(Photo: Courtesy Universal Pictures)

Summary: An alien is found buried in Antarctica and a team of American scientists are enlisted to experiment on it. However, “the thing” is still alive and able to clone human cells.  Hungry and angry, it terrorizes the scientists and crew with the viewer never knowing who is a human and who is “the thing.”

Review: The Thing is a prequel to the 1982 John Carpenter classic. While a prequel is a better road to take than the numerous  tiresome horror remakes, The Thing ends up as another stock science fiction horror flick. Nearly 30 years ago, a killer alien wasn’t as redundant as it is today. From Aliens to Independence Day, there isn’t a way to make the alien genre fresh and the 2011 The Thing is proof of that.

Directed by first-time European director Matthijs van Heijningen, the special effects channel early ’80’s b-rated horror movies, the ending is predictable within the first 30 minutes and the script is foolishly unoriginal. But, in an effort to search for the good, some of the action sequences were a fun ride, but with an overdose of CGI, much of the scenes resembled a video game. That said, van Heijningen does show potential as a director. His cast meshed well and the dark atmosphere was appropriate. But, no matter who directed this flick, it would’ve been a dud. Therefore, I look forward to seeing more of van Heijningen’s work.

Although there is an extreme lack of diversity, The Thing includes a female heroine, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Dr. Kate Lloyd. Even though she is not supported by a great script, Winstead had a strong presence on screen and might have a substantial acting career ahead of her.

The always-excellent Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje is the lone Black character, and he made his small role work. The rest of the cast is packed with nearly identical-looking Norwegians. Ironically, the 1982 version of The Thing was known for its diversity (T.K. Carter and Keith David’s prominent role as Childs). How does a film get less diverse nearly 30 years later?

Blame it on the script?  Blame it on the CGI?  Blame it on the director?  I can’t pinpoint what is to blame, but The Thing should’ve remained buried in 1982.

(Photo: Touchstone Pictures)

Summary: In this remake from 1985, a vampire named Jerry (Colin Farrell) lives next door to a nosy teen named Charley (Anton Yelchin) and is offing the suburbanites in a Las Vegas neighborhood.  Charley tries to kill him off with the help of Peter Vincent, the host of a Vegas show called Fright Night.

Review: When the original Fright Night hit theaters in 1985, the vampire genre had already been sucked dry, but nothing like it is today. Now there is an endless flow of vampire films and television shows and, of course, the billion-dollar franchise Twilight, which has colonized box offices across the globe. So, the Fright Night “remake,” and I use that word loosely, could easily be summed up as a montage of all the exhaustive vampire flicks we’ve seen over the past ten years. A sexy vampire stalks horny teens and stupid adults.  Fangs, blood-filled bites and exotic stares are the meat of the film, which ends with a nerd turned cool kid saving the day—and getting the girl.

The term “remake” is used quite loosely in all of these incarnations of 80’s horror films. In reality, the Craig Gillespie-directed film is just another blood sucker movie and probably wouldn’t have received the Hollywood green-light if it wasn’t for the label of Fright Night.  However, the 1985 version was no groundbreaking piece of work. It was a surprise hit, but not a classic in the horror genre like Poltergeist, Friday the 13th, or A Nightmare on Elm Street.

A strong cast slightly balances out a bland movie.  Colin Farrell makes his role as Jerry the Vampire as workable as possible, with his smooth acting and eerie presence. To the screen writer’s credit, Jerry is no True Blood or Twilight vampire. He isn’t in love, fighting blood-sucking urges, or seeking out his next vamp bride. He is a stone-cold vampire, almost like a serial killer, and isn’t trying to make friends.

The other characters work as best as possible but the stand-out is an animated Christopher Mintz-Plasse, who is best known for his role in Kick Ass. Mintz-Plasse as the bitter geek makes the film, with the best one-liners and his maniac energy—he would’ve worked better as the lead and his presence was missed when he disappeared for half of the film.  The character of Peter Vincent (David Tennant) had an important role in the original; here, he is portrayed as a trashy Brit, and disposable.  These are just a few of the flaws that ruin a movie that—like most horror films—started strong in the first five minutes, but lost steam when the plot had to kick in.

Fright Night stumbles along in 3-D, which is not worth the extra charge, with tolerable special effects.  The invention of CGI has certainly cheapened special effects in horror films and Fright Night is a prime example.

The action is sustainable and the viewer is rarely bored but, overall, the creators of Fright Night tried to make a lukewarm horror flick from the ’80’s seem cool and relevant in 2011.  They failed.  Nonetheless, this was still better than the atrocious remakes of Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Fright Night is in theaters today.

(Photo: Dimension Films)

Summary:  Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) returns to Woodsboro on the anniversary of the famous murders. Ghostface quickly goes on a stab fest as Deputy Dewey (David Arquette) and his wife, journalist Gayle Weathers, are once again on the hunt for the killer while Sid manages to avoid every slice and dice. Shouldn’t Miss Sid be banned from ever stepping foot in Woodsboro again?

Review: After watching Scream 4 I let out a big sigh. This was a film I truly wanted to like, but it was similar to reuniting with an ex — you want it to be like it was before, but the time has passed. That said, director Wes Craven and writer Kevin Williamson clearly did their best to recapture the magic of Scream from 1996. But every angle has been hacked, every scream has been heard and every bit of blood has been sucked dry.

Neve Campbell as the always-cheating-death Sidney is an eye-roller, and at this point, horror fans want to see her killed off. David Arquette as the dopey Deputy Dewey is cute in a goofy way, but now the charm fails to resonate. While Courtney Cox is obviously talented, her Botox and plumped lips are an extreme distraction. I wondered, “Could she even open her mouth all the way to scream?”

There is a high body count but Scream 4 is low on scares.  Truth is, the times have changed. In 1996, Scream upped the ante for horror, which resulted in the Nightmare on Elm Street and the Friday the 13th franchises fizzling. Now, torture porn like Saw and Hostel have changed the game for horror. Nowadays, it takes much more than stabs to give an audience a fright fest.  Despite an interesting twist ending, Scream is more of a yelp.

Yes, there are some unique moments when the characters grapple with the “rules of horror” films, but the number one rule that I am sure everyone involved with Scream 4 knew but refused to say: The fourth installment always and forever sucks.

Appropriately known as the Master of Horror, Wes Craven is the cinematic genius behind classics like Nightmare on Elm Street, Vampire in Brooklyn and the Scream franchise. Ten years since Scream 3, the tortured souls of Woodsboro are back for the fourth incarnation. In Craven’s first interview with BET.com, the Ohio native talks Scream 4, a People Under the Stairs sequel and tackles the longstanding question, why do Black folks always die first in horror films?

How will Scream 4 capture a new generation of horror fans?
It’s essentially set in the world of this generation, which is distinctly different than the generation that watched Scream 3. The types of movies that have been out in the past 10 years are quite different. There’s been torture porn; there have been a lot of remakes and reboots. Just electronics in general with smart phones and computers, Twitter and Facebook—all of those things didn’t exist in any shape 10 or 11 years ago.

I don’t see a lot of racial tension with characters of horror films. Do you think horror films transcend racism?
We try to treat people of color the same as everybody else. Especially for the younger generation, there’s much less tension than there was even in the previous generation. People are going to school and growing up with each other. There is such a racial mix, at least where I live in California; it just seems a natural part of life.

What do you think of the notion that Black folks always die first in horror films?
It’s funny. Anthony Anderson said one of the things he liked about the script is that he wasn’t the first person to die. We kind of took cautions not to do that. It was like that in Scream 2. There was one character [Duane Martin] who said, “This is where the Black person always dies,” and he basically leaves the film until the very end.

Why do you think that perception exists?
Everybody is afraid of the unknown. Everybody is afraid of the people that they’ve done terrible things to! [Laughs] I’m sure in some place whites are considered inferior by people of color. But the most common, the thing that we’re most used to, obviously, is African-Americans being treated badly, the history of slavery. That is a deeply sad cultural prejudice that is shifting, but it takes a long time.

People Under the Stairs airs here on BET. Any truth to rumors of a sequel?
It’s kind of complicated. The ownership of it is split between myself and two other entities. More than that, I started to feel by the time we got to Last House on the Left that I was taking myself out of my principal creative task, which is directing. I thought, I’m doing things that benefit a lot of other people, it helped me financially climb out of some of the losses from the crash of the market, but at a certain point, I knew I had to get back to directing. I had to make a choice: Am I going to spend my time remaking stuff that I’ve already done, kind of helping other directors, or am i going to go back and do what I do best?

How do you feel about the torture-porn genre of horror?
Not a fan. I went to see the two hallmark of that genre, Hostel and Saw. They were better than I thought they were going to be. I just don’t like torture much. The idea of it kind of makes me angry and sick, if there is even such a thing.

Omar Epps and Jada Pinkett-Smith were in Scream 2. Do you have any memories working with them?
Omar was a good sport, his role was relatively short. Jada obviously ended up having to really sell it. I think she just put that thing over the top. To me, that’s one of the most iconic scenes in the Scream series.

What is the last thing that made you scream?
It was Paranormal Activity, when she got grabbed and dragged down the hall—I just let out a yell. [Laughs]

Are you afraid of dying?
I was paralyzed from the chest down when I was 19 so I kind of put my head together about dying and I think I’ve come to terms with it.

When you get to heaven what is the DJ playing?
[Laughs] I don’t believe in heaven, so he’s playing Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue. It’s one of my favorite albums. I think it’s beautiful, an American classic.

Scream 4 is in theaters nationwide today. Click here for our interview with Anthony Anderson.

(Photos from left: Kevin Winter/Getty Images, The Weinstein Company)

Summary: Loosely based on a true story, The Rite tells the tale of Michael Kovak (Colin O’Donoghue). Raised in a funeral home with a religious father, Kovak has two choices: to be a priest or a mortician. He goes with the priesthood, but doubts his faith. Kovak is forced to live in Italy, where he witnesses an exorcism by an older priest (Anthony Hopkins). Will it make him believe?

Review: Anthony Hopkins is one of the greatest actors to have ever lived. But none of the greats could’ve made this poorly crafted, lethargic, unoriginal gush of foolishness work onscreen. The Rite struggles on every level, and, with the exception of a few good one-liners from Hopkins, the film evokes no emotion—neither suspense nor laughter, as horror films sometimes do.

Ever since 1973’s The Exorcist, Hollywood has been obsessed with reinventing the exorcism storyline. It’s always a brunette girl contorting and cursing with holy water splashed on her face. This premise was a one-hit wonder and Oscar gold in the ’70s, but has rarely resonated well with audiences since then.

Directed by Mikael Håfström, The Rite stumbles along with a monotone Colin O’Donoghue as a skeptical soon-to-be priest. Within the first 20 minutes, you can predict the ending. By the end of the nearly two hours, will the priest find Christ or become an atheist?  Take a wild Hollywood guess.

Everything else in between is schlock dressed as “horror.” The cheap scares consist of mules with red eyes, colorful frogs as demons and religious imagery tainted by the “devil.”

Moreover, there is an uncomfortable agenda-driven religious message enforced in The Rite that I am sure the likes of Fox News will appreciate it. Agendas in film work for well-done movies; this film is the opposite.

The Rite is all wrong. I have faith this flick will be plagued with bad reviews and a strong opening weekend but vanish in the following weeks.

The Rite is in theaters today.

It just wouldn’t be Halloween horror movie season if a new Saw movie didn’t hit theaters. We are now on the seventh installment of Saw and this time it’s in 3D.

Allegedly (and I do stress allegedly!), this is the final act of the Saw franchise. However, now the tables are turned on the viewers, which is an interesting concept but looks more like horror movie camp than the solid writing and good special effects of the first two.  Hopefully, Tandera Howard will make another appearance!

Nonetheless, check out the trailer below and enjoy your Halloween!

As you run to the movies this weekend to watch a horror film for Halloween, keep in mind you might be watching the next Hollywood superstar. Check out just a few actors who got their start in the camp of horror and went on to be respected actors.

Kasi Lemmons in Silence of the Lambs
You may not think you know Kasi Lemmons, but she is the critically acclaimed director behind Eve’s Bayou and Talk To Me. In 1991, she was Jodie Foster’s friend in Silence of the Lambs. Although she was in a few roles before, Silence of the Lambs put her in one of the most famous films of all time.

Laurence Fishburne in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
Morpheus had been working for years before he sliced it up with Freddy Krueger. But in 1987, a 26-year-old Fishburne had a small role in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. By the ’90s, Fishburne would be an Oscar nominee.

Ving Rhames in People Under The Stairs
Ving’s resume goes back to the mid-’80s, but you can’t forget him in his small role in People Under The Stairs back in 1991. The horror classic was a huge success. Only three years later, Rhames was in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, considered one of the greatest films ever made.

Eva Mendes in Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror
Before Eva Mendes was in movies with Denzel Washington and Will Smith, one of her very first roles was in the straight-to-video Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror by 1998. By all accounts, the flick was pretty awful, but by 2001, Eva Mendes was playing opposite Oscar winner Denzel Washington in Training Day.

Johnny Depp in A Nightmare on Elm Street
Decades before Johnny Depp was a serious, soft-spoken actor, he was in one of the most iconic horror films ever made — the original A Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984. Only two years later, Depp landed a part in the critically acclaimed Platoon. Now, he has three Oscar nominations and is considered Hollywood royalty.

Usher in The Faculty
Usher was already a bona fide star when 1998’s The Faculty was released, but the alien horror flick was his first movie role. The “OMG” hit maker didn’t exactly conquer Hollywood, but he sure has made some good music on the ride to the movie theater!

Halloween season is here and we are all looking for a good horror flick.  There are horror classics like The Exorcist, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and A Nightmare on Elm Street. But, what about horror flicks with an urban twist?  In no particular order — check out the list below!

Saw II (2005)

Jigsaw added some color to his killing spree in the sequel to Saw. The film included a diverse cast, which would be an ongoing theme throughout the Saw series.

Angel Heart (1987)

Starring Robert De Niro and Lisa Bonet, a detective goes to New Orleans to find a man named Johnny Favorite.  He falls into the world of voodoo and meets Lisa Bonet’s character, who is the child of a dead voodoo priestess.  The Cosby kid went nude and bloody for the role, shocking fans of the wholesome show.  Angel Heart was a commercial and critical disaster, but has a cult following.

28 Days Later (2002)

Starring the beautiful Naomie Harris, a virus wiped out all of Britain, leaving only a few survivors to fight for their lives. Harris was Selena — and this sista was not playing with the “infected” — she hacked away and didn’t die in the first five minutes like most Black folks in horror flicks.

Queen of the Damned (2002)

We can’t forget Aaliyah!  Her performance as Akasha in Queen of the Damned was excellent and even praised by Anne Rice, the writer of the book. Akasha was the queen of all vampires, killed with no remorse and munched on human heart. The Akasha costume has been a favorite for Halloween.

Bones (2001)

Starring Snoop Dogg, Bones was surprisingly good, especially with Pam Grier as the lead. Bones is the story of a gangster from the dead seeking revenge.

Candyman (1992)

You can’t ask for much more with a film based in the projects. Slightly political but still pure horror, Candyman was lynched for having sex with a White woman — say his name five times and he comes back to slash anyone in sight. 

Blacula (1972)

At the height of the blaxploitation era, Blacula was released. Blacula was an African prince who was morphed into a vampire by Dracula. On a rampage, Blacula is sticking it to The Man, horror movie style. In retrospect, the film is ridiculously campy but garnered a cult following and won Best Horror Film at the Saturn Awards. Several other blaxploitation horror films came out after Blacula, like Sugar Hill, The Zebra Killer and Fight for Your Life.

Tales from the Hood (1995)

Executive produced by Spike Lee, Tales from the Hood was a take on Tales from the Crypt. The movie told five stories which revolved around child abuse, racism and Black on Black crime. Socially poignant but with a good scare. The film is an urban classic and went on to gross nearly $12 million.

People Under The Stairs (1991)

Directed by horror legend, Wes Craven, this classic follows Fool, a young boy who seeks out his slumlord after his family was evicted. Scary, funny and brought in over $30 million worldwide. There has been some buzz about a sequel.  

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

This iconic zombie flick was classic for its time and still ranks high as one of the best horror films.  But, there are many reasons why this film is considered a Black horror film.  Subtly, the flick dealt with politics, war and racism.  However, one of the biggest shockers in the film is when the lead character, Ben (Duane Jones), who was Black, hauled off and smacked a White woman. In 1968, this shocked the world — just a few years before, a Black man could get lynched for even looking a White woman in the eye.  Check out the 7-second clip of the slap heard around the globe!

Check out the trailer for some of the horror movies being released in the next month.  Which will you go see?

Let Me In
Release Date: Friday, October 1st
Summary: A story of innocent love entangled in murder, mystery, and horror (IMDB.com).

Chain Letter
Release Date: October 8th
Summary: Starring Keith David, a maniac murders teens when they refuse to forward chain mail (IMDB.com).

Wes Craven’s My Soul To Take
Release Date: Friday, October 8th
Summary: Including Denzel Whittaker from The Great Debaters, a serial killer returns to his hometown to stalk seven children who share the same birthday as the date he was allegedly put to rest (IMDB.com).

Paranormal Activity 2
Summary: Probably the most anticipated horror film on the year, a sequel to 2009’s low-budget haunting horror flick.
Release Date: Friday, October 22nd

Which one are you most looking forward to see?

Anthony Anderson continues working and even though Law & Order is canceled, he already has a new gig.  Anderson will be in the fourth installment of the Scream franchise.  In an odd twist, Anderson was also in the parodies of Scream, Scary Movie 3 and Scary Movie 4. Allegedly, Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, and David Arquette will all return.

Fourth installments, especially with horror films, are always a risk — at least they didn’t do a remake!  The last Scream was over 10 years ago so maybe there is some fresh blood in a new script. But, let’s hope Anderson can survive a Scream movie!  Here are just a few that didn’t survive the masked stabber: Jada Pinkett Smith, Omar Epps and Elise Neal. Maybe they can bring back Duane Martin since he survived Scream 2.