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Theater offers a scary lineup during ‘Terror at the Drive in’

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By Eric Robinette, Staff Writer Updated 7:51 PM Thursday, October 28, 2010

Drive-ins are usually no place to be afraid of the dark, but after next week, the Holiday Auto Theatre just outside Hamilton might be.

Starting Thursday, Oct. 21, and running through Nov. 4, the theater will hold its third annual Terror at the Drive in, which brings scary movies to the screen, at 1816 Old Oxford Road.

The lineup runs as follows:

• Oct. 21: “Let Me In” at 7:30 p.m.,

“The Evil Dead” at 9:55 p.m., “Paranormal Activity 2” at midnight and “Jackass 3” at 2 a.m.

• Oct. 22-23: “Paranormal Activity 2” at 7:30 p.m., “Let Me In” at 9:30 p.m., “Evil Dead” at 11:55 p.m. and “Jackass 3” at 1:50 a.m.

• Oct. 24-27: “Paranormal Activity 2” at 7:30 p.m. and “Jackass 3” at 9:30 p.m.

• Oct. 28-30: “Paranormal Activity 2” at 7:30 p.m., “My Soul to Take” at

9:30 p.m., “Machete” at 11:50 p.m. and “Child’s Play” at 2:05 a.m.

• Oct. 31-Nov. 4: “Paranormal Activity 2” at 7:30 p.m. and “My Soul to Take” at 9:30 p.m.

In addition to the movies, there will also be some other terrors, said Todd Chancey, co-owner of the drive-in.

“What everybody comes for is the characters from the film (AKA the employees) go to the cars. That’s one thing people love. Their sole purpose is to come and not get scared — but we always get them,” Chancey said.

Sir Critic’s rundown on the films

Child’s Play (1988)

Cast: Chris Sarandon, Catherine Hicks, Brad Dourif

Director: Tom Holland

Story: Creepy doll goes on a killing spree.

Sir Critic’s Take: I saw this for the first time just last weekend and was pleasantly surprised to find it imaginative and scary. The doll effects were excellent too. I haven’t seen any of the sequels, but from what I’ve heard, that’s probably just as well.

The Evil Dead (1981)

Cast: Bruce Campbell and no one else you’ve heard of.

Director: Sam Raimi

Story: Evil lurks in a cabin in the woods.

Sir Critic’s Take: This is a bit more of a spoof than an out-and-out horror flick, but none the less fun for that. This was Campbell’s and Raimi’s ticket to bigger and better things, and the two returned to this arena twice. “Evil Dead 2” is essentially the same movie, but slicker and sillier; “Army of Darkness” is downright loopy.

Jackass 3 (2010)

Cast: Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O

Director: Steve Tremaine

Story: Story? We don’t need no stinkin’ story! It’s the usual series of “don’t try this at home” stunts performed by people living up to the title.

Sir Critic’s Take: Not exactly sure how this fits into the terror theme, but the booking is definitely scary.

Let Me In (2010)

Cast: Chloe Grace Moretz, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Richard Jenkins

Director: Matt Reeves

Story: Young boy becomes a sucker for a preadolescent girl – or is it the other way around?

Sir Critic’s Take: This is a remake of the excellent 2008 Swedish vampire film “Let the Right One In,” and it’s one of the very few horror remakes that lives up to the original. The two young leads are especially good.

Machete (2010)

Cast: Danny Trejo, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Don Johnson, Robert De Niro

Director: Robert Rodriguez, Ethan Maniquis

Story: An ex-Federal agent gets revenge on his former boss who killed his wife and made the mistake of not killing him too.

Sir Critic’s Take: Rodriguez fleshes out the character he introduced in one of the “Grindhouse” trailers, so there’s lots of spurting blood. It’s also a bit of a tract against immigration persecution, which weighs it down a bit, but overall it’s solid fun.

My Soul to Take (2010)

Cast: Again, mostly unknowns

Director: Wes Craven

Story: A serial killer returns to his hometown to stalk seven children who share the same birthday as the date he (supposedly) died. Mayhem ensues.

Sir Critic’s Take: Craven is one of the master horror directors, so he must always be given a shot. I sense a low-key warm-up to next year’s “Scream 4.”

Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)

Cast: Katie Featherston

Director: Tod Williams

Story: The studio has clamped a tight lid on the project so it’s hard to say, but the girl from the original returns, and so do the unseen evildoers.

Sir Critic’s Take: I quite liked last year’s low-budget hit, just as I liked the original “Blair Witch Project.” I heard the “Blair Witch” sequel stunk and didn’t see it. Why do I have a feeling history will repeat itself?

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