Day 365: Night Of The Living Dead

Night Of The Living Dead

Good night and good luck

This is it. The end. The 365^th movie review. They said it couldn't be done. I didn't even think I would make it this far, but we made it. I've seen movies about vampires, werewolves, monsters, animals, serial killers, aliens, killer clowns, ghosts, demons, Satan, and my favorite, zombies. I have seen classics, independents, movies I've always wanted to see, and movies I wish I had not. I will be taking a much needed break in the coming days, but I will be doing at least a few more posts, which will include a “Best Of” awards ceremony and Razzies for the worst. I want to personally thank each and every one of you for helping me, whether it was procuring certain movies, helping me with research, correcting some mistakes, and spreading the word. Without you, I would have stopped a long time ago. Without further ado, here is the final review for 365 Days Of Horror.

Night Of The Living Dead is a 1968 zombie movie written and directed by George Romero (Dawn Of The Dead, Creepshow). The movie stars Judith O'Dea (The Pirate, The Ocean) as Barbra and Duane Jones (Vampires, To Die For) as Ben. Barbra and her brother Johnny (Russell Streiner, The Majorettes, Night Of The Living Dead 1990) drive to rural Pennsylvania to visit their father's grave. Johnny is annoyed to be there and entertains himself by teasing Barbra. He playfully chases Barbra, pointing to another man in the cemetery and warning, “They're coming to get you, Barbra!” The man, a zombie, attacks Barbra and then struggles with Johnny who cracks his head on a gravestone. The man chases Barbra to her car and smashes the window with a rock before she is able to pull the emergency break and roll down a hill. The car crashes and Barbra flees to a nearby farmhouse where she discovers a decomposing body upstairs. When she leaves the house, she is surrounded by zombies and is saved by a man named Ben who brings her back inside. Barbra is traumatized by the events and goes into shock while Ben tries to secure the house by boarding up the doors and windows. It is revealed that a group of people have been hiding in the house's cellar the entire time. The group is made up of a young couple named Tom (Keith Wayne) and Judy (Judith Ridley) as well as Harry Cooper (Karl Hardman, Santa Claws) his wife Helen (Kyra Schon) and their daughter, Karen, who has been bitten by a zombie. The cowardly Harry tries to explain why he did not help Ben when he heard him upstairs, but Ben does not believe him. Harry insists that they are safer in the cellar, but Ben rebuffs him, claiming it is a “death trap”. While Harry and his family stay in the cellar, the rest of the group listens to the radio and television for information. The problem is widespread across the entire East Coast and the murderers, who appear to be the recently deceased, are cannibalizing their victims. While there is no definite explanation, it is believed that a space probe returning from Venus that exploded in the Earth's atmosphere may have been contaminated with radiation. A news report reveals that a rescue center has been established nearby and, with the farmhouse becoming increasingly surrounded by the undead, the group agrees to make a run for it. Ben, Tom, and Judy make a run for a truck near the house while Harry throws molotov cocktails at the zombies. Tom accidentally spills fuel on the truck, causing it to eventually explode, killing himself and Judy. Ben runs back to the house, but is unable to enter because Harry refuses to unlock the door. Ben is forced to break down the down, and after securing it, assaults Harry. Harry threatens to shot him, but Ben takes his gun and shoots Harry, who stumbles down the cellar. With the plan failing and zombies surrounding the house, how will Ben and Barbra survive?

Welcome to the gun show

Night Of The Living Dead is the movie to which all other zombie movies are compared. While there were zombie movies previous to this one, like White Zombie and King Of The Zombies, Night Of The Living Dead set the standard for the modern zombie films. George Romero crafted a horror movie that is both smart and graphic, appealing to all types of horror fans. The combination of suspense, thrills, and action makes the movie an intense and gut-wrenching experience. The movie's graphic nature was shocking at the time as we see the zombies tearing at and eating human body parts. Before NOTLD, most zombies were simply the product of voodoo and mind control. Romero created zombies that are far scarier with added aspect of cannibalism. They are violent monsters with an insatiable hunger and virtually limitless numbers. Despite being in black and white, the movie is still quite gory and bloody, especially for a movie in the 1960's. The movie cleverly leaks out bits of information about what is happening, putting the audience in the same position as the characters, causing us to relate to them. By doing this, we learn why there are zombies and how to stop them. We also learn that armed posses are combing the area, a foreshadowing of things to come.

"Oh, tombstone. You're such a great hugger."

More importantly, though, the zombies in Night Of The Living Dead are not the true monsters. As is now common among Romero and other zombie movies, social commentary is in full effect. Romero's casting of a black man in the hero role was seen as slightly controversial at the time. By doing so, the audience is forced to deal with their own personal feelings of prejudice and race. This is one of the main themes of the movie as hatred, mistrust, and deceit are all at work in the movie. Harry is a coward who is clearly out of his element, but refuses to listen to Ben, despite clearly being in control. Harry thought the best idea was to hide and hope for the best while Ben is proactive, boarding up the house and getting the radio and television to work. We all hope to be brave like Ben, but we secretly fear that at the moment of truth, we may be more like Harry. It was disappointed that Barbra was virtually useless for most of the movie and even Romero himself has stated that he was unhappy with the way she was written. The acting is good all around which helps make the movie emotional and believable. 

These flash mobs are ridiculous

Night Of The Living Dead was George Romero's feature-length directorial debut, but you would never know it. Scenes are shot with a competent confidence with a mixture of interesting angles that help convey a sense of frantic horror. The film opens up like any normal event, but quickly disintegrates into an uncontrollable horror that never ens. Less than ten minutes is all it takes for the movie to become a dire struggle for survival. Rather than having the movie take place in an easily recognizable area, Night Of The Living Dead takes place in a rural area that could be just about anywhere. Shot in central Pennsylvania, the natural open setting is all the more terrifying because it appears to be calm and comforting. The movie has a good amount of action and scares that still make modern audiences jump. The musical flourishes are great and make certain scenes far scarier than one would initially expect.

"Hey, put Cougar Town on."

Night Of The Living Dead was not the first zombie movie, but it did manage to completely change the genre. Bland mind-controlled zombies were replaced by the living dead who's only motivation is to feed on the living. The movie established new rules, like shooting zombies in the head, that are still followed to this day. The movie is shockingly violent and gory, still capable of scaring modern audiences. The story is great from the intense and frantic beginning to the brutal, depressing ending. The movie is full of important social commentary that still resonates today. The acting is great and Romero's direction is perfect. Whether you're looking for a straight-forward and scary horror film, or a smart, thoughtful movie with lots of action, Night Of The Living Dead is an all-encompassing and entertaining movie. There is a reason why the Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry. Unfortunately for Romero, but fortunately for you, the movie entertained the public domain because the original distributor, the Walter Reade Organization, did not put a copyright on prints of the film. The movie is now available through many different mediums, including for free on various websites. Night Of The Living Dead is an incredibly entertaining and incredibly important movie. Aspiring film makers, writers, and actors should watch the film as a blueprint for making a great movie on a limited budget. As for horror fans, it's required viewing. A movie like Night Of The Living Dead makes horror fans proud of the genre they love.

10/10

Day 333: Halloween 3: Season Of The Witch

Halloween 3: Season Of The Witch

I don't remember Halloween being so red

The Halloween movie franchise is Michael Myers. Just like Jason in Friday The 13^th and Freddy Kruger in A Nightmare On Elm Street, it's hard to conceive of a Halloween movie without the blank-faced killer. It actually happened, though, believe it or not. The Halloween movie series was planned to produce a different horror story every year under the Halloween name. Michael Myers was never really supposed to be the face of the franchise. The idea wasn't a terrible one in theory as it would keep the franchise from being boring and predictable. It only happened once though. Could the non-Michael Myers Halloween be that bad as to completely throw out the original plan and go back to the slasher well?

Halloween 3 is a science-fiction horror movie starring Tom Atkins (Maniac Cop, Night Of The Creeps) as Dr. Dan Challis. On October 23^rd, store owner Harry Grimbridge (Al Berry, Re-Animator, The Last Starfighter) is chased down and attacked by mysterious men in suits. He collapses at a gas station , is taken to a hospital, and placed in the care of Dr. Dan Challis. Dan notices that Harry is clutching a jack-o'-lantern mask from the Silver Shamrock toy company. Commercials for the masks have been playing nonstop, advertising some sort of raffle on Halloween night for anyone who purchases a mask. Even Dan's children have the masks. Another man in a suit finds Grimbridge in the hospital and kills him before blowing himself up in the hospital parking lot. Bothered by the incident, Dan begins to investigate the incident with Grimbridge's daughter Ellie (Stacey Nelkin, Bullets Over Broadway, The Twilight Zone). They travel to the small town of Santa Mira, home of the Silver Shamrock company. The town is practically abandoned other than the factory and it's workers. One night in their motel, a saleswoman for Silver Shamrock notices a small chip that falls off a mask. The chip shoots a laser into her face, burning her horribly and releasing bugs from her mouth. Dan and Ellie, who slept together the night before, receive a tour of the factory from the owner, Conal Cochran (Dan O'Herlihy, Robocop, Adventures Of Robinson Crusoe). Dan sees the men in suits near the factory and also notices Cochran's secretive “finishing” process for the masks. What does Conal Cochran have planned with his killer masks and will Dan be able to stop him in time?

"No, I'm not happy with my long-distance rates!"

Well, this is a pretty huge departure from the first two Halloween movies. And I mean that in more ways than one. Gone is the slasher theme, the large amount of gore and violence, the pacing, the fear, and just about everything that made the first two Halloween movies so good. I understand the desire to separate the third movie and I don't really have a problem with wanting to do something different. I have a problem with a story that is so convoluted it makes my head hurt. It's as if three or four different horror movies were blended together and someone forgot to have things make sense. I thought the movie was going to be something about supernatural masks that kill the wearers, but instead we have a goofy sci-fi plot with some magic thrown in for the hell of it. Cochran's plan is as confusing as it is silly. I still have no idea why the men in suits were needed in the movie, adding a strange and unnecessary subplot.

The first two Halloween movies had a lot of suspense and plenty of fears. Halloween 3 has neither. The middle is incredibly slow and devoid of atmosphere. There isn't much in the way of scares either. The movie is strictly by-the-numbers and, if not for the Halloween name, would probably have been lost to the campy 80's horror dustbin a long time ago. Co-writer John Carpenter manages to get in plenty of social commentary, taking shots at commercialism, consumerism, and marketing. It's good commentary that makes sense, though it comes wrapped in the extremely annoying theme music for Silver Shamrock's commercial. The acting is ok, but nothing special. Tom Atkins plays his usual tough and gruff self, which would have been fine if his character was a police officer or investigator. Instead, he's a doctor, but never really acts like it. The one truly good thing the movie does is the ending. I don't think I've seen a movie where I hated 99% of it, but loved the last 20 seconds. Those last 20 seconds were everything the movie wasn't. It was intense to the point where I was literally leaning forward in anticipation.

This calls for Green Jelly's "Rock And Roll Pumpkin"

Switching things up in Halloween may have been full of good intentions, but it ended up damaging the franchise to the point where they decided to just stick with Michael Myers. Halloween 3 did poorly at the box office and for good reason. The movie is simply not good. The story is all over the place, a hodge-podge of different ideas that don't work. There isn't a lot of action and almost no suspense or fear. The social commentary is good, but heavy at times. The movie isn't a total loss as the masks are cool to look at and the ending is intense. Sometimes it's good to mix things up, keeping a franchise fresh and interesting. Of course, having a good story helps.

3.5/10

Day 285: Day Of The Dead

Day Of The Dead

I can't wait for Afternoon Snack Time Of The Dead

It's no secret that I love zombie movies, particularly ones by George Romero. There is just something special about them with their mixture of violence, gore, believable characters, and social commentary that speaks to me. Say what you will about his recent efforts, but you will find yourself hard pressed to find anyone that hates Night Of The Living Dead and Dawn Of The Dead. It's the third movie in the “Dead” series that doesn't always receive universal praise. Is there something so wrong with the movie for it not to be as beloved as the first two?

Day Of The Dead is a 1985 zombie movie written and directed by George Romero (Monkey Shines, Bruiser) and serves as the third movie in the “...Of The Dead” series. The movie stars Lori Cardille (Tales From The Darkside, Ryan's Hope) as Dr. Sarah Bowman and Joseph Pilato (Pulp Fiction, Wishmaster) as Captain Rhodes. A short time after the events in Dawn Of The Dead, the world has been overrun with zombies. A small group of soldiers and scientists have holed-up in an underground military base in Florida. Sarah, along with helicopter pilot John (Terry Alexander, Conspiracy Theory, Deadline) mechanic McDermott (Jarlath Conroy, True Grit, Law & Order) and emotionally-fragile solider Miguel explore a city in hopes of finding any survivors but are only met by zombies. The lead scientist, Dr. Logan (Richard Liberty, The Crazies, Flight Of The Navigator), believes that the zombies can be trained to become docile and has been experimenting on undead specimens. Tensions grow between the scientists and soldiers as Logan's results fail to impress Captain Rhodes. During a mission to capture more zombies, two soldiers are killed and Miguel is bitten in the arm. Sarah amputates his arm, but is unsure if she stopped the infection in time. Rhodes calls for the experiments to be stopped, but Dr. Logan has been working with his prized experiment, whom he named Bub. Bub has show more progress than any other zombie, showing his ability to remember things from his life and learn new things. To reward bub, Dr. Logan has been feeding him body parts from deceased soldiers. When Captain Rhodes learns what has been happening, he takes his revenge out on the doctor, Sarah, John, and McDermott. Between the psychotic Rhodes and the swarms of killer zombies, how will they survive?

Aaahhh! Cold hands! Cold hands!

The third movie in a trilogy is always the most difficult one to pull off. People have fallen in love with the first two movies and expectations are sky-high for the final movie. Originally, George Romero wanted Day Of The Dead to be the “Gone With The Wind” of zombie films, but due to the budget being halved, the story had to be scaled back significantly. What we get instead is a zombie movie with a lot of talking, but still plenty of violence. When I say a lot of talking, I mean a lot of talking. The points made and the character development are all necessary, but they drag on a little too long in certain parts. The movie is only 100 minutes long but it feels much longer. The movie has plenty of Romero-style commentary on subjects ranging from sexism and racism to the military and the selfishness of man. Every good zombie movie requires social commentary and Day Of The Dead provides plenty. One difference I noticed between Day and the two previous films as that it was set in an unfamiliar place. Night Of The Living Dead took place in a house and Dawn Of The Dead took place mainly in a mall. Day, though was in a drab underground bunker. The first two movies had a familiarity in it's settings and allowed the audience to relate to the characters' situation. Here, we have scientists and soldiers safe underground. The struggle for survival is reduced because the characters are not the “everyman” like in the previous films.

Possibly the biggest success in the movie is the extreme violence and gore thanks to makeup and effects guru Tom Savini. Savini is at the top of his game with realistic blood and organs being strewn about like party decorations. The final half hour is full of incredible death scenes and show why CGI and computer effects can never replace traditional horror makeup. The zombies all look great and Romero manages to include some funny ones like a bride and a member of a marching band. Romero's direction is very good, capturing every emotion, every nuance, and every bit of disturbing violence. The acting is pretty good throughout, though I can see where some may dislike some of the soldiers. They can be seen as too over-the-top and goofy, but one could attribute their actions to their hopeless situation. If anything, they don't look like soldiers at all and you can even surmise that they are, in fact, not soldiers at all, though that is never actually implied. 

Zombie with a gun: The ultimate killing machine

Despite not being quite as good at Night and Dawn, Day Of The Dead is still a really, really good horror movie. There is a reason why the movie has a sequel and a remake as well as multiple references in music and pop culture. George Romero does a great job directing and the acting is good as well. The social commentary is solid and the story is enjoyable enough, though not as relatable as the first two movies. Tom Savini does a fantastic job with his makeup and effects. The zombies look great and the gore is still impressive to this day. The movie does tend to be a bit wordy and can feel much longer than it is, but overall, it's an extremely entertaining zombie movie.

8/10

Day 226: Monsters

Monsters

Looks like a fun horror movie, right? WRONG!

Political commentary is an important part of horror. Most movies have it, even the classics, though you may not notice it. This commentary can range from social issues such as women's rights and racial equality to political issues like healthcare and immigration. Most movies use this commentary as an undercurrent for the story itself, helping, but not overshadowing the horror itself. Dawn Of The Dead is a prime example of making many social points while still putting on an entertaining and fun zombie movie. Other movies, though, put the commentary front and center with less focus on horror.

Monsters is a 2010 science fiction horror movies starring Whitney Able (Remarkable Power, All the Boys Love Mandy Lane) as Samantha Wynden and Scoot McNairy (Bones, My Name Is Earl) as Andrew Kaulder. A few years ago, a NASA deep-space probe crash landed in Mexico, exposing the area to alien life forms. These life forms, which look like a giant octopus with insect legs, spread throughout the area, leading the United States to build a giant wall and quarantining the northern half of Mexico. Andrew is a photographer taking pictures in Mexico of the monster's devastation when he is hired by his wealthy employer to help his daughter Samantha escape Mexico. At first Andrew resists, but is pressured into taking the journey by Samantha's father. Samantha is engaged to be married, but has serious reservations about the man who is to be her husband. Andrew has a young son whom he loves, but rarely gets to see. Samantha plans to take a ferry back to the United States, but after forking over $5,000, they realize that their passports have been stolen. She gives her engagement ring in exchange for help crossing the border. Samantha and Andrew have to take various illegal means to get close to the border while dodging dangerous terrain and the monsters. As their journey continues, they grow close together, confiding in each other. When they reach the border, they find it deserted. As the cross into the States, they find an empty town that appears to have been hit by an air raid. Have the monsters made it across the wall and what will happen to Andrew and Samantha.

Smile! Your life has been ruined!

Monsters is probably more closely associated with science-fiction than horror, but there are just enough horror themes and tropes for it to make the cut. As I said before, it's important for a horror movie to have social commentary. Monsters decides to take that social commentary, shove entertainment out of the way, and bash the audience over the head with it. Believe me, I like social commentary. I studied political science and have worked in politics. I get it and appreciate it when it is done properly. The commentary in the movie is smart and well-thought out, but presented in such a way that made it difficult to sit through. I know what Writer/Director Gareth Edwards was going for, remarking on such things as immigration, the Drug War, Homeland Security, and the U.S. Government, but it's in such a heavy-handed way that professional wrestler Ronnie “Hands of Stone” Garvin should have gotten a production credit.

All of this commentary takes away from most of the scares in the film. The movie was made incredibly cheap which may explain why we rarely see the monsters. They look good, but we really should have seen them a lot more. I mean, the movie is called “Monsters”. Beyond the clever little commentary via the title, I want to see some fucking monsters, not skinny white people talking about their feelings. Most of the movie is just Samantha and Andrew wandering around, almost like a road/buddy movie without the humor. The scenery is pretty fantastic allowing the audience to at least look at something pretty while they're waiting for something to happen. It doesn't really occur as there is very little in the way of action. I found the characters of Samantha and Andrew fairly unpleasant, but not too annoying. Their blossoming love was far too convenient and not particularly believably. On the acting side, both Whitney Able and Scoot McNairy were fine. Not great, but fine.

Hey, put 'Jersey Shore' on!

Monsters is the type of movie other filmmakers love; All talk and very little action. I wish the budget had been bigger for this movie with more scenes of the monsters. It lacked the proper amount of action necessary for it to be entertaining. There are a few scary scenes and some suspense, but not nearly enough. The social commentary is smart, but there is just way too much of it. You are constantly slammed on all sides at all times by the messages. If you're not politically active, you may miss some of the references and ideas, but I don't have that luxury. As far as the story itself goes, it's nothing special and should have had more action. If you're a film school student, you'll probably appreciate it, but if you're looking for good horror and science fiction, look elsewhere.

4.5/10

Day 113: Night Of The Comet

Night Of The Comet

Good night and good luck

I was in the mood to watch a zombie movie, but the ones on Netflix all had terrible reviews. It's hard to gauge a movie based on the words of complete strangers on the internet. You have no idea if these people know what they're talking about or if they have some weird ax to grind with the filmmakers. Anything is possible. Sometimes the reviews are right and sometimes they're dead on. I didn't feel like taking a risk, so I decided to watch something that I had seen bits and pieces of in the past; Night Of The Comet.

Night Of The Comet is a 1984 sci-fi/horror/comedy starring Catherine Mary Steward (Weekend At Bernie's, The Last Starfighter) as Regina “Reggie” Belmont. Reggie is an 18 year old living in southern California with her younger sister, Samantha (Kelli Maroney, Fast Times At Ridgemont High, Chopping Mall). A comet is passing by the Earth and while most people are gathered outside to watch it, Reggie spends the night with her sort-of-boyfriend Larry in the projection room of the movie theater they work in. Unbeknownst to them, the comet has changed the Earth, altering the sky to a reddish haze and vaporizing almost everyone not protected by a lead shelter. The next day, as Larry leaves the theater, he is killed by a zombie who had not been completely turned into dust. Reggie fights off the zombie and makes it home, where she finds her sister still alive. Sam had spent the night in a shed after punching her stepmother in the face. They hear on the radio that a DJ is still alive and playing music and head to the station. There they find the station abandoned and that the DJ is actually automated. They find a survivor, a truck driver named Hector Gomez, at the station. Sam plays around with the DJ equipment and receives a phone call from survivors part of an underground think tank that were prepared for the comet. Hector leaves to check on his mother while the girls head to the mall for new clothes. They are attacked by a gang of men, but are saved by the soldiers and scientists from the think tank. Reggie goes to their compound while Sam is kept behind because the scientists believe she is succumbing to the comet's effects. At the underground compound, it is revealed that the scientists do not want to help Reggie, but just want to study her blood. Will Reggie and Hector be able to help the young children at the compound that have also survived and was Sam really sick from the comet?

Welcome to Ronald Reagan's wet dream

This movie is a lot of fun. While it is pretty light on the horror, it actually contains a lot of themes used in good horror movies, such as political commentary, doomsday scenarios, and questions of who the real enemy is. Night of the Comet draws from such horror and sci fi classics as Dawn of the Dead, The Omega Man, and Last Woman On Earth. It never gets bogged down in one genre, although I would have liked a bit more zombie action than what we were given. There's plenty of gunfire, but not a whole lot of violence and blood to speak of. The story is pretty basic, B-movie stuff, but that's ok because it never treats the audience poorly and does a good job of entertaining us.

Visually, the movie does an excellent job of convincing the audience that the world has died. It is actually startling to see a blue sky after seeing it be rust colored for the majority of the movie. Both Catherine Steward and Kelli Maroney put on great performances and have good chemistry together. It's the end of the world with almost no one alive, and they're still having discussions about boys, school, and clothes. The conversations are legitimately funny without coming off as dumbed-down or stupid. It's hard to tell nowadays how much of the movie is satirical and how much of it is legitimate. For example, when the girls go to the mall and shop around, Cyndi Lauper's “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” plays in the background. Nowadays, that comes off as funny and ironic, but keep in mind, that song was brand new when this movie came out. Either way, the scene still works, I just think its cool that it adds a new level to the film. Not a lot of movies can say that.

Zombie mustache. That is all.

Night Of The Comet is a fun genre-masher of a B-movie. It is deeply trenched in 80's culture, but only feels slightly dated. The smart script, funny dialogue, and good chemistry between the main actors help push the movie beyond the usual pit falls of apocalypse movies. Sadly, there isn't much direct horror in the movie, with zombies getting only a few short scenes, but they do employ the use of horror themes. Overall, it's a fun and entertaining movie. Take that, Netflix reviews.

7.5/10

Day 107: The Host

The Host

With the most

We're going international for this day's edition of 365 Days of Horror. South Korea to be exact. Why Japan has hogged the spotlight for Asian horror, South Korea really raised the bar with this monster movie. A mixture of science fiction, horror, slapstick, and heart-felt emotion make The Host a film to be reckoned with.

The Host (also known as Gwoemul) tells the story of a dysfunctional Korean family. An American army scientist tells his Korean assistant to pour formaldehyde and other chemicals down the drain. The assistant warns him that the drain leads to the Han River, but the scientist doesn't care. Cut to a few years later and a giant mutated fish/tadpole creature now lives in the river. Park Gang-du works in a snack bar along the river with his father, Hee-bong. Gang-du has a young daughter named Hyun-seo, an alcoholic unemployed brother named Nam-il and medalist archer sister Nam-joo. Gang-do is a bit slow and sleeps a lot, but he loves his father and daughter. The creature emerges from the water, terrorizing and eating unsuspecting visitors. Gang-du and an American soldier fight the creature, but cannot stop it. Hyun-seo is grabbed by the creature and believed to have died. The family comes together at a memorial to mourn her death and are taken by the government for testing. They are believed to be infected with a virus from the creature and are isolated. Gang-du receives a late night cell phone call from Hyun-seo saying she is stuck in a large sewer somewhere. Gang-do tries to tell the police, but they do not believe him. The family escapes the treatment facility and begins to search the sewers from Hyun-seo. In their search, they encounter the beast and Hee-bong is killed while Gang-do is captured by police. Nam-il contacts a friend who is able to trace Hyun-seo's cell phone, but is pursued by people who want to turn him in for a reward. Gang-do is taken to another treatment facility where he overhears that that is no virus and both the American and Korean governments are perpetuating the myth. Gang-do receives a frontal lobotomy, but is able to escape afterwards. Will Gang-du, Nam-il and Nam-joo be able to say Hyun-seo and stop the monster?

I'd be running in the opposite direction

I truly believe that for a horror movie to be great, it needs to have social commentary and The Host has plenty of it. The movie hits on environmentalism, government distrust, conspiracies, chemical warfare, and government ineptitude. For example, the Korean government uses a chemical named “Agent Yellow” (a thinly-veiled reference to Agent Orange used in the Vietnam War). This is similar to the Japanese monster movies, such as Godzilla, Mothra, and Rodan. Like a good Romero movie, The Host gets the audience to question who the real villain is in the movie. The good thing about The Host is that it also includes humor and slapstick to keep the movie from plunging into political theater. There is always a concern that movies from another country will not translate well, especially for an American audience. While there are some cultural nuances and differences, you never feel lost or out of place while watching The Host.

The monster looks absolutely fantastic thanks to a few different teams involved with it's creation. It was designed by Chin Wei-chan, modeled by Weta Workshops, animatronics created by John Cox's Workshop, and the CGI was done by The Orphanage. Despite having a lot of horror chefs in the monster kitchen, the creature is both original and scary looking. Unlike many other monster films, the creature is seen very early in the film and has multiple scenes in broad daylight. The acting is very good throughout the film, with Song Kang-ho putting on a good performance as Gang-du. He is able to capture the both the humor and tragedy of his character very well. The supporting family cast also does a fine job of mixing drama and some comedy. The movie clocks in at close to 2 hours, so your are required to commit some time to watching it, but it never drags.

"Oh jeez, he's behind me, isn't he? Well, this is embarrassing!"

For my first Korean horror movie, I am so glad I chose to watch The Host. It is entertaining, exciting, scary, and funny. The political commentary is solid without ever being overly preachy or ham-fisted. The monster looks great, and despite having a limited budget, never looks particularly fake. Director Bong Joon-ho does a great job along with his actors in making a wide-ranging horror movie. Defintely see The Host if you get the chance. You won't regret it.

9.5/10