Tag: 31 Scary Movies

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…

31 Scary Movies: ‘Ringu’

Jeff Mitchell

“Ringu” (1998) – “The Ring” (2002) starring Naomi Watts terrified audiences, but it was a remake of the Japanese original.  Whether or not one has seen the American version, director Hideo Nakata’s picture is a must-see. As the film begins, teenage girls Tomoko (Yuko Takeuchi) and Masami (Hitomi Sato) joke around and gossip about boys while Tomoko’s parents are out watching a baseball game.  It’s late at night, so, of course, trading ghost stories seems completely appropriate, but the two get deadly serious when they realize the premise of a particular…