Night of the Ranting Brad

Well here it is, my thoughts on The Evil Dead remake. To quote the esteemed  film critic Jay Sherman, "It Stinks." I will give the film credit for going the practical fx route instead of the CGI cop out. I also will admit that Jane Levy did a great job in the lead role as Mia. That is where the praise will end. I've followed the long and winding road that this remake has taken for the past couple of years through the many detours and stops. Once word came out that Bruce Campbell would not be appearing in the film I lost all hope. Once the trailer came out I regained faith in the film and hoped that it could at least be watchable. Then the raving praise of reviews came gushing out of the premiere and the screenings that followed. Websites that I usually trust review-wise were labeling this as basically the second coming.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Jamie Kennedy (Scream, Scream 2, Malibu's Most Wanted, Heckler) about the upcoming release of 'A Resurrection'  which he executive produced. 'A Resurrection' is the feature debut for writer/director  Matt Orlando and centers around a down to earth school psychologist who tries to help a mentally ill student who actually believes his brother is coming back from the grave for revenge on the students who killed him. Archstone Distribution will be releasing'A RESURRECTION' in theaters on March 22, 2013.  The film stars Mischa Barton, Devon Sawa, Jonathan Michael Trautman and the late Michael Clarke Duncan.  This was Michael's last film before he passed.  The film was directed by Matt Orlando and produced by Jamie Kennedy Entertainment.

In regards to what drew him to the project he had seen writer/director Matt Orlando's previous short films and really liked the writer/director's unique vision and voice as well as the script that really stood out to him as something that if executed properly could really work well. Having viewed 'A Resurrection' I can attest to it being a unique horror film in these days of remakes and retreads which is something that deserves to be applauded. The cast is also something that stands out about the movie and with this being Mr. Duncan's final film I asked Jamie if Michael's role was completed before his tragic passing which thankfully it was, as it stands as a final reminder of the presence and command that Michael brought to the screen in his performances. The discussion then turned to a project that Jamie has in the works called 'Granny.'

Brad (Night of the Ranting Brad) - Brad Slaton aka Night Of The Ranting Brad is a Cinemit contributor and member. Brad also writes for best-horror-movies.com and runs The Picking Brains Podcast. Like on Facebook

Scary doesn't have to mean gory, as is evidenced by the "Master of Suspense."

In honor of Hitchcock being released in theaters today, I thought it would be fun to talk about some of our favorite Hitchcock films (there's over 50 to choose from!). Here's the top Hitchcock films of Brad (Night of the Ranting Brad), Jeremy (Spirit of the Thing), Marc (Marc It Dude!) and Melissa (Dial M For Melissa). Make sure to comment on your favorites too!

• The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927)
• Rebecca (1940)
• Foreign Correspondent (1940)
• Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
• Lifeboat (1943)
• Spellbound (1945)
• Notorious (1946)
• Rope (1948) - Brad's #1
• Strangers on a Train (1951)
• Rear Window (1954) - Melissa's #1
• To Catch a Thief (1955) - Jeremy's #1
• The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
• Vertigo (1958) - Marc's #1
• North by Northwest (1959)
• Psycho (1960)
• The Birds (1963)
• Marnie (1964)

With Halloween approaching, it's time to break out those scary movies, and here's some of the favorites of our writers.

Cori (Making Cents with Cori)

It's just a jump to the left and a step into a time warped movie. While Rocky Horror Picture Show is not actually a Halloween movie, it is one of my favorite movie going experiences. A bomb during its original run, Rocky Horror quickly became a cult classic. Anyone that has attended a midnight showing of the film know that it is more than just a film. From costumes, to dancing, to screaming at the screen, this late night is exciting and entertaining. I must admit that I no longer watch the movie when I go because the crowd is much more entertaining. The best part is that each time you attend, it's like a brand new show. People area always creating new callbacks to yell at the film. While the standards remain, new pop culture references are always being added by the crowds. Anyone else think that Dr. Frank-N-Furter would make a good back-up dancer for Lady Gaga? For a film made in the 1970s, it shows no sign of slowing down or leaving theaters anytime soon. It also leads to some creative Halloween costumes.

Marc (Marc It Dude!)

When it comes to the genre of, not necessarily horror, but at least scary movies, there’s only one way I find to make it work and that is to keep it real. If the audience feels like it could infect their world, it makes it that much more scary. With this in mind one of the most terrifying movies I have seen is The Silence Of The Lambs. Aside from being a terrifically made film, it’s element of the neighbor harboring a frightening secret in his basement and the former trusted doctor that was too intelligent for society gives it that real element that will give you chills. Hannibal Lecter has been called one of the most scary villains of all time because of the ability to recognize how real he could be.

Brad (Ranting Brad)

Being a horror fanatic I have countless movies that I consider favorites and timeless. My favorite movie regardless of genre is Halloween but that to me seems too obvious for a post like this. So let's focus on a different offering from the same mind. The Thing is by far one of the all time greatest horror/sci-fi works to be put to celluloid. The loose remake of the 1951 original is in my opinion the best example of all of the Carpenter trade marks coming together perfectly to make one helluva bleak, gory, rollercoaster ride. Kurt Russell is perfectly cast as the lead of the arctic research team that discovers and unknowingly unleashes the alien being. Once the thing of the title is running amok the movie never lets up and the wonderfully cast ensemble of actors make it seem all the more believeable. A write up of The Thing would not be complete without mention of the best practical FX work seen to this day and the man who was responsible. Rob Bottin dedicated over a years worth of time without a break in order to bring the astonishing FX work to the screen. If you've never checked out this genre classic do yourself a favor and pop in the DVD and turn off the lights and proceed to be wowed by the work of a genius in his prime. In closing, Where in the world did Kurt Russell and Rob Bottin disappear to? Kurt was the ultimate anti-hero badass between this, Escape From New York, and Big Trouble In Little China. Sure he was in Grindhouse but it's been far too long since then. Mr. Bottin has also pulled a modern day version of where's waldo and left the audiences having to deal with subpar CGI in place of his superior practical work. Here's to hoping that both will return someday soon and claim the thrones that they used to sit upon.

Jeremy (Spirit of the Thing)

When I think about scary films, I don't think of horror. Since most of it is schlock (hey - some man's trash is another's treasure), I don't find that it scares me much or stays with me after watching it. Adrian Lyne's Jacob's Ladder is a film that scared me AND stuck with me. While the film bounces between three narrative threads, the scenes of the decayed, crumbling New York are those that still hold the most scare value. Vietnam vet Jacob (Tim Robbins) starts seeing demons, faceless creatures inexplicably hunting him. When it comes to his attention that all of his squad from the war are suffering the same problems, things get really bizarre. This film is able to maintain the creep factor, punctuated so wonderfully by Jacob's trip through the hospital/insane asylum/war zone to the surgical room, that it is nearly impossible to shake the images for days afterward. I dare you to go to sleep right after watching this. DARE YOU. So, if you're up for a good, non-horror scare, this is the film for you. Perhaps the finest of its kind this side of the early David Cronenberg films.

Melissa (Dial M For Melissa)

Growing up, we very rarely watched scary movies. I didn't see Halloween until college and I've never even seen a Friday the 13th movie. However, there were a few that sneaked through. I remember renting Silver Bullet for a slumber party and not being able to sleep that night. Even with Corey Haim it was way too much for me to handle. That was gory though. The only movie that continues to scare me with every viewing is The Shining. It defines suspense with every frame. Jack Nicholson is scary enough, but combined with the absolutely TERRIFIED Shelley Duvall, he doesn't even have to speak to freak you out. Here's Johnny!

What's yours? Comment below!