Tag: 31 Days of Horror

31 Scary Movies: ‘Open Water’

Jeff Mitchell

“Open Water” (2003)  – How many people never really got the hang of treading water? Please note that this critic is raising his hand.  After 15 seconds or so in the deep end, where is the edge of pool, STAT? Well, imagine needing to tread water in the middle of the ocean for a lot longer than 15 seconds.  A lot longer.  For Susan (Blanchard Ryan) and Daniel (Daniel Travis), keeping their heads above water in the deep blue sea is the least of their problems. These two career-minded 30-somethings…

31 Scary Movies: ‘Shadow of the Vampire’

Jeff Mitchell

“Shadow of the Vampire” (2000) – Director E. Elias Merhige’s movie is about a filmmaker (John Malkovich) making a movie with an eccentric star (Willem Dafoe).  Sounds simple enough and not out of the ordinary, because what movie actor or actress isn’t at least a little eccentric? Well, not so simple. Merhige’s eye-popping fantasy-biopic doubles as a horror film, because Malkovich plays director FW Murnau who attempts to make 1922’s “Nosferatu”, and Dafoe is actor Max Schreck who plays the chalky-white, long-nailed Count Orlok.  The rub?  Murnau claims that Schreck…

31 Scary Movies: ‘Audition’

Jeff Mitchell

“Audition” (1999) – The dating world isn’t easy in 2018.  Just ask anyone who has tried to meet their significant other on Match.com.  Hey, it may work out for a few lucky souls, but more often than not, it is a minefield. Well, back in 1999, dating apps were not invented yet, and Shigehiko Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi), a widower for seven years, cannot seem to connect anyone.  His friend Yasuhisa Yoshikawa (Jun Kunimura) suggests an unusual and fraudulent approach to meet plenty of young women and perhaps his soulmate.  Well, it…