Tag Archives: 2008

Quarantine, 2008 horror movie

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Saturday, April 04, 2009
horror movie - quarantine, 2008

Wow, what a shocker! 2008′s Quarantine — respectful remake of Spanish horror movie Rec — is an unforgettable movie in my book, and I can hardly wait show it to some of my friends! Perhaps I will notice a few details I missed during the first viewing, seeing as how I was just a nervous wreck, a pretzel of a man, muscles taut as I sat on the couch throughout the last half of the film.

There are portions of two reviews quoted on the cover of Quarantine. On the front it reads, “Quite possibly the best horror film this year.” On the back it says, “. . .scary as hell.” I agree wholeheartedly with both.

Quarantine was gripping, terrifying, serving up large doses of scream-inducing, edge-of-your seat horror — and it should not be missed by any true horror fan. It’s not a slasher flick (thank goodness) and it is not a supernatural thriller (for which I’d partly wished). If I had to quickly select a sub-genre of horror in which to classify Quarantine, I might be forced to utter the word “zombie,” but that too is misleading and might cause some to pass on it, when in fact they shouldn’t miss it. Quarantine is not technically a zombie movie, but it’s easy to lump it into the zombie category or sub-genre of horror movies.

I’ll eventually post more of my thoughts on and information about Quarantine, but in spite of the rapid arrival of 2am as I write this, I wanted to go ahead and post something on this website without delay. Yeah — Quarantine was that good — definitely worth staying up for. horror movie - quarantine, 2008

DVD Cover

When a news crew decides to trail a brave fire-fighting team, they never suspect that the first call for help they respond to that night may be their last. Now they’re trapped in an apartment complex sealed off by the government. With no way of escape, they find themselves surrounded by frightened residents who are infected with a deadly mutant virus. What happens next is only known because of the footage they left behind.

More Info

Quarantine was directed by John Erick Dowdle and written by Drew Dowdle and John Erick Dowdle. The film was executive produced by Glenn S. Gainor, Drew Dowdle, Julio Fernandez, and Carlos Fernandez; produced by Doug Davison, Roy Lee, and Sergio Aguero.

Special Features Include:
o Locked In: The Making-of Quarantine Featurette
o Anatomy of a Stunt Featurette
o Dressing the Infected: Make-Up Design Featurette
o Commentary with Writer/Director John Erick Dowdle and Writer/Producer Drew Dowdle

Partial Press Release

CULVER CITY, CALIF. (December 8, 2008) – Sony Pictures Home Entertainment unleashes the most terrifying film of the year when Quarantine hits Blu-ray™ High-Def, DVD and PSP™ February 17, 2009. This edge-of-your-seat horror film stars Jennifer Carpenter (TV’s “Dexter”, Exorcism of Emily Rose), Johnathon Schaech (Prom Night) and Jay Hernandez (Hostel). The bonus materials include three in-depth featurettes that take you behind-the-scenes, stunts and make-up. Running commentary is provided by Writer/Director John Erick Dowdle (The Poughkeepsie Tapes) and Writer/Producer Drew Dowdle (The Poughkeepsie Tapes).

Dorothy Mills, 2008 U.K. supernatural horror film

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movie posters, covers - Dorothy Mills, 2008 U.K. supernatural horror movieCountry: Ireland
Written and directed by: Agnès Merlet [Agnès Merlet films - Amazon]
Verdict: 7/10… Wow, what a pleasant surprise! Dorothy Mills was a very worthwhile horror movie – one which I’ll probably watch again.

Plot summary of of Dorothy Mills (Amazon.com)A clash between science and religion is waged over the fate of Dorothy Mills, a mentally ill teen, in this thriller from writer and director Agnès Merlet. When a gloomy, God-fearing island community is rocked by the murder of a young child, a psychologist is called in to examine Dorothy Mills, the teenager accused of the crime. Despite the villagers’ resistance, the therapist soon suspects that Dorothy suffers from multiple personality disorder. But when the girl speaks in the voice of the woman’s own deceased son, what first seemed like madness may – as the locals believe – be Dorothy channeling the dead. A spine-chilling blend of psychological thriller and gothic terror, Dorothy Mills is eerie, suspenseful, and truly frightening.

movie stills - Dorothy Mills, 2008 U.K. supernatural horror movie

There are two things that stand out the most to me about Dorothy Mills: the nonconformity of the film and the enticing psychiatrist. One of the best characteristics of Dorothy Mills is its originality, a trait that often seems quite rare in the horror genre these days. It did not seem like a rehash or even standard plot device, apart from the broad theme of revenge; the movie felt clever and innovative to this supernatural horror fan.

Second, the actor portraying the shrink – the woman who comes to the remote island to evaluate the mental state of Dorothy Mills – is a real looker. Carice van Houten was unknown to me prior to this film, and it was a pure pleasure to watch this alluring woman onscreen. Having a sexy class act like Carice van Houten in a horror movie almost always adds to the overall experience. Fortunately, Dorothy Mills delivered much more than just uniqueness and eye candy, though.

movie stills - Dorothy Mills, 2008 U.K. supernatural horror movieWhat kinds of scares does Dorothy deliver? Well, you can probably watch it at night without creeping yourself out too much. I was not twisted into a knot on the couch during this movie as I was for Quarantine. In other words, while for me Quarantine was gripping, terrifying, serving up large doses of scream-inducing, edge-of-your seat horror, Dorothy Mills was unsettling, mysterious, and even creepy. Chances are you have not yet seen Quarantine, though, but it’s on the forefront of my mind right now; I finished watching it less than an hour ago.

movie stills - Dorothy Mills, 2008 U.K. supernatural horror moviePostscript: I’ve since watched [REC] and [REC]2: They’re fantastic, and [REC] – the Spanish original – is definitely superior to Quarantine (as originals usually are). But that’s not to disparage Quarantine; I enjoyed that horror film, and more recently, Quarantine 2: Terminal. I thought it was interesting that the [REC] movies had a strong religious/evil theme which was not employed as a plot element in the American remake Quarantine.

DVD cover

Evil Takes on Many Forms in Dorothy Mills…“A contemporary take on The Exorcist” (Variety), a teenage girl is accused of trying to strangle her neighbor’s baby with no recollection of the incident in Agnès Merlet’s (Artemisia) thriller Dorothy Mills…

Carice van Houten (Body of Lies, Valkyrie) stars as Jane Morton, a psychiatrist mourning the tragic death of her husband and son, who is assigned to work on the mysterious case of Dorothy Mills. When she travels from Dublin to meet with the troubled teenager, she discovers a village plagued by strange events and a horrid past. It isn’t until Dorothy speaks to her in the voice of her own dead son that Jane considers the possibility that the girl possesses powers that exist beyond the realm of psychiatry.

Resources: Dorothy Mills, 2008 U.K. horror movie

Originally written on Saturday, April 04, 2009