MOVIE LIST #1 : Vacation Goes Wrong

A group of people intend to enjoy a vacation and without realizing it a danger threatens them all. You all must be familiar with this premise, right? There have been dozens of films that have a premise like this and most of them are in the horror genre. But in my opinion, movies like this are perfect for watching for fun, especially if they have fun, funny, and thrilling moments. Of course, you are wrong if you expect films like this to have a story that is good enough to get the attention of the Academy Awards, because it is made for fun.

This time I will give some film recommendations that have a theme like this. The films that I mention below are films that are enjoyable for me. I guarantee you will like it too.

(Note: The article below contains spoilers)

1. Turistas a.k.a Paradise Lost (2006)

When I hear a premise like this, the first film that immediately comes to my mind is this. A group of friends are traveling to Brazil and find it unfortunate that the bus they were on has plunged into a ravine. As a result, they went on foot and found a beach. Apparently, the place they went to save a disaster that threatens them. What I like about this is that I found some very thrilling moments, especially the final scene which features an underwater chase scene. When people talk about the best chase scenes and don't talk about this is beyond me. Truly underrated!

2. The Ruins (2008)

Many say that the novel from which the film is based is of much better quality, and that made me really want to read the novel. A group of friends went to a pyramid in Mexico and everything turned disastrous when local people warned them not to touch the plants surrounding the pyramid. And you can guess, one of them touched it. What's scary about this is that the villain isn't a killer person, but a group of plants that will get under your skin and infect you. It's very unique and kind of crawling under your skin. Maybe the film is very different from the novel, but critics overly criticize this film. This is a good film.

3. Friday The 13th (2009)

The reason I put this on the list compared to the original is that the remake feels more fun even it's not scary. A group of friends go to the cabin to party and encounter a man who is looking for his sister. And in the night, they are all being targeted by a man in a hockey mask named Jason. Proof that this is more fun is the opening sequence. It could even make a good short horror film. And seeing Jason run and kill deftly is a horrifying view. The original is better, but the remake is more entertaining. I hope they make another installment for this franchise.

4. A Perfect Getaway (2009)

Unlike the others, I think this can be categorized as a thriller, not a horror. Two couples meet when they are on vacation. Previously, there was news of a murder in their vacation area. The four of them meet another couple and act suspiciously. Gradually they all become suspicious of each other and their vacation turns into total chaos. If I have to be honest, this film is not very good. Sometimes the tension is so loose that I get a bit bored. Moreover, I do not like the twist. However, the chase moment was very tense. Seeing them suspicious of each other and actually making decisions very quickly was a very enjoyable moment.

5. Cabin Fever (2002)

A film that has made many people afraid to shave their body hair. No different from other in this list, you only need to change the terror in the form of a killer into a flesh-eating water virus. The result? A disgusting film (in a good way) and effective in scaring us all. The scene of shaving the legs is indeed memorable. After seeing it, I'd rather let the hair on my body grow. And the chaotic moments also felt real and were able to make me panic too. You guys should watch this and don't even think about drinking water carelessly.

Above are the films that I recommend to all of you. If you have a themed film like this, you can let me know in the comments.

THE ANGEL OF DEATH WON'T LET YOU LIVE

Final Destination.

Who doesn't know this horror franchise? Everyone must know, at least they have seen the movie's clips without ever knowing the title. With the premise of someone having a vision of bad things happening and saving a group of people, then one by one they still have to die by the angel of death. Let's just admit that you've been paranoid to do anything just because you've watched this. The success of the franchise in scaring everyone certainly attracts a large number of fans. I am also one of them.

There are several reasons I like this. First, of course because it managed to make me paranoid in real life. Second, I'm always excited to see what disaster will befall the characters. Third, it takes 'death' to another level. They don't die because of illness or spontaneously, but their deaths are unique, torturous, and (strangely) have aesthetic value.

This time I will write about any "good" deaths in this franchise. With five films, forty-two survivors, thirty-three “real-death” scenes, these are my TOP 10 Best Death Scenes in Final Destination Franchise.

(Note: The text below contains spoilers)

10. Evan Lewis (Impaled in the right eye by a ladder - Final Destination 2)

     A pretty tragic death. I thought he would burn or die one way or another in his apartment, but I was wrong. I love the suspense in this scene.

9. Olivia Castle (Burned by a laser and falling out of a window – Final Destination 5)

      Many people say this is unrealistic because the power of the LASIK laser cannot burn the skin. Because I've never had LASIK until now, this scene is still tense and memorable for me.

8. Samantha Lane (Eye perforated by a rock – The Final Destination)

     Even though her death was not gruesome, the suspense in the hair salon was very successful. There were so many ways she would die which way, and guessing it was a moment I'll never forget. Her death in premonition is also gruesome. She's so unlucky. And don't forget her last words. "I've got my eye on you two." Yeah, the rock have got your eye too, Samantha.

7. Billy Hitchcock (Decapitated by flying shrapnel – Final Destination)

     If this scene appears in the sequel, maybe I won't include it here because it's too "standard" for this franchise. I consider this as a “good” death because of its shocking value. In this scene, Carter should've died. But it turns out that his death can be skipped so that Billy must die. This scene had an effect on the entire franchise and made me realize that there is one more rule in death.

6. Janet Cunningham, Lori Molligan, and Nick O'Bannon (Hit by a big truck – The Final Destination)

    This scene is horrifying, but it could be forgettable if this scene didn't use the X-Ray effect. This effect made me imagine how their bodies would look after being hit. This is what makes this scene feel horrifying. And it's so realistic. I mean, who has never imagined being hit by a truck? I guess none.

5. Erin Ulmer (Shooted by gun nails - Final Destination 3)

     This scene is so thick with suspense. Besides guessing how they die, but also guessing who will die. Because in the premonition scene, Erin and Ian died simultaneously, so it's hard to guess who and how died. And it works.

4. Hunt Wynorski (Sucked until his internal organs dissolved in the pool – The Final Destination)

     After this scene existed, everyone including me was very paranoid about going to the pool. Drowning is one of my fears, and this scene made my fears increased. Even though this is actually unrealistic IMO because (maybe) who allows people to swim in a pool where the water is being sucked up?

3. Valerie Lewton (Impaled by a kitchen knife and burned in the house – Final Destination)

     One word: intense. I feel sad for Mrs. Lewton. Her death is very sad. This scene is also very realistic. The first time I saw Mrs. Lewton pulled a towel from the knife rack, my heart immediately stopped and said, "Oh my God, no!".

2. Nora Carpenter (Head cut off due to stuck in the elevator door – Final Destination 2)

     Fear of being trapped inside the elevator, claustrophobic, afraid of the elevator rope breaking and crashing into the ground floor. That's what I was afraid of when I got on the elevator. But this scene adds one more. And after watching this, if I have to choose between stairs and elevator, I would point to the stairs and say, "OK, stairs isn't that bad." Help me, Final Destination. Don't create something scary with the stairs. This is enough!

And the best (or worst?) goes to...

1. Ashley Freund and Ashlyn Halperin (Roasted alive in tanning beds – Final Destination 3)

Memorable. It has become a Final Destination icon. No one has ever put this low on their "Best Death" list. It's gruesome, intense, and haunting. The screams, that bubbling skin effect, and the transition from two tanning beds to two coffins are certainly what people remember of this scene. Iconic. I don't think I will ever use a tanning bed, but after seeing this, I think I really need to stay away from it.

To be honest there are still a lot of cool scenes in this franchise. Exploding cinemas, gymnastic accident, road accident, bridge collapsed, and others. I hope Final Destination 6 has good quality and cooler and scarier deaths. This franchise has been dormant for a very long time.

My All-Time Favorite Traps of Saw Franchise

Released in 2004, with a minimal budget and a simple story, who would have thought Saw would become such a great sleeper-hit that it grossed over $100M. Not only is it great at the box office, it also managed to steal attention and get all the praise from all walks of life thanks to how clever this film is in storytelling and some sadistic traps made by Jigsaw. Seeing its success, it's no wonder this film has many sequels. Every year, every sequel graces Halloween and always makes people flock to theaters. Unfortunately, despite being successful at the box office, none of the sequels received as much praise as Saw. Over time, everyone began to see this franchise as torture-porn which is all about torture and violence without being accompanied by a complex story that contains.

Despite being criticized, this franchise still has a lot of fans, with the evidence that it already has 9 films. People keep watching this hoping for at least one cool Jigsaw trap. This franchise is known for its heart-pumping deadly traps. This time, I'm going to write down some of my favorite traps that are not only scary, but also cool to watch. This post was created as a tribute to this franchise before Saw X was released.

(Note: The posts that I will write below contain spoilers)

1. Reverse Bear Trap (appears in Saw, Saw VI, and Saw 3D)

The victims will be put on a bear trap on their head. Instead of closing, the trap will be wide open. They must follow the instructions given to escape the trap. If they don't succeed, the trap will send their upper jaw sticking to their forehead.

2. Needle Pit Trap (appeared in Saw II)

A victim must find a key among hundreds of syringes in a pit. She have to rummage through everything until tens of needles can just pricked her skin.

3. The Brazen Bull Trap (appeared in Saw 3D)

A victim will be tied up in an oven that has not been closed. The other victim will follow Jigsaw's lead to release her. If he didn't succeed, the oven would close and roast her alive.

4. The Triangle Love Trap (appeared in Saw 3D)

Two men were tied up in front of a circular saw while a woman was tied up lying face down where a circular saw was ready to cut her in half. They must kill one of them.

5. The Hand Trap (appeared in Saw II)

A victim must retrieve the antidote in a glass box. There are two ways: she can look for a key to open it from above and will die mostly inhaling poison gas if it doesn't find it for too long, or she can stick her hand through two razor-sharp holes that can only go in but can't get out.

6. The Necktie Trap (appeared in Saw V)

The victims were tied around their necks using chains. Behind them was a large razor-sharp blade. They must retrieve a key in the glass case in front of them within a certain time. When the time limit is exceeded, the chain will pull their neck until it is cut by the razor-blade.

7. The Knife Chair Trap (appeared in Saw IV)

A victim was tied to a chair. His face was facing many kitchen knives. He had to escape by sticking his face through the knives.

8. The Horsepower Trap (appeared in Saw 3D)

A victim sat in the car and his back was glued to the car seat. He had to turn off the car's engine before it could run. The other three victims: was bound by a chain attached to the car and if the car pulled, it would separate his limbs; was tied up with her face under a spinning wheel and if the tire fell, it would rip her face off; was tied in front of the car and if the car goes, it will hit him.

9. The Bucket Room Trap (appeared in Jigsaw)

The victims were tied with buckets in their heads. They are connected by chains. In front of them, there was a circular saw that was spinning and ready to tear their bodies apart. The chain are pulled them so that the circular saw hits them. In order to escape, they must injure themselves and must bleed even a drop.

10. The Water Cube Trap (appeared in Saw V)

A victim whose head is put in a glass box which will slowly be filled with water until it is full.

11. The Grain Silo Trap (appeared in Jigsaw)

The victims were put in a room. Gradually the room will be filled with grain silos until only their heads are left outside of it. Then, various sharp objects would be dropped from above. Another victim had to give up his leg to save the other two.

12. The Pound of Flesh Trap (appeared in Saw VI)

The victims were put in a room. They have to compete. In front of their room, there is a scale of objects. Inside the room, there were knives. Whoever can collect the heaviest will wins. If they lose, the tool in their head will drill their head. The problem was that something heavy meant their limbs.

Of the 62 traps, I only chose 12. I hope Saw X can get me to revise this list. What's yours?

Who is my favorite Ghostface?

 

It seems very difficult to find a film franchise with many installments that are still entertaining until the last film. But in my opinion, it's not difficult to find it if you know one of the most popular horror franchises, Scream. Starting in 1996, Scream has managed to hook a lot of fans thanks to its unique storyline, surprising twist ending, satire on horror cinema, and a killer who use a ghost mask (a.k.a Ghostface) without supernatural elements. But among all that, guessing who is behind the ghost mask is something that is really fun when we watch this franchise.

This time, of the 12 main Ghostfaces that have been in action (I didn't count the other two at the start of Scream VI), not only managed to surprise me. But once it works, it always gets me fucked-up. So, therefore, I'm going to rank the deadliest Ghostfaces from meh to craziest (and in order of favourites).

(Note: What I will write below contains spoilers)

12. Detective Wayne Bailey (Played by Delmot Mulroney in Scream VI, 2023)

       I do not know. I don't feel that it's lethal at all. He also didn't surprise me when he revealed himself. Even his motive to kill the Carpenter sisters is very cliché because it was used by the second film almost 26 years ago.

11. Richie Kirsch (Played by Jack Quaid in Scream, 2022)

       Just like before, I don't see him as someone who is deadly, although I was indeed surprised when he revealed himself. I don't even remember him killing anyone in this movie.

10. Ethan Bailey (Played by Jack Champion in Scream VI, 2023)

       Ethan is indeed very brutal in the cross-stairs sequences. But he's too predictable. His motives are also stupid and not strong.

9. Quinn Bailey (Played by Liana Liberato in Scream VI, 2023)

     It looks like the Baileys aren't lethal at all, it's proven that the three of them (along with Richie) are at the bottom of the ranking. But I call Quinn the strongest because I was shocked to see her reveal, and how bloodthirsty she was when she terrorized Gale in her apartment.

8. Roman Bridger (Played by Scott Foley in Scream 3, 2000)

     "Kudos to the ambition". I agree with Kirby. He is the most different because he did all this alone. But sadly, other than this being absurd, he wasn't brutal at all. He just stabbed, then left. He didn't surprise me either, in fact I wondered who he was and his motives and relationship with Sidney were forced. I put him in 8th position because of his ambition.

7. Nancy Loomis (Played by Laurie Metcalfe in Scream 2, 1997)

     Billy's mother's motives are actually quite strong. She seeks revenge for the death of her son who was killed by Sidney. It's a bit strange because she knows that Billy is a serial killer. However, when I found out she was Ghostface, I was quite confused because she has little contribution and screen-time in the story.

6. Charlie Walker (Played by Rory Culkin in Scream 4, 2011)

     It's a shame so many people hate him. I don't know why either. Every time I look at the "Ranking Ghostface" list, I often see his name at the bottom. Had they forgotten how brutal he was when he killed Olivia Morris? But when they criticize his motives, I don't think his motives are too bad either. He is an underrated ghostface for me.

5. Mickey Altieri (Played by Timothy Olyphant in Scream 2, 1997)

     I honestly don't know the reason why I put him in a high enough position. I feel he is brutal, his motives are crazy, and his shocking-value is high. He's cool too.

4. Stu Macher (Played by Matthew Lillard in Scream, 1996)

     Wouldn't it be scarier to see someone kill lots of people without a motive? Stu is just that crazy. Not to mention that he brutally killed his own girlfriend and his ex-girlfriend, and did it just for fun.

3. Amber Freeman (Played by Mikey Madison in Scream, 2022)

     To be honest, her motives weren't strong. Just a crazy fanatic who is too serious about bringing her beloved franchise world to life. However, the reveal moment is one of (if not) the best in the entire franchise. As well as the fact that this girl managed to kill Dewey who managed to survive from the previous seven Ghostfaces making her look very deadly. I also love that killer smile of hers.

2. Billy Loomis (Played by Skeet Ulrich in Scream, 1996)

    For Scream fans, of course it was surprised to see me put him in the runner-up position. He is brutal, he is crazy, he is unexpected, and he is the father of Ghostface. But he's not crazy enough to beat the champion spot on my list.

1. Jill Roberts (Played by Emma Roberts in Scream 4, 2011)

     I don't need to apologize to those who disagree with this because she is the best. This bitch is insane. Her reveal is the most jaw-dropping heart-stopping breathtaking moment I've ever seen in this franchise. Seeing her as a final girl at first and turning into a villain is a genius decision that Wes Craven made for this film. Jealous and fame-seeker are her crazy motives. And she is the only Ghostface that survives (or can) pass the third-act in the franchise. And don't forget her iconic unforgettable monologue.

Who is your favorite Ghostface?

MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE EPISODES OF BEN 10 (ORIGINAL)

 

In 2009, just before noon, I was carried by my father at the local market. At that time, my father stopped by one of the CD sellers in there. My father told me to choose one to watch at home. With my innocent face, I paid my attention to the them one by one. My eyes immediately fell on the animated image of a boy wearing a watch and various alien characters behind him. You can definitely guess what animation it is. Yep, Ben 10. This is how I first fell in love with this animation made by Cartoon Network, and strangely I remember that moment so well.

In my opinion, Ben 10 (original version) will never be time-eroded. Anytime, anyone, however, can definitely enjoy this animation without getting bored. I've even finished this series many times from the first season to the fourth season, even though I've never watched any of the film adaptations as well as several episodes of the next version of Ben 10. Out of all those seasons, of course I have some favorite episodes. Some I like because it's good, some because that episode has special memories in my heart. Below are some of our favorite episodes of the animated series Ben 10.

(Note: Of course the writing that I will write below contains spoilers)

FIRST SEASON

• The Krakken (January 14, 2006)
This episode is a rare episode throughout the series, because it has the transformation scene of Ripjaws, one of my favorite aliens. And the action sequence where XLR-8 saves everyone in the lake also completes the reason why this episode is here.

• Last Laugh (February 25, 2006)
I'm a horror fan, so there's no reason to be confused as to why this is here. This episode stole my heart thanks to its scary storyline, and this film also gave me a clue about what happened in one of the episodes in the second season.

• Lucky Girl (March 4, 2006)
I like tough female characters in a show, whether it's a movie or TV show. Gwen Tennyson is one of them. Seeing her fighting skills without superpowers is already very exciting, but this episode confirms what happens when Gwen has superpowers and it's magnificent.

SECOND SEASON

• Camp Fear (June 21, 2006)
A great episode to introduce a new alien named Wildvine. It's a special pleasure to see all the characters run screaming in the middle of the attack of... mushroom?

• They Lurk Below (July 18, 2006)
This is the very first episode I watched, and it's very exciting. This is where I started to like Ripjaws too.

• Ghostfreaked Out (July 25, 2006)
Forget all the original version episodes. Even when combined with all the episodes of all versions of Ben 10 (Alien Force, Ultimate Alien, Omniverse, etc.), it's clear that this one stands as one of the best episodes of Ben 10 ever made, and also one of the most influential on the storyline of all seasons.

THIRD SEASON

• A Change of Face (December 9, 2006)
Sometimes, watching a villain turn good is a calming thing for me.

• Game Over (February 24, 2007)
Fun element of watching this is guessing what aliens Ben will get and use while he can't change form at will.

• Super Hero Alien Buddy Adventures (March 3, 2007)
Episode like this are typical of what I love. Being in the middle of a city, many alien transformations are shown directly, as well as a stand-alone story that will not have much effect on the main points of Ben 10's story.

• Under Wraps (March 10, 2007)
I really liked the atmosphere at the beginning of the episode, although to be honest (and strangely) I didn't like that this episode turned the story into a mummy hunt, but still be my favorite.

FOURTH SEASON

• Perfect Day (July 14, 2007)
This episode feels very satisfying. A feeling that I can't explain in detail. What is certain is that if you watch this, then your day will turn out to be like the title.

• Don't Drink The Water (July 26, 2007)
Seeing Baby Ben in action with his mini aliens is hilarious.

• Big Fat Alien Wedding (August 2, 2007)
Again and again, seeing the Tennysons fight against enemies amidst many new characters is a golden moment that I rarely get from Ben 10.

• Ben 4 Good Buddy (September 22, 2007)
The greatness of Ben 10 is that with only a 22-minute episode that tells about a cars and roads, it can subvert the entire Fast and Furious installment.

Those were some of my favorite Ben 10 episodes. Of course it is impossible to hope that there will be more new episodes for the original version of Ben 10. If I could ask for one wish that was instantly granted, requesting-hundred-thousands-episodes-of-Ben-10-original would be one thing.