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Under discussion:

Penny Dreadful  (2006)

Here we go again. "Penny Dreadful" wasn't a complete waste of time and maybe that had something to do with the competent cast. The acting was some of the best coming out of this "Horrorfest" series so far, and I've actually seen almost all of them from 2006's festival. There were some genuinely creepy scenes, but throughout most of the film I just kept thinking, "How smart is it to keep popping downers when you are being tormented by a raw-meat-kabob eating psycho?" What would happen if the heroine actually used some common sense and didn't act like such a ninny? I guess it would be a pretty short film. This was one that I actually enjoyed for the most part. 

Under discussion:

The Hamiltons  (2006)

I have really tried to come at these films with an openmind, but the "8 Films to Die For" series really suck. I'm glad that I waited for them to be released on dvd instead of overpaying to be disappointed at the theaters. Maybe the ambiance of the movie house setting would have helped these films seem more frightening, but I seriously doubt it. 

The Hamiltons was not the worst, but it sucked just the same. Poor acting by most of the cast (the twins were okay), a real stretch of a story and the gore factor was lacking. The end was a real letdown, as I was expecting a real monster. Maybe I'm just too dense to see the "true underlying remark on society", but hey, I'm here to be entertained, not enlightened.

Boo!! Hiss!!

Under discussion:

Ichi the Killer  (2001)

This was my introduction to Takashi Miike films and I was hooked right from the start. I watched this film three times back to back (got to love Showtime's rotation) and then I purchased it and passed it out to all of my friends. Some people just can't take a joke.  

The brutality. The gore. The comedic relief. This is what great films are made of. I will never eat shrimp tempura with the same zeal and pleasure again.

One of my all-time favorite films ever!

Under discussion:

Masters of Horror: Dance of the Dead  (2005)

"I love the dead, before they're cold. They're rotting flesh for me to hold."

There aren't too many actors able to pull off a scene like Robert Englund did in "Dance of the Dead". Only a true master can make you believe he is doing the unbelievable, like having oral sex with a dead girl. Truely a master. Much like Richard Matheson who penned the original tale many years ago. The story is brilliant and frightening. The "new and improved" story is a bit lacking and even with the new bits it has it's let downs. That being said, it is still by far one of the better Masters of Horror episodes.