My Horrible Idea
(Using Horror Movies to Teach English)
  • How to Use Monsters in the Classroom
    • What Can Monsters Teach Us?
    • Rhetorical Problems of Purpose, Audience, and Genre
    • Doubt: A Parable
  • Literary Stuff
  • Guest Blogs
    • SCARY MARY: A STUDY OF TONE
    • Horror Movie Survey
    • First Dates and Wisecracking Werewolfs
    • Rachel Tucker: A Master Gardener's take on The Purge
    • Janice Cheng: Horror & Logic
    • Zach Butler: Why All the Horror?
  • Movie Lists
    • MEAT IS MURDER: MY TOP FIVE LIST OF CANNIBAL MOVIES
    • CHRISTMAS HORROR MOVIES
    • TRIBUTE TO MR. VINCENT LEONARD PRICE, JR.
  • Archives
    • MONSTER MOVIES >
      • DRACULA (1931)
      • THE MUMMY (1932)
      • KING KONG (1933)
      • THE WOLF MAN (1941)
      • CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954)
      • THEM! (1959)
      • THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES (1959)
      • THE WASP WOMAN (1959)
      • THE DEADLY BEES (1966)
      • PLANET OF THE APES (1968)
      • EMPIRE OF THE ANTS (1977)
      • THE SWARM (1978)
      • THE BEES (1978)
      • ALIEN (1979)
      • THE ATTIC (1980)
      • CUJO (1981)
      • PREDATOR (1987)
      • DEAD ALIVE (1992)
      • CONGO (1995)
      • JAWS (1975)
      • DEVIL DOG: THE HOUND OF HELL (1978)
      • LEGION OF FIRE: KILLER ANTS (1998)
      • DEEP BLUE SEA (1999)
      • OPEN WATER (2003)
      • THE HIVE A LOOK AT LITERARY ENTOMOLOGY (2008)
      • THE REEF (2010)
      • THE GREY (2011)
      • SHARKNADO (2013)
      • WER (2013)
      • THE BABADOOK (2014)
    • HONORED DIRECTORS >
      • SHIVERS (1975)
      • VIDEDROME (1983)
      • THE FLY (1986)
      • DEAD RINGERS (1988)
      • CHRISTINE (1983)
      • THE THING (1982)
      • PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1987)
      • THEY LIVE (1988)
      • IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS (1994)
      • REPULSION (1965)
      • THE TENANT (1976)
      • THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS (1967)
      • ROSEMARY'S BABY (1968)
      • FRANKENSTEIN (1910)
      • THE OLD DARK HOUSE (1932)
      • THE INVISIBLE MAN (1933)
      • BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935)
      • SALEM'S LOT (1979)
      • THE FUNHOUSE (1981)
      • LIFE FORCE (1985)
      • POLTERGEIST (1982)
      • THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (1974)
      • THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (1972)
      • THE HILLS HAVE EYES (1977)
      • A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984)
      • SCREAM (1996)
    • KOREAN FLICKS >
      • 조용한 가족 (aka The Quiet Family 1998)
      • 소름 (aka SORUM 2001)
      • 세이 예스 (aka SAY YES 2001)
      • 폰 (aka Phone 2002)
      • 령 aka DEAD FRIEND aka THE GHOST (2004)
      • 거미슾 (aka SPIDER FOREST 2004)
      • 분홍신 aka THE RED SHOES (2005)
      • 레드 아이 (AKA RED EYE 2005)
      • 스승의은혜 (AKA TO SIR, WITH LOVE 2006)
      • 신데렐라 (aka Cinderella 2006)
      • 아파트 (aka APT 2006)
      • 두사람이다 aka VOICES (2007)
      • Alone (2007)
      • 므이 (aka MOUI 2007)
      • 헨젤 과 그레텔 (aka Hansel & Gretel 2007)
      • 추격자 (aka The Chaser 2008)
      • 외톨이 (맘 LONER 2008)
      • 고死: 피의 중간고사 (aka DEATH BELL 2008)
      • 불신지옥 (aka POSSESSED 2009)
      • 요가학완 aka YOGA CLASS (2009)
      • 베스트 세러 (aka BEST SELLER 2010)
      • 악마를 보았다 (aka I SAW THE DEVIL 2010)
      • 고양이: 죽음을보는 두개의눈 (aka THE CAT 2011)
      • 기생령 (aka GHASTLY 2011)
      • 무서운이야기 (AKA HORROR STORIES 2012)
      • 더웹툰 예고살린 (AKA KILLER TOON 2013)
      • 뫼비우스 (aka MOEBIUS 2013)
    • THRILLERS >
      • DEAD OF NIGHT (1945)
      • STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (1951)
      • REAR WINDOW (1954)
      • THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY (1955)
      • NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)
      • THE BIRDS (1963)
      • STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER (1975)
      • BODY HEAT (1981)
      • CAT PEOPLE (1982)
      • JAGGED EDGE (1985)
      • BEDROOM WINDOW (1987)
      • NINE QUEENS (2000)
      • WHAT LIES BENEATH (2000)
      • THE DESCENT (2005)
      • THE EXPERIMENT (2010)
      • YOU'RE NEXT (2011)
      • 의뢰인 (aka The Client 2011)
      • ABRAHAM LINCOLN VAMPIRE HUNTER (2012)
      • TOAD ROAD (2012)
      • FEAR LIVES HERE (2013)
      • 런닝 맨 (AKA RUNNING MAN 2013)
      • GRAND PIANO (2013)
      • HOURS (2013)
      • BLUE RUIN (2013)
      • HOUSE OF GOOD AND EVIL (2013)
      • THE PURGE (2013)
      • 더테러라이브 (aka The Terror Live 2013)
      • THE HUMAN RACE (2013)
      • DAYLIGHT (2013)
      • HOUSEBOUND (2014)
      • THE GUEST (2014)
    • PSYCHOS >
      • DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1931)
      • ROPE (1948)
      • 1950's AWESOMENESS >
        • ROCKETSHIP X-M (1950)
        • THE MAN WHO CHEATED HIMSELF (1950)
        • WHAT THE BUTLER SAW (1950)
        • THE FLYING SAUCER (1950)
        • ROBOT MONSTER (1953)
        • PHANTOM FROM SPACE (1953)
        • TARGET EARTH (1954)
        • THE SNOW CREATURE (1954)
        • KILLERS FROM SPACE (1954)
        • IT CONQUERED THE WORLD (1956)
        • THE MOLE PEOPLE (1956)
        • THE GAMMA PEOPLE (1956)
        • THE LAND UNKNOWN (1957)
        • THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS (1957)
        • I WAS A TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN (1957)
        • THE NIGHT THE WORLD EXPLODED (1957)
        • THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN (1957)
        • THE GIANT CLAW (1957)
        • KRONOS (1957)
        • LA CRAVATE (1957)
        • THE THREE FACES OF EVE (1957)
        • THE MONOLITH MONSTERS (1957)
        • I BURY THE LIVING (1958)
        • THE MONSTER OF PIEDRAS BLANCAS (1959)
        • TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE (1959)
        • ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES (1959)
        • BEAST FROM HAUNTED CAVE (1959)
        • I EAT YOUR SKIN (1964)
      • LES DIABOLIQUES (1955)
      • PSYCHO (1960)
      • WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE (1962)
      • TAXI DRIVER (1976)
      • ¿Quien Puede Matar a un Niño? (aka WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? aka THE ISLAND OF THE DAMNED 1976)
      • THE SHINING (1980)
      • FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980)
      • MISERY (1990)
      • CAPE FEAR (1991)
      • THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991)
      • SWOON (1992)
      • DEATH AND THE MAIDEN (1992)
      • RESERVOIR DOGS (1992)
      • SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993)
      • NATURAL BORN KILLERS (1994)
      • THE CELL (2000)
      • SEXY BEAST (2000)
      • ONE HOUR PHOTO (2002)
      • MONSTER (2003)
      • WRONG TURN (2003)
      • WOLF CREEK (2005)
      • SIN CITY (2005)
      • HARD CANDY (2005)
      • THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND (2006)
      • MR. BROOKS (2007)
      • THE DARK KNIGHT (2008)
      • SKYFALL (2012)
    • THE SUPERNATURAL >
      • NOSFERATU (1922)
      • CARNIVAL OF SOULS (1962)
      • LET'S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH (1971)
      • THE CHANGELING (1980)
      • THE EVIL DEAD (1981)
      • ANGEL HEART (1987)
      • HELLRAISER (1987)
      • CHILD'S PLAY (1988)
      • THE SIXTH SENSE (1999)
      • AUDITION (1999)
      • END OF DAYS (1999)
      • STIGMATA (1999)
      • Richard Matheson Tribute: A STIR OF Memories
      • THE GIFT (2000)
      • THE RING (2002)
      • THE GRUDGE (2004)
      • THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE (2005)
      • THE AMITYVILLE HORROR (2005)
      • DARK WATER (2005)
      • SILENT HILL (2006)
      • PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (2007)
      • LAKE MUNGO (2008)
      • DRAG ME TO HELL (2009)
      • INSIDIOUS (2010)
      • WE ARE WHAT WE ARE (2013)
      • MAMA (2013)
      • CARRIE (2013)
      • OCULUS (2013)
      • THE CONJURING (2013)
      • LATE PHASES (2014)
      • THE TAKING OF DEBORAH LOGAN (2014)
      • JESSABELLE (2014)
      • ANNABELLE (2014)
  • Psycho Hall of Fame
  • Crimson Peak
  • An America Terror
  • The Beat Goes On: Horror Franchises

HouseBound (2014)

Man vs. Man

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It’s been a while since I’ve posted to this blog, but life seems to get in the way…which is not always a bad thing. I decided, however, that I just had to post something about this fun, scary movie Housebound.

I watched this on Halloween as a treat to myself and I was NOT disappointed. This treat from New Zealand provides some thrills along with some giggles. I think the greatest thing about this film is that it doesn’t try to be funny, yet it is. It doesn’t try to be scary, yet there are moments. It just IS what it IS and that’s plenty entertaining enough in this day and age of horror movies relying solely on shock or gore for thrills’ sake. It’s nice to see a movie that actually has characters you come to care about going through something that’s highly implausible, yet kind of fun to watch.

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Really can’t give too much of the story away without ruining some of the twists and turns it takes, but the main plot is a troubled girl named Kylie breaks the law and ends up getting put in house detention in her mother’s home for eight months. Kylie is less than sympathetic in the beginning and doesn’t really become that much more endearing as the film progresses, but she does become more interesting as she faces her predicament…which is being confined to a house that may or may not be haunted. 

Kylie’s mother Miriam is convinced there’s a ghost in the house, but has come to accept it, whereas Kylie is convinced her mom is going nuts and hates that she is forced to stay. After Kylie starts experiencing some unexplained events, they enlist the help of a cop who has been charged with Kylie’s detention only to find out that he’s an amateur paranormal investigator. 

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Can’t say more other than it’s a fun ride to watch how Kylie goes from rude, entitled brat to actually questioning her own sanity to solving a 20 year old crime based on finding a dental plate! And oh, yeah, there’s an exploding head and lots of red herrings just to add to the fun.

I’m going to file this under Literary Conflicts of Man vs. Man. Kylie is her own worst enemy, yet something definitely happened in the house that explains the whispers and the creaks and the things that go bump in the night. All gets explained, but the ghost has the final say! The culmination of all the hysteria is masterfully paced in the last ten minutes of the film where literally all is revealed in what can only be described as a psychotic romp of a chase scene through the “haunted” house.


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Do yourself a favor and watch this one with friends who like a movie that starts out slow, but builds scene by scene until the ending when all bets are off and it’s anybody’s guess as to what may happen next. Well done New Zealand!

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