New Year

Antisocial (2013)

I thought I’d start my 366 days of horror with a movie about New Year’s Eve…and the dangers of social media.

Okay, so it’s mostly about the latter and only minimally about the former, but it’s great. Take several young, relatively unknown actors with a decent amount of talent and working chemistry, add in a virus that turns its infected into raving murderers and is spread by…well, I don’t want to spoil it for you.

There are some neat effects, particularly when you start seeing what the infected see, and a great scene with a string of Christmas lights.

Dead of Winter (1987)

When I originally picked Dead of Winter for this week, I wasn’t fully expecting it to actually BE the dead of winter for us, but I probably should have. We’re blanketed in snow and it’s freezing outside. Below freezing, even.

But if I was hoping this movie would keep me warm, I was wrong. There’s a good story in there (and apparently this was a loose remake of a 1945 film?), but it takes way too long to tell it, and there’s not enough tension or action to keep the audience hooked for so long.

Kristen (2015)

Well, hello 2024! I’m excited to be back with this blog, and excited to be starting with a New Year’s Day film from the Netherlands.

I was all in on this movie at first. I watched it alone in the dark, late at night on a cold winter night. (Maybe a little too tired for an English subtitled film, but I made it through!)

And it starts out great! It does do that “mid-story flashback as opening scene,” but I’ll forgive this one. The atmosphere is creepy, the actress who plays Kristen is sympathetic and believable, and there’s a healthy sense of dread built up nice and early.

…and then things get weird. (Spoilers ahead)

Midnighters (2018)

It’s New Year’s Eve, everyone! The last day and my last movie of the year. I don’t know whether to find it fitting or disappointing that I mostly think this movie is fine.

New Year's Evil (1980)

Okay, I know it’s not yet the new year, but it’s the last Throwback Thursday of the year so I felt this was fitting.

Terror Train (1980)

This isn’t the first (or even the second) horror movie I’ve watched that takes place on a train, but it might be the most fun. Despite the standard “mean prank gone horribly wrong” revenge trope, this movie is campy 80s horror fun, Jamie Lee Curtis included.

This movie was so fun that despite all the murder, I still kind of want to go on a train party? A party train? Conceptually, trains are such a neat setting for stories. Trains running in endless loops around the world. Trains stopped in the middle of the woods late at night. Trains where everyone conspires to murder a passenger and cover it up. Trains where Keanu Reeves is taller! There’s something about the limited escape options – and generally limited intruder options – that gives trains their own personality and ambience as a setting.

Terror Train 2 (2022)

Remember how I said that as a standalone film, yesterday’s remake was fine? So was this - and since it wasn’t a mostly shot-for-shot remake, I’ll let it keep the third star.

Honestly, I watched this not expecting much from it, except a return to the original New Year theme/holiday. And it wasn’t great or anything, but it was totally watchable! And not quite as predictable as the first! And the writing was much sharper and funnier - I so am glad they backed off the creep factor for the Magician this time around and gave him some great lines.

The Children (2008)

Wow, it’s been almost another full year. Just this movie and tomorrow’s, and then it’s 2025! I’m glad I mostly liked this movie, and we’ll see how tomorrow’s goes…