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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

The Alphabet Killer: Review

Welcome back for our third movie review! I hope you are enjoying these as much as I am enjoying watching them all... okay maybe I am not enjoying watching some of these movies, but I so enjoy ripping them apart. Our third movie is The Alphabet Killer staring, yes there are actual people you know in this one, Eliza Dushku and Timothy Hutton. It is loosely based on real murders in Upstate New York.

Synopsis: Dushku plays a homicide detective who gets overly obsessive over her cases especially her last one. She is diagnosis with Schizophrenia and is not only taken off the case, but become a record clerk. She still obsesses over the case of the double letter murders because they happen two more times. Her former boss and fiance allow her to help out with the case on finding this killer. The killer's signature is he rapes and kills young girls who initials start with the same letters and then dumps their body in a town with the same letter. Like Wanda Williams found in Williamsburg (this is not an actual person or place in the movie just using it for an example). 


Review: Eliza Dushku has appeared in several horror movies so you would think this one would be a decent one. Well, you're right. This movie was decent, but that's about it. It isn't anything different from any of your other serial killer movies. This one is nothing different, you have the obsessive or aggressive detective/cop out to catch the bad guy. You have the multiple suspects that keep you guessing who done it and usually they are right under the nose of the cop. In the end they get away because they always do so they could have a sequel...


The acting is decent since we have actual professional actors and actresses and never was things over done. The movie really isn't scary as is suspenseful and action packed. The only parts that were creepy and could get scary was when Dushku's character was having visions about the girls who were killed. This isn't anything new, but I don't know what it is about little girls with black out eyes that make it creepy. 


So if you like suspenseful movies about serial killers than I think you will like this movie. There's nothing that makes it stand out from all the others, but it is pretty decent and if you like movies that are based on true stories then you will like this one. 


NOTE: Now the real alphabet killer was never caught. He killed 3 young girls with the same initials like I mentioned in the synopsis. He committed these crimes in the early 1970s where as the movie takes place in modern times. There were a few people of interest that the cop had, but all of them were cleared of having any involvement. One interesting person that was a suspect was Kenneth Bianchi, who was an ice cream vender in Rochester. His vendor location was near two of the murder sites. What makes him interesting is that his cousin was Angelo Buono. Both of these men are known as the Hillside Strangers. Those crimes were committed after the alphabet murders.

Thanks for stopping by and watching the reviews.

Q & A with Fallen Bettie

Who is this Fallen Bettie? Well, that's what I am here to tell you. Here is some answers that I think most of you will find interesting. If you have any other questions to ask feel free to e-mail me or leave a comment on this post. Thanks for stopping by!

Q: Why the name Fallen Bettie?
A: I have always loved the 1950's and the whole rockabilly genre. Girls back then who were beautiful were called betties. I love pin-ups and just find the name bettie to hold a lot of meaning to how a woman should feel. Fallen is a name I have used for years and I find that it goes along with Bettie because, well I am anything but a Bettie. Never was one of those girls, but that's okay I like who I am. 


Q: What was the first horror movie you saw?
A: Well, I'm not sure if there were any that I saw when I was real young and just forgot about them, but I believe the first horror movie I saw was Scream. I did watch the Adams Family and the Munsters when I was a kid, but those aren't exactly scary horror, more like funny haha horror. Anyway, I saw Scream back when it first came out on VHS, yes, VHS, I know what tapes and record players are. I remember enjoying it and thinking that I needed to watch more horror movies. 


Q: When did you get into horror?
A: Back when I started high school, every other girl seemed to be into chick flicks and boybands. I too was into boy bands, but as I saw more and more girls go crazy for these things. As this went on I decided to find something else to get into because I just didn't like where I saw things go. My carpool would listen to metal and as I got into that I also got into horror movies. My best friend and I would pay money to go watch horrible horror movies like Jason X, Jason VS Freddy and so many more. As we watched these movies i started to rent them at the video store, before Netflix existed. If it sounded interesting or the cover looked good I would rent it. Most of them were bad, but I still enjoyed watching them. Especially if I have someone to make fun of them with me. 


Q: Zombies, Werewolves, Vampires, or other movie monsters?
A: Honestly, I am not sure where these movie monsters are heading. Vampires, werewolves and zombies are all popular thanks to certain movies that have come out recently. I will say that I do not get the whole zombie craze, not at all. With vampires I find them interesting, but Twilight only makes me fear where that genre of horror movies are going to go. The movie monster I like the best is Frankenstein. From what I have seen of the movies with Frankenstein he's the monster that I feel is represented the best without doing him more harm. 


Q: All time favorite horror movie?
A: That's a hard one, there's some that I want to put in the horror genre, but they are more suspense/thriller movies. With that said I will give one that I was that got me to love horror and the old black and white movies. Psycho, would have to be my favorite. It got me into loving Alfred Hitchcock movies and horror movies. I know by today standards it's nothing special, but back then the special effects and the idea of a man dressing up like his mother. There is just so much nostalgic with that movie. I think it open the door for current horror and suspense directors. 


Q: Original or remake?
A: Now I have not seen every original and every remake, but from what I have seen I have to say I like the originals better. If you have seen some of the more recent remakes you will see that they are not really remakes, but a modern adaptation or just another addition to the series. So in a way they aren't really remakes. 


Q: Haunted houses, Yay or nay?
A: I have only been to one "haunted house" in my life and I will say they can be a lot of fun. Some of them are real crappy looking or they get in trouble for touching people when they are not suppose to. Movies don't usually scare me, but if done right a haunted house could. Of course I mean the haunted housed that come out for Halloween only, not the real one. 


Q: Worse horror movie you've ever seen?
A: Hm... I have yet to dig deep into movie watching, but out of what I have seen The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity tie for the worse. If you have read my review on 8213: Gacy House, then you will already know this. I find them a way try to make fast money, but most of them are obviously fake. The acting is horrible, the lack of special effects or if there is any they are simple as ketchup for blood. I just do not think they are worth time and or money. 


Q: Do you believe in ghosts?
A: Simple answer yes. Since I was young I have always believed in ghosts and felt them when I have been at certain places. I don't believe that all of us become ghosts or that all places are haunted, but I do believe there are ghosts and haunted places. 


Q: Favorite horror genre?
A: I don't have a favorite per say, but I do like the old black & white movies of the horror classics. They are so raw and real to me as opposed to the movies we see now in the horror genre. 


Q: Horror music/ haunted house soundtrack?
A: I have to say that psychobilly/rockabilly music is perfect for setting that spooky night. With bands like The Creepshow and The Brains, you get drawn into it. You feel like there's something out there watching you, waiting for you to be alone. 


Q: Do you like horror books?
A: I haven't had much time to read for fun, but I grew up reading Goosebumps and Fear Street books. I have started to read the Sookie Stachouse books. I also plan on reading Dracula and Frankenstein, I have never read those books, but I have seen so many movies about them. 


Q: Opinion on the vampire fad?
A: In all honestly vampires have been "hot" for years, I think it all started with Interview with a Vampire. With Twilight it just went all crazy. I am all for reinventing vampires, but I am not sure I like where it's going. Vampires sparkles?! What the hell!! I like the show's Supernatural's take on how they can go out at day, they just get nasty sunburns if they are out for too long. Or how beheading them is the only way to kill them, or with dead man's blood. That's interesting, sparkling vampires are not. I also don't know why know teen girls are so madly in love with vampires, they are not romantic as they think they are. 


Q; Anything paranormal you do not like?
A: Yes, actually. Aliens. I don't really believe in them, and steer clear of any movies about them. I just don't get them and have a hard time believing they existed. I know I believe in ghosts and the loch ness monster, but not aliens. I never had believed in them and it will take a lot to ever get me to believe in them. 


Alright that will be it for the Q & A session, please feel free to ask me more questions I will either pile them up into a part two or just edit this one with the later questions. 

Monday, May 30, 2011

8213: Gacy House: Review


Why oh why are people still trying to make “real” documentaries about some witch, serial killer or haunted house, with crappy acting, bad shaky cameras and not scary at all. Well to me they suck. I know Blair Witch shocked audiences and made a killing in the box office as well as Paranormal Activity, but still not all movies that are done this way are meant to be good. Yes, we enjoy watching paranormal shows like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures, we understand the camera angles are not great because they are not always held by a camera crew, but leave this kind of thing to the professionals.

With this said the synopsis to 8213: Gacy House is about a group of people going to spend the night at house that is build over where Gacy’s House was, since that house was tare down after the police searched his house of the bodies of his victims that be hid under the floorboards. So this group of people: psychologist, investigators and wiccans. This is what I think these people are, they never really describe who these people are. What happen all that is left is the tapes from this investigation and all the people died. So pretty much, they are trying to get Gacy to come out and see what they can capture on film.

Review: Where do I start?! This movie is just bad. Nothing about it is good. As I said they are trying to make money off the “real” documentary where everyone dies scheme. Yes, it has worked in the past, but not all do. I honestly cannot think of anything in the movie that was good. The acting was all right, the effects are nothing too hard to create and I just was not scared of drawn into what was going on. I think if a paranormal group, a professional on went to this house I would be more excited and interested than I was with this movie.

So, if you don’t want to waste your time, then don’t watch it. If you have nothing better else to do and this movie is calling to you or I got your curiosity up, then by all means go ahead and watch it. I did warn you though. If you want to let me know what you think, then please do. I always want to hear what followers/victims think. 

NOTE: In the video I said John William Gacy, his name is John Wayne Gacy. 

With that said I did do a small video review. Please watch it and let me know what you think.


Things to Come

Sorry all that I have not been posting anything new. I have been busy with some things for work and haven't had time to update. I do want to let you know what movies I am going to start writing/recording reviews of and some topics I have already been thinking about discussing.

First, I am going to write a review of 8213: Gacy House. It won't be a long one since there isn't much to review, but I figured people might want to know what it's about. Second to come or maybe first because of timing I will discuss Vincent Price's best movies... in my own opinion. As you can see from the review queue  I have several to review and Mr. Price's birthday was this past Friday, May 27th. So I might once again push back the Gacy review and do a post about one of the great men in Horror/Suspense thriller/Macabre movies. Doesn't hurt that he's pretty good looking as well.

I also am planning on doing a topic/review on original VS remakes. I have not seen them all, but with movies like Nightmare on Elm Street Being redone and My Bloody Valentine, why not watch both original and the remake to see which really is better. I also might turn it into a weekly battle where you guys decide which is better. I'll just have to wait and see how this goes, since I am not getting many people stopping by... geez even the Adams had more people stopping by their creepy house.

I am also planning on making my way through all the horror series like Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Saw, Scream an any other that come up or people suggest. This way you will know what the whole thing is about and whether certain parts of the series are worth your time or can you just skip some of them. I can already think of a few that I wish I had skipped because they got that bad...

So that is what I have up in the works hopefully I will have a review up soon, more than likely it will be a written one and not a video post. Again, thanks for stopping by and please do let me know what you think of it.

Friday, May 27, 2011

The Human Centipede: Review

I was actually planing on reviewing a different movie for my first review, but I decided to do this movie instead. It's been a hot topic between friends of mine and I have been curious to see what all the hype was about. It got me even more curious after watching the South Park Episode where they mention the movie and make fun of Apple at the same time. So I had to see what everyone was talking about.

Synopsis: The movie takes place someplace in Germany. Two America female tourists are on a road trip throughout Europe and they are on their way to a night club, when they get a flat tire and are stranded. They don't know a word of German and have no idea where they are. They unfortunately find a house where this doctor is willing to help them get a car so they can go back to their hotel. Of course that does not happen. Instead he drugs them and prepared them to join an Asian male to be a new pet, a human centipede.

Review: Now I will say that my expectations of the movie were sent very high. I was thinking that it was going to be gritty and gory like the Saw movies or House of a Thousand Corpses. This movie was too clean. It was surgical clean and lacking any decent gore. I honestly thought based on people's opinions of the movie that it was going to show the actual surgery. It didn't. There was the scene of him pulling out two teeth and making the cut on one of the girl's butt, but nothing that bad. Even the blood is minimal. There is blood and not a tiny bit, but not too excessive either. 


I thought the idea was interesting and I think that's where it got people. It was more of a psychological horror, than a sadistic gory movie. I think the idea of people being trapped and surgically attached to other is kind of horrific, but I didn't get my fear meter up. I just watched as an outsider. I could not place myself in this and maybe that's where I differ from other people. They could imagine themselves stuck in that house and stuck to two other people, with no hope of escape. It was trying to play with emotions, but I just could not get roped in. 


Another thing I thought was odd was there was no build up or experimentation on how this doctor got into wanting to attach people. If you have ever watched anything on serial killers there are definite signs and events that lead up to the bigger events. So there should be experiments with other animals and what not before he went to the dogs and the humans. While the guy was a surgeon I doubt that he was able to be successful twice in two large mammals.


I also thought it was weird that he took the time when the police came to his house to hide the picture of his dogs, but not all the paintings and pictures of siamese twins. They were creepy and definably something I would notice and get a clue I should leave ASAP. I think it was something to show he was a bit crazy, but not something explained of his fascination of Siamese twins.


So overall the movie wasn't bad, the quality was decent better than a lot of B-Horror movies. The acting was decent as well, there was not a time I thought that they were not actually attach together. The acting wasn't horrible, but as I said I was not drawn into the movie as I have with others. 


So I say if you want to see it, but didn't because like me you thought there was going to be a lot of gore, then go ahead and watch it. If you are not sure if you can handle watching a movie with the idea of being attached to two other people, then maybe you should just skip it. 


EDIT: I'm adding the video review I did. Tell me if you liked it

Welcome to the Horror House

Welcome to my Horror House!! I am Fallen Bettie your host of this blog and home. Please have a seat in front of the screen, relax with a nice glass of blood and enjoy the snacks. I hope to give you a better understand of what makes a good horror movie. I won't interrupt with annoying banter or jokes. I will let you watch the movie on your own and you can listen to be later about what I thought. Or you can read my review and watch the movie if you like what I have to say about it.

I will tell you all about who I am later. I just want to welcome you to my blog/home and let you know that I am looking forward to your suggestions on what movies I should watch.

Here's a little video I made to welcome you all!!! Enjoy!!