Horrorfest 2016 Presents: Stung (2015, Benjamin Diez)

Made in the fine tradition of killer insect movies, Benjamin Diez’s Stung is gross, shocking, outlandish and entertaining. Even if the main plot is kind of flimsy, the setting is great: two young people cater a party for an elderly rich woman at a creepy ancient mansion, and killer wasps show up. Well they are mutant wasps, of course, although the hilariously deadpan mayor played by the legendary Lance Henriksen doesn’t think it matters if they’re bees, wasps, whatever. Matt O’Leary as Paul and Jessica Cook as Julia happen to be the young folks trapped in a bad situation, and things just get worse from there. Because if you get stung or bit by one of those monstrous insects, you end up changing into one. And that is if they don’t eat you, first. I am reminded of several other, notable and more famous horror films, yet even I cannot overcome my disgust of bugs. Most people hate and fear insects, and often for good reason.

Despite Henriksen really being the only professional here, I did like both O’Leary and Paul, who had good chemistry together despite their characters ignoring it the entire movie. A good love story adds to the film, which is good since I was a tad disappointed at times, since the trailer builds it up to be way scarier. Also I think I am tired of horror films having an obvious “Supposed to be shocking” conclusion that pops up after the film should have ended. However, as modern horror goes this is still a fun popcorn flick, and I believe it is still available on Netflix.

Horrorfest 2016 Presents: Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015, Christopher B. Landon)

Ah the Scouting life. I am an Eagle Scout, something that depending on the people you talk to is either something cool, or something really dorky. I enjoyed my time in the Scouts fully, and I made some good friends along the way. Despite this movie being cheesy, way too focused on gore at times, and rather outrageous, I still liked its spirit and its heart. Also this film centered on a trio of friends, and these three guys help add to the film’s strong comedy elements, which outweigh most of its horror elements. I am also very heavily biased towards the zombie genre, and therefore am prone to liking many of the ones I watch every year. Ben, Augie, and Carter are a bunch of goofy Scout members who have been Scouting for years. Naturally two of them are thinking quitting (not really hard to figure out which ones), and they cannot bring themselves to tell the one who is very happy with the status quo. Having been young once upon a time its easy to identify with all three teenagers, and so even without the zombies this film has plenty on its plate already.

Oh and having David Koechner as their Scout leader is a great touch, especially since he kind of reminds me of past Scout leaders. What happens to him is both crazy and funny in a horrible sort of a way, and this humorous part along with the cause of the zombie outbreak sets the tone for the rest of the movie. Tye Sheridan as Ben proves to be a solid leading man for the film, and I actually liked that the young people in this movie, save for a few, actually look like they are in high school. Well that and also the main problem in many zombie movies: the military showing up, freaking out, and deciding that bombing the area is the solution. Also that having Scouts to defend you is a good thing, since they know how to build weapons and other things. This could be a new favorite of mine, and is recommended as a fun time at the movies. Sometimes fun is a good thing.

Horrorfest 2016 Presents: We Are Still Here (2015, Ted Geoghegan)

Barbara Crampton is the official actress of my Horrorfest. She’s been in a lot of famous and notable horror films, one of her latest being the creepy modern classic horror flick We Are Still Here. This film is one big wonderfully gory and frightening homage to 1980s horror films. I also love how this movie utilizes empty and quiet spaces, reminding the viewer how the mundane and the everyday can be truly unsettling.

Anne (Crampton) and Paul (Andrew Sensenig) are a grieving couple who lost their son in a car accident. Moving into an old New England house is supposed to aid then in grieving, yet instead it leaves them open to attack from dark forces beyond the grave. It’s interesting how this film also manages to move across different horror sub genres with ease.

Oh and that last act is truly something else. I didn’t expect this film to be so violent, and I was also amused by Larry Fessenden, one of the few directors to be a decent actor. We Are Still Here is tragic, comedic, terrifying and memorable. I’m a sucker for haunted house movies. This one is more than just that, in spades.