Official Summary:Searching for his missing sister, Clay Miller heads up to the eerie woods of legendary Crystal Lake, where he stumbles on the creaky remains of rotting old cabins behind moss-covered trees. And that’s not the only thing lying in wait under the brush. Against the advice of police and cautions from the locals, Clay pursues what few leads he has in the search for his missing sister, Whitney, with the help of Jenna, a young woman he meets among a group of college kids up for an all-thrills weekend. But they are all about to find much more than they bargained for. Little do they know, they’ve entered the domain of one of the most terrifying specters in American film history — the infamous killer who haunts Crystal Lake, armed with a razor-sharp machete… Jason Voorhees.
Director:Marcus Nispel
Production Company: Platinum Dunes, MTV Films
Year: 2009
Runtime: 95 Minutes
Language: English
Rating: R
Original: Friday The 13th (1980)
Zombie Princess’s Take
After a long, involved thought process, I have decided that the only way to describe this movie is… stupendous. I was actually scared here and there–something I never thought possible by a continuation of such a corny film. It’s not a remake of the first, as I had anticipated, but rather it’s more along the lines of a sequel with peices of all the other squels factored in–and boy is it refreshing to see the return of every one’s favorite mama’s boy-hockey mask and all.
The film begins with a flashback to 1980, playing a slightly altered scene that strongly parallels the original Friday The 13th–except more scary, and less corny. Then it returns to the present, where dumb, drunk teens are slaughtered–and then skips ahead a little bit more, where another group of teens arrives around the same area, and… guess what happens. The beginning was so powerfully horrendous it brought tears to my eyes (literally!) but the rest of the movie wasn’t so torture-oriented, thankfully, though I did spend a good deal of the movie hiding from blood and severed limbs in the Monster’s shoulder.
The addition of a strong plot (which was seriously underdeveloped in the 1980 film) was welcome and held my interest, but it was predictable in a lovable, familiar way. It managed to keep true to many of the themes in the original, but is also an example of how far the slasher film has come–not too mention, how far special effects have come.
But that’s not to say there aren’t short comings. When a person calls 911 to report a homicide, they don’t send just one lonely cop to go investigate. That’s just not how it happens. Also, the script was kind of weak. In a horror film it’s ignorable because the script isn’t so much the important part–but if this were any other movie, it would have been unnacceptable. Also, while it was clear which characters were supposed to be disliked, others were kind of ambiguous, or I had a feeling that I was supposed to like them, but simply couldn’t on account of their stupidity. Or maybe that’s just me–I hate dumb, drunk teens.
Despite these minor disappointments, it’s a good movie, and I think a lot of people will enjoy this one–whether you loved, hated, or have never even seen the original. Rating: +
Mister Monster’s Take
This movie was scary. It had everything: from jumps to strong gore and violence, as well as a really cool villain that we know and love, Jason Voorhees. The movie starts out scary with a flashback that seems to start off where the original 1980s film ended. Then it jumps 20 years to the present, where several unsuspecting potheads are camping. The opening scene is brutal and had me scared right away.
Jason is very imposing, large and terrifying, and when he popped up he had me cowering in my seat. There’s plenty of gore for folks who crave it, but it did sometimes make me a little squeemish. When the film wanted to be humourous, it was, and there are several scenes tossed in to lighten the mood that got me relaxed again right before another big scare.
Unfortunately, many of the characters fit the dumb, drunk stereotype to a fault. The main guy was the only real exception, however, the writers really tried to force the audience to like him. I also thought the film was a little too raunchy with too much sex. A boob here or there is cool and to be expected, but some scenes were like soft-core porn. Also, it seems to me like we were supposed to see Jason’s softer side–and the whole “serial killer with a heart” aspect is a little over-played.
Overall I thought this movie did an excellent job at reinventing the original and the story was pretty good for a horror film, though I don’t think it could stand on it’s own outside of this genre. I would definitely recommend any fan of slasher films or horror movies to go and check this out. Rating: +
-Mister Monster
Don’t Go In There: Lost count D:
Panties: 0 (lots of boobs though)
Trivia: Principal photography wrapped on Friday, June 13, 2008. Additionally, the American theatrical release date was Friday, February 13, 2009.
Official Summary: Despite repeated warnings to stay away, a group of fun-loving but none-too-bright teenagers set out to reopen the eerie Camp Crystal Lake, which closed 20 years earlier after a series of bizarre and unexplained deaths. Now someone is lurking in the woods, spying on the happy campers, and plotting a gory, grisly revenge on those who would disturb the camp’s slumber. A horror classic that set the standard for slasher flicks of the 1980s.
Director: Sean S. Cunningham
Production Company: Georgetown Productions, Inc.
Year: 1980
Runtime: 95 Minutes
Language: English
Rating: R
Remakes: Friday The 13th (2009)
Sequels:
Zombie Princess’s Take
Well, it’s really hard to believe that this movie could have ever given anyone nightmares. The entire course of the movie was so predictable, and the blood was so unrealistic that it barely even made me, queen of the squeemish, flinch at all.
Still, for an old horror film, it’s pretty special. The deaths weren’t always cookie-cutter, and it was exciting to see how the next death would occur. I wouldn’t have ever seen the identity of the murderer coming if I hadn’t read up on the movie beforehand–so it’s not like it lacked creative script work. Unfortunately, the acting was horrible. It failed to give the “oh my god–this could really happen” kind of horror that I want in my slasher films.
Nonetheless, I can appreciate this movie for the fact that it paved the way for newer movies that I absolutely love, like The Strangers.
Is it scary? No, not really. A little suspenseful here and there–but not really scary, and I always get a little annoyed whenever a movie finds itself under the dumb drunk (and high) teens category. Still worth a rent, though, so you can see one of the films that helped slasher get its start =)
Rating: n
Mister Monster’s Take
This movie is pretty bad, well, really bad. It’s cheesy, predictable and badly acted, but boy is it hilarious. I don’t want to be too harsh with this movie since it was probably at least a little scary back when it was first released, but by today’s standards it pretty awful. However, it was one of the first slasher films and still continues to provide inspiration to newer horror films each year.
My favorite part about this move is the hair cuts and attire–big hair and short-shorts all around, and Kevin Bacon in a speedo, awesome. Did I mention camp counselor Steve? He pulls of the hippy lumberjack look very well. I didn’t feel a connection with any of the characters which made it pretty easy to laugh as they were all slowly picked off throughout the film.
Although Zombie Princess and I laughed throughout most of this movie, it did have its moments–there were a few jumps and some of the deaths surprised me. The twist at the very end of the film came out of nowhere and was rather silly, but it led to more laughter so it was fine by me.
Overall I think it’s worth it to rent this movie and check it out if you can, if at all for a good laugh at the expense of a few unfortunate camp counselors. I’m interested to see how the 2009 remake of the movie compares.
Rating: n
-Mister Monster
Don’t Go In There: 5
Panties: 3
Trivia: The scene with the snake was not in the script and was an idea from Tom Savini after an experience in his own cabin during filming. The snake in the scene was real, including its on-screen death.
Official Summary: Anna returns home after spending time in the hospital following the tragic death of her mother. Her recovery suffers a set back when she discovers her father has become engaged to her mother’s former nurse. That night Anna is visited by her mother’s ghost who warns her of Rachel’s intentions. Together Anna and her sister try to convince their father that his current fiance is not who she pretends to be, and what should have been a happy family reunion becomes a lethal battle of wills between daughters and step mother.
Directors: Charles Guard, Thomas Guard
Production Company: Cold Spring Pictures
Year: 2009
Runtime: 87 Minutes
Language: English
Rating: PG-13
Original: A Tale of Two Sisters/Janghwa, Hongryeon
Zombie Princess’s Take
The Uninvited wasn’t a bad movie, but there were some unfortunate scenes and character flaws that hindered the movie’s development.
The Americanization process that the original had gone through to become The Uninvited was a major drawback–they just couldn’t resist adding stupid, drunk teenagers and a boyfriend, which forced some loss of originality. Is anyone else sick of drunk/high teens in horror films?
There was, however, an upside to the Americanization–it still managed to surprise the Monster and I, who have both seen the original, while staying close enough to the original to make a game of guessing what would be the same and what would be different. There were two big surprises for me in the end of the movie that were deviations from the Korean plot–and I welcomed them as quite clever.
Back to the downsides of importing ATOTS–The main character’s sister, Alex, was difficult to sympathize with. She was snotty and rude, a bit of an alcoholic, and probably a slut. This character asassination nearly ruined the sister/sister relationship that was absolutely adorable in A Tale of Two Sisters.
(But the REAL problem I had was the lack of menstration. Why was there no menstration in this movie!?)
Another hinderance–a big focal point of the movie was ruined by bad acting. If you watch it, you’ll know what I’m talking about. (Psst: here’s a hint–it’s that part where you’ll want to start laughing, but suspect you’re supposed to be scared.)
Still, the movie was quite clever and it did hold my interest very effectively. Unfortunately, I can’t say it was especially scary.
Go see this movie if you loved ATOTS and have an open mind for the American interperetation–do not go see it for the soul purpose of comparing to the original, however, because you will be disappointed. Otherwise, I’d reccomend this movie only to teenage girls who scare easily. You’ll love it, trust me. Rating: n
-Zombie Princess
Mister Monster’s Take
The Uninvited is an ordinary horror movie: it’s not too scary but not so un-scary that it’s boring. There are better horror movies out there, and the original (A Tale of Two Sisters) was much more interesting. It does, however, have it’s redeeming qualities, and it managed to scare me quite a few times (which isn’t really a big accomplishment.)
The film starts out with a memory and dumb line (”I love you… and I have a condom.”) but after that it picks up almost instantly and gets into the scary bits. The movie likes jumps–I almost banged my head into Zombie Princess’s in the theater at one point. There are some suspenseful moments that could have you on the edge of your seat (or pressed against the back of your seat, if you’re anything like me), but, unfortunately, what could have been the best scare of the whole movie turned out hilarious.
Emily Browning is pretty covincing as Anna, and is also easy on the eyes. She also resembles the character Su-mi from A Tale of Two Sisters, in that she is petite and almost appears of Asian origin. Elizabeth Banks, who typically plays roles in comedies (Role Models, and Scrubs), does an exceptional job at playing the wicked step mother and is pretty imposing and creepy when called for. I found Alex’s character (Anna’s sister) annoying. I felt she would have been more effective if they’d stuck to the example set by the Korean original by keeping the sisters’ personalities similar.
This film deviated from A Tale of Two Sisters, and so managed to surprised me, by only taking certain elements of the original film, and reworking the plot–-the ending is very different. In the Korean film, Su-mi was more protective of her younger sister and I would have like to see that relationship mirrored a little better between the sisters in the American film.
Overall I consider The Uninvited to be average for a horror film. This movie is only worth the cost of the matinee. Otherwise, wait for it to come out on DVD. Rating: n
-Mister Monster
Don’t Go In There: 5
Panties: 2
Other Cheap Horror Tricks: Slowly looks under stove (x1)… Looks through keyhole (x2)… Follows ghost child (x1)
Trivia: Korean actress Gianna Jun refused the role of Su-mi in A Tale of Two Sisters because she thought the script was too scary, ironically her next project was another horror film, 4 Inyong shiktak which translates in english as The Uninvited. In America, The Uninvited is the title of the remake of A Tale of Two Sisters.
Hola! My name is Panda, sister of Zombie Princess—I do not eat bamboo, though. I love being with my friends, hanging out with my family, shopping, and of course, watching any type of movie, except romance.
I’m 13 years old, and I’m in 8th grade, attending the local school, I will be reviewing movies when asked.
I love gore and it does not bother me at all. The one thing I cannot watch is when an animal gets killed, mostly dogs. I also can’t stand a movie when you know what’s going to happen, I like suspense.
Hey, nice to meet’cha! My name is Mister Monster, but don’t worry I’m not very scary, in fact I am quite easily scared myself! I love to draw, play video games, spend time with Zombie Princess, and watch movies, especially the horror variety.
I’m 22 years of age, probably not that old for a monster but hey I do my best! I’m currently attending a community college for art and hope to have a lot of fun with this blog!
Zombie Princess was left with a poor stomach for gore, an unfortunate thing for a zombie, but that’s something I can handle pretty well. I am however, a huge coward when it comes to jumps and scares, but that is what I really enjoy about horror movies–making it through and feeling tougher afterwards.
Tastless movies are also my turnoff. I hope that you find your stay here to be an enjoyable one!
Hello, loyal subjects. Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Zombie Princess, princess of all zombiedom. I love computers, blogging, video games, gnawing on people, hanging out with Mister Monster and my sister, and finally, watching horror films!
I am 19 years old, not that age matters when you’re a reanimated corpse, and I attend a community college because zombies are not rich–not even princesses. I used to like reading, too, until I picked this up on accident once. Yuck!
Because of our love of horror films, the Monster and I decided to start our own blog where we review them! Some things to keep in mind about my reviews: even though I‘m a zombie, I can’t take a lot of gore, so I usually have to turn away. I don’t mind so much when brains or vital organs fall out of someone–that’s just delicious–but sometimes movies can incorporate unrealistic ammounts of blood, and that can make even a Zombie Princess turn away. Also, I love a good, strong plot, and nothing beats a mystery (you’re stereo typical “someone is going to die unless the main chracter unravels the mystery of the ghost/zombie/scarything before it’s too late” plots always get me excited) or at least a peice of a puzzle that makes you say “ooooh…” at the end of a good horror film.
My turn offs are gore when there’s no need for it–the movie needs to have a good strong plot to hold my interest, not lots of senseless ripping (I can do that myself!), and anything that’s over-the-top distasteful, such as a long, brutal rape scene (see Blindness), and, of course, I hate anything that’s over-the-top cheesey.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the blog =)
-Zombie Princess
Official Summary:Searching for his missing sister, Clay Miller heads up to the eerie woods of legendary Crystal Lake, where he stumbles on the creaky remains of rotting old cabins behind moss-covered trees. And that’s not the only thing lying in wait under the brush. Against the advice of police and cautions from the locals, Clay pursues what few leads he has in the search for his missing sister, Whitney, with the help of Jenna, a young woman he meets among a group of college kids up for an all-thrills weekend. But they are all about to find much more than they bargained for. Little do they know, they’ve entered the domain of one of the most terrifying specters in American film history — the infamous killer who haunts Crystal Lake, armed with a razor-sharp machete… Jason Voorhees.
Official Summary: Despite repeated warnings to stay away, a group of fun-loving but none-too-bright teenagers set out to reopen the eerie Camp Crystal Lake, which closed 20 years earlier after a series of bizarre and unexplained deaths. Now someone is lurking in the woods, spying on the happy campers, and plotting a gory, grisly revenge on those who would disturb the camp’s slumber. A horror classic that set the standard for slasher flicks of the 1980s. 
omance.
ies, especially the horror variety.
iedom. I love computers, blogging, video games, gnawing on people, hanging out with Mister Monster and my sister, and finally, watching horror films!
‘m a zombie, I can’t take a lot of gore, so I usually have to turn away. I don’t mind so much when brains or vital organs fall out of someone–that’s just delicious–but sometimes movies can incorporate unrealistic ammounts of blood, and that can make even a Zombie Princess turn away. Also, I love a good, strong plot, and nothing beats a mystery (you’re stereo typical “someone is going to die unless the main chracter unravels the mystery of the ghost/zombie/scarything before it’s too late” plots always get me excited) or at least a peice of a puzzle that makes you say “ooooh…” at the end of a good horror film.