion choices, though), and she gives Julia all the traits that actually make her a fairly complex character who just ends up making the wrong decisions and giving in to lust. Sean Chapman is Frank, the douchebag that started all this, and though I don't understand the physical attraction, he is the movie's representation of pure lust and desire, the idea of the wants of the human mind overtaking what someone knows they shouldn't do. And of course, Ashley Laurence breaks the mold as a pretty awesome heroine who doesn't take shit, and not only stands up to the Cenobites, but also cleverly figures out a way to work with them in order to spare herself. And when they still try to take her at the end, she again figures out how to save herself and send them back to Hell. Kirsty is foul-mouthed and fierce and I love her.

Although it does freak me out a bit when I read The Hellbound Heart because there she's just a family friend who has a crush on Larry, and in the movie she's Larry's daughter.

Hellraiser is a film that will probably forever remain on the list of my top horror films no matter how much any of the others change as the years go on. It is a timeless story, really, with characters and themes that will always be relevant, and villains that will always be icons in the genre. And now, be prepared to join me on the possibly treacherous journey through the sequels!

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Admittedly I'm on a bit of an AJ Bowen kick right now. So while I was desperately searching the Internet for this movie of his (an anthology directed by Adam Wingard and written by him, Simon Barrett and E.L. Katz so I REALLY have to find it), I came across this short film he did called "No Way Out." Holy crap. Give me a bit more time to think about the meaning behind it and all that, but right now just watch and be amazed. Or bored, I don't care. I think it's awesome.

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Big thanks from The Girl Who Loves Horror to filmmaker John Wildman for contacting me about his film, The Ladies of the House. I wished I would have gotten to it sooner to help support its VOD release on May 1, but this is definitely a case of better late than never! TLOTH is a thoughtful, yet entertaining film that calls itself a "feminist grindhouse-thriller," but even that intriguing premise is selling the film too short because it is a really great movie experience.

Two brothers, Jacob and Kai, go out with their friend Derek to a strip club to celebrate Kai's birthday. They're all trying to have a good time, when the boys make the grave mistake of following one of the strippers - Ginger - home to party. When the party goes sour, they make an even worse mistake, and find themselves trapped in the house with Ginger's three roommates. And these girls have a taste for revenge... and male flesh!

Okay, maybe that description made the movie sound kind of hokey, and I apologize for that because it is not at all. I was actually expecting the film to be a lot more comedic, and therefore I really appreciated the (mostly) serious approach it took to the topics it was trying to explore. TLOTH is very close to being, but not quite, a rape-revenge film and it definitely has some grindhouse and/or exploitation influences. But the film is also able to find its own path within the subgenre and create something unique for itself.

After the stuff at the strip club at the beginning of the film, everything else takes place at Ginger's house, which she shares with fellow strippers Crystal, Lin, and Getty. There's a constant feeling that something sinister is going to happen while Ginger is reluctantly boozing and smoking with the guys, and it's a bit of a surprise just who ends up being involved. The location, coloring, and costumes will also throw you off a bit. The house is a normal, nondescript one that could be located anywhere in the country. Inside, the set design is very lively and colorful in some places, like the kitchen and Crystal's room. The 40s costuming is interesting and beautiful, with Getty looking very much like Rosie the Riveter and therefore taking on the more masculine and tough role, and Lin looking like a typical, poised, midcentury housewife. Crystal and her pigtails therefore make her the child of these two. Their family is a bit dysfunctional - probably because they kill and eat men for food - but there is also genuine care and concern among them all.

There are some really great characters here, even if all of them have something about them that makes them really unlikable to the audience. Kai is a bit slow in the head, and becomes very creepy and grotesque during one scene, so we're happy to see him go. The filmmakers really seem to want to point out Derek as being the worst of the bunch, giving him lines like "A stripper will go home with anyone if you ask her right!" Yeah, he better not last long. Jacob is supposed to be that one nice guy, but I couldn't fully sympathize with him either. When Ginger is shot, he is the one voice of reason, but that's as far as he gets. He never actually does anything to try to help her, and doesn't really seem to believe that she was defending herself from Kai's rape attempt. And though this is a feminist film where we are supposed to be rooting for the women, they are each also given flaws in their characters (aside from the cannibalization) so that the movie is never completely on the side of either gender.

One thing I especially appreciated was the portrayal of the lesbian relationship between Lin and Getty. I'm not a lesbian myself, but I still get angry for them when their relationships are treated as novelties in films. Though these two women are very beautiful, and they do have a short, naked sex scene and a shower scene, it never felt exploitative. Their relationship is very real, natural, and tender and was never just about seeing two hot chicks kissing each other.

The blood and gore is really impressive, and I only wish there had been more of it. I wasn't too sold on the effects at the beginning when the gunshot wounds that two characters receive just look like some red corn syrup on the actors' shirts. I immediately took those feelings back during a scene of Lin making dinner out of Kai. The literal guts in this scene are beautiful and had me completely falling in love with this movie. There is actually a nice balance in the movie with the odd and horrific stuff that happens, and the really touching and loving stuff.

Thank you once again to Mr. Wildman for sending me his film to watch! Male and female viewers alike should enjoy this flick though there is a definite woman power tone and idea behind it. The Ladies of the House has an exploitation-type story and setup, and delivers far beyond any expectations you may have about it. The actors are brilliant and committed to each role, and the gore and action is fantastic. Definitely recommend this one for sure!

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