New Year’s Eve Horror Marathon Starter
By Tim Redinger
You know what is great about horror movies? You can create a marathon of movies for pretty much any holiday. New Year’s Eve is no exception. Here are four films that are an absolute must for any horror movie fan tomorrow night, as you party with fellow horror fans and prepare to ring in the new year.
If you are looking for movies to add to your New Year’s Eve celebration as you wait for the ball drop – then look no further than adding these to the collection.
New Year’s Evil (1980)
See what they did there with the title? Cheeky huh? Now to pull off a murder of this level, you have to be really talented, one hell of a planner, or have a lot of people working for or with you.
During a New Year’s Eve celebration, punk-rocker Blaze, or Diane Sullivan – gets one of those weird phone calls predicting her death. (Was the call coming from inside the house – how many times have we seen that get played out?).
The caller just doesn’t call for her death, but that when the clock strikes midnight in each time zone, a naughty girl will be punished (sounds like another kind of movie) by being killed, with Diane being the last one to die.
If the phone call predicting the murder was their original plot, then the twist at the end where the killer (won’t tell you who, no spoiler here, but its the 21st century – I am sure you can find it if you look hard enough without watching the movie) is in the one place where the victim is supposed to be safe and sound.
If your just looking for time to kill on New Year’s Eve – then this movie should be on your list, or maybe if your trying to terrify your little sister.
Steel Trap (2007)
So we buck the trend on originality here as well, but at least this one has an interesting plot. So a group of friends are committing a crime by partying on the top floor of an abandoned skyscraper (there weren’t any good parties to go to?). They all get the same text message inviting them to a VIP invite only party being held floors below them.
Stop. How did all of their cell phones get the same invite? Really? Forget the fact that The Steel Trap was a thriller about a bank robbery in 1952.
Once the group gets to the “party” they realize they have set into motion another kind of party – one that means life or death. Ok, so this movie is a bad movie, using plenty of ripoffs from other films. So why watch it? As one commenter on the film (who gave the movie 2.5 stars) – “its watchable fluff, unlikable characters makes it easier to cheer on their demise”. Enough said I guess.
Remember folks, were killing time till midnight. Killing, get it. Ok!
The Signal (2007)
Was 2007 the year of the ripoff? Besides the fact that we only get the mention of New Year’s festivities, did anyone consult with Stephen King on this matter? Has he not sued the pants off the independent filmmakers for stealing his idea?
In The Cell, a pulse gets sent out over a global cellular network, turning cell phone users into mindless zombie-like killers.
Ok, so give The Signal team credit for points on originality – in their version it was all telecommunication and audiovisual devices that turned people mad and murderous.
Potential?? You be the judge.
Life Blood (2009)
In 1968 a lesbian couple have a close encounter with the creator of the universe. They get a 40 year nap, and wake up on New Year’s Day in 2008 as reborn creatures.
The reborn creatures are vampires, tied to the creator and instructed to kill evil souls, except the killing spree gets out of hand and one of our star crossed lovers just wants to kill them all and let the creator sort them out.
Thankfully they don’t age in 40 years of slumber – and you get plenty of sexy bloody vampire action. Who knew right? If you like to keep your movies in OCD order – this might land more in the vampire realm than the New Year’s Eve realm, the only connection here is our vampires are killed and reborn on New Year’s Eve/Day.