Straw Dogs - 2011 ***

I was in mixed minds about watching this, given how poor I found the original film. I was surprised actually how much more I enjoyed it and how much clearer the story seemed. Amy (Kate Bosworth) brings her new husband David (a geeky James Marsden) home to her old town to live on her deseased father's house, and before long Amy's ex-boyfriend Charlie is becoming overly protective of Amy being back, to the extent of getting his friends to taunt David and terrorise him on a regular basis whilst also being lewd and perverted to Amy. This escalates to a terrifying conclusion. There is an intense psychological build-up in this film which I don't recall happening in the original. I quite liked it. 

Antiviral - 2012 ***

Imagine if you were so obsessed with a celebrity that you chose to have a virus that they are suffering from have injected into your body. This film is about just that. A clinic which uses viruses from sick celebrities to inject into crazed fans who are hoping to 'become connected' to their idols. It is of course, quite likely that you will die if the virus is bad enough. The injections and treatments are all performed in a very controlled and serious way, almost as if the idea is normal. This is what makes the film so terrifying. There are also 'butcher' shops that fans can go to to buy meat that is grown from the cells of celebrities. The whole film is really twisted. To be honest, it reminds me a bit of 'Delicatessen' and I will probably think about it for days.
Although the film is meant to shock because of it's plot, I suspect that maybe the director was trying to get across the vast obsession we as as population have with famous people, and how being besotted with these individuals can sometimes damage our health and put our lives at stake.
Quirky and dark, morbidly terrifying and original.

Rogue - 2007 ****

Genuinely scary creature feature about a group of tourists experiencing a boat tour in Australia and becoming stranded after a terrifyingly giant crocodile knocks their vessel to shore. They then have to try and manoeuvre themselves to safety on the other side of the river without going anywhere near the water. I was surprised and impressed with this (except for the reactions of the tourists when their loved ones are ripped to bits which was pretty bad).

(HORROR) Excision - 2012 ***

One of the weirdest, most disturbing films I have seen for a long time. Annalynne McCord is amazing in this black comedy as a mentally unstable teenager named Pauline who lives with her parents and has aspirations of becoming a doctor. In her spare time she picks her scabs, plays with dead animals and dreams about cutting people up. Her make-up is very freaky and you would never believe that it was the same beautiful actress from 90210. Things take a horrible turn when her sister who is already ill, becomes much worse and Pauline really loses the plot. Bizarre and slightly terrifying.

(HORROR) Are You Scared? - 2006 *

'Wow, just wow.' Yes, but not in a positive or even remotely scary way. This film is awful. Pure and simple. It's the worst rip-off of the 'Saw' franchise that I have ever seen. The acting is poor, the deaths, whilst vaguely amusing aren't in the least bit terrifying. Mostly because all you can see if fake blood that looks like tomato soup and fake prosthetic skin that keeps getting ripped off at every opportunity for a 'scare.' You can tell by the cover that the film is going to be pants, but if you want anymore convincing watch it. Then smack yourself hard for wasting your time.

(HORROR) Breadcrumbs - 2011 *

Hideous. Crap. Dire. What else can I say? This is not 'terrifying and original' like the reviews say. The children are supposed to be scary but they end up being hilarious. One has a massive load of blood on one side of his face and the other is ginger beyond compare. A film crew hoping to film an adult movie find a cabin that they think will be ideal. However the two children keep appearing and then go crazy and tie them up. All sorts of silliness ensues and the end thank god comes just in time.