We are Still Here (2015)

Two of my favorite sub-genres of horror are haunted house/ghost movies, and Giallo slashers, so I was excited to see how this film would be when I heard it was a combination of two of my favorite horror sub-genres. We are Still Here is primarily a haunted house movie, but it also pays tribute to many of the common things you'd find in most Giallo (stylish artsy European slasher films that focused more on production values like cinematography, sets, costumes, music, etc. instead of acting or plot). Some of the Giallo-esque elements you'll see in the movie include 70s-ish clothing and interior decorating style, lots of gore and unique and creative deaths, and a J&B whiskey bottle (which for whatever reason is in most Giallo movies) which is used to almost comedic effect. But like some of the better Giallos the writing and acting are pretty good here, (though if you've seen a lot of supernatural horror films the plot can be a little predictable) as well as the special effects.This unique combination of Giallo slasher and haunted house makes for something that there isn't a lot of, haunted house movies that also have gore or even deaths. But the gore and deaths while being a little over the top, it's fine if you remember it's paying tribute to 70s grindhouse movies. We are Still Here feels very similar plot wise to Rosemary's Baby, The Wicker Man (1973), Giallos like Shock (1977), The Beyond (1981), and newer horror films like Darkness 

(2002), fellow retro inspired modern horror film House of the Devil (2009), and The Canal (2014), but the movie is ultimately entertaining, intense, and refreshing compared to many of the newer horror films that have been released in the last several years. The movie is also surprisingly funny at times. Acclaimed modern horror director, writer and actor, Larry Fessenden (Habit, The Last Winter, Wendigo, I Sell the Dead) stars as a secondary character. We are Still Here is one of my favorite new indie horror movies from the last couple years. The movie is certified fresh on RottenTomatoes.com with a 95% critic approval rating out of 42 ratings. This is the feature directorial debut of Ted Geoghegan and one can only hope this will be the beginning of a great and long career in horror for him. I give We are Still Here a 4.5/5 The movie is currently available to stream on Netflix and you can watch the trailer here. 

Stage Fright (1987) aka Bloody Bird, aka Deliria, aka Aquarius

Stage Fright is a great lesser known 80s Italian slasher film or Giallo (sub genre of slasher film from the 60s-80s that were mostly made in Italy and focused more on cinematography, creative kills, and overall production values instead of acting or plot). It is also the directorial debut of Michele Soavi (The Church, Cemetery Man) who was an assistant director to the king of Giallo himself, Dario Argento, on three of his most famous films (Phenomena, Tenebre, and Opera) as well as working on the Giallo cult classic Demons (1985). Stage Fright is about a theater company rehearsing a musical about a serial killer, when one night an escapee from a local asylum sneaks into the theater. The escapee from the asylum proceeds to hack off the cast one by one while wearing the costume of the

murderer from the play (the killer wears a giant owl head). Like most great Giallos this one has great cinematography, great music, and some really great creative kills, but what makes this one of the better Giallos is that the writing is actually pretty good. While some Giallos are all about gore, they are generally more intelligent and artsy than a lot of their american counterparts like the Friday the 13th films. While some of the deaths go uninvestigated, the whole theater group at one point realize they need to stick together (something that doesn't happen in most 80s slashers) though admittedly that doesn't last long. The most famous scene from this movie happens towards the end when the killer is chasing the final girl across  the stage and  it starts raining bird feathers as is they were snowflakes. The movie has gained a cult following over the years and even a loose remake in 2014. While some of the acting could be better, the rest of the production values in this film are top notch (including the plot development and writing), so for that reason it's a great lesser known slasher and I give it a 4.5/5. The movie is featured in Rue Morgue Magazine's 200 Alternative Horror Films You Need to See book (see full list of films here).

The Eyes of Laura Mars (1978)

There's really no other way to say it, this movie was disappointing. The plot sounded very intriguing and like a film version of an X-Files episode: Fashion Photographer Laura Mars has psychic powers beyond her control that allow her to see through the eyes of a psychopathic killer that's on the loose. This was an early project for legendary horror director John Carpenter who wrote the film's screenplay. The movie stars Faye Dunaway, a young Tommy Lee Jones, and one of my favorite character actors Brad Dourif, the great character actor Rene Auberjonois is also in he film (playing quite possibly the funniest/best character of the film). The film has a good 1970s vibe present throughout the majority of 

the film (the cars, the fashion, the architecture) and the film has good cinematography (a bit like some of the Giallo greats), but there is a large portion of this film that is really boring, and a lot of it probably could have been cut out. I fell asleep in the middle of the movie, woke up and finished it without missing a beat (the same thing happened when I watched Heat [1995]), I feel like if you're doing you're job of making the movie correctly then I should have had to re-watch what I slept through. Also this movie's plot has been done many times before, so I wasn't too surprised when the twist was revealed at the end because for a seasoned movie buff like myself, it was pretty easy to figure out (for lesser film buffs though it might be more difficult). The other notable thing about this movie is the theme song by Barbara Streisand "Prisoner," which I guess was somewhat of a hit for her. Overall though this was a mediocre movie and I give it a 3/5; You can Watch the Trailer below: