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(2001) |
A compilation of scenes from seventeen supernatural and slasher movies, from Hellraiser to The Ugly to Halloween.
Subgenres: documentary, slasher
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Boogeymen runs into a problem that is common to compilations of its type--how can you possibly build atmosphere, which is so important to a horror film, when the entire film is just a collection of clips a couple of minutes long? So you get just a taste of the ambience some of these films have, and you have to look elsewhere for your goodies. And there are such goodies present in Boogeymen. Instead of going for the "scariest" scenes from each movie (the ones which would certainly be rendered mostly ineffective by the lack of build-up), the film includes scenes that cut to the heart of their respective boogeyman. From Candyman, we don't see any of the murders; instead, we experience the hypnotic, poetic seduction of the film's female lead. The selection from Scream doesn't include an ounce of blood, but it provides insight into the film's forays into pop-psychological terror. Unfortunately for Boogeymen, no matter how inventive the choice of scenes might be, it just can't help the fact that some of the source films stink worse than broccoli farts. The movie opens with the groteque modern horror of Hellraiser and closes with the soul-chilling horror of the bar-none best slasher film, Halloween, but getting from one to the other is pretty tough. I've never been terribly impressed by the Nightmare on Elm Street series, and the clip chosen hasn't made me a believer, and the inclusion from I Know What You Did Last Summer is cut off too early (the scene they chose was the film's only redeeming aspect anyway). And no amount of judicious choosing is going to get a good scene from Leprechaun. So this compilation can't help but be a mixed bag, but the DVD version does edge it into 3.5-star territory; Robert England provides a commentary that is enthusiastic, to say the least, and the disc includes a feature that allows trivia to run at the bottom of the screen. All in all, Boogeymen is fun, and definitely recommended for Halloween parties. (Sep 30, 2001)
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Includes clips from the following films:
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