October 19, 2012 13 Nights of Hallowe'en 2012: Night #1 The Return (2006)
Hello and welcome to the first night of this year's 13 Nights of Hallowe'en! This year I have chosen a more accessible list of movies suitable for even the horror newcomers. I thought that I would start off with the supernatural thriller The Return. This movie was billed and advertised as something much stronger in the scares department than it is. It would have stood out on its own merit if they had let it. The movie is about a woman who returns for a sales presentation to her home state of Texas after staying away for a long time. Her life almost immediately takes a turn for the strange as memories come flooding back and spill over into the present.
The film's director Asif Kapadia has no other pertinent credits for our discussions. Adam Sussman is the screenwriter. He also wrote for the Night Stalker (TV series) (2005), specifically the episode "Three", and served as writing editor on other episodes of that series. The film stars Sarah Michelle Gellar as Joanna Mills. Sarah Michelle of course is famous for the title role of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series) (1996). She was also in the following: I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), Scream 2 (1997), Angel (1999) (TV), Cruel Intentions (1999), Scooby-Doo (Movie) (2002), Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), The Grudge (2004), The Grudge 2 (2006), TMNT (2007) (movie), and Possession (2008). Kate Beahan plays Joanna's Texas friend. You might remember Kate from Lost Souls (2000), The Matrix Revolutions (2003), and The Wicker Man (2006) remake.
Peter O'Brien plays Terry, the man who helps Joanna. He was in the Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King (2006) (TV Mini-Series) episode "The Fifth Quarter". Adam Scott plays Joanna's stalker co-worker and was previously in Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996), and Piranha (2010). Sam Shepard from Stealth (2005) plays Joanna's father. The last notable actor is Brad Leland as Joanna's boss. Brad is instantly recognisable and was in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) remake.
by Alice Cooper. 
