Do Your Thing Cuz! Texas Chainsaw 3D Review

It's taken me a few days to write this review because I wanted to make sure what I said wasn't based off of the high from coming out of a movie theater with a bunch of people at 2 in the morning. I wanted to make sure that I wrote an honest review and here it is. 

Let me set the scene for you guys. I went to the 12:10am showing of the film on Friday. This is one of the bigger theaters around my area and the only one with a late showing (I had to leave work early to make it on time). By the time they let us into the theater it was about 12, so we still had 10 minutes. What is it about late night showings that make people feel the need to let loose and act like complete morons? My boyfriend and I were the first into the theater and we scored the top seats that are two together with no seats next to us. Over to the side there were another row of 5 seats where a bunch of "youths" (okay, I can't really say that because they looked like they were in their 20's which doesn't make it any better.) Anyway, this was the most obnoxious group I've ever had to endure and I'm actually surprised that I lasted so long without saying something. They took pictures with the flash on, they continually laughed and made noises and ended up talking throughout the whole first half of the movie. Finally, security came up and told them they were being too loud and this was their last warning but unfortunately there was only about 20 minutes left of the film at that point. 

Now, back to the feature presentation. Texas Chainsaw 3D is the sequel to 1974's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Starring Alexandra Daddario, Dan Yeager, Trey Songz, along with appearances from Bill Moseley and Gunner Hansen, the film starts right where the first one ends. The entire opening credits showcases all the kill shots from the original in 3D. Which leads me on another tangent; 3D. I honestly thought the 3D was pretty damn good in the film. Normally, I'm against 3D in horror 100%. And while they probably released it in 3D so that we could have chainsaws coming right at us, I thought the 3D didn't take anything away from the movie. It was a little delight for me. But that's just me. 

Now, I liked the film. I thought it was pretty good. Not many people have been saying that. Every review I've seen so far has talked about how terrible it is. But, for a movie that does have some plot holes and a little problem with the timeline, I thought it was a pretty damn fun flick.  The movie starts off with the Sheriff showing up at the Sawyers' home, demanding that they turn over Leatherface for the crimes he committed. While the Sawyers' come to that agreement, the town rednecks come in their trucks and decide to basically make a citizen's arrest but resort to blowing the family to smithereens, then setting the place on fire, killing everyone in the house (or so they think.) One of the rednecks finds a baby and him and his wife decide to take care of her without anyone knowing who she was.

Fast forward to 2012 where the baby is all grown up. Heather (Alexandra Daddario) is in her 20's and receives a letter from the family's lawyer telling her she inherited a house from her grandmother; one she never knew about. She decides to take the trip to Texas with her friends and boyfriend to check out the place, and thus begins Texas Chainsaw 3D. 

My first problem with the film is the time line. If the baby was born in 1974 or even 1973, Heather would be almost 40 years old in 2012.  Yet, Heather doesn't look a day over 21. They could've set the movie in the 90's but I guess that would mean they couldn't incorporate some of the scenes into that. But, if you don't think about it too much, it isn't really a problem. 

What I liked about the film was how fun it was. I don't think the film takes itself too seriously and that's something that fits with a film like this. There are just fun little scenes in that had me laughing and cheering and that's always something that you want with movies featuring so much death and gore. While you don't care about the cast of teens too much, you know they're just there for the body count. You really only need to focus on Heather and Leatherface and it all comes together in the end.

So I say give the film a chance. Not everyone is going to like it. Some people might downright hate it. But let me leave you with this thought:

Anything is better than the Nightmare on Elm Street remake. 

A Year in Review: 2012

I'm not sure if its actually normal to talk about a specific year in review if the year has just recently passed but I'm going to do it anyways!

2012 was a mixture of really great memories to really shitty situations but nevertheless, I survived it! With some great horror memories along the way. So here it is: 

Memories of 2012: Horror Edition.

40oz. of Horror!

2012 was the year of the horror podcast for me. And it took me quite some time to actually find one that I really enjoyed and actually looked forward to. And that one was 40oz. of Horror. Like the shirt says, "Drunken news and horror reviews podcast" which I just realized sort of rhymes! News...reviews...nevermind I'm rambling. Anyways, the first episode I ever listened to was titled "Friday the 13th Edition: The Cabin in the Woods" and was hooked since then. Of course, I had caught up with the rest of the podcasts probably a day or two after listening and I had tears streaming down my face from laughing so much. The hosts; Chad and James, always deliver the news and reviews while managing to make you laugh in the process. And it's not just a podcast that reads you something that is on a piece of paper. These guys start discussions and really know their stuff. They introduced me to films that I didn't even think I would ever take the time to watch. Their opinions actually matter to me and their listeners really matter to them. The whole crew; Chad, James and Brandon are the easiest people to get in touch with on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (feel free to follow them @40ozofhorror). They answer your Twitter questions pretty fast and even mention them in the current episodes. And who can forget the alcohol portion of the podcast? Boozin' Gone Bad has become pretty big and is a highlight of the show. Listeners can send in their worst drinking stories to the 40oz of Horror cast for a chance to have it read out loud. And I gotta say, these stories are the best. Subscribe to 40oz of Horror on itunes and listen for yourself. But all in all, I love these guys. I am always looking forward to new episodes (waiting on the end of the year one guys...) and I'm really glad that I stumbled upon them in 2012. Maybe I'll be able to get an actual interview with them on here someday soon? (hint hint)

Rock and Shock 2012!

I attended my first ever horror convention in good 'ol Worcester MA. For my first ever convention, it blew my expectations out of the water. I had a fantastic time. I was in awe of all the amazing people that came to celebrate the genre we all love. And meeting some of my horror idols was....nothing short of amazing. Especially Heather Langenkamp. I had grown up watching A Nightmare on Elm Street and never in my life did I ever think I would meet her. My 10 year old self would have probably had a heart attack like I almost did standing in line to meet her. I didn't even know what to say to her! I was just in awe. These celebrities are so cool and so nice to their fans. Along with her I got to meet another idol Bill Moseley who is such a nice guy and is obviously nothing like Otis. I stood in line shaking because I was going to be meeting the guy who scared the complete shit out of me in House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects. And he was just like an uncle that you always want around. And at the last minute, I got to meet Adam Green and Joe Lynch.  Secretly I've been in love with Adam Green for quite some time so this was pretty awesome for me. But just the two of them in general are so personable and likable and just amazing. I had never seen their show Holliston before but I decided to buy the first season and they ended up signing it for me, along with getting into a picture together. Since then, I have been a HUGE fan and supporter of Holliston. If you haven't seen it yet, you can watch it FOR FREE on Hulu. Check out the Christmas Special that was just released. It's pretty special. I also left with some pretty sweet stuff. Re-Animator on Blu Ray and Excision on DVD, TONS of posters, as well as a tshirt, some magazines and a lot more. All in all, it was probably one of the greatest weekends of my life and I will definitely be going again this year. 

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon!

2012 was the year that I first got a hold of Behind the Mask. My boyfriend and I had put the movie on as background noise while we worked on some of our papers and projects for our classes but ended up ignoring our work and watching the film instead. One word to describe Behind the Mask: captivating. Leslie Vernon is one of those characters that you just can't seem to take your eyes off of. He bounces from happy go lucky to serial killer in seconds and it's just mesmerizing. He's the one person you're rooting for throughout the whole movie and I'm so so glad that I had decided to pick that as the movie to watch. I know I'm a little bit late to the party but hey, there are people out there who had never seen Re-Animator until this year (ahem, my boyfriend Ryan) and we all let that slide right? I put this on my list of memories because I was introduced to one of my favorite horror movies of all time. I am also very proud of the poster above because one, it's totally kickass, and two, it was signed by Leslie Vernon himself: Nathan Baesel. The funny thing is, I never expected that. I had just ordered the poster because I wanted it and I wanted my money to go towards the making of the sequel Before the Mask: The Return of Leslie Vernon. Sidenote: Why the hell is it taking so long to make? Why aren't more people supporting the movie? Seriously, how can you not be in love with it? I would definitely like more progress for Before the Mask this year, guys. C'mon. 

So maybe there weren't too many horror memories of this year. A few little ones would be my first purchase of Horrorhound Magazine which started my obsession with the magazine and ended up buying most of the issues (including the super rare 2009 convention special with Elvira on the cover and the rare Halloween issue). I started ghost hunting and finally went to the Hanson TB Hospital where I was able to take many pictures and just enjoy a scary, abandoned hospital. R.L. Stine replied to my tweet, along with Adam Green after I congratulated him on the success of the Holliston Christmas Special. I purchased my first Fright Rags tshirt for myself; the only other shirt I got from there was a Maximum Overdrive one that went to Ryan for his birthday. I spent the majority of my bank account on posters, blu rays and other collectibles. And I don't regret a single thing.

So what do I look forward to in 2013? Monster Mania in Cherry Hill, NJ, the crazy amount of horror movies being released this year, Rock and Shock, the return of The Walking Dead and American Horror Story, as well as Holliston. And on top of all of that, my main goal this year is to finally make a horror film that I have been dying to do since I was a kid. Let's see if that works out.

Happy New Year everyone! You'll be seeing more of me!